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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jewish organizations called for a Romanian official to resign and face a criminal investigation after he wore a Nazi uniform during a fashion show over the weekend . Radu Mazare , the mayor of the town of Constanta , wore a Nazi uniform during a fashion show over the weekend . Radu Mazare , the mayor of the town of Constanta , and his 15-year-old son `` entered the stage marching the clearly identifiable Nazi ` goose step , ' '' the Center for Monitoring and Combating anti-Semitism in Romania said in a letter to the country 's prosecutor general . The organization 's director , Marco Katz , said Mazare had broken Romanian law and encouraged his son to do the same , `` educating him to treat the law with contempt . '' Katz said Mazare was sending a message `` that to wear Nazi uniforms and to march the Nazi steps is legal and ` in vogue ' in Romania . '' He urged the authorities and the head of Mazare 's Social Democrat party to show that message `` will be strongly countermanded . '' Mazare , 41 , said he had not noticed the Nazi swastika symbol on the uniform before he wore it , according to the Romanian Times newspaper . `` I checked it before I put it on but the swastika was very small and I did n't see it , '' he said . `` I really liked the look of the uniform after seeing it in the Tom Cruise film ` Valkyrie . ' I bought it from a costume hire shop in Germany . '' A top Nazi hunter said Mazare should quit . `` The proper thing for you to do is to admit your mistake , apologize for it and resign your position , '' Efraim Zuroff of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Jerusalem wrote to Mazare . Zuroff sent CNN a copy of the letter . He said it was no defense that the uniform was that of the Wehrmacht -- the army -- rather than the SS , the elite Nazi guard which took the lead in killing Jews during the Holocaust . `` The Wehrmacht played an active role in the mass murder of European Jewry and many other innocent victims . By dressing in a Wehrmacht uniform , you are expressing totally unwarranted support and nostalgia for an army which committed the most terrible war crimes and acts of genocide , '' the letter said . `` It would hard to adequately describe the depth of the pain that your appearance caused , not only to Jews and other victims of Nazism , but to any person of moral integrity who knows the history of World War II , '' Zuroff wrote . Zuroff told CNN he did not expect Mazare to resign , or even to respond to the letter . But he said he hoped the mayor might act on Zuroff 's suggestion that Mazare create a Romanian-language edition of an acclaimed exhibition on the crimes of the Wehrmacht . The Nazi uniform incident , which took place Sunday , was the first time Zuroff heard of Mazare , he said . `` He has a history of being outrageous , but his antics have never included something that I would deal with , '' Zuroff said . `` He 's a real character , apparently . He 's also very popular , which makes this much more difficult . '' CNN attempts to contact Mazare were unsuccessful . Romania was a Nazi ally from 1940 to 1944 , under the leadership of a right-wing military government led by General Ion Antonescu . At least 270,000 Romanian Jews were killed or died from mistreatment during the Holocaust , according to the Holocaust Encyclopedia . The 1930 Romanian census recorded 728,115 people who identified themselves as Jewish , comprising approximately 4 percent of the population , the reference work says . Antonescu was deposed in 1944 and Romania switched sides in World War II . | Jewish organizations call for a Romanian official to resign . Mayor wore a Nazi uniform during a fashion show . Radu Mazare said he did not notice Nazi swastika symbol on the uniform . | [[19, 70], [51, 80], [0, 15], [85, 184], [185, 196], [236, 296], [1018, 1024], [1032, 1113], [1231, 1247]] |
Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than 50 Haitian children -- rescued from an orphanage damaged by last week 's earthquake -- arrived Tuesday in Pennsylvania , most of them headed eventually to adoptive homes . Gov. Edward Rendell , who traveled to Haiti to accompany the orphans back to his state , said the 53 children from the Bresma Orphanage in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince were flown to Florida on an Air Force C-17 transport plane . The group was then transferred to another plane to fly to Pittsburgh International Airport , he said at a news conference at the airport . Another child is to arrive in Pittsburgh late Tuesday or Wednesday , Rendell said . Ali McMutrie , a Pittsburgh-area woman who ran the orphanage with her sister , Jamie , said her sister will accompany the 54th orphan . `` The children are incredible . They 're doing so great . I was more upset at the airplane ride than any of them , '' said McMutrie , who also was at the briefing . Most of the children 's adoption cases were at the end of the bureaucratic process before the 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck . Search for loved ones , see who 's found . According to Rendell , adoption cases are under way for 47 of the children . Of these , 40 will be U.S. adoptions , four children will go to Spain and three to Canada . Adoptive parents will be sought for the remaining seven children . The orphans almost stayed in Haiti . Rep. Jason Altmire , D-Pennsylvania , who was traveling with the group , said it had been understood that all the children were cleared to leave . However , 14 of them had no papers because they were destroyed in the quake , and the U.S. Embassy said they could n't leave the country , Altmire said . `` We were frantically calling the State Department , the White House and everyone else '' to get the clearance , he said . In addition , the McMutrie sisters , who live in Altmire 's congressional district , refused to allow just a portion of the children to leave , Altmire said . `` So now , everything is up in the air . You 're just arguing about paperwork , '' the congressman said . Finally , with intervention from several agencies and the White House , the embassy approved humanitarian waivers , or paroles , for the 14 children . `` All of a sudden , after four or five hours of struggle , we got the go that all 54 orphans could come to the U.S. , '' Rendell said . By then , the plane that was to take everyone to the United States had left . The military and embassy arranged for them to fly in a military cargo plane . Altmire said that despite their trauma , the children adjusted well to the flight . `` They were polite and either slept or were quiet or just played among themselves , '' he said . `` We are all grateful the kids are here and safe , but this was a very unusual situation , '' an Obama administration official , who did not want to be identified , told CNN . `` We will continue to grant , in special cases , humanitarian parole for orphans and medical evacuees , but our position is clear that people from Haiti attempting to enter the country illegally will be repatriated . '' The children were taken by bus to Children 's Hospital of Pittsburgh . Allegheny County spokesman Kevin Evanto told CNN that the children will be placed in foster homes until details of their adoptions are finalized . On Monday , the U.S. government said it had eased the requirements for orphaned children from Haiti to enter the United States on a temporary basis . In a separate statement , the State Department said Monday it is working with the Department of Homeland Security and the Haitian government to process nearly 300 cases of Americans who are waiting to adopt Haitian children . Of those , 200 cases are being accelerated . At least 24 of those children have left Haiti and have joined their adoptive families since the embassy expedited processing for immigrant visas , said Michele Bond , deputy assistant secretary for American citizen services . Janet Napolitano , secretary of homeland security , can allow otherwise inadmissible people into the country for urgent humanitarian reasons or other emergencies . Before the earthquake , Haiti was home to about 380,000 orphans , according to the most recent data from the United Nations Children 's Fund . Rendell 's plane flew into Haiti on Monday with a shipment of medical aid and several doctors . It arrived after aid organizations had complained that their planes bound for Port-au-Prince had been delayed . The agency Doctors Without Borders says several of its flights were delayed or diverted for long spells , including a plane carrying supplies for an inflatable hospital . That plane could not land in Port-au-Prince on Saturday and instead was rerouted to the neighboring Dominican Republic , it said . Another medical supply flight was diverted to the Dominican Republic on Sunday , causing a 24-hour delay in delivering aid that had to be transported by truck as a result , the group said . U.S. officials have attributed the delays to a crowded apron at Port-au-Prince 's small airport , but say traffic conditions have considerably improved . The airport handled 180 flights Monday , none of which were delayed , Lt. Gen. P. K. Keen told CNN . One Doctors Without Borders flight was unable to land over the weekend , he said , because another aircraft 's departure was delayed . Instead of circling and burning fuel , the plane landed in the Dominican Republic , he said . `` And clearly , we wanted that field hospital on the tarmac , '' Keen said . `` But beyond landing them on the main runway and shutting down the entire airport for a couple of hours , there were n't many options because of the design of the airfield . '' Keen added that planes turned back `` a number of times '' and `` quite a bit '' in the first few days after the quake . While the field manages more than 100 flights a day now , before the quake , it handled slightly more than a dozen a day , he said . CNN 's Gary Tuchman , Adam Levine and Mary Snow contributed to this report . | 53 children from Haiti orphanage flown to Pittsburgh ; another child will arrive later . Most of the adoption cases were at end of bureaucratic process before quake . Adoption cases are under way for 47 : 40 for U.S. adoptions , 4 for Spain , 3 for Canada . Children were bused to hospital ; they 'll be in foster homes until adoption details finalized . | [[55, 74], [78, 103], [604, 670], [990, 1108], [1184, 1237], [1249, 1274], [1277, 1329], [3635, 3698], [3149, 3219], [3220, 3366], [3269, 3366]] |
Port-au-Prince , Haiti -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A large crane used to load and unload containers from cargo vessels , was bent , twisted and leaning toward the water at the main port for Haiti 's capital city on Thursday . Roads leading toward the city from a dock normally used for offloading ships were impassable , buckled about 5 feet high by Tuesday 's 7.0-magnitude earthquake . Three vessels loaded down with medical supplies , food , clothing and water for earthquake victims had nowhere to dock and offload , according to a Haitian shipping company who provided them . Meanwhile , so many aid planes had landed at the Port-au-Prince 's airport that a bottleneck was created , and space to unload aid items was at a premium . Some planes were held in the air because there was no space to land and unload them . The Haitian government stopped accepting flights Thursday because ramp space at the airport in Port-au-Prince was saturated and no fuel was available , said Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Laura Brown . The FAA put a ground stop in effect , meaning the United States was not granting takeoff clearances for Haiti until it was notified space was available . `` There is one big problem , '' said Raymond Joseph , Haitian ambassador to the United States , on CNN 's `` Amanpour . '' `` The aid is coming now and getting to the Port-au-Prince airport . And it 's not getting out , because of the road system . '' He said he hoped the United States and other nations would bring in equipment to help clear the roads . In addition , he said , the airport was overcrowded . `` And that is due , probably , to the fact that the control tower fell ... but we understand that the U.S. , especially the Defense Department , was putting up an emergency control tower . '' Weary Haiti continues search for survivors . State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Thursday afternoon that U.S. military air traffic controllers were running Port-au-Prince 's airport , per an agreement with the Haitian government . However , the government was in charge of airspace , Crowley said . Earlier Thursday , United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said the quake 's aftermath represented `` a major humanitarian disaster . '' He said the international goal is to save as many lives as possible within the first 72 hours following the quake . Ban called the outpouring of global support `` one of the most heartening facts in this otherwise heartbreaking story . '' Nations worldwide were sending doctors , medical supplies , medicine , food and water , as well as security personnel and troops . French President Nicolas Sarkozy suggested the world use the crisis in Haiti as an opportunity to help the nation move out of its difficult economic situation , and is calling on leaders of several nations to set up a conference to discuss Haitian reconstruction and rehabilitation . One of two U.S. military cargo planes carrying a 30-member assessment team arrived at Port-au-Prince airport Wednesday evening to assess Haiti 's needs . One of the team 's first jobs is to get the airport working enough to handle aid flights from around the world . Also Thursday , the United Kingdom announced it would provide $ 10 million for relief efforts . Belize , Brazil , China , Chile , Spain , Canada , Israel , Iceland , Ireland , the United States and Morocco were among the many other countries offering aid . Global agencies also were assisting . The World Bank pledged $ 100 million in emergency funds . The World Health Organization was dispatching personnel to Haiti Thursday morning , with a priority of identifying hospitals functioning well enough to treat the injured and coordinate an international health response . After relief organizations found themselves tripping over one another following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami , they decided to coordinate their efforts with those of non-United Nations organizations in what is called the `` U.N. Cluster System . '' In the system , the World Health Organization plays the lead coordinating role for health ; the U.N. high commissioner for Refugees or the Red Cross does it for shelter ; and the World Food Programme does it for food , according to Christy Feig , WHO 's director of communications . The United Nations was releasing $ 10 million from its Central Emergency Relief Fund , as well as mobilizing an emergency response team . Ban said he had appointed Assistant Secretary-General Edmond Mulet to Haiti to direct the emergency response from Haiti . One Chinese and two U.S. search and rescue teams were arriving Wednesday , he said , with more expected Thursday . Impact Your World : How you can help . Former U.S. President Bill Clinton urged people to donate to www.clintonfoundation.org/haitiearthquake . `` Anybody who sends us money , we 're just going to move it into those supplies quickly , '' he said . He urged world leaders who have already made a commitment at a Clinton Foundation donors ' conference to ensure they had fulfilled it . `` Most countries are way behind on fulfilling it , '' he said . `` They -LSB- Haitians -RSB- need your help now . '' Ban said the United Nations will issue a `` flash appeal '' on Friday . The U.N. defines a flash appeal as a tool for structuring a coordinated humanitarian response for the first three to six months of an emergency . However , officials are trying to figure out how much to request , Ban said . `` It is very hard at this time to have an exact estimate . '' The Red Cross promised $ 10 million in aid , along with supplies such as tarps , mosquito nets and cooking sets . The World Food Programme was airlifting 86 metric tons of food , enough for more than 500,000 meals , including ready-to-eat food and high-energy biscuits , it said . Doctors Without Borders said in a statement it has treated more than 1,000 people since the earthquake , operating out of open-air hospitals , and its primary concern is `` the overwhelming numbers of people who need immediate treatment and major surgery . '' Food , water and shelter materials are also in short supply , said the organization . http://www.clintonfoundation.org/haitiearthquake/ . Numerous other aid groups -- Islamic Relief USA , AmeriCares , UNICEF , the International Rescue Committee and the Salvation Army , among others -- were also contributing to relief efforts . UNICEF relief worker Guido Cornale told CNN that in Jacmel , a city southwest of Port-au-Prince , UNICEF was providing clean drinking water to those affected by the quake and has distributed 2,500 kits that can be used to set up kitchens in camps set up by the government to house victims . Aid also came from other , more unconventional sources . The Jolie-Pitt Foundation , started by actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt , donated $ 1 Million to Doctors Without Borders ; the New York Yankees donated $ 500,000 , Major League Baseball $ 1 million . And the American Red Cross and musician Wyclef Jean 's Yele foundation were accepting donations by text message -- $ 10 by texting `` Haiti '' to 90999 , and $ 5 by texting `` Yele '' to 501501 . The donations will appear on cell phone bills . And businesses including UPS , Google , Coca-Cola , Lowe 's , the Bank of America Charitable Foundation and Wal-Mart each pledged at least $ 500,000 for relief efforts . CNN 's Eric Marrapodi and Chris Lawrence contributed to this report . | Nations and agencies rushing to send aid to Haiti faced with problems in trying to deliver it . Relief agencies coordinate efforts after `` tripping over each other '' after 2004 tsunami . World Bank promises $ 100 million in emergency funds . Movie stars , Major League Baseball , corporations making large donations . | [[5023, 5072], [3731, 3840], [3843, 3954], [3453, 3510]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Moldova 's president Wednesday accused Romania of involvement in a huge anti-communist protest , much of it coordinated on Facebook and Twitter , which saw government buildings ransacked and police arrest scores of demonstrators . Protests over Moldova 's election have gathered pace , fueled by Facebook and Twitter . Vladimir Voronin described riots in the Moldovan capital Chisinau against his ruling Communist party 's victory in Sunday elections as `` very serious '' and pledged to take action in response . `` Romania is involved in everything that has happened , '' he said , according to the RIA-Novosti news agency . `` Patience also has its limits . '' An estimated 10,000 mainly students gathered Tuesday to protest what they say was a rigged election . Many in the crowd were summoned using social networking tools , particularly Twitter . IReport : Send your photos and emails . Protesters threw bricks at riot police who responded with batons and water cannon . Outnumbered , police retreated , leaving rioters to enter the parliament building and presidential offices where they smashed windows and started fires . See images of the chaos '' Demonstrators claim Voronin 's ruling Communist Party manipulated Sunday 's election results to make it appear that it had won 50 percent of the vote , a majority that would allow the party to and amend the Constitution to allow Voronin to rule for a third term . Although election observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe found the voting largely free , many in the former Soviet state disagreed . `` There were too many frauds , '' said Alina Radu , director of the weekly newspaper Ziarul de Garda . Her newspaper 's Web site asked readers Wednesday morning to send in instances of voter abuse . `` In just half an hour , we had tens and hundreds of cases , '' Radu said . Voronin said he was expelling the Romanian ambassador to Moldova and imposing visa restrictions on Romanians in response to the violence , RIA-Novosti said . The agency reported that Romania has denied involvement and was threatening retaliatory measures . Analysts saw Tuesday 's demonstrations as a student-led action that `` caught the opposition political leaders by surprise . '' `` Because I think that after talking to the Western observers , they did n't expect they would get any support for protests , '' said Tammy Lynch , senior fellow at Boston University 's Institute for the Study of Conflict , Ideology and Policy . `` It seemed to be undirected , '' Lynch said . `` A lot of students felt angry they were being ignored and took out their anger on buildings . '' Moldova 's ties with Romania have become increasingly strained under Voronin , who has steered his country diplomatically closer to Russia since taking power in 2005 . The president has repeatedly accused Romania of wanting to absorb his country . -- CNN 's Saeed Ahmed contributed to this report . | Up to 10,000 gathered Tuesday in Moldova 's capital Chisinau . Many demonstrators summoned by Facebook or Twitter . Protesters claim recent parliamentary elections were rigged . | [[683, 727], [736, 784], [683, 784], [250, 283], [305, 337], [785, 871], [785, 802], [817, 846], [683, 727], [736, 784], [683, 784], [728, 784]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Missing Florida pilot Robert Wiles , who was believed kidnapped and held for ransom 21 months ago , now is believed to be dead , and a former co-worker is in custody , accused of his death , the FBI said Friday . Authorities arrested Stobert `` Tobie '' Holt Jr. , 42 , Friday in Orlando , Florida , after he arrived from Colombia , where he was on a business trip , according to Tampa-based FBI spokesman David Couvertier . Holt faces state charges of first degree murder , kidnapping , extortion , and intent to inflict death or serious bodily harm , the spokesman said . The arrest was made by police from Lakeland , Florida , the Polk County Sheriff 's Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement , who were accompanied by FBI agents , he said . Though authorities now believe Wiles was killed , they do n't know where his body is , he said . The arrest was uneventful , Couvertier said : `` Holt was advised of his rights and said nothing . '' A four-count grand jury indictment was unsealed Friday in Polk County , where Wiles , then 26 , ran a branch of his family 's international aircraft maintenance business , National Flight Service , at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport . The FBI said Holt worked for Wiles at the time he disappeared . He was among several employees who told investigators they last saw Wiles on April 1 , 2008 , at the office and had no clue what happened to him . The FBI wo n't reveal the suspected motive or why agents believe it was Holt who left a uniquely signed ransom note demanding money two days after Wiles disappeared . At the time , agents said Wiles ' father tried to comply with the demand to get back his son , but heard nothing . Holt is described as an employee who , at least at one time , had a supervisory role at the company . Authorities say he now works as a contract employee doing similar flight maintenance work at Patrick Air Force base near Cape Canaveral in Florida . Wiles was single . When he vanished without a trace , fellow employees said they were stunned . `` All that he ever worked on was customer relations . Making things better for the company , '' co-worker Jerry Grief said at the time . `` Make the customer happy and make them come back . '' The FBI said it traveled to six countries and three states tracing Wiles ' trips and interviewing business associates . Without disclosing details , agents said the investigation led them back to Holt and his whereabouts the day Wiles disappeared . Several agencies , including the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Polk County Sheriff 's Department joined the investigation . The case will be prosecuted by state authorities in Polk County . Wiles ' parents , who live in Ohio , had offered a $ 250,000 reward for their son 's safe return . They are said to be in seclusion after being notified about Holt 's arrest . When CNN interviewed them last year , Wiles ' mother , Pamela , said , `` We 're willing to work with them and do anything to get him back . We just want Robert back . And they can just go and live their life , and we just want him back . '' The FBI will not reveal what makes agents believe Wiles is dead . `` Our investigation and evidence obtained to date indicate he 's dead , '' Couvertier said . CNN Senior Producer Rich Phillips contributed to this report . | Robert Wiles was believed kidnapped and held for ransom 21 months ago . FBI now says he is dead , have arrested former co-worker Stobert Holt Jr. . Wiles ran a branch of his family 's international aircraft maintenance business . | [[60, 82], [0, 15], [87, 116], [152, 184], [152, 170], [187, 207], [232, 286], [3120, 3127], [3149, 3185], [1055, 1060], [1073, 1146]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Investigators continued their search Tuesday for a 7-year-old girl who was reported missing after her mother was found dead in Oklahoma . `` We 've got to find that little girl , '' Special Agent Ray Homer of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said . `` We 're doing what we can . '' The girl -- Aja Daniell Johnson -- was reported missing from Geronimo , Oklahoma , late Sunday , the bureau said . Her 37-year-old mother , Tonya Hobbs , was found dead inside a parked RV . They also are trying to find the dead woman 's estranged husband , Lester William Hobbs , 46 , the bureau has said . Lester Hobbs and Aja are presumed to be in Hobbs ' car -- a white 1992 Toyota Paseo with Oklahoma tag No. 577-BPW , police said . Police were looking for Hobbs and Aja in Oklahoma and Texas . Authorities were working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on Tuesday to set up a toll-free phone line and put Aja 's photo on a Web site of missing children , Homer said . They have had no communication with Lester Hobbs or anyone else that would indicate Aja 's location , he said . Tonya Hobbs and her daughter visited Lester Hobbs at his sister 's home , the bureau said . Lester Hobbs is not Aja 's biological father , police said . Texas authorities also issued an Amber Alert , Texas Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Lisa Block said . Authorities believe Hobbs has connections to Rockport , Texas , and the alert was issued preemptively , she said . Tonya Hobbs and her daughter were last seen Saturday night . Authorities did not say how Hobbs died , but the bureau said investigators believe someone killed her . The RV belonged to Lester Hobbs and was parked at his relatives ' home , Richard Goss , agent in charge of the bureau 's Lawton , Oklahoma , office , told reporters . Hobbs ' relatives became suspicious Sunday after they did not see Tonya Hobbs or Aja . One of them pried open the RV door and discovered Tonya Hobbs ' body , he said . Lester Hobbs and Aja were gone , Goss said . The Hobbses were separated , but apparently Tonya Hobbs was visiting Lester Hobbs in an attempt to reconcile , Goss said . The couple had been together for about five years . The Comanche County , Oklahoma , Sheriff 's Office said Aja has a medical condition that requires medication . `` Our main concern at this time is to find the little girl , '' Comanche County Sheriff Kenny Stradley told reporters . `` We know that she does need some medication , '' and authorities were checking leads regarding that , he said . He did not specify Aja 's medical condition . Goss said Lester Hobbs has an extensive criminal history , but did not elaborate . The sheriff 's office said he had prior felony convictions . Lester Hobbs was supposed to appear in court in Lincoln County , Oklahoma , on a DUI charge , Goss said , and did not appear , so a warrant has been issued for him . Aja 's biological father was awarded emergency custody of her in November , according to Oklahoma County District Court documents obtained by CNN affiliate KWTV of Oklahoma City . At a hearing , Tonya Hobbs -- identified as Tonya Dunkin in the documents -- and the girl 's father , John Johnson , agreed that she would have supervised visitation with Aja and keep the girl away from Lester Hobbs , the documents said . Aja is 4 feet tall and weighs 59 pounds , Goss said . She has brown eyes , and her hair is brown with the ends dyed black . Lester Hobbs is about 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds , with hazel eyes and brown hair , according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation . The agency released a picture of him and said he has a mustache but no longer has a goatee . Geronimo is about 12 miles south of Lawton , Oklahoma , in the south-central part of the state . | Girl 's mother was found dead inside parked RV ; estranged husband sought for questioning . Police say man , girl presumed to be traveling in a white 1992 Toyota Paseo . Authorities think man has connections to Rockport , Texas , so Amber Alert issued there . Sheriff 's Office said girl has a medical condition that requires medication . | [[117, 156], [426, 448], [457, 500], [501, 505], [511, 565], [618, 672], [1274, 1291], [1297, 1318], [1385, 1448], [2220, 2239], [2253, 2303], [2276, 2330]] |
Solana Beach , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- I dont tlk on th fone . txt im fb me . I tried to reach my teenage daughter the other day . I left a voice mail , sent an e-mail message and finally texted her and told her to check both and call me back . Seconds later , she texted back one letter : `` K. '' She is 19 and has been sending and receiving upwards of 3,000 texts per month . One month , she hit 7,500 ! She is not unusual at all . According to Nielsen Mobile , in the first quarter of 2009 , the average U.S. teen made and received an average of 191 phone calls and sent and received 2,899 text messages per month . By the third quarter , the number of texts had jumped to a whopping 3,146 messages per month , which equals more than 10 texts per every waking non-school hour . -LRB- At the beginning of 2007 , those numbers were 255 phone calls and 435 text messages . -RRB- Preteens sent and received 1,146 texts per month . My daughter does n't answer her phone because to her , it is no longer a phone . We are in the midst of four distinct generations of Americans : Baby Boomers -LRB- born 1946-64 -RRB- , Generation X -LRB- 1965-79 -RRB- , Net Generation -LRB- 1980-89 -RRB- and the new iGeneration -LRB- born in the 1990s and beyond and given the `` i '' designation to represent media such as iPods and the Wii but also to reflect the `` individualized '' nature of their media -RRB- . Until recently , `` communicate '' meant to talk face-to-face or on the phone . But both the Net Generation and the iGeneration have turned the concept of communication upside down . The old ways are , well , old . It is now all about texting , IMing , Facebooking , Skype-ing -- pretty much anything but talking live or on the phone . I know that this is alarming to many , but quite honestly , people must recognize that this is the way it is now and is going to be -- at least until the next new form of e-communication bursts into our world . If you have a teenager -LRB- or even a preteen -RRB- , for example , you must learn how to text , or you two will never `` connect . '' To this generation , it is all about connection , but those connections are , for the most part , electronic . It is important to note that although experts agree about the two older generations , not everyone agrees on `` defining '' the last two generations . They are called Generation Y and Millennials by some and , as far as their demarcation dates , well , that is open to fierce discussion . From my research with 3,000 Americans , the final two generations are defined not by a letter or by their birth year but by their use of technology and media , their need and ability to multitask , their rapid acceptance of anything new and their view of the meaning of technology . All of which lead to differences in personal and work values and often to disharmony in the family , school and the workplace . In my research , we query people about daily media activities as well as those they choose during free time . We find striking generational differences . Older teens and Net Geners spend more than 20 hours per day using media . This is accomplished not by not sleeping but with considerable multitasking , which peaks at seven simultaneous activities for older teens . Setting aside music -LRB- with its omnipresent ear buds -RRB- , preferred media choices differ dramatically across generations : For children , it 's television ; for tweens , it 's video games ; for teens , it 's texting and social networking ; and for Net Geners and Gen Xers , it 's being online . And for Boomers , it 's , of course , back to television . The roots of these differences lie in the origin and pace of technological change , particularly among the most recent generations . Net Geners were early adopters of the Internet , which they came to view as a valuable tool . iGeners , however , are different . They know no other world than that of the Web , texting and social networking . They were online when they could sit up and sent an e-mail to Grandma ; they made MySpace a household name by their early teens . They live in their own bedroom `` TechnoCocoons , '' where new technologies appear and penetrate society in months rather than years . Although the telephone took 20 years to reach 50 million users , the Web took four years , iPods three and MySpace two , and YouTube hit 50 million users in one year . The iGeneration is driving these consumer trends . Individuals in this group watch more than 100 YouTube videos a month , download apps , MySpace and Facebook -LRB- now verbs -RRB- , and text the night away . They do n't see technology as a tool . For them , it is just life . These generational differences have tremendous ramifications for the family , education and the workplace . Parents are upset that their children multitask and yet are perplexed that they can balance all their technology and do well in school . Teachers struggle to reconcile their need to have students read books , do worksheets and pay attention in class -LRB- unitasking -RRB- while students want multitasking technologies . Bosses want meetings -LRB- more unitasking -RRB- , goals and progress reports , while their Gen X and Net Gen employees want to do it their way through multitasking and flex time . These differences permeate every system and cause parents , teachers and bosses to tear their hair out . Yet those pesky multitasking kids are the smartest generation ever , with high professional aspirations . Some may call them narcissistic , but they are really a highly social generation -LRB- albeit with much of the socializing done online -RRB- ; they value family , revere friendship -LRB- some `` virtual '' -RRB- , consume massive quantities of information -LRB- again , much of it online -RRB- and are the most `` communicating '' generation yet . But to us `` old fogies , '' it seems like they are just chatting aimlessly , sending brief tweets with funny acronyms that make no sense -LRB- could you decipher the text message at the beginning of this article ? -RRB- . They text while they walk -LRB- sometimes into trees -RRB- and keep their cell phones on vibrate while they sleep . No one really has a choice but to accept their world and learn to adapt . The Net Geners and iGeners will soon be the country 's parents , teachers , bosses and political leaders , and their techie style will become the norm . We may not like it , but we have to admit that they are happy , successful and engaged with all their media and technology . I may have to text my daughter to get her attention , but I am also bewildered and awed by her mastery of anything new and amazed at how she can balance her media and college and maintain an A average at Yale . It is their world . Watch out for the young ones who are already surfing the Net at 2 . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Larry Rosen . | Larry Rosen says in third quarter of 2009 , average teen had 3,146 text messages . There are four generations now , he says ; oldest use phones , youngest anything but . For young people , electronic communication is not about technology , it 's just life , he says . Rosen : Next generation is highly social , successful and plugged in . It 's time to get used to it . | [[251, 264], [267, 293], [319, 384], [626, 646], [649, 718], [683, 718], [727, 787], [1018, 1079], [5540, 5624], [6441, 6540]] |
Port-au-Prince , Haiti -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Haiti 's capital seemed to spring back to life Wednesday , more than a week after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake flattened many parts of the city and killed tens of thousands . Electrical power was still out most places , but traffic lights were functioning and chaotic traffic clogged many streets . Aid trucks , some guarded by blue-helmeted United Nations peacekeepers , were seen leaving the airport . Water trucks also were spotted in parts of Port-au-Prince . `` There 's energy in the air , '' said Haitian-born J.B. Diederich , who lives in Miami but returned to Haiti for a few days after the earthquake . More U.N. convoys were seen moving through the city than in previous days , and so could vehicles for large nongovernmental organizations . Latest updates | Twitter | Full coverage . Haitian police seemed to take a more active role , directing traffic and getting out of their vehicles to deal with some problem or other . For several days after the earthquake , heavily armed police officers were often seen speeding by in their trucks but did not seem to stop or do much . There also seemed to be more street vendors Wednesday . Some banks and wire-transfer companies plan to open Thursday , as do some stores , Diederich said . To be certain , Port-au-Prince still has a ways to go . But on Wednesday , the city seemed ready to leave the tragedy behind . A way out for U.S. citizens . Any U.S. citizen who wants to leave Haiti on a U.S. military transport aircraft can do so simply by going to the airport and applying for voluntary departure at a State Department office placed on the tarmac . About 5,000 people have left in the past week , an official said . iReport : Search list for missing and found . The service is available to U.S. citizens or anyone escorting a U.S. citizen who is a minor . Although the flights are initially free , the U.S. will try to recoup costs from individual passengers . The cargo planes would return to the United States empty if they were n't transporting citizens . Cubans wait with no way out . A handful of Cuban citizens stood in a line next to the U.S. State Department tent at the airport while about 100 U.S. citizens were processed for a flight Wednesday afternoon . The Cubans wanted out , too , but there were no waiting planes . There were n't even any indications that a Cuban plane would arrive at all . Impact Your World . `` Here everyone resolves their problems , and we do n't even have a way to get home , '' said a woman who did not want to give her name . None of the three people interviewed by a CNN reporter would give their names . They laughed nervously when first asked and then said it would be too dangerous for them to comment openly . | `` There 's energy in the air , '' Haitian-born man says . Convoys , more police , aid , military presence on streets of Port-au-Prince . More street vendors open ; some banks scheduled to open Thursday . Americans leaving by U.S. military transport aircraft , Cubans still waiting . | [[507, 533], [536, 571], [1128, 1133], [1139, 1171], [1128, 1133], [1146, 1183], [1184, 1244]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pope John Paul II used to beat himself with a belt and sleep on a bare floor to bring himself closer to Christ , a book published Wednesday says . The late pope had a particular belt for self-flagellation and brought it with him to his summer residence , according to the book , `` Why he is a Saint : The True story of John Paul II . '' `` As some members of his own entourage were able to hear with their own ears , both in Poland and in the Vatican , Karol Wojtyla flagellated himself , '' the book says , using the name the pope was given at birth . `` In the closet , among the cloaks , a particular pant-belt hung from a hook , which he utilized as a whip and one which he always had brought to Castel Gandolfo , '' the book says . The book was written by a Vatican insider , Slawomir Oder , with Italian journalist Saverio Gaeta of the Catholic weekly Christian Family . Oder is head of the Vatican committee investigating whether John Paul II should be declared a saint . John Paul died in 2005 . The evil albino monk in Dan Brown 's `` The Da Vinci Code '' may be the best-known example of self-flagellation these days , but the practice is not unusual in Catholicism -- or nearly as extreme as it is shown in the movie . `` When members or former members -LSB- of Opus Dei -RSB- see the monk go at it in the movie , they just burst out laughing , it 's so nutty , '' said the Rev. Michael Barrett , a priest of the Catholic Opus Dei sect . In actual Catholic self-flagellation , `` there is no blood , no injury , nothing to harm a person 's health , nothing traumatic . If it caused any harm , the Church would not allow it , '' he wrote on Opus Dei 's Web site when the movie came out in 2006 . `` This voluntarily accepted discomfort is a way of joining oneself to Jesus Christ and the sufferings he voluntarily accepted in order to redeem us from sin . ` The Da Vinci Code 's ' masochist monk , who loves pain for its own sake , has nothing to do with real Christian mortification , '' Barrett said . Mother Teresa is among famous Catholics who self-flagellated in some way , Barrett said . Catholics are not alone in choosing to inflict pain on themselves for religion reasons . Some Shiite Muslims lash themselves until they bleed when marking the mourning period of Ashura , while fasting is practiced by people in several religions , including Jews on Yom Kippur , the day of atonement . David Gibson , a journalist who worked for Vatican Radio when John Paul II was pope , pointed out that the pontiff wrote an apostolic letter -- essentially a papal position paper -- on suffering in 1984 . `` Christ did not conceal from his listeners the need for suffering . He said very clearly : ` If any man would come after me ... let him take up his cross daily , ' '' the pope wrote , quoting the Gospel of Luke . Jesus , the pope wrote , `` suffered in place of man and for man . Every man has his own share in the Redemption . Each one is also called to share in that suffering through which the Redemption was accomplished . `` In bringing about the Redemption through suffering , Christ has also raised human suffering to the level of the Redemption . Thus each man , in his suffering , can also become a sharer in the redemptive suffering of Christ , '' says the letter , Salvifici Doloris , On the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering . `` John Paul was a product of a very Old World Polish Catholicism , '' said Gibson , who now writes on religion for Politics Daily . `` He was a very disciplined man and a very rigorous man in his personal spirituality , '' he said . The authors of the new book clearly approve of any whipping the pope did of himself , he added . `` Even though it 's going to weird people out , it 's obviously seen by his postulators as a sign of his holiness , '' he said , using the technical term for the person who investigates a person 's qualifications for sainthood . He said the idea is not as bizarre as it might sound to contemporary ears . `` The idea of fasting , renouncing something , giving up your Starbucks latte so you can send money to Haiti -- you ca n't simply look down your nose at it without rejecting a lot of other ideas about self-sacrifice , '' he said . The authors of the book based it on interviews with 114 `` witnesses '' and access to unedited documents in the Vatican 's archives , according to the publisher , Rizzoli . The book is available only in Italian , but the publisher is having it translated into Polish and other languages . | `` Why he is a Saint : The True story of John Paul II '' also says he slept on a bare floor . Pope used `` a particular pant-belt '' to beat himself , book says . John Paul wrote an apostolic letter on suffering in 1984 . Journalist compares flagellation to fasting or other forms of self-sacrifice . | [[0, 15], [19, 95], [0, 15], [19, 95], [166, 223], [166, 179], [274, 295], [2425, 2437], [2511, 2629]] |
Dubai , United Arab Emirates -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Another person has been added to the list of suspects in the January killing of a Hamas leader in a Dubai hotel , bringing the number of identified suspects to 27 , two sources told CNN on Monday . Twenty-six of the 27 were carrying European and Australian passports , authorities have said . The sources , an official familiar with the investigation and a police source , did not say which nation issued the passport the suspect used . Mahmoud al-Mabhouh , a founding member of Hamas ' military wing , was found dead January 20 in his Dubai hotel room . Police believe he was slain the night before , allegedly by the secretive Israeli foreign intelligence unit Mossad . Earlier Monday , sources in Dubai said two of the suspects ultimately entered the United States after al-Mabhouh 's death , confirming a story originally reported by the Wall Street Journal . But a national security source in the United States cast doubt on that report . Federal authorities ran the two names -- Roy Allen Cannon and Evan Dennings -- through databases and found no indication that anyone with those names or using those names entered the United States after the Dubai killing , the U.S. source said . The Dubai sources said the suspect identified as Dennings , carrying an Irish passport , went to Zurich , Switzerland , immediately after the slaying , then entered the United States on January 21 . The suspect identified as Cannon entered the United States on a British passport on February 14 , the sources said . Both should have been required to provide fingerprints and a picture upon arrival in America , the sources said . On Sunday , Dubai 's police chief said he is `` 100 percent sure '' that the secretive Israeli foreign intelligence unit Mossad is behind al-Mabhouh 's death . `` The Mossad needs to be ashamed of its actions , '' said Lt. Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim . `` They sent 26 , 27 persons to assassinate one man who was involved in the capturing and killing of two Israeli soldiers . '' Hamas has said al-Mabhouh was behind the 1989 deaths . Israel has a stated policy on security matters of neither confirming nor denying involvement . Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman , however , told Israel Army Radio earlier this month , `` There is certainly no reason to think that the Mossad and not some other intelligence agency of another country operated there . '' Lieberman has also said only `` media reports '' link Israel to the slaying . Asked about the case Saturday by CNN 's Christiane Amanpour , Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak repeatedly declined to comment . Earlier Sunday , police said toxicology results showed that al-Mabhouh was injected with succinylcholine , a drug used to relax muscles during surgery or as an anesthetic , before he was suffocated . Signs indicated that al-Mabhouh resisted as he was being suffocated , police said . Family members were told earlier that police had found blood on a pillow . Authorities have also said the killers left some of al-Mabhouh 's medication next to him in an apparent effort to make the death appear natural . But `` the medication left next to him in the room has nothing to do with the killing , '' Tamim said Sunday . However , authorities have recovered evidence including DNA , he said . `` The DNA evidence is quite important and will help us with the investigation . '' The 27 suspects are believed to have acquired false passports to travel to Dubai for the killing , then scattered to several far-flung locations afterward . Tamim said Sunday not all the suspects have fraudulent passports -- `` We know some of the names are real . '' The total of 27 does not include two Palestinians previously arrested in Jordan and returned to Dubai . Tamim said one is not believed to be directly involved in al-Mabhouh 's death , but `` he is wanted by one of the Palestinian factions in the Palestinian territories and he is sentenced to death and that 's why we will extradite him . '' He declined to discuss anything about the other Palestinian . Twelve of the suspects used British passports , police said . Six suspects used Irish passports , four used French passports , three used Australian and one used a German passport . Also Monday , the sources said the UAE central bank is working with other nations to track funding and 14 credit cards -- issued mostly by a United States bank -- used by the suspects in different places , including the United States . CNN 's Caroline Faraj and Saad Abedine contributed to this report . | 27th person added to list of suspects in killing of Hamas leader in Dubai hotel . Dubai police chief `` 100 percent '' sure Israeli intel unit is behind Hamas slaying . Israel says only media reports link it to killing and there 's no reason to blame Mossad . Sources : Two of the suspects ultimately entered the United States after death . | [[48, 159], [8, 38], [162, 210], [603, 710], [1668, 1677], [1680, 1735], [1741, 1827], [2466, 2497], [2420, 2497], [737, 815], [759, 841], [1437, 1495]] |
