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Lagos , Nigeria -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The death toll from weekend violence in central Nigeria climbed to more than 200 Monday after members of a machete-wielding Muslim group attacked a mostly Christian town south of the city of Jos , officials said . More than 200 were dead and 32 injured , according to Choji Gyang , a religious affairs adviser to the head of Plateau state , who said bodies were still being recovered . Sani Shehu , president of the nongovernmental agency Civil Rights Congress , put the number of dead at about 485 people . Twenty-six arrests had been made in connection with the violence , Gyang said . Nigerian Vice President Goodluck Jonathan put security on high alert Sunday and began operations to capture the `` roving bands of killers '' who attacked Dogo Nahauwa , a town just south of Jos. Are you there ? Send your video , images to iReport . The townsfolk are predominantly Berom , an ethnic group that mostly practices Christianity , said Manase Pampe , spokesman for the Red Cross Plateau state office . Reports of the attack described the assailants as members of the Muslim Hausa-Fulani ethnic group , Pampe and government spokesman Gregory Yenlong said . The attackers stormed the town at 3 a.m. Sunday -LRB- 9 p.m. Saturday ET -RRB- and remained there for 2 1/2 hours , Pampe said . Buildings were set afire , and people were attacked with machetes , Yenlong said . The violence resembled previous outbreaks of ethno-religious clashes in the West African nation . But John Onaiyekan , archbishop of Abuja , told Vatican Radio the most recent outbreak is the result of a dispute over access to natural resources , not religion . `` The point that needs to be made is that people are not killing one another because of religion , '' Onaiyekan said . Instead , he called it a `` classical '' economic conflict between farmers and less sedentary groups . The Plateau attack prompted Jonathan to place the area and neighboring states on `` red alert , '' the vice president 's office said in a news release . He directed security forces to `` undertake strategic initiatives to confront and defeat these roving bands of killers , '' the office said . Jonathan , who became acting head of state in February while President Umaru Yar ` Adua recovers from illness , called for calm . `` He calls on all Nigerians to remain peaceful and law abiding since violence only begets further violence , '' the release said . `` He also sympathizes with those who have lost relatives and friends in these attacks , asking the Almighty to grant them the fortitude to bear the loss . '' Onaiyekan said the government had imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew but noted it 's difficult for authorities to impose curfews outside the cities . The recent casualties do n't `` say much about the ability of government to defend its citizens , '' he said . Hundreds fled the town as the violence raged Sunday . The Red Cross was caring for about 600 people at its camp in Boto in Bauchi state , said Alhaji Abubakar , the group 's spokesman in the state . Bauchi is just north of Plateau state . Forty-eight people were treated at hospitals , national Red Cross spokesman Umar Maigari said . Red Cross officials counted 30 bodies in one community but were unable to continue their investigation , he said . Residents wanted to direct the attention to burying the dead , he said . Nigeria -- with more than 150 million people -- is the most populous country in Africa and almost evenly divided between Muslims and Christians . It has the sixth-largest Islamic population in the world -- 78 million-plus Muslims , according to a study last year by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life . While some outbursts of violence are between Christians and Muslims , some disputes are also ethnic-based . The country is home to 250 to 400 ethnic groups , making it one of the most diverse African nations , according to the International Displacement Monitoring Center . Thousands were displaced in January when violence flared up in Jos , said Shehu of the Civil Rights Congress . A local activist said 69 people were killed and about 600 injured . Also in January , at least 150 Muslims were killed during an attack in Kuru Karama south of Jos , Human Rights Watch reported . Community leaders from Jos and journalists told Human Rights Watch they saw dozens of bodies lodged in wells or sewage pits . Most of the town 's homes were burned , the group said . In November 2008 , at least 700 Nigerians died in Christian-Muslim riots that followed a disputed local election , Human Rights Watch reported . CNN 's Christian Purefoy contributed to this report . | Officials say death toll more than 200 ; others put figure as high as 485 . Predominantly Christian town attacked with machetes , buildings set on fire . Reports describe attackers as members of Islamic Hausa-Fulani ethnic group . Nigeria has seen other religious , ethnic violence , including deadly attack on Muslims . | [[8, 31], [91, 171], [249, 262], [290, 314], [421, 431], [498, 542], [8, 31], [91, 171], [140, 229], [1320, 1344], [1347, 1385], [3967, 4035], [4400, 4437], [1037, 1134], [1403, 1500], [3699, 3760], [3693, 3748], [3763, 3800]] |
Montevideo , Uruguay -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jose `` Pepe '' Mujica , a former Marxist Tupamaro guerrilla fighter , won Uruguay 's presidential runoff election Sunday , exit polls showed . Exit polls had Mujica defeating former president Luis Alberto Lacalle by a margin of 4 to 8 percentage points . Current Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez confirmed the projection to reporters Sunday evening , and Lacalle conceded in a speech . The streets of the South American country 's capital were filled with Mujica 's supporters , who cheered and honked their horns . Mujica belongs to the same Broad Front Party as Vazquez , who is popular . Both men are considered leftists . Lacalle is considered more conservative . In a victory speech , Mujica said his administration will continue the policies of Vazquez . `` Tomorrow , the commitment continues , '' he said . Mujica , 74 , was imprisoned for 14 years and released in 1985 when democracy was restored to Uruguay after a 17-year dictatorship . He was minister of livestock and agriculture from 2005 to 2008 and is now a senator . Mujica has played down his connection with the Tupamaros , who were defeated in 1973 . In his victory speech Sunday , Mujica called for unity and asked his followers not to offend those who voted for other candidates during the first and second rounds of voting . His administration may make mistakes , but it will never turn its back to the problems facing the country , Mujica said . `` He is the man who talks and dresses austerely , '' analyst Gabriel Pereyra said of Mujica . `` He is the man who communicates and talks the language of the people . '' Analyst Rosario Queirolo describes Mujica as `` a person who somehow lives what he preaches and is an antipolitician in another way . '' `` He does n't very well fit the image of a president we have in Uruguay , '' Queirolo said . Uruguay is one of the smallest countries in South America , about the size of Washington state . But it is also considered one of the most economically developed . Located on South America 's southeastern coast , the country has a population of 3.5 million , 92 percent of whom live in urban areas . CNN en Español 's Dario Klein and CNN 's Arthur Brice contributed to this report . | NEW : Jose `` Pepe '' Mujica asks supporters not to offend people who voted for other candidates . Mujica said to win by margin of 4 to 8 percentage points . Former president Luis Alberto Lacalle concedes in a speech . Mujica belongs to the same Broad Front Party as the current president . | [[1164, 1192], [1195, 1201], [1223, 1262], [1229, 1340], [184, 295], [199, 295], [398, 428], [559, 614]] |
ROME , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nearly two dozen Americans -- most thought to work for the CIA -- were sentenced to five years in prison Wednesday by an Italian court for their role in the seizing of a suspected terrorist in Italy in 2003 , the prosecutor in the case told CNN . The Americans did not appear for trial and are not in custody , but the ruling could effectively make them international fugitives . The trial was the first to deal with a practice that human rights groups call `` extraordinary rendition . '' They say the United States has often sent suspects to countries that practice torture . Washington acknowledges making secret `` rendition '' transfers of terrorism suspects between countries but denies using torture or handing suspects over to countries that do . The case centered on the extraordinary rendition of a Muslim cleric , Osama Mustafa Hassan Nasr , or Abu Omar . He was seized on the streets of Milan , Italy , in 2003 , transferred to Egypt and tortured , he said . He was suspected of recruiting men to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan and was under heavy surveillance by Italy 's intelligence agency . Prosecutors said he was nabbed by a CIA team working with Italian intelligence officials . The verdict `` shows governments and institutions that the fight against terrorism has to be carried out in accordance with the law . There are no shortcuts , '' Spataro told CNN . Those who were found guilty were ordered to pay Abu Omar 1 million euros -LRB- $ 1.48 million -RRB- and his wife 500,000 euros . A total of 22 Americans were each sentenced to five years in prison for their role in his abduction . Another -- Robert Seldon Lady , whom prosecutors said was the CIA station chief in Milan -- was sentenced to eight years in jail , prosecutor Armando Spataro told CNN . Cases were dismissed against three other Americans , including Jeff Castelli , the man assumed to be the CIA station chief in Rome at the time , because they had diplomatic immunity from prosecution . Spataro said he may appeal that ruling . Cases were also dismissed against the former head of Italy 's intelligence service and his deputy because of state secrecy provisions . Two other Italians were sentenced to three years in jail for aiding the plot . Sabrina De Sousa , one of the American defendants , was `` saddened , angered and dismayed '' by the ruling , her lawyer told CNN . She felt the U.S. government had `` stabbed her in the back , '' Mark Zaid said . `` We understand why the Italians did what they did . They were following their laws . But at the end of the day , representatives of our United States government abroad were let down and left alone by their own government . '' De Sousa , a career diplomat , is suing the State Department over the case , Zaid confirmed . She has never said she worked for the CIA . CIA spokesman George Little said Wednesday : `` The CIA has not commented on any of the allegations surrounding Abu Omar . '' But U.S. officials confirmed to CNN when the case first broke that the CIA was involved in the rendition of Abu Omar from Italy to Egypt . The officials never disclosed the number of Americans involved or their names . Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell responded to the verdict as it applied to an Air Force officer , Lt. Col. Joseph Romano III , who was among the Americans sentenced . The Pentagon had asserted jurisdiction over the incident under the NATO Status of Forces Agreement , a position that the Italian minister of justice supported , Morrell said . `` We are clearly disappointed by the court 's ruling , '' Morrell said . `` Our view is that the Italian court has no jurisdiction over Lt. Col. Romano and should have immediately dismissed the charges . '' The American Civil Liberties Union , a persistent critic of Washington 's extraordinary rendition program , demanded the United States match Italy 's actions . `` The decision in Italy underscores the need for the United States to hold its own officials accountable for crimes committed under the ` extraordinary rendition ' program . It is shameful that the first convictions of this kind came from a foreign justice system , where those convicted are not likely to serve their time , '' said Steven Watt , staff attorney for the ACLU Human Rights Program . Italian authorities originally indicted 26 Americans and five Italians in 2007 for kidnapping in the matter . The Italians included the former head of Italian intelligence , Nicolo Pollari , and one of his deputies . They testified in preliminary hearings that Italian intelligence played no role in the alleged abduction . None of the Americans is in custody in Italy and the Italian government did not ask for their extradition ; they were tried in absentia . Former CIA analyst Michael Scheuer told CNN in the past that the Italian military secret service had approved the operation involving Hassan , and CIA sources who refused to be named told CNN in 2005 that the agency had briefed and sought approval from its Italian counterpart for such an abduction . The Italian government of the day -- which was led by Silvio Berlusconi -- vigorously denied having authorized Hassan 's kidnapping , which it called illegal . Berlusconi has since returned to power . CNN 's Hada Messia in Rome ; Paula Newton in London , England ; and Pam Benson and Jim Barnett in Washington contributed to this report . | Suspected U.S. CIA agents ordered jailed for seizing of suspected terrorist in Milan . Americans are not in custody , but ruling could make them international fugitives . Case centered on `` extraordinary rendition '' of Muslim cleric , who says he was tortured in Egypt . | [[279, 292], [322, 340], [347, 411], [4626, 4670], [787, 898], [899, 901], [957, 990]] |
Havana , Cuba -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Cuba is wrapping up its biggest military exercises in five years , saying it wants to be prepared in the event of a U.S. invasion . Under the watchful eye of Cuban President Raul Castro , the armed forces is ending four days of extensive maneuvers , war-room strategy sessions and military parades across the island . `` This is a necessity of the first order , '' Gen. Leonardo Andollo Valdez said on state television . `` The political , military situation , which characterizes the confrontation between our country and the empire , can go from a relatively normal situation to a much more urgent , confrontational , aggressive one in a month , a week , or even in a night , '' he added . Cuban television broadcast images of camouflaged troops firing from trenches and fighter aircraft dropping bombs . Many of the images are from exercises in previous years . The exercises come amid a slight thaw in relations between the Cold War enemies . President Obama has lifted restrictions on Cuban-American travel and remittances , and the two countries have resumed immigration talks . Obama recently said the United States has no intention of invading the communist island just 90 miles off its coast . But the fear of an attack has been a constant concern here , and not without reason . In 1961 , Washington backed an invasion by Cuban exiles bent on overthrowing Fidel Castro , the brother of Raul Castro and former president of Cuba . They were defeated at the Bay of Pigs , but the United States has maintained an economic embargo , and Fidel Castro has survived numerous attempts on his life . The massive military exercises began in 1980 and have been repeated every few years . The latest maneuvers , called `` Bastion 2009 , '' are the first since Raul Castro succeeded his brother and Obama assumed the White House . Preparations for the exercises began in 2004 , before either was in office . The exercises end Saturday , and on Sunday , Cuba will celebrate Day of Defense . | Nation wrapping up its biggest military exercises in five years . Four days of maneuvers , war strategy sessions , military parades set across island . Cuban TV shows troops firing , aircraft dropping bombs ; many images are from previous years . President Obama recently said the United States has no intention of invading Cuba . | [[33, 97], [1633, 1677], [165, 218], [221, 350], [752, 822], [793, 839], [840, 897], [1118, 1235], [1138, 1235]] |
Katherine Dvorak is a writer for the Daily Collegian , the leading news source for Pennsylvania State University . This article was brought to CNN.com by UWIRE , the leading provider of student-generated content . UWIRE aims to identify and promote the brightest young content creators and deliver their work to a larger audience via professional media partners such as CNN.com . Visit UWIRE.com to learn more . -LRB- UWIRE -RRB- -- A Web site developed this year that allows students to share old exams online is causing debate among professors about its ethical implications . PostYourTest.com creator Demir Oral says the site is a tool for education , not for cheating . PostYourTest.com is an educational tool that lets students anonymously upload materials and tests from their previous and current classes , said Demir Oral , creator of the site . However , there are teachers who do not want their tests to be posted for every student to see . `` I would not be happy if a student who had taken a class of mine had taken an exam and posted it online , '' Sarah Hall , graduate professor of psychology at Penn State University , said . `` I know that some teachers reuse past exams and it would be hard to have to write a new test for every class . '' However , Mary Bojan , professor of chemistry at PSU , said she would n't mind if students posted her tests online . `` For my classes I always write new exams every time , and I would n't object because I have some old exams up online that I 've posted myself , '' Bojan said . Currently , there are no tests online for Penn State University , because the site was developed on the West Coast , Oral said . `` Primarily the main audience is San Diego , but that 's because I 've only advertised around there , '' Oral said . He said he is looking into expanding the site more to include universities and colleges across the country . `` Also , although I am still focused on the United States , in the future I would like to go global , '' Oral said . `` I think it would be really effective worldwide . '' While studying for an exam in the HUB-Robeson Center , Christal Cozier -LRB- senior-nutrition -RRB- said she would consider using the site . `` I think looking at an old exam helps -- it at least gives the student an idea of how the teacher poses questions , '' Cozier said . While she said she would n't go through the trouble of posting a test herself , Cozier said she did n't think students posting old tests online would be a problem . `` Most teachers give out practice exams and old exams anyway , '' she said . `` The only time I would think it would be a problem is if the teacher uses exams more than once . '' In response to criticism of the site from professors , Oral said he wants people to know the site is a tool for education and not a tool for cheating . He added teachers can ban their exams from the site if they do n't want students sharing them online . `` The first professor that banned his exams said he wanted to ban them because he was copyrighting them and publishing them in a book , and that made total sense to me , '' Oral said . Even with the option to ban tests , Tara Chismar said professors may not know the site exists and may not know to ban their exams from it . She said the site might be OK only if students get permission from their teachers to post exams online . Bojan said the biggest problem she saw with students posting material online would be putting up tests the teachers wanted handed back in . `` Common sense needs to come into play with something like this because there 's a student responsibility side to it , '' she said . `` Having access to an exam you 're not supposed to is cheating . '' Students should n't have to rely on old tests online to prepare for an exam from a new teacher , Hall said . `` There are likely a lot of professors who would be happy to give students more of a sense of what the exam is going to be like -- maybe giving them sample questions , '' she said . Bojan warned students should use materials posted online wisely because looking at an exam may not always be the best way to study . `` One problem is old tests may not be the most effective study tool , '' she said . `` By just going off of old exams students are n't learning how to actually do the problems . '' | PostYourTest.com was developed this year , has mostly California tests . Site is causing debate among professors about its ethical implications . Teachers can ban exams from the site if they do n't want students sharing . Looking at an exam may not always be the best way to study , professor warns . | [[1549, 1600], [1603, 1651], [1611, 1651], [1654, 1665], [412, 429], [476, 578], [874, 882], [887, 941], [2839, 2890], [2894, 2941], [4008, 4098], [4159, 4209]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Snow Leopard , the highly anticipated new operating system for the Mac , will be released ahead of schedule Friday , Apple announced Monday . `` Ordered already : I 'm just one of those nut cases , '' one Twitter user wrote about the new release . The Mac OS X Snow Leopard will be available as an upgrade to the current Leopard system for $ 29 and can be pre-ordered now , the company said . `` Snow Leopard builds on our most successful operating system ever , and we 're happy to get it to users earlier than expected , '' said Bertrand Serlet , Apple 's senior vice president of software engineering . `` For just $ 29 , Leopard users get a smooth upgrade to the world 's most advanced operating system and the only system with built-in -LSB- Microsoft -RSB- Exchange support . '' The company said in a news release that , for Snow Leopard , Apple engineers refined 90 percent of the 1,000 projects that currently make up its operating system . Among the anticipated features will be what Apple promises to be faster applications , including e-mail and Web browser Safari 4 , while freeing up 7 GB of drive space , compared with the current system . An upgraded QuickTime system will let users more easily view , record , trim and share video , the company said , and it will include improvements to the system 's iCal calendar , podcast producer and wiki server . The system had been scheduled for a September release date . But speculation in recent days had centered on an earlier release . Apple rival Microsoft is set to release Windows 7 , a new version of its PC operating system , on October 22 . Mac users were reporting that Apple 's online stores were unavailable Monday morning , presumably to add the order page for Snow Leopard . The announcement Monday created the buzz typical of any Apple announcement among the world of devoted Mac users . Both `` Snow Leopard '' and `` Mac OS X Snow '' had become trending topics on Twitter on Monday morning -- with response mostly positive . `` Ordered already : I 'm just one of those nut cases , '' one user wrote . | Mac 's Snow Leopard system to be out weeks ahead of schedule . Apple promises new and faster apps , while saving 7 GB of space . Upgrade available for pre-order : $ 29 for current Leopard users . 90 percent of system 's projects were changed , Apple says . | [[0, 15], [92, 133], [968, 1135], [267, 363], [267, 292], [368, 390], [846, 862], [865, 921]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A fire at a karaoke bar and discotheque in Medan , in Indonesia 's North Sumatra province , killed at least 20 people Friday night , according to a hospital . At least two people survived , according to Aida Sofiati of the Pringadi Hospital in Medan . Sofiati said 20 people were killed . Mohammad Zein , a fire official , said the blaze started around 10 p.m. , but firefighters were able to extinguish it within a half-hour . He said the cause of the fire was not known . | Blaze hits karaoke bar and discotheque in Medan , in North Sumatra province . Medan hospital official says at least two people survived . Fire official : Fire started around 10 p.m. , was extinguished within half-hour ; cause is n't known . | [[0, 15], [152, 177], [178, 206], [178, 197], [209, 270], [308, 321], [342, 379], [386, 446], [447, 492], [455, 492]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Troops in the southern Philippines early Sunday took advantage of martial law to hunt down those believed responsible for last week 's killings there . President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared martial law in the southern province of Maguindanao after 57 people were killed in politically motivated violence . Maj. Randolph Cabangbang , deputy of operations for the Eastern Mindanao command , told CNN on Saturday that searchers have made arrests and recovered firearms and vehicles from a clan implicated in the killings . He said local residents welcome the deployment of the troops . `` We need this because we do not want those who perpetrated the crime to slip out of the province . And we may be having a hard time catching them , '' he said . Army spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. said martial law -- under which police can make arrests without a warrant -- went into effect at 9 p.m. Congress would have to approve any extension beyond 60 days . Brawner said the measure was invoked to impose peace on the region after the unrest , which led to troops being mobilized . `` Life is to resume normally and martial law is established to prevent new violence , with troops on the ground monitoring any possible violence breakout , '' he said . `` But the civilian government will be running the affairs of the province , not a military governor . '' Military police have detained three brothers and their father on suspicion of involvement in the unrest : Akmad Ampatuan , the vice governor of Maguindanao ; Anwar Ampatuan , the mayor of Sherif Auguak , Maguindanao 's capital ; and Zaldy Ampatuan , governor of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao . Andal Ampatuan Sr. , the patriarch , became ill and was hospitalized after he , too , was taken in . `` Local government will function , it will prevent armed groups from wreaking havoc ... and it will allow the officials search and find the guilty parties , '' Brawner said . Security forces on Friday searched the home of Andal Ampatuan Jr. , mayor of Datu Unsay and son of the provincial governor of Maguindanao , according to Brawner . Authorities say Andal Ampatuan Jr. directed the Nov. 23 politically motivated killings . Weapons were found in the house , Brawner said . On Tuesday , Philippine authorities charged Ampatuan and other suspects with 25 counts of murder in the killings . Still more suspects were taken into custody Friday . The Philippine military is investigating its own forces in connection with the case as well , Brawner said . The National Bureau of Investigation has moved a third witness to Manila for questioning , the Philippines News Agency reported Thursday . `` At the moment , we are interviewing the witness so that we would know what he knows about the incident in Maguindanao , '' NBI Director Nestor Mantaring said . The witness claimed to have been at the site during the massacre . `` He is very vital , '' Mantaring said . `` From what I know ... he knows a lot of information regarding the incident . '' Among the victims in the massacre were the wife and sister of political candidate Ismael `` Toto '' Mangudadatu , who had sent the women to file paperwork allowing him to run for governor of Maguindanao . He said he had received threats from allies of Gov. Andal Ampatuan , the father of the accused mayor , saying he would be kidnapped if he filed the papers himself . Witnesses and local officials have blamed the younger Ampatuan , a longtime ally of the Philippines president and a known warlord . They said the killings were an attempt to block Mangudadatu from challenging him in the May gubernatorial election . Also killed were a dozen journalists who had accompanied the women . Group : Philippines most dangerous country for journalists . Asked why martial law was imposed 12 days after the killings , Cabangbang said authorities `` were trying to build a case -- a tight case '' against suspects . `` But it is taking long to build a case , so I think the government gave us a free hand in arresting those who are suspects , and allowed us to search , even without warrant . So we really need this declaration of state of martial law . '' Violence in the run-up to elections is not uncommon in the Philippines . The Maguindanao massacre , however , is the worst politically motivated violence in recent Philippine history , according to state media . Maguindanao is part of an autonomous region in predominantly Muslim Mindanao , which was set up in the 1990s to quell armed uprisings by people seeking an independent Muslim homeland in the predominantly Christian Asian nation . Suspicion fell on Ampatuan after a government construction vehicle was found at the hastily dug mass grave that held the bodies of the massacre victims . CNN 's Talia Kayali contributed to this report . | Searchers make arrests , recover arms from a clan implicated in massacre . Martial law follows killings of 57 last week in Maguindanao province . Several members of powerful Ampatuan political family detained . Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. directed killings , authorities say . | [[335, 354], [413, 514], [508, 543], [97, 170], [171, 281], [272, 329], [3790, 3840], [2123, 2211], [2139, 2211]] |
Moscow , Russia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin sent a strong signal Thursday that he has full hands-on control of his country . As part of his annual town hall forum , Putin spoke for four hours and fielded 80 questions out of 2 million-plus submitted on a live call-in program , `` Conversation With Vladimir Putin -- Continued . '' Responding to a question on whether he had any plans to retire and enjoy the life of an ordinary citizen , Putin tersely replied , `` Do n't count on that . '' And when asked whether he plans to run for the presidency again in 2012 , he said , `` I will think about it . There is plenty of time for that . '' Speaking of his `` tandem '' with President Dmitry Medvedev , Putin said he had `` known him for many years , graduated from the same universities , having been taught by the same professors . '' `` Those common principles allow us to effectively work together , '' he said , responding to the never-ending speculation about which one of the duo is more important and whether a rift between them is possible . Putin juggled a myriad of facts and statistics , giving instructions to subordinates along the way to fix problems , as he responded to questions mostly on Russia 's domestic issues . These covered pensions , medication prices , the overhauling of entire industries and Russia 's accession to the World Trade Organization , Amur tigers and hip-hop music , and everything in between . The program was broadcast live on government television and radio . It marked Putin 's eighth annual year-end `` town meeting , '' first launched in 2001 when he was president . This year 's forum was his second as prime minister . Representatives from all Russian industries as well as university students packed the auditorium in Gostiny Dvor , a large conference hall next door to the Kremlin , where Putin appeared . Putin took questions from the hall 's floor , with live cameras positioned in towns and cities across Russia , and he also responded to phone calls , e-mails and mobile SMS messages . He started off by addressing the issue of terrorism , coming nearly a week after the derailment of a luxury Moscow-St . Petersburg express train , which left 26 people dead and more than 100 injured . Russia 's Federal Security Service said an improvised explosive device , which unknown bombers placed beneath the railroad bed , caused Friday 's derailment . It was the biggest terror act outside Russia 's troubled North Caucasus region since 2004 . `` We did a lot -LSB- in recent years -RSB- to break the backbone of terrorism , but the threat has not been eliminated yet , '' Putin said . `` The entire society , each of us , should be conscious of this threat and be vigilant . '' Addressing the economy , Putin said the peak of the global economic crisis has passed , `` although turbulent trends in the global and , as a result , the Russian economy , are still in place . '' `` It will take time and effort to overcome the crisis , '' he said . The past year has been `` one of the most difficult '' for Russia in this decade , Putin added , saying the 2009 gross domestic product will shrink by 8.5 percent to 8.7 percent . The slump in the country 's industry will be even bigger , he said , around 13 percent , but the projected inflation for 2009 will be lower than in the past year , about 9 percent . The prime minister also cited what he called `` positive developments '' in the Russian economy . He said some industries , such as military hardware production and agriculture , are even growing . In the arena of international politics , Putin told a questioner that he and former President George W. Bush had a good relationship but have not been in touch . The prime minister described Bush as a `` very honest and nice person , '' saying that if the ex-U.S. leader wanted to continue their relationship , he would be glad to do so . Putin 's press secretary , Dmitry Peskov , said the wide range of issues on which Russians posed questions `` provides an excellent instrument for sociological study , and all questions that are being raised , are carefully studied . That -LSB- call-in show -RSB- gives a very reliable sociological survey . '' Putin 's popularity ratings at home demonstrates his political dominance in Russia . Confidence in the prime minister stood at 70 percent , as opposed to 59 percent for Medvedev , according to a recently published opinion poll conducted by Russia 's Public Opinion Foundation . While Putin had his town hall forum , Medvedev was holding meetings in Italy with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Pope Benedict XVI . | Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin dismisses notion of retiring at town hall forum . Putin : `` Common principles '' let him , President Dmitry Medvedev work well together . Putin calls George W. Bush a `` very honest and nice person '' Putin says it will take time to overcome global financial crisis . | [[467, 488], [492, 516], [868, 929], [3744, 3813], [2955, 2983]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A registered sex offender has been indicted on 85 counts -- including aggravated murder , rape and kidnapping -- in the deaths of 11 women whose bodies were found at his home , authorities said Tuesday . In addition , Anthony Sowell , 50 , is charged with `` brutalizing '' three women and raping two of them , Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason said . Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Sowell , Mason said . Sowell is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday . Sowell is now charged with 11 counts of aggravated murder with a `` mass murder specification , '' meaning multiple people were killed in a similar fashion , Mason said . He also is charged with abuse of a corpse , kidnapping and tampering with evidence . The indictment also alleges that Sowell assaulted women on December 8 , 2008 , and on September 22 and October 20 of this year . The September and October victims were raped , and the other woman was punched and choked before she escaped , Mason said . Sowell 's charges in the incidents include attempted murder , rape or attempted rape , kidnapping , robbery and felonious assault . Sowell already faced charges in the September 22 rape and has pleaded not guilty . On October 20 , neighbors reported seeing a naked woman fall from the second floor of his house . Firefighters responded and later notified police . But the woman told officers she fell off the roof while she was at the home `` partying , '' police said earlier . No charges were filed at the time . Mason said , however , that the 51-year-old woman had been invited to Sowell 's home and left , but was lured back in . After being choked and raped , she attempted to escape out a second-floor window as Sowell tried to pull her back in . When he was unsuccessful , he pushed her out , and she lay unconscious in an alley for a while before he pulled her back in the house . Sowell threatened his victims and warned them not to contact police , Mason said . It 's possible there are other victims , he said , and he urged anyone who has not come forward to do so . Sowell `` knew what he was doing was wrong at the time he was doing it , '' Mason said . As of last month , Sowell was on suicide watch at the request of his public defender , Kathleen DeMetz . She had said a psychiatric evaluation of Sowell had been ordered but was unlikely to happen until after an indictment was filed . Cuyahoga County Sheriff Bob Reid said Tuesday that Sowell has been a `` model prisoner , '' is kept in an isolated unit and has declined visitation requests . All of the 11 victims were African-American women , authorities have said . Most of them were strangled by ligature -- which could include a string , cord or wire -- and at least one was strangled by hand , officials said . Seven still had ligatures wrapped around their necks . All that has been found of one woman is a skull that was wrapped in a paper bag and stuffed into a bucket in the home 's basement . Sowell served 15 years in prison for a 1989 attempted rape and was released in 2005 . He was required to register as a sex offender . After the 11 victims were found , police in mid-November used thermal imaging in an attempt to see whether any additional human remains were on the property . They dug certain areas by hand . No more were found . Police and the FBI have said they are looking at the unsolved murders of three women in East Cleveland to determine whether there are similarities with the remains found at Sowell 's home . The inquiry continues , Mason said Tuesday . Police in Coronado , California , have said they are attempting to determine whether Sowell is linked to a 1979 rape there . Though the statute of limitations has expired , authorities said they would like to provide closure to the victim . Neighbors and police have said that women were seen at Sowell 's home from time to time and that he would offer them alcohol . Police said he also might have offered them drugs . In the September assault , the 36-year-old woman told police that she encountered Sowell while walking in his neighborhood and he took her back to his home , where he became violent and raped her , according to prosecutors . `` While raping her , he strangled her with a cord until she lost consciousness , '' authorities said in a statement . `` When she regained consciousness , he let her out of the house . '' | NEW : Indictment includes 11 aggravated murder charges with `` mass murder specification '' Police say they found remains of 11 women after woman reported an assault . Authorities investigating whether Sowell has connections to crimes in Ohio , California . Sowell , registered sex offender , served 15 years in prison for 1989 attempted rape . | [[494, 507], [516, 587], [494, 500], [504, 587], [146, 163], [171, 193], [2977, 3035]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- David Headley , the Chicago , Illinois , man appearing in court Wednesday in connection with terror attacks in India , was born Daood Gilani , the son of a prominent Pakistani broadcaster , according to his half-brother . He grew up in both the United States and Pakistan , with a parent from each country . Headley 's father , Syed Saleem Gilani , was working for the U.S.-government-funded Voice of America when Headley was born in 1960 in Washington , his half-brother Danyal Gilani said in a statement . Headley 's mother was American , and his parents divorced after they moved to Pakistan together , not long after Headley was born , his half-brother said . He did not name the mother . His mother returned to the United States , but Headley remained in Pakistan , his half-brother said , citing `` family elders . '' Headley went to high school at the Hassan Abdal Cadet College in Pakistan , Gilani and an FBI complaint against Headley indicate . At some point after high school , Headley moved back to the United States to be with his mother , and has had little contact with his Pakistani family since then , Gilani said . Gilani last saw Headley , whom he still refers to as Daood , `` when he visited Pakistan a few days after my father 's death , nearly a year ago . '' He got a Social Security number in Pennsylvania sometime in the late 1970s , public records show . He changed his name from Daood Gilani to David Headley on or about February 15 , 2006 , in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , in order to present himself in India as an American who was neither Muslim nor Pakistani , according to the criminal complaint against him . `` His having another name or changing his name at some stage in life has come as a surprise to me . He has four kids and a Pakistani wife who also live in the United States , '' said Danyal Gilani , a public relations officer for the Pakistani prime minister 's office . He issued a long statement last month distancing himself from his half-brother , in response to reports in the Indian press trying to link Headley to Pakistan 's prime minister , whose last name also is Gilani . But Danyal Gilani said his family was not related to the prime minister , Yousuf Raza Gilani . Headley was arrested by federal agents on October 3 in Chicago , accused of helping plan terror attacks against a Danish newspaper that ran cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed , sparking Muslim anger worldwide . He was later linked to the bloody four-day terrorist siege in Mumbai , India , in November 2008 in which 160 people were killed . The Justice Department accuses him of attending terrorism training camps in Pakistan in 2002 and 2003 , and working with the group Lashkar-e-Tayyiba to carry out terror attacks . The United States lists Lashkar as a terrorist organization . India blamed the group for the Mumbai attacks . At the time of his arrest October 3 , Headley was on his way back to India to plan a second attack , a source close to the investigation said . Headley is cooperating with the authorities investigating both terror plots , the Justice Department has said . His lawyer did not dispute that . Abdur Rehman Hashim Syed , a retired major in the Pakistani military , was also charged with conspiracy in planning to attack the Danish newspaper . So was Tahawwur Hussain Rana , whom U.S. authorities identify as a Pakistani native and Canadian citizen who lives mainly in Chicago . Headley said he worked for First World Immigration Services , a company owned by Rana , though authorities have said in court papers that surveillance showed that he `` performs few services '' for the company . CNN 's Reza Sayah in Islamabad , Pakistan , Terry Frieden in Washington , and Kathleen Johnston , Drew Griffin and Amy Roberts in Atlanta , Georgia , contributed to this report . | David Headley appeared in court Wednesday in connection with terror attacks in India . He was born Daood Gilani , according to his half-brother . Gilani was the son of a prominent Pakistani broadcaster , his half-brother said . Headley is accused of attending terrorism training camps and plotting attacks . | [[64, 135], [0, 57], [138, 159], [0, 5], [147, 159], [209, 240], [659, 682], [0, 5], [147, 159], [209, 240], [659, 682], [2242, 2249], [2307, 2372], [2581, 2682]] |
-LRB- OPRAH.com -RRB- -- When I was a teen , I tried to read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica . My goal : Memorize its contents , be on TV game shows , win cash and prizes , run away from home , move to Manhattan and become a professional writer . Instead of focusing on getting Mr. Right , focus on finding Life Plan Right , says author . I got as far as Asparagus . To this day , I know a little about a lot of words beginning with `` A. '' Some favorites : ants , atoms , alchemy . Plus , Aristotle was a childhood crush , because I 've always loved philosophy . When I finished reading his one-page encyclopedic write-up , I bought books about him . I 'd been saving these dog-eared , underlined Aristotle books , as well as the `` A '' book of Britannica , all to be used in a novel , where I 'd been planning to bless my protagonist with the quirky detail of knowing all things `` A. '' I recently rediscovered these Aristotle books when moving apartments . I flipped through and was surprised to discover Aristotle said a lot of the same things about love and happiness as modern psychologists . Only Aristotle obviously said it first , having been born at least 300 years B.C. Plus , Aristotle said it truly wisely . Indeed , much of what Aristotle said hit home big-time -- in particular about a sexy , smart , funny , rich , lying , cheating , do n't - get-me-started Prince Harming I 'd just broken up with . I could almost hear what Aristotle might say to me if we were to chat over souvlaki . ` Sold your soul to be with him ' `` Mea bene , Karen , '' Aristotle would say . `` You know what your problem was with your ex ? He was not your soul mate -- but your ` sold ' mate -- because you sold your soul to be with him . Sure he was sexy , smart , rich , funny -- but alas , he was a liar and a cheat . '' `` You 're an intellectual guy . '' I 'd correct the regaled philosopher called the `` Mind of the Academy '' by Plato . `` I 'm surprised you believe in something as namby-pamby metaphysical as a soul mate ! '' Oprah.com : 10 rules to soul mate love . `` Absolutely ! '' My fave Greek philosopher buddy Ari would respond emphatically . `` Actually , I sort of coined the concept of ` soul mate . ' If there 'd been a little TM trademark thingy back in the 300s B.C. , I 'd be a very rich man today . I firmly believe caretaking the soul is incredibly important for happiness . I describe a soul mate as a ` soul-nurturing mate . ' Someone who nurtures your soul , thereby promoting insight and growth . I pushed folks to find soul mates because , in my opinion , real happiness only comes when you stimulate your core self -- and grow into your highest potential . Basically , the soul is the ultimate G-spot for happiness . '' Of course , I 'm paraphrasing for my philosopher buddy . But if Aristotle were here , I know he 'd agree with my verbal modernization . Plus , Ari would go on to describe how he views the world as offering three kinds of relationships , only one of which brings true happiness . 3 kinds of relationships . According to ancient philosopher Aristotle , there are three kinds of relationships , only one of which will bring you true happiness . Find out how your relationship measures up ! 1 . Relationships of pleasure . Partners who are about sex , drugs and rock 'n' roll . You share soulless , passionate sex and playful banter -- but they 're about the body or ego . They never soul-nurture you with insight and growth , so they never bring real-deal happiness . Oprah.com : How to break your bad man habit . 2 . Relationships of utility . Partners you spend time with in hopes of garnering status , power , money and beauty like the rich guy with a trophy girl . Again , this is about body or ego and does n't bring true joy . 3 . Relationships of shared virtue . Partners who challenge and inspire you to grow into your highest potential and nurture your soul . A good example is when Jack Nicholson 's character in `` As Good As It Gets '' says , `` You make me want to be a better man . '' When you prioritize seeking a partner who supports you becoming your best self -- instead of crushing on `` superficial lures '' -LRB- hotness , funniness , smartness , success , etc. -RRB- -- you wind up with a soul mate/a Prince Charming/a definite keeper ! With this in mind , if you want to be happy in love , you must take time to see past a guy 's `` superficial lures '' and look inside his `` superinsidehimself . '' Unfortunately , those fumes of chemistry can often dizzy a gal into making stupid love choices . That 's why it 's important to remember : Hot , steamy chemistry eventually fades -- and what 's always left beneath is a person 's true soul . Yes , if you want to be happy , you must seek a good-hearted , ethical soul who brings you great growth -- not simply a hottie who brings great grope Oprah.com : The best things to do for your relationship . Confession time : Another superficially alluring quality I 've been suckered in by is humor . I am Silly Putty in a friggin ' funny man 's hands . I once had a boyfriend who teased me that the secret to getting me into bed was to crack five good jokes in a night . He 'd count down his jokes as the night progressed . Unfortunately , funniness is a mere decorative quality -- sometimes developed to avoid talking about real-life issues . Which is why in the past , after a few months of dating a friggin ' funny guy , I 've witnessed all that fabulous ha-ha-ha laughter often gives way to tears when the guy 's true character -- true soul -- shows up as one that avoids honest communication , warm empathy and the desire for growth . Then , when I try to connect soul to soul -- heart to heart -- I am greeted by a gigantic , unmovable whoopee cushion wall . Basically , friggin ' funny is only the tiniest tip of a person . Meanwhile , a person 's soul is a person 's foundation ! For the record : Aristotle was n't against finding someone friggin ' funny or friggin ' sexy or friggin ' rich . He believed these pleasure-bringing qualities were good for stirring up passion , which humans need to be our fullest selves ! But Aristotle recognized `` superficial lures '' and material goods were simply what he called `` means to the ends '' of happiness , not `` the final ends , '' which is always to grow into your most esteemed self . As Aristotle said : `` Men imagine the causes of happiness lie in external goods . That is as if they were to ascribe fine and beautiful lyre playing to the quality of the instrument rather than the skill of the player . '' Or as I like to say , `` It 's just as easy to complain about a rich man as it is to complain about a poor man . '' Basically , it does n't matter how rich a guy is if his behavior makes you twitchy and miserable . While on the subject of money , Aristotle was no fan of slackers either . He recognized that being or dating poor brought its share of problems . He even admitted the lack of a certain amount of wealth was as much an obstacle to happiness as deprivation of freedom . He gladly accepted that some wealth was needed to be happy -- just as exciting bodily pleasures were needed . But again , wealth and bodily pleasures were mere means to the ends of happiness -- these ultimate ends being to nourish your soul , so you can reach your most esteemed level of self . A big secret to happiness ? Stop focusing on finding a Mr. Right ! Start focusing on finding Life Plan Right . When a Mr. Potential Right comes along , you must ask yourself if this guy will lead you to Life Plan Right or Life Plan Wrong . As you get to know the guy , look to see if he : . 1 . Offers you exciting growth as well as exciting grope . 