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(CNN) -- An explosion destroyed a home in suburban Pittsburgh on Wednesday, killing an elderly man and severely injuring his grandchild, authorities said. A house exploded Wednesday, killng one person and injuring a second, in the Pennsylvania borough of Plum. The explosion was reported about 1:30 p.m. on Mardi Gras Drive in Plum Borough, about 15 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Several neighboring homes were damaged, fire officials said. Richard Leith, 64, was babysitting his grandchild in the home, according to John J. Smith, an investigator with the Allegheny County medical examiner's office. Both were transported to local hospitals, though Leith died later in the afternoon. The condition of the child, who was treated at Children's Hospital, was unknown, Smith said. Leith's autopsy would be conducted on Thursday, he added. It is unclear what caused the explosion. Dave Heiser, a neighbor, told CNN that he was home when he heard the explosion. "I thought my house blew up. My windows were blown out. I went outside and debris was falling from the sky," he said. Watch the neighbor describe hearing the blast » . He said he ran three houses down and saw a woman running with a little girl and screaming. "The little girl was apparently in the house when the explosion happened and was blown outside," Heiser said. "That house was leveled to the ground. There is nothing left." Several families who were displaced by the explosion were directed to Red Cross officials to make arrangements for shelter Wednesday night, authorities said. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Ninette Sosa contributed to this report.

Officials: 1:30 p.m. explosion kills grandfather, severely injures grandchild . It's unclear what caused the blast, authorities say . Investigator: 64-year-old Richard Leith died at hospital . Neighbor says he saw a woman running down street with a little girl after blast .

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(CNN) -- Five young men died Saturday when the car they were in drove off the end of a private airstrip near Ocala, Florida, became airborne for 200 feet and slammed into an oak tree, authorities said. The 2008 BMW was split in two in the violent wreck. All of the victims died at the scene. "This had to be the worst vehicle crash that I have ever seen during my career," said Randy Robinson, a spokesman for the Emergency Medical Services Alliance with 27 years on the job. The 2008 BMW was split in two in the wreck, which happened at 3:45 a.m., said Lt. Mike Burroughs, a spokesman for the Florida Highway Patrol Troop B. He told CNN the victims -- 18 to 20 years old and all from the area -- were declared dead at the scene. Burroughs said it was not clear how the car got onto the private Greystone community airstrip -- the same one actor John Travolta uses for his aircraft -- but the car was driving north on Runway 36, which is 1.5 miles long. "It is evident that the driver of the vehicle saw he was approaching the end of the runway," Burroughs said. "He attempted a braking maneuver and the vehicle slid sideways off the end of the runway." The car flew through the air for 200 feet, he said, and struck an oak tree 15 feet off the ground, splitting the vehicle in two. Three of the occupants were ejected -- one landing 40 feet away, Burroughs said. The engine block of the BMW was completely dislodged and wreckage from the car was found over a 200-square-foot area, the FHP spokesman said. It was not known if the victims were wearing seat belts and the agency was awaiting the results of toxicology tests from the medical examiner's office to find out if alcohol or drugs played a role, Burroughs said. The airstrip's private taxiways back up to homes in the Jumbolair and Greystone gated communities. E-mail to a friend .

The car was driving on a runway at 3:45 a.m. when the driver hit the brakes . The 2008 BMW flew through the air for 200 feet and struck an oak tree . All of the victims were declared dead at the scene . The car was split in two by the force of the crash .

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(CNN) -- They're big, strong, and fierce -- and they wear little blue booties. The police dogs in Duesseldorf, Germany are now patrolling the pavement in protective shoes that their police-officer handlers strap onto their paws. The reason? Too many glass shards left by beer drinkers in the city center, said Andre Hartwich, a spokesman for police in Duesseldorf. "We wondered how can we protect our dogs' feet against glass," said Hartwich. "We looked on the Internet and found these shoes." Beer drinkers along the Rhine River and in the city's Altstadt, or Old Town, often discard beer bottles on pebbled walkways. Broken glass poses a problem for the police force's 20 German Shepherds and Belgian Shepherds, Hartwich said. In addition, hooligans and vandals leave behind glass shards around New Year's Eve and during the city's famous Carnival celebrations. So what's a dog to do? Their handlers shelled out 60 euros -- $89 -- for shoes that are also worn by dogs who walk on ice in Alaska. Dogs need a month of training to get used to wearing the shoes, Hartwich said. "We have to condition the dogs to the shoes," he said. E-mail to a friend .

Police dogs in Duesseldorf, Germany are now wearing protective shoes . Glass shards left by beer drinkers in the city center are the reason . Duesseldorf police force has 20 German and Belgian Shepherds . Dogs shoes cost €60 ($89) and are also worn by dogs who walk on ice in Alaska .

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BARCELONA, Spain -- Barcelona's Argentina striker Lionel Messi will be out of action for six weeks after tearing a muscle in his left leg during Tuesday night's 1-0 Champions League victory over Celtic. Messi is helped off the pitch after injuring his left thigh during Tuesday's 1-0 victory over Celtic. The Catalan club confirmed on Wednesday that Messi will miss both legs of Barcelona's Champions League quarterfinal encounter. It will also be a race against time for the 2007 World Player of the Year runner-up to be fit for the semifinals if Barcelona get past an opponent who will be named after the draw on March 14. Messi picked up the injury after 34 minutes during Barcelona's victory over the Scottish side, which booked their spot in the last eight by easing through 4-2 on aggregate. It is third time in the last three years that Messi has had the same injury, the last occasion being on December 15 against Valencia, which ruled him out of the 'El Clasico' derby the following week against Real Madrid. In addition to his chronic problems with his left thigh, Messi has had four other significant injuries in the last two years which have caused him to miss a month or more. Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard has been forced to defend the club's medical services in the wake of Messi's latest injury. "To doubt that they are doing their best is an insult. The medical staff and the club in general are working to prevent these sort of problems. They are working hard but there is always a player that can be injured," said Dutchman Rijkaard. Messi's injury reopens the door for Thierry Henry to claim his place in the starting lineup. The Frenchman has rarely impressed since his big-money move from Arsenal to the Spanish giants last summer. Rijkaard also has other options to replace Messi on the right flank in the shape of Portuguese international Deco or teenage Mexican winger Giovanni Dos Santos. E-mail to a friend .

Barcelona striker Lionel Messi is ruled out for six weeks with a thigh injury . The Argentine sustained the injury in Tuesday night's 1-0 victory over Celtic . It is third time in the last three years that Messi has suffered the same injury .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. border officers found a wire between two fences along the U.S.-Mexican border that, when stretched taut, could have seriously harmed or even decapitated Border Patrol agents, Congress was told Wednesday. The wire was about 4 feet high when pulled tight, or about neck level for an agent on an ATV, officials say. "It was configured in a way so that, if it was pulled, it would take off the head of a Border Patrol agent riding in an open car," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said at a House budget hearing. The wire was discovered Saturday when authorities monitoring a surveillance camera saw two people on the north side of the border east of the San Ysidro Port of Entry, in the San Diego sector. Border Patrol agents sent to the area found a thick metal wire tied to a secondary fence. The wire stretched across the border road and led into Mexico through a hole in the primary fence, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. When pulled tight, the wire would be about 4 feet high -- about neck level for an agent riding on an all-terrain vehicle, CBP said. Officials said they suspected that drug or illegal immigrant smugglers were involved. No arrests were made on either side of the border. The wire was removed, and no injuries or damage took place, CBP said. E-mail to a friend .

The thick metal wire stretched across the border road and led into Mexico . Agents discovered it Saturday after a surveillance camera spotted suspicious activity . Officials say they suspect that drug or illegal immigrant smugglers are involved . No arrests have been made on either side of the border .

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(CNN) -- Canada's House of Commons voted Thursday to extend the country's military mission in Afghanistan until 2011, with the stipulation that NATO send reinforcements to the volatile Kandahar province. Canadian soldiers walk along a track at the Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan last month. Most of Canada's 2,500 troops in Afghanistan are in Kandahar as part of the NATO-led mission to stabilize the war-torn country. Their presence has sparked controversy in Canada, with the Bloc Quebecois and the New Democratic Party calling for an immediate troop withdrawal. Supporters of the mission argued that Canadians have made progress in providing schools, health care and clean water for thousands of Afghans. They said the improving conditions would be impossible without troops ensuring a secure environment for aid workers and local residents. "The military needs to be there," said Harold Albrecht, a conservative member of Parliament. "The military provides the civil order we would expect from police here." The Canadian mission in Afghanistan was to end next February. It has claimed the lives of 80 soldiers and a diplomat, according to The Associated Press. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has endorsed a panel's recommendation to keep troops in place only if another NATO nation dispatches additional troops to Kandahar. Canada wants a minimum of 1,000 reinforcements, The Globe and Mail reported. Thursday's motion, passed with a 198-77 vote, brought Harper's Conservative party and the opposition Liberals together on the issue. Other parties, however, noted that the cost of maintaining a troop presence in Afghanistan has not been disclosed to Parliament or the public. "We must provide clarity to the Canadian people," said Nathan Cullen of the New Democratic Party. "We believe it to be wrong for our country." E-mail to a friend .

Troops to stay until 2011, with the stipulation that NATO contribute more forces . Most of Canada's 2,500 troops in Afghanistan are in Kandahar province . The Canadian mission in Afghanistan was to end next February . Critics say the cost has not been disclosed to Parliament or the public .

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(CNN) -- They're big, strong, and fierce -- and they wear little blue booties. The police dogs in Duesseldorf, Germany are now patrolling the pavement in protective shoes that their police-officer handlers strap onto their paws. The reason? Too many glass shards left by beer drinkers in the city center, said Andre Hartwich, a spokesman for police in Duesseldorf. "We wondered how can we protect our dogs' feet against glass," said Hartwich. "We looked on the Internet and found these shoes." Beer drinkers along the Rhine River and in the city's Altstadt, or Old Town, often discard beer bottles on pebbled walkways. Broken glass poses a problem for the police force's 20 German Shepherds and Belgian Shepherds, Hartwich said. In addition, hooligans and vandals leave behind glass shards around New Year's Eve and during the city's famous Carnival celebrations. So what's a dog to do? Their handlers shelled out 60 euros -- $89 -- for shoes that are also worn by dogs who walk on ice in Alaska. Dogs need a month of training to get used to wearing the shoes, Hartwich said. "We have to condition the dogs to the shoes," he said. E-mail to a friend .

Police dogs in Duesseldorf, Germany are now wearing protective shoes . Glass shards left by beer drinkers in the city center are the reason . Duesseldorf police force has 20 German and Belgian Shepherds . Dogs shoes cost €60 ($89) and are also worn by dogs who walk on ice in Alaska .

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(CNN) -- Hazardous materials teams are still cleaning up a toxic chemical spill from a train derailment in Lafayette, Louisiana, on Saturday that forced 3,000 people from their homes. Lafayette Police Sgt. Billy Soileau carries Ke'Iveion Solomon 2, as he helps evacuate children Saturday. "Hazmat says that clean up is moving quickly and on track," Lafayette police said Sunday in a statement. Two train cars leaked highly corrosive hydrochloric acid after the six-car train jumped the tracks Saturday about 2:30 a.m. CT (3:30 a.m. ET), according to police. The chemical spill caused a toxic cloud to form above the site. Lafayette authorities evacuated about 3,500 homes and businesses -- including a nursing home -- within a mile of the derailment location. Watch traffic detoured from cloud » . The Red Cross opened a shelter at Carencro High School for residents to stay Saturday night, while another 40 to 50 families were put up at hotel rooms, police said. Residents will be allowed to return home once the spill is contained and no longer dangerous, said Joe Faust, a spokesman for BNSF Railway, which operates the train cars. Hydrochloric acid is a clear, colorless solution of hydrogen chloride in water often used in metal cleaning and electroplating. Exposure to it can irritate the skin, said Lt. Craig Stansbury of the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office. People exposed to the substance are urged to seek medical attention. Residents outside the evacuation area were advised to close windows and doors and turn off air conditioning to avoid any contamination. Lafayette is about three hours west of New Orleans.

Train cars leaked corrosive hydrochloric acid after a Saturday derailment . Chemical spill caused a toxic cloud to form above Lafayette site . Exposure to the chemical can irritate skin . Lafayette authorities evacuated about 3,500 homes and businesses .

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(CNN) -- South Korea's new president has pledged to donate his salary to the underprivileged. South Korean leader Lee Myung-Bak says he would donate his salary to help the underprivileged. Lee Myung-Bak made the pledge during an unscheduled meeting with reporters Sunday in the press room of his presidential office, the state news agency reported. The president said he would donate his salary during his entire five-year term. Lee is a former CEO of an engineering and construction company with a vast personal fortune. As mayor of Seoul from 2002 to 2004, Lee donated his salary to the children of street cleaners and firefighters. "I promised to spend my whole salary earned as a public official on public welfare," Lee told reporters. "My plan to donate the presidential salary to the underprivileged is an extension of that promise." The news agency did not say how much the president earns in a year. During the election campaign, Lee, 66, vowed to donate his entire personal fortune of more than 30 billion won ($30.2 million) to the poor. He said at the time he would keep only a retirement house in Seoul. E-mail to a friend .

South Korean leader Lee Myung-Bak says he will donate his salary to help the poor . While mayor of Seoul, he donated salary to children of street cleaners and firefighters . Lee is a former CEO of an engineering and construction company .

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(CNN) -- A video showing the last moments of a Polish immigrant, who died after Canadian police shot him with a stun gun at Vancouver International Airport, has been made public. This image from video shows an agitated Robert Dziekanski, left, before police used a stun gun on him. Robert Dziekanski, 40, was traveling to join his mother, who lives in British Columbia, when he ended up spending about 10 hours in the airport's arrivals area, The Canadian Press said. The video shows Dziekanski, who had never flown before, becoming agitated. It then shows Mounties purportedly shocking Robert Dziekanski with a Taser device after confronting him. Dziekanski did not speak English. The recording was captured by bystander Paul Pritchard on October 14 and was in police hands until he threatened legal action and it was returned to him last week, The Canadian Press reported. Watch as police stun man with Taser » . "Probably the most disturbing part is one of the officers uses his leg and his knee to pin his neck and his head to the ground," Pritchard told CBC News. The dead man's mother, Zofia Cisowski, told CBC News that Tasers should not be used by police. "They should do something because that is a killer, a people killer." The incident is being investigated by police, Canada's national police complaints commission and by the coroner, CBC News reported. E-mail to a friend .

Man died after Canadian police shot him at Vancouver Airport on October 14 . Polish immigrant became agitated after being left waiting at airport for 10 hours . Flight was first time he had been on a plane; he spoke no English . Incident, captured on video by a bystander, is being investigated by authorities .

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(CNN) -- Sin Hwa Dee began operations in the 1970s as a cottage industry in the former soya sauce-producing enclave of Kim Chuan Road, in the Paya Lebar area of Singapore. Mr. and Mrs. Chng Kee started out producing soya and oyster sauces, bean paste and plum paste in the 1970s. It was founded by the late Mr. Chng Kee, a former soya salesman, who ran the business with his wife, a soya production operator. Together they sold mainly soya and oyster sauces, bean paste and plum paste in bulk under the Sin Hwa Dee label to the restaurant, hotel and catering industries. In 1990, the company began producing the preserved fruits and vegetables used to make the traditional Lunar New Year dish of Yu Sheng. One of Sin Hwa Dee's factories is dedicated exclusively to the production of Yu Sheng products, while another factory produces noodles for the restaurant and catering industries. Mr. Chng's daughter Jocelyn first decided to introduce the company's products to the foreign market when she attended the SIAL exhibition in Paris in 1992, noting that there was a clear interest in Asian food. Sin Hwa Dee's first premix, the Laksa Paste, was launched into the food services market under the CHNG Kee's label in 1994, followed by the Kung Bo Sauce, the Black Pepper Sauce and their famous chicken rice mix. In 1996, the company invested heavily in equipment and technology to produce sauces and premixes in bottles for the retail market under the CHNG Kee's label. In 2005, Sin Hwa Dee moved into their own building, CHNG Kee's Foodlink, located in Senoko South Road, north of Singapore, with a production team of over 75 employees producing more than 20 tons of sauces per day. Today, their clientele includes Singapore Airlines, Pizza Hut, KFC, Burger King, hotels such as the Ritz Carlton, Conrad International Centenniel, Raffles Hotel, Hilton Hotel, Marriott Hotel, and restaurants such as Lei Garden and Crystal Jade.

Sin Hwa Dee founded by former soya salesman and soya production operator . One of Sin Hwa Dee's factories dedicated exclusively to Yu Sheng products . In 2005, Sin Hwa Dee moved into their own building, CHNG Kee's Foodlink .

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(CNN) -- Canada's House of Commons voted Thursday to extend the country's military mission in Afghanistan until 2011, with the stipulation that NATO send reinforcements to the volatile Kandahar province. Canadian soldiers walk along a track at the Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan last month. Most of Canada's 2,500 troops in Afghanistan are in Kandahar as part of the NATO-led mission to stabilize the war-torn country. Their presence has sparked controversy in Canada, with the Bloc Quebecois and the New Democratic Party calling for an immediate troop withdrawal. Supporters of the mission argued that Canadians have made progress in providing schools, health care and clean water for thousands of Afghans. They said the improving conditions would be impossible without troops ensuring a secure environment for aid workers and local residents. "The military needs to be there," said Harold Albrecht, a conservative member of Parliament. "The military provides the civil order we would expect from police here." The Canadian mission in Afghanistan was to end next February. It has claimed the lives of 80 soldiers and a diplomat, according to The Associated Press. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has endorsed a panel's recommendation to keep troops in place only if another NATO nation dispatches additional troops to Kandahar. Canada wants a minimum of 1,000 reinforcements, The Globe and Mail reported. Thursday's motion, passed with a 198-77 vote, brought Harper's Conservative party and the opposition Liberals together on the issue. Other parties, however, noted that the cost of maintaining a troop presence in Afghanistan has not been disclosed to Parliament or the public. "We must provide clarity to the Canadian people," said Nathan Cullen of the New Democratic Party. "We believe it to be wrong for our country." E-mail to a friend .