Baghdad , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United States plans to appeal a federal judge 's dismissal of charges against five Blackwater security guards accused of killing 17 people in Baghdad in 2007 , Vice President Joe Biden announced Saturday . Speaking at a joint appearance with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani in Baghdad , Biden said he was `` disappointed '' with the ruling , and that the Justice Department would file the appeal next week . `` The United States is determined to hold accountable anyone who commits crimes against the Iraqi people , '' Biden told reporters . The September 2007 shootout in Baghdad 's Nusoor Square left 17 Iraqis dead and two dozen wounded . The killings led Iraq 's government to slap limits on security contractors hired by Blackwater , now known as Xe , and other firms . An attorney representing one of the five defendants in the case said he was disappointed by Biden 's announcement in Iraq , saying it was motivated by `` political purposes '' as opposed to legal reasoning . `` This is not how the Justice Department announces its intentions in any case , '' said David Schertler , attorney for Dustin Heard . `` We had no idea that the vice president was going to announce a political decision . '' Last month , U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina found that the government 's case was built largely on `` statements compelled under a threat of job loss in a subsequent criminal prosecution , '' a violation of the Fifth Amendment rights of the five men charged . `` In their zeal to bring charges against the defendant in this case , the prosecutors and investigators aggressively sought out statements the defendants had been compelled to make to government investigators in the immediate aftermath of the shooting and in the subsequent investigation , '' Urbina wrote in a 90-page decision . Federal prosecutors `` repeatedly disregarded the warnings of experienced , senior prosecutors assigned to the case '' in doing so , he found . Urbina also sharply criticized prosecutors and federal agents who developed the case , calling their explanations for using the guards ' statements `` all too often contradictory , unbelievable and lacking in credibility . '' `` In short , the government has utterly failed to prove that it made no impermissible use of the defendants ' statements or that such use was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt , '' he wrote . Schertler , Heard 's attorney , said Urbina 's `` reasoning is sound and will hold up in appeal . '' The men were guarding a State Department convoy moving through western Baghdad when the shooting began . The company said its contractors came under attack , but Iraqi authorities called the gunfire unprovoked and indiscriminate . Each of the now-former guards -- Paul Slough , Evan Liberty , Dustin Heard , Donald Ball and Nicholas Slatten -- faced 14 counts of manslaughter , 20 counts of attempted manslaughter and one count of using a firearm in the commission of a violent crime . Prosecutors requested that charges against Slatten be dropped in November , but Thursday 's ruling dismisses the counts against all five . `` We 're obviously pleased at the decision dismissing the entire indictment and are very happy that these courageous young men can begin the new year without this unfair cloud hanging over them , '' Slough 's lawyer , Mark Hulkower , said at the time of the dismissal . A sixth guard , Jeremy Ridgeway , pleaded guilty in 2008 to voluntary manslaughter and attempted manslaughter . CNN 's Dan Lothian and Samira Simone contributed to this report . | Five Blackwater security guards accused of killing 17 people in Baghdad in 2007 . Company says contractors came under attack , Iraqis call gunfire unprovoked . Judge found case was built largely on `` statements compelled under a threat of job loss '' Joe Biden said he is `` disappointed '' with the ruling , Justice Department will appeal . | [[116, 195], [579, 678], [1486, 1508], [2610, 2660], [2667, 2735], [1245, 1255], [1258, 1437], [10, 30], [34, 147], [324, 444], [812, 933]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The iconic Abbey Road music studios made famous by the Beatles are not for sale , the music label that owns them said Sunday , after days of speculation that they were . It is seeking a partner to help pay for upgrades , according to Terra Firma , which controls EMI , owner of the recording studios . `` EMI confirms that it is holding preliminary discussions for the revitalization of Abbey Road with interested and appropriate third parties , '' Terra Firma said . But that does not mean the studios are for sale , it added . `` In mid-2009 , we did receive an offer to buy Abbey Road for in excess of # 30 million -LRB- currently about $ 46 million -RRB- , but this was rejected since we believe that Abbey Road should remain in EMI 's ownership , '' the music company said in a statement . The studios became world famous when the Beatles were photographed crossing the road there for the cover of their album `` Abbey Road . '' But it 's not only where the Beatles recorded `` All You Need is Love '' and numerous other songs , but where much of Britain 's best known music of the 20th century was laid down . Rock stars Pink Floyd and Cliff Richard , composer Sir Edward Elgar , and the movie soundtracks for `` Star Wars '' and the `` Harry Potter '' films were recorded there . English Heritage , a cultural institution , is considering plans to list the studios as a site of national historic importance , Terra Firma said . That would give it protected status . `` EMI ... supports such a listing as an appropriate way of protecting our world famous music heritage site , '' the company said Sunday . Terra Firma bought EMI in 2007 . Andrew Lloyd Webber , the composer of `` Phantom of the Opera '' and `` Cats '' and one of Britain 's richest men , is `` very interested '' in buying the studios , a representative said Friday . `` He first recorded there in 1967 with Tim Rice . Andrew has since recorded most of his musicals there , '' said the representative , Jenni Pain . `` He thinks it is vital that the studios are saved for the future of the music industry in the UK . Abbey Road has such great facilities , with three major recording studios , and Andrew has probably brought more musicians to record there than anyone else , because it has the capacity to record large orchestral productions . '' CNN 's Per Nyberg and Morgan Neill contributed to this report . | EMI , the music label that owns studios , says it 's holding talks for revitalizing them . Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber had expressed interest in buying studios . Beatles made studios famous with album `` Abbey Road '' Much of Britain 's best known music of 20 century has been recorded there . | [[118, 160], [163, 205], [338, 479], [1681, 1700], [1797, 1843], [36, 98], [1074, 1151]] |
-LRB- Coastal Living -RRB- -- New Orleans without music ? That 's like Venice without canals -- and just as hard to imagine . Music weaves New Orleans ' past with its present , and the infinite jazz variations -- from the ethereal warble of classic Dixieland to the tuba-powered street funk of brass bands -- serve as a soundtrack to this storied city . The best way to keep New Orleans music alive ? Visit . New Orleans music sounds sweeter today , and here 's why : In the wake of Hurricane Katrina , few were certain the streets would resound as they once did . It 's not that clubs flooded and venues were wiped out -- many were on high ground and survived just fine -- but the rising waters took out much of the city 's affordable housing and its tourism industry . That uncertain future made it unclear whether pass-the-hat musicians and hardworking club regulars would be able to regain their footing in the city . But several groups took the lead to ensure that musicians would still have a home in New Orleans . Locally revered nightclub Tipitina 's earmarks its proceeds to help musicians return to town and to put musical instruments back into the flooded schools . Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis , two New Orleans natives , partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build the Musicians ' Village in the Upper Ninth Ward . Today , this cluster of colorful shotgun-style cottages , located an easy bike ride from the French Quarter , is gradually being filled by musicians -LRB- and others -RRB- as volunteers continue to travel here to build the houses . CoastalLiving.com : Beyond Bourbon Street . While some still debate whether the music scene has fully regained its pre-storm luster , there 's no denying that anyone who shows up hungry for the famous New Orleans sound will leave sated . You can still stroll the French Quarter or nearby Frenchmen Street and pass dozens of clubs where languid notes wander out into the muffled , humid air , pause for a moment , and disappear into the night . The best way to keep New Orleans music alive ? Visit . And bring your friends . Go to clubs . Here are four not to miss . Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro has the feel of a speakeasy -- you enter through a low-ceilinged bar into an open performance space that 's at once intimate and grand . With live music nightly , this is a good spot for classic , straight-ahead jazz . Expect talents such as Ellis Marsalis -LRB- father of Branford and Wynton -RRB- , Charmaine Neville -LRB- a member of New Orleans ' first family of music -RRB- , and powerhouse trumpet player Irvin Mayfield with his New Orleans Jazz Orchestra . CoastalLiving.com : Gulf Coast Eateries . Three decades ago , a handful of local musicians was dismayed that piano legend Professor Longhair had no place to showcase his talents . They acquired a bar Uptown -LRB- it 's about a 10-minute cab ride from the French Quarter -RRB- , and renamed the venue after the Professor 's signature song . Today Tipitina 's , a spacious , two-level club in a boxy yellow building marked by a Dixie beer sign , attracts local and touring musicians ranging from inimitable songwriter-composer Allen Toussaint to rising stars such as Troy `` Trombone Shorty '' Andrews . Seating is nonexistent -- assume you 'll be standing the whole show -- but the open space works to your advantage on Sunday evenings , when Tip 's hosts a Cajun dance party , with the emphasis on dance . For the gold standard of New Orleans performance venues , visit Preservation Hall . Carved out of a 1750 Creole residence in the heart of the French Quarter , it 's had the self-appointed mission of preserving local music since 1961 . The audience lines up on the sidewalk , crowds in -LRB- it 's one of the few places in town to enjoy music without smoke -RRB- , then taps their feet along with bands schooled in the old ways of New Orleans . Great local musicians perform regularly , all linked by their devotion to traditional music . Thursdays are typically brass-band nights , where the `` big '' gets put in `` big New Orleans sound . When people imagine a laid-back New Orleans jazz club , they 're thinking of a place like Donna 's Bar and Grill . Smoky and utterly un-self-conscious , the corner bar sits on a fringe of the French Quarter where few tourists happen by . Inside , it 's too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter . Black-and-white photos of venerable New Orleans bands hang unevenly on the walls . But the music ! It showcases a revolving cast of local greats , with Monday gigs by George French and vocalist Germaine Bazzle , and rollicking appearances by barrelhouse piano player Tom McDermott . Arrive before the show to get one of the handful of seats at the bar or in front of the low stage , grab a cold beer , then let the music take you away . It 's not too early to plan a trip to New Orleans for the French Quarter Festival , featuring more than 150 musical performances on 18 stages . The event runs April 17-19 , 2009 . For more info , visit fqfi.org . Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright © Coastal Living , 2009 . | Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro is a good spot for classic , straight-ahead jazz . Tipitina 's is a spacious , two-level club that attracts local and touring musicians . Donna 's Bar and Grill showcases a revolving cast of local greats . | [[2325, 2380], [2966, 2983], [3070, 3197], [3876, 3915], [4476, 4521]] |
ROME , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- American college student Amanda Knox told an Italian courtroom Friday that she was at the home of her boyfriend the night her roommate was killed two years ago , her attorney said . American college student Amanda Knox , 21 , testifies Friday at her murder trial in Perugia , Italy . When she later was told that her roommate , British student Meredith Kercher , was found dead , Knox said in Italian , `` I was like , ` No , no , how can this be ? ' '' Knox , a 21-year-old from Seattle , Washington , testified that she was at her boyfriend 's apartment , smoking marijuana , on the night Kercher was killed . Both Knox and the boyfriend are charged with murder and sexual assault in the case . She said she later gave a confused and conflicting deposition to police because she was confused by the questioning and felt pressure from the investigators . She testified that on the night of November 1 , 2007 , when Kercher was killed , she was at her boyfriend 's house all night and not at home , where Kercher 's body was found the next day . Watch Knox take the stand '' Knox is scheduled to resume testifying Saturday , when prosecutors plan to question her . The trial opened January 16 . After her testimony Friday , Knox 's father , Kurt Knox , said he thought his daughter did well on the stand and predicted that her innocence would become more apparent as the trial continues . Kercher family attorney Francesco Maresca , however , said the Knox on the stand Friday was a different person from the Amanda Knox seen at a preliminary hearing . She questioned who the real Amanda Knox is . On the stand Friday , Knox said she was with her then-boyfriend , Raffaele Sollecito , on the night of November 1 . She said she checked her e-mails at his place before the couple had dinner , watched a movie , smoked a marijuana joint , made love and fell asleep . In the morning , Knox testified , she went home to the villa she shared with Kercher to take a shower . That 's when she noticed a series of `` strange things , '' including dried blood in the sink and on the bath mat , unflushed feces in the toilet and a locked door to Kercher 's room . The door to the villa had been left open , too , but Knox said she figured one of her housemates had simply stepped out quickly for an errand or to go for a run . She said she called out but nobody answered . When Knox got back to Sollecito 's house , she told him about the strange things , and he suggested they call the police , Knox testified . Sollecito called his sister , a member of the Carabinieri , the Italian military police , Knox said . They returned to the girls ' villa to check whether anything had been stolen , Knox said . Once there they met Knox 's other roommate , Filomena Romanelli , and the Italian Postal Police . Watch Knox in court '' As Knox stood outside , police went in and began shouting and banging down Kercher 's door , Knox said . Between trying to understand what police were saying and having Sollecito translate for her , Knox testified that she got a confused picture of what was going on . She sat in Romanelli 's car to warm up , and that 's when she heard Kercher was dead , Knox said . `` I closed in inside myself , '' Knox testified in Italian . Continuing in Italian , but using English phrasing , she said , `` I was like , ` No , no , how can this be ? ' '' Kercher 's body was found half-naked in her bed November 2 , 2007 . Prosecutors have said Kercher , 21 , died in a `` drug-fueled sex game '' with Knox and Sollecito , now 25 . An investigating judge found that Kercher died fighting off a sexual assault . A third person , Ivory Coast native Rudy Hermann Guede , was convicted of murder in a fast-track trial in October and sentenced to 30 years in prison . He is appealing the verdict . Defense attorneys are expected to argue that sloppy police work tainted the physical evidence . Kercher suffered a knife wound to the neck . In court papers , prosecutors alleged that Sollecito held Kercher by her wrists while Knox poked her with a knife and Guede sexually assaulted her . Prosecutors have said that they have physical evidence placing the defendants at the scene and that the suspects gave investigators confusing and contradictory statements about their whereabouts the night Kercher died . Knox first said she was at the house she shared with Kercher but then changed her story , according to court records . Sollecito said he was never at the house but was at his apartment , watching a movie on his computer with Knox . Later , he told investigators he did not remember whether Knox was with him the entire night . Knox , wearing a short-sleeve white top , beige trousers and a ponytail , testified that she gave a November 6 deposition to police that was confusing because she felt pressured and intimidated by the way police were conducting the investigation . Another reason that Knox cited for giving a confused and conflicting deposition is that she did not realize that police planned to interrogate her that day . `` The declarations were taken against my will , and they were taken in a state of confusion and pressure by the police , '' Knox testified before a packed courtroom , filled mostly with members of the media . Knox testified that an interpreter was there and encouraged her to remember facts , which led her to say things that she later retracted . She said police repeatedly called her a liar and mistreated her . When an attorney pointed out that police offered her tea at the end of questioning , he said it indicated that they treated her well . `` No , '' Knox replied firmly . It was that confusion that led Knox to hand-write a statement November 7 laying out all that she knew and did n't about the slaying . `` I know I did n't kill Meredith . That 's all I know for sure , '' Knox wrote in the statement , widely reported in the news . `` That night , it seems to me I was in Raffaele 's house , '' she wrote . `` After dinner I noticed the blood on Raffaele 's hands , but I was under the impression it was blood from the fish . '' On the stand Friday , Knox said she wrote the statement of her own will . `` I was not sure what was my imagination and what was my reality , '' she said . `` Therefore I was confused . I knew I had to write this statement , so I made it clear when I signed that I was confused . '' Knox , who testified in both English and fluent Italian , is also being sued by local bar owner Patrick Lumumba for defamation of character . He was arrested early in the case but was released for lack of evidence . Knox worked at his bar and initially told police that Lumumba was present when Kercher was killed . On November 10 , more than a week after the slaying , Knox told her mother from jail that she felt bad and felt responsible for Lumumba being behind bars . Asked by Lumumba 's attorney Friday why she did n't share that information with police -- knowing it might cast doubt on his guilt -- Knox said it was because she did n't feel comfortable answering their questions . `` Quite frankly , I did n't have a good relationship with either the police or the public -LSB- prosecutor -RSB- , because even he tried to suggest the answers I should give , '' Knox testified . The trial is taking place in Perugia , a university town about 115 miles -LRB- 185 kilometers -RRB- north of Rome . A panel of eight judges is hearing the case . The trial has drawn more than 140 journalists from 86 news outlets to the courthouse in Perugia . The presiding judge , Giancarlo Massei , has barred cameras from the courtroom and said he could completely close portions of the trial dealing with the most graphic sexual assault allegations . | American student Amanda Knox takes stand in well-publicized murder trial in Italy . British student Meredith Kercher found dead in house shared with Knox in 2007 . Prosecutors say they have evidence placing Knox , other defendants at scene . Knox 's former boyfriend , Italian Raffaele Sollecito , also faces murder charges . | [[256, 305], [321, 409], [316, 357], [360, 375], [385, 409], [1031, 1077], [4148, 4315]] |
HOLLYWOOD , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Director Antoine Fuqua , the force behind films such as `` Training Day '' and `` Shooter , '' turned his focus to creating CNN 's exclusive short film `` From MLK to Today , '' which airs at 7 p.m. ET Monday . Filmmaker Antoine Fuqua , 43 , says he did n't believe he would see an African-American president in his lifetime . Before flying off to the Sundance Film Festival to premiere his latest action-thriller , `` Brooklyn 's Finest , '' starring Richard Gere , Ethan Hawke and Don Cheadle , Fuqua , 43 , stopped by the CNN newsroom in Hollywood to discuss the making of this film . He outlined his vision for the piece , which chronicles America 's civil rights journey from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to Barack Obama . CNN : As a filmmaker , you work with people like Don Cheadle , Ethan Hawke and Denzel Washington . Why are you sitting here in our edit bay doing this project ? Antoine Fuqua : Because it 's Martin Luther King , and because it 's Barack Obama 's story . And because it 's CNN . It 's important to be a part of history , and a part of inspiring people today . I think this is one of the biggest times in my life -- besides my children . So why would n't I be here ? What else would I be doing except flying to Sundance to promote my movie ! -LSB- Laughs -RSB- Watch a clip from `` From MLK to Today '' '' CNN : You were born in the '60s , so you were very young during the civil rights movement . You were barely out of diapers when Martin Luther King was assassinated . Fuqua : I am familiar with the history because I love history . African-Americans -- I feel we can not ever forget our past . Not in an angry or negative way -- just to know where we come from , so we get a better sense of where we 're going , and how to get there , and what not to do . I do n't think you can ever forget Martin Luther King and many other people who sacrificed , whose names we do n't even know . CNN : What do you remember from your childhood ? Fuqua : I remember being afraid at times . I remember the Black Panthers . When I was a little boy , the men that were around me were part of a movement . There was a lot of tension . There were a lot of weapons around . There was talk of FBI . I was a little kid , you know -- 6 , 5 years old . I did n't really know what it meant . But there was a lot of fear -- a lot of fear of police , or of leaving your neighborhood . CNN : Did you experience much racism growing up in Pittsburgh ? Fuqua : I remember a lot of racism . I mean , we used to get beat up by the police . We used to go to certain areas , and cops would slap you around , and grab you by your collar and treat you a certain way . I remember getting on a bus and drivers would treat us disrespectfully , assuming we were going to misbehave . And we were just going to school . I got into fights at school . ... No real reason , except for color of the skin . I do n't think they even understood really . CNN : Did you understand ? Fuqua : Not really . I did n't really understand it . I was used to it . I had an understanding of it at that age , which was I was black and they were white , and I was poor and they had money . CNN : Did you think there were certain things you could n't accomplish because you were black ? What about being a director ? Fuqua : When I was a little kid , I used to sleep in my grandmother 's basement , and I would read magazines , and books and things -- and I would dream of places I would go . I remember thinking , `` Well , if it 's just a matter of money to leave my neighborhood , then I have to make money . '' Then I read something about craftsmanship -- which is not a word you used often in that time in the ghettos . If you learn a craft , then you can make a living for the rest of your life . So I went to school to be an electrical engineer . And when I was in school , I took a Baroque art class . They were talking about Caravaggio , who was a Baroque painter . Now he was from the streets in Italy , and he used to paint these very provocative paintings of people he lived with on the streets -- beggars , and prostitutes and things . It reminded me of my world -- in the sense of being a young kid on the streets , growing up , seeing a lot of provocative images that I was probably too young to see -- and I would express them , and I would do little illustrations or I would paint on a wall . Then I started to study -LSB- Akira -RSB- Kurosawa , who was a painter as well as a director . I saw his movies -- `` The Seven Samurai '' and all that -- and I thought , `` Wow , that 's even more interesting , because it 's a moving picture and you get to tell a story . '' CNN : And now you 're telling the story of Martin Luther King and Barack Obama . Did you ever think you 'd see an African-American president of the United States ? Fuqua : Never . Never . Not in my time . I thought somewhere down the line it would happen , but not in my time -- because I still deal with racial situations . Sometimes people do n't do it blatantly . They 'll say something , or they 'll behave a certain way when I know they do n't normally behave that way . As a director , you run into walls where they say , `` Well , it does n't translate well overseas . You know , you need to have a white movie star in it . '' There 's some truth to that . So if Hollywood 's not ready to embrace more stories about African-Americans -- and that 's based on the money that the movies make -- then would the country really be ready to embrace a president ? You know , the CEO of the country ? And obviously , we are . We are ready . CNN : As a director , you have this story about an unbelievable presidential election , where a first-term senator wins . Would you have cast Barack Obama in that role ? Fuqua : In a heartbeat , in a heartbeat . He 's like a movie star . Look at the guy . He 's dashing , he 's charming , he 's got a little swagger about him . He reminds me of Denzel in their way . -LSB- Fuqua directed Washington in the 2001 action-thriller `` Training Day . '' -RSB- I was with Denzel over Christmas , and they 're very similar -- their mannerisms at times . CNN : In the short film you 're directing for us , you 've drawn the parallel between Obama and Martin Luther King . Fuqua : It is the passing of the torch between Martin Luther King and Barack Obama . I think Barack Obama is the `` dream . '' I mean , we 're all the dream . I think it 's a bigger picture than one man . CNN : What 's the message you want to convey with your short film ? Fuqua : Hope . A sense of the past . But more than anything , I would love people to walk away feeling like we 've just begun . | Director Antoine Fuqua is filmmaker behind CNN 's `` From MLK to Today '' Fuqua discusses life , experiences with racism and the hope Barack Obama brings . Fuqua , director of `` Training Day , '' compares Obama with Denzel Washington . Fuqua 's latest feature-length project , `` Brooklyn 's Finest , '' screened at Sundance fest . | [[369, 455]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- That Australia is once again defending itself against claims of racism is not surprising . Harry Connick Jr. gave the comedy skit a zero mark . That the cause of the furor is a childish , inappropriate racial ` joke ' is even less of a surprise . Australian popular culture has a long held an often embarrassing tradition of wrapping racism in supposed humor . Movie star and singer Harry Connick Jr. condemned on air an Australian television skit featuring a group of performers who wore blackface to impersonate the late pop star Michael Jackson and his brothers . Connick was a judge on the Australian variety show `` Hey Hey It 's Saturday , '' when the blackface group `` Jackson Jive '' performed `` Can You Feel It '' wearing huge black wigs , blackface and one spangled glove each . The Michael Jackson impersonator wore whiteface . In the 1950s a popular song lampooned a ` misfit ' Aborigine whose ` boomerang wo n't come back . ' Popular entertainer Rolf Harris was even less sensitive in a verse of his song `` Tie me kangaroo down sport '' proclaiming that on his death one of his friends could free his captive Aborigines : `` Let my Abos go loose , they 're of no further use , so let my Abos go loose . '' A famous Australian illustrator known as Joliffe made his fame and fortune in a long-running cartoon depicting Aborigines as dim-witted , thick browed , naked , creatures from the stone age . It is not just indigenous Australians who have borne the brunt of these so-called jokes . Watch Connick 's reaction to the ` blackface Jacksons ' '' After World War II a new wave of immigrants arrived from southern Europe . Australians unused to such foreigners with odd sounding languages and strange smelling food quickly labeled the new comers ` wogs . ' In the 1960s a popular film `` They 're A Weird Mob '' mocked one of these immigrants for his poor English and strange customs . He finally wins approval by marrying his boss ' daughter , a good Anglo Aussie , learning to swear and drink copious beers . There are just a few quick examples -- there are many , many others -- of how Australians use mockery and humor to disguise their discomfort with so-called ` outsiders . ' The use of humor for a long time reflected official government policy that also scorned foreigners and Aborigines . Australian settlement in the 18th century was rooted in racism . Indigenous Australians were deemed not even to exist . British law proclaimed the continent Terra Nullius or empty land , extinguishing in an instant tens of thousands of years of Aboriginal occupation and ownership . Aborigines were dispossessed , often violently , and basic human freedoms , and rights to equal education , employment and welfare benefits denied . It was not until 1967 -- almost 200 years after European settlement -- that the law was changed to officially count Aborigines in the census as human beings and no longer included amongst the flora and fauna ! For most of the last century Australia pursued a ` White Australia Policy . ' It was designed to limit immigration only to those of white skin . In the first half of the century nearly 80 percent of all immigrants came from the United Kingdom . Despite being geographically in Asia , Australians generally viewed Asian people with suspicion dubbing them the ` yellow peril . ' In the words of one of the prime ministers of the time Harold Holt `` Australia must be kept preponderantly British in its institutions and compositions of its people . '' Immigrants , Holt conceded , `` offered much '' and in return they must simply `` become Australian . '' For many that too often meant being forced to laugh along with jokes at their own expense . Times though , thankfully , have changed . The ` White Australia Policy ' has long been consigned to history . Aborigines have struggled for and won a measure of equality of law and opportunity . Prime Minister Kevin Rudd last year apologized to Indigenous Australians for past mistreatment and injustice . Humor too has changed . A new generation of Australian comics from China , Vietnam , Italy , Greece and Lebanon have turned the tables ; laughing at themselves and ` Anglo Aussies . ' Comedian Joe Dolce scored a worldwide hit with his song ` Shaddap-a-your-face ' a ditty spoofing his Italian broken English . A Greek-Australian comedy group filled theatres throughout the country with its play ` Wogs Out of Work . ' Humor can be a great leveler . One of Australia 's prouder traditions is egalitarianism , a nation where princes and paupers can on a simple human level meet each other as equals . Humor , in the right spirit pricks our pomposity , makes a virtue of our differences and reveals our common humanity . The ham-fisted ` Jackson Jive ' routine achieved none of that . Appearing in blackface belongs in Australia 's own dark past , back there , with the ` White Australia Policy ' , silly songs about Aborigines and Joliffe cartoons . Connick was right to give the comedy skit a zero . Connick 's homeland America , is itself not free of racial issues , but in this case it took an American to tell those Australians who still find such offensive skits funny : `` The Joke is on you ! '' | Australian has a history of wrapping racism in supposed humor . Racial humor for a long time reflected official government policy . Harry Connick Jr. right to slam ` blackface Jacksons ' act on Australian TV . To those Australians who still find such offensive skits funny : `` The Joke is on you ! '' | [[266, 379], [297, 298], [304, 379], [2119, 2214], [297, 298], [304, 379], [2217, 2332], [380, 466], [4976, 5026], [5202, 5223], [5120, 5199]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rosie O'Donnell and spouse Kelli Carpenter `` are working through their issues '' and `` nothing else will be said '' about rumors the couple is splitting , according to O'Donnell 's publicist . Rumors have been swirling that Kelli Carpenter , left , and Rosie O'Donnell are splitting . Online buzz about the Carpenter-O'Donnell marriage grew louder this week after O'Donnell did not give a clear-cut denial in a USA Today interview on Tuesday . The former talk show host 's publicist echoed her non-denial in a statement to CNN Wednesday . `` They are a family and will remain a family forever and are working through their issues , '' publicist Cindi Berger said in an e-mailed response . `` Nothing else will be said . '' O'Donnell and Carpenter were married in a private ceremony in San Francisco , California , Mayor Gavin Newsom 's office in February 2004 . The city of San Francisco issued the couple a marriage license two weeks after Newsom said his mayoral responsibility not to discriminate trumped a state law banning such marriages . O'Donnell said on her wedding day that she was inspired to make her longtime relationship with Carpenter official by `` vile and vicious and hateful comments '' made by President George W. Bush that week . Then-President Bush announced that week that he would seek a Constitutional amendment to mandate that same-sex couples not be allowed to marry . O'Donnell and Carpenter are also business partners . They started R Family Vacations , which organizes cruises tailored for gay couples . Their family includes four children . The three oldest -- Parker , 14 , Chelsea , 12 and Blake , 9 -- are adopted . Six-year-old Vivienne -- conceived through a sperm donation -- was born to Carpenter . | Rumors that Rosie O'Donnell , spouse Kelli Carpenter are splitting . O'Donnell did not deny rumors to USA Today . Publicist : Pair `` are working through their issues '' Two were married in San Francisco in 2004 . | [[214, 267], [306, 464], [385, 464], [0, 15], [62, 100], [0, 9], [176, 213], [560, 567], [618, 650], [744, 882]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- There was a phrase , or so we have long been told , that was heard in occupied Europe during World War II . It was often said as a whisper , the story goes . It had the sound of a prayer . The words were so simple , but to people who were feeling utterly abandoned and who needed help , those words meant so much . Four words : . `` The Americans are coming . '' Sometimes we forget about the power of those words , and about how , for so long , they defined the real meaning of what this country , at its best , could be . Sometimes , in the midst of all the bad news , in the midst of the mistakes this country inevitably makes , we lose sight of how much the people of the United States are counted on by those in need . Which is why the humanitarian efforts in Haiti this month , in the wake of the earthquake , have been a reminder of who we are when we strive to find our finest selves . The relief efforts have been an international undertaking ; the heartache on the streets of Haiti has summoned compassionate and heroic assistance from around the globe , all of it deserving of praise and gratitude . But the United States has been at the forefront , as it has so often seemed to be in so many places when hope was in short supply . It is almost beyond imagining to think what has been in the terrified minds of the citizens of Haiti who have been without water , without food , without a way to rescue their trapped and dying children . When there is nothing left to depend on , when all is desolation and despair , what must the hungry and the hurt wish for as they look into the empty distance ? Someone to care . Someone to travel many miles , with the will and the means to heal . The slowness with which medical supplies and water and heavy equipment have reached the people of Haiti has been thoroughly reported . Some of the results of the relief effort have been troubling , beset by bottlenecks and breakdowns under arduous conditions . But this is not about the frustrations in getting the job done . It is about the American impulse to help . There is nothing particularly controversial , these days , about pointing out the failings of the United States . You can say just about any derogatory thing about the U.S. , and it 's not especially shocking . We 're used to hearing it . Already , as the tragedy in Haiti continues to unfold , there have been pockets of harsh criticism of America 's efforts to help . French Cooperation Minister Alain Joyandet alluded to the United States `` occupying '' Haiti instead of assisting it . It is not the first time the United States has been chastised , and it will not be the last . The history of the U.S. involvement in Haiti has not always been a happy or unsullied one . But perhaps we can take just a moment to think about the honor that is inherent in being the ones who , at junctures like this one , are counted on -- the ones who show up , every time . During World War II , those four words -- `` The Americans are coming '' -- referred to the armed forces who had traveled across the ocean to liberate the people the Nazis had enslaved . In times of natural disaster , the context is different . In Haiti the words refer to the 82nd Airborne , yes , but they also refer to the American doctors who are volunteering their time and risking their own safety to soothe the pain of people they had never before met . The words refer to the American volunteers assisting at Haitian orphanages , not giving up on the children who have no families to comfort them . The words refer to the American search-and-rescue teams who work past the point of exhaustion as they seek signs of the living among the rubble , and they refer to the Americans back home who , during difficult economic times in the U.S. , have donated their money to help people who , for now , have no way to say thank you . The focus of the news will shift soon enough -- that shift has already started . There will be other crises , other major stories . We , as a country and as individuals , will continue to be imperfect . There will be political squabbles and high-decibel partisan fights . We will at times focus on the trivial and the coarse . At such times , we might do well to pause and recall the sound of those four words . And to let the words remind us that , when we set our souls to it , we still can aspire to be the hope of the world . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Greene . | Haiti aid operation continues tradition of U.S. helping around the world , says Bob Greene . He says there were criticisms of the speed of the aid . Greene says that the response shows that Americans are eager to contribute and to help . He says Americans can still aspire to be the hope of the world . | [[2053, 2083], [4361, 4363], [4381, 4410]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sachin Tendulkar confirmed his status as one of cricket 's all-time great batsmen on Wednesday , adding the highest individual one-day international score to his list of world records . The 36-year-old became the first player to score a double-century in the 50-over format as India thrashed South Africa by 153 runs in the second match of the series in Gwalior to take an unassailable 2-0 lead . Tendulkar surpassed the previous record of 194 , which was jointly held by Pakistan 's Saeed Anwar and Charles Coventry of Zimbabwe , to take his record total of runs to 17,598 in 442 one-day internationals played . He passed three figures for the 46th time , and has now scored 17 more one-day centuries than his closest rival Ricky Ponting of Australia . Tendulkar , one of India 's most popular sporting heroes , also holds the records for most runs and most centuries in the five-day Test format . `` I do n't know how to react to this , '' he told reporters after being presented with a silver bat to mark his 20 years in the sport . `` I would like to dedicate this double hundred to all the people of India who stood with me for the last 20 years . I really appreciate their support . This is for all the people in India . '' Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni hailed his teammate , with whom he added an unbroken 101 at breakneck pace . `` Even when he 's tired and ca n't play the big shots , he 's very clever to use the pace of the bowler , '' Dhoni said . `` It 's very difficult for the bowlers , they do n't know exactly where to bowl , so I think he batted really well . '' Tendulkar made only four in India 's victory in the first match on Sunday , but batted throughout the home team 's innings of 401-3 as he made exactly 200 . Tendulkar put on 194 for the second wicket with Dinesh Karthik after the early departure of Virender Sehwag for nine with the score on 25 . Tendulkar scorched to his 50 from only 37 deliveries before Karthik became Wayne Parnell 's second victim , having made 79 off 85 balls with three sixes . Yusuf Pathan matched Tendulkar 's ferocious scoring rate as he clubbed 36 off 23 deliveries , adding 81 with the man known as `` the Little Master . '' Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni then joined in with a rapid 68 off only 35 balls , hitting four sixes , while Tendulkar reached 200 with a single off Charl Langeveldt in the final over . As well as three sixes , he hit 25 boundaries -- the most in any individual one-day innings -- in his 147-ball knock . South Africa set the record for highest run chase of 438-9 against Australia in 2006 , and needed to score the third biggest mark to overhaul India 's total . But the tourists did not get close , being dismissed for 248 with 7.1 overs left in their allocation . A.B. De Villiers top-scored with an unbeaten 114 , his fifth one-day century , but the Proteas ' next best was 34 from opener Hashim Amla . Recalled seam bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth took three wickets for India , while Ravindra Jadeja , Pathan and Ashish Nehra claimed two victims each . | Sachin Tendulkar becomes first player to score a double-century in 50-over cricket . The 36-year-old smashes exactly 200 as India thrash South Africa by 153 runs . He surpasses previous record of 194 jointly held by Saeed Anwar and Charles Coventry . Tendulkar scores 46th ton in 442 one-day outings as India take unbeatable 2-0 lead . | [[205, 330], [205, 330], [1599, 1608], [1679, 1755], [416, 462], [459, 462], [471, 547], [550, 607], [381, 415], [596, 631], [632, 673]] |
A Chinese court has sentenced four people to death for their roles in last year 's deadly riots in the western city of Urumqi , state media said Tuesday . The sentences for the defendants were to be carried out immediately . They were charged with `` extremely serious crimes , '' said state-run Xinjiang Daily . The newspaper said a fifth person , who was also sentenced to death , was granted a two-year reprieve . Several others were given varying jail sentences , including life imprisonment . They were on trial for incidents of `` vandalism , burning and serious violence , '' the newspaper said . Urumqi , the capital of the Xinjiang region , was shaken last July when long-simmering resentment between minority Uyghurs and majority Han Chinese erupted into riots and left more than 200 people dead . The following month , a series of series of syringe stabbings added to the unrest . | July riots between minority Uyghurs and Han Chinese left more than 200 dead . Four sentenced to death were charged with `` extremely serious crimes '' Another person sentenced to death but given two-year reprieve . Others given varying jail sentences , including life imprisonment . | [[676, 751], [775, 807], [0, 125], [225, 275], [313, 416], [313, 326], [332, 346], [383, 416], [417, 497], [417, 431], [443, 497]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday that a new Middle East -- one `` without Zionists and without colonialists '' -- was quickly emerging as regional bonds grow stronger by the day . The hard-line leader made the comments after a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Thursday . `` The whole world should know that Iran will stand behind the Syrian nation to the end , '' Ahmadinejad said in remarks aired on Iran 's state-run Press TV . `` Regional bonds are very strong . '' His comments came during a two-day visit to Damascus that follows efforts by the United States to weaken ties between Iran and Syria . President Obama recently nominated veteran diplomat Robert Ford to be the new ambassador in Damascus , ending a five-year diplomatic hiatus there and sparking talk of a renewed relationship . But Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has tempered the thawing of relations by saying that Washington remains concerned with Syria 's close ties to Iran . `` No one has enlightened her to comment on regional issues , '' Ahmadinejad said , slamming Clinton 's statements as interfering . `` The whole U.S. government has no impact whatsoever on regional relations . '' Tensions between Washington and Tehran have risen over Iran 's nuclear program , which Iran insists is intended for civilian use but the United States believes is intended for developing weapons . Assad voiced strong support for Iran and brushed off U.S. sentiment . `` I find it strange how they talk about Middle East stability and at the same time talk about dividing two countries , '' he said . The meeting between Assad and Ahmadinejad sparked a harsh reaction from Israeli President Shimon Peres . `` The time has come to speak the truth , '' he said in a written statement . `` The problem in the Middle East is not the Palestinians . The Palestinian problem will be resolved through the peace process in Israel . The central problem in the Middle East is Iran 's attempt to reach hegemony over the Arab lands . '' `` The source of the problem is Ahmadinejad 's megalomania . Assad must choose what he wants -- to join the Iranian camp of evil and terror or to make peace with Israel , '' he said . He called on Assad to sit down with Israel to reach a peace agreement . | Iran 's Ahmadinejad , Syria 's Assad pledge mutual support . U.S. recently sent ambassador to Syria for first time in five years . Clinton interferes in the two nations ' relations , Ahmadinejad says . U.S. policy is contradictory , Assad says . | [[1428, 1497], [670, 685], [773, 861], [1080, 1099], [1102, 1149]] |
