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ISTANBUL , Turkey -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Turkish military said Friday it is weighing bids from American , Russian and Chinese defense contractors as it seeks to buy at least $ 1 billion worth of long-range missile defense systems . The Turkish military says a missile defense deal could include U.S. Patriot missile systems . Among the missile systems Turkey is considering are U.S. Patriot missile systems , the military said . `` We will purchase four batteries , '' Turkish armed forces spokesman Metin Gurak announced at a weekly press briefing in the Turkish capital , according to the state news agency , Anatolian . `` The actual figure will be determined during the bidding process , but the cost is expected to be around $ 1 billion . '' The news contradicts earlier reports in the Turkish and American media that the Turkish military was considering purchasing as much as $ 7.8 billion worth of Patriot missiles from the United States . Turkish diplomats and military commanders have denied speculation that the Patriots could be used as part of U.S.-backed missile defense shield against its eastern neighbor , Iran . `` It is wrong to draw links between the Patriot and Iran , '' Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told CNN 's sister network , CNN Turk , Friday morning . `` We neither have a perception of threat from any of the neighboring countries , nor have any military or security related preparation against them . '' Thursday , the Obama administration announced it was scrapping a missile defense program for Eastern Europe , after years of angry objections from Russia . The White House has said the program was aimed at protecting allies from Iran , not from Russia . Read the story . Russia is Turkey 's largest trading partner . Meanwhile , relations have warmed considerably between the Iranians and the Turks in recent years . The Turkish government is putting itself forward as a neutral party , offering to host talks between Iran and the United States , France , Germany , Britain , Russia and China on Iran 's controversial nuclear program . But Turkey is also a member of the NATO military alliance , and it has long had close military ties with Washington . During the first Gulf War , Patriot missile batteries were temporarily stationed on Turkish territory . Turkish officials say the missile defense batteries it wants to buy would be part of a larger , long-term program to modernize the country 's military . Prominent Turkish intellectuals have questioned the purchase . `` Does Turkey really need these missiles ? '' asked Lale Kemal , a columnist who writes about military affairs for Turkey 's Zaman newspaper . `` Turkish military acquisition projects are not going through parliamentary or government scrutiny . We do n't have a transparent military procurement system . So how can I or anyone say that Turkey needs them ? '' Defense contractors have until Oct. 13 to submit bids for the missile defense package . | Turkey considering bids to supply at least $ 1 billion worth of defense systems . Country 's military says potential deal includes U.S. patriot missiles . Some question whether Turkey really needs to purchase extra missiles . Obama scrapped U.S. plans for a missile defense shield in eastern Europe . | [[63, 231], [696, 743], [232, 325], [253, 325], [326, 358], [374, 406], [823, 946], [2518, 2561], [1444, 1452], [1455, 1551], [1490, 1551], [1554, 1565]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- California legislators plan to keep trying to find consensus on a controversial proposal that would release at least 27,000 inmates from state prisons . California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger , right , and officials tour a prison last week in Chino after a riot there . The California Assembly on Monday delayed a possible vote on the plan . Lawmakers likely will take up the proposal Wednesday or Thursday , said Shannon Murphy , a spokeswoman for Assembly Speaker Karen Bass . `` When we arrive at a responsible plan that can earn the support of the majority of the Assembly and make sense to the people of California , we will take that bill up on the Assembly floor , '' Bass , a Los Angeles Democrat , said in a statement . Bass said legislators continue to meet with each other and law enforcement authorities to try to craft a plan that increases public safety , improves the state corrections department and reduces costs . As part of the negotiations , a provision that would set up a 16-member sentencing commission -- which would put new sentencing guidelines in place by 2012 -- was stripped from the bill , Murphy said . But `` it 's not as if we 're giving up on that notion , '' she said . The sentencing commission is a priority for Bass , she said , but the speaker believes she will have more success if she introduces a separate bill to create it . A panel of three federal judges has ordered California to reduce its prison population by about 40,000 by mid-September . The judges acted on the grounds that overcrowded prisons violate inmates ' constitutional rights . The state Senate voted 21-19 Friday to release several thousand inmates early . That vote came after Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg , a Sacramento Democrat , assured senators the public would be protected from the most violent offenders . `` Of course , we want to keep violent criminals off our streets and out of our communities , and this reform package is a necessary step to do that because it concentrates our incarceration efforts on the violent criminals and ensures that nonviolent offenders have more contact with parole officers , '' Steinberg said Friday . All 15 Senate Republicans voted against the bill , arguing that it undermines public safety . Democrats control both houses of the California Legislature . `` California 's prison system is in a state of crisis , '' Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said last week while touring the California Institution for Men in Chino . Some 250 inmates were injured this month at the facility in a riot that officials said was ignited by racial tension . Fifty-five inmates were taken to hospitals with serious injuries , including stab wounds and head trauma . Schwarzenegger said the riot was `` a terrible symptom of a much larger problem . ... Our prisons are overcrowded and endangering the staff and the inmates . '' The governor noted he had signed a budget that mandates $ 1.2 billion in cuts to the state corrections system . `` We must be measured and smart about how we go about and create those reductions , '' said Schwarzenegger , a Republican . `` We must find a way to cut costs and relieve overcrowding but without sacrificing public safety . '' Steinberg said the bill under debate would save the financially strapped state some $ 524.5 million . Coupled with budget revisions made in July , the savings would total the entire $ 1.2 billion , he said . Republicans said the bill would lead to the release of about 27,000 prisoners , while Democrats estimated it would reduce the prison population by 27,300 in the 2009-10 fiscal year and 37,000 during fiscal year 2010-11 . But Steinberg said the measure also would reduce the ratio of parolees to parole officers to 45-to-1 . Currently , one parole officer is responsible for about 70 parolees , many of whom commit new crimes and return to custody ; the state has a 70 percent recidivism rate . | California Assembly delays vote on plan to release at least 27,000 inmates . Provision setting up sentencing panel stripped from bill , spokeswoman says . State Senate voted last week to release several thousand inmates early . Judges order state to reduce prison population by about 40,000 by mid-September . | [[80, 107], [113, 171], [288, 359], [3441, 3518], [980, 1043], [1101, 1135], [1607, 1686], [1630, 1686], [1386, 1507], [1430, 1472]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ford is the only major U.S. carmaker that is getting by without U.S. taxpayer money . Mark Fields of Ford says consumer confidence is key to getting the auto industry back on track . GM and Chrysler , on the other hand , have been told the Obama administration they will receive operating funds for several weeks in return for undergoing significant restructuring . Mark Fields , executive vice president of Ford , spoke to CNN 's Kiran Chetry Tuesday on `` American Morning '' about the company 's plans and whether it will be able to continue without financial aid from the government . Kiran Chetry : So , Mark , your company is the one that 's gotten by without federal money . Will you be able to continue that ? Mark Fields : Well , our position has n't changed . We 're in a different position than some of our competitors , and we 're not seeking emergency taxpayer assistance . Chetry : Right , but I 'm saying in the future , how are you guys guaranteeing that you wo n't need to go to the federal government like your two competitors have and ask for some help ? Fields : Well , we 're going to continue executing our plan , which really involves decisive actions around transforming the business , but also bringing great high-quality , fuel-efficient vehicles into the marketplace . And we 've been working this plan over the last three years , and we 've been making progress . Clearly it 's a tough time in the economy , but we are really focused on bringing these great cars and trucks to customers , getting our cost structure right . We 've come to new agreements with our UAW partners . We 're working through reducing our debt . So we 're going to continue working through that , and we do n't expect to take taxpayer assistance from the emergency funds . Watch Fields discuss Ford 's future '' Chetry : You say it 's been tough times , and certainly for you guys , it has -- 2008 the worst annual loss in Ford 's 105-year history . You guys can restructure . You can work out new deals with the unions . But in the end , if people are n't buying cars or they ca n't get credit , how do you remain viable ? Fields : Well , consumer confidence is the biggest issue in the marketplace right now . The good news is , our new cars and trucks that are coming into the marketplace are being well-received . Our retail market share has been up three of the last four months . We expect the month of March our retail share to be up again . But getting that consumer confidence is really important . And that 's why today we 're announcing our Ford advantage plan , and it 's for any customer who buys a Ford , Lincoln or Mercury product , when they come into the showroom and buy their product , if that customer loses their position , we will pay their car payments up to 12 months while they 're unemployed , to give them that peace of mind . Post your comments on AMfix . Chetry : You 're also offering some zero percent financing . I 'm sure that you 're trying to do that as well because of the frozen credit in a lot of instances . I want to get your take on this , though . President Obama announced yesterday he 's giving ... Chrysler a month , basically , to submit a reorganization plan that the administration finds acceptable . The Obama administration also of course forced General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner out . Was that the right move , in your opinion ? Fields : Well , what we are supportive of is that the president is committed to a vibrant U.S. auto industry . As we mentioned , Ford is in a different position . We 're not asking for the emergency taxpayer assistance . But what we are focusing on is taking decisive action to streamline our business , but more importantly win new customers with the great set of products we 're going -- we 're coming out with over the next couple of months . Chetry : You know , there is some unprecedented government intervention going on right now in the U.S. auto industry at your competitors . They 're getting billions of dollars in taxpayer money . They 're being forced to restructure , as we talked about . They actually were forced to fire their CEO . And right now , it seems that , you know , they 're on a different level than you guys are . Is there some sense that perhaps there 's an unfair advantage , that they 're getting a lot of government help , whereas you guys are sort of on your own . Does that concern you ? Fields : Well , we do n't feel we 're being disadvantaged , because we have been restructuring our company over the past three years . We have been investing in high-quality , fuel-efficient vehicles over the last couple of years , which are just starting to come to the marketplace . So our approach is continue to work this plan , continue to make sure that Ford remains competitive both today and in the future and continue to work with our stakeholders to make sure that happens . | Ford exec says company has been restructuring over last three years . We 're in different position that competitors , says Ford executive vice president . Retail market share has increased in last few months , says Mark Fields . Consumer confidence is biggest issue in marketplace , Fields says . | [[1315, 1374], [4437, 4478], [4481, 4555], [3529, 3562], [2340, 2407], [105, 201], [2162, 2233]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An extradition hearing is expected in Spain this week for one of two pilots arrested recently on charges they participated in `` death flights '' in which more than 1,000 prisoners were thrown out of planes during Argentina 's `` dirty war '' in the 1970s and 1980s , officials said . Hebe de Bonafini , left , and members of Madres de Plaza de Mayo hold a demonstration in 2006 . Former Navy Lt. Julio Alberto Poch , who has been held in Spain without bail since his arrest in Valencia in late September , will have a hearing before a high court in Madrid , a judge in Valencia ruled . An Argentine judge has asked that Poch be sent back to face long-standing charges from the 1976-83 right-wing dictatorship . In Argentina , police arrested former Navy Capt. Emir Sisul Hess last week in the town of Bariloche , near the border with Chile . An initial hearing for Sisul Hess was held Friday , federal court official Cecilia Brizzio told CNN . Poch and Sisul Hess are accused of piloting aircraft from which drugged and blindfolded prisoners were hurled to their deaths in the Atlantic Ocean or the Rio Plata . The prisoners included students , labor leaders , intellectuals and leftists who had run afoul of the dictatorship because of their political views . Most were dragged off the street or otherwise summarily arrested and held without trial in secret prisons where many were tortured . Sisul Hess , accused in more than 900 deaths , has denied the allegations , said Argentina 's government-run Telam news agency . According to Telam , both men were arrested after they told colleagues or friends about their alleged involvement . Up to 30,000 people disappeared or were held in secret jails and torture centers during the dictatorship . Argentine human rights activist Hebe de Bonafini , who lost two sons and a daughter-in-law in the `` dirty war , '' said Monday she found no joy in the arrests . `` You can never take back the horror , '' she said . `` In no way am I happy . '' Bonafini is president of the Association of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo , a group of mothers whose children disappeared during the war . She urged the government to continue looking for war crime suspects . Speaking of the pilots , she said , `` There are several . They are not the only ones . '' Poch , a commercial pilot for the Dutch airline Transavia.com , was arrested September 23 when his flight made a stopover in Valencia , Telam said . He was wanted on an international arrest warrant . Poch had been a navy pilot from 1976 until late 1980 , Telam said . Upon leaving the navy , he moved to Holland and had been living there ever since . Argentine federal Judge Sergio Gabriel Torres is pursuing the extradition of Poch and handling the arrest of Sisul Hess . Torres traveled to Holland to question Poch 's colleagues and others , Telam said . An aviator told Torres that Poch had said at a restaurant in Indonesia in December 2003 that there were occasions in which people were thrown out of helicopters and airplanes because the armed forces were dealing with `` terrorists , '' Telam said . The aviator , identified as Tim Eisso Weert , told the judge that Poch said it was a humane way to execute people because they were drugged , the government news agency reported . A co-pilot told the judge that Poch had said they `` should have killed all '' the subversives , Telam reported , and that he admitted `` some responsibility '' because `` when you fly persons on board the responsibility lies with the pilot . '' Sisul Hess is similarly said to have implicated himself , telling friends that the prisoners `` did not suffer because they were drugged , falling like little ants , '' Telam said . Sisul Hess served as a helicopter pilot in 1976-77 and retired as a captain in 1991 , the news agency said . He was arrested September 29 and transferred to Buenos Aires , Argentina 's capital . Judge Torres was not available Monday to take three phone calls from CNN , aides said . Nor were any documents on the cases available , the aides said . CNN 's Arthur Brice contributed to this report . | Former Navy Lt. Julio Alberto Poch faces charges from the 1976-83 dictatorship . In Argentina , police arrested former Navy Capt. Emir Sisul Hess last week . Pair accused of piloting aircraft from which prisoners were thrown to their deaths . Prisoners include those who had run afoul of the dictatorship over political views . | [[606, 730], [635, 730], [731, 743], [746, 779], [145, 164], [168, 284], [964, 1016], [996, 1105], [1165, 1207], [1212, 1280]] |
JERUSALEM -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An archaeological dig in Jerusalem has turned up a 3,700-year-old wall that is the largest and oldest of its kind found in the region , experts say . The wall is built of enormous boulders , confounding archaeologists as to how ancient peoples built it . Standing 8 meters -LRB- 26 feet -RRB- high , the wall of huge cut stones is a marvel to archaeologists . `` To build straight walls up 8 meters ... I do n't know how to do it today without mechanical equipment , '' said the excavation 's director , Ronny Reich . `` I do n't think that any engineer today without electrical power -LSB- could -RSB- do it . '' Archaeologist Eli Shukron of the Israel Antiquities Authority added , `` You see all the big boulders -- all the boulders are 4 to 5 tons . '' The discovered section is 24 meters -LRB- 79 feet -RRB- long . `` However , it is thought the fortification is much longer because it continues west beyond the part that was exposed , '' the Israel Antiquities Authority said in a news release . It was found inside the City of David , an archaeological excavation site outside the Old City of East Jerusalem on a slope of the Silwan Valley . The wall is believed to have been built by the Canaanites , an ancient pagan people who the Bible says inhabited Jerusalem and other parts of the Middle East before the advent of monotheism . Watch report on the discovery of the ancient wall '' `` This is the most massive wall that has ever been uncovered in the City of David , '' Reich and Shukron said in a joint statement about the find . It marks the first time `` that such massive construction that predates the Herodian period has been discovered in Jerusalem . '' It appears to be part of a `` protected , well-fortified passage that descends to the spring tower from some sort of fortress that stood at the top of the hill , '' according to the joint statement . The spring `` is located in the weakest and most vulnerable place in the area . The construction of a protected passage , even though it involves tremendous effort , is a solution for which there are several parallels in antiquity , albeit from periods that are later than the remains described here . '' Such walls were used primarily to defend against marauding desert nomads looking to rob the city , said Reich , a professor at the University of Haifa . `` We are dealing with a gigantic fortification , from the standpoint of the structure 's dimensions , the thickness of its walls and the size of the stones that were incorporated in its construction , '' the joint statement said . Water from the spring is used by modern inhabitants of Jerusalem . `` The new discovery shows that the picture regarding Jerusalem 's eastern defenses and the ancient water system in the Middle Bronze Age 2 is still far from clear , '' Reich said . `` Despite the fact that so many have excavated on this hill , there is a very good chance that extremely large and well-preserved architectural elements are still hidden in it and waiting to be uncovered . '' CNN 's Kevin Flower contributed to this report . | Made of boulders weighing 4 to 5 tons , the 3,700-year-old wall is 26 feet high . Archaeologist : `` I do n't know how to do it today without mechanical equipment '' The wall appears to have been used to defend path that led to spring . Wall is believed to have been built by Canaanites . | [[78, 99], [105, 142], [179, 217], [284, 326], [329, 388], [643, 710], [713, 782], [432, 493], [1744, 1748], [1749, 1827], [257, 283], [1178, 1201], [1218, 1235], [1178, 1186], [1199, 1235]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's a familiar scenario : A major crime is committed . Police investigate possible leads while the media asks for information . Soon , authorities say they have a `` person of interest . '' Raymond Clark was named a person of interest , and then charged with murdering Yale grad student Annie Le . But what does this term mean ? `` The ` person of interest ' tells you nothing , '' says Cynthia Hujar Orr , president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers . `` They are suspicious of that person , but the police do n't have the evidence they need . '' Investigators named Raymond Clark a `` person of interest '' after 24-year-old Yale University graduate student Annie Le was found dead in the basement of an off-campus lab . Officer Joe Avery , of the New Haven Police Department , said Clark was a `` person of interest '' because he worked in the same highly-secured lab where Le was last seen . Authorities detained Clark , 24 , on Tuesday , took his DNA and searched his home . They released him , and his lawyer said Clark was fully cooperating with authorities . Then , on Thursday , Clark was arrested and charged with Le 's murder . Watch police announce the arrest '' But not everyone who is called a person of interest becomes a suspect . In the last decade , law enforcement authorities have increasingly used the phrase -- but the label did n't necessarily mean the person would be charged . According to one analysis of 40 cases , half of the `` persons of interest '' were released without charges . The exact origin of the phrase `` person of interest '' is unknown . But several criminology professors and attorneys who spoke with CNN said they believe the phrase became widely used after the 1996 Olympic Park bombings in Atlanta , Georgia , when media outlets called security guard Richard Jewell a suspect . Jewell was never charged , and was eventually cleared . Several years later , Eric Rudolph was arrested and convicted for the crime . Jewell died in August 2007 . Jewell sued the FBI and several media organizations -- including CNN , NBC and the Atlanta Journal Constitution -- for libel and slander . The CNN and NBC suits were settled . The U.S. Attorney 's Office gave him an unprecedented government acknowledgment of wrongful accusation . Law enforcement officers and the media began using the term `` person of interest '' as a shield against civil litigation . But some attorneys , criminologists and media experts say using the loose term `` person of interest '' can tarnish the person 's reputation , mislead the public , and possibly hurt the investigation . Using the phrase is a way for authorities to draw attention to the person without formally accusing them , they say . Watch a discussion of the phrase ` person of interest ' '' `` It 's a really bad term to use , because the public reads ` suspect , ' '' said Kelly McBride , ethics group leader at the Poynter Institute , a national journalism training institute in St. Petersburg , Florida . Donna Shaw , a journalism professor at The College of New Jersey , said she believes federal law enforcement officials invented the phrase in the mid-1990s to satiate journalists hounding them for information . Soon , local law enforcement officers began to pick up on the phrase . Shaw studied a year 's worth of stories with the term `` person of interest '' in 2006 , interviewing representatives from local police departments on why the term was utilized . `` Some of the police told me , ' We do n't know what it means but it makes reporters happy , ' '' Shaw said . Her research found that fewer than half of the people identified as `` persons of interest '' were ever charged with the crimes , yet their stories remained ingrained on the Internet after their exoneration . In the U.S. Attorney 's Manual , a guidebook used by federal criminal prosecutors , the phrase `` person of interest '' does n't exist . It is not a legal term used by attorneys . Police are trained to use lingo like `` suspect , '' `` subject '' and `` target . '' James Alan Fox , a criminologist at Northeastern University , said the expression `` person of interest '' is closest in meaning to the word `` subject '' but does n't necessarily mean that person is a `` suspect . '' A subject is a police term used to describe someone who appears suspicious for circumstantial reasons . Common `` subjects '' could be a victim 's husband or boyfriend , Fox said . In the case of graduate student Annie Le , Raymond Clark worked in the same lab . In contrast , a suspect is someone against whom police have specific evidence leading investigators to believe the person committed the crime and will likely be charged , he said . In some instances , as in Clark 's case , a `` person of interest '' can eventually become a suspect , who is then arrested and charged . `` Any particular crime will have several ` people of interest , ' '' Fox said . `` But much of the time a person of interest is just that , once the police investigate and find out they have an alibi . '' Steven Hatfill , a former U.S. Army bio-weapons scientist , found his reputation destroyed after Attorney General John Ashcroft named him a `` person of interest '' in the 2001 anthrax attacks . In the investigation that followed , Hatfill was never charged . He was never named a suspect . `` The government failed us , not only by failing to catch the anthrax mailers but by seeking to conceal that failure , '' a lawyer for Hatfill said in 2008 after winning a $ 2.8 million settlement of an invasion of privacy lawsuit against the Justice Department . `` Our government did this by leaking gossip , speculation and misinformation to a handful of credulous reporters , '' the lawyer added . The man whom authorities eventually blamed for the anthrax attacks , Bruce Ivins , committed suicide in 2008 as federal agents were closing in on him , police said . Officials at the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in Washington , D.C. , said authorities who use the phrase `` person of interest '' can confuse the person who is in custody . A person who is labeled a `` person of interest '' might not seek out an attorney under the mistaken belief he or she is simply a witness , and the vague term can make it easier for police to get a confession , they said . Clark , the technician labeled a `` person of interest '' in the Yale student 's slaying , answered some questions and then obtained an attorney , police said . Scott Burns , executive director of the National District Attorneys Association , said the imprecise phrase can help law enforcement to establish credibility among the public by suggesting that they are making progress in a case . By saying you have a suspect , he explained , `` You are putting your nickel down and saying we think we have the guy . '' | Police began widely using `` person of interest '' after 1996 Olympic Park bombing . It does not mean the same thing as `` suspect '' Experts say the phrase came into use to reduce media pressure . It can deceive the subject of an investigation , expert says . | [[149, 153], [156, 207], [1290, 1308], [1311, 1372], [1628, 1672], [1692, 1776], [1697, 1787], [4079, 4093], [4238, 4293], [3032, 3042], [3099, 3219], [3104, 3242]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama will place tariffs on imports of some Chinese tires for three years in an effort to curb a surge in exports that has rocked the U.S. tire industry . The White House announced plans to impose tariffs on some tires entering the United States from China . The new tariffs will be on passenger car and light truck tires , the White House said in a statement Friday night . `` The president decided to remedy the clear disruption to the U.S. tire industry based on the facts and the law in this case , '' the statement said . The tariffs will start at 35 percent in the first year , then would decline to 30 percent in the second year and 25 percent in the third . Chinese leaders have in the past expressed displeasure about a possible tire tariff . `` We hope the U.S. government will refrain from taking action , for the long-term healthy and stable development of U.S.-Chinese relations , '' Fu Ziying , China 's vice commerce minister , told local media in August . `` The case is neither supported by facts nor does it have valid legal grounds , '' he added . | U.S. to impose tariffs on some passenger car and light truck tires from China . Surge in exports has hurt the U.S. tire industry . Chinese leaders have strongly opposed possible tire tariffs . | [[30, 126], [195, 298], [248, 298], [299, 361], [146, 153], [159, 194], [706, 721], [730, 791]] |
ATHENS , Greece -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Greece 's opposition Socialist party on Sunday defeated the incumbent center-right government of Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis , as Socialist leader George Papandreou promised to chart a new course for an economic comeback . Socialist George Papandreou is set to become Greece 's next prime minister . `` On this course , nothing is going to be easy -- it will take work , hard work , '' Papandreou said in his victory address . `` And I will always be honest with the Greek people so that we may better solve the problems of the state . '' Sunday 's national elections were held two years before originally scheduled . Karamanlis called the elections in response to pressure from Papandreou 's Panhellenic Socialist Movement of Greece , which threatened to block the election of a president in February if no general election was held . The Greek constitution requires the two major parties to agree on the election of a president , giving either party an effective veto . Karamanlis ' term was not due to expire until September 2011 . But Papandreou insisted on new elections before the end of President Karolos Papoulias ' term as president . The country 's ailing economy was the focus in the run up to the elections , as both candidates offered conflicting prescriptions to revive it . While Karamanlis called for cuts in spending , Papandreou proposed a massive stimulus . Karamanlis , of the New Democracy party , congratulated Papandreou in a nationally televised concession speech . `` And like every Greek , I hope that he succeeds at the big challenge of facing up to the economic situation , '' Karamanlis said . `` Because this challenge , I have said many times , is a national issue . '' It was unclear whether Karamanlis would step down as New Democracy party leader , as the elections marked the worst defeat the party has seen in more than 20 years . According to figures posted on the Interior Ministry 's Web site , the Socialist party received 44 percent of the vote , compared wotj New Democracy 's 34 percent , with 87 percent of votes counted . The margin is the largest seen in a Greek vote in decades . The Socialist party will receive an estimated 160 seats in Greece 's 300-seat Parliament , officials said , compared with New Democracy 's 93 seats . Greek state television ERT showed cheering , flag-waving crowds surrounding Papandreou as he made his way to party headquarters . `` All of the opinion polls are suggesting that Greek voters are becoming more frustrated with -LRB- Karamanlis ' -RRB- governance , more frustrated that after two parliamentary terms some of the objectives which he 'd set have not been achieved , '' Kevin Featherstone , director of the London School of Economics ' Hellenic Observatory , told CNN . However , Papandreou 's stimulus plan is also under scrutiny , with critics wanting to know more details , such as how it would be funded . In addition , problems such as corruption have long plagued the Greek government , Featherstone noted . `` These are systemic problems . These are problems which have been in Greece for generations . Over the last 20 years , we 've had a succession of governments coming into power promising to clean up , promising to tackle waste , promising to reform the public administration , promising to be more transparent and clean , '' he said . `` By and large , voters have been disappointed or there has been some fair degree of frustration and disappointment . '' `` Tackling the problem , these endemic problems , really requires major efforts to reform public administration to tackle corruption and to change the culture of expectations , '' he said . Karamanlis ' conservative New Democracy party suffered a sharp setback in European elections in June , when the Socialists matched New Democracy 's tally of eight seats , with 36 percent of the vote . That election was seen as a litmus test for Karamanlis at a time of political and economic uncertainty with the economy shrinking and the country staring at a recession after nearly 15 years of high-profile growth . Nearly 10 million Greeks are registered to vote . CNN 's Christine Theodorou and Journalist Anthee Carrasava contributed to this report . | 87 % of votes counted ; Socialists to get about 160 seats in 300-seat Parliament . Socialist leader George Papandreou to Greeks : `` I will always be honest '' During campaign , Papandreou proposed massive stimulus for weak economy . Sunday 's national elections were held two years before originally scheduled . | [[2077, 2106], [2167, 2255], [474, 575], [170, 262], [1329, 1373], [1376, 1416], [579, 657], [579, 607], [635, 657]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama mixed policy discussion with personal reflections on his daughters and , yes , a few jokes in an appearance on CBS ' `` Late Show With David Letterman . '' President Obama jokes with David Letterman in New York in an interview taped Monday afternoon . It was the first time a sitting president has been a guest on the popular late-night entertainment show , according to the CBS Web site . It was taped Monday afternoon . After taking the stage to a huge ovation , Obama teased Letterman about being surprised to see the event on his daily schedule , saying : `` That 's one of those where you ask your advisers , ` Who 's responsible for this ? ' '' Later , when talking about summer activities of daughters Malia , 11 , and Sasha , 8 , Obama said that they `` goofed off , '' which he added was something he could n't do . Letterman quickly quipped : `` Well , others have , '' prompting a big laugh from both the audience and the president . On topical issues , Obama promised to ask `` tough questions '' before deciding whether to send additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan , saying it was necessary to have a clear strategy in place before deploying resources . Watch Obama talk with Letterman '' He said his `` No. 1 job '' is to make sure the terrorists responsible for the Sept. 11 , 2001 , attacks can never harm the United States again . Asked about the economy , Obama called the $ 787 billion economic stimulus package passed in his first month in office a `` tourniquet '' that prevented the recession from getting worse . Complete economic recovery will take time , he warned , but added that the situation appeared to be getting better . On the hostile debate over his push to overhaul the nation 's health care system , Obama disagreed with the analysis by some that the public anger against him is fueled by racism . He drew a big laugh by pointing out he was black before he became president , then noted that his election by the American public `` tells you ... a lot about where the country is at . '' `` I think that what 's happened is that whenever a president tries to bring about significant changes , particularly during times of economic unease , then there is a certain segment of the population that gets very riled up , '' Obama said . Previous presidents including Franklin Roosevelt , John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan also generated emotional opposition , Obama said . `` This is not untypical , '' he said . `` One of the things you sign up for in politics is , folks yell at you . '' | President Obama 's visit first time a sitting president has been `` Letterman '' guest . Obama says he 'll ask `` tough questions '' before sending more troops to Afghanistan . President says he does n't think racism fuels opposition to health care overhaul . What did daughters Malia and Sasha do this summer ? They `` goofed off , '' he says . | [[296, 433], [303, 399], [989, 1006], [1009, 1122], [1698, 1733], [1781, 1878], [695, 700], [703, 779], [695, 700], [703, 775], [782, 818]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A soldier who had been slated to begin serving at Fort Campbell in Tennessee was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of killing his wife , police said . Jonathan Downing was found in a wooded area 20 miles from the home where his wife was found slain , police say . Jonathan Clyde Downing , 31 , was being held without bond and will be tried in civilian court in the killing of 25-year-old Sena Marie Downing , said Jim Knoll , public information officer for police in Clarksville , Tennessee . Police officers went to the couple 's Clarksville home shortly after 3 a.m. after receiving notice of a possible shooting , Knoll said . `` When the officers responded , the door was ajar ; they went in and found her inside of the garage , and she had been shot , '' Knoll told CNN in a telephone interview . A few hours later , officers with the Tennessee Highway Patrol and the Robertson County Sheriff 's Office located Downing 's vehicle about 20 miles away in Robertson County and found Downing in woods nearby , Knoll said . `` That 's where he finally gave up , '' Knoll said . `` It took them almost two hours to convince him . '' Downing , who had recently served at Fort Knox in Kentucky , was taken into custody shortly before noon and was charged with criminal homicide . | Jonathan Downing arrested hours after police found his wife slain at home . Downing , 31 , was found in woods about 20 miles from the home , police say . Downing to be tried in civilian court , police say . | [[0, 15], [96, 149], [224, 232], [239, 263], [166, 232], [817, 834], [837, 922], [994, 1023], [152, 165], [266, 278], [279, 301], [332, 421]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Spongy red balls wait in a queue , separating two teams wired to smack their opponent . Within seconds , the players dip and dive like dolphins until one player stands alone , relishing in victory . An adult plays in a dodge ball league organized by the . City of Sparks Parks and Recreation in Nevada . It 's the classic game of dodge ball , but these are n't fifth-graders during PE class in Sparks , Nevada . The childhood sport of dodge ball made a comeback four years ago in this bedroom community among adults in their 20s and 30s -- and even a few players who reached retirement . Now , hundreds of working professionals , doctors , lawyers and teachers congregate at the local recreation center for a dose of dodge ball on Sunday nights . `` I think a lot of it goes back to trying to stay young , '' said Tony Pehle , recreation supervisor in Sparks , who started the dodge ball program after being inspired by the 2004 Ben Stiller movie `` Dodgeball : A True Underdog Story . '' `` They might be adults , but they still like to play and have fun . '' Has Peter Pan syndrome come to stay ? From playing dodge ball to jumping double Dutch and competing in rock-paper-scissors , adult men and women , from urban nests to rural towns , are reveling in games and activities once thought to be child 's play . The 2009 World Yo-Yo Contest in Orlando , Florida , this weekend -LRB- August 13 -RRB- is all grown up , attracting more than 150 adult competitors , who can showcase dizzying tricks with the flick of a finger . Later in the month , hundreds of adults outfitted in pirate and animal costumes will race their homebuilt vehicles for Oregon 's annual Portland Adult Soapbox Derby , a crafty activity that began for youths in the 1930s . `` Once a year , I get to build something for the kid in me , '' says Jason Hogue , a 41-year-old carpenter , who has participated in the race for eight years . Last year , he constructed a car shaped like a hammerhead shark . `` We get to use our creativity and get excited with our friends . '' Whether they 're done to seek refuge from the daily grind or to provide nostalgia for youthful days -- or they 're a product of what some experts say is a generation that ca n't grow up -- these juvenile pastimes are getting more popular . For example , adult viewership of the Nickelodeon show `` SpongeBob SquarePants '' swelled by 51 percent from 1999 to 2009 , officials say . The World Adult Kickball Association , one of the largest kickball organizations , has spread its tentacles to 33 states as well a soldier division in Iraq . WAKA Kickball began as a casual game between a few young single friends in their 20s in Washington , D.C. Now , the games appeal to tens of thousands of adults , many of them yuppies wanting a quick escape from the stresses of their first 401 -LRB- k -RRB- , mortgage and job . `` I played soccer growing up , and I like competition , '' says avid kickball player Marlon LeWinter , 28 , of New York City . LeWinter , a public relations executive , usually plays the position of center with a bunch of producers , writers and analysts in their late 20s . They named their team Chipwich Nation after they scarfed down the cookies-and-ice cream treat at a bar after a game one night . `` Sometimes when it 's -LSB- the score -RSB- two to one in a kickball came , I get the jitters , '' he says . The economic bind also creates a favorable environment for adults to latch onto simple children 's games and sports . With players who are trapped in a world of layoffs and job freezes , these adult leagues , contests and tournaments are the equivalent of sandbox time for children . They can make new friends and go for a beer after the game . These activities are also budget-friendly , costing less than $ 100 to join for several months of play -- much less than a golf club membership . Since the recession , Duncan Toys , one of the biggest yo-yo manufacturers in the United States , has seen sales spike . A company official noticed many of the adults who purchased yo-yos tried to get the same models they owned as kids . `` Nowadays , everything is taken so seriously that people revert to something like playing with a yo-yo , '' says Mike McBride , a 34-year-old multimedia designer who picked up the activity shortly after college . McBride , who will compete in the Orlando World Yo-Yo contest , says the activity helps him relieve stress . `` There 's no pressure . '' In 2006 , Christopher Noxon , in his book `` Rejuvenile , '' explored why adults fancy childhood pursuits like kickball , cartoons and cupcakes . Beginning with Generation X adults in the 1990s , the group began to shift from the norms of the hierarchal corporate ladder , and the age of marriage began to steadily climb . Soon , juvenile activities that had been regarded as silly became hip . Quirky became cool , and more organized teams , groups and competitions for playground sports and childlike hobbies emerged . `` Our whole idea of adulthood has changed , '' says Noxon . `` We value flexibility and creativity , and these are things kids are good at . It 's brought us back to what we had as children . '' But it is n't just the younger generations that clutch leftovers from their youth or become interested in child-like activities . Grandparents in their 70s and 80s still collect roomfuls of model train sets , romanticizing the days when the only way to travel was by choo-choo . Women in their 40s acquire American Girl dolls that stir fond memories of reading the novels during childhood . Psychology experts say it should n't be a surprise that the affinity for childhood hobbies and activities extends across generations . After all , Americans have long had an obsession with youth . To be young is associated with being fun , vibrant and active . In the Internet age , finding one 's inner child has never been easier , with the proliferation of social networks such as Facebook or Web sites like Meetup.com , where users can create groups and meeting times for activities . On the site , groups of adults organize scavenger hunts in Atlanta , Georgia , and action figure discussions in New York City . `` This is a generation of people who are far less homogenous and more niche-oriented , '' says Judith Sills , a clinical psychologist who works with young adults . `` They can bond around their quirky differences . Ten years ago , you could n't have easily found another kickball player , even if you wanted to play . '' | WAKA Kickball started more than a decade ago by a few friends is now in 33 states . The 2009 World Yo-Yo Contest will attract more than 150 adults this year . Hundreds of adult soapbox racers will wear costumes to race in Portland , Oregon . `` Rejuvenile '' author Noxon says childhood pastimes are becoming more acceptable . | [[2445, 2481], [2512, 2602], [2603, 2701], [1333, 1435], [1333, 1372], [1438, 1544], [1545, 1563], [1566, 1584], [1609, 1709]] |
Editor 's note : Nancy Grace is the host of `` Nancy Grace '' on HLN nightly at 8 and 10 p.m. ET . Read an excerpt from her new novel `` The Eleventh Victim '' published by Hyperion . Nancy Grace found it challenging to complete her first novel , `` The Eleventh Victim . '' -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Readers of Nancy Grace 's debut novel , `` The Eleventh Victim , '' would be forgiven if they assumed the main character is based on Grace . After all , the heroine of the novel becomes an Atlanta , Georgia , district attorney after her fiancé is murdered and later relocates to New York for a fresh start . But Grace said there are some differences between her and her protagonist . `` Hailey is a much better person than I am , '' Grace said . The tough-as-nails anchor of the HLN show that bears her name was driven to complete her first book of fiction , which she said has been in the works for almost a decade . The novel centers on the character of Hailey Dean , a psychology student who becomes a prosecutor after the tragic murder of her fiancé just weeks before their wedding . The mystery takes flight when Dean , having relocated to Manhattan and trained as a therapist , discovers that her patients are being murdered in a copycat style of an Atlanta serial killer from her past . Grace -- who is also the author of the nonfiction book `` Objection ! '' -- recently spoke to CNN about the challenges of giving birth to both twins and a thriller , who might die in her next novel and what she thinks about television shows like `` Saturday Night Live '' parodying her . CNN : You are a working mother of two year-old twins . How in the world did you find time to write a book ? Nancy Grace : It was hard work . I had done `` Objection '' and I had an idea for a second nonfiction . I went back to my editor and I said `` Here 's an idea for another nonfiction . '' She said `` Yeah , it 's OK , you got anything else ? '' I said `` No , but I do have an old manuscript I 've been working on for a long time , a murder mystery . '' I told her it 's not finished yet , I have about 300 pages . I took it over that day and the next day they told me they wanted a two-book series on Hailey Dean . Then I thought `` Oh Lord , now I 've got to finish it . '' That happened around the time I got pregnant . Watch Nancy discuss her new book '' I had a difficult pregnancy . I was in a wheelchair , I threw up every day , I broke my foot during the pregnancy , so a lot of crazy things happened . Finally , after the twins came , the deadline came . I literally had to sit in the bed with the computer and force myself to finish it . I knew what was going to happen in each of the four storylines , but I had to get there . I would be up sometimes until 3 or 4 in the morning . The twins , one would wake up , by the time I would get that one fed and down , the other one would wake up and then it was time to get up at 5:30 . CNN : You said you knew who did it in terms of the mystery early on in the writing . So how did the book change during its development ? Grace : The characters really developed . It 's like getting to know a person . Read an excerpt from the novel . There are certain things Hailey simply would not do . You get to know your characters and they become richer and more intricate because you get to know the character . I would not do anything that was out of character for them . CNN : The plot and the settings sound very familiar to your own life . How much of you is in Hailey ? Grace : Hailey is a much better person than I am , I can tell you that much . She 's very brave . She thinks her way out of difficult and almost impossible situations , she 's courageous and she 's witty . I would say it 's loosely based , but she 's a much better heroine than I could ever be . CNN : What is more difficult , writing nonfiction or fiction ? Grace : It is definitely harder to write fiction . With nonfiction you deal with facts already in existence , but with fiction you have to create everything . Details like what color somebody 's hair was to how hot it was that day . A lot of ideas for the book would come to me in the middle of the night and I forgot some of them so often that I now sleep with my two BlackBerrys near the bed . I 've learned my lesson the hard way , so I will now write myself my book notes in the middle of the night . CNN : Is there anything that did n't make it into this book that you wished had ? Grace : Yes , but do n't worry because I saved it for the next book , which will be set in the television industry . There 's going to be a lot of dead TV executives -LRB- laughing -RRB- . CNN : They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery , so what are your thoughts on having been parodied ? Grace : It 's funny to me . Everything from YouTube to `` Boston Legal '' and `` Saturday Night Live . '' It 's very flattering that they would think enough to make fun of me . I want -LSB- rapper -RSB- Eminem to make fun of me , but I do n't think it would be very nice -LRB- laughing -RRB- . | Nancy Grace 's debut novel , `` The Eleventh Victim '' has a story similar to hers . Grace says main character `` is a much better person than I am '' The thriller was almost a decade in the making . Book first of two planned about prosecutor-turned-therapist Hailey Dean . | [[678, 721], [3513, 3553], [840, 850], [859, 911], [2126, 2198]] |