Troops to stay until 2011, with the stipulation that NATO contribute more forces . Most of Canada's 2,500 troops in Afghanistan are in Kandahar province . The Canadian mission in Afghanistan was to end next February . Critics say the cost has not been disclosed to Parliament or the public .

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(CNN) -- Panama City Beach, Florida, police are looking for a hotel security guard accused of raping an Alabama student and throwing her off a sixth-floor hotel balcony, a police spokesman told CNN. Police released this photo of Shawn Wuertly, who worked as a hotel security guard in Panama City Beach, Florida. The 18-year-old woman from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, remains hospitalized, but her injuries are not life-threatening, Lt. Dave Humphreys said. The incident happened early Monday at the Sandpiper Beacon Beach Resort in Panama City Beach during spring break. Police have issued an arrest warrant for Shawn Wuertly, 29, who worked as a security guard at the resort, Humphreys said. He is wanted for attempted felony murder, sexual battery and false imprisonment. Wuertly had been questioned by police regarding the attack, but they lacked the evidence to hold him, the spokesman said. The police investigation has found that the suspect had seen the girl "several times" at the hotel and had "taken a liking to her at some point," Humphreys said. Around 1 a.m. on Monday, the suspect grabbed the woman and pulled her into an unoccupied room on the sixth floor, using his key to get in, Humphreys said. She said he sexually assaulted her and, after a brief altercation, threw her over the balcony, the police spokesman said. She hit two smaller roofs on her way down, which likely saved her from more serious injuries, before she came to rest in a second floor stairwell, Humphreys said. After his initial questioning, Wuertly told police he was leaving for Tennessee and would return on Wednesday. Wuertly has an outstanding arrest warrant, something that police did not discover until after he was released. "Obviously no one checked his warrants because he has an outstanding warrant in Indiana," Humphrey said, noting that police are "not happy and will address that." CNN's calls to the hotel's manager regarding Wuertly's outstanding warrant were not returned. E-mail to a friend .

Police in Panama City Beach, Florida, looking for hotel security guard Shawn Wuertly . He's suspected of raping teen staying at hotel, tossing her from 6th-floor balcony . Victim remains hospitalized; injuries not life-threatening, police say . Wuertly was questioned by police earlier, released for lack of evidence .

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MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- Buses that carry women only are experiencing a smooth ride with passengers in Mexico's capital. A woman rides on a bus exclusively for female passengers last month in Mexico City. Fans of the new service call their daily commutes more pleasant now that bus rides steer clear of too-close-for-comfort contact with men. "We're not just talking about sexual harassment, about rapes or about incidents of violence," said Ariadna Montiel, director of the Network of Passengers' Transportation for the Government of the Federal District. "But also about touching, staring, which is what generally occurs on public transport." The single-sex service, which started in January, is available on four major lines in the city, and it's expected to expand to another 15. Other plans include replacing male drivers with women. One woman described the service as "excellent," saying it's "more comfortable too because it doesn't make as many stops." Another passenger said she feels more comfortable and safer. Last year, the government received seven complaints of sexual abuse aboard the city's buses, which provide 200 million rides each year, officials said. Authorities said that a single complaint is enough to justify taking such measures. Juan Flores, who has driven buses in Mexico City for 15 years and now steers one for women only, said he even notices a difference. "I feel more tranquil, I work more peacefully and the interior of the bus is cleaner," he said. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Mario Gonzalez contributed to this report.

Passengers on female-only buses describe their commutes as more pleasant . Seven complaints of sexual abuse aboard Mexico City buses made last year . Single-sex service is available on four major lines in Mexican capital .

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MILAN, Italy -- European Super Cup winners Milan were brought back down to earth at the San Siro on Monday, as Fiorentina held them to a 1-1 draw in Serie A. Kaka (right) wheels away in celebration after scoring his penalty against Fiorentina. Fiorentina striker Adrian Mutu earned the visitors a point with a 56th-minute header after Milan playmaker Kaka had scored from the penalty spot in the 27th minute. Milan, who beat Genoa 3-0 in their opening league game, join Fiorentina as one of seven teams with four points in the league table. Mutu scored against the run of play from Mario Alberto Santana's cross. Earlier, Fiorentina defender Dario Dainelli had conceded a penalty when he tripped Massimo Ambrosini in the area. Filippo Inzaghi wasted a golden chance to win the match in the 71st minute when Kaka slid the ball across the front of Fiorentina's goal. However, the Italy forward somehow managed to miss the ball and an open net. Fiorentina could have won it late on but midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanovic hit the post. "I am always angry when we don't get the maximum points, but in this case we did everything we possibly could," said Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti. "We tried to win and ran quite a few risks, but so soon after our last game it was understandable we had some difficulties." E-mail to a friend .

Super Cup winners AC Milan are held to a 1-1 home draw by Fiorentina . Brazilian Kaka gave Milan the lead with a penalty after a foul on Ambrosini . Adrian Mutu equalised for Fiorentina with a header from Santana's cross .

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MUGELLO, Italy -- Italian Valentino Rossi's resurgence continued on Saturday, as the five-time MotoGP champion took pole position at his home race in Mugello. Rossi gives the thumbs up after taking his first pole position of the season at his home race in Mugello. The 29-year-old has struggled since winning his last title in 2005 but is back at the head of the field this season on his Fiat Yamaha and has won the last two races. A lap of one minute 48.130 seconds was enough to see him take his first pole position of the season ahead of Dani Pedrosa in second and fellow-Italian Loris Capirossi in third -- the 50th pole of his career and 40th in MotoGP. "For sure we will try to keep this winning streak going. I was quite worried after practice because we had some problems but the team modified the bike and it is faster now," said Rossi. "My last pole position was a long, long time ago -- I can't even remember when it was, so I am very happy. Loris is behind me and with two Italians on the front row the crowd will be very special here." Rossi is three points ahead of Repsol Honda rider Pedrosa and his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo going into Sunday's race with reigning champion Casey Stoner a further 28 points back on his Marlboro Ducati. Rossi's time bettered the previous record pole time by Spaniard Sete Gibernau by more than 0.8 seconds, and that marker was posted two years ago on a more powerful bike. In fact, the top seven finishers all beat Gibernau's lap, achieved on a 990cc bike as opposed to the 800cc versions of today.

Valentino Rossi claims pole position for Sunday's Italian MotoGP in Mugello . A lap of one minute 48.130 seconds enough to give Rossi first pole of season . Yamaha rider Rossi three points ahead of Honda's Dani Pedrosa in standings .

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(CNN) -- Actress Sharon Stone said in a statement Saturday that she "could not be more regretful" of her comments this month regarding the earthquake in China, in which she suggested that the quake was an act of "karma." Sharon Stone made the controversial remarks before she hosted a charity auction at the Cannes Film Festival. "Yes, I misspoke," said the statement released by Stone's publicist and entitled "In my own words by Sharon Stone." "I could not be more regretful of that mistake. It was unintentional. I apologize. Those words were never meant to be hurtful to anyone," Stone said. "They were an accident of my distraction and a product of news sensationalism." Stone said Saturday that she was issuing the statement to set the record straight about the comments she made to a reporter at the Cannes Film Festival. The statement drew fire from citizens and government officials. "There have been numerous reports about what I said in Cannes. I would like to set the record straight about what I feel in my heart and end all of the understandings," she said. "They're not being nice to the Dalai Lama, who is a friend of mine," Stone said on camera at the time, discussing the Chinese. "And then all of this earthquake and all this happened and I thought, is that karma? When you're not nice, that bad things happen to you?" Qin Gang, spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry, said Stone "should do more to promote understanding and friendship between nations." French fashion house Christian Dior said it would drop Stone from its advertisements in China after her May 22 remarks. "We absolutely disagree with her hasty comments, and we are also deeply sorry about them," Dior said in a statement from its Shanghai, China, headquarters. But Stone said she was "deeply saddened by the pain that this whole situation has caused the victims of the devastating earthquake in China." As of Friday, the death toll from the May 12 magnitude-7.9 quake stood at 68,858, with another 18,618 missing.

Sharon Stone had suggested that deadly earthquake might be karma . Actress issues statement "to set the record straight" regarding remark . Stone says comments were product of "news sensationalism"

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(CNN) -- Seven players involved in last week's Champions League final have been excused from England's trip to Trinidad and Tobago for their friendly international on Sunday. Only Jermaine Defoe (second right) of the England players congratulating John Terry will travel to Trinidad. Coach Fabio Capello confirmed that of the men involved in Moscow last week, only Manchester United central defender Rio Ferdinand, who has links with the Caribbean, and Chelsea full-back Wayne Bridge, who did not get onto the pitch at the Luzhniki Stadium, will be part of his 22-man squad for the final game of the season. Chelsea's John Terry, who opened the scoring in Wednesday's 2-0 win over the United States at Wembley, is one of those given a holiday along with Wayne Rooney, Wes Brown, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Owen Hargreaves. England squad: . Goalkeepers: David James (Portsmouth), Joe Hart (Manchester City), Joe Lewis (Peterborough). Defenders: Wayne Bridge (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth), Stephen Warnock (Blackburn), David Wheater (Middlesbrough), Jonathan Woodgate (Tottenham). Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), David Beckham (LA Galaxy), David Bentley (Blackburn), Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham). Forwards: Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Ashley Young (Aston Villa), Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa), Dean Ashton (West Ham), Peter Crouch (Liverpool), Jermain Defoe (Portsmouth).

Seven players have been cut from the England squad for friendly in Trinidad . The seven players had all appeared in the Champions League final last week . However, Manchester United central defender Rio Ferdinand will be playing .

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(CNN) -- A federal grand jury indicted a man arrested last week in connection with a mysterious case of exposure to the deadly biological agent ricin, prosecutors said. Authorities found ricin, weapons and an anarchist manual in Roger Von Bergendorff's Nevada hotel room. Roger Von Bergendorff, 57, was indicted on charges of possession of a biological toxin, possession of unregistered firearms and possession of firearms not identified by serial number, said Natalie Collins, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Las Vegas, Nevada. Bergendorff was hospitalized for two months with suspected ricin poisoning, and was discharged before his arrest. His initial court appearance was last week, Collins said, and he did not enter a plea. An arraignment is scheduled for May 2. Bergendorff was hospitalized in February complaining of breathing difficulties. Two weeks later, Thomas Tholen, a cousin who went to Bergendorff's Las Vegas hotel room to recover his belongings, discovered what turned out to be ricin. Authorities also said a search of the room found four guns, the book "Anarchist's Cookbook," a collection of instructions on poisons and other dangerous recipes and castor beans, syringes and beakers. Ricin is extracted from ground-up castor beans. Tholen was charged earlier in April with failing to report the commission of a crime. A federal grand jury indicted him for allegedly concealing the knowledge that production and possession of a biological agent -- a felony -- was being committed. Bergendorff previously lived in Tholen's home in Riverton, Utah, just south of Salt Lake City. After the ricin was discovered, the FBI searched that home as well as storage units Bergendorff used in Utah. Authorities said FBI agents searching the storage units found castor beans, chemicals used in the production of ricin, a respirator, filters, laboratory glassware, syringes and a notebook on ricin production. If convicted as charged, Bergendorff would face a sentence of up to 30 years in prison. E-mail to a friend .

Roger Von Bergendorff indicted on ricin possession charges . Bergendorff had been hospitalized with suspected ricin poisoning . Authorities found ricin, guns in Bergendorff's Nevada hotel room . Thomas Tholen, Bergendorff's cousin, also faces charges .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Negotiations between the United States and Libya that could result in compensation for past acts of state-sponsored terrorism by Libya are under way, a senior State Department official said Friday. The wreckage of Pan Am 103 in Lockerbie, Scotland; the bombing killed 270 people in 1989. U.S. and Libyan officials met Wednesday and Thursday, the official said. The nations hope to hammer out a deal in which Libya would "resolve all outstanding claims in good faith" and offer "fair compensation" to victims and their families, he said. "We are just at the beginning of this process. The goal is to get something that is fair and comprehensive," the official said. The official said that any agreement would cover about eight acts, including the 1989 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 259 passengers and 11 people on the ground; and the 1986 bombing of the La Belle disco in Berlin, Germany, that killed two people and injured at least 120, including 40 Americans. Outstanding terrorism claims have been a problem for Libya in its attempts to normalize relations with the United States and to begin development of its oil resources. Libya has expressed disappointment that it has failed to reap any political and economic benefits promised by the U.S. government and others after Libya renounced terrorism and stopped development of weapons of mass destruction. And some of the largest U.S. oil companies are eager to begin exploration and development of Libya oil fields, among the 10 largest in the world. The new negotiations and development of an agreement would ideally fulfill all outstanding lawsuits against Libya and allow investment to move forward. A joint U.S.-Libyan statement said, "Both parties affirm their desire to work together to resolve all outstanding claims in good faith and expeditiously in the establishment of a fair compensation mechanism."

Nations hoping for deal in which Libya would compensate terrorism victims . Eights acts would be covered in possible agreement . Libya has tried to normalize relations with U.S. by renouncing terrorism . U.S. oil companies want to explore and develop Libya's oil fields .

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(CNN) -- Australia leg-spinner Stuart MacGill has announced he will quit international cricket at the end of the ongoing second Test against West Indies. MacGill will retire after 10 years of Test cricket, in which he has taken 207 wickets. The 37-year-old made his Test debut against South Africa 10 years ago and has since gone on to take 207 wickets at an average of 28.28 over 43 Test matches. "Unfortunately now my time is up," MacGill said. "I am incredibly lucky that as well as providing me with amazing opportunities off the field, my job allows me to test myself in one of Australia's most highly scrutinised sporting environments. "Bowling with some of crickets all time greats such as Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee has made my job a lot easier. I want to be sure that exciting young bowlers like Mitchell Johnson enjoy the same privilege," he added. MacGill took the only wicket to fall on a rain-interrupted third day of the Test in Antigua. He had Ramnaresh Sarwan brilliantly caught at slip by Michael Clarke for a well-constructed 65, but otherwise drew blank on a frustrating day for the tourists. The ever dependable Shivnarine Chanderpaul (55 not out) and Dwayne Bravo (29 not out) took the West Indies to the close on 255 for four wickets. They were replying to Australia's 479 for seven declared and with only two days remaining a draw looks the likely outcome in MacGill's farewell appearance. Australia won the first Test in Jamaica by 95 runs.

Australian leg-spinner Stuart MacGill has announced he will quit Test cricket . The 37-year-old made his Test debut 10 years ago and has taken 207 wickets . MacGill took only wicket to fall in rain-interrupted third day of second Test . Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo compile unbroken stand of 73 .

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JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- An Indonesian businessman known for publicity stunts dropped 100 million rupiah, or about $10,700, from an aircraft Sunday to promote his new book. Bank notes are dropped from a small airplane Sunday to promote Tung Desem Waringin's new book. Tung Desem Waringin circled eight times over a soccer field in the city of Serang, about 40 miles west of Jakarta, emptying bag after black bag of cash. Below, men snatched bills from the hands of young ones. Giddy schoolchildren jumped up and down in excitement, holding up notes they picked up. One man held a blue cap that he had stuffed with money. Another sat in a corner of the field, massaging his feet after a madcap dash for cash. Watch Waringin make it rain » . The stunt was to promote Tung's book "Marketing Revolution," said Fajar Ramdani, the media coordinator for the event. Tung initially wanted to pull the stunt over the capital of Jakarta, but police, fearing large crowds and potential chaos, did not grant him permission, local media reported. Three years ago, the 42-year-old motivational speaker rode a horse along Jakarta's main streets dressed as one of the country's most celebrated war heroes to launch his first book. The book went on to become a best-seller. Millions of people in Indonesia live on fewer than $2 a day. The publicity stunt was expected to generate a tremendous response because the country is grappling with rising food and fuel prices. CNN's Kathy Quiano contributed to this report.

Indonesian businessman circles soccer field eight times, dumping bags of cash . Men snatch bills from youngsters; one man stuffs blue cap with money . Businessman wanted to pull stunt over Jakarta, but police feared chaos . Author once rode on horseback through Jakarta, dressed as war hero .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday that it is investigating an incident in which a panel separated from the wing of a Boeing 757 while it was in flight last week. iReporter and Flight 1250 passenger Paul Shepherd took this photo of the damage through the aircraft's window. The incident occurred Saturday on US Airways Flight 1250 from Orlando, Florida, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the NTSB said in a statement. The separation occurred over Maryland. The aircraft landed in Philadelphia about 30 minutes later, and none of the 174 passengers or six crew members aboard was injured. The panel, on the trailing edge of the upper side of the left wing, broke loose and struck several windows toward the rear of the aircraft, causing the outer pane of one window to crack, the agency said. Pressurization of the cabin was not compromised. The wing panel has not been located. NTSB investigators are using a computer program to pinpoint the area where it might be and will notify local authorities that an aircraft part may be there, the statement said. The plane's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder have arrived at the NTSB laboratory in Washington, the agency said, and are being evaluated. E-mail to a friend .

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating US Airways flight . Plane was en route from Orlando, Florida, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania . Wing panel struck several windows, cracking the outer pane of one . Plane landed in Philadelphia about 30 minutes after the incident with no injuries .

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Workers using blowtorches accidentally started a weekend fire at Universal Studios, Los Angeles County spokeswoman Judy Hammond told CNN Monday. The fire burns buildings and movie sets at Universal Studios on Sunday. The fast-moving, early morning blaze destroyed several movie sets and the King Kong exhibit. It also damaged a video vault but copies of reels and videos are kept at another location, said Ron Meyer, chief operating officer of Universal Studios. "Fortunately, nothing irreplaceable was lost," he said. "The video library was affected and damaged, but our main vault of our motion picture negatives was not." While firefighters were battling the blaze Sunday, a pressurized cylinder exploded at Universal Studios on Sunday, injuring two firefighters, officials said. Eight other firefighters were injured during much of Sunday as they fought back enormous flames. Universal Studios officials resumed normal business hours Monday, including the studio tour. The fire destroyed an area called New York street, which includes movie set-style buildings designed to look like the cityscape of New York City. Hours after the blaze was reported, the roughly two-block area appeared charred and resembled a "disaster movie," said Los Angeles Councilman Tom LaBonge. LaBonge said he could see the smoke from his Silver Lake home Sunday morning. "It looked like a bomb had exploded," he said. The fire began around 4:45 a.m. and was contained initially by 9 a.m. Throughout the morning, large plumes of black smoke rose as the fire burned the vault containing hundreds of videos, said Meyer. The set of "The Changeling," a film recently directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Angelina Jolie, was "completely destroyed," Meyer said. Another area called "Courthouse Square" also was destroyed, he said. Numerous movies have been shot in that area, including several scenes of the 1985 hit "Back to the Future."