Editor 's note : Dr. Anthony S. Fauci , world-renowned HIV/AIDS researcher who has been on the forefront of battling the disease since it was discovered , previews his speech to this week 's International AIDS Conference . Dr. Anthony Fauci is cautiously optimistic that eventually some AIDS/HIV patients will be cured . WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- This week , more than 25,000 people from the global HIV/AIDS community are in Mexico City , Mexico , attending the XVII International AIDS Conference . I am pleased to be among them . This is the first International AIDS Conference to be held in Latin America , a region hard-hit by the HIV/AIDS pandemic , but also a place where exceptional scientific and public health advances have been made . The theme of the conference is Universal Action Now , which stresses the need for scientists , policymakers , activists and other concerned citizens everywhere -- in rich countries and poor ones -- to work even harder to defeat a scourge that already has claimed more than 25 million lives . We have made considerable progress against HIV/AIDS , not only on the scientific front , but also with regard to the political will , funding and essential public health efforts on the ground that are delivering medicine , care and prevention services . However , much remains to be done , as 2.7 million people worldwide were infected with HIV in 2007 . Watch more on the International AIDS Conference '' In the United States , the rate of new infections continues at an unacceptably high level , especially in the African-American community . In my home city of Washington D.C. , a staggering 5 percent of the population is infected with HIV , a rate that rivals those in sub-Saharan Africa . Eighty percent of my infected neighbors in Washington , D.C. , are African-American . Throughout the United States , we are seeing a resurgence in HIV cases among men who have sex with men of all races , with African-Americans again hardest hit . Despite what you might hear , the AIDS pandemic is still raging . Many hundreds of presentations at the conference are dealing with important research on the basic biology of HIV and its disease-causing mechanisms ; the complex immune responses to the virus ; and advances in tools to diagnose , treat and prevent HIV . My talk on Wednesday , is called `` Looking to the Future : New Directions in HIV/AIDS Research '' and will look at all these issues , and the many challenges -LRB- and opportunities -RRB- in AIDS science . But I hope to leave the audience with at least a tentative answer to an important question I get all the time : Will we ever have a cure or a vaccine for HIV ? Despite our considerable success in managing HIV infection and improving the length and quality of life for people living with HIV , there is no well-documented case of anyone being truly cured of HIV disease . This is because HIV is unlike virtually any other virus in its ability to hide from the immune system in protected cellular sanctuaries that we call `` latent reservoirs . '' We know that these reservoirs are established within days of infection , and even our most potent combinations of anti-HIV drugs are unable to purge the virus from these hiding places , even in people who have been on therapy for a decade or more . If you take a patient off his or her anti-HIV therapy , the virus hiding in these reservoirs springs back , and soon billions of viruses are renewing their assault on immune system cells and other organs . Photos chronicle AIDS treatment worldwide . Our best hope for eradicating HIV from the reservoirs may be to diagnose and treat people aggressively very early in infection , before the reservoirs have become too large . Our laboratory and other groups are testing this approach with intensive regimens of new drugs that prevent the virus from entering cells or from inserting its genes into a cell 's DNA . Even if the virus is not completely eradicated , such early , intense treatment , perhaps with the help of immune-boosting drugs , might keep the reservoir small -- and the immune system strong -- thereby allowing a person to come off therapy . This would be a `` functional '' cure . Other approaches are being pursued as well . A cure is critical to our attempts to ultimately contain the pandemic . Currently , for every person put on therapy , two to three people are newly infected . As antiretroviral therapy is at present a lifelong commitment , it is extremely unlikely that we will have the logistical or financial capacity to reach and treat -- indefinitely -- everyone who requires antiretroviral therapy . As we search for a cure , we should of course continue our efforts to provide proven , lifesaving antiretroviral drugs to every person who needs them , regardless of where they live . Many promising avenues of prevention are being discussed in Mexico City , but none is more essential than an HIV vaccine . HIV vaccine development has been frustrating and challenging for a number of reasons , including the fact that the virus mutates rapidly , hides from the immune system , and targets and destroys the immune system cells that are successful in fighting and clearing most other viruses from the body . With HIV we will have to do better than nature if we are to develop a vaccine ; HIV is unlike the situation with other viral diseases such as measles and influenza , where we have been able to mimic natural infection and induce protective responses with vaccines . My institute and many other organizations around the world are working on this problem , and advances are being made . For example , we have made progress in identifying the structures on the virus to which infection-fighting proteins that can neutralize HIV -- so-called neutralizing antibodies -- bind . Now , our challenge is to turn these structures into vaccines , and conduct the clinical trials that prove they work in people . My complete talk will be available as a webcast at the conference Web site , but let me give you the quick bottom line : I am cautiously optimistic that we will be able to cure some patients under certain circumstances , and I am also cautiously optimistic that we will develop a vaccine that will protect some people against HIV infection , or slow the progression of disease in some patients who do get infected . Meanwhile , we need Universal Action Now to accelerate the exceptional momentum of the past few years -- particularly during the past year -- in delivering proven tools of HIV prevention and therapy to communities around the globe . Anthony S. Fauci , M.D. , is director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health . | More than 25,000 people expected at the International AIDS Conference . Progress made in science , political will , funding , public health , expert says . For every person put on therapy , 2 to 3 people are newly infected , he says . Cure critical to attempts to contain the pandemic , he says . | [[321, 347], [363, 440], [667, 674], [681, 747], [1040, 1126], [5598, 5623], [4334, 4361], [4364, 4404], [4246, 4280]] |
Editor 's note : Bishop T.D. Jakes is founder and senior pastor of The Potter 's House of Dallas , Texas , a multiracial , nondenominational church with more than 50 outreach ministries . `` It is a victory for democracy that proves that our country provides possibilities for all people , '' writes Jakes . -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Last night , I like most Americans of all stripes , watched with visible goose bumps as history was made . I sat with my 13-year-old son and looked from the screen to his eyes as Sen. Barack Obama became the first African American in history to lead a U.S. major-party ticket when he claimed the nomination for the Democratic Party for president of the United States . I congratulate Sen. Obama on this historic accomplishment . I thank him for accepting the torch that was lit by our forefathers and proudly carrying it through the darkness of our struggles , trials and tribulations , bringing light and hope to a new generation , and for facing all those who said `` No '' and `` You ca n't win , '' or `` It will never happen , '' and firmly , proudly , defiantly saying , `` Yes I can ! '' However , what I really hope people take away from that night is that this is not just a victory for African Americans , it is a victory for democracy that proves that our country provides possibilities for all people . It is also a sign that a metamorphosis is in progress . Today we saw that Americans respect experience , but are interested in change . I hope that we can somehow merge the best ideas of our differences and emerge with a president who epitomizes our highest and best ideals . While it remains unclear where we are going , last night proves that we as a people have moved beyond business as usual . I congratulate not just Sen. Obama on his victory , but the country on this landmark event that has shattered a past all too often filled with reasons to separate us as opposed to a voice of reason to unite us . The victory cup does not rest on the shoulders of the senator alone , but to all those who have been able to lift the conversation from petty racism , antiquated cut-throat politics , and fear-based campaigns to the larger issues of how we would like to see our country led into the future and ultimately how our country will be remembered . As the days and discussions of this political season continue , it is my sincere hope and prayer that we do not sink back into the abyss of political pettiness that has plagued our country and our lives for so many years . I am grateful to Sen. Hillary Clinton for giving , through this campaign , a chance for my daughters to see that their femininity is not a liability . Today both my sons and daughters came to understand that their ethnicity is n't viewed by progressive Americans as a limitation or a liability . iReport.com : Readers ' feelings on Obama . For me it was almost déjà vu as I sat with my son . I remembered a little over 40 years ago watching the famous King speech with my dad . Similarly , I watched with my youngest son last night as a historical moment unfolded . He and I saw the dreams of slaves come true as the sons of slaves and the slave owners clapped their hands in one progressive sweep . As I drifted into sleep , all I could see was the twinkle in my son 's eyes . His eyes were illuminated with possibilities , and his heart was filled with the potential of what is attainable for qualified , competent people of all types who prepare themselves intellectually and are well vested with a divine sensitivity to the `` fierce urgency of now ! '' Congratulations Sen. Obama . | Bishop T.D. Jakes : `` I congratulate Sen. Obama on this historic accomplishment '' Jakes : `` Not just a victory for African Americans , it is a victory for democracy '' Jakes : Nomination `` proves that our country provides possibilities for all people '' Jakes congratulates `` the country on this landmark event '' | [[696, 755], [191, 220], [1243, 1272], [1192, 1240], [211, 220], [226, 287], [1263, 1272], [1278, 1341], [1796, 1824], [1891, 1937], [1796, 1830], [1894, 1905], [1909, 1937]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- There was no space on the Inca Trail . `` Estás seguro ? '' I pleaded with dormant Spanish , or `` Are you sure ? '' in English . I was sitting face to face with the ninth Peruvian salesman that day to offer the same answer . He was positive . No space on the Inca Trail , entering Machu Picchu via the Sun Gate , but his alternative trek was the real deal , he said . Machu Picchu was rediscovered in 1911 by Yale University professor Hiram Bingham . I said , `` Gracias , '' grabbed my bag and went trudging out the door and back into the rain . At this point , I could not remember the smile I wore just hours before as I boarded my New Year 's Eve flight and watched Atlanta grow smaller below me -- four days trekking in the Andes , a new adventure ! That smile had vanished , the woman who grinned it , gone . In its place , a miserable downtrodden troll with fiercely angled brows , standing in the middle of the Plaza de Armas in Cusco , Peru -- with no Inca Trail booked . As a wind-follower , I always try to make travel arrangements as I go . I lay out rough plans , cities and dates , and see what adventures may come . The Inca Trail , however , does not afford such luxury . Over the years , the Inca Trail has become more a sales feature for adventure companies than a tranquil or mystical journey . The frat party of historic treks , it often comes fully equipped with booze , crowds and disgusting bathrooms . Similarly , the Inca Trail also has a maximum capacity before doors to the public close . Years of feet trampling Inca steps led the government to institute a 500 person per day limit in 2002 on the historic trail -- including trekkers , guides and porters -- to prevent over-saturation of the trail and to maintain the sanctity of the sites . As I entered company after company , each promising slight variations of alternate treks for drastically different prices , I nearly hung up my poncho and headed home . That is , until I finally swallowed my wind-follower pride , opened a guidebook and tracked down some of the recommended operators . This proved a worthwhile endeavor , as Cusco is a maze of adventure agencies among a few trek operators . Agencies sell customers to operators , collecting profits and , oftentimes , unsatisfied travelers . Once I learned I could n't have the journey , I grew even more set on keeping the destination . Determined to stay Machu Picchu-bound and only able to squeeze in a short trek by this point , I opted for an alternate-Inca hybrid trek . The two-day Inca joins the traditional Inca Trail a short distance from the Sun Gate , the path the Incas took into Machu Picchu . Though it carries the Inca name - - and the 500-person regulation -- it arrives at the Sun Gate in the evening , sacrificing the most sought after sunrise view . It also does not include camping or any of that delicious , trek-cooked food . My two-person group ate bag lunches , spent the one night in Aguas Calientes , the base city to Machu Picchu , and looked on enviously at Inca Trail trekkers sharing beer , some grilled alpaca and a game of cards at the final rest stop where the trails unite . If I had looked beyond my Inca-only vision , I would have discovered that the Inca Trail is just the tip of the Peru trekking iceberg -- literally iceberg if you go during low season . Several alternate treks land right in Aguas Calientes that can be booked mere days in advance . Though these treks do not enter Machu Picchu through the Sun Gate , many locals and travelers prefer alternate routes through quiet villages and isolated peaks , as they offer an often less expensive , more serene , untouched vision of Peru . See a map of the area around Machu Picchu '' Salkantay is the most frequented Inca Trail alternative . This trek is usually recommended for people who ca n't get on the Inca Trail , but still want a similar experience . Traditionally five days/four nights , it leads trekkers up Salkantay Mountain -LRB- one of the highest peaks in the Andes of Peru at over 20,000 feet -RRB- and passes by some Quechuan communities and lesser-known Inca ruins , traversing everything from snow-capped mountains to hot springs . However , as it has become increasingly known as the alternate trek to the Inca Trail , the serene views of the trek often compete with crowded trails and camping sites . While Salkantay offers a glimpse at Quechuan communities , the Lares trek offers a full panorama of the Quechuan lifestyle . Against a picturesque landscape , this four-day/three-night trek is famous for the textile villages it enters along the way . It ascends 13,000 feet , crosses two peaks , hot springs and lakes , and it offers a spectrum of regional animals to view , including llamas , vicuñas , alpacas and chinchillas . However , since the trek gained popularity five years ago , `` It has become a little more touristy . It has lost a little bit of its initial essence and purity , '' said Silvia Rico , general manager of Enigma Adventure Tour Operator . For those seeking even more of an adventure , Choquequirao is the ideal trek . This nine-day/eight-night trek passes the two largest Inca sites in the Cusco region : Machu Picchu and Choquequirao . The latter is a huge archaeological complex that is only about 30 percent excavated and thus has endured minimal tourist foot traffic . Surrounded by the Salkantay mountain , the trek dives into the Apurimac River canyon and passes waterfalls , villages , Inca ruins and frequently condors . It does have one major drawback : before continuing on to Machu Picchu , trekkers must backtrack the two days ' journey it takes to arrive at Choquequirao , resulting in some repeated views . For solitude and serenity searchers , the Vilcabamba trek is ideal . `` Total isolation . There 's nothing like doing a trek when there 's no other people , '' says Michelle Graham of Llama Path Tours , as she describes why Vilcabamba is her favorite of the alternate treks . This trek enters the last refuge of the Incas , Vilcabamba , and like Salkantay , offers spectacular diverse views ranging from tropical jungles to snowy peaks . Unlike Salkantay , however , this trek combines Inca history with little interference from tourist passersby . Families , older people , and travelers who simply do n't have the time can arrive in Aguas Calientes by train and continue up to Machu Picchu either by bus or by ascending the five-mile trail . Some companies offer jungle tours , in which cycling is combined with trekking . However , as with all treks , be aware of agencies that set up tourist traps with dilapidated bikes that turn into broken bikes and extra charges on the bill . Regardless of the trek you choose , the dry season -- from April through October -- is the ideal time to make the journey . Many tour companies do n't operate these treks during rainy summer months . December through February are the worst -LRB- Excellent choice on my part -RRB- . Though I never intended to fly to Peru for a two-day trek , once I wiped away the fog on my optimism lenses , I realized that many of the alternate treks to Machu Picchu are just as worthy of fame as the legendary Inca Trail . So I packed my backpack , laced my boots and wrapped myself in layers of water-resistant clothing . I trekked into the landscape where history meets present day . When I arrived at the hidden Inca city in all its breathtaking beauty , everything else was just icing on the llama . | There 's a 500 person per day limit on the historic Inca Trail . Several more serene alternate treks can be booked mere days in advance . For those seeking more of an adventure , Choquequirao is the ideal trek . | [[1458, 1472], [1478, 1535], [1536, 1702], [2672, 2730], [3387, 3447], [5041, 5084], [5087, 5119]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Retired basketball icon Michael Jordan bought a majority share of the NBA 's Charlotte Bobcats , officials said Saturday . Jordan , who was already a minority owner of the team , headed a group that bought a majority share of the team from businessman Robert Johnson , Johnson said in a statement . Johnson said he has signed a `` definitive agreement '' to sell majority interest of Bobcats Sports and Entertainment to Michael Jordan and MJ Basketball Holdings , LLC . The deal is subject to NBA approval . Details on the purchase price were not available . Jordan has overseen the team 's basketball operations in recent years . He won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls . Johnson , who founded BET and sold it to Viacom for $ 3 billion in 2001 , announced that he had been looking for someone to buy earlier this year . His fortune was depleted by an expensive divorce , but in a 2009 interview with CNN , Johnson estimated his net worth was still $ 1.1 billion . Johnson 's resume is full of firsts : BET was the first African-American owned company traded on the NYSE . He was the first African-American billionaire in the United States . And , in 2002 , he became the first African-American majority owner of a professional sports franchise . | Michael Jordan buys controlling stake in Charlotte Bobcats franchise . Jordan has been running team 's basketball operations . Businessman Robert Johnson had been looking to sell team . | [[0, 15], [58, 113], [142, 148], [198, 285], [578, 649]] |
Mission Viejo , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Marty Kubicki received a text message that his wife , Aahmes , and two teenage daughters , Olivia and Alexis , were alive in Haiti , he was overwhelmed with relief . `` I felt like an enormous burden had been placed off me , but at the same time I knew that they were OK . I always felt they made it , '' he said . Groups of church members have been volunteering at an orphanage for nearly six years , since church members Bill Manassero , his wife Suzette , and Jim Duggan opened the center . But by Friday there was chaos at the Maison De Lumiere Orphanage in Haiti as 11 American missionary volunteers were trying to find a way to leave after severe shortages of food , water and medicine sparked anger in people they had been trying to help . `` People are becoming hostile at the missionary workers and we now find ourselves desperately trying to get them out , '' said Mike Maiolo , senior pastor of the volunteers ' home church in Mission Viejo . He said he had received urgent messages from Haiti that everyone wanted to leave . The Kubickis and the others from Mission Viejo Christian Church arrived in Port-Au-Prince a week ago to help assist nearly 100 abused and abandoned children at the orphanage . The facility sustained heavy damage in the earthquake but no one was killed , he said . Within hours of the quake , the volunteers became de facto nursing assistants after word spread that Maison De Lumiere was serving as a makeshift triage center . `` Lots of doctors and nurses have been coming by the facility because word 's gotten out , so there 's all these people being pulled out of rubble and they 're assisting and attending to the injured as best as they can , '' Marty Kubicki said . Judy Beltis left her husband , six daughters and five grandchildren in California when she came to Haiti on January 8 . Moments after the walls and shelves around her collapsed , she found herself attending the injured and working to save lives , said her husband , Paul . `` This is a mom who could n't put a Band-Aid on her kids when they had a cut finger because she was so squeamish , and now she 's dealing with whatever needs to be done , '' he said . On Thursday , the family was assured that Judy Beltis was safe and protected . `` I 'm going to urge her at some point to come back and get a little rest and restoration , but I know she 'll want to head right back , '' said daughter Jaime . But that was before Maiolo received the urgent messages late Thursday . He said the situation had deteriorated to the extent that no one felt safe going outside the compound . Contact with his missionary members in Haiti has been limited to occasional text messages , Internet streaming and e-mail , he said , and his volunteers have not been able to reach U.S. State Department officials . `` The world around us is in such need when something like this happens and we 've got to be there for them , but at the same time , there must be a quick way to get them out when there is nothing more to give , '' Maiolo said . | Situation turns chaotic for 11 American volunteers at Maison De Lumiere Orphanage . Shortages of food , water spark anger in people volunteers had been trying to help . Volunteers are from Mission Viejo Christian Church in California . | [[549, 633], [619, 766], [760, 797], [1088, 1203], [1088, 1144], [1189, 1221]] |
Hanford Nuclear Site , Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The federal government has set aside nearly $ 2 billion in stimulus funds to clean up Washington State 's decommissioned Hanford nuclear site , once the center of the country 's Cold War plutonium production . That is more stimulus funding than some entire states have received , which has triggered a debate as to whether the money is being properly spent . The facility sprawls across approximately 600 square miles of south-central Washington , an area roughly half the size of Rhode Island . It was built in the 1940s as part of the `` Manhattan Project '' to develop the first atomic weapon during World War II . Millions of dollars and thousands of jobs poured into the remote area about 75 miles east of Yakima where nine nuclear reactors were eventually built . During the Cold War , Hanford was a buzzing hive of activity , eventually becoming the main source of plutonium production for the nation 's nuclear weapons program . Decades of improper radioactive waste disposal earned Hanford the notorious distinction of being most contaminated nuclear site in the Western Hemisphere . Today , the Hanford site is a virtual ghost town and those involved in the clean-up project say they will need every dollar of the federal stimulus funds . There are still millions of gallons of untreated contaminated groundwater , hundreds of buildings used for plutonium enrichment that need to be torn down , and underground tanks that are full of radioactive sludge . The stimulus money will reduce the clean-up time by years , according to Jon Peschong , who oversees the federal project at Hanford . `` It was perfect work , ready to go for the stimulus package , '' Peschong said . `` Each day that passes the conditions worsen -LSB- and -RSB- the receipt of the federal stimulus money allows us to reduce the costs and also allows us to reduce the clean up footprint much sooner , years sooner . '' The money is also created jobs for about 1,400 people at Hanford , including Joe Gill who manages a team that is tearing down equipment that is heavily contaminated by radiation . Despite the dangers of his job , Gill said it came just at the right time . `` I had managed a production warehouse facility for one of the largest companies in the world , -LSB- I -RSB- thought I 'd be there for 20 years , '' Gill said . `` We laid off 8,000 people in three months and they closed down our plant , -LSB- and -RSB- those jobs are n't jobs you just read the paper and get . '' It is clear by watching Gill 's team perform their time-consuming daily tasks that Hanford wo n't be decontanimated quickly . The workers have to suit up three to four times a day in protective gear . They break down contaminated equipment through a `` glove box , '' allowing them to disassemble the equipment a room away through lead-lined gloves . Each time a worker removes their hands from the gloves , they must be wanded down by a colleague checking for any radiation exposure . The large scale of the project and years of cost overruns have led critics to complain that stimulus money is being misdirected at Hanford . A report by Sens. John McCain , R-Arizona , and Tom Coburn , R-Oklahoma , listed Hanford as one of 100 sites where stimulus money may have been wasted . The Hanford clean-up `` has been plagued by massive cost and schedule problems - and almost no progress , '' according to the report . Gerry Pollet , who runs a Hanford watchdog organization , says he supports using stimulus money to rid the nuclear site of its radioactive waste . But he questions whether the funds are going where they are most needed . `` You are not seeing the value that we should be seeing for the clean-up and the environment , '' said Pollet , who heads Heart of America Northwest . `` They are picking the low-hanging fruit , the easy projects that give very nice photo opportunities . But that does n't cost $ 2 billion . `` Hanford is getting more money than many states in stimulus funds and you would expect to see real progress for clean-up -LSB- to -RSB- happen with those dollars . '' While debate continues over whether and how stimulus dollars should be used , the Tri-Cities area that surrounds the Hanford site -- which includes Richland , Kennewick and Pasco -- is reaping the benefits of the clean-up boom . Hanford began receiving stimulus dollars in March 2009 , which helped the surrounding cities and towns avoid the catastrophe that has plagued other communities impacted by the recent economic downturn . The Tri-Cities area has one of the lowest unemployment rates in Washington State , and the housing market has barely been affected by the recent economic downturn , according to the Tri-Cities Industrial Development council . Ken Brutzman , who owns a local office furniture store , said his business was `` at a standstill '' last year before the orders from Hanford contractors started pouring in . Brutzman had to hire six temporary workers , two of which he may keep on full time , to deal with the boom in business . `` We are on track to have best year ever , '' Brutzman said . His business has been in his family for three generations and will likely stay profitable for several more generations since the Hanford clean-up project is expected to take another 40 years . `` It has my manufacturers raising their eyebrows saying , ` Wow how does that guy do that ? ' '' | $ 2 billion being spent to clean up Hanford nuclear site in Washington State . Hanford is the most contaminated nuclear site in W. hemisphere . Stimulus funds creating jobs in and around the site . | [[112, 194], [990, 1145], [1044, 1051], [1078, 1145]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Residents of a Belleville , Illinois , neighborhood were still shaken Monday after a small plane crashed the day before , killing two aboard and destroying a house . `` I think everybody is still in shock , '' said Deah Bischoff , who lives near the site of the crash . `` I think we 're all just walking around and looking and trying to absorb what happened . '' The single-engine plane crashed about 6:30 p.m. Sunday , according to the Federal Aviation Administration . No one on the ground was hurt , the FAA said . The National Transportation Safety Board had no comment on its investigation into the crash before a news conference Monday afternoon . The wreckage site is adjacent to an airstrip , but the pilot was heading for St. Louis Downtown Airport , about six miles away , according to the FAA . Residents near the airstrip are accustomed to planes in the neighborhood . Many can park their private planes in hangars adjacent to their homes . They 're like garages for cars , except they 're hangars for planes , said Bischoff , who , along with her husband , owns a few antique aircraft . But the familiar sound of a plane overhead this time was menacing . Bischoff said she was eating dinner with her husband and children when she heard a loud screeching . `` It shook our house , and the next thing you knew , there was a large boom , '' she said . The plane also hit the house 's hangar , which sheltered two planes , Bischoff said . Explosions erupted , and they watched as flames shot into the air . Bischoff 's husband , Roy , ran out with other neighbors to check on the couple living in the crushed house , she said . The couple was out to dinner , she said . Neighbors saved the three Labrador retrievers inside , Roy Bischoff said . But he wished he could have saved the two people aboard the plane , he said . `` There was almost nothing , there was no recognizable part of an airplane around , '' he said . The crash could have been even worse , Deah Bischoff said . Of the houses close by , the neighbor 's home was the only one with no people inside at the time of the crash , she said . CNN 's Khadijah Rentas contributed to this report . | Two aboard single-engine plane died ; no one on the ground was hurt , FAA says . FAA : Wreckage site is near airstrip , but pilot was headed to airport about 6 miles away . Neighborhood residents can park private planes in hangars adjacent to their homes . Residents of house not at home at time of crash ; 3 dogs rescued . | [[383, 406], [440, 490], [491, 520], [674, 718], [725, 777], [725, 734], [751, 777], [803, 825], [901, 972], [1699, 1751], [2035, 2119]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mourners packed into a church in Illinois Monday to remember a woman whose death made headlines worldwide . At the St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel in Chicago , a funeral was held for Dawn Brancheau , a SeaWorld trainer who died last week after a killer whale dragged her underwater at Shamu Stadium in Orlando , Florida . A memorial service for the 40-year-old will take place in Orlando , Florida , at a future date , according to the Blake Lamb Funeral Home . Brancheau had wanted to be an animal trainer from the time she visited SeaWorld as a 9-year-old , her sister Diane Gross said last week . `` It was her dream job , '' Gross said . `` She loved the animals like they were her own children . ... She loved what she did . '' Brancheau was pulled underwater Wednesday at SeaWorld Orlando , when a 6-ton killer whale named Tilikum grabbed her ponytail . A source at SeaWorld said the whale dove deep underwater after seizing Brancheau . Trainers had to wrangle the animal into a smaller pool before they could retrieve her body about 40 minutes later . The same whale was linked previously to two other human deaths . Tilikum and two other whales were involved in the 1991 drowning of a trainer at a marine park in Victoria , British Columbia . The trainer fell into the whale tank at Sealand of the Pacific and was dragged underwater as park visitors watched . In 1999 , Tilikum was blamed for the death of a 27-year-old man whose body was found floating in a tank at SeaWorld , the apparent victim of the whale 's `` horseplay , '' authorities said then . Labor Department spokesman Mike Wald said the safety and health agency is looking into whether Occupational Safety and Health Administration workplace standards were violated in Brancheau 's death . The agency will complete a report within six months , he said . If workplace infractions are found , OSHA will propose financial penalties , Wald said . If that happens , the company could accept the penalties and make needed workplace changes or appeal the penalties before an OSHA review commission . Inspectors also are looking into the incident from an animal-welfare perspective , said David Sacks , an Agriculture Department spokesman . The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service wants to know whether federal standards were violated in the exhibiting of warm-blooded mammals . SeaWorld shows with killer whales resumed on Saturday . | NEW : Mourners pack Dawn Brancheau 's funeral at church in Chicago , Illinois . The animal trainer died last week after whale dragged her underwater at SeaWorld . Memorial services to be held later in Orlando , Florida . | [[19, 87], [127, 217], [220, 238], [243, 329], [753, 814], [1271, 1282], [1338, 1387], [342, 407], [420, 436]] |
Berlin , Germany -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A bomb scare that affected about 100 flights at Munich Airport in Germany on Wednesday may have been a false alarm , German police told CNN . Police launched a huge manhunt Wednesday after a passenger appeared to flee from security officers when his laptop computer bag tested positive for explosives , they said . Police originally said authorities wanted to take the man in for further testing after his bag set off suspicions , but he ran . They said a bomb squad was testing the bag to see if it really contained explosives . But authorities later said the man may simply have been in a hurry , grabbed his things and left the airport . They do not have the laptop case , they said . They are still trying to find the man , they said , but are no longer describing the search as a huge manhunt . Police earlier said they were reviewing airport security videos to try to figure out where the man went . It was not clear if that was what caused them to change their evaluation of the situation . Police did not know which flight the man was booked on . Part of the airport was shut down after the suspect fled , but was later reopened . All planes in the area of Terminal 2 , where the incident took place , were evacuated and all luggage was removed , police said . The passengers had to leave the secure area and be rescreened , an airport representative told CNN , adding that the airport was otherwise operating normally . About 100 flights were affected by the security measures . Some were canceled and others were delayed , the airport said , adding that activity has slowly begun to return to normal . The airport Web site was still showing some delays to flights leaving Terminal 2 several hours after the incident . The incident took place as a United States Senate committee debated the foiled Christmas Day attack aboard a plane bound from Amsterdam in the Netherlands to Detroit , Michigan . The committee chairman , Sen. Joseph Lieberman , I-Connecticut , said it is `` infuriating '' that the December 25 suspect , Nigerian Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab , was able to board the plane in the Netherlands with a U.S. visa . Janet Napolitano , secretary of homeland security , said AbdulMutallab `` was not on the no-fly list , which would 've flagged him to be prevented from boarding , nor was he on the selectee list , which would 've flagged him for secondary screening . '' `` Furthermore , the physical screening performed by foreign authorities at airports in Nigeria and the Netherlands did not detect explosives on his body , '' Napolitano said . `` As this incident underscores , aviation security is increasingly an international responsibility . '' She said top Homeland Security Department officials are embarking on a multicontinent tour to meet with international counterparts about airline and airport security . She said she would leave Wednesday evening for Spain and a meeting with European Union officials . CNN 's Frederik Pleitgen contributed to this report . | NEW : Man who appeared to flee may just have been in a hurry , police say . NEW : Police still seeking man , but search not being called big manhunt . NEW : Passengers had to leave Terminal 2 for rescreening ; about 100 flights affected . Man left checkpoint after laptop bag tested positive for explosives . | [[570, 676], [764, 768], [780, 835], [36, 48], [54, 109], [1465, 1523], [225, 236], [246, 336]] |
Sargodha , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The mother of one of the five young men arrested in Pakistan told CNN Thursday that her son was in that country to get married , not to plot terror attacks as Pakistani police have alleged . The FBI was in Pakistan on Thursday interrogating the men , who some U.S. and Pakistani law enforcement officials have identified as Americans , according to Usman Anwar , head of the district police of Sargodha , about 120 miles south of Islamabad . The five had been reported missing from Virginia , and police are confident they were planning terrorist acts , Tahir Gujjrar , deputy superintendent of police in Sargodha , told CNN on Wednesday . Pakistani authorities said they believe the young men tried to connect with militant groups . In an interview with CNN , Subira Farouk said her son , Umar , was one of the young men detained in the case . She said her husband also was arrested , which would bring to six the number of people in custody . Police confirmed they have six people in custody , not five , as was originally reported . Farouk said her son would never plot a terror attack . She described him as a business student at George Mason University in suburban Washington . Farouk said she and her husband went to Pakistan to arrange a marriage for their son , who surprised her by traveling from the United States . The arrests came after a raid Wednesday on a home in Sargodha , Gujjrar said . Investigators found laptops and maps of Pakistan containing highlighted areas that correspond to regions where terrorists have been active , Anwar said . It is too premature to link the men with any terrorist organizations , he said , but preliminary investigations suggest they had sought to link up with the Jaish-e-Mohammed and Jamaat ud Dawa militant organizations . Neither group showed interest , he said . President Obama said Thursday that he envisioned `` a series of investigations '' into the arrests . `` I think the details are still forthcoming , '' Obama said . `` There will undoubtedly be a series of investigations surrounding these events , so I 'd prefer not to comment on them at this point . '' Farouk said her son mentioned that he planned to go to a conference with friends . She said she did not hear from him , grew concerned and began calling his friends ' parents . That 's when she realized that he and his friends were missing . She said she thought they had been kidnapped . Their families contacted the Council on American Islamic Relations and U.S. law enforcement authorities . Farouk said the authorities advised her to stay in Pakistan . Later , Farouk said she got a call from a relative in Pakistan who said her son was in the country with several friends . She said she was relieved , thinking her son had surprised her , but then authorities arrested her husband , her son and his friends . The U.S. law enforcement official said none of the five missing men had shown up on law enforcement 's radar before they were reported missing . Authorities believe their intent was to wage jihad overseas rather than in terrorist acts in the United States , the official said , but `` there is still a lot of uncertainty about what they were up to . '' CNN 's Arwa Damon , Jeanne Meserve and Elise Labott contributed to this report . | Mother says son was in Pakistan to get married , not plot attacks . Her husband also arrested , she says . Five young men reported missing from Virginia . | [[11, 35], [100, 194], [1075, 1129], [1222, 1306], [884, 924], [481, 529]] |
Paris , France -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A French judge has issued an arrest warrant for U.S. cyclist Floyd Landis for allegedly hacking into the computer system of the French anti-doping agency 's laboratory , the agency 's president said Tuesday . Investigating Judge Thomas Cassuto issued the warrant January 28 for the alleged hacking of the lab 's computer system in 2006 , said Marie-Christine Daubigney , the assistant prosecutor of the tribunal in Nanterre , near Paris . It was not immediately clear why the judge was issuing the warrant after more than three years . Landis , 34 , was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France win and suspended from cycling for two years after he tested positive for synthetic testosterone , a banned male sex hormone . Oscar Pereiro of Spain inherited the 2006 title after Landis was disqualified . Landis appealed , maintaining the French laboratory made errors in his case . The Court of Arbitration for Sport , which handles international sports disputes , upheld the ban and the decision to strip him of his title in June 2008 . The warrant relates to the computer system of the AFLD , the French anti-doping agency that conducted drugs testing at the Tour , said AFLD President Pierre Bordry . The International Cycling Union , which governs the sport worldwide , has dropped the AFLD as the anti-doping agency for this year 's Tour de France , though the decision has nothing to do with the Landis case , union spokesman Enrico Carpani told CNN . The decision had to do with comments Bordry made after the 2009 Tour , Carpani said . A new anti-doping agency has yet to be chosen for the 2010 race , he said . | Landis allegedly hacked into French anti-doping agency 's computer system . Oscar Pereiro of Spain inherited the 2006 title after Landis was disqualified . French judge issued the warrant after the laboratory computer system was hacked . | [[82, 100], [108, 201], [1065, 1119], [751, 830], [805, 830], [0, 5], [8, 30], [34, 107], [82, 100], [108, 201], [243, 369]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A two-time world lawn bowls champion has been banned from top-level competition and fined after being found guilty of match-fixing . Gary Lawson , one of New Zealand 's most successful bowlers with a joint-record 10 national titles , has been suspended for six months and fined $ NZ5 ,000 -LRB- $ 3,500 -RRB- following an incident at a tournament last year . It means he is likely to miss out on selection for this year 's Commonwealth Games in India . The New Zealand fours team , of which Lawson was the leader , was accused by Canada of deliberately losing a match against Thailand at the Asia Pacific Championships in Kuala Lumpur last August . New Zealand were defeated 17-15 , having already qualified for post-section play , and Canada alleged the Kiwis lost on purpose to earn a more favorable quarterfinal draw . The subsequent investigation has caused a furore in a genteel sport most often seen as a recreational pursuit for retirees . Lawson 's teammates Jamie Hill , Shayne Sincock and Shannon McIlroy were fined $ NZ1 ,000 each -LRB- $ 700 -RRB- but avoided a suspension . A Bowls NZ judicial committee laid the blame at the 43-year-old Lawson 's feet . `` He was the skip and was literally and figuratively calling the shots . We are satisfied that the idea to lose the 17th end would have come from him , '' it said in a statement on Wednesday . `` From what evidence we have , it is our opinion that once the Canadian complaint was referred to it , Bowls NZ not only proceeded with due expedition with the only course available to it but also was at pains through its counsel to provide all other requirements in a timely manner . `` The delays that occurred subsequently were to a very large degree brought about in an effort to make sure that the respondents , at each stage of the proceedings , were not denied natural justice . '' Lawson , who won two world titles on home soil in 2009 , last month blamed Bowls NZ chief executive Kerry Clark for blowing the incident out of proportion . `` The Canadians needed to beat Thailand otherwise they were going to miss out on the quarters . When it did n't happen , they put a protest in . But it was always an informal protest and they did n't want it to go further , '' he told Radio Sport . `` Kerry Clark turned up the next day , and he 's the guy who pushed it -- he pushed it at World Bowls level with coach Dave Edwards , and at the end of the day it got blown way out of proportion . `` This is about Kerry Clark himself -- he does n't like me and I think he has n't done a very good job . It 's just a shame he 's used this to have a crack at me . '' | Two-time world lawn bowls champion Gary Lawson banned from top-level competition . Lawson also fined after being found guilty of match-fixing at tournament last year . His New Zealand fours team was accused of deliberately losing to Thailand . Canada complained that Kiwis had done so to earn a more favorable quarterfinal draw . | [[0, 15], [41, 98], [0, 15], [103, 151], [152, 163], [291, 302], [328, 377], [304, 307], [314, 377], [472, 509], [534, 580], [472, 498], [556, 667], [755, 840], [472, 509], [534, 580], [755, 840]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Elizabeth Smart was not afraid to face Brian Mitchell in her first testimony detailing her 2002 abduction . Elizabeth Smart , now 21 and in college , testified that Brian Mitchell raped her daily . In fact , her father said , she wanted the man who allegedly kept her tethered to a tree in the Utah woods muzzled and forced to listen to her testimony . Mitchell was in court Thursday for a competency hearing , but Smart never saw him because U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball ordered him removed from the court when he ignored requests to stop singing and disrupting the proceedings . He watched via a closed-circuit camera from another room . `` She actually wanted to face him , '' Ed Smart said . `` I think she asked -LSB- U.S. Attorney Brett Tolman -RSB- if he could be muzzled and have to sit there and watch it . '' Tolman , standing alongside Smart 's father after Thursday 's hearing in Salt Lake City , confirmed the 21-year-old woman 's request : `` She did ask me whether or not -LSB- Mitchell -RSB- got to see that testimony and hear that testimony , and I indicated to her , to her relief , that he was there in a room with the audio and video and had nothing else to do but listen . '' Mitchell is accused of abducting Smart from the bedroom of her Salt Lake City , Utah , home in June 2002 . She testified that she was kept captive in Utah and California until March 2003 , when she was found walking down a street in Sandy , Utah , with Mitchell and his wife , Wanda Barzee . Smart said that , during those nine months , no 24-hour period passed without Mitchell being able to rape her . Public defender Robert Steele says Mitchell is mentally ill , but Tolman said he believes that Mitchell `` has attempted to fool or to deceive the system . '' Ed Smart said he hopes his daughter 's testimony nixes the notion that Mitchell can not stand trial , `` and if this does n't clinch the issue of competency , our nation is in really , really bad shape , because it means that anyone out there can manipulate and make the court do what it wants . '' Watch Smart 's father talk about the hearing '' Mitchell and Barzee are charged with six felony counts , including aggravated burglary , aggravated kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault . Smart 's testimony began with details of how she was abducted at knife point while she slept next to her sister . She was 14 at the time . She said Mitchell took her to a wooded area not far from her home , performed a marriage ceremony and began raping her . Mitchell often sang about his intentions , she testified : `` He would come up the mountainside , yelling , ` I 'm going to -LSB- expletive -RSB- your eyes out . ' '' Mitchell also threatened to kill her if she tried to escape , Smart said . `` He said an angel would strike me down with a sword , '' she said , `` but he also told me that he would be that angel . '' Mitchell gave her drugs and alcohol , showed her pornography and used religion to justify most of his actions , she testified . He also said he was God 's servant , a prophet , and would one day face and kill the Antichrist , she said . On one occasion , Smart said , she vomited after Mitchell gave her too much to drink . `` He let me lie face-down in my vomit for the entire night until I woke up the next day , '' she told the court . `` He said that was showing my true state , that I was laying face-down in my vomit . '' That morning illustrated a recurring theme , she said , explaining that Mitchell often rationalized his actions by saying they would ultimately yield greater spirituality . `` He said that first I had to be humbled and to sink below all things before arising above all things , '' she recalled . `` You have to experience the lowest form of humanity to experience the highest . '' Smart , now a Brigham Young University student and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , described Mitchell as `` evil , wicked , manipulative , sneaky , slimy , selfish , greedy , not spiritual , not religious , not close to God . '' During her nine months in captivity , Mitchell kept her in Utah until the winter approached , at which point he transported her to San Diego , California , she said . It 's unclear when they returned to Utah , but Elizabeth Smart testified that she convinced Mitchell that they should hitchhike back to Salt Lake City . She told the court her ulterior motive was to return to an area where she more easily could be recognized and rescued . While in Utah , Mitchell kept her confined with a cable attached to her leg , she said . The 10-foot tether was locked on to another cable that was 15 to 20 feet long . `` He had a big cable bolted onto my leg , which was strung between two trees , and there was a lock that would slide between the two trees , '' she said . `` He had the key around his neck the entire time . '' Asked how often she was raped , she replied , `` On a daily basis , up to three or four times . '' She resisted his advances several times , she said , once biting him as he tried to have sex with her . `` He said that if I ever did that again , he would never have sex with me again , and I would be the most miserable woman in the world , '' she said . `` It did n't make a difference that he said that . I mean , it did n't stop him . '' After the hearing , Ed Smart said he was `` amazed at her strength '' and `` I do n't know how she could have done a better job . '' Asked about his daughter 's reaction following her testimony , he said , `` Phew , it 's over . '' He bordered on tears when asked whether he had learned anything Thursday about his daughter 's abduction . `` There were certainly a lot of things that I had never heard before , and I had no idea what she had gone through -- so much out there , '' he said . Prosecutor Tolman said Smart 's `` powerful '' testimony demonstrated that Mitchell was manipulative and inclined to be deceptive , but defense attorney Steele said Mitchell 's guile did not negate his mental illness . `` Those things can exist side by side : manipulativeness and mental illness , '' he said . Smart testified Thursday because she is scheduled to leave soon on a mission , customary of the Mormon religion . The prosecution plans to call dozens of witnesses when the competency hearing continues at the end of November , Tolman said . Included are people who have been incarcerated with Mitchell , he said . `` The battle is not over . This is the very beginning of it , '' he said . Asked whether he would be willing to accept a plea bargain , Tolman said there was no indication that one was imminent . `` We 're inclined to prosecute this case vigorously and present it to a jury , '' he said . | Elizabeth Smart testifies against accused captor for first time . Smart , now 21 , was abducted from her bedroom at knife point at age 14 . Brian Mitchell sings in court and is ordered removed . Mitchell 's defense says he 's not competent to stand trial ; prosecutors disagree . | [[19, 95], [19, 34], [50, 126], [127, 144], [169, 216], [1220, 1319], [2273, 2349], [2314, 2386], [2387, 2411], [503, 603], [1624, 1683]] |
