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(CNN) -- A seventh minute goal from Brazilian teenager Alexander Pato proved enough to give AC Milan a 1-0 home victory over Fiorentina in a match totally dominated by Manchester City's $150 million bid for playmaker Kaka this week. Pato (right) and David Beckham celebrate Milan's only goal at the San Siro on Saturday evening. The goal was created by David Beckham who beat two defenders to a loose ball. He poked it back to Marek Jankulovski who played in Pato inside the penalty area. There still appeared no danger to the Fiorentina goal, but Pato hit a stunning strike from the left that went in off the far post. Fiorentina should have equalized on 66 minutes when Juan Vargas got to the byline and crossed to Mario Santana but the Argentine put his shot too close to goalkeeper Christian Abbiati who managed to save. The result leaves Milan in third place on 37 points, six points behind leaders and city rivals Inter, who have a game in hand. Jose Mourinho's side travel to Atalanta on Sunday. Jankulovski collected a late red card for timewasting, but Milan held on to secure the three points. Meanwhile, Milan supporters made their opposition to the Kaka bid, and his possible departure, perfectly clear throughout the match -- unveiling a host of banners and singing songs pleading with the Brazilian to stay at the San Siro. Reggina remain deep in relegation trouble after suffering a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Siena. Mario Frick's goal 15 minutes from time was enough to give the Bianconeri three points which sees them leapfrog Sampdoria and move up to the relative comfort of 14th spot. Siena in contrast, stay second from bottom and could slip to the foot of the Serie A standings if Chievo beat Napoli on Sunday.
Alexander Pato scores seventh minute goal as AC Milan defeat Fiorentina 1-0 . The win puts Milan within six points of Serie A leaders and rivals Inter at top . Milan supporters display displeasure at Kaka's possible departure from club .
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Congressman Jared Polis . (D) Colorado: District 02 . Congressman Jason Chaffetz . (R) Utah: District 03 .
Video: Hand-held cams track freshmen moves . Two freshman representatives document their experience for CNN . Rep. Jared Polis is a Democrat representing Colorado's Second district . Rep. Jason Chaffetz is a Republican representing Utah's Third district .
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NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- India Friday announced it has banned import of Chinese toys for six months. The move was announced by India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade of the Commerce Ministry. The ministry notification gave no reason for the six-month ban effective immediately. In 2007, there were recalls in the United States of Chinese-made toys over concerns of excessive amount of lead paint. Also that year, China suspended export of a bead toy that was contaminated with a "date rape" drug, Chinese media reported. Some children who swallowed the beads vomited and lost consciousness.
India say it has banned import of Chinese toys for six months . No reason given for embargo . Move follows 2007 recalls in the U.S. on Chinese products .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- A British surgeon amputated the arm of a wounded teenager in Congo, Africa, with help from instructions sent to him by text message. British surgeon David Nott, center, with two colleagues in a Congo field hospital where he carried out the operation. David Nott texted his surgical colleague Meirion Thomas, who is one of only a handful of UK surgeons familiar with the difficult procedure of removing the collar bone and shoulder blade. David Nott realized that teenager J, whose arms had been ripped off and who was now gangrenous, had only a few days to live. "I knew that the only way to save this boy's life was to do a forequarter amputation, and I knew that Professor Meirion Thomas was really the expert," Nott said. Nott, a vascular surgeon at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, who volunteers one month a year with humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders, had never performed such an operation. Watch an interview with Nott » . Thomas replied almost immediately with 10 steps Nott should follow to carry out the procedure and then signed off with "Easy! Good luck." David Nott followed his colleague's instructions step by step: "I felt I had like my guardian angel on my left shoulder showing me what to do. I just got on with it, and everything he told me, I just did". Nott and his team embarked on the three-hour operation with just one pint of donated blood. Teenager J is said to have made a full recovery while Nott stayed to keep an eye on his wounds. Thomas said, "All I did was tell David the 10 steps, and I knew that he would follow them."
Text message taught British surgeon how to amputate the arm of teenager in Congo . David Nott texted colleague Meirion Thomas, an expert in forequarter amputation . Nott embarked on the three-hour operation with just one pint of donated blood .
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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A 12-year-old girl died Monday after she was struck by a warning shot fired as a vehicle accelerated toward an Iraqi police station, said the U.S.-led military coalition. The incident occurred in Hurriya in Nineveh province, according to a news release from Multi-National Corp-Iraq. A vehicle accelerated as it approached the Hurriya police station, where coalition forces and Iraqi police were conducting security operations, it said. "The coalition forces and Iraqi police waved and yelled for the vehicle to stop," the news release said. "After the vehicle failed to stop, coalition forces fired two warning rounds." The girl, who was standing about 100 meters (about 328 feet) behind the vehicle, was hit by one of the rounds, the release said. Troops attempted to treat her at the scene, but she died while being transported to a hospital. The incident was under investigation, the release said, adding that Col. Gary Volesky, commander of U.S. forces in Nineveh province, "expresses his condolences to the girl's family for the unfortunate accident." The news release did not say what happened to the vehicle.
Shots were fired at vehicle that accelerated toward Hurriya police station . 12-year-old was standing behind car and was hit by one round . She died while being transported to the hospital .
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ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (CNN) -- African leaders have chosen Libyan President Moammar Gadhafi as chairman of the African Union, according to Ethiopian and Libyan official news agencies. Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi will chair the African Union for one year. At a closed session on Monday, the 53-member Assembly of the African Union Heads of State and Government elected Gadhafi to replace the Tanzanian President, Jakaya Kikwete, who held the position for the last year. Chairmanship of the AU went to the northern African nation because the post is a rotating position held by heads of state for one year. According to Libya's official news agency, Gadhafi will attempt in his new role "to take a decision on establishing an executive instrument for the AU, to push Africa forward to become African united states, such as the United States of Africa." U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Wood answered only in general terms about how the United States would deal with its former adversary as the AU president. "In terms of our working with the AU, we're going to continue, because we have a lot of interests and joint interest in terms of trying to bring peace and stability and economic development and delivery of humanitarian assistance to the continent where it's needed," Wood said. "And so the AU is an important partner for us. It will continue to be. And we'll just have to see how it goes." The United States named Libya a state sponsor of terrorism in 1979 and severed diplomatic relations in 1981 after years of strained relations following a 1969 coup that left Gadhafi as head of the government. But the two countries moved closer after Libya agreed to pay restitution to families of victims of the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am jet over Lockerbie, Scotland, and announced its decision to abandon a weapons of mass destruction program. The United States removed Libya from the list of state sponsors of terrorism and restored full diplomatic relations in 2006.
Gadhafi replaces the leader of Tanzania, who held the post for the last year . The chairmanship is an annual rotating position . Gadhafi will try in his new role to push Africa "to become African united states" U.S. says the African Union is an "important partner"
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(CNN) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has added his brother-in-law to a military board in a move analysts say paves the way for an heir, according to South Korea's state-sponsored Yonhap news agency. Kim Jong-il has named his brother-in-law Jang Song Thaek to a top military board. The addition of his kin to the powerful National Defense Commission also solidifies his standing, Yonhap said. Kim was reappointed Thursday as chairman of the military board in his first major public appearance since a reported stroke in August. His brother-in-law, Jang Song Thaek, is considered his right-hand man, according to Yonhap. Jang, who has been married to Kim's sister since 1972, currently serves as a director of the Workers' Party, Yonhap said. "Kim wants to keep the military in check and secure loyalty to both the military and the party," Cha Doo-hyeogn, a North Korea expert, told Yonhap. Kim also increased the number of members in the military agency to 13, from eight, Yonhap said. "Overall, the power of the National Defense Commission was strengthened," Seoul's Unification Ministry spokesman, Kim Ho-nyoun, told Yonhap in a briefing. There were no other major changes in the new parliament, which signifies that Kim, 67, is prepared to maintain the status quo as he readies someone to take over from him, analysts told Yonhap. Kim's recent health problems and long absence from public functions have prompted speculation on whether he is ready to groom an heir to the world's only communist dynasty. But the secretive nation shields its internal affairs from international scrutiny. Analysts told Yonhap that Jang may serve as caretaker for Kim's successor, who will possibly be one of his three sons.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il added his brother-in-law to a military board . Analysts say move paves the way for an heir to be named . Jang Song Thaek is considered to be Kim's right-hand man .
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(CNN) -- French fishermen suspended their blockade at three English Channel ports Thursday, allowing ferry traffic and freight to move through after two days of disruption, union leaders said. French fishing boats blockade the port of Boulogne. The French ports of Calais, Dunkirk and Boulogne were open again after French unions met Thursday and agreed to stop the blockade. Union leaders have yet to agree on how the rest of their protest will develop, and whether the suspension will become permanent. The fishermen began their blockade of the three ports Tuesday to protest European Union fishing quotas, which they say threaten their livelihoods. The flotillas forced a halt to all cross-Channel traffic, including passenger ferries and freighters, stranding tourists on both sides of the waterway and causing a backlog of freight trucks. P&O, the largest ferry operator on the Channel, said it had resumed running normal services to Calais. "It is our hope that we'll be able to continue doing that throughout the day," spokeswoman Michelle Ulyatt said. LD Ferries, which operates services to Boulogne, said it had canceled four sailings Thursday as a result of the dispute. "We do not yet have any information on whether any of our services will be affected beyond 16th April," the company said in a statement. French fishermen held four hours of talks with Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Michel Barnier in Paris on Wednesday, the French news agency Agence France-Press reported. Barnier offered the local industry €4 million ($5.3 million) in aid, but refused to budge on the fishermen's key demand that the European Union increase fishing quotas, AFP reported. Both France and the European Union have ruled out any renegotiation, pointing out that French cod quotas have already been raised 30 percent since 2008, AFP said.
French fishermen lift port blockades at Calais, Dunkirk and Boulogne . Fishermen are protesting over European Union fishing quotas . Blockades shut all cross-Channel traffic at the three ports . Ferry operator P&O says it is resuming normal Dover-Calais services .
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Packing on the pounds over the holidays? Adam Sandler can sympathize. He recently put on some weight himself. Adam Sandler had to cope with more than just falling gumballs in his latest comedy, "Bedtime Stories." The comedian got buff for the movie "You Don't Mess With the Zohan" (in which he showed a lot of skin), but then he said he let himself go just a bit. "[For 'Zohan'] I worked out like a madman," he told CNN. "And then I started getting fat again." Concern over his physical conditioning led to an unintended consequence -- a broken bone. "[One Saturday] I ate so much food, that I was laying in bed. I was fat as heck and I said, 'I better play some ball.' I went out and played basketball, broke my ankle. I said, 'Maybe I should have stayed fat.' " The mishap occurred as he was filming his latest comedy, "Bedtime Stories." In scenes that involved walking around, Sandler needed a body double. "I'm shooting the movie with the cast on," he said. "We did about six, seven weeks of shooting. If I was standing here and I had to walk to the door, I would stand up [then the camera would cut to] a guy with my outfit on that took the walk." Sandler is on the mend, but he said his ankle is still a little swollen. "Bedtime Stories" opens Christmas Day.
Adam Sandler wore cast for part of "Bedtime Stories" filming . Some scenes required a body double after star broke ankle . Sandler says he let himself go after "You Don't Mess With the Zohan"
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Development threatens to engulf Civil War battlefields, a preservationist group said as it released its annual list of endangered battle sites on Wednesday. Civil War reenactors fire a cannon at the Gettysburg, Pennsylavnia, battlefield in 2003. "In town after town, the irreplaceable battlefields that define those communities are being marred forever," said James Lighthizer, the head of the Civil War Preservation Trust. "As we approach the sesquicentennial of the bloodiest conflict in our nation's history, we need to be more aware than ever of the importance of preserving these sacred places for generations to come." The group says it has helped save more than 25,000 acres of Civil War battlefields in 18 states. Topping the 2009 list of endangered battlefields is Monocacy, Maryland, where the Preservation Trust wants to prevent a trash-processing facility with a 350-foot smokestack from being built nearby. In Virginia, the group is fighting to keep a Wal-Mart Supercenter from going up on the edge of the Wilderness Battlefield, which also is on this year's list. On that site, 160,000 Union and Confederate troops fought a two-day battle in 1864. "These hallowed battlegrounds should be national shrines, monuments to American valor, determination and courage," actor Richard Dreyfuss said in prepared remarks. "Once these irreplaceable treasures are gone, they're gone forever." Dreyfuss has been involved in a pair of Civil War documentaries. Rounding out the group's Top 10 list of endangered battlefields are: .
Development threatens to destroy historic Civil War sites, group says . Trash processing center may be built near Maryland battlefield . Wal-Mart proposes store adjacent to Virginia's Wilderness battlefield . Sites are "irreplaceable treasures," actor Richard Dreyfuss says .
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(CNN) -- A 23-year-old Mexican beauty queen and seven men were taken into custody late Monday after being found in vehicles containing weapons and cash in central Mexico, police said Tuesday. Laura Zuniga and seven men were found in vehicles with guns and $50,000, Mexican police say. Laura Zuniga and the men were traveling in two vehicles that contained AR-15 assault rifles, handguns, cartridges and $50,000 in cash, said Luis Carlos Najera Gutierrez de Velazco, secretary of public security for the state of Jalisco. The eight were stopped in Zapopan, outside Guadalajara, and will face arms charges and an investigation by a federal organized crime team, Najera said. Police, who had received a tip that a group of armed men were in a home, "detected" the vehicles as they were traveling to investigate the call, Najera said. One of the men in the vehicles was 29-year-old Angel Orlando Garcia Urquiza, who is Zuniga's boyfriend and the brother of "one of the greatest capos of narcotraffic," Najera said. Najera said Urquiza's brother, Ricardo Garcia Urquiza, is a member of the Juarez cartel and already was in police custody. All eight were filed before the news media Tuesday. Zuniga, wearing blue jeans and a gray sweater, raised her handcuffed wrists to cover her face in a police picture. Zuniga is from Culiacan in the state of Sinaloa, a center of drug activity. In July, she won the title Nuestra Belleza Sinaloa. That gave her the right to compete two months later in the national Nuestra Belleza Mexico in Monterrey, where she won "The Election of the Queens," one of five special recognitions, and came in third overall. In October, she won the title "Hispanoamerican Queen 2008" in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. According to the Nuestra Belleza Mexico Web site, she is to represent Mexico in next year's Miss International contest.
Mexican police: Laura Zuniga, seven men face arms charges, federal probe . Zuniga, men found in vehicles with weapons, $50,000, police say . Zuniga won state beauty contest, finished third in national competition . She won "Hispanoamerican Queen 2008" title in October .
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Mandy Moore is getting a license to wed rocker Ryan Adams. Mandy Moore has been with Ryan Adams for about a year. Moore's publicist confirmed Thursday the 24-year-old singer-actress is engaged to marry Adams, 34, who is known for producing rock music with a country influence. Spokeswoman Tracy Bufferd gave no details about wedding plans. Rumors first surfaced almost a year ago that Moore and Adams were dating as paparazzi photos surfaced of the couple out together in Los Angeles. Moore's role as a bride in the 2007 movie "License to Wed" may help her as she moves toward the altar. The romantic comedy featured Robin Williams as "Reverend Frank," who put Moore's character and her fiance through a "marriage preparation course" before they could get hitched in his church. Her first success as a recording artist came in 1999 with her debut album, "So Real," which went platinum with the help of her top 10 single "Candy."
Singer-actress Mandy Moore engaged to rocker Ryan Adams . Moore has had top 10 music success, better known for movie roles . Adams a prolific singer-songwriter as soloist and with Whiskeytown, Cardinals .
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(CNN) -- Fourteen thoroughbred horses dropped dead in a mysterious scene Sunday before a polo match near West Palm Beach, Florida, officials said. Teams are trying to figure out what happened at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Florida. State and local veterinary teams are trying to figure out what happened at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida, as team Lechuza Caracas prepared to compete in a U.S. Open match. Two horses initially collapsed, and as vets and team officials scrambled to revive them, five others became dizzy, said Tim O'Connor, spokesman for the polo club. "A total of seven died on our property," O'Connor told CNN. Seven other horses died en route to a Wellington horse farm and a veterinary hospital. The cause of the deaths has not been determined, and necropsies and blood tests were underway, he said. O'Connor said each team brings between 40 to 60 horses for matches, and they are continuously switched out throughout a match to keep the horses from overexerting themselves. A meeting will be held to determine whether Lechuza Caracas will compete at a later date, he said. "Everybody is kind of in shock and trying to figure out what happened," he said. "Nobody can recall an incident in which this many horses have died at once." CNN's Samira Simone contributed to this report.
