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-LRB- Tribune Media Services -RRB- -- Gabriel Medina ca n't reach his hotel in New Orleans because there 's a police barricade in front of it . A manager promises to `` help '' him cancel the reservation , but three days later , his credit card is charged $ 113 . Now his credit card has sided with the hotel . Is there anything else he can do ? Q : I do n't know where else to turn . I recently booked a room at the Holiday Inn French Quarter-Chateau Lemoyne in New Orleans through its central reservations phone number . When I arrived , the New Orleans Police Department had the entire block closed off . I immediately called the hotel and told a manager I could n't access the hotel . He said he did not know when the blockade would be lifted and could n't help get my car or luggage to the hotel . He could n't cancel my reservation because I had made it through Holiday Inn 's central reservations number . After several more attempts to reach the hotel , he agreed to help me cancel my reservation . I stayed at another hotel that night . Three days later , a $ 113 charge appeared on my credit card from the Holiday Inn . I disputed the charge , but they told me I could n't get a refund because I could not prove that they refused me the room . When I called guest relations they said they needed a cancellation number before they would consider a refund . Otherwise the hotel itself would need to reverse the charge . When I call the hotel , I get only voicemail . Can you help ? -- Gabriel Medina , Elk Grove , California . A : If a hotel representative says your reservation is canceled , you should n't be charged for your stay . But a review of your correspondence raises a few red flags . First , a manager told you that it was impossible for him to cancel a reservation made through Holiday Inn 's 800-number . Then , a few minutes later , the same manager agrees to `` help '' you cancel the reservation . I would assume that `` helping '' you means your reservation is officially canceled , but what if he just looked into it and then decided it could n't be done , and left your original reservation intact ? Since Holiday Inn did n't have a cancellation number , it probably means there was no cancellation . Here 's what you did right : You noted the name of the manager with whom you spoke . You followed up with Holiday Inn , and you were persistent but polite . Here 's what you overlooked : You should have called the central reservations number and asked for a cancellation number . If they refused to give you a number , you should have given a representative the name of the manager you spoke with . I would have followed up with the manager and not let Holiday Inn off the hook until you had a number . But getting a number is n't enough . Instead of continuing to call Holiday Inn , I would have sent it a short , cordial email asking for a verification of your cancellation in writing . If you send an email through a hotel company 's Web site -LRB- Holiday Inn -RRB- you 'll typically receive a meaningful answer in a matter of days , if not hours . With that information , your credit card dispute would have probably been a slam-dunk . Before getting to the resolution on your case , let me add one more thing . As far as I can tell , Holiday Inn was under no obligation to refund your money . You could n't reach the hotel because of a police barricade , which the property could n't control . But since a manager assured you that he would help you make a cancellation , I think it 's reasonable to expect a refund . I contacted Holiday Inn on your behalf . It reviewed your case and apologized for the way in which your refund was handled . `` Clearly the inability to access the hotel was beyond your control , and in as such , you should be relieved of the $ 113 charge you have received , '' a representative wrote to you in a letter . You 're getting your $ 113 back . Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine . E-mail him at [email protected] . Copyright 2009 CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT , DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES , INC. . | Guest finds his hotel blocked by police barricade and calls the hotel manager . The manager promises to help him cancel the reservation , and he stays elsewhere . Days later , he finds his credit card charged for unused , blocked hotel room . Holiday Inn hotel apologizes and returns the man 's $ 113 . | [[38, 143], [523, 537], [540, 607], [608, 609], [643, 688], [144, 203], [913, 959], [962, 1006], [1827, 1831], [1834, 1853], [1856, 1908], [3439, 3503], [38, 143], [210, 226], [229, 263], [1046, 1062], [1065, 1129], [1046, 1062], [1065, 1129], [3875, 3908]] |
ISLAMABAD , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An explosion killed at least 22 people and wounded 60 others Tuesday in the central Pakistani city of Dera Ghazi Khan , said a rescue service official . The dead included two children , three women and 17 men , said , Mubarak Ali Athar , the regional police chief in Dera Ghazi Khan . Three people were critically injured , he said . The blast ripped through a market located near the house of a senior adviser to the chief minister of Punjab province , said the official , Mohammed Hasnain . The adviser , Sardar Zulfiqar Muhammad Khosa , is a former provincial governor and a senior opposition party politician . He said he was the target of the attack , though police initially said he was not the intended target . Khosa told CNN that none of his family members were in the house when the attack occurred . He also said that he had never before received any threats against his life . The attacker detonated his car in front of the main gate at Khosa 's house , said Hassan Iqbal , a senior government official . About 20 shops in the market were left in heaps of rubble . Journalist Umar Aziz Khan contributed to this report . | Attack on market in Dera Ghazi Khan leaves 22 dead , 60 wounded . Attacker detonated car in front of Sardar Zulfiqar Muhammad Khosa 's home . Former provincial governor claims he was intended target of attack . | [[40, 78], [12, 36], [83, 157], [929, 1003]] |
Port-au-Prince , Haiti -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In the aftermath of Haiti 's devastating earthquake , a small radio station became an informational lifeline for people in Port-au-Prince and beyond . The radio station , Signal FM , managed to stay on the air during the earthquake , leaving music playing while its employees fled the building . The station 's studios and broadcasting tower withstood the 7.0-magnitude quake , and with electricity provided by multiple generators , it became one of the few places stunned Haitians could turn for information and directions in the following days . `` We say that the only way communicate with the people and the world to is to stay on , '' station manager Mario Viau told CNN . `` And we stayed on . '' Signal FM has stayed on the air throughout the nearly two weeks since the quake , though occasionally broadcasting at reduced power . At first , it had only three days of fuel to keep its generators going , but the Haitian government and private organizations contributed more . Interactive map of where to find aid , hospitals in Haiti . Viau said he went on the air shortly after the earthquake , telling listeners `` that we have been hit by an earthquake , and , you know ... say the radio station is there . We gon na talk to you . '' The station quickly organized a panel discussion with reporters , talking about what happened and getting dire reports from the surrounding city . `` People would come , and say I have this problem ... people are dead this way , why do n't you send somebody that way . That was the first day , '' Viau said . `` The second day , they were saying we need water there , we need doctor there , we need food there . That 's how it started . '' The station 's broadcast signal reaches about 3 million people around Port-au-Prince . And it has international reach via the Internet , allowing people to get messages to relatives all over the world . `` Somebody would call and say if you 're alive , come in front of Signal FM -LSB- and -RSB- I 'll meet you at this time , '' Viau said . Others have used it to inform search-and-rescue workers about sites where people may still be buried alive , as well as food and water distribution sites . People now bring letters and notes to the station to be read on air . One woman went on the air , out of desperation , to ask for help in finding her husband . When it worked , Viau got the bear-hug of a lifetime from the man . `` You should have seen him . He was almost choking me , '' Viau said . Radio is a powerful tool in a country with a literacy rate of about 62 percent , according to UNICEF . And with tens of thousands of people now living in tents or makeshift shelters , aid agencies have been distributing portable radios to keep them in touch . CNN iReport : Looking for loved ones in Haiti . The U.S. Army has been handing out solar-powered and hand-cranked radios to an estimated 50,000 to 80,000 Haitians now housed at a former golf course in the Port-au-Prince suburb of Petionville . The military will be broadcasting on three different radio stations . `` We 'll pull people out of the audience and we 'll ask , what 's one thing you want to know and what 's going on out there , that we do n't know , '' said 1st Lt. Jeff Wozencraft of the Army 's 82nd Airborne Division . The tents and tarps sprawling across the Petionville green has been sectioned off into communities , with an area to buy food and clothing , and even to get a haircut . Some vendors use car batteries to charge cell phones for 50 cents a pop . One of the tens of thousands now housed here is 22-year-old Louis Richardson , whose mother , father , brothers and sisters died in the quake . Taking shelter under a tree from the stifling heat , he told CNN that Signal FM is `` the most important source of information now . '' But as he spoke , he was n't listening to news . He was listening to `` You Are Not Alone '' by Michael Jackson . A small Port-au-Prince radio station stays on air after the January 12 earthquake , helping people coordinate aid distribution . | Haitian radio station Signal FM says on during , after earthquake . Station has informed listeners where people need food , rescue . Station is `` the most important source of information now , '' Haitian says . | [[193, 210], [225, 273], [745, 824], [3954, 4035], [96, 192], [3757, 3836]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iceland is losing its only three McDonald 's restaurants as a result of the poor economic situation in the country . Businessman Magnus Ogmundsson , who owns the only McDonald 's franchise in Iceland , said it had become too expensive to operate the restaurants after Iceland 's currency , the krona , plunged in value . `` The krona is quite weak and we are buying everything in euros , and we have very high tariffs on imported agricultural products , '' he told CNN on Tuesday . In January 2008 , it cost more than 95 Icelandic krona to buy one euro , according to the Central Bank of Iceland . Tuesday , that price had shot up to more than 186 krona . That means the currency is worth half as much today as it was in January 2008 -- and things priced in euros now cost twice as much to buy . Ogmundsson said the McDonald 's Corporation worked with him to find a solution , but in the end he had no choice but to close . There was `` good cooperation '' with McDonald 's , Ogmundsson told CNN . `` No hard feelings . '' McDonald 's said it had become financially prohibitive to continue operating in Iceland because of `` the unique operational complexity of doing business in Iceland combined with the very challenging economic climate in the country . '' It said there are no plans to seek a new franchise partner in that country . The three stores will close at midnight Saturday , but they will reopen as an independent chain called Metro , with more domestic ingredients and fewer imported products . `` We believe we can be more successful with our own brand , '' Ogmundsson said . A McDonald 's Big Mac hamburger currently sells for the equivalent of $ 5.29 , making Iceland one of the most expensive places in the world to buy the sandwich . Only Norway and Switzerland charge more , according to the countries listed on the Economist magazine 's Big Mac Index , published in February . A Big Mac costs about $ 3.54 in the United States , $ 2.19 in Australia , $ 5.07 in Denmark , $ 1.66 in South Africa , and $ 1.52 in Malaysia . | Iceland is losing its only three McDonald 's restaurants after economic collapse . Franchise owner said restaurants now too expensive to run after Iceland 's currency plunged in value . Krona worth half as much now as it was in January 2008 -- and imports are priced in euros . | [[19, 135], [136, 165], [221, 306], [1042, 1206], [675, 726]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Peruvian authorities say they have arrested four members of a gang that specialized in selling to European labs fat obtained from dead humans . Officials are investigating the disappearance of at least 60 people they believe were killed by gang members in two mountainous states in central Peru , lead prosecutor Jorge Sanz Quiroz said Friday . The four suspects have been charged with murder in the September slaying of a Peruvian man , the prosecutor said . `` They killed to obtain human fat because there were European laboratories that would pay them , '' Sanz Quiroz said . The suspects told authorities they were paid $ 15,000 for a liter -LRB- about 1 quart -RRB- of human fat . Officials did not disclose what possible use laboratories could have for the human fat , but fat can be a component of cosmetics and is used in reconstructive or cosmetic surgery . The use of human fat for any purpose is extremely rare , however , physicians say . Other suspects , including the Peruvian ringleader , have eluded capture , Sanz Quiroz said . Authorities have the names of two Italian suspects who are being sought by Interpol , the 188-nation worldwide police agency , the prosecutor said . He declined to reveal their identities . Sanz Quiroz acknowledged the uniqueness of the allegations . `` We are not making this up , '' he said . `` They have confessed to this . That 's what 's coming out now . '' One of the suspects told officials he had been committing the murders for five years . According to a criminal complaint Sanz Quiroz filed November 18 , officials discovered on September 22 a small container containing a fat-like substance that had been stored at the Bella Durmiente bus station in Lima , Peru 's capital . On November 3 , the complaint says , suspect Serapio Marcos Veramendi Principe was arrested after he retrieved three bottles from the Estrella Polar bus station . The bottles contained a substance authorities believe is human fat , the complaint says . Lab tests are being performed to determine what the substance is . Authorities identified the three other suspects as Elmer Segundo Castillejos Aguero , Hilario Cudena Simon and Enedina Estela Claudio . The suspects identified each other for police in photo lineups , the complaint says . In addition to murder , Veramendi Principe and Castillejos Aguero face weapons charges . Castillejos Aguero , Veramendi Principe and Estela Claudio also face drug charges , authorities said . They are accused in the September 16 killing of Abel Matos Aranda , the criminal complaint says . Authorities believe the substance found at the bus stations is body fat obtained from Matos Aranda . Officials unearthed a partially buried male body November 13 in Huanuco state . They believe it was Matos Aranda . Sanz Quiroz referred to the suspects as `` brujos , '' the Spanish word for witches . He noted that the suspects are part of an Andean mountain culture that believes bodies can be used to ward off evil and prevent disasters . For example , he said , bodies are often buried at the entrances to mine shafts and bridges in the belief they will keep the structures from collapsing . Authorities are calling the suspects `` pishtacos , '' which are Andean mythological creatures . In his 1996 book `` Death in the Andes , '' Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa mentions pishtacos extensively , saying they are half-white ghouls who live in caves , lurk along dark isolated roads and suck the fat out of anyone careless enough to travel Andean roads at night . Andean myth holds that the fat is used to make soaps , lubricants , healing potions and cosmetic creams . Until the arrests , few believed that anything resembling pishtacos existed . `` It 's an Andean myth that we 've now been able to prove , '' said Miguel Jimenez Torres , a spokesman for the prosecutor 's office . Some physicians say human fat is used in some medical procedures , but a few products were taken off the market because they were considered unsafe . The longevity of implants that use human tissue often is not as good , said Atlanta cosmetic surgeon Harold Brody . Nor is there any advantage , he said , to using human fat in cosmetic creams or lotions . `` They 're a little behind the times , '' Brody said . `` It makes a great moisturizer , but it has no advantages over good moisturizers that do n't use human fat . '' New York dermatologist Barry Goldman said he had never heard of human fat being sold on the black market . `` The idea that anybody would use an injectable where you did n't know where it came from would be laughable if it were n't unethical and potentially dangerous , '' he said . Still , the notion of black market human fat seemed possible to him . `` They steal kidneys , so why not this ? '' he asked . `` It is sick , but in the Holocaust they did use skin for lamps . '' | Peruvian authorities reported to have arrested gang who are selling human fat . Officials investigating disappearances of at least 60 people . Two suspects arrested with a plastic container with human fat in it . | [[19, 85], [4462, 4507], [163, 230], [1582, 1668], [1619, 1732], [1916, 1982]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In the same way a Christmas playlist is incomplete without a tipsy , eggnog-drinking grandmother having an unfortunate accident with reindeer , the melodrama of certain shows and films improves when a boozy grandmother is written in . The minor role is normally reserved for television , but it makes the jump to movie theaters this year in `` The Lovely Bones , '' Peter Jackson 's cerebral thriller based on Alice Sebold 's 2002 novel , with Susan Sarandon playing the hard-drinking Grandma Lynn . `` She 's such a strange grandmother , '' Sarandon told the Australian press about her first role as a family matriarch . Although Sarandon , 63 , said she 's old enough to play one , her Grandma Lynn is n't `` a granny grandmother . '' `` She 's the comic relief in this very deep , very hard movie ; she comes in and the movie gets lighter , '' said movie reviewer Kit Bowen . `` She 's trying to vacuum while ash is falling from her cigarette . '' Television critics say it 's hard to nail down when this character first made an appearance , but the anti-grandmother role we know today was more than likely inspired by the spirited older women on `` Golden Girls , '' and has since become a television staple . Kelly Bishop played a version of the difficult , drinking grandmother for seven seasons as Emily Gilmore on `` Gilmore Girls , '' and Holland Taylor has taken her vodka neat as Evelyn Harper on `` Two and a Half Men '' and as Peggy Peabody on `` The L Word . '' The Upper East Side hour-long melodrama `` Gossip Girl '' has the scheming Celia Rhodes -- whose signature scent is Chanel No. 5 with a top note of gin -- and Jessica Walter has perfected the role as Lucille Bluth on `` Arrested Development '' and Tabitha Wilson on `` 90210 . '' `` These women , they 're not knitting -- they 're more interested in mixing their drinks than watching kids , '' said Entertainment Weekly 's pop culture writer Tim Stack . `` They 're more inclined to offer a witticism or a barb than to give you sweet advice . These ladies are n't cooking -- I do n't think they even eat . They drink their lunch . And their dinners . And their breakfasts . ... Maybe they eat the olives . '' They 're the exact opposite of the stereotypical grandmother , said TVGuide.com 's senior editor Mickey O'Connor . `` They 're supposed to be the truth-tellers -- whether it 's liquid courage or lowering their inhibitions , I do n't know , '' O'Connor said . `` But everyone can relate to having an older relative that embarrasses you to some degree , '' he added . `` Shelley Long just did a drunken grandma on ` Modern Family . ' There was a wedding scene where she got drunk , gave a toast and ended up kicking the cake over . It 's about the universality of how we deal with our older relatives . If you make them drunk , there 's some way to at least codify what embarrasses us about them , or to excuse their outrageous behavior . '' With O'Connor 's own grandparents , though , `` it 's less often an indication of how much they 've had to drink and more often just who they are . '' Because it 's a role that 's virtually paint-by-numbers -- drunk grandmothers are nearly always wealthy , white and cruelly witty , with poor parenting skills -- it demands a strong actress who can keep the potentially two-dimensional from falling flat . Case in point for film reviewer Bowen is the difference between the Grandma Lynn in Sebold 's novel and Jackson 's cinematic version . `` I loved the book , but the funny thing is that I do n't remember the grandmother , '' Bowen said . `` She definitely is more memorable in the movie , and I 'm glad her character is in the movie because it adds another layer to it . `` Which , of course , has everything to do with Susan Sarandon , '' Bowen added . The talent of the women who have taken these minor roles and turned them into iconic characters is what has kept the `` drunk grandma '' role from veering into cliché territory , O'Connor said . `` Even with the criticisms people had of ' 90210 , ' they liked Jessica Walter and what she was doing , '' O'Connor said . `` She brought some reality . The teen drama tends to be a little stylized in terms of its emotional truth , and she 's kind of there to cut through the artifice . '' Stack , who also lists Walter 's `` Development '' character as one of his favorites , thinks these roles are always such a hit because , regardless of what series they land in , they always manage to `` punch it up . '' -LRB- Need proof of Walter 's comedic timing ? Do a search for `` Lucille Bluth Chicken Dance '' on YouTube . -RRB- . `` They 're the Tabasco to a Bloody Mary , '' Stack said . `` Walter was sharp , funny , mean and heartless -- and at the same time , she was fabulous in a Chanel suit like it was always happy hour somewhere . She made it look like such a blast . '' While their alcohol-induced shenanigans are obviously trumped up for comedic effect , the idea of a grandmother who 's independent , technologically savvy and having fun is n't the foreign notion it used to be , said Mary McHugh , the 81-year-old author of `` How Not to Become a Little Old Lady . '' McHugh herself has spent her post-child-rearing years traveling the world . `` When people think of a grandmother , their eyes glaze over . But now , many of us are doing things we love doing . We 're not sitting somewhere and rocking in a rocking chair , '' said McHugh , who herself enjoys a glass of wine or two to cap off her evenings . But , despite the truth that these characters are reflected in the real world more than ever , television and film still does n't have anything close to the godmother of the grandmother character , `` Golden Girls . '' `` Hopefully , it 's not the drunk grandmother -LSB- character -RSB- that have made it better for older actresses , but you never know , '' O'Connor said . `` Maybe it 's become , play a drunk grandmother and you get to work past the age of 60 . '' | Susan Sarandon plays hard-drinking Grandma Lynn in `` The Lovely Bones '' Kelly Bishop played drinking grandmother Emily Gilmore on `` Gilmore Girls '' Expert says these grandmas are `` exact opposite of the stereotypical grandmother '' | [[463, 518], [5895, 5897], [5919, 5943], [1233, 1245], [1282, 1320], [5895, 5897], [5919, 5943], [2204, 2264]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- His shooting spree left at least 10 dead and millions terrified of bullets coming from an unseen sniper . But Mildred Muhammad believes she was the ultimate target of her ex-husband , John Allan Muhammad , the man dubbed the `` D.C. Sniper . '' And for some time , Muhammad said she felt extreme guilt for the victims that were gunned down in grocery store parking lots and gas stations . The youngest was a 13-year-old boy who was shot while walking to his Maryland school . Muhammad spoke about the guilt she felt after the killing spree on CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' on Monday night , the day before her ex-husband was scheduled to be executed . Muhammad said she has gradually gotten over her guilty feelings and focused on her three children . `` I felt that way initially because I had done everything I knew how to do to bring attention to how dangerous he was to me , '' Muhammad said . `` I had no idea his anger would extend beyond me , to include all people in his killings . '' John Muhammad , the mastermind behind the Washington-area sniper attacks of 2002 , is scheduled to die by lethal injection Tuesday evening at a state prison near Jarratt , Virginia . During two lengthy trials -- including one featuring testimony from young accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo -- and in several years of legal appeals , John Muhammad has continued to profess his innocence . Prosecutors say John Muhammad intended the killings to provide a smokescreen to cover up his real goal -- killing his ex-wife Mildred and gaining custody of his three children . Muhammad said she divorced John Muhammad because of abuse and has not visited him since he was in prison . `` I feel that all of my efforts , all of my energy is to help my children through this emotional turmoil that they are going through , '' said Muhammad . `` I do n't have an emotional attachment to John . '' John Muhammad 's other ex-wife , Carol Williams , also talked to King Monday . Williams , John Muhammad 's first wife , said she plans to visit him in prison with their son Tuesday before the execution . Williams also brought letters that John Muhammad wrote her from prison . `` Carol , I have missed my family for the past eight years . I do n't want to be missed the day that these devils murder my innocent black -LRB- expletive -RRB- , '' John Muhammad wrote in one of the letters . Williams said she was not surprised that John Muhammad still believed he was innocent . `` I 'm praying for myself , for my son , and also for the families of the victims , '' Williams said . | John Muhammad 's second ex-wife , Mildred , believes she was ultimate target of sniper spree . Muhammad : For long time , I felt extreme guilt for victims that were gunned down . Carol Williams , his first ex-wife , plans to visit Muhammad before execution and bring son . Muhammad has maintained his innocence in the deaths of at least 10 people in 2002 . | [[129, 200], [1886, 1916], [1941, 1964], [264, 281], [284, 336], [495, 525], [1965, 1973], [1976, 1980], [2006, 2089], [0, 15], [38, 93], [1194, 1334], [1337, 1391]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A federal advisory board 's recommendation that women in their 40s should avoid routine mammograms is not government policy and has caused `` a great deal of confusion , '' Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Wednesday . `` My message to women is simple . Mammograms have always been an important life-saving tool in the fight against breast cancer , and they still are today , '' Sebelius said in a statement . `` Keep doing what you have been doing for years : talk to your doctor about your individual history , ask questions and make the decision that is right for you . '' With her statement , Sebelius waded into the controversy over Monday 's announcement by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force that women in their 40s should not get routine mammograms for early detection of breast cancer . Sebelius ' statement is aimed at `` making it clear these recommendations are not ours , '' a White House source said . The report `` should n't be dismissed , '' Sebelius said on CNN 's `` The Situation Room . '' But she added , `` There are other groups who have disagreed with this information . '' The task force is `` making recommendations , not coverage decisions , not payment decisions . '' Government health programs such as Medicaid will continue to cover routine mammograms , she said . `` We will continue to recommend it , and the health plans have indicated that they will do the same , '' Sebelius said . `` If the health care provider recommends a mammogram for a patient , they intend to cover that payment . '' Though the Preventive Services Task Force is independent , the Department of Health and Human Services ' Web site calls the panel 's recommendations the `` gold standard , '' and insurance companies look to the panel for guidance on which preventive care practices they should cover . With the Obama administration fighting to push a sweeping overhaul of U.S. health insurance through Congress , Republicans quickly jumped at the chance to attack the mammography report . `` This is how rationing begins , '' said Rep. Marsha Blackburn , R-Tennessee . `` This is the little toe in the edge of the water . And this is where you start getting a bureaucrat between you and your physician . '' The White House disputes that , saying the recommendations `` can not be used to deny treatment '' on their own . Sebelius said the task force wo n't make coverage decisions . `` Mammograms have been a huge step forward for millions of American women , but we still have about 21 million women and girls in America who do n't have a doctor , who do n't receive any kind of mammogram screening on any kind of basis regardless of their age , '' she said . `` The health reform debate is about closing that gap . '' Criticism of the recommendation has come from quarters other than opponents of the Democratic health care bills . The American Cancer Society said it disagrees with the findings of the task force and continues to recommend annual screening , including mammograms , for all women beginning 40 and over . `` With its new recommendations , the -LSB- task force -RSB- is essentially telling women that mammography at age 40 to 49 saves lives , just not enough of them , '' said Dr. Otis Brawley , the group 's chief medical officer . And Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz , D-Florida , who was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer at 41 , called the panel 's recommendations `` really disturbing '' and `` absolutely irresponsible . '' `` It 's a very patronizing attitude that these scientists have taken , '' she said . `` It 's pretty outrageous to suggest that women could n't handle more information . '' Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. , chairman of the House Energy and Commerce 's Subcommittee on Health , has announced that he will lead hearings into the advisory board 's recommendations . Wasserman-Schultz said those hearings `` will help us reach the appropriate policy conclusion , which I believe is that these recommendations should be set aside . '' Breast cancer is the most common cancer for U.S. women , with nearly 200,000 women expected to be diagnosed with the invasive form of the disease this year , according to the American Cancer Society . For women 50 to 74 , it recommended routine mammography screenings every two years . Risks and benefits for women age 75 and older are unknown , it said . While roughly 15 percent of women in their 40s detect breast cancer through mammography , data show that many other women experience false positives , anxiety , and unnecessary biopsies as a result of the test , according to the task force . The Preventive Services Task Force reviews medical data and bases recommendations on effectiveness and risks involved . It is composed of 16 health care experts , none of whom are oncologists , though a team of cancer experts presented its findings to the group . CNN 's Danielle Dellorto and Gloria Borger contributed to this report . | Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says findings are n't part of government policy . GOP criticizes health care `` rationing '' ; White House disputes claim . Advisory board has said women in 40s should n't get routine mammograms . Health secretary : Government will continue to recommend mammograms . | [[2276, 2389], [2276, 2300], [2308, 2389], [78, 128], [764, 855], [1355, 1390], [4244, 4262], [4265, 4328]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After a weekend of rumors , it 's finally official : Heidi Klum and Seal are now the proud parents of a baby girl , Klum 's representative confirmed . Heidi Klum met Seal in 2004 , and the couple married a year later . The `` Project Runway '' host gave birth Friday night . Klum and Seal named their new bundle Lou Sulola Samuel . The couple , who married in 2005 , have been busy babymaking ever since . Lou Sulola is the youngest of four : Henri , 4 , Johan , 2 and Leni , 5 , whom Klum had from a previous relationship . `` It 's difficult to imagine loving another child as much as you love your existing children , '' Seal said of the birth in a statement Tuesday . `` Anyone who has a family will tell you this . Where will one find that extra love ? If you love your existing children with all of your heart , how then can one possibly find more heart with which to love another ? '' The answer to that question , the Grammy-winning singer said , `` came in the form of our fourth child and second daughter . `` Lou Sulola Samuel was born , and from the moment she looked into both of our eyes , it was endless love at first sight . She is beautiful beyond words , and we are happy that she chose us to watch her grow over the coming years , '' he said . | Heidi Klum and Seal have confirmed their daughter was born Friday . The couple named her Lou Sulola Samuel . She has three siblings : Henri , Johan and Leni . Seal said when Lou Sulola was born , it was `` endless love at first sight . '' | [[19, 34], [72, 132], [294, 350], [425, 492], [1072, 1080], [1123, 1159]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jennifer Valdivia scooped up the baseball after it sailed into the right-field stands . The 12-year-old smiled and giggled over the keepsake from her first Major League ballgame . Jennifer Valdivia , 12 , holds the record-setting baseball after it was returned this week to her . She 'd have to sue to get the ball back . This is the story of a baseball and the big leagues , of a young girl , a slugger and a lawsuit . It 's about another stain on America 's pastime -- commercialism colliding with a kid 's innocent joy . Jennifer 's big catch was the 200th home run for Ryan Howard , an All-Star for the Philadelphia Phillies . The 29-year-old first baseman achieved the milestone faster than any player in Major League history , in his 658th career game , 48 fewer games than the previous record . The ballclub wanted to give the ball to its star player . And that 's where things got complicated . Watch Jennifer smile as ball is returned '' It was mid-July . The Phillies squared off against the Florida Marlins at Land Shark Stadium near Miami . Jennifer was in the stands with her 69-year-old grandfather , her 17-year-old brother and one of his friends . Howard launched his history-making homer in the sixth inning , a solo shot to right field . The sixth-grader beat her older brother to the ball . Nearby , fans said they could n't believe a girl came away with the prize . `` I was rubbing it in my brother 's face , '' Jennifer later recalled . He 'd been to many games before , but had never caught a homer ball . `` I got a ball and you did n't , '' she teased . Switcheroo leaves mom steaming . Excitedly , Jennifer called her mom on the phone . `` Mom , I got the ball ! '' Moments later , the Marlins sent a team representative to the stands . Jennifer and her brother , Gian Carlos , were escorted to the Phillies ' clubhouse . Their grandfather , a Cuban immigrant who does n't speak English , stayed in his seat . A Phillies employee , Jennifer says , told her if she handed over the ball , she could come back after the game , meet the slugger and get him to autograph it . She gave the ball up . In exchange , she got cotton candy and a soda . Jennifer went back to her seat but returned to the clubhouse after the game -- this time , with her grandfather and the rest of her party . They waited . The Phillies slugger never showed up . A security guard walked up and gave Jennifer a ball autographed by Howard . But it was n't the one she caught . This ball was clean and polished . Jennifer calls it `` the fake one . '' `` I was , like , really sad . '' Howard told reporters after the game that he was proud of his feat . He eclipsed Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner , who played on three teams from 1946 to 1955 . Kiner 's record had stood for more than a half-century . `` It 's a nice record to have , '' Howard said . `` I 'll take it and run with it . '' When Jennifer 's mother , Delfa Vanegas , got wind of what happened , she was n't happy . She grilled her daughter about giving up the prized possession . `` What do you want me to do , Mom ? '' Jennifer said . `` They were asking for the ball . '' Vanegas ' motherly instinct kicked in . She felt her daughter had been duped , robbed of something potentially worth thousands of dollars . `` It 's my daughter , '' the steamed mom says . `` It 's my blood . '' She contacted the Phillies and asked for the ball . In baseball parlance , the Phillies balked . But the team did offer to give the family VIP tickets the next time they played in Florida . `` I do n't want tickets , '' Vanegas replied . `` I want the ball back . '' Entering the batter 's box : attorney Norm Kent . He first approached the Phillies in July with his simple demand : Give the girl her ball . True value , and memories . Letting fans keep the home-run balls they catch is a time-honored tradition . It 's a way for ordinary fans to connect with the superstars -- and to cash in on the catch if history has been made . When Salvatore Durante snagged Roger Maris ' 61st home-run ball -- the one that broke Babe Ruth 's single season home-run record in 1961 -- his life changed forever . Durante offered to give it to Maris , but the Yankees slugger declined . `` He said : ` Keep the baseball and try to make some money with it , ' '' Durante once told the Baltimore Sun . He sold it for $ 5,000 -- what amounted to a year-and-a-half 's salary for Durante . See where historic baseballs are now . Howard 's ball is small potatoes in the world of sports memorabilia , maybe worth a couple thousand bucks on the open market . But it 's hugely sentimental to the player -- and to the girl who caught it at her first ballgame . So , Kent 's efforts to get the ball back for his young client met with resistance . There was no way of knowing `` with any degree of certainty whether the ball delivered was in fact the home-run ball , '' Phillies attorney William Webb wrote in a brush-back letter dated August 6 . If the girl wants the baseball , Webb continued , contact Howard 's agent , `` since the player now has the ball . '' By Monday of this week , with the regular season over and no ball in hand , Kent took the extraordinary measure of suing on behalf of Jennifer . He sought the ball and a judgment `` in excess of $ 15,000 . '' The ball was promptly returned . `` Ryan Howard 200th career home run , '' it says in capital letters across the ball , now encased . `` My ball , '' Jennifer says with a smile . The Phillies , in the middle of a pitched playoff battle , have declined comment on the ball brouhaha . Howard 's agent , Terry Prince , told CNN affiliate WSVN : `` He 's willing to give the ball back to her without any strings attached . Free of charge . '' As part of the settlement , Kent said Howard and the Phillies agreed to pay his attorney fee , about $ 1,000 . Jennifer has no plans to sell . She keeps the ball in her room , hidden near her bunk so friends ca n't take it . `` When I grow up and everything , I 'm going to show it to my kids , '' said Jennifer , who wants to be a pediatrician . `` Then , they 're going to tell their kids , and their kids are going to tell their other kids . '' Her message to ballclubs and millionaire players ? The next time a child catches a home-run ball , let the kid keep it . Or , if you 're going to take it away , at least ask a parent first . | Girl gets historic baseball back after suing Phillies and Ryan Howard . Ball was 200th homer for Howard , the fastest any player had achieved the feat . Girl was first given cotton candy and an autographed ball in questionable exchange . Outraged mom came to her defense : `` It 's my daughter . It 's my blood '' | [[543, 603], [650, 749], [1551, 1563], [2380, 2396], [2411, 2455], [3292, 3309], [3312, 3337], [3341, 3357]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Torrential rains and flooding since June have affected 600,000 people in 16 West African nations , the United Nations reported Tuesday . People walk in the flooded streets of Ouagadougou , Burkina Faso , last week . The worst hit have been Burkina Faso , Senegal , Ghana and Niger , said Yvon Edoumou , a spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs , or OCHA , in the Senegalese capital , Dakar . So far , 159 people have died , he said . Sierra Leone has also been hard hit , according to the U.N. Edoumou said removing water from flooded areas is a top priority , but powerful pumps are in short supply . `` Some people refused to leave their homes so they are living in floodwaters , '' he said . The United Nations has not yet received reports of waterborne diseases , but Edoumou said a real threat exists of diarrhea or , worse , cholera . The U.N. World Food Programme said Tuesday it has begun distributing food to tens of thousands of homeless flood victims . WFP has set a goal of feeding 177,500 people , mainly in Ouagadougou , the capital of Burkina Faso , where 150,000 people have been affected and key infrastructure -- including a central hospital , schools , bridges and roads -- has been damaged . The flooding in Burkina Faso is the worst in 90 years , WFP said . Many of those in Ouagadougou most needing help were already receiving aid from WFP , but those rations were lost in the floodwaters , the U.N. reported . `` It is always the poor and vulnerable who suffer the most from floods like these as their few remaining assets are swept away , leaving them hungry and destitute , '' WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran said . Roads and buildings have been ruined from Mauritania to Niger , the U.N. reported . In Agadez , Niger , a town about 458 miles -LRB- 738 km -RRB- north of the capital , Niamey , close to 988 acres -LRB- 400 hectares -RRB- of vegetable crops and hundreds of livestock were washed away . Herve Ludovic de Lys , head of OCHA in West Africa , said natural disasters have a lasting effect that unravels years of progress against poverty . `` The situation is very worrying , '' he said in an OCHA statement issued Tuesday . The rainy season in West Africa begins in June and continues through late September . In 2007 , 300 people died and 800,000 were affected by the storms . This year , fears abound that more heavy rain will fall in already waterlogged areas . Despite the misery , Edoumou said the rains are a mixed blessing for countries dependent on agriculture . The harvest this year will be more bountiful , he said . | U.N. begins distributing food to tens of thousands of homeless flood victims . U.N. says 159 have died due to flooding ; key infrastructure damaged . Waterborne diseases like cholera are a concern , U.N. official says . `` It is always the poor and vulnerable who suffer the most from floods , '' official says . | [[896, 1018], [931, 1018], [447, 449], [456, 476], [489, 501], [527, 548], [827, 895], [235, 248], [302, 319], [1491, 1600]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hurricane Ida moved into the southern Gulf of Mexico Sunday , prompting a declaration of emergency in Louisiana and concern along the U.S. Gulf Coast . The storm regained hurricane intensity overnight Saturday , becoming a Category 2 hurricane , but forecasters said it is expected to weaken as it moves north . Ida drenched Nicaragua after making landfall last week as a Category 1 hurricane , then weakened to a tropical storm before resuming strength . In El Salvador , at least 91 people died in flooding and mudslides , according to the government , but a low-pressure system out of the Pacific -- not Hurricane Ida -- triggered the disaster , forecaster Robby Berg of the National Hurricane Center said Sunday . A hurricane warning , meaning hurricane conditions are possible within 24 hours , extends from Pascagoula , Mississippi to Indian Pass , Florida , forecasters said . From Grande Isle , Louisiana , to west of Pascagoula , Mississippi , a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch are in effect . This area includes New Orleans , which the center earlier excluded from the watch , and Lake Pontchartrain , the hurricane center said . In anticipation of the storm 's arrival , Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency Sunday afternoon . Hurricane Ida `` threatens the safety and security of those citizens '' along the state 's southeast coastline , he wrote in the declaration . The declaration gives the director of the governor 's office of emergency preparedness authority `` to undertake any activity authorized by law which he deems necessary and appropriate '' to prepare for the possibility of a hurricane . Track Ida 's progress , potential path . Alabama 's Baldwin County commission urged that residents living in mobile homes , coastal communities or low-lying , flood-prone areas voluntarily evacuate . The county is under a local state of emergency and opened a shelter , according to a Sunday night statement from the county commission . As of 10 p.m. ET Sunday , Ida had maximum sustained winds near 105 mph -LRB- 165 km/hr -RRB- with higher gusts . But the storm was expected to weaken on Monday and possibly begin losing tropical characteristics on Tuesday , the hurricane center said . The center of Ida was located about 400 miles -LRB- 645 km -RRB- south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River , forecasters said . It was moving north-northwest at nearly 14 mph -LRB- 22 km/hr -RRB- and was expected to increase in speed . The storm was expected to be near coastal areas of the northern Gulf by Monday night or early Tuesday , the hurricane center said . As Ida moves in the Gulf of Mexico , conditions are expected to be unfavorable for any additional development , said CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen . Ida is expected to weaken because of a combination of wind shear , cooler water temperatures and the storm 's interaction with a strong frontal system pushing off the Gulf Coast , he said . But Ida is forecast to remain a hurricane as it moves in the northern Gulf toward the U.S. coast , the center said . Florida 's Division of Emergency Management asked residents to have disaster plans in place . `` Whether Ida maintains a storm or loses tropical characteristics , the Florida Gulf Coast region has the potential to see several inches of rain , strong winds , isolated tornadoes and dangerous surf and coastal flooding beginning Monday evening and continuing into Wednesday , '' the office said in a statement . The area stretching from Indian Pass , Florida , to Aucilla River , Florida , is also under a tropical storm warning . Tropical storm conditions are possible within 24 hours , the center said . Ida could drop between 1 and 3 inches of rain on portions of western Cuba , with isolated amounts of 8 inches possible in some spots , forecasters said . The central and eastern areas of the Gulf Coast northward to eastern Tennessee Valley and southern Appalachian Mountains could see 3 to 5 inches of rain with some areas getting as much as 8 inches , the center said . Ida is the Atlantic region 's ninth named storm . The Atlantic hurricane season ends November 30 . CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras and journalist Merlin Delcid in El Salvador contributed to this report . | Louisiana governor declares emergency after watch issued for parts of Gulf Coast . Ida expected to weaken before it reaches U.S. , but could bring heavy rain . Heavy rains expected in parts of the Southeast this week because of Ida . National Weather Service : 91 deaths in El Salvador due to separate system , not Ida . | [[0, 15], [81, 170], [1172, 1211], [1214, 1290], [269, 330], [2124, 2166], [3699, 3772], [3258, 3466], [3853, 3900], [3943, 4005], [475, 489], [492, 541]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Soccer mom Meleanie Hain , who made national headlines last year by having a loaded , holstered handgun at her 5-year-old daughter 's soccer game , has been found shot dead in her home along with her husband , police said Thursday . Meleanie Hain was found shot dead in her home along with her husband Thursday . Information from 911 calls shows that it took a SWAT team nearly an hour and a half to gain entry to the Lebanon , Pennsylvania , home Wednesday evening . Inside , they found the bodies of Hain , 31 , and her husband , Scott , 33 , police Capt. Daniel Wright said . Police have avoided labeling the incident a murder-suicide . However , they do not believe that another person was involved , Wright said . A full investigation is under way , he added . `` Who -LSB- Meleanie Hain -RSB- is does not change the course of this investigation , '' he said . The autopsies are scheduled for Friday . Watch why Hain caused controversy '' Meleanie Hain 's attorney , Matthew B. Weisberg , said she told him a few months ago that she and her husband were separating . It was not immediately clear whether they were still living together . The couple 's three children were unharmed and took refuge at