Lakewood , Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Whoever fatally shot four police officers Sunday in a coffee shop outside Tacoma , Washington , may have been wounded by one of the victims , police said . Authorities are trying to determine who killed four Lakewood police officers in the shop in neighboring Parkland on Sunday morning . Investigators are checking with area hospitals to determine whether the gunman sought treatment after the shooting , Pierce County sheriff 's spokesman Ed Troyer said . `` There 's ... evidence that a Lakewood officer fired some shots , and we hope he hit him , '' Troyer said . Troyer said authorities are seeking Maurice Clemmons , 37 , of Pierce County as a `` person of interest . '' He did not identify Clemens as a suspect . Authorities identified the victims as Sgt. Mark Renninger , 39 ; Officer Ronald Owens , 37 ; Officer Tina Griswold , 40 ; and Officer Greg Richards , 42 . The officers were sitting in the coffee shop before the start of their shifts when a gunman shot them at about 8 a.m. PT , Troyer said . The shop is a place where area law enforcement officers regularly gather to share information , he said . The attacker walked to the counter as if to order coffee before he pulled a gun out of his coat and fired , Troyer said . Two of the officers were `` executed '' as they sat at a table , another was shot when he stood up , and the fourth was shot after struggling with the gunman all the way out the door , Troyer said . `` After , we believe , some of the officers were shot , one of them managed to fight his way with the suspect ... all the way out the the doorway until he was shot and died of a gunshot wound , '' Troyer said . Sunday 's incident was the first time the Lakewood police department lost any officer to a shooting . Two employees of the coffee shop and other customers inside Forza Coffee Company were unharmed , Troyer said . One employee fled through the back door when she saw the shooter pull out his gun , he said . `` As you can imagine , they are traumatized , '' he said of those inside the coffee shop . `` Some are in shock . '' Investigators have not come up with possible motives , police said . Families of the officers have been notified , Troyer said . All of the officers were in uniform , wearing vests and had marked patrol cars parked outside , he said . Police are looking for one man in connection with the attack , though authorities are not ruling out the possibility that a second person was involved , Troyer said . A $ 10,000 reward was offered for information leading to an arrest , he said . Surveillance tapes from multiple location are being reviewed . Authorities were conducting searches in numerous locations , and dogs had been brought in to attempt to track the shooter , Troyer said . Investigators believe Clemmons , the person of interest , `` is intentionally avoiding us , '' Troyer said . Clemmons has `` extensive violent criminal history from Arkansas , including aggravated robbery and theft , '' the sheriff 's department said in a statement . He also was recently charged in Pierce County in connection with the assault of a police officer and the rape of a child , according to the statement . According to a local prosecutor in Arkansas and past articles published by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette , a repeat offender named Maurice Clemmons had his 95-year prison sentence commuted in 2001 by then-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee . Huckabee cited Clemmons ' young age -- 17 at the time of his sentencing -- when he announced his decision , according to newspaper articles . `` It was not something I was pleased with at the time , '' Larry Jegley , who prosecuted Clemmons for aggravated robbery and other charges in Pulaski County , Arkansas , told CNN Sunday . `` I would be most distressed if this is the same guy . '' Jegley said he was told Sunday by `` media and police agencies '' that the former Arkansas inmate was the same man being sought in Washington state . Some tips have come in , and investigators were following leads , one of which turned out to be `` an unfortunate hoax , '' Troyer said . A Tacoma man called `` multiple people '' claiming to be the gunman , though authorities determined the man was lying . The man was arrested and now faces obstruction charges , Troyer said . A couple of blocks surrounding the coffee shop were cordoned off . Several other police agencies were on scene to assist . Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire , in a statement , said she was `` shocked and horrified '' at the shootings . `` I offer whatever support is needed to the Pierce County Sheriff in their search for the perpetrator , '' Gregoire said . Lakewood is about 40 miles south of Seattle and 10 miles southwest of Tacoma . See a map of where the shootings took place . Bystanders gathered outside the Forza Coffee Company , some of them in tears as they spoke to CNN affiliate KING . The coffee shop is on the edge of McChord Air Force Base . Spokesman Bud McKay said the base was not shut down , but security was ramped up around the perimeter as a precaution . The military has offered assistance to police , he said , but it has not been requested . CNN 's Patrick Oppmann , Samira Simone , Dave Alsup and Dina Majoli contributed to this report . | NEW : Police name 37-year-old man as `` person of interest '' NEW : Man has `` extensive violent criminal history from Arkansas , '' police say . Four police officers fatally shot in coffee shop near Tacoma , Washington . One of the officers fought gunman , may have shot him , police say . | [[609, 714], [621, 714], [183, 196], [2172, 2185], [2908, 3013], [41, 121], [183, 196], [500, 512], [524, 564], [1537, 1626], [2172, 2185]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In a rare move , a senior cardinal spoke before the pope 's Easter Mass address at the Vatican on Sunday , saying the pontiff maintains the support of Catholics around the world `` who do not let themselves be influenced by the gossip . '' `` Today , with you are the cardinals from the Roman Curia , all the bishops and priests around the world , '' said Cardinal Angelo Sodano , former Vatican secretary of state and the dean of the College of Cardinals . Speaking at the beginning of the Easter Sunday ceremony , Sodano did not specifically mention the sexual abuse scandal that has engulfed the Catholic Church in recent months . But his remarks clearly referred to those who have criticized Catholic leaders , including Pope Benedict XVI himself , for not having done much more during his years as a top official . Sodano said the pope has the support of those who work in schools , hospitals and care centers , including 400,000 priests . `` Also with you are the faithful who do not let themselves be influenced by gossip , '' Sodano said in Italian , using the word `` chiacchiericcio , '' which means chatter or gossip . `` May the Lord continue to sustain your mission at the service of the church in the world . '' In his Easter message , the pope did not address the scandal that encompasses high-profile abuse cases in several countries including Ireland , France , the United States , Mexico and his native Germany . More and more people have come forward complaining that as children they were victims of abuse by religious leaders , and that the church did little or nothing to stop it . Some Catholic leaders took the opportunity Sunday to condemn the Roman Catholic hierarchy . `` The lives of survivors of child sexual abuse , the faith of members of the church , and the credibility of church leadership have all been wounded grievously by the evil deeds of priests and religious who exploited their position to wreak havoc on the lives of helpless children . Those wounds were aggravated by serious mismanagement on the part of bishops and other leaders in the Church , '' said Irish Cardinal Sean Brady in his homily . He apologized to victims and vowed to do his part to keep the safety of those in the church his overriding concern . In a letter last month , the pope said he was `` truly sorry '' for the abuse suffered by victims at the hands of Catholic priests in Ireland . Also Sunday , Belgium 's top Roman Catholic bishop addressed the scandal . `` Through a guilty silence , we often preferred the reputation of certain men of the church to the honor of these abused children , '' said Andre Joseph Leonard , archbishop of Mechelen-Brussel . `` Here , as well , we must , by the force of truth , give dignity back to those who were so atrociously exploited . '' German Archbishop Robert Zollitsch also brought up the scandal in his Easter address , saying , `` We need to go down the path together and take into full view the unfathomable occurrences , the horrible crimes , the dark sides of the church and the dark parts in ourselves . But we can not leave it at that alone . We need a new beginning . '' In a message Friday on the Web site of the Archdiocese of Freiburg , Zollitsch expressed `` sadness , horror and shame , '' as well as his `` disappointment over the painful failure of the offenders , and that the victims were n't helped enough because of the misplaced concern about the reputation of the church . '' The Archdiocese of Munich and Freising -- once headed by Pope Benedict XVI -- has been criticized for ignoring warnings to keep one of its priests away from children despite the man having been convicted of pedophilia . The priest , the Rev. Peter Hullermann , was convicted of abusing minors in 1986 , but was later allowed to continue his priestly work and to deal with children . A new allegation of abuse recently surfaced against Hullermann , dating from 1998 in the town of Garching . Cardinal Friedrich Wetter , archbishop at the time , has apologized for allowing Hullermann to work in the town after his conviction . The German Diocese of Regensburg confirmed last month that four Catholic priests and two nuns have been accused of sexually abusing children . Five of the cases are from the 1970s and one is from the 1980s . German lawyers representing alleged victims say there are more than 300 cases across Germany . Some of the cases date back to the 1950s . A few priests have called for the pope to step down . `` The ever growing sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church has now reached the doorstep of the Vatican . Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger , now Pope Benedict XVI , knew -- or should have known -- about pedophile priests under his authority , '' the Rev. Roy Bourgeois of Columbus , Georgia , said Friday . While the Vatican has emphasized Benedict 's concern about the scandal , the pontiff focused his Easter remarks on other issues . Citing the story of the Exodus , he said , `` In our days too , humanity needs an ` exodus ' , not just superficial adjustment , but a spiritual and moral conversion . It needs the salvation of the Gospel , so as to emerge from a profound crisis , one which requires deep change , beginning with consciences , '' Benedict said . He mentioned several of the world 's leading international crises , praying for an exodus from war and violence in the Middle East and an end to suffering for Christian communities , especially in Iraq . `` May the risen Lord sustain the Christians who suffer persecution and even death for their faith , as for example in Pakistan , '' he said . He cited the `` dangerous resurgence '' of drug crimes in Latin America and the Caribbean , the `` appalling tragedy '' of the earthquake in Haiti , and the `` grave catastrophe '' of the quake in Chile . `` In the strength of the risen Jesus , may the conflicts in Africa come to an end , conflicts which continue to cause destruction and suffering , '' the pope said , adding , `` In particular I entrust to the Lord the future of the Democratic Republic of Congo , Guinea and Nigeria . '' He prayed for all countries affected by terrorism and discrimination , and touched on the financial crisis as well . `` To the leaders of nations , may Easter bring light and strength , so that economic and financial activity may finally be driven by the criteria of truth , justice and fraternal aid . '' Concluding his annual `` Urbi et Orbi '' -- `` To the City and to the World '' -- address , Benedict added , `` Easter does not work magic . Just as the Israelites found the desert awaiting them on the far side of the Red Sea , so the Church , after the resurrection , always finds history filled with joy and hope , grief and anguish . And yet , this history is changed , it is marked by a new and eternal covenant , it is truly open to the future . '' | NEW : Some Catholic leaders condemn church hierarchy in wake of abuse scandal . Cardinal says pope has support of the faithful , including 400,000 priests . Cardinal Angelo Sodano spoke before Vatican 's Easter Mass ceremony . Pope 's Easter message asks God 's help with international crises , disasters . | [[686, 694], [699, 761], [1623, 1714], [1650, 1653], [1666, 1714], [36, 53], [126, 199], [839, 884], [36, 90], [477, 532], [5265, 5330], [5469, 5502], [5964, 5980], [5983, 5989], [5993, 6030], [5964, 5975], [5983, 5989], [5993, 6100]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Internet connection in Myanmar was cut Friday , limiting the free flow of information the nation 's citizens were sharing with the world depicting the violent crackdown on monks and other peaceful demonstrators . Ko Htike runs his Myanmar blog out of his London apartment and says he 's trying to stop the violence . Myanmar-based blogs went dark suddenly . But London-based blogger Ko Htike -- who has been one of the most prominent bloggers posting information about the violence -- has vowed to keep up the fight , saying where `` there is a will , there is a way . '' `` I sadly announce that the Burmese military junta has cut off the Internet connection throughout the country , '' he said on his blog Friday . `` I , therefore , would not be able to feed in pictures of the brutality by the brutal Burmese military junta . '' Ko Htike is a 28-year-old who left Myanmar , once known as Burma , seven years ago to study in England . Watch a blogger 's fight for Myanmar '' He told CNN.com a day earlier that he has as many as 40 people in Myanmar sending him photos or calling him with information . They often take the photos from windows from their homes , he said . Myanmar 's military junta has forbidden such images , and anyone who sends them is risking their lives . `` If they get caught , you will never know their future . Maybe just disappear or maybe life in prison or maybe dead , '' he told CNN . Why would they take such risks ? `` They thought that this is their duty for the country , '' he said . `` That 's why they are doing it . It 's like a mission . '' Even with Friday 's action by the government , he said he will continue to do all he can to get images of what 's happening out for the world to see . `` I will also try my best to feed in their demonic appetite of fear and paranoia by posting any pictures that I receive through other means , '' he said on his blog . `` I will continue to live with the motto that ` if there is a will there is a way . ' '' With few Western journalists allowed in Myanmar , his blog has become one of the main information outlets . More than 170,000 people from 175 countries have gone to the blog , according to a counter on the page . On Friday , shots rang out in the streets of Myanmar 's biggest city of Yangon , marking the third straight day of violence at the hands of the ruling military junta to suppress citizen protests . See photos of the protests '' One diplomat told CNN that a Western witness had reported seeing about 35 bodies lying in rows on a street near Sule Pagoda , with civilians praying over them . CNN could not independently confirm the report , and it was not known if the bodies were from Friday or the result of earlier violence . According to The Associated Press , British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Friday he believes the loss of life in Myanmar has been `` far greater '' than is being reported . In a country where Buddhist monks are revered , the violence against them could stir even more outrage among the people of Myanmar . `` Now , there is blood shed on the monastery , '' Htike said . The Internet has also spawned other Myanmar pages . On the popular online community of Facebook , several Myanmar support pages were set up with links keeping a close eye on the latest developments . One letter floating around the Internet from a group calling itself the `` Global Alliance of Burmese Students '' called on people abroad to stage protests . `` We call on you to take action , to take the lead , and to show solidarity with our fellow countrymen back home , '' it said . `` The streets of Yangon bleed red , and it will all be in vain if we do not act and mobilize for change . '' Other people used technology as simple as the cell phone as a means to get the word out on what was happening . `` We did n't do any terrorism , but they sharp-shoot us , '' one woman said by phone inside Myanmar Thursday . `` I just want to say we have no weapons and no rights . '' She added , `` Who can help us ? '' The last time the nation saw such widespread protests was in 1988 , when today 's instantaneous means of communication did not exist . The government used brutal force to quash that democratic uprising , with few people seeing what happened . View a timeline of events there '' Today 's technology allows anyone with the means to capture what is happening . Despite the cutting of the Internet inside the country , people can still take pictures and videos with cell phones and send them to the outside world . `` They are ready to die for that , '' Vincent Brossels with Reporters Without Borders said on Thursday . `` I spoke with a Burmese journalist this morning in Rangoon and he told me that now I do n't care about anything . I 'm ready to be in jail . I 'm ready to die for that . '' Benjamin Valk , a 25-year-old student from a university in Tokyo , Japan , sent CNN.com video of saffron-robed monks carrying out a peaceful protest earlier this week in Yangon , once known as Rangoon . The video shows thousands of monks and civilians walking together and chanting . He said he felt compelled to share the video because people `` should know what is happening in a country like Myanmar . '' `` In a world where democracy is considered the better or perhaps the best political system , there is huge global support for a people who dare to openly challenge a military dictatorship and call for democracy , '' Valk said . `` I think it 's good for the world to see . '' Htike agrees , saying he 's just trying to stop the killing in his homeland . `` If I can publish these kind of -LSB- photos -RSB- and this kind of news to the world , so maybe they may stop a little bit . '' E-mail to a friend . CNN 's Phil Black contributed to this report . | Internet connection in Myanmar has been cut off . London-blogger vows to keep up the fight . Woman on phone : `` Who can help us ? '' Student sent video to CNN because people `` should know what is happening '' | [[598, 705], [385, 414], [496, 538], [3892, 3944], [4005, 4014], [4018, 4037], [4017, 4037], [4833, 4846], [4908, 4943], [5117, 5176], [5125, 5237]] |
Bangkok , Thailand -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thousands of anti-government protesters defied an order Sunday to disperse from the capital 's commercial center , but the government said it would use negotiation -- not force -- to get them to comply . Police estimated that as many as 50,000 members of the group United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship were at the Rajprasong intersection in the heart of Bangkok . They forced the closure of luxury shopping malls , blocked entrances to five-star hotels and made access to a holy shrine difficult . A spokesman for the government 's peacekeeping operations , Col. Sansern Kaewkamnerd , said that the protesters had `` incited and created a situation which has caused great inconvenience to the conduct of business and the pursuit of normal activity . '' He said that the gathering was not considered to be a `` peaceful demonstration sanctioned by the constitution . '' The government 's Center for Administration of Peace and Order -LRB- CAPO -RRB- announced a clause to the country 's Internal Security Act on Saturday night that makes unlawful gatherings punishable by up to a year in prison and a fine . Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva took to the airwaves Sunday , urging people in the affected area to be patient . He said his administration is negotiating with the protesters to peacefully disperse and that the government did not intend to use force . The opposition group , also known as the `` red shirts , '' is demanding that the prime minister dissolve the parliament within 15 days . Abhisit has said that doing so would not solve the country 's political crisis . Cheerful , dancing red shirt protests . The two sides met for meetings on March 28 and 29 , but they ended in a stalemate . The demonstrators are supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra , who was ousted in a bloodless military coup in 2006 . Thaksin was the only Thai prime minister to serve a full term and remains hugely popular . He fled the country in 2008 while facing trial on corruption charges that he says were politically motivated . The protesters say Abhisit was not democratically elected and have demanded that he call elections . CNN 's Kocha Olarn contributed to this report . | Up to 50,000 protesters occupy commercial heart of the Thai capital . Opposition `` red shirts '' demand that PM Abhisit dissolve parliament soon . Supporters of Thaksin Shinawatra say they will continue until demands are met . | [[0, 7], [10, 34], [78, 150], [242, 412], [264, 412], [1409, 1429], [1437, 1463], [1466, 1546], [1752, 1828]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine agreed Tuesday to review the report examining the deadly 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech and to correct any errors based on what has been learned since its publication . Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 students and faculty members on April 16 , 2007 , then killed himself . Relatives of some of the victims of the 2007 shootings issued a statement Tuesday asking Kaine to reinstate the panel that investigated the nation 's deadliest shooting spree and prepared the report . Gordon Hickey , Kaine 's press secretary , said that `` re-convening the panel '' would be `` problematic '' because its members participated voluntarily and it seems unlikely they could gather again . Hickey said Kaine has asked families to send his office corrections or changes that they feel need to be made . And Kaine said on Washington-based WTOP 's `` Ask the Governor '' program , `` I have made a commitment to the families of those who were injured and killed at Virginia Tech that the report that was done under my direction ... that we are going to open the factual narrative of that report and look at any information that has come in since . '' The family members contend that the August 2007 report compiled by the independent Virginia Tech Review Panel contains `` grave errors , misinformation and glaring omissions , '' their statement says . `` We feel an incomplete and inaccurate report does not respect our loved ones , or us , and is potentially harmful to the public , '' they wrote . Thirty-two people , nearly all of them students or professors , died when 23-year-old Cho Seung-Hui went on a shooting spree on campus April 16 , 2007 . He then turned a gun on himself . Kaine announced last week that mental health records belonging to Cho were recently found at the home of Dr. Robert Miller , former director of Virginia Tech 's Cook Counseling Center . Miller has said that he mistakenly took the the files when he left his job there more than a year before the shootings . Kaine said the absence of the records was a mystery and a concern during the investigation . The files were discovered in connection with a civil lawsuit , he said without elaborating . The governor said his office is asking Cho 's family for permission to make the records public . Lori Haas , whose daughter Emily was grazed by a bullet in a French class Cho attacked , said she and the other families are seeking answers to new issues . `` New information leads to new questions , '' Haas said . Haas , whose daughter survived and who was among those who received compensation in the settlement , said the report has errors in its timeline for the day of the shootings . Nearly all the families , including Haas , pursued wrongful-death and personal injury claims against the state after the panel 's report was published . The study concluded that more timely and more specific information from university officials might have saved lives . College officials at the Blacksburg campus were criticized for not immediately warning students and staff after two students were found dead in a dormitory at 7 a.m. on the day of the killings . Police said they initially believed that the two had been involved in a romantic dispute but later determined that they were Cho 's first victims . It was almost 9:30 a.m. before authorities sent an e-mail to students and staff notifying them of the shootings and warning them to be cautious . About 9:50 a.m. , Cho began shooting people in Norris Hall , an engineering and classroom building . While criticizing the university response , the panel -- which included former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge -- also said that quicker action by school officials may not have made a difference . The report also noted that campus and state agencies might have taken a different approach to Cho had his middle - and high-school records followed him to Virginia Tech , officially Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University . Problems with Cho reportedly began to surface well before the shootings . The records detailed his mental health issues , including a tendency to react to depression with violence . | Gov. Tim Kaine asks victims ' families to suggest corrections to report . Families had asked him to reconvene Virginia Tech Review Panel . They say report on 2007 shootings contains `` grave errors '' Gunman killed 32 people on Virginia campus . | [[712, 795], [724, 813], [309, 426], [1170, 1364], [1202, 1343], [1375, 1418], [1520, 1537], [1584, 1672]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jesse James was cited for vandalism after an incident last week with a photographer near his Long Beach , California , motorcycle shop , police said . Celebrity photographer Ulises Rios also was cited for stalking James , Long Beach Police Sgt. Dina Zapalski said . Long Beach detectives were given a copy of the video of the March 25 run-in recorded by Rios , his lawyer said . James , a motorcycle designer and reality TV star , has been the target of controversy and publicity since his separation with actress Sandra Bullock soon after she won a best actress Oscar earlier this month . James is at a treatment facility `` to deal with personal issues '' in a bid to save his marriage to Bullock , a spokeswoman for James said Wednesday . A citation is the equivalent of an arrest , Sgt. Zapalski said . The Long Beach city prosecutor will decide if the cases will be prosecuted , she said . Detectives with the city 's violent crimes section met with the lawyer for Rios Thursday morning to obtain a copy of the video , attorney Mark Haushalter said . The video shows James confronting Rios , who is sitting in a vehicle park across the street from West Coast Choppers , a business owned by James , Haushalter said . Two tires on the SUV were slashed , a door was dented and a window was scratched , he said . The lawyer for James did not immediately respond to CNN requests for comment . | Sandra Bullock 's husband , Jesse James , was cited for vandalism . Photographer Ulises Rios was cited for stalking James . Rios recorded the March 25th incident . City prosecutors will decide if the cases will be prosecuted . | [[0, 5], [19, 153], [170, 204], [210, 263], [341, 357], [361, 377], [826, 900]] |
-LRB- Travel + Leisure -RRB- -- You 're sitting in a hip Tokyo cafe , having a fish cake and sake . Your server has been especially attentive , so when the check arrives , you think nothing of pulling out some extra yen and leaving a healthy 20 percent tip . But suddenly things go horribly wrong : the server turns wide-eyed , becomes agitated , and walks away . What happened ?! You 'll likely come across more people at a hotel that need to be tipped than anywhere else as you travel . Tipping in Japan and many other Asian countries is simply not a way of life . In fact , it 's usually regarded as a vulgar display of wealth and a disregard for the culture . The same can be true in Europe and Latin America ... though not always . And in the United States , of course , tipping is expected -LRB- and sometimes demanded -RRB- . With expectations all over the map , it 's not surprising that anxiety and confusion about whom to tip -- and how much -- are commonplace for travelers . So we 've done the legwork for you , talking with concierges , tourist boards , and other travelers to find out the real protocol on when -LRB- and when not -RRB- to reach into your wallet and how much of a tip you should give to waiters , sky caps , maids , doormen , and cabbies all over the world . Of course , tipping is confusing enough for Americans traveling domestically . The expectation is to tip not only big but also often , from the kid handing you a Venti coffee at Starbucks to the multiple hotel hands that rush to open doors , carry bags , and offer an escort to the hotel room . Go abroad and the situation changes . The legion of skycaps , cab drivers , bellboys , and waiters may perform the same services as their U.S. counterparts , but they often have radically different expectations of a tip . You can credit different customs , as well as a service industry with a different wage scale . In the United States , tips usually abet low wages . In other parts of the world , service employees are often paid a living wage . If you 're taking a taxi in Chile or New Zealand , for example , the driver wo n't give you the evil eye if you do n't tip -- it 's not expected . Read Travel + Leisure 's guide to tipping around the world . At a hotel , you 'll encounter more people who potentially need to be tipped than anywhere else during your travels . In fact , there are so many people it can become confusing . If a doorman opens the door of your cab , another takes your bag , and a third delivers it to your room , who gets the tip ? It should be the last person in the chain -- the one who actually brings the bags to your room . And at checkout , only tip the one who loads your bags onto a cart and takes them out of the room . Restaurants can be tricky , too : keep an eye out for the service charge . In many European countries , this charge averages 10 percent , but it 's usually included in the price of a meal . If it is , then do as the European do , and leave a few extra coins or round up the bill -- in cash , even if you 've paid for the meal with a credit card . And if you 're heading to Fiji , Malaysia , or South Korea , be aware that no tip is required in restaurants . Here are some other scenarios : . Spa Therapists : Tipping 15 or 20 percent is common practice in the United States but rare at any spa abroad , where a service charge is typically added to the cost of the treatment . Concierges : Situational . If a concierge gets you theater or train tickets , or has been especially helpful during the course of your stay , then a $ 10 or $ 20 tip -LRB- in local currency -RRB- is in order . Guides : Booking a ski guide to take you off-piste in Switzerland , a golf pro in Scotland , or a fishing guide in Ireland ? All should be compensated in the 10 to 15 percent range , as they would be in the United States . A good tip on tipping ? Get small bills or coins from your hotel 's front desk to make tipping easier . But if you have only large bills , it 's perfectly acceptable to ask a hotel porter or even a skycap for change when you give them a tip . After all , tips are a part of their business . They 're not embarrassed , and you need n't be either . And if you do n't have local currency , U.S. greenbacks can work just as well as a `` thank you '' in London , Lombok , or Lahore . E-mail to a friend . Planning a beach getaway this summer ? Do n't miss Travel + Leisure 's guide to Great American Beaches . Copyright 2009 American Express Publishing Corporation . All rights reserved . | Tipping conventions overseas can be vastly different from those in the United States . More people at a hotel will potentially need to be tipped than anywhere else . Get small bills or coins from your hotel 's front desk to make tipping easier . | [[420, 430], [436, 488], [2241, 2251], [2254, 2358], [2935, 2937], [2976, 3020], [3875, 3929], [3875, 3954]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The three surviving children of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. are moving forward after averting a public trial over the estates of their parents . Bernice King and her brothers Martin Luther King III and Dexter King will split money they have been fighting over . The settlement among Bernice King , Martin Luther King III and Dexter King was announced after 11:30 p.m. Monday , Fulton County Superior Court spokesman Don Plummer said . `` We disagreed with each other , but we still always loved one another , and I think that 's probably the most important factor , '' Martin Luther King III said . Bernice King and Martin Luther King III sued Dexter King in July 2008 , one month after accusing him of converting `` substantial funds from the estate 's financial account at Bank of America '' for his own use , according to the lawsuit . The lawsuit contended that Dexter King illegally and fraudulently converted estate funds and should be forced to repay the money and reimburse his siblings ' legal costs . The document does not say how much he was accused of taking . The suit also accused Dexter King of failing to provide timely accountings of their father 's estate and said he had n't given his siblings an accounting of finances in years . Dexter King denied the accusations . He said shareholder meetings had not been held in the past few years because of family deaths that disrupted normal routines . The Martin Luther King Jr. estate was also named as a defendant . Dexter King is the corporation 's president and chief executive , in addition to being the estate 's administrator . The three children are the only shareholders in the corporation . Martin Luther King III and Bernice King hold 20 percent of its outstanding shares . The two siblings also accused Dexter King of improperly removing money from the estate of their mother , Coretta Scott King , who died in 2006 . However , Superior Court Judge Ural D. Glanville determined that Dexter King was an authorized signatory on the checking account for his mother 's estate , which is administered by Bernice King . `` There was no improper conduct with respect to the removal of funds from Mrs. King 's estate , '' the court said in its order for summary judgment . The judge ordered that money withdrawn be equally divided among the siblings . '' -LRB- It was a -RRB- very long day but also a very triumphant day in that we , as a family , I think , have amicably resolved our differences , '' Dexter King said . `` Families love each other . Families have disagreements , '' Bernice King said . `` It does n't mean as we go forward we will always agree because that would be a misnomer to say that . '' The Kings have 14 days after the signing of Monday 's settlement to each find three possible temporary custodians to manage the estate for at least one year . After the names are submitted to the court , the judge will make a choice , the settlement says . According to the settlement , the appointment of a custodian will give the three children time to heal their relationship as siblings , to develop procedures for managing the corporation that oversees the Martin Luther King Jr. estate and to assure third parties `` as to the validity and enforceability of any agreements . '' One of the most bitter disagreements came over the private papers of Coretta Scott King . Dexter King accused his sister of withholding love letters between their parents that he wanted for a proposed $ 1.4 million book deal . The judge ordered that Coretta Scott King 's papers be brought to Freedom Hall at the Martin Luther King Jr. . Center in Atlanta , Georgia , for temporary storage . Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968 . HIs oldest child , Yolanda , died in 2007 . | Children of slain civil rights leader decide to split contested money equally . Settlement means siblings will avoid trial . Bernice King , Martin Luther King III had accused brother of taking estate funds . Dexter King , administrator of Martin Luther King Jr. estate , denied accusations . | [[197, 226], [254, 313], [2291, 2369], [2314, 2369], [651, 720], [733, 861], [1093, 1124], [1799, 1815], [1821, 1874], [1829, 1901], [1302, 1338]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former President Alfonso Portillo of Guatemala faces money-laundering charges in the United States , according to a federal indictment unsealed Monday . The indictment charges Portillo with embezzling tens of millions of dollars in public funds , `` a portion of which he then laundered through bank accounts located , among other places , in the United States and Europe , '' the indictment says . A grand jury indicted Portillo in U.S. District Court in New York . Portillo engineered an embezzlement with co-conspirators that occurred from about 2000 through about 2003 , the indictment says . Prosecutors allege the money-laundering took place through at least 2006 . Portillo was the president of Guatemala from 2000 to 2004 . Authorities in Guatemala started searching for him after the United States requested his extradition , a spokesman for the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala told CNN en Español on Sunday . They executed search warrants in four locations but had not found him as of Sunday night , officials said . Portillo came into power promising to clean up corruption , but found his own government mired in the same accusations as his predecessors . According to the indictment , in one instance in 2000 , Portillo funneled $ 1.5 million worth of donations for a literacy project from Taiwan into accounts in Europe controlled by his ex-wife and daughter . In that case , the indictment alleges , Portillo endorsed three $ 500,000 checks destined for a program to purchase books for libraries , but diverted the funds into a bank in Miami , Florida . That money was eventually laundered into his family 's accounts in Europe , the court document states . In short , `` this money was diverted , in a series of transactions and transfers designed to conceal the sources and origin of the funds , '' the indictment states . There was a second instance where Portillo allegedly embezzled money given to Guatemala by the Taiwanese , according to the document . In addition , Portillo is accused of embezzling money from his defense ministry in 2001 . With the help of others , Portillo made large cash transactions that ended up in accounts belonging to him and his co-conspirators , the document says . Some of the money that Portillo took went to buy expensive watches and cars , the indictment says . | Indictment unsealed Monday charges former Guatemalan president with embezzlement . Alfonso Portillo charged in U.S. court with alleged money-laundering scheme . As of Sunday , authorities in Guatemala had not found Portillo . | [[0, 15], [120, 171], [172, 263], [0, 15], [66, 117], [961, 965], [1013, 1049]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Democrats and Republicans woke up this week with a fresh perspective on the midterm elections . To many political observers , the election of Republican Scott Brown is a game changer . He overcame what at one point was a 30-point deficit to defeat Democrat Martha Coakley in a special election to serve out the remainder of the late Ted Kennedy 's Senate term . Democrats are trying to calm frustrated voters and make sure that recent losses in Massachusetts , New Jersey and Virginia do n't become a national trend . Republicans , still jubilant from last week 's win , are hoping to capitalize on the excitement brewing from a refueled base . `` As a Frank Sinatra fan , I think of the great song ` New York , New York , ' and really for Republicans right now , we think if we can make it there in Massachusetts and New Jersey , we can make it anywhere , '' Republican strategist Doug Heye said . `` There 's no state in the union right now that Republicans do n't feel that they can be competitive in . '' The passion awakened in Republicans could put Democrats at a disadvantage as the midterm elections near , experts say . `` The problems for the Democrats will be remobilizing the enthusiasm that they had in 2008 , and I think that is a serious problem . Right now , the Republicans have the advantage of strong emotions , and that tends to pull their people to the polls , whereas weak emotions do not , '' said Curtis Gans , director of the Committee for the Study of the American Electorate at American University . Dr. Elizabeth Ossoff , a psychology professor at Saint Anselm College who specializes in voting behavior , said voters start from an emotional perspective and then get rational . `` If you can grab them emotionally , I think you 've gone a long way toward getting them where you want them to be , voting either Democrat or Republican , '' said Ossoff , who is also the director of research for the New Hampshire Institute of Politics . President Obama rode into the White House on a compelling message of change , inspiring his base while also winning over independent voters . But a year after his inauguration , polls suggest that much of the excitement that followed him has disappeared . Are you an independent voter ? Tell us why . A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released this month found that 39 percent of Democrats say they 're extremely or very enthusiastic about voting this year , down 11 points from November . Forty-nine percent of Republicans questioned in the poll say they 're enthusiastic , up 6 points . '' -LSB- Democrats -RSB- will try to mobilize more voters , but you have to overcome the enthusiasm gap . The best grassroots , ground operation will only work if the territory is fertile , '' Gans said . He predicted the economy will be the most important issue in the midterms . The Obama administration has said it plans to emphasize job growth both in this week 's State of the Union address and in the months to come . `` He had a year in which he could blame the Bush administration for not dealing with the economic problems . The economy is now his baby , as Afghanistan is his baby , '' Gans said . But Republicans ca n't get too carried away . If they swing too far to the right , they run the risk of alienating independent voters like those who swung the Massachusetts election for Brown . `` If the ` birthers ' and the Tea Party people win most of the primaries in the Republican Party , that may not yield as much of a Republican victory in the general election as if their more moderate elements win , '' he said . This scenario played out last year in a special election for New York 's 23rd Congressional District . Local Republican leaders backed state assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava because they thought she would appeal to centrists and independents . But more conservative party members revolted and instead backed Doug Hoffman , who ran on the Conservative Party line . Scozzafava dropped out days before the race and endorsed Bill Owens , the Democratic candidate and eventual winner . The split among Republicans contributed to Owens ' win . A similar battle could take place in Florida , where Republican Gov. Charlie Crist and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio are competing to be their party 's nominee for the Senate race . Crist has the backing of mainstream Republicans , and Rubio is the darling of the right . `` Rubio has the enthusiasm of the birthers and the Tea Party people and others like that , and that may propel him to the nomination , but it will be harder for the Republican Party to win in Florida under Rubio than it would be under a more moderate person , '' Gans said . Going ahead , both parties need to clarify their messages and why their strategies are the best options in order to engage voters , Ossoff said . `` What the Democrats have to do is get off the defensive if they want to win and start packaging themselves in a more positive light . ... They need to not only say , ` This is what we are going to do because it is right , ' but ` those guys over there do n't want us to do that ' and paint -LSB- the Republicans -RSB- as bad guys . `` In turn , the Republicans have to keep doing what they 're doing , which is , ` They 're leading you astray , we 're the ones who have the right idea . ' '' she said . CNN 's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report . | Republicans energized after upset in Massachusetts . `` Republicans have the advantage of strong emotions , '' expert says . GOP could hurt chances in midterms if primaries go to more extreme candidates , expert says . Both parties need to clarify message , show why the other is wrong , psychologist says . | [[1028, 1131], [1028, 1131], [1282, 1291], [1294, 1347], [1028, 1131], [1134, 1147], [2269, 2282], [4710, 4808]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jay Leno pulled no punches on his show Monday night , the first since NBC confirmed the TV host was being kicked out of his low-rated 10 p.m. slot after just three months . `` Welcome to ` The Jay Leno Show . ' As you know , we 're not just a show anymore , we are now a collector 's item , '' he said to open the show , before launching into a string of scathing one-liners making not-so-light of the situation . Jeff Gaspin , chairman of NBC Universal Television Entertainment , announced Sunday that the network was taking Leno -- formerly the host of `` The Tonight Show '' now helmed by Conan O'Brien -- out of the prime-time slot because the show `` did n't meet affiliates ' needs '' despite performing at acceptable levels for the network . The last show will air February 11 to make way for the 2010 Winter Olympics , which airs starting February 12 . `` NBC said the show performed exactly as they expected it would and then canceled us . Do n't confuse this when we were on at late night and performed better than expected and they canceled us . That was totally different , '' Leno quipped . Gaspin said the plan now is for Leno to host a new , half-hour show at 11:35 p.m. ET , followed by `` Tonight '' with O'Brien at 12:05 a.m. and Jimmy Fallon 's `` Late Night '' show moving to 1 a.m. O'Brien had his own zingers for NBC during his monologue Monday night . Among them : . -- `` Good evening , I 'm Conan O'Brien , the new host of ` Last Call with Carson Daly . ' '' -- `` This weekend no one was seriously hurt , but a 6.5 earthquake hit California . The earthquake was so powerful that it knocked Jay Leno 's show from 10:00 to 11:35 . '' -- `` On the positive side , I have learned a valuable lesson from all this : never sign a contract that ends with the word ` NOT . ' '' As of Sunday , NBC was still negotiating with the three hosts over the proposed line-up . `` Supposedly we 're moving to 11:30 . Even this is not for sure . My people are upset . Conan 's people are upset . Hey , NBC said it wanted drama at 10:00 -- now they 've got it ! Everyone 's mad , '' Leno said Monday night . Before turning his monologue to other current events , Leno had one last piece of mud to sling : . `` I take pride in one thing . I leave NBC prime time the same way I found it -- a complete disaster . '' NBC moved Leno to the prime time slot in September with `` The Jay Leno Show , '' a decision that raised eyebrows in the industry . In an unprecedented move , NBC was pitting a talk show up against the hourlong dramas that have typically done well at 10 p.m. Although Leno 's ratings were on target with NBC 's expectations , the low average of nightly viewers left affiliates feeling the brunt of `` the Leno effect , '' causing the ratings for nightly news to drop . This announcement fueled rumors that O'Brien , who took Leno 's spot on `` The Tonight Show '' in 2009 , is considering making an exit . Scott Grogin , a spokesman for Fox , had no comment on whether the network had reached out to offer O'Brien his own show . Fox reportedly went after him six years ago , which led to NBC offering him the `` Tonight Show '' chair after Leno 's eventual departure . `` This is still being sorted out , '' said Ben Grossman , editor in chief of the industry trade publication Broadcasting and Cable , who added that he expects the network to reach a conclusion over the next few days . `` The bottom line is that NBC has decided -- correctly or incorrectly -- that they 're going to try and keep all their late-night talent . That 's very expensive and a very questionable strategy . '' Grossman thinks it 's very likely Leno will remain at 11:30 post-negotiations . `` I just do n't know that you need to pay that much money in late-night . I think you pick two hosts , one at 11:30 and one at 12:30 . '' Out of the three hosts , O'Brien is the clear loser , Grossman says . Even if O'Brien were to stick it out with NBC , getting bumped back to 12:05 is not optimal , said Christopher Naughton , a 20-year TV veteran and attorney who produces `` The American Law Journal . '' `` Pushing it back half an hour is huge , '' Naughton said . `` The later in the night you go , the fewer people that are watching . -LSB- That 's -RSB- going back to a time slot where it 's the ` Late Show ' again . '' The whole scenario recalls the precedent set by a similar NBC fiasco 17 years ago , Naughton said , when Leno and David Letterman were dueling over `` The Tonight Show . '' After failing to secure the `` The Tonight Show '' position succeeding Johnny Carson , `` Letterman was able to break out of his contract -LSB- with NBC -RSB- , '' Naughton said . `` It set legal precedence because they wanted to keep Letterman , but he jumped ship through an escape clause . '' NBC 's talk shuffle : The right move ? Share your view . The effect of that incident has been reverberating through NBC for years , he added . `` It 's a karmic thing for them , '' Naughton said . `` You would think that NBC would have learned . '' Jerry Seinfeld , however , does n't believe people should be shedding tears for O'Brien . `` Conan has a chance to destroy everybody , '' the comedian said while on a press tour for his new show , `` The Marriage Ref . '' `` I do n't think anyone 's done anything to Conan . '' | NEW : Conan : Earthquake so powerful `` it knocked Jay Leno 's show from 10:00 to 11:35 '' Leno : `` I leave NBC prime time the same way I found it -- a complete disaster '' NBC is still negotiating contracts for Leno , Fallon , O'Brien . Jerry Seinfeld : `` Conan has the chance to destroy everybody '' | [[1588, 1673], [1624, 1673], [4118, 4148], [2262, 2297], [2298, 2322], [1829, 1903], [5148, 5187]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A major winter storm with heavy snow and ice was heading from Texas and Oklahoma to points east , with 8 to 10 inches of snow possible in some locales , the National Weather Service said Friday . Forecasters warned of large accumulations of ice in places such as the north Georgia mountains , causing hazardous driving conditions . Ice and heavy wet snow on power lines could cause power outages . `` The precipitation will briefly transition back to light snow or flurries Saturday before ending Saturday afternoon , '' the weather service said . By Friday afternoon the storm was either in or on its way to parts of Virginia , West Virginia , the Carolinas , Tennessee , Kentucky and Arkansas . Forecasters issued severe storm warnings for these states . It already was snowing in the afternoon in downtown Nashville , Tennessee . Although the snow did n't appear to be sticking , it was expected to form ice in the evening on bridges and overpasses , said CNN meteorologist Chad Myers . iReport : Share your photos and video . `` This is actually an ice event more than a snow event , not so much for Nashville , but places south of there ... from Memphis -LSB- Tennessee -RSB- to Little Rock -LSB- Arkansas -RSB- , and even over to Chattanooga -LSB- Tennessee -RSB- , '' Myers said . He said rain was on tap for Atlanta , Georgia , but the precipitation was to move northeastward and evolve into snow by the time it reaches Virginia and West Virginia . The brunt of the storm stretched from Oklahoma to eastern Tennessee and down to southern Mississippi on Friday afternoon , bringing snow , sleet , freezing drizzle or rain . Oklahoma City 's Will Rogers World Airport closed all its runways at 2:30 p.m. local time because of `` deteriorating weather conditions . '' `` While airport maintenance crews have been working nonstop clearing the runways , heavily falling snow and near zero visibility have kept them from being able to improve conditions , '' an airport news release said . It gave no prediction of when the runways could be reopened . | Storm in or on its way to Virginia , W. Virginia , Carolinas , Tennessee , Kentucky , Arkansas . There is snow and ice in Nashville and north Georgia mountains . Oklahoma City closes runways Friday afternoon with near zero visibility . | [[567, 715], [1427, 1475], [215, 309], [312, 350], [1650, 1788], [1789, 1791], [1862, 1873], [1876, 1921], [1876, 1974]] |
