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baghdad , iraq -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- coalition troops killed the al qaeda terrorist who masterminded the february 2006 attack on samarra 's al-askariya mosque and set off continuing violence and reprisal killings between sunnis and shiites , the u.s. military said sunday . the attack on samarra 's al-askariya mosque set off violence between sunnis and shiites . haitham sabah al-badri , the al qaeda emir of greater samarra , was killed by an airstrike thursday east of samarra , said rear adm. mark fox during a news conference . `` eliminating al-badri is another step in breaking the cycle of violence instigated by the attack on the holy shrine in samarra , '' fox said . `` we will continue to hunt down the brutal terrorists who are intent on creating a taliban-like state in iraq . '' coalition forces thursday raided four buildings outside samarra that were associated with al-badri , according to a u.s. military news release . during the raid , at least four armed men were seen leaving the buildings and setting up tactical fighting positions in an effort to ambush coalition forces , the release said . the coalition forces called in close air support , killing al-badri and the three others , the release said . one of those killed was identified as a foreigner ; al-badri was identified by his close associates and relatives , the military said . el-badri 's death was first reported saturday by a high-ranking iraqi interior ministry official . no one was injured in the attack on the golden mosque , one of the holiest shiite sites , but thousands have been killed by the death squads and reprisal bombings that have ravaged iraq in the 17 1/2 months since the attack . in addition to the february attack that collapsed the mosque 's dome , another bombing in june destroyed the shrine 's two remaining minarets . al-badri is believed to have been involved in other attacks , including two last year , fox said -- the june 23 bombing of a kirkuk courthouse that left 20 iraqis dead and the august 28 attack at a samarra checkpoint that killed 29 iraqi soldiers . samarra is in salaheddin province , north of baghdad . mortar attacks kill 11 . two mortar rounds struck a gas station in a mainly shiite neighborhood in eastern baghdad on sunday , killing at least 11 people and wounding 15 others , a spokesman with iraq 's interior ministry said . the attack in the afdhailiya neighborhood happened about 8 a.m. -lrb- 12 a.m. et -rrb- , the spokesman said . suicide bombers attacked two gas stations wednesday , killing 70 people , reuters reported . meanwhile , coalition forces said saturday they killed four suspected militants and detained 18 thought to have helped make or plant roadside bombs , the u.s. military said . the militants were suspected of coordinating logistical support from iran for elements of shiite cleric muqtada al-sadr 's mehdi army and other shiite militias operating in iraq , the military said . iraqi family upset with u.s. soldier 's sentence . a u.s. soldier has been sentenced to 110 years in confinement for participating in the rape of a 14-year-old girl and the killings of her and her family in iraq , an army spokeswoman said . the girl 's family told reuters on sunday they were dismayed by the punishment and would have preferred to see the death penalty handed down in the case . pfc. jesse spielman was convicted friday of rape , conspiracy to commit rape , housebreaking with the intent to commit rape and four counts of felony murder . the girl , her parents and younger sister were shot dead in march 2006 in mahmoudiya , south of baghdad . `` we were expecting the death penalty against those criminals and the place to carry out the sentence is where the incident happened , '' the girl 's cousin , abu ammar , told reuters . her uncle , hadi abdullah , told the wire agency that family members wished there was a way to appeal the sentence so the death penalty could be imposed . three soldiers have previously pleaded guilty in the case and were given sentences ranging from five to 100 years . the accused ringleader , former pvt. steven green , was discharged from the army and awaits trial in a civilian court . other developments . cnn 's pierre bairin and mohammed tawfeeq contributed to this report .<doc-sep>baghdad , iraq -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- coalition troops killed the al qaeda terrorist who masterminded the february 2006 attack on samarra 's al-askariya mosque and set off continuing violence and reprisal killings between sunnis and shiites , the u.s. military said sunday . the attack on samarra 's al-askariya mosque set off violence between sunnis and shiites . haitham sabah al-badri , the al qaeda emir of greater samarra , was killed by an airstrike thursday east of samarra , said rear adm. mark fox during a news conference . `` eliminating al-badri is another step in breaking the cycle of violence instigated by the attack on the holy shrine in samarra , '' fox said . `` we will continue to hunt down the brutal terrorists who are intent on creating a taliban-like state in iraq . '' coalition forces thursday raided four buildings outside samarra that were associated with al-badri , according to a u.s. military news release . during the raid , at least four armed men were seen leaving the buildings and setting up tactical fighting positions in an effort to ambush coalition forces , the release said . the coalition forces called in close air support , killing al-badri and the three others , the release said . one of those killed was identified as a foreigner ; al-badri was identified by his close associates and relatives , the military said . el-badri 's death was first reported saturday by a high-ranking iraqi interior ministry official . no one was injured in the attack on the golden mosque , one of the holiest shiite sites , but thousands have been killed by the death squads and reprisal bombings that have ravaged iraq in the 17 1/2 months since the attack . in addition to the february attack that collapsed the mosque 's dome , another bombing in june destroyed the shrine 's two remaining minarets . al-badri is believed to have been involved in other attacks , including two last year , fox said -- the june 23 bombing of a kirkuk courthouse that left 20 iraqis dead and the august 28 attack at a samarra checkpoint that killed 29 iraqi soldiers . samarra is in salaheddin province , north of baghdad . mortar attacks kill 11 . two mortar rounds struck a gas station in a mainly shiite neighborhood in eastern baghdad on sunday , killing at least 11 people and wounding 15 others , a spokesman with iraq 's interior ministry said . the attack in the afdhailiya neighborhood happened about 8 a.m. -lrb- 12 a.m. et -rrb- , the spokesman said . suicide bombers attacked two gas stations wednesday , killing 70 people , reuters reported . meanwhile , coalition forces said saturday they killed four suspected militants and detained 18 thought to have helped make or plant roadside bombs , the u.s. military said . the militants were suspected of coordinating logistical support from iran for elements of shiite cleric muqtada al-sadr 's mehdi army and other shiite militias operating in iraq , the military said . iraqi family upset with u.s. soldier 's sentence . a u.s. soldier has been sentenced to 110 years in confinement for participating in the rape of a 14-year-old girl and the killings of her and her family in iraq , an army spokeswoman said . the girl 's family told reuters on sunday they were dismayed by the punishment and would have preferred to see the death penalty handed down in the case . pfc. jesse spielman was convicted friday of rape , conspiracy to commit rape , housebreaking with the intent to commit rape and four counts of felony murder . the girl , her parents and younger sister were shot dead in march 2006 in mahmoudiya , south of baghdad . `` we were expecting the death penalty against those criminals and the place to carry out the sentence is where the incident happened , '' the girl 's cousin , abu ammar , told reuters . her uncle , hadi abdullah , told the wire agency that family members wished there was a way to appeal the sentence so the death penalty could be imposed . three soldiers have previously pleaded guilty in the case and were given sentences ranging from five to 100 years . the accused ringleader , former pvt. steven green , was discharged from the army and awaits trial in a civilian court . other developments . cnn 's pierre bairin and mohammed tawfeeq contributed to this report .<doc-sep>one roadside bombing killed a u.s. soldier north of baghdad , while a marine died in another bombing in the western province of anbar , the u.s. military headquarters there reported . no details of the attacks were released . the latest attacks bring the u.s. death toll in the 5-year-old war to 4,009 . other developments . • in northern iraq , five iraqi police officers were killed and two bystanders were wounded when gunmen attacked a police patrol in the town of dhuluiyah sunday , samarra police said . • the u.s. military said sunday it found a mass grave with 14 bodies near muqdadiya . the bodies , which showed signs of torture , appeared to have been in the grave for two to six months . they were found 100 yards from where 37 bodies were found buried thursday , the military said . • ten people were killed sunday when a suicide car bomb struck a checkpoint manned by members of the awakening council , baiji police said . four members of the council were among the dead . awakening councils are largely sunni security groups that have been recruited by the u.s. military . • also in baiji , a child was killed and seven civilians were wounded when a mortar landed in a residential area saturday afternoon , baiji police said sunday . • in samarra , gunmen stormed the home of an awakening council member , killing him and his son . his wife and daughter were wounded in the saturday morning attack , samarra police said sunday . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's mohammed tawfeeq and jonathan wald contributed to this report .<doc-sep>the u.s. military said khan traveled from baltimore to karachi , pakistan , in 2002 to help al qaeda plan attacks in the united states and elsewhere . the military said khan conspired with khalid sheikh mohammed , the accused mastermind of the september 11 terrorist attacks , to blow up underground storage tanks in the united states . the government said khan had also recorded a `` martyr video '' and donned an explosive vest and waited in a mosque where then-pakistani president pervez musharraf was expected . the plan failed when musharraf did not show up . he also was accused of giving $ 50,000 in al qaeda funds to a southeast asia-based al qaeda affiliate , which then gave the money to jemaah islamiyah to fund the august 2003 bombing of the j.w. marriott hotel in jakarta , indonesia . that incident killed 11 people and wounded at least 181 others . cnn 's carol cratty contributed to this report .<doc-sep>baghdad , iraq -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- seven u.s. troops were killed near baghdad early monday in a vehicle rollover accident , u.s. officials said . u.s. troops question a man who was out after a curfew sunday night in baghdad . officials do not believe any hostile fire was involved . the location and name of the unit were not available as officials attempted to notify next of kin . the u.s. military also said that a task force lightning soldier died sunday from injuries caused by rocket fire during a patrol in the northern tameem province . the number of u.s. military deaths in the iraq war stands at 3,770 , including seven civilian employees of the defense department . also monday , 12 militants were killed in fighting between troops and insurgents just outside the northern city of samarra , the u.s. military said . the military said iraqi and u.s. troops conducting a helicopter assault raid were confronted by militants from al qaeda in iraq . insurgents fired at troops and wounded three u.s. soldiers , a statement said . backed up by helicopters , iraqi and u.s. ground forces fired back , the statement said , killing 12 people described as `` enemy extremists . '' three people were detained and a fourth `` was positively identified as a hostage being held for ransom by the insurgents . '' samarra has been the scene of much fighting in recent months . the city in salaheddin province is the site of al-askariya mosque , the shiite shrine that was attacked twice , apparently by sunni militants . watch u.s. soldiers give a tour of life in iraq '' the u.s. military also claimed success against militants in volatile diyala province . the military said monday that nine insurgents were killed and 10 detained during an iraqi and u.s. operation called operation lightning hammer ii , which began last week . soldiers were operating in the baquba , muqdadiya and balad ruz areas .

<t> haitham sabah al-badri was the al qaeda emir of greater samarra . </t> <t> u.s. military says al-badri suspected in two other attacks that killed 49 . </t> <t> family of slain girl upset soldier was n't sentenced to death , reuters says . </t> <t> at least 11 people killed in mortar attacks in baghdad , interior ministry says . </t>

military : mastermind of samarra mosque bombing killed<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the chinese government is bracing itself for a rush of people wishing to marry when the summer olympics kick off on august 8 -- because the number carries a special significance in chinese culture , the state news agency said sunday . a traditional ming-style wedding is held in nanjing , china , last december . the number `` eight '' -lrb- ba -rrb- is considered auspicious by many in china because it sounds like the word for `` wealth '' and `` fortune , '' the news agency xinhua said . `` we 've long been prepared for a stampede of newly-wed couples this year , '' guo xusheng , spokesman with the beijing municipal civil affairs bureau , told xinhua . every year , many couples choose the 8th of august -- the eighth month of the year -- hoping `` eighth of the eighth '' luck will rub off on them , the news agency said .<doc-sep>nearly 3,400 couples got hitched on the day last year , some waiting all night outside the marriage registration office in beijing . this year , the civil affairs bureau is accepting online reservations for marriage registrations for the day . the significance that numbers carry in chinese culture often dictate various aspects of the people 's lives there . and of all the numbers , eight is considered one of the luckiest . beijing , itself , opted to kick off the olympic games at 8 p.m. on 8/8/08 . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>making waves : mp penny mordaunt on splash ! spoke about her compelling life story but omitted her failed marriage . when tory mp penny mordaunt appeared in a primetime itv diving show , the publicity blitz covered almost every aspect of her compelling life story . but for the woman once voted ` britain 's sexiest mp ' one topic was kept strictly off-limits -- her short-lived marriage . the 40-year-old mp for portsmouth north has told friends she was so bruised by the experience that it has put her off ever marrying again . her wedding to paul murray , whom she met while they were both students at reading university , is omitted from her entries in who 's who and debrett 's . one westminster database even lists , under ` number of marriages or civil partnerships ' , the figure zero . ms mordaunt , an aide to defence secretary philip hammond and a royal navy reservist , has attracted scores of admirers -- and raised her political profile -- since her appearance on splash ! , in which celebrities are trained to dive by olympic medallist tom daley .<doc-sep>when she started her physical therapy she had braces from her chest down . the ones she wears now start just above the knee . and she 's been able to walk about 200 yards in those braces , just holding someone 's hands . in may , discovery channel aired a reality show titled american muscle about the michigan center called barwis methods . breland was among those featured in the program . last december , katie breland got engaged to programmer odie hughes , whom she met three months earlier . she is currently planning their september wedding , and wants to walk down the aisle . practicing for that has been a major focus this summer . on her wedding day , katie said she will walk down the aisle flanked by her father and mike barwis who helped her power through the pain and go beyond her physical limitations . true love : last december , katie breland got engaged to odie hughes , whom she met three months earlier , and the couple are planning a september wedding . special goal : katie has been training with her coach for months so she could take her first steps when she walks down the aisle next month . before her accident , breland played basketball and had run in hundreds of races , so she knew people were watching to see how she would cope and move forward after the accident . she knew she had to prove to herself and others that she could still do things she used to do . that 's how she got started with triathlon training , and she has participated in several races , most recently last month . she races using a specially designed bicycle and hopes to beat her time from last year .<doc-sep>action shot : our final glimpse of keira is when she is spotted by her admirer driving a vintage speed boat . just when we think the two may finally meet , as danila strikes across to his ` coco ' , another partygoer crosses their path , and in a burst of sparkle , she is gone . our final glimpse of keira is when she is spotted the next day by her admirer as he crosses a bridge . final glimpse : danila kozlovsky spots the mysterious ` coco ' on the river below him . femme fatale : wearing a sleeveless white silk tailored jump suit with black braces , keira glances up at the bridge as she turns the boat . driving a vintage speed boat in a sleeveless white silk tailored jumpsuit with black braces , keira glances up at the bridge as she turns the boat . while keira has been an exemplary spokesmodel for chanel - earlier this month attending the paris fashion week show in an optical illusion monochrome dress that garnered much press attention - she admits that she accidentally destroyed her chanel couture wedding dress . confession : keira pictured on the red carpet in the chanel couture dress she wore for her wedding , which she admits is now covered in red wine . she wore the dress , which she had in fact worn on the red carpet previously , to wed musician james righton in france last year , but told independent woman that the dress was now ` destroyed ' after a glass of red wine was spilled down it at a party . ' i did n't quite realise the extent of it until i got home . it 's quite impressively splattered , ' the 28-year-old confessed . ` but , hey , a good night is a good night and when a dress has had its time , maybe it 's had its time . ` i 'm pretty sure i can get it out but , if i ca n't , i 'm happy with the memory of a good night and the story of how the dress got destroyed . '<doc-sep>in april last year , edinburgh antiques dealer john dixon sold 7,000 clubs to a chinese entrepreneur for $ 193,500 . the load has since been shipped to china in bundles of 20 . `` i think he is tapping into a growing market over there . new golf courses are opening in china all the time , '' says dixon . `` if they are building so many courses they need the merchandise and the memorabilia to go with it . '' at bottrell 's hickory golf days , participants try to enter the spirit of the era by dressing up in knickerbockers , neckties , flat caps and braces . `` they usually raid local charity shops and come up with some kind of outfit , '' he said . `` they sometimes look like they 've stepped out of a pantomime . there 's quite a lot of confusion as to what golfers were wearing in the early 1900s . ''

<t> china braces for rush of weddings on opening day of olympics . </t> <t> opening day of beijing olympics is august 8 , 2008 . </t> <t> the number `` 8 '' is considered by many chinese to carry good fortune . </t>

china braces for olympic wedding blitz<T>

london , england -- a mother is seeking to have the womb of her severely disabled daughter removed to prevent the 15-year-old from feeling the pain and discomfort of menstruation . doctors in britain are now taking legal advice to see if they are permitted to carry out the hysterectomy on katie thorpe , who suffers from cerebral palsy . but a charity campaigning for the disabled said on monday the move could infringe human rights and would set a `` disturbing precedent . '' andy rickell , executive director of disability charity scope , told the press association : `` it is very difficult to see how this kind of invasive surgery , which is not medically necessary and which will be very painful and traumatic , can be in katie 's best interests . `` this case raises fundamental ethical issues about the way our society treats disabled people and the respect we have for disabled people 's human and reproductive rights . watch why the surgery is so controversial '' `` if this enforced sterilization is approved , it will have disturbing implications for young disabled girls across britain . '' katie 's mother alison thorpe , who lives in billericay , southern england , said the operation was in her daughter 's best interests . `` first of all , this is not about me . if it was about me , i would have given up caring for katie a long , long while ago , '' she told gmtv . `` it is about quality of life and for katie to not have the associated problems of menstruation adds to her quality of life . it means she can continue with the quality of life we can give her now . `` katie would n't understand menstruation at all . she has no comprehension about what will be happening to her body . all she would feel is the discomfort , the stomach cramps and the headaches , the mood swings , the tears , and wonder what is going on . '' thorpe said an operation would be best for katie , despite the initial pain it would cause . she added : `` the short-term pain and discomfort we can manage with painkillers . we will be able to manage that pain much better than menstruation once a month , when katie can not tell us ` i 'm in pain . ' '' e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>archaeologists in italy have discovered a mummified foetus from the 19th century that is thought to have undergone a destructive operation while it was still inside its mother 's womb . it appears the procedure to break up the foetus was carried out after its death , when the mother 's life was in danger - and the remains were then carefully wrapped up . the mummy is the only case of the surgical practice - which was popular in ancient times - in the central region of italy , researchers claim . archaeologists in italy have discovered a mummified foetus from the 19th century that is thought to have undergone an operation while it was still inside its mother 's womb . the remains were carefully wrapped in cloth and laid to rest in an underground room with other remains . the gruesome find came to light after an earthquake struck l'aquila , italy , in 2009 , live science reported . the 6.3 magnitude disaster killed 300 people as well as damaging buildings including the st. john the evangelist church in the village of casentino . it was beneath this church that the mummified bodies , including the foetus , were found in underground rooms . researchers estimate that the foetus was laid to rest in 1840 . they x-rayed the remains to discover that the skeleton was not connected properly , so some of the bones had been moved around . the x-ray is pictured . embryotomy is the dismemberment of a foetus while it is in the womb . it was practiced when a mother 's life was threatened , to aid the foetus ' removal when delivery was impossible by natural means . some experts say embryotomy was used as an extreme method of abortion in medieval times . it was common in ancient egypt as well as ancient rome . it is thought embryotomy has been practiced in some places as late as 50 years ago . researchers estimate the foetus was laid to rest in 1840 . they x-rayed the remains to discover that the skeleton was not connected properly , highlighting that some of the bones had been moved around . experts could not establish the sex of the foetus because the pelvic and jaw bones were damaged , but they think it was 29 weeks into development when it perished . they think the procedure took place because the skull had been dissected in places , and separated from the spine .<doc-sep>by . martin robinson . published : . 07:42 est , 16 may 2013 . | . updated : . 08:11 est , 16 may 2013 . the mother of a two-year-old girl , who was still in the womb when her policeman father died on a drunken night out , has started a legal battle on their daughter 's behalf to claim child maintenance from the metropolitan police .<doc-sep>a girl who was given no chance of survival before she was born has stunned doctors by growing into a healthy six-year-old . kaylyn fry weighed just 1lb 11oz when she arrived 14 weeks early following a range of life-threatening complications in the womb . her devastated mother , ayla blaikie , 28 , was even told where she could bury her child after the placenta ruptured just 16 weeks into her pregnancy . kaylyn fry -lrb- pictured with her mother , ayla blaikie -rrb- , six , was given no chance of survival when the placenta ruptured 16 weeks into her mother 's pregnancy . the complications continued and miss blaikie 's waters began to leak at 21 weeks . she also needed eight blood transfusions , and contracted life-threatening infections group b streptococcus and mrsa - both of which were passed on to her unborn baby . but against all odds , kaylyn kept up her fight in the womb until 26 weeks , when a doctor told miss blaikie he had never see a baby born alive following so many problems . now aged six , kaylyn , who was expected to be blind and brain damaged and who spent three years in and out of hospital with chronic lung conditions , is a picture of health . she has even taken up tae kwon do . miss blaikie , from eyemouth , scottish borders , said : ` kaylyn was definitely meant to be here . she 's a little fighter - literally . ` she is such a feisty , outgoing little girl and has overcome so much . it 's amazing . ' after her birth , kaylyn spent four months clinging to life in two different hospitals , in newcastle and edinburgh . kaylyn survived the placenta rupturing but was in danger again when her mother 's waters began to leak at 21 weeks . things got worse when ms blaikie contracted two infections , both of which were passed onto kaylyn .<doc-sep>by . alexandra klausner . published : . 11:00 est , 14 march 2014 . | . updated : . 10:31 est , 15 march 2014 . an adorable baby gorilla has been born at san diego zoo safari park in an extremely rare animal c-section . park officials say that the baby 's mother , 18-year-old imani , went into labor on wednesday morning and was showing no signs of progress until later that evening . nbc reports that 's when doctors took imani to the safari park veterinary hospital for an emergency operation , with the help of experts in human c-sections . scroll down for video . this baby gorilla was born by c-section on wednesday after her mother imani faced some birth complications . 18-year-old imani is recovering from a successful c-section labor . doctors surgically remove the baby gorilla from its mother imani 's womb . the doctor carefully removes the baby gorilla as to ensure its safety and its mother 's safety . the baby girl is currently in the intensive care unit and is being provided with oxygen and fluids . ` in retrospect the c-section was the right decision , ' said the parkâ $ ™ s associate director of veterinary services nadine lamberski in a release . ` we think the health of the fetus would have been compromised if we delayed the surgery any longer . ' a cesarean delivery , also known as a c-section , is a ` surgical procedure used to deliver a baby through an incision in the mother 's abdomen and a second incision in the mother 's uterus , ' according to mayoclinc.com . the operation was performed by the talented san diego zoo global team and also by a veterinary surgeon and a neonatal specialist from uc san diego medical center . the baby gorilla , who has not yet been named , weighs 4.6 lbs . she is currently in intensive care at a veterinary hospital after suffering complications during birth . the little gorilla is being provided with oxygen and fluids and her mother is in the bedroom area . the mail online tried contacting the park for updates on the gorilla 's health but no one was available for comment . this is imani 's first baby gorilla but the park 's 17th . this baby has had a long and torturous day after finally having to be removed from its mother . this baby girl is tired from a seemingly endless labor . the baby gorilla is surgically removed from its mother 's womb takes a breath as it is brought into the world for the first time . veterinarians say that they believe the c-section was the right decision for the baby 's health .

<t> mother seeks to have womb of severely disabled daughter , 15 , removed . </t> <t> briton wants to prevent cerebral palsy sufferer feeling pain of menstruation . </t> <t> uk doctors seek legal advice to see if they can perform hysterectomy . </t> <t> charity for disabled says move could infringe human rights . </t>

mother seeks girl 's womb removal<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- richard roberts , the embattled president of oral roberts university and the son of its namesake evangelist founder , stepped down friday , according to the school 's board of regents . richard roberts and wife lindsay appear on cnn 's `` larry king live '' in october . `` i love oru with all my heart . i love the students , faculty , staff and administration , and i want to see god 's best for them , '' roberts wrote in his resignation letter . roberts ' decision was effective immediately and came as the school fought a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by three professors who accused him and his wife of misconduct . john swails , tim brooker and paulita brooker said they lost their jobs after reporting information indicating that roberts and his family lavishly spent school money for personal expenses . roberts and his wife , lindsay , have denied the allegations .<doc-sep>the suit also claimed oral roberts university gave a `` convicted sexual deviant unrestricted access to students '' and evidence in the case had been shredded -- charges the university has denied . in addition , the suit alleged lindsay roberts repeatedly spent time with an `` underage male '' in various situations . she denied any improper behavior , insisting in a statement that she had `` never , ever engaged in any sexual behavior with any man outside of my marriage . '' the board of regents , which voted to hire an auditor to look into the claims , will meet early next week to discuss a search process for a new president , according to friday 's statement from chairman george pearsons . roberts announced last month he would step aside temporarily as president , saying he and his family had suffered `` heavy damage . '' the controversy has drawn international attention to the private christian university in tulsa , oklahoma . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the wife of the president of oral roberts university is denying allegations of improper behavior , saying the claims `` sicken '' her . richard roberts and wife lindsay appear on cnn 's `` larry king live '' last week . lindsay roberts , in a statement on the university 's web site , said the allegations against her `` sicken me to my soul . ... i live my life in a morally upright manner and throughout my marriage have never , ever engaged in any sexual behavior with any man outside of my marriage as the accusations imply . '' the suit , filed earlier this month , has drawn international attention to the private christian school in tulsa , oklahoma , founded by evangelist oral roberts , father of university president richard roberts . the new allegations come in an amended version of the wrongful termination suit filed by three former professors , who say they lost their jobs after reporting that roberts and his family lavishly spent school money for personal expenses . the amended lawsuit , filed friday , also alleges that the university gave a `` convicted sexual deviant unrestricted access to students '' while the man acted as a `` mentor . '' the lawsuit also claims the university shredded evidence three days after the suit was filed against the school . the school denies both accusations in a statement on its web site .<doc-sep>one of the firings , the suit says , was also in retaliation for the plaintiff refusing to drop a sexual harassment complaint that one of his subordinates made against an associate provost , who is named as a defendant . the suit calls for actual damages `` in excess of $ 10,000 '' and punitive damages also `` in excess of $ 10,000 '' for each plaintiff , as well as attorneys ' fees , court costs , `` and any further relief that the court deems just an equitable . '' in an interview last week on cnn 's `` larry king live , '' before the latest allegations were added to the suit , richard roberts called it `` the most unusual thing i 've ever witnessed in my life . '' asked whether someone is out to get him , he responded , `` it sure seems that way . '' lindsay roberts called the allegations `` preposterous . '' the three plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit , meanwhile , accuse school officials of making libelous public remarks about them in an effort to discredit the lawsuit . last week , before the amended suit was filed , the board vowed to hire an auditor to look into `` allegations made in regards to oral roberts university and certain members of the administration , '' board chairman george pearsons said in an october 7 statement posted on the oru web site . `` the oral roberts university board of regents is committed to operating the institution in accordance with all ethical , legal and moral standards . '' e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>roberts consented to a breath test , which showed his blood alcohol level at .11 % , higher than the .08 % limit for legal intoxication . he was booked into the tulsa county jail . cnn affiliate kotv in tulsa said he posted bond and was released a few hours later . roberts was president of oral roberts university until 2007 . oral roberts died in 2009 .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the son of late evangelist oral roberts and former president of oral roberts university was arrested early tuesday on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding , authorities said . richard roberts , 63 , was stopped by the oklahoma highway patrol just after midnight after a trooper observed him traveling at about 93 mph on a turnpike in his mercedes-benz sedan , according to an arrest report . the speed limit on the road is 65 mph , the report said . the trooper `` detected the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage about roberts ' breath and person , '' the report said , and roberts failed field sobriety tests .

<t> `` i love oru with all my heart , '' richard roberts writes in his resignation letter . </t> <t> three professors allege they were fired for revealing misspending . </t> <t> roberts and wife deny spending university funds improperly . </t> <t> roberts announced last month he was stepping aside temporarily as president . </t>

oral roberts university president quits amid lawsuit<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- it may take a lot of frequent-flier miles , a penchant for cold places , a tolerance of taxes and regular doses of chocolate , but happiness could be within reach . however , it 's not where most people might expect . journalist eric weiner says he wanted to explore the relationship between place and happiness . just ask eric weiner , who made it his mission to find the most content places around the globe , uncovering lots of surprises along the way . hungering for a tropical paradise ? a warm climate does n't necessarily make a happy nation , weiner said . thinking of moving to a wealthy state ? money can degrade happiness , he found . weiner , who wrote the book , `` the geography of bliss : one grump 's search for the happiest places in the world , '' began his quest for very personal reasons . `` i 'm an unhappy person , so it 's kind of what prompts a hungry person to search for food , '' he said . weiner spent 10 years as a foreign correspondent for national public radio , a job that took him to some of the least happy places in the world . it was enough to send him on a yearlong journey to look for just the opposite . weiner mapped out his quest with a combination of scientific and personal methods , choosing some countries because they traditionally score high on happiness surveys and selecting others to see how factors like money play a role . a world map of happiness , based on 100 different studies and produced by britain 's university of leicester in 2006 , listed denmark as the world 's happiest nation .<doc-sep>but for weiner , the place where he felt the most bliss was a toss-up between bhutan and iceland , countries that ranked eighth and fourth , respectively , on the happiness map . weiner 's list of favorites also included thailand , india and switzerland . see photos of his favorites and listen to him explain why they 're happy '' his top two picks , though very different countries , have unconventional paths to happiness , he said . `` bhutan is probably the closest thing on earth to shangri-la , that fictional paradise , '' weiner explained . he pointed out that while other countries focus on their gross domestic product , the himalayan kingdom proudly touts its policy of `` gross national happiness . '' `` the bhutanese very much believe that happiness should be part and parcel of every government decision , '' weiner said . cold place , warm relationships . thousands of miles away , weiner found happiness in a very different environment , marveling at the creativity and `` coziness '' of iceland . `` everyone in iceland is a poet , '' weiner recalled . he visited the country during winter and said he found a certain beauty in the cold and the darkness . such a chilly climate usually encourages warm relationships , weiner found . `` the cold inspires people to cooperate , traditionally . if you go back a few hundred years , people in cold climates have to cooperate or they die together . it 's that simple , '' he said . weiner found a different flavor of happiness in switzerland , where he discovered people are content partly because everything runs like clockwork . simple pleasures like trains arriving on time contributed to national happiness , he said .<doc-sep>but there may be a much sweeter reason why switzerland is a happy place . `` the swiss eat a lot of chocolate , and let 's not forget that , '' weiner said . he was also impressed with how the swiss view money . `` their attitude is that if you 've got it , hide it . while our attitude is if you 've got it , flaunt it , '' weiner said , comparing the swiss to americans . weiner called the united states , which came in at no. 23 on the university of leicester 's world map of happiness , a nation that `` is not as happy as it is wealthy . '' the impact of wealth and taxes . the relationship between money and happiness took weiner to the middle east and qatar , a country with one of the highest per capita incomes in the world , thanks to oil and natural gas revenues , according to the cia world factbook . `` i went there specifically to examine what happens when the entire country wins the lottery , '' weiner said . he found the wealth made the residents comfortable , but also degraded their level of contentment . `` most of our happiness is derived from our relationships with other people , '' weiner said . `` the money in qatar has allowed them to wall themselves off , literally and figuratively , from other people . ... that 's not a recipe for happiness . '' there are no income taxes in qatar , but that 's not a cause for contentment , weiner found . some taxation is necessary for happiness because it 's a way of being invested in a place , he argued .<doc-sep>`` you 're giving money to someone else , a government , and you 're trusting them to do something good with it , '' weiner said . `` in a country where there 's no taxation at all , people do n't have vested interests in how well the government performs . you ca n't say , ` hey , those are my tax dollars at work . ' '' quest creates buzz . weiner 's book has struck a chord , recently rising to the top 10 of the new york times nonfiction best-seller list . an expert who studies happiness said part of the book 's appeal may lie in how weiner mapped out his journey . `` he arranges an interesting itinerary because he uses science as his compass , '' said daniel gilbert , a psychology professor at harvard university and the author of `` stumbling on happiness . '' gilbert said it 's only recently that a combination of biology , sociology and psychology has been able to answer the `` where 's and why 's '' of happiness , a subject that has always fascinated people . `` the quest for happiness is the central preoccupation of human beings and has been for as long as there have been human beings , '' gilbert said . he echoed weiner 's findings that bliss is other people . `` everyone has been telling us for the longest time that happiness is about social relationships , well , bingo , they 're right , '' gilbert said . meanwhile , after a year of exploring some of the world 's happiest places , weiner -- the self-described `` grump '' -- said his mind-set has improved somewhat . `` i would describe myself as a recovering grump , '' weiner said . `` at this point , i think i am marginally happier than before i started the project . '' e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>the duo drive through the pyrenees on the border of france and spain . nick gough , left , and rich sears , right , pictured after the african leg of their world tour . in northern kenya and western tanzania the team faced over 1,000 miles of dirt tracks , where thick mud , deep sand and large rocks made progress painfully slow . despite the terrain , the tuk tuk only only sustained one flat tyre outside paris and one snapped accelerator cable in africa . in africa the team visited uganda , rwanda , burundi , tanzania , malawi and botswana before arriving in namibia . tuk tuk travels has received support from explorer sir ranulph fiennes , who said : ` tuk tuk travels is a unique adventure through some of the most challenging and diverse environments , cultures and countries on the planet -- it promises to be unmissable viewing . ' actor and human rights champion , joanna lumley , is also backing the project . she said : ` inspired lunacy with a heart of gold and the mind of aristotle - i 'm behind tuk tuk travels all the way . '<doc-sep>his dense , swirling compositions seem to push morissette 's boundaries , conjuring her inner princess of darkness on the glitchy , gothy `` straitjacket '' and exploring far eastern exotica on the tabla-tinged opener `` citizen of the planet . '' but her most affecting moment may be the most stripped down . a barely-there piano is all the accompaniment needed on the broken , fragile ballad `` not as we , '' on which her voice cracks heartbreakingly over the lines `` from scratch begin again , but this time , i as i/and not as we . '' somehow , a devastating personal experience has galvanized her songwriting in a way that domestic bliss , as showcased on 2004 's disappointing `` so-called chaos , '' could not . ew grade : b + . click here to try 2 risk free issues of entertainment weekly . copyright 2009 entertainment weekly and time inc. . all rights reserved .<doc-sep>spent a whole day photographing these ringtail lemurs . they are curious . by nature and several times they came really close and held the camera . in their hands , looking down the lens , as if trying to understand what i . was doing . ` it was so funny that i kept photographing them until night came . ' charge : the lemur approaches the camera of famed photographer simone sbaraglia . mr sbaraglia has been involved with photography for over 15 years , while building a parallel career as a research scientist . extreme close-up : a lemur grapples with the camera . globetrotter : mr sbaraglia has travelled the world for his wildlife photography projects . mr sbaraglia has been involved with photography for over 15 years , while building a parallel career as a research scientist . always a keen wildlife lover , simone is moved by the beauty and wilderness of america 's national parks and concentrates more and more on nature photography . he is often on assignment to cover nature and wildlife and he regularly travels to the ends of the earth to document the beauty , harmony and uniqueness of our planet . most of mr sbaraglia 's work concentrates on endangered species and ecosystems and he has worked throughout north and south america , europe , canada , alaska , asia and africa . bit crunchy : the lemur digs its teeth into the lens . pose : it 's almost as if the animal knows a picture is being taken as it sits still for the camera . mr sbaraglia is often on assignment to cover nature and wildlife and he regularly travels to the ends of the earth to document the beauty , harmony and uniqueness of our planet .<doc-sep>by . matt blake . published : . 07:52 est , 8 november 2013 . | . updated : . 09:48 est , 8 november 2013 . when his us army commission came to an end , jim wolf slipped from a life of action to a life of alcoholism and destitution . his wholesome complexion grew sallow , his cheeks became lost behind a scraggly beard and a mop of tangled of hair . he lost his home forcing him to wander from boarding house to doorway as he descended deeper into the abyss . but the former soldier , from grand rapids , michigan , has turned his life around after being given a complete makeover by christian support charity dégagé ministries which ` offers help and hope to homeless and disadvantaged individuals in our community ' . scroll down for video . turmoil : when his us army commission came to an end , jim wolf slipped from a life of action to a life of alcoholism and destitution . makeover : but the former soldier , from grand rapids , michigan , has turned his life around after being given a complete makeover by christian support charity dégagé ministries . styled out : armed only with a pair of scissors , a comb , clippers and some dye , stylist anna walt attacks his hair , snipping , buzzing and colouring . moving : the profoundly moving video , directed by rob bliss , began with wolf sitting in a chair looking at the camera in a grubby t-shirt and tracksuit . and while such internal struggles can take a lifetime to turn around , it took just three minutes to turn wolf from hirsute hobo to handsome city slicker . the profoundly moving video , directed by rob bliss , begins with wolf sitting in a chair looking at the camera in a grubby t-shirt and tracksuit . then , armed only with a pair of scissors , a comb , clippers and some dye , stylist anna walt attacks his hair , snipping , buzzing and colouring . metamorphosis : gradually his tousled locks are replaced by a crisp short-back-and-sides and his beard reduced to designer stubble . colour : ms walt then attacks his hair with dye . gradually his tousled locks are replaced by a crisp short-back-and-sides and his beard reduced to designer stubble . bliss then puts him in a sharp suit and tie and the metamorphosis is complete . wolf , who had not seen himself . throughout the transformation , said ` wow ' when a full-length mirror was . turned toward him and he finally saw his reflection . the emotion in the room palpable , wolf turns to bliss and gives him a big hug . ` the homeless are people we ignore every day , ' bliss told the blaze . ' -lsb- but -rsb- they can look like they 're meant for the cover of gq -- they have that potential too . ' off with the old : then bliss takes over to change his wardrobe . almost complete : bliss then puts him in a sharp suit and tie . he said he was struck by how quiet wolf was during the process . ` he was a huge talker , ' bliss said of the man 's personality . ` but i was amazed that he was silent through the process . ' ` we all have an image of ourselves , ' marge palmerlee , executive director of degage , told the blaze . ` when he . saw the difference , he just ... felt very enlightened and uplifted . i . could just tell the difference in jim . ' silent : bliss said he was struck by how quiet wolf was during the process when he was so talkative beforehand . job done : while such internal struggles can take a lifetime to turn around , it took just three minutes to turn wolf from hirsute hobo to handsome city slicker . emotional : the emotion in the room palpable , wolf turns to bliss and gives him a big hug . transformed : since his makeover , wolf will soon move into his own apartment and has been attending alcoholics anonymous meetings . since his makeover , wolf will soon move into his own apartment and has been attending alcoholics anonymous meetings . serving 400-500 individuals daily , dégagé ministries offers help and hope to homeless and disadvantaged individuals in our community . to donate visit the project 's fundraising page . to find out more about degage ministries wisit the charity 's website .

<t> journalist spent a year looking for the world 's happiest countries . </t> <t> eric weiner : bhutan is probably the closest thing on earth to shangri-la . </t> <t> he marvels at the creativity and `` coziness '' of iceland . </t> <t> self-described `` grump : '' chocolate contributes to happiness in switzerland . </t>

` grump ' travels the planet to find bliss<T>

omaha , nebraska -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- investigators probing the deadly mall shooting in omaha have seized computers and are analyzing information on web sites in the search for clues in the case , police said thursday . the 19-year-old gunman sent at least one text message to his former girlfriend , with whom he broke up about two weeks ago , omaha police chief thomas warren said . robert hawkins also left a voice mail for his mother before killing eight people at a department store wednesday . he chose his victims randomly , police believe , then took his own life . hawkins visited a friend near the westroads mall before the shootings and apparently went directly to the shopping center after that meeting , warren said . police do n't yet know why hawkins chose the mall or the von maur department store in particular , warren said , adding only that the teen `` may have frequented the westroads mall . '' see who hawkins killed in department store '' the incident itself appeared to be premeditated , as hawkins left a suicide note and other correspondence , warren said . watch officials detail the rampage '' `` typically there are hints that something like this may take place , '' warren said . `` certainly you ca n't anticipate someone engaging in this type of shooter rampage , but if there is any justification , any explanation , '' police will find it , he said . `` apparently he had been experiencing some mental health problems , ideations of suicide . '' debora maruca-kovac -- a friend of hawkins ' family who was letting him live in her home -- found the suicide note just minutes before the shootings . watch her describe their last conversation '' `` he basically said how sorry he was for everything , '' she told cnn 's anderson cooper on wednesday . `` he did n't want to be a burden to people and that he was a piece of s -- all of his life and that now he 'd be famous . '' warren said the rifle used was an ak-47 . police have n't finished tracing the gun , but believe hawkins stole it from his stepfather 's home . security officers flagged hawkins as suspicious when he entered the mall . he left soon after he entered , then returned less than six minutes later with something apparently hidden in a balled-up sweatshirt . he went up an elevator to the mall 's third floor , then immediately began firing , ultimately turning the firearm on himself , warren said . `` it does n't appear as though there was an opportunity for intervention , '' warren said . hawkins fired more than 30 rounds , the police chief said . the shootings sent panicked holiday shoppers fleeing for cover . `` it was just so loud , and then it was silence , '' said witness jennifer kramer , who hid inside a circular clothing rack . `` i was scared to death he 'd be walking around looking for someone else . '' watch how kramer and her mother hid '' a friend of hawkins ' said he had n't thought hawkins was capable of such violence . `` he was the one guy , you know , if people would be getting in a fight he 'd be trying to break it up , '' said shawn saunders , who had known hawkins for about 2 1/2 years . `` if there were arguments amongst our friends or groups , he was kind of like the calm , cool and collected one . '' watch how saunders learned hawkins was the shooter '' nebraska gov. dave heineman said hawkins had been a ward of the state for nearly four years , but he did not specify in what capacity . the state 's custody ended in august of last year , heineman said . u.s. army recruiters turned hawkins down last summer when he tried to enlist , a source familiar with the situation said thursday . the source did n't want to be named because it is against the military 's rules to discuss potential recruits . the reason for his rejection was unclear . heineman ordered that flags throughout the state be lowered to half-staff through sunday . the dead include six store employees and two customers , ranging in age from 24 to 66 . one store employee was in critical but stable condition thursday and another had been upgraded from critical to serious , according to hospital officials . another person was still being treated thursday afternoon , warren said , but he did not specify whether the individual was a customer or employee . two other customers had been treated and released , he said . westroads mall remained closed thursday , but the facility , including the von maur store , could reopen friday . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's kevin bohn contributed to this report .<doc-sep>as the shooting started , patty ran from the store , warning all in earshot that a shooter was loose and ordering them out of the store . the sheriff 's office said a rifle and a mask were recovered from the scene . investigators were reviewing surveillance footage to get a better picture of what happened . erin quackenbush-baker was with her grandmother and three children at a kiosk in the middle of the mall when she heard the shots . `` my 5-year-old was covering her ears and crying . i was frantic to find a place to run , and i looked back -- my son in my stroller and glass is falling over us , '' she said . `` the shots were getting closer . '' she added , `` i felt like sitting ducks where we were . '' timeline : worst mass shootings in u.s. . during a brief halt in the gunfire , a man helped hustle the family members into a cosmetics store , where they hid for an hour `` waiting to see if we were going to be shot or not . '' as word spread that the shooter was moving from store to store , customers at sears burst into tears , christina fisher told koin . `` we were told to stand in a group by the top of the escalators and stay away from the windows out of the aisle . ... we stood there for probably a good 20 minutes , '' she said . `` all of the sudden , somebody came through with a radio , yelling , ` get down ! ' '' as the mayhem unfolded , some customers watched television reports about the shooting from inside the sears entertainment center , tylor pedersen told affiliate kgw . antonio charro spotted a wounded woman near a cell phone store and tried to help . `` she had apparently been shot in the chest , and i could n't get her turned over to help her , '' said charro , who had been shopping at the mall with his daughters . `` there was no one around . she was n't breathing . '' clackamas county sheriff craig roberts said about 10,000 people were in the mall at the time . no law enforcement officers fired any shots when they arrived , sheriff 's sgt. adam phillips said . the 1.4 million-square-foot mall remained closed wednesday as investigators looked for clues about the attack . rowland said she 's grateful she got distracted while shopping and did n't venture farther into the mall . `` i think if i had n't stopped to smell that perfume , that maybe me and my baby would n't be here today . '' cnn 's meridith edwards , catherine e. shoichet , cristy lenz , chandler friedman , michael martinez , tom watkins and anneclaire stapleton contributed to this report .<doc-sep>a man who walked into a central florida mall on saturday morning armed with three handguns and several round of ammunition shot his wife and her co-worker before turning the gun on himself , police say . however his wife has survived the shooting and is in a stable condition in hospital . police say jose garcia rodriguez , 57 , of palm bay , entered the melbourne square mall about 9.30 am and opened fire . a male co-worker of rodriguez 's wife , ida gacia , 33 , bravely jumped in and tried to stop him , but was shot dead in the struggle . rodriguez then killed himself . scroll down for video . shooter : police say police say jose garcia rodriguez , 57 -lrb- right -rrb- , entered the melbourne square mall about 9.30 am saturday and opened fire , shooting wife ida garcia , 33 -lrb- left -rrb- , and her male co-worker . shooting : police responded to reports of gunfire at 9.30 am saturday morning at the mall in melbourne , florida . inspection : a bomb squad was called to the scene to investigate a car , which is believed to belong to the shooter , jose garcia rodriguez . killer : during a press conference saturday , police identified the shooter as jose garcia rodriguez and said he shot his wife , ida garcia , and a third male victim , who was not identified . police arrived to find the three bodies and quickly announced on twitter the shooter had been ` contained ' . investigators recovered three handguns from the scene and had ` several pockets full of ammunition ' . while it is not clear what motivated rodriguez or if he intended to shoot more people , police are confident his wife was the target . the male victim has not been identified , pending notification of next of kin . ida garcia was taken to hospital with gunshot wounds but police say she is recovering , police said at a press conference saturday . about 100 people were in the mall at the time . the mall officially opens officially at 10 am but the shooting reportedly happened about 9.30 am in the food court area . the doors open early for employees and for people to walk around before the shops open . ` we were putting our merchandise out in kay jewelers and all the sudden we heard these really loud bangs , ' mall employee cody jones told wftv . ` like eight of them . ` it was definitely gunshots . ` people were running through the mall and stuff and trying to see what 's going on . ' i saw two people shot when i walked outside the entrance . '<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- panicked customers rushed to the exits when a gunman opened fire tuesday at a mall outside portland , oregon . some people huddled behind store counters and hid behind racks of clothing . the mall 's santa dropped to the ground . three people were killed , including the shooter , said lt. james rhodes of the clackamas county sheriff 's office . the shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot , he said . one person suffered a traumatic injury . a witness told cnn he tried to help a wounded woman who was lying on the ground by a cell phone store . `` she had apparently been shot in the chest , and i could n't get her turned over to help her , '' said antonio charro , who had been shopping at the mall with his daughters . `` there was no one around . she was n't breathing . '' witnesses said a masked man with a gun headed toward the food court at the two-story clackamas town center mall , located about 11 miles southeast of downtown portland . read tweets from people at the scene . a woman told cnn affiliate koin that she saw a man wearing a hockey mask jogging through macy 's and wielding an assault rifle . `` everyone ran toward the exits at that point to get out , '' she said . outside macy 's , gunshots echoed where a man portraying santa claus was snapping photos with kids . `` i heard two shots , then 15 or 16 more shots , '' he told cnn affiliate kgw . `` i hit the floor . '' the sounds of gunfire rang out through the mall , witnesses said . `` we heard one gunshot . it sounded like something fell , '' david moran , an employee at the mall , told cnn . `` then it was a matter of two or three seconds , and then it was just rapid gunfire . '' customers and employees alike started running for the exits , moran said . `` i thought i was going to die , '' he said . `` the gunshots were so loud , it was very scary . ... kids were crying . parents were crying , too . '' inside sears , some customers burst into tears as word spread of the shooter going store to store , christina fisher told koin . `` we were told to stand in a group by the top of the escalators and stay away from the windows out of the aisle . ... we stood there for probably a good 20 minutes , '' she said . `` all of the sudden , somebody came through with a radio , yelling ` get down ! ' '' are you there ? share your stories , videos and images . a group of customers inside sears watched television news reports about the shooting inside the store 's entertainment center , witness tylor pedersen told cnn affiliate kgw . pedersen said he heard about the shooting when people ran into the store , saying they had heard shots fired in the middle of the mall . `` i did n't think it was real at first until i saw the reactions on their faces , '' he said . `` they were serious . '' authorities put the mall on lockdown as they searched for the shooter , witnesses said . later , they escorted people outside . `` all of us had to have our hands raised , because they did n't know who the shooter was yet , '' said larisa terekhova , who posted a video online that showed people leaving the mall with their arms in the air . gov. john kitzhaber praised first responders for reacting quickly to the shooting . `` i have directed state police to make any and all necessary resources available to local law enforcement , '' he said in a statement . authorities closed entrances and exits into the mall parking lot tuesday evening , said lt. gregg hastings of the oregon state police . a spokesman for general growth properties , which owns the mall , referred questions about the shooting to the sheriff 's office . `` our hearts and prayers are with everyone who was in the mall at the time of this incident , '' said david keating , vice president of corporate communications . `` our priority is always for their safety and well-being . '' timeline : worst mass shootings in u.s. cnn 's chandler friedman , cristy lenz , tom watkins , john fricke , anneclaire stapleton and joe sutton contributed to this report .<doc-sep>man 's best friend has become family 's best friend . a german shepherd named noah gave his life for an atlanta family when a road-raging gunman followed their chevrolet suburban to a strip mall and opened fire on the car full of kids , authorities say . ` about five minutes later , they pulled back through , ' one of the unnamed victims told wxia about the shooter , ` they just rolled right up ; they pulled a gun out and started -lsb- shooting -rsb- . ' kids : a german shepherd named noah gave his life for an atlanta family when a road-raging gunman followed their chevrolet suburban to a strip mall and opened fire on the car full of kids . windows : the angered gunman followed the suv into the parking lot of the strip mall and opened fire , blasting out the vehicle 's windows and piercing the dog . witnesses say that the incident began with road-rage friday between those in the suv and the shooter driving a blue-gray taurus , according to new york daily news .

<t> police confiscate computers , examine information on web sites . </t> <t> gunman may have frequented the westroads mall , police say . </t> <t> mall shooter was ward of state for almost four years , governor says . </t> <t> army recruiters turned down robert hawkins when he tried to enlist . </t>

computers may yield clues about mall shooter<T>

london , england -- nihat kahveci sent turkey into the euro 2008 finals behind defending champions and group c winners greece with the only goal in a narrow 1-0 victory over battling bosnia-herzegovina . goalscorer nihat gets a kiss from team-mate altintop after turkey sealed their place with a 1-0 win over bosnia . the result ended norway 's hopes of snatching qualification despite their 4-1 victory away to malta with steffen iversen scoring a first half hat-trick .<doc-sep>nihat struck at the end of a first half that fatih terim 's turkey dominated , yet the hosts were unable to build on that lead and had to endure some tense moments . just a point had separated the third-placed scandinavians from terim 's men -- and turkey needed to win to progress . nihat led the charge forcing early saves from goalkeeper adnan guso and finally making the breakthrough two minutes before half-time .<doc-sep>hamit altintop found space down the left and crossed for the villarreal forward who finished from 12 meters . iversen broke the deadlock in malta after 25 minutes and fired a second from the penalty spot three minutes later -- completing his treble on the stroke of half-time .<doc-sep>michael mifsud hit back for malta after the re-start , but andre schembri was red-carded after 67-minutes before morten gamst pedersen 's strike wrapped it up all to no avail . portugal went through from group a after a goalless home draw against qualification rivals finland while group winners poland completed their program with a 2-2 draw away to serbia e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- portugal will face bosnia and herzegovina for a place in euro 2012 after the pair were drawn together in the playoffs to reach the finals in poland and ukraine next year . portugal , coached by former international midfielder paulo bento , qualifed for the 2010 world cup finals courtesy of a playoff success against safet susic 's bosnia herzegovina , and the euro 2004 hosts and finalists will have to repeat the feat over two legs . portugal will have home advantage for the second leg on november 15 , with the first leg set to take place on november 11 or 12 . three other ties were drawn at the ceremony in the ukrainian capital of kiev , with croatia set to face turkey in a repeat of the euro 2008 quarterfinal .<doc-sep>the four other nations in the draw are 2008 semifinalists turkey and three countries bidding to reach their first major soccer tournament -- montenegro , estonia and bosnia herzegovina . denmark seal euro 2012 spot after beating portugal .<doc-sep>two-time champions france are again drawn with romania , who failed to qualify from their 2010 world cup pool but made it through to euro 2008 . bosnia-herzegovina , beaten by portugal in the world cup playoffs last year , were also drawn in group d. russia failed to qualify for the world cup in south africa , but are joined in group a by a team who did as pool winners , slovakia , and the republic of ireland -- who lost a controversial playoff to france made infamous by thierry henry 's handball . draw for euro 2012 qualifiers : . group a : germany , turkey , austria , belgium , kazakhstan , azerbaijan . group b : russia , slovakia , republic of ireland , macedonia , armenia , andorra . group c : italy , serbia , northern ireland , slovenia , estonia , faroe islands . group d : france , romania , bosnia-herzegovina , belarus , albania , luxembourg . group e : netherlands , sweden , finland , hungary , moldova , san marino . group f : croatia , greece , israel , latvia , georgia , malta . group g : england , switzerland , bulgaria , wales , montenegro . group h : portugal , denmark , norway , cyprus , iceland . group i : spain , czech republic , scotland , lithuania , liechtenstein .<doc-sep>basel , switzerland -- turkey suffered a blow when emre belozoglu was ruled out of wednesday 's critical group a clash against euro 2008 co-hosts switzerland after tearing a hamstring in training . emre misses turkey 's critical group a clash against switzerland after tearing a hamstring in training . `` unfortunately , emre is not going to play tomorrow , '' said turkey coach fatih terim ahead of the game at basel 's st jakob-park stadium . `` he had an mri and results have shown that there 's an edema of two to three centimetres . `` not having emre is a problem for us because his role is not that simple to cover by another player . but then again switzerland will not have their injured captain alexander frei . '' turkey will be sweating on the return of defensive duo servet cetin and gokhan zan , who will be given until the last minute to prove their fitness . `` they have both had a hard time but they are really devoted to the team , '' said terim . `` we will make a decision on whether they will play tomorrow . '' terim , whose side lost 2-0 against portugal in their opening game , remains confident that his team can still qualify from the group stage . `` everyone is aware of how important this game is , '' he said . `` we are confident in ourselves and i believe we will succeed in this tournament . for us , the game against portugal was n't the key but this one is . `` of course , every team wants to begin a competition with a win but it did n't happen but that does n't mean that we ca n't do well . in euro 2004 , we started with a defeat and then we did well . '' failure is not an option for switzerland coach kobi kuhn , either . `` you never consider the possibility of a defeat , '' he said . `` we are aware that if we lost tomorrow , then the tournament for us would be reduced to just one game , against portugal . `` we have a young team that has a future but we are going to win tomorrow . '' kuhn , whose side lost 1-0 to the czech republic in their first encounter , knows his men will face tough opposition , though . `` turkey are 12th in the world ranking and we are quite a bit away from there , '' he said . `` but you can see that this is a strong team on its merits . we will have to fight hard to beat them . '' the last time both teams met was in a qualifying play-off for the 2006 world cup , when switzerland prevailed on away goals . the game was , however , marred by violent incidents involving players from both sides following the final whistle although kuhn believes any ill feeling has passed . `` this issue is almost three years old now and as in everyday life football evolves very quickly , '' he said . `` this thing is over and done with . '' switzerland will have all their players available with the exception of frei , who has been ruled out for the tournament having sustained a knee injury in his team 's opener . `` frei can not play , '' said kuhn . `` but he is very important for us and he will remain with the team as he is such a big support for us . ''

<t> nihat kahveci put turkey into euro 2008 with 1-0 win over bosnia/herzegovina . </t> <t> nihat struck at the end of a first half as turkey joined holders greece in finals . </t> <t> portugal joined poland in qualifying from group a with 0-0 draw with finland . </t>

turkey and portugal make euro 2008<T>

beirut , lebanon -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- amid high emotions and tight security , thousands lined the streets of beirut friday to honor antoine ghanem , the anti-syrian lebanese mp killed in a powerful bomb blast along with four others . amin gemayel -lrb- r -rrb- , phalange party head , carries the coffin of assassinated deputy antoine ghamen . against an atmosphere of intense political and patriotic fervor , the flag-draped coffins of the politician and two bodyguards also killed in wednesday 's rush hour blast made its way through the city 's christian district to the sacred heart church on what the government had declared as a day of national mourning . the procession was accompanied by thousands waving flags , as well as a brass band playing the anthem of ghanem 's phalange party , the associated press reported . tv pictures showed distraught mourners crowding and reaching out to the coffins as they were carried aloft . several people were seen to collapse and had to be carried away . mourners also carried photographs , threw rose petals and unfurled banners , some of which read `` we wo n't kneel , '' ap said . the coffins were greeted at the christian maronite church with applause from the gathered mourners , the agency said , including majority leaders and the lebanese cabinet as well as ghanem 's family and friends . ghanem was later buried in the city 's christian district . ghanem 's death is the latest in a series of attacks targeting prominent anti-syrian figures , with the most notorious being the february 2005 assassination in beirut of former lebanese prime minister rafik hariri , which sparked widespread protests that led to the ouster of syrian forces from lebanon . hariri also died in a massive explosion . the incident threatens to cast the country into political uncertainty ahead of a key presidential vote in a tightly divided parliament , almost evenly split between anti- and pro-syrian camps . watch how ghanem 's death disrupts lebanese politics '' cnn 's beirut bureau chief brent sadler said that many lebanese now feared for the future , especially given other events in the region including the conflict between palestinians and israelis , recent political differences in iraq and iran 's bid to become a super power . `` there continues to be among a great deal of people here a sense of foreboding that perhaps the worst is yet to come , '' he said . u.s. president george w. bush , in a written statement , joined other world leaders in condemning the `` horrific assassination . '' `` since october 2004 , there has been a tragic pattern of political assassinations and attempted assassinations designed to silence those lebanese who courageously defend their vision of an independent and democratic lebanon , '' bush said wednesday . also in a written statement , a spokesperson for ban ki-moon said the u.n. secretary-general `` condemns in the strongest terms this terrorist attack . '' `` the secretary general urges all lebanese to exercise utmost calm and restraint at this very critical time and to allow judicial procedures to take their course , '' the spokesperson said . bush 's statement added : `` the united states opposes any attempts to intimidate the lebanese people as they seek to exercise their democratic right to select a president without foreign interference . we will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the lebanese people as they resist attempts by the syrian and iranian regimes and their allies to destabilize lebanon and undermine its sovereignty . '' the u.s. embassy in beirut issued a statement saying : `` it is not a coincidence that these attacks target those figures who have been working to secure lebanon 's independence from renewed syrian hegemony . we note with concern that many lebanese politicians allied with syria have in fact warned that murder and violence would be the results of any effort to exercise genuine parliamentary democracy . '' and u.s. secretary of state condoleezza rice , in a written statement , said : `` the bombing that claimed these lives was another act in a campaign of terror by those who want to turn back the clock on lebanon 's hard-won democratic gains . '' `` the world should speak with one voice in calling for an end to violence in lebanon intended to subvert democratic processes in that country , '' rice said . `` lebanese elections , scheduled to begin in just days , must proceed , in accordance with the constitution , without threats of foreign interference and the violence that accompanies such obstruction . '' e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>the shi'ite hezbollah in the 2005 assassination of rafik al-hariri , a . former prime minister of lebanon . damascus and hezbollah have condemned hassan 's killing . mikati . said on saturday he had offered to resign to make way for a government . of national unity , but that he had accepted a request by president . michel suleiman to stay in office to allow time for talks on a way out . of the political crisis . ambassadors . from britain , the u.s. , china , russia and france met suleiman today and . appealed to lebanese leaders to resolve the crisis peacefully . derek . plumbly , the un special coordinator for lebanon , who also attended the . talks , said the group condemned ` any attempt to destabilise lebanon . through political assassination ' and called on all parties in the . country to preserve national unity . they expressed support for suleiman 's efforts to start a dialogue among politicians to resolve the crisis . huge crowds swell as the coffins arrive in downtown beirut during their funeral procession . people gather holding flags as members of the internal security forces carry the coffin through martyrs ' square in downtown beirut . tribute : members of lebanese internal security forces carry the coffin , covered with a lebanese flag . pain : the mother -lrb- left -rrb- and wife -lrb- right -rrb- of wissam al-hassan mourn during the official ceremony .<doc-sep>if you thought eddie mair 's infamous bbc interview with boris johnson was bruising , take a look at this . a live tv row between two lebanese politicians kicked off when they started telling each other to ` eat s *** ' . the angry pair even come close to blows during a row about syria in the one-minute clip . trouble flared when former mp mustafa alloush - seen here in blue tie with bald head - branded syrian president bashar al-assad a liar . scroll down for video . diplomacy in action : lebanese politicians arguing over syria 's ruler president bashar al-assad . the showdown makes boris 's treatment by mair , who called the london mayor ' a nasty piece of work ' on tv at the weekend , look positively tame .<doc-sep>in west africa , eid prayers were dedicated to the victims of two tragedies in the region - the crash of an air algerie plane that killed 118 people and an ongoing ebola outbreak that has killed more than 670 . eid celebrations were less extravagant than usual in malaysia as it tried to come to terms with loss of two malaysian airlines flights . malaysian prime minister najib razak and his cabinet cancelled their celebrations to mourn for the victims . similarly , lebanese prime minister tammam salam announced that he would not be receiving guests or congratulations because of the situation in nearby gaza . a pakistani paramilitary soldier stands guard as muslims leave after offering eid al-fitr prayers at the end of the fasting month of ramadan in islamabad . a soldier serving in the african union mission in somalia -lrb- amisom -rrb- frisks muslim faithful before allowing entry to attend eid al-fitr prayers to mark the end of the fasting month of ramadan at a mosque in somalia 's capital mogadishu . men take their picture in front of a mural next to the tomb of the unknown soldier in mogadishu , during eid al-fitr festivities marking the end of the fasting holy month of ramadan . turkish president abdullah gul reminded people in his eid message that though turkey was enjoying a peaceful holiday , many of its neighbours were not . in qatar 's capital city of doha , celebrations were cancelled in one area and in another the festivities were curbed back to mourn victims in gaza . some restaurants also had donation boxes and said they would donate their eid profits to gaza . iman eddbali , 26 , said the imam leading prayers in her local mosque in doha urged worshippers to be happy for those who can not be happy this year . ` it is a religious duty to celebrate the end of ramadan , ... but at the same time it would be indecent to overdo it this year , ' she said . ` we just ca n't ignore that there are many , many people , not just in palestine , that simply just ca n't even have a proper day to rest and mourn their dead . '<doc-sep>lebanon opened its first embassy in damascus on march 16 , when charge d'affaires rami mortada raised the lebanese flag over the building in the damascus neighborhood of abu remmaneh , which is also home to the u.s. embassy , lebanon 's official news agency said . michel el khoury was named as lebanon 's ambassador to syria earlier this year but has not filled his post yet , the president 's office said . syria maintained tens of thousands of troops in lebanon from the 1970s until they were forced out by massive popular protests in 2005 . the protests were a response to the killing of former lebanese prime minister rafik hariri in a huge car bombing in february of that year . many lebanese , as well as the united states , accused syria of orchestrating the assassination of hariri , an outspoken opponent of syria . damascus denies responsibility . the united nations opened a tribunal in december 2005 to look into the killing .

<t> thousands lined beirut streets to honor anti-syrian mp , killed in car bomb blast . </t> <t> noted parliamentarian killed along with four others during wednesday rush hour . </t> <t> flag-draped coffin paraded through streets before burial in christian district . </t> <t> day of national mourning called , with schools , universities , public offices shut . </t>

thousands mourn lebanese mp<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- they wore feathers . they wore fancy hats . and of course , they wore fur . never mind the human -- the dog in haute couture was the fashionistas ' focus during pet fashion week . but the models strutting down the runway were of the four-legged variety . the glamorous pooches were accompanied by human models -- but the furry ones were getting all the attention .<doc-sep>it was pet fashion week new york and these canines were not wearing the boring plaid raincoats that have sold for years . they were wearing one-of-kind design creations . the show last weekend was aimed at owners of sophisticated canines who may be willing to pay for their pup 's own stylist . booths at the annual event features couture clothing , jewelry and other accessories for the well-dressed doggie -- all part of the $ 40 billion pet industry . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>a few minutes pass with the pair looking at each other in an interested fashion , but remaining still . himalaya , sensing the boy 's hesitancy , decides to try contact again and puts her paw on herman 's feet before dropping her head in his lap . herman seems to signal the level of contact is welcome as he picks up the dog 's paw , but then pushes the dog away as she sniffs contently at herman 's feet . at this point herman is backed up against the wall , but himalaya is undaunted and rolls over on to her back stretching out a paw in a playful fashion . content : although he does continue to push the gentle giant away , it becomes more of a game and towards the end of the four minute video the pair sit side-by-side contentedly . herman then moves across the patio , only to be followed by the determined canine and the scene repeats itself with the little boy being followed by himalaya . eventually herman relents and starts to touch the dog at one point stroking her snout and pulling back her fur to reveal her teeth . although he does continue to push the gentle giant away it becomes more of a game and towards the end of the four minute video the pair sit side-by-side contentedly . herman is thought to be herman 's uncle 's dog . down 's syndrome is a genetic condition that typically causes some level of . learning disability and a characteristic range of physical features . herman 's mother wrote on youtube : ` hernan , is a bit withdrawn and flees from physical contact . ` he does not like be touched , but himalaya -lrb- the dog -rrb- insisted so patiently , and she was so soft that 's why it is so moving , she is left to do anything . '<doc-sep>at one point she puts her finger in the dog 's mouth . cleo , who would have nothing of that , gives a little stretch but then turns on her side and goes back to sleeping again . her owner tries lifting the dog 's paws and even puts her finger to giver the puppy a tickle but cleo it seems , is a professional napper . scroll down for video .<doc-sep>clad in feathers , pearls , gems , flowers and bows , a pint-sized pack of chihuauas has been captured on camera dressed in finest couture . french photographer sophie gamand dresses the dogs in pieces designed by pet couturier anthony rubio , before taking their pictures for her new photographic series , dog vogue . each photograph carefully captures the pooches pulling high-fashion poses and unique facial expressions as well as giving them the chance to show off their stylish new look . glamour dog : all of sophie 's chihuahua models wear outfits created by dog couturier , anthony rubio . ` after discovering the incredible dog . high fashion scene in new york , i wanted to create a series that would . resemble what you see in human fashion magazines , ' sophie tells mailonline . ' i organised a casting . of chihuahuas , because i thought they would be the most expressive for . this project , with their larger than life attitude . also , they are so . tiny and their features are so small , they show the fashion very well -lrb- i . guess the petite size runs within dog fashion as well ! -rrb- . ' i invited . anthony rubio , a famous pet couturier , to design pieces for me . on each . shoot , he would bring his creations , all very detailed and exquisite , .<doc-sep>does my bum look big in this ? anna puts on a fabulous fashion show for her pet pooch - who is less than impressed with her modeling skills . picking out a number of cute kate spade designs to model for her pet pooch , including a festive santa-style bobble hat and a pair of glitzy heels , she decides to snap a few selfies for good measure - all while being watched by a bemused elderly couple who are out walking their dog . having well and truly thrown herself into the festive spirit , anna pops a bottle of bubbly , which she sips through a stripey staw , and begins singing the much-loved christmas carol good king wenceslas . after what seems like hours spent sitting on her stoop , anna spots a fire escape ladder just a few feet above her head . putting her new purchases to good use , she ties together a collection of sweaters , scarves and shoes in order to fashion a stylish - but practical rope - which she can use to pull the ladder down to the ground . shopaholic : the actress returns to the new york apartment laden with christmas shopping . fashioning a solution : in order to reach a nearby fire escape , she makes a rope out of sweaters and scarves . canine companion : luckily anna is n't alone during her ordeal and has her pet pooch milos to keep her company . here , the fashionable fiasco finally comes to an end , as anna clambers up the ladder and opens her front door in order , collecting her adorable dog and taking him inside to get warm . the holiday campaign is just the start of what will be a year-long collaboration between anna and kate spade ; the brand recently revealed named the pitch perfect star as the face of their 2015 ` the year of adventure ' campaign , which will see her working on both film and social media projects with the designer . ` it 's the beginning of a yearlong friendship between us and the clever actress and singer , who 'll be be our storytelling muse throughout 2015 , too , ' a spokesperson for the brand wrote on their website . ` stay -lrb- digitally -rrb- tuned over the course of next year as she inspires us to indulge our passions , be the star of our own lives , and with incandescent charm surprise and delight those around us . '

<t> dogs ruled in new york during pet fashion week . </t> <t> dazzling couture designs trotted down the runway . </t> <t> upscale pet accessories , apparel , and lifestyle items on display . </t> <t> design awards encourage pushing the envelope in style . </t>

fashion puts on the dog<T>

rome , italy -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- police made a string of arrests across europe tuesday , detaining 20 people suspected of involvement in the recruitment of suicide bombers , italian police said . eleven of the arrests were in italy , in the northern cities of milan , reggio emilia , bergamo , and san remo , said . lt. col. sandro sandulli , the head of the carabinieri special forces . one was already in custody , so authorities served him with a new arrest warrant which included new charges against him , sandulli said . three arrests were in britain , one in france , and one in portugal , sandulli said . the remaining arrests happened in european countries but sandulli did not specify which ones . those arrested are suspected of forming salafi jihad terrorist cells which were recruiting suicide bombers and sending them to iraq and afghanistan , said col. mario parente , deputy commander of the carabinieri special forces unit .<doc-sep>parente said that during the arrests , police found al qaeda manuals for the production of explosives , detonation devices , and various poisons . he said the manuals also included details of guerrilla-style war operations . salafi is an extreme school of islamic thought which developed in egypt and began to have prominence with militant groups there in the late 1960s and has since been adopted by terrorist groups in north africa , the middle east , and europe , said sajjan gohel , director of international security at the asia pacific foundation in london . `` it 's become the ideology of choice for transnational terrorism , including al qaeda , '' gohel said . `` it 's emerging as a very dangerous ideology . ''<doc-sep>the madrid train bombers and various terrorist cells in italy were part of the salafi school of thought , he added . italian police said tuesday 's arrests were the result of an investigation , started in 2003 , into some salafi cells which were organized by tunisians and algerians . the main suspect in the operation is a tunisian who was arrested in 2002 during a separate antiterrorism operation , police said . the main terrorist cell was based in the northern italian region of lombardy and involved what investigators called a `` long-term '' jihadist program which provided military and ideological training .<doc-sep>another cell , based in reggio emilia , had the goal of creating a grand islamic `` empire '' stretching from morocco to china , police said . parente said those arrested are also accused of producing false documents , facilitating illegal immigration , and covering up other individuals wanted for terrorism-related crimes . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's flavia taggiasco in rome contributed to this report .<doc-sep>according to news corp , authorities are reviewing benbrika 's prison entitlements , including his access to computers and books , and the number of visitors he can receive . it is believed about 60 australians are fighting in iraq and syria with groups such as islamic state . last month , australian police conducted dawn counter terrorism raids across sydney and brisbane after receiving intelligence that islamic state supporters were planning a public execution on australian streets . at least 800 officers from afp and nsw police were involved in the anti-terror raids in sydney and brisbane in september and 15 people were arrested . last month , fifteen people were arrested when police swooped on homes across western sydney and south brisbane in the largest counter terrorism raids in australia 's history .<doc-sep>on sunday , two men were arrested at the kent port on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism , a 43-year-old and 33-year-old . another man , aged 37 , was also arrested on suspicion on people trafficking offences and has since been charged . the following day , monday , police from the same counter terrorism command unit arrested two men , aged 24 and 40 , in east london and another man , aged 28 , in dover . all three were held on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism . following those arrests , searches were carried out at four addresses in east london , one in south london and two in north wales as part of the investigation . these searches have now been completed . it is understood that operation is in connection to extremism in syria . police in kent street , cardiff . despite a number of suspected jihadists coming from the welsh capital , police insist the city has no worse of a problem with extremism than the rest of the uk . the arrests came on a day of anti-terror raids around britain , with two men arrested in south-east london . the arrests come a day after a teenager from cardiff was charged with assisting in the preparation of an act of terrorism . kaleem brekke , 18 , from grangetown in cardiff has appeared in court , along with forhad rahman , 20 , from cirencester , gloucester .<doc-sep>the sister of terror suspect omarjan azari was charged with assaulting and intimidating police officers at the family home during last month 's dramatic counter-terrorism raids . police alleged in court on wednesday that mursal azari , 23 , assaulted a male constable between 4:45 and 4:46 am as officers stormed the brick property in guildford , in sydney 's western suburbs . during that same tense minute on the morning of september 18 , ms azari also allegedly intimidated a female constable , police told a court . scroll down for video . pleaded not guilty : mursal azari , 23 , was charged by police over allegations she assaulted a male constable and intimidated a female officer . accused of conspiracy to commit terrorism offences : omarjan azari faced central local court last month . dramatic raids : the azari family property in guildford swarmed with police officers on september 18 . digging : police were photographed digging up part of the azari family home 's front yard on the day of the terror raids . the raids saw ms azari 's younger brother , omarjan , arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit acts in preparation of a terrorist attack . police alleged he was involved in a plot to behead a random member of the public . at parramatta local court on wednesday , ms azari pleaded not guilty to both charges through a solicitor . the case is expected to be heard again on december 3 . ms azari declined to comment at the family home on thursday morning , referring any questions to a barrister who has been reported as representing her brother . ms azari 's solicitor , penelope purcell , told daily mail australia : ` we are going to be defending the charges ' , but refused to provide further comment . police inspect the boot of a car parked at the azari residence on september 18 . counter-terrorism raids : uniformed police officers surround a young man during the counter-terrorism raids on september 18 . tied up : a man is detained by police during the dawn counter-terrorism raids . afp officers inspect under a car at a residence in marsfield , in sydney 's west , on the day of the nation 's largest ever counter-terrorism raids . by some indications , azaris ' family life has returned to somewhat normal since the raids , while omarjan azari remains incarcerated .<doc-sep>australian militant khaled sharrouf posted this horror image of his son wielding a decapitated head in raqqa , syria , earlier this year . terrorism expert professor greg barton told daily mail australia the remarks were presumably a reference to the september 18 dawn terror raids , the largest the nation has witnessed . more than 800 nsw and federal police were involved in the operation , which saw omarjan azari , 22 , arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit a terrorist act . a court heard azari had received a call from senior australian islamic state militant mohammad ali baryalei and was instructed to behead a random member of the public in sydney . omarjan azari , 22 , was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit a terrorist offence during last month 's counter-terrorism raids .

<t> police say 20 suspected of involvement in the recruiting suicide bombers held . </t> <t> arrests were in italy and across other european countries , police say . </t> <t> those held are accused of recruiting bombers to go to iraq and afghanistan . </t> <t> 11 people were held in italy and nine others across europe . </t>

italy terrorism raids : 20 arrested<T>

miami , florida -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a grand jury tuesday indicted four suspects on charges of first degree felony murder and armed burglary in the slaying of washington redskins star sean taylor . a grand jury identified eric rivera jr. as the shooter in the death of nfl star sean taylor . court documents say the youngest is alleged to have fired the fatal shot . the three adult suspects -- venjah k. hunte , 20 , jason scott mitchell , 19 , and charles kendrick lee wardlow , 18 -- appeared in court tuesday via videoconference wearing thick green vests , which defense attorneys said were suicide safety smocks . they were ordered held without bail at the pre-trial detention center in miami , florida , where corrections officer janelle hall said they are under suicide watch .<doc-sep>the fourth suspect -- eric rivera jr. , 17 -- remained in custody in fort myers , florida . his attorney , wilbur smith , told cnn he expected his client to be moved to a miami-dade juvenile detention facility wednesday . watch cnn 's rick sanchez speak to attorneys for two of the suspects '' rivera was armed during the alleged burglary , and `` during the course of the commission of the offense ... discharged a firearm and as a result of the discharge , death or great bodily harm was inflicted upon sean maurice taylor , a human being , '' the indictment says . the four men were arrested friday , officials said . taylor , 24 , died a day after he was shot during an apparent burglary at his home . miami-dade police investigators said they believe the burglars thought the house was empty .<doc-sep>thousands of mourners attended taylor 's funeral monday at florida international university 's arena . see photos from the funeral '' police said taylor and his girlfriend , jackie garcia , were awakened by noise coming from the living room early november 26 . taylor got up and locked the bedroom door , but the door was kicked in and two shots were fired , police said . one struck taylor in the leg . garcia and the couple 's 18-month-old daughter were not hurt . authorities have said garcia told police she was hiding under the bedding during the attack , did not see what happened and could not provide a suspect description .<doc-sep>a break-in had been reported at taylor 's residence eight days earlier . a police report from that incident said someone forced a window open and left a kitchen knife on a bed . several drawers and a bedroom safe were searched during the break-in , according to the report . taylor spent four years with the redskins , earning his first pro bowl selection in 2006 . he suffered a sprained right knee in a november 11 loss to the philadelphia eagles and had not played since . the 2004 first-round draft pick played at the university of miami , where he was an all-american in 2003 . he was regarded as one of the hardest-hitting players in the nfl . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's kim segal and john couwels contributed to this report .<doc-sep>miami , florida -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- four suspects indicted on murder and burglary charges in the slaying of washington redskins star sean taylor begin their journey through the courts on wednesday . a grand jury identified eric rivera jr. as the shooter in the death of nfl star sean taylor . court documents say the youngest is alleged to have fired the fatal shot . he is identified as eric rivera jr. , 17 . he appeared briefly on wednesday morning before a judge in miami , florida . rivera has been indicted as an adult and judge john thornton found probable cause to support charges of first degree felony murder and burglary with assault or battery with a firearm . three other suspects -- venjah k. hunte , 20 , jason scott mitchell , 19 , and charles kendrick lee wardlow , 18 -- appeared tuesday in court via videoconference . they wore thick green vests , which defense attorneys said were suicide safety smocks . they were ordered held without bail at the pre-trial detention center in miami , florida , where corrections officer janelle hall said they are under suicide watch . all four suspects are expected to make initial appearances later this morning before circuit judge dennis murphy . watch cnn 's rick sanchez speak to attorneys for two of the suspects '' rivera was armed during the alleged burglary , and `` during the course of the commission of the offense ... discharged a firearm and as a result of the discharge , death or great bodily harm was inflicted upon sean maurice taylor , a human being , '' the indictment says . the four men were arrested friday , officials said . taylor , 24 , died a day after he was shot during an apparent burglary at his home . miami-dade police investigators said they believe the burglars thought the house was empty . thousands of mourners attended taylor 's funeral monday at florida international university 's arena . see photos from the funeral '' police said taylor and his girlfriend , jackie garcia , were awakened by noise coming from the living room early november 26 . taylor got up and locked the bedroom door , but the door was kicked in and two shots were fired , police said . one struck taylor in the leg . garcia and the couple 's 18-month-old daughter were not hurt . authorities have said garcia told police she was hiding under the bedding during the attack , did not see what happened and could not provide a suspect description . a break-in had been reported at taylor 's residence eight days earlier . a police report from that incident said someone forced a window open and left a kitchen knife on a bed . several drawers and a bedroom safe were searched during the break-in , according to the report . taylor spent four years with the redskins , earning his first pro bowl selection in 2006 . he suffered a sprained right knee in a november 11 loss to the philadelphia eagles and had not played since . the 2004 first-round draft pick played at the university of miami , where he was an all-american in 2003 . he was regarded as one of the hardest-hitting players in the nfl . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's john couwels , kim segal , and patrick oppmann contributed to this report .<doc-sep>by . alexandra klausner . a 43-year-old griffin police officer and father of seven , kevin jordan , was shot and killed outside of a waffle house early this morning . a police officer , ex-marine , and father of seven was shot and killed outside a waffle house on saturday morning where he was working an off-duty security job . the tragic shooting occurred at the waffle house at 1702 north expressway in griffin , georgia at 2:20 am on saturday morning . officer kevin jordan was working security when a woman named chantell mixon , 28 , and two men named michael bowman , 30 , and tyler taylor , 23 , allegedly started fighting . police spokesman mike richardson told the atlanta journal constitution that jordan asked the suspects to go outside and that after leaving the building they became violent when when jordan tried to handcuff chantell mixon . as jordan was trying to restrain mixon on the ground , suspect micheal bowman allegedly shot jordan three times in the back . bowman has been charged with the officer and father-of-seven 's murder . the injured officer 's brother raymond jordan was also allegedly in the parking lot when the shooting occurred , as he was visiting his brother at the restaurant . jordan saw his brother get shot so he then pulled out a gun and allegedly shot bowman in retaliation . raymond jordan is a civilian who has a valid georgia gun permit . bowman is in critical condition and being treated ay atlanta medical center . the shooting occurred at a waffle house where officer kevin jordan was working off duty security . micheal bowman has been charged with the murder of officer kevin jordan .<doc-sep>stayed in the car outside taylor 's house the whole time . the murder weapon was never found . police say it was stuffed in a sock and thrown into the everglades . taylor , a pro bowl safety who had . starred at the university of miami , was shot in the upper thigh , . damaging his femoral artery and causing massive blood loss . admission : suspect eric rivera pictured in court today . since rivera was 17 at the time of the killing , the maximum sentence for his crime is life in prison and not the death penalty . witnesses . say taylor was shot when he confronted the group with a machete outside . his bedroom . a medical examiner said he was essentially dead on arrival . at a hospital on november 26 , 2007 , although doctors did manage to restart . his heart for a while . aside from rivera 's confession , police . found shoe prints outside taylor 's home that matched sneakers some in . the group were wearing that night . witnesses testified rivera was seen . driving a rented black toyota highlander believed used in the crime , and . another witness said the group of five had burglary tools when they . came to her house after taylor was shot . an american hero : one prosecutor described taylor as an american hero who was innocently sleeping with his girlfriend and their baby when he was killed . taylor , a first-round redskins draft . pick in 2004 , signed an $ 18 million contract with the team and was . becoming one of the nfl 's top defensive players when he was slain . several witnesses , including garcia haley , testified that he liked to . keep large amounts of cash around his miami house . one of the men charged in the slaying , . 25-year-old jason mitchell , attended a birthday party a few weeks . earlier at the house for taylor 's half-sister , sasha johnson -- who lived . in fort myers and knew rivera . she testified that taylor gave her a . purse containing $ 10,000 in cash at the party , which was witnessed by . all the guests . that event put the wheels in motion for . the burglary plot , witnesses said . rivera himself testified that some in . the group thought they would get between $ 100,000 and $ 200,000 to split . up . also charged and awaiting trial are mitchell , charles wardlow , 24 , and 22-year-old timothy brown . jackie . garcia , taylor 's girlfriend , who was also inside the bedroom , became . noticeably upset as the detective recounted details of the slaying and . rested her head on her knees in court . she sat near several members of . taylor 's family , including his father , florida city police chief pedro . taylor , in the packed miami-dade county courtroom . emotional : sean taylor 's girlfriend , jackie garcia haley , reacts during testimony at the murder trial of eric rivera in miami-dade circuit court in miami earlier this week .<doc-sep>police in california have arrested a suspect in the shooting death of 30-year-old perla avina , a mother of four who was killed in a road-rage attack four days ago . carl duboe , 20 , was caught wednesday in the sacramento suburb of elk grove , about 90 miles from where the shooting happened in east oakland . police there sent in a swat team and arrested dubose after a short standoff , the san francisco chronicle reported . scroll down for video . happier times : perla avina -lrb- right -rrb- , 30 , was traveling home with her husband , mando lopez -lrb- left -rrb- , in east oakland , california when they got into ` some type of confrontation ' with another driver . perla avina , 30 , was traveling in a black 1998 toyota camry with husband mando lopez when they got into a confrontation with dubose in east oakland , police says . dubose allegedly fired at the vehicle , piercing the windshield on the passenger side and striking avina in the face . as dubose sped off , lopez pulled over at the 400 block of rossmoor avenue in brookfield village neighborhood , before putting pressure on his wife 's face and crying : ` wake up ! ' meanwhile , resident dwayne jackson , who heard the commotion , rushed outside and dialed 911 . he first tried to perform first aid on avina , but she remained unconscious . ' i did n't see any signs of life , ' jackson told nbc . ` there was no waking -lsb- her -rsb- up . ' paramedics arrived at the scene within minutes but could not save avina . she was pronounced dead in the camry . the suspect allegedly fired at avina 's vehicle through the windshield and hit her in the face before fleeing . avina , a medical receptionist from los angeles , has four children with lopez . the youngest child is just 18-months-old .

<t> new : the 17-year-old suspect allegedly fired the fatal shot . </t> <t> new : eric rivera jr. will be moved to a miami-dade facility wednesday , attorney says . </t> <t> three adult suspects in sean taylor slaying on suicide watch . </t> <t> taylor died after being shot in home invasion last week . </t>

youngest suspect allegedly fired shot that killed nfl 's taylor<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- from `` mississippi masala '' to `` vanity fair , '' mira nair 's movies have entranced audiences in india and the west . cnn spoke to the director of `` monsoon wedding '' and `` salaam bombay ! '' at the bollywood movie awards in long island about filmmaking in india and america and her adaptation of jhumpa lahiri 's novel about loss and family , `` the namesake . '' ... . film director mira nair . cnn : what inspired you to make `` the namesake '' ? mira nair : i happened to read `` the namesake '' on a plane in early 2004 , when i traveled from new york to jo ` berg to finish the filming of `` vanity fair . '' i read `` namesake '' while in huge grief with the death of a beloved person to me -lsb- mira 's mother in law -rsb- . it was at that state of mourning that i picked up this novel , and in it jhumpa writes really acutely of a loss of a parent in a foreign country , and i thought i had been understood by someone .<doc-sep>it was also a story that linked the two cities in which i had grown up -- calcutta and new york city -- and it was almost certainly the road that i had traveled . it just spoke to me and i felt compelled to do this film . a few months later we were shooting it . cnn : it 's filmed in both india and new york , such different cultures . tell us about the universal themes involved during the film . nair : well , the story of movement and crossings is as old as the hills . it 's a tale of millions of us that have left one home for another , and tried to find out who we are through these places . then when we have children , life gets more interesting . it is about growing up through our adult lives and our children 's lives . it is also equally a love story between two people who come from a culture who do n't send roses and diamonds for love ; who sit at a kitchen table and look at each other . it 's about that generation of parents who have that stillness about one another , versus the clang and hustle of young gogol who is 15 and grows up in an american world because he wishes to be american . that flow -- that see-saw between parents and children , that 's what `` the namesake '' is about . cnn : tell us about casting the role of gogol .<doc-sep>nair : well , kal penn plays gogol and he 's known as a comic star , but i had no idea that he existed until my 15-year-old son said , `` this has to be your gogol . '' i did n't take him seriously at all until every night the campaign mounted at home : `` tell me in the morning it 's kal penn ! '' he would say . and then kal wrote to me and told me he became an actor because he had seen `` mississippi masala '' when he was eight years old and realized people on the screen could look like him , and other such seductive things . he came to my office and auditioned and he was just so appealing , and so much the real thing , that i cast him as gogol . cnn : how have indian audiences reacted to your heavily western-influenced films ? nair : it 's not that different a kind of audience , that 's what pleases me . `` salaam bombay ! '' we really made for the children on the streets and the kids who really love that bollywood stuff , and also with `` deeply alternative , '' which ran for 27 weeks . `` monsoon wedding '' was also a big hit in india . but no , they do n't come to my films for bollywood fare ; it 's a completely alternative thing . in terms of audiences on both sides , i 've been blessed : the films have been really well received and highly anticipated . cnn : `` the namesake '' was filmed in america and india . what differences were there in the two locations ? nair : in india it is more about orchestrating chaos , and it 's about sifting the chaos , but i get especially excited about the throb and chaos on the streets and so on , and in america it 's about paying for the chaos , you know every head has to be placed there and paid for .<doc-sep>cnn : `` the namesake '' is about not losing the identity of indian culture . was that a challenge ? nair : i am at home in many cultures . i live actively in three continents and i 've done that for most of my life , so i just make films as i see the world , and that happens to speak to people . i do things that i want to do . it so happens because i am fluent in both worlds that my films enter both worlds , perhaps . cnn : do indian and american audiences behave differently ? nair : no , not really . i think films have to reach people and really grab them . that 's what i hope to do when i make a film -- to get under your skin and really make you think about something , and have a transporting time that takes you somewhere . e-mail to a friend .-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- from `` mississippi masala '' to `` vanity fair , '' mira nair 's movies have entranced audiences in india and the west . cnn spoke to the director of `` monsoon wedding '' and `` salaam bombay ! '' at the bollywood movie awards in long island about filmmaking in india and america and her adaptation of jhumpa lahiri 's novel about loss and family , `` the namesake . '' ... . film director mira nair . cnn : what inspired you to make `` the namesake '' ? mira nair : i happened to read `` the namesake '' on a plane in early 2004 , when i traveled from new york to jo ` berg to finish the filming of `` vanity fair . '' i read `` namesake '' while in huge grief with the death of a beloved person to me -lsb- mira 's mother in law -rsb- . it was at that state of mourning that i picked up this novel , and in it jhumpa writes really acutely of a loss of a parent in a foreign country , and i thought i had been understood by someone .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the timing could n't be any better , or worse , for mira nair 's film of mohsin hamid 's novel , a sympathetic portrait of a gifted , intelligent young pakistani whose love affair with the american dream ends in disenchantment , mistrust and violence . this would have been a provocative movie to release at any time since 9/11 , but especially so in the immediate aftermath of the boston bombings . still , if we 're to come to any understanding of the terrorist mentality , movies are a relatively safe and responsible place to start looking . in the opening scenes , the cia responds to the kidnapping of a european academic in lahore , pakistan . a u.s. journalist who is also an undercover operative for the agency -lrb- liev schreiber -rrb- is sent to interview one of the professor 's colleagues , a local whose classes are reported to be stirring up young muslims and who is a known associate of jihadists . changez -lrb- riz ahmed -rrb- agrees to talk , but only if the american promises to hear him out and get the full story . changez , it 's not pronounced like the david bowie song , but it could easily be read that way , starts out as if he means to become one of tom wolfe 's `` masters of the universe , '' a princeton business grad whose ruthlessness puts him on the fast track at underwood sampson , a wall street valuations firm . he even dates the chairman 's daughter -lrb- kate hudson , valiantly trying to find roots for an elusive character -rrb- . the business saga is entertaining in a snappy , sub-oliver stone finger-wagging vein -- kiefer sutherland is in strong form as his steely mentor -- but things sour for changez when the world trade center comes down . suddenly the up-and-coming executive is being strip-searched at airports and advised to shave his beard . he 's treated like an alien and comes to feel like one . it forces him to rethink his own identity , his heritage and spiritual values and for the first time he questions the profit-motive that has driven his success . the film 's twin-track structure does n't really work : the lengthy reminiscences of the disenchanted capitalist completely overwhelm the present tense against-the-clock hostage drama . is changez playing for time , to aid his al-qaeda buddies ? nair does n't seem interested in fleshing out that suggestion , and melodramatic scenes with martin donovan as the cia field chief eavesdropping on the conversation fall well below the authenticity of `` zero dark thirty . ''<doc-sep>-lrb- entertainment weekly -rrb- -- `` amelia '' is a frustratingly old-school , hollywood-style , inspirational biopic about amelia earhart that does n't trust a viewer 's independent assessment of the famous woman pictured on the screen . hilary swank plays amelia earhart and richard gere plays husband george putnam in `` amelia . '' the mystery we ought to be paying attention to is : what really happened on the legendary american aviator 's final , fatal flight in 1937 ? but the question audiences are left with is this : how could so tradition-busting a role model have resulted in so square , stiff , and earthbound a movie ? why present such a modern woman in such a fusty format ? dressed for the title role in a wardrobe of jumpsuits , leather jackets , scarves , and slinky evening wear dashing enough to stop air traffic , hilary swank 's earhart does n't so much talk as make stump speeches -- even when she 's at her own breakfast table . and director mira nair -lrb- `` the namesake '' -rrb- , working from an overexplanatory script by ron bass and anna hamilton phelan -lrb- based on dual biographies by susan butler and mary s. lovell -rrb- , overloads the picture with a cargo of messages , so much so that she deadens her subject 's spirit . some of these talking points are aimed at today 's teenage girls who might admire the subject 's highly personal fashion sense ; others go out to older women who cherish her feminist cred .<doc-sep>cnn : `` the namesake '' is about not losing the identity of indian culture . was that a challenge ? nair : i am at home in many cultures . i live actively in three continents and i 've done that for most of my life , so i just make films as i see the world , and that happens to speak to people . i do things that i want to do . it so happens because i am fluent in both worlds that my films enter both worlds , perhaps . cnn : do indian and american audiences behave differently ? nair : no , not really . i think films have to reach people and really grab them . that 's what i hope to do when i make a film -- to get under your skin and really make you think about something , and have a transporting time that takes you somewhere . e-mail to a friend .

<t> nair directed `` monsoon wedding , '' `` vanity fair , '' `` salaam bombay ! '' </t> <t> her film , `` the namesake , '' is based on jhumpa lahiri 's novel . </t> <t> nair cast character of `` gogol '' after teenage son 's recommendation . </t> <t> nair : indian and american audiences `` not that different '' </t>

interview : film director mira nair<T>

hollywood , florida -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a man serving a life sentence for robbing a drugstore has confessed to overpowering and fatally shooting a deputy who was taking him to court wednesday , authorities said . michael mazza , 40 , was arrested outside a pawn shop in hollywood , florida , hours after the death of broward county deputy paul rein sparked a massive manhunt . it was the third shooting of a broward county sheriff 's deputy in four months , and the second fatality . the incident happened as mazza was being taken to the second day of his trial in connection with the armed robbery of a coral springs bank , sheriff al lamberti said . mazza was being transported in a medical van because of a medical condition , lamberti said . the driver 's compartment of the van was separated from the back by a cage or grill . mazza and rein left about 8:05 a.m. , lamberti said . minutes later , a truck driver who saw all or part of the altercation near pompano beach called 911 . `` all of this transpired within six minutes . that 's all it took , '' lamberti said .<doc-sep>the struggle began when rein apparently pulled the medical transport van over at an intersection . the deputy 's body showed other injuries from the fight -- a broken finger , bruises and cuts , lamberti said . mazza allegedly took rein 's service weapon away from him and shot him , authorities said . although two shots were fired , rein was shot only once , the bullet entering his upper chest and exiting his lower back , lamberti told reporters . after the shooting , mazza is believed to have thrown rein from the van and driven away . a city public works employee later spotted the blood-spattered van in fort lauderdale , lamberti said . mazza , meanwhile , is believed to have hitchhiked his way down to hollywood , about 20 miles away . he approached a man at a pawn shop and asked for a ride . the man , who was headed to a second pawn shop , agreed . when the man arrived at the second pawn shop , he left mazza in the car and went inside , lamberti said . as he was talking to the clerk , a television in the shop began broadcasting news about the deputy 's shooting , and showed a picture of mazza , he said . the man `` tells the clerk , ` hey , i have that guy in my car , ' '' lamberti said . he went back to the car , took his keys , came back and told the clerk to call police .<doc-sep>mazza was arrested shortly afterward . rein 's gun was found with mazza in the man 's car , the sheriff said . mazza faces charges including first-degree murder and escape , lamberti said . he was being interviewed by police wednesday afternoon and was to appear before a judge at some point , he said , and afterward would be transported to dade county jail . because the shooting was `` an emotionally charged event for all of us ... we feel it 's probably better that he be housed at another facility outside of broward county , '' lamberti said , and dade county agreed to house him . mazza initially was reluctant to talk to authorities , but later agreed , and confessed to shooting rein , the sheriff said . he offered no details . lamberti said mazza was serving a life sentence for robbing a drugstore in coconut creek , correcting his earlier statement that mazza was serving two life sentences . he was on trial for robbery of the coral springs bank . broward county also has a pending case against mazza -- a february drugstore robbery in pompano beach , he said . mazza was dressed in civilian clothes -- a suit -- rather than jail scrubs wednesday because he had a court date , authorities have said .<doc-sep>when caught , however , mazza was wearing a t-shirt , shorts and sneakers , lamberti told reporters . police are investigating whether he had planned the escape in advance and whether anyone helped him . rein 's co-workers told reporters he was `` in outstanding condition physically . '' the sheriff 's office has fitness-for-duty standards that deputies must meet . broward county deputies conduct some 400 to 500 inmate court transports a day -- one deputy transporting up to a handful of inmates , lamberti said . thin staffing and scant resources prevent more than one deputy being involved , he said . `` it 's a routine thing , '' lamberti said . `` but it shows , in this profession , nothing is routine , whether it be a domestic , a traffic stop or just transporting an inmate to court . '' as news of the escape broke , all 273 schools in broward county went on lockdown , according to nadine drew , a spokeswoman for the school system . lamberti said rein 's wife spoke to her husband by cell phone just 10 minutes before he was shot . `` she said you never think it 's going to happen to you , '' the sheriff said . the deputy was memorialized wednesday on the web site of the broward county sheriff 's office . visitors to the site were greeted by a photo of rein , with a caption saying , `` husband . father . friend . '' e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>by . joshua gardner . a 27-year-old delusional former soldier with ptsd was in police custody tuesday afternoon after shooting himself during a police standoff in knoxville , tennessee . authorities say david eugene smith called area police to tell them that he was the man on the news accused of killing three people in lakeland , florida -- including his own sister -- and fleeing . according to knox county chief deputy sheriff eddie biggs , smith said he wanted to die at the hands of law enforcement . standoff : knox county swat members engage in a standoff with triple homicide suspect david eugene smith at a days inn tuesday in knoxville . called police himself : authorities say smith called area police to turn himself in after news of his alleged triple murder and subsequent flight from the lakeland , florida scene of the crime broke . a sheriff 's deputy said he wanted to die at the hands of police . self-inflicted : police say the 27-year-old ` delusional ' former soldier shot himself during the standoff before he was dragged away in unknown condition .<doc-sep>an off-duty florida sheriff 's deputy shot a 49-year-old man he caught having sex with a woman in the pool of his west boca apartment complex saturday . the cop confronted tony ribeiro and a woman he claims were engaged in a sex act just before 12.30 am and told them to leave the pool area . the angry man then returned to the scene in a threatening manner and was shot by the off duty officer who lives in the building , authorities said . the deputy identified himself as a law enforcement official and asked the man and woman , who did not live in the housing complex , to leave the reflections at boca del mar complex 's private pool , according to wptv . scroll down for video . crime scene : gunfire erupted poolside at this boca raton , florida , apartment complex where an off-duty sheriff 's deputy shot a man whom he caught having sex with a woman in the water . the incident took place at reflections of boca del mar , where the palm beach county sheriff 's deputy is a resident . the couple reluctantly complied , but a short time later the boyfriend returned and approached the deputy in a threatening manner as he was sitting in a lounge chair by the pool , according to a report by the palm beach county 's sheriff 's office cited by the station . the two men got into a dispute , which escalated when the suspect allegedly tried to hit the officer with a wine glass or a champagne bottle , officials said .<doc-sep>he looked for a vehicle to carjack , approaching multiple people and cars , before finding one . he later crashed it , too , tracy said . along the way , he continued shooting . when deputies caught up with him , the man fired at them , critically wounding yet another deputy , the sheriff 's office said . the officers wounded the suspect in the gunfight and took him into custody . the sheriff 's office plans to obtain a warrant to search the suspect 's home to try to establish a motive for the shooting rampage . tracy personally the broke news of sgt. wride 's killing to his family . `` he was a good man , '' the sheriff said . wride leaves behind a wife and five children . cnn 's suzanne presto contributed to this report .<doc-sep>a veteran sheriff 's deputy and father-of-four who was one of two officers gunned down in a shooting rampage that spanned 30 miles across california on friday died exactly 26 years to the day that his own father , who was also killed in the line of fire . michael davis jr. , 42 , was shot dead by a male and female couple who were on the run from killing another deputy in sacramento earlier in the day . his death tragically mimicked that of his father , michael davis sr. , who was killed on the job on the same day in 1988 . the incident started about 10.30 am in the parking lot of the motel 6 in sacramento . fateful : michael davis jr. , 42 -lrb- left -rrb- , a sheriff 's deputy of 15 years , was killed in a shooting on october 24 - the same day his father , michael davis sr. -lrb- right -rrb- was also killed in the line of the duty in 1988 . shooter : marcelo marquez , 34 , of salt lake city , fled police but was eventually flushed out of a home he hid in for several hours using gas bombs . he and a female companion are now in custody . high alert : law enforcement officers stop to search cars as they left the area in response to an officer involved shooting on friday , october 24 , 2014 . scene : law enforcement officers in auburn , calif. , in response to a shooting on friday . another officer was shot 30 miles away in sacramento . huge response : a suspect armed with a rifle left one sacramento sheriff 's deputy dead , a motorist gravely injured , and two placer county sheriff 's deputies wounded in a 30-mile crime spree . a pair of placer county deputy sheriff 's embrace after the suspect was arrested -lrb- left -rrb- while another assesses a bullet cartridge left at one of the scenes .