a neighbor 's house before police arrived , Wright said , and the children remain in a neighbor 's care . During the incident , police told neighbor Ann DiJohnson to avoid rooms with windows in fear of a possible shootout . `` It was frightening , '' DiJohnson said . `` I 'm still shaking . '' Thomas Shaak , who lives a block from the Hains , said the couple hardly socialized with neighbors . The avid gardener said he occasionally saw Scott Hain working on his yard , but the two did not greet each other . He said Hain worked as a security officer and often kept odd hours . Meleanie Hain became an overnight celebrity and , to some , a steward of Second Amendment rights when she carried a Glock strapped to her belt to her daughter 's soccer game September 11 , 2008 . Days later , on September 20 , her permit to carry a gun was revoked by Lebanon County Sheriff Michael DeLeo , who claimed that she showed poor judgment at the child 's game . County Judge Robert Eby later reinstated the permit . Weisberg , Hain 's attorney , said the sheriff 's action violated Hain 's First , Second , Fourth and 14th Amendment rights . A lawsuit was filed against DeLeo on Hain 's behalf for compensatory damages . She sought punitive and statutory damages , Weisberg said , along with reimbursement of attorneys ' fees and lost wages . Although Weisberg called the Hains a `` loving '' and `` unified '' couple , he said that about four months ago , Meleanie Hain told him that they were separating and that she wanted to remove his name from the $ 1 million lawsuit . Although there was no indication of abuse , Weisberg said , Meleanie Hain was contemplating getting a `` stay-away order . '' `` It 's shocking , '' Weisberg said of the shooting . `` And sadly ironic . '' | Meleanie and Scott Hain shot to death in Lebanon , Pennsylvania , home . Meleanie Hain brought loaded gun to daughter 's soccer game in 2008 . Police are avoiding calling Wednesday night shooting a murder-suicide . Their three children are unharmed and in neighbor 's care . | [[0, 15], [160, 203], [0, 15], [182, 226], [252, 297], [252, 265], [276, 320], [496, 548], [1918, 1999], [598, 658], [1162, 1204], [1162, 1190], [1209, 1265], [1286, 1329]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sen. John Ensign of Nevada admitted Tuesday to an extramarital affair with a woman who had worked for him . Sen. John Ensign of Nevada is considered a rising star in the Republican Party . Ensign , 51 , would not identify the woman but said she and her husband had been `` close friends . '' Her husband , he said , also worked for him . `` Last year , I had an affair , '' the Republican senator said outside his office in Las Vegas . `` I violated the vows of marriage . It 's absolutely the worst thing I 've done in my life . `` I take full responsibility for my actions . I know I have deeply hurt and disappointed my wife , Darlene , my children , my family , friends , my staff and those who believed in me . And to all of them , especially my wife , I 'm truly sorry , '' he said . The senator 's office also released a statement from Ensign 's wife , saying , `` Since we found out last year , we have worked through the situation and we have come to a reconciliation . This has been difficult on both families . With the help of our family and close friends , our marriage has become stronger . I love my husband . '' Ensign 's spokesman , Tory Mazzola , said Ensign and a campaign staff member carried on the affair from December 2007 through August 2008 . Her husband was an official Senate staff member for the senator . Neither remained in Ensign 's employ as of May 2008 . Ensign , a veterinarian , is considered a rising star within the Republican Party . A member of the party 's Senate leadership , Ensign last year took over as chairman of the Republican Policy Committee . He was elected to the Senate in 2000 and comfortably won re-election in the midterm elections of 2006 , when Democrats won back Congress . He is up for re-election in 2012 . This month , Ensign spoke to a conservative group in Iowa , stoking speculation that he might have interest in running for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012 . CNN 's Ted Barrett contributed to this report . | Ensign does n't name woman but says she and her husband worked for him . `` I take full responsibility for my actions , '' he says . Statement from senator 's wife says couple have come to a reconciliation . Senator has sparked speculation about 2012 presidential race . | [[89, 101], [106, 126], [208, 214], [222, 250], [311, 322], [340, 356], [552, 595], [796, 808], [809, 830], [836, 876], [809, 830], [879, 885], [889, 997], [1786, 1796], [1799, 1805], [1844, 1865]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Fearlessly demonstrating the majesty of U.S. justice or acquiescing to terrorists by giving them undeserved rights and a public platform ? The decision to bring Khalid Sheikh Mohammed , admitted mastermind of the September 11 , 2001 , attacks , and four other suspects to a New York courtroom , rather than a military tribunal , was described in stark contrasts Sunday by officials on opposing sides of the political spectrum . Democrats hailed Attorney General Eric Holder 's decision to try the men in a civilian court as a demonstration of America 's might and moral certainty , while Republicans called it a bad idea based on politics rather than pragmatism . `` We have a judicial system that 's the envy of the world , '' Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy , D-Vermont , said on the CBS program `` Face the Nation . '' `` I do n't think we should run and hide and cower . Let 's use our system . '' But Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire , speaking on the CNN program `` State of the Union , '' questioned why foreigners who allegedly are terrorists at war with the United States should be given full judicial rights of U.S. citizens . `` These people are evil people , '' Gregg said of the defendants . `` They represent a cause which wants to destroy this nation . If they have the opportunity and were to get free , they would try to destroy this country . There 's no reason we should have them in the criminal justice system . '' Former New York Major Rudy Giuliani , considered a possible GOP presidential candidate in 2012 , called military tribunals created for terrorism suspects who have been held at Guantanamo Bay , Cuba , a better option than a civilian court . Military tribunals are `` a better choice for the government , '' Giuliani said on `` Fox News Sunday . '' `` This choice of New York is a better choice for the terrorists . Why would you seek to give the terrorists a better choice than you 're giving the public ? '' In a separate interview on CNN 's `` State of the Union , '' Giuliani said a New York court trial would cause unnecessary stress and expense for the city 's police force . `` Anyone that tells you that this does n't create additional security problems , of course , is n't telling you the truth , '' Giuliani said . `` And the best indication of it is , just look at the additional security that 's going to be employed when this happens . That also happens to cost millions and millions and millions of dollars . '' Rep. Peter Hoekstra of Michigan , the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee , warned that bringing the suspects to New York raised the risk of further attacks on the United States . `` Why move them into the United States while we are still under the threat from radical jihadists ? '' Hoekstra asked on the CBS program . However , Democratic Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island said on `` Fox News Sunday '' that scores of terrorism suspects were successfully prosecuted in civilian courts under the Bush Administration . `` What was a statesmanlike decision by the Bush administration ca n't be a political decision by this administration , '' Reed said . Holder announced the decision on the trial Friday . He said he expected all five suspects to be tried together and for prosecutors to seek the death penalty . The trial would be open to the public , although some portions that deal with classified information may be closed , Holder said . | Democrats : Decision is a demonstration of America 's might and moral certainty . Military tribunals would have been better choice , says ex-N.Y. mayor Giuliani . Rep. Peter Hoekstra , R-Michigan : Bringing suspects into U.S. raises threat of attacks . Sen. Jack Reed , D-Rhode Island : Prosecuting terrorism suspects in civilian courts not new . | [[1495, 1530], [1592, 1648], [2520, 2551], [2615, 2718], [2869, 2940]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- South African runner Caster Semenya will be allowed to keep the gold medal she won in the women 's 800-meters at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin , Germany , in August , the country 's sports ministry announced Thursday . In a statement on their official Web site the ministry added that Semenya had been found innocent of any wrongdoing but the widely anticipated results of gender tests conducted would not be made public . `` We have agreed with the IAAF that whatever scientific tests were conducted legally within the IAAF regulations will be treated as a confidential matter between patient and doctor , '' the statement read . `` As such there will be no public announcement of what the panel of scientists has found . We urge all South Africans and other people to respect this professional ethical and moral way of doing things . '' The world governing body for athletics , the International Association of Athletics Federations -LRB- IAAF -RRB- , have refused to comment on the announcement , only reiterating a statement published on their official Web site on Wednesday that the release of their gender-test findings would be delayed until `` further notice . '' The IAAF had been expected to release its findings on February 20 , but confirmed it had been in discussions with the South African Ministry of Sport and Recreation with a view to `` resolving the issues surrounding Caster Semenya 's participation in athletics . '' The IAAF went on to say that the medical tests on Semenya had still to be completed . `` There will be no discussion of Semenya 's case at the forthcoming IAAF Council Meeting to be held in Monaco on 20-21 November 2009 . No further comment will be made on this subject until further notice , '' their statement read . Reports in two newspapers in September said the results of the tests showed Semenya has both male and female characteristics . The IAAF has declined to confirm those reports . The South African ministry added they had been unhappy with way the testing had been handled : `` We have asked the IAAF to apologize at the way the whole Caster Semenya saga was dealt with . `` Their response is : ` It is deeply regrettable that information of a confidential nature entered the public domain . ' The IAAF is adamant that the public discourse did not originate with them . `` We also can not prove the contrary . It is our considered view that this chapter of blame apportioning must now be closed . The sport bodies must be allowed to deal with the rest of the investigations in terms of their own regulations , '' the statement added . The controversy over Semenya erupted after she crushed her rivals in the 800 meters and secured victory in one minute , 55.45 seconds -- the best women 's time in the world this year . Semenya 's masculine build and dominant performance fueled existing questions about her gender , and the IAAF -- which oversees the sport worldwide -- ordered tests to be carried out . | South African Olympic runner Caster Semenya will keep her gold medal , the country 's sports ministry announced Thursday . Ministry added in a statement that the results of a gender test would not be made public . The world governing body for athletics , the IAAF , have refused to comment on the announcement . | [[0, 15], [19, 93], [71, 175], [200, 251], [252, 455], [372, 455], [664, 755], [1112, 1201], [872, 910], [979, 1030], [1693, 1761], [1917, 1965]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The death of Hannover 96 and Germany goalkeeper Robert Enke from an apparent suicide has stunned the football world . The German media reaction to the death of a man many tipped to represent the country at the 2010 World Cup , has been one of shock . Berlin based newspaper Der Tagesspiegel reported `` Robert Enke is dead . '' Despite his absence from the German squad for the upcoming friendlies , they wrote manager Joachim Löw had `` clearly signaled that he would continue to be favourite for the number one spot in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa . '' `` He threw himself before the train '' was the headline in the Hamburger Morgenpost , the newspaper going onto recall the death of his two-year-old daughter Lara in 2006 . `` This difficult time greatly influenced Robert Enke . '' They added that he and his wife had adopted a two-month-old girl earlier this year and Enke had been `` shining with happiness , confidence written on his face . '' Der Bild said it had been revealed `` Enke wrote a departure letter . '' `` Goalkeeper Robert Enke is dead . On November 10 at 18.17 the 32-year-old threw himself under a train . `` Now the police have confiemd : Enke wrote a farewell letter . Thus there is no doubt a sucicide of the player . '' Süddeutsche Zeitung was in agreement , writing `` Enke leaves suicide note . '' The Munich paper also wrote of the shock of the `` colleagues and fans who appreciated him very much . `` But Robert Enke had many setbacks in his career to cope with of a private and professional nature . '' The football world has also been quick to express their condolences too . Barcelona , who Enke played for between 2002 and 2004 wrote on their official Web site : . `` The club deeply regrets his death and would like to pass on their sympathies to his current club and his family . '' Enke enjoyed a more successful spell at Benfica , making his reputation before the Barca move . Chairman Luís Filipe Vieira said : `` Nobody is ever prepared to face the loss of someone with whom they have lived together and enjoyed good memories . `` When a tragedy reaches someone with the age of Robert Enke the frustration is still bigger . '' Enke 's former team-mate Nuno Gomes added : `` I remember how he was just a young kid when he came here but , from day one , he made a great effort to learn our language and did it very quickly . `` He was a young kid with a huge desire to reach his goals and learn , a man with a capital M. '' | Hannover and Germany international goalkeeper Robert Enke , 32 , dies in apparent suicide . Enke 's death has sent shockwaves throughout Germany , its media reporting the player left a suicide note . Many in football including his ex-teammates have expressed their condolences . | [[1050, 1085], [137, 189], [240, 269], [270, 343], [977, 1046], [991, 1046], [1050, 1085], [1190, 1220], [1274, 1293], [1313, 1350], [1563, 1636], [1563, 1581], [1602, 1630]] |
O'Fallon , Missouri -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nathan Halbach is 22 , with a diagnosis of terminal brain cancer . He knows that `` horrible stuff '' lies ahead . His mother , Pat Bond , has been taking care of him full time . But when she needed help , she reached out to the Roman Catholic Church . After all , his father is a priest . Nathan was born in 1986 , during a five-year affair between his mother and Father Henry Willenborg , the Franciscan priest who celebrated Nathan 's baptism . In a story first reported in the New York Times , it was revealed that The Franciscan Order drew up an agreement acknowledging the boy 's paternity and agreeing to pay child support in exchange for a pledge of confidentiality . Now her son -- the youngest of four children -- may have just weeks to live . And when the Franciscans balked at paying for his care , she decided she was no longer bound by her pledge of confidentiality . `` I never asked for extraordinary amounts . I asked for the basic needs and care of my son , '' Bond told CNN 's `` AC 360 . '' But she said the church told her , `` No , we are not Nathan 's biological father , we have no legal obligation to your son . '' Willenborg , whose priestly vows require celibacy , has been suspended from his most recent assignment , in northern Wisconsin , as Catholic leaders investigate allegations that he was involved with another woman -- then in high school -- around the same time he was seeing Bond . Willenborg has acknowledged his relationship with Bond , but denies any inappropriate relationship with the other woman while she was a minor , according to his current bishop . And his order acknowledges its agreement to support his son , telling CNN they have paid about $ 233,000 to support Nathan over his lifetime . Since the affair has become public , the Franciscan Order has agreed to pick up Nathan 's medical bills and the costs for the funeral that now appears likely . Willenborg refused to speak to CNN . But a statement to his parishioners in Ashland , Wisconsin , in September , said , `` My failure to be faithful to my vows has caused me and many others pain and disappointment . I have regretted this for a long time . '' And in October , he told The New York Times , `` We 've been very caring , very supportive , very generous over these 20-something years . It 's very tragic what 's going on with Nathan . '' Bond , then Patricia Halbach , said she and Willenborg began their affair in 1983 . At the time , Willenborg was a priest in her hometown of Quincy , Illinois , about 130 miles north of St. Louis , Missouri . Bond , then a 27-year-old , married mother of three , went to a retreat for women with troubled relationships . Willenborg was the retreat 's spiritual director , and she said he was a `` terrific '' priest -- `` incredibly charismatic , very sought-after . '' He began to counsel her on a regular basis . After about three months , at the end of one of their sessions , she said he kissed her . Bond said she went home and immediately asked her husband for a separation , and she said she began a romantic relationship with Willenborg . Bond said she knew he was forbidden to have sex with her . But she said when in love , `` You do n't think clearly . '' `` I make stupid decisions in my life , '' she said . `` I am not perfect , far from sainthood , and I loved him . '' During their relationship , Bond was a lay leader in the church , and `` We were a very good team , a very dynamic team , '' she said . But in 1985 , she learned she was pregnant . The pregnancy ended with a miscarriage that October . She said in its aftermath , she ended her sexual relationship with Willenborg , only to resume it the following spring . It was during that period that Nathan was conceived , she said . Nathan was born in December 1986 . Willenborg had to disclose the affair and Bond 's pregnancy to his superiors . A deal was negotiated by Father Robert Karris , who told CNN the Franciscans insisted on confidentiality `` to protect Nathan , his mother , and the priest . '' But Karris , now on the research faculty of the Franciscan Institute at St. Bonaventure University in Olean , New York , also acknowledged the goal in part was to protect the church . The agreement was reached about a year after Nathan 's birth . Afterward , Willenborg was removed from his job , and it was 17 years before he would lead a congregation again . He told his superiors that his relationship with Bond was over , but she said it continued . `` That was the statement , and they bought it , '' Bond said . `` But the truth of the matter is during those eight month of negotiations , we were living together physically , sexually and every form of relationship there was under their nose . '' The relationship went on until Nathan was nearly 2 years old , Bond said . She and Willenborg went on family outings , including a trip to Florida , with Nathan and her children from her previous marriage . Back in Quincy , where she grew up , Bond said she had a simple answer to questions about Nathan 's parentage : `` He 's my baby . '' But things ended in 1988 , after Bond learned that Willenborg was seeing another woman . She eventually moved from Quincy to a St. Louis suburb . `` You had to go away , you had to take your story , you had to take your children , you had to get out of this town . We 're a small community , everybody knew everybody , '' she said . Nathan grew up as a popular , athletic boy , a big fan of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball club and the Blues hockey team . He has autographs of the entire hockey team and a Cardinals uniform signed by All-Star first baseman Albert Pujols . For years , he said , he wanted a relationship with his father . `` He 's popped in and out of my life , but I 've never gotten the full respect and love out of him that I would always want , '' he said . But several years ago , after Willenborg took him out to dinner on their first night out in years , he said his father did n't seem to want to have anything to do with him . `` When it comes to this person who 's my dad , who should be helping me out more than a person on the street , he has n't done so throughout my 20-plus years of life , '' Nathan said . Nathan was diagnosed with cancer in 2006 . Over the summer , he and his mother went to New York 's Sloan-Kettering cancer center in a last-ditch effort to halt the disease . It was unsuccessful , and doctors give him a prognosis of weeks . `` If I just live my life as happy as I can , I can have a lot of fun until this horrible stuff happens , '' he said . The church had paid for some medical expenses and gave her $ 1,000 toward travel expenses for the trip , but not room and board or treatment costs , Bond said . And in the past week , she said , the church was questioning the cost of a looming funeral . `` They were concerned with getting us out of their lives , and I guarantee you , the day my son goes , the church will rejoice , '' she said . Since she went public , the Franciscans wrote a letter to Bond telling her they will cover 100 percent of her son 's funeral costs -- and added , `` Please advise if there is any additional assistance that the Franciscans can provide to Nathan at this time in connection with his day-to-day expenses and comfort . '' The order also has since said it will not take Bond to court for breaching the confidentiality of the agreement . For four years before September , Willenborg was a priest at Our Lady of the Lake church in Ashland , Wisconsin . Bishop Peter Christensen , whose diocese includes the church , said Willenborg was a good priest -- but added , `` Because of his behavior 23 years ago , the community is now suffering . '' Nathan will not be going back to the hospital and will die at home , Bond said . She ca n't afford a part-time nurse to help take care of him in his last days , but said she hopes the church lives up to its word . | Nathan Halbach 's father is the priest who baptized him , Henry Willenborg . Nathan 's mother made a confidential agreement with the church to keep Willenborg 's identity secret . His mother went public about the secret agreement after he contracted cancer . | [[292, 301], [304, 328], [6256, 6298]] |
Mecca , Saudi Arabian -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A teenager and three elderly people in Saudi Arabia for the hajj pilgrimage have died of the H1N1 flu virus , the Saudi Health Ministry said . The victims of the virus were a 17-year-old Nigerian female and a Sudanese man , an Indian man and a Moroccan woman who each were 75 years old . `` These cases were discovered too late , '' said Dr. Khaled Al-Marghalani , the ministry spokesman . `` Some were old , and the others had pre-existing chronic conditions . '' Al-Marghalani said the Sudanese man initially went to a doctor who treated him , but not for H1N1 . `` So when his doctor sent him to the hospital , and he was treated for H1N1 , it was too late , '' he said . The annual pilgrimage to Mecca , Saudi Arabia , is required of Muslims at least once in their lives , and millions of people around the globe make the trek to attend . This year , the hajj begins Wednesday , and many pilgrims have been arriving days and weeks ahead of the event , which coincides with flu season . When Arab health ministers met in Cairo , Egypt , a few months back , it looked like several groups might even be banned from this year 's event because of the flu . They were children under 12 , adults over 65 , pregnant women and people with chronic illnesses . The Saudis did n't ban anybody from coming and left the responsibility to the pilgrims ' countries of origin . In effect , officials issued guidelines only for people at risk . Two days ago , Saudi Arabia 's health minister , Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah , gathered representatives to discuss efforts to detect the ailment . `` It would be nice to have more time to prepare -LSB- for the possibility of H1N1 spreading in Saudi Arabia -RSB- ahead of the hajj , but I am very satisfied with all the measures taken and have great confidence , '' he said before the meeting . Al-Marghalani said the `` safe weapon '' for the kinds of H1N1 cases that resulted in the deaths is Tamiflu , the drug used to fight influenza . `` If we lose Tamiflu , we will lose the war . But Tamiflu is only effective in the first 48 hours of when the symptoms appear , '' he said . | Virus kills teenager , three elderly people on hajj pilgrimage . Arab ministers considered barring some groups from this year 's event . Saudis left responsibility to pilgrims ' countries of origin . | [[0, 5], [8, 148], [1031, 1070], [1101, 1196], [1295, 1405], [1295, 1305], [1342, 1405]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A former Alabama judge is standing trial on charges he checked male inmates out of jail and forced them to engage in sexual activity such as paddling in exchange for leniency . Former Mobile County Circuit Judge Herman Thomas denies all the charges , his attorney says . Former Mobile County Circuit Judge Herman Thomas at one point faced more than 100 criminal counts in the case , including kidnapping , sexual abuse , extortion and sodomy . Prosecutors filed cases relating to 15 alleged victims , with multiple counts in each case . But four of those cases have been dismissed -- some thrown out by a judge because the statute of limitations expired and others because prosecutors decided not to present evidence relating to them -- leaving 11 alleged victims and 51 counts , according to defense attorney Robert Clark and CNN affiliate WKRG-TV . Retired Marengo County Judge Claud Neilson dismissed jurors Tuesday while attorneys argued whether the jury should be allowed to consider kidnapping , extortion or assault charges , WKRG reported . Neilson already has ruled there is enough evidence for jurors to consider the sex abuse charges . Thomas , 48 , has pleaded not guilty and has denied any wrongdoing . Clark told CNN on Tuesday that Thomas was trying to mentor the inmates and did not assault them . `` The whole thing is , he tried to help people in this community , '' Clark said . `` He helped thousands to grow up and be productive citizens . '' The judge does not deny bringing the inmates into his office , Clark said . `` He was mentoring them . He was trying to get them to do right , to be productive citizens . '' One of the alleged victims testified Monday that he does n't know why his semen was found on the carpet of a small room used as an office by Thomas , according to The Mobile Press-Register newspaper . But he did say Thomas spanked him with a belt on several occasions , the newspaper reported , and that the paddlings took place inside a jury room , in the small office and at a Mobile fraternity house . Another man testified that after he was charged with kidnapping and robbery in 2002 , Thomas visited him in jail and urged the man to let Thomas decide the case instead of a jury , according to the Press-Register . Thomas convicted him of lesser charges , he testified , and sentenced him to a 90-day boot camp . He said Thomas also beat him with a belt on his bare buttocks about a dozen times at the courthouse , the newspaper reported . Neither man was identified . `` All of them -LSB- the alleged victims -RSB- were given preferential treatment at some point , '' Nicki Patterson , chief assistant district attorney for Mobile County , told CNN earlier this month . `` And ultimately , when some of them refused to continue participating -LSB- in the activities -RSB- , they were given what I would view as excessive sentences . But certainly while the inmates were involved with the activities we allege , the state would say , it was extremely lenient sentences . '' However , `` two of the individuals said he -LSB- Thomas -RSB- did nothing bad to them , '' Clark said Tuesday . `` That he did n't paddle them . That he only helped them . ... I mean , the last guy that testified was a murderer . And he 's complaining he got assaulted . ' I got assaulted , ' -- yeah , right . '' Asked whether Thomas admits paddling the men , Clark said , `` I did n't say either way . ... I 'm saying there ai n't no sexual innuendoes . '' Neilson has heard arguments on whether an expert should be allowed to testify about sexual fetishes for the prosecution . Clark said the expert has not interviewed any of the alleged victims and that he fails to see how the testimony fits into the case . Neilson was brought in to hear the case after all the Mobile County Circuit judges recused themselves -- standard procedure in a case involving another judge . Thomas resigned from the bench in October 2007 before he was scheduled to stand trial before the Alabama Court of the Judiciary on multiple ethics violations charges . The complaint , dismissed after the resignation , accused him of `` extrajudiciary personal contact '' with some defendants but does not refer to any sexual contact . In April , Thomas told WKRG the allegations against him are false , but the most important thing for him was making sure his wife and two daughters were taken care of . `` I 'm not guilty , and I look forward to being a part of the community that 's supported me and I 've supported my entire life , '' he said . The Alabama State Bar suspended Thomas ' law license in January after a grand jury handed up the first of two indictments against him . In April , the bar 's disciplinary commission upheld the suspension , WKRG reported , despite the fact that Thomas under oath denied all the allegations in the first indictment . The second indictment was returned in August . CNN 's Carolina Sanchez contributed to this report . | Defense lawyer : Ex-Alabama judge was mentoring inmates , not seeking sex . Ex-Judge Herman Thomas accused of paddling inmates in exchange for leniency . Eleven alleged victims and 51 counts involved after some cases dismissed . Thomas has denied allegations . | [[270, 289], [1235, 1332], [1261, 1305], [1559, 1585], [3182, 3208], [560, 599], [603, 683], [748, 752], [756, 796], [196, 267], [1166, 1172], [1175, 1177], [1180, 1202], [1166, 1172], [1196, 1234], [4695, 4703], [4765, 4778], [4798, 4873]] |
ROME , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The murder trial of American student Amanda Knox in the death of her housemate two years ago resumed Monday in Italy after a summer break . The trial of American college student Amanda Knox , 22 , resumes Monday , September 14 . Knox , 22 , and her Italian ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito also face charges of sexual assault . They are accused of killing British student Meredith Kercher , Knox 's housemate in Perugia , a scenic university town north of Rome . Kercher , 20 , died in what prosecutors called a `` drug-fueled sex game . '' She was found half-undressed in bed , with a stab wound to her neck on November 2 , 2007 . Knox and Sollecito were both present at Monday 's court session , Kercher 's attorney Francesco Maresca said . Sollecito 's defense attorneys requested the annulment of DNA analysis , which investigators say shows Sollecito 's genetic material on the clasp of the victim 's bra . The judge rejected the request . The next hearing is scheduled on Friday , Maresca said . Knox , from Seattle , Washington , took the stand in June and testified that she was not at the girls ' villa the night her roommate died , which authorities think was the evening of November 1 . She said she was visiting her then-boyfriend , Sollecito , at his home , where the two watched a movie , smoked marijuana , had sex and went to bed . On her return to their villa the next morning , Knox said , she noticed `` strange things , '' such as the front door left open , dried blood in the bathroom sink and a locked door to Kercher 's room . When Knox returned to Sollecito 's house , he suggested they call police in case the house had been burgled , she said . Police found Kercher 's body in the house . Prosecutors say evidence places the defendants at the scene . They also said the suspects gave investigators confusing and contradictory statements about their whereabouts the night Kercher died . Knox said she gave conflicting answers at the interrogation on November 6 because of police pressure and her confused state . `` When I would say that I was with Raffaele , they would say , ` You are a liar , ' and they repeated this , '' she said in June , speaking about the police . '' ` You will go to prison for 30 years . ... You must remember . ' '' During the trial , she said police had slapped her on the head during questioning , a charge she had made before . The case has attracted worldwide media attention . During her testimony in June , cameras were barred from the courtroom because the prosecutor said he wanted to avoid sensationalism . A third person , Ivory Coast native Rudy Hermann Guede , was convicted of murder in the case in October and was sentenced to 30 years in prison . He is appealing his conviction . | Knox accused of killing her flatmate , British student Meredith Kercher . Told court in June she was not in the villa the night her roommate died . Prosecutors say evidence places Knox and Raffaele Sollecito at the scene . Knox and ex-boyfriend Sollecito also facing charges of sexual assault . | [[359, 419], [1033, 1037], [1055, 1065], [1095, 1165], [1143, 1170], [2179, 2198], [1746, 1807], [261, 320], [326, 358]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After four years of `` Jon & Kate Plus 8 , '' Jon Gosselin said he 's decided it 's not healthy for his children to be on a reality show . Jon Gosselin appears on `` Larry King Live '' Thursday . He said he does n't want his kids to continue with TV show . `` The reason I do n't think it 's healthy for them is that we 're going through a divorce right now , and I do n't think it should be televised and I think my kids should be taken off the show , '' Gosselin told CNN 's Larry King on Thursday night . `` They 're 5 and 8 now ; let them experience a normal childhood , '' he said . His lawyer said the TLC reality series about the Gosselin family is dead because no judge would ever `` subject the children to the show if the father believes it 's detrimental . '' Jon and Kate Gosselin announced their separation and divorce filing -- after 10 years of marriage -- on a special one-hour episode in June . They agreed to share custody of their 5-year-old sextuplets and 8-year-old twins . `` I had an epiphany one day , '' Gosselin told King . `` I just looked in the mirror and I said , ' I do n't want to be this person anymore . ' I made mistakes . I know I messed up . I do regret a lot of things . But I have to learn from those mistakes and move forward . '' Watch Jon Gosselin talk with Larry King '' He blamed some of his mistakes on his not having a lawyer when he and his wife signed the show contract four years ago . `` He had no manager , he had no lawyer , he had no idea what he was signing , '' said Mark J. Heller , the lawyer recently hired by Jon Gosselin . `` Now I have a sense of empowerment , '' Gosselin said . `` Before , I did n't have any representation . I take blame for not being an initiator . I was an avoider . I was passive . '' Kate Gosselin said she was `` saddened and confused by Jon 's public media statements . '' `` Jon has never expressed any concerns to me about our children being involved in the show and , in fact , is on the record as saying he believes the show benefits our children and was taping on Friday with the kids , '' she said . She said her estranged husband only changed his mind about their eight children 's involvement after TLC `` announced the name change of the show and indicated that Jon would have a lesser role in the show . '' `` It appears that Jon 's priority is Jon and his interests , '' Kate Gosselin said . TLC announced Tuesday that it was retitling the show `` Kate Plus 8 '' because of `` recent changes in the family dynamics . '' Jon Gosselin 's lawyer said the network only fired him `` before he fired the show . '' The state labor department is investigating whether TLC violated child labor laws by not properly paying the children or getting permits for the past four seasons , Heller said . `` These kids have been working without compensation for four years , '' Heller said . Gosselin revealed to King that the family was paid $ 22,500 per episode , with none of the money specifically designated for the eight children . TLC , in a written statement Thursday , said it had halted `` direct filming of the children '' until Jon and Kate Gosselin have `` further conversations . '' The network said Jon Gosselin 's `` latest comments are grossly inaccurate , without merit and are clearly opportunistic , '' noting he and the family were taping as recently as last Friday . `` Despite Jon Gosselin 's repeated self-destructive and unprofessional actions , he remains under an exclusive contract with TLC , '' the network said . Heller said , however , the contract the Gosselins signed four years ago with TLC was `` null and void '' because the network dropped Jon Gosselin . TLC gave King a written statement insisting the changes were allowed by the contract . The new show will take `` a deeper focus on Kate 's role in the family and her journey as a single mother building the next chapter in her life , '' TLC said Tuesday . Jon Gosselin will still appear , `` but on a less regular basis , '' it said . Kate Gosselin 's divorce lawyers told King that Jon Gosselin does not have the legal right to stop the children from appearing on the reality show because of the separation agreement the couple signed . `` He signed an agreement that party with physical custody will decide if they will be on taping , '' Mark Momjian said . `` He must go to court to change that . '' Jon Gosselin said his relationship with TLC began to deteriorate at the beginning of the year when network executives began calling him , warning him that he was in breach of his contract . `` They put me on house arrest '' with bodyguards watching him around the clock , he said . As for his relationship with Kate , he said she told him a year ago she wanted to lead a life separate from him . He said he has not talked to Kate in almost a month , although he has tried calling and sending text messages . `` I want to work things out , '' he said . `` We know we 're not going to be husband and wife , but we will always be mom and dad . We have to get our kids off television . '' The eight children have continued living in their Wernersville , Pennsylvania , home . Their parents have rotated in and out of the home during their time with them . | Because of his divorce with Kate , Jon says children should no longer film show . Jon Gosselin tells Larry King he has n't talked with Kate in about a month . Kate : I 've been `` saddened and confused by Jon 's public media statements '' Jon on relationship with TLC : `` They put me on house arrest '' | [[240, 300], [248, 300], [450, 494], [4149, 4191], [4197, 4232], [5059, 5099], [497, 551], [1070, 1093], [1315, 1357], [4814, 4865], [1813, 1900], [1832, 1900], [4611, 4641]] |
Hong Kong , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The most coveted property on Hong Kong island is called `` The Peak , '' overlooking the city 's stunning Victoria Harbor . But these days , the prices are what is taking people 's breath away -- a modest apartment here now can go for $ 30 million . Recently what is claimed to be the world 's most expensive apartment -- a 6,200-square-foot duplex -- sold for a record $ 57 million . While an implosion of property prices sparked the financial crisis in the United States , property prices in Hong Kong are booming in part because of mainland cash pouring into the city . China 's superrich are purchasing homes and sweeping luxury brand items off the shelf here . `` There would be no good turnover of luxury brands in Hong Kong if it was n't for the Chinese shopper , '' said Francis Guten , a luxury brand consultant in Hong Kong . Although total retail sales have dropped 4 percent this year , luxury brands are doing brisk business thanks to mainland shoppers . `` They come to Hong Kong because Hong Kong was always the first window on the world for luxury goods for the Chinese , '' Guten said , adding that the purchase of `` genuine '' luxury goods -- rather than the fakes that proliferate the mainland -- is actually cheaper in Hong Kong because of lack of sales taxes or tariffs . And how are they purchasing these goods ? `` With cash , '' Guten said . `` Because they have the cash . '' The real estate boom by mainlanders is a way for China 's rich to diversify their investments close to home . `` If you look at the history of China , despite the fact that the economy is very strong on a global basis right now , there 's been a very volatile period , '' said Francis Cheung of CLSA . '' -LRB- If -RRB- you have 100-percent wealth in China , you just naturally want to diversify . '' They are not only buying property and Gucci bags , but stock -- the Hang Seng stock exchange is up 50 percent this year . Research firm CLSA expects the market to rise another 20 percent in 2010 . CNN 's Andrew Stevens and Eunice Yoon contributed to this report . | An apartment in Hong Kong recently sold for a record $ 57 million . Analyst : Mainland investors buying in HK to diversify investments . Hang Seng stock exchange up 50 percent this year ; expected to rise 20 percent next . | [[287, 355], [359, 385], [389, 421], [1488, 1496], [1502, 1548], [1895, 1961], [1962, 2036], [1989, 2036]] |
PERUGIA , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- American student Amanda Knox , accused of killing her housemate two years ago , testified in her murder trial Saturday that she was intimidated by Italian police during questioning . American college student Amanda Knox , 21 , testifies Friday at her murder trial in Perugia , Italy . Knox , 21 , is charged in the death of British student Meredith Kercher , who was her housemate in Perugia , a university town north of Rome . Kercher , 20 , died in what prosecutors say was a `` drug-fueled sex game '' after suffering a sexual assault . She was found half-naked , with a stab wound to her neck , in her bed November 2 , 2007 . Saturday was the second day of testimony for Knox , who is from Seattle , Washington . The public prosecutor , her defense lawyer , the attorney for her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito , and the judge asked her about what happened the night of Kercher 's death and the following day . Both Knox and Sollecito , 25 , are charged with murder and sexual assault . Knox tried to explain Saturday why she gave conflicting answers to police when they interrogated her on November 6 . She said it was a combination of police pressure , their suggestions , and her confused and frightened state of mind . `` When I would say that I was with Raffaele , they would say , ` You are a liar , ' and they repeated this , '' she said , testifying in fluent Italian . `` You will go to prison for 30 years . ... You must remember , '' Knox recalled the police as saying . Knox said the police were standing behind her and officers were going in and out of the interrogation room . A policewoman next to her was constantly pressing her to give them a name , and an interpreter on her right said people under trauma tend to forget things , she said . `` I was confused . ... I had so much fear , '' Knox said . She testified that she thought , `` Hell , perhaps they 're right and I have forgotten . '' Knox repeated Saturday that police slapped her on the back of her head while questioning her . As she spoke , she hit her head a few times with her right hand and gestured broadly . Knox testified Friday that she was not at the women 's villa the night Kercher died , which authorities believe was the evening of November 1 . She said she was at Sollecito 's house . Watch Knox take the stand '' Knox testified Friday that the couple had dinner , watched a movie , smoked marijuana , had sex and went to bed on the night of November 1 . She said she returned to her and Kercher 's villa the next morning to take a shower . That 's when she said she noticed `` strange things '' such as the front door being left open , dried blood in the bathroom sink and on a bath mat , feces in the toilet , and the door to Kercher 's room locked . Watch Knox in court '' When Knox returned to Sollecito 's house , she said , he suggested they call police in case the house had been burglarized . Police then found Kercher 's body . All cameras were barred from the courtroom Saturday because the public prosecutor said he wanted to avoid `` sensationalism . '' Cameras were allowed at the beginning of the session Friday but then ordered out . Knox 's father , Curt , defended his daughter Saturday . `` What we 've seen over the past five months is a character assassination , and now , hopefully ... . a different point of view of who she is is coming out , '' he told reporters . People are beginning to see that `` she is not this dark angel she 's been portrayed as , '' he added . `` Amanda did a great job '' on the stand , Curt Knox said . `` She was very articulate in her answers . She answered all of the questions truthfully . She was not quivering in her voice . She was looking the judge in the eyes . '' Her attorney , Carlo della Vedova , described his client as `` very confident . '' `` She has repeated exactly what happened that night , on the fifth and sixth , when she was arrested . She gave all the information that was requested '' during her testimony , he said . The trial is to resume next Friday , but Knox is n't expected to testify again . A third person , Ivory Coast native Rudy Hermann Guede , was convicted of murder in a fast-track trial in October and sentenced to 30 years in prison . He is appealing the verdict . | NEW : U.S. student Amanda Knox says questioners badgered , slapped , confused her . Knox , ex-boyfriend on trial in death of Knox 's British housemate , Meredith Kercher . Knox contends she was at boyfriend 's house the night Kercher was killed . Ivory Coast native Rudy Guede sentenced to 30 years for Kercher 's murder . | [[0, 7], [10, 31], [115, 217], [1952, 2046], [1980, 2046], [320, 324], [327, 329], [332, 391], [359, 391], [398, 426], [2195, 2217], [1419, 1458], [4110, 4111], [4127, 4138], [4228, 4261]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The South Carolina Ethics Commission has charged Gov. Mark Sanford with 37 counts of violating state ethics laws , according to a complaint released by the commission on Monday . The complaint follows a three-month investigation into Sanford 's use of taxpayer money . Sanford is accused of using tax money to buy business-class airfare on domestic and international flights , flying on a state-owned aircraft to political gatherings or events `` which involved no official business , '' and spending campaign funds for personal use such as buying a ticket to attend President Obama 's inauguration in January . South Carolina law requires state officials to buy the lowest fares available for flights , and bars the use of state aircraft for personal use . Sanford 's office did not respond to requests for comment about the charges . The governor , once a rising star in the Republican Party before he revealed an extramarital affair in June , faces a hearing along with his legal team before a three-member ethics panel . Cathy Hazelwood , general counsel to the state Ethics Commission , said no date has been set for the hearing . After arguments are presented , the panel will determine if Sanford broke any state laws . The ethics case involves civil charges that are punishable by fines , and Sanford can appeal decisions up to the state Supreme Court . Only the state attorney general , Henry McMaster , can decide to pursue criminal charges against the governor . McMaster is reviewing the allegations to determine if any laws were broken . The new charges compound Sanford 's political problems , which have been simmering for months as investigators scrutinized his finances . State legislators already have filed an impeachment resolution against the governor for leaving the state this summer to visit his Argentine mistress without installing a proper chain of command or informing his staff . A special House subcommittee will meet in Columbia on Tuesday to formally consider the resolution for the first time . State Rep. Greg Delleney , a Republican and one of the sponsors of the impeachment resolution , said he expects the subcommittee to look over the ethics commission results during the Thanksgiving holiday and decide whether to adjust the measure to include material from the ethics complaint . Delleney said he thinks Monday 's report will give new momentum to the impeachment push . `` The sheer volume of the violations might be useful in bringing some more representatives over to the side of impeachment , '' Delleney said . If the special subcommittee decides to move forward with impeachment , the resolution will be passed onto the Judiciary Committee , which will then vote on whether to bring it to the floor of the legislature when lawmakers return to the state capital of Columbia in January . For Sanford to be forcibly removed from office , two-thirds of the South Carolina House and and two-thirds of the state Senate must vote to impeach him . | Sanford is accused of using tax money for personal travel . Sanford announced affair with Argentine woman in June . Ethics case involves civil charges that are punishable by fines . Legislators already have filed an impeachment resolution against Sanford . | [[198, 287], [288, 325], [288, 295], [307, 393], [920, 962], [1246, 1313], [1708, 1813]] |