2 . Has developed good character -- so he 'll be a positive influence on your character development . If the guy scores two for two , you 're likely in Prince Charming territory . Oprah.com : What you could learn from dating 100 men . Adapted by Karen Salmansohn from her book , `` Prince Harming Syndrome . '' She is a best-selling author known for creating self-help for people who would n't be caught dead reading self-help . Subscribe to O , The Oprah Magazine for up to 75 % off the newsstand price . That 's like getting 18 issues FREE . Subscribe now ! TM & © 2009 Harpo Productions , Inc. . All Rights Reserved . | Author says ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle 's advice for dating still relevant . `` Soul is the ultimate G-spot for happiness , '' writer translates . Soul mate is someone who nurtures your soul , thereby promoting insight and growth . Pleasure , utility and shared virtue are 3 types of relationships that bring happiness . | [[2700, 2747], [2400, 2451], [2430, 2434], [2435, 2451], [2454, 2461], [2466, 2484], [2454, 2461], [2487, 2525], [3818, 3826], [3845, 3916], [4743, 4839], [7259, 7305], [3785, 3817]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama got some political cover Sunday for his upcoming announcement on sending more troops to Afghanistan . A report released by the Democratic staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee blamed the Bush administration for failing to capture or kill Osama bin Laden when the al Qaeda leader was cornered in Afghanistan 's Tora Bora mountain region in December 2001 . The report , released Sunday , said the situation in Afghanistan presented greater problems today because of the failure to nab bin Laden eight years ago . Bin Laden had written his will , apparently sensing he was trapped , but the lack of sufficient forces to close in for the kill allowed him to escape to tribal areas in Pakistan , according to the report . It said former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and top U.S. commander Gen. Tommy Franks held back the necessary forces for a `` classic sweep-and-block maneuver '' that could have prevented bin Laden 's escape . `` It would have been a dangerous fight across treacherous terrain , and the injection of more U.S. troops and the resulting casualties would have contradicted the risk-averse , ` light footprint ' model formulated by Rumsfeld and Franks , '' the report said . When criticized later for not zeroing in on bin Laden , administration officials , including former Vice President Dick Cheney , responded that the al Qaeda leader 's location was uncertain . `` But the review of existing literature , unclassified government records and interviews with central participants underlying this report removes any lingering doubts and makes it clear that Osama bin Laden was within our grasp at Tora Bora , '' the report said . On Tuesday , Obama will travel to West Point , New York , to announce his decision on a request by his commanding general in Afghanistan for up to 40,000 additional troops . Obama is expected to send more than 30,000 U.S. troops and seek further troop commitments from NATO allies as part of a counterinsurgency strategy to wipe out al Qaeda elements and stabilize the country while training Afghan forces . By releasing the report Sunday , Sen. John Kerry , chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , focused attention on the past failure of the Bush administration to take out bin Laden , saying that had created a greater problem today . `` Our inability to finish the job in late 2001 has contributed to a conflict today that endangers not just our troops and those of our allies , but the stability of a volatile and vital region , '' Kerry , D-Massachusetts , wrote in a letter of transmittal for the report . When Kerry was the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004 , he argued that the Bush administration botched the pursuit of bin Laden and that then-President George W. Bush `` took his eye off the ball '' in Afghanistan to invade Iraq . The accusations were hotly disputed by Bush supporters and Franks . However , Gary Berntsen , the CIA operative who led the pursuit of bin Laden at Tora Bora , said in 2005 that his request for up to 800 U.S. troops to cut off the al Qaeda leader 's escape route was denied . Sen. Richard Lugar , the ranking Republican on the Foreign Relations committee , told CNN 's `` State of the Union '' that the new report `` does serve as a convenient way for , perhaps , Democrats to say once again , there 's another failing of the past administration '' and that `` all the problems have accumulated . '' `` I think we have to accept that there were many failings , '' said Lugar , of Indiana . `` But the problem right now is , what do we do presently ? What will the president 's plan be ? How much confidence do we have in this president and this plan ? '' Democratic Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island , responding to Lugar 's comment , told CNN that Obama faced `` the culmination of decisions that were made eight years '' earlier , which he said `` made the situation much more difficult '' today . According to the report , `` removing the al Qaeda leader from the battlefield eight years ago would not have eliminated the worldwide extremist threat . '' `` But the decisions that opened the door for his escape to Pakistan allowed bin Laden to emerge as a potent symbolic figure who continues to attract a steady flow of money and inspire fanatics worldwide , '' it said . The report called bin Laden 's escape `` a lost opportunity that forever altered the course of the conflict in Afghanistan and the future of international terrorism , leaving the American people more vulnerable to terrorism , laying the foundation for today 's protracted Afghan insurgency and inflaming the internal strife now endangering Pakistan . '' The report also highlighted bin Laden 's will , dated December 14 , 2001 , as an indication of the dire situation he faced . `` Bin Laden expected to die , '' it said , noting that a copy of the will that surfaced later is regarded as authentic . `` Allah commended to us that when death approaches any of us that we make a bequest to parents and next of kin and to Muslims as a whole , '' the report quoted bin Laden 's will as saying , adding that he `` instructed his wives not to remarry and apologized to his children for devoting himself to '' holy war . However , the report said , `` fewer than 100 American commandos were on the scene with their Afghan allies and calls for reinforcements to launch an assault were rejected . '' `` Requests were also turned down for U.S. troops to block the mountain paths leading to sanctuary a few miles away in Pakistan , '' it continued . `` The vast array of American military power , from sniper teams to the most mobile divisions of the Marine Corps and the Army , was kept on the sidelines . Instead , the U.S. command chose to rely on airstrikes and untrained Afghan militias to attack bin Laden and on Pakistan 's loosely organized Frontier Corps to seal his escape routes . `` On or around December 16 , two days after writing his will , bin Laden and an entourage of bodyguards walked unmolested out of Tora Bora and disappeared into Pakistan 's unregulated tribal area . Most analysts say he is still there today . '' | Report released by Senate panel blames Bush officials for bin Laden escape . `` Bin Laden expected to die , '' report says , noting that a copy of his will was found . `` Requests were also turned down for U.S. troops to block the mountain paths , '' report says . | [[148, 309], [1227, 1247], [1684, 1704], [4694, 4704], [4710, 4766], [4819, 4847], [4850, 4860], [4870, 4940], [4850, 4852], [4863, 4940], [5081, 5119], [2945, 2958], [3027, 3142], [5265, 5280], [5283, 5428], [5432, 5509]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After nearly going to war last year over a Colombian military raid inside Ecuador , the two nations seemed to be patching relations when their foreign ministers met a few weeks ago . Then an Ecuadorian judge issued an arrest warrant this week for the head of the Colombian armed forces , pushing relations back one giant step . Colombian Gen. Freddy Padilla , the armed forces chief whose arrest is sought , canceled a meeting scheduled for Friday with Ecuadorian Gen. Fabian Varela . Padilla thought he might be arrested if he traveled to Ecuador . It 's not the first pothole on the path to normalization . Ecuador previously issued an arrest warrant for former Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos , who held the post during last year 's raid . Colombia has dismissed both warrants , saying Ecuador has no jurisdiction to investigate and judge Colombian officials . Analyst Patrick Esteruelas of the Eurasia Group consulting firm calls Ecuador 's actions `` schizophrenic . '' Two former U.S. ambassadors to the area agree this is par for Ecuadorian foreign policy . `` That 's the history of Ecuador , unfortunately , '' said Peter Romero , ambassador to that nation from 1993 to 1996 . `` One step forward , two steps back . '' Myles Frechette , U.S. ambassador to Colombia from 1994 to 1997 , said Friday that `` Ecuador is a specialist in bonehead plays . It has been for years . Nothing 's changed much . '' Former Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Heinz Moeller , who served from 2000 to 2003 , called the arrest warrant `` lamentable . '' `` It 's absurd that these things happen , '' he said Friday . Tension between the two nations has existed for years . The latest enmity started in March 2008 , when Colombia bombed a guerrilla base inside Ecuador . The raid killed a top leader for the Revolutionary Armed Force of Colombia , commonly known as the FARC . The Marxist guerrilla group has been waging war on Colombia since the 1960s and often takes refuge on the Ecuadorian side of the border . At least 25 people were killed , most of them said to be FARC guerrillas . Colombian President Alvaro Uribe hailed the attack , saying `` terrorism ... does not respect borders . '' Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa called the attack `` aggression '' and a `` massacre '' and severed diplomatic relations with Colombia . Both nations went on war footing but stopped short of military action . Over time , tensions seemed to dissipate and Colombian Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez and his Ecuadorian counterpart , Fander Falconi , met last month . After the meeting , Colombia signed a statement saying it would never attack inside Ecuador again . Friday 's meeting between the two nations ' top generals was supposed to further repair the damage . Then came the arrest warrant . What happened ? Perhaps politics . Definitely one branch of the government acting without the consent of the other . Falconi quickly pointed out that the nation 's judicial branch , not Correa 's administration , decided to issue the warrant . Analysts agree that it was n't Correa 's doing . `` That 's not a very coordinated government , '' said Frechette , the former envoy to Colombia . `` The executive branch did n't issue that order . '' Moeller , the former Ecuadorian foreign minister , said the judge who issued the arrest warrant is `` motivated by political criteria . '' `` I do n't have another explanation , '' said Moeller , who also served as president of the Ecuadorian Congress three times . Normalization of relations will be a slow process , Eurasia analyst Esteruelas said . `` We 're going to see a lot of stops and starts , '' he said . Alejandro Santos , editorial director of La Semana weekly news magazine in Colombia , said relations will not improve until the two countries `` can close the chapter '' on last year 's bombing raid . `` That chapter can be closed when the Colombian government promises not to do that . They have done that -LRB- promise -RRB- , '' Santos said . `` Now Ecuador needs to start avoiding those types of judicial measures against Colombian officials . '' Esteruelas said Ecuador felt justifiably aggrieved over the attack and wants to make sure it never happens again . But he also sees another issue at play : Ecuadorian President Correa 's plummeting poll numbers and domestic problems with indigenous movements and other political issues . `` It 's usually convenient to remind everyone that Correa is fighting for Ecuadorian sovereignty , '' Esteruelas said , adding that such nationalism `` resonates very broadly '' across the political spectrum . But Frechette said , `` Correa really does want to reach some kind of agreement . '' The problems between the two nations are long-standing and have a lot to do with the 45-year-old war between Colombia and the FARC . From Ecuador 's perspective , the war has displaced about 250,000 Colombians who have sought refuge in Ecuador . Those refugees need services and jobs , further straining a poor area that 's already on the brink . Ecuador also resents that the FARC have set up camps inside the country , causing security problems for a nation that is not technically at war with the guerrillas . From Colombia 's point of view , Ecuador is not doing enough to combat the FARC and is allowing the guerrillas to have a sanctuary that Colombian troops can not reach . Further complicating the relationship , Ecuador 's Correa is politically aligned with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez , who is no friend of Colombia and its leader , Uribe . Chavez threatened to attack neighboring Colombia after the military raid in Ecuador . `` This has been developing for many years , '' Moeller said . But there are great advantages to normalizing relations , most of them economic . Ecuador , for example , is Colombia 's third-largest export market . Walter Spurrier , president of Grupo Spurrier and director of Weekly Analysis in Guayaquil , Ecuador , and Maria Velez de Berliner , president of the Latin Intelligence Corp. in Alexandria , Virginia , talked with the Inter-American Dialog policy institute last month about Colombia-Ecuador economic activity . `` Re-establishing relations could lead Ecuador to lift sanctions against Colombian products , which forced many small - and medium-sized businesses to collapse on both sides of the border , '' Velez told the Washington-based think tank . Said Spurrier , `` For Colombia , Ecuador is an important market . Not so the other way around . But the goods Ecuador sells Colombia are difficult to relocate to other markets . Ecuador now attempts to sell Libya and Iran the rice it would have otherwise sold Colombia . Also , Ecuadorian importers have to look for other sources . '' Moeller , the former foreign minister , wants normalization to get back on track . `` We have to close the parenthesis , '' he said . `` I hope this passes ... and that they start talking again . '' | Ecuadorian judge issues an arrest warrant for head of Colombian armed forces . Colombian Gen. Freddy Padilla cancels trip to Ecuador for fear of arrest . Tensions between neighbors stem from FARC rebels taking refuge in Ecuador . | [[202, 304], [628, 728], [2780, 2810], [347, 376], [427, 503], [504, 568], [1893, 1920], [1973, 2030], [5253, 5260], [5304, 5350]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thirty years ago Wednesday , Iranian student revolutionaries climbed over the walls of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and seized dozens of Americans , whom they ultimately held hostage for 444 days . The hostage crisis , coming in the aftermath of Iran 's Islamic revolution , ended diplomatic relations between Washington and Tehran -- a rift that persists to this day . Iran celebrates the embassy takeover as an official holiday , and tens of thousands showed up in Tehran on Wednesday to hear anti-American speeches . The anniversary was also an opportunity to reignite the anti-government protests that were sparked in June , following a disputed presidential election , and thousands of anti-government protesters ignored warnings from Iranian authorities to stay home . One of the leaders of the 1979 hostage-takers says the United States and Iran must not be hostages to history . `` I am not willing to be a hostage of that historical event , '' Ebrahim Asgharzadeh said on CNN 's `` Amanpour , '' in an interview marking the anniversary . `` Neither Iran nor the United States should be hijacked by that historical event , '' he said from Tehran , where he went on to become a reformist lawmaker and was himself jailed by the Islamic regime . He said the two sides need to be aware of the past without being imprisoned by it . `` If they do not pay attention to ... history they will have an unstable future , an impermanent future , '' he said . Asgharzadeh said he and his fellow students had been offended that Jimmy Carter , then the U.S. president , had let the deposed Shah of Iran into the United States for medical treatment -- and said the actions of his compatriots had parallels in the United States . `` We felt insulted -- our revolution , our people -- and so there was a rebellion , '' he said through a translator . `` A measure was needed to be taken that was effective , that could impact the world public opinion . `` We were not radical students . We were revolutionary students , in the sense that we were defending our country , our people , our nation , '' he said . `` What the students did for the first two or three days , it was a student activity . It was meant to protest , something that American students did many times on the streets to protest the Vietnam War . '' But John Limbert , a former American hostage , is not convinced by the comparison . `` Whatever they thought they were doing , whether it was a 1970s-style student sit-in , the results of it were very ... different , '' he told Christiane Amanpour . And it was not the American hostages who suffered most , he added . `` They brought misery to the Iranian people . What happened to us was difficult . It was frightening . It was -- it was uncomfortable . But it lasted 14 months and was over , '' he said . `` We certainly did n't expect it to last that long . They have said they did n't expect -LSB- it -RSB- to last that long . But what they did , in effect , was to create a climate of lawlessness and mob rule -LSB- of which -RSB- they and their compatriots are today the greatest victims , '' said Limbert , the author of `` Negotiating with Iran , Wrestling the Ghost of History . '' The hostage crisis escalated beyond what any of the participants expected as Iran 's new revolutionary government publicly backed the hostage-takers , Asgharzadeh and former Carter aide Gary Sick agree . `` That way it became actually an act of the Iranian government , rather than a group of students who were acting potentially outside the law , '' said Sick , who was Carter 's point man on Iran . `` So basically , the situation got out of hand , in terms of being a student activity , '' Asgharzadeh said . `` It became a societal issue backed by the leadership . `` And every day that passed on , things got more complicated . The analysis got more complicated in the White House . They lost their cool . They did n't know what to do . And they faced a challenge by the Iranian revolution and this revolutionary thought . And it reached a point where nobody felt prepared to deal with it , '' the former student revolutionary said . `` And so after a while , both America and Iran were looking for a solution , because both their hands were tied at that stage , but the solution needed to be such that no country would be seen as the loser , '' he said . That impasse still dominates the wary relationship between Tehran and Washington , Amanpour 's guests said . But it is time to call in the Ghostbusters , Limbert said , referring to the popular movie that came out not long after the Americans were finally released . `` You know , they put the ghosts in the can and put the can away . And somehow ... you 've got to do that , '' he said . `` You do n't forget them . You do n't necessarily even ask for an apology . But you look them in the face , you know them for what they are , which is a very ugly and negative act , and then you put them in their proper compartment , '' he advised . But Sick , now a Columbia University professor , said the hostage crisis continues to have ramifications in Washington today . `` The hostage crisis was extended probably eight months beyond what it should have been . No matter how you look at it in terms of Iran 's interests or what have you , they simply could n't make up their mind , '' he said of the regime in Tehran . `` And it has left the impression that , one , Iran ca n't be trusted ; two , that when they negotiate , they negotiate in bad faith ; and , three , that they are paying only attention to their own internal circumstances and ignoring everybody else . `` That is a legacy that we live with and even people who do n't remember the hostage crisis at all still have that image of Iran that was created in those days that has not gone away , '' he said . | One hostage-taker says 1979 embassy takeover was protest by angry students . Former hostage says the event `` brought misery to the Iranian people '' All sides tell CNN the legacy of the hostage crisis still affects U.S.-Iran relations . Amanpour airs at 3 p.m. ET daily on CNN International and 2 p.m. ET Sunday on CNN USA . | [[2644, 2687], [215, 233], [292, 348], [4375, 4455]] |
ISLAMABAD , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Back-to-back suicide bombings killed at least five people at a university here Tuesday and wounded nearly two dozen , authorities said . Police investigators collect evidence at the suicide blast site at Islamic International University in Islamabad . The explosions occurred at the International Islamic University in the Pakistani capital , said police official Bin Yamin . Naeem Iqbal , Islamabad police spokesman , said three men and two female students were killed , and 22 people were injured . At least four of the injured were in critical condition , said Altaf Hussein , a doctor at a hospital . All the victims are between the ages of 18 and 25 . Usman Virk , a student , said he heard one explosion in the men 's section of the university , followed by a blast in the cafeteria in the women 's section of the university . Watch more about the attacks '' Virk said he saw several injured students with blood-soaked clothes being taken away by rescue crews . More than 12,000 foreign and local students , including 5,500 women , are enrolled in the 29-year-old university . The university Web site describes the school as a `` unique center of learning in the Muslim world which strives to combine the essentials of the Islamic faith with the best of modern knowledge . '' In recent weeks , Pakistan has been relentlessly rocked by a wave of suicide attacks as Islamic militants retaliate against a military offensive to rout insurgents operating along the Pakistan-Afghan border . On Friday , a suicide car bomber detonated near a police station in Peshawar , the capital of the North West Frontier Province . The blast killed at least 13 people , most of them civilians . A day earlier , militants attacked two police training centers and the country 's Federal Investigation Agency in Lahore in eastern Pakistan . At least 30 Pakistani police officers and civilians were killed in those attacks . At least 10 attackers also died . And on October 10 , militants held dozens of hostages for 22 hours inside an army headquarters in Rawalpindi , which neighbors Islamabad . Eleven military personnel , three civilians , and nine militants were killed in the siege . CNN 's Reza Sayah contributed to this report . | All the victims of the attack are between the ages of 18 and 25 . Took place outside International Islamic University in Islamabad . More than 12,000 foreign and local students are enrolled at university . Pakistan rocked by series of suicide attacks in wake of its Taliban offensive . | [[645, 696], [177, 291], [292, 380], [1008, 1075], [1078, 1122], [1322, 1337], [1340, 1406]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The news was devastating , the aftermath surreal . Diena Thompson clutched a tissue in her right hand , frequently wiping her eyes as she told reporters that she could n't believe it was her daughter whose body was found in a Georgia landfill . Her visage revealed the weight of grief and a yearning for justice . Standing outside her home in Orange Park , Florida , Thompson looked into the camera and , with her voice cracking , sent out a stern warning to her daughter 's killer . `` I want you to know that I will not sleep until this person is found . I hope they get you , and I hope they make you pay for a long , long time . You do n't take from somebody . You did n't just take her from me . You took her from my family ; you took her from all these people . And you do n't do this to a little baby and put my baby in the trash like she 's nothing . That 's not OK , this is not OK . '' The body of her daughter , 7-year-old Somer Thompson , was found in a South Georgia landfill , Clay County , Florida , Sheriff Rick Beseler said Thursday . On Monday , Somer became separated from her siblings and schoolmates on her way home from school in Orange Park . She was seen in a fight at school before disappearing , according to a police report Thursday . Her 10-year-old sister told police that Somer had gotten into a fight with another girl at school earlier in the day . The sister said she brought up the fight while she and her brother walked Somer home from school , and that Somer ran off from them , apparently upset . The sister said she lost sight of Somer in a group of other kids leaving the school , according to the police report . A medical examiner in Savannah , Georgia , used dental records to identify the body positively as Somer 's , said Clay County Sheriff 's Office spokeswoman Mary Justino . The sheriff told the girl 's mother Wednesday night that her daughter had been identified . Thompson was devastated , he said . `` It was the hardest phone call I 've ever had to make in my life , and I hope I never have to make another one like that , '' Beseler said at a Thursday news conference . Authorities are turning their full attention to finding the child 's killer . The landfill where her body was found is near Folkston , Georgia , 55 miles north of where the girl became separated from her schoolmates . Authorities will work to pinpoint where the garbage load that contained the girl 's body came from , Beseler said . The garbage brought into that part of the landfill was collected in the Orange Park area , he has said , noting that authorities routinely search garbage when a missing person case has been initiated . The investigation has turned into a murder probe . `` There is a child killer on the loose , '' the sheriff said . `` I fear for our community until we bring this person in . '' Investigators in Georgia are combing through a `` tremendous mountain '' of garbage at the landfill , searching for clues , said Justino , the sheriff 's office spokeswoman , on Friday . Some possible evidence has been removed from the landfill , but authorities wo n't describe what they found , Justino said . Police have no suspects , she said . She said other law enforcement teams are focusing on the locale where the child apparently was last seen . Justino said witnesses , including some children , saw her on the sidewalk in front of a vacant house under renovation after a fire . `` Since Monday , we have been trying to figure out who frequents that area , '' including anyone working on the home , she said . Rewards totaling $ 30,000 have been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible . Justino said of the 810 leads called in to a tip line , 231 were being actively pursued by a group of 50 detectives . Overnight , detectives finished interviewing 90 registered sex offenders or predators within a five-mile radius of the Thompson home , the spokeswoman said . Somer 's family was making funeral arrangements Friday , Justino said , and many in the community had offered to help financially . `` There has been an outpouring of support from the community , '' she said . CNN 's Maria P. White contributed to this report . | Body found in landfill identified as Somer Thompson , using dental records . Somer , 7 , was in school fight on day of disappearance , police report says . Grieving mother 's message to killer : `` I hope they get you '' Police have no suspects in killing of Florida girl , official says . | [[199, 263], [915, 939], [959, 1046], [1672, 1702], [1715, 1778], [1185, 1238], [1185, 1188], [1241, 1280], [1281, 1399], [1316, 1399], [376, 383], [450, 502], [3170, 3193]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee on Tuesday said he accepts `` full responsibility '' for granting clemency in 2000 to a man authorities say gunned down four Lakewood , Washington , police officers Sunday . Maurice Clemmons , 37 , was shot and killed early Tuesday by Seattle police . He was the subject of a two-day manhunt after the four officers were killed at a coffee shop as they met before their shifts began Sunday morning . Clemmons had a criminal history in Arkansas and Washington . In May 2000 , Huckabee commuted his 108-year prison sentence to make him immediately eligible for parole , which was granted by the parole board two months later . Clemmons had been sentenced to 95 years , to run after time he was already serving on previous convictions . In a statement on the conservative news Web site Newsmax.com , Huckabee wrote that he commuted Clemmons ' sentence from 108 years to 47 years . Reports that he had pardoned Clemmons or set him free were erroneous , he said . `` I take full responsibility for my actions of nine years ago , '' Huckabee said . `` I acted on the facts presented to me in 2000 . If I could have possibly known what Clemmons would do nine years later , I obviously would have made a different decision . But if the same file was presented to me today , I would have likely made the same decision . '' But the Arkansas prosecutor who put Clemmons behind bars told CNN on Tuesday that Huckabee was issuing clemency at `` an astounding rate '' during his tenure as governor . `` He was exercising the clemency power at what I call a wholesale rate , '' Larry Jegley said . `` He was letting murderers out , he was letting rapists out , and he was letting the likes of Mr. Clemmons out . '' One survey , he said , showed Huckabee issued more clemencies from 1996 to 2004 than the governors of all six surrounding states , including Texas . He said he did n't know why so many clemencies were granted . `` That was part of the frustration that we felt with the entire process . ... We never felt as though he gave victims , their families , jurors , law enforcement and the community in general an adequate explanation as to why he felt compelled to let people of proven danger go in our community . '' Huckabee was a Republican presidential candidate in the 2008 election and has not ruled out another White House bid in 2012 . During his 2008 campaign , he was criticized for granting clemency to another inmate , convicted rapist Wayne DuMond , who was later convicted of raping and murdering a woman in Missouri . `` Between 1,000 and 2,000 requests for some form of clemency came to my desk each and every one of the 10 1/2 years I was governor , '' Huckabee said Tuesday . `` Ninety-two percent of the time , I denied the requests . '' He noted that in Arkansas , a governor does not initiate a sentence change -- the Post Prison Transfer Board makes a recommendation to the governor after reviewing an inmate 's file . The governor then can grant or deny it . Clemmons was 16 when he was charged with robbery and burglary . `` For the crimes he committed and the age at which he committed the crimes , -LSB- a 108-year sentence -RSB- was dramatically outside the norm for sentencing , '' Huckabee said . The board unanimously recommended that the sentence be commuted . Jegley said that while in prison in Arkansas , Clemmons had a disciplinary record for violent incidents , and that something should have tipped off the board or the governor that `` this man was not a good candidate to be put back in society , because he could n't live in the cloistered environment of prison and stay out of trouble . '' Watch what Jegley has to say . In the case of any form of clemency -- a commutation or a full pardon -- notice is given to the prosecutor , the judge , law enforcement officials , the attorney general and the secretary of state , as well as the media , for a public response period , Huckabee said . `` The only record of public response to the notice to commute was from the trial judge , who recommended the commendation in concert with the board . '' Jegley told CNN he was not notified of the commutation , but he does n't `` attribute that to something sinister . ... I just think that maybe the system fouled up and did n't get notification out to all the parties who were interested in it , my office included . '' Clemmons was returned to prison after violating his parole , Huckabee said . He `` should have stayed there . For reasons only the prosecutor can explain , charges were not brought forth in a timely way and the prosecutor ended up dropping the charges , allowing him to leave prison and return to supervised parole . '' He noted that Clemmons , who had been picked up again in Pierce County , Washington , was released on bail there only days before the officers were slain . `` I ca n't explain why he was n't prosecuted properly for the parole violations or why he was allowed to make bail in Washington state and not incarcerated earlier for crimes committed there , '' the former governor wrote . On Sunday , Huckabee 's office issued a statement saying that if Clemmons was `` found responsible for this horrible tragedy , it will be the result of a series of failures in the criminal justice system in both Arkansas and Washington state . '' Police responded sharply to that statement . `` We 're disappointed that Governor Huckabee came out in the middle of the night without calling anybody here and blamed this on the criminal justice system in the state of Washington , '' Pierce County Sheriff 's Department spokesman Ed Troyer said . `` We 're guessing that 's probably a spin doctor , not him . '' Huckabee wrote of Clemmons , `` I wish his file had never crossed my desk , but it did . The decision I made is one that I now wish were different , but I could only look backwards at his case , not forward . None of this is of any comfort to the families of these police officers , nor should it be . Their loss is senseless . ... Our system is not perfect , and neither are those responsible for administering it . `` The system , and those of us who are supposed to make sure it works , sometimes fail , '' Huckabee said . `` In this case , we clearly did . '' | Man accused of killing 4 Washington officers had criminal history in Arkansas , Washington . In 2000 , Huckabee commuted his 108-year prison term , making him eligible for parole . Man who put suspect behind bars said Huckabee issued clemency at `` an astounding rate '' Huckabee : I `` acted on the facts presented to me in 2000 , '' denied 92 % of clemency requests . | [[140, 227], [454, 514], [739, 753], [762, 787], [515, 526], [529, 566], [576, 619], [1372, 1395], [1425, 1539], [1543, 1611], [1767, 1774], [1777, 1902], [1100, 1120], [1111, 1146], [2777, 2800]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Fort Drum soldier has been arrested in the deaths of two fellow soldiers found stabbed in an apartment near the upstate New York military base , the Jefferson County Sheriff 's Office said . The suspect , Joshua Hunter , 20 , is being held at an undisclosed location in Ohio after being charged with two counts of second degree murder , Undersheriff Tim Dowe told CNN . The sheriff 's office identified the victims as Spc. Waide T. James , 20 , of Cocoa , Florida , and Spc. Diego A. Valbuena , 23 , of Port St. Lucie , Florida . The two men were found dead with multiple stab wounds Tuesday in an apartment at Meadowbrook Apartments in LeRay , New York , Dowe said . The complex houses mostly military families near the main entrance of Fort Drum , he said . The motive is unknown at this time , Dowe said . Sheriff 's deputies were called to the apartment complex after the soldiers were reported missing for duty , but the sheriff 's office could not say when that report was filed . James and Valbuena , who joined the Army in 2007 , worked as motor transport operators with the Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion , 10th Mountain Division , according to a Fort Drum press release . Both had served in Iraq , it said . Police and Fort Drum officials would not release information about the suspect , including his rank or relationship to the victims . CNN 's Evan Buxbaum contributed to this report . | Soldier Joshua Hunter , 20 , charged with two counts of second degree murder . Two soldiers were found stabbed at apartment near Fort Drum base . Victims identified as Spc. Waide T. James , and Spc. Diego A. Valbuena . | [[221, 232], [256, 364], [83, 132], [83, 102], [109, 172], [560, 621], [400, 547]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Soupy Sales , a comedian from the golden era of television , died Thursday . He was 83 . The funny man seen many times on popular game shows died at a New York hospice , said Paul Dver , Sales ' longtime friend and manager . `` We have lost a comedy American icon , '' Dver said . `` I feel the personal loss , and I also feel the magic that he had around him being gone . That 's a much more severe loss than a loss of a friend . '' Sales was known for his long-running children 's show `` Lunch With Soupy Sales , '' which started in 1953 and began his trademark slapstick pie-throwing antics . The comedy show featured skits that culminated in Sales getting walloped with pies in the face . What are your memories of Sales ? `` Soupy was the last of the great TV comics when you talk about Ernie Kovacs , Red Skelton , right down to Howdy Doody , '' Dver said . `` But it was bigger than that , because he used a children 's format aimed at the kids and then he would forget he was doing a kids ' show and do a wild , unrehearsed , wacky improv for a half-hour every day for 15 years . '' He could also inflame the authorities . One New Year 's Day , upset at being asked to work , he asked his youthful audience to send him those `` green pieces of paper '' from their parents ' wallets . Though he did n't receive much -- he told The New York Times he received only a few dollars -- he was suspended for a week for the prank . Later in his career , he was a regular on TV game shows , such as `` Hollywood Squares , '' `` To Tell the Truth '' and `` What 's My Line ? '' Sales recently fell backstage at a local Emmy awards show in New York and developed serious ailments after that , Dver said . | `` We have lost a comedy American icon , '' says comedian 's friend and manager . He was known for his long-running children 's show `` Lunch With Soupy Sales '' Fans of the show anticipated his trademark pie-in-face gag . Sales also seen on `` To Tell the Truth '' and `` What 's My Line ? '' | [[108, 153], [189, 243], [244, 282], [453, 506], [1574, 1591]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Transportation Security Administration Tuesday said it is launching a `` full review '' of an incident in which the agency posted on the Internet a sensitive manual outlining screening procedures for law enforcement officers , diplomats , prisoners , federal air marshals and others . In a statement Tuesday night , the TSA sought to minimize the impact of the unintentional release -- calling the document `` outdated , '' `` unclassified '' and unimplemented -- while saying that it took the incident `` very seriously , '' and `` took swift action '' when it was discovered . Congressional critics , meanwhile , lambasted the agency and called for an independent investigation . `` Undoubtedly , this raises potential security concerns across our transportation system , '' House Homeland Security Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson , D-Mississippi , and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee , D-Texas , wrote in a letter to TSA Acting Administrator Gale Rossides . Sen. Susan Collins , R-Maine , the ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee , called the release of the information `` shocking '' and reckless . `` This manual provides a road map to those who would do us harm , '' she said . At issue is a 93-page manual giving instruction to airport screeners on how to screen individuals . It also gives details on how screening is conducted and the limitations of X-ray machines . The TSA posted the manual on a Federal Business Opportunities Web site that provides information for government contractors and redacted sensitive parts . But the redacted information was not properly protected , and the information was restored by people familiar with the computer program . The TSA said the posted manual -- dated May 28 , 2008 , with an implementation date of June 30 , 2008 -- was never implemented and has been revised six times , although it did not elaborate on the extent of the revisions . `` While the document does demonstrate the complexities of checkpoint security , it does not contain information related to the specifics of everyday checkpoint screening procedures , '' the TSA said Tuesday . `` The traveling public should be assured that appropriate measures have been put in place to ensure the continued implementation of a strong security screening program , '' it said . The TSA said it removed the report as soon as it learned of the problem . But it was too late . The full , un-redacted version of the report appeared on at least one Web site on Sunday , and was even more widely distributed on Tuesday . | TSA said posted document is `` outdated , '' `` unclassified '' and unimplemented . Congressional critics called for independent investigation . TSA posted the manual and redacted sensitive parts . Redacted information was not properly protected , information was restored . | [[350, 357], [420, 452], [428, 440], [442, 452], [455, 457], [2120, 2145], [613, 634], [674, 715], [125, 136], [146, 318], [1449, 1490], [1496, 1574], [1420, 1427], [1548, 1574], [1579, 1630]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Justice Antonin Scalia is a conservative in thought , but not in personality . A new biography of the colorful Supreme Court jurist paints a complete picture of his enormous ongoing influence on the law and society . `` American Original : The Life and Constitution of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia '' -LRB- Farrar , Straus , Giroux -RRB- offers the first comprehensive look at the first Italian-American on the high court , and the rhetorical battles he has waged on the court and off . CNN spoke with Joan Biskupic , the book 's author , who also is a reporter for USA Today . Biskupic has covered the high court for two decades , holds a law degree from Georgetown University and has also written a biography of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor . CNN : Justice Scalia has a certain public image in the minds of many Americans . You 've known him for years and interviewed him several times for this book . Is he the same in private ? Biskupic : He 's a lot more of himself in private . He actually is very confrontational behind the scenes , just as he is in public . He 's very defiant . But he also can be quite funny , quite casual , generous and decent . His best friend on the bench is Justice -LSB- Ruth Bader -RSB- Ginsburg -LSB- a low-key , liberal justice but , like Scalia , a native New Yorker who loves opera -RSB- . He 's many things . He 's very consistent on the law , but he 's a lot of things in terms of his personality . CNN : He has told me that one of the happiest times in his career was in the executive branch , where he said that 's where the action was , instead of serving on the bench . Biskupic : Remember what it was like working in the -LSB- Department of Justice 's -RSB- Office of Legal Counsel in the post-Watergate era -LSB- in the Nixon and Ford administrations -RSB- . It was an exciting job for him , there was a lot of tension , and conflicts with the legislative branch . He really thrived on that . At a time when many Republican lawyers were trying to get out of the Nixon administration , as Watergate was moving to a climax , he was trying to move up and be promoted . He sparred with Democratic lawmakers , and was trying to exert executive privilege claims , when that was a dirty word in the wake of Watergate . CNN : Growing up , you describe `` Nino '' -- as his friends and family call him -- as something of a golden child . Biskupic : I 'd always known he was an only child , who , interestingly , later went on to have nine children , but I did n't know he was the only offspring of his generation from two immigrant Italian families . For his parents and his aunts and uncles , he was the center of their universe , but it put a burden on him to perform , to be this special child . I found the conflicts in terms of being a product of two different families continue to reveal himself . The father was quite cerebral , was a professor , always had his nose in a book , he did n't abide any kind of silliness . And his mother 's side was much more flamboyant . You had these contrasting families , and , as I write in the book , he learned to deal with conflict and tension early on in his life , and went on to readily generate it as an adult . CNN : Many conservatives worship Scalia , and yet you suggest his influence has not had as far-reaching an effect inside the high court as many believe it to be . How do his colleagues view him ? Biskupic : I talked to his colleagues about where he 's at . Justice -LSB- John Paul -RSB- Stevens says he is committed -- some of his impact made a huge difference , some of it unfortunate . Stevens , the senior liberal , has dueled with Justice Scalia dozens of times , from Bush v. Gore -LSB- the 2000 presidential election dispute -RSB- to recent dilemmas testing the Guantanamo detainees . Justice Ginsburg , his closest friend on the court , sees his influence beyond the marble walls , and that 's the way I 've been mostly viewing him until the recent terms . He is influential with conservative acolytes . Within the court , he certainly alienated -LSB- now-retired Justice Sandra Day -RSB- O'Connor , Justice -LSB- Harry -RSB- Blackmun , and in some ways Justice -LSB- Anthony -RSB- Kennedy . It made his influence rather slight for years -- he really did n't want to deal , to negotiate with his colleagues in rulings . Despite a charming personality in many ways , he told me he had nothing to trade . He was just plain firm about where he wanted to go , and he would n't settle for half a loaf . The addition of Chief Justice -LSB- John -RSB- Roberts and Justice -LSB- Samuel -RSB- Alito on the bench allowed him to win more . And in recent terms , there has a been a culmination , a resurgence , on what he is able to do , now with the -LSB- conservative -RSB- bodies coming on the court to support him . But he told me he was still not satisfied . `` The wins , '' he told me , `` Damn few . '' CNN : In his bright , bold opinions , what is he trying to accomplish ? Does he reach for broader audience ? Biskupic : Look at 1996 's Romer v. Evans -- the gay rights case . He lost on that one , and his dissent was written for consumption way beyond the court . It was a complete battle cry . He lashes out at the court for placing what he said was `` the prestige of this institution behind the proposition that opposition to homosexuality is as reprehensible as racial or religious bias . '' This dissent became more of a story than the opinion itself . People were reading it and giving it airspace , and that 's what he wanted . That was his style of most of the '90s : Get as much attention as possible , because he was in dissent so much in big cases . Now , in the recent Heller case case -LSB- where Scalia wrote the main opinion striking down Washington , D.C. 's , strict handgun ban -RSB- , he was not going able to write an opinion as boldly as he may have wanted , in terms of some of the zingers that he packs into his other opinions , because he has to keep his majority . But he still will not mince words if he is in dissent , because he knows journalists , law students , policy makers will all pay attention , and it will influence people down the road . CNN : And yet controversy seems to dog him , including the duck hunting trip he took with Vice President -LSB- Dick -RSB- Cheney at a time the high court was considering an appeal from Cheney 's office ; and a hand gesture Scalia made outside a Catholic church some interpreted as obscene . Biskupic : I do n't think he cares . He 's got these intense feelings he 's not going to keep in check . CNN : What prompted this project , and what do you want readers to know about Justice Scalia ? Biskupic : I found most of what was written about him was either one side or the other -- screeds easily from the left and embraces easily from the right . And I thought there was so much to his background that was worth revealing in an objective way , to see what he was all about : How Scalia became Scalia . He was really part of the conservative moment we saw in the 1980s . Young lawyers at the time like John Roberts and Samuel Alito embraced his theories , and look where they ended up . CNN : In your interviews with him and his family , did you expect that level of cooperation ? Biskupic : No , I did n't . In the beginning , he said he would encourage colleagues to talk to me , but he did n't want to sit and talk on the record . But he soon became quite intrigued at my research into his family , immigration records and such . And I 'd be at my desk , and he 'd be calling me , asking me what I found out about his ancestors . So those later , extensive interviews made this book . CNN : There is a challenge about writing on the often cloistered world of the Supreme Court , these personalities that remain below the radar for most people . Biskupic : I wanted a book that would demystify him , and make people understand him . I wanted readers to know : This is your court , you should know about these people and what they 're up to . But it is tough , it 's so hard to get information about the institution that does n't have to do with the precise words on the rulings . And it 's fun to dig up this background , and get in with these justices and talk with them one-on-one . I was so grateful to speak with Justices Stevens , Ginsburg and even Justice -LSB- Clarence -RSB- Thomas , who all shared great stories and offered their insights into Justice Scalia . | Biography looks at conservative , confrontational jurist 's influence on law , society . Author describes Scalia as a product of contrasting families who has thrived on conflict . She says Scalia 's best friend on court is Ruth Bader Ginsburg , a low-key , liberal justice . Author says she wanted a book that would demystify Scalia , make people understand him . | [[109, 246], [1961, 1988], [2786, 2861], [2826, 2890], [3064, 3098], [3107, 3129], [3132, 3197], [1208, 1313], [7890, 7930], [7879, 7887], [7890, 7891], [7937, 7965]] |
Colombo , Sri Lanka -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sri Lanka 's opposition presidential candidate accused the incumbent of intimidation , as early returns reported by state-run TV SLRC showed President Mahinda Rajapaksa leading the race . Candidate Gen. Sarath Fonseka accused Rajapaksa of intimidation during the country 's first peacetime presidential election in more than two decades and said his staff had received threatening phone calls . Army soldiers and commandos tried to enter the Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel shortly after Fonseka and opposition party members arrived Tuesday , the former general told CNN . His security forces told the soldiers they could not enter the building , so they stayed outside , Fonseka said . Fonseka said he was not leaving the hotel , citing the armed soldiers outside . Several dozen armed soldiers lined the street of the Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel and surrounding area , checking cars driving up to the building in the nation 's capital , Colombo . `` He 's ignoring the constitution to remain in power , '' Fonseka said of ally-turned-rival Rajapaksa . There was no immediate reaction from Rajapaksa 's government in response to Fonseka 's claims . The presidential election is the first since government forces put down a 26-year insurgency by Tamil Tiger rebels . And controversy mounted as vote tallying began . Earlier Tuesday , top politicians vowed to block Fonseka from taking office if he won because he is not eligible to vote . The government will fight the commissioner of elections in the Supreme Court on the issue of Fonseka 's eligibility , Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama vowed . Fonseka admits he is not registered to vote ; 14 million Sri Lankans are eligible . What will Sri Lankan election mean ? Rajapaksa and Fonseka have waged a bitter battle against each other . Both men say they are winning the election . But early returns showed Rajapaksa was leading in the race , state-run television SLRC reported . Fonseka broke ranks with the Rajapaksa administration after he was elevated to the largely ceremonial post of chief of defense staff in July , following his retirement 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 . The general is riding a wave of popularity after he led a military campaign to crush Sri Lanka 's Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam . The Tamil Tigers , as they are known , fought a brutal war for decades against the government and controlled large swathes of territory at the height of their power . Rajapaksa also claims war-hero status with the win against the Tamil Tigers last May . He is seeking a fresh mandate for his government , advocating for more development programs and jobs . And in his revised booklet , `` Mahinda Chinthanaya '' -LRB- `` Thoughts of Mahinda '' -RRB- , he campaigns to ensure a `` better tomorrow . '' But in the lead-up to the election , the island nation just south of India has become host to escalating violence . Three and a half hours before Sri Lankans headed to the polls , explosions that residents said sounded like mortar fire were heard . While it was unclear what Tuesday 's explosions were , there have been more than 700 reports of violence ahead of the election , and at least our deaths reported , said Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu of the Center for Policy Alternatives , a branch of the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence . 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 , the center said . The spokesman for United Nations 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 : Early returns show Rajapaksa leading , state-run TV SLRC reports . Fonseka accuses Rajapaksa of intimidation . Politicians vow to block Fonseka , saying he is not registered to vote . Presidential election is first since government forces put down 26-year insurgency . | [[129, 172], [180, 226], [1869, 1946], [1869, 1899], [1926, 1962], [10, 13], [86, 123], [227, 375], [1361, 1418], [1422, 1465], [227, 375], [1177, 1293], [1222, 1293]] |