<t> new : deadly struggle `` transpired within six minutes . that 's all it took , '' sheriff says . </t> <t> new : suspect faces charges including first-degree murder and escape . </t> <t> incident happened as the deputy was transporting michael mazza to court . </t> <t> mazza was apprehended after a massive manhunt . </t>

sheriff : suspect confesses to killing florida deputy<T>

london , england -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- josephs and marys in search of a room at the inn this christmas are being made an offer they ca n't refuse . mary and joseph ride a donkey to bethlehem in a performance of the nativity story near guildford , england . a british hotel chain is promising free accommodation to couples who share their first names with the couple from the christian nativity story .<doc-sep>almost 30 josephs and marys had already signed up for the free night 's stay at the travelodge , said shakila ahmed , a spokeswoman for the hotel chain . `` the ` gift ' of a free night 's stay is to make up for the hotel industry not having any rooms left on christmas eve over 2000 years ago when the original ` mary and joseph ' had to settle for the night in a stable , '' the company says on its web site . the offer is good at any one of the chain 's 322 hotels in the united kingdom , the web site says . the couples must bring proof of identity and must prove that they are in a long-term relationship .<doc-sep>`` if you satisfy the criteria , you get a free night in a family room for two adults and two children , '' ahmed said . `` there 's also parking space for a donkey if needed , '' she joked . ahmed said the offer , which will run from christmas eve to twelfth night -- december 24 to january 5 -- had been very well-received .<doc-sep>`` we 've had a lot of interest . i think people like the fact that it resonates with the nativity story at a time when the actual meaning of christmas often becomes forgotten in festive overkill , '' she said . couples can register their names at a special e-mail address set up by travelodge , which has hotels across the britain , ireland and spain , ahmed said . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>hidden : the bibles , donated by the gideon society , have been retained and are stored behind reception for guests to borrow on request , the company says . when requested , the receptionist could not find a copy and said no one had ever asked him for one in his four months of working there.instead , he suggested using the hotel 's free wifi to ` google it and read it online ' . when pushed for a hard copy , he rang his manager who told him they used to have them in rooms , but had n't had any at the hotel since refurbishment last year . but other hotel firms , including britain 's largest budget hotel company , premier inn , and intercontinental hotels , owners of the holiday inn chain , say bibles are being retained at their hotels . a premier inn spokesman said : ` bibles are available in premier inn rooms . ` on the rare occasion that a customer does not wish to have a bible in their room , they can request this to be removed ahead of their stay by contacting the hotel directly . ' upmarket hotel chain millennium & copthorne , which runs four-star hotels in areas including mayfair , kensington and knightsbridge , confirmed it still has bibles in rooms and has no plans to remove them despite ` welcoming guests from around the world ' . travelodge is the first national hotel chain to remove bibles -- although in 2012 one independent hotel , the damson dene hotel in crosthwaite , cumbria , replaced them with the erotic bestseller fifty shades of grey . a travelodge spokesman said : ` the reason is because of diversity . with the country being increasingly multicultural , we did n't feel it was appropriate to just have the bible because there are people of other religions . people were also taking bibles away and with the redesign of the rooms , it was felt that it would be better to remove them . ' another spokesman added : ` in order not to discriminate against any religion , customers who would like a bible can pick a copy from any one of travelodge 's 500 hotel reception desks across the country , whilst staying at the hotel . to date , travelodge has not received any customer feedback regarding this decision . '<doc-sep>perfect for tourists who have seen enough beaches or city landscapes , this floating hotel offers a room with a different kind of view : ten feet beneath the surface of a swedish lake . the utter inn offers guests a night to remember , with windows in every wall of the bedroom looking out into the water , teeming with fish . the ` floatel ' is the brainchild of artist mikael genburg , known for his unique hotel experiences including one in a tree in a city centre park , and ` ooops ' , the sunken villa which opened this summer not far from utter inn by lake malaren , vasteras . idyllic : the floating hotel is located in the middle of a swedish lake east of stockholm . above surface : on top of the sundeck is a hut which is designed to resemble a traditional swedish cottage and guests step inside to climb down to their bedroom . utter inn has an above-surface kitchen inside a little hut made to look like a traditional swedish cottage . at bedtime guests climb down the hatch to their sleeping quarters which has an all-round view of life under the surface . mr genburg , who opened utter inn in 2000 , said the idea came to him out of the blue and he was curious to see if it could work . he said : ` i do n't think there is an . experience quite like sleeping underwater and many people have come to . find out if they like it .<doc-sep>b ocean , fort lauderdale , fl . ocean views are par for the course at this spare but pretty 240-room hotel -- proving that hotels with hip one-letter names need not cost multiple dollar signs . rooms have crisp , white-on-white furnishings with aqua-hued accents , and the hotel has an on-site gym , sushi bar , and free wi-fi . it also offers a fun twist on wine tasting : the b'stro on the beach has an enomatic wine machine , where a prepaid card -lrb- typically ranging from $ 5 to $ 20 -rrb- entitles you to up to three self-serve pours , ranging from tastes to full glasses . snowbirds , beware of seasonal sticker shock : winter-spring rates start at $ 299 a night . doubles from $ 149 ; bhotelsandresorts.com . postcard inn , st. pete beach , fl . this motel from the 1950s sits on a six-mile island off the gulf coast about a half hour southwest of tampa international airport . when the 196-room property was renovated into a boutique hotel in 2009 , it took on a distinct hipster sensibility : rooms are decorated with vintage longboards , locally snapped surf photos , and groovy lamps . you can book packages that include kite-flying or stand-up paddleboarding ; the hotel also has a pool , shuffleboard , and the pci bar and grill , a gourmet comfort-food restaurant . order the signature sticky ribs or the bacon flavor of the day , such as garlic herb or cherry whiskey . in spring , rates start at $ 229 . doubles from $ 129 . postcardinn.com . travel + leisure : 25 things you did n't know about disney parks . the georgianne inn , tybee island , ga . this barrier island , a half hour from savannah , has plenty of old-school activities , from bicycling along the sand dunes or the causeway , with osprey or herons overhead , to watching for dolphins from a sailboat or kayak . the charming seven-room inn dates back to 1910 as a home -- a father built the beach house for his daughter -- and started life as an inn in 1921 . it 's just three houses away from the beach , and stays include beach chairs , boogie boards , and bikes for guests ' use . five of the rooms are actually suites with full kitchens -- perfect for extended-stay folks who like b&b charm but want breakfast-table autonomy . even in the high season , rates start at a reasonable $ 125 a night . doubles from $ 75 ; georgianneinn.com .<doc-sep>the courtyard 's 378 rooms are located on floors 6-33 , while the 261-suite residence inn is housed on the upper level floors 37-65 . the latter is only available for stays of five nights or more . a 60-second time-lapse video of the 27 months of the hotel 's construction can be seen here . located five blocks from central park and about 10 minutes from times square , the dual-branded hotel offers valet parking , a bistro , 6,000 square feet of meeting space , an outdoor sun deck and wi-fi included in the room rate .

<t> couples who share names with the couple from the nativity story get free room . </t> <t> almost 30 josephs and marys have signed up for the free night 's stay . </t> <t> couples have to bring proof of identity . </t> <t> they also have to prove that they are in a long-term relationship . </t>

hotel chain offers a room at the inn for marys and josephs<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a saudi arabian human rights attorney is asking the government to allow him to represent a woman who was gang-raped -- and then sentenced to prison for speaking out about the case . human rights groups want saudi arabia 's king abdullah to drop charges against the rape victim . the attorney , abdulrahman al-lahim , had his license revoked last week by a judge for speaking to the saudi-controlled media about the case , al-lahim told cnn . the judge more than doubled the sentence against al-lahim 's 19-year-old client because she spoke to the media about the case , a court source told arab news , an english-language middle eastern daily newspaper . the woman -- who was initially sentenced in october 2006 to 90 lashes -- had her sentenced increased to 200 lashes and was ordered to serve six months in prison under saudi arabia 's strict islamic law . `` we were shocked , '' al-lahim said of the increased sentence . cnn has been unable to reach saudi government officials for comment on this report , despite repeated requests . watch the emotional toll the crime took on the rape victim '' al-lahim had petitioned the court to sentence the attackers to the death penalty , but instead the court agreed to increase their jail sentences , which had been two to three years , to two to nine years , al-lahim said . the case has sparked outrage among human rights groups . `` barring the lawyer from representing the victim in court is almost equivalent to the rape crime itself , '' said fawzeyah al-oyouni , founding member of the newly formed saudi association for the defense of women 's rights . `` this is not just about the girl , it 's about every woman in saudi arabia , '' she said . `` we 're fearing for our lives and the lives of our sisters and our daughters and every saudi woman out there . we 're afraid of going out in the streets . '' human rights watch said it has called on saudi arabia 's king abdullah `` to immediely void the verdict and drop all charges against the rape victim and to order the court to end its harassment of her lawyer . '' the woman , who is married , and an unrelated man were abducted and she was raped by a group of seven men more than a year ago , the lawyer said . the male victim was also given an increased sentence of 200 lashes and six months in prison , al-lahim said . the man and woman were attacked after they met so she could retrieve an old photograph of herself from him , according to al-lahim . citing phone records from the police investigation , al-lahim said the man was trying to blackmail his client . he noted the photo she was trying to retrieve was harmless and did not show his client in any compromising position . al-lahim said the man tried to blame his client for insisting on meeting him that day . it is illegal for a woman to meet with an unrelated male under saudi 's islamic law . al-lahim has been ordered to attend a disciplinary hearing at the ministry of justice next month , where he faces a possible three-year suspension and disbarment , according to human rights watch . he told cnn he has appealed to the ministry of justice to reinstate his law license and plans to meet with justice minister abdullah bin muhammad bin ibrahim al al-sheikh . `` currently she does n't have a lawyer , and i feel they 're doing this to isolate her and deprive her from her basic rights , '' he said . `` we will not accept this judgment and i 'll do my best to continue representing her because justice needs to take place . '' he said the handling of the case is a direct contradiction of judicial reforms announced by the saudi king earlier this month . `` the ministry of justice needs to have a very clear standing regarding this case because i consider this decision to be judiciary mutiny against the reform that king abdullah bin abdulaziz started and against saudi women who are being victimized because of such decisions , '' he said . saudi arabia 's islamic law or sharia is not written and , therefore , subject to a wide array of interpretations . human rights watch points out that a judge in jeddah threw out a lawyer simply because he was a member of the ismaili faith , a branch of shia islam . under saudi law , women are subject to numerous restrictions , including a strict dress code , a prohibition against driving and a requirement that they get a man 's permission to travel or have surgery . women are also not allowed to testify in court unless it is about a private matter that was not observed by a man , and they are not allowed to vote . the saudi government recently has taken some steps toward bettering the situation of women in the kingdom , including the establishment earlier this year of special courts to handle domestic abuse cases , adoption of a new labor law that addresses working women 's rights and creation of a human rights commission . christoph wilcke of human rights watch praised the female rape victim and her attorney for speaking out about the case , which he said may be indicative of `` many injustices that we still do n't know about . '' `` it 's not only one court , it is the saudi government that is fully behind punishing a woman who 's been raped -lsb- and -rsb- punishing the lawyer who 's trying to help her and doing that both because they 've spoken to the media , '' wilcke told cnn . `` and if they had n't spoken to the media , we would n't know about it . '' shying away from criticism of key ally , state department spokesman sean mccormack called the case and the punishment `` surprising '' and `` astonishing . '' `` while this is a judicial procedure -- part of a judicial procedure -- overseas in courts outside of our country , still while it is very difficult to offer any detailed comment about this situation , i think most people would be quite astonished by the situation , '' mccormack said . `` i ca n't get involved in specific court cases in saudi arabia dealing with its own citizens . but most people here would be quite surprised to learn of the circumstances and then the punishment meted out , '' he said . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's saad abedine and mohammed jamjoom contributed to this report .<doc-sep>`` if this sentence is based on the law , then i would 've welcomed it , '' the husband said . `` but it is harsh , and the saudi society i know and belong to is more sympathetic than that . i do not expect such harshness from saudis , but rather compassion and support of the victim and her rights . '' saudi society is very respectful to women in general , he said . the case , which has sparked media scrutiny of the saudi legal system , has drawn a strong international reaction . human rights watch said it has called on saudi arabia 's king abdullah `` to immediately void the verdict and drop all charges against the rape victim and to order the court to end its harassment of her lawyer . '' under law in saudi arabia , women are subject to numerous restrictions , including a strict dress code , a prohibition on driving and a requirement that they get a man 's permission to travel or have surgery . women are also not allowed to testify in court unless it is about a private matter that was not observed by a man , and they are not allowed to vote . the saudi government recently has taken steps to better the situation of women in the kingdom , including the establishment earlier this year of special courts to handle domestic abuse cases , adoption of a new labor law and the creation of a human rights commission . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's octavia nasr , saad abedine and mohammed jamjoom contributed to this report .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- saudi king abdullah has pardoned a rape victim who had been sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison in a case that sparked international attention , a saudi newspaper has reported . the case cast light on the treatment of women under saudi arabia 's strict islamic law . al-jazirah newspaper quoted a saudi justice ministry official saying king abdullah issued a royal pardon monday -- the same day that the hajj , the annual muslim pilgrimage to mecca , begins in saudi arabia . the victim 's husband told cnn he has not received an official letter regarding her pardon , but considers it to be legitimate since it was announced in an official saudi newspaper . he thanked king abdullah for the pardon , saying : `` this fatherly care and noble gesture will help -lrb- in -rrb- lifting the emotional and psychological stress and suffering that our family has been enduring . '' `` this is not something new because we know that the king was always generous in dealing with his people and the entire world , '' the husband said . `` this week , we have two holidays to celebrate ; the eid and this great news of the pardon . '' saudi sources told cnn that the king 's pardon was not related to the beginning of the hajj nor the eid al-adha festival that follows , which is normally when the saudi monarch issues amnesty for prisoners . watch how arab media is reporting the story . '' saudi arabia 's justice minister abdullah bin mohammad al-sheikh told al-jazirah newspaper that the king felt the pardon would be in the best interests of the saudi people , and the decision did not reflect any lack of confidence in the saudi justice system . the white house welcomed king abdullah 's decision , but national security council spokesman gordon johndroe stressed that `` this is obviously a matter for the saudi arabians and king abdullah . '' a saudi court ruled the 19-year-old had an `` illegitimate relationship '' with a man who was not her husband , and that she was raped after she and the man were discovered in a `` compromising situation , her clothes on the ground . '' the rape took place in qatif in march 2006 when the woman was engaged to be married . the case has drawn international attention , provoked outrage in the west and cast light on the treatment of women under strict islamic law in saudi arabia . the woman was meeting with a man -- described by the woman 's attorney as a former friend from whom she was retrieving a photograph -- when they both were abducted last march . seven men , convicted of abducting the pair and raping her , were sentenced from two to nine years in prison . abdul rahman al-lahim , the lawyer who represented the woman , faced a disciplinary hearing for `` insulting the supreme judicial council and disobeying the rules and regulations '' of the judiciary . the hearing has been postponed . the woman 's husband has been outspoken in his support for his wife . he called a lebanese tv show to defend her , when a former saudi judge claimed on the program that she `` spoil -lrb- ed -rrb- their marital bed '' by meeting an unrelated male `` in secret '' and admitted her guilt . al-lahim has said he hopes the case changes the saudi justice system . `` we want to highlight the rape crimes in saudi arabia and the way they are handled and sentenced in court , '' he added . `` this is a new era for all of us . '' he said that the rape case had elicited a fierce response , including calls for his beheading . u.s. president george w. bush said last week that king abdullah `` knows our position loud and clear '' on the case . under saudi law , women are subject to numerous restrictions , including a strict dress code , a prohibition against driving and a requirement that they get a man 's permission to travel or have surgery . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's mohammed jamjoom , saad abedine and isha sesay contributed to this report .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the saudi justice ministry tuesday issued a `` clarification '' of a court 's handling of a rape case and the increased punishment -- including 200 lashes -- meted out to the victim . the case , which has sparked media scrutiny of the saudi legal system , centers on a married woman . the 19-year-old and an unrelated man were abducted , and she was raped by a group of seven men more than a year ago , according to abdulrahman al-lahim , the attorney who represented her in court . the woman was originally sentenced in october 2006 to 90 lashes . but that sentence was more than doubled to 200 lashes and six months in prison by the qatif general court , because she spoke to the media about the case , a court source told middle eastern daily newspaper arab news . al-lahim told cnn his law license was revoked last week by a judge because he spoke to the saudi-controlled media about the case . watch the emotional toll the crime took on the rape victim '' in a statement issued to cnn , saudi ambassador to the united states , adel al-jubeir said , `` this case is working its way through the legal process . i have no doubt that justice will prevail . '' the justice ministry acknowledged in its statement tuesday that the attorney is no longer on the case , saying he was punished by a disciplinary committee for lawyers because he `` exhibited disrespectful behavior toward the court , objected to the rule of law and showed ignorance concerning court instructions and regulations . '' it added that the permanent committee of the supreme judicial council recommended an increased sentence for the woman after further evidence against her came to light when she appealed her original sentence . the judges of that committee also increased the sentences for the perpetrators based on the level of their involvement in the crime . their sentences -- which had been two to three years in prison -- were increased to two to nine years , according to al-lahim . the ministry also said it welcomes constructive criticism and insisted that the parties ' rights were preserved in the judicial process . `` we would like to state that the system has ensured them the right to object to the ruling and to request an appeal , '' the statement continued , `` without resorting to sensationalism through the media that may not be fair or may not grant anyone any rights , and instead may negatively affect all the other parties involved in the case . '' the statement also described the progress of the woman 's case and explained that it was heard by a panel of three judges , not one judge `` as mentioned in some media reports . '' it said the case was treated normally through regular court procedures , and that the woman , her male companion and the perpetrators of the crime all agreed in court to the sentences handed down . in washington , state department spokesman sean mccormack said u.s. officials had `` expressed our astonishment '' at the sentence , though not directly to saudi officials . `` it is within the power of the saudi government to take a look at the verdict and change it , '' he added . white house homeland security adviser frances townsend , who announced her resignation monday , called the case `` absolutely reprehensible '' but told cnn 's `` american morning '' the saudis deserve credit for their assistance in battling terrorism . `` this case is separate and apart from that , and i just do n't think there 's any explaining it or justifying it , '' she added . the case has sparked outrage among human rights groups . `` this is not just about the qatif girl , it 's about every woman in saudi arabia , '' said fawzeyah al-oyouni , founding member of the newly formed saudi association for the defense of women 's rights . `` we 're fearing for our lives and the lives of our sisters and our daughters and every saudi woman out there . we 're afraid of going out in the streets . `` barring the lawyer from representing the victim in court is almost equivalent to the rape crime itself , '' she added . human rights watch said it has called on saudi arabia 's king abdullah `` to immediately void the verdict and drop all charges against the rape victim and to order the court to end its harassment of her lawyer . '' the man and woman were attacked after they met in qatif on the kingdom 's persian gulf coast , so she could retrieve an old photograph of herself from him , according to al-lahim . citing phone records from the police investigation , al-lahim said the man was trying to blackmail his client . he noted the photo she was trying to retrieve was harmless and did not show his client in any compromising position . al-lahim said the man tried to blame his client for insisting on meeting him that day . it is illegal for a woman to meet with an unrelated male under saudi 's islamic law . al-lahim has been ordered to attend a disciplinary hearing at the ministry of justice next month , where he faces a possible three-year suspension and disbarment , according to human rights watch . he told cnn he has appealed to the ministry of justice to reinstate his law license and plans to meet with justice minister abdullah bin muhammad bin ibrahim al al-sheikh . `` currently she does n't have a lawyer , and i feel they 're doing this to isolate her and deprive her from her basic rights , '' he said . `` we will not accept this judgment and i 'll do my best to continue representing her because justice needs to take place . '' he said the handling of the case is a direct contradiction of judicial reforms announced by the saudi king earlier this month . `` the ministry of justice needs to have a very clear standing regarding this case because i consider this decision to be judiciary mutiny against the reform that king abdullah bin abdulaziz started and against saudi women who are being victimized because of such decisions , '' he said . under law in saudi arabia , women are subject to numerous restrictions , including a strict dress code , a prohibition against driving and a requirement that they get a man 's permission to travel or have surgery . women are also not allowed to testify in court unless it is about a private matter that was not observed by a man , and they are not allowed to vote . the saudi government recently has taken some steps toward bettering the situation of women in the kingdom , including the establishment earlier this year of special courts to handle domestic abuse cases , adoption of a new labor law that addresses working women 's rights and creation of a human rights commission . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the husband of a saudi rape victim sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison said his wife is `` a crushed human being , '' but blamed a judge -- not the saudi judicial system -- for treating her as a criminal . human rights groups want saudi arabia 's king abdullah to drop charges against the rape victim . saudi society is respectful of women , he said , adding that he had faith his wife would get justice . the ruling relates to an incident in march 2006 when the woman , then 18 and engaged to be married , and an unrelated man were abducted from a mall in qatif , saudi arabia , by a group of seven men . she was later raped . in october , the men were convicted and sentenced to two to nine years in prison for the assault . she was convicted of violating the kingdom 's strict islamic law by not having a male guardian with her at the mall . `` from the outset , my wife was dealt with as a guilty person who committed a crime , '' said her 24-year-old husband . `` she was not given any chance to prove her innocence or describe how she was a victim of multiple brutal rapes . '' the husband , who asked to remain unnamed , spoke to cnn senior arab affairs editor octavia nasr . his wife , who he said is `` a quiet , simple person who does not bother anyone , '' is ill and too fragile to speak about the case , he said . as her guardian under saudi law , he is standing up for her publicly . watch the victim 's husband speak out ''

<t> woman sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in jail under islamic law . </t> <t> judge more than doubled 19-year-old 's sentence for speaking to the media . </t> <t> woman 's lawyer loses law license for speaking to saudi-controlled media . </t> <t> human rights group : lawyer faces three-year suspension and disbarment . </t>

saudi lawyer in rape victim plea<T>

washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- jordan 's king hussein sent a secret message to president richard nixon in 1970 pleading with him to attack syria , according to declassified documents released wednesday by the former president 's library . president nixon works at his desk in the oval office in a june 1972 photograph . the papers are among about 10,000 documents released by the nixon presidential library , some of which offer harbingers of present-day events , such as concerns about terrorism and saudi arabia . library director timothy naftali said the documents describe challenges such as how to get the saudis more involved in solving the palestinian-israeli conflict , how to get them more engaged against terrorism , how to address the arab view that the united states always sides with israel and how to build up moderate palestinians to counter extremists . a 1973 diplomatic cable cites this objective : `` isolate and undermine terrorisms -lsb- sic -rsb- and commandos -lsb- sic -rsb- by establishing another , more stable and respectable palestinian political entity and political personality . '' documents detail u.s. efforts to persuade saudi arabia to move away from fatah , the military wing of the palestine liberation organization , because u.s. officials believed the plo was supporting the terrorist-linked , anti-israel group black september , referred to as bso . the document , a u.s. state department telegram from the embassy in jeddah to washington reads , `` bso and fatah -lsb- are -rsb- now linked together in vicious effort to create chaos and uncertainty . one might wonder whether central objective bso conspiracy was not to erase any slight progress toward middle east peace . '' the document release was intended to coincide with mideast peace summit among palestinian , israeli and other mideast leaders in maryland , naftali said .<doc-sep>the nixon white house also was adjusting to israel 's acquisition of a nuclear weapon . `` we are declassifying the records today that laid the basis for richard nixon 's decision in 1969 to accept the fact , a fact of life , that israel had a bomb , a nuclear device , '' said naftali . `` that , of course , is very important with what 's going on in annapolis . '' `` even though it is clear from the documents that the united states government did not encourage israel to acquire a nuclear deterrent , it became a fact of life , '' naftali said . `` there are materials here that show how our government , 30 years ago , dealt with this very , very difficult problem . '' rather than openly declare itself as a nuclear power , israel still maintains a strategic ambiguity over its nuclear weapons capability . in 1970 , as king hussein dealt with threats by both palestinian refugees in his country and syrian military forces crossing jordan 's border , the king asked `` the united states and great britain to intervene in the war in jordan , asking the united states , in fact , to attack syria , '' naftali said . `` syria had invaded jordan and the jordanian king , facing what he felt was a military rout , said please help us in any way possible . '' the telegram indicates that hussein himself called a u.s. official at 3 a.m. to ask for american or british help . `` situation deteriorating dangerously following syrian massive invasion ... , '' the document said . `` i request immediate physical intervention both land and air ... to safeguard sovereignty , territorial integrity and independence of jordan . immediate air strikes on invading forces from any quarter plus air cover are imperative . '' the library has withheld the nixon documents from public access until wednesday and have been reviewed for release and/or declassified , naftali said . nixon served as president from january 20 , 1969 , to august 9 , 1974 , when he resigned under political pressure during the watergate scandal -- the only u.s. president to do so . he died in 1994 after suffering a stroke at the age of 81 . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- jordan 's king hussein sent a secret message to president richard nixon in 1970 pleading with him to attack syria , according to declassified documents released wednesday by the former president 's library . president nixon works at his desk in the oval office in a june 1972 photograph . the papers are among about 10,000 documents released by the nixon presidential library , some of which offer harbingers of present-day events , such as concerns about terrorism and saudi arabia . library director timothy naftali said the documents describe challenges such as how to get the saudis more involved in solving the palestinian-israeli conflict , how to get them more engaged against terrorism , how to address the arab view that the united states always sides with israel and how to build up moderate palestinians to counter extremists . a 1973 diplomatic cable cites this objective : `` isolate and undermine terrorisms -lsb- sic -rsb- and commandos -lsb- sic -rsb- by establishing another , more stable and respectable palestinian political entity and political personality . ''<doc-sep>rather than openly declare itself as a nuclear power , israel still maintains a strategic ambiguity over its nuclear weapons capability . in 1970 , as king hussein dealt with threats by both palestinian refugees in his country and syrian military forces crossing jordan 's border , the king asked `` the united states and great britain to intervene in the war in jordan , asking the united states , in fact , to attack syria , '' naftali said . `` syria had invaded jordan and the jordanian king , facing what he felt was a military rout , said please help us in any way possible . '' the telegram indicates that hussein himself called a u.s. official at 3 a.m. to ask for american or british help . `` situation deteriorating dangerously following syrian massive invasion ... , '' the document said . `` i request immediate physical intervention both land and air ... to safeguard sovereignty , territorial integrity and independence of jordan . immediate air strikes on invading forces from any quarter plus air cover are imperative . '' the library has withheld the nixon documents from public access until wednesday and have been reviewed for release and/or declassified , naftali said . nixon served as president from january 20 , 1969 , to august 9 , 1974 , when he resigned under political pressure during the watergate scandal -- the only u.s. president to do so . he died in 1994 after suffering a stroke at the age of 81 . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the united states government on friday released a declassified summary of why it says it believes syria 's government used chemical weapons in an attack in the damascus suburbs on august 21 . the report 's release came amid continuing u.s. signals of a possible military attack on syria in response to the suspected poison gassing , which reportedly killed hundreds of people . here are five key points : . 1 . a chemical weapons attack killed more than 1,400 people august 21 . the u.s. government has preliminarily assessed that 1,429 people -- including at least 426 children -- died in the attack . the report cites `` a large body of independent sources , '' including u.s. intelligence information , accounts from medical personnel , videos , witness accounts and reports from nongovernmental organizations . three hospitals in the area received about 3,600 patients with `` symptoms consistent with nerve agent exposure in less than three hours ... according to a highly credible international humanitarian organization , '' the report said . `` the reported symptoms were consistent with mass exposure to a nerve agent . '' what do syria 's neighbors think ? the report also cites 100 videos showing bodies `` exhibiting physical signs consistent with , but not unique to , nerve agent exposure . '' some videos show imagery `` consistent with death from chemical weapons , and inconsistent with death from small-arms , high-explosive munitions or blister agents , '' the report said . 2 . syrian government launched rocket attack on area .<doc-sep>washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- president richard m. nixon and his brazilian counterpart , emilio medici , in 1971 discussed ways their countries could work together to overthrow the socialist government of salvador allende in chile , according to a newly declassified document . president richard m. nixon , right , and his brazilian counterpart , emilio medici . during a meeting of the two leaders at the white house on december 9 of that year , medici was discussing the possibility of a coup by the chilean military with assistance from brazilian military officers when nixon said that it was `` very important that brazil and the united states work closely in this field , '' according to the document . nixon offered money or other discreet aid for the effort if it could be made available , the document shows . `` we must try and prevent new allendes and castros , and try where possible to reverse these trends , '' nixon said . medici said he was `` happy to see that the brazilian and american positions and views '' were so close . the declassified document , a previously top secret memorandum for nixon 's file written by national security adviser henry kissinger , was published by the national security archive , a nongovernmental research institute in washington . the memorandum , along with other documents , were declassified in july as part of the state department 's foreign relations of the united states series . `` this is an explosive document that details collusion between the colossus of the north -lsb- the united states -rsb- and the colossus of the south -lsb- brazil -rsb- , '' said peter kornbluh , the director of a chile and brazil documentation project for the national security archive . he called it `` a smoking gun of confirmation of brazil 's effort to engage in operations to overthrow the government of chile and a discussion of collusion with the united states . '' the two leaders also discussed the creation of a back channel for direct communication outside normal diplomatic protocols , according to the document . each designated personal aides to carry handwritten communications back and forth to keep discussions out of official records . `` i think there is precedent , but we 've never seen it detailed in a document this way , in which two presidents set up the utmost secret of back-channel communications so they can discuss the most sensitive aspects of collusion and collaboration in efforts to challenge the left in latin america and change the futures of select latin american governments , '' kornbluh said .

<t> telegram : king hussein wanted u.s. strike on invading syrian troops in 1970 . </t> <t> nixon white house urged saudis to distance from plo 's fatah organization . </t> <t> papers also discuss israeli acquisition of nuclear weapon . </t> <t> documents among 10,000 papers released wednesday by nixon library . </t>

jordan asked nixon to attack syria , declassified papers show<T>

washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the cia asked the justice department to investigate whether former operative john kiriakou illegally disclosed classified information when he talked about the waterboarding of a terrorism suspect , government officials say . ex-cia agent john kiriakou says he underwent waterboarding in training and cracked in a few seconds . kiriakou spoke last week with several news organizations , including cnn , after the cia disclosed that videotapes of certain interrogations were destroyed in 2005 . that revelation has prompted new calls for investigations on capitol hill . the bush administration appeared in u.s. district court on friday to answer a judge 's questions about the tapes ' destruction . speaking to cnn last week , kiriakou said that u.s. interrogators drew valuable information from al qaeda captive abu zubayda by `` waterboarding '' him . but kiriakou said the procedure amounts to torture and should be stopped . waterboarding involves pouring a stream of water onto the cellophane-covered face of a suspect to induce the sensation of drowning , kiriakou said . watch how a suspect is waterboarded ''<doc-sep>kiriakou told cnn he was unaware that cia interrogations were being taped , but that the tapes should have been kept `` as a matter of historical record . '' kiriakou 's attorney mark zaid told cnn that the referral of the case to the justice department is standard procedure . `` a criminal referral from the cia would be both expected and normal under the circumstances , '' zaid said in a written statement . `` it is a routine act that the cia undertakes even when they know no violation has occurred . '' zaid added that the question is whether the justice department will proceed , and that such a decision `` must be measured carefully . '' `` doing so will unlock a pandora 's box that will place a spotlight on the information in question as to the lawfulness of the alleged conduct and the activities of those involved . '' he said . `` there would also exist a challenge regarding whether mr. kiriakou was being targeted for exercising his first amendment rights . '' cia officers who leave the agency are required to sign documents promising never to divulge classified information . written comments are cleared by an agency review board before publication , and unscripted oral comments -- such as television interviews -- are referred to the justice department after the fact .<doc-sep>about one case a week is referred to the justice department , and an investigation could take months to complete , a source in the intelligence community said . for private citizens found to be in violation of the secrecy standard , penalties can range from loss of security clearances to criminal prosecution leading to jail time . justice department spokesman dean boyd said the department has no comment on the kiriakou matter , and routinely refuses comment on whether another agency has referred a case . kiriakou said he was not present when other agents used the waterboarding technique on abu zubayda , but that he was told the al qaeda suspect lasted 30 or 35 seconds . kiriakou said he himself was subjected to the treatment during his training , and lasted about five seconds before having to stop . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's kelli arena contributed to this report .<doc-sep>new york -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a former cia agent who participated in interrogations of terror suspects said tuesday that the controversial interrogation technique of `` waterboarding '' has saved lives , but he considers the method torture and now opposes its use . ex-cia agent john kiriakou says he underwent waterboarding in training and cracked in a few seconds . former cia operative john kiriakou also told cnn 's `` american morning '' that he disagrees with a decision to destroy videotapes of certain interrogations , namely of al qaeda 's abu zubayda . kiriakou made the remarks as two congressional committees prepared to grill cia director michael hayden on the destruction of the tapes and on `` alternative '' means of interrogation . waterboarding begins by placing a suspect on a table with the suspect 's feet slightly elevated , said kiriakou , who was waterboarded several years ago as part of his cia training . he said he elected not to learn how to perform the technique , which is designed to emulate the sensation of drowning . once a suspect is secured on the table , interrogators wrap his or her face in a cellophane-like material , kiriakou said . watch journalist undergo , discuss waterboarding '' `` there is a bladder , or a water source , above the head with water pouring down on the mouth , so no water is going into your mouth , but it induces a gag reflex and makes you feel like you 're choking , '' kiriakou said . watch the ex-agent describe the procedure '' kiriakou said he lasted only a few seconds during his training because his body felt like it was seizing up almost immediately . `` it 's entirely unpleasant , '' kiriakou said . `` you are so full of tension that you tense up , your muscles tighten up . it 's very uncomfortable . '' abu zubayda lasted a little longer , said kiriakou , but not much . the former agent , who said he participated in the abu zubayda interrogation but not his waterboarding , said the cia decided to waterboard the al qaeda operative only after he was `` wholly uncooperative '' for weeks and refused to answer questions .<doc-sep>washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a source close to house speaker nancy pelosi now confirms that pelosi was told in february 2003 by her intelligence aide , michael sheehy , that waterboarding was actually used on cia detainee abu zubaydah . source says nancy pelosi did n't object about waterboard usage because she was n't personally briefed about it . this appears to contradict pelosi 's account that she was never told waterboarding actually happened , only that the administration was considering using it . sheehy attended a briefing in which waterboarding was discussed in february 2003 , with rep. jane harman , d-california , who took over pelosi 's spot as the ranking democrat on the house intelligence committee .<doc-sep>all that changed -- and zubayda reportedly had a divine revelation -- after 30 to 35 seconds of waterboarding , kiriakou said he learned from the cia agents who performed the technique . the terror suspect , who is being held at guantanamo bay , cuba , reportedly gave up information that indirectly led to the the 2003 raid in pakistan yielding the arrest of khalid sheikh mohammed , an alleged planner of the september 11 , 2001 , attacks , kiriakou said . the cia was unaware of mohammed 's stature before the abu zubayda interrogation , the former agent said . `` abu zubayda 's the one who told us that khalid sheikh mohammed was so important in the al qaeda structure , and we did n't realize at the time how important he was , '' kiriakou said . abu zubayda also divulged information on `` al qaeda 's leadership structure and mentioned people who we really did n't have any familiarization with -lsb- and -rsb- told us who we should be thinking about , who we should be looking at , and who was important in the organization so we were able to focus our investigation this way , '' kiriakou said . abu zubayda reportedly told the agent who waterboarded him that `` allah had visited him in his cell during the night and told him to cooperate because it would make it easier on the other brothers who had been captured , '' kiriakou said . though the information wrenched from abu zubayda `` stopped terrorist attacks and saved lives , '' kiriakou said he opposes waterboarding . `` now after all these years , time has passed , and we 're more on our feet in this fight against al qaeda , and i think it 's unnecessary , '' he said . in a separate cnn interview , kiriakou said the justice department and national security council reportedly approved waterboarding and other `` alternative '' interrogation techniques in june 2002 . `` it was a policy decision that came down from the white house , '' he said .<doc-sep>one of the charges of illegally identifying a person concerned an analyst identified in the indictment as officer b , who was involved in the 2002 operation that resulted in the capture of alleged al qaeda terrorist abu zubaydah . zubaydah is one of three detainees the cia later admitted waterboarding during interrogations . a government report revealed the simulated drowning technique was used on him 83 times . zubaydah has yet to be charged by the u.s. government and is incarcerated at guantanamo bay , cuba . kiriakou worked for the cia from 1990 to 2004 . he and a co-author wrote a book , `` the reluctant spy : my secret life in the cia 's war on terror . '' according to the indictment , kiriakou lied when he submitted a draft of the manuscript to the cia in 2008 and claimed an investigative technique discussed in the book was fabricated .

<t> justice department must decide whether to pursue investigation . </t> <t> former agent john kiriakou talked about interrogation technique on tv . </t> <t> kiriakou attorney says probe could cause cia more problems . </t> <t> administration summoned for court hearing on destroyed tapes . </t>

cia wants ex-agent who discussed waterboarding investigated<T>

san francisco , california -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- `` human error factors '' probably were involved in a ship crash and oil spill that killed nearly 400 birds in san francisco bay and prompted a federal criminal probe , the u.s. coast guard said monday . a worker checks oil cleanup gear near the golden gate bridge thursday in san francisco , california . the u.s. attorney in san francisco has opened a federal criminal investigation into wednesday 's crash of the mv cosco busan to determine whether the captain and crew violated federal maritime laws . although not officially detained , the captain and crew were barred by law from leaving the vessel , which is docked for repairs in oakland , the coast guard said . `` you had a competently manned ship with a pilot , all the navigation and sensors , '' said adm. thad allen , coast guard commandant . there were `` probably some human error factors , but we need to determine the facts , because there 's no reason a ship like that should have collided with the bridge . '' watch allen on the criminal probe '' the cosco busan was departing oakland for south korea when it struck a tower supporting the western suspension span of the bay bridge , cutting a 212-foot , 12-foot wide gash in the ship 's side . about 58,000 gallons of heavy-duty bunker oil poured out of the vessel as it was moored near treasure island . see where oil spilled '' the oil sickened birds and formed globules on more than 20 of the area 's beaches . it oozed along the san francisco city waterfront and out of the bay , beneath the golden gate bridge toward marin county . allen defended the coast guard against criticism of its response to the spill . some lawmakers , including one of the state 's u.s. senators , democrat barbara boxer , have criticized the coast guard 's handling of the collision and resulting spill . boxer said the coast guard initially reported that the ship 's owner had said only 140 gallons had spilled from the cosco busan . boxer and house speaker nancy pelosi of california have called for congressional hearings into the accident and resulting spill . although allen conceded some confusion in the coast guard 's communication , he said it did not reflect their response . `` response was set into play within an hour of the event itself , '' allen said monday . regarding the initial low estimate of 140 gallons of lost oil , allen said heavy fog and damage to the ship 's tanks hindered initial aerial and on-ground evaluations of how much oil had leaked from the ship . in addition to federal prosecutors , the national transportation safety board is investigating the accident , and ntsb spokeswoman debbie hersman said sunday that agency was interviewing the pilot , the ship 's crew , and other pilots who were on the water at the time of wednesday 's crash . see photos of oil coating the bay '' the crew had been on its inaugural voyage on the ship , which the current owner purchased last month , hersman said . the ntsb also intends to review the ship 's voyage data recorder , which should have recorded captain and crew conversations on the bridge and other information in the 12 hours leading up to the bridge collision , hersman said .<doc-sep>the oil spill has sparked concern among local officials and environmentalists . as of sunday , 23 beaches in the area remained closed . angel island state park , the bay 's largest island , reopened monday , the coast guard said . gov. arnold schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency , freeing money to clean up the spill . seven miles of containment boom stretched across the bay has collected more than 12,271 gallons of oil so far , and another 4,000 gallons have evaporated , officials said . nearly 400 dead birds have been recovered from the bay , while another 500 birds have been rescued alive but soaked in oil , according to lisa curtis , administrator of the department of fish and games office of spill prevention and response . in 1989 , the oil tanker exxon valdez ran aground and fouled alaska 's prince william sound with almost 11 million gallons of crude -- the nation 's worst ever oil spill . thousands of birds and animals died in the disaster , according to the national oceanic and atmospheric administration . often birds and animals are threatened when they come in contact with the oil and swallow it as they try to clean themselves , said the noaa web site . in addition to birds , oil spills can be very harmful to fish and shellfish , noaa said . twenty wildlife teams were scheduled monday to be the bay , working to find sick birds so they can be rehabilitated , curtis said . on sunday , the state 's other u.s. senator and a leading coast guard official decried the accident . `` this an incident which , in my view , should not have happened , '' sen. dianne feinstein , d-california , said sunday after being briefed by coast guard officials . rear adm. craig e. bone , the coast guard 's director of inspection and compliance , echoed feinstein 's comments . `` this incident should have never ever occurred , '' he said . `` there 's systems , there 's capabilities , there 's licensed operators , there 's a pilot on board the vessel , there 's the capacity and the capability to safely navigate through this port and waterways every day . '' he added , `` but we have to move beyond the incident and the fact that it occurred and move forward into the response . '' the california department of transportation said the collision did no structural damage to the bridge and there was no interruption of bridge traffic -- more than 250,000 vehicles daily . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>new orleans , louisiana -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a towing vessel struck an oil well in the barataria waterway off the southeastern louisiana coast on tuesday , causing the well to emit oil and natural gas into barataria bay , the coast guard said in a news release . retired coast guard adm. thad allen , the government 's point man for the oil spill in the gulf of mexico , said there was a sheen around the platform , and vapor that 's probably a combination of gas and water was emanating from the well , called c-117 . kyle plotkin , a spokesman for gov. bobby jindal , described the well as `` orphaned . '' he said it had been owned by cedyco corp. of houston but was declared abandoned by the state in november 2008 . plotkin said the state does not own the well and added that the designation does not absolve cedyco of responsibility for the well . the tug vessel pere ana c was pushing the dredge barge captain buford berry when it hit the wellhead , the coast guard said . jindal and coast guard rear adm. paul zukunft , the federal on-scene coordinator for the gulf spill , and other officials surveyed the damage by helicopter , according to a statement from the governor 's office . `` the coast guard 's overflight this morning confirmed the pipeline/well-head is discharging a mist of orange and brown oil about 100 feet in air , '' jindal said . `` this is the same thing we viewed on our flight to the well today . the coast guard does not have a specific flow rate for the well determined yet , although there have been early reports that there is natural gas and mud mixed in with oil coming from the well . '' jefferson parish councilman chris roberts said that while oil was gushing from the well in 6 feet of water , it was too dangerous to get close enough to estimate how much oil was leaking out . however , roberts said he does n't `` expect it is going to be a huge problem to contain it or cap '' the leak , because `` it is n't uncommon . '' `` until we know the condition of it , the quickness of plugging the well is uncertain , '' said capt. ed cubanski , chief of incident management for the coast guard 's eighth district in new orleans . the coast guard has tapped the oil spill liability trust fund , which the federal government makes available for natural resource damage assessments . environmental safety and health personnel were on the scene to clean up , as well as the coast guard gulf strike team from mobile , alabama . allen said response crews were able to take advantage of the `` significant resources '' -- vessels of opportunity , skimming equipment and boom -- already in the area to work on the gulf oil spill . he said c-117 was surrounded by boom . `` the coast guard is also beginning oil spill response actions at the site -- deploying hard and sorbent boom both north and south of the oil release , '' jindal said . `` air assets have also been deployed to ensure response personnel are not working in a flammable atmosphere . once the leak source is secured , the coast guard will ramp up their skimming operations to collect free-floating oil . `` we know this well is close to important marshes in the barataria bay area , so it is important that this well is cut off quickly and the oil is contained and removed , '' he said . a safety zone has been established 2 miles around the site to protect vessels and mariners from the hazards associated with the release , the coast guard said . the coast guard is investigating the incident , which happened about 1 a.m. tuesday . cnn 's vivian kuo , erin lowry , marylynn ryan and tristan smith contributed to this report .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- an oil sheen about four miles long has appeared in the gulf of mexico near the site of the worst oil spill in u.s. history , a coast guard spokesman said thursday . it was not immediately clear where the oil is coming from , said petty officer 3rd class ryan tippets . the coast guard found out about the oil sheen on september 16 after someone spotted it on a satellite image from the multinational oil and gas company bp , tippets said . a coast guard response team went to the location to collect samples , and sent them to the coast guard marine safety lab in connecticut for testing . test results are expected in a few weeks , tippets said . the service 's marine safety unit morgan city , in louisiana , is heading up the investigation of the spill , which is in the part of the gulf officially designated mc252 . no one has reported any adverse effects on the environment or marine life , tippets said . timeline : oil spill in the gulf in 2010 . the sheen is near the spot where , on april 20 , 2010 , bp 's deepwater horizon drilling rig exploded over the macondo well , killing 11 workers and spewing oil that spread across a huge portion of the gulf . the badly damaged mile-deep well leaked oil into the gulf of mexico for five months . on september 19 , 2010 , retired coast guard adm. thad allen , who led the federal disaster response , declared that a cement plug had permanently sealed the leak , so that it posed no further threat . in total , about 4.9 million barrels -lrb- 205.8 million gallons -rrb- of oil leaked into the gulf , according to estimates from federal scientists . in an incident that appears unrelated to the new oil sheen , the coast guard 's morgan city unit also is investigating a small amount of oil leaked from a gulf oil platform . companies involved in 2010 gulf spill did n't focus on accident risks . apache corp. reported the spill to the coast guard and regulators as soon as the company noticed the leak on tuesday , said apache spokesman john roper . he said a valve problem caused less than two barrels -lrb- 84 gallons -rrb- of oil to spill into the water near grand isle , louisiana . no marine or environmental damage has been reported from this incident either , tippets said . cnn 's anneclaire stapleton contributed to this report .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- tar balls found on florida keys beaches monday and tuesday are not from a massive oil spill off the coast of louisiana , the coast guard said wednesday . `` a sampling of tar balls discovered on beaches at fort zachary state park , fla. , smathers beach in key west , big pine key , fla. , and loggerhead key in the dry tortugas national park , fla. , were flown by a coast guard hu-25 falcon jet based in miami , fla. , to new london , conn. , tuesday for testing and analysis , '' a coast guard statement said . `` the results of those tests conclusively show that the tar balls collected from florida keys beaches do not match the type of oil from the deepwater horizon oil spill in the gulf of mexico , '' the statement said . `` the source of the tar balls remains unknown at this time . '' however , `` the conclusion that these tar balls are not from the deepwater horizon oil spill incident in no way diminishes the need to continue to aggressively identify and clean up tar ball-contaminated areas in the florida keys , '' said coast guard capt. pat dequattro , commanding officer of sector key west . dequattro authorized the use of the oil spill liability trust fund on tuesday to begin cleanups of any oil pollution on florida keys shores and established a unified command made up of members of the coast guard , the national oceanic and atmospheric administration , the department of the interior , and state and local officials to manage the tar ball response , the coast guard said . the tar balls nevertheless have raised fears that oil from the gulf spill is headed to the coastlines of florida and beyond . researchers and federal officials seem to agree that a plume of oil is being dragged into the gulf of mexico 's loop current . the current flows through the yucatan channel between cuba and mexico , and then northward , where it loops just south of the florida keys and travels to the west side of the western bahamas , according to meteorologists . the european space agency issued a statement wednesday saying satellite images show the oil is in the loop current . `` with these images from space , we have visible proof that at least oil from the surface of the water has reached the current , '' bertrand chapron of ifremer , the french research institute for exploitation of the sea , said in the statement .<doc-sep>new orleans , louisiana -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- even though hurricane alex was headed away from the site of the massive bp oil spill wednesday , it was affecting containment and collection efforts on multiple fronts , coast guard officials said . alex , upgraded from a tropical storm late tuesday , was causing heavy seas throughout the gulf of mexico on wednesday . that had several major consequences : oil skimming ships had to return to shore , containment booms were thrown asunder and efforts to burn oil on the surface and break it down through dispersants were put on hold , along with efforts to position a third ship to collect oil at the spill site . `` until the weather subsides , all we can do is have everything ready to attack and remove this oil once we have weather that 's more conducive , '' said rear adm. paul zukunft , who delivered a briefing for the coast guard on wednesday . `` we 've been held hostage for the last two days due to the prevailing weather , '' he said . alex -- the first hurricane of the atlantic hurricane season -- was picking up speed and coming ashore in an unpopulated area of northeastern mexico , some 100 miles south of the texas border . it is a category 2 storm with sustained winds of 100 mph . but even though the center of the storm is more than 600 miles from the spill site , it is producing high seas where the oil is located , according to cnn meteorologist chad myers . winds are 15 to 20 mph at the spill site , producing waves 6 to 8 feet high , he said . that poses a problem for the skimmers , zukunft said .

<t> new : coast guard initial assessment : human error probably involved . </t> <t> it was crew 's first voyage on cosco busan , which hit bay bridge in dense fog . </t> <t> crew not allowed to leave ship due to federal law , says coast guard . </t> <t> feds launch criminal probe ; 58,000 gallons leaked and killed nearly 400 birds . </t>

coast guard : oil spill probably due to ` human error '<T>

-lrb- lifewire -rrb- -- for some , valentine 's day can be heavenly . for others , it 's just plain hell . take felicia sullivan , of brooklyn . four years ago , she and her live-in boyfriend -- the guy she thought she would marry -- were having a pre-valentine 's day brunch when sullivan leaned over and whispered a few sweet nothings in his ear . `` i said , ` i 'm so happy to know that you 're the one for me . are n't you glad to know i 'm the one for you ? ' '' says sullivan , 32 , who works in marketing . `` and there was this silence . and then he was , like , ' i know you 're the one for me now . but can you give me until summer to make a final decision ? ' '' aghast at his response , sullivan quickly broke things off -- but she could n't move until she found a new apartment . home alone on february 14 in the apartment they shared , she decided to snoop through her ex-boyfriend 's e-mail and discovered he 'd had contact with several other women while they were together . `` i 've never been a big fan of the holiday , '' sullivan says . `` but now i typically refer to it as black monday ... '' watch whether romance is still alive '' good times , bad times . sullivan is n't alone in dreading valentine 's day . thanks to super-sized expectations and over-the-top commercialization , february 14 has gone from a sentimental aside to a pressure-filled gauntlet lined with chocolate boxes , tennis bracelets and cheesy stuffed bears . see where the love dollars go ''<doc-sep>`` the holiday 's designed to make you feel -lrb- bad -rrb- , '' says judy mcguire , author of `` how not to date . '' `` if you 're in a relationship , it 's never anything that it 's supposed to be . and if you 're single , you feel like a big loser because you do n't have anybody . i think people should lower valentine 's day expectations to pretty much nil . that way , anything that happens is good . '' brian wise , a 32-year-old technical writer from seattle has seen his valentine 's day go sideways repeatedly -- most memorably the time he ended up in handcuffs -lrb- and not in a good way -rrb- . `` last year , i was in singapore and i met this beautiful woman who took me to dinner at this hot , new restaurant , ' '' he says . `` but then she gets food poisoning and ends up in an alley with major gastrointestinal problems . and while i 'm standing guard , the cops pull up and think i 'm paying her for sex . '' wise talked his way out of an arrest -lrb- luckily , one of the policemen had eaten at the same place -rrb- but he 's found no release from his unlucky valentine 's . `` it does n't matter who i 'm out with , '' he says . `` the day is just cursed . '' there are ways , though , to avoid a miserable holiday . good plans .<doc-sep>most women will admit they like to celebrate , but a fancy night on the town is n't necessary . `` sometimes , hanging out at home can be a lot more fun than going out to some restaurant filled with couples , '' says author mcguire . `` stay home with champagne , caviar and maybe a new toy from a tasteful sex shop . '' if you 're not dating anyone , take some time to indulge yourself -lrb- a luxurious bar of chocolate , a pedicure -rrb- , do something relaxing -lrb- take a yoga class or get a massage -rrb- or spend time with some of your closest friends . make sure you 're on the same page . and if you do make plans , stick to them . galen , a 28-year-old secretary from seattle , and her boyfriend had made special valentine 's day plans a month in advance . but on the big night , his buddies showed up and talked him into going out with them instead . `` i was dressed to the nines , '' says galen , who asked that her last name not be used . `` when his friends stopped by , he says , ` do you mind if i go with them ? ' i said , ` fine , go , ' being totally sarcastic , and he picked up his coat and left . '' although they talked about it later , galen said , her boyfriend seemed not to understand that she was unhappy with his wanting to ditch her for his buddies . the two later broke up .<doc-sep>breaking a date on valentine 's day is definitely bad form , but automatically expecting one to happen -lrb- a much more common scenario -rrb- is also problematic . to avoid a disconnect with your significant other , mcguire suggests being honest . simply expecting your partner to know what you want is unrealistic . not-so-good gifts . if you decide to go the gift route , mcguire recommends not settling for a cliché like a stuffed animal or a hastily purchased bouquet of flowers . `` listen to what the person talks about , '' she says . `` she may want the new ` godzilla ' game for her wii . his underwear may be riddled with holes . '' another thing to avoid , advises katie briggs , 44 , of seattle , is the gag gift . a few years ago , briggs and a new beau went out to a nice restaurant where they shared dinner , drinks and presents . briggs gave her date homemade cookies and a starbucks gift card . he gave her a beautifully-wrapped box -- of spam . `` he thought it was the best joke ever , '' says briggs . `` but it just was n't thoughtful . if you 're going to go with a joke , you need to back it up with something else . '' e-mail to a friend . lifewire provides original and syndicated lifestyle content to web publishers . diane mapes is the author of `` how to date in a post-dating world . '' her column , `` single shot , '' appears in the seattle post-intelligencer .<doc-sep>editor 's note : a nationally syndicated columnist , roland s. martin is the author of `` listening to the spirit within : 50 perspectives on faith '' and `` speak , brother ! a black man 's view of america . '' visit his web site for more information . roland s. martin says he does n't buy all the hype associated with valentine 's day . -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- with retailers hurting and the u.s. president trying to encourage americans to spend money to restore consumer confidence , what i 'm about to say may seem like treason . but here goes : please boycott valentine 's day and all that is associated with this horrendous `` holiday . '' for several years i have ripped into valentine 's day . not because i 'm against love and relationships , but mainly because the holiday is such a farce . first of all , valentine 's day is not built around a religious event like christmas or easter ; nor does it have any special meaning to the nation such as memorial day or veterans day . it is nothing more than a commercial holiday created by rabid retailers who needed a major shopping day between christmas and easter in order to give people a reason to spend money .<doc-sep>americans spend quite a bit of money to show their love on valentine 's day -lrb- thursday just in case a few of you needed reminding -rrb- . here 's a breakdown , by the numbers : . $ 130.97 -- the per person average estimated amount that people will spend on valentine 's day . 224 million -- the estimated number of roses grown for valentine 's day . 51 % -- the percentage of people who buy red roses for this holiday . 64 % -- the percentage of men who buy flowers for valentine 's day .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- what 's on tap for you and your partner this valentine 's day ? a romantic dinner , a box of chocolates , maybe a bouquet of roses ? while all those gestures are thoughtful , the results of a new survey led by sex and relationships researcher kristen mark and the experts at good in bed suggest that most couples have something a little more intimate in mind . in fact , nearly 85 % of men and women report that sex is an important part of valentine 's day , and 50 % say that they 'll be disappointed if they do n't get lucky on the 14th . `` valentine 's day is second only to new year 's eve in the most celebrated holidays worldwide , '' explains mark . `` yet only a small amount of scientific literature has been dedicated to the attitudes , perceptions and participation in valentine 's day celebrations . '' to learn more about the way both couples and single people feel about the holiday , mark and her colleagues polled more than 2,000 men and women between age 18 and 70 , 66 % of whom were in long-term committed relationships . `` the results , '' says mark , `` give us insight into specific plans and expectations around this holiday . ''<doc-sep>editor 's note : upwave is turner broadcasting 's new lifestyle brand designed to entertain the health into you ! visit upwave.com for more information and follow upwave on twitter , facebook , youtube , pinterest and instagram @upwave . -lrb- upwave.com -rrb- -- emotionally , hearts are so darn vulnerable . they break from sorrow , burst with joy and occasionally grow three sizes in one day -lrb- if you 're a grinch , anyway -rrb- . physically , they are just as prone to damage . and yet on valentine 's day , a holiday dedicated to matters of this most vital organ , we splurge on sweets loaded with unhealthy fats , sugar and cholesterol . this year , turn over a new leaf : keep both your ticker and your tummy happy by diving into light , nutritious and oh-so-delicious valentine 's day desserts . upwave : tips for a happy and healthy valentine 's day . strawberry shortbread stacks from a guiltless glutton .

<t> woman remembers one valentine 's day as `` black monday '' </t> <t> high expectations for day can come crashing down . </t> <t> man ended valentine 's day in handcuffs with date puking . </t> <t> skip gag gifts -- can of spam not a good gift . </t>

valentine 's day : holiday from hell<T>

atlanta , georgia -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the rev. james orange , a civil rights activist whose 1965 jailing sparked a fatal protest that ultimately led to the famed selma-to-montgomery march and the voting rights act , died saturday at atlanta 's crawford long hospital , the southern christian leadership conference said in a statement . he was 65 . orange was a native of birmingham , alabama , `` who resided in southwest atlanta for four decades while fighting the good fight for equality and social justice for all mankind , '' said the sclc , a civil rights organization . orange was arrested and jailed in perry county , alabama , in 1965 on charges of disorderly conduct and contributing to the delinquency of minors for enlisting students to aid in voting rights drives . as rumors spread that orange would be lynched , civil rights activists organized a march to support him . however , the marchers clashed with alabama state troopers during the february 18 demonstration , and a young black man , jimmie lee jackson , was shot in the stomach . `` i could hear the singing and the commotion , '' orange told cnn last year . `` once the tear gas was flying and the shots started , i could n't tell what was going on . '' jackson , 26 , died eight days later . witnesses said jackson 's grandfather , who was active in the voting rights movement , had been beaten by troopers , and jackson was trying to get him to the hospital . the anger resulting from jackson 's death led civil rights leaders , including the rev. martin luther king jr. , to organize the selma-to-montgomery , alabama , voting rights march . the first attempt at that march was broken up by club-wielding state troopers and sheriff 's deputies , a melee that became known as `` bloody sunday . '' `` jimmie 's death is the reason that bloody sunday took place , '' orange said . `` had he not died , there would never have been a bloody sunday . '' on the marchers ' third attempt , in march , they made it to montgomery . president lyndon johnson signed the voting rights act into law in august 1965 . in may 2007 , a former alabama state trooper , james b. fowler , now 74 , was indicted in jackson 's shooting , one of several cases involving the deaths of civil rights activists that prosecutors have revived in recent years . fowler has claimed he shot jackson in self-defense , but orange and elijah rollins , who was upstairs at a nearby cafe when the shooting took place , last year disputed claims that protesters were throwing rocks and bottles at police . `` not one bottle or brick was thrown back at the troopers , '' said orange , adding that film and a justice department report back that up . he said he was glad jackson 's case had `` never been forgotten . '' orange was a project coordinator at the sclc from 1965 to 1970 , then later became a regional coordinator with the afl-cio in atlanta , the sclc said . since 1995 , he had served as the founder and general coordinator for the m.l. king jr. . march committee-africa/african american renaissance committee , inc. , which coordinated commemorative events honoring king and also promoted industry and commerce among atlanta , the united states and south africa . orange is survived by his wife , five children and two grandchildren , the sclc said . funeral arrangements were incomplete saturday . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>` everything that happened , happened for a reason , ' w.t. ` dub ' massey , one of the nine , told the associated press . ` we have to continue what we 're doing . if we 're backing off from what we 've done , then there 's a problem here . ' massey and seven other students at rock hill 's friendship junior college -- willie mccleod , robert mccullough , clarence graham , james wells , david williamson jr. , john gaines and mack workman -- were encouraged to violate the town 's jim crow laws by thomas gaither , who came to town as an activist with the congress of racial equality . about a year had passed since a sit-in at a segregated lunch counter in greensboro , north carolina , helped galvanize the nation 's civil rights movement . making history : james f. wells writes his signature on a book about the ` friendship nine ' , a group of black civil rights protesters arrested for trespassing in 1961 . but change was slow to come to rock hill . they decided to challenge matters by getting arrested in february 1961 for ordering lunch at mccrory 's variety store , and were convicted of trespassing and breach of peace . author kim johnson , who published ` no fear for freedom : the story of the friendship 9 '' ' last year , went to kevin brackett , the solicitor for york and union counties , to see what could be done to clean their records . ` this is an opportunity for us to bring the community together , ' johnson told the ap . ` to have the records vacated essentially says that it should have never happened in the first place . ' brackett 's request to a rock hill judge comes too late for mccullough , who died in 2006 . racial equality : james f. wells greets supporters after a group of black civil rights protesters nicknamed the ` friendship nine ' appeared at a courthouse to have their trespassing convictions vacated . supporters : matt talford -lrb- kneeling -rrb- , a resident of rock hill , watches court proceedings with others as a group of black civil rights protesters nicknamed the ` friendship nine ' appear at a courthouse .<doc-sep>schneiderman 's investigation came after two barney 's shoppers , both of whom are black , said last year they were detained by police after making expensive purchases at the madison avenue luxury emporium . in february , 21-year-old nursing student kayla phillips said she was surrounded by four plainclothes . cops who accused her of credit card fraud after she bought a $ 2,500 . orange suede celine bag . in april , 19-year-old student trayon christian said he was followed by nypd plainclothes cops outside the store and accused of fraud after he bought a $ 349 ferragamo belt . no charges were filed in both cases , but the customers filed lawsuits against the store and the nypd . the suits are pending . civil rights activist the rev. al sharpton met with lee to discuss the issue , and the furor spurred an online petition asking rapper jay-z , who was collaborating with the luxury retailer for a holiday collection , to disassociate from it .<doc-sep>tom brokaw , the former `` nbc nightly news '' anchor , will be honored as well , alongside actress marlo thomas , golfer charles sifford and author isabel allende . the other medalists are scientist mildred dresselhaus ; native american activist suzan harjo ; former reps. abner mikva of illinois and patsy takemoto mink of hawaii ; and economist robert solow . five awards will be delivered posthumously : to `` freedom summer '' civil rights activists james chaney , andrew goodman , and michael schwerner ; to the well-known choreographer alvin ailey , who founded the namesake dance company ; and to rep. edward roybal , the founder of the congressional hispanic caucus .<doc-sep>by . daily mail reporters . as a crowd of over 500 swelled in washington , dc saturday in protest over last weekend 's george zimmerman acquittal , some cried for a boycott against florida . comedian and long-time civil rights activist dick gregory addressed the crowd and told them to hit florida where it hurts -- in the wallet -- by steering clear of disney world and orange juice aisle . the rally was one of many nationwide over the weekend , where demands for ` justice for trayvon ' came in the form of calls for an end to florida 's stand your ground self-defense laws and for the prosecution of george zimmerman on charges he violated trayvon martin 's civil rights when he shot and killed the 17-year-old last year . news of the boycott call came as senator john mccain -lrb- r-az -rrb- joined president barack obama in calling for a review of stand your ground laws across the nation . scroll down for video . rallying cry : protestors at a rally in washington , dc called for an end to stand-your-ground type laws and some suggested ways to hit the state of florida where it hurts . ` going to see a rat ' : famed comedian and civil rights trailblazer dick gregory called for a boycott on florida orange juice and on the state 's tourist attractions like disney world . ' i can also see that stand your ground laws may be something that needs to be reviewed by the florida legislature or any other legislature that has passed such legislation , ' mccain told cnn , adding that his home state of arizona should consider similar action . mccain stopped short of calling for tougher gun controls though , saying ' i do n't frankly see the connection . . while praising protestors who staged a . sit-in as an attempt to cajole florida governor rick scott into meeting . with them , gregory told the crowd outside the federal courthouse in . washington that musician stevie wonder had the right idea when he . pledged to no longer perform in florida . ` how . many of y’ all have been to disneyland to see a rat , ' gregory asked with . trademark humor . ` but have n't walked down the street to see king 's . tomb ? had he not died , you would n't be welcome in orlando . so we not . asking you to do anything that costs you . we just say save your money . do n't spend it . ' as some members of the crowd chanted ` boycott florida , ' gregory continued with his characteristic humor , according to breitbart.com . ` some . of y’ all ai n't been to florida in your life and ai n't going , ' said . gregory . ` and all you got to do is get florida to come to you . now what . do i mean by that ? they got oranges that they ca n't afford to have you .

<t> orange jailed in alabama in 1965 for getting students to help voting rights drives . </t> <t> in march to support him , a man was killed , leading to ` bloody sunday , ' famed march . </t> <t> after successful selma-to-montgomery march , voting rights act signed into law . </t>

james orange , civil rights activist , dies at 65<T>

baghdad , iraq -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- oscar-winning actress angelina jolie is visiting iraq to boost what she sees as lagging efforts to deal with the problems of 2 million `` very very vulnerable '' internally displaced people in the wartorn country . angelina jolie has been working to focus attention on problem of refugees in iraq . `` there does n't seem to be a real coherent plan to help them , '' said jolie , speaking in an exclusive interview with cnn 's arwa damon thursday . `` there 's lots of goodwill . lots of discussion , but there seems to be a lot of talk at the moment , and a lot of pieces that need to be put together . i 'm trying to figure out what they are . '' a goodwill ambassador for the u.n. high commissioner for refugees , jolie wants to find ways to help the agency be more active inside war-torn iraq . watch cnn 's exclusive interview with jolie '' sunni-shiite sectarian violence in the country has sparked a displacement crisis that is considered the most significant in the middle east since the 1948 creation of israel . more than 4.2 million iraqis have fled their homes , around 2 million to neighboring states , mostly syria and jordan , and another 2.2 million displaced inside iraq . the flight was aggravated by the february 2006 bombing of a shiite shrine in samarra , an attack that stoked pitched sectarian warfare . many of the internally displaced live precarious lives amid conditions of squalor , crowded into camps and slums that often lack basic necessities , such as proper food , health care and shelter . `` how iraq settles in the years to come is going to affect the entire middle east , '' said jolie . `` it 's in our best interest to address a humanitarian crisis on this scale because displacement can lead to a lot of instability and aggression . '' read transcript of interview . jolie has been working to help draw attention to the problem and has called for governments to bolster their support of the u.n.h.c.r. . in august , jolie first visited iraq and syria to get a sense of the problem . she heard stories from refugees about their plight . watch as jolie lunches with troops '' this visit to iraq is focusing on the problems of the internally displaced , 58 percent of whom are under age 12 . a top issue for the agency is getting better security . jolie is talking with u.s. officials , including top u.s. gen. david petraeus , about that issue , and are willing to provide such security which she said `` needs to be addressed and solved . '' the iraqi government needs to empower agencies that deal with migration to address the concerns of the displaced -- but that has not happened yet , she said . jolie said it was crucial that the government prepare a plan to deal with refugees who return home from syria and jordan and find that their homes are `` occupied '' by others or `` bombed out . '' she emphasizes the way in which these people are resettled will have `` broad implications '' in the region . jolie also is talking to people about moving forward the u.s. effort to resettle iraqi refugees in the united states , which has set a goal of taking in 12,000 of those people by september . only 375 have been admitted so far . `` i have to believe there are people working toward that goal , '' she said . international agencies , such as the united nations and the arab league , and many countries in the region and in europe are addressing the refugee and the internally displaced persons ' crisis , and money is being allocated to iraq and host countries to help clothe , feed and house people . most of the refugees are in syria and jordan , and they reside in big cities like damascus and amman . the u.n.c.h.r. is trying to help governments in syria and jordan to cope with the influx , which has stretched the resources of institutions like schools and health systems . it is also attempting to help 41,000 non-iraqi refugees in iraq , such as palestinians and iranians . last month , the unhcr announced a plan to seek $ 261 million this year for its work to help these refugees . it has almost 350 staffers `` directly engaged in operations for iraq and the surrounding region . '' officials in iraq and the coalition have been heartened by the fact that some refugees are starting to trickle back home . but they are returning to a country where mixed shiite and sunni neighborhoods have turned into sunni or shiite enclaves and that they might not be able to return to their homes . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>baghdad , iraq -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- oscar-winning actress angelina jolie is visiting iraq to boost what she sees as lagging efforts to deal with the problems of 2 million `` very very vulnerable '' internally displaced people in the wartorn country . angelina jolie has been working to focus attention on problem of refugees in iraq . `` there does n't seem to be a real coherent plan to help them , '' said jolie , speaking in an exclusive interview with cnn 's arwa damon thursday . `` there 's lots of goodwill . lots of discussion , but there seems to be a lot of talk at the moment , and a lot of pieces that need to be put together . i 'm trying to figure out what they are . '' a goodwill ambassador for the u.n. high commissioner for refugees , jolie wants to find ways to help the agency be more active inside war-torn iraq . watch cnn 's exclusive interview with jolie ''<doc-sep>angelina jolie has called on the world 's leaders to do more to bring an end to the conflict in syria and iraq . the actress made the comments in her role as special envoy of the u.n. high commissioner for refugees , while visiting a kurdish refugee camp in dohuk , northern iraq , earlier today . the camp is currently home to tens of thousands of yazidis and other refugees who have been forced to abandon their homes in mosul , which has been invaded by the islamic state . scroll down for video ... surprise visit from a star : american actress and unhcr ambassador angelina jolie visited a camp for displaced iraqis in khanke , a few miles from the turkish border in iraq 's dohuk province today . she urged world leaders to do more for the region . highlighting an issue : more than a million refugees are now living in the region as a result of the syrian civil war and isis overtaking large swathes of iraq . reaching out : special envoy angelina jolie meets members of the yazidi minority in khanke idp camp in khanke , iraq . jolie was visiting syrian refugees and displaced iraqi citizens in the kurdistan region of iraq to offer support to 3.3 million displaced people in the country . more than a million refugees are now living in the region as a result of the syrian civil war and isis overtaking large swathes of iraq .<doc-sep>sunni-shiite sectarian violence in the country has sparked a displacement crisis that is considered the most significant in the middle east since the 1948 creation of israel . more than 4.2 million iraqis have fled their homes , around 2 million to neighboring states , mostly syria and jordan , and another 2.2 million displaced inside iraq . the flight was aggravated by the february 2006 bombing of a shiite shrine in samarra , an attack that stoked pitched sectarian warfare . many of the internally displaced live precarious lives amid conditions of squalor , crowded into camps and slums that often lack basic necessities , such as proper food , health care and shelter . `` how iraq settles in the years to come is going to affect the entire middle east , '' said jolie . `` it 's in our best interest to address a humanitarian crisis on this scale because displacement can lead to a lot of instability and aggression . '' read transcript of interview . jolie has been working to help draw attention to the problem and has called for governments to bolster their support of the u.n.h.c.r. . in august , jolie first visited iraq and syria to get a sense of the problem . she heard stories from refugees about their plight . watch as jolie lunches with troops ''<doc-sep>hoping her celebrity will bring attention to the widening syrian refugee crisis , actress and u.n. envoy angelina jolie spoke of the horrors that children , many of them orphans , have witnessed in syria . `` body parts separated , and burned people being pulled apart like chicken -- a little 9-year-old girl said that , '' jolie said during her visit to a refugee tent camp in jordan near the syrian border . every day , an estimated 2,000 syrians are fleeing the relentless bloodshed that has gripped their country for the past 18 months , the united nations ' refugee agency said tuesday . that adds up to more than one quarter million syrian refugees -- 253,000 -- now living in camps and other temporary homes inside jordan , turkey , lebanon , and iraq . u.n. breakdown of refugees . life in the dusty zaatari refugee camp outside mafraq , jordan , is not easy for those living there , many of whom have almost nothing after leaving their homes amid violence . members of one family told cnn they had fled over the border with a 4-day-old baby and the clothes on their backs . others complained of being short of food and water . escorted to the border overnight by the jordanian military , jolie witnessed the moment when syrians crossed into jordan , becoming refugees before her eyes . the actress , who is raising six children with partner brad pitt , said she was greatly moved by what she had seen and spoke of the connection she felt in particular with the mothers and their children as they faced such challenging times . `` the amount of innocent children that have been reported dead , the amount of innocent children i 've met here who are wounded and unaccompanied -- with their parents being killed and now they 're on their own -- it 's impossible to imagine any mother standing by and not stepping up and doing something to prevent this , '' she said . jolie has made countless trips to the world 's hotspots in her role as a u.n. goodwill ambassador -- including a visit to syrian refugees in turkey last year . jordan is bearing the brunt of the refugee crisis sparked by syria 's civil war : more than 85,000 refugees have escaped to jordan , and many more have fled to neighboring turkey , lebanon and iraq . `` jordan has already reached its limit in absorbing the refugee influx , and what is needed now is to build more refugee camps for the syrian refugees , '' jordanian foreign minister nasser judeh said . `` we have limited means , but this is the land of the good people , and we will share with them whatever we have , no matter how little -lrb- it -rrb- is . '' jolie urged other countries to do more to help the syrian people .

<t> angelina jolie visits iraq to boost efforts to help internally displaced refugees . </t> <t> actress tells cnn : `` there does n't seem to be real coherent plan to help them '' </t> <t> jolie is goodwill ambassador for u.n. high commissioner for refugees . </t> <t> more than 4.2 million iraqis have fled homes , 2 million to neighboring states . </t>

jolie in iraq : 2m refugees need help<T>

naples , italy -- udinese remained in fifth place in italy 's serie a after suffering a 3-1 defeat away to napoli on saturday , with both teams having a player sent off . ezequiel lavezzi inspired napoli to victory against udinese , netting twice and setting up the first goal . ezequiel lavezzi scored twice in two minutes to end a goal drought lasting two and a half months , netting on 74 and 75 as napoli moved up to ninth in the table . the argentine also provided the cross that udinese defender cristian zapata put into his own net to leave the visitors playing catch-up from just the third minute . pepe leveled the score on nine minutes , and then napoli played with 10 men from the 36th minute after paolo cannavaro was expelled for a last-man foul . but the teams were even in numbers again after pepe was ejected for a second yellow card on 60 minutes . udinese are still four points behind fourth-placed fiorentina and the last champions league berth .<doc-sep>fiorentina hosts ac milan , which has 30 points , on sunday . in saturday 's other match , fabrizio miccoli scored the only goal to give palermo a 1-0 victory over livorno . miccoli struck in the 76th minute with a shot from just outside the area with livorno goalkeeper marco amelia partially unsighted by several players . palermo keeper alberto fontana saved a penalty by francesco tavano at the end of the first half , and had to make several vital stops in the first opening period . palermo had lost their last three serie a matches and dropped down the table , but the win put them one point above napoli in eighth . in sunday 's other matches , leaders inter milan host second-bottom empoli and second-placed roma travel to third-bottom siena . genoa are at home to catania , third-placed juventus host bottom club cagliari , sampdoria travel to lazio , parma play atalanta and reggina face fellow strugglers torino . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>david luiz failed to deal with a long ball out of the napoli defense and allowed cavani to nip ahead of him . the uruguayan did superbly to steady himself and slide the ball across for the on-rushing lavezzi to stroke him his second to double napoli 's lead . a poor night for chelsea could have become worse late on , when ashley cole 's goalline clearance deprived christian maggio of scoring a fourth goal which would surely have sealed napoli 's qualification into the quarterfinals . chelsea have now gone five matches without a victory as speculation continues over the future of under-pressure manager andre villas boas . and the result also means the very real possibility of no english sides reaching the last eight of the competition for the first time since 1996 .<doc-sep>but were the barcelona star to have another match of minimal impact , as against holland in the semi-final , then others will need to step up to beat germany . lavezzi could be that man . he is another stocky forward of skill and speed , and earned that maradona comparison by becoming a hero at napoli . those fans adored him as one third of a triumvirate with edinson cavani and marek hamsik as napoli challenged for serie a and won coppa italia . there is a rock 'n' roll edge to his personality that echoes maradona , demonstrated by several tattoos , including an evil clown on his shoulder and a handcuffed pocket-watch on his back , alongside portraits of jesus and the virgin mary -lrb- his christian name means ` god strengthens ' -rrb- . hero : diego maradona lifts the world cup in 1986 after being the star of the tournament . passion : lavezzi celebrates with team-mates after argentina beat belgium . after a champions league game against manchester city in 2011 , lavezzi was seen with sergio aguero opening a bottle of beer with his teeth and he once said : ` if i have a chance to party then i will , no problem . '<doc-sep>in italy 's serie a udinese missed the chance of returning to the top of the league after losing away to napoli 2-0 . two first half strikes from ezequiel lavezzi and christian maggio ended udinese 's unbeaten start to the season . but the result of the night saw ac milan score four goals in successive games after beating parma 4-1 . milan found themselves 3-0 down against lecce last week before mounting a thrilling comeback . a second half kevin prince boetang hat-trick secured an unlikely 4-3 victory and it was another three-goal haul that guaranteed all the points against parma . this time antonio nocerino was the hero . his first half double put milan in control before zlatan ibrahimovic put the victory beyond parma , who scored a late consolation before nocerino completed his hat-trick in the 90th minute . `` right now the important thing is to return to the top and we can do that , '' coach massimiliano allegri told afp . `` this is an important result to give us consistency . the table is starting to get stretched and we must stay amongst the leaders . ''<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- ac milan reclaimed second place in italy 's serie a with a tempestuous 2-1 victory at napoli on monday night which saw the home side reduced to 10 men for half the game before a near-brawl erupted late in the match . milan reduced lazio 's lead to two points after eight rounds thanks to a goal in each half from forwards robinho and zlatan ibrahimovic , putting massimiliano allegri 's team two clear of third-placed city rivals inter . napoli , who were left in sixth place , had midfielder michele pazienza sent off in first-half injury-time for a second handball offense but managed to reduce the deficit with 12 minutes to play with an ingenious effort from striker ezequiel lavezzi . milan went into the match hoping to capitalize on defending champions inter 's 1-1 draw with sampdoria on sunday , and made the perfect start when robinho opened the scoring in the 22nd minute . the brazil star , starting in place of injured compatriot ronaldinho , calmly sidefooted home a left-foot shot from the edge of the area following a fine cutback from substitute massimo oddo . oddo , who came on for defender luca antonini , had found space down the right with napoli down to 10 men as christian maggio received treatment for a head injury suffered in the collision that saw the milan player leave the field 10 minutes earlier . maggio was then replaced by algeria international hassan yebda , and matters got worse for napoli when pazienza was sent off in the first minute of time added on . however , lavezzi almost equalized before the halftime whistle blew with a superb header that required a flying save from milan keeper christian abbiati . abbiati was again called into action on the hour mark when he denied a fierce effort from slovakia midfielder marek hamsik as napoli continued to press forward , but ibrahimovic made it 2-0 in the 71st minute with his third league goal since returning to serie a from barcelona . the sweden striker bulleted in a powerful header from another oddo cross that keeper morgan de sanctis could only deflect into his net . but napoli hit back seven minutes later when lavezzi picked himself off the floor following a goalmouth scramble to scoop a delightful flick over abbiati and in off the crossbar . tensions boiled over in the 83rd minute when salvatore aronica appeared to catch robinho in the face with a flying arm , resulting in kevin prince-boateng racing in with a rash challenge on the napoli midfielder before confronting him . aronica and the ghana midfielder were both booked along with napoli 's argentine defender hugo campagnaro as players piled in from both sides , including ibrahimovic -- who appeared to be sent off after encroaching on the pitch following his earlier substitution . napoli forced two corners in the five minutes of time added on but could not level despite de sanctis joining in the attacks , giving milan a morale-boosting win ahead of this weekend 's clash with fifth-placed juventus . meanwhile , promoted real sociedad moved up to 11th place in spain 's la liga after a 3-0 win at home to struggling deportivo la coruna on monday night . striker joseba llorente opened the scoring in the 17th minute from from alberto de la bella 's cross , and 19-year-old french winger antoine griezmann made it 2-0 with 20 minutes to play with a second headed strike before a bizarre celebration which saw him jump behind the wheel of a car parked on the side of the pitch . striker imanol agirretxe sealed the victory in the 86th minute after being set free by fellow substitute jeffrey sarpong to leave 1999-2000 spanish champions deportivo languishing second from bottom in the table .

<t> udinese stay fifth in italy 's serie a after suffering a 3-1 defeat away to napoli . </t> <t> ezequiel lavezzi scored twice in two second-half minutes to end goal drought . </t> <t> both teams were reduced to 10 men , with one player sent off in each half . </t> <t> fabrizio miccoli scores only goal to give palermo a 1-0 victory over livorno . </t>

lavezzi double lifts napoli to victory<T>

london , england -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a six-month trial was launched this week that promises to transform the way luggage is tracked and monitored at london 's heathrow airport . as many as 28 in every 1,000 passengers do not arrive at their destination at the same time as their luggage . the trial -- run by baa and airline emirates -- is using rfid -lrb- radio-frequency identification -rrb- technology to tag baggage . this will allow staff to more accurately track bags passing through the airport . the crucial difference between rfid and the existing barcode system is its scanning accuracy . barcode tags can be easily damaged in transit and are also at risk of being covered when scanned . if not scanned , details must be entered manually into the system , adding time and error to the process . baa estimates that heathrow can read only 60 per cent of labels that pass through . rfid is reported to offer over 99 percent accuracy . the # 150,000 trial -- the first of its kind in the uk -- will continue for six months tracking bags for passengers traveling with emirates to and from dubai , and transferring through heathrow . a duplicate of the heathrow system has been installed at dubai airport . during the check-in process at heathrow terminal 3 , staff apply tags containing rfid chips to bags with information including the passenger 's name and route . the chips are then read on entry into the baggage system ; they are tracked as they move throughout ; and finally on leaving the system . as a result , says shaun cowlam , logistics director at heathrow airport , staff can know where a bag is at `` every moment of every day '' . baa is also considering introducing a sms text messaging service to keep passengers informed of where their bags are . when passengers arrive at heathrow , says cowlam , the idea will be to send passengers a text informing them what belt and what time their bags will arrive at . ultimately , the use of rfid could extend services to frequent flyers , and provide the means to added value services such as faster check-in , and even be integrated with secure collection and delivery . the main benefits , however , will be for travelers passing through major hubs such as heathrow and dubai , as this system offers better processing of baggage on transfer flights . emirates and baa are sharing the costs of the trial . but as vic sheppard , emirates vice president for uk and ireland says , `` cost is not an issue '' , especially considering the savings the airline is expected to achieve by reducing loss and repatriation of bags . and as cowlam adds : `` if we can introduce this across the whole network the costs will reduce significantly . '' hong kong international airport was one of the first to deploy rfid technology in 2005 . but as outlined in a recent survey by sita , rfid is being used in just 6 percent of the airports surveyed . `` for this system to really take off we need other airports and other airlines to embrace the technology , '' says cowlam . that widespread adoption may not be far off . the sita survey indicated that rfid tags will be used in 45 percent of airports by the end of 2009 . it 's still early days , but baa and emirates are optimistic for rfid 's future in airports . `` there have been giant strides in the technology in aviation in recent years . but in the last few decades there has n't been any advancement in the methods adopted for baggage handling , '' says sheppard . `` this is a major step forward . '' e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>by . donna mcconnell , sarah bull and julian gavaghan . published : . 04:12 est , 30 may 2012 . | . updated : . 11:18 est , 30 may 2012 . american reality tv star kim kardashian has sparked a new row over heathrow baggage handlers after she accused british airways workers of stealing ` irreplaceable ' items from her luggage after a recent flight . she says staff at the airport , which is already facing claims it will struggle to cope with the surge in passengers during the olympics , may have taken several handbags and ` priceless ' sunglasses she inherited from her late father . the allegations spark new fears that security at heathrow may be returning to the lax levels last seen in the 1980s when it was nicknamed thiefrow due to its reputation for high rates of luggage theft . furious : kim kardashian accused ba of stealing a pair of sunglasses given her by her late father robert , right , who served as the lawyer sensationally who helped clear oj simpson of murder . supermodel naomi campbell also accused ba staff of stealing her possessions during the 2008 baggage debacle and claimed she was a ` martyr ' after being arrested for assaulting two police officers at terminal 5 . miss kardashian , whose father robert was the lawyer who sensationally helped clear oj simpson of murder , arrived back in los angeles on friday night after flying from nice via heathrow . she is said to have found that her luggage was significantly lighter than it had been on the way out . on further inspection , she is reported to have discovered that the sunglasses , which robert gave her before he died in 2003 , were missing from her case . u.s. website tmz.com also claim that ` several extremely expensive purses and tumi luggage ' were missing . allegations : miss kardashian arriving at heathrow on may 16 to begin her nine-day european visit , left , and back in los angeles on friday with her ` lighter ' bags being pushed by a minder . trial : a dry-run at heathrow last week saw staff deal with an extra bags in preparation for the olympics when it will deal with 600,000 extra visitors during the games - and 43,000 more august 13 alone . miss kardashian had earlier written on her twitter page : ` very disappointed in british airways for . opening my luggage & taking some special items of mine ! some things . are sentimental & not replaceable . ` what happened to the days when you . could lock your bags ! we need to get back to that . there 's no sense of . security & no trust ! shame on you -lrb- sic -rrb- ' the reality star , who is back in los angeles after a whistle-stop promotional tour of london , .<doc-sep>coleen rooney has claimed her designer luggage was ` ransacked ' after arriving two days late in las vegas from heathrow , as british airways admits thousands of passengers have been caught up in baggage chaos . the 28-year-old wife of england striker wayne rooney flew with ba to sin city on saturday for a family holiday . but after her luggage arrived two days late , she tweeted : ` feel sick ... . just received my 4 cases 2 . days late from ba heathrow to las vegas . opened them all and they have . been completely ransacked . ' mrs rooney is not the only passenger out of heathrow to experience problems with baggage over the last week . scroll down for video . coleen rooney has claimed her designer luggage was ` ransacked ' after arriving two days late in las vegas from heathrow , as british airways admits thousands of passengers have been caught up in baggage chaos . the 28-year-old wife of england striker wayne rooney flew with ba to sin city on saturday for a family holiday . poolside : coleen rooney still managed to find a bikini to wear despite her luggage drama . vip : the manchester united striker and his beau were seen partying with a group of friends . twitter rant : coleen took to social media to vent her rage after her bags were ransacked en route to las vegas . a . fault with the system in terminal five means thousands of bags have . been left grounded while their owners continued to their destinations . euan fordyce , a spokesman for british airways , told yahoo travel that the baggage had not been ` lost ' but merely ` missed its flight . ' he said : ' i do not have a total figure , but it has been in the thousands , as the problem happened across a number of days . ' the . problem hit the airport on thursday when a computer glitch caused the . conveyor belts that loads bags onto planes to shut down . baggage handlers tried to put the cases onto the aircraft manually but . were unable to keep pace with the flight schedule , meaning many left . without being fully loaded . heathrow declined to comment on mrs rooney 's situation but british airways said they had contacted mrs rooney to begin an investigation into the incident . and a spokesman told mailonline the wider baggage problem should be sorted by the end of today , by which time they believed the last of the remaining bags would have been shipped on from heathrow .<doc-sep>budget : british airways passengers will soon be able to fly from london heathrow and city airports on a ` no-frills ' hand-luggage only ticket . ba said it is making short-haul . flights cheaper for those who do not want to fly with hold luggage , but . denied that it had been forced to change its fares structure to compete . with budget airlines . ` we are basically offering the fare to adapt to travellers ' requirements and to give them what they want , ' said a spokesman . the charge follows a trial over the summer on short-haul routes from gatwick , where ba faces strong competition from easyjet . many . airlines now impose add-on charges for services including baggage , . food , seat reservations , priority boarding , fast-track security or seats .<doc-sep>a passenger on a british airways flight lost luggage worth over # 2,000 . nora low was flying from a two-week . business tip in amsterdam to her brother 's birthday celebration in lake . tahoe , california . she was among thousands of british . airways passengers flying out of london heathrow who discovered that her luggage was missing thanks to a computer . glitch . let down : nora low took to twitter to vent her frustrations about british airways losing her luggage . ` it completely ruined my vacation , ' she said . ' i had about $ 4,000 -lrb- # 2,000 -rrb- worth of clothing in it . ' ` not . only did their customer service stop taking phone calls ; their . voicemail filled up , and they were n't allowing you to leave a message . ' like many frustrated travellers looking for answers , ms low took to twitter . ' i . just started tweeting , ' she said . ` that 's when i started to realise .

<t> new trial at heathrow airport will use rfid to accurately track and monitor luggage . </t> <t> compared to exsiting bar codes , rfid tags offer 15 percent more reading accuracy . </t> <t> a proposed service will send sms to passengers informing when bags arrive . </t>

heathrow trial tackles lost luggage<T>

beirut , lebanon -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- supporters and opponents of lebanon 's pro-western government appeared to split seats on sunday as lebanese voters went to the polls to replace two ruling-party lawmakers assassinated in recent months . lebanese women wait in line to cast their votes in beirut . voters in beirut sent pro-government candidate mohammed al-amin itani to parliament to replace walid eido , who was killed in a june bombing .<doc-sep>both eido , a sunni muslim , and itani are members of the bloc led by saad hariri -- the son of former prime minister rafik hariri , whose 2005 killing triggered lebanon 's current wave of political upheaval . but in metn , a maronite christian suburb east of the capital , anti-government candidate camille khouri upset former president amin gemayel by a few hundred votes , lebanese television network lbc reported . khouri is a member of the free patriotic movement , the anti-government party led by former lebanese army gen. michel aoun . aoun has said he will run for president of lebanon -- and since the post is chosen by members of parliament , sunday 's results were closely watched .<doc-sep>gemayel was seeking the seat held by his son pierre , who served as industry minister in the government of prime minister fouad siniora before being gunned down in his car in november 2006 . he served as president from 1982 to 1988 , during the civil war in lebanon . his brother , bashir gemayel , was elected president in 1982 but was assassinated before he could take office . eido and gemayel were among several lebanese political figures killed since the february 2005 killing of the elder hariri . all were critical of syria 's influence in lebanon , and their supporters blamed damascus for their deaths -- allegations the syrians and their allies in lebanon denied .<doc-sep>hariri 's killing triggered a wave of protests against syria known as the `` cedar revolution , '' which brought siniora 's government to power and forced syria to withdraw the garrison it kept in lebanon for three decades . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's nada husseini contributed to this report .<doc-sep>23 , a shop attendant in the stricken area , said : ` we were opening our . store when we heard the blast . it was really loud . ` we are used to blasts in lebanon but not in this area . now we are not safe anywhere . ' ziad , . a 37-year-old businessman whose office is located near the scene of the . attack , told afp : ` chatah was a really respectful person . he was very . nice . i was so shocked he has been killed . ' asked whether he felt safe in the country , which has suffered a string of explosions in recent months , ziad said : ` if i had the chance to take my wife and children somewhere else , i would . ' the attack was a grim reminder that the violence that tore lebanon apart during the civil war is never far away and comes as war rages across the border in syria . massive blast : a view of a crater that was caused by the explosion can be seen in the foreground as firefighters tackle a car fire in the background . the attack was a grim reminder that the violence that tore lebanon apart during the civil war is never far away and comes as war rages across the border in syria . the 33-month conflict , which has . reportedly killed more than 126,000 people , has deepened political and . sectarian divisions in lebanon , and sparked often deadly fighting . between opponents and supporters of the syrian regime . chatah , . an influential economist and former minister of finance and lebanon 's . envoy to washington , had served as adviser to ex-premiers fuad siniora . and his successor saad hariri . hariri heads the anti-syria march 14 coalition , a group which emerged after his billionaire father and ex-premier rafiq hariri was killed in a massive beirut seafront car bombing in february 2005 that was blamed on syria . the coalition backs syrian rebels who have been battling president bashar al-assad 's forces since mid-march 2011 in a bid to topple his regime . president michel sleiman warned in november that hezbollah 's involvement in syria was a threat to lebanon 's ` national unity and civil peace ' . his comments to mark the 70th anniversary of lebanon 's independence came just two days after a double suicide bombing struck the embassy of iran , an ally of both hezbollah and the syrian regime , killing 25 people , and weeks after bombings struck hezbollah 's southern beirut bastion . lebanon has been without a government for months over deep divisions between hezbollah and the parties opposed to its involvement in syria . friday 's bombing came as lebanese celebrated the christmas festivities .<doc-sep>that mohammed should be moved there along with other terror suspects . she wrote ex-secretary of state colin powell said ` one of us needs to go ' in reference to ex-defence secretary donald rumsfeld , before he left himself . ms rice claimed mr rumsfeld once told her ` i do n't do detainees ' and said that his relationship with her ` just does n't work ' . in addition she writes about last-minute nuclear negotiations with india and almost reaching a peace deal between israel and palestine , . reported the new york times . she added colonel gaddafi had an ` eerie fascination ' with her and bizarrely made a video with pictures of her and a song called ` black flower in the white house ' . she also claims lebanon president emile lahoud needed a shower .<doc-sep>a new gallup poll shows that the majority of americans do n't want president barack obama calling all the shots anymore . americans say by a large margin that they 'd rather obama back off and let republicans take the lead in the new congress than the other way around . the poll supports republican claims that last week 's midterm elections were in fact a referendum on the president - an assessment the white house has forcibly denied both before and after the president 's party was walloped at the ballot box . scroll down for video . president barack obama , pictured in beijing , china earlier today , is vowing to forge ahead with his plans on immigration and other items on his policy agenda , despite last week 's election results . even before last week 's midterm elections the white house had been spinning expected democratic loses as mostly unrelated to obama , saying individual candidates , not the nation 's leader , were on the ballot this year . after his party 's candidates were demolished in the off-year elections and exit polls showed that a third of voters came out to send the president a message of opposition - compared to just 19 percent who said they were voting that day to support obama - the president still vowed to forge ahead with his agenda , regardless of anyone else 's opinion on the matter . ` my job over the next couple of years is to do some practical , concrete things as much as possible with congress , ' obama said during a post-election press conference last wednesday . ` where it 's not possible with congress , ' he said , i 'll do it ` on my own , to show people why we should be confident and to give people a sense of progress and a sense of hope . '<doc-sep>but now he is flirting with becoming the worst-performing two-term president in modern memory as he enters his final two years in office . in the middle of his sixth december in the oval office tenure , bill clinton 's approval in the gallup poll stood at 67 per cent -- and that ringing endorsement came just a week before house republicans voted to impeach him . dwight d. eisenhower 's rating was 57 per cent in december 1958 , during a year when he sent american military forces to occupy parts of lebanon . about 48 per cent of americans approved of ronald reagan in december 1986 , despite the pall of the iran-contra scandal hanging over the white house . gallup 's poll numbers over the years show that president obama could be one scandal away from dipping into george w. bush 's job-approval territory . an average of obama 's poll numbers shows his approval ratings have been ` under water ' since june 2013 . only george w. bush has fared worse than obama , according to gallup , rating just 37 per cent approval at the same point in his presidency where obama finds himself now . americans had a deep sense of iraq war ` fatigue ' in december 2006 , and democrats had just taken control of both houses of congress in a decisive midterm election . those circumstances mirror obama 's . the self-proclaimed islamic state continues to threaten american interests in iraq and syria , and republicans are preparing to take the reins on both ends of the u.s. capitol for the first time since bush faced the same lame-duck status eight years ago . other presidents going back to the mid-1950s -- john f. kennedy , lyndon johnson , richard nixon , gerald ford , jimmy carter and george h.w. bush -- served less than eight years in the white house .