BEIJING , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Soon after I first came to visit China in the autumn of 1971 , I saw a contingent of militia soldiers doing marching drills in Tiananmen Square . I was told they were rehearsing for the annual National Day parade on October 1 , which people eagerly awaited . Mao Zedong proclaims the founding of the People 's Republic of China in Beijing on October 1 , 1949 . Weeks later , however , I was informed that the civilian and military parade had been cancelled in the spirit of `` simple-living and hard struggle , '' as Chairman Mao decreed . The real reason : Lin Biao , then defense minister and Mao 's anointed successor , had reportedly died in a plane crash while attempting to flee the country after a failed coup attempt . China 's achievements in the last 60 years have come in zigs and zags . The best place to look back at what China went through in the past six decades is Tiananmen , or the Gate of Heavenly Peace . Behind it lies the Imperial Palace , or Forbidden City , where China 's Emperors used to live . The emperor is now history , but Tiananmen remains Beijing 's political center . It was on the Tiananmen rostrum where Chairman Mao formally proclaimed the founding of the People 's Republic . `` The Chinese people have stood up ! '' he declared in a shrill Hunanese accent . For decades , the whole nation followed Mao loyally . He emphasized political mobilization of the common man , especially the peasantry . In Mao 's ideology , the Chinese people found hope in a New China , wherein citizens would always have a bowl of rice to eat and clothes to wear . Mao proved to be good at fighting but poor at governing . He pushed sweeping socio-economic initiatives and strident ideological campaigns , often with disastrous results . During two political campaigns in the late 1950s , over 550,000 `` rightist '' intellectuals were persecuted and imprisoned . The Great Leap Forward led to widespread famine and the deaths of an estimated 30 million Chinese . In the late 1960s , Mao would again stand in the Tiananmen rostrum to launch the Cultural Revolution . There , he rallied hundreds of thousands of young Chinese -- the radical Red Guards -- who lionized him like a demi-god . `` To rebel is justified ! '' they proclaimed . They rebelled against everything and wreaked havoc everywhere . For ten years , China was condemned to political turmoil and economic malaise . Perhaps the only factor that kept the country from total collapse was the people 's incomparable resilience and their ability to `` chi ku '' -LRB- eat bitterness , or bear hardship -RRB- . Mao 's reign is also credited for positive changes . He banned child brides and polygamy , built Beijing 's first subway line and started a space program with China 's first satellite launch . In 1972 , the People 's Republic of China replaced the Republic of China -LRB- Taiwan -RRB- in the United Nations . Still , for three decades under Mao , China tried to break out of its backwardness and isolation but only met modest success . Mao died in 1976 and his remains are kept in a mausoleum in Tiananmen Square . Take an audiovisual tour of Mao 's hometown '' Soon enough , Deng Xiaoping emerged as the new paramount leader . Deng overturned most of Mao 's policies and embarked upon reforming the economy and opening up the country to the outside world . His quest for stability and prosperity took off in the early 1990s , propelled by his pragmatic policies to entice foreign investments and build China 's private sector . Just south of Tiananmen , one landmark stands as a symbol of Deng 's bold open-door policy . In the early 1980s , the first Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet opened in Beijing , just a stone 's throw away from Mao 's mausoleum . Today , the fast food chain still does brisk business , with a large portrait of founder Colonel Sanders hanging on the three-story building . Not every Chinese embraced Deng 's reform and open-door policy . Old Guards and conservatives in and outside the communist party accepted Deng 's reform policies , but with a great deal of misgiving . The backlash came to a boil in 1989 , when Tiananmen witnessed an outpouring of support for the students who called for freedom and democracy , and more reform . After six weeks of heady demonstrations , the Tiananmen movement was brutally suppressed . See landmark moments in China 's 60 years '' China has returned to world prominence through a 20-year economic boom , the speed and breadth of which is unparalleled in the history of mankind . China went from global economic irrelevance to the third largest economy in the world . The People 's Liberation Army , no longer a `` junkyard army , '' has emerged as a formidable military power capable of launching a human being into space and shooting down satellites . Take a look inside China 's space program '' The People 's Republic of China marks its 60th anniversary on Thursday with 300,000 participants and 60 floats to highlight the country 's achievements in various sectors of the society and economy . See anniversary preparations in photos '' A military parade will feature goose-stepping troops marching down the Avenue of Eternal Peace . Modern military hardware -- tanks , armed personnel carriers , missiles , helicopters and fighter jets , all made in China -- will be on display . Fireworks will cap the festivities . See how China has changed over 60 years '' But pomp and pageantry aside , China 's phenomenal economic growth over the decades has triggered unintended consequences : rising unemployment , growing income gaps , endemic corruption , rising criminality , environmental degradation and social malaise . Millions of Chinese live on less than $ 1 a day , and social tension sometimes boil over into violent clashes . Chinese president Hu Jintao is pushing to promote democracy in the party , curb corruption and seek a harmonious society . `` To build a well-off society for 1.3 billion people and a democratic , civilized , harmonious and modernized country , '' he recently told a communist party meeting , `` China must firmly push reform and opening up and stick to its own path . '' Meet some of China 's young communists '' Like the cutting-edge CCTV tower intended to formally open this year but did n't after a celebratory fireworks display went awry and caused a fire , China 's great achievements stand side by side with daunting challenges . | Mao proved to be good at fighting but poor at governing . Mao pushed sweeping socio-economic initiatives , strident ideological campaigns . His successor Deng Xiaoping embarks upon reforming the economy , opening China . China gains world prominence via 20-year economic boom , but has consequences . | [[1617, 1674], [1617, 1620], [1628, 1674], [1675, 1755], [3251, 3255], [3295, 3380], [3251, 3255], [3295, 3380], [5483, 5573]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- David Waller has some simple advice for anyone looking to improve morale at their organization -- even if it 's not the easiest advice to follow . IAEA deputy director David Waller calls Nobel `` a bolt of lightning '' for his staff . `` I say to them , jokingly , ` Why do n't you try winning the Nobel Peace Prize ? ' '' he said . Waller , deputy director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency , knows what he 's talking about . The organization , based in Vienna , Austria , and dedicated to the safe and peaceful use of nuclear power , was awarded the prize in 2005 . President Barack Obama was the surprise winner Friday of this year 's peace prize . But for most of this week 's other winners , the honor marks a leap from relative obscurity to a spot in the international limelight . Waller said the scientists , authors , activists and others receiving Nobel honors this week should be prepared for an experience that will change their lives in the months and years that follow . `` The day that it was announced that we were winning the Nobel Peace Prize , I can assure you that it was like a bolt of lightning that went through this place in terms of energizing staff and giving people a sense of self-worth , '' he said . `` It was absolutely remarkable . '' In all , 172 people and 33 organizations were nominated for the peace prize -- although the Oslo , Norway-based Nobel committee had not announced who its finalists were . The peace prize is one of five awards handed out annually by the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm , Sweden . The other four prizes are for physiology or medicine , physics , chemistry and literature . Starting in 1969 , the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel also has been awarded . The peace prize is the last of the awards to be announced this week and the Riksbank prize will be awarded Monday . Even for an organization like the IAEA , a United Nations affiliate that traces its roots back to 1957 , things were never the same after receiving the revered award , Waller said . `` Many , many things changed , '' he said . `` The number of applications we had for positions here , which was already high , skyrocketed . People returned phone calls very quickly . The whole spectrum of things of that nature changed . '' Elizabeth Dobie-Sarsam , a media specialist with the agency , remembers the day it received the Nobel -- she was on vacation and asleep on her sister 's floor in Canada when it was announced . `` For three years running , we had been sitting on the edges of our chairs hoping that we won , '' she said . `` That year , for some reason , we thought , ` Oh , forget it . We 're not going to get it . ' '' The trip back to Vienna would have taken her too long to handle the initial rush of attention , so she finished her vacation , with family members introducing her as `` the Nobel Peace Prize winner '' for the rest of the week . Months later , Dobie-Sarsam said , she was still working to keep up with a flood of media interest in the agency spurred by the award . She said that , four years later , the award still contributes to a feeling of unity among the agency 's more-than 2,000 employees who come from over 100 different countries . `` That flush of excitement , unfortunately , it goes away with time , '' she said . '' -LSB- But -RSB- you do get reminded . You walk through the corridor and you see that certificate hanging -- it 's acknowledgement that what we do is incredibly important . '' The Nobel recipient receives a prize of 10 million Swedish crowns , or about $ 1.4 million , another life-changer for many recipients . But Waller said it 's the recognition of what the Nobel panel called the `` incalculable value '' of his agency 's work that helps when employees are having a hard time with their sometimes slow , frustrating work . `` I think it 's a continuing energizer for our staff , '' he said . | Deputy director says Nobel was `` bolt of lightning '' for staff . Nobel foundation named Obama the 2009 peace prize winner Friday . Recognition , applications will rise with announcement , winners say . International Atomic Energy Agency won in 2005 for work in nuclear field . | [[166, 253], [1095, 1150], [1131, 1150], [1156, 1182], [3889, 3939], [603, 686], [1030, 1094], [462, 568], [571, 602]] |
Port-au-Prince , Haiti -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thousands of people were pushing for rescue efforts in Haiti to continue Sunday , after a 24-year-old man was pulled alive from the ruins on Saturday , 11 days after the nation 's devastating earthquake . The Haitian government says it will be switching from a search and rescue operation to a search and recovery mission . But families of Americans who were staying at the leveled Hotel Montana are fighting that , and started an online petition Saturday in an effort to continue search efforts there `` until all the survivors are accounted for . '' As of Sunday morning , 2,395 people had signed the petition and sent 6,216 messages to the Senate , Congress and the White House , said Sue Keller , a friend of a family whose relatives are among the missing . The families hope to have at least 5,000 signatures by Monday , she said . The Haitian government has said more than 111,000 people died in the January 12 quake , which registered 7.0 in magnitude . But on Saturday , a French rescue team was able to save one life as they pulled Wismond Jean-Pierre from the rubble of the Hotel Napoli Inn in Port-au-Prince . According to his brother , Jean-Pierre worked in the hotel 's grocery store and survived his week and a half in the rubble by consuming cookies and beer . Dehydrated but apparently without injury , Jean-Pierre was even talkative as he was placed in an ambulance and driven to a hospital . Lt. Col. Christophe Renou , a French rescuer briefly overcome with emotion , called the three-hour effort `` a miracle . '' Other members of the team -- assisted by American and Greek workers -- were seen weeping after Jean-Pierre was freed . Rescues like Jean-Pierre 's , and others that have happened in the week following the disaster , sparked hope among families of the missing . But the emotional rescue came on a day when much of Haiti was mourning as operations largely shifted from rescue to recovery , and the country 's president attended the funeral of an archbishop who was one of the victims . A Mexican rescue team had pulled the body of 63-year-old Monsignor Joseph Serge Miot from ruins near the national cathedral , which he oversaw as archbishop of Port-au-Prince . The cathedral was destroyed . At the funeral , President René Préval was asked to respond to criticism that he has not shown strong public leadership and has been largely unseen in the aftermath . `` This is not about politics today , '' he said . CNN iReport : Looking for loved ones in Haiti . The most recent death toll is the worst caused by an earthquake since the 2004 Asian tsunami that resulted from a temblor , and the second-highest death toll from an earthquake in more than three decades , according to the U.S. Geological Survey . `` Rescue teams continue to work in Port-au-Prince , we continue to hope that they will be able to find people still alive , but as time passes , we must gradually shift our resources from rescue to recovery , '' Nick Birnback , spokesman for U.N. peacekeeping operations , said Saturday . International search teams have rescued at least 132 people since the quake struck , the U.N. said . Birnback said the priority now is to remove bodies and clean up affected areas to avoid health hazards and the spread of disease . He said the United Nations will start bringing in heavier equipment , which will allow teams to move concrete and damaged homes . More than 600,000 people have also been left homeless in and around the capital of Port-au-Prince , the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said . Interactive map of where to find aid , hospitals in Haiti . Meanwhile , up to 140 flights a day are regularly arriving at the single-runway Port-au-Prince airport , compared with 25 in the immediate aftermath of the January 12 quake , OCHA said Saturday . To relieve congestion at the airport , humanitarian cargo is being moved to a forward dispatch area at one end of the runway . The Las Americas airport in Santo Domingo , in neighboring Dominican Republic , is starting to report congestion as it becomes increasingly used as an alternative airport , OCHA said . It will now be open overnight to accommodate the extra traffic . Those managing the land transport of supplies from Santo Domingo will need fuel , and OCHA said there is enough in Haiti to last an additional 18 to 19 days . But it said it expects no shortage of fuel because supplies of fuel will be able to enter the port during that time . One concern with cross-border traffic is the unauthorized departure of Haitian children , OCHA said . Charities and aid groups have said in recent days that they are concerned about the danger of child trafficking after the earthquake . Groups including Save the Children and World Vision have called for a halt to adoptions , saying many children may appear to be orphaned but have simply been separated from their families . `` If children must be evacuated from Haiti because their protection needs can not be met in country , the evacuation must be carefully documented , the children must be registered with the proper authorities and all efforts must be made to reunify them with family before any adoption proceedings are considered , '' the U.S.-based Women 's Refugee Commission said . The number of unaccompanied children needing support is greater than the capacity to respond , OCHA said . Authorities are working with unaccompanied children who are being released from hospitals , it said . | 24-year-old pulled from hotel ruins 11 days after quake offers hope more are alive . More than 111,000 have died since the January 12 quake , the Haitian government says . Families are protesting the switch from search/rescue to rescue/recovery . | [[124, 191], [879, 964], [247, 365], [275, 365], [1911, 1961]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Salvador Cabanas remains in a critical condition in hospital as doctors admit they are having difficulty treating the Paraguay international due to increased swelling on his brain . The Club America striker was shot in the head in Mexico City during the early hours of Monday morning after an incident in a city bar . Cabanas was transported to an intensive care unit at a local hospital and was rushed into theatre where doctors made an attempt to remove the bullet lodged in his skull before deciding it would be too dangerous . Doctors revealed he showed favorable signs when they attempted to bring him out of an induced coma but have now been forced to increase the sedation as the swelling on his brain worsens . `` Salvador remains clinically stable , nevertheless we have had certain problems because the excess accumulation of water on his brain has grown , '' Ernesto Martinez Duhart , who operated on Cabanas , told reporters . `` We will have to keep him sedated a bit more to protect and improve cerebral function . It could get worse , he continues to be in the same serious condition . The risk of death has not yet passed . '' Cabanas is one of Paraguay 's top players and was part of their World Cup squad in Germany four years ago . The 29-year-old is a prolific goalscorer and was expected to lead Paraguay 's attack in South Africa this summer . He has scored over 100 times in the Mexican top flight and has netted 18 goals in 24 matches this season . Around 10,000 Paraguayan fans gathered at the the Estadio Defensores del Chaco , the country 's national stadium in Asuncion , to hold a vigil for Cabanas on Tuesday evening . | Paraguay international striker Salvador Cabanas remains in a critical condition in hospital . Doctors admit they are having difficulty treating the player because of swelling in his brain . The Club America striker was shot in the head in Mexico City during the early hours of Monday morning . | [[19, 90], [1069, 1119], [83, 200], [550, 557], [598, 602], [653, 737], [778, 883], [828, 883], [886, 896], [201, 336]] |
Japan has long been the world leader in robotics research , but in recent years it 's also been leading the way when it comes to cutting-edge medical technology . A prototype `` Finger Rehabilitation Glove , '' designed to aid recovery from paralysis . From robot nurses that can lift hospital patients in and out of their beds , to intelligent toilets that can dispense medical advice , Japanese researchers are developing radical new approaches to health care . While many of these technologies are still at the prototype stage , it may not be long before they turn up in a hospital near you . | Japan is leading the way with advances in cutting-edge medical technology . Researchers have developed nurse robots that can assist in hospitals . The `` Intelligent Toilet '' can test blood pressure and give health advice . | [[64, 162], [333, 352], [358, 385]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The mother of a Virginia Tech junior who disappeared Saturday night during a Metallica concert says she helped her daughter choose an outfit for the show that same morning . Morgan Harrington , a 20-year-old Virginia Tech student , disappeared at a Metallica concert Saturday night . Morgan Harrington , a 20-year-old education major , went to the concert at the University of Virginia 's John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville with several girlfriends but disappeared from their sight around 8:40 p.m. , according to police , who are calling it a missing person case . `` She was excited about the concert and she brought home three outfits that she tried on for me , '' Gil Harrington , said Tuesday on HLN 's `` Nancy Grace . '' `` We chose one and she said , ` Mama , it is a rock concert so it is probably not what you would choose , but is this one OK ? ' '' Harrington said she told her daughter , ` That will do fine . ' `` You know you have to give your kid wings , '' Harrington said . Watch mom describe daughter 's excitement '' Morgan Harrington had been so excited about the concert , according to her mother , that she posted the tickets on the refrigerator six months ahead of time . Metallica posted a message about Harrington 's disappearance on their Web site under the heading `` One of our fans is missing . '' `` We are deeply concerned about the disappearance of 20-year-old Virginia Tech student Morgan Dana Harrington , who was last seen while attending our concert at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville , VA , on Saturday night , '' the message said . The message described Harrington and asked that anyone with information contact Virginia State Police or University of Virginia police . `` Our thoughts are with Morgan and her family for her safe return , '' the message concluded . '' Harrington , who lives off-campus , was reported missing Sunday afternoon when she did not show up at her parents ' home to study for a math exam with her father . `` It 's important to us as police officers to realize that people do come up missing , '' said Lieutenant Joe Rader of the Virginia State Police in a news conference on Monday . `` However , it 's very , very unusual that we have not heard anything , either , from her friends or from her family regarding her whereabouts . That is the biggest concern currently -- her whereabouts and her welfare . '' Harrington is 5 ' 6 '' , 120 pounds , has blond hair , blue eyes and was wearing a black Pantera T-shirt , black mini skirt , black tights and black boots . | Student was last seen at Metallica concert Saturday night . Harrington is 5 ' 6 '' , 120 pounds , and was wearing a black Pantera T-shirt . Metallica posted a message about Harrington 's disappearance on their Web site . | [[33, 55], [60, 113], [193, 210], [251, 302], [1407, 1463], [1470, 1478], [1484, 1559], [1407, 1463], [1479, 1564], [2412, 2447], [2412, 2422], [2472, 2476], [2481, 2568], [1221, 1319]] |
Editor 's note : Watch the full interview with Serena Williams on `` Your $ $ $ $ $ '' Saturday at 1 p.m. ET and Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on CNN . Serena Williams says she believes she apologized for her actions promptly and completely . NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Serena Williams just wants to move on . But the controversy around her obscenity-laced tirade at a line judge at the U.S. Open continues . Williams , 27 , said she was `` in the moment '' and does n't really remember her now-famous outburst at a line judge who had called a foot fault . It was a 12-second verbal attack that has played over and over for three days . `` It was a really tough point in the match and it was really close and got a really tough call that was n't the correct call , and , you know , things got a little heated and I had a conversation with the line judge that did n't go so well , '' Williams said . Williams , ranked No. 2 in the world by the Women 's Tennis Association , said she does not recall moments of Saturday 's incident but believes she apologized for her actions promptly and completely . Watch Williams talk about call '' `` I could n't apologize any sooner , and then also I learned from my mistakes ... I was talking to -LSB- former Giants defensive end -RSB- Michael Strahan earlier today and he said how , when he 's out there you 're so intense . Obviously , when you get a bad call , it 's like ` What 's going on ? ' So when you 're in the moment , you are just there . You do n't really quite remember exactly what 's going on , '' Williams said . Williams found herself explaining her outburst while promoting her recently published memoir , `` On the Line , '' in which she details growing up the youngest of five sisters , her struggles on the court and off , and her positive messages of inspiration , especially to her younger fans . `` Those kids probably just need to know it 's great to be a competitor , how passionate someone is , and just making the right decisions at the right time -- realizing that , hey , everyone falls , ` Wow , she 's human , she made a bad decision , a bad choice . ' '' Williams added , `` I am not a robot . I have a heart and I bleed . '' In the aftermath of Saturday 's match , tournament officials fined Williams $ 10,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct and $ 500 for smashing a racket during the same event . So far , no suspensions have been served , but the United States Tennis Association has said that it has launched an investigation into the incident . | Tennis star 's obscenity-laced tirade at the U.S. Open stays in the spotlight . She 's fielding questions about it as she promotes new book . Williams says she was `` in the moment '' and does n't remember all that was said . Her young fans can now see `` she 's human , she made a bad decision , '' she says . | [[305, 399], [1559, 1651], [400, 408], [416, 517], [890, 898], [964, 1064], [1956, 2005], [2009, 2112]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ryanair on Monday rejected strong criticism from Britain 's top business regulator , who accused Europe 's largest airline of `` puerile '' tactics in the way it adds credit card fees on to advertised fares . John Fingleton , head of the UK 's Office of Fair Trading watchdog , said the no-frills carrier was playing a `` funny game '' by imposing fees for anyone not using an obscure credit card . Fingleton , speaking to the UK 's Independent newspaper , expressed dismay that the airline was able to advertise credit card fees as `` optional '' through its acceptance of a pre-paid MasterCard . `` Ryanair has this funny game where they have found some low frequency payment mechanism and say : ` Well , because you can pay with that -LSB- the charge is optional -RSB- ' , '' he said . `` It 's almost like taunting consumers and pointing out : ` Oh well , we know this is completely outside the spirit of the law , but we think it 's within the narrow letter of the law ' . '' Ryanair , which outlines its credit chard charges on its Web site , rejected Fingleton 's comments , accusing the business regulator of trying to detract from its failure to tackle other issues facing the country 's aviation industry . `` Ryanair fails to understand why it was singled out for these inaccurate criticisms by Mr. Fingleton , when its charges policies are copied by high fare UK airlines , '' it said in a statement . | UK business regulator says Ryanair playing a `` funny game '' over booking fees . Office of Fair Trading head John Fingleton says airline is `` almost taunting '' customers . Ryanair says it is being unfairly singled out for `` inaccurate '' criticism . | [[0, 6], [9, 32], [54, 118], [85, 118], [125, 190], [245, 259], [314, 434], [637, 740], [85, 118], [125, 190], [245, 259], [314, 434], [834, 864]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kraft 's fresh bid for suffered a double blow Tuesday as the improved offer was dismissed by the British candy company and criticized by billionaire investor Warren Buffett who controls an influential stake in the U.S. food giant . Buffett said he had voted against Kraft 's plan to issue new shares as part of a cash and stock offer worth approximately $ 16 billion , warning it would hurt shareholders , Fortune reported . Buffett 's Berkshire Hathaway company owns 138 million Kraft shares , making it the largest shareholder in the foodmaker with a 9.4 percent stake . But in a statement , he warned Kraft 's move for Cadbury risked undervaluing Kraft stock . `` Kraft stock , at its current price of $ 27 , is a very expensive ` currency ' to be used in an acquisition , '' Buffett said . `` In 2007 , in fact , Kraft spent $ 3.6 billion to repurchase shares at about $ 33 per share , presumably because the directors and management thought the shares to be worth more . '' Earlier , Illinois-based Kraft said it would use the proceeds from the sale of its U.S. pizza business to Nestle to increase the cash element of its Cadbury offer . Under Kraft 's offer of a partial cash alternative , Cadbury shareholders could receive cash as well as Kraft shares if they accept Kraft 's deal . `` Kraft Foods is doing this because of the desire expressed by some Cadbury security holders to have a greater proportion of the offer in cash , '' Kraft said in a statement . The maker of Jell-O , Cool Whip , Oreo cookies and Kraft Macaroni & Cheese also extended the Cadbury offer to February 2 . The original bid had expired Tuesday . Cadbury , which rejected Kraft 's previous two deals , rejected the new offer Tuesday . `` Kraft has once again missed the point , '' a Cadbury spokesman told CNN . `` Despite this tinkering , the Kraft offer remains unchanged and derisory , with less than half the consideration in cash . '' There had been rumors that Swiss firm Nestle , which already has a chocolate and confectionery unit , would step in and make its own offer for Cadbury . But Nestle put an end to those rumors Tuesday by issuing a statement saying it had no intention to make an offer for the British company . Instead , Nestle said it had bought Kraft 's frozen pizza business in the United States and Canada for $ 3.7 billion . The unit includes brands like DiGiorno , Tombstone , and California Pizza Kitchen . `` The acquisition brings leadership in the frozen pizza category , where Nestle only had a minor presence until now , and builds on Nestle 's existing pizza know-how and operations in Europe , '' Nestle said in a statement Tuesday . `` It is a natural fit with Nestle 's focus on delivering convenient , premium , wholesome and nutritious frozen food for consumers around the world . '' Nestle already had a presence in American frozen food aisles with ready-meal brands like Stouffer 's , Lean Cuisine , and Hot Pockets . The proceeds from the sale allow Kraft to offer more cash to Cadbury shareholders -- an additional 60 pence -LRB- 96 cents -RRB- per share , Kraft said . Kraft originally offered Cadbury shareholders 300 pence -LRB- $ 4.81 -RRB- and 0.26 Kraft shares for each share of Cadbury they own . Kraft said it will announce more detailed terms by January 19 . | Kraft raises offer , extends deadline in takeover bid for Cadbury . Kraft shareholder Warren Buffett says he voted against Cadbury offer . Illinois company sells U.S. pizza business to Nestle to fund revised offer . UK candy maker Cadbury rejects offer , says terms remain `` unchanged , derisory '' | [[1505, 1579], [1585, 1627], [173, 208], [213, 267], [268, 315], [1015, 1022], [1025, 1163], [2262, 2370], [90, 154], [1667, 1674], [1722, 1754], [1860, 1906]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than 3,000 U.S. troops scheduled to deploy to Iraq wo n't go after all , as the military tries to draw down troop levels in the war-torn country , a Pentagon spokesman said Saturday . U.S. troops speak to an Iraqi child in Baghdad on Monday . The 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team , 10th Mountain Division will not replace a North Carolina National Guard unit already in Iraq , Lt. Col. Eric Butterbaugh told CNN . The 3,500-troop combat team , based in Fort Drum , New York , was to leave in January , he said . '' -LSB- The cancellation -RSB- reflects a thorough assessment of the security environment in Iraq and continued improvement in the ability of the Iraqi security forces to safeguard Iraqi citizens and institutions , '' Butterbaugh said . The National Guard unit is still on schedule to return home , which will speed up the drawdown of forces , he said . The troop withdrawal in Iraq coincides with a debate in the Obama administration on whether to send as many as 40,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan . As of Friday , 250 U.S. soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since the start of the year , according to a CNN tally based on Pentagon numbers . The United States plans to withdraw all its combat troops from Iraq by August , leaving 50,000 in advisory roles . Those advisers are to leave by the end of 2011 . Concerns that a delay in the upcoming Iraqi elections could put a dent in scheduled withdrawals was rejected Friday by U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Chris Hill . `` As for our schedule of troop withdrawal , we 've been pretty clear about when the troops would be withdrawn , '' he told CNN . `` So our plan is to draw down the troops as we 've said we 're going -LSB- to -RSB- do . '' The polls are scheduled to open January 16 , but both the United States and the United Nations are worried because Iraq still has no election law . If a new law is n't adopted , the government may have to change the election date or rely on the law used in the 2005 elections , some officials say . A vote on the new law is expected Monday . Pentagon officials also must weigh the impact of continuing violence in the country . Hill said the violence is a concern , as are insurgent efforts to undermine attempts at reconciliation in the divided country . `` Reconciliation is a tough business . I mean I 've been in some of these meetings with people , you know , they do n't like each other , you have to get them to work together , get them to understand their futures are together , and then you get a bombing , which makes it even tougher , '' Hill said . `` Again , I think the Iraqi people have really signaled that they are really sick and tired of this stuff . '' Meanwhile , violence continued in Iraq on Saturday . Four soldiers were killed and 10 people , including civilians and security forces , were wounded when a bomb targeting an Iraqi army checkpoint exploded in Falluja , an Anbar province town , an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said . Elsewhere in Anbar , a suicide truck bomb hit a police checkpoint on a bridge west of Ramadi , wounding a police officer . The blast badly damaged the bridge , which carries a highway linking Iraq with Jordan and Syria , the official said . Traffic had to be rerouted to an another road . Anbar province , a massive region populated mostly by Sunni Arabs , had been a major front in the Iraqi war . The al Qaeda in Iraq militant group once held great sway in Anbar , but its influence lessened with the advent of U.S.-backed groups called Awakening Councils . CNN 's Scott Spoerry and Mohammed Jamjoom contributed to this report . | Cancellation reflects improved conditions in Iraq , official said . Iraqi elections wo n't delay scheduled withdrawals U.S. says , Ambassador Chris Hill . `` Our plan is to draw down the troops as we 've said we 're going -LSB- to -RSB- do , '' says Hill . The United States plans to withdraw all its combat troops from Iraq by August . | [[3226, 3245], [1366, 1419], [1430, 1500], [111, 179], [1658, 1693], [1658, 1666], [1670, 1736], [1697, 1741], [2591, 2605], [1202, 1279]] |
In Fad-Free Nutrition , exclusively on CNN.com , the editors of Cooking Light help you digest the latest diet and food news and trends . The recent recall of industrial peanut butter and products that contain it sparked nationwide concern about the safety of eating many popular snack products . That 's understandable , considering the average American consumes 3.3 pounds of peanut butter each year , according to USDA data . Pistachios , pecans , hazelnuts , almonds , and others can be made into tasty spreads and put in recipes . While consuming with caution is always prudent , it 's important not to give up on nuts and peanuts -LRB- which are actually legumes -RRB- entirely . They offer numerous health benefits and can even help dieters stay on track . Consuming just one ounce of nuts -- of any variety -- up to five times a week in place of other calories consumed is likely to help reduce the risk of heart disease . Although nuts are high in calories , they contain heart-healthy mono - and polyunsaturated fats , and they 're jam-packed with nutrients such as vitamin E , folate , niacin , copper , magnesium , and potassium . Plus , they have some protein and fiber to help keep you feeling satisfied . Learn more about the health benefits of nuts -LRB- plus recipes that use them -RRB- at CookingLight.com . Tips on smart snacking . If you are worried about buying peanut butter based on the recent salmonella scare , try these tasty and nutritious alternative ways to snack safely : . 1 . Make your own spread . Although major national brands of jarred peanut butter have not been recalled , it 's a fun and nutritious option to make your own . At certain grocery stores , such as some locations of Whole Foods Market , you can grind peanuts to make fresh peanut butter . In less than one minute , you have a fresh , peanutty spread without preservatives or added sugar . You can also make fresh peanut butter at home ; all you need are plain roasted peanuts and a food processor . Put 3/4 cup plain roasted peanuts in a food processor ; process two minutes or until smooth . See our staff 's tips on making homemade nut butters on our blog , Test Kitchen Secrets . 2 . Get creative . Use fresh peanut butter to upgrade homemade versions of snacks that may have been recalled . For example , spread a teaspoon of peanut butter on a whole-grain cracker instead of purchasing ready-made peanut butter crackers . You might surprise yourself by creating a better-for-you treat , such as our lightened peanut buttery Swag Bars . 3 . Branch out beyond peanut butter . Almond , cashew , macadamia , walnut , and hazelnut butters are unaffected by the recall . They all offer a strong nutrition profile . For example , 2 tablespoons of almond butter -LRB- one serving -RRB- provide the following : . • Almost half your daily needs of the antioxidant vitamin E with 6.5 milligrams . • About one-third of a day 's worth of magnesium -LRB- 97 milligrams -RRB- , a mineral that supports muscle function and bone tissue . • 243 milligrams of potassium -LRB- about five percent of one day 's allotment -RRB- , which helps keep your blood pressure levels steady . Visit CookingLight.com to learn more about other nutritious nut butters made from cashews , almonds , macadamia nuts , hazelnuts , pecans , pistachios , and walnuts -- including how to make them , and healthful recipes that put them to delicious use . For more tips on making healthy taste great , try Cooking Light - CLICK HERE . Copyright 2009 Cooking Light magazine . All rights reserved . | Peanut product recall putting a damper on American snacking habits . USDA : Average American consumes 3.3 pounds of peanut butter each year . Alternatives include snacks made with almond , cashew , macadamia , walnut butters . | [[137, 195], [212, 295], [296, 318], [321, 400], [428, 505], [2580, 2670], [3210, 3361]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Al Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing in Afghanistan last month that killed seven CIA employees and contractors and a Jordanian military officer , according to a statement posted on Islamist Web sites . Mustafa Abu Yazid , al Qaeda 's commander of operations in Afghanistan and its No. 3 man , said the attack avenged the death of Baitullah Mehsud , leader of the Taliban in Pakistan who was killed in a missile strike last August , and al Qaeda operatives Saleh al-Somali and Abdullah al-Libi . The December 30 blast at a U.S. base in Khost , in southeastern Afghanistan , killed seven CIA operatives including two from private security firm Xe , formerly known as Blackwater . The eighth victim was Jordanian Army Capt. Sharif Ali bin Zeid , a cousin of Jordan 's King Abdullah II . A former U.S. intelligence official identified the suicide bomber as Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi , a Jordanian doctor who acted as a double agent . He was recruited as a counterterrorism intelligence source , according to a senior Jordanian official . U.S. sources said bin Zeid was the Jordanian operative working closely with al-Balawi , who was from the same hometown as the onetime leader of al Qaeda in Iraq , Abu Musab al-Zarqawi . Jordanian and U.S. intelligence agencies apparently believed that al-Balawi had been rehabilitated from his extremist views and were using him to hunt Ayman al-Zawahiri , al Qaeda 's No. 2 figure , the former intelligence official said . The al Qaeda statement posted Wednesday identified al-Balawi as Hamam Khalil Mohammed Abu Malal , who used the name Abu Dujana Khorasani . It said Abu Dujana was a well-known Islamist author and a preacher on jihadi Web sites , an immigrant for his faith and a fighter who sacrificed himself and his money for his God and belief . `` May God accept him as a martyr who was able to infiltrate the Americans ' forts , '' the statement said . `` We ask God to bless the people who follow your path , Abu Dujana , '' it said . `` Let them know that your brothers are following your path and they will not have peace of mind until they slaughter the Americans and let the Islamic nation be proud for having men like you among its sons . '' Several groups have claimed responsibility for the attack , one of the worst blows ever to America 's intelligence community . Some analysts said that militant groups may be competing for credit to spread the word and attract fresh donations and recruits . In a posting on its Web site last week , the Taliban in Afghanistan claimed that the bomber was an Afghan National Army soldier . On Sunday , however , Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud said in an e-mail that his arm of the Islamic movement carried out the attack , also citing the reason as revenge for Baitullah Mehsud 's killing . | Al Qaeda claims responsibility for last month 's Afghanistan bombing , say Islamist Web sites . Suicide bombing killed seven CIA employees and contractors and a Jordanian military officer . Al Qaeda says attack avenged deaths of leader of the Taliban in Pakistan and operatives . Several groups have claimed responsibility for the attack . | [[0, 15], [19, 104], [201, 243], [82, 104], [110, 185], [537, 582], [615, 686], [720, 762], [0, 15], [19, 104], [244, 261], [335, 424], [2716, 2747], [2778, 2840], [2242, 2299]] |