MAMONI VALLEY PRESERVE , Panama -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A famed primatologist says the plight of chimpanzees helped inspire Michael Jackson to write the song `` Heal the World . '' Michael Jackson loved chimpanzees , said Jane Goodall : `` They made him smile . '' But the theme and the lyrics of the song turned out to be about a better world for humanity . `` He wrote what he told me he thought was his most powerful song ever , but it did n't end up for animals , '' Jane Goodall said in a CNN interview Thursday night . Goodall spoke exclusively to CNN in a Panamanian rain forest where she is exploring a partnership on behalf of Roots & Shoots , her global youth education program . The interview comes as a new version of the song , first released on Jackson 's 1991 `` Dangerous '' album , is being recorded by a collection of artists for release in late October . Goodall became friends with Jackson about 20 years ago when he invited her to his Neverland Ranch , where `` he talked about his dreams for the place to have animals running , looking free like they would in the wild . ... It was just a very charming day , very low key , nobody else was there , '' she said . Goodall , famous for her 50 years of groundbreaking research on chimpanzees in Africa , said Jackson invited her because `` he loved what I did . '' `` He loved chimpanzees , '' she said . `` He loved to watch them feeding . He liked their faces . They made him smile . '' Years later , she met Jackson 's chimp , Bubbles , and has visited him at his retirement refuge in Florida , she said . `` He 's extremely handsome , '' she said . `` He 's a beautiful , beautiful chimp . So , he was rescued in time from this life of being inappropriately dressed up and carted around like a little symbol . '' Goodall , whose life has been spent understanding chimpanzees , said she found Jackson to be `` a sad person . '' `` In some ways , he was like a child , and a very sweet and gentle child , and he wanted me to tell him many , many stories , '' she said . `` Stories about the chimpanzees , the forests , animals , anything . He told me he liked the way I told stories . '' Goodall , who travels the world to promote protection of endangered chimps , said she had hoped Jackson would help get her message out . `` I said to him , ` You know , Michael , if you want to help , you could do a concert and give us a percentage . Or much better , write a song , ' '' she said . Jackson asked her for tapes of animals in distress because `` he wanted to be angry and cry '' as he wrote the song , which became `` Heal the World , '' she said . The original CD cover notes credited Goodall for inspiring the song , she said . But , she added , the Jane Goodall Institute never saw any money from the song . Jackson later created the `` Heal the World Foundation , '' which he funded with a series of concerts . The group delivered millions of dollars of relief to children around the world . | Jane Goodall says Michael Jackson loved chimpanzees . Jackson wrote `` Heal the World '' to call attention to chimpanzees ' problems . Song became a call to peace for humanity . Goodall said she found Jackson to be a `` sad person '' | [[176, 209], [1331, 1351], [51, 152], [78, 160], [119, 172], [2550, 2600], [1780, 1787], [1844, 1890]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Charles Wolf watched President Obama 's speech on Afghanistan , he nearly broke down in tears . He does n't have a son or daughter headed off to war . But to him , his wife of 12 years was a war casualty : She was killed on September 11 . When Obama described the attacks `` and he described how the whole world was with us , it emotionally took me right back to that moment , '' Wolf said . `` It was all I could do to keep from totally losing it . '' Wolf 's wife , Katherine , worked as an executive assistant for Marsh & McLennan on the 97th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center 's Twin Towers . She sent an e-mail just two minutes before the first plane hit . `` Her office took a direct hit by the plane , and she was vaporized . There was nothing ever found of her , '' Wolf said . It 's been eight years since the attacks of September 11 killed 2,976 people . A lot of memories have faded , Wolf said , but he still thinks of the little things : `` holding her hand , falling asleep next to her , waking up next to her , the companionship , the partnership . '' `` She was great . '' And so Wolf was glued to his television Tuesday for Obama 's speech . He wanted to hear from the president how the nation is going to finish the job in what Wolf calls `` the womb of 9/11 . '' `` To address these issues , '' Obama said , `` it is important to recall why America and our allies were compelled to fight a war in Afghanistan in the first place . We did not ask for this fight . On September 11 , 2001 , 19 men hijacked four airplanes and used them to murder nearly 3,000 people . `` They struck at our military and economic nerve centers . They took the lives of innocent men , women and children without regard to their faith or race or station . Were it not for the heroic actions of the passengers on board one of those flights , they could have also struck at one of the great symbols of our democracy in Washington and killed many more . '' Those words brought it all home : the memories of his wife with the beautiful smile and short-cropped red hair . `` I was biting my lip , '' he said . That said , Wolf is critical of the president 's strategy , mostly his announcement to begin withdrawing the American contingent in July 2011 . `` That is a tactical and strategic mistake , '' he said . `` If you 're playing chess , do you tell your opponent your next move ? `` To broadcast that for the sake of politics , to me , that is very wrong . '' And so he was divided : pleased about the renewed commitment to the Afghanistan war but upset by the planned pullout date . iReport : Share your views on Afghanistan . Veteran New York firefighter Lee Ielpi lost his son , Jonathan , a fellow firefighter , on September 11 . `` I support President Obama 's decision to send more troops to Afghanistan and the war against al Qaeda and the Taliban , '' he said . A combat veteran of Vietnam , Ielpi added , `` The president and Congress need to ensure America has a clear strategy for our military in order to not repeat the strategic mistakes of Vietnam . I also strongly believe our country needs to do more to support returning veterans . '' The office of Joe Daniels overlooks ground zero , an every-day reminder of what happened on September 11 , 2001 . He was standing outside the Twin Towers when they were hit . Daniels is now the president of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum , charged with the monumental task of building a living tribute to those who perished that day . `` In the aftermath of 9/11 , there were a lot of citizens who signed up to do what they felt was a patriotic duty to respond to what happened , and many of them went to Afghanistan , '' Daniels said . `` So I think it 's important that we do n't forget that the history of 9/11 is still being written . There are still a lot of important things that have to be done in Afghanistan . '' He added , `` After the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center , we lapsed into complacency . And to have a focus on finishing what needs to be done , I think , is important . We ca n't fall back into that sense of isolation and complacency . '' Wolf agreed . By returning in force to Afghanistan , he said , `` We are going in now to keep ourselves from being attacked again . `` This is not a war of choice , '' Wolf said . `` This is a war of necessity . '' He hopes the American people understand that . It 's why he can hardly speak when he sees U.S. soldiers in uniform . `` I am so grateful of the fact that they will lay their lives on the line for us , '' he said . For military families who will soon send their loved ones off to Afghanistan , Wolf said , `` Thank you . It 's all you can say . Thank you for making the decision to do it . Thank you for loving your country . '' `` I just ask every person out there if it was your wife who went to work one day and never came home , '' he said , `` would you do anything to make sure it does n't happen again ? '' Wolf paused at the end of the conversation and said simply : `` We have to remember 9/11 . '' | Time to go after `` womb of 9/11 , '' says man who lost his wife . Charles Wolf says he 's pleased by Afghan focus , upset by withdrawal plan . Firefighter who lost son on 9/11 : Nation must not repeat Vietnam . Head of 9/11 memorial says nation ca n't fall back into isolation . | [[1200, 1319], [1241, 1319], [4998, 5012], [5045, 5088], [2504, 2506], [2585, 2620], [2665, 2716], [2753, 2770], [4100, 4166]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- From Captain Kirk on `` Star Trek '' to Denny Crane on `` Boston Legal , '' William Shatner has been a fixture on television for decades . William Shatner has a new talk show and has written an autobiography . Even as his latest series comes to an end , the actor is busier than ever . He has written an autobiography , `` Up Till Now , '' and he has a new talk show -- `` Shatner 's Raw Nerve '' on the Biography channel -- billed as an `` edgy and off-beat celebrity interview series . '' Shatner talked with CNN 's Kyra Phillips about his career , past and present . CNN : `` Boston Legal , '' what a finale : a wedding between Denny and fellow lawyer and best friend Alan . Do n't they know that Proposition 8 -LSB- passed -RSB- ? Shatner : It was all a financial guise , as you learned to your dismay . There was nothing sexual about our marriage . It was all designed to bequeath my fortune to him as -LSB- my character -RSB- got ready to die . CNN : `` Boston Legal '' was a brilliant show : the writing , your famous wit . You must have had a blast doing the show . Shatner : We laughed our way through five years of great joy , great entertainment , and we got some wonderful awards during the years and the beauty of it all was that when we came in this season , we knew we were going to do 13 shows and be out . So the writing reflected the fact that we knew we were ending and it wrapped the whole show up . CNN : I can not believe you have a porn queen -LSB- Jenna Jameson -RSB- on your talk show . Shatner : We like to call her an adult film star . She turns out to be highly sensitive , vulnerable . ... This is a remarkable interview of a woman who is terribly vulnerable and expresses it . It was so good , we 're doing a two-parter . CNN : Who has been your favorite leading lady ? Shatner : They go down in the hoary mists of history . The effects of age -- they all meld into one and it looks like my wife . CNN : You reveal a lot in your book . Who would you say your ultimate mentor has been through your life ? Shatner : I 've thought about that over the years and it comes up that I do n't have anybody who ever mentored me , ever was particularly interested in furthering my career . I had to do it stumbling around , trying to do it as most people do themselves . | William Shatner is host of `` Shatner 's Raw Nerve '' on the Biography channel . The actor has also written an autobiography , `` Up Till Now '' Shatner on `` Boston Legal : '' `` We laughed our way through five years of great joy '' Shatner : `` I do n't have anybody who ever mentored me '' | [[363, 440], [158, 173], [189, 228], [305, 336], [1103, 1155], [2107, 2173]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The FBI is investigating as a possible hate crime an incident in which a woman was beaten to the ground in front of her child at the entrance to a Cracker Barrel restaurant in Morrow , Georgia , south of Atlanta . Troy Dale West , of Poulan , Georgia , is facing battery and cruelty to children charges after the incident . Troy Dale West Jr. , of Poulan , Georgia , is facing charges including misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct after allegedly beating Army reservist Tashawnea Hill , 35 , after the two had words at the entrance of the Morrow , Georgia , restaurant the evening of September 9 . Hill , an African-American , told police that West , 47 , yelled racial epithets at her as the attack took place . `` He did punch me with a closed fist repeated times . My head is still hurting today . I have knots on my head , '' Hill told CNN Wednesday night , adding she also was kicked . Police said witnesses confirmed her account . The FBI has `` initiated an investigation in the matter to determine if a civil rights violation occurred , '' the agency said in a statement . Because the alleged incident happened in full view of Hill 's 7-year-old daughter , the Clayton County district attorney 's office added a felony charge of cruelty to children . '' -LSB- The woman 's daughter -RSB- was visibly upset the night of the attack , '' according to Capt. James Callaway of the Morrow Police Department , who said he was on the scene shortly after the alleged attack . A police report of the incident said Hill 's daughter was `` crying uncontrollably and her body -LSB- was -RSB- shaking/trembling '' from witnessing the attack . Watch Hill discuss ordeal with CNN 's Rick Sanchez '' Hill told police the incident started when she and her daughter were entering the restaurant at the same time West and his wife were exiting . `` The man slung open the door pretty hard and fast and I had to push my daughter out of the way , '' Hill told CNN affiliate WSB-TV . `` I turned to the man and I just said , ` Excuse me sir , you need to watch yourself ; you almost hit my daughter in the face . ' And from there it just went downhill . '' West , according to the police report , admitted striking Hill `` after she spit on me and accused me of trying to hit her daughter with a door . '' Appearing on CNN Wednesday night , Hill and her attorney , Kip Jones , denied that she spat on West . Jones said he saw surveillance video of the incident . `` At no point did Ms. Hill do anything to provoke the attack . She did not spit on Mr. West . She spoke to him . He attacked her , '' Jones said . Police say Hill stated that `` West punched her in the left cheek , forehead , kicked her body in several places , and punched her head in many areas several times . '' The Cracker Barrel 's manager told police he stepped between West and Hill to stop the alleged assault . Cracker Barrel spokeswoman Julie Davis said Wednesday that the restaurant was cooperating fully in the police investigation . `` It 's just terrible when something like this happens anywhere , let alone in one of our stores , '' Davis said . `` It 's worth noting that Cracker Barrel employees did their best to assist Hill as soon as they became aware of the situation . '' Jones said he was `` convinced this was a hateful , racist attack ... based on the N-word , the B-word , etc. '' `` The language was vile . It was racist . It was sexist . It was completely offensive , completely unprovoked , '' Jones said . CNN 's efforts to reach West at his home and business were unsuccessful . Police said they had no indication West had an attorney . He is free on bond awaiting a hearing in the incident , the Clayton County jail said . Hill was treated at a hospital after the attack and released . The Clayton County district attorney has forwarded surveillance video of the incident to the FBI . Edward DuBose , president of the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP , said Wednesday his organization was concerned about the alleged assault . `` We do know that to see a young mother beat -LSB- and -RSB- grabbed the way this young lady was , raised concern to us in this community , '' DuBose said at a news conference in Morrow . `` Certainly it raised concern in this incident that some of the language ... was used toward this mother . '' He said he hoped the FBI would ensure `` that justice is served . '' He said his organization had n't spoken to Hill , but that it planned to reach out to her . | Woman : I 'm still in pain a week after attack . The FBI is investigating to see whether `` a civil rights violation occurred '' Police report says `` West punched -LSB- Hill -RSB- in the left cheek , forehead '' Troy Dale West said Tashawnea Hill spit upon him ; Hill denies it . | [[794, 826], [794, 801], [805, 826], [963, 1018], [1008, 1068], [2168, 2172], [2175, 2205], [2622, 2734], [2622, 2628], [2741, 2787], [2352, 2373], [2388, 2418]] |
RAJASTHAN , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Some call him the River Maker , others the Rainman of Rajasthan . His real name is Rajendra Singh . His nicknames come from his self-imposed mission to solve his state 's water problems , one raindrop at a time . Rajendra Singh is trying to solve water issues in Rajasthan -- one of India 's driest states . `` Today with global warming and climate change so many things are going on . Yes , this is the global problem . This is the modern problem . The solution is indigenous water conservation , '' Singh says . Singh lives and works in Rajasthan , one of the driest states in India . It is the country 's largest state in land mass but has only about one percent of the country 's water resources . Singh has spent the last 25 years of his life practicing what he preaches there . His message is always the same . He says rainwater is a resource we can not afford to waste , instead we should capture and utilize it . `` If the drops come from the cloud , we can catch it ! '' He says with his hands stretched to the sky . `` And that drop go -LSB- es -RSB- into the under -LSB- ground -RSB- aquifer and fulfills the aquifer . If that drop comes back so -LSB- it will -RSB- make springs , make a river . '' We caught up with him in Rajasthan 's Alwar district . One of India 's so-called `` princely states '' once ruled by Indian royalty . Back in the 1980s the government declared the area a dark zone : An area villagers could no longer pump up clean water because the water table had gotten so low . `` When there was a famine there was a drought I had to leave . '' Farmer Narin Joshi told us who has lived in the area his whole life . `` I had to work as a laborer in Delhi to make ends meet . There was no way I could earn any money here . I had to go . '' That meant leaving his wife behind to raise their children and try to keep them fed . `` If there is a harvest we benefit from the farm . '' His wife Kalawati Devi his wife says . `` And if there is no harvest we get nothing . '' For 10 years Joshi worked as a snack seller in Delhi sending back money to help his family survive . He says that all changed after Singh and his organization Tarun Bharat Sangh showed up . The group came to teach the villagers something their forefathers once practiced : The building of traditional dams called Johads . The dams are made of earth and rock . They are fashioned to capture the rain so the water will trickle down and replenish the aquifer eventually giving rise to water in the wells and bringing dead rivers back to life . But the work takes a community effort . One family is not enough to get it done . Singh says his role is to teach and motivate the community . `` There are more than 10-thousand water harvesting structures we -LSB- have -RSB- made in last 25 years . And all these structures came through the community effort . I just motivate and realize to the community and -LSB- the -RSB- community joined hands with us and they made it ! '' It is easy to see the result when water becomes available again . Everything from water buffalo to majestic peacocks . Water snakes gather at the watering holes . Over the years Singh says his organization and the villagers of Rajasthan have revived seven rivers across the state helping more than a thousand villages . Now instead of traveling long distances carrying heavy vats of water , or migrating to the cities to make a living , the villagers can stay put and begin to enjoy their surroundings more . The availability of water brought the Joshi family back together again because the husband could finally make a living here . `` I have planted many kinds of trees . For my livelihood I do farming . '' He says `` My family and I are leading very peaceful lives . '' | Rajendra Singh has devoted his life to solving Rajasthan 's water problems . Rajasthan is India 's largest state and also one of the driest . Singh says rainwater is a resource we can not afford to waste . Ten thousand water harvesting structures have been made in the last 25 years . | [[250, 309], [624, 671], [854, 885], [862, 912], [2718, 2780], [2790, 2824]] |
BAUCHI , Nigeria -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The truck driver kept his hand on the horn , but resorted to shifting into first gear and used the full weight of his container truck to force his way through the over-crowded and narrow market street . In Nigeria , men burn broken computer equipment to collect reusable metals like copper . But the truck 's rattling bulk , over-charged exhaust , and zealous horn only added extra rhythm to the cacophony of hawkers , hagglers , trucks and generators . This was just one of the many deliveries this morning for the big importers of Lagos 's second-hand electronics Alaba market . `` A lot of people are interested in buying computer -- just to know what is going on in the world , '' explained Gabriel Okonkwo , as he watched his latest shipment arrive . The doors of his container were thrown open to reveal an Aladdin 's cave of second-hand treasures -- computers , stereos , printers and televisions . All were quickly passed down to a mob of eager hands , where they are quickly sold to the local electronic stores . Nigeria is desperate for cheap electronic goods to try and bridge the digital divide with the West . Watch a report showing piles of e-waste in Nigeria '' It is estimated five hundred containers of second-hand electronics are imported to Nigeria every month . It is also estimated that three-quarters of these imported products are broken beyond repair . The figures come from a US-based Environmental group -- BASEL Action Network -- who warns that the broken electronics discarded at local dumpsites are a mounting environmental disaster . At one of the local dumpsites , young boys sift through the electronic waste looking for anything of worth . Cables and wires are burnt to get at re-usable metals like copper wire , a practice which releases toxic metals and chemicals harmful to the local population . `` If you do n't control it , there will be serious contamination and exposure of large populations to heavy metals from e-waste . Because it 's a huge volume of waste we 're talking about . And it 's spreading , '' explains Oladele Osibanjo , the director for BASEL Nigeria . The irony is that many of these electronics were discarded by their original owners in the West for recycling . But not all second-hand computers shipped to Nigeria end up on the dumpsites . Traveling to northern Nigeria , we visited the Iya Abubakar Resource Center 's IT training course -- attended by students , businessmen , and women . The Centre imports computers , but from charities like Computer Aid in the UK , to ensure they are reliable . For Aisha Hussain , the Center 's director , it would be a waste not to use the business and education opportunities provided by the second-hand computers . `` Once you empower someone you do not consider it as waste , '' she explained . `` You empower the person socially , financially -- that should n't be referred to as waste because you 've given that person a life . '' The Nigerian government has ordered a crackdown on the importation of harmful and waste electronics , and is supporting plans to build a recycling plant in the region . Over-seeing the re-sale of his small mountain of televisions and computers , Gabriel Okonkwo is aware of the environmental problems but insists business must be taken into account . `` Both of them have to come hand-in-hand so we can live . If I do n't do business I will die , and if the environment is bad I can die , '' he explained . `` So I have to do business in a way that will not affect the environment . '' CNN Business Traveller airs from Wednesday , April 8 at the times below : -LRB- ALL TIMES GMT -RRB- Wednesday , April 8 : 0830 , 1730 Saturday , April 10 : 0730 , 1800 Sunday , April 11 : 0430 , 1730 Monday , April 12 : 0300 . | E-waste imported from the West is sold in local electronics stores in Nigeria . Most of the imported hardware does n't work and is abandoned at dumpsites . Locals endanger their health by burning cables , dismantling old equipment . Computer Aid distributes working computers to local villagers , businesses . | [[1003, 1057], [1318, 1412], [1344, 1412], [1469, 1489], [1497, 1599], [2164, 2257], [2266, 2336], [239, 249], [252, 327], [1782, 1792], [1799, 1868]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police have identified the man whose shooting of another man outside a store in Naples , Italy , was captured by a surveillance camera , the Italian news agency ANSA reported Saturday . The announcement came two days after police released the video of the brazen daylight shooting in hopes it would lead someone to come forward . Police did not release the man 's name . The video , shot May 11 , shows a man wearing jeans , a dark jersey and a baseball cap , walking into the store and looking around , turning and walking back out . Passersby appear unfazed . One woman tries to lift up the victim 's head in an apparent attempt to see if she knew him ; a man steps over the body . Police said they had been without any clues before the release of the video . A source who was not identified publicly said the killer was a man in his 30s from Naples ' northern Sanita district who had recently left the city . A third man seen in the video was thought to have been an accomplice , but he told Il Mattino newspaper that he had nothing to do with the killing . `` I am the man of the film , but I have never been a lookout , and now I am afraid , '' the 39-year-old man said . `` I was taking a breath of air , waiting for my daughter to go shopping . '' The man said he had been living `` in terror '' since acquaintances called him from Germany to tell him they had seen him on the video . Police said they knew of no motive for the killing , which took place in the poor neighborhood of Rione Sanita , where Camorra , the name for organized crime in Naples , is strong . The victim was a bank robber , the spokesman said . A police spokesman said Camorra has been blamed for about 60 killings this year in Naples and its surrounding county . | Surveillance video shows man shooting another man outside a store in Naples , Italy . Police released the video in hopes it would lead someone to come forward . Release of the video provided clues , police say ; source says killer is a man from Naples . Third man in video was thought to be accomplice , but he tells newspaper he was n't involved . | [[19, 105], [0, 15], [108, 153], [205, 308], [303, 348], [19, 105], [205, 308], [781, 812], [827, 897], [931, 999], [1006, 1079]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Midway Atoll , a small stretch of sand and coral in the middle of the north Pacific , is home to one of the world 's largest populations of Laysan albatrosses . Until 1993 , U.S. Navy aircraft thundered down the runway of the military base on the island , but now ocean going birds nest and embark on their own epic cross-ocean journeys from the overgrown landing strip . Yet the impact of humans and increasing consumer waste from thousands of miles away continues to have a direct effect on the island 's wildlife , as photographic artist Chris Jordan discovered when he traveled there in September . The American photographed the remains of albatross chicks that had died from consuming plastic waste found in the surrounding oceans . According to the artist , not a single piece of plastic in any of the photographs was moved , placed or altered in any way . The nesting babies had been fed the plastic by their parents , who collected what looked to them like food to bring back to their young . From cigarette lighters to bottle caps , the plastic is found in what is now known as the great Pacific garbage patch that stretches across thousands of miles of the Pacific Ocean . Fed a diet of human trash , it is thought that every year tens of thousands of albatross chicks die on Midway from starvation , toxicity and choking . Jordan has examined the environmental effects of consumer society in his previous work . Pieces in his `` Running the Numbers '' exhibition , use digitally manipulated drinks cans and plastic waste from the Pacific gyre , respectively , to create copies of Hokusai 's `` Behind the Great Wave off Kanagawa '' and Seurat 's `` Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte '' . | Artist Chris Jordan photographed albatross remains on Midway Atoll in Pacific . Remains show that albatross chicks choke or are poisoned by being fed plastic . Plastic waste found across thousands of miles in North Pacific gyre . | [[660, 679], [685, 722], [663, 679], [694, 756], [1230, 1352], [663, 679], [694, 756], [1020, 1058], [1061, 1137], [1106, 1137], [1143, 1201], [1495, 1572]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Responding to President Obama 's State of the Union comments about the `` deep and corrosive doubts about how Washington works , '' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that `` the American people do n't care about process . '' Yet Americans have indicated that they are quite unhappy with how their government is working . According to a recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll , only 28 percent of those polled believe that the federal government is `` working well , '' while seven out of 10 believe that the `` unhealthy '' government is in need of reform . Almost 93 percent said there was too much partisanship ; 84 percent said special interests had excessive power . We must always take these kinds of poll numbers with a grain of salt . Polls frequently show that Americans do not like how their government works , especially Congress . The U.S. is a country that has always expressed strong distrust of government . There have been a few exceptional periods , like the progressive era or the 1960s and 1970s , when this frustration turns into a concerted movement for government reform . During the 1960s and 1970s , liberal Democrats and Republicans concluded that much of their policy agenda would be impossible to achieve if the political process did not change . They perceived Vietnam and then Watergate as the outgrowth of deep flaws in how our government worked . During the 1970s , they were able to pass a series of significant reforms , such as a campaign finance system that included public funds for presidential campaigns and contribution limits . Reforms opened up more of the political process through sunshine laws and retrenched the power of the senior committee chairmen in Congress who had usually done as they pleased , ignoring the will of the majority . Ethics laws regulated the behavior of executive and legislative branch . Even the sacrosanct filibuster underwent an overhaul in 1975 : The Senate lowered the number of required to end a filibuster from two-thirds of the Senate , 67 ; to three-fifths , 60 . Many of the reforms did not work , some had unintended consequences , and others were gradually unraveled . But substantive reform was possible and , for a moment , changed the way that politics as usual worked . In addition to diminishing citizens ' trust in government , the flaws of the political process constrain and limit what kinds of policies are even possible . If President Obama , Democrats and Republicans are serious about building trust among citizens and creating a more productive political process , they should work together to do something about it . If Washington is serious about reforming the political process , three specific areas deserve immediate attention . Filibuster reform : The 60-vote supermajority Senate has become dysfunctional . Both parties have expressed frustration with their inability to move legislation through the process . Both parties have used the filibuster as a normal tool of procedural warfare . Because of the rampant use of the filibuster since the 1960s , senators expect that 60 votes are now required on almost every piece of legislation . Reform can happen again . One option would be to switch to a majority-based system in which 51 votes can end debate . Another , more feasible , option would lower the number of senators required for cloture to 55 . To improve the political prospects for any change , some observers have suggested that any reform would not take effect until after the 2012 election . Making it easier to end a filibuster is one of the most important concrete steps that Congress could take to actually diminish partisanship . The sources of partisanship are deep-rooted and hard to change . But filibuster reform would disarm both parties by weakening or removing one of their most powerful weapons . Campaign finance reform : A recent Supreme Court decision eliminated many of the barriers to corporate donations and third-party advertising . The power of private money in campaigns has been a huge political issue for over a century . Because politicians depend on interest group support to obtain funds for their campaigns , they constantly find themselves constrained when it comes to making policy . The influence of private money also diminishes public trust in government . Every story about another lobbyist like Jack Abramoff confirms their worst fears about corruption . It is not difficult to understand why Congress has crafted a health care bill that avoids making any huge changes to the basic infrastructure of the health care industry . According to The New York Times , citing the Center for Responsive Politics , the health care and insurance industry spent at least $ 648 million on lobbying in 2009 -- and 20 percent of the year-end reports were not in yet . Pharmaceutical companies spent about $ 245 million , which the Times said was more than any other single industry has ever spent lobbying on behalf of any issue . Several changes have been discussed in recent years . The administration has talked about placing certain kinds of fund-raising restrictions on companies that do business with the government . A second proposal is to build on local and state reforms by providing matching public funds to candidates who raise a certain minimum of private donations . In the end , offering an alternative source of funds to candidates and parties is the only way to change the system , or candidates will be forced to keep going back to the well of interest group money . Congressional earmarks and tax breaks : Pork-barrel politics is as American as apple pie . But in recent decades , the system by which legislators pass appropriations targeted to key interests has become pervasive . Legislators are comfortable putting provisions that are tailor-made for lobbyists or particular interests into bills . These earmarks are not subject to hearings or oversight . The use of earmarks by Senate Democrats to close the health care legislation that passed last month made the public uneasy . The other way in which Congress distributes hidden benefits is through tax breaks . During the 1960s , reformers named these `` tax expenditures '' to convey the point that the government essentially spends money by forgiving certain groups of their obligation . We have not had a major tax reform initiative since 1986 . The time has come to clean out the tax code once again and reduce the number of provisions that are in the law . There is also bipartisan support for reforms that would limit the use of earmarks by legislators and make certain that they are fully disclosed upon being requested . Although voters tend to be more interested in bread-and-butter issues , as well as questions about war and peace , there are a few exceptional moments when public anger about the political system becomes so intense that we enter into a period of substantive reform . We might be reaching one of those points , but in the end it will require the initiative of the president and congressional leaders to make sure that calls for reform are not just empty rhetoric . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Julian Zelizer . | Julian Zelizer : Public unhappy with government partisanship , ties to special interests . Zelizer : Political process flaws limit change in policies . Obama , Democrats and Republicans must work together to restore trust , he writes . Zelizer urges reforms in filibuster system , campaign financing , earmarks and tax law . | [[242, 337], [276, 337], [600, 631], [761, 860], [788, 860], [4244, 4274], [4280, 4319], [2332, 2376], [2433, 2573], [2574, 2628]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Phenomenon is back . You may not have recognized him when he came on as a substitute for Corinthians in a Brazilian Cup match , though . After all , he 's a few kilos heavier than the Ronaldo we grew to know and love in the last decade . Comeback Brazilian : Ronaldo is playing competitive football again -- but will he reach his former glory ? However , at 32 years of age , Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima is attempting another comeback . Will it be a successful one ? As far as I am concerned , it wo n't . Debate : Do you think Ronaldo can return to his former glory ? Tell us in the Sound Off box below . I have had the privilege of interviewing Ronaldo various times , and spent some one-on-one time with him in Italy and France . He 's a great guy , friendly , humble and fun-loving . However , that last personality trait has contributed to a turbulent career and lifestyle . Wherever he has gone , the striker has always made his mark , on and off the field . While he was helping Barcelona , Inter Milan , Real Madrid and Brazil win a multitude of titles , he also found himself in the headlines a multitude of times for all the wrong reasons . It 's true that Ronaldo has always been unfortunate with injuries - he has undergone three major knee operations . However , his love for a night out and for a playboy lifestyle may have also contributed to the breakdown of his body . In my opinion , this is the reason he will struggle to stay fit and motivated for Corinthians this season . There are too many temptations for him in Brazil , and I do n't see him being able to resist all of them . Furthermore , he has won practically everything there is to win in the world of football , with the exception of the Champions League . So it would be fair to say that he 's not going to bend over backwards to make sure his new team wins some silverware this season . He will score the odd goal and make the odd highlight , but I do n't expect his latest comeback to be a success . | Brazilian Ronaldo is back playing competitive football for Corinthians . The 32-year-old has been out for 13 months after needing knee surgery . CNN 's Pedro Pinto predicts Ronaldo wo n't reach his former glory . | [[299, 344], [395, 413], [416, 477]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iran on Sunday released on bail four journalists and a retired professor whom it had held for two months , the semiofficial Iran Labour News Agency reported . The five prisoners had been held since they were arrested during a December 27 protest , according to ILNA . The journalists are Abdolreza Tajik , Mashallah Shamsolvaezin , Behrang Tonkaboni and Mohammad Javad Mozafar , who is also a prisoners ' rights activist , ILNA said . The news agency reported that the retired professor is Mohammad Sadeq Rabani . Separately , ILNA reported that Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Doulatabadi said Sunday that `` detainees of recent unrest will be released due to the upcoming Iranian new year , '' which falls on March 21 . At the same time , ILNA quoted Doulatabadi as saying that those arrested on the Muslim holy day of Ashura , when the five prisoners freed on bail Sunday were rounded up , could face stiff penalties later . `` The judiciary will imply more strict policies , and those who were arrested on Ashura Day will be confronted heavily by the judiciary , '' he said . Mozafar and Tajik were released on $ 100,000 bail , according to Parleman News , the Web site of the minority reformists of the parliament . It did not mention the bail amount for the other two journalists . CNN was not immediately able to independently verify the bail amount . The protests around Ashura were Iran 's deadliest clashes since protests broke out last summer after incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed more than 62 percent of the vote in national elections . At least seven people were killed and hundreds were arrested on Ashura , witnesses said . The Iranian government has denied that its security forces killed anyone , blaming reformists for the violence . Doulatabadi , the Tehran prosecutor , said Sunday that the judiciary and police forces will be on high alert near the Iranian new year . The judiciary and police will `` confront those who disturb the norms of society with high explosives , '' he said . The five prisoners were released Sunday from Tehran 's Evin prison . ILNA did not release the professional affiliations of the journalists , but they were listed on opposition Web sites . According to some main opposition Web sites , Tajik is an editor for Farheekhtegan , a weekly magazine , and a freelance journalist . Shamsolvaezin has edited many of post-revolutionary Iran 's first independent newspapers , including Kayhan , Jame'eh , Neshat and Asr-e Azadegan , according to opposition sites . Many of those have been closed down . Tonkaboni is the editor of the magazine Farhang va Ahang , or Culture and Music , according to opposition sites . Javad Mozafar is publishing director of Kavir , a publishing house , and vice president of the Committee for the Defense of Prisoners ' Rights , according to opposition sites . Sadegh Rabbani is a retired science professor at the University of Tehran , according to opposition sites . | Four journalists , professor released on bail , Iran Labour News Agency reports . Five held since arrests during a December 27 protest , ILNA reported . Report : Prosecutor suggests detainees of ` recent unrest ' will be released . | [[0, 15], [34, 91], [126, 177], [126, 177], [178, 264], [546, 708]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Quentin Tarantino 's new movie `` Inglourious Basterds '' comes with a film inside the film , a Nazi propaganda movie promoting the glory of Germany 's Third Reich . Eli Roth and Brad Pitt star in `` Inglourious Basterds . '' Roth also directed a short film within the film . Tarantino said he 's not worried people might be offended by the short film , which is being promoted by a trailer that is now a viral video on the Internet . `` You would have to have absolutely , positively no sense of humor at all not to get it , '' Tarantino said . `` Stolz der Nation '' -- which translates into English as `` Nation 's Pride '' -- was produced true to the style of Joseph Goebbels , Adolf Hitler 's propaganda minister , but by Eli Roth , the director-actor who also plays one of Tarantino 's `` Basterds '' known as the `` Bear Jew . '' `` There was something that we enjoyed immensely about the idea of a Jew making a Nazi propaganda movie , '' Tarantino said . Watch Tarantino talk about how `` Nation 's Pride '' was made '' Roth , well known for his R-rated horror flicks such as `` Hostel , '' said while growing up as a Jewish boy in Boston , Massachusetts , he never dreamed he would make a Nazi propaganda film . `` After ` Hostel 2 , ' I thought ` God , what can I make that 's more offensive and upsetting than this film , ' but somehow I did it with ` Nation 's Pride , ' '' Roth said . Roth viewed the black-and-white film as a character in `` Inglourious Basterds , '' a World War II fairy tale about a squad of Jewish-American soldiers who infiltrate behind enemy lines to terrorize the German army . Their plot to assassinate Hitler focuses on a small Paris , France , theater where Germany 's leadership is gathered for the premiere of Goebbels ' movie . The black-and-white film glorifies a fictional war hero played by Daniel Bruhl `` and the glory of the swastika and the power of Germany , '' Roth said . `` His courage was bound by duty . His legend was baptized in blood . His name will be crowned in glory , '' the trailer 's narrator says as Pvt. Fredrick Zoller picks off dozens of American soldiers from a sniper 's nest . `` Being Jewish , I wanted to make it a real propaganda film , '' Roth said . `` I was , like , I want to show what these movies are like . I do n't want to do a sanitized version . '' Using just 20 extras and five stuntmen , Roth shot the five-and-a-half-minute film in three days in Gorlitz , Germany , the same town where `` The Reader '' was filmed a year earlier , he said . `` The whole time we were shooting , we were , like , not only does this have to impress Quentin , this has got to impress the Fuhrer , '' he said . `` Hitler has to see this and go ` This is your finest work . ' '' `` The German crew were going ` God , normally , we ca n't do this . This is so illegal . ' And I was , like , ` this is what they did , ' '' he said . `` This is what Joseph Goebbels would have done , and this has got to be honest and accurate . '' While only parts of `` Nation 's Pride '' are seen in `` Inglourious Basterds , '' Roth said Tarantino will likely include the complete film as a bonus on the DVD . `` Inglourious Basterds , '' starring Brad Pitt , opens across the United States on August 21 . | `` Inglourious Basterds '' features Nazi propaganda film . Film was made by Jewish director Eli Roth , who also stars in `` Basterds '' `` Basterds , '' the latest from Quentin Tarantino , opens August 21 . | [[138, 209], [3230, 3232], [3254, 3299]] |
GAALKACYO , Somalia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. government is delaying `` tens of millions '' of dollars in crucial humanitarian aid over concerns that the money is being diverted to a notorious militant group , a senior U.N. official said . Al-Shabaab militants ride through Mogadishu , Somalia , after a religious gathering in September . The U.S. government , concerned about the challenges in delivering assistance in a country wracked by civil war , says allegations that Al-Shabaab is stopping aid from reaching the people are under review . Although one U.S. government source said aid continues to flow to Somalia and has n't been suspended , another said aid might not reach `` some parts of the country '' because of Al-Shabaab , the al Qaeda-linked terror group that is trying to overthrow the government . Located in the Horn of Africa , Somalia has long been a lawless , war-ravaged nation . The United Nations says that nearly half the population is dependent on humanitarian assistance , and one in five children are acutely malnourished . Somalia has suffered through five consecutive seasons of drought , and the ongoing conflict has caused more than a million people to be displaced . Kiki Gbeho , head of office for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Somalia , said the United States is reviewing whether its aid helps fund Al-Shabaab . The U.N. office , in a report issued in September , said the U.S. delay in reaching a decision on humanitarian funding `` is already impacting on many agencies and their programmes . '' The United Nations estimates that 60 percent of the people it needs to reach with emergency assistance live in areas controlled by Al-Shabaab . `` According to humanitarian principles , we have to serve people and need to deal with those in charge , '' Gbeho said . Peter Smerdon , chief spokesman for the World Food Program , the agency responsible for delivering aid to Somalia , would not comment on the U.S. funding controversy but said investigations into whether Al-Shabaab is assisted by U.N. aid assistance are `` ongoing . '' Food supplies could run out for millions of Somalis in the next few weeks , according to the United Nations . The U.S. government is traditionally the biggest donor for food assistance . The issue of breakdowns in humanitarian aid in Somalia has long concerned the United States . A senior administration official and an administration official spoke about the issue on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly . The senior U.S. administration official said that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Transitional Federal Government President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed discussed in August how the `` delivery of services '' to the Somali people be broadened . Clinton said publicly in Nairobi that the United States continues to provide `` humanitarian assistance to the Somali people where delivery is feasible and effective . '' The administration official said that the aid has never stopped , adding that food bound for the World Food Program in Somalia is on a vessel and should arrive in a few weeks . The senior administration official said , `` We are working with groups there to ensure that we can deliver assistance without having to pay off Al-Shabaab in the process . It does mean that aid may get to certain parts of the country but not others . '' | Washington reviewing claims that money is being diverted to militant group . U.N. estimates 60 percent of people who need aid live in militant-controlled areas . Millions could run out of food in the next few weeks , U.N. says . | [[152, 209], [341, 360], [455, 547], [1203, 1213], [1309, 1384], [1571, 1687], [2106, 2179]] |