Workers using heating tools started Sunday's fire, an official told CNN . The blaze destroyed movie sets and a King Kong exhibit . 10 firefighters were injured .

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SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- Hyundai Chairman Chung Mong-koo escaped a prison sentence for embezzlement after a South Korean court ruled Thursday to instead impose a suspended five year sentence, according to a company spokesman. Hyundai Motor chairman Chung Mong-Koo, center, leaves the High Court after his trial in Seoul in June. In February, the 68-year-old executive was sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted of embezzling money from the South Korean conglomerate. He appealed that verdict and on Thursday the company said Chung will now only be required to undertake community service. Chung was accused of funneling $106 million in company money into a slush fund to seek favors from the government and with breach of trust for incurring more than $300 million in damages to the company. Hyundai is the world's sixth-largest automaker and a pillar of South Korea's economy. Chung spent two months in jail after his arrest last April before being released on $1 million bail. He admitted using affiliated companies to set up slush funds, but said he knew no details of the arrangements. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Eunice Yoon contributed to this report.

Hyundai Chairman Chung Mong-koo has escaped prison for embezzling . South Korean court ruled instead to impose a suspended five year sentence . In February, the 68-year-old executive was sentenced to three years in prison . Chung was accused of placing firm's money in fund to earn government favors .

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MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- Spanish police Tuesday arrested two Moroccan men suspected of having links to Islamic terrorism, Spain's Ministry of Interior said, including one man wanted in connection with attacks in Casablanca in 2003. Mohamed El Bay is thought to have been trying to buy weapons and explosives. The arrests were made in Melilla, a Spanish enclave of about 68,000 people on Morocco's Mediterranean coast, with Spanish Civil Guards acting on international arrests warrants issued by Morocco, the ministry said in a written statement. Moroccan authorities have linked one of the suspects, Ali Aarass, to the Casablanca bombings in May 2003 that killed 33 bystanders and 12 suicide bombers. He is suspected of Islamic extremist activities during the past 16 years, the Spanish statement said. The other man, Mohamed El Bay, is wanted for alleged involvement with a terrorist network that Moroccan police broke up last February, when they arrested 30 people suspected of plotting attacks against Moroccan government targets, it said. Moroccan police seized numerous weapons in the February raids and later contacted European police for help in locating other suspects in the group. Morocco authorities believe El Bay may have been in charge of contacting Central European arms smugglers to get weapons and explosives for the alleged plot in Morocco, the Spanish statement said. Spanish police searched the homes of both suspects in Melilla and seized documentation, it said. Spain has arrested more than 300 suspected Islamic extremists since the Madrid train bombings of 2004 that killed 191 people, although not all of the suspects remain in jail. E-mail to a friend .

Two men arrested in Spanish enclave of Melilla, near Morocco . One accused of involvement in bombing that killed 33 in Casablanca . The other is believed to have been trying to buy arms . Arrest warrants were issued after Morocco broke up terror network last February .

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(CNN) -- Preliminary results of an investigation show that Tuesday's massive power outage in Florida was caused by human error, Florida Power and Light President Armando Olivera said Friday. A field engineer was diagnosing a switch that had malfunctioned at FPL's Flagami substation in west Miami. Without authorization, the engineer disabled two levels of relay protection, Olivera said. "This was done contrary to FPL's standard procedures and established practices," he said. Standard procedures do not allow the simultaneous removal of both levels of protection. "We don't know why the employee took it upon himself to disable both sets of relays," he added. A fault occurred during the diagnostic process, and because both levels of relay protection had been removed, the fault caused an outage ultimately affecting 26 transmission lines and 38 substations, Olivera said. Find out more about power grids and blackouts » . One of the substations affected serves three of the generation units at Turkey Point -- a natural gas unit and both of the plant's nuclear units. Both the nuclear units automatically shut down due to an under-voltage condition, he said. Also affected were two other generation plants in FPL's system. The total impact to the system was a loss of 3,400 megawatts of generating capacity. The error affected 584,000 FPL customers, Olivera said. Another 500,000 non-FPL customers also lost power. That translates to about 3 million people. See photos of the blackout's impact » . The employee has been suspended with pay as the investigation continues, he added. "The employee realized something had gone wrong, but I think it's fair to say the employee didn't recognize the extent or magnitude of the problem," Olivera said. The affected region ranged from Miami to Tampa, through Orlando and east to Brevard County, home to Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center. See a map of the affected areas » E-mail to a friend .

A field engineer disabled two levels of relay protection, Florida Power and Light says . FPL: Actions were contrary to standard procedures and established practices . The employee has been suspended with pay as the investigation continues . About 3 million people lost power Tuesday .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Videos of the chaos and horrified reactions after the July 7, 2005, London transit bombings were shown to jurors Thursday in the trial of three men charged with conspiracy in the case. Smoke and dust fill the platform area at Liverpool Street Station on July 7, 2005, after a bomb exploded. One of the videos shows the explosion of a train seconds after it leaves the Liverpool Street Station heading for Aldgate East. As dust and smoke fill the tunnel, people on the platform rush away, and police head toward the blast. Another shows bystanders running and ducking for cover after one of the bombers detonated his rucksack on the No. 30 bus. Riders on a nearby bus jump from their seats. Four bombs were detonated on underground trains at Liverpool Street, Russell Square and Edgware Road, and on a double-decker bus at Tavistock Square. Fifty-two people and the four bombers were killed, and at least 900 people were injured. Watch commuters flee as the bombs explode » . Links to the edited videos were posted on the Web site of London's Metropolitan Police, and were played in Kingston Crown Court where Mohammed Shakil, 31, Waheed Ali, 24, and Sadeer Saleem, 27, are accused of aiding the bombers . A series of videos show three of the bombers -- Siddique Khan, Shehzad Tanweer and Jermaine Lindsay -- practicing their moves in various locations on June 28, 2005. The fourth bomber was Hasib Hussain. One video shows Tanweer and Khan meeting Lindsay outside Luton Station, where the three linger near the ticket counter and one of them stands in line. Security cameras also captured images of the three men at other blast locations. Two weeks after the July bombings, an attempted second wave of bombings struck other trains and a bus, but the devices failed to explode properly. More than a dozen people were arrested afterward. Metropolitan Police said some clips were not released, to protect the identities of members of the public. E-mail to a friend .

Jurors see video evidence in the trial of three men charged with conspiracy . One video shows explosion seconds after train leaves Liverpool Street Station . Videos also show three of four suspects in London transport bombings .

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CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- Political powerbroker Tony Rezko, whose links to presidential contender Barack Obama dropped him into the national spotlight this year, was convicted of money laundering, fraud and bribery charges by a federal jury Wednesday. Tony Rezko, left, leaves federal court with his family Tuesday during deliberations in his corruption trial. Rezko -- who has contributed thousands to the campaigns of the Illinois senator and other Democrats -- was accused of demanding kickbacks from companies seeking Illinois state business. He was convicted of 16 of 24 charges, including 12 counts of wire and mail fraud, two counts of aiding and abetting bribery and two counts of money laundering. He was acquitted of attempted extortion. Testimony at Rezko's trial in federal court brought up ties between Obama and Rezko, with a witness putting Obama at Rezko's house for a party where the guest of honor was Iraqi-British businessman Nadhmi Auchi. Obama has said he doesn't recall ever meeting Auchi, who was convicted of fraud in France. Amid the controversy, Obama acknowledged he had accepted contributions from Rezko and bought a strip of land from Rezko, a Chicago real-estate developer. Obama, who has not been accused of wrongdoing in the case, has vowed to give up the contributions, and called the purchase a mistake. He has already donated to charity at least $80,000 in campaign contributions linked to Rezko. Obama won enough delegates Tuesday to clinch the Democratic Party's nomination for president.

Illinois political power broker Tony Rezko convicted in corruption case . Rezko was accused of demanding kickbacks for state business contracts . Rezko made contributions to Obama campaign, sold him land .

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BUCHAREST, Romania (CNN) -- France has agreed to send a battalion of troops to eastern Afghanistan, a NATO spokesman has said. Canadian NATO-led soldiers walk patrol near Kandahar, Afghanistan. James Appathurai told reporters at a briefing that the move will help NATO meet Canada's requirement that it send more troops to the volatile southern province of Kandahar, where Canadian troops are based. Canada agreed this month to extend its commitment of about 2,500 troops until 2011 so long as NATO contributes more troops to Kandahar. There is a "clear unity in the alliance" that the mission in Afghanistan must succeed, Appathurai said. Though 25 NATO allies and 13 other countries have contributed forces, the bulk of the recent fighting has been done by U.S., Canadian, British and Dutch troops. Appathurai also said Thursday that he did not expect NATO applicants Georgia and Ukraine to be put on a membership action plan this summit but, he said, the general sense in terms of membership for the two countries is not "whether, but when." Further discussions regarding those two countries is to resume Thursday, he said. U.S. President George W. Bush has pushed for the admission of Ukraine and Georgia to the military alliance. However, Russia -- which is not a NATO member -- has expressed concerns about the former Soviet republics joining NATO, which has already made members of other former Soviet countries Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Appathurai also said a general consensus could not be reached on Macedonia's bid, because of Greece's objections. Greece has threatened to veto Macedonia's bid if its northern neighbor does not agree to change its name. Athens has long argued that the name Macedonia implies territorial claims on its northern province of the same name -- the birthplace, also, of Greece's most revered ancient warrior, Alexander the Great. The name issue must be resolved by the two countries, Appathurai said. E-mail to a friend .

French move will help NATO meet Canada's Kandahar commitment . Canada agreed to extend commitment as long as other NATO members helped . The bulk of recent fighting has been done by U.S., Canadian, UK and Dutch troops .

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(CNN) -- Federal drug investigators have taken over the inquiry into the January 22 death of actor Heath Ledger in a New York apartment, a law enforcement source told CNN Thursday. Actor Heath Ledger, 28, died January 22 at an apartment in Lower Manhattan. Ledger, 28, an Oscar-nominated Australian actor, died of an accidental overdose of six types of medication, according to the New York City medical examiner's office. The medical examiner's office said Ledger "died as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine." Oxycodone and hydrocodone are pain medications; diazepam -- also known as Valium -- is used to treat anxiety; temazepam is a sedative used to induce sleep; alprazolam -- known by the trade name Xanax -- is an anti-anxiety agent. Doxylamine, an antihistamine, can be obtained over the counter as a sleep aid. The law enforcement source said the federal drug investigators are trying to determine if the drugs were prescribed legally, and are looking at two doctors -- one based in California and another in Texas. Ledger's first American film was the teen comedy "10 Things I Hate About You" in 1999. He passed up several scripts before taking a role in the Revolutionary War drama "The Patriot" in 2000 and "A Knight's Tale" in 2001. He also played a supporting role in "Monster's Ball." But Ledger was perhaps best known for his portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in "Brokeback Mountain," Ang Lee's film about two cowboys who had a secret romantic relationship. The role earned Ledger a best actor Oscar nomination. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Brian Vitagliano contributed to this report.

Law enforcement source says federal drug officers are looking into death . Ledger died of an accidental overdose January 22 . Source: Investigators trying to determine if drugs were prescribed legally . DEA is looking at two doctors -- one in California and one in Texas .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Twenty-four people, including eight children, were injured in an apparent gas explosion at a Harlem apartment building, the New York Fire Department said. The explosion blew out some of the windows in the five-story building. John Rodgers, a spokesman for New York-Presbyterian Hospital, said Sunday that four of the eight children were from the same family. The conditions of all those injured were not immediately known. One child was in critical condition and the three others were in serious condition, New York Fire Department Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said. All four had burn injuries. One of the injured is an infant. A firefighter was also injured, but was in stable condition Saturday evening. He apparently was struck by falling debris, Scoppetta said. About 200 firefighters responded to the scene of the blast on West 119th Street in Harlem. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg visited the five-floor building after the explosion. The 4 p.m. ET blast blew some of the building's windows out, according to firefighters. Watch rescue workers tend to injured » Although the blast was still under investigation, Scoppetta said the cause appeared to be a gas leak. New York police said the blast was at the rear of the structure. Residents who assisted in pulling the injured out of the building said some kind of restaurant was being operated on the bottom floor of the building. Scoppetta refused comment on those reports, citing the ongoing investigation. An emergency room worker at Harlem Hospital Center said the facility received five to six people from the explosion about 4:30 p.m., but would not provide an update on their conditions. The building, which has 20 apartments, was evacuated, as were apartment buildings on both sides, Scoppetta said. Building inspectors will examine them to determine their structural integrity. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Caleb Silver, Jim Acosta and Richard Davis contributed to this report.

NEW: Four of the eight injured children came from same family, hospital says . One child in critical condition, three in serious condition with burn injuries . About 200 firefighters were at the scene in Harlem . Residents say some sort of restaurant was being operated in bottom of building .

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(CNN) -- ZipRealty is a full-service residential real estate brokerage firm which uses the Internet, proprietary technology and employee real estate agents to provide home buyers and sellers with value-added online service. ZipRealty's Web site provides users with access to comprehensive home listings data. ZipRealty's Web site provides users with access to comprehensive local Multiple Listing Services home listings data, as well as other relevant market and neighborhood information. Its proprietary business management system and technology platform help to reduce costs, allowing the company to pass on savings to consumers. ZipRealty was launched on August 29, 1999. Three weeks later, on September 21, the company celebrated the acceptance of its first real estate offer. ZipRealty completed its initial public offering on November 10, 2004. It currently operates in 34 major metropolitan areas in 19 states and the District of Columbia with over 2,000 sales agents.

ZipRealty uses Internet, proprietary technology, employee real estate agents . Web site provides users with home listings, market and neighborhood info . ZipRealty completed its initial public offering on November 10, 2004 .

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(CNN) -- Eos Airlines, the all business-class carrier, has declared bankruptcy and stopped operations Sunday. The New York-based airline reconfigured 220-seater Boeing 757s to 48 seats that could extend into fully flat beds. The seats also allowed passengers -- or "guests" as they airline prefered to describe them -- to sit face-to-face to dine or hold business meetings. The tickets carried a hefty price tag -- up to $9,000 roundtrip from New York to London -- but the luxuries were aimed toward more discriminating business travelers. The privately-held airline, in a news release Sunday, said it had secured additional financing. But "some issues arose that prevented the parties from moving forward," it said. The airline immediately began the process of eliminating the positions of most of its employees. "There are times in business when even though you execute your business plan and even though your employees do their jobs beautifully, external forces prevent you from controlling your own destiny," Eos CEO Jack Williams said in a statement. The airline becomes the latest in a number of small carriers that have gone out of business in recent month. Analysts blame the high cost of fuel, a slowing economy and a credit crunch. Other carriers that have declared bankruptcy recently include Skybus and ATA airlines. Eos asked passengers to contact their credit card companies or travel agents to find out how to obtain refunds for unused tickets. It said frequent-flier program participants will not be able to redeem their points. Any value related to membership will be determined by the bankruptcy court. E-mail to a friend .

New York-based business class airline Eos declares bankruptcy . Luxury carrier charged up to $9,000 roundtrip from New York to London . Analysts blame high fuel costs, slowing economy, credit crunch for industry problems .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Department of Homeland Security will bypass environmental and land-management laws to build hundreds of miles of border fence between the United States and Mexico, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Tuesday. A border fence stands at Juarez, Mexico. More than 360 miles of fence are supposed to be finished by year's end. "Criminal activity at the border does not stop for endless debate or protracted litigation," Chertoff said. "These waivers will enable important security projects to keep moving forward." Chertoff cited a congressional requirement that 361 miles of fence be completed by the end of the year. He also pointed out that Congress had given him the authority to bypass laws. But the executive director of the Sierra Club, an environmental group, said the move "threatens the livelihoods and ecology of the entire U.S.-Mexico border region." "Secretary Chertoff chose to bypass stakeholders and push through this unpopular project on April Fools' Day. We don't think the destruction of the borderlands region is a laughing matter," said Carl Pope. The Sierra Club says the waivers will affect a range of federally protected lands, including national parks, monuments, wildlife refuges, forests and wilderness areas. The Sierra Club says the waivers themselves are unconstitutional and has asked the Supreme Court to rule on the question. This is the fourth set of waivers issued by the department, and is the most sweeping. Chertoff's orders Tuesday affect two areas. First, the department proposes to place fencing, towers, sensors, cameras, detection equipment and roads along a 470-mile stretch of the border in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Second, it plans to integrate a concrete wall into proposed levee reinforcements along a 22-mile section of the Rio Grande in Hidalgo County, Texas. The department said it is committed to working in an environmentally sensitive manner and cooperating with resource agencies so it does as little damage as possible. E-mail to a friend .

NEW: Sierra Club says border waivers are unconstitutional . Homeland Security chief: Waivers will enable security projects to move forward . Environmental, land-management laws will be bypassed for U.S.-Mexico fence . Michael Chertoff says Congress has given him the authority to bypass laws .

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MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- The Mexican government has ordered 2,000 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border in response to a wave of drug-related violence that is blamed for 200 deaths since January, officials announced Thursday. Mexico has ordered troops to move near Juarez, shown here with El Paso, Texas, in the distance. The troops are expected to depart Friday. The majority will be near the northern border of Mexico, in Juarez. Juarez sits across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas. Officials said the violence in Mexico has increased in large part to competing drug cartels. "In this battle we will show that no criminal group is capable to resist the strength of the Mexican government," Interior Minister Juan Mourino said at a news conference Thursday. Defense Secretary Guillermo Galvan said 2,026 soldiers, 180 military tactical vehicles, three airplanes and more than a dozen drug detection devices would be employed in the military operation. "Violence, and this needs to be stressed, generates organized crime of drug trafficking," said Mexican Attorney General Medina Mora. "It's not in any way a sign of strength, but a sign of weakness, deterioration and decomposition." E-mail to a friend . CNN en Espanol's Ariel Crespo contributed to this report.