Las Vegas , Nevada -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than 37 million people visit Las Vegas each year for its glitz , glamour and lure of hitting a jackpot . Yet few tourists ever see the dingy world beneath the bright lights : tunnel dwellings that have become home to those down on their luck . Steve Dommer and his girlfriend , Kathryn , live in the depths below the Vegas Strip . They created an elaborate 400-square-foot space , complete with a living room , bedroom , kitchen and workshop to fix bicycles . Everything is elevated off the floor with wooden pallets or milk crates because of potential flooding . Their prized possession is a queen-sized bed , found in a Dumpster near the Palms Casino Resort . `` I like to be able to come back and sleep as comfortably as possible , '' Dommer said , patting his bed . By day , he scrounges for change above ground . He 's been living down below for two years . He lost his construction job because of an addiction to speed and heroin . The couple is not alone in the city 's tunnels . `` Hundreds of people live in these tunnels , '' says journalist Matthew O'Brien . O'Brien has become an expert on the more than 300 miles of underground flood channels and its tunnel dwellers . O'Brien brought the homeless to light , first in articles for the alternative weekly newspaper , Las Vegas CityLife , and then in a book titled `` Beneath the Neon : Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas . '' O'Brien noted the irony of one tunnel entrance near the famous `` Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas '' neon sign . `` I just think the history of Vegas PR is to ignore the bad issues , '' he said . `` The instinct of the city -- and the county -- is to ignore stuff that can be construed as negative press and kind of highlight other things about the city . '' The number of those living in the storm drains varies by the season , O'Brien said . The tunnels become damp and cold in the winter , but hundreds flock into them during the summer to escape the 100-degree desert temperatures . `` It 's much cooler than outside , about 20-25 degrees cooler , and that 's one reason why someone would live or hang out in these tunnels , '' O'Brien said . Armed with a black metal flashlight , O'Brien took CNN on a tour of four tunnels . Each tunnel was different ; their heights ranged from 4 to 12 feet . Some intersected underground ; others had small openings to access parallel tunnels . It was pitch black much of the time . `` After you 've done it a few hundred times like I have , you can walk down here without any light at all , '' said tunnel dweller Steve Dommer . O'Brien said he 's always `` a little bit on edge '' when he climbs into the underground world . `` You never know what to expect or what you 're going to find down here , '' he said . If legend is to be believed , a troll armed with a crowbar combs the tunnels . Even if it 's not true , O'Brien said , it still haunts him . `` A lot of the people ... have their own ghost stories about a friend who was murdered in the tunnels or someone who drowned and they hear their voices late at night , '' O'Brien said . `` It is true that you do hear some weird noises down here because of the acoustics . '' Some of the channel floors are covered with dust , others mud , and , in one section , a foot of stagnant water . There are sleeping bags and mattresses , some with makeshift canopies , but they seemed outnumbered by the trash , scraps of food , cockroaches and graffiti . Upon hearing our footsteps , some vagrants scattered from their makeshift shelters , not knowing if we were marauders or the police who sometimes come through to chase the homeless out . O'Brien introduced us to a man known in these parts as `` Iron , '' who has lived in the flood channel system for six years . Iron had sun-baked skin and wore a cap reading `` Jackpot ! '' The recovering alcoholic said he makes ends meet receiving tips for pumping gas or cleaning windshields at a nearby service station . He lives near the entrance of a tunnel across the highway from the Excalibur and Luxor hotel-casinos . `` You 'd be surprised at night the view you have right here , '' Iron said . `` People pay a lot of money in the suites to have views of the Strip . I get it every night for free . '' He sleeps about 10 feet from the entrance of a four-foot high tunnel . It does n't rain often . But when it does , the floodwaters carry away anything in its path . `` I live pretty simple now after replacing things for six years . '' Over in another Vegas flood channel , a homeless man named Michael sat with his bags packed ready to leave his tunnel dwelling , about 200 feet from the entrance . The 52-year-old said police came through two days earlier encouraging people to leave . He sat on a mattress wearing khaki pants and a short-sleeve collared shirt . He said crack cocaine abuse led him on a dark path into the storm drains . He 's hoping to leave soon . `` After 30 years of wasting time and money , 30 years of drug use , I want my life back , '' he said . `` I want to get up and lead a productive life again . '' To that end , O'Brien is helping . That was one of his goals when he began his journey -- to find a way to help the tunnel dwellers . He became partners with the charitable outreach organization HELP of Southern Nevada to form the `` Shine A Light '' foundation . O'Brien escorts social workers into the storm drains twice a month to offer assistance to the homeless . They provide blankets , food , water and counseling . According to O'Brien , more than a dozen people who were living within the tunnels received housing in the past six months thanks to the partnership . But O'Brien said he thinks Sin City could do much more to help . `` I 've always thought more should be done , '' he said . Iron , the homeless man with a city view , believes the city tolerates the tunnel dwellers because `` we 're not hurting anybody . '' `` The only thing getting hurt down here is ourselves and nobody else . '' CNN 's Sara Weisfeldt contributed to this report . | Homeless population of Las Vegas turn to storm drains for shelter . `` I just think the history of Vegas PR is to ignore the bad issues , '' Matthew O'Brien says . One man nicknamed `` Iron '' says the best thing is his view of Vegas Strip at night . | [[1810, 1842], [1076, 1112], [1553, 1617], [1633, 1678], [1682, 1700], [1668, 1678], [1685, 1792], [1866, 1880], [2166, 2183], [3102, 3119], [3694, 3731]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The mid-Atlantic region continued digging out Monday from the weekend 's record blizzard , but snow-weary residents learned of a new winter storm due in the area on Tuesday . The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning , with predictions of another 10 to 20 inches of snow , for northern Virginia and eastern Maryland , including the District of Columbia , beginning Tuesday afternoon and continuing through Wednesday . `` A winter storm warning means significant amounts of snow are expected or occurring , '' said the statement from the weather service facility in Sterling , Virginia . `` The combination of snow and strong winds will make travel very hazardous . '' If as severe as predicted , the new storm would be the third major snowfall to hit the nation 's capital and surrounding region in just over seven weeks . In last weekend 's blizzard , a record 32.4 inches of snow fell on Washington 's Dulles International Airport over two days , breaking a January 7-8 , 1996 , record of 23.2 inches . Federal workers in Washington , with the exception of emergency employees , stayed home Monday and students in most schools in the nation 's capital got a snow day . Many residents who spent the weekend playfully making snowmen and hurling snowballs also grumbled as they shoveled hip-high snow from driveways . `` The streets are pretty well covered , '' Kingsley Barreto said Sunday about his subdivision in Gaithersburg , Maryland . `` No cars coming in or out of here . Hopefully everyone in the community has enough supplies to last them for a little while , because it does n't look like we 're going anywhere anytime soon , '' Barreto said in a post he submitted to iReport , a CNN Web site that allows people to submit information , pictures and videos . Watch Barreto 's iReport on his neighborhood . Crews worked around the clock to clear roads and repair power lines , warning that it might take days to restore electricity to some customers from Pennsylvania to Virginia . Two of Dulles ' four runways were open Monday morning , and officials hoped to have a third open later in the day , said Courtney Mickalonis of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority . The situation there is `` getting back to normal , '' Mickalonis said . But airport officials asked travelers not to go there without confirmed flights . Reagan National Airport was scheduled to reopen at 10 a.m. Monday , with flights resuming on a limited basis , the airport authority said . Travelers were urged to check with airlines on flight schedules before heading to the airport . Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport was open Monday , with limited service , spokesman Jonathan Dean said . One of the two runways opened Sunday night , and some flights landed , Dean said . However , airport authorities expect carrier delays and cancellations because of the backlog . Are you there ? Share your winter weather photos , video . Airport crews were dealing with a refreeze from overnight , but officials intended to have both runways open by the end of Monday . Amtrak canceled several trains Sunday after trees and power lines fell on tracks , the train service said . Dozens of Greyhound bus trips in mid-Atlantic states also were canceled , the company said on its Web site . And officials across the region advised drivers to stay off slick roads . `` Everybody 's just trying to clean up and get a little bit ahead of the game before the next round comes , '' said Michelle Timberlake , who lives on a farm in Boyce , Virginia , about two hours west of Washington . The interior designer found herself running through a mountain of snow when about 40 cows escaped from the pasture on her husband 's farm in search of food and shelter . `` This was not what I imagined for myself , '' she said Sunday , laughing about the experience . CNN 's Sarah Lee , Sarah Aarthun , Justin Lear and Rachel Rodriguez contributed to this report . | Federal workers , some students get snow day in nation 's capital . Washington 's Reagan National Airport set to reopen . A record 32.4 inches of snow fell on Dulles International Airport over two days . Five more inches of snow expected in Washington-Baltimore area . | [[1041, 1114], [1117, 1148], [1041, 1070], [1140, 1206], [2373, 2438], [859, 886], [889, 982], [889, 917], [985, 1016], [114, 193], [335, 351], [354, 388]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It is n't clear whether the United States will ever be able to declare victory in Iraq , the top U.S. commander there said Thursday . Army Gen. Ray Odierno speaks to reporters at the Pentagon on Thursday . `` I 'm not sure we will ever see anyone declare victory in Iraq , because first off , I 'm not sure we 'll know for 10 years or five years , '' Army Gen. Ray Odierno told reporters at the Pentagon . About 123,000 U.S. troops are in Iraq now , and President Obama says all combat forces will be gone by the end of August 2010 , leaving as many as 50,000 noncombat troops to advise and train Iraqi forces before leaving by the end of 2011 . Odierno has said he wants to draw down the U.S. forces at a faster rate than planned if the security situation allows it . On Thursday , he said he expected the number of U.S. troops to drop to 120,000 by the end of October , and to as few as 110,000 by the end of 2009 . `` What we 've done here is we 're giving Iraq an opportunity in the long term to be a strategic partner of the United States , but more importantly , be a partner in providing regional stability inside of the Middle East , '' Odierno said . Odierno also highlighted continuing security issues inside the country , saying Iraqi security forces have recently seized several `` very large '' caches of Iranian-made rockets and armor-piercing munitions known as explosively formed penetrators , or EFPs . `` If you 're training people ... in Iran to come back into Iraq , and you 're providing them rockets and other things , I call that significant because it still enables people to conduct attacks not only on U.S. forces but on Iraqi civilians , '' Odierno said . At a congressional hearing Wednesday , Odierno said the main threat to stability in Iraq are Arab-Kurd tensions , adding there has been difficulty bringing the two sides together for possible joint patrols . `` We 've had some very good meetings , '' he said . `` But we still have some ways to go on that . '' | U.S. Army Gen. Ray Odierno makes remark to reporters at Pentagon . About 123,000 U.S. troops in Iraq ; could drop to 110,000 by January , he says . Odierno : Iraqi security forces recently seized caches of Iranian-made weapons . | [[164, 235], [378, 435], [436, 477], [1190, 1197], [1263, 1397]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The space shuttle Discovery landed in California on Friday evening after bad weather near Kennedy Space Center forced it to wave off a landing in Florida . Discovery landed at Edwards Air Force Base after a 13-day mission to the international space station . `` Welcome home Discovery , '' mission control said after the shuttle landed . `` Congratulations on an extremely successful mission , stepping up science to a new level on the international space station . '' The shuttle touched down at 8:53 p.m. ET at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert , where NASA described the weather as `` pristine . '' This may be the last California shuttle landing , because there are only six missions remaining on the NASA schedule , unless Congress gives the space agency more money . Flight controllers prefer landings at Kennedy Space Center because of cost and schedule . A California landing adds a week to the turnaround time before the shuttle can be ready for another mission . NASA has estimated it costs about $ 1.7 million to bring a shuttle home to Kennedy Space Center from California . It rides cross-country piggy-back on a Boeing 747 . Discovery was initially scheduled to return to Earth on Thursday , but poor weather in central Florida forced a delay . Watch the shuttle land in California '' Both Florida landing opportunities Friday were canceled by `` a very deep moisture system that descended over the Florida spaceport , '' a NASA spokesman said . The seven astronauts are wrapping up a 13-day mission to the international space station , where the crew made repairs and delivered supplies . The crew executed three spacewalks and dropped off the Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill , or COLBERT treadmill , named after comedian Stephen Colbert . Colbert won an online poll conducted by NASA to name the newest space station compartment . Instead , Colbert and the space agency worked together to give the moniker to the treadmill . The new compartment was given the name Tranquility . While in space , mission specialists Danny Olivas and Christer Fuglesang installed an ammonia tank on the international space station . The depleted tank assembly is being returned to Earth in the shuttle 's cargo bay . The tank is part of a cooling system that cycles 600 pounds of ammonia through the space station to `` get rid of excess heat generated by the station 's systems , '' NASA said . Astronaut Nicole Stott remained at the space station as a flight engineer , replacing astronaut Timothy Kopra , who returned home aboard Discovery as a mission specialist , according to NASA 's Web site . Another space icon is also coming home aboard the shuttle -- Buzz Lightyear . The 12-inch Disney/Pixar action figure has been aboard the space station for more than a year , according to NASA . The action figure went into space aboard Discovery in May 2008 as part of a joint initiative between Disney and NASA to encourage students to study math , science and technology . Weather and technical problems delayed Discovery 's launch three times before the mission began . | NEW : Mission control says mission took `` science to a new level '' on space station . NEW : Shuttle lands in California , incurring additional cost to bring it home . Florida landing for space shuttle called off because of bad weather . | [[357, 410], [413, 484], [19, 122], [892, 966], [1021, 1115], [1288, 1327], [19, 122], [123, 174], [1239, 1287]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As hosts of the largest carnival in world football , the pressure is on for South Africa 's national football team to ignite the imagination of local fans by performing well at the 2010 World Cup . If Bafana Bafana is to succeed in their mission , conventional wisdom would be that coach Carlos Alberto Parreira will turn to his best players to deliver results . However , despite firing in 31 goals in 77 appearances to become South Africa 's all-time record goal scorer , Benni McCarthy has had question marks hanging over his participation for his country come June . The prolific striker , who plays for English Premier League side Blackburn Rovers , has only recently returned from a period of international exile , just the latest incident in a stormy history with his country 's football team . He first angered Bafana Bafana fans by going into international retirement in 2002 aged just 25 . The reason ? Traveling to international games was hampering his ability to play European football for Celta Vigo and , later , Porto . `` The whole pattern was killing my career , that 's why I quit international football , '' he told British newspaper The Independent in 2004 . `` African football needs the same calendar as Europe otherwise its best players are going to suffer . '' He was talked into returning , only to quit again after the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations when the president of the South African FA , Mubarak Mahomad , made an uncomplimentary comment about his performance . That period of self-imposed exile lasted 20 months , until new coach Carlos Alberto Parreira flew to Great Britain to talk to McCarthy , who was now at Blackburn Rovers . But after Parreira quit to care for his sick wife , McCarthy fell out with replacement boss Joel Santana after he refused to play in two warm up matches last March . Despite pleas from South African President Jacob Zuma , Santana refused to pick him . But a run of eight defeats in nine games , which saw the team slump to 86th on the FIFA rankings , Santana was sacked . With goals being South Africa 's biggest problem , it was no surprise that returning coach Parreira made persuading McCarthy to return , for a second time , his top priority . Sure enough , McCarthy returned to the fray last month against Japan . The 32-year-old told local press : `` I want to start afresh and help Bafana do well in the World Cup finals . It is every player 's dream to play for his country ... and I have matured . '' `` In the past I was a loose cannon and I apologize if I was wrong -LSB- but -RSB- I am still the best at what I do - and that is scoring goals , '' he added . Few could argue with McCarthy 's record . Born in Hanover Park , an impoverished township in Cape Town known for its high unemployment , poverty and gang-related violence , McCarthy escaped to become one of Africa 's most successful football exports . McCarthy started his career in 1995 aged 18 with Seven Stars of Cape Town , where 27 goals in 29 games earned him a move to Cape Town Spurs who soon merged with Ajax Cape Town , a feeder side to their famous Dutch namesake . McCarthy 's potential was enough for Ajax Amsterdam to sign him . Joining in 1997 he scored nine goals to help them win the Eredivisie in his first year , which eventually attracted the attentions of Spain 's Celta Vigo . Although it did n't work out in Spain , his move to Portugal 's FC Porto was a roaring success . In the 2003/04 season he helped Jose Mourinho 's side win the UEFA Champions League with McCarthy memorably grabbing two goals in the second round defeat of Manchester United . McCarthy moved to Premier League outfit Blackburn Rovers in 2006 and scored plenty of goals - he was in the top three league scorers in his debut season - but first-team opportunities have been limited of late . Yet ever since McCarthy made his international debut in a 2-0 home defeat to Holland 1997 , South Africa has been a different side with him in it . Gloom has followed South Africa 's footballing exploits before this summer 's World Cup . But after his most recent ` comeback ' , Bafana Bafana fans will hope that McCarthy can help put the dark days under Joel Santana firmly behind them . Hear what Benni has to say in CNN 's coverage of the World Cup draw , live on Friday 4th December . | South Africa legend Benni McCarthy is part of CNN 's World Cup Draw coverage , Friday 4th December . McCarthy is Bafana Bafana 's leading scorer with 32 goals , including two in their previous World Cup adventures . McCarthy currently plays for Blackburn Rovers and has had spells with Ajax , Celta Vigo and FC Porto . | [[4225, 4324], [4225, 4292], [4295, 4324], [3536, 3623], [590, 610], [617, 671], [1636, 1644], [1651, 1680], [3266, 3280], [3289, 3349]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For the first time in decades , the hunting of the gray wolf is legal again in the United States . And that 's a good thing for ranchers like Cindy Siddoway of Terreton , Idaho , whose sheep are threatened every day by wolves . Gray wolves were taken off the endangered species list after their population rebounded . `` We have worked very hard to protect what we have , and it 's not very successful , '' she said . `` It is devastating for us to put all of the money and the time and the genetics and work to produce a great product and then just have it half-eaten and left to die . '' But wolf hunting is n't popular with everybody . It has become a controversy in Idaho , where the hunt began Tuesday , and in Montana , where it is scheduled to start September 15 . Environmental and animal rights groups are upset by a federal decision this year to remove gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains from the endangered species list , a move that opened the door to permitting the hunts . They are seeking an injunction in U.S. District Court in Montana to stop the hunts . Judge Donald Molloy is reviewing the case , and it 's unclear when he will rule . After their population dwindled in the Rockies last century , in part because of practices like trapping , gray wolves were put on the endangered species list . But the population has rebounded , and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delisted the animals and determined that the populations would be healthy enough for hunts to be permitted in Idaho and Montana , which manage the wolf populations . There are also gray wolves in Wyoming , but hunts are not permitted there because of the state 's weak wildlife management , the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said . Opponents of the hunt say the population is not large and healthy enough to allow hunting . Melanie Stein , a Sierra Club spokeswoman , said that the wolf populations `` are just on the cusp of recovery and that we are almost there . '' But she says the hunts represent `` a step backward and away from recovery '' of the wolf populations . Defenders of Wildlife , one of several groups urging the court to stop the hunt , detailed the ecological role of the wolves on its Web site . `` In what is known as the cascade effect , wolves are exerting influence over a multitude of species within the park 's ecosystem . Elk , wary of the reintroduced top predator , have altered their grazing behavior . `` With less grazing pressure from elk , streambed vegetation such as willow and aspen is regenerating after decades of overbrowsing . As the trees are restored , they create better habitat for native birds and fish , beaver and other species . '' Siddoway does n't think the hunt will make much of a difference right now because it is hard to kill the animals . But the wolf attacks take their toll . For example , the wolves will kill Great Pyrenees guard dogs used to protect the herds . When that happens , `` then we 're open to prey from bears and everything else , '' Siddoway said . `` We know that it 's a problem , and we want to make sure ranchers can continue on with their livelihood , '' Stein said . `` But there has to be some co-existence between wolves and other species . '' Currently , ranchers and farmers can legally shoot a wolf they see attacking their livestock , said Ed Bangs , wolf recovery coordinator with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service . There are also tools used to counter wolf attacks without hunting , he said . They include scare tactics , like shooting firecrackers out of a shotgun , or proper fencing . `` All that stuff works for a little while in some instances for a short period of time and in some situations can be helpful . But it is n't the silver bullet for wolf depredation , '' he said . He said these techniques work `` in conjunction with killing wolves . '' There are state and private programs compensating ranchers who lose livestock because of attacks , but the money represents only part of what the livestock and the time dealing with the problem is worth . `` The ranchers got the short end of the stick , '' Bangs said . Officials say that up to 330 wolves in the states of Idaho and Montana may be killed during this public hunt . In Idaho , the limit is 220 wolves , and in Montana , it would be 75 . Members of the Nez Perce tribe in Idaho can kill up to 35 wolves . Ed Mitchell , spokesman for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game , said three wolves have been taken in Idaho since the hunting season began . There are more than 1,600 gray wolves in Montana , Idaho and Wyoming . But Siddoway says `` there will never be enough '' for environmental groups to agree to the hunts . CNN 's Joe Sterling contributed to this report . | Environmentalists , animal rights groups protest decision . Ranchers say it might help save their flocks . Montana district court judge is considering injunction . There are 1,600 wolves in Idaho , Montana , Wyoming ; 330 may be killed . | [[791, 871], [2115, 2170], [1015, 1099], [4136, 4246], [4155, 4246], [4529, 4599]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- About 11.6 million Africans have been forced from their homes by wars and other conflicts , according to the United Nations . Next week in Uganda , leaders from across the continent will converge to tackle the issue . Somali women at a camp for displaced persons . Nearly half of the displaced people in the world are found in Africa , according to the United Nations . `` Africa is the continent most affected by the scourge and tragedy of forced displacement , '' the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said in a statement . `` While refugee populations have declined in recent years , internal displacement continues to rise and the number of people uprooted from their homes is mounting . '' During the weeklong African Union summit that will start Monday in the capital , Kampala , the leaders are expected to sign a pledge to help the displaced across the continent , according to the U.N. agency for refugee issues . The agreement `` would be the first legally binding international instrument on internal displacement having such broad regional scope , '' the agency said . Aid agencies have blasted some African countries for failing refugees and internally displaced people . Last month , Oxfam International released an explosive report accusing Kenya and Ethiopia of housing Somali refugees in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions . It said the Somali government also is abandoning its internally displaced . `` Somalis flee one of the world 's most brutal conflicts and a desperate drought , only to end up in unimaginable conditions in camps that are barely fit for humans , '' said Robbert Van den Berg , a spokesman for Oxfam International in the Horn of Africa . `` Hundreds of thousands of children are affected , and the world is abandoning the next generation of Somalis when they most need our help . '' On a visit to a refugee camp in northern Kenya that houses Somalis , actress and U.N. goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie called it `` one of the most dire '' she had ever seen . The camp -- which has facilities for about 90,000 -- houses 280,000 refugees . `` The toilets are already overflowing , '' Jolie said last month . `` There is not even enough space for trash dumps , so people are living amongst the garbage . '' Kenyan officials have said they are working on a solution . In neighboring Uganda , a government spokesman said it had taken steps to ensure displaced people and refugees have access to resources to become self-sufficient . `` The numbers of displaced have drastically gone down , '' Fred Opolot said . `` The government offers them relocation packages , including planting seeds , cooking items and building materials . '' The east African nation has followed international protocol , Opolot said , noting that it was chosen to host the African Union summit on refugees . `` Uganda does not just set up camps ; it builds facilities for them , '' Opolot said . `` There may well be some African countries that have not followed protocols . ... The summit will reassess the challenges they have and set up steps to ensure they follow international protocol . '' | African leaders converge to tackle problem of conflict-displaced people . Nearly half of the displaced people in the world are found in Africa . Aid agencies have criticized some African countries for failing refugees . | [[145, 164], [167, 236], [284, 352], [284, 332], [355, 388], [392, 479], [1102, 1205], [1128, 1205], [1206, 1216], [1219, 1365]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Millions of Californians will duck for cover Thursday morning in one of the largest earthquake drills in the world . Elementary school students in Burbank , California , take part in last year 's earthquake drill . `` The Great California Shakeout '' will kick off at 10:15 a.m. at schools , museums , fire stations and other sites across the state . More than 6 million people have registered to take part in the drill , sponsored by various state agencies . About 5.5 million Californians participated in last year 's drill , organizers said . iReport.com : Are you taking part in California 's earthquake drill ? Senior citizens at the Vallecito Mobile Home Park in Ventura County were among last year 's participants . They took cover for three minutes and some pretended to be injured so emergency workers could practice safety procedures . This year 's participants also can watch an animated video that shows how much damage a magnitude 7.8 earthquake can cause . iReport.com : Museum undergoes `` fake quake '' drill . Thursday 's event comes two days before the 20th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake . The magnitude 6.9 quake rocked Northern California in 1989 , killing dozens , collapsing a 50-foot section of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge , damaging thousands of homes , and interrupting baseball 's World Series . | 6 million in California registered to participate in earthquake drill . Civilians will feign injuries so first responders can practice rescue techniques . Event comes near 20th anniversary of Loma Prieta quake . | [[0, 15], [19, 135], [370, 438], [780, 829], [780, 784], [795, 851], [1046, 1138]] |
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- To the delight of fans back home in Tokyo , Hideki Matsui drove in six of the New York Yankees ' seven runs in their World Series-winning victory Wednesday and became the first Japanese-born player to win a series Most Valuable Player award . For much of his career , Matsui was a star player for the Tokyo Giants . Matsui 's key role in the series highlights the close ties between American and Japanese baseball . Playing in the Yankees ' new stadium , the successor to the `` House that Ruth Built , '' Matsui 's performance brought to mind the key role that Babe Ruth played in the development of professional baseball in Japan , according to Robert Fitts , author of several books on Japanese baseball . Fitts became a student of Japanese baseball in 1993 , when his wife , an attorney , was transferred to Japan . Fitts , then working on his Ph.D. in archaeology from Brown University , was looking for something to get him immersed in Japanese culture . He wrote to 30 of the greatest Japanese ballplayers and was surprised to hear back from nearly all of them , with some sending gifts . He 's the author of `` Remembering Japanese Baseball : An Oral History of the Game '' and of `` Wally Yonamine , '' a biography of the first Japanese-American to play professional football and the first American to play professional baseball in Japan . `` He was called the Jackie Robinson of Japan , '' Fitts said . Yonamine led the Japanese league in batting twice and won the MVP award as a center fielder for the Tokyo Giants . CNN spoke with Fitts , who is based in New York , on Thursday . CNN : What are your thoughts on Matsui 's key role in the Yankees ' victory ? Fitts : It 's wonderful for Japanese baseball , of course . I would say that five years ago , maybe seven years ago , it would have been incredible , because people in America and in Japan were n't sure about the status of Japanese professional baseball . Many Americans and some in Japan thought that Japanese baseball was n't as good as American baseball . ... Since then , Ichiro -LSB- Suzuki -RSB- came over , and he set numerous Major League Baseball records . ... And then Japan won both of the World Baseball Classics . So Japan 's baseball has already proven itself to be of high caliber . Most Americans , even if they do n't know the history of Japanese baseball , recognize now that they play a very good game . CNN : In Japan , how significant is baseball ? Fitts : It 's the Japanese national sport . It 's been so since the 1890s . Japan had no native team sports . In the 1870s . American and British teachers introduced team sports to Japan . Cricket was introduced , along with rugby and baseball . Baseball is the one that became the most popular . In the 1890s , a Japanese high school team beat a team of American adults from the Yokohama Country Club . They beat them in three straight games . It took on national importance . Japan , of course , was opened up to Westerners in the 1850s by Commodore Perry . The Western nations were far more advanced in technology , and Japan did a rapid modernization . By 1890 , Japan felt it was ready to join modern nations as an equal , but the Western powers were n't ready to accept Japan . CNN : How did the game develop after that ? Fitts : The biggest change came with two tours . The first was in 1931 , an American all-star team whose big star was Lou Gehrig , and the bigger tour came in 1934 . Both of these tours were sponsored by the Yomiuri newspaper . In 1934 , they brought over what at the time was considered the greatest baseball team ever . It included Babe Ruth , Lou Gehrig , Jimmie Foxx , Charlie Gehringer , Earl Averill , Lefty Gomez , Connie Mack was the manager , and we ca n't forget Mo Berg , the future spy -LSB- for the United States in World War II -RSB- . The '34 tour was significant for two reasons : The first is that relations between Japan and the U.S. were really rocky at that point . There was a very significant treaty , the naval treaty , which limited the size of the major powers ' navies . For every five warships the U.S. and Britain could have , Japan was only allowed three . Japan found this quite insulting , even though they had agreed to it in the 1920s . When the all-star team went over there , the Japanese people went crazy . Half a million people turned out on November 2 for a welcoming parade in Tokyo for the American baseball team . The tour really did create a great deal of goodwill . However , that ended quickly . Within a month of the tour ending , Japan announced that it would not renew the naval treaty . Several months later , in February 1935 , an ultranationalist group tried to assassinate the president of the Yomiuri newspaper because he brought over the American team . He was wounded very seriously but survived . CNN : What was the importance of the tour for Japanese baseball ? Fitts : The Yomiuri newspaper used the enthusiasm generated by the tour to start their own professional league . The first team they created -- to play the American visitors -- was a Japanese all-star team called All-Nippon . After the tour , the All-Nippon team transformed into the Yomiuri -LSB- Tokyo -RSB- Giants . CNN : What was Babe Ruth 's role ? Fitts : Babe Ruth was credited as the man who helped start Japanese -LSB- professional -RSB- baseball . He was just Babe Ruth . He sold out every game . He had just been released by the Yankees prior to the tour . He hit over .300 ; he led the Americans and Japanese for most home runs . CNN : How did Hideki Matsui become a baseball star in Japan ? Fitts : He was signed right after high school . He was the hero of the annual high school tournament . His rookie year was 1993 with the Yomiuri Giants . He spent much of '93 in the minors . By 1994 , he became a true star , and he was the face of the team from '94 till he came over to the Yankees in 2003 . CNN : How did people feel about Matsui coming to the Yankees ? Fitts : The vast majority of people were very happy for him . There was no sense of betrayal except for the true Giants fans . This was very exciting news . I was there when it happened . This was a chance for Japan 's most popular player to prove himself in the major leagues . The Yankees are a special team in Japan just like they are in the U.S. They 're probably the most popular American team in Japan . When -LSB- Hideo -RSB- Nomo first came over in 1995 , I found my Japanese friends only cared about how the Japanese players did . They were a fan of the Dodgers one day when Nomo pitched ; they were a fan of the Angels when -LSB- Shigetoshi -RSB- Hasegawa pitched , but over time the Japanese fans became fans of different major league teams as they watched more major league baseball on TV . CNN : What have been the differences between the American and Japanese games ? Fitts : There were real substantial differences from the 1940s even through the early 1990s . ... The Japanese would sacrifice bunt far more than the Americans -LRB- they still do but less than they used to -RRB- . Players did n't go first to third on singles often . They would play line drives on hops rather than trying to make a shoestring catch and risk giving up more bases . It was a very conservative brand of baseball . Since the ties have become closer , Japan 's baseball has become more aggressive , more exciting , in my opinion . There are still differences . The Japanese really focus on practice and perfection of the technique . That 's something American players can learn from , and I think it helps explain the success of Hideki Matsui and Ichiro . They 're both dedicated players who practice many , many hours . If you watch Matsui at the plate , he 's a very disciplined hitter . His swing is very compact , very practiced , almost perfect . He rarely makes mental mistakes when he 's playing the field or running the bases . CNN : How do you think people view the fact that he 's going to be a free agent and might not stay with the Yankees ? Fitts : I think the Japanese people would be very disappointed if he does n't remain a Yankee ... and I think most New Yorkers would be very disappointed , too . He 's an extremely classy player and a classy individual . CNN : Were you rooting for the Yankees ? Fitts : I 'm a Phillies fan . I grew up in Philadelphia . I 'm in mourning this morning , but at least it was Matsui who did the damage . | Japanese baseball book author says Babe Ruth sparked professional game in Japan . Robert Fitts says 1934 tour by American all-stars led to first pro teams . He says Yankees star Matsui is example for American ballplayers . Fitts : Matsui 's emphasis on perfecting and practicing technique leads to success . | [[531, 687], [5303, 5310], [5315, 5372], [7519, 7568], [7447, 7518]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Professional basketball star Shaquille O'Neal paid for the funeral of a 5-year-old North Carolina girl whose body was found last week , O'Neal 's team confirmed Thursday . Authorities believe the child , Shaniya Davis , was kidnapped , raped and murdered after being reported missing November 10 . Her body was found six days later on a roadside about 30 miles from her hometown of Fayetteville , North Carolina . Her funeral was Sunday . O'Neal said in a statement released by his team , the Cleveland Cavaliers , that he was touched after seeing Davis ' story on CNN sister network HLN 's `` Nancy Grace '' show . `` What happened to her was tragic . I wanted her to have a funeral that would be as beautiful as she was , '' O'Neal said in the statement . Corey Breece , of Rogers and Breece Funeral Home , told the Fayetteville Observer he would n't discuss the cost of the child 's service , but he noted a child 's funeral `` averages around $ 4,500 . '' The girl 's father , Bradley Lockhart , and his family had set up a trust fund to help raise money to pay for the service , according to the Fayetteville Observer . Family friend Vaughn Eason told the paper any remaining money would be used for groups and charities working to assist abused and neglected children . Police have charged Mario Andrette McNeill with kidnapping and said he also will face murder and child rape charges . Preliminary autopsy results indicated the child was asphyxiated , Fayetteville Police Chief Tom Bergamine told reporters last week , as authorities awaited final autopsy reports . Davis ' mother , Antionette Nicole Davis , has been charged with human trafficking and other offenses . Police have said they believe she was prostituting the girl . O'Neal , as a volunteer for law enforcement agencies in recent years , has been active in causes that deal with domestic violence issues , mainly child-abuse cases . | Star paid for funeral of Shaniya Davis , who was kidnapped , raped and murdered . O'Neal : `` I wanted her to have a funeral that would be as beautiful as she was '' O'Neal said in statement he was touched after seeing story on HLN 's `` Nancy Grace '' Andrette McNeill charged with murder ; girl 's mother accused of prostituting her . | [[672, 702], [681, 729], [458, 484], [534, 612], [743, 776], [1697, 1758], [1714, 1758]] |
Orlando , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Golfer Tiger Woods will be issued a careless driving citation for the crash outside his home last week , but he will not face criminal charges , the Florida Highway Patrol said Tuesday . Woods , 33 , struck a fire hydrant and a tree with his 2009 Cadillac SUV in his luxury neighborhood near Windermere , Florida , early Friday , police said . Upon conviction of careless driving , a moving violation , Woods faces a $ 164 fine and four points on his license , Maj. Cindy Williams of the Florida Highway Patrol said . `` Mr. Woods ' status in no way impacted our investigation or conclusion , '' Williams said . `` The investigation has determined that Mr. Woods is at fault in the crash . '' Woods satisfied the requirements of Florida law regarding motor vehicle accidents by providing his driver 's license , registration and proof of insurance to authorities , Williams said . `` With the issuance of this citation , the Florida Highway Patrol has completed its investigation into this matter , '' she said . There was insufficient evidence to request a subpoena for medical information in the case , said Sgt. Kim Montes , an FHP spokeswoman . There were no claims of domestic abuse . Authorities have said they do n't have details on why Woods was driving away from his home around 2:25 a.m. Friday . State troopers three times have asked to question him about the accident , but he has declined , the highway patrol has said . What do you think about the Tiger Woods saga ? Police have said the accident was not alcohol-related . Woods canceled plans to attend the Chevron World Challenge in Southern California `` due to injuries sustained in a one-car accident last week , '' according to a statement Monday from the golfer . In a statement issued Sunday afternoon on his Web site , Woods offered no details of his accident except to say he had cuts and bruises and was `` pretty sore . '' `` This situation is my fault , and it 's obviously embarrassing to my family and me , '' he said . `` I 'm human and I 'm not perfect . I will certainly make sure this does n't happen again . '' Woods is a four-time winner of the tournament . A knee injury kept him from competing last year . `` I am extremely disappointed that I will not be at my tournament this week , '' Woods said . `` I am certain it will be an outstanding event , and I 'm very sorry that I ca n't be there . '' People holding tickets for the event -- which runs Wednesday through Sunday -- can apply for full refunds starting next Monday , tournament officials said . Ticketholders who do not ask for refunds can get a 20 percent discount when buying 2010 tickets , they said . The annual charity event , which Woods hosts in Thousand Oaks , California , is a major fundraiser for the Tiger Woods Foundation , but it was not immediately clear how much money it would lose because of Woods ' cancellation . The incident has ended Woods ' golf appearances until next season , according to a statement posted on his Web site . The PGA Tour has ended for the year , but the first tournament of the 2010 season is just five weeks away . At least one other charity event is scheduled , but it is not clear if Woods had planned to attend . Woods has won the Masters tournament and the PGA tournament four times each , as well as three U.S. Open Championships . Last week , a story in the National Enquirer alleged that Woods has been seeing a New York nightclub hostess . The woman denied having an affair with Woods when contacted by The Associated Press . The woman in question has retained Los Angeles lawyer Gloria Allred , who is know for handling high-profile cases , to represent her . Allred told CNN there were no immediate plans for a news conference , although she may soon release a written statement . Windermere 's mayor called on the news media to back away from the story , saying , `` Our residents would like to put this behind us . '' `` It 's time to move on , '' Mayor Gary Bruhn said . `` Let the man recover if he is injured , and let him get back to his life , and let our residents get back to normalcy . '' Woods ' agent , Mark Steinberg , said the Florida Highway Patrol informed them that further discussion with them is both voluntary and optional . `` Although Tiger realizes that there is a great deal of public curiosity , it has been conveyed to FHP that he simply has nothing more to add and wishes to protect the privacy of his family . '' Under Florida law , Woods is not obligated to give a statement about the crash . His attorney , Mark NeJame , handed over the required documents to the troopers Sunday at Woods ' home , Montes said . Investigators had sought possible surveillance tapes of the accident from neighbors , but none were found , she said . In his statement , Woods praised his wife , Elin Nordegren , who he said `` acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble . '' Nordegren told police she used a golf club to break out the rear window of the vehicle , and then pulled Woods from the SUV after she heard the accident from inside their home . But Woods said , `` This is a private matter , and I want to keep it that way . '' And , he added , `` The only person responsible for the accident is me . '' Woods and his wife have two children , a 2-year-old and a baby born in February . CNN 's Susan Candiotti , Alan Duke , Ross Levitt and Marc Balinsky contributed to this report . | NEW : Tiger Woods faces $ 164 fine , four points on his license , Florida Highway Patrol says . NEW : No criminal charges for pro golfer ; no evidence of abuse , spokeswoman says . Woods skipping golf tournament this week , blames injuries from car crash . Woods hit a fire hydrant near his home in his SUV early Friday , police say . | [[182, 223], [381, 416], [440, 495], [1441, 1470], [142, 179], [1574, 1674], [1666, 1716], [0, 7], [10, 139]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Get out the coats , boots , and shovels ; people in some parts of the country are in for it this winter , according to the Farmer 's Almanac . Break out your winter gear -- the Farmers ' Almanac is predicting a rough winter for large parts of the U.S. . The longtime periodical , published since 1818 and famous for its long-range weather predictions , is out with its annual winter forecast , which says Old Man Winter is really going to hammer folks in the Midwest and upper Great Lakes region with very cold and very snowy conditions . The almanac puts it this way : . `` A large area of numbingly cold temperatures will predominate from roughly east of the Continental Divide to west of the Appalachians . The coldest temperatures will be over the northern Great Lakes and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan . `` But acting almost like the bread of a sandwich , to this swath of unseasonable cold will be two regions with temperatures that will average closer to normal -- the West Coast and the East Coast . '' But do n't let your guard down if you live along the East or West coasts . Farmer 's Almanac managing editor Sandi Duncan says no one will be immune to the rough weather this winter . `` Even the areas that we say are going to be like the bread of the ice-cold sandwich are going to have bouts of stormy conditions . There 's no way it 's going to be that mild of a winter , '' she says . Nasty weather is also in the forecast for late in the season as winter moves toward spring . `` We 're actually predicting a possible blizzard in the northeast to the mid-Atlantic states sometime in February , '' Duncan says . `` And it does look like the cool temperatures to the cold temperatures are going to hang on . And spring does look kind of rainy . '' The Farmers ' Almanac gets pretty specific about that late-season blizzard forecast . According to Duncan , `` February 12th-15th looks very stormy with blizzard conditions possible especially in New England but also going down to the mid-Atlantic coast . '' The periodical says , `` While three-quarters of the country is predicted to see near - or below-average precipitation this winter , that does n't mean there wo n't be any winter storms ! On the contrary , significant snowfalls are forecast for parts of every zone . '' CNN 's Ninette Sosa contributed to this story . | The Farmer 's Almanac is out with its annual predictions for winter weather . It says the Great Lakes region and Midwest should expect bitterly cold weather . East , West Coasts should be more seasonable , but winter storms still likely . Looking for relief in the spring ? Too bad -- it 's expected to be cool and rainy . | [[384, 410], [419, 557], [384, 410], [419, 557], [591, 728], [729, 829], [830, 832], [882, 954], [942, 954], [960, 1028], [1267, 1348], [1216, 1233], [1267, 1301], [1312, 1348], [1514, 1607], [591, 728], [1743, 1779]] |