14 thoroughbred horses drop dead unexpectedly before a polo match . Match set at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida . Cause of deaths not determined; necropsies and blood tests are underway . Polo club spokesman: "Everybody is kind of in shock"
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(CNN) -- Australia's prime minister Friday slammed those engaged in human trafficking after an explosion aboard a boat carrying Afghan refugees killed three people and injured more than 40 others near Ashmore Reef, off Australia's northwest coast. "People smugglers are engaged in the world's most evil trade and they should all rot in jail because they represent the absolute scum of the earth," Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told reporters. "We see this lowest form of human life at work in what we saw on the high seas yesterday. That's why this government maintains its hardline, tough, targeted approach to maintaining border protection for Australia. And that's why we have dedicated more resources to combat people smuggling than any other government in Australian history." The boat was carrying 49 refugees, officials said. In addition to the three killed, two others were missing. Rudd would not comment on the cause of the explosion, citing the ongoing investigation. The prime minister acknowledged that human smuggling was an increasing problem exacerbated by "global factors" but defended his government's border security policies. "Our staff, our naval staff, our coast watch staff, our aerial surveillance staff and others, our police, are doing a first class job backed up by our intelligence officers as well, also in collaboration with partners across the region," the prime minister said. "Because it is a global phenomenon and we are finding push factors operating from around the world, our active partnership with international governments and international agencies like the UNHCR is equally critical. This is a fight on many fronts. It is a fight which we have been engaged in for some time and a fight which other governments around the world are equally engaged in with us." Rudd said the refugees' requests for asylum "will be treated under the normal provisions of the law through the examination of each of their individual cases."
Explosion on boat carrying Afghan refugees killed three people and injured 40 . Rudd: 'People smugglers are engaged in the world's most evil trade' Rudd would not comment on cause of explosion, citing the ongoing investigation .
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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- At least seven Iraqis were killed and 23 wounded when a bomb exploded near a Shiite holy shrine in northern Baghdad on Wednesday morning, an Interior Ministry official said. The Imam Musa al-Kadhim shrine in Baghdad, Iraq, seen in 2007, is holy to Shiite Muslims. The bomb detonated near the Imam Musa al-Kadhim shrine in the Kadhimiya district, the official said. The Kadhimiya shrine is one of the holiest shrines for Shiite Muslims around the world. On Tuesday, a parked car bomb killed at least nine people and wounded more than a dozen others, also in Kadhimiya. This is the third straight day of deadly attacks in the capital, striking mostly Shiite areas. On Monday, seven bombings in Baghdad left at least 32 people killed and more than 130 wounded. Iraqi officials have warned that they expect a rise in attacks. The country's president and his deputies urged security forces to intensify their efforts to secure the country. The government has blamed the ousted Baath party and al Qaeda in Iraq for Monday's attacks, saying they were meant to create sectarian divisions. The U.S. military also pointed the finger at al Qaeda. "The nature of the attacks and targets are consistent with past al Qaeda in Iraq attacks. We see this as coordinated attack by terrorists against predominantly Shia targets that they gauge as vulnerable to instigate sectarian violence," the U.S. military said.
Three days of attacks in mainly Shiite areas of Baghdad leave dozens dead . Bomb near revered Shiite shrine of Imam Musa al-Kadhim kills 7 on Wednesday . Parked car bomb in same area of Baghdad kills at least 9 people on Tuesday . At least 32 killed on Monday in seven bombings around Iraqi capital .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The commander of a U.S. Navy submarine that collided with another Navy ship last month has been relieved of duty, according to a U.S. Navy statement issued Tuesday. The submarine USS Hartford and amphibious ship USS New Orleans are shown in Navy photos. U.S. Navy Cmdr. Ryan Brookhart was relieved by his superior officer, who cited a loss of confidence in his ability to command, according to the statement. While the investigation into the collision is still ongoing, Brookhart's commander, Rear Adm. Michael J. Connor, decided there was enough evidence to remove him from his leadership position. Brookhart has been reassigned to administrative duty in Bahrain. Cmdr. Chris Harkins, deputy commander of Submarine Squadron Eight, based in Norfolk, Virginia, has taken over as commander of the USS Hartford, according to Navy officials. Brookhart was in command of the Hartford, a nuclear-powered submarine, when it collided with the USS New Orleans (LPD 18) on March 20 in the Strait of Hormuz. Fifteen sailors aboard the Hartford were slightly hurt in the incident, and both vessels suffered extensive damage, according to U.S. Navy officials. The submarine also punched a hole in the fuel tank of the New Orleans, causing thousands of gallons of fuel to pour from the ship. When the incident occurred, both vessels were headed to ports in the Persian Gulf to stock up on provisions and allow for some recreation, Navy officials said. There were about 200 sailors in the sub and 1,000 sailors and Marines aboard the ship. The Strait of Hormuz is between the United Arab Emirates and Iran, linking the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. It is heavily used by oil tankers. Both vessels are on regularly scheduled deployments to the U.S. Navy Central Command area of responsibility and conduct Maritime Security Operations.
Superior officer cited a loss of confidence in removing the Navy commander . U.S. Navy Cmdr. Ryan Brookhart reassigned to administrative duty in Bahrain . Fifteen sailors were slightly hurt in the incident; two vessels damaged .
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(CNN) -- Incumbent leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika has won a third term in office after a landslide victory in Algeria's presidential election, media reports said Friday. Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika arrives to cast his vote at a school in Algiers. Bouteflika's victory came despite calls from his political opponents for voters to boycott the polls. They claim the election was a charade, with the other presidential candidates -- from left-wing parties to Islamists -- standing no real chance. The 72-year-old was elected with over 90 percent of the vote, Reuters.com quoted the official in charge of organizing Thursday's presidential election as saying. "Bouteflika has won ... 90.24 percent of the votes cast," Interior Minister Minister Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni told a news conference. Algerian lawmakers, most of them loyal to the president, cleared the way for him to stand for re-election last year by abolishing constitutional term limits. Critics said that would allow him to serve as president-for-life. Supporters of Bouteflika say he deserves credit for steering the North African country, an oil and gas producer, back to stability after a bloody civil conflict in the 1990s that killed an estimated 150,000 people. But critics say he is using the threat of renewed violence from Islamic militants to mask the country's deepening economic problems. "I continue to regard the restoration of civil peace as a national priority, as long as hotbeds of tension and pockets of subversion survive," Bouteflika, running for a third term, said in his final campaign speech on Monday, Reuters.com reported. He has also promised to spend $150 billion on development projects and create 3 million jobs, his remedy for an economy in which energy accounts for about 96 percent of exports but where other sectors have been choked by red tape and under-investment.
Bouteflika, 72, win third term comfortably with 90 percent of vote . Lawmakers abolished constitutional term limits last year . Political opponents claim vote was a charade . Algeria is fighting an Islamic insurgency and an ailing economy .
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen married National Football League star Tom Brady Thursday in an "intimate" sunset ceremony, US Weekly magazine reported on its Web site. Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen attend a Metropolitan Museum of Art gala May 5, 2008, in New York City. The couple wed at a Catholic church in Santa Monica, California, in front of mostly immediate family members, the entertainment magazine reported. The two had dated since 2006. The bride wore a Dolce & Gabbana gown. Her three dogs, which attended the ceremony, wore matching Dolce & Gabbana floral lace collars, the Web site said. Bundchen, 28, is the highest-paid model in the world, the business Web site Forbes.com reported last year. New England Patriots quarterback Brady has gone to the Super Bowl four times, winning three of those games.
Couple weds at a Catholic church in Santa Monica, California, US Weekly reports . Bride wears a Dolce & Gabbana gown; her three dogs attend the ceremony . She's world's highest-paid model; he's gone to the Super Bowl four times .
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(CNN) -- Emmy-winning Patrick McGoohan, the actor who created one of British television's most surreal thrillers, has died aged 80, according to British media reports. Fans holding placards of Patrick McGoohan recreate a scene from 'The Prisoner' to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the show in 2007. The Press Association, quoting his son-in-law Cleve Landsberg, reported he died in Los Angeles after a short illness. McGoohan, star of the 1960s show 'The Danger Man,' is best remembered for writing and starring in 'The Prisoner' about a former spy locked away in an isolated village who tries to escape each episode. The Internet Movie Data Base Web site says the "mysterious final episode caused such an uproar that McGoohan was to desert England for more than 20 years." In a long career in TV and movies, he was King Edward Longshanks in 'Braveheart,' and he won two Emmys for work on the 'Columbo' series starring Peter Falk. He also did a voiceover on 'The Simpsons' cartoon of his character in 'The Prisoner.' He was born in Astoria, New York to Irish emigrants but the family returned to Ireland shortly afterwards. McGoohan was raised in Ireland and England.
Actor Patrick McGoohan dies age 80, media reports . McGoohan best-known for creating and starring in 'The Prisoner' TV series . He was an Emmy winning actor whose TV and Movie career spanned six decades .
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A light earthquake shook Southern California Thursday evening, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The magnitude 4.5 quake struck at 7:50 p.m. (10:50 p.m. ET) and was centered in San Bernardino, about 55 miles east of Los Angeles. A smaller magnitude 3.3 aftershock hit about an hour later. Although the quake was centered just a mile from San Bernadino's city hall, it was 10 miles below the surface, said Dr. Egill Hauksson, a seismologist with the Earthquake Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology. "It's unlikely that there's going to be damage," said Hauksson said. There are about 10 quakes of this strength every year in this area, he said. Initial estimates put the quake at a magnitude 5.0, but it was downgraded shortly afterward. The USGS said people reported feeling the earthquake as far away as San Diego.
Southern California shaken by light quake Thursday evening . Quake centered in San Bernardino, about 55 miles east of Los Angeles . Seismologist: "It's unlikely that there's going to be damage" Quake downgraded to magnitude 4.5, it's felt all the way in San Diego .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Our resident coach and technical expert Chris Meadows has plenty of experience in the sport and has worked with some of the biggest names in golf. Chris has worked with more than 100,000 golfers throughout his career. Growing up beside Nick Faldo, Meadows learned that success in golf comes through developing a clear understanding of, and being committed to, your objective. A dedicated coach from an early age, he soon realized his gift was the development of others. Meadows simple and holistic approach to learning has been personally shared with more than 100,000 golfers in a career spanning three decades. Many of his instructional books have become best-sellers, his career recently being recognized by the Professional Golfers' Association when he was made an Advanced Fellow of the PGA. Chris has been Living Golf's resident golf expert since 2003.
Chris Meadows has worked with some of golf's big names . He has personally coached more than 100,000 golfers . Chris was made an Advanced Fellow of the PGA .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Karma caught up with former Culture Club singer Boy George on Friday when a court sentenced the star to 15 months for falsely imprisoning a male escort, a court spokeswoman said. George O'Dowd, also known as Boy George, arrives at Snaresbrook Crown Court, in east London. Full details of the sentence weren't immediately clear. A jury unanimously found the pop star and DJ, whose real name is George O'Dowd, guilty of the charge last month after a seven-day trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court in northeast London. The jury determined O'Dowd, 47, had chained male escort Audun Carlsen to a wall at his apartment in London's hip Shoreditch neighborhood. Carlsen had also said the singer beat him with a metal chain. Watch as Boy George arrives at court » . O'Dowd, who maintained his innocence, came to court Friday sporting a multicolored tattoo on his bald head, none of his trademark makeup, and a black winter coat. The star quit Culture Club in 1987 after a string of hits with the group, including "Karma Chameleon," "Do you really want to hurt me?" and "Church of the Poison Mind." He has since become a DJ and revived his singing career, releasing a single last year called "Yes we can," inspired by Barack Obama and featuring clips of the U.S. president-elect. O'Dowd is no stranger to the law. In August 2006, he spent five days cleaning the streets of Manhattan as part of a community service sentence for falsely reporting a break-in at his New York City home. He has also publicly battled drug addiction.
Former Culture Club singer jailed for falsely imprisoning a male escort . The victim, Audun Carlsen, claimed he was also beaten with a chain . Boy George, whose real name is George O'Dowd, has battled drug addiction . He spent 5 days cleaning the streets of Manhattan in 2006 on community order .
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NEW DELHI (CNN) -- India's Tata Motors Monday announced it would begin delivery of the Nano, billed as the world's "cheapest car", in July. Tata Motors expects to begin delivery of the Nano, billed as the world's cheapest car, in July. The four-door Nano is currently being built in "limited numbers" at a company plant in the north Indian hill state of Uttrakhand. Tata Motors, however, aims to make 350,000 Nanos a year from 2010 at another unit elsewhere in the country, a company statement said. "It is to the credit of the team at Tata Motors that a car once thought impossible by the world is now a reality. I hope it will provide safe, affordable, four-wheel transportation to families who till now have not been able to own a car. We are delighted in presenting the Tata Nano to India and the world," company chief Ratan Tata told a news conference in Mumbai to announce the "commercial launch" of the $2,000 car. Watch more on the Nano » . Tata Motors said the Nano would initially be available through bookings or reservations filed on a request form priced around $6, or Rs 300. Tata will accept the bookings from April 9 to April 25. Within 60 days of the closure of bookings, Tata Motors will process and announce the allotment of 100,000 cars in the first phase of deliveries, through a computerized random selection procedure, it added. "Deliveries will commence from July 2009," said the company statement.
Tata Motors to begin delivery of the Nano in July . Tata aims to make 350,000 Nanos a year from 2010 . Car is billed as the world's cheapest, costing $2,000 .
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NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- The death toll from an outbreak of hepatitis B in India's western Gujarat state reached 38 on Sunday as authorities prepared to begin a vaccination drive against the disease. Hepatitis-B patient Mahir Husain, center, is comforted at a hospital in Ahmedabad. Malayappan Thennarasa, the top administrator of the affected Sabarkantha district, told CNN the toll had climbed to 38 and that shots would be administered free of cost starting Monday. Health officials have recorded 125 cases of the infection in two weeks. Authorities were carrying out raids at medical stores for bogus drugs and recycled syringes. Police have so far arrested five medical practitioners. One of them was charged Sunday with attempted murder. The doctor is accused of reusing syringes, Thennarasa said. Hepatitis B is a contagious liver disease resulting from infection with the hepatitis B virus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It usually spreads through blood, semen, or other bodily fluids, often through sexual contact or sharing needles or syringes with an infected person. The disease can range from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, chronic illness resulting in long-term health problems or death, the CDC said.
An outbreak of contagious liver disease hepatitis B kills 38 people in India . The victims died in the state of Gujarat in western India in the past two weeks . Officials have recorded 125 cases of the infection . Doctor is facing attempted murder charge .
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NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- Authorities were carrying out raids at medical stores in India's western Gujarat state for bogus drugs and recycled syringes after a hepatitis B outbreak left 32 people dead, officials said Saturday. Hepatitis-B patient Mahir Husain, center, is comforted at The Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, Wednesday. Five medical practitioners were also arrested for violations, said Malayappan Thennarasan, the top administrator of the state's Sabarkantha district. One of those arrested is being held for allegedly reusing injection syringes, Thennarasan said. Health authorities have recorded 111 cases of hepatitis B infection in the district over the past two weeks, he added. "Of them, 32 have died," he said. Health officials have launched an awareness campaign in the district, Thennarasan said this week. Hepatitis B is a contagious liver disease resulting from infection with the hepatitis B virus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It usually spreads through blood, semen, or other bodily fluids, often through sexual contact or sharing needles or syringes with an infected person, the CDC says. The disease can range from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, chronic illness resulting in long-term health problems or death, according to the CDC.
An outbreak of contagious liver disease hepatitis B kills 32 people in India . The victims died in the state of Gujarat in western India in the past two weeks . Officials record 111 cases of the disease in the Sabarkantha district .