Officials: 2,000 troops to go to border in response to wave of drug violence . Majority of troops will be near the northern border of Mexico, in Juarez . Violence has increased in large part to competing drug cartels .

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SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- The chairman of the Samsung Group announced his resignation Tuesday, just days after his indictment amid an investigation into allegations of corruption. Chairman of the Samsung Group Lee Kun-hee has been indicted for tax evasion and breach of trust. "I sincerely apologize and will do my best to take full legal and moral responsibility," said Lee Kun-hee, who was indicted last week on charges of tax evasion and breach of trust. "It grieves me for I still have many things to do." At least four other executives will leave their jobs at Samsung, which has annual sales of nearly $160 billion and accounts for 18 percent of South Korea's economic output. Samsung also outlined several reforms Tuesday. Investigators started looking into the conglomerate in January, after a former company lawyer said the company created slush funds worth $200 million. The probe led prosecutors to indict Lee and several other executives, but the prosecutors said an investigation found no evidence to support an allegation that the company bribed government officials and prosecutors. Samsung's exports -- valued at about $70 billion -- account for a fifth of all South Korean exports. The conglomerate outlined several reforms it plans to implement. "We do not think that Samsung's renovation is complete with what we have declared, and known that this is just the beginning," Samsung said in a statement. "If there are any other things we should mend, we positively will." E-mail to a friend .

Samsung Group chairman Lee Kun-hee announces resignation, apologizes . Lee's decision comes a few days after his indictment amid corruption investigation . Lee was indicted for tax evasion and breach of trust . Prosecutors say indictment relates to a plan to transfer control of the firm to his son .

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(CNN) -- An Australian man and his daughter have created a furor after going on television to admit an incestuous relationship which has produced two children. John Deaves and his daughter Jenny pictured in the 60 Minutes interview. John Deaves, 61, appeared on the 60 Minutes show with daughter Jenny, 39, and their child -- nine-month-old Celeste, Melbourne's The Age newspaper reported. Last month Judge Steven Millsteed banned the couple from having sex with each other, but released them on a three-year, $460 good behavior bond. Court transcripts also revealed their first child died in 2001 from a congenital heart disorder. The couple told 60 Minutes that they fell in love in 2000 when they "discovered each other later in life." Deaves had left the family home when Jenny was a baby, and did not see her again for 30 years. What do you think of the couple's relationship? However, the Age reported Deaves' former wife, Dorothy, disputed their claim that they were virtual strangers when they fell in love. "They were in contact all the time," she said. "His youngest daughter [from his second marriage] didn't even know they were together and she is really traumatized -- she is hurting terrible." Deaves' first wife and Jennifer's mother, Joan, said children deserved a better chance in life than one that originated from incest. Watch video report on incest couple. » . "I just think that the whole relationship is dreadful," she told News Ltd. "These incestual [sic] relationships produce children and the children have problems and it's not fair to kids." Professor Freda Briggs, of the University of South Australia, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that a good behavior bond would not stop the pair from having more children. "My controversial suggestion was that in these sorts of circumstances judges should be able to persuade them one way or another," she said. "For the mother for example to have her tubes tied or the father-cum-grandfather to be sterilized." E-mail to a friend .

Father and daughter reveal incest on Australian television show . Couple have had two children, with one dying soon after birth . Judge bans couple from having sex to prevent another pregnancy .

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LONDON, England -- American basketball is planning to create up to five new European franchises who would compete for the NBA Championship, according to a report by Sports Illustrated. NBA stars such as Kobe Bryant may soon be seen on a regular basis in Europe. The astonishing claims come hard on the heels of plans by the football's English Premier League to play matches overseas and underline the growing trend of globalization in major sports leagues. This was further evidenced by Super Bowl champions New York Giants playing a regular NFL season game against the Miami Dolphins at Wembley Stadium in London, but the NBA's leaked plans go far beyond that. A report on the Sports Illustrated Web site, says NBA commisioner David Stern will reveal his proposals on the eve of the All-Star Game in New Orleans this weekend. The plans are understood to include the formation of a European division with five new teams in major markets. The teams would play a full 82-game schedule and compete for the NBA championship. It is not the first time that Stern has entertained the concept of overseas expansion. He broached the idea in 2003, saying at the time that the league would look into European expansion within a decade. Those plans were scrapped, however, with the NBA instead focusing on developing its relationship with China and other emerging basketball markets. The number of European and overseas players has steadily increased in the NBA and basketball enjoys a particularly high profile in Spain, France, Italy, Greece and the Balkans. The NBA has played regular-season games in Japan and Mexico, and played exhibition contests this season in London and Rome. Meanwhile, Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant is doubtful for Sunday's All-Star game with a damaged finger. Bryant, who dislocated his right pinkie last week, scored 29 points in 35 minutes in Wednesday's 117-92 win at Minnesota. Bryant sat out the fourth quarter and had the finger X-rayed after the game. E-mail to a friend .

The NBA is planning a European division of up to five teams claims a report . Sports Illustrated say commissioner David Stern will announce expansion plan . NBA has previously played exhibition games in overseas countries .

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(CNN) -- A U.S. Air Force B-1 bomber caught fire Friday after a landing at al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, U.S. military officials said. A sweep-wing B-1 bomber, similar to this one, caught fire after landing Friday in Qatar, the U.S. military says. The crew evacuated safely, the officials said. They said the fire began while the plane was taxiing after landing about 9:10 p.m. at al-Udeid, the headquarters of U.S. military air operations for the Middle East. Officials said the fire on the bomber was contained. A military board of inquiry has been appointed to investigate the incident, they said. The officials said initial reports said the plane crashed at the headquarters of the U.S. military's air operations for the Middle East. The B-1B Lancer is widely used by the U.S. military to bomb targets over Iraq and Afghanistan. Learn more about B-1 bombers » . It carries a host of satellite and laser-guided bombs and is able to remain over targets for long periods of time to assist in close-air support for troops on the ground. In December 2001, a B-1 crashed while returning from a bombing run over Afghanistan to a British base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia. Originally designed to speed nuclear bombs into Cold War Russia, the B-1 was retooled to become a long-range bomber able to carry more conventional bombs, allowing it to hit more targets over a wider area. Al-Udeid, about 20 miles south of Qatar's capital of Doha, has the military's longest runway in the Middle East. About 3,300 U.S. troops, mostly Army, are stationed at the base. E-mail to a friend .

NEW: Bomber burned after landing at al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar . NEW: Crew was able to evacuate aircraft safely, military says . Al-Udeid Air Base has the military's longest runway in the Middle East .

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(CNN) -- A Marine who survived being burned over more than 95 percent of his body in Iraq and established a charity to help burned children has died, the military has announced. Sgt. Merlin German was 22. He was severely wounded February 21, 2005, en route to Camp Ramadi when his Humvee hit a roadside bomb. He was not expected to survive, but he was transported to Germany and then to Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas, which has the U.S. military's top burns unit. He spent nine months in intensive care and underwent more than 100 operations. German moved out of the hospital into his own home after 17 months of treatment. He founded Merlin's Miracles, a charity that aims "to assist burned children and their families to take vacations, trips, outings or anything the families needed to make life a little easier," according to its Web site. German died April 11 at Brooke Army Medical Center of complications after surgery. "He beat all odds and then on top of that continued to serve as an inspiration and motivator for others," said Dr. Evan Renz, a critical-care surgeon who treated German. "It is very difficult to describe the sense of loss. He endeared himself to all he came in contact with. It's really impossible to describe, except to say: Imagine the loss of dear family or friend." Renz remembers being impressed with German from the start. "This young man was clearly showing us signs he was going to fight through this from the very first minute," he said. "There was consensus he was going to be a someone who would probably break some of the previous expectations about survivability. If someone was going to survive, he was going to be that individual." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Barbara Starr and Larry Shaugnessy contributed to this report.

Sgt. Merlin German was burned over more than 95 percent of his body in 2005 . He spent nine months in intensive care and underwent more than 100 operations . German founded Merlin's Miracles, a charity to help burned children . "He endeared himself to all he came in contact with," doctor says .

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(CNN) -- Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo has completed a notable awards double after being named Player of the Year by the English Football Writers' Association for the second year in a row. In-form Cristiano Ronaldo has won both major English awards for the 2007-08 season. The Portugal winger followed up his second successive victory in the Professional Footballers' Association awards, where he was voted Player of the Year by his peers on April 27. He topped the writers' poll ahead of Liverpool striker Fernando Torres and Portsmouth goalkeeper David James. The 23-year-old, who has scored 38 goals in all competitions this season, emulated the feat of Barcelona's former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry -- the last man to collect the FWA award twice in a row, in 2003 and 2004. "Ronaldo's award is no surprise after his brilliant form this season and incredible goal-scoring record -- 38 at the moment -- and he is, of course, essentially a winger," said chairman of the FWA, Paul Hetherington. "Cristiano was an overwhelming winner and, given his age, he has the potential and ability to dominate this award for years in an unprecedented way." Ronaldo has this season has helped take United to within touching distance of a second successive Premier League title with two matches to play, and into a Champions League final against Chelsea in Moscow on May 21. He will receive his award at the FWA's gala dinner at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on May 15. E-mail to a friend .

NEW: Cristiano Ronaldo wins English writers' award for second year in a row . He headed off Liverpool's Fernando Torres and Portsmouth's David James . Manchester United winger also retained his Player of Year award from peers . Portugal star, 23, has dominated UK awards for the past two seasons .

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BUCHAREST, Romania (CNN) -- France has agreed to send a battalion of troops to eastern Afghanistan, a NATO spokesman has said. Canadian NATO-led soldiers walk patrol near Kandahar, Afghanistan. James Appathurai told reporters at a briefing that the move will help NATO meet Canada's requirement that it send more troops to the volatile southern province of Kandahar, where Canadian troops are based. Canada agreed this month to extend its commitment of about 2,500 troops until 2011 so long as NATO contributes more troops to Kandahar. There is a "clear unity in the alliance" that the mission in Afghanistan must succeed, Appathurai said. Though 25 NATO allies and 13 other countries have contributed forces, the bulk of the recent fighting has been done by U.S., Canadian, British and Dutch troops. Appathurai also said Thursday that he did not expect NATO applicants Georgia and Ukraine to be put on a membership action plan this summit but, he said, the general sense in terms of membership for the two countries is not "whether, but when." Further discussions regarding those two countries is to resume Thursday, he said. U.S. President George W. Bush has pushed for the admission of Ukraine and Georgia to the military alliance. However, Russia -- which is not a NATO member -- has expressed concerns about the former Soviet republics joining NATO, which has already made members of other former Soviet countries Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Appathurai also said a general consensus could not be reached on Macedonia's bid, because of Greece's objections. Greece has threatened to veto Macedonia's bid if its northern neighbor does not agree to change its name. Athens has long argued that the name Macedonia implies territorial claims on its northern province of the same name -- the birthplace, also, of Greece's most revered ancient warrior, Alexander the Great. The name issue must be resolved by the two countries, Appathurai said. E-mail to a friend .

French move will help NATO meet Canada's Kandahar commitment . Canada agreed to extend commitment as long as other NATO members helped . The bulk of recent fighting has been done by U.S., Canadian, UK and Dutch troops .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Ohio congressman David Hobson is the latest Republican to announce his exit from the House of Representatives, telling constituents Sunday he would step down in 2008 after nine terms. Rep. David Hobson, shown in February, was the lone Republican on Rep. Nancy Pelosi's Mideast trip this year. Hobson, 71, is a senior member of the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the Pentagon. He has represented his district, which includes parts of the Dayton and Columbus areas, since 1991. His fellow Ohio Republican, House Minority Leader John Boehner, praised his "effective leadership and dry wit" in a statement issued Sunday evening. "During the remainder of his term, I am certain that Dave will continue to represent his constituents with the same energy and dedication that have been the trademarks of his tenure in the U.S. House," Boehner said. "I look forward to continuing our close work over these next 14 months, and when the 111th Congress begins, I'll be eager to work beside a new Republican from Ohio's 7th District." Hobson is the 12th GOP House member to announce retirement ahead of the 2008 elections, when the Republican Party will be seeking to reclaim the congressional majorities it lost to Democrats in 2006. Another Republican representative, New Mexico's Heather Wilson, has said she will run for the Senate seat being given up by Sen. Pete Domenici -- one of five Republicans retiring from the Senate in 2008 rather than seeking a new term. "Ohio's 7th Congressional District is a strong Republican seat that will continue to elect candidates that fight to keep taxes low, the economy strong and the nation secure," said Rep. Tom Cole, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. "We will be working with local activists and party leaders to send a candidate that fights for those same values back to Congress in 2008." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Jessica Yellin and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report.

Rep. David Hobson tells constituents he will step down in 2008 after nine terms . Hobson is a senior member of a House Appropriations defense subcommittee . GOP will be seeking to reclaim the congressional majorities it lost in 2006 .

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COLORADO CITY, Arizona (CNN) -- A 16-year-old girl in Arizona has alleged sexual abuse in a Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints community, sources in Arizona told CNN Friday. Warren Jeffs is the jailed leader of FLDS groups in Arizona, Utah, Texas and elsewhere. Authorities are investigating calls made by a teenage girl alleging abuse in her home by a male relative, according to the sources, who said the calls were similar to those made last week to Texas authorities from the polygamist sect's ranch in Eldorado, Texas. The Texas calls prompted a law enforcement raid in which more than 400 children were taken into state custody. The sources told CNN the Arizona calls came from a teenager in an FLDS household. Church members openly practice polygamy in Colorado City and in Hildale, Utah -- two towns straddling the Arizona-Utah state line. Warren Jeffs, the 52-year-old leader and "prophet" of the 10,000-member sect, was convicted in Utah last year on two counts of being an accomplice to rape, charges related to a marriage he performed in 2001. He faces trial in Arizona on eight charges of sexual conduct with a minor, incest and conspiracy. Critics of the sect say it forces girls as young as 13 into arranged marriages. E-mail to a friend .

Authorities investigate calls by girl alleging abuse by male relative . Calls reportedly similar to those that sparked raid at Texas polygamist ranch . Arizona polygamist sect also led by jailed "prophet" Warren Jeffs . More than 400 children removed from sect's compound in Texas .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A retired U.S. Army colonel pleaded guilty Tuesday to awarding contracts in Iraq to a Kuwait-based firm in exchange for gifts. Levonda Selph of Virginia admitted accepting $4,000 in cash and a $5,000 vacation to Thailand from the unidentified contractor, which was awarded $12 million in contracts to operate Defense Department warehouses in Iraq. She pleaded guilty to charges of bribery and conspiracy. She was secretly indicted on those charges in October; the charges weren't disclosed until her court appearance Tuesday. Under terms of a plea agreement, Selph could receive up to 33 months in jail. She promised to repay the government $9,000 and to cooperate in an ongoing investigation. Prosecutors said Selph was a lieutenant colonel at Camp Victory in Iraq in 2004 and 2005 when she led a committee that awarded the warehouse contracts. The Justice Department said she will be free until her sentencing October 14 but will not be allowed to leave the country.

Former U.S. Army colonel pleads guilty to bribery and conspiracy . Levonda Selph admits accepting cash, vacation from contractor . Prosecutors: In exchange for gifts, Selph steered contracts to firm . Contracts let company operate Defense Department warehouses in Iraq .

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TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Police found three men dead in a car parked outside a spa Monday morning -- the latest in a string of suicides involving detergent, officials said. According to local media reports, more than 60 people have committed suicide across Japan in the last month by mixing detergent and other chemicals, and inhaling the hydrogen sulfide gas that results. A passerby discovered the bodies of the three men in Tamioka, north of Tokyo, police said. In western Japan, police found a 21-year-old man with a plastic bag over his head Monday. A police officer in Suma, where the body was found, said authorities found detergent containers by the foot of the man. They suspect the man may have inhaled the toxic gas after mixing them in the bag. Earlier this month, police in Japan had asked Internet service providers to take down the recipe for the detergent mix. Even before the spate of recent suicides, Japan had one of the highest rates of suicide in the world. In early May, police evacuated about 350 people from their homes on the island of Hokkaido after a neighbor mixed detergent and chemicals to kill himself. The two most recent cases did not require the evacuation of the neighborhoods where they occurred. In some cases, officials had to order residents to leave because the resulting gas from the detergent mix can sicken people. CNN's Yoko Wakatsuki contributed to this report .

Police found three men dead in a car parked outside a spa Monday morning . More than 60 people have committed suicide across Japan in the last month . Police say string of 'detergent suicides' encouraged by Internet sites . Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world .

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(CNN) -- At least three tornadoes caused massive damage in Virginia and injured more than 200 people on Monday, officials said. This Suffolk, Virginia, house was destroyed by an apparent tornado Monday. At least 200 were injured in Suffolk where a twister destroyed several homes and businesses, said Bob Spieldenner of the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. The storm hit the 138-bed Sentara Obici Hospital, though Spieldenner said the facility was still operational and accepting patients. A second tornado struck Colonial Heights -- about 60 miles northwest, near Richmond -- injuring at least 18 people, he said. A third twister damaged several homes near Lawrenceville, about 70 miles south of Richmond, said Bryan Jackson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, which confirmed all three tornadoes. Gov. Tim Kaine declared a Virginia-wide state of emergency as hazardous weather continued through the central part of the state. The Suffolk twister touched down just before 4 p.m. ET and plowed its way east into Norfolk, damaging scores of homes, stores and cars and downing dozens of trees and power lines, Jackson said. Watch as a witness describes the tornado form » . Video footage from the scene showed roofs torn off homes, cars flipped over, trees snapped in two and a caved-in section of a newly constructed shopping center. Furniture, fences and mounds of other debris were tossed in streets, parking lots and lawns. Watch the storm's massive destruction from the air » . A tornado warning over the area remained in effect Monday evening. Jeff Judkins, the city's emergency management coordinator, said there also were reports of people trapped inside cars. It's the worst damage he's seen in the area, he said. An emergency shelter will be established by Monday night, Suffolk spokeswoman Dana Woodson said. Officials initially reported a fatality, but later determined that it was unrelated to the storm, she said. E-mail to a friend .