PADANG , Indonesia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As many as 4,000 people could be buried under the rubble in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes in Indonesia , United Nations officials said Saturday . Indonesian soldiers crawl under the rubble of a collapsed building to search for victims . Local disaster management officials put the death toll from the quakes at 540 . Earlier U.N. figures that put the death toll at 1,100 were just estimates , said El-Mostafa Benlamlih , a U.N. humanitarian coordinator . A 7.6-magnitude quake struck Sumatra on Wednesday and a 6.6-magnitude earthquake hit Thursday morning in the same region . Wednesday 's quake reduced buildings to rubble in the city . People used hammers , chisels and bare hands to dig through debris for survivors and belongings . Watch CNN 's Arwa Damon report on search-and-rescue efforts '' Staff at a local hospital treated the injured outside the semi-collapsed building as bodies of the dead lay in makeshift morgues . An area that now looks like a flattened mess of destruction was , just days ago , a group of three villages . Officials believe 90 percent of the residents -- as many as a few hundred people -- were buried , just one piece of the devastation from two large earthquakes that struck Indonesia in as many days . The stench of dead bodies fills the air . Indonesia 's health ministry and ministry of social affairs said Friday they believe thousands remain buried beneath rubble . The West Sumatran capital , Padang , with about a million residents , is near the epicenter . CNN 's Arwa Damon spoke with a few dozen survivors from these villages in the area , most of whom only made it through because they were n't home during the quake . They remained huddled together in a tent , in shock over what had happened . One older woman said eight of her family members were buried . She had been buried up to her chest and had to dig herself out . Another survivor , a 27-year-old man , told CNN four of his family members were killed . His home used to be on top of a cliff in the area . Now , there is only mud . Search and rescue teams are working with the military , but so far , only 25 bodies have been recovered . With each passing day , the scope of the devastation grows . Watch aftermath at house leveled by quake '' President Obama spoke with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Friday after trying several times to reach him , the White House said . Obama received an update on the situation on the ground from Yudhoyono in the five-minute call . The White House statement says Obama `` offered , on behalf of the United States , to do everything we can to help alleviate the suffering and provide assistance to the relief operation . '' The U.N. 's Holmes told reporters Thursday that hundreds are believed to be injured . `` These numbers , I fear , will rise as more information becomes available , '' he added . Telecommunications are difficult in the region , roads are cut off , and the hardest-hit area , including Padang , lacks power and other services , Holmes said . In addition , heavy rainfall has hindered search and rescue efforts . Some have suggested the damage may be worse than that of a 6.3-magnitude quake centered in the central Java city of Yogyakarta in May 2006 , Holmes said . That temblor killed more than 5,000 people and triggered fears of an eruption from a nearby volcano . Many people wandered the streets of Padang stunned and dazed . Some searched the rubble for survivors . Staff at a local hospital treated the injured outside the semi-collapsed building as bodies of the dead lay in makeshift morgues . Several of the hospital 's buildings were severely damaged . Damage in the town itself was spotty ; some buildings remained intact near others in ruins . `` Aftershocks can be just as devastating as the initial quake , '' said Adjie Fachrurrazi , emergency response coordinator in Indonesia for the CARE aid organization , in a statement . `` After an earthquake of this size , we know the immediate needs are going to be getting safe water , food and emergency supplies to the survivors . The question now is : How bad is it ? We 're hoping for the best , but the information so far is not looking good . '' Amelia Merrick , the operations director for World Vision Indonesia , described the situation as `` quite devastating . '' `` Bridges have gone down , phone lines are in total disrepair , '' she said . `` It 's difficult for us to assess the situation . '' Earlier this month , an earthquake in West Java killed 57 people . CNN 's Arwa Damon and Ben Adams near Padang , Indonesia ; Andy Saputra in Jakarta , Indonesia ; and Tricia Escobedo in Atlanta , Georgia , contributed to this report . | United Nations fears 4,000 buried beneath rubble , current death toll 540 . Rescue efforts hampered by heavy rain , power outages , impassable roads . People use hammers , chisels , bare hands to dig through rubble for survivors . | [[46, 155], [290, 369], [1335, 1460], [1400, 1460], [2967, 2984], [2991, 3030], [3033, 3063], [3094, 3149], [245, 289], [692, 789], [714, 789], [3470, 3510]] |
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]] |
New York City -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Four years ago , the devastating Hurricane Katrina affected millions in the United States . The initial medical response was ill-equipped , understaffed , poorly coordinated and delayed . Criticism was fierce . The response to Haiti has been the same . The point no one seems to remember is this : Medical response to these situations can not be delayed . Immediate access to emergency equipment is also crucial . Within 24 hours of the earthquake , Dr. David Helfet put together a 13-member team of surgeons , anesthesiologists and operating room nurses , with a massive amount of orthopedic operating room equipment , ready to be flown directly to Port-au-Prince on a private plane . We also had a plan to replace physicians and equipment -- within 24 hours , we could bring in whatever was necessary on a private jet . We believe we had a reasonably comprehensive orthopedic trauma service ; as trauma surgeons , we planned to provide acute care in the midst of an orthopedic disaster . We expected many amputations . But we thought we could save limbs that were salvageable , particularly those of children . We recognized that in an underdeveloped country , a limb amputation may be a death sentence . It does not have to be so . We thought our plan was a good one , but we soon learned we were incredibly naive . Disaster management in Haiti was nonexistent . The difficulties in getting in -- despite the intelligence we had from people on the ground and Dr. Helfet 's connections with Partners in Health and Bill and Hillary Clinton -- only hinted at the difficulties we would have once we arrived . We started out Friday morning and got a slot to get into Port-au-Prince on Friday . That was canceled when we were on the runway and was rescheduled for the next day . We were diverted to the Dominican Republic and planned on arriving in Port-au-Prince on Saturday . That Saturday morning slot also was canceled and postponed until the afternoon . The airport had one runway and hundreds of planes trying to land . But nobody was prioritizing the flights . Once we finally landed , we were taken to the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince with our medical supplies . We had been told that this hospital was up and running with two functioning operating rooms . Once we arrived , we saw a severely damaged hospital with no running water and only limited electrical power , supplied by a generator . Surgeries were being performed in the equivalent of a large storage closet , where amputations were performed with hacksaws . This facility could not nearly accommodate our equipment nor our expertise to treat the volume of injuries we saw . We quickly took our second option : Community Hospital of Haiti , about two miles away . There , we found about 750 patients lying on the floor . But the facility had running water , electricity and two functional operating rooms . We found scores of patients with pus dripping out of open extremity fractures and crush injuries . Some wounds were already ridden with maggots . About a third of these victims were children . The entire hospital smelled of infected , rotting limbs and death . Later on , we would judge our surgical progress by the diminishment of the stench . In our naïveté , we did n't expect that the two anesthesia machines would not work ; that there would be only one cautery available in the entire hospital to stop bleeding ; that an operating room sterilizer fit only instruments the size of a cigar box ; that there would be no sterile saline , no functioning fluoroscopy machine , no blood for transfusions , no ability to do lab work ; and the only local staff was a ragtag group of voluntary health providers who , like us , had made it there on their own . As we got up and running and organized the patients for surgery , we told our contacts in the United States what we needed . More supplies were loaded for a second trip . Those included a battery-operated pulse lavage , a huge supply of sterile saline and the soft goods we needed desperately in the operating room . The plane landed as planned Sunday night , and the new equipment was loaded onto a truck . Then that truck , loaded with life-saving equipment , was hijacked somewhere between the airport and the hospital . We had planned to run a marathon round-the-clock operation and leave at 11 p.m. Tuesday . We worked for 60-plus hours without stopping . The plane that would take us home would bring with it not only a new medical staff , but also equipment that was nonexistent in the hospital , or even the country . These pieces of equipment , two of each , were urgently needed : portable anesthesiology machines ; electrocautery machines to stop bleeding after amputations ; portable monitors for the recovery room ; autoclaves to sterilize equipment ; and a lot of orthopedic equipment , which we were quickly using up . The other items were those that were on the previous flight and had been hijacked . Officials at the Port-au-Prince airport canceled that plane 's 6 a.m. Tuesday slot , and the plane never made it to us on time . We had started to see daylight Monday night , having performed about 100 surgeries , which were mainly amputations , fixing broken limbs and soft tissue debridements . Many of the patients were children and babies . But on Tuesday morning , a huge number of new patients arrived . The Haitians had heard we were trying to save limbs , and families were bringing their injured loved ones to us . The hospital was forced to lock down , closing its gates to the angry and frustrated crowd outside . On Tuesday morning , we saw that many of the patients we had operated on were becoming septic and would require additional surgeries . We finished operating at noon Tuesday , our last surgery assisting an obstetrician on a Caesarean section and helping to resuscitate a newborn who was not breathing . We decided the situation was untenable . Our supplies were running out , our team was past exhaustion , safety was rapidly becoming a concern , and we had no firm plan to leave or resupply . A hospital benefactor helped us get to the airport . First , Jamaican soldiers with M-16s escorted us out of the building as the crowd outside saw us abandoning the hospital . We made it to the airport on the back of a pickup , got onto the tarmac , hailed a commercial plane that had carried cargo to Haiti and was returning to Montreal , Canada , and had a private jet pick us up from there . We were unprepared for what we saw in Haiti -- the vast amount of human devastation , the complete lack of medical infrastructure , the lack of support from the Haitian medical community , the lack of organization on the ground . No one was in charge . We had the first hospital in the Port-au-Prince area with functioning operating rooms , yet no one came to the hospital to assess how we did it or offer help . The fact that the military could not or would not protect the critical resupply medical equipment on Sunday , or allow the Tuesday flight to come in , is devastating and merits intense investigation . There was no security at the hospital . We needed a much higher level of security with strong and clear support of the military from the very beginning . The lack of support for our operation by the United States is shocking and embarrassing and shows how woefully unprepared we are for the realities of disasters . We came to understand that our isolated operation may work in a mission , but not in a disaster . We first thought we would support those at the helm but soon realized we were almost the only early responders with the critical expertise and equipment to treat an orthopedic disaster such as this . Still , nobody with a clear plan is in charge , and care is chaotic at best . Doctors are coming into the country with no plan of what they are going to do , and nobody directing them how to do it . Surgeons who expect to show up and operate will be mistaken . Without a complement of support staff and supplies , they are of limited to no value . We left feeling as if we abandoned these patients , the country and its people , and we feel terrible . Our role back in New York is to expose the inadequacies of the system in the hopes of effecting change immediately . Patients who are alive and still have their arms and legs remain in jeopardy unless an urgent response is implemented . The quickest and most efficient way to really help now and support the medical staff on the ground is to assess needs , provide equipment and personnel in necessary quantities , and bring them safely and expeditiously into the country and to the hospital units caring for patients . Upon our departure , we witnessed pallets of Cheerios and dry goods sitting on the tarmac helping nobody . Yet our flight of critical medical equipment and personnel had been canceled , and the equipment that did get through was hijacked . We implore an official organization to step up and take charge of the massive ongoing medical effort that will be necessary to care for the people of Haiti and their children . And to do it now . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Drs. Dean Lorich , Soumitra Eachempati and David L. Helfet . | Doctors gathered sophisticated team and equipment for Haiti on private plane . They found nobody in charge , chaos , hospitals had nothing , not even elementary equipment . Plane sent with equipment ; supplies hijacked ; resupply plane not allowed in . They say the `` lack of support for our operation by the United States is shocking '' | [[483, 486], [653, 718], [795, 797], [822, 854], [6280, 6282], [6457, 6498], [125, 220], [158, 161], [162, 170], [173, 185], [173, 185], [188, 206], [2301, 2316], [2319, 2409], [4523, 4532], [4538, 4569], [6729, 6751], [7267, 7354], [7267, 7325], [7359, 7428]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Procter & Gamble is recalling Vicks Sinex nasal spray in the United States , Britain and Germany after finding it contained bacteria , the company said . Procter & Gamble said it announced the voluntary recall after finding the bacteria in a small amount of product made at a plant in Germany . There have been no reports of illness from the bacteria , but it could cause serious infections for people with weakened immune systems or those with chronic lung conditions such as cystic fibrosis , Procter & Gamble said late Thursday . The bacteria poses little risk to healthy people , the company said . Cincinnati , Ohio-based Procter & Gamble said it detected the problem during routine quality control at the plant . Analysis so far shows the problem is limited to a single batch of raw material mixture involving three lots of product , which were sold only in the three countries affected by the recall , the company said . In the United States , the recalled product is Vicks Sinex Vapospray 12-hour Decongestant Ultra Fine Mist with lot number 9239028831 . In Britain , the company is recalling Vicks Sinex Micromist Aqueous Nasal Spray with lot number 9224028832 . In Germany , the recalled product is Wick Sinex Schnupfenspray Dosiersystem with lot number 9224028833 . All recalled products are in the 15-milliliter size . Lot numbers are listed on the outer carton and the bottle , the company said . Consumers with the product should discard it , and they may call the company for a replacement coupon or refund , the company said . More information is at the company 's Web site , www.pg.com . | Vicks spray recalled after small amount of product found to contain bacteria . Bacteria poses little risk to healthy people , Proctor and Gamble says . No reports of illness from the bacteria , it says . | [[133, 168], [190, 301], [569, 617], [331, 386]] |
Bangkok , Thailand -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Relations between Cambodia and Thailand took a further turn for the worse Tuesday , after ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra arrived in Phnom Penh to begin his new job there . Thaksin arrived in Cambodia Tuesday to begin his first day as an economic adviser , a move that has infuriated Thailand . In response to the relationship with Thaksin , Thailand has suspended its cooperation with Cambodia , a Thai government official said Tuesday . Thailand has also suspended a memorandum of understanding with Cambodia , an agreement that governs an overlapping waterway between the two countries , said Panitan Wattanayakorn , a Thai government spokesman . Thai officials also plan to send out an extradition request to Cambodia for Thaksin , the spokesman said . The actions are the latest moves in worsening relations between the southeast Asian countries that were sparked by Cambodia 's hiring of Thaksin . Last week , Thailand withdrew its ambassador to Cambodia and , in response , Cambodia pulled its top diplomat to Thailand . Cambodian officials said Thaksin arrived Tuesday and had a welcome luncheon with Prime Minister Hun Sen and the two were expected to have a friendly dinner later . Cambodia had not received extradition papers from Thailand , government spokesman Phay Siphan said . Thaksin , a billionaire businessman who served two terms as prime minister , was ousted in a bloodless coup in 2006 . Thaksin fled Bangkok last year while facing trial on corruption charges that he said were politically motivated . Though he has fled the country , he remains a controversial figure in Thailand , and there have been violent clashes in the country between pro and anti-Thaksin groups . CNN 's Kocha Olarn contributed to this report . | Ousted Thai PM Thaksin Shinawatra arrives in Cambodia to work as economic adviser . Thai officials say they will issue extradition request for Thaksin . Thailand suspends cooperation with Cambodia , withdraws ambassador . Thaksin fled Thailand last year while awaiting trial on corruption charges . | [[10, 34], [122, 173], [135, 224], [225, 306], [449, 490], [702, 716], [722, 785], [394, 446], [491, 562], [956, 965], [968, 1012], [1463, 1534]] |
NEW ORLEANS , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Before a cheering crowd at a town hall meeting in New Orleans , President Obama fired back at critics who accuse him of accomplishing little in his nine months in office , saying `` I 'm just getting started . '' President Obama speaks at a town hall meeting at the University of New Orleans on Thursday . `` I never thought any of this was going to be easy , '' said Obama , speaking at the University of New Orleans in his first visit to the Gulf Coast city since taking office . He poked fun at his critics , asking , `` Why have n't you solved world hunger yet ? It 's been nine months . Why ? '' `` What 'd I say during the campaign ? I said change is hard , '' Obama said . `` Big change is harder . ... I was n't kidding about it being hard . '' `` Those folks who are trying to stand in the way of progress ... let me tell you , I 'm just getting started , '' he said . `` I do n't quit . I 'm not tired . I 'm just getting started . '' Before taking questions , Obama discussed the recovery effort in New Orleans , a city struggling to get back on its feet after Hurricane Katrina . `` It has now been just over four years since that terrible storm struck your shores , '' the president said . `` And -LSB- in -RSB- the days after it did , this nation and all the world bore witness to the fact that the damage from Katrina was not caused just by a disaster of nature , but also by a breakdown of government , that government was n't adequately prepared and we did n't appropriately respond . '' Obama said that when he took office , he pledged to make Gulf Coast rebuilding efforts and disaster response top priorities of his administration . `` So far , I 'm pleased to report that we 've made good progress , '' he said . `` We 've got a long way to go , but we 've made progress . '' He said he has sent more Cabinet members to the Gulf Coast than any other region -- `` not just to appearances , but to listen and to learn and help you move forward . '' Also , he said , his administration has helped eliminate red tape and turf disputes in order to get stalled programs moving , and freed up $ 1.5 billion in recovery funds . He said his administration is tackling `` corruption and inefficiency '' that has plagued the New Orleans Housing Authority for years -- remarks that drew applause from the crowd -- and has helped move families out of emergency housing , helping homeowners rebuild and helping renters find affordable options . The government has also invested in supporting health centers and recruiting primary care providers , nurses and other professionals to fill shortages left by the 2005 hurricane , he said . Watch bloggers debate Obama 's handling of New Orleans '' Before the meeting , Obama toured the Martin Luther King charter school -- the first charter school to reopen in New Orleans ' Ninth Ward , the hardest-hit portion of the city . The president called the school `` an inspiration for this city . '' However , `` it 's clear how far we have to go before we can call this recovery a real success , '' he said , adding that much remains to be done to repair roads , hospitals and schools and rebuild neighborhoods . `` We will not forget about New Orleans , '' he said . `` We 're going to keep on working . '' He also touched on the economy and on health care reform . `` Too many Americans have waited too long for this to happen , '' he said , drawing wild cheers from the crowd . `` We are going to pass health care reform by the end of the year . '' Meeting the challenges faced by the nation , he said , `` requires diligence and perseverance and patience ... it requires a renewed spirit of cooperation among our citizens . '' He took questions from the crowd on topics ranging from the school dropout rate to immigration . One man asked Obama , `` Why is it four years after Katrina we 're still fighting with the federal government for money to repair our devastated city ? ... I expected as much from the Bush administration , but why are we still being nickeled and dimed in our recovery ? '' The president responded , `` I make no excuses for the fact that the federal government did not work effectively with state and local governments immediately in the aftermath of the storm to make sure that everybody got the help they needed right away . And we are still working through the backlog of problems that existed . '' `` My expectation is that by the time that my term is over , you guys are going to look back and you 're going to say , ` This was a responsive administration on health care , on housing , on education , that actually made sure the money flowed and that things got done the way they were supposed to get done , '' he said . A fourth-grade boy asked Obama his final question : `` Why do people hate you ? They 're supposed to love you . And God is love . '' `` Well , now , first of all , I did get elected president , so not everybody hates me now , '' Obama said . '' ... If you were watching TV lately , it seems like everybody 's just getting mad all the time . ... Some of it is just what 's called politics , where , you know , once one party wins , then the other party kind of feels like it needs to poke you a little bit to keep you on your toes . '' In addition , he told the boy , some people have lost their jobs and are frustrated . `` When you 're president of the United States , you 've got to deal with all of that , '' he said . '' ... I 'm a pretty tough guy . Are you a tough guy ? '' Four years after Katrina , evidence of the storm 's devastation lingers . About 1,500 people in Louisiana are still living in temporary housing , according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency , although that is down from a high of more than 90,000 . And the Army Corps of Engineers is only a third of the way through a $ 15 billion system to provide 100-year flood protection for the city . However , the agency says 76 disputed projects in Louisiana have been resolved since Obama took office , and more than $ 1.4 billion in aid has been sent to Louisiana , along with more than $ 160 million to Mississippi . And it says that more than 89,000 Louisiana households and 45,044 Mississippi households displaced by Katrina -- and by Hurricane Rita , which hit a month later -- have found longer-term housing solutions . The emergency agency also says more than $ 1 billion from the stimulus program has been targeted for New Orleans . The Obama administration 's efforts have been praised . In August , Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal , a Republican , told the New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper , `` there is a sense of momentum and a desire to get things done . '' Still , the length and nature of Obama 's visit Thursday drew some ire . The president was to spend less than four hours in New Orleans and will not visit other areas of the Gulf Coast affected by Katrina , such as the Mississippi coast . `` The people of New Orleans deserve more than a ` drive-through daiquiri ' summit with the president , '' Rep. Steve Scalise , R-Louisiana , said in a news conference Monday . And Sen. David Vitter , R-Louisiana , wrote in a letter to Obama that `` if the town hall is the only major event of the visit , I truly think it will be deeply disappointing to most citizens . '' The White House said that Obama has been to New Orleans five times since Katrina , and that since Obama took office , there have been 35 trips to the Gulf Coast by more than 20 senior administration officials . `` The president made a promise to come to New Orleans and wanted to fulfill that promise as soon as his schedule allowed , '' White House spokesman Nicholas Shapiro said . | NEW : `` I never thought any of this was going to be easy , '' he says at university . President not visiting other Gulf Coast areas damaged by Katrina in 2005 . Some local Republicans have decried Obama 's visit as too short . But White House cites other visits by him , senior officials since storm . | [[352, 353], [368, 400], [6769, 6782], [6836, 6880], [6866, 6902], [6696, 6701], [6704, 6768], [7309, 7507]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A lock break occurred on the Ohio River near Warsaw , Kentucky , on Sunday , stopping barge traffic for several hours as the Army Corps of Engineers investigated . The lock break stopped traffic on the Ohio River about 65 miles northeast of Louisville , Kentucky . The incident involved structures , and there were no reports of injuries . All traffic on the river was stopped in both directions at about 9 a.m. ET , Corps spokesman Todd Hornback said . By 8 p.m. , an auxiliary lock was set up to start allowing the half-dozen blocked barges through . `` It 's going to take more time , but we 're keeping the river open tonight , '' Hornback said . The river is a major artery for commodities shipping , with more than 50 million tons of cargo passing through the affected area annually , according to a waterways organization . It was not known what caused the break at the Markland Locks and Dam . Engineers were going to the site , about 65 miles northeast of Louisville , Kentucky , Hornback said . The lock 's gates are 1,200 feet long and 110 feet wide . A smaller auxiliary lock is 600 feet long and 110 feet wide . Watch traffic backed up on Ohio River '' A lock is a section of a waterway , such as a river , that is closed off with gates . Vessels in transit enter the lock and the water level is raised or lowered in order to raise or lower the vessel to adjust to elevation changes . One of the broken portions is known as a miter gate , Hornback said . The Corps of Engineers , on its Web site , says a miter gate `` has two leaves that provide a closure at one end of the lock . '' They are so named because the two leaves meet at an angle pointing upstream and resembling a miter joint , the Web site said , referring to a joint meeting at a 45-degree angle , such as the corner of a picture frame . A public policy organization , in a February 2008 report , graded the locks ' performance as a D , `` based primarily upon risk of failure due to unreliability of miter gates . '' The federal government allocated $ 10.6 million to install new chamber miter gates , according to Waterways Council Inc. , which describes itself as an organization `` advocating a modern and well-maintained national system of ports and inland waterways . '' Hornback said the work was scheduled for 2011 , adding that it 's unclear whether Sunday 's break will speed that up . `` The risk is very high that a failure of the lock gates will occur , forcing traffic through the auxiliary lock for an extended period , causing huge delays and costs to the towing industry , '' the council said in the report last year . Engineers hope to have the river back open as soon as possible , Hornback said , but an exact time frame was not known . Some 55 million tons of commodities pass through the Markland Locks each year , according to the Waterways Council . The principal commodity passing through Markland is coal , which fuels numerous electric power plants along the Ohio River , and those plants typically stockpile only about a 30-day supply , the council said . | NEW : Auxiliary lock used to relieve blocked river traffic . Lock broke Sunday morning ; cause not known , Army Corps of Engineers says . Break happened about 65 miles northeast of Louisville , Kentucky . In locks , vessels are raised or lowered to match elevation ahead . | [[850, 920], [1309, 1318], [1355, 1363], [1384, 1416], [1367, 1416]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A court in Zambia has acquitted a newspaper editor who was tried on obscenity charges for mailing photographs of a woman giving birth . Chansa Kabwela , the editor of the Post , wanted to highlight the conditions in which women were being forced to give birth during a hospital strike last summer . She mailed pictures to government ministers of a woman delivering a baby in a hospital parking lot . But Zambian President Rupiah Banda described the photos as pornographic and Kabwela was ordered arrested . On Monday , a judge in the capital Lusaka ruled there was no evidence the photos were obscene or could corrupt public morals . He dismissed the case . Kabwela was out of the office Wednesday and could not immediately be reached . But as she exited the courtroom , she told Reporters Without Borders that she was relieved . `` My victory is also a victory for all those who suffered during the health sector strikes , '' she said . `` I am happy the court acquitted me . I had no intention of causing anyone any harm . The letter I wrote to the vice-president was very clear . I just wanted to draw his attention to the situation in the hospitals . '' The month-long nurse 's strike in June was over pay and benefits . It shut down hospital wards , turning away hundreds of patients . At the time , a woman 's husband snapped pictures as she gave birth in the hospital parking lot after being denied admission . The baby later died , said the Committee to Protect Journalists . The husband gave the photos to the Post who deemed them to graphic to publish . Kabwela then included them in a letter she wrote to the vice president , the health minister and several non-governmental organizations urging that the strike be settled . Soon afterward , Banda ordered police to take action against Kabwela . Journalism advocacy groups believe Banda retaliated against the newspaper because of its frequent criticism of his policies . At least six members of the newspaper 's staff have been physically or verbally attacked by leaders of the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy since the year began , the Committee to Protect Journalists said . | Chansa Kabwela wanted to highlight conditions in which women were being forced to give birth during a hospital strike . She mailed pictures to government ministers of a woman delivering a baby in a hospital parking lot . Zambian President Rupiah Banda described the photos as pornographic and Kabwela was ordered arrested . | [[155, 169], [197, 317], [1102, 1173], [0, 15], [30, 154], [318, 372], [365, 418], [1310, 1321], [1324, 1436], [1583, 1621], [423, 502], [475, 525], [1755, 1769], [1772, 1825]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Saudi court on Wednesday sentenced a man who caused uproar by bragging about his sex life on television to five years in prison and 1,000 lashes , according to Ministry of Information officials . Mazen Abdul Jawad talked openly about his sex life on the controversial show . Mazen Abdul Jawad , a 32-year-old airline employee and divorced father of four , spoke openly about his sexual escapades , his love of sex and losing his virginity at age 14 . He made the comments on Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation , which aired the interview a few months ago . Saudi authorities shut down LBC offices in Jeddah and Riyadh after airing the interview on an episode of its popular show `` A Thick Red Line . '' Jawad was arrested shortly after the program aired and charged with violating Saudi Arabia 's crime of publicizing vice . On the program , Jawad is also shown in his bedroom , where he holds sexual aids up to the camera . The room is decorated with Mickey Mouse and stuffed bears in sexually suggestive positions . The cameras gave audiences a glimpse of the room 's nightclub-like chandeliers mixed with seafood-shaped wall sconces , perfume bottles and a book in Arabic , `` 101 Questions About Sex , '' that Jawad calls his `` reference . '' Jawad , wearing a red shirt , explained that he put his phone number and details about his car -- a red Mini Cooper -- on his mobile phone 's Bluetooth . He says women usually call him to ask if the car is for sale but , he boasts , `` some go out with me that same night . '' The episode ended with him cruising the streets of Jeddah in his car looking for women . The show that aired Jawad 's story is as popular as it is controversial in the Middle East . It tackles taboos sometimes never discussed in public . In one instance , a guest admitted he put up his children for sale and tried to justify why he continued to look for the highest bidder even though his kids were begging him to change his mind . Most guests wear sunglasses , wigs and strange clothing to disguise their identities as their lives can be endangered for talking about such taboo subjects . Surprisingly , Jawad did not disguise his identity on the program . Watch report on the uproar over the broadcast '' The 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 . The segment in question has been posted on the video-sharing site YouTube since its initial broadcast last month , and has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times . Speaking about promiscuous acts `` is a violation of the sharia regulations on the one hand and against Saudi customs on the other , '' police spokesman Suleiman Al-Mutawae told Arab News , an English-language daily newspaper in Saudi Arabia . Before Jawad 's detention , Arab News reported that he initiated a damage-control campaign , apologized for his comments and was considering filing a complaint against the show 's producers for presenting him `` in the worst possible manner by taking two hours of footage and condensing it down to a minutes-long segment . '' Jawad 's lawyer could not be reached for comment . The ministry officials spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity . | Mazen Abdul Jawad , divorced father of 4 , spoke openly about sex escapades . Saudi authorities shut down LBC offices in Jeddah and Riyadh over broadcast . Episode caused an uproar in deeply conservative Saudi Arabia . | [[217, 295], [296, 313], [351, 374], [296, 313], [377, 416], [577, 698], [2254, 2318]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sri Lankans went to the polls on Tuesday in the island nation 's first peacetime presidential election in 26 years , despite explosions and mortar fire in the capital of Northern Province hours before polls opened . Once a stronghold for the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , the Northern Province city of Jaffna was a frequent battleground for the rebels and Sri Lankan government troops until a government offensive last year crushed the Tigers . While it was n't clear what the explosions were , they were nothing new for Jaffnans , who have lived under military control for decades . More than 14 million Sri Lankans are expected to elect their sixth executive president to a six-year term . Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is seeking a fresh mandate for his government , but he faces a tough challenge from his one-time confidante and former Army commander , retired General Sarath Fonseka . Rajapaksa cast his vote in his ancestral town of Medamulana , near the southern town of Tangalle . `` I am very confident of victory , '' he told journalists . Fonseka was expected to visit a polling booth in Colombo . Queues were large outside most polling booths in Colombo and principal towns , election officials said . `` I waited in a queue for 45 minutes before I could cast my ballot , '' said Damayantha Perera of the Colombo suburb of Maharagama . `` I also had to wait for almost an hour , '' said W. Ramiah , a resident of Nugegoda , also of Colombo . Fonseka , who won wide acclaim for leading troops to military victory against the rebels , broke ranks with the Rajapaksa administration after he was elevated to the largely ceremonial post of chief of defense staff in July after retiring as Army commander . After Fonseka announced his presidential bid , the main opposition parties -- with widely diverse political ideologies -- closed ranks behind him to make him their common candidate . `` There has been abuse of power , corruption and nepotism . We want to abolish the executive presidency and make the parliament more answerable to the people . The best person to do this is the one who defeated terrorism , '' Ranil Wickremesinghe , leader of the United National Party , told CNN . Many of Rajapaksa 's family members , including his brothers , hold key positions in the government : Chamal is a Cabinet minister , Gotabhaya is Defense Secretary , and Basil is a member of parliament and senior presidential adviser . Other members of the family hold important positions locally and in Sri Lanka 's diplomatic missions abroad . The coalition of parties backing Fonseka includes a main opposition right wing party and a leftist Marxist outfit , as well as the Tamil National Alliance . Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu of the Center for Policy Alternatives , a branch of the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence , said the situation in Sri Lanka , however , is `` a picture of dysfunction and breakdown . '' There have been allegations of interference with mail-in ballots , according to the group . Most of the complaints have been against members of Rajapaksa 's government , it said . There have been more than 700 reports of violence ahead of the election , with at least four deaths reported , Saravanamuttu said . Sri Lankans are casting their ballots in more than 11,000 voting booths across the nation . Local leaders have urged a peaceful voting day amid the escalating violence , including the shooting deaths of two people -- one a supporter of the opposition and the other of the government . A contingent of 85,000 police officers have been deployed to maintain law and order , said Mahinda Balasooriya , the inspector general of police . Each polling station has two to three police officers on duty , he said . The spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said last week that the U.N. chief was `` concerned about the growing violence in the lead-up to the presidential election . '' `` The peaceful conduct of the first post-conflict national election is of the highest importance for long-term peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka , '' he added . CNN 's Sara Sidner and Iqbal Athas contributed to this report . | NEW : Queues were large outside most Colombo polling booths , election officials say . NEW : President Rajapaksa casts his vote in ancestral town of Medamulana . He faces tough challenge from retired Gen. Fonseka . Police : Contingent of 85,000 police officers deployed to maintain law and order . | [[1149, 1225], [1228, 1253], [930, 989], [813, 894], [813, 815], [897, 929], [3553, 3636], [3553, 3591], [3639, 3663]] |
Baghdad , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At least 18 people have been killed and 80 injured in a car bomb blast in central Baghdad as deadly violence returned to the streets of the Iraqi capital for a second day . The blast was caused by a suicide bomber who drove through the checkpoint , toward a government forensic office , Iraq 's ministry of information said . Tuesday 's attack followed three vehicle bombings near hotels in the city on Monday which killed 36 people and wounded 71 others . The latest bombings come amid concerns over security and fears of a fresh wave of sectarian violence between the country 's rival Shia and Sunni factions as the country prepares for crucial national elections on March 7 . The buildup to that vote has been dominated by controversy over the legitimacy of hundreds of candidates banned from participating because of alleged links to former dictator Saddam Hussein 's regime . The 511-name `` blacklist '' issued by Iraq 's Accountability and Justice Commission , which is charged with purging former members of Hussein 's Baath Party from public life , includes many prominent Sunni Arab politicians . Banning such candidates has raised fears of alienating the Sunnis -- an issue during the 2005 elections that analysts say was a contributing factor to the years of sectarian violence that followed . Monday 's bombings also followed the execution earlier in the day of Hussein 's cousin and notorious henchman Ali Hassan al-Majeed -- also known as `` Chemical Ali . '' In a statement issued Tuesday , the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad condemned the attacks on the hotels . `` The terrorists who committed these senseless crimes aim to sow fear among the Iraqi people . We are confident , however , that the Iraqi people will stand fast and work together to build their common future in peace and security , '' the embassy said . CNN 's Yousif Bassil contributed to this report . | Car bomb detonated near a government forensic office in central Baghdad . Attack comes a day after three vehicle bomb attacks killed 36 , injured 71 . At least 18 dead , 80 injured in latest attack . | [[74, 142], [74, 142], [360, 443], [437, 443], [450, 490], [0, 7], [10, 69], [74, 142], [437, 443], [450, 490]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man charged with stalking sports reporter Erin Andrews is now accused of making nude videotapes of her in one more city than previously thought , according to court documents filed Wednesday . Michael David Barrett , 48 , is accused of surreptitiously videotaping the ESPN reporter through hotel peepholes and posting the videos online . Authorities previously had said they believed most of the videos were made at a Nashville , Tennessee , hotel in September 2008 . But the information filed Wednesday alleges that Barrett also taped Andrews through an altered peephole in a hotel room in Columbus , Ohio , in February 2008 . Barrett stayed in the hotel room next door to Andrews , the information said . He is charged with interstate stalking , which carries a potential sentence of five years in prison , said Thom Mrozek , spokesman for the U.S. Attorney 's Office in the Central District of California . Barrett was arrested in Illinois , but will make an initial appearance in federal court in Los Angeles on Friday , Mrozek said . He is scheduled to be arraigned on November 23 and will be asked to enter a plea . An Illinois judge last month released Barrett on bail . Barrett waived his right to be indicted by a grand jury , Mrozek said , and authorities on Wednesday filed a criminal information against him in place of an indictment . Investigators found that Barrett reserved a room at a Milwaukee , Wisconsin , hotel where Andrews was staying in July 2008 , but did not check in , according to prosecutors and the initial criminal complaint against him last month . The complaint accused him of making seven videos from the surreptitious tapes . In Nashville , the door peephole into Andrews ' room was altered with a hacksaw , and the peephole to her room in Milwaukee was altered in a similar way , the criminal complaint said . Authorities believe the videos were taken with a cell phone camera . In addition , the complaint said that Barrett `` traveled from Illinois to Victim Andrews ' home state '' in August 2008 , but did not specify which state . Barrett allegedly attempted to sell the videos to celebrity gossip site TMZ in January 2009 . TMZ did not purchase the images , but employees of the Web site assisted in the investigation by providing information to Andrews ' attorneys , authorities said . However , the videos were posted to other Web sites by Barrett , the criminal complaint said , with labels like `` Sexy and hot blonde sports celebrity shows us her all . '' Andrews , 31 , is a sideline reporter for ESPN , traveling around the country covering college football games . The criminal complaint said she became aware of the videos in July and that their posting has caused her distress , anxiety and trouble sleeping . | Man accused of surreptitiously taping Andrews nude , posting videos online . Previously , most of the tapes were thought to have been shot in a Nashville hotel . Court documents filed Wednesday claim videos also were made in Columbus , Ohio . Stalking charge carries a potential five-year prison sentence . | [[239, 260], [263, 265], [268, 383], [1627, 1706], [2385, 2437], [152, 165], [171, 189], [192, 204], [384, 475], [430, 513], [205, 238], [518, 647], [772, 791], [800, 852]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Calling the ruling `` huge , '' New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin on Thursday reacted to a federal judge finding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ' failure to maintain a shipping channel led to catastrophic flooding during Hurricane Katrina . Nagin said he hopes the court decision will `` open up the floodgates '' for others to file lawsuits against the federal government , including his Louisiana city . However , he acknowledged it 's likely the federal government will appeal Wednesday 's ruling . Department of Justice spokesman Charles Miller said in an e-mail the government is reviewing the decision and has made `` no determination as to what future steps it would take in this matter . '' U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval Jr. ruled that the `` negligence of the Corps '' by failing to maintain the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet waterway `` was not policy , but insouciance , myopia and short-sightedness . '' `` For over 40 years , the Corps was aware that the Reach II levee protecting Chalmette and the Lower Ninth Ward was going to be compromised by the continued deterioration of the -LSB- waterway -RSB- . ... The Corps had an opportunity to take a myriad of actions to alleviate this deterioration or rehabilitate this deterioration and failed to do so . Clearly , the expression ` talk is cheap ' applies here . '' Duval issued the ruling in a lawsuit brought by six plaintiffs affected by the 2005 hurricane , who alleged the Corps of Engineers was liable for damages . The judge ruled against one couple , who lived in New Orleans East , but awarded the others , from the Lower Ninth Ward and St. Bernard Parish , damages ranging from $ 100,000 to $ 317,000 . Nagin said he had thought the ruling was a long shot . `` This was a surprise but a pleasant one , '' he said . The decision applies not only to the six plaintiffs , attorney Pierce O'Donnell said , but also to some 100,000 homes and businesses in St. Bernard Parish and the Lower Ninth Ward . Under the precedent set by Duval 's ruling , they too will be entitled to compensation , O'Donnell said . At a news conference Thursday , Craig Taffaro , president of St. Bernard Parish , said , `` It 's a bittersweet victory in the sense that yes , we are at the table , yes , we are grateful for the judge 's ruling and for the legal team to deliver us to this point , but what a shame that we had to go through such devastation and destruction to get here . '' At one point a Category 5 hurricane , Katrina had weakened to a Category 3 storm with top sustained winds of 127 mph when it made landfall on the morning of August 29 , 2005 , between Grand Isle , Louisiana , and the mouth of Mississippi River . Its winds were only slightly diminished when it passed over more populated coastal areas hours later . More than 1,800 people died in the storm , including nearly 1,600 in Louisiana . In New Orleans , the city 's levee system failed and widespread flooding occurred . Overall , the storm damage covered more than 90,000 square miles and displaced nearly 300,000 people , causing more than $ 81 billion in damage . Ivor van Heerden , a researcher who warned of the potential for catastrophic damage from a hurricane , said the ruling is `` total vindication for everybody who was involved . '' `` I think he 's called a spade a spade , '' van Heerden told CNN by phone . The former deputy director of the Louisiana State University Hurricane Center said the university fired him because of the investigation he led into the levee failures . The probe put much of the blame for the disaster on the Corps of Engineers . He alleged Thursday that the university blocked him from being an expert witness in the case , but said he `` put together a lot of the science '' and reviewed the defense 's explanation to find the holes . `` Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans was a manmade catastrophe with a hurricane trigger , '' he said . `` I saw the suffering of the people in New Orleans . ... Finally there is the potential of compensation . '' He said he intends to file a lawsuit against LSU , which he said has to pay him through the end of his contract , which ends in May . LSU did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment Thursday . CNN 's Ashley Hayes contributed to this report . | Judge : Army Corps of Engineers liable for catastrophic flooding during Katrina . New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin says ruling may `` open up the floodgates '' for more suits . Nagin calls decision `` a surprise , '' says he expects feds to appeal . Plaintiffs awarded damages from Lower Ninth Ward and St. Bernard Parish . | [[102, 168], [126, 255], [1424, 1442], [1449, 1479], [3540, 3616], [48, 117], [256, 420], [267, 420], [48, 117], [431, 516]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Abe Pollin , the longtime owner of the Washington Wizards professional basketball franchise , has died , the Wizards said Tuesday . He was 85 . No further details were immediately available . The Wizards said information would be released as it became available . The Pollin family asked that their privacy be respected , the basketball team said . Pollin and his wife , Irene , have owned the NBA franchise , previously known as the Washington Bullets and before that the Baltimore Bullets , for 45 years . As the majority owners of Washington Sports & Entertainment Limited Partnership , the Pollins oversaw the Washington Wizards , Washington/Baltimore Ticketmaster and in-house promoter Musicentre Productions , as well as the management of the Verizon Center and George Mason University 's Patriot Center , according to the Verizon Center 's Web site . Pollin at one time also owned the Washington Capitals hockey team and the Washington Mystics WNBA team . Pollin moved from Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , to the Washington area when he was 8 , according to the Verizon Center 's biography of him . He attended George Washington University and worked for his family 's construction company for more than a decade , it says . He and Irene , a St. Louis , Missouri , native , launched their own construction company in 1957 and built several large apartment houses and office buildings . They have two sons and two granddaughters , according to the Web site . | Abe Pollin was 85 years old . Pollin and his wife have owned the Wizards , formerly known as the Bullets , for 45 years . Pollin also once owned Washington Capitals hockey team . Survived by wife , two sons and two granddaughters , according to Web site . | [[151, 162], [368, 387], [390, 487], [409, 426], [429, 509], [877, 895], [901, 981], [1410, 1451], [1410, 1414], [1454, 1481]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and foreign ministers from more than a dozen countries met Monday to discuss how to rebuild Haiti after the devastating January 12 earthquake . Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive also attended the one-day meeting of the Friends of Haiti group of nations in Montreal , Quebec . The United Nations , International Monetary Fund , World Bank and European Union also sent representatives , according to Canada 's Foreign Ministry . In Haiti , desperate residents of Port-au-Prince , the capital , waited for two hours in lines around the heavily damaged Presidential Palace to get their first relief supplies , bags of rice or beans . U.N. troops brandishing automatic weapons kept order . Any spilled food prompted fast scavenging by those hanging around the distribution point . One woman , Via Maria Rosile , took off her shirt to collect a small pile of dropped beans . Watch images of a shattered palace . `` I am very unhappy , '' Rosile said . `` So far , until now we have received nothing . '' The aim of the Montreal meeting is to develop a strategy for early recovery and longer-term reconstruction of Haiti . Once the strategy is set , a donors ' conference to secure funding would take place . Clinton told reporters traveling with her to the meeting that the donors ' conference would take place in `` the next 30 to 60 days . '' `` There 's a tremendous desire to help , but we 've got to create the mechanisms so that it can be done effectively , and we 've got to get the Haitian government 's capacity to lead put together , '' she said . Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper told the meeting 's attendees that the challenge is enormous . Interactive map : Where to find aid . `` It is not an exaggeration to say that 10 years of hard work awaits the world in Haiti , '' he said , according to CNN affiliate CTV , a Canadian television network . He noted the initial outpouring of money and relief aid for Haiti , which he called generous in the face of human catastrophe . `` The difficulty we face , then , is not one of concern but rather one of coordination , '' Harper said . `` We must ensure that every resource committed -- every relief worker , every vehicle , every dollar -- is used as effectively as possible . '' The United States has committed $ 100 million in emergency aid to Haiti , and Clinton said Monday `` there will be more to come . '' At the same time , Clinton noted to reporters that even before the quake , Haiti had an economic development plan worked out with the United Nations and others that was intended to modernize the economy after decades of political and social instability . The earthquake required a revision of the plan , rather than scrapping it entirely , she said . `` It was a legitimate plan . It was done in conjunction with other international donors , with the United Nations , '' Clinton said . `` And I do n't want to start from scratch , but we have to recognize the changed challenges we are now confronting . '' Bellerive , in comments at the meeting reported by CTV , also said Haiti must achieve a new development path rather than simply returning to the same situation that existed before the earthquake . `` What we are speaking about is relaunching our country on a path of development . It is not a question of going back to the status quo , '' he said , according to CTV . Port-au-Prince will have to be rebuilt and public institutions decentralized to meet the needs of the hundreds of thousands of Haitians expected to relocate to rural areas , CTV reported Bellerive as saying . In addition , Monday 's meeting provided an opportunity for the donor community , the Haitian government and the United Nations to review progress so far in the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Haiti . A senior European diplomat , speaking on condition of anonymity to reporters in Washington , said the countries attending the Montreal meeting want to avoid pouring money into Haiti in ways that previously have yielded little result . Priorities might include agriculture , reforestation and building new roads , with projects carried out in coordination with the Haitian government , according to the diplomat . The diplomat also said France is ready to host a donors ' conference on the Caribbean island of Martinique . A spokesman for the Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry said Monday that the nation donated $ 50 million to Haiti for relief aid . The spokesman , Usama al-Nugali , said the money has already been received by the United Nations . Monday 's meeting came as Haitians reacted with anger and frustration to news that efforts to rescue possible survivors had been called off . Looking for loved ones in Haiti . Thousands of people pushed Sunday for rescue efforts to continue after a 24-year-old man was pulled alive from rubble Saturday , 11 days after the earthquake . He had no injuries , but was dehydrated . His brother said he had survived on cookies and beer from the store of the Hotel Napoli Inn , where he worked . He is recovering in a hospital . Families of Americans who were staying at the Hotel Montana started an online petition Saturday in an effort to get search efforts to continue `` 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 . So far , 59 Americans , including three children , are confirmed dead in the magnitude-7 .0 earthquake , the U.S. State Department said Monday . The deaths include one U.S. embassy employee , previously identified as Victoria DeLong , and three children of embassy employees , according to Assistant Secretary of State P.J. Crowley . Another 37 Americans are presumed dead , Crowley said . About 11,500 Americans and some of their Haitian family members , who had medical emergencies or other circumstances , have been evacuated from Haiti , according to Crowley . The Haitian government has said the earthquake is believed to have killed at least 150,000 people . Tired of stench , Haitians torch bodies in plaza . The rescues that occurred over the past week sparked hope among families of the missing . International search teams have rescued at least 132 people , the United Nations said . More than 600,000 people have been left homeless in and around the capital , Port-au-Prince , the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said . CNN 's Jill Dougherty , Mohammed Jamjoom , Elise Labott and Lisa Desjardins contributed to this report . | U.S. has committed $ 100 million in aid to Haiti , with more to come , Clinton says . Ten years of hard work needed to rebuild Haiti , Canadian PM tells meeting . Top officials from more than a dozen countries meet in Montreal on Monday . Families of the missing fight Haiti 's effort to shift from rescue to recovery mode . | [[2308, 2379], [2386, 2437], [1619, 1720], [1759, 1847], [1772, 1774], [1788, 1893], [0, 15], [96, 202], [203, 244], [250, 331]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Irish football officials have lodged an official complaint with world ruling body FIFA after Thierry Henry confessed that he handled the ball in the build-up to the goal which sent France to next summer 's World Cup . Television cameras showed Henry guiding the ball with his hand twice , before William Gallas scored from his resulting cross to give `` Les Bleus '' a narrow win in the two-legged World Cup play-off against the Republic of Ireland . `` I will be honest . It was a handball but I am not the referee , '' the Barcelona striker told reporters after the match in Paris . The Irish Justice Ministry confirmed to CNN that Dermot Ahern had asked the Football Association of Ireland -LRB- FAI -RRB- to demand a replay in the interests of fair play . `` Thierry Henry has admitted handling the ball , claims he told the ref he handled it . Millions of people worldwide saw it was a blatant double handball -- not to mention a double offside -- and we should put the powers that be in the cozy world of FIFA on the spot and demand a replay , '' Ahern said in a statement sent to CNN . `` They probably wo n't grant it as we are minnows in world football but let 's put them on the spot . It 's the least we owe the thousands of devastated young fans around the country . Otherwise if that result remains it reinforces the view that if you cheat you will win . '' The FAI later confirmed that it had taken the matter to FIFA . `` I really believe the integrity of the game has been questioned last night , '' chief executive John Delaney told reporters . `` The governing body of world football have to step up to the plate and accede to our call for a replay . '' Delaney said the FAI had also written to the French football federation . `` They need to look at themselves in this situation . Henry is their captain and a wonderful footballer , but does he want to be like Diego Maradona and his legacy to be this handball , this goal that got them to the World Cup in an unjust manner ? If we had qualified in this manner , I would n't be happy , '' he said . `` It is up to the people who govern the game now . Every time I go to a FIFA congress I hear about fair play and integrity . This was a defining game with the whole world watching , and if FIFA believe in fair play and integrity , this is their opportunity to step forward . '' The FAI has argued that there is a precedent for the result to be struck out , following FIFA 's ruling that Uzbekistan had to replay a play-off against Bahrain for the 2006 World Cup in Germany after the referee made a mistake in awarding a penalty . `` The Football Association of Ireland is hoping that FIFA and its disciplinary committee will , on behalf of football fans worldwide , act in a similar fashion so that the standards of fair play and integrity can be protected , '' the FAI said . FIFA confirmed it had received the Irish request for a replay , but gave no timescale on a decision . However , it said that under its regulations the referee 's decision can not be changed . `` Law 5 states that the decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play , including whether or not a goal is scored and the result of the match , are final , '' it said . `` The referee may only change a decision on realising that it is incorrect or , at his discretion , on the advice of an assistant referee or the fourth official , provided that he has not restarted play or terminated the match . '' Irish captain Richard Dunne , who spoke to Henry on the final whistle , said he felt cheated by the goal . `` He admitted he handled it , but it does n't make me feel any better because we are not going to the World Cup finals , '' the defender said . `` FIFA will probably be happy . Yet again the big decisions have gone for the bigger team . '' Football 's international governing body had faced criticism from several Irish players that the seeding system for the play-off draw favored more powerful nations such as France . Blog : When will FIFA see what 's staring them in the face ? Dunne 's teammate Robbie Keane admitted it was `` hard to speak , '' as he struggled to come to terms with the result . `` With the way we played , we certainly deserved to win the game and it killed us near the end with that handball , '' he was quoted by the FAI Web site as saying . `` I 've seen the replay but we knew anyway -LRB- it was handball -RRB- . You could see by the reaction of the players , especially Shay -LRB- Given -RRB- who was two yards away from it . You do n't get a reaction like that . It was a clear handball . `` He -LRB- Henry -RRB- almost caught the ball and actually ran into the net with it . We 're devastated . '' Ireland team manager Giovanni Trapattoni told reporters that the referee had time to ask the linesman and then Henry . `` It would not have been the first time a player would have asked and it would not have been out of turn . `` We are angry , '' the Italian continued . `` It is a bitter evening for me . I would prefer to have gone out on penalties . '' Fanzone : Five of football 's most famous injustices . But former France international David Ginola was emphatic that Henry should not have `` owned up . '' `` You do n't do that , '' he told CNN . `` Henry was doing his job . You ca n't blame him for doing everything he could for his team and country to get them to South Africa . `` But it was a shame to finish the game like that as Ireland had played very well . `` Referees need more help on the pitch , so as not to allow things like that . Obviously the referee was not well-positioned and could n't see . '' English Referees Union chief Alan Leighton told CNN that Swedish official Martin Hansson had clearly missed a huge decision . `` I think the incident was more of instinct than deliberately attempting to cheat but it does seem that the ball hit his hand twice and therefore there is an issue . '' But on the wider issue of cheating , Leighton said : `` It is all very well to blame the referees for not spotting it but fundamentally it starts with the players . `` I think the players have to think about the game , think about the reputation of the game and their own reputations and say look actually there is a line that we will not cross . '' | NEW : Republic of Ireland officials lodge official complaint with world ruling body FIFA . NEW : FAI also writes to French counterparts asking for World Cup play-off to be replayed . Cameras showed France 's Thierry Henry guiding ball with his hand twice , before William Gallas scored . Ex-France player David Ginola said Henry was only doing his job for his country and should not be blamed . | [[9, 32], [36, 142], [1407, 1469], [1431, 1469], [665, 795], [1708, 1781], [1721, 1781], [254, 316], [280, 322], [5864, 5947], [5289, 5314], [5315, 5390]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` Oh , the humanity . '' When these three words were uttered by aghast radio journalist Herbert Morrison -- as the LZ129 Hindenburg airship crashed and burst into flames in New Jersey in 1937 -- it was seen as the end of airships . The other remaining Zeppelin-class dirigible , the Graf Zeppelin II , was destroyed by the Nazi administration who felt the materials could be put to better use with more conventional aircraft . The Aeroscraft ML866 is a prototype for future cargo vehicles that could have a payload of up to 60 tonnes . But , 70 years on , could the Hindenburg-style airship be experiencing a renaissance ? There are two types of craft that are commonly called `` airships . '' The first is basically a balloon filled with a lighter-than-air gas , with an attached pod for the pilot and passengers , and tilting propellers to aid with descent and maneuvering . These are known as ` blimps ' and are commonly used for promotional activities , for filming sporting events and by law enforcement agencies for surveillance . But their limited payload make them unsuitable for other purposes . The other type of airship is the dirigible . Like a blimp , a dirigible airship is filled with lighter-than-air gas but it has an internal skeleton . This greater rigidity allows dirigible airships to carry larger payloads than blimps . See pictures of airships through the ages . '' While the Hindenburg crash dented public confidence in the dirigible airship concept , the principal cause of the disaster was n't bad design but propaganda . The Germans were desperate to show off their technical achievement . But the United States , the world 's primary supplier of the inert gas helium -LRB- which was used to inflate and lift the airships -RRB- , had imposed a military embargo on the gas . So the Hindenburg was filled with the massively explosive gas , hydrogen . And it exploded . Massively . In recent years the concept of the dirigible airship has been reevaluated because of the environmental need to find lower-carbon methods of freight transportation ; and the military and humanitarian need to deliver supplies to remote locations not served by airports . One failed attempt to resuscitate the airship content came from the German company Cargolifter AG in the mid 1990s . It planned a large airship , the CL160 , to be used as a transporter for large and heavy loads . A giant hangar , one of the world 's largest structures , was built in Brand , near Berlin in Germany , for storage and manufacture of these giant craft . But Cargolifter became insolvent in 2002 . The hangar was sold for a fraction of its construction cost and now houses an indoor water park . In 2005 the Aeros corporation of Montebello , CA . resurrected the airship concept . Responding to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency -LRB- DARPA -RRB- 's `` Walrus '' program the company was given a $ 3.2 million grant to develop : `` a very large airlift vehicle concept designed to control lift in all stages of air or ground operations including the ability to off-load payload without taking on-board ballast other than surrounding air . '' What distinguishes a `` Walrus '' craft from a Hindenberg-style airship is that it would not be lighter than air . Rather it would generate lift from a combination of aerodynamics , propellors and gas buoyancy . This would allow for a quicker descent without the expulsion of lift gas , for instance . DARPA terminated the Walrus program but Aeros is continuing to develop the technology with a view to creating an enormous civil airship utilizing a glass-fiber and carbon-fibre semi-monocoque envelope structure . The planned Aeroscraft ML866 could be the next generation of corporate transportation . With more than 465 square meters -LRB- 5000 square feet -RRB- of interior floor space , the ML866 's interior could house a floating boardroom or an opulent flying home . Because it would be flying at a lower altitude than a passenger jet -LRB- 6,000 to 12,000 feet , as opposed to 25,000 to 35,000 feet -RRB- the cabin would not be pressurized . The technological legacy of the Walrus program is the COSH -LRB- control of structural heaviness -RRB- system . By compressing and decompressing stored helium , the aircraft can become lighter for take-off and heavier for landing . If Aeros secure funding to develop the ML866 , it would be offered with a choice of turboprop engines -LRB- for either greater speed or heavier payload -RRB- . But could large airships supplement the role of large passenger aircraft ? Flight International 's technical reporter Rob Coppinger is skeptical : . `` Whether it is cargo , corporate or mass transpiration I think the issues with airships are ; can -LSB- airships -RSB- carry enough people/cargo between two popular destinations and do it fast enough to carry a sufficient volume of cargo/people to generate enough revenue to pay for the development , certification and running costs ? `` I think if it were easy to financially justify , they would exist already . '' Coppinger concedes , however , that airships could have potential military applications . Aeros plans to begin testing a non-rigid airship , the Aeros 40D , in 2008 to demonstrate the helium compression and decompression system . Production of a prototype Aeroscraft ML866 has begun , with a test flight planned for 2010 . ... . Are dirigibles just a load of hot air ? Would you travel by airship ? Share your views and read others ' thoughts in the Just Imagine forum . | Airship concept all-but abandoned after 1937 's Hindenburg disaster . New-style airships will be heavier-than-air and use helium , not hydrogen . Aeros hopes to have a prototype of its `` floating boardroom '' flying in 2010 . | [[1432, 1510], [5379, 5411]] |
RIVERDALE , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In his darkest moment , Kenneth Brown lost it all . His wife and kids , the housebroken dog , the vacation home on Cape Cod all vanished when he was sent to prison for an arson in 1996 . Kenneth Brown , a former inmate , learned to meditate during his nine years in prison . Trapped in his gloomy cell and serving a 20-year sentence that felt like an eternity , Brown , then 49 , found himself stretched out on the floor . He was silent . His eyes were shut . His body did not move . Brown , a man raised as a Baptist and taught to praise the Lord and fear the devil , was meditating . `` I try to focus on the space between two thoughts , because it prevents me from getting lost , '' said Brown , who discovered meditation , yoga and Buddhist teachings three months into his sentence . `` This helped me stay on track and get me through prison , '' he said . Eastern religions encompassing meditation techniques have captivated hippies , 20-somethings and celebrities like actor Richard Gere . But since the 1960s , the art of meditation also has found a growing number of unlikely followers behind prison bars . The inmates say meditation -- an ancient practice that develops mental awareness and fosters relaxation -- is teaching them how to cope in prison . `` Mostly , the people in Buddhist community are going into the prisons , providing programs , and word of mouth gets from one inmate to another , '' explained Gary Friedman , communications chairman for the American Correctional Chaplains Association . `` It 's a break from all the hustle and noise of the prison environment . '' There is no group tracking the number of inmates converting to Buddhism or engaging in meditation practices . But programs and workshops educating inmates about meditation and yoga are sprouting up across the country . Meditation can help the convicts find calmness in a prison culture ripe with violence and chaos . The practice provides them a chance to reflect on their crimes , wrestle through feelings of guilt and transform themselves during their rehabilitative journey , Buddhist experts say . In the past five years , books like the `` Prison Chaplaincy Guidelines for Zen Buddhism '' and `` Razor-Wire Dharma : A Buddhist Life in Prison '' have emerged . `` This is transformative justice , as opposed to punitive , '' said Fleet Maull , founder of the Prison Dharma Network , one of the largest support networks helping inmates learn meditation and Buddhist teachings . Since its inception in 1989 , Prison Dharma Network has grown from one person -- Maull -- teaching Buddhist principles to more than 75 member organizations corresponding with 2,500 individuals , many of them inmates . For the past seven years , Maull 's group has taught a weekly meditation class in Boulder County Jail in Colorado . Some inmates follow Zen Buddhism , a practice that originated in China , and meet weekly to focus their minds . Others practice Vipassana , a Buddhist practice founded in India , which consists of completing hundreds of hours of meditation in a short period of time . Buddhism has gained momentum in the United States over the past 25 years , becoming the third most popular religion in America behind Christianity and Judaism , according to the 2008 report from the the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life . About 1.7 million Americans call themselves Buddhists , and many of them are converts , the study said . According to the American Religious Identification Survey in 2008 , there were 1.2 million self-identified Buddhists . Some inmates , like Brown , may not label themselves official Buddhists , but they meditate , practice yoga and follow Buddhist principles on truth , responsibility and suffering . The practice of meditation seeped into the heart of the Bible Belt in 2002 . The Donaldson Correctional Facility , a maximum-security prison in Alabama , was notorious for violence . But a group of male inmates , including several murderers , completed a Vipassana meditation retreat that required more than 100 hours of meditation in 10 days . One inmate , who was featured in the 2007 documentary `` The Dhamma Brothers , '' said Vipassana was harder than the 8 1/2 years he had spent on death row . More than 120 men in Donaldson have gone through Vipassana at least once . Watch a clip of `` The Dhamma Brothers '' '' `` They do n't feel so close to exploding , '' said Jenny Phillips , director of the film . `` They are n't afraid to have conversations with people and to express themselves . They are n't always on edge . '' Critics , including some prison officials , doubt that meditation works . They worry that it may be a tactic to convince parole boards to lighten a sentence . In areas that are heavily Christian , some wardens are uncomfortable with introducing Eastern religions . Alabama prison authorities were initially skeptical about meditation but next year will designate an open dormitory for inmates going through Vipassana , said Ron Cavanaugh , director of treatment for the Alabama Department of Corrections . He said corrections officers have seen lower levels of violence among Donaldson inmates who meditate . In California , a state where the swollen prison population has resulted in dangerously overcrowded prisons , teaching conflict management is critical , said Anne Seisen Saunders , a Zen Buddhist instructor who was raised Christian . Her Prison Meditation Project , based near San Diego , began a decade ago in one prison yard . Today , the program has expanded to five prisons , with an average of 20 inmates participating in each location . Last week , the autumn sky transformed from a deep purple to light blue outside Kenneth Brown 's meager studio apartment . Inside , Brown sat on his bed , barefoot and deep in concentration , in front of a makeshift altar holding books a photo of the Buddha . Traces of incense billowed in the air . Brown , now 62 , resides in Georgia to be near his family . He says he was wrongfully convicted of arson . In 2005 , a Massachusetts appeals judge reduced his sentence from 20 years to nine . His body was motionless , his eyes closed and the palms of his hands facing upward . These days , Brown 's practice of mediation helps him tackle the challenges of being unemployed with a felony record . The college graduate has been rejected from jobs catching stray dogs and cleaning hotel rooms . But he 's got a lot to be thankful for : His daughters , his grandchildren -- and meditation , he said . `` I finally feel at peace . '' | Programs across the country educate inmates about meditation and yoga . Meditation has helped reduce violence in Alabama prison , official says . `` They do n't feel so close to exploding , '' documentary director says . Buddhism is third most popular religion in United States . | [[1748, 1852], [5103, 5190], [4390, 4428], [3117, 3125], [3192, 3275]] |
LAS VEGAS , Nevada -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The theater was packed as Garth Brooks shared stories about why he decided to officially step out of retirement after nine years . Garth Brooks played two secret concerts in Vegas earlier this summer . Now he 's signed on for an engagement . Camera crews and journalists filled the front section . Executives flanked the sides . And then smack dab in the middle of the audience was a row of chefs , enthusiastically applauding in their toques and kitchen whites . Yes , the media was buzzing about the much-anticipated announcement , but hotel employees at the Wynn Encore in Las Vegas were equally excited -- maybe even more so , because of the part they played in persuading the country music superstar to enter into a five-year weekend residency at the establishment beginning December 11 . This summer , as the media threw itself head-first into the death of Michael Jackson , the Oklahoma native quietly took the stage at the 1,500-seat Encore Theater in two hush-hush shows attended by hotel workers . One was an intimate acoustic performance ; the other a concert with his full band . He sang . He charmed . He won over staffers who never thought they 'd be caught dead tapping their toes to country music . And that , ladies and gentleman , exemplifies the uncanny ability of Garth Brooks to connect with human beings , and explains why he -- not Michael Jackson -- is the best-selling solo artist of all time in any genre . -LRB- You can look it up . -RRB- . `` I think my gift truly is I 'm an average guy . What I like , an average guy likes . It 's that simple . The music that I love , I find that most guys around me love , too , '' he told CNN in his dressing room after Thursday 's news conference in Las Vegas . There 's a big old-fashioned star on the door that says `` Garth Brooks . '' It suits him . Even though he 's pushed boundaries and rewritten rules in the music industry , he 's still an old-fashioned guy with old-fashioned values -- work hard , stay humble and family first . It 's the latter that led to his decision to hang up his mic and his Stetson in 2000 . `` We were retiring because I got ta get back to Oklahoma and raise my girls . Sandy and I were getting a divorce at the time , so I could n't expect her to do my job for me any longer , '' he said . `` We told the people that 's what I 'm going to do , and the people -- 99 percent of them -- said , ` Go . Go do what you got ta do . We 'll be here when you get back , ' and we 'll see if they are . '' Watch Brooks talk about new course '' Brooks ' three daughters -- Taylor , August and Allie -- are now 17 , 15 and 13 . When he retired , he famously stated that he wanted to be able to drive his kids to school every day . His new Friday-through-Sunday gig will allow him to keep his pledge of seeing them off to class until they head to college . Of course , the commute from his farm in Owasso , Oklahoma , to Vegas will be made a little faster with his new private jet -- an 11-seat Challenger , courtesy of Steve Wynn , the billionaire CEO of Wynn Hotels . `` I do n't know anything about jets , '' Brooks downplayed with a shrug . `` It 's got a cool interior , cool paint job , I do n't know . But it gets me here -LRB- to Vegas -RRB- , and it gets me home to see my girls . And so in that case , it 's fabulous . '' `` He 's been happy being at home , attending every soccer game and knowing what his kids like to eat for breakfast , '' said singer Trisha Yearwood , whom he married in 2005 . `` We both came from a family where our parents were there every single day , and so we do n't know any other way . '' On most weekends , Yearwood will be making the two-hour trip to Sin City -- and every now and again , she 'll make an appearance with her husband on stage . `` It 's a ` Beauty and the Beast ' thing , you know ? '' said Brooks . `` I can start a song in one octave and end it up in three keys , not knowing that I 've changed . She 's precision -- perfect with feeling -- and that 's impressive to anybody you bring out . '' From time to time , Brooks will bring out special guests , but for the most part , it 's a one-man show -- just him , an acoustic guitar and a bunch of great songs and intimate stories . And , of course , there 's the audience . `` As long as my gift is here , as long as I open my mouth and it works , '' he said , `` then I think my job is to keep doing it , you know ? '' | Garth Brooks coming out of retirement to play special Las Vegas engagement . Brooks describes himself as `` an average guy '' To go back and forth from Oklahoma to Vegas , he 's been given a jet . Wife Trisha Yearwood : She and Brooks like being at home for kids . | [[169, 239], [2895, 3006]] |
Baghdad , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Iraqi Olympic Committee said Saturday it stands by its decision to disband the country 's soccer association -- a move that led to the association 's suspension from international football . World governing body FIFA said Friday it had decided to suspend the Iraqi Football Association -LRB- IFA -RRB- because of the Iraqi Olympic Committee 's move to disband it . FIFA described that as governmental interference . The suspension means Iraqi soccer clubs and teams may not play in international matches or receive financial assistance , though FIFA made an exception for Iraqi female players to play in a weeklong under-16 regional football festival in Jordan starting Sunday . FIFA said it learned Monday that the Iraqi Olympic Committee had disbanded the IFA and that governmental security forces had seized control of the IFA headquarters . FIFA officials gave the committee 72 hours to revoke the decision and hand the headquarters back to the IFA . `` The deadline has expired without revocation of the decision by the Iraqi Olympic Committee and the IFA has not been restored to its headquarters , '' FIFA said in a statement Friday . `` The FIFA Emergency Committee has therefore decided to immediately suspend the IFA until the decision of the Iraqi Olympic Committee is revoked and the IFA retakes possession of its offices . '' The Iraqi Olympic Committee 's actions are in `` total contradiction '' to FIFA statutes , which require national teams to have full independence , FIFA said . Two top Iraqi officials said Saturday the decision to disband the IFA was based on financial and administrative irregularities and violations , and that they were not surprised by FIFA 's decision and had expected it . Samir al-Moussawi , a senior member of the Iraqi Olympic Committee , told CNN he was hopeful the issue could be resolved with FIFA in the coming days , and that the Olympic committee had international lawyers working on the issue . He denied , however , that government security forces had seized IFA headquarters , saying the men were protection services personnel guarding the building . Ali al-Dabbagh , the Iraqi government spokesman who has been delegated for months to deal with the International Olympic Committee , told CNN he will work on cooperating with FIFA 's demands and holding transparent IFA elections . He said the suspension `` will not have a major effect '' on Iraqi football because the national team has no international matches scheduled over the next six months . It is the second time FIFA has suspended Iraqi football . The first time was in May last year , after the Iraqi government dissolved the national Olympic committee and all national sports federations . FIFA lifted the ban after the Iraqi government excluded the IFA from dissolution . Iraqi soccer has come a long way since the days of Saddam Hussein , when Hussein 's son , Uday , was president of the Iraqi Olympic Committee and regularly threatened players with physical violence and torture if they played poorly . The national soccer team has continued playing , however , and has been viewed as something that has united Iraqis across sectarian lines . Although Iraq has not qualified for next year 's World Cup in South Africa , the national team was able to celebrate becoming the Asia champions in 2007 . In July , Iraq played its first home game since 2002 , beating its Palestinian opponents 4-0 . Tens of thousands attended the match in the capital after FIFA lifted its ban on international games in Iraq . CNN 's Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report . | Iraqi Olympic Committee stands by decision to disband Iraqi football association . FIFA banned Iraq from international competition following move . Iraq won Asian championship in 2007 but failed to reach next year 's World Cup . | [[0, 7], [10, 30], [62, 101], [102, 146], [351, 378], [387, 402], [150, 156], [162, 228], [229, 386], [475, 573], [3512, 3564], [3213, 3278]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iran will not send its partially enriched uranium abroad to be turned into material for medical research , its foreign minister said Wednesday , rejecting a key plank of a deal designed to ease international fears that Tehran aims to build nuclear weapons . Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Iran might allow its nuclear material to be reprocessed inside Iran , the semi-official ISNA news agency reported . The deal hammered out last month with the help of the United Nations ' nuclear watchdog agency aimed to reduce the amount of raw material Iran has to build a nuclear bomb . Tehran denies that it wants to do so , saying its nuclear program is to produce civilian nuclear energy and do medical work . The watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency said Wednesday that it could not confirm or deny that Iran had rejected any part of the proposal . U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said , `` This is the IAEA 's proposal , and Iran has to give their response to the IAEA , and that 's what we 're waiting for . That 's what the IAEA is waiting for . '' But , he said , `` until the IAEA gets the response and formally says this is ... Iran 's response , I do n't consider a statement to the press necessarily a response . '' On October 1 , the IAEA proposal `` was accepted in principle by all the parties including Iran , '' Kelly said . `` And there was also an agreement that each of the parties would provide a written response to the proposal . `` Russia , France and the United States have provided a written response , '' he said . `` We expect Iran to provide a written response . And we expect the IAEA to pronounce on that response . So we will wait for the IAEA to make a formal response to this . '' In a report published Monday , the IAEA expressed concerns about Iran 's nuclear program . The Islamic republic 's disclosure of a previously secret nuclear facility near Qom raised questions about the existence of other such facilities , and its delay in acknowledging the facility `` does not contribute to the building of confidence '' in Tehran , the IAEA said in the report . Tehran has not convinced the agency its nuclear program is n't military , said the report , published on the Institute for Science and International Security Web site . A source with direct knowledge of the report confirmed its authenticity to CNN . Tehran shocked the international community in September by revealing the existence of the nuclear enrichment facility . On Monday , Kelly said in a statement that the report `` underscores that Iran still refuses to comply fully with its international nuclear obligations . '' IAEA inspectors visited the newly revealed facility last month , according to the report . During a meeting in Tehran , Iranian officials told the inspectors that construction of the site had begun during late 2007 , the report said , and it would not be operational until 2011 . However , the IAEA inspectors told Iran that `` it had acquired commercially available satellite imagery of the site indicating that there had been construction at the site between 2002 and 2004 , and that construction activities were resumed in 2006 and had continued to date , '' the report said . IAEA member states also allege that design work on the facility , the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant , began in 2006 , the report said . Iranian officials told inspectors that the nation has no other undisclosed nuclear facilities either under construction or in operation , the report said , and promised that any future facilities would be disclosed . A letter sent this month asks Tehran to confirm that it has not decided to construct or authorized construction of any undisclosed facility , the report said . Iran remains bound by the terms of a 2003 agreement under which it must provide information to the IAEA regarding nuclear facilities as soon as the decision to build is made or construction is authorized . `` Even if , as stated by Iran , the decision to construct the new facility at the Fordow site was taken in the second half of 2007 , Iran 's failure to notify the agency of the new facility until September 2009 was inconsistent with its obligations , '' the IAEA said . U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said construction of the facility violates U.N. Security Council resolutions , Kelly said . `` Iran 's delay in submitting such information to the agency does not contribute to the building of confidence , '' the report said . `` While the agency has confirmed that the plant corresponds to the design information provided by Iran , Iran 's explanation about the purpose of the facility and the chronology of its design and construction requires further clarification . '' The agency is waiting for Iran 's reply to its request to meet officials in regard to those issues and others , according to the report . `` Further analysis of the information available to the agency underscores the importance of Iran engaging with the agency in a substantive and comprehensive manner , and providing the requested access , so that the remaining outstanding issues may be resolved . '' The agency encouraged IAEA member states who have provided it information on Iran to share that information with Tehran as well . CNN 's Laura Perez Maestro contributed to this report . | Iran says it wo n't send partially enriched uranium abroad for medical research . Proposal was key part of deal brokered by U.N. nuclear watchdog . U.S. says proposal `` was accepted in principle by all parties including Iran '' U.S. , EU nations concerned Iran intends to develop nuclear weapons . | [[19, 123], [1265, 1277], [1280, 1360], [1334, 1360], [1363, 1365], [189, 195], [205, 276]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- World No. 2 Novak Djokovic was on track to defend his Dubai Tennis Championship title when torrential rain , thunder and lightning halted play in Saturday 's final against Mikhail Youzhny . The Serbian led 7-5 2-0 when the heavens opened on the desert emirate and flooded the court , and after a long delay it was decided to resume play on Sunday afternoon . Top seed Djokovic won a topsy-turvy first set in 63 minutes as there were five breaks in serve overall , then rain forced a half-hour delay . He was 30-15 up in the third game against the Russian seventh seed when the weather intervened again , and umpire Mohamed Lahyani ruled that the court was too wet for further play . Workers tried to clear the water , but to no avail . Djokovic is seeking to avenge his semifinal defeat by Youzhny at the World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam a fortnight ago and claim his 17th ATP Tour title . Youzhny lost to Robin Soderling in the Dutch final after suffering a hamstring injury , leaving him with five career titles . Meanwhile , world No. 7 Elena Dementieva will face fellow Russian Alisa Kleybanova in Sunday 's final of the inaugural Malaysian Open as she seeks to win a third title this year . Top seed Dementieva defeated Austria 's Sybille Bammer 6-3 6-1 in her semifinal on Saturday , while Kleybanova beat Japan 's Ayumi Morita 6-4 6-1 . | Novak Djokovic leads Mikhail Youzhny 7-5 2-0 in Dubai Tennis Championship final . World No. 2 must wait until Sunday to complete successful defense of his title . Russian seventh seed Youzhny beat Serbian in Rotterdam semifinals two weeks ago . Elena Dementieva will face fellow Russian Alisa Kleybanova in Sunday 's Malaysian Open final . | [[209, 300], [307, 377], [755, 912], [1039, 1048], [1051, 1218]] |