Atlanta , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In some parts of the South , Friday 's rare snowfall did n't pack the punch anticipated , but it still forced the closure of schools and the cancellation of flights . Cities put emergency crews to work throughout much of the region while state offices and schools were shut down . An estimated 8 inches fell in De Kalb in eastern Mississippi , while 200 miles south in metro Biloxi , snow fell but did n't stick , the National Weather Service reported . `` We had flurries for about five minutes where I am , that 's it , '' said John DeMiller , owner of the Petit Bois Grocery in Biloxi . DeMiller 's 10th-grade daughter stayed home from school Friday after the Mississippi Department of Education closed all schools due to inclement weather . DeMiller had n't expected much snow , and when schools were closed in his town without accumulations , he was flabbergasted . `` I 'm going , ` they just lost their mind , ' '' he said . Share your winter weather photos , stories . Just north of metro Biloxi , though , 1-2 inches fell and black ice could pose a problem as wind chills drop , National Weather Service forecaster Phil Grigsby said . Officials in Georgia were bracing for enough snow to paralyze parts of the state . Atlanta 's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport , which canceled hundreds of flights , had reported 4 inches of snow , National Weather Service meteorologist Dan Darbe said . Numerous accidents have been attributed to the dangerous conditions , he said . Temperatures were to fall to the mid - to upper-20s in the Atlanta area after the snow tapered off sometime between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday , he said . Traffic accidents were expected to increase as slush turned to ice late Friday , he said . The clear skies already over parts of western Alabama are expected to move into Georgia later this weekend , Darbe said . In Louisiana , Commissioner of Administration Angele Davis announced state government offices were closed in 42 parishes . Earlier in the day , iReporter Susan Sharman in Bastrop , Louisiana , said she could n't believe snow was falling over her town . `` I have n't seen snow like this in Bastrop in over eight years , '' she said . Metro Baton Rouge , Louisiana , saw about an inch of snow on its streets , while the rest of the area got 1 to 3 inches , Grigsby said . But Mardi Gras revelers do n't have much to worry about . The very early morning snow should n't interfere with parades Friday evening , he said . Windchills in the 30s , however , mean paradegoers need to bundle up before the fun . Drivers should also be wary of any black ice that may form on bridges and overpasses , he said . Yasamie Richardson of Alabama Emergency Management said conditions could be `` very , very dangerous , '' in her state and the likelihood of power outages was `` very great . '' She said authorities were encouraging people to prepare for the possibility of losing electricity . `` My husband and I have n't seen snow since we were stationed in Massachusetts and my children have never seen it , '' Sara Johnson in Wilmer , Alabama , said in a CNN iReport as the first flakes began to fall Friday morning . The weather system pounded parts of Texas on Thursday , leaving a record 12.5 inches in the Dallas-Fort Worth area . The National Weather Service said the 24-hour total in the area topped the previous record of 12.1 inches set in 1964 . `` For the DFW Metroplex this is amazing , '' said iReporter Brent Dow . See Dow 's photo of a Texas-size snowman . West of Dallas , in Irving , Texas , Michael Whiteside was awakened at 2:45 a.m. Friday `` to the sound of my patio roof collapsing from the weight '' of the snow , he said in a CNN iReport . At Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport , where American and American Eagle canceled about 230 flights , officials were working to ramp up departures Friday . An Airport spokesman said Friday afternoon that most flights were running on time . There was some relief in sight for the South . Warmer weather was melting the snow Friday in Dallas , and temperatures in the 40s were expected to move through the rest of the region over the weekend . The Southern states were getting a smaller dose of what their Northeastern and mid-Atlantic counterparts have experienced this week . That area is digging out from a pair of record-setting blizzards . The first storm dumped more than 30 inches of snow in some places last weekend , while the latest part of the one-two punch dropped 22.5 inches on Baltimore , Maryland ; 15.8 inches on Philadelphia , Pennsylvania ; and about 10 inches on Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington , Virginia ; Central Park in New York ; and Atlantic City , New Jersey , the National Weather Service said . Records for total snowfall for the season have been set at Dulles International Airport west of Washington , with 72 inches ; Philadelphia , with 70.3 ; Baltimore , with 70.1 ; Reagan Washington National Airport , with 55.6 ; and Atlantic City , with 48.7 , according to the weather service . CNN 's Dan Gilgoff and Khadijah Rentas contributed to this report . | NEW : Caution advised overnight because lower temperatures may freeze roads . `` This is amazing , '' CNN iReporter says of snowfall in Dallas-Fort Worth area . Flights canceled in Atlanta ; Dallas-Fort Worth gets 12.5 '' of snow , a 24-hour record . Are you snowed in ? Send us your iReports to tell how you 're staying warm and digging out . | [[1068, 1122], [3715, 3741], [131, 203], [1275, 1315], [1324, 1352], [3197, 3215], [3253, 3313], [3314, 3384]] |
Port-au-Prince , Haiti -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- French rescuers in Haiti on Wednesday pulled from rubble a girl who they believe could have been trapped since the January 12 earthquake . The 16-year-old girl was found in poor condition but was stable and talking , French spokesman Marcel Orcel said . One of her legs may have been broken , rescuers said . After a 45-minute effort to extract her from the debris , the girl was transported in a helicopter to the French medical ship Sirocco . iReport : Haiti 's missing and found | Full coverage . Rescuers found the girl after a group of Haitians approached the French embassy in Port-au-Prince and said they could hear a voice in the rubble . The rescuers followed them to the site and made contact with the girl , rescuer Claude Futilla said . They found the girl dehydrated , weak and with low blood pressure , leading the French crew to believe that she 'd been buried since the earthquake struck Haiti 15 days ago , Futilla said . It was believed that she had access to water where she was , in the bathroom of her house . Finding shelter , aid , supplies . The girl , whose name was not immediately available , said `` thank you '' in French as she was taken away from the debris on a stretcher , covered with a heating blanket . CNN 's Alec Miran , Justine Redman and Gary Tuchman contributed to this report . | French rescuers believe she 'd been buried since the earthquake struck 15 days ago . Girl was found in poor condition but was stable and talking . It took six hours to extract her from the rubble . It 's believed that she had access to water in the bathroom of her house . | [[92, 105], [110, 180], [791, 795], [859, 963], [181, 201], [234, 256], [181, 201], [249, 256], [259, 288], [0, 105], [1020, 1025], [1032, 1039], [1042, 1072], [1002, 1025]] |
Halle , Belgium -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At least 18 people died and 162 were hurt when two trains collided in Halle on Monday , a government spokeswoman said . The trains collided head-on at 8:30 a.m. , the companies that run the Belgian railways and the train said . The cause of the accident is not known , according to the railway operator , Infrabel , and SNCB , the train operator . Authorities do not believe there is anyone else on the trains , said Anya De Wols , spokeswoman for the province of Flemish Brabant . But they have not ruled out the possibility bodies could be pinned beneath the train cars , she said , and they plan to lift the cars from the track by Tuesday . Also on Tuesday , investigators will collect personal effects , such as wallets , from the scene to help identify the victims , she said . Send your pictures , videos , stories . A Belgian government spokesman , Bart Ouvry , said it was snowing at the time of the crash , but not an unusual amount . People were thrown against the walls of the trains by the impact , said Emily Divinagracia , whose husband , Stephan Riviere , was a passenger . He was awakened by the impact , she said he told her by phone minutes after the accident . It took about 30 minutes for rescue crews to arrive , and some passengers did not immediately know there had been a collision , she said . `` He was actually getting the news from me , because they did n't know much on their side and it was all a bit disorganized , obviously , because nobody expected this sort of thing to happen , '' she said . Riviere was not badly injured , his wife said . The injured were being treated at a sports center near the scene of the accident , the Belga news agency reported . Fifty-five of them were taken to hospitals , while more than a hundred others had minor injuries , De Wols said . The crash took place during morning rush hour when people were on their way to work , Belga journalist Eric Vidal said from the scene . Pictures showed people being taken from the crash site by stretcher as snow fell . Passengers who were not hurt in the crash were taken away by bus , according to Vidal . He said people had come to the station to try to find family members who may have been involved in the crash . Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme is on his way back from Kosovo , Albania , and would visit the scene of the crash , his office said . The Justice Ministry is in charge of the investigation , Leterme 's office added . The crash caused disruption to parts of the wider rail network in northern Europe . Eurostar suspended high-speed train services between London , England , and Brussels , Belgium , the company announced , and did not expect the trains to run for the rest of the day . London-to-Paris services were not affected , the company said , but there were delays on the service to Lille in northern France close to the border with Belgium . Thalys , which operates high-speed trains across much of northern Europe , announced that services were fully suspended all day , affecting travel to Brussels from Paris , France ; Amsterdam , Netherlands ; and Cologne , Germany . The company urged passengers planning to travel this week to check its Web site , www.thalys.com , before starting their trips . The French high-speed train operator TGV Europe announced that its Brussels-bound services were going only as far as Lille . Eight people died in a train crash in Belgium in March 2001 , media reports said at the time , calling it the worst rail accident in the country in 25 years . Investigators later suggested the two trains collided because of confusion between a French-speaking signalman and a Flemish-speaking one . Belgium is divided between speakers of the two languages . Monday 's crash is one of the deadliest train accidents in Europe since at least 41 people were killed in the Balkan nation of Montenegro in 2006 . At least 180 passengers also were injured when a train derailed and plunged down an embankment outside the capital , Podgorica . CNN 's Jessica Hartogs , Cristina Lynch , Claudia Rebaza , Nick Hunt and Abey Benga contributed to this report . | The cause of the crash on Monday morning not immediately clear . Official : 18 people dead , 162 people injured by crash . News agency : Wounded treated at a sports center near the scene of the accident . The crash has caused disruption to parts of the wider rail network in Europe . | [[263, 301], [0, 5], [8, 31], [44, 58], [63, 120], [3902, 3925], [3931, 4016], [1610, 1690], [2479, 2562]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Blind violinist Romel Joseph laid in what he called his `` grave '' for 18 hours . The concrete support beams of his music school in Haiti pinned his legs and feet . Buried in the rubble of the five-story building , Romel realized he was trapped and would not be able to get out on his own . He was overwhelmed by the hot air . He began to have a conversation with God . `` I said , ' I would like to know if you are here . I 'm really hot ... and do n't have much time to live so if you are here , I 'm really hot and I need some cool air . ' And believe it or not , the next thing I know , there 's cool air that got in . '' He began to pray every hour , for 20 minutes or so , and then came his music . First he pictured himself playing a Tchaikovsky concerto . And then every hour another concerto . `` I know I picked the Brahms , the Franz , the Sibelius . I picked several , '' Romel remembers . `` I know a lot of concertos for violins . And I picked the longer ones . '' iReport : Haiti 's missing and found . And so as the hours passed by , and his friends tried to rescue him from the concrete debris , another prayer , and another concerto took place below . `` I pictured walking on stage and playing to a full hall . And you start playing up to the end . '' His friends were able to remove him from the rubble of the New Victorian School at 11 a.m. the day after the earthquake , about 18 hours later . Later that week , he was airlifted out of Port-au-Prince by the American Embassy to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami , Florida . Full coverage . He 's being treated for not only the injuries he sustained to his legs , but also a fracture to his left hand . The fracture has left doctors questioning whether Romel will ever be able to play a violin again . Romel is certain he will . `` I have to play so they can hear what I want them to play . '' Finding shelter , aid , supplies . Romel still has a few weeks left before he will be able to leave the hospital . But once he does , he 's already talking about going back to Haiti and wants to begin the rebuilding of the school . On his remarkable story of survival , he says it 's all in the way you look at things . `` I 'm really proud that I was able to be in a horrible place and survive in a constructive , positive way . '' | Support beams from his music school pinned legs , feet of blind violinist Romel Joseph . Joseph was overwhelmed by hot air ; his prayers answered with flow of cool air . As he waited 18 hours for rescue , he played long violin concertos in his head . Doctors worry fractured hand will end his playing days ; Joseph believes he 'll play again . | [[102, 184], [311, 346], [587, 608], [611, 628], [725, 783], [731, 783], [925, 964], [1695, 1793], [1695, 1698], [1717, 1793]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- There 's never a bad time for a toga party , right ? The story of Perseus -- the bastard son of Zeus who takes on the mighty Kraken -- will endure long after Louis Leterrier 's enjoyably cheesy movie has been forgotten -LRB- or , inevitably , remade in 4D -RRB- . But for now , and for young men especially , Leterrier 's version is the one that counts , and it will just have to do . It 's a mixed bag : Three credited screenwriters have labored in the footsteps laid down by the 1981 Ray Harryhausen `` classic '' -LRB- hardly his finest hour -RRB- -- that is , they 've taken the myth as an excuse to showcase as many special effects sequences as they can muster . That 's not a bad strategy when it 's clear from the laughably clumsy opening that they have n't a clue how the ancient Greeks spoke to one another . The clunky dialogue is delivered in various shades of tone deaf Antipodean , English , Irish and European by the likes of Sam Worthington -LRB- Perseus -RRB- , Gemma Arterton -LRB- as his spiritual guru/love interest -RRB- and Liam Neeson -LRB- Zeus -RRB- . Neeson 's old `` Schindler '' nemesis Ralph Fiennes brings a touch of class to Zeus 's brother Hades , while the great , growly , scene-stealing Mads Mikkelsen -LRB- Le Chiffre in `` Casino Royale '' -RRB- makes the strongest impression among the mortals . Mikkelsen 's only serious competition in the scenery-chewing stakes comes from the Kraken itself , a toothy sea monster who is built up for an hour and three quarters , then comes on for five minutes -- wisely does n't say a word -- and walks away with the picture . In Harryhausen 's day , effects meant stop-motion photography of artfully modeled monsters , including a three-headed dog -LRB- excised here -RRB- and a golden mechanical owl -LRB- who makes a cameo appearance for old time 's sake -RRB- . Today 's CGI creatures may not have the same charm , but they 're considerably more agile and fluid , and the action scenes have tremendous dynamism . Leterrier comes from `` The Incredible Hulk '' and `` The Transporter , '' and he 's evidently more comfortable running than walking . A showdown with gigantic angry scorpions is the movie 's first big set-piece , and it 's exciting enough to make you forget you 've seen these critters before -- or something very similar , in `` Transformers . '' The three Graeae are ghastly , touchy-feely crones with one eye between them , and Medusa is a giant snake who slithers around her lair like a heat-seeking missile - though I preferred the aplomb Uma Thurman brought to the role in `` The Lightning Thief . '' Like his namesake Percy Jackson , Perseus has daddy issues -- he 's a demi-god who wants to prove he 's all man . After `` Avatar '' and `` Terminator Salvation '' Worthington has cast-iron credentials on that score . We can see why Perseus would resist invitations to join the Immortals . Mount Olympus looks like a colossal bore , a resting home for eternity . You wonder what they find to talk about all day . At least on Earth there are monsters to mash and quests to be quested . iReport : Critic says `` Avoid at any cost '' If it 's bad enough to be good in places , there 's no excuse for the film 's abominable retro-fitted 3D , a process that perversely flattens out the images into two planes , foreground and background , and renders this one of the ugliest epics in history . It 's a shame to see filmmakers jumping on a bandwagon like this , and missing . You 'd be well advised to seek out the picture 's 2D venues -- or wait for the DVD . | Sam Worthington plays the role of Perseus in `` Clash of the Titans . '' The story of Perseus , the bastard son of Zeus who takes on the mighty Kraken . There 's no excuse for the film 's abominable retro-fitted 3D . | [[3191, 3252]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A fire at a refinery in Washington state killed four people and injured three , a spokeswoman for a medical center said Friday . The company that owns the refinery , the Tesoro Corp. , earlier had announced three deaths from the fire . A fourth person , a 29-year-old woman , died from her injuries at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle , Washington , said medical center spokeswoman Susan Gregg-Hanson . Three others -- a 36-year-old woman , a 34-year-old man and a 41-year-old man -- remain in critical condition at the medical center with major burns , Gregg-Hanson said . None of the dead were identified . The fire at the Anacortes , Washington , refinery occurred shortly after midnight at the naphtha unit of the refinery while maintenance work was being performed , the Tesoro Corp. said . The fire was contained around 2 a.m. Friday and affected units have been shut down , Tesoro said on its Web site . CNN affiliate KCPQ reported that three workers were missing , and that a search was under way . The cause of the blaze was not immediately known . KCPQ said that people reported feeling an explosion as far as five miles away . `` This is a very sad time for our organization , '' said Bruce Smith , Tesoro 's chairman , president and chief executive officer . `` Everyone in the Tesoro family appreciates the impact that this will have on the families involved , and we are responding quickly to ensure the safety for our employees , contractors and the neighboring community , '' he said . Tesoro did not immediately return phone calls requesting further information . Tesoro Corp. is an independent refiner and marketer of petroleum products , according to its Web site . Through its subsidiaries , it operates seven refineries in the Western United States with a combined capacity of approximately 665,000 barrels per day . Anacortes is about 80 miles south of Vancouver , British Columbia . | Fire injures 3 at the Anacortes , Washington , refinery owned by Tesoro Corporation . Cause of the blaze not immediately known . Tesoro Corp. is refiner , marketer of petroleum products , says its Web site . | [[0, 15], [83, 96], [1030, 1072], [904, 933], [1604, 1677], [1604, 1616], [1680, 1707]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Full-body imaging machines that see through clothes have significantly improved security in airports where they are deployed , and have revealed more than 60 `` artfully concealed '' illegal or prohibited items in the past year , the Transportation Security Administration says . To date , no explosives have been detected by the machines , but their ability to spot even small concealed objects demonstrates their effectiveness as a security tool , officials said . `` It is absolutely a tremendous improvement of what we can detect at the checkpoints , '' TSA Acting Administrator Gale Rossides said this week . `` It is an excellent piece of technology that will significantly improve our detection capabilities . '' As evidence of the machines ' capabilities , the security agency released five photos of drugs or suspected drugs that airport screeners found after scans revealed anomalies on the ghost-like images of people 's bodies . The agency said metal detectors would not have revealed the items . Screeners using the technology also found a knife hidden in the small of a person 's back at the Richmond , Virginia , airport , a concealed razor blade on a passenger in Phoenix , Arizona , and other concealed items such as large bottles of lotion , which are prohibited as carry-on items . In addition , the machines have revealed numerous prohibited items that passengers evidently inadvertently left in pockets . Those items are confiscated but are not counted in the tally , a TSA spokesman said . U.S. to implement new airport security measures . The agency field-tested the full-body imagers for more than a year before announcing last month the deployment of machines to 11 airports nationwide . Today , 46 machines are in place in 23 airports , and the agency is stepping up deployments and plans to have about 1,000 set up by the end of 2011 . Interest in the machines has heightened since the Christmas Day incident in which a man allegedly attempted to detonate an explosive concealed in his underwear . In an appearance before Congress last month , Rossides declined to say whether the machines could have detected the underwear bomb . But to illustrate the machines ' effectiveness , Rossides showed a packet of white powder smaller than a tea bag , saying it was identical to a concealed bag detected by an imager . `` The amazing thing is that our officers , as they get more and more familiar with this technology , are actually finding very , very small things that are being secreted on the body , '' she said . But some passengers say the machine 's capabilities are presenting new Fourth Amendment questions about the government 's searches , saying the machines -- in detecting very small objects -- are subjecting passengers to scrutiny beyond what is needed to safeguard the plane . `` I ca n't imaging an explosive that is powerful enough in that -LSB- tea-bag size -RSB- quantity to endanger an aircraft , '' said John Perry Barlow , a former Grateful Dead lyricist who once took the TSA to court after a search of his checked luggage revealed a small amount of drugs . `` Every time technology makes another leap forward , we have to reclaim the Fourth Amendment , and often we have to reclaim the entire Bill of Rights , because technology gives us powers that were not envisioned by the Founding Fathers , '' Barlow said . The security agency said that it searches only for prohibited items -- not illegal items such as drugs . When it finds illegal items during a search , it refers the item to local law enforcement officers , it says . `` What we 're trying to resolve is the anomaly that we 're seeing on the body , '' said Rossides . `` If it 's drugs , then we call in local law enforcement and they handle it from there . '' Barlow predicted that the body scanner will lead to another court case to clarify the extent it can be used to search the body . `` Eventually they 're going to bust somebody for something that was clearly and obviously not a threat to the aircraft , and any reasonable person would have known that -LSB- while looking at the -RSB- body scan . And at that point somebody is going to make it an issue , '' he said . Rossides said the body imagers are especially useful because they can expose contraband on parts of the body that are n't fully explored in pat-downs , such as the groin . `` I think what was so telling about the Christmas Day attack was that it exploited our cultural norms , that we do n't frequently pat down persons in that part of the body . This technology will give us the image of the entire body , '' she said . But Rossides said the imagers are not a `` silver bullet '' because `` those who intend to do harm are constantly adapting . '' `` We still have to have multiple layers of security , '' she said . For all his reservations about scanners , Barlow said he does not hesitate going through one . `` I 've got nothing to hide , '' he said . `` I go through the scanner . If anybody wants to see me naked , they 're welcome to the sight . '' | 60 `` artfully concealed '' illegal or prohibited items discovered in past year , TSA says . No explosives have been detected by the machines . Found items include drugs , knife , bottle of lotion bigger than allowed . | [[0, 26], [137, 141], [155, 220], [0, 10], [224, 257], [260, 309], [310, 317], [320, 368], [795, 814], [848, 892], [1039, 1069], [1075, 1287]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Lionel Messi produced a performance of stunning brilliance , scoring all four goals as holders Barcelona beat Arsenal 4-1 to reach the semifinals of the Champions League 6-3 on aggregate on Tuesday . Messi turned on the style in the Nou Camp with one of the most devastating individual displays the competition has ever seen , as an injury-ravaged Arsenal side were torn apart . The match started started brightly for the Londoners who actually took a shock 18th-minute lead . Theo Walcott 's pace had troubled Barca in the 2-2 first leg at The Emirates and the England winger created the opener with a break down the right . His pass inside for Nicklas Bendtner was a poor one , but somehow the Dane managed to pounce at the second attempt to stab his shot past Victor Valdes in the Barca goal . Arsenal 's lead lasted barely three minutes before Messi began his one-man show . Mickael Silvestre failed to clear the ball on the edge of the area and it fell to Messi , who curled home a superb equalizer . Messi added his and Barca 's second on 37 minutes . Eric Abidal 's cross from the right was cut out by Thomas Vermaelen . However , the rest of the Arsenal defense were slow to react and Pedro found Messi , who smashed his shot past Manuel Almunia . The striker completed his stunning hat-trick four minutes before the break when he raced onto a header from Abidal to sprint clear of the Arsenal defense before superbly chipping the ball over Almunia . By now , Arsenal needed two goals to go through and , in truth , they never looked likely to get them . Bendtner struck the post with a fierce header from Gael Clichy 's cross , but he was flagged offside , and Tomas Rosicky fired over the bar when in a great position . Messi completed the job three minutes from time , beating two defender on the left hand side of the area before firing the ball through Almunia 's legs . The result means Barcelona will now face Italian champions Inter Milan , who they were drawn against in the group stages , in a mouth-watering semifinal clash . Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was full of praise for Messi 's performance . `` For me , he is the best player in the world , and by a distance , '' he told Sky Sports . `` When he 's in the game , he 's really dangerous . Once he is on the run with the ball , he is unstoppable . The Frenchman added : `` I believe that we lost against a team that is better than us and have the best player in the world . '' | Lionel Messi scores all four goals as Barcelona thrash Arsenal 4-1 at the Nou Camp . Arsenal take the lead through Nicklas Bendtner before Barcelona fight back . The result sees holders Barcelona through to the semifinals 6-3 on aggregate . | [[0, 15], [80, 140], [106, 218], [437, 450], [455, 495], [106, 218]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` Usually when I mention suspended animation people will flash me the Vulcan sign and laugh , '' says scientist Mark Roth . But he 's not referring to the plot of a `` Star Trek '' episode . Roth is completely serious about using lessons he 's learned from putting some organisms into suspended animation to help people survive medical trauma . He spoke at the TED2010 conference in Long Beach , California , in February . The winner of a MacArthur genius fellowship in 2007 , Roth described the thought process that led him and fellow researchers to explore ways to lower animals ' metabolism to the point where they showed no signs of life -- and yet were not dead . More remarkably , they were able to restore the animals to normal life , with no apparent damage . Read more about Roth on TED.com . The Web site of Roth 's laboratory at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle , Washington , describes the research this way : `` We use the term suspended animation to refer to a state where all observable life processes -LRB- using high resolution light microscopy -RRB- are stopped : The animals do not move nor breathe and the heart does not beat . We have found that we are able to put a number of animals -LRB- yeast , nematodes , drosophila , frogs and zebrafish -RRB- into a state of suspended animation for up to 24 hours through one basic technique : reducing the concentration of oxygen . '' Visit Mark Roth 's laboratory . Roth is investigating the use of small amounts of hydrogen sulfide , a gas that is toxic in larger quantities , to lower metabolism . In his talk , he imagined that `` in the not too distant future , an EMT might give an injection of hydrogen sulfide , or some related compound , to a person suffering severe injuries , and that person might de-animate a bit ... their metabolism will fall as though you were dimming a switch on a lamp at home . `` That will buy them the time to be transported to the hospital to get the care they need . And then , after they get that care ... they 'll wake up . A miracle ? We hope not , or maybe we just hope to make miracles a little more common . '' | Mark Roth is a scientist who is studying ways to put life into suspended animation . In a TED Talk , he describes how his lab has put some organisms into a suspended state . The animals are revived and appear to suffer no lasting damage , he says . Such techniques may one day keep people from dying so they can get urgent care , he says . | [[285, 364], [1189, 1394], [707, 787]] |
Tehran , Iran -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iran 's Intelligence Ministry has compiled a list of 60 groups -- several based in the United States -- saying it considers them `` soft war '' agents against the country , Iranian media reported Monday . The semi-official Mehr news agency reported the following are on the list : . -- U.S. philanthropist George Soros ' Open Society Institute in New York . -- The Washington-based nonprofit National Endowment for Democracy . -- The National Democratic Institute and its GOP counterpart , the International Republican Institute . -- Human Rights Watch . -- The Washington-based Brookings Institution . -- U.S. National Defense University . Media outlets BBC and Voice of America are also on the list , as are the East European Democratic Center in Poland and British nonprofit Wilton Park , among dozens of others . Iran 's deputy intelligence minister urged Iranians to avoid any `` unusual relations '' with the groups and with foreign embassies and foreign nationals . `` He stated that it is illegal to sign contracts with these organizations , and it is also against the law for groupings and political parties to receive financial assistance from foreign countries , '' Mehr reported . Such crackdowns have become commonplace in Iran since the summer , when thousands of protesters were arrested in the aftermath of Iran 's disputed president election in June . The government has been trying to limit the flow of online information and other forms of communications in Iran , according to activists and human rights officials . Amid the unrest , Iran 's judicial chief in July ordered the the prosecution of individuals `` who cooperate with satellite television programming providers , '' according to reports by reformists . Ayatollah Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi-Shahroudi called on local judicial heads to work with investigators to determine `` intentions , objectives and their sources of financial , political and intelligence support '' of individuals who `` operate against the system , '' according to Hamshahri , a widely circulated pro-reform publication that has been in print for more than a decade . At the time , Iranian-American Kian Tajbakhsh , an independent consultant and urban planner employed by Soros ' Open Society Institute , was among roughly 100 people accused of participating in a `` velvet revolution '' against the Islamic republic . Tajbakhsh , the only American on trial in Tehran at the time , resigned from his position with the foundation after he was arrested and detained for four months in 2007 on unspecified charges . He holds dual citizenship in Iran and the United States . Iran 's election authority declared incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the overwhelming winner of the June 12 race . Opposition supporters accused the government of fraud . | Iran 's Intelligence Ministry compiles list of 60 groups it considers enemy agents . Human Rights Watch , Brookings Institution , BBC , Voice of America on list . Official urges Iranians to avoid any `` unusual relations '' with the groups . | [[0, 6], [9, 29], [41, 95], [238, 311], [282, 311], [674, 712], [739, 822], [850, 1005], [893, 1005]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Swedish diplomat in Iran was arrested and accused of participating in Iranian protests during observances surrounding the Muslim holy day of Ashura , two semi-official news agencies reported Sunday , citing members of Iran 's parliament . Sweden denies that the diplomat was involved in the protests . Swedish officials and the Mehr news agency reported that the diplomat was subsequently released . `` Based on the law and international norms , diplomats can not be detained or arrested , '' Alaedin Boroujerdi , a member of the Iranian parliamentary National Security Committee , told Mehr . `` But since this person was among those who were disturbing the peace , he was initially arrested but then he was released when it was determined he was a diplomat . '' The Swedish Foreign Office confirmed the arrest , but said the diplomat -- who was not named -- was not taking part in demonstrations . `` A Swedish diplomat was arrested in Tehran about two weeks ago and detained overnight for between 10 and 20 hours before being released , '' said Anders Jorle , spokesman for the Foreign Office . `` He was arrested after he was found to not be carrying ID , which is not required but is recommended in Iran . '' `` He was not taking part in a protest , '' Jorle said . `` He was passing one of the places where a protest had taken place , but the protest was not ongoing at the time of the arrest . `` In hindsight , we would say that he should have been carrying ID , '' Jorle said . `` As far as we 're concerned , the matter is closed and there is nothing further to say . '' The Fars news agency quoted Zohreh Elahian , a member of the security committee , as saying the Swedish chargé d'affaires was arrested on the day of Ashura , December 27 . He was arrested by Iranian officials who considered his presence at the demonstration to be an interference in international affairs , Elahian told Fars . `` According to witnesses and evidence , several foreign embassies in Tehran played a role behind the scenes and were represented -LSB- on the scene on that day -RSB- by their chargés d'affaires and other diplomats , '' Elahian said . Ashura is the major Shiite Muslim holy day . It marks the death of Imam Hussein , grandson of the Prophet Mohammed , as a martyr . Shiites commemorate the death of Hussein each year , climaxing on Ashura , after a 40-day mourning period . Its observance in Iran was marked by anti-government protests . President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad downplayed the reports , calling them `` a theater play by the Zionists and the Americans , '' according to state media . An Iranian media blackout made it difficult to verify accounts of that weekend 's violence , but videos that found their way west depicted bloodied and , in some cases , apparently dead protesters . CNN 's Jonathan Wald contributed to this report . | Swedish Foreign Office : Diplot arrested in Iran during holy Muslim holiday . Two news reports said diplomat was participating in protests . Official : Arrest happened two weeks ago ; diplomat held for 10 hours , then released . | [[785, 832], [1630, 1644], [1684, 1757], [2164, 2208], [0, 15], [63, 126], [171, 218], [274, 322], [323, 420], [380, 420], [921, 985], [921, 942], [990, 1049], [1028, 1058]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iran could see widespread protests this weekend , as a day of mourning for the most prominent cleric to oppose the regime coincides with the major Shiite holy day of Ashura . Iran -- whose regime exists as an explicitly Shiite Muslim leadership -- may find it politically and culturally difficult to put a lid on the marking of Ashura this year . It falls on Sunday -- which happens to be a week to the day since the death of Grand Ayatollah Hussein Ali Montazeri , a key figure in the 1979 Iranian revolution . Montazeri , who went on to become one of the government 's most vocal critics , died December 20 . The seventh day after a death is a traditional time for mourning in Islam , giving Iran 's opposition two reasons to demonstrate on Sunday , both with impeccable religious justification . But what exactly is Ashura and why does it draw such passionate crowds , some of whom beat themselves until they bleed ? The holy day commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein , who died in 680 fighting to lead the religion based on the teachings of his grandfather , the Prophet Mohammed . The battle is one of the defining points in the split between the two main branches of Islam , the majority Sunnis and the minority Shiites . Hussein was badly outnumbered when he was killed fighting Yazeed near the city of Karbala , in modern-day Iraq . Shiites commemorate the death of Hussein each year , climaxing on Ashura -- the 10th day of the month of Muharram -- after a 40-day mourning period . While Shiites are a minority among Muslims worldwide , they are the majority in Iraq and Iran , where the day sees tens or even hundreds of thousands of faithful out on the streets . Some of the most dramatic scenes take place in Karbala itself , as Shiites congregate to do symbolic penance for failing to come to Hussein 's aid in his uprising against Yazeed . Believers chant , beat their breasts , cut themselves with daggers or swords and whip themselves in synchronized moves . In Iraq under Saddam Hussein , the marking of Ashura was banned for 30 years . -LRB- The former dictator was a Sunni . -RRB- The first public Ashura demonstrations in Karbala after his fall , in 2004 , came under attack by Sunni militants . | Iran may find it difficult to put a lid on the marking of Ashura this year . It falls one week to the day after the death of Grand Ayatollah Hussein Ali Montazeri . Montazeri , a key figure from the 1979 revolution , was an opponent of the current regime . Ashura marks the martyrdom of Imam Hussein , grandson of Mohammed . | [[194, 198], [253, 365], [378, 384], [394, 425], [378, 384], [402, 482], [531, 540], [547, 608], [939, 994]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama said Wednesday night he will work with Congress and the military to repeal the `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' policy that bars gays and lesbians from openly serving in the armed forces . Obama made the remark in his first State of the Union speech during a short litany of civil rights issues , which included his successful hate crimes bill , a move to `` crack down on equal-pay laws '' and improvement of the immigration system . `` We find unity in our incredible diversity , drawing on the promise enshrined in our Constitution : the notion that we are all created equal , that no matter who you are or what you look like , if you abide by the law you should be protected by it , '' he said . `` We must continually renew this promise . My administration has a Civil Rights Division that is once again prosecuting civil rights violations and employment discrimination . We finally strengthened our laws to protect against crimes driven by hate , '' he said . `` This year , I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are . '' Weigh in on the president 's address . Former Navy pilot Sen. John McCain said `` it would be a mistake '' to repeal the 1993 law that bars gay men and lesbians from revealing their sexual orientation , and prevents the military from asking about it . `` This successful policy has been in effect for over 15 years , and it is well understood and predominantly supported by our military at all levels , '' McCain said . `` We have the best-trained , best-equipped , and most professional force in the history of our country , and the men and women in uniform are performing heroically in two wars . At a time when our Armed Forces are fighting and sacrificing on the battlefield , now is not the time to abandon the policy . '' But in a message to Pentagon leadership , Gen. John Shalikashvili , former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , said it 's time to repeal the law . `` As a nation built on the principal of equality , we should recognize and welcome change that will build a stronger more cohesive military , '' said Shalikashvili . His letter was sent to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand , D-New York , who supports repealing the policy . The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network , an organization that works with those affected by the `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' law , praised Obama 's call for repeal . `` We very much need a sense of urgency to get this done in 2010 , '' the group said . `` We call on the president to repeal the archaic 1993 law in his defense budget currently being drafted , that is probably the only and best moving bill where DADT can be killed this year . ... The American public , including conservatives , is overwhelmingly with the commander in chief on this one . '' House Minority Leader John Boehner , R-Ohio , flatly disagreed with the idea of ending it . `` When it comes to ` do n't ask do n't tell , ' frankly , I think it 's worked very well . And we just ought to leave it alone , '' he said to reporters Wednesday morning . The policy prohibits openly gay men and women from serving in the U.S. armed forces . The policy bans military recruiters or authorities from asking about an individual 's sexual orientation but also prohibits a service member from revealing that he or she is gay . Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin , D-Michigan , supports ending the practice but wants to go about it carefully . Levin said he did not have any details about what the president would say . `` If we do this in a way which is n't sensitive ... we could have exactly the opposite effect of what I hope will be the case -- which is to change the policy , '' he said Monday . Levin said the committee plans to hold hearings on the issue in early February , although the hearing may be with outside experts -- delaying a hearing with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen , that had originally been promised , CNN was told by a congressional source . Obama campaigned on the promise that he would repeal the law in his first year of office . Speaking to the gay rights group Human Rights Campaign , in October , Obama admitted that `` our progress may be taking longer than we like , '' but he insisted his administration was still on track to overturn the policy . `` Do not doubt the direction we are heading and the destination we will reach , '' he said . Pentagon Spokesman Geoff Morrell deflected repeated questions about the policy at Wednesday 's Pentagon briefing , directing reporters to take their questions to the White House . `` We continue to work on this problem , '' said Morrell . `` But I 'm not going to get into it with more specificity than that . '' CNN 's Ed Hornick and Laurie Ure contributed to this report . | NEW : The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network praises Obama 's call for repeal . NEW : Sen. John McCain says policy is `` understood and predominantly supported '' by servicemembers . Military policy prohibits openly gays and lesbians from serving . Former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman has called for the policy 's repeal . | [[2334, 2374], [2468, 2502], [1511, 1513], [1537, 1590], [0, 10], [141, 232], [3162, 3247], [1922, 1957], [1960, 1983], [2033, 2068]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nearly a week after the bloody weekend crackdown on Iranian protesters , the issue is still generating thousands of posts on Twitter , YouTube , and Facebook . CNN 's Iran desk is analyzing dozens of Internet videos of the violent demonstrations on Dec. 23-24 in which at least seven protesters were killed . Hundreds of `` tweets '' are still being posted onto Twitter every hour . Each day , thousands of people are joining a Facebook page dedicated to supporting the anti-government protesters , called `` 100 Million Facebook Members for Iran . '' Here is a rundown of the latest social media trends that CNN has compiled : . Twitter : Most Shared Articles on Iran . • U.S. Iran standing in its own way with nuke plan . • Iran gives West one-month ultimatum to accept uranium swap . • Total wealth of Khamenei and family $ 36 billion . • Iranian opposition grows beneath surface . • Shah 's son urges international protest over Iran . Most Popular Iran Hashtags on Twitter . #iran . #iranelections . #ashura . #hhrs . #news . #iranprotests . #sharia . #united4iran . #protests . #Tryant . #VivaLiberty . #Strike . #freedom . #protest . #Mousavi . #HumanRights . #Neda . Most popular Facebook accounts on Iran . • 100 Million Facebook Members for Iran . • Mir Hossein Moussavi personal page . | Iran turmoil a hot topic on social media sites . CNN 's Iran Desk analyzing dozens of video posts . Summary of latest trends on Twitter , Facebook . | [[179, 278], [571, 622], [592, 622], [628, 644]] |