NEW: Injuries in Suffolk, where a tornado destroyed homes and businesses . A second tornado struck Colonial Heights injuring at least 18, an official said . Video shows roofs torn off, cars flipped, trees snapped in half . A third twister damaged several homes near Lawrenceville .

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(CNN) -- An Ohio distributor is recalling about 6 million Chinese-made tire valve stems after concluding that some of them were improperly made and could increase the risk of accidents. An Ohio distributor is recalling 6 million Chinese-made car tire valve stems. Tech International, the part's Johnstown, Ohio-based distributor, estimates that just 8,600 of roughly 6 million of those valves are defective. The valve is a replacement snap-in tire valve -- Model No. TR413 -- manufactured between July and November 2006. It was imported by Tech International from manufacturer Shanghai Baolong Industries Co. in Shanghai, China, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. According to the recall, the rubber part of the valve may crack after being in use for about six months, causing a gradual loss of tire pressure. Continuing to drive on underinflated tires can cause them to burst, possibly leading to crashes. Tech International told the NHTSA that the company doesn't have records of the final purchasers of the valve stems. According to the company, the defect was identified after "a small number" of the valves were reported by customers and one distributor to have failed. The samples were shipped to China, and, in March, Baolong concluded that some valves could be defective. "The cause of the defect is likely improper mixing of the rubber compound in the manufacturer's facility," Tech International wrote in a letter to the transportation safety authority.

Ohio-based distributor says valves aren't working properly, could cause accidents . Tech International estimates that just 8,600 of 6 million are defective . Snap-in tire valve, Model TR413, was made between July and November 2006 . Continuing to drive on underinflated tires can cause them to burst .

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LONDON, England -- Britain's Princess Eugenie has been reprimanded by her school after being caught frolicking naked on college grounds, it was reported Saturday. Princess Eugenie is sixth in line to the British throne. The 18-year-old daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah Ferguson, was apprehended for her involvement in end of term "high jinks" at the exclusive Marlborough College, west of London, the UK Press Association said. A royal source told the Press Association, "It was nothing more than high jinks at the end of term in May. A group of them were reprimanded and that's the end of the matter." The tabloid Sun newspaper reported that a college staff member woke to playful shrieks and found several young women dancing around without clothes. It said there was no suggestion boys were present or that drugs were involved but claimed a pupil said the students had been drinking. Princess Eugenie, the sixth in line to the British throne, is studying art, history of art and English at the $46,000-a-year college, PA said. It said the princess was expected to be among guests celebrating the official birthday of Queen Elizabeth II on Saturday. A spokesman for the princess made no comment about the claims, PA reported.

Britain's Princess Eugenie reprimanded for naked school frolic, reports say . Sixth in line to British throne involved in end of term "high jinks," insiders say . Princess due to attend queen's official birthday celebrations .

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TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Three people were killed and at least 84 were injured Saturday morning when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck northeastern Japan, Japanese officials said. The quake struck at about 8:43 a.m. north of Sendai, Japan. Another five people were missing, national police said. Officials said the earthquake led to the buckling of highways and caused some bridges to collapse. Bullet trains were also stopped in the affected areas. Two nuclear power plants in the region were not affected, officials said. Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said one man was killed when he was buried in a landslide in Fukushima Prefecture and the other was struck by a truck as he rushed out of his house in Iwate Prefecture. Officials have not yet released details of the third death. Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda sent priority orders for rescue operations, Machimura said. The quake, which struck at about 8:43 a.m. (11:43 p.m. GMT Friday), was centered 100 km (60 miles) north of Sendai in southern Iwate prefecture. The Japanese Meteorological Agency said several strong aftershocks followed the initial quake. The Iwate government office said it had received reports that eight children and a teacher were injured by breaking windows at a preschool and that the earthquake produced landslides in some areas. The Miyagi fire department said there had been some injuries caused by falling furniture, and some bus passengers were injured when the vehicle bounced on a bridge. Two houses collapsed, the fire department said. East Japan Railway suspended Shinkansen bullet trains in the Tohoku region, and many other train lines in the region suspended operation as well. Expressways in Miyagi were also closed. Tokyo Electric Power Co. said that operations at nuclear power plants in Fukushima prefecture were not affected, Kyodo said. There were no tsunami warnings issued after the quake. Local governments, fire departments and police were working to gather damage reports. CNN's Junko Ogura and Yoko Wakatsuki contributed to this report.

Three people dead, at least 84 injured after earthquake hits Japan . U.S. Geological Survey reports 7.0 magnitude quake on Japanese island of Honshu . Quake struck at around 8:43 a.m. Saturday .

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LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Police closed streets near London's Canary Wharf financial district on Saturday after an unexploded German flying bomb from World War II was found on a construction site. WWII bombs are unearthed across Europe, often during building excavations, such as this one in France. Bomb disposal experts were called in to make the V1 missile safe after it was unearthed close to the east London complex that houses 80,000 office workers during the working week, police said. At weekends the area is busy with shoppers and visitors. Police closed several roads around the site in Millharbour, a road in the former docklands. "Ambulance, fire and police are there and the building site has been evacuated," a London police spokesman said. The area was cordoned off, he said. Thousands of V1s, nicknamed "Doodlebugs", were fired at the capital during the war, with the docks a prime target. Hundreds of unexploded bombs from the war are buried across the country, according to government figures. They are unearthed from time to time, often during building excavations. Canary Wharf's tenants include Bank of America, Barclays, Citigroup, HSBC, the Independent newspaper group and Reuters. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Unexploded German WWII V1 bomb unearthed on London construction site . Police closed streets near London's Canary Wharf financial district . Bomb disposal experts were called in to make the V1 missile safe . Hundreds of unexploded bombs from the war are buried across the country .

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(CNN) -- The Iowa Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry received an emotional welcome home July 25 -- more than a year and a half after leaving for Iraq. More than 600 soldiers marched on the field at Riverfront Stadium in Waterloo, Iowa, in front of thousands of friends and family members. I-Reporter Myke Goings captures Iowa National Guard soldiers celebrating their return from Iraq. The unit served 17 months in Iraq, as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, said Master Sgt. Duff McFadden of the Iowa National Guard. Two soldiers were killed in action, both by a roadside bomb, Radio Iowa reported. I-Reporter Myke Goings captured the emotion of family members and soldiers on camera as well as the tributes to the soldiers around town. His wife works with Sara Barnard, who reunited with her husband Tim at the ceremony. "You could see the excitement of the look on her face as she finally found him in the group," Goings said. "To do that with everyone in camouflage was amazing." E-mail to a friend .

More than 600 soldiers returned to Iowa from service in Iraq on July 25 . Thousands of friends and relatives welcomed them back at ceremony . I-Reporter Myke Goings documented the event .

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KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Nepal's new government has converted its deposed king's opulent palace into a museum and unfurled the national flag on Sunday as a symbolic move to signify the end of monarchy. The Narayanthi Royal Palace has been converted into a museum. "The national flag is fluttering in the hands of the people in the royal palace now," said Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala at a ceremony at the former palace Sunday. Ex-King Gyanendra, 60, left Narayanhiti Royal Palace on Wednesday. He will live as a civilian in a summer palace on a forested hilltop outside the capital. Gyanendra's departure came following the declaration of the former Himalayan kingdom as a republic last month. The monarchy's end after 239 years of rule was the culmination of a two-year peace process in which Maoist insurgents in Nepal gave up their armed struggle, joined mainstream politics and won the most seats in April's election for the Constituent Assembly. The assembly is tasked with rewriting the constitution, deciding the country's future political system and governing the nation. Gyanendra came to power in 2001 when his brother, King Birendra, and his family were massacred in the palace by the crown prince, who later shot himself. Gyanendra last week denied rumors that he had played a role in that event.

Nepal's new government converts deposed king's palace into museum . National flag unfurled over building in symbolic end to monarchy . Himalayan kingdom was declared a republic last month .

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(CNN) -- A suspected arms dealer accused of conspiring to sell weapons to Colombian guerrillas was extradited Friday from Spain to the United States, the U.S. Justice Department said. Kassar is accused of conspiring to sell weapons to FARC rebels. Monzer al Kassar had been wanted for decades before he was arrested in an undercover operation in Spain last year. Justice Department officials say he has been a source of weapons and military equipment for armed combatants since the 1970s. He left Spain aboard a private plane accompanied by U.S. Drug Enforcement Agents and arrived in New York at 11:30 a.m. local time Friday (1530 GMT), a DEA spokesman said. He is expected to appear before a federal magistrate in Manhattan before the end of the day. Kasser was arrested in Madrid a year ago by Spanish police working with undercover DEA officers posing as members of the FARC. The U.S. accuses Kassar and two other men of conspiring to sell millions of dollars' worth of weapons to FARC, which the United States has designated a terrorist organization. The weapons included surface-to-air missile systems, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, thousands of machine guns, and millions of rounds of ammunition, according to a federal indictment. A Spanish court last week approved his extradition on four counts, including conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals. The two co-defendants, Tareq Mousa Al Ghazi and Luis Felipe Moreno Godoy, were both previously extradited to New York from Romania to face the same terrorism charges. All three could face life in prison. Kassar had told journalists before he was arrested that he had retired from arms dealing, but the U.S. says he had been involved since the 1970s, providing weapons and military equipment to armed factions in Nicaragua, Cyprus, Bosnia, Croatia, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, and elsewhere. CNN Justice Producer Terry Frieden contributed to this report .

U.S. Justice Department says accused arms dealer extradited to the U.S. Monzer al Kassar was arrested in Spain last year . U.S. accuses him of trying to sell millions of dollars of weapons to guerrillas . He is also accused of conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Britain's Queen Elizabeth celebrates her 82nd birthday Saturday with a parade and military ceremony known as "Trooping the Color." Britain's Queen Elizabeth attends the Derby Festival at Epson Downs horse race course on June 7. The queen's birthday is actually April 21, but she officially celebrates it every year on a Saturday in June when good weather is more likely, according to Buckingham Palace. During the ceremony, which is open to the public, the queen inspects the troops. They then march past the queen, who rides in a carriage back to the palace. The Royal Air Force then conducts a colorful fly-past over Buckingham Palace while the queen and her family watch from the balcony. The queen has attended Trooping the Color every year of her reign except for one -- 1955, when a national rail strike canceled the event, the palace says. The ceremony gets its name from a tradition where colors of the battalion were carried, or "trooped," down the ranks so they could be seen and recognized by the soldiers, Buckingham Palace says.

Queen's April birthday is celebrated in June to enjoy good weather . Parade, military ceremony will mark royal birthday . Troop inspection, flyover by Royal Air Force, part of ceremonies .

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MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- Helicopters were bringing 2,000 Mexican troops into the U.S.-Mexican border city of Juarez on Friday to quell a wave of drug-related violence blamed for 200 deaths since January, the city's mayor said. Mexico has ordered troops to move near Juarez, shown here with El Paso, Texas, in the distance. "Two rival drug cartels tried to push each other out of the city," Jose Reyes Ferriz told CNN. Among those killed were about 20 police officers representing the state, the military and the federal and city governments, he said. "Many [people] say the drug cartels targeted specifically the heads of the police departments," he said. "The violence got extremely bad in the city." He said no uninvolved civilians have been injured. "The two rival drug cartels in Mexico, one's from the Gulf, one's from the Pacific -- and Juarez being right down the middle, they tried to push the other one out of the area," he said. Watch police clash with suspected drug smugglers » . Juarez sits across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas. The majority of the troops will be based in the city. Defense Secretary Guillermo Galvan said Thursday 2,026 soldiers, 180 military tactical vehicles, three airplanes and more than a dozen drug detection devices would be used in the military operation. Mexican Attorney General Medina Mora stressed that the violence that goes along with drug trafficking is "not in any way a sign of strength, but a sign of weakness, deterioration and decomposition." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Ariel Crespo contributed to this report.

The majority of the troops will be based in Juarez, Mexico . Juarez sits across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas . Drug-related violence has claimed some 200 lives since the beginning of the year . Mayor: Two rival drug cartels tried to push each other out of the city .

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- The British Foreign Office has warned its nationals -- traveling to or living in the United Arab Emirates -- about the increased threat of a terrorist attack. In 2006 over one million Britons visited the United Arab Emirates, according to the UK Foreign office. The alert, posted on its Web site, urged Britons in the oil-rich Gulf kingdom to be vigilant -- especially in public places -- because of a "high threat of terrorism." The UAE is among the most moderate Gulf states and is home to thousands of expatriates. "We believe terrorists may be planning to carry out attacks in the UAE," the Foreign Office statement read. "Attacks could be indiscriminate and could happen at any time, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travelers such as residential compounds, military, oil, transport and aviation interests." By Monday, the U.S. State Department had not issued any warnings about the UAE. The UAE, slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Maine, is in the midst of a building boom to position itself as one of the world's premier tourist destinations. It is already home to the world's largest mall, the world's largest tower, and -- despite being in the Middle East -- boasts the largest indoor snow park in the world. According to the British Foreign Office, more than a million British visitors traveled to the UAE in 2006, while over 100,000 British nationals live there. The country is an ally in the United States' "war on terror," and its ports host more U.S. Navy ships than any port outside the U.S., according to the U.S. State Department. Two of the attackers who took part in the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington came from the UAE. And it was among a handful of countries that recognized the fundamentalist Taliban regime before the September 11 attacks.

UK Foreign Office: Terrorists may be planning to carry out attacks in the UAE . It added that attacks could be "indiscriminate and could happen at any time" U.S. State Department has not issued any warnings about the UAE . UAE is a key ally in the United States' "war on terror"

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(CNN) -- Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden will address the West in a new message, according to a banner ad from the group's production wing posted on Islamist Web sites known to carry messages from al Qaeda and bin Laden. This image accompanied a message from Osama bin Laden in November. "To the western nations, soon, God willing, A new speech by the Lion of Islam Sheikh Osama Bin laden, The reasons of the struggle in the 60th anniversary of the Israeli Occupation," the banner reads. It was not known whether the message would be audio or video or when it might be posted. In the past, messages were available from an hour to two days after the initial posting. Bin Laden's last message came March 20, when in an audiotape he called Iraq "the perfect base to set up the jihad to liberate Palestine." In an audiotape released the previous day, bin Laden condemned European countries for siding with the United States in Afghanistan and for allowing the publication of cartoons considered insulting to Islam's prophet, Mohammed.

Banner ad on Islamist Web sites says al Qaeda leader will release message soon . It is not known exactly when the message will come . Bin Laden's last communication was an audiotape released March 20 .

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Brazilian coach Zico is leaving Turkish club Fenerbahce, after failing to reach an agreement over a new contract. Zico guided Fenerbahce to a league and Super Cup double intheir centenary year . Fenerbahce recently suspended negotiations over a fresh deal with Zico because of reportedly high demands by the Brazilian. The Anatolia press agency published a club statement which said: "The contract of Arthur Antunes Coimbra (Zico) has now come to an end. " We would like to thank him for the successful work he has done with the club, and wish him all the best for the future." Last season Zico led Fenerbahce to the quarterfinals of the Champions League where they were defeated by Chelsea. Reports claimed that after that achievement Zico sought a new annual salary of $4.9 million. He has been earning $2.9million.. Zico, 55, joined the club in July 2006 on a two-year deal and he guided them to a league and Turkish Super Cup double in 2007, their centenary year. Spanish media reports have said that Fenerbahce have lined up current Spain coach Luis Aragones as a replacement. Aragones has led Spain to the semifinals of the Euro 2008 finals .

Coach Zico is leaving Turkish club Fenerbahce . He has been unable to reach agreement over a new contract . Media reports suggest that Spain coach Luis Aragones will replace him .

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(CNN) -- Australia's cricketers will pay tribute to Jane McGrath at their one-day international against West Indies in St Vincent on Tuesday. Jane McGrath died on Sunday at the age of 42. The English-born wife of former Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath, died on Sunday, aged 42, after a long battle with cancer. The McGraths had two children, James, who is eight, and Holly six. The Australian players will wear pink ribbons and batsmen will use pink grips on their bats. The color pink represents the McGrath Foundation, an organization set up by the McGraths to raise money for the fight against breast cancer. The McGraths were recognized for their charity work this year when they were appointed as Members of the Order of Australia. Australia captain Ricky Ponting said: "Jane was a wonderful person who fought and maintained grace and dignity during her long-term illness." Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said: "Jane was an inspiration, whose legacy will continue to benefit so many others." Former Australia captain Steve Waugh, best man at the McGrath's 1999 wedding, said: "Courage is often associated with feats on a sport field but the true meaning of it lies elsewhere and someone like Jane best exemplifies that."

Australia's cricketers are to pay tribute to Jane McGrath . The 42-year-old wife of fast bowler Glenn McGrath, die on Sunday . She had had a long battle with cancer . The players will wear pink ribbons, the color of the McGrath Foundation .

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KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Nepalese authorities Thursday detained at least 650 Tibetan exiles protesting against China's policies in the province ahead of this weekend's Olympic torch relay in Tibet, security officials in Kathmandu said. A protester is grabbed by Nepalese police during a demonstration in Kathmandu. Police also arrested and charged three local Tibetan community leaders with organizing the protest, after seizing them from their homes Thursday morning. It is the largest single-day round-up of Tibetan protesters in Nepal since the demonstrations broke out in March following China's bloody crackdown on protesters in Tibet. It is also the first time that Nepalese authorities have charged any Tibetan exiles in connection with the protests. Nepalese police forcefully dragged some of the protesters to awaiting vans and drove them to police stations across the capital. Tibetan exile groups said 900 protesters were detained Thursday. Authorities said the three arrested leaders -- two women and a man -- were responsible for the near-daily protests since March and will be held for 90 days under Nepal's public security act. "They have been arrested for damaging the diplomatic relations between Nepal and China," said civilian security officer Jaya Mukunda Khanal. The two women arrested and charged for organizing the protests were Ngwang Sangmo, president of Tibetan Women's Association, and Tashi Dolma, vice president of the association. Also charged was Kelsang Chung, director of the Tibetan Reception Center, which helps Tibetan refugees in Nepal emigrate to India, where the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, lives in exile. While they are the first Tibetan exiles formally arrested, protesters have previously been detained and released hours later. The crackdown comes days before the Olympic torch relay in Tibet. The torch relay wrapped up in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Wednesday, and will continue in Tibet's capital of Lhasa on Saturday, according to China's Olympic Web site.