<t> former lebanese president amin gemayel loses by a few hundred votes . </t> <t> candidates will replace legislator pierre gemayel and lawmaker walid eido . </t> <t> both were allies of u.s.-backed lebanese government and opponents of syria . </t>

ex president loses lebanon poll<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- pastor brady boyd calls it the `` highlight of my ministry '' -- seeing the parents of the man who shot up his church be embraced by the parents of two teenage sisters who were killed in the attack . a former roommate took this photo of matthew murray performing in a 2002 christmas program . `` the four of them met and hugged and cried , '' said boyd , the senior pastor at new life church in colorado springs , colorado . `` it made me evaluate my own life and think , ` is there anyone i 'm not forgiving ? ' '' boyd was referring to a meeting on january 3 between ron and loretta murray , whose 24-year-old son matthew carried out the december 9 attack at new life church , and david and marie works , whose daughters , stephanie , 18 , and rachael , 16 , were killed in the rampage . david works also was wounded in the shootings . learn more about the victims '' the pastor said he invited the murrays to visit the new life campus after praying over the holidays . the family immediately accepted his invitation and was given a guided `` step-by-step '' tour of where the rampage took place and shown where their son died . `` it was extremely emotional . they wanted to hear the details . i kept telling them i would stop with details , but they wanted to hear them , '' he told cnn in a phone interview this week . at one point , the parents also met with security guard jeanne assam , who shot their son in the leg before he turned his gun on himself . the parents thanked assam for her swift action and for helping save more lives , said casey nikoloric , a murray family spokeswoman and long-time friend . `` they told assam that they were so deeply sorry she had to do what she did , '' said nikoloric . `` there were tears , lots of embraces , prayers . '' the visit , she said , was `` very , very , very important '' in the healing process for the murrays as they deal with the loss of their son and the terror he inflicted .<doc-sep>boyd agreed . `` i thought this would be best for the murrays , '' he said , adding that it touched everyone involved . `` i 've never seen repentance and forgiveness as profound as i did that day . '' the murrays toured the church with their other son , christopher , 20 , a student at oral roberts university . the murrays met the works in boyd 's office . he said he also asked the murrays to share `` some of the good memories '' of matthew as a boy . `` it put it in context : this kid was raised in an upper middle-class home and had every chance to do well , '' boyd said . `` you wonder what went wrong for matthew . they described matthew as any parent would describe their son . '' the pastor said he did n't tell many people about the meeting before it happened , fearing it `` could have gotten volatile and hostile . '' `` it was risky , but i knew enough about the murrays to know they were mature and good people , '' he said . on sunday , he began his sermon by telling his congregation about what had transpired just a few days earlier . he was met with loud applause . matthew murray began his assault that day at the youth with a mission center in arvada , colorado , killing two people -- tiffany johnson , 26 , and philip crouse , 24 -- and wounding two others before he went to the new life church , about 80 miles away . the murrays visited the mission center december 12 and met with the families of the slain victims , according to nikoloric . `` the depth of our sorrow and our grief is greater than we could possibly describe , '' the murrays said in a written statement . `` but with thanks to god , these remarkable families and their pastors and churches , healing and reconciliation have begun . '' e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- kim kardashian has 22 million followers on instagram . in fact , she has more followers than the entire population of scandinavia . in november , she tried to `` break the internet '' with her provocative nude pictures . as a child psychiatrist and mother of three , i am not shocked by the exhibitionism or desire for publicity at all costs . i am struck by the disconnect between what educators and policy makers are saying about growing up in the digital world and the reality of popular culture . i am also reminded that parents are far too ambivalent about so called `` privacy '' online . we tell our kids not to share personal information or sext , yet our tweens and teens roll their eyes at us because sexting and over-sharing -lrb- a la kim kardashian -rrb- is ubiquitous . the american academy of pediatrics has taken a strong stance on no screen time before the age of 2 and less than 2 hours of screen for older kids . this is a far cry from the reality in which tweens and teenagers can average over 8 hours a day . most parents are inundated with the message that they should limit screen time at all costs and take away the phone if their teens and tweens misbehave . but removing devices from the equation temporarily does little to address the issue . the atlantic magazine reported on a high school sexting scandal so rampant that the police had to stop interviewing teenagers due to concern that they would end up confiscating the majority cell phones belonging to teens in the county . we either `` respect '' our children 's privacy and have no clue about what they are doing online or we act cowardly by `` spying '' on them , which only creates a foundation of mistrust to build upon .<doc-sep>nearly half of parents install some sort of online controls , the survey said . forty-four percent know their teens ' passwords , and one in 10 uses a location-monitoring device . not everyone advocates that approach to teen online security , however . `` we do n't think it 's a good idea for parents to spy on their kids surreptitiously , because eventually they 're going to find something they have to confront them about , and it 's going to destroy the other lines of communication , '' justin patchin , a criminal justice professor and co-director of the cyberbullying research center , told cnn in 2010 . in the report , mcafee also encourages parents to be upfront with their children if they decide to monitor their behaviors . `` half of teens say they would think twice about their online activities if they knew parents were watching , '' the report said . the mcafee-funded report , which was carried out by the research company tru , surveyed 1,013 parents and 1,004 teens between the ages of 13 and 17 . the interviews were conducted online in may . the report , titled `` the digital divide : how the online behavior of teens is getting past parents '' -lrb- pdf -rrb- , also includes a list of the `` top 10 ways teens are fooling their parents . '' here 's the list , with the percentage of teens who said they engaged in these behaviors , according to the survey results : . 1 . clear browser history -lrb- 53 % -rrb- . 2 . close/minimize browser when parent walked in -lrb- 46 % -rrb- .<doc-sep>` all she said after i prayed with her was , `` tell my mom i 'm going to be ok , and give her a hug for me '' , ' quiles , 35 , told wptv . ' i just began to cry when i saw her take her last breath , ' he said , becoming emotional . on friday , he met with stone 's heartbroken parents to comfort them and pass on her dying wish . ' i told her , `` sorry , i wish i could have done more '' , ' said quiles . ` she said that susie 's a beautiful girl who loved life . ' stone 's mother said that she was glad her daughter had an angel by her side . heartbreaking : quiles gives susie 's devastated mother a hug - as the 21-year-old had asked . sadness : her mother and father -lrb- in white -rrb- broke down in tears as they prayed together on friday .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the parents of an american journalist missing in syria have a new message for his captors : `` let us be a whole family again . '' in a statement published thursday on the mcclatchy newspapers website , austin tice 's parents say he went to syria to share the stories of the country 's people . `` we urge you , whoever you are : let austin come home for christmas , '' marc and debra tice wrote . `` let us hug him , laugh and cry with him , love him in person . '' austin tice , who was working as a freelancer for mcclatchy and other news outlets , last contacted his family on august 13 while in syria reporting on the uprising against president bashar al-assad 's government . he was reportedly preparing to leave syria for lebanon when he went missing , according to his family . read more : syrian government denies holding missing journalist , father says . in thursday 's statement , marc and debra tice describe their son as someone who has `` a special affinity for the people of the middle east . ''

<t> parents of church shooter meet with victims ' family . </t> <t> they `` met and hugged and cried , '' pastor says . </t> <t> matthew murray , 24 , killed four people in two shootings , before killing himself . </t> <t> his parents also thanked guard who shot their son . </t>

killer 's parents hug , cry with parents of 2 slain teens<T>

new york -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- city officials in new york have denied iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad 's request to visit the site of the destroyed world trade center next week , a police spokesman said wednesday . iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad asked to visit ground zero , but new york city officials said no . the controversial , outspoken president wanted to `` pay his respects '' and lay a wreath at the site of the 2001 al qaeda attacks during his visit to the u.n. general assembly , police commissioner raymond kelly said , citing iranian officials . but workers are rebuilding the foundations of the site , `` and it would not be possible for him to go where other people do n't go , '' kelly told cnn . iranian officials have not put in any additional requests to visit the public platforms at ground zero , police spokesman paul browne told cnn . but , he said , `` if there were a further request , we 'd reject it '' because of security fears . watch why new york said no to iranian leader '' the iranian mission to the u.n. said it had not been told of the decision , but in a statement issued wednesday evening , it called the rejection `` unfortunate . ''<doc-sep>iran is ruled by a shiite muslim government hostile to the fundamentalist sunni al qaeda . ahmadinejad 's predecessor at the time of the september 11 attacks , mohammed khatami , condemned them , and tehran cooperated with the u.s.-led campaign to topple al qaeda 's taliban allies in afghanistan that followed . the united states and iran have not had formal diplomatic relations since 1980 after iranian militants stormed the united states embassy in tehran and held americans hostage for 444 days . the united states considers iran a state sponsor of terrorism and has accused the country of meddling in iraq and in afghanistan where u.s. troops are battling taliban and al qaeda remnants more than six years after the september 11 , 2001 , attacks . more than 2,700 people died in the attack on the world trade center , when al qaeda terrorists flew hijacked passenger jets into the twin towers . a third jet hit the pentagon , and a fourth crashed in a pennsylvania field after passengers resisted their hijackers . `` it is appalling that president ahmadinejad , one of the world 's leading sponsors of terror , would find it appropriate to visit this hallowed ground , '' state department spokesman tom casey said .<doc-sep>several presidential candidates also condemned the requested visit . hillary clinton , the new york senator and democratic front-runner , called the request `` unacceptable . '' former massachusetts gov. mitt romney , a leading republican , called it `` shockingly audacious . '' and former mayor rudy giuliani -- whose leadership after the attacks is the cornerstone of his gop presidential bid -- said that `` under no circumstances '' should ahmadinejad be allowed to visit the world trade center site . zalmay khalilzad , the u.s. ambassador to the united nations , said the site should not be `` used as a photo op . '' numerous critics have attacked ahmadinejad 's hard-line anti-israel stance and his insistence that iran will defy u.n. demands that it halt its production of enriched uranium . iran insists it is producing nuclear fuel for civilian power plants , but washington accuses tehran of trying to produce a nuclear bomb . e-mail to a friend . cnn correspondent deborah feyerick contributed to this report .<doc-sep>new york -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- city officials in new york have denied iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad 's request to visit the site of the destroyed world trade center next week , a police spokesman said wednesday . iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad asked to visit ground zero , but new york city officials said no . the controversial , outspoken president wanted to `` pay his respects '' and lay a wreath at the site of the 2001 al qaeda attacks during his visit to the u.n. general assembly , police commissioner raymond kelly said , citing iranian officials . but workers are rebuilding the foundations of the site , `` and it would not be possible for him to go where other people do n't go , '' kelly told cnn . iranian officials have not put in any additional requests to visit the public platforms at ground zero , police spokesman paul browne told cnn . but , he said , `` if there were a further request , we 'd reject it '' because of security fears . watch why new york said no to iranian leader ''<doc-sep>new york -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- six picture frames hang inside a firehouse in manhattan , each displaying a photograph of a man who died in the aftermath of the worst terrorist attack in u.s. history . `` we always say never forget , '' said one firefighter from new york 's engine 23 . the grizzled middle-aged man , who did not want to share his name , said president barack obama 's visit to new york was an acknowledgement of `` what we 're going through . '' after nearly a decade of war prompted by the horrific events of september 11 , 2001 , the president traveled to manhattan thursday to meet with 9/11 survivors and lay a wreath at ground zero , four days after the killing of al qaeda leader osama bin laden . `` i wanted to just come up here to thank you , '' obama said in prepared remarks , after eating lunch with firefighters and former new york city mayor rudy giuliani . `` this is a symbolic site of the extraordinary sacrifice that was made on that terrible day almost 10 years ago . '' the president visited with members of fire engine 54 , battalion nine , which lost 15 men after hijackers flew two fully-fueled commercial airliners into the world trade center 's twin towers . `` obviously we ca n't bring back your friends that were lost , '' the president said . `` i know that each and every one of you not only grieve for them , but have also over the last 10 years dealt with their family . ''<doc-sep>by . lee moran . updated : . 06:32 est , 7 september 2011 . the u.s. could once again be hit by a similar terrorist attack to 9/11 , according to the country 's defense secretary . pentagon chief leon panetta said citizens must remain ` vigilant ' and that the threat of a repeat of an event like sepember 11 was ` very real ' . he added that the terrorist threat had , since the capturing or killing of al qaeda 's top leaders in recent months , now evolved - with yemen currently posing the biggest threat . sombre : defense secretary leon panetta -lrb- left -rrb- pictured in front of the survivor tree with new york city mayor michael bloomberg -lrb- right -rrb- during a visit to the site of the world trade center 9/11 memorial . his comments came during a visit to ground zero , where he walked through the national september 11 memorial park and museum with new york mayor michael bloomberg . speaking from the 10th floor of 7 world trade center , the first completed office tower at the site of the attacks , he said : ` the potential for that kind of attack remains very real . ' new york mayor michael bloomberg has urged americans to stop referring to the site of the september 11 attacks as ` ground zero ' to help the nation move past a term linked with the world trade center 's destruction . new yorkers started calling the world trade center site ground zero shortly after suicide hijackers destroyed the twin towers and killed nearly 3,000 people . ` we will never forget the devastation of the area that came to be known as ground zero . never . but the time has come to call those 16 acres what they are : the world trade center and the national september 11 memorial and museum , ' bloomberg said in a speech on the rebuilding of lower manhattan . ground zero originated as a term to describe the site of a nuclear explosion and later was used to refer to the point of any dramatic or violent event . tribute : the world trade center north tower memorial pool . for several years the site was also known as ` the pit ' because reconstruction of a new world trade center was stalled , leaving a large hole in the ground . but today it is an active construction site with two of four planned skyscrapers under construction and the memorial plaza set to open in time for the 10th anniversary of the attacks .<doc-sep>the men of engine 54 left behind 28 children . meetings with firefighters were private exchanges , white house officials said , during which the president sought to mark a clear end to a near decade-long hunt for the qaeda leader . `` it was a wonderful gesture , based on the news that we got of osama bin laden 's death , '' new york fire chief edward kilduff told reporters . `` for him to come here to see the faces of those killed in 9/11 , '' kilduff said , referring to photographs that hung inside the firehouse of the men who died , `` i think it really meant something to him . '' in a pre-dawn raid in pakistan monday , a u.s. navy seal team fired two bullets that killed bin laden , the al qaeda leader behind the attacks in new york , washington and pennsylvania , which left nearly 3,000 people dead . `` when those guys took those extraordinary risks going into pakistan ... they were doing it in the name of your brothers that were lost , '' the president told the firefighters . white house press secretary jay carney said thursday 's visit to ground zero -- the former site of the world trade center -- was intended to `` help new yorkers and americans everywhere achieve a sense of closure . ''

<t> iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad wanted to visit ground zero . </t> <t> new york city officials said no because site is under construction . </t> <t> the united states considers iran a state sponsor of terrorism . </t> <t> leaders call request `` audacious , '' `` unacceptable '' </t>

new york : iran 's leader ca n't visit ground zero<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a florida judge friday handed a legal victory to a former astronaut accused of assaulting a romantic rival , ruling evidence found in her car and statements she made to police after her arrest were inadmissible at trial . lisa nowak , accused of using pepper spray against a romantic rival , is set to go on trial in april . ninth judicial circuit judge marc lubet ruled that all were unlawfully obtained . he said his decision stemmed from a variety of factors , most concerning police tactics in their interview of lisa nowak and the fact that no written consent was obtained to search her car . `` in each and every case , this court must ensure that the constitutional protections afforded by our forefathers are scrupulously honored , '' lubet wrote in his opinion . `` unfortunately , in this case those protections were not as thoroughly followed as the law demands . '' nowak , 44 , is accused of stalking air force capt. colleen shipman and using pepper spray against her in a parking lot at orlando international airport in florida on february 5 . she pleaded not guilty march 22 to charges of attempted kidnapping with intent to inflict bodily harm , battery and burglary of a vehicle using a weapon . her trial is set for april . if convicted , she would face a sentence of up to life in prison . her defense attorneys had claimed nowak 's comments to police and her consent to search her car were made under duress . during a hearing held in august , lubet heard testimony from , among others , nowak , shipman and orlando police detective william becton , who interviewed nowak after her arrest . lubet said in his ruling that when nowak asked becton if she needed an attorney during the interview , he failed to answer her question in a `` simple and straightforward manner . '' `` there was a concerted effort to minimize and downplay the significance of the miranda rights by referring to these constitutional rights as ` formalities ' '' during the interview , lubet wrote . on the audiotape of the interview , there was no audible response from nowak on whether she understood that her statements could be used against her in court , and when she was asked whether anyone had threatened or promised her anything to get her to talk to police , lubet wrote . `` thus , there is nothing in either the audio recording or the transcript of the interview that demonstrates that defendant understood these two rights and waived them . '' nowak testified at the august hearing she did not respond to becton 's questions because she was confused , lubet wrote . in addition , he said , becton used `` legally impermissible '' statements and techniques , including threats , to get nowak 's statements and consent . `` well , what you say can change what you 're charged with , '' becton said at one point . `` right now we 're looking at -lsb- a -rsb- possible life felony of carjacking . '' in a written statement , an orlando police department spokeswoman said it was inappropriate for the department to comment on the case since it is pending in court , and referred questions to prosecutors . lubet noted that , although nowak was given the opportunity to use the restroom and was asked if she wanted something to eat , she was `` subjected to a barrage of questions '' beginning in the predawn hours and was questioned for six hours without being given the opportunity to sleep or make a phone call . `` defendant had not slept during the preceding 24 hours , '' the judge said . nowak 's consent to search her car , lubet wrote , `` followed illegal police activity , such as a prolonged detention , threats to obtain a warrant and repeated requests for consent . '' prosecutors accuse nowak of driving nearly 900 miles from houston to orlando -- wearing nasa diapers to cut down on the number of stops she needed to make -- and donning a disguise before following shipman from baggage claim to a parking lot . her attorney has strongly denied that she wore the diapers . shipman told police that after she got into her car , nowak feigned distress and knocked on the window . when shipman cracked it to talk to her , nowak sprayed her in the face with pepper spray , shipman said . police said nowak was detained as she was disposing of her disguise in an airport trash bin . nowak has said she merely went to the airport to talk to shipman , who had begun dating nowak 's former love interest , navy cmdr. bill oefelein , who was also an astronaut but has since left the astronaut corps . at the august hearing , becton testified that when he searched nowak 's car , he found maps showing how to reach the airport , maps of the airport 's layout , a buck knife and papers including a letter nowak appeared to have written to oefelein 's mother . he also testified he found used and clean diapers in the car . police previously said they also found a bb gun , a steel mallet , a 4-inch knife and rubber tubing in the vehicle . nowak 's attorneys in august filed a notice of intent to rely on an insanity defense , saying in court documents her diagnoses include a litany of more than a dozen psychiatric disorders . on august 30 , lubet granted nowak 's attorneys ' request that her electronic tracking ankle bracelet be removed . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's cristy lenz contributed to this report .<doc-sep>washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the perjury trial of ex-baseball all-star roger clemens ended in a mistrial thursday after jurors heard statements in a prosecution video that the judge had ruled inadmissible until later in the case . u.s. district judge reggie walton said prosecutors should have modified a video that showed a congressman talking about a deposition from the wife of clemens ' old teammate , former new york yankees pitcher andy pettitte , during a 2008 congressional hearing . walton had decided earlier that prosecutors could n't include references to laura pettitte 's testimony unless it was brought up on rebuttal . `` i ca n't in good faith leave this case in a situation where a man 's liberty is at risk when the government should have taken steps to ensure that we were not in this situation , '' walton said after clemens ' lawyers asked for a mistrial . `` i do n't see how i can unring the bell . '' the decision came on the second day of testimony in the trial . walton set a september 2 hearing on whether to retry the case . clemens left the courthouse without comment after the ruling , telling reporters , `` i 'd appreciate it if y' all would let me walk home now . '' clemens , nicknamed `` rocket , '' is accused of perjury , obstruction of congress and making false statements about his alleged use of steroids and human growth hormone . during an appearance before a house committee in 2008 , he testified that he never used illegal performance-enhancing substances during his career -- a statement prosecutors say is contradicted by witnesses and physical evidence .<doc-sep>in . march , u.s. district judge richard kyle -- no relation to chris or taya . kyle -- said the case could go forward because ventura had offered . sufficient evidence that could lead a jury to conclude kyle 's statements . were false . but because . ventura is a public figure , the judge wrote , ventura must show ` actual . malice ' or prove by clear and convincing evidence that kyle knew the . statements were false or acted in reckless disregard of the truth . levine . said ventura has a high bar to clear , and to win damages , he must also .<doc-sep>details of the ruling were released this week , but the case was heard last year when steven plotnick sued his ex-fiancée rebecca delucciato to make her inform him when she went into labor . arguments in the case were heard up to the very last moment , with delucciato giving statements during a telephone conference as she had the baby . scroll down for video . ruling : a judge says pregnant women have a right to exclude a baby 's father from the delivery room . in their prenatel court battle - though to be the first of its kind - plotnick wanted to ensure he would be told when his ex-fiancée had gone into labor , and that she would grant him access to see his baby at the hospital as soon as possible . the couple had separated before their planned wedding last year , but plotnick was determined to be a part of his baby 's life . when he ruled on the case in november last year superior court judge sohail mohammed .<doc-sep>the . judge ordered the liquidator to notify the pair in writing by tomorrow . of the inadequacies in the statements to give them a chance to address . them . the case was adjourned until july 11 . ex : irish rugby star brian o'driscoll pictured with then girlfriend ms gilson in 2005 .

<t> judge : lisa nowak 's statements and items in her car were unlawfully obtained . </t> <t> nowak 's attorneys have said her comments were made under duress . </t> <t> former astronaut is accused of stalking and assaulting a romantic rival . </t> <t> nowak has pleaded not guilty to charges including attempted kidnapping . </t>

judge throws out evidence , statements in ex-astronaut 's case<T>

washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- attorneys for a `` high-value '' terror suspect who says he was tortured while being held at secret cia prisons have requested that a judge bar the agency from destroying evidence of the alleged torture . one of 14 `` high-value '' detainees held at guantanamo bay , cuba , alleges he was tortured . the motion , filed by the center for constitutional rights attorneys on behalf of majid khan -- who is being held at guantanamo bay , cuba -- is dated november 29 . that is a week before cia director michael hayden acknowledged the agency destroyed videotapes it made in 2002 of interrogations of al qaeda suspects using newly approved `` alternative '' interrogation techniques . khan -- a native of pakistan who attended high school in baltimore -- was held for more than three years at the secret cia prisons and `` subjected to an aggressive cia detention and interrogation program notable for its elaborate planning and ruthless application of torture , '' attorney gitanjali s. gutierrez claims in the court documents . details of khan 's torture claims are redacted in the filing -- a whole page is blacked out -- but khan 's attorneys say he suffers `` severe physical and psychological trauma from which he is unlikely ever to recover fully '' as a result of his ordeal . asked about khan 's claims , cia spokesman paul gimigliano told cnn , `` cia 's terrorist interrogation effort has always been small , carefully run , lawful and highly productive . fewer than 100 hardened terrorists have gone through the program since it began in 2002 , and of those , less than a third required any special methods of questioning . the united states does not conduct or condone torture . '' khan 's attorneys claim he was taken into custody in 2003 and `` forcibly disappeared '' before his transfer to guantanamo , `` where he remains imprisoned without charge or trial . '' he filed a legal challenge to his detention in september 2006 and appeared before a combatant status review tribunal in april , the court documents said . he was found to have been properly detained as an enemy combatant , but filed a challenge to that on august 14 . he was not allowed to meet with an attorney , however , until october , the document said . the bush administration contends khan was an operative working for khalid sheikh mohammed , mastermind of the september 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks .<doc-sep>khan researched how to blow up gas stations and poison reservoirs in the united states , the administration has said . he is among 14 `` high-value '' detainees held at guantanamo . gutierrez and another ccr attorney , wells dixon , also released declassified notes of their meetings with khan , saying he has been on hunger strikes while in guantanamo , is `` painfully thin and pale '' and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder . in detention , he has been able to communicate with abu zubayda , an alleged lieutenant for osama bin laden , they said in the notes . a government official with knowledge of the destroyed cia tapes has said that zubayda was one of the two al qaeda suspects whose interrogations were videotaped . while undergoing interrogation and torture by the cia , `` khan admitted anything his interrogators demanded of him , regardless of the truth , in order to end his suffering , '' the documents said . without a court order requiring the preservation of evidence , `` there is substantial risk that the torture evidence will disappear '' and that may affect the challenge to his detention , the attorneys claim . the motion was filed in the u.s. court of appeals for the district of columbia circuit . hayden has said the cia stopped videotaping in 2002 , while khan was not taken into custody until the following year . `` the careful , professional and lawful questioning of hardened terrorists has produced thousands of intelligence reports , revealed exceptionally valuable insights on al qaeda 's operations and organization , foiled terrorist plots and saved innocent lives , '' gimigliano said . `` the information developed by the detention and interrogation program has been irreplaceable , and the program has operated in strict accord with american law . '' e-mail to a friend . cnn 's gary nurenberg contributed to this report .<doc-sep>the cia said enhanced interrogations helped capture dhiren barot in 2004 . al qaeda 's top british terrorist was captured after cia spies tortured former guantanamo bay detainee moazzam begg , it was claimed today . crucial information provided by mr begg while he was being held helped identify ` dirty bomber ' dhiren barot who was plotting terror attacks on london , according to the long-awaited publication of a report into cia torture programmes in the wake of 9/11 . the report claims that drawings by mr begg -- who claims to have been beaten and deprived of sleep in guantanamo bay -- helped lead british security services to barot , who had gone to ground in london . barot -- also known as ` issa al-britani ' or ` al-hindi ' -- was tracked down in 2004 before being found guilty two years later of planning to detonate a dirty bomb and launch an attack on the tube . the revelation will prove highly controversial as it appears to contradict the findings of the senate 's intelligence committee report which found that the cia 's ` enhanced interrogation techniques ' did not yield information crucial in stopping terror attacks . it even stated specifically that torture techniques -- including waterboarding , rectal feeding and sleep deprivation -- at guantanamo were not central to barot 's arrest , or any other significant breakthrough . the report criticises the cia for making ` inaccurate ' representations that ` enhanced interrogation ' was effective and necessary in producing ` otherwise unavailable intelligence ' . it said barot 's arrest ` resulted from the investigative activities of uk government authorities . ' scroll down for video . former guantanamo bay detainee moazzam begg rejected claims he provided information which helped track down a terrorist . taliban and al-qaida detainees in orange jumpsuits sit in a holding area during in-processing to the temporary detention facility in 2002 .<doc-sep>detainee majid khan had pureed food rectally infused by cia operatives while he was held in kabul , afghanistan . at least five terrorist detainees were subjected to rectal feeding while being tortured by the cia , according to the highly controversial senate report released on tuesday . marwan al-jabbur , khalid sheikh mohammed , and abu zubaydah , underwent ` rectal rehydration ' while being detained as a method of behavioral control at cia secret locations and guantanamo bay . detainee majid khan was placed in a forward-facing position , with his head lower than torso , and had a pureed lunch of hummus , pasta with sauce and raisins rectally infused . khan , who joined al qaeda after graduating from high school outside baltimore , maryland , admitted to plotting to blow up gasoline tanks in the u.s. . in 2012 , khan struck a plea bargain and is serving 19 years in return for his full cooperation with authorities after pleading guilty to five war crimes , including murder , attempted murder and spying . however sentencing was delayed for four years , and if khan fails to cooperate , he could receive up to 25 years , the washington post reported . he could be released around 2031 , if he complies with authorities . he is reportedly still at guantanamo after being held at a secret ` salt pit ' location in kabul , afghanistan for several years . khan has had a number of suicide attempts and incidents of self-harm while being held by cia , the senate report stated .<doc-sep>another user , mark lott claimed : ' i guess you have n't seen the news from pakistan today yet . ' nate anderson added : ` bad timing given what 's just happened in pakistan dude . bad bad timing . ' brand was attacking the united states over their detention of moazzam begg , who was held after being arrested in pakistan in 2002 . he was brought to guantanamo bay and released without charge in 2005 . he spoke to mr begg about his experiences at the hands of the us military and the cia in guantanamo bay and baghram air base in afghanistan . mr begg said his interrogators asked him repeatedly about what was happening to his family when audio of a woman screaming was played in a different room . the former detainee said he was threatened with being sent to egypt or syria , where prisoners were regularly tortured . in his interview , mr brand said : ` language is so integral to our understanding of these issues . for or quite a while , i thought that waterboarding was just a hobby . they 're just doing some waterboarding , oh that 's nice , some time off between the torture . ' in a monologue at the end of his latest broadcast , brand claimed : ` if we have a criminal government , none of us are free . if our freedom is contingent on total compliance , then none of us are free . if people are being tortured in our names or the names of the institutions that govern us , then none of us are free . it is ironic that the people that do terror best are the people who decide what terror is . '<doc-sep>by . robert verkaik . the last briton : guantanamo prisoner shaker aamer with two of his children , son michael and daughter johninh - he has yet to meet his youngest son who was born after his arrests in 2001 . scotland yard is investigating claims that mi6 and mi5 officers who interrogated a british man held at guantanamo bay were fully aware he was being brutally tortured by his american jailers . shaker aamer , 46 , whose wife and four children live in south london , alleges that during his ten years of captivity at the us naval base , british agents visited him three times . mr aamer 's british lawyers have handed detectives 56 pages of hand-written notes and typed depositions in which he lays out his allegations . the mail on sunday has been told that scotland yard has formally asked the us government to allow them to question mr aamer in guantanamo . last night the metropolitan police would confirm only that their investigations into mr aamer 's case were ongoing . mr aamer , the last british detainee still held at guantanamo , came to the uk from saudi arabia in 1996 . in 2001 , he took his family to afghanistan to work with islamic charities . but the cia alleges that he was a member of al qaeda who was known to osama bin laden . when the american-led forces invaded afghanistan later that year , mr aamer was picked up by a local militia and handed over to us troops . he was detained for three months at the us-run bagram airbase and an american prison in kandahar before being flown to guantanamo . scotland yard is already investigating claims that he was tortured in afghanistan , and british interrogators working for mi6 or mi5 were present . specifically he alleges one british officer watched while us soldiers banged his head against a wall . now mr aamer 's written statements , declassified by the us authorities last month , reveal that he continues to suffer appalling abuse at the infamous detention facility . he says that as recently as april he was beaten up by camp guards for refusing to return to his cell where he is held for 22 hours a day . and he further alleges that the americans are trying to kill him through ` medical neglect ' . mr aamer faces no charges of terrorism and was cleared for release from guantanamo in 2007 by the then president , george w. bush . foreign secretary william hague says . the british government is negotiating with the us for his return to live . in the uk . his lawyers believe that the reason he has not been freed is . that both countries have much to lose by letting him make public his . damaging allegations of torture . the . declassified documents appear to show that despite his innocent status , . the abuses have continued since the first day he was detained in . afghanistan . imprisoned : a us army mp holds down the head of a detainee at guantanamo so he is not identified . in his graphic accounts of his torture at bagram , he details how he was subjected to the medieval abuse known as the ` strappado ' , devised by the spanish inquisition . ` the us soldiers , ' says mr aamer , ` would tie my wrists together and then hang me with either my feet just touching the ground or even just off the ground . this would gradually result in the dislocation of the shoulders in a way that was excruciating . ` this would be done particularly when one of the soldiers thought that one of the prisoners had been talking in the cages . ' significantly , mr aamer alleges that british intelligence continued to interrogate him after he was taken from afghanistan to guantanamo bay , when uk spy chiefs were fully aware of the tortures being carried out there . he alleges he was interrogated by . british officers in late 2002 or early 2003 , including a man who was 5ft . 10in with reddish hair who spoke some arabic . he claims the officer . apologised to him for the treatment he had suffered at the hands of the . americans . mr aamer said : ` he said , `` i 'm sorry about what -lsb- the . americans -rsb- have done to you . '' it was clear he knew what i have been . through , and was still going through . '

<t> majid khan 's attorneys say he endured an `` aggressive '' interrogation program . </t> <t> khan 's allegations of torture redacted in court documents . </t> <t> bush administration : khan worked for 9/11 mastermind khalid sheikh mohammed . </t> <t> cia : the united states does not conduct or condone torture . </t>

guantanamo detainee says cia tortured him<T>

miami , florida -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- sharon long 's work has earned her the nickname `` skull lady . '' sharon long is a forensic artist whose job is to help identify the dead , often murder victims . she is a forensic artist whose job is to give faces -- and sometimes identities -- back to anonymous murder victims who have been robbed of both . armed with sculptor 's clay , glass eyes , wigs and research , long creates a face from a human skull . when fort myers , florida , police found eight sets of human remains in the woods in march , they turned to her -- anything to help identify the people who were so mercilessly left to rot amid the trees and mud . '' -lsb- police -rsb- have no other way . they have no fingerprints ; they have no flesh . usually , the last resort is building a face , '' long said . see the `` skull lady '' at work '' she hopes that when the faces of those killed get printed in newspapers or appear on tv or online , a friend or loved one recognizes them and says , `` gee , we have n't seen so-and-so for a while , and that kind of looks like him . '' `` then , at least , you have a lead , and then you can get dna from people . and then -lsb- police -rsb- have something to go on . '' long , 67 , has made faces for the unknown victims of grisly homicides and solved historical mysteries . during her 20-year career , the forensics specialist from the university of wyoming helped identify the crew of the h.l hunley , a confederate submarine sunk during the civil war . she also created the first picture of the only explorer to have died on the lewis and clark expedition . when law enforcement asks for long 's assistance , it is almost always on a case that has gone very cold . and that was exactly the case in fort myers , where police were desperate for any information on the dead they found : eight men killed , their bodies discovered in a wooded area on march 23 , 2007 . watch how bones can give clues to investigators '' there were no witnesses , no leads and little evidence of killings other than the victims ' bones . if long could identify the victims of the crime , it might help to catch a serial killer . but before long could create any likeness of the victims , she would have to do a lot of work -- hundreds of hours of it . long first creates a mold of the skull and uses it to make a plaster replica . she puts eraser tips on points to mark tissue depth . sculptor 's clay fills in for skin and muscle . the faded gumline on the skull 's teeth helps long determine how thick the person 's lips were .<doc-sep>the victim 's hair and eye color requires guesswork and research , long says . often while working on cases , she talks to people who lived in the same area as the victim or victims to find out the most common eye color and what hairstyles are in fashion . see how to decode a face '' she spent two months on the fort myers skulls . `` i start working , and 15 hours can go by , and i do n't get up and move , and you do n't realize how much time has gone by , and , well , that 's how intense i get , '' she said . `` it 's like you get carried away in this life of somebody . i start trying to think of them as being an alive person and doing something and not getting killed . '' eventually , publicity about the fort myers case would lead people with missing relatives to submit their dna . testing revealed that two of the men were erik kohler and john blevins . both men lived hardscrabble lives and had run-ins with police . both disappeared in 1995 . at a news conference last month where fort myers police unveiled long 's sculptures , investigators said they still need to identify the other six victims if they are to solve the case . kohler and blevins did n't closely mirror long 's sculptures of their faces , but there were some similarities , some facial features that looked liked the two dead men . and that 's what police say they want : they hope people with missing relatives will look at every detail of the other six sculptures to see whether they notice any resemblance , no matter how faint . `` going into this , i knew there would be some level of subjectivity in the art part of it , but i think what it does is generate the interest , '' fort myers police detective barry lewis said . `` i am just looking for that one little similarity , that one little key that someone could recognize that they could make a call that that is their loved one . '' since the news conference , police say , they have received hundreds of leads . long 's work on the case might be done , but she still has nightmares about the eight men killed . `` i hear screaming , and i hear pleading , and i hear all these things which i could n't imagine , '' she said . `` i can see somebody dragging a body out there , and here he kept taking them to the same area . i think , what in the hell is wrong with this guy ? '' six of those killed remain nameless . and police are still trying to find the killer . authorities urge anyone with more information on the case to call 877-667-1296 . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>it might be hard to imagine lady gaga blending in with anything other than a space ship let alone a classical painting , however for one artist this was a clear vision . multimedia producer eisen bernard bernado has created quirky artwork that re-imagines fine art with the faces of modern day celebrities as they feature on the cover of popular magazines . eisen , 28 , from los baños , philippines , has created the clever works for his series called mag + art , seeing angelina jolie take the place of venus in botticelli 's classic painting the birth of venus and adele fits perfectly into da vinci 's mona lisa . angelina jolie is re-imagined as botticelli 's classic painting the birth of venus . in vermeer 's girl with a pearl earring , keira knightley evolves her innocent persona by smoking a cigarette on the cover of interview magazine . far from just an amusing coincidence , eisen says it is an obvious combination and that many publications take influence from classical art . in vermeer 's girl with a pearl earring , keira knightley evolves her innocent persona by smoking a cigarette on the cover of interview magazine . eisen believes that many magazine covers take influence from classical art : rihanna 's gq cover is transformed into humeur nocturne by william-adolphe bouguereau -lrb- left -rrb- and kate moss makes a convincing alexandra , princess of wales by richard lauchert -lrb- right -rrb- . bar story : kate moss poses in bar at the folies-bergère by édouard manet . ' i feel that a lot of magazine covers are inspired directly as well as indirectly by classical paintings . the similarities and references can be observed . ' the philippino artist also uses his pieces to hail the lost art of printed publications . ` my art is my way of comparing and contrasting modern and classical aesthetics . also , in this day when everyone is saying that `` print media is dead '' , it is a way of promoting the print medium to the internet generation ' . unlikely suspect : miley cyrus looks unsually innocent as madame récamier by jacques-louis david . lady gaga makes an unlikely athenais by john william godward -lrb- left -rrb- and lana del rey blends into the cripple by john currin -lrb- right -rrb- . miranda kerr makes a suitable temptress in adam and eve by lucas cranach the elder .<doc-sep>it 's a day when the line between the life and death is blurred . the day of the dead is a latin american tradition that coincides with all saints say and all souls day on 1 and 2 november . the festival is joyously celebrated in mexico , with families decorating the graves of departed relatives with marigolds and candles . participants also paint their faces to resemble skeletons , and create elaborate headgear , usually made from feathers . mexicans celebrating the the day of the dead . participants paint their faces to resemble skulls , accessorising with elaborate headgear . in haiti , a woman in the role of a spirit known as a gede holds her injured leg before a cross representing baron samdi . the festival is joyously celebrated in mexico , with families decorating the graves of departed relatives with marigolds and candles . they spend the night in the cemetery , eating and drinking as they keep company with their deceased loved ones . the latin americans believe that the boundaries between the living and the dead blur at this time . families celebrate the festival , which is nearly 4,000 years old , in a joyous manner . the day of the dead festival has its origins in a pre-hispanic aztec belief that the dead return to earth one day each year to visit their loved ones . in san salvador revellers take part in a festival called ` la calabiuza ' on the eve of the day of the dead celebrations in tonacatepeque , at the outskirts of city . during the festival , the costumed revellers celebrate the mythological characters of el salvador and remember their deceased loved ones . but it 's not just the latin americans who commemorate the deceased with religious rituals . in haiti a man offers a bowl of food to the spirits during a vodou ritual dedicated to baron samdi and the gede family of spirits . baron samedi -lrb- baron saturday , also baron samdi , bawon samedi , or bawon sanmdi -rrb- is one of the loa or spirits of haitian vodou . a woman feigns death in haiti . the celebration there is is dedicated to the gede family of spirits . indian nuns honour the dead , gathering in cemeteries to decorate graves of loved ones with candles and flowers , and offer prayer . revellers take part in a festival called ` la calabiuza ' on the eve of the celebrations in tonacatepeque , at the outskirts of san salvador . he is the head of the guédé family of loa , or an aspect of them and is usually depicted with a top hat , black dinner-jacket , dark glasses , and cotton plugs in the nostrils , as if to resemble a corpse dressed and prepared for burial in the haitian style . he has a white , frequently skull-like face -lrb- or actually has a skull for a face -rrb- , and speaks in a nasal voice . people take on the role of gede spirits , carrying goats on their backs during voodoo rituals . in bangladesh , india and the philippines , christians flock to the cemetery to pray on all souls day . for them the day honours the dead and friends and families gather in cemeteries to decorate graves of loved ones with candles , flowers and offer prayers . filipino catholics honour and celebrate their dead loved ones on all saints ' day by flocking to cemeteries . bangladeshi christians light candles in the graves of their relatives on all souls day in dhaka , bangladesh . el salvador : during the festival , the costumed revellers celebrate the mythological characters and remember their deceased . haiti : a man offers a bowl of food to the spirits during a voodoo ritual dedicated to baron samdi and the gede family of spirits .<doc-sep>it . i want my man like he . is , whether he is dead or alive . he allows me to find sexual happiness . on the side . ' ' i want my man like he is , whether he is dead or alive . he allows me to find sexual happiness on the side ' what woman ` wrote on an internet forum ' police also allegedly found cds titled . ` my necrophilia ' and ` my first experience ' as well as the photos in . which a woman is seen getting close to the skulls , reported swedish news . agency tt . the woman , who has admitted that the . items were kept in her apartment but denies doing anything wrong , was . arrested in september and faces up to two years in jail if found guilty . ` some of the photos show a woman . licking a skull , ' prosecutor kristina ehrenborg-staffas told the local newspaper in sweden . ` we claim it 's her , but she claims it 's someone else and she found the . pictures on the internet . ' she sold three skulls and a spine to a . person in uppsala earlier this year , prosecutors said .<doc-sep>an american artist who makes creepy , yet realistic celebrity dolls has turned his attention to the british royal family . noel cruz from tustin , california , has been creating doll versions of stars like michael jackson and marilyn monroe for years , but he has recently been producing extremely lifelike copies of the duchess of cambridge and the late princess diana . the 53-year-old buys barbies and other dolls from normal toy stores , then spends days transforming them into stars , using paint , mini wigs and doll-sized clothes . scroll down for video . an american artist who makes creepy , yet realistic celebrity dolls has turned his attention to the british royal family . noel cruz from tustin , california , has recently been producing extremely lifelike copies of the duchess of cambridge and the late princess diana . the artist spends up to three days painting the intricate faces of each model - sometimes working for eight hours straight - as he did with this princess diana doll . noel 's works sell for up to $ 5100 -lrb- # 3300 -rrb- and includes the likes of lady gaga , beyonce and jennifer lopez . he spends up to three days painting the intricate faces of each model - sometimes working for eight hours straight . once he has completed the painting , he sells the dolls on ebay . noel , who lives in tustin in california , said : ' i became interested in this by accident as my wife has been a collector of dolls for years . ' noel 's works sell for up to $ 5,100 -lrb- # 3,300 -rrb- and includes the likes of lady gaga , marilyn monroe -lrb- pictured -rrb- and jennifer lopez . once noel has completed the doll , like this finished harry potter , he sells it on ebay . in 2001 , noel -lrb- pictured -rrb- decided to paint his first doll - a made-up female - before becoming confident enough to take on some of the planet 's biggest celebrities . he continued : ` it 's painstaking work on such a small canvas so delicately done - it can be longer than an eight-hour shift . '

<t> sharon long is forensic artist who creates faces from skulls . </t> <t> fort myers , florida , police called her after they found eight sets of remains . </t> <t> only two of the eight remains have been identified . </t>

` skull lady ' makes faces for the dead<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- it 's all tied up in texas . sens. hillary clinton and barack obama are running a tight race in texas . a new cnn/opinion research corp. poll suggests the battle for the democratic presidential nomination between sens. hillary clinton of new york and barack obama of illinois is a statistical dead heat in texas , which holds primaries march 4 . in the survey , out monday , 50 percent of likely democratic primary voters support clinton as their choice for the party 's nominee , with 48 percent backing obama . but taking into account the poll 's sampling error of plus or minus 4 1/2 percentage points for democratic respondents , the race is a virtual tie . watch democrats target texas . '' two recent polls by other organizations also show the race statistically even . map : national and state polling . `` one reason the race appears to be tight is that texas democrats are having a hard time choosing between two attractive options , '' says cnn polling director keating holland . `` likely democratic primary voters would be equally happy if either candidate won the nomination , and they do n't see a lot of difference between them on several top issues . `` roughly a quarter of likely voters say they could change their minds in the next two weeks -- and not surprisingly , those people are splitting roughly equally between clinton and obama . '' many political strategists and analysts consider texas and ohio -- which also holds a march 4 primary -- must-win states for clinton . obama has won the past eight contests and is now ahead in the overall battle for delegates , 193 of which are at stake in texas . the new survey indicates arizona sen. john mccain is the clear favorite for the republican presidential nomination . among republicans , 55 percent of likely texas gop primary voters support mccain as their choice for nominee . thirty-two percent back former arkansas gov. mike huckabee and 11 percent support home-state congressman and former libertarian standard-bearer ron paul . the poll 's sampling error for republican respondents is 4 percentage points . the cnn/opinion research corp. poll was conducted by telephone from friday through sunday . pollsters talked to 1,506 adults in texas , including 553 likely republican primary voters and 529 likely democratic primary voters . mccain is the overwhelming front-runner in the fight for the republican presidential nomination and party leaders have rallied around the candidate in an attempt for party unity . the poll was released on the same day the only living former republican president -- george herbert walker bush , the current president 's father -- endorsed mccain at an event in houston . watch mccain get a big boost '' but mccain has had trouble winning conservative voters . just last week , mccain lost the conservative vote to huckabee in the virginia primary , according to exit polls . the new survey , though , suggests mccain may have better luck in texas . `` it looks like mccain has made some inroads with conservative republicans , '' holland said . `` mccain is picking up a bare majority among conservative likely voters in the gop primary . the mccain campaign probably wishes that number were higher , but it does mean that a mccain victory in texas would not be based on the votes of moderates and independents , as has happened in several states in the past few weeks . '' texas democrats and republicans may not see eye to eye on the issues , but the poll suggests they do agree on what 's the most important issue . thirty-five percent of democrats and an equal number of republicans said the economy was the most important issue in their choice for president . the second most important issue for democrats was health care , at 23 percent , followed by the war in iraq at 22 percent , illegal immigration at 10 percent and terrorism at 7 percent . nineteen percent of republicans said illegal immigration was their most important issue , putting it in second place , followed by the war in iraq and terrorism at 17 percent and health care at 8 percent . sixty percent of republicans say they 'll definitely support the candidate they are now backing . that number climbs to 76 percent for democrats . likely democratic primary voters view clinton and obama on roughly equal terms . seventy-nine percent say they would be satisfied if clinton were the nominee ; an equal number feel the same way about obama . seventy-nine percent say it 's likely clinton can win the nomination ; 82 percent say the same about obama . the two candidates are essentially tied on immigration , iraq and the economy , but clinton has an advantage on health care and abortion . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>it spells good news for the established westminster parties , including the tories who have gone into the lead in the poll . according to the guardian/icm poll , ukip has gone into reverse with the tories gaining the most of the defectors , up three points to 34 percent . labour gained one point to to 33 per cent and the lib dems went up two to 12 per cent . the party 's advance started to flounder weeks after its european election win when it failed to take the newark by-election . the seat was held by the tories in june . but the poll also shows that support for the conservative and labour parties - who are separated by just one point - is almost at a dead heat . it is the third month running that the two parties have had virtually the same number of points . ed miliband 's labour are one point behind the tories with 33 per cent - the third month that the two parties have been virtually the same . martin boon , director at icm research , said : ` we used to talk about parties getting themselves through the `` magic '' 40 per cent threshold before they would be in serious contention to win , but less than a year before a general election , both the big parties are currently struggling to get themselves into the middle 30s , which , of course , only the tories managed in 2010 . '<doc-sep>scott brown , the former senator from massachusetts who moved to new hampshire to run in a more friendly environment , appears to be in a dead heat with democratic sen. jeanne shaheen , a new poll shows . a cnn/orc international poll out monday finds shaheen and brown tied among likely voters , with both obtaining the support of 48 % among 735 voters surveyed . a close race could mean bad news for democrats , who are struggling to maintain control of the senate . keeping the seat in the democratic column is crucial if the party want to maintain a slim majority in the senate . one thing working in shaheen 's favor is her high favorable ratings . more than half of likely voters -- 54 % -- have a favorable view of the first-term incumbent , while brown 's favorability is not as high . his rating currently sits at 46 % . what could be a drag on shaheen , however , is new hampshire residents ' opinion of the leader of her party . thirty-eight percent of new hampshire adults polled approve of the job president barack obama is doing , while 60 % disapprove . throughout the campaign , brown has sought to tie shaheen to obama . the poll has a margin of error of plus or 3.5 percentage points . paul , clinton top presidential poll in new hampshire .<doc-sep>`` if your campaign is going to be about words , they should be your own words , '' she said . `` lifting whole passages is n't change you can believe in ; it 's change you can xerox . '' watch the spat over plagiarism '' some in the audience booed clinton for the line . `` this is where we start getting into silly season in politics , '' obama replied , saying patrick is a friend who suggested he use the lines . `` people start getting tired of it . '' a cnn/opinion research corp. poll out monday suggests the democratic race in texas is a statistical dead heat . watch uncommitted texas students discuss debate '' in the survey , taken before obama 's tuesday victories in wisconsin and hawaii , 50 percent of likely democratic primary voters support clinton as their choice for the party 's nominee , with 48 percent backing obama . the poll 's margin of error is 4.5 percentage points . two other recent polls also show the race statistically even . with so much at stake , analysts said clinton needed a very strong performance in the debate , the only time the two candidates will share a stage in texas before the state 's primary .<doc-sep>but the new cnn/time opinion research corp. battleground poll shows a virtual dead heat , with barack obama holding a statistically insignificant 49 percent to 45 percent lead over john mccain . one reason mccain is within striking distance is his support in the critical detroit suburbs , which include oakland county and neighboring macomb county . those communities are heavily shaped by the fortunes of the auto industry and are known in national politics as the home of the legendary reagan democrats . and more and more , they 're becoming known as places where independent voters swing close elections . see which states are toss-ups '' in the new poll , mccain leads 55 percent to 37 percent in the detroit suburbs , while obama has the edge , 47 percent to 42 percent , among voters who identify themselves as independents . watch how the suburbs have become political battlegrounds '' brent colburn , communications director for obama in michigan , says democratic organizing is in full swing . `` we are building efforts around all of them , '' colburn said of the state 's diverse voting blocs , noting that key obama targets include african-americans , union members and students . watch more on the battle for michigan ''

<t> texas voters go to the polls march 4 . </t> <t> sen. john mccain is the clear front-runner on the republican side . </t> <t> sen. barack obama is on an eight-state winning streak . </t> <t> some strategists see texas as a must-win state for sen. hillary clinton . </t>

texas poll shows dead heat among dems<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- german zookeepers in nuremberg will bottle-feed a four-week-old polar bear and rear it away from its mother after concerns the mother would eat her cub , officials said thursday . zookeepers fear the unnamed polar bear cub could be at risk of being eaten . the cub , which does n't yet have a name , was being cared for at nuremberg city zoo , where it was resting under heat lamps and is drinking formula . `` it 's gaining weight , it 's very hungry , it drinks a lot of milk , '' said alexandra foghammar , a spokeswoman for the city . the zoo announced thursday that the cub is female . wednesday , the zoo said keepers decided to take the cub away from its mother , vera , because the mother was showing signs of being upset and confused , taking her baby in and out of the animals ' enclosure . `` we were 100 percent sure that the baby was going to die if we did n't take it away from her , '' nuremberg zoo director dag encke told time magazine . `` this would have been a death verdict for the cub . '' the zoo confirmed earlier this week that its other female polar bear , vilma , had eaten her two offspring . the zoo said it feared vera would do the same , so it took her cub away as a precaution . since then , the cub is thriving in the care of humans , but vera seems to miss her cub , foghammar said . watch how zoo has faced criticism over polar bears . '' `` the mother is a little bit nervous , '' she said . `` she walks around and is searching for the baby , but the responsible persons for the zoo say this is normal . it will continue for three or four days . it 's a normal situation . '' the zookeepers are pondering whether to bring another adult bear , possibly the cub 's father , felix , to the zoo to help vera overcome her loss , and are seeking another small bear to serve as a companion for the rescued cub , time reported . the zoo said a keeper entered vilma 's enclosure monday and noticed that her two cubs were nowhere to be found . the zoo said it assumes vilma ate her young because she believed the cubs were sick , though zookeepers say the cubs were last seen on sunday and appeared in good health . but foghammar told time that the separation of the bears was bad for the `` principle of wildlife conservation '' at the zoo : `` now the cub will not grow up to act in a natural way , just as the mother lacked the experience to bring up a cub . '' the plight of the cub follows the case last year of knut , a cub rejected by its mother at berlin zoo who became the focus of a media frenzy after animal rights campaigners called for it to be killed , claiming it had become too dependent on humans . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>the moment a captive polar bear gave birth to two tiny cubs was captured on camera in what is thought to be the first such footage ever taken . seven-year-old polar bear giovanna gave birth to her twins two days ago in the birthing den at the hellabrunn zoo in munich , germany . they are the only polar bear cubs to be born in captivity in europe this year and , incredibly , their mother positioned herself in the direct view of cctv cameras set up to record the moment . mother 's love : seven-year-old polar bear mother . giovanna snuggles up with her twin cubs after they were born at . hellabrunn zoo in munich , germany , on monday , the first time such a . birth has been filmed in colour . rare moment : the tiny twins are the only polar . bear cubs to be born in captivity in europe this year and , incredibly , . their mother positioned herself in the direct view of cctv cameras set .<doc-sep>it is then that the nearest cub reaches out and brushes its mother on the nose , before both open their eyes just a crack to take their first look at the world around them . cute : a still from an earlier video shows the infant polar bears slumbering in their mother 's embrace . inseparable : the defenceless cubs huddle together beneath their mother 's foreleg in this picture . proud parent : giovanna nuzzles one of her babies - the only polar bear cubs born in captivity in europe last year . zoo director beatrix koehler said : ` polar bear cubs are always blind and it takes several weeks before they can start to use their eyes . ` this time round the first view was of their mother which is exactly how it should be . it 's great that we manage to capture this moment on camera . ' the zoo said that both the babies , the first polar bear babies born there for 20 years , were putting on weight quickly and being fed milk by their mother . mother 's love : seven-year-old polar bear mother . giovanna snuggles up with her twin cubs after they were born at . hellabrunn zoo in munich , germany , on monday , the first time such a . birth has been filmed in colour . rare moment : the tiny twins are the only polar . bear cubs to be born in captivity in europe this year and , incredibly , . their mother positioned herself in the direct view of cctv cameras set . up to record the moment .<doc-sep>mum . mother bear : a polar bear cub is tickled by its mother at moscow zoo . little scamp : the baby polar bear pranced about on the ice under the watchful eye of his mother . ` i often visit the zoo . to watch and photograph the cubs , it 's lovely to just sit and watch them . playing and being cared for by their mum . ` you can tell the mother bear loves all her cubs the same and it 's lovely to watch her interactive with them all individually . ' in the wild female polar bears den by digging into deep snow drifts , which provide protection and insulation from the arctic elements . they give birth in winter , usually to twins . young cubs live with their mothers for some 28 months to learn the survival skills they need to survive . although these polar bears look cute , females aggressively protect their young and can be a danger to himans .<doc-sep>this is the adorable moment a mother polar bear teaches her young cubs the art of diving . one by one , the cubs follow their mother 's lead and throw themselves into the water - although the lesson appears to get too much for one cub who decides he 'd rather get involved in a play fight - sneaking up behind his unwitting brother and pushing him into the pool . the pictures were taken by russian photographer natalia nazarova , 63 , as she watched the young bears practicing their diving at moscow zoo . ` this is a very happy family of polar bears learning to dive , ' the photographer said . ` you . see the mother teaching her cubs how it 's done , but they are just . generally having fun together ... polar bears love swimming but they also . like to play and jump into the water , so there was a lot of spray , ' she added . the polar bear is often regarded as a marine mammal because it spends many months of the year at sea . in general they live relatively unsociable lives , but they are occasionally spotted playing in the wild - sometimes for hours at a time . ` look at me , mummy ' : having watched their mother diving into the pool at moscow zoo , the adorable polar bear cubs decide to follow her lead . one by one the young bears leap into the water - nervously at first , but increasingly confident the more they practice . naughty : the diving lesson appears to get too much for one cub who decides he 'd rather get involved in a play fight - sneaking up behind his unwitting brother and pushing him into the pool . practice makes perfect : the young polar bear cubs -lrb- right -rrb- spent time watching their mother -lrb- left -rrb- diving into the pool at moscow zoo . a short time later they were confident enough to give it a go themselves . leap of faith : the pictures were taken by russian photographer natalia nazarova , 63 , as she watched the young bears practicing their diving at moscow zoo . jump : polar bears are strong and hardy animals , but their habitat is threatened , so it is considered important to maintain a captive population . this year moscow zoo is expecting a new generation of polar bears to be born , so visitors will have a chance to see diving bears long into the future . incoming : photographer natalia nazarova said : ' a lot of people who see my photographs are surprised to see the unusual situation ... they love the joy of seeing these strong and healthy animals so happy , as they do n't expect them to be like this in a zoo ' shake it off : having enjoyed her time in the pool , the mother polar bear decides it 's time to dry off - shaking her huge head and sending water flying everywhere .

<t> four-week-old polar bear separated from mother amid fears she would eat it . </t> <t> nuremberg city zoo 's other polar bear ate its own two offspring earlier this week . </t> <t> mother was showing signs of being upset and confused , zookeepers said . </t>

zoo fears as polar bear eats cubs<T>

glasgow , scotland -- wednesday 's glasgow derby between celtic and rangers has been postponed as a mark of respect following the death of motherwell captain phil o'donnell , the scottish premier league announced . o'donnell , left , celebrates motherwell 's scottish cup final win against dundee in may 1991 . `` these are never easy decisions . but we recognise that as a former player , phil was part of celtic 's extended football family , '' said spl secretary iain blair .<doc-sep>`` after consultation with rangers we agreed to postpone the old firm fixture on the second of january . '' motherwell 's game against hibernian on the same day was called off on saturday night in the hours after o'donnell , 35 , died following his on-field collapse . gretna 's match against st mirren was also postponed as it was scheduled to take place at fir park which has become a shrine to the memory of o'donnell , but the spl confirmed that the other three fixtures scheduled for wednesday will go ahead .<doc-sep>celtic skipper stephen mcmanus spoke out in favor of the postponement after he and his team-mates met on monday morning for the first time since o'donnell 's death . `` a number of our squad have very close connections to phil 's family and feel it would be inappropriate to proceed with this match at such a time , following such a tragic event , '' he said .<doc-sep>rangers manager walter smith agreed that the game should not be played . `` you can not think of playing at a time like this , '' he said . `` obviously it is a very difficult time for everybody , especially phil o'donnell 's family . '' motherwell 's home game against celtic next sunday had already been postponed by the spl . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>celtic 's glasgow derby with partick thistle has been called off due to a waterlogged pitch at firhill . champions and league leaders celtic had been due to play the new year 's day derby at 5.30 pm but the game has been postponed after a 1pm pitch inspection . due to the match being postponed , celtic may be overtaken at the top of the table . celtic 's glasgow derby with partick thistle has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch at firhill .<doc-sep>they were a much better attacking threat in the second half when tom heathcote came on at stand-off which allowed greig tonks to move to his best position of full back . he made a number of good runs and showed his class . i hope he remains at full back for the return game on friday . the turgid nature of the game and the lack of ambition of either side played right into edinburgh 's hands . they were very comfortable in the arm wrestle the match became but had no answer when glasgow played their off-loading game which should have given them two tries . this means the 1872 cup is , theoretically , still up for grabs in the return . it should have been over as glasgow were much better than the 10-point winning margin suggested but edinburgh will have a real go at murrayfield . the big pitch will suit the warriors but my only wish is that we have a much better game than we saw at scotstoun on saturday . scotstoun , home of glasgow warriors , during the derby between glasgow and edinburgh on saturday .<doc-sep>this changed when i moved back to play for glasgow . suddenly , the derby against edinburgh turned into a turgid affair when both sides seemed paralysed by the fear of losing to their nearest rival . one reason for this was they were seen as national trials when you faced up to a player who you were battling with for the scotland team . this meant lots of players went into their shells and made damn sure the opposition team and individual player did nothing to improve their chances of being selected for the national team . this is what happened on saturday at scotstoun . glasgow and edinburgh produced a forgettable match in front of an excited and expectant capacity crowd who deserved so much more in terms of intent and quality . the irony of this is that edinburgh do not have that many scottish-qualified players but it was still seen as a trial . glasgow won the game and will take the four points on offer but that was just about all they will take from this . they stay second in the league and on course for a home play-off but they will need to play a whole lot better if this is to be achieved . worryingly , one of their most consistent performers this season , rob harley , went off with a nasty looking leg injury which will definitely keep him out of the return match at murrayfield and time will tell how many other games . his work rate has laid the platform that has allowed the warriors to perform and , although they have strength in depth in this area , the injuries are mounting with adam ashe and chris fusaro and he will be missed . glasgow warriors ' josh strauss -lrb- left -rrb- scores a try in his side 's 16-6 win over edinburgh .<doc-sep>ahead of the midweek capital one cup quarter-finals , sportsmail will be providing you with all you need to know about every fixture , with team news , provisional squads , betting odds and opta stats . here is all the information you need for derby 's home clash with chelsea ... derby county vs chelsea -lrb- ipro stadium -rrb- . team news . derby . jake buxton is likely to partner richard keogh in defence for derby 's capital one cup quarter-final with chelsea . ryan shotton is suspended after being sent off in their 2-0 defeat by middlesbrough on saturday , when buxton was an unused substitute , while zak whitbread has been struggling with back and hamstring problems . ryan shotton -lrb- right -rrb- is suspended after being sent off in derby 's 2-0 loss at middlesbrough on saturday . jamie ward is out with a thigh injury and the rams are waiting for the results of a scan the northern ireland international had on monday . provisional squad : grant , roos , christie , keogh , buxton , forsyth , hendrick , eustace , hughes , coutts , mascarell , bryson , calero , santos , russell , martin , best , ibe , dawkins . chelsea . playmaker cesc fabregas is available following suspension as chelsea travel to derby for their capital one cup quarter-final clash on tuesday night . goalkeeper thibaut courtois is unlikely to be risked after missing the premier league leaders ' win over hull with a minor muscular injury , so petr cech is poised to continue in goal . following suspension , cesc fabregas is once again available for chelsea ahead of their derby test .

<t> glasgow derby between celtic and rangers on wednesday is postponed . </t> <t> decision made as a mark of respect after death of ex-player phil o'donnell . </t> <t> motherwell 's home game against celtic next sunday was already called off . </t>

glasgow derby off following death<T>

washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- president bush 's top adviser on homeland security is stepping down after 4 1/2 years on the job , the white house said monday . fran townsend served more than four years as homeland security adviser . homeland security adviser fran townsend turned in her letter of resignation to president bush on november 6 and will be looking for new opportunities outside government . `` i 'm going to just take another job doing 20-hour days , but this time in the private sector , '' said townsend , who has spent 25 years working in law enforcement and government . bush praised townsend 's work monday .<doc-sep>`` fran has always provided wise counsel on how to best protect the american people from the threat of terrorism , '' bush said in a statement . `` we are safer today because of her leadership . '' townsend 's job , as the president 's top adviser on fighting terrorism , involved identifying terrorist groups around the globe and assessing their threat , and finding ways to track and cut off their funding . she said that experience should will be useful in the private sector as well . townsend -- the mother of two , ages 6 and 12 -- said she first will look into public speaking , writing and board work before pursuing opportunities in global risk management for a large multinational corporation or financial institution . watch how townsend is planning to use her skills '' she said she 's been talking with the president about her planned departure for eight months . townsend 's name had come up during the president 's recent search for a new attorney general , but she was not considered . she said not getting the job `` had absolutely nothing to do with her decision to leave . ''<doc-sep>she said bush had wanted her to stay on in his administration . `` it was a hard decision as i have loved and will cherish my every minute of service , '' she said in an e-mail . `` my family actually advocated that i remain and has always been supportive of my service so this was entirely my decision . '' townsend is part of the search committee to find a replacement by the beginning of next year . the president appoints the senior staff position , and it needs no senate confirmation . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's suzanne malveaux contributed to this report .<doc-sep>fran townsend , a homeland security adviser to former president george w. bush , said the incident likely involved a breakdown at the `` perimeter '' security for the event , which is the first checkpoint that guests encounter . lying to the secret service could bring a felony charge , townsend said .<doc-sep>editor 's note : frances fragos townsend , a cnn contributor on national security issues , served as president george w. bush 's chief anti-terrorism and homeland security adviser . townsend has spent more than two decades in the fields of intelligence and criminal justice and has served during the past three administrations . townsend is currently a consultant to the u.s. chamber of commerce and a member of the council on foreign relations and the aspen institute homeland security program . frances townsend says the priority for the white house must be protecting the american people . washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the washington post recently reported that gen. jim jones , president obama 's national security adviser , is reviewing plans to reorganize the white house national security and homeland security councils . some , if not all , of the functions of the homeland security council may be folded into an expanded national security council . there is no more solemn responsibility that the president bears than to protect american lives . during my 4 1/2 years at the white house , i came to believe that , for this reason , organization must be dictated by effectiveness . how best to maximize effectiveness will inevitably change over time as we as a country continue to weaken al qaeda and other enemies , as the department of homeland security gains strength , and as our government better integrates the capabilities that have been built since the tragedy of september 11 . as the obama administration considers the most effective means of organizing the white house structure , i respectfully submit that any structure should be judged against three fundamental criteria . first , there must be a single person both responsible and accountable to the president who monitors threat information and who has the authority to marshal all instruments of national power -lrb- military , intelligence , law enforcement , economic , diplomatic and public diplomacy -rrb- to defeat the threat . this individual can not wait until threats arrive on our shores , but must have the responsibility and the means to identify those threats where they originate and to ensure a coordinated response to them . the president 's homeland security adviser must not be constrained by geographic boundaries that our enemies do not respect . second , the homeland security adviser must have direct and immediate access to the president . ultimately , if terrorists successfully strike the united states , it is the president , and not his staff , who will be accountable to the american people for the failure .<doc-sep>national security veterans who will be offering informal advice . to bush in the coming months . many of them are from past republican administrations , . including those of his father and brother as well as that of . ronald reagan . the list includes people representing a wide spectrum of . ideological views in the republican party , from the pragmatic to . the hawkish . it includes james baker , known for his pragmatism . in key roles during the reagan and george h.w. bush . presidencies , and former world bank president paul wolfowitz , a . hawk as deputy defense secretary who was an architect of george . w. bush 's iraq war policy . among others are two former secretaries of homeland . security , tom ridge and michael chertoff , former national . security adviser stephen hadley and a deputy national security . adviser , meghan o'sullivan , as well as two former cia directors , . porter goss and michael hayden . with polls showing bush a front-runner among republican . candidates jockeying for the 2016 nomination , his aim is to set . his own course on us foreign policy without getting entangled . in a debate about the legacy of his father and older brother .<doc-sep>i served my country in the u.s. navy , worked as senior policy adviser in the department of homeland security under president george w. bush , was involved in my community and even ran for public office . there is not much more anyone can do to prove his or her complete loyalty to the united states . what 's clear now is that the reason for spying on me is my religion . some people may argue that my ties to the american muslim council gave the government probable cause to monitor me . but i had received my top secret/sci -lrb- sensitive compartmented information -rrb- clearance to work in the department of homeland security after working with the american muslim council , not before . needless to say , all aspects of your life are examined to obtain this level . when i was working with the council , my goal was to get muslims involved in domestic politics , never foreign politics . working in homeland security , i know more than others that sometimes people need to be monitored for security purposes , and there are times when such monitoring does not lead to anything . in those cases , however , at least something in those people 's background or actions would cause suspicion . for example , they met secretly with terrorist groups or made some statements inciting violence . none of those factors exist in my case .

<t> fran townsend says she 'll look for opportunities in the private sector . </t> <t> townsend has worked in government and law enforcement for 25 years . </t> <t> townsend will be on a panel searching for a replacement . </t>

bush 's top homeland security adviser resigns<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- before dying , 2-year-old riley ann sawyers was beaten with belts , picked up by her hair , thrown across the room and held under water , according to an affidavit from the galveston county sheriff 's office . police believe 2-year-old riley ann sawyers is `` baby grace . '' the affidavit says the girl 's mother , kimberly dawn trenor , described to police how her daughter died and was put in a plastic storage box that trenor and her husband , royce zeigler , later dumped into a galveston waterway . trenor told police zeigler tried to commit suicide the weekend before thanksgiving , and wrote a note that said , `` my wife is innocent of the sins that i committed . '' the body of the then-unidentified toddler was found on october 29 . a fisherman found riley 's body stuffed inside a blue storage container that washed up on an uninhabited island in galveston 's west bay . a medical examiner said the child 's skull was fractured , and a forensic dentist estimated her age at 2 to 3 years . police dubbed the child `` baby grace . '' a police artist 's sketch of her was widely circulated in the news media and prompted a call to galveston police from riley 's grandmother in ohio , who had not seen the girl in months . on saturday , police arrested trenor and zeigler on charges of injuring a child and tampering with physical evidence , the sheriff 's department said . their bonds were set at $ 350,000 each . the affidavit , obtained by cnn , says when police interviewed trenor on november 23 , she `` gave a voluntary statement on video with her attorney present in which she describes her involvement , with royce zeigler , in the physical abuse , death and disposal of the remains of her daughter , riley ann sawyers . '' trenor 's statement said on july 24 , she and zeigler both beat the child with leather belts and held her head under water in the bathtub . she said zeigler picked the girl up by her hair and also threw her across the room , slamming her head into the tile floor . after her daughter died , trenor 's statement said , she and zeigler went to a wal-mart that night and bought the sterilite container , a shovel , concrete mix , and other supplies . the statement said the box containing the child 's body was hidden in a storage shed for `` one to two months . '' then , trenor said , she and zeigler carried it to the galveston causeway and tossed it in , and she saw it drifting away . riley ann 's father , robert sawyers , on monday tearfully remembered her as a `` fun-loving girl ... with a big imagination . '' watch riley ann 's father describe the little girl '' riley was `` very active , very hyper , but also very well-behaved , '' sawyers told reporters in mentor , ohio . she would play `` with a water hose ... spraying the whole patio soaking wet until she was done with it , '' he said , as he sat behind two photographs of his daughter , a toddler with wispy blond curls . robert sawyers ' mother , sheryl sawyers , said the family was `` devastated '' to learn that police believe riley is dead . `` it 's hard to think that i 'll never see her again , '' she said , clutching a red elmo doll she had planned to give riley for christmas .<doc-sep>maj. ray tuttoilmondo of the galveston county sheriff 's department said monday that authorities are `` fairly confident '' that the toddler whose body was found on october 29 is riley ann sawyers . dna analysis is still in progress to confirm the identification . the results will be available in two to three weeks , tuttoilmondo said . tuttoilmondo said riley is originally from mentor , ohio , a cleveland suburb , and that `` she and her mother came down to texas earlier this year . '' the toddler was last seen in texas `` three or four months ago , '' tuttoilmondo said , although he did not know by whom . tuttoilmondo said police did investigate whether child protective services had taken riley away , something the mother had reportedly alleged . of that report , tuttoilmondo said , `` what we believe is that is not what happened . '' the affidavit said trenor admitted that after the body was found , zeigler had her type up a fake letter from the ohio department of children 's services saying that riley was to be taken away . trenor left ohio in late may , after filing an allegation of domestic violence against robert sawyers and reaching a joint voluntary agreement that gave her custody of riley and gave robert sawyers visitation rights , the sawyers ' family lawyer said monday . `` she disappeared , '' laura depledge said monday at the ohio news conference with the sawyers . sheryl sawyers said monday that she saw widely distributed police sketches of `` baby grace '' and contacted galveston police in november . the girl in the police sketches strongly resembles photos of riley . `` no , i never did think it would end up like this , '' sheryl sawyers said monday , eyes welling . `` i guess knowing is better than not knowing . '' the girl 's family in ohio has been `` very helpful '' in this case , tuttoilmondo said , adding that the fbi and a galveston county police officer visited the family in ohio on sunday . depledge said riley was the product of a `` teenage pregnancy . '' trenor and robert sawyers were together for two years as a result of the pregnancy , depledge said , during which time they lived with sheryl sawyers . depledge said monday that the family , whose grief she described as `` simply overwhelming , '' wants riley 's body returned to ohio for a memorial service . `` what riley needs is to be brought home , '' she said . `` i think this family needs some closure . '' tuttoilmondo asked anyone who knew the child or her family to help detectives reconstruct the events of riley 's short life . the toddler 's case has touched even hardened police officers , he said . `` any way you look at it , we carry a piece of her with us , and we 'll always carry a little piece of her with us , '' he said monday . he held up a small , pink-and-white shoe identical to those the child was wearing when she was found . `` that says it all . a little-bitty shoe . '' e-mail to a friend . cnn 's sean callebs contributed to this report .<doc-sep>by . rachel quigley . published : . 12:05 est , 2 november 2012 . | . updated : . 01:55 est , 3 november 2012 . a pastor accused of beating and strangling a neighbor to fulfill a sexual fantasy was engaged to the victim 's mother and had asked church members to pray for the young woman before police found her body , a friend said on friday . ex-convict john d. white , from michigan , told investigators that after killing 24-year-old rebekah gay in her trailer in rural isabella county early on wednesday , he hid her body in nearby woods then returned to the trailer to dress her three-year-old son in a halloween costume , ready for the boy 's father to pick him up . white told investigators he repeatedly struck gay 's head with a mallet then strangled her with a zip tie , according to the isabella county sheriff 's office . twisted : pastor john white told investigators he repeatedly struck his fiancee 's daughter rebekah gay 's head with a mallet then strangled her with a zip tie at her mount pleasant trailer . victim : rebekah gay 's three-year-old son was home when his mother was attacked . he said he stripped her but does not remember if he carried out his fantasy of having sex with gay 's dead body . ` we are all absolutely floored , ' said . donna houghton , 76 , who had a role in hiring white to be pastor at the . 14-member christ community fellowship three years ago . she said she . protested his innocence until she heard he had confessed .<doc-sep>at his sentencing on wednesday , prosecutor william prasher said that moss was a danger to society . ` the defense says there 's two victims in this case ? there 's three . one stab lower than the chest and rachel 's sweet little girl is n't alive . suspect : cory bernard moss , 19 , allegedly admitted to the knife attack , which was reportedly sparked by a money dispute . ` he did n't want to pay rachel $ 3,000 . that 's the defense 's excuse for attempting double murder ? are you kidding me ? ' just days after the attack rachel gave birth to a daughter named isabella at university medical center in el paso , texas by caesarean section . rachel was blinded in one eye after being stabbed in the head . the-then 31-year-old mother-to-be was admitted to the hospital in a critical condition and treated for stab wounds to her face and body and multiple fractures . the attack happened when poole came home and began talking to her husband , stationed in qatar . a short time later , police say moss came out of hiding and surprised rachel poole from behind , repeatedly stabbing her with a foldout stainless steel knife and beating her . according to the affidavit , the victim instantly recognized moss as her husband 's debtor and yelled out his name several times so justin poole could hear it over the phone .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- before dying , 2-year-old riley ann sawyers was beaten with belts , picked up by her hair , thrown across the room and held under water , according to an affidavit from the galveston county sheriff 's office . police believe 2-year-old riley ann sawyers is `` baby grace . '' the affidavit says the girl 's mother , kimberly dawn trenor , described to police how her daughter died and was put in a plastic storage box that trenor and her husband , royce zeigler , later dumped into a galveston waterway . trenor told police zeigler tried to commit suicide the weekend before thanksgiving , and wrote a note that said , `` my wife is innocent of the sins that i committed . '' the body of the then-unidentified toddler was found on october 29 . a fisherman found riley 's body stuffed inside a blue storage container that washed up on an uninhabited island in galveston 's west bay . a medical examiner said the child 's skull was fractured , and a forensic dentist estimated her age at 2 to 3 years . police dubbed the child `` baby grace . '' a police artist 's sketch of her was widely circulated in the news media and prompted a call to galveston police from riley 's grandmother in ohio , who had not seen the girl in months . on saturday , police arrested trenor and zeigler on charges of injuring a child and tampering with physical evidence , the sheriff 's department said . their bonds were set at $ 350,000 each . the affidavit , obtained by cnn , says when police interviewed trenor on november 23 , she `` gave a voluntary statement on video with her attorney present in which she describes her involvement , with royce zeigler , in the physical abuse , death and disposal of the remains of her daughter , riley ann sawyers . '' trenor 's statement said on july 24 , she and zeigler both beat the child with leather belts and held her head under water in the bathtub . she said zeigler picked the girl up by her hair and also threw her across the room , slamming her head into the tile floor . after her daughter died , trenor 's statement said , she and zeigler went to a wal-mart that night and bought the sterilite container , a shovel , concrete mix , and other supplies . the statement said the box containing the child 's body was hidden in a storage shed for `` one to two months . '' then , trenor said , she and zeigler carried it to the galveston causeway and tossed it in , and she saw it drifting away .<doc-sep>` then he had no leg to stand on , ' she told the associated press . white led investigators to gay 's body . in a wooded area a half-mile away from the trailer park and later . wednesday was charged with first-degree murder . he remained jailed . without bond on friday . gay and white lived in the same . trailer park in broomfield township , 85 miles northwest of lansing , and . white was engaged to gay 's mother who was a regular at his sunday . sermons , houghton said . she said the pastor often watched gay 's son . while she was at work . white ` really liked this young man , ' sheriff leo mioduszewski said . houghton said that before white was . arrested he had called her to ask that she contact other church members . and start a prayer chain for gay , who was still missing at the time . ` he was pretty shook up . he said the police were giving him a hard time , ' houghton said . confession : wearing a ` suicide prevention suit ' , white confessed to hiding gay 's naked body after beating her to death but says he can not remember whether he acted out his fantasy of having sex with her body . police cordoned off an area close to the crime scene near the broomfield valley mobile home park in michigan .

<t> police affidavit quotes mother 's statement about beating that killed girl . </t> <t> mother 's husband threw riley ann sawyers across room , affidavit says . </t> <t> husband later attempted suicide , mother told police . </t> <t> riley ann 's mother and her husband arrested after a tip led to search . </t>

police : mother describes beating of 2-year-old , hiding her body<T>

haryana , india -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- in a nation of more than a billion people and millions of unresolved court cases , how do you take care of the backlog ? long distances over questionable roads stop many indians from making it into courtrooms . solution : you take the courts to the people . a bell rings . a bailiff yells out the name of the accused . it 's another day in the mobile courtroom of judge sandeep singh . his courtroom is a desk plopped down in the middle of a dusty schoolyard in the northern indian village of haryana . `` it works like any other regular court , '' singh said . `` the only difference is that instead of people going to the court , the court comes to the village . '' the mobile court is bused into rural areas to hear both criminal and civil complaints as part of an effort to dig the nation 's court system out from under an enormous backlog of cases . with an estimated 300 million unresolved cases languishing in indian courts , one consultant believes , it could take more than 300 years to clear the docket at the current pace . there 's one main reason for the backlog : inconvenience . people often have to travel long distances over questionable roads , using slow modes of transportation . `` the witnesses -- definitely , they do n't show up -- and even the parties -- they do n't show up -- and they send their advocate , '' singh said . `` but here , people are closer by , so definitely it makes a difference . '' with distance no longer a problem , more villagers and their attorneys are coming to hearings . compared to the traditional legal system , the mobile court claims to be both fast and efficient . singh said he has been able to clear 1,100 cases in just six months time compared to 500 under the traditional court system . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>crime rates on some indian reservations are 20 times higher than the national average , obama said , adding that one in three native american women are raped in their lifetimes , which he called `` an assault on our national conscience . '' `` these are significant measures that will empower tribal nations and make a real difference in people 's lives , '' obama said of the new law . the law requires the department of justice to improve coordination with tribal justice officials in prosecuting crimes on reservations , and provides resources for better overall cooperation between tribal , state and federal agencies . in addition , the measure increases the maximum sentence that tribal courts can impose to three years , instead of the previous limit of a one-year sentence . supporters of the measure say the sentencing provision will expand the number of cases handled by tribal courts , increasing local tribal control on reservations .<doc-sep>by . rob cooper . updated : . 05:34 est , 6 march 2012 . a former international cricket captain launched the first claim for libel on twitter yesterday after being accused of match-fixing . chris cairns , 41 , told the high court his cricketing achievements had been turned to ` dust ' by the allegation . he is suing lalit modi , ex-chairman of twenty20 franchise the indian premier league over the tweet . however , the case , brought by a new zealand cricketer against an indian businessman in british courts , has been slammed as a case of ` libel tourism ' . twitter libel claim : former new zealand cricket captain chris cairns , left , launched his libel claim against lalit modi , yesterday . the tweet about domestic indian cricket was read by just 95 people in britain , mr justice bean , who is hearing the case in the high court without a jury , was told .<doc-sep>but the international campaign for justice in bhopal said survivors have received an average of only $ 500 each in compensation . union carbide says neither the parent company nor its officials are subject to the jurisdiction of indian courts . in 1994 , union carbide sold its stake in union carbide india limited to mcleod russell -lrb- india -rrb- limited , which renamed the company eveready industries india limited -lrb- eveready industries -rrb- . in 1998 , the state government of madhya pradesh took over the bhopal site from eveready industries . indian authorities blamed the tragedy on the maintenance and design of the site . the company , however , has denied the charges , insisting the leak was an act of sabotage by an employee who it said had tampered with the gas tank . activists and survivors have long demanded that someone be held criminally responsible for the disaster , and have criticized indian officials for their response . `` the government does not want to discourage foreign investors , '' said abdul jabbar , convener of the bhopal gas-affected working women 's union , who said the indian government has attempted to protect the multinational company . the toxic leak , he said , affected more than 575,000 people .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- in a story that could step straight from the pages of a charles dickens novel , an indian son has worked night and day in a garment factory to earn the bail money to get his mother out of jail . this month , after ceaseless work stitching in the textile factory , kanhaiya kumari , 19 , raised the 5,000 rupees -lrb- about $ 89 -rrb- needed to pay his mother 's surety . his mother vijaya kumari , 48 , was five months pregnant with kanhaiya when she was arrested in 1993 in connection with the murder of a neighbor in india 's aligarh district , according to cnn affiliate ibn . sentenced to life in prison , she denied the charges and in 1994 she was granted bail pending her appeal , but her husband refused to post the rs5 ,000 bail money . `` no one from my family or in-laws came to my help , '' she told cnn . both mother and son remained in nari niketan prison in lucknow , uttar pradesh , until kanhaiya was sent to a juvenile remand home at the age of 6 . `` i was very sad , '' kanhaiya told cnn . `` without her , i had no one by me . '' he was released last year after spending seven years separated from his mother and immediately set about getting a job that would pay for his mother 's bail . `` he was out of work and could n't make ends meet , '' said his employer ah rehman . `` he asked for a job that would provide him with some livelihood , so i got him a job in a ready-made garment shop . '' some 19 years after his mother was first jailed , kanhaiya paid the bail money at allahbad high court and secured her release . `` i worked very , very hard to get the money for the release of my mother , '' he said . `` i 'm very happy now . '' the case has prompted the high court to take a closer look at the jails of uttar pradesh . the court has demanded a list of bailed inmates still languishing in jail . india 's courts are famously inefficient , with cases backed sometimes for decades . according to the asian human rights commission , confessions are the bedrock of india 's criminal justice system making it notoriously difficult for courts to secure convictions . the commission estimates the conviction rate for serious crimes is as low as 4 per cent of the cases that come before india 's courts . indian acid attack victim fights for justice .

<t> indian judges bus mobile courts to rural villages to ease backlog . </t> <t> judges say the mobile courts make justice more convenient . </t> <t> india has an estimated 300 million unresolved court cases . </t>

indian courts take justice to the people<T>

san diego , california -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- more than a dozen uncontained wildfires raged monday across southern california , threatening thousands of structures and forcing people to flee homes from san diego to malibu to lake arrowhead . this photo taken from space monday afternoon shows smoke rising from the wildfires in southern california . fire officials said more than 265,000 people have been evacuated and nearly 4,900 firefighters are battling the fast-moving blazes , which began over the weekend . by monday afternoon , the california department of forestry and fire prevention had reported 13 active wildfires have consumed more than 98,000 acres and destroyed or damaged at least 50 homes and businesses across six counties . the winds driving the flames are expected to stay strong , coming out of the northeast , at least through tuesday , according to cnn meteorologist rob marciano . `` it 's a tragic time for california , '' california gov. arnold schwarzenegger said earlier monday . he declared a state of emergency in seven counties and asked the national guard to pull 800 soldiers from patrolling the u.s.-mexico border to help battle the wildfires . monday evening , schwarzenegger asked u.s. defense secretary robert gates to order delivery of all available modular airborne fire fighting systems -lrb- maffs -rrb- to help fight the fires . watch fires devour homes and land '' citing the proliferation in the number of fires , schwarzenegger wrote , `` your immediate assistance is necessary to deploy department of defense aircraft located in wyoming , north carolina and colorado to assist california in our firefighting effort . '' according to the white house , the federal agriculture department will provide fire crews , air tankers and helicopters to fight the fires , and the state will receive assistance grants to help pay firefighting costs . see where fires burn across southern california '' hardest hit was san diego county , where 250,000 people have fled from five fires . one person was killed and 18 were reported injured in the county , including five firefighters . local officials said the fire situation had worsened throughout the day , prompting new evacuations . `` we have a very dangerous , unpredictable situation , '' said ron roberts , chairman of the san diego county board of supervisors . `` we have some of the highest temperatures , some of the driest landscape conditions and some of the most powerful winds -- all the ingredients for a perfect firestorm . '' on one cul-de-sac in the san diego suburb of rancho bernardo , five of six homes burned to the ground , leaving flames from gas lines flickering amid the ruins , according to a kgtv report . see photos of the fires '' officials turned qualcomm stadium , home of the nfl 's san diego chargers , into an evacuation center . residents of four housing areas at the camp pendleton marine base in northern san diego county were put on notice for possible evacuations and told to pack personal belongings as a precautionary measure . earlier monday , fixed-wing firefighting aircraft were grounded by the strong winds , officials said , making the jobs of fire crews on the ground even harder . fires threatened the san diego zoo 's wild animal park on monday , causing the park to close . some of the animals , such as endangered condors , are being moved to a safer location , according to zoo spokeswoman yadira galindo . authorities are asking people to hold off on 911 calls unless there is a real emergency , saying clogged cell phone lines are hurting rescue efforts . the largest of the wildfires was the buckweed blaze north of los angeles , which has consumed 27,500 acres and forced the evacuation of 15,000 residents from santa clarita and nearby communities , according to the state forestry department . about 4,000 structures were threatened , and the fire was moving toward the magic mountain amusement park . two fires that erupted monday morning in san bernardino county near lake arrowhead have destroyed at least 123 structures and charred 1,800 acres , said loretta benavidez , a spokeswoman for the san bernardino national forest . several communities in the area , including green valley lake , arrowbear and running springs , were evacuated . and in malibu canyon , south of the pacific coast highway , nearly 1,450 firefighters were battling a blaze that began sunday afternoon and still threatened 900 structures in the area , which is home to many hollywood luminaries , the state forestry department said . the canyon fire is only 10 percent contained , an official said . the pacific coast highway remains shut down in malibu . e-mail to a friend . copyright 2007 cnn . all rights reserved.this material may not be published , broadcast , rewritten , or redistributed . associated press contributed to this report .<doc-sep>by . michael zennie . three wildfires have scorched tens of thousands of acres and forced thousands to flee their homes as they burn unchecked near los angeles and santa fe , new mexico . by sunday night , the powerhouse fire around the angeles national forest in southern california engulfed about 22,400 acres , endangering some 1,000 homes in the lake elizabeth and lake hughes area . nearly 2,100 firefighters struggled to contain the fire , which more than tripled in size from saturday to sunday . nearly 3,000 people have been evacuated and the blaze has already destroyed at least six homes by sunday night . at the same , the tres lagunas fire in the pecos wilderness in the sanata fe national forest near santa fe , new mexico , has consumed roughly 7,000 acres and forced residents of 150 homes - as well as several campgrounds - to flee the area . another 1,200 acres was set ablaze by the thompson ridge fire in the nearby valles caldera national preserve . scroll down for video . inferno : the powerhouse wildfire at the angeles national forest engulfs as home on saturday night . at least five houses have been destroyed by the massive blaze . working in vain : nearly 1,000 firefighters struggled the bring the massive powerhouse wildfire under control . by sunday morning , just 20percent of it had been contained . dangerous work : three firefighters have been injured while trying to contain the blaze . the inferno has burned 31 square miles . inferno : the massive blaze more than tripled in size in the early hours of sunday morning - despite the heroic attempts of firefighters . the western wildfires are hundreds of . mile apart , but spread for all the same reasons . record heat and low . humidity turns ground brush into a tinderbox - ready for ignition . it . is unclear what caused the powerhouse and thompson ridge fires , though . the tres lobos blaze in pecos canyon appears to have been sparked by a . downed power line , the santa fe new mexican reports .<doc-sep>by . helen collis and jessica jerreat . published : . 19:10 est , 8 august 2013 . | . updated : . 19:36 est , 8 august 2013 . the wildfires spreading through southern california have left a victim with head-to-toe burns , injured four firefighters and forced 1,500 residents to flee from their riverside county homes today . as 40mph winds fanned the flames , cal fire described the blaze as ` burning uncontrolled ' . it has already destroyed 15 homes and burned 10,000 acres west of palm springs . the unnamed victim with full body burns was taken to a specialist burns center . cal fire riverside chief john hawkins told nbc the person ` tragically was very badly burned ' . a firefighter is also being treated for smoke inhalation.scroll down for video : . battling the blaze : a helicopter drops gallons of water over cabazon in california as wildfires spread . creeping closer : thick plumes of smoke and flames can be seen close to a highway . inferno : a firefighter tries to tackle a blaze in the rugged southern californian mountains . as the wildfires burned across california , a child was killed and a woman believed to the mother was missing after heavy thunderstorms hit south-central missouri yesterday . the region has already seen rainfall . saturate the land , so when heavy thunderstorms hit early yesterday , the . already saturated areas flooded . in california , evacuation orders have been put in place in several areas since the blaze , known as silver fire , began yesterday afternoon . three national forests have also been affected by wildfires , according to cal fire . some residents and sheriff 's deputies were trapped for a brief period of time , and were forced to take shelter , as the fire cut off escape routes , according to the los angeles times . at least 1,000 firefighters are trying to tackle the blaze , which started at 2pm yesterday . the wildfires were so intense that ash was reported to be falling 25 miles away in palm springs , according to nbc news . fighting the flames : at least 1,000 emergency workers are trying to stop the wildfires . exhausting work : fire crews have been trying to halt the fire since wednesday . glow : the blaze lit up the hills in twin pines as fire crews worked through the night . air rescue : pilots fly low over the twin pines and release fire retardant . ` the smoke is so thick here in palm springs , the ashes are coming down like snow , and the air quality is really bad , ' michelle renee robinson-scruggs wrote on nbc la 's facebook page . the fire near banning , which has . devoured nine square miles , injured two firefighters yesterday who both . needed hospital treatment . lucas spelman , . spokesman for the california department of forestry and fire protection , . said about a dozen buildings were damaged or destroyed , but could not . say how many were homes . footage from tv news helicopters and photos from the scene showed several houses in flames . they . include the twin pines home of dave clark , who was pictured talking on . his cellphone with the home fully engulfed in flames behind him . battle : two firefighters -lrb- not pictured -rrb- were injured in the battle to bring the raging wildfire in southern california , near banning , under control . the rage engulfed homes in the twin pines road area , california , pictured , yesterday . blocked : meanwhile , in mid-missouri , the interstate 44 near jerome , pictured , was closed after torrential stormy downpours fell on already saturated land . devastation : many buildings in the poppet flats area , pictured , were destroyed yesterday by the ravaging wildfire , about 90 miles east of los angeles . the blaze , known as silver fire , roared through the area along highway 243 between banning and idyllwild , california . the fire broke out shortly after 2pm near a back-country road south of banning , about 90miles -lrb- 145km -rrb- outside los angeles in riverside county , and within hours had blackened more than 5,000 acres , california department of forestry and fire protection spokesman daniel berlandt said .<doc-sep>san diego , california -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- firefighters in southern california are facing wind-whipped walls of flame from 15 wildfires that have scorched more than 400,000 acres and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes . firefighters battle the witch fire tuesday in the del dios area of escondido , california . the blazes have killed one person and injured at least 70 more . firefighters were aided by resources from mexico , the state and federal governments and even inmates from california 's prisons . san diego fire department battalion chief bruce cartelli described scenes of `` utter devastation '' with hundreds of homes lost and `` many hundreds '' of others damaged . `` it 's probably the worst significant event in my career of 36 years , '' he said . `` it will not end ... until it reaches the ocean or the winds turn around , '' cartelli said . meteorologists suggested that santa ana winds , which have fueled the wildfires with some gusts approaching 100 mph , could die down wednesday afternoon . `` we are still facing some very serious fires , '' homeland security secretary michael chertoff said after an aerial tour of the affected area . `` the weather has made it very difficult for the air assets to get up and fight the fires . ... if the weather cooperates , maybe we can turn the tide tomorrow . '' officials have evacuated nearly 350,000 homes in san diego county alone , where the worst of the fires are blazing . using u.s. census bureau numbers from the 2000 census , that could mean as many as 950,000 were affected by the fires . watch evacuees shaken , firefighters battling '' in san diego county , at least half a million residents had been ordered to find refuge in shelters , schools and stadiums as fires pushed into new areas . among the evacuees as more than 4,000 military personnel from several bases in the area . with the winds pushing them across the area , the fires spread quickly , forcing some residents to flee in the middle of the night . `` my wife woke me up like 12 o'clock , screaming and yelling that the flames were coming down , '' said johnny villanueva of spring valley , who fled with his wife and daughter to san diego 's qualcomm stadium , which is serving as a shelter to more than 12,000 evacuees . `` we just loaded up the car really quick and came down here ... slept in our vehicles . '' his wife , elizabeth , added , `` i saw on the mountain on fire , and said , ` oh my god , my family . ... let 's go . '' with qualcomm stadium being used by the evacuees , the san diego chargers planned to practice at the arizona cardinals ' stadium in glendale for next weekend 's game .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- wildfires raging in northern california briefly halted the search for extraterrestrial life on tuesday . the eiler fire , burning some 200 miles north of sacramento , forced employees at the seti institute 's allen telescope array to evacuate and temporarily shut down all of their computers , internet and power . `` we ca n't listen when all that is down , '' said seth shostak , senior astronomer and director of seti research . at seti -- which stands for search for extraterrestrial intelligence -- scientists search the heavens for signs of extraterrestrial life by `` listening '' with an array of small satellite dishes . the blaze came within a mile of the facility , located near hat creek , california , on both the east and west , according to shostak . `` the fire on the west had jumped the road , burnt down our favorite lunch place , got within a mile of the telescopes , '' he said . as the flames got closer , the staff fled to safer ground and shut down the satellites . `` we just lost some search hours , '' he said . `` to expect that e.t. will somehow reach out at this moment , that would be very bizarre . '' the eiler fire may not have cost the researchers their chance to find aliens , but it 's already burned more than 31,000 acres and threatened over 700 homes . however , fire offficials say the fire is 35 % contained and is expected to be fully contained by august 20th . the search for life can continue at seti 's telescope array . the scientists were eventually given the all clear to return to the facility . pacific northwest wildfires char a million acres , spur warnings of bad air . citizen scientists shape ` destiny of humanity ' with seti . dave alsup contributed to this report .

<t> new : 123 structures destroyed by wildfires in lake arrowhead . </t> <t> new : white house : federal agriculture department will provide fire crews . </t> <t> fires threaten san diego zoo 's wild animal park ; animals evacuated . </t> <t> malibu canyon fire is 10 percent contained , officials say . </t>

265,000 flee as massive wildfires char southern california<T>

new york -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- chiquita brands international faces a $ 7.86 billion lawsuit filed wednesday on behalf of nearly 400 colombian families who say the company should be held responsible for the `` torture and murder '' of their loved ones . with a map of alleged victims , jonathan reiter makes his case wednesday at a new york news conference . attorney jonathan reiter said his clients are seeking `` damages for terrorism , war crimes ... and wrongful death . '' the plaintiffs are asking for $ 10 million in compensatory damages and $ 10 million in punitive damages for each of the 393 victims named in the suit . earlier this year , chiquita , as part of a plea agreement , admitted that what it called protection payments had been given to autodefensas unidas de colombia , or auc . auc was named a terrorist organization by the united states in 2002 , making it a crime to give them money . the lawsuit alleges chiquita 's interaction with the paramilitary group went further than the payments -- it accuses the company of facilitating shipments of arms to the group . `` they conspired with the auc , aided and abetted them in a far-reaching conspiracy and plan to control every aspect of banana growing , distribution and sale , '' reiter said . the attorney said one couple refused to sell their banana farm `` for pennies '' and were killed by auc in 2001 , and other murder victims had been directed to `` sell their bananas only to chiquita . '' the families filing the suit will remain anonymous because of fear of reprisals in their home country , he said . `` the principle upon which this lawsuit is brought is that when you put money into the hands of terrorists , when you put guns into the hands of terrorists , then you are legally responsible for the atrocities , the murders and the tortures that those terrorists commit , '' reiter said . responding to the allegations wednesday afternoon , the company said , `` chiquita brands international categorically denies the allegations made by these attorneys . we reiterate that chiquita and its employees were victims and that the actions taken by the company were always motivated to protect the lives of our employees and their families . '' chiquita 's director of communications , michael mitchell , went on to say , `` our company had been forced to make protection payments to safeguard our workforce . it is absolutely untrue for anyone to suggest that these payments were made for any other purpose . '' mitchell said the company will fight the allegations . `` chiquita has already been the victim of extortion in colombia . we will not allow ourselves to become extortion victims in the united states . '' in the march plea agreement , chiquita brands international agreed to pay a $ 25 million fine for the payments made by the company 's former banana-producing subsidiary in colombia . during a government investigation , the company admitted to making payments to auc even after outside counsel told the company those payments were illegal and should stop immediately . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>in addition , the judge said , the families accuse chiquita of working with farc-controlled labor unions as another way to channel payments to the guerrillas . chiquita spokesman loyd and one of the company 's attorneys , jonathan m. sperling , declined to discuss friday whether the families ' allegations noted by marra are factual . the judge 's ruling means the case can go to the discovery phase , in which each party can obtain documents and evidence from the other side . `` we needed to pass this hurdle in order to go forward , '' said steven m. steingard , another attorney for the families . loyd expressed confidence that the company will be exonerated . `` it makes no sense to make chiquita or chiquita employees liable for the horrible crimes that those groups committed , '' loyd said . said osen , the attorney for the other side , `` chiquita is intent on defending what we consider the indefensible . '' no amount for monetary damages has been asked , osen and steingard said . julin , who has remarried , says she has a reason beyond dollars and cents . `` all those years of not knowing if he was alive or dead , '' she said . `` there never has been any closure . ''<doc-sep>`` we 're sympathetic to the families , '' he said , `` but chiquita was being extorted by right-wing groups and left-wing groups . there was a very real fear , a very real threat to u.s. citizens . '' that argument does not wash with gary m. osen , an attorney for the families . `` there 's no law that says you have to operate in areas where you have to pay terrorists , '' osen said . `` that 's something they chose to do . '' julin , a 40-year-old kindergarten teacher at a church school near orlando , florida , filed suit in march 2008 . civil provisions of the u.s. anti-terrorism act of 1991 allow american citizens , their heirs and their estates to be paid compensation for injuries suffered as a result of international terrorism . the families `` allege that chiquita , knowing that farc was a terrorist organization , intentionally agreed to provide money , weapons and services to it as part of a common scheme to subvert local trade unions , protect chiquita 's farms and shipments , harm chiquita 's competitors , -lsb- and -rsb- strengthen farc 's military capabilities , and that -lsb- the families -rsb- were injured by overt acts done in furtherance of the common scheme , '' u.s. district judge kenneth a. marra wrote in his 34-page ruling allowing the suit to go forward . court records show that chiquita initially made monthly cash payments to the farc ranging from $ 20,000 to $ 100,000 . eventually , chiquita 's payments were fixed to a percentage of the company 's gross revenues from its colombia banana business . ultimately , up to 10 percent of those revenues were diverted to the farc . the company also supplied weapons , ammunition and other supplies to the rebels , the victims ' families allege . the families also said `` chiquita went to great lengths to hide its relationship with farc , '' marra noted in the february 4 ruling . `` the payments were often delivered by a former american military pilot known as ` kaiser , ' who held a management position with chiquita in colombia , '' the judge said the families allege . according to the families , marra said , chiquita placed false names and nonexistent employees on its payroll , providing the money on local paydays to regional farc commanders . the company also helped the farc create front organizations to which chiquita could channel money , the victims ' families said .<doc-sep>the families did not know anything about their loved ones for years . it was a tough time for julin 's daughters . `` they went through all of their growing-up years that they can remember asking where their daddy was and if he could come home for their birthdays , '' julin said . she and the wives of the other men abducted in 1993 found out the truth in december 2000 , when new tribes mission officials told them the farc had killed the three captives in 1996 . the colombian government confirmed the deaths in february 2007 . the two men who were abducted in 1994 were killed during a firefight between the farc and the colombian military in june 1995 . evidence and eyewitness reports obtained by the colombian national prosecutor 's office and the u.s. justice department confirmed that the farc executed the missionaries . the u.s. state department designated the farc a foreign terrorist organization on october 8 , 1997 . the five widows found out another hurtful truth in march 2007 , when chiquita pleaded guilty to violating u.s. antiterrorism laws by providing payments to another colombian terrorist organization , the paramilitary right-wing united self-defense forces of colombia , known as the auc . chiquita made more than 100 payments to the auc totaling at least $ 1.7 million , the justice department said . as part of those proceedings , chiquita acknowledged that it had also made payments to the farc from 1989 to at least 1997 . that period included the span during which the five missionaries were abducted and killed . that knowledge still pains julin . `` i just can hardly stand to think about it too much , '' she said . `` they 're like a household name . you feel like you can trust them . `` it 's just horrible to think about . '' chiquita 's loyd said the company 's sole motivation was to protect the lives of its employees . he cited a 1995 incident in which a bus transporting chiquita employees was attacked and 25 people aboard it died . in total , he said , more than 50 chiquita employees were killed in colombia in the 1990s .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- family members of thousands of colombians who were killed or who disappeared are suing chiquita brands international , alleging the produce company is liable because of its payments to paramilitaries . `` we 're holding them accountable , '' said paul wolf , a washington-based attorney who is handling cases for family members of more than 2,000 victims . chiquita counters their claims and says the lawsuits should be dismissed . the company , which had more than 200 banana farms in colombia before selling them in 2004 , argues that it was a victim of extortion and has no responsibility for any crimes armed groups committed . a federal judge in florida is weighing whether the lawsuits , which constitute more than 4,000 claims against chiquita , will go to trial . in 2007 , chiquita pleaded guilty and paid a $ 25 million fine for violating u.s. antiterrorism laws when it provided payments to the right-wing paramilitary united self-defense forces of colombia , known as the auc . but family members and representatives of people killed by paramilitaries say the criminal case settlement was n't enough .