Kabul , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Troops with the NATO-led force in Afghanistan have seized more than 6,000 pounds of illegal drugs , the force said . Troops found more than 5,300 pounds of processed opium , more than 1,000 pounds of wet opium paste , approximately 50 pounds of heroin , and multiple firearms with ammunition were found in the truck , the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said . Authorities arrested two people and destroyed most of the drugs , though they kept some narcotics to analyze . The confiscation took place Wednesday in southern Afghanistan -- in the Maiwand district of Kandahar province -- after troops stopped a `` suspicious '' truck . Afghan opium kills 100,000 people a year worldwide -- more than any other drug -- and the opiate heroin kills five times as many people in NATO countries each year than the total number of NATO troops killed in combat in Afghanistan , a recent U.N. report said . About 15 million people around the world use heroin , opium or morphine , fueling a $ 65 billion market for the drug and also fueling terrorism and insurgencies . The Taliban raised $ 450 million to $ 600 million over the past four years by `` taxing '' opium farmers and traffickers , Antonio Maria Costa , head of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime , said in a report last autumn . Not all the money is going into the pockets of rebels or drug dealers , though . Some Afghan officials are making money off the trade as well , he said . | NATO-led troops in Afghanistan seized more than 6,000 pounds of illegal drugs . Haul included more than 5,300 pounds of processed opium . Troops stopped a `` suspicious '' truck in the Maiwand district of Kandahar province . Afghan opium kills 100,000 people a year worldwide -- more than any other drug . | [[8, 35], [51, 136], [156, 254], [647, 688]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than 200 former fighters and other members of the Maoist People 's Liberation Army -- including minors -- were discharged from a Maoist camp Thursday in line with Nepal 's ongoing peace process , officials said . Those being discharged were part of a group deemed `` disqualified '' by United Nations findings in 2007 , which identified at least 4,008 such combatants -- including 2,973 minors . The `` disqualified '' status applied to anyone under the age of 18 who was serving in the liberation army , and those who joined the Maoist group after its 10-year insurgency to abolish the country 's monarchy ended in 2006 . More than 15,000 died in the fighting and more than 100,000 people were displaced , according to the United Nations Web site . Nepal became a republic in 2008 following elections in which the people voted to abolish the monarchy . `` Those who left the Sindhuli camp today are no more members of the -LSB- Maoist -RSB- People 's Liberation Army , '' Nanda Kishore Pun , commander of the Maoist People 's Liberation Army , told CNN in a phone interview from Sindhuli , about 150 km -LRB- 93 miles -RRB- southeast of Kathmandu . The discharge process is expected to end in about a month . As part of the rehabilitation package for the disqualified combatants , the United Nations has offered to provide vocational skills training and education up to high school to those who want such opportunities , but Pun said that these offers are still being discussed . The process of the discharge is seen as in important part of the Nepal 's ongoing peace process . The Maoists and other political parties in the country are discussing ways to integrate the 19,602 verified Maoist combatants into Nepal 's security forces -- a move that made up part of the peace deal signed in 2006 to bring the peace process to a conclusion . Once the minors remain out of the command and control of the Maoist military structure for six months to a year , the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist -LRB- UCPN-M -RRB- can be considered for removal from the list of parties that recruit and use children , which is included in the annual U.N. Secretary-General 's report on Children and Armed Conflict . As the discharge and rehabilitation process began , about a dozen of the disqualified combatants were listed as being under the age of 16 and about 500 were under the age of 18 . Though called combatants , the United Nations said the minors were used as messengers , cooks and porters during the fighting . | More than 200 people were discharged from Maoist camp in Nepal . They are former fighters and other members of the Maoist People 's Liberation Army . Part of a group deemed `` disqualified '' by United Nations findings in 2007 . Their discharge is seen as in important part of the Nepal 's ongoing peace process . | [[273, 341], [0, 15], [120, 217], [1505, 1602]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One of the things I find frustrating about modern American life is we wait for someone else -- anybody else -- to solve whatever problem it is that 's out there . Clark Howard says Best Buy should have lauded employees who ran after a shoplifter , not fired them . We see something and feel like it 's not our job . It 's the `` not in my silo '' mentality found in corporate America . But there are times we wait for help to arrive when we 're the help we seek . Unfortunately , this mentality has seeped beyond corporate America into normal earthlings . Have you heard the story about Jared Bergstreser and Colin Trapp ? These two Best Buy employees tackled a shoplifter they saw busting out of their Denver , Colorado-area store with stolen electronics . They wrestled the suspect to the ground at great personal risk . The perpetrator pulled out a knife and cut a manager before ultimately escaping , according to The Wall Street Journal . Bergstreser had been a three-year employee , while Trapp was on the job for less than a year . What did Best Buy do for these employees who showed such extreme loyalty ? They fired them . A spokeswoman for Best Buy said the company wo n't comment on the terminations . However , she said the company 's employees are aware of a policy of not pursuing shoplifters . Best Buy says the policy is in place for the safety of its employees . Watch Clark reveal a Vegas vacation scam '' This case is not unusual . I am privy to a story about a separate incident that happened with a discount retailer . Again , a couple of guys I know who were employees tackled a shoplifter . The suspect then pulled out a gun and tried to shoot them . They managed to disarm the shoplifter after he fired and he was taken into custody . Did they get a reward or bonus from their employer ? No , they were canned . I got some interesting reactions when I discussed these two stories in a pre-show meeting with my team . Somebody immediately piped up saying , `` Of course they have to fire them because of liability . '' Liability ?! One of my producers even called me a vigilante . After all , I 'm the guy who chased down my own mugger on a Madrid subway train during a staff trip to Spain . In retrospect , what I did was really stupid because I could have gotten injured or worse . But my natural instinct just took over and I successfully recovered my wallet . The idea that we 're supposed to stand by idly and allow people to steal from us or steal from an employer is something that I just can not support . I think we have a responsibility to get involved . Otherwise , if you let a small number of lawbreakers get away with it whenever , then they get away with it over and over and over again . I could understand if Best Buy were so cowardly and afraid of a lawsuit that they felt these two employees should be sent to `` Best Buy re-education camp . '' Fine . But to fire them for trying to stop a brazen criminal who was armed and dangerous and busting out of the store with electronics ? I just do n't get it . And remember , when Bergstreser and Trapp went after this person , there was no benefit for them , unlike my experience being mugged in Madrid . They were putting themselves in danger to protect their employer . You should be , if not rewarded for that , then at least not punished ! I believe Best Buy is sending a terrible message by firing them . What do you think ? | Howard says there are times we wait for help to arrive when we 're the help we seek . Best Buy employees tackle shoplifter and get fired as a result . Howard says incident is not unusual but sends a terrible message . | [[427, 459], [443, 481], [443, 445], [455, 493], [475, 500], [660, 780], [1585, 1650], [2935, 2984], [1461, 1487]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Snow and freezing temperatures hit large parts of Britain Wednesday , forcing airports and railway lines to close down , and forecasters warned that more bad weather was on the way . Most of Britain was covered in snow , with 20 to 30 centimeters -LRB- nearly 8 to nearly 12 inches -RRB- of snow in the southern parts , and up to 15 feet in the Pennines , the mountain range that runs from northern England north to Scotland . Four airports , including London 's Gatwick , were shut down because of snow and ice . Gatwick said 84 flights were canceled , mainly on British Airways and EasyJet . Bristol , Blackpool , and Exeter airports were also closed . iReport : A snowy day in Chertsey , Surrey . British Airways was forced to cancel `` dozens '' of flights in and out of London 's Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 due to snow and ice , a spokesman told CNN Wednesday . Both incoming and outbound flights were experiencing significant delays , the spokesman said . BA operates about 400 flights a day in and out of Terminal 5 , the airport 's newest wing . According to BAA Limited , the company that operates the British airports , Heathrow `` overall is fine , '' as the facility was alternating runways to keep cancellations to a minimum . Stansted Airport in north London was briefly closed but reopened at midday . Still , it reported 27 flight cancellations . Manchester Airport , which was shut Tuesday , was reopened . Officials said snow was unlikely to affect flights , but warned travelers to expect delays because of Tuesday 's flight cancelations . All major train lines were open , but some train operators were running restricted services because of the weather . They included South West Trains , which runs services between London and some of the hardest-hit areas , such as Hampshire , Surrey and Wiltshire , and Chiltern Railways , which runs between London and Birmingham . Virgin Trains said it planned a regular service , but it warned of the risk of delays and cancelations on routes between London and Birmingham , Manchester , Liverpool and Scotland . Trains in northern England and Scotland were suffering because of the snow . There were no services between the Scottish cities of Inverness and Perth , National Rail said , and no trains between the English cities of Sheffield and Leeds . Frigid temperatures batter the U.S. south . Britain 's Highways Agency warned of difficult driving conditions in central southern England and the north of the country . It urged drivers to delay non-essential trips . Dozens of cars were left sitting on the side of the road in Southampton , near England 's southern coast , after drivers became stuck in snow . The Highways Agency warned drivers to avoid the nearby A3 highway , which runs between London and Portsmouth , because of weather conditions . The agency said it was doing continuous salt treatment and snow plowing on major roadways in England . Schools were closed across the country because of the heavy snowfall . Officials said 176 schools were shut in Buckinghamshire and 164 were closed in Oxfordshire just to the northwest of London . About 330 schools in Gloucestershire , 200 in Somerset , and 143 in Wiltshire were closed because of snow , officials said . Hundreds of schools were also closed in Kent , Shropshire , Herefordshire , Worcestershire , Coventry , Bath , Windsor , Maidenhead , Liverpool , and Brighton , officials said . Let us know how you are coping with the cold weather ? The Met Office , Britain 's weather service , said more snow was expected Wednesday for southern and northeast England . It warned of `` very heavy snowfall '' in southwest and southeast England and London , with up to a foot of snow possible . CNN 's Laura Perez Maestro and Phil Han contributed to this report . | Severe weather brought parts of the UK to a virtual standstill because of heavy snow . Four airports are shut and others are warning of delays and cancellations . Hundreds of schools across the the UK have closed their doors . Forecasters are warning of more snow . | [[0, 6], [9, 103], [219, 254], [2958, 3028], [3154, 3259], [3633, 3756], [463, 506], [509, 549], [630, 690], [1461, 1470], [1518, 1595], [1982, 2110], [2958, 3028], [3154, 3259], [3279, 3437], [161, 218], [3512, 3526], [3558, 3632], [3633, 3756]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- French police were searching Friday for a Degas painting stolen from a Marseilles museum a day earlier . `` Les Choristes , '' or `` The Chorus , '' is worth about $ 800,000 , or $ 1.15 million , Marseilles Police Commissioner Xavier Claudel told CNN . The 1877 pastel was on loan to the Musee Cantini from the Musee d'Orsay in Paris for an exhibition , Claudel said . It was discovered missing when staff opened the museum Thursday , he said . Investigators were going through surveillance camera footage for clues , but Claudel said he could not offer any more information about the case . Edgar Degas was a prominent member of the the Impressionists and produced a vast amount of artwork before his death in 1917 at age 83 . His style , subject matter and artistic sensibility set him apart from his contemporaries , according to New York 's Metropolitan Museum of Art . | The 1877 pastel was on loan to Musee Cantini from Musee d'Orsay in Paris . Investigators going through surveillance camera footage for clues . `` The Chorus , '' is worth about $ 800,000 , or $ 1.15 million . | [[272, 352], [464, 534], [165, 212]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Irish bishop resigned Wednesday following a government report into the sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy -- the second to do so . Bishop Jim Moriarty was not directly criticized in the Murphy Report , but was a member of the Dublin archdiocese leadership for more than a decade before it put proper protections for children in place , he said . Moriarty said he `` should have challenged the prevailing culture '' of protecting the church rather than children when he was an auxiliary bishop in Dublin from 1991 to 2002 . `` I know that any action now on my part does not take away the suffering that people have endured , '' he said in a written statement . `` I again apologize to all the survivors and their families . I have today offered my resignation as bishop of Kildare & Leighlin to the Holy Father . I hope it honors the truth that the survivors have so bravely uncovered and opens the way to a better future for all concerned . '' The Vatican had no immediate comment on the resignation . Moriarty has been a priest for 48 years , he said in the statement . `` I fully accept the overall conclusion ... that the attempts by church authorities to ` protect the church ' and to ` avoid scandal ' had the most dreadful consequences for children and were deeply wrong , '' Moriarty said after the government report came out last month . Bishop Donal Murray , the bishop of Limerick , resigned on December 17 . Murray was named in the 720-page report that found the Archdiocese of Dublin and other Catholic Church authorities in Ireland covered up clerical child abuse from 1975 to 2004 . Child sexual abuse was `` widespread '' then , the report found . The report by the Dublin Archdiocese Commission of Investigation , which was set up in March 2006 to look into the abuse allegations , did not say Murray was guilty of abuse but that he failed to report it . Murray was `` aware for many years of complaints and/or suspicions of clerical child sexual abuse in the archdiocese , '' the report found . It said he dealt `` badly '' with a number of complaints and suspicions of abuse , and that his failings in at least one instance were `` inexcusable . '' Murray resigned under a canon law that requires bishops who have become unsuited for the fulfillment of their office to resign , the Vatican said . Pope Benedict XVI met with senior Irish bishops at the Vatican a week before Murray 's resignation and said he was `` deeply disturbed and distressed '' by the report 's findings . He promised that the Catholic Church would try to develop strategies to make sure the abuses do n't happen again . CNN 's Hada Messia in Rome , Italy , contributed to this report . | Irish bishop resigns after government report on sex abuse of children by Catholic clergy . Bishop Jim Moriarty was not directly criticized in the Murphy Report . He was a member of Dublin archdiocese leadership before it put proper protections in place . Donal Murray , Limerick bishop , resigned in December after being named in abuse cover up . | [[0, 15], [19, 136], [754, 755], [767, 842], [162, 230], [162, 181], [237, 309], [0, 15], [19, 136], [1377, 1396], [1424, 1449]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Four people died and another three were missing Monday after two avalanches in the Swiss Alps , Bern police said . The avalanches occurred at 11:30 a.m. -LRB- 5:30 a.m. ET -RRB- and about noon Sunday in the Diemtigen Valley , 34 miles -LRB- 55 km -RRB- south of Bern , said Thomas Jauch , a spokesman for police in Bern County . In the first incident an avalanche buried one person who was with a party of eight cross-country skiers , Jauch said . A nearby party of 25 skiers joined in the search and a physician , who was a member of a ski rescue team , was dropped into the area by one of two helicopters called in to help . As they were searching for the missing skier , a second avalanche buried 10 to 12 of them , Jauch said . Nine were found alive , one was dead , he said . Three of the survivors died later in hospital , he added . The doctor was among the dead , he said . It was not clear whether the original skier who was buried was among the survivors . `` It was not a high-risk day ; not a high-risk situation , '' Jauch said . Search efforts were suspended Monday because of the weather in the mountains . `` There could be another avalanche , '' the police spokesman said . | Avalanches occurred Sunday in the Diemtigen Valley , 34 miles -LRB- 55 km -RRB- south of Bern . In first incident an avalanche buried one person who was with a party of eight cross-country skiers . Second avalanche hit as rescuers searched for victims , burying 10 to 12 of them . | [[134, 242], [348, 451], [40, 112], [693, 735]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Florida authorities were searching Sunday for a 33-year-old man after his wife and five children were found dead in their Naples home . Mesac Damas pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor battery against Guerline Damas in June . The bodies of Guerline Damas , 32 ; Michzach , 9 ; Marven , 6 ; Maven , 5 ; Megan , 3 ; and Morgan , 11 months , were discovered Saturday , Rambosk said . Authorities have been unable to locate Mesac Damas , who possibly left the country Friday morning and may be in Haiti , Capt. Chris Roberts of the Collier County sheriff 's department said Sunday at a news conference . `` We do n't see at this point any indication of an individual out in the neighborhoods committing additional crimes or homicides , but certainly we will look at every opportunity , '' Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said at an earlier news conference . There had been a `` handful '' of domestic disturbance calls to police since 2000 involving the Damas couple , with the latest resulting in the arrest of Mesac Damas in January , Roberts said . Mesac Damas pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor battery against Guerline Damas in June , and Roberts said he does not think Mesac Damas served any jail time for the crime . `` We are still talking to people that knew the family and obviously the ultimate information we need is not so much what happened in the past but what happened when these people died , '' Roberts said . The six bodies were found Saturday at about 6:30 p.m. , a day after police had visited the home to check on the family , Roberts said . Watch why authorities are looking for Damas '' When a family member had not heard from a resident at the home , the family member asked authorities on Friday to do a welfare check on the house , Roberts said . Responding police knocked on the door but got no answer , he said , but officers saw no indications to arouse their suspicions . The following morning , the family member became more concerned and filed a missing persons report , which authorities took , Rambosk said . Later , authorities requested from property management a key to the house and an authorization to enter . `` When we did , we found the bodies of the individuals , '' he said . `` I can tell you that in no uncertain terms this is the most horrific and violent event this community has ever experienced . This is the worst of the worst . '' He would not release the manner of death . Rambosk said authorities had recovered Mesac Damas ' vehicle at Miami International Airport , and they believe that he left on a flight to Haiti on Friday . Roberts said collecting and processing evidence can take `` several days , if not weeks . '' | Police believe Mesac Damas , 33 , boarded a flight to Haiti on Friday morning . Bodies found in home Saturday after relative asked police to check , sheriff says . Sheriff : `` Some previous domestic violence , '' but Damas not called a suspect . | [[440, 451], [458, 498], [440, 451], [491, 518], [2549, 2607], [1635, 1697], [1700, 1780], [2191, 2229]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Authorities at Pennsylvania 's Three Mile Island nuclear plant were investigating what caused a weekend radiation leak that resulted in 150 workers being sent home , officials said Sunday . An airborne radiological contamination alarm sounded about 4 p.m. Saturday in the Unit 1 containment building , according to a statement from Exelon Nuclear , which operates the Three Mile Island plant near Middletown , Pennsylvania . The unit had been shut down since October 26 for refueling , maintenance and steam generator replacement , the company said . `` A monitor at the temporary opening cut into the containment building wall to allow the new steam generators to be moved inside showed a slight increase in a reading and then returned to normal , '' the company said . `` Two other monitors displayed normal readings . '' Three Mile Island was the scene of the worst U.S. nuclear accident , a partial meltdown in 1979 that resulted in the plant 's second reactor being shut down permanently . Tests showed the contamination in Saturday 's incident was confined to the building itself , and none was found outside , Exelon said . There was no threat to public health and safety , but the workers were sent home because they could not continue until the area was cleaned , Bill Noll , Exelon vice president , said in the Saturday statement . One worker was found to have received 16 millirem of exposure , and others received lower levels of contamination . The annual occupational dose limit for workers at Exelon plants is 2,000 millirem , the statement said . Radiation exposure from a chest X-ray is about 6 millirem , according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission . Although Noll said it was hoped work would resume at Unit 1 on Sunday , Exelon spokeswoman Beth Archer told CNN on Sunday it had not resumed , as the cause of the leak was still under investigation . Two radiation specialists from the NRC were scheduled to investigate Sunday . `` Numerous work activities were going on in the building at the time the alarm sounded , and Exelon engineers are working to determine the cause of the incident , '' the statement said . The March 1979 accident at Three Mile Island brought the nuclear industry to a standstill . The partial meltdown of Unit 2 's nuclear core resulted in no injuries to plant workers or nearby community members , but it triggered changes in nuclear power plant operations and emergency planning and led to tighter oversight of the industry by the NRC . The Unit 2 reactor is permanently shut down and defueled , the NRC said . In 2001 , FirstEnergy acquired it and contracted its monitoring to Exelon , which owns Unit 1 . The companies plan to keep Unit 2 in `` long-term , monitored storage '' until the Unit 1 operating license expires , at which time both plants will be decommissioned , the NRC said . A new generation of nuclear reactors is being considered in the United States as environmental concerns have intensified about coal-fired power plants . CNN 's Janet DiGiacomo contributed to this report . | Airborne radiological contamination alarm sounded at 4 p.m. Saturday . Radiation was confined to a single building and no one was in danger , company says . In 1979 , Three Mile Island was the scene of the worst U.S. nuclear accident . | [[209, 318], [209, 253], [321, 365], [551, 569], [1027, 1104], [843, 909]] |
-LRB- WIRED -RRB- -- What 's hot off the presses this week ? Want an out-of-print book ? With the help of Google , a machine may be able to print one for you . Any one of the more than 2 million books old enough to fall out of copyright into the public domain . Over the last seven years , Google has scanned millions of dusty tomes from deep in the stacks of the nation 's leading university libraries and turned them into searchable documents available anywhere in the world through its search box . And now Google Book Search , in partnership with On Demand Books , is letting readers turn those digital copies back into paper copies , individually printed by bookstores around the world . Or at least by those booksellers that have ordered its $ 100,000 Espresso Book Machine , which cranks out a 300 page gray-scale book with a color cover in about 4 minutes , at a cost to the bookstore of about $ 3 for materials . The machine prints the pages , binds them together perfectly , and then cuts the book to size and then dumps a book out , literally hot off the press , with a satisfying clunk . -LRB- The company says a machine can print about 60,000 books a year . -RRB- . That means you can stop into the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester , Vermont , and for less than $ 10 , custom-order your own copy of Dame Curtsey 's Book of Candy Making , the third edition of which was published in 1920 and which can only be found online for $ 47.00 used . Dane Neller , On Demand Books CEO , says the announcement flips book distribution on its head . `` We believe this is a revolution , '' Neller said . `` Content retrieval is now centralized and production is decentralized . '' Neller said the deal was clearly about the long tail of books , a reference to Wired magazine 's Editor-in-Chief Chris Anderson 's theory that hits become less important when distribution costs drop . One of the main benefits , according to Neller , is letting local book stores compete with Amazon.com by reducing their need to have expensive inventory . Other current retailers include the University of Michigan Shapiro Library Building in Ann Arbor ; the Blackwell Bookshop in London ; the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria , Egypt ; the University of Alberta Bookstore in Edmonton , Canada ; and Angus & Robertson Bookstore in Melbourne , Australia . The company hopes to sell 60 more printers in the next year , bringing the number of machines globally to about 90 . On Demand Books suggests that book stores price the books at about $ 8 , leaving retailers with a $ 3 profit after both Google and On Demand Books collect a buck-a-book fee . Google plans to donate its share to a yet-unspecified charity , which might be a reaction to its messy legal and public policy fight over a copyright settlement that covers books that are still in copyright . -LRB- All the books that are being added to On Demand Books repertoire in this agreement are out of copyright in the country where it will be printed . -RRB- . Starting Sept. 29 , Bostonians can stop in the privately owned Harvard Bookstore in Cambridge , Massachusetts , and have their books printed in front of them . Or they can order it over the phone and have the store deliver it -- by bicycle . There 's a certain irony to that , too , according to Google spokeswoman Jennie Johnson , since the bookstore is right next to Harvard 's library , one of the libraries that partnered with Google to turn its millions of books into an online library of the future . `` Most people ca n't get into the Harvard Library , but you can print their books next door , '' Johnson said . Or put another way , On Demand Books is betting that in the future , every old book will have 15 readers . What 's of interest in these old books ? Plenty , according to Google . One knitter discovered a long-lost book about knitting , and recreated the heirloom pieces and even built a loom from a long-lost design . Another reader , who works with subsistence farmers in Africa , currently uses PDFs of old farming techniques to teach still-relevant skills . Google already uses the public-domain books in search results , and users can read those books in full online and even download them as PDFs for free . Neither Neller or Johnson cared to speculate on how many of these books they expect to sell , but Johnson says some 80 percent of the public-domain books are looked at in a given month . Unfortunately , it 's unlikely that the number of public domain books will grow larger anytime soon , since Congress added two decades to existing copyright protection in 1999 . Copyright , which originally lasts about 14 years , now extends to the life of an author plus 70 years for newly created works . As for their quality ? They feel like a typical paperback , and are printed using typical 20 - or 24-pound paper , with heavier stock for the inkjet-printed cover , which currently all share one design . While turning bits back into paper seems a bit of a stretch for Google , Johnson said it fits with the company 's goal of organizing the world 's information . `` We think people should be able to find and read these books , '' Johnson said . `` We do n't care how people end up reading them . '' Neller said he 'd love to see the day when Google Book Searchers can press a button next to a search result and find the closest local printer , but Google says that 's a long way off . So for now , book buyers of the future who want to buy books from the past will need to walk to a bookstore -- or get Harvard Bookstore to use the bicycle , a 19th-century invention , to bring them a book printed with 21st-century technology . Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $ 1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT ! Click here ! Copyright 2009 Wired.com . | Google Book Search is letting readers turn digitized texts back into paper copies . Google scans millions of books and turns them into searchable documents . Books can be printed on demand by a special machine in about 4 minutes . The machine is only in a few dozen bookstores so far . | [[502, 528], [569, 636], [262, 402], [262, 287], [290, 296], [407, 476], [744, 779], [788, 863]] |
KATHMANDU , Nepal -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tibet 's exile government said the death toll from protests in the Himalayan region over the past two weeks has reached about 140 , but Chinese government restrictions have made it difficult confirm the number killed . People walk past burnt-out buildings in Lhasa on 16 March , 2008 , after violent protests broke out . Chinese authorities have issued a much lower death toll and said most of those killed were `` innocent '' ethnic Han Chinese targeted by rampaging Tibetans . The Tibetan exiles published a list of 40 Tibetans they said are confirmed dead . Meanwhile , Tibetan exiles and monks protested for a second day outside of China 's embassy visa office in Kathmandu , Nepal on Tuesday , resulting in 73 protesters arrested , Nepalese police said . Although police said they did not use force , protest organizers said as many as 12 people were hurt when police charged them with bamboo sticks . Watch demonstrator in tears as monks arrested '' . Protests involving Tibet also dogged the Olympic flame , which was lit in a ceremony Monday in Olympia , Greece . The torch is scheduled to be carried to sites around the world on its way to the Summer Olympics in Beijing , and Tibetan activist say they plan anti-Chinese protests along the way . Another group of about 50 Tibetan exiles in India began their own torch relay Tuesday with a symbolic `` Olympic '' flame that will end in Tibet on the day of the Summer Games ' opening ceremonies in Beijing , The Associated Press reported . On Monday , Greek police arrested some of the protesters along the first miles of the torch relay , but the demonstrations were peaceful and police reported no injuries or scuffles . At one point , a Tibetan woman covered herself with red paint and lay on the ground , forcing the torchbearer to weave around her as other protesters shouted `` Flame of shame . '' Students for a Free Tibet , a Tibetan exile group , said its protesters would challenge police as the flame moves through 23 cities on five continents before passing throughout China . Tibetan activists will follow it through `` London , Paris and everywhere else China 's stained Olympic Torch goes , '' the group said . The group said the Chinese government `` will pressure other governments to silence peaceful protesters who expose the truth behind China 's Olympics propaganda campaign . '' `` The Chinese government 's long arm has already extended to San Francisco , where Tibetans are being told they can not protest along the Torch Relay route , '' the group said in a news release . Also Monday , five Tibetans were arrested for deadly arson attacks stemming from the anti-China riots that erupted this month , China 's government announced . A Chinese Ministry of public security official said the suspects have confessed to two arson incidents that killed 10 people in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa , according to the state-run news agency Xinhua . Ministry spokesman Shan Huimin said three female suspects were detained for a March 14 fire at a shop , in which five female sales assistants were burned to death , Xinhua reported . In the second case , two males were detained for setting fire to a motorcycle shop on March 15 , which resulted in five deaths -- including an 8-month-old boy and his parents , according to Xinhua . Shan said the violence in Lhasa between March 14 and 15 also injured 242 police officers , according to Xinhua . However , Shan added , peace has been restored to the area . Clashes between anti-Chinese protesters in the Tibetan capital Lhasa and other cities broke out earlier this month , and Chinese officials blamed the Dalai Lama 's followers for the violence . The Tibetan government in exile said at least 80 people were killed by police , but Chinese officials put the death toll at 13 . E-mail to a friend . CNN 's Manesh Shrestha in Nepal contributed to this report . | Tibet exile government claims death toll from unrest now 140 . Chinese authorities say toll much lower , says victims are `` innocent '' Chinese . Chinese restrictions mean it is difficult to confirm the figures . | [[12, 27], [126, 166], [358, 413], [358, 377], [418, 463], [444, 482], [452, 515], [169, 255]] |
BEIJING , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- China 's foreign minister Wednesday rejected criticism of its human rights record , accusing the United States of `` clinging to a Cold War mentality '' and `` practicing double standards . '' Workers at the Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Fast Railway , a key project associated with the Beijing Olympics . Yang Jiechi was responding to questions about a State Department report released a day earlier that characterized China 's human rights record as one of the most repressive in the world . The report was released five months before the Summer Olympic Games kickoff in Beijing . Although he chided the United States and other critics of its human rights record as `` making confrontation , '' Yang stressed that China is `` ready for dialogue with the United States , as long as it is done in an environment of respect and fairness . '' Despite rapid economic growth and social change in China , the report said the `` authoritarian '' Chinese government `` continues to deny their citizens basic human rights and fundamental freedoms . '' It also said there was an increase in forced relocations in Beijing , with people being thrown out of their homes to make way for Olympic projects . `` China 's overall human rights record remained poor in 2007 , '' it stated , citing tightening controls over religious freedom in Tibet and the Uyghur population . China announced Sunday that militants in Xinjiang 's Uyghur Autonomous Region had planned to carry out two terror attacks , including one targeting the Olympics set to begin on August 8 . China said it successfully thwarted both attacks . The autonomous region is home to about 19 million people , most of whom are Muslims and other minorities . Many of them oppose Beijing 's rule . The State Department report also said China has increased its efforts to `` control and censor the Internet , and the government tightened restrictions on freedom of speech and the domestic press '' and bloggers . It cited a 20 percent increase over 2006 in convictions of citizens under what it called China 's overly broad state security law that is often used to silence government critics . `` The government continued to monitor , harass , detain , arrest , and imprison journalists , writers , activists , and defense lawyers and their families , many of whom were seeking to exercise their rights under law , '' the report said . `` Individuals and groups , especially those deemed politically sensitive by the government , continued to face tight restrictions on their freedom to assemble , their freedom to practice religion , and their freedom to travel . '' The report , issued annually , surveys the human rights record of more than 190 countries around the world . In rolling out the report , Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said : `` No corner of the Earth is permanently condemned to tyranny . Change may take time , but change will come . '' E-mail to a friend . CNN State Department Producer Elise Labott in Washington and Beijing Bureau Chief Jaime FlorCruz contributed to this report . | China 's FM rejects U.S. attack on human rights record , says `` double standards . '' Yang Jiechi says China ready `` for dialogue with the United States '' U.S. State Dept. report comes five months before the Beijing Olympics . Report emphasized forced relocations , human rights abuses , control of Internet . | [[0, 7], [10, 31], [71, 116], [193, 224], [623, 695], [725, 810], [525, 613], [383, 524], [931, 1071]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pope Benedict XVI ended 2009 much as he began it -- with a major gaffe that angered Jews . He started the year by welcoming a Holocaust-denying bishop back into the fold , and ended it by putting the controversial World War II-era Pope Pius XII one step closer to sainthood . Both caused uproars . `` It seems that the pope does n't always know what 's going out under his name , or the impact of what 's going out under his name , which is very strange to observe because John Paul II was so media-savvy , '' said Ruth Ellen Gruber , a Jewish journalist and author who has long been based in Rome . The Pius XII episode `` seems to be yet again a case where they did n't estimate what the response would be , '' Gruber said . In both cases the pope quickly found himself having to explain and clarify . He lifted the decades-old excommunication of Bishop Richard Williamson in January , part of an effort to reconcile an ultra-conservative movement with the Vatican . Three other bishops associated with the Society of St. Pius X were un-excommunicated at the same time . The excommunications were not related to Williamson 's Holocaust denial . But it was Williamson who caused outrage , not only among Jews but also among German Catholic bishops and politicians , because the bishop had been filmed denying that the Nazis systematically set out to murder Jews in the Holocaust . The video was freely available on YouTube -- and by March , the pope was admitting the Vatican should have Googled Williamson before letting him back into the church . The excommunication 's remission caused `` a discussion more heated than any we have seen for a long time , '' Benedict XVI wrote in an open letter to bishops in March . `` I have been told that consulting the information available on the Internet would have made it possible to perceive the problem early on , '' the pope acknowledged . `` I have learned the lesson that in the future in the Holy See we will have to pay greater attention to that source of news . '' He made his first visit as pope to Israel in the wake of the controversy -- a visit planned long before the Williamson uproar erupted -- and delivered a clear message : `` Every effort must be made to fight anti-Semitism wherever it is found . '' But fresh controversy blew up this month when he issued a decree proclaiming the `` heroic virtues '' of Pope Pius XII . Pius , who reigned from 1939 to 1958 , is perhaps the most controversial pope of modern times , accused by detractors of not speaking out against the Nazi persecution of Jews . -LRB- John Cornwell titled his book about Pius XII `` Hitler 's Pope , '' just to make his point perfectly clear . -RRB- . Israel Meir Lau , a former chief rabbi of Israel and himself a Holocaust survivor , said it would `` shame '' the Vatican to declare Pius XII a saint . `` Especially not now , when many survivors are still alive . It will hurt them deeply to know that the man who could save -LSB- them -RSB- , could do much more and did not do it , '' he said . `` It is not a good education for generations to come . '' Even as the Holocaust was going on , the United States was pushing Pius XII to act . `` At the time of the Holocaust , questions about Pius XII 's public silence were raised by Myron Taylor , the U.S. representative to the Vatican , and Taylor 's assistant , Harold Tittman , who requested that the Holy See speak out on the issue , '' the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum said Monday . `` The opening of the post-1939 archival material is essential to a proper assessment of Pius XII . Only then will a sound and accurate portrait of his moral leadership during the Holocaust be possible , '' the museum argued . Benedict 's spokesman , Father Federico Lombardi , called Pius XII an `` important pope that we know was guiding the church in very difficult times . '' The Vatican has long argued that Pius did more behind the scenes to help Jews than he gets credit for -- but has not produced proof . It says it will open the Vatican archives from Pius XII 's era to scholars , but not for several more years , blaming the delay on the length of time it takes to catalogue and prepare the materials . But by Wednesday , Lombardi was backpedalling on the wartime pope . First , he said , Benedict XVI had merely ratified a decision which the Vatican committee that evaluates candidates for sainthood had already made about Pius XII . Further , the pope 's declaration was about Pius XII 's `` intense relationship with God and continuous search for evangelical perfection ... and not the historical impact of all his operative decisions , '' Lombardi said in a written statement . The decree `` is in no way to be read as a hostile act towards the Jewish people , and it is to be hoped that it will not be considered as an obstacle on the path of dialogue between Judaism and the Catholic Church , '' Lombardi said , looking ahead to the pope 's planned visit to the main synagogue in Rome in January . The visit will be the first time a pope goes to the synagogue since John Paul II did in 1986 , and is meant to be a major symbol of good relations between the two faith communities . Benedict is a German -- in fact , he was forced as a young man to join the Hitler Youth -- and an accomplished musician who relaxes by playing piano . So why does he have such a tin ear when it comes to the Holocaust ? Gruber suspects that different factions within the Vatican may be competing for influence . She noted that both the Williamson and Pius XII controversies blew up `` soon before what were expected to be major advances in Catholic-Jewish relations '' -- the trip to Israel and the synagogue visit . The Italian Jewish community , for its part , seems to understand the competing pressures on the pope , she said , citing a cartoon in the Jewish monthly Pagine Ebraiche showing Benedict walking across Rome 's Tiber river towards the city 's main synagogue -- on a tightrope . He holds a pole for balance , with a flag on one side saying `` dialogue '' and the other saying `` conversion . '' `` It 's a very sympathetic cartoon for the pope , surprisingly sympathetic , '' said Gruber , the author of `` Virtually Jewish : Reinventing Jewish Culture in Europe . '' Whatever gaffes may cause problems between the Vatican and the Jewish community , Gruber said , there is little chance of a complete rupture in relations . `` Dialogue with the Jews is now embedded in Vatican doctrine , '' she said . `` It 's a loud dialogue . There 's shouting . But if you do n't have opposing views , it 's not dialogue -- it 's an echo chamber . '' CNN Jerusalem Bureau Chief Kevin Flower contributed to this report . | Pope Benedict XVI in trouble for praise of World War II-era Pope Pius XII . Pius is accused by critics of failing to speak out against Nazis and Holocaust . Vatican says Benedict was just agreeing with panel considering Pius for sainthood . Benedict angered Jews in January with support for Holocaust-denying bishop . | [[2288, 2404], [2405, 2409], [2501, 2581], [3195, 3226], [3229, 3340], [4285, 4292], [4295, 4338], [76, 89], [95, 109], [110, 112], [130, 188]] |
ACCRA , Ghana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Bush sought Wednesday to dispel rumors that the U.S. plans to bring `` all kinds of military to Africa , '' saying that is `` simply not true . '' President Bush shakes hands with Ghanian President John Kufuor in Accra , Ghana , on Wednesday . He said the United States has no plans to add new bases in Africa but may open an office somewhere on the continent as part of its plans for Africom , a new U.S. military command that will focus on Africa . The president did not elaborate on the size of such an office but took pains to say it would not be a military base in the traditional sense . `` The purpose of this is not to add military bases , '' Bush said . `` I know there 's rumors in Ghana -- ` all Bush is coming to do is try to convince you to put a big military base here . ' That 's baloney . Or as we say in Texas , that 's bull . '' Watch what gifts Bush brought to Ghana '' The president of Ghana , John Kufuor , said he welcomed Bush 's comments . `` I am happy for the president 's dispelling any notion that the United States of America is intending to build military bases on the continent of Africa , '' he said . The U.S. military divides the world into regions and has a `` command '' for each region . The U.S. Central Command , for example , focuses on U.S. military concerns and activities in much of the Middle East and South Asia , while the U.S. Southern Command focuses on Latin America . The new command established last year , Africom , will be based in Stuttgart , Germany `` for the foreseeable future , '' the U.S. military says . `` Now , that does n't mean we wo n't develop some kind of office somewhere in Africa . We have n't made our minds up , '' Bush said Wednesday . `` I want to dispel the notion that all of a sudden America is , you know , bringing all kinds of military to Africa . It 's just simply not true . '' About 1,800 U.S. troops are stationed in Djibouti , a country in the Horn of Africa , as part of the U.S. fight against Islamic extremists . Bush said Africom will `` provide military assistance to African nations so African nations are more capable of dealing with Africa 's conflicts , like peacekeeping training . '' `` The whole purpose of Africom is to help leaders deal with Africa 's problems , '' he said in a joint news conference with Kufuor . E-mail to a friend . CNN 's Ed Henry and Tim McCaughan contributed to this report . | Bush says U.S. has no plans for military bases in Africa . Office in Africa is possible as part of new Africom command in U.S. military , he says . Africom , established last year , focuses on Africa but is based in Germany . Ghanaian president welcomes Bush comments on base rumors . | [[287, 435], [1025, 1038], [1042, 1161], [287, 435], [436, 465], [471, 493], [436, 465], [471, 493], [1461, 1498], [1461, 1476], [1501, 1537], [932, 954], [971, 1006]] |