Nepalese authorities arrest at least 650 Tibetan exiles over China protest . Police forcefully dragged some of the protesters to awaiting vans . Protestors voice opposition to China's policies in Tibet .

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(CNN) -- Authorities in Fayetteville, North Carolina, are investigating the death of a pregnant soldier whose body was found Saturday morning in a motel, police said. Spc. Megan Lynn Touma, 23, was a dental specialist from Cold Springs, Kentucky, according to a statement from Fort Bragg, where Touma was assigned to the 19th Replacement Company. Fayetteville police found her body late Saturday morning when they responded to a call about a strong odor coming from one of the rooms. The body was sent to the state Medical Examiner's office in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to determine the cause of death. Touma, who was seven months pregnant, arrived at Fort Bragg on June 12. In five years with the Army, she had served with the U.S. Army Dental Activity Clinic in Bamberg, Germany, and in Fort Drum, New York, before her assignment to Fort Bragg. Touma is the second pregnant service member to die in North Carolina in recent months. The remains of Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach and her fetus were found beneath in a fire pit January 11 in Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean's backyard. Watch how police found body » . Authorities said Laurean killed Lauterbach on December 14, 2007, and used her ATM card 10 days later before fleeing to Mexico. He was taken into custody after he walked up to a roadblock set up by a local anti-kidnapping task force investigating another case. Laurean is awaiting extradition to North Carolina.

Authorities in North Carolina are investigating death of pregnant servicemember . Spc. Megan Lynn Touma was found dead Saturday in motel room . Touma is second N.C.-based pregnant solider found dead in recent months .

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(CNN) -- An Ohio distributor is recalling about 6 million Chinese-made tire valve stems after concluding that some of them were improperly made and could increase the risk of accidents. An Ohio distributor is recalling 6 million Chinese-made car tire valve stems. Tech International, the part's Johnstown, Ohio-based distributor, estimates that just 8,600 of roughly 6 million of those valves are defective. The valve is a replacement snap-in tire valve -- Model No. TR413 -- manufactured between July and November 2006. It was imported by Tech International from manufacturer Shanghai Baolong Industries Co. in Shanghai, China, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. According to the recall, the rubber part of the valve may crack after being in use for about six months, causing a gradual loss of tire pressure. Continuing to drive on underinflated tires can cause them to burst, possibly leading to crashes. Tech International told the NHTSA that the company doesn't have records of the final purchasers of the valve stems. According to the company, the defect was identified after "a small number" of the valves were reported by customers and one distributor to have failed. The samples were shipped to China, and, in March, Baolong concluded that some valves could be defective. "The cause of the defect is likely improper mixing of the rubber compound in the manufacturer's facility," Tech International wrote in a letter to the transportation safety authority.

Ohio-based distributor says valves aren't working properly, could cause accidents . Tech International estimates that just 8,600 of 6 million are defective . Snap-in tire valve, Model TR413, was made between July and November 2006 . Continuing to drive on underinflated tires can cause them to burst .

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(CNN) -- Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim came out of hiding Monday, and says he has damaging evidence that proves senior members of the government faked evidence for sodomy charges against him. Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim says he has proof sodomy charges against him were fabricated. "I have new evidence about the fabrication of evidence against me in 1998," Anwar told CNN Monday. "I totally reject these malicious attacks." Anwar was the heir apparent to former premier Mahathir Mohamad until 1998, when he was sacked and charged for corruption and sodomy. The sodomy conviction was overturned, but the corruption verdict was never lifted, barring him from running for political post until this year. In the CNN interview, Anwar rejected the sodomy charges and also said he had evidence of threats on his life that caused him to go into hiding at the Turkish embassy in Kuala Lumpur. Listen to Anwar Ibrahim defend himself » . CNN could not immediately reach members of Malaysia's ruling party. The ruling party, National Front Coalition, has led Malaysia since the country declared independence in 1957. Anwar's opposition party has gradually chipped away at the National Front's power. Recently Malaysian police have said they are investigating a new sodomy charge against him, Anwar said. The new charges were also false and were fabricated to usurp his political gains, Anwar said. "I will challenge these attacks on every ground," Anwar said.

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim came out of hiding Monday . Says he can prove government members faked evidence for sodomy charges . Anwar also says he has evidence of threats against his life .

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UNITY, New Hampshire (CNN) -- The day began with a kiss. Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama leave Washington on Friday for a rally in New Hampshire. Sen. Barack Obama, on the tarmac at Reagan Washington National Airport, reached out to shake Sen. Hillary Clinton's hand and leaned down to kiss her cheek. It went on from there. Wearing a tie that matched her suit, he put his hand on her back, guiding the way up the plane steps. They sat side-by-side for the flight up to Manchester, New Hampshire, chatting amiably. One overheard conversation was about the plane. Clinton had used it during the primary season. They hopped on a souped-up bus for the 1½-hour ride to Unity, New Hampshire. The honorary mayor of Unity introduced the pair, admitting that he was a Republican who voted for John McCain in the primary. He didn't seem so sure about the general election. They walked onstage to the tune of "Beautiful Day." Arms around each other's waists, they smiled and waved at the crowd. Every camera angle had UNITY signs, big and little, in the backdrop. She said she wants to help elect him president. He gave an ode to Hillary: "She rocks." Watch more from Unity » . One woman stood at the back, periodically yelling, "Hillary for VP!" A few others, older women, stubbornly held up tattered Hillary For President placards. But the vast majority cheered her, "Thank you, Hillary!" and him, "Yes, we can!" They held new signs for the new times: "UNITY FOR CHANGE." As the dynamic duo glowed onstage, a Clinton staffer circulated through the press corps with word that Hillary and Bill Clinton had gone online to give the maximum contribution allowed by law to the Obama for President campaign. It was the picture-perfect day of togetherness that Barack Obama had wanted. It was not entirely believable, but politics is the art of pragmatism.

Sens. Clinton and Obama hold a unity rally in Unity, New Hampshire . Crowley: A "day of togetherness that Barack Obama had wanted" "It was not entirely believable, but politics is the art of pragmatism," Crowley adds .

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KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Lawmakers in Nepal will vote Saturday to pick the country's first president since it became a republic. Nepal became a republic after the deposal of King Gyanendra Shah earlier this year. The country's newly elected Constituent Assembly abolished a 239-year monarchy following elections in April. But with no one party winning a majority of the seats, it is unclear who may become president. The position is largely ceremonial. But a president will swear in whoever is picked as the new prime minister. The three main political parties continued to negotiate over whom to name president. The Nepali Congress wants outgoing prime minister and party president Girija Prasad Koirala for the position. The Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) wants its leader. But the Maoists -- which won the largest number of seats but fell short of a majority -- do not favor either of the two men. They want a non-political figure as president. Journalist Manesh Shrestha contributed to this report .

Lawmakers in Nepal to to pick the country's first president since it became a republic . Unclear who may become president as no party had a majority in recent elections . Maoists, who won most seats, want a non-political figure as president .

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CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- An Illinois man was charged with possession of a potentially deadly neurotoxin commonly found in puffer fish after the FBI led a raid at his home Monday. Edward F. Bachner, 35, of Lake in the Hills, was charged with one count of illegal possession of a toxin, according to a federal complaint filed in U.S. district court. Bachner is listed as the corporate secretary of Rosetta Wireless Corp. in Naperville, in suburban Chicago. Bachner was arrested after accepting a small amount of tetrodotoxin delivered by an undercover federal official at his home, the FBI said. Tetrodotoxin is a neurotoxin that in large doses can cause paralysis and death. It's often linked to consumption of puffer fish, a delicacy from the Indian and Pacific oceans that can prove fatal if not prepared properly, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Bachner, using the alias Edmond Backer, attempted to purchase 98 milligrams of tetrodotoxin through the Web site of a New Jersey chemical company, according to the FBI. Bachner claimed he was a doctor working for Illinois-based EB Strategic Research, which does not exist. The quantity of the toxin requested alarmed an employee at the chemical company, who alerted authorities, the FBI said. Bachner appeared before a magistrate judge at the federal court in Rockford and is being held without bond until his next court appearance. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison. Calls late Monday to Bachner's home and business went unanswered.

FBI: Edward Bachner tried to buy 98 milligrams of tetrodotoxin through the Web . Neurotoxin, commonly found in puffer fish species, can cause paralysis and death . Bachner was arrested after accepting a small amount from an undercover official . If convicted, the 35-year-old faces 10 years in prison .

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MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Hurricane Bertha -- the first hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic season -- increased in strength Monday evening, according to the National Hurricane Center. A satellite picture from 5:45 a.m. ET Monday shows Hurricane Bertha over the Atlantic. While Bertha's power may fluctuate over the next day, it is expected to begin gradually weakening by Wednesday, the center's 11 p.m. ET advisory said. Bertha's became a major -- or Category 3 -- hurricane Monday afternoon. A Category 3 has wind speeds of 111 to 130 mph. As of 11 p.m. ET, Bertha was 695 miles (1,115 km) east-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands and about 1,085 miles (1,745 km) southeast of Bermuda. The eye was moving toward the west-northwest at about 12 mph. Its maximum sustained winds were clocked at 120 mph (195 km/hr), up from the 115 mph mentioned in a 5 p.m. advisory. The hurricane is expected to turn to the northwest and decrease its forward speed in the next 24 to 48 hours, the center said. There is a very small chance Bertha will make landfall in the United States. Bermuda could be affected by the hurricane this weekend. See Bertha's projected path » . "It is still way too soon to determine whether or not Bertha will affect Bermuda," the center said. The storm formed Thursday in the far eastern Atlantic, off the coast of Africa, near the southern Cape Verde Islands. It strengthened into a hurricane early Monday. Learn more about hurricanes » . The first tropical storm of the season, Arthur, formed May 31 near the coast of Belize and dumped heavy rain on Central America and southern Mexico.

NEW: Bertha's winds increase from 115 mph to 120 mph . Bermuda could be affected by the hurricane this weekend . Likelihood of storm making landfall in U.S. is very small . Bertha is the first hurricane of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season .

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HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Zimbabwe's troubled central bank introduced $100 billion banknotes Saturday in a desperate bid to ease the recurrent cash shortages plaguing the inflation-ravaged economy. A shopper displays a $500 million Zimbabwean bank note. The bills officially come into circulation Monday, although they were on the foreign currency dealers market Saturday. As high as they are, though, the bills still aren't enough to buy a loaf of bread. They can buy only four oranges. The new note is equal to just one U.S. dollar. Once-prosperous Zimbabwe has seen an unprecedented economic meltdown since it gained independence in 1980, with the official inflation rate now at 2.2 million percent. Gideon Gono, governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, said the new notes are for "the convenience of the banking public and corporate sector" in light of price hikes. "The RBZ has noted with concern the unjustifiable and incessant general increases in prices of goods and services. It is therefore appealing to the business community to follow ethical business practices as well as take an interest in the plight of the general public," Gono said in a statement dated Friday. Zimbabwe started issuing large bank notes in December, starting with denominations of $250,000. In January, the government issued bills in denominations of $1 million, $5 million, and $10 million -- and in May, it issued bills from $25 million and $50 million up to $25 billion and $50 billion. The new bills are actually bearer checks and have an expiration date of December 31. Zimbabwe has not had formal currency since the introduction of bearer checks as a temporary measure in 2003. "The RBZ is fighting a losing battle," economist John Robertson said in Harare. "As long as the inflation remains high, cash shortages will persist. There is need to address the inflation by increasing production so that too goods do not [cost] a lot of money."

New bills officially come into circulation Monday . Bills aren't enough to buy a loaf of bread. They can only buy four oranges . Gideon Gono: Notes for "convenience of the banking public and corporate sector" The new note is equal to just one U.S. dollar .

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(CNN) -- Marius Kloppers was born in South Africa on August 26, 1962. Marius Kloppers, CEO of BHP Billiton . He obtained a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pretoria in South Africa and a PhD in Materials Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the U.S. He began his career in South Africa, working in petrochemicals with Sasol and in materials research with Mintek. After receiving an MBA from Insead in France, he worked as a management consultant with McKinsey & Co in the Netherlands. Kloppers joined Billiton Group in 1993 as a core member of the team that created the Group's aluminum business, assuming a variety of operating and functional positions including General Manager, Hillside Aluminum, and Chief Operating Officer, Aluminum. Prior to the formation of BHP Billiton, he also acted as Chief Executive Samancor Manganese and Group Executive of Billiton Plc, responsible for its coal and manganese businesses. He played a central role in the merger of BHP and Billiton, as Chief Marketing Officer and then Chief Commercial Officer before being appointed Group President, Non-Ferrous Materials and an executive Director of BHP Billiton Limited and BHP Billiton Plc in January 2006. Kloppers was appointed Group Executive and Chief Executive Non-Ferrous in July 2007 and has been Chief Executive Officer of BHP Billiton since October 2007. He now lives in Melbourne, Australia, with his wife Carin and their three children, Noni, Reuben and Gabrielle.

He began career in petrochemicals and materials research in South Africa . Was core member of team that created Billiton's aaluminumbusiness . He has been Chief Executive Officer of BHP Billiton since October 2007 .

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KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Lawmakers in Nepal will vote Saturday to pick the country's first president since it became a republic. Nepal became a republic after the deposal of King Gyanendra Shah earlier this year. The country's newly elected Constituent Assembly abolished a 239-year monarchy following elections in April. But with no one party winning a majority of the seats, it is unclear who may become president. The position is largely ceremonial. But a president will swear in whoever is picked as the new prime minister. The three main political parties continued to negotiate over whom to name president. The Nepali Congress wants outgoing prime minister and party president Girija Prasad Koirala for the position. The Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) wants its leader. But the Maoists -- which won the largest number of seats but fell short of a majority -- do not favor either of the two men. They want a non-political figure as president. Journalist Manesh Shrestha contributed to this report .

Lawmakers in Nepal to to pick the country's first president since it became a republic . Unclear who may become president as no party had a majority in recent elections . Maoists, who won most seats, want a non-political figure as president .

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(CNN) -- A 19-year-old girl whose hospitalization exposed a shocking Austrian incest case has woken from her coma, a development that could shed new light on what occurred in the basement were she was held captive for decades. Fritzl initially confessed to raping his daughter and having seven children with her. Doctors placed Kerstin Fritzl in an artificial coma in April after she emerged for the first time from the cellar where she was held captive from birth by her father Josef. Kerstin, along with six other children, was born from Josef Fritzl's incestuous relationship with his daughter Elisabeth, now 43, whom he raped repeatedly during the 24 years she was imprisoned beneath his home. Police say Fritzl, 73, has confessed to holding his Elisabeth captive and fathering seven children, six of whom survived. Kerstin was admitted to hospital in Amstetten, west of Vienna, in an unconscious state after Elisabeth persuaded Fritzl that she needed medical attention. Suspicious medics alerted police, who opened an investigation. Detectives began investigating the case after hospital officials started inquiring about the girl's family history. Kerstin and two of her brothers, aged 18 and 5, had spent their entire lives trapped in the cellar with their mother, never seeing daylight, a television their only contact with the outside world. Another three children Fritzl fathered with Elisabeth were taken to live above ground with Fritzl and his wife, who says she had no idea that her daughter was being held captive. A seventh child died shortly after birth. Elisabeth and her children have been treated at a secure medical unit since their release. Officials at hospital in Amstetten, Austria, did not release any more information about Kerstin Fritzl's condition. A news conference on the case is scheduled for Wednesday.

Daughter of Austrian incest victim wakes from induced coma . Kerstin Fritzl, 19, spent her entire life in cellar . The dungeon was uncovered after she was taken to hospital with illness .

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(CNN) -- Starbucks is closing more than two-thirds of its stores in Australia, days after announcing that hundreds of its American coffee outlets are also being shuttered. Starbucks announced plans to close 600 stores in the U.S. last week. The Seattle-based global coffee franchise said Tuesday that it will close 61 of its 84 locations in Australia by the weekend. The closures will mean that only 23 cafes will remain open in and around three major cities: Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, the company said in a statement Tuesday. Earlier this month, the company announced it would close 600 company-owned stores in the United States. Starbucks, named after the first mate in Herman Melville's 'Moby Dick,' was founded in 1971. It has more than 8,000 company-operated stores and another 6,800 licensed cafes in 44 countries. Starbucks has seen rising competition from privately-held Dunkin' Donuts and McDonalds recently, and welcomed founder Schultz back as CEO in January after a lackluster performance by the company in the latter half of 2007.

More than 60 Starbucks cafes to close by August 3 . Closures follow news of more than 600 outlets to shut in U.S. Move by Seattle company will end 685 jobs in Australia, reports say .

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PRAGUE, Czech Republic (CNN) -- A passenger train rumbling through the Czech Republic slammed into a collapsed overpass, causing the deaths of at least a half dozen passengers and the injuries of a few dozen more, according to a Czech News Agency account. An areal view shows the scene of the train accident in Studenka, 360 kilometers east of Prague. The EuroCity train, which was traveling about 140 kilometers, or 87 miles, an hour at the time of the accident, crashed around 10:30 a.m. near the Czech town of Studenka. It had been headed from the Polish city of Krakow to the Czech Republic capital of Prague, and was carrying people who were planning to attend an Iron Maiden rock concert, the state-run news agency said. Officials said the engine and its six passenger carriages derailed when part of a bridge under construction fell down as the train approached. At least six people were killed and 41 others were injured, officials said. Initial estimates said 10 people were killed and around 100 were injured. Zdenek Nytra, head of Moravian-Silesian firefighters, said rescuers extricated all survivors, according to the agency.