Editor 's note : Watch `` The Situation Room '' at 5 p.m. ET Tuesday for more from CNN 's Brooke Baldwin about the dog rescue . Authorities raided a residence in Laurens County , Georgia , and found dogs scarred and malnourished . LAURENS COUNTY , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It was 8 a.m. October 15 . Our CNN crew had been up for a while , waiting . We still did n't have an address . My producer , Susan Brown , and I had several questions : What would the living conditions of these dogs be like ? What about the man whose door the Sheriff 's Office was about to knock on ? He was unaware of the raid that was about to occur in his backyard . Despite all of our planning , unknown variables were at play . First stop was the Sheriff 's Office in Laurens County , which is in central Georgia . Starting with information from a tip line , authorities had uncovered clues that led them to believe they needed to intervene and investigate . The plan was this : The sheriff would drive to the property to execute the search warrant for particular objects generally associated with dogfighting , and for the dogs themselves . Watch the dog raid unfold '' Expressing concerns about the conditions at this private residence where dogs were suspected of being bred for dogfighting , Laurens County Sheriff Bill Harrell said , `` If anything is going wrong , we want to get it stopped . '' Private investigators with Norred and Associates Inc. will work alongside Harrell and his deputies , leading tactical teams . The teams were made up of veteran investigators donating their time , effort and expertise , along with volunteers of the Dublin-Laurens County Humane Society , who would collect and care for the dogs . All of the team members had experience with animals , particularly pit bulls . Based on information from the tip line , they were starting the day prepared to find as many as 60 dogs chained up in the woods behind one man 's house in East Dublin , Georgia . These men and women waited , braced for battle -- only the war they were waging was on animal cruelty . `` I want to thank everybody for coming . It 's for a good thing . It 's for the dogs . '' Chuck Simmons , a private investigator and former police chief , was mapping out the search area on a dry erase board . He was warning his crew about snakes , water from recent rains and nonsocialized dogs . After loading up crates on several trucks , everyone headed out . With the address of the raid location in hand , our crew joined a convoy of half a dozen cars down several rural roads to our final location . We arrived at a one-story ranch house with several acres of grounds . The sheriff beat us there . He and his deputies were already roping off this man 's front yard with yellow crime tape . Rollin Monta `` Monty '' Loyd , the property owner , appeared furious . As the teams moved into the woods behind his home , our crew was stuck in front and across the street . We could not go on the property to get the shots we wanted , because that would be trespassing . We could n't see the dogs , but we could hear them . The private investigators , who were part of the raid , videotaped the operation . Half an hour into the raid , reports began to come in . The good news : The dogs were still there ; news of the raid had n't leaked . The bad news : There were n't 60 dogs , as anticipated ; there were more . The final count was 97 . Most of the dogs were pit bull terriers ; many were puppies . They were found cowering in cages or chained . Some older dogs were scarred -- possible signs of fighting , investigators said . Others were malnourished , simply skin and bone . Their conditions were atrocious , according to Terry Wolf of the Dublin-Laurens County Humane Society . `` Their chains are too short to reach shelter , those who have shelter . The water that they have seems to be recent rainwater with algae in it , and I 've seen no food bowls . Most of them are very timid , '' Wolf said . `` They seem to be human-friendly , but they 're attention starved , and they 're definitely not socialized . You can tell they 've been living hidden in the woods , out of sight . '' Irene Sumner , director of the Dublin-Laurens County Humane Society , talked through tears , overcome before the count had been completed . She told us about a puppy found dead and tossed aside into a used plastic bag . `` I would n't do that to anybody . How can they -- what do you need 80-plus dogs for ? There 's no reason for it . It would be totally different if it was a kennel situation where they were housed , fed , vetted , all of the above . We do n't know all of the information on that yet , but you can visually see that that 's not the case here , '' Sumner said . The Sheriff 's Office says no evidence of dogfighting or training was found on the property , but veterinarians will examine the dogs for any physical signs of fighting . Test results will take several days . As volunteers continued to count dogs and buzzards circled overhead , property owner Loyd waited out front with members of his family . He was angry . CNN tried to speak to him , to give him a chance to tell his side of the story . He did n't want to talk . Instead , he shouted to go see his lawyer . When reached , Loyd 's attorney said : `` My client has not participated in dogfighting and is not charged with dogfighting . '' Loyd was arrested and charged with animal cruelty . Neighbors and family members whom CNN spoke with came to his defense , saying Loyd loved the dogs and they were bred to be pets . The founder and CEO of the private investigation firm heading up this raid is n't buying it . Since the story broke about NFL player Michael Vick 's dogfighting ring , Greg Norred has been donating his firm 's time and expertise and his own money to rescuing dogs . `` I 'm an animal lover . I 've always been an animal lover . And in the wake of the Michael Vick case , I always thought there might be something I could do about animal cruelty , and with the type of business that I 'm in and the resources that I have , it seems like dogfighting is the best vehicle that I can use to do something about animal cruelty . '' In the past two years , Norred 's team has volunteered for at least 16 raids . They 've helped put 20 people behind bars and saved 200 dogs . Make that almost 300 after this most recent raid . Several hours into the raid , the first group of dogs was transported from the woods to an undisclosed location . A CNN crew was allowed to go but could shoot only from inside this building . Investigators feared that if there were any identifiable marks outside the property , someone might recognize it and steal the dogs . Authorities could n't take that chance . But they did allow video of some of the dogs from inside the cages . They had taken many puppies , which looked helpless . Volunteers feared one puppy would n't make it through the night . The next step for these dogs is to determine which ones are healthy enough to possibly be adopted . Some , sadly , wo n't share that fate . They 'll have to be put down . | The plan : Laurens County sheriff would execute search warrant on home . The claim : dogs at private residence allegedly bred to fight . Authorities find : Almost 100 dogs chained , some malnourished , others scarred . | [[128, 186], [1196, 1208], [1225, 1274], [128, 139], [193, 230], [3477, 3523], [3477, 3481], [3493, 3523], [3524, 3582], [3606, 3655]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- South Korean star Park Ji-sung has signed a two-year contract extension at English Premier League champions Manchester United . The 28-year-old Park has been handed a contract extension at Manchester United . The attacking midfielder is now tied to Old Trafford until 2012 as reward for his dogged displays for United since joining from PSV Eindhoven in 2005 . `` I am so pleased to have a new contract , '' Park told www.manutd.com . `` We have achieved great success over the last four years and won many trophies . '' Park has had to work hard to establish himself as a regular member of United 's starting line-up and was devastated to be left out of the squad for their 2008 Champions League final success against Chelsea . But last season he was a key figure as United completed a hat-trick of Premier League titles . Park also gained selection for the Champions League final against Barcelona , becoming the first player from Asia to play in the European club showpiece . His popularity in his home region is undoubted and United have been able to capitalize with two highly-profitable visits to the continent with Park a key draw . Park , who will be a driving force in South Korea 's World Cup challenge in South Africa next year , has played 127 times for United , scoring 12 goals . `` We are always pleased to secure the future of our star players and Ji-Sung has proved himself to be a fantastic professional as well as an important versatile player in our squad , '' said manager Alex Ferguson . Park has been rewarded with an improved deal worth a reported $ 5.9 million per year . | Park Ji-Sung given two-year extension to his contract at Manchester United . South Korea star was first player from Asia to play in Champions League final . Park has made 127 appearances for United since joining from PSV in 2005 . | [[0, 15], [44, 146], [147, 227], [1529, 1615], [843, 847], [921, 997], [228, 259], [265, 379], [228, 252], [256, 379], [1159, 1163], [1253, 1291]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Federal prosecutors said Friday that they will seek the death penalty for a 22-year-old man accused in the shooting death last year of Eve Carson , student body president at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill . Police said UNC student body President Eve Carson was taken from her home and killed . A grand jury indicted Demario James Atwater on October 27 on federal charges of carjacking resulting in death , carrying and using firearms in relation to carjacking , being a felon in possession of a firearm , and possessing a short-barreled shotgun not properly registered to him . He also faces state first-degree murder charges in Orange County , North Carolina , along with 18-year-old Lawrence Alvin Lovette . `` Both federal and state law violations are implicated in the tragic events of March 5 , 2008 , and we will vigorously prosecute the violations of federal law committed in connection with the death of Eve Marie Carson , '' said Anna Mills Wagoner , U.S. attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina , at the time of Atwater 's indictment . An autopsy report showed that Carson , an honors student , had multiple gunshot wounds when she was found lying on a Chapel Hill street . The autopsy report listed six gunshot wounds but said two of the wounds were probably from the same bullet . Court documents released in the North Carolina case said Carson was taken from her apartment and forced to provide her abductors with ATM access to her bank account before she was shot to death in the early hours of March 5 . Applications filed for search warrants said a confidential informant told police that Atwater said he and Lovette entered Carson 's home through an open door and forced her to accompany them in her car . The informant said she had talked with Atwater after a picture was shown on television of someone attempting to use Carson 's ATM card at a convenience store two days after her body was found . The informant said the two men drove Carson to an ATM , obtained her PIN from her and then shot her . The witness told police that Atwater said the two got about $ 1,400 from Carson 's account . Bank records show that was approximately the amount taken from the account over a two-day period , the documents said . Orange County District Attorney Jim Woodall has said he also will seek the death penalty against Atwater , according to the Raleigh News and Observer . Authorities can not seek the death penalty against Lovette because he was 17 at the time of the slaying , the newspaper said . Carson 's death shocked the community and drew national attention . An estimated 10,000 people turned out for a service in her honor . The Athens , Georgia , native was a pre-medicine student double-majoring in political science and biology . She was a recipient of the university 's prestigious Morehead Scholarship and a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society , according to UNC . | Feds will seek death penalty for 22-year-old Demario James Atwater . Feds can not seek death for Lawrence Alvin Lovette because of his age . Atwater and Lovette are accused of abducting Carson , shooting her . Carson was honor student , student body president at UNC-Chapel Hill . | [[19, 110], [93, 164], [2279, 2430], [2332, 2334], [2340, 2383], [2431, 2534], [93, 164], [243, 329], [255, 292], [321, 329], [1123, 1129], [1152, 1230], [1505, 1565], [1964, 1967], [2050, 2065], [243, 329], [255, 316], [255, 292], [321, 329], [1093, 1230]] |
Fort Hood , Texas -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Army investigators on Sunday asked troops and civilians for help in the probe of a deadly mass shooting at Fort Hood last week , saying some who fled the gunfire might have evidence . `` The Fort Hood office of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command is seeking any military or civilian personnel who may have left the scene ... with gunshot damage such as damaged privately owned vehicles , personnel clothing , etc. , '' investigators said in a written statement . `` CID is also seeking any military or civilian personnel who may have inadvertently left the scene of this incident with material that could be used as firearms residue related evidence such as shell casings inside the boot , etc. '' The statement said such objects would help Army investigators and the FBI `` in their bullet trajectory analysis of the scene , to insure the comprehensiveness of the ongoing investigation . '' Thirteen people -- a dozen soldiers and a civilian -- died Thursday in the shooting at the Fort Hood Army Post . Some 42 people were wounded , according to the post 's public information office . It was unclear how many of those suffered gunshot wounds . Among the wounded was Pvt. Joseph Foster , 21 , who was preparing for his January deployment to Afghanistan when he was hit in the hip during the attack . With his wife and 6-week-old daughter beside him , he told reporters gathered outside his home Sunday that it was difficult to accept such an attack on his own post . `` Not here at home -- but as we 've seen , anything is possible , '' Foster said . `` We are at war . '' As of Sunday , 16 gunshot victims remained hospitalized plus the suspect , Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan , spokesman Col. John Rossi told reporters . He did not say where all those hospitalized were being treated . Of the 16 , seven were in intensive care , he said . When Staff Sgt. Alvin Howard 's wife heard he was hurt at the post , her feelings were `` indescribable , '' she said Sunday . Kaneesha Howard told reporters her husband was set to deploy to Afghanistan in January . In 2003 , he was deployed to Iraq , she said . Daughters , Alanna , 9 , and Kristen , 7 , were shaken by the event . Alanna said of her younger sister : `` She started crying when we went to the hospital because she -LSB- had -RSB- never seen her dad bandaged up like that . '' Howard was shot in the shoulder and was recovering in the hospital , his family said . They were unsure when he would be released . Rossi said Hasan , a 39-year-old licensed Army psychiatrist who worked at a hospital on the post , is no longer on a ventilator , but remained in critical but stable condition and in intensive care at Brooke Army Medical Center . Authorities have not identified a motive in the attack at Fort Hood 's military processing center , where soldiers report before they head to war . Efforts to assist those affected by the incident , including family members of soldiers at the post , were ongoing , Rossi said . Fort Hood was awaiting the arrival of two specialists in child psychology and disaster management , he said . `` This is not just for those directly affected by this tragedy , '' Rossi said , noting that effects from trauma sometimes are not immediately apparent . However , he said , soldiers are trained to respond to violence by controlling and securing the scene . `` Their training kicks in , and that 's what we saw , '' Rossi said . `` The troubling part of it is it happened here in our own house . '' Army Criminal Investigation Command spokesman Chris Grey said Saturday that all evidence indicates that the suspect acted alone and there was no indication of `` friendly fire . '' The processing center has been moved to another location so its work can continue while investigators work at the crime scene , Rossi said Sunday . He told reporters he did not know Hasan 's schedule on the day of the shooting , but `` my understanding is that there was no purpose for him '' to be in the processing center . The remains of those killed are currently at Dover Air Force Base in Dover , Delaware , undergoing the same process as the remains of soldiers killed in Iraq or Afghanistan . `` These heroes are being treated the same way , '' Rossi said . Rossi said he had visited with Fort Hood Police Sgt. Kimberly Munley -- the civilian officer who confronted and disabled Hasan in a shootout -- and with an injured soldier . `` Truthfully , it was an honor just to be in their presence , '' he said . But , he said , `` I can not tell you how many times they reiterated to me that this is not about them . '' Munley has drawn national praise for her actions . Her husband has been brought in from Fort Bragg , North Carolina , to be with her , Rossi said . In a statement Saturday , Munley 's family said she had undergone a second surgery and was in good condition . The suspect 's brother , Eyad Hasan , released a statement Saturday saying the family was in a `` state of shock and disbelief over this dreadful news . '' He wrote , `` I 've known my brother Nidal to be a peaceful , loving and compassionate person who has shown great interest in the medical field and in helping others . He has never committed an act of violence and was always known to be a good , law-abiding citizen . '' Eyad Hasan said the family has faith in the legal system . An earlier statement from another family member said Hasan , a U.S.-born citizen of Palestinian descent , had been telling his family that he wanted to get out of the military but had been unsuccessful in doing so . Rossi said Saturday that Hasan had a late November deployment date to Afghanistan . It was to have been his first overseas deployment . The shooting , on the nation 's largest military base , sparked outrage . In his Saturday radio address , President Obama said it was `` an act of violence that would have been heartbreaking had it occurred any place in America . '' But , he said , `` it 's all the more heartbreaking and all the more despicable because of the place where it occurred and the patriots who were its victims . '' Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will attend a Tuesday memorial service for the victims . | NEW : Soldier wounded in Fort Hood attack : It 's difficult to believe this could happen . Obama : Massacre and response showed worst and best of human nature . Thirteen dead , 42 wounded , according to the Fort Hood 's public information office . Suspect and 17 others still hospitalized , spokesman says . | [[1407, 1514], [938, 953], [992, 1050], [1051, 1078], [1051, 1065], [1081, 1133], [1636, 1718]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Have you seen those ads being run by the debt-settlement outfits on bad late-night TV ? Their promise is always the same -- to reduce your credit card debt to just pennies on the dollar without making you file for bankruptcy ! Clark Howard says debt-settlement firms promise to help consumers lower their debts . Are they for real ? It turns out that promise is just an illusion . Most debt-settlement outfits require you to pay an upfront fee , plus a monthly retainer . Their strategy is to get you to stop paying on your bills . They typically have you take the money you would have paid toward monthly minimums and stash it in savings . The basic idea is to make the credit card companies so desperate that they 'll settle with you . This may end up being the end result , in some cases . However , along the way your credit suffers greatly . In fact , complaints about debt-settlement firms have increased dramatically in North Carolina , Florida and Oregon , according to The New York Times . Watch how Clark helped a caller pay off a massive debt '' Many people wonder why these companies even exist . That goes back to 2005 , when the bankruptcy laws changed in our nation . At that time , the giant banks that control the credit card portfolios stopped being cooperative with affiliates of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling -LRB- NFCC -RRB- , which helps consumers manage and eliminate their debt . The banks were cynically trying to force people into a position where they had no choice other than to pay up . That environment created an opportunity for the debt-settlement firms to pop up with their false promises that they alone knew how to defeat the banks . The irony here is that the banks have now agreed to work with the NFCC again . There 's an initiative known as `` Call to Action '' that is essentially a 60-month payment plan . Its aim is to help consumers who are struggling with credit card debt avoid bankruptcy . Under the Call to Action initiative , the 10 largest credit issuers have agreed to modify the terms and conditions of their repayment policies . That means they may waive late and over-the-limit fees , in addition to reducing interest rates . In industry terms , this kind of arrangement is known as a hardship debt-management plan . The goal here is to increase the chance that you 'll pay off your debt instead of bankrupting out of it . But you 've got to know that the lenders have not agreed to a reduction of your outstanding balance . Participating credit card issuers include American Express , Bank of America , Capital One , Chase Card Services , Citi , Discover Financial Services , GE Money , HSBC Card Services , U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo Card Services . Keep in mind that not everyone will be eligible to participate in Call to Action . Visit NFCC.org or call 800-388-2227 for more details to see if you qualify . | Most debt-settlement firms require you to pay an upfront fee , plus a monthly retainer . Complaints about these companies have increased in many states . `` Call to Action '' aims to help consumers with credit card debt avoid bankruptcy . | [[418, 508], [455, 480], [894, 999], [1801, 1853], [1900, 1907], [1911, 1988]] |
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When it comes to bagging the best jobs behind the camera , Hollywood A-lister Charlize Theron says that women have to make their own luck . Charlize Theron in `` The Burning Plain , '' which she both stars in and executive produces . Indeed , the 33 year-old 's career could be seen as a template for what women can achieve in the industry . As an actress , Theron is famous for roles in films as diverse as serial killer biopic `` Monster '' and Will Smith superhero movie `` Hancock , '' switching with apparent ease between small independent movies and big-budget blockbusters . Theron also represents a small minority of women who work behind the camera in Hollywood . During the 15 years she has worked in the U.S. film industry she has also produced four films . The latest is Guillermo Arriaga 's `` The Burning Plain , '' which she both stars in and executive produces . At a time when women are picking up increasingly varied roles in front of the camera , statistics show they are failing to make the same headway behind the scenes . Last year , women made up just 16 percent of all directors , producers , writers and cinematographers who worked on the 250 top grossing films in the U.S. But , says Theron , there is no point in complaining about the tough time women have getting work behind the scenes in the movies . Do you think breaking through through the glass ceiling is still an issue for women in Hollywood ?? `` I try not to kind of bitch and complain about what -LSB- women -RSB- do n't have , '' Theron told CNN . `` It 's a tricky thing because , I think , if you want to find that lynchpin , you can , in anything . `` I look at the work that I 've done and I feel incredibly proud that I 've had the chance and the opportunity to work on the material that I have . '' Originally born in South Africa , Theron is best-known for her harrowing depiction of prostitute turned serial killer Aileen Wuornos in `` Monster . '' `` Monster '' was also the first film Theron produced , taking a huge risk on a low-budget project with a script penned by a first-time director -- and with no previous experience of producing herself . Theron saw the film as an opportunity to move away from the lighter roles that are often thrown in the direction of a starlet with looks to spare . `` It 's what I 've been dying to do with my career , '' she told UK paper The Observer at the time . `` The work I 've been doing the last couple of years is not really what I wanted . If you 're not careful , you get typecast . I was getting stuck . '' She was awarded a Best Actress Oscar for her role in 2004 and `` Monster , '' which was made for just $ 8 million went on to gross over $ 60 million worldwide . It is unsurprising , then , that Theron 's attitude towards women in Hollywood is one of stand-up-and-be-counted . Although , she says that she will only produce films she feels she can bring something to . `` The things that I 've produced have been because I really feel like I can lend some kind of knowledge to making a certain film . `` When I meet a certain director and there 's a certain amount of chemistry and we see the same film , and we just kind of feel like we want to set out and make a film together , it just kind of happens . '' Like `` Monster '' -- and Theron 's other producing credits , Cuban rap documentary `` East of Havana , '' and indie drama `` Sleepwalking '' -- her latest film `` The Burning Plain '' is also by a first-time director . The difference this time is that Arriaga is already a well-established , Oscar-nominated Hollywood screenwriter . The Mexican filmmaker first came to prominence through his close relationship with fellow Mexican Alejandro González Iñárritu . Arriaga wrote the screenplays for `` Amores Perros , '' Oscar-nominated `` Babel '' and `` 21 Grams , '' all of which were directed by Iñárritu . Arriaga , famed for his nonlinear narrative style , also wrote the screenplay for `` The Burning Plain , '' a project of such personal resonance for the writer that it was a natural progression for him to also direct the film . Despite Theron 's success in bringing Arriaga 's vision to the big screen , Theron says she is not ready to move into producing bigger films yet . `` There 's no way that I , right now , could produce a massive blockbuster , '' Theron told CNN . `` I just do n't feel prepared for that . `` I would n't produce something where I did n't feel like I had the skill . '' However , Theron feels positive about not only her own position in Hollywood , but also that of her female peers in the industry , such as fellow Oscar winner Kate Winslet . `` I thought Kate Winslet did an amazing job . I do think that it 's in our hands to make sure we keep working with the right people who want to go and explore those themes and want to push the envelope and want to tell great female stories . '' | Theron says women must make their own success behind the camera . In her 15 years working in Hollywood , she has produced four films . She produced `` Monster , '' for which she was awarded a Best Actress Oscar . Theron on being a woman working in Hollywood : `` I try not to bitch and complain '' | [[36, 92], [95, 175], [709, 769], [709, 728], [770, 804], [2589, 2661], [1470, 1541]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Prosecutors asked Wednesday for a 25-year sentence for Argentina 's last dictator , who is on trial on charges that he violated human rights during his 17-month rule in the early 1980s . Former Gen. Reynaldo Benito Bignone is accused of torturing 56 people and depriving them of their liberty , as well as committing illegal searches . He ruled Argentina from June 1982 until the nation 's return to democracy in December 1983 . More than 100 people have testified at his trial since it started in November , the government 's Judicial Information Center said . The trial is expected to last until March . Also facing the same charges are former intelligence chief Fernando Ezequiel Verplaetsen and ex-military officials Santiago Omar Riveros , Eugenio Guanabens Perello , Carlos Alberto Tepedino and German A. Montenegro . Prosecutors also asked for 25-year sentences for Verplaetsen and Riveros and a 20-year incarceration for Tepedino , the Judicial Information Center said . They want sentences of 12 years for Perello and two years for Montenegro . The alleged crimes occurred at the secret Campo de Mayo torture center in Buenos Aires , court papers say . Campo de Mayo was the main torture center during the 1976-83 right-wing dictatorship . Few who were taken there walked out alive . Up to 30,000 students , labor leaders , intellectuals and leftists who ran afoul of the dictatorship because of their political views disappeared or were held in secret jails and torture centers during the eight-year `` Dirty War . '' Bignone , 82 , has been under house arrest . He faces two other trials : in the abduction and disappearance of doctors and nurses at the Hospital Posada and of two soldiers when he was head of the Military College . The three-judge panel in the current trial was scheduled to hear testimony Wednesday from two groups representing Argentineans who were victims of the Dirty War . Trial will resume February 25 with the first defense testimony , the Center for Judicial Information said . | Former Gen. Reynaldo Benito Bignone is accused of torturing 56 people . More than 100 people have testified at his trial . Trial is expected to last until March . | [[206, 354], [206, 241], [253, 275], [448, 525], [581, 624], [581, 590], [603, 624]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- He 's the other hero . After pulling child to safety , firefighter Jimmy Senk went back into burning building in case another was inside . Jimmy Senk is a Bronx , New York , firefighter who went inside a burning apartment with black smoke billowing out of the windows on Wednesday , pulled out a 4-year-old boy and handed him to a bystander . `` I 'm just glad he 's alive , you know ? '' Senk told CNN . The boy has since been released from the hospital . The bystander , shopkeeper Horia Cretan , climbed four floors up a fire escape to try to help the boy before firefighters arrived . Cretan could n't reach the youngster . But when firefighter Senk and his fellow battle blazers arrived on the scene , they sprung into action . Senk could n't use the fire escape . Too many apartment residents were using it to get out . `` When I looked up , '' Senk said , `` I could see the boy 's arm sticking out the window . '' But the window was blocked by a bunk bed . Senk could n't fit through the window . One of Senk 's fellow firefighters put him on a ladder and got him to a different window . But then the boy did something unexpected . He disappeared into the black smoke back inside his bedroom . `` What am I gon na do now ? '' Senk recalled . `` I masked up and went in . '' Senk says there was intense heat . The smoke was so thick that he could n't see a thing . He felt around for the boy with his hands . Senk found him near a doorway . In video that 's been aired repeatedly on local , national , and international TV , Senk is seen leaning out the window and handing the boy to Cretan . Senk says he knew the boy was n't in good shape . `` He was unconscious . The body was limp . He was foaming at the mouth . '' `` I did n't think he was going to make it , '' Senk added . Watch Senk talk about the rescue with CNN 's Susan Candiotti '' He says he yelled to his team to get some oxygen . Then , thanks to the helping hand from Cretan , he went right back in . Senk said he had to . He remembered seeing that bunk bed . `` You see bunk beds ; you got ta figure there 's two kids in there , right ? '' Meantime , Cretan said he was holding the boy . `` He was lifeless . I cleaned up his mouth and his nostrils , ' said Cretan . He pushed on his chest and he says the boy opened his eyes . ` Once he did that , I was happy , '' said Cretan . Then , he carried the boy downstairs and into the waiting hands of firefighters . Senk did n't find anyone else inside the bedroom . When he eventually made it to the ground , his team patted him on the back . `` I said , ' I just hope that kid lived . And he -LSB- another firefighter -RSB- goes , ` He lived . ' He was talking before he left , ' '' said Senk . `` It was just incredible . I could n't believe it because he was completely unconscious . '' Cretan has been congratulated on several TV shows for his efforts , but he acknowledged the role firefighters played . `` Trust me . Firefighters are heroes , '' Cretan said . Senk says such rescues are a team effort . `` It 's the greatest job in the world . You get to save lives every day , '' he said . | Horia Cretan became a hero for carrying boy from burning building . The other hero is firefighter Jimmy Senk , who went into the building . Senk saw boy disappear back into the smoke , so `` I masked up and went in '' `` I did n't think he was going to make it , '' Senk said . | [[51, 80], [83, 140], [83, 105], [116, 145], [51, 80], [83, 140], [1168, 1229], [1281, 1292], [1281, 1282], [1297, 1306], [1259, 1277], [1758, 1797]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For the fourth year in a row , Iraqis top a growing roster of people seeking asylum in an industrialized nation . They are just ahead of people fleeing wars in Afghanistan and Somalia , said a report published by the U.N. refugee agency Wednesday . Iraqi refugees leave the plane after arriving at the airport in Hanover , northern Germany , on March 19 , 2009 . The refugee agency said 13,200 Iraqis applied for asylum . An additional 12,000 claims were from Afghans and 11,000 from Somalis . In all , the United Nations said 185,000 people filed for asylum in the first six months of 2009 , a 10 percent increase over last year . Those people were fleeing homelands that also included China , Serbia -LRB- including Kosovo -RRB- , Russia , Nigeria , Mexico , Zimbabwe , Pakistan and Sri Lanka . The United States received the most asylum applications -- 23,700 , or 13 percent -- while 38 European nations received 75 percent of the applications . `` These statistics show that ongoing violence and instability in some parts of the world force increasing numbers of people to flee and seek protection in safe countries , '' said Antonio Guterres , the U.N. high commissioner for refugees . `` There is an acute need for countries to keep their asylum doors wide open to those who are in genuine need of international protection , '' he said . | For fourth year , Iraqis top list of people seeking asylum in an industrialized nation . They are just ahead of people fleeing wars in Afghanistan and Somalia . The U.N. refugee agency said 13,200 Iraqis applied for asylum . 185,000 people applied in first half of 2009 , a 10 percent increase over last year . | [[59, 96], [90, 141], [142, 211], [391, 449], [415, 449], [522, 528], [531, 618]] |
Tehran , Iran -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- International officials arrived in Iran on Sunday to inspect a newly disclosed nuclear facility near the city of Qom , state media reported . Inspectors from the United Nations ' nuclear watchdog -- the International Atomic Energy Agency -LRB- IAEA -RRB- -- will visit the installation to make sure it is being used for peaceful purposes , said Ali Akbar Salehi , the head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran , according to the Islamic Republic News Agency . The three-day visit comes after Iran said Friday that it needs more time to decide whether to sign onto a deal that could help end the international showdown over its nuclear activities . That proposal calls for low-enriched uranium produced in Iran to be sent abroad for further enrichment and then returned for use in medical research and treatment . Tehran is studying the draft proposal and will have an answer next week , Iranian diplomat Ali Asghar Soltanieh said on state-run Press TV . Iran informed IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei that it is `` considering the proposal in depth and in a favorable light , but it needs until the middle of next week to provide a response , '' according to an IAEA statement . Delegations from Iran , France , Russia , the United States and the IAEA met in Vienna this week to work out details of the tentative deal reached in early October . And France , Russia and the United States indicated their approval of the arrangement . `` The Director General hopes that Iran 's response will equally be positive , since approval of this agreement will signal a new era of cooperation , '' the IAEA statement said . Tehran sent shock waves through the international community by revealing in a letter to the IAEA the existence of a second nuclear enrichment facility near Qom . `` It is important for us to send out inspectors to do comprehensive verification ... to assure ourselves that it is ... fit for peaceful purposes , '' ElBaradei said earlier this month . After the inspection , but before the end of the month , Iranian officials are expected to meet with the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- Britain , China , France , Russia and the United States -- plus Germany to further discuss Tehran 's nuclear program . Iran 's leaders maintain that their nation 's nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes , but many in the West believe Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities . Low-enriched nuclear fuel can be further enriched into weapons-grade material . | NEW : Visit comes after Iran says it needs more time to mull deal over uranium production . Tehran has revealed the existence of a second nuclear enrichment facility . Iran says its nuclear program is intended solely for peaceful purposes . Many in the West believe Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities . | [[494, 547], [526, 566], [548, 604], [2283, 2385], [2417, 2464]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Gov. Bob McDonnell of Virginia delivered the Republican response to President Obama 's State of the Union address on Wednesday night . Here is a transcript of the speech . McDonnell : Thank you very much . Thank you . Good evening . I 'm Bob McDonnell . Eleven days ago , I was honored to be sworn in as the 71st governor of Virginia . I 'm standing in the historic House Chamber of Virginia 's Capitol , a building designed by Virginia 's second governor , Thomas Jefferson . It 's not easy to follow the president of the United States . And my 18-year-old twin boys have added pressure to me tonight by giving me exactly 10 minutes to finish before they leave to go watch `` SportsCenter . '' -LRB- LAUGHTER -RRB- . I 'm joined by fellow Virginians to share a Republican perspective on how to best address the challenges facing our nation today . We were encouraged to hear President Obama speak this evening about the need to create jobs . All Americans should have the opportunity to find and keep meaningful work , and the dignity that comes with it . -LRB- APPLAUSE -RRB- . Many -- many of us here tonight -- and many of you watching -- have family or friends who have lost their jobs . In fact , 1 in 10 Americans is unemployed . That is unacceptable . Here in Virginia , we 've faced our highest unemployment rate in more than 25 years , and bringing new jobs and more opportunities to our citizens is the top priority of my administration . Good government policy should spur economic growth and strengthen the private sector 's ability to create new jobs . -LRB- APPLAUSE -RRB- . We must enact policies that promote entrepreneurship and innovation so America can better compete with the world . What government should not do is pile on more taxation , regulation and litigation that kill jobs and hurt the middle class . It was Thomas Jefferson who called for `` a wise and frugal government which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned . '' He was right . Today , the federal government is simply trying to do too much . Last year , we were told that massive new federal spending would create more jobs immediately and hold unemployment below 8 percent . In the past year , more than 3 million people have lost their jobs , and yet the Democratic Congress continues deficit spending , adding to the bureaucracy , and increasing the national debt on our children and our grandchildren . The amount of debt is on pace to double in five years and triple in 10 . The federal debt is now over $ 100,000 per household . This is simply unsustainable . The president 's partial freeze announced tonight on discretionary spending is a laudable step , but a small one . The circumstances of our time demand that we reconsider and restore the proper limited role of government at every level . -LRB- APPLAUSE -RRB- . Without reform , the excessive growth of government threatens our very liberty and our prosperity . In recent months , the American people have made clear that they want government leaders to listen and then act on the issues most important to them . We want results , not rhetoric . We want cooperation , not partisanship . -LRB- APPLAUSE -RRB- . There is much common ground . All Americans agree that we need health -- health care system that is affordable , accessible , and high quality . But most Americans do not want to turn over the best medical care system in the world to the federal government . Republicans in Congress have offered legislation to reform health care , without shifting Medicaid costs to the states , without cutting Medicare , and without raising your taxes . And we will do that by implementing common sense reforms , like letting families and businesses buy health insurance policies across state lines and ending frivolous lawsuits against doctors and hospitals that drive up the cost of your health care . And our solutions are n't 1,000-page bills that no one has fully read , after being crafted behind closed doors with special interests . In fact , many of our proposals are available online at solutions.gop.gov , and we welcome your ideas on Facebook and Twitter . -LRB- LAUGHTER -RRB- . All Americans agree that this nation must become more energy independent and secure . We are blessed here in America with vast natural resources , and we must use them all . Advances in technology can unleash more natural gas , nuclear , wind , coal , alternative energy that will lower your utility bills . Here in Virginia , we have the opportunity to become the first state on the East Coast to explore for and produce oil and natural gas off-shore . -LRB- APPLAUSE -RRB- . But this administration 's policies are delaying off-shore production , hindering nuclear energy expansion , and seeking to impose job-killing cap-and-trade energy taxes . Now is the time to adopt innovative energy policies that create jobs and lower energy prices . -LRB- APPLAUSE -RRB- . All Americans agree that a young person needs a world-class education to compete in the global economy . As a young kid , my dad told me , `` Son , if you want a good job , you need a good education . '' Dad was right , and that 's even more true today . The president and I agree on expanding the number of high-quality charter schools and rewarding teachers for excellent performance . More school choices for parents and students mean more accountability and greater achievement . A child 's educational opportunity should be determined by her intellect and work ethic , not by her ZIP Code . -LRB- APPLAUSE -RRB- . All Americans agree that we must maintain a strong national defense . The courage and success of our armed forces is allowing us to draw down troop levels in Iraq as that government is increasingly able to step up . My oldest daughter , Jeanine , was an Army platoon leader in Iraq , so I am personally grateful for the service and sacrifice of all our men and women in uniform , and a grateful nation thanks them . -LRB- APPLAUSE -RRB- . We applaud President Obama 's decision to deploy 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan . We agree that victory there is imperative for national security . But we have serious concerns over the recent steps the administration has taken regarding suspected terrorists . Americans were shocked on Christmas Day to learn of the attempted bombing of a flight to Detroit . This foreign terror suspect was given the same legal rights as a U.S. citizen and immediately stopped providing critical intelligence . As Sen.-elect Scott Brown has said , we should be spending taxpayer dollars to defeat terrorists , not to protect them . -LRB- APPLAUSE -RRB- . Here at home , government must help foster a society in which all our people can use their God-given talents and liberty to pursue the great American dream . Republicans know that government can not guarantee individual outcomes , but we strongly believe that it must guarantee equality of opportunity for all . That opportunity exists best in a democracy which promotes free enterprise , economic growth , strong families , and individual achievement . Many Americans are concerned about this administration 's effort to exert greater control over car companies , banks , energy , and health care , but over-regulating employers wo n't create more employment , overtaxing investors wo n't foster more investment . Top-down , one-size-fits-all decision-making should not replace the personal choices of free people in a free market , nor undermine the proper role of state and local governments in our system of federalism . As our founders clearly stated , and we governors clearly understand , government closest to the people governs best . -LRB- APPLAUSE -RRB- . And no government program can ever replace the actions of caring Americans freely choosing to help one another . The scriptures say , `` To whom much is given , much will be required . '' As the most generous and prosperous nation on Earth , it is heartwarming to see Americans giving much time and money to the people of Haiti . Thank you for your ongoing compassion . -LRB- APPLAUSE -RRB- . Some people say they 're afraid that America is no longer the great land of promise that she has always been . They should not be . America will always blaze the trail of opportunity and prosperity . America will -- must always be a land where liberty and property are valued and respected and innocent human life is protected . Government should have this clear goal : Where opportunity is absent , we must create it . Where opportunity is limited , we must expand it . Where opportunity is unequal , we must make it open to everyone . -LRB- APPLAUSE -RRB- . Our founders pledged their lives , their fortunes , and their sacred honor to create this great nation . Now we should pledge as Democrats , Republicans and independents -- Americans all -- to work together to leave this nation an ever better place than we found it . God bless you , and God bless this great land of America . Thank you very much . | Gov. Bob McDonnell of Virginia responds to State of the Union speech . Americans do n't want to turn health care over to government , he says . McDonnell : GOP has serious concerns about Obama 's terrorist policy . | [[0, 15], [50, 124], [3425, 3534], [6234, 6280]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The same day a cease-fire agreement was to go into effect , a high-ranking Yemeni official accused rebels of trying to assassinate him . Deputy Interior Minister Gen. Mohammed Bin Abdullah al-Qawsi told Almotamar , the newspaper of the ruling party , Friday that `` his car came under intensive fire shots in an attempt to assassinate him . '' He added that he was in the northwestern city of Saada to inspect security forces and accused Houthi rebels of carrying out the attack , according to the state-run Saba News Agency . Also in Saada Friday , troops and rebels exchanged fire , killing one and injuring others , Saba reported . The rebels did not immediately respond to the reports , which followed the announcement of an end to a six-year battle between the government and Shiite Muslim Houthi rebels . Despite the reports of violence , the truce deal was still intact , said a Yemeni government official who is not authorized to speak to the media . A `` few skirmishes '' occurred , including an attack on a security official 's motorcade , he said . He would not say whether that official was al-Qawsi . Such violence is common in the early stages of peace deals , he said . `` There are many reasons why this happened , and they were expected , '' the source said . `` One , some of the militia fighters have not been informed yet that the truce was executed . Two , there were revenge killings -- some of the Houthi tribesmen carried out attacks against government forces . These could be considered tribal revenge killings . '' The government agreed to end all military operations against the Houthis beginning midnight Friday , an apparent end to violence that even tumbled into Saudi Arabia . Houthi rebel leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi earlier signed off on the cease-fire and took to his Web site to order his followers to respect the agreement . The cease-fire conditions include clearing mines , not interfering with elected local officials , releasing civilians and military personnel , abiding by Yemeni law , returning looted items , and ending attacks within the country 's northern neighbor , Saudi Arabia . The Yemeni government official said rebels were expected to free seven captured Saudi soldiers Saturday . The revolt by the Houthis in northern Yemen began in 2004 . The conflict is believed to be both separatist -- over who will have power in the area -- and sectarian -- whether Shiite Islam will dominate , even though the majority of Yemenis are Sunni . The rebels are supporters of slain Shiite cleric Hussein al-Houthi . CNN 's Mohammed Jamjoom contributed to this report . | NEW : Truce deal still intact , a Yemeni government official says . NEW : Official cites revenge , truce info not yet reaching militia fighters as reasons . Yemeni Interior official tells newspaper that Houthi rebels fired on his car . Troops and rebels exchange fire , killing one , state-run media reported . | [[864, 895], [864, 878], [898, 977], [1306, 1391], [79, 155], [156, 231], [285, 338], [363, 536], [377, 497], [363, 365], [377, 379], [449, 497], [978, 1000], [1012, 1067], [500, 545], [569, 586], [604, 635], [551, 601], [638, 653]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pakistan cricket is embroiled in a new controversy after the national team were accused of deliberately losing two games at the Champions Trophy by a government official . Younis Khan 's future as Pakistan captain is in doubt following accusations of match-fixing . The chairman of the National Assembly 's standing committee on sports claimed in a television interview that Pakistan lost to Australia to knock traditional rivals India out of the limited-overs tournament in South Africa . Australia won by two wickets by running a bye on the final ball of the closing Group A tie on September 30 , which ensured they reached the semifinals and ended India 's hopes . Captain Younis Khan then dropped a simple catch as his side lost to New Zealand by five wickets in Saturday 's semifinal . `` We went with a pre-determined mind to lose the match against Australia , '' Jamshed Ahmed Dasti told Pakistan TV channel Geo TV on Tuesday . `` Our intention was to keep India out . It was a deliberate decision to lose the match against India . '' Dasti said that the team also intentionally lost the match to New Zealand , who were beaten in Monday 's final by defending champions Australia . `` That 's why the NA Standing Committee on Sports has called in captain Younis Khan , coach Intikhab Alam and -LSB- Pakistan Cricket Board -RSB- chairman Ijaz Butt for investigations , '' he said . One report in Pakistan claimed that Younis and Intikhab had already been sacked by the PCB , but others said that Pakistan cricket 's ruling body was happy with the team 's performance . `` The team played well and tried hard . It is unfortunate they could n't qualify for the final , which every player wanted to do , but they had one bad day against New Zealand , '' PCB spokesman Nadeem Sarwar told the Express Cricket Web site . `` As far as we are concerned , the team did well in the Champions Trophy and their performance was satisfactory . '' Former captain Rashid Latif criticized Dasti for making serious allegations without backing them up with proof . `` I was one of those who first raised the issue of match fixing in international cricket , so I know what I am talking about . I can say the team did its best and played hard in the tournament -- a few mistakes cost them a place in the final , '' Latif told Express Cricket . `` I think parliamentarians should first look at the corruption in the government before talking about cricket . It is unfortunate that when the team needs backing , a parliamentarian should make such allegations . '' The accusations are another blow for Pakistan 's cricketing fortunes . The sub-continent nation lost the rights to host the Champions Trophy due to security issues -- it was postponed last year and switched to South Africa -- and was then ruled out of staging the 2011 World Cup . Earlier this year , veteran fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar missed the Twenty20 World Cup after needing treatment for genital warts . Akhtar , once Pakistan 's most feared weapon , has constantly clashed with the PCB , which banned him for hitting a teammate with a bat in 2007 and threatened him with court action following a public feud which ended with a five-year suspension that he successfully appealed . The PCB also punished him for testing positive for the performance-enhancing drug nandrolone in 2006 , while fellow fast bowler Mohammad Asif was arrested in Dubai for possession of illegal drugs last year . | Pakistan 's cricket team has been accused of deliberately losing two games . Government official alleges Pakistan lost to Australia to knock out rivals India . Pakistan progressed to Champions Trophy semifinals after last-ball defeat . Jamshed Ahmed Dasti also claims Pakistan lost semi to NZ on purpose . | [[19, 93], [70, 163], [1002, 1057], [1061, 1134], [394, 508], [1061, 1134]] |