MOSCOW , Russia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Russian and British ships repelled a pirate attack on a Danish ship in the Gulf of Aden , the Russian navy said Wednesday . Pirates have caused havoc off the coast of Somalia , hijacking 33 ships this year . Elsewhere , pirates hijacked a Turkish-flagged ship carrying 4,500 tons of chemicals and 14 crew off Yemen 's coast . The pirates hijacked the ship , Karagol , near Yemen as it traveled to Mumbai , India , semi-official news agency Anadolu Ajansi reported , citing a written statement from the Turkish Maritime Agency . Russian navy spokesman Igor Dygalo said the Russian patrol ship Neustrashimy and a British frigate , HMS Cumberland , successfully rebuffed pirate attempts to seize the Danish ship Powerful off Somalia . The British and Russians used helicopters to counter-attack the pirates , who had opened machine gun fire on Powerful and twice tried to seize it , Dygalo said . It was not immediately clear when the incident occurred . When asked about the incident , the British Ministry of Defense said a crew from the Cumberland had boarded a small boat on Tuesday that `` they ... believe had been involved in an attack on the Danish-registered MV Powerful earlier in the day . '' Ahead of boarding the small boat , or dhow , the British crew members tried several ways to stop it , `` but they were unsuccessful , '' the Ministry of Defense 's statement said . The Cumberland then launched boats to circle the dhow , in another attempt to halt it . People aboard the dhow opened fire at these boats , and the Cumberland 's crew members returned fire , the statement said . Two alleged pirates were killed during the shooting . A third person , a Yemeni national , died later from injuries , despite care from the Cumberland 's doctor , the Ministry said . `` It is unclear whether his injuries were as a result of the firefight or a previous incident . '' The Gulf of Aden , which connects the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea , has become a treacherous stretch for ships , particularly along the Somali coast . There have been 84 attacks and 33 successful hijackings off Somalia 's coast this year . Meanwhile , the Karagol is owned by Istanbul-based Y.D.C. Denizcilik , A.S. . The company confirmed its ship had been hijacked , but could not provide any details . The Karagol is the second Turkish ship in two weeks to be hijacked . On October 29 , pirates in the same area off Yemen commandeered the Neslihan , a Turkish-owned freighter , carrying 77,000 tons of iron ore from from Canada to China , the ship 's owner , Ya-Sa Shipping Industry and Trading , S.A. , said . CNN 's David McKenzie and Andrew Carey contributed to this report . | Russian and British ships repel pirate attack on Danish vessel . British say three pirates died after an exchange of fire . Elsewhere , a Turkish ship with 14 crew has been hijacked off Yemen . | [[9, 122], [681, 766], [243, 252], [255, 294], [272, 360], [361, 390], [403, 462], [2386, 2399], [2402, 2462]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- British singer Leona Lewis was `` understandably shaken '' after a man attacked her during a book signing in central London Wednesday afternoon , a spokeswoman for her record label said . Leona Lewis was signing copies of her book `` Dreams '' when a man assaulted her , police say . A 29-year-old man was arrested after he punched Lewis at the Waterstones bookstore in Piccadilly Circus at 4:36 p.m. -LRB- 10:36 a.m. ET -RRB- , according to a Scotland Yard statement . She was signing copies of her new autobiography `` Dreams '' when the `` unprovoked attack '' happened , said Sarah Weinstein Dennison of the RCA Music Group . `` The police were called immediately , and medical attention has been sought , '' Dennison said . `` Leona is understandably shaken and apologizes to the fans she was unable to meet and complete signings . '' There was no information released on how seriously she was hurt . The police statement said the man was arrested on `` suspicion of assault occasioning actual bodily harm . '' `` He is currently in custody at a central London police station , '' police said . Lewis , 24 , got a career boost when she won the music talent competition on British television show `` The X Factor '' in 2006 . She got three Grammy nominations last year based on her debut album , `` Spirit . '' Her second album , `` Echo , '' is set for release next month , according to her Web site . | British singer was signing copies of her book at London store . A man is accused of punching her , police say . Lewis won Britain 's `` X Factor '' show in 2006 ; her new album is out next month . | [[224, 266], [506, 553], [285, 304], [1136, 1141], [1149, 1231], [1378, 1412]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A judge has ordered the children of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to meet in their capacity as the sole shareholders of the corporation that manages their iconic father 's estate . Dexter King has denied taking `` substantial funds '' from his parents ' estates . King 's children were in Fulton County , Georgia , Superior Court Monday in a dispute over their parents ' estates . Two children of the civil rights icon are suing their brother , accusing him of wrongfully taking money from their parents ' estates . The Rev. Bernice King and Martin Luther King III allege Dexter King took `` substantial funds '' out of Coretta Scott King 's estate and `` wrongfully appropriated '' money from their father 's estate . Dexter King has publicly denied the accusations . It was unclear what outcome having a shareholder meeting for the Estate of Martin Luther King Jr. , Inc. would have on the dispute . The three siblings have not held such a meeting since 2004 , corporation attorney Luke Lantta said . The removal of Dexter King as the estate 's administrator is unlikely because that would require a meeting of the board of directors . Judge Ural Glanville on Monday also ruled in favor of dismissing some of the allegations against Dexter King , but left the question of whether he failed to act in the best interest of his father 's incorporated estate to a jury . A trial on the allegation of breach of fiduciary duty could happen as early as next month . The lawsuit reveals a very public fissure in an iconic family that has always professed unity , particularly as questions have swirled around some of their financial dealings . Martin Luther King III and Bernice King were in the courtroom Monday , but Dexter King was not . He had been injured in an accident in California and did not make the trip to Georgia . Dexter King had filed a counter claim against his sister , asking the court to force her to hand over to the corporation some items that belonged to Martin Luther King Jr. . In a special hearing Monday , the court ruled that the items , including Martin Luther King Jr. 's Nobel Peace Prize and his love letters to Coretta Scott King will be turned over to the court to hold until a resolution is reached . The courtroom was packed with supporters of the King family . Among those in attendance were the Rev. Joseph Lowery and former Ambassador Andrew Young , friends of Martin Luther King Jr. who worked with him during the civil rights movement . CNN 's Aaron Cooper contributed to this report . | Two of King 's children accuse third of wrongfully taking money from estates . Dexter King has denied claims by Bernice King , Martin Luther King III . Civil rights icons at courthouse to support family . | [[420, 481], [420, 457], [484, 510], [500, 554], [611, 687], [693, 757], [758, 807]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Historical tensions and overreaction on the part of both Russia and Georgia contributed to a five-day conflict between the two in 2008 , a European Union fact-finding mission concluded in a report released Wednesday . South Ossetian mourners at the grave of a relative killed in the conflict on the first anniversary in August 2009 . `` The conflict is rooted in a profusion of causes comprising different layers in time and actions combined , '' said the report from the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Conflict in Georgia . `` While it is possible to identify the authorship of some important events and decisions marking its course , there is no way to assign overall responsibility for the conflict to one side alone . They have all failed , and it should be their responsibility to make good for it . '' Georgia launched a campaign against South Ossetia , a Russian-backed separatist Georgian territory , on August 7 , 2008 . The following day , Russian tanks , troops and armored vehicles poured into South Ossetia and another Russian-backed breakaway Georgian territory , Abkhazia , advancing into Georgian cities outside the rebel regions . A total of about 850 people were killed on all sides , the report said , and untold numbers of others were wounded or went missing . About 100,000 civilians fled their homes , and about 35,000 have been unable to return . `` The fighting did not end the political conflict , nor were any of the issues that lay beneath it resolved , '' the report said . `` Tensions still continue . The political situation after the end of fighting turned out to be no easier and in some respects even more difficult than before . '' Russia and Georgia each blamed the other for starting the conflict , and accused each other of a variety of offenses leading up to and during the fighting , including ethnic cleansing . Moscow has since recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent regions . But relations between Georgia and Russia are at an `` all-time low , '' the report notes . After five days of fighting , a peace deal was brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy , acting on behalf of the EU . An implementation effort followed on September 8 . The report noted that the actions `` stood in contrast to the failure of the international community , including the U.N. Security Council , to act swiftly and resolutely enough in order to control the ever-mounting tensions prior -LRB- to -RRB- the outbreak of armed conflict . '' Georgian armed forces shelled the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali the night of August 7 . While that action was seen as the start of the armed conflict , `` it was only the culminating point of a long period of increasing tensions , provocations and incidents , '' the fact-finding report said . `` Indeed , the conflict has deep roots in the history of the region , in peoples ' national traditions and aspirations as well as in age-old perceptions or rather misperceptions of each other , which were never mended and sometimes exploited . '' Any evaluation of the conflict should take that into account , along with mounting tensions in the months and weeks leading up to it , the report said , as well as `` years of provocations , mutual accusations , military and political threats and acts of violence both inside and outside the conflict zone . `` It has to consider , too , the impact of a great power 's coercive politics and diplomacy against a small and insubordinate neighbor , together with the small neighbour 's penchant for overplaying its hand and acting in the heat of the moment without careful consideration of the final outcome , not to mention its fear that it might permanently lose important parts of its territory through creeping annexation , '' the report said . The fact-finding mission was established in December by the EU to investigate the conflict . It was headed by Heidi Tagliavini , a former United Nations special representative for Georgia . The EU said in a statement it welcomed the report and hopes its findings can contribute to future international efforts at `` preventive diplomacy . '' | Report : A total of about 850 people were killed on all sides in five-day conflict . About 100,000 civilians fled their homes , about 35,000 unable to return . Report : `` No way to assign overall responsibility for the conflict to one side alone '' Russia and Georgia each blamed the other for starting the conflict . | [[1323, 1363], [1366, 1411], [678, 763], [1708, 1774]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's bad enough to be sick and miserable . But adding insult to injury for many a patient is having to hack through a veritable jungle of often-confusing paperwork to make health insurance claims . Dr. Val Jones is part of a practice in Virginia that has lowered its fees and quit taking insurance . Consumers ' frustrations with health insurance paperwork are well-known . But it 's also a frustrating tangle for doctors and their staffs . AC360 ° correspondent Tom Foreman has a report about one innovative practice that has decided to take on the insurance paperwork monster -- by completely avoiding it . Dr. Val Jones joined a small practice , DocTalker Family Medicine in Vienna , Virginia , where the doctors do not even take insurance . They charge a simple , relatively low fee for each service . That 's it . The doctors at DocTalker grew tired of seeing patients struggle with baffling insurance paperwork while both their health and wealth were on the line . `` They do n't know why they 're getting these questions asked , '' Jones said . `` They do n't know what the forms mean . And ... their compensation is dependent on it . '' This innovation has been good news for Carol `` Yogi '' Yogan of McClain , Virginia . She said she broke her wrist ice skating , and her insurance company initially told her that her injury would not be covered . After persistent effort , she eventually convinced them otherwise . The company paid . But Yogan is certain without her dogged efforts , her claim would have been forever lost in the `` paperwork jungle '' of the insurance trade . Watch Yogan 's struggle with bureaucratic red tape '' Yogi Yogan has pretty much lost all faith in insurance companies . She has enough insurance to cover a catastrophic illness , but for routine care , she 's now going to that nearby fee-for-service medical office where Jones works . `` It 's seamless , '' Yogan said . She knows precisely what she is getting and what it costs . Jones does not believe the insurance industry set out to cultivate the paperwork jungle . She thinks it just grew over time . But now that it is there , she suspects they are making so much money off of it , that there is no real incentive to clear it up . Former insurance industry executive Wendell Potter agrees . He said one way insurers make money is by allowing confusion to reign . `` And people often just give up , '' Potter said , `` and do n't pursue payment when a claim has been denied or been paid inappropriately or not adequately . And the same is true with doctors and hospitals . '' He believes billions of dollars are at stake . The insurance industry , while acknowledging the existence of the paperwork jungle , denies it is a trap for extra profits . Robert Zirkilbach is with a national trade association for insurers called America 's Health Insurance Plans . `` The health insurance industry is one of the most regulated industries in America , and particularly at the state level there are all kinds of requirements of information that needs to be provided to patients in paper and through the mail , '' Zirkilbach said . But he adds , insurers are just as worried as customers about the confusion that causes . `` We agree that reform is needed . In fact , that 's why we 've been working very hard to develop reforms to make the system more efficient , '' Zirkilbach said . AC360 ° correspondent Tom Foreman contributed to this report . | Practice in Virginia has lowered and simplified its fees and quit taking insurance . Patient frustrated with insurance paperwork thrilled with new method : `` It 's seamless '' Ex-insurance industry executive says confusion , paperwork help generate profit . Industry spokesman counters that they 're trying to make system more efficient . | [[254, 265], [271, 291], [218, 231], [296, 319], [765, 825], [2248, 2307], [2308, 2379], [2316, 2379], [3287, 3369], [3275, 3293], [3317, 3369]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Food and Drug Administration approved a second vaccine intended to protect against cervical cancer . GlaxoSmithKline has manufactured a vaccine for the prevention of cervical cancer . Cervarix , manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline , was approved Friday for prevention of cervical cancer and pre-cancerous lesions caused by human papillomavirus -LRB- HPV -RRB- types 16 and 18 . The vaccine is approved for use in girls and women ages 10 to 25 years and is to be administered in three doses . After the initial shot , the second and third doses are to be given within six months . `` The licensure of Cervarix adds another option in the prevention of cervical cancer , '' said Dr. Karen Midthun , acting director of the FDA 's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research . `` It has the potential to save lives from cervical cancer as well as reduce the need for biopsies and invasive procedures associated with the necessary follow-up from abnormal Pap tests . '' According to GlaxoSmithKline , the vaccine is 70 percent effective against pre-cancerous lesions , regardless of HPV type . `` The vaccine contains two HPV types -LRB- 16 & 18 -RRB- responsible for the majority of cervical cancers in North America , '' said Sarah Alspach , a GlaxoSmithKline spokeswoman . `` But approximately 25 percent of cervical cancers are caused by other cancer-causing HPV types . Cervarix has been shown to reduce the incidence of pre-cancers resulting from cancer-causing virus types beyond 16 and 18 . '' The vaccine will be available this year , according to GSK , which did not divulge the price . Cervarix will be competing with Merck & Company 's Gardasil , the first cervical cancer vaccine , which won FDA approval in June 2006 . Gardasil , for girls and women ages 9 to 26 , prevents against cervical , vulvar and vaginal cancers and protects against HPV types 11 , 16 and 18 . Gardasil 's approval has been broadened by the FDA to include an indication for boys and young men ages 9 through 26 for prevention of genital warts caused by HPV types 6 and 11 . `` This vaccine is the first preventive therapy against genital warts in boys and men ages 9 through 26 , and , as a result , fewer men will need to undergo treatment for genital warts . '' Midthun said . According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention , HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the nation . More than 40 types of HPV can infect genital areas , according to the disease agency . But because many of them are not visible to the naked eye , most people who become infected do n't know it . | FDA approves GlaxoSmithKline 's HPV vaccine . Cervarix is designed to help prevent cervical cancer . Drug will compete with another HPV vaccine Merck & Company 's Gardasil . Cervarix will be available later this year , according to GlaxoSmithKline . | [[1622, 1681], [995, 1023], [1527, 1566]] |
MEDELLIN , Colombia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- This city 's drug underworld is littered with `` poseurs '' -- lowlife triggermen pretending they 're the real hard cases . Samir Romero , wanted by police for two murders , was killed in August . He was shot 13 times . But a longstanding and trusted source , with intimate knowledge of Medellin 's violent subculture , assured me the two men I was about to meet were the real deal . My destination : a single-story home in the city 's notorious `` Commune 13 '' district where I had set up a meeting with two hit men , who have for years hired their lethal services out to the cocaine cartels . Inside the house , a man called `` Red '' sat on a couch toying a fully loaded 9mm Ruger pistol . `` This will stop somebody nicely , '' he said , as I glanced at it . His face and arms were covered in burn marks . He said it was a testament of the day a barrel of acid spilled onto him as he was working in a clandestine cocaine processing lab in northern Colombia . Red explained that after the accident , the lab foreman tossed him out , half-dead , into a jungle clearing . What little strength he had left , he said he used to bat away vultures . And , against the odds , he made his way to safety and slowly recovered . When Red left the clinic months later , he said he went straight back to the drug lab and gunned down the foreman and three of his henchmen . That was n't his first killing though , he told me . When he was just 11 years old , Red recounted , he took a razor to the throat of a neighborhood drug pusher who had been molesting his little sister . The other man , `` C '' , sat quietly as I listened to Red . Like Red , my source told me , `` C '' was also the so-called `` chief '' of a number of neighborhoods -- running local drug-peddling operations , extortion rackets and organizing hits for a big cartel boss he simply referred to as `` El Cucho , '' or `` The Old Man . '' It was a hot morning and he was shirtless . His chest was branded with a tattoo of the Virgin Maria Auxilatrix , known in Colombia as the `` Virgin of the Assassins . '' Hitmen , or `` sicarios '' as they call them here , revere her and pray to her for protection against arrest or death and for help to carry out their killings . Watch as Medellin law enforcement moves from killing to killing '' During our time with the hit men they offered a fascinating insight into their violent world -- from how much they get paid to what their mothers think of their lifestyle : . Penhaul : Why are Medellin 's drug bosses and the street gangs in a war right now ? `` RED '' : `` These problems come about because they 're looking for a good man to run things . We have to find him and , in order to find him , what 's happening right now has to run its course . '' `` C '' : `` Medellin has exploded right now because different groups want to control it and earn money and gain territory . The authorities locked up , extradited , or cut cooperation deals with the big guys , the ones who controlled all this . Those were the ones people respected . Now there 's no respect and anybody who has a bunch of money is grabbing a few kids from a poor neighborhood and putting them to work . '' Penhaul : What are the cartel bosses paying for a contract killing now ? `` C '' : `` If you 're talking about a contract hit then right now you can get four or five million pesos -LRB- between US$ 2,000 and $ 2,500 -RRB- to kill some idiot slimeball . Then of course there are bigger hits where you can earn 15 -LRB- million -RRB- or 20 million -LRB- between $ 7,500 and $ 10,000 -RRB- . Some of those hits pay pretty well . There 's a lot of people around here with a lot of money and they 're using it for bad things . Sometimes even the politicians will pay for a hit to get somebody out of their way . '' Penhaul : Why did you get into this lifestyle ? `` Red '' : `` People need to eat and there 's a lot of hunger . We do n't just want the crumbs . That 's the big problem . There 's a lot of idle hands around here and many people think they have a chance if they have a gun in their hand . '' `` C '' : `` I grew up in a slum and every time I stepped outside the door there were guys from the local gang smoking -LRB- marijuana -RRB- joints . They had guns , the best motorbikes and money so I started running errands for them . '' Penhaul : Did n't you have any big dreams when you were kids ? `` Red '' : `` I always said when I grow up I would build a house for my old lady with a cement roof and plaster and paint on the walls . I dreamed I 'd be able to give her money to go to the supermarket every week . '' `` C '' : `` I dreamed of being a professional soccer player . I was pretty good . But I never got the chance . '' Penhaul : Do you think you 've made your mothers proud by killing people ? `` Red '' : `` I once gave my mum a wad of cash after I did a job . She took the wad and slapped me in the face and told me not to bring that cursed money into the house . She begged me to get out of that life . She was afraid they would kill me . '' `` C '' : `` My mum knows nothing about this . I guess she imagines because she tells me to take care otherwise I 'll wind up dead . But she does n't know for sure . '' Penhaul : What did your first contract hit feel like ? `` Red '' : `` You kill the first one and you panic for a few days . You 're nervous . But then you kill the second one and that 's a kind of a medicine . It takes the pain away that you were feeling after the first killing . '' `` C '' : `` The first time is really f *** ed up . I nearly went mad . You see a cop and think he 's going to arrest you . I was 16 or 17 . That was my first time . I hardly even wanted to eat . But then you carry on and kill this one and that one . You earn money . After I killed somebody the first time I bought my first decent pair of sneakers . `` It 's not so tough now . Sometimes you kill somebody and you know they were going to kill you . It 's not a question of conscience . It 's a question of kill or be killed . '' Penhaul : Do n't you feel any remorse ? `` C '' : You know you messed up when you go to the wake and see people crying and you know it 's your fault . But I do n't back down from a killing because I know if somebody comes after me they wo n't back down . '' `` Red '' : `` I 've got feelings and sometimes you sit down and think what a shame . But the person who 's trying to shoot you is n't going to think the same . You 're not killing somebody for the fun of it . If you do n't mark your territory then you 're a nobody . '' Penhaul : So , apart from the money , why do you do it ? `` C '' : `` To gain respect round here you have to be a mother f *** er . You 've got to be a bastard so people respect you . If you 're quiet and respectful everybody takes advantage . But if they know you 're a mother f *** er who 'll bust their ass at the first sign of trouble then they respect you and your family . '' Penhaul : Are you killing innocent people ? `` C '' : `` I never kill somebody who does n't deserve it . Sometimes I 'll hunt down a `` patient '' for a week just so that I do n't make any mistakes . You ca n't go and kill somebody just because you want to . You have to ask for permission from the big guys who control us . You explain to the `` old man '' and he gives the final word . '' Penhaul : Are you ever on the receiving end of bullets ? `` Red '' : `` They once shot me four times at point blank range . I heard them laughing as they walked away and one came back and kicked me in the head for good measure . When I got better he was the first one I killed . I 've been shot 17 times . Well let 's call it 19 if you count the ones that just graze you . They say some bodies have divine protection . Let 's hope mine is one of them . '' Penhaul : Why do n't normal citizens just turn you in ? Because they 're afraid ? `` C '' : `` The community collaborates with us . We give them food parcels and we throw parties for them and give toys to the kids . We do n't mistreat everybody , just the ones who deserve it . We do n't kill innocent people . '' Penhaul : Do you want to get out of this life ? `` C '' : `` I know you should pay what you owe . But I do n't want to pay for all those deaths . I 'll be absolutely f *** ed if I have to pay . I want to get out of this but I want a clean slate . If I pay my debt to the law then that means jail and if I pay on the street then that means death . I do n't want to go to jail or to die . '' Penhaul : Do you see any quick end to the current cartel violence in Medellin ? `` C '' : `` We 've survived one war , then another and now this one . I ca n't see it all ending . I do n't think that will happen . If you kill two or three people there 's four or five more behind him who want to kill you . '' | Colombian hitmen talk about their careers to CNN . One says a kill costs between $ 2,000 and $ 10,000 . Second hitman : After the first kill you panic , the second is a medicine . They live in Medellin , the Colombian city in the middle of a drug war . | [[5324, 5379], [5402, 5465]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For almost a century , the old dog has traversed landscapes across the United States , with weary , budget-conscious travelers peeking out of its windows . Greyhound bus services will run from London to cities such as Portsmouth and Southampton . Now , the iconic Greyhound is taking to the road in Britain . The company will run hourly bus services from London to select cities , starting Monday . In contrast to its U.S. services , however , the buses are glitzier and more luxurious . `` The UK service will have wireless Internet , spacious leather seats , more leg room and free newspapers , '' said Alex Warner , managing director of Greyhound UK . `` Obviously , we wanted our services to reflect the nature of UK passengers . '' For inaugural Greyhound service in Britain , the company aimed to start with the best the United States has to offer , Warner added . In North America , the same services are available from New York and Washington to select cities such as Boston and Toronto , Canada . `` There are plans to expand that . Americans should watch closely . We will introduce more of these services based on how well they are received in the UK , '' Warner said . Despite the added benefits , fares will still target the budget-conscious traveler in Britain , according to Warner . The service starts with a few cities -- from London to Portsmouth and Southampton , he said . The approximately 120-kilometer -LRB- 80-mile -RRB- trip will cost # 1 -LRB- $ 1.60 -RRB- if a ticket is bought in advance , Warner said . Prices will go up to # 4 or # 5 , depending on time of purchase . `` We are planning to keep the prices within that range , '' Warner said . Greyhound Lines is owned by British transport company FirstGroup , which bought it from its U.S. parent in 2007 . It was founded in 1914 , and has services in Mexico and Canada , according to its Web site . In a nod to its cameos in American movies and songs , such as the 1969 film `` Midnight Cowboy '' and Simon and Garfunkel 's 1972 hit `` America , '' Greyhound plans to keep at least one tie to its U.S. origins . Buses in Britain will be named after classic American songs . The names include `` Sweet Caroline '' and `` Good Golly Miss Molly , '' Warner said . CNN 's Faith Karimi contributed to this report . | Greyhound Lines to run services from London to Portsmouth and Southampton . Buses are glitzier and more luxurious than U.S. services . Greyhound Lines is owned by British transport company FirstGroup . | [[192, 282], [480, 523], [1709, 1773], [1737, 1773], [1782, 1822]] |
CHICAGO , Illinois -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The funeral of a Chicago teenager whose beating death was caught on video was attended Saturday by scores of family members , officials and community leaders , including the Rev. Jesse Jackson . A funeral for Derrion Albert , a teen who was fatally beaten last month , was held Saturday on Chicago 's South Side . Authorities say Derrion Albert , a 16-year-old honors student , was an innocent bystander who ended up in the middle of a September 24 street fight between two factions of students from Christian Fenger Academy High School . `` The killings keep coming -- one need not to be guilty to be killed in this war zone , '' Jackson told reporters before the service Saturday at the Greater Mount Hebron Baptist Church in South Side Chicago . `` We must declare a state of emergency . We have an obligation to prepare for our children safe passage . '' Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis was among the Chicago officials who filed into the church as the the victim 's mother , An-Janette Albert , wept in the arms of loved ones . Watch friends , dignitaries attend funeral '' `` I ca n't believe I 'm here and he 's not with me , '' An-Janette Albert told CNN in an interview earlier in the week . `` I ca n't talk to him . '' Four suspects have been charged with first-degree murder in Derrion Albert 's killing , and police say they are looking for three more people in connection with the beating . Video footage of the incident shows Albert being hit by a person wielding a railroad tie . President Obama , a longtime Chicago resident , is sending Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Attorney General Eric Holder next week to talk with officials from the school , the students and the community about school violence , the White House said . Albert 's sister , 11-year-old Rhaea , told CNN on Thursday that she looked up to her big brother , and now wants to be an even better student in his honor . But his death haunts her . `` I 'm kind of nervous to go outside these days because of what happens to kids now , '' she said . `` Kids around my age ... they could still get hurt , no matter what . '' Watch slain teen 's mother talk about her feelings '' When school let out at 2:50 p.m. on September 24 , Albert was nearly six blocks away -- on his way to a bus stop -- when two groups of students converged on the street , said Tandra Simonton , spokeswoman for the Cook County prosecutor . The factions -- one that lived near the Altgeld Gardens housing development and one in an area known as `` The Ville '' -- began fighting after an earlier shooting that police called gang-related . According to Simonton , Albert was approached by two members of `` The Ville '' faction and struck in the head with a long wooden railroad tie , then punched in the face . After being knocked unconscious for a brief period , Albert regained consciousness and tried to move from the fight , but was then attacked by a second group of five members from the opposing faction , Simonton said . Albert was taken to Roseland Community Hospital and then to Advocate Christ Hospital and Medical Center , where he was pronounced dead . | Rev. Jesse Jackson : `` Killings keep coming ... we must declare a state of emergency '' Albert 's mother , earlier in week : `` I ca n't believe ... he 's not with me '' Derrion Albert , 16 , was beaten to death September 24 ; beating was recorded . Police still seeking other suspects related to Albert 's death . | [[580, 604], [787, 828], [1127, 1175], [2154, 2204], [53, 71], [78, 111], [264, 270], [287, 304]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For nearly 20 years Jennifer Schuett has held onto every memory of the night she was abducted from her bedroom , raped and left for dead . Jennifer Schuett remembers small details of the night she was abducted , raped and her throat slashed at age 8 . It was August 10 , 1990 . Schuett was 8 years old and lived alone with her mother in the first floor of an apartment complex in Dickinson , Texas . The bedroom windows faced the parking lot . Investigators were never able to identify a suspect , but new DNA testing may change that . CNN normally does not identify victims of sexual assaults . But Schuett wants to go public with her story -- and her name -- to increase the chances of finding and prosecuting her attacker . `` It 's not about me anymore , '' she explained . `` It 's about all the little girls that go to sleep at night . I know there are so many girls out there who have been raped and hurt . You have to fight back . '' For that , Schuett , 27 , is relying on her voice , her memory and advances in DNA testing . `` I remember everything ; I 've always wanted to remember everything , so I can find the person that did this , '' Schuett told CNN during a phone interview . `` If I had blocked this out of my memory , the investigation would n't have come this far . I 'm a fighter . '' Schuett says she was alone in her bed when a man came creeping in through the window . She remembers waking up in a stranger 's arms as he carried her across a dark parking lot . `` When I opened my eyes , his face was the first thing I saw and he covered my face and mouth , '' she said . `` He ran with me to his car . He told me he was an undercover cop and that he knew my family . He seemed calm -- not nervous , not aggressive . '' After they left the parking lot , he drove her through the streets of Dickinson , Texas , pulling into a mechanic shop next to her elementary school . `` Watch the moon . The moon will change colors and that is when your mom will come to get you , '' she recalled him saying . `` Oh , it looks like she is not coming . '' Schuett said he drove her to an overgrown field next to the school and raped her . `` He had a knife to my throat and touched my face and offered me Reese 's pieces , '' she said . `` I was scared but I knew I could n't be fast enough to get away . Cars would drive by but I could n't get away to get help . '' She believes she passed out . `` I woke up to him dragging me by my ankles , '' she said . `` I felt thorns ripping the skin off my back . I would see him turn to look at me and I would play dead . '' She passed out again , and awoke at daybreak . `` I remember feeling dew around me and I could n't figure out why when I screamed I could n't hear myself , '' said Schuett . She lay naked on top of an ant hill with her throat slashed from ear to ear , and her voice box torn . Much later , she said , `` I heard children playing hide and seek . That is when one of the kids tripped over my foot , '' said Schuett . She was found at 6 p.m. on a hot August day . She had been lying in the field for nearly 12 hours . She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition . `` Three days after the attack , I started giving a description . The doctors told me I would never be able to talk again , but I proved them all wrong , '' said Schuett . She believes she got her voice back so she could tell her story . `` I never wanted to play the victim role . I wanted to be a strong survivor , '' she said . But the attack left its mark . `` For the first two years , I had nightmares and was scared , '' she said . `` But I never wanted sympathy . ... If I had given up , he would have won , and I wanted to show him : ` You did n't win . ' '' Shuettt said she is now `` on a manhunt . '' Houston FBI Special Agent Richard Rennison is one of the lead investigators in the case , along with Dickinson police Detective Tim Cromie . Both men were discussing the case , when Rennison received a memo from the FBI 's Child Abduction Rapid Deployment -LRB- CARD -RRB- Team , saying they were looking for cold child abduction cases that could be retested for DNA evidence . The Schuett case was one of the cases selected . Rennison , who has 10 years of experience in child abduction cases , said he has never seen a case like Schuett 's . `` This is the only one that I can think of that the victim has suffered some traumatic injuries and survived , '' he said , `` The main reason the CARD team picked this case was because she was alive . In cases of child abduction it is rare that the child is recovered alive . Frequently you recover a body and most times you never find them . '' Schuett is a living witness who can help put the pieces together . The investigators found evidence collected 19 years ago , which can be retested . It includes the underwear and pajamas Schuett was wearing , as well as a man 's underwear and T-shirt , which were found in the field where Schuett was left for dead . The clothes were tested in 1990 , but the sample was n't large enough for conclusive results . But now , modern techniques allow DNA to be isolated from a single human cell . Once they get back the DNA results -- `` any time now , '' Schuett said -- they will run them through the FBI 's criminal database and see if they get a match . The FBI has also offered a $ 10,000 reward for information that could lead to a break in the case . And last weekend Schuett appeared in `` America 's Most Wanted , '' which resulted in several leads from viewers who called in with information . `` Someone might remember something about that night , '' Schuett said . `` Dickinson is a really small community . Everybody knows everybody . I know someone in town knows something . '' | Jennifer Schuett was grabbed from her bedroom and attacked at age 8 . She was raped , her throat was slashed and she was left for dead . She is publicly talking about the attack in an attempt to catch the man . The FBI is investigating and advanced DNA tests are due back any day . | [[86, 129], [241, 270], [297, 320], [0, 15], [96, 99], [142, 157], [241, 270], [2814, 2848], [1126, 1164]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama will meet with top congressional leaders from both parties Tuesday to discuss a war in Afghanistan that now appears to be at a potential tipping point . The meeting on the war comes as the Obama administration conducts a review of its Afghan strategy . Obama will be joined by , among others , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , House Minority Leader John Boehner , Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and the heads of the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees in the House and Senate , two Democratic officials said . The meeting comes amid the Obama administration 's comprehensive review of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan . 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 . `` There 's no doubt that , particularly on funding , it 's not going to happen until Congress signs off , '' White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday . `` They 're an important part of this , and the president wants to hear from them . '' In March , Obama announced a plan to send more than 20,000 additional troops to the country to provide security for a national election . That move followed what Obama and others called years of inadequate resources in Afghanistan because of the Bush administration 's focus on Iraq . The Obama strategy was based on a counterinsurgency mission intended to defeat terrorists based in Afghanistan while winning local support and helping with development . Gen. Stanley 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 , he says he needs additional forces to carry out the counterinsurgency strategy successfully . Otherwise , McChrystal reportedly warns , the mission could fail , bringing a return of power to the Taliban . `` We need to reverse the current trends , and time does matter , '' McChrystal said last week in a speech in London , England . `` Waiting does not prolong a favorable outcome . This effort will not remain winnable indefinitely . '' U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates , however , appeared to push back Monday against those who are loudly urging a rapid troop increase . It 's `` important that we get it right , '' he told a U.S. Army audience . Gates said that it 's also `` important that all of us ... provide the best advice to the president candidly but privately . '' Gen. George Casey , chief of staff of the Army , echoed Gates ' view , telling reporters that he would be sharing his views `` in private '' and that they 'd be `` the second to know . '' Obama has yet to respond to McChrystal 's report , prompting opponents to accuse him of indecisiveness and playing politics that puts U.S. soldiers on the ground at risk . Watch more on the debate over the best way forward '' National Security Adviser James Jones Jr. on Sunday cited three developments since March that have led the White House to reconsider its overall Afghanistan strategy : . • Questions about the legitimacy of Afghan President Hamid Karzai 's election victory . • McChrystal 's conclusion that the Taliban is stronger than previously thought . • Neighboring Pakistan 's improved efforts to change the overall dynamic of the border region . `` The key in Afghanistan is to have a triad of things happen simultaneously , '' Jones said on CNN 's `` State of the Union , '' listing improved security , economic development and `` good governance and the rule of law . '' Jones said Karzai 's government `` is going to have to pitch in and do much better '' than it has to improve the governance situation after the elections , widely considered as tainted by vote fraud in some areas . Some in Obama 's inner circle , including Vice President Joe Biden , are advocating a counterterrorism approach that focuses on combating al Qaeda through the use of unmanned drones and special forces without involving additional troops . Others , especially McChrystal , are strongly advocating the broader counterinsurgency approach , which requires a much larger U.S. military footprint in the country . See who has Obama 's ear on Afghanistan '' Sen. John McCain of Arizona and other Senate Republicans -- as well as other advocates of an increase in troop levels -- are pushing for McChrystal to testify before Congress about his assessment . Senate Armed Service Committee Chairman Carl Levin , D-Michigan , rejected their request nearly two weeks ago , calling it `` premature . '' Eight American troops and two Afghan security force members were killed Saturday when militants opened fire on an outpost with rockets , mortars and heavy-caliber machine guns , according to an initial U.S. military report on the battle . The bodies of four of those U.S. soldiers -- Army Sgt. Joshua Kirk , of South Portland , Maine ; Specialists Michael Scusa of Villas , New Jersey , and Christopher Griffin , of Kincheloe , Michigan ; and Pfc. Kevin Thomson , of Reno , Nevada -- are scheduled to be brought back to the United States on Tuesday , the Pentagon said . It was the largest number of Americans killed by hostile action in a single day in Afghanistan since July 2008 , according to CNN records . CNN 's Ed Henry and Laurie Ure contributed to this report . | Heads of Armed Services and Foreign Relations panels in Congress will attend . Meeting comes amid comprehensive review of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan . U.S. commander reportedly has warned the mission could fail without more troops . Some advisers advocate counterterrorism approach without adding troops . | [[30, 144], [199, 298], [231, 298], [608, 713], [3011, 3099], [4021, 4050], [3812, 3878], [3881, 4012]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Bea Arthur , the actress best known for her roles as television 's `` Maude '' and the sardonic Dorothy on `` The Golden Girls , '' has died of cancer , a family spokesman said Saturday . Bea Arthur , right , with `` Golden Girls '' co-star Rue McClanahan in June 2008 . She was 86 . Spokesman Dan Watt said that Arthur died Saturday morning at her home in Los Angeles , her family by her side . She is survived by her sons Matthew and Daniel and grandchildren Kyra and Violet , he said . No funeral services are currently planned , Watt said , adding that the family asked that donations be made to either the Art Attack Foundation or PETA in lieu of flowers . Arthur 's opinionated Maude first appeared on Norman Lear 's `` All in the Family '' as Edith Bunker 's cousin , and was so popular that Lear created a spin-off series . In the '70s , `` Maude '' was ahead of the social curve , tackling hot topics not usually mentioned on situation comedies -- pornography , race relations and , in an episode titled `` Maude 's Dilemma , '' abortion . That episode spawned demonstrations and generated hate mail for Arthur -- when Maude and husband Walter -LRB- Bill Macy -RRB- decided on that episode they were too old to raise a child . But many saw Maude as an enduring icon for women 's liberation -- a big deal for the shy , Jewish girl born Bernice Frankel in New York City . During the Depression , Arthur 's family left the Big Apple and opened a clothing store in Cambridge , Maryland . By the time she was 12 , Arthur was nearly 5 feet , 10 inches tall , and self-conscious about her height . But she masked her insecurity with comedy and eventually returned to New York to study acting . Along the way , she had a short-lived marriage she never spoke about , but she kept the last name -- Arthur . The young Bea Arthur earned a living singing and doing stage work on Broadway and off-Broadway . Critics delighted in her haughty , serpent-tongued deliveries . Her first television appearance came in 1951 in a long-forgotten series called `` Once Upon a Tune , '' but she quickly made a name for herself with appearances on `` Studio One , '' `` Kraft Television Theatre '' and `` The Sid Caesar Show . '' Arthur drew attention in `` Threepenny Opera '' on Broadway with Lotte Lenya , but she really turned heads in 1964 originating the role of Yente the Matchmaker in `` Fiddler on the Roof . '' In 1966 , Arthur won a Tony Award for the caustic Vera Charles in the play `` Mame , '' playing opposite Angela Lansbury in the title role . Eight years later , she reprised the role in the film version opposite Lucille Ball , but by then she was already well-established as Maude . Arthur left `` Maude '' in 1978 , making television and some film appearances afterward . She starred in a short-lived series , `` Amanda 's , '' in 1983 and then joined the cast of `` The Golden Girls '' in 1985 with Betty White , Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty . Her role as Dorothy Zbornak gave Arthur her other major television success as one of four older women living together in Florida . -LRB- Getty played Arthur 's mother -RRB- . The role earned Arthur a second Emmy -- the first was for `` Maude . '' Arthur left the show after Dorothy remarried at the end of the 1991-92 season . White , McClanahan and Getty continued for another season on the show , renamed `` The Golden Palace , '' but the show lasted only one season without Arthur . Arthur entered semi-retirement after the show ended in 1992 , returning to television in sporadic guest appearances and appearing at several celebrity roasts . In the early part of this decade , Arthur appeared in several one-woman shows . Her last stage appearance was in 2006 . Her last television appearance was on `` The View '' in 2007 . | Actress Bea Arthur dies of cancer at age 86 , spokesman says . `` Maude , '' `` Golden Girls '' star was at home with family in Los Angeles . Arthur is survived by two sons and grandchildren . | [[146, 169], [172, 206], [290, 302], [303, 414], [415, 495]] |
NEW HAVEN , Connecticut -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Yale University lab technician was arrested Thursday and charged with murder in the slaying of a graduate student whose body was found in the basement wall of an off-campus medical research building , police said . Raymond Clark , 24 , was arrested and charged with murder , police said . His bond was set at $ 3 million . Raymond Clark was apprehended about 8:10 a.m. ET at a Super 8 motel in Cromwell , Connecticut , where he had spent the night after being released Wednesday following his submission to DNA testing . Bond for Clark has been set at $ 3 million , New Haven Police Chief James Lewis said . Hours after his arrest , Clark appeared in court and did not enter a plea . Standing with chains on his ankles and his palms on a table , he looked only at the judge and spoke only to acknowledge that his rights were read to him . A court date of October 6 was set . Lewis described the killing as an instance of `` workplace violence '' but did not elaborate . Watch chief , acquaintances talk about Clark '' Annie Le 's body was found in the basement wall of an off-campus medical research building Sunday . She had been strangled . Le , 24 , a pharmacology student , was last seen alive September 8 , the day she appeared in a surveillance video entering a four-story lab at 10 Amistad St. , about 10 blocks from the main campus . Her body was found on what was to have been her wedding day . Lewis said the arrest `` went smoothly . '' Watch the police chief announce the arrest '' He could not release details about the charges or whether DNA results led police to arrest Clark , who initially was described as a person of interest in the case . `` This arrest warrant has been sealed , so no further information can be released in order to comply with this court order , '' Lewis said . Clark could have been arrested Wednesday if he had declined to provide DNA samples and allow police to search his home , but he was released after complying , New Haven city spokeswoman Jessica Mayorga said . Police had been monitoring the motel where Clark was staying . When asked about the arrest , Clark 's attorney David Dworski referred CNN to the statement he released earlier : `` We are committed to proceeding appropriately with the authorities with whom we are in regular contact . '' Two other search warrants also were executed Wednesday -- one on property belonging to Clark that was not named in the first warrant and a second for Clark 's vehicle , which was being processed Wednesday evening , Lewis said earlier . He said Clark is a technician who does `` custodial-type '' work at the building . Clark answered police questions for a while but later retained an attorney and stopped , Lewis said . Yale President Richard Levin said while the school 's administration is `` relieved '' by the news of Clark 's arrest , `` we must resist the temptation to rush to judgment . '' Clark , a lab technician at Yale since December 2004 , had nothing in his employment history that `` gave an indication that his involvement in such a crime might be possible , '' Levin said in a statement Thursday . Lewis said Clark and Le worked in the same building and passed in the hallway , but he refused to comment further on whether they knew each other . Investigators have collected about 250 pieces of evidence , Lewis said . Watch police discuss the investigation '' Lewis earlier said police had reviewed about 700 hours of video and interviewed more than 150 people , some more than once . Watch a timeline leading up to Le 's death '' Authorities have not released information on what DNA evidence may have been found , although investigators said earlier that bloody clothing was found hidden above tiles in a drop ceiling in another part of the building . Police have not described the clothes that were found , nor said to whom they might have belonged . Teams of investigators at a Connecticut State Police lab worked through the weekend processing and examining the bloodstained garments . But Thomas Kaplan , editor in chief of the Yale Daily News , said a Yale police official told the college paper that the clothes were not what Le was wearing when she entered the building . Lewis said Wednesday that processing of the building was nearing completion and police would probably clear it Thursday morning . Watch a report on the police saying the killing was no random act '' Le was to have been married Sunday on New York 's Long Island to Jonathan Widawsky , a Columbia University graduate student . Le was from Placerville , California , and seemed to have been aware of the risks of crime in a university town . In February , she compared crime and safety at Yale with other Ivy League schools for a piece for B magazine , published by the medical school . Among the tips she offered : Keep a minimum amount on your person . When she walked over to the research building last week , she left her purse , credit cards and cell phone in her office . CNN 's Tom Foreman , Mary Snow and Shirley Zilberstein contributed to this report . | NEW : Suspect appears in court , does n't enter plea ; October 6 court date set . Bond for Raymond Clark set at $ 3 million , police say . Police chief describes crime as a case of workplace violence . Le 's body was found on what would have been her wedding day . | [[653, 675], [678, 701], [653, 675], [678, 683], [706, 728], [884, 919], [334, 367], [566, 608], [920, 990], [1387, 1448], [1387, 1395], [1414, 1448]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mourners gathered Saturday in a California church to remember slain Yale graduate student Annie Le , 24 , whose body was found on the day she was to be married . Yale student Annie Le 's family said in a statement that `` her laughter was infectious . '' `` You were born in my loving embrace , '' said Le 's mother , Vivian Van Le , reading a poem she 'd written in Vietnamese to those gathered for the funeral at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in El Dorado Hills , California . Chris Le -- her son and Annie Le 's brother -- provided a translation . `` The most wonderful gift that God had sent to me . ... You left life at too young an age , at the beginning of many great things . All the dreams and hopes of your future gone with you to your resting place , '' Vivian Van Le said , according to her son . Le , a pharmacology graduate student , was last seen alive on September 8 , the day she appeared in a surveillance video as she entered the four-story lab at 10 Amistad St. , about 10 blocks from Yale University 's campus . Her body was found inside the basement wall of the building on September 12 , the day she was to be married . Authorities have charged Yale lab technician Raymond Clark , 24 , with Le 's murder . Bond has been set at $ 3 million , according to police . See timeline of case '' Vivian Van Le addressed her daughter 's fiance , Jonathan Widawsky , on Saturday at the funeral , saying , `` Even now , Annie is gone . But I still have you and love you very much , like my son , Christopher . '' Widawsky is a graduate student in physics at Columbia University , according to Yale . Watch loved ones say goodbye to Le '' Monsignor James C. Kidder told the mourners that `` the worth of Annie 's life was not its length , it was its intensity of love . '' Yale released a statement Friday , saying that a university memorial service would be held on October 12 . The university is also establishing a scholarship in Le 's memory . It released a statement from her family , saying `` Annie was loved by everyone who knew her and special to all those who came in contact with her . ... Her laughter was infectious and her goodness was ingenuous . ... We will always remember her beautiful smile , her fun-loving spirit , and the joy that she brought to us all . '' | Mourners gather in a California church to remember slain Yale student . Le 's mom : `` You left life at too young an age , at the beginning of many great things '' Authorities have charged Yale lab technician Raymond Clark with Le 's murder . | [[19, 117], [400, 481], [314, 334], [626, 659], [662, 678], [1161, 1224]] |