Reports: Train crashed into a collapsed overpass, with up to 10 possibly dead . EuroCity train going from Polish city of Krakow to the Czech capital, Prague . Incident occured at around 0830 GMT, officials say .

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(CNN) -- Three aid workers have been shot over the last day in Somalia, two of them fatally, Somali media reports said. Somalis prepare Monday to bury murdered Osman Ali Ahmed, the head of the U.N. Development Program. The first fatality was a Somali, Mohamed Mohamud Qeyre. He was the deputy director of the group Daryeel Bulasho Guud (DBG), funded by a German company and affiliated with the group Bread for the World. Qeyre was shot in the Somali capital of Mogadishu Friday night in what appeared to be a targeted attack, the reports said. He was shot by three gunmen outside the facility where aid distribution is coordinated. The gunmen may have been staking out the facility waiting for Qeyre to exit. The head of DBG, in Nairobi, Kenya, said he will suspend all aid operations in Somalia for the time being. The second fatality was a member of the Sodra nongovernmental organization, which is helping with humanitarian efforts in Somalia. Officials said it appears that Ali Baashi was also specifically targeted by gunmen. Earlier this week, the World Food Program said a truck driver carrying its relief supplies was killed -- the fourth WFP driver killed in Somalia this year. Ahmed Saalim was shot when fighting broke out between convoy escorts and militiamen at a checkpoint, the U.N. aid agency said. A growing percentage of the Somali population has become dependent on humanitarian aid. A severe famine swept the nation in 1991-1993, devastating crops, killing up to 280,000 people and displacing up to 2 million, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The situation has been exacerbated by drought, continual armed conflicts in central and southern Somalia and high inflation on food and fuel. Journalist Mohamed Amin contributed to this report.

Three aid workers have been shot over the last day in Somalia, two of them fatally . One victim worked for aid agency, DBG, which has suspended operations . Four World Food Program drivers of relief supplies killed this year . Somalis dependent on humanitarian aid since 1993 famine, ongoing war, drought .

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MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Tropical Storm Fay made landfall in southwestern Florida early Tuesday, coming ashore at Cape Romano just south of Marco Island, the National Hurricane Center said. Satellite image shows Tropical Storm Fay along Florida's southwest coast at 11 p.m. ET Monday. Forecasters immediately dropped hurricane warnings for the storm as it never reached the 74 mph threshold necessary for hurricane status. It was the third landfall for the storm, which came ashore in western Cuba Sunday night and then again over Key West Monday afternoon. Voluntary evacuations were urged Monday evening on Marco Island, a community of about 12,000 people near Naples on southwestern Florida's coast. However, a CNN crew reported many people seemed to be staying and few had boarded windows there. At of 5 a.m. ET Tuesday, the storm was moving north-northwest at 9 mph (15 km/hr) and was on the Florida coastline at Cape Romano, or about 55 miles (90 km) south of Fort Myers. Maximum sustained winds were near 60 mph (95 km/hr), with higher gusts, and forecasters expected some strengthening prior to landfall. Tropical storm force winds extended up to 125 miles (205 km). iReport.com: Are you there? Share photos, video . Fay is expected to continue in a north-northeasterly direction throughout the day, passing near Orlando, and entering the Atlantic as a tropical depression off the coast of northeastern Florida early Wednesday. Watch wind, rain batter Key West » . A tropical storm warning wraps around the bottom of the Florida peninsula from Longboat Key on the Gulf Coast to Flagler Beach on the east. The Florida Keys from Ocean Reef to the west end of the Seven Mile Bridge are also included in the warning. Rainfall amounts up to 10 inches are expected across portions of southern and east-central Florida, with 4 to 8 inches elsewhere along the storm's path. Isolated tornadoes are possible over the Florida Keys and the southern Florida peninsula, the center said.

NEW: Fay made landfall at Cape Romano just south of Marco Island . NEW: Hurricane warnings dropped as Fay's winds never reached 74 mph . It was the third landfall for the storm, which came ashore in western Cuba Sunday . Track Fay with CNN's Hurricane Tracker .

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SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir (CNN) -- Violent protests continued across Kashmir Wednesday, as the death toll from the past two days of demonstrations rose to 20, a senior police official said. Hindu protesters shout slogans against Jammu and Kashmir state governor N. N. Vohra. Three people critically injured in the protests died on Wednesday, adding to the already high tensions. Several thousand people joined the Wednesday morning funeral procession for one of the victims in old Srinagar city. The region -- which is split between India and Pakistan -- has been a flashpoint of violence between Hindus and Muslims for more than a month. The violence was triggered by the Hindu government's attempt to transfer land to a Hindu shrine. The latest round of protests was started on Monday by fruit growers who were upset that Hindu protesters had blocked a highway leading into India, preventing their crops from getting to market. It has spiraled into demonstrations against the deaths. A police official said 200 people have been injured in the two days of protests. A round-the-clock curfew in Srinagar, the summer capital of Kashmir, was lifted for several hours Wednesday to allow residents to buy essential commodities. During the curfew suspension, an angry mob attacked a policeman in Srinagar's old city, torching his motorbike. Speaking Wednesday, Kashmir's Indian-appointed governor N. N. Vohra made a fervent appeal for demonstrators to maintain calm. He expressed deep grief for "the families who lost their near and dear ones in the unfortunate incidents." From Journalist Mukhtar Ahmad .

Violent protests continue across Kashmir, death toll rises to 20 . Thousands join funeral procession for one of the victims . Protesters angry over govt. decision not to transfer land to a Hindu shrine . State govt. revoked transfer after a week of violent protests by Muslims .

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(CNN) -- "I AM" is a new CNN.com feature built on the belief that the labels we use for one another don't really reveal who we are. We present a collection of people who may surprise you. They not only defy their labels, but they've done it in very public and dramatic ways. This week, I AM presents four African-Americans who challenge conventional notions of blackness. But then defining what it means to be black has long been a matter of debate within the African-American community. The R&B singer, Billy Paul, once had a song called, "Am I Black Enough?" Well are they? You be the judge. Barbara Hillary -- At the age of 75, she became the first African American woman to reach the North Pole. Maurice Ashley -- Is the first and only African American to attain the coveted title of International Grand Master of Chess. Bliss Broyard -- Author of "One Drop: My Father's Hidden Life -- A Story of Race & Family Secrets," learned her father was black just before his death. Marvin Perkins -- As an African American elder in the Mormon church, Perkins says he is one of the world's best kept secrets in the world.

"I AM" is built on the belief that the labels we use for others, don't reveal who we are . Meet four African Americans who challenge conventional notions of blackness . CNN Presents: Black in America airs July 23 and 24, at 9 p.m. ET .

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KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- The leader of Nepal's former communist rebels was named as the country's new prime minister Friday. Prachanda is still the supreme commander of the Maoists People's Liberation Army. Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, was elected four months after elections in which his Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) became the largest party in the 601-member constituent assembly. Prachanda received 464 votes of the 577 votes cast, while his rival Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress party received 113 votes. Most of the parties in the assembly voted for the Maoist candidate. A simple majority was enough to be elected the prime minister. Prachanda's victory became certain on Thursday when the third and fourth biggest parties in Nepal's assembly decided to back him. He will now lead a coalition government, although talks are ongoing on about the allocation of ministerial portfolios. The Maoists signed a peace deal with the government in November 2006, joined an interim parliament and government in 2007 and fought multi-party elections in April this year. The Communist Party of Nepal unexpectedly became the largest party in the elections, winning 220 of the 575 elected seats in the assembly. The assembly declared Nepal a republic in May and in July elected Nepal's first president, physician Ram Baran Yadav. Prachanda, 54, entered politics when he was 17 but went underground in 1981, making his first public appearance after 25 years in 2006. The Maoists launched an insurgency to abolish the monarchy in 1996 and the ten-year conflict claimed more than 13,000 lives. According to the peace deal agreed in 2008, the estimated 19,602 Maoist combatants would be integrated into the country's security structure, the process of which is yet to be worked out. Prachanda remains the supreme commander of the Maoists People's Liberation Army. Besides completing the peace process, the new government has to face many challenges including inflation, lawlessness, impunity and ethnic aspirations.

Prachanda, Communist Party of Nepal chairman, won 464 out of 577 votes . A simple majority was enough to be elected the prime minister . Assembly declared Nepal a republic in May and July elected first president . The post of president is largely ceremonial. PM has executive powers .

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(CNN) -- Pictures of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's newborn twins have been published for the first time after a magazine bidding war which news agencies claim topped $14 million. Hola! magazine, the Spanish sister publication to Hello!, has also published images of the Jolie-Pitt twins. Hello! magazine, which won international rights to the images, and People magazine, which took U.S. rights, published the photographs in their latest editions, which hit newsstands Monday. The two publications, which have previously secured image rights to the couple's elder children, are believed to have shared the costs, The Associated Press reported over the weekend. The agency quoted an unnamed source, not authorized to speak about the deal, as saying the pictures had fetched $14 million. The images show the couple, newborns Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline and the rest of the Jolie-Pitt family -- Maddox, 7, Pax, 4, Zahara, 3, and Shiloh, 2. The twins were born by Cesarian section at the Lenval hospital in the French Riviera resort of Nice on July 12. Hello! magazine, which heralds its coverage as the "biggest exclusive of the year," devotes 17 pages of coverage to the twins' arrival. In an interview published in the magazine, Jolie says: "Wanting a big family is one of the things that brought Brad and I together." Pitt adds: "When Ange and I were told we were having twins we burst into hysterics... We didn't see this one coming." Watch why the photos went for so much money » . Larry Hackett, the managing editor of People said that it was "thrilled" to have carried the images. People, like CNN, is owned by Time Warner. Jonathan Klein, co-founder and CEO of Getty Images, which organized the photo shoot, said that all the proceeds would go toward the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, which earlier this year donated $1 million to help children in Iraq. Copyright 2008 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

Magazines publish images of Angelina Jolie-Brad Pitt twins for the first time . AP: Rights to images secured after $14M joint bid by Hello! and People magazines . Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon born July 12 in Nice, southern France .

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- A helicopter crashed into an oil drilling platform off the coast of Dubai, killing all seven people on board, officials said Thursday. The helicopter which crashed was a Bell 212, the same model as pictured above. Among the victims were an American and a Briton, said Hanan Moussa of the United Arab Emirates' General Civil Aviation Authority. Also killed were two Indians, a Pakistani, a Filipino and a Venezuelan, Moussa said. The Bell 212 helicopter crashed Wednesday on the deck of an oil rig, then broke up and fell into the sea, said a spokesman for AeroGulf Services -- which operated the chopper. A fire broke out aboard the rig, located about 43 miles (70 km) off the coast of Dubai. The fire was quickly contained, the AeroGulf spokesman said. Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash. CNN's Ammar Ben Aziz and Caroline Faraj contributed to this report.

Helicopter crashes into an oil drilling platform off Dubai, killing seven people . Victims were: American, British, Indian, Pakistani, Filipino and Venezuelan . Bell 212 helicopter crashed on the deck of the oil rig .

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(CNN) -- New Zealand police are investigating a "serious allegation" against four England rugby internationals following an alleged incident at their team hotel in Auckland. The England team are currently involved in a two match tour to New Zealand. Although Auckland police have yet to confirm the nature of the allegation, the Press Association reports that an incident is said to have taken place early Sunday in a private hotel room at the city's Hilton hotel following the team's defeat to New Zealand's All Blacks. In a statement the police said: "Auckland City Criminal Investigation Branch is investigating an allegation involving up to four members of the England rugby team. "The incident being investigated is alleged to have occurred early on Sunday, June 15, in a private room. Whilst an allegation was brought to the attention of police on Sunday evening, no formal complaint has been received. "Investigating officers are receiving the appropriate level of co-operation from the England rugby team management." The Rugby Football Union (RFU) confirmed it was fully co-operating with the authorities over the matter. Rob Andrew, the RFU's elite director of rugby, said in a statement: "The England rugby team has been informed by Auckland Police that an allegation has been made against four members of the England playing squad. "Whilst no formal complaint has been made we are co-operating with the police and their enquiries. "The players concerned have the complete support of all the players and the management. In the circumstances we are unable to make any further comment." The identity of the players has not been revealed. The England team is currently in Christchurch preparing for the second test against the All Blacks on Saturday.

Auckland police have yet to confirm the nature of the allegation . "Incident" occured in a private hotel room after team's defeat to All Blacks . RFU: Players concerned have complete support of all players and management .

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(CNN) -- A year ago Thursday, I-Report was born. CNN.com launched its I-Report initiative August 2, 2006, in an effort to involve citizens in the newsgathering process. Numerous milestones later, I-Report has grown and developed its ability to be an integral component of the network's coverage. Mark Lacroix photographed the collapsed bridge from his apartment window. On the eve of its anniversary, I-Reporters responded to yet another major news event: the deadly collapse of a bridge over the Mississippi river in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mark Lacroix sent photos of the scene immediately after the disaster. As the story developed, he provided information about the situation to viewers live on television. Lacroix's photos were among the more than 450 I-Report submissions sent to CNN within the first 24 hours of the bridge's collapse -- the biggest response in one day to a single news event in I-Report history. CNN.com readers have long been submitting photos and video, as well as speaking with CNN reporters, during major breaking news events. (Check out our timeline of I-Report milestones) » . On April 16, Jamal Albarghouti sent cell phone video of the Virginia Tech shooting in Blacksburg, Virginia, as the dramatic events were unfolding. More recently, when fireballs began exploding from an industrial gas facility in Dallas, Texas, in July, I-Reporters wasted no time in recording video as smoke and debris rose into the air. Justin Randall was in a convertible during the incident and tried to drive around blast debris on a highway. He sent video of the explosions, showing flames rising high into the air. During a steam pipe explosion in New York, Jonathan Thompson sent video of a powerful surge of steam rising from the ground and rescuers scrambling to secure the area. He followed up later that month by sending footage of repairs being made to the crater left behind. E-mail to a friend .

I-Report initiative launched August 2, 2006, on CNN.com . Citizen journalists have participated in CNN's newsgathering . More than 6,000 I-Report submissions last month .

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St. PAUL, Minnesota (CNN) -- Cindy McCain praised her husband, Republican presidential nominee John McCain, as "someone of unusual strength and character" in a speech to the Republican National Convention on Thursday. Cindy McCain speaks at the Republican National Convention on Thursday night. "You can trust his hand at the wheel," she said, adding: "But you know what -- I've always thought it's a good idea to have a woman's hand on the wheel as well. So how about Gov. Sarah Palin!" Delegates erupted in cheers at the mention of McCain's running mate, the governor of Alaska. Cindy McCain said her husband's run for the White House "is not about us. It's about our special and exceptional country." She called Americans the most generous people in history, and said "our hearts are still alive with hope and belief in our individual ability to make things right if only the federal government would get itself under control and out of our way," prompting cheers from the delegates. Watch Cindy McCain speak at the convention » . Cindy McCain wore jewelled pins reading "USMC" and "Navy" and a flag with a star in honor of her two sons in military service, Jimmy and Jack. She introduced a Rwandan genocide survivor she identified only as Ernestine to illustrate the importance of forgiveness, and said John McCain also exemplified the virtue. "Forgiveness is not just a personal issue: it's why John led the effort to normalize relations with Vietnam; to retrieve the remains of our MIAs; to bring closure to both sides," she said. "That's leadership -- national leadership. And it's leading by example," she said. "This is a good man, a worthy man, I know," she said. "I have loved him with all my heart for almost 30 years and I humbly recommend him to you tonight as our nominee for the next president of the United States." She left the stage to the strains of "Johnny B. Goode," which McCain often uses on the campaign trail.

Cindy McCain: America needs someone of unusual strength and character to lead . Cindy McCain: "Someone exactly like my husband" McCain served in Washington without becoming a Washington insider, she says .

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(CNN) -- In Focus -- Gulf football interests . News of an English football deal sent the British media into a frenzy this week, when a private Abu Dhabi group announced a planned takeover of Manchester City. Sheikha Hanadi al Thani talks about the real estate bubble in Qatar . With the likes of Emirates, Etihad and Saudi Telecom, the Gulf has long had an interest in English football. Are they sound investments or a matter of prestige? MME investigates. Facetime with Sheikha Hanadi Al Thani, CEO, Al Waab City Real Estate Development . Since 2005 when the World Economic Forum named her the "Young Global Leader of the Year," Sheikha Hanadi al Thani has become an inspiration to women across the Arab world. She founded the first firm in Qatar to conduct investment banking and is now the CEO of Al Wa'ab City, a property development that's set to open in 2010. She talks to MME about the real estate bubble in Qatar and being a businesswoman in the Gulf. Watch the show this week at the times (GMT) below: Friday: 0815, 1845 Saturday: 0545 Sunday 0715 .

On this week's MME we look at Gulf interests in English football . We talk to Sheikha Hanadi Al Thani, CEO, Al Waab City Real Estate Development . Al Thani, who started the first investment bank in Qatar, talks about property .

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(CNN) -- In focus: The business of education . We talk to Pnina Rosenblum, the founder of the cosmetic company Pnina Rosenblum Lt. With rising unemployment, the MENA countries are investing more into education than any other emerging region. And Western universities are cashing in. Over 40 prestigious schools have set up alliances and campuses in the Middle East. For the universities it means higher revenues. For the students, it means a premier education close to home. Facetime: Pnina Rosenblum, Pnina Rosenblum Ltd . From a poor upbringing to a beauty queen, millionaire cosmetic mogul and member of the Knesset. Pnina Rosenblum has been an Israeli icon for decades. In 1989 Pnina launched a cosmetics company that generates $8 million a year. MME spent the day with Pnina to find out how she fought her way to fame and fortune. Watch the show this week at the times (GMT) below: Friday: 0815, 1945 Saturday: 0545 Sunday: 0715 .