<t> attorney : clients allege terrorism , war crimes , wrongful death , seek $ 7.86 billion . </t> <t> plaintiffs want $ 20 million in damages for each of 393 victims named in suit . </t> <t> chiquita admits paying a group that the u.s. labeled a terrorist organization . </t> <t> company `` categorically denies '' attorneys ' allegations , says it will fight them . </t>

colombian families ' suit says chiquita liable for torture , murder<T>

paris , france -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- interpol on monday took the unprecendented step of making a global appeal for help to identify a man from digitally reconstructed photos taken from the internet that it said showed him sexually abusing underage boys . this moving image shows how police used software to unscramble the image . -lrb- source : interpol -rrb- . the man 's face was disguised by digital alteration , but the images were capable of being restored , according to a bulletin from interpol -- the international police agency based in lyon , france .<doc-sep>interpol secretary general ronald k. noble said the pictures have been on the the internet for several years , but investigators have been unable to determine the man 's identity or nationality . `` we have tried all other means to identify and to bring him to justice , but we are now convinced that without the public 's help this sexual predator could continue to rape and sexually abuse young children whose ages appear to range from six to early teens , '' noble said .<doc-sep>he said there is `` very good reason to believe that he travels the world in order to sexually abuse and exploit vulnerable children . '' interpol has determined the photos were taken in vietnam and cambodia .<doc-sep>`` the decision to make public this man 's picture was not one which was taken lightly , '' said kristin kvigne , assistant director of interpol 's trafficking in human beings unit . the suspect 's photo and more information can be seen online at interpol 's web site . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>the exhibit is being shown at the rutgers ' zimmerli art museum in new brunswick and they say they are taking these early selfies and showing them as art . the images on display of the unknown man were taken during a time when photobooths were hugely popular in the united states . the 445 prints are owned by historian donald lokuta , who bought the pictures two years ago at a new york city antiques show . the pictures are owned by historian donald lokuta , who bought the images at an antiques show in new york city in 2012 . he originally only came across a handful of the photographs but the dealer told him there were hundreds more images of the man and he decided to buy them all . mr lokuta told rutgers : ` as a historian , i knew this was very rare , but on a deeper level , i wondered , `` why would somebody want to take almost 500 photos of himself in a photobooth ? '' ' ` thereâ $ ™ s quite an age difference in the photos : you see him as younger man and then with a white , receding hairline and wrinkles . ' it is thought the mystery man in the pictures could be from the midwest and it is hoped the exhibition will shed new light on his identity . mr lokuta also added that based on conversations with another historian , it could be likely that the mystery man was a photobooth technician , who was taking the pictures to test out the equipment . it is also likely that he hailed from the u.s. midwest , and it is hoped the exhibition will shed new light on who the man is . it is thought the photos originated previously from an auction in michigan .<doc-sep>citing gross neglect of duty , extreme cruelty and incompatibility . speaking to cbs21 , . stutzman , who has also left the amish community , called the show ' a . fake ' and claimed : ` the kids and i suffered for years at the hands of this man . ' on one occasion , he punched her in . the stomach while she was pregnant , a police report notes , while other records reveal he did not pay child support . ` do your frickin ' homework , ' jeremiah said . ' i did spend three days in jail for . supposedly -lsb- abusing her -rsb- . the court threw it out . i regret . that i did n't pay child support in the past , but i 'm paying it now . ' wild : pictures also show jeremiah , left , surrounded by friends swigging from beer cans . trust : abe and sabrina had earlier revealed they had sex during the show 's filming and it was ` stupid ' and sabrina , the only mennonite in the . group , was given the chance to comment on photographs showing her . getting married while wearing a decidedly non-mennonite dress . she . was married in 2009 and has not been a practicing mennonite . for years , friends claim . other photographs on facebook show her in skimpy clothing . but sabrina said that the ceremony adhered to the community 's traditions , there was no dancing or alcohol and she had a panel fitted into her dress to conceal her chest . ` i 'm not ashamed i was married , ' she said , confirming that her divorce is still pending . i still love him - he 's a good man and . he 's honorable . i have nothing but good things to say about him . ' in the first part of the finale , . which aired last week , jeremiah and sabrina had admitted they had sex . during the filming - throwing yet more doubts on their devotion to their . faiths . double life : facebook photos apparently showed sabrina kissing a man and wearing skimpy clothes . insistence : but she maintained her wedding in 2009 was traditionally mennonite , despite how it appeared . while a cast member claimed the couple had sex in a hotel lobby 's bathroom , sabrina denied it . jeremiah added : ` if the world wants to know , we did it and enjoyed it . '<doc-sep>a removal lorry today arrived outside the home of former footballer paul gascoigne in poole , dorset , as photos emerged of him being turned away from an off-licence . gascoigne - known as ` gazza ' - hired removal men to help pack up his belongings - just one day before his lease on the luxury top-floor apartment runs out . it is understood that the former england star was told by his landlord several weeks ago that he would not have his lease renewed after a string of disturbances . scroll down for video . photos that emerged this afternoon show the fallen football star being turned away from an off-licence in poole . he was seen approaching the shop door , left , before being turned away -lrb- right -rrb- . gascoigne was pictured moving from his penthouse flat in poole today . he was seen loading the van alongside removal men , who were happy to pose for a photo with the football legend . after being refused entry to the off-licence , gascoigne was seen walking into an estate agents with a mystery woman , who also helped him pack the moving van . he then left and continued wandering around the town . the former footballer appeared . unsteady on his feet as he walked around outside the flat in sandbanks , . dorset , this afternoon wearing jeans and a grey t-shirt . he . was also seen rummaging in bushes near the entrance to the building 's . car park before getting into a car driven by a mystery woman . more photos that emerged this afternoon show the fallen football star apparently being turned away from an off-licence in poole . the photos show gascoigne , dressed in the same jeans and grey t-shirt , approaching the door of the wine shop . paul . gascoigne was caught in the middle of an argument with a man , believed . to be a member of staff at the off-licence -lrb- pictured left -rrb- after being . turned away from the shop . after being refused entry to the off-licence , gascoigne was seen walking into an estate agents with a mystery woman , who also helped him pack the moving van . he then left and continued wandering around the town . the former footballer looked gaunt as he walked around poole on friday . yesterday pictures emerged of gascoigne clutching a chicken in a hampshire pub . a man comes to meet gascoigne at the front of the shop , where he was then refused entry . photographs show the man from the shop , believed to be a member of staff , following gascoigne out into the street , where appear to have an argument . gascoigne then visited an estate agents with a mystery brunette , who smiled happily as he put his arm around her . the move comes just a day after photos emerged of a gaunt gascoigne was pictured cradling a chicken at a pub in hampshire . he had been drinking with locals at the starr inn , in east tytherley , while dressed in a fishing waistcoat . it . was reported that the 47-year-old enjoyed a pint of beer while he . chatted to regulars at the pub , as he cradled a chicken on saturday . it . is understood that the former england star was told by his landlord . several weeks ago that he would not have his lease on the penthouse flat . renewed . dressed in baggy jeans and a grey t-shirt , gascoigne was pictured rummaging in the bushes near his home in poole , dorset . gascoigne .<doc-sep>by . daily mail reporter and peter lloyd . published : . 05:10 est , 14 november 2013 . | . updated : . 05:27 est , 14 november 2013 . mystery continues to surround the case of alleged sex photos featuring nicolas cage and his ex-girlfriend christina fulton .

<t> man posted photos on the internet of himself sexually abusing underage boys . </t> <t> computer experts managed to undo digital masking to reveal the man . </t> <t> man abused 12 boys in vietnam and cambodia . </t>

photos show mystery child sex man<T>

washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- up to 80,000 items at the ronald reagan presidential library are unaccounted for , probably because of haphazard record-keeping and inventory procedures , officials said thursday . an audit found `` significant breakdown in internal controls '' at the ronald reagan presidential library . an audit completed last month by the national archives and records administration 's inspector general looked at the management of presidential artifacts at six presidential libraries . it `` cites particular issues at the ronald reagan library . ... we acknowledge that problems exist in inventory control at the reagan library , '' said a statement from allen weinstein , national archivist . inspector general paul brachfield was more blunt . a `` significant breakdown in internal controls '' was found at the reagan library , in simi valley , california , he said in a statement thursday . the audit results prompted the ronald reagan presidential foundation to urge the national archives -- which is responsible for maintaining the artifacts -- to move quickly to fix the problems . the chairman of the board of trustees has contacted weinstein `` to express the serious concerns and disappointment on behalf of the reagan foundation and mrs. reagan , '' the foundation said . library officials told auditors that `` the collection contained approximately 100,000 items , yet the library systems only had information to locate and account for approximately 20,000 items , '' brachfield said .<doc-sep>`` this does not automatically mean the approximately 80,000 remaining items are missing . the vast majority may very well be safely located within the library 's storage facilities . ... some of these items may be missing or stolen , or none of these items may be missing or stolen . '' control deficiencies at the library created an environment that could potentially have been exploited , brachfield said . although congress has a copy of the audit , it has not yet been made public because of the ongoing investigation into the whereabouts of the items . the count of 100,000 was an estimate taken from the original reagan white house gift unit database , weinstein said thursday , but was never meant to be used as a concrete inventory control number . the reagan library has already begun implementing recommendations from the audit , he said . it has upgraded its management inventory software , is hiring additional trained museum staff , has begun a comprehensive inventory and is addressing storage issues by reshelving artifacts and taking steps to protect artifacts in case of an earthquake . `` like all of the presidential libraries , the reagan library stores their gifts in a locked vault , which is protected by a security camera , '' weinstein said . the audit examined management of artifacts at the reagan library ; the franklin d. roosevelt library ; the john f. kennedy library ; the gerald r. ford library ; the george bush library ; and the william j. clinton library , weinstein said . `` early collections of artifacts came to presidential libraries with few controls and incomplete information relating to the collections , '' he said . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>ronald reagan was buried at his presidential library in simi valley , california . decades ago : nancy reagan and ronald reagan pictured march 10 , 1974 while aboard a flight at los angeles international airport . sad day : former first lady nancy reagan visits the grave site of her husband , president ronald reagan , at the ronald reagan presidential library , thursday , june 5 , 2014 , in simi valley , california . his aging wife still makes the trip every year to the library to visit her beloved husband 's grave , her son michael reagan told closer magazine . ` she 's still kicking , ' he said . several former regan administration officials gathered at the library to celebrate the republican 's life and legacy . he was called a ` statesman of the first rank ' and a ` happy warrior , ' according to the new york daily news . regan helped bring an end to the cold war with the soviet union through a famous 1987 speech in which he shouted to then-soviet union leader mikhail gorbachev to ` tear down this wall ! ' he also survived a 1981 assassination attempt and fought a much-publicized battle against alzheimer 's disease , which eventually claimed his life .<doc-sep>hinckley was later found not guilty by reason of insanity . he is allowed to visit his family away from the psychiatric hospital where he is being treated . also posted on the pfc site was an image of a form from bio-science laboratories that lists george washington hospital as the source of the vial , along with a statement from an unnamed person offering the vial for sale . the seller wrote that the vial came from his or her late mother , who took it from her workplace at maryland-based bio-science laboratories , where blood work and testing were done for george washington hospital . the seller said he had contacted the california-based ronald reagan library and museum , which is run by the late president 's foundation , months ago and had been told that mr reagan 's family would like to have the vial given to them . in a letter of provenance on the site , the seller claims : ` the test tube and the lab slip that i have are for his blood work to be tested for lead on . the testing was completed and the test tube was sitting on my mother 's desk . ` at the end of the week , she asked the director of her laboratory if she could keep the paper work and the test tube . the director of the lab told her no problem and really never gave it a second thought . it has been in my family ever since . ' attempt : ronald reagan waves during his time at a washington , dc hotel moments before he is shot in a near assassination on his life . next move : the son or daughter of the woman who kept the blood tube after reagan 's assassination attempt -lrb- pictured -rrb- tried to figure out what to do with the vial . the blood residue remained with her family for three decades . after the seller 's father passed away in 2009 and the mother died in late 2010 , the seller inherited the presidential fluid . the seller said that an official at the reagan library had checked with lawyers , the fbi , the national archive and other agencies before telling him or her ` everything was ok ' . ` since 30 years had passed by , he thought that it was simply something that was of no importance at this time and that i was free to do with whatever i wanted with it . ` he then stated that he felt the family would be interested in it being returned to them and if i was interested in doing so to contact him and he would make all of the arrangements . ' i told him that i did n't think that was something that i was going to consider , since i had served under pres. reagan when he was my commander in chief when i was in the army from ' 87 - '91 and that i was a real fan of reaganomics and felt that pres. reagan himself would rather see me sell it rather than donating it . ' ` real fan ' : the seller really liked reagan 's economic policies so decided to sell the blood tested when he was wounded in 1981 instead of donating it . the seller claimed to have contacted the reagan national library and national archives about whether they would be willing to purchase the blood . but neither entities were interested in the vial and paperwork - though they did threaten to have the seller investigated by police over his or her possession of the artifacts . mr reagan , who went on to serve two terms as president , died at the age 93 in 2004 . a spokesman for pfc was unavailable for comment yesterday . other items available for sale on the site include winston churchill 's personal letters , a slice of the duke and duchess of cambridge 's wedding cake , a cuban flag signed by fidel castro and che guevara and guitars signed by john lennon , the rolling stones and u2 .<doc-sep>1,600 - number of oral interviews archived in the collection at the john f. kennedy presidential library and museum in boston . 27 million - pages of historical material originally archived in the jimmy carter library and museum in atlanta . 305 - number of energy saving solar panels at the william j. clinton presidential library and museum in little rock , arkansas . 2 inches - height of the base that was added to president ronald reagan 's desk , so his legs would fit underneath . a full-sized replica of reagan 's oval office is on display at his library in simi valley , california .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- mark your calendars : the midterm elections are n't yet decided , but there 's already a date scheduled for a 2016 presidential debate . with slightly more than two years until a new president is chosen , the ronald reagan presidential foundation announced thursday its plans to host a televised debate for republican primary candidates on sept. 16 , 2015 at the reagan library in california . `` ronnie would be so pleased to know that his presidential library continues to attract america 's leaders to discuss the future of the country he loved so dearly , '' former first lady nancy reagan said in a release from the reagan foundation , an organization geared toward promoting the gop icon 's national legacy . `` i ca n't think of a better way to honor my husband than to keep the tradition of reagan library-hosted debates alive . '' but do n't get too excited for a heated gop faceoff : new rules from the republican national committee plan to limit the number of primary debates in the upcoming presidential contest after a series of contentious debates rattled the party leading up to 2012 . in a statement , the rnc 's sean spicer said the list of sanctioned debates will be announced later in the year .

<t> of 100,000 items , library systems are able to locate about 20,000 . </t> <t> inspector general : this does not mean the remaining items are missing . </t> <t> inspector general : items may `` be safely located within the library 's storage '' </t> <t> ronald reagan presidential foundation expresses `` serious concerns '' </t>

audit : 80,000 items unaccounted for at reagan library<T>

new york -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- topps meat co. on saturday expanded a recall of ground beef from about 300,000 pounds to 21.7 million pounds , one of the largest meat recalls in u.s. history . the recalled products are all ground beef patties with various brand names . in a statement , the elizabeth , new jersey , company said the hamburger patties may be contaminated with e. coli o157 : h7 , a bacterium that can cause severe diarrhea and cramps , as well as other complications . a statement from the u.s. department of agriculture said 25 illnesses are under investigation in connecticut , florida , indiana , maine , new jersey , new york , ohio and pennsylvania . the ground beef products being recalled have a `` sell by date '' or a `` best if used by date '' between september 25 , 2007 , and september 25 , 2008 , topps ' statement said . watch the latest on the beef recall ''<doc-sep>the packages also have the marking `` est. 9748 '' inside the usda mark of inspection . tuesday , the company announced a recall of about 331,000 pounds of hamburger meat , according to the usda . `` because the health and safety of our consumers is our top priority , we are taking these expansive measures , '' said vice president of operations geoffrey livermore in the statement . `` topps is continuing to work with the usda , state departments of health , retailers and distributors to ensure the safety of our consumers . additionally , we have augmented our internal quality control procedures with microbiologists and food safety experts . we sincerely regret any inconvenience and concerns this may cause our consumers , '' livermore said . this is the company 's first recall in its 65 years of business , the statement said .<doc-sep>consumers who find the products at home are asked to cut off the upc code and return it to topps for a full refund , then dispose of the product immediately , topps spokeswoman michelle williams said . the company said to avoid e. coli , consumers should wash hands thoroughly after handling the beef . topps set up a toll-free recall help line at -lrb-888-rrb- 734-0451 . williams said because the products may have been produced up to a year ago , many of them have already been safely consumed . production in the ground beef area of the company 's plant in elizabeth has been shut down until all the investigations are complete , williams said in a phone interview .<doc-sep>`` we 're working with the usda and the cdc -lsb- centers for disease control and prevention -rsb- and conducting our own investigation , '' she added . the products , all ground beef patties and hamburgers with various brand names , were distributed mainly in the northeastern united states , but went to retailers in many other areas of the country as well , williams said . while the sheer size of the recall is large , two other companies have been involved in larger recalls . in 2002 , pilgrim 's pride recalled more than 27 million pounds of poultry , and hudson foods recalled 25 million pounds of ground beef in 1997 . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>by . zoe szathmary . a michigan meat packing company is recalling a reported 1.8 million pounds of ground beef products after 11 e.coli cases , federal officials said monday . ground beef products produced by wolverine packing company between march 31 and april 18 were recalled , the u.s. department of agriculture 's food safety and inspection service -lrb- fsis -rrb- said in a press release . recall : wolverine packing company , pictured , is recalling an estimated 1.8 million pounds of ground beef products . so far , there have been 11 reported cases of e.coli o157 : h7 across four states , with onset dates between april 22 and may 2 , officials said .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a slaughterhouse that has been accused of mistreating cows agreed sunday to recall 143 million pounds of beef in what federal officials called the largest beef recall in u.s. history . officials said this is the largest recall in the united states , surpassing a 1999 recall of 35 million pounds . keith williams , a u.s. department of agriculture spokesman , said investigators have found no cases of illness related to the recalled meat . but dick raymond , the undersecretary of agriculture for food safety , said there was a `` remote probability '' that the meat from the westland/hallmark meat packing company in chino , california , could cause illness in humans . the amount of beef -- 143 million pounds -- is roughly enough for two hamburgers for each man , woman and child in the united states . the largest u.s. meat recall before sunday came in 1999 , when about 35 million pounds of product possibly contaminated with listeria were ordered off shelves . usda officials said that was class i recall , involving a known risk to human health .<doc-sep>washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- more than 20,000 pounds of beef have been recalled by a california company amid worries the meat is linked to two cases of salmonella , a federal food safety agency said . beef packers inc. , based in fresno , california , recalled 22,723 pounds of ground beef products produced on september 23 , the u.s. department of agriculture 's food safety and inspection service said in a statement . the labels on the beef include the establishment number `` est. 31913 , '' the agency said . the beef was repackaged at a distribution plant in arizona , then sold under different retail brand names , the agency said . the agency 's statement did not identify brand names .<doc-sep>cnn 's attempts this week to reach the four men and an attorney representing them have been unsuccessful . between january 2013 and january 2014 , rancho processed and distributed meat from approximately 101 condemned cattle and approximately 79 cancer eye cows , according to court documents . in february , 8.7 million pounds of meat from the rancho plant was recalled . the recalled beef may have reached 35 states and guam , the department of agriculture said . opinion : recalls and near misses -- who 's protecting us ?

<t> topps meat co. hamburger patties may contain e. coli bacteria . </t> <t> new jersey plant 's grinding operation shut down . </t> <t> as many as 25 cases of illness recorded in eight states . </t>

21.7 million pounds of beef recalled<T>

london , england -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a chronology of bombings and attempted bomb attacks in the mainland uk since the 1970s : . police close off streets around haymarket , in london 's busy theater district . june 29 , 2007 : police defuse a bomb consisting of 200 liters of fuel , gas cylinders and nails found in an abandoned car in haymarket , central london . a second car packed with gas and nails was later found to have been parked just a few hundred yards from the first , before it was towed away by traffic wardens in the early hours of friday for violating parking restrictions . police say two vehicles clearly linked . july 21 , 2005 : two weeks after the deadly 7/7 bombings , four men are alleged to have attempted to carry out a second wave of attacks against london 's transport network at three london underground stations and aboard a bus . but their alleged rucksack bombs fail to explode . july 7 , 2005 : four suicide bombers detonate themselves aboard three underground trains and a bus in a morning rush hour attack against london 's transport network , killing 52 people and injuring around 700 more . al qaeda claims responsibility in a video statement . august 2004 : anti-terrorist police disrupt a plot by islamic militants to blow up targets including the ministry of sound nightclub and the bluewater shopping center in southeast england using explosives packed into limousines and large vehicles . seven men are convicted in may 2007 and sentenced to up to 26 years in prison .<doc-sep>march 2001 : a car bomb explodes outside the bbc 's london headquarters , wounding one man . police blame the real ira , a republican splinter group opposed to the ira 's cease fire . april 1999 : three people die when a nail bomb explodes in the admiral duncan pub in london 's gay district -- the third in a spate of series of nail bomb attacks also targeting immigrant areas of the city that left dozens injured . a 23-year-old self-declared `` nazi '' , david copeland , is sentenced to six life terms . june 1996 : a massive ira bomb explodes in a shopping center in central manchester , injuring more than 200 people . february 1996 : two people die as ira terrorists detonate a bomb in london 's docklands area , causing damage estimated at around $ 170m and ending the group 's 17-month cease fire . april 1993 : an ira truck bomb devastates part of london 's financial district , killing one and wounding 44 .<doc-sep>march 1993 : two boys aged three and 12 are killed and dozens are injured by two bombs left in litter bins in warrington , northern england . the ira admits planting the bombs . april 1992 : a huge ira car bomb in london 's financial district kills three people and wounds 91 . february 1991 : ira terrorists launch a mortar attack at prime minister john major 's downing street offices . no-one is injured . september 1989 : eleven people die and 22 are wounded when an ira bomb explodes at a royal marine music school in deal , southern england . december 1988 : a pan am airliner explodes over the scottish town of lockerbie , killing 259 aboard and 11 people on the ground . libyan agent abdel basset al-megrahi , convicted of the attack in 2001 , was this week granted the right to mount a fresh appeal . -lrb- read about lockerbie bomber -rrb- .<doc-sep>october 1984 : five people die in an ira bomb attack on a hotel in brighton , southern england , where prime minister margaret thatcher and her cabinet are staying for the conservative party 's annual conference . december 1983 : an ira bomb at london 's harrods department store kills six people . july 1982 : two ira bomb attacks on soldiers in london 's parks kill 11 people and wound 50 . october-november 1974 : a wave of ira bombs in british pubs in birmingham and guildford kill 28 people and wound more than 200 . february 1974 : a coach carrying soldiers and families in northern england is bombed by the ira , killing 12 and wounding 14 . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>london , england -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a chronology of bombings and attempted bomb attacks in the mainland uk since the 1970s : . police close off streets around haymarket , in london 's busy theater district . june 29 , 2007 : police defuse a bomb consisting of 200 liters of fuel , gas cylinders and nails found in an abandoned car in haymarket , central london . a second car packed with gas and nails was later found to have been parked just a few hundred yards from the first , before it was towed away by traffic wardens in the early hours of friday for violating parking restrictions . police say two vehicles clearly linked . july 21 , 2005 : two weeks after the deadly 7/7 bombings , four men are alleged to have attempted to carry out a second wave of attacks against london 's transport network at three london underground stations and aboard a bus . but their alleged rucksack bombs fail to explode . july 7 , 2005 : four suicide bombers detonate themselves aboard three underground trains and a bus in a morning rush hour attack against london 's transport network , killing 52 people and injuring around 700 more . al qaeda claims responsibility in a video statement . august 2004 : anti-terrorist police disrupt a plot by islamic militants to blow up targets including the ministry of sound nightclub and the bluewater shopping center in southeast england using explosives packed into limousines and large vehicles . seven men are convicted in may 2007 and sentenced to up to 26 years in prison .<doc-sep>by . rosie taylor . published : . 10:36 est , 5 august 2013 . | . updated : . 10:36 est , 5 august 2013 . a playwright who created a play about suicide bombers caused a major security scare when he threw a prop bomb away in a bin . ethan fisbane had chucked out the fake bomb as he cleared out his flat in manhattan ahead of moving home - but it was found by the building 's caretaker who called the police . a huge number of nypd police officers descended on the area , including members of the bomb squad and emergency service unit , while the joint terrorism task force was put on notice . scroll down for video . scare : playwright ethan fishbane caused a major security scare when he threw out an old prop bomb from his play about suicide bombers . the 23-year-old from new jersey told the new york post that he ` did n't think ' when he threw the bomb away .<doc-sep>twitter user miguel ausina . photographed people leaving westfield and wrote : ` westfield stratford . being evacuated due to possible bomb scare . ' restricted area : a police officer lifts a cordon and directs a shopper , laden with bags , to a waiting area . over there : a police offer directs a shopper to a waiting area , while standing behind a cordon . waiting : thousands of shoppers were pictured outside the centre in east london following the evacuation .<doc-sep>cairns had arranged to leave the parcel containing the key impressions in the left luggage locker at paddington station to be picked up by a contact who could make copies . moors muderers : ian brady and myra hindley killed and tortured children in the 1960s . hunt : police search for bodies of those killed by brady and hindley on saddleworth moor . but when she arrived police told them . luggage was not being accepted because of an ira bomb scare , so she . posted them to the contact at a garage in ilford , east london , with a . set of instructions . but the plot was exposed after the . contact was suspicious of the parcel when it arrived and , fearing it . might be a bomb , asked an off duty police officer who was at the garage . to open it . when officers later searched cairns ' flat they found hindley 's false driving licence and 20 pictures of the . killer posing in her cell . cairns later pleaded guilty to the escape . plan and was jailed for six years . the prison records were originally . intended to be sealed for 100 years but were released into the national . archives after hindley 's death . dr tom clark , a lecturer at sheffield . university who has studied the records , said the plan was the closest . hindley ever got to going free . he said : ` it was only because of an ira bomb scare and a suspicious policeman that the plot failed . ` she then turned to more conventional . routes to secure her release , but never really came close to having her . case heard by the parole board . '

<t> two cars loaded with gasoline and nails found abandoned in london friday . </t> <t> 52 people killed on july 7 , 2005 after bombs exploded on london bus , trains . </t> <t> british capital wracked by violence by the ira for years . </t>

london bomb scare : a chronology of attacks<T>

los angeles , california -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a boy playing with matches started a southern california wildfire that scorched more than 38,000 acres , the los angeles county sheriff 's department said tuesday . a firefighter talks on a radio while battling the buckweed blaze on october 22 . the buckweed fire , which destroyed 21 homes on its rampage , began october 21 in the agua dulce community . `` our arson explosive detectives , in conjunction with the los angeles county fire department investigators , immediately began their investigation , and during the course of the investigation , it led to a juvenile suspect , '' los angeles county sheriff 's deputy tony moore told cnn 's `` american morning '' wednesday .<doc-sep>`` after talking with that juvenile , he admitted to playing with matches , and accidentally starting the fire in that area , '' he said . watch what 's next for young suspect '' the boy , whose name and age were not given , is home with his parents , police said . the case will be presented to the los angeles county district attorney for possible charges . according to the california department of forestry and fire protection , the buckweed fire burned 38,526 acres . sixty-three structures , 21 of them homes , were destroyed , and three civilians and two firefighters were injured .<doc-sep>the sheriff 's department said the fire forced the evacuation of about 15,000 people . as of tuesday , 18 of 23 wildfires in southern california were completely under control , and the remainder were at least 70 percent contained , according to the department of forestry and fire protection . the fires are blamed for 14 deaths and charred more than 508,000 acres , destroying about 1,600 homes . five people were arrested in arson probes last week , and california gov. arnold schwarzenegger on saturday vowed to `` hunt down '' people responsible for setting wildfires .<doc-sep>authorities said saturday they were following 1,700 tips about a white ford f-150 pickup seen near the origin of the sprawling santiago fire in orange county . witnesses reported seeing the 1998-2004 model truck with chrome tubular running boards on santiago canyon road on october 21 at about the time the santiago fire started . authorities said last week they had found evidence at the scene , although they declined to describe it . `` if i were one of the people who started the fires , i would not sleep soundly right now , because we 're right behind you , '' schwarzenegger said , urging the culprits to turn themselves in . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>los angeles , california -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a boy playing with matches started a southern california wildfire that scorched more than 38,000 acres , the los angeles county sheriff 's department said tuesday . a firefighter talks on a radio while battling the buckweed blaze on october 22 . the buckweed fire , which destroyed 21 homes on its rampage , began october 21 in the agua dulce community . `` our arson explosive detectives , in conjunction with the los angeles county fire department investigators , immediately began their investigation , and during the course of the investigation , it led to a juvenile suspect , '' los angeles county sheriff 's deputy tony moore told cnn 's `` american morning '' wednesday . `` after talking with that juvenile , he admitted to playing with matches , and accidentally starting the fire in that area , '' he said . watch what 's next for young suspect '' the boy , whose name and age were not given , is home with his parents , police said . the case will be presented to the los angeles county district attorney for possible charges .<doc-sep>los angeles , california -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- no charges will be brought against a 10-year-old boy accused of accidentally starting an october wildfire that scorched more than 38,000 acres north of los angeles , california , prosecutors announced tuesday . firefighters battle the buckweed fire october 22 , 2007 . `` there is no evidence of intent on the part of the minor , '' the los angeles county district attorney 's office said in a written statement issued tuesday afternoon . `` the district attorney 's office is referring the matter to the department of children and family services for evaluation of the minor 's situation to determine if other intervention is necessary . '' the boy had faced possible charges in juvenile court after admitting to sheriff 's deputies that he had started the buckweed fire by playing with matches , investigators said . the blaze eventually destroyed 21 homes and 42 other structures . the fire started october 21 in the agua dulce community north of los angeles . it was one of nearly two dozen wind-whipped wildfires that swept across southern california in late october , forcing hundreds of thousands of people from homes near los angeles , san diego and san bernardino and leaving 14 people dead . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>by . lizzie edmonds . a girl of two died in a fire started by a young boy playing unsupervised with a cigarette lighter . libby-jayne hornsby and the boy were being looked after by other boys aged 12 and 15 while her mother was at a majorette marching band practice . kelly hambrey , 25 , had left eight disposable cigarette lighters scattered around the rented house in conisbrough , south yorkshire -- which was not fitted with smoke alarms -- last october . ms hambrey had been practising with her majorette band when the fire started at around 7.20 pm on october 17 last year . libby-jane hornsby died from smoke inhalation when a fire was started in her home in conisbrough , south yorkshire by another child playing with a lighter , an inquest heard . the inquest heard how a child picked up a lighter left around the house and started playing with it in the room where libby slept . within minutes , a fire started on the bed and the room went up in flames . neighbour gary keeling described seeing flames hitting the roof of the property as he tried to save the girl . a teenager had been hired to babysit libby . the inquest heard there were five disposable cigarette lighters around the house , all within easy reach of children . another child - who can not be named for legal reasons - picked up one of the lighters and started playing with it , the hearing in doncaster was told .<doc-sep>playing in his room with the lighter , the little boy panicked once the fire began to spread and ran out to alert his grandmother of the danger . unable to extinguish the flames herself , she called in the local fire department , who arrived to see huge clouds of black smoke billowing from the house . a 5-year old boy accidentally set fire to his grandmother 's house , pictured , by playing with a cigarette lighter . when firefighters arrived on scene , black smoke billowed from the house . ` the little boy came screaming out of his room that the house was on . fire , ' a representative of the cherokee county fire department told the atlanta journal-constitution . his grandmother tried to put out the flames with a bucket of water , but they had already grown too large to be extinguished by her , the representative reported . an investigation by the department . later revealed that the fire was started by the boy playing with the . cigarette lighter in his bedroom closet on the first floor of the house . the firefighters were able to put out the blaze by entering the home through the second-story window . a firefighter from the georgia cherokee county fire department enters the grandmother 's home through the second story window to put out the blaze set by her 5-year old grandson playing with a lighter .

<t> `` he admitted playing with matches and starting the fire , '' says police report . </t> <t> boy , whose name and age were not given , is home with his parents . </t> <t> buckweed fire burned 38,000 acres , destroyed 63 structures , 21 of them homes . </t>

police : boy playing with matches started 38,000-acre fire<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- at least 200 people were evacuated from their homes , including 84 residents of an apartment building for the elderly , after a tanker truck carrying 9,000 gallons of gasoline erupted early wednesday in a northern boston suburb . firefighters battle a blaze wednesday north of boston after a tanker overturned carrying 9,000 gallons of gas . no serious injuries were reported in the everett , massachusetts , blast , but witnesses recounted close calls to a local television station . one man said he narrowly escaped from his car before it exploded . `` in consideration of everything that firefighters had to deal with , i think it 's a miracle that we have n't seen some serious injuries , '' everett fire chief david butler said .<doc-sep>the tanker overturned and caught fire at a traffic circle in the town of about 37,000 outside boston . officials are investigating whether the driver was speeding , butler said . `` our major concerns right now are we still have an ongoing fire operation in the family dwellings , and we are still heavily engaged in those operations , and we have some concerns environmentally , '' butler said . watch residents of an elderly housing complex describe their shock '' flames from the truck engulfed at least 40 cars and three buildings , two of them houses , fire officials said . the truck was destroyed , but the driver was not seriously injured , the officials said . wcvb-tv in boston identified the driver as chad lafrance of dover , new hampshire .<doc-sep>seven hours after the truck caught fire , firefighters were still battling a blaze in one of the homes , according to the television station . evacuees were taken to an armory converted into a shelter , red cross official amelia aubourg told cnn . local streets were closed temporarily , and a nearby school was shut down for the day , wcvb reported . one evacuee who fled a high-rise building told the television station he saw at least 15 cars burning . `` and popping , they were popping . i do n't know if it was tires that were blowing , but they were completely gone , the cars , '' dan savage told wcvb .<doc-sep>nearby resident chris barrow awoke to the sound of a `` big bang , '' he told wcvb . at first , he thought it was a car accident , but when he went outside to investigate the noise , he saw fire `` just coming down the hill toward the houses as fast as you could think . '' barrow tried to escape in his car , but fire quickly surrounded the vehicle , he told the tv station . `` i rode over the fire and my car caught fire , '' he told wcvb . `` i got out just in time , and i ran a couple feet just before it blew up . '' e-mail to a friend . cnn 's michelle cumbo and saundra booker contributed to this report .<doc-sep>on thursday officials said as many as seven had died but yesterday they admitted this had been a mistake amid confusion over the number of people with serious injuries . on thursday , officials said as many as seven had died but yesterday they admitted this had been a mistake amid confusion over the number of people with serious injuries . armando ahued , the city 's health secretary said yesterday that 21 babies in all had been injured , and nine of those and seven adults were in serious condition after being rushed to other hospitals . several babies were found under the rubble while scores of rescue workers smashed through the concrete and twisted metal in a desperate bid for survivors . the explosion occurred at 7:05 a.m. when a tanker truck was making a routine delivery of gas to the hospital kitchen and the gas started to leak . the blast is understood to have been caused by a leak in a hose carrying gas from the truck to the hospital . the explosion sent a column of smoke billowing over the area on the western edge of mexico 's capital . dozens of people were evacuated after the truck exploded outside the hospital with many of the injuries caused by broken glass . witnesses said the tanker workers struggled frantically for 15 or 20 minutes to repair the leak while a large cloud of gas formed . ` the hose broke . the two gas workers tried to stop it , but they were very nervous . they yelled for people to get out , ' said laura diaz pacheco , a laboratory technician . ` everyone 's initial reaction was to go inside , away from the gas , ' she added . ` maybe as many as 10 of us were able to get out ... the rest stayed inside . ' workers on the truck yelled : ` call the firefighters , call the firefighters ! ' said anesthesiologist agustin herrera . people started to evacuate the hospital , and then came a devastating explosion that sent up an enormous fireball and plumes of dust and smoke . a 25-year-old nurse and a newborn between 2 and 3 weeks old died at the scene and another infant died several hours later at another pediatric hospital , city bosses said . more than 70 people were injured including mothers who reportedly used their bodies to shield their children from the huge fireball . it has emerged that the driver of the truck , which exploded while gas was being piped into the building , was detained along with two assistants . on thursday officials said as many as seven had died but yesterday they admitted this had been a mistake amid confusion over the number of people with serious injuries . officials say 21 babies in all had been injured , and nine of those and seven adults were in serious condition after being rushed to other hospitals . the explosion sent a column of smoke billowing over the area on the western edge of mexico 's capital and television images showed firefighters trying to extinguish fires throughout the collapsed hospital building . herrera saw injured mothers walking out carrying babies . officials said 110 people were inside the 35-bed hospital when the truck blew up . ` we avoided a much bigger tragedy because the oxygen tanks right beside -lrb- the area -rrb- did n't explode , ' herrera said . the worst hit parts of the hospital were the neonatology , reception and emergency reception units , he said .<doc-sep>he said : ` they just do n't feel safe and are panicking . they prefer to stay in shelters , like mosques and churches . ' a stunned local man watches at the volcano erupts . more than 5,000 people have been evacuated from seven villages in the region after the eruptions started on tuesday . the first eruption struck on sunday spewing clouds of hot gas . eruptions have continued throughout the week although some are reportedly smaller than others . indonesia has dozens of active volcanoes and straddles major tectonic fault lines known as the ring of fire between the pacific and indian oceans . in august five people were killed and hundreds evacuated when a volcano on a tiny island in east nusa tenggara province erupted . the country 's most active volcano , mount merapi in central java , killed more than 350 people in a series of violent eruptions in 2010 . villagers harvest potatoes at their field , located just less than four kilometers from the erupting mount sinabung .<doc-sep>babies have been pulled alive from the debris of a mexican maternity hospital after a powerful fuel tank explosion that left three dead and dozens injured . a nurse and a baby died in the blast and a second infant died late last night after the blast destroyed most of the cuajimalpa maternal hospital in mexico city . today it emerged that the driver of the truck , which exploded while gas was being piped into the building , has been detained along with two assistants . more than 70 people were injured including mothers who reportedly used their bodies to shield their children from the huge fireball . scroll down for video . a nurse and a baby died in the blast and a second infant died late last night after the blast destroyed most of the cuajimalpa maternal hospital in mexico city . babies have been pulled alive from the debris of a mexican maternity hospital after a fuel tank truck exploded leaving three dead and dozens injured . yesterday , officials said as many as seven had died but today they admitted this had been a mistake amid confusion over the number of people with serious injuries . a 25-year-old nurse and a newborn between 2 and 3 weeks old died at the scene and another infant died several hours later at another pediatric hospital , city bosses said . yesterday , officials said as many as seven had died but today they admitted this had been a mistake amid confusion over the number of people with serious injuries . armando ahued , the city 's health secretary said today that 21 babies in all had been injured , and nine of those and seven adults were in serious condition after being rushed to other hospitals . several babies were found under the rubble while scores of rescue workers smashed through the concrete and twisted metal in a desperate bid for survivors . the explosion occurred at 7:05 a.m. when a tanker truck was making a routine delivery of gas to the hospital kitchen and the gas started to leak . the blast is understood to have been caused by a leak in a hose carrying gas from the truck to the hospital . the explosion sent a column of smoke billowing over the area on the western edge of mexico 's capital . dozens of people were evacuated after the truck exploded outside the hospital with many of the injuries caused by broken glass . witnesses said the tanker workers struggled frantically for 15 or 20 minutes to repair the leak while a large cloud of gas formed . ` the hose broke . the two gas workers tried to stop it , but they were very nervous . they yelled for people to get out , ' said laura diaz pacheco , a laboratory technician . ` everyone 's initial reaction was to go inside , away from the gas , ' she added . ` maybe as many as 10 of us were able to get out ... the rest stayed inside . ' workers on the truck yelled : ` call the firefighters , call the firefighters ! ' said anesthesiologist agustin herrera . people started to evacuate the hospital , and then came a devastating explosion that sent up an enormous fireball and plumes of dust and smoke . a 25-year-old nurse and a newborn between 2 and 3 weeks old died at the scene and another infant died several hours later at another pediatric hospital , city bosses said . more than 70 people were injured including mothers who reportedly used their bodies to shield their children from the huge fireball . today it emerged that the driver of the truck , which exploded while gas was being piped into the building , had been detained along with two assistants . yesterday , officials said as many as seven had died but today they admitted this had been a mistake amid confusion over the number of people with serious injuries . officials say 21 babies in all had been injured , and nine of those and seven adults were in serious condition after being rushed to other hospitals . the explosion sent a column of smoke billowing over the area on the western edge of mexico 's capital and television images showed firefighters trying to extinguish fires throughout the collapsed hospital building . herrera saw injured mothers walking out carrying babies . officials said 110 people were inside the 35-bed hospital when the truck blew up . ` we avoided a much bigger tragedy because the oxygen tanks right beside -lrb- the area -rrb- did n't explode , ' herrera said . the worst hit parts of the hospital were the neonatology , reception and emergency reception units , he said . passers-by rushed into the building after the blast and made their way to the nursery section , rescuing eight babies , it has been reported . margarita palma of amexgas , a trade association of mexico 's propane distributors , said 80 percent of mexicans use propane rather than natural gas delivered by mains . some of the victims were airlifted to hospital as the scale of the explosion became clear yesterday . several babies were found under the rubble while scores of rescue workers smashed through the concrete and twisted metal in a desperate bid for survivors . a police officer is comforted by a colleague after being injured at the scene of the explosion . people started to evacuate the hospital as the emergency unfolded , and then came a devastating explosion that sent up an enormous fireball and plumes of dust and smoke . liquified propane , which is highly explosive , is distributed to homes and businesses either by trucks like the one that exploded or in cylinders , she said . homes next to the hospital were also damaged in the blast , as windows broke and and shingles fell from roofs . neighbors ran to help evacuate victims from the debris , local resident carlos soria rezendiz said . people seeking information on family members gathered around police lines that were set up to keep bystanders away from the chaotic scene . some of the injured were evacuated by helicopter , and aerial footage showed firefighters scrambling over the skeletal wreckage of the building . there were seven babies with serious injuries in intensive care in a nearby hospital , said dr. moises zielanowski , as well as four adults in serious condition . injuries included burns , fractures and bruises . some of the injured were evacuated by helicopter , and aerial footage showed firefighters scrambling over the skeletal wreckage of the building . the explosion occurred at 7:05 a.m. when a tanker truck was making a routine delivery of gas to the hospital kitchen and gas started to leak . rescue operation : there were seven babies with serious injuries in intensive care in a nearby hospital . search for survivors : rescuers rushed to the scene of the blast amid reports more people were trapped . rescue workers have been scouring through ruined sections of concrete and twisted metal for survivors . he said the hospital was working to identify six of the babies who arrived unaccompanied without identification . mayor miguel angel mancera said some of the injured were about to be released from area hospitals . the gas truck driver and two other employees of the express nieto company were hospitalized but were in custody , mancera said . he said the company has provided gas to all the city 's public hospitals since 2007 . the incident prompted tweets from president enrique pena nieto to pope francis , who wrote , ` we are praying for the victims of the explosion in cuajimalpa , mexico . ' according to a government website , the hospital was founded in 1993 . it is located in a densely populated lower middle class neighborhood next to a school .<doc-sep>according to the smithsonian national museum of natural history , the volcano is one of central america 's most active . volcano erupts in another central american country . is yellowstone atop a supervolcano that can threaten earth ? thousands evacuated after volcano in nicaragua erupts .

<t> fire chief : `` i think it 's a miracle that we have n't seen some serious injuries '' </t> <t> officials are investigating whether truck 's speed a factor in the accident , chief says . </t> <t> evacuees taken to an armory converted into a shelter , red cross says . </t> <t> man tells wcvb-tv his car caught fire , exploded as he fled ; `` i got out just in time '' </t>

gas tanker erupts , scores evacuated outside boston<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- dozens of defense department personnel are actively engaged in fighting the wildfires raging in southern california , pentagon officials said tuesday , and thousands more national guard and active-duty military personnel are available to help . the rice fire , east of camp pendleton , caused the evacuation of the fallbrook community . paul mchale , assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense , said that 12 defense department firefighting teams , with 12 engines , are already working the blazes and more than 17,000 national guardsmen are potentially available if needed . in addition , he said , 550 marines from camp pendleton are preparing to deploy to the fire area . `` all of the aid that we provide is the result of a request ... from the state , '' mchale said . `` however , we have been very proactive in independently preparing those capabilities for the possibility of such requests , and we have reached out early to state officials . '' california gov. arnold schwarzenegger has already called up 1,500 national guard troops , including more than 200 taken from border duty to help with supplies and security at san diego 's qualcomm stadium and delmar fairgrounds and racetrack , where thousands of evacuated residents are taking shelter . schwarzenegger also requested and received from the federal government six `` modular airborne fire fighting systems '' units -- which are c-130s that drop water and fire suppressant on the blazes . watch california gov. arnold schwarzenegger talk about the crisis '' the pentagon provided 11 helicopters equipped with water buckets to fight the fires , mchale said . aerial attacks on the fires , however , have been minimal because of high santa ana winds with gusts approaching 70 mph . in an effort to make room for more civilians who have had to evacuate their homes , sailors stationed in southern california are abandoning their barracks .<doc-sep>`` orders have been given to all sailors ashore in barracks to move to shipboard billeting to provide room for evacuees , '' said a tuesday statement released by the u.s. military . only essential personnel are requested to report to duty at naval base san diego , naval amphibious base in coronado , and naval air station in el centro . those bases have also set up cots and tents for evacuees . also , the navy has offered an aegis cruiser , a guided missile destroyer , and two fast frigates to support evacuation efforts . meanwhile , the pentagon designated march air reserve base as the primary staging area for medical and relief supplies coordinated by the federal emergency management agency , mchale said . and some 100 california national guard medical personnel are helping alleviate `` critical staffing shortfalls '' at the san diego veterans center , whose hospital staff are under voluntary and mandatory evacuation orders . the fires are also having a direct effect on military personnel -- mchale said 1,400 navy personnel and their families have been forced to evacuate , and camp pendleton ordered 3,000 marines to evacuate because of the fire , the pentagon announced tuesday evening . in all , the military has about video 20 facilities around the san diego area . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>san diego , california -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- firefighters in southern california are facing wind-whipped walls of flame from 15 wildfires that have scorched more than 400,000 acres and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes . firefighters battle the witch fire tuesday in the del dios area of escondido , california . the blazes have killed one person and injured at least 70 more . firefighters were aided by resources from mexico , the state and federal governments and even inmates from california 's prisons . san diego fire department battalion chief bruce cartelli described scenes of `` utter devastation '' with hundreds of homes lost and `` many hundreds '' of others damaged . `` it 's probably the worst significant event in my career of 36 years , '' he said . `` it will not end ... until it reaches the ocean or the winds turn around , '' cartelli said . meteorologists suggested that santa ana winds , which have fueled the wildfires with some gusts approaching 100 mph , could die down wednesday afternoon . `` we are still facing some very serious fires , '' homeland security secretary michael chertoff said after an aerial tour of the affected area . `` the weather has made it very difficult for the air assets to get up and fight the fires . ... if the weather cooperates , maybe we can turn the tide tomorrow . '' officials have evacuated nearly 350,000 homes in san diego county alone , where the worst of the fires are blazing . using u.s. census bureau numbers from the 2000 census , that could mean as many as 950,000 were affected by the fires . watch evacuees shaken , firefighters battling '' in san diego county , at least half a million residents had been ordered to find refuge in shelters , schools and stadiums as fires pushed into new areas . among the evacuees as more than 4,000 military personnel from several bases in the area . with the winds pushing them across the area , the fires spread quickly , forcing some residents to flee in the middle of the night . `` my wife woke me up like 12 o'clock , screaming and yelling that the flames were coming down , '' said johnny villanueva of spring valley , who fled with his wife and daughter to san diego 's qualcomm stadium , which is serving as a shelter to more than 12,000 evacuees . `` we just loaded up the car really quick and came down here ... slept in our vehicles . '' his wife , elizabeth , added , `` i saw on the mountain on fire , and said , ` oh my god , my family . ... let 's go . '' with qualcomm stadium being used by the evacuees , the san diego chargers planned to practice at the arizona cardinals ' stadium in glendale for next weekend 's game .<doc-sep>jerusalem -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- israeli police arrested two suspects saturday in connection to a deadly wildfire raging in the country 's north , though a police spokesman said it appears the fires started out of negligence . the fires have killed 41 and injured 17 others . police spokesman micky rosenfeld said the suspects are being questioned at a local police station but police now believe the fires were due to negligence rather than arson . as the police probe unfolded , firefighters continued to battle three major blazes fueled by shifting winds . the fire , the worst in israel 's history , is still not under control , rosenfeld said . the flames spread over 10,000 acres around haifa , israel 's third largest city , threatening businesses , tourism and one of israel 's greenest regions , mount carmel . `` if you look over the hills at haifa , you can see smoke billowing over the sea , '' said rosenfeld , adding that the winds have forced authorities to close down roads to the coastal area . about 17,000 people have been evacuated , but residential areas are not under threat , he said . on saturday , prime minister benjamin netanyahu referred to the help israel received from other nations , including egypt , turkey and jordan , as `` heartwarming , '' the jerusalem post reported . `` one thing is clear , the israeli people are standing together and many , many countries are together with israel . this is no small thing , '' netanyahu said during a press conference . `` this is surely a point of light in this our festival of lights hanukkah , '' he said . israeli 's military noted in a statement saturday that firefighters from bulgaria and greece had joined israeli personnel on the blaze 's frontlines . netanyahu 's office said that so far , several nations have committed 10 airplanes and three helicopters to help israel fight the raging fire , including four from greece , one from cyprus , two from turkey , two from russia and one from france . these are in addition to several israel defense forces aircraft , including two to four charged with surveying the region from above . british prime minister david cameron instructed the royal air force to deploy two helicopters from cyprus to help put out the fire , british foreign secretary william hague said friday . netanyahu spoke saturday morning with the president of switzerland to recruit additional air support , his office said . five u.s. defense department aircraft will leave for israel this weekend to help fight the fire . they include three c-130 firefighting aircraft from the u.s. air force reserve and air national guard and two c-130s from the u.s. european command , which will depart ramstein air base in germany carrying 20 tons of fire retardant , the u.s. agency for international development said .<doc-sep>meanwhile , russia thanked the united states for coming to its aid . `` russia is grateful to the united states over the assistance in tackling the wildfires raging across the country , '' said the russian foreign ministry , according to news reports . the united states sent some $ 4.5 million in aid that included water tanks , pumps , hand tools , fire-protective clothing and medical kits , according to the u.s. state department . ria novosti reported that thousands of russian emergency workers and military personnel have been working around the clock for almost three weeks to fight the fires in 22 regions , which have so far left more than 3,500 homeless .<doc-sep>`` personnel on the aircraft were initially treated on site and evacuated to the nearest medical facility for further treatment , '' the isaf statement said . the two helicopter incidents come a day after a plane crash that killed two airmen on a u.s. air force f-15 eagle in eastern afghanistan early saturday , the u.s. military said . the two-man fighter went down while it was conducting military operations , lt. col. reid christopherson , said earlier . he said he was `` confident '' it had not been shot down .

<t> new : fires at camp pendleton cause evacuation of 3,000 marines . </t> <t> military lending direct and indirect assistance to firefighting efforts . </t> <t> as firefighting efforts go on , base officials poised to evacuate . </t> <t> navy and marine corps have more than 20 facilities in san diego area . </t>

military helps fight fires while personnel evacuated<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- despite the obvious claims of younger rivals cristiano ronaldo and lionel messi , few can really argue with the 96 football journalists who voted ricardo izecson dos santos leite as the 2007 world footballer of the year . brazilian genius kaka fully deserves winning the 2007 world footballer of the year award . the prestigious ballon d'or award is widely regarded as the most prestigious individual prize in football and kaka 's inclusion on its coveted roll of honor is a testament to the 25-year-old brazilian 's current standing in world football . when ac milan defeated liverpool in the champions league final in athens , avenging their heartbreaking loss to the same team in istanbul two years previously , it enabled kaka to fulfill his dream of holding aloft europe 's premier trophy -- a winner 's medal he fully deserved after a sublime 90-minute performance . kaka 's stock for both club and country has risen steadily since his move to the san siro from sao paulo for a fee of just $ 8.5 million in the summer of 2003 . unlike many a brazilian sporting genius , kaka did not hone his skills on the beach or the streets of a favela shanty town . he was born into a comfortable middle class brasilia family , where football was not the only hope of a bright future .<doc-sep>however , it soon became clear that this particular boy had a very special skill and he was signed by sao paulo , after his family had moved there , at just eight years of age -- making his first team debut as an 18-year-old . kaka 's progress was soon picked up by his national team coach and felipe scolari named the graceful midfielder in his 23-man squad for the 2002 world cup finals , earning him a winners ' medal despite playing only 19 minutes of the tournament in a group match against costa rica . a year later , and kaka was on his way to milan . within a month he had made the starting line-up and his 10 goals helped the rossoneri lift the scudetto and the european super cup . throughout his career , kaka has always possessed the innate ability to score goals -- his record for both club and country sees him average roughly a goal every three games . yet to describe kaka merely as a goalscoring midfielder would be doing him a massive injustice . tall , elegant and blessed with astonishing skill , milan and brazil utilize kaka 's ability superbly .<doc-sep>milan coach carlo ancelotti soon recognized kaka 's genius , changing his team 's system to a 4-4-1-1 , playing the brazilian behind a main target man . with andrea pirlo and gennaro gattuso holding the central midfield area , kaka has a license to roam in behind the lone striker , be it filippo inzaghi , ronaldo or alberto gilardino . and kaka does this with devastating effect , running at the opposition with pace and power , finding defense-splitting passes or shooting from range with deadly accuracy be it from a dead-ball situation or open play . the fly in the ointment for milan comes in the shape of their poor form this season . although they have already reached the last 16 of the champions league , the club are floundering in serie a and face the unthinkable prospect of not qualifying for next season 's competition unless they win the trophy . real madrid have coveted kaka for the last two years -- expect the world transfer record to be smashed if milan do n't secure a place among europe 's elite . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- cristiano ronaldo was crowned fifa 's world player of the year in zurich on monday as manchester united 's star winger completed a stunning trophy collection . portuguese winger ronaldo completed a stunning trophy collection when named world player of the year . portugal international ronaldo helped united win the premier league , champions league and world club championship titles in 2008 . ronaldo also collected the european player of the year accolade and was voted number one by fifpro , the worldwide players ' union . now ronaldo has seen off 2007 winner kaka , of ac milan , spain euro 2008 top scorer fernando torres of liverpool and barcelona stars xavi and lionel messi . `` it 's another overwhelming moment in my career , '' said 23-year-old ronaldo who received the award from brazilian legend pele . `` it 's a tremendously emotional moment and a dream come true . i 'd like to dedicate this to my family . '' ronaldo also paid tribute to club manager alex ferguson who fought a very public battle with real madrid last summer when the primera liga giants attempted to lure the player to spain . `` it 's also true that the manager always has an important role to play . it was a great season for me and for my club , and the coach was important for me because i learned a lot for him , '' he said . `` his experience over so many years is of paramount importance -- it 's a privilege to have such a great club manager . `` this is the climax of a fantastic era for me . i 'm happy and proud about what has been done by my team and what we have won . `` i am lucky to to be part of the history of a club like manchester united . '' messi led argentina to the olympic gold medal in august and nou camp teammate xavi was named uefa 's player of the tournament when spain won euro 2008 in june . ronaldo 's 31 league goals in the 2007-08 season , and 42 in total , won him the european golden shoe as the continent 's top scorer . he is the first premier league-based start to win fifa 's top individual award while david beckham and thierry henry , both twice , and frank lampard finished runners-up . the awards are voted for by the head coaches and captains of all countries . olympic silver medalist marta of brazil was named the fifa women 's player of the year for the third successive campaign .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- there is much debate in the world of golf as to whether four-time major winner phil mickelson deserves his place in the game 's hall of fame , but journalist david dusek is in no doubt . the deputy editor of golf.com has told cnn world sport there should be no doubt mickelson 's pedigree befits the accolade , calling the 41-year-old one of the best players of his generation . there has been criticism in some quarters that given his age , mickelson is too young to take his place in the pantheon of greats who have graced the sport despite a 20-year top-level career . others have pointed to the fact that , incredibly , he has never held the top spot in golf 's world rankings . fowler finally comes of age with first pga tour title . but dusek disagrees and thinks the player -- known affectionately by fans as `` lefty '' -- still has a few major championships left in the tank . `` phil absolutely deserves to be in the hall of fame . he 's one of the great players of his generation , '' dusek said ahead of mickelson 's induction on monday . `` he won four major championships in the era when one guy , namely tiger woods , won 14 of them . he was well seated at number two in the world for a quite a while . `` the fact that he has been a stalwart of eight ryder cup teams , eight presidents cup teams , he has 40 -lrb- pga tour -rrb- wins -- all these numbers are hall of fame-worthy material . '' the debate over mickelson 's worthiness will be replicated in the coming years , according to dusek , given that woods reigned supreme over the game for such a long period .<doc-sep>an agreement with chelsea could not exist , '' he told gazzetta dello sport . `` kaka goes to real or he remains at milan . that is his will and we are doing everything in complete agreement . '' kaka scored the final goal from the penalty spot as brazil moved to the top of south american qualifying for the 2010 world cup finals after thrashing uruguay 4-0 in montevideo , their first victory in the country for 33 years . with milan , kaka won an array of awards including the champions league , the uefa super cup , the fifa club world cup and the seria a title . he was a crucial part of brazil 's 2002 world cup-winning squad he was also voted the fifa world player of the year in 2007 . last january , kaka rejected a move to premier league manchester city who were prepared to pay him a reported $ 750,000 per week .<doc-sep>`` kaka has behaved very professionally with us , he has never asked for his deal to be revised or his contract extended . he has been here six years and won everything there is to win . but we ca n't afford to miss out on $ 100 million . '' galliani had said there was no chance of english club chelsea -- who appointed former milan coach carlo ancelotti as manager on monday -- swooping in to beat real for kaka 's signature . an agreement with chelsea could not exist , '' he told gazzetta dello sport . `` kaka goes to real or he remains at milan . that is his will and we are doing everything in complete agreement . '' kaka scored the final goal from the penalty spot as brazil moved to the top of south american qualifying for the 2010 world cup finals after thrashing uruguay 4-0 in montevideo , their first victory in the country for 33 years . with milan , kaka won an array of awards including the champions league , the uefa super cup , the fifa club world cup and the seria a title . he was a crucial part of brazil 's 2002 world cup-winning squad he was also voted the fifa world player of the year in 2007 . last january , kaka rejected a move to premier league manchester city who were prepared to pay him a reported $ 750,000 per week .

<t> kaka deservedly named world player of the year for the first time in his career . </t> <t> the brazilian beats cristiano ronaldo and lionel messi in the journalists ' vote . </t> <t> the 25-year-old averages one goal in three games for both ac milan and brazil . </t>

kaka deserves top player accolade<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- michael vick turned himself in to authorities on monday to get a head start on serving his sentence for running a dogfighting ring , the u.s. marshals service said . michael vick leaves court in richmond , virginia , in august after pleading guilty to dogfighting charges . the atlanta falcons quarterback is scheduled to be sentenced on december 10 on a federal conspiracy charge of bankrolling the dogfighting operation . vick , 27 , voluntarily turned himself in around noon , said kevin trevillan of the marshals service , and is being held at northern neck regional jail in warsaw , virginia , until the sentencing hearing . the quarterback , who has been suspended indefinitely by nfl commissioner roger goodell , faces 12 to 18 months in prison on the charge . vick pleaded guilty in august after three associates admitted their own roles in the operation and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors . `` from the beginning , mr. vick has accepted responsibility for his actions and his self-surrender further demonstrates that acceptance , '' vick 's attorney , billy martin , said in a statement .<doc-sep>`` michael wants to again apologize to everyone who has been hurt in this matter and he thanks all of the people who have offered him and his family prayers and support during this time , '' martin 's statement said . cnn senior legal analyst jeffrey toobin speculated that vick started his sentence early `` to get it out of the way . '' watch toobin explain why vick would surrender early '' on september 25 , a virginia grand jury indicted vick and the three co-defendants -- purnell peace , 35 , of virginia beach , virginia ; quanis phillips , 28 , of atlanta , georgia ; and tony taylor , 34 , of hampton , virginia -- on state charges of running a dogfighting ring at vick 's home outside newport news . the surry county grand jury brought two charges against the four men : one count of unlawfully torturing and killing dogs and one of promoting dogfights . each is a felony charge that could result in a five-year prison term . in addition , taylor faces three additional counts of unlawful torture and killing of dogs . a hearing in that case is set for november 27 , but vick does not have to be in court at that time .<doc-sep>in september , vick was put under tight restrictions by the federal court after he tested positive for marijuana use . vick tested positive for the drug on september 13 , a court document from the eastern district of virginia shows . as a result , u.s. district judge henry e. hudson ordered vick to `` submit to any method of testing required by the pretrial services officer or the supervising officer for determining whether the defendant is using a prohibited substance . '' those methods could include random drug testing , a remote alcohol testing system `` and/or any form of prohibited substance screening or testing , '' the order said . vick was also ordered to stay home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. , `` or as directed by the pretrial services officer or supervising officer , '' the order said . he was to be electronically monitored during that time . vick must participate in substance abuse therapy and mental health counseling `` if deemed advisable by the pretrial services officer or supervising officer '' at his own expense , the order said . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>vick went from a star quarterback with the atlanta falcons to a prison inmate after he was arrested for dogfighting . the nfl indefinitely suspended vick in august 2007 after he pleaded guilty to a federal charge of bankrolling a dogfighting operation in virginia . vick left a kansas prison in may 2009 to serve the last two months of his 23-month sentence in home confinement .<doc-sep>`` it 's a common thing among dogfighters : in one sentence , they 'll talk about how much they love these dogs , and the next sentence they 'll talk about how they force them to fight , '' the author told hln 's velez-mitchell . `` it 's hard to take him at face value , -lrb- given -rrb- what he 's done , '' added gorant . `` he was arms deep in this process of abusing and killing these animals . '' the nfl indefinitely suspended vick in august 2007 after he pleaded guilty to a federal charge of bankrolling a dogfighting operation in virginia . vick left a kansas prison in may 2009 to serve the last two months of his 23-month sentence in home confinement . the humane society , which claims support from 11 million people , bills itself on its website as the country 's `` mainstream force against cruelty , exploitation and neglect '' of animals -- including the very kind of dogfighting rings and killings for which vick was convicted . after being released , pacelle said that vick approached the group `` to help ... combat that problem . '' the society president defended his group 's partnership with vick , saying that it has helped spur a new conversation about the reality of dogfighting . pacelle said that the quarterback has personally talked with thousands of children regarding an issue he first learned about as an adolescent , helping start a dialogue that 's led to animal protection clubs popping up at several inner-city schools . `` what he did is terrible , there 's no question about that , '' pacelle said . `` but this is an issue of protecting animals in the future . and endlessly flogging michael vick is not going to save one animal . but putting him to work in communities to save animals and educate people about the problem of dogfighting -- especially with at-risk kids -- is the way to help the problem . ''<doc-sep>`` there 's not a central body keeping track of what 's happening nationally , which is unfortunate when you consider that a lot of these cases cross state lines , '' she said . still , detectives , animal welfare professionals and prosecutors agree that the attention the vick case has brought to dogfighting has been positive because more people are inclined to report their suspicions . dogfighting is illegal in all states ; penalties vary but usually include heavy jail time or steep fines . the national football league suspended vick indefinitely in august 2007 after he pleaded guilty to a federal charge of bankrolling a dogfighting operation at a home he owned in virginia . vick , 29 , was freed from federal prison in leavenworth , kansas , on may 20 and returned to virginia to serve the last two months of his 23-month sentence in home confinement . `` at the height of attention on the vick case , things quieted down across the country with some of these dogfighters getting out of the business , '' veteran animal abuse investigator tim rickey said . `` but then , the headlines went away , and people thought the attention was off . it just started right back up , almost stronger than before . '' `` every saturday night in every county in missouri , there is a dogfight going on , '' rickey said . while the vick case was making its way through the court system , rickey , who directs the animal cruelty task force at the humane society of missouri , was initiating what would become an 18-month investigation linking dogfighting rings in eight states . that probe led to the july 8 arrest of 28 people from eight states . as many as 400 dogs were confiscated in raids coordinated by federal , state and local law enforcement agencies , rickey said . he said it was the largest such case involving dogfighting in the u.s. . while those involved with the national case declined monday to give details about that investigation , cnn spoke with several detectives across america who have worked other dogfighting cases . among the abuses they 've uncovered : .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the philadelphia eagles welcomed michael vick back into the national football league on friday after the quarterback spent almost two years in federal prison on a felony dogfighting conviction . michael vick speaks at a philadelphia eagles news conference on friday . vick , formerly with the atlanta falcons , has signed a two-year deal with the eagles . `` i think everybody deserves a second chance , '' vick said at a news conference in philadelphia , pennsylvania , on friday . `` now i want to be part of the solution and not the problem . '' the league suspended vick indefinitely in august 2007 after he pleaded guilty to a federal charge of bankrolling a dogfighting operation at a home he owned in virginia . vick , 29 , was freed from federal prison at leavenworth , kansas , on may 20 and returned to his virginia home to serve the last two months of his 23-month sentence in home confinement . ireport.com : is this a good move ? `` everything that happened at that point in my life was wrong , '' vick said of his involvement with the dogfighting ring . watch bloggers discuss vick 's return to the nfl '' `` i had to reach a turning point . prison definitely did it for me , '' he said . flanked by eagles coach andy reid and former nfl coach tony dungy , who acted as a mentor to vick after he was imprisoned , the newest eagle vowed `` to do all the right things . '' `` i want to be an ambassador to the nfl and the community , '' he said . `` i 'm glad i got ... a second chance . i wo n't disappoint . '' dungy said that he thinks vick can revive his career and turn his life around in philadelphia but that the quarterback will be tested by fickle eagles fans .

<t> new : vick 's attorney says early surrender shows vick accepts responsibility . </t> <t> sentencing set for december 10 on dogfighting charges against michael vick . </t> <t> atlanta falcons quarterback pleaded guilty in august . </t> <t> monday , he surrendered to begin whatever sentence he gets on december 10 . </t>

vick surrenders early to begin dogfighting sentence<T>

baghdad , iraq -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the head of iraq 's main humanitarian group said an 18-year-old approached him with a baby suffering from leukemia . the desperate mother said she 'd do `` anything '' for treatment for her child -- and then offered herself up for sex . baha , 12 , waits for treatment in an iraqi red crescent center after shrapnel pierced his left eye . said ismail hakki breaks down in tears as he recalls that story . leukemia can be treatable to a degree in much of the world , but not in iraq . the baby died two months later . `` it shook me like hell , '' said hakki , the president of the iraqi red crescent . `` all my life i 've been a surgeon . i 've seen blood ; i 've seen death . that never shook me -- none whatsoever . but when i see the suffering of those people , that really shook me . '' the plight of iraq 's children is nearing epidemic proportions , he said , with mothers and fathers abandoning their children `` because they 're becoming a liability . '' the parents do n't do it out of convenience , they do it out of desperation . watch the plight of iraq 's children '' `` when you become so desperate , you tend to just throw everything up and go , '' hakki said . `` every time i look at those children , i ask myself first , ` what crime have those children committed ? ' '' hakki says red crescent has the monumental task of treating and feeding more than 1.6 million children under the age of 12 who have become homeless in their own country . that 's roughly 70 percent of the estimated 2.3 million iraqis who are homeless inside iraq . how to help the iraqi red crescent . with 95,000 volunteers and 5,000 employees , the iraqi red crescent is the last line of defense for the country 's poor , sick and displaced . they try to blend in as best they can , with shiites , sunnis and kurds working in the neighborhoods distinct to their ethnicities . six employees of the iraqi red crescent have been killed over the last four years . eight have been wounded , including six left disabled by the severity of their wounds . hakki says the spike in numbers of abandoned children is especially alarming , the result of sectarian violence and drastic socio-economic problems . the majority of parents in iraq , he says , leave their children with a single relative who often has about 20 to 30 children to look after . some parents just leave their kids altogether . many of the families are living in areas without basic needs , like water and electricity , and there are no jobs available . `` it 's a desperate situation , '' he said . `` children are becoming a liability for both the father and the mother . '' the greatest concern is the ripple effect it will have in the long term -- an entire generation lacking basic life skills , surviving with no education , no income and no families . see wounded iraqi children get help in neighboring jordan '' `` the trauma of what 's happening to those children is enormous , '' he said . `` if somebody is injured by a bullet or shrapnel , it takes a week or two and he 's fine . ... the psycho-social injury is pretty deep and can take months , if not years , to heal . `` that 's the task -- the mammoth task -- the iraq red crescent is facing . '' the group gets some financial support from the central government . it 's also negotiating with the u.s. embassy , he said , to see if it can offer financial aid . but funds are low . just recently , the group closed 18 camps for the winter and is trying to house those thousands of people in abandoned government buildings . at a waiting room at an iraqi red crescent treatment center in baghdad 's mansour district , cnn came across several young children in desperate need of care . but they were among the lucky ones -- if that term can even be applied -- because their parents remain with them . baha , a 12-year-old boy , was waiting to see a doctor , recalling the exact date -- january 16 , 2004 -- he lost his left eye . `` i want my eye to get well , '' he said . baha was with his father in a market when someone opened fire on u.s. soldiers . when the soldiers fired back , shrapnel hit his eye . despite what happened , this brave boy still goes to that same market . `` i 'm not afraid , '' he said . across the room , 3-year-old saja lightened the mood in the room . `` iraqis , we are still brothers ! '' she sang . she giggled , laughed and darted around , bringing smiles to all who saw her . yet , she could n't see most of what was around her . she 's blind in one eye and losing sight in the other -- the result of shoddy medical care . her father , dia'a , said he heard about the iraqi red crescent from television and others who had been treated here . he said he ca n't afford to travel outside the country for medical treatment for his girl . this clinic , he said , has given him `` a ray of hope that i had lost . '' he , too , expressed despair over the plight of iraq 's youngest generation . `` our children are suffering . all they talk about is weapons and bombs , '' he said . `` they are children . we are older ; our hair turns gray . what happens to them hearing all the explosions and bombs ? `` we ca n't make them feel better because we are down . '' that 's a sentiment that haunts the head of the iraqi red crescent . `` there are times i get up in the middle of the night and i say , ` oh my god , how are we going to solve it ? god help me to help those kids ! ' '' e-mail to a friend . cnn.com 's wayne drash contributed to this report in atlanta .<doc-sep>baghdad , iraq -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- mothers cradle children in their arms . fathers smile softly at the helpless bodies they hold . other parents are bent over from the weight of their teenage kids whose legs fall limp , almost touching the ground . in the absence of basic medical equipment , these parents do this every day . an iraqi boy gives a thumbs up after receiving his wheelchair . brad blauser , center , created the program . khaled is a father of three . on this day , his young daughter , mariam , is getting fitted for her new wheelchair . her arms and legs are painfully thin , little more than skin and bone . she 's 7 years old , but looks barely half that . she and both her siblings , a sister and brother , suffer from varying degrees of polio . none of them can walk . asked how he and his family cope , khaled chokes up , fighting back tears . `` i am sick of life -- what can i say to you ? '' he says after a long pause . one man , brad blauser , has vowed to try to make life a little easier for these families by organizing the distribution of wheelchairs , donated and paid for by his charity , wheelchairs for iraqi kids . he first came to iraq in 2004 as a civilian contractor . struck by the abject chaos surrounding him and seeing helpless children scooting along the ground , he pledged to find a way to help . watch dads , moms carry kids ; tears flow when wheelchairs arrive ''<doc-sep>now , i 'm not comparing our girls to iraqi insurgents , but i do appreciate more than ever that mothers are usually the soldiers in the parenting battlefield . even full-time working moms do more child-rearing than us dads , studies have repeatedly found . fathers tend to play the part of the dashing news reporter , swooping into parenting duties just long enough to get our hands dirty . my wife deserves her weeping cherry tree . and like most moms , she is worthy of much more . yet i think we dads merit at least a little more than boxer shorts , soap-on-a-rope , and neckties . we do n't get the good stuff because we 're paying for the sins of our fathers , and our fathers ' fathers . but these days , dads are changing diapers , warming bottles , and taking our kids to the park . we may not be where you want us yet , but we 've evolved , and we 're involved . just as much as the moms , we appreciate the cards , the praise , and being treated special on our day . so if any of you mothers now feel guilty enough to spring for a slightly nicer father 's day gift -- say , a plasma tv with a 50-inch screen -- make sure it also has built-in speakers with surround-sound . try a free trial issue of parenting magazine - click here ! copyright 2009 the parenting group . all rights reserved . reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited .<doc-sep>what they say : the data team studied hundreds of thousands of public facebook messages between parents and children to identify the words and phrases that appeared most often . based on the results , mom and dad are very proud of their kids . among the most common phrases from parents : `` i 'm so proud , `` all my heart , '' `` well done , '' `` proud of you '' and `` call me . '' moms and dads use language much differently when messaging with sons , though . mothers preferred endearments like `` my handsome son '' and `` my little boy , '' while dads used profanity and words like `` buddy '' and `` dude . '' read more : microsoft opens its own social network .<doc-sep>when i asked for comment , the company sent me this brief statement : `` this article was written by a dad for other dads to make a lighthearted comparison between bachelor lives and new parent lives . we took the article down based on feedback and we know how seriously dads take their parental responsibilities . '' the post included some classic insults : `` prudence wo n't stop daddy from relaxing with a brew and blaring inappropriate shows while baby stares in horror/awe/wonder at the colorful moving yell-box . tell dad to embrace parental sacrifice and crack a book . '' finally , to top off this glorious work of wisdom and respect , the post states , `` some new dads have been inspired by raunchy comedies to bring babies to inappropriate places like casinos , pool halls , and poetry readings . '' yes , you read that correctly . poetry readings . well , at least it 's clear where clorox got the inspiration for these stereotypes : fiction . `` none of these places are healthy for baby , '' the post continues . `` if dad needs persuading , just tell him that babies are terrible tippers and can never make bank shots . '' wow . so , to summarize , new dads give our kids dirty food and play-doh to spread all over their faces while watching `` kardashians , '' then put them in backward summer clothes in freezing weather , oblivious to their cries en route to a poetry slam . but you ca n't blame us , because of our perpetually beer-soaked state and canine-level motor skills . dads and moms wasted no time giving clorox a piece of their minds . `` this may be the dumbest thing i 've ever read , '' david livorne hershey wrote on facebook .

<t> head of iraqi red crescent says parents abandoning their kids at alarming rates . </t> <t> sometimes he wonders : `` oh my god , how are we going to solve it ? '' </t> <t> the greatest concern is the long-term effect on an entire generation . </t> <t> `` trauma of what 's happening to those children is enormous '' </t>

iraq 's new crisis : moms , dads abandoning kids<T>

paris , france -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the paris suburbs were again rocked by riots after a second night of lawlessness monday caused widespread destruction and left scores of police injured , according to french authorities and media reports . firefighters in a paris suburb battle to control a blaze started after youths rioted sunday night . an angry mob repeatedly clashed with riot police and torched cars and buildings in the town of villiers-le-bel , north of paris , after two teens on a motorcycle were killed following a collision with a police car sunday night . rioters bombarded police with baseball bats , molotov cocktail bombs and bottles filled with acid as the violence spread to the nearby towns of longjumeau and grigby monday night . the 15 - and 16-year-old boys , both sons of african immigrants , according to police , died when their motorbike hit a patrol car in villiers-le-bel . some residents , populated largely by immigrants and their french-born children , accused police of fleeing the crash scene . however , three eyewitnesses , interviewed on tv , said the police stayed and tried to revive the two boys with mouth to mouth resuscitation . watch why a repeat of past rioting is feared '' more than 60 police officers were injured in monday night 's confrontation , with five kept in hospital in a serious condition , according to reports in a number of french newspapers .<doc-sep>a spokesman for the police authorities in the val d'oise prefecture refused to confirm the numbers of police injuries , telling cnn that police feared the information could further enflame the already tense situation . the police spokesman said 60 cars , a library and car dealer 's showroom had been set on fire in villiers-le-bel . he said a police station had also been damaged and 15 garbage cans torched . security was tightened tuesday , with helicopters deployed to patrol over the town , the spokesman said . villiers-le-bel was not among the districts hit by the weeks of nationwide rioting in november 2005 , when disaffected youths nationwide set thousands of cars ablaze to protest against unemployment and discrimination . those riots were also sparked by fatalities , namely the deaths of two men of north african descent who were electrocuted while hiding from police in an electrical substation . french president nicolas sarkozy , then serving as the interior minister , provoked controversy at the time by referring to the rioters as `` scum . '' sarkozy , currently on a state visit to china , had urged residents monday to `` cool down and let the justice system determine who is responsible for what . '' a spokesman for the president 's office told cnn tuesday they were continuing to monitor the situation .<doc-sep>the prosecutor 's office in the nearby town of pontoise has already begun an inquiry into the deaths . police said the teens drove through a red light without wearing helmets and on an unregistered bike . but omar sehhouli , the brother of one of the victims , told french media the police involved should be arrested . `` everyone knew the two boys here , '' he told french radio . `` what happened , that 's not violence , it 's rage . '' according to the initial findings from the french police watchdog , reported tuesday in the daily newspaper , le figaro , the boy 's motorbike was driving `` at very high speed '' and had failed to give priority to the police patrol vehicle . the police car was driving normally at around 40 kilometers an hour , the newspaper reported the watchdog had found . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's jim bittermann contributed to this report .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- police in the swedish capital , stockholm , have called in reinforcements after the city 's suburbs were hit by a fifth night of riots . gangs set fire to two schools and a police station in the city on thursday , police spokesman kjell lindgren told cnn . about 30 cars were also torched , with the blaze from one vehicle spreading to a nearby shop . `` police and firemen were also attacked again with rocks overnight , but no one was severely hurt , '' lindgren said . `` the level of violence has decreased , '' he added , `` but the problem remains . '' extra police have been called in to help officers deal with the riots and a number of other events , including football matches , planned to take place in the city over the weekend . read more : swedish suburbs shaken by violence .<doc-sep>sweden , long seen as a bastion of tolerance , has seen a rise in support for the far right as immigration has grown . anti-immigration party sweden democrats has reached around 10 percent in the polls ahead of a parliamentary election next year . stockholm was hit by the worst riots in years in may in mainly poor immigrant suburbs , with youths throwing rocks at police and setting cars on fire for more than a week . numbers : police estimated that more than 16,000 people took part in the protest in stockholm yesterday .<doc-sep>french counter-terrorism experts have identified 64 suburbs in dozens of cities that act as breeding grounds for islamic extremism . so-called ` ghettos ' with high rates of youth unemployment , immigration and single-parent families , such as l'ariane near nice , have been linked to the radicalisation of young and vulnerable people . french prime minister manuel valls last month admitted that the country had collapsed into social and ethnic ` apartheid ' - the first time a senior politician has conceded that economic marginalisation and religious tensions have led to serious divides . until 17 people were killed in january 's shocking charlie hebdo terror attacks , the french government remained largely consistent in its claim that overriding ` frenchness ' was a unifying factor more powerful than loyalties to local communities or religious belief . tragic : until 17 people were killed in january 's shocking charlie hebdo terror attacks , the french government remained largely consistent in its claim that overriding ` frenchness ' was a unifying factor in the country . extremists : brothers said -lrb- left -rrb- and cherif kouachi -lrb- right -rrb- , who killed 12 people in an attack on the charlie hebdo magazine offices in central paris . the pair then died following a siege . in total 64 french suburbs have been identified as breeding grounds for extremism , each of them sharing startling similar characteristics , according to sky news . unemployment , for example , is on average 23 per cent in the suburbs , rising to a staggering 45 per cent among the young . up to half of all families in the 64 suburbs also have just one parent . for those lucky enough to have work , the average income is just $ 11,000 -lrb- # 8,300 -rrb- a year , leaving many with barely enough money to survive . as many as 50 per cent of those living in the suburbs are also first generation immigrants or their children , many of them having travelled to france from war-torn nations . such patterns of have now proved to the french leadership that vast swathes of the population are falling behind economically , resulting in ghettoised suburbs where mental and social attachment to france as a nation holds little sway , and where criminal and religious leaders often wield power . militants : the french government believes that around 400 french citizens have travelled to syria and iraq to fight alongside militants from the islamic state terror group -lrb- pictured -rrb- . claim : french prime minister manuel valls -lrb- pictured -rrb- last month admitted that the country had collapsed into social and ethnic ` apartheid ' as well as identifying 64 suburbs as having the potential to push the young and vulnerable towards extremism , the french interior ministry has also designated 15 priority security zones in areas already considered hotbeds of crime - with radical islamism and jihadism chief among them . speaking to sky news , colonel gael marchand , head of the gendarmerie in alpes-maritime , said : ` there is a very blurred and small gap between organised crime and terrorism . '<doc-sep>smoke billows from a burning car . rocks were hurled at firefighters as they tackled blazes around the city . the violence has sparked debate in the country on the effect of the government 's social policies . critics say immigrant ghettos have been created where unemployment is high and there are few opportunities for residents . the left-leaning tabloid aftonbladet . said the riots represented a ` gigantic failure ' of government policies , . which had underpinned the rise of ghettos in the suburbs . ` we . have failed to give many of the people in the suburbs a hope for the . future , ' anna-margrethe livh of the opposition left party wrote in the . daily svenska dagbladet . an . anti-immigrant party , the sweden democrats , has risen to third in polls . ahead of a general election due next year , reflecting unease about . immigrants among many voters . many believe the riots are a result of anger at high unemployment and fewer opportunities among immigrants . a number of cars in the stockholm suburb of husby , which has a high immigrant population . a boy walks to school past a burned out truck -lrb- right -rrb- and a couple assess the damage done to a van -lrb- left -rrb- . eight people were arrested last night but police said they had no reports of injuries .

<t> riots in french suburb for second night after two teens killed in police crash . </t> <t> violence spreads from villiers-le-bel , north of paris , to two nearby towns . </t> <t> more than 60 police injured , bombarded with molotov cocktails and bottles of acid . </t> <t> parallels drawn with unrest in 2005 , when president sarkozy was interior minister . </t>

french suburbs rocked by more riots<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- two tractor-trailer trucks crashed and burst into flames thursday on a bridge between the united states and mexico , shutting a key border crossing and killing four people , police said . police look at the aftermath of a fiery crash on a bridge linking reynosa , mexico , and pharr , texas . the collision on the pharr-reynosa international bridge in texas triggered a chain-reaction accident with three other vehicles , said lt. lupe salinas with the pharr police department . a pickup flipped off the bridge , killing three people . another person died in a vehicle that struck one of the tractor-trailers . six others were injured .<doc-sep>pharr emergency management coordinator elsa sanchez told the associated press the pickup truck had texas license plates , and the two 18-wheelers and a minivan involved in the wreck appeared to have mexican plates . watch aftermath of fiery crash '' the accident happened around 7:30 p.m. -lrb- 8:30 p.m. et -rrb- . the bridge was closed for the rest of the evening . the bridge reopened on friday morning after texas department of trnasportation engineers inspected it , according to cnn affiliate krgv . the bridge is normally open from 6 a.m. until midnight and is closed overnight .<doc-sep>the 3.2-mile-long bridge connects u.s. 281 in pharr , texas , to the city of reynosa in the mexican state of tamaulipas , according to the city of pharr 's web site . on an average day , the site says , 5,800 vehicles cross it . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's ed payne and jessica jordan contributed to this story . copyright 2008 cnn . all rights reserved.this material may not be published , broadcast , rewritten , or redistributed . associated press contributed to this report .<doc-sep>a texas a&m football star , his stepbrother and an incoming member of the university of utah football team have been killed as their suv rolled over after they apparently drove on little sleep . polo manukainiu , a freshman lineman at texas a&m , and gauis vaenuku , who was joining the utah utes this year , died in the crash on monday evening on u.s. 550 just north of cuba , new mexico . manukainu 's stepbrother , lolo uhatafe , 13 , also lost his life and in the crash , while lolo 's older brother , salesi uhatafe , and father both sustained minor injuries . in a tragic twist , manukainiu 's last tweet read : '22 hour drive back to texas on no sleep . oh my . ' tragic : texas a&m university football player polo manukainiu , 19 , has died in a rollover crash in new mexico . state police said that manukainiu , 19 , . and vaenuku , 18 , were passengers in a 2002 toyota sequoia , which was carrying five people in total , as it traveled . southbound on the highway . the vehicle drifted off of the road and the driver , believed to be salesi uhatafe , over-corrected , and the car rolled several times . manukainiu and lolo uhatafe were ejected and died at the scene . vaenuku was transported from the scene but was pronounced dead in an . ambulance . the two others - salesi and his father , salesi sr. - were treated for injuries . manukainiu was the stepbrother of salesi and lolo uhatafe . scene : this video frame grab shows police and medical personal attending to the deadly car wreck . crash : two of the teenagers died at the scene after the car veered off the road and rolled multiple times . new mexico state police sgt. emmanuel gutierrez confirmed that the crash occured after ` driver inattention or fatigue ' , ksl reported . officials said alcohol . was n't involved and it appeared the driver was the only one wearing a .<doc-sep>`` this geographical spread is worrisome , because it will greatly complicate the tasks of the organizations working to control the epidemic , '' lugli said . the organization , also known by its french name medecins sans frontieres -lrb- msf -rrb- describes ebola as `` one of the world 's most deadly diseases . '' it spreads in the blood and shuts down the immune system , causing high fever , headache and muscle pain .<doc-sep>mexico city , mexico -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the driver of a truck that collided with a bus in northeast mexico , killing 12 people including 11 passengers from the united states and canada , was intoxicated , a mexican official said tuesday . emergency workers wheel a crash victim on a gurney after monday 's bus crash in mexico . the tractor-trailer 's 21-year-old driver was among those hospitalized after monday 's crash near monterrey , mexico , said segismundo doguin martinez , a police official in the mexican state of coahuila . the driver of the bus was among those killed , and 15 bus passengers were injured . the senda express bus , operated by grupo senda , had been traveling from mcallen , texas , carrying tourists to zacatecas in central mexico . eight of those who died were from the united states , three were from canada and one , the bus driver , was from mexico , doguin said . watch rescuers work at scene of deadly crash '' the survivors , most of them in grave condition , were taken to the christus muguerza hospital and the clinica la concepcion , the mexican official said . `` they are in a delicate state but out of danger , '' doguin said . el milenio newspaper reported on its web site that eight of the injured are from the united states , four are from canada and three from mexico . seven of the injured americans are from texas and one is from iowa , the newspaper said . el norte newspaper 's web site and el porvenir said the dead and injured included tourists . among those killed in the crash was 73-year-old ronald christy , said his daughter , pam fordyce . christy 's wife , margaret christy , was in critical condition in a mexican hospital , fordyce said . `` he was doing exactly what he loved -- traveling , '' fordyce , of altoona , iowa , told cnn by telephone tuesday . `` he was right where he would want to be , on a bus . '' she said the couple wintered in texas and lived in west liberty , iowa , in the summer . the u.s. consulate called her at 1:30 a.m. tuesday to tell her that her father had been killed , fordyce said , and then followed up with an e-mail with photographs of the crash . `` i did n't even know he was on a bus , '' she said . `` i guess i could believe -lsb- the consulate -rsb- when i talked to my brother '' who knew the couple was traveling , she said . `` until then you do n't want to believe anything . '' doguin , the mexican official , said the accident occurred when a truck driver went off the road and then overcorrected and swerved into oncoming traffic , hitting the bus . video of the scene from cnn affiliate tv azteca 13 showed the left side of the bus sheared off and the semi 's cab completely flattened . rescue efforts took five hours , tv azteca 13 reported . the u.s. consulate in monterrey will not release the names of the dead or injured until all family members have been notified , said consulate spokesman todd huizinga . `` on monday evening , staff from the consulate in monterrey went to the christus muguerza hospital to offer assistance to some of the injured who were brought there after the crash , '' huizinga said . `` the consulate expects to have more detail in the coming hours . '' the truck driver was injured and is being held by authorities at a hospital , doguin said . the web site for grupo senda says the company started in linares , mexico , more than 75 years ago . it provides bus service to 15 mexican states and the texas valley , the site says . elizabeth suarez , director of the mcallen central bus station , where the bus trip originated , issued a statement saying , `` we are very saddened by the news this morning . we offer our condolences to the families . the city of mcallen is the landlord of the bus terminal facility in mcallen . grupo senda is our tenant . '' cnn 's melanie whitley , taylor gandossy , tess eastment and monica trevino contributed to this report from atlanta , georgia .<doc-sep>who was born in mexico and has dual citizenship , is an experienced . sports car driver . he was involved in a scary crash in a cart race in . 2001 while driving for chip ganassi racing . his car went off course and . struck a concrete bridge abutment . gidley broke an arm . the damage : gidley 's gainsco corvette smashed like an accordion in the crash . stuck : damage was so extensive to the corvette that gidley had to be cut out of the broken vechile . rescue workers remove gidley from the corvette after the crash during the imsa series rolex 24 hour auto race at the daytona international speedway saturday . rescued : paramedics attend to gidley as he 's wheeled away from the crash saturday . in 2005 , he raced to victory with . michael mcdowell in the 2005 grand-am finale in mexico city . in 2007 , he . raced with max angelelli for the suntrust team . malucelli . finished eighth in last year 's alms gt championship with the risi . competizone team . in 2008 and 2009 , malucelli was part of a team that .

<t> new : bridge reopens friday morning after highway engineers give ok . </t> <t> four killed in chain reaction crash that started when two tractor-trailers collided . </t> <t> three killed in pickup truck that fell off bridge ; 4th victim in car that hit one 18-wheeler . </t> <t> crash happened on bridge linking pharr , texas , and reynosa , mexico . </t>

deadly crash shuts down u.s.-mexico bridge<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- after expressing condolences and outrage over events in pakistan , presidential candidates turned their discussion toward whose foreign policy credentials were better . hillary clinton , then u.s. first lady , meets with benazir bhutto in pakistan in 1995 . in a campaign that had been drifting toward economic issues , the assassination of former prime minister benazir bhutto and the turmoil in pakistan could refocus voters on who is best qualified to deal with crises in other parts of the world . `` my theme has been throughout this campaign that i am the one with experience , the knowledge and the judgment . so , perhaps it may serve to enhance those credentials , '' said sen. john mccain , r-arizona . locked inside a tough three-way battle for the democratic nomination in iowa , sen. hillary clinton has spent a year calling herself the most experienced , most qualified candidate in the field . she stressed her ties with bhutto and the tragedy of her death . `` this is one of the most important elections of our lifetime , and it certainly raises the stakes high for what we have to expect from our next president , '' the new york senator said . watch how the assassination is resonating on the campaign trail '' sen. barack obama 's camp , which has spent a year pushing back on criticisms that he lacks experience , insisted they welcome the renewed talks on foreign policy and called attention to clinton 's `` yes '' vote on the iraq war . `` she was a strong supporter of the war in iraq which we would submit is one of the reasons why we were diverted from afghanistan , pakistan and al qaeda , who may have been players in this event today . so that 's a judgment she 'll have to defend , '' said obama adviser david axelrod . the clinton campaign said the suggestion that her vote caused unrest in pakistan is baseless , adding that this is a time to focus on the people of pakistan and not politics . when asked about axelrod 's remarks late thursday , obama told cnn 's wolf blitzer that , `` this is one of those situations where washington is putting a spin on it . ... he in no way was suggesting hillary clinton was somehow directly to blame for this situation . '' the illinois senator added that `` it 's important for us to not look at this in terms of short-term political points scoring . '' watch the showdown on foreign policy '' but the candidates all reacted , in part because of the gravity of the event , in part because they are just days away from the january 3 iowa caucuses . conversation quickly moved from condolences to campaign issues . former new york mayor rudy giuliani talked terrorism , connecting the attack in pakistan to the september 11 , 2001 , attacks . `` america feels a connection because of the attacks that took place here , '' he said .<doc-sep>mccain , who along with giuliani scores best on national security , bluntly challenged giuliani 's foreign policy experience . watch how the gop candidates are reacting '' `` he did a great job post-9 / 11 in handling a post-crisis situation , but i do n't know how that provides one the credentials to address national security issues , '' he said . new mexico gov. bill richardson said he would call on pakistan 's president pervez musharraf to step down . `` what is in u.s. interest is for there to be a stable , democratic pakistan that is fighting terrorists . right now , we have the worst of all worlds , '' he said friday on cnn 's `` american morning . '' but former tennessee sen. fred thompson said calling for musharraf to step down would n't be a good idea . `` i hope that we as candidates out here do n't start lobbying these ideas that get plenty of attention but are not very sound , '' thompson told cnn . former north carolina sen. john edwards said he called musharraf and `` urged him to continue this democratization process . '' democratic hopeful joe biden , chairman of the senate foreign relations committee , said bhutto 's death was a `` genuine tragedy . '' watch how the democrats are responding '' `` ladies and gentleman , the stakes are incredibly high . they are incredibly high . if pakistan falls into complete turmoil , martial law is declared again , you end up with a state that is being run by a dictator ; ladies and gentleman that does not bode well for afghanistan , iran , iraq , india , '' he said . the shift in focus might not play out well for former arkansas gov. mike huckabee , whose foreign policy credentials have been under a microscope since he admitted to journalists that he was unaware of a major report on iran 's nuclear weapons program . he appeared to make another minor gaffe thursday when he seemed to suggest incorrectly that pakistan was currently under martial law . later thursday , huckabee told cnn that `` it was not that i was unaware it was suspended , two weeks ago , lifted . ... the point was , would it be reinstated , would it be placed back in ? all of the aspects of martial law have not been completely lifted even now . there 's still a heavy hand musharraf has used . '' if voters see a high-stakes drama in pakistan , that could resonate at the polls . most of the candidates said they did n't want to turn the assassination into a talking point , but it is just a week before the iowa caucuses , and world events not only change the conversation -- they can change a campaign . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's candy crowley , dana bash and suzanne malveaux contributed to this report .<doc-sep>' i expected better from nsw police . 81 women died in australia last year at the hands of their male partners or exes ... . a woman had her throat cut in a car park the other day . thousands more women beaten every day by men . go check the stats ' , the post read in part . rosie batty - a vocal advocate against domestic violence since her young son luke was beaten to death by his father - said she was extremely disappointed with nsw police 's stance . ` it 's absolutely a gendered issue and i 'm really disappointed , ' she told daily mail australia . ` we do need to acknowledge that it 's not all men and its not all women but the key statistics are very clear . this commenter maintained that the perpetrators were very rarely women in such cases . others sided with the police welcoming the important conversation despite the context . some shared their experiences as a male dealing with domestic violence . ` it is one woman a week that 's being killed ... the statistics are overwhelming . ' ms batty acknowledged while the point of violence against men was a valid one , in light of the death of leila alavi it was ' a real shame ' and reinforced that domestic violence is an issue that affects disproportionately more women than men . ` if we 're not approaching violence from that perspective ... it seem to me that it 's disappointing there 's not a consistent message , ' she said , before adding that nonetheless it 's a very important conversation to be having . detective superintendent gavin dengate , who is the central metroplitan region domestic violence sponsor , said the single image was part of campaign of five different posters but admitted the timing was unfortunate . ` we knew that there would be conversation but this facebook post is part of a large campaign we commenced back before christmas , ' mr dengate told daily mail australia .<doc-sep>london , england -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a disabled punk band has launched a campaign to fight for the rights of disabled people to be able to party late . heavy load are a uk-based punk band with three out of five members who are disabled . `` heavy load , '' describe themselves as an `` anarcho-garage-punk '' band and are made up of five musicians , one of whom has downs syndrome and two who have unspecified learning disabilities . their campaign , `` stay up late , '' encourages carers to support disabled people who want to stay out past 10pm . heavy load 's manager and bass guitarist , paul richards , 39 , told cnn : `` the stay up late '' campaign is to raise awareness , and tackle the issue where disabled gig-goers end up going home at 9pm , therefore missing most of the evening , because their support workers finish their shifts at 10pm . `` we started the campaign because we 'd be playing a gig and something strange happens at 9pm when people would start to go home . we were also frustrated with asking to go on earlier in the evening so that our fans would still be there . it 's not very punk to go on at 8.30 pm , '' he added . `` stay up late '' has received widespread support from disabled people and the uk government , richards said . even carers who may be required to work later if the campaign is successful have offered their support . `` so far , we 've only had one or two support workers say that they do n't think they should be required to work unsociable hours , '' richards said .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- let 's give praise where praise is due . invisible children 's kony 2012 viral video campaign has done what no other advocacy organization has been able to do until now : capture 29 minutes worth of attention from over 50 million people worldwide . no amount of advertising genius from `` mad men '' could create that kind of buzz in a few days . in less than a week , invisible children -lrb- ic -rrb- has cemented the legitimacy of social media for global engagement if the arab spring had n't already . but the problem is , as many have pointed out , it is the wrong conversation and wrong buzz . which is just too bad because this campaign has the makings of what could have been a truly transformational development communication experiment . in two weeks , ic will have millions of dollars ; you will have a t-shirt and bracelet ; and uganda and central africa will be left wondering what just happened . as we saw in the case of the arab spring social media-accelerated uprising , the agents of the conversation were those directly affected by the cause du jour - which at the time was to oust decades-long dictatorial rule . instead , what we have here is a narrowly-focused fund-raising campaign where one organization inserts itself as the agent of change to a foreign travesty against humanity . once again , let me be clear , there 's nothing wrong with bringing attention to the issue . it 's how it was done that i lament . in a few weeks , this breathless enthusiasm will be for naught .<doc-sep>washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- by wading into the issue of an islamic center and mosque near ground zero , president barack obama provided republicans with an emotion-ridden attack vehicle while diverting attention from campaign themes of fellow democrats . a senior republican strategist told cnn that gop candidates are being encouraged to talk about the issue as much as possible . in florida , republican gubernatorial candidate rick scott launched a statewide television ad monday criticizing obama for backing the right of muslims to build an islamic center and mosque two blocks from where the september 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks killed more than 2,700 people . `` barack obama says building a mosque at ground zero is about tolerance , '' scott says in the ad , looking directly into the camera . `` he 's wrong . it 's about truth . '' the `` truth , '' scott claims , is this : `` muslim fanatics murdered thousands of innocent americans on 9/11 , just yards from the proposed mosque . '' `` the fight against terrorism is n't over , '' scott concludes . `` mr. president , ground zero is the wrong place for a mosque . '' meanwhile , a house democratic leadership aide said the issue was dominating the political conversation when democrats need to stress campaign themes such as economic recovery and saving social security . `` we understand why the president would want to talk about this issue , but the timing could n't have been any worse , '' the house democratic leadership aide told cnn . despite the concerns of democrats , senate majority leader harry reid of nevada on monday came out against building the islamic center and mosque . `` the first amendment protects freedom of religion . sen. reid respects that but thinks that the mosque should be built some place else , '' said a statement issued by reid 's spokesman , jim manley . reid is involved in a tough re-election campaign against conservative republican sharron angle . the statement on the ground zero issue also called for republicans to back a democratic bill that would provide health care aid and compensation for firefighters , police officers and other first responders to the 9/11 attacks .

<t> discussion on campaign trail turns to foreign policy , national security , terrorism . </t> <t> candidates trying to portray themselves as the one with the most experience . </t> <t> richardson says he would call on musharraf to step down , thompson disagrees . </t> <t> mccain challenges giuliani 's foreign policy experience . </t>

conversation shifts from condolences to campaign issue<T>

kabul , afghanistan -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- australia 's new prime minister assured afghan president hamid karzai on saturday that his country 's troops intend to be in afghanistan `` for the long haul . '' french president nicolas sarkozy , left , shakes hands with afghan president hamid karzai in kabul . kevin rudd and french president nicolas sarkozy flew into the afghan capital , kabul , on saturday to meet with karzai and visit their respective country 's troops participating in the nato-led international security assistance force . in a morning meeting , sarkozy `` assured president karzai of his government 's long term political and military support with the people of afghanistan , '' according to a statement from the afghan president 's office . rudd , who was elected in a landslide victory nov. 24 , appeared with karzai at a news conference , where he repeatedly said that the australian commitment to afghanistan is strong . `` we will be , as i said before , in this country , afghanistan , for the long haul . it 's important for us to be here in partnership with nato countries , '' rudd said .<doc-sep>`` on the question of the broader security policy challenges faced within afghanistan , of course they are significant , they are real . but we are confident that in partnership with our friends in the afghan government and with our other allies , particularly in nato , that we can continue to achieve real progress in the long-term security of this country , '' he added . australia 's new defense minister , however , warned u.s. and nato allies recently that they risk losing the war in afghanistan without a sharp shift in military and reconstruction efforts there . joel fitzgibbon , who took office with rudd allies during a conference in scotland earlier this month , said that more work needs to be done to win the `` hearts and minds '' of the people of afghanistan in the 6-year-old war against the country 's former taliban rulers and their al qaeda allies . karzai wished those at the news conference a merry christmas , then thanked australia , france and other countries for their help and support . more than 1,900 french troops are in afghanistan , serving both the isaf and the u.s.-led operation enduring freedom . australia is the largest non-nato contributor to the war in afghanistan , with nearly 1,000 troops stationed mostly in the southern province of oruzgan .<doc-sep>sarkozy , elected to lead france last may , told the u.s. congress during a visit last month that france would stand `` shoulder to shoulder '' with the united states on the war in afghanistan . `` let me tell you solemnly today : france will remain engaged in afghanistan as long as it takes , because what 's at stake in that country is the future of our values and that of the atlantic alliance , '' he said . rudd made a surprise visit friday to iraq , where he promised continued australian aid , despite a decision to withdraw all 550 australian troops in iraq by mid-2008 -- an effort his predecessor , john howard , staunchly opposed . rudd had said he would start a phased withdrawal of australian forces from iraq if his labor party won the vote . e-mail to a friend . journalist farhad peikar in kabul contributed to this report .<doc-sep>areva has been mining uranium for decades in niger , one of the poorest countries in the world . in a televised interview with reporters tuesday , french president nicolas sarkozy urged citizens not to visit areas where al qaeda in the islamic maghrib operates . `` the situation on the terrorism front is troubling . i do not want to alarm the french , '' he said . `` but , we will not change even an iota of our policies because we are threatened . '' france has already said it may begin to withdraw some troops from afghanistan next year .<doc-sep>by . jill reilly . last updated at 4:59 pm on 20th january 2012 . today france threatened to pull out early from the nato-led war in afghanistan after a rogue afghan soldier opened fire on french soldiers , killing four and wounding about 15 others . french president nicolas sarkozy said all french operations on the ground were being suspended and his defence minister was dispatched to clarify things on the ground in afghanistan . ` if the security conditions are not clearly established then the . question of an early return of french forces from afghanistan will . arise , ' said sarkozy . statement : today france threatened to pull out early from the nato-led war in afghanistan after a rogue afghan soldier opened fire on french soldiers , killing four and wounding about 15 others . ` it 's unacceptable that our soldiers are killed by our allies , ' sarkozy said . if the security conditions are not clearly established then the . question of an early return of french forces from afghanistan will . arise , ' said sarkozy . france has almost 4,000 troops in afghanistan as part of the 130,000-strong nato-led force there . french troops mainly patrol kapisa , an often restive province in . mountains near kabul . they are due to leave by around the end of .<doc-sep>france already pulled out its forces from the neighboring surobi district of kabul province - a less violent area than kapisa - earlier this year after then-president nicolas sarkozy said his country would pull combat troops out ahead of nato 's 2014 timetable for the u.s.-led combat operation to end . withdrawal : at its peak deployment , france had 4,000 troops in afghanistan . replacement : afghan national army soldiers will now oversee operations in kapisa . french public opinion has gradually soured on the ongoing afghanistan mission , and a string of insurgent attacks that raised the french death toll preceded a decision by both sarkozy and his successor to speed up the french withdrawal . france has lost 88 troops in afghanistan since late 2001 . those that remain : british troops taking position in helmand province . the uk has roughly 9,500 troops in afghanistan . tuesday 's move put president francois hollande , who beat sarkozy in a springtime presidential election , on track to make good on his campaign-trail promise to withdraw all french combat troops from afghanistan by the end of this year . hundreds of french troops were expected to fly out of kabul in the coming weeks .<doc-sep>london -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- afghan president hamid karzai and prime minister david cameron pledged to work toward lasting stability in afghanistan in talks saturday in the united kingdom . the pair signed a long-term agreement on the future of afghanistan , as they met at cameron 's official country residence , chequers . `` the united kingdom and afghanistan have a strong relationship and the two countries have been working together to create a strong and stable afghanistan , '' cameron said . cameron said british combat forces would remain in afghanistan well into 2014 , when nato 's international security and assistance force , or isaf , is due to hand over security to afghan forces and withdraw . britain has about 9,500 troops in afghanistan , making it the second-biggest contributor to isaf after the united states , which has about 90,000 troops there . cameron said the nato partners in afghanistan would be working together to withdraw their troops in 2014 as planned . `` i do n't want to see some cliff edge on our departure , '' he said . karzai said the british prime minister had long been a friend of afghanistan , adding : `` based on that long-term relationship , we hope to provide a fundamentally strong , democratic state and a better , more secure region . '' karzai 's u.k. visit comes a day after a british soldier was shot dead while on foot patrol in afghanistan 's helmand province and follows stops in italy and france . after meeting with karzai in paris friday , french president nicolas sarkozy announced that france would be pulling all of its combat troops out of afghanistan in 2013 , a year ahead of schedule .