-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]] |
KUALA LUMPUR , Malaysia -LRB- Reuters -RRB- -- Malaysia defended on Friday its practice of caning criminals after a disturbing video of a prison-yard caning session burst onto the Internet , reigniting criticism from lawyers and human rights advocates . In the video , a naked man is shown strapped to an upright wooden frame , his rear exposed to a uniformed official who lifts a meter-long rattan stick above his head before bringing it down on the prisoner 's buttocks , tearing the flesh with each strike . The video , in which the moaning and shaking prisoner is struck six times , has spread quickly across the Internet , capturing headlines in the Web sites of some European newspapers and forcing the Malaysian government on to the defensive . `` The government at this stage has no plans to abolish the cane as part of punishment , '' Deputy Internal Security Minister Fu Ah Kiow told Reuters by telephone . He said the video was an official recording that had been leaked onto the Internet . The video had been produced for deterrent purposes , with excerpts shown during anti-narcotic education sessions to would-be drug dealers , he added . `` This video was taken officially by us for a demonstration purpose , but it is not supposed to have the victim 's face identified . Somehow somebody must have taped -LRB- copied -RRB- it . '' Malaysia is not alone in caning criminals , which critics say breaches human rights norms , including the U.N. Convention Against Torture . Neighboring Singapore also wields the rattan stick and caused a U.S. outcry 13 years ago when it caned an American teenager , Michael Fay , four times for vandalism . But Malaysia 's Bar Council , which represents about 12,000 lawyers , recently called for a ban on caning , saying the `` cruel '' practice was rising in Malaysia , especially on illegal immigrants after hasty hearings arranged at crammed detention centers . `` They have started imposing the caning sentence in a more rigorous way and it can affect anyone who comes in -LRB- to Malaysia -RRB- without a passport or papers , so it happens to asylum-seekers and refugees , '' said Latheefa Koya , of the council 's Legal Aid Center . The government denied use of the cane was widespread against illegal immigrants and Deputy Internal Security Minister Fu said it was reserved mainly for the traffickers of illegal immigrants in addition to drug-traffickers and violent criminals . Fu said the government also faced calls from victims of crime for the use of the cane to be maintained or even increased for some serious crimes `` in view of the crime rate in Malaysia '' . Crime is seen as a major electoral issue in the run-up to a possible early general election , expected early next year . `` We respect the view of the Bar Council but there are many other views from the people and also from the victims of crimes that there should be an increase -LRB- in caning -RRB- , '' Fu said . E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 Reuters . All rights reserved.This material may not be published , broadcast , rewritten , or redistributed . | Malaysia defends caning of criminals after video hits Internet . Clip shows naked man strapped to wooden frame being punished . Meter-long rattan stick strikes prisoner 's buttocks , tearing the flesh . | [[47, 179], [254, 266], [269, 325], [348, 368], [373, 471], [474, 510]] |
BERLIN , Germany -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A hoax video purporting to show Michael Jackson hopping out of a coroner 's van alive was produced by a German television station as an experiment , the broadcaster told CNN Monday . Michael Jackson was found dead on June 25 . He had been preparing for a comeback . It was made to show how easy it is to spread rumors online , said Heike Schultz , a spokeswoman for RTL , the leading private broadcaster in Germany . `` We sent out a press release before we did the video to alert everyone that it was fake , but once posted it spread really fast , '' she said . More than 880,000 people have clicked on the most popular version of the video on YouTube , posted by a user using the name `` michaeljacksonhoax '' under the title `` Michael Jackson alive ?! Seen coming out of coroner 's van ! '' Nearly 3,600 people have commented on the video . `` All the moves , his posture , the stepping out of the van , looks like MJ . He steps out very cautious , like a moonwalk . Also the slowly walking is just like Michael did , '' one user wrote . `` I really hope he 's still alive ... I could never forgive him for scaring me like that , but I could never hate him ... :-RRB- , '' another said . Watch video of the hoax '' Not everyone was fooled . `` I would forgive Michael for anything because he is so super sexy but seriously guys he has passed , '' one user wrote . `` MJ has passed so leave him alone this movie is fake . R.I.P. Michael I love and miss u. '' A second version of the video , posted and annotated by `` MUZIKfactory2 '' to show inconsistencies , has been seen more than 329,000 times . Both versions were posted on August 25 . RTL produced the video for its daily magazine `` Explosive '' to tell people not to take information at face value , the station 's representative said . `` This was so obviously fake , in the case of Michael Jackson , it just was not possible , '' Schultz said . According to Schultz , some viewers have been happy that the magazine showed them how easy it was to fake information online . Others who were Michael Jackson fans have told RTL that this was the wrong topic to do this kind of experiment on . `` It was not a bad thing , since it was so obviously a fake . But it is now in our poison wardrobe and it wo n't be revived again , '' Schultz said . RTL said it removed the video from the Internet , but it can still be seen on YouTube . News of Jackson 's death on June 25 sparked something of a feeding frenzy on the Web , as many news Web sites struggled to cope with the sheer volume of traffic . With that came rumors that dragged in other celebrities completely unconnected to the `` King of Pop 's '' death . One Wikipedia prankster wrote that Jackson had been `` savagely murdered '' by his brother Tito , who had strangled him `` with a microphone cord . '' Soon rumors spread online that movie star Jeff Goldblum had fallen from the Kauri Cliffs in New Zealand while filming his latest movie . On several search engines , `` Jeff Goldblum '' soon became the only non-Jackson-related term to crop up in the top 10 . The rumors forced Goldblum 's publicist to issue a statement to media outlets , saying : `` Reports that Jeff Goldblum has passed away are completely untrue . He is fine and in Los Angeles . '' At the same time , Harrison Ford was also rumored to have fallen from a yacht off the south of France . CNN 's Per Nyberg in London , England and Frederik Pleitgen in Berlin , Germany , contributed to this report . | Video purportedly showed Michael Jackson hopping out of a coroner 's van . RTL spokesperson : Video made to show how easy it is to spread rumors online . 880,000 people clicked on the most popular version of the video on YouTube . RTL : Video intended to tell people not to take information at face value . | [[36, 121], [792, 825], [302, 360], [302, 304], [314, 381], [1798, 1834], [1968, 2071], [599, 688], [1730, 1795]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For 13-year-old Brandon Marti , the intranasal vaccine felt `` good , '' `` cold '' and `` watery '' at the Children 's Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx , New York , on Tuesday . Brandon Marti , 13 , receives a dose of the intranasal vaccine for the novel H1N1 flu Tuesday . Marti , among the first to get vaccinated against the novel H1N1 influenza virus this week , said he would tell his friends and classmates that `` the swine flu vaccine is good , and protects me from getting the swine flu . '' New York has received a shipment of 68,000 doses of the FluMist variety vaccine . This form was made available before the injectable kind because it was ready first , said Thomas Skinner , spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . As states across the country receive and distribute the vaccine , questions still linger about who should get it and why . Here are some guidelines : . Where is the vaccine ? The campaign to inoculate millions of Americans against H1N1 flu began Monday . Every state is developing a vaccine delivery plan , according to the CDC . How much do you know about H1N1 ? Take our quiz . '' All states in the United States have ordered vaccine , said Dr. Thomas Frieden , director of the CDC , at a briefing Tuesday . Each Friday , the CDC will provide information about how much vaccine is available to states and how much has been ordered . So far , about 2.2 million doses out of the available 2.4 million have been ordered , he said . Learn more from your state . The vaccine is being made available as soon as it comes off the production line , Frieden said . This week the intranasal mist variety , called FluMist , became available , and next week the injectable form will made available , he said . iReport.com : Are you getting the H1N1 vaccine ? Frieden acknowledged that these first few weeks will be `` bumpy '' in terms of distributing the vaccine , and that demand is currently greater than supply . However , he expects that supply will soon outstrip demand . `` It will take some time to get the whole system , from the manufacturer through the distributor to the providers and to people who want to get vaccinated , up and running , '' he said . Who should get it ? The CDC recommends that specific groups of people get vaccinated first , but there are no rankings within the priority groups , Frieden said . The nasal spray version of the vaccine should be used only in people 2 to 49 and who do not have an underlying health problem , Frieden said . The priority groups for it include health care workers , children and people who care for infants , he said . Pregnant women should not have the FluMist version because it contains the live virus . Kathleen Sebelius and CNN 's Dr. Sanjay Gupta discuss H1N1 vaccine '' Ashley Marti , 9 , sister of Brandon , also got her H1N1 vaccination Tuesday . Health care and emergency medical services personnel should be in the priority group because vulnerable patients could potentially contract the flu from them , the CDC said . Already , infections among health care workers have been reported , and the health care system capacity could become significantly lowered if large numbers of these workers are absent , the CDC said . Once the injectable shot becomes available , all priority groups should be vaccinated , the CDC said . These include pregnant women , because they are at higher risk of complications and may be able to provide protection to unvaccinated infants . People from 6 months to 24 years old should also receive the vaccine , and people from 25 to 64 should get it they have a chronic health disorder or a compromised immune system , the CDC said . According to a CNN/Opinion Corp. poll in late August , two-thirds of Americans said they plan to be vaccinated against H1N1 flu . Does anyone have to get it ? There are no formal penalties for those who do not get the vaccine , but people in the military are required to receive it , according to the American Forces Press Service . The state government of New York has said that health care workers must get the vaccine , although no law outlines penalties for noncompliance . Still , some workers fear they 'll lose their jobs if they do n't get vaccinated . How many doses do you need ? For people 10 and older , the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of one dose of the vaccine . For children 9 and younger , two doses may be required , Frieden said . The CDC recommends that three to four weeks pass between the first and second dose . What if the virus mutates ? Nathan Stein , 7 , participated in a clinical trial for the H1N1 vaccine over the summer . The virus has not changed much since the spring , Frieden said . In fact , the part of the virus that determines whether it 's very deadly is different from the part that determines whether the vaccine will fight against it , he said , meaning that vaccination will still most likely offer protection even if the H1N1 flu becomes more deadly . Why should you get it ? Frieden said the flu can range from mild to severe . It can make a person sick for one , two or three days , leading to absence from school or work , and some people may even need hospitalization . `` Tragically , some people may die from it , '' he said . Still , it is not a disease that sends a lot of people to the hospital , he said . The vaccine is also safe , Frieden said . The novel flu vaccine is made in the same production facilities by the same companies with the same methods as the seasonal flu vaccine , and it is the same kind of vaccine that has been given each year , he said . His own children will get it , as will the families of other public health experts , he said . Some people are concerned that it is too late to get vaccinated against the novel virus , but Frieden also dismissed this . `` It 's too soon to say it 's too late because we do n't know what the rest of the season will bring , '' he said . CNN 's Elizabeth Cohen contributed to this report . | CDC : About 2.2 million doses out of the available 2.4 million have been ordered . Intranasal spray version of vaccine should be given to people 2 to 49 . Pregnant women and children younger than 2 should not get the FluMist version . iReport.com : Are you getting the H1N1 vaccine ? | [[1414, 1420], [1423, 1497], [1636, 1640], [1646, 1673], [1676, 1690], [2397, 2473], [2650, 2737], [1778, 1789], [1792, 1826]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kanye West may be able to take time off to think about his life after all now that his concert tour has been canceled . Kanye West has canceled his `` Fame Kills '' tour with Lady Gaga . It was announced two weeks ago . Concert promoter Live Nation said Thursday that West 's concert tour with Lady Gaga , titled `` Fame Kills , '' has been canceled just two weeks after it was announced . The reason for the cancellation was not revealed . West told NBC 's Jay Leno last month , before the tour was officially announced , that he planned `` to take some time off '' in the aftermath of his MTV Awards show embarrassment . The three-month , 34-show tour across the United States and Canada was to start next month . Tickets went on sale last week . Live Nation said people who bought tickets could get refunds at the point of purchase . Tickets purchased online and on the phone will be refunded automatically , the promoter said . West caused a ruckus at the MTV Awards last month when he put down his bottle of cognac , jumped on the MTV Music Video Awards stage and grabbed the microphone from singer Taylor Swift as she was giving an acceptance speech . West , who apologized the next day on `` The Jay Leno Show , '' seemed to blame his erratic behavior on the lack of time he had to grieve his mother 's death two years ago . `` I deal with hurt and , you know , so many , you know , celebrities , they never take the time off , and I 've never taken the time off to really , you know , I just , music after music and tour after tour on tour , '' West told Leno . CNN 's Denise Quan contributed to this report . | Kanye West 's tour with Lady Gaga canceled two weeks after being announced . Three-month , 34-show tour across U.S. and Canada was to start next month . West told Jay Leno he was planning to take time off in wake of MTV embarrassment . Concert promoter Live Nation says refunds will be given . | [[122, 163], [164, 230], [231, 263], [264, 347], [371, 433], [667, 759], [667, 677], [685, 733], [738, 759], [485, 521], [572, 645], [1594, 1613], [793, 880]] |
NEW DELHI , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Angry workers beat to death a human resources vice president after he laid off 42 employees at an auto-parts manufacturing company in southern India , police said Wednesday . Roy George was vice-president for human resources at Pricol , the auto-parts company . Some four to five workers , belonging to a union not recognized by the company , barged into his office and beat him up with iron rods , said N. Kannan , a police superintendent of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu state . George , 47 , died from his head injuries Tuesday , Kannan told CNN . Police have arrested nine people and are expected to round up more . Last year the Indian head of an Italian company died after allegedly being beaten by a mob of sacked employees . More than 60 people were charged with the murder of the chief executive of Graziano Transmissioni near New Delhi . Earlier this month , India 's Jet Airways had to cancel hundreds of flights after pilots struck work over the sacking of two of their colleagues in August . Companies in the South Asian nation , despite its rapid economic growth in recent years , have often been faced with tough labor issues because of archaic laws and company policies on hiring and retrenchment . Business consultants in India blame such labor standoffs on what they call lack of transparency in retrenchment or layoff policies . Hiring and firing conditions are often not explained to workers by their companies , said Rajeev Karwal , founding-director of Milagrow Business and Knowledge Solutions . Issues could spiral out of control if the businesses and bureaucrats are seen in a `` corrupt nexus '' by the employees seeking reprieve from labor authorities , he said . | Roy George was vice-president for human resources at Pricol auto-parts company . Police : Four to five workers barged into his office and beat him with iron rods . Police have arrested nine people and are expected to round up more . | [[212, 298], [37, 103], [299, 324], [380, 402], [299, 324], [407, 415], [419, 433], [299, 324], [436, 450], [652, 764], [662, 699], [711, 764], [583, 615], [583, 589], [620, 651]] |
NASHVILLE , Tennessee -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The accused came from all walks of life : Retirees , dads and twentysomethings . An engineer , a business owner and an auto worker . A man in a wheelchair . Men in need of Spanish or Farsi translators . Brett Beasley , with Nashville 's Health Department , educates men arrested for trying to buy sex about STDs . About 40 men somberly entered a classroom on a recent Saturday morning . About half of them wore shiny wedding bands . All had tried to buy a prostitute 's services and were caught by police . It was their first offense , and a county court referred them to a one-day program called the John School . It 's a program run by volunteers and city officials in conjunction with Magdalene House , a nonprofit that works to get prostitutes off the streets . `` Prostitution does n't discriminate , '' said Kenny Baker , a cognitive behavioral therapist who is the program 's director . `` Most of these men do n't have a prior criminal history , so our goal is to help these folks understand why they put themselves in a bad position , to prevent it from happening again . '' Set in a church in Nashville , Tennessee , the John School is led by former prostitutes , health experts , psychologists and law enforcement officers who talk to -- and at times berate -- the men about the risks of hiring a prostitute . Prostitution is based on the law of supply and demand . The thinking is : Women wo n't stop selling sex until men stop buying . So Nashville and a growing number of cities are shifting their focus from locking up suppliers to educating buyers . Across the country , about 50 communities are using John Schools . Atlanta , Georgia , and Baltimore , Maryland , are among dozens more cities that plan to launch similar programs by the end of the year . See where the John Schools are '' `` It will make them -LSB- offenders -RSB- see that this is not a victimless crime , and they are contributing to the exploitation of women , '' said Stephanie Davis , policy adviser on women 's issues at the mayor 's office in Atlanta . `` It 's hurting them , the man , and it 's hurting their families and its hurting the community . '' No comprehensive effort has been made to track the numbers , but experts estimate 1 million to 2 million prostitutes work in the United States . The FBI 's 2007 Uniform Crime Report lists about 78,000 arrests for prostitution and commercialized vice , but experts say those numbers are extremely conservative because many sex workers and johns are n't caught . Experts add that easy accessibility to prostitutes and pornography on the Internet are feeding the problem . In most communities , prostitution has been a one-sided battle focused on the women who offer sex . Their customers , when they are arrested , are usually cited for a misdemeanor and fined . By comparison , prostitutes are often charged with more severe sentences and jailed for months , depending on the offense . But in Nashville , the johns ' faces are shown on a police Web site . For decades , Nashville battled prostitution by arresting women on the streets and through stings . Still , the problem persisted , irritating business owners and residents . In the early 1990s , Nashville 's mayor helped launch the John School with the help of the Magdalene House , public defenders , prosecutors and police officers . Nashville became one of the first major cities in the U.S. to focus on the customers , predominantly men . Only first-time offenders who solicit an adult are eligible for John School . Johns who pick up minors are not eligible and face much tougher sentences . `` If you get caught again and you get me , I will guarantee to put you in jail , '' warned Antoinette Welch , a local prosecutor , in speaking to the men in the class . `` I 've had men cry to me that they will lose their jobs or their wives , but you 're all grown up and you make your own decisions . '' The men listened carefully as Welch talked about their records ; many had not yet told their wives or significant others about their arrest . If the john pleads guilty , pays a $ 250 fee and completes the course without re-offending , the charge can be dismissed after a year . The money paid by the john goes to Magdalene House ; the program does n't cost taxpayers any money . John School models in other communities may differ . A woman who called herself Alexis , a 35-year-old former prostitute with dark hair and bright blue eyes , spoke to the men as the class came to an end . Four years ago , she left the streets and now works at a factory . By the age of 10 , Alexis had learned to barter with sex with her stepfather . In her 20s , she found herself hooked on drugs and selling her body . She was arrested more than 80 times . She was hospitalized after someone shot her on the job . As she told her story , the men were silent . A few blushed , while others stared at the floor . `` These gentlemen are no different than I was on the streets , '' she said . `` I think everyone has to look at the void they are trying to fill . '' One john , a father of two with salt-and-pepper hair , found himself near tears after Alexis spoke . In July , he tried to pick up a prostitute through Craigslist . He said he was depressed and having problems with his wife . `` I 'm so embarrassed , '' he said . `` These girls are somebody 's daughters . I have a daughter . '' Some evidence suggests that John Schools are working . A study released in 2008 by Abt Associates Inc. for the federal government looked at the John School program in San Francisco , California . It 's one of the largest programs in the country ; more than 7,000 johns have attended since 1995 . According to the study , the re-arrest rate fell sharply after the school was launched , and stayed more than 30 percent lower for 10 years afterward . But critics call John School a slap on the wrist . On Saturday , one john abandoned the classroom . Carol Leigh , a member of the Sex Workers Outreach Project , a group that promotes decriminalizing prostitution in California , said she does n't believe the program is an effective deterrent . `` John School does n't do that much , '' said Leigh , who has worked as a prostitute . `` The reality is they are n't spending that much time on the johns and they will just go to other venues . This also does n't target the violent offenders who are the real problem . '' Melissa Farley , head of the nonprofit group Prostitution Research and Education in San Fransisco , believes johns deserve stronger punishment like longer prison sentences . A recent study by the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation conducted among johns in Chicago , Illinois , found that 41 percent of them said John School would deter them from buying sex , compared with 92 percent who said being placed on a sex offender registry would scare them from re-offending . Nashville officials said they have n't tracked recidivism rates in their city , but the school 's program director said it 's probably deterring a third of the offenders in each class . At least one college educated , 47-year-old john 's attitude appeared to change on a recent Saturday . After class he wrote , `` There is no good part . I would rather be with my wife . This was quick but it was n't worth it . '' | Experts say about 1 million to 2 million prostitutes work in the United States . About 50 communities have programs that focus on deterring johns . Nashville 's program includes a speech from a former prostitute . The Internet is making it easier for people to buy prostitutes , experts say . | [[2251, 2302], [2283, 2330]] |
HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON , New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In 2002 , Pam Koner was flipping through the The New York Times when a photograph stopped her in her tracks : an 8-year-old girl laying across her torn , barren mattress in Pembroke , Illinois , forking pasta and a boiled chicken bone into her mouth . The girl 's image signified the deep-rooted poverty in her rural community . Pam Koner is combating hunger by connecting sponsor and recipient families . The picture moved Koner to tears and inspired her to take action . `` When I read about a community so profoundly poor that women and children were not eating the last week of the month , I walked into my living room where my daughters were and said , ` We 're going to do something as a family , ' '' recalls Koner , a 57-year-old single mother of two living in Hastings-on-Hudson , New York . In the seven years since , Koner 's determination to help families in Pembroke led to the creation of Family-to-Family , a nonprofit that connects more than 600 sponsor and recipient families in 13 communities nationwide . Do you know someone who should be a CNN Hero ? Nominations are open at CNN.com / Heroes . The project began with Koner contacting an outreach worker in Pembroke , who told her the town needed food more than anything else . Koner enlisted help from her neighbors and parents of children in her childcare business ; the group began sending monthly boxes of food and basic household items to the neediest families in the Illinois town . `` People were excited to be a part of something , '' says Koner of her donor community . `` Something so little as shopping , packing and sending a box . '' Through monthly food donations , Koner 's organization has provided nearly 800,000 meals to struggling families across the country . For privacy purposes , she says , the group makes sure donor and recipient communities are at a distance , such as an Atlanta , Georgia , chapter helping a community in Kentucky or a Florida family helping a Navajo family in New Mexico . In addition to providing basic essentials , families exchange letters , swap photographs and share stories about cultural traditions and family events . `` There 's a shared learning experience , '' says Koner . `` When a sponsoring family reads about a Navajo family lifestyle -- barren landscape , a trailer home with no electricity and no running water -- children get a profound , firsthand look at differences . Knowing that each other exists changes the way we look at the world . '' Watch Koner describe how the communities connect with each other '' The economic downturn has prompted Koner 's group to broaden its outreach and sponsorship methods . Bedford-Stuyvesant , a community in Brooklyn , New York , of predominantly working-class African-Americans , is the group 's only urban sponsored community . It is also one of the organization 's cyber-adoption sites , where sponsor families participate through Paypal , an online money exchange tool . A food pantry buys and boxes up the food to give directly to the families . Koner also learned of families in her own Hastings-on-Hudson community in need of help . `` I was quite surprised , '' Koner says . `` Hastings is probably middle-class to upper-middle-class . It 's not a showy community , but this was a community of families who were not in need of help before . '' Her community has eagerly embraced its neighbors in need , she says , but unlike traditional sponsored families at a distance , Hastings-sponsored families presented privacy concerns . `` That there could be a child who was going to school with my child who I was helping ... we felt that was too personal and private . To respect the individual family in need -LSB- was -RSB- important for us since we live so close together , '' says Koner . To help maintain their anonymity , donations for the 11 sponsored families in Hastings are labeled by letters of the alphabet , so sponsor families have no identifiable information about who they 're helping . Watch how kids in Koner 's town are helping to feed far-away families '' Despite economic challenges , Koner says she 's noticed growing enthusiasm among families to become sponsors in her own community and beyond . `` I anticipated that we would really be affected , people would drop out . But that has n't happened . We 've actually launched new chapters of sponsoring families . '' Koner attributes the outpouring of generosity to a heightened awareness for how tough times present a new outlook on giving . Watch Koner and some sponsor families in action '' `` There are plenty of communities where families are struggling themselves , but will keep this as part of their budget , '' she says . `` We 're all affected . No one knows what 's going to happen tomorrow . We need to be there for each other and we need to share . We 're meant to be connected . '' Want to get involved ? Check out Family-to-Family and see how to help . | Pam Koner 's nonprofit connects sponsor and recipient families . Family-to-Family has provided nearly 800,000 meals to those in need . Families also connect on a social level , exchanging letters , photos , stories . Do you know a hero ? Nominations are open at CNN.com / Heroes . | [[378, 454], [378, 387], [408, 454], [971, 982], [988, 1072], [1698, 1797], [2036, 2038], [2048, 2188], [1073, 1119], [1073, 1075], [1080, 1119], [1120, 1162]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Shel Israel is not the kind of person you 'd expect to find on Twitter all day . He 's 65 . Shel Israel , author of a new book on Twitter . He says the micro-blogging service changed his life . But Israel has been using the micro-blogging service longer than most . In fact , he gave up his lifelong habit of reading the newspaper every day about four years ago and turned exclusively to social media . He now knows how to use Twitter , how not to use it , and how to benefit from it , and he says Twitter has changed his life . The social-media journalist and public speaker is the author of a new book , `` Twitterville : How Businesses Can Thrive in the New Global Neighborhoods . '' The book shows how Twitter flattens geographical boundaries and helps people connect with others around the world who share their interests . To Israel , it 's the mundane details of one 's life , shared through tweets and status updates , that matter . He believes that tweeting about what you had for lunch can actually help build a meaningful personal or business relationship . Israel also says that who you follow on Twitter is much more important than the number of people who follow you . That 's because the people you follow become `` your newspaper -- the way you get the information that you see , that you digest , and that you use . '' Here is an edited version of the conversation . CNN : Your timing in writing this book seems perfect -- Twitter just blew up . Did you see this boom coming ? Israel : Yeah I did , but not with this great prescience . I just thought it was going to get bigger and bigger , and I thought there was a value to Twitter that no other social media tool had . See part of our chat with Israel here '' What are those values you mentioned that only Twitter has ? There are two values and they 're closely intertwined . The first is that Twitter lets people behave online more closely to how we behave in real life than anything that ever preceded it in history . It 's kind of past now , but there was this whole wave of admonition of nobody cares what you had for lunch , and to be honest that 's absolutely false . If I said that I was in a restaurant in Atlanta , -LSB- Georgia , -RSB- you 'd say , `` Oh , where did you go ? You did n't by chance try the ... '' and we have a conversation that way . We care about the details of life . When you bring this into business , I do n't think many members of your audience ever bought or sold anything from a conversation that starts with , `` Are you going to buy something ? '' It begins with small talk . And that brings us to the second point . The brevity creates an interaction that no other media tool allows . Until now most social media is I write or create something , and you read it and comment back . In Twitter , it 's so brief that no one is the lead conversationalist , really . And it is n't about what you post in 140 characters , it 's about the number of spoonfuls of content that you feed people who are interested in eating it . Why are you so fascinated by Twitter ? Most people your age do n't use social media at all . I was born too soon ? -LRB- Laughs -RRB- I do n't know what it is about me , but it 's what drew me to Silicon Valley in the first place -- I just get turned on by new ideas and new trends . I am extremely curious by nature . I like meeting people who think and act differently than I do . And that I think keeps me young , along with the fact that I spend much of my time with people younger than me . And they seem to value the fact that this older guy has some wisdom , but they do n't understand how much I 'm learning from them . You tell a lot of specific Twitter anecdotes in your book . Do you have a favorite character ? I have a few real favorites . -LSB- One is -RSB- Janis Krums , who was the 23-year-old guy taking a ferry to New Jersey when a funny thing happened -- the US Airways flight 1549 landed -LSB- on the Hudson River -RSB- a couple of football fields away from him . He whips out an iPhone , uses a 30-day-old product called Twit Pic , and takes a picture . Twenty-seven minutes later he 's on national TV , the photo he took is the backdrop , and his voice is being heard nationally through the iPhone that he used . I asked him how his life had changed by becoming the most famous citizen journalist of at least 2009 . And his answer to me was , `` You know , I did n't plan to be a citizen journalist , I just wanted to go to New Jersey . '' And that might have been my single favorite answer to any question . You also describe why certain strategies work for particular organizations in your book . Are there Twitter marketing strategies that would n't work for some companies ? Yeah , I talk a lot about changing of eras . We 're going -LSB- away -RSB- from the broadcast era -- that 's when content is sandwiched by messages to pay for the experience , and those messages are in the form of advertising or PR or other marketing tactics . And most people do n't like them anymore , and we use our Tivo and our spam filters to avoid as many of these messages as possible . In social media , if companies come up and try to treat -LSB- Twitter -RSB- as just an extension of their marketing solutions , they will fail . What they need to do in social media is join the conversation rather than start the conversation , and not make it about themselves . They need to tell what they 're doing rather than sell what they 're doing . And that 's a fundamental change . We 're going into a conversational era , which is bi-directional . What would you say to employers who do n't let their employees use social media like Twitter and Facebook during work hours ? Whenever something new comes into the marketplace , there are companies that are really in love with the way it 's always been done . When you start banning things , you 're showing a natural distrust of your employees , which is , even in tough times , not an intelligent way to treat your employees . And the second thing is they 're banishing the state-of-the-art communications tool . What 's the future of Twitter , in your opinion ? A year from now , Twitter will be more of an everyday experience -- the need to meet up , to talk will move on to something that we do n't know about yet . My vision for Twitter is that employees of your age coming into the workplace will be shown a desk , a computer ... -LSB- and set up their social media accounts -RSB- and then be told to go to work and use -LSB- Twitter -RSB- how they see fit to get the job done . | Shel Israel is the author of a new book about how to get the most out of Twitter . Israel says tweeting about mundane details can help build meaningful relationships . Who you follow on Twitter is more important than who follows you , he says . Israel : Twitter is ushering in a two-directional , conversational era of marketing . | [[548, 640], [848, 857], [860, 900], [960, 1087], [972, 1087], [1088, 1094], [1100, 1184], [5531, 5569], [5549, 5569], [5578, 5597]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Federal safety investigators said Tuesday they fear flaws found in Washington 's Metro subway system after a deadly crash this summer may endanger other transit systems , and they sent out an urgent recommendation asking that other rail operators check for similar problems . Investigators are shown at the crash scene in Washington . Nine people were killed in the June 22 wreck . In letters to federal regulators , the National Transportation Safety Board said `` all rail transit operators and railroads should be informed '' about system flaws that could cause a track circuit to fail to detect a train . It was not clear how many rail systems have similar train detection systems . Neither the NTSB nor the Federal Transit Administration had a list of systems that use the `` audio frequency track circuits '' that are the focus of the probe . But an FTA spokesman said that because it does n't know how many operators use the systems , `` we are sending today 's urgent recommendation to all rail transit operators , and will identify the pertinent operators through a later survey . '' Meanwhile , the Federal Railway Administration , which regulates Amtrak and more than a dozen commuter rail systems , said it also will follow the NTSB guidance but believes the number of impacted systems will be `` limited . '' Nine people were killed and 52 taken to hospitals June 22 when a southbound Metrorail train struck the rear end of stopped train just north of the Fort Totten station . Investigators say an automatic train protection system did not detect the stopped train , so the moving train did not receive a command to slow or stop . The NTSB said it is continuing its investigation into the precise causes of the crash , but it said the investigation has raised concerns that the track circuit is susceptible to errant signals . In its letter to regulators , the NTSB said it discovered one circumstance in which an unintended signal path could be created , resulting in a track relay remaining energized even though a stopped train was occupying the circuit . `` After only three months , this complex investigation is far from complete , so we are not ready to determine the probable cause of the -LSB- Metro -RSB- accident , '' NTSB Chairwoman Deborah A.P. Hersman said . `` However , our findings so far indicate a pressing need to issue these recommendations to immediately address safety glitches we have found that could lead to another tragic accident . '' The NTSB sent letters to Metro , the Federal Transit Administration , the Federal Railroad Administration and Alstom Signaling Inc. , which acquired General Railway Signal , the manufacturer of some of the equipment . | NTSB , investigating fatal D.C. train crash , cites flaw in train detection system . NTSB tells other transit systems to look for flaw . It 's not clear how many rail systems have this type of detection system . Causes of June 22 D.C. Metro crash still under investigation . | [[30, 151], [1521, 1608], [30, 151], [205, 305], [639, 716]] |
Prague , Czech Republic -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Fireworks and rock 'n' roll echoed across central Prague on Tuesday as thousands of marchers commemorated the 20th anniversary of the `` Velvet Revolution '' that toppled Communist rule . The peaceful 1989 uprising began with a student march to mark a 1939 clampdown on opposition in what was then Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia . It drew 15,000 people -- students as well as teachers , professors and ordinary Czechs who had grown weary of state control . Ivan Pilip , one of the students who took part , said the march `` was very different '' from previous demonstrations he had joined . `` There was a different group of people , '' he said . `` We feel that people that participated in such events before had come , and they 're ready to do something . And it was more and more visible every minute . '' The protest was held a week after the opening of the Berlin Wall , as pressure was building on the Communist governments of Eastern Europe . When the demonstrators tried to divert the march to central Prague 's Wenceslas Square , they were attacked by police -- a response that led tens of thousands more people to join mass demonstrations that lasted another 10 days . `` My kids can not understand today what was moving our minds and hearts that day 20 years ago , '' Pilip 's wife , Lucie , said Tuesday . `` We watched television today to show them what we had come through these 20 years , and I think it 's an enormous success . '' The protests led to talks between government officials and the Civic Forum , a group of dissidents led by playwright Vaclav Havel . The Communist Party ceded power in December , and Havel became president . `` Many of our citizens who took part in the democratic changes died already with a feeling that they contributed to something that meant a lot , '' Havel said Tuesday . `` In our ordinary , daily lives , we tend to forget our friends of that time -- our comrades , free-thinking individuals . '' The anniversary march was capped by a concert that featured dissident musicians of the day , along with American folk singer Joan Baez . Havel himself appeared onstage with a guitar , but told the crowd , `` Do n't worry , the guitar does n't mean I 'm going to play today . '' Musicians , actors and other artists played major roles in the protests . Michael Kocab , now the Czech Republic government 's human rights minister , was a rock singer who became the revolutionaries ' key negotiator . `` In the beginning there was many times this idea , ` What am I doing here , ' '' Kocab told CNN recently . `` I knew in the future I 'd get used to it . And five or 10 days later , I forgot I was a musician and I submerged myself in political negotiations . And I liked it . '' The celebration was organized by Opona , a nonprofit group established to observe the milestone anniversary of the dismantling of the Iron Curtain . `` Our inspiration to do this was from our memories -- we still remember the times that preceded the events , '' said David Gaydecka , one of the organizers . `` We believe that the changes in those 20 years have been positive despite all those maladies which came along with the freedom . '' -- CNN 's Phil Black and Fionnuala Sweeney contributed to this report . | Czech students take to the streets to mark 20th anniversary of fall of communist rule . Student clashes with police in 1989 triggered events that rid then-Czechoslovakia of totalitarianism . The march in 1989 was in memory of the students who perished under the Nazis . | [[114, 200]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A recall has been issued for enoki mushrooms produced by Phillips Mushroom Farms in Pennsylvania . The recall covers 3.5-ounce packages of enoki mushrooms bearing UPC 33383 67540 . The mushrooms were packed in clear plastic bags with blue or green graphics and sold from January 13 to 30 . Enokis are long , thin white mushrooms , often used in Asian cuisines . Preliminary test results showed potential listeria contamination , but no illnesses have been reported , according to Phillips Mushroom Farms . Listeria can cause flu-like symptoms , including fever and muscle aches , and sometimes gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea or diarrhea , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . It affects primarily the elderly , pregnant women , newborns and people with weakened immune systems . Retailers are asked to remove the mushrooms from their shelves , pending further instructions . Consumers are asked to return the mushrooms to the place of purchase for a full refund . Visit http://www.phillipsmushroomfarms.com/ or call 800-722-8818 for more information . | Recall covers 3.5-ounce packages of enoki mushrooms bearing UPC 33383 67540 . Mushrooms in clear bags with blue or green graphics ; sold from January 13 to 30 . Early test results show potential listeria contamination ; no illnesses reported . Listeria can cause flu-like symptoms and sometimes nausea or diarrhea . | [[0, 15], [19, 63], [118, 181], [158, 199], [200, 275], [200, 213], [280, 308], [381, 445], [448, 483], [603, 665], [668, 729]] |