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- State police in Florida planned Monday to further investigate a single-vehicle crash involving pro golfer Tiger Woods , they said . That followed a police announcement Sunday that Woods had canceled a third interview with investigators . Woods suffered minor injuries in the accident , which occurred early Friday in his luxury neighborhood near Orlando . In a statement issued Sunday afternoon on his Web site , Woods offered no details of his wreck , except to say he had cuts and bruises and was `` pretty sore . '' `` This situation is my fault , and it 's obviously embarrassing to my family and me , '' he said . `` I 'm human , and I 'm not perfect . I will certainly make sure this does n't happen again . '' CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin spoke about why Tiger Woods might be delaying talking to police . CNN : Why do you think Tiger Woods has canceled three interviews with police ? Jeffrey Toobin : Tiger Woods is under no legal obligation to speak with police . The Fifth Amendment gives everyone an absolute right to refuse to talk to them . He may be counting on the fact that if no new news emerges , everybody will move on . CNN : Can the police do anything about it if Woods continues to refuse to talk to them ? Toobin : The police do n't have a lot of options . If someone does n't want to talk to you , you as a police officer ca n't do anything about it . In theory , they could get a search warrant , but you need probable cause that a crime took place , and at this point , I do n't see anything that would justify it . CNN : The Florida Highway Patrol says the delay is surprising because the accident is so minor . What does Tiger Woods gain by not talking to them ? Toobin : Woods may not talk to them because there is possibly something unpleasant and embarrassing that he does n't want to share with them , and he has that right . Based on what is publicly known , Woods has a public relations problem much more than a legal problem . He 's arguably the most famous athlete in the world , and his team 's overall strategy is a gamble that his general statement of responsibility wo n't be overtaken by events or other disclosures . CNN : Tiger Woods said today that he wo n't be attending his golf tournament in California this week because of injuries sustained in the car crash , and has cancelled his scheduled press conference as host of the event . Does this fit in with the strategy you think his team has adopted ? Toobin : I think the decision not to attend the tournament shows how serious this event is , in Tiger 's life as well as his work . Again , this is more a personal and business problem than a legal problem , but he needs to figure out a way to show the public what happened , or explain why he wo n't be talking about what happened . Obviously he does n't have that answer yet . CNN : A story in last week 's National Enquirer alleged that Woods has been seeing a New York night club hostess . The woman has denied any affair with Woods to The Associated Press . She 's also apparently retained attorney Gloria Allred . Why do you think she 's retained an attorney ? Toobin : The woman may go public to repeat ... what she 's said to the AP and publicly deny the affair , or perhaps to say that she was libeled by the Enquirer . Gloria Allred 's clients tend not to disappear from the news media . | Tiger Woods is under no legal obligation to speak with police , CNN senior legal analyst says . Police could get a search warrant , he says , but he does n't see anything that would justify it . Toobin says Woods may not be talking because doing so may cause him embarrassment . Night club hostess who has hired attorney may publicly deny affair or allege libel , he says . | [[745, 850], [930, 944], [947, 987], [968, 1010], [1414, 1423], [1426, 1457], [1518, 1531], [1534, 1579], [745, 850], [1738, 1869], [3161, 3256], [3270, 3315]] |
Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The autopsy on Corey Haim revealed the actor 's heart was enlarged and his lungs were filled with water when he died , Haim 's manager said . The Los Angeles County coroner told Haim 's mother that her son suffered from pulmonary congestion , manager Mark Heaslip said . Heaslip said this was evidence that Haim 's death was not caused by a drug overdose , but Brian Elias with the coroner 's office said they are waiting for toxicology tests before deciding what killed Haim . The 1980s teen movie actor , who struggled for decades with drug addiction , died early Wednesday after collapsing in the Los Angeles apartment he shared with his mother , authorities said . Longtime friend and frequent co-star Corey Feldman asked Wednesday that people not `` jump the gun '' to conclude a drug overdose killed Haim . Heaslip , manager to both Feldman and Haim , said he seemed to be winning his battle against drug abuse in the weeks before his death . Haim , 38 , was taken to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank , California , early Wednesday , where he was pronounced dead at 2:15 a.m. PT -LRB- 5:15 a.m. ET -RRB- , said Ed Winter , Los Angeles County deputy coroner . Haim was in the apartment he shared with his mother , Judy Haim , when he `` became a little dizzy , he kind of went to his knees in the bedroom , '' Winter said . `` His mom assisted him in the bed . He became unresponsive . '' His mother called paramedics to the apartment , which is between Hollywood Hills and Burbank , he said . Haim had suffered from flulike symptoms for two days , the deputy coroner said . `` We found no illicit drugs . However , we did recover four of his prescription meds at the location , '' Winter said , adding he does not know what those drugs were . Haim was `` weaned down to literally zero medications '' in the past two weeks by an addiction specialist , Heaslip said on HLN 's `` Issues With Jane Velez-Mitchell '' on Wednesday . The doctor `` put him on a new line of medications , '' Feldman said on CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' on Wednesday . Feldman pleaded with people not to draw conclusions that Haim died from a drug overdose . He said that until the autopsy report is issued , `` nobody knows and nobody 's going to know . '' Watch Corey Feldman talk about his friend 's death on `` Larry King Live '' `` I know that there were symptoms that he was showing that expressed it could be a number of things , '' Feldman said . `` This could have been a kidney failure . This could have been a heart failure . '' Heaslip that said Haim 's mother , Judy , told him `` there were no signs of him overdosing . '' His death came as his career was picking up , with Haim booking `` movie after movie , '' Heaslip said . His latest film is set for release soon , he said . Haim `` really became a man '' in recent months as he helped his mother in her battle with cancer , Feldman said . `` He 's been there for her , taking care of her , being responsible , '' he said . Feldman said he was angry about how Haim has been snubbed in recent years by the entertainment industry . He was broke , without a car and living in a month-to-month rental apartment with his mother , he said . `` We build people up as children , we put them on pedestals and then when we decide that they are not marketable anymore , we walk away from them , '' he said . Haim 's most famous role was in the 1987 movie `` The Lost Boys , '' in which he appeared with Feldman . Haim played the role of a fresh-faced teenager whose brother becomes a vampire . In later years , the two friends -- who appeared in eight movies together -- struggled with drug abuse and went their separate ways . They reunited for a reality show , `` The Two Coreys , '' in 2007 , but A&E Network canceled the program after slightly more than a year . In a 2007 interview on CNN 's `` Larry King Live , '' Haim and Feldman discussed their battle with drugs . Feldman told King that he had gotten clean , but it took Haim longer . Haim called himself `` a chronic relapser for the rest of my life . '' `` I think I have an addiction to pretty much everything , '' he said . `` I mean , I have to be very careful with myself as far as that goes , which is why I have a support group around me consistently . '' In 2008 , Feldman told People magazine that he would no longer speak to Haim until his former co-star got sober . In a clip from `` The Two Coreys , '' Feldman and his wife , along with two other former teen stars , called on Haim in an effort to get him to admit he needed help , the magazine said . The meeting followed an incident in which Haim , scheduled to film a cameo appearance in a direct-to-DVD sequel to `` The Lost Boys , '' appeared on the set `` clearly under the influence , '' People reported . Feldman told King on Wednesday that he renewed his contact with Haim in the past year because of the progress he made against his addiction . Haim was born December 23 , 1971 , in Toronto , Ontario , according to a biography on his Web site . He made his first television appearance in 1982 on the Canadian series `` The Edison Twins . '' His first film role was in the 1984 movie `` First Born . '' Haim also won rave reviews for his title role in the 1986 film `` Lucas . '' Film critic Roger Ebert said of him at the time , `` If he continues to act this well , he will never become a half-forgotten child star , but will continue to grow into an important actor . '' Following `` The Lost Boys , '' Haim and Feldman appeared in `` License to Drive '' and `` Dream a Little Dream . '' CNN 's Brittany Kaplan contributed to this report . | Corey Haim 's manager : Autopsy showed actor 's heart was enlarged when he died . Coroner told Haim 's mother that he suffered from pulmonary congestion , Mark Heaslip said . Coroner 's official said they are awaiting toxicology tests before ruling on cause of death . Haim , who struggled for decades with drug addiction , died early Wednesday . | [[14, 40], [70, 110], [163, 185], [186, 284], [405, 502], [449, 521], [522, 548], [555, 596], [522, 548], [599, 665], [3591, 3605], [3608, 3664], [3668, 3693]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Authorities in Alaska were working Friday to ensure public safety after a woman was mauled to death by animals -- most likely wolves . The victim , Candice Berner , 32 , was found dead Monday in the village of Chignik Lake , authorities said . If the attack is confirmed , it would be the first fatal encounter with wolves on record in Alaska , said Megan Peters , spokeswoman for the Alaska State Troopers . If officials determine which animals were responsible , authorities will try to find them and destroy them , Peters said . An investigation determined the death was `` non-criminal in nature , '' the troopers said in a news release , adding that `` it has been concluded that the animals most likely responsible for the attack are wolves . '' Troopers were working with the Department of Fish and Game `` as it addresses public safety concerns regarding wolf activity close to the community of Chignik Lake , '' the troopers said . Berner , a Pennsylvania native , moved to Alaska last year . Chignik Lake is in the southwest part of the state , part of the Alaska Peninsula that shoots out from the mainland . The community of about 105 residents is about 475 miles southwest of Anchorage . Several Chignik Lake residents have reported recent encounters with wolves , some of them threatening , Peters said . Authorities saw a bloody trail where Berner had been dragged off a road and wolf tracks near the body , Peters said . `` It 's hard . It 's really hard . I feel horrible , you know , empty , '' her father , Robert Berner , told KTUU-TV in Anchorage , Alaska . `` They said Candice put up a good fight , '' he said , `` and there must have been two , maybe three of them . '' Berner described his daughter as `` small and mighty , '' a woman who liked to box , lift weights and run , according to a dispatch in the Slippery Rock Herald , the newspaper in her Pennsylvania hometown . She was training for a race and could get into a meditative state when running , her father said . Foul play has been ruled out , Peters said . Berner was an itinerant special education teacher , according to CNN affiliate WTAE-TV of Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . Authorities listed her address as Perryville , Alaska , around 30 miles from where her body was found . She had arrived in Chignik this week to work at the school there , the Slippery Rock Herald said . Berner had been with the Lake and Peninsula Borough School District since August , schools official Rick Luthi said . Her co-workers last saw her alive at the end of the workday Monday , Luthi told the newspaper . `` She had made the comment that she wanted to get out and get some fresh air , '' Luthi said . `` We assumed that that meant a run for Candice , because she had a habit of doing that whenever she could . '' Her father was a professor and taught her first special education class , KTUU-TV said . `` I felt like it was work worth doing , and I 've always felt that way , '' Robert Berner said . `` I thought Candice would be able to handle it well , because she has a tremendous tolerance for those who are different . '' Residents in Berner 's hometown recalled an adventurous woman who loved the outdoors and longed to live in Alaska , WTAE said . Patrick Grant , of Slippery Rock University 's Special Education Department , told the station that Berner returned home for grad school and that he last saw her about 18 months ago . `` She cared about other people , '' Grant told WTAE . `` She cared about kids . She cared about how she 'd make a difference in the world . That 's why she was there . She wanted to make a difference in the world . '' Berner was featured in Slippery Rock 's winter 2010 journal , where she talked about life in Alaska without television and having her groceries flown in . She also wrote a blog called `` Adventures of an Alaskan Bush Teacher , '' posting photos on it and writing about the wildlife -- particularly the wolves that lurked in the wilderness . `` This tragedy affects all of us . We 're all deeply crushed by it , '' Grant said . `` We 're all deeply concerned about someone so young reaching such a tragic death , and we 're all asking ourselves , ` What can we do ? ' And I do n't know what the answer is . '' CNN 's Greg Morrison and Dave Alsup contributed to this report . | Authorities work in response to `` public safety concerns '' about wolves . If it is determined Candice Berner was killed by wolf , it would be first such death on state record . Berner 's body was found Monday night in remote area near village of Chignik Lake . Alaska State Troopers spokeswoman says foul play has been ruled out . | [[0, 129], [771, 831], [833, 934], [91, 153], [290, 361], [154, 164], [184, 241], [2019, 2047]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Environmental saviors can turn up in the most unexpected places . For the answer to our global waste management crisis , we need only look as far as our back gardens , for example . Forty million manure worms are being put to use in Sydney to treat its sewage . That 's what proponents of vermicomposting will tell us , anyway . Vermicomposting is the art of composting using worms -- and it is worms , apparently , who could save us yet . Worms are nature 's waste disposal units . Or rather , it is more accurate to call them waste renewal units , as they do n't simply consume the waste -- they turn it into something far more useful : nutrient-rich compost . Earthworms are by any definition incredible creatures -- particularly , in this context : The Eisenia foetida and Lumbricus rubellus , which are the two breeds of worm commonly used in vermicomposting , according to CityFarmer.org . Not only can they eat their own body weight in organic waste every day , but they actually remove -- or neutralize -- many of the toxins in that waste in the process , according to The Ecologist . There are a lot of them , too . You will find as many as 1 million earthworms in just 1 acre of land , according to NatureWatch , their population doubling in size every one-two months . And they work hard -- 1 million worms will get through 10 tons of leaves , stems and dead roots in one year , ploughing 40 tons of soil in the process . What they end up producing is ready-to-go plant soluble nutrients . According to NatureWatch , earthworm castings have five times as much nitrogen , seven times as much phosphorous , 11 times as much potassium and 1,000 times more `` beneficial bacteria '' than the stuff the worm consumes in the first place . Literally speaking , what goes in is far less valuable than what comes out . Utilizing ` black gold ' It is no surprise why these worms ' byproducts are often referred to as `` black gold , '' this knowledge being particularly pertinent at a time when nearly 40 percent of the world 's agricultural soil has become `` seriously degraded , '' according to the UK Soil Association . Worm compost : . Just one pound of worms can turn 1.3 million pounds of raw manure into high quality fertilizer in around 60 days , according to ScienceDaily . And plants love it . Research has shown that plant yields experience a significant boost from vermicomposting , by as much as 40 percent for broccoli , 80 percent for tomatoes and as much as 259 percent for carrots , according to The Ecologist . According to the World Waste Survey , compiled by Veolia Environmental Services , we generated at least 1.2 billion metric tons of municipal waste in 2004 . And a high proportion of that waste was organic matter which could have been composted . Around 32 percent of the European Union 's annual municipal waste -LRB- around 120 million tons -RRB- is food and garden waste , according to Waste Management World . And 30 percent of U.S. waste could have been composted in 2000 , according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency -LRB- EPA -RRB- -- representing 92 million tons of organic waste that otherwise sat rotting on a landfill , emitting methane into the atmosphere . As local governments and companies grapple with the issue of how to safely dispose of waste , vermicomposting is finding new fans -- some in unusual places . In Hong Kong , none other than fast-food chain McDonald 's has signed up to a vermicomposting program that will have 80 million worms feasting on between 50 and 200 tons of organic waste a day , according to the Reuters news service . McDonald 's aims to decrease the amount of waste it sends to Hong Kong 's rapidly filling landfills by 80 percent , Reuters reports . Other companies to have experimented with worm composting include Ikea in the U.S. state of Illinois , where , according to Treehugger.com , it is conducting vermicomposting trials . If all goes well , it aims to use worm composting to boost its 70 percent recycling rates to 90 percent , the site says . As it happens , we have had this knowledge for centuries . Aristotle himself was even said to have called worms the `` intestines of the soil , '' according to The New York Times , which also points out that Cleopatra was another devotee , bestowing sacred status on them and ordering them protected . Charles Darwin admired their land-tilling abilities so much that he wrote a book on them . `` It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world as have these lowly organized creatures , '' he mused , according to The New York Times . Greenhouse gas emitters . What Darwin , Cleopatra or Aristotle could not have known however , is that worms could also have the potential to save us from toxic waste . Scientists in India have found that worms ' digestive systems and regenerative abilities are so remarkable that they can actually absorb toxic materials yet expel toxic-free manure . According to the Indian newspaper , India Together , researchers in Gujarat have found that worms can `` detox '' the organic parts of the industrial sludge which results from the effluent treatment of industrial or hazardous waste . The method is ideal for industries -- such as paper , food processing , oil , textiles , dairy , distilleries and agro-chemicals -- where there is large enough organic components in the industrial sludge , Indian researchers say . But even with vermicomposting , something that looks like one of the most environmentally sound ideas around , there 's a downside -- and it 's a rather large one . It turns out that worms used in composting emit a greenhouse gas -- nitrous oxide -- which is hundreds of times more powerful than carbon dioxide . Unfortunately , in terms of greenhouse gas emissions , large-scale composting plants could be just as damaging to the environment as landfills of the same size , reports the UK 's Telegraph newspaper . `` The emissions that come from these worms can actually be 290 times more potent than carbon dioxide and 20 times more potent than methane , '' the Telegraph quotes Jim Frederickson , an Open University research fellow . `` In all environmental systems you get good points and bad points . '' E-mail to a friend . -LRB- Sources : CityFarmer.org , The Ecologist , NatureWatch , U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , Veolia Environmental Services , Soil Association , Waste Management World , New York Times , Reuters , ScienceDaily , Treehugger.com , Telegraph , India Together -RRB- . | Earthworms can eat their own body weight in organic matter every day . Worm castings extremely nutrient rich ; good for soil and plants . 30 percent of U.S. and EU total municipal waste could be composted . McDonald 's and Ikea using vermicomposting to meet environmental targets . | [[915, 932], [937, 985], [915, 918], [933, 985], [2963, 3025], [2963, 2991], [3028, 3097], [3387, 3399], [3402, 3488]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The wife of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid underwent neck surgery Friday after being injured with their daughter in a four-vehicle wreck in suburban Washington a day earlier , her surgeon said . Since the surgery , Landra Reid , 69 , has been able `` to get out of bed , her pain is well-controlled and she 's able to swallow some , '' said Dr. Elizabeth Franco of Inova Fairfax Hospital . She can move her arms and legs , but is expected to go through physical therapy before being released in a few days , Franco said . Reid 's wife broke her neck , a vertebra in her lower back and her nose , the doctor said . The couple 's adult daughter , Lana Reid Barringer of McLean , Virginia , suffered a neck injury and facial lacerations , the senator 's spokesman , Jon Summers , said Thursday . Lana Reid was released from the hospital Thursday night . The wreck occurred in the northbound lanes of Interstate 95 in Fairfax County at 1:10 p.m. , when the 2005 Honda Odyssey driven by the daughter began braking in stop-and-go traffic and was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer , according to a Virginia State Police report . `` The impact forced the Honda Odyssey to rear-end the vehicle in front of it , a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee , '' it says . `` The Jeep Grand Cherokee was then forced into the next lane over where it struck a 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt . '' The drivers of the Jeep and the Chevrolet also were taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital . Their injuries were not considered life-threatening . The driver of the truck , Allan W. Snader , 59 , of Ohio , was charged with reckless driving , the police report said . He was not injured in the crash . The tractor-trailer was carrying rolls of plastic . The 70-year-old senator visited his wife and daughter shortly after hearing of the accident at 2:15 p.m. , then returned to his office in the Capitol to work on health care legislation , said Reid spokesman Jim Manley . He was back at the hospital later in the afternoon and stayed until midnight , then returned early Friday to be there for his wife 's surgery , Summers said . Summers told reporters Landra Reid 's recovery is the senator 's top priority , but `` his plans have not changed at all '' in Congress . `` Landra and I have been married for 50 years -- she is the love of my life , '' Reid said in a statement read by Summers at a news conference . `` And I look forward to her making a quick recovery as soon as possible . '' Reid met his wife at Basic High School in Henderson , Nevada , during the mid-1950s . They married in 1959 and had their first child , Lana , two years later . Three boys followed . The couple has 16 grandchildren . CNN Congressional Producer Ted Barrett and Brianna Keilar contributed to this report . | Landra Reid , 69 , was involved in a car accident on Thursday . Since surgery , she is able `` to get out of bed ... and she 's able to swallow some , '' doctor says . She can move arms and legs ; expected to go through physical therapy before release . She broke her neck , a vertebra and her nose in the accident , the doctor said . | [[217, 234], [237, 248], [251, 290], [325, 352], [412, 442], [412, 415], [449, 491], [412, 415], [461, 527], [544, 571], [618, 635], [636, 664], [710, 755]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The cost of the Pentagon 's newest fighter jet will be more than double the original price , solidifying the F-35 joint strike fighter as the most expensive Pentagon weapons program ever . At a Capitol Hill hearing on Thursday , the Pentagon 's chief weapons buyers said numerous problems over the almost 10-year program have forced the cost of the aircraft to go from $ 50 million a jet in 2001 to about $ 113 million . That cost overrun has also forced the Pentagon to justify the program to Congress . Outrage about the cost among the Senate panel was expected , including that from the chairman of the Armed Service Committee , Sen. Carl Levin , D-Michigan . `` This committee has been a strong supporter of the JSF program from the beginning , however , people should not conclude that we 're going to be willing to continue that strong support without regard to increased costs coming from poor program management , '' Levin said . Sen. John McCain , R-Arizona , the ranking member , had been pushing for a hearing on the program . `` The taxpayers are a little tired of this , and I ca n't say that I can blame them , '' McCain said . `` It 's a bit frustrating to hear the secretary of defense as short a time ago as last August to tell us that everything is OK , '' McCain said . McCain was referring to a visit to the joint strike fighter assembly plant last year where Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said most of the high risk elements associated with JSF 's developmental program were largely in the past , according to McCain . The Pentagon wants to buy more than 2,400 of the technologically advanced aircraft . The F-35 program has had numerous technical problems , delays and slow productivity over the years , including an entire program restructuring in an attempt to reduce the skyrocketing cost . Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition Ashton Carter told the Senate panel that the program has fallen short on performance in the past few years . `` That is unacceptable , '' he said . Despite that , the fighter jet program still enjoys strong support from service chiefs and congressional members because it touches numerous states . The F-35 program cost overrun triggered the Nunn-McCurdy law , which requires the Pentagon to tell Congress of significant cost increases . The law forces the Pentagon to justify continuing with the program . The Pentagon 's director of cost assessment and program evaluation , Christine Fox , told the senators she expects the Pentagon will officially notify Congress under the Nunn-McCurdy regulation by April 1 . The plane was designed to be the next generation fighter for the military and would have three variants . The Navy would have one for its carrier fleet , the Marines would use it to replace their aging Harrier jump jet fleet and the Air Force would use it as the service phases out the F-16 and F-15 fighter jets . The planes are being built by Lockheed Martin , and the program also has international partners who have been building parts for the aircraft . More than 700 of them would be sold to those partner countries , including the United Kingdom , Italy , the Netherlands , Turkey , Canada , Denmark , Norway and Australia . The fighter is the largest weapons program ever and Gates has been counting on it , as there are no immediate alternative programs to the F-35 . Even with the delays and cost overruns , the first planes are expected to be put into service as early as 2012 for the Marine Corps . But the Air Force and Navy are expecting their first aircraft to be delivered by 2016 , a two year delay for the Navy and a three year delay for the Air Force , according to Pentagon officials . Even as the program tries to field an aircraft in less than two years , a Government Accountability Office -LRB- GAO -RRB- official testified at the hearing that there are still no final costs associated with the program through its projected life ending in 2034 . `` To date , the department does not have a full , comprehensive cost estimate for completing the program , '' said Michael Sullivan , director of the acquisition and sourcing management team for the GAO . | The cost of the F-35 aircraft has gone from $ 50 million a jet in 2001 to about $ 113 million . F-35 joint strike fighter is most expensive Pentagon weapons program ever . Pentagon wants to buy more than 2,400 of the technologically advanced aircraft . Even with delays , cost overruns , first planes expected in service as early as 2012 . | [[0, 26], [65, 120], [301, 450], [0, 26], [123, 218], [3238, 3285], [1574, 1658], [3424, 3440], [3454, 3516]] |
BARCELONA , Spain -- Barcelona 's Brazilian forward Ronaldinho will miss most of the rest of the season after damaging a muscle in his right leg during training on Friday . Ronaldinho has had his least impressive season with Barcelona since joining them in 2003 . The club announced that the injury would keep him on the sidelines for about six weeks . The 28-year-old Ronaldinho , twice world player of the year , has had his least impressive season with Barcelona since joining them from Paris St Germain in 2003 and has frequently been linked with a possible move away . His contract extends until 2010 . Barcelona said that the Brazilian had been hurt in a `` training accident '' , adding : '' A scan carried out confirms that he has a torn muscle which will keep him off the pitch for a period of six weeks . '' Barcelona are third in the Spanish league with 58 points , seven points behind champions and leaders Real Madrid . E-mail to a friend . | Barcelona ace Ronaldinho is expected to be sidelined for around six weeks . The Brazilian international forward suffered a leg injury while training this week . The club announced that Ronaldinho had torn a muscle in a training ` accident ' | [[0, 9], [12, 172], [264, 352], [283, 352], [732, 814], [0, 9], [12, 172], [0, 9], [12, 172], [608, 752], [732, 814]] |
Istanbul , Turkey -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kurdish lawmakers announced Monday they would submit their resignations from Parliament , three days after Turkey 's highest court banned their political party on charges that it was a `` focal point for terrorism . '' Ahmet Turk , the co-chairman of the now-defunct Democratic Society Party -- known by its initials in Turkish , DTP -- made the announcement in a statement to the media Monday evening in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir . Last Friday 's closure by the Constitutional Court stripped Turk and fellow co-chair , Aysel Tugluk , of their parliamentary seats and banned them both from politics for the next five years . The announcement that the remaining 19 elected lawmakers from their party would now resign in protest may exacerbate simmering tensions between the state and Turkey 's minority of some 12 million ethnic Kurds . `` The decision of the constitutional court might deprive a significant segment of Turkish voters from political representation , '' said a spokesman for the European Commission , in a dispatch from the French news agency AFP . Earlier Friday , Ahmet Turk denounced the court ban in a speech before a crowd of some 10,000 supporters in Diyarbakir , the unofficial political capital of Turkey 's Kurds . `` I know the mentality of the state and the politicians of this country , '' he said . `` We did not expect anything different because they can not tolerate the existence of the Kurds . They can not tolerate our identity . They can not tolerate our language . '' After the speech , several hundred Kurds took to the streets , throwing stones and clashing with Turkish riot police , who retaliated by firing tear gas and water cannons . The banning of the DTP came after more then a week of riots and clashes between police and Kurdish protesters in cities and towns across Turkey . Tensions have rapidly escalated , amid reports that the jailed leader of the Kurdish separatist movement -- the Kurdistan Workers ' Party , known as the PKK -- was moved to a smaller prison cell , and after the PKK claimed responsibility for a deadly ambush last week that killed seven Turkish soldiers . In Istanbul on Sunday , Kurdish protesters threw rocks and Molotov cocktails and clashed with police in a central commercial district . At one point , gun - and club-wielding Turkish ultranationalists joined the fray . Explosions of ethnic anger were not limited to Turkey 's largest city . In the eastern Turkish town of Malatya , Turkish nationalists were filmed scuffling with Kurdish demonstrators Sunday . Police struggled to keep the two groups apart as they kicked and cursed at each other in the street . Clashes also erupted on Monday in the coastal city of Adana and in the border town of Dogubayazit , Turkey 's official Anatolian news agency reported . Anatolian reported that nine demonstrators were detained and that one demonstrator and five police officers were injured in the Dogubayazit clash . Signs identifying the now-defunct DTP have been removed from the front of the 19th-century , four-story building where the party 's Istanbul headquarters is located . Two prior incarnations of the DTP have been shut down by the Turkish state within the last decade . Mustafa Avci , the chairman of the party 's Istanbul branch , said the Turkish state is forcing conflict on the country 's Kurdish minority . `` They are forcing this on us , '' Avci said in an interview with CNN on Monday . `` Therefore , they are the ones who practice terrorism , not us . ... Those who want war are terrorists . '' | NEW : Kurdish lawmakers say they 'll resign seats , days after court banned their party . NEW : Struggle may leave many voters without representation , European Commission says . Turkey 's highest court banned DTP last week , calling it `` focal point for terrorism '' Police , Kurdish protesters , and Turkish nationalists have clashed in streets recently . | [[0, 8], [11, 33], [37, 124], [144, 196], [680, 763], [771, 781], [680, 753], [760, 781], [680, 890], [891, 1018], [213, 252], [488, 538], [623, 679], [1558, 1574], [1577, 1598], [1641, 1674], [1731, 1876], [2182, 2203], [2206, 2224], [2263, 2317], [2473, 2511], [2514, 2592]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kimberley Locke knows a thing or two about singing competitions . `` American Idol '' finalist Kimberley Locke is the new co-host of `` Gospel Dream . '' Having placed third during season two of `` American Idol '' -- just behind winner Ruben Studdard and runner-up Clay Aiken -- the singer is back in reality show action as the new co-host of `` Gospel Dream . '' The Gospel Music Channel 's talent search is going into its fourth season , and Locke joins fellow host Mike Kasem -LRB- son of Casey Kasem -RRB- and the judges -- gospel artist J. Moss , Destiny 's Child member Michelle Williams and industry executive Mitchell Solarek -- on the show . Locke has worked steadily since she first burst onto the `` Idol '' scene in 2003 . She has modeled , served as a spokesperson for plus-sized clothier Lane Bryant and Jenny Craig and appeared on VH1 's `` Celebrity Fit Club . '' All the while , she has continued to pursue her music . Her `` 8th World Wonder '' was a big hit , making the Top 10 on Billboard 's Adult Contemporary charts . She 's had three dance chart No. 1s . Locke recently spoke with CNN about the `` Gospel Dream , '' life after `` American Idol '' and the one reality show she really wants to appear on next . CNN : How did you get involved with `` Gospel Dream ? '' Kimberley Locke : Funny enough , I 've been wanting to do more hosting , and I had been talking to my manager about it . They contacted me out of the blue , and I was like `` Oh , I put it out to the universe , and here it is . '' CNN : Are you a gospel music fan ? Locke : I am a gospel music fan . Of course I grew up in the church singing gospel music . I do n't listen to as much as I used to , but I used to sing in a girl a cappella group and that 's how we started , performing in church . CNN : Why do you think so many performers in the music industry come out of the church ? Locke : I think a lot of people become stars in their church . ... The church environment is so supportive . When you are first starting out and learning how to sing in front of an audience , that 's the kind of audience you want to be in front of . Even if you mess up and you sound horrible , they kind of let you stand there and collect yourself while the pianist keeps playing . Then they plow through it with you . That 's a part of the business , a professionalism that really comes in handy when you get to this level . CNN : You 've had some experiences with singing competitions . How is `` Gospel Dream '' different ? Locke : It 's different in that the contestants are very focused on where they want to be and the type of music they want to sing . When you are on `` Idol , '' you are forced to fit into all of these different genres you may or may not want to do and you may or may not even be familiar with them . The `` Gospel Dream '' contestants ' direction is really clear and defined , so they are picking songs that really speak to them on a personal level . Watch Locke talk about the show '' CNN : How has life been for you post - `` Idol ? '' Locke : Life has been great post - `` Idol . '' So many opportunities , so many things I would have never imagined . Things that I did n't even associate with singing , like modeling , hosting , being a spokesperson , owning a restaurant . It just opened so many doors . CNN : You were a plus-sized model and spokesperson for Lane Bryant , but now you are way too small to do that . Locke : That really opened me up to bond with my fans . I tell people I 'm still a big girl at heart . CNN : When is your next album coming out ? Locke : I just started working on the next album . We are in the very preliminary stages of putting together the concept of the record and we just compiled a bunch of songs to start listening to . CNN : Are you planning on doing any other reality shows ? Locke : I 'm not really a big reality show fan . I did `` Celebrity Fit Club '' because there was a purpose behind that in my wanting to lose weight . There is only one reality show I really , really want to do , and that 's `` Dancing With the Stars . '' I want to be on that show because then I 'd lose the extra 10 to 15 pounds I want to lose . | Singer Kimberley Locke finished third during season two of `` American Idol '' She is co-hosting the fourth season of the talent competition `` Gospel Dream '' Locke has worked steadily since `` Idol '' as a spokesperson , host and performer . She says she 'd like to appear on `` Dancing With the Stars '' | [[85, 169], [173, 233], [85, 169], [384, 457], [671, 754], [1195, 1252]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It feels like it went by in the blink of an eye . Tai Shan , the giant panda cub so many people have come to know and love , is about to board a flight to China . `` It 's very bittersweet . We love him . We love having him here , '' said Erika Bauer , curator at the National Zoo in Washington . Tai Shan was born in the nation 's capital , so you can confidently call him a Washingtonian . But he is to be sent to China , under an agreement between the two nations , to help replenish the endangered species ' numbers in the wild . At 4 1/2 years old , Tai Shan is more of a panda adolescent than a cub , but to Tai Shan fans , he will always be their baby . `` We watched him as he grew up and it 's kind of sad to see him go , '' said Kathleen Ryland of Highland , Maryland . Ryland brought her two children to say their goodbyes to Tai Shan at a farewell party at the National Zoo Saturday . Despite the snow falling on the panda exhibit , there were plenty of warm and fuzzy feelings about Tai Shan . `` He 's so cute . I 'll miss him , '' said Claire Ryland , 7 . It 's often said that a visit to Washington is not complete without a stop at the zoo to see Tai Shan . Over the years , some have even gone as far to say that Tai Shan was Washington 's No. 1 resident -- even getting top billing over the president . Tai Shan will leave for China on Thursday via the `` FedEx Panda Express . '' He 'll be joined by Mei Lan - a 3-year-old panda born at Zoo Atlanta in Georgia . Eventually , they will take part in a breeding program aimed at increasing the panda population . Giant pandas are currently on the endangered list . The National Zoo estimates that about 1,600 giant pandas are currently in the wild . Bauer says that 's all the more reason to say goodbye to Tai Shan . `` It 's very important to get Tai Shan into the breeding population to help conserve the species in general . This is a very good day for him , '' she said . | Tai Shan , a 4-year-old giant panda , is to be delivered to China next week . A farewell party was held at the National Zoo in Washington on Saturday . He 'll be joined in China by Mei Lan -- a 3-year-old panda born at Zoo Atlanta in Georgia . They will take part in a breeding program aimed at increasing China 's panda population . | [[426, 451], [1352, 1393], [810, 926], [825, 926], [1430, 1478], [1460, 1511], [1512, 1566], [1548, 1609]] |
Tokyo , Japan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Toyota has added the brake systems of the latest Lexus hybrid vehicles to a growing list of problems with various models , the company said Friday . The company said it was checking the brakes on the Lexus vehicle model HS250h -- as well as a Japanese model called the Sai -- because they use the same system as that used on the 2010 Toyota Prius . Toyota has announced no recall of these vehicles , however , and said it has not received any complaints about the brakes from consumers . But the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Thursday it is opening a formal investigation into problems with the Prius , Toyota 's fourth-best selling model in the United States and the best-selling model in Japan . The company has acknowledged a software glitch that is causing problems with its braking . It said it is looking further at the best way to repair the problem . On Thursday , Ford announced that it was changing the software in the braking system for its Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids to correct an occasion glitch in the old software . Ford said no injuries had been reported involving the problem . The Fusion/Milan 's issue seemed less serious than that of the Prius , said David Champion , the head of auto testing at Consumer Reports . The NHTSA investigation involves only 2010 model year Prius hybrids , which went on sale in the middle of last year . There are only 37,000 of those vehicles on the road , according to the agency . The Prius , which is built in Japan , is not one of the eight models affected by two recent recalls -- covering several million vehicles -- to fix problems with sticking gas pedals . All of those models were built at North American plants . NHTSA said its Office of Defects investigation has received 124 reports from consumers about problems with the Prius brakes , including four reports that involved crashes and two that resulted in injuries . No fatalities have been reported . Investigators have spoken with consumers and conducted preliminary field work . Late Wednesday , Toyota President Akio Toyoda spoke with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood , reassuring him that Toyota takes U.S. safety concerns seriously and puts safety at the top of the company 's priorities , according to NHTSA 's statement . Toyota had only limited comment on the probe . `` We have heard about NHTSA 's intention to begin an investigation . Toyota will cooperate fully with NHTSA 's investigation , '' the company said in a statement . Even if the solution ends up being a relatively simple and inexpensive software adjustment , the Prius braking problems come at a bad time for Toyota , which has seen its prized reputation for quality and safety badly damaged by the recalls and the news attention given to them . The company has estimated that the problem with the gas pedals will cost it about 100,000 sales this year and $ 2 billion in repair costs and lost revenue . Other experts say the problem could be more long-lasting if consumers who once trusted the Toyota brand decide to shop elsewhere . The Prius problem is a `` disconnect '' in the vehicle 's complex anti-lock brake system that causes less than a one-second lag before the brakes start to work , Toyota said Thursday . At 60 mph , though , a vehicle will have traveled nearly another 90 feet before the brakes begin to take hold . The company also said it changed the braking system software in January for vehicles built since then . But it has yet to determine how to fix the brakes of vehicles already on the road . CNN 's Kyung Lah and CNNMoney.com 's Peter Valdes-Dapena and Chris Isidore contributed to this report . | Toyota has admitted to a software glitch that is causing problems with braking . Toyota : Prius `` disconnect '' in anti-lock brake system causes less than a second lag . Prius is not one of the eight models affected by two recent recalls . Toyota estimates the problem with gas pedals will cost it $ 2 billion , 100,000 sales . | [[763, 853], [792, 809], [815, 853], [1028, 1101], [3103, 3191], [3161, 3191], [3197, 3248], [1504, 1513], [1542, 1572], [1556, 1603], [2815, 2971], [2846, 2920]] |
LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The prosecution can not argue that sex was a motivation for doctors to give Anna Nicole Smith the drugs that may have led to her death , a judge ruled Thursday . Howard K. Stern , right , companion of Anna Nicole Smith , is one of three people charged in the case . `` I 'm just not buying that , '' Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert Perry said . The ruling came on the third day of a preliminary hearing for Howard K. Stern -- Smith 's lawyer and companion -- and co-defendants Dr. Khristine Eroshevich and Dr. Sandeep Kapoor , on charges stemming from the Playboy model and reality TV star 's death . Larry Birkhead , the father of Smith 's now 3-year-old daughter , is set to testify Friday . Deputy District Attorney Renee Rose told Judge Perry she wanted to present evidence that Eroshevich , a woman , had a sexual relationship with Smith , which was the doctor 's `` motivation to continue providing excess medications '' to her . The prosecution planned to present an expert witness who would say such a sexual relationship between a doctor and an addicted patient could compromise the care , Assistant District Attorney Sean Carney said . Court documents released last month said investigators found photos of Eroshevich and Smith `` naked in the bathtub in intimate embraces , '' according to one sworn statement . One affidavit referenced a video clip of Kapoor `` kissing and snuggling '' with Smith `` in a reclined position in a nightclub setting . '' The three defendants are charged with an illegal conspiracy to prescribe , administer and dispense controlled substances to an addict . Stern faces 11 felony counts , while the doctors were charged with six each . Smith 's death in a Hollywood , Florida , hotel on February 8 , 2007 , was ruled to be from `` acute combined drug intoxication , '' the Broward County , Florida , medical examiner said . Her death came five months after the birth of her daughter , Dannielynn , on September 7 , 2006 , and the sudden death of her 20-year-old son , Daniel , three days later . Smith 's part-time body guard , Maurice Brighthaupt , was testifying Thursday morning when Rose brought up the possibility of a sexual relationship . Brighthaupt , a full-time south Florida paramedic , said he was rarely paid for his bodyguard services `` because they told me they did n't have much money at the time . '' He helped Smith because she was like a sister , he said . Brighthaupt testified that he had seen Stern giving Smith illegal drugs , which contradicted public statements he made in the months after Smith 's death . He said he changed his story after having time to think about the events , but defense lawyer Steve Sadow suggested it was for money and revenge on Stern for an accusation he made against Brighthaupt . Brighthaupt acknowledged that he was paid at least $ 150,000 for interviews by the `` Entertainment Tonight '' and `` Access Hollywood '' TV shows . Sadow pointed to an October 10 , 2007 , interview by CNN 's Larry King in which Stern accused Brighthaupt of stealing photos of Smith and selling them to tabloids . Brighthaupt began cooperating with the lead investigator , who he said he had been `` ducking , '' only days after Stern 's CNN appearance . But he denied revenge was his motivation . Before her son 's death , Smith was a happy , normal person , Brighthaupt said . `` She knew she was the ` it ' , '' Brighthaupt said . But in the five months after her son 's death and until her own death , Smith was `` very weak '' and `` zombie-like , '' he said . `` She just did n't want to deal with life after the death of her son , '' Brighthaupt said . Anytime she was able to sleep , she would dream of her son and wake up crying , he said . Nannies stayed with her infant around the clock at her home in the Bahamas , while Smith slept through most of the days . She would sometimes get up late at night and stumble around her house cursing , he said . `` Someone had to always keep an eye on her because she was very , very depressed , '' he said . Other than medications , the only relief she got from her pain was her daughter , he said . `` The times when she 'd get really depressed , that 's when we 'd bring Dannielynn to her to let her see the baby , '' he said . Smith would constantly read what was written about her on the Internet , using a `` Google Alert '' to let her know when a story was published about her , he said . Brighthaupt described Smith as `` manipulative '' when she wanted something . `` She manipulated Dr. Eroshevich , '' he said . Eroshevich , a Los Angeles psychiatrist , traveled to the Bahamas five or six times in 2006 to attend to Smith , he said . They had a mother-daughter friendship , not a doctor-patient relationship , he said . The doctor sometimes substituted placebos for the tray full of pills Smith regularly took for her complaints of pain and depression , he said . `` She was very concerned that we needed to wean -LSB- Smith -RSB- off the medications , '' Brighthaupt said . In earlier testimony , California Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement Special Agent Danny Santiago testified investigators found 12 different prescription drugs , including dangerous opiates , in Smith 's hotel room after her death . Seven of them were prescribed using Stern 's name , although spelled `` Stearn , '' Santiago said . A series of affidavits used by state investigators to obtain search warrants in their 2 1/2 - year inquiry was unsealed last month , revealing many details of the prosecution 's case . | Judge refuses to allow argument that sex motivated Anna Nicole Smith 's doctor . Ruling comes amid hearing concerning death of the Playboy model/reality TV star . Prosecutor wanted to present evidence Smith had relationship with female doctor . Court documents : Investigators found photos of pair naked `` in intimate embraces '' | [[44, 111], [181, 205], [582, 652], [746, 894], [1198, 1334]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Australian Open champion Serena Williams has pulled out of next week 's Paris Indoor Open due to a leg injury . The world No. 1 picked up the problem on the way to winning the opening Grand Slam tournament for the fifth time last month , the French event 's organizers said on Saturday . Seventh-ranked Elena Dementieva will take the American 's place as top seed , with Italian No. 12 Flavia Pennetta second and Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium third . Williams has won the Paris title twice , beating former world No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo in the final both times . The Frenchwoman won it for a record third time last year but has now retired . Meanwhile , last year 's losing finalists the United States made a strong start without Williams in their Fed Cup first-round clash with France in Lievin on Saturday . Bethanie Mattek-Sands defeated Alize Cornet 7-6 -LRB- 9-7 -RRB- 7-5 for her first singles win in the women 's teams tournament , while Melanie Oudin beat debutant Pauline Parmentier 6-4 6-4 in the second rubber . The winner of the tie will play either Serbia or Russia in the semifinals , with reverse singles on Sunday before the possibly decisive doubles . Svetlana Kuznetsova gave Russia , beaten by Italy in last year 's semifinals , a 1-0 lead when she defeated former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic 6-1 6-4 . But Jelena Jankovic , another ex top-ranked player , came from behind to level the tie by beating Alisa Kleybanova 4-6 6-4 6-0 as she won the last 11 games in a match lasting two hours and 18 minutes . Pennetta helped defending champions Italy to end the day level 1-1 with Ukraine , beating Kateryna Bondarenko 7-5 6-3 after Francesca Schiavone lost the opening match 6-1 6-4 to the elder Bondarenko sister Alona in Kharkiv . Alona 's win was the Ukraine 's first at World Group level . The winner of the tie will face either the Czech Republic or Germany in the last four , with that clash also tied at 1-1 . Anna-Lena Groenefeld put Germany ahead in Brno with a 6-2 6-2 victory over Lucie Safarova , but Petra Kvitova leveled for the hosts with a 6-4 6-4 win against Andrea Petkovic . | World No. 1 Serena Williams pulls out of next week 's Paris Indoor Open . American suffered leg injury on way to victory at last month 's Australian Open . U.S. take 2-0 lead in Fed Cup first-round tie in France without services of Williams . The winner of that match will play either Russia or Serbia in the semifinals . | [[0, 15], [44, 130], [657, 666], [669, 678], [699, 824], [1038, 1111]] |