Baghdad , Iraq -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Both Iraq and Iran stood their ground Saturday over the reported seizure of a southern Iraqi oil well by Iranian forces . Two days after Iraq said an Iranian `` armed group '' crossed the border into Iraq and seized the well , Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister Labid Abawi said the occupation of well No. 4 in Maysan province 's Fakka oil field continues . But in a statement issued by its embassy in Iraq , Iran denied what it characterized as rumors of its forces crossing the border , and hinted that the claim was political because it comes ahead of next year 's Iraqi parliamentary elections . Both sides said they are in negotiations and have a joint committee dedicated to handling border disputes diplomatically . On Friday , the Iraqi government issued a strong statement deploring the alleged seizure , after Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki headed an emergency meeting of Iraq 's National Security Council to discuss the situation . Iraq and Iran share a long border , and high-ranking committees from both countries handle all border matters , an Iranian Embassy official said . Iraq and Iran fought a bloody eight-year war that ended in 1988 in a cease-fire with no clear victor and parts of the border under dispute . Ties between Iran and Iraq -- both predominantly Shiite Muslim nations -- greatly improved after the overthrow of the Saddam Hussein regime in 2003 . At the same time , there has been widespread concern among Iraqi and U.S. officials that Iran has been providing Iraqi insurgents with material for roadside bombs during the Iraq war . Drilled in 1979 , the well is in Iraq 's Maysan province , east of Amara , near the Iranian border . It is within the province 's Fakka oil field , the Iraqi government said . The report of the oil well incident comes several days after the Oil Ministry 's two-day auction of oil fields . Aimed at increasing Iraqi oil production , deals were struck for seven of the 15 fields offered . There also had been oil bidding in June . CNN 's Mohammed Tawfeeq and Yousif Bassil contributed to this report . | NEW : Both sides say they are in negotiations , have committee working on border dispute . Well is in Maysan province , east of Amara , near Iranian border , officials say . The two countries fought 8-year war that ended in 1988 with parts of border under dispute . | [[629, 696], [629, 639], [645, 649], [674, 751], [1600, 1615], [1618, 1672], [1124, 1264], [1145, 1168], [1174, 1264]] |
Montcoal , West Virginia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- I am West Virginia born and raised , and I come from a long line of coal miners . My father , grandfather , brothers , husband and son-in-law either are or were coal miners . My husband spent 35 years as an underground union coal miner and he died of black lung . I live near Coal River Mountain and my community is experiencing a tragedy . The situation here , before this disaster , had already compelled me to become an environmental activist , committed to doing everything I can to stop the destructive practice of coal extraction known as mountaintop removal . I am not trying to stop all coal mining . I believe coal mining will be with us for a very long time , considering our enormous thirst for energy and our slow transition to renewable energy . Throughout Appalachia , 2,000 miles of headwater streams have been destroyed and over 500 mountains have been decapitated by mountaintop removal . I stood by and did nothing until Massey Energy brought this fight to my door . Three years ago , Massey applied for a permit to blow the top off the mountain behind my house . The company plans to level 6,600 acres of Coal River Mountain and turn it into a moonscape where no living , breathing thing can survive . I believe a higher and better use for this mountain is the Coal River Wind Project . On Monday , April 5 , an enormous explosion went off at the Upper Big Branch mine at Performance Coal Co. , a subsidiary of Massey Energy . Thirty-one men in our community did n't come home that day . We do n't yet know the names of all of the deceased and I dread the day when the list is read and we , at last , know our connection to those who did n't make it . I felt extremely blessed when I knew that my family members who worked at this mine were home and safe . I know many friends and neighbors will be among those we lost and I grieve for all of the families involved . On April 6 , many heartbroken and terrified families kissed their loved ones at the door and sent them off back to work underground . These very brave men enter these mines knowing their fate will probably be the same as their friends ' on April 5 or the same as my husband 's . Now , although these very proud , brave and strong men make about $ 70,000 a year , if they had a choice , many of them would never go underground again . The problem is that we live in a mono-economy and there are no choices . The coal industry has a death grip in the state of West Virginia and we have some of the best politicians money can buy . We also have some very honest , good and environmentally friendly politicians . Their numbers are small and it is considered to be political suicide to do anything in West Virginia that appears to be anti-coal . Many of our representatives have tunnel vision and refuse to advocate for job diversity in the coal fields . Coal is a finite resource , and no matter when you think , it will eventually run out -- someday we will have harvested all of the economically feasible coal . When that day comes , how will the people we love support their families ? I live at ground zero for mountaintop removal and because of the stand that I and many other people have taken to stop it , tensions run high in the coal fields . We are all being used by an outlaw industry and corrupt politicians and we are all driven by fear . The men who work in surface mining are terrified they will lose their jobs . I am terrified that my granddaughter will not have clean drinking water when she is of child-bearing age if we do n't stop this . Massey Energy 's record speaks for itself . With an enormous amount of violations and previous deaths at this mine , I will leave it to you to decide if this company puts profits before the safety of its workers or views its employees as a disposable commodity . We are coping with this enormous tragedy , and sometimes tragedy brings communities together . I can only hope that something good will come out of all of this bad . The opinions in this commentary are solely those of Lorelei Scarbro . | Lorelei Scarbro comes from a long line of coal miners ; husband died of black lung . She says Montcoal is grieving and terrified , but brave men still went to work after tragedy . Scarbro fights for the rights of miners and tries to to stop mountaintop coal removal . Scarbro : Massey Energy had violations and previous deaths . | [[85, 125], [126, 192], [200, 218], [284, 307], [1930, 1940], [1943, 1982], [2023, 2063], [564, 610]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Walking into school Wednesday morning was not easy for Constance McMillen . The last time she 'd been there was March 11 , the day after her Fulton , Mississippi , high school canceled prom rather than allow her to wear a tuxedo and attend with her girlfriend . She did n't assume last week 's spring break would cool things down . She expected stares , dirty looks and cold shoulders , and passing through the doors was daunting . Over these last two weeks , she said , she 's had a hard time sleeping , can barely eat , feels anxious and -- until she saw a doctor for help -- often felt like she was `` going to throw up . '' `` I 've been very nervous about all of this , '' the 18-year-old Itawamba Agricultural High School senior said . `` I do n't like being somewhere where everyone hates me . '' McMillen 's name made national headlines when she , with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union , filed suit against her school and the Itawamba County School District , asking them to reinstate prom for everyone , without discrimination . A federal judge in Mississippi ruled Tuesday that while he would n't force the school to have a prom , which had originally been scheduled for April 2 , he agreed that McMillen 's First Amendment rights had been violated . That was good news , said her attorney , Christine Sun , senior counsel with the ACLU 's lesbian , gay , bisexual and transgender project . It set a precedent and helped broadcast an important statement , which was made stronger by virtue of where it came from , she said . `` We 're in a conservative area of the country , where people tend to think we can do what we like , '' said Sun , who lives in New York but has traveled multiple times to Mississippi for this legal push . `` This case sends a strong message that that 's not going to fly anymore . '' The only pending issue , Sun said , is the question of damages and the ACLU 's request for attorneys ' fees . An amended complaint to seek a quick resolution on this should be filed in the next 30 days , she said . Meantime , McMillen is trying to find her new normal . In many ways , she stands in an awkward balance . Though there are some people who support her in Fulton -LRB- population about 4,000 -RRB- , the overarching tension and what she described as `` hostility '' that she feels at school and in her community is in deep contrast to the reception and groundswell of support that 's overwhelmed her nationally . As a poster child for the rights of LGBT students , she 's been asked to jump on airplanes to appear on news programs and talk shows . The Facebook fan page `` Let Constance Take Her Girlfriend to Prom ! '' had attracted more than 414,000 fans as of Friday morning . Wealthy individuals , including Ellen DeGeneres , have offered to pay for a prom for her school . She 's received a $ 30,000 college scholarship from an anonymous donor and Tonic.com , a digital media company in New York that 's also offered her a summer internship . She 's even been invited to high school proms in cities she 's never visited . `` It means a lot to me , '' she said of the outreach from others . `` The amount of support helps me to continue with the fight . '' But all McMillen , who came out as a lesbian in eighth grade , ever wanted was to go to her school prom with her class , and with her girlfriend . Going to another school 's prom , while a nice offer , does n't make any sense to her . Parents at her school are reportedly planning a `` ball '' for the same night that prom was intended . McMillen said she 's still trying to find out if she 's free to attend with her girlfriend . She wo n't go otherwise . She never meant to be a spoiler for others when she sought approval to bring her girlfriend and wear a tuxedo , she said . She thought she was doing the right thing by asking in advance , since the school had stipulated in a February memo that dates must be of the opposite sex . Rather than give her permission , the school canceled the prom . McMillen said she 's learning who her `` true friends '' are . They 're the ones who respect her for taking a stance , defend her when others talk trash about her , do n't turn their backs when she approaches and are n't afraid to be seen with her . Her girlfriend , too , has remained a constant support , even though she herself has n't gone public . McMillen also said she 's blessed to have family members who shore her up even if they do n't all feel comfortable with her sexual orientation . `` My grandmother does n't believe in it -LSB- same-sex relationships -RSB- but still stands behind me no matter what , '' McMillen said , her southern drawl thick . `` She 's a conservative Christian but respects that it 's my life . She does n't think discrimination of any kind is right . '' Whether she intended to or not , McMillen has inspired others -- not just nationally but in her home state , said Izzy Pellegrine , 19 , a student at Mississippi State University . `` I thought for a long time I was the only gay person in the state of Mississippi , '' said Pellegrine , who came out at 15 and went to high school about 1 1/2 hours from where McMillen lives . McMillen 's actions speak for others who feel unable to speak for themselves , said Pellegrine , who 's a founding board member of the Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition , which helped connect McMillen with the ACLU . The grass-roots organization seeks to protect the interests of LGBT youth and will host a `` second chance prom '' on May 8 , an event Pellegrine estimated may attract as many as 500 students , thanks in large part to the way McMillen 's fight empowers others . `` Usually Mississippi is 10 or 20 years behind , '' Pellegrine said . `` For Mississippi to be spearheading the LGBT student movement is unheard of . I , personally , and my co-workers are so proud to have it happen in our state , '' where `` queer flight , '' the compulsion to leave as soon as one is able , is rampant , she said . As for where life will take McMillen after graduation , she is n't yet sure . She 's still thinking about that summer internship offer in New York and is pretty certain she 'll attend Itawamba Community College for a couple years before going to one of her dream schools , Southern Mississippi State University or UCLA . What she does know is she 'd like to study and possibly pursue a career in psychology . `` I like helping people , and I like talking to people about their problems , '' she said . `` I find the human mind and human behavior very interesting . '' | Constance McMillen in news after school cancels prom ; she wanted to bring girlfriend . Support nationally shows in TV visits , prom offers , Facebook fans and scholarship . At home , Mississippi high school senior deals with tensions , anxiety , `` hostility '' Her and ACLU 's fight inspires others , making her poster child for LGBT student activism . | [[3998, 4028], [2442, 2446], [2450, 2478], [2746, 2793], [2796, 2843], [451, 476], [479, 487], [490, 554], [2181, 2331], [4855, 4886]] |
Cottage Grove , Minnesota -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Unlike many other boys his age , 17-year-old Levi Dubov wakes up excited to go to class each day . `` There is no other place like this , '' he says , as he finishes up breakfast in his school 's basement cafeteria . Dubov is talking about his Yeshiva school outside Minnesota 's Twin Cities , known simply as MyYeshiva . The boys ' school not only focuses on the study of Judaism . It 's one of a few Yeshivas nationwide that combines religious teaching with a focus on students with special learning needs . The school aims to help kids who are `` stuck in the middle '' -- who ca n't keep up with the pace of regular schools , but have n't completely given up either . '' -LSB- It 's -RSB- a place for kids that are struggling everywhere else , '' the school 's director , Rabbi Moshe Weiss , said . `` There was n't ever a place for those kids . '' Students come from all over the country to attend this boarding school , including many from low-income households . `` We wanted to try and help those kids out there that need more attention , '' Weiss said , sitting in his office after just returning with the students from a twice weekly hockey trip to the local ice rink . Since opening in 2006 , the school has seen its enrollment double from its inaugural class of 18 students . Dubov , now in 11th grade , feels more at home here than he did at his previous Yeshiva in his hometown of Montreal , Canada . `` They told me I was a weak learner , '' he said . But he says at MyYeshiva he excels because of the different pace of teaching . Tzemi Zimmerman , a ninth-grader from Chicago , Illinois , says he struggles with attention deficit disorder -LRB- ADD -RRB- and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder -LRB- ADHD -RRB- . `` In another school , if you ca n't keep up with the learning , they 'll tell you ... ` We 're going to have to suspend you , ' '' Zimmerman said . He says the school 's dedicated time for physical education -- another unique quality of this Yeshiva -- makes it easier for him to sit through classes . `` It makes you feel like people care , '' he said . `` It 's just -- you 're wanted . You 're part of everybody . '' Victoria Livshutz , whose son attends the school , says he would be in a much different situation if it were n't for the school . `` They are just like a family , which , to me , is very important , '' she said . `` Because even though he is a big boy , he still needs a lot of attention . '' The school 's co-founder Rabbi Mordechai Friedman calls MyYeshiva a place where `` there 's a little bit less of the stress in learning , a little bit more relaxed in academics . '' `` We want to know how you are doing -- not just what your test scores look like , '' Friedman said . While the school may be unique in many ways , it 's still a functioning business . The rough economy has n't passed by unnoticed . Weiss acknowledges they 've had difficulty making mortgage payments this past year . If they ca n't come up with the remainder of the building 's cost in cash or five-year pledges by May 15 -- about $ 500,000 -- they 'll be forced out . `` We 're talking about these kids ' home and the future kids that are going to come here , '' Weiss said . `` I believe that with God 's help , the best case scenario is going to occur . '' While this year the school has set tuition at more than $ 18,000 a year , it typically operates with a `` pay what you can '' mentality . But this is the first time since the school opened four years ago that not one of the 36 enrolled students has been able to come up with the full amount . Weiss blames a combination of factors . `` Throughout last year , lots of our parents lost their jobs , '' Weiss said , adding that they also `` lost donations due to the economy , some large . '' Regardless , students and faculty are optimistic . `` What 'd they say about Chrysler ? Too big too fold . We 're not as big as Chrysler -- yet . But we 're too important , '' Friedman said . `` To see the kids we 're helping , there is no way in my mind that this wo n't continue , '' Rabbi Weiss said . `` God is not that cynical . '' Levi Dubov says without this school , he 'll likely end up moving to Israel where his family lives now . That means he 'd have to join the Israeli army after his 18th birthday . But Tzemi Zimmerman offers a reassuring assessment : . `` Someone will pull us through , '' he said . `` We 're going to keep going on like this for many more years , and one day maybe I can send my children here . '' | Boys ' school is one of few Yeshivas to focus on students with special learning needs . MyYeshiva aims to help kids who are `` stuck in the middle '' but have n't given up . School has had difficulty making mortgage payments , needs $ 500,000 . | [[441, 466], [472, 546], [555, 617], [2909, 2993], [2928, 2932], [2934, 2993]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two top Iranian opposition leaders have called on supporters to protest on February 11 , the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution , an opposition Web site reported . According to The Green Way Web site , a meeting took place Saturday between opposition leaders Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Moussavi at Karroubi 's home . They discussed the two executions that happened last week and the cases of 16 protesters who went on trial Saturday , the site reported . `` The widespread arrests of political activists and university students , the silencing of the media , and the forced confessions of prisoners are against the principles of Islam and the constitution of Iran , '' the leaders said in a statement . They also called for people to take to the streets on February 11 to demand their rights back as citizens of Iran , The Green Way reported . Meanwhile , state-run Press TV quoted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday as saying that the nation will deliver a harsh blow to `` global arrogance '' on February 11 . Press TV offered no details on or explanation of the statement . Opposition protests were launched after the disputed June 12 presidential election that gave hardline Ahmadinejad a second term . The government denies accusations of fraud . About 4,000 people have been arrested in the post-election crackdown . As of January 24 , the government had confirmed the deaths of at least 37 people in the protests or in detention , seven of those deaths happening on the religious holiday of Ashura . On Thursday , authorities hanged Mohammed Reza Ali Zamani , 37 , and Arash Rahmanipour , 20 , who had been convicted of being enemies of God and plotting to topple the Islamic regime . The two were convicted in mass trials of opposition supporters in August , but Rahmanipour 's lawyer said the young man was arrested two months before the election . | Top Iranian opposition leaders call for February 11 protest , opposition Web site reports . They called for people to take to the streets to demand their rights back as citizens of Iran . Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Moussavi also met to discuss last week 's executions . The two executions followed mass trials of opposition supporters in August . | [[0, 15], [19, 105], [157, 190], [734, 738], [744, 799], [755, 822], [0, 15], [19, 105], [734, 738], [744, 799], [755, 822], [800, 847], [229, 325], [348, 436], [348, 436], [1551, 1562], [1565, 1637], [1736, 1808]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Kim Clijsters continued her successful return to tennis by demolishing American third seed Venus Williams in the final of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami on Saturday . The Belgian , a former world No. 1 but seeded 14th for this event following her two-year absence from the women 's circuit , will move up to 10th in the rankings next week following her one-sided 6-2 6-1 triumph at Key Biscayne . Williams had been hoping for a fourth title at the event , having won her last two tournaments , but was well below par as Clijsters added to her 2005 victory in Miami in just 58 minutes . The 26-year-old claimed her third title since making her comeback last year after giving birth to baby daughter Jada , who was watching her mum from the stands again on Saturday . The 2009 U.S. Open champion notched up her 37th triumph in WTA Tour events , 28 of those now on hardcourt surfaces . She passed $ 17 million in career earnings after taking home the $ 700,000 first prize -- which is almost $ 100,000 more than the winner of Sunday 's men 's final between Andy Roddick and Tomas Berdych will receive . Clijsters , who defeated fellow comeback queen Justine Henin in an epic semifinal on Friday , broke Williams to love to seal the title . `` It took a lot of hard work to get back into shape and I have a few people to thank , including my fitness coach and husband , '' Clijsters said on-court after the match . `` It feels really good to be back here , having won the title in 2005 . It 's always nice to come back to a place you have done well before , and to such a beautiful stadium . '' Williams , cheered on by injured younger sister and current No. 1 Serena , made 29 unforced errors to Clijsters ' 12 as she struggled to continue her recent good run of form . `` Sometimes when you hit a few bad shots it 's not as easy to reel it in , and things start to go a little bit quicker , '' said Williams , who will rise to fourth in the rankings . `` Obviously against a player like Kim , if you make too many errors , the match can go quickly . I mean , I think she hit eight winners , so it was n't that she played extremely solid -- it 's not like I was blown off the court . Unfortunately I was my own worst enemy today . '' | Kim Clijsters demolishes Venus Williams in final of Sony Ericsson Open in Miami . Belgian beats American third seed 6-2 6-1 in only 58 minutes for 37th career title . It was the 26-year-old 's third triumph since returning last year after having a baby . Williams had been seeking fourth Miami title but suffered first loss in three tournaments . | [[19, 124], [75, 172], [187, 198], [359, 416], [1120, 1129], [1214, 1256], [19, 124], [75, 172], [187, 198], [359, 416], [417, 425], [518, 605], [786, 860], [606, 717], [417, 473]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Roger Federer suffered a surprise defeat to Czech Tomas Berdych in the fourth round of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami . The Swiss top seed was a long way from his best as Berdych edged a tight battle 6-4 6-7 -LRB- 3-7 -RRB- 7-6 -LRB- 8-6 -RRB- . Federer had a match point in the deciding tie-break but missed his chance with a wayward forehand , allowing Berdych to claim the victory three points later . Federer , who won the latest of his record 16 Grand Slam singles titles at the Australian Open in January , had only lost once to Berdych in nine previous meetings . `` It 's no secret I 've struggled the last five matches I 've played here in the States , '' Federer told the official ATP Tour Web site . `` I 'm definitely lacking timing . I do n't know where that comes from because I played so nicely in Australia . So it 's disappointing to not be able to back it up . '' They were joined in the quarterfinals by American Andy Roddick , who fought back from 4-1 down to defeat Germany 's Benjamin Becker 7-6 -LRB- 7-4 -RRB- 6-3 . Fourth seed Rafael Nadal beat fellow Spaniard and 15th seed David Ferrer 7-6 -LRB- 7-5 -RRB- 6-4 and will next face eighth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga , who trounced Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain 6-2 6-2 . Fifth seed Robin Soderling of Sweden progressed with a 6-0 6-7 -LRB- 3-7 -RRB- 6-2 victory over Chile 's Fernando Gonzalez , while Mardy Fish of the U.S. was forced to retire while trailing 6-1 1-0 against 13th seed Mikhail Youzhny . In the women 's tournament , Venus Williams advanced to the semi-finals with a 6-3 6-1 victory over Agnieszka Radwanska . She will face France 's former Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli , who beat Yanina Wickmayer 6-4 , 7-5 . Williams , who had required three sets to defeat Daniela Hantuchova in the previous round , was delighted to have had an easier ride this time around . `` Getting through a match like yesterday makes me more confident because it was n't exactly my best game , '' she told the tournament 's official Web site . `` Today I was kind of eager to clean up my act . We had some really good rallies and really good points , but I just see me keep coming out on top , so of course I like that . '' | Roger Federer loses to Tomas Berdych at Sony Ericsson Open fourth round in Miami . Federer wastes a match point before losing deciding set on a tie-break . Venus Williams beats Agnieszka Radwanska to advance to women 's semifinals . | [[19, 139], [266, 317], [266, 273], [322, 363], [1495, 1521], [1524, 1616]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Lights went off across the world Saturday as millions of homes and businesses went dark for one hour in a symbolic gesture highlighting concerns over climate change . The lights go off Saturday at the Houses of Parliament and the Big Ben clock tower in central London . More than 2,800 cities and towns worldwide dimmed their lights at 8:30 p.m. local time for the third annual Earth Hour -- a day-long energy-saving marathon spanning 83 countries and 24 time zones . In New York , the Empire State Building , Central Park and the George Washington Bridge went dark at 8:30 p.m. ET . The Philippines topped this year 's participation for Asia , with more than 650 communities taking part in the event , according to Earth Hour 's Web site . The light illuminating the face of the landmark Big Ben clock tower in London , England , went out at 8:30 p.m. -LRB- 4:30 p.m. ET -RRB- . In Dubai , iReporter Sharad Agarwal turned out the lights and sat down to a candlelit dinner with his family . `` I personally believe in going green and everything that goes with it , '' Agarwal told CNN . In Australia , floodlights of the Sydney Opera House were extinguished as the city 's iconic harbor kicked off events for Earth Hour . The event 's Web site reported that hundreds of people lined the harbor for a glimpse of the dimming skyline at 8:30 pm . Sydney became the birthplace of the Earth Hour campaign in 2007 when 2.2 million turned off their lights , igniting a grass-roots movement that has become a global phenomenon . In China , illuminations at major buildings including the `` Bird 's Nest '' Olympic Stadium and the Water Cube were extinguished as 20 cities joined in , according to the official Xinhua news agency . Other landmarks around the world expected to join the World Wildlife Fund-sponsored event were the Egyptian pyramids , Vatican , Niagara Falls , the Eiffel Tower , the Empire State Building , the Acropolis in Athens and the Las Vegas casino strip . CNN iReporter Marie Sager of Los Angeles , California , said she planned to hike up to the Griffith Observatory to experience the massive lights-out event . `` A good portion of the city is participating . We 'll see the Capital Records sign go out . A lot of these places have n't turned out their lights in awhile , '' Sager said . Event sponsors hoped participating U.S. cities would set an example for the rest of the world . Watch actor Edward Norton and Carter Roberts of the World Wildlife Fund discuss event '' `` We think we are going to have 100 million people around the world sending a message that climate change is real , and we need to take action now , '' World Wildlife Fund CEO Carter Roberts told CNN . `` The world is watching to see what America is going to do , '' he said , `` because if America acts on climate change , the world will follow . '' Earth Hour events got off to an unofficial start in the remote Chatham Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean where locals switched off their diesel generators , organizers said . Shortly afterward , 44 New Zealand cities and town joined in the event . Organizers say they hope this year 's event will send a message to world leaders meeting Copenhagen , Denmark , in December for a major summit on climate change . `` We are asking one billion people to take part in what is essentially the first global vote for action on climate change by turning off their lights for one hour and casting a vote for earth , '' said executive director Andy Ridley . | Lights go out over Sydney Harbor as city launches Earth Hour . 650 communities in Philippines flip the switch . Millions of homes and businesses were expected to join event . Organizers hope event will send message on climate change to world leaders . | [[1106, 1118], [1121, 1205], [1180, 1240], [669, 719], [669, 694], [722, 759], [19, 96], [123, 185], [2325, 2420], [3114, 3259]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received a candidate vaccine virus for swine flu from one institution Friday , spokesman Thomas Skinner said in an e-mail . The CDC estimates more than 100,000 people have had swine flu in the United States . The CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have also created a candidate vaccine virus for swine flu , also known as 2009 H1N1 , using reverse genetics , he said . `` Suitable viruses will hopefully be sent to manufacturers by end of next week , '' Skinner wrote . Once that happens , vaccine makers will tweak the virus and have `` pilot lots '' of vaccine ready to be tested by mid - to late June . Several thousand cases have been reported nationally , but the CDC estimates more than 100,000 people have had swine flu in the United States , said Dr. Anne Schuchat , interim deputy director for science and public health program at the CDC , in a news conference Friday . Most of these people probably have not been officially tested . The first sample virus came from a lab run by virologist Doris Bucher at New York Medical College , in Valhalla , New York . Bucher told CNN Thursday that she had just packaged four viruses that she considers vaccine candidates and sent the samples to the CDC 's headquarters in Atlanta , Georgia , via courier . Earlier this week , a Korean scientist , Dr. Seo Sang-heui , also claimed to have produced a virus that might be used in a swine flu vaccine . But Skinner said the methods Sang-heui used were not suitable and that his virus was not considered a viable candidate . Bucher 's samples will likely get more attention . For the past five years her lab in Valhalla has produced elements of the seasonal vaccine that 's given to tens of millions of Americans each year . She says the process she 's using with the H1N1 virus is virtually identical to the process her lab uses when working on that seasonal vaccine . The virus used in vaccines is not the actual virus that infects people , but rather a hybrid that 's been genetically modified to make it safer , and to give it the ability to multiply more quickly -- a crucial factor when it comes to manufacturing large quantities . Bucher 's method of achieving this has a decidedly old-fashioned feel . She first injects a sample of `` wild virus '' -- in this case , H1N1 virus she got from the CDC , originally culled from a child who was infected in California this spring -- and then injects a sample of another flu strain that 's known for its ability to rapidly multiply in eggs . For that , Bucher is using a strain with the exotic sounding name of NYMC X-157 . -LRB- That 's NYMC as in `` New York Medical Center ; '' it 's a hybrid of an H3N2 seasonal virus and the so-called `` Puerto Rico strain , '' A/PR/8 / 34 , that 's used to speed the growth of seasonal flu vaccine -RRB- . Together in the egg , the viruses swap genes . In a laborious series of steps , Bucher 's team guides the changes by adding antibodies that eliminate the surface proteins of the H3N2 virus . The end result is a virus with the exterior proteins of the H1N1 swine flu -- so the immune system recognizes it -- but with the inner mechanics -- the fast-growth ability -- of X-157 . Another method of creating a candidate virus also mixes wild virus with a second , fast-growing strain , but instead of growing them in eggs , lets the viruses mingle in a special solution while scientists manipulate them through a complex technique called reverse genetics . In 2005 , Dr. Richard Webby and Dr. Robert Webster at St. Jude Hospital in Memphis , Tennessee , used reverse genetics to produce a vaccine against the H5N1 avian flu virus . Webby has been working to produce a candidate virus against H1N1 as well , but told CNN the virus is growing slower than expected , and that it would likely be a few weeks before a suitable strain is ready to be sent to the CDC . With any candidate strain , CDC virologists will perform tests to see if the new virus can induce an immune response against the wild H1N1 strain . That 's done by using a solution derived from the blood of ferrets , whose susceptibility to flu is similar to that of humans , and also by deliberately trying to infect live ferrets . If test results are acceptable , the CDC will forward samples of the virus to various manufacturers . Those companies will fine-tune the virus for their own production methods , and produce small `` pilot lots '' of vaccine that can be tested in animals , and possibly people , for effectiveness and safety . Only after those tests are complete would the CDC , World Health Organization and other government health authorities decide whether to recommend mass production . Even in the fastest-moving scenarios , that step is n't likely to occur before late June or even July . CNN 's Elizabeth Landau contributed to this report . | The CDC received a candidate vaccine virus for swine flu Friday . CDC : Suitable viruses will hopefully be sent to manufacturers by end of next week . In one vaccine method , viruses swap genes in egg . Another technique uses reverse genetics instead of growing viruses in eggs . | [[0, 15], [66, 142], [446, 525], [2893, 2917]] |
Port-au-Prince , Haiti -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Haitians have to be in the driver 's seat as they try to rebuild their shattered country after last week 's devastating earthquake , the head of the International Monetary Fund told CNN Friday . `` We can provide resources , but there must be ownership by the Haitians themselves and especially by the Haitian authorities , '' Dominique Strauss-Kahn said during an exclusive interview with CNN 's Christiane Amanpour . Repeating his call for some kind of Marshall Plan like the one that rebuilt Western Europe after World War II , Strauss-Kahn said , `` We need to have the entire international community working together -- I call it a Marshall Plan . '' His comments came three days before an international donors ' conference in Montreal , Canada , that will raise money for Haiti and look at long-term prospects for recovery . Full coverage | Twitter updates . `` I hope that the decision can be made not only to help for the immediate needs , but to help for the long term , and rebuild the Haitian economy , '' Strauss-Kahn said . `` We can not just deal with some piecemeal thing , saying we 're going to provide some resources here , some other resources here , '' he added . `` It has to be a comprehensive plan , and I think that the Haitian authorities agree with this view . '' Jeffrey Sachs , a special adviser to the U.N. secretary-general and head of Columbia University 's Earth Institute , strongly supported Strauss-Kahn 's view . Sachs said Haiti needs a sustained international effort coordinated not by the U.S. government but by an organization such as the Inter-American Development Bank . `` I would not subcontract to a lot of businesses the way we 've done in Afghanistan and Iraq , '' he said , `` because we 'll never see the money again . '' iReport : List of missing , found | Are you there ? A journalist who has spent decades covering Haiti , Mark Danner , expressed concern about the way the international aid effort may be handled . `` We should be a bit skeptical about the history of development and development organizations in Haiti , '' he said . `` If this rebuilding is going to be successful , it has to be done by Haitians . It has to put money in the hands of Haitians and not just the Haitian elite . '' The question , Danner said , `` is how you free the people from the grip of what has been , at least historically , quite a debilitating government and unleash the entrepreneurial energies of the people of Haiti . '' One of Haiti 's most acclaimed novelists and poets , Lyonel Trouillot , agreed . Impact Your World . He said Haiti is not a failed state or a failed country . `` We need money . We need technology . We need support . But what we most need is to remain the ones who decide our own future , '' he said . `` It is time for us to come together and improve , stop thinking about only the few rich and think about the whole country , '' he added . Sachs said it is vital not to waste any time rebuilding . `` We should n't see this as people going into tent cities and then living there as displaced populations for months or years . That would be a disaster and tragedy , '' he said . `` We need to start on the recovery and development effort within weeks . '' | Head of IMF tells CNN 's Christiane Amanpour that a Marshall Plan for Haiti is needed . Global leaders emphasize need for long-term , comprehensive plan . Skeptics are concerned that only Haiti 's elite will benefit . Haitians say they must play a central role in rebuilding decisions . | [[175, 236], [366, 460], [461, 523], [573, 590], [593, 646], [1229, 1262], [42, 50], [56, 141]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Roy Braswell was 9 years old when the flu pandemic of 1918 hit . Margaret Duchez , 94 , sees some similarities to the 1918 situation , like the dozens of school closings . `` I know it 's a bad feeling , 'cause I had it , '' said Braswell , 100 , who now lives in Cobb County in Georgia . `` It makes you have headaches , you be out of your head , you do n't know nothing . '' Margaret Duchez , 94 , did not have the flu , but remembers that in 1918 her grandmother locked the door so that she could n't go outside during the pandemic . In her community near Cleveland , Ohio , people were afraid to go to church , walk in the street or let children play outside , she said . An entire family died around the corner from her . `` People were dying so fast in our parish , which was old St. Patrick 's , they could not bury them fast enough , '' Duchez said . A study in Nature last year showed survivors of the 1918 pandemic still have some immunity to that virus in the form of B cells , which are immune cells that produce antibodies . Now , researchers are taking the knowledge from that study to work toward an antibody treatment for swine flu , the 2009 H1N1 virus that has sickened hundreds of people worldwide . Learn about other influenza pandemics in history '' When a person gets infected with a virus , the body typically mounts an immune response to it . B cells produce antibodies , leaving the person at least partially immune to the disease , said Dr. James Crowe , professor at Vanderbilt University and lead study author . The levels of immune response tend to wane with time , he said . The response is strongest within the first several months , and then diminishes over the following years . In the Nature study , supported by the National Institutes of Health , Crowe and colleagues took these rare B cells from survivors ' blood and cloned the antibody genes from these cells to produce antibodies in the laboratory . `` It 's interesting because we had this technology , and we should be able to do this with survivors of any flu , '' he said . Applying this technique to the 2009 H1N1 virus , researchers could use blood from swine flu survivors to develop an antibody molecule , which is `` a biologic drug that we could give to people to protect them against the current swine flu , or possibly to treat them , '' he said . Crowe said he was shocked to find B cells that produce 1918 flu antibodies from the blood of flu survivor volunteers 90 years after they got the illness . `` Typically , it 's thought that you have high levels of antibodies for about 10 years , '' he said . `` Our studies have shown in some cases you keep antibodies for the rest of your life . Crowe and collaborators are now in the process of working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to get blood samples of survivors of 2009 H1N1 . If a survivor of a virus maintains immunity for years , does this mean people should try to contract a mild case of a virus so that they will naturally develop antibodies ? This used to be the logic with chicken pox , a far more serious illness for adults than children . Before there was a vaccine , people thought children ought to catch the disease to avoid complications later in life , he said . But Crowe does not advise that anyone purposely contract swine flu to develop immunity , even in the United States , where most cases appear mild . `` We do n't know yet how severe this virus is going to be , '' he said . Duchez , who follows the news on television from her assisted living community in Westlake , Ohio , sees some similarities to the 1918 situation -- for example , the dozens of school closings nationwide . Watch another 1918 epidemic survivor share her memories '' Still , the swine flu does not seem as bad , she said . Duchez recalls that when she went to school at age 6 , in 1920 , the nuns told of how they became nurses and put sulfur in their shoes to protect themselves from catching diseases . People are worried now , but not like they were back then . And Duchez herself does not fear the swine flu . `` My life is in the hands of God . Why should I be afraid ? '' she said . | Study : Survivors of 1918 pandemic still have some immunity to that virus . Researchers are working with CDC on antibody treatment . Expert : Do n't try to catch swine flu just to be immune to it later . | [[878, 943], [878, 905], [944, 1005], [1386, 1393], [1415, 1474], [2627, 2714], [2877, 2927], [1105, 1166], [2715, 2824], [1386, 1393], [1415, 1474], [3279, 3389]] |