Tottenham Hotspur humiliated Wigan 9-1 with England striker Jermain Defoe scoring five to move into the Champions League spots in the English Premier League . The incredible rout sees them draw level on points with North London rivals Arsenal and into fourth place ahead of Aston Villa , who they visit next weekend . Defoe 's five equaled a Premier League record and , along with Manchester United 's 9-0 thrashing of Ipswich Town in the 1994/95 season , it is the most goals scored by a Premier League side in a single game . The highest tally recorded by a team in English football league history is 13 . Fellow England striker Peter Crouch scored the only goal in the first half before the floodgates opened , Defoe grabbing his first two before Wigan 's Paul Scharner replied with what looked a handball . Defoe completed his hat-trick only a minute later on the 58th before Aaron Lennon made it 5-1 , with Defoe then adding his fourth . A final blitz from Tottenham gave Defoe his fifth , with David Bentley 's deflected effort off Chris Kirkland and Niko Kranjcar completing the rout with double figures looking on the cards when the referee ended the misery for the visitors . Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp said Defoe , who was returning after a suspension , was a `` fantastic talent '' and paid tribute to his side 's eight-goal salvo after the break . `` We came out in the second half fantastic , pressed them worked them and took the opportunities , '' he told Sky Sports News . In other English Premier League action on Sunday , Blackburn Rovers beat Bolton Wanderers 2-0 away to climb up to 11th in the table . Without manager Sam Allardyce who is to undergo a heart operation , Blackburn went in front through a David Dunn curled effort before a mix-up with his goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen saw Bolton 's Sam Ricketts head into his own net . In the late kickoff , Portmouth stayed bottom after losing 1-0 at Stoke , who grabbed a 74th minute winner through Ricardo Fuller after great work by winger Matthew Etherington . Pompey , who lost England goalkeeper David James to injury in the warm up , missed an eighth-minute penalty through Kevin-Prince Boateng and had chances to secure at least a point at the Britannia Stadium . | Tottenham Hotspur beat Wigan Athletic 9-1 to go back into the Champions League places . Jermain Defoe scored five goals , with Peter Crouch , Aaron Lennon , David Bently and Niko Krancjar also scoring . Defoe and Tottenham 's goal feats equal Premier League records . Blackburn Rovers and Stoke secure wins over Bolton and Portsmouth . | [[0, 73], [0, 73], [44, 158], [1057, 1090], [318, 363], [1495, 1543], [1546, 1584], [1589, 1628]] |
NEW DELHI , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The father of a baby born with his heart protruding from his chest has told CNN about the 1100 km train journey he made to save his son 's life . Chander Majhi 's son was born with his heart outside his chest and faces complex surgery . Chander Majhi , 24 , became a father last week but he had to leave his wife behind in hospital and make a train journey from a remote region along India 's border with Nepal to the capital New Delhi . His son was born with his heart protruding from his chest , an extremely rare condition called ectopia cordis , which only affects five to eight cases in one million live births . The parents did not know about the defect until the child was born on August 25 at a government facility in Majhi 's home state of Bihar in eastern India . `` We did n't go for any -LRB- pre-natal -RRB- tests , '' Majhi told CNN . Doctors at the government facility referred him and the baby to New Delhi 's All India Institute of Medical Sciences -LRB- AIIMS -RRB- . Professor of cardiothoracic surgery at AIIMS , A.K. Bisoi , told CNN the baby was admitted to the hospital with dehydration and a severe infection which he probably suffered because of the arduous train journey . Doctors were surprised that the child had been able to survive despite so many complexities , he said . Doctors at the state-run AIIMS are now planning a complex surgery on Thursday for the boy , referred in their records as `` baby of Vibha , '' his mother . His heart has been covered with a synthetic membrane and infected blood fully replaced from his body , said A.K. Bisoi , professor of cardiothoracic surgery at AIIMS . Surgeons may now plan a total circulatory arrest procedure that will also involve creating a home for the heart in the chest , said Bisoi . The baby , who suffers from immunodeficiency , will be put in a state where his blood will be cooled down to 18 degrees -LRB- 64 Fahrenheit -RRB- for a half-an-hour stage of the operation , he explained . `` We could carry it out in one go , if the child is able to tolerate . If not , we will do it in stages , '' he said . `` We are working with hope , '' Bisoi remarked when asked about chances of success . And it was the same hope that drove Majhi to Delhi . `` That is why I am here . There 's hope . My child is a fighter , '' he said . In 2006 , doctors in the U.S. state of Florida carried out a similar operation on Naseem Hasni who was born with his heart outside his chest . The operation was carried out immediately after Naseem was born by caesarean section at a Florida hospital . Doctors wrapped his heart in Gore-Tex , a waterproof , breathable fabric used in outdoor clothing and medical applications . His heart was then wrapped in a layer of his own skin , to substitute for his missing pericardium , the sac that encloses the heart . The heart was then slowly eased inside . | NEW : Father speaks about 1100 km train journey to save his son . Newborn baby with heart protruding from his chest faces complex surgery Thursday . The baby has severe infection and hole in his heart . Doctors in New Delhi say only five to eight cases of this kind in one million live births . | [[0, 33], [94, 140], [149, 182], [51, 88], [68, 103], [183, 273], [183, 203], [250, 273], [475, 532], [1340, 1429], [2427, 2442], [2447, 2490], [51, 88], [475, 532], [1023, 1067], [1083, 1169], [1151, 1169], [1188, 1235], [570, 584], [598, 654]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- News that U.S. President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize has been as polarizing as his embattled healthcare reform plans . After Obama 's win , Spanish newspaper El Pais published a cartoon showing the president as a black peace dove . Minutes after the news broke , social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook were flooded with comments . Half of the trending topics on microblogging site Twitter were about the prize and the U.S. President . Opinion was largely divided on Twitter between those who think Obama is a worthy recipient -- and those who question how he won the prize after just eight months in office . Watch Internet reaction to news '' Numerous tweeters said President Obama should refuse the prize . One , jester from London , UK , wrote : `` I think he should give it back until he has achieved real world peace . '' A sentiment shared by mzaher from Utrecht , who said : `` Dear Obama . You have my support , love and respect , I just do n't think you deserve a Nobel Prize yet . If I were you , I would give it back . '' However for Antwanp tweeting from Nacogdoches , USA , the news was `` a great day for the United States , '' while kmariiezy called it a `` beautiful thing . '' `` Wooow !! Obama wins the Nobel peaceprize . Think it 's kind of early , but he is a symbol for hope , so ... Congratulations !! '' was gier008 from Norway 's opinion . Aaronmagner from Australia wrote : `` Filled with happiness and hope by Obama 's Nobel peace prize . '' DAPdave from Holly Springs , North Carolina , sounded a note of caution with his tweet saying : `` I hope Obama proves to us all that he deserves this Nobel Peace Prize . '' Equally vocal were those who did not think the U.S. President deserved the accolade , the first awarded to a White House incumbent in 90 years . iReport.com : Share your reaction to Obama 's win . Ahlheid from Germany wrote : `` Ridiculous ! Barack Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize . I am wondering what for ? Replacing Bush ? So far he has accomplished virtually nothing ! '' While Michael Lipkin in Tehran , Iran , wrote : `` If Obama deserves the Noble Peace Prize then so does every Miss America contestant who babbles about world peace . '' Boston-based Marcela_Elisa wrote : `` Can someone explain ? I thought award was for accomplishments , not intentions . '' Others like Mohammed , from Johannesburg , South Africa , point to the irony of awarding the peace prize to someone who is presiding over two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan . He wrote : `` So Barack Obama wins Nobel prize for literature for his books and not peace - cos last I heard Afghanistan is still a war zone . '' While Poipoi91 , from Paris , wondered if `` they could n't find anyone else for the title . '' Some users , such as nurdfighter joked that the prize is `` a pathetic way of getting Obama to visit Norway . '' Meanwhile kzamri writing from Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia , said : `` How can Obama get the Nobel Peace Prize hours before the U.S. is supposed to bomb the Moon ?! '' in reference to NASA 's attempt to crash a probe into the lunar surface a few hours after Obama 's win . Spain 's leading newspaper El Pais published a cartoon by political cartoonist Forges depicting President Obama as a black peace dove holding an olive branch . | Twitter , Facebook users react to Obama 's Peace Prize win . Opinion largely divided but most wonder if it prize came too soon . Others state they believe the President does not deserve the award . News of the award was half of all trending topics on microblogging site Twitter . | [[29, 82], [262, 290], [293, 374], [1831, 1842], [1845, 1882], [1928, 1965], [479, 531], [1284, 1309], [1686, 1769], [403, 424], [375, 478]] |
Jerusalem -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Israeli government ministers Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a temporary freeze on settlement construction in the West Bank in an effort to restart peace talks with the Palestinians . The Security Cabinet voted 11-2 in favor of the measure which calls for a 10-month freeze on new building permits and the construction of new residential buildings in the West Bank . Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it `` a very big step toward peace '' and said he hoped the Palestinians would `` take full advantage '' of the opportunity to restart talks during the 10-month window . `` I hope the Palestinians and the Arab world will work with us to forge a new beginning ... for our children and for theirs , '' he said . In Washington , the top U.S. envoy for the region , George Mitchell , said he hoped to use the time to begin negotiations on permanent status issues , which include security for Israelis and Palestinians , borders , refugees and the status of Jerusalem . `` My personal and fervent wish is that we will , during this process at some point , have a resolution of borders so there will no longer be any question about settlement construction , '' Mitchell told reporters . `` It falls short of a full settlement freeze , but it is more than any Israeli government has done before , and can help move toward agreement between the parties , '' Mitchell told a briefing at the State Department . He said he plans to return soon to the region . Mitchell shrugged off a suggestion he might be discouraged after more than 10 months of failing to relaunch peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians . `` You ca n't take as final the first ` no , ' the second ` no ' or even the hundredth ` no , ' '' said Mitchell , who helped negotiate a peace agreement in Northern Ireland and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom . `` You ca n't get discouraged by setbacks and you ca n't be deterred by criticism . You have to be patient , persevering and determined . '' Mitchell also released a statement from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , which said the announcement helps move the issue forward . `` We believe that through good-faith negotiations the parties can mutually agree on an outcome which ends the conflict and reconciles the Palestinian goal of an independent and viable state based on the 1967 lines , with agreed swaps , and the Israeli goal of a Jewish state with secure and recognized borders that reflect subsequent developments and meet Israeli security requirements , '' the Clinton statement said . `` Let me say to all the people of the region and world : our commitment to achieving a solution with two states living side by side in peace and security is unwavering , '' the Clinton statement added . Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair , a representative of the Middle East Diplomatic Quartet made up of the European Union , the United States , the Russian Federation and the United Nations , called the announcement `` an important step towards creating the possibility for serious and credible negotiations for a two-state solution . `` The key , as I have said consistently , is to combine a credible political negotiation with real change on the ground , in institution-building , security performance and economic development , '' Blair said . But Danny Danon , a member of the Knesset from Netanyahu 's Likud Party and chairman of the Settlers Council , opposed the announcement . `` If the prime minister will implement the ideology of the left , he will not get the support of his own party , '' he said . `` All the things he wrote in his books , said in his speeches , he so eloquently preached for , he does exactly the opposite , '' said Danon , calling the move a `` disappointment . '' Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said the proposed temporary freeze would be inadequate : `` The exclusion of Jerusalem is a very serious problem for us , '' he told reporters on Wednesday . Palestinian officials , including Fayyad , have called on Israel to freeze construction in Jerusalem as well . The Palestinians want Jerusalem to be the capital of a Palestinian state . In recent weeks , Netanyahu and other members of his cabinet have made clear that a construction freeze would not be implemented in predominantly Arab East Jerusalem . Israel views Jerusalem as a separate issue to be hammered out in final status talks with the Palestinians . The measure would not affect buildings already under construction for the existing Jewish residents in the West Bank , Netanyahu said . Construction of public building would also continue , government officials have said . The Israeli government is under tremendous pressure -- particularly from its ally , the United States -- to halt settlement construction in the Palestinian territory of the West Bank . Continued construction has been a key stumbling block in restarting Israeli-Palestinian peace talks . The Israeli Security Cabinet is a subset of the larger Israeli Cabinet . It has historically been used by prime ministers to approve quick action on defense and diplomatic matters . CNN 's Michael Zippori and Kevin Flower contributed to this report . | Security Cabinet voted 11-2 in favor of the measure which calls for a 10-month freeze . Israel under pressure -- particularly from United States -- to halt settlement construction . Continued construction a key stumbling block in restarting Israeli-Palestinian peace talks . Palestinian PM Salam Fayyad said proposed freeze would be inadequate . | [[215, 270], [259, 270], [277, 397], [4668, 4719], [4752, 4769], [4773, 4852], [158, 214], [4853, 4954], [4885, 4954], [3785, 3944]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- British Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth announced a public inquiry Wednesday into allegations that Iraqis were killed and abused after a firefight more than five years ago in the southern part of the country . The allegations center around the aftermath of a fight in May 2004 at the so-called Danny Boy checkpoint in Maysan Province . Former detainees and the family of a slain Iraqi contend at least 20 people were killed and others were abused at Camp Abu Naji after a fight between British soldiers and Iraqi insurgents . That claim has been denied by the UK Ministry of Defence -- which says the 20 people died in battle and people detained were not mistreated . The probe is called the Al Sweady inquiry -- named after the family of the dead Iraqi . Thayne Forbes -- who retired from the High Court Bench last year -- will chair the inquiry into allegations . The inquiry will look into allegations of `` unlawful killings '' and the `` ill-treatment of five Iraqi nationals detained at Camp Abu Naji . '' Even though the probe will focus on five detainees , attorneys claim nine people were detained and abused . The defense ministry disputes those allegations . `` We have found no credible evidence that those detained , as a result of the attack on British troops and the prolonged firefight at Danny Boy checkpoint , were mistreated , '' the defense ministry said in a statement . The release of a photo published in British media and obtained by CNN about the incident shows an armed soldier standing near four people face down on the ground with their hands bound behind their backs and their faces covered . Attorneys for the men say they were beaten and evidence shows a breach of the Geneva Conventions prohibiting humiliating and degrading treatment of prisoners . But , the defence ministry disputes that . `` It is important to remember that our first priority at the end of such attacks is to protect our personnel from further threats , '' the ministry said . CNN 's Atika Shubert and Per Nyberg contributed to this report . | UK to hold public inquiry into allegations Iraqis were killed and abused after firefight five years ago . Allegations center around aftermath of firefight in 2004 at checkpoint in Maysan Province , southern Iraq . Former detainees and family of a slain Iraqi say at least 20 people were killed and others were abused . UK defense ministry says the 20 people died in battle and people detained were not mistreated . | [[0, 6], [9, 112], [135, 141], [158, 245], [246, 312], [460, 561], [902, 1016], [135, 141], [158, 245], [246, 312], [432, 459], [460, 561], [611, 618], [628, 686], [432, 459], [611, 618], [628, 686], [666, 703]] |
Paris , France -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Syrian President Bashar Assad says peace talks with Israel could resume if the Jewish state showed willingness to fully engage in the process . `` This peace process can not only be relaunched by one party . Syria wants peace and we have a mediator , Turkey , which is ready to use its mediation role as well as the European partnership . What we are missing is the Israeli partnership , and we need it in order to renew peace talks and obtain results , '' Assad told reporters . Assad traveled to France , sat down with President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday for a one-hour lunch , and held a press briefing , where he blamed Israel for the stalled talks with Syria . Turkey recently had mediated indirect talks between Israel and Syria , neighboring countries that have been adversaries for years . Among their many differences are Israel 's occupation of the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Six Day War and Syria 's ties with Iran and anti-Israel militants . His visit to Paris comes days after the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu . Questioned on Netanyahu 's statement that Israel was ready to relaunch peace talks Syria without pre-conditions , Assad emphasized that if Israel is serious about talks , Syria is ready to send experts to Turkey and begin discussions with Israeli experts . Asked if he was ready to meet Netanyahu in person at some point without conditions , Assad did n't say he would or would n't , but said it would depend on the subject of the discussion . `` Are we talking about the menu or about land restitution ? We must talk about territory restitution . For this matter , mechanisms and a framework exist . The negotiators know the mechanisms . It is neither me nor Netanyahu , '' he said . Asked about the role of France in the peace process , Assad said he hopes France backs the relaunch of the peace negotiations through Turkey and persuades Israel to accept this mediation process . As for the peace process in the wider Middle East , he said it will only work if Israel stops tearing down the other side 's rights and demands . Assad said he and Sarkozy discussed living conditions in the Hamas-controlled Palestinian territory of Gaza -- reeling from the ongoing conflict with Israel , including the fierce Israeli offensive against militants that began late last year after constant rocket attacks on Israel by Gaza guerrillas . Saying a civilian was shot on Friday by Israeli troops , Assad said he asked Sarkozy to stop violence against civilians in the territory . Israel Defense Forces and Gaza security sources both confirmed an incident , but the sides had different accounts . The IDF said soldiers identified a number of suspected terror operatives who appeared to be planting explosive devices adjacent to the northern Gaza security fence near `` the Karni humanitarian crossing . '' The soldiers opened fire and identified hitting two of the suspects -- one of which was transferred to an Israeli hospital ; the other operative died of his wounds . Three other suspects were taken for questioning . The Palestinian security sources said a special force opened fire on a number of youths near the border fence with Israel in central Gaza . One of the youths was killed and four others were taken by the Israeli soldiers . Assad said he and Sarkozy also discussed Iran 's nuclear program and Lebanon . Journalist Claire Boube contributed to this report . | Turkey mediated indirect talks between Israel and Syria , neighboring countries that have been adversaries for years . Syrian President Bashar Assad : We need Israel partnership in order to renew peace talks and obtain results . Assad traveled to France for talks with President Nicolas Sarkozy , where he blamed Israel for the stalled talks with Syria . Assad said he and Sarkozy also discussed Iran 's nuclear program and Lebanon . | [[700, 768], [771, 792], [798, 831], [0, 5], [8, 98], [426, 428], [446, 485], [514, 538], [514, 519], [541, 611], [623, 630], [648, 699], [3324, 3402], [3335, 3349], [3355, 3402]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Did you know that there exists an all-natural remedy for memory loss ? Weight gain ? Macular degeneration ? Prostate enlargement ? These products are so successful that clinical testing has already begun ! Just listen to the following testimonial from an unidentified person ... As these ads blare at you from your favorite AM radio station , perhaps you wonder : How can this be legal ? Since the late 1960s , aspirin makers have been trying to win the right to tell the public that a daily low-dose tablet can help prevent heart disease . They have been told no , and no , and no again . Federal regulators are so nervous about over-selling aspirin 's benefits that they have restricted statements about aspirin to the most bland and basic . Yet while the statements about aspirin have to be cushioned in the vaguest generalities , snake oil flim-flam can be huckstered in the most truth-defying way , thanks to a 1994 law coaxed through Congress by the people who make these drugs . The law bears the long title of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 . It was sponsored in House of Representatives by Rep. Dan Burton , R-Indiana , and in the Senate by Orrin Hatch , R-Utah , and Dick Durbin , D-Illinois . The DSHEA law draws a line between synthesized medicines like aspirin and remedies made from herbs , minerals , vitamins and amino acids . This latter group was recategorized as `` dietary supplements '' -- that is , as foods rather than drugs . `` Drugs '' are subjected to exacting scientific trial to prove them both safe and also effective . Sellers of dietary supplements are not required to prove that their remedies work . They are not even required to prove them safe -- as `` foods '' they are presumed safe unless shown otherwise . `` Drugs '' must disclose any risk of side effect . -LRB- That 's why those erectile dysfunction ads terrify TV audiences with their references to four-hour erections . -RRB- . Dietary supplements bear no such burden -- which is why St. John 's wort can be sold as an anti-depressant , without any mention of the disturbing indications that the herb weakens the effectiveness of birth control pills . `` Drug '' advertising must be pre-approved by the Food and Drug Administration , which minutely reviews the ads ' accuracy . Dietary supplement advertising is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission . So long as supplements avoid promises to cure a specific disease , their sellers can say pretty much whatever they want , provided only that they have some kind of supporting evidence on file . That evidence does not have to meet any kind of scientific test : pretty much any pattern of ink on paper will do the job . I can not say , `` My rosemary-sage-thyme-and-oregano tablets cure AIDS . '' But if I pay my cousin $ 100 to do a few experiments , I can claim , `` My tablets boost the immune system -- and clinical trials are under way ! '' -LRB- There is an exception to the permissive rules about advertising natural products : wine . There is substantial evidence that a glass of red wine a day reduces the risk of heart attack . The laws of most states forbid any hint or suggestion that moderate alcohol use might confer health benefits . Still , if you ask the scientists , wine has better grounds to call itself a health food than does , say , echinacea ! -RRB- . Fifteen years after receiving the favor of Congress , dietary supplements have grown into a $ 24 billion a year industry . Most of the products sold by the industry are merely useless . For those who eat a balanced diet , scientists have found no quantifiable benefit from taking multivitamins . On the other hand , multivitamins probably wo n't do any harm . It would be better to give the $ 10 you spend on a jar of pills to the Salvation Army , but at least you are not poisoning yourself . The same could not be said , alas , for the unfortunate customers of a Belgian herbal dispensary who bought a supplement that contained the herb Aristolochia fangi . The A. fangi herb is rich in aristolochic acid , a carcinogen -- and users experienced an outbreak of urinary tract cancers . A. Fangi has since been banned in the European Union . It remains legal in the United States . As outrages go , Congress ' special favor to the herbal supplement industry might seem relatively small stuff : a splash in the torrent of the $ 2 trillion per year that Americans spend on health and wellness . And yet in the midst of a great national debate over health care , this small outrage has some serious implications . Advocates for the herbal supplement industry justify their special sweet deal by championing the right of consumers to make their own `` health choices . '' Individual choice certainly sounds like the American way . But the fact is that most of us are not well positioned to make intelligent health choices . If we try to play our own doctor , we are going to expose our health -- and our money -- to risk and exploitation . As individuals , we have trouble distinguishing between anecdotes : `` My neighbor took zinc for her cold and she said it really helped , '' and data : Most colds last four days , so you could smoke yak-dung cigarettes on day three and feel better on day four . We are poor balancers of risk : Look at the rising number of Americans who resist taking vaccines because of astronomically remote chances that something might go wrong . We are vulnerable to placebos : `` Hey -- I took the 30-day free sample and I feel sure my vision did improve ! '' We are swayed by prejudice and ideology : The film-maker Spike Lee wrote in Rolling Stone in 1992 : `` I 'm convinced AIDS is a government-engineered disease . '' The reason we should defer to experts is not that the experts know everything . Of course they do n't . It 's just that they know more than non-experts do . It 's not that science has all the answers . It does n't . It 's just that astrologers , shamans , and natural healers have none of them . Americans spend over 50 percent more per person on their health than anyone else on earth . For all that extra money , Americans see very little benefit . Americans rank 42nd on earth in life expectancy , 29th in infant mortality . Improving and rationalizing this costly and dysfunctional system is a gigantic , maybe impossible , task . But one small reform could strike a meaningful blow for reason and cost-effectiveness : Apply the rules governing the advertising of aspirin to the advertising of oregano tablets . Repeal the DSHEA law and give the Food and Drug Administration full authority over every manufactured substance that purports to promote health or relieve illness . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of David Frum . | Consumers get constant pitches for herbal supplements as remedies . David Frum says a 1994 law exempted supplements from scientific review . He says people who try to be their own doctor take on unnecessary risk . Frum : Government should regulate supplements as it does drugs . | [[1594, 1677], [4891, 4920]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Dalai Lama , accepting a human rights prize from a U.S. foundation Tuesday , chastised the United States for not fully addressing the economic divide between its poorest and richest citizens . The Dalai Lama sits with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the awards ceremony on Tuesday . `` Huge gap , rich to poor . This is unhealthy , '' he said . `` You have to think seriously about those less-privileged people . They 're also human beings . '' The `` real greatness of America , '' he said , `` is your ancestors ' principles , '' and he urged the nation to preserve those principles . `` When I think of America , I think of the idea -- concept of freedom , liberty , equality . I think these are real human values , '' he said . The inaugural Lantos Human Rights Prize , presented to the 74-year-old Dalai Lama by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , honors his commitment to ending global injustice . The Dalai Lama called the award , from the New Hampshire-based Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice , `` a great privilege , especially because it is named after an individual I admired deeply . '' He was referring to the late Rep. Tom Lantos , D-California , whom the foundation describes as a champion of human rights during his 27 years in Congress . Lantos , who was the only Holocaust survivor in Congress , died of cancer in February 2008 . His image is on the large medal . Before presenting the award , Pelosi said people continue to be inspired by the Dalai Lama 's messages of peace and nonviolence . The medal , the California Democrat said , contains the words `` The rights of one are the rights of all . '' `` The Dalai Lama is one of the most highly honored peacemakers of our time , '' she added . Tuesday 's program focused largely on the work of Lantos , who co-founded the Congressional Human Rights Caucus about 20 years ago . The name of the caucus has been changed to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission , and part of its mission is to `` promote , defend and advocate internationally recognized human rights norms in a nonpartisan manner , '' according to its Web site . The group is a formal entity of Congress , said Howard Berman , D-California , who was at Tuesday 's event . Also at the ceremony was Sen. John McCain , R-Arizona , who called Lantos `` an inspiration . '' `` When he died we lost one of the better angels of our national conscience , '' McCain said . According to the foundation , created by Lantos ' daughter , Katrina Lantos Swett , the Lantos Prize is meant to focus attention on the `` often unsung heroes of the human rights movement . '' The foundation 's Web site says the prize `` will be awarded on an annual basis to the individual or organization that best exemplifies the foundation 's mission , namely , to be a vital voice standing up for the values of decency , dignity , freedom and justice in every corner of the world . '' The Dalai Lama is visiting Washington this week for a conference and to meet with Undersecretary for Global Affairs Maria Otero , who has just been named as President Obama 's special coordinator on Tibet , State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Monday . The Dalai Lama wo n't meet with Obama , who instead plans to visit with him after a presidential trip next month to China , Kelly said . The Dalai Lama and Tibet are dicey issues in Washington , since Beijing considers the Himalayan province a part of China and accuses the spiritual leader of advocating Tibetan independence . The Dalai Lama -- whose name is Tenzin Gyatso -- has repeatedly said he seeks autonomy for the region , not independence , and advocates the `` middle way '' of nonviolence . China has ruled Tibet since 1951 , a year after sending troops to `` liberate '' the region from what it said was serfdom under the Dalai Lama . The Dalai Lama 's emissaries have held sporadic talks with Chinese officials . But the talks , encouraged by the United States and other countries , have failed to break the impasse . In a 2007 trip to Washington , the Dalai Lama met with then-President George W. Bush , who awarded him the Congressional Gold Medal , the nation 's highest civilian honor . Asked whether the lack of a meeting between the Dalai Lama and Obama represents a change in U.S. policy toward China or Tibet , Kelly said , `` I would n't necessarily read ... anything into the decision beyond what it is . '' `` Our position regarding China is clear , that we want to engage China . We think China is an important global player . We also do n't try and downplay some of the concerns that we have about China ... in the areas of human rights , religious freedom , and freedom of expression . '' The Dalai Lama won a Nobel Prize for advocating peace , but he has not been allowed to return to Tibet since fleeing his homeland in 1959 . On Thursday and Friday , he is scheduled to participate in a conference called `` Educating World Citizens for the 21st Century . '' On Saturday he is to spend the morning teaching on `` The Heart of Change : Finding Wisdom in the Modern World , '' an event organized by the Conservancy for Tibetan Art and Culture . He then is slated to return to India before traveling to Japan , Australia and New Zealand . | NEW : Dalai Lama lauds U.S. founding principles , decries gap between rich and poor . Pelosi calls Dalai Lama `` one of the most highly honored peacemakers of our time '' Dalai Lama is in Washington for conference and to meet U.S. officials . He wo n't meet with President Obama , who plans to visit him next month in Asia . | [[1660, 1735], [2927, 3054], [4842, 4864], [4867, 4913], [3185, 3222], [3217, 3222], [3237, 3306]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A slightly higher number of Americans will travel Thanksgiving holiday weekend compared with last year , but those traveling by air is expected to decline , AAA said . The association , which surveyed 1,350 American households , projects that 38.4 million Americans will travel over the holiday weekend , up from 37.8 million last year . However , the number traveling by air is expected to decline to 2.3 million , the automobile association said . In 2008 , 2.5 million Americans traveled by plane for Thanksgiving . `` We do this every year , '' said Mindy Potter of Atlanta , Georgia , who was flying with her husband and 6-year-old son . `` It 's insanity every year . '' Potter said she and her family were headed Wednesday to Hot Springs Village , Arkansas , to see her husband 's family . See the FAA 's flight delays map . She said they were allowing themselves plenty of time at the airport . `` My husband 's a stickler for going early , '' she said . `` If I was in charge of it , we 'd probably have a frenzied rush . '' AAA said the slight increase in the number of Thanksgiving travelers from last year reflects improved consumer confidence as well as `` a growing sense among many consumers that the worst of the global economic crisis is behind us . '' Travelers are still concerned about the economy , said AAA spokesman Geoff Sundstrom , and the numbers remain well down from two years ago . `` Clearly , there was a huge drop-off in the number of people traveling last year , '' he said . According to the association , Thanksgiving travel dropped 25.2 percent last year , compared with 2007 . Still , Sundstrom added , `` We are encouraged that the numbers have stabilized and turning up from what they were a year ago . '' The bulk of Thanksgiving travelers -- about 33.2 million -- will be traveling by car , AAA said . Jennifer Burrell of Tucker , Georgia , said she , her husband and their two daughters were driving Thursday morning to the Asheville , North Carolina , area , and will return Sunday . She said she was n't expecting traffic on the way there but `` it always gets heavy '' on the return trip . In addition to those traveling by car , some 2.9 million will travel by train , watercraft , bus or a combination of transportation modes , and 2.3 million will travel by air , the automobile association predicted . Citing excess baggage fees and surcharges for jet fuel , along with delays and flight groundings , Sundstrom said that it 's `` not a very friendly environment this decade for the airline industry or the airline traveler . '' As in earlier years , the Federal Aviation Administration said military airspace will be opened to commercial flights along the East and West coasts and in the Southwest in an attempt to alleviate congestion . The airspace will be opened from Tuesday to Monday , spokesman Paul Takemoto said . As of Tuesday afternoon , the FAA Web site was reporting slight delays because of `` weather/wind '' at New York 's LaGuardia Airport . Of course , some Americans are not traveling at all . Heather McKinnon of Broomfield , Colorado , said she is staying home with family for Thanksgiving . `` I do n't like to fly and really rarely like flying on holidays , '' she said , adding that she would consider driving . `` I know what it 's like going through the airport , '' she said . Plus , she added , `` Everything I love is here . '' | AAA attributes slight increase to improved consumer confidence . Number of travelers still well down from two years ago . AAA predicts 38.4 million Americans will travel over the holiday weekend . Those traveling by air is expected to decline to 2.3 million , from 2.5 million last year . | [[1062, 1225], [1380, 1429], [1443, 1492], [0, 15], [44, 97], [187, 204], [248, 356], [128, 173], [367, 432], [469, 476], [479, 537], [2294, 2328]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama mentioned an $ 8 billion investment in high-speed train systems across the country in his State of the Union speech on Wednesday . Details released Thursday said the investment would be grants from the government 's $ 862 billion economic stimulus package to begin the planning and initial work on creating the first nationwide program of high-speed intercity passenger rail service . Overall , projects and planning involving the rail corridors will take place in 31 states , according to a White House statement . Obama and Vice President Joe Biden were scheduled to travel to Tampa , Florida , Thursday to formally announce the program . Other Cabinet members and administration officials also were visiting sites of the program in other states on Thursday and Friday . According to the statement , the corridor between Tampa and Orlando , Florida , would have trains capable of traveling up to 168 mph with 16 round trips a day . The time to travel by train between the cities would be about an hour , compared with about 90 minutes by car , it said . `` This project will create jobs and generate economic activity as 84 miles of track are constructed , stations are built or enhanced , and equipment is purchased , '' with work expected to be completed in 2014 , the statement said . `` The projects announced today are part of President Obama 's strategic long-term plan to transform travel in America by building and sustaining a comprehensive passenger rail program , '' the statement said . `` In addition to the $ 8 billion awarded today , the plan also included $ 1 billion a year for five years in the federal budget as a down payment to jump-start the program . '' The statement described the program as `` a long-term venture in which states will need to plan projects , purchase and lay track , build and assemble equipment , and construct or upgrade train stations , tunnels and bridges . '' `` Spain spent two decades and $ 35 billion developing its high-speed rail system , '' it said . `` South Korea took 12 years and more than $ 10 billion to build a line stretching from Seoul to Busan , comparable to the distance between Boston and New York . '' Train corridors in the program include : . • San Diego - Los Angeles - San Luis Obispo in California . • Oakland - Sacramento in California . • Portland - Eugene in Oregon . • Seattle - Portland in Washington and Oregon . • Chicago - St. Louis in Illinois and Missouri . • St. Louis and Kansas City in Missouri . • Minneapolis/St . Paul - Madison in Minnesota and Wisconsin . • Madison - Milwaukee in Wisconsin . • Milwaukee - Chicago in Wisconsin and Illinois . • Cleveland - Columbus - Cincinnati in Ohio . • Detroit/Pontiac - Chicago in Michigan , Indiana and Illinois . • Tampa - Orlando in Florida . • Raleigh - Charlotte in North Carolina . • Washington - Richmond in District of Columbia and Virginia . • Raleigh - Richmond in North Carolina and Virginia . • New York - Albany-Buffalo in New York . • New York - Montreal in New York and Quebec , Canada . • Boston - New York - Washington in Massachusetts , Rhode Island , Maryland , New York , and District of Columbia . • Brunswick - Portland in Maine . • Philadelphia - Harrisburg - Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania . • Springfield - East Northfield in Massachusetts . • New Haven - Springfield in Connecticut and Massachusetts . | President Obama to announce $ 8 billion in stimulus funds for high-speed train plan . Proposed rail system would span across 31 states . Work is expected to be finished by 2014 , according to White House . | [[30, 176], [1565, 1594], [431, 520], [1267, 1312]] |
Editor 's note : Akbar Ganji is a leading Iranian dissident and pro-democracy activist . He served a six-year sentence in Tehran 's Evin prison for his reporting on human rights abuses in Iran . The London-based human rights organization , Article 19 , has described Ganji as the `` Iranian Vaclav Havel '' and he has received more than a dozen human rights , press freedom and pro-democracy awards . He is the author of `` The Road to Democracy in Iran '' -LRB- MIT Press , 2008 -RRB- . Akbar Ganji says Iran 's leaders should be held to account for denying its citizens their liberties . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- This week world leaders will gather in New York for the annual meeting of the U.N. General Assembly . While Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be among them , Iranians reject his claim to leadership . They strongly oppose any meeting or recognition of Ahmadinejad , especially by President Obama . The pro-democracy movement in Iran today unanimously believes that he enjoys his current position because he was `` reappointed '' president after stealing several million votes in June 12 presidential election . Popular protests against this state of affairs have been met with bullets from the Iranian regime . Thousands were arrested and dozens were killed . Opposition supporters have been tortured in jail and credible reports of rape have surfaced . In recent years the Western media has not focused on the systematic human rights violations in Iran but rather on Iran 's nuclear ambitions and Ahmadinejad 's rhetoric toward Israel and the Nazi Holocaust . Iranians are deeply upset by the general inattentiveness of the media and world leaders to their political protests . If you listen to the democratic voices of Iranians and leaders of Iran 's Green Movement there is a unanimous view that Ahmadinejad 's policies have severely undermined Iranian national interests and he has inadvertently better served the interests of Israel . Although the regime has been able to reassert control due to severe repression recent events have led to important social transformations in Iran . Today there are many prominent names publicly opposing the Supreme Leader , Ali Khamenei . Many open letters have been circulated that for the first time directly criticize him . U.S. policy under Obama has also played a constructive role . The absence of military threats and new economic sanctions has given democracy activists more room to maneuver , posing new challenges to the regime . In order to deal with this internal crisis Khamenei 's only option is to shift attention to Iran 's relationship with the outside world -- the United States in particular . By increasing verbal attacks on the West and exacerbating regional conflicts he hopes to draw the attention of both Iranians and the world away from the systematic violations of human rights in Iran . Iran 's nuclear ambitions should not be considered the primary weak point for the regime . To a limited extent Khamenei and his disciples can manipulate the nationalist sentiment of Iranians around this issue . The Achilles heel for the regime today is the widespread and systematic violations of human rights against it own people . Greater exposure and scrutiny of this key issue will generate more popular discontent toward the leaders of Iran . Khamenei can not maintain regime loyalty or acquiescence in the face of these massive human rights violations . It is precisely these organized repressive measures that the International Criminal Court , in other contexts , has called `` crimes against humanity . '' Although Iran , like the United States and Israel , are not members of the ICC , charges can be brought against the Iranian regime via the U.N. Security Council -- similar to the process that led to the arrest warrant for Omar Al Bashir , the leader of Sudan . We in the Iranian human rights movement can document , with certification from a team of international lawyers , that leaders of the Iranian regime are guilty of crimes against humanity under Article 7 of the Rome Statute that established the ICC . Today , the people of Iran are in need of the moral and spiritual support from people around the world . In the current circumstances the most important form of support would be to assist with the campaign of charging the leaders of Iran with `` crimes against humanity '' and to help disseminate this initiative so that it becomes the main avenue of engagement with Iran by the international community . We are seeking to place this issue at the top of the international agenda so that leaders of the Iranian regime will think twice before traveling abroad as well as to make it morally unacceptable for leaders of democratic countries to extend a hand to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad . This article was translated by Nader Hashemi , Assistant Professor of Middle East and Islamic Politics at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies , University of Denver . | Akbar Ganji : World leaders gathering for U.N. General Assembly . He says Iranians reject Mahmoud Ahmadinejad 's claim to represent them . He says the U.S. , other nations , should avoid any recognition of Ahmadinejad . Ganji : Charges should be brought against regime in international court . | [[590, 605], [609, 710], [711, 773], [776, 817], [488, 589], [3666, 3717]] |
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]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The governing body of world football , FIFA , has turned down the request from the Irish Football Association -LRB- FAI -RRB- to replay their deciding World Cup play-off game against France . The controversial match , that was played on Wednesday , has caused a diplomatic storm after French forward Thierry Henry admitted to illegally using his hand to set-up the goal that gave his team a 2-1 aggregate victory to seal qualification to the tournament . But despite a letter sent to FIFA by the FAI , and calls from both the Irish prime minister Brian Cowen and Irish justice minister Dermot Ahern for the game to be replayed , the sport 's organizing body has refused the request . In a statement on their official Web site FIFA stated : `` The result of the match can not be changed and the match can not be replayed . As is clearly mentioned in the Laws of the Game , during matches , decisions are taken by the referee and these decisions are final . '' Irish football officials lodged an official complaint with FIFA on Thursday and sent a letter to the French Football Federation -LRB- FFF -RRB- in a bid to get the game reconvened . The world 's worst football injustices . `` The governing body of world football have to step up to the plate and accede to our call for a replay , '' FAI chief executive John Delaney told reporters . The FAI pointed to a precedent set in 2005 when a World Cup qualifier between Uzbekistan and Bahrain was replayed after the referee was found to have committed a technical error in the application of the laws of the game . But a FIFA spokesman said the precedent did not apply because the referee in the match `` saw the incident in question and simply failed to apply the proper rules '' . Irish prime minister Cowen raised the issue with French president Nicolas Sarkozy at a European Union -LRB- EU -RRB- summit in Brussels , where the two leaders were meeting to vote for the next president of Europe . Cowen told the Irish Independent newspaper : `` I did n't ask for a replay . I said , you know : ` What do you think ? ' and he said : ` Look , I understand totally the sense of disappointment that you feel about the game . I 'm not trying to mix politics and sport in this respect . We just had a chat . -LSB- But -RSB- it 's not going to be resolved by he and I. '' Mr Sarkozy , however , said he did not want to get involved : `` I said to Brian Cowen , who is a friend of mine as you know , that I was sorry for them and how I was struck by the talent and vigor of the Irish team . `` Now do not ask me to stand in for the referee of the game or the football decision -- be they in France or in Europe , '' he said . `` What will be done will be done . But leave me out of it , please . And to be perfectly frank with you that is the sort of answer I want to give , '' he added . Despite Sarkozy 's comments , French finance minister Christine Lagarde said she supported moves for a replay . `` I think it 's very sad . I 'm of course very happy that the French team will play in the World Cup , but I find it very sad that it did qualify with ... you know ... an act of cheating , '' she told RTL radio station . The game between France and Ireland was one of six play offs played on Wednesday which decided the final 32 teams heading South Africa in 2010 . Video replays showed Henry used his hand to stop the ball going out of play in extra-time , before he passed to William Gallas who booked his nation 's place with a headed goal . The draw for next year 's finals is due to be made in Cape Town on December 4 . | FIFA turn down a request from the Irish Football Association -LRB- FAI -RRB- to replay their deciding World Cup play-off game against France . FIFA : `` The result of the match can not be changed and the match can not be replayed '' French president Nicolas Sarkozy said : `` I was sorry for -LSB- Ireland -RSB- but do not ask me to stand in for the referee of the game '' NEW : Former Ireland captain Roy Keane accuses FAI of hyprocrisy in their appeal to FIFA . | [[0, 6], [9, 32], [75, 171], [162, 227], [663, 719], [720, 773], [776, 846], [826, 857], [2574, 2656]] |