Islamabad , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A blast targeting a bus filled with Shiite religious observers in Karachi killed at least 12 people and another explosion in front of a hospital where attack victims were being treated killed six more Friday , a government official said . Motorcycles were used in both assaults , police said , and they came during the Shiite observance of Arbaeen , a commemoration that takes place 40 days after the anniversary of Iman Hussein 's death , which is also known as Ashura . Sindh provincial health minister , Dr. Saghir Ahmed said that along with the 12 dead , 30 people were injured in the first blast . The second blast happened in front of the emergency room at Jinnah Hospital , where doctors treated people from the first attack and people on stretchers were waiting to be taken in to the crowded facility . Along with the six slain , five people were wounded . The last deadly blast in Karachi took place late December during Ashura , when more than 40 people were killed . | Two bomb blasts kill at least 18 in Karachi ; motorcycles used in both attacks . 12 killed in the first explosion which targeted Shiite religious observers on a bus . 6 killed in second attack which occurred outside a hospital treating victims of first blast . Attacks came during the Shiite observance of Arbaeen . | [[279, 317], [40, 113], [174, 184], [191, 231], [643, 718], [727, 850], [338, 387]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Internet attacks shut down the social networking site Twitter for about two hours on Thursday morning and caused glitches in other sites like Facebook and LiveJournal , a blogging site . Some Twitter users expressed near-panic that the site was not working properly Thursday . It 's unclear if the attacks were coordinated against the social media sites . Twitter says its site 's blackout was caused by a `` denial of service attack , '' which likely means a hacker used a herd of infected computers to send bad information to the site to overwhelmed it . A post to Twitter 's blog said its Web site was back online before noon ET , but the site 's users still were reporting problems . `` We are continuing to defend against and recover from this attack , '' the message from the company says . Facebook and other social networking sites appeared to be affected by Twitter 's shut-down , too . Twitter runs applications through those sites and there was speculation that the glitches were related . `` Earlier this morning , we encountered issues within our network that resulted in a short period of degraded site experience for some visitors , '' said Facebook spokeswoman Kathleen Loughlin . `` No user data was at risk , and the matter is now resolved for the majority of users . We 're monitoring the situation to ensure that users continue to have the fast and reliable experience they 've come to expect from Facebook , '' she said . Twitter 's site went down around 9:30 a.m. ET on Thursday and was back online by about 11:30 a.m. It 's unclear who plotted the attack against Twitter and what their motives may have been . Internet attacks sometimes hit Web sites as they become popular . Security experts say financial motives often are behind modern cyber-attacks . Watch Mashable 's Adam Ostrow on the Twitter outage . Twitter -- a micro-blogging site where users post 140-character messages to their followers -- has soared in popularity in recent months . According to comScore , a Web tracking firm , the site had 44 million unique visitors in June . Thursday 's incident highlights the degree to which people depend on online social networks to feel connected to the world . Some Twitter and Facebook users expressed near-panic that the sites were not working properly . Others reacted with ambivalence . This is not the first time Twitter has been hit with a cyber-attack . Last month , a hacker broke into the personal Google accounts of Twitter employees , stealing personal information and company financial reports and posting them online . In an e-mail to CNN.com , Twitter co-founder Biz Stone said that incident is not related to Thursday 's security breach . `` There 's no indication that this attack is related to any previous activities . We are currently the target of a denial of service attack , '' Stone said in the e-mail . `` Attacks such as this are malicious efforts orchestrated to disrupt and make unavailable services such as online banks , credit card payment gateways , and in this case , Twitter for intended customers or users . We are defending against this attack now and will continue to update our status blog as we defend and later investigate . '' Don DeBolt , director of threat research at CA , a computer security company , said it 's too early to tell who or what may be behind the Twitter attack . But he said denial-of-service attacks target specific Web sites . `` To be effective , -LSB- these attacks -RSB- need to be focused on a Web site or a series of Web sites , '' he said . `` It 's not going to be something where malware -LRB- harmful software -RRB- is going to be deployed and then randomly attacks Web sites . '' John Harrison , a researcher with Web security firm Symantec , said it is very difficult to learn the identity of the attacker , or attackers , as they could be anywhere on Earth and the infected network could span several countries . Logging on to sites such as Twitter while they are under attack only makes the situation worse because it adds to the overloading of the system , he said . The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team says it 's impossible for Web developers to fully prevent such attacks . But everyday computer users can ensure that their machines are n't used in a coordinated attack like the one seen Thursday . To protect their computers , consumers should update anti-virus software , create passwords that are difficult to crack and maintain computer firewalls , the agency says . | Twitter , Facebook , LiveJournal hit Thursday morning with denial-of-service attacks . The attack shut Twitter down for at least two hours . It 's unclear who caused the attacks . Twitter co-founder : attack is not related to a recent breach in Twitter security . | [[19, 120], [0, 15], [125, 185], [19, 120], [1462, 1519], [2582, 2605], [2608, 2703]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- James Cameron unveiled his much-hyped , wildly-anticipated 3D sci-fi epic `` Avatar '' to audiences in full in London Thursday . Here 's what the critics are saying about the Oscar-winner 's first outing since `` Titanic , '' the most successful film of modern times . Todd McCarthy , Variety : The King of the World sets his sights on creating another world entirely in `` Avatar , '' and it 's very much a place worth visiting . ... delivers unique spectacle , breathtaking sights , narrative excitement and an overarching anti-imperialist , back-to-nature theme that will play very well around the world ... '' Mike Goodridge , Screen International : ... once again takes cinema to a new level of remarkable spectacle ... An epic film born entirely of Cameron 's imagination , `` Avatar '' uses tailor-made technology to create the most astonishing visual effects yet seen on screen and blends them seamlessly into a mythical sci-fi story about an ancient alien civilization fighting the encroaching human menace . It 's an unprecedented marriage of technology and storytelling which is on the whole remarkably successful . Chris Hewitt , Empire : It 's been twelve years since `` Titanic , '' but the King of the World has returned with a flawed but fantastic tour de force that , taken on its merits as a film , especially in two dimensions , warrants four stars . However , if you can wrap a pair of 3D glasses round your peepers , this becomes a transcendent , full-on five-star experience that 's the closest we 'll ever come to setting foot on a strange new world . Wendy Ide , The Times : `` Avatar '' is an overwhelming , immersive spectacle . The state-of-the-art 3D technology draws us in , but it is the vivid weirdness of Cameron 's luridly imagined tropical otherworld that keeps us fascinated . At times it verges on the tacky , like a futuristic air freshener advertisement with the color contrast turned up to the max . The ethically accented orchestral score certainly does n't help matters . But mostly , it 's a place of wonder full of exotically freakish animal composites -- iridescent lizard birds , hammer-headed rhinos -- and sentient vegetation . `` Avatar : '' We should n't really be telling you this -- but it 's good . Mark Brown , The Guardian : Perhaps most surprising was the politics . At one stage the deranged general leading the attack , with echoes of George Bush , declares : `` Our survival relies on pre-emptive action . We will fight terror with terror . '' | James Cameron 's `` Avatar '' had its world premiere in London yesterday . The 3D sci-fi epic goes on public release worldwide on December 18 . Read what the critics have said said so far . | [[19, 94], [148, 239]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The fallout from Adam Lambert 's risqué American Music Awards performance keeps coming with `` Good Morning America '' canceling the singer 's live performance scheduled for Wednesday morning . ABC was flooded with more than 1,500 complaints , and the network sent an e-mail to potential concert goers letting them know that Lambert would not be performing on Wednesday . `` Given Adam Lambert 's controversial live performance on the AMAs , we were concerned about airing a similar concert so early in the morning , '' a spokesperson for the network said . `` The Early Show '' on rival network CBS was quick to announce that they have booked Lambert to perform and discuss the controversy on Wednesday morning . Lambert shocked viewers with his sexually suggestive dance sequence that included simulated oral sex as well as Lambert kissing his male keyboardist . The Parents Television Council , a Media watchdog group , also attacked the show as vulgar and urged its members on Monday to contact ABC , Dick Clark Productions and the show 's advertisers with complaints about the content . `` Last night 's ` American Music Awards ' broadcast was nothing short of tasteless and vulgar . Adam Lambert , the second-place finisher in last season 's ` American Idol ' competition , chose to treat American families to simulated oral sex and other demeaning behavior , '' the PTC posted on its Web site . Melissa Henson , director of communications and public education for the PTC , said the council was n't concerned about Lambert 's gay kiss . Its issue and focus are on the simulated oral sex , she said . `` The gender has nothing to do with it , '' Henson said . `` It would be true if it had been a woman 's face that was thrust into his crotch . '' Henson also noted that this is not an anti-Adam Lambert campaign and said the council would have had no problem with Lambert performing live on `` Good Morning America . '' `` As long as he keeps it clean , '' Henson said . | `` Good Morning America '' cancels Adam Lambert 's live performance . Lambert shocked viewers with his sexually suggestive dance sequence on the AMAs . ABC received more than 1,500 complaints after the AMAs . | [[119, 188], [733, 800], [213, 260]] |
-LRB- CNN Student News -RRB- -- November 30 , 2009 . Download PDF maps related to today 's show : . • Afghanistan • Honduras • Dubai , United Arab Emirates . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT . THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED . CARL AZUZ , CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR : You are in the homestretch -- just a few weeks left to go before the holiday break . And we 'll help get you there . I 'm Carl Azuz ; this is CNN Student News . First Up : Troops in Afghanistan . AZUZ : Big announcement scheduled for tomorrow night : what President Obama plans to do about Afghanistan . There are 68,000 U.S. troops there right now . And you know the president 's been meeting with advisors for weeks , trying to figure out how the U.S. should approach the war there . He says he wants to get the decision right , but he 's been criticized for taking too much time to make it . There is one thing that some critics and supporters of the president seem to agree on , though : that he needs to talk about the U.S. mission in Afghanistan . SEN. RICHARD LUGAR , -LRB- R -RRB- , INDIANA : The president needs to start by outlining the war we are in . Now by that , I mean , the war not against the Taliban , Al Qaida , but what is , at least , the objective of continuing in Afghanistan or in any place ? That is basic . SEN. JACK REED , -LRB- D -RRB- , RHODE ISLAND : The president has to speak to the American people , remind them why we 're there , and also lay out a strategy , not just the reflexive response to a recommendation , but a strategy that involves protecting the homeland from Al Qaida . Cyber Monday . AZUZ : Good news and bad news about Black Friday , that super shop-off right after Thanksgiving . More Americans showed up in stores than last year -- good for business . But they were spending less money on average -- not good for business . Still , online sales were on the up and up this year , and that could be a good sign heading into Cyber Monday , explained now by Errol Barnett . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO -RRB- . ERROL BARNETT , CNN CORRESPONDENT , ATLANTA : Over the past decade Cyber Monday has become one of the biggest online shopping days of the year . We typically see this on the Monday following Thanksgiving or in the days leading up to Christmas . Huge spikes in online retail sales . People want to avoid those long lines in-store so they head online to snap up some of the bargains . So exactly how much are people spending ? Well take a look at the numbers here . After last year 's financial collapse , $ 536 million was spent online in the U.S. on the Friday after Thanksgiving . On the following Monday , you see it there , online sales swelled to $ 846 million and this year 's numbers , they 're still coming in , but you can expect them to go higher . You see , even though a 1 % drop in overall retail sales are predicted this year , comScore expects a 3 % rise in online retail revenue for the months of November and December . That 's over last year , which should amount to almost $ 29 billion of retail sales . Now that 's good news , but it 's not great news . Typically we see at least a 20 % jump for holiday retail sales . From the CNN Center in Atlanta , I 'm Errol Barnett . -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- . Shoutout . Time for the Shoutout ! You 're looking at a map of Central America . Which of these countries is Honduras ? Is it A , B , C or D ? You 've got three seconds -- GO ! Honduras is between Guatemala and Nicaragua , and it touches both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean . That 's your answer and that 's your Shoutout ! Honduras Voting . AZUZ : Sunday 's vote was no ordinary election in Honduras . Things there , still at a political standstill , months after President Manuel Zelaya was forced out of office in June . He was accused of trying to illegally change Honduras ' constitution . The country 's Supreme Court says Zelaya ca n't get power back until he stands trial . But Honduras ' current leader , Roberto Micheletti , is hoping Sunday 's vote will settle everything . The U.S. also hopes it does ; Argentina and Brazil say it wo n't . Defying Demands . AZUZ : Iran is doing exactly what other countries do n't want it to . The Middle Eastern nation is moving forward on building ten , new , nuclear facilities . And the international community is afraid these things are gon na be used to make illegal , nuclear weapons . Iran argues they 're only for nuclear power -- the Iranian Cabinet voting to approve construction just two days after the International Atomic Energy Agency demanded that Iran stop working on another nuclear facility that it had kept secret . Dubai Debt Crisis . AZUZ : Dubai : Part of the United Arab Emirates : known for some of the most extravagant communities on the planet , could be in trouble . A major developer there is in deep debt and wants more time to pay it off . And some are wondering if some lavish property could become a white elephant , something that 's more trouble than it 's worth for Dubai . Morgan Neill describes how all this could affect places far from the Middle East . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO -RRB- . MORGAN NEILL , CNN CORRESPONDENT , DUBAI : The party to open Dubai 's Atlantis Hotel just over a year ago now seems like a mirage . At an estimated cost of $ 20 million it boasted a guest list of the world 's rich and famous . Just two months after the Lehman shock , the dazzling extravagance seemed to say Dubai is immune , but it never was . Dubai World , which owns Nakheel , the developer of the man-made tree-shaped Palm Jumeirah Island , has now requested a suspension of debt payments . The move threatens to undermine confidence in a recent property recovery , and celebrities who bought homes there may find their property is suddenly worth a lot less . Author Jim Krane says that while established developments should be fine , Dubai 's other artificial island projects , The World and Palm Deira , could be in trouble . JIM KRANE , AUTHOR , `` DUBAI CITY OF GOLD '' : It will take a special kind of investor and probably , you know , more robust economy for anybody to really build on one of those places . I mean there is a lot more practical places to build than on one of these little islands in the world , so that could be a white elephant for a long time . NEILL : One of the firms , which has bought into the World , has confidence in Dubai 's long-term story . GILES BESWICK , SELECT PROPERTY : I would disagree that it would be a white elephant . I think it will be part of the continuing development of Dubai as a city , and a tourism center , and an investment center for many years to come . NEILL : But in the short term , Dubai World 's announcement has brought uncertainty and the prospect of a fire sale of assets to raise cash . Whatever the fate of investments abroad , hopes that Dubai 's inflated portfolio of luxury property was beginning to recover have been dashed . Morgan Neill , CNN , London . -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- . Shoutout Extra Credit . Time for a Shoutout Extra Credit ! What does the German word `` Tannenbaum '' mean ? Is it : A -RRB- St. Nick , B -RRB- Wreath , C -RRB- Garland or D -RRB- Christmas tree Another three seconds -- GO ! Tannenbaum means Christmas tree -- and the tradition of the modern Christmas tree comes from Germany too ! That 's your answer and that 's your Shoutout Extra Credit ! Holiday Tradition . AZUZ : A band was reportedly playing `` O Tannenbaum , '' or `` Oh , Christmas Tree '' when the first family had their own tree delivered over the weekend . It measures more than 18 feet tall and Dan Lothian shows us how it 's not grown just like any ol' tree . -LRB- BEGIN VIDEO -RRB- . UNIDENTIFIED MALE : This is the baby here now . We have to figure out how we 're going to get this loaded . DAN LOTHIAN , CNN CORRESPONDENT : For Eric and Gloria Sundback , this is a holiday tradition . Growing a Christmas tree fit for a president . ERIC SUNDBACK , CHRISTMAS TREE GROWER : You 're helping make a Christmas for the whole country . LOTHIAN : The West Virginia couple , both in their 80s , have grown four presidential Christmas trees - one for Jimmy Carter , two for Ronald Reagan and now this 18 1/2 foot Douglas fir destined for the Obama White House . E. SUNDBACK : What we really like this year is that it 's going to a family . The children are there . The family is well knit . LOTHIAN : To provide the White House tree , a farmer has to be crowned by the National Christmas Tree Association . Then White House officials make a visit . GLORIA SUNDBACK : They 're looking for trees that have good form and for trees that have stronger branches because they use a lot of decorations . LOTHIAN : And it takes a lot of hard work to grow that perfect presidential tree . Careful pruning , experimenting to get the right mix of characteristics , and a little tough love . E. SUNDBACK : She had a word when she would get up in the morning and say , well , fellas , you want to be a Christmas tree now or are you going to wait until later and be toilet paper ? That gets the tree growing . LOTHIAN : These college sweethearts who have been growing trees for 50 years are hoping to shake the Obama 's hands when they drop off this holiday gift but then it 's back to work . E. SUNDBACK : You do n't want to let it go to your head because you have to come back out and work again . G. SUNDBACK : That 's right . LOTHIAN : But they say they 're happy knowing their gift will bring joy to the first family . E. SUNDBACK : We hope they enjoy it as much as we 've enjoyed Christmas as kids so if the tree is good and they enjoy it , that 's what it 's about . -LRB- END VIDEO -RRB- . Before We Go . AZUZ : Well , for many of us , 't is the season of feasting , and for students at Moline High School in Illinois , it did n't start with Thanksgiving dinner . It started with Thanksgiving breakfast . More than 120 students teamed up to devour over 600 donuts , roughly five donuts per student , all to help raise money for those less fortunate . The girl who ate the most said the cause made it worth it , even if she felt like barfing . Goodbye . AZUZ : Plus , they had Thanksgiving dinner later on , something we urge students with weak stomachs : do-nut try this at home . But do join us tomorrow , when we cook up a new edition of CNN Student News ! And if you have n't seen our ` office crib ' on Facebook , you oughta go here : Facebook.com / CNNStudentNews . I 'm Carl Azuz -- looking forward to seeing y' all tomorrow . | Record the ups and downs estimated from Black Friday to Cyber Monday . Observe how debt has wormed its way into an extravagant emirate . Measure the effort that goes into growing the White House Christmas tree . Use the Daily Discussion to help students understand today 's featured news stories . | [[7894, 7940]] |
-LRB- The Frisky -RRB- -- Valentine 's Day can be one of the most depressing days of the year for singles , especially if you just went through a breakup . It can be torture to watch couples exchange stuffed bears , chocolates and kisses . So keep your heart on the mend by avoiding these seven spots couples flock to on Valentine 's Day . 1 . Movie theaters : Please do n't make yourself sit through the latest rom-com . If you must see a flick , go to something unsentimental , like an action film that involves fighting and guns . Though even those often have romantic secondary storylines . 2 . Fancy restaurants : A nice dinner is a very typical V-Day date , especially since restaurants capitalize on the day with specials involving free bubbly and a red rose on the table . 3 . Landmarks : For some reason , history seems to be tied to romance , and some duos make trips to sites like the Statue of Liberty and the Grand Canyon , as if to say , `` We 'll be together for as long as this thing 's been around . '' 4 . Beaches : If you want to soak up some sunshine during the day , go right ahead . But you better have somewhere else to be by sunset , when pairs will start showing up at the shore . 5 . Cafés , dessert bars , and chocolate shops : Valentine 's Day is often associated with sweet things , so stock up on chocolate the week before -- you do n't want to stop anywhere that specializes in chocolate fondue . The Frisky : He gives me a stuffed animal for every special occasion . 6 . Lingerie stores : Do you really want to buy new bras when the store is decked out in hearts and lace ? Wait a week . The Frisky : My 6 break-up lessons are helping . 7 . Coupled friends ' homes : Unless you 're house-sitting while your pals are on a romantic getaway , you 're not welcome . You will have no right to yell , `` Get a room ! '' when they start necking because , well , you 're in their room . TM & © 2009 TMV , Inc. | All Rights Reserved . | Lonely singers should avoid spots where couples gather on Valentine 's Day . Romantic pairs tend to hang out on beaches and at landmarks . Many couples can be found cuddling and kissing at restaurant and desert places . Singles should n't go see romantic movie , but choose action flick at theater . | [[271, 314], [283, 339], [857, 934], [1158, 1205], [361, 421], [425, 428], [448, 477]] |
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- South Carolina 's first lady , Jenny Sanford , said Monday that writing her much-anticipated memoir of her husband 's affair was a `` cathartic '' and `` cleansing '' experience . In an interview on CNN 's `` Larry King Live , '' Sanford called `` Staying True '' -- which hit bookstores Friday -- `` an honest account of the values I hold dear . '' It was her husband Gov. Mark Sanford 's loss of values that she blames on his much-publicized affair with an Argentine woman that was exposed by reporters after he disappeared for several days last summer . Staffers said he was hiking the Appalachian Trail , but he later admitted he was actually visiting his mistress in Argentina . `` It saddens me because I believed in him and a number of people believed in him , '' Jenny Sanford said Monday . `` I still believe he was a good person . ... Somewhere along the lines , he got off track , '' she said . `` He can get back on track , but it 's too late for the marriage . '' Jenny Sanford , who filed for divorce in December , said the divorce could be final as early as the end of this month . She said she found out about the affair in January 2009 when she discovered a letter her husband had written to his mistress . `` It was awful , '' she said . `` I literally was in shock . My stomach felt gut-punched . '' She said there had been warning signs , but she `` never expected anything like this . '' `` I felt in some respects that we had lost something that we would never get back , '' even as she initially considered staying with him , she said . `` Nobody takes a 20-year marriage and decides in -LSB- a -RSB- snap minute to throw it away , '' she said . `` I came to the decision very prayerfully and carefully over a number of months . '' Sanford , 47 , moved out of the governor 's mansion with their four boys in June . She has said through the entire ordeal that her priority is her children . `` The kids are resilient , and we 're back at home settling into a new , normal routine , '' she said of her sons , ages 11-17 . `` I feel like they 're going to do great . '' Asked whether she knows whether her husband is still seeing the Argentine woman , Jenny Sanford says she does n't know and does n't want to ask . `` I 'm just moving on , '' she said . `` I want to stay happy and positive and raise the kids to the best of my ability . '' | South Carolina first lady Jenny Sanford appears Monday on CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' On Gov. Mark Sanford : `` He can get back on track , but it 's too late for the marriage '' Sanford admitted last year that he had an affair with an Argentine woman . On finding letter to his mistress : `` I literally was in shock . My stomach felt gut-punched '' | [[208, 252], [255, 272], [274, 291], [934, 961], [968, 1001], [426, 432], [442, 502], [479, 502], [508, 584], [1186, 1251], [1287, 1313], [1314, 1343], [1330, 1333], [1334, 1343], [1344, 1346]] |
Islamabad , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A blast hit near a building housing Pakistan 's intelligence service , ISI , in the eastern city of Multan on Tuesday , killing at least 12 people and wounding 20 others , police said . The explosion took place at a security checkpoint , said Jamshed Akram of the city police . Four soldiers and four children were among the dead , said Dr. Kaleem Ullah of Multan 's emergency services . Pakistan has blamed the violence on Islamic militants who have vowed to avenge a intense military offensive to rout them from their haven along the country 's border with Afghanistan . The nation has come under increasingly frequent attacks . On Monday , a blast at a crowded market in Lahore killed 54 and wounded more than 150 people . The same day two other bombing attacks -- in Peshawar and Quetta -- killed at least 11 and wounded at least 41 . The attacks came three days after militants armed with guns and grenades stormed a mosque in Rawalpindi frequented by military personnel . At least 36 were killed and 75 wounded . The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the mosque bombing , but there were no immediately claims for Monday 's attacks . In an e-mail to CNN about the mosque attack , the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan said : `` We reconfirmed it , that the TTP has done it , and will do more which are already planned . We once again mention that we are not against the innocent people and the state of Pakistan but against those officers and ministers who are American by hearts and minds and Pakistani just by faces . '' The United States has pressed Pakistan to rout out Taliban militants . Fighting the war in Afghanistan is `` inextricably linked to our partnership with Pakistan , '' President Barack Obama said Tuesday of U.S. strategy . `` We are in Afghanistan to prevent a cancer from once again spreading through that country , '' he said in a speech at West Point . `` But this same cancer has also taken root in the border region of Pakistan . That is why we need a strategy that works on both sides of the border . '' The United States says Pakistan looms large because Taliban and al Qaeda militants operating in Afghanistan also have had a presence in Pakistan 's northwestern region near the Afghan border and have threatened the governments and troops in both countries . | NEW : Four soldiers , four children among the dead , a doctor says . Attack comes a day after three deadly attacks in Lahore , Peshawar and Quetta . Lahore attack targeted crowded market , killing 54 and wounding more than 150 . | [[318, 369], [318, 349], [372, 427], [671, 680], [683, 730], [671, 680], [683, 720], [735, 765], [766, 804], [834, 852], [766, 804], [857, 878], [879, 951], [671, 680], [683, 730], [671, 680], [683, 720], [735, 765], [1018, 1058]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama paid tribute Friday to seven CIA officers killed in Afghanistan in December , calling them `` American patriots who loved their country and gave their lives to defend it . '' Obama delivered the remarks during a memorial service at CIA headquarters in Langley , Virginia . The service was closed to the media to protect the identities of undercover officers in attendance . A transcript of Obama 's speech was provided to members of the press . `` There are no words that can ease the ache in your hearts , '' Obama told families , friends and co-workers of the seven officers . `` But to their colleagues and all who served with them -- those here today , those still recovering , those watching around the world , I say : Let their sacrifice be a summons . To carry on their work . To complete this mission . To win this war and to keep our country safe . '' A suicide bomber killed the CIA officers and contractors , as well as a Jordanian intelligence official , on December 30 at a U.S. base in Khost , in southeastern Afghanistan . The bomber was within seconds of being searched by security contractors when he detonated his explosives , a former intelligence official with knowledge of the incident said in January . Two of those killed were contractors with private security firm Xe , formerly known as Blackwater , a former intelligence official said . The CIA considers contractors to be officers . Former CIA official Robert Richer called the bombing the greatest loss of life for the agency since the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut , Lebanon , which killed eight agents . `` These remarkable men and women are the story of America , '' CIA Director Leon Panetta said at Friday 's service , according to the transcript . `` They are the heart and soul of this great country . Their devotion to duty is the foundation of our country . '' U.S. and Jordanian officials say the bomber , Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi , had been recruited as a counterterrorism intelligence agent , despite concerns over his extremist views , and was being used in the hunt for a senior al Qaeda figure . The suicide bombing was `` a huge blow , symbolically and tactically , '' because it eliminated so many CIA officers , who can take years to become ingrained in the region , said Reva Bhalla , director of analysis for Stratfor , an international intelligence company . In addition , she said , the attack showed the ability of the Taliban to penetrate perhaps the most difficult of targets : a CIA base . But Panetta issued a strong statement at the service Friday , assuring those in attendance that `` we will carry this fight to the enemy . '' `` Our resolve is unbroken , our energy undiminished and our dedication to each other and to our nation unshakable , '' Panetta said . | `` Let their sacrifice be a summons , '' Obama says . Service held Friday morning at CIA headquarters in Langley , Virginia . 7 CIA officers were killed December 30 in suicide bombing in Afghanistan . Intelligence analyst says suicide bombing was `` a huge blow , symbolically and tactically '' | [[762, 767], [770, 804], [221, 305], [30, 87], [69, 121], [907, 1010], [2156, 2213]] |
Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Corey Haim 's death is linked to an `` illegal and massive prescription-drug ring , '' California Attorney General Jerry Brown said Friday . Brown 's office is investigating `` an unauthorized prescription under the former child star 's name that was found during an ongoing investigation of fraudulent prescription-drug pads ordered from a vendor in San Diego . '' `` These prescriptions are very recent , and it involves Oxycontin and we 're not talking just 40 pills , more than that , '' Brown said in an interview Friday with CNN Radio . The announcement comes before the coroner has ruled on what killed Haim , the 1980s teen movie actor who struggled for decades with drug addiction . Haim , 38 , died early Wednesday after collapsing in the Los Angeles apartment he shared with his mother , authorities said . `` Corey Haim 's death is yet another tragedy linked to the growing problem of prescription-drug abuse , '' Brown said . `` This problem is increasingly linked to criminal organizations , like the illegal and massive prescription-drug ring under investigation . '' Brown said the ring uses stolen doctor 's identities to order prescription-drug pads that are used to write counterfeit prescriptions . `` The doctor whose name is printed on the form is usually unaware that his or her identity has been stolen for this purpose , '' Brown said . Haim got two powerful drugs from a pharmacy 11 days before his death , according to a source with knowledge of the transaction . His primary-care doctor did not know about the prescriptions and called the pharmacy two days later to find out what Haim had been given , the source said . Brown 's announcement did not specify whether any of the prescription drugs found in Haim 's apartment after his death were illegally obtained . Several prescription-drug bottles were taken from Haim 's apartment , Los Angeles County Deputy Coroner Ed Winter said Friday . Although the bottles indicated the drugs included Vicodin , Valium and Soma , no tests have been done to confirm what they are , he said . Haim had a prescription for the muscle relaxer Soma and the narcotic pain reliever Norco filled at a pharmacy on February 26 , a source with knowledge of the transaction said . Two days after Haim personally picked up the drugs , his primary-care doctor called the San Fernando Valley pharmacy to ask about the prescriptions , the source said . The doctor said that `` Haim was not feeling well '' and he needed to know what drugs had been prescribed for the actor , the source said . The source , who worked at the pharmacy , asked not to be identified because his employer had not authorized him to talk . Haim 's manager , Mark Heaslip , and close friend Corey Feldman both said Haim began seeing an addiction specialist two weeks before his death . Tiffany Shepis , who was engaged to be married to Haim last May , said on HLN 's `` Issues With Jane Velez-Mitchell '' that he was taking large amounts of Valium and Vicodin during their yearlong relationship . `` You 're talking about a person that , at the time when I knew him , you know , was ingesting 40 some-odd pills a day , '' Shepis said . Although the autopsy showed Haim 's heart was enlarged and he had fluid in his lungs , the coroner 's chief investigator said a drug overdose has not been ruled out as the cause of the actor 's death . `` You can have somebody with an enlarged heart and some other medical conditions , but you do n't know if the actual cause of death is from illegal substances , medication or heart failure , '' Los Angeles County Deputy Coroner Ed Winter said Friday . Heaslip said the enlarged heart was evidence that Haim 's death was not caused by a drug overdose , but Winter disputed that . `` There were some preliminary findings and we agreed to let the mother know what those were , '' Winter said . `` It was explained to her that even though this is some preliminary findings that the doctor observed , there would n't be a final cause of death until the final toxicology tests are back . '' The cause of death may not be determined for another six weeks , Winter said . Feldman , a longtime friend and frequent co-star , asked Wednesday that people not `` jump the gun '' to conclude a drug overdose killed Haim . Heaslip , manager to both Feldman and Haim , said Haim had seemed to be winning his battle against drug abuse in the weeks before his death . Haim was `` weaned down to literally zero medications '' by an addiction specialist in the two weeks before his death , Heaslip said . The doctor `` put him on a new line of medications , '' Feldman said on CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' Wednesday . Haim 's death came as his career was picking up , with Haim booking `` movie after movie , '' Heaslip said . His latest film is set for release soon , he said . Haim 's most famous role was in the 1987 movie `` The Lost Boys , '' in which he appeared with Feldman . Haim played the role of a fresh-faced teenager whose brother becomes a vampire . In later years , the two friends , who appeared in eight movies together , struggled with drug abuse and went their separate ways . They reunited for a reality show , `` The Two Coreys , '' in 2007 , but A&E Network canceled the program after slightly more than a year . In a 2007 interview on CNN 's `` Larry King Live , '' Haim and Feldman discussed their battles with drugs . Feldman told King that he had gotten clean , but it took Haim longer . Haim called himself `` a chronic relapser for the rest of my life . '' `` I think I have an addiction to pretty much everything , '' he said . `` I mean , I have to be very careful with myself as far as that goes , which is why I have a support group around me consistently . '' Haim was born December 23 , 1971 , in Toronto , Ontario , according to a biography on his Web site . He made his first television appearance in 1982 on the Canadian series `` The Edison Twins . '' His first film role was in the 1984 American movie `` First Born . '' Haim also won rave reviews for his title role in the 1986 film `` Lucas . '' Film critic Roger Ebert said of him at the time , `` If he continues to act this well , he will never become a half-forgotten child star , but will continue to grow into an important actor . '' After `` The Lost Boys , '' Haim and Feldman appeared in `` License to Drive '' and `` Dream a Little Dream . '' CNN 's Brittany Kaplan and Jack Hannah contributed to this report . | Unauthorized prescriptions found in Haim 's name during investigation , official says . Name came up in ongoing probe of fraudulent prescription-drug pads . No ruling on cause of death but coroner 's office says drug overdose not ruled out . | [[185, 285], [250, 285], [291, 369], [250, 285], [291, 369], [3294, 3408]] |
Hong Kong , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hong Kong police said they had arrested two men in connection with an acid attack that injured six people last month . The pair -- ages 18 and 23 -- were taken into custody on Wednesday for questioning in the attack , which involved corrosive fluid being thrown from a building in the Causeway Bay shopping area . A man and five women were injured in the attack , according to police . By Thursday , the younger man was released on bail , while the other was still detained , said Michael Kwan , information officer for the Hong Kong police . Authorities did not say whether the two were being investigated in other similar attacks in Hong Kong , and it was not clear whether the attacks involved a group , individuals or copycats . Police are offering rewards totaling HKD $ 1.7 million -LRB- $ 219,000 -RRB- for information leading to arrests in recent acid attacks in five areas of Hong Kong , including the shopping district of Mong Kok . Hong Kong Security Secretary Ambrose Lee on Wednesday said that if an object is dropped from a building and injures someone in public , the culprit could face six months in jail and a HK $ 10,000 -LRB- $ 1,300 -RRB- fine . The throwing of corrosive fluid or manslaughter could result in life imprisonment , he added . | Two men arrested in connection with Hong Kong acid attack last month . Man and five women were injured in the attack in bustling shopping area . Younger of the two arrested was released on bail . | [[12, 118], [104, 118], [124, 155], [156, 252], [104, 118], [124, 155], [351, 398], [351, 371], [401, 422], [423, 473]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Despite the bruising battle over their proposals to overhaul health care , congressional Democrats have maintained an advantage over their Republican counterparts on one key measure , according to a new national poll . A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Wednesday indicates that a bare majority of Americans , 51 percent , believe that the Democrats ' policies are good for the country , with 46 percent saying that those policies would take the U.S. in the wrong direction . Fifty-three percent of people questioned in the poll said the GOP 's polices would move the nation in the wrong direction , with 42 percent saying Republican policies are good for the country . `` The numbers for both parties are virtually unchanged since late August , just before President Barack Obama 's health care speech to Congress opened the latest round of debate on this divisive issue , '' said Keating Holland , CNN 's polling director . Democrats will be defending their large majorities in Congress next year when all 435 House seats and more than a third of the Senate seats are up for grabs . `` This advantage on policy could be an important edge for the Democrats heading into the 2010 midterm elections , '' Holland added . `` But independents will be the key to the midterms , and the numbers among independents spell bad news for both parties among that important group . '' In an August survey , independent voters ' views of GOP policies were evenly divided . But a majority of independents now say Republicans would move the country in the wrong direction . Nonetheless , the number of independents who dislike Democratic policies , now at 57 percent , is higher than the 52 percent who hold a negative view of Republican policies . The survey suggests that Sen. Joe Lieberman is taking a hit in popularity due to his opposition to a major element in the health care bill . The Connecticut independent , who caucuses with the Democrats to give the party a 60-vote filibuster-proof majority in the Senate , threatened to undermine the bill unless compromises were made . Lieberman opposed the creation of a government-run public insurance option and the expansion of Medicare to individuals as young as 55 . Both of those proposals were dropped from the bill this month , enraging many liberals . According to the poll , Lieberman 's favorable rating has dropped 9 percentage points , from 40 percent to 31 percent , from early December . His unfavorable rating has risen 6 percentage points , from 28 percent to 34 percent . `` Lieberman 's biggest decline -- a 14-point drop -- came among independents , '' Holland said . `` Only Republicans continue to like Lieberman . '' The survey also indicates that just one in five Americans trust the federal government always or most of the time , down 4 percentage points from a year ago . The CNN/Opinion Research poll was conducted December 16 through Sunday , with 1,160 adult Americans questioned by telephone . The survey 's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points . CNN deputy political director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report . | Poll : Fifty-one percent believe Democratic policies are good for the country . Forty-two percent say Republican policies are good for the country , poll shows . Views of independents spell bad news for both parties in 2010 elections , CNN polling chief says . | [[249, 515], [319, 347], [363, 515], [645, 709], [1317, 1408]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Archdiocese of Dublin and other Catholic Church authorities in Ireland covered up clerical child abuse until the mid-1990s , according to a government-commissioned report released Thursday . The Dublin Archdiocese Commission of Investigation 's 720-page report said that it has `` no doubt that clerical child sexual abuse was covered up '' from January 1975 to May 2004 , the time covered by the report . `` The Dublin Archdiocese 's pre-occupations in dealing with cases of child sexual abuse , at least until the mid 1990s , were the maintenance of secrecy , the avoidance of scandal , the protection of the reputation of the Church , and the preservation of its assets , '' the report said . `` The welfare of children , which should have been the first priority , was not even a factor to be considered in the early stages , '' it said . `` Instead the focus was on the avoidance of scandal and the preservation of the good name , status and assets of the institution and of what the institution regarded as its most important members -- the priests . '' Archbishop Diarmuid Martin apologized Thursday in a news conference . `` No words of apology can ever be sufficient , '' he said . And Dermot Ahern , Ireland 's justice minister , said he felt a `` a growing sense of revulsion and anger '' as he read the report . `` Bottom line is this : A collar will protect no villain , '' he said . The commission was set up in March 2006 to look into allegations of child sexual abuse made against clergy in the Irish capital . Its report was completed in July . Although the commission said it was not its place to `` establish whether or not abuse occurred ... it is abundantly clear ... that child sexual abuse by clerics was widespread throughout the period . '' One victim , Marie Collins , said those who covered up the abuse were just as guilty as the perpetrators of the crimes . `` How many people accused of abuse are still sitting in parishes today ? '' she asked in a Thursday news conference . The commission examined the histories of 46 priests , who were picked as a sample from 102 who had had complaints or suspicions of child abuse raised against them . Complaints from more than 320 children were leveled against the 46 , the report said . But it said that the number of children abused likely exceeded that . `` One priest admitted to sexually abusing over 100 children , while another accepted that he had abused on a fortnightly basis during the currency of his ministry which lasted for over 25 years , '' the report said . `` The total number of documented complaints recorded against those two priests is only just over 70 . '' In its analysis of the 46 priests , the commission said that all four archbishops -- Archbishops John Charles McQuaid , Dermot Ryan , Kevin McNamara , and Desmond Connell -- who served during the time period covered by the report handled the child sexual abuse complaints `` badly . '' `` Not one of them reported his knowledge of child sexual abuse to the Gardai -LRB- the Irish police force -RRB- throughout the 1960s , 1970s , or 1980s , '' the report said . The commission did credit Connell , who took over the archdiocese in 1988 , with giving Irish authorities in 1995 the names of 17 priests against whom complaints had been made -- although it called the number incomplete , saying that there was `` knowledge within the Archdiocese of at least 28 priests against whom there had been complaints . '' They said he was `` slow to recognize the seriousness of the situation . '' Connell also gave authorities permission to access the archdiocesan files in 2002 . Connell , a cardinal , apologized in a written statement . `` I wish to express without reservation my bitter regret that failures on my part contributed to the suffering of victims in any form , '' he said . `` Although I am all too aware that such apologies and expressions of regret can never be adequate as a response to so much hurt and violation and , in any case , lose their value through repetition , I apologize again now from my heart and ask the forgiveness of those who have been so shamefully harmed . '' The report named 11 priests who had pleaded guilty to or were convicted of sexual assaults on children . Of the other 35 , it gave pseudonyms to 33 of them and redacted the names of two . The report shot down the notion that church leadership was unaware of the problem . `` The Archdiocese of Dublin and other Church authorities have repeatedly claimed to have been , prior to the late 1990s , ` on a learning curve ' in relation to the matter , '' it said . However , it said McNamara , Ryan and McQuaid had information on complaints against at least 17 priests when the Archdiocese took out insurance in 1987 to cover future compensation claims and lawsuits related to sexual abuse allegations . `` The taking out of insurance was an act proving knowledge of child sexual abuse as a potential major cost to the Archdiocese and is inconsistent with the view that Archdiocesan officials were still ` on a learning curve ' at a much later date , or were lacking in an appreciation of the phenomenon of clerical child sex abuse , '' it said . The report also said church officials perpetuated the problem by ignoring allegations and in some cases simply moved an alleged abuser on to another parish -- leaving him free to abuse another group of children . Thursday 's findings follow a report that came out in May , detailing allegations of child abuse in various institutions across Ireland from the 1940s to the present . Though both reports deal with child abuse , they are not related , having been written by two separate commissions investigating two different subjects . The May report looked at child abuse in lay institutions , including reformatories , hospitals , orphanages , children 's homes and industrial schools across the country . Some of those institutions were linked to religious orders , but none were strictly religious schools . Speaking last month after the Irish High Court cleared the way for Thursday 's report to be made public , Irish Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said he was pleased the information would not be kept private . `` I have always made it clear that I have been anxious to put the report into the public domain as quickly as possible , while at the same time not wishing to do anything which would prejudice the chances of any of the people involved in these evil deeds being brought to justice , '' Ahern said in a statement . CNN 's Atika Shubert contributed to this report . | New report examines abuse abuse between January 1975 and May 2004 . Earlier report detailed allegations of child abuse in institutions across Ireland . Some of those institutions were linked to religious orders . Archbishop Diarmuid Martin : `` No words of apology can be sufficient '' | [[214, 393], [396, 428], [2867, 2904], [5418, 5571], [5740, 5911], [1153, 1198], [3865, 3965]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Flights transporting critically injured Haitians to the United States are set to resume Monday morning , according to a spokeswoman for a University of Miami team of volunteers in Port-au-Prince . The flights are scheduled to resume at 11 a.m. Monday , said Nery Ynclan , a spokeswoman for the university 's R. Barth Green , who is leading the team . The flights were temporarily suspended because of logistical issues including space to care for the injured , White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said Saturday . `` Having received assurances that additional capacity exists both here and among our international partners , we determined that we can resume these critical flights , '' he said in a statement Sunday . The statement , released Sunday afternoon , said flights would resume `` in the next 12 hours . '' The evacuated patients are those whose medical needs could not be met by doctors working in Haiti . Nearly 23,000 people have been seen by U.S. personnel since the January 12 earthquake , Vietor said . The missing , the found , the victims . Airlifts stopped after there were `` concerns about the strain on domestic health capacity , '' Vietor said . But officials have increased the ability to care for patients through a network of nonprofits and U.S. hospitals , he said . Earlier reports also cited questions over who would pay for patients ' care . The flights stopped Wednesday when some states refused to allow entry to Haitians needing care , according to Navy Capt. Kevin Aandahl , a spokesman for the U.S. Transportation Command . He would not say which states objected . In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius obtained by CNN , Florida Gov. Charlie Crist asked that the federal government activate the National Disaster Medical System to provide reimbursement to Florida and other states for taking in the patients , who have no insurance . Share your stories from Haiti . Florida 's health facilities were already strained by winter tourism and seasonal residence migration , Crist said in the letter . But Florida officials said Saturday that the state was committed to assisting Haitian quake victims and had not asked the airlifts be halted . Full coverage . Florida will play a role in caregiving once flights resume . The state has identified medical facilities that could take in victims , Vietor said in Sunday 's statement . CNN 's Susan Candiotti and Rachel Streitfeld contributed to this report . | Evacuation flights to U.S. to resume Monday morning , aid group says . Flights were temporarily halted Wednesday over logistical issues , White House says . Some hospitals lacked space to care for influx of Haitian patients . Questions have also been raised about who will pay for their care . | [[227, 280], [381, 488], [381, 488], [1322, 1337], [1343, 1399]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The two people who died Thursday night when their helicopter crashed into a mountain in the Dominican Republic were friends who had left their homes and family in Florida this week to help deliver aid to the people of Haiti , a son of one of the victims said Friday . The accident occurred about 7 p.m. in Dajabon , just east of the border with Haiti , said Rosani Zapata , a spokeswoman for the Dominican Civil Aviation Institute . The helicopter had filed a flight plan from Santiago to Jimani in the Dominican Republic , then on to Port-au-Prince in Haiti . It was en route back to Santiago when the crash occurred , she said . Aboard were pilot John Ward of Fort Myers , Florida , and James Jalovec , a 53-year-old Naples , Florida , businessman who owned Sweetwater Environmental Inc. , a sewage company based in Sebring . Mark Jalovec , 21 , told CNN in a telephone interview that his father began discussing the prospect of helping out a couple of days after the January 12 earthquake that devastated Haiti . `` It kind of caught everybody off guard , '' he said , noting that his father had never done anything similar . Still , he said , his father saw a fit . `` I got a helicopter ; these people are in desperate need -- he kind of decided it with Mr. Ward that they were going to do it , and that 's what they did . '' He said his father last called him Monday , after he and Ward had flown doctors from an orphanage outside Port-au-Prince to the Dominican Republic . Spencer Steadman , vice president and general manager of Sweetwater Environmental , described Ward as an experienced pilot who had long flown Jalovec to his business interests , which spanned the state . `` They had an engine failure on one here about three months ago , '' he told CNN in a telephone interview . `` He done a reverse autorotation and set that thing down . No injuries . Four people , they walked away . He was a very good pilot . '' The helicopter that crashed Thursday , a Robinson R44 , was two weeks old , he said . Steadman said he was not surprised when Jalovec called him Saturday night and said he was planning to depart Sunday morning for a week in the region . `` He seen a need , and it was a challenge , and that 's Jim , '' Steadman said . `` He was hard-core business . When he done business , he done business . That 's what he liked doing . He was very aggressive . ... If it was worth doing , he 'd do it . '' The cause of the crash is under investigation . | Victims described as friends who had left their homes , family in Florida to help Haitians . Helicopter hit mountain about 7 p.m. Thursday east of Haiti border , aviation official says . Pilot , Florida businessman were aboard ; cause of crash is under investigation . | [[0, 15], [130, 199], [19, 33], [38, 103], [63, 129], [287, 332], [650, 721], [2442, 2489]] |
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In the schoolyard of American politics , President Obama is the big , smart kid with all of the test answers who 's being bullied by a bunch of Neanderthal ankle-biters from all sides . Meanwhile , all the teachers are wondering , `` Why does he take this crap ? He 's bigger and smarter than all the other kids . '' It 's no surprise the Glenn Becks of the world have been attacking Obama since the moment he stepped into the Oval Office . Beck and his blathering buddies on the right -- you know , the stinky kids in the coatroom who eat their own boogers . Always pick on the kids least likely to fight back . That being said -- we did elect President Obama to change things , and so far the only thing he seems to be changing are his faux-patriotic lapel pins ... and his mind . With the public option in the public toilet , not asking or telling about `` do n't ask , do n't tell , '' the Gitmo Hilton still entertaining guests , and same-sex marriage so far off Obama 's radar that it 's now on his sonar , seeds of doubt have been planted in the left 's collective mind . If this guy ca n't get his own party to step in line on health care reform , they wonder , then how the hell will he get other countries to do what he wants them to do ? Although in some ways , that might be easier then dealing with these Blue Dogs who hump your leg ... and not in a good way . It 's a valid concern . However , we ca n't expect him to accomplish all this sweeping change in less than a year . It 's important that he lay the groundwork instead of just going all `` Decider '' on everyone and making gut choices . But he ca n't just be `` The Thinker , '' either . Last time I looked , `` The Thinker , '' by Rodin , had been sitting on his butt in the exact same place , for years . Unfortunately , laying groundwork does n't win you any fans -- well , besides a few Nordic voters on the Nobel panel . Flexing muscles , now that wins you fans . Just ask the Governator . That 's why the Financial Times said it 's time for President Obama to pick a fight and win it in a knockout . But instead of working on that knockout , President Obama and his White House cronies are feuding with Fox News . While I 'm loving this Fox hunt , the White House 's strategy boggles my mind . This is not a war of necessity . Picking a fight with them is kinda like going to a biker bar after midnight -- as my mother used to say , `` Nothing good can happen . '' That is , unless this heavyweight bout keeps escalating and we actually get to see Glenn Beck prancing around in a pair of sequined boxing shorts . When you disregard the action against Fox News , Obama seems to be paralyzed , like a frog that 's had it stomach rubbed -- which may the reason he 's got problems on both sides of the lily pad . Admittedly , I might be overreacting just a bit . The majority of the country is behind Obama . The situation just seems worse than it is because we 're not used to this new era , in which you can actually criticize the president without being shouted down as an unpatriotic , Socialist , traitorous , granny-killing , freedom hater . After eight years of a presidency shrouded in darkness , we 're not used to seeing the president 's supporters , of all people , shining a light on his shortcomings . Back to the schoolyard , where Barry Obama is being bullied . You know what ? He 's big , he can take it . You know why ? Because not only is he right in his beliefs , but he knows that if push comes to shove , he can lay out the rest of these runts with a couple of good smacks of his presidential pen . It 's not time to panic , but President Obama needs to size up one of these twerps , cock back his arm , and take a swing soon , because the Democratic majorities in Congress wo n't last forever . President Obama won 53 percent of the vote last November , so we know he has it in him to win the big battles . We know he has a lot on his plate . But we just want one decisive victory . That 's all we 're asking for . A show of strength . Something to grow on . Show these class clowns who they 're messing with . You do n't have to be `` The Decider . '' Just the president . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Joy Behar . | Joy Behar : Obama the big , smart kid bullied by Neanderthal ankle-biters in the schoolyard . Behar : Teachers think : `` Why does he take this ? He 's bigger and smarter '' than them . Behar : Obama elected for change , but so far changing only lapel pins and his mind . Joy talks politics with `` Joe the Plumber '' Joe Wurzelbacher on tonight 's `` Joy Behar '' HLN 9 p.m. ET . | [[120, 136], [150, 213], [214, 223], [226, 256], [259, 290], [291, 341], [641, 656], [660, 733], [719, 733], [758, 810]] |
ISLAMABAD , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pakistani soldiers and militants battled Saturday in the country 's vast tribal region , with more than a dozen insurgents killed in airstrikes , at least four soldiers slain in skirmishes and a key village seized by troops , the military said . A Pakistani soldier pictured during operations against militants in June . The fatalities come hours after Pakistani troops launched a massive ground offensive backed up by air power targeting the Taliban in South Waziristan , a refuge and a power base for insurgents operating in Pakistan and along the Pakistani-Afghan border . The highly anticipated offensive , which comes after a wave of suicide attacks in Pakistan , also has prompted the exodus of tens of thousands of civilians , the U.N. refugee agency said . One military official said Pakistani troops seized control of Kotkai , where Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud has lived with fellow commander Qari Hussein , the mastermind behind some of Pakistan 's deadliest suicide attacks . Watch how the offensive began '' Another military official said the airstrikes from jet fighters and helicopter gunships targeted militant hideouts in Kotkai and the villages of Badar , Barwand and Khisur , all strongholds of the Taliban and their late leader Baitullah Mehsud . The official asked not to be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media . There have been confrontations throughout the day between soldiers and militants . Along with the four slain soldiers , 12 have been wounded , the military said . Gen. Athar Abbas , the Pakistan military spokesman , said the ground offensive in South Waziristan was launched shortly after midnight after the military received clearance from the government . He said the region 's eight entry and exit points have been sealed by troops . Pakistani officials say that about 10,000 to 15,000 militants linked to the Taliban or to al Qaeda operate in South Waziristan , a harsh terrain familiar to militants but difficult for others to navigate . About 28,000 Pakistani soldiers have moved into the epicenter of Taliban activity in the region to counter their activities , officials said . Elsewhere in Pakistan 's tribal region , in the Mohmand Agency , at least eight militants and one soldier were killed Saturday when they exchanged gunfire near a military checkpoint , the military said . For months , the military had been targeting militant hideouts in South Waziristan and other hot spots in Pakistan 's tribal areas . This year , troops launched a large operation targeting militants in the Swat Valley , in Pakistan 's North West Frontier Province . But despite these efforts , insurgents have continued to strike with relative impunity inside Pakistan , brazenly targeting government , police and security locations . The latest attack occurred Friday in the northern city of Peshawar , when a suicide car bomber detonated near a police station , killing 13 people , most of them civilians . The recent wave of deadly attacks has raised concerns about the ability of Pakistan 's security forces to maintain control . The attacks heightened internal and international pressure on the government to take swift and effective action . In a high-level meeting Friday , army chief Gen. Ashfaq Kayani `` gave a detailed briefing on the prevailing national security situation and its ramifications in the future , '' according to a statement from the prime minister 's office . Those who attended the meeting condemned the recent attacks and `` agreed that these elements pose a serious threat to the sovereignty and integrity of the state , '' the statement said . The attacks show `` once again that the militants in Pakistan threaten both Pakistan and the United States , '' White House Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton said . On Thursday , President Obama approved an additional $ 7.5 billion in assistance to Pakistan over the next five years . | NEW : Official says troops take village of Kotkai . About 28,000 Pakistani soldiers move into epicenter of Taliban activity . Up to 10,000 militants operating in South Waziristan , officials estimate . Tens of thousands of civilians fleeing region , U.N. refugee agency says . | [[233, 263], [805, 873], [2057, 2180], [1851, 2042], [616, 706], [714, 771], [774, 804]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The push to overhaul health care received a major boost Thursday as the American Medical Association and AARP endorsed legislation drafted by top House Democrats . The AARP , the nation 's largest organization of older Americans , is a nonpartisan group that advocates for people 50 and older . The AMA , historically an opponent of health care reform , is considered one the nation 's most influential doctors ' advocacy groups . `` I want to thank both organizations again for their support , and I urge Congress to listen to AARP , listen to the AMA and pass this reform for hundreds of millions of Americans who will benefit from it , '' President Obama said at the White House . The backing of those two groups comes as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-California , oversees final changes to the $ 1.1 trillion health care bill . The measure likely will come to a final vote Saturday . Read the House health care bill -LRB- PDF -RRB- . A 42-page manager 's amendment on the health care legislation posted Tuesday night made mostly technical changes in the nearly 2,000-page bill compiled from three Democratic proposals passed by three House committees . By making the changes public Tuesday , House Democratic leaders could open floor debate on the bill Friday , while fulfilling their pledge to allow 72 hours of review before bringing the measure to the full chamber . Pelosi insisted Thursday she will have the 218 votes necessary to pass the bill . Meanwhile , President Obama is set to huddle Saturday with congressional Democrats on Capitol Hill to review the legislation . Check out the key parts of the bill . In a statement , AARP CEO Barry Rand said , `` We started this debate more than two years ago with the twin goals of making coverage affordable to our younger members and protecting Medicare for seniors . `` We can say with confidence that -LSB- the House bill -RSB- meets those goals with improved benefits for people in Medicare and needed health insurance market reforms to help ensure every American can purchase affordable health coverage . '' The AMA 's president , Dr. J. James Rohack , told reporters Thursday that the legislation is `` not a perfect representation of our views '' but is close enough to warrant his group 's support and keep the reform process moving forward . Rohack said the bill needs to be accompanied by legislation reversing scheduled Medicare reimbursement payment reductions to physicians . Responding to the AMA endorsement , Obama said the doctors ' group is `` supporting reform because -LSB- its members have -RSB- seen firsthand what 's broken about our health care system , '' Obama said . `` They would not be supporting it if they really believed that it would lead to government bureaucrats making decisions that are best left to doctors . '' Watch Obama say health care reform is moving forward . Meanwhile , House Republicans on Thursday continued to signal their opposition to the measure . GOP leaders held a rally on Capitol Hill along with `` Tea Party '' movement protesters and other activists to warn that the House legislation would translate into a full-blown government takeover of the health care system . Rep. Michele Bachmann , R-Minnesota , told CNN 's `` American Morning '' on Thursday that Democrats had forgotten the lessons of August 's town hall meetings when angry conservatives criticized health care legislation . `` I think what we 're going to see is the town hall coming to Washington , D.C. , just to remind members of Congress -LSB- that -RSB- we 're the ones we would like you to pay attention to , not lobbyists . And we do n't want the government to own our health care , '' Bachmann said . Speaking at Thursday 's opposition rally , actor John Ratzenberger , who played Cliff on the sitcom `` Cheers , '' slammed the Democratic bill as a form of socialism . `` These are Woodstock Democrats , '' Ratzenberger said . `` We have to remember where their philosophy comes . It does n't come from America . It comes from overseas . It comes from socialism . And socialism is a philosophy of failure . '' House Democrats have rejected an alternative $ 60 billion Republican plan as inadequate for meeting the goals of expanding health coverage to most of the nation 's 46 million uninsured while bringing down costs and ending controversial industry practices such as denying coverage for pre-existing conditions . Pelosi 's bill would extend insurance coverage to 36 million uncovered Americans and guarantee that 96 percent of Americans have coverage , according to the Democratic leadership . The claim is based on an analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office . Among other things , the bill would subsidize insurance for poorer Americans and create health insurance exchanges to make it easier for small groups and individuals to purchase coverage . It also would cap annual out-of-pocket expenses and prevent insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions . Pelosi 's office has said the bill would cut the federal deficit by roughly $ 30 billion over the next decade . The measure is financed through a combination of a tax surcharge on wealthy Americans and spending constraints in Medicare and Medicaid . Specifically , individuals with annual incomes more than $ 500,000 -- as well as families earning more than $ 1 million -- would face a 5.4 percent income tax surcharge . Growth in Medicare expenditures would be cut by 1.3 percent annually . The House bill also includes a government-run public option . Under the House plan , health care providers would be allowed to negotiate reimbursement rates with the federal government . Pelosi and other liberal Democrats had argued for a more `` robust '' public option that would tie reimbursement rates for providers and hospitals to Medicare rates plus a 5 percent increase . Several Democrats representing rural areas , however , killed the proposal after complaining that doctors and hospitals in their districts would be shortchanged under such a formula . One thorny issue yet to be resolved among House Democrats is the bill 's final language on abortion . Rep. Bart Stupak , D-Michigan , has been pushing leaders to add stronger language prohibiting the use of federal money to pay for abortions under the health care overhaul . Stupak has vowed that if he is n't allowed a vote on the issue , a group of 40 anti-abortion Democrats will work to block the bill from getting to the House floor . The House bill differs from legislation the Senate is considering in a number of critical ways . Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nevada , also favors a public option but would allow individual states to opt out of the plan . An $ 829 billion bill recently passed by the Senate Finance Committee does not include a tax surcharge on the wealthy but would impose a new tax on high-end health care policies , which critics have dubbed `` Cadillac '' plans . A large number of House Democrats are opposed to taxing those policies , arguing that such a move would hurt union members who traded higher salaries for more generous benefits . Individuals under the $ 829 billion Finance Committee plan would be required to purchase health insurance coverage or face a fine of up to $ 750 . The House bill imposes a more stringent fine of up to 2.5 percent of an individual 's income . Both versions include a hardship exemption for poorer Americans . The Finance Committee bill would require large companies to contribute to the health care costs of lower income workers if those workers received a government subsidy for insurance . The House legislation would require larger companies to provide employee insurance for everyone or pay a penalty of up to 8 percent of total revenue . Democratic leaders in both chambers agree on establishing nonprofit health care cooperatives and stripping insurance companies of an anti-trust exemption that has been in place since the end of World War II . Reid refused earlier this week to predict when the chamber would pass a health care bill , possibly signaling difficulty in generating support from his entire Democratic caucus . CNN 's Dana Bash , Lisa Desjardins and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report . | NEW : President Obama praises American Medical Association , AARP for backing bill . GOP leaders join `` Tea Party '' protesters for an opposition rally on Capitol Hill . Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she has 218 votes needed to pass House bill . Democrats : Bill would guarantee that 96 percent of Americans have coverage . | [[0, 26], [63, 130], [98, 193], [464, 522], [2989, 3029], [1405, 1467], [1444, 1457], [1468, 1486], [4438, 4452], [4523, 4618]] |
Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Actor and filmmaker Dennis Hopper has been diagnosed with prostate cancer , his manager Sam Maydew said Friday . Hopper is being treated in a special program at the University of Southern California , according to CNN news affiliate KTLA . He was expected to appear at an exhibition of his photography at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne but has cancelled in order to focus on treatment . `` We 're hoping for the best , '' Maydew said . No other details were immediately available . On September 30 , Hopper was hospitalized in New York for flu-like symptoms and stomach pains . He was released the next day feeling `` much better , '' according to KTLA . The 73-year-old Academy Award winner is known for his roles in `` Rebel Without a Cause , '' `` Hoosiers , '' `` Apocalypse Now '' and `` Easy Rider '' -- the latter of which he also directed -- among scores of other films . Hopper recently finished shooting the second season of the Starz drama `` Crash , '' based on the 2006 Oscar-winning film . | Actor Dennis Hopper is being treated at the University of Southern California . The actor has cancelled upcoming travel to focus on his treatment . He was hospitalized in late September with flu-like symptoms and stomach pain . Hopper just finished shooting the second season of the Starz drama `` Crash '' | [[157, 242], [284, 286], [432, 455], [551, 566], [569, 646], [949, 1019]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Joann Killeen is president of the Killeen Furtney Group , the Los Angeles , California-based public relations firm that represented octuplet mom Nadya Suleman . Nadya Suleman had her octuplets through fertility treatments . Suleman , who underwent fertility treatment , gave birth to six boys and two girls January 26 in Bellflower , California . She already had six children at home . The Killeen Furtney Group recently stopped representing Suleman because of death threats that came in to the firm 's office , Killeen said Monday on CNN 's `` Larry King Live . '' Following is an edited transcript of Killeen 's conversation with King : . Larry King : When you did this show February 3 , you were representing her . Now you 're not . Why not ? Joann Killeen : Well , Larry , the number of death threats that came into our office , both by e-mail and voice mail , we had to make a decision about what was in the best interests of our own personal safety and that of our firm . So we met with the police department on Friday . We filed a criminal report . We provided them with all the information with all the threats . And they told us that we should take this very seriously . Watch Killeen describe receiving threats '' King : Why you and not her ? Killeen : Well , they 've also threatened her . But the majority of the threats are coming to our office . I mean , Nadya does n't have an e-mail account . She does n't have a computer . So there 's no way to reach her . So the closest thing they can do is come after me . And they have -- and just in painful , painful ways . King : How would do you characterize the nature of the threats ? Killeen : Well , they 've said to me that I should be put down like an old dog , I should be paralyzed , my client 's uterus should be ripped out , she should be put on an island . I mean , Larry , I do n't know what 's happened with America , but they are really , really angry and letting me know what they think about this issue . King : Do you take special security precautions ? Killeen : Yes , I do . Yes , I do . We have extra patrols on our street . ... We 're very conscious . The police department has been absolutely wonderful to work with . They 've given me a special number to call if anybody stakes out my house , as they have before . I 've been followed by paparazzi . I 'm not a celebrity , so it 's a different position for me to be in . King : How did you inform Nadya that you were no longer . ... Killeen : Well , we talked on Friday . And she 's had death threats , and I 've had death threats . And she 's very upset that someone would come after us and come after her . I mean she says : `` I 'm just a mom . I do n't know why everybody is so upset . I 'm just a mom trying to do the best job that I possibly can . '' Watch Killeen explain that no money has been made off the publicity '' King : Why do you think people are so angry -- crazy enough , angry to threaten killing ? Killeen : Well , I think they are frustrated by a lot of things . When the news came out that Nadya was receiving some state disability from an injury and that she was trying to rehab and find a new career and go to school and she also had children at the same time , I think the taxpayers just absolutely flipped out and said , you know , we 're paying for this and we 're not getting our own fair share of government services . We pay a lot of taxes , the economy is bad , there 's no jobs . They 're angry . King : If you 're getting threats , what do you imagine she 's getting ? Killeen : Well , and I 've seen them , because , again , there 's no e - mail account . So they 're sending them to me . ... People will call my office and just say profanity on the phone . And with caller ID , I know exactly who they are . Others have sent handwritten notes to me with horrible words that I never would repeat on the air , Larry . And they even put their return address on them so -- as if I 'm going to return that call . King : What about the stories that she 's obsessed with Angelina Jolie -- even had work done on her face to look like her more ? Killeen : You know , I asked her about that . And she just laughed . She said remember , with the octuplets , I put on 100 pounds -- a hundred pounds of extra body weight for my babies . So of course things are going to look a little different than they did when I first started . King : She does look like her . Killeen : Well , I think hair and makeup , you could probably look like anybody you 'd want to look like . She has said to me she has not had plastic surgery of any kind . And so I have to believe what my client tells me to be factually correct . King : So the only reason you 're out of this is threats on you and the firm , not because of any qualms with her ? Killeen : Oh , no . Not at all . Larry , I just ca n't run my business and continue to do the things that I need to do for my clients with constant death threats and phone calls and interruptions . You know , I took on this account because I 'm a mom and a grandma , and I wanted to help someone who needs help with the media . I did this pro bono . I 've made no money . I have no intention of getting any money . And I think people need to realize I just did this out of the goodness of my heart to help a woman who did n't know how to work with the media . King : Does she keep in touch with the father ? Killeen : The sperm donor ? King : Yes . Killeen : They have a very limited relationship . He 's not active in their life at all . King : Why are we mad at her ? Killeen : That 's a good question to ask America . If you look at the e-mails that are coming into my office , they 're saying they think that she 's worked the system . They think that she 's been able to stay home and live off of the taxpayers and have these multiple children . She 's not organized . She does n't have any kind of structure , you know ; is n't six children enough ? She intentionally went out to get eight children . And , you know , remember , Larry , she worked with the same doctor for every -LSB- in vitro fertilization -RSB- attempt . Based on her history of six embryos implanted , she got one child . The doctor told her the most this last attempt would be would be either one baby or twins , at the most . So she was shocked , he was shocked . Nobody expected eight children . That 's the big -- big misnomer here . Everybody thinks she went and ordered eight and she got eight . She did n't . King : Where does she go from here ? Killeen : Well , I 'm confident , as we continue to talk , that there are resources that are available to her , and she will collaborate with , you know , church leaders in her area . And hopefully the American public can get beyond their anger about her choices and her decisions and think about those eight little kids , Larry . You know , it 's all about those kids . That 's the whole reason why I took on this account , was to help the mom with those eight little kids . | President of PR agency says people have made death threats by phone , e-mail . Doctor told mom to expect either one baby or twins , not eight , Joann Killeen says . Angry people tell Killeen they think mom 's able to stay home , live off taxpayers . | [[19, 133], [480, 493], [499, 528], [810, 823], [829, 849], [1199, 1242], [1289, 1297], [1303, 1319], [2522, 2550], [2557, 2582], [3489, 3512], [4839, 4840], [4873, 4995], [6196, 6301], [6212, 6285], [5738, 5848], [5754, 5813]] |
Atlanta , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Bernice King , the youngest child of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. , has been elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference , a spokeswoman for the group said Friday . King , 46 , was elected as the SCLC 's first female president , said Renee Richardson . King 's father was SCLC 's first president . The organization was founded in 1957 . The other finalist for the post was former Arkansas Court of Appeals Judge Wendell Griffen , 57 , who lost his recent bid for re-election . Griffen , of Pine Bluff , Arkansas , is also pastor of New Millennium Church in Little Rock . King is a minister at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia , Georgia . She also is a motivational speaker and author . `` It is a destiny call , '' she told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week . `` It is part of my father and mother 's legacy and a continuation of the legacy he started in the '50s and '60s through this organization . I believe that the hand of God is leading me . '' Her brother , Martin Luther King III , was president of SCLC from 1997 to 2004 . They and sibling Dexter King were locked in a bitter legal battle over their parents ' estates until late September , when a judge ordered them to begin negotiations . The three were able to reach a settlement . King succeeds the Rev. Byron Clay , who has been interim president since the Rev. Charles Steele Jr. resigned earlier this year . The Rev. Joseph E. Lowery led the group from 1977 until 1997 . The Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy was president from 1968 to 1977 . Ralph Luker , a retired history professor at Morehouse College and co-editor of the first two volumes of `` The Papers of Martin Luther King , '' says SCLC 's challenge going forward is giving the organization a sense of mission . `` There 's been ... no real vision , and that 's a dramatic change from its early years , '' he said . `` For too long it 's been a program here , had a cause there , but the group 's rationale for being has n't been clear . '' The group , which has chapters and affiliates throughout the country , has lobbied extensively on a variety of issues related to civil rights . CNN 's Debra Krajnak and Maria White contributed to this report . | Bernice King is the youngest daughter of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. . She is the first female president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference . Her father was the organization 's first president . | [[56, 70], [74, 99], [244, 248], [251, 253], [256, 305], [332, 376]] |
JERUSALEM -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Israel on Monday restated its long-standing policy regarding Iran after Russia 's president indicated that Israel had taken the military option off the table . The Israel Defense Forces chief of staff , Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi , says , `` Israel has the right to defend itself . '' `` Contrary to reports , all options -LSB- are -RSB- on the table on the issue of preventing Iranian nuclear weapons capability , '' Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon posted on his Twitter account . The Israel Defense Forces chief of staff , Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi , also weighed in , telling Israel Army Radio that `` Israel has the right to defend itself , and all options are open . '' `` The IDF 's working premise is that we have to be prepared for that possibility , and that is exactly what we are doing , '' he said . The issue stems from reports that Israel may have struck a deal with Russia regarding Iran and its controversial nuclear program . Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told CNN 's Fareed Zakaria last week that Israeli President Shimon Peres told him in a recent visit to the Russian leader 's vacation home that `` Israel does n't intend to deliver any strike against Iran . '' '' -LSB- Peres -RSB- said we are a peaceful country , we will not deal such a blow , '' Medvedev said in the interview , broadcast Sunday on `` Fareed Zakaria GPS . '' `` Therefore any deliveries of systems -- defensive systems -- which are aimed at protecting can not increase danger , they should reduce it . '' Medvedev was referring to Russia 's agreement to sell Iran its S-300 anti-aircraft missile system , which he said is in keeping with international law . The Israeli newspaper Maariv reported Monday that Peres used his influence to persuade Washington to abandon its plans to base a missile defense shield system in Poland and the Czech Republic , a proposal that had rankled Moscow . In exchange , Moscow agreed to support `` imposing sanctions on Iran , '' Maariv reported . The United States and Russia have disagreed over Iran and over possible steps the U.N. Security Council may take -- including imposing sanctions -- to push Tehran to comply with U.N. demands concerning its nuclear program . President Obama told CBS ' `` Face the Nation '' that his objective in revamping the U.S. defense shield plan `` was not to negotiate with the Russians . '' `` The Russians do n't make determinations about what our defense posture is , '' Obama said in the CBS interview shown Sunday . `` If the byproduct of it is that the Russians feel a little less paranoid and are now willing to work more effectively with us to deal with threats like ballistic missiles from Iran or the nuclear development in Iran , you know , then that 's a bonus . '' CNN 's Kevin Flower and Michal Zippori contributed to this report . | Reports surface that Israel has taken military option off the table regarding Iran . Russian president says Israeli official tells him , `` We will not deal such a blow '' But Israeli officials say `` all options are open '' on Iran to prevent nuclear capability . Israeli paper says Israel played role in U.S. changing missile defense plans on Iran . | [[101, 188], [1278, 1306], [336, 438], [686, 708]] |
Buenos Aires , Argentina -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Latin America 's first same-sex marriage , set to be held in Argentina on Tuesday , appeared derailed after a judge filed an injunction to stop the union until the issue can be reviewed further . Judge Marta Gomez Alsina 's ruling blocks an earlier holding by another judge that found city laws banning same-sex marriage unconstitutional , the court said in a statement . Alex Freyre and Jose Maria di Bello had planned to make their marriage official at a civil ceremony and chose December 1 because it is World AIDS Day . The registrar responsible for the civil marriages in Buenos Aires has been notified of the ruling , the court said . The couple would attempt to get their wedding license anyway , the official Telam news agency reported . `` We 're continuing with the preparations because we , as planners , nor the couple itself , have not been notified '' of the injunction , said Maria Rachid , president of the Argentine Federation for Lesbians , Gays , Bisexuals and Transsexuals , according to the news agency . Gomez Alsina 's injunction could not overturn the earlier ruling because she is a trial-level judge and not an appellate judge , Rachid said . The original ruling was made on November 10 by another trial-level judge , Gabriela Seijas , who responded to a petition made by Freyre and di Bello . Seijas ruled that the ban on same-sex marriage was illegal and ordered the proper authorities to grant the couple a marriage license if they applied for one . The court 's decision applied only to Buenos Aires . Same-sex unions in most of Argentina remain illegal . `` The law should treat each person with equal respect in relation to each person 's singularities without the need to understand or regulate them , '' Seijas said in her ruling . Buenos Aires Mayor Mauricio Macri said after the ruling that his government would not appeal the decision . Monday 's ruling was a temporary measure to postpone the marriage until Seijas ' original ruling could be reviewed in depth , presumably by an appeals court or the supreme court , the court statement said . Countries in Latin America , a region strongly identified with the Catholic Church , have recently given more attention to gay rights . In September Uruguay became the first Latin American country to allow same-sex adoption . Brazil , Colombia and Ecuador are also addressing the issue of same-sex civil unions . | Freyre and Di Bello 's marriage was to coincide with World AIDS Day on Tuesday . They would attempt to get their wedding license anyway , Telam reported . Original ruling was that a ban on same-sex marriage was illegal . Court : Injunction is temporary measure to postpone marriage pending review of original ruling . | [[416, 451], [520, 567], [685, 738], [748, 789], [1364, 1496], [152, 213], [166, 220], [198, 239], [1918, 2020], [1984, 2041]] |
PARIS , France -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand said Thursday he will not resign over accounts in a book he wrote in 2005 about paying to have sex with `` boys '' in Thailand . Frederic Mitterrand admitted to paying for sex with `` boys '' in his 2005 autobiography , `` The Bad Life . '' In an interview with French television network TF1 , Mitterrand said he `` absolutely condemn -LSB- s -RSB- sexual tourism , which is a disgrace , and ... pedophilia , '' in which he insisted he has never participated . Despite the use of the French word `` garcon '' in his 2005 book `` The Bad Life , '' Mitterrand , 62 , has previously said the term did not mean `` little boys . '' He said the males he paid for sex were his age , or maybe five years younger , but not underage -- and the relations were consensual . `` Anyway , you can recognize someone who 's 40 years old ... '' he told TF1 . A 40-year-old man `` does n't look like a minor , '' he added , suggesting that his partners were middle-aged men . His actions , Mitterrand said , were `` without a doubt , an error , '' but `` a crime , no , '' he said in the interview . Despite recent calls to resign from the far-right National Front and the left-leaning Socialist Party , Mitterrand , who is openly gay , vowed to stay in his job . He said he met Thursday morning with French President Nicolas Sarkozy , and that the president supports him . In a July interview with the weekly French news magazine Le Nouvel Observateur , Sarkozy said he had read Mitterrand 's book , and found it `` courageous and talented . '' The controversy over the revelations in his book -- which he called neither autobiography nor memoir -- erupted anew after Mitterrand deplored the arrest last week of filmmaker Roman Polanski , who fled the United States in 1977 after pleading guilty to having sex with a 13-year-old girl . The culture minister told TF1 that he was `` too emotional '' when he denounced the filmmaker 's arrest in Switzerland as `` horrifying . '' `` To see him thrown to the lions for an old story that really has no meaning , and to see him alone , imprisoned , when he was going to attend a ceremony where he was to be honored , that is to say , he was trapped , it 's absolutely horrifying , '' he said October 4 , according to Agence France Presse . The far-right National Front organized an anti-Mitterrand demonstration in Paris on Thursday evening . `` Send this message on to everyone who will not put up with this indecency ! '' the party 's Web site said . The party 's vice president , Marine Le Pen , has demanded Mitterrand 's resignation for what she termed his sexually deviant acts . Mitterrand responded , saying , `` It 's an honor to be dragged through the mud by the National Front . '' Mitterrand 's acts of `` sexual tourism '' have left `` a dark smudge '' on the government , Le Pen said . The group is also gathering signatures on a petition , online and on paper , from those who want Mitterrand to step down . `` We really hope he will resign , '' National Front communications director Julien Sanchez told CNN . `` It 's an embarrassment for our country , that our culture minister has done this . It affects our international image . It 's not right , '' he added . Watch report on the controversy surrounding French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterand '' On the other side of the political spectrum , the left-leaning Socialist Party suggested Sarkozy should consider Mitterrand 's position . `` It 's up to President Sarkozy to decide whether or not we can be involved in the fight against child prostitution and sexual tourism , and whether or not the acts written in an autobiography -- written by a minister -- are acts of sexual commerce , '' said party spokesman Benoit Hamon . `` If everything is relative and Mr. Mitterrand can be excused because he 's famous , well , I do n't excuse his behavior , '' Hamon said . Martine Aubry , the leader of the Socialist Party , said she would wait until she had read the book before making any judgment . Mitterrand said on TF1 that he had had sexual relations with boys -- using the French word `` garcons '' -- but added , `` you must not confuse pedophilia with homosexuality . '' He also described his book as a mixture of his life and the life of others , and denied accusations that it was a glorification of sexual tourism . The minister said he never had sex with `` young boys '' and denounced those who accused him of such acts , saying that maybe they were confusing their own fantasies with what the book was really about . Mitterrand told an interviewer in 2005 that assertions that he liked `` little boys '' were untrue . `` It 's because when people say ` boys ' we imagine ` little boys , ' '' he said then . `` How to explain that ? It belongs to this general puritanism which surrounds us , which always makes us paint a black picture of the situation . It has nothing to do with that . '' Mitterrand was a television personality , not a government minister , when the book was published . It caused a stir upon its publication , as well , and has been the subject of heated debate several times since then . In one passage , published by the French newspaper Le Monde on Thursday , Mitterrand describes in detail a sexual encounter with a `` boy '' he said was called Bird . `` My boy did n't say a word , he stood before me , immobile , his eyes still straight ahead and a half-smile on his lips . I wanted him so badly I was trembling , '' he wrote . Mitterrand also wrote about visiting clubs to choose young male prostitutes in Thailand -- where prostitution is illegal and sexual intercourse with a minor is statutory rape and is punishable by imprisonment . `` Most of them are young , handsome and apparently unaware of the devastation that their activities could bring them . I would learn later that they did n't come every night , that they were often students , had a girlfriend and sometimes even lived with their families , who pretended not to know the source of their breadwinner 's earnings , '' the book said . `` Some of them were older and there was also a small contingent of heavier bruisers , who also had their fans . It was the artistic side of the exposition : Their presence made the youthful charm of the others stand out . '' He also wrote that while he had read reports and seen documentaries on the evils of `` le commerce des garcons '' -LRB- the boy trade -RRB- -- the misery , the piles of money from which `` les gosses '' -LRB- the kids -RRB- got only a few crumbs , the ravages of drugs -- `` all of these rituals of the fair of the youths , the slave market , excited me enormously . '' `` The profusion of very attractive boys , immediately available , put me in a state of desire that I no longer had to restrain or conceal . '' Mitterrand -- the nephew of the Socialist former president Francois Mitterrand -- joined Sarkozy 's center-right government this summer . Wikipedia , the user-edited online reference Web site , has locked down Mitterrand 's entry , preventing changes to it , in a possible sign of the intensity of the debate surrounding him . CNN 's Jen Carswell in Paris , France and Alanne Orjoux in Atlanta , Georgia , contributed to this report . | Culture minister condemns sexual tourism , denies he is a pedophile . Frederic Mitterrand , in 2005 book , wrote of paying for sex with `` boys '' in Thailand . Le Monde on Thursday published steamy excerpts from `` The Bad Life '' Mitterand came to the defense of Roman Polanski after the filmmaker 's arrest . | [[0, 5], [8, 134], [319, 369], [372, 441], [4252, 4254], [4333, 4399], [128, 134], [138, 206], [207, 295], [5196, 5210], [5270, 5333], [5199, 5210], [5213, 5258], [1605, 1653], [1709, 1796]] |