Atlanta , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The optimism once held by many Americans has been `` beaten out '' of them amid a lagging economy , threat of terrorism and two ongoing wars , according to a professor at Emory University . `` All of those things ... have made people start to be much more doubtful than they used to be , '' says Patrick Allitt , a British citizen who teaches American history . Allitt recently wrote about what he describes as `` America the miserable '' -- the mood swing he has seen in his 30 years in the U.S. -- for The Spectator , a British magazine . Read the professor 's full essay . Allitt spoke with CNN about his perspective . Below is a transcript of that conversation , which has been edited : . CNN : How would you describe the change in America since you first came to America ? Allitt : The change is this : I do n't get the same sense of intense self confidence as I used to feel when I first came to America , even though that was a period that 's usually remembered as a pretty grim time -- the Jimmy Carter years when there was a lot of stagnation and inflation and a general feeling of malaise . Even so , to me , it seemed incredibly energetic here . People in America worked much , much harder than they did in Britain . They seemed more upbeat . They had faith in progress . And there was this feeling of being intensely wide awake for the first time . But now , I think some of that optimism has been beaten out . Counter : Why there 's reason for optimism . It 's been a very tough 10 years since 2001 , has n't it ? The attack on the World Trade Center , the growing fear of terrorism , the difficulty of prevailing in the wars , obviously , more recently the recession . All of those things , collectively , have made people start to be much more doubtful than they used to be . CNN : Do you attribute it to a change in American mentality or are we exposed to an array of different beliefs through the ever-expanding media landscape ? Allitt : It 's certainly true there are far more media than there used to be ... that devote a lot of time to people who are dissatisfied . In other words , if somebody 's happy , that is n't news . It 's certainly news when they become dissatisfied in some way or they have some kind of problem to deal with . In that sense , I suppose there 's an inherent bias in favor of bad news . But I think it 's more than that . I 've spent most of the last 30 years in the company of academics , who also tend to be pessimistic people . They tend to have very high ideals for America . When they see it does n't live up to its ideals , it makes them disappointed and sometimes embittered . So it may be that , if I spent more time with less educated people , I would n't have this sense quite so acutely . I think that 's quite possible . CNN : You write : `` The decline of American confidence is n't just a temporary blip on the screen brought on by the recession . '' Elaborate on that for me . Allitt : Even before this recession began , I guess it was in October and November 2008 when things really started to go bad . Already by then , I was having a feeling that the general national optimism was less emphatic than it used to be . In the first five or six years of the last decade , there was this feeling that things were going wrong , particularly that the wars were grinding on interminably and that it was very difficult to prevail . It was n't the same kind of decisive conflict as World War II where you 're fighting against a nation-state and you can clearly detect when you 're winning . The dispersal of the enemy and the very shadowy character of terrorism tends to be very depressing to confront . You have to maintain a high degree of vigilance and sometimes you have to take comfort in thinking what 's extraordinary is what did n't happen ; there was n't another major attack . That does n't feel like a victory . ... That kind of thing is what I was attentive to when I was writing this story . CNN : If we are in this funk as you describe , is there anything wrong with that ? And how do we emerge from it ? Allitt : The one thing I 've always admired about Americans is their willingness to be self-critical . I do think you could take the view that the very fact that so many Americans are willing to scrutinize their own behavior and their nation 's behavior is a sign that they do have these high ideals and they want to live up to them . So in that sense , you can take an optimistic view , even of pessimism -- that sooner or later , the sheer attention to it is going to cause people to recover . But I do think there are generational trends in American life . People who were brought up in the 1930s during the Great Depression -- the image of it stayed with them for a lifetime . ... In the same way , I expect the kids who have grown up in the last few years are also going to carry the marks of this with them through life . They 'll come into conflict with their own children who have different generational experiences . It 's impossible at this stage to say what 's going to happen next . ... But it certainly is true studying the American past , you can see how various traumatic events through the nation 's history leave a long-term impression on the people themselves . CNN : You kind of hint about this in your piece : Maybe you 're just going through a midlife crisis and that 's why you might have this view . Allitt : I think that 's possible , but I think I 'm describing something more real than that . My job is to study the American people in the past ; but also to some extent in the present . I really do feel this kind of change has come about . But you ca n't quantify it . You ca n't say 8 out of 10 people are optimistic -- or at least if you try to you 're really giving a false sense of definiteness . So what I 'm trying to do is capture a mood and compare it to a mood that I saw previously . ... I still feel there 's an enormous amount of hope and potential and capability here , so I do n't share the feeling of gloom , which I see in the people around me . CNN : Describe the `` Avatar '' analogy for me ? Allitt : The plot -LSB- of `` Avatar '' -RSB- is kind of incredibly depressing . The corporation is at the center of this planet . First of all , they have invaded the planet . And now they 're sort of stomping on the homeland of the blue people who live there . And really the picture it gives you of America is incredibly depressing . It shows Americans to be greedy and incredibly violent and intolerant , and they have n't got time for this anthropological experiment that 's going on . But obviously , the hero is one of the Americans . He 's clearly an outsider . ... The main part of the story is a condemnation of America and its values . I was surprised how few reviewers said this picture is a grotesque distortion of what we 're really like . CNN : Have you started receiving hate mail yet : Hey , Brit , get the hell out of our country ? Allitt : No , not at all . ... It certainly is n't meant to be an attack on America ; quite the opposite . As I say , I 'm very , very pro-American . CNN : Any final thoughts ? Allitt : To me , coming from Britain , one thing that is so inspiring about the United States is people really believe in human equality and they really take it seriously and they try to make it a reality . When I was growing up in Britain , nobody talked about equality . It 's a very hierarchical society in Britain , and everyone has their own place within the hierarchy and others are below them -- and then , what you 've got to do is stay in your place . So it felt very liberating for me to come to America . Although obviously , this is n't a society where everybody is equal in practice . But at least this is a place where everybody tries hard to make sure that every kid really does have the opportunities to make the most of their own abilities . And that 's a great thing . There have n't been many societies in the entire history of the world that have been like that . | British professor recently wrote about what he calls `` America the miserable '' Patrick Allitt says U.S. optimism has been `` beaten out '' of country in recent years . Allitt says mood is like `` Avatar , '' which showed Americans to be `` greedy and incredibly violent '' | [[399, 475], [6443, 6484], [1398, 1405], [1408, 1459], [6485, 6554]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former first lady Barbara Bush was admitted Saturday to a hospital in Texas for routine tests , a spokeswoman said . `` Mrs Bush is in for some routine tests , not an emergency of any kind , '' said Jim Appleby , spokesman for former President George H.W. Bush . The former first lady was taken to Methodist Hospital in Houston , Texas . She had not been feeling well for about a week , said Jean Becker , the chief of staff for Bush 's husband . Bush , 84 , is expected to stay at the hospital for a day or two , Becker said . Details on the testing were not immediately available . Becker , the chief of staff for former President George H.W. Bush , said her hospitalization is `` not serious at all . '' Last year , Bush underwent open-heart surgery during which doctors replaced her aortic valve with a biologic valve . She spent nine days in the hospital afterward . Her recent hospitalization is `` not related '' to the surgery , Becker said . In November 2008 , Bush underwent surgery for a perforated ulcer . CNN 's Leslie Tripp and Ed Henry contributed to this report . | Barbara Bush hospitalized in Houston after feeling ill for week , spokeswoman said . Former first lady to undergo routine tests , hospitalization not considered serious . Bush had open heart surgery last year . | [[0, 15], [37, 94], [115, 135], [282, 346], [357, 403], [136, 178], [603, 609], [671, 722], [726, 735], [738, 842]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Justice Department remained tightlipped Friday as criticism mounted over the decision to hold the the September 11 terrorist attack trial in a civilian court in lower Manhattan . Earlier , senior Obama administration officials confirmed that the White House is considering moving the site of the trial if the Justice Department sees fit . `` Conversations have occurred within the administration to discuss contingency options should the possibility of a trial in lower Manhattan be foreclosed upon by Congress or locally , '' a senior administration official said . Justice Department officials refused to acknowledge whether they are being pressed to find an alternative location , despite bipartisan concern that holding the trial in Manhattan would be too costly and disruptive . `` We 're reviewing our options , '' said Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd in a statement Friday . The administration 's turnabout comes after New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other politicians expressed great concern over the costs and disruption of holding the trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four accomplices at a courthouse near Ground Zero in lower Manhattan . White House officials said President Obama agrees with Attorney General Eric Holder 's decision in November to try the suspects in a civilian criminal court in the United States , not a military tribunal . `` Currently our federal jails hold hundreds of convicted terrorists , and the president 's opinion has not changed on that , '' White House spokesman Bill Burton said Thursday . White House officials say the decision about any possible alternate sites to try Mohammed and the others will come from the Justice Department . One government official close to the case said other New York locations , including a military site on New York Harbor 's Governor 's Island , are possibilities . And while Virginia sites also were mentioned as alternatives by former counterterrorism officials , Virginia Sen. Jim Webb , a Democrat , opposed moving the trial to his state . `` Bringing enemy combatants for detention or trial in Washington , D.C. , or Northern Virginia would unnecessarily burden these communities from both a financial and security perspective , '' Webb said . New York police estimated the cost to the city would be over $ 200 million per year in what could be a multi-year trial and that over 2,000 checkpoints would need to be installed around Lower Manhattan . Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said additional protection would have to be deployed for the city , not just the core area of Manhattan . Residents like Pat Moore contemplated what it will be like to live through the trial . `` Those people would virtually be held prisoner in their homes , '' Moore said of New Yorkers who live near the courthouse . `` We 've all been traumatized , any of us who were there that day '' referring to September 11 . Bloomberg initially supported the move , saying `` it is fitting that 9/11 suspects face justice near the World Trade Center site where so many New Yorkers were murdered . '' But this week he used different rhetoric when asked about a community agency 's proposal 's to relocate the trial , saying he would prefer the trial be held elsewhere , perhaps at a military base where it would be easier and cheaper to provide security . `` It 's going to cost an awful lot of money and disturb a lot of people , '' Bloomberg said . On Thursday , a group of New York politicians urged the Obama administration to thoroughly re-examine locating the trials in downtown Manhattan . `` We are concerned that the administration has not fully considered the impact that the trials would have on lower Manhattan in choosing the Moynihan Courthouse in Foley Square , '' U.S. Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Nydia Velazquez , both Democrats , and several state and local officials said in a letter dated Thursday to Holder . Also , a spokeswoman for Gov. David Paterson cited his `` hesitation '' with the decision , citing the burdens it would pose on city residents . A spokesman for U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand raised financial concerns , saying her `` single biggest concern is making sure that the federal government cover the hundreds of millions of dollars per year cost to New York City for security during the trials . '' Julie Menin , chairwoman of a city community advisory agency , proposed four alternative locations for the trial within the Southern District of Manhattan : Governors Island , Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh , the U.S. Military Academy at West Point , and the Bureau of Prisons jail complex at FCI Otisville . A West Point spokesman said no one has officially requested a review of demands for such a trial , which would require in-depth study of legal and security concerns . Some U.S. senators -- including Homeland Security Committee chairman Joe Lieberman , I-Connecticut -- want the detainees tried in military commissions . A letter from one group of senators said a federal civilian trial would provide militants with `` one of the most visible platforms in the world to exalt their past acts and to rally others in support of further terrorism . '' One congressman , U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf , R-Virginia , is planning to introduce legislation that would cut off funding for the trial and block transfer of the September 11 suspects to New York . U.S. Attorney 's Office spokesman Dean Boyd said the Justice Department `` can safely prosecute this case in the Southern District of New York while minimizing disruptions to the community to the greatest extent possible , consistent with security needs . '' President Obama is `` committed to seeing '' Mohammed , the mastermind of the attacks `` brought to justice , '' Burton said . `` Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is a murderous thug who has admitted to crimes ... some of the most heinous crimes ever committed against our country , '' he said . CNN 's Suzanne Malveaux , Terry Frieden and Cassie Spodak contributed to this report . | Moving site of 9/11 trial from Manhattan under consideration , administration officials say . New York lawmakers urging White House to re-examine plan to try terror suspects there . Justice Department will make decision about any alternate sites , officials say . Officials : Obama agrees with move to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in civilian court . | [[213, 220], [223, 372], [3450, 3461], [3464, 3595], [1673, 1727], [107, 212], [1198, 1305], [1225, 1375]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An overdose of a blood thinner may have contributed to the death of a Nebraska toddler , the Omaha hospital that treated her said Thursday . The Nebraska Medical Center is investigating the death Wednesday of 23-month-old Almariah Duque , said hospital spokesman Paul Baltes . The girl , who lived with her parents in Dallas , Texas , was born with a birth defect and in December had undergone a transplant at the hospital of her small intestine , pancreas and liver , Baltes said . The hospital has one of the nation 's largest intestinal rehabilitation and transplant programs , he said . The girl was readmitted in February after an infection and died at 5 p.m. Wednesday , the hospital said in a statement . `` It appears an overdose of the blood thinner heparin may have contributed , '' said the statement , which called the death `` a deeply troubling and emotional incident '' for hospital personnel . `` We all want to extend our deepest apologies to the Duque family for their tragic loss , '' it added . Heparin is routinely used after a variety of medical procedures as an anticoagulant . `` The medical center strives to provide the highest level of care and will use this tragic event to continue to improve and find ways to prevent errors in the delivery of complex health care , '' the statement said . The medical center is paying for funeral and travel expenses for the girl 's parents , Greg and Kenya Duque , who have no other children , Baltes said . `` We just want her voice to be heard and for this to never happen again to any child or adult , '' said the parents in a statement released by the hospital . `` We believe this was an honest mistake but one that needs to be corrected . We love her , we did everything we could for her and we do n't want this to ever happen again . '' | 23-month-old Almariah Duque died Wednesday . She had a transplant of her small intestine , pancreas and liver . The hospital says an overdose of heparin may have contributed to her death . Heparin is routinely used as an anticoagulant . | [[160, 255], [296, 336], [390, 485], [734, 785], [745, 806], [1034, 1119]] |
Moorhead , Minnesota -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- He 's been there for 30 years , and 85-year-old Lloyd Paulson is n't moving anytime soon . But on his stretch of Rivershore Drive in this city just east of Fargo , North Dakota , he 's essentially the only one . `` I want to go feet-first out of here , '' Paulson said from his living room , which is now just feet from rising floodwaters . `` I do n't want to leave . I want to stay here because I enjoy it so much . '' Last year , he and his family and friends saved his home from the record flooding that nearly ravaged the entire city -- but it took 30,000 sand bags . A farm boy since birth , Paulson said the sandbagging in 2009 saved his property from major damage , meaning another pleasant year of watching the wildlife in his backyard . `` I can see turkeys and squirrels and deer . They come up at night . '' But when the retired sporting goods store manager looks down the street now , what he sees is a mix of houses on stilts ready to be moved and vacant houses awaiting demolition . The neighbors in the 14 houses to his south and three to the north sold their homes to the city , accepting its offer to buy them out so that a more permanent levee can be built up in their place . Paulson says he 's surprised that so many people made the decision , since some had `` beautiful homes . '' The buyouts were voluntary , but since Paulson decided to stay , he must foot the bill for his portion of that new levee himself . He has n't received a bill yet , but he says whatever the cost , it should be worth it because that mountain of dirt will mean his days of sandbagging are over . Since the city 's new levee is n't up yet , earthen levees surrounding Paulson 's home are protecting it from this year 's flood . `` The cupboards are all stocked up , the freezer is all stocked up , so I can stay here for weeks without having to go out , '' Paulson said , laughing . And those levees will protect him up to a 43-foot crest . The most recent forecast calls for a crest of 38 feet , so Paulson says he 's `` not worried at all '' about staying in his home while the water is high . His wife of 57 years died shortly after the flood of 2009 . But even though he now lives there solo , Paulson said he does n't feel lonely . `` Not at all . I have so many friends in town , and every day , I 'm out doing something . The phone rings regularly , '' he said . Are you there ? Share photos , video of flood . When asked how he feels to be known as the last man standing in his neighborhood , the one who wo n't leave , Paulson said he `` did n't do this for publicity . '' `` I just want to enjoy my life , '' he said , `` and I can do it here . '' | Lloyd Paulson , 85 , of Moorhead , Minnesota , refuses to sell his home to the city . The city wants to build a levee in his neighborhood . Volunteers staged a massive effort to rescue his home during last year 's flooding . | [[76, 130], [461, 470], [473, 542]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The man closest to Tiger Woods when he plays golf says he had no idea about the extramarital affairs that have sidelined Woods from the game . Steve Williams , Woods ' caddy and confidant for nearly a decade , talked to New Zealand 's TV3 about the scandal . `` I knew nothing , '' Williams said in an interview posted on the station 's Web site Thursday . `` I do n't need to clarify it , extend that answer . I knew nothing . '' Williams said he 's heard the calls from some that he should be fired for not preventing Woods ' downfall . `` In some people 's perception , I 'm involved with it , and I 've committed a crime or done wrong , '' he said . `` If the shoe was on somebody else , I would say the same thing , it would be very difficult for the caddy not to know , '' he said . `` But I 'm 100 percent telling you , I knew nothing , and that 's that . '' Williams ' wife , Kirsty , defended her husband , insisting he would not have been able to keep the secret from her or Woods ' wife , Elin Nordegren . `` The four of us are so close , '' she told TV3 . `` Being so close , he could n't know and not say something to Elin or myself . You know , it 's just , that 's the way it is . '' Woods , 34 , apologized last month in a tightly controlled televised statement for his `` irresponsible and selfish '' behavior , which he said included infidelity . The February 19 statement was his first public appearance since he crashed his black Cadillac Escalade into a fire hydrant and a tree near his home in November . The crash and reports about why it happened sparked a barrage of infidelity allegations against the golfer , who has two children with his wife . Williams , who gets 10 percent of the millions Woods wins on the golf tour every year , said he would not have kept it secret just to protect his job . `` I 'm a straight up sort of person , if I had known something was going on , the whistle would have been blown , '' Williams said . `` He knows that I 'm straight up , that 's the way I operate . '' He said he is disappointed with Woods . `` Of course , I 'm mad at him , '' he said . `` Why would you not be ? He 's obviously let his family down . '' Williams said he and Woods will talk about the scandal eventually , but not now . `` When a guy 's having a tough time , that 's not the time , '' he said . `` It 's not up to me to beat him with a stick right now . I mean , he 's getting enough grilling from everybody else . '' Williams said his role now is to talk to Woods -- who he described as `` one of my closest friends '' -- about the future and help him get back on the golf tour . `` When you are friends with somebody , and you 're a true friend to somebody , that 's when somebody needs your support , and that 's when they need you the most , that 's when you do n't walk away , '' he said . In his February 19 statement , Woods left open the possibility of returning to professional golf this year . Williams predicted that Woods would bounce back from his troubles . `` Tiger 's biggest asset is his mental strength , '' he said . `` So , he 's going to need all his mental strength to get out of this , no question about it . '' With Woods not playing , Williams is spending more time with his personal passion : speedway racing in New Zealand . `` When I 'm not working on the tour , I do n't miss it one bit , '' he said . | Steve Williams says some think he should be fired for not preventing Woods ' downfall . `` But I 'm 100 percent telling you , I knew nothing , and that 's that , '' he says in interview . Wife defends him , says he would n't have been able to keep secret from her or Woods ' wife . Williams says he would not have kept scandal secret just to protect his job . | [[450, 557], [501, 557], [281, 295], [298, 330], [430, 449], [815, 831], [818, 843], [846, 860], [885, 900], [912, 932], [885, 900], [935, 1016], [1692, 1700], [1780, 1843]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thousands of people gathered Tuesday in Marrowbone , Kentucky , to lay to rest nine people who were killed in a crash in central Kentucky last week . John and Sadie Esh were killed when a tractor-trailer crossed the median on Interstate 65 and smashed into their van as they traveled to Iowa for a wedding . Four of the couple 's children -- Leroy , Rachel , Rose and Anna -- were also killed , according to the Rev. Leroy Kauffman with the Marrowbone Christian Brotherhood . Leroy 's wife , Naomi , and a baby the couple adopted were also killed , as was Rachel 's fiance , Joel Gingerich , he said . A family friend , also in the van , was killed as well . The driver of the tractor-trailer also died . Two boys , age 3 and 5 , whom Leroy and Naomi adopted , survived . `` They have lived their lives , God seemed fit to take them home , and we rest in that , '' said Michael Kauffman , a member of the Mennonite community . He said family and friends had traveled from all over the United States to attend the funeral . CNN affiliate WBKO , quoting a media liaison at the services , said about 3,000 people attended . `` The amount of people who came is overwhelming to say the least , '' Kauffman said . `` We have been very blessed with the amount of people who are here . '' The nine were to be buried in a grassy spot where John and Sadie 's son Johnny was buried . He died while on a mission trip in the Ukraine three years ago , Leroy Kauffman said last week . `` I have not been to the grave site , but I feel like it 's the way it should be , '' Michael Kauffman said . The family was traveling to the wedding of a woman who was on the mission trip with Johnny , Leroy Kauffman said . The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash . No cause has been given . | 9 family members , friend were in van driving to wedding in Iowa . Tractor-trailer crossed median and hit van ; its driver also died . Two boys , age 3 and 5 , survived . | [[205, 222], [263, 326], [169, 285], [205, 222], [263, 326], [678, 723], [724, 746], [780, 790]] |
Port-au-Prince , Haiti -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A sweet sadness blankets Hector Mendez 's face , appropriate , perhaps , for a middle-age man who has seen suffering and miracles at once . Many other rescuers have left the Haitian capital , no hope left in their hearts 15 long days after the massive earthquake that ravaged this country and entombed so many in the rubble . But not Mendez . Every day for more than a week , he has stepped down into the dark crevices of a destroyed building to look for two people : Daniel Varese and his 4-year-old son Mateo . Mateo 's mother , Marylinda Gonzalez Davi , a United Nations employee from Guatemala who has been living in Haiti for four years , was at work when the earth shook violently on January 12 . Rescuers pulled her 1-year-old daughter Fabiana alive from the rubble , but there was no sign of her husband and son . She refused to believe they were dead . Word of her plight reached Mendez , who had arrived in Port-au-Prince with a team of 25 Mexican rescue workers . `` We told her we wo n't leave . We will stay by her side , '' Mendez said . He has a grandchild the same age as Mateo . His orange jumpsuit dulled by dust , Mendez and his crew made camp adjacent to the rubble of the landmark Hotel Montana . They slept out in the open , with Gonzalez and her friend . They took short naps to re-energize . Then they went back in to search . Each day , they pulled things from the place that Gonzalez called home : a stuffed animal , her husband 's computer , a piece of carpet . It helped Mendez to know what room of the apartment they had entered . He kept moving , deeper and deeper . In search of smell . In search of the slightest sound . Of an infant 's whimper , a man 's weak cry for help . Mendez became convinced father and son might be alive . He knows well the science of rescue after doing it for a quarter century . `` There is no smell , '' he said . And that could mean they were alive . Even two weeks after the earth shook , people were being rescued . Each gave Gonzalez hope . And that propelled Mendez . He believes in the power of love . The strong bonds between a man and his child , trapped together . That link , he thought , could be enough to sustain them . A veteran of many disasters . After a killer earthquake struck his hometown of Mexico City in 1985 , Mendez , 46 , felt a need to give back the humanitarian gestures extended to his own people . He joined a team called the Topos , or moles , named so because the rescuers wriggled through the deepest darkest corners in search of life . He volunteered to rush to disasters : to Indonesian quakes , five times ; to Latin American countries ; to Iran , Turkey , India and Egypt ; to New Orleans , Louisiana , after Hurricane Katrina and to New York after the 2001 terror attacks . Haiti , he said , is one of the worst situations he has seen . `` People are very , very poor here . '' Much of the infrastructure and construction was so shoddy . This was the first time government officials paid for his flight . Usually , he finds his own way . And that has left him penniless and jobless . `` Who will hire this old man now ? '' he asked . `` People tell me I am mad . '' He does the work because he loves to help people . `` It 's worth it to find one person alive . '' Behind him , the incessant sound of a jackhammer deafened the ear . Above him , the roar of jets taking off from the airport . But it was below where Mendez belonged . Time was ticking . Sometimes , in the darkness , when he was crawling like a mole , the earth trembled . `` Replica ! Replica ! '' some of his men shouted . There was always the fear that whatever was left standing would tumble in the many aftershocks this city has felt . `` We laugh , '' he said . `` We do n't scream like ladies . There is nothing you can do inside . You only die once . It would be an honor to die in the rubble . '' From other people , the statement might seem trite . But Mendez 's eyes make you believe . He is called Chino because people say he looks Chinese . He says he has the look of a fierce Mexican Indian . After so many days , Mendez was running on two hours sleep -- and hope . But late Wednesday his search finally ended . His men found two bodies buried deep in the apartment . Mateo was in his father 's arms . In Haiti , Mendez had hoped for a miracle . Instead , he saw more suffering . This , too , will define the curves of his face . | Rescuer searched every day for a woman 's husband and 4-year-old son in Haiti . He believed father and son could be alive , that their bond could sustain them . The response to a quake in his own country inspired him to assist in disasters . His efforts ended not as he had hoped , but with the sight of more suffering . | [[1750, 1805], [2177, 2186], [2189, 2235], [2266, 2334], [2337, 2343], [2351, 2401], [2573, 2608], [4376, 4399]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The recent emergence in the United States of `` K2 , '' sometimes called synthetic marijuana , is testing lawmakers to see if they 've been paying attention to the failures of marijuana prohibition and will respond to K2 with enlightened policy . The first stories on K2 , or `` Spice , '' broke out with headlines labeling the mixture of herbs and spices , which are treated with a synthetic compound , as `` fake pot . '' K2 was virtually unknown until the media hyped up its presence at tobacco and novelty shops . Under U.S. law , and in all 50 states , the herbal product is legal , and also unregulated . People who have tried K2 often report psychoactive effects that are comparable to marijuana , but notably less pleasurable . When lawmakers consider regulating K2 , they should keep in mind that the government has waged a futile war against marijuana and people who use the drug for decades . For another opinion , click here . Elected officials have burned through billions of taxpayer dollars chasing marijuana sellers , bagging marijuana plants and jailing marijuana users . Government-funded media campaigns have sought to scare children and adults away from marijuana with grossly exaggerated claims that using the drug will lead to death and mayhem . Despite all of these efforts , the public has largely dismissed the myths and hysteria around marijuana and recognized that the drug has important medicinal benefits . Moreover , public opinion is leaning in favor of a regulated and taxed market for marijuana . Researchers who have tested K2 identified synthetic chemicals that are thought to mimic the psychoactive component in marijuana . These chemicals are thought to act on the cannabinoid receptors in the brain much the way that THC -- the principal psychoactive component in marijuana -- operates . What 's notable about these synthetic chemicals is that very little is known about them , and this legal alternative designed to deliver an experience like marijuana may actually carry more risk . Thus we have a supreme irony of drug prohibition : The government continues to criminalize marijuana -- a drug with established medical value that has undergone exhaustive study -- and entrepreneurs introduce a legal alternative to marijuana with ingredients scientists know little about . Given this potential for harm , and the growing volume of sensational media portrayals of K2 , some lawmakers have ignored the lessons learned from marijuana prohibition and moved to criminalize possession and sales of K2 . Lawmakers in Kansas , Kentucky and Missouri have already written legislation to ban the herbal mix . It seems that a reporter need only write an article about an obscure bag of twigs to spur a lawmaker to criminalize more chemicals and the people who use them . Time and time again , elected officials have dropped the ball when it comes to regulating drugs . Lawmakers have preferred to lazily pass the responsibility of controlling a drug on to law enforcement and the criminal justice system . The problem is , we know from marijuana prohibition that law enforcement has no control over the drug market and the criminals who run it . Criminalizing K2 will only worsen the devastating harm our society already suffers under drug prohibition . Rather than regulation of the supply and ingredients of K2 , criminalization leaves the question of what goes into the product up to drug dealers . Rather than passing regulations that bar K2 sales to minors , criminalizing K2 will essentially give dealers the green light to sell the product to whomever they please . By choosing to ban K2 outright , lawmakers will also forfeit badly needed state revenue from K2 sales and instead commit millions of taxpayer dollars to investigate , prosecute and jail K2 users . Plus , researchers point out that hundreds of other known synthetic chemicals will easily reach store shelves once K2 is banned . The sensible legislative response to K2 is to create effective regulatory controls on sale and possession . California and Maine have passed model legislation that formally regulates and taxes adult sales of salvia divinorium -- another product with psychoactive properties -- and criminalizes salvia sales to minors . Lawmakers should deliver a knockout to prohibition and pass laws that will actually regulate and control K2 . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Grant Smith . | Grant Smith : `` K2 , '' sometimes called synthetic marijuana , should be regulated for safety . But , he says , lawmakers must not duplicate costly , futile war against marijuana . Criminalizing the treated herbal mix K2 will turn trade over to drug dealers , Smith writes . Smith : Regulating K2 generates revenue , saves millions on prosecution of users . | [[72, 111], [3947, 4054], [755, 891], [3362, 3448], [3511, 3593]] |
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One wily coyote traveled a bit too far from home , and its resulting adventure through Harlem had alarmed residents doing a double take and scampering to get out of its way Wednesday morning . Police say frightened New Yorkers reported the coyote sighting around 9:30 a.m. , and an emergency service unit was dispatched to find the animal . The little troublemaker was caught and tranquilized in Trinity Cemetery on 155th street and Broadway , and then taken to the Wildlife Conservation Society at the Bronx Zoo , authorities said . `` The coyote is under evaluation and observation , '' said Mary Dixon , spokesperson for the Wildlife Conservation Society . Dixon said the coyote is a female , between 1 and 2 years old . She said the Department of Environmental Conservation will either send the animal to a rescue center or put it back in the wild . According to Adrian Benepe , New York City Parks Commissioner , coyotes in Manhattan are rare , but not unheard of . `` This is actually the third coyote that has been seen in the last 10 years , '' Benepe said . Benepe said there is a theory the coyotes make their way to the city from suburban Westchester . He said they probably walk down the Amtrak rail corridor along the Hudson River or swim down the Hudson River until they get to the city . | Harlem residents scamper to get out of the coyote 's way Wednesday . Coyote caught , tranquilized in Trinity Cemetery on 155th street and Broadway . Speculation is coyote made its way to Harlem via Amtrak tracks or swam in Hudson . | [[83, 178], [134, 220], [369, 440], [369, 392], [408, 449], [1192, 1301], [1192, 1194], [1275, 1330]] |
Port-au-Prince , Haiti -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The steeple clock at Port-au-Prince 's St. Pierre Catholic Church is stopped at 4:53 , the hour at which a devastating earthquake struck Haiti nearly one week ago . The church gates were closed Sunday . The doors shuttered . But it seems Tuesday 's quake has only strengthened the religious fervor many Haitians carry in their souls . `` A lot of people who never prayed or believed -- now they believe , '' said Cristina Bailey , a 24-year-old clerk . In parks and backyards , anywhere a group gathers , the prayers of the Haitians can be heard . Last week , the call-and-response chanting and clapping that accompany those prayers pierced the darkness of night and the pre-dawn hours -- sometimes as early as 4 a.m. . The singing and praying was particularly intense in Champs de Mars plaza , where hundreds of people have taken refuge . But the scene was repeated throughout the city , with preachers on megaphones exhorting the faithful , who responded with lyrics like `` O Lord , keep me close to you '' and `` Forgive me , Jesus . '' Many preachers are telling followers not to lose faith , that God remains with them regardless of what 's happened . Most Haitians do n't feel abandoned , Bailey said . `` People do n't blame Jesus for all these things , '' she said . `` They have faith . They believe that Jesus saved them and are thankful for that . '' Perhaps few personified that deep belief better than 11-year-old Anaika Saint Louis , who was pulled from the rubble Thursday night and later died . Her leg had been crushed , and doctors thought they might have to amputate her feet . She said she did n't care . `` Thank you , God , because he saved my life , '' she said . `` If I lose my feet , I always had my life . '' Jean Mackenle Verpre also suffered a crushing leg injury and was freed after 48 hours underground . Asked what kept him going , he answered without hesitation : He believes in Jesus Christ and put his life in God 's hands . Colonized by France , Haiti is a strongly Catholic country . Christian motifs are everywhere in Port-au-Prince . Many vehicles bear signs like the one painted on the windshield of a truck on Rue Delmar : `` Merci Jesus , '' it said . A woman passing by on Avenue Christophe chanted softly : `` Accept Jesus . '' `` In Haiti , you have Protestants and Catholics , and you have your percentage of each , '' said J.B. Diederich , a native-born Haitian who now lives in Miami , Florida , but returned to the Caribbean for several days after the earthquake . `` But everybody is 100 percent voodoo . '' Voodoo is widely acknowledged but practiced only behind closed doors , with practitioners often placing candles and icons on the floor of a home and dancing to music and drums . Followers believe the world is under the power of loas -- spirits and deities who act as intermediaries between humans and God . In voodoo , disasters like Tuesday 's quake are not the result of natural forces , but displeasure by a loa . See complete coverage of Haiti earthquake . `` It 's in every apartment . The voodoo is our culture , '' 25-year-old Alex Gassan said . `` It 's like the folklore . '' Gassan proudly calls himself a Catholic , pulling out a crucifix necklace from under his shirt to show a reporter . Many observers have a simple explanation for what makes Haitians so devout . `` Because in all poor countries , you have to believe in something , '' said Agnes Pierre-Louis , the Haitian-born manager of her family-owned hotel . `` If they do n't have that , they do n't have anything . '' Added Diederich : `` They leave everything in the hands of God . When you have so little , what else can you turn to ? '' | Many preachers tell followers not to lose faith . Most Haitians do n't feel abandoned by God , says one Hatian . Voodoo is widely acknowledged but practiced only behind closed doors . | [[1083, 1137], [1200, 1235], [2601, 2630], [2601, 2607], [2635, 2669]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Host Zain Verjee takes viewers through Oman 's diverse terrain -- sailing the seas in a sleek racing boat and driving through oasis towns en route to the rugged mountains of Jabal Al-Akhdar . Plus : . The ` Jewel of Muscat ' Omanis ' relationship with the sea goes back generations and sailors have traveled and traded on the water for centuries . Inside the Middle East watches the launch of the `` Jewel of Muscat , '' a reconstruction of a 9th century spice ship . The sewn-plank ship has been faithfully reconstructed from handmade coconut fiber ropes and wood -- and without a single nail . The `` Jewel of Muscat '' will follow old trading routes stopping in India , Sri Lanka and Malaysia before arriving in Singapore in July . Inside the Middle East goes on deck with the captain ahead of the ship 's historic launch . Your IME diary We bring you highlights from the Tour of Oman where cyclists rode for six days on a 700 km route in a race that is the first of this kind in Oman . At a Muscat art gallery we meet contemporary artist Hassan Meer and he describes his abstract paintings and photography . We also explore the exotic scents at the House of Amouage where CEO David Crickmore gives us a tour of the luxury perfumery . From the UAE we bring you the flavors of Gourmet Abu Dhabi as we report from the kitchen . My Beirut with Zuhair Mourad Drawing inspiration from the blue of the Mediterranean and the green of Lebanon 's valleys and mountains , fashion designer Zuhair Mourad has made his name internationally in couture . Mourad most recently made headlines at the Brit Awards red carpet with a gold corset mini-dress worn by singer Florence Welsh who went on to win Best Album . Mourad says he is inspired by the many civilizations that have left their mark on his country -- from Byzantine to Ottoman , from French to `` modern Lebanese '' -- he shows us around the city where he was raised , Beirut . | Inside the Middle East is in Oman . On deck with the captain of a historic recreation of a 9th century Omani spice ship . Lebanese couturier Zuhair Murad explains how his home , Beirut , inspires his designs . | [[754, 845], [1904, 1912], [1919, 1932], [1935, 1943]] |
Lagos , Nigeria -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A previously unknown armed group said Friday it attacked a Nigerian oil pipeline this week on the first full day in office for Nigeria 's new acting president . The attempt by the Joint Revolutionary Council -LRB- JRC -RRB- of the Niger Delta was not successful , a spokesman for the military said . But it indicates not everyone in Nigeria is happy with the way the new president , who hails from the Niger Delta region , was given power . The JRC said that early Wednesday , one of its units attacked and `` exploded '' the Tura manifold owned by Royal Dutch Shell in Abonnema , near the coast . The manifold connects several pipelines to the Bonny Export Terminal . `` Our patriotic fighters fought and overpowered the military guards on duty -LRB- as all Shell manifolds are always heavily guarded -RRB- before going ahead to explode the Tura manifold , '' the group 's statement said . But Lt. Col. Timothy Antigua , a spokesman for the Nigerian military , said the attack failed . `` On Wednesday night there was an attempt by criminals to sabotage a Shell pipeline , '' he told CNN . `` They were thwarted in their attempt by a community surveillance group assigned to protect the Shell pipeline . '' Antigua said the group 's dynamite and other explosives were recovered and that there were no injuries or deaths . A spokesman for Shell in The Hague , Netherlands , said the company had received no report of an attack . The JRC said its attack Wednesday followed another last weekend , and that both are aimed at incapacitating the export terminal and fighting the `` occupation '' in Nigeria . `` The actions are continuous and are preparatory to the final war . Every little step we take today brings us closer to freedom , '' read the statement . Acting President Goodluck Jonathan was approved for the role Tuesday by Nigeria 's House and Senate to fill the political void left after President Umaru Musa Yar ` Adua departed in November for medical treatment in Saudi Arabia . Jonathan was previously the country 's vice president . In his first address to the nation Tuesday , Jonathan praised the `` resilience and unity of purpose '' with which Nigerians reacted to the recent political upheaval , saying there were `` no winners and no losers '' and that it is now time to move forward . He called on all Nigerians and the country 's political parties to `` tackle the various challenges which we face as a nation , '' including those in the areas of power , infrastructure , security and job creation . Jonathan also vowed to pursue the `` war against corruption '' more robustly . His appointment has stirred controversy in Nigeria , Africa 's most populous nation , with some arguing that the articles of the Nigerian constitution were not followed with the transfer of power . Nigeria 's constitution says the president must formally communicate to the National Assembly that he is empowering the vice president to act as president in his absence . While no such formal communication was given , the Senate declared Tuesday that a January 13 BBC interview with Yar ` Adua from his hospital bed could constitute such a notice . In the interview , the president acknowledged that he could not perform the duties of his office and would not be able to return until his doctors declared him fit . In a separate statement , the JRC called Jonathan a `` lame-duck ruler '' and termed his acting presidency an `` illegality '' because of questions over the transfer of power . The group said Jonathan was appointed in a `` jungle manner . '' `` The purported interview granted the British Broadcasting Corporation by the deserter president can never -LRB- be -RRB- approximated to a -LRB- formal -RRB- / official letter which ought to be duly endorsed by the writer , '' the JRC said . `` The deserting act of Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar ` Adua can only be appropriately categorized as gross misconduct and should naturally have attracted an impeachment . This ought to have been followed by the swearing in of the vice president as substantive president , not in an acting capacity . '' The group said the political events will not deter their `` resolve to wage a continuous revolutionary war to liberate all parts of our territory . '' CNN 's Christian Purefoy contributed to this report . | Joint Revolutionary Council -LRB- JRC -RRB- of the Niger Delta claims pipeline attack . JRC said one of its units attacked and `` exploded '' the Tura manifold . A spokesman for the Nigerian military said the attack failed . Acting President Goodluck Jonathan was approved for the role Tuesday . | [[476, 574], [299, 334], [930, 954], [997, 1021], [1794, 1854]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The French Foreign Ministry and a top African Union official have denounced a military coup in the west African nation of Niger . The ministry said France `` condemns all taking of power by nonconstitutional means '' and calls on people in Niger `` to show responsibility in the interest of the country , '' which gained its independence from France in 1960 . Jean Ping , the chairman of the 53-nation African Union , meanwhile , called for a quick return of `` constitutional order '' and said the organization is ready to help facilitate the process . He said he had been following developments in the nation with concern after a Niger military official announced the constitution had been suspended . President Mamadou Tandja is said to be detained in a military camp . The violence may have been prompted by a collapse of talks between the government and the opposition over a recent referendum allowing the president to hold power indefinitely , according to the United Nations , which also called for a quick resolution . French journalist Diallo Doudacar said the situation in Niger was calm Friday . `` The children are going to school , the shops are open , '' he said . A `` demonstration of joy '' in support of the military was held Friday afternoon , Doudacar said . `` The people are very happy , '' he said . `` The coup ends a nine-month debate that blocked out all other subjects . We have gone through so many coups that it does n't really affect us anymore . '' Ping condemned the coup . `` The chairperson of the commission stresses that the relevant AU instruments systematically condemn any unconstitutional change and , accordingly , he condemns the seizure of power by force that took place in Niger , '' said a statement from his office . `` The secretary-general has called on the stakeholders in Niger to swiftly revert to constitutional order in the settlement of the political crisis , '' said a statement from U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon . Thursday 's order to suspend the constitution was attributed to the Superior Council for the Restoration of Democracy . It also suspended all institutions , urged citizens to remain calm and called for support from the international community . Dana Palade , a spokeswoman for World Vision , who is in the capital , Niamey , said gunfire rang out in the streets Thursday . The French Embassy also reported hearing intermittent gunfire near the palace . Tensions have flared in Niger recently . Tandja , in office since December 1999 , had been trying to stay in power beyond the time mandated by the constitution . `` That may well have been ... an act on his behalf that precipitated the act today , '' P.J. Crowley , assistant U.S. secretary of state , said Thursday . The United States does not condone violence , but `` clearly we think this underscores that Niger needs to move ahead with the elections and the formation of a new government , '' Crowley said . Niger , one of the poorest countries in Africa , has about 8 percent of the world 's uranium . It has had lucrative uranium contracts , particularly with China . The west African nation has a population of about 15 million and lies between the Sahara Desert and Nigeria . CNN 's Christian Purefoy contributed to this report . | France , African Union condemn `` unconstitutional '' coup in Niger . Niger military official Thursday announced suspension of all institutions . President Mamadou Tandja is said to be detained in a military camp . Gunshots heard around Niger 's presidential palace Thursday . | [[0, 148], [1500, 1525], [649, 722], [2116, 2118], [2124, 2150], [723, 791], [723, 747], [756, 791], [2241, 2252], [2321, 2368], [2369, 2387], [2393, 2448]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Taiwanese fishing vessel that was seized by pirates and anchored off the Somali coast for nearly 10 months was released Thursday night , the European Union Naval Force Somalia reported . The Win Far 161 was held off the coast of Harardheere until the pirates left the ship and allowed its commander to retake control , the naval force said . The vessel was hijacked April in the Somali Basin , about 184 miles north of the Seychelles islands . The vessel reported that all 28 crew members were safe . The boat was operating outside the EU NAVFOR area of operation and was therefore not registered with the Maritime Security Centre for the Horn of Africa , authorities said . The coordination center helps protect merchant ships from pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden , Somali Basin and off the Horn of Africa . The ship 's owner reported that the crew was released with food , fuel and water . The ship headed out to sea , where it was being monitored by EU NAVFOR . EU NAVFOR escorts Somalia vessels carrying humanitarian aid from the World Food Program to protect them in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy . | Taiwanese fishing vessel was held for 10 months off coast . Vessel reports that all 28 crew members are safe . Ship headed out to sea , being monitored by European naval forces . | [[16, 45], [51, 72], [0, 15], [77, 127], [465, 521], [490, 521], [916, 942], [939, 942], [951, 988]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Indian tennis player Sania Mirza has used her Twitter page to thank well-wishers following the announcement of her marriage to Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik . The wedding , which will take place in April , brings together two nuclear powers historically divided by political and sporting rivalry . On Tuesday , the 23-year-old Mirza greeted her 13,205 followers with the message : . `` Hi Guys ! Me & Shoaib are very happy in this new phase of our life.Want to thank the media & all you guys for the wishes . Lots of love to all . '' Mirza divides opinion in India , drawing criticism from strict Muslim groups for her short tennis skirts and jewellery , while gaining plaudits and fans for her achievements on the court . She became the first Indian to win a WTA Tour title in 2005 , reached the fourth round of the U.S. Open later that year and won the Australian Open mixed doubles last year . The announcement of the marriage between the two Muslims comes two months after Mirza broke off her engagement to a childhood friend . `` I have been in the constant glare for too long and would appreciate the privacy at this very personal moment in my life , '' her statement said . Malik , 28 , is a former national captain who is currently serving a year-long ban from the Pakistan Cricket Board due to indiscipline on a tour of Australia . He caused controversy in 2007 when , after losing to India in the World Twenty20 final , he thanked Muslims from `` all over the world '' for their support . India and Pakistan have fought three wars since their independence in 1947 . | Indian tennis player Sania Mirza to marry Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik . Union brings together two nuclear powers with years of bitter rivalry . Mirza 's short tennis skirts have drawn criticizm from Muslim groups in India . | [[0, 15], [40, 179], [180, 224], [227, 318], [555, 560], [588, 673]] |