<t> french and australian leaders arrive in afghanistan . </t> <t> both leaders expected to meet with afghan president hamid karzai . </t> <t> both will visit with their respective country 's troops . </t>

sarkozy , rudd visit afghanistan<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- football should be used to teach young people moral lessons , pope benedict xvi said during an audience with representatives from the italian football league and lower division clubs . pope benedict xvi is presented with a football by ancona club officials . italian football has been tarnished in recent seasons by corruption , match-fixing scandals and crowd trouble , but the pope insisted the sport celebrated positive virtues as well . `` the sport of football can be a vehicle of education for the values of honesty , solidarity and fraternity , especially for the younger generation , '' the pope said , according to italy 's gazzetta dello sport newspaper . the comments are not the first foray by the bavarian-born pope -- reputedly a bayern munich supporter -- into italian football .<doc-sep>in october , he was presented with a no. 16 shirt by officials of the lower league club ancona after the vatican endorsed its campaign to turn itself into a `` beacon of morality '' by adopting an `` innovative , ethical model of practising football , '' reuters reported . the code committed ancona to promoting fair play in a family atmosphere . the club is currently second in serie c1/b , italian football 's third tier league . `` football should increasingly become a tool for the teaching of life 's ethical and spiritual values , '' the pope said . pope benedict xvi 's predecessor , pope john paul ii , was also a keen football fan , reportedly playing in goal during his youth in poland . all italian football matches were cancelled on the weekend following his death in 2005 . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- pope benedict xvi on wednesday addressed issues ranging from the sex abuse scandal in the roman catholic church to the easy availability of pornography to the `` alarming decrease '' in catholic marriages in the united states . the pope arrives to address u.s. bishops in the basilica of the national shrine of the immaculate conception . he spoke at a prayer service with u.s. bishops at washington 's basilica of the national shrine of the immaculate conception , the largest roman catholic church in north america . benedict said the sexual abuse of children by priests has caused a `` deep shame '' and called it `` gravely immoral behavior . '' `` many of you have spoken to me of the enormous pain that your communities have suffered when clerics have betrayed ... their obligations , '' he told the bishops . responding to the situation has not been easy and was sometimes very badly handled , the pope admitted . watch the pope address the issue '' `` it is vitally important that the vulnerable are always shielded from souls who would cause harm , '' he said . the pope then turned his attention to a different concern involving kids . `` what does it mean to speak of child protection when pornography and violence can be viewed in so many homes through media widely available today ? '' he asked . benedict urged the media and entertainment industry to take part in a `` moral renewal . '' earlier wednesday , president bush , first lady laura bush and more than 13,500 spectators welcomed benedict in an elaborate ceremony on the south lawn of the white house . in remarks greeting the pope to the white house , bush called the united states `` a nation of prayer . '' bush was interrupted by applause as he said , `` in a world where some treat life as something to be debased and discarded , we need your message that all human life is sacred and that each of us is willed . '' benedict responded by praising the role of religion in the united states . `` from the dawn of the republic , america 's quest for freedom has been guided by the conviction that the principles governing political and social life are intimately linked to a moral order based on the dominion of god the creator , '' he said . watch benedict talk about his hopes for the trip '' earlier , a u.s. marine corps band performed the national anthem of the holy see as well as `` the star-spangled banner . '' a fife and drum corps in colonial costumes also played tunes , including `` yankee doodle , '' and soprano kathleen battle sang `` the lord 's prayer . ''<doc-sep>washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- pope benedict xvi on wednesday addressed issues ranging from the sex abuse scandal in the roman catholic church to the easy availability of pornography to the `` alarming decrease '' in catholic marriages in the united states . the pope arrives to address u.s. bishops in the basilica of the national shrine of the immaculate conception . he spoke at a prayer service with u.s. bishops at washington 's basilica of the national shrine of the immaculate conception , the largest roman catholic church in north america . benedict said the sexual abuse of children by priests has caused a `` deep shame '' and called it `` gravely immoral behavior . '' `` many of you have spoken to me of the enormous pain that your communities have suffered when clerics have betrayed ... their obligations , '' he told the bishops . responding to the situation has not been easy and was sometimes very badly handled , the pope admitted . watch the pope address the issue '' `` it is vitally important that the vulnerable are always shielded from souls who would cause harm , '' he said . the pope then turned his attention to a different concern involving kids . `` what does it mean to speak of child protection when pornography and violence can be viewed in so many homes through media widely available today ? '' he asked . benedict urged the media and entertainment industry to take part in a `` moral renewal . '' earlier wednesday , president bush , first lady laura bush and more than 13,500 spectators welcomed benedict in an elaborate ceremony on the south lawn of the white house . in remarks greeting the pope to the white house , bush called the united states `` a nation of prayer . '' bush was interrupted by applause as he said , `` in a world where some treat life as something to be debased and discarded , we need your message that all human life is sacred and that each of us is willed . '' benedict responded by praising the role of religion in the united states . `` from the dawn of the republic , america 's quest for freedom has been guided by the conviction that the principles governing political and social life are intimately linked to a moral order based on the dominion of god the creator , '' he said . watch benedict talk about his hopes for the trip '' earlier , a u.s. marine corps band performed the national anthem of the holy see as well as `` the star-spangled banner . '' a fife and drum corps in colonial costumes also played tunes , including `` yankee doodle , '' and soprano kathleen battle sang `` the lord 's prayer . ''<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the state of pennsylvania gave us joe montana , broadway joe namath and smokin ' joe frazier . that 's a lot of big-time joes . but added together their moral authority would total a tiny fraction of that established over a half-century by joe paterno . if i did n't know joe paterno was a real person , i would swear he was invented , a character in a sports adventure novel written for boys in the 1950s . there he 'd stand on the sidelines , hands behind his back , squinting in the sunlight , joe paterno , legendary coach at state college , the beacon of moral and physical courage , the shepherd of lost boys , pater familias in a place called happy valley . an author could not invent a better name : joe paterno . st. joe , father of a holy family of student athletes . joepa . papa joe . pater , as in latin for father . eternal paternal paterno . our father , who art in trouble , hollow be thy name . you hear it all the time : `` football is a religion in pennsylvania '' -lrb- or texas or florida -rrb- . to the penn state students rioting in the streets wednesday night , joe paterno was pope , a word that also means father . not only does pope denote the catholic bishop of rome , it now can describe , according to the american heritage dictionary , any `` person considered to have unquestioned authority . '' the sacred role of the father as protector of the family is central to many cultures , including the italian-american . this is not just a theory for me . above my desk are three photographs : one of my grandfather , peter marino , as a young political candidate in new york city ; another of the ship that carried his family from italy to ellis island ; a third , a copy of the ship 's manifest , which lists him , at the age of 4 , with his mother , father and two older sisters . they have 12 cents to their name . when in 1972 i called my grandfather -lrb- our name for him was papa ! -rrb- to announce the birth of his first great-grandchild , i could hear his tears , and then his words : `` remember , roy , the most important thing in life is family . ''<doc-sep>much has been written about his disdain for earthly comforts -- he prefers the bus to a chauffeur-driven limousine and cooked his own meals until now -- but his activism on behalf of the poor has been just as much a hallmark of his life . while he rejects `` liberation theology , '' a radical social and political ideology , he supports an aggressive policy to promote equality . and in what will be a papacy guided by conservative moral standards on most issues , his past suggests that the fight against poverty will take a primary role . he has declared that `` human rights are not violated just by terrorism , repression and assassination , but also by unjust economic structures that produce great inequality . '' living in argentina during the years of dictatorship and during times of economic upheaval that created more poverty put the new pope in a position to make moral choices . other popes before him faced the challenges of their time . opinion : pope francis - a conservative who sides with the poor . his immediate predecessor , pope benedict xvi , came of age in nazi germany and , like other people of his generation , was a member of the hitler youth and served in the german military . he tried to explain those circumstances to critics during his papacy . before him , pope john paul ii grew up under communist rule in poland , a fact that played a key role in his papacy when he helped inspire the fall of the iron curtain in eastern europe . pope francis grew up in a different place , with a different history . he lived in a country with a large catholic majority , but one where most people are not particularly devout . he will try to make catholicism relevant , particularly to the poor , and he has shown he is not likely to promote a theology that seeks to demonize or distance itself from those who practice other religions . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of frida ghitis .

<t> pope says football can teach values of `` honesty , solidarity and fraternity '' </t> <t> sport should be used as a vehicle of education for young people , he says . </t> <t> vatican has endorsed lower league club ancona 's adoption of ethical code . </t> <t> german-born pope is reputed to be a bayern munich fan . </t>

pope : football a moral guide to life<T>

islamabad , pakistan -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- pakistan 's foreign ministry wednesday rejected concerns raised by the u.n. nuclear watchdog chief that the country 's nuclear weapons `` could fall into the hands of an extremist group in pakistan or in afghanistan . '' mohamed elbaradei , the u.n. nuclear watchdog chief . fears for pakistan 's nuclear weapons . mohamed elbaradei 's comments to al-hayat newspaper were `` irresponsible '' and `` unwarranted , '' foreign ministry spokesman mohammed sadiq said at a news briefing on wednesday . `` pakistan rejects the statement by dr. elbaradei , director general iaea -lrb- international atomic energy agency -rrb- , hinting at the possibility of its nuclear weapons falling into the hands of extremists , '' according to a ministry statement . `` as head of the iaea , which is a u.n. body , he has to be careful about his statements which ought to remain within the parameters of his mandate . `` his remarks also ignore the fact that the strategic assets of pakistan are fully secure and under multilayered safeguards and controls exercised by the national command authority . '' in an interview published in al-hayat tuesday , elbaradei said that pakistan 's recent political instability makes it more sensitive to susceptible to problems in other muslim countries . `` the effects of any new war in the middle east and the islamic world could have repercussions , not only in iran , but what i fear most is the effect in pakistan , a nation with many internal problems , '' elbaradei said . `` i fear a system of chaos or extremist regime in this state , which has 30 or 40 nuclear weapons . '' pakistan has been in a state of political upheaval since the country 's opposition challenged president pervez musharraf 's tight grip on power , pushing him to step down as military chief and lift the emergency rule he had imposed in early november . the country further spiraled into chaos after the december 27 assassination of leading opposition figure and former pakistani prime minister benazir bhutto . in response to the iaea director-general 's comments , pakistan 's foreign ministry stressed in its statement that elbaradei , `` on several occasions , has been briefed about the structure and control mechanisms put in place to ensure complete safety of our nuclear assets . '' `` pakistan is a responsible nuclear weapon state . our nuclear weapons are as secure as that of any other nuclear weapon state . we , therefore , believe statements expressing concern about their safety and security are unwarranted and irresponsible . `` pakistan attaches great importance to iaea and has extended cooperation and assistance to the agency on many important issues towards the fulfillment of its mandate . our civilian nuclear program is under iaea safeguards and we have always fully complied with iaea obligations , '' the ministry said . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>a new interactive map lets users nuke any location in the world with a nuclear bomb of their choosing . the nukemap 3d uses google earth images to simulate the nuclear attack and bases the animations on how mushroom clouds have behaved using information from various nuclear tests since the 1940s . users can select a location , choose their weapon and their viewing location , and see the bomb drop and the cloud develop . the altitude of the cloud , how far it spreads and the number of casualties is also shown . click the map below to nuke a city . the nukemap 3d uses google earth . images to simulate the nuclear attack and bases the animations on how . mushroom clouds have behaved during various tests since the 1940s . users can select a location , choose . their weapon and their viewing location , and see the bomb drop and the . cloud develop real-time .<doc-sep>a giant explosion which rocked the ukrainian city of donetsk sparked fears of a ` tactical nuke ' after pro-government forces shelled a rebel-held chemical plant . mobile phone footage captured the moment of the explosion , which turned the night 's sky orange and was so powerful it could be heard as far away as downtown donetsk , almost four miles away . the blast came as diplomats predicted that russia could target other baltic states , if they are allowed to hold on to eastern ukraine . mobile phone footage captured the moment a huge explosion rocked the ukrainian city of donetsk speaking fears of a nuclear weapon attack . the blast caused the night 's sky to light up orange and was so powerful it could be heard as far away as downtown donetsk . last night , locals posting on social media speculated it could have been caused by a nuclear weapon due to the ferocity of the shelling and the impact on the chemical plant . it also temporarily caused a mushroom cloud to hang over the city with the bombing shattering windows and shaking building foundations . however , pro-russian rebels said that the huge explosion was caused by ukrainian artillery shell hitting the chemical plant , which lies in the middle of the ukrainian industrial heartland in donetsk . it has long been feared that shelling would hit industrial units causing a huge explosion such as this . luckily , no damage or injuries were caused in the blast but the conflict between russia-backed separatists and government forces has now killed more than 5,300 people and displaced more than a million . pro-russian rebels said that the huge explosion was caused by ukrainian artillery shell hitting the chemical plant , which lies in the middle of the ukrainian industrial heartland in donetsk . fighting between pro-russian rebels and pro-government forces loyal to kiev has intensified in ukraine 's south east region since the new year , even though the two sides agreed a truce in september .<doc-sep>the landscape is different . for example , the prickly relationship between pakistan and india has a nuclear component . north korea now poses a huge nuclear question mark . one of the biggest fears for many world leaders involves terrorists getting their hands on a nuclear weapon . what has n't changed much is the horrifying damage these things leave behind after the mushroom cloud blows away . `` only nuclear weapons produce radioactive fallout that can cause cancers , birth defects , and genetic damage for decades after they are used , '' according to the international physicians for the prevention of nuclear war . with the cold war in our rearview mirror , `` it 's very unlikely we would get into a shooting war with russia , '' kristensen says . `` politically we 're moving away from that situation . but militarily the two countries are still holding on to these arsenals because they can see what the other country has . predominantly the u.s. and the russians have high numbers of weapons because we have high numbers of weapons . so there 's a sort of self-fulfilling prophesy in that . it drives itself . '' so , why put nuclear cruise missiles on the b-2 bomber ? experts say the b-2 's radar-evading stealth design would more effectively penetrate hostile airspace than the larger , slower , less agile b-52 . the b-52 has been toting nukes since the dawn of the cold war . by the time it 's scheduled to retire in 2040 , its career will have stretched an incredible 80 years . experts fear that b-52s can more easily be brought down by surface-to-air missiles . `` you do n't want to fly b-52s over anything but tribal militias these days , '' christopher ford of the hudson institute told global security news wire . `` that 's a good way to lose b-52s . '' whatever the case , america is moving forward with a new generation of nuclear weapons . the current mainstay of america 's nuclear cruise missiles -- the agm-86b -- is getting old . it was deployed in the 1980s . the u.s. says it has about 1,100 of these atomic hammers . they measure about 20 feet long , weigh 3,100 pounds and boast a range of more than 1,500 miles . and they can blow through the sky at a speed of 550 mph . in 2007 , the u.s. retired a stealthy advanced cruise missile , as part of a u.s.-russian weapons reduction agreement , according to the federation of american scientists . now , the air force is developing another stealthy nuke cruiser , which it recently described in its 2014 proposed budget as `` capable of surviving and penetrating advanced '' air defense . by the mid-2020s , if all goes according to the air force plan , new generation nuclear cruise missiles will be deployed aboard a new u.s. aircraft that -- for now -- is generically referred to as the long range strike bomber . big changes are in the works on many levels across the nuclear weapons landscape . regardless of your point of view , it 's in everyone 's interest to pay attention .<doc-sep>what samsung dropped on those older apple products is the patent equivalent of a nuclear bomb , and a u.s. government agency with court-like powers said : `` yes , samsung , you 're in your right to use this lethal weapon , and we do n't care that apple claims it 's been universally outlawed . '' next time someone -- not necessarily samsung , which could even find itself on the receiving end -- will use patents of this kind , called standard-essential patents , to nuke products that jobs depend on and that customers will sorely miss . and next time could be a matter of months because various other itc cases over standard-essential patents are pending and will come to judgment soon . that 's the real concern . not the iphone 4 . why are standard-essential patents the equivalent of a nuclear weapon ? because there are industry standards that establish the use of certain techniques . unless your phone and mine use the same standard , we ca n't give each other a call or send each other a photo because the devices we use wo n't understand each other . this is called interoperability -- working together . when companies get together and define a standard , they have to promise to use these patents only as parking meters , not as guns .

<t> pakistan rejects fears its nuclear weapons could fall into the hands of extremists . </t> <t> mohamed elbaradei , u.n. nuclear watchdog chief , voiced his worries tuesday . </t> <t> elbaradei : i fear chaos in this state , which has 30 or 40 nuclear weapons . </t> <t> pakistan : our nuclear weapons as secure as those held by other nuclear states . </t>

pakistan rejects nuke weapon fears<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- tom cruise expounds on his beliefs in scientology in a 2004 video that made its way onto the internet this week . tom cruise appears with his wife , katie holmes , at a movie premiere earlier this month . `` i think it 's a privilege to call yourself a scientologist , and it 's something you have to earn , '' cruise says at the beginning of the video . cruise says he 's `` driven ... by the opportunity to really help , for the first time , change people 's lives . i 'm absolutely , uncompromisingly dedicated to that . '' the video was shown at a 2004 scientology ceremony honoring cruise for his humanitarian work . church of scientology officials said it can be viewed at any of its churches , but it created a stir this week when what the church calls a pirated and edited version appeared on youtube . the video has since been taken off youtube , but an interview portion remained available on the celebrity web site gawker.com on thursday . watch snippets of cruise video ''<doc-sep>`` the cruise indoctrination video scientology tried to suppress '' is the title of gawker.com 's presentation . `` you have to watch this video , '' the site says . `` it shows tom cruise , with all the wide-eyed fervor that he brings to the promotion of a movie , making the argument for scientology , '' which it calls `` the bizarre 20th-century religion . watch `` showbiz tonight '' discussion of cruise video '' cruise talks over a repetitive guitar-riff soundtrack , and appears to be answering questions , though an interviewer is not seen or heard . a second part of the video , made available to cnn by the publisher of a new unauthorized biography of cruise , shows cruise accepting scientology 's freedom medal of valor award and exchanging military-like salutes with scientology chairman david miscavige to audience applause . the publisher denies leaking other parts of the video to the web . in the video by the publisher , cruise also salutes a portrait of l. ron hubbard , cited on the church 's web site as the founder of `` the only major religion founded in the 20th century . '' hubbard 's biography cites his accomplishments as everything from mariner and horticulturalist to author and humanitarian .<doc-sep>in the video , cruise puts emphasis on the latter role . a scientologist `` has the ability to create new realities and improve conditions , '' cruise says . on its web site , the church of scientology highlights its humanitarian work , from anti-drug campaigns in places from minnesota to taiwan to teacher training in india . the web site defines scientology as `` the study of truth . '' cruise embraces that in the video . `` if you 're a scientologist , ... you see things the way they are , '' cruise says . he also says he finds peace in the religion .<doc-sep>`` the more you know as a scientologist , you do n't become overwhelmed by it , '' according to cruise . the unauthorized biography of cruise is by author andrew morton . a cruise spokesperson and the church of scientology have disputed the book , saying morton did not seek their comment . `` accuracy and truth were not on morton 's agenda , '' according to a church statement . morton denies that and says cruise , who he calls `` a towering figure on the international scene , '' and his faith are worthy of scrutiny . `` tom cruise has done remarkable work for his faith over the past few years , '' morton said . `` if it was n't for him the church of scientology would be a shadow of what it is today . '' e-mail to a friend . cnn 's brad lendon , david mattingly and don lemon contributed to this report .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- tom cruise expounds on his beliefs in scientology in a 2004 video that made its way onto the internet this week . tom cruise appears with his wife , katie holmes , at a movie premiere earlier this month . `` i think it 's a privilege to call yourself a scientologist , and it 's something you have to earn , '' cruise says at the beginning of the video . cruise says he 's `` driven ... by the opportunity to really help , for the first time , change people 's lives . i 'm absolutely , uncompromisingly dedicated to that . '' the video was shown at a 2004 scientology ceremony honoring cruise for his humanitarian work . church of scientology officials said it can be viewed at any of its churches , but it created a stir this week when what the church calls a pirated and edited version appeared on youtube . the video has since been taken off youtube , but an interview portion remained available on the celebrity web site gawker.com on thursday . watch snippets of cruise video '' `` the cruise indoctrination video scientology tried to suppress '' is the title of gawker.com 's presentation . `` you have to watch this video , '' the site says . `` it shows tom cruise , with all the wide-eyed fervor that he brings to the promotion of a movie , making the argument for scientology , '' which it calls `` the bizarre 20th-century religion . watch `` showbiz tonight '' discussion of cruise video '' cruise talks over a repetitive guitar-riff soundtrack , and appears to be answering questions , though an interviewer is not seen or heard . a second part of the video , made available to cnn by the publisher of a new unauthorized biography of cruise , shows cruise accepting scientology 's freedom medal of valor award and exchanging military-like salutes with scientology chairman david miscavige to audience applause . the publisher denies leaking other parts of the video to the web . in the video by the publisher , cruise also salutes a portrait of l. ron hubbard , cited on the church 's web site as the founder of `` the only major religion founded in the 20th century . '' hubbard 's biography cites his accomplishments as everything from mariner and horticulturalist to author and humanitarian .<doc-sep>a former scientology chief has sensationally claimed the church brainwashed tom cruise 's children and turned them against the star 's ex-wife nicole kidman . marty rathbun , who worked at the secretive church for 27 years before leaving in 2004 , said he believed officials used scientology doctrine to turn the oscar winner 's adopted children against her after she divorced cruise in 2001 . his comments could shed more light on scientology - and just why katie holmes was so keen to win sole custody of her young daughter as she filed for divorce from cruise recently . claims : a former scientology chief said the church brainwashed tom cruise 's adopted children isabella and connor -lrb- right -rrb- to turn them against his ex-wife nicole kidman -lrb- pictured left -rrb- . mr rathbun claimed that he had counselled a list star cruise , 50 , in countless sessions that the church refers to as ` auditing ' at the scientology celebrity center in california . mission impossible star cruise has two children that he adopted with miss kidman , daughter isabella , now 19 , and son connor , now 17 . and when the children were with the father they were left in the grip of scientology staff , according to mr rathbun . insider : marty rathbun worked at the secretive church for 27 years before leaving in 2004 . mr rathbun told nbc 's rock center with brian williams : ` ... they were being indoctrinated , and they were reporting to tom on how that was going in my presence . he claimed that church officials told isabella , then nine , and connor , then six , that their mother was a ` suppressive person ' , which the church 's website , , defines as ` a person who seeks to suppress other people in their vicinity . ' he said : ` it was more than implied ... -lsb- kidman -rsb- was somebody that they should n't open up with , they should n't communicate with , and they should n't spend much time with , ' the scientology website reads : ` a suppressive person will goof up or vilify any effort to help anybody and particularly knife with violence anything calculated to make human beings more powerful or more intelligent .<doc-sep>before going clear 's first screening , hbo hired 160 lawyers to look through the film . it is expected to air on the channel march 16 . the church also took out an advert in the new york times claiming the film was a a rolling stone/uva redux , even though they had not seen it . despite the furor surrounding the production , gibney hopes it will lead to more investigations and reports into scientology . he told variety magazine : ` we hope that this film and larry 's book will start the process where more media will say well we do n't care anymore . we 're going to pursue this no matter what . according to the credits at the end of the film , cruise and kidman refused to be interviewed . the pair divorced in 2001 and following the split , cruise became more active in the church of scientology , receiving the church 's freedom medal of valor in 2004 . friends : cruise , left , embraces david miscavige , the scienology church 's president of the rulling council during the official opening of a new scientology church in central madrid in 2004 .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a representative for scientologist tom cruise on tuesday derided an article that contends the church of scientology embarked on a secret project to find the actor a girlfriend following his 2001 divorce from actress nicole kidman . `` vanity fair 's story is essentially a rehash of tired old lies previously run in the supermarket tabloids , quoting the same bogus ` sources , ' '' said bert fields , cruise 's attorney . `` it 's long , boring and false . '' the church also weighed in , describing the october issue article by special correspondent maureen orth as `` hogwash . '' ex-scientologist : cruise was top church recruit . vanity fair magazine , which provided a preview of the article on its website , said shelly miscavige , wife of scientology leader david miscavige , headed an `` auditioning '' process in 2004 . actresses who were scientologists were called in for other reasons and asked , `` what do you think of tom cruise ? '' the article says . actress nazanin boniadi was eventually selected and dated cruise for a few months , according to the article . boniadi met cruise in november 2004 and sensed the possibility of an arranged marriage , according to vanity fair . the relationship ended in january 2005 , according to the article .

<t> scientology membership a privilege that 's earned , cruise says . </t> <t> 2004 video part of ceremony honoring cruise for humanitarian work . </t> <t> scientology defined as `` study of the truth '' </t>

cruise extols scientology in 2004 video<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the orgy of violence that has greeted kenya 's disputed election result has led to hundreds of deaths and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes . but away from the tragic human cost , the unrest has also provoked concerns about the stability of the east african country 's economy , until now seen as a model for the region . businesses have been destroyed and looted and supply routes disrupted after the opposition accused incumbent president mwai kibaki of election fraud after he was declared winner sunday . investors are watching events closely in the country , fearful of how it could affect one of africa 's few economic success stories . and the early signs have been worrying . the equity market on the nairobi stock exchange lost 40 billion kenyan shillings -lrb- $ 591 million -rrb- in value on its first day of new year trading wednesday , the kenyan financial newspaper business daily africa reported . and business leaders said that the government was losing around 2 billion shillings -lrb- $ 29.5 million -rrb- a day in lost revenue as a result of the political violence , the paper reported . `` we do seem to be in a new place , there 's a lot of uncertainty about where we go from here . and a lot depends crucially on how long-lasting this is , '' said razia kahn , an analyst specializing in africa at standard chartered bank . kenya has attracted a large number of multi-nationals and is home to one of the world 's fastest growing stock exchanges . its relative economic success has been helped in part by its thriving tourist sector , with visitors attracted by its abundant wildlife and pristine beaches .provisional figures for 2006 from the kenya 's tourist board said the country had received 1.5 million visitors for the year , a growth of 5.2 per cent . however , fears that the tourist industry could take a heavy hit from the unrest grew with the british federation of tour operators announcing thursday it was suspending all holidays to the country departing up to and including this saturday . watch an aid worker describe fears that crisis may resemble rwanda 's '' british tourists already in the country have been advised by the british foreign office to stay indoors and to stay away from the major cities . there are also worries about the knock-on effect for the region , since around 40 percent of kenya 's exports go to other african nations , kahn said . of even greater concern is the effect on kenya 's lucrative agriculture industry . exports of tea , coffee , vegetables and flowers are big earners for the country , with agriculture making up about a fifth of the total economy . there have been media reports of tea and coffee auctions being halted by the violence as well as widespread disruption to transport routes as rioters blockade major roads across the country . arun shah , who runs a coffee import business based in london , told cnn his livelihood depended on a stable kenya . `` we have had absolutely reliable supply , '' he said . `` we have had reliable quality and the quantities that we need for our trade . '' e-mail to a friend . cnn 's jim boulden in london contributed to this report .<doc-sep>those clashes ended with the formation of a power-sharing government with kibaki as president and odinga as prime minister . kenya 's election carries significance far beyond its borders . as the largest economy in east africa , it is a crucial trade route into the rest of the continent and provides an important buffer of stability in a region that includes the fledgling somali government and the politically tense sudan and south sudan . kenya is also a major u.s. ally in the war against islamist militants in the region and has remained relatively peaceful amid civil wars in neighboring nations .<doc-sep>provisional figures for 2006 from the kenya 's tourist board said the country had received 1.5 million visitors for the year , a growth of 5.2 per cent . however , fears that the tourist industry could take a heavy hit from the unrest grew with the british federation of tour operators announcing thursday it was suspending all holidays to the country departing up to and including this saturday . watch an aid worker describe fears that crisis may resemble rwanda 's '' british tourists already in the country have been advised by the british foreign office to stay indoors and to stay away from the major cities . there are also worries about the knock-on effect for the region , since around 40 percent of kenya 's exports go to other african nations , kahn said . of even greater concern is the effect on kenya 's lucrative agriculture industry . exports of tea , coffee , vegetables and flowers are big earners for the country , with agriculture making up about a fifth of the total economy . there have been media reports of tea and coffee auctions being halted by the violence as well as widespread disruption to transport routes as rioters blockade major roads across the country . arun shah , who runs a coffee import business based in london , told cnn his livelihood depended on a stable kenya . `` we have had absolutely reliable supply , '' he said . `` we have had reliable quality and the quantities that we need for our trade . '' e-mail to a friend . cnn 's jim boulden in london contributed to this report .<doc-sep>but the upholding of kenyatta 's victory raises the prospect of complicated diplomatic ties with the west . the international criminal court has indicted him for allegedly funding a local militia that conducted reprisal attacks in the last election in 2007 . his running mate , william ruto , also faces icc charges at the hague , in the netherlands . both have denied the charges and have said they will cooperate with the court to clear their names . clashes kill 2 in western kenya after election verdict . beyond borders . kenya is east africa 's biggest economy and a crucial trade route into the rest of the continent . it provides an important buffer of stability in a region that includes the fledgling somali government and the politically tense sudan and south sudan . kenya is also a major u.s. ally in the war against islamist militants in the region and has remained relatively peaceful amid civil wars in neighboring nations .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the orgy of violence that has greeted kenya 's disputed election result has led to hundreds of deaths and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes . but away from the tragic human cost , the unrest has also provoked concerns about the stability of the east african country 's economy , until now seen as a model for the region . businesses have been destroyed and looted and supply routes disrupted after the opposition accused incumbent president mwai kibaki of election fraud after he was declared winner sunday . investors are watching events closely in the country , fearful of how it could affect one of africa 's few economic success stories . and the early signs have been worrying . the equity market on the nairobi stock exchange lost 40 billion kenyan shillings -lrb- $ 591 million -rrb- in value on its first day of new year trading wednesday , the kenyan financial newspaper business daily africa reported . and business leaders said that the government was losing around 2 billion shillings -lrb- $ 29.5 million -rrb- a day in lost revenue as a result of the political violence , the paper reported . `` we do seem to be in a new place , there 's a lot of uncertainty about where we go from here . and a lot depends crucially on how long-lasting this is , '' said razia kahn , an analyst specializing in africa at standard chartered bank . kenya has attracted a large number of multi-nationals and is home to one of the world 's fastest growing stock exchanges . its relative economic success has been helped in part by its thriving tourist sector , with visitors attracted by its abundant wildlife and pristine beaches .

<t> kenya 's once-stable economy faltering due to violence following disputed election . </t> <t> equity market on nairobi stock exchange lost $ 591 million on first day of 2008 . </t> <t> business leaders say the government losing $ 29.5 million a day in revenues . </t> <t> thriving tourist industry also hit , with british tour operators calling off flights . </t>

civil unrest damaging kenya 's economy<T>

japanese actress rinko kikuchi walks anjali rao through the streets of tokyo .<doc-sep>she stunned global cinema audiences with her controversial and oscar-nominated performance as a lonely deaf girl in the film `` babel . '' rinko kikuchi is one of japan 's hottest young actresses and models , recently working with karl lagerfeld as the new face of channel . despite her success , she remains an unconventional figure in japan , at odds with the traditional demure image of the japanese woman and forging a career on her own terms . talk asia follows her on a modelling assignment , discusses how her life has changed since `` babel '' and revisits the unique location of one of the film 's most important scenes . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>japanese actress rinko kikuchi walks anjali rao through the streets of tokyo . she stunned global cinema audiences with her controversial and oscar-nominated performance as a lonely deaf girl in the film `` babel . '' rinko kikuchi is one of japan 's hottest young actresses and models , recently working with karl lagerfeld as the new face of channel . despite her success , she remains an unconventional figure in japan , at odds with the traditional demure image of the japanese woman and forging a career on her own terms . talk asia follows her on a modelling assignment , discusses how her life has changed since `` babel '' and revisits the unique location of one of the film 's most important scenes . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>tran -lrb- who also wrote the screenplay -rrb- follows murakami 's slender plotline with respect bordering on devotion , but fails to find a correlative to the complex , overlapping perspectives that allow the novel to live in both the present and the past -- to enter into the mindset of adolescent angst , and to contemplate it from afar . instead the film flails between too many lengthy , numb exchanges and a handful of spectacular but histrionic set pieces . toru watanabe -lrb- ken ` ichi matsuyama -rrb- is a freshman at tokyo university in the late 1960s . he 's largely impervious to the political upheaval going on around him , still struggling to come to terms with the sudden suicide of his best friend , kizuki , on his 17th birthday . in their grief , watanabe and kizuki 's girlfriend , naoko -lrb- rinko kikuchi of `` babel '' -rrb- , spend many hours consoling each other , and on her 20th birthday they finally sleep together . the next day , naoko quits school and retires to a sanatorium , leaving the confused watanabe to muddle his way through classes . while he and naoko correspond in long , intimate letters , watanabe takes up with another girl -lrb- or should i say , she takes up with him ? -rrb- . midori -lrb- kiko mizuhara -rrb- is as self-confident and assertive as naoko is vulnerable and timid . watanabe , meanwhile , is a distinctly passive and bewildered protagonist , unsure of what he wants or what his obligations might be to the broken , suicidal naoko .<doc-sep>by . daily mail reporter . published : . 11:01 est , 3 june 2012 . | . updated : . 12:30 est , 4 june 2012 . police in japan have arrested a woman over the 1995 nerve gas attack on tokyo 's subway that killed 13 people , leaving only one cultist still wanted for one of the nation 's worst ever mass-murders . police said naoko kikuchi was being held on suspicion of murder after being arrested late sunday in the city of sagamihara , west of tokyo , with local media reporting that officers swooped after a tip off . kikuchi , 40 , was one of only two remaining members of the aum supreme truth doomsday cult still at large , and was wanted for being part of the team responsible for producing the sarin nerve gas used in the subway attack . arrest : naoko kikuchi , a former member of japan 's aum supreme truth doomsday cult responsible for the 1995 nerve gas attack on the tokyo subway is driven away by police following her arrest in the city of sagamihara west of tokyo . ` it is true that i was involved in producing sarin gas , but i did not know what we were making at that time , ' she was quoted as telling police . kikuchi 's arrest leaves only katsuya takahashi , 54 , still on the wanted list . in the 17 years since the deadly attack , which injured thousands and caused havoc throughout tokyo , kikuchi had lived under an assumed identity , telling neighbours she worked as an accountant for a nursing care company , reports said . as she was : naoko kikuchi is seen in the police picture released 17 years ago . kikuchi was quoted by jiji news agency as telling police : ' i have lived as chizuko sakurai , but i 'm relieved that i do n't have to run away anymore . ' the agency said she also told police she no longer believes in the teachings of aum guru shoko asahara , adding : ' i will tell you everything . i am sorry for running away for a long time . ' police said she had been living with a 41-year-old man , who was not an aum member and who stayed with her even after she revealed her true identity . local media reported the proposed to kikuchi soon after the pair met in around 2005 .<doc-sep>ew : martin freeman says farewell to bilbo baggins . silly dialogue is not the most serious problem with del toro 's rock - 'em - sock - 'em monster mash . we 've come to expect a few groaners from our action spectaculars . but do the clichés need to be piled quite so high ? raleigh is a loner who must learn to trust his new partner -lrb- babel 's rinko kikuchi -rrb- and heed the lessons of his stern commander -lrb- idris elba -rrb- . few of the actors leave much of an impression . and the ones who do -lrb- charlie day and burn gorman as a shrill pair of wacky scientists -rrb- are grating . let 's be clear , though : the main reason anyone wants to see a movie like pacific rim is to watch robots smack the snot out of monsters and vice versa . and that 's where del toro hits the biggest snag . the problem is a matter of scale . pan 's labyrinth cast such a spell partly due to the freaky details of a character like the pale man . the giant eye in the palm of his hand was designed with such jeweler 's precision that it was seared into your dreams -lrb- and nightmares -rrb- after you walked out of the theater . here , del toro 's monsters are so big , and shot in such unrelenting rainy darkness , that the audience never gets a chance to dissect and fetishize their monstrous anatomies and be swept away by their weirdness . and if you ca n't be transported by a humongous calamari leviathan with suction-cup limbs projectile-vomiting bioluminescent goo , that 's an issue . i do n't know if del toro felt overwhelmed by the pressure of making a megabudget 3-d tentpole for the first time , but there is n't enough of his bewitching poetic touch in the film . in a sense , pacific rim winds up being not enough of a guillermo del toro movie . it 's more like a mash-up of real steel and the transformers pictures . which is a shame , because the idea is undeniably cool . but i 'd be surprised if a kid in mexico or anywhere else walked out of pacific rim with a burning desire to direct a tribute to it when he or she grows up . grade : b - .

<t> rinko kikuchi was oscar-nominated for her performance in the film `` babel '' </t> <t> she has recently worked with karl lagerfeld as the new face of channel . </t> <t> she challenges the traditional demure image of the japanese woman . </t>

interview with rinko kikuchi<T>

bangkok , thailand -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the wife of ousted prime minister thaksin shinawatra arrived in thailand tuesday morning to face corruption charges , promising to fight the accusations , her attorney said . pojamarn shinawatra with her husband thaksin shinawatra . according to pichit chuenban , pojamarn shinawatra was presented with an arrest warrant shortly after arriving at bangkok 's suvarnabhumi international airport and was escorted by authorities to the supreme court . `` she intends to fight all charges through judicial system , '' pichit said . greeted by about 50 well-wishers , pojamarn arrived at court accompanied by her three children . she faces charges stemming from a bangkok land deal and a stock concealment plan that could put her in jail for up to eight years , according to the thai news agency . the court released her on 5 million baht -lrb- about $ 168,000 -rrb- bail and ordered her not to leave the country . on monday , thaksin 's attorney noppadon pattama said the former prime minister would return from exile in mid-april to answer to the same charges his wife faces . he was deposed by a military junta in sept. 2006 and fled to london . he plans to return after thailand 's new government is in place . in december 's parliamentary elections , supporters of thaksin , the people power party , won nearly half the seats in the lower house and will lead the ruling coalition . ppp leader samak sundaravej said a new parliament controlled by his party would pass an amnesty law to allow thaksin 's return and amend the constitution to let thaksin get back into politics . thaksin said he would not re-enter politics when he returned to thailand . he said that he and his family had `` suffered enough '' but that he wanted to face the charges against him and prove his innocence . thaksin is a 58-year-old telecommunications tycoon who owns the english premier league manchester city football club . thaksin 's party won two landslide victories before he was deposed . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>bangkok and six other provinces remain under emergency rule , which the government imposed in april . the decree allows authorities to detain suspects without formal charges up to three months . the red shirts support thaksin , who was ousted in a bloodless military coup in 2006 while he was attending a u.n. assembly . his supporters protested for weeks , demanding that prime minister abhisit vejjajiva dissolve parliament and call new elections . thaksin briefly returned to thailand to fight a corruption charge , but fled again in 2008 . he left before thailand 's supreme court convicted him of abusing his power and purchasing land owned by his wife .<doc-sep>ambitious goal . protest leaders have said they want to rid thailand of the influence of former prime minister thaksin shinawatra , the older brother of yingluck . that 's an ambitious goal in a country where every election since 2001 has been won by parties affiliated with thaksin , a billionaire who built his political success on populist policies that appealed to thailand 's rural heartland . thaksin was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and has spent most of the time since then in exile overseas . if he returns , he risks a two-year prison sentence on a corruption conviction , which he says was politically motivated . the recent protests in bangkok were prompted by a botched attempt by yingluck 's government to pass an amnesty bill that would have opened the door for her brother 's return . that move added fuel for critics who accuse her of being nothing more than her brother 's puppet , an allegation she has repeatedly denied . opposition to thaksin and yingluck is strongest among the urban elites and middle class , particularly in bangkok . thaksin 's traditional support comes from the populous rural areas of north and northeast thailand . his supporters , known as `` red shirts , '' plan to hold demonstrations in various places in thailand , but not the capital or south of the country , on sunday . they support the holding of elections on february 2 .<doc-sep>protest leaders have said they want to rid thailand of the influence of former prime minister thaksin shinawatra , the older brother of yingluck . that 's an ambitious goal in a country where parties affiliated with thaksin , who built his political success on populist policies that appealed to thailand 's rural heartland , have won every election since 2001 . thaksin was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and has spent most of the time since then in exile overseas . if he returns , he risks a two-year prison sentence on a corruption conviction , which he says was politically motivated . the current protests in bangkok were prompted by a botched attempt by yingluck 's government to pass an amnesty bill that would have opened the door for her brother 's return . that move added fuel for critics who accuse yingluck of being nothing more than thaksin 's puppet , an allegation she has repeatedly denied . revered king asks for unity in birthday speech .<doc-sep>protest leaders have said they want to rid thailand of the influence of former prime minister thaksin shinawatra , the older brother of yingluck . thaksin was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and has spent most of the time since then in exile overseas . if he returns , he risks a two-year prison sentence on a corruption conviction , which he says was politically motivated . they say yingluck is merely a puppet of thaksin , a divisive figure who built his support on populist policies that pleased residents of the north and northeast . yingluck has repeatedly denied her brother calls the shots in the government . the protest movement in bangkok began as an angry response to a botched attempt by yingluck 's government to pass an amnesty bill that would have opened the door for thaksin 's return . thailand 's worst bout of civil unrest took place in 2010 , when the government -- run at the time by the democrat party -- ordered a crackdown on red shirt protesters , leaving about 90 people dead . cnn 's kocha olarn reported from bangkok , and jethro mullen reported and wrote from hong kong . cnn 's marie-louise gumuchian contributed to this report .

<t> thaksin shinawatra 's wife handed arrest warrant after she returns to thailand . </t> <t> pojamarn shinawatra faces corruption charges that could imprison her for 20 years . </t> <t> the case involves pojamarn 's 2003 purchase of some prime bangkok real estate . </t>

thaksin 's wife returns to thailand to face graft charges<T>

baghdad , iraq -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- coalition forces found 26 bodies buried in mass graves and a bloodstained `` torture complex , '' with chains hanging from walls and ceilings and a bed connected to an electrical system , the military said wednesday . twenty-six bodies were found in mass graves near a `` torture complex '' discovered by coalition forces . the troops made the discovery while conducting an operation north of muqdadiya , iraq . from december 8 to 11 , the troops who found the complex also killed 24 people they said were terrorists and detained 37 suspects , according to a statement issued by multinational division north at camp speicher in tikrit . the moves were part of an operation called iron reaper that has been in progress across northern iraq for the past few weeks . the complex was in an area thought to be an al qaeda in iraq haven and operating base , the military said . iraqis had told the military about the site during an earlier operation . `` evidence of murder , torture and intimidation against local villagers was found throughout the area , '' the military statement said . ground forces first found what appeared to be a detention facility , which was one of three connected to the torture complex , multinational division north said .<doc-sep>one of the facilities appeared to have been a headquarters building and a torture facility , it added . as the area was cleared , the bodies were found . eventually , 26 bodies were uncovered in mass graves next to what were thought to be execution sites , the military said . the bodies are believed to have been dead between six and eight months , according to a gruesome military video shot at the scene . some had their hands tied behind their backs . identification is proving to be a challenge because of advanced decomposition . photos given to the news media show a filthy bed wired to an electrical system , with an outlet hanging from wires on the wall . in the video , troops point out rubber hoses and boxing gloves , a ski mask and a blood-covered sword and knives . other still photos show an entrance to the underground bunker and barbed wire stretched outside it . a short distance away from the complex , troops found a bullet-riddled iraqi police vehicle . some of the bodies may belong to iraqi police , according to the military video . the operation netted nine weapons caches , which have been destroyed , the military said . they included anti-aircraft weapons , sniper rifles , more than 65 machine guns and pistols , 50 grenades and a surface-to-air missile launcher and platform , the statement said . also found were mines , pipe bombs , rocket-propelled grenades , mortar tubes and rounds and 130 pounds of homemade explosives . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- eight mass graves were uncovered in northeastern mexico wednesday , holding at least 59 bodies , the tamaulipas state attorney general 's office said . authorities found the graves during an investigation into a report of the kidnapping of passengers from a bus in late march . the investigation led them to the town of san fernando , the same place where in august of last year the bodies of 72 immigrants were found at a ranch . this time , authorities arrested 11 suspects and rescued five hostages , the state attorney general 's office said . they also discovered the eight mass graves . there were 11 bodies found in the first six graves , 43 bodies in the seventh , and five in the eighth , the agency said .<doc-sep>armed drones . mass graves . kirkuk 's effective annexation . the iraq crisis escalated friday . a u.s. official confirmed to cnn that armed american drones started flying over baghdad in the previous 24 hours to provide additional protection for 180 u.s. military advisers in the area . until now , u.s. officials had said all drone reconnaissance flights over iraq were unarmed . using the drones for any offensive strikes against insurgent islamic state in iraq and syria fighters would continue to require approval from u.s. president barack obama . also on friday , kurdish leader masoud barzani said disputed areas in northern iraq , including the oil-rich city of kirkuk , are part of the kurdish autonomous region from now on after the iraqi central government failed to hold a long-awaited referendum . earlier this month , the iraqi army withdrew from kirkuk and kurdish peshmerga forces took control of the city and small villages in the areas as isis carried out a lightning offensive and took several cities in northern iraq . barzani : ` we have waited for more than 10 years ' the move could complicate efforts by the united states and its allies to get iraqi leaders to form a new government representing all three major population groups -- sunnis , shias and kurds . barzani , the president of the kurdistan region , cited the failure by the iraqi government to hold a constitutionally mandated referendum on the status of kirkuk and nearby villages . `` we have waited for more than 10 years for the iraqi federal government to address and solve the issue of these areas covered by article 140 , but it was of no avail , '' barzani said at a joint appearance with british foreign secretary william hague . according to article 140 of the 2005 iraqi constitution , which was drawn up two years after the ouster of iraqi leader saddam hussein , a referendum would determine the final status of several disputed areas such as kirkuk and small villages in nineveh , diyala and salaheddin claimed by the central government and the kurdistan regional government . however , the vote never took place because of instability in most of the disputed areas . maps : how to understand the iraq crisis . the news came on the same day that human rights watch said two mass graves believed to contain the bodies of iraqi soldiers , police and civilians killed by the sunni isis fighters and their militant allies have been discovered in hussein 's hometown of tikrit . claims of atrocities by both sides have increased as the conflict widens in iraq .<doc-sep>mexico has sent severely burnt fragments of teeth and bone to austria for dna analysis as it attempts to identify human remains suspected to belong to the 43 missing students . the human remains , found in guerrero , mexico , are so badly burned they turn to dust when touched and must be examined using highly specialized technology not available in mexico . it comes as mexico attorney general jesus murillo has described the ruthlessly efficient body disposal method used by the gang which left the remains so difficult to identify . scroll down for video . mexican federal police officers are continuing searches for the missing students while authorities work to identify remains already discovered . several mass graves have been discovered during the search -lrb- pictured -rrb- for the missing 43 students , who were killed by a drug gang after being handed over by corrupt police and government officials . a police helicopter flies overhead in the search for more mass graves created by local drug gangs . an armed federal police officer stands guard at the site of mass graves found in rural mexico . murillo , who is leading the investigation into the missing students , said : ` forensic teams have recommended that studies be conducted in the most highly specialized laboratories in the world , ' bloomberg reported .<doc-sep>wednesday 's gruesome discovery came about a month after authorities in the neighboring state of nuevo leon discovered 51 bodies in nine mass graves . in that instance , investigators found charred remains , incinerated bone fragments and stains of fire on the ground where bodies were presumably burned in steel drums , the state-run notimex news agency said . similar mass graves have been discovered in the mexican states of guerrero and quintana roo since late may . authorities have linked them to mexico 's ongoing drug war . nuevo leon and tamaulipas , which border texas , have seen a marked increase in drug violence this year due to an intensifying rivalry between the gulf cartel and the zetas gang , which was formerly the cartel 's armed branch . more than 28,000 people have died in drug-related incidents since calderon intensified the government 's fight against drug cartels and organized crime after taking office in december 2006 .

<t> new : military says some of the 26 bodies may belong to iraqi police . </t> <t> complex believed to be an al qaeda in iraq haven . </t> <t> coalition forces say they made the discovery during operations in northern iraq . </t> <t> military : evidence of torture and murder against local villagers found . </t>

torture house , mass graves discovered in iraq<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a search is under way for a pregnant 20-year-old marine who has been missing from camp lejeune , north carolina , since december 14 . lance cpl. maria lauterbach was eight months pregnant when she went missing on december 14 . lance cpl. maria lauterbach could give birth at any time , onslow county sheriff ed brown told the jacksonville , north carolina , daily news on monday . the sheriff 's department said lauterbach 's mother said that her daughter , of montgomery , ohio , had witnessed an incident at camp lejeune and was to testify about it . sheriff 's department officials said evidence causes them to be concerned about lauterbach 's disappearance , witn reported . the marine 's car was found monday at jacksonville 's bus station , brown told the daily news , and her cell phone had been found at camp lejeune 's front gate on december 20 . her mother reported her missing on december 19 , and told the sheriff 's department `` that she was very suspicious that something bad may have happened to her daughter , '' the department said in a news release . watch lauterbach 's mom say what raised her concerns '' investigators told the marine corps times that a withdrawal from lauterbach 's bank account was made on december 14 and said there was `` suspicious activity '' on the account 10 days later . december 14 was also the last time lauterbach 's cell phone was used , authorities told the marine corps times . the raleigh news and observer , citing brown , reported that the woman 's mother said her daughter phoned home or her relatives up to 12 times a week and the mother became concerned when she did not hear from her daughter for five days . a facebook page established to help find lauterbach says she was last seen december 14 in jacksonville . `` call mom !!! you know the number , '' the page says . `` all of us love you and we miss you . please come home ! '' the page contains pleas for contacts from fellow marines and friends of lauterbach in ohio . lauterbach is a personnel clerk assigned to combat logistics regiment 27 , 2nd marine logistics group , ii marine expeditionary force , the marine corps said . she joined the service on june 6 , 2006 . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>jacksonville , north carolina -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- christina laurean has told authorities she was attending a christmas party on the night her husband allegedly killed pregnant marine lance cpl. maria lauterbach , according to police . marine cpl. cesar laurean , wanted for murder , may have fled to his native mexico . marine cpl. cesar laurean is charged with first-degree murder . he remains at large , and authorities say he may have fled to mexico . also , an affidavit obtained thursday by cnn states that christina laurean knew about the death one day before reporting it to authorities . the marines were assigned to camp lejeune , north carolina . lance cpl. maria lauterbach was eight months pregnant when she was reported missing december 19 . authorities say she was killed four days earlier . a warrant allowed authorities to search western union records . authorities said in the accompanying affidavit that cesar laurean and his wife received a transfer of money between december 10 and january 12 . the affidavit provided no other details . authorities requested the search warrant and all accompanying documents be sealed . the fbi says laurean may have fled to his native country of mexico . cesar laurean , 21 , is a naturalized u.s. citizen .<doc-sep>spc. megan lynn touma , 23 , was seven months pregnant when she was found dead in a bathtub at a hotel in june , authorities said . investigators say they are treating that death as a homicide . camp lejeune also had a homicide case involving a female service member this year . the charred body of marine lance cpl. maria lauterbach , 20 , was found in january in the backyard of another marine stationed at the base . she was eight months pregnant when she died . marine cpl. cesar laurean has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the case . he was arrested in mexico in april , but because he holds citizenship in the united states and mexico , he can not be immediately deported and must go through the extradition process . if he chooses to fight extradition , it could take two years to return him to north carolina , authorities said .<doc-sep>jacksonville , north carolina -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- police believe they have found the remains of a missing marine buried in the backyard of the prime suspect in the case and blood spatter evidence inside his home , authorities said friday evening . investigators search for the body of lance cpl. maria lauterbach friday . tests found the `` trace of violent activity in the house '' and `` evidence of an attempted cleanup , '' said onslow county sheriff ed brown . investigators are treating the death of lance cpl. maria lauterbach as a murder , brown added . lauterbach , 20 -- who was eight months pregnant -- was reported missing from camp lejeune , north carolina , by her mother december 19 . cpl. cesar armando laurean , whom lauterbach had accused of rape , is the suspected killer , and is being sought , brown said . he confirmed that laurean had left a note , but did not divulge what it said . investigators told cnn , however , that laurean left a note to his wife saying lauterbach had committed suicide and that he buried the body . `` evidence now is saying what he 's claiming happened did not happen like he said it happened , '' brown said . authorities searching laurean 's home found a cavity in his backyard earlier friday . a preliminary investigation indicated a `` suspicious situation , '' prompting police to secure the scene and wait for daylight saturday . watch authorities search for a grave '' `` we think that we have found what would be the skeletal remains -lsb- of lauterbach -rsb- , '' onslow county district attorney dewey hudson told reporters . while authorities will not know for sure until saturday , `` there are certainly some strong indicators that there are human remains '' buried in the cavity , he said . `` it does n't take a rocket scientist to understand if there 's a cavity out back and blood on the inside , that 's probably going to be a key location for where this crime may have taken place , '' brown said . he also hinted that investigators have uncovered more twists in the case . `` i do think this case is going to be a bizarre ending , and when i say bizarre , more than just a death and a burial . '' brown stunned reporters earlier in the day by opening a press conference with the announcement : `` she is dead , and she is buried . '' watch brown describe the cavity '' laurean , a 21-year-old from nevada , is believed to have left the marine base about 4 a.m. friday , driving a black dodge pickup with north carolina license plate trr1522 , brown said . he repeatedly refused to meet with investigators , finally telling them that his attorney would n't let him . the sheriff was downcast at a midday news conference . `` these cases , investigations , become personal . i just want to cry , '' he said . `` i 'm telling you , at this point , i 'm down , way down . '' watch sheriff announce that marine is dead '' mary lauterbach reported her daughter missing after being unable to contact her . she said she last spoke to her december 14 .<doc-sep>by . joel christie . and associated press reporter . investigators believe the missing pregnant wife of a california-based marine may have been shot while hunting with a married ex-marine with whom she was having an affair . court documents say that on the day she disappeared three weeks ago , 20-year-old erin corwin had planned to meet with christopher brandon lee to spend a day together on a hunting trip , according to an affidavit obtained by the desert sun . the detective 's affidavit shows the investigation is focusing on married father-of-one lee , 24 , who may have been the father of corwin 's child . the affidavit also states lee 's wife , nichole lee , told a friend police ` would never find the body ' and that she scolded her husband for ` not being able to keep his lies . straight when he was interviewed by detectives because he was dumb ' . still missing : erin corwin , 20 , disappeared on june 28 , two weeks after discovering she was pregnant . married to a marine , she was allegedly having an affair with a fellow marine who lived on the same military base in twentynine palms , california . arrested but released : christopher brandon lee , 24 , a recently discharged marine , was allegedly having an affair with erin corwin . he was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of having a ` destructive device ' but released two days later . he has reportedly moved to alaska . newlyweds : erin married marine cpl. jonathan corwin -lrb- pictured -rrb- two years ago , and they found out erin was pregnant two weeks before she went missing . base : the couple live at the marine corps air ground combat center in twentynine palms . christopher lee also lived at the base . erin 's abandoned car was found outside the site two days after she was reported missing . lee , who volunteered at a horse ranch . with corwin , was arrested july 4 on suspicion of possession of a . destructive device . the device turned out to be a potato gun , but lee was held for two days before being released on bail . authorities would n't say if the two cases are connected .

<t> lance corporal due to give birth at any time , sheriff says . </t> <t> marine 's car found monday at bus station . </t> <t> mother reported marine missing on december 19 . </t> <t> sheriff : marine was to testify about incident at base , according to mother . </t>

pregnant marine missing from north carolina base<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- this month on art of life we feel the need for speed . from the world 's first road-legal grand prix bike to a rock legend with a passion for aviation . monita rajpal samples the finest in italian motorbikes . monita rajpal meets the boys behind ducati 's motorbikes , iron maiden 's bruce dickinson explains why flying is his new source of adrenaline , and trance legend paul van dyk takes us round his favorite haunt in the former east berlin .<doc-sep>ducati : riding in style . ducati has long-been the ultimate name in luxury motorbikes , but just like its racers , the company has had to compete fiercely to defend its title . as a small italian manufacturer , up against japanese mega-plants , employing thousands of workers , ducati 's comparatively small family is driven by pride . cnn 's monita rajpal visits the bologna factory floor and talks to some of the men behind the company , meets ducati 's moto gp champion casey stoner and takes a test drive of ducati 's desmosedici racing replica , the world 's first road-legal grand prix bike . watch monita 's trip to the ducati factory .<doc-sep>bruce dickinson : rock star in the sky . a leather-clad , long-haired pilot , donning a t-shirt with blood-spewing skeletons would be a nightmare for many uneasy flyers . fortunately for passengers on bruce dickinson 's plane , the lead singer of iron maiden has gotten a new wardrobe and a new day job . art of life meets up with the rock legend to find out why he has chosen to take to the skies and become a commercial airline pilot . watch dickinson take to the skies .<doc-sep>paul van dyk : guides us through germany . paul van dyk , the legendary trance musician , dj and producer has made his name well-known , even though his genre of music is typically associated with young ravers and more urban listeners . watch as van dyk takes art of life on a tour of his hometown , the former east berlin , and shows how he has drawn from the city 's war-weathered rhythms to gain inspiration for his songs . watch van dyk tour berlin e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>by . anthony bond . published : . 20:11 est , 9 july 2012 . | . updated : . 03:10 est , 10 july 2012 . it 's no exaggeration to say that these incredible motorbikes really do run like clockwork . but its not because of their superior engines or incredible handling - its because they are actually made from discarded parts from watches . the motorbikes measure on average six to eight inches long and three to five high and can sell for as much # 700 . incredible : these stunning model motorbikes are made from discarded parts from watches . pricey : the motorbikes measure on average six to eight inches long and three to five high and can sell for as much # 700 . wonderful : the amazing level of detail on the bikes can be seen in this image . stunning : the model bikes have been created by talented artist dan tanenbaum , 41 , from toronto in canada . parts for the models consist of faces , bezels , hands and mechanisms destined for the rubbish bin from as many as 50 different watches per motorcycle . they have been created by talented artist dan tanenbaum , 41 , from toronto in canada . he started making the models as a way to release creativity energy and admits he is a watch fan first and actually did n't know too much about motorbikes when he began . but now with a facebook page and orders flooding in from around the world , mr tanenbaum is being kept busy .<doc-sep>by . daily mail reporter . misery : tailbacks reportedly stretched back to cheshire after a fatal accident involving three motorbikes between junctions 14 and 15 on the m6 in staffordshire . a man has died after three motorbikes and a car collided during a pile-up on the m6 today . motorists were left stuck in their cars for up to five hours in sweltering conditions following the accident at about 9am . police said the accident was caused when a hgv lorry blew a tyre between junction 15 of the m6 and yarnfield , near stone , in staffordshire . as traffic slowed down to avoid debris in the road , three motorbikes and a car collided . a 63-year-old man , from the blackpool area , was seriously injured and died on his way to hospital . three other people , including the man 's female pillion passenger , 49 , also suffered serious injuries but they are not thought to be life-threatening . the road has now been cleared but the tailbacks were said to have stretched more than 14 miles all the way back to cheshire .<doc-sep>`` when my father arrived ... they came out , one of them shot him '' in the head , he said . his father died . the lawless borno state , whose capital is maiduguri , is a major hot spot for the militants . so much so , it had banned motorbikes a few years ago to prevent drive-by attacks by boko haram . the group is known to use gunmen on motorbikes to kill . ripple effects . for nearly a year , borno , yobe and adamawa states have been under a state of emergency due to the relentless assaults . the islamist militant group has bombed churches and mosques ; kidnapped women and children ; and assassinated politicians and religious leaders .<doc-sep>dramatic footage of confiscated motorcycles and quad bikes has been released to warn drivers to be responsible on the roads . the quad squad was set up by west yorkshire police in july to crack down on the number of dangerous drivers . in just two months the group has seized almost 80 quads and motorbikes which have all been crushed in a bid to deter motorists from driving irresponsibly . scroll down for video . footage of dozens of motorbikes and quad bikes before they are destroyed has been released by the quad squad . the squad - set up by yorkshire police to tackle dangerous driving - has already seized 77 bikes since july .

<t> this month art of life looks at motorbike , planes , djs and rock idols . </t> <t> monita visits the ducati factory in bologna , meets moto champ casey stoner . </t> <t> iron maiden singer bruce dickinson talks about his passion for flying . </t> <t> dj paul van dyk takes us on a tour of his favorite parts of berlin . </t>

motorbikes and musicians<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the most compelling action during michigan 's primary tuesday will be on the republican side . the democratic party has stripped the state of its delegates for moving up its primary date so early , and top-tier democratic candidates have taken their names off the ballot , except for sen. hillary clinton . the struggling auto industry has been a drag on michigan 's economy . in many ways , the republican battle for michigan will be similar to last week 's new hampshire contest . the primary is open , and any registered voter -- including independents and democrats -- can participate . sen. john mccain won new hampshire with the help of independent voters , and he is campaigning hard to re-create that success in michigan . in 2000 , mccain defeated then-texas gov. george w. bush in the michigan primary . in that vote , more than half -- 52 percent -- were either independents or democrats . among republican voters , mccain lost to bush 29 percent to 66 percent . in that contest , almost three out of every 10 voters identified themselves as members of the religious right . overall , michigan is a swing state , producing narrow margins of victory for presidential candidates and statewide officeholders . however , voting trends favor the democrats . michigan 's governor , jennifer granholm , is a democrat , as are the state 's two u.s. senators -- carl levin and debbie stabenow . the democratic presidential nominee has carried michigan in the last four elections . sen. john kerry , the democrats ' 2004 standard bearer , won michigan 51 percent to 48 percent over president bush . the state 's economy is powered by the automotive industry , which has experienced its fair share of struggles . michigan 's unemployment rate , 7.4 percent , is higher than the national average of 5 percent . region by region .<doc-sep>wayne county , in the southeastern corner of the state , contains the economically depressed detroit , michigan 's largest city . detroit is predominantly black and solidly democratic . north of wayne county are the more-affluent suburban counties of oakland and macomb , which have grown in population in the last two decades . these two counties have been the state 's central political battleground in recent elections . west of wayne is the `` university belt , '' home to the university of michigan in ann arbor and michigan state university in east lansing . the area also includes the industrial cities of saginaw and flint , where unions remain strong , as well as jackson and bay city . the state 's capital , lansing , and the sparsely populated upper peninsula are also part of this region . the southwest part of the state is dominated by grand rapids , michigan 's second-largest city . grand rapids is traditionally dutch-american and has many christian conservatives and generally votes republican . the area also contains smaller industrial cities and farming communities . the economy of the sparsely populated north and northwest is based on agriculture , tourism and timber . it traditionally votes republican . endorsements . the detroit free press has endorsed mccain . `` while the free press differs with mccain on a number of issues , the arizona senator is a smarter , more tested and pragmatic leader who has shown since 2000 that he knows how to build bipartisan alliances around issues , '' the newspaper said in an editorial . the detroit news also endorsed mccain , citing his fiscal conservatism and command of military and foreign affairs , over michigan native mitt romney . `` other gop contenders , most notably former massachusetts gov. mitt romney , are capable figures with impressive resumes and a solid grasp of the issues . but mccain 's longtime presidential ambitions are at last aligned with the needs of the nation , '' the newspaper said . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the most compelling action during michigan 's primary tuesday will be on the republican side . the democratic party has stripped the state of its delegates for moving up its primary date so early , and top-tier democratic candidates have taken their names off the ballot , except for sen. hillary clinton . the struggling auto industry has been a drag on michigan 's economy . in many ways , the republican battle for michigan will be similar to last week 's new hampshire contest . the primary is open , and any registered voter -- including independents and democrats -- can participate . sen. john mccain won new hampshire with the help of independent voters , and he is campaigning hard to re-create that success in michigan . in 2000 , mccain defeated then-texas gov. george w. bush in the michigan primary . in that vote , more than half -- 52 percent -- were either independents or democrats . among republican voters , mccain lost to bush 29 percent to 66 percent . in that contest , almost three out of every 10 voters identified themselves as members of the religious right . overall , michigan is a swing state , producing narrow margins of victory for presidential candidates and statewide officeholders . however , voting trends favor the democrats . michigan 's governor , jennifer granholm , is a democrat , as are the state 's two u.s. senators -- carl levin and debbie stabenow . the democratic presidential nominee has carried michigan in the last four elections . sen. john kerry , the democrats ' 2004 standard bearer , won michigan 51 percent to 48 percent over president bush . the state 's economy is powered by the automotive industry , which has experienced its fair share of struggles . michigan 's unemployment rate , 7.4 percent , is higher than the national average of 5 percent . region by region . wayne county , in the southeastern corner of the state , contains the economically depressed detroit , michigan 's largest city . detroit is predominantly black and solidly democratic . north of wayne county are the more-affluent suburban counties of oakland and macomb , which have grown in population in the last two decades . these two counties have been the state 's central political battleground in recent elections . west of wayne is the `` university belt , '' home to the university of michigan in ann arbor and michigan state university in east lansing . the area also includes the industrial cities of saginaw and flint , where unions remain strong , as well as jackson and bay city . the state 's capital , lansing , and the sparsely populated upper peninsula are also part of this region . the southwest part of the state is dominated by grand rapids , michigan 's second-largest city . grand rapids is traditionally dutch-american and has many christian conservatives and generally votes republican . the area also contains smaller industrial cities and farming communities . the economy of the sparsely populated north and northwest is based on agriculture , tourism and timber . it traditionally votes republican . endorsements . the detroit free press has endorsed mccain . `` while the free press differs with mccain on a number of issues , the arizona senator is a smarter , more tested and pragmatic leader who has shown since 2000 that he knows how to build bipartisan alliances around issues , '' the newspaper said in an editorial . the detroit news also endorsed mccain , citing his fiscal conservatism and command of military and foreign affairs , over michigan native mitt romney . `` other gop contenders , most notably former massachusetts gov. mitt romney , are capable figures with impressive resumes and a solid grasp of the issues . but mccain 's longtime presidential ambitions are at last aligned with the needs of the nation , '' the newspaper said . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>miami , florida -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- will the recount state become the re-primary state ? will voters in michigan have their say in picking a democratic candidate for president ? michigan 's democratic gov. jennifer granholm , shown in 2006 , called for her state 's delegates to be seated . political leaders in florida and michigan are talking about making sure voters in their states are included when it comes to choosing the democratic nominee . the discussions are unfolding amid a grueling , delegate-by-delegate fight between sen. hillary clinton of new york and sen. barack obama of illinois . the national democratic party stripped florida and michigan of their delegates to the national convention after the states moved up the dates of their primary elections . that means votes that were cast in primaries in those states will not translate into delegates awarded to one candidate or the other in the contest for the democratic nomination for president . watch florida 's mounting frustration '' democratic national committee chairman howard dean said the states can either come up with a new plan to choose a slate of delegates or appeal to the party 's credentials committee when the convention opens in august . `` the rules were set a year and a half ago . florida and michigan voted for them and then decided that they did n't need to abide by the rules . when you 're in a contest you do need to abide by the rules , '' he said thursday on cnn 's `` american morning . '' the national democratic party stripped florida -- epicenter of the 2000 election debacle -- of its 210 national convention delegates as punishment for the state 's decision to move its party primaries to january 29 . michigan received the same treatment after moving its primary date to january as well , losing its 156 convention delegates . on wednesday , florida gov. charlie crist , a republican , and michigan gov. jennifer granholm , a democrat , called on the democratic national committee to seat their states ' delegations . they accused the party in a statement of silencing `` the voices of 5,163,271 americans '' who voted in their primaries . `` it is intolerable that the national political parties have denied the citizens of michigan and florida their votes and voices at their respective national conventions , '' they wrote . speaking on cnn 's `` american morning , '' crist -- who signed the bill that changed florida 's primary date -- pointed fingers outside the state . `` people should be heard and not party bosses in washington , '' he said . `` this is about common sense and people having the right to vote . it is unconscionable that people 's votes will not count . they should count . '' wednesday night in washington , democratic house members from florida and michigan met for about an hour to talk about possibilities that would lead to delegations from those states influencing the outcome of the democratic nominating contest . `` both delegations feel very , very strongly -- adamantly -- that our delegations be seated at the national conventions , '' said rep. debbie wasserman shultz of florida . rep. sander levin of michigan said he 's not sure of the best way to resolve the dispute but that voters from florida and michigan should have their voters counted . `` i think the key is the voice of michigan and florida is heard and there 's a procedure that is fair to the residents and fair to the two candidates , '' he said . sen. carl levin of michigan suggested wednesday that his state could hold caucuses to select its delegates .<doc-sep>participants declined to say whether there is general agreement on a way forward -- for example , whether the two states should redo the votes there or use results from the previous primaries . they pledged to continue discussions , though no formal meeting has been scheduled . the national republican party also penalized florida and michigan , but cut each state 's allocation in half rather than stripping them entirely . because arizona sen. john mccain clinched the gop nomination tuesday night , any fight over seating florida and michigan 's delegates will matter little to the gop race . clinton , the new york senator and former first lady , was the only leading democrat to appear on ballots in michigan and made a handful of allowed fund-raising appearances in florida in the last days before the vote , while other candidates skipped the state . she won both contests . now , as she trails obama by 100-plus delegates , clinton has called for the michigan and florida delegations to be seated at the party 's convention in denver , colorado . the democrats ' next big primary is seven weeks away in pennsylvania , where 158 delegates are at stake . adding new contests to the mix could prolong the democrats ' heated battle for the nomination while giving mccain more freedom to focus on november 's general election . crist told cnn 's `` late edition '' on sunday that he supported holding another primary to resolve the dispute . but wednesday , he said the state would not pay for a second contest . the florida democratic party estimates that a new primary could cost as much as $ 18 million -- and sen. bill nelson said the dnc should pick up the tab . `` there 's no way the state legislature is going to fund another election when they are in economic cardiac arrest right now , '' said nelson , a florida democrat . `` they are cutting payments to health care , education , social services and payments to the cities and counties . `` there 's no way that they 're going find an additional $ 18 million to fund another election , nor should they . this should n't be the burden of the taxpayers of florida -- this should be the burden of the democratic national committee . '' party officials have said they will not pay for florida to hold a new primary because they warned the state not to move up its primary . `` the democratic nominee will be determined in accordance with party rules , '' dean said . but he emphasized that his goal was to maintain party unity , and called the statement by crist and granholm `` good news . '' `` we look forward to receiving their proposals , should they decide to submit new delegate selection plans , and will review those plans at that time , '' he said . but nelson said the party 's stance was unfair , since it was republican lawmakers in tallahassee and a republican governor , crist , who decided to move up the state 's primary over the opposition of democrats . if the state 's decision to move the primary remains controversial , it pales in comparison to a bill two florida state senators are discussing . sen. nan rich , a clinton backer , is proposing that the state remove the party 's eventual presidential nominee from the state 's ballot unless it seats florida 's delegates . `` that 's one option , '' rich said . legal scholars say they doubt removing the democratic or republican nominee 's name from the ballot would be constitutional . but state senate democratic leader steve geller said he had been approached by republicans promoting the bill . geller said it is a sign of how bitter the fight over the delegates has become and how deep the self-inflicted wounds are among democrats , calling it `` a typical democratic firing squad . '' `` we 're lining up in a circle , '' he said . `` maybe we 're aiming low and shooting ourselves in the feet instead , but this makes no sense to me . '' e-mail to a friend . cnn 's ted barrett in washington contributed to this report .<doc-sep>with time running out , 6 percent of likely democratic primary voters and 5 percent of those likely to vote in the gop primary remain undecided . the poll indicates that a growing number of registered independents say they will vote in the gop contest , which is a switch from just a month ago . whether independents decide to vote in the democratic or republican primaries could affect the outcome of both races , schneider said , noting that mccain ties romney among registered republicans but has an 11-point lead when independent voters are included . `` so mccain is not just running against romney . he 's also running against obama for independent support . '' obama appears to be pulling even with clinton among women , a voting bloc that she once dominated in the polls . and when asked which candidate has the best chance of beating the republican presidential nominee , likely democratic primary voters now choose obama over clinton 42 percent to 31 percent . that 's a dramatic reversal from the last cnn/wmur new hampshire poll taken after christmas and just before the iowa caucuses , when clinton beat obama in electability by a two to one margin . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's bill schneider and keating holland contributed to this report .

<t> independents , democrats can vote in michigan 's open republican primary . </t> <t> no democratic delegates at stake , and most top-tier candidates are n't on ballot . </t> <t> economic woes top concern for michigan primary voters . </t>

lack of democratic contest could alter michigan gop primary<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the boeing 777 is the mainstay of many airlines ' long-haul fleets and has never been involved in a fatal accident during its service history . british airways aircrew fly the royal standard from the flight deck of the boeing 777 aircraft . the aircraft first entered service on june 7 , 1995 , with more than 900 suppliers from 17 countries coming together to provide the more than three million parts needed in its construction , according to the boeing web site . since its inaugural flight , boeing has extended the 777 family to five commercial passenger models and a freighter version , collectively making more than two million flights .<doc-sep>the aircraft seats between 301 and 368 passengers in a three-class configuration and can fly distances up to 17,500 kilometers . the 777 has also won a number of design awards , as well as setting a number of records and firsts . on november 9 and 10 , 2005 , a boeing 777-200lr worldliner set a new world record for distance traveled non-stop by a commercial jetliner . the 777-200lr set a record distance of 21,601 km on a route traveling eastbound from hong kong to london heathrow . the flight lasted 22 hours and 42 minutes . the achievements was recognized by the u.s. national aeronautics association , the federation aeronautique internationale and the guinness book of records .<doc-sep>the federation eéronautique internationale recognized the boeing 777 in april 1997 for achieving a speed and distance record for airplanes in its size and class . the boeing web site claims the 777 set the `` great circle distance without landing '' record , traveling 20,044 km , and it set the record for `` speed around the world , eastbound , '' traveling at an average speed of 889 km per hour . according to boeing the aircraft reached 500 deliveries by 2005 -- faster than any other twin-aisle commercial airplane in history . boeing prides itself on the 777 's landing gear , which it claims is the largest ever incorporated into a commercial aircraft . each main landing gear is fitted with six wheels , while the nose gear has two . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the boeing 777 is the mainstay of many airlines ' long-haul fleets and has never been involved in a fatal accident during its service history . british airways aircrew fly the royal standard from the flight deck of the boeing 777 aircraft . the aircraft first entered service on june 7 , 1995 , with more than 900 suppliers from 17 countries coming together to provide the more than three million parts needed in its construction , according to the boeing web site . since its inaugural flight , boeing has extended the 777 family to five commercial passenger models and a freighter version , collectively making more than two million flights . the aircraft seats between 301 and 368 passengers in a three-class configuration and can fly distances up to 17,500 kilometers . the 777 has also won a number of design awards , as well as setting a number of records and firsts .<doc-sep>today 's crash of an asiana airline boeing 777 at san francisco airport has striking similarities with the crash of a british airways 777 five-and-a-half years ago . in both instances , the aircraft came down before the threshold of the runway after coming to the end of a long haul flight . the hull of both planes also remained largely intact with the majority of the passengers walking away unhurt , shaken with just a few cuts and bruises . crash no. 1 : the crash of a british airways boeing 777 on landing in london heathrow was caused by ice crystals forming in the fuel and cutting power to the engines . crash no. 2 : the plane slammed into the tarmac before the runway touchdown zone . the engines and the tail fin broke away from the main wreckage . this is the third hull loss for a boeing 777 , introduced in 1994 . british airways flight 038 from beijing lost power as it approached the london heathrow airport on january 17 2008 . eighteen of those on board needed treatment for minor injuries . many were hurt as they came out of the plane on its emergency slides .<doc-sep>by . chris kitching . cash-strapped air india is putting fewer passengers on its long-haul flights from mumbai to america -- and losing more money -- because the type of aircraft used on that route is at risk of hitting the city 's mega-sized billboards . the gigantic signs are blocking the flight path at mumbai 's chhatrapati shivaji international airport , creating a significant hazard for boeing 777-300er aircraft that are too heavy to clear them while carrying full loads of passengers and fuel . in order to lighten the load , air india is leaving 51 seats empty on its 16-hour , non-stop flights from mumbai to newark , new jersey , bloomberg reported . the boeing 777-300er can not clear the billboards while flying with full loads of passengers and fuel . the twin-engine 777-300er can carry a total of 365 passengers but it is flying at 15 per cent below capacity on air india 's mumbai-newark route . that means the airline is losing nearly # 1million per month , according to g.m. siddeshwara , india 's junior aviation minister .<doc-sep>a workhorse aircraft , the twin-engine 777 -- or `` triple seven '' -- is flown by airlines worldwide . problems began in 2008 when the faa said boeing discovered it had been installing fasteners that did not meet government standards on the long-haul jets . it stopped using them immediately , but some of the underlying manufacturing concerns persisted . the faa said boeing repeatedly granted itself extensions and then missed the deadlines , ultimately not acting on a comprehensive fix until 2010 . `` manufacturers must make it a priority to identify and correct quality problems in a timely manner , '' said faa administrator michael huerta .

<t> the boeing 777 aircraft first entered service on june 7 , 1995 . </t> <t> first airplane u.s. -lrb- faa -rrb- approved for extended-range twin-engine operations . </t> <t> engineers designed , electronically pre-assembled the 777 using computers . </t> <t> in 2005 , a boeing 777 set a new world record for distance traveled non-stop . </t>

boeing 777 a mainstay of long-haul travel<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- on a videotape released sunday , american al qaeda member adam yahiye gadahn renounces his u.s. citizenship , destroys his passport and cites u.s. president bush 's upcoming trip to the middle east . `` american jihadist '' adam gadahn , originally from california , in a video released in september 2006 . the 50-minute tape -- titled `` an invitation to reflection and repentance '' -- was released by as sahab , al qaeda 's video production wing and was provided to cnn by www.lauramansfield.com , a web site that analyzes terrorism . in it , gadahn renounces his citizenship to protest the imprisonment of sheikh omar abdul rahman , a blind egyptian muslim leader serving a life sentence for his role in the 1993 attack on the world trade center ; and john walker lindh , the american taliban who was arrested in afghanistan in 2001 , and others . gadahn displays his passport to the camera , rips it in half and says , `` do n't get too excited -- i do n't need it to travel anyway . ''<doc-sep>though gadahn speaks mostly in english , he references bush -- who is to travel this week to the middle east -- only in arabic . `` we raise an urgent appeal to our mujahedin brothers in the muslim palestine , the arabian peninsula in particular , and the region in general , to be prepared to receive the crusader butcher bush on his visit to muslim palestine and the occupied peninsula at the beginning of january , '' he said . `` they should receive him not with roses and applause , but with bombs and booby-traps . '' the video also refers to the annapolis conference , indicating it was produced after last november 27 , when the conference was held . national security council spokesman gordon johndroe said the u.s. president would not be deterred . `` his comments are indicative of an al qaeda ideology that offers nothing but death and violence , '' johndroe told cnn in a written statement .<doc-sep>`` president bush will travel to the region to stand with the mainstream governments who want liberty and justice for their people . '' the self-proclaimed american jihadist , also known as azzam the american , is on the fbi 's most wanted list , with a reward of up to $ 1 million for information leading to his capture . gadahn was indicted in 2006 on charges of treason and offering material support for terrorism , the first american charged with treason since world war ii . gadahn , who grew up in rural california , embraced islam in the mid-1990s and moved to pakistan . since october 2004 he has appeared in at least eight al qaeda videos in which he speaks in english and praises the terrorist network . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- american al qaeda member adam gadahn appeared in a video posted on the internet on saturday , focusing on pakistan , with references to the u.s. economic meltdown and fighting in kashmir . adam gadahn , also known as azzam the american , is seen in a video posted on the internet in august 2007 . the rambling , wide-ranging video was released by www.lauramansfield.com , a web site that analyzes terrorism . the 32-minute video was produced by as sahab , al qaeda 's video production arm . gadahn , also known as azzam the american , is on the fbi 's most wanted list , with a reward of up to $ 1 million for information leading to his capture . he was indicted in 2006 on charges of offering material support for terrorism and treason , making him the first american charged with treason since world war ii . he has renounced his american citizenship .<doc-sep>as of 2001 , denise rich had made more than $ 1.3 million in political contributions to the democratic party since 1993 , including $ 70,000 to hillary clinton 's senate campaign and $ 450,000 to the clinton presidential library in arkansas . investigators told cnn at the time that there were secret service logs showing that rich went to the white house the last night of bill clinton 's presidency . superman renounces his american citizenship . rich is n't the only high-profile american to abandon ship . facebook co-founder eduardo saverin also appears on this list . he renounced his citizenship in may shortly before facebook 's initial public offering . they are two of many who have expatriated from the united states in the last few years .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- nearly a decade ago , a group of saudis and other men from the middle east came to the united states to carry out the worst terrorist attack on the u.s. not a single one had american citizenship . almost nine years after the september 11 attacks , the threat of another major terror strike is still a concern , but where the threat is coming from has changed . a growing number of american citizens and longtime residents of the united states are becoming radicalized enough by al qaeda 's extremist ideology to kill their fellow americans , counterterrorism officials say . a growing number are also learning the bomb-making skills necessary to become potentially dangerous terrorists , the officials say . they are training in the mountains of waziristan in northwestern pakistan , where al qaeda still enjoys significant safety . that 's where , according to the u.s. government , alleged times square bomber faisal shahzad was trained by the pakistani taliban , a group with close ties to al qaeda . shahzad 's case has strong similarities to that of another american who plotted with terrorist groups in pakistan to attack the united states . his name is bryant neal vinas , a catholic convert to islam from long island , new york , who became radicalized , traveled to pakistan to join up with al qaeda and helped osama bin laden 's terrorist organization plot a bomb attack on new york city . when news of vinas ' arrest broke last summer , family members , friends and terrorism experts where dumbfounded by how a studious , middle-class , baseball-loving , all-american kid and onetime u.s. army recruit could end up plotting to kill in the name of al qaeda . cnn 's investigation into vinas has resulted in an intimate portrait of a homegrown terrorist , charting the disturbing story of a young american 's obsessive quest to join al qaeda . watch a preview of ` american al qaeda '<doc-sep>according to court documents , dawari neglected to document his association with hig in a 2013 application for u.s. citizenship . on the application , he was asked , `` have you ever been a member of or associated with any organization , association , fund , foundation , party , club , society , or similar group in the united states or in any place ? '' he placed an `` x '' in the box marked `` no , '' the court papers said . the prosecution alleged that dawari confirmed his membership in the group during a telephone call within weeks of submitting his naturalization application . court papers described hig as a `` violent , anti-western terrorist group ... affiliated with al qaida , and it has claimed responsibility for many attacks against u.s. and coalition forces . '' dawari , 62 , who pleaded not guilty friday , was ordered held without bail . the prosecution argued that dawari is a severe flight risk and a serious danger to the community . if convicted , dawari faces a maximum charge of 20 years ' in prison and deportation . the all-american al qaeda suicide bomber . cnn 's haimy assefa contributed to this story .

<t> adam gadahn in videotape tears up u.s. passport , speaks in arabic and english . </t> <t> tape was released by as sahab , al qaeda 's video production wing . </t> <t> originally from california , gadahn talks about bush 's upcoming trip to middle east . </t> <t> gadahn is on the fbi 's most wanted list with $ 1 million reward for information . </t>

tape : american al qaeda member renounces citizenship<T>

rome , italy -- seven manchester united supporters were taken to hospital after violence flared before the 1-1 champions ' league draw against roma in italy . manchester united supporters were segregated inside the olympic stadium for the champions tie . british embassy officials in rome said five fans received stab wounds while two others , including a 16-year-old boy , needed treatment for being drunk , the press association reported . none of the stab victims is understood to have serious injuries following the clash between the rival fans outside the stadio olympico .<doc-sep>an embassy spokeswoman said : `` seven manchester united supporters were taken to hospital after fighting broke out on the pont duca d'aosta bridge which fans cross over the river to get to the stadium . `` five are receiving treatment for stab wounds while two others , one who was a 16-year-old boy , were understood to be drunk . `` their injuries are not thought to be serious and most of them will be discharged in the next couple of hours . one person may be kept in overnight for observation . `` the situation in the stadium is now fine and everything is running smoothly . ''<doc-sep>the embassy had warned travelling fans beforehand not to use the pont duca d'aosta bridge because it was habitually used by roma 's notorious ultras - a following of hardcore fans . roma coach luciano spalletti condemned the latest violence . `` it 's difficult to give a comment on what has happened , '' said spalletti . after watching a video replay of the ugly scenes , spalletti added : `` these people are sick . '' the trouble marked the second consecutive game between roma and manchester united in the italian capital which has been marred by violence .<doc-sep>eighteen united fans needed hospital treatment in april after clashes on the terraces in rome and outside the ground . united boss sir alex ferguson had hoped tonight 's game would pass off peacefully but the british embassy in rome had warned supporters faced a `` real danger of attack '' by the ultras . the 1,200 british supporters who made the journey were largely shepherded into the stadium two hours before kick-off , with clear segregation in place in the less than capacity crowd . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>on . monday a judge in a rome court sentenced francesco ianari , 27 , to four . years and five months and mauro pinnelli , 26 , to five years and six . months for the brutal attack . at . the time the assault was blamed solely on lazio ultra fans , who are . notorious for their fascist and anti-semitic beliefs . but both of those . convicted are fans of rival rome side as roma , which have their own . equally violent right wing fascist fanbase . it is thought that lazio fans also took part in the attack , after being called in by the roma supporters for extra manpower . ianari , . a door to door salesman who was already serving a ban forbidding him . from attending football matches , and pinnelli , a builder , were arrested . on the night of the attack near the pub . police . used cctv footage as well as mobile phone records to identify the . attackers and trace their whereabouts . they were arrested on the night . of the attack . it is not the . first time british football fans have been attacked in rome . in 2009 , a . manchester united fan was stabbed in the leg .<doc-sep>by . hannah roberts in rome . two ultra right wing football hooligans have been jailed for a savage assault on a group of english football fans in rome last year . the severe beating by a mob in a central rome pub last november left 13 tottenham hotspur supporters injured and one fighting for his life in hospital . ashley mills , a builder from brentwood in essex was almost killed after being stabbed in the femoral artery in his groin . scene of the crime : the drunken ship pub in rome . thugs wearing masks and crash helmets blocked the entrance to the pub and threw tear gas and smoke bombs to disorientate their victims before attacking them . the group were enjoying pre-match . drinks in one of the city 's most picturesque squares , before spurs . played lazio in the europa league , when a gang of italian ` ultras ' began . ` a well planned ' attack . thugs . wearing masks and crash helmets blocked the entrance , and sent tear gas . and smoke bombs into the pub to disorientate their victims . as the hooligans attacked with knifes , iron bars and paving stones , the tottenham fans fled , along with some american tourists . a police photographer takes photographs of the interior of the pub . ambush : ashley mills was stabbed in the groin . police used cctv footage as well as mobile phone records to identify the attackers . injured : tottenham hotspur fan ashley mills at the san camillo hospital in rome , italy . the italians then rampaged through the square smashing windows and chairs . police later described the attack as ` urban guerrilla warfare ' .<doc-sep>rome , italy -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- four english football fans were attacked in italy on the eve of a game thursday between liverpool and naples , naples police told cnn . two were stabbed and have been hospitalized with serious but not life-threatening conditions , police said . two were beaten with sticks and one is hospitalized in serious condition , they said . the other one , who was attacked in a different incident , is not badly hurt . three men have been arrested . police blamed the attacks on `` football fanaticism '' and are looking for the other attackers , they said .<doc-sep>van gaal , meanwhile , will be hoping to secure back to back wins for the first time as boss against an everton side who are coming off the back of a long trip to play in the europa league fk krasnodar in russia on thursday night . the man utd boss also stopped to sign a few autographs for some fans . the dutchman is preparing his side for sunday 's visit of everton .

<t> seven manchester united supporters taken to hospital before game in rome . </t> <t> british embassy officials in rome said five of the fans received stab wounds . </t> <t> embassy spokeswoman said that the injuries were not thought to be serious . </t>

man utd fans are stabbed in rome<T>

las vegas , nevada -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- an intense manhunt was under way monday for chester stiles , a 37-year old man whom police say is a suspect in the videotaped rape of a 3-year-old girl four years ago . chester arthur stiles , 37 , of nevada is being sought as a suspect in the videotaped rape of a 3-year-old girl . also monday , stiles ' former girlfriend told cnn she believes she put him in contact with the girl . tina allen said she is `` disgusted '' and `` mortified '' at her role in bringing them together . nye county sheriff tony de meo said friday the girl has been found and is safe . he said the child 's mother was cooperating with authorities . de meo addressed stiles directly : `` turn yourself in to your local law enforcement agency . understand this : law enforcement not only has a long arm but a long memory . you will not be forgotten by members of this agency or any other law enforcement agency . '' stiles ' former girlfriend said she is stunned by the allegations . watch allen describe her first impression of stiles '' allen said she and stiles had been in an on-again , off-again relationship for 10 years and that he was good with her children . `` he said he 'd been in the navy and , you know , i was looking for a strong guy to represent to my sons what i thought they needed to be , '' allen said . allen took stiles to a crowded apartment where her son and daughter lived . also living in the apartment were a family friend and her 3-year-old daughter , who allegedly was victimized by stiles . `` i 'm disgusted . i 'm ashamed , embarrassed , mortified , '' allen said . `` i regret every , every step i ever took ; i feel bad for the baby . '' todd allen , tina allen 's son , told cnn he recognized his old apartment from scenes in the video . he said his mother and stiles spent time together there . todd allen said nobody realized the child may have been abused . `` she 's what you 'd expect a little girl in elementary school to be like , '' he said . he said he never witnessed stiles physically assault anyone . `` but i have seen him verbally and mentally assault many people , '' todd allen told cnn . looking back , tina allen said there were some warning signs . she said stiles hit her once but she did n't file a police report . she said she blames herself . `` how could i not know ? why could n't i have recognized something ? why are all these people going through this torture now because of me ? '' allen asked . allen ended her relationship with stiles a few months ago . she said she believes it will be difficult for police to find him . `` he will hide out in mountains if that 's what it takes , he will hide out in a crowd , he 'll find somebody who has n't heard anything and stay there , '' she said . `` he has skills . he knows how to hunt , i mean hunt with a gun , a knife , a bow . '' allen said stiles stopped by her house last week for a friendly visit before his name was linked to the videotape . she said his appearance had changed . she said his hair was longer and he had put on weight . stiles , a resident of pahrump , nevada , is a former animal trainer , authorities said . de meo said the fbi also is seeking him in a separate matter involving state charges of sexual assault and lewdness with a minor under 14 . the man who claimed to have found the tape in the desert and held it for at least five months before handing it over to authorities turned himself in sunday to nye county officials . darren tuck , a nevada resident who allegedly showed the tape to others before giving it to police , faces a possible sentence of 10 years to life for exhibiting pornography and another one to six years for possession of child pornography , according to de meo . tuck 's attorney , harry kuehn , said last week on cnn 's `` nancy grace '' that his client had been `` wracked by indecision '' as to what to do with the tape once he realized what it was . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>by . sam webb . published : . 20:46 est , 30 november 2013 . | . updated : . 05:48 est , 2 december 2013 . the ex-girlfriend of lostprophets singer ian watkins claims the paedophile rock musician had fantasies about kidnapping and murdering a baby . joanne mjadzelics , 38 , claims watkins ' sick behaviour would have eventually degenerated into even more extreme crimes if he had not been caught . watkins was described as a ` determined and committed paedophile ' after he admitted attempting to rape a fan 's 11-month-old baby son along with 10 other child sex offences on tuesday . horror : joanne majic , the ex-girlfriend of ian watkins , said he had fantasies about kidnapping and murdering a baby . miss mjadzelics had a two year on-off relationship with the rock star from 2006 and as time went on , watkins revealed his sordid fantasies . in august 2008 , after receiving emails from the singer describing sex with an 11-year-old girl and suggestive photographs of a three-year-old , she went to police . she told the sunday people : ` i 'm absolutely sure ian would n't have stopped at abuse . ` he wanted to rape and kill children . he wanted to rape newborns . ` he even wanted to get me pregnant so he could rape our baby . ' the singer , a former boyfriend of bbc presenter fearne cotton and model alexa chung , also admitted to her he used his lostprophets fame to turn young girls into ` superfans ' willing to allow him to abuse their children . former lover : miss mjadzelics had a two year on-off relationship with the rock star from 2006 and as time went on , watkins revealed his sordid fantasies . the former lead singer with multi-million selling band lostprophets made a series of admissions in a last-minute change of plea ahead of what would have been his trial at cardiff crown court . miss mjadzelics also says she warned police about the singer 's depraved nature four years ago after he told her he wanted to have sex with a child , but says they refused to investigate it . she was persuaded to give up as watkins was alerted about her claims and she was threatened with harassment charges . but a year later he was bombarding her with more sick fantasies , revealed he was now addicted to heroin and had raped a five-year-old girl . at that point , she started to gather a file of evidence that eventually led to watkins ' conviction . miss mjadzelics claimed besotted female fans of the paedophile are hiding the true . extent of his offending because they secretly offered their children for . abuse . her claims come as another of watkins ' former lovers , lostprophets fan krysta boyle , reveals he gushed over her tiny frame . ms boyle , from orange county in . california , was 19 years old , 4 ' 11 '' , and wore child-size clothing when . she met the singer in hawaii . she told the sun on sunday : ` looking . back , it was obvious something was wrong with him from the moment we . met . but i was a young impressionable fan . ' i remember him commenting a lot on my body and small frame . ' she added that he tried to film their sexual encounters and once choked her during sex . today his ex-bandmates insisted they did not know about the abuse . speaking for the first time since watkins ' last-minute change of plea on tuesday ahead of what would have been his trial at cardiff crown court , they released a statement to fans revealing they were ` heartbroken , angry and disgusted ' . they said : ` many of you understandably want to know if we knew what ian was doing . to be clear : we did not . ` we knew that ian was a difficult . character . our personal relationships with him had deteriorated in . recent years to a point that working together was a constant , miserable . challenge . ` but despite his battles with drugs , his egotistic behaviour and the . resulting fractures and frustrations within our band , we never imagined .<doc-sep>hayden , 49 , was initially arrested on august 9 on charges of molestation of a child and a crime against nature . the gun store owner posted $ 150,000 bond the same day and was released . he told tmz at the time that his ex-girlfriend , who is the mother of one of his daughters , went to authorities a week ago and accused him of molesting the girl . he said that she did it as revenge for him ending their relationship.hayden had since married and was bringing up the girl with his new wife . sons of guns first aired on the discovery channel in 2011 and followed hayden 's life at the helm of a gun store , red jacket firearms . the youngster returned to his home after he was interviewed by child protective services . hayden was then re-arrested on august 26 and charged with aggravated rape charges involving a child and bail was at $ 250,000 . according to allegations in an affidavit filed by sheriff 's deputies , hayden began having sex with the child , then 11 years old , in 2013 . the latest rape , the report said , happened in july . a guardian of the victim had contacted deputies on august 16 . the victim confided to the guardian after hayden 's august 9 arrest , according to the report .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the man arrested for the videotaped rape of a toddler in las vegas , nevada , will make his initial appearance in court friday , a clark county , nevada , court official told cnn tuesday . authorities have not yet decided if chester arthur stiles will appear in person or via video link . the judge will set a date for the arraignment at that hearing . stiles , 37 , was taken into custody monday night after a henderson , nevada , police officer pulled over the white buick century he was driving . a former girlfriend of stiles ' said that , before the arrest , she lived in fear after going to police to identify the suspect after seeing enhanced photos from the videotape on the local news . `` i 've had my share of nightmares , '' elaine thomas told cnn 's nancy grace . thomas said she screamed when she recognized the photos on television and had no choice but to contact police about the man she had thought was a `` weapons enthusiast '' with only a minor criminal record . watch thomas say how she felt when she saw the photos '' `` how could i not tell them who that man was ? that little girl suffered unimaginable things , and i knew for a fact it was him , '' thomas said . the judge in the case will hold an administrative hearing wednesday , but stiles will not be present , clark county court spokesman michael sommermeyer said . stiles was already being sought on an unrelated 2004 charge of felony lewdness with a child under 14 , sommermeyer said , adding that authorities amended that earlier filing on october 4 to include 20 counts related to the videotaped rape , including sexual assault and attempted sexual assault . jerry t. donohue , the attorney for the girl 's mother , told cnn that the child on the videotape was younger than 3 when the abuse occurred .<doc-sep>` my decision to have my daughter was one of the first steps i took on my personal journey . ' mcleod 's daughter estela annabelle mcleod was born october 30 . the tiny girl is called a ` diva ' by her mother and is doing well . rams . has pleaded not guilty in the death of prince , who authorities say rams . drowned on october 20 , 2012 in an attempt to cash in on three separate . life insurance policies he had taken out on prince 's life amounting to . $ 560,000 . he . has also been charged in the shooting death of his ex-girlfriend shawn katrina . mason , the mother of his first son , who died in 2003 . according to the washington post , he mistakenly . believed he was the beneficiary of a life insurance policy on her life . also . mcleod met rams through match.com in february 2010 . ' i . was approaching 30 and wondering if i would ever meet my soul-mate , or . even if i had a soul-mate at all , ' she told the washington post . mcleod was initially put off by rams ' scruffy appearance but was soon charmed . he . took her to lunch , sang to her and told her how he had been left to . raise his son after the death of the child 's mother in an accident . never forgotten : prince mcleod died october 21 , 2012 , during a visit with his father joaquin rams who has since been charged with his murder . unsupervised : joaquin shadow rams was allowed visits without supervision with his son -lrb- pictured , right , with hera mcleod -rrb- by a judge . mcleod would discover much later that . in fact , rams ' ex-girlfriend shawn mason had been shot in the face and . that rams himself was a prime suspect . rams told mcleod that after many bad dates , he was hoping to meet someone and settle down . he . also claimed he owned a successful software consulting firm , and was an .