FREDERICKSBURG , Virginia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Shin Fujiyama 's life has been highlighted by second chances . Shin Fujiyama 's organization , Students Helping Honduras , has raised more than $ 750,000 . Born in a fishing village in Japan , Fujiyama , 25 , recalls a childhood dominated by health concerns . Doctors told his parents that he had a hole in his heart and `` they did n't think I had lot longer to live . '' But during a later visit to the doctor , Fujiyama says , his family learned the hole had closed . `` Somehow I was cured and I became a normal kid , '' Fujiyama says . `` And I had a second chance . '' During his sophomore year at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg , he volunteered in Honduras with a campus group and was struck by the extreme poverty he saw -- barefoot children collecting cans and sleeping in the streets . Fujiyama says he realized he could help give other children their own second chance . Today , his organization , Students Helping Honduras , brings education and community projects to children and families in need through student service trips and fundraisers . Do you know someone who should be a CNN Hero ? Nominations are open at CNN.com / Heroes . `` Seeing the country and being able to make a difference really opened my eyes to a lot of things , '' he says . `` I saw such a great need . I wanted to keep helping . '' He started by telling his friends about his experience and collecting spare change at his two campus jobs , but Fujiyama found that organizing other students did n't happen so easily . `` When I had my very first meeting , I got all dressed up . And only two people showed up , '' he says . `` I knew I had to keep fighting . '' He enlisted his younger sister , Cosmo , then a student at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg , Virginia , to the cause . `` She 's dynamite , '' he says . `` When she talks in front of a crowd , she can move mountains . Knowing that she was behind it , I knew I could do anything . '' Since 2006 , the siblings ' grass-roots campaign to help Honduras has grown to 25 campuses and raised more than $ 750,000 to fund projects , including the construction of two schools and the establishment of scholarships to help young women attend college . Fujiyama says students are deeply committed to the organization because they are involved on every level : They raise money and then travel to Honduras to help build houses . `` We make friends with all the kids , all the families -- no matter where we 're from . We 've had people from all over the world come to Honduras with us . And it 's a great network we 've made , '' he says . Watch Fujiyama and his group in action '' While Fujiyama spends his summers in Honduras working alongside volunteers , he spends a large portion of the year on the road visiting colleges to organize chapters and raise funds . Cosmo Fujiyama , 23 , lives in Honduras full time to coordinate the group 's building efforts on the ground . Students Helping Honduras is working with community members of Siete de Abril to build a new village . Many of the families lost their belongings to Hurricane Mitch in 1998 . `` A lot of them are single mothers . They do n't own the land . They all live in cardboard houses . They do n't have access to clean water -LSB- or -RSB- health care , and they did n't have a school , '' Shin Fujiyama says . Fujiyama 's group helped villagers purchase a new plot of land to rebuild . Its members have helped build 44 homes in the village that has been newly named Villa Soleada -LRB- `` Sunshine Village '' -RRB- . The organization also is raising funds to build a water tower , an eco-friendly sanitation system and a library and to help provide electricity . Watch Fujiyama describe how the village came to be '' For Fujiyama , who deferred medical school to dedicate himself to his mission in Honduras , the lifestyle is a far cry from private practice , but he says he loves what he is doing . Watch Fujiyama describe how a second chance and a trip to Honduras changed his life '' `` I feel like we 're making a huge impact . Some people might think that you have to be somebody famous or a millionaire or a doctor to do something , '' he says . `` But we 're just everyday students -- people in their 20s . We can do so much . We 've got so many things going for us . ... It 's just about leveraging what we have . And we have done a great job at that . '' Want to get involved ? Check out Students Helping Honduras and see how to help . | Shin Fujiyama 's Students Helping Honduras aids children and families in need . The campaign has grown to 25 campuses and raised more than $ 750,000 . Group members are helping to rebuild a village devastated by a 1998 hurricane . Do you know a hero ? Nominations are open at CNN.com / Heroes . | [[108, 137], [157, 200], [2013, 2023], [2065, 2103], [2013, 2023], [2026, 2061], [2108, 2233], [2993, 3095], [1124, 1170], [1124, 1126], [1131, 1170], [1171, 1213]] |
Atlanta , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After 2,000 years of Christian prayer , many faithful still do n't know how to pray effectively , pastor Daniel Henderson says . `` Most Christians pray out of crisis or pray a grocery list , '' he said , making `` God a lifeline of last resort . '' Henderson teaches that prayer should be about worshipping God , having a one-to-one relationship through prayer . `` Every believer wants to be intimate with God and experience his power in a personal way , '' he said . `` Many are hungry to be more effective , because they have n't been taught . '' Teaching is what sends Henderson across the country . He 's on `` The Creative Prayer Tour , '' a series of workshops that will have stopped in 14 cities by year 's end . Henderson also is an author and head of a group called Strategic Renewal , based in Forest , Virginia , which aims to strengthen churches through worship-based prayer . The prayer workshop was life-changing , said pastor Jeremy Johnson of Arcade Church in Sacramento , California . Johnson said the training helped turn him from an angry recovering alcoholic to a spiritual life pastor . `` It changed my perspective on prayer from being ask , ask , ask to building a relationship with God , '' Johnson said . `` It went from God being a vending machine to actually having a relationship with him , acknowledging who he is as opposed to what he does . '' Such is the demand for the prayer summits that Henderson speaks at 20 to 30 churches and to as many as 13,000 college students annually , he said . Even pillars of the Christian faith struggle with prayer . `` As for me , the silence and the emptiness is so great that I look and do not see , listen and do not hear , '' Mother Teresa told the Rev. Michael Van Der Peet in 1979 , expressing her concern about decades seemingly going by without her prayers being answered . Henderson cites The Lord 's Prayer in the sixth chapter of the book of Matthew as the blueprint for Christians , containing what could be called the four Rs of prayer . He breaks down the passage this way from the New Living Translation of the Bible : . Reverence -- `` Pray like this : Our Father in heaven , may your name be kept holy . '' Response -- `` May your will be done on Earth , as it is in heaven . '' Requests -- `` Give us today the food we need , and forgive us our sins , as we have forgiven those who sin against us . '' Readiness -- `` And do n't let us yield to temptation , but rescue us from the evil one . '' The Lord 's Prayer is a simple invocation that is recited weekly at many Christian churches and comes from Jesus ' Sermon on the Mount , a compilation of his teachings . `` It 's OK to use a set formula/pattern , '' according Cyndi McDonald , an associate minister at First United Methodist Church in Marietta , Georgia . `` The disciples asked Jesus how to pray , and he gave The Lord 's Prayer . '' No matter how people pray , it 's a part of American life , according to a recent poll by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life . The study shows that 75 percent of Americans of all faiths -- including Christians , Jews and Muslims -- report praying at least once a week , while 39 percent attend services weekly . McDonald said the numbers could use some interpreting . `` What do they mean by pray ? A quick blessing over a meal ? An hour spent in solitude ? '' she asks . For Henderson , the prayer statistics point to a yearning for God . `` The hunger is there for a personal faith . It indicates a spiritual hunger that wo n't be satisfied , '' he said . `` It 's a personal thing and very real beyond the walls of church . '' | Pastor Daniel Henderson : `` Most Christians pray out of crisis or pray a grocery list '' His 14-city `` Creative Prayer Tour '' seeks to transform how Americans pray . Henderson cites The Lord 's Prayer as the blueprint for Christians . Remember the four R 's : Reverence , Response , Requests , Readiness . | [[135, 165], [166, 184], [207, 226], [693, 758], [1887, 1997], [1987, 1997], [2000, 2055]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Life goes on for people who jump out of airplanes , even a day after two fellow parachutists died when their canopies apparently became entangled . Jumps continue at the Parachute Center , where two parachutists died Sunday . On Monday , the Parachute Center near Lodi , California , was open , just like it is any other day . The two jumpers who died Sunday had taken off from the parachute facility in central California . `` Everybody 's sad . Everybody 's unhappy , '' said Parachute Center owner Bill Dause . `` But everybody here is here because they enjoy jumping . Neither one of them would have wanted us to shut the doors , '' he said , referring to the jumpers who died Sunday . The San Joaquin County Sheriff 's Office received a 911 call for assistance at 12:53 p.m. Sunday , said Deputy Les Garcia . The sheriff 's spokesman confirmed there were two deaths , but referred questions to the Federal Aviation Administration . `` We 're investigating , '' said FAA spokesman Ian Gregor , adding that two investigators were on their way to the jump center . The inquiry could take months , Gregor said . `` One of the main things we want to do is get a hold of a video that was supposedly taken , '' Gregor said . The FAA has purview over such issues as how the parachutes were packed -- by whom , when and how -- and whether weather conditions were correctly considered . `` Obviously , in a situation like this , we certainly want to look at how the parachutes were packed , '' he said . `` But it 's possible that what happened is beyond our regulatory capability . '' Garcia said he could not identify the two victims . `` The ID and notification of next of kin is pending , '' he said , because `` one of the victims has two names . '' Parachute Center owner Dause and media reports have identified the victims as Robby Bigley and Barbara Cuddy . They were among eight parachutists from a competition team who jumped from an airplane at 9,000 feet to practice making a `` canopy-relative formation , '' a maneuver in which they stacked parachutes near each other to form a wedge , Dause said . `` The last two individuals docking experienced canopy problems , '' Dause said . One jumper 's chute rotated into another jumper 's canopy and they smacked into a third parachutist , Dause said . The third parachutist managed to wriggle free , Dause said , but the other two remained entangled and spiraled down from 5,000 feet . They were unable to deploy their reserve chutes . They landed in a vineyard , Dause said . One victim was dead at the scene and the other died at a local hospital , reports said . Bigley and Cuddy are listed on the United States Parachute Association Web site as national record holders for formation jumps . Bigley 's record jump occurred this year and Cuddy 's in 2007 . The jump team was preparing for a national competition in October . According to the United States Parachute Association , there were 30 skydiving fatalities last year . No figures were available for this year . The most fatalities occurred in 1998 , when 44 people died . The fewest in recent years was in 2007 , with 18 , according to the association . Dause said there have been previous fatalities at the Parachute Center , but he did not elaborate . `` We 've been open for a long time , '' he said . | Jumpers die when parachutes tangle during a formation . Parachutists were part of an 8-person team practicing for competition . FAA will investigate how parachutes were packed , possible role of weather . | [[88, 166], [1880, 1938], [833, 857], [896, 955], [1242, 1312], [1443, 1502], [1476, 1502], [1505, 1507]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Grace , Kara and Trichelle were created to fill a void for young black girls who for so long have been playing with dolls that do n't look like them . Stacy McBride-Irby , creator of the new Barbie , poses with the dolls . The new black Barbies released by Mattel have fuller lips , curlier hair and other features that the company says more accurately represent African-American women . Some have cheered the new dolls . Others jeered them , saying they 're not black enough . `` I love the black Barbie . It 's about time , '' Jua Simpson said on CNN 's iReport , a user-generated news community . `` But the hair is still a step backwards , since most of our hair is not straight and light brown . '' Others disagree with critics who say the dolls should have had more natural black hairstyles , such as afros or braids . `` Many people have criticized the dolls for either having hair that 's too long or too straight , but I have long , straight hair that I straightened . But it 's my hair and a part of me , '' said Tanisa Zoe Samuel , an African-American iReporter from the Turks and Caicos , in the Caribbean . `` Black women come in all shades , shapes and varieties that there is just no way to capture everyone with three dolls . '' iReport.com : Samuel shares her thoughts on the new Barbie . The dolls were created by Stacy McBride-Irby , an African-American who watched her daughter play with dolls and wanted to create a doll that looked more like her . McBride-Irby said she has heard the criticism , but she also has received many kudos . `` They mean so much to me because they did come from a positive place , '' McBride-Irby said . `` My daughter loves the dolls . I 've had dads thank me for creating this line of dolls that represent their little girls . These dolls are for girls all over the world . '' This is not the first time Mattel has released an ethnic doll that drew criticism . See photos of the black Barbie dolls '' In 1997 , Mattel collaborated with cookie maker Nabisco to create Oreo Fun Barbie . The black version of the doll , which sported an Oreo-shaped purse , was criticized by some who noted that `` Oreo '' is a derogatory term in the black community . The word is used to describe someone who is perceived as black on the outside and white on the inside . For some , the talk about dolls is not just child 's play . Some think early play with dolls can affect a girl 's self-esteem later in life . Actress Nia Long , who appears in comedian Chris Rock 's new documentary , `` Good Hair , '' recently talked about the issue on CNN . `` Historically , the Afrocentric features have not been celebrated , '' Long said . `` This makes us question the integrity of our beauty standard for ourselves . '' | New black Barbies have fuller lips , curlier hair , more African-American features . Some have cheered the dolls ; others have criticized them for being unrealistic . `` I love the black Barbie . It 's about time , '' said CNN iReporter Jua Simpson . iReport.com : Share your thoughts on the new black Barbie . | [[242, 333], [407, 440], [500, 525], [526, 542], [545, 582]] |
BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An American soldier in Iraq has been sentenced to two years in military prison on child pornography charges , the U.S. military said Tuesday . At a general court-martial Monday at Baghdad 's Camp Victory , Army Pvt. James R. Bickerstaff pleaded guilty to attempted possession of child pornography and communicating indecent language to a child under 16 . Bickerstaff also received a bad-conduct discharge . The soldier was stationed at Fort Riley , Kansas , in August 2006 when he `` engaged in a discussion with a 12-year-old girl in an attempt to initiate physical contact of a sexual nature , '' the military said . In April and May , he downloaded pornographic videos to a personal laptop and an iPod and attempted to download child pornography , the military said . Bickerstaff is with Charlie Company , 1-16th Infantry Battalion , 787th Combat Service Support Battalion , 507th Corps Support Group , at Al Asad Air Base . E-mail to a friend . | Soldier stationed in Iraq convicted in court-martial . Private solicited sexual contact with girl , 12 , military says . Soldier gets two years in military prison , bad-conduct discharge . | [[630, 652], [10, 30], [54, 141], [389, 400], [406, 440]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Just as police were starting a manhunt in the killing of four people , the suspect drove back to the crime scene in suburban Atlanta , Georgia . Richard Ringold is accused of shooting five people in the home he lived in . `` He was in the Dodge Intrepid that we told the media to look out for , '' said Gwinnett County police Cpl. Illana Spellman . `` He pulled up and said he heard we were looking for him . We handcuffed him . '' The man , Richard Ringold 44 , is accused of shooting five people in the home he lived in . Two women and one man died at the residence near the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds , Spellman said . A woman in her 20s died later at a hospital , she said . The fifth victim , a 4-year-old child , underwent surgery late Thursday , and another person escaped unharmed , Spellman said . Police were initially working on a theory that the shootings could have been related to an ongoing domestic violence issue , she said . It was believed that Ringold was dating one of the women who lived in the home , Spellman said . He was arrested on four counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault . Gwinnett County is northeast of Atlanta . -- CNN 's Lateef Mungin contributed to this report . | Four of five people shot are dead ; fifth victim underwent surgery late Thursday . Suspect Richard Ringold heard police sought him and returned to crime scene . Ringold faces four counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault . | [[45, 105], [561, 641], [717, 733], [757, 788], [108, 169], [389, 391], [406, 445], [1078, 1156]] |
NEW HAVEN , Connecticut -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Raymond J. Clark III , charged with murder in the death of Yale graduate student Annie Le , was smart , amiable and loved his dog , say those who knew him . Raymond Clark III was arrested Thursday and charged with murder in the death of Annie Le . One researcher said he often went by the lab in the Yale School of Medicine building where Le was found strangled and stuffed in a wall . Lufeng Zhang worked with Clark , he said , and thinks the police may have the wrong man . `` He 's a nice man , always , '' he said . Clark , 24 , the same age as Le , was a technician in the school of medicine 's Animal Resources Center . While Le , who was pursuing a doctorate in pharmacology , conducted experiments on mice , Clark took care of the rodents and cleaned their cages . Police will not say whether Clark and Le were acquainted or why they homed in on Clark after Le went missing September 8 , less than a week before she was scheduled to marry a Columbia University graduate student who was her college sweetheart . Watch police announce arrest '' `` They work in the same building , passed in the hallways , '' New Haven Police Chief James Lewis said of Le and Clark . `` Anything beyond that , I wo n't talk about . '' Though details of the investigation are scant , police said they arrested Clark on Thursday and charged him with Le 's murder after collecting more than 250 pieces of evidence . Clark was an honor student at Branford High School in suburban New Haven . He graduated in 2004 , and according to the school 's yearbook , he was a member of the Asian Awareness Club his senior year . High school friend Lisa Heselin remembers Clark `` as a jokester , kind of a class clown , '' she said . `` Everybody knew him . Everybody liked him . '' She and others who knew Clark in high school are shocked that he was arrested in connection with Le 's murder , she said . Watch what acquaintances say about Clark '' `` They ca n't believe it , and then , of course , you 're reminiscing , like , ` Oh my God , remember when we went over to his house and we all hung out ? ' You do n't expect somebody you grew up with to be involved in something like this , '' Heselin said . Maurice Perry , who said he has been friends with Clark since first grade , told CNN on Thursday night that he does n't believe his longtime pal is guilty . `` This is not the Raymond Clark that I know , '' he said . `` I 've known him so long , I just ca n't picture him doing something like this . '' Asked if he ever knew Clark to be violent , Perry replied , `` Not at all . I 've known him to be outgoing , happy , athletic , fun . Violent , not at all . '' Most of his current neighbors in Middletown , about 30 miles northeast of New Haven , said they moved in after Clark or knew him only in passing . Many said he shared the second-floor apartment with his girlfriend and a dog . Police said he drove a Ford Mustang , which was seized as evidence . Neighbor Ashley Rowe described Clark as `` decent '' and said he asked a lot of questions when he spoke to people and wanted to know their full names and where they were from . Rowe also remembered the first time she met his dog . `` His dog was very excited and he was just like , ` Oh , do n't worry . He 's friendly . ' You could pet him , '' she said . `` Pretty much , he just loved his dog and he walked around with his dog all the time . '' Police arrived at his apartment Tuesday night to collect DNA samples and released him into the custody of his lawyer early Wednesday . Neighbors say they did n't see him return to the apartment . See investigation 's timeline '' Clark was arrested early Thursday at a Super 8 motel in nearby Cromwell . There were reports that Clark was scheduled to wed his roommate and girlfriend , Jennifer Hromadka , also a lab technician in Yale 's Animal Resources Center , in December 2011 . CNN could not confirm the report , and an Internet wedding page purportedly announcing the impending nuptials had been taken down Thursday . Hromadka 's MySpace page was private as of Tuesday evening , but several media outlets reported she had posted messages about Clark last year after hearing a `` rumor of a fling . '' `` My boyfriend , Ray , if you do n't know him , has no interest in any of the other girls at -LSB- the Yale Animal Resources Center -RSB- as anything more than friends , '' she reportedly wrote . She said Clark had a `` big heart '' and tried to see the best in people , even if he did n't always make the best decisions . `` He is a bit naive , does n't always use the best judgment , definitely is not the best judge of character , but he is a good guy , '' she reportedly wrote . `` He thinks everyone deserves a second chance and has a hard time hurting people 's feelings , and it takes him getting burned to learn . '' Watch reporter , profiler discuss case '' Perry , Clark 's friend since first grade , said he had n't spoken to Clark in some time , but would send him a letter . `` I have always wanted to catch up with him , but I did n't want this to happen for me to try to find out how he was doing , '' he said . Clark is being held on $ 3 million bond , Lewis said , but he would not provide details of what prompted Clark 's arrest or whether DNA linked Clark to Le 's murder . He said Clark 's arrest warrant was sealed , so he was prohibited from discussing the evidence . Yale President Richard Levin said the school 's administration is `` relieved '' by the news of an arrest , but warned , `` We must resist the temptation to rush to judgment . '' CNN 's Eliott C. McLaughlin , Mary Snow , Tom Foreman and Larry King contributed to this report . | NEW : Longtime friend says Raymond Clark III `` outgoing , happy , athletic , fun '' Another friend says she remembers him `` as a jokester , kind of a class clown '' Clark charged with murder of Annie Le , who was found dead on her wedding day . Girlfriend reportedly defended Clark on MySpace after `` rumor of a fling '' last year . | [[1647, 1665], [1679, 1711], [2607, 2664], [2619, 2664], [1647, 1665], [1679, 1711], [200, 217], [244, 290], [4122, 4236]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A mother 's plot to blame a stranger for killing her sons went awry when one of the boys survived and told police how Michelle Kehoe cut his throat , then moved on to his younger brother , an Iowa prosecutor said Thursday . Police found the 7-year-old covered in dried blood in the family van the morning of October 27 , 2008 , in a secluded area near a pond east of Littleton . Beside the van , his 2-year-old brother lay dead , his throat also slashed . `` She cut me , '' the boy said in a high-pitched voice in an audio recording that was played Thursday in Kehoe 's first-degree murder trial . Kehoe , of Coralville , Iowa , has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder , attempted murder and child endangerment causing serious injury . Before the trial , her lawyers filed a notice of intent to present an insanity defense , according to court records . Kehoe 's lawyers chose to reserve their opening arguments for the start of their case . Dressed in a blue and white striped blouse , Kehoe frowned as she listened to her son 's voice on the recording , occasionally bowing her head . The boy had locked himself in the van overnight after his mother slashed him and his younger brother the previous day and left them for dead , Assistant Iowa Attorney General Andrew Prosser said in his opening statement . Kehoe then walked to a nearby pond and attempted to kill herself by slashing her throat with the same weapon , a camouflage-handle Winchester hunting knife she bought the month before , Prosser said . When it became apparent she was not going to die , the prosecutor said , she staggered half a mile down the road to the nearest home and told a story she 'd concocted weeks before of how a stranger abducted the family , killed her sons and tried to kill her . But when authorities went searching for the stranger , they instead found her 7-year-old son in the car and his younger brother dead outside the driver 's side . `` Do you know where you 're injured at ? '' Deputy Stephen Peterson asked the boy in the recording . `` Just my throat , '' the boy said . `` Who did that to you ? '' `` My mom . '' The boy said his mother also put duct tape over his eyes , nose and mouth , but that he pulled them off after his mother left him . `` She was hurting my baby brother , '' he said . Kehoe began plotting the attack the month before with the purchase of the knife and the duct tape , Prosser said . She allegedly chose the date of the incident to coincide with when her husband , Gene , was scheduled to take a yoga class , telling him they were going to visit her mother at a nursing home in Sumner . Police also say they found signs of a cover-up at the scene , including pieces of a first-aid kit scattered around the scene and a handwritten note documenting the attack , Prosser said . The note detailed how a man broke into the car when the family stopped at a gas station and forced them to the area where the van was found . Kehoe tried to fight him off with pepper spray but he knocked her unconscious , the note said , according to the prosecutor . Police said Kehoe later told them she had written the note in the midst of the attack to explain what had happened to those who would find the scene , according to the prosecutor . `` And the note , which you 'll see , ends with , ` Oh no , here he comes again ... ' '' Prosser told the jury . Kehoe faces life in prison without parole if convicted of first-degree murder for her son 's death . | Michelle Kehoe slashed sons ' throats , left them for dead , tried to kill herself , prosecutor says . Iowa jury hears tape of surviving boy telling police his mother cut him , hurt brother . Prosecutors say Kehoe hatched plan month before to blame attacks on stranger . Kehoe 's lawyers have filed a notice of intent to present an insanity defense . | [[92, 95], [121, 166], [208, 242], [449, 459], [465, 474], [618, 639], [708, 747], [1178, 1208], [1225, 1241], [1124, 1131], [1246, 1264], [1346, 1351], [1385, 1454], [1547, 1570], [1620, 1623], [1684, 1806], [3226, 3231], [3259, 3288], [92, 95], [121, 166], [478, 488], [531, 552], [558, 617], [1124, 1224], [1178, 1208], [1225, 1241], [2287, 2318], [19, 27], [36, 76], [1547, 1570], [1620, 1623], [1684, 1806], [2334, 2431], [3226, 3231], [3259, 3288], [773, 789], [792, 859]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Uga VII , the University of Georgia mascot whose deeply furrowed face was a fixture at the school for more than a year , died early Thursday , the university said . He was 4 years old . The purebred English bulldog died of heart-related causes in Savannah , Georgia , according to its owner , Frank `` Sonny '' Seiler . Fans knew Uga VII had arrived when the white dog , sporting a spiked collar and red Georgia University jersey , made his short strides along the football field 's sidelines . He made his first appearance at the August 30 , 2008 , season opener , when Georgia faced off against Georgia Southern , the university said . He was nearing the end of his second season with the team , the university said . He was preceded by his father , Uga VI , the university 's winningest mascot , who died of congestive heart failure . `` This is a very sad day for the Seiler family but also for all Georgia people , '' said Damon Evans , University of Georgia director of athletics in a university news release . `` Just as his ancestors , he had captured the hearts of college football fans everywhere as the country 's No. 1 mascot . He had been truly embraced by all those who follow the Georgia Bulldogs across the country . We will miss him dearly . '' Uga VII 's given name was Loran 's Best , the university said . His death was unexpected . `` We are all in a state of shock , '' Seiler said in the release . `` We had no warning whatsoever . '' A wreath will be placed on Uga VII 's doghouse on the sideline , the university said . There wo n't be a live mascot to take his place at Saturday 's game against Kentucky . Officials have not decided who will replace the white bulldog , but the decision is expected next year , Seiler said . Until then , fans and Seiler will mourn the loss of the school 's favorite pooch . `` He was 10-3 last year , which is not bad for a freshman , '' Seiler said . `` Uga VII was not as active or mischievous as his father but more distinguished . He realized his role when he put his shirt on . He was well-behaved and always appreciated the significance of his role . '' | Uga VII was in his second season as University of Georgia mascot . Purebred English bulldog died of heart-related causes . Officials expected to decide next year who will replace the white bulldog . | [[657, 714], [205, 274], [780, 815], [822, 856], [1719, 1753]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Dutch court Friday ruled against letting a 14-year-old girl sail solo around the world , saying she is not experienced enough to make the trip on her own . Laura Dekker would be allowed to travel from July 1 of next year if she fulfills certain requirements the court established for her to sail . In August , Dutch authorities placed Dekker under state care for two months , following her parents ' refusal to prevent her from undertaking the potentially dangerous voyage . Dekker is seeking to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world . The current record holder is 17-year-old British teenager Mike Perham who completed his nine-month voyage in August . | Dutch court rules 14-year-old Laura Dekker can not embark upon solo sailing trip . Plans to ensure Dekker 's safety during planned trip insufficient Judge said . Dutch authorities placed Dekker under state care in August . | [[0, 15], [40, 107], [319, 328], [331, 394]] |
BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The highly fortified International Zone in Baghdad came under fire the same day that Vice President Joe Biden paid a surprise visit , an Interior Ministry official told CNN . Vice President Joe Biden talks to the media Tuesday in Baghdad 's fortified International Zone . Biden was not injured , according to CNN 's Chris Lawrence , who was traveling with the vice president . But at least one round seems to have landed in the U.S. Embassy grounds , U.S. Ambassador Christopher Hill said . The zone houses the embassy and many government buildings . Lawrence said he heard the blasts but saw no damage . CNN 's Cal Perry said he heard four loud `` booms . '' Warning alarms were sounded , and security was stepped up in the International Zone , which is informally known as the Green Zone . It is not clear what weapons were fired or if Biden was near the location where the rounds hit . For security reasons , reporters traveling with the vice president are not allowed to report his location . Watch as Lawrence reports on the attack '' A U.S. military spokesman said he could confirm only that one round hit , and he said it did not land in the International Zone . `` Initial reports indicate one round of indirect fire impacted near the International Zone , not in it , '' Lt. Col. Phillip Smith , a spokesman for the U.S. military in Baghdad , told CNN . But Hill told reporters that some sort of projectile landed in the east end of the embassy complex . He said the projectile was the reason for a `` duck-and-cover '' alarm that journalists traveling with Biden heard during a briefing by top U.S. officials in Baghdad . The alarm sounded intermittently throughout almost the entire 35-minute briefing by Hill and the top U.S. general in Iraq , Ray Odierno , Lawrence said . Odierno and Hill did not seem concerned , he said . No one jumped up or tried to run out of the building . They paused if they were talking when the alarm sounded , and picked up when it stopped . There was an `` all-clear '' as the briefing ended . Hill said it is kind of unusual to get this type of attack now . He said they used to happen 10 to 12 times a day , but now are few and far between . Biden 's visit was widely reported on Iraqi television , Perry said . He is in Iraq to meet with the country 's leaders and visit U.S. troops , his office said . Journalists on the plane with the vice president were not told where they were going until after they were on the way . Biden was due to sit down with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki , as well as Massoud Barzani , the president of the Kurdistan Regional Government , and other officials . He was greeted at the airport at dusk by Gen. Odierno , Ambassador Hill and Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari . Watch Biden arrive in Iraq , greet troops '' He flew by helicopter to the International Zone . Biden , Hill , Odierno and Deputy Secretary of State Jim Steinberg , who is traveling with Biden , then went into a meeting . They did not speak to reporters . This is Biden 's third trip to Iraq this year , after visits in July and January . `` The president has asked the vice president to provide sustained , high-level focus from the White House on Iraq , and this trip is part of that mission , '' the White House said in a statement issued as Biden arrived . The United States is less than a year away from its goal of withdrawing all combat troops from Iraq . Hill has said the next 12 months are `` very critical '' to establishing security in Iraq , but the goal of withdrawing most U.S. troops by August 2010 is `` absolutely achievable . '' Biden said Odierno is `` optimistic '' that Iraqi forces will be ready in time to allow U.S. withdrawals to go ahead as planned , according to Lawrence . CNN 's Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report . | NEW : Zone not hit , military says ; ambassador says projectile landed near embassy . VP Joe Biden , on a surprise visit , not injured , according to pool report . It 's not clear what arms were fired or if Biden was near location where round hit . Rocket , mortar fire aimed at area was common in past , but has become much rarer . | [[415, 482], [485, 524], [1152, 1203], [1400, 1496], [119, 165], [306, 327], [330, 339], [826, 877]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- This week on Inside Africa -- . A photographer 's powerful pictures cover the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo . Then , Nkepile Mabuse catches up with a World Cup legend spreading football excitement in South Africa . And David McKenzie introduces us to a modest Angolan football squad and looks at the passion behind their play . Violence in Congo . The Democratic Republic of Congo has been embroiled in bloody conflict for more than a decade . The violence has killed millions and displaced hundreds of thousands . Photographer Peter Biro turned his lens on this grim reality when he visited the country late last year . And he hopes his photos will shed light on one of the world 's worst humanitarian crises . He shared with us , some of his pictures -- and the stories behind them . Africa 's buzz . Over the next few months , some of football 's biggest names will descend on South Africa , ahead of the FIFA World Cup . And the sporting world was abuzz when Argentine coach Diego Maradona took his turn touring the country . Nkepile Mabuse caught up with the controversial football star in South Africa , where he remains a hero to many fans . Football in Luanda . While many of the continent 's top players are in state-of-the-art stadiums , many footballers in Luanda still struggle to find a decent place to play . David McKenzie visits an Angolan team getting the most out of their makeshift field . Madonna 's adoptions . Celebrity charities and their causes can attract more attention to countries in need . In Malawi , an American pop star 's connection to the country has helped to do just that . Madonna became more invested in the nation when she adopted two children there . Alina Cho talked to the singer about efforts to help other orphans in Malawi . | Inside Africa catches up with a World Cup legend spreading football excitement in South Africa . David McKenzie discovers the passion of the Angolan football squad and . Alina Cho speaks to Madonna about her efforts to help other Malawi 's orphans . | [[144, 148], [151, 200], [182, 248], [253, 267], [321, 361], [1725, 1769], [1725, 1730], [1770, 1803]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The alleged gang rape of a 15-year-old girl on the campus of Richmond High School in Northern California while 10 or more witnesses , most of them students , looked on has sparked familiar questions : `` Why are our kids so messed up ? '' `` Why did n't these students try to stop the crime ? '' `` What 's happening in our schools ? '' These are fair questions , and commentators in the media have provided familiar answers . The purported rape is another sad example of today 's self-absorbed and uncaring youth . It was the media 's glorification of violence that caused it . The horrific act shows how sociopathic brains develop . But it seems as if the majority of commentators have settled on the idea that the Richmond students did nothing because of the `` bystander effect '' : The more people involved in a criminal incident , the less likely any one of them will intervene to do something about it . Unfortunately , this `` What 's wrong with our children ? '' approach leads to a dead end , because it results in a sweeping moral condemnation of the schools , families and students in this community . These perpetrators committed a heinous act that should be widely condemned . But a discussion that focuses exclusively on the immorality of these deviant young men does not provide solutions that prevent gang rape from happening . Talking only about the bystander effect wrongly suggests that the vast majority of teens would not call for help . Take Richmond . Claims of depraved acts by a few kids have served to demonize an entire student community . Rather than demonize all teenagers in Richmond High School , we should be asking another question : `` What can we do to prevent such heinous acts from happening ? '' The answer to that question leads to a wholly different kind of dialogue , one that may surprise . It is primarily students , the reputed problem , who can best prevent acts of violence on campus . Make no mistake about it . The alleged two-hour-long gang rape on October 24 was an extreme form of school violence . It unfolded not far from the gym where the school-sponsored homecoming dance , supervised by school staff and police officers , was being held . And students , police say , largely perpetrated it . Research since the massacres at Columbine High School -LRB- 1999 -RRB- and Virginia Tech -LRB- 2007 -RRB- has taught us a lot about how to prevent such school violence . Chief among them is that school staff and security should patrol campuses , especially violence-prone areas , during and after school events . According to a CNN report , a friend of the alleged victim saw blatant failures in safety precautions . She said , `` I looked outside of the gym , and I saw 12 to 15 guys , sitting there , with no IDs . The officers -- not only did they not check the IDs of those students or men sitting outside of of our campus , but the security officers who are employed here did no job of checking either . '' Virtually all students and teachers at a school can identify these dangerous hot spots . At Richmond High School , one such spot is `` a dark alley near the back side of the school , '' the site of the purported rape . As CNN reported , school officials had even requested that video cameras and more lights be installed in the area , but they were never installed . The alleged rapists and student bystanders probably knew that no one would be patrolling the area . As important as campus patrols are in reducing campus violence , the most powerful form of prevention is believing that students can help stop crime from happening . They did n't stop the purported rape at Richmond , a skeptic might say . A possible reason is that they were not educated on how to stop it . . Research shows us that students often know ahead of time when and where violence will flare up on campus . Strong social networks and the widespread use of cell phones and text messaging rapidly convey such information . This dynamic can fuel violence , as officials say it did at Richmond High School . It can also prevent violence . Thousands of potential school crimes , including violent ones , have been averted on campuses across the country because students alerted school officials before the crime occurred . Students and families using a hot line in Colorado were credited with preventing more than 206 incidents of school violence from 2004-06 . As of summer 2009 , this one hot line fielded 1,687 reports that resulted in crime prevention or intervention . Alert students have also helped prevent replays of the tragedies that occurred at Columbine and Virginia Tech by tipping off school officials . Several years ago , student reports stopped a Columbine-style massacre plot , employing bombs , napalm and automatic weapons , at a high school in Green Bay , Wisconsin . This year , tips from students and alert teachers and police disrupted a student-massacre plot , featuring pipe bombs and firearms , at Hillside High School in San Mateo , California . Since Columbine , school shootings have been averted in New Bedford , New York , and Covina , California , to name some others . And at Richmond , it was an 18-year-old bystander , overhearing others talking about the incident , who reported the crime . Unfortunately , the public is largely unaware of these frequently heroic acts by high school students and their teachers because they do n't often get national media attention . That lack of information has helped obscure the important roles that students and their responsive teachers play in preventing school violence . But the evidence is clear . Students who know what to do when they witness school violence , or when they have a strong sense of impending violence , will become anonymous heroes . But they need to be taught what to do , which phone numbers -- including hot lines -- to call and which school officials or police department can be trusted to act on their reports . Students also need to feel confident that they can report trouble without fear of retribution from their peers or being called a snitch . It is up to the teachers and administrators who run schools to teach their students these procedures . They need to convince students that they will listen and respond consistently to their reports of violence or possible violence . Yes , local police need to develop trusting relationships with students and the overall community , or nothing will be reported . But the job of preventing violence on campus belongs primarily , if not solely , to the schools . Rather than wring our hands about the so-called immorality of today 's students , we should embrace them as full partners in the prevention of violence on campus . Morality is not the issue . If students are educated on what to do when the threat of violence arises and are encouraged to follow the procedures , they can be trusted to do the right thing . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ron Astor . | Commentators focused on why students did n't report alleged rape , Astor says . Studies of school violence show ways it can be prevented , he says . Astor : Training can prepare students to alert police and avert violence . | [[658, 765], [2268, 2332], [2363, 2437], [4061, 4091], [4092, 4153], [4156, 4274]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Tennessee man -- accused in a fatal attack at a military recruiting center in Arkansas in June -- wants to plead guilty and claims to have ties to al Qaeda in Yemen in a letter he wrote to the judge presiding over his case . In the handwritten letter dated January 12 , Abdul Hakim Muhammad said he did not want a trial and insisted the shooting was `` justified '' under jihad . `` This was a jihadi attack on infidel forces that did n't go as plan , '' he wrote . `` Flat out truth . '' It was not immediately clear whether the judge , Herbert Wright Jr. , would accept the plea . Muhammad 's lawyer , Claiborne Ferguson , called the letter `` highly inappropriate . '' `` If my client had the intention of pleading guilty , it is misguided and misinformed as to Arkansas law , '' Ferguson said from Memphis , Tennessee , on Thursday . `` He ca n't plead guilty to a capital crime . '' That response is why Muhammad said he decided to bypass his lawyer with a letter to Wright . He wrote that he believed it was `` a lie '' that he could not plead guilty . Muhammad , formerly known as Carlos Bledsoe , is charged with killing Pvt. William Long , 23 , and wounding Pvt. Quinton Ezeagwula , 18 . The attack happened on June 1 at a recruiting center in Little Rock , Arkansas . In June , Muhammad pleaded not guilty to one count of capital murder and 16 counts of engaging in a terrorist act . Before pleading not guilty , Muhammad waived his Miranda rights and gave a video statement indicating political and religious motives , authorities said . He `` stated that he was a practicing Muslim ... that he was mad at the U.S. military because of what they had done to Muslims in the past , '' Detective Tommy Hudson wrote in a police report at the time . Muhammad told police `` he fired several rounds at the soldiers with the intent of killing them , '' according to Hudson 's report . In his letter to the judge , Muhammad claimed he had links to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen , a group that has claimed responsibility for the attempting bombing of a U.S.-bound airliner on Christmas Day . `` My lawyer has no defense , '' he wrote . `` I was n't insane or post traumatic nor was I forced to do this act . Which I believe and it is justified according to Islamic laws and the Islamic religion jihad -- to fight those who wage war on Islam and Muslims . '' CNN 's Charley Keyes contributed to this report . | Attorney : Man suspected in 2009 recruiting center shooting writes to judge , pleads guilty . In letter , Abdul Hakim Muhammad claims to have ties to al Qaeda in Yemen . Muhammad accused of killing soldier , wounding another on June 1 in Little Rock , Arkansas . | [[189, 197], [201, 245], [0, 15], [145, 197], [1909, 1935], [1938, 2013], [0, 15], [38, 107], [1080, 1088], [1116, 1217], [1218, 1285]] |
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