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(CNN) -- Swedish golfer Henrik Stenson carded a solid 69 in the opening round of the WGC-CA Championship but it was his highly unusual recovery shot on the 12th on the Blue Monster course at Doral which raised more than a few eyebrows. Stenson did not leave much to the imagination with his Doral antics. Stenson stripped down to the bare essentials -- a pair of white boxer shorts -- before wading into the mud to hack out his ball after an wayward tee shot. The watching galleries could hardly believe their eyes as the tall Swede peeled off his clothes. "Shirt, trousers, socks, shoes, hat, the lot was off," he told the Press Association. "Because of the mud I couldn't really afford to play in any of my clothes as they would have been a real mess down the last six or so holes so I had no option," Stenson explained. After getting the ball back on to the fairway, Stenson eventually made a one-over par bogey on the hole when he could have dropped at least two shots by taking a drop. "If you are saving a shot, that has to be worth taking your shirt and trousers," he added. What do you think of Stenson's cheeky recovery shot ? The incident proved the main talking point on the day that Tiger Woods made his return to strokeplay golf and 32-year-old Stenson jokingly said it might offer a new avenue for sponsorships. "Absolutely, you never know, after this I might have a new endorsement with PlayGirl or something like that." European Ryder Cup star Stenson is playing for the $1.4 million first prize in the tournament in Florida which has an elite 81-strong field. His recovery shot evoked memories of the last-hole drama at the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie when tournament leader Jean Van de Velde waded into the Barry Burn after taking off his shoes and socks. The Frenchman at least spared the blushes of the crowds by keeping on his clothes but he made a hash of hole and lost his chance of winning the famous major.
Henrik Stenson creates a stir with 'striptease' at top tournament in Florida . Swedish star strips down to the bare essentials to play his ball out of the mud . Tactic works as he saves at least a shot and cards a three-under 69 .
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NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- India's child-rights watchdog has sought a report from police investigating allegations by a tabloid that the father of a "Slumdog Millionaire" child star tried to sell her to an undercover reporter, the watchdog's leader told CNN. Rubina Ali has backed her father over newspaper allegations he offered her to an undercover reporter. "We have sought a report from them and will take a decision after seeing it," said Shantha Sinha, who heads the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights. Meanwhile, authorities in Mumbai have recorded the statements of Rafiq Qureshi; his "Slumdog" daughter, Rubina Ali; and his former wife, Khurshida Begum, senior police inspector Prakash Salunke told CNN. Qureshi has denied allegations made in Britain's News of the World that he tried to sell 9-year-old Rubina for £200,000 ($290,000), Salunke said. In her statement, the child-actor favored her father, according to the police. Qureshi's former wife, whom he divorced several years ago, endorsed the allegations leveled against him by the British newspaper. Police are investigating, Salunke said. "Slumdog Millionaire" won eight Oscars this year, including best picture. Director Danny Boyle's rags-to-riches movie tells the story of a tea-boy at a Mumbai call center who earns a spot in the Indian version of the quiz show "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?" He raises the suspicion of the show's host when, despite the lack of a formal education, he begins to answer the increasingly difficult questions with ease. The movie is set largely among the poverty-stricken districts of Mumbai, which is home to Rubina and other "Slumdog" child stars in real life.
Indian child-rights watchdog requests police report on alleged offer to sell child star . Father of "Slumdog's" Rubina Ali, 9, alleged to have offered her to undercover reporter . Father has denied allegations in UK newspaper; Indian police are investigating . "Slumdog Millionaire" used real children from poor neighborhoods of Mumbai .
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(CNN) -- Five people were killed in a boating accident near Jacksonville, Florida, on Sunday evening, a rescue official said. CNN affiliate WJXT shows the scene of the deadly boating accident near Jacksonville, Florida, on Sunday. Twelve people were aboard the boat that crashed into 25-foot tugboat and barge at a dock and boat launch under construction on the Intracoastal Waterway in Palm Valley, said Jeremy Robshaw, a spokesman for St. Johns County Fire and Rescue. The remaining seven were hospitalized for serious injuries, he said. The accident happened about 7 p.m. about 20 miles southeast of downtown Jacksonville. Robshaw said rescuers couldn't initially reach the end of the unfinished dock, but laid plywood sheets on the structure to get to crash victims.
Rescue official: 12 people were aboard the boat near Jacksonville, Florida . Boat crashed into tugboat, barge and dock under construction . Five people killed; remaining seven take to hospital with serious injuries . Rescuers had to use plywood panels to reach the passengers .
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(CNN) -- The sagging economy is taking a bite out of federal school-meal subsidies as more students take advantage of free or low-price breakfasts and lunches, nutritionists say in a report released Thursday. About 425,000 more students are participating in the National School Lunch Program, a group reports. The School Nutrition Association surveyed more than 130 school nutrition directors from 38 states to produce its report, "Saved by the Lunch Bell: As Economy Sinks, School Nutrition Program Participation Rises." The nonprofit organization said that about 425,000 more students are participating in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program in 2008-09 than in the previous school year. That represents an average increase of 2.5 percent from 2007-08, the report says. These numbers hold true despite a slight decline in the number of students enrolled in public schools this school year, according to the study. More than three-quarters of the districts surveyed reported a rise in the number of students eating free meals under the U.S. Department of Agriculture program, the report says. Many of the school district employees who monitor the food programs complain that the federal subsidies fall far short of the rising costs. According to the association, the estimated average cost to prepare a school meal is $2.90, but the federal reimbursement is $2.57. School lunch programs are experiencing a potential loss of at least $4.5 million per school day, based on 30 million school lunches provided, the group says. The good news, according to association President Katie Wilson, is that "this year, when hunger is more common, more students are able to eat a balanced, nutritious meal at school." Meals served under the USDA programs must meet nutrition guidelines based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. For lunches, that means no more than 30 percent of calories can come from fat and fewer than 10 percent from saturated fat.
Number of students eating subsidized meals rises 2.5 percent, nonprofit says . Use of USDA programs rises even as enrollment falls, report notes . Schools complain that USDA doesn't cover full cost of meals . School Nutrition Association surveyed 130 school food directors in 38 states .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- The 2002 World Cup tournament was the first one held in Asia and was instrumental in bringing the world's attention to the continent's footballing talents. Michael Chopra was the first player of Indian parentage to play and score in the English Premier League. It was seen as Asia's chance to show the rest of the world what it had to offer on the pitch and with South Korea reaching the last four of the tournament, the rest of the world was impressed. However, since then few footballers of Asian origin have made an impact outside of the Asian Federation Cup (AFC) -- the largest league in terms of area and population. A new initiative, spearheaded by Chelsea FC, has been launched in the UK to search for talented youngsters from backgrounds not commonly found among today's top footballers such as India and Pakistan. See a gallery of the best Asian players . Chelsea have teamed up with the Football Association (FA), anti-racism campaigners Kick It Out and the Asian Media Group for the The Search for an Asian Star event to be held in May at Chelsea's training ground in Stamford Bridge, London. The search is aimed at players in the under 12, 13 and 14 age groups and is open to players based in London and the south-east of England who hail from Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi backgrounds. "We realize there is a lack of representation of players from Asian backgrounds within the game and we hope that the competition will help inspire Asian youngsters," former Chelsea and England full-back Graeme Le Saux told thefa.com. "We want to show that race is no barrier to joining our club and that opportunities for Asian players do exist. It is important all clubs share our ambition that players should only be judged on their talent and their potential."
A new initiative is launched to find the Asian football stars of the future . Players aged 12 to 14 will be put through their paces by Chelsea FC staff . English football currently boasts very few players of Asian descent .
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LAGOS, Nigeria (CNN) -- Nneka and Chimezie Ononaku unwittingly poisoned their own four-month-old son Chinonso. A television image of Chinonso Ononaku, who died after being given the medicine "My Pikin." Giving him what they thought was a baby teething medicine, they were in fact dosing him with anti-freeze. The bottle had been contaminated with a toxic chemical called diethylene glycol. More than 30 Nigerian children are thought to have died recently after taking the medicine. Nneka is angry. "It's not easy carrying a pregnancy for nine months, [and] after that getting a drug from a pharmacy to kill your own child," she says. When Nigeria's Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) tested the medicine, "My Pikin," the results were terrifying. It found the medicine contained almost 90ml of diethylene glycol per 100ml. "It's a bottle of poison," the NAFDAC laboratory said. The "My Pikin" factory's managing director and eight others have been charged with negligence. The company could not be reached for comment. Nigeria is on the frontline in the global fight against counterfeit drugs. Undercover NAFDAC officers have taken to the streets in order to combat unregistered and often harmful drugs. Hawkers are charged with selling counterfeit drugs and forced to pay a fine. Watch more on the poisonings » . NAFDAC claims most of the counterfeit drugs come from India and China. And it's big business -- America's Centre for Medicines in the Public Interest predicts counterfeit drug sales will reach $75 billion in 2010. NAFDAC's director-general Dora Akunyili warns counterfeiting is not just a Nigerian problem. "These criminals are cooperating, so we too need to cooperate if we can face them. Not only in Nigeria but internationally, because drug counterfeiting involves a trans-national criminal network and can only be dismantled through international co-operation."
More than 30 Nigerian children have died after being given poisoned medicine . Nigeria is on the frontline in the global fight against counterfeit drugs . Counterfeit drug sales predicted to reach $75 billion in 2010 .
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Fifteen first ladies from African nations will attend a two-day summit in Los Angeles on health, women's issues and HIV/AIDS, organizers said Friday. Actors Billy Zane and Sharon Stone, with Ted Alemayhu and Jean Stephane Biatcha, help announce the summit. The conference, which begins Monday, is organized by U.S. Doctors for Africa (USDFA) and African Synergy Against AIDS and Suffering, a nonprofit organization formed by 22 first ladies from Africa. Sponsors include the RAND Corporation, General Electric, the World Health Organization and others. "Empowering Africa's first ladies is an innovative approach to bettering the lives of millions of Africans," USDFA Chairman Ted Alemayhu said in a written statement. "The summit will pair these leaders with U.S. experts, key political figures and important organizations to create ongoing partnerships." The event will include a summit, a gala and a private party. Expected attendees include the first ladies of Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Swaziland and Zambia. Maria Shriver, the wife of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, will give opening remarks, according to a USDFA statement. Other celebrities expected to attend include Maria Bello, Diane Lane, Jessica Alba, Sharon Stone, Blair Underwood, Joely Fisher, Kristin Davis and Camryn Manheim, USDFA told CNN. Grammy award-winning singer Natalie Cole will perform at the gala, the organization said.
Two-day meeting begins Monday in Los Angeles; will include gala, private party . U.S. Doctors for Africa, African Synergy Against AIDS and Suffering set up event . USDFA chairman: Summit will pair first ladies with experts, key groups, politicians . Maria Shriver, Jessica Alba, Blair Underwood, Natalie Cole, other celebrities to attend .
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(CNN) -- Al Qaeda's branch in Yemen has claimed responsibility for Friday's suicide bombing attack on a building housing Yemeni security forces. Al Qaeda in Yemen have claimed that Ahmed bin Said bin Omar al-Mashjari, right, carried out Friday's attack. "This attack was carried out in revenge for our brothers whose blood is on the hands of the infidel Yemeni forces," according to an e-mailed statement that included a photo of the alleged suicide attacker. The photo identifies the attacker as Ahmed bin Said bin Omar al-Mashjari -- also known as Abu Dajjana al-Hadarmi -- from Yemen's Hadramout governate where the attack took place. He is standing next to another man whose face is covered in front of a black-and-white banner. Both men have weapons slung across their shoulders; guns and ammunition belts are also pictured beneath the banner in the background. Al-Mashjari is wearing a black and white head covering, but his face is visible. The e-mailed statement was dated July 25, the day of the attack, but it was distributed and posted online on Sunday. According to Yemen's state-run news agency SABA, a suicide car bomber crashed the white 2003 KIA into the gates of the security camp in the southern city of Sayoun on Friday, prompting guards to open fire on the attacker. The SABA report gave no details on casualties. Yemen's Interior Ministry said four people were killed and 12 were injured, but the Yemen Post, an English-language newspaper that covers events in Yemen, put the number at 10 dead and about a dozen wounded. Hadramout's governor Saleh al-Khanbashi described the bombing as a criminal terrorist act, and threatened to track down and bring to justice those responsible, SABA reported. CNN Senior Arab Affairs Editor Octavia Nasr contributed to this report .
NEW: Web site shows photo of alleged suicide attacker along with statement . Al Qaeda's Yemen branch claims responsibility for suicide bombing attack . Car bomb exploded at a building housing security forces Friday in southern city . Sources in the country put the death toll from blast between 4 and 10 .
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(CNN) -- Former Italian international star Filippo Inzaghi scored a hat-trick as AC Milan went second in Serie A with a 5-1 win over Torino in the San Siro on Sunday. Beckham and Mathieu Flamini take part in an unusual goal celebration in the San Siro. The legendary goalscorer has now put away nine in the last six matches but it was his combination with England international David Beckham which electrified the Milan fans. Beckham, who had sat out the last two games because of a shoulder injury, set up Inzaghi for his opening two goals in the 13th and 37th minutes from a corner and a clever chip, both headed home. After the interval, Inzaghi completed his hat-trick on the hour mark before Kaka added a penalty for the fourth. Ivan Franceschini pulled one back for Torino in the 80th minute, but Massimo Ambrosini rounded off the Milan scoring in the final minute. The win sees Milan level on points with Juventus but with a better goal difference. They trail leaders Inter by 10 points. In the battle for the fourth and final Champions League qualifying spot, AS Roma beat Lecce 3-2 with captain Francesco Totti scoring twice. Fifth-placed Fiorentina hardly helped their cause with a 3-1 defeat to Udinese, missing the chance to move a place higher after Genoa lost 1-0 at home to Lazio on Saturday. Improving Roma are now three points behind Fiorentina and five adrift of fourth-placed Genoa. Kwadwo Asamoah put Udinese ahead in the 10th minute lead and Gaetano D'Agostino doubled the lead from the penalty spot early in the second half. Dario Dainelli pulled one back for La Viola after 67 minutes but D'Agostino's second sealed three points.
Inzaghi continues impressive scoring streak with another hat-trick . Returning Beckham supplies assists for opening two goals in San Siro . Francesco Totti scores twice as AS Roma beat Lecce 3-2 .
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(CNN) -- A California Sunday-school teacher accused of killing a young girl may have abducted another child, police said. Melissa Huckaby is charged with killing 8-year-old Sandra Cantu, who was a friend of her own daughter. Melissa Huckaby, 28, was arrested earlier this month and charged with killing and raping 8-year-old Sandra Cantu, who was taken from a mobile home park in Tracy, California. Police said Huckaby was named in a January police report about the four-hour disappearance of a 7-year-old girl from the same mobile home park, CNN affiliate KOVR reported. After Huckaby returned the girl, the girl had to be taken to a hospital because she was under the influence of a strong muscle relaxant. Watch Nancy Grace for details » . Police were called to the mobile home park after the girl's mother reported her missing, according to KOVR. Police discovered that the girl was at a park with Huckaby. Huckaby said she had permission to take the girl, but the girl's family disputed that claim. About five hours after the girl was returned to her family, they discovered that she was under the influence of the drug. "Her speech was slurred. She could barely walk. She could barely stand," the girl's older sister told KOVR. Police could not prove that Huckaby had drugged the girl and no arrest was made then. On April 11, Huckaby was arrested and charged with killing and raping Sandra Cantu. Huckaby -- a Sunday-school teacher who lives in the same mobile home park as Sandra's family -- has been charged with murder, kidnapping, the performance of a lewd and lascivious act on a child under 14, and rape by instrument. If convicted, she would face the death penalty or life in prison without parole, authorities said.
NEW: Melissa Huckaby named in police report on January missing girl case . Huckaby charged in slaying of 8-year-old neighbor . She faces special circumstances including kidnap, rape by instrument . Decision on whether to seek the death penalty will come later .
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(CNN) -- The sagging economy is taking a bite out of federal school-meal subsidies as more students take advantage of free or low-price breakfasts and lunches, nutritionists say in a report released Thursday. About 425,000 more students are participating in the National School Lunch Program, a group reports. The School Nutrition Association surveyed more than 130 school nutrition directors from 38 states to produce its report, "Saved by the Lunch Bell: As Economy Sinks, School Nutrition Program Participation Rises." The nonprofit organization said that about 425,000 more students are participating in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program in 2008-09 than in the previous school year. That represents an average increase of 2.5 percent from 2007-08, the report says. These numbers hold true despite a slight decline in the number of students enrolled in public schools this school year, according to the study. More than three-quarters of the districts surveyed reported a rise in the number of students eating free meals under the U.S. Department of Agriculture program, the report says. Many of the school district employees who monitor the food programs complain that the federal subsidies fall far short of the rising costs. According to the association, the estimated average cost to prepare a school meal is $2.90, but the federal reimbursement is $2.57. School lunch programs are experiencing a potential loss of at least $4.5 million per school day, based on 30 million school lunches provided, the group says. The good news, according to association President Katie Wilson, is that "this year, when hunger is more common, more students are able to eat a balanced, nutritious meal at school." Meals served under the USDA programs must meet nutrition guidelines based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. For lunches, that means no more than 30 percent of calories can come from fat and fewer than 10 percent from saturated fat.