<t> chester stiles ' ex-girlfriend says she 's `` disgusted '' she helped him meet child . </t> <t> stiles sought by police as suspect in 3-year-old girl 's videotaped rape . </t> <t> ex-girlfriend tina allen says he seemed good with kids when she dated him . </t> <t> allen says the girl lived in same apartment with her children . </t>

ex-girlfriend tells how child rape suspect met girl<T>

washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- during the 1960 presidential election , theodore sorensen helped then-sen . john f. kennedy draft a speech addressing kennedy 's catholicism and the separation between church and state . at the time , many questioned whether kennedy , who would go on to become the nation 's first roman catholic president , would be influenced by the catholic church . theodore sorensen helped write john f. kennedy 's 1960 speech on catholicism . speaking to cnn senior political analyst bill schneider , sorensen discussed kennedy 's famous 1960 speech and compared it to the speech on faith in politics delivered thursday by republican presidential candidate mitt romney , who would be the first mormon in the white house if he is elected . question : did kennedy 's 1960 speech win him the presidency ? sorensen : well , he obviously did n't lose it , nor did he free the country from the curse of anti-catholicism . the hate mail still poured into his office . the vicious picket signs were still seen out on the campaign trail , and , indeed , on election day . according to a university of michigan survey , more people voted against kennedy because of his religion than any other reason . nevertheless , that speech , which was nationally broadcast and frequently rebroadcast , certainly took a lot of the poison out of the anti-catholic issue and reassured all reasonable people . watch sorensen discuss why kennedy gave his speech ''<doc-sep>q. could president kennedy have delivered the speech romney gave on thursday ? sorensen : no . mr. romney 's position on many of the issues are very different than jfk 's . jfk wanted to particularly stress that he believed in the separation between church and state . he believed that no one needed to worry about a catholic bishop or a cardinal dictating to him as a president , and that freedom of religion included freedom for those to go to any church or not to go to any church at all . so , romney emphasized the role of religion in public life more strongly than jfk did or would have . q. romney seemed to differ quite strongly with kennedy on the privacy of religion , did n't he ? sorensen : yes , he did . in fact , romney felt compelled for some reason to define his personal views of jesus christ . kennedy said , as you noted , his personal views of religion were totally his business and not the business of the american people . q. romney made the statement `` freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom . '' do you think kennedy would have agreed with that ?<doc-sep>sorensen : i do n't think anyone would disagree strongly with that . there were some lines in the romney speech that echoed the kennedy speech . as an old speechwriter , i would congratulate mr. romney . it was a pretty good speech . i think he touched all the bases he wanted to touch . q. romney discussed his views of jesus christ , something that kennedy avoided . why did kennedy avoid discussing his religious views ? sorensen : because -lsb- kennedy -rsb- began the speech by saying his private religious beliefs -- his relationship with god or jesus christ or anything else -- was not a matter of public discussion . he did not think the election should be based on -- as he said , it 's not what kind of church i believe in , the question is what kind of country do i believe in . q. kennedy 's speech in 1960 is widely viewed as being successful . do you think romney 's speech is likely to be viewed as a success ? sorensen : i assume so . i do n't think mr. romney should be denied the presidency because of his religion . just as i do n't think senator -lsb- barack -rsb- obama should be denied because of his race . or that mrs. -lsb- hillary -rsb- clinton should be denied the presidency because of her gender . this country is in deep , serious trouble , and thoughtful citizens surely are going to make up their minds based on the major issues confronting the country and the major qualities of the candidates and not on such superficial tests as religion , race , or gender . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>sorensen : well , he obviously did n't lose it , nor did he free the country from the curse of anti-catholicism . the hate mail still poured into his office . the vicious picket signs were still seen out on the campaign trail , and , indeed , on election day . according to a university of michigan survey , more people voted against kennedy because of his religion than any other reason . nevertheless , that speech , which was nationally broadcast and frequently rebroadcast , certainly took a lot of the poison out of the anti-catholic issue and reassured all reasonable people . watch sorensen discuss why kennedy gave his speech '' q. could president kennedy have delivered the speech romney gave on thursday ? sorensen : no . mr. romney 's position on many of the issues are very different than jfk 's . jfk wanted to particularly stress that he believed in the separation between church and state . he believed that no one needed to worry about a catholic bishop or a cardinal dictating to him as a president , and that freedom of religion included freedom for those to go to any church or not to go to any church at all . so , romney emphasized the role of religion in public life more strongly than jfk did or would have . q. romney seemed to differ quite strongly with kennedy on the privacy of religion , did n't he ?<doc-sep>sorensen : yes , he did . in fact , romney felt compelled for some reason to define his personal views of jesus christ . kennedy said , as you noted , his personal views of religion were totally his business and not the business of the american people . q. romney made the statement `` freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom . '' do you think kennedy would have agreed with that ? sorensen : i do n't think anyone would disagree strongly with that . there were some lines in the romney speech that echoed the kennedy speech . as an old speechwriter , i would congratulate mr. romney . it was a pretty good speech . i think he touched all the bases he wanted to touch . q. romney discussed his views of jesus christ , something that kennedy avoided . why did kennedy avoid discussing his religious views ?<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- white house hopeful mitt romney will tell americans thursday morning as he seeks to become the nation 's first mormon president that he shares the same `` moral convictions '' as other people of faith . gop white house hopeful mitt romney says his address wo n't be a `` jfk speech . '' the former massachusetts governor is delivering the speech to address religion 's role in government but also to address concerns voters might have about the mormon religion . in excerpts released thursday morning , romney talks about the shared convictions of all faiths . but he resists those who would have him explain his own faith . `` there are some who would have a presidential candidate describe and explain his church 's distinctive doctrines . to do so would enable the very religious test the founders prohibited in the constitution , '' according to the excerpt . `` no candidate should become the spokesman for his faith . for if he becomes president , he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths . '' the gop contender has brushed off comparisons between his speech and john f. kennedy 's famous address about his religious beliefs , insisting it wo n't be a flashback to 1960 . `` i 'm not going to be giving a jfk speech , '' romney said . `` he gave the definitive speech on discrimination relating to a political campaign , and what he said makes sense to me . i 'm going to be talking about the role of religion and faith in america , in a free society . ''<doc-sep>the man who wants to become the first mormon president faces a different religious climate . nearly 77 percent of those questioned in an october cnn/opinion research corp. poll said the fact that a candidate is a mormon would not be a factor in the way they vote for president . but a significant portion -- 19 percent -- said they are less likely to vote for a mormon . `` those who have the biggest problem supporting a mormon are church-going and evangelical christians -- particularly those who believe that mormonism is not a christian religion , '' schneider said , citing the october poll . what do mormons believe ? '' and that also represents a large portion of the republican base . kennedy was n't viewed as a prominent player in catholic circles . he told the texas crowd , `` i am not the catholic candidate for president . i am the democratic party 's candidate for president who happens also to be a catholic . '' watch kennedy promise to separate his religion 's views from his own '' `` non-catholics expected kennedy to say his faith would make no difference , which is hardly what today 's republican christian conservatives want to hear , '' religion reporter dick ostling said in an interview with religionwriter . romney , however , is active in his church . at age 19 , he became a full-time missionary of the mormon church , temporarily leaving college to fulfill a mormon calling and eventually becoming the equivalent of a bishop . romney later made a fortune in the business world , and played a big role in the financial success of the 2002 olympic winter games . in 2002 , he defeated the democrats and became governor of traditionally liberal massachusetts .

<t> ted sorensen helped draft kennedy 's 1960 speech on roman catholicism . </t> <t> gop presidential hopeful mitt romney delivers speech on faith in politics . </t> <t> kennedy , romney views on religion differ greatly , sorensen says . </t> <t> sorensen says kennedy viewed religion as more of a private matter . </t>

kennedy aide : romney 's views on religion very different from jfk 's<T>

paris , france -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a major donors conference to raise funds for the palestinians has gone beyond expectations , with donors pledging $ 7.4 billion to help build a palestinian state , organizers said monday . france 's nicolas sarkoxy , left , welcomes tony blair and palestinian leader mahmoud abbas on monday . other delegations at the paris meeting are offering aid in kind , such as the international monetary fund , which said it would provide monitoring of the palestinians ' promised reforms to reassure donors that their money would be used efficiently . palestinian prime minister salam fayyad called the pledge of money a `` vote of confidence '' in the palestinians . former british prime minister tony blair said the support of donors needed to be repaid in the coming months with steps to create a lasting settlement . `` over the next few months , we have to show people our capability of making the difference on the ground , '' said blair , who co-hosted the conference in his new role as envoy for the so-called middle east quartet of the united nations , united states , european union and russia . the paris conference focuses on short-term priorities for the palestinians , and french president nicolas sarkozy said those include providing immediate support for the palestinian people -- particularly those living in gaza -- and stabilizing the palestinian economy . watch cnn 's jim bittermann explain the conference 's aims ''<doc-sep>it follows on the heels of last month 's peace talks in the u.s. in which israeli and palestinian leaders vowed to negotiate a final-status agreement by the end of 2008 . french president nicolas sarkozy said france would donate $ 300 million , and the united states was expected to pledge more than $ 500 million . central to the palestinians ' request for aid is a three-year reform plan that the palestinians prepared for the conference . the plan , which covers 2008 to 2010 , centers on economic development and government reform . the world bank praised the plan , calling it a `` promising effort '' to link policy-making , planning and budgeting . but in a report released monday , the world bank pointed out the reforms would succeed in helping palestinians only if they were accompanied by both donor aid and israeli actions . israeli foreign minister tzipi livni spoke of taking such actions , saying israel is committed to meeting its responsibilities under the middle east road map , especially regarding the contentious issue of settlements . livni said an agreement had been reached with the european union to provide training for palestinian police . palestinian authority president mahmoud abbas said the palestinians did n't lack will or determination but resources . he promised donors that palestinians would work hard to create a modern country in control of its security .<doc-sep>`` we are at a historic stage today , and the destiny of our region and peace depends on this , '' said abbas , who requested the conference be held . abbas earlier had requested $ 5.6 billion in aid over the next three years . sarkozy repeatedly told the conference he is a `` friend of israel , '' but he urged the israeli government to withdraw troops from the west bank , freeze settlements , reopen institutions in east jerusalem and help the isolated population of gaza . the world bank 's report detailed the challenges facing attempts to revive the palestinian economy , which has become almost totally dependent on foreign aid . the palestinian authority is the largest employer for its people , as private-sector jobs dry up . the world bank said wages for public sector employees account for almost half of the government 's expenditures . with public investment having nearly ceased , the world bank said , almost all government funds in the past two years have been used to pay salaries and cover operating costs . staffing also has gone up in the health and education sectors , the world bank said , leaving little money for pharmaceuticals , medical supplies , teaching and learning materials , and overall maintenance .<doc-sep>the world bank said the reforms would only succeed if they include gaza , where 40 percent of the palestinian population lives . gaza has been subject to a wide-ranging crackdown since hamas took power in june ; its borders are closed , fuel imports are restricted , and there are strict limits on all imported goods . `` the continued entry of humanitarian goods has mitigated the impact of the closures on gaza 's population , but has not been sufficient to offset the collapse of the private sector there , '' the world bank report said . unemployment across the palestinian territories stands at nearly 23 percent , the world bank said , but in gaza , 33 percent of the population is out of a job . it predicted the figures would rise if the restrictions continue . a report monday from the u.n. development program spotlighted the pressures on private palestinian businesses , especially in gaza , where it said the private sector `` is on the verge of collapse with no scope for recovery '' unless israeli restrictions are lifted . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's jim bittermann contributed to this report .<doc-sep>most of the money in the economy comes from the government -- the palestinian authority -- the largest employer in the west bank , and most of its money in turn comes from donor aid . many palestinians are borrowing money to fund their basic needs and it is feared that , if donor aid dries up , many will be without work to fund their lifestyles . naser abdelkarim , professor of financial economics at birzeit university , said : `` so the money comes from donors , yes . the largest borrower from the banking sector in -lrb- the palestinian territories -rrb- is the government , and that 's the danger . `` the large debt , public debt , we have around $ 5 billion in public debt that consists of around 70 % of gdp , too huge for a government that 's just born . '' a world bank report in july concluded that the palestinian economy has grown at an average of 7.7 % a year between 2007 and 2011 , but that the growth was not sustainable . it said the growth had been driven by foreign aid and that the private sector would need to take over to strengthen the economy . john nasir , lead author of the study , said in a press release : `` economic sustainability can not be based on foreign aid so it is critical for the palestinian authority to increase trade and spur private sector growth . '' something the government says it is trying to do , even as it grapples with cash shortfalls . the economic boom also allowed shryine ziadeh to follow her dream of opening the west bank 's first ballet school . `` when i was young and dancing ballet , i wished that i could do this and teach ballet , '' said ziadeh , who opened her school last year with the help of her family . `` i started it because in ramallah we do n't have ballet schools , we do n't have dance schools in general . ''<doc-sep>u.n. secretary-general ban ki-moon made an urgent plea as a donor conference to rebuild gaza kicked off sunday morning in cairo . `` the cycle of building and destroying must end , '' ban said in his opening remarks . `` donors may be fatigued , but the people of gaza are bruised and bloody . enough is enough . '' he said he hoped this would be the last gaza reconstruction conference . `` it is time to chart a course to a just and final peace between israelis and palestinians -- one that addresses all the outstanding issues , '' he said . the u.n. chief plans to visit gaza on tuesday to listen directly to its people and survey the situation . he will also visit israel . rebuilding gaza after this year 's conflict with israel will cost $ 4 billion , says the palestinian authority , which is presenting a reconstruction plan sunday . the governments of egypt and norway are hosting the cairo conference to help raise the funds needed , according to egypt 's foreign affairs ministry . palestinian president mahmoud abbas and deputy prime minister mohammad mustafa will be joined by some of the world 's most powerful diplomats , including the foreign ministers of japan , france and italy . they will speak about the challenges of rebuilding and how to approach the international response . multiple global aid organizations are also participating . officials announce aid to gaza . u.s. secretary of state john kerry announced an additional $ 212 million in aid to rebuild gaza , shortly after he arrived in cairo early sunday . the money doubles the amount already pledged , bringing the total u.s. contribution to $ 414 million . kerry said that raising funds should not be the only goal of the conference . `` i say clearly and with deep conviction here today , the united states remains fully and totally committed to returning to negotiations not just for the sake of it , but because the goal of this conference and the future of the region demand it , '' he said . he called for long-term investments in the palestinian economy to create a vibrant private sector . qatar announced a $ 1 billion dollar donation sunday . `` well , i think it wo n't simply be qatar pledging money ; all the other arab countries will pledge money as well , '' former british prime minister tony blair , a middle east quartet representative , told cnn 's becky anderson . he said the money would go through the right channels . `` if the palestinian authority as envisaged are in charge of that process of reconstruction , this money will go through them , will go through a proper treasury account properly administered , '' blair said . `` so we are taking a lot of painstaking efforts to make sure the money goes for the purpose for which it was intended and goes to benefit the people in gaza . '' the quartet is an informal diplomatic group made up of officials from the united states , united nations , european union and russia . it aims to promote middle east peace and palestinian development . israeli response . israel was not invited to the conference , but that does not mean that it wants to prevent the reconstruction of gaza , israeli foreign minister avigdor lieberman said in an interview with israel radio on sunday . lieberman said that it was important that funds raised in cairo not be used to produce weapons or build tunnels in gaza . he added that it was up to palestinians to prevent another operation in gaza . `` we are not looking for adventures , but if the rocket is renewed , israel has a right to defend itself , '' he said . operation protective edge . israel launched operation protective edge in gaza in july , saying the military operation was aimed at stopping hamas rocket attacks and destroying a network of tunnels that extended under the border with israel . more than 2,130 palestinians , mostly civilians , were killed in gaza during the 50 days of fighting that followed . the united nations estimates that more than 70 % were civilians , but israel reports a higher number of militants among the dead . sixty-eight people were killed on the israeli side , two of whom were civilians . many homes , schools and other buildings in gaza were destroyed or damaged before a ceasefire was reached in late august . the united nations estimates that 60,000 gazans were still living in shelters in late september .<doc-sep>assistance : cleaning products , food and water are stacked at the operation : gut and pump encampment in the breezy point on wednesday , a month after the storm . she added : ` for a consistent period of time , we 've had 5,000 workers and volunteers on the ground . ' according to the organization 's website , the red cross responds to some 70,000 natural and man-made disasters each year across the united states . ` people count on the red cross to help them in their darkest hour , ' the site reads . ` in turn , the support of donors makes it possible for the red cross to fulfil its humanitarian mission . ' among other things , the organization provides food and shelter in the wake of a disaster.the red cross was founded by clara barton in 1881 . sandy is being blamed for about $ 62 billion in damage and other losses in the u.s. , the vast majority of it in new york and new jersey -- a number that could likely increase . it is the second-costliest storm in u.s. history after 2005 's hurricane katrina in new orleans , which caused $ 128 billion in damage in inflation-adjusted dollars . sandy damaged or destroyed homes and businesses , more than 72,000 in new jersey alone , gov. chris christie said yesterday . photo op ? activist michelle manning said she only saw the red cross at key events , such as when president obama , left , visited staten island on november 15 . furious : staten island borough president james molinaro blasted the red cross during a november 1 press release , calling the organization an ` absolute disgrace ' new york is seeking $ 42 billion in federal aid , including about $ 9billion for projects to head off damage in future storms . meanwhile , new jersey is seeking nearly $ 37billion in aid , including $ 7.4 billion for future projects . new york mayor michael bloomberg met with congressional leaders wednesday to encourage quick action on storm aid . a month after the superstorm , the true power and scope of sandy has been calculated by the national hurricane center . the organization now says tropical force winds extended 820 miles at their widest , down from an earlier estimate of 1,000 miles . more work to do : new york city mayor michael bloomberg , right , held a press conference with u.s. u.s. sen. charles schumer , left , at the u.s. capitol to request more federal aid . all of the lights : lasers have been installed on the rooftop of the standard hotel on west 13th street in manhattan to commemorate the month anniversary of sandy . sandy 's pure kinetic energy for storm surge and wave ` destruction potential ' reached a 5.8 on the national oceanic and atmospheric administration 's 0 to 6 scale , the highest measured . governments are seeking money to help head off future disasters , as climate scientists continue to predict rising sea levels and the potential for more bad storms . in new york , gov. andrew cuomo wants electrical transformers in commercial buildings hauled to upper floors ; the ability to shutter key tunnels , airports and subways ; and to require hospitals to have backup power on high ground instead of on lower floors or in basements . video : new jersey gov. chris christie estimates sandy damages at $ 36.8 billion .<doc-sep>allegations : american generals delayed kabul hospital abuse probe . the united states gave afghanistan the designation as part of an enduring strategic partnership agreement signed in may by president barack obama and his afghan counterpart , hamid karzai . afghanistan joins japan , pakistan , egypt , israel and australia , among others , granted major non-nato ally status by the united states . unlike nato allies of the united states , who are bound together by a joint defense pact , there is no mutual defense guarantee as a non-nato ally . clinton made it clear the united states has no intention of abandoning afghanistan after the troops withdrawal . `` we will continue , of course , to protect afghanistan from any efforts by insurgents and outsiders to destabilize afghanistan , '' she said . clinton and karzai are headed to the meeting sunday in tokyo , where private and public donors are expected to pledge nearly $ 4 billion in aid for reconstruction . during the news conference , clinton also hinted at thawing u.s.-pakistani relations , which were virtually frozen after the killing of osama bin laden , u.s. claims that pakistan failed to crackdown on insurgents conducting cross-border attacks in afghanistan and islamabad 's demand that washington apologize for the killing of 24 pakistani soldiers in november 2011 .

<t> new : donors pledge $ 7.4 billion to help build a palestinian state . </t> <t> new : imf offers to monitor palestinians ' promised reforms . </t> <t> palestinian aid conference organizers hail event as a new beginning . </t> <t> tony blair says donors need to be repaid with steps to create a lasting settlement . </t>

donors pledge $ 7.4 billion palestinian aid<T>

atlanta , georgia -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- i was 14 at the time . lebanon 's civil war was in full flood . one afternoon the shells began raining down on our neighborhood in beirut . a lebanese woman and her son run through west beirut in 1989 during fighting between rival forces . we ran from school screaming . forget the book bags , classmates , homework . just run . out of breath , my knees giving way , it seemed to take forever to reach our local shelter -- a dark humid room at the back of our apartment block . the memory of that terrifying afternoon receded -- until recently . after more than a decade of relative peace and reconstruction , the bombings and assassinations have returned to beirut . every time i hear of a new explosion , i think of a frightened child sitting in darkness . in 1988 , i watched the last throes of lebanon 's civil war firsthand -- and like millions of lebanese , sad , frustrated and often fearful . see a timeline of lebanon 's recent history '' now i watch from another continent , but i find those same emotions resurfacing . the conspiracies , the car bombs , the threatening rhetoric and political deadlock are eerily familiar . the actors are like shadows from a long gone past . they are grayer perhaps -- those who have avoided assassination . but the cast in lebanon 's tragedy has changed little in two decades . then , as now , a presidential election is the setting , and the struggle where religion and clan play the main roles threatens to set lebanon back 20 years . see bios of lebanon 's major players '' in 1988 , the president 's term was coming to an end and the warring factions were unable to agree on a new candidate . militias prevented parliament members from reaching the assembly building . compromise was nowhere in sight . the west had abandoned lebanon to the manipulation of its neighbors . syria had its choice for president ; israel had its own allies -- a foil for growing muslim radicalism . the country was awash with weapons . in his last act as president , amin gemayel named fellow christian and army chief michel aoun as prime minister . at a stroke , he shattered the convention that a muslim hold that position . muslims refused to serve in the cabinet and the country ended up with two governments . aoun famously declared : `` i am prime minister and six ministers in one . '' aoun 's `` war of liberation '' against syria turned into defeat . then , he turned on fellow christians of the lebanese forces in the `` war of elimination . '' when that failed , the syrians drove aoun to take refuge at the french embassy . in august 1990 , i came to cnn as a world report panelist . i tried to explain lebanon 's chaos , the bewildering array of factions and the horrors of civil war for ordinary civilians . i had seen people killed in front of me ; children orphaned in seconds , parents burying their infants in oversize white coffins . so when i was offered the opportunity to stay at cnn , i gratefully accepted the chance to escape the anarchy . but almost as i left , the civil war was being laid to rest . the various factions had fought each other to a standstill ; arab governments , supported by the west , helped negotiate a new constitutional framework overseen by syrian influence . peace came to lebanon , but it would be five years before i returned . in 1995 , i went back and was stunned . i kept looking around for checkpoints manned by militants . i could n't believe that i could go anywhere without being harassed or kidnapped by one faction or another . no longer did identity -- christian , muslim or druze -- define where lebanese could go . people mixed freely in chic coffee shops and smoked the hubble-bubble , laughing at the same jokes . it was as if lebanon 's divisions had been wiped away by some magic eraser . downtown beirut , once rocked by explosions and pitted with bullet holes , was rocking to lebanese pop music . the dusty sandbags had given way to boutiques carrying the latest european fashions and deluxe hotels . lovers had returned to beirut 's corniche , overlooking the mediterranean , for romantic strolls at sunset . but the agreement that ended the civil war was more a truce than a real settlement -- and was overseen by a `` pax syriana . '' as anti-syrian sentiment grew , so did political tensions . on valentine 's day 2005 , the corniche was once again rocked by an explosion . former prime minister rafik hariri was killed . the symbolism left me speechless . on the day of love , lebanon was thrown back into its most hateful history . it had been widely expected that hariri would run for office again and demand the withdrawal of syrian troops . suspicion fell on damascus , which vehemently denied involvement . on march 14 , martyrs ' square became a human sea of demonstrators : muslims , druze and christians alike , demanding the `` truth . '' but hariri 's death also exposed the fault lines that had broken lebanon a generation previously . even after it withdrew its troops , syria still had allies in lebanon . one was hezbollah , accused of the suicide attacks that had killed scores of u.s. marines in beirut more than 20 years previously . another was gen. michel aoun ; now back from exile , the same michel aoun who had defied syria in 1989 , but who now made common cause with hezbollah against his fellow christians . earlier this year i visited martyrs ' square . the spirit of the cedar revolution had evaporated . the place looked like a morgue . anti-government hezbollah squatters had brought life there to a standstill . as i passed through , business owners stood silent in the sun and shook their heads at me in despair . i wondered if they sensed my disappointment , my pain at watching beirut bleed again . lebanon 's political actors now find themselves re-enacting scenes from the final act of the civil war 19 years ago . once again , the term of the president is approaching its end ; there is no agreement on his successor . suspicion and fear are the political currency of the day . and the questions haunts me : will the country 's brief renaissance that so amazed me in 1995 be snuffed out by the old curse of sectarian rivalries ? e-mail to a friend . cnn 's joe sterling , david ariosto , saad abedine and tracy doueiry contributed to this report .<doc-sep>khadija and her brother amjad are from aleppo , which has suffered some of the heaviest bombardments during the bloodbath in syria . cnn correspondent mohammed jamjoon recalled how the children were determined to have fun , despite the freezing conditions . `` clinging to any remnant of childhood abandon they could , they decided to build a snowman , '' he said . `` this photo was taken on the same site where christian got the picture of the boy and the snowman . `` it 's very moving : you want to give , but you feel helpless . you 're the outsider with the big camera , but they just want to explain their situation , '' he recalled . `` and every conversation finishes with the same sentence : i want to go home . '' that 's not going to happen soon . the child refugees in lebanon are unlikely to see their homeland again before reaching adulthood . lebanon has absorbed the highest number of syria 's refugees . the u.n. predicts there will be more than 1.5 million in the country by the end of 2013 . lebanon 's population is only 4.2 million . this syrian boy launched into a snowball fight in arsal on monday . mohammed jamjoom said : `` we watched at least six boys play and enjoy themselves while aid was being distributed . '' syrians would go to any lengths to reach lebanon , jamjoom said . that 's despite the horrific conditions they found when they arrived . he recalled the scene as he and cameraman chris jackson accompanied medics and aid workers as they immunized children aged five and under on a previous visit to a camp in the bekaa valley .<doc-sep>in the film lecter questions a young fbi trainee clarice starling about her childhood traumas , in a scene which is eerily reminiscent of harris 's depiction of his encounter with dr salazar . jodie foster as clarice starling , harris 's detective whose terrifying encoutner with hannibal lecter in the film silence of the lambs was inspired by a real-life doctor . the first film adapted from harris 's novels was manhunter , which was based on red dragon and featured brian cox as lecter . hopkins reprised the role however in 2001 's hannibal , where lecter became the main character of the film . he also played lecter in a second adaptation of red dragon in 2002 . the character was chosen as the number one movie villain by the american film institute in 2003 .<doc-sep>by . daily mail reporter . published : . 13:51 est , 10 january 2013 . | . updated : . 14:22 est , 10 january 2013 . inspiring : peter deal 's victim came forward after hearing former england rugby star brian moore , pictured , talk about his own childhood abuse . a former boxing coach was jailed today for raping and abusing a schoolboy 40 years ago , after the victim was prompted to break decades of silence by former england rugby star brian moore 's disclosures that he was sexually abused as a child . peter deal , 74 , was jailed for five years at inner london crown court after previously pleading guilty to seven charges , ranging from buggery to indecent assault , between 1969 and 1973 . the court heard his victim , now 54 , had not told anyone about the abuse he endured from the age of 10 to 13 until he heard a radio interview with former harlequins player moore , nicknamed pitbull , about the abuse he endured at the hands of one of his teachers . in his autobiography beware of the . dog , moore , now 50 , said the abuse began when he and three other boys , . aged nine and 10 , were lured into a tent and sexually abused by a . teacher while on a field trip in yorkshire . he . said the childhood traumas made him ferociously competitive on the . rugby field and contributed to the breakdown of two marriages . today .<doc-sep>an estimated five million australian adults continue to be affected by childhood abuse . the australian government could save between $ 6.8 billion and $ 9.1 billion a year by effectively responding to child abuse , a new report has found . commissioned by adults surviving child abuse -lrb- asca -rrb- , a national organisation which works to assist adults who have been scarred by childhood traumas , the study was completed by pegasus economics to highlight the financial costs of dealing with the long-term impacts of child abuse experienced by about five million adults across the country . it found that if the government invested in timely and comprehensive interventions for children who experience sexual , emotional and physical abuse , it could avoid spending millions of dollars on dealing with the destructive coping mechanisms developed by victims later down the track . ` early life trauma and abuse affect the developing brain and have many possible impacts on daily adult life , ' the report states . ` these include the coping strategies children adopt ... -lsb- which -rsb- may still be used in adult life . perpetuated when the underlying trauma is not resolved , these coping strategies are associated with health risks in adulthood . ' strategies can include alcohol abuse , drug abuse , eating disorders , overeating and smoking and can also see adults have ` encounters with the criminal justice system ' .

<t> cnn 's octavia nasr : will lebanon 's brief renaissance be snuffed out ? </t> <t> nasr says lebanon 's key power players have n't changed since 1980s . </t> <t> nasr : current struggle threatens to set lebanon back 20 years . </t>

childhood traumas resurface as lebanon bleeds again<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- saudi king abdullah has pardoned a rape victim who had been sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison in a case that sparked international attention , a saudi newspaper has reported . the case cast light on the treatment of women under saudi arabia 's strict islamic law . al-jazirah newspaper quoted a saudi justice ministry official saying king abdullah issued a royal pardon monday -- the same day that the hajj , the annual muslim pilgrimage to mecca , begins in saudi arabia . the victim 's husband told cnn he has not received an official letter regarding her pardon , but considers it to be legitimate since it was announced in an official saudi newspaper . he thanked king abdullah for the pardon , saying : `` this fatherly care and noble gesture will help -lrb- in -rrb- lifting the emotional and psychological stress and suffering that our family has been enduring . '' `` this is not something new because we know that the king was always generous in dealing with his people and the entire world , '' the husband said . `` this week , we have two holidays to celebrate ; the eid and this great news of the pardon . '' saudi sources told cnn that the king 's pardon was not related to the beginning of the hajj nor the eid al-adha festival that follows , which is normally when the saudi monarch issues amnesty for prisoners . watch how arab media is reporting the story . '' saudi arabia 's justice minister abdullah bin mohammad al-sheikh told al-jazirah newspaper that the king felt the pardon would be in the best interests of the saudi people , and the decision did not reflect any lack of confidence in the saudi justice system . the white house welcomed king abdullah 's decision , but national security council spokesman gordon johndroe stressed that `` this is obviously a matter for the saudi arabians and king abdullah . '' a saudi court ruled the 19-year-old had an `` illegitimate relationship '' with a man who was not her husband , and that she was raped after she and the man were discovered in a `` compromising situation , her clothes on the ground . '' the rape took place in qatif in march 2006 when the woman was engaged to be married . the case has drawn international attention , provoked outrage in the west and cast light on the treatment of women under strict islamic law in saudi arabia . the woman was meeting with a man -- described by the woman 's attorney as a former friend from whom she was retrieving a photograph -- when they both were abducted last march . seven men , convicted of abducting the pair and raping her , were sentenced from two to nine years in prison . abdul rahman al-lahim , the lawyer who represented the woman , faced a disciplinary hearing for `` insulting the supreme judicial council and disobeying the rules and regulations '' of the judiciary . the hearing has been postponed . the woman 's husband has been outspoken in his support for his wife . he called a lebanese tv show to defend her , when a former saudi judge claimed on the program that she `` spoil -lrb- ed -rrb- their marital bed '' by meeting an unrelated male `` in secret '' and admitted her guilt . al-lahim has said he hopes the case changes the saudi justice system . `` we want to highlight the rape crimes in saudi arabia and the way they are handled and sentenced in court , '' he added . `` this is a new era for all of us . '' he said that the rape case had elicited a fierce response , including calls for his beheading . u.s. president george w. bush said last week that king abdullah `` knows our position loud and clear '' on the case . under saudi law , women are subject to numerous restrictions , including a strict dress code , a prohibition against driving and a requirement that they get a man 's permission to travel or have surgery . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's mohammed jamjoom , saad abedine and isha sesay contributed to this report .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- saudi king abdullah has pardoned a rape victim who had been sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison in a case that sparked international attention , a saudi newspaper has reported . the case cast light on the treatment of women under saudi arabia 's strict islamic law . al-jazirah newspaper quoted a saudi justice ministry official saying king abdullah issued a royal pardon monday -- the same day that the hajj , the annual muslim pilgrimage to mecca , begins in saudi arabia . the victim 's husband told cnn he has not received an official letter regarding her pardon , but considers it to be legitimate since it was announced in an official saudi newspaper . he thanked king abdullah for the pardon , saying : `` this fatherly care and noble gesture will help -lrb- in -rrb- lifting the emotional and psychological stress and suffering that our family has been enduring . '' `` this is not something new because we know that the king was always generous in dealing with his people and the entire world , '' the husband said . `` this week , we have two holidays to celebrate ; the eid and this great news of the pardon . ''<doc-sep>washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- president bush said tuesday that saudi arabia 's king abdullah `` knows our position loud and clear '' on the punishment of the victim of a gang rape . president bush said he would be angry with a state that did not support a rape victim . however , bush said he did not recall having raised the issue during a recent telephone conversation with the king . the woman was sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison for violating the kingdom 's strict islamic law by being alone with an unrelated man before the rape . the president said during a white house news conference that upon learning of the case , `` my first thoughts were these : what happens if this happened to my daughter ? how would i react ? and i would have been ... i would have been very emotional , of course . `` i 'd have been angry at those who committed the crime . and i would be angry at a state that did n't support the victim .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the husband of a saudi rape victim sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison said his wife is `` a crushed human being , '' but blamed a judge -- not the saudi judicial system -- for treating her as a criminal . human rights groups want saudi arabia 's king abdullah to drop charges against the rape victim . saudi society is respectful of women , he said , adding that he had faith his wife would get justice . the ruling relates to an incident in march 2006 when the woman , then 18 and engaged to be married , and an unrelated man were abducted from a mall in qatif , saudi arabia , by a group of seven men . she was later raped . in october , the men were convicted and sentenced to two to nine years in prison for the assault . she was convicted of violating the kingdom 's strict islamic law by not having a male guardian with her at the mall . `` from the outset , my wife was dealt with as a guilty person who committed a crime , '' said her 24-year-old husband . `` she was not given any chance to prove her innocence or describe how she was a victim of multiple brutal rapes . '' the husband , who asked to remain unnamed , spoke to cnn senior arab affairs editor octavia nasr . his wife , who he said is `` a quiet , simple person who does not bother anyone , '' is ill and too fragile to speak about the case , he said . as her guardian under saudi law , he is standing up for her publicly . watch the victim 's husband speak out ''<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the husband of a saudi rape victim sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison said his wife is `` a crushed human being , '' but blamed a judge -- not the saudi judicial system -- for treating her as a criminal . human rights groups want saudi arabia 's king abdullah to drop charges against the rape victim . saudi society is respectful of women , he said , adding that he had faith his wife would get justice . the ruling relates to an incident in march 2006 when the woman , then 18 and engaged to be married , and an unrelated man were abducted from a mall in qatif , saudi arabia , by a group of seven men . she was later raped . in october , the men were convicted and sentenced to two to nine years in prison for the assault . she was convicted of violating the kingdom 's strict islamic law by not having a male guardian with her at the mall . `` from the outset , my wife was dealt with as a guilty person who committed a crime , '' said her 24-year-old husband . `` she was not given any chance to prove her innocence or describe how she was a victim of multiple brutal rapes . '' the husband , who asked to remain unnamed , spoke to cnn senior arab affairs editor octavia nasr . his wife , who he said is `` a quiet , simple person who does not bother anyone , '' is ill and too fragile to speak about the case , he said . as her guardian under saudi law , he is standing up for her publicly . watch the victim 's husband speak out '' the attack , trial and sentencing have taken a heavy toll on his wife 's already-poor health , he said . she suffers from anemia , a blood disorder and asthma , and will have surgery next month to remove her gallbladder , he said .

<t> new : sources say pardon unrelated to hajj nor subsequent eid al-adha . </t> <t> new : justice minister says king felt pardon in best interests of saudi people . </t> <t> report : king abdullah pardons rape victim sentenced to 200 lashes . </t> <t> a saudi court had ruled the 19-year-old had an `` illegitimate relationship '' </t>

king pardons saudi rape victim<T>

washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- rep. tom lantos , the democratic chairman of the house committee on foreign affairs , died monday due to complications from cancer , his office said . lantos was 80 . rep. tom lantos represented his northern california district for 14 terms . he died at the national naval medical center in bethesda , maryland , surrounded by his wife , annette , daughters annette and katrina and many of his 18 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren , according to his office . lantos ' life was `` defined by courage , optimism , and unwavering dedication to his principles and to his family , '' said his wife , annette , his childhood sweetheart , in a statement the house of representatives released .<doc-sep>secretary of state condoleezza rice said monday that she was `` quite devastated '' by the death of her `` dear , dear friend . '' she called him `` a true american hero '' and `` the genuine article . '' `` he 's going to be really , really missed , '' she said . rice described lantos as `` the embodiment of what it meant to have one 's freedom denied and then to find it and to insist that americans stand for spreading the benefits of freedom and prosperity to others . '' lantos , who was serving his 14th term in the house , was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in december . he announced last month that he would not seek a new term .<doc-sep>`` it is only in the united states that a penniless survivor of the holocaust and a fighter in the anti-nazi underground could have received an education , raised a family and had the privilege of serving the last three decades of his life as a member of congress , '' lantos said in a statement at the time . `` i will never be able to express fully my profoundly felt gratitude to this great country . '' watch senate majority leader harry reid remember lantos '' the lawmaker is the only holocaust survivor to have served in congress . the hungarian-born lantos came to the united states in 1947 after surviving a forced-labor camp in his nazi-allied homeland . he escaped and was sheltered in a budapest safe house set up by swedish diplomat raoul wallenberg , who was credited with saving tens of thousands of hungarian jews during world war ii .<doc-sep>he arrived in the united states after being awarded an academic scholarship to study , according to his congressional web site . he received bachelor 's and master 's degrees in economics from the university of washington in seattle and later earned a doctorate in economics from the university of california , berkeley , the site said . as a lawmaker , lantos was an outspoken human rights advocate . he supported the 2002 congressional resolution that authorized president bush to launch the invasion of iraq but later became an outspoken critic of the conflict . he was the latest of more than a dozen members to announce plans to leave the house at the end of the year , most of them republicans . his san francisco-area district is solidly democratic , and he won re-election with more than three-quarters of the vote in 2006 . `` chairman lantos will be remembered as a man of uncommon integrity and sincere moral conviction -- and a public servant who never wavered in his pursuit of a better , freer and more religiously tolerant world , '' house republican whip roy blunt of missouri said in a statement . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>he was referring to the late rep. tom lantos , d-california , whom the foundation describes as a champion of human rights during his 27 years in congress . lantos , who was the only holocaust survivor in congress , died of cancer in february 2008 . his image is on the large medal . before presenting the award , pelosi said people continue to be inspired by the dalai lama 's messages of peace and nonviolence . the medal , the california democrat said , contains the words `` the rights of one are the rights of all . '' `` the dalai lama is one of the most highly honored peacemakers of our time , '' she added . tuesday 's program focused largely on the work of lantos , who co-founded the congressional human rights caucus about 20 years ago . the name of the caucus has been changed to the tom lantos human rights commission , and part of its mission is to `` promote , defend and advocate internationally recognized human rights norms in a nonpartisan manner , '' according to its web site . the group is a formal entity of congress , said howard berman , d-california , who was at tuesday 's event . also at the ceremony was sen. john mccain , r-arizona , who called lantos `` an inspiration . '' `` when he died we lost one of the better angels of our national conscience , '' mccain said .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- yahoo misled congress regarding information the internet company gave to chinese authorities about the journalist shi tao , democratic rep. tom lantos said tuesday . yahoo officials have been asked to testify before a house committee in november about a chinese journalist 's case . lantos , a california representative and chairman of the house foreign affairs committee , asked yahoo inc. officials to testify about the company 's role in a case that sent chinese newspaper writer and editor shi to prison on a 10-year sentence . lantos asked yahoo chief executive officer jerry yang and senior vice president and general counsel michael callahan to appear november 6 . `` our committee has established that yahoo provided false information to congress in early 2006 , '' lantos said in a written statement . `` we want to clarify how that happened , and to hold the company to account for its actions both before and after its testimony proved untrue . and we want to examine what steps the company has taken since then to protect the privacy rights of its users in china . '' the newspaper reporter had posted information under a pseudonym on an overseas web site called democracy forum about a government crackdown on media and democracy activists , lantos said . shi was later arrested in his home in beijing after yahoo gave chinese authorities information about his e-mail account , his computer address , his log-on history and the contents of several weeks of his e-mail , lantos said . lantos said a yahoo official testified last year that the company knew nothing `` about the nature of the investigation '' of shi , a pro-democracy activist now serving time on what lantos called `` trumped-up charges . '' `` we have now learned there is much more to the story than yahoo let on , and a chinese government document that yahoo had in their possession at the time of the hearing left little doubt of the government 's intentions , '' said republican rep. chris smith of new jersey . `` u.s. companies must hold the line and not work hand in glove with the secret police . '' in a written statement , yahoo spokeswoman tracy schmaler said yahoo representatives have been truthful with congress . he called the house committee 's accusation `` grossly unfair '' and said it `` mischaracterizes the nature and intent of our past testimony . '' during a february 2006 subcommittee hearing on limits to freedom on the internet in china , lantos and smith questioned callahan about shi . callahan testified to the subcommittee that yahoo handed over the information to chinese authorities at a time when it knew nothing about the investigation , lantos said . but the san francisco , california-based human-rights group the dui hua foundation released documents in july indicating police in china had written to yahoo saying they were seeking evidence about shi for illegally `` providing state secrets to foreign entities , '' a charge frequently levied against political dissidents in china . `` this new documentation suggests that yahoo 's beijing office was at least aware of the general nature of the crime being investigated in the shi tao case , '' said joshua rosenzweig , manager of research and publications for the dui hua foundation . even if yahoo was unaware of the specific circumstances of the chinese government 's inquiry , `` one does not have to be an expert in chinese law to know that ` state secrets ' charges have often been used to punish political dissent in china , '' said rosenzweig . shi has appealed his 10-year sentence for divulging state secrets , saying he did not know the information he shared was classified . he accused the police of using improper procedures in the investigation and arrest . in addition , he has filed suit in u.s. federal court against yahoo and its hong kong-based subsidiary . yahoo 's spokeswoman said the company is working with other companies and the human rights community `` to develop a global code of conduct for operating in countries around the world , including china . '' e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>and one of the chief supporters of the resolution , house foreign affairs chairman tom lantos , d-california , was unmoved by the administration 's arguments that turkey would block the use of u.s. airbases on turkish soil . `` the turkish government will not act against the united states because that would be against their own interests , '' he told cnn . `` i 'm convinced of this . '' lantos , the only member of the house who is a holocaust survivor , says passage of the resolution would also help to bring a moral dimension back to u.s. foreign policy . `` one of the problems we have diplomatically globally is that we have lost our moral authority which we used to have in great abundance , '' lantos said . `` people around the globe who are familiar with these events will appreciate the fact that the united states is speaking out against a historic injustice . this would be like sweeping slavery under the rug and saying slavery never occurred . ''<doc-sep>washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- with tensions rising between the united states and turkey over a resolution that labels the world war i-era massacre of armenians by turkish forces `` genocide , '' many are asking why the house is debating the resolution now . rep. tom lantos says passage of the genocide resolution would help restore america 's moral authority . the house foreign affairs committee voted 27-21 wednesday to approve the nonbinding resolution , which declares that the deportation of nearly 2 million armenians from the ottoman empire between 1915 and 1923 -- resulting in the deaths of 1.5 million -- was `` systematic '' and `` deliberate , '' amounting to `` genocide . '' the democratic leadership has not scheduled a final vote . administration officials have lobbied against the resolution , saying good u.s-turkish relations are vital to u.s. forces in iraq . the pentagon says 70 percent of the military 's cargo heading into iraq either flies into or over turkey .

<t> new : secretary of state calls rep. tom lantos `` a true american hero '' </t> <t> lantos was only holocaust survivor to serve in congress . </t> <t> california congressman disclosed last month he was suffering from cancer . </t> <t> lantos had said he would not seek re-election to 15th term in house . </t>

rep. tom lantos of california dies at 80<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- kenya has enjoyed a reputation as one of east africa 's most stable nations since achieving independence from the uk in 1963 . residents of the mathare slum in nairobi shout at demonstrators during violent clashes . but a booming tourism industry , impressive economic growth -- currently six percent a year according to the economist -- and decades of peace in a region scarred by conflict have served to disguise widespread poverty , violent crime and corruption and simmering ethnic tensions . tribal bonds remain stronger than national identity in kenya , with the country 's 36 million people claiming allegiance to around 40 different tribes .<doc-sep>last week 's election pitched incumbent president mwai kibaki , a member of kenya 's largest kikuyu tribe , against opposition leader raila odinga of the luo tribe . the kikuyu make up about 22 percent of kenya 's population . mostly originating from kenya 's central highlands , the kikuyu have long wielded strong economic and political power within the country . kenya 's first post-independence leader , jomo kenyatta , president from 1964 until 1978 , was a kikuyu .<doc-sep>kibaki , a government minister from 1965 until winning power as head of the party of national unity in elections five years ago , also enjoys the support of kenyatta 's successor , daniel arap moi , a member of the kalenjin tribe who ruled kenya for 24 years from 1978 to 2002 . the luo make up around 13 percent of the population , mostly in the west of the country . but they also form a sizeable community in some of nairobi 's most notorious slums , such as the vast kibera shantytown where odinga enjoys strong support and where some of this week 's fiercest violence has occurred . odinga 's orange democratic movement is also backed by many members of the luhya tribe , kenya 's second largest ethnic group , after odinga promised to make a leading luhya his deputy if elected .<doc-sep>this week 's violence came as election officials declared victory for kibaki with 51.3 percent to 48.7 percent for odinga in the closest presidential vote in kenyan electoral history . but the result has been questioned by international election observers , throwing the country 's political future into doubt . kibaki 's first election success in 2002 -- declared free and fair by international observers -- was hailed at the time as a step forward for kenyan democracy . however , his term has been dogged by allegations of corruption and graft . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>08:36 est , 17 january 2013 . inspired : malik obama , left , is attempting to become governor of kenyan county siaya , claiming he has been ` inspired and challenged ' by his half-brother barack . barack obama 's kenyan half-brother has launched his own political career , claiming he has been ` inspired and challenged ' by the us president . malik obama , 54 , who shares a father with his powerful brother , plans to run for governor of a kenyan county . the economist said that the achievements of his more famous brother , who became america 's first ever black president , had prompted him to try politics for himself . he said : ` when i look at the success that my brother has had in america , i feel i would have let down my people if i do not follow in his footsteps and end their suffering through dedicated , honest and focused leadership . '<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- kenya 's most critical and complex election in its 50th year since independence kicks off on march 4 , next monday . critical because it 'll be the first real road test of the new western-style liberal constitution promulgated in august 2010 in the aftermath of kenya 's near-death experience after the controversial 2007 elections that resulted in a convulsion of violence that saw over 1,000 killed and at one point over 600,000 displaced . critical as well because , crucially , two of the leading contenders , uhuru kenyatta and william ruto of the jubilee coalition are defendants before the international criminal court -lrb- icc -rrb- accused of crimes against humanity . they deny the charges , and will both run in the election . rather unfortunately , an election many had hoped would be about the new constitution and resolving the underlying issues that made the last election so toxic , has ended up , thus far , defined by the icc and the tribal mobilization this has enabled . read this : can mobiles help stop kenya election violence ? it is a complex election as well because kenya is implementing a devolved 47-county system of government via these polls -- electing governors , senators , county representatives and other officials to a brand new federated structure of government -- an election that will be , per capita , the most expensive in the world . still , kenyans -- especially the rural poor -- are enthusiastic about devolution as it promises greater accountability on the part of one of the continent 's most durable , sophisticated , well resourced , corrupt and ruthless elites . while much attention has focused on the close and potentially troublesome presidential election the real action may actually turn out to be at the county level that is totally new . kenyans are coming to terms with the fact that what `` normal '' means is about to change forever . all these factors , combined with reports of continuing ethnic balkanization in informal settlements , threats and arming for both defensive and offensive violence , have served to create an atmosphere of high anxiety preceding the polls . the anxiety is in part because the country is trying to move so many big governance boulders at the same time informed by the violence that took place last time . peace-building activities -lrb- prayers , concerts , roadshows , talk shows , plays , films etc. -rrb- have been legion , competing for overloaded national political bandwidth during this hectic electioneering period . it all reveals a country that terrified itself out of its own wits as a result of the sheer barbarity and speed of the meltdown in 2008 . read this : kenyan djs go without food for peaceful elections . that said , barring some catastrophic blunder by the nascent independent election and boundaries commission -lrb- iebc -rrb- that shall be conducting the election , which pollsters predict will be so close between the two leading candidates , kenyatta and odinga that a run-off is likely , kenyan elections are usually smooth affairs . trouble usually comes afterwards . a second round is an innovation to kenyans and much will transpire between the first and second rounds if there is n't a clear winner on march 4 . the icc has destabilized kenya 's politics but introduced a new measure of elite accountability , raising the cost of elite-driven violence to a level that has meant the tribal vitriol of previous electioneering has n't been in such evidence this time around .<doc-sep>`` kenyan cycling is still at grassroots , and that 's a good thing because there 's not much politics , '' kinjah tells cnn . `` we do it at our own village level and we are happy , but the future looks bright .<doc-sep>`` even the united nations , when they meet , you find politics overtakes the important things of listening to each other . in the seychelles , people come here and we forget our politics , we forget our religion , forget the color of skin . ''

<t> kenya 's 36 million population made up of around 40 tribal groups . </t> <t> president mwai kibaki belongs to the influential and powerful kikuyu tribe . </t> <t> challenger raila odinga 's luo tribe forms sizeable group in west , nairobi slums . </t> <t> kenya dogged by poverty , violent crime , corruption , simmering ethnic tensions . </t>

tribal bonds color kenyan politics<T>

baghdad , iraq -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- all vehicles were banned from the largely shiite city of amara wednesday after three car bombs ripped through a market district , killing at least 27 people and wounded 151 , officials said . iraqis gather at the site of a car bomb in the city of amara on wednesday . the blasts detonated in close succession in a commercial area in the central section of amara , the provincial capital of maysan province and a city that has been the scene of fighting between rival shiite factions . baghdad was also hit by violence on wednesday . a car bomb there killed five iraqi civilians and wounded 15 others , an interior ministry official told cnn . the incident occurred in a christian section of the largely shiite new baghdad district . maj. gen. abdul karim khalaf , head of the interior ministry 's national command center , confirmed the casualty figures in the amara bombing . he and a committee were headed to amara to investigate the incident . he said the ministry fired the city 's police chief in the aftermath of the attack . maysan gov. adil muhawdar radhi announced the vehicle ban , which he said will be in place through thursday . he said additional security measures have been put in place in the city . the first bomb , in a car parked in a commercial area , detonated about 9:30 a.m. . as onlookers gathered , the second one exploded in a nearby garage a few minutes later . it was followed by a third bomb in the garage a few minutes after that . ambulances and police raced to the scene . news footage showed burning vehicles and black smoke , and the clothing of victims scattered beside pools of blood . iraqi state television showed hospitals packed with people . al-forat , an iraqi tv station affiliated with the supreme islamic council of iraq political movement , reported that most of the casualties were women and children . prime minister nuri al-maliki , in a statement , denounced the attack . `` the targeting of unarmed civilians today in the markets of amara town by car bombs -- that is another ring in the chain of conspiracy against the iraqi people that is aiming to destabilize the security and stability in this province , '' which he said endured cruelty under the saddam hussein regime . maysan , which borders iran , has been under iraqi security control much of this year after control was transferred from the british military . it was not immediately known who was responsible for the blasts , but the violence is a reminder of the intense fighting between the mehdi army -- the militia of anti-american shiite cleric muqtada al-sadr -- and the badr brigade , the militia of the sici , which condemned the bombings and blamed `` saddamists and takfiris . '' the two movements are bitter rivals and have been in the middle of local power struggles in iraq 's southern provinces and other shiite areas . watch how shiite groups have been vying for power '' britain , which has been in command of the south since the iraqi war began , has been working to withdraw its troops from the region , which , despite this latest violence , has always been more stable than baghdad and other outlying regions . britain 's defense ministry said on wednesday that the british military will transfer security control of the southern province of basra to iraqi forces on sunday . ali al-dabbagh , iraq 's government spokesman , confirmed the date and said the maysan attacks will not affect the handover . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's jomana karadsheh contributed to this report .<doc-sep>at least 40 people have been killed in a wave of sectarian car bombings across iraq . shiite neighbourhoods of baghdad and the southern city of basra were targeted as bombers struck at market places and crowded bus stops during the busy morning hours , officials said . the attacks , which left dozens of people injured , are the latest in a recent spike of bombings that has hit both sunni and shiite civilian targets over the past week . wreckage : civilians gather at the site of a car bomb attack in front of a crowded restaurant in basra in southeast iraq . two car bombs left dozens killed and injured in the city today . tensions : iraqi security forces gather at the site of the car bomb . the attacks are believed to have targeted shiite areas as sectarian tensions heighten across the country . terror : a shocked woman is left in tears as civilians peer at the destruction left by the bomb attack in basra . the bloodshed has raised fears of a return to the widespread sectarian violence of 2006-2007 that brought the country to the edge of civil war . in the iraqi capital , nine car bombs went off at bus stops , open-air markets and in the streets of shiite areas , killing 27 people and wounding 116 , according to police officials . the deadliest attacks came in the northern sabi al-boor neighborhood and in baghdad 's eastern suburb of kamaliya . seven people were killed in each of those attacks . in the southern city of basra , two car bombs - one near a restaurant and the other at the city 's main bus station - killed at least 13 and wounded 40 , according to the provincial police spokesman , col. abdul-karim al-zaidi , and the head of city 's health directorate , riadh abdul-amir . the blast at the basra bus station ripped through food stalls that serve falafel and eggs to travelers . slippers lay scattered on the bloodstained pavement . aftermath : civilians gather at the scene of another car bomb attack in kamaliyah , a predominantly shiite area of eastern baghdad .<doc-sep>eight people were killed on thursday in shootings and bombings across iraq , police in tikrit said . two car bombs exploded in tuz khurmatu , an ethnically tense city in the northern province of salaheddin , and killed three people . the bombs , which exploded in a turkmen residential area , also wounded 27 people . the city also has significant kurdish and arab populations . gunmen in baghdad shot dead three people , baghdad police said . two men were shot and killed in the northern city of mosul , police there said . suicide bombings claim more lives in iraq . violence has been on the upswing in iraq since spring as tensions have grown , particularly between the country 's shiite majority and its sunni minority . more than 6,000 people have been killed this year , including more than 350 this month . iraqi prime minister nuri al-maliki , who is shiite , touched on the violence in a new york times op-ed column this week . `` imagine how americans would react if you had a terrorist organization operating on your own soil that killed dozens and maimed hundreds every week . for iraqis , that is n't a hypothetical question ; al qaeda in iraq and its affiliates are conducting a terrorist campaign against our people , '' he wrote . al-maliki is in the united states for a meeting with president barack obama to plan `` a deeper security relationship '' with washington to fight terrorism and deal with regional security issues . car bombs rattle baghdad , mosul ; 44 dead .<doc-sep>baghdad , iraq -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- at least 63 people were killed and 285 others were wounded in a series of explosions across the capital tuesday , police said . the blasts included 14 car bombs , two roadside bombs and mortar attacks in at least 17 neighborhoods of the capital , most of them in shiite neighborhoods , police said . in an earlier report , police said there had been three roadside bombs and a sticky bomb : a device typically placed on a vehicle . explosions struck the shiite neighborhoods of kadhimiya in the northwest ; amil , bayaa and shulaa in the southwest ; ur and zuhour in the northeast ; sadr city , kamaliya and amin in the east ; and abu dhsir in the southern part of the city .<doc-sep>baghdad , iraq -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the toll from a series of explosions across baghdad climbed to at least 64 dead and 360 wounded wednesday , iraq 's health minister saleh mahdi told state television al-iraqiya . the blasts across the capital tuesday included 14 car bombs , two roadside bombs and mortar attacks in at least 17 neighborhoods , most of them in shiite areas , police said . in an earlier report , police said there had been three roadside bombs and a sticky bomb : a device typically placed on a vehicle . explosions struck the shiite neighborhoods of kadhimiya in the northwest ; amil , bayaa and shulaa in the southwest ; ur and zuhour in the northeast ; sadr city , kamaliya and amin in the east ; and abu dhsir in the southern part of the city . other blasts struck mixed sunni-shiite neighborhoods , including waziriya , yarmouk , jihad and eghraiat . u.s. military advisers went to some of the explosion sites with iraqi security forces , the military said in a statement .

<t> new : all vehicles banned in city of amara through thursday , provincial governor says . </t> <t> death toll continues to rise as interior ministry reports 151 wounded . </t> <t> state television reports that many of the casualties are women , children . </t> <t> amara has been scene of fighting between rival shiite factions vying for power . </t>

three car bombs kill dozens in southern iraq city<T>

new york -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- in the days after benazir bhutto 's assassination , it will be tempting to reach two hasty conclusions : that she was pakistan 's last great hope and that her geo-politically crucial country has revealed itself to be inherently hopeless . irshad manji is a controversial muslim feminist and activist from toronto , canada . on each front , i take a different view . while far more liberal and democratic than gen. musharraf , bhutto disappointed moderate , modern pakistanis with her adherence to feudal politics . writing to me through my web site , american feminists say they are `` aching '' over the loss of `` our dear , sweet , brave benazir . '' i understand the sentiment . but `` brave '' is not the word used by pakistani women from whom i 've also heard . they 're hurting more over bhutto 's `` self-imposed '' conformity . `` she never realized her potential , '' a woman from karachi tells me . `` and not because she was killed but because when she had the chance , she did not effectively challenge the backward mindset that has now led to her demise . '' for example , during bhutto 's time in office , pakistan did n't defy the anti-female rape and adultery laws . those notorious ordinances , known as hudood , took their inspiration from tribal politics masquerading as islam . watch manji argue on cnn why bhutto 's legacy is mixed '' imagine the opportunity : bhutto could have championed a purer faith by tackling corrupt cultural practices . in so doing , she might have created allies among conservatives , who can be persuaded that although islam is god-given , culture is man-made . last year , a media campaign to strike down the hudood ordinances achieved this fine balance . but not because of her . and that , say many progressive pakistanis , amputates bhutto 's legacy . the fact that cruel laws against women can be publicly debated at all should suggest that pakistan has hope anyway . an exceptional leader can tap into it . history tells us so .<doc-sep>there was a time when pakistan 's democratic politicians stuck it to the feudal fanatics . bhutto 's father , zulfikar ali bhutto , was once heckled by a religious fundamentalist . `` you drink alcohol ! '' shouted the critic . `` yes , '' retorted the elder bhutto , `` but i do n't drink the blood of the people ! '' his response captured the spirit of muhammad ali jinnah , pakistan 's founder . in 1947 , jinnah exuded high hopes for his people : `` you are free . you are free to go to your temples , you are free to go to your mosques , or to any other place of worship in the state of pakistan . `` you may belong to any religion or caste or creed . that has nothing to do with the business of the state . we are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens of one state ... you will find that in due course of time , hindus will cease to be hindus and muslims will cease to be muslims , not in the religious sense ... but in the political sense as citizens of the state . '' jinnah meant every word of his unconventional vision because he , himself , lived as a maverick . he adored his non-muslim wife , and his sister often appeared with him on the campaign trail . her visibility attested to islam 's embrace of women as partners of men . in the months ahead , the people of pakistan will need to recall jinnah 's vision . it may be of comfort know that they 're not alone . countless americans are now asking about their founders ' intentions , desperate to re-discover the better angels of their country after eight years of george w. bush . still , pakistan must avoid america 's enduring mistake . the united states lapsed into profound divisiveness following the assassinations of martin luther king jr. and robert f. kennedy . many would argue that today 's politics of polarization can be traced to the unresolved trauma of the king-kennedy murders . for pakistan , it 's high time to transcend both trauma and tribalism . i pray that in death , benazir bhutto will be the catalyst for a deeper democracy than she ever advocated in life . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>islamabad , pakistan -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- pakistan arrested two senior police officials wednesday in connection with the assassination of former prime minister benazir bhutto . a court refused bail for the two officials , saud aziz and khurram shehzad , said special public prosecutor chaudhary zulfiqar ali . aziz was the police chief in the rawalpindi district at the time of bhutto 's assassination while shehzad was the head of her security team . the two have been accused of security breaches , covering up evidence by hosing down the crime scene and failing to conduct a post-mortem examination on bhutto . aziz and shehzad said bhutto 's husband and the current president , asif ali zardari , ordered them to not conduct the post-mortem . an audio of that request was played in court wednesday . the court found the two men had failed their legal obligation as police . a united nations panel looking into bhutto 's assassination concluded that pakistan 's military-led former government failed to adequately protect her and that intelligence agencies hindered the subsequent investigation . the panel 's scathing report in april said the suicide bombing that killed bhutto `` could have been prevented '' and that police deliberately failed to pursue an effective investigation into the killings . the government of gen. pervez musharraf said bhutto had been afforded adequate protection . bhutto had returned from a self-imposed , eight-year exile to run in the country 's general elections in 2007 . she escaped one attempt on her life but was killed on december 27 by a 15-year-old suicide bomber while campaigning in rawalpindi , the seat of pakistan 's military . `` no one believes that this boy acted alone , '' the u.n. report said . `` a range of government officials failed profoundly in their efforts first to protect ms. bhutto , and second to investigate with vigor all those responsible for her murder , not only in the execution of the attack , but also in its conception , planning and financing . '' the two police officials are scheduled to appear for a hearing january 7 . cnn 's nasir habib contributed to this report .<doc-sep>the attack came just hours after four supporters of former pakistan prime minister nawaz sharif died when members of another political party opened fire on them at a rally near the islamabad airport thursday , pakistan police said . several other members of sharif 's party were wounded , police said . bhutto , who led pakistan from 1988-1990 and 1993-96 , but both times the sitting president dismissed her amid corruption allegations . she was the first female prime minister of any islamic nation , and was participating in the parliamentary election set for january 8 , hoping for a third term as prime minister . watch benazir bhutto obituary '' a terror attack targeting her motorcade in karachi killed 136 people on the day she returned to pakistan after eight years of self-imposed exile . bhutto had been critical of what she believed was a lack of effort by president pervez musharraf 's government to protect her . view timeline '' two weeks after the october assassination attempt , she wrote a commentary for cnn.com in which she questioned why pakistan investigators refused international offers of help in finding the attackers . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>the attack came just hours after four supporters of former pakistan prime minister nawaz sharif died when members of another political party opened fire on them at a rally near the islamabad airport thursday , pakistan police said . several other members of sharif 's party were wounded , police said . bhutto , who led pakistan from 1988-1990 and 1993-96 , but both times the sitting president dismissed her amid corruption allegations . she was the first female prime minister of any islamic nation , and was participating in the parliamentary election set for january 8 , hoping for a third term as prime minister . watch benazir bhutto obituary '' a terror attack targeting her motorcade in karachi killed 136 people on the day she returned to pakistan after eight years of self-imposed exile . bhutto had been critical of what she believed was a lack of effort by president pervez musharraf 's government to protect her . view timeline '' two weeks after the october assassination attempt , she wrote a commentary for cnn.com in which she questioned why pakistan investigators refused international offers of help in finding the attackers . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>rawalpindi , pakistan -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- pakistan 's former prime minister benazir bhutto was assassinated thursday outside a large gathering of her supporters where a suicide bomber also killed at least 14 , doctors and a spokesman for her party said . benazir bhutto greets her supporters at the rally that was hit by a suicide attack . while bhutto appeared to have died from bullet wounds , it was not immediately clear if she was shot or if her wounds were caused by bomb shrapnel . president pervez musharraf held an emergency meeting in the hours after the death , according to state media . police warned citizens to stay home as they expected rioting to break out in city streets in reaction to the death . police sources told cnn the bomber , who was riding a motorcycle , blew himself up near bhutto 's vehicle . watch aftermath of the attack . '' bhutto was rushed to rawalpindi general hospital -- less than two miles from the bombing scene -- where doctors pronounced her dead . former pakistan government spokesman tariq azim khan said while it appeared bhutto was shot , it was unclear if the bullet wounds to her head and neck were caused by a shooting or if it was shrapnel from the bomb . watch benazir bhutto obituary . '' bhutto 's husband issued a statement from his home in dubai saying , `` all i can say is we 're devastated , it 's a total shock . '' president bush , vacationing at his texas ranch , has been `` informed about the situation in pakistan , '' said the white house . `` we condemn the acts of violence which took place today in pakistan , '' said a spokesman . the number of wounded was not immediately known . however , video of the scene showed ambulances lined up to take many to hospitals . the attack came just hours after four supporters of former pakistan prime minister nawaz sharif died when members of another political party opened fire on them at a rally near the islamabad airport thursday , pakistan police said . several other members of sharif 's party were wounded , police said . bhutto , who led paksitan from 1988 to 1990 and was the first female prime minister of any islamic nation , was participating in the parliamentary election set for january 8 , hoping for a third term . a terror attack targeting her motorcade in karachi killed 136 people on the day she returned to pakistan after eight years of self-imposed exile . view timeline . '' cnn 's mohsin naqvi , who was at the scene of both bombings , said thursday 's blast was not as powerful as that october attack . thursday 's attacks come less than two weeks after pakistan president pervez musharraf lifted an emergency declaration he said was necessary to secure his country from terrorists . bhutto had been critical of what she believed was a lack of effort by musharraf 's government to protect her . two weeks after the october assassination attempt , she wrote a commentary for cnn.com in which she questioned why pakistan investigators refused international offers of help in finding the attackers . `` the sham investigation of the october 19 massacre and the attempt by the ruling party to politically capitalize on this catastrophe are discomforting , but do not suggest any direct involvement by general pervez musharraf , '' bhutto wrote . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's mohsin naqvi contributes to this report .

<t> manji says bhutto disappointed some because she adhered to feudal politics . </t> <t> during bhutto 's time in office , writer says , she did not defy anti-rape laws . </t> <t> pakistan must `` transcend both trauma and tribalism , '' manji says . </t>

commentary : bhutto failed to modernize pakistan<T>

washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- u.s. , turkish and iraqi leaders all held talks monday about kurdish rebels using northern iraq as a launchpad for cross-border attacks into turkey . turkish troops patrol near the border with iraq on monday . president bush chatted by phone with turkish prime minister recep tayyip erdogan , while separately two senior iraq national government figures met with the head of the country 's kurdish region . the diplomatic moves came after turkish warplanes pounded kurdish separatist targets in northern iraq on saturday and sunday as well as last week .<doc-sep>bush and erdogan talked about the dangers of the kurdish separatist rebels along the turkish-iraqi border , the white house confirmed . national security council spokesman gordon johndroe said they discussed their common efforts to fight terrorism , and the importance of the united states , turkey and iraq working together to confront the kurdistan workers ' party , or pkk . bush has vowed to help turkey fight pkk rebels . the pkk has spent two decades fighting for autonomy for kurds in southeastern turkey , with some of its attacks launched from inside northern iraq . the united states and european union consider the group a terrorist organization .<doc-sep>last week , turkey 's ambassador to the united states , nabi sensoy , said his country 's maneuvers against kurdish militant targets in northern iraq were based on intelligence provided by the united states . in the kurdish iraq city of sulaimaniya , iraqi president jalal talabani , who is kurdish , and vice president tariq al-hashimi , who is sunni arab , met with kurdish regional government president massoud barzani . iraqi kurdish officials , while critical of the pkk , have denounced the turkish bombing campaign . last week , barzani snubbed visiting u.s. secretary of state condoleezza rice in protest of the attacks . `` we have vehemently condemned the bombardment . the bombing targeted safe and secure areas and innocent people . several people were either killed or wounded , '' barzani said on monday at a press conference with the others .<doc-sep>`` we held consultations with president jalal talabani and we will continue our consultations with other concerned parties to put an end to these aggressions and put to an end the shelling of villages . '' the three iraqi officials also dealt with national unity . they signed a `` memorandum of understanding '' to deepen relations further with their three parties : talabani 's patriotic union of kurdistan , barzani 's kurdistan democratic party and al-hashimi 's iraqi islamic party , a sunni arab entity . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's kathleen koch , talia kayali and mohammed tawfeeq contributed to this report .<doc-sep>the classification of the group as a `` specially designated global terrorist '' subjects the organization and its supporters to financial sanctions . `` with this designation , the united states reaffirms its commitment to fight terrorism in cooperation with its nato ally , turkey . the united states will continue to work with turkey , iraq , and the rest of europe against the pkk and its support networks and affiliates , such as the tak . there must be no safe havens for such terrorists , '' according to a statement from tom casey , deputy spokesman of the state department . the move came after president bush met tuesday in washington with turkish president abdullah gul . the men discussed what bush called their `` common enemy ... the pkk . '' the pkk has spent two decades fighting for autonomy for kurds in southeastern turkey . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>president bush and key administration figures lobbied hard against the measure , saying it would create unnecessary headaches for u.s. relations with turkey . the full house could soon vote on the genocide resolution . a top turkish official warned thursday that consequences `` wo n't be pleasant '' if it approves the measure . the resolution arrives at a particularly sensitive point in u.s.-turkish relations . the united states has urged turkey not to send its troops over the border into northern iraq to fight kurdish separatist rebels , who launched some cross-border attacks against turkish targets . watch a report on the gathering storm along the border '' the turkish military is poised to strike across the border to fight the group -- the kurdistan workers ' party , or pkk -- a move opposed by the bush administration . the turkish parliament could give approval for the incursion into iraq as early as next week . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>turkey is in a tough spot . it has isis militants threatening the syrian border town of kobani , inching ever closer to confronting turkish security forces . in addition thousands of syrian kurds , fleeing isis attacks , have massed along its border , adding further to ankara 's troubles . amid mounting pressure to become more active in the u.s.-led international coalition against isis , the turkish parliament last week overwhelmingly authorized its military to make incursions into syria and iraq ; also to allow foreign troops to operate out of turkish bases . the move has been greeted in western capitals as a welcome sign that turkey is finally fully on board with the anti-isis coalition . yet the turkish parliament 's actions herald neither a complete about-face in policy toward syria nor immediate military action against isis . indeed , turkey 's reasons for joining the war may be more to do with suppressing kurdish separatists and removing the al-assad regime than with destroying the jihadist group . toppling the leadership in damascus and keeping in check the syrian kurds who are closely linked to the kurdistan workers ' party , or pkk , have long been ankara 's priorities in syria . the wording of last week 's parliamentary resolution -- which states that `` the terrorist elements of the outlawed pkk still exist in northern iraq '' -- suggests that kurdish separatists still remain the turkish government 's top concern . the vote does not signal intervention against isis any time soon : despite thousands of syrian kurdish refugees and isis 's fast advance towards turkey 's southern border , ankara seems unwilling to act . turkey 's defense minister ismet yilmaz said : `` do n't expect an imminent step after the approval of the authorization request . '' rather , the turkish government is likely to give its full cooperation to the campaign against isis so that it can secure agreement of a u.s.-backed no-fly zone in syria : this , ankara believes , would address both concerns . turkey thinks that assad regime 's ability to attack mainstream opposition forces from the air has strengthened isis , causing the free syrian army to flee and allowing the islamic militants to capture the vacant territory . enforcing a no-fly zone over syria would ground al-assad 's air force and boost rebels fighting to topple him : it could also establish a turkish military presence , ridding northern syria of kurdish fighters linked to the pkk and smothering the autonomous kurdish region . turkey has become increasingly uneasy about the emergence of yet another kurdish entity on its frontier after the pkk-affiliated syrian kurdish groups established autonomy in northern syria . the military and diplomatic boost that the pkk has received through its effective fight against isis has also worsened the situation for ankara . in response to the growing isis threat , the pkk , the peshmerga , and the people 's protection unit -lrb- the pkk-linked kurdish militia group fighting in syria -rrb- , have established a united kurdish front , with the pkk militants coming to the aid of peshmerga fighters and halting the jihadi group 's advance into the autonomous region of northern iraq . the people 's protection unit was the main force battling isis , and it helped thousands of yazidis escape from the western part of the region as isis attacked . the pkk has effectively become the west 's best hope for on-the-ground troops , winning the group positive reviews in western media . since the group started its assault against isis in northern iraq , there has been a lot of talk in western capitals about removing the pkk from the terror list . the fight against isis has also empowered the pkk militarily : turkey is concerned that that weapons sent to the peshmerga might ultimately end up in the hands of the pkk at a time when ankara is moving forward with a deal that would disarm its group . the turkish government puts the blame for this on the west but ankara 's overtures towards its own kurdish minority have been mostly strained by its own short-sighted syria policy . the ongoing conflict around kobani has underscored the many challenges the syrian war poses for the peace process ankara launched in 2012 in an effort to end the 30-year old kurdish insurgency . the intensified shelling in kobani has angered kurds on the turkish side of the border , who have blamed the turkish government for allowing isis to fester and not doing enough to stop its assault against kurds . turkey 's reluctance to get involved for fear of empowering kurdish militants in turkey is now contributing to the growing discord between kurds and the government . last week , after reports that turkey closed the border gates to impede the flight of kurds from kobani , abdullah ocalan , the pkk 's imprisoned leader , warned that if isis carried out a `` massacre '' in kobani then the peace process with the pkk could end . if engaged by ankara , the pkk-linked groups in syria could be integrated into the moderate syrian opposition and become an effective fighting force against the al-assad regime . but the turkish government 's increasingly harsh rhetoric against the group signals that such a shift in ankara 's thinking is not in the works . last week , erdogan said `` while the isis terror organization is causing turmoil in the middle east , there has been ongoing pkk terror in my country for the last 32 years , and yet the world was never troubled by it . why ? because this terror organization did not carry the name ` islam . ' '' if turkey keeps seeing the pkk a bigger threat than isis activities in syria , then the legislation passed last week is unlikely to lead to a deeper involvement of turkey in the fight against the jihadist group .<doc-sep>three kurdish women political activists were found dead with gunshots to the head early thursday , police in paris said , in an unexplained act of violence that has shocked the kurdish community . cnn 's ivan watson explains what the impact of the killings is likely to be , and how the conflict between kurdish nationalists and turkey affects the rest of the world . q -rrb- what are the possible consequences of the killings ? a -rrb- a spokesman for the leadership of the pkk and its affiliate the kck in northern iraq , roj welat has confirmed to cnn that one of the women killed , sakine cansiz , was one of the founding members of the pkk . he called the murders an `` ideological and political assassination , a terror attack against the kurdish people . '' these murders have clearly dropped a bombshell on the tightly-knit kurdish community in france and probably throughout the substantial kurdish diaspora in europe . we can certainly expect protests and memorial demonstrations in europe . and the murders in paris are already having ripple effects all the way over here in turkey , where the kurds make up the country 's largest -lsb- and historically oppressed -rsb- ethnic minority . kurdish leaders in turkey are calling for kurds to `` rise in protest wherever they are to condemn this massacre . '' a huge concern is what impact the killings might have on a new historic round of talks between the turkish government and the jailed pkk leader abdullah ocalan , as well as other figures in the kurdish movement . many turkish commentators fear it may derail these negotiations . aliza marcus , author of `` blood and belief : the pkk and the kurdish fight for independence , '' an inluential book on the pkk , wrote to me in an email , saying : `` one thing is for sure , this is n't good for the rumored peace process . '' q -rrb- is it possible to speculate about who might have done it , and why now ? a -rrb- there is much speculation already about who might have carried out these murders . kurdish groups and turkish commentators are already interpreting this as a politically-motivated act of violence , even though it will certainly take some time for investigators to conclude who carried out the shootings . there are extremists on both sides of the turkish-kurdish conflict who may seek to derail the negotiation process that has been under way for more than a month between the turkish government and ocalan , as well as other figures in the kurdish movement .

<t> bush : u.s. , turkey and iraq must unite against pkk kurdish separatists . </t> <t> iraqi kurds are critical of both pkk and air attacks against them . </t> <t> turkey bombed alleged pkk sites in northern iraq over the weekend . </t> <t> pkk has spent 20 years fighting for autonomy in turkey ; uses iraq as a base . </t>

bush sees 3-way fight against pkk<T>

london , england -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- claims by diana 's former butler that he knew a mysterious `` secret '' about the late princess have been trashed by the coroner in her inquest . diana 's former butler has given conflicting information at the enquiry into her death . the coroner said the information was already in the public domain and some of it was even mentioned in one of paul burrell 's own books . considered the first star witness of the inquest , burrell 's appearance tuesday was delayed after the coroner asked him to retrieve the last letter the princess gave him . monday , the ex-butler -- once described by the princess as `` her rock '' -- told the inquest the letter contained a `` secret , '' which he claimed he could not remember . after returning to london from his home in northern england tuesday , burrell said the letter was not there , but at his home in florida . he then handed the coroner a note that he said contained the supposed secret . the coroner revealed that what burrell referred to was that diana was planning to buy property to live in part of the time and that the location may have been in the united states or south africa . the coroner said the revelation is `` fairly and squarely in the public domain '' and that some of the information appeared in burrell 's book `` the way we were . '' explaining the apparent discrepancies in his testimony , burrell said he was confused by the cross-examination , which he described as `` horrid '' and `` disgraceful . '' the questioning of the former butler is expected to continue wednesday . diana and her boyfriend , dodi fayed , died in a paris tunnel in the early hours of august 31 , 1997 , along with their driver , henri paul . they had driven away from the ritz hotel in a black mercedes with paparazzi chasing behind . there has been speculation that the couple had planned a big announcement the night they died . photographers have testified they had heard rumors diana would say she was getting engaged to fayed or having a baby . watch report on claims about diana 's marriage plans '' burrell did not take the stand until tuesday afternoon .<doc-sep>earlier in the day , the inquest heard from diana 's former lawyer , who said the princess had claimed queen elizabeth was planning to abdicate in april 1996 and allow prince charles to be king . maggie rae said at the inquest that diana also believed there was a plot to seriously injure her in an accident . rae said the claims came at a meeting with her legal team at kensington palace in which the princess also made clear her belief that the succession of the english crown should skip a generation to her son , william . the morning 's evidence also heard that britain 's top police officer had advised the queen against allowing diana to go on holiday with mohamed al fayed , the father of dodi . in a note from chief superintendent dai davies , head of the royal protection squad , that was read out to the court , it was stated that he and metropolitan police commissioner sir paul condon believed that the planned holiday was `` unwise . '' al fayed -- a successful businessman and owner of the london luxury store harrods -- was considered a controversial figure at the time . diana defied the advice and went on the trip . it was during this holiday on the tycoon 's luxury yacht in the french resort of st. tropez that she met dodi fayed . during her testimony , rae also gave an insight into the princess 's lifestyle , which she described as `` odd '' and `` lonely . '' she said she did not believe diana 's claims of a conspiracy against her . `` i remember one occasion when she told me about her weekend and she had been alone in those rather silent set of apartments . she had heated her own food in the microwave , '' rae told the court . `` i thought she lived in a very odd environment . i thought she was quite lonely . '' e-mail to a friend . cnn 's melissa gray contributed to this report .<doc-sep>it is alleged that he gathered details of ` crypto material ' - programmes used to encrypt secret information - that could be useful to an enemy . the second is communicating information to another person , prejudicial to the safety or interests of the state which is in breach of the official secrets act . it is alleged that on january 21 for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the state he communicated information to another person that could be useful to an enemy . devenney is being represented by lord carlile of berriew , the barrister and former mp who defended princess diana 's butler paul burrell . his legal team has been given until july 20 to submit a case to court . sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons .<doc-sep>authorities into why lord mishcon 's letter was not provided to the . initial french inquiry . ` as . the father of dodi and a good friend of the princess , i trust that the . outcome of these french investigations will be that those who are guilty . will be properly punished . ' lord mishcon passed on the letter to police in confidence following a meeting with lord condon after the princess 's death . diana 's former butler , paul burrell , produced a note from the princess making very similar allegations . it . was only when diana 's former butler , paul burrell , produced a note from .<doc-sep>his current clients include kelly brook , sheridan smith , elizabeth mcgovern , and naomi watts to name just a few . so what 's his secret formula ? ' i just love making a woman look great . i would never send a women out on the red carpet looking like someone from the army or a japanese soldier , she has to look glamorous and sexy . ' i love all of the women i dress , they are from all different backgrounds . ' royal team : diana 's butler paul burrell -lrb- left -rrb- with fashion designer jacques azagury . one of his clients , dame helen mirren , has become a postergirl for mature style . ` my advice for looking that good is try not to look like your 15-year-old daughter . dress age appropriate but not boring , ' says the designer . and it is n't just in the design world that he 's made waves ; azagury also has a fragrance range to boast , which he has just added six new scents to . the azagury fragrances serve as an extension of his fashion range and aim to reflect the true design philosophy of the brand .<doc-sep>jailed publicist max clifford is being sued by former royal butler paul burrell over claims that he secretly faxed a confidential letter to a newspaper containing private information about the queen . the high court writ was served on clifford in his cell at littlehey prison , cambridgeshire , where he is serving an eight-year jail sentence for indecently assaulting eight women and girls in the 1970s and 1980s . burrell went to clifford for help in 2001 when he was at the centre of a media storm after being accused of stealing hundreds of princess diana 's possessions . former royal butler paul burrell , above with the late princess diana , is suing disgraced publicist max clifford . at clifford 's request , he wrote a six-page letter setting out his relationship with the queen and the duke of edinburgh , including details of personal gifts he had received from the royals and the queen 's interest in the birth of his first son .

<t> claims by diana 's butler that he knew `` secret '' about her trashed by coroner . </t> <t> paul burrell asked to testify about the last letter the late princess gave him . </t> <t> coroner revealed burrell 's `` secret '' was diana planned to buy property abroad . </t> <t> but coroner said the revelation is `` fairly and squarely in the public domain '' </t>

` secret ' of diana 's butler trashed<T>

london , england -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- princess diana 's relationships with two muslim men provoked an outburst from her mother , who called her daughter `` a whore '' , paul burrell , the princess 's former butler , told an inquest monday . diana once referred to her former butler paul burrell as `` my rock . '' burrell , who returned to britain from his home in florida to give evidence , was the first star witness of the london inquest , now in its fourth month . his role as confidant to diana , who died in a paris car crash on august 31 , 1997 , along with her boyfriend dodi fayed and hotel security chief henri paul , meant his testimony was eagerly anticipated . burrell , whom the late princess once called `` my rock , '' cast doubt on whether diana was ready to marry fayed . according to burrell , the princess was still `` holding a candle '' for former boyfriend and heart surgeon hasnat khan -- who she called `` her soulmate '' -- when she started dating fayed `` on the rebound . '' burrell told the inquest that diana asked him to listen in on a conversation in june 1997 with her mother , frances shand kydd , who died in 2004 and who was critical of her relationship with muslim men . `` she called the princess a ` whore ' and she said that she was messing around with ` effing muslim men ' and she was ` disgraceful ' and said some very nasty things , '' burrell said . he agreed that , as a result of such calls diana , decided not to talk to her mother again . the inquest , which began in october and is expected to last another two or three months , aims to uncover the facts surrounding the deaths of the princess and dodi and determine their cause of death -- whether by accident or otherwise . asked earlier in the day if he believed that fayed was `` the one , '' burrell said `` no , i did not have that impression . '' he also cast doubt on claims that fayed and diana were engaged or on the cusp of engagement , saying : `` i find that difficult to believe . '' asked to explain himself , burrell said : `` because this was only a 30-day relationship and the princess had just finished a long-term relationship with someone -lrb- khan -rrb- she cared deeply about . i knew that because i was there and i saw it . '' diana 's 18-month relationship with khan ended around the same time she started seeing fayed in july 1997 . burrell said diana had asked him at one point to investigate how a private wedding with khan might take place , given that khan is muslim . watch report on claims about diana 's marriage plans . '' khan had not proposed to the princess , burrell said , adding that khan was `` the man she loved more than any other . '' he said he spoke to diana about the possibility that fayed would give her a ring shortly before her death . burrell said he suggested to the princess that she wear it on the fourth finger of her right hand , rather than the left , as is customary with engagement rings . `` i need marriage like a bad rash , '' burrell claimed diana told him . last month at the inquest lady annabel goldsmith , a friend of diana , said the princess had remarked that she needed another marriage `` like a rash on my face . '' burrell also indicated that the ring was not an engagement ring , as the fayed family has maintained . fayed family spokesman michael cole testified last week that dodi 's father , mohamed al fayed , was certain the couple had planned to marry . lawyers at the inquest asked burrell whether he knew whether a special announcement had been planned for the monday following the fatal car crash . there has been speculation the couple planned to announce special news , such as an engagement . but burrell said he knew nothing of such a plan . he said he had actually looked at diana 's schedule for that day and found only mundane items , and nothing to indicate she planned a special announcement . burrell also told the inquest he did not believe prince philip , queen elizabeth 's , husband was involved in diana 's death . mohamed al fayed , father of dodi and the owner of harrods department store , has long claimed that senior members of the royal family -- specifically the queen 's husband , prince philip -- ordered the pair be murdered . he also claims that diana was pregnant at the time of her death . but burrell said that he knew prince philip very well and that he could not have been behind the deaths . `` i can tell you that is not prince philip 's nature , '' he said . `` plus the princess was the mother of his grandchildren . why would he want to harm her ? it 's not possible . '' the inquest has seen and heard about correspondence which prince philip sent to diana , with some witnesses claiming that he wrote cruel and hurtful letters . but other correspondence shown to the jury appeared to be friendly and was affectionately signed , `` pa. '' burrell explained that philip could sometimes come across as terse because he says what he thinks . `` prince philip does n't mix his words , '' burrell said . `` he says it as it is , but he is not a nasty man . prince philip is n't known for his diplomacy . he was fond of the princess . '' burrell worked for the british royals for 21 years and became close to diana after her separation from prince charles . he has written two books about his time with the princess . in his second book , burrell told of a letter from diana which indicated she feared for her life . the princess wrote that prince charles planned '' ` an accident ' in my car , brake failure and serious head injury . '' one of diana 's close friends , however , testified last month that she believed the letter could have been forged . lucia flecha de lima said on december 18 that burrell was capable of imitating the princess 's handwriting . lawyers questioned burrell about the date of the letter . burrell said it was written in october 1996 , two months , after diana and charles divorced -- yet the letter refers to charles as `` my husband . '' burrell responded that diana always referred to charles that way , even after the divorce . the inquest has revealed that diana was a prolific letter-writer who also received a lot of correspondence . witnesses , including burrell , recall that the princess kept the letters in her desk , with the more important ones stored in a special box . burrell testified that after diana 's death , her mother , frances shand-kidd , worked every day for a week shredding the papers from diana 's desk . he said he expressed concern about the shredding during a meeting he had with the queen on december 19 , 1997 . it was at this meeting that queen elizabeth told burrell : `` there are powers at work in this country about which we have no knowledge . '' that comment , which has been widely reported , was meant to warn him to be careful , burrell said , and was not a warning about any one person or group of people . at the same meeting burrell also told the queen that he had taken some of diana 's belongings to keep safe . the details of the conversation emerged when burrell stood trial for their alleged theft in 2002 , causing the case against him to collapse . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's emily chang and heidi berger contributed to this report .<doc-sep>london , england -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- princess diana 's relationships with two muslim men provoked an outburst from her mother , who called her daughter `` a whore '' , paul burrell , the princess 's former butler , told an inquest monday . diana once referred to her former butler paul burrell as `` my rock . '' burrell , who returned to britain from his home in florida to give evidence , was the first star witness of the london inquest , now in its fourth month . his role as confidant to diana , who died in a paris car crash on august 31 , 1997 , along with her boyfriend dodi fayed and hotel security chief henri paul , meant his testimony was eagerly anticipated . burrell , whom the late princess once called `` my rock , '' cast doubt on whether diana was ready to marry fayed . according to burrell , the princess was still `` holding a candle '' for former boyfriend and heart surgeon hasnat khan -- who she called `` her soulmate '' -- when she started dating fayed `` on the rebound . '' burrell told the inquest that diana asked him to listen in on a conversation in june 1997 with her mother , frances shand kydd , who died in 2004 and who was critical of her relationship with muslim men . `` she called the princess a ` whore ' and she said that she was messing around with ` effing muslim men ' and she was ` disgraceful ' and said some very nasty things , '' burrell said . he agreed that , as a result of such calls diana , decided not to talk to her mother again . the inquest , which began in october and is expected to last another two or three months , aims to uncover the facts surrounding the deaths of the princess and dodi and determine their cause of death -- whether by accident or otherwise . asked earlier in the day if he believed that fayed was `` the one , '' burrell said `` no , i did not have that impression . '' he also cast doubt on claims that fayed and diana were engaged or on the cusp of engagement , saying : `` i find that difficult to believe . '' asked to explain himself , burrell said : `` because this was only a 30-day relationship and the princess had just finished a long-term relationship with someone -lrb- khan -rrb- she cared deeply about . i knew that because i was there and i saw it . ''<doc-sep>in 2008 and pocketed his mother 's # 62,000 share . yesterday , as she was comforted by . her older son graham , mrs butler said : ` i did not want to leave . i miss . living in my own house . ` david did an awful thing to me but i 'm very old and do n't really . remember what happened . but he is still my boy and i 'm sad he is in . prison . i do n't really want to say anything bad about him . ' she is now living with mr butler , 74 , as he took her in at his house , which is next-door to his former family home . from there , he said : ` david completely changed after he met this woman . all he was interested in was drinking , gambling and sex . margaret butler -lrb- right -rrb- and david -lrb- left -rrb- are pictured with other relatives in the garden of mrs butler 's former home in the 1970s . her son sold the deeds to her house behind her back . ` david and i used to be close . he used to be interested in books and he was a musician and played the organ at the church here for many years . mum has lost everything -- her home , all her money and her son to a whore who completely and utterly exploited him . ' mr butler said his brother told him about seeing a call-girl but he had no idea of the scam which had gone on next door . ` he was very conceited and she knew how to play him , ' he added . ` he was infatuated . he used to say he worshipped the ground she walked on . ` he said , `` i love her and we are going to get married '' . he was obsessed with her but all she was after was money . ' mr butler told how bailiffs took his mother 's treasured belongings from her former home in early 2011 . ` she went out waving a stick and it would have been a funny sight if it was n't just so sad , ' he said . ` she loved that house . the sentences are too lenient . they destroyed her life . ' butler and read both denied forgery and acquiring or possessing criminal property but were convicted by a jury at oxford crown court . read also denied a charge of fraud but was found guilty .<doc-sep>london , england -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- claims by diana 's former butler that he knew a mysterious `` secret '' about the late princess have been trashed by the coroner in her inquest . diana 's former butler has given conflicting information at the enquiry into her death . the coroner said the information was already in the public domain and some of it was even mentioned in one of paul burrell 's own books . considered the first star witness of the inquest , burrell 's appearance tuesday was delayed after the coroner asked him to retrieve the last letter the princess gave him . monday , the ex-butler -- once described by the princess as `` her rock '' -- told the inquest the letter contained a `` secret , '' which he claimed he could not remember . after returning to london from his home in northern england tuesday , burrell said the letter was not there , but at his home in florida . he then handed the coroner a note that he said contained the supposed secret . the coroner revealed that what burrell referred to was that diana was planning to buy property to live in part of the time and that the location may have been in the united states or south africa . the coroner said the revelation is `` fairly and squarely in the public domain '' and that some of the information appeared in burrell 's book `` the way we were . '' explaining the apparent discrepancies in his testimony , burrell said he was confused by the cross-examination , which he described as `` horrid '' and `` disgraceful . '' the questioning of the former butler is expected to continue wednesday . diana and her boyfriend , dodi fayed , died in a paris tunnel in the early hours of august 31 , 1997 , along with their driver , henri paul . they had driven away from the ritz hotel in a black mercedes with paparazzi chasing behind . there has been speculation that the couple had planned a big announcement the night they died . photographers have testified they had heard rumors diana would say she was getting engaged to fayed or having a baby . watch report on claims about diana 's marriage plans '' burrell did not take the stand until tuesday afternoon .<doc-sep>authorities into why lord mishcon 's letter was not provided to the . initial french inquiry . ` as . the father of dodi and a good friend of the princess , i trust that the . outcome of these french investigations will be that those who are guilty . will be properly punished . ' lord mishcon passed on the letter to police in confidence following a meeting with lord condon after the princess 's death . diana 's former butler , paul burrell , produced a note from the princess making very similar allegations . it . was only when diana 's former butler , paul burrell , produced a note from .

<t> paul burrell , princess diana 's former butler , gives evidence at inquest . </t> <t> describes phone call in which diana 's mother called her daughter `` a whore '' </t> <t> burrell says queen elizabeth 's husband was not involved in diana 's death . </t> <t> also claims that diana told him : `` i need marriage like a bad rash '' </t>

butler : mother called diana ` whore '<T>

san jose , california -- top-seed andy roddick easily defeated delray beach winner kei nishikori of japan 6-2 6-4 in the headline match at the atp tournament in san jose on thursday night . a pumped up roddick needed little over an hour to dispatch teenager nishikori . roddick needed just 63 minutes to defeat the 18-year-old japanese who won his first atp title on sunday and was on an eight-match winning run . but american number one roddick imposed his quality from the start by taking a commanding 3-0 lead and breaking nishikori 's serve before the youngster won a game . roddick , who has won twice in san jose , repeated the break later in a feisty opening set which came to a head in the seventh game . roddick barked at the young player as they exchanged shots at the net . nishikori held his cool , did not respond , and just walked away . `` i did n't understand a word he said , '' nishikori said . but when pressed he acknowledged that he did in fact understand what roddick had shouted at him but just did not want to repeat it before the press . but roddick had no trouble repeating what he had said . `` i told him to stick me with it the next time . i just let him know that he needs to finish it . i had no problem with it . but it was a monologue . '' roddick duly rounded off the set in the next game and broke nishikori 's service in the fourth game of the second only for his youthful opponent to break straight back . but as nishikori served at 4-5 to stay in the tournament he made two crucial errors . he missed an easy slam shot that would have given him the advantage at deuce and then saw his saw his volley go wide that gave roddick the match . `` i made too many easy mistakes , '' nishikori said . `` i did n't take advantage of the many chances i had . but overall i was happy with the way i played . '' in the early evening match , james blake , beaten by nishikori in the delray beach final , overcame first-serve problems to beat jesse levine 6-4 6-4 to move onto the quarterfinals . the second-seeded new yorker , ranked ninth in the world , will face robby ginepri in the quarterfinals . `` i thought i played well , '' blake said . `` i felt comfortable and although i had a slow start i was able to put pressure on jesse . '' in afternoon matches , john isner beat third-seeded german tommy haas 4-6 7-6 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals . isner , the atp tour 's second-tallest player at six-foot-nine , will next face spain 's guillermo garcia-lopez . haas , ranked 26th in the world , was three match points from winning the second set in a tiebreaker before the 106th-ranked isner rallied to win . fifth-seeded mardy fish also advanced , beating germany 's denis gremelmayr 6-7 6-3 6-3 to make the quarterfinals for the second week in a row . fish will face roddick in the quarterfinals . taiwan 's lu yen-hsun beat american lucky loser wayne odesnik 6-4 6-4 . lu will face fourth-seeded czech radek stepanek in the quarterfinals . e-mail to a friend . copyright 2008 cnn . all rights reserved.this material may not be published , broadcast , rewritten , or redistributed . associated press contributed to this report .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- roger federer will open his defense of the men 's singles title at wimbledon against world number 65 alejandro falla of colombia . falla has never advanced beyond the second round at wimbledon and should offer few fears to federer , who is bidding for a seventh title in the grass court grand slam . world number one rafael nadal , seeded two at the all england club , faces kei nishikori of japan in his first-round match , but faces a potentially tougher task in the second , where he could play american james blake , who is returning after a knee injury . federer looks set to have a generally easy first week , but is in the same half of the draw as andy roddick , novak djokovic and 2002 wimbledon champion lleyton hewitt -- who beat him in the final of the halle tournament last sunday .<doc-sep>`` it 's good because this is the only way to write my name in history for the moment . with rafa , roger and novak , even andy -lrb- murray -rrb- , it 's tough to go through big tournaments . so i 'm really happy . i hope i will have some more , '' he told reporters . meanwhile , australian wildcard entry lleyton hewitt pulled off the shock result of the day in the second round . the former world no. 1 , now ranked 159th , beat croatia 's no. 13 maran cilic , 6-4 7-5 to set up a last-16 clash with serbian second seed novak djokovic . djokovic ensured there was no such giantkilling for veteran american andy roddick , beating his fellow former world no. 1 6-2 6-1 . british hopes in the competition remain in the hands of wimbledon finalist andy murray , who beat 43rd-ranked jarkko niemenen from finland 6-2 6-4 . third seed murray will next face cypriot marcus baghdatis , who beat french 16th seed richard gasquet 6-4 6-4 . spanish fourth seed david ferrer also went through , and will play japan 's kei nishikori in round three . but no more brits remain in the ladies ' singles , as third seed maria sharapova edged closer to her first olympic medal by overcoming britain 's former junior wimbledon winner laura robson 7-6 -lrb- 7-5 -rrb- 6-3 .<doc-sep>us open runner-up kei nishikori has beaten milos raonic of canada 7-6 -lrb- 5 -rrb- , 4-6 , 6-4 in the final of the japan open to win his fourth atp tour title of the season . with a typhoon bearing down on the japanese capital , the fourth-seeded nishikori won his second straight tournament and the seventh of his career with a hard-fought victory at ariake colosseum . the contest was a contrast in styles , with raonic relying on his big serve and nishikori utilising his speed and mobility to force his opponent into unforced errors . kei nishikori has won the atp japan open after defeating fourth seed milos raonic 7-6 -lrb- 5 -rrb- , 4-6 , 6-4 . raonic had 22 aces in a match that featured few long rallies , while nishikori managed just one . sunday 's match was a replay of the 2012 final when nishikori beat raonic in three sets to become the first japanese man to win the event . nishikori , ranked seventh in the world , has also won titles this season in memphis , barcelona and kuala lumpur . after the first set was on serve until the tiebreaker , nishikori took a 4-2 lead only to see raonic run off three straight points to go up 5-4 . nishikori took the set on an amazing save of raonic 's serve , followed by a powerful cross-court forehand . nishikori has also won titles this season in memphis , barcelona and kuala lumpur this year . raonic had 22 aces in a match that featured few long rallies , while nishikori managed just one . raonic had break points in the first and fifth games of the second set , but could not capitalise . he finally broke to lead 4-3 and took the set with on serve with an ace . the eighth-ranked raonic saved three break points in the second game of the final set , but was unable to convert when had one of his own in the seventh . nishikori clinched the match by breaking in the 10th game when the canadian netted a return . roanic has reached the japan open final for the past three years . he lost to juan martin del potro of argentina here in 2013 . nishikori is now a strong chance of becoming the first asian man to qualify for the season-ending atp world tour finals in london in november . the london event features the top eight-ranked players in the world . nishikori is currently fifth in the standings . roanic has reached the japan open final for the past three years , last year he lost to juan martin del potro . ` it is disappointing to lose in my third straight -lsb- tokyo -rsb- final , ' raonic said . ` it was a great match . we both played a high level of tennis . at the beginning , the match was passing by really quick , but in the second and third set it was really good . he has been playing with a lot of confidence , he went for his shots and it paid off . ' i am playing at a really high level . kei has , consistently over the past few weeks , also played at a high level . the match was high quality and i look forward to the next challenge in shanghai . i need to turn up there with the right attitude and fight again . '<doc-sep>now , having entered the top 10 in may and breaking new ground every season , he could be launching a new golden era . sponsors , publicity and funding have poured into the game off the back of nishikori 's efforts . public interest and attendances surged last year after he became the first home champion of the japan open since 1972 -- he won the title in october 2012 -- and peaked again this week due to his new york success . not that nishikori gets to see much of that , since he lives in florida . seven japanese players are ranked in the men 's top 200 -- a record in the open era -- though nishikori is the only one in the top 100 . however , journalist ko is not yet convinced the structure is in place for japan to become an elite tennis nation . `` kei grew up practicing at the -lrb- nick bollettieri -rrb- academy in florida , '' he said . `` i think we still do n't have enough players or quality coaches . maybe more players should learn abroad . '' ko has no doubt that nishikori 's run in new york represents japan 's greatest moment in tennis and one of its greatest in any sport . the jubilation sweeping the country suggests he is right . at last , soto and shimizu have an heir to fulfil the nation 's dreams .