MME looks at higher education in the Middle East . 40 prestigious schools have set up alliances and campuses in the Middle East . We talk to Pnina Rosenblum an Israeli icon and a cosmetics mogul .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- The family of a British soldier serving in Afghanistan has been forced from their home after a poisonous spider hitched a ride back with him and apparently killed their pet dog. The camel spider's bite is not deadly to humans but can kill small animals. Lorraine Griffiths and her three children, aged 18, 16, and 4, moved out of their house in Colchester, southeast England, and are refusing to return until the spider is apprehended, the UK Press Association reported. Griffiths told the East Anglian Daily Times that the spider appeared after her husband, Rodney, returned from a four-month tour of duty in Helmand province, the arid southern Afghan frontline in the fight against Taliban extremists. "My son Ricky was in my bedroom looking for his underwear, and he went into the drawer under my bed, and something crawled across his hand," she told the paper. She said their pet dog Cassie confronted the creature, which they identified on the Internet as a camel spider, but ran out whimpering when it hissed at her. Watch the family that has been terrorized by the spider » . "It seems too much of a coincidence that she died at the same time that we saw the spider," she said. The desert-dwelling camel spider, actually an insect rather than an arachnid, can run up to 25 kilometers (15 miles) an hour and reach 15 centimeters (6 inches) in length. Its bite is not deadly to humans but can kill small animals.

UK family forced from home as poisonous insect hitches in from Afghanistan . Camel spider believed to have stowed away in soldier's luggage . Family blames creature for death of pet dog Cassie .

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(CNN) -- A magazine photo spread of Taliban fighters posing in the uniforms of 10 French soldiers killed last month has sparked an angry response. One of the pictures in the French magazine Paris Match that has stirred controversy. The latest edition of Paris Match includes photos of the Taliban fighters and their commander, "Farouki," wearing French uniforms, helmets and using French assault rifles and walkie-talkies. Farouki, aged 30-35, claims in the accompanying story to have led his group in the August 18 ambush which killed 10 French troops and injured a further 21 in the Sarobi District, 40 miles east of Kabul. It was the French army's single highest death toll in 25 years. He said the area was "our territory" and the attack was a "legitimate" part of its defense. Farouki said it did not need a lot of planning, with the French soldiers only spotted a short time before the assault. He said the soldiers had died for "[George W.] Bush's" cause and that if France did not return the rest of its troops home they would all be killed. Farouki said they would continue fighting till the last man. See more on Paris Match's Web site . French Defense Minister Herve Morin accused the magazine of helping the Taliban. "Should we be doing the Taliban's promotion for them?" he asked in the French daily newspaper Liberation. Joel Le Pahun, father of one of the killed soldiers, told the newspaper the pictures were "despicable." Green MP Daniel Cohn-Bendit called them "voyeurism." However, Paris Match editor Laurent Valdiguie defended the publication, saying it was "legitimate" given the importance of the story. The story's author, Eric de Lavarène, said only he and photographer Véronique de Viguerie met the group and he asked his questions via their "fixer."

Photos of Taliban in the uniforms of dead French soldiers provokes outrage . Magazine Paris Match features photos of Taliban and their commander . 10 French troops were killed and a further 21 injured in an ambush .

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KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Monsoon flooding has left 50,000 people homeless in Nepal and killed at least 74 people in northern India, according to officials. Monsoon rain has bought heavy flooding to southern Nepal, pictured, and northern India. The Nepalese army Thursday used helicopters to rescue residents in southeastern Nepal who were stranded on treetops and roofs after monsoon flooding forced more than 50,000 people from their homes. In northern India monsoon flooding destroyed mud huts and killed at least 74 people, officials said. The deaths were in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The latest casualties bring to more than 300 the number of people killed in India since the start of this year's monsoon season. Nepalese officials said at least four southern villages were inundated with water after the embankment on the Saptakoshi River burst Monday. Some 40,000 people were now living in government-run relief camps; others had gone to other villages to stay with relatives, authorities said. Nepalese Home Ministry officials said there were unconfirmed reports of deaths related to the flooding but authorities could not reach the affected areas to verify those reports. Police and army troops had been using elephants, boats and helicopters to rescue stranded villagers in Sunsari district, about 400 km (249 miles) southeast of Kathmandu, since Monday. Nepal amd India are in the midst of the annual monsoon season. Copyright 2008 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

Heavy rains, flooding lash sourthern Nepal and northern India . In Nepal, flooding has forced as many as 50,000 from their homes . India officials say at least 74 people have died in the state of Uttar Pradesh .

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(CNN) -- A magazine photo spread of Taliban fighters posing in the uniforms of 10 French soldiers killed last month has sparked an angry response. One of the pictures in the French magazine Paris Match that has stirred controversy. The latest edition of Paris Match includes photos of the Taliban fighters and their commander, "Farouki," wearing French uniforms, helmets and using French assault rifles and walkie-talkies. Farouki, aged 30-35, claims in the accompanying story to have led his group in the August 18 ambush which killed 10 French troops and injured a further 21 in the Sarobi District, 40 miles east of Kabul. It was the French army's single highest death toll in 25 years. He said the area was "our territory" and the attack was a "legitimate" part of its defense. Farouki said it did not need a lot of planning, with the French soldiers only spotted a short time before the assault. He said the soldiers had died for "[George W.] Bush's" cause and that if France did not return the rest of its troops home they would all be killed. Farouki said they would continue fighting till the last man. See more on Paris Match's Web site . French Defense Minister Herve Morin accused the magazine of helping the Taliban. "Should we be doing the Taliban's promotion for them?" he asked in the French daily newspaper Liberation. Joel Le Pahun, father of one of the killed soldiers, told the newspaper the pictures were "despicable." Green MP Daniel Cohn-Bendit called them "voyeurism." However, Paris Match editor Laurent Valdiguie defended the publication, saying it was "legitimate" given the importance of the story. The story's author, Eric de Lavarène, said only he and photographer Véronique de Viguerie met the group and he asked his questions via their "fixer."

Photos of Taliban in the uniforms of dead French soldiers provokes outrage . Magazine Paris Match features photos of Taliban and their commander . 10 French troops were killed and a further 21 injured in an ambush .

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(CNN) -- Swiss police were scrambling Monday in search of three masked men who stole four Impressionist paintings worth about $163 million (180 million Swiss francs) Sunday in a heist police characterized as "spectacular." Claude Monet's "Poppies near Vetheuil" was one of the famous paintings stolen by the armed robbers. The three men entered the E.G. Buehrle Collection -- among the finest collections of Impressionist and post-Impressionist art in the world -- in Zurich, Switzerland, at around 4:30 p.m. CET (8:30 a.m. ET), police said. One of the men threatened personnel at the museum's front door with a pistol and forced them to the ground, police said, while the other two men went into an exhibition room and stole four oil paintings by Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh. Afterward, the three men loaded the paintings -- Monet's "Poppies near Vetheuil," Degas' "Count Lepic and his Daughters," Van Gogh's "Blossoming Chestnut Branches" and Cezanne's "Boy in a Red Vest" -- into a white car parked in front of the museum and then drove off, police said. Police said the men were wearing dark clothes and hoods, and one of them spoke German with a Slavic accent. They were all of average height, police said. There is a reward of $91,000 (100,00 Swiss francs) for information leading to the return of the paintings, police said. The Swiss art heist follows the recent theft in Switzerland of two paintings by Pablo Picasso, Bjoern Quellenberg, a spokesman for the Kunsthaus, a major art museum in Zurich, said. The 'dumbest' form of art crime » . The director of the Kunsthaus serves on the E.G. Buhrle private art foundation's council, Quellenberg said. In that theft, thieves stole the paintings, the 1962 "Tete de Cheval" ("Horse's Head") and the 1944 "Verre et Pichet" ("Glass and Pitcher") by Picasso. They were on loan from a German museum and valued at $4.5 million when they were stolen February 6, according to news reports. E-mail to a friend .

Artworks worth $163M stolen in Zurich art heist . Haul includes pieces by Cezanne, Van Gogh, Degas and Monet . Heist follows recent thefts in Switzerland of artworks by Picasso .

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(CNN) -- A humanitarian plane carrying 17 people -- most of them relief workers -- has crashed during a storm in a mountainous region in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Nations said Tuesday. File image of a Beechcraft 1900 aircraft. Search and rescue crews were not immediately able to land their helicopter in the area and determine whether anyone survived the crash in the east of the country, said Christope Illemassene, spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the capital city of Kinshasa. But Air Serv International, the relief group that operated the plane, said an aerial survey has indicated that all the occupants on the Beechcraft 1900 plane died. The plane was on a routine flight from Kinsasha to the eastern city of Goma on Monday, with three stops, Illemassene said. Air-traffic controllers lost contact with the plane when it approached Bukavu, the last of its three intermediate stops. The weather in the area was stormy at the time, Illemassene said. Search and rescue crews spotted the plane's debris Tuesday, about 9.4 miles (15 km) northwest of the Bukavu airport, Illemassene said. "We're anxiously waiting for results from the search and rescue operation," he said. "We're really hoping the peacekeepers are able to land near the site and confirm whether there are any survivors." Air Serv International, based in the U.S. state of Virginia, is one of several groups that provides transport services to relief organizations in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Flight operators: Aerial survey indicates occupants on aircraft died . Search and rescue crews not able to land their helicopter in the area, U.N. says . Plane was on a routine flight from Kinsasha to the eastern city of Goma .

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(CNN) -- Flash floods and landslides triggered by a weekend tropical storm have killed at least 100 people in Vietnam, the country's news agency said Monday. Vietnamese villagers look at the rubble where 19 houses stood before a flash-flood ripped away the hamlet of Tung Chin in Lao Cai province. Forecasters fear additional casualties as more rain was expected Monday. The floods in the the country's northern mountain provinces damaged tens of thousands of homes, swept away thousands of cattle and submerged crops, the Vietnam News Agency said. More than two dozen people remained missing. Officials mobilized thousands of rescue workers to look for survivors and to carry relief to the areas hardest hit by the storm. Tropical Storm Kammuri struck the northern provinces on Friday. The southeast Asian country is prone to heavy rainfall during the May through September monsoon season. The resulting landslides and floods have killed hundreds in past years.

Flash floods and landslides kill at least 100 people in Vietnam . Disasters triggered by tropical storm . Forecasters fear additional casualties .

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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- U.S.-led forces captured two men believed to be senior al Qaeda in Iraq leaders, including one suspected of planning the 2006 kidnapping of U.S. journalist Jill Carroll, a military statement said. Jill Carroll, seen here in an interview following her 2006 release, was held for nearly three months in Iraq. Coalition forces captured the suspects in Baghdad on August 11 and 17, according to the statement. The suspects were identified as Salim Abdallah Ashur al-Shujayri, also known as Abu Uthman, and Ali Rash Nasir Jiyad al-Shammari, also known as Abu Tiba. Abu Uthman is suspected of masterminding Carroll's abduction, the statement said. Carroll, a freelance reporter for The Christian Science Monitor, was abducted in January 2006 and freed unharmed in March of that year. Both men are suspected of overseeing car or suicide bombings targeting Iraqis with the intent of inciting sectarian violence, the statement said. Abu Tiba is suspected to have been in charge of as many 15 al Qaeda in Iraq "attack cells," providing them with money, weapons and explosives, according to the statement. The men were also suspected of being connected to other kidnappings, the statement said. "The capture of Abu Tiba and Abu Uthman eliminates two of the few remaining experienced leaders in the AQI [al Qaeda in Iraq] network," the statement said.

Abu Uthman suspected of masterminding Jill Carroll's 2006 kidnapping . Uthman and another al Qaeda in Iraq suspect captured this month, military says . Carroll, a U.S. journalist, was abducted in 2006 but released unharmed weeks later .

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(CNN) -- Parma have signed AC Milan's 18-year-old Alberto Paloschi in a co-ownership deal, the Serie B club announced on their Web site on Wednesday. Paloschi scored with his first touch when he made his debut as a Milan sub in February. Paloschi made an instant impact when he made his debut for Milan in February, scoring against Siena with his first touch as substitute. He scored twice in seven appearances last season but his prospects of regular first team football this season diminished sharply after the signings of Andrei Shevchenko and Ronaldinho. Parma were relegated from Serie A last season.. Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has said that that Italy full-back Massimo Oddo could be leaving soon. Galliano told Gazzetta dello Sport: "Lyon are interested in our full-back and anything is possible." The 32-year-old former Lazio right-back is likely to lose his first team spot to new signing Gianluca Zambrotta from Barcelona. Oddo was in Italy's World Cup winning squad in Germany in 2006 but was not chosen for the Euro 2008 finals in June. Lyon already have an Italian at left-back in Fabio Grosso, who was also a World Cup winner in 2006.

Alberto Paloschi is moving from Milan to Parma in a co-ownership deal . The 18-year-old scored with his first touch in his Milan debut in February . Lyon are interested in signing Milan right-back Massimo Oddo .

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(CNN) -- A JetBlue flight from Boston, Massachusetts, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was diverted Saturday when a fight broke out after someone was smoking in the bathroom, federal officials said. A JetBlue plane was held in North Carolina for two hours while passengers were interviewed. One passenger aboard JetBlue Flight 455 was taken into custody at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina after the plane landed about 5:45 p.m. A federal Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman said one person was injured in the face by what may have been a punch. She said the fight involved three people who are thought to be related. According to the airline, there were 88 people and four crew members aboard the jet. The flight had been scheduled to leave Boston at 1 p.m. but did not take off until 3:11 p.m., spokeswoman Alison Eshelman said. Eyewitnesses said the scuffle was between two brothers, one of whom was angry that his brother had smoked on a plane. One passenger interviewed by CNN affiliate WFOR said the fight left one of the men bloody. "I saw the guy holding his head with the blood coming out," Mike Rocha said. The jet was held at the North Carolina airport for about two hours while FBI investigators interviewed passengers.

Witnesses said fight broke out after someone was smoking in bathroom . One person taken into custody at Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, airport . Witness: "I saw the guy holding his head with the blood coming out" Plane held two hours in North Carolina while FBI interviewed passengers .

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(CNN) -- An earthquake shook southern Iceland on Thursday, reportedly causing injuries and damaging roads and buildings. A seismograph at the Institute of the Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, shows earthquake activity. The 6.1 magnitude temblor struck about 3:46 p.m. (11:46 a.m. ET), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Its epicenter was about 50 km (31 miles) east-southeast of the capital, Reykjavik, and was about 10 km (6.2 miles) below the Earth's surface. It was unclear exactly how many people were injured or the severity of their injuries, Olli Tynes, a journalist with Reykjavik's Channel 2, told CNN. A hospital in a town near the epicenter was also reported damaged, and some wings have had to be evacuated, he said. There were no reports of fatalities, but "great material damage," Tynes said. Roads and bridges in the area have been closed. The Associated Press, quoting civil defense authorities, reported 15 to 20 people from Selfoss, near the epicenter, were taken for medical treatment. Iceland's emergency management agency has swung into action, and rescue crews were headed to the area most affected by the quake. Tynes said he has been speaking to residents of the towns closest to the epicenter. "They said they thought the world was coming to an end," he said. "They thought they were going to die." There have been no reports of homes collapsing, as most homes in Iceland are built to withstand earthquakes, he said. Alti Mar Gylfason said he had received reports of damage to the road that rings the island nation. The quake was felt nationwide, he said. "It was a little bit like you're sleeping in a waterbed, you know ... everything floats around," he said, adding that people poured out of buildings into the street. "This is not something we experience on a normal basis." Although Iceland is seismically active, its last major quakes were on June 17 and June 21, 2000, with quakes of 6.5 and 6.4, respectively. The temblors damaged homes and buildings, but caused no serious injuries.

Strong earthquake shakes southern Iceland on Thursday afternoon . U.S. Geological Survey says quake was 6.1 magnitude . Epicenter 50 kilometers (30 miles) east, south-east of the capital Reykjavik . Residents near epicenter told to check on relatives .

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- An American sailor fatally shot two female sailors before shooting himself Monday inside a U.S. military barracks in Bahrain, the Navy said. The alleged shooter, a male, survived the self-inflicted gunshot and was in critical condition at a military hospital in Bahrain, the Navy said. The man was under heavy security. The motive for the shootings is unclear, but the Navy said the incident was not terror-related and it involved only U.S. military personnel. The shootings occurred about 5 a.m., the Navy said in a news release. The base was closed for about an hour after the shootings. A Navy spokesman in Bahrain refused to provide any other details about the incident. Naval Support Activity Bahrain supports the U.S. Fifth Fleet, whose operations span about 7.5 million square miles across 27 countries. Included in the fleet's area of responsibility are the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean. The support base is located just outside Manama, the capital. Bahrain, a U.S. ally, is an island nation in the Persian Gulf, wedged between Qatar and Saudi Arabia. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Barbara Starr and Caroline Faraj contributed to this report.

NEW: Sailor shoots two female colleagues, then self, Navy says . Incident occurred at U.S. Navy support facility in the country . Navy says incident was not terror-related . Base supports U.S. Fifth Fleet, whose operations span 27 nations .

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JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- Indonesia will withdraw from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries at the end of the year, the country's energy minister told foreign journalists Wednesday. Indonesia has become a net importer of oil due to declining production levels. Purnomo Yusgiantoro said the move follows declining oil production levels in Indonesia that have left the country a net importer of oil. "In the future, if our production (comes) back again to the level that gives us a status as a net oil exporter, then I think we can go back to OPEC again," he said. "But today we decided that we are pulling out of OPEC." It was not immediately clear what effect Indonesia's decision will have on global oil prices. However the move was not unexpected. Indonesia, which joined OPEC in 1962, is the only southeast Asian country in the 13-nation oil cartel. Oil production there has steadily decreased in the last decade because of disappointing exploration efforts and declining production, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Since 1996, total production has dropped by 32 percent. The country's current output quota for crude oil as set by OPEC is 1.45 million barrels a day -- well above its production capacity. In 2006, Indonesia imported more oil than it exported. CNN's Kathy Quiano contributed to this report .

Indonesia to withdraw from OPEC at end of the year, energy minister says . Purnomo Yusgiantoro says Indonesia more of an oil consumer than producer . Low production means Southeast Asia's only OPEC member is net oil importer .

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