Number of students eating subsidized meals rises 2.5 percent, nonprofit says . Use of USDA programs rises even as enrollment falls, report notes . Schools complain that USDA doesn't cover full cost of meals . School Nutrition Association surveyed 130 school food directors in 38 states .
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(CNN) -- Security forces aboard a U.S. naval vessel fired warning shots toward two approaching small boats off the Somali coast Tuesday, the U.S. military said Wednesday. The USNS John Lenthall is one of 14 fleet refueling ships operated by Military Sealift Command. The rounds landed in the water, prompting the boats to turn around, and no casualties were reported, the military news release said. It is unclear whether the boats were trying to attack the 41,000-ton USNS John Lenthall, the military said. "It is clear they were not following the international rules of the road observed by mariners around the globe," it said. The release noted that the location of the incident, the types of boats involved and the maneuvering were all "consistent with reports from previous attacks on merchant vessels in the region." The USNS John Lenthall is one of 14 "fleet replenishment oilers" in the Military Sealift Fleet Support Command, according to a U.S. Navy Web site. Oilers refuel Navy ships at sea and any aircraft they may be carrying. Attacks by pirates have increased dramatically off the northern coast of Somalia in the past year, prompting the United States and other nations to step up patrols in the region. In May, the U.S. Navy warned merchant ships to stay at least 200 miles off the Somali coast. But the U.S. Maritime Administration warns that pirates sometimes issue false distress calls to lure ships closer to shore. The pirates are often armed with automatic rifles and shoulder-fired rockets, according to warnings from the agency.
Warning shots fired after two boats raise suspicions of piracy . Boats were approaching a U.S. Navy refueling ship . Warning shots land in water and boats turn away, military says . Pirates known to prowl waters off African nation of Somalia .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- For the fifth time this year, a U.S. Air Force nuclear weapons unit failed an inspection, this time because of failure to document its handling of nuclear missiles and other critical issues, Air Force officials said. In an Air Force file photo, an airman inspects a missile part at a training site. A "nuclear surety inspection" and "unit compliance inspection" was conducted this month on the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming by an Air Force inspector general. There was no risk to the unit's Minuteman III nuclear missiles, Air Force officials said. The unit has 90 days to correct the problems and pass another inspection. In the wake of recent problems, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and top Air Force officials have indicated a zero tolerance for failing inspections, but no punishments are expected in this case, officials said. The inspection report found the maintenance unit failed to document tests conducted on missiles correctly, including tests on safety devices. The inspector general told the unit the failures indicated either a "lack of competence" or "disregard for procedures," according to a source who has seen the report. Additionally, failures included having some personnel on duty without proper medical clearance and failure to inspect radiation detectors. Other units that failed inspections this year included two bomb wings and two missile units.
Unit at Wyoming base fails to document missile handling, Air Force officials say . The 90th Missile Wing has 90 days to make corrections . No risk to Minuteman III nuclear missiles, officials say .
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Florida (CNN) -- A bat that apparently had trouble flying instead tried to hitch a ride on the space shuttle Discovery, NASA officials said. The free tail bat was last seen clinging to the space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank just before launch. The animal was last seen clinging on the foam of the external tank of the space shuttle moments before the Discovery launched, officials said. NASA officials had hoped the bat would fly away on its own, but admitted the bat probably died quickly during Discovery's climb into orbit. Discovery's seven-member crew, which lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on Sunday, is on a 14-day mission to deliver supplies needed to expand the International Space Station. NASA officials noticed the bat before shuttle's liftoff and brought in a wildlife expert to look at video images of it. The expert said it appeared to be a free-tailed bat that probably had a broken left wing and an injured right shoulder or wrist. The launch pads at the space center are near the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, so NASA has sirens to scare away animals that get near the shuttles. The bat isn't the first to try hitching a ride into space. NASA officials said they noticed one of the creatures on a tank of a shuttle in 1998. That bat flew away as the shuttle's massive engines ignited. The crew of the Discovery safely docked at the International Space Station on Tuesday. It was unclear whether its stowaway was still clinging to the shuttle.
NASA: Bat was last seen clinging on space shuttle Discovery before launch . Wildlife expert says bat appeared to have broken wing or injured shoulder . Discovery is on 14-day mission to deliver supplies to International Space Station .
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NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- The only surviving suspect in last month's attacks in Mumbai has written a letter to the Pakistan High Commission, or embassy, seeking legal aid, CNN's sister network in India reported Saturday, quoting a Mumbai police official. Flames and smoke gush from the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai, India, on November 27. Investigators said that Mohammad Ajmal Kasab is from Faridkot village in the Okara district of Pakistan's Punjab province and that the other nine attackers also are from Pakistan. Pakistani officials have denied that assertion, blaming instead "stateless actors." Rakesh Maria, Mumbai's joint police commissioner of crime, said Saturday that Kasab's three-page letter was written in Urdu. In the letter, Kasab confesses his role in the attacks, CNN-IBN said. The letter is to be delivered to the commission's New Delhi, India, office, possibly Monday, the network reported. Maria paraphrased parts of the letter at a news conference but did not release a copy to the media, CNN-IBN said. More than 160 people were killed in the three-day Mumbai siege that started November 26 and targeted 10 sites, including two luxury hotels, a train station and other landmarks. Of the 10 suspects, only 21-year-old Kasab survived, according to police. This week, Pakistani authorities banned a charity linked to the attacks and placed its leader under house arrest, Pakistan's information minister told CNN. The move came after the U.N. Security Council designated the charity, Jamaat-ud-Dawa, as a terrorist organization because of its links to Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (known by the acronym LeT) and placed sanctions on the group. India has blamed LeT for training the attackers who carried out the Mumbai attacks.
Mohammad Ajmal Kasab is only surviving suspect in last month's attacks . He is from Pakistan's Punjab province, investigators say . Mumbai official says Kasab wrote to Pakistani embassy seeking legal aid . His letter also includes a confession, police official says .
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(CNN) -- The National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday that both engines of the US Airways flight that ditched last month into the Hudson River contained bird remains. The feather found inside one of the engines of the plane that crashed into the Hudson River. The engines from US Airways Flight 1549 were sent to the manufacturer in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the NTSB directed the analysis, it said in a news release. The plane's flight data recorder "revealed no anomalies or malfunctions in either engine up to the point where the captain reported a bird strike, after which there was an uncommanded loss of thrust in both engines," the NTSB said. The NTSB also said that an "engine surge event" in the right engine on January 13, two days before the accident, was caused by a faulty temperature sensor, which had been replaced. Investigators said last month they found a single feather and evidence of "soft-body impact damage" on the aircraft. The find reinforces the pilot's report that the plane was brought down by a flock of birds. Pilot Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, 58, told investigators his aircraft struck birds, disabling both engines, about 90 seconds after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in New York. The feather, found on a flap track on the wing, was also sent to identification experts at the Smithsonian Institution last month. The pilot ditched the Airbus A320 in the Hudson River and passengers tried to flee the aircraft almost immediately after it settled in the water and began to float along the river current. All 155 crew members and passengers on the plane survived the incident, which New York Gov. David Paterson dubbed a "miracle on the Hudson."
Engines sent to manufacturer in Ohio after crash . Last month single feather, evidence of "soft-body impact damage" found on aircraft . Pilot ditched plane in Hudson after he said aircraft hit flock of birds . All 155 crew and passengers survived what was called "miracle on the Hudson"
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(CNN) -- An Internet auction to sell off the plaster cast that New Zealand Prime Minister John Key wore when he broke his right arm has raised close to NZ$ 20,000 for charity. John Key wears the cast during a TV interview on Friday. The online auction ended Sunday with a winning bid of NZ$18,500 (US$ 9,362), according to the New Zealand shopping Web site TradeMe, which conducted the bidding. The prime minister broke his arm in two places on January 17 when he tripped on some stairs at a Chinese New Year event in Auckland. Later, during a trip to Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands for a Pacific Islands Forum meeting, several dignitaries -- including Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd -- signed Kay's blue cast. The money will benefit the Fred Hollows Foundation in blindness prevention programs in the Pacific. The TradeMe listing said the foundation estimates there are about 5,000 blind people in the Islands, mainly needing cataract surgery. Another 15,000 suffer from poor vision and need eyeglasses. "I am very surprised it got to that ... but I am delighted," New Zealand's national news agency quoted Key as saying about the winning bid. The cast, which was removed this weekend, is in "excellent condition," Key said. "Though I don't know whether is is $20,000 worth of condition." Bidders and curious clickers posed more than 180 questions during the auction period. "Does it come with the arm?" asked one. Another wanted to know if there was a chance of the the winner and Key "exchanging numbers and hanging out in the future if we hit it off?" A third asked: "If I was successful with this auction do I also have ownership and rights to any genetic material that may (have been) left inside the cast and the right to clone it if I choose to?" That person was told he or she would have to "negotiate with John's lawyers for that particular right." The winning bidder was a headstone maker from Wellington, according to NZPA, the news agency.
Auction to sell cast New Zealand's PM wore when he broke arm sold for charity . Online auction ended Sunday with winning bid of NZ$18,500 (US$ 9,362) John Key broke his arm in two places when he tripped on stairs in Auckland .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has signed a deployment order to move an additional 3,000 troops to Afghanistan next year, according to U.S. military officials. Helicopters are the main transportation of the U.S. military in Afghanistan, with its high mountain terrain. The troops will be part of a combat aviation brigade, the latest approved by Gates for the expected build-up of U.S. troops in Afghanistan throughout next year. Earlier this year, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David McKiernan, requested at least 20,000 additional troops be sent there to fight the increasing violence by the resurgent Taliban forces in the southern and eastern parts of the country. The officials could not say what units are being tapped to go because those units are now being told of their deployment and the announcement has not yet been made public. The aviation brigade will send a number of much-needed helicopters to the region. Helicopters are the main transportation of the U.S. military in Afghanistan, where high mountain roads and passes make it difficult for large transport vehicles to move troops and supplies around the country. There are more than 30,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, a Dutch soldier was killed Friday in southern Afghanistan, the NATO command confirmed. The soldier died in an improvised explosive device strike, according to a news release from NATO's International Security Assistance Force. "Our sincere condolences and sympathies are with the family and friends of this brave soldier, especially during this holiday season," said ISAF spokesman Capt. Mark Windsor Royal Navy. "This soldier's death is an irreplaceable loss to all of us who fight for the peace and stability of Afghanistan. ISAF will continue to fight for the cause for which this brave soldier gave his life." Eighteen Dutch troops have died in the Afghan conflict, according to a CNN count of casualty figures.
Troops will be part of a combat aviation brigade; transport helicopters to be sent . They are latest to be approved for expected build-up of U.S. troops next year . Dutch soldier has been killed in southern Afghanistan, NATO confirms . Soldier died in an improved explosive device strike .
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(CNN) -- Swedish car manufacturer Saab, a fully owned subsidiary of General Motors, announced Friday that it will "file for reorganization ... to create a fully independent business entity." The Swedish car maker says a formal reorganization is the best way to create an "entity that's ready for investment." Under the Swedish court system, an independent administrator will be appointed to work closely with the Saab management team to formulate a reorganization proposal, which will be presented to creditors within three weeks of the filing. Saab said it will continue to operate as usual and in accordance with the formal reorganization process, with the government providing some support during this period. "We explored and will continue to explore all available options for funding and/or selling Saab and it was determined a formal reorganization would be the best way to create a truly independent entity that is ready for investment," said Jan Ake Jonsson, managing director for Saab Automobile. "Saab has an excellent foundation for strong growth, assuming we can get the funding to complete engineering, tooling and manage launch costs. Reorganization will give us the time and means that help get these products to market, while minimizing the liquidity impact of Saab on GM." General Motors said this week that it plans shed tens of thousands of employees, close factories, cut product lines and wants billions of dollars in government funding to stave off bankruptcy. When all is said and done, GM said that by 2011 it could need a total of $30 billion, which includes the $13.4 billion in Treasury loans it has already received. In the near term, GM will most certainly need $9.1 billion in additional loans and could require an additional $7.5 billion in the next two years if auto sales don't improve.
Independent adminstrator appointed to form Saab reorganization plan . Auto maker says plan considered to be the best way to attract future funding . Saab is a fully owned subsidiary of ailing U.S. auto maker General Motors . GM is fighting to stave off bankruptcy with job cuts, U.S. Treasury loans .
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(CNN) -- The European Union on Monday removed the People's Mujajedeen of Iran from its list of terrorist organizations. Forty-seven groups remain on the EU's list. Iranian police guard French embassy in Tehran on January 25 during protest against EU decision. Here are some of the main ones. -- Aum Shinri Kyo: Doomsday cult in Japan. Responsible for the 1995 sarin gas attacks on the Toyko subway that killed 12 and wounded some 5,000. -- Real IRA: Separatists in Northern Ireland. Responsible for the Omagh bombing in 1998 that killed 28 people. -- Jemaah Islamiyah: Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group in Indonesia and one of the largest terrorist organizations in the world. Carried out the Bali nightclub bombings in 2002 that killed more than 200 tourists, most of them Westerners. -- PKK, or Kurdish Workers' Party: Marxist group fighting for an independent state for Turkish Kurds. -- Palestinian Islamic Jihad: Militant group dedicated to the creation of an Islamic Palestinian state and the destruction of Israel. -- Hamas: Palestinian Islamic fundamentalist organization that rules Gaza. Its military wing, Izzedine al Qassam, has admitted responsibility for terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and the Israeli military. -- Tamil Tigers, or LTTE: Ethnic separatists fighting the Sri Lankan government. Responsible for fatal attacks against soldiers and civilians since conflict with the government began in 1983. -- ETA: Basque separatists in northern Spain. Blamed for more than 800 deaths and thousands of injuries during a 40-year campaign. -- FARC, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia: Marxist insurgents who have been fighting the government since the 1960s. -- CNN's Tom Boltman contributed to this list.
PMoI, or Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization, opposed Iran govt. for decades . EU delisted group because of an order by the European Court of Justice . Iran has accused the European Union of acting against international law .
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(CNN) -- Seven French soldiers were killed when their military helicopter crashed off the coast of Gabon, the country's official news agency said Sunday. A French ship with investigators on board look for clues near the crash site area. Two French soldiers survived the Saturday night crash, the agency said. French Defense Minister Herve Morin arrived in Gabon's capital of Libreville on Sunday and met with President Omar Bongo to coordinate recovery efforts for the body of one of the seven soldiers whose remains had not been found. According to the French minister, "the cause of this tragedy remains unknown. It may be natural or human, or a combination of both." Divers were inspecting the helicopter, which was in water 35 meters (about 115 feet) deep, Morin said. French forces were in the former French colony for maritime security exercises with Gabonese soldiers when the incident happened.
Seven killed, but two French soldiers survive the Saturday night crash . Recovery efforts underway for body of one of the seven soldiers still missing . Divers inspecting helicopter, which was in water 35 meters (about 115 feet) deep .
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(CNN) -- Pharmaceuticals giants Merck and Schering-Plough are planning to merge their operations under the name Merck in a deal worth $41.1 billion. Merck chairman and CEO Richard T. Clark will head the combined company. Under the terms of the agreement, Schering-Plough shareholders will receive just over half a Merck share and $10.50 in cash for each Schering-Plough share they own. Each Merck share will automatically become a share of the combined company. Merck shareholders are expected to own approximately 68 percent of the combined company, and Schering-Plough shareholders are expected to own approximately 32 percent. Merck Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Richard T. Clark will lead the combined company. "We are creating a strong, global healthcare leader built for sustainable growth and success," Clark said in a media statement Monday. "The combined company will benefit from a formidable research and development pipeline, a significantly broader portfolio of medicines and an expanded presence in key international markets, particularly in high-growth emerging markets. "We look forward to joining forces with an outstanding partner we know well and that shares our commitment to patients, employees and the communities where we work and live." Merck added that its 2009 outlook has not changed, and it is committed to keeping its annual dividend at its current level of $1.52 per share. Both drug-makers reported better-than-expected quarterly results in early February, but announced steep job cuts. On a conference call with investors on February 3, Clark said the drug-maker was open to a takeover of a large pharmaceutical company.