<t> top seed andy roddick reaches last eight of atp tournament in san jose . </t> <t> the american defeats delray beach winner kei nishikori of japan 6-2 6-4 . </t> <t> second seed james blake also advances but third seed tommy haas is out . </t>

roddick sees off japan 's nishikori<T>

babahoyo , ecuador -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- at least 10 people have died and thousands have been left homeless after torrential rains inundated large parts of ecuador , officials said thursday . a man grabs on to a piece of wood as a boat passes him on a flooded street this week in puerto inca , ecuador . authorities said the rains , which began a week ago , were the worst in a quarter century . civil defense officials said more than 10,000 families have been affected . los ríos -- north of guayaquil -- was the hardest hit of nine provinces affected , civil defense officials said . in los ríos province , five people died when an ambulance drove into a hole at the side of a street at dawn thursday . a newborn boy , his parents , a doctor and a driver were killed .<doc-sep>streets also were flooded in the capital of quito . watch the scenes of devastation in ecuador '' on wednesday , president rafael correa declared a state of emergency and ordered 2,000 members of the army and the police to help rescue workers . correa increased by $ 25 million the $ 10 million he already had allocated for the emergency efforts . he also directed another $ 88 million to municipalities . once the crisis has eased , an emergency fund will give seed and fertilizer to help farmers whose fields were washed away , ecuador 's government said . there also have been reports of livestock drowning . cristina medina , a spokeswoman for the ecuadorean red cross , said provinces most heavily affected were along the pacific coast , where drinking water was often in short supply . in some towns , high waters forced entire neighborhoods to evacuate , medina said . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>by . paul donnelley . it is believed that 58 people have died and it is feared that the death toll could reach three figures as a remote part of northern afghanistan is hit by floods . in addition , thousands more have been left homeless . the flooding is the most recent in a series of deadly flash floods , landslides and avalanches in a part of the country that is almost cut off from the rest . lt fazel rahman , the chief of police in the guzirga i-nur district of northeastern baghlan , said that 54 bodies have been recovered so far including the remains of women and children , but many others are still missing .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the world food programme is stepping in to feed people in north korea , where floods have ruined crops and left hundreds of thousands homeless , according to reports . the united nations declared the situation in north korea an emergency thursday after torrential rain soaked the country between july 18 and 29 . eighty-eight people have died , a u.n. report said , though national media put the toll at 169 . counties most affected by the floods are in need of immediate food assistance , the report said . read more on the north korea floods . the downpours swept away crops and destroyed buildings , the state-run korean central news agency said . the floods also damaged wells and pumping stations , leaving about 50,000 families without clean drinking water , the u.n. report said . as saturday , 144 had been injured , kcna said . it reported that 212 200 people are homeless . read more about asia 's recent extreme wet weather .<doc-sep>budapest was on high alert yesterday as the river danube threatened to burst its banks and flood the historic city . the river peaked at record highs as desperate homeowners , hotel staff and military reservists piled sandbags in front of their buildings to protect the hungarian capital . tens of thousands have been forced to leave their homes and at least a dozen people have been killed in floods that have hit central europe in the past week . in front of hungary 's parliament buildings volunteers joined together to protect budapest by making sandbags . the river danube in the centre of budapest is nearly 29ft higher than normal . anxious locals watched the danube in the centre of budapest , at it reached its highest ever recorded level . thousands have been put up in emergency shelters waiting for the waters to recede so they can get back to their homes . germany , austria , slovakia , poland and the czech republic have all been affected by the worst floods in central europe in a decade . the danube -- europe 's second longest river which flows through four capital cities and ten countries -- started rising rapidly in hungary last friday . the country announced a state of ` extreme danger ' which is likely to last into next week as the waters are expected to recede very slowly . central europe has seen a week of torrential rain and perilous flooding . twenty people reportedly have died in the floods across central europe after several days of heavy rains . the flooded water of river danube rolling along at margareth island in budapest . at least 1,200 people from 28 towns and villages have been forced to leave their homes and 44 roads have been closed , it was reported . the danube was expected to peak at 29.4 feet in budapest last night -- worryingly near the river 's flood fences which are 30.5 feet tall . the previous record high was 28 feet in the 2006 floods . in a devastating flood in 1838 , the danube killed 150 people and left more than 50,000 homeless . men , women and children joining together to protect their city , making sandbags themselves . military reservists were joined by locals who filled sandbags and packed them on top of walls along the river . tens of thousands have been forced to leave their homes in central europe but residents in budapest are still trying to protect their city . the deluge reached hungary on friday but prime minister viktor orban said ` the next two days will be decisive ' yesterday , crowds gathered along the . river to watch as water streamed past the bank and trickled through gaps . in the wall , reaching the highest point ever recorded . staff from hotels on the bank of the danube massed sandbags outside their buildings in a forlorn attempt to avoid the problem .<doc-sep>the steep slopes and mountainous terrain are home to a few permanent residents and various summer residents , he said . the area has been drenched by a record amount of rain during the past month , but it was not clear whether that was a factor , macpherson said . geotechnical staff were trying to determine the landslide 's cause . india floods leave 95 dead , millions homeless . 18 killed in uganda mudslides . cnn 's jackie castillo and jake carpenter contributed to this report .

<t> at least 10 people have died in torrential rains in ecuador , officials say . </t> <t> authorities say the rains are the worst in a quarter century . </t> <t> civil defense officials say more than 10,000 families have been affected . </t> <t> ecuador 's president declares state of emergency , orders army , police to help . </t>

deadly ecuador floods leave thousands homeless<T>

washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- several marines who were involved in the november 2004 offensive in falluja , iraq , are now the focus of an investigation into allegations that civilians were intentionally killed during the operation , several pentagon officials have confirmed . members of the 1st u.s. marines expeditionary force operate in falluja , iraq , in november of 2006 . no one has been charged in the probe , which is based on what one official told cnn were `` credible allegations '' from a former marine . that marine volunteered the information during an employment polygraph test administered by the u.s. secret service . several sources familiar with the probe say the naval criminal investigative service is conducting the investigation .<doc-sep>the allegations first surfaced on a web site , defendourmarines.com , posted by nathaniel helms , a military journalist who wrote a book about the marines in falluja . the web posting includes an account from a marine who alleges eight captured iraqis were gunned down following a firefight . the weeklong anti-insurgent offensive in falluja began on november 7 , 2004 . it was called operation new dawn , and it sparked intense fighting involving airstrikes and house-to-house searches . there were reports of civilians being killed in the crossfire at that time .<doc-sep>the allegations are the latest involving marines and civilian deaths in iraq . seven marines and a navy medic were charged with killing an iraqi civilian in hamdaniya in april 2006 . one marine will serve eight years in a plea deal ; another marine withdrew his guilty plea , saying he acted under orders . four marines were charged with murder in the 2005 killings of 24 iraqi civilians in haditha . four officers are accused of failing to investigate and report the deaths properly . haditha was a target of marine operations to root out insurgents . both u.s. military law and international law of armed conflict prohibit the killing of unarmed captured prisoners , whether or not they are combatants . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>in november of that year , u.s. and iraqi forces attacked insurgents in falluja , killing about 1,200 militants . eight iraqi soldiers and 51 u.s. troops , mostly marines , died in urban combat , according to the pentagon . about 95 percent of falluja 's population was displaced . falluja is about 37 miles , or 60 kilometers , west of baghdad . after the city was pacified , the united states committed more than $ 200 million to reconstruction projects there , and changes became evident . small cafes and grocery stores lined the streets once dusty and abandoned . iraqis in falluja got back to the rhythms of everyday life : they worked , shopped -- and rebuilt . as fragile security gains took root , american military officials marveled at the resurgent city of several hundred thousand . on saturday , a police official denied reports that armed groups were trying to re-establish a foothold in the area . the u.s. military said marines and police in the nearby town of karma were also participating in a combined cache sweep .<doc-sep>any marine caught riding , even on leave , without going through the training courses faces marine corps punishment , officials say . on a recent day at the quantico training track , marines whizzed by on their bikes . `` i think the basic rider course has been great , '' said cpl. austin oakley . `` here , they put you in situations you want to be wary of out in that open road . '' oakley said he recently returned to the united states from japan , and he immediately jumped at the chance to buy a sport bike . he said it 's not uncommon for marines to have motorcycle clubs within their units . `` we 'll go out on rides together . fridays for lunchtime , we 'll all meet up and go to lunch , '' oakley said . `` when i get on my motorcycle , it 's me and the motorcycle . i do n't need to go fast . i do n't need to do anything like that . it 's just being free . '' the rise in motorcycle deaths is n't confined to marines . the navy says it 's had 33 deaths on motorcycles over the past 12 months , a 65 percent jump from the previous time period . and authorities say motorcycle deaths have been a problem in the civilian world , too .<doc-sep>baghdad , iraq -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- iraqi police and soldiers on saturday launched major raids in a once-notorious insurgent stronghold west of baghdad . saturday 's raids in falluja by iraqi forces were similar to u.s.-led sweeps in the city in 2004 , shown here . a police official in the anbar province city of falluja told cnn that a large number of security forces were scouring its sinaie district for an array of weapons -- machine guns , mortars , rocket-propelled grenades and small arms . the sinaie area , in falluja 's southeastern section , is an industrial district with factories , scrap yards and large , abandoned yards . the area used to be a stronghold of the insurgency in falluja until the militants were driven out in major military operations five years ago . at that time , the u.s.-led offensive was largely in response to the brutal ambush , killing and mutilation of four u.s. security contractors . their charred bodies were left dangling from a bridge over the euphrates river in spring 2004 . in november of that year , u.s. and iraqi forces attacked insurgents in falluja , killing about 1,200 militants . eight iraqi soldiers and 51 u.s. troops , mostly marines , died in urban combat , according to the pentagon . about 95 percent of falluja 's population was displaced . falluja is about 37 miles , or 60 kilometers , west of baghdad . after the city was pacified , the united states committed more than $ 200 million to reconstruction projects there , and changes became evident . small cafes and grocery stores lined the streets once dusty and abandoned . iraqis in falluja got back to the rhythms of everyday life : they worked , shopped -- and rebuilt . as fragile security gains took root , american military officials marveled at the resurgent city of several hundred thousand . on saturday , a police official denied reports that armed groups were trying to re-establish a foothold in the area . the u.s. military said marines and police in the nearby town of karma were also participating in a combined cache sweep . violence has dropped in iraq , and president obama 's administration has been gearing up to withdraw u.s. troops . the u.s. military continues to be on guard for flare-ups in violence and insurgent activity . the vast and predominantly sunni arab anbar province was a battleground between the u.s. military and al qaeda in iraq during the earlier years of the iraq war . but the insurgents eventually lost ground when a grass-roots movement called `` the awakening '' emerged . the tribe-based awakening forces rejected al qaeda in iraq and turned their allegiances toward the u.s. and iraqi government . while the awakening does n't have clout in falluja , there are pockets of support just outside the city , as well as in the rest of the province . al qaeda in iraq 's strongest presence in the country is now in the mosul area , in nineveh province , north of baghdad .<doc-sep>their . options were to treat his wounds and ensure his evacuation to camp . bastion or take him to their forward operating base for treatment . last . october the marines returned home to a heroes ' welcome and , officials . say , it is likely that whatever happened would have remained secret , had . it not been for the arrest of one of the men by civilian police . investigating a completely unrelated matter . as part of that inquiry they seized his laptop , found the footage from the compound , and alerted the military . investigators have questioned officers and fellow marines while afghan interpreters are being traced . the . five marines -- known only as a , b , c , d and e -- face a court martial . and their initial appearance was behind closed doors in bulford garrison . on the edge of salisbury plain in wiltshire . sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons .

<t> several marines are the focus of 2004 falluja civilian death investigation . </t> <t> allegations from former marine called `` credible '' </t> <t> sources : naval criminal investigative services conducting the probe . </t>

investigators focus on marines in falluja civilian deaths<T>

los angeles , california -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- oscar said yes to `` no country for old men '' and to european actors on sunday night . actors daniel day-lewis , tilda swinton , marion cotillard and javier bardem toast their success . `` no country , '' the coen brothers ' brutal tale of a man pursued by death and the law across the bleak moonscapes of west texas , won best picture at the 80th academy awards . the four acting awards , meanwhile , went to europeans : marion cotillard , daniel day-lewis , javier bardem and tilda swinton . the coens also won best director and best adapted screenplay , and bardem , who played cattle-gun-armed killer anton chigurh , won best supporting actor . producer scott rudin shared the best picture award with the brothers . `` we 're very thankful to all of you out there for letting us continue to play in our corner of the sandbox , so thank you very much , '' joel coen said in accepting the directing award . he observed that the pair did n't think they were doing much different work now from when , as a child , ethan coen `` got a suit and a briefcase and we went to the minneapolis international airport with a super 8 camera and made a movie about shuttle diplomacy called ` henry kissinger , man on the go . ' '' watch the best of the winners ' backstage remarks '' the coens , who have been known for their arch style and oddball humor in films such as `` fargo , '' `` o brother , where art thou '' and `` the big lebowski , '' received some laughs for ethan coen 's laconic acceptance speeches . after the pair won for adapted screenplay , ethan coen gave a brief thanks . upon winning the directing award , he expanded on his speech slightly , sort of : `` i do n't have a lot to add to what i said earlier . thank you , '' he said . day-lewis was more effusive in his thanks after winning best actor for his performance as a misanthropic oilman in `` there will be blood . '' `` my deepest thanks to the members of the academy for whacking me with the handsomest bludgeon in town , '' the british actor said as he accepted the award . `` i 've been thinking a lot about fathers and sons in the course of this , and i 'd like to accept this in the memory of my grandfather , michael balcon , my father , cecil day-lewis , and my three fine boys , gabriel , ronan and cashel , '' he added . see the complete list of winners . as he accepted his first oscar , bardem , one of spain 's top actors , thanked his directors and reflected on his role as a creepy killer with a bad haircut . `` thank you to the coens for being crazy enough to think that i could do that , and to put one of the most horrible haircuts in history over my head , '' he said . watch `` no country '' win best picture '' it was his second career nomination . his other came for `` before night falls '' -lrb- 2000 -rrb- , in which he played cuban poet reinaldo arenas . in a mild surprise , french actress cotillard won her first academy award for her portrayal of singer edith piaf in `` la vie en rose . '' early handicappers had bet heavily on veteran julie christie , a previous oscar winner who played a woman falling victim to alzheimer 's in `` away from her . '' but cotillard , who 's received raves for her performance as the french singer , had been considered a strong contender for best actress .<doc-sep>`` i 'm speechless now ... i ... i ... thank you life , thank you love , '' cotillard exclaimed . `` and it is true , there are some angels in this city . thank you so , so much ! '' the actress has appeared in dozens of films in her native france , but she may be most recognizable to american audiences for her performances in `` a very long engagement '' -lrb- 2004 -rrb- and `` big fish '' -lrb- 2003 -rrb- . in a highly competitive race , swinton nabbed the best supporting actress oscar for her portrayal as lawyer karen crowder in the legal drama `` michael clayton . '' `` i have an american agent who is the spitting image of this . really , truly , the same shape head and , it has to be said , the buttocks , '' the british actress said , examining her new oscar . `` and i 'm giving this to him because there 's no way i 'd be in america at all , ever , on a plane if it was n't for him . '' see swinton on the red carpet '' swinton beat out 83-year-old ruby dee , who had been considered a sentimental favorite for her first oscar nomination in the supporting actress category , playing mama lucas to denzel washington 's drug kingpin frank lucas in `` american gangster . '' swinton also beat cate blanchett -lrb- as a mid - '60s take on bob dylan in `` i 'm not there '' -rrb- and amy ryan -lrb- a difficult working-class mother in `` gone baby gone '' -rrb- . the academy awards opened with host jon stewart joking about the recently ended writers strike -- which forced a cutback in the golden globes and threatened the oscars as well -- and commenting on the bleakness of the best picture nominees . `` tonight we look beyond the dark days to focus on happier fare : this year 's slate of oscar-nominated psychopathic killer movies , '' stewart joked . `` does this town need a hug ? what happened ? ` no country for old men , ' ` sweeney todd , ' ` there will be blood ' ? all i can say is , thank god for -lsb- the comedy `` juno 's '' -rsb- teen pregnancy . i think the country agrees . '' check out oscar prep photos '' `` juno '' has been the little movie that could all season . the film , which cost a relatively paltry $ 7.5 million , was the only best picture nominee to top $ 100 million at the box office , ensuring it a rooting interest from moviegoers . star ellen page received plaudits for her performance as the title character , and screenwriter diablo cody -- famously a former stripper -- has become one of hollywood 's `` it '' scribes . cody won best original screenplay . `` this is for the writers . i want to thank all the writers . i especially want to thank my fellow nominees because i worship you guys and i 'm learning from you every day , '' cody said . the first award of the evening , for costume design , went to `` elizabeth : the golden age . '' the best animated feature went to `` ratatouille , '' a computer-animated pixar film directed and written by oscar winner brad bird -lrb- `` the incredibles '' -rrb- . the rat-turns-chef movie beat out `` persepolis , '' based on the graphic novel by marjane satrapi , and `` surf 's up , '' a computer-animated film about penguins . `` the counterfeiters '' from austria took the best foreign-language film . the movie is based on a true story about a counterfeiter who , after being sent to a concentration camp , was employed by the nazis to fake other countries ' currency . best original song was awarded to `` falling slowly '' from `` once . '' it beat out three songs from `` enchanted , '' the disney film about an animated princess come to life . the oscars were spread around . `` no country '' picked up four , `` the bourne ultimatum '' earned three -lrb- one for its rapid-fire editing -rrb- and `` there will be blood '' received two : day-lewis ' acting award and robert elswit 's cinematography honor . but nobody had any doubt what film was considered the evening 's big winner . `` there 's nothing like it , and especially with these two guys , '' producer rudin said backstage with the coens of their unusual western . `` i 'm incredibly proud , and i think it 's the best movie we have been involved with . i loved it from the first minute i saw it . '' e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>by . peter allen . two europeans accused of murdering a young boy in the most popular tourist resort in madagascar have been burnt to death by a mob of vigilantes , it emerged today . a third european man who was quizzed over the alleged killing of the eight-year-old boy was lynched hours later and his body set ablaze in a separate attack . the horrific killings took place on nosy be , an idyllic indian ocean island located off the northwest coast of madagascar , which attracts holidaymakers from all over the world including britain . fire : locals on the madagascan island of nosy be are allegedly pictured watching one of two european men accused of murdering an eight-year-old boy being burnt to death on wednesday night . locals went on the rampage on . wednesday following reports that a frenchman called sebastian and an . italian called roberto had kidnapped an eight-year-old child . there . were claims that the men , whose surnames have not been revealed , had . not only killed the boy , but cut off his tongue and genitals . police commander guy bobin randriamaro said : ` the rioters launched a manhunt and killed the europeans . ` both men were not only suspected of murdering the boys , but were also said to be trafficking human organs . ' the rampaging mob originally stormed a police station in hell-ville , capital of nosy be , where it thought the pair of murder suspects were being held . police fired shots in the air , but it was not enough to disperse the increasingly angry crowd . mr randriamaro said the men were finally chased and cornered on the palm-fringed ambatoloaka beach on nosy be , where they were attacked .<doc-sep>by . peter allen in paris . five eastern europeans were in custody in paris yesterday after a # 1million jewellery raid by up to 15 men brandishing sledgehammers and axes . police believe a roma gipsy gang was behind the well-organised robbery at a swiss luxury watchmaker 's store in the french capital . they said staff allowed two well-dressed men to enter the locked vacheron constantin store . the men then held open the doors to allow a crowd of hooded accomplices to get in as well . heist : the vacheron constanin store , pictured , was raided by a 15-strong gang of axe-wielding men on friday . getaway : in this video still , a group of hooded men can be seen running across the street in central paris . raid : the gang had forced their way into the store and stole around 20 watches - worth about # 1million . the gang smashed display cabinets at the store near place vendome and left with around 20 watches worth up to # 1million . meanwhile , accomplices outside used smoke grenades to create confusion during the raid , which happened around noon on friday . a 24-year-old romanian and a moldovan , aged 17 , were arrested shortly afterwards , while three more eastern europeans were held on saturday . robbery : policemen cordon off a street near the place vendome following the midday raid . arrest : police today have said five men - all eastern european - are in custody following the robbery . france has been hit by a number of . high-profile jewellery robberies this year , and gangs from eastern europe are . believed to be behind a majority of them .<doc-sep>by . deni kirkova . published : . 07:17 est , 2 march 2014 . | . updated : . 08:59 est , 2 march 2014 . if it were all down to looks , jennifer lawrence and leonardo dicaprio would be the clear winners at the oscars on sunday . the handsome pair topped a beauty poll of more than 1,000 britons to find out who win in the looks department . lawrence 's american hustle co-star amy adams took second place , while a third member of the cast , bradley cooper , came runner up to leonardo dicaprio in the men 's poll . jennifer lawrence at the golden globes in january -lrb- l -rrb- and leonardo dicaprio at the baftas in february -lrb- r -rrb- . all four have been nominated for awards in tonight 's oscars ceremony in los angeles , with lawrence in particular , hotly tipped to take the best supporting actress prize . other actresses to feature close to the top of the women 's poll included gravity star sandra bullock , in third place on 6.5 per . cent , and cate blanchett and lupita nyong ' o who got joint fourth with 4.8 per cent . of the vote . despite the ongoing controversy surrounding her half-sister 's suicide three weeks ago , julia roberts came next with 1.7 per cent . the men 's vote saw wolf of wall street star leonardo . dicaprio triumph over bradley cooper and knock irish star . michael fassbender down into third place . amy adams in february -lrb- left -rrb- and sandra bullock at the directors guild awards in january -lrb- right -rrb- . jennifer lawrence 64.5 per cent . amy adams 17.7 per cent . sandra bullock 6.5 per cent . cate blanchett 4.8 per cent . lupita nyong ' o 4.8 per cent . julia roberts 1.7 per cent . leonardo dicaprio 40.1 per cent . bradley cooper 33.9 per cent . michael fassbender 7.3 per cent . matthew mcconaughey 6.8 per cent . jared leto 5.7 per cent . christian bale 4.5 per cent . the critically acclaimed best actor . nominee is yet to win an oscar but the 39-year-old could , for the first time , take home the big prize at tonight 's awards ceremony . but he 'll have stiff competition from american hustle 's bradley cooper and michael fassbender 's 12 years a slave co-star , chiwetel ejiofor . the two stars of the dallas buyers club , matthew mcconaughey and jared leto , came fourth and fifth in the looks poll , although both are likely to fare better tonight . bradley cooper -lrb- left -rrb- and michael fassbender -lrb- right -rrb- , both at the baftas . the findings are the results of an online poll of 1,100 men and women by online beauty retailer escentual.com , and focused on the stars nominated for an award at this year 's oscars . a spokesperson said : ` so much of the oscars this sunday is going to be about the glamour and beauty on the red carpet and so we thought we would hold our own oscars beauty awards before the night . ` jennifer lawrence was unanimously chosen by both men and women as the run-away winner for most beautiful actress , but it was a bit more of an open field for the men . ` nevertheless , leonardo dicaprio was a clear head in front of bradley cooper for the prize of being the uk 's choice for most handsome male . '<doc-sep>brits fighting in syria face being charged with terrorist offences when they return home under new laws to limit the threat of attack in the uk . david cameron and nick clegg said they wanted to ensure ` peace of mind for all that live here ' as they unveiled a raft of new laws in the queen 's speech aimed at criminal gangs , people traffickers and child abusers . the new laws would allow people suspected of committing terror offences overseas to be prosecuted in the uk as if the offences occurred on british soil . the government warned syria is now a ` breeding ground for terrorists ' after senior whitehall officials said jihadists returning from fighting in the bloody civil war pose the biggest risk to uk security since 9/11 . free syrian army fighters fire a rocket towards forces loyal to syria 's president bashar al-assad . under new laws announced in the queen 's speech , fighters returning to britain could be charged with terror offences . government sources suggest around 2,000 europeans fighting in syria , including at least 200 already known to the british security services . it is feared that fighters returning to the uk will seek to radicalise young men in particular to launch terror attacks at home and abroad . tackling the problem has become a top priority for mi5 , mi6 and counter-terror police . in today 's state opening of parliament , the queen announced details of a new serious crime bill to ` tackle child neglect , disrupt serious organised crime and strengthen powers to seize the proceeds of crime ' . it includes new powers to ` reduce the potential threat posed by uk citizens and residents returning home after taking part in the syria conflict ' the government said .

<t> `` no country for old men '' wins four awards , including best picture and director . </t> <t> four acting awards go to europeans : cotillard , day-lewis , bardem and swinton . </t> <t> best original screenplay is awarded to former stripper diablo cody for `` juno '' </t> <t> host jon stewart jokes about the recently ended writers strike . </t>

` old men , ' europeans seize oscars<T>

rome , italy -- italian tennis players potito starace and daniele bracciali have been banned by the atp for betting on matches . top italian player potito starace has been suspended for six weeks for betting on matches . the country 's top player starace -- 31st in the atp rankings -- has been suspended for six weeks from january 1 and fined $ 30,000 -lrb- 20,890 euros -rrb- for making five bets totalling around 90 euros two years ago . bracciali , world ranked 258 , has been banned for three months and fined $ 20,000 -lrb- 13,930 euros -rrb- for making around 50 five-euro bets between 2004 and 2005 . the italian tennis federation -lrb- fit -rrb- confirmed the news on its website , www.federtennis.it . however , they denounced the penalties as disproportionate , saying the players never bet on their own matches . `` injustice is done , '' the statement said . `` these penalties are absolutely , excessively severe compared to the magnitude of the violations carried out by the two players . '' the federation said the two were not aware of the atp 's betting regulations , and that they stopped placing the bets as soon as they learned it was against the rules . another italian player , alessio di mauro , became the first player sanctioned under the atp 's new anti-corruption rules when he received a nine-month ban in november , also for betting on matches . starace and bracciali said they were scapegoats for a larger match-fixing scandal . `` it 's disgusting , '' said the 26-year-old starace . `` the atp does n't know where to turn . it 's all a joke . '' bracciali said the two had been `` sacrificed . '' `` that 's why they came after us , '' the 29-year-old said . `` we are not champions and we do n't count in the upper echelons . '' atp officials could not be reached for comment on saturday . concerns about match-fixing have risen since august , when an online betting company reported unusual betting patterns during a match between fourth-ranked nikolay davydenko of russia and martin vassallo arguello of argentina . the company , betfair , voided all bets and the atp has been investigating . davydenko , who retired while trailing in the third set , denies wrongdoing . since then , several players have said that they had been approached with offers to fix matches in exchange for money . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>italian tennis players daniele bracciali and potito starace are facing corruption accusations after intercepted internet conversations claiming they sold matches were printed on wednesday in italian media . the conversations are part of the extensive data that judicial investigators in cremona have been sorting through in a match-fixing inquiry into soccer . in a july 2007 conversation on skype between bracciali and an accountant who was arrested in 2011 , it is reported bracciali discusses arranging a match in newport , rhode island , against american player scoville jenkins . jenkins won 6-2 , 6-1 . italian tennis player daniele bracciali , pictured here in 2006 , is facing accusations of match-fixing . in 2011 , an owner of a betting parlor who was later arrested is heard saying that former world no 27 starace agreed to sell the final of a tournament in casablanca . pablo andujar of spain won the final 6-1 , 6-2 . prosecutor roberto di martino , who is leading the cremona inquiry , confirmed to the associated press the authenticity of the conversations . di martino added that foreign tennis players might also be involved . ' i ca n't rule that out , ' di martino said . ` but i ca n't say anything more for now . ' bracciali and starace , neither of whom are officially under investigation , refused to comment after pairing together to win a first-round doubles at the kremlin cup in moscow on wednesday . the italian tennis federation -lrb- fit -rrb- said it will request copies of all the documents from cremona authorities involving tennis players . ` if the inquiry confirms what went on in the intercepted conversations published by the newspapers then we 'll be dealing with serious and intolerable offenses , ' fit president angelo binaghi said in a statement . potito starace , the former world no 27 pictured here in 2012 , refused to comment in moscow on wednesday . the last bet operation has resulted in more than 100 people placed under investigation in italy since mid-2011 , with suspect soccer matches being looked at by prosecutors in cremona , bari and naples . the inquiry is branching out to other sports . the 36-year-old bracciali is a doubles specialist while the 33-year-old starace is ranked 150th in singles . bracciali and starace were already two of five italians - along with alessio di mauro , giorgio galimberti and federico luzzi - who were given suspensions in 2007-08 by the atp ranging from six weeks to nine months for betting . in other cases of match-fixing in tennis , life bans were handed to daniel koellerer of austria in 2011 , david savic of serbia in 2012 , and andrey kumantsov of russia this year . in july , one man was charged and five others arrested in an australian police operation against an international tennis match-fixing syndicate . sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article .<doc-sep>`` the atp world tour and men 's tennis are stronger than ever and it is my intention to continue to lead the organization on this successful path , working hand in hand with our players and tournaments . i am very excited about the opportunities ahead . '' world no. 3 roger federer , who is head of the players ' council , welcomed the promotion of the former head of the atp 's international group . `` brad is a very experienced executive and has been an effective leader within the atp for many years , '' the 16-time grand slam champion said .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- tennis bosses have told the sport 's stars that a boycott of the 2013 australian open over prize money would not be backed . players have voiced concerns over the disparity between the money earned by stars who reach the latter stages of grand slams and those who exit in the early rounds . british newspaper the sunday times reported that they were planning to start a rebel event , possibly in dubai , if pay is not increased for the melbourne tournament in january . but the atp , which represents the interests of male players , has denied it would help players in organize any such action . `` the atp has been clear and repetitive in telling players that it will not organize a boycott , '' it said in a statement . `` instead , atp management and players have taken a diplomatic approach this year with the grand slams to address player compensation issues .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the 2013 australian open will boast the biggest prize pool in the history of tennis , organizers announced tuesday . the increase of $ 4.12 million will see players compete for their share of a record $ 31.1 million in january 's tournament in melbourne . `` we are proud to announce this major increase in prize money , '' tennis australia chief executive steve wood told the official website of the grand slam event . `` we have led the world in prize money for these incredible athletes and we want to ensure that the australian open continues to make a major contribution to the financial well being of professional tennis players . '' wood revealed that officials will seek the views of atp tour players regarding the breakdown of the prize purse to make sure lower ranked players received greater compensation for their efforts . tournament director craig tiley said he would meet leading players roger federer , novak djokovic and andy murray in shanghai this weekend to discuss the issue , which had prompted reports of a possible player boycott of the opening grand slam of the season . defending champion djkokovic , who is playing the china open in beijing , welcomed the announcement after a three-set win over german qualifier michael berrer tuesday . `` it 's a step forward , definitely , '' the serbian , who is a member of the atp player council , told afp . `` they have clearly shown understanding for players ' demands and what the players had to say , so that 's really nice to see . ''

<t> italian tennis players potito starace and daniele bracciali banned by the atp . </t> <t> the pair have been suspended for betting on matches , although not their own . </t> <t> starace suspended for six weeks while bracciali is banned for three months . </t>

atp suspend italian tennis players<T>

washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- president bush on wednesday signed a sweeping energy bill that he said would help the country become `` stronger , cleaner and more secure . '' president bush on wednesday signs a bill raising auto fuel economy standards for the first time in decades . the bill -- approved overwhelmingly tuesday by the house of representatives -- raises automotive fuel economy standards for the first time in more than three decades , requiring a corporate average of 35 miles per gallon by 2020 . it also boosts federal support for alternative fuel research and energy conservation efforts . a republican filibuster in the senate removed provisions that bush objected to that would have eliminated tax breaks for oil companies and a requirement that electric utilities produce a portion of their power from alternative sources . the current fuel-economy standards of 27.5 miles per gallon for passenger cars and 22.2 for light trucks were established in 1975 . the new bill sets a single average standard for manufacturers . senate majority leader harry reid , d-nevada , said tuesday 's bill was `` a great , wonderful first step for an energy revolution that starts in america and ripples throughout the world . '' but reid said democrats would continue pushing to shift federal tax breaks away from fossil-fuel producers and into renewable energy research -- one of the party 's top priorities when it took control of congress in january . house opponents such as rep. joe barton , r-texas , complained that the bill will undo many of the efforts made to foster increased production of fossil fuels in an energy bill passed in 2005 . `` i understand the consequences of elections . i understand there 's a new majority , '' said barton , the ranking republican on the house committee on energy and commerce . `` i do not understand how what made sense two years ago does n't make sense today . '' barton called the legislation a `` no-energy '' bill and `` a recipe for recession , '' arguing its mandated conservation measures would raise prices for fuel , homes and appliances for consumers . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's ed henry contributed to this report .<doc-sep>`` anytime you have to comply with two different sets of standards , it 's more expensive , '' said eric fedewa of csm worldwide , an automotive research company . fedewa also said having two different standards could be a challenge for the auto industry at this time - they are currently losing money and have recently received billion in taxpayer support . federal fuel efficiency rules could be more easily relaxed if the industry had a hard time complying , he said . `` it 's in our nation 's best interest to be under a common strategy , '' he said . fuel efficiency standards : regardless of what california does , obama also moved to implement higher fuel efficiency standards passed in 2007 . those increases - the first in more than 30 years - called for raising the average fuel economy from 27.5 miles a gallon for cars and 22 miles a gallon for trucks to 35 miles a gallon for the whole fleet by 2020 . obama said the increased standards would save 2 million barrels of oil a day . that 's about 10 % of the country 's total oil consumption , and roughly the same amount the country currently imports from the persian gulf . `` this rule will be a downpayment on a broader and sustained effort to reduce our dependence on foreign oil , '' said the president . the new standards , originally supported by bush , were put on hold during his last days in office , in response to the woes facing the auto industry .<doc-sep>new york -lrb- cnnmoney.com -rrb- -- u.s. president barack obama set his green plan into action monday , potentially reversing several bush-era decisions on global warming and fuel efficiency . u.s. president barack obama signs orders monday on vehicle emissions and fuel efficiency standards . in his first major environmental acts as president , obama directed his environmental protection agency to review a california application to regulate greenhouse gases and told his department of transportation to begin implementing fuel efficiency standards passed last year but not implemented by the bush administration . he also pushed for passage of the $ 825 billion economic stimulus package in the house and senate . those bills include money for investments in renewable energy , conservation and a better electric grid . `` no single issue is as fundamental to our future as energy , '' obama said at a white house news conference . `` it is time for this moment of peril to be turned into one of progress . '' california emissions : under the clean air act , california has long sought to tighten its air quality standards . to achieve those standards , california would likely require cars to emit fewer greenhouse gases . currently the federal government does not regulate carbon dioxide emissions - the main culprit in greenhouse gases . the bush administration recently denied california 's request saying that new federal fuel standards made stricter rules there unnecessary . obama said his administration will review that decision . any change in policy would likely take months to implement . `` let me be clear : our goal is not to further burden an already struggling industry ; it is to help america 's automakers prepare for the future , '' said the president .<doc-sep>but schwarzenegger said he would like to set a higher standard for california . `` anything less than aggressive action on the greatest environmental threat of all time is inexcusable , '' he said . watch schwarzenegger slam the bush administration for denying california the waiver '' the new federal law will increase fuel efficiency standards by 40 percent by 2020 , requiring automakers to bring their fleets to an average of 35 miles per gallon . the california plan , however , would cut emissions by nearly 30 percent by 2016 , raising fuel efficiency standards in the state to 43.7 miles per gallon for passenger cars and some suvs and trucks , while larger vehicles would need to reach 26.9 mpg by that year . in all , 16 states had either adopted california 's tough standards or announced plans to do so . a top aide to schwarzenegger said the governor has been frustrated with the white house over emissions standards , and was very exasperated after a february meeting with johnson . epa officials say they went the extra mile with schwarzenegger , even taking the unusual step of holding a second hearing in california on emissions . they say they 're sorry he 's upset , but they believe a national standard on emissions is going to be more effective . a white house official would only react to schwarzenegger 's frustration by saying the administration `` looks forward to working with him on a variety of issues . ''<doc-sep>the environmental community applauded the move . new emission standards could result in vehicles that get better gas mileage . `` with these actions our new president is not just stepping up to the threat of climate chaos , '' dave hawkins , head of the climate center at the natural resources defense council , wrote on his blog . `` the cleaner cars he will help put on the road will show us the way to reduce our dangerous dependence on oil and will push automakers to make the cars that the world will want and need in the 21st century . '' the auto industry , which has opposed california 's effort to raise its air quality standards , said in the past it will result in an expensive patchwork of emissions standards and force them to build different cars for different markets . seventeen other states may adopt california 's rules if the obama administration allows it , representing over half the vehicle market . on monday general motors said it is trying to make more efficient vehicles , but said any standard must be `` workable . '' `` gm is working aggressively on the products and the advance technologies that match the nation 's and consumer 's priorities to save energy and reduce emissions , '' the company said in a statement to cnn . `` we 're ready to engage the obama administration and the congress on policies that support meaningful and workable solutions and targets that benefit consumers from coast to coast . '' chrysler had no comment , and ford could not be reached . it 's possible automakers would simply make their entire fleet conform to the stricter standard - thus upping fuel efficiency standards for the whole nation . it 's also possible the auto industry would make different cars for different markets , perhaps not selling certain bigger cars in states that adopted the new standard . either way , most analysts said it would raise prices for everyone .

<t> new law raises auto fuel efficiency standards . </t> <t> increase to fleet average of 35 miles per gallon is first in 32 years . </t> <t> senate majority leader calls bill a `` great , wonderful first step '' </t>

bush signs bill raising auto fuel efficiency standards<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- stranded in the snowy california woods for three days after losing their way while searching for a christmas tree , a father and his three children fashioned a `` help '' sign out of twigs on a nearby unpaved road , according to the helicopter pilots who found them . lexi and joshua dominguez exit a helicopter wednesday , shortly after being found . the four sought shelter from the heavy snow in a culvert and removed their sodden socks in an effort to stay warm and dry while they waited for rescue , the pilots said . frederick dominguez said that during the three-day ordeal , he and his children slept inside a log for warmth and ripped apart their shirts to wrap their wet , freezing feet . `` you just go to survival mode , '' he said . `` every parent would do that . you would do anything , sacrifice yourself , because these are your kids . '' dominguez and his children -- christopher , 18 ; lexi , 14 ; and joshua , 12 -- were reported missing monday night by dominguez 's former wife and the children 's mother , lisa sams , according to police in paradise , california , a town of 27,000 people about 90 miles north of sacramento . watch the family talk about their `` scary '' ordeal '' `` i 'm glad i 'm home . praise god , '' dominguez told reporters after exiting a chopper at the search command post . `` it was awful . '' asked how he survived , he replied , `` jesus christ . '' dominguez said he used branches and sticks to spell out the word `` help '' near the culvert , where the three slept the last two nights -- at times sleeping with their feet inside each other 's shirts to help stave off frostbite . he said his daughter was the first to hear a california highway patrol helicopter overhead . he said he ran though several feet of snow barefooted to wave it down . `` when they turned around , man , i was just praising god and saying , ` thank you lord , thank you lord , ' because i knew we had made it , '' he said . police vehicles equipped with snow chains rumbled up mountain roads to help conduct the search , which also involved a snowmobile and dogs . more than 80 searchers scoured the woods wednesday until the four were found about 1 p.m. -lrb- 4 p.m. et -rrb- . officer steve ward said he was piloting the helicopter out ahead of bad weather when he spotted dominguez coming out of the culvert and waving . `` we were very lucky that we just saw this guy at the last second . '' paramedic flight officer dave white , who was with ward , said that after the two shut down the helicopter and waved the family over , all four came running . `` the little girl was in tears , '' he said . white said the family was found north of where ground crews were searching . the pilots could see the `` help '' sign they had made with twigs on a nearby four-wheel-drive road , he said . christopher dominguez told cnn 's anderson cooper the family got lost sunday searching for a tree , which they had chopped down but later abandoned . he said they did n't have food , heavy coats or other provisions to help prepare for the cold nights . `` we were n't prepared at all , '' he said . `` we just thought we were going to go up to the mountains , get our tree and go back home . it did n't turn out that way . ''<doc-sep>after the family failed to locate their vehicle , he said , snow and darkness began to fall . at that point , lexi dominguez said , `` i started freaking out . '' `` it was really , really scary , '' she said . `` i just remember walking and walking and being like , we 're not going to make it , '' lexi said . and as they huddled for warmth , christopher dominguez said , his sister sang songs to help pass the time until help arrived . `` we were all just happy , happy to be rescued , '' christopher dominguez said late wednesday , huddled with his siblings under blankets in their home . `` i feel good , just happy to be home , '' said joshua dominguez . `` because i did n't think we were going to make it . '' all four appeared to be in good condition as they were brought by chopper to the command post and taken to ambulances . wendy wilson , the children 's aunt , told cnn the two younger children had some frostbite on their toes and a touch of hypothermia , but were expected to make a full recovery . butte county search and rescue dispatcher madde watts said , `` they had angels with them , for sure . '' the search riveted those in paradise and beyond . mayor alan white , whose son played soccer on the same team as joshua last year , said he and many others in and around paradise have cut christmas trees in the same place where the family vanished . when winter weather sours there , he said , people in the woods can get lost quickly . `` if you 're 50 feet from your car , you might not be able to find it , '' he said . although police found the family 's car , it offered no clues as to where they might have gone . the inaccessible area is beyond the reach of cell phones , authorities have said . paradise high principal mike lerch said students had volunteered to help in the search . `` this is a good family , '' he said . christopher dominguez had graduated from the school a few months ago , lerch said , and lexi is a sophomore there . joshua attends paradise intermediate school . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>survivor : rescuers were stunned when they found a dehydrated and critically-injured kristin hopkins , 43 , in her upturned vehicle 140 feet below the 10,051-foot red hill pass . pure chance : emergency crews who rescued kristin said she had written notes on an umbrella to try and get help , but that the area usually does n't receive many visitors until fall . rescuers set to work cutting into the vehicle , pulling out hopkins and taking her to the helicopter . it was a complicated extrication because of the location , cravener said . hopkins was fairly responsive at first , even telling her rescuers she was not hurt . but they could see her face was badly bruised , possibly by the steering wheel or air bag . ` she did n't talk a whole lot . she started to become less responsive as we carried her down the hill . we had to keep waking her up , ' cravener said . the area had spring snow storms but not bitterly cold temperatures in the past several days . sightseers often stop at the spot but usually in the fall when the leaves are turning color . it was just by chance that somebody would stop at this time of year , cravener said . her family thanked people for their prayers and thoughts .<doc-sep>his son malcom an thanked rescuers . recovered : kim , of tacoma , washington , talks at his home about his experience being lost in a blizzard for two days . on the edge : it took nine hours to bring mr kim -lrb- pictured -rrb- down from the remote spot because of the treacherous conditions . he said : ' a . terrible situation that could have ended in tragedy , instead turned . into another beautiful example of how americans come together to help . each other . ' mr kim 's sister-in-law , . sang soon tomyn , told the associated press that ` as soon as we heard he . was alive , my sister , his wife , praised god and said '' hallelujah '' . we . were so worried . we prayed every day . ' she said her brother-in-law was a strong hiker , had food in his backpack and knew the area very well . ` he 's a very strong person , ' she added .<doc-sep>fire truck did go over the victim at least one time . now the other . question is , `` what was the cause of death ? '' ' san francisco police . spokesman albie esparza said . all three girls killed were from china . ye . meng yuan 's close friend wang linjia was among a group of injured . passengers who did not get immediate medical help after the crash . rescuers did not spot . her until 14 minutes after the crash . wang linjia 's body was found . along with three flight attendants who were flung onto the tarmac . moments after the crash , while rescuers tried to help passengers near the burning fuselage , wang linjia and some flight attendants lay in the rubble almost 2,000 feet away . a group of survivors called 911 and tried to help them . survivors said that after escaping the plane , they sat with at least four victims who appeared to be seriously hurt . they believe one of them was one of the girls who died . cindy stone , who was in that group , . was recorded by california highway patrol dispatchers calling in for .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- on sunday night , two teenagers called authorities pleading for help after their hike through the santa ana mountains of southern california went awry . then their cell phones went dead -- meaning that not only were they lost , but so , too , was their link to potential saviors . their story took a positive turn wednesday night , when rescuers came across 19-year-old nicholas cendoya . but there was no sign of his hiking mate , 18-year-old kyndall jack . until now . video shot thursday from helicopters showed jack perched precariously on a steep area full of dense brush . a rescuer was by her side , and she was hoisted up to an awaiting helicopter and transported to a local hospital . `` she is alive , '' orange county sheriff 's lt. jason park said . park did n't offer much more than that as he addressed reporters thursday . he said the teenage girl was `` responsive , ... she appears to be dehydrated , she 's weak . '' but the fact she survived four days in the wilderness was cause for celebration . park described her family as `` extremely happy '' upon hearing about her rescue . there was similar elation among the search-and-rescue team , which included dozens of volunteer sheriff deputies who surveyed the dangerous terrain looking for signs of life . `` regardless of how hard they worked or how how tired or how hungry they are , it 's a tremendous victory for them , '' park said . the ordeal began on easter , when the two teens set off on trails in part of the cleveland national forest located in an unincorporated part of south orange county . the pair called the sheriff 's department that night , and deputies responded , believing the hikers were about a mile from their vehicle . `` but their cell phone battery died , and contact was lost , '' the department said in a news release .

<t> new : joshua , 12 , `` happy to be home . ... i did n't think we were going to make it '' </t> <t> family sought shelter from snow in culvert , warmed each other 's frostbitten feet . </t> <t> frederick dominguez and his 3 children set out sunday to cut christmas tree . </t> <t> more than 80 people searched for them tuesday in heavy snow . </t>

rescuers spot lost family 's twig ` help ' sign<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the death of a passenger last week aboard an american airlines flight underscores the importance of taking precautions before flying , a travel health industry representative said monday . an american airlines passenger complaining that she was having trouble breathing died on a flight last week . jill drake , a marketing representative for medaire , inc. , said its physicians last year advised 74 airlines on how to handle more than 17,000 in-flight medical events . flight attendants with sick passengers call good samaritan hospital in phoenix , arizona , a level-one trauma center where emergency room physicians and a service able to translate 140 languages are on call to answer questions from any of 2 million airline passengers flying at any given time , she said . `` very rarely '' does the call result in a diversion , a decision made not by the doctor but by the pilot who must consider a number of variables beyond the passenger 's health , she said . the pilot must weigh weather conditions , remaining fuel and proximity to an airport . as of 1 p.m. -lrb- 3 p.m. et -rrb- monday , medaire had fielded 110 calls , `` which is a very busy day for us , '' she said . on average , the company gets about 50 in-flight calls from commercial airliners for an entire day , and an additional 25 or 30 calls related to events that occur at airport gates or aboard yachts and commercial ships , she said . airlines contracting with medaire include continental , southwest and british airways . american has its own in-house medical team . drake said medaire 's doctors documented 97 onboard deaths in 2007 , down from 110 in 2006 . the top categories of in-flight illness are fainting , gastrointestinal problems , respiratory issues such as shortness of breath , heart problems ranging from arrhythmias to arrest and orthopedic problems , such as broken bones , drake said . by law , u.s.-based commercial airlines must carry automatic external defibrillators , oxygen and medical kits . some airlines choose to carry extra , non-mandated medications . if a passenger already has breathing problems , airplane travel will only worsen the condition because cabins are typically pressurized at 8,000 feet , said drake . her advice to anyone not feeling 100 percent : `` do not travel . ''<doc-sep>and anyone with a medical condition who travels should pack any critical medications in a carry-on bag , she said . though flight attendants are trained to handle on-board emergencies , `` they are not medically trained , '' she said . `` to think that they are going to be able to assist your every need , that 's quite a high expectation . '' hydration and moderation are key , and passengers should carry water and a snack , she said . vacationers often return home from tropical locales sunburned and , in some cases , drunk . `` altitude amplifies the buzz , '' drake said . `` you have a couple of cocktails in denver , you feel it a little bit more than in omaha . '' denver 's altitude is 5,280 feet ; omaha 's is 1,040 feet . flying in a fresh cast can also prove dangerous . `` your arm could expand and it could cut off your circulation , '' she said , noting that the risk is reduced with older casts , which have typically already expanded to accommodate any swelling . though the faa began demanding that airlines carry certain medications more than 30 years ago , the list was tiny . during the 1990s , overseas airlines began carrying more sophisticated equipment , and pressure increased for u.s.-based airlines to follow , said dr. russell rayman , executive director of the aerospace medical association , which has roughly 3,000 members including physicians , research scientists and flight nurses . congress held hearings and then required airlines carry more robust kits and defibrillators by 2004 . american airlines was among the first to do so , said dr. david mckenas , who served for 10 years as the airline 's corporate medical director until 2002 . he lauded the defibrillator as `` so good it 's like 100 cardiologists in a box . '' the machine will only work if the patient 's heart is fibrillating , a condition where the contractions become so irregular it loses its ability to pump blood efficiently .<doc-sep>american airlines buys its kits from banyan international corp. , which describes itself as `` the nation 's leading provider of emergency medical kits . '' each of the nine-pound , $ 250 kits includes aspirin , alcohol swabs , nitroglycerine tablets , antihistamines , iv tubing , a stethoscope , a blood-pressure gauge , a bronchodilator , syringes , gloves , saline solution , epinephrine , dextrose , a manual resuscitation bag , alcohol pads and shears . oxygen comes in several forms aboard planes . the oxygen that flows into masks stored above individual seats is not medical oxygen and would not suffice for a passenger in an in-flight medical emergency , said rayman . flight attendants have portable bottles of oxygen that they are to use for themselves in the event of a cabin decompression . `` it could be used if there is a medical emergency on board , but that 's not its purpose , '' he said . more oxygen is stored in the cockpit for the pilots . though medaire keeps track of its clients ' medical air incidents , rayman criticized the faa 's failure to do so . `` there is no central repository where these things can be archived and then retrieved , '' he said . `` they do n't want to report it because it just does n't look good . it 's not good p.r. , you could say . '' he said even an anonymous registry would serve a useful purpose . `` we 're concerned for safety on the flight , '' faa spokeswoman alison duquette said . `` once someone leaves the aviation system , there is no way for us to track the outcome . '' e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>`` aerodynamics is a very complex phenomena to model properly . if we can create machines that learn and adapt what they are doing in aerobatics it pushes use towards more intelligent systems . it 's a great research challenge , '' d'andrea says . within five years he expects to see a proliferation of flying machines being used in a variety of settings . there are already companies exploring flying vehicles for inspection and for humanitarian purposes . in the case of the latter , he points to the efforts of californian-based start-up matternet . founded by andreas raptopoulos , the company have ambitious plans to build a network of autonomous vehicles delivering food and aid to inaccessible areas in developing countries . in between in his other projects at eth zurich , which include developing balancing cubes and actuated wingsuits , d'andrea is also looking for ways to commercialize the university 's innovations . he 's currently in the process of starting a company which aims to maximize the potential of their quadrocopters in the arts and entertainment industry . if his previous forays into the business world are anything to go by then expect it to be wildly successful . in 2003 , d'andrea co-founded kiva systems , applying the knowledge learnt creating a team of soccer-playing robots at cornell university . read : search for alien life on earth . the company , which provides automated robot systems for warehouses , was sold to amazon for $ 775 million in 2012 . `` when we were doing robocup -lrb- an international robotics competition -rrb- it did not enter my mind that the learnings i would take from my students i had trained could be used to build a company like kiva systems , '' he says . `` basically , my mode of operation is really to focus on creating things that have never been done before and push the boundaries of what autonomous systems can do . in the process , do great research and educate people on how to really make things work and the applications will come . '' there seems no limit to what autonomous flying robots might be capable of in the future and their unstoppable rise is increasingly causing concern , particularly their use in espionage and warfare . suppressing the technology is not an option though , d'andrea argues . `` i 'm a firm believer that if the military use this technology then it 's just a short step away from everyone using it , '' he says . `` we do n't want the technology to be misused . the starting point is that our governments do n't misuse the technology . as a society , we should question how much of a role , if any , these robots have in warfare . '' efforts to outlaw weapon-carrying drones have been gathering speed and support in recent months . ngo human rights watch published a report -lrb- losing humanity : the case against killer robots -rrb- in november 2012 urging governments to pre-emptively ban autonomous weapons . another campaign , `` stop the killer robots , '' is being mobilized by the ngo international committee for robot arms control and is due to launch in april . far away from the social and political debates about the misuse of drones , d'andrea is just keen to promote his teaching philosophy and how students should approach learning . `` i think there needs to be more room for unconstrained creation . we need to provide ways for folks , especially at university , to push the boundaries of what technology can do without being concerned about the immediate commercial application , '' he says . `` we should be more concerned about fulfilling our dreams as children . what was it we wanted to do as children ? we wanted to fly like birds . well , why are n't we doing that ? ''<doc-sep>by . catherine hardy for mailonline . when many think of the term nude , the image that often comes to mind is of something on the paler end of the spectrum , as these shades are usually labelled ` nude ' whether it be make-up , heels or lingerie . but what some of us think of as nude only relates to a specific skin tone , obviously and one lingerie company has decided that it 's about time all women have the choice to go nude . nubian skin is launching a range of nude bras for women with darker skin , in several different shades to cater to all skin tones . scroll down for video . redefining nude : nubian skin 's lingerie comes in several shades to suit all skin tones . catering to women of colour : the brand says that they felt the need to fill the gap in the lingerie market . not so nude : ` the industry simply does n't cater to us . so , i thought , it 's time to rethink the definition of nude ' writing on its blog , the company 's founder says , ` my nude is n't the nude i see in shops . despite the reality that women of colour have the same needs as all women when it comes to lingerie and hosiery -lrb- and spend the same of their hard-earned money -rrb- , the industry simply does n't cater to us . ` so , i thought , it 's time to rethink the definition of nude . '<doc-sep>`` a flying car really needs to be optimized for flight -- if you have to drive a little bit it should only be a mile or two . '' currently its prototype , a model called the skyprowler , has worked according to plan and the company says it 's only a matter of time before it can be scaled up into five-seat , fully operational flying car . ease of control . while quadcopter technology is not new , the fact that it is now computer driven has changed the aviation landscape . lubrich explained that , unlike helicopters , quadcopters can not change the pitch of their rotors to achieve maneuverability . instead , the four rotors make adjustments by changing the speed at which they rotate . `` the drone revolution , with its multi-rotors , has changed everything , '' he said . `` the very first attempts to have vertical takeoff were not helicopters but quadcopters in the 1920s and even earlier . `` they had the problem that they did n't have computers for the flight control so the pilot had to constantly adjust for the minute differences in the composition of the rotors . they were impossible to fly . `` now we have flight computers and they do everything wonderfully and automatically . press up and they go up , press left and they go left -- you do n't have to worry about calibrating and controlling it . '' flying in from the east . another flying car pioneer is the slovak company aeromobil whose aeromobil 3.0 flying car was unveiled in vienna last month . dubbed the flying roadster , the sporty working prototype looks like a finished production model and has a range of 430 miles -lrb- 700 kilometers -rrb- and a top air speed of 124 mph -lrb- 200kph -rrb- . co-founder of the company juraj vaculik told cnn the quest to find a workable solution to the flying car may be in its final stages .<doc-sep>the policy , letton says , was put in place for safety reasons and so customers and other employees do n't feel uncomfortable . the actual policy : a copy of the store 's language policy shows that there is some flexibility as to when languages other than english can be spoken . still , the austin , texas-based company is investigating the incident , and is in the process of evaluating the policy ` as we speak , ' according to letton . the policy , she says , will be a topic of conversation at the company 's leadership conference next week . ` i 'm glad they are willing to re-evaluate that policy because i think every state is different , ' said new mexico governor susana martinez . the spanish language , gov. martinez says , ` is part of the fabric of what makes new mexico great . ' what makes new mexico great : gov. susana martinez - the nation 's first and only latina governor - said she was glad that the company is re-evaluating their english-only policy . the company still faces heavy-criticism from the new mexico league of united latin american citizens -lrb- lulac -rrb- . the director of the organization , ralph arellanes said thursday he will give the company seven days to implement a new policy ` or we will hold them accountable . ' letton said the company will speak to civil rights groups when reviewing the policy . ` we are also in the process of reaching out to groups like lulac to discuss the issue and hear their perspective , ' letton said . seven days : ralph arellanes , director of lulac , is one of the leaders speaking out against the policy . he is giving the company seven days to change the policy at which point they will hold whole foods accountable .

<t> flight attendants call hospital with 24/7 staff , multi-lingual staff who give advice . </t> <t> pilots , not doctors , decide whether to divert a flight due to passenger illness . </t> <t> u.s.-based commercial airlines carry defibrillators , oxygen and medical kits . </t> <t> a passenger died last week aboard an american airlines flight . </t>

do n't feel great ? rethink flying , company says<T>

london , england -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the sole survivor of the crash that killed princess diana has told a court he still can not remember the incident but does not support the conspiracy theories surrounding it . bodyguard trevor rees and the back of princess diana 's head are seen shortly before the car crash . bodyguard trevor rees , formerly known as trevor rees-jones , was the front-seat passenger in the mercedes that carried diana , her boyfriend , dodi fayed , and their driver , henri paul . he sustained serious injuries in the august 31 , 1997 crash and testified that he received anonymous phone calls and letters after the accident , threatening him to keep quiet . he said the caller told him to keep quiet , saying , `` we know who you are , we know where you are , and we know where you live . '' rees said he did n't take the calls or letters seriously . a lawyer also asked rees about a supposed encounter with a woman in which he told her , `` if i remember , they 're going to kill me . '' rees said he did n't recall the conversation and found it unlikely he ever made the remark . rees , who still has a visible scar from the accident over his left eye , told the court he remembers nothing new about the crash , which , he has said , was an accident . he has said the last thing he remembers that night was leaving the ritz hotel in paris , and that his next memory is more than a week later , in his hospital bed , when his parents told him everyone else in the car was dead . rees suffered major injuries to his lower jaw , the base of his brain , and his pulmonary system and has had several surgeries and hospitalizations , some of which al fayed paid for . rees also testified that he did not support the allegations by dodi fayed 's father , mohamed al fayed , that british security services were behind the crash . he denied the security services paid him to change his story . at the time of the crash , rees was working for al fayed 's security team and was assigned to guard dodi fayed . he was also protecting the princess because she was fayed 's companion on the trip . he no longer works on al fayed 's security team . rees has said what was once a good relationship with his former employer has broken down , largely because he does into support al fayed 's conspiracy theories about the crash . `` i am not a part of any conspiracy to suppress the truth at all , '' rees testified . `` all i have ever done is given the truth as i see it . ''<doc-sep>in 2000 , rees published a book , `` the bodyguard 's story : diana , the crash , and the sole survivor , '' offering his account of the events surrounding the crash . he said al fayed tried unsuccessfully to stop the book 's publication in england . rees told cnn he wrote the book to give a definitive account of what he remembered and knew , but also to counter al fayed 's accusations that his unprofessionalism caused the accident . rees also said proceeds from the book helped pay his legal bills . during the morning session , rees testified that he had two flashbacks in the months after the crash , but his psychiatrist told him they were false memories . in the first , rees said , he recalled hearing the voice of a woman -- apparently diana -- calling out , `` dodi '' from the back seat of the car . in the second flashback , rees said he recalled seeing a paparazzi motorbike next to the car . lawyer ian burnett then read from a letter written by al fayed to lord stevens , who investigated the crash for the british police . in the letter , al fayed says rees is lying about losing his memory . `` he knows the detail which the security services are so eager to suppress , '' al fayed wrote , alluding to his belief that the crash was part of a murder plot . rees testified that he was not lying about his memory loss : `` i have no memory of -- after leaving the back of the hotel , that 's my last true memory . '' rees also said claims the couple visited a jeweler 's in monte carlo to buy an engagement ring in late august 1997 were untrue . british authorities hold an inquest whenever someone dies in suspicious circumstances . a judge , who is also called a coroner , holds hearings to determine how the person died , but he will not determine blame or apportion guilt . although diana and dodi fayed died in paris , a british coroner must still investigate because their bodies were returned to britain . the inquest does not involve driver henri paul because his body remained in france . british authorities had to wait to begin the inquest until after french authorities concluded their investigation , which lasted from august 1997 to late 2003 . the inquest then began but immediately adjourned so that british police could do their own report , which was needed for the british inquest . the british police inquiry took almost three years and concluded in december 2006 . the inquest then resumed in october 2007 and is expected to last four to six months . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's teresa martini contributed to this report .<doc-sep>for his part despite an impressive combat record that saw him mentioned . in despatches for his heroic defense of a un convoy after it came under . fire in 1995 during the bosnian conflict . last photo : diana and henri paul , right , and bodyguard trevor rees , left , pictured in the car , shortly before the accident in paris 1997 . nightingale 's conviction was quashed on appeal but was then found guilty at a retrial in july and given a two-year suspended sentence . since soldier n 's claims were made public another former serviceman has come forward claiming that many people behind the scene believe diana 's death was ordered . a former mi6 agent claims that the attitude of many in the secret services towards the princess at the time of her death that she had become and embarrassment . he also claims there were fears that her relationship with muslim dodi fayed , 42 , posed a threat to the monarchy and said the question often asked was : ` what are we going to do about diana . ' speaking about going to work on the day after the crash which killed diana , mr fayed and driver henri paul he said : ` i 'd just sat down when a colleague leaned over and whispered , `` i ca n't believe we killed her . '' ' i was initially confused and said , `` who ? '' , and he added `` diana . '' ` at first i thought he was joking - but then i realised he was being completely serious . ' the former spy , who had served in moscow and eastern europe added : ` many people who worked for mi6 at the time thought the organisation played some sort of role in diana 's death . ` my view was that diana had become an embarrassment and if she had married dodi it would have presented significant difficulties for the monarchy . ` but even if you accept all of that , why kill her . '<doc-sep>he is an ` international security consultant ' and martial arts expert who was diana , princess of wales 's bodyguard and has worked in troublespots around the world . now lee sansum is facing a new challenge -- as a minder for alex salmond in the final , heated days of the referendum campaign as the first minister tours scotland . pictured standing discreetly , but watchfully , behind the snp leader , mr sansum wears a yes badge -- but insists this is only to help him blend in with the rest of mr salmond 's entourage . bodyguard : lee sansum , right , is working as a minder for alex salmond , left , on the campaign trail . past : mr sansum , right , on a speedboat with diana , princess of wales in saint-tropez during a 1997 holiday . in 1997 mr sansum was diana 's bodyguard , around a month before her death , during a family holiday to the french resort of saint tropez . despite admiring and liking his latest boss , super-fit former soldier mr sansum , who has worked for celebrities including sylvester stallone and tom cruise , says he has yet to make up his mind on how to vote in tomorrow 's historic referendum . he can command high fees for risky overseas security work -- but says he accepted the job protecting mr salmond because he wanted to contribute to scottish political history . in an interview with the mail , manchester-born mr sansum , 50 , who lives in elgin , moray , said that he now works for glasgow-based securigroup which contacted him to request his services guarding mr salmond . discreet : mr sansum standing near mr salmond during a campaign stop in inverness . the father-of-four has black belts in karate , jujitsu and kick-boxing and says he has the fitness levels of a 21-year-old , after passing a tough us military test . reflecting on his work as the first minister 's bodyguard , mr sansum said : ` it was a bit unusual . i had just returned from libya , where i was evacuating european peace-keepers on behalf of the eu . ` the situation over there was tough . there 's still a huge amount of ordnance -- shells and missiles which gaddafi left behind -- so it was dangerous 24 hours a day . ` brussels made the decision to pull us out , so i was helping with evacuations , and i was among the last to leave . it was quite hairy and a few vehicles were shot up . ` my wife suggested , because i 'd had a couple of close shaves , that i should perhaps find more suitable work in scotland . thanks : a letter sent to the bodyguard by diana after his stint working for her in france . ` when i got home , the company i work for got in touch and asked if i was free to do some work for mr salmond and i was very happy to do it . ` i 'm not doing it for the money -- i wanted to make a contribution to scottish political history . ' having worked in risky conditions around the world , mr sansum said the scottish referendum had been relatively peaceful . ` i spent five to six months in libya with the un and saw men with ak-47s outside polling stations , ' he said . ` and polling stations were blown up if they were expected to return the wrong result -- so i 'm happier dodging eggs than bullets . '<doc-sep>by . jennifer smith , craig mackenzie and mia de graaf . published : . 20:05 est , 14 september 2013 . | . updated : . 04:46 est , 16 september 2013 . claims : scotland yard has reportedly interviewed the wife of a soldier that said princess diana was assassinated by the sas . an sas soldier claimed princess diana was killed after a member of the elite unit shone a light in her driver 's face causing him to crash , it has been claimed . the man , known only as soldier n , is said to have made the astonishing allegations to his wife after taking prince william on an advanced driving course in 2008 . scotland yard reportedly decided to review the historic case 16 years after diana 's death in a paris underpass , after interviewing the woman who insists her former husband was telling the truth . and in a dramatic twist , the investigation could unearth recordings of the crash after security experts today revealed diana 's phone was bugged . it is understood the recent development comes after soldier n 's ex-wife told police last month her husband revealed the secret when he was teaching william how to drive with sas colleagues . ` we were talking about it ... and i said it was sad that his mum was n't there to see it . ` then he said one of the guys was responsible for the accident , for the death of diana . i was shocked . i believed what he said ' , the sunday mirror has reported . when the woman quizzed her husband about his theory he reportedly told her the sas had been following diana and dodi al fayed , who also died in the accident , and that a light was shone into the paris tunnel before their car crashed . when she asked him how anyone could do something like that he allegedly responded : ` it 's an order , a job 's a job . ' the wife reportedly claimed her husband had told her the ` hit ' had been instructed by individuals in the royal inner circle because they disapproved of diana 's relationship with fayed . the forthcoming investigation will probe claims today from a key source in the uk security industry that gchq was remotely taping diana and dodi up until the moment of the crash . the source told the sunday express the controversial couple had their phones tapped . it follows news confirmed by a french inquiry that cctv images of diana 's final hours , supposedly lost , have been held in secret . the source , who worked in ` black ops ' , told the paper : ` there is no doubt that this technology was used on diana and all around her , and for very human reasons she was regularly listened to live in the moment . ' he added , because she was a prime intelligence target , gchq operatives ` would have wanted and had the capacity to listen live to the conversations in the car as it sped away from the ritz . ' diana , 36 , fayed , 42 , and their driver henri paul , 41 , were killed in the crash in 1997 . the princess ' bodyguard trevor rees-jones was seriously injured . soldier n , a former sniper , told his former wife , who revealed the conversation to her own mother years later when asked who would possibly have carried out the murder . crash : conspiracy theories have long surrounded diana 's death in paris in 1997 despite the official finding that it was an accident caused by paparazzi photographers . she alleged a white car and . motorbike were involved in the plot which enlisted the services of one . of soldier n 's former sas colleagues . al . fayed 's father , mohammed al fayed has always asserted the pair 's deaths . were the result of a planned murder at the hands of the british . establishment and mi6 , and similarly claims a white fiat was involved in the . crash but has never been traced . the . woman and her mother reportedly met with detectives last month . including a senior officer who worked on the original operation paget . investigation into diana 's death . the . two women offered convincing accounts of what caused the crash . the . soldier 's former wife insisted he had made the claims two years before . the break up of their marriage at a time when he confided in her with . full trust . couple : diana and dodi pictured on cctv at the ritz hotel in paris just hours before the fatal crash . when asked by officers why she had n't reported her husband 's theory earlier the woman said she had been sworn to secrecy . the woman 's mother first alerted authorities to the claims in september 2011 in a letter to dyfed powys police after her daughter and son-in-law divorced . she reportedly also wrote to prime minister david cameron , defence secretary phillip hammond and army head general sir peter wall about the soldier n 's aggressive behavior following the break down of his marriage . it is believed these correspondences contained details of the plot . though the woman claims to have received acknowledgements from downing street and general wall , neither made any mention of diana or any suspicion surrounding her death . in 2011 dyfed powys polcie seized a gun and ammunition from soldier n 's marital home after his mother-in-law reported his tendencies for violent behavior . last journey : diana leaves the ritz hotel shortly before her death in the paris underpass . diana is pictured moments before the crash which the woman claims was caused after an sas soldier shone a light into the eyes of driver , henri paul -lrb- right -rrb- . diana 's bodyguard trevor rees-jones -lrb- left -rrb- was the accident 's only survivor . the man was jailed for two years by a military court last may after admitting illegal possession of a firearm , but was freed in july and later discharged from service . later that month the man appeared in the court martial for his former sas housemate , danny nightingale , 38 , for illegal possession of a pistol and ammunition . it was during this time the allegations about diana 's death were revealed . an inquest into the accident found diana and al fayed died unlawfully as the result of gross negligence of driver , henri paul , who was said to have been drinking before the crash . sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons .<doc-sep>the former bodyguard for princess diana has hit out against a new play suggesting that prince harry 's real father is james hewitt - but says that the prince will not care about the speculation . the west end production , believed to be endorsed by mr hewitt himself , has drawn criticism for its support of the rumours surrounding harry 's paternity , as well as a claim that diana was pregnant at the time of her death . the princess ' ex-minder , ken wharfe , has described the play truth , lies , diana as ` tasteless ' , adding that there is no evidence to back up the allegations made by the production , which opened in london last friday . claims : a new play suggests that prince harry , left , is the son of former cavalry officer james hewitt , right . affair : the production claims princess diana began a relationship with hewitt 18 months before harry 's birth . however , he said that harry ` wo n't give a monkeys ' about the repetition of claims that former cavalry officer hewitt is his real father . ` hewitt , actually , prior to this play has gone on record to say harry is n't his son , ' mr wharfe told the daily mirror . ` harry knows exactly who he is and he 's heard all this before . ` he wo n't give a monkeys about the play and wo n't see it . he will laugh it all off . ' rubbished : bodyguard ken wharfe says that prince harry will not be concerned by the fresh speculation . the play , which was written by jon conway and is currently on at the charing cross theatre , claims that hewitt and diana began seeing each other 18 months before the princess ' second son was born in 1984 . in one scene , the actor playing hewitt says : ` diana and i started our relationship more than a year before harry was born . now that does n't prove that i am his father . it 's just the inconvenient truth . ' hewitt has previously insisted that his affair with diana started in 1986 - but he is friends with mr conway , and when asked about the play said he is ` sure that it is accurate ' . the production also uses a notorious photograph of prince harry naked in a las vegas hotel room taken in 2012 - comparing it with a nude picture of hewitt to reinforce the link between the two men . mr wharfe - who guarded diana for seven years and later wrote a controversial memoir - told the mirror : ` james hewitt was captured naked , then 20-odd years later they tried to tie it up with prince harry in a hotel room in las vegas .

<t> dodi fayed 's bodyguard says ca n't remember crash that killed princess diana . </t> <t> new : trevor rees received anonymous threatening phone calls , letters after crash . </t> <t> princess diana , boyfriend dodi fayed and driver henri paul all died in accident . </t> <t> rees was a bodyguard employed by dodi fayed 's father , mohamed al fayed . </t>

bodyguard threatened after diana 's death<T>

mount airy , maryland -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- u.s. president george w. bush on friday stressed the role of faith-based groups in the fight against aids , calling the struggle one of conscience and morals on the eve of world aids day . activists call for more aids funding in front of the white house , draped with a giant red aids ribbon . bush was speaking at calvary united methodist church in maryland after meeting with representatives of religious and community groups . `` faith-based groups like these are the foot soldiers in the armies of compassion , '' he said . `` they are helping to defeat this epidemic one soul at a time . '' more than 33 million people worldwide have hiv -- the virus that can lead to aids -- according to the united nations . that includes 2.5 million children younger than 15 . watch a report on living with hiv '' more than 2 million people have died of aids this year -- including 330,000 children .<doc-sep>bush is asking congress for an additional $ 15 billion to continue and expand the president 's emergency plan for aids relief , a program approved by congress after he announced it in his 2003 state of the union address . on friday , he announced plans to visit sub-saharan africa early next year to see the program at work . he renewed his call for lawmakers to continue funding it . `` now the time has come for the united states congress to act again , '' he said . `` i 'm confident they will . '' the white house says the program -- which targets countries hardest-hit by the disease -- has treated more than 1.3 million people with aids . increased funding would boost that number to 2.5 million , while expanding aids prevention programs and offering care to millions more with aids . despite some successes , the program has been criticized for requiring that participating groups emphasize abstinence education . at the white house , about 40 people carried signs in support of more aids funding .<doc-sep>before speaking , the president , along with first lady laura bush , participated in an hourlong faith-based roundtable discussion at the church . among others , the president met with martha chilufya , founder of the mututa memorial center in zambia . the center works with faith-based and other caregivers to serve more than 150 patients . laura bush and daughter jenna visited the center in june . bush said the first lady will join him on his trip next year . a giant red ribbon -- the international symbol for aids awareness -- was hung from the north portico of the white house friday morning `` to represent the continued battle against hiv/aids and to affirm the matchless value of every life , '' the white house said . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's larry lazo contributed to this report .<doc-sep>dar es salaam , tanzania -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- president bush gave tanzania 's president , who played basketball as a youth , a pair of shaquille o'neal 's shoes sunday , along with millions of dollars to help combat disease and poverty in the east african country . president jakaya kikwete , next to president bush , looks on as bush greets a boy at a tanzanian hospital sunday . the gift of the american basketball icon 's size-23 hightops spoke to the lighter side of bush 's visit . president jakaya kikwete presented gifts , too -- a stuffed leopard and lion , a zebra skin and a wood carving for the american president who was enthusiastically welcomed on the second stop of his five-nation african tour . the tanzanian president later artfully dodged a reporter 's question on the potential that the u.s. might elect a black president , sen. barack obama , whose father is kenyan . kikwete looked at bush before demonstrating his political deftness , saying , `` let him be as good a friend of africa as president bush has been . '' but there was plenty of serious business to tend to as well , namely the signing of a compact under which the u.s. is to provide a $ 698 million grant to tanzania . watch how bush explained what african nations are candidates for u.s. aid '' u.s. funding is intended to help african governments buy mosquito netting and insecticide to prevent the spread of malaria . `` it breaks my heart to know that little children are dying needlessly because of a mosquito bite , '' bush said . bush also attended a roundtable on the president 's emergency plan for aids relief , or pepfar , program , which kikwete said is saving lives and helping the african continent avert a health disaster . bush said he has requested $ 30 billion over the next five years for the program . though pepfar has helped increase accessibility to anti-viral drugs , the program is controversial because there is little focus on distributing condoms -- a staple of the program under president clinton -- or on sex education , said joel barkan , a senior associate for the center for strategic and international studies . the program is `` largely pursued through faith-based initiatives , '' he said , adding that it 's not clear whether the aids-prevalence rates are going down . after their visit to tanzania , the president and first lady laura bush will travel to rwanda to meet with president paul kagame . watch why bush looks to africa as part of his legacy '' the u.s. has provided nearly 7,000 rwandan troops with training , and spent more than $ 17 million to equip the troops and send them to sudan , according to national security adviser stephen hadley . ethnic and tribal violence has raged for years in sudan 's western darfur region , leaving about 200,000 dead and more than 2 million displaced . arab militias , said to be backed by the sudanese government , have wantonly attacked africans , and numerous rebel groups have attacked government targets . `` in darfur , the u.s. will continue to call the killing what it is -- genocide , '' bush said last week . the bushes will go to ghana then liberia after visiting rwanda . secretary of state condoleezza rice , who is on the africa trip , will head to kenya on monday to support efforts to reach political conciliation there . the country erupted in ethnic violence after a december presidential vote , in which president mwai kibaki kept his post . opposition leader raila odinga blasted the results , saying the election was rigged . he and his supporters declined to recognize the election results . violence has declined some since former u.n. secretary-general kofi annan began mediating between the two groups . bush 's first stop on the six-day tour was benin , where he arrived saturday . there , president thomas yayi boni inducted bush into the national order of benin and gave the american president a sash , cross medallion and lapel pin . he also thanked bush for u.s. aid aimed at fighting poverty , malaria and hiv/aids , and he asked for help for benin 's struggling cotton exports . boni said it was tough for benin to compete with asian cotton producers because of their superior infrastructure and with u.s. cotton growers because of government subsidies . bush responded that the u.s. is willing to make concessions , but suggested that benin might be better served to develop a cotton-products industry rather than trying to export raw cotton . boni said benin needs international help bolstering its electricity , water , communication and transportation systems before expanding its manufacturing sector . bush said he chose benin to start his african tour because its leaders were determined to fight corruption and were careful to make sure u.s. aid dollars were properly spent . `` the united states wants to partner with leaders and their people , but we 're not going to do so with people who steal money , pure and simple , '' bush said . the united states has given benin $ 307 million in a five-year grant to fight poverty , part of bush 's millennium challenge account , which provides aid to countries that practice democratic principles and sound economic policy . bush 's trip to africa is `` basically an effort to celebrate successes , '' said joel barkan of the center for strategic and international studies . most americans picture africa as the `` continent of gloom and doom , '' but the president is saying the bigger picture is one of `` making progress . '' barkan added , `` the question might be asked why he 's not going to a number of countries , '' in particular the regional powers of kenya , south africa and nigeria . `` if the election in kenya had gone well , '' the analyst said , `` i 'm sure kenya would have been included . that 's not possible now . '' the trip marks bush 's second to the continent and his wife 's fifth . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>former president george w. bush has a new mission : helping those with the least in africa . he has stayed largely out of the limelight since his second term as u.s. president ended in 2008 . but on another continent , thousands of miles from the politics and infighting of washington , bush is quietly burnishing a humanitarian legacy that may in some people 's eyes outweigh the controversies sparked by his time in office . opinion : george w. bush 's legacy is on the mend . he and his wife , laura , are in africa this week , where they helped renovate a cancer screening clinic in zambia . the clinic , which is designed help women fight cervical cancer , builds on the former president 's work fighting hiv/aids on the continent . while he was in office , bush set up a plan -- the president 's emergency program for aids relief -- that made a massive investment in antiretroviral drugs and dramatically reduced the number of aids deaths in africa . `` i 'm really proud of the american people for their generosity , '' he told cnn in an exclusive interview . `` i wish americans knew how many lives were saved . someday , they will . '' cnn exclusive : george w. bush on aids , mandela , snowden . bush got his own hands dirty working on the refurbishment of the clinic -- a sign , he said , of his commitment to the cause .<doc-sep>dar es salaam , tanzania -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- president bush gave tanzania 's president , who played basketball as a youth , a pair of shaquille o'neal 's shoes sunday , along with millions of dollars to help combat disease and poverty in the east african country . president jakaya kikwete , next to president bush , looks on as bush greets a boy at a tanzanian hospital sunday . the gift of the american basketball icon 's size-23 hightops spoke to the lighter side of bush 's visit . president jakaya kikwete presented gifts , too -- a stuffed leopard and lion , a zebra skin and a wood carving for the american president who was enthusiastically welcomed on the second stop of his five-nation african tour . the tanzanian president later artfully dodged a reporter 's question on the potential that the u.s. might elect a black president , sen. barack obama , whose father is kenyan . kikwete looked at bush before demonstrating his political deftness , saying , `` let him be as good a friend of africa as president bush has been . '' but there was plenty of serious business to tend to as well , namely the signing of a compact under which the u.s. is to provide a $ 698 million grant to tanzania . watch how bush explained what african nations are candidates for u.s. aid '' u.s. funding is intended to help african governments buy mosquito netting and insecticide to prevent the spread of malaria . `` it breaks my heart to know that little children are dying needlessly because of a mosquito bite , '' bush said . bush also attended a roundtable on the president 's emergency plan for aids relief , or pepfar , program , which kikwete said is saving lives and helping the african continent avert a health disaster . bush said he has requested $ 30 billion over the next five years for the program . though pepfar has helped increase accessibility to anti-viral drugs , the program is controversial because there is little focus on distributing condoms -- a staple of the program under president clinton -- or on sex education , said joel barkan , a senior associate for the center for strategic and international studies . the program is `` largely pursued through faith-based initiatives , '' he said , adding that it 's not clear whether the aids-prevalence rates are going down . after their visit to tanzania , the president and first lady laura bush will travel to rwanda to meet with president paul kagame . watch why bush looks to africa as part of his legacy '' the u.s. has provided nearly 7,000 rwandan troops with training , and spent more than $ 17 million to equip the troops and send them to sudan , according to national security adviser stephen hadley . ethnic and tribal violence has raged for years in sudan 's western darfur region , leaving about 200,000 dead and more than 2 million displaced . arab militias , said to be backed by the sudanese government , have wantonly attacked africans , and numerous rebel groups have attacked government targets . `` in darfur , the u.s. will continue to call the killing what it is -- genocide , '' bush said last week .<doc-sep>the fda approves the first of a new type of anti-hiv drug called fuzeon -lrb- also known as enfuvirtide or t-20 -rrb- . this drug is designed to prevent the entry of hiv into human cells . the hbo tv miniseries `` angels in america '' premieres , starring al pacino and meryl streep . adapting a pulitzer prize-winning play of the same name , it follows two couples as they struggle to stay together during the aids epidemic in the 1980s . it wins multiple emmy and sag awards . 2004 . george w. bush launches pepfar , the u.s. president 's emergency plan to combat aids worldwide . `` this historic commitment is the largest by any nation to combat a single disease internationally , '' according to the pepfar website . 2005 . for the first time , the fda approves a generic aids drug made by a foreign country , allowing pepfar to provide cheaper medications overseas . the patent on azt also reaches an end , allowing more generic versions of the drug . 2006 . singer bono launches product red . profits from the line of consumer goods are designated to fight the aids epidemic worldwide . `` i feel a bit of a fraud , a bit of a loser because we are not winning in the war against aids , '' bono says . bill gates announces that he will step down as the head of microsoft in order to donate his time to the gates foundation , the largest private source of funding in the fight against hiv/aids . atripla , the first effective one-a-day pill to treat hiv , is approved in the u.s. 2009 . president obama removes a travel ban preventing hiv-positive people from entering the u.s. . this leads to the announcement that the international aids conference will be held in the u.s. for the first time in more than 20 years . washington 's health department reports that d.c. has a higher rate of hiv and aids prevalence than west africa , at 3 % . 2010 . the trial of a microbicide gel , caprisa 004 , shows that it reduces the risk of a woman becoming infected with hiv during sex by almost 40 % . a third phase of a prep trial reveals that drugs used to treat hiv may also be effective in preventing infection . subjects taking a once-daily antiretroviral pill were 44 % less likely to be hiv-positive after male-to-male sex . 2011 . the national institutes of health publishes the results of a study that says taking antiretroviral drugs at the onset of hiv leads to a dramatic reduction in hiv transmission to an uninfected heterosexual partner . `` these results represent another significant step forward in hiv prevention and reinforce the importance of people everywhere knowing their hiv status and being linked to services for hiv prevention , care and treatment , '' cdc director thomas r. frieden says . 2012 . the 19th international aids conference takes place in washington , bringing together more than 25,000 doctors , scientists , aids activists , politicians , philanthropists , drug company representatives , people living with hiv and heads of state from around the world . one of the main themes is the launch of `` towards an hiv cure . '' unaids announces that new hiv infections have dropped more than 50 % in 25 low - and middle-income countries , and the number of people getting antiretroviral treatment has increased 63 % in the past two years . more than 34 million people are still living with hiv , according to global estimates . 2013 . researchers announce they have `` functionally cured '' a mississippi toddler of hiv . they believe that early intervention -- in this case within 30 hours of birth -- with three antiviral drugs was key to the outcome . more on this story .

<t> bush : faith-based groups are `` helping to defeat this epidemic one soul at a time '' </t> <t> world aids day is saturday . </t> <t> more than 2 million people have died of aids this year . </t> <t> bush wants to expand the president 's emergency plan for aids relief . </t>

president bush : faith key to international aids fight<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a man who rescued a co-worker from the jaws of a crocodile in northern australia also accidentally shot him in the process , police said . a mature saltwater crocodile in the the murky waters of the adelaide river , near darwin in the northern territory .<doc-sep>the two men were collecting crocodile eggs by a river bank in australia 's northern territory tuesday when a crocodile grabbed jason grant by the lower right arm , a spokeswoman for the area police told cnn . the second man , zac fitzgerald , shot the crocodile , causing it to let go of grant 's arm . but a second shot that fitzgerald fired struck grant in the upper right arm , said northern territory police spokeswoman katie fowden .<doc-sep>grant , who is in his late 20s , was flown to a hospital for treatment of both the bullet and the crocodile wounds . his injuries were not life-threatening , fowden said . the two men are workers at a crocodile farm in darwin , the capital city of the northern territory . they were collecting the eggs legally , police said . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>cnn 's saeed ahmed contributed to this report .<doc-sep>by . kerry mcdermott . published : . 08:01 est , 24 july 2013 . | . updated : . 11:46 est , 24 july 2013 . this is the moment a crocodile clamped its jaws around a trainer 's head during a stunt that went awry at a thai tourist attraction . screams can be heard from the audience in footage of the 27-year-old 's brush with death at the samut prakan crocodile farm in bangkok on sunday . it shows the trainer cautiously approaching the reptile before placing his head inside its gaping mouth - only for the deadly crocodile to suddenly snap its jaws shut and violently thrash the man from side to side . hairy moment : tourists watched in horror as the crocodile snapped its jaws shut while the man 's head was inside in thailand . the man was flung around repeatedly before the crocodile released him at the farm . crocodile shows are a popular attraction . in thailand , where trainers wow crowds by seemingly . defying death putting their heads in the creature 's mouths . incredibly , the farm worker escaped virtually unscathed . according to the bangkok post it is . unusual for the creature to have released its grip on the trainer , who . it said has been in the job for eight years . the newspaper said he sustained head wounds . the accident was said to be the first to occur at the farm . silent prayer : the trainer was seen bowing his head before the crocodile ahead of performing the daring trick . dangerous : the crocodile trainer was seen crouching before the deadly reptile at the farm in bangkok . risky business : he used sticks to hold the creature 's jaws open as tourists looked on at the crocodile farm . tentative : a video clip filmed in thailand shows the trainer lying on his front to approach the reptile . horror : the screams of the audience are audible as the crocodile clamps its jaws shut with the trainer 's head inside . predator : the trainer was tossed from side to side as the crocodile thrashed around in the shallow water . lucky escape : a tourist capture the scenes on a camera phone as the angry croc released the trainer . crocodile farm : miraculously , the trainer escaped unharmed after his brush with death in bangkok .<doc-sep>by . richard shears . published : . 21:44 est , 25 august 2013 . | . updated : . 03:19 est , 26 august 2013 . police have found the body of a 26-year-old man who was grabbed by a crocodile in front of his horrified friends while swimming in a river at a 30th birthday party in australia 's tropical northern region . it worker sean cole and a friend had gone for a ` celebration swim ' in the mary river , 60 miles east of darwin when he was grabbed by a huge croc - estimated to be 16ft long . police and park rangers found mr cole 's body in the muddy river - notorious for its saltwater crocodile population - early today in an area not far from where he was last seen . it worker sean cole had gone for a swim in the mary river , 60 miles east of darwin during a 30th birthday party when he was grabbed by a huge croc - estimated to be 16ft long . police commander geoff bahnert said . up to 15 others attending the birthday party at a caravan park near the . river remained traumatised today after watching the crocodile swimming .<doc-sep>feared and respected : the crocodile grew to be liked by many , even though it caused great worry to local people . around two months ago wastewater workers discovered the animal in one of the sewage basins , having grown considerably since its escape . ` we were afraid he would eat us , ' said farmer hassan mohammed of umm al-nasser . even the crocodile 's arrival in gaza was complicated according to zoo worker emad al-qanoua . he said it had been drugged and brought into blockaded gaza through a smuggling tunnel under the egypt-gaza border four years ago . tickle : one man brushes the crocodile with a leafy stick while standing safely behind the bars of its cage .<doc-sep>by . sarah dean . two men who have devoted the past six years of their lives to rescuing koalas have reportedly been banned from terri irwin 's australia zoo after asking her not to lean on their car . twin brothers ray and murray chambers were regular volunteers at the wildlife park in queensland and helped save 500 koalas last year . their fight with terri , the widow of crocodile hunter steve irwin , happened after murray mentioned she was leaning on his car as she wrote something down , the sunday mail reports . scroll down for video . fight : terri irwin reportedly fell out with two volunteers at australia zoo after they mentioned she was leaning on their car . murray , who is the co-founder of sunshine coast koala rescue , had just signed in a koala to be cared for by australia zoo hospital when the argument kicked off .

<t> man rescues co-worker from jaws of crocodile in northern australia . </t> <t> he shot crocodile , causing it to let go of man 's arm , second shot hit man 's arm . </t> <t> the two were collecting crocodile eggs by a river bank in the northern territory . </t> <t> wounded man 's injuries were not life-threatening . </t>

man shoots co-worker while rescuing him from crocodile<T>

new york -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a massive anti-mafia sweep that stretched from new york to sicily has not only cut off the head of the gambino crime family but lopped off `` the shoulders and chest '' too , prosecutors said thursday . john `` jackie the nose '' d'amico , shown in 1992 , is one of 62 people indicted . sixty-two members of the gambino , genovese and bonanno families face 80 charges , ranging from money laundering to illegal gambling and murder . `` these charges strike at the very core of the gambino family , '' said benton campbell , united states attorney for the eastern district of new york . the gambino family profited from extortion within the new york construction industry and its labor unions , according to the charges . watch the perp walk '' several companies allegedly paid a `` mob tax '' in return for `` protection '' and `` permission to operate , '' said gordon heddell , inspector general of the u.s. department of labor . other charges involve an alleged illegal gambling ring , said richard brown , queens county district attorney . nicholas corozzo -- a reputed captain in the gambino family -- was involved in a sports gambling enterprise that relied in part on toll-free telephones , brown alleged .<doc-sep>meanwhile , four members of the gambino family are charged with eight crimes involving murder , according to the indictment . those charges include the felony murder of jose delgado rivera , who was shot and killed in an armored truck during a robbery in 1990 . `` today we are able to bring closure to crimes from the past that have never been forgotten , '' campbell said . he said the crimes span back over three decades . watch feds say they 've ` cut off the head ' of crime family '' key to the gambino arrests thursday was a member of the attorney general 's organized crime task force who infiltrated the gambino family and recorded hundred of hours of conversations , said john milgrim , a spokesman for the attorney general . forty-five of those charged are already in custody , police said . arrests were made in new york city ; long island , new york ; and new jersey . `` it is as unrelenting as weeds that continue to sprout in the cracks of society , '' new york attorney general andrew cuomo said of organized crime . `` we will not rest until organized crime is a distant memory . '' in addition to the arrests in the new york area , police in italy detained 77 people in connection with organized crime . those arrests netted important members of a powerful clan in sicily linked to mafia boss salvatore lo piccolo , who was believed to be the successor of the boss of bosses , bernardo provenzano . watch the prosecutor explain why authorities acted now ''<doc-sep>police say that in his attempt to rise to power , le piccolo tried to mend fences with new york-based mafia families after those ties were broken during the bloody mafia wars of the 1980s . those families included the gambinos of new york and the inzerillos of italy . provenzano was arrested two years ago in corleone . `` it is evident that the intent of the mafia in palermo was to re-establish a dialogue through the inzerillo family in the u.s , '' francesco messineo of the italian police said . `` a dialogue that was never interrupted because the relationship between the american and the italian mafia is historic , based on long tradition . but there was certainly an attempt to re-establish that connection . '' investigators believe mob clans wanted to collaborate on illegal commercial ventures such as money laundering and drug trafficking . italian officials said the arrests were aimed at preventing these illegal activities , but they warned that other mafia clans in sicily oppose the return of the inzerillo family to the island , and therefore were concerned about a new mafia war . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's deborah feyerick and alessio vinci contributed to this report .<doc-sep>new york -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a massive anti-mafia sweep that stretched from new york to sicily has not only cut off the head of the gambino crime family but lopped off `` the shoulders and chest '' too , a spokesman for the attorney general of new york said . john `` jackie the nose '' d'amico , shown in 1992 , is one of 62 gambino crime family members indicted . sixty-two people from the gambino , genovese and bonanno families face 80 charges , ranging from money laundering , to illegal gambling and murder . `` these charges strike at the very core of the gambino family , '' benton campbell , u.s. attorney for the eastern district of new york said thursday . according to the charges , the gambino family profited from extortion within the new york construction industry and its labor unions . several companies allegedly paid a `` mob tax '' in return for `` protection '' and `` permission to operate , '' said inspector general hedell from the u.s. department of labor . watch as dozens charged in anti-mafia sweep '' other charges involve an alleged illegal gambling ring , said richard brown , queens county district attorney . brown alleged that nicholas corozzo , a reputed captain in the gambino family , was involved in a sports gambling enterprise that relied , in part , on toll-free telephones . according to the indictment , four members of the gambino family are charged with eight crimes involving murder . those charges include the murder of jose delgado rivera , who was shot and killed in an armored truck during a robbery in 1990 . `` today we are able to bring closure to crimes from the past that have never been forgotten , '' said campbell . he said crimes span over three decades . key to the gambino arrests was someone from the attorney general 's organized crime task force who infiltrated the gambino family and recorded hundreds of hours of conversations , said john milgrim , a spokesman for the attorney general . they not only cut off the head of the organization but `` the shoulders and chest '' too , said milgrim . forty-five of those charged are already in custody , police said . arrests were made in new york city , long island and new jersey . `` it is as unrelenting as weeds that continue to sprout in the cracks of society , '' new york attorney general andrew cuomo said of organized crime . `` we will not rest until organized crime is a distant memory . '' in addition to the arrests in the new york area , police in italy made 77 arrests in connection with organized crime . francesco gratteri of the italian national anti-crime police said they arrested 23 in palermo , the rest in new york . these arrests were of important members of a powerful clan in sicily linked to mafia boss salvatore lo piccolo , who was believed to be the successor to the boss of bosses , bernardo provenzano , police said . police added that , in his attempt to rise to power , lo piccolo tried to mend fences with new york-based mafia families after those ties were broken during the bloody mafia wars of the 1980 's . these families included the gambinos of new york and the inzerillos of italy . provenzano was arrested two years ago in corleone . `` it is evident that the intent of the mafia in palermo was to re-establish a dialogue through the inzerillo family in the u.s. , '' said francesco messineo of the italian police . `` a dialogue that was never interrupted because the relationship between the american and the italian mafia is historic , based on long tradition . but there was certainly an attempt to re-establish that connection . '' investigators believe mob clans wanted to collaborate on illegal commercial ventures such as money-laundering and drug-trafficking . italian officials said the arrests were aimed at preventing these illegal activities , but they warned that other mafia clans in sicily oppose the return of the inzerillo family to the island , and therefore were concerned about a new mafia war . e-mail to a friend . deborah feyerick in new york and alessio vinci in rome contibuted to this report .<doc-sep>a superseding indictment was filed in the case on august 3 . in the first indictment , gotti was only charged with violating the federal racketeer influenced corrupt organizations act , or rico . the superseding indictment formally charged gotti with the drug-related murders of two men -- allegations mentioned as part of the first indictment -- along with the rico charge . the rico law is used to target organized crime groups -- in this case , the gambino crime family . gotti 's defense attorneys , however , allege in court filings that `` the prosecution has engaged in a ` win at all costs ' campaign riddled with misconduct . '' `` the prosecution charges the same conspiracy , albeit with new garnishments , '' said one filing from july . `` after having received frustrating results in three separate trials , the case was hijacked to the middle district of florida in a shameful attempt to forum shop or judge shop or both . '' federal prosecutors , meanwhile , say in court filings that gotti 's allegations he is a victim of a government vendetta are unfounded . since gotti 's previous trials , prosecutors maintain , they have `` uncovered extensive new evidence of gotti 's criminal conduct in the course of investigating and prosecuting another gambino family captain . '' the indictment alleges that gotti was at times an `` associate , soldier , captain and de facto boss '' in the gambino family , and also served on a `` committee of captains '' formed in the early 1990s to assist in family administration .<doc-sep>vernace , also known as `` bobby glasses , '' went into hiding in the weeks after the slaying , according to the u.s. attorney 's office statement , but would emerge years later to take an active role in the gambino family . vernace was charged in 1998 in queens county supreme court with the deaths of godkin and d'agnese , but was acquitted of state charges after trial in 2002 , according to prosecutors . according to all accounts , no witness could identify vernace . it was n't until vernace was arrested in january 2011 as part of a national sweep of 100 alleged members and associates of organized crime that he was brought up on the federal racketeering charges . during the federal trial in 2013 , an eyewitness testified he recognized all three assailants in the bar but lied during the state trial out of fear , saying `` two men were dead over a spilled drink . i think that was reason enough to be afraid . '' that eyewitness testified that he saw vernace point a gun at godkin 's head and saw one of vernace 's accomplices threatening d'agnese with a gun , according to a 2013 statement by the u.s. attorney 's office . d'agnese was shot in the head and godkin was shot in the chest when he tried to intervene , according to court documents . godkin 's children and grandchildren filled the courtroom tuesday and embraced prosecutors following the sentencing . `` it took too long , but we will take it , '' godkin 's widow , catherine godkin , said outside court . `` justice has finally been served thanks to the lawyers , the jury , and all the witnesses who testified . '' cnn 's susan candiotti and ross levitt contributed to this report .<doc-sep>new york -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- in one of the largest single-day operations against the mafia in fbi history , federal agents working with local law enforcement fanned out across italy , new york , new jersey and rhode island to arrest 127 people allegedly involved in organized crime , officials said . alleged members from the five prominent new york families -- the gambino , colombo , bonanno , genovese and lucchese families -- were arrested thursday , based on 16 indictments in four different jurisdictions , attorney general eric holder said during a news conference in new york . `` today 's arrests and charges mark an important step forward in disrupting la cosa nostra 's illegal activities , '' he said , referring to the criminal organization by its italian name . ninety-one members and their associates , including one in italy , were charged with federal crimes that include conspiracy , arson , extortion , narcotics trafficking , illegal gambling , labor racketeering and murders that date back as far as 1981 , according to a u.s. justice department statement . an additional 36 suspects were charged for their roles in the alleged criminal activity , the statement said . about 125 people , including several high-ranking members and much of the colombo family leadership , are currently in custody following a raid that holder described as the largest single-day operation against the notorious crime network . four of those charged were previously in custody , officials said . members of the new england patriarca family and new jersey-based decavalcante family are also accused of related federal crimes . `` some allegations involve classic mob hits to eliminate perceived rivals , '' holder told reporters . `` others involve senseless murders . '' he described two murder victims who were allegedly killed in a public bar over a dispute concerning a spilled drink . holder 's appearance in new york with leadership from local and federal law enforcement perhaps underscores the significance the justice department attributes to thursday 's sweep . television images showed several men handcuffed and hand-checked by federal agents -- an apparent part of the `` unprecedented '' 800-person task force involved in the raid . the move comes amid concerns about a possible resurgence of organized crime despite a scattered recent history of defections , beginning with acting crime boss of the lucchese family , alphonse d'arco , who admitted to `` cooperating with the federal government '' starting in 1991 . gambino family underboss salvatore `` sammy the bull '' gravano defected later that same year , providing testimony -- in exchange for a reduced sentence -- which led to the conviction of the infamous gambino kingpin john gotti . `` if you look at the mob in the '50s and '60s and '70s , there were virtually no informants , '' said new york waterfront commissioner ronald goldstock . `` the picture has changed dramatically today . the mob is practically unrecognizable . ''

<t> dozens of people face charges , ranging from money laundering to murder . </t> <t> gambino family accused of profiting from extortion . </t> <t> several companies allegedly paid a `` mob tax , '' department of labor official says . </t> <t> police in italy also make 77 arrests in connection with organized crime . </t>

prosecutors : sweep cripples gambino crime family<T>

san francisco , california -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- nearly 3 million gallons of sewage spilled into san francisco bay when a pump failed at a waste treatment facility , the marin county sheriff 's department told cnn on friday . attempts are being made to contain thursday night 's 2.7 million-gallon sewage spill . the 2.7 million-gallon spill occurred thursday night . a pump failed at the south marin sanitation district 's waste treatment facility in the town of mill valley , said lt. doug pittman . the waste was released into richardson bay , an inlet of the large bay on the east shore of marin county , he said . see the spill from the air '' the sewage and storm water was partially treated , according to greg renick of the california office of emergency services . in addition to the pump failure , he said , an alarm that would have alerted workers at the facility to the spill also failed . the accidental release occurred between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. thursday , according to a statement from marin county 's emergency operations center . but the sewerage agency of southern marin did n't report it to the state until 11:16 p.m. , renick said . the state office of emergency services notified local offices in the bay area within an hour of receiving the report , he said . the marin county department of environmental health was conducting tests friday to determine how far the contamination had spread , pittman said . boaters were being warned to avoid the richardson bay area , and residents were told to avoid contact with the water . the california department of fish and game has had a boat and personnel on the water since early friday , and has found no sign of sick or distressed wildlife resulting from the spill , agency spokesman steve martarano said . marin county is just across the golden gate bridge from san francisco . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's chuck afflerbach contributed to this report .<doc-sep>declining : lake mead is fed by the colorado river , where the city of san diego gets 50 per cent of its water . the orange county water district , which serves 2.4 million people in california , plans to boost production of recycled water next year from 70million gallons to 100million gallons a day . it has reused wastewater for drinking since 2008 through treatment that includes sending water through ground basins . the santa clara valley water district , which serves 1.8 million people in the san francisco bay area , decided in september to pursue construction of facilities that it says could lead to turning wastewater into drinking water for sunnyvale and western santa clara county . still , it remains rare to turn sewage to drinking water . the watereuse association , a group of agencies behind the efforts , counts only 10 projects nationwide , including el paso , texas , and fairfax county , virginia . two texas cities , wichita falls and big spring , started projects within the past two years .<doc-sep>by . daily mail reporter . rescue crews were scouring the north of san francisco bay for a missing pilot after two small vintage planes collided while heading home from a show , sending one crashing into the water while the other miraculously managed to land . debris was found in san pablo bay after the 4.05 pm collision near the richmond-san rafael bridge , but the pilot has still not been found , said coast guard petty officer loumania stewart . the mid-air crash involved a single engine 1965 cessna 210 and a world war two era hawker sea fury tmk 20 , piloted by a husband and wife crew , federal aviation administration spokesman ian gregor . scary : two small planes collided over san pablo bay near san francisco on sunday . the cessna crashed into the water and the sea fury 's pilot was able to land 40 minutes later at eagle 's nest airport in the small northern california city of ione , gregor said . amador county firefighters and medics sent to the ione airport were not needed because the pilot and passenger in the sea fury - a husband and wife - were not injured , the county 's undersheriff jim wegner said . both planes had departed from eagle 's nest airport to participate in the pacific coast dream machines , an annual festival in half moon bay that features a variety of planes , motorcycles , and cars . both planes left half moon bay airport , about 20 miles south of san francisco , and were on their return flight to ione . miracle : one of the planes was able to land safely at an air field a few miles away from the bay . witnesses at point san pablo yacht harbor told the san francisco chronicle that the cessna spiraled out of control and crashed into the choppy water after the collision . ` everyone associated with the pacific coast dream machines show is terribly saddened by this news and we hope and pray the missing plane and survivors are found , ' the event organizers said in a statement .<doc-sep>a huge six alarm fire in the mission bay neighborhood of san francisco broke out on tuesday afternoon - sending a huge plume of smoke skywards visible across the city . the raging inferno started at a nine story apartment at around 5 pm and led a wall of the structure to collapse about an hour later . more than 150 firefighters and 90 firetrucks were on the scene battling the blaze . flames shot 40-feet into the air as scaffolding collapsed amid the intense heat leading to the partial collapse of the huge construction project . scroll down for video . raging : smoke rises from a fire burning in san francisco , tuesday , march 11 , 2014 . the major fire burning in san francisco 's mission bay neighborhood sent an enormous plume of black smoke high into the sky . sighted across the city : the major fire burning in san francisco 's mission bay neighborhood sent an enormous plume of black smoke high into the sky . lucky : there were no initial reports of injuries . the six-alarm fire that began about 5 p.m. was ravaging a high-rise building under construction on the san francisco bay waterfront . huge : fire-suppression systems had not yet been installed in the building , making the battle against the blaze more difficult , fire department spokeswoman mindy talmadge said . at around 6.45 pm the top two floors of the building came crashing down ontop of each other as firefighters kept a safe distance on aerial ladder trucks . fire chief joanne hayes-white told the san francisco chronicle that the blaze had been contained and not spread to adjacent buildings or to the surrounding neighborhood . ` this is a great save right here , ' said hayes-white pointing to a building across the street . ` we were able to put up a water curtain . to be able to save this is huge . ' brave : a firefighter battles flames at a construction site in the china basin area of san francisco , on tuesday . control : a firefighter prepares to spray water on a fire in san francisco , on tuesday , march 11 , 2014 . dedication : fire chief joanne hayes-white told the san francisco chronicle that firefighters had kept the blaze from spreading to nearby structures . suppression : the burning building , owned by bre properties , was intended to be a residential one , ktvu-tv reported . it was being built by suffolk construction , according to the chronicle . decimated : the fire torched what was due to become a 360-unit apartment complex . as of 6:45 p.m. , firefighters had contained 50 to 60 percent of the blaze , officials said . san francisco fire department chief joanne hayes-white said crews would let the building collapse upon itself . hayes-white said that as the fire continues into the night the structure is ` likely to come down ' . ` it will collapse . the more it burns , the more water we put on it , the more likely it is to fail , ' said hayes-white to the san francisco chronicle . she also said that the cause of the fire was not known and that there were no reports of injuries . construction workers had been present at the site until 4pm - which meant that the reason for the fire had been left for more than an hour to fester and burn . safe distance : the five-alarm fire broke out just before 5 p.m. in the nine-story building on fourth street near china basin street , according to the fire department . terrifying : residents in the area near at&t park said they were being told they could not return to their homes . staring : residents watching said ` you can feel intense heat across the water . flames now crumpling steel ' . when the fire started , ` it really took off , ' the chief said . ` it went up really quickly . ' hundreds of people lined up along china basin to watch firefighters battle the flames at the construction site that was meant to be a 360 unit apartment complex . the mission bay neighborhood is a onetime industrial area that lies along the san francisco bay . it is home to a university of california , san francisco , medical campus and is close to at&t ; park , the san francisco giants stadium .<doc-sep>washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the bay pilot who steered a container ship into the san francisco bay bridge in 2007 , causing a massive oil spill , pleaded guilty friday to violating misdemeanor pollution laws and faces up to 10 months in prison , federal prosecutors said . the korean-flagged cosco busan rammed into san francisco 's bay bridge on november 7 , 2007 . prosecutors dropped felony charges against him . john joseph cota , 61 , pleaded guilty to violating the oil pollution act of 1990 , a law enacted in the wake of the exxon valdez oil spill in alaska , and the migratory bird treaty act . cota gave orders to officers controlling the korean-flagged cosco busan as the ship was leaving fog-shrouded san francisco bay , california , on november 7 , 2007 . the 901-foot ship struck fenders around the base of a bridge support tower , rupturing two of the ship 's fuel tanks and spilling about 53,000 gallons of oil into the bay . at least 2,000 migratory birds were killed . at the time , officials estimated clean-up costs at $ 60 million . `` today 's guilty plea is a reminder that the cosco busan crash was not just an accident , but a criminal act , '' said john c. cruden , acting assistant attorney general for the justice department 's environment and natural resources division .