-LRB- CNN Student News -RRB- -- November 19 , 2009 . Download PDF maps related to today 's show : . • Afghanistan • Iran • Kenya . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT . THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED . CARL AZUZ , CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR : One ship , two pirate attacks , different outcome this time around . You 'll see it in today 's show ! I 'm Carl Azuz . CNN Student News starts right now ! First Up : Senate Health Care Plan . AZUZ : First up , the Senate has come up with its plan to reform the U.S. health care system . The proposed bill , released last night . Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says it would give health insurance to 30 million more Americans and would cost an estimated $ 849 billion over the next 10 years . Some senators now opposed to the bill are concerned about what it covers and how much it costs . Republicans have threatened to try and block the legislation from being passed . Debate on it could start as soon as Saturday . Afghan Inauguration . AZUZ : Hamid Karzai is scheduled to be sworn in today for his second term as the president of Afghanistan . U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says this is a `` critical moment '' for that country , because it 's a chance for Karzai to show what kind of government he 'll lead . Clinton is visiting Afghanistan right now . She 's scheduled to meet with Karzai while she 's there . The Afghan president , under pressure to clean up corruption in his government , and Secretary Clinton is expected to talk with him about some guidelines that Afghanistan will have to meet in order to continue getting aid from the U.S. Clinton says that America wants to be partners with Afghanistan and with the Afghan people , and that is why President Obama has been reviewing the U.S. approach to the country . Nuclear Fears . AZUZ : No deal ! That 's what Iran seems to be saying about sending some of its nuclear materials to other countries . This plan was worked out at a meeting last month . Iran would send raw nuclear materials to other nations who would make it into nuclear fuel , and then that would go back to Iran to be used in medical facilities . But now , instead of sending out materials and getting them back later as fuel , one Iranian official is saying the country will only swap raw materials for already processed fuel , and the trade would have to happen in Iran . All this is part of the ongoing tension over the Middle Eastern nation 's nuclear program . Iran says it 's only being used for peaceful reasons . But other countries believe Iran may be trying to build nuclear weapons . Terror Trial Debate . AZUZ : Well , there has been a lot of back-and-forth about the Obama Administration 's decision to try a group of suspected 9/11 terrorists in a civilian court in New York City . A lot of people spoke out about this on our blog and in Congress , where Attorney General Eric Holder , who made the decision , talked about it yesterday . Samantha Hayes has our report on that . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO -RRB- . SAMANTHA HAYES , CNN CORRESPONDENT : It 's a move that 's sparked a raging debate . ALICE HOAGLAND , MOTHER OF 9/11 VICTIM : I think I can speak for many 9/11 families when I say that we are heartsick . HAYES : On Capitol Hill Wednesday , Attorney General Eric Holder defended his decision to try five suspected 9/11 terrorists -- including alleged mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed -- in a civilian court , not a military tribunal . ERIC HOLDER , U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL : It was a decision that was case-driven . It 's a decision based on the evidence that I know , that frankly , some of the people who have criticized the decision do not have access to . HAYES : Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee led the intense criticism of Holder 's decision . SENATOR JON KYL , -LRB- R -RRB- ARIZONA : How could you be more likely to get a conviction in federal court when Khalid Sheik Mohammed has already asked to plead guilty before a military commission and be executed ? HAYES : But Democrats who support the move expressed confidence in the court system and the ability of the city of New York to handle the trials , even though it was the epicenter of the 9/11 attacks . SEN. DIANNE FEINSTEIN , -LRB- D -RRB- CALIFORNIA : I happen to believe that New York City is able to handle this in a very professional and definitively legal manner . HAYES : And Holder said it in no way undermines the administration 's commitment to fighting terror . HOLDER : We are at war , and we will use every instrument of national power -- civilian , military , law enforcement , intelligence , diplomatic and others -- to win . HAYES : Holder also told the panel that he is not concerned that a federal court could find the suspected terrorists not guilty . He said he has told prosecutors that these are cases that must be won . For CNN Student News , I 'm Samantha Hayes . -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- . Shoutout . MICHELLE WRIGHT , CNN STUDENT NEWS : Today 's Shoutout goes out to Mr. VandenHeuval 's social studies classes at Dos Rios Elementary School in Tolleson , Arizona ! Who is the longest-serving member in the history of the U.S. Congress ? If you think you know it , shout it out ! Is it : A -RRB- Robert Byrd , B -RRB- Strom Thurmond , C -RRB- Harry Reid or D -RRB- Ted Stevens ? You 've got three seconds -- GO ! Today is Senator Robert Byrd 's 20,775 th day serving in Congress . That 's your answer and that 's your Shoutout ! Congressional History . AZUZ : Six years in the House of Representatives ; elected to the U.S. Senate nine terms -- only person ever to do that -- it makes Sen. Byrd 's total time representing residents of West Virginia 51 years so far . Plus , he 's turning 92 tomorrow . As he became the longest-serving member of Congress yesterday , Byrd 's years of service were praised by Democrats and Republicans . Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell talked about Sen. Byrd 's love for both the country and the Congress . And Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid predicted that many of Byrd 's records will never be broken . Somalia Pirates . AZUZ : Deja vu in waters off the coast of the African nation of Somalia , when pirates tried to hijack a ship called the Maersk Alabama . If that sounds familiar to you , it 's because that was the same ship that was hijacked back in April . A Navy operation rescued the crew members in that incident . And yesterday , a private security team on board the Maersk kept the attempted hijackers from taking over . When we talk about pirates , we do n't mean `` of the Caribbean . '' These are very dangerous people with guns ; they hold ships for ransom ; they 're very active in this part of the world . Is this Legit ? MATT CHERRY , CNN STUDENT NEWS : Is this legit ? The African elephant is the largest animal on land . This one 's true . These animals can grow to be 9 tons ; that 's 18,000 pounds ! Elephant Orphanage . AZUZ : Okay -- that 's the full-grown version , but even the babies are huge ! African elephants can still weigh around 220 pounds at birth ! But big does n't necessarily mean safe . They 're losing their habitat ; they 're being hunted by poachers : Baby elephants can face a lot of threats in the wild , and not having a mother around does n't make it any easier . David McKenzie examines a program in Kenya that 's trying to help orphaned elephants . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO -RRB- . DAVID MCKENZIE , CNN CORRESPONDENT : They grow up to be one of Africa 's giants , but like all creatures , they start off pretty small . Dwarfed by their keepers , each orphaned elephant at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust has a tragic tale . This is Sala . She 's 6 weeks old . They say her mother died because of starvation in the Kenyan drought . The person who found her gave her cow 's milk , which is extremely harmful to elephants because of the fat . Sala wandered into a tourist camp in Kenya 's Sala National Park , alone and confused . The orphanage scrambled a plane to rescue her . Carefully strapped in and traumatized , they evacuated Sala to Nairobi . For weeks , she was too sick to stand . Three days ago , she started walking again . If she makes it , she wo n't be alone . Drought , poaching and shrinking habitats have decimated elephant herds across East Africa . And the orphanage is fuller than it 's been in 30 years . Still , Dame Daphne Sheldrick will take more . DAME DAPHNE SHELDRICK , DAVID SHELDRICK WILDLIFE TRUST : Whatever comes in , we have to make space . MCKENZIE : It takes years to rehabilitate and reintroduce the orphans into the wild . For the keepers , it 's not just a 9 to 5 job . EDWIN LUSICHI , CHIEF KEEPER : But after working with these elephants , it 's no longer just a job . It is from inside your heart , the love that you have for these animals . MCKENZIE : Every three hours , day and night , the keepers mix fortified soy milk for the elephants . It costs $ 900 a month to care for each orphan , so the elephants have to earn their keep . With a slap of sunscreen to protect their sensitive skin , the babies go on parade . They slush and slide for the throngs of tourists who see the fun , but not the heartbreak . MCKENZIE : So , they hope to lead these infants through their most fragile stage . It could take years before Sala joins a family of wild elephants . In the care of her human family , she might just make it . David McKenzie , CNN , Nairobi , Kenya . -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- . Impact Your World . AZUZ : Helping elephant orphans , providing aid to victims of natural disasters , finding ways to clean up the environment : There are a lot of ways to impact your world . Head to CNN.com / impact and check out the resources to find out how you can make a difference . Before We Go . AZUZ : Before we go , it 's crazy what you 'll find on the side of the road . Like a turkey , for example . Actually , this fearless fowl 's walking right through the middle of traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike . Highway workers say Tammy -- Tammy the Turkey -- has been hanging out for about a year . Why did the turkey cross the turnpike ? Who knows -- it 's a turkey . But she does get a lot of looks from people driving by , and she seems to enjoy it ! Goodbye . AZUZ : In fact , you could say Tammy 's gobbling up all the attention . That 's where today 's show hits the road . For CNN Student News , I 'm Carl Azuz . | Listen in on a debate in Congress about the trial of 9/11 terror suspects . Learn about the tenure of the longest-serving member of the U.S. Congress . Travel to Kenya to see how a program aims to help orphaned baby elephants . Use the Daily Discussion to help students understand today 's featured news stories . | [[5094, 5175], [7290, 7332], [7327, 7332], [7341, 7376]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The White House refused to indicate Monday whether President Obama will issue a posthumous pardon for Jack Johnson , the African-American boxing champion convicted in 1913 for dating a white woman . Jack Johnson 's 1910 defeat of Jim Jeffries , the `` Great White Hope , '' sparked riots . The House of Representatives on July 29 unanimously passed a resolution urging Obama to grant a pardon ; the Senate passed a similar measure by a voice vote on June 24 . The push for a rare posthumous pardon has been spearheaded for years by Sen. John McCain , R-Arizona , and Rep. Peter King , R-New York , two of Congress ' top boxing enthusiasts . `` It is our hope that you will be eager to agree to right this wrong and erase an act of racism that sent an American citizen to prison , '' they wrote Friday in a letter to Obama . Johnson , the first African-American to win the heavyweight title , was convicted for violating the Mann Act , which outlawed the transportation of women across state lines for `` immoral '' purposes . He served 10 months in prison on charges `` brought forward clearly to keep him away from the boxing ring , where he continued to defeat his white opponents , '' McCain and King said . Almost a century after Johnson 's conviction , his compelling saga has continued to capture the interest of sports writers , civil rights activists and historians . It provides , they agree , a unique window into American politics and culture at a time when Jim Crow-style racism reigned supreme . Johnson was first arrested for breaking the Mann Act in 1912 , four years after winning the heavyweight crown . That case fell apart , but investigators soon after charged him with a similar offense involving a woman he had dated years earlier . Justice Department lawyers argued it was a `` crime against nature '' for him to have a sexual relationship with a white woman . Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis , later to become the first commissioner of Major League Baseball , set Johnson 's bail at $ 30,000 , the equivalent of more than $ 660,000 today . When a bail bondsman showed up , Landis jailed him , too , according to an account that filmmaker Ken Burns relays in his documentary `` Unforgivable Blackness : The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson . '' An all-white jury convicted Johnson in less than two hours . `` Mr. Johnson was perhaps persecuted as an individual , but ... it was his misfortune to be the foremost example of the evil in permitting the intermarriage of whites and blacks , '' one of the prosecutors later said . Johnson 's real crime , in the eyes of many , was committed on July 4 , 1910 , when he successfully defended his boxing title against Jim Jeffries , a white boxer who came to be called the `` Great White Hope '' because many white fans saw him as the best chance to wrest back a boxing title from the African-American champ . Johnson beat Jeffries , who had come out of retirement for the fight , before a stunned , almost entirely white crowd in Reno , Nevada . Race riots followed . More than 20 people were killed and hundreds were injured . Most victims were black . So when they `` could n't beat him in the ring , the white power establishment decided to beat him in the courts , '' Burns said in his documentary . Johnson fled to Europe in 1913 while free on appeal . But after years of fights overseas , including the eventual loss of his title in Havana , Cuba , in 1915 , Johnson came home . He turned himself over to U.S. authorities at the Mexican border in 1920 and served 10 months in prison . He died in a car wreck in 1946 . `` Back then , if you were black and you were told that you did something wrong , you really had no recourse , '' Linda Haywood , Johnson 's great-niece , recently told CNN . `` You just accepted what was done because black people were basically powerless and voiceless . Jack may have been a rich boxer , but he could n't fight the system . '' McCain and King introduced resolutions calling for a presidential pardon in 2005 and last year . McCain , who says he made a mistake by once voting against a federal holiday for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. , sees the pardon as a way to right an old wrong . `` The Jack Johnson case is an ignominious stain on our nation 's history , '' he said on the Senate floor in the spring . `` Rectifying this injustice is long overdue . -LSB- The resolution recognizes -RSB- the unjustness of what transpired , and sheds light on the achievements of an athlete who was forced into the shadows of bigotry and prejudice . '' | Jack Johnson , the African-American boxing champion , convicted in 1913 . Sen. John McCain , Rep. Peter King back posthumous pardon . Resolutions passed House and Senate this summer . Johnson served 10 months in prison for dating a white woman . | [[147, 228], [490, 625], [147, 228], [1056, 1096], [1859, 1913], [3476, 3478], [3553, 3581]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Race and politics are a combustible combo that explodes into headlines when an ex-president lights the fuse , as Jimmy Carter did recently . President Obama during the 2008 campaign faced questions over race and politics . `` When a radical fringe element of demonstrators and others begin to attack the president of the United States as an animal or as a reincarnation of Adolf Hitler or when they wave signs in the air that said we should have buried Obama with Kennedy , those kinds of things are beyond the bounds , '' the Democrat told students at Emory University on Wednesday . `` I think people who are guilty of that kind of personal attack against Obama have been influenced to a major degree by a belief that he should not be president because he happens to be African-American , '' he added . The controversy erupted this week when Carter first raised the race issue to NBC . `` An overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man , '' he said . Bill Cosby , a black comedian and actor , said Wednesday in a written statement that he agrees with Carter . `` During President Obama 's speech on the status of health care reform , some members of Congress engaged in a public display of disrespect , '' he said . CNN contributor David Gergen said that some of the allegations of race-baiting might have some weight among Democratic voters . `` Jimmy Carter , I 'm afraid , is not alone in his views , '' he said . But Gergen warns that the racists tend to be on the fringes of the right and do not reflect on the greater field of opponents to Obama 's ideology . `` But I think it 's wrongheaded , and I think it 's unfair , and I think it 's indeed a libel upon many of the opponents , most of the opponents of health care reform , to say that they 're racist , '' he said . `` Seven previous presidents have tried to bring health care reforms of this kind . All seven have failed . And , as I recall , all seven were white . '' Carter 's comments , though , are the kind that raise people 's defenses . In particular , they turn off independents , who by nature tend to hate the hard edges of politics . The White House , for its part , wants no part of the Carter controversy . `` The president does not believe that that criticism comes based on the color of his skin , '' said White House press secretary Robert Gibbs . As a candidate , Obama understood the political danger in letting his race become a major topic . He largely avoided it when he could , but race was always a subtext , as it is now in his presidency . `` But I can also say , frankly , that this White House and even his campaign were very afraid to even go down this road dealing with anything with race , '' said CNN contributor Roland Martin . Carter also told NBC that there is an `` inherent feeling among many people in this country that an African-American ought not to be president and ought not to be given the same respect as if he were white . '' Framing criticism as racism cropped up several times during the campaign . When Geraldine Ferraro , a Clinton supporter , said during the 2008 Democratic primaries that Obama would never have gotten as far as he had if he had not been black , candidate Obama pointedly left race out of it . `` I think that her comments were ridiculous , '' Obama said at the time . But Ferraro blamed Obama supporters for her hate mail , saying `` I have been called all kinds of names . And the attacks are ageist . They 're sexist . They 're racist . '' iReport.com : Freedom from speech ? And the topic of race even came to haunt Bill Clinton , the so-called first black president . Before the New Hampshire primary in January 2008 , Clinton told an audience that `` there 's no difference in -LSB- Obama 's -RSB- voting record and Hillary 's ever since . Give me a break . This whole thing is the biggest fairy tale I have ever seen . '' Some interpreted that as belittling Obama 's campaign . After much criticism , Clinton later said he was talking about Obama 's opposition to the war in Iraq , not his campaign . But those two words -- `` fairy tale '' -- launched weeks worth of accusations , sometimes on the front page of The New York Times , that the Clintons were playing the race card . iReport.com : Share your thoughts on race and politics . Some observers said Carter 's statement was far too broad , and that many of the attacks on Obama are about policy , not race . `` I do n't think one can paint a broad brush in saying that all of these folks who have criticism , anybody who criticizes the president ... is based upon the issue of race , '' Martin said . Mary Matalin , a CNN contributor and Republican strategist , said Carter 's criticism is `` absurd . '' `` It 's very dangerous politics , '' she said . `` Barack Obama got , in the last election , more white male voters than any of his predecessors . ... Republicans and conservatives and Democrats and liberals , the whole country felt very good putting -- setting aside policies after his election . '' | Former President Carter says criticism of Obama is largely based on race . Obama does n't believe criticism is based on color of his skin , spokesman says . CNN contributor : Carter should n't paint such broad strokes on racism . GOP strategist says all the racism controversy is `` absurd '' | [[4553, 4680], [4582, 4600], [4649, 4694], [2300, 2390], [4393, 4450], [4524, 4600], [4714, 4726], [4775, 4814]] |
-LRB- Southern Living -RRB- -- You do n't have to stay at these tony hotels to experience the best of their lobbies . The Round Robin Bar at the Willard InterContinental is a great place to eavesdrop . The Willard InterContinental . What to expect : A throwback to grand hotels of the 19th century near the White House . It 's where powerful people still go to make powerful decisions . Crowned heads rest on the Willard 's pillows . Where to spend your dollars : Sip a mint julep or sample a single malt whiskey in the Round Robin Bar and Scotch Bar alongside power brokers . It may not be polite to say so , but this is a great place to eavesdrop . `` The next day 's work starts between 6 and 8 p.m. , '' says Jim Hewes , bartender there for 22 years . `` The Round Robin gets a drift on tomorrow 's news . '' The inside story : D.C. insiders strut the lobby 's Peacock Alley where you people-watch while nibbling on tea and scones -LRB- $ 39 -RRB- . 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. ; washington.intercontinental.com or 1-800-327-0200 . SouthernLiving.com : D.C. Travel Planner . The Hay-Adams . What to expect : Formal and classic yet balanced with a boutiquish and intimate atmosphere . Walk out the front door to see Lafayette Park and the White House . Where to spend your dollars : The basement bar , Off the Record , attracts politicos from the White House and the nearby World Bank . `` Always sit at the bar , '' says John Boswell , the friendly 12-year veteran bartender . `` The half-moon shape tends to get people into conversations . '' Patrons stick to the classics -- martinis , Manhattans and wines . The inside story : The Sunday morning talk show hosts and hotel guests rub elbows at the extravagant late-morning brunch in The Lafayette dining room -LRB- $ 65 , reservations required -RRB- . 16th and H Streets NW. ; www.hayadams.com or -LRB-202-RRB- 638-6600 . SouthernLiving.com : Cheap eats in D.C. St. Regis . What to expect : A meeting of the old and new : luxe gilt lobby with endless Italian marble floors vs. leather-and-chrome restaurant bar helmed by celebrity chef Alain Ducasse . Where to spend your dollars : Settle into the purple Bar at St. Regis . Populated by admiring foodies , the bar pours the coolest drinks . `` Our Trial by Berry -LRB- Champagne , house-infused vanilla and nutmeg vodka , muddled blackberries -RRB- is the favorite , '' says Marianna Alfa , restaurant director . `` The chef 's slider duo -- two burgers , one beef , the other boudin -- is our rock and roll item . '' The inside story : Mixologist Mia Baila creates D.C. 's most unusual drink : Champagne adorned with pearls of Cointreau and gold flecks . 923 16th and K Streets NW. ; starwoodhotels.com/stregis or -LRB-202-RRB- 638-2626 . SouthernLiving.com : Best things about the mall in Washington D.C. Park Hyatt . What to expect : A sleek Euro feel of glass , natural fibers and golden-hued wood . A favorite among world travelers who trust the Park Hyatt brand and prefer the energy at the cusp of Georgetown . Where to spend your dollars : Cozy in at the Tea Cellar , presided over by tea expert Marie Hatakeyama . Those seeking a sturdier drink slip into glass-enclosed booths at the bar . `` It 's like having a private conversation on display , '' says frequent visitor Chris Gieckel , adding that the pear martini is a house favorite . `` I 'm not known for having girly drinks , but I 'll order a second one . '' The inside story : Purchase your favorite tea from the tasting to prepare at home , including vintage brews . 24th and M Streets NW. ; parkhyattwashington.com or -LRB-202-RRB- 789-1234 . Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright 2009 Southern Living magazine . All rights reserved . | Sip a mint julep at the Willard InterContinental 's Round Robin Bar . Join White House politicos for a drink at Off the Record in the Hay-Adams hotel . Try a custom cocktail at Bar at St. Regis . | [[464, 490], [1287, 1303], [1323, 1390]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- They kept their bodies alive with rationed crackers , bubble gum , beer and three gallons of water . But spiritually , the three men lost at sea for eight days had something else to keep them going . The family of the missing boaters put these photos on flyers shortly after they went missing . `` We just kept praying , and we kept hope alive , '' rescued boater Tressel Hawkins told CNN on Monday . `` Even though hope had managed to thread down to a little bitty string , I mean , that little bitty string could be just as strong as the rope you hung on to the first time you got started . '' What was supposed to be a fishing expedition to catch swordfish and marlin became instead a test of survival . Hawkins , 43 , and his fellow boaters , Curtis Hall , 28 , and James Phillips , 30 , set out on August 21 from Matagorda Bay in Texas and went about 100 miles south . Their first night in the Gulf of Mexico almost proved fatal . While Hawkins was sleeping , he said , he felt the bean bag he was resting on floating . He awoke to find water in the 23-foot catamaran knee-high . The water extractor had malfunctioned . He woke up Hall and Phillips and they tried to stop the flooding but it was too late , Hawkins said . Watch CNN 's Fredricka Whitfield talk to Hawkins '' As Hall had the radio in his hand to call for help , the boat capsized , Phillips told CNN affiliate KHOU-TV . They were `` shocked , '' Phillips said . Hall was responsible for rationing the food they had on board and the fresh water that sat in a tank on the boat , Hawkins said . They did n't like it , but they had to follow his rules to survive , he said . `` And being that you do n't really know when you 're going to get rescued , you have to ration it down to the bare essentials , and he stuck to his guns on that , '' Hawkins said . And with only those bare essentials , they waited and they prayed but they did n't give up . The three had lifejackets , flares and handmade flags . They used T-shirts and railing they ripped off the boat to create the flags , Hawkins said . They waved at boats and helicopters they saw , but the pilots did n't see them , Hall said . Watch two other fishermen describe ordeal '' `` We tried flaggin ' everybody we could , but I guess it was not our time to go home yet . They 'd come straight at us , we 'd be like ` Hey , ' and there they 'd go , '' Hall told KHOU . `` I was like , well , you know the good man above , either he 's teaching us a lesson or showing us something . And finally , when that boat came , it was just ... I do n't know . '' `` It was a miracle , '' Phillips said , finishing Hall 's sentence . One day after the Coast Guard called off a weeklong search for the men , the trio spotted a private vessel in the distance . They waved their flags and this time they were seen , Hawkins said . The Coast Guard said it combed more than 86,000 square miles looking for the men . When the crew of the private boat found the three sitting on top of their capsized catamaran , they were about 180 miles from Port Aransas , Texas , which is at the entrance to Corpus Christi Bay . None of the men suffered serious injuries despite all they had endured . In fact , Hawkins said he would n't be against going fishing again very soon . `` I would love to do it this weekend , but we made a pact when we made it back to the house that we 're going to put the poles down for the rest of the year and try to do something else , maybe go deer hunting or something like that . '' | Three fishermen spent week on on capsized boat in Gulf of Mexico . Men rationed water , crackers , beer to live . Boater spotted fishermen about 180 miles from coast of Port Aransas , Texas . Coast Guard had called off search for men on Friday . | [[138, 218], [19, 119], [2665, 2694], [2738, 2789], [2942, 3034], [3037, 3080], [2665, 2735]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sonia , a single mother with HIV in Brazil , travels four hours to reach a government-run health facility that provides her with free drug treatment . Brazil 's response to the HIV/AIDS fight has been widely praised and adopted as a model around the world . The journey is long , she told CNN , but it 's a small price to pay for the government-provided drugs that have helped keep her out of the hospital for the past 11 years . Sonia is just one of the many Brazilians who have benefited from the country 's novel approach to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic . Brazil jolted the global health community in 1996 when it began guaranteeing free anti-retroviral treatment to HIV/AIDS patients . For Sonia , government-funded treatment comes in the form of 20 pills . Taken daily , the anti-retroviral medicine has helped keep her HIV at bay . Coupled with government-supported prevention efforts and aggressive public awareness campaigns , the so-called Brazilian response has been hailed as a model for developing countries . Watch a report on Brazil 's pioneering response to HIV/AIDS '' Prevention campaigns , which often take the forms of candid public awareness ads with slogans like `` Be good in bed , use a condom , '' have resulted in widespread knowledge of HIV . According to a recent study conducted by the country 's Ministry of Health , Brazil boasts one of the highest rates of knowledge globally when it comes to HIV avoidance and transmittal . Brazil was `` the first country to realize there is no separation between prevention and treatment , '' Mauro Schechter , professor of infectious diseases at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro , told CNN . Schechter , who has studied the HIV/AIDS epidemic since 1989 , said it took the rest of the global health community some 15 years to realize that the two go hand-in-hand . Other countries that have adopted the Brazilian model '' The comprehensive response has extended the lives of tens of thousands of Brazilians and saved the government billions , researchers estimate . A recent study published by researchers from Brown University and the Harvard School of Public Health said that Brazil has saved $ 1 billion alone by producing its own generic versions of HIV/AIDS medicines and negotiating discounts for imported drugs . Those drug savings come on top of the estimated $ 2 billion the program has saved Brazil in hospital costs between 1996 and 2004 . Brazil 's efforts to reverse the tide of the AIDS epidemic have become the object of admiration in the global health community , but the trailblazer is encountering new challenges . When Brazil decided to guarantee free anti-retrovirals , there were 10,000 people being treated and it was organized as a program to treat a small amount of people for a limited amount of time , according to Schechter . Patients are living longer and oftentimes able to get their disease under control , thanks to combination therapies , better known as drug cocktails . But that means they also require drug treatment for a longer period of time . Furthermore , as HIV has evolved from an acute illness into a chronic disease , patients have also become vulnerable to other health risks and medical conditions . Valdileia Veloso is the director of the Institute of Clinical Research at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation , a public health research institution in Rio de Janeiro . She told CNN patients are presenting with complications of chronic HIV and AIDS , which requires new treatment . `` It 's a new challenge for us , '' she said . Heart disease is one of the big problems that doctors are encountering . While there 's a system in place to prevent people from dying from HIV , preventable causes like heart conditions are causing deaths . `` These people are dying from preventable causes , '' Schechter told CNN . While Brazil has shown that providing universal access to treatment can be achieved , it needs to modify its approach to treat the evolving disease , he said . `` If the epidemic changes face , you need to adapt . '' | Brazil has been hailed as a leader in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic . Government started offering free anti-retroviral treatment to its citizens in 1996 . As more people live longer with HIV/AIDS , Brazil faces new challenges . Patients of the chronic illness susceptible to new health risks , doctors say . | [[170, 234], [170, 210], [239, 276], [1043, 1105], [2447, 2464], [2492, 2573], [72, 169], [580, 699], [635, 710], [2629, 2683], [2686, 2724], [2580, 2628], [2849, 2930], [3517, 3547], [3092, 3098], [3158, 3241], [3403, 3482]] |
MEXICO City , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mexican federal authorities have arrested 124 law enforcement officials in Hidalgo state on suspicion of being linked to the Zetas drug cartel , considered the nation 's most ruthless and dangerous crime syndicate . Mexican police , shown here last month awaiting transport of a cartel suspect , have cracked down on drug trafficking . Most of those arrested were municipal police officers , but there also were some high-level state and federal officials , according to the Mexico attorney general 's office . Among them were Juan Antonio Franco Bustos , chief of coordination for Hidalgo state security ; Julñio Cesar Sanchez Amador , head of public security in the city of Mineral de la Reforma ; Mario Hernandez Almonasi , director of the auto theft unit for the state ministerial police ; Raul Batres Campos , regional chief for the Federal Investigation Agency ; and Jose Esteban Olvera Jimenez , a deputy director with the state security service , the attorney general 's office said . Hidalgo is in central Mexico . Los Zetas was formed about 10 years ago by Mexican army commandos but now consists mainly of former local , state and federal police . `` The Zetas have obviously assumed the role of being the No. 1 organization responsible for the majority of the homicides , the narcotic-related homicides , the beheadings , the kidnappings , the extortions that take place in Mexico , '' said Ralph Reyes , the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency 's chief for Mexico and Central America . | Those arrested include police officers , high-level state and federal officials . Zetas `` No. 1 organization '' for narcotic-linked homicides , DEA chief says . Zetas drug cartel considered nation 's most dangerous crime syndicate . | [[0, 11], [40, 128], [436, 441], [447, 495], [1199, 1371], [0, 11], [14, 36], [185, 255]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Much has been written about the Obamas ' marriage . The president and first lady have attested to the long and hard work it takes to stay involved and connected to each other while maintaining their separate identities . Undoubtedly , sustaining a marriage is sometimes hard , as the first lady noted . But the Obamas are an excellent example of how the fruits of marriage can be realized by those who are committed to reconciling their differences and `` toughing it out . '' The problem is that , today , too few couples are willing to make such a commitment . Ever since California became the first state to sanction no-fault divorce law 40 years ago , with every state in essence following suit -- some with certain stipulations -- the most fundamental thread in the fabric of our American values , the institution of marriage , has been unraveling . Before I retired from the bench a few months ago , it was my job as a judge to sort through all the issues rising , in part , from the growing lack of reverence many Americans have for marriage . In court , I often saw humanity 's worst behavior . I also dealt with teenage mothers , absentee fathers and parents who have never been married , often by choice . I saw parents who did n't seem able or willing to connect their children 's problems with their own failure to provide their children with the necessary road map to self-sufficiency and productivity . And these families did n't just show up in my courtroom . They exist everywhere . The U.S. Marriage Index shows a dramatic decline in the health of marriage in recent decades . America is a society that requires its citizens to make choices and penalizes them , often harshly , for the wrong ones . As a child grows up , the guideposts should be : finish school ; become a productive citizen ; marry a person you want to spend your life with ; and , if you want , have children . In that order . But many Americans are failing their children because they have already failed themselves . They often enter the court system with domestic problems and low-wage jobs , slim educational credentials and no life partners . It broke my heart to see so many children raising babies before they are ready : young people who made no connection between the poverty and chaos in their lives and the choices they had made . My options in addressing these problems from the bench were limited . The courtroom is seldom the stage at which social change takes place . By the time these cases appeared in court , so much damage had already been done . What our society needs is a solution on the front end . We should begin by considering six points : . Let 's stop glorifying single parenthood . Celebrity unwed parents like `` Brangelina , '' Halle Berry and the late Michael Jackson make matrimony seem unimportant and suggest that having a baby as a single parent is `` cool '' and even easy . Our children need a reality check . Many young people think that having a child means that they will finally have someone who will unconditionally love them . They do n't consider , however , that babies do not and can not love anyone but themselves , and they also take a tremendous amount of time , attention and resources . Memo to single mothers by choice : When you decide to have a child alone in order to fulfill your deep need to parent , you may be deliberately substituting your emotional loss for that of your child , who will have to grow up without a father . We need to respect the role of men as husbands and fathers when they do right by their families . Boys and girls need their fathers to love them and to model the sacrifice and commitment that bonds a married couple . Men who `` man up '' like this need our support and encouragement . Our state legislatures should revisit no-fault divorce laws that allow one party to a marriage to opt out of it too easily . Change now can result in change in the future . Although there are many success stories , children who grow up in single-parent families are less likely to enjoy the financial security , educational success and social skills of children living with their married parents . This only continues to fuel poverty and inequality in our country . By the way , I 'm neither a strait-laced goody-two-shoes nor Archie Bunker in heels . I would never condemn anyone who has had a child out of wedlock or who has gone through a divorce . I was a divorcee , and with two children , I was also a single mom . So I know that these things happen . Indeed , sometimes they must happen . And because they do , we need to respect every family form . But I 've been around long enough to know that as marriage goes , so go our children . And with them goes the future of our country . Consequently , everyone -- rich or poor , single or married or divorced , gay or straight , all races and colors , from the first family to the single-parent family -- benefits from a vibrant marriage culture . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Leah Ward Sears . | Leah Ward Sears : Couples unwilling to make commitment to rewarding marriage . Sears : Obamas exemplify good marriage , committed to reconcile differences and tough it out . Sears ' order of priorities : School , work , marriage with goal of spending life together , children . Advice : Stop glorifying single parenthood ; support dads and husbands ; revisit divorce law . | [[496, 581], [518, 523], [526, 581], [408, 416], [421, 483], [1735, 1751], [1757, 1781], [1784, 1797], [1889, 1897], [1900, 1915], [2673, 2715]] |
HARARE , Zimbabwe -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A desperate Zimbabwean farmer fighting to hold onto his land -- a year after the country 's political rivals pledged to govern jointly -- fears he will eventually lose to politics and violence . Ben Freeth 's farm was gutted by fire , as was his father-in-law 's . The power-sharing agreement included an undertaking by both parties to ensure property rights are upheld but farm attacks and invasions continue unabated in Zimbabwe . Charles Lock is one of an estimated 400 farmers who have remained in the country despite President Robert Mugabe 's policy of redistributing white-owned farms to landless blacks . `` Why do they want to remove me when I 've complied with everything they want ? What more do they want other than for me to pack my bags and leave and if that 's the case , then admit that that is the policy . Pass a law : no whites are allowed to farm . Then it makes it clear , '' Lock said . Since 2000 , Mugabe 's controversial land reform program has driven more than 4,000 commercial farmers off their land , destroying Zimbabwe 's once prosperous agricultural sector . `` When the land reform program began , we decided we were not going to have a confrontational attitude ; that we would actually go along with this program because it was the only way that this whole thing would be sorted out . So I voluntarily gave away my own farm and moved onto my father-in-law 's farm , '' Lock said . That was in 2002 . A year later the government came knocking on his door again , he said , demanding more land . Lock told CNN he eventually gave up 70 percent of his father-in-law 's farm , which he then owned . Now an army general is demanding Lock 's remaining 30 percent . When Zimbabwe 's new unity government was formed -- with Mugabe 's ZANU-PF and Morgan Tsvangirai 's Movement for Democratic Change -- in February this year , the general allegedly posted soldiers on Lock 's farm . The farmer said he stopped farming and trade at gun point . When CNN visited Lock 's farm this month , workers were standing idle . Maize and tobacco , which Lock said is worth more than U.S. $ 1 million , lay in storage . `` They 've switched off our irrigation system , taken out keys and stop our trucks if we want to deliver maize , '' he told CNN . So Lock had to sneak into his own property like a thief by cutting open the gate leading to his store room . He took a few valuables from his workshop suspecting that his whole place will soon be looted . With the formation of a unity government farmers were hoping for some protection but Lock said : `` Nothing is happening here . There is no land audit happening , no one comes out here to check , to see . We are just left vulnerable . '' On another farm , Ben Freeth 's fight for his land has just escalated to another level . Freeth has been repeatedly beaten , arrested and harassed . Now his farmhouse and that of his father-in-law have been gutted by a mysterious fire . See the destruction the fire caused . Freeth could not say for sure that this is arson but told CNN that the group of ZANU-PF youths who have occupied his farm have repeatedly threatened to burn his house . `` One time they came round with burning sacks at night and they started making a huge noise and ringing a great big bell and shouting and screaming . They were going underneath the thatch saying we are going to burn your house down if you do n't get out , '' he said . Freeth and his father-in-law Mike Campbell are among a group of Zimbabwean farmers who won the right to remain on their land at a southern African tribunal . But Mugabe has declared the ruling null and void and pulled out of the tribunal . Farmers can not contest land issues in Zimbabwe and approaching international courts has thus far not worked either . When CNN interviewed Mugabe 's minister of state , Didymas Mutasa , about the disregard for human and property rights on the farms , he blamed the farmers for the violence , saying landless blacks are getting frustrated with their refusal to relinquish their land . `` Human rights are beginning to be seen now because they benefit the whites , and when they were affecting blacks badly as they did the likes of us , it did n't matter and nobody raised anything about those human rights . `` And sometimes we say , good heavens , if that is the kind of human rights you are talking about , you better keep them away from us ; we do n't want to see them , '' he told CNN . But it is black farm workers who are caught in the cross fire . They continue to bear the brunt of the land reform program by repeatedly being beaten and intimidated . Some have even been killed . Tractor driver William Kale said it is farm laborers working for white farmers who are targeted . `` They actually say you the workers , you are ones that are supporting the white farmer . That is why he is carrying on farming and we refuse to go because we have nowhere to go , '' Kale told CNN . Many farmers and farm workers we spoke to say they are in a worse position now under the unity government than they were before . Lock said : `` When ZANU-PF was in power , you had hawks and doves in government and the doves were approachable and often helped us . But now that these positions are being shared with Mr. Tsvangirai 's MDC , Mr. Mugabe has only appointed hawks to his cabinet who insist on continuing the land reform program . And when it comes to the MDC , the land issue seems to be a hot potato they do not want to touch . I have asked Mr. Tsvangirai to intervene but nothing is happening . '' Prime Minister Tsvangirai refuted that . `` That is not true , '' he said . `` We initiated to find out who is being affected , the few remaining white farmers . Let 's be frank here , we are talking of farmers as being white , but to me any destruction of farm production affects the whole viability of agriculture . There should be no disruption of any farm activity . '' To those under siege these words are little comfort as they continue to fight a battle they are unlikely to win . | Zimbabwe white farmers battle continuing policy of land redistribution . One farmer shows CNN his fire-destroyed farmhouse . Controversial policy gives white-owned farms to landless blacks . Since 2000 , more than 4,000 commercial farmers driven off their land . | [[2888, 2975], [493, 649], [946, 956], [959, 1048]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A backlog in processing education benefits has forced the Department of Veterans Affairs to authorize millions of dollars in emergency funds for veterans who need the cash to pay for school . The Veterans Affairs department will give up to $ 3,000 to students who have n't received funds from education bills . The department announced Friday that it will issue up to $ 3,000 to students who have yet to receive the funds that the VA 's various education bills -- including the recently passed Post-9 / 11 GI Bill -- provide to help veterans pay for college . `` This is an extraordinary action we 're taking , '' VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said in a statement . `` But it 's necessary because we recognize the hardships some of our Veterans face . '' The VA estimates there are 75,000 veterans eligible for the emergency funds , including 25,000 veterans who have served since September 11 . VA statistics show more than 27,500 vets have already received benefits for housing or books under the new Post-9 / 11 GI Bill , and hundreds of thousands more have gotten benefits under its other programs . The delay in processing the benefits has created much consternation among veterans , with some worried they would have to drop out of school because of a lack of funds . The lag was caused because some schools have not yet filed for the tuition and because of a backlog at the Veterans Affairs offices , according to a department official . Any money given to eligible veterans will be deducted from the education benefits they are scheduled to receive and can be used for housing and books . The VA has been speaking to schools to ensure that veterans do not get kicked out if their tuition has not yet been paid , said VA spokeswoman Katie Roberts . `` Veterans were having a lot of financial issues , and we needed to address them , '' she said . To help with the influx of applications , the department has hired more than 700 extra processors . Veterans groups said the emergency funds were much needed . `` AMVETS is very happy with the swift action taken by the secretary . We suggested a similar solution earlier this month so we are happy to see they 're listening , '' said Ryan Galluci , a spokesman for AMVETS , a veterans ' service organization . | Backlog in tuition payments forces VA to authorize millions in emergency funds . VA estimates 75,000 veterans are eligible for the emergency funds . Delayed payments makes vets fear they may have to drop out of school . | [[0, 26], [54, 183], [1328, 1353], [1360, 1375], [1380, 1432], [1328, 1340], [1350, 1432], [782, 885], [1131, 1213], [1221, 1300]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Conan O'Brien suggested in a statement Tuesday that he will not accept NBC 's proposal to move him and `` The Tonight Show , '' which he 's hosted for seven months , to 12:05 a.m. ET . NBC has proposed moving `` The Tonight Show '' from its traditional 11:35 p.m. slot so that the show 's former host , Jay Leno , could host a half-hour show then . `` My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of ` The Tonight Show . ' But I can not participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction , '' O'Brien said . `` Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot does n't matter . But with the Tonight Show , I believe nothing could matter more . `` There has been speculation about my going to another network but , to set the record straight , I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next . My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff , crew , and I can do a show we can be proud of , for a company that values our work . '' Read O'Brien 's full statement . After Leno left `` The Tonight Show '' last year -- as part of an agreement reached six years ago giving it to O'Brien -- he began hosting `` The Jay Leno Show '' for NBC in the fall , airing at 10 p.m. ET . But ratings for the 10 p.m. show were low , and on Sunday , NBC announced that it was taking Leno out of the prime-time slot because the show `` did n't meet