SP shareholders to get over half a Merck share and $10.50 in cash per share . Merck shareholders expected to own around 68 percent of combined company . Both drug-makers reported better-than-expected quarterly results in February .
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(CNN) -- After deliberating for only 45 minutes, a jury convicted an Alabama man Thursday of throwing his four children off a Gulf Coast bridge in January 2008, according to prosecutors. Lam Luong, 38, admitted throwing the children, who ranged in age from 3 years to 4 months, off the Dauphin Island bridge south of Mobile, according to CNN affiliate WKRG. Charged with five counts of capital murder, he changed his plea to guilty last week. However, Alabama law requires that all capital cases go before a judge and jury, WKRG said. The sentencing phase of Luong's trial will begin Friday, the Mobile County District Attorney's office told CNN. Jurors will decide whether he should receive the death penalty or life in prison without parole. A judge is not bound by the jury's decision, however, and Alabama law requires an automatic appeal in capital cases. Luong and his wife were having marital difficulties, prosecutors said. WKRG reported that during opening arguments in the trial, prosecutors told jurors Luong threw the kids off the bridge so he could see the look on his wife's face. Luong was on crack at the time, and he told investigators they could charge him if they found the children's bodies before breaking into laughter, jurors were told. The defense called no witnesses, but told jurors Luong was intoxicated at the time and was incapable of forming the necessary intent to be convicted of a capital offense, asking them to convict him of manslaughter, WKRG said. During the trial, jurors heard about the search for the children's bodies and saw graphic video of the bodies floating in the water, the station reported. A commercial fisherman recording rough weather off the coast of Venice, Louisiana, found one body, while two duck hunters and a Mississippi marine officer found the other three, according to WKRG. Luong looked down, away from the overhead screens, when the photographs of the children's bodies were shown. CNN's Divina Mims contributed to this report.
Lam Luong, 38, admitted throwing the children off the Dauphin Island bridge . Prosecutors said Luong threw the kids so he could see the look on wife's face . The four children ranged in age from 3 years to 4 months . The sentencing phase of Luong's trial will begin Friday .
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(CNN) -- Liberia's president has declared a state of emergency after hordes of ravenous caterpillars infested the country. The African armyworm caterpillar is chewing its way through Liberia's food crops. Tens of millions of the worm-like larvae have appeared in the northern part of the country, where they are destroying green crops like cabbage and collard greens and contaminating the water supply, Liberian Information Minister Laurance Bropleh told CNN Wednesday from the capital of Monrovia. "I am not aware that they have been here before, ever, and certainly not in this great number," Bropleh told CNN. "That is why it was so overwhelming initially when we first discovered it." The state of emergency covers the three northern Liberian counties of Bong, Lofa, and Gbarpolu, Liberian officials said. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf told legislators Monday that 350,000 people in 62 communities in those three counties may have been affected. There are also indications the bugs have spread to neighboring Guinea, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast, Bropleh said. "This is indeed a crisis," the president said Monday. Johnson Sirleaf said she appointed a task force, including members of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), to identify the species and commence spraying. Investigators suspect the caterpillars are African armyworms, the FAO said. The infestation is "quite alarming," said Winfred Hammond, the FAO representative in Liberia. Hammond said the caterpillars started showing up sometime during the week of January 12 but spread quickly. In just a week, he said, the caterpillars had spread to 50 villages. The pests multiply rapidly and adult moths are able to fly long distances at night, the FAO said. Worsening the situation, the area's water supply has been contaminated by the huge volume of feces dropped by the caterpillars, the FAO said. "The plague is being described as Liberia's worst in 30 years," the FAO said. "The last African armyworm outbreak in the sub-region occurred in Ghana in 2006."
Liberia declares emergency after hordes of ravenous caterpillars infest country . Tens of millions of the worm-like larvae have appeared in northern areas . Up to 350,000 people in 62 communities may have been affected .
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(CNN) -- A California jury Wednesday recommended the death penalty after convicting a man on murder and arson charges in the deaths of five U.S. Forest Service firefighters who died in a 2006 blaze outside Los Angeles. Smoke rises over a flag flying at half-staff for fallen firefighters October 27, 2006, in Banning, California. Raymond Lee Oyler of Beaumont, California, was convicted on five counts of first-degree murder, including two special circumstances -- that the murders were committed during an arson and that multiple murders were committed -- making him eligible for the death penalty. Oyler was also convicted of 11 counts of arson and 10 counts of use of an incendiary device in those arsons. Sentencing is set for June 5. Firefighters Mark Loutzenhiser, 44; Jess McLean, 27; Jason McKay, 27; and Daniel Hoover-Najera, 20, died October 26, 2006, during a blaze called the Esperanza fire when the wildfire, fueled by Santa Ana winds, enveloped their engine. The fifth firefighter, Pablo Cerda, 23, died October 31, 2006, at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, where he had been taken after sustaining burns over 90 percent of his body. Days before being charged in Esperanza Fire, Oyler had been arrested and charged with two counts of arson in a June 2006 fire in the Banning Pass area. The 41,173-acre Esperanza fire outside Los Angeles destroyed 34 homes and 20 outbuildings, mainly in the Twin Pines and Poppet Flats areas, which had been under mandatory evacuations. The firefighters died trying to protect a partially built house in Twin Pines, a rural mountain community.
Jury convicts man on five counts of first-degree murder, 11 counts of arson . 2006 fire outside Los Angeles, California, killed five firefighters . Jury recommends death; sentencing set for June 5 .
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(CNN) -- Gunmen shot and killed a food monitor for the United Nations' World Food Program on Thursday, the second killing of a WFP humanitarian worker in Somalia in three days, a spokesman for the agency said Thursday. Mohamud Omar Moallim, a food monitor for the United Nations, was killed in Somalia on Thursday, the U.N. says. Peter Smerdon said Mohamud Omar Moallim, 49, was shot by unidentified gunmen while distributing food to displaced people at Daynile, 6 miles (10 kilometers) northwest of Mogadishu. The gunmen put Moallim's body in a WFP vehicle and drove away, then pushed the corpse from the vehicle and drove on, Smerdon said. Moallim joined WFP in 1993 and worked until 1995 as a logistics assistant. He rejoined the agency in May 2006 as a food monitor. He was abducted in September 2008 for 16 hours outside Mogadishu. He leaves two wives and 11 children. Colleagues said Moallim was calm, extremely hard-working and highly responsible and was often consulted for advice and support by other staff members. On Tuesday, three masked men shot and killed 44-year-old Somali national Ibrahim Hussein Duale while he was monitoring food distribution at a school in Yubsan village, near the Gedo regional capital of Garbahare, the WFP said. Witnesses say the gunmen approached Duale while he was seated, ordered him to stand up and then shot him, according to the account on the WFP Web site. Duale leaves a wife and five children. He joined WFP in 2006 as a food monitor in the Gedo region, which borders Kenya and Ethiopia.
U.N. aid worker shot by unidentified gunman while handing out food, U.N. says . Attackers threw body in car, drove off, then dumped body, says U.N. spokesman . Another aid worker shot on Tuesday while distributing food at a school, U.N. says . Both the slain humanitarian workers leave behind families .
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ROME, Italy (CNN) -- The Italian capital Rome was spared major damage Saturday as some of the heaviest flooding in the past century reached its peak without bursting the banks of the Tiber river. A rescue boat patrols the swollen River Tiber in central Rome early Friday. Italian Civil Protection officials said the river will take several days to return to normal levels but there was no longer a risk of flooding. Civil Protection teams were also coordinating the removal of two barges that crashed against bridges after breaking their moorings on Friday. Italian media report that last night a young man from Ireland fell in the Tiber, but his body has not been found yet. Hundreds of volunteers and officials had been deployed around Rome ahead of the flood's peak, while sandbags were lined up to contain any possible river overflow. Firefighters Thursday had to rescue dozens of motorists stranded in their cars. Because of the intense rain, the streets of some northern Rome neighborhoods were already flooded by water and covered in thick brown mud. One woman died near Rome early Thursday when her car was submerged by a wave of water and mud in an underpass. The body of a second victim was found in the southern region of Calabria after a bridge collapsed. Earlier this month, much of the Italian city of Venice was underwater as some of the heaviest floods for several decades burst the city's famed canal networks and inundated historic landmarks such as St. Mark's Square.
Flood waters subside in Rome . Italy has been hit by a wave of bad weather that has claimed two lives . One woman died near Rome when her car was submerged by a wave of water . Body of a second victim was found in Calabria region after a bridge collapsed .
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(CNN) -- Los Angeles police are searching for a serial killer dubbed the "Grim Sleeper," who is thought to have killed 11 people. Alicia Alexander was one of the Grim Sleeper's victims in the 1980s. The killer, who police say murdered from 1985 to 2007, was nicknamed the Grim Sleeper because he seemed to take a break between homicides, police said. Authorities this week released a 9-1-1 tape recorded shortly after a killing in 1987, in the hope of producing clues. "Yes ... I'd like to report a murder," an anonymous caller says on the tape. "The guy that dropped her off was driving a white and blue Dodge van. He threw her out. ... He threw a gas tank on top of her. All that you can see sticking out is her feet." Watch the hunt for a serial killer » . Police found the scene just as the caller described and found the van. But they are still searching for the caller and members of the now-defunct church that owned the van. The killer is wanted in 11 deaths and another homicide attempt, police say. Detectives say they have the Grim Sleeper's DNA, and a $500,000 reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest and prosecution. The killer shot his victims, police said. Porter Alexander has waited two decades for the Grim Sleeper's arrest. His daughter Alicia Alexander became the Grim Sleeper's eighth victim in 1988, police say. "No one should have to face anything like this," he said. "To experience their daughters or sons taken away as early as she was." CNN's Kara Finnstrom contributed to this report.
L.A. police this week released old 9-1-1 call: "Yes ... I'd like to report a murder" Police have Grim Sleeper's DNA and are offering $500,000 reward for information . Nickname given because killer took a break between murders, police say .
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(CNN) -- Conjoined Egyptian twin boys Hassan and Mahmoud, who were successfully separated in Saudi Arabia Saturday, are recovering and are expected to lead normal lives, officials said. Conjoined twins Hassan, left, and Mahmud rest the day before separation surgery in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. "The twins' vital signs are good; they're doing excellent," said Sami Al-Shalan, spokesman for the King Abdulaziz Medical City facility in Riyadh where the surgery took place. "The twins still have about 24 hours before a progress report can be issued. The anesthesia consultants are happy with the progress of the children." The boys are less than a year old and were brought to the kingdom on February 10. The delicate surgery took a little more than 15 hours. "The twins' parents have visited them in the [pediatric intensive care unit], but they can't stay there long. They come and go," Al-Shalan said. Separating the boys' urinary system was a major challenge, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, the Saudi minister of health, told CNN. So was separating the siblings' local veins and arteries, he said. "We had to identify the arteries and the blood veins between each baby," Al-Rabeeah said. Watch Al-Rabeeah explain the operation » . The procedure was the 21st of its kind to be performed in the kingdom. The surgeries are performed free as part of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz's philanthropic initiative. CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom contributed to this report.
Egyptian twin boys are less than a year old . 21st procedure of this type to be performed in the kingdom . 15-hour delicate surgery declared successful, surgeon says . Surgery free as part of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz's philanthropic initiative .
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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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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- Efforts by government troops to secure control of a main highway that links mainland Sri Lanka to the northern Jaffna peninsula came a step closer Thursday when they re-captured Pallai, a palm-fringed village under rebel control. Sri Lankan army troops have had there most decisive victories against the Tamil Tigers in recent weeks. The village is located past Elephant Pass, described as a gateway to the Jaffna peninsula, which the army re-captured on Wednesday. Whilst a column of troops are moving northwards from this town, another column that advanced from the outer fringes of the government-controlled peninsula advanced southwards to recapture Pallai. "When the two columns meet we would have captured the entire A-9 highway," a senior army source told CNN. He spoke on grounds of anonymity since he is not authorized to talk to media. The A-9 highway links the hill city Kandy with Jaffna. The only stretch that remains to be recaptured is the area between Elephant Pass and Jaffna. Earlier this month, President Mahinda Rajapaksa urged the Tamil Tigers to lay down their arms and end a quarter-century of civil war. Before he made that request government troops retook the separatists' former capital, Kilinochchi. Rajapaksa called the recapture of Kilinochchi "a victory against separatism." "The time is not far off when people of the north can breathe freedom again," Rajapaksa said. He invited the Tigers -- who have fought for an independent homeland for Sri Lanka's ethnic Tamil minority since 1983 -- to surrender as government troops closed in on their last remaining strongholds. The civil war has left more than 65,000 people dead. The U.S. State Department has designated the Tamil Tigers a terrorist organization.
Sri Lankan government troops continue advance into rebel territory . Troops capture village on main highway linking mainland to Jaffna peninsula . Civil war with Tamil Tigers has killed more than 65,000 .
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(CNN) -- An apartment left untouched since before the fall of the Berlin Wall has been discovered by a developer in the eastern German city of Leipzig, German media reports said Thursday. The fall of the Berlin Wall heralded the end of the communist regime in East Germany in 1989. The discovery, made by architect Mark Aretz, revealed a small one-bedroom apartment evidently abandoned quickly by its occupants as the Communist East German state disintegrated in 1989, Spiegel Online reported. A wall calendar showed August 1988, and the kitchen cupboard and drawers contained plastic crockery and aluminium cutlery along with communist-era food brands such as "Vita" Cola, "Marella" margarine, "Juwel" cigarettes and a bottle of "Kristall" vodka. "When we opened the door we felt like Howard Carter when he found the grave of Tutankhamen," Aretz told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper. "Everything was a mess but it was like a historic treasure trove, a portal into an age long gone." According to Aretz -- a developer who renovates properties in eastern Germany -- the occupant appears to have been a 24-year-old man from Leipzig who had been in trouble with the authorities, judging by personal documents left behind. The most recent document was dated May, 1989 -- a police search warrant for a caravan. There was also a stamped and addressed postcard written by the occupant, but he had never sent it, Spiegel said.
Apartment found by developer in eastern German city of Leipzig . Occupant left in a hurry as East German state crumbled in 1989 . Communist-era food brands such as "Vita" Cola, "Marella" margarine found .
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KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Up to 30,000 additional U.S. troops could be sent to Afghanistan next year, military officials said Saturday. Helicopters are the main transportation of the U.S. military in Afghanistan, with its high mountain terrain. Roughly 31,000 U.S. troops currently are in Afghanistan. Of the additional troops, 20,000 will comprise four ground/maneuvering brigades, said Col. Gregory Julian, spokesman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan. That number is consistent with what Gen. David McKiernan, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, called for in October, he said. The additional 10,000 likely refers to support personnel, Julian said. McKiernan requested the additional 20,000 troops be sent to fight the increasing violence by the resurgent Taliban forces in the southern and eastern parts of the country. On Friday, military officials said Defense Secretary Robert Gates signed a deployment order to move an additional 3,000 troops to Afghanistan next year. Those troops will be part of a combat aviation brigade, the latest approved by Gates for the expected buildup of U.S. troops in the country in 2009. The brigade will send a number of much-needed helicopters to the region. Helicopters are the main mode of transportation for the U.S. military in Afghanistan, where high mountain roads and passes make it difficult for large transport vehicles to move troops and supplies. The additional troops would nearly double the level of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Troop levels are likely to be maintained at this increased level for three to four years, Julian said Saturday, as U.S. forces continue to try to "clear and hold" more parts of Afghanistan from insurgents and militants and train Afghan military and police to be self-sufficient.
20,000 in four ground/maneuvering brigades, said U.S. forces spokesman . The additional 10,000 likely refers to support personnel, said spokesman . On Friday, Defense Secretary ordered 3,000 troops to Afghanistan for next year .