Berlin , Germany -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thousands of people joined world leaders in the German capital Monday to remember the night 20 years ago when a euphoric wave of people power swept away the Berlin Wall and consigned the Cold War to history . In scenes calmly mirroring the events of November 9 , 1989 , crowds thronged through the center of the once-divided city , joining German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a symbolic re-enactment of the first crossing of the breached Wall . `` It was worth fighting for , '' Merkel said , after crossing the Bösebrücker bridge on Bornholmer Strasse , the checkpoint where people first poured across the frontier . Merkel , the first former East German to lead the reunified country , was accompanied by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and Polish ex-president Lech Walesa as she kicked off events to celebrate the demise of the iconic structure and remember the darker sides of the communist regimes behind it . `` It is not only a day of celebration for Germans . It is a day of celebration for the whole of Europe , '' Merkel said . Merkel was joined by Britain 's Gordon Brown , France 's Nicolas Sarkozy and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in a series of events , including solemn tributes and boisterous music concerts . At the climax , a line of 1,000 giant dominoes was knocked over along a 2-kilometer strip where the Wall once stood -- representing the domino effect the structure 's collapse had in ending communism across Eastern Europe . Memorials were to be held for the 136 lives lost of those who tried to eascape through the barrier that cut Berlin in two -- many in the so-called `` death strip '' at the heart of the Wall 's fortifications . Read more in our Autumn of Change special report . Thousands of people gathered at the Brandenburg Gate , the symbol of reunified Germany which once stood at the center of the no man 's land between East and West Berlin . Rock acts including Bon Jovi joined the festivities , echoing the popular music of the late 80s which soundtracked the cold night when rigid communist control gave way to an exhilarating tide of people clamoring for freedom . Testament to the powerful legacy of the Wall 's collapse have been the vivid memories recounted by many of the dramatic and emotional events before and after the fall . `` It was a circus-like atmosphere , people were enthused and exuberant and thrilled to see the Wall coming down , '' said David Paul Noel of Maryland , who was working for the U.S. State Department in Germany at the time . Former CNN correspondent Richard Blystone , who watched the Wall collapse was struck by the difference in appearance of each side of the Wall . `` On the west side , there was all this graffiti and dirty words , and names of rock groups and ` down with that ' -- all the chaos of a pluralistic society , '' he said . `` On the eastern side , it was clean and white , just so sterile . '' Though dominated by nostalgia , Monday was also an opportunity to assess progress in a reunified Germany and democratized Eastern Europe , with many airing concerns that the world still has lessons to learn from the events of 1989 . With many in Germany feeling the economic , social and psychological divisions once demarcated by the Wall , Merkel said Monday that the country had yet to fulfil promises made when East and West reunited in 1990 . `` Germany unity is not yet complete , '' Merkel told public broadcaster ARD earlier . At an event in Berlin on Sunday , U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for renewed global action to liberate those still living under repressive regimes . `` Our history did not end the night the Wall came down , '' Clinton said . `` It began anew . And this matters not only to tens of millions of Europeans , and to the United States , but to people everywhere . '' She added : `` To expand freedom to more people , we can not accept that freedom does not belong to all people . We can not allow oppression , defined and justified by religion or tribe to replace that of ideology . `` We have a responsibility to address conditions everywhere that undermine the potential of boys and girls and men and women that sap human dignity and threaten global progress . '' CNN 's Barry Neild contributed to this story . | Angela Merkel leads ceremonies to mark 20 years since collapse of Berlin Wall . Thousands of people converged on symbolic Brandenburg Gate in center of Berlin . Merkel says Germany still has far to go in its unification process . | [[813, 949], [1764, 1803], [3271, 3333], [3380, 3413]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sales of Michael Jackson 's albums have gone through the roof since the news of his death . Michael Jackson 's albums took the top 15 slots on Amazon.com 's top 50 album downloads . On Friday , the late singer was enjoying the commercial revival that had been eluding him in recent years , due to a lack of new material and public interest . Michael Jackson albums took top 15 slots on Amazon.com top 50 album downloads . The story was the same on iTunes where the late singer 's albums dominated seven out of the ten top slots on the site . The 25th anniversary reissue of Jackson 's 1982 album , `` Thriller , '' which is the top selling album of all time , is at the top spot on Amazon.com . It was followed by a special reissue of 1979 album `` Off the Wall '' and 1987 album `` Bad . '' His last studio album `` Invincible , '' which he released in 2001 came in at number 10 , perhaps reflecting the public 's preference for Jackson 's earlier work . On European online music retailer Play.com sales of Jackson 's 10 most popular albums increased by a staggering 7,860 percent . Meanwhile , searches on Michael Jackson are up 8,900 percent and total downloads on the site have increased 5,167 percent . The public 's unprecedented rush to buy Jackson 's albums has been likened to the the reaction when other music icons like Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra died . `` There are an awful lot of people that think his contribution to music was huge , and as an artist he was so talented -- even though he was such a complicated artist , particularly towards the end of his life , '' Stuart Rowe Chief Operating Officer of Play.com told CNN . `` People want some kind of memento . They want to appreciate and listen to his music again , and mark his passing by listening to it all again . '' According to Rowe because of their quality , many of Jackson 's albums are perennial bestsellers , and while there was also some increase in interest in his music because of his sold out 50-date London tour which was scheduled to kick off in mid-July . `` But nothing like the effect of the news , '' said . `` It 's taken this for his music to be brought to a whole new generation of people . '' Five of Jackson 's solo albums -- `` Off the Wall , '' `` Thriller , '' `` Bad , '' `` Dangerous '' and `` HIStory , '' are among the top-sellers of all time , according to Jackson 's label Sony Music . During his career , Jackson sold an estimated 750 million records worldwide , released 13 No. 1 singles . `` There 's the whole sort of grieving of a superstar which the general public will go through worldwide , '' said Rowe . `` You will hear a lot more Michael Jackson being played over the next few weeks . '' | Michael Jackson albums dominate bestseller charts on Amazon.com , iTunes . Online retailer Play.com reported Jackson album sales increased by 7,860 percent . Five of Jackson 's solo albums are among the top-sellers of all time . Play.com : Fans want to mark his passing by listening to all his music again . | [[111, 200], [361, 415], [467, 473], [480, 560], [561, 614], [679, 713], [1038, 1102], [1858, 1909], [2327, 2367], [1702, 1755], [1702, 1706], [1762, 1791], [1767, 1809]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A second runner missing since Monday was found alive near a ravine on a rugged mountain trail in Southern California hours after her running partner was found , an Orange County Sheriff 's spokesman told CNN . Runner Maria `` Gina '' Natera-Armenta , 34 , is severely dehydrated and in serious condition , officials said . Authorities and fellow runners had been looking for Maria `` Gina '' Natera-Armenta , 34 , and her brother-in-law , Fidel Diaz , 50 , since Monday . Diaz was found about 1 p.m. ET Wednesday , but the search for Natera-Armenta continued as police questioned him . Orange County Sheriff 's officials , searching the area by helicopter , eventually spotted Natera-Armenta waving from the ravine , which was about five miles from the sheriff 's command post , Orange County Sheriff spokesman Lt. Jim Amormino . `` She was lying in the shady area , '' Amormino said . `` She did see the helicopter before , but did n't have enough energy to get up . '' Natera-Armenta is in serious condition , and was severely dehydrated when she was found , Amormino said . She is currently in the intensive care unit at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo , California . The pair had set out at 5:30 a.m. Sunday . According to their spouses , they planned to do an eight - to 10-hour run on a remote mountain trail in the Cleveland National Forest near San Diego . But it was n't until Monday night that their spouses individually reported to police that the two were missing . Natera-Armenta and Diaz are ultrarunners , devotees of an endurance sport in which it 's common to trek and run for many hours over rugged terrain . Natera-Armenta is an experienced ultrarunner and was a top finisher at a 100-mile race in San Diego . | NEW : Official : Second ultrarunner found in serious condition with severe dehydration . NEW : Spokesman : Woman found when helicopter spotted her waving . Police : California runners leave at 5:30 a.m. Sunday , reported missing Monday . Maria `` Gina '' Natera-Armenta and Fidel Diaz said they planned long run in forest . | [[229, 243], [275, 322], [302, 322], [325, 341], [990, 1028], [990, 1004], [1035, 1077], [0, 15], [35, 55], [1192, 1234], [1264, 1385]] |
ROME , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Italian mafia boss used his pet crocodile to threaten people and extort money , authorities said . The caiman was 1.1 meters long -LRB- 3.6 feet -RRB- , the Italian Forest Service said . Antonio Cristofaro kept the 40-kilogram -LRB- 88-pound -RRB- reptile on a terrace of his home near Naples and fed it live rats and rabbits , according to LAV , an Italian animal rights group . Authorities discovered the animal during a search for weapons at Cristofaro 's home , LAV said . The crocodile was found on September 18 but the news was only made public Wednesday , the group said . The crocodile was 1.1 meters long -LRB- 3.6 feet -RRB- , the Italian Forest Service said , and was capable of pulling off a man 's limb with one bite . It lived atop Cristofaro 's condominium in Caserta , less than an hour northeast of Naples , the Forest Service said . Cristofaro used the crocodile to intimidate people , notably entrepreneurs , to pay him more money , Italy 's ANSA news agency reported . The crocodile is of a type known as a caiman , commonly found in Latin America . It is protected under the Washington Convention , which regulates the international trade of endangered animals , and is considered too dangerous to own as a pet , the Forest Service said . Police charged Cristofaro with illegal possession of animals , ANSA said . It was not clear whether he had been arrested . The Forest Service is now holding the reptile at an animal center near Rome , ANSA reported . Cristofaro , who the Forest Service said comes from a mafia family , already had a criminal record for weapons-related charges , resisting police , and extortion , ANSA reported . Authorities found a flak jacket during a search of Cristofaro 's house , the Forest Service said . It was not the first time the Forest Service discovered an illegal crocodile at someone 's home , the Forest Service said . In August 2008 in Naples , authorities found a 2-meter-long -LRB- 6.5-foot-long -RRB- crocodile at the home of a man known for drug dealing , they said . CNN 's Hada Messia contributed to this report . | Italian mafia boss kept 40-kg reptile at his home near Naples to threaten people . Authorities found animal in search for weapons at Antonio Cristofaro 's home . Police charged Cristofaro with illegal possession of animals . | [[7, 28], [54, 112], [222, 327], [886, 962], [902, 936], [963, 984], [1915, 1939], [1942, 2031], [415, 498], [1295, 1355]] |
BAGHDAD , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Samar Saed Abdullah 's entire body trembles as she speaks about her impending execution . She thinks of the gallows room , the noose around her neck and that moment when she will take her final breath . Samar Saed Abdullah is sentenced to die by hanging in connection with the killing of three relatives . `` My life is meaningless , '' she said , choking on her tears . `` I ca n't think of anything else . The other women , we try to help each other , but we can not escape the reality that we are on death row and they can take us at any second . '' The 27-year-old Iraqi woman is sentenced to die in connection with the slayings of three relatives in January 2005 . She looks pale and frail , her face sallow , her eyes bloodshot . She shakes with each sob , anxiously twisting a tissue in her hands . We first met Samar in spring 2007 , at al-Kadhimiya Women 's Prison in Baghdad . She had been on death row for about two years , and she was terrified . Watch a tearful plea from death row '' `` I do n't sleep at all on Wednesdays , '' she said then . `` I stay up from morning until night , because that 's the day they pick for executions . '' Samar was sentenced to death by hanging for being an accessory to murder in the killings of her uncle , aunt and cousin -- slayings that she says were carried out at their home by her husband-to-be , who remains on the loose . She maintains that she is innocent , and there are disturbing questions about her conviction . Samar has now been moved a step closer to death : to Baghdad 's maximum-security prison , where there are more than 500 prisoners waiting to be executed . It 's the same facility where Saddam Hussein was hanged in December 2006 . CNN was not allowed to film her face inside the prison . During the interview , the wardens also seemed to make motions to try to stop CNN from broaching the subject of her allegation that she had only confessed under torture . The day of the killings is seared into her mind . `` I think about it every day , every hour . I wake up with it in my head , '' she said . `` It 's the reason I am here . '' There was a point in time when Samar was happy , when her life had meaning and joy . She had a fiancé , Saif Ali Nur , in winter 2004 . `` I was so happy at the time , when he asked for my hand in marriage , '' she remembered bitterly . `` I thought that he was honest , that he did not lie to me . It all happened in just two months . '' At first , her family did n't approve of the romance , but they eventually relented . One day , she says , Saif duped her into taking him to her wealthy uncle 's house . He locked her in the kitchen and , she says , shot her uncle , aunt and cousin . Then , he turned the gun on her . Samar says he stole less than $ 1,000 after threatening to kill Samar and her family if she went to the authorities . The Iraqi police picked Samar up the next day , after Saif dumped her in front of her house and disappeared . `` There was nothing that made me suspect that this was a guy who would do something like this , '' she said . She 's filled with regret that she fell in love with him . `` And now I am here in prison , and he is out on the streets , happy . '' Her parents sold everything to pay for her defense . They swear she 's innocent . She says she was tortured by the police into confessing that she went to her uncle 's house with the intent to steal . `` They kept beating me , and they told me , ` Say whatever we want you to say , and do not say anything else , and say yes , I was an accomplice to this crime . ' Although I had nothing to do with it . Finally , they made me sign a blank piece of paper , and they filled it out afterwards . '' She was tried and convicted in a single day : August 15 , 2005 . Court documents obtained by CNN read that `` the court discussed the case file with her and she said that all that she had confessed came as a result of duress and torture . '' Under Iraqi law , the court should have investigated her claim that she confessed under torture . But it did not . After learning of Samar 's case from CNN , former Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih said Tuesday he spoke with the Iraqi Presidency Council , which promised to look into the matter . He also said he had spoken separately with top Iraqi officials , including Iraqi President Jalal Talabani , and urged for a new trial . Human rights groups say Samar 's case is just one of many in which justice has failed . And they say that what makes implementing capital punishment even more disturbing is that the Iraqi judicial system does not guarantee a fair trial . Amnesty International issued a report Tuesday saying that at least 1,000 prisoners sit on Iraq 's death row and that Iraq now has one of the highest execution rates in the world . The report says Iraq 's court system does not meet international standards and that authorities `` provide very little information on executions , and some have been carried out secretly . '' According to a Western official with in-depth knowledge of the Iraqi judicial system , Iraq 's judicial failures are `` rooted in the legal culture rather than the law . ... The entire legal culture remains heavily confession-based , a situation exacerbated by the frequently imperfect investigative skills of the police , judicial investigators and investigative judges . '' In his years in Iraq , this official says he observed judges taking payments in exchange for certain decisions and the physical abuse of suspects , either as an end in itself or to `` encourage '' confessions . `` It is my firmly held opinion that Iraq should immediately reinstate the moratorium on executions , '' the official said . `` There are serious problems plaguing the administration of justice in Iraq in criminal cases , and this fact is widely acknowledged by the Iraq judges , prosecutors and defense counsel . '' The U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority abolished capital punishment in Iraq after Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003 . But the death penalty was reinstated in August 2004 , shortly after the government was handed back to Iraqis . Iraq 's Ministry of Justice maintains that the judicial system is `` fair and just . '' Local organizations like the Organization for Women 's Freedom in Iraq have for years been fighting to get the death penalty abolished in Iraq , especially when it comes to flawed trials and women being put to death . But they struggle against a government that turns a deaf ear . `` I wish there was some kind of response . But the response is totally passive . We 've reached a degree of despair , '' said Yanar Mohammed , founder of the Organization for Women 's Freedom in Iraq . `` As a human rights organization in Iraq , we find that we need some backup from abroad to put pressure on our government as a first step to stop the executions of these women , some of whom we know are innocent . '' But even as doubts surface about many convictions in Iraq , there are signs that the pace of executions is picking up . Over the past two months , Mohammed 's group says , between two and four women were executed . `` They were taken out of the extreme-protection prison , '' Mohammed said . `` It is a very scary story for us , because if it starts with a few women in a jail cell ... it could happen to hundreds , thousands of people later on . '' As for Samar , she does n't sleep , haunted by the image of her body that could be hanging lifeless -- plagued by the gut-wrenching fear of death that consumes her nights and most of her days . `` Every night , I stay up thinking that if tomorrow comes , who will be next ? Me ? Or my friend sitting next to me ? '' She sobbed . `` I will never trust a man again . I will never love anyone again . I just want to stay with my parents . '' Samar feels betrayed , both by the man she once loved and by a judicial system that is about to send her to her death . CNN 's Jomana Karadsheh and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report . | Woman sobs about impending execution : `` I ca n't think of anything else '' Samar Saed Abdullah , 27 , was convicted as accessory to murder of 3 relatives . She says police coerced and tortured her into confessing . Ministry of Justice maintains that judicial system is `` fair and just '' | [[81, 123], [408, 441], [993, 1028], [7717, 7729], [237, 339], [237, 256], [270, 339], [587, 703], [587, 614], [628, 703], [1186, 1191], [1215, 1287], [1927, 1965], [3320, 3375], [3442, 3462], [3799, 3972], [3891, 3972], [3976, 3991], [3994, 4073], [6161, 6245], [6204, 6245]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tiger Woods apologized on Wednesday for `` transgressions '' that `` let his family down . '' `` I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart . I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves , '' he said in a statement on his official Web site . `` I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect . I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family . Those feelings should be shared by us alone . '' Woods made the comments in a statement posted on his Web site the same day that a gossip magazine published a story alleging that Woods had an affair with a 24-year-old New York cocktail waitress . The nightclub hostess , identified by a supermarket tabloid as Tiger Woods ' mistress had called allegations that she is romantically involved with the golf superstar false and `` ridiculous . '' In an interview published Tuesday , Rachel Uchitel told The New York Post that a disgruntled acquaintance sold the story to the National Enquirer and that `` not a word of it is true . '' `` I work in clubs , and I am a businesswoman , '' Uchitel said . `` I do not have sex with celebrities , and I have not had an affair with Tiger Woods . '' Speculation has swirled around Woods since a wreck outside his Florida home early Friday left him with minor injuries and a citation for careless driving . The Florida Highway Patrol said Tuesday that its citation closes its investigation of the crash . Woods was not required to talk to state police about the wreck and did not sit for an interview with investigators . He issued a statement Sunday saying he alone was responsible for the crash and denouncing `` the many false , unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me . '' Opinion : Woods is only human . The 33-year-old golf phenomenon has won the Masters tournament and the PGA tournament each four times , as well as three U.S. Open titles . Investigators have said they do n't have details on why Woods was driving away from his home at such an early hour . A police report says the wreck was not alcohol-related . Uchitel said she has met Woods twice , once in her capacity as the VIP director at a club in Manhattan 's trendy Meatpacking District and another time through a mutual friend . `` That 's my job : to know these people , to have a relationship with them , to hang out with them , '' she told the Post . `` It does n't mean I am having sex with them or an affair with them . '' She said the allegations `` must feel horrible '' to Woods ' wife , Elin Nordegren . `` The worst part of it , it 's not true , '' Uchitel said . | NEW : Tiger Woods apologizes for `` transgressions '' that let his family down . Woods tells his personal Web site that he is `` far from perfect '' Statement follows allegations of an affair in tabloid publications in the U.S. | [[0, 5], [19, 79], [85, 102], [116, 136], [271, 323], [327, 350], [355, 382], [548, 595], [601, 718]] |
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After the Alzheimer 's came , my mother could not know how shadows fell across our once ebullient family : our solidarity fractured , our tempers flaring in furious incomprehension , hearts breaking in mute despair . None of us knew how to watch this woman disappear , her features slowly masked with blankness , her supple body rigid and wooden , her absolute vividness obliterated by the heavy fog of her disease . As those of us touched in some way by Alzheimer 's know too well , the emotional , social and economic burden of this disease is nearly unbearable -- for individuals , for families and for our country : . • 5.3 million Americans are living with Alzheimer 's disease ; a new case develops every 70 seconds . • One in eight people aged 65 and older has the disease , and the risk is even higher for those over 85 . • Today , 9.9 million people are caring for a family member with Alzheimer 's . • Alzheimer 's and other dementias cost Medicare , Medicaid and businesses $ 148 billion annually , a number that will grow quickly and substantially as baby boomers reach age 65 . Prevention . Cure . Hope . These are words seldom associated with Alzheimer 's disease . But groundbreaking scientific research and an opportunity for powerful collaborations could lead to discovery of the ultimate cure for Alzheimer 's disease : its prevention . I know this is so because my friend Dr. Karen Hsiao Ashe , an internationally renowned Alzheimer 's disease researcher at the University of Minnesota , has developed a research road map that calls for bringing together a group of the world 's foremost laboratory and clinical investigators in the field to make prevention a reality by 2020 . This achievable goal adds `` hope '' to the vocabulary of Alzheimer 's disease and holds the promise that my children and yours will never suffer its hardship . My son , Alec , is an artist like his late grandmother . His paintings are large and uncompromising , stunning in texture , original in design . He 's got the real thing . He 's got `` it , '' just as she had . But what if he also has something else , like the APOE-e4 gene , known to increase the risk of Alzheimer 's ? What if he is in line to inherit this devastating disease ? What I could barely endure happening to my mother , I know I could not possibly endure happening to my son . So , like my friend Karen , I embrace prevention as the ultimate cure for Alzheimer 's disease . Anything short of that is too risky . Karen is identifying the biological processes that occur in the earliest stages of the disease -- long before symptoms appear -- to develop cost-effective , widely available interventions . She compares Alzheimer 's disease prevention to the polio vaccine : `` Had a vaccine not been developed for polio , hospital wards today would be filled with people needing artificial ventilators to breathe . Similarly , not only is treatment of Alzheimer 's likely to be less effective than prevention , it 's also likely to be 10 to 10,000 times more expensive , '' she recently told Twin Cities Business magazine . Karen and her colleagues are homing in on a promising possibility : a pill containing the molecular compound that could block the chemical chain reaction in the brain that leads to Alzheimer 's . So what 's the holdup ? Well , money , of course , and attitude , perhaps . Finding a treatment within the next 10 years that will prevent Alzheimer 's disease will require a major national investment to bring together the scientists to develop an effective , safe and affordable way to block the disease . According to Harry Johns , president and CEO of the Alzheimer 's Association , `` No other disease causes so much suffering , is so certainly fatal , affects so many and drives so much cost with so little spent to overcome it . '' Why is that ? Johns names ignorance , age discrimination , stigma and denial as likely explanations . My plea is deeply personal , but by 2050 , Alzheimer 's will affect as many as 16 million Americans , and none of us will be able to deny the reality . We must fight mightily now to prevent the shadow of this disease from darkening the lives of our children and grandchildren . We must invest today in research that will most swiftly lead to the ultimate cure : prevention . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Kate Mulgrew . | Kate Mulgrew says millions of Americans are affected by Alzheimer 's disease . New research aims to prevent the brain process that leads to the disease , she says . Mulgrew : Nation must commit money , attention to developing a promising treatment . | [[650, 710], [3454, 3548], [3488, 3598], [4233, 4265]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Five people were killed and 10 critically injured Saturday when a minivan crashed on I-10 near Baton Rouge , Louisiana , state police said . Fifteen people were in the minivan , said Trooper Russell Graham , and only two were wearing seat belts . Among the dead were children as young as 3 years old , he said . `` The minivan blew out a tire and the driver lost control , '' Graham said . The vehicle `` sideswiped a box truck and then ran off the road into the left median , overturned multiple times and finally came to rest upright on the eastbound side of I-10 , '' Graham said . The one person in the truck was not injured . The accident shut down I-10 in both directions shortly after 12:15 p.m. -LRB- 1:15 p.m. ET -RRB- ; one lane in each direction was opened about two hours later . Alcohol and drugs were not suspected factors in the crash , but blood was drawn from the driver -- one of the fatalities -- to confirm , Graham said . The accident came soon after the Louisiana Legislature passed a law requiring riders in every seat to be buckled up . `` This is an example of why we implemented that law , '' Graham said . `` It 's very frustrating for us to come out here and see children dead , '' he said . | State police : 15 people were in the minivan , only two in seatbelts . Crash occurred after minivan blew a tire , trooper says . Crash near Baton Rouge shut down I-10 in both directions for about two hours . | [[160, 194], [160, 174], [197, 224], [227, 265], [334, 376], [650, 732], [747, 810]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United Kingdom will send an additional 500 troops to Afghanistan in early December , bringing the British contingent there to more than 9,500 , Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced Monday . `` We must address the terrorist threat at its source , '' Brown told lawmakers , adding : `` Our task is to prevent the Taliban from giving al Qaeda ... safe haven . `` Instability in Afghanistan can only increase the risk of conflagration where the rest of the world can least afford it . '' Brown regularly links British security to events in Afghanistan and Pakistan , saying attacks on London and other British targets have been planned in South Asia . He announced in October the decision in principle to boost force levels , but said certain conditions -- including proper equipment for the British troops and more troop commitments from other countries -- had to be met first . The United Kingdom has the largest contingent in Afghanistan after the United States . The figure of 9,500 does not include special forces , said Brown , who declined to say exactly how many are there , but indicated it is more than 500 . Brown 's announcement coincided with the news that a British soldier was killed by an explosion in Afghanistan 's Helmand province , where troops have been entrenched in heavy combat with Taliban insurgents since July 2006 . The soldier , from the 1st Battalion , Coldstream Guards , died as a result of injuries sustained in the Babaji area , the Ministry of Defence said in a statement . Britain has lost more than 200 service personnel in Afghanistan since the start of fighting in 2001 . More than 100 were lost in the past year . | British contingent in Afghanistan will be increased to 9,500 , UK 's Brown says . Brown says troops must prevent Afghanistan becoming Al Qaeda safe haven . UK has largest contingent of troops in Afghanistan after United States . | [[9, 32], [125, 181], [184, 230], [1004, 1023], [1058, 1117], [287, 295], [313, 319], [322, 397], [917, 1003]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A mysterious X-shaped pattern of space debris seen by NASA 's Hubble Space Telescope was probably two asteroids that collided , scientists said Tuesday . The object , called P/2010 A2 , was discovered in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research sky survey , or LINEAR , on January 6 , NASA said . The shape , and the streamers of dust shooting off of it , were photographed by Hubble on January 25 and 29 , according to NASA . Astronomers have long thought the asteroid belt is being ground down because of collisions , but such a head-on crash had never been seen before . `` If this interpretation is correct , two small and previously unknown asteroids recently collided , creating a shower of debris that is being swept back into a tail from the collision site by the pressure of sunlight , '' said principal investigator David Jewitt , from the University of California at Los Angeles . At first , astronomers thought what they saw might be a main belt comet , a rare case of a comet orbiting while in the asteroid belt . But the images taken by Hubble revealed the complex X-pattern of filamentary structures near the object 's nucleus . Jewitt said the filaments are made of dust and gravel . Some of them are being swept back by radiation pressure from sunlight , creating the long , straight dust streaks , he said . The nucleus of the presumed boom is 460 feet in diameter , NASA said . Asteroid collisions happen fast , with an average impact speed of more than 11,000 mph , or five times faster than a rifle bullet . | NASA says LINEAR survey saw apparent crash , Hubble telescope photographed it . The collision appeared as a giant `` X '' shape , with trails of dust and gravel . Astronomers think crashes are shrinking asteroid belt , but none had been viewed . Asteroid collisions happen fast -- 11,000 mph , NASA says . | [[52, 103], [362, 418], [421, 469], [362, 418], [472, 491], [703, 738], [741, 768], [678, 720], [741, 768], [759, 768], [774, 857], [1209, 1264], [1221, 1264], [1265, 1277], [1337, 1378], [492, 582], [585, 638], [1450, 1461], [1462, 1493]] |
Port-au-Prince , Haiti -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Dominican consul general Wednesday rejected the claim from an American church leader that she thought her paperwork was in order when she attempted to take 33 Haitian children out of the country , saying he had told her it was not . `` I warned her , I said as soon as you get there without the proper documents , you are going to get into trouble , because they are going to accuse you , because you have the intent to pass the border without the proper papers and they are going to accuse you with kids trafficking , '' Carlos Castillo said he told the group 's leader , Laura Silsby , during a meeting Friday . Four hours later , Silsby and nine other Americans were turned back from the border . They were arrested and taken to a jail in Port-au-Prince . `` This woman knew what she was trying to do was not legal , '' Castillo said . A CNN reporter attempted to get reaction to Castillo 's comment from the jailed Americans , but they would not discuss the matter , responding to questions by singing `` Amazing Grace '' and praying . Told earlier that many of the children had living parents , Silsby said , `` I did not know that . '' She added , `` In our hearts , our intention was to help children that had been orphaned or abandoned by their parents . '' But the interpreters the group had used said the conversations between Silsby and the parents in the Haitian town of Calebasse made clear to them that Silsby must have been aware of the children 's status . Full coverage of Haiti earthquake aftermath . SOS Children 's Villages , an Austrian charity , said that it has determined that at least two-thirds of the children are not orphans . Authorities on Wednesday questioned a Haitian police officer who works at the Dominican Embassy about whether he provided illegal paperwork to Silsby and the other Americans to facilitate their efforts as alleged by interpreters who had translated for the Americans . The interpreters told CNN the Americans met at least twice last week with the officer , at the embassy and consulate . `` He told them that he could help , and he was helping them with some paper , '' said interpreter Steve Adrien . `` We did not meet him in a police station , but in the street in a car . '' The Americans met again with the man in Port-au-Prince on Thursday , near the Dominican Embassy , the translator said . Isaac Adrien , Steve 's brother and another of the interpreters , said the group came away from the meeting with a document from the embassy that the Americans took with them to the border Friday in their unsuccessful attempt to cross . iReport : How you can help . A Haitian lawyer representing the Americans told reporters that the arrests themselves were illegal and that their clients had only been trying to help . They are to appear Thursday before the attorney general . The group , New Life Children 's Refuge , said it was rescuing abandoned children by moving them to the Dominican Republic , where it was building an orphanage . At least some of the group are members of the Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian , Idaho . Several residents of the village of Calebasse , more than an hour from Port-au-Prince , told CNN they voluntarily handed over their children after Silsby told them she would give them a better life . Pastor Jean Sainvil told CNN he rounded up 20 children from a camp in the Delmas neighborhood of the capital . `` I just got the word out that I am going to look for some children to be going with a group of missionaries , '' he said . Some of those who responded apparently included parents . `` One of them turned five children over , '' he said . He said no money changed hands . The group has no experience running an orphanage , has not registered as an international adoption agency and has not filed with the U.S. government as a nonprofit . Church pastor Clint Henry was unfazed . `` I believe that the kind of knowledge that it takes to begin an organization that works that way was in place , '' he told CNN . `` The kind of employees that it takes to successfully run an orphanage , those were going to be hired . '' The matter drew attention Wednesday from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton . `` It was unfortunate that , whatever the motivation , that this group of Americans took matters into their own hands , '' she said . The number of Haitian orphans taken to the United States -- those whose approval and paperwork had been in the bureaucratic pipeline at the time of the disaster -- stands at 578 , with 44 others processed and awaiting transportation , said U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley . CNN 's Dan Simon in Meridian , Idaho ; Karl Penhaul in Port-au-Prince , Haiti ; Jill Dougherty in Washington ; and Fionnuala Sweeney in Atlanta , Georgia , contributed to this report . | Dominican consul general : `` This woman knew what she was trying to do was not legal . '' Laura Silsby , 9 other Americans turned back from border with 33 Haitian children . The U.S. church group is being held by Haitian authorities . Haiti and Dominican Republic share the Caribbean island of Hispaniola . | [[808, 863], [180, 240], [660, 676], [679, 745]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Virender Sehwag plundered the second-fastest Test double hundred as India piled on an incredible 443-1 off just 79 overs on the second day of the deciding third match against Sri Lanka in Mumbai . The opener reached 284 off only 239 balls at stumps on Thursday -- the third-highest individual score in one day 's play -- for his sixth double ton , a record for India , and is poised to become the first player to complete three triple-centuries . India , seeking a victory which would take the No. 1 Test ranking above South Africa and seal a 2-0 series victory over second-placed Sri Lanka , have already achieved a first-innings lead of 50 runs . The tourists had resumed on 366-8 with Angelo Mathews unbeaten on 86 , but the all-rounder fell one run short of his maiden Test century when he was run out by the narrowest of margins following a throw by Sachin Tendulkar . When wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni lodged the bails , replays showed that Mathews ' bat was over the line -- but not grounded -- thus he departed as ninth man out for 99 off 131 balls . Young left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha then claimed his third wicket to go with the four that his senior partner Harbhajan Singh claimed on Monday as Sri Lanka were all out for 393 , 27 minutes into the day 's play . That brought Sehwag and inexperienced opener Murali Vijay to the crease , and they launched a blistering attack on the Sri Lankan bowlers putting on 221 in just 39 overs . Vijay , playing only his second Test , was finally trapped leg before wicket by spinner Rangana Herath , having made 87 off 121 deliveries , with 10 fours and a six . The explosive Sehwag , who made 131 in India 's innings victory in Kanpur , then found another solid partner in Rahul Dravid , who calmly fed him the strike in his patient 62 off 121 balls . Sehwag passed three figures from 101 deliveries and then raced to his second century off just 67 -- the only man to pass that milestone quicker is New Zealand 's Nathan Astle , who took 153 balls against England in 2002 . `` I missed out on a double-century in the last Test in Kanpur and I wanted to make amends , '' Sehwag told reporters . `` I batted the best way I thought was possible . `` I was cautious at the start because I did not want to give the opposition any chances as I had done in the two previous matches . I thought I would bide my time , see off the new ball and then take my chances . '' Sehwag hit 40 boundaries and seven sixes , and was particularly hard on Sri Lanka 's veteran world record-holder Muttiah Muralitharan , who has struggled all series . The 37-year-old , who has taken 788 Test wickets , conceded 119 runs off his 20 overs . `` Muralitharan is a big challenge and when playing a quality bowler like him you have to attack early , otherwise he will dominate , '' Sehwag said . `` I thought rather than let him dominate , I would attack him from the start and keep him on the back foot . '' Meanwhile , Pakistan stumbled to 161-6 on a shortened first day of the second Test against New Zealand in Wellington . Daryl Tuffey celebrated his comeback after a five-year absence with two wickets as he replaced injured strike bowler Shane Bond , while captain Daniel Vettori took 3-42 with his left-arm spin as bad light ended play early . Imran Farhat and Salman Butt put on 60 for the first wicket but then fell in quick succession along with captain Mohammad Yousuf as Vettori snared two wickets in three balls . Australia fast bowler Brett Lee has had elbow surgery in a bid to save his career . The 33-year-old needed an operation to correct a damaged ligament after twice breaking down this year amid fears he would have to retire , and is not expected to be fit again before March . The player , who missed the Ashes defeat to England , has taken 310 Test wickets in 76 matches and 324 one-day scalps in 186 appearances . | Virender Sehwag plunders 284 not out as India pile on 443-1 off just 79 overs . The opener is aiming to become the first player to complete three triple-hundreds . India , seeking to claim the No. 1 Test ranking , bowled Sri Lanka out for 393 in Mumbai . Pakistan stumble to 161-6 on opening day of the second Test against New Zealand . | [[87, 139], [216, 257], [216, 226], [392, 428], [216, 226], [402, 465], [466, 471], [474, 559], [1174, 1296], [2955, 2964], [2967, 3073]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An eight-hour hostage standoff ended late Wednesday when an armed , disabled man wheeled himself out of a Virginia post office and was taken into custody , according to the mayor of Wytheville . Initially , authorities reported five people -- three postal workers and two customers -- were taken hostage after a man entered a Wytheville , Virginia , post office about 2:30 p.m. and fired a gun . But Mayor Trent Crewe said police later believed the gunman was holding fewer than five people and that they have accounted for people they thought could have been inside . `` Apparently they ran as it was unfolding and we did n't know that for a while , '' Crewe said . An unidentified witness told CNN affiliate WDBJ that he , a fellow window clerk and the postmaster were in the building when the gunman entered , but they quickly fled . He added that his supervisor was one of the hostages . WDBJ reports on standoff . Crewe said he did not know exactly how many hostages had been in the building . No one was reported hurt , Crewe said . The gunman is disabled , Crewe said , adding that police told him the gunman entered the post office pushing a wheelchair . It was unclear what the purpose of the wheelchair is , Crewe said . There were reports the man had a `` device , '' and it appeared that his car , parked outside the office , was equipped with some type of device as well , Crewe said . He did not elaborate on what the device could be . `` The police authorities have told me they are acting on the assumption there is an explosive device of some kind in some location , '' Crewe said . `` There is a bomb squad , in fact more than one bomb squad on site , but we can not confirm any explosives . '' The surrounding area of downtown Wytheville has been evacuated within a three - to four-block radius , Crewe said . The suspect asked for pizza but made no other demands , U.S. Postal Inspection Service spokesman Peter Rendina said . The gunman 's motive was unclear , Crewe said . He had not identified himself but he has told police he has a military background , Crewe said . Police have yet to confirm whether the gunman has military training , Crewe said . Agents with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives were also on scene , Crewe said . Wytheville is a small town in southwestern Virginia in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains . It has a population of just over 8,000 . CNN 's Shawn Nottingham contributed to this report . | NEW : Armed , disabled man wheeled himself out of a Virginia facility , taken into custody . Standoff began Wednesday afternoon ; number of hostages was uncertain . Man entered Wytheville , Virginia , post office and fired a shot , mayor says . | [[0, 15], [50, 145], [938, 1017], [949, 1017], [0, 15], [175, 213], [226, 237], [287, 355], [329, 396]] |