ATLANTA , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A sealed envelope awaits in Rissi Palmer 's Bible . Country singer Rissi Palmer performs for students in an after-school program at Atlanta 's Parkside Elementary . It 's her Grammy acceptance speech , the one she wrote as a 12-year-old . She vowed not to open it until she could read it from the stage accepting her award . Sixteen years later , the time may be nearer when Palmer can open the envelope . The road has been a long one , starting with her standing on a milk crate as a child so she could sing solos in the church choir . But these days , she is an up-and-comer in country music -- and a rare African-American performer in the genre . Palmer acknowledged this week to students in Atlanta that some people had told her she could n't sing country because she was African-American . But she said , `` When you tell me I ca n't do something , it just makes me want to do it more . '' Palmer told CNN that no one in the music industry had discouraged her based on race but that people who loved her were concerned country stardom might be a tough goal . She said she does n't believe her story is different from any other musician 's : `` The music industry is just hard . '' Palmer told students at Parkside Elementary School that she grew up listening to all kinds of music , including country . `` My mother was a big country music fan , '' she recalled . The family also listened to R&B and classic soul , such as Sam Cooke , she said . `` I loved the way the country artists wrote songs , '' Palmer told about 50 students , most of them minorities , in an after-school program at Parkside . She liked the way that country songs told stories : `` I always liked telling stories . '' `` Country Girl , '' the first single off Palmer 's self-titled 2007 debut album , made her the first African-American female in 20 years to hit Billboard 's country chart , according to Country Music Television . Country music is home to a smattering of well-known African-American artists . Charley Pride is by far the most visible , but other artists have dabbled in country as well -- the Supremes , for instance , and Ray Charles . More recently , Darius Rucker , longtime lead singer for Hootie and the Blowfish , hit the top of the country charts as well . African-Americans always have been in the country music industry , said John Rumble , senior historian for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville , Tennessee . However , it 's rare for an artist -- of any race -- to reach the level of stardom attained by Pride , who had 67 records on the country chart between 1966 and 1990 , more than 20 of them in the Top 10 . `` Some people at the time , and since , called him the Jackie Robinson of country music , but nobody who followed him has yet reached that level , '' Rumble said . '' ... He 's almost an impossible standard to match . '' However , given Rucker 's recent success , he is showing `` superstar potential '' in the country industry , Rumble added . Palmer lost her mother at an early age but has said her parent 's love for country music stayed with her . Still , she said she doubted she could break into the genre . `` When you 're a child , you react to something that 's familiar and looks like you , '' she told CMT in 2007 . `` And there was nobody -LSB- in country music -RSB- who looked like me . Just being a kid , you do n't see black country singers . So you do n't think that 's a possibility for you . You see black pop singers . You see black R&B singers . You see black rockers . So you say , ` If I 'm black and I want to sing , then I probably have to sing R&B . ' '' Rumble echoed Palmer 's comments about the music industry being tough on new artists . More than ever , `` it takes a lot of money to put an artist out there on promotional tours , '' creating videos and the like , he said . Rumble said many African-American artists probably gravitate to other genres . And , for artists of any race , `` once you 're in the door ... it 's still a matter of catching on . '' `` There are a certain number of people who are just not used to seeing a black person on CMT or GAC -LSB- Great American Country -RSB- , '' he said . `` It just does n't compute , for whatever reason . '' Palmer 's family moved to St. Louis , Missouri , when she was 13 , according to her Web site . She took part in talent pageants there and joined an entertainment troupe . `` That is where a lot of my country influences started to come out , '' she said in the online biography . `` At the audition we were instructed to pick an artist that we admired and perform some of their songs . I chose LeAnn Rimes and Shania Twain . I was not the one they expected to walk out and sing ` Any Man of Mine ' at those state fair shows , but they always liked it . '' She participated on the CBS show `` Star Search , '' reaching the finals , and credits judge Naomi Judd 's manager with introducing her to the creators of `` Waiting in the Wings , '' a CMT documentary about African-Americans in country music , according to her Web site . She was also featured on CMT 's `` Most Wanted Live . '' Her music reached Terry Johnson , president and CEO of 1720 Entertainment , who offered her a record deal . `` You guys are at an age where all the possibilities are open to you , '' she told the Atlanta students this week . `` Anything you want to do , you can do it . '' However , she cautioned them that being a singer is not always fun , even though she loves it . `` The best advice I can give you is that this is a job that I do , '' she said . '' ... You have to take it very seriously . '' She fielded questions with a sense of humor , telling them some of her favorite songs -LRB- one is Bonnie Raitt 's `` Nick of Time '' -RRB- and her favorite instrument -- a guitar -LRB- `` Have you ever tried to push a piano around with you ? '' she asked -RRB- . She told the children that once they start dating , they will find plenty of material -- good and bad -- to write songs about . She said afterward she enjoyed talking with children and likely would have been a teacher if she had not pursued a music career . Palmer appeared as part of the Arts in Schools program at the Atlanta-based Threshing Floor Academy of Arts and Sciences Inc. . The organization was founded in 2008 by Meisha Card , a former special education teacher . For her part , Palmer has said she hopes that one day , the discussion centers on her music rather than her ethnicity . `` I 'm looking forward to the day when the only thing that 's being discussed is the album -- the actual music -- as opposed to my race , '' she told CMT . `` I understand it is something rare , and it is something different , and it is something that 's not happening every day . I get that . But if my career 's as successful as I hope it will be , we 're going to reach a lot more firsts . '' | Singer Rissi Palmer has had a Grammy acceptance speech ready since she was 12 . Song off debut album made her the first black female to hit country charts in 20 years . Palmer says her mother always loved country music and she likes telling stories . Performer tells Atlanta students : `` Anything you want to do , you can do it '' | [[239, 246], [251, 275], [1752, 1754], [1817, 1905], [1345, 1385], [1698, 1730], [3024, 3030], [3067, 3112], [3076, 3130], [5340, 5384], [5388, 5411]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Why is goal line technology not used by football ? Is Africa 's hosting of the 2010 World Cup a step in the right direction ? Are the world 's best players being asked to compete in too many global competitions ? These are just some of the issues that may be puzzling you about the beautiful game . Well worry no more because here is your chance to quiz the man in charge of global soccer , Sepp Blatter , the head of world football 's governing body FIFA . CNN will speak to Blatter in an exclusive interview at FIFA 's headquarters in Zurich , Switzerland on Monday 29 March where we will ask him the questions you want answered -- just add your query to the bottom of the page . Are you a World Cup super fan ? Represent your team . Joseph -LRB- Sepp -RRB- Blatter , a former Swiss amateur footballer , was voted in as the FIFA president in 1998 before securing a second term in office in 2002 , and a third in 2007 . His tenure has seen him lead world football through three World Cups -- the fourth will kick off on June 11 in Johannesburg 's Soccer City stadium -- five Confederations Cups and the creation of the World Club Cup which has taken place annually since 2005 . The 74-year-old has been heavily involved with charitable programs during his presidency . These include UNICEF 's `` Say Yes for Children '' campaign , which aims to increase awareness of children 's rights , and the more recent `` 1Goal '' program , that seeks to increase education opportunities in Africa . Blatter was a key figure in securing Africa 's inaugural World Cup for 2010 after he introduced a system which saw each regional confederation take turns in hosting the tournament . The soccer chief has also courted controversy during his 12 years in charge , most recently by ruling out the introduction of goal line technology into the game . `` The application of modern technologies can be very costly , and therefore not applicable on a global level , '' Blatter told FIFA 's official Web site . `` Many matches , even at the highest level , are not even televised . The rules need to be the same for all association football matches worldwide . '' Blatter has views on the English Premier League 's domination of the global game . `` In France they have an expression ` l'appetit vient mangeant ' -LSB- the appetite comes with eating -RSB- . It means when you are at a good table you like to eat more and more and more . And this is the success story of the Premier League , '' he told a FIFA meeting held in Northern Ireland in March 2009 . The Swiss administrator has also condemned the hold big clubs have over star players . When Spanish side Real Madrid were negotiating with Manchester United over the transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo , Blatter told British broadcaster Sky News : `` I think in football there 's too much modern slavery in transferring players or buying players here and there , and putting them somewhere . '' | Your chance to quiz the boss of global soccer , the head of FIFA , Sepp Blatter . Blatter , president of FIFA since 1998 , is leading body through fourth World Cup . CNN will speak to Blatter in an exclusive interview in Zurich , on 29 March -- add your question . | [[318, 407], [437, 451], [455, 476], [318, 407], [477, 562], [596, 700]] |
Port-au-Prince , Haiti -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Dr. Roberto Feliz and Dr. Hiba Georges were quickly jolted from the most modern of medical care in Boston , Massachusetts , to the most rudimentary of care when they flew to Haiti last week to work at a hospital housed in two tents run by the University of Miami . The doctors , who worked at the Boston Medical Center , quickly learned that when you have no technology -- not even the simplest blood test -- you have to make medical decisions in an entirely different way . The first death they witnessed taught them a valuable lesson . The patient was a boy who needed his leg amputated or else he would die of either an infection or rhabdomyolysis , a kidney disease that follows injuries where muscles are crushed . Find loved ones in Haiti | Share your story . Feliz , Georges and the other doctors had nowhere to take the boy . Their own hospital had yet to open its operating room , so they spent hours trying to find a hospital that could do surgeries . Their search was in vain . Finally , the doctors decided to do the surgery themselves that night by the moonlight under a mango tree . `` We just sawed his foot off . We did n't have to use anesthesia because he was already unconscious and was n't feeling a thing , '' Feliz says . But they 'd waited too long . The boy took his last breath during the surgery . `` Some of the doctors cried , '' Feliz says . `` I told them , ` There is no crying in medicine . ' '' As a direct result of the boy 's death , a few hours later , at 3 in the morning , the surgeons at the University of Miami hospital decided to build their own operating room . They had no surgical lights , no oxygen , no blood , no ventilators and no monitors . For a tourniquet they used one of the doctor 's belts . `` We 'd been waiting to build the operating room until we received better equipment , but after that boy 's death we became more aggressive . We said let 's do it , because they 're going to die anyway , '' Feliz says . The doctors continued to learn lessons about what one had called `` civil war medicine '' after the operating room went up . At one point , a 16-year-old boy needed an amputation , but the surgeons asked Feliz and Georges to make sure the boy 's kidneys were working before they put him through surgery . Without any blood tests to assess kidney function , the only thing they could look for was urine as a sign that his kidneys were working . `` We tried to see if we could get some urine going , but there was not a drop . We filled him with fluids and gave him Lasix , a diuretic , to get him to pee , but nothing , '' Feliz says . The boy died as the doctors were treating him . `` I saw a lot of deaths there , but this one hit me the hardest , '' he says . `` I texted my wife back at home , ` I 've had a bad day . ' '' After that boy 's death , surgeons were quicker to give permission to amputate , Feliz says . Feliz says if there 's any silver lining to practicing such rudimentary medicine , it 's that it made him a more humble doctor . `` Back in Boston , I 'm a hot shot . The nurses have to respect me , '' Feliz says . `` Here , I 'm just a worker bee . I cleaned the OR floor after surgery . I carried dead bodies down the street . I was in traffic carrying dead bodies . That makes you human . I came here a very fancy doctor , and I 'm leaving here as a humble man . '' | Doctors arriving in Haiti learn there is no technology , no basic equipment . Doctors created operating room with no surgical lights , oxygen , blood or ventilators . After witnessing death of children , surgeons quicker to give permission to amputate . | [[1646, 1731], [2836, 2859], [2862, 2914]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A year after a nearly $ 800 billion stimulus package was passed , the U.S. economy still finds itself mired in mediocrity . Economic growth is stagnant , unemployment remains higher than almost any time since the Great Depression and millions of Americans are upset that trillions of taxpayer dollars have been committed to numerous government bailout programs with no improvement of the economy within sight . They question , rightfully , is where this money is going and why it has n't been as helpful as the government has claimed . The problems with stimulus packages are manifold . The primary reason they fail is because they do not address the roots of the problem . If you are unable to identify the cause of your problem , then your solution is doomed to fail . In the case of the current economic crisis , it had its root in loose monetary policy and easy credit that skewed the allocation of resources within the economy . Combined with other measures to promote home ownership , these easy money policies caused a massive housing bubble . Money that would have been put to other uses was used to produce raw materials , hire workers and loaned to homebuyers , all while home prices spiked . The boom was , of course , unsustainable , as many prognosticators pointed out during the housing bubble 's peak . But the damage was done , and now that the bubble has burst , we need to stand back and allow the mess to unwind . Yet the government does everything in its power to stave off true recovery and is attempting to re-inflate the bubble . Rather than allow prices to fall so that the housing market returns to a sustainable level , the government does everything in its power to try to keep housing prices elevated . The reasoning behind the stimulus package was that underconsumption was to blame for the collapse of the housing bubble and the resulting economic crisis . The government seems to think that if consumption can be spurred , then the economy will be return to normal . In reality , the collapse of the economy was not caused by a sudden lack of consumption but rather a malinvestment of resources into sectors of the economy that were unsustainable without easy credit . The rise in housing prices was not , in fact , indicative of the new normal but rather an indicator that something was seriously wrong . Government attempts to boost the economy through measures such as stimulus packages merely take money from hardworking taxpayers and throw that money into unproductive endeavors , into the sectors of the economy that already suffer from malinvestment or into make-work projects . Washington is throwing good money after bad , wasting hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars and accomplishing nothing . As the eminent economist Frederic Bastiat once pointed out , there is a difference between what is seen and unseen . The government likes to tout the number of jobs that have been created or saved by the stimulus . But even if these numbers are accurate , they do not count the number of jobs that are not created in other more productive or self-sustaining sectors of the economy . Nor do they count the jobs that will be lost in the future when tax rates will have to be increased to pay off the interest on the debt that is financing much of the stimulus package . Finally , the stimulus package enables the government , rather than the market , to pick winners and losers . Whenever the government doles out money , political factors come into play . Firms that are politically well-connected or located in important congressional districts will benefit , while those firms without political connections , the ability to navigate bureaucratic hurdles or that exist in isolated areas unimportant to Washington will lose out . Once the stimulus money runs out , the companies and jobs dependent on that handout will find themselves once again struggling . A company that can not satisfy consumer needs in the marketplace and that requires a government stimulus to remain competitive is a company that should not be in business . The last thing this country needs is more government spending , especially on such wasteful measures as stimulus packages . We have wasted trillions of dollars in the past year and a half in stimulus packages , bailouts and guarantees to unsound companies . We have run up our national debt to unprecedented levels . We are destroying the dollar . And it seems as if there is no end in sight . Loose monetary policy , easy credit and too much debt created the bubble and got us into this economic crisis . Unless the government learns its lesson and opts for restrained monetary and fiscal policy , it risks a complete implosion of the U.S. economy . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ron Paul . | Ron Paul : Stimulus has n't boosted economy or staved off high unemployment . He says economy suffered from overconsumption and a housing bubble . He says stimulus seeks to reinflate bubble , takes money away from productive ventures . Paul : Bailouts and stimulus are running up the national debt and harming the dollar . | [[1452, 1470], [1531, 1571], [2356, 2494], [2356, 2375], [2422, 2439], [2489, 2533], [4348, 4406], [4407, 4437]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Everyone has their favorite Girl Scout cookie : the popular Thin Mints , the coconuty caramel delight of the Samoas , the simple yet lovable Shortbreads . But for those who are eagerly running to their pantry to open a box of Lemon Chalet Cremes , a foul odor may dampen their cookie-eating experience . Little Brownie Bakers of Louisville , Kentucky , one of two bakeries in the United States that make Girl Scout cookies , posted a statement on its Web site Friday saying it had received several complaints from customers who encountered a foul smell and taste in boxes of Lemon Chalet Cremes . The bakery says it tested the cookies and determined that they are safe for consumers to eat . No sickness from the cookies has been reported . The company says that the odor is a result of oils improperly breaking down in the cookies that `` are not up to our quality standards . '' The Lemon Chalet Cremes were distributed in 24 states -- Alabama , California , Colorado , Delaware , Florida , Georgia , Indiana , Kentucky , Louisiana , Maryland , Michigan , Minnesota , North Carolina , New Jersey , New Mexico , New York , Ohio , Oklahoma , Oregon , Pennsylvania , South Carolina , Tennessee , Texas and Wisconsin -- and the District of Columbia . The number of potentially stinky boxes totals 636,000 , according to a spokesperson for Little Brownie Bakers . The company is contacting each Girl Scout council that received a batch of the smelly cookies and says it will provide replacements . The National Girl Scout offices were closed Friday because of the snowstorm in the Northeast . A recording on its 800 number redirected callers to Little Brownie Bakers for assistance . | Baker says it received complaints about bad smell , taste . Lemon Chalet Cremes are safe for consumers , they say . Some oils improperly break down in cookies . Girl Scout councils will receive replacement boxes . | [[265, 322], [479, 542], [533, 542], [547, 615], [616, 701], [760, 850]] |
Atlanta , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Some southern states were getting a second round of unseasonal snow Tuesday , prompting airlines to cancel flights and schools to close for the day . Parts of several southern states remained under a winter storm warning Tuesday , as a developing low-pressure system threatened to spread snow and rain across portions of Alabama , Georgia , Tennessee , Kentucky and the Carolinas , the National Weather Service said . Snow fell north and west of metro Atlanta , Georgia , although the city , with a temperature hovering just above freezing , saw mostly rain . The weather prompted schools in several northern Georgia counties to close , according to CNN affiliates . Airlines also canceled flights . AirTran Airways has canceled 69 flights in and out of Atlanta , and is expected to cancel more this afternoon , spokesman Christopher White said . `` Should the -LSB- weather -RSB- event continue into the evening , there is a possibility of many more cancellations , '' he said . He said the airline is offering free rebooking and changes for anyone traveling to or from Atlanta . Delta Airlines said it has made about 250 cancellations for flights leaving Atlanta . `` Depending on the severity of the storm some additional thinning may be necessary , '' spokesman Anthony Black said . The airline is offering to reschedule Tuesday travel plans for those concerned about the weather , at no fee . Customers will have to pay any increase in fares , according to the Web site . The National Weather Service said snow will continue Tuesday afternoon across northeast Georgia and the western half of upstate South Carolina , although it will taper off later . Total snowfall accumulations of 2 to 4 inches are expected , mainly in areas along and north of I-85 . The same amount of snow is expected from Shelby , North Carolina to Gaffney and Union in South Carolina , the National Weather Service said . Snow is also possible in Tennessee , Kentucky and northern Alabama , it said . CNN 's Carolina Sanchez contributed to this report . | Storm warnings and winter weather advisories issued for the Southeast . AirTran Airways has canceled 69 flights into and out of Atlanta for Tuesday . Delta Air Lines cancelled about 250 flights Tuesday . | [[187, 265], [704, 712], [718, 736], [737, 798], [704, 712], [718, 736], [1118, 1203], [1138, 1203]] |
United Nations -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United Nations Security Council has approved a proposal to send an additional 2,000 soldiers and 1,500 police officers to quake-ravaged Haiti , U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday . By its approval of the plan Monday , `` the council sends a clear signal : The world is with Haiti , '' Ban said . He said he was confident that member states would respond quickly in order to get the troops on the ground as soon as possible . `` I believe that the deployment of additional troops and police forces will be done quite quickly , '' Ban said . '' ... In every aspect of our operation there , we are running against time . '' Look for missing loved ones . The forces will bolster the approximately 7,000 U.N. soldiers and 2,200 police already assigned there , at least 22 of whom were killed in the January 12 earthquake . About 150 people affiliated with the U.N. remain unaccounted for . Although Tuesday marks a week since the magnitude 7.0 temblor struck , `` there are still lives to be saved , '' Ban said . Some 90 victims have been saved by 43 international rescue teams , made up of about 1,700 people . Relief operations and delivery of aid are increasing and becoming better organized , Ban said , although he added , `` For those who have lost everything , of course , help can not come soon enough . '' Despite logistical challenges , the situation is improving , he said . New corridors have been cleared on land . Capacity at Port-au-Prince 's airport is improving . And a main port -- rendered unusable by earthquake damage -- is expected to be reopened next week . `` There have been some difficulties and some bottlenecks in delivering our relief items , '' Ban said . '' ... The situation is overwhelming . '' But U.N. personnel are working day and night to overcome hurdles and increase the delivery of aid to Haitians , he said . `` On the ground , we have seen some difficulties when it comes to deliver -LSB- ing -RSB- actual relief items , because of the over-demand and the extraordinary situation . I have seen for myself how many people are without homes and shelters , and we have to work very hard , according to this cluster system , '' Ban said . He was referring to the U.N. Cluster System set up for disasters , under which the World Health Organization plays a lead coordinating role for health , the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees or the Red Cross for shelter , and the World Food Programme for food . Watch how UNICEF is trying to help children . Twelve cluster systems are up and functioning , Ban said Tuesday , `` so you will see a much improved situation in terms of coordination , in terms of delivering aid to people who need it . '' On Monday , daily food rations for 200,000 people were distributed . The World Food Programme 's goal is to reach 1 million people within a week and 2 million within two weeks , he said . `` Our chief priority right now is to get the relief distribution system in Port-au-Prince fully operational so that we may more efficiently distribute supplies -- food , water , medicine , tents and other essential items , '' Ban said . How you can help . Ban appealed to international nongovernmental organizations and aid groups to work closely with the U.N. in delivering aid . `` We are concerned ... that numbers of unsolicited and uncoordinated supplies and personnel entering the country will stretch limited logistical resources and interfere with the delivery of vital aid , '' he said . `` We have already turned our attention to outlying regions , as well as the capital city . As you know , in certain areas , such as Leogane , the situation is every bit as critical , if not more so , than in Port-au-Prince . '' See images of the need and relief efforts . Asked about a report that fuel for U.N. trucks was scarce , Ban said 10,000 gallons of fuel arrived from the Dominican Republic on Monday night . Alain Le Roy , U.N. peacekeeping director , was asked about reports of looting . It is occurring , Le Roy said , but is not widespread . `` Of course there is looting , but there has been looting in the country for many , many years , even before the earthquake , '' he said . | 2,000 soldiers , 1,500 police officers to be sent to quake zone . Relief operations ' efficiency is improving , secretary-general says . World Food Programme hopes to reach 1 million people within a week . Ban Ki-moon asks other relief groups to coordinate with U.N. | [[0, 30], [53, 179], [768, 803], [806, 820], [2796, 2902], [3172, 3296], [3236, 3296]] |
Port-au-Prince , Haiti -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The longest and most visible lines in Haiti 's capital are not for food , water or gas . They are for money . Earthquake survivors need cash and are waiting hours outside wire transfer businesses , including Western Union , that are starting to reopen . `` I have no money , '' 32-year-old Anderson Bellegarde said Thursday , in his sixth hour standing outside a UniBank money wire branch . The business in Carrefour , near the epicenter of the earthquake and about eight miles from the capital of Port-au-Prince , was operating at a crawl . A line of Haitians loudly pleaded with guards , putting their hands around the blue iron gate and urging to be let in more quickly to access funds wired to them from beyond the disaster zone . Full coverage | Twitter updates . Very little currency trickled into Haitian hands Thursday . There was little financial movement in the disaster zone , with most banks remaining shut . Bellegarde looked at the closed bank next to the money transfer station and squinted his eyes . `` That 's where our money 's at , and they 're holding it , '' he told CNN Radio . `` We need it so we can buy food . '' Basic groceries are relatively easy to find for sale throughout the streets of Port-au-Prince . Those with canned goods , some produce and even ice and bread have formed a massive , impromptu market . But most quake survivors do not have the cash to buy any of it . iReport : List of missing , found | Impact Your World . `` I have not eaten for two days , '' Bellegarde said , `` I 'm only drinking water . '' Banks have been closed since the January 12 earthquake . There were widespread rumors that the Haitian government would force them to open Thursday , but that did n't happen . Now , officials say provincial banks will likely open Friday , and branches in Port-au-Prince will restart business Saturday . | Quake survivors are waiting hours outside wire transfer businesses . Banks have remained closed since the January 12 earthquake . Basic groceries are easy to find , but people ca n't access their money to buy them . Officials say provincial banks will likely open Friday ; Port-au-Prince branches Saturday . | [[152, 172], [187, 263], [935, 962], [1592, 1648], [1181, 1276], [1181, 1196], [1217, 1276], [1386, 1446], [1768, 1771], [1774, 1828], [1835, 1894]] |
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Israel Defense Forces called off a raid after one of its combat soldiers posted information about the operation , including the time and place , on Facebook , the IDF said Wednesday . `` On Wednesday , we are cleaning up -LRB- the village -RRB- . Today - arrest . On Thursday , God willing , we will be home , '' the soldier , who was not identified , posted on the social networking site , according to IDF . The post was removed after other soldiers in the company saw it online and reported it to their commanders , IDF said . `` The division commander decided to cancel the operation out of concern that the information had reached hostile groups and would harm IDF forces , '' it said . The soldier was sentenced to 10 days imprisonment and was removed from his battalion and all combat postings , IDF said . His combat certificate also was revoked . IDF soldiers are prohibited from posting classified information online , including photographs of military interests . | Soldier posted details about pending raid on Facebook , Israeli military says . Commander canceled operation , fearing enemies might have learned about it . Soldier sentenced to 10 days imprisonment , removed from his battalion . | [[76, 165], [333, 347], [375, 411], [556, 699], [715, 764], [715, 726], [752, 823]] |
NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A New York nightclub hostess identified by a supermarket tabloid as Tiger Woods ' mistress has 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 : Rachel Uchitel to New York Post : I met Woods only twice . Nightclub hostess says tabloid allegations came from disgruntled acquaintance . False rumor `` must feel horrible '' to Woods ' wife , Uchitel says . | [[1491, 1667], [1504, 1527], [1770, 1772], [1777, 1792], [229, 262], [265, 413], [465, 482], [1867, 1932], [1995, 2012]] |
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Look no further than the two warning flares shot up from Virginia and New Hampshire Tuesday evening to understand how concerned Democrats are about the political consequences of losing the late Sen. Edward Kennedy 's seat to Republican Scott Brown . Sen. Jim Webb , D-Virginia , called on his Democratic colleagues to suspend votes on their controversial health care legislation , warning it would be wrong to try to muscle a bill through Congress before Brown was sworn into office . `` In many ways , the campaign in Massachusetts became a referendum not only on health care reform but also on the openness and integrity of our government process , '' Webb said in a statement . Some 500 miles to the north , New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley sent out an urgent plea for donations to help fund a special election next month for a state senate seat he fears losing . `` Over the past few weeks , radical right-wing activists turned Massachusetts into ground zero for the Tea Party movement , and we saw a taste of what 's to come in 2010 , '' Buckley wrote . Brown 's victory has changed the political narrative in 2010 . Weigh in on the election results . Traditionally , the president 's party loses seats in the midterm elections . But now there is concern among some politically savvy Democrats who worry that the losses could be greater than originally anticipated in November all because of Brown 's win . `` It makes it really hard , '' a senior Democratic operative , speaking on the condition of anonymity , said Tuesday evening . `` The frustrating thing for -LRB- Democratic -RRB- members is that it was preventable , it affects them and it was something that never should have gotten to this point . '' In a matter of two weeks , Democrats witnessed a sleeping Republican base come to life to rally around a little-known GOP candidate , who defied the odds to win the race to succeed the liberal lion from Massachusetts . And after watching two governorships slip from their grasp in November , many Democrats have come to realize that the American public is not particularly happy with their stewardship of the nation . Democrats have 10 months to try to regain the momentum , but the wind is now at the Republicans ' backs , and their first legislative victory will likely be slamming the brakes on President Obama 's signature domestic issue : health care reform . It is a mighty blow for a president , who just one year ago seemed unbreakable , unstoppable , unbeatable . Brown is an unlikely savior for the Republican Party , which one year ago was disoriented , disorganized and disillusioned . A Massachusetts Republican has successfully brought together -- for the time being -- a party at war over the ideological purity of its membership . There is still discord in the GOP , but Brown 's win gives Republicans another case study in how to run a successful campaign after their two gubernatorial wins in New Jersey and Virginia . Martha Coakley 's loss provides Democrats with yet another example of how not to run a campaign after their earlier losses in New Jersey and Virginia . One of the biggest challenges for Democrats is wooing back independent voters , who broke Brown 's way Tuesday to help him beat Coakley . `` If we do n't figure out a way to talk to independent voters , we are done , '' lamented another high-level Democratic staffer , speaking freely on the condition of anonymity . Republicans wake up Wednesday morning with a new vigor , and GOP strategists vow to try to use this win to broaden a playing field that one year ago seemed unrealistic . The GOP 's top target is Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada , who is in danger of losing re-election , according to public polls . But Republicans hope Tuesday 's victory also convinces some fence-sitting Democrats to follow the leads of Dennis Moore of Kansas or Rep. John Tanner of Tennessee and choose to retire instead of running for re-election . For Obama , the loss will likely force him to reconsider his legislative priorities , as his support on Capitol Hill wanes in this midterm election year . Conservative Democrats are less likely to back him on controversial issues such as health care and cap and trade , fearing that to do so would be political suicide . After all , Republicans were able to win Kennedy 's seat by running against the Obama agenda . | Analysis : Many Democrats now realize public is n't particularly happy with their stewardship . Wind is now at the Republicans ' backs , and they may be able to put brakes on health bill . Scott Brown 's win gives GOP another case study in how to run successful campaign . For President Obama , loss will likely force him to reconsider his legislative priorities . | [[1983, 2181], [2056, 2070], [2081, 2181], [2243, 2285], [2851, 2942], [2870, 2894], [2904, 3000], [2292, 2405], [4013, 4084]] |
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Britain 's Labour Party suspended four members of Parliament -- including three former Cabinet ministers -- after they were secretly filmed offering to sell their government influence , the party said Tuesday . The party said it has launched an investigation of Geoff Hoon , Patricia Hewitt , Stephen Byers and Margaret Moran and suspended all four from the Parliamentary Labour Party . None of the four plans to run in the next election , expected to be held in May . `` The Labour Party expects the highest standards of its representatives and believes that they have a duty to be transparent and accountable servants to their constituents at all times , '' the party said in a statement . What the British media has now dubbed the `` cash-for-lobbying '' scandal comes just weeks before the expected general election in which Labour , the ruling party , faces a stiff challenge from the opposition Conservatives . Cabinet Secretary Gus O'Donnell , a non-partisan official , called the allegations `` extremely serious . '' The undercover filming was done by reporters for Channel 4 's `` Dispatches '' program , which aired Monday night . They set up a fictional U.S. company that claimed to want to hire British politicians for an advisory board , and an undercover reporter then invited the MPs to a rented office in London to discuss the work . A hidden camera captured the politicians agreeing to use their experience and influence to lobby the government in exchange for thousands of pounds -LRB- dollars -RRB- in pay . `` I 'd be very interested . I 'm a bit like a sort of cab for hire , I suppose , at the moment , '' said Byers , who was the transport and business secretary under former Prime Minister Tony Blair . Byers said he usually charges a daily rate of between # 3,000 and # 5,000 -LRB- $ 4,500 and $ 7,500 -RRB- for similar work . Among the services Byers offered was to try to get Blair to show up at a client 's event . `` The three to five just depends a bit on the work , the clients , to be honest , '' Byers said on the tape . `` I mean , sometimes I can charge more . '' Hoon , who was British defense secretary during the invasion of Iraq in 2003 , said he would request a similar amount . He said he could lead delegations to see certain ministers , or he could write letters to ministers to persuade them to see a client . `` One of the challenges , I think , which I 'm really looking forward to is sort of translating my knowledge and contacts about -LRB- the -RRB- international scene into something that , bluntly , makes money , '' Hoon said . Lawmaker Margaret Moran , who was implicated in the parliamentary expenses scandal last May , was also shown on hidden camera to be interested in a possible job . Moran spent # 22,500 -LRB- $ 33,700 -RRB- of taxpayers ' money for repairs on a seaside home far from her constituency , days after declaring it as her second home , records last year showed . Moran told the undercover reporter that she would be willing to approach parliamentary committees or special advisers on behalf of the company . Hewitt , who served as health secretary and trade and industry secretary in the cabinet , said she is looking for another `` major board position '' to employ her for three days a month . Asked how easy it would be for her to arrange meetings with Cabinet ministers or senior civil servants , Hewitt replied , `` It 's very doable , but you have to be kind of quite careful , you know , about how you do it . And it partly depends on the individual minister . '' The Conservatives called on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to launch an investigation into the scandal . Peter Hoskin , a columnist for The Spectator magazine , described the revelations as `` dirty money and dirtier politics . '' `` Our democracy could hardly bear another major political scandal , but here we have one : as grubby , underhand and dispiriting as last year 's expenses revelations , '' Hoskin wrote . `` The question now is whether it 's as widespread . '' Daily Telegraph columnist Mary Riddell called it `` the week that could finish Labour '' and said it put the Conservatives , also called the Tories , in a good position ahead of the election . `` Any hope that the shadow of greed had lifted was crushed by accusations that former ministers sought money for favors , '' she wrote . `` The taped claim by Stephen ` Cash ' Byers that ` I 'm like a sort of cab for hire ' is a remark geared to give the Tories a chauffeured drive to power . '' | Britain 's Labour Party suspends four senior MPs in cash-for-lobbying scandal . Lawmakers were secretly filmed offering to sell their government influence . Geoff Hoon , Patricia Hewitt , Stephen Byers , Margaret Moran not standing in election . Politicians agreed to lobby government in exchange for thousands of pounds . | [[0, 6], [9, 32], [60, 140], [247, 422], [247, 256], [366, 422], [144, 219], [1387, 1563], [1412, 1554], [4325, 4365], [1387, 1563], [1412, 1554], [1475, 1563]] |
Mexico City , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Shootouts between drug suspects and the military in the Mexican northeastern border state of Tamaulipas have left seven dead and 11 wounded , the government reported . One of the dead and the 11 wounded were Mexican military who were ambushed while on patrol late Thursday night in the cities of Miguel Aleman , Mier and Valadeces , the Notimex news agency reported , citing the nation 's National Defense Department . The cities are along the U.S. border , near McAllen , Texas . The cities also are near Reynosa , Mexico , where the United States closed its consulate Thursday because of recent increased drug violence . The U.S. Consulate also issued a warning `` to advise U.S. citizens of recent gun battles in Reynosa , Mexico , and cities surrounding Reynosa in the last week . '' Thursday night 's firefights were the latest in a string of confrontations that some residents say have been going on for at least 10 days . Earlier this week , local news reports said , gunmen in as many as 20 vehicles clashed with members of the Mexican military and municipal police in Ciudad Mier , just west of Reynosa . The daytime gun battle Tuesday reportedly resulted in the abduction of 10 municipal police officers . Video from the scene showed abandoned police sport utility vehicles with bullet holes and broken windows . Shattered glass covered the street against a backdrop of palm trees . A damaged red truck with the insignia CDG -- the Spanish acronym for the Gulf Cartel -- was shown being towed from the shooting scene . In Reynosa , residents told CNN on Thursday that banners purportedly placed throughout the city by the rival Los Zetas drug cartel announced there would be a gunfight at 8 p.m. Residents reported hearing gunshots as early as 7:30 p.m. . After Thursday night 's gunfire , officials say they confiscated 14 vehicles , 29 firearms , 10 hand grenades and more than 1,700 rounds of ammunition of various caliber . On a tour of the border cities , Tamaulipas Gov. Eugenio Hernandez Flores sought to reassure residents that the government is committed to controlling the mayhem . Violence throughout Mexico has exploded since President Felipe Calderon declared war on the drug cartels shortly after assuming office in December 2006 . More than 16,000 people have been killed in drug violence since then . Ciudad Juarez , across the border from El Paso , Texas , is the most violent city in Mexico and one of the deadliest on earth . The rival Juarez and Sinaloa cartels are fighting for control of the lucrative drug routes into the United States as well street sales within Ciudad Juarez . The cartels also are fighting the Mexican army and federal , state and local police . Mexican officials point out that most of the deaths involve criminals ; few civilians have been killed . In Juarez earlier this month , however , 10 teenagers and five other people were gunned down at a party . Officials said the gunmen belonged to the Juarez cartel and mistakenly believed the partygoers were members of a gang affiliated with the Sinaloa cartel . CNN 's Mariano Castillo and Nick Valencia contributed to this report . | NEW : Firefights have been going on for 10 days , residents say . One Mexico soldier among the dead . Drug suspects ambushed military patrol . U.S. closed nearby consulate on Thursday . | [[828, 902], [903, 968], [208, 396], [208, 396], [571, 662]] |
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