<t> new : sewage was partially treated , office of emergency services says . </t> <t> the 2.7 million-gallon spill occurred thursday night , sheriff 's department says . </t> <t> pump and alarm failed at marin county waste treatment facility . </t> <t> area being tested ; boaters advised to avoid richardson bay area . </t>

sewage spills into san francisco bay<T>

rawalpindi , pakistan -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- former pakistani prime minister benazir bhutto 's assassination was her own fault , the country 's president , pervez musharraf , said in an interview on u.s. television . bhutto sits on stage at a campaign rally minutes before her assassination . `` for standing up outside the car , i think it was she to blame alone -- nobody else . responsibility is hers , '' the former general told cbs ' `` 60 minutes '' on sunday . bhutto was killed december 27 in rawalpindi , south of the pakistani capital islamabad , while she was standing in an armored moving car after rallying supporters for now-postponed parliamentary elections . her head was above the roof and unprotected at the time of the attack . the cause of her death is not clear : a bomber blew himself up near bhutto 's limousine and videotape showed a gunman present , though no autopsy has been carried out . asked if bhutto could have been shot , musharraf said , `` yes , absolutely , yes . possibility . '' he has said he welcomes an international investigation . musharraf , who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999 , rejected criticism that his government did not do enough to provide security to bhutto , who was seeking to regain the post of prime minister . he noted that she had already survived one assassination attempt and `` was given more security than any other person . '' asked about the hunt for al qaeda leader osama bin laden , widely rumored to be in the remote border region between pakistan and afghanistan , musharraf said , `` there is no proof whatsoever that he 's here . we are not particularly looking for him , but we are operating against this -- and al qaeda and militant taliban . and in the process , obviously , it is combined . maybe we are looking for him also . '' and pakistan 's ambassador to the united states , mahmud ali durrani , told cnn 's `` late edition with wolf blitzer '' that , `` if we knew where he was , we would have taken him out . '' durrani added that musharraf 's comment about `` not specifically looking for osama '' means that the pakistani military is `` totally focused on destroying al qaeda and the taliban network and not just one person . '' about bhutto 's death , he noted only that the investigation is not completed `` and we should not jump to conclusions . '' still , he added , `` if she had not come out of the vehicle , the protected and armored vehicle , maybe we would have seen her smiling face again today . '' though musharraf 's popularity at home has plummeted , he retains support from gop presidential contender sen. john mccain . `` i think he 's a good man , '' the arizonan told nbc 's `` meet the press . '' `` but i think he 's made mistakes , do n't get me wrong . and we 've got to move forward with these elections and have them free and fair . `` but i can work with him . he understands the threat to his country that the taliban and al qaeda present . and radical islamic extremists . he 's a very smart man . he 'd be one of the first to go . they 've tried to kill him nine times , ok ? nine times they 've tried to kill musharraf . he 's not their favorite guy . '' the new york times reported sunday that the bush administration is considering expanding covert operations in the western part of pakistan to shore up support for musharraf 's government and to find bin laden and his second in command , ayman al-zawahiri . democratic presidential candidate bill richardson of new mexico told cnn 's `` late edition with wolf blitzer '' that , though he had not heard details of the plan , `` it sounds like a strategy that makes sense . '' he added , `` we have got to take whatever action is needed . '' richardson has called for musharraf to step down and has called for free and fair elections . `` what we need to do is ask musharraf , push him , push him to step aside for the good of the country , because he is widely unpopular , '' he told cnn . sen. hillary clinton , a democratic presidential candidate from new york , said saturday that she would try to persuade musharraf to share the responsibility for safeguarding his country 's nuclear weapons with a delegation from the united states and perhaps great britain . meanwhile , detectives from britain 's scotland yard on sunday once again examined the white land cruiser that bhutto was riding in when she was assassinated , pakistan 's state-run news agency said . the associated press of pakistan said the detectives also watched videos of bhutto 's last moments three times , and looked at bird 's eye view photographs of liaqat bagh park taken from a building that overlooks the rawalpindi public site . the team of five detectives arrived in pakistan friday after musharraf agreed they should work alongside pakistani agencies to determine how bhutto was killed and who was responsible for her death . on saturday , the team spent more than two hours at the park . musharraf said he expected the scotland yard investigators to help `` solve all the confusion '' surrounding the case . bhutto 's husband , asif ali zardari , wants a united nations inquiry into his late wife 's assassination . the pakistan interior ministry say the former leader died when she hit her head on the lever of her car 's sunroof after ducking for cover after a suicide bomb attack on her convoy . however , supporters of bhutto insist she was shot prior to the explosion -- a view that some say is supported by video footage of the moments before the blast . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>rawalpindi , pakistan -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- former pakistani prime minister benazir bhutto 's assassination was her own fault , the country 's president , pervez musharraf , said in an interview that aired sunday on u.s. television . bhutto sits on stage at a campaign rally minutes before her assassination . `` for standing up outside the car , i think it was she to blame alone -- nobody else . responsibility is hers , '' the former general told cbs ' `` 60 minutes . '' bhutto was killed december 27 in rawalpindi , south of the pakistani capital islamabad , while she was standing in an armored moving car after rallying supporters for now-postponed parliamentary elections . her head was above the roof and unprotected at the time of the attack . the cause of her death is not clear : a bomber blew himself up near bhutto 's limousine and videotape showed a gunman present , though no autopsy has been carried out . asked if bhutto could have been shot , musharraf said , `` yes , absolutely , yes . possibility . '' he has said he welcomes an international investigation . musharraf , who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999 , rejected criticism that his government did not do enough to provide security to bhutto , who was seeking to regain the post of prime minister . he noted that she had already survived one assassination attempt and `` was given more security than any other person . '' asked about the hunt for al qaeda leader osama bin laden , widely rumored to be in the remote border region between pakistan and afghanistan , musharraf said , `` there is no proof whatsoever that he 's here . we are not particularly looking for him , but we are operating against this -- and al qaeda and militant taliban . and in the process , obviously , it is combined . maybe we are looking for him also . '' and pakistan 's ambassador to the united states , mahmud ali durrani , told cnn 's `` late edition with wolf blitzer '' that , `` if we knew where he was , we would have taken him out . '' durrani added that musharraf 's comment about `` not specifically looking for osama '' means that the pakistani military is `` totally focused on destroying al qaeda and the taliban network and not just one person . '' about bhutto 's death , he noted only that the investigation is not completed `` and we should not jump to conclusions . '' still , he added , `` if she had not come out of the vehicle , the protected and armored vehicle , maybe we would have seen her smiling face again today . '' though musharraf 's popularity at home has plummeted , he retains support from gop presidential contender sen. john mccain . `` i think he 's a good man , '' the arizonan told nbc 's `` meet the press . '' `` but i think he 's made mistakes , do n't get me wrong . and we 've got to move forward with these elections and have them free and fair . `` but i can work with him . he understands the threat to his country that the taliban and al qaeda present . and radical islamic extremists . he 's a very smart man . he 'd be one of the first to go . they 've tried to kill him nine times , ok ? nine times they 've tried to kill musharraf . he 's not their favorite guy . ''<doc-sep>the indictment comes after a preliminary judicial process in which authorities presented their case against him . the indictment means that the court concluded he has to answer for the allegations . although musharraf has been accused of other crimes in the country , no other cases have gotten as far as an indictment . just two weeks ago , musharraf 's attorney said musharraf was expected to be charged with failing to provide adequate security for bhutto -- not murder . after the assassination , musharraf 's government blamed former pakistani taliban leader baitullah mehsud , saying he had paid a network of islamist militants to carry out the killing . bhutto had the `` same security and threats '' that musharraf faces now , bokhari told cnn tuesday . `` it is unfair to blame a sitting head of state for complicity in a violent action that occurs in a country . '' after the general elections in 2008 in which his party was trounced , musharraf stepped down as the governing coalition began taking steps to impeach him . he then went into self-imposed exile .<doc-sep>a united nations panel looking into bhutto 's assassination concluded that pakistan 's former military-led government failed to adequately protect her and that intelligence agencies hindered the subsequent investigation . the panel 's scathing report in april 2010 said the suicide bombing that killed bhutto `` could have been prevented '' and that police deliberately failed to pursue an effective investigation into the killings . but musharraf 's government has said bhutto had been afforded adequate protection . musharraf 's legal adviser told cnn that musharraf has not appeared before the court because the accusations against him are baseless and politically motivated . `` this is political victimization against musharraf , '' muhammad ali saif said . `` musharraf was never contacted by investigators to get his version of the assassination . '' musharraf went to london after resigning in 2008 . he decided to start a political party last year and make a comeback . he has said he wants to return for a presidential run in 2013 because he sees suffering in pakistan and does n't see a political party offering a solution . journalist nasir habib contributed to this report .<doc-sep>islamabad , pakistan -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- pakistani authorities vowed tuesday to use the international police agency interpol to arrest former pakistani president pervez musharraf in connection with the assassination of former prime minister benazir bhutto . `` the government is moving for his -lrb- musharraf 's -rrb- red notice , '' interior minister rehman malik said , referring to the interpol 's international arrest warrant . `` we will get him through interpol to pakistan . '' malik made the announcement as part of a progress report of the four-year-long assassination probe that was presented to provincial lawmakers tuesday in bhutto 's home province of sindh . the briefing lasted several hours and was broadcast live on pakistani tv . bhutto was assassinated in a gun-suicide attack in december 2007 , shortly after she came back to pakistan from self imposed exile to take part in the 2008 general elections . malik and the head of the investigation team said former pakistani taliban leader baitullah mehsud plotted the assassination and paid the equivalent of about $ 4,500 to a network of islamist militants to carry out the killing . using a power point presentation , pictures and video to outline the evidence they had gathered , authorities said mehsud had bhutto killed because she supported the west 's war against islamist militants . investigators said they collected much of their evidence from the accused plotters ' cell phone records before and after the killing . last november a pakistani court charged five alleged islamist militants with aiding the suicide attacker and two senior police officers for failing to provide adequate security . musharraf has also been accused of failing to protect bhutto . in february 2011 a judge issued an arrest warrant for musharraf after he did n't show up to court for questioning . musharraf has been in self-imposed exile ever since he left paksitan in 2008 . last august authorities confiscated his property in pakistan and froze his bank account . the former military ruler has denied having anything to do with bhutto 's killing . in tuesday 's briefing malik and investigators said musharraf rejected bhutto 's request to use a western private security contractor for protection when she returned to pakistan . they suggested musharraf intentionally left bhutto vulnerable because he felt politically threatened by her return . `` it was the duty of the government to provide the prime minister with protection , '' malik yelled at one point . `` why did you not give security ? what was the problem ? '' journalist nasir habib contributed to this report .

<t> new : british counter-terrorism experts re-inspect bhutto 's vehicle . </t> <t> new : bhutto 's assassination was her own fault , says musharraf in interview . </t> <t> new : he blamed her for standing up outside the safety of an armored car . </t> <t> bhutto 's husband , asif ali zardari , wants a u.n. inquiry into his late wife 's death . </t>

musharraf : bhutto to blame for her assassination<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a 12-year-old boy should get a say in whether he gets circumcised , the oregon supreme court has ruled . the court sent the parental custody dispute back to the trial court `` to resolve the factual issue whether m agrees or objects to the circumcision . '' `` m '' is the child at the center of a long-running custody dispute between james and lia boldt , who divorced in 1999 . soon after , the father began studying judaism and later converted . he also started teaching his son about the faith . by then , james had parental custody and told his ex-wife the boy would convert as well , and that to do so , he would have to have the circumcision procedure . the mother objected , saying the child had been raised in the russian orthodox faith while the couple was married . because the two sides disagreed , and were living in neighboring states , the conflict dissolved into ongoing personal and constitutional dispute . james boldt said that as a jew and the primary caregiver , he has a first amendment right to practice his faith as he sees fit for his child . lia boldt countered her son does not want to go through with the circumcision , and that it is an invasive , irreversible , and potentially dangerous medical procedure .<doc-sep>the state high court seemed especially reluctant to address the issue , saying normally such disputes `` are considered private family matters . '' but the justices noted `` these parties can not or will not resolve this matter without resort to the courts . '' so rather than offer a definitive ruling , the justices ordered both sides to go to the actual source of the conflict . `` in our view , at age 12 , m 's attitude regarding circumcision , though not conclusive of the custody issue presented here , is a fact necessary to the determination '' of whether the mother can press her objections to the procedure , wrote chief justice paul de muniz for the six-member panel . `` forcing m at age 12 to undergo circumcision against his will could seriously affect the relationship between m and his father , and could have a pronounced effect on father 's capability to properly care for m. '' there was no initial reaction to the decision from the parents or their attorneys . the case is james boldt v. lia boldt -lrb- s054714 -rrb- . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- manny pacquiao 's promoter plans to make another attempt to set up the long-awaited boxing showdown with floyd mayweather junior . the filipino became the first fighter to win world titles in eight divisions on saturday night after claiming the vacant wbc super-welterweight belt from antonio margarito in a brutal bout that left his opponent needing facial surgery . the 31-year-old is running out of new opponents following two failed attempts to seal a deal to fight mayweather , who is his main rival for the title of the world 's best pound-for-pound boxer . mayweather last fought in may , beating shane mosley , but has since been embroiled in domestic violence claims by his former girlfriend and faces criminal charges in court in january . pacquiao wins eighth different belt . pacquiao 's promoter bob arum told reporters after the margarito fight in arlington , texas that his staff at the top rank organization would begin sounding out mayweather about a fight next year . `` i will have todd duboef place a call directly to floyd . todd will ask one question and one question only , and that is whether floyd wants to fight manny , '' arum said in quotes carried by sports website fanhouse . `` if floyd 's answer is yes about fighting manny , then todd will ask for floyd 's expressed permission to call his criminal lawyer . todd will ask the lawyer if he can be sure if floyd will be available , not on trial or otherwise occupied , on specific dates . '' margarito says sorry for roach video . mayweather is represented by oscar de la hoya 's golden boy promotions , but has been linked with legendary entrepreneur don king . `` if todd gets a good answer from the lawyer , then todd calls floyd directly one more time , '' arum said . `` todd will ask floyd , ` who is your chosen representative , who should we sit down with to put this fight together ? ' `` we do n't care who floyd says , who he picks , be it don king , golden boy or anyone else . ''<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- knowledge is said to be power . but as parents living in an information-driven age , we feel compelled to grasp all of the facts that bombard us . we are hyperinformed and ultraconscientious . we surf the web , we read the books , we poll our friends . yet in accumulating new insights , we are often left feeling confused and uncertain . the most vexing parenting decision my husband and i have faced thus far was whether to circumcise our son . religious tradition was not a factor for us , as non-jews , so instead we searched our consciences , weighing myriad factors such as aesthetics , tradition , hygiene , future sexual pleasure , and self-esteem -- lofty concepts indeed to contemplate for the unnamed bulge in my tummy , but contemplate them we did . this is why one evening , while bathing my 5-year-old son , i was thrown into a bubbly contemplative haze as he looked down at himself and shouted , `` i hate my foreskin ! '' this was certainly not a sentence i ever imagined coming out of his mouth , but there it was . -lrb- and yes , he knows the actual word . -rrb- . he slid the skin on top of his penis to make himself appear circumcised . had we made the wrong decision ? some families do to their son whatever was done to the child 's father so father and son will look alike . in our case , my husband 's father was not circumcised due to a premature birth , and my husband was . my husband never felt particularly disturbed that he and his father were different in that area , so again , we were on our own . empowered patient : should teens make own circumcision decision ? our los angeles pediatrician , for whom we have great respect , dr. kimberly klausner , had been very neutral on the subject . she told us that about half of the boys in her beverly hills practice were circumcised . she reiterated the american academy of pediatrics statement of 1999 , which states : `` existing scientific evidence demonstrates potential medical benefits of newborn male circumcision ; however , these data are not sufficient to recommend routine neonatal circumcision . '' also worth noting is that not all health insurance companies cover routine circumcision . so religiously , cosmetically , and medically , there seemed to be no compelling reason for us to circumcise . at that point , i was at a loss -- no , not penis envy , but i had never seen an uncircumcised penis . yet to circumcise simply because that was familiar to me seemed unfair to my son . my husband , in weighing the arguments , kept coming back to an encounter we had with dr. paul fleiss , one of the pediatricians that we had initially interviewed when choosing a doctor years before . fleiss wrote the book , `` what your doctor may not tell you about circumcision . '' he is the country 's leading pediatric advocate for not circumcising . his writings stressed the significance of foreskin in sexual pleasure , pointing out that `` the foreskin is an organ '' that contains `` a rich concentration of blood vessels and nerve endings . '' as i considered that , my mind flashed to my liberal arts college 's women 's studies classes ' literature about female circumcision being used in some countries for the precise reason of decreasing sexual pleasure . we would never in a million years consider circumcising a girl , so why should we do so to our son ? we chose not to . until the bubble bath incident , i had been comfortable with our decision , even secretly proud of it . i had a small moment of panic in 2006 when a national institutes of health aids study discussing circumcision as a significant factor in aids prevention in africa was reported in the new york times . i hoped the medical community was n't going to change its mind , as by then my son was already 2 , his foreskin intact . when he was 4 , i noticed he very often he retracted his foreskin , and once while so doing said , `` look , mommy , like sam . '' sam was a circumcised friend whom he had seen while changing clothes . i realized that most of the boys my son had seen naked -- cousins and friends at preschool -- looked different . most were circumcised , including his father . why , i wondered , were all these other boys circumcised ? i decided to informally poll a few moms to find out how they decided . hilary , in her work as a journalist , had seen an inadequately skilled first-year resident perform the procedure . she vowed that should she ever have sons , she would not circumcise . years later , her jewish husband told her that `` he wanted his son to have the chance to be jewish . '' hilary deferred to that . she chose a mohel who had circumcised 10,000 boys to do the procedure . yet she said she had to leave the house during the bris . hilary said when she read about the nih aids study in 2006 , she was delighted to learn there could be additional public health benefits to circumcision . liza told me that she regrets having her son circumcised . `` it was hard for us to justify doing it other than that it was something that he -lrb- my husband -rrb- and i understood . '' her son 's circumcision was botched . the doctor had trouble with the clamp in the procedure , and , at 3 months old , her son had to have surgery by a urologist in order to be re-circumcised . another friend , alison , said , `` i always said that the penis was his -lrb- her husband 's -rrb- department . he wanted our son to look like him . but i am really glad my son was circumcised . it is hard enough to get him to wash at all , so if there were one more layer to it , i ca n't imagine . '' finally , i asked klausner again , as i knew she recently had her own son . she told me : `` i had him circumcised for religious reasons , in a very traditional service . i felt very uncomfortable about it , but it was a faith-based decision , not a rational , medical one . if it were not part of my faith , i do n't think i would do it . '' back to the bubble bath : after my son stopped screaming i told him that mommy and daddy had made the best decision about his body they could , because he was too little to ask . `` we did n't want them to cut your body when you were a tiny baby , '' i explained . then , i cringed imagining him at the pool asking some unsuspecting circumcised boy why his parents would let them cut his body when he was a tiny baby . confronting our circumcision decision over and over has been humbling . my one conclusion : in parenting , and in life , there is never a clear answer . most big decisions are based in faith , be it religious faith or faith in ourselves . if we have either of those as parents , then no matter which way the trend swings , or what the studies prove over time , we can , at the very least , live with the knowledge that we did what we thought was the best for our children . the opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of lee rose emery .<doc-sep>i think that was whitman . so , now the lucky boy has to figure out what to do with his newfound treasure . as if selling it is n't the one and only option . however , his dad , alex , says that at the moment , they 're just waiting for more information from marine biologists . while i appreciate their shared interest in science , i really ca n't stress this enough : sell it now ! it 's whale throw-up ! look , i 'm all for learning , but if you happen to be holding a projectile from the belly of another living thing and somebody wants to give you money for it , you do n't ask questions . you ask for cash . and some purell . the conversation should be rather straightforward : `` yes . i. will . sell . you . this . ''<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- in many cases it 's a woman that grips the blade -- maybe clean , maybe dirty -- that cuts a girl 's path to womanhood . ugandan president yoweri museveni wants to ban the practice of female circumcision in his country . the cutter , who works for a fee , can pursue any number of surgical options for the young girl 's rite of passage . she can remove the girl 's clitoris entirely , narrow her vagina with stitches , or make other excisions of the girl 's genitalia . a traditional symbol of a child 's maturity to womanhood , the girl undergoes a circumcision . often without an anesthetic , she feels every slice . and sometimes girls that become women under the knife die under it , too . in uganda , president yoweri museveni wants to outlaw female circumcision , and those that continue to perform the bloody practice would face the death penalty if a girl dies as a result of the procedure , press secretary tamale mirundi told cnn wednesday . `` if a girl dies during circumcision that would be murder , '' mirundi said . `` the punishment for murder in uganda is death . you will be hanged . '' museveni 's move to ban female circumcision is in line with other countries and organizations that have sought to decrease the prevalence of female circumcision , also known as female genital cutting or female genital mutilation . the practice involves partial or total removal of the external female genitalia and creates scar tissue that can cause complications during labor . but in nearby kenya and tanzania , where female genital mutilation is illegal , the practice is still rampant because people are not sensitized to the health consequences of circumcision and laws are not enforced , said godfrey odongo , an amnesty international uganda researcher . while amnesty international does not support the death penalty , odongo said the group wants to see uganda ban the practice . he worries it wo n't be done , though , because uganda has a `` mixed '' track record on enacting laws to protect women , he said . mirundi , however , said he thinks that with the president 's support behind it , uganda 's parliament will outlaw the ancient ritual . rooted in paternalistic culture and practiced for centuries , female circumcision in uganda is thought to protect a girl 's chastity by `` reducing the urge for sex in women , '' mirundi said . in uganda , female genital mutilation is popular among tribes that live near the eastern border with kenya , mirundi said . he said he does not know how many female circumcisions have occurred in uganda nor how many girls have died from them . the sabini and karamajong tribes are the primary adherents to the custom of female circumcision , he said . the tribes , he said , make up less than 10 percent of the country 's population , which the world bank estimated at 29.9 million in 2006 . the world health organization estimates that 100 million to 140 million girls and women have been circumcised . another 3 million girls are at risk of being circumcised each year , the organization says . the practice is extremely painful and traumatizing , and can result in prolonged bleeding , a higher risk of hiv infection , infertility and even death , according to the united nations children 's fund .

<t> case part of parental custody dispute . </t> <t> father converted to judaism after splitting with wife . </t> <t> father wanted son to convert after getting custody . </t> <t> russian orthodox mother says son does n't want procedure . </t>

ask boy , 12 , if he wants to be circumcised , court says<T>

atlanta , georgia -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- four active-duty u.s. soldiers -- three of them elite army rangers -- have been arrested and charged with planning to rob drug traffickers . a courtroom sketch shows david white , left , stefan champagne , center , and carlos lopez . wearing street clothes , rangers carlos lopez , 30 , and david ray white , 28 , and army medic stefan andre champagne , 28 , appeared in federal court friday . they 're charged with conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine and with carrying firearms in connection with that conspiracy . u.s. magistrate judge alan baverman ordered them held in custody until a preliminary hearing wednesday . another ranger , randy spivey , 32 , is scheduled to appear in court monday . `` it is a sad day when members of one of america 's most elite corps of soldiers , the army rangers , are alleged to have become involved in criminal activity , '' u.s. attorney david e. nahmias said of the case . `` these men were trained to defend the people and principles of this country , not to use their skills to steal cocaine from drug dealers at gunpoint . '' lopez , white and champagne were arrested thursday at a storage facility in sandy springs , georgia , a suburb just north of atlanta , by agents of the bureau of alcohol , tobacco , firearms and explosives who had set up a sting operation .<doc-sep>spivey was apprehended at camp frank d. merrill , an army ranger training center in dahlonega , georgia , on friday , the atf said . dahlonega is about 60 miles north of atlanta . lopez , white and champagne were to commit the robbery while spivey covered for them back at the camp , where the men are stationed , according to an affidavit filed with u.s. district court . all four were to get a cut of the spoils of the robbery , the affidavit from atf agent brett turner says . the investigation began in november , when the atf `` became aware '' that some soldiers were interested in robbing drug dealers of their cocaine , turner says . he posed as a disaffected security guard for the drug traffickers who wanted to `` rip them off . '' the first try to set up the `` robbery '' failed , but a second attempt earlier this month succeeded , leading to the arrests at the storage facility and , a day later , the ranger camp . a subsequent search found that lopez , white and champagne were carrying semiautomatic pistols and had an ar-15 assault rifle and a field pouch with 15 magazines of ammunition for it in their vehicle . agents also found a ski mask , binoculars and a taser among the items the men brought with them . the four soldiers face minimum mandatory sentences of 10 years in prison each for the drug conspiracy and an additional five years , consecutive , for the weapons allegation . the army rangers are an elite light infantry fighting force capable of deploying anywhere in the world within 18 hours . they became a permanent presence in the u.s. military in the 1970s . from the colonial era until that time , rangers were activated for specific missions or conflicts and then deactivated when their work was completed . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- mexican army special forces have arrested a top lieutenant for alleged drug kingpin joaquin `` el chapo '' guzman , the defense ministry said monday . troops arrested felipe cabrera sarabia on friday in `` a surgical operation in cuiliacan '' in the northwestern state of sinaloa , said ricardo trevilla trejo , a defense ministry spokesman . cabrera , who was responsible for the activities of the pacific cartel in durango and the southern part of the state of chihuahua , was detained after fleeing from durango , trevilla told reporters . `` the analysis of his behavior permitted -lrb- us -rrb- to find the building where he was hiding '' and cabrera was taken into custody without violence , trevilla said . firearms , computer equipment and other documentation were seized , too , he said . cabrera , who appeared monday in the office of a prosecutor who specializes in organized crime , was responsible for guzman 's security in durango , the state-run notimex news agency said . he is charged with possessing firearms reserved for use by the army and falsification of a public document , a spokeswoman for the attorney general said .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the alleged leader of a firearms trafficking network believed to be smuggling guns into mexico -- where police say they are used against law enforcement officers by members of mexican drug cartels -- was arrested thursday in arizona , authorities said . victor varela was arrested by the atf as part of the agency 's ongoing project gunrunner . victor varela was arrested by the u.s. bureau of alcohol , tobacco , firearms and explosives as part of the agency 's ongoing project gunrunner , according to an atf release . he was in the custody of the maricopa county , arizona , sheriff . `` law enforcement officers disrupted a group of gun traffickers and recovered several weapons , including .50 - caliber semiautomatic rifles and several handguns , allegedly intended to supply drug traffic organization members of the juarez cartel in palomas , mexico , '' the statement said . in state charges , prosecutors allege varela and his co-defendants bought a number of guns in arizona intending to supply the mexican cartel members . the group allegedly transported the illegally purchased guns to new mexico , and then into mexico .<doc-sep>by . alasdair glennie tv correspondent . channel 4 's benefits street has now received more than 1,700 complaints as one of its stars , ` black dee ' was charged with drug and firearms offences . channel 4 's controversial benefits street documentary has now received more than 1,700 complaints as one of its stars was charged with drug and firearms offences . the broadcaster and tv watchdog ofcom have been deluged with calls , letters and emails from viewers who accused the five-part documentary of glamourising crime , promoting drug use and celebrating welfare dependency . yesterday it emerged one of the core participants - samora roberts , known in the show as ` black dee ' - will face prosecution for a string of charges alongside five of her neighbours . the 32-year-old - who was also arrested last week for allegedly stealing a packet of condoms from a branch of boots - has been charged with conspiracy to supply class a and class b drugs including crack cocaine , possession of class a drug diamorphine and possession of firearm ammunition without a certificate . west midlands police raided her house on the now infamous james turner street in birmingham last june .<doc-sep>benschop had marijuana and pain medication in his blood after the collapse , a law enforcement source told cnn . pennsylvania court records indicate benschop , who also went by the alias kary roberts , has been arrested multiple times in the past two decades . many of the related charges -- related to alleged firearms violations and theft -- were withdrawn , dismissed or resulted in not guilty verdicts , though he was found guilty in the mid-1990s on drug charges . philadelphia mayor michael nutter blamed benschop 's `` reckless and irresponsible behavior '' for the building collapse and said saturday he hopes that benschop faces `` the harshest level of charges ... and he is punished accordingly . '' `` justice will only be served if sean benschop receives a sentence that buries him in a jailhouse forever , just like his victims were buried on wednesday , '' nutter said . nutter is pressing for answers from two property owners who hired benschop to operate heavy machinery , saying that , along with benschop , they `` bear the ultimate and sole responsibility for this tragedy . '' benschop allegedly was working a crane to tear down a vacant building in downtown philadelphia when a four-story wall collapsed onto a salvation army thrift store , causing an ominous rumble followed by panic on the streets . afterward , searchers climbed over shards of wood , concrete and rebar looking for survivors , such as a 61-year-old woman pulled alive from the rubble early thursday . the first lawsuit against him was filed that same day , by attorneys for a 54-year-old woman pulled from the rubble by a firefighter .

<t> arrests made after atf agents set up a sting operation . </t> <t> affidavit : atf `` became aware '' some soldiers wanted to rob dealers of their cocaine . </t> <t> the investigation began in november . </t> <t> the army rangers are an elite light infantry fighting force . </t>

army rangers , medic arrested on drug , firearms charges<T>

washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the u.s. navy has moved the guided-missile destroyer uss cole and other ships to the eastern mediterranean sea off lebanon , pentagon officials said thursday . a file image of the uss cole , which the u.s. navy moved to the mediterranean sea off lebanon . the deployment comes amid a political standoff over lebanon 's presidency , but the navy would not say whether the events are linked . `` it 's a group of ships that will operate in the vicinity for a while and as the ships in our navy do , the presence is important , '' adm. mike mullen , the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff , said thursday . `` it is n't meant to send any stronger signal than that , '' he said . `` but it does signal that we 're engaged and we are going to be in the vicinity , and that 's a very important part of the world . '' the cole was badly damaged by an al qaeda bombing during a port call in yemen in 2000 , killing 17 sailors . it returned to service in 2002 . the destroyer and two support ships are close to lebanon but out of visual range of the coast , pentagon officials said . another six vessels , led by the amphibious assault ship uss nassau , are close to italy and steaming toward the other three , the officials said . mullen would not say whether the deployment has anything to do with the upcoming lebanese parliamentary vote on a new president , which was postponed for a 15th time earlier this week . but he said the vote was `` important , '' and washington was waiting for it to take place . and a bush administration official told cnn the decision to move ships to the region was a message to neighboringsyria that `` the u.s. is concerned about the situation in lebanon , and we want to see the situation resolved . '' `` we are sending a clear message for the need for stability , '' said the official , who was not authorized to speak for publication . the ships `` should be there a while , '' the official added . lebanon 's pro-western majority in parliament and the pro-syrian opposition have battled for power over the last three years . the country has been without a president since november , when pro-syrian leader emile lahoud 's term expired and parliament was unable to agree on a replacement . despite general agreement among the factions to award the post to army chief gen. michel suleiman , disagreements over how to share power in a future cabinet have kept the issue from coming up for a vote . parliament speaker nabih berri 's office announced tuesday that the next planned session has been pushed back to march 11 . berri 's office said the arab league needed more time to break the deadlock . lebanon has been wracked by a sometimes-violent power struggle since the 2005 assassination of former prime minister rafik hariri , whose supporters blamed damascus for his killing . the resulting outcry eventually drove syrian forces out of lebanon , where they had been stationed since the 1970s . e-mail to a friend . cnn correspondent zain verjee contributed to this report .<doc-sep>washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the u.s. navy has moved the guided-missile destroyer uss cole and other ships to the eastern mediterranean sea off lebanon , pentagon officials said thursday . a file image of the uss cole , which the u.s. navy moved to the mediterranean sea off lebanon . the deployment comes amid a political standoff over lebanon 's presidency , but the navy would not say whether the events are linked . `` it 's a group of ships that will operate in the vicinity for a while and as the ships in our navy do , the presence is important , '' adm. mike mullen , the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff , said thursday . `` it is n't meant to send any stronger signal than that , '' he said . `` but it does signal that we 're engaged and we are going to be in the vicinity , and that 's a very important part of the world . ''<doc-sep>in may , the u.s. navy warned merchant ships to stay at least 200 miles off the somali coast . but the u.s. maritime administration warns that pirates sometimes issue false distress calls to lure ships closer to shore . the pirates are often armed with automatic rifles and shoulder-fired rockets , according to warnings from the agency .<doc-sep>attacks by pirates have increased dramatically off the northern coast of somalia in the past year , prompting the united states and other nations to step up patrols in the region . in may , the u.s. navy warned merchant ships to stay at least 200 miles off the somali coast . but the u.s. maritime administration warns that pirates sometimes issue false distress calls to lure ships closer to shore . the pirates are often armed with automatic rifles and shoulder-fired rockets , according to warnings from the agency .<doc-sep>michael connell , the director of the iranian studies program at cna , a washington-area think tank that specializes in naval analyses , agreed with herrmann . `` their navy ca n't reach our coastline right now , '' connell said , describing the iranian announcement as `` bombastic rhetoric . '' `` it 's posturing '' by iran intended for both its domestic and regional audience , connell said . making such pronouncements projects a dominant role including naval power , whether or not they can back it up , he added . `` the iranians have been historically annoyed that we have a naval presence in the persian gulf , which is kind of their backyard , '' connell said . the worst move the united states could make now would be to overreact , said john mueller , the woody hayes chair of national security studies at mershon . `` hopefully this wo n't play into -lrb- american -rrb- neo-cons who are itching for a war with iran , '' he said . `` the best thing to do is ignore it and treat it with the contempt it deserves . if iran wants to waste their time and money on a dwindling supply of fuel -lrb- to keep ships -rrb- bobbing around in the atlantic ocean , then let them . '' the idea of iran moving ships near the u.s. coast is not on par with the soviet union flying planes off the coast of alaska during the cold war , mueller noted . the soviets ' move was legal , and was considered a gesture intended to irritate the united states , he said . `` those were different circumstances and different players , '' mueller added . herrmann cautioned that while moving ships near the u.s. coast may not be a real threat , iran is certainly capable of harming the united states -- but closer to iran . iran could attack u.s. ships in the strait of hormuz , a waterway between the gulf of oman and the persian gulf , on the south coast of iran . such attacks could disrupt oil markets and scare american tourists , herrmann said .

<t> u.s. navy makes move amid a political standoff over lebanon 's presidency . </t> <t> the presence is important , '' says chairman of joint chiefs of staff . </t> <t> lebanon 's pro-western majority in parliament struggles with pro-syrian opposition . </t>

u.s. navy ships move closer to lebanon<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- armenian president robert kocharian declared a state of emergency saturday night after a day of clashes between police and protesters , a spokeswoman for the armenian foreign ministry said . opposition supporters wave an armenian flag during a protest rally in yerevan , armenia , on saturday . the protesters claim last month 's presidential election was rigged . the state of emergency will `` hopefully bring some order '' to the capital , yerevan , said salpi ghazarian , assistant to the armenian foreign minister , who spoke to cnn early sunday . the state of emergency could last until march 20 , she said , but the government hopes `` that it will be lifted sooner . '' the clashes began when authorities used force to clear freedom square of thousands of demonstrators who had camped there for the past 10 days , according to a u.s. embassy official . ghazarian said the authorities `` moved in '' because `` they thought that there were arms there , and it turned out that they were right . '' watch a report on clashes between police and the opposition '' the embassy official estimated that the demonstrations in freedom square grew to as many as 60,000 armenians at times over the last 10 days . as of early sunday morning , freedom square was empty , ghazarian said , but the protesters were demonstrating in a main square elsewhere in the city . watch ghazarian discuss the situation in armenia '' `` what is happening on the streets of yerevan is people protesting what they consider to be unfair elections , '' ghazarian said . `` after the president was forced to declare a state of emergency , things have quieted down . there are a couple of burning cars , and there are a few hurt people , '' she said . `` we 're convinced that this will come to an end soon . '' she did not elaborate on the number of people injured or the extent of their injuries . witnesses told cnn that saturday morning 's action by armenian riot police was bloody , but the u.s. official said there were no confirmed deaths or serious injuries . an armenian woman interviewed by cnn said there was `` huge chaos '' when police moved in . `` these are innocent people , '' she said . `` they just want their freedom . they just want to be heard . they are being beaten up , some people have horrible wounds . '' she asked that cnn not use her name because she feared for her safety . as night fell saturday , the sounds of gunfire could be heard from the direction of the protesters ' gathering , and tracer fire could be seen in the sky , according to another yerevan resident , who also asked not to be identified out of fear for his safety . the man said his wife saw two demonstrators hit by a police car earlier in the day . the car initially did not stop , he said , but the protesters surrounded the car , dragged the officers out and burned the vehicle , he said . the officers were able to escape , he said , but he did not know the condition of the protesters who were struck . the protests began soon after the february 19 presidential election . opposition presidential candidate levon ter-petrosian lost to prime minister serzh sarkisian , a political ally of outgoing president kocharian . the opposition party immediately accused the government of vote fraud and demanded that the results be voided . ghazarian said sunday that the government had reached out to the opposition . `` we are hoping with the help of the international community , the opposition , the leader of the opposition , will come and enter a political dialogue rather than continuing this debate on the streets , '' she said . haroutiun khachatrian , editor of the noyan tappan news agency , told cnn that riot police arrested several hundred people in the square saturday morning , including many opposition party officials . ter-petrosian was there but was not arrested , he said . the opposition vowed to pursue its claims through legal means . the organization for security and co-operation in europe -lrb- osce -rrb- monitored last month 's armenian election and concluded that it was mostly in line with international standards , although it did include some criticism in its report . the u.s. embassy has warned the several hundred americans living in yerevan to stay at home and avoid the downtown area where the demonstrations have been taking place , the u.s. official said . armenia , population 3 million , is a former soviet republic east of turkey , south of georgia and north of iran . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- armenian president robert kocharian declared a state of emergency saturday night after a day of clashes between police and protesters , a spokeswoman for the armenian foreign ministry said . the protesters claim last month 's presidential election was rigged . the state of emergency will `` hopefully bring some order '' to the capital , yerevan , said salpi ghazarian , assistant to the armenian foreign minister , who spoke to cnn early sunday . the state of emergency could last until march 20 , she said , but the government hopes `` that it will be lifted sooner . '' the clashes began when authorities used force to clear freedom square of thousands of demonstrators who had camped there for the past 10 days , according to a u.s. embassy official . ghazarian said the authorities `` moved in '' because `` they thought that there were arms there , and it turned out that they were right . '' watch a report on clashes between police and the opposition '' the embassy official estimated that the demonstrations in freedom square grew to as many as 60,000 armenians at times over the last 10 days . as of early sunday morning , freedom square was empty , ghazarian said , but the protesters were demonstrating in a main square elsewhere in the city . watch ghazarian discuss the situation in armenia '' `` what is happening on the streets of yerevan is people protesting what they consider to be unfair elections , '' ghazarian said . `` after the president was forced to declare a state of emergency , things have quieted down . there are a couple of burning cars , and there are a few hurt people , '' she said . `` we 're convinced that this will come to an end soon . '' she did not elaborate on the number of people injured or the extent of their injuries . witnesses told cnn that saturday morning 's action by armenian riot police was bloody , but the u.s. official said there were no confirmed deaths or serious injuries . an armenian woman interviewed by cnn said there was `` huge chaos '' when police moved in . `` these are innocent people , '' she said . `` they just want their freedom . they just want to be heard . they are being beaten up , some people have horrible wounds . '' she asked that cnn not use her name because she feared for her safety . as night fell saturday , the sounds of gunfire could be heard from the direction of the protesters ' gathering , and tracer fire could be seen in the sky , according to another yerevan resident , who also asked not to be identified out of fear for his safety . the man said his wife saw two demonstrators hit by a police car earlier in the day . the car initially did not stop , he said , but the protesters surrounded the car , dragged the officers out and burned the vehicle , he said . the officers were able to escape , he said , but he did not know the condition of the protesters who were struck . the protests began soon after the february 19 presidential election . opposition presidential candidate levon ter-petrosian lost to prime minister serzh sarkisian , a political ally of outgoing president kocharian . the opposition party immediately accused the government of vote fraud and demanded that the results be voided . ghazarian said sunday that the government had reached out to the opposition . `` we are hoping with the help of the international community , the opposition , the leader of the opposition , will come and enter a political dialogue rather than continuing this debate on the streets , '' she said . haroutiun khachatrian , editor of the noyan tappan news agency , told cnn that riot police arrested several hundred people in the square saturday morning , including many opposition party officials . ter-petrosian was there but was not arrested , he said . the opposition vowed to pursue its claims through legal means . the organization for security and co-operation in europe -lrb- osce -rrb- monitored last month 's armenian election and concluded that it was mostly in line with international standards , although it did include some criticism in its report . the u.s. embassy has warned the several hundred americans living in yerevan to stay at home and avoid the downtown area where the demonstrations have been taking place , the u.s. official said . armenia , population 3 million , is a former soviet republic east of turkey , south of georgia and north of iran . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>bursa , turkey -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- armenian president serzh sarkisian wednesday became the first armenian head of state to travel to turkey to attend a soccer game between the two countries ' national teams . armenian president serzh sarkasian -lrb- right -rrb- pictured with turkish counterpart abdullah gul during gul 's visit to yerevan in 2008 . sarkisian and turkish president abdullah gul arrived at the stadium in bursa together in a car flying the national flags of both countries . in an exclusive interview with cnn before the game , gul said the event opened a new chapter for relations between armenia and turkey . but when asked , he avoided saying whether the border between the two neighbors would be opened before 2010 . at the match , turkish supporters vastly outnumbered armenian fans and gave the armenian national anthem the standard treatment for most visiting foreign teams -- they booed . small pockets of armenian supporters waved the tri-color flag of armenia . turkey won the world cup qualifying group game 2-0 but with both countries already unable to progress to the 2010 tournament in south africa , the significance of the game was in its symbolism .<doc-sep>bursa , turkey -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- armenian president serzh sarkisian wednesday became the first armenian head of state to travel to turkey to attend a soccer game between the two countries ' national teams . armenian president serzh sarkasian -lrb- right -rrb- pictured with turkish counterpart abdullah gul during gul 's visit to yerevan in 2008 . sarkisian and turkish president abdullah gul arrived at the stadium in bursa together in a car flying the national flags of both countries . in an exclusive interview with cnn before the game , gul said the event opened a new chapter for relations between armenia and turkey . but when asked , he avoided saying whether the border between the two neighbors would be opened before 2010 . at the match , turkish supporters vastly outnumbered armenian fans and gave the armenian national anthem the standard treatment for most visiting foreign teams -- they booed . small pockets of armenian supporters waved the tri-color flag of armenia . turkey won the world cup qualifying group game 2-0 but with both countries already unable to progress to the 2010 tournament in south africa , the significance of the game was in its symbolism . this round of `` football diplomacy , '' comes just days after the two governments signed a historic series of protocols to establish diplomatic relations between the two neighbors . `` this is going to be the biggest change in the south caucasus since 1994 , '' said gevorg tel-gabrielyan , the armenia country director for the eurasia partnership foundation . he was in bursa on wednesday , hosting a conference of armenian and turkish academics examining bilateral relations . `` if this happens , '' he added , `` its going to change geopolitics in the region . '' armenia and turkey have been separated by nearly a century of animosity and distrust . the protocols call for establishment of embassies in each others ' capitals , and for re-opening the turkish-armenian border , which has been closed since 1993 . the soccer game was also being held in bursa , which centuries ago was the capital of the ottoman empire . thousands of police were deployed to maintain strict security . on tuesday , turkey 's prime minister made a public appeal to turkish football fans , to greet sarkisian with hospitality and to avoid provocations . despite strong support from the united states , the european union and russia , there is considerable opposition among nationalists in turkey and armenia to the peace process .<doc-sep>but this is n't the first time florida has dealt with dengue . in 2009 and 2010 , officials documented 28 locally acquired cases in key west . as dengue cases increase , honduras declares state of emergency . cnn 's miriam falco and jennifer bixler contributed to this report .

<t> new : protest moves after crackdown at freedom square . </t> <t> order sought after protests over last month 's election turn violent . </t> <t> demonstrators say the election was fraudulent . </t> <t> state of emergency could last until march 20 , official says . </t>

armenian president declares state of emergency<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- saddam hussein let the world think he had weapons of mass destruction to intimidate iran and prevent the country from attacking iraq , according to an fbi agent who interviewed the dictator after his 2003 capture . iraqi leader saddam hussein in an unknown location in iraq after his capture in 2003 . according to a cbs report , hussein claimed he did n't anticipate that the united states would invade iraq over wmd , agent george piro said on `` 60 minutes , '' scheduled for sunday broadcast . `` for him , it was critical that he was seen as still the strong , defiant saddam . he thought that -lrb- faking having the weapons -rrb- would prevent the iranians from reinvading iraq , '' said piro . during the nearly seven months piro talked to hussein , the agent hinted to the iraqi that he answered directly to president bush , cbs said in a posting on its web site . `` he told me he initially miscalculated ... president bush 's intentions . he thought the united states would retaliate with the same type of attack as we did in 1998 ... a four-day aerial attack , '' piro said . `` he survived that one and he was willing to accept that type of attack . '' `` he did n't believe the u.s. would invade ? '' correspondent scott pelley asked . `` no , not initially , '' piro answered . once it was clear that an invasion was imminent , hussein asked his generals to hold off the allied forces for two weeks , piro said . `` and at that point , it would go into what he called the secret war , '' the agent said , referring to the insurgency . but piro said he was not sure that the insurgency was indeed part of hussein 's plan . `` well , he would like to take credit for the insurgency , '' he said . hussein had the ability to restart the weapons program and professed to wanting to do that , piro said . `` he wanted to pursue all of wmd ... to reconstitute his entire wmd program . '' hussein said he was proud he eluded u.s. authorities who searched for him for nine months after the u.s.-led invasion , piro said . `` what he wanted to really illustrate is ... how he was able to outsmart us , '' piro said . `` he told me he changed ... the way he traveled . he got rid of his normal vehicles . he got rid of the protective detail that he traveled with , really just to change his signature . '' hussein was hanged in 2006 . e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- in 2004 , even after being captured by u.s. forces , saddam hussein told an fbi interrogator he believed iran was a greater threat to iraq than the united states , according to newly released fbi documents . baghdad 's al mutamar newspaper shows saddam hussein , right , with ahmed chalabi of iraq 's governing council in 2003 . the fbi interviews took place while hussein , then identified by the fbi as `` high value detainee 1 '' was held captive by u.s. military forces at baghdad international airport between february and june of 2004 . hussein regarded the iranian threat as so serious that it was the major factor in his decision not to allow united nations weapons inspectors to return , he said . citing their shared border and his belief iran would intend to annex southern iraq , hussein said he was more concerned about iran discovering iraq 's weaknesses than repercussions from the united states and the international community . he believed that the inspectors would have directly identified to the iranians where to inflict maximum damage to iraq . approximately 100 pages of declassified interview summaries , previously classified as secret , were obtained by the national security archive at the george washington university through a freedom of information act request . the fbi declined cnn 's request to interview special agent george l. piro , the agent who interviewed hussein . fbi spokesman paul bresson declined to comment on the declassified documents . `` as a general rule , the fbi does not discuss foia 'd documents . we let the information stand on its own , '' bresson told cnn . piro , an fbi agent fluent in arabic , conducted the interviews along with another agent whose name has been redacted from the documents . although hussein had been a prisoner for months , at one point during an interview he said , `` i am not the ex-president of iraq . i am still the president of iraq . '' hussein also described al qaeda leader osama bin laden as a `` zealot '' and said he had never met or seen him . he also said the united states used the september 11 attacks as justification to attack iraq , and that the united states had `` lost sight of the cause . '' despite piro citing evidence of iraq 's contacts with al qaeda , hussein said , `` the iraqi government did not cooperate with bin laden '' and that the two `` did not have the same belief or vision . ''<doc-sep>`` if we unite our voices , then we will be able to defeat america , israel and other enemies , '' sheikh assad al-nassri told the crowd on al-sadr 's behalf . a u.s.-led army invaded iraq on march 20 , 2003 , toppling longtime dictator saddam hussein . but years of bloodshed followed the invasion as an insurgency led by hussein 's allies took root , followed by sectarian warfare between iraq 's shiite majority and sunni minority . al-sadr 's militia , the mehdi army , was blamed for some of the worst violence . he formally disbanded the group in 2008 , announcing that it was transitioning into a movement to oppose secularism and western thought . meanwhile , his political movement has become a kingmaker in iraqi politics : its 39 members of iraq 's parliament were key to prime minister nuri al-maliki 's winning a second term .<doc-sep>it will begin on sunday , said state tv . the violence is the worst since february 23 , when 50 people were killed and more than 200 were wounded in a string of attacks . iraqi officials have expressed concern that the continuing violence could cast a shadow as the country prepares to host the next arab league summit on march 29 . the attacks on tuesday come nine years to the day since a u.s.-led army invaded iraq on march 20 , 2003 , toppling longtime dictator saddam hussein . the united states argued hussein 's regime had been harboring forbidden stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons , long-range missiles and a nuclear weapons program . inspectors later found that baghdad had attempted to conceal some weapons-related research from the international community , but that iraq had been effectively disarmed under u.n. sanctions in the 1990s . the invasion swiftly toppled hussein , who was later executed for the massacre of shiite villagers following an assassination attempt in the 1980s . but years of bloodshed followed the invasion as an insurgency led by hussein 's allies took root , followed by sectarian warfare between iraq 's shiite majority and its sunni minority . nearly 4,500 americans and 300-plus allied troops were killed before the last american troops left in december , while estimates of the iraqi toll run well above 100,000 .<doc-sep>washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- in 2004 , even after being captured by u.s. forces , saddam hussein told an fbi interrogator he believed iran was a greater threat to iraq than the united states , according to newly released fbi documents . baghdad 's al mutamar newspaper shows saddam hussein , right , with ahmed chalabi of iraq 's governing council in 2003 . the fbi interviews took place while hussein , then identified by the fbi as `` high value detainee 1 '' was held captive by u.s. military forces at baghdad international airport between february and june of 2004 . hussein regarded the iranian threat as so serious that it was the major factor in his decision not to allow united nations weapons inspectors to return , he said . citing their shared border and his belief iran would intend to annex southern iraq , hussein said he was more concerned about iran discovering iraq 's weaknesses than repercussions from the united states and the international community . he believed that the inspectors would have directly identified to the iranians where to inflict maximum damage to iraq . approximately 100 pages of declassified interview summaries , previously classified as secret , were obtained by the national security archive at the george washington university through a freedom of information act request . the fbi declined cnn 's request to interview special agent george l. piro , the agent who interviewed hussein . fbi spokesman paul bresson declined to comment on the declassified documents . `` as a general rule , the fbi does not discuss foia 'd documents . we let the information stand on its own , '' bresson told cnn . piro , an fbi agent fluent in arabic , conducted the interviews along with another agent whose name has been redacted from the documents . although hussein had been a prisoner for months , at one point during an interview he said , `` i am not the ex-president of iraq . i am still the president of iraq . '' hussein also described al qaeda leader osama bin laden as a `` zealot '' and said he had never met or seen him . he also said the united states used the september 11 attacks as justification to attack iraq , and that the united states had `` lost sight of the cause . '' despite piro citing evidence of iraq 's contacts with al qaeda , hussein said , `` the iraqi government did not cooperate with bin laden '' and that the two `` did not have the same belief or vision . '' the former regime 's alleged weapons of mass destruction and alleged ties to al qaeda were the bush administration 's primary justifications for invading iraq in march of 2003 . piro and hussein spoke extensively about iraq 's chemical weapons during the iran war , the 1990 invasion of kuwait and in the years before the second u.s. invasion . hussein refused to answer a question about whether iraq would have lost the war it fought with iran from 1980 to 1988 if it had not used chemical weapons . he also said neither he nor any other iraqi officials discussed using chemical weapons during the first gulf war . hussein admitted that iraq made a mistake by destroying some weapons without u.n. supervision . in his view , the inspectors wanted all of their expenses paid for by iraq . instead of waiting for the inspectors and paying the expenses , iraq began destroying the weapons . `` we destroyed them . we told you , with documents . that 's it , '' hussein said . when asked about restrictions he placed on weapons inspectors regarding which locations they could visit , hussein responded , `` by god , if i had such weapons , i would have used them in the fight against the united states . '' hussein commented about the mental state of u.s. soldiers occupying iraq . `` if you asked the american soldier -- who came to iraq to find weapons of mass destruction , but none could be found , and who came to remove the leaders of the hussein dictatorship , who are all in jail now , but are replaced with other dictators -- whether he wanted to stay or go , he would say go . '' hussein said he alone gave the orders to fire scud missiles at israel during the first gulf war , adding , `` everything that happened to us was because of israel . '' he said he figured that the united states would stop the war if israel was `` hurt , '' and he wanted to punish the country he viewed as the source of all his problems . hussein recalled a meeting in switzerland between his foreign minister tariq aziz and then-u.s. secretary of state james baker in january of 1991 shortly before operation desert storm . according to hussein , baker offered no solutions to resolve the kuwait situation and gave specific steps to aziz that the united states wanted iraq to do first , and baker added `` otherwise , we 'll take you back to the pre-industrial age . '' he also told piro he wanted to have a relationship with the united states but was not given the opportunity because in his view the united states was not listening to anything iraq had to say . hussein also revealed details about his security measures and movements before and after the second u.s. invasion of iraq in march of 2003 . he says he had only used a telephone on two occasions since march of 1990 . he denied ever using body doubles , claiming , `` this is movie magic , not reality . '' he also said he never saw his sons use body doubles . `` do not think i am getting upset when you mention my sons . i still think about them and the fact that they were martyred . they will be examples to everyone throughout the world , '' he said . hussein also states he was not in the dora neighborhood of baghdad on march 19 , 2003 , when it was bombed by coalition forces in an unsuccessful attempt to kill him . he says he remained in baghdad until april 10 or 11 of 2003 , when it appeared the city was about to fall to coalition forces . before leaving the city , he said he held one final meeting with the senior iraqi leadership and told them , `` we will struggle in secret . '' shortly after his departure from the capital , hussein began to gradually disperse his bodyguards , telling them they had completed their duty , so as not to draw attention . hussein also admitted that after participating in the failed assassination attempt against then-iraqi president gen. abdul karim qasim in 1959 , he had stayed at the same farm where he was captured by u.s. forces in december of 2003 . cnn 's carol cratty contributed to this report .

<t> cbs : hussein claimed he did n't think the u.s. would invade iraq over wmd . </t> <t> fbi agent says hussein lied about having wmd to intimidate iran . </t> <t> but the iraqi dictator said he wanted to start the wmd program again , agent said . </t> <t> hussein was captured in 2003 and hanged in 2006 . </t>

agent : hussein was surprised u.s. invaded<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- hispanics are described as the largest minority group in the united states , as a burgeoning force in the electorate and as an untapped frontier of the business market . yet these descriptions belie the complexity of the 44 million people to whom they refer . susana clar , with daughters vanessa -lrb- left -rrb- and virna -lrb- center -rrb- , says the labels `` hispanic '' and `` latino '' are limiting . even the terms used to name them -- hispanics , hispanic-americans , latinos , latino-americans , the spanish-surnamed -- too tightly package the people categorized by those definitions , some observers say . `` we are mixed and we are many things , '' said phillip rodriguez , a documentary filmmaker . many of his films , such as `` los angeles now '' and `` brown is the new green : george lopez and the american dream , '' explore the experience and identity of latinos in the united states . latinos `` very often do n't share language , do n't share class circumstances , do n't share education ; it 's very difficult to speak about them as one thing , '' he said . from a census standpoint , being of hispanic or latino origin means a person identifies himself in one of four listed categories : mexican , puerto rican , cuban or `` other spanish , hispanic or latino '' origin . in the latter more open-ended category , respondents can write in specific origins , such as salvadoran , argentinean or dominican . according to a pew hispanic center/kaiser family foundation survey in 2002 , that is how most latinos choose to identify themselves . when asked which terms they would use first to describe themselves , 54 percent said they primarily identify themselves in terms of their or their parents ' country of origin . about one quarter choose `` latino '' or `` hispanic , '' and 21 percent chose `` american . '' but the broader terms -- latino , hispanic -- are the ones tossed about when the media want to discuss a `` trend among latinos , '' or when a politician appeals to the `` hispanic vote . '' the u.s. government came up with the term `` hispanic '' in the 1970s to generally refer to people who could trace their origin to spanish-speaking countries . the term `` latino '' refers to origins from latin america , which includes non-spanish speaking countries like brazil . the terms are often used interchangeably , which is a point of some contention in the wider community . but do the terms carry meaning among the people to whom they refer , or are they merely governmental designations ?<doc-sep>`` that 's the way you call our people , '' susana clar , 52 , said of the terms . she and her family emigrated from uruguay nearly two decades ago , and she works as a vice president in her daughter , vanessa di palma 's , salt lake city , utah-based communications firm . `` either you are latino -lsb- or -rsb- hispanic . i 'm fine with that , but i think that we are so much more than that , '' clar said . manuel baez , 49 , a native of the dominican republic who owns an insurance agency in tampa , florida , laughingly answered the question of how he identifies himself . `` manuel or manny , '' he said , adding , `` we 're being put together in this package and that 's too hard , '' he said , stressing that he did n't like labels . he continued , `` dominican-american really represents who i am , instead of dominican or latino . '' he never uses hispanic to identify himself because `` i am mixed , '' baez said . `` hispanic does n't go with me because i do n't believe that spain was the best thing for latin america . '' `` for me ... there is no such thing as a latino identity , '' said suzanne oboler , professor of puerto rican and latino studies at john jay college at the city university of new york . `` there 's certainly a cultural understanding ... -lsb- and -rsb- a political identity , '' she said , noting that the many different groups will join on particular issues such as immigration and wages . but she stressed that it was not a homogenous group . `` not all latinos speak spanish , for example . not all latinos are going to vote democratic ... all latinos are not immigrants . '' others , such as carl j. kravetz , a longtime veteran of hispanic marketing , said similarities among the different subsets of latinos do show a latino identity , one partly fused through the group 's experience in the united states . kravetz heads a los angeles-based hispanic advertising agency called cruz/kravetz : ideas .<doc-sep>the association of hispanic advertising agencies embarked on a latino cultural identity project last year -- when kravetz was the organization 's chairman -- to better understand a group of consumers they felt could not be adequately reached through the traditional spanish-language market . there is `` very definitely a latino identity , '' kravetz said . it is drawn along parallels in values and ways of thinking and regardless of country of origin , the group tends to `` cluster '' in a few areas , he said . those areas include interpersonal relationships -lrb- latinos tend to emphasize family ; individuality is not as important -rrb- , perceptions of time and space -lrb- they have longer time horizons and have a relaxed sense of privacy -rrb- , and spirituality -lrb- religion and spirituality have a strong influence on latino life and perception of the world -rrb- . david chitel , the founder of new generation latino consortium , a group of advertising and media companies , also said there are definite cultural ties among latinos , particularly between those born in the united states . so much so , he said , that he and others coined the term `` new generation latinos '' to refer to them . `` we 're talking about people that have grown up here in the u.s. in latino households , most likely with their parents speaking spanish at home , eating certain foods at home , certain values and traditions that are instilled in them , from music to religious beliefs to the importance of family , these sorts of things , '' chitel said . `` and it creates very much an identity that is latino . '' chitel said this group of u.s.-born latinos should be reached with culturally nuanced media , in the same way the african-american market functions . still , some chafe at the labels . `` every time it comes up it just kind of annoys me and makes me mad , '' anna rivas , of boulder , colorado , said of her background . her parents emigrated from mexico before she was born , but she said she 's never identified with the mexican culture . `` on a regular basis i get asked where i 'm from , '' she said . `` and i 'll usually reply , ` my parents are from mexico . ' and i do n't say , ` i 'm hispanic or latino , or i 'm from mexico , ' because i 'm not . '' e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>i 'm not about to question how zimmerman identifies himself . if the experience of having a president with a multiracial background who is nonetheless often referred to as simply black or african-american has taught us anything , it 's that people can identify themselves any way they like but that they are often too complicated to be summed up with a label . even so , that zimmerman 's father opted to play the `` hispanic card '' to protect his son 's reputation is unfortunate . i do n't know if he ever described his son as hispanic or half-hispanic before the shooting . but it is awfully convenient that he would be so quick to describe him that way now . it is also absurd . being hispanic does n't mean you ca n't also be racist . and the same goes for being white , black or any other color . human nature dictates that we 're all a little bigoted and narrow-minded , even if it is against members of our own group . it 's easy to believe some stereotypes , or to think of some people as inferior to others . and being the member of a minority group does n't make you immune to those impulses . you should hear how some mexican-americans talk about mexican immigrants . it 's not pretty , and it 's not helpful . and this is from people who are close enough to the subject matter that they should know better . but what 's even more troubling than what zimmerman 's father said is that some in the media seem to be bending over backward to get a particular message across . rather than just refer to zimmerman as hispanic and be done with it , they created the hybrid term white hispanic .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn student news -rrb- -- students will investigate the contributions of hispanic americans to u.s. culture , and what it means to be an hispanic in america today . procedure . point out to students that hispanic heritage month -lrb- september 15 - october 15 -rrb- celebrates the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to spain , mexico and the spanish-speaking nations of central america , south america and the caribbean . according to the u.s. census bureau , `` september 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five latin american countries : costa rica , el salvador , guatemala , honduras and nicaragua . in addition , mexico and chile celebrate their independence days on september 16 and september 18 , respectively . '' in observance of hispanic heritage month , send student groups on a multimedia scavenger hunt to investigate how hispanic americans have contributed to u.s. culture , and the opportunities and challenges that exist for hispanics in america today . pose the following questions to guide students ' research : . 1 . according to the u.s. census bureau , what is the estimated hispanic population of the united states ? what percent of the total u.s. population does this number represent ? 2 . what aspects of hispanic culture can be found in the u.s ? 3 . who are some hispanic americans who have had an impact in u.s. politics and government ?<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn student news -rrb- -- students will investigate the contributions of hispanic americans to u.s. culture , and what it means to be an hispanic in america today . procedure . point out to students that hispanic heritage month -lrb- september 15 - october 15 -rrb- celebrates the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to spain , mexico and the spanish-speaking nations of central america , south america and the caribbean . according to the u.s. census bureau , `` september 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five latin american countries : costa rica , el salvador , guatemala , honduras and nicaragua . in addition , mexico and chile celebrate their independence days on september 16 and september 18 , respectively . '' in observance of hispanic heritage month , send student groups on a multimedia scavenger hunt to investigate how hispanic americans have contributed to u.s. culture , and the opportunities and challenges that exist for hispanics in america today . pose the following questions to guide students ' research : . 1 . according to the u.s. census bureau , what is the estimated hispanic population of the united states ? what percent of the total u.s. population does this number represent ? 2 . what aspects of hispanic culture can be found in the u.s ? 3 . who are some hispanic americans who have had an impact in u.s. politics and government ?<doc-sep>a strong majority -- 77 % -- of latino respondents who were aware of the increased deportations under obama disapproved of his administration 's policy , while just over half of those unaware of the increase also expressed disapproval . hispanics accounted for 97 % of deportees in 2010 , according to the u.s. department of homeland security . more than 90 % of latino respondents in the survey support the dream act , a democratic measure pushed by obama that provides a pathway to legal residency for children of illegal immigrants who attend college or serve in the military . republicans have blocked passage of the measure in congress . in the interview with cnn , the pew hispanic center 's lopez said that the most important issues for hispanic registered voters were jobs , education and health care -- the same as in past years . cnn 's catherine shoichet contributed to this report .

<t> there are more than 44 million people of hispanic origin in the u.s. </t> <t> the community includes diverse national origins , generations , languages . </t> <t> some observers say enough similarities exist to project a communal identity . </t>

the complicated measure of being hispanic in america<T>

• the twins get a check-up -lrb- 2/26/08 -rrb- • video : nancy grace introduces on set 2-14-08 • the twins go out for a stroll -lrb- 2/11/08 -rrb- • the twins at 3 months -lrb- 2/4/08 -rrb- • the twins in january -lrb- 1/21/08 -rrb- • video : first video of nancy grace 's twins e-mail to a friend .<doc-sep>a man who was quickly branded a ` selfie stalker ' after his picture turned up on a crime victim 's cellphone is suing television commentator nancy grace for defamation , saying she refused to stop airing his photo even after authorities had cleared him of any wrongdoing . the lawsuit filed monday in denver says grace , who hosts a show on turner broadcasting 's hln network , incorrectly told millions of viewers that ben seibert invaded a woman 's home and snapped a photo of himself on her phone , which she described as a ` textbook serial killer 's calling card . ' seibert said grace humiliated him with her commentary , which prompted people across the country to label him a weirdo , sicko , rapist and pervert on various social network sites . the lawsuit grace incorrectly told millions of viewers that ben seibert -lrb- inset -rrb- invaded a woman 's home and snapped a photo of himself on her phone , which she described as a ` textbook serial killer 's calling card ' seibert said grace humiliated him with her commentary , which prompted people across the country to label him a weirdo , sicko , rapist and pervert on various social network sites . the suit says grace did n't check the facts and did n't care . ` it has n't been easy for him as a result of this , ' seibert 's attorney , john pineau said .<doc-sep>` it was interesting to see him work on his studio album , grace because i had never heard him perform prior to his photo shoots . i wanted to watch him play as well as taking photographs around the studio . ` he was quite hands on and knew what he wanted from the sounds . you can definitely see his passion and he wrote all his music in a very pacific way . ` music was everything to jeff -- every aspect of creating music or supporting music -- he was a perfectionist . ' buckley on the couch listening to a mix of his song eternal life on december 3 , 1994 at a recording studio in miami . one of the most memorable pictures ms cyr took is the photograph of jeff eating the banana , because it reminded her a lot of leonard cohen 's ` i 'm your man ' single cover . ` he was just hungry and started eating a banana when we were in the middle of shooting his cover album grace . ' i think in a weird way , the photo visually reminded me of leonard cohen 's single cover where he is also seen eating a banana . i do n't think jeff did it intentionally but that 's just what i think . ` he was very excited by the photographs i took of him and we subsequently scheduled to shoot more often after that . it was very collaborative -- an equal participant and something we did something together . buckley was photographed under a chandelier in the bathroom during the grace album cover shoot , williamsburg , brooklyn at arcadia studios in 1993 . 20 years of grace : a special jeff buckley exhibition by merri cyr is currently on at the blender gallery in sydney until september 20 . the gallery will feature 25 of cyr 's images of buckley with some of the photographs never before printed or exhibited . a blender gallery spokeswoman told daily mail australia that the ` jeff buckley with the banana ' photograph is among one of the ` never before seen shots ' . ` i 'm really excited to share my experiences and photographs at the exhibition for the 20th anniversary for my friend , jeff , ' she said . buckley lying on a portable white bed doing interviews in a hotel conference room in orlanda florida on december 5 , 1995 .<doc-sep>by . chris spargo for mailonline . authorities have released an age progression photo of a young boy on the anniversary of his disappearance , eight years ago . trenton duckett was just two-years-old when he mysteriously vanished from his home in leesburg , florida . his mother , melinda duckett , reported on august 27 , 2006 , that intruders had broken into the family 's home by cutting through a screen window while her husband was away , and she never saw her son again . an age progression photo of trenton duckett , who disappeared eight years ago from his florida home when he was just two-years-old . just two weeks after her son 's disappearance , tragedy struck the family again . melinda agreed to a televised interview with nancy grace and , after coming under scrutiny and being slammed by the former prosecutor for her lack of information and specifics about her son 's disappearance , she killed herself the next day . in her suicide note , the 21-year-old mother wrote , ' i love -lsb- trenton -rsb- and only wanted him safe in my arms . you created rumors and twisted words . usually i am strong and what others say does not affect me . however i am young . ' ` nancy grace and the others , they just bashed her to the end , ' melinda 's grandfather bill eubanks said at the time .<doc-sep>`` when i looked at that photo , i said , ` by darn , that certainly does look like a skeleton , ' '' john muldowney told hln 's `` nancy grace '' last week . the main suspect in the case , joran van der sloot , remains free . van der sloot has made alleged confession-like statements in tv interviews , one of which involves dumping holloway 's body in the ocean after she suffered a seizure on the beach . aruban judges have ruled there is n't enough evidence to arrest him . holloway 's mother , beth twitty , has declined to comment on the photo . the couple , who took the photo to police and the fbi , said it was taken near an old shipwreck . the fbi said it is investigating . whether the object in the photo is human remains is still up for debate .

<t> pictures of nancy grace 's twins . </t> <t> john david and lucy elizabeth were born november 4 , 2007 . </t> <t> come back to this site for regularly updated pictures ! </t>

nancy grace photo album<T>

london , england -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- more than 150 people have abandoned a sinking cruise liner that collided with an iceberg in antarctic waters , a chilean navy captain told cnn . the ship sent out a distress call at around 10 p.m. et thursday . passenger ship explorer reported problems near the south shetland islands , south of argentina . the area is in a sector of antarctica claimed by the united kingdom . capt. carlos munita of the chilean navy said they received a distress call from the explorer , saying the vessel had hit an iceberg around 10 p.m. et thursday . he added a norwegian rescue ship had arrived at the scene . tour companies describe the explorer as a passenger ship which runs tours between south america and antarctica . some 154 people are reported to be on board ship , which carries a liberian flag , including 100 passengers . however the nationalities of those on board is not yet known . passengers and crew have been evacuated onto lifeboats , but the captain and the first officer are reported to have stayed on board . `` the great majority of people , including all the passengers , have been safely taken off the explorer and are now being recovered by the first of the vessels to arrive on scene in response to the distress call , '' dave jardine-smith , head of the maritime and coastguard agency 's -lrb- mca -rrb- search and rescue team in england said .<doc-sep>`` the passengers and crew from the explorer have not been in lifeboats very long , '' jardine-smith said . `` they should be , hopefully , in good condition . we are told that there are no injuries . '' earlier , mark clark , a spokesman for the mca told the press association five ships were on their way to help the sinking vessel . `` she hit something and is taking on a serious amount of water , that is all we know . '' the temperature in the area is said to be at around minus 5c , with a sea temperature at around minus 1c , forecasters told the press association . stephen davenport , senior forecaster with meteogroup , said : `` it would n't take long for hypothermia to set in at that kind of temperature in the sea . `` they do get very bad storms down that way , and gale force winds especially , because there is no land in the way , '' he told pa. . lt. matt alex from the us coast guard atlantic area command center said the boat is owned by gap adventures , based in toronto , canada . e-mail to a friend . copyright 2007 cnn . all rights reserved.this material may not be published , broadcast , rewritten , or redistributed . associated press contributed to this report .<doc-sep>buenos aires , argentina -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- a cruise ship carrying 122 people was stranded thursday on the coast of antarctica after striking ice , officials said . mariano memolli of the argentina antarctic directorate told argentina 's todonoticias -lrb- tn -rrb- television a naval boat and plane were dispatched to evacuate the passengers of the ushuaia as a precaution . the ship , carrying 89 passengers and 33 crew members , was losing fuel and taking on water but was not in danger of sinking , television c5n reported . adm. daniel martin , head of the naval base in ushuaia , argentina , where a call for help was received from the ship , said the passengers were `` in a perfect state of health , '' and were awaiting the arrival of the atlantic dream , a nearby cruise ship , c5n said . `` the weather conditions are not the best '' where the ship is , he said . `` there are regular winds in the zone with violent gusts . '' but he said the ship is protected because it is in a strait , and the weather would not affect the arrival of the rescue plane . the panamanian-flagged ushuaia was located about 186 miles -lrb- 300 kilometers -rrb- southwest of argentina 's marambio naval base in antarctica . cnn 's javier doberti contributed to this story from buenos aires .<doc-sep>canada 's transport authority has said the abandoned ship is no longer its concern as the vessel has left the country 's waters , with officials insisting the owner of the orlova is responsible for its movements . a document from the national . geospatial-intelligence agency states that the lyubov orlova was spotted . at the co-ordinates 49-22 .70 n and 044-51 .34 w , or roughly 1,300 miles . from the irish coast . the agency analyses satellite imagery and uses the results to create detailed maps for the u.s. government . the empty liner is understood to be slowly drifting towards the european coastline . now home only to rats , the 1976-built ship once carried passengers on antarctic cruises . the . ship was seized by authorities in newfoundland in 2010 amid spiralling . debts owed to charter firm cruise north expeditions after faults on . board meant a scheduled cruise had to be cancelled . she is understood to have been sold to neptune international shipping in february last year to be broken up . destination : the cruise ship disappeared as it was being towed to the dominican republic to be scrapped . off-course : the mysterious ship has been sighted 1,300 nautical miles from ireland 's west coast .<doc-sep>country 's waters , with officials insisting the owner of the orlova is . responsible for its movements . court records obtained by the globe and mail newspaper show the vessel is owned by hussein humayuni , the owner of neptune international shipping inc. . now home only to rats , the 1976-built ship once carried passengers on antarctic cruises . the . ship was seized by authorities in newfoundland in 2010 amid spiraling . debts owed to charter firm cruise north expeditions after faults on . board meant a scheduled cruise had to be cancelled . she is understood to have been sold to neptune international shipping in february last year to be broken up . a supply vessel called the atlantic hawk was able to reconnect to the orlova a short time later , only to have the cable fail again . the ghostly liner was not seen again until about a month later , when a was spotted 1,300 nautical miles from ireland 's west coast .<doc-sep>destination : the cruise ship disappeared as it was being towed to the dominican republic to be scrapped . the luxury liner , however , is likely to stay at sea for the foreseeable future , as no one seems willing to claim the 37-year-old boat . canada 's transport authority has said . the abandoned ship is no longer its concern as the vessel has left the . country 's waters , with officials insisting the owner of the orlova is . responsible for its movements . court records obtained by the globe and mail newspaper show that the vessel is owned by hussein humayuni , the owner of neptune international shipping inc. . he has not returned messages by the newspaper for comment . off-course : the mysterious ship has been sighted 1,300 nautical miles from ireland 's west coast . a document from the national . geospatial-intelligence agency analyzes satellite imagery and uses the results to create detailed maps for the u.s. government . the empty liner is understood to be slowly drifting towards the european coastline , but its has no warning lights and a . broken global positioning system . now home only to rats , the 1976-built ship once carried passengers on antarctic cruises . the . ship was seized by authorities in newfoundland in 2010 amid spiralling . debts owed to charter firm cruise north expeditions after faults on . board meant a scheduled cruise had to be cancelled . she is understood to have been sold to neptune international shipping in february last year to be broken up .

<t> 150 passengers evacuated from a ship after it struck object in antarctic waters . </t> <t> ship , named explorer , was expected to sink , british coastguards said . </t> <t> passengers in lifeboats , captain and first officer remain on board . </t>

cruise ship sinking in antarctic waters<T>

myrtle beach , south carolina -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- the top three democratic presidential candidates face off in a monday night debate in south carolina , with the hearts and minds of african-american voters on the line . sen. barack obama addresses ebenezer baptist church , where the rev. martin luther king jr. once preached . sens. hillary clinton of new york and barack obama of illinois and former sen. john edwards of north carolina share the stage at myrtle beach 's palace theatre as the nation honors the rev. martin luther king jr. with a federal holiday . the debate , put together by cnn and the congressional black caucus institute , comes five days before the democratic primary in south carolina , where almost half of the democratic primary voters are african-americans . these voters will be crucial to the outcome of saturday 's primary in south carolina . they now appear to be leaning heavily toward obama , who if elected , would become the country 's first black president . having a debate on martin luther king jr. . day in south carolina `` is very fitting , '' said david bohrman , cnn senior vice president and washington bureau chief , who is executive producer of the debate . `` perhaps a debate on martin luther king day in south carolina should be made a must-stop on the road to the white house every four years . '' a cnn/opinion research corp. poll released friday suggested that nearly 60 percent of black registered democrats were backing obama as the presidential nominee , with 31 percent supporting clinton . that 's a major shift from october , when african-americans backed clinton over obama , 57 percent to 33 percent .<doc-sep>what appears to have changed is obama 's electability . `` there 's been a huge shift among african-american democrats from clinton to obama . african-american democrats used to be reluctant to support obama because they did n't think a black man could be elected . then obama won iowa and nearly won new hampshire . now they believe , '' bill schneider , cnn 's senior political analyst , said . `` obama 's lead over clinton among black men is more than 50 points , and among black women , once a clinton stronghold , obama has an 11-point advantage , '' said keating holland , cnn 's polling director . entrance polls from saturday 's nevada democratic caucuses match what appears in the cnn poll . eighty-three percent of black voters questioned before they entered the caucuses said they were backing obama , with 14 percent supporting clinton , who if elected , would become the country 's first woman to win the presidency . these kinds of numbers could spell trouble in south carolina for clinton , who 's coming off victories in the new hampshire primary and the nevada caucuses . but clinton holds a special relationship with many in the black community , thanks to her efforts in support of civil rights and to the popularity of former president clinton with african-americans . both democratic front-runners were reaching out to african-american voters sunday . obama , who often refers to king in his speeches , spoke at atlanta , georgia 's ebenezer baptist church , where the late civil rights leader once preached . watch clinton , obama reach out to black voters '' obama recalled the legacy of discrimination against african-americans but challenged the audience at the historic black church to take a look at a few lingering prejudices among some within the community .<doc-sep>`` and yet , if we are honest with ourselves , we must admit that none of our hands are entirely clean . if we 're honest with ourselves , we 'll acknowledge that our own community has not always been true to king 's vision of a beloved community , '' obama said , citing homophobia , anti-semitism and anti-immigrant sentiment . obama told the congregation sunday morning that if king could forgive his jailers , `` surely we can look past what divides us in our time . '' obama 's visit to the city coincided with his endorsement sunday by the atlanta journal-constitution , which cited his `` appeal across many of the lines that have divided america , '' adding that `` both clinton and obama would make very good presidents , -lsb- but -rsb- obama is the person ; this is his time . '' georgia voters head to the polls february 5 . in new york , hillary clinton spent sunday morning at another historic black church , harlem 's abyssinian baptist church , where she picked up the endorsement of its pastor , the rev. calvin butts . butts said outside the church : `` a vote for hillary clinton is a vote to elect someone who has proven through time to me and to this community and this country that she has the experience to make things happen , and the vision to return us to a place of prosperity . '' clinton also sounded a conciliatory note sunday . `` i have the highest regard and admiration for my friend and colleague sen. barack obama . i am honored to be running with him , '' she said . `` i hope that this election remains focused on the big challenges that confront us . ''<doc-sep>after a distant third-place finish in the nevada caucuses , edwards on sunday made light of his performance . on cnn 's `` late edition with wolf blitzer , '' edwards said he hopes `` what happens in vegas stays in vegas , '' admitting , `` i got my butt kicked . '' edwards would like to rebound in south carolina , his native state . he won the primary there in 2004 when he was making his first bid for the white house . but he 's running a distant third in most recent surveys in south carolina , behind obama and clinton . on sunday , edwards sounded a cautious note , saying south carolina was important but just one `` part of the long process . ... we will see how it goes . '' also on `` late edition , '' the house majority whip , rep. james clyburn , d-south carolina , cited the timing of the debate to help put the spotlight on issues important to blacks . clyburn , the highest ranking african-american in congress , was instrumental in having monday 's debate held in south carolina . `` when we were dealing with the dates of the primary , we tried to work in the symbolism that it would have to all of the world , for that matter , to have this debate on martin luther king jr. 's birthday celebration , '' clyburn told blitzer , who is the moderator of the event . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's paul steinhauser , rebecca sinderbrand , chris welch and josh levs contributed to this report .<doc-sep>the house passed a bill last week designed to stop the president 's executive order , but that measure was seen as largely symbolic -- even from its supporters -- because the democratic-led senate refused to hold a vote on it and the obama administration threatened to veto it . while gop leaders argue it 's better to wait until next year when they have control of both chambers of congress , there is no plan in place for what republicans will actually do in 2015 . flores said he was still waiting to read the spending bill , but he agreed with the concept of separating the immigration fight from the spending bill . he said for now , the democratic-led senate limits the options in the face of a shutdown and `` hopefully in january we 're going to have a bigger tool box '' to force the administration to revise its policies on immigration . last minute discussions about unrelated legislation held up the funding bill 's introduction , including whether to add an unrelated terrorism risk insurance measure to the measure . discussions over that issue led to a fight over financial regulations -- a sign the debate over the spending bill had drifted off its initial course . house democratic leaders wo n't say how they will vote on the measure , but the number two democratic leader told reporters on tuesday that republicans will find it easier to attract support if they leave out controversial policy provisions . `` the cleaner this bill is the more likely it is of its passage , '' said rep. steny hoyer of maryland . this story has been updated to include new information .<doc-sep>the first time she ran for congress , she lost . yet through it all , she persevered . perhaps when sen. rand paul said the gop had a shot to attract a third of the black vote in 2016 , he had love in mind . folks can identify with the pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps narrative that is often embraced by gop minority candidates in one way or another . for more than 40 years , democratic presidential candidates have enjoyed the support of more than 80 % of black voters , and yet the community 's unemployment rate remains twice that of its white counterpart . the wealth gap between blacks and whites has grown . the criminal justice system is riddled with discrepancies along racial lines . paul has spoken about these concerns with compassion , albeit clumsily at times . newly elected illinois gov. bruce rauner , a republican , aggressively went after the black vote in chicago â $ '' despite it being president obama 's backyard â $ '' with a message that he could turn around the economic woes that have hampered the community . and in turn he did manage to receive endorsements from numerous pastors and high-profile blacks . of course it did n't hurt that the wealthy republican invested $ 1 million of his own money in the south side community federal credit union , which is in a predominantly black neighborhood . '' -lrb- he 's -rrb- taking the black vote for granted , '' rauner said in a debate with quinn that was sponsored by the urban league . while he ended up with only 6 % of the black vote , the fact that he would be so bold with his intentions shows the days of republicans ignoring the black vote may in fact be gone . just south of rauner , ohio incumbent gov. john kasich received 26 % of the black vote . if blacks are willing to buck the trend and vote republican , then it would only make sense that the gop would have black candidates . and black elected officials , like love , an outsider who came out of nowhere to shock the world and claim her own piece of the dream . sort of like another history-making black elected official we know .<doc-sep>over the coming months , members are planning events in their districts to highlight their efforts to push gop leaders for a vote . democratic candidates will point to the discharge petition in washington and accuse house republicans of blocking a vote on a higher minimum wage . one moderate republican , pennsylvania rep . charlie dent , who has been targeted by democrats in the last several election cycles , told cnn he was open to raising the minimum wage . he pointed out that he voted in favor the last time congress upped it in 2007 . but he said if congress acts again , any increase should be paired with other measures that boost job creation . another gop member , illinois rep. adam kinzinger , says he 's willing to debate whether it makes sense to raise the minimum wage . but `` i also really recognize that all the democrats are trying to do is go like look the shiny red ball - look over here while we have a terrible economy , '' he said . kinzinger said he wo n't sign the discharge petition and dismissed it as a political move , telling cnn that `` it 's an attempt to create a pressure point . '' republicans argue the democratic focus on the minimum wage proves their point -- that the president 's domestic program has kept the economy in a stalled state . `` the democrats policies are keeping people in minimum wage jobs , or worse , costing our economy jobs as obamacare is doing , '' house gop campaign chief greg walden said in a written statement to cnn . he said republicans will respond to democratic attacks by talking about their proposals to shift people into better paying jobs that lead to greater opportunities and long term stability . pressed on whether using the discharge petition was simply to make a political point , house democratic caucus chairman xavier becerra told cnn said it comes down to a question a fairness . `` if you work in america you should be paid decently and if you work for the minimum wage you deserve a pay raise . we 're interested in having a jobs agenda it would be great if republicans would join us in that , '' he said .<doc-sep>-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- black voters allowed themselves to be used by sen. thad cochran to win the republican primary runoff for mississippi 's u.s. senate seat . cochran beat state sen. chris mcdaniel by targeting black democrats and getting them to vote for him in a tight race . it was a brilliant political strategy in a state that allows open primaries , where voters can cross party lines to vote . it also showed blacks -- and the republican party that ignores them -- that black voters can wield political influence . cochran won the runoff by a little over 6,000 votes . the runoff was triggered because no candidate garnered 50 % of the vote in the first primary , which cochran lost to mcdaniel by some 1,000 votes . but make no mistake , cochran appealed to black democratic voters out of desperation . when was the last time we heard cochran reaching out to ask for the black vote in the last six terms he 's served as senator ? cochran 's campaign suggested mcdaniel was a tea party radical . the tea party has become code for `` racist '' among many black americans , who overwhelmingly vote democratic . black democratic voters allowed themselves to be exploited by cochran 's boogeyman -- the tea party nonsense -- without looking into the policies and records of each candidate . mcdaniel was a conservative candidate opposed to illegal immigration , which harms black americans . the black unemployment rate has been higher than the national average for the past five years and blacks often compete for the same jobs as undocumented workers . refusing to concede the election , mcdaniel and other conservatives said cochran played dirty politics by reaching out to black democrats to win . it 's true these same voters will likely vote for the democratic nominee in the fall . but i suspect mcdaniel is just angry he did n't think of the idea first .

<t> congressional black caucus institute , cnn host democratic debate tonight . </t> <t> front-runners vying for african-american voters ahead of south carolina primary . </t> <t> sen. barack obama visits former church of the rev. martin luther king , jr. in atlanta . </t> <t> sen. hillary clinton picks up pastor 's endorsement at harlem church . </t>

s.c. debate to highlight democratic fight for black vote<T>

-lrb- cnn -rrb- -- sen. hillary clinton got her campaign back on track with projected wins in the texas , ohio and rhode island primaries . sen. hillary clinton claimed victory in texas , ohio and rhode island . delegate-rich texas and ohio were considered must-wins for her campaign . obama , who claimed victory in vermont , had won 12 straight contests since super tuesday on february 5 . texas also held democratic caucuses tuesday , but it was too close to declare a winner . `` for everyone here in ohio and across america who 's been ever been counted out but refused to be knocked out , for everyone who has stumbled but stood right back up , and for everyone who works hard and never gives up -- this one is for you , '' clinton said before supporters in columbus . `` you know what they say , '' she said . `` as ohio goes , so goes the nation . well , this nation 's coming back and so is this campaign . '' obama congratulated clinton on her victories but downplayed his losses . cnn 's political team weighs in on the results '' `` we know this : no matter what happens tonight , we have nearly the same delegate lead as we had this morning , and we are on our way to winning this nomination , '' obama told supporters in texas . sen. john mccain swept all four republican contests on tuesday to become his party 's presumptive nominee . read about mccain 's victory . mccain won primaries in texas , ohio , vermont and rhode island , giving him more than the 1,191 delegates needed to clinch the gop nomination . `` i am very , very grateful and pleased to note that tonight , my friends , we have won enough delegates to claim with confidence , humility and a great sense of responsibility , that i will be the republican nominee for president of the united states , '' mccain told supporters tuesday night . watch mccain claim victory '' mike huckabee dropped out of the republican race after the results came in . `` it 's now important that we turn our attention not to what could have been or what we wanted to have been , but now what must be -- and that is a united party , '' huckabee told a crowd in dallas . watch huckabee bow out '' mccain is slated to go to the white house on wednesday to receive the endorsement of president bush , according to two republican sources . the arizona senator 's campaign -- his second run for the white house -- was largely written off for dead last summer amid outspoken opposition from the party 's conservative base , a major staff shakeup and disappointing fundraising . but mccain said earlier tuesday that he was confident he would emerge as the presumptive nominee by the end of the night . mccain overwhelmingly won moderates and conservatives in ohio , but he lost the evangelical vote to huckabee , according to exit polls . obama 's campaign pressed to extend voting by one hour in two ohio counties . see county-by-county results in ohio . `` due to reports of ballot shortages in cuyahoga and franklin counties , we requested a voting extension in those counties , '' said obama spokesman bill burton . a judge ruled to keep parts of cuyahoga county open an extra hour . in texas , clinton held a two-to-one advantage over obama with hispanic voters , while obama had the overwhelming advantage with black voters in the state 's democratic primary , according to cnn 's exit poll . see county-by-county results in texas . eighty-three percent of blacks voted for obama , while 16 percent supported clinton , according to the exit poll . meanwhile , 64 percent of hispanics backed clinton , while 32 percent went for obama . early exit polls indicate a distinct `` age gap '' in both states . obama appealed most strongly to younger voters while older voters favored clinton . among ohio democratic primary voters aged 17 to 29 , 65 percent went for obama , and 34 percent went for clinton . among those age 60 and older , clinton led obama 67-31 percent . the same pattern held true in early exit polling from the texas democratic primary . among voters aged 18 to 29 , obama led clinton 61-39 percent , and among voters 60 and older , clinton led obama 63 - 36 percent . poll workers in collin county , near dallas , estimated that nearly three-quarters of the democratic voters would participate in the democratic caucuses to be held after the polls close . in an unusual system , the 193 delegates that texas will send to the democratic national convention will be split between obama and clinton according to the results of both the primary and the caucuses . state party officials say the dual primary/caucus system promotes participation in the party . both clinton and obama have encouraged supporters to do the `` texas two-step '' and vote in both events . obama came into the day with momentum on his side . he had 1,378 pledged delegates and superdelegates to clinton 's 1,269 . neither candidate is close to the 2,025 needed to win the democratic nomination . allocate delegates yourself and see how the numbers add up '' former president bill clinton said in february that if his wife won ohio and texas , she 'd go on to win the nomination . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's paul steinhauser , rachel stratfield , mary snow , mark preston and sasha johnson contributed to this report .<doc-sep>since neither candidate can capture the 2,025 delegates needed to secure the nomination with wins in the remaining contests , the party 's superdelegates probably will decide who gets the democratic nod . superdelegates are party leaders and officials who vote at the august convention for the candidate of their choice . north carolina gov. mike easley , a superdelegate , endorsed clinton on tuesday . recent polling suggests obama holds a double-digit lead over the former first lady in that state , though no surveys have been released since clinton 's win in pennsylvania last week . after attending a rally with easley in raleigh , clinton is scheduled to head to indiana for events in indianapolis , hobart and princeton . obama also is in north carolina , where he has town hall-style meetings scheduled tuesday in winston-salem and hickory . mccain continues his weeklong health care tour , with a speech tuesday in tampa , florida . mccain opposes federally mandated universal coverage . clinton wants mandated health insurance coverage for all americans , while obama backs a plan that would mandate coverage for children but not adults . e-mail to a friend . cnn 's suzanne malveaux and jessica yellin and cnnmoney.com 's steve hargreaves contributed to this report .<doc-sep>washington -lrb- cnn -rrb- -- in what he called a `` defining moment for our nation , '' sen. barack obama on tuesday became the first african-american to head the ticket of a major political party . sen. barack obama on tuesday told supporters he will be the democratic nominee . obama 's steady stream of superdelegate endorsements , combined with the delegates he received from tuesday 's primaries , put him past the 2,118 threshold , cnn projects . `` tonight we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another -- a journey that will bring a new and better day to america , '' he said . `` tonight , i can stand before you and say that i will be the democratic nominee for president of the united states . '' watch obama say he 'll be the nominee '' obama 's rally was at the xcel energy center in st. paul , minnesota -- the same arena which will house the 2008 republican national convention in september . speaking in new york , sen. hillary clinton , congratulated obama for his campaign , but she did not concede the race nor discuss the possibility of running as vice president . `` this has been a long campaign , and i will be making no decisions tonight , '' she said . watch clinton congratulate obama '' there were reports earlier in the day that she would concede , but her campaign said she was `` absolutely not '' prepared to do so . two new york lawmakers also told cnn on tuesday that during a conference call clinton expressed willingness to serve as obama 's running mate in november . watch the latest on a possible joint ticket '' ' one source told cnn that clinton told those on the call that if asked by obama , she would be interested in serving as his running mate . one of the lawmakers said clinton 's husband , former president bill clinton , has been pushing the idea privately for several weeks . the clinton campaign maintains the new york senator merely said she would do whatever is in the party 's best interest , and that her comments tuesday are no different than what she has been saying for weeks . clinton said she would meet with supporters and party leaders in the coming days to determine her next steps . she also asked people to go to her web site to `` share your thoughts with me and help in any way that you can . '' watch what could be in store in clinton 's future '' cnn has projected that clinton will win the primary in south dakota and obama will take montana . those states marked the final contests in the primary season . obama praised clinton 's campaign . he has been speaking favorably of the new york senator as his focus has turned toward the general election and his battle against john mccain , the presumptive gop presidential nominee . `` sen. hillary clinton has made history in this campaign not just because she 's a woman who has done what no woman has done before , but because she 's a leader who inspires millions of americans with her strength , her courage , and her commitment to the causes that brought us here tonight , '' he said . diving into general election mode , obama turned his attacks to mccain , saying it 's `` time to turn the page on the policies of the past . '' `` while john mccain can legitimately tout moments of independence from his party in the past , such independence has not been the hallmark of his presidential campaign , '' he said . `` it 's not change when john mccain decided to stand with george bush 95 percent of the time , as he did in the senate last year . '' earlier tuesday night , mccain portrayed himself as the candidate of `` right change . '' `` no matter who wins this election , the direction of this country is going to change dramatically . but the choice is between the right change and the wrong change , between going forward and going backward , '' he said in kenner , louisiana . cnn 's candy crowley , jim acosta , suzanne malveaux , paul steinhauser and robert yoon contributed to this report .<doc-sep>much of the 90-minute debate featured the two candidates staking out similar positions on issues like iraq , the economy and immigration . watch the candidates weigh in on the economy '' `` it was a very odd debate -- the questioners had to beg them to differ with each other , '' said cnn senior political analyst bill schneider . see what cnn 's political team thought of the showdown '' the debate was the first the two have participated in since they met in los angeles january 31 . five days later , the two effectively split the victories on super tuesday . but since then , obama has rolled to 11 straight wins , a streak that leaves clinton needing wins in delegate-rich texas and ohio on march 4 . vermont and rhode island also hold primaries that day . texas is the biggest prize , with 193 democratic delegates . going into those primaries , obama leads clinton by 140 pledged delegates . responding to a question from the panel , clinton 's sharpest attack on obama came when she went after him for borrowing lines from a speech by massachusetts gov. deval patrick , his campaign co-chairman , in his own campaign speeches . the clinton campaign has called that plagiarism .<doc-sep>sound off : which do you think are the most memorable moments from the 2008 election ? in no particular order , here is a selection of some of the best : . 1 . crying game : back in january 's new hampshire primaries , hillary clinton welled up with emotion , almost crying into her coffee cup during a chat with voters . this unexpected exposure of her human side was credited with winning back some women supporters . read more . 2 . mccain bombs : john mccain displayed rather off-key singing and diplomacy skills when asked if there was a plan to attack iran back in april 2007 . changing the words to the classic beach boys ' song `` barbara ann , '' the arizona senator responded : `` bomb bomb bomb , bomb bomb iran . '' read more .

<t> new : clinton wins in ohio , texas , cnn projects . </t> <t> new : mccain clinches gop nomination ; huckabee drops out . </t> <t> new : clinton wins rhode island ; obama wins vermont . </t>

clinton wins key primaries , cnn projects ⁇ mccain clinches nod<T>