Seattle , Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nearly 10 years ago , Maurice Clemmons pledged to make a fresh start . `` I come from a very good Christian family and I was raised much better than my actions speak , '' Clemmons said in a clemency application brief to then-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in 2000 . `` I 'm still ashamed to this day for the shame my stupid involvement in these crimes brought upon my family 's name . '' Clemmons was 27 . He 'd spent the past 11 years in an Arkansas prison , convicted of offenses including robbery , burglary , theft and taking a gun to school . He was facing a 95-year sentence . A decade later , Clemmons is the subject of an intense manhunt in Washington state , suspected in the deaths of four Lakewood , Washington , police officers who were shot to death Sunday as they met in a coffee shop before starting their shifts . Authorities have said Clemmons is believed to have entered the Forza Coffee Company and opened fire on the officers with no warning . Police tracked Clemmons to an east Seattle home Sunday night , but after a standoff that stretched to nearly 12 hours , they entered the home and found that he was not there . In 2000 , Clemmons told Huckabee that the crimes occurred when he was 16 , had just moved to Arkansas from Seattle and had fallen in with the wrong crowd . `` Where once stood a young 16-year-old misguided fool ... now stands a 27-year-old man , who has learned through the ` school of hard knocks ' to appreciate and respect the rights of others , '' his petition to Huckabee said . Huckabee commuted Clemmons ' sentence in 2000 , citing his young age at the time of sentencing , making him eligible for parole . It was granted in July 2000 , after he told Arkansas parole officials that he `` just wants the opportunity '' and `` is not the same person he was when he came in , '' the documents said . `` It was not something I was pleased with at the time , '' said Larry Jegley , who prosecuted Clemmons for aggravated robbery and other charges in Pulaski County , Arkansas , regarding the commutation . `` I would be most distressed if this is the same guy . '' In 1989 , as he was being prosecuted , Clemmons demonstrated violent behavior ; he hid a piece of metal in his sock at a pretrial hearing , and before the start of another hearing he grabbed a padlock off his holding cell and threw it at a court bailiff . He missed and instead struck his mother , who had come to bring him clothes . In his 2000 brief to Huckabee , Clemmons said his mother had died while he had been in prison , providing him with further motivation to turn his life around . `` I have never done anything good for God , but I 've prayed for him to grant me in his compassion the grace to make a start , '' he said . `` Now , I 'm humbly appealing to you for a brand new start . '' But after receiving a second chance , Clemmons was apparently unable to stay on the right side of the law , according to documents and authorities in Arkansas and Washington . Arkansas parole board documents show that he was back in prison by September 2001 . The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that he was arrested for aggravated robbery and theft and taken back to prison on a parole violation . The paper said he was not served with the new arrest warrants for the robbery and theft charges until he was paroled three years later in 2004 . His attorney argued that the charges should be dismissed because too much time had passed , and prosecutors complied . Huckabee went on to become a 2008 Republican presidential candidate and has not ruled out a second try for the White House in 2012 . In a statement Sunday night , his office said Clemmons ' commutation was based on the recommendation of the parole board that determined that he met the conditions for early release . Read the clemency documents for Clemmons . `` He was arrested later for parole violation and taken back to prison to serve his full term , but prosecutors dropped the charges that would have held him , '' the statement said . `` Should he be found responsible for this horrible tragedy , it will be the result of a series of failures in the criminal justice system in both Arkansas and Washington state . '' During his candidacy , Huckabee faced criticism in the case of convicted rapist Wayne DuMond , who was paroled in 1999 . He had been sentenced to life for raping a 17-year-old girl . In his first term as governor , Huckabee expressed support for DuMond 's release in a letter to him . Less than a year after his release , DuMond was accused of raping and murdering Carol Shields of Kansas City , Missouri . DuMond was convicted in 2003 and died in prison in 2005 . Shields ' mother , Lois Davidson , said in 2007 that she planned to campaign against Huckabee . Clemmons is believed to have moved to Washington in 2004 . The Pierce County Sheriff 's Department said in a statement that he was recently charged in the assault of a police officer and rape of a child . County court records posted online show that he spent several months in jail and was released on $ 150,000 bail Tuesday , days before the shootings . For a while after moving to Washington , Clemmons ran a pressure-washing and landscaping business . The license for the business expired last month , according to the secretary of state , with whom businesses have to register . In recent months , Clemmons has displayed increasingly erratic behavior , the Seattle Times reported . In May , he punched a sheriff 's deputy in the face , the paper said . In another incident , he had relatives undress , telling them that families need to be `` naked for at least five minutes on Sunday , '' the newspaper said , citing a sheriff 's department incident report . Clemmons also believed that he was Jesus and could fly , a deputy wrote , based on conversations with family members . The night before the shootings , Clemmons had threatened to kill police officers , but authorities did not learn of the threats until after the shooting , Pierce County sheriff 's spokesman Ed Troyer told `` Good Morning America . '' `` There 's not going to be a big motive other than he was upset about being incarcerated and was going to go gunning after cops in general , '' Troyer said . CNN 's Mary Snow contributed to this report . | Maurice Clemmons told Arkansas governor crimes brought shame to family . Then 27 , he had spent 11 years in prison for robbery , burglary , theft . He is suspected in Sunday 's shooting deaths of four police officers . Incident may be `` result of a series of failures , '' says ex-Gov . Mike Huckabee 's office . | [[376, 421], [425, 442], [443, 494], [443, 445], [497, 584], [3143, 3196], [637, 645], [705, 776], [761, 776], [781, 866]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Georgia man accused of screaming racial slurs while beating an African-American female Army reservist outside a restaurant was released from jail on bail Wednesday , Clayton County , Georgia , authorities said . They said Troy Dale West Jr. was released on a $ 320,000 bond . Attorney Kip Jones , who represents alleged victim Tashawnea Hill , said a judge Tuesday ordered West placed under house arrest , and he was fitted with an ankle monitor . He also was told to surrender his passport , have no contact with Hill and stay out of Clayton County , where Hill lives , the lawyer said . West , of Poulan , Georgia , faces one count of aggravated assault , two counts of battery , two counts of disorderly conduct , false imprisonment and cruelty to children for allegedly beating Hill outside a Cracker Barrel restaurant September 9 , according to a Clayton County Court online docket . Hill was with her 7-year-old daughter when the alleged incident occurred at the entrance to the restaurant , which is in Morrow , Georgia . West , 47 , was arrested on misdemeanor charges after the incident , but Clayton County District Attorney Tracy Graham Lawson took the case to a grand jury asking for more serious charges . Hill , 35 , said the attack occurred after she warned West to be careful , after almost hitting her daughter with the restaurant door as she was leaving . West , according to a police report , admitted striking Hill `` after she spit on me and accused me of trying to hit her daughter with a door . '' Hill denied the accusations , saying she did nothing to provoke the alleged attack . Hill told police that West , who is white , yelled racial epithets at her during the attack . Police said witnesses confirmed her account . Morrow is a racially diverse city in the southeast suburbs of Atlanta , with a population of about 4,900 , according to the 2000 census . CNN 's Carolina Sanchez contributed to this report . | Troy Dale West Jr. released on $ 320,000 bond . Lawyer says judge ordered West to be under house arrest . Man told to surrender his passport , not contact victim . Man charged after alleged racist beating at a Cracker Barrel restaurant . | [[233, 296], [243, 296], [297, 315], [365, 424], [469, 471], [477, 511], [19, 107]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama on Thursday called on business leaders from the private sector to generate ideas that will `` accelerate job creation '' and stimulate investment in the United States . `` While I believe that government has a critical role in creating the conditions for economic growth , ultimately , true economic recovery is only going to come from the private sector , '' Obama told attendees of the at the White House Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth . More than 100 CEOs , small-business owners , business leaders , mayors and academics attended . `` We do n't have enough public dollars to fill the hole of private dollars that was created as a consequence of the crisis . It is only when the private sector starts to reinvest again ; only when our businesses start hiring again and people start spending again and families start seeing improvement in their own lives again , that we 're going to have the kind of economy that we want , '' Obama said . The summit took place amid allegations from members of Obama 's own party that the White House and the Democratic congressional leadership are not doing enough to help the unemployed . Critics called the summit nothing more than a publicity stunt , and some are threatening to organize a march on Washington of jobless Americans if efforts to get more aid fail . `` Obviously , there 's something that 's not getting through to them , '' said Rep. Bobby Rush , D-Illinois . `` We 'll get the American people involved . You know , I can see a day , unless we get some real cooperation and real help , I can really see a day where there will be a jobless march on Washington . '' Rush and Reps. Marcy Kaptur , D-Ohio , and Candice Miller , R-Michigan , chair the new congressional Jobs Now Caucus , which is made up of 112 Democrats and 17 Republicans . Proposals being floated by members of the caucus include redirecting stimulus and TARP money to jobs programs and pressing for a new jobs bill , which they 're careful not to call a `` stimulus . '' The summit also fell on the eve of the release of the government 's November unemployment report . The nation is expected to have lost another 114,000 jobs , with unemployment remaining at 10.2 percent , the highest in 26 years , according to a survey by economists . Yet Obama projected a positive tone as he recounted some of the day 's discussions , on topics from clean energy and tax incentives to the export market , and the overlap among them . `` When we were in the infrastructure session , there was a strong emphasis on needing to plan not just for existing road projects , but also , how do we think about the fact that , in the future , we need a cleaner transportation industry ? '' he said . `` When we were in the clean energy session , there was an emphasis on how do we get small businesses and small contractors to get certified and get the financing needed to move forward and take advantage of these clean energy sector opportunities , '' he said . `` There 's a lot of overlap between all these different breakout sessions that we engaged in , '' he said . `` We 're going to have to figure out how to break out of these silos and integrate these strategies if we 're going to be able to get the most bang for the buck . '' Coinciding with the jobs forum , organized labor and religious leaders in several cities sponsored events featuring unemployed and underemployed people to raise the public profile of the issue . Events were held in Dayton , Ohio ; Columbus , Ohio ; and Sacramento , California , on Wednesday , and in Albuquerque , New Mexico ; Minneapolis , Minnesota ; and Toledo , Ohio , on Thursday . CNN 's Jessica Yellin and Kevin Bohn contributed to this report . | `` True economic recovery is only going to come from the private sector , '' says Obama . Forum attendees include CEOs , small-business owners , mayors , academics . Summit occurs amid allegations that White House is not doing enough to help unemployed . Critics call summit a publicity stunt , some threaten to organize march on Washington . | [[321, 389], [964, 979], [478, 573], [980, 1053], [1059, 1164], [1165, 1226], [1233, 1319]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck the Pacific near American Samoa , triggering towering tsunami waves that gushed over the island and leaving at least 22 people dead . The tsunami wave hit right in the middle of the harbor of Pago Pago , the capital . American Samoa Gov. Togiola Tulafono , speaking from Hawaii , said Tuesday 's quake ranked `` right up there with some of the worst '' disasters on the island . He said about 50 people had been treated for injuries so far but he expected that number to rise . The quake hit the small cluster of South Pacific islands early Tuesday morning . By evening , Laumoli , standing outside the LBJ Tropical Medican Center morgue in the capital of Pago Pago , confirmed 22 deaths . `` I thought it was the end of the world , '' said Dr. Salamo Laumoli , director of health services . `` I have never felt an earthquake like that before . '' Laumoli feared more fatalities would turn up as rescue workers were still trying to access parts of the island severed by damaged infrastructure . Laumoli said people in outlying villages on one end of the main island have been cut off because the main bridge was washed away . `` Two or three villages have been badly damaged , '' he told CNN International . Listen to Laumoli speak about the impact of the quake and tsunami '' Tulafono cited extensive damage to roads , buildings and homes , and said he had spoken to the military about mobilizing reserve forces for assistance . The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa Beach , Hawaii , canceled tsunami watches and warnings for American Samoa about four hours after the earthquake hit . However , a tsunami advisory is still in effect for for the coastal areas of California and Oregon . Watch report on end of tsunami warning '' The Japan Meteorological Agency also activated a tsunami advisory along its eastern coast . The precautionary alert means that the height of a possible tsunami wave would be less than a foot and a half . President Barack Obama `` declared a major disaster exists in the Territory of American Samoa '' late Tuesday and ordered federal aid to supplement local efforts . The declaration makes federal funding available to affected individuals . The tsunami waves hit right in the middle of the Pago Pago harbor , the capital , said Cinta Brown , an American Samoa homeland security official working at the island 's emergency operations center . The water devastated the village of Leone . Watch a resident talk about what happened '' `` The wave came onshore and washed out people 's homes , '' Brown said . The same happened on the hard-hit east and west sides of American Samoa , she said . The quake generated three separate tsunami waves , the largest measuring 5.1 feet from sea level height , said Vindell Hsu , a geophysicist with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center . Preliminary data had originally reported a larger tsunami . Officials in the U.S. territory issued a clear call and were focusing on assessing the damage , Brown said . Reports of damage were still emerging , but a bulletin from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the waves `` may have been destructive along coasts near the earthquake epicenter and could also be a threat to more distant coasts . Authorities should take appropriate action in response to this possibility . '' Tulafono , the governor , was on his way back home Tuesday night on one of two U.S. Coast Guard C-130 transport planes flying to American Samoa with aid . The Coast Guard also will transport more than 20 officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to American Samoa , said John Hamill , external affairs officer for FEMA in Oakland , California . The FEMA team will include a variety of debris experts , housing experts , members of the Corps of Engineers , and other disaster relief specialists , Hamill said . Tulafono told reporters Tuesday that it was hard being away from home when disaster came calling . It was a time , he said , for families to be together . Those who experienced the massive quake described it as a terrifying event . Brown was standing in a parking lot when her sports utility vehicle began rocking left and right . `` You could hear the rattling of the metal '' of a large chain link fence around the lot , Brown said . `` It shakes you because you know something else is coming , '' she said . CNN 's Augie Martin , Mariano Castillo , Moni Basu , Tess Eastment and Nick Valencia contributed to this report . | NEW : White House declares major disaster ; orders federal aid . U.S. sending plane with aid , officials to help American Samoa . Magnitude-8 .0 quake strikes near Samoan Islands early Tuesday . Quake struck at depth of 7.4 miles , triggered three 5-foot tsunamis . | [[1991, 2100], [1991, 2015], [2105, 2154], [2155, 2228], [2177, 2228], [3418, 3497], [0, 15], [46, 84], [531, 611], [0, 15], [87, 186], [2678, 2726]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Texas inmate escaped from a prison van near Houston after pulling a gun on two guards who were transporting him between prisons , according to a Texas prison statement Monday . Arcade Joseph Comeaux Jr. , 49 , ran away with the guards ' guns and wearing one of their gray correctional officer uniforms , the statement from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said . Comeaux was serving a life sentence for indecency with a child , aggravated sexual assault and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon , it said . The escape happened near Baytown , Texas , about 25 miles east of Houston , it said . He was being taken from the Estelle prison in Huntsville to the Stiles prison in Beaumont , a 150-mile drive , when he `` brandished a firearm and directed the officers to stop the vehicle , '' the statement said . `` He took the officers ' weapons and apparently handcuffed them together in the back of the transport vehicle , '' it said . Police found the handcuffed guards unharmed in the vehicle at 10 a.m. CT , the statement said . | Man was serving life sentence for sexual assault , indecency with a child . He was being moved between prisons when he escaped near Houston . Authorities say he ran off with guards ' guns , wearing one of their uniforms . | [[392, 540], [0, 15], [34, 106], [0, 15], [34, 106], [198, 223], [231, 322], [857, 887]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- On February 12 , 2009 , Christopher Savoie received an e-mail from his ex-wife that he had feared would come . Christopher Savoie is in jail in Japan after trying to get back his son , Isaac , and daughter , Rebecca . About a month after their bitter divorce , in which Noriko Savoie promised as part of the agreement she would n't return to Japan with their children to live , she threatened to do just that . `` It 's very difficult to watch kids becoming American and losing Japanese identity , '' Noriko Savoie wrote her ex-husband in the e-mail , according to Tennessee court documents . `` I am at the edge of the cliff . I can not hold it anymore if you keep bothering me . '' Now she is in Japan with the children . Christopher Savoie sits in a Japanese jail accused of trying to kidnap them . He practically predicted it would end this way . The couple , citizens of the United States and Japan , were married for 14 years and lived in Japan . But they came to the United States with 8-year-old Isaac and 6-year-old Rebecca . They divorced in January 2009 after Christopher Savoie was unfaithful . Noriko Savoie was given custody of the children and agreed to remain in the United States . During the divorce , Christopher Savoie was concerned that his ex-wife would move to Japan with the children . After receiving the threatening e-mail , he went to court to try to prevent that . He pleaded with a judge in March to stop Noriko Savoie from being able to travel to Japan for summer vacation . He knew if she took the children to Japan to live the deck would be stacked against him . Japanese law would recognize Noriko Savoie as the primary custodian and he might never see his children again . Noriko Savoie told a judge the words in her e-mail were in the heat of the moment ; she was angry that her ex-husband had just married the woman who caused their marriage to end . `` I was very , very -- at the peak of my frustration ... '' Noriko Savoie told a judge , according to court transcripts . `` He actually married three days before that e-mail . He remarried the person -- a woman whom he was having affair -LSB- with -RSB- , so I was very depressed and -- but also angry . '' Noriko Savoie was asked repeatedly in court if she would try to take the children and flee to Japan . Her answer was always no . `` I have never thought about taking children away from their father , never , '' she told the judge . Christopher Savoie did n't believe her . Their divorce had been rocky , both of them said . The court documents reveal bitter fights and mediations during the divorce . The two accused each other of sending harassing e-mails . They also fought over sending the kids to baseball , Scouts and other activities . Noriko Savoie accused him of not giving her enough money to take English language lessons or go to school so she could get a job . He accused her of not trying hard enough to enroll or find a place to live . Dad paid ex-wife $ 800K in divorce '' Despite those issues , Christopher Savoie said his only concern was making sure he would n't be separated from his children . He knew trying to get the kids back would be `` a futile effort '' if Noriko Savoie did flee with the children , according to court documents . He laid out in court a scenario similar to what he is facing . `` If she were to go to Japan with the children and with primary custodial rights , there 's pretty much no doubt that I would have a very difficult time enforcing my rights to visitation should Noriko decide not to let the children see me , '' he said . He said he 'd have a hard time paying expensive legal fees because most of his money was tied up in his house , car and 401 -LRB- k -RRB- after he gave Noriko Savoie more than $ 700,000 as part of the divorce settlement . With that money , he feared she 'd be able to move and hide the children from him . When appointed parental coordinators asked her if she planned to take the children to Japan , she hesitated and simply answered `` I think the kids will be happy if I 'm happy . '' The judge asked Noriko Savoie rhetorically whether she would be willing to put up money , essentially a bond , to ensure she 'd return from Japan . She agreed , but was never asked to do so . Judge James G. Martin III warned Noriko Savoie she would lose her alimony , education funds and other money if she fled with the children , before ruling that he believed she would n't abscond with them and allowed her to travel to Japan . Noriko Savoie followed the court 's rules and took the children on vacation and returned during the required time to the United States . But days later , she took the children back to Japan . The court in the United States granted Christopher Savoie full custody after Noriko Savoie fled the country . But that court order means nothing in Japan , where courts generally favor mothers in custody disputes . The couple is also still considered married in Japan , because they never divorced there , Japanese police said Wednesday . And , police said , the children are Japanese and have Japanese passports . A 1980 Hague Convention standardized laws on international child abduction , but Japan is not a party to that agreement . Christopher Savoie knew all this when he decided this week to go to Japan to get his children back . He took the children as Noriko Savoie walked them to school Monday in Yanagawa , a rural town in southern Japan . He headed for the nearest U.S. consulate , in the city of Fukuoka on the Southern island of Kyushu , to try to obtain passports for the children , screaming at the guards to let him in the compound . He was steps away from the front gate but still standing on Japanese soil when he was arrested . Christopher Savoie , who will be in jail for the next 10 days while Japanese officials sort out the situation , told CNN 's Kyung Lah that he was scared and just wanted to see his children . `` I love you , Isaac , Rebecca , '' he said . `` Your daddy loves you forever . I 'll be patient and strong until the day comes that I can see you both again . I am very sorry that I ca n't be with you . '' Though he had warned everyone this was going to happen , this time he could speak in certainties . He said that though he knows it might be a tough battle , it 's one he will continue to vocalize . `` I want Americans to know what 's happening to me , '' Christopher Savoie said in Japanese . `` I did n't do anything wrong . '' | After bitter divorce , Noriko Savoie threatened in e-mail to take kids back to Japan . Dad pleaded with judge not to allow ex-wife to go to Japan , fearing she might stay . Noriko Savoie said repeatedly in court she would n't take kids away from dad . Christopher Savoie now in jail in Japan after trying to get kids back from mother . | [[43, 129], [1218, 1236], [1239, 1328], [3897, 3943], [3947, 3988], [1218, 1236], [1239, 1328], [1329, 1367], [1370, 1411], [1412, 1523], [1412, 1414], [1428, 1435], [1445, 1523], [130, 201], [130, 148], [169, 224], [743, 785]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The relatives of five British sailors whose boat apparently drifted into Iranian territorial waters last week voiced relief Wednesday as their sons arrived at a yacht club in Dubai . David Young , father of sailor Oliver Young , said the families met briefly Wednesday morning with Britain 's foreign secretary and his staff , who earlier told relatives that Iran was releasing the men . `` We did say to everybody in there , and to people in Bahrain , and to people in Tehran who have been working on this how much we appreciated their efforts , how well they 've handled the situation and how glad we are to see our boys home , '' Young said . The parents appeared at a news conference held in front of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London . Young had said he was able to speak to his son briefly Monday on a cell phone belonging to one of the other men . The father said he was reassured that the men were being treated well . The British government identified the other sailors as Olly Smith , Sam Usher , Luke Porter and Dave Bloomer . The Times of London said Young and Porter are 21 years old , Usher is 26 , Smith is 31 , and Bloomer is believed to be in his 60s . Bloomer is from Dublin , Ireland , the paper said , and apparently has dual citizenship . Iran 's navy detained the men November 25 as their racing yacht traveled from Bahrain to Dubai for a competition . Iranian authorities said they released the men after determining that they had accidentally wandered into the country 's waters , the semi-official Fars news agency said . The sailors had told relatives that their boat became disabled and was hard to steer . Young said his son told him the group was tense when the Iranians first picked them up , but then everything was `` cool . '' Another sailor said they were temporarily blindfolded . The men and their yacht were towed into international waters Wednesday , and representatives from the company that owns the boat , Sail Bahrain , met them to bring them ashore in Dubai . Early Wednesday , after receiving the call that his son , Luke , and his crewmates were going to be freed , Charles Porter spoke informally to reporters near his home . `` It was all fairly nerve-racking last night , '' the father said . He said the Foreign Office awakened the family at 5:30 a.m. to tell them the news . Watch the Porters describe getting the call . `` We 've spoken to Luke , '' Porter said . `` He 's very , very tired . He 's been through a lot . He said that particularly the first couple of days were upsetting . '' `` He got the feeling after a couple of days that they realized they were n't dealing with anything sinister , '' the father added . Luke Porter 's twin sister , Jess , said she was `` absolutely over the moon -LSB- and -RSB- relieved to hear his voice . We 're such a close family . '' British authorities on Tuesday had asked for a speedy resolution in the case , after an Iranian official said the sailors could be dealt with severely if it was determined they had ill intentions . Young said it probably helped that the incident was kept low-key , without a lot of media fanfare . Andrew Pindar , Sail Bahrain chairman , said Tuesday evening that the men had had problems with the boat 's propeller and that that might have caused them to drift into Iranian waters . The father of one sailor said the propeller had fallen off . Assuming that the five men might see Wednesday 's news conference , one reporter asked the parents what they would say to their son . `` I would say do n't get lost on your way to Dubai , '' Young said . | Sailors ' parents hold news conference to thank all involved in release . Iran detained the men last week after their yacht entered its waters . The vessel was traveling from Bahrain to Dubai . Authorities : Men freed after it was determined that incident accidental . | [[682, 723], [53, 73], [96, 169], [1316, 1430], [1316, 1430], [1456, 1558]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- From anti-apartheid activist to climate change champion , Kumi Naidoo is a man born to make a change . He 's the new International Executive Director of environmental action group Greenpeace , and he takes on his role on the eve of the critical climate talks in Copenhagen . The 44 year-old grew up in Johannesburg and had an early introduction to the world of activism . `` I was defiantly the product of the society I was born in , which was apartheid South Africa ... I do think that many of us who might have exceptional or out-of-the-ordinary backgrounds are not because we ourselves are exceptional people but because we were born in context of adversity and been able to somehow rise above that adversity , '' he told CNN . Naidoo was arrested numerous times for civil disobedience against the apartheid regime during the 1980s . He eventually left for the UK in 1987 and earned a doctorate in political sociology at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar . After Nelson Mandela was released in 1990 , Kumi returned to South Africa and worked with and founded a number of civil society NGOs . Until last year Naidoo was for 10 years the General Secretary of CIVICUS : World Alliance for Citizen Participation . One of the first high profile campaigns Naidoo worked on was Make Poverty History in 2005 that gained widespread coverage and a number of celebrity supporters . After several years in the anti-poverty movement , Naidoo has come to see that struggle against poverty and combating climate change are two-sides of same coin . Since becoming head of Greenpeace in November , Naidoo is focused on using his skills as an activist to move issues from the fringes into the mainstream . '' -LSB- Another -RSB- feature of activism is being able to choose the right tools and tactics for the right moment ... If you can win through dialogue and engagement then that 's great but sadly those with power in both government and business do not have the propensity to do the right thing unless they are pushed and that 's why you have to have tools like non-violent direct action , '' he told CNN . Connecting individuals to ideas and in turn connecting those ideas to a greater audience is one of the things Naidoo is hoping to achieve in Copenhagen . `` I do n't want history to judge us as sleepwalking into a crisis when all the scientific evidence is saying that we have to stop and take notice of the way that we are living on this planet . `` I feel that right now we are all at risk and being severely judged by future generation . '' Watch Kumi Naidoo on CNN 's African Voices on Saturday , December 12 , 11.30 and 18.30 GMT and Sunday , December 13 , 17.00 GMT . | Kumi Naidoo is the International Executive Director of Greenpeace . Grew up in apartheid South Africa and says he was born in activism . Sees poverty reduction and combating climate change as part of same struggle . One of first tasks is in Copenhagen during the COP15 summit . | [[122, 198], [77, 121], [294, 309], [338, 390], [1397, 1445], [1448, 1529], [1448, 1454], [1464, 1558], [216, 293]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The pilot and co-pilot of a small cargo jet were killed when their aircraft crashed short of the runway while landing at an airport in suburban Chicago , Illinois , local authorities said . The Learjet 35A was on its final approach into Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling , Illinois , when it went down about 1:30 p.m. , the Federal Aviation Administration reported . The plane crashed into a forest preserve about a mile south of the runway and ended up in a river , said Jay Reardon , the head of a multi-agency firefighting task force that responded to the crash . The two-man crew was found dead at the scene , Reardon said . No emergency was declared before the crash . `` To our knowledge , everything appeared normal up until the aircraft was reported down by the tower at Chicago Executive Airport , '' Reardon said . The National Transportation Safety Board has begun its investigation of the crash . There was no immediate indication of the cause , NTSB senior investigator Pam Sullivan said . `` It 's way too early to even start narrowing down what could or could not happen , '' she said . The flight was operated by Royal Air Cargo , a Waterford , Michigan-based carrier that operates a fleet of small jets to deliver `` time-sensitive '' freight , airport spokesman Michael Standard said . Reardon said the jet appeared to be empty when it went down . The downed plane was en route to Atlanta , Georgia , from Pontiac , Michigan , with a stop in Chicago , according to private Web sites that track air travel . There was no immediate comment from the company . | Pilot , co-pilot killed as plane crashes short of runway . Learjet was on its final approach into Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling , Illinois . The flight was operated by Royal Air Cargo ; no other people onboard . | [[0, 170], [590, 634], [209, 293], [1125, 1167]] |
Santiago , Chile -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Three strong earthquakes rocked Chile on Thursday , causing significant damage in at least one city , the country 's newly inaugurated president said Thursday . A 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit at 11:39 a.m. local time -LRB- 9:39 a.m. ET -RRB- , followed by a 6.7-magnitude quake 16 minutes later , the U.S. Geological Survey reported . A third , measured at magnitude 6.0 , came 27 minutes later . They were the strongest aftershocks to rattle Chile since a February 27 earthquake on the country 's west coast that toppled buildings and spawned a tsunami , killing several hundred people . Thursday 's quakes shook the ground near Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins near the coast just as Chile prepared to inaugurate a new president , Sebastian Pinera . The central Chilean city of Rancagua was affected , Pinera said . `` There is significant damage in Rancagua , '' the new president said . `` We 're going to send the necessary armed forces to guarantee citizens ' safety . '' Rancagua Mayor Eduardo Soto said that no fatalities were immediately reported and that the biggest worry was damage to homes , CNN Chile reported . After his inauguration Thursday , Pinera visited Rancagua , where he confirmed there were no initial reports of fatalities . He said that no curfew would be imposed for now and reiterated his call for calm . A priority is for the school year to start as scheduled next week , he said . He also said Thursday afternoon that he would declare the area a catastrophe zone . The country 's national emergency authorities also put in place a tsunami alert for the coastal area near where the earthquakes hit , and authorities ordered evacuations of some coastal areas . `` I do n't want to alarm anyone , -LSB- the alert -RSB- is solely precautionary , but we have to take precautions when there are human lives at risk , '' Pinera said . The epicenter of Thursday 's first quake was about 95 miles -LRB- 152 km -RRB- south-southwest of the capital , Santiago , and about 90 miles -LRB- 145 km -RRB- away from Valparaiso , where Pinera was to be inaugurated . Television footage showed the inauguration proceeding without a hitch . A second earthquake -- with an initial magnitude of 6.9 -- struck moments later . It was about 89 miles -LRB- 143 km -RRB- southwest of Santiago , the USGS said . The third was about 86 miles -LRB- 138 km -RRB- southwest of Santiago . Rolando Santos , senior vice president and general manager of CNN Chile , said he and his colleagues felt one of the quakes . `` I can tell you within our newsroom in Santiago , which is state of the art in terms of seismic construction , it shook for more than 45 seconds , '' he said . He said that he told staffers to get under desks and that three people burst into tears . In the last two days , people had kind of gotten used to aftershocks , but `` there was no question this one got everyone 's attention , '' he said . Are you there ? Send pictures . Pinera , a conservative billionaire businessman , became the Chilean president about 12:15 p.m. local time , roughly 20 minutes after the second quake . The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a statement that `` a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected '' as a result of the quakes , and that there is no tsunami threat to Hawaii . However , the center also said that `` earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within '' about 62 miles -LRB- 100 km -RRB- of the epicenter . Hundreds of people were killed when the magnitude-8 .8 earthquake struck Chile 's west coast February 27 . That quake also triggered a tsunami that toppled buildings , especially in the coastal Maule region . How to help : Impact Your World . Authorities this week released the names of 279 people whose bodies had been identified in the quake , but officials said the new tally does not include hundreds of unidentified victims . The February 27 earthquake was violent enough to move the Chilean city of Concepcion at least 10 feet to the west and Santiago about 11 inches to the west-southwest , researchers said . | NEW : President Sebastian Pinera says there 's no curfew for now and reiterates call for calm . Pinera to send `` necessary armed forces , '' declare area a catastrophe zone . First quake hit at 11:39 a.m. local time ; second 16 minutes later ; third 27 minutes later . First shook the ground near Chilean coast ; epicenter about 90 miles from Valparaiso . | [[1292, 1374], [1300, 1339], [1355, 1374], [1305, 1314], [1344, 1374], [935, 1015], [1453, 1455], [1461, 1536], [197, 277], [197, 223], [253, 277], [280, 330], [371, 406], [409, 432], [625, 771], [1621, 1642], [1649, 1668], [3576, 3646]] |
Santiago , Chile -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sebastian Pinera was sworn in Thursday as president of Chile , taking over a country battered by a recent earthquake but with a strong economy and stable social institutions . Pinera , 60 , succeeded Michelle Bachelet , a popular president who steered the country through the global economic downturn and promoted progressive social reforms . Pinera , a billionaire , is the first conservative to lead Chile since the fall of Gen. Augusto Pinochet 's military dictatorship in 1990 . Educated in Chile and at Harvard University in the United States , Pinera is an economist , investor , businessman and former senator . Bachelet , a liberal , defeated Pinera in the presidential elections in 2005 . She endorsed Pinera 's opponent in a runoff election in January . But Pinera said recently that responding to the earthquake requires the country to transcend partisan differences . `` These are times when we have to act with a sense of national unity , '' he said . `` It is not the time for conflict between government and opposition . '' The 8.8-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami February 27 killed more than 500 people and affected up to 2 million . A 7.2-magnitude temblor struck Thursday as dignitaries were filing into the congressional hall in Valparaiso for the transfer of presidential power . Under Chile 's constitutional term limits , Bachelet could not run for a second consecutive four-year term . `` I leave sad because of the pain of our people but with my head held high , '' a teary-eyed Bachelet said in a brief farewell address from the La Moneda presidential palace in Santiago , Chile 's capital . `` I leave proud of what we have been able to build as a nation , of the role we have played . `` I leave , above everything else , very proud of the country we are . '' | Sebastian Pinera , 60 , succeeds Michelle Bachelet . Term limits prevented Bachelet from seeking second consecutive term . Pinera is first conservative to lead Chile since fall military dictatorship in 1990 . | [[212, 218], [226, 253], [1348, 1389], [1392, 1456], [379, 385], [404, 518]] |
Romulus , Michigan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Nigerian man is `` talking a lot '' to the FBI , said a senior U.S. official , after what the United States believes was an attempted terrorist attack on an inbound international flight . The initial impression is that the suspect was acting alone and did not have any formal connections to organized terrorist groups , said the senior official who is familiar with the investigation . The suspect , identified by a U.S. government official as 23-year-old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab , ignited a small explosive device Friday , shortly before a Northwest flight from Amsterdam , Netherlands , made its landing in Detroit , Michigan . With the aid of the cabin crew , another passenger quickly helped subdue and isolate Abdulmutallab , passenger Syed Jafry told CNN . Abdulmutallab , was placed in custody and is being treated for second - and third-degree burns on his thighs , according to federal law enforcement and airline security sources . The sources told CNN that the suspect flew into Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam on a KLM flight from Lagos , Nigeria , and is not believed to be on any `` no fly '' list , although his name does appear in a U.S. database of people with suspect connections . He did not undergo secondary security screening in Amsterdam , an administration official said . The administration official said there was no evidence that Abdulmutallab was a hard-core , trained member of al Qaeda . Abdulmutallab , a Nigerian national , claimed to have extremist ties and said the explosive device `` was acquired in Yemen along with instructions as to when it should be used , '' a federal security bulletin obtained by CNN said . The remains of the device used are being sent to an FBI explosives lab in Quantico , Virginia , for analysis , security sources said . U.S. President Barack Obama , who is spending the holidays in his home state of Hawaii , was briefed on the incident during a secure phone call with aides , and instructed in a subsequent discussion with security advisers `` that all appropriate measures be taken to increase security for air travel , '' White House spokesman Bill Burton told CNN . The president made no changes to his schedule , Burton said . The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement Friday saying that air passengers `` may notice additional screening measures put into place to ensure the safety of the traveling public on domestic and international flights . '' Passengers described the brief moments of panic on board , as screams erupted and flight attendants ran for fire extinguishers . Jafry , who was sitting in seat 16G , said the plane was just beginning to descend when passengers heard a pop . `` Everybody got a little bit startled , '' he said . `` After a few seconds or so ... there was ... kind of a flamish light and there was fire '' and people around the immediate area began to panic . One woman told CNN affiliate WDIV that a man threw a blanket over Abdulmutallab 's legs to help put out the small fire . `` It was terrifying , '' Richelle Keepman said . `` I think we all thought we were n't going to land , we were n't going to make it . '' Passenger Elias Fawaz told WDIV that the explosion sounded `` like a balloon being popped '' and said he could smell smoke . Jafry said the incident was under control within minutes , crediting the crew and nearby passengers for the rapid response . One person was taken to the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor , hospital spokeswoman Tracy Justice said . `` All passengers have deplaned and out of an abundance of caution , the plane was moved to a remote area , '' where the plane and baggage were rescreened , the Transportation Security Administration said in a statement . Passengers were interviewed by law enforcement authorities before being allowed to leave the airport . No other suspicious materials were found on the plane or in luggage , the law enforcement and airline security sources said . The suspect had only carry-on luggage . Another passenger on the Northwest flight transferred from the same KLM flight in Amsterdam but officials found no connection between the two , the sources said . The plane , an Airbus 330 , landed shortly before noon ET . It was carrying 278 passengers . Delta is the parent company of Northwest . CNN 's Mike Brooks , Jeanne Meserve , Kevin Bohn , Elise Labott , Ed Henry and Rachel Streitfeld contributed to this report . | NEW : Nigerian in custody , `` talking a lot , '' U.S. official says , after incident . White House is considering the incident an attempted terrorist attack . Passenger is immediately subdued ; FBI investigating . Flight originated in Amsterdam , Netherlands , ended in Detroit , Michigan . | [[130, 227]] |
WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The White House said it had no comment Monday in response to the upcoming release of a new Michelle Obama action-figure doll . The Michelle Obama doll is available in three outfits , all of which show off her trademark bare arms . The 6-inch doll is made by New York toymaker Jailbreak Toys and is set for release on November 20 , but the company began work on the new product six or seven months ago , according to Jason Feinberg , Jailbreak Toys ' 32-year-old founder . `` The entire political scene was a little rosier at the time , '' Feinberg said in a phone interview , `` But what was really apparent was the country , and really the world at large , were very enamored of this lady . '' Feinberg , whose company began selling a Barack Obama action-figure doll in mid-2008 , said that Michelle Obama 's `` energy '' was `` muted , subdued , classy '' coming out of last year 's campaign while her husband 's image was much more like that of a superhero . The new Michelle Obama doll is available in three outfits : the purple dress worn when the Obamas shared their famous fist bump during the campaign , the red and black dress she wore on Election Night and the black-and-white floral dress she wore during an appearance on `` The View . '' All three dolls show Michelle Obama in a sheath dress and with bare arms , attributes that have become personal trademarks during her tenure as first lady . Feinberg said his target audience for the new doll is not children but adults `` who collected toys as a child , who have n't lost that kind of whimsical enthusiasm . '' Like Jailbreak 's Barack Obama doll , the new Michelle Obama doll will retail for $ 12.99 , according to Feinberg . Katie McCormick Lelyveld , a spokeswoman for the first lady , said in an e-mail to CNN that the White House had no comment on the new doll . When the company behind Beanie Babies began selling dolls named `` Marvelous Malia and Sweet Sasha '' soon after Inauguration Day , the White House had a swift and strong reaction . `` We feel it is inappropriate to use young private citizens for marketing purposes , '' the first lady 's spokeswoman said at the time . | The 6-inch doll is made by New York toymaker Jailbreak Toys . Jailbreak 's Jason Feinberg : Target audience is adults `` who collected toys as a child '' New doll , which will be available November 20 , will retail for $ 12.99 . | [[261, 320], [1437, 1514], [1516, 1517], [1522, 1547], [261, 276], [316, 358], [1645, 1696]] |
Islamabad , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Four militants armed with guns and grenades stormed a mosque in Rawalpindi frequented by military personnel , killing dozens of people Friday -- most of them children , the military said . The attack is the latest to shake the garrison city since this year 's launch of strong military offensives against Taliban insurgents in the Swat Valley and South Waziristan . Rawalpindi is the headquarters of the Pakistani army . Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said Friday 's assault killed 36 people and wounded 75 . Among the dead were 17 children , according to the military 's Web site . Also killed were an army general and eight other military officials , six of them of senior rank . The remaining fatalities were adults . `` As soon as the mosque 's security staff checked me , there was a blast and then a finger hit me , then there was another , '' Ishtiaq , a driver for a military officer , told GEO TV . Ishtiaq , who uses only one name , was attending midday prayers . Rawalpindi is near Islamabad , and the mosque is near national army headquarters . It is located inside a walled residential compound where many military families have homes . A witness told GEO TV there were up to 300 worshippers at the mosque at the time of the attack . The militants hurled grenades before opening fire , Rawalpindi Police Chief Aslam Tareen told CNN . He said all the militants died , but he does n't know how . `` These are not militants , '' Abbas said . `` These are terrorists who killed innocent worshippers . '' Retired Gen. Muhammad Yousaf was killed in the attack , said Col. Baseer Haider , a military spokesman . He said Yousaf was a former vice chief of army staff who was second in command during the administration of President Pervez Musharraf . Abbas said two of the attackers were suicide bombers who blew themselves up inside the Parade Lane mosque ; the other two were shot and killed by security forces outside the mosque . Several explosions were heard inside the mosque around 1:30 p.m. -LRB- 3:30 a.m. ET -RRB- , followed by gunfire , Abbas said . The militants entered the compound by climbing over a wall , Tareen said . This is the first attack in Rawalpindi since a suicide bomber targeted a bank on November 2 . On October 10 , militants stormed army headquarters in Rawalpindi , taking several people hostage before security forces killed them . CNN 's Reza Sayah contributed to this report . | Armed militants attack mosque during midday prayers in Rawalpindi , killing dozens . Mosque is frequented by retired and serving military officials . November 2 attack in Rawalpindi saw suicide bomber target a bank . | [[12, 36], [84, 114], [12, 36], [150, 181], [461, 465], [466, 539], [1496, 1506], [1511, 1540], [92, 147], [2216, 2264]] |
JAKARTA , Indonesia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Another strong earthquake rocked Indonesia early Thursday as the Southeast Asian nation was reeling from an earlier jolt that killed more than 200 people . A resident stands next to building that collapsed onto a car in Padang , Indonesia , on Wednesday . The 6.8 magnitude quake Thursday hit southern Sumatra at 8:52 a.m. local time -LRB- 0152 GMT -RRB- , the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said . Wednesday 's earlier quake was 7.6 magnitude . At least 236 people are dead and more than 500 injured , the Indonesian Social Ministry 's Crisis Center said Thursday . It said it had little information on the missing and feared the death toll would climb into the thousands . The second quake was on a smaller scale than the first , said meteorology official Fauzi , who uses only one name . There were no damage reports yet . Indonesian Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari expected `` the casualties and the damage of this earthquake to be bigger than the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake , given the intensity and the spread of the damage . '' The magnitude-6 .3 Yogyakarta quake in central Java in May 2006 killed more than 5,000 people , triggered fears of an eruption of a nearby volcano and caused significant damage to a 9th century Prambanan temple . Thousands may be trapped by collapsed buildings and houses , Rustam Pakaya , the head of the Health Ministry 's crisis center , told CNN on Wednesday . State-run Antara news agency cited Pakaya as saying he had received reports that part of a hospital had collapsed and that people were buried under the debris . The temblor struck around 5 p.m. , about 33 miles -LRB- 53 kilometers -RRB- from Padang , the capital city of West Sumatra and home to more than 800,000 people . The quake caused widespread power and phone outages , making it difficult to assess damage . Aid agencies kicked into gear to help those in need . `` We had aid ready because this area of Indonesia is susceptible to this type of tragedy , '' said Jane Cocking , humanitarian director for Oxfam . `` Communications with the quake-zone are difficult and we are hoping for the best but having to plan for the worst . '' `` The situation is quite devastating , '' said Amelia Merrick , the operations director for World Vision Indonesia . `` Bridges have gone down , phone lines are in total disrepair . It 's difficult for us to assess the situation , '' she said . The organization had said it would send assessment teams to the area Thursday morning . `` We know there 's no electricity tonight ... many of the families will be spending the night outdoors , in pitch black . I 'm very afraid of what might happen next , '' she said , referring to the possibility of aftershocks . Hundreds of houses have been damaged , Wayne Ulrich , the Red Cross disaster management coordinator in Indonesia , told CNN . `` We do not know the -LSB- exact -RSB- numbers . '' `` We have concerns that a hospital has been partially damaged , a market has caught on fire , the airport was closed down for inspection because of the fear if they landed any planes , '' it might cause problems , Ulrich said . Watch Ulrich discuss the rescue efforts '' Access to the affected areas was obstructed in parts , he added . It 's `` blocked by all kinds of problems : frightened people out in the streets , cars , and people trying to get out of the city . '' The earthquake was felt in nearby cities , such as Medan and Bengkulu , where people panicked and ran outside in search of higher ground , fearing a tsunami . But it was also felt as far away as Singapore and Malaysia . `` I did feel the tremor in office today somewhere between 5 - 6 p.m. , '' said Ratna Osman , who works in a single-story office building in Petaling Jaya , just outside Malaysia 's capital Kuala Lumpur . `` I asked -LSB- a co-worker -RSB- if there 's an earthquake somewhere -- either that or I was hallucinating . '' `` At first , I thought the chair I was sitting on had a screw loose or something , '' Osman said . The region is accustomed to earthquakes , and locals have been taught to identify safe places in case of a tsunami , according to Sean Granville-Ross , the Mercy Corps country director for Indonesia . `` We hope that preparation is now paying off , '' he said . But if many homes have been destroyed , people may be spending the night with no shelter , he said . Earlier this month , an earthquake in West Java killed 57 people . Several buildings were damaged , Metro TV reported , and people were seen running out of their homes and toward the hills . One employee of a private company in Jalan Ahmad Yani , told Antara news agency that `` everybody panicked with some shouting ` earthquake . ' '' TVOne pictures from the scene showed people milling around outside in the city . Phone lines were apparently down in many parts of Padang . Indonesia 's Tempo Interactive , a media outlet based in Jakarta , had trouble reaching its correspondent in the West Sumatra city , according to journalist Purwani Diyah Prabandari . `` I hope it 's just the cell phone connection , '' Prabandari told CNN . Indonesians trying to find out more about the quake flooded the Internet , including Twitter . Some expressed concern for relatives and friends in Padang . `` Dear God , please send down your angels to hug and protect my grandpa in Padang , '' said one Twitter post . The Web site for one of Indonesia 's main newspapers , The Jakarta Globe , crashed for a while , partly as a result of the heavy traffic from people trying to find out about the quake , the paper said in a Twitter post . The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration -LRB- NOAA -RRB- issued a tsunami watch for Indonesia , India , Thailand and Malaysia , but canceled it soon after . The temblor did generate a tsunami just under one foot high , the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said . On Tuesday , a magnitude 8.0 quake-triggered tsunami killed at least 111 people in the Samoan islands and Tonga . Read latest news on the Samoa quake and tsunami . The tsunami waves swept across a wide swath of the Pacific Ocean , killing dozens and flattening or submerging villages . The dead included 22 in American Samoa , 82 in Samoa and seven in Tonga . Officials warned that the death toll could rise as rescue workers start to reach outlying villages and discover new casualties . The U.S. Geological Survey declined to say whether the two quakes were linked . `` The simple answer is we ca n't speculate on a connection , '' Carrieann Bedwell of the USGS told CNN . `` Both are in highly seismic areas . '' The epicenters of the two temblors are about 4,700 miles -LRB- 7,600 km -RRB- apart . CNN 's Tricia Escobedo and Andy Saputra contributed to this report . | NEW : Aid agencies kick into gear to help those in need . Second quake hits ; thousands feared trapped by collapsed buildings . Death toll could climb into thousands . Bridges down , phone lines in disrepair , says World Vision Indonesia . | [[1859, 1912], [1859, 1871], [1889, 1912], [1291, 1349], [606, 608], [659, 713], [6295, 6423], [6317, 6360], [2301, 2326], [2329, 2365]] |
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