affiliates ' needs '' despite performing at acceptable levels for the network . The last show will air February 11 to make way for the 2010 Winter Olympics , which airs starting February 12 . Jeff Gaspin , chairman of NBC Universal Television Entertainment , said the plan was for Leno to host a new , half-hour show at 11:35 p.m. ET , followed by `` Tonight '' with O'Brien at 12:05 a.m. and Jimmy Fallon 's `` Late Night '' show moving to 1 a.m. . As of Sunday , NBC was still negotiating with the three hosts over the proposed lineup . iReport : Share your view on the late-night shakeup . O'Brien , in his statement Tuesday , said the plan was n't acceptable . `` For 60 years the ` Tonight Show ' has aired immediately following the late local news . I sincerely believe that delaying ` The Tonight Show ' into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting , '' O'Brien said . '' ` The Tonight Show ' at 12:05 simply is n't ` The Tonight Show . ' `` Also , if I accept this move I will be knocking the ` Late Night ' show , which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon , out of its long-held time slot . That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love , and it would be unfair to Jimmy . '' Fox 's president of entertainment , Kevin Reilly , told reporters on Monday that his network may be interested in O'Brien should he leave `` Tonight . '' `` I love him , '' Reilly said at the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena , California . `` It 's a very compatible fit for our brand . He is one of the few guys in the planet who has demonstrated he can do one of these shows every night . '' In monologues on their respective shows on Monday , Leno and O'Brien had zingers about the looming shakeup . `` NBC said the show performed exactly as they expected it would and then canceled us . Do n't confuse this -LSB- with -RSB- when we were on at late night and performed better than expected and they canceled us . That was totally different , '' Leno quipped . O'Brien had the following to say on his show Monday : . -- `` Good evening , I 'm Conan O'Brien , the new host of ` Last Call with Carson Daly . ' '' -- `` This weekend no one was seriously hurt , but a 6.5 earthquake hit California . The earthquake was so powerful that it knocked Jay Leno 's show from 10:00 to 11:35 . '' -- `` On the positive side , I have learned a valuable lesson from all this : Never sign a contract that ends with the word ` NOT . ' '' | Conan O'Brien : Moving ` Tonight Show ' would damage greatest franchise in TV history . O'Brien says he wants resolution with NBC quickly . O'Brien says he has no offers from other networks on the table . Fox 's president of entertainment has expressed interest in O'Brien . | [[2246, 2454], [933, 1064], [19, 105], [855, 886], [2817, 2850], [2868, 2948]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nearly two years into the recession , opinion about which political party is responsible for the severe economic downturn is shifting , according to a new national poll . A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Friday morning indicates that 38 percent of the public blames Republicans for the country 's current economic problems . In May , 53 percent blamed the GOP . According to the poll , 27 percent now blame the Democrats for the recession , up 6 points from May , and 27 percent now say both parties are responsible . `` The bad news for the Democrats is that the number of Americans who hold the GOP exclusively responsible for the recession has been steadily falling by about two to three points per month , '' said Keating Holland , CNN polling director . `` At that rate , only a handful of voters will blame the economy on the Republicans by the time next year 's midterm elections roll around . . '' Thirty-six percent of people questioned said that President Obama 's policies have improved economic conditions , with 28 percent feeling that the president 's programs have made things worse , and 35 percent saying what he 's done has had no effect on the economy . One reason for that , Holland said , may be the growing federal budget deficit : Two-thirds say that the government should balance the budget even in a time of war and recession . The survey indicates that only 18 percent said the economic conditions in the country today are good , down 3 points from August . Eighty-two percent said economic conditions are poor . `` Some economic indicators may suggest that the economy has turned the corner -- but try telling that to the American people , '' Holland said . The number of Americans who said the economy is in good shape -- a number that grew steadily through the spring and summer -- has now stalled , with fewer than one in five expressing a positive view of current conditions . More than eight in 10 say that economic conditions are in poor shape , with 43 percent calling them very poor . The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted November 13-15 , with 1,014 adult Americans questioned by telephone . The survey sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points . CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report . | 38 percent blame Republicans , 27 percent blame Democrats . In May , 53 percent blamed Republicans for economic mess . Rising federal deficit may partly explain shift , CNN polling director says . Only 18 percent say economic conditions are good . | [[201, 236], [261, 366], [428, 480], [367, 373], [376, 403], [1215, 1234], [1237, 1293], [1395, 1525], [1421, 1486]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The driver of a charter bus that overturned on a Minnesota freeway , killing two women , may have had a medical emergency , a spokesman for the State Patrol said Thursday . `` One factor being considered is whether the driver suffered a medical episode while behind the wheel , '' Patrol Capt. Matt Langer said . The driver , 52-year-old Edwin Erickson of Elgin , was hospitalized in serious condition , authorities said . Langer said he had a valid driver 's license . The women who died , both from Minnesota , were identified Thursday as Rhonda Hill , 52 , of Plainview and Pamela Holmquist , 56 , of Kasson . The accident happened Wednesday after the bus left a casino in Rochester , Minnesota , headed for Northwood , Iowa , Langer said . Watch video of tour bus crash site . Erickson and 21 passengers were injured when the bus went out of control outside Austin , Minnesota , authorities said . They said two people were in critical condition , and one person was unhurt . Andy Skoogman , spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety , said the bus was eastbound on Interstate 90 when it veered across a median and westbound lanes before overturning and landing in a ditch on the side of the road . The wreck happened three miles west of Austin . No other vehicles were involved . Authorities said weather conditions did n't appear to be a factor in the accident . | Charter bus overturned on Minnesota freeway , killing two women . Driver hospitalized in serious condition ; officials looking into possibility of `` medical episode '' 22 people were aboard bus en route to Iowa casino ; only one unhurt . | [[33, 46], [52, 85], [0, 15], [88, 105], [489, 576], [0, 15], [108, 140], [192, 294], [332, 342], [375, 420], [975, 998]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Intensifying violence , food shortages and widespread drought are driving an increasing number of Somalis to seek asylum in Yemen , the United Nations ' refugee agency said Tuesday . A man brandishes a knife while others carry old notes during a demonstration against record-high inflation . More than 15,000 refugees have arrived in the Yemeni port city of Aden since January , compared with 7,166 people in the first four months of 2007 , according to a spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees . Many of those seeking asylum brave treacherous boat trips across the Gulf of Aden . Consequently , the number of boats landing in Aden has jumped from 60 to 361 since January while the number of fatalities has remained constant , according to UNHCR . The agency attributed the surge to strife in Somalia , where riots continued in the capital city of Mogadishu for the second day Tuesday . According to news reports , Somali soldiers killed at least two people Monday during the protests over rising food prices . Watch protesters take to the streets '' Somali refugees pay as much as $ 150 to cross the Gulf of Aden in search of asylum . Because of its proximity to the war-torn country , Yemen is a common destination for Somalis fleeing economic hardship , famine and war . Yemen is also an attractive location because Somalis receive automatic refugee status in the fellow Muslim country . New smuggling routes across the Red Sea have also led to increased numbers of refugees in Yemen , according to the UNHCR . Refugees often die before reaching Yemen because of dangerous sea conditions and overcrowded vessels . Others die at the hands of their smugglers , who order the passengers to jump overboard when the Yemeni coast guard approaches the vessel . Yemen 's coast guard stepped up patrols of its coastline this year in an attempt to deter smugglers , according to the UNHCR , which operates shelters and reception centers for refugees in Yemen . The coast guard has also seized boats and given them Somali fishermen affected by the 2004 tsunami . | Agency attributes surging number of refugees in Yemen to unrest in Somalia . More than 15,000 refugees have come to port city of Aden since January . New routes across the Red Sea to Yemen also contributing to increase . | [[0, 148], [795, 847], [311, 395], [311, 336], [398, 457], [311, 336], [460, 543], [1438, 1533], [1438, 1477], [1536, 1560]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Leading figures from Poland to the United States have been paying tribute to Marek Edelman , the anti-Nazi resistance fighter and Solidarity movement supporter who died Friday . Marek Edelman was one of the leaders of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in World War II . Edelman was one of the leaders of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising , `` the largest , symbolically most important Jewish uprising '' against the Nazis during World War II , according to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum . Polish President Lech Kaczynski and Prime Minister Donald Tusk both issued statements mourning Edelman . Tusk called him an `` exceptional man , '' saying `` his bravery was a testament to the courage of the fighters of the Jewish Fighting Organization , '' as the largest Jewish resistance movement in the ghetto was known . The prime minister also praised him for standing up against the Polish Communist government 's anti-Semitic campaign of 1968 , and hailed him as an example for free , democratic Poland . The U.S. State Department saluted `` his life dedicated to the defense of human dignity and freedom . The United States stands with Poland as it mourns the loss of a great man . '' Edelman is thought to have been the last surviving commander of the uprising , in which Jews fought Nazi efforts to send them to concentration camps . Armed with pistols , some rifles and automatic weapons , and hand-made grenades , the resistance fighters attacked the Germans and their allies when they tried to liquidate the Warsaw Ghetto in April 1943 . The Nazis had planned to round up all the ghetto 's Jews in three days , but in the end it took them more than a month -- longer than some countries held out against Hitler 's armies . The Nazis reduced the ghetto to rubble in the process of flushing resistance fighters out of their bunkers . Edelman was in one of the last groups to hold out in the headquarters of the Jewish Fighting Organization at 18 Mila Street . In the final days of the uprising he was able to sneak out of the ghetto by way of the city 's sewers , he wrote after the war . He went on to fight in the Warsaw Polish Uprising , a two-month battle against the Nazis in 1944 , undertaken primarily by non-Jewish Poles . After the war , Edelman became a cardiologist . In the late 1940s , he published a short history of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in Polish , Yiddish , and English , called `` The Ghetto Fights . '' In it , he described the creation of the ghetto by the Nazis . `` In November 1940 , the Germans finally established the Warsaw Ghetto . The Jewish population still living outside the ` Seuchensperrgebiet ' -LRB- ` Quarantined Zone ' -RRB- was brought inside the special area . Poles living within the designated ghetto boundaries were ordered to move out , '' he wrote . `` Beginning with November 15 , no Jew was allowed to leave the Jewish precincts . All houses vacated by Jews were immediately locked by the Germans and then , with all their contents , gratuitously given to Polish merchants and hucksters ... . The walls and barbed wire surrounding the ghetto grew higher every day until , on November 15 , they completely cut off the Jews from the outside world . '' Hunger and disease were rife in the ghetto , he wrote . `` People began to die of hunger in the streets . Every morning , about 4-5 a.m. , funeral carts collected a dozen or more corpses on the streets that had been covered with a sheet of paper and weighted down with a few rocks . Some simply fell in the streets and remained there , '' Edelman remembered . Jews organized a local government and Socialist unions , but conditions became progressively worse in the ghetto , with the Nazis summarily executing people . Nazis then began deporting Jews to concentration camps -- sometimes with the help of Jewish collaborators in the ghetto -- Edelman wrote . By that time , many in the ghetto knew the Nazis were systematically murdering Jews in the camps , he recalled . He describes in detail the spring 1943 uprising , a street-by-street battle that ended with the ghetto in ruins . Edelman 's history finishes simply , listing the handful of survivors of the hundreds who fought back . `` Those who had gone over to the ` Aryan side ' continued the partisan fight in the woods . The majority perished eventually . The small group that was still alive at the time took an active part in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising as the ` ZOB Group . ' At present the following of our comrades are still among the living : Chajka Betchatowska , B. Szpigel , Chana Krysztal , Masza Glejtman , and Marek Edelman . '' During the early 1980s Edelman was active with Solidarity , the Polish trade union movement that opposed the Communist government . French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner awarded him the Legion of Honor in 2008 , on a visit to Poland marking the 65th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising . Edelman was born in 1921 , according to Yad Vashem , Israel 's Holocaust museum . He was buried in Warsaw 's Jewish cemetery on Friday , the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported . | Marek Edelman was one of the leaders of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising . Both Polish President Lech Kaczynski and Prime Minister Donald Tusk pay tribute . Edelman is thought to have been the last surviving commander of the uprising . During early 1980s Edelman was active with Polish trade union movement , Solidarity . | [[197, 281], [282, 342], [499, 561], [567, 603], [197, 281], [282, 342], [1193, 1269], [4611, 4668]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Russia 's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin held talks with Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao in Beijing Tuesday , as the two countries agreed to bilateral economic and trade deals worth $ 4 billion , Chinese state media reported . Wen hosted a welcome ceremony for Putin at the Great Hall of the People at the start of a three-day visit , before their private talks and a larger session involving ministers from both sides , Xinhua said . `` Russia and China have become genuine and comprehensive strategic and cooperative partners in recent years , '' Putin was quoted by Xinhua as saying . Bilateral relations have become stable and mature since the forging of diplomatic ties 60 years ago and particularly the establishment of the Russia-China strategic cooperative partnership in 1996 , Wen told reporters . Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov said the deals included two $ 500-million-dollar banking deals -- one involving Russia 's Vnesheconombank -LRB- VEB -RRB- and the China Development Bank and the other between Russia 's VTB bank and the Agricultural Bank of China , Agence France-Presse reported . Chinese and Russian negotiators also met Tuesday `` to exchange views on China-Russia energy cooperation , '' according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement . In April , the two countries signed agreements on oil cooperation , while a memorandum of understanding on natural gas cooperation in followed in June . But negotiations over the pricing of the gas have reportedly remained a major obstacle to a final deal , AFP said . However , Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan , who met with Zhukov at a joint economic forum earlier Tuesday , told reporters that the China-Russia oil pipeline project was going smoothly and the loan China pledged to Russia had been implemented , Xinhua said . The construction on the China section of an oil pipeline from Siberia started in May . The 1,030-kilometer -LRB- 640-mile -RRB- pipeline runs from Skovorodino , Russia , to the city of Daqing in northeastern China . It is expected to go into operation by the end of 2010 and carry 15 million tons of crude oil annually from Russia to China from 2011 to 2030 , Xinhua added . | China 's premier Wen Jiabao meets Vladimir Putin in Beijing . The two leaders agree multi-billion dollar trade , cooperation deals . Two sides also negotiating over energy cooperation . Work started in May on oil pipeline supplying China from Russia . | [[130, 192], [1135, 1166], [1172, 1239], [1826, 1912]] |
Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Demonstrators entered their third day of a building takeover at UC Santa Cruz on Saturday in protest of a tuition increase , an undertaking that a school spokesman called futile . The occupation of Kerr Hall is just one of several demonstrations across University of California campuses this week after the regent 's board approved a 32 percent increase in tuition Thursday . University officials said the $ 505 million to be raised by the tuition increases is needed to prevent even deeper cuts than those already made due to California 's persistent financial crisis . Protesting students said the increase will hurt working and middle-class students who benefit from state-funded education . On the Santa Cruz campus , where building occupations began last week with a library sit-in , about 100 students staged a sit-in in the second-floor lobby of Kerr Hall soon after hearing that the tuition increase had been approved , according to UC Santa Cruz Provost David Kliger . The students made a list of 20 `` demands '' detailing how they want the administration to increase funding , spokesman Barry Shiller said . But the school has no plans to negotiate the demands with the student body , he said . The school just does n't have the money , he added . School officials hope the students realize that their demonstration is `` not accomplishing anything '' and is `` just a disruption '' to administrative duties on campus , he said . The administration will continue to wait out the takeover , but Shiller said he is unsure of how long it will last . The school hopes the students will leave voluntarily , he said . Are you there ? Share your story , video . Meanwhile , uprisings on other campuses have quieted since earlier mass demonstrations . At UC Berkeley on Friday night , 41 protesters occupying a building were arrested . Authorities decided to cite them for trespassing and release them rather than take them to jail , per an agreement with student leaders , school spokeswoman Claire Holmes said . Three students were arrested there Friday morning . Fifty-two students were arrested at UC Davis late Thursday after they refused to vacate the school 's administration building . And UCLA 's Campbell Hall was occupied for several hours Thursday evening . The angry students are condemning a nearly $ 2,000 tuition increase . The first change , which takes effect in January , will raise undergraduate tuition to $ 8,373 . The second increase kicks in next fall , raising tuition to $ 10,302 , university spokeswoman Leslie Sepuka said . Students who live on campus could pay an estimated $ 17,200 in additional fees that include the annual cost of books and housing , according to the system 's July 2008 finance guide . The January increase of about 15 percent is more than double the average public university tuition increase last year . On average , tuition and fees at four-year public universities nationwide increased 6.5 percent , or to $ 7,020 , since the previous school year , according to data from College Board . Students eligible for financial aid and whose families make less than $ 70,000 will have their tuition covered , the university said . | Students continue to occupy UC-Santa Cruz hall in protest of fee increases . University officials say they need to raise $ 505 million to avoid further cuts . Students issue demands to administration ; official says there will be no negotiations . | [[44, 133], [739, 763], [833, 906], [420, 550], [1167, 1237]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Brazilian authorities on Thursday ruled the death of former world boxing champion Arturo Gatti a suicide , according to local media reports . Arturo Gatti was found dead on July 11 in a rented condo in Brazil , where his family was vacationing . Gatti 's death initially had been investigated as a murder . The boxer 's widow , Amanda Carina Barbosa Rodrigues , who had been arrested as a suspect , was released from jail Thursday , the newspaper O Diario de Pernambuco reported . Her lawyer , Celio Avelino , argued that it `` would have been impossible for her to suspend and hang a man of that size '' . Gatti was found dead on July 11 in a rented condo in Brazil , where he was taking a vacation with Rodrigues and their young child . Police found strangulation marks on Gatti 's neck and a blood-stained purse strap at the scene . The public safety ministry of the northeastern Pernambuco state said investigators determined that Gatti hanged himself in a stairwell , the newspaper O Globo reported . Police official Paulo Alberes said Gatti used the purse strap to end his life , O Diario de Pernambuco reported . The 37-year-old Canadian , who was born in Italy and made his name as a fighter based in New Jersey , was staying in the northeast seaside resort of Porto de Galihnas . Gatti made his reputation in his renowned trilogy of fights against `` Irish '' Micky Ward , losing the first but triumphing in the other two . He was a former International Boxing Federation -LRB- IBF -RRB- super-featherweight champion and World Boxing Council -LRB- WBC -RRB- light-welterweight champ . Gatti retired in 2007 after suffering a knockout defeat by Alfonso Gomez , ending with a record of 40 wins and nine losses , 31 by knockout . He grew up in Montreal , Canada , after leaving Italy at an early age , and returned to the city after his retirement . Gatti 's suicide came less than two weeks after another world champion boxer took his own life . On July 1 , three-time world boxing champion Alexis Arguello , who was the mayor of the Nicaraguan capital of Managua , was found dead in his home from a gunshot wound to the chest . He was 57 . A third boxer , former welterweight champion Vernon Forrest , died last week after being shot multiple times in a neighborhood southwest of downtown Atlanta , Georgia . | Gatti 's death initially investigated as a murder . His wife , arrested as suspect , freed on Thursday , newspaper says . Gatti was a junior lightweight champ and a junior welterweight champ . | [[265, 325], [326, 344], [347, 415], [326, 344], [408, 449]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rapper and actor Clifford Smith , better known to fans as Method Man , was arrested Monday and faces charges of failing to pay taxes , the district attorney in Richmond County , New York , said . Clifford Smith , better known as Method Man , failed to file tax returns and owes $ 33,000 , authorities say . Smith , 38 , owes the state nearly $ 33,000 for New York State income tax returns that he did not file between 2004 and 2007 , district attorney Daniel Donovan Jr. said in a statement . The Grammy-winning rapper , an original member of the Wu-Tang Clan , was arrested at his home on Staten Island . He faces a felony charge of repeated failure to file taxes and a misdemeanor charge of failure to pay tax . The felony carries a sentence of up to four years in prison . Smith was to appear at an arraignment in Staten Island Criminal Court on Monday . Smith 's attorney Peter Frankel was not immediately available to comment . | Clifford Smith , aka Method Man , did n't file state income tax returns , authorities say . State of New York says he owes $ 33,000 for 2004-2007 . Felony charges carry four-year prison sentence . | [[0, 24], [123, 160], [224, 238], [241, 267], [224, 238], [270, 314], [317, 334], [224, 238], [270, 314], [335, 340], [348, 408], [742, 803]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. President Barack Obama met Monday night with his national security team on Afghanistan and Pakistan , the White House announced . It was the ninth meeting of the president 's war council to consider whether to send more troops to Afghanistan , as requested by the U.S. commander on the ground there . The White House made no statement after the meeting ended at 10 p.m. ET -LRB- 0300 GMT -RRB- . The meeting included Vice President Joe Biden , Defense Secretary Robert Gates , Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen , Afghanistan commanding Gen. Stanley McChrystal , U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry and other senior officials , the White House said earlier . At the last war council meeting -- on November 11 , Veteran 's Day -- Obama pushed for revisions in proposed plans for troop increases to clarify how and when U.S. troops would turn over responsibility to the Afghan government . Obama would seek answers to the questions he posed on November 11 about `` not just how we get people there , but what 's the strategy for getting them out , '' White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said before the meeting . No matter what happened at the meeting , Gibbs said , Obama will not announce a decision on troop deployment until at least next week . One option calls for sending about 34,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan in addition to the 68,000 already committed to the country , with other options involving variations of that plan , sources told CNN . Before the November 11 meeting , Gen. David Petraeus , the top U.S. military commander in the Middle East , told CNN that the decision-making process was approaching completion . Petraeus emphasized the need to focus on the mission of ensuring that Afghanistan `` does not once again become a sanctuary or safe haven for al Qaeda and the kind of transnational extremists that carried out the 9/11 attacks . '' The Obama administration has expressed concerns about Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai 's viability and has ratcheted up pressure to end corruption in order to combat an intensifying Taliban insurgency . Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , on a trip to Afghanistan last week to attend Karzai 's inauguration after his recent re-election , reiterated the U.S. concerns in a dinner meeting with Karzai and encouraged him to seize the `` clear window of opportunity '' before him at a `` critical moment '' in Afghanistan 's history . The United States and other countries are increasing their civilian presence in Afghanistan to bolster efforts to stabilize the country , the the U.S. special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan , Richard Holbrooke , told reporters on Monday . Asked about the corruption problem , Holbrooke noted that some Afghan government ministers have `` extraordinary records '' of accomplishment . The United States will work with those ministers , while recognizing that years of civil war and social woes have weakened overall leadership capabilities in Afghanistan , he said . `` This is one of the main reasons we 're increasing our civilian role , '' Holbrooke said . `` And it 's extremely delicate to get the mix right . We want to help the Afghans help themselves . We do not want to replace a sovereign government with internationals . '' Republican opponents are pushing Obama to quickly agree to McChrystal 's reported request for up to 40,000 additional troops in Afghanistan as part of a counterinsurgency strategy . `` This wo n't be perfect or easy , but it will allow America 's fighting men and women to leave Afghanistan with honor , and it will enable Afghans to build a better , more peaceful future , '' said a letter to Obama from 10 Republican senators sent on Veteran 's Day . | NEW : White House makes no statement after meeting ended . Obama will not announce decision until at least next week . Meeting included Biden , Gates , Mullen , McChrystal , Eikenberry , White House says . Obama wanted clarification on how , when U.S. troops would turn over responsibility . | [[336, 430], [1213, 1223], [1226, 1300], [1226, 1307], [137, 164], [431, 687], [840, 949]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Billy Ray Cyrus may be a country boy at heart , but he is also pretty savvy when it comes to navigating Hollywood . Billy Ray Cyrus has a full plate with acting , touring , composing and being a dad . When others wrote him off as a novelty act after the 1992 hit `` Achy Breaky Heart , '' Cyrus kept making music and eventually turned to acting . It was a decision he said came after some well-timed fatherly advice . `` In the mid - '90s , my dad said to me ` Son , you 've got all of your eggs in one basket and you are living and dying by music , ' '' Cyrus recalled . `` He said ' I want you to have a career like Kenny Rogers . ' '' Cyrus said his dad suggested he branch out into acting . Cyrus eventually auditioned for and won a role in what appeared to be an unlikely vehicle -- David Lynch 's 2001 film `` Mulholland Drive . '' After Lynch , known for such works as `` Blue Velvet '' and `` Twin Peaks , '' suggested that Cyrus should continue to pursue the craft , he went on to star in the television drama `` Doc , '' which also helped spur the career of Cyrus ' greatest production -- `` Hannah Montana '' star , and Cyrus ' daughter , Miley Cyrus . Now , with the release of `` Hannah Montana : The Movie '' on Blu-ray and DVD , a music tour and an upcoming role in a film featuring comedian George Lopez and martial arts expert Jackie Chan , Cyrus is staying busy . He recently took some time out of his hectic schedule to talk to CNN about how he keeps it all together , how he manages raising a family full of performers -LRB- son Trace is a member of the band Metro Station , daughter Brandi performs with the band Frank and Derol and also acts , as do younger children Braison and Noah -RRB- and what makes him a good fit for Hollywood . CNN : What do you like about `` Hannah Montana : The Movie ? '' Billy Ray Cyrus : I think it 's got a certain amount of realism to it with art imitating life imitating art . It certainly parallels a lot of things in mine and Miley 's real world and real lives . I wrote the song `` Back to Tennessee '' and as I read the script for the movie , `` Back to Tennessee '' became a cornerstone of the film and the title track off the album . The realism of the film translates into the music , and I think vice versa . CNN : The film speaks to never losing touch with your roots . How important is that to you ? Cyrus : Extremely . My dad told me as a kid to always be aware of where you are , always have a vision for your future , but never forget where you came from . CNN : You 've had careers in both music and acting . Do you still feel a bit like a fish out of water dealing with Hollywood ? Cyrus : I love Hollywood as far as being an actor . Getting to work with Jackie Chan and George Lopez in this new film we have coming out in January -LSB- `` The Spy Next Door '' -RSB- , working with Heather Locklear and Patricia Neal in the Lifetime movie `` Flying By '' and Brooke Shields , who has appeared as my deceased wife on `` Hannah Montana . '' I look back at it now and think that I may fit in more to the film community than I do Nashville , to tell you the truth . I love what I do . CNN : Do you have a preference , then , for acting over music ? Cyrus : My preference is to find projects that can combine the two . I also love to write scores . I wrote a lot of the scores for `` Doc '' and I love to write scores for other projects . CNN : How do you balance being a star with being a dad ? Cyrus : The very best I can . I just take it one step at a time and do the best I can . My dad was to me what I try to be to Miley , which is somewhat of a best friend . I try my best to be a good daddy and if she wants to talk about business or music I try my best to be a good manager . I try to be all of those things because that 's what my dad was to me . Unfortunately , my dad passed away four years ago from mesothelioma , but I feel like in some ways my dad is looking down on me and smiling . His name was Ronald Ray Cyrus and a lot of people say Miley changed her name to Miley Ray because of Billy Ray , but that 's not true . She did that in honor of my dad , because the two of them just loved each other to pieces . CNN : So will Miley ever remake `` Achy Breaky Heart '' ? Cyrus : I doubt it , but anything is a possibility . In 1991 I recorded `` Achy Breaky Heart '' and we are not too terribly far away from the 20-year anniversary , and there are some major stars who want to re-do that song . I 'm flirting with the idea . There 's one cat in particular that if I told you who it was , it would blow your mind . But I 've got to keep it under my hat right now . | Billy Ray Cyrus has worked steadily since 1992 's `` Achy Breaky Heart '' Singer turned to acting on advice of father and director David Lynch . Says he prefers working on projects that combine acting and music . He wo n't reveal the big-name artists he says want to remake his hit . | [[220, 302], [305, 331], [220, 277], [305, 313], [336, 365], [366, 436], [373, 383], [392, 436], [657, 713], [668, 713], [3242, 3255], [3259, 3302], [4437, 4493]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iranian authorities confiscated the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize given to human rights activist Shirin Ebadi , Norway said Thursday . `` The medal and the diploma have been removed from Dr. Ebadi 's bank box , together with other personal items . Such an act leaves us feeling shock and disbelief , '' Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store said in a written statement . Norway did not explain how it had learned of the alleged confiscation , and there was no immediate reaction from Iran . Norway 's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a written statement that it `` has reacted strongly '' and summoned the Iranian charge d'affaires on Wednesday afternoon to protest the move . During the meeting with the Iranian charge d'affaires , State Secretary Gry Larsen also expressed `` grave concern '' about how Ebadi 's husband has allegedly been treated . `` Earlier this autumn , he -LSB- Ebadi 's husband -RSB- was arrested in Tehran and severely beaten . His pension has been stopped and his bank account has been frozen , '' the statement from Norway said . Store said in the statement that it marked the `` first time a Nobel Peace Prize has been confiscated by national authorities . '' The peace prize is one of five awarded annually since 1901 by the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm , Sweden . The other four prizes are for physiology or medicine , physics , chemistry and literature . Starting in 1969 , the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel also has been awarded . While the other prizes are awarded by committees based in Sweden , the peace prize is determined by a five-member panel appointed by the Norwegian parliament . Ebadi received the prize for her focus on human rights , especially on the struggle to improve the status of women and children . A statement from the Nobel committee at the time said , `` As a lawyer , judge , lecturer , writer and activist , she has spoken out clearly and strongly in her country , Iran , and far beyond its borders . '' | Shirin Ebadi received prize for focus on human rights , especially women and children . Norway did not explain how it had learned of the alleged confiscation . The medal and the diploma have been removed from Dr. Ebadi 's bank box , say officials . | [[51, 121], [1686, 1740], [389, 458], [147, 220]] |
NEW HAVEN , Connecticut -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A quiet rendition of `` Amazing Grace '' capped an emotional candlelight vigil Monday night for slain Yale University student Annie Le , whose body was found on what was to have been her wedding day . Students at Yale attend a candlelight vigil for Annie Le Monday night . Several hundred people turned out on the Yale campus for the vigil , crying and hugging each other . Le 's roommate , Natalie Powers , said the 24-year-old graduate student in pharmacology `` was as good a human being as you 'd ever hope to meet . '' `` She was also really tenacious and had a sense of humor that was never far away , and she was tougher than you 'd think by just looking at her , '' Powers said . `` That this horrible tragedy happened at all is incomprehensible . But that it happened to her I think is infinitely more so . It seems completely senseless . '' Connecticut state medical examiners announced Monday that the body found in a Yale medical research building over the weekend was that of Le , who had been missing for nearly a week . Her body was found Sunday hidden in a basement wall . Bloody clothes were found hidden above tiles in a drop ceiling elsewhere in the same building , investigators said . Le was last seen entering the building Tuesday morning . Thomas Kaplan , editor-in-chief of the Yale Daily News , said Le `` really had everything going for her . '' `` She was a top scholar . She was very outgoing , a warm person , '' Kaplan said . `` You know , she was diminutive in stature , but certainly not in personality . And that 's what I think just makes this so sad for everyone , regardless of whether you knew her . It 's just a tragedy . '' Le 's death is being investigated as a homicide , but Connecticut medical examiners released no further information beyond the identification . A candlelight vigil in her honor was scheduled for Monday evening on the campus . A Yale professor said on Monday that the building has good security and only certain people can enter , let alone access certain areas . Professor Gary Rudnick , who interviewed Le when she applied for admission to the graduate program in pharmacology , said it gives him the sense that there could be a `` murderer among us . '' No suspects are in custody , but investigators are questioning several people in the case , New Haven Police spokesman Joe Avery said . Watch a report about the case '' Kaplan said Le 's killing has left Yale students shocked and wary . `` Only Yalies had access to that basement , and that seems to point to someone in our community being involved in this , '' Kaplan said . `` That 's what is so frightening . '' Authorities have not described the clothes that were found , nor said to whom they may have belonged . Teams of investigators at a Connecticut State Police lab worked through the weekend processing and examining the blood-stained clothes . Kaplan said a Yale police official told the newspaper the clothes were not what Le was wearing when she entered the building . At a meeting Monday for members of the campus community , Yale officials discussed security and provided an update on the investigation . A faculty member and a student who attended the meeting told CNN that Yale officials said police have narrowed down suspects . Security cameras captured video of Le as she entered the four-story lab building at 10 Amistad Street , about 10 blocks from the main campus , six days ago . After poring over hours of surveillance tapes , authorities said they had not found images of her leaving the building . Rudnick described security in the building as `` very good . '' It had restricted access , and simply having a Yale ID card was not enough to get in , he said . Within the building , one had to have special access to enter certain areas , he said . Le was to be married Sunday on New York 's Long Island to Jonathan Widawsky , a graduate student at Columbia University . `` Annie has been planning this wedding for over a year with John , and she was very excited . She 's been doing a countdown to her wedding day , '' Jennifer Simpson , a friend in Sacramento , told the CBS `` Early '' show . `` She was doing weather patterns to make sure that the weather would be perfect on her wedding day . She just wanted everything to be perfect , everything down to table napkins , to flowers . Annie was very , very excited about this day . '' Investigators searched a waste facility Sunday that normally handles garbage from the Yale lab , said William Reiner of the FBI 's New Haven office . The search took place at the Resources Recovery Authority landfill in Hartford , near New Haven . `` In a situation like this , it 's common for us to follow the trash , '' Reiner said . Yale University President Richard Levin , in a statement to the campus community , said , `` Our hearts go out to Annie Le 's family , fiancé and friends . '' The school sent out information Monday from Vice President and Secretary Linda Lorimer saying , `` We are cooperating in all possible ways with the police to ensure they find every shred of physical evidence in the building so they can solve this horrible crime without delay . When the building does reopen , there will be extra security both inside and outside the facility for the foreseeable future . '' Lorimer added , `` To augment the substantial security already in place at the Medical School , Yale moved last week to increase security and police patrols on the streets in the area and to add a new bicycle patrol . Yale also added security personnel inside Sterling Hall of Medicine , where Annie Le had her lab . '' The school has made grief counselors available , as well as a 24-hour help line number . `` The university chaplain 's office is available to offer pastoral counseling and can put members of the community in contact with those of many faiths and denominations , '' the message from Lorimer said . Le , a resident of Placerville , California , seemed to have been well aware of the risks of crime in a university town . In February , she compared crime and safety at Yale to other Ivy League schools for a piece for B magazine , published by the medical school . Among the tips she offered : Keep a minimum amount on your person . And she practiced what she preached , Simpson told the `` Early '' show . `` Annie always made sure she was safe , '' Simpson said . `` She does n't walk around at night by herself . If she had to work late , she would make sure someone could come pick her up or walk with her . '' When she walked over to the research building on Tuesday , she left her purse , credit cards and cell phone in her office . Vanessa Flores , Le 's former roommate , wondered whether the magazine article had something to do with Le 's death . `` The only thing I can possibly think of right now is maybe a psychopath , an antisocial person who -- I do n't know -- maybe got upset about what she wrote about back in February about not being safe , and just kind of wanted to prove her wrong . '' Le , originally from California , graduated from Union Mine High School in 2003 , where she was named `` Best of the Best , '' and `` Most Likely To Be The Next Einstein . '' `` She was very smart , well-rounded , liked by peers and very involved in school , '' high school principal Tony DeVille told CNN affiliate WFSB . Le set the bar high for herself , writing in her profile for the National Institutes of Health that she was interested in studying and researching regenerative medicine and hoped to remain working at at NIH or become a professor . Her friends remembered her as one of the nicest people they had ever met . Laurel Griffeath , a high school friend , told NBC 's `` Today '' show in Le had a beaming personality matched with impressive intelligence , a girl who `` had it all . '' `` Annie was just an amazing person , and I know that when tragedies happen , people always say that , but she truly was , '' Griffeath told the `` Today '' show . `` She was probably the most brilliant person I 've ever met in my life , but what made her more amazing was that there was an intersection of intelligence and personality and ability and she worked hard and she was great with people and she cared about people and she was funny and she did n't sacrifice one part of her life for another like a lot of people kind of seem to . `` She just really kind of had it all . She was really amazing . '' CNN 's Susan Candiotti , Mary Snow and LaNeice Collins contributed to this report . | NEW : Roommate says horrible tragedy is `` incomprehensible '' Grad student Annie Le 's remains found Sunday in basement wall in building . Le , 24 , was last seen entering the building Tuesday morning . Police : No suspects in custody , but investigators questioning several people . | [[731, 760], [777, 798], [135, 177], [180, 243], [952, 1034], [1078, 1131], [1097, 1131], [1249, 1260], [1266, 1305], [1249, 1251], [1261, 1305], [2295, 2351]] |