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(CNN) -- The World Bank cut China's economic growth forecast in 2009 to 6.5 percent Wednesday, down a full percentage point from November's projection. Workers assemble toys on a production line at a factory in Shantou, in China's Guangdong province. Despite the downgrade, "China is a relative bright spot in an otherwise gloomy global economy," said the World Bank's David Dollar. Last week, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao reiterated projections that the nation's economy will grow by 8 percent in 2009, despite doubts expressed by domestic and international economic analysts. Some have forecast growth as low as 5 percent. "I will admit it will be a difficult job [to reach 8 percent]. This being said, I also believe with considerable efforts it's possible for us to obtain this goal," Wen said at a news conference following the annual session of the country's rubber-stamp legislature. China has seen a sharp decline in demand for its exports since November as other major economies have struggled. In February, Chinese exports plunged 25.7 percent compared with the previous year's, Beijing reported last week. Even with the slowdown, China's economy -- the third largest in the world -- has gone from white-hot to merely robust. In 2007, China's gross domestic product grew at 13 percent. The two largest economies -- the United States and Japan -- are in recession. "So a lot of things will go down in 2009 globally," Dollar said. "But we see China's contribution as being very positive in keeping many markets from going down as far as they would otherwise." The World Bank expects China's economy to outgrow most others in 2009. In November, China announced plans to inject $586 billion (4 trillion yuan) into its economy to offset declines in industrial and export growth. That economic stimulus plan included the loosening of credit restrictions, tax cuts and massive infrastructure spending.
World Bank cuts China's economic growth forecast in 2009 to 6.5 percent . Reduction is down a full percentage point from November's projection . Last week, Chinese Premier projected nation's economy would grow by 8% in 2009 . China has seen a sharp decline in demand for its exports since November .
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(CNN) -- Stop, speed racers, stop. Police say the cars were pulled over on a dangerous stretch of Highway 18 near Grand Ronde, Oregon. So said Oregon State Senior Trooper David Petersen after he was able to catch up with six exotic sports cars on a stretch of Highway 18 near Grand Ronde on Thursday, according to a news release. Perhaps a more amazing feat was that he stopped all the cars simultaneously. "They just were all good little soldiers and pulled right over," Oregon State Police spokesman Lt. Gregg Hastings told CNN. One of the drivers was later cited again on a different highway. The drivers of the cars -- consisting of Ferraris, a Lamborghini and an Acura NSX -- told Petersen they were part of a group of 20 similar cars making an annual road trip, the news release said. They were all cordial and cooperative, and were cited with speed racing, a class A traffic violation that can command a fine of $627, Hastings said. After receiving reports Thursday morning that several sports cars were speeding and passing in no-pass zones west of Grand Ronde, Petersen set up east of the casino town, near McMinnville, and waited. Five of the cars soon blew past him, running about 100 mph in a 55-mph zone, Hastings said. As Petersen pulled onto Highway 18 in pursuit, a sixth car passed him. "I guess when you're going too fast, you're in a rock and a hard place," Hastings said. Highway 18 runs from Dayton, Oregon, in the Willamette Valley to the Pacific coast. The stretch where the cars were cited is considered particularly dangerous and the Oregon Department of Transportation provides additional funding to enforce traffic laws there, Hastings said. About two hours after the incident, another trooper pulled over the Lamborghini from the group in Multnomah Falls, about 90 miles east. The driver of the car, which bore the the license plate "BADBUL," was cited for driving 90 in a 65-mph zone, according to a news release.
Police: 6 exotic sport cars, mostly Ferraris, pulled over "like good little soldiers" Polite drivers reportedly told police they were making annual road trip . Fine for speed racing is $627, police say . Lamborghini with tag "BADBUL" pulled over again later in day, police say .
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(CNN) -- The U.S. Navy has captured seven suspected pirates in the Gulf of Aden, the first arrests by a U.S.-led task force set up to curb rampant piracy off the Horn of Africa, a Navy spokesman said Wednesday. Seven men suspected of trying to pirate a tanker raise their hands before their arrest in the Gulf of Aden. Sailors from the cruiser USS Vella Gulf arrested the men Wednesday in the western Gulf of Aden -- a waterway between Africa and the Middle East -- after a distress call from the 420-foot (128-meter) tanker Polaris. The tanker reported that men aboard a small skiff were attempting to board the ship using ladders, but its crew removed them before the would-be hijackers could get aboard, the Navy said. The Vella Gulf found and boarded the skiff, and the tanker's crew identified the men aboard the skiff as their would-be hijackers. The skiff's men were taken aboard the Vella Gulf, the flagship of the task force now patrolling the western Gulf of Aden, and eventually will be transferred to Kenya for trial, said Lt. Nate Christensen, a spokesman for the U.S. 5th Fleet. Piracy has become a chronic problem off the Horn of Africa in recent years, with some pirates operating from largely lawless Somalia. Pirates attacked nearly 100 vessels and hijacked as many as 40 in the waters off the coast of Somalia in 2008, according to the International Maritime Bureau. The task force led by the Vella Gulf was set up in January in an effort to clamp down on the attacks in the region, the southern approach to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
Seven men captured after failed attack on ship, U.S. Navy says . Men tried to board tanker from skiff, but crew removed ladders, Navy says . Navy cruiser found skiff after tanker made distress call . Cruiser was patrolling Gulf of Aden as part of U.S.-led, antipiracy task force .
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(CNN) -- The risk of being jolted by 1,500 volts of electricity hasn't scared them off. Neither have fears of falling off the speeding electric trains. Thousands of passengers ride on overloaded trains in Jakarta every day. So Indonesian railway officials on Monday will unleash a new weapon on commuters who squat on top of railway cars: spray them with colored dye, a local newspaper reported. The state transit agency told the English-language newspaper Jakarta Post that it hopes the "unique approach" will deter passengers riding illegally on rooftops. Trains are the cheapest and fastest form of transportation for office workers commuting between the capital city Jakarta and neighboring towns. Throngs of thousands cram the trains during the morning and evening rush hours, making it impossible for everyone to snag space inside packed cars. Under the new plan, security officials at each station will "mark" roof riders with dye as trains depart. When the passengers disembark at their destination, officials can then easily identify them. "We will confiscate their IDs and give them a ticket," Akhmand Sujadi, regional spokesman for the transit agency Kerata Api, told the newspaper. "We will send a copy of the ticket to their family, their local neighborhood unit head, their employer, or, if they're students, their headmasters." The offenders can reclaim their ID cards once they write a letter "regarding their behavior, to be signed by the person who received their ticket." More than 320,000 passengers rode trains to and from work every day last year, the newspaper reported. The crush of passengers meant revenues of 248 billion Rupiahs ($26.8 million) for the system. But many commuters prefer to ride on top of passenger cars -- either due to a lack of space inside or because they can't afford the ticket, which start at 1,000 Rupiahs ($0.11) At least 53 rooftop riders died in the last two years, the newspaper reported. E-mail to a friend .
Commuters who squat on train roofs in Indonesia targeted with colored dye . Officials hope "unique approach" will deter passengers riding illegally . Security officials at stations will "mark" roof riders with dye as trains depart . When passengers disembark at destination, officials can easily identify them .
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SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il has been making the the rounds of major industrial facilities in the country's north, state-run media reported Thursday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il meets people at a library in the country's north. It was the second time in as many days that state media reported Kim's activities. State media reported Wednesday that Kim had visited a steel company and expressed "great satisfaction" with workers' efforts. The steel factory tour generated no pictures, but his stops at a library and an electronics research facility in Jagang Province the day before did. Kim was shown bundled up in a parka with matching thick gloves. He was also wearing a fur hat and his signature dark sunglasses. The photos showed Kim engaged in conversation and active. South Korean media noted it was the first time since Kim reappeared in public October 4 -- after a hiatus of nearly 60 days -- that his activities have been reported two days in a row. Kim's disappearance during that period raised speculation about the North Korean leader's health. South Korean analysts said they believe the new reports are an attempt by the North Korean leadership to show Kim is healthy and in control. Last week, Francois-Xavier Roux, a French neurosurgeon at Saint-Anne Hospital in Paris, told a French newspaper that Kim had suffered a stroke, but is now better. The doctor said he last treated Kim in late October. The North has denied its leader was ever ill and state media has issued a series of reports portraying Kim as healthy and active.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il has appeared in public again . Pictures show Kim healthy and active at library, research facility . Surgeon claimed he treated Kim for a stroke, North Korea denies any illness .
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- A pedestrian was struck twice by vehicles in Queens and dragged for 17 miles by the second vehicle before police found him dead in Brooklyn, New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told reporters Wednesday. Surveillance video shows a body in the middle of the street. The badly mangled body was discovered under a van after several passing motorists motioned the driver to pull over, Kelly said. Police had not identified the victim Wednesday evening, he said. The first driver called 911 to report he thought he had struck a pedestrian but did not see anyone. It turned out the second driver, in a van, had driven over the man, whose body became lodged under its chassis, according to police. Kelly said the van driver stopped at one point during the drive on New York City's highways and roads because he noticed the vehicle was not driving properly. But he failed to find anything unusual, Kelly said. Police are retracing the route the van drove in an attempt to find body parts, he said. No charges have been filed, Kelly told reporters Wednesday afternoon.
Pedestrian struck twice, dragged 17 miles by second vehicle, New York police say . Man struck in Queens, van stopped in Brooklyn, police say . Body was lodged under van's chassis, according to police . Police retrace van's route, seeking body parts .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Thousands of visitors lined Constitution Avenue in Washington on Saturday morning for the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. The annual two-week National Cherry Blossom Festival runs through April 12. "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek served as the parade's grand marshal, waving to crowds from the back of a convertible. "American Idol" finalist Kimberly Locke, the cast of the musical "Chicago" and D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton were among the parade's stars. The cherry blossom trees were a gift of friendship to the U.S. government from Japan in 1912, according to the National Park Service. Their blooming has come to represent the definitive beginning of springtime in the nation's capital. The parade is part of the annual two-week National Cherry Blossom Festival, which is timed around the projected peak bloom period of the famous trees. This year, the trees reached their peak bloom this week, according to the park service. Many high school groups and marching bands also participated in the parade. Near the National Mall, large crowds mingled under the branches of the blossoming trees that line the Tidal Basin. On an unusually blustery day, the delicate pink and white blossoms blew from their branches like snowflakes. "It's like being in a fairy tale," said Maria Podonyi, a visiting professor from Hungary. Podonyi brought her parents, who are visiting the United States from Hungary, to the festival. "They haven't seen anything like this before," she said. "It's wonderful. The festival is scheduled to run through April 12.
"Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek serves as parade's grand marshal . Cherry blossom trees were a gift to U.S. government from Japan in 1912 . National Cherry Blossom Festival marks the arrival of spring .
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(CNN) -- A court has lifted a ban on identifying a man charged with one of a number of deadly wildfires that scorched southeastern Australia this month. A dirt track runs through the burnt out forest in the Kinglake region of Victoria state. The man, 39-year-old Brendan Sokaluk, did not appear in Monday's hearing in Melbourne Magistrates' Court, the Australian Associated Press reported. An order banning the publishing of Sokaluk's street address or his image remains in place. Public passions are running high in the aftermath of the fires that have killed scores of people. One T-shirt says, "The bastards who lit Victoria's fires should: Burn in hell." Sokaluk is suspected of lighting a fire on February 7. He was charged with arson causing death, intentionally or recklessly lighting a bush fire, and possessing child pornography, Victoria state police said last week. The fire Sokaluk is accused of setting killed at least 21 people in Gippsland. See map of fire-hit areas » . Sokaluk's identity had already been revealed on social networking sites before the court lifted the suppression order on his name. There were 12 Facebook groups carrying details about Sokaluk, with one attracting more than 3,600 members. Watch more on arrest » . Robbie Shenton, who has joined one such group, told CNN: "The judicial system had no right to suppress his name or photograph." Melbourne's Age newspaper reported Police had contacted Facebook seeking removal of Sokaluk's details. The death toll in a string of fires across Victoria climbed to 189 on Monday, police reported. The number of fires burning had dropped to six, from about a peak of about three dozen, the Country Fire Authority said. Watch a survivor tell his story » . Meanwhile, more than 150 detectives were working on the arson investigation, authorities said. The fires have destroyed more than 1,800 homes and displaced about 7,000 people. Priyanka Deladia contributed to this report.
Court lifts ban on identifying man charged with starting deadly wildfire . Brendan Sokaluk, 39, did not appear in Melbourne Magistrates' Court . Order banning publishing of Sokaluk's address or image remains in place .
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(CNN) -- Nine Hutu tribal fighters and several Rwandan and Congolese troops were killed in fighting in eastern Congo, a United Nations spokesman said, as the two governments continued an unprecedented partnership to combat ethnic violence. Laurent Nkunda, seen here in November 2008, was reportedly arrested last week in Rwanda. The fighting against the Hutus in the Lubero region came a day after Congolese rebel leader Laurent Nkunda, of the rival Tutsi ethnic group, was arrested by Rwandan authorities. U.N. spokesman Jean Paul Deitrich told CNN on Saturday that no further details about the fighting were immediately available. Lubero is about 200 kilometers (124 miles) northeast of Goma, the regional capital. Nkunda's arrest early Friday raised hopes for peace in the war-ravaged region. International observers hope it will lead the roughly 1,500 fighters that follow him to join with government forces. Hear how Nkunda tried to flee capture » . Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have traditionally been on different sides of the conflict in eastern Congo -- which pits ethnic Tutsis, supported by Rwanda, against Congo-backed Hutus. The fighting is effectively an extension of the Rwandan genocide of the early 1990s, when hundreds of thousands of Rwandans were killed in ethnic battles between minority Tutsi and majority Hutu. A United Nations report last month accused Rwanda and Congo of fighting a proxy war in the region, using the ethnic groups. It said both sides had used child soldiers, and committed executions and rape, in the conflict. CNN's Katy Byron contributed to this report.
Fighting comes day after Rwanda arrests Tutsi rebel leader, Laurent Nkunda . Neighboring nations have been on different sides of the conflict in east Congo . Struggle pits Tutsis, supported by Rwanda, against the Congo-backed Hutu . The conflict is effectively an extension of the Rwandan genocide of the 1990s .
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(CNN) -- Emergency crews called off a search in Texas for the wreckage of a C-17 transport plane after reports Monday of a possible crash proved unfounded. Callers to the Olney Police Department said they saw a low-flying plane, and a spokesman for Sheppard AFB initially reported a crash, but then retracted the report. Air Force officials said an Air Force C-17 had been flying at low altitude near Olney, but the plane returned safely to Altus Air Force Base in southwest Oklahoma. CNN's Mike Mount and Adam Levine contributed to this story.
Emergency crews call off search for C-17 transport plane . Initial Air Force reports of a crash were incorrect, Air Force spokesman says . Police reported that callers said a plane was flying low to ground, then crashed .
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(CNN) -- Shahid Afridi claimed six victims to pave the way for Pakistan to claim victory by four wickets in their opening one-day international against Australia in Dubai. Career-best figures from Shahid Afridi helped steer Pakistan to victory in the first one-dayer against Australia. The all-rounder secured career-best figures of six for 38 as Australia could only manage a paltry 168 in an innings that lasted just 38.5 overs. The world champions again lost their way in the middle overs, losing eight for 27 at one stage as they wilted against Afridi's spin. It could have been worse for the Australians who relied on a last-wicket stand of 46 runs between James Hopes (48 not out) and Ben Hilfenhaus (four) to give their score some respectability. Pakistan's reply always looked on track with Kamran Akmal hitting 48 at the top of the order before Misbah-ul-Haq anchored the innings with an unbeaten 30 from 68 balls. A near-capacity crowd filled the Dubai Sports City Cricket Stadium as the venue hosted international cricket for the first time. The postponed series, which was originally due to be played last year, had been moved from Pakistan to neutral turf because of security concerns. Meanwhile, a superb half-century from Adam Gilchrist set Deccan Chargers on their way to a 24-run win over Bangalore Royal Challengers in the Indian Premier League in Cape Town. The Australian smashed a quickfire 71 and Rohit Sharma contributed 52 as Deccan reached 184 for six from their 20 overs. Bangalore's reply never really got going with captain Kevin Pietersen managing just 11 before he fell to a teasing delivery from Pragyan Ojha and a smart stumping from Gilchrist. Rahul Dravid gave them hope with a thumping 48 before holing out, and Virat Kohli posted 50, but with precious little support from their team-mates their efforts proved in vain.
Shahid Afridi claims six victims to pave the way for Pakistan to beat Australia . Pakistan reach required target to win first one-dayer in Dubai by four wickets . Adam Gilchrist half-century helps Deccan Chargers beat Bangalore in the IPL .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Defense Department will release "a substantial number" of photographs showing abuse of prisoners at prisons in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Aggressive techniques to interrogate terror suspects are making headlines again. The release will be in response to an open-records lawsuit filed by the ACLU, the group said in a written statement. The statement released late Thursday said the photos were taken at facilities other than Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. "These photographs provide visual proof that prisoner abuse by U.S. personnel was not aberrational but widespread, reaching far beyond the walls of Abu Ghraib," Amrit Singh, an ACLU attorney, said in the release. The photos are to be released by May 28, the ACLU said. The Department of Defense announced in a letter addressed to the federal court on Thursday that it would release the photos. In a copy of the letter posted on the ACLU's Web site, acting U.S. Attorney Lev L. Dassin said that 21 photographs would be released and that the government "also is processing for release a substantial number of other images." The lawsuit was filed in 2004 after the Bush administration denied a 2003 open-records request by the ACLU. The 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled last year that the photos should be released. The Defense Department will not appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, Dassin said in the letter. Attempts by CNN to reach the White House and Department of Defense for comment were not immediately successful.
Photos showing abuse of prisoners in Iraq, Afghanistan to be released, ACLU says . ACLU filed lawsuit in 2004 against Bush administration for access to photos . Defense Department says it will not appeal court ruling, will release pictures . ACLU: Pictures, taken at facilities other than Abu Ghraib, to be released by May 28 .
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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- At least seven Iraqis were killed and 23 wounded when a bomb exploded near a Shiite holy shrine in northern Baghdad on Wednesday morning, an Interior Ministry official said. The Imam Musa al-Kadhim shrine in Baghdad, Iraq, seen in 2007, is holy to Shiite Muslims. The bomb detonated near the Imam Musa al-Kadhim shrine in the Kadhimiya district, the official said. The Kadhimiya shrine is one of the holiest shrines for Shiite Muslims around the world. On Tuesday, a parked car bomb killed at least nine people and wounded more than a dozen others, also in Kadhimiya. This is the third straight day of deadly attacks in the capital, striking mostly Shiite areas. On Monday, seven bombings in Baghdad left at least 32 people killed and more than 130 wounded. Iraqi officials have warned that they expect a rise in attacks. The country's president and his deputies urged security forces to intensify their efforts to secure the country. The government has blamed the ousted Baath party and al Qaeda in Iraq for Monday's attacks, saying they were meant to create sectarian divisions. The U.S. military also pointed the finger at al Qaeda. "The nature of the attacks and targets are consistent with past al Qaeda in Iraq attacks. We see this as coordinated attack by terrorists against predominantly Shia targets that they gauge as vulnerable to instigate sectarian violence," the U.S. military said.
Three days of attacks in mainly Shiite areas of Baghdad leave dozens dead . Bomb near revered Shiite shrine of Imam Musa al-Kadhim kills 7 on Wednesday . Parked car bomb in same area of Baghdad kills at least 9 people on Tuesday . At least 32 killed on Monday in seven bombings around Iraqi capital .
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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport was back in operation late Thursday after lightning hit the control tower and severe storms knocked out power to the area. The control tower and three of the airport's five runways were open, said Kathleen Bergen, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration. All systems were running on emergency generator power. A ground stoppage was already in place for arriving or departing flights when lightning struck the tower at 8:45 p.m., according to Bergen. People evacuated the tower and a smoky odor was investigated. At 9:10 p.m., the all-clear was given and controllers returned to the tower, she said. But at 9:20 p.m., the tower and parts of the airport were hit by a power outage. The outage affected all the airport's runway lights, Bergen said. During the outage, planes headed to Atlanta from other airports were being held on the ground, Bergen said, and arrivals were circling or being diverted to other airports. Atlanta's airport is one of the world's busiest.
Lightning strikes a control tower at Hartsfield airport as people evacuated . Power outage follows lightning after severe storms roll through Atlanta area . Outage affects runway lights; arriving planes diverted or told to circle .
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(CNN) -- An adoptive mother has been charged with murdering her 9-year-old quadriplegic daughter, prosecutors in Michigan said Friday. An official says Shylea Thomas, 9, had a "suffocation issue" at 3 weeks old that made her quadriplegic. Lorrie Thomas was charged with second-degree murder and child abuse in the death of Shylea Myza Thomas, said John Potbury, an assistant prosecutor with the Genesee County Prosecutor's Office in Flint, Michigan. Thomas is also charged with tampering with evidence. Thomas, who is the girl's biological aunt, made no immediate public statement. Police found the girl's body this week, stuffed inside a garbage bag in a public storage facility in Vienna Township, near Flint, said Genesee County prosecutor David Leyton. The bag was covered in mothballs "in an apparent attempt to mask odors from the dead body," Leyton's office said in a news release. "This is a very sad and tragic case that hurts all of us involved in the ongoing investigation," Leyton said. Shylea had not been seen in six weeks, but relatives did not report her missing until Tuesday, Leyton's office said. Thomas had been taken into custody earlier this week and held as a suspect. Because of her physical disabilities, Shylea had to use a feeding tube. She suffered from quadriplegia because of a "suffocation issue" in her crib at 3 weeks of age, Leyton said. Leyton said Shylea and other relatives had lived in "absolutely filthy" conditions. Relatives told CNN affiliate WJRT that they remember Shylea as a happy child who loved music and had an infectious smile. "The last memory I actually have of Shylea is seeing her when she was in my care," said her second cousin, Josette Thomas. "She was on the bed listening to the radio and smiling. Those are actually the memories I want to keep in my head. I don't want that memory to leave me."
NEW: Adoptive mom charged with murder of quadriplegic girl, 9 . Lorrie Thomas also was child's biological aunt . Shylea had not been seen in six weeks, was reported missing Tuesday . Body was found in mothballs and trash bag at Michigan storage facility .
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(CNN) -- A man in northern Idaho says he has seen a massive hand of God in his life, and he is willing to share it with the highest bidder. Paul Grayhek says the "Hand of God" appeared in his backyard in March. Paul Grayhek, 52, listed the rock formation he dubbed the "Hand of God Rock Wall" on the online auction Web site eBay. The highest bid was $250 early Sunday, with three days left to go in the auction. The hand-like formation, approximately 9 feet tall and 4 feet wide, appeared in Grayhek's backyard after a rockfall during Lent on March 8, he said. The Coeur d'Alene resident said he faced tough times after losing his job, and believed the rock was a sign. "I prayed between licking my wounds and looking for a job," he said. "We rarely get rockfalls and this formation is 20 feet from my house. It's definitely a symbol of the hand of God in my life." However, the winning bidder on eBay should not start clearing out his backyard. Grayhek is not planning to part with the formation. The buyer will "basically be buying the rights, complete and exclusive rights" to the rock, including literary and movie rights, according to Grayhek. Grayhek said he plans to use the money from the sale to pursue an unpaid internship in counseling when he graduates with a master's degree in social work in two years. "People think I'm some holier-than-thou person trying to get rich. I'm not," Grayhek said. "The purpose is to spread the story of God and eBay is just a vehicle."
Idaho man places "Hand of God" rock for sale on eBay . Paul Grayhek says hand-like formation appeared in his backyard during Lent . Winning bidder on eBay would get "exclusive rights" to rock .
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- TV talk show host Jay Leno fell ill and checked himself into a Los Angeles, California, hospital on Thursday, his representative said. NBC cancels tapings of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on Thursday and Friday after Leno became ill. Tracy St. Pierre would not disclose the nature of Leno's illness. Leno will be 59 on Tuesday. NBC canceled tapings of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" scheduled for Thursday and Friday, she said. The network will rerun the March 26 show on Thursday, which features a musical performance by Prince and interviews with actors Paul Giamatti and Emma Roberts, according to the show's Web site. Actor Ryan Reynolds, animal trainer Jules Sylvester and swing band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy had been booked for Thursday's show. CNN's Anderson Cooper, anchor of "Anderson Cooper 360," was scheduled to appear on Friday's show. The network did not announce which show would be broadcast on Friday. CNN's Jack Hannah contributed to this report.
Jay Leno's representative, Tracy St. Pierre, would not disclose illness . Network cancels tapings of Thursday and Friday night shows . Leno will be 59 years old on Tuesday .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- French scientists have unveiled a working prototype of a fully artificial heart which is based on the technology of satellites and airplanes. The artificial heart based on satellite and airplane technology was presented in Paris. The device could save millions of lives and beats almost exactly like the real thing using electronic sensors to regulate heart rate and blood flow. Developers Carmat, funded by the European space and defense group EADS, presented the device at a press conference in Paris on Monday. Carmat's chief operating officer Patrick Coulombier told The Associated Press: "it's the same principle in the airplane as in the body." Coulombier explained that the same tiny sensors that measure air pressure and altitude in an airplane or satellite are also in the artificial heart. This should allow the device to respond immediately if the patient needs more or less blood. The French design has so far only been tested in animals, and now needs approval from its authorities before pushing ahead with clinical trials. Previous artificial hearts have been unable to automatically vary their pumping speed and must be tweaked externally. The French heart is also the most lifelike, with two pumps to send the blood into the lungs and the rest of the body, just like a real heart. Past artificial hearts have only had one pump. The French model is made from natural materials including polymer and pig tissue, which have already been used in heart valves implanted into people. The artificial heart would initially be for patients who had suffered a massive heart attack or who had heart failure, but might eventually be used in patients who are not that sick. Heart disease is the world's top killer, claiming some 17 million lives a year. According to the American Heart Association, about 2,200 heart transplants were performed in the U.S. in 2006. Thousands more patients would benefit if more donor hearts were available. The artificial heart is expected to cost about 150,000 euros or $192,140.
French scientists have unveiled a working prototype of a fully artificial heart . The design is based on the technology of satellites and airplanes . It could save millions of lives as heart disease kills 17 million a year .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Obama administration told a federal court late Friday it will maintain the Bush administration's position that battlefield detainees held without charges by the United States in Afghanistan are not entitled to constitutional rights to challenge their detention. Former detainees pray near Kaubul in 2005 following their release from U.S. custody at Bagram Air Base. "Having considered the matter, the government adheres to its previously articulated position," said a Justice Department document filed in federal court in Washington. In a controversial 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court last year ruled that detainees held at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay had a right under the constitution to challenge their continued detention. However, the court did not say whether it applied to prisoners in other locations abroad, including Afghanistan. Five prisoners held at Bagram Air Base, backed by human rights groups, have gone to court to claim the same rights as the men detained in Guantanamo Bay. The new administration, which was given a month by a federal judge to declare whether the government wants to change its position, has now indicated it will continue to argue that it is against its security interests to release enemy combatants in a war zone. Barbara Olshansky, lead counsel for three of the detainee petitioners, said that the administration's decision was "deeply disappointing." "We are trying to remain hopeful that the message being conveyed is that the new administration is still working on its position regarding the applicability of the laws of war -- the Geneva Conventions -- and international human rights treaties that apply to everyone in detention there," she said. The air base at Bagram, located north of the city of Kabul, houses between 600 and 650 detainees. Most were picked up for suspected ties to terrorism.
Justice Department: U.S. "adheres to its previously articulated position" Lead counsel for detainees in Afghanistan calls decision "deeply disappointing" New administration was given a month to review detainee rights in theater of war .
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(CNN) -- Entertainer Ed McMahon has been hospitalized for more than three weeks with pneumonia and other medical problems, his spokesman said Friday. 85-year-old Ed McMahon is in serious condition, according to his spokesman. Doctors say McMahon is in serious condition, said the spokesman, Howard Bragman. "Ed's a big, strong, hearty guy and his family and I are hopeful and optimistic about his prognosis," he said. McMahon is 85. He will turn 86 on March 6. Bragman and McMahon's family are "praying and hoping for the best and are appreciative of everyone's thoughts and prayers," Bragman said. He declined to say where McMahon is hospitalized. McMahon gained fame as Johnny Carson's sidekick on "The Tonight Show." CNN's Rachel Wells contributed to this story.
Ed McMahon has been in the hospital for almost a month . He is in serious condition, says spokesman . McMahon best known as Johnny Carson's longtime "Tonight" show sidekick .
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(CNN) -- The entire population of Taloga, Oklahoma, was evacuated Thursday because of a raging fire that has burned tens of thousands of acres, officials said Friday. Wildfire threatens a house in Edmond, Oklahoma, on Friday. All of the residents, about 400, left the Dewey County town, but have been allowed back in, said Bill Challis with the fire department in Clinton, Oklahoma, south of Taloga. Clinton is among dozens of fire departments helping battle the blaze. Wildfires have been burning in northwest and central Oklahoma since Thursday, according to the state Department of Emergency Management. A large wildfire also came within inches of homes north of Edmond late Friday morning and was still burning during the noon hour, CNN affiliate KOCO reported. Oklahoma Department of Public Safey officials also report that one to two city blocks of Weleetka, in Okfuskee County, were on fire, according to KOCO. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved the state's request for federal assistance for fighting the wildfire in Dewey County, where Taloga is located. The original call about the Taloga fire came in Thursday at about 12:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m. ET), Challis said. Officials don't know how the fire started. Brett Russell, also with the Clinton Fire Department, said about 60,000 acres have burned. There are no reports of anyone injured. As of about 11 a.m. Friday (12 p.m. ET), the Taloga fire was about 50 to 60 percent contained. About 80 fire departments helping battle the blaze, Russell told CNN. An Oklahoma Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopter was helping with aerial fire suppression, according to the state.
All residents of Taloga, Oklahoma, were evacuated because of fire . Entire population of about 400 people allowed back in . Wildfires have been burning in northwest and central Oklahoma since Thursday . Wildfire also burning near towns of Edmond, Waleeka .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The White House has provided the use of a government airplane to a key Democratic senator in order to ensure the availability of what may prove to be the deciding 60th vote in favor of the $787 billion economic stimulus package. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, could represent the decisive 60th vote on the $787 billion economic stimulus package. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, has returned to his home state to attend a wake for his 88-year-old mother, who died February 2 from complications from leukemia. At the end of the wake, Brown will be flown from Mansfield, Ohio, to Andrews Air Force Base. After he casts his vote, he will return to Ohio for his mother's funeral early Saturday. The plane is being provided by the White House, Brown's office said, because the vote is considered "official business," and there are no commercial flights available that would allow him to cast the vote and return to Ohio for his mother's funeral Saturday morning. A White House official refused to provide a cost estimate for the military plane, but acknowledged "it will be a higher cost than if he were flying commercial." The official said it is a "small government plane." "Taking immediate action to save or create 3.5 million jobs and get America's economy moving again is a top priority for Ohio and the nation," said the White House official. "Given that no commercial flights were available that would allow Sen. Brown to make the vote and to attend services memorializing his mother, the administration provided government transportation to ensure that he could do so." While the final Senate vote on the stimulus plan began at 5:30 p.m. ET, senators are expected to be allowed to vote until after 10:30 p.m., giving Brown enough time to return to the Capitol. CNN's Ed Henry and Ted Barrett contributed to this report .
White House provides plane to Democratic senator so he can vote on stimulus bill . Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, may represent the decisive 60th vote on measure . Brown will vote between wake and funeral in Ohio for his mother, who died at age 88 . White House official says loaner is a "small government plane"
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(CNN) -- Liverpool want to avoid playing on the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster and UEFA president Michel Platini says he will "do his utmost" to make it a reality. Liverpool fans had to be treated on the pitch as the tragedy unfolded at Hillsborough in 1989. The anniversary falls on April 15, one of two dates set aside for the second leg of this season's Champions League quarterfinal ties, the other being the previous day. European governing body UEFA issued a statement from Platini, rejecting reports that they had snubbed the appeal by Liverpool. "We are aware of the huge significance of the April 15 date for both Liverpool FC and their fans, and that is why we will do our utmost to make sure that the club does not have to play its UEFA Champions League second leg quarterfinal match on that day," Platini said. "This being the 20th anniversary of that tragic disaster in 1989 makes it even more relevant and we will take this into account." Ninety six people died when Liverpool supporters were crushed at the Leppings Lane end of Hillsborough on April 15, 1989, before the start of their team's FA Cup semifinal against Nottingham Forest. A cousin of Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was among the dead, and the England midfielder has urged UEFA to be sympathetic to the club. Gerrard told Press Association at the weekend: "We're still waiting to see whether UEFA will make us play on the day. That would be far from ideal given all the emotion that always surrounds the club on that day." Liverpool have never played a game on the anniversary of the tragedy. The Champions League quarterfinal draw takes place on Friday with four English clubs in the draw and no seedings in place. Liverpool reached the quarterfinals with a superb 4-0 home win over Real Madrid last week and followed it up with a 4-1 thumping of Manchester United to revive their Premier League title hopes.