Atlanta , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kevin Garibo has n't known life outside a hospital . Born three months ago with respiratory issues , he needed a procedure to breathe on his own . Nurses prod at him , medical machines hum around him and tubes are more present than teddy bears . But in the arms of Chris Haack , who strokes his cheek and speaks in a soft whisper while rocking him in a chair , little Kevin is one blissed-out baby . Haack , a retired nurse from Roswell , Georgia , is a trained volunteer with `` Baby Buddies , '' a program in the neonatal intensive care unit at Children 's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston . As nurses race around administering medical care , she can comfort the tiny patients and stand in for parents who ca n't be there all the time to give the positive attention -- not the attention associated with pain or discomfort -- that is key to a baby 's development and integral in forming trust . `` They need to be touched , they need to be loved , and that face -- that 's why I do it , '' Haack says , peering down with a smile at Kevin , whose eyes are locked on hers . `` I get more out of it than I probably give . '' Studies show that giving , which extends beyond packages wrapped in ribbons , does a person good . In this holiday season , CNN introduces with this story a special series we 're calling `` Giving in Focus : The 12 Days of Goodness , '' in which we 'll highlight acts of kindness and generosity that we hope will inspire . Has someone done a good deed for you ? Share your story . One person who can attest to the power of giving is Cami Walker , a 36-year-old woman who received a prescription to give when her multiple sclerosis , a diagnosis she got at age 33 , left her a physical and emotional wreck . She could barely get out of bed , and yet Mbali Creazzo , a friend and spiritual mentor , single-handedly killed Walker 's pity party . She said , '' ` Cami , you really need to stop thinking about yourself . ... You 're feeding this disease , ' '' Walker remembers . `` She said , ' I have a prescription for you . Give away 29 gifts in 29 days . ' '' Creazzo , a South African born medicine woman who lives in Oakland , California , explained that the idea , rooted in indigenous practices , was taught to her , although the number of days prescribed may have been different . `` Altruism has been going on for thousands of years , '' said Creazzo , 58 . `` Why it 's so powerful at this moment is because of what 's happening in the world today . People are looking for that place inside of them where they are of some use . '' Walker , who lives in Hollywood , California , dismissed Creazzo 's suggestion at first but came back to it when she realized she had nothing to lose by trying . What followed made her a convert to the idea . Whether she simply called a friend to offer support or bought iced-tea for a homeless guy on a hot day , the simple actions made a difference . She said her mood lifted , her ability to get around improved and the progression of the disease stopped . `` I do n't see it as a cure . I still have MS , '' said Walker , who went on to write the best-seller `` 29 Gifts : How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life '' and create an online community at 29gifts . org , where Creazzo is also involved . `` I really do n't think about the limitations of my disease . I wake up more focused on what I 'm capable of . '' A long list of scientific and widely accepted studies point to the benefits a giver gets , said Stephen Post , author of `` Why Good Things Happen to Good People : How to Live a Longer , Healthier , Happier Life by the Simple Act of Giving . '' One study looked at preteens who 'd first been surveyed in the 1920s in Berkeley , California . Those who displayed generosity and a giving attitude grew up to have lower rates of heart disease and depression , said Post , a professor of preventive medicine and director of the Center for Medical Humanities , Compassionate Care , and Bioethics at Stony Brook University in New York . A study done at Harvard showed the strength of immune systems grew among students who watched a film about Mother Theresa , he said , and stayed high among those who were asked to continue thinking about giving . MRI devices have illustrated that the part of the brain that releases `` feel-good chemicals , '' he said , lights up when giving 's on the mind . Post , who 's also the president of The Institute for Research on Unlimited Love , said hormone levels tied to serenity , trust and compassion rise when people exhibit generous behaviors . Those same feelings , he added , have long been known to help wounds heal more quickly . Another study , one he 's involved with now , has shown that people who go through Alcoholics Anonymous and then help other alcoholics have a 40 percent rate of recovery , while those who do n't help other alcoholics recover at a rate of 22 percent , he said . `` Kitchen table wisdom says it 's good to be good , '' and giving is `` part of every moral and spiritual tradition , '' said Post , whose own mother used to tell him to `` go out and do something for someone '' whenever he got pouty . `` It turned out there actually is pretty good science about this . '' For Azim Jamal , a motivational speaker and co-author of the best-seller `` The Power of Giving : How Giving Back Enriches Us All , '' the excitement about this topic is rooted in the possibilities of what might be -- the ripple effect . If everyone gave time , money , talents or passion , what could that mean for individuals , communities , even the world ? `` The power of giving is instantaneous , continuous and eternal , '' he said . `` When you die , you do n't take what you have . You take what you gave . '' | Nurturing hospitalized babies serves patients as well as volunteers . Author says 29 days of giving changed her life , made MS more bearable . Scientific studies show physical and mental benefits of giving attitudes . Ripple effect of giving can affect individuals , communities and world . | [[1542, 1605], [2084, 2115], [3420, 3495], [3511, 3566], [3761, 3873]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A former U.S. government scientist who served in sensitive positions on classified aerospace projects was willing to sell `` some of our most guarded secrets '' a prosecutor alleged Tuesday . Stewart David Nozette of Chevy Chase , Maryland , was taken into custody Monday by FBI agents . Stewart David Nozette , 52 , who is charged with attempted espionage , appeared in U.S. District Court Tuesday afternoon . Authorities 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 . Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Asuncion said Tuesday that 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 . He said the FBI made videotapes of Nozette indicating he was `` willing to sell some of our most guarded secrets . '' The prosecutor noted that the charges carry a possible life sentence . Nozette answered in the affirmative when Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson asked him whether he understood the seriousness of the charges against him . Other than that , Nozette , who was arrested Monday , made no statements at his initial court appearance . Defense attorney John Kiyonaga did not immediately oppose the government 's request to hold his client without bond , and said his client agreed to waive a deadline for a formal detention hearing . Nozette , who remains in custody , will appear in court again on October 29 for detention and preliminary hearings . In an affidavit , the FBI sets out the case against Nozette , who received a doctorate in planetary sciences from Massachusetts Institute of Technology . The FBI document , signed by Special Agent Leslie G. Martell , says that Nozette in January 2009 told a colleague `` that if the United States government tried to put him in jail '' on an unrelated matter , Nozette would move to Israel or another unidentified foreign country and `` tell them everything '' he knows . 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 , Martell 's 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 provided `` 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 . | Sewart David Nozette , 52 , appeared in U.S. District Court on Tuesday . Authorities said he tried to give classified info to FBI undercover agent . Charges carry a possible life sentence , prosecutor said . Nozetta showed `` willingness to work for Israeli intelligence , '' complaint states . | [[318, 339], [342, 346], [351, 386], [318, 339], [389, 440], [487, 494], [525, 578], [634, 672], [191, 221], [1078, 1148], [1104, 1148], [441, 481], [3139, 3149], [3152, 3224]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man died after his car plunged 600 feet off the edge of the Grand Canyon 's South Rim , authorities said Tuesday . About 5 million people visit the Grand Canyon in Arizona each year . The Arizona park 's regional communications center received several reports of a car driving off the edge about 6 a.m. Monday , according to a written statement . `` Upon arriving at the scene , investigators found tire tracks leading to the edge behind the Thunderbird Lodge and received reports of a single occupant in a blue passenger car driving over the edge , '' the statement said . Rescue personnel descended on ropes and found the vehicle about 600 feet into the canyon . The man 's body was recovered shortly afterward , the statement said . The incident occurred near the El Tovar hotel in a village on the canyon 's South Rim , park spokeswoman Shannan Marcak said . Authorities have not ruled the death a suicide , she said . `` It has not been ruled anything at this time . '' The statement said the National Park Service is investigating . Typically , Marcak said , such investigations take at least a few days . The man has not been identified , she said . Marcak said that within the past five years , she knows of only one other time a car was driven off the edge of the canyon . The Monday statement said plans were being made to retrieve the vehicle and the body . The Grand Canyon , a world famous landmark , receives close to 5 million visitors yearly , according to the National Park Service Web site . | Reports say car drove off South Rim of canyon about 6 a.m. Monday . Incident occurred near El Tovar hotel in village . National Park Service is investigating . Officials are n't sure that incident is a suicide . | [[0, 15], [19, 106], [205, 330], [400, 413], [485, 568], [1257, 1302], [757, 842], [996, 1059], [1015, 1059], [884, 930]] |
MOSCOW , Russia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The head of a leading Russian human rights group accused the presidents of Russia and Chechnya of complicity in murdering their top activist in Chechnya . Natalya Estemirova , pictured in 2007 , had been openly critical of Chechnya 's president , Ramzan Kadyrov . `` I am confident about who killed Natalya Estemirova . We all know this person . His name is Ramzan Kadyrov , President of the Chechen republic , '' Oleg Orlov , the chairman of the Russian human rights group Memorial said on the group 's Web site Thursday . `` Ramzan was intimidating and insulting Natalya , and considered her his personal enemy . We do n't know whether it was him personally who ordered her -LSB- murder -RSB- or it were his aides who wanted to please their boss . As far as -LSB- Russian -RSB- President -LSB- Dmitry -RSB- Medvedev is concerned , it seems that he does n't mind having a murderer as head of one of the Russian regions . '' Estemirova , 50 , was kidnapped outside her home in Chechnya Wednesday , Orlov said , citing eyewitnesses , and found dead in the neighboring Russian republic of Ingushetia later the same day . Her body was riddled with bullets , Russian prosecutors said -- several shots to the abdomen , and one to the head . The winner of three international human rights awards , she was a leading activist in the North Caucasus area who had been openly critical of Kadyrov and his methods . Kadyrov vowed Thursday that he would personally oversee the investigation and assure her killers were punished . `` She could n't have had enemies among reasonable people , '' he said in a statement on the Chechen government Web site . `` Those who took away her life have no right to be called humans , they do n't deserve any mercy , and should be punished as the most cruel criminals . `` I have no doubts whatsoever that those who ordered and conducted this crime will face trial , '' he said . `` That is the very least that the government and society must do in commemoration of Estemirova . '' Medvedev said Thursday the murder was `` a very sad event , '' adding it was `` absolutely clear ... her murder is linked to her professional activities . `` Her type of professional activity is needed by any normal state . She did very useful things . She spoke the truth . She openly , sometimes harshly assessed some types of processes that occurred in our country , and this is the value of human rights workers , even if they are not comfortable , '' Medvedev said Thursday on a visit to Germany . His host , German Chancellor Angela Merkel , warned the killing could affect Russian-German relations . `` This is an unacceptable event , and especially if we want to intensify the relations between our two countries , it can not remain unsolved , '' she said in a joint appearance with Medvedev . Medvedev had earlier condemned the murder and said her killers should punished to the full extent of the law , his office said . Estemirova shouted that she was being kidnapped , as she was forced into a white Lada automobile that had stopped on the road in front of her house on Wednesday morning , Orlov said . An unidentified man grabbed her and shoved her into the car , Orlov told CNN . Estemirova had spent years investigating human rights abuses in Chechnya , the restive Russian republic where Russian forces have fought two conflicts against separatists since 1991 . Russia officially ended its military mission in Chechnya in April of this year . The activist told CNN in 2007 she was investigating dozens of abductions and murders that had become the norm in Chechnya , where security forces were fighting a dirty war against separatist rebels . She joins a growing list of journalists and activists killed after criticizing the Russian authorities , many of whose murders remain officially unsolved . Top United States and European officials condemned the murder of Estemirova and demanded that the killers be brought to justice . `` Such a heinous crime sends a chilling signal to Russian civil society and the international community and illustrates the tragic deterioration of security and the rule of law in the North Caucasus over the last several months , '' U.S. National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer said in a statement . `` How many more Natalya Estemirovas and Anna Politkovskayas must be killed before the Russian authorities protect people who stand up for the human rights of Russian citizens ? '' Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis demanded , referring to the Russian investigative journalist who was killed in 2006 . The Committee to Protect Journalists said in a written statement that Estemirova had `` uncovered massive , ongoing human rights violations in Chechnya by the federal and regional authorities . '' `` The killers of this courageous reporter , one of the few left in Chechnya , must not be allowed to walk free like so many before them , '' CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney said . She won three international awards for human rights activities -- including the inaugural Anna Politkovskaya Award , named for the murdered journalist with whom she often worked . Estemirova was Politkovskaya 's `` most frequent companion during travel and investigations in Chechnya , '' the organization Reach All Women in War said in announcing the prize for Estemirova . `` They investigated a number of cases together -- about which Anna wrote for -LRB- the newspaper -RRB- Novaya Gazeta and Natalya wrote for Memorial 's Web site and for local newspapers . '' Estemirova studied history at Grozny University , then taught history before turning to journalism and human rights in 1998 , Memorial said . She joined the organization in March 2000 . CNN 's Senior International Correspondent Matthew Chance , Maxim Tkachenko and Mike Sefanov in Moscow , Russia , contributed to this report . | Estemirova was abducted outside her home in Grozny , Chechnya . Rights group Memorial says Chechen president involved in murder . Leaders of Russia and Chechnya condemn the murder . | [[960, 970], [973, 975], [978, 1030], [47, 189], [2842, 2850], [2863, 2883]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Khloe Kardashian and her new husband , basketball player Lamar Odom , have found themselves a newlywed love nest . Kardashian , star of the E! network 's reality show `` Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami '' and Odom , a forward for the Los Angeles Lakers , have purchased a seven-bedroom , nine-bathroom mansion in Tarzana , California , for nearly $ 4 million . The pair , who married after a two-month-long courtship , have been looking for a place to call their own since their September 27 wedding . Finding a home was one of the stipulations Kardashian , 25 , wanted met before the couple started thinking about growing a family . `` I would be over the moon if I was having a baby , but right now , our focus is on finding a house . They say it 's a buyers ' market , but no one is selling , and I think it would be very stressful to have a baby in a condo downtown , '' Kardashian told CNN earlier this month . When asked by talk show host Chelsea Handler earlier this month if Khloe is pregnant yet , Odom , 30 , responded , `` Soon . '' And when Handler pushed and asked , `` You planning on having a baby soon ? You want to do that right away ? '' Odom responded , `` I do . '' Kardashian was even more candid with CNN , saying , `` We are not planning to have a baby , but we 're not doing anything to not have a baby right now . '' | Khloe Kardashian and husband Lamar Odom have purchased a home . The seven-bedroom , nine-bathroom mansion cost nearly $ 4 million . Finding a home was one of the stipulations Kardashian had before starting a family . | [[147, 180], [261, 375], [517, 570]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A long-awaited inquiry into Britain 's role in the Iraq war got under way Tuesday -- a process that could determine whether former Prime Minister Tony Blair misled his country over the 2003 invasion . The inquiry is expected to be the most thorough investigation yet into the decisions that led up to the war and governed Britain 's involvement , analysts said . It is not a court of law , so the inquiry can not find anyone criminally responsible or even apportion blame . But inquiry members will be able to judge the legality of the conflict . `` The Iraq Inquiry was set up to identify the lessons that should be learned from the UK 's involvement in Iraq , to help future governments who may face similar situations , '' inquiry Chairman John Chilcot said at the opening of the hearings Tuesday . `` To do this , we need to establish what happened . '' Chilcot , a senior civil servant , said on the eve of the hearings that the committee is `` completely determined '' to write the full story of Iraq war decision-making by the British government using all the evidence it can get . Prime Minister Gordon Brown , who announced the inquiry in June , has promised the committee will have access to the full range of information , including secret documents , in order to identify lessons that can be learned from the war . The inquiry officially began July 30 , but Tuesday was the first day of hearings , which are expected to last into the new year . The hearings were initially going to be held behind closed doors , but after criticism the government decided to allow the hearings to be public and televised . The committee has said it will decide on a case-by-case basis whether to keep the hearings private when discussing sensitive or classified information . Blair will be called to testify , Chilcot said earlier this year , and the former prime minister has said he will appear . Other witnesses will be key decision-makers involved in Iraq , Chilcot has said . Chilcot has said the panel members plan to visit Iraq as part of their work , as well as hold discussions with Iraqis outside of the country . Top officials from the British and U.S. governments also might be called on for evidence , he said . Britain has already held four hearings about the Iraq war . But because all were held before the end of 2004 -- so close to the start of the war -- they were hampered by limited information , political analyst Glen Rangwala of Cambridge University told CNN . `` They did n't manage to achieve anything like a comprehensive understanding of the paths that led the UK to support the United States in the invasion , '' he said . `` This will be the first to look at political decision-making that led to the British invasion of 2003 , with the potential to tell a full story . '' People involved in those decisions are more likely to testify now than they were a few years ago , Rangwala said . That partly because British troops are no longer involved in combat in Iraq , but also because the war there is no longer the politicized issue it was when Blair was in power , he said . `` The sort of political sting has been taken out of it , and people who are presenting their evidence to the -LRB- inquiry -RRB- wo n't feel quite so constrained by the political line , or the party line , than they would have a few years ago , '' he said . Britain 's first two inquiries were held by government committees in 2003 . The House of Commons Select Committee on Foreign Affairs examined whether Britain 's Foreign Office gave accurate and complete information to Parliament in the run-up to the war . It found the government exerted no improper influence on the drafting of the dossier given to Parliament on Iraq 's alleged weapons of mass destruction . The Intelligence and Security Committee then examined whether intelligence about Iraq and its weapons was properly assessed and accurately reflected in government publications . Its findings were mixed . The next two inquiries had narrow mandates , looking at specific aspects of the war . The Hutton report from January 2004 investigated the death of David Kelly , a leading microbiologist and former U.N. weapons inspector who committed suicide months earlier . Kelly had worked for the British Ministry of Defence , advising it on Iraq 's weapons of mass destruction , but was later found to be the source of a BBC report that said the government had exaggerated evidence to justify war on Iraq . Following that came the Butler inquiry , which looked at the accuracy of intelligence on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and elsewhere . It found some of the intelligence sources were `` seriously flawed , '' but that there was no evidence of deliberate distortion or culpable negligence by spy agencies . | Hearings begin in UK Iraq Inquiry to determine legality of the Iraq War . Promised to be the most thorough investigation into Britain 's involvement in the war . Hearings will be televised after initial plans for closed-door sessions were criticised . Former Prime Minister Tony Blair will be called to testify . | [[510, 582], [514, 529], [543, 582], [1406, 1443], [237, 321], [1493, 1520], [1527, 1557], [1493, 1505], [1511, 1557], [1564, 1653], [1807, 1838], [1807, 1812], [1828, 1838], [1841, 1848]] |
BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Samar Saed Abdullah 's entire body trembles as she speaks about her impending execution . She thinks of the gallows room , the noose around her neck and that moment when she will take her final breath . Samar Saed Abdullah is sentenced to die by hanging in connection with the killing of three relatives . `` My life is meaningless , '' she said , choking on her tears . `` I ca n't think of anything else . The other women , we try to help each other , but we can not escape the reality that we are on death row and they can take us at any second . '' The 27-year-old Iraqi woman is sentenced to die in connection with the slayings of three relatives in January 2005 . She looks pale and frail , her face sallow , her eyes bloodshot . She shakes with each sob , anxiously twisting a tissue in her hands . We first met Samar in spring 2007 , at al-Kadhimiya Women 's Prison in Baghdad . She had been on death row for about two years , and she was terrified . Watch a tearful plea from death row '' `` I do n't sleep at all on Wednesdays , '' she said then . `` I stay up from morning until night , because that 's the day they pick for executions . '' Samar was sentenced to death by hanging for being an accessory to murder in the killings of her uncle , aunt and cousin -- slayings that she says were carried out at their home by her husband-to-be , who remains on the loose . She maintains that she is innocent , and there are disturbing questions about her conviction . Samar has now been moved a step closer to death : to Baghdad 's maximum-security prison , where there are more than 500 prisoners waiting to be executed . It 's the same facility where Saddam Hussein was hanged in December 2006 . CNN was not allowed to film her face inside the prison . During the interview , the wardens also seemed to make motions to try to stop CNN from broaching the subject of her allegation that she had only confessed under torture . The day of the killings is seared into her mind . `` I think about it every day , every hour . I wake up with it in my head , '' she said . `` It 's the reason I am here . '' There was a point in time when Samar was happy , when her life had meaning and joy . She had a fiancé , Saif Ali Nur , in winter 2004 . `` I was so happy at the time , when he asked for my hand in marriage , '' she remembered bitterly . `` I thought that he was honest , that he did not lie to me . It all happened in just two months . '' At first , her family did n't approve of the romance , but they eventually relented . One day , she says , Saif duped her into taking him to her wealthy uncle 's house . He locked her in the kitchen and , she says , shot her uncle , aunt and cousin . Then , he turned the gun on her . Samar says he stole less than $ 1,000 after threatening to kill Samar and her family if she went to the authorities . The Iraqi police picked Samar up the next day , after Saif dumped her in front of her house and disappeared . `` There was nothing that made me suspect that this was a guy who would do something like this , '' she said . She 's filled with regret that she fell in love with him . `` And now I am here in prison , and he is out on the streets , happy . '' Her parents sold everything to pay for her defense . They swear she 's innocent . She says she was tortured by the police into confessing that she went to her uncle 's house with the intent to steal . `` They kept beating me , and they told me , ` Say whatever we want you to say , and do not say anything else , and say yes , I was an accomplice to this crime . ' Although I had nothing to do with it . Finally , they made me sign a blank piece of paper , and they filled it out afterwards . '' She was tried and convicted in a single day : August 15 , 2005 . Court documents obtained by CNN read that `` the court discussed the case file with her and she said that all that she had confessed came as a result of duress and torture . '' Under Iraqi law , the court should have investigated her claim that she confessed under torture . But it did not . After learning of Samar 's case from CNN , former Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih said Tuesday he spoke with the Iraqi Presidency Council , which promised to look into the matter . He also said he had spoken separately with top Iraqi officials , including Iraqi President Jalal Talabani , and urged for a new trial . Human rights groups say Samar 's case is just one of many in which justice has failed . And they say that what makes implementing capital punishment even more disturbing is that the Iraqi judicial system does not guarantee a fair trial . Amnesty International issued a report Tuesday saying that at least 1,000 prisoners sit on Iraq 's death row and that Iraq now has one of the highest execution rates in the world . The report says Iraq 's court system does not meet international standards and that authorities `` provide very little information on executions , and some have been carried out secretly . '' According to a Western official with in-depth knowledge of the Iraqi judicial system , Iraq 's judicial failures are `` rooted in the legal culture rather than the law . ... The entire legal culture remains heavily confession-based , a situation exacerbated by the frequently imperfect investigative skills of the police , judicial investigators and investigative judges . '' In his years in Iraq , this official says he observed judges taking payments in exchange for certain decisions and the physical abuse of suspects , either as an end in itself or to `` encourage '' confessions . `` It is my firmly held opinion that Iraq should immediately reinstate the moratorium on executions , '' the official said . `` There are serious problems plaguing the administration of justice in Iraq in criminal cases , and this fact is widely acknowledged by the Iraq judges , prosecutors and defense counsel . '' The U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority abolished capital punishment in Iraq after Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003 . But the death penalty was reinstated in August 2004 , shortly after the government was handed back to Iraqis . Iraq 's Ministry of Justice maintains that the judicial system is `` fair and just . '' Local organizations like the Organization for Women 's Freedom in Iraq have for years been fighting to get the death penalty abolished in Iraq , especially when it comes to flawed trials and women being put to death . But they struggle against a government that turns a deaf ear . `` I wish there was some kind of response . But the response is totally passive . We 've reached a degree of despair , '' said Yanar Mohammed , founder of the Organization for Women 's Freedom in Iraq . `` As a human rights organization in Iraq , we find that we need some backup from abroad to put pressure on our government as a first step to stop the executions of these women , some of whom we know are innocent . '' But even as doubts surface about many convictions in Iraq , there are signs that the pace of executions is picking up . Over the past two months , Mohammed 's group says , between two and four women were executed . `` They were taken out of the extreme-protection prison , '' Mohammed said . `` It is a very scary story for us , because if it starts with a few women in a jail cell ... it could happen to hundreds , thousands of people later on . '' As for Samar , she does n't sleep , haunted by the image of her body that could be hanging lifeless -- plagued by the gut-wrenching fear of death that consumes her nights and most of her days . `` Every night , I stay up thinking that if tomorrow comes , who will be next ? Me ? Or my friend sitting next to me ? '' She sobbed . `` I will never trust a man again . I will never love anyone again . I just want to stay with my parents . '' Samar feels betrayed , both by the man she once loved and by a judicial system that is about to send her to her death . CNN 's Jomana Karadsheh and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report . | Woman sobs about impending execution : `` I ca n't think of anything else '' Samar Saed Abdullah , 27 , was convicted as accessory to murder of 3 relatives . She says police coerced and tortured her into confessing . Ministry of Justice maintains that judicial system is `` fair and just '' | [[81, 123], [408, 441], [993, 1028], [7717, 7729], [237, 339], [237, 256], [270, 339], [587, 703], [587, 614], [628, 703], [1186, 1191], [1215, 1287], [1927, 1965], [3320, 3375], [3442, 3462], [3799, 3972], [3891, 3972], [3976, 3991], [3994, 4073], [6161, 6245], [6204, 6245]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Saudi court that sentenced a journalist to 60 lashes for her work on a controversial television show has summoned a second woman affiliated with the TV station . The Saudi information ministry said Sunday that a Jeddah court has asked the second journalist to appear because of her work as a coordinator with the Lebanese Broadcasting Corp. . The woman was set to appear on Monday , but the hearing has been postponed because she is ill , said a ministry official , who could not be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media . The show in question , `` A Thick Red Line , '' explores social taboos . In one episode , a Saudi man , Mazen Abdul Jawad , bragged about his sex life . Saudi authorities put him on trial and sentenced him to five years in prison and 1,000 lashes . Soon afterward , the court sentenced journalist Rosanna Al-Yami who worked as a coordinator and guest-booker for the show . In addition to the 60 lashes , Al-Yami is banned for two years from traveling outside Saudi Arabia . While the charges against her include involvement in preparing the program , she was not involved in setting up the episode in which Abdul Jawad appeared , said his lawyer Suleiman Al-Jumeii . Al-Jumeii said that Al-Yami has opted not to appeal the court 's verdict . Al-Jumeii does n't represent the journalist , but said he is keeping tabs on cases dealing with `` A Thick Red Line . '' The lawyer is attempting to pursue an appeal for his client and get his case heard in a special court that only deals with media matters . CNN has attempted to get comments from Al-Yami and her attorney . Abdul Jawad , 32 , an airline employee and divorced father of four , spoke openly on the show about his sexual escapades , his love of sex and losing his virginity at age 14 . That episode caused an uproar in deeply conservative Saudi Arabia , where sharia , or Islamic law , is practiced . Pre-marital sex is illegal , and unrelated men and women are not permitted to mingle . Saudi authorities shut down LBC offices in Jeddah and Riyadh after the interview aired a few months ago . Abdul Jawad was arrested shortly after the program aired and charged with violating Saudi Arabia 's crime of publicizing vice . | Second journalist summoned over controverial Saudi television show . Saudi court sentenced journalist another woman , Rosanna Al-Yami , to 60 lashes for her role . Man 's sexual boasts on show led to five-year prison sentence . Saudi authorities shut down network 's offices in Jeddah and Riyadh after interview aired . | [[0, 15], [106, 182], [183, 277], [19, 32], [38, 73], [829, 875], [880, 935], [636, 650], [653, 664], [687, 715], [716, 733], [755, 811], [1631, 1647], [1700, 1751], [2009, 2114]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United States fears recent weapons purchases by Venezuela could fuel an arms race in South America , Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday . Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez met and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington on Tuesday . `` They outpace all other countries in South America and certainly raise the question as to whether there is going to be an arms race in the region , '' Clinton said about Venezuela 's arms deals , after a meeting with Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez . The Russian government Monday extended $ 2.2 billion in credit to Venezuela to finance arms purchases , including 92 Soviet-era T-72 tanks and short-range missiles with a reach of 55 miles -LRB- 90 kilometers -RRB- . Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez also said his nation will purchase an anti-aircraft weapons system with a range of 185 miles -LRB- 300 kilometers -RRB- . The planned arms purchases come at a time when Venezuela is at odds with neighboring Colombia over negotiations that would give U.S. troops access to Colombian military bases . Chavez has said his military buildup is in response to the growing U.S. presence in the region , which he calls threatening and dangerous to Latin America . The United States is also concerned about deepening ties between Venezuela and Iran . In addition to ongoing military cooperation , Chavez said in Tehran last week that the Iranian government would help Venezuela develop nuclear technology . In exchange , Venezuela has offered to export gasoline to Iran , which would give Tehran an out if Western nations impose petroleum sanctions over Iran 's nuclear program . Senior administration officials say Venezuela 's attempt at `` sanctions busting '' is alarming . Clinton urged Venezuela to be transparent about its weapons purchases . Venezuela , she said , `` should be putting in place in procedures and practices to ensure that the weapons they buy are not diverted to insurgent groups or illegal organizations like drug trafficking gangs and other criminal cartels . '' Vazquez voiced concern that an arms race in South America would divert funds from badly needed development in poor countries . `` We should devote our energies and resources to fight against the real scourges of our societies ... such as drug trafficking and terrorism , '' he said . `` Instead of spending it in weapons , spending it in housing , good housing for our people , and to further deepen investment , especially in the field of education . '' | Russia extends $ 2.2 billion in credit to Venezuela to finance arms purchases . Secretary of State Hillary Clinton worries about arms race in South America . Relations tense between Venezuela and neighboring Colombia , a U.S. ally . Washington worries about Hugo Chavez 's deepening ties to Iran as well . | [[546, 621], [612, 709], [347, 437], [1252, 1337], [1252, 1269], [1288, 1337]] |
Fort Lauderdale , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 13-year-old who witnessed another teen being set on fire last month apologized Tuesday , saying he is praying for the boy 's recovery and he is sorry for what happened . Reading to reporters from a statement , Jeremy Jarvis -- whose older brother has been charged in the incident -- said that victim Michael Brewer is in his prayers . `` I want to read something I wrote last night , '' Jarvis said . `` I want to express my deepest sympathy to Mikey and his family . I will pray for Mikey to grow stronger every day and for Mikey 's speedy recovery . '' Brewer , 15 , remains in guarded condition at the University of Miami 's Jackson Memorial Hospital Burn Center . He suffered third-degree burns over 65 percent of his body in the Deerfield Beach , Florida , incident October 12 , authorities have said . Police have been able to interview Brewer for the first time since the incident , the Broward County Sheriff 's Office said . Hospital officials have said Brewer can communicate only in one - or two-word answers . `` The more information we have , the better position we are in to make the right decision '' as far as charges and how to proceed , said Maria Schneider , a prosecutor with the state attorney 's office in Broward County . `` I would say he -LSB- Brewer -RSB- needs a little more time to be fully prepared to provide a detailed account of the incident . '' `` It was difficult . It was difficult for him to talk about . Difficult for us to listen to , '' she said of the interview . `` Just difficult all around , heart-wrenching . He 's doing so much better , but it 's such a terrible situation . '' Jeremy Jarvis was arrested as a juvenile after Brewer was burned and spent about 30 days in juvenile detention . However , prosecutors have not filed charges against him . He still could be charged , as prosecutors have 90 days from his arrest to decide whether to move forward with the case . He has not been interviewed by police or prosecutors , Schneider said . `` He has invoked his rights to counsel and has invoked his rights to silence . '' His brother , Denver , 15 , is among three teenagers charged as adults with one count of attempted second-degree murder in the attack . He has pleaded not guilty . `` I want to tell my brother D.C. I love and miss him , '' Jeremy Jarvis told reporters Tuesday . `` I just hope and pray we all get through this . '' The boy 's attorney , Stephen Melnick , would not allow reporters to ask him questions . The extent of Jeremy Jarvis ' involvement remains under investigation , Melnick said , adding that police took a statement from Brewer on Monday . `` As far as we know , he -LSB- Jeremy Jarvis -RSB- just followed and watched what happened , '' he said . Denver Jarvis and Matthew Bent , also 15 , are accused along with a third teen , Jesus Mendez , 16 , of being in a group that poured alcohol over Brewer and set him ablaze in a dispute over $ 40 , a video game and a bicycle . All three pleaded not guilty in an appearance last week in Broward County Circuit Court . If convicted , they would face a sentence of up to 30 years in prison . Detectives say eyewitnesses told them that Mendez used a lighter to set fire to Brewer after Denver Jarvis allegedly poured alcohol over him . Bent allegedly encouraged the attack , police said . Brewer jumped into a pool at his apartment complex to put out the flames . Authorities have said Mendez admitted setting Brewer on fire . According to an arrest transcript , the boy said he made a `` bad decision . '' Dr. Michael Brannon , a court-appointed forensic psychologist , interviewed both the Jarvis brothers . `` I can describe both of them as being afraid , being fearful , '' he told CNN earlier this month . `` I can describe both of them as being tearful at various times during the interview , especially when talking about the specific incident which led to the injuries of the victim . '' The Jarvis family met at Melnick 's office Tuesday , shortly before the boy read the short written statement to reporters . He took no questions . During the meeting , Jeremy Jarvis played with Melnick 's dog . Although the state can still file charges against him , `` it did n't matter to him , '' Melnick said . `` It was important to say how this really bothers him and how much he loves his brother and how much he hopes Michael gets better . '' He said Brewer is a close friend of Jeremy Jarvis , and the boy is troubled by Brewer 's injury as well as by his brother facing criminal charges that could land him in an adult prison if convicted . Doctors had planned to perform skin graft surgery on Brewer last Friday , but decided to wait and let him heal a bit more first , hospital officials said . His doctor has said he faces several more months in the hospital and will need multiple skin grafts and surgeries . Melnick would not say whether Jeremy Jarvis is cooperating with prosecutors , but said he did n't believe the boy 's apology would affect whether charges are filed . `` It 's something he 's been wanting to say from the start , '' he said . `` He 's been asking every day if he could say something . '' Broward County schools expelled the seventh-grader after his arrest , Melnick said . He is being home-schooled , and his family is exploring alternative education arrangements . Jeremy Jarvis turned 13 about a month ago , but `` he understands what 's happening , '' Melnick said . `` He spent 30 days in a jail . '' | Jeremy Jarvis , 13 , who saw teen set on fire , apologizes , says he 's praying for recovery . Authorities say police have been able to interview victim for first time since incident . Victim , Michael Brewer , 15 , is in guarded condition at University of Miami hospital burn center . Jeremy Jarvis not charged ; extent of his involvement under investigation , attorney says . | [[45, 58], [63, 133], [0, 41], [136, 200], [257, 270], [330, 381], [4386, 4416], [602, 608], [616, 714], [2524, 2593]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Muslim woman and the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations sued a judge Wednesday for allegedly ordering the woman to remove her hijab , or religious head covering , in court . Raneen Albaghdady , of Wayne County , Michigan , contends that Judge William Callahan told her to remove her hijab on June 16 when she was petitioning for a name change , according to the lawsuit , which was filed Wednesday in a U.S. district court in Michigan . Wayne County is also listed as a defendant in the suit . Callahan and the 3rd Circuit Court of Michigan said in a written statement that they had not seen the complaint and could not comment on the lawsuit . However , they said that Albaghdady did not object to removing her head covering and that she had not informed the judge that she wore it for religious reasons . The lawsuit says Callahan `` insisted '' that Albaghdady , a naturalized citizen , remove her hijab and that she eventually complied . It says the judge denied Albaghdady 's petition for a name change , saying that she had filed her petition five days too early . No further details were offered . The lawsuit seeks an order declaring the practice of `` forcing Muslim women to remove their hijab as a precondition to appearing in court '' unconstitutional and illegal . It asks that the judge and Wayne County not be allowed to `` take similar unconstitutional actions . '' The Michigan Islamic relations council released a partial video of the incident Tuesday on YouTube . In the 30-second video , the judge can be heard saying , `` The head piece ? No hats allowed in the courtroom . '' The statement from Callahan and the 3rd Circuit said that the YouTube video was `` missing some critical footage . '' `` In response to Judge Callahan 's direction , ` No hats allowed in the courtroom , ' Ms. Albaghdady responded , `` Okay , it does n't matter , ' and immediately removed her head covering , without protest or explanation , '' the statement said . `` Judge Callahan and the court have the greatest respect for spiritual practices and all religious preferences . Had he been informed that the head covering had some religious significance , the judge would have permitted Ms. Albaghdady to continue wearing it in court , '' it said . The suit comes a day after the state 's Supreme Court issued an order allowing lower state courts to `` exercise reasonable control '' over the appearance of witnesses and parties to lawsuits , a rule change that had been proposed after a Muslim woman refused to remove an Islamic garment in a small claims court . The order allows courts `` reasonable control over the appearance of parties and witnesses '' so as to `` ensure that the demeanor of such persons may be observed and assessed by the fact-finder and ensure the accurate identification of such person . '' The order , which amends a rule of the Michigan Rules of Evidence , is effective September 1 . The justices had voted earlier this summer to change it . The amendment was prompted by a 2006 small claims case in Michigan filed by Ginnah Muhammad , who wore a niqab -- a garment that covers the entire face and head , except for the eyes -- to court , the order said . The judge asked her to remove her niqab , saying he needed to be able to see her face to tell whether she was telling the truth , according to court documents . Muhammad refused , saying she was a practicing Muslim and would take off the veil only in front of a female judge . The judge said a female judge was not available and told Muhammad she could remove the niqab or have her case dismissed . She chose the latter , according to court documents . She sued the judge in federal district court , which declined to exercise jurisdiction over the case . Muhammad has since appealed to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals , according to court documents . Michigan is home to about 600,000 Muslims , and close to 500,000 live in the southeastern part of the state , according to the Michigan office of the American-Islamic relations council . The Detroit area , in Wayne County , ranks fifth nationwide for the number of Muslims , it said . Last month , the Judicial Council of Georgia adopted a policy allowing religious head coverings in the state 's courtrooms . Daniel Mach , the director of litigation for the American Civil Liberties Union 's Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief , said Wednesday the issue has `` come up in a variety of states . '' `` We are concerned about the growing number of incidents restricting religious expression in the courtroom , '' he said . '' ... This is an issue that affects a variety of religious faiths and others . '' | Lawsuit claims naturalized citizen was forced to remove religious head covering . American-Islamic relations group seeks order declaring the action unconstitutional . Judge : Woman did n't protest , never said it was a religious garment . | [[0, 15], [104, 208], [222, 257], [271, 390], [855, 967], [1153, 1229], [783, 854], [1935, 1952], [1955, 1970]] |
BANGKOK , Thailand -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thailand 's King Bhumibol Adulyadej , the world 's longest-reigning monarch , has been hospitalized with fever and fatigue , the royal palace said Sunday . King Bhumibol Adulyadej attends a celebration of his 81st birthday in Bangkok on December 2 , 2008 . King Bhumibol Adulyadej , 81 , was admitted to a Bangkok hospital on Saturday night . Doctors are monitoring his condition while administering antibiotics and intravenous fluid , the statement from the Royal Household Bureau said . The statement was carried by Thai News Agency and other local media . The king was formally crowned on May 5 , 1950 . Watch why king 's health is big issue '' Thailand abolished absolute monarchy in the 1930s , so the king wields little power although he last month appealed for unity amid Thailand 's four-year-long political crisis . He remains a deeply revered figure and enjoys immense popularity . Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told reporters on Sunday that the king visited hospital on doctors ' advice . `` There is no problem with His Majesty 's conditions . From my chats with doctors , there is nothing to be concerned about , '' Abhisit said after signing a visitors ' log book at the hospital , according to Reuters.com . | Thailand 's King Bhumibol Adulyadej is hospitalized with fever and fatigue . King Bhumibol Adulyadej is world 's longest-reigning monarch . King wields little power but is deeply revered and enjoys immense popularity . | [[0, 7], [10, 34], [106, 160], [295, 318], [321, 380], [741, 769], [863, 929], [863, 865], [874, 897], [863, 865], [902, 929]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In trendy neighborhoods of Tokyo customers are lining up for vitamin injections that promise to improve health and beauty . These intravenous vitamin `` drips '' are part of the latest quick-fix , health fad catching on in Japan : the IV cafe . Each drip pack contains saline solution and specific vitamins and minerals to target a particular health ailment or beauty concern . `` I used to take vitamin supplements , but changed to the IV drip because I feel the effects more quickly , '' a 20-something woman at the Tenteki 10 Café told CNN . She said she receives specific injections to get better skin , burn fat and boost her energy . There are 10 different varieties to choose from at Tenteki . The `` orange '' variety touts anti-aging properties , loaded with antioxidants . The `` placenta pack '' is said to help rejuvenate and ease muscle stiffness . Prices range from $ 20 to $ 30 per injection , and nurses see about 30 to 40 people each day . Their most common patients are Japanese businessmen who work in the same office building . `` I see a lot of businessmen who say they do n't have time to sleep . They ca n't take a break from working and get the vitamin drip for an extra kick of energy , '' a Tenteki nurse told CNN . `` Blue '' is the most requested vitamin pack among these men : a concoction of B1 and vitamin E that claims to offer relief from exhaustion . Registered nurses and doctors administer the drips at Tenteki , but there 's no conclusive medical evidence to back up the health claims . Many nutritionists actually caution against using injectable vitamin supplements because the quantities are not regulated . `` More is not necessarily better ... some vitamins and minerals can be toxic in high doses , '' particularly the fat-soluble ones which the body stores like Vitamins A , D , E and K , explained Claire Williamson , Nutrition Scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation . In Europe and the United States vitamin shots are popular among celebrities with hectic lifestyles and little time to sleep , particularly vitamin B 12 . Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and singer Robbie Williams have both confirmed they 've used the shots as part of their diets to maintain stamina during tours . Dermatological injections of Vitamin C are also popular among women hoping to keep their skin looking young . Former supermodel Cindy Crawford has admitted using such injections to keep her skin firm and wrinkle-free . According to Williamson , it does not matter if supplements are injected into the vein or into the skin . `` At the end of the day it will go into the blood stream , '' she said . Most of these nutrients we can get sufficient from foods , nutrients tend to be better absorbed by the body if they are consumed in foods . '' | Intravenous vitamin boosts are the latest health fad in Japan . Vitamin injections target specific health aliments and beauty concerns . Nutritionists warn of vitamin overdose from high quantities of supplements . Vitamin injections are popular among celebrities and businessmen for fatigue . | [[143, 247], [2520, 2580], [80, 98], [104, 142], [264, 396], [308, 396], [564, 658], [573, 658], [1348, 1357], [1363, 1403], [1940, 2063]] |
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