Liverpool anxious to avoid playing on 20th anniversary of Hillsborough tragedy . April 15 is one of the two dates nominated for Champions League quarterfinals . UEFA president Michel Platini personally intervenes to ensure date stays free .
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NEW DELHI (CNN) -- India's Tata Motors Monday announced it would begin delivery of the Nano, billed as the world's "cheapest car", in July. Tata Motors expects to begin delivery of the Nano, billed as the world's cheapest car, in July. The four-door Nano is currently being built in "limited numbers" at a company plant in the north Indian hill state of Uttrakhand. Tata Motors, however, aims to make 350,000 Nanos a year from 2010 at another unit elsewhere in the country, a company statement said. "It is to the credit of the team at Tata Motors that a car once thought impossible by the world is now a reality. I hope it will provide safe, affordable, four-wheel transportation to families who till now have not been able to own a car. We are delighted in presenting the Tata Nano to India and the world," company chief Ratan Tata told a news conference in Mumbai to announce the "commercial launch" of the $2,000 car. Watch more on the Nano » . Tata Motors said the Nano would initially be available through bookings or reservations filed on a request form priced around $6, or Rs 300. Tata will accept the bookings from April 9 to April 25. Within 60 days of the closure of bookings, Tata Motors will process and announce the allotment of 100,000 cars in the first phase of deliveries, through a computerized random selection procedure, it added. "Deliveries will commence from July 2009," said the company statement.
Tata Motors to begin delivery of the Nano in July . Tata aims to make 350,000 Nanos a year from 2010 . Car is billed as the world's cheapest, costing $2,000 .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- British broadcaster Channel 4 has been criticized for creating a new television show which looks at how children as young as eight would cope without their parents for two weeks. Channel 4 said the program was made with the parents' full consent. Boys And Girls Alone -- which will be aired in the UK on Tuesday evening -- has been compared to adult reality show Big Brother. The show allows 10 boys and 10 girls between the age of eight and 11 to create their own mini-societies, organizing everything from what they eat to how they should entertain themselves. Ultimately the children are shown on camera squabbling over sleeping and cooking arrangements and, as they split into factions, some of them feel "picked on," the show's publicity says. This has led to a stream of criticism from British lawmakers and children's charities, who have labeled Channel 4's "experiment" a disgrace that "served no purpose other than to cynically boost ratings," according to Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper. Camila Batmanghelidjh, of the charity Kids Company, was quoted by The Daily Mirror as saying: "Any situation that leaves a group of young people without the mediating presence of a responsible adult is cruel and abusive." Do you agree? Share your views . Labour MP Denis MacShane told the newspaper that "children should be protected and not exploited for commercial gain." However, Channel 4 defended the show and said it features "the kind of tussling you'd get in any playground -- but no physical violence." It added that one boy pointed a knife and fork during the series but emphasized that no one was in any danger, Britain's Press Association reported. "This is not a project for commercial gain. It is done with the parents' full consent," a Channel 4 spokesperson was quoted by PA as saying. "They were watching and there were mentors and a clinical psychologist who made sure there were no problems."
Boys And Girls Alone has been compared to adult reality show Big Brother . Children between 8 and 11 live without their parents for two weeks . Program shows children squabbling and arguing with each other . British lawmaker says children must not be exploited for commercial gain .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- More than 170 people around the globe, including at least 61 in the United States, have been arrested in a major operation targeting international child pornographers, officials said Friday. Attorney General Michael Mukasey and European Union representatives announced the sting's results Friday. Operation Joint Hammer has rescued 11 girls in the United States, ages 3 to 13, who were sexually abused by child pornography producers, U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey and representatives of the European Union said at the Justice Department. Dozens more were located in Europe, including several young female victims in Ukraine. Authorities found connections between producers, distributors and customers in nearly 30 countries as a single investigation grew to a global inquiry into the dark corners of brutality and child abuse. The investigation, code-named Operation Koala in Europe, was developed when investigators determined that a pornographic video found in Australia had been produced in Belgium. "This joint EU-U.S. coordinated effort began with the discovery in Europe of a father who was sexually abusing his young daughters and producing images of that abuse," Mukasey said. Further investigation showed a number of online child porn rings. Some included dangerous offenders who not only traded child pornography but also sexually abused children, the officials said. Agents are still attempting to locate child victims whose images have appeared in photos and videos, and more arrests are expected as the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Postal Inspection Service continue the investigation. A Postal Service official said ringleaders primarily targeted prepubescent female victims to satisfy their customers but noted that other groups produce photos and videos of boys and girls of all ages -- or even infants. "For this subset, that's what turns them on," the official said.
U.S., European officials join for child pornographer sting . 11 girls ages 3 to 13 rescued in the United States, dozens more found in Europe . Arrests turn up people who traded child porn, sexually abused children, officials say . Inquiry began with pornographic video found in Australia that came from Belgium .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- FBI Director Robert Mueller pointed Monday to recent terror attacks in Mumbai, India, and Somalia to highlight the FBI's concern that small groups or individuals could carry out such attacks on U.S. soil. FBI Director Robert Mueller says he worries the Mumbai attack could be replicated in the United States. In a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations, Mueller worried that the dramatic terror attack on hotels and other facilities in Mumbai potentially could be replicated in the United States. "This type of attack reminds us that terrorists with large agendas and little money can use rudimentary weapons to maximize their impact. And it again raises the question of whether a similar attack could happen in Seattle or San Diego, Miami, or Manhattan," Mueller said. He said he is increasingly concerned with "pockets of people around the world that identify with al Qaeda and its ideology" but who have little or no actual contact with al Qaeda. Mueller cited the first-ever suicide bombing by a naturalized U.S. citizen last October. A Somali native who had settled in Minnesota traveled back to Somalia and blew up himself and 29 others. The idea that Shirwa Ahmed, 27, was radicalized in the United States raised red flags throughout the FBI. "One pattern in particular concerns us," Mueller said. "The prospect of young men, indoctrinated and radicalized within their own communities and induced to travel to Somalia to take up arms -- and to kill themselves and perhaps many others -- is a perversion of the immigrant story. And it raises the question of whether these young men will one day come home and, if so, what they might undertake here." Authorities have said as many as 20 young Somali men reported missing in Minnesota may have returned to Somalia to take up arms.
FBI director: Mumbai attack showed terrorists with little money can have large impact . FBI worries "whether a similar attack could happen in" the U.S., Mueller says . Suicide bombing involving naturalized U.S. citizen in Somalia also alarms Mueller .
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(CNN) -- A female graduate student at Virginia Tech was killed Wednesday night when a man she knew attacked her with a knife and decapitated her, a school spokesman said. Virginia Tech police Chief Wendell Flinchum talks about the first slaying on campus since the 2007 shootings. Virginia Tech spokesman Mark Owczarski said Thursday that Xin Yang's killing was the first on the campus since April 16, 2007, when a shooter killed 32 people before turning a gun on himself. Yang, 22, from Beijing, China, was killed at the Au Bon Pain restaurant in the Graduate Life Center at around 7 p.m., school spokesman Larry Hincker said in a written statement. Campus police took Haiyang Zhu, 25, into custody at the scene. The Ningbo, China, native has been charged with first-degree murder and is being held without bail at a local jail, Hincker said. Zhu did not say anything to the arresting officers, said campus police Chief Wendell Flinchum. "There was blood on him," Flinchum said. The young woman and the suspect "were not seen arguing, or anything of that nature," he added, citing witness statements. Authorities said the two students knew each other. "Based on emergency contact records maintained by the university, it is known that Zhu and Yang knew each other," Hincker said. No other details were provided. The young woman arrived at the university two weeks ago to begin studies in accounting, he said in the statement. Zhu is a graduate student pursuing a doctorate in agricultural and applied economics. He began studies at Virginia Tech in fall 2008, Hincker said. "Our hearts go out to the victim and her family," President Charles W. Steger said in a letter to the campus community. "An act of violence like this one brings back memories of the April 16 tragedy and I have no doubt that many of us feel especially distraught." Authorities say on April 16, 2007, Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 students and professors before killing himself.
Killing was first on campus since gunman killed 32 on April 16, 2007 . Victim Xin Yang, a graduate student from Beijing, knew accused killer, police say . Haiyang Zhu, 25, taken into custody; he is charged with first-degree murder . Attack took place at restaurant in Graduate Life Center .
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(CNN) -- Tough economic times are taking a toll across the spectrum of business and individual activity -- and the country's institutions of higher learning are no exception. Andy Warhol is one of the artists in Brandeis University's acclaimed Rose Art Museum. Brandeis University, in Waltham, Massachusetts, will be taking an extraordinary step to preserve its educational mission -- the school's board of trustees voted Monday to close its acclaimed Rose Art Museum. The university will sell every one of the approximately 6,000 items in the museum, opened in 1961. "These are extraordinary times, we cannot control or fix the nation's economic problems," university president Jehuda Reinharz said. "We can only do what we have been entrusted to do -- act responsibly with the best interests of our students and their futures foremost in mind." University spokesman Dennis Nealon said that the move to sell off the museum's exhibits was "a very hard and painful decision" but a necessary one for the school's survival. He said the decision, which calls for the museum to close in the summer, will not affect the university's "commitment to the arts and the teaching of the arts." The facility will become a fine arts teaching center with an exhibition gallery and studio space, he said. The museum's collection includes iconic paintings by such luminaries of American art as Andy Warhol, James Rosenquist, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Alex Katz and Roy Lichtenstein. Nealon said most of the museum's acquisitions are paintings and sculptures. The school has not undertaken a recent appraisal of the works, Nealon said, adding that the process may take as much as two years to complete. Brandeis, founded in 1948, is the only non-sectarian, Jewish-sponsored university in the country.
Brandeis trustees vote to close Rose Art Museum, sell collection . University spokesman says "painful decision" necessary for school's survival . Collection includes iconic paintings by Warhol, Johns and Lichtenstein . Brandeis is the only nonsectarian, Jewish-sponsored university in nation .
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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan has arrested a suspected al Qaeda militant who intelligence officials say is tied to the London subway bombings in 2005, authorities there said Thursday. The double-decker bus damaged by a bomb in central London on July 7, 2005. Zabih al-Taifi was arrested in a village near Peshawar on Wednesday as part of ongoing security operations in the area, police and intelligence officials told CNN. Six others, both Afghans and Pakistanis, were also arrested. The Metropolitan Police Service in London, also known as Scotland Yard, issued a statement refusing to comment on the arrest. "Speculation around this reported arrest with alleged links to an ongoing terrorist trial is unhelpful and may be prejudicial to current criminal proceedings," it said. The London blasts killed 52 people and wounded at least 900 others when bombs went off on three subway trains and a bus on July 7, 2005. Security analysts say the village where al-Taifi was arrested in the North West Frontier Province has been the site of recent clashes between Pakistani security forces and militants. CNN's Zein Basravi contributed to this report.
Officials say arrested al Qaeda militant has ties to 2005 London subway bombings . 52 killed, 900 wounded from bombs on 3 subway trains and a bus on July 7, 2005 . Zabih al-Taifi arrested in village near Peshawar in ongoing security operations .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Fragile finances are likely to rule out buying a boat for many this summer but that shouldn't mean the end of all water-based pastimes. Underwater scooter: The Seabob Cayago will move you like a fish with its 7hp motor. MainSail presents you with some of the coolest toys for slightly more affordable fun on the water. Seabob Cayago scooter: Do you want to become a human fish this summer? This water and diving scooter is purported to be the fastest of its kind, with a 7hp electric motor. Hydradome BOB: If you want to take the motorized diving experience to a new level, the Breathing Observation Bubble (BOB), is the ideal machine. This submersible can cruise underwater at two knots while the rider sits in comfort. Hovpod: For high-speed fun on and off the water, the Hovpod hovercraft should be your gadget of choice. The Hovpod will take you across any flat surface at speeds of up to 45 miles per hour (72 kilometers per hour). Powerski Jetboard: This machine is a cross between a surfboard and a jet-ski. Capable of up to 35 knots, the Powerski Jetboard lets you surf without the surf. Walk-on-water ball: For cheaper and more simple fun on the water, the Nuclear Globe Walk-on-water ball is perfect. The heavy-duty PVC ball can keep you fit and you can even stay dry if you want to. Iceberg Wall: If you're entertaining plenty of people, the Iceberg Wall looks like a great time. Coming in either the 2.5 meter or a massive 4.9 meter size, the Iceberg offers safe climbing, sliding and jumping for everyone. See our photo gallery » of this summer's top six toys for fun in the water, thanks to SuperYachtWorld. For more sailing news and more about the super-yacht industry, visit CNN's MainSail homepage here. Subscribe to SuperYachtWorld . COPYRIGHT © 2009 IPC MEDIA LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED .
MainSail profiles six top water-toys for cheaper fun in the water this summer . The Seabob scooter can propel a person through the water like a fish . The Iceberg wall is the ultimate water toy for the whole family .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Britain's Serious Fraud Office and London police are investigating an alleged $81 million (£56 million) fraud on the corporate banking department of Allied Irish Banks (AIB). Allied Irish Banks has allegedly been the subject of a $81 million fraud. The SFO said it had searched a business and two residential addresses in London and believed AIB was not the only financial institution deceived by the suspects. It said that between 2003 and 2007 AIB, Ireland's largest bank by market value, loaned money for the purchase of UK investment properties to companies controlled by an individual who was now the main suspect. The SFO said the main suspect operated with the assistance of others. However, in 2008 AIB identified problems with one element of its security interests over the investment properties. "Following an internal review it became apparent that the guarantees of certain lease payments on these properties by an investment grade counterparty (a blue chip property company) were fraudulent," the SFO said. AIB referred the matter to the authorities and also took control of and sold the relevant properties, which resulted in a write down of the outstanding loan balances by £56m, the SFO said. The office said the alleged fraud involved the borrowing companies creating "overriding" leases. "These leases were generally for longer periods and at higher rents than the existing occupational tenants' leases. "The apparent existence of these additional leases increased the values of the properties, with lease payments being a direct obligation of the investment grade counterparty," the SFO said. AIB is considering legal action over the $81 million loss.
British authorities probing alleged $81 million fraud involving Irish bank . They say more firms are likely to have been deceived by scam . It involved manipulation of leases on properties in the UK .
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(CNN) -- Nadya Suleman, the single mother of newborn octuplets, is using the Internet to help support her family of 14 children. She's started a Web site seeking donations. Nadya Suleman, a single mother of 14 children, has set up a Web site asking for donations. The Web site features pictures of a rainbow, child's blocks and all eight of Suleman's newborns. Also prominently displayed on the Web site is a prompt for visitors to make a donation, noting that the "proud mother of 14" accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and PayPal. Suleman, 33, had the octuplets through fertility treatments, despite already having six young children and no clear source of income. In recent television interviews, Suleman has rejected suggestions that she might not be able to care adequately for all 14 of her children. "I'm providing myself to my children," Nadya Suleman told NBC in her first interview. "I'm loving them unconditionally, accepting them unconditionally, everything I do. I'll stop my life for them and be present with them and hold them and be with them. And how many parents do that?" Watch report on who is paying the bills for the octuplets » . Suleman said she plans to go back to college to pursue a degree in counseling, NBC reported. She also said all 14 children have the same biological father, a sperm donor whom she described as a friend. Joann Killeen, a spokeswoman for Suleman, has told CNN that she is being deluged with media offers, but disputed any suggestions that Suleman may have had a monetary incentive for having so many children. Killeen, told CNN's "Larry King Live" that Suleman "has no plans on being a welfare mom and really wants to look at every opportunity that she can to make sure she can provide financially for the 14 children she's responsible for now." Suleman's publicist did say that Suleman gets $490 every month in food stamps.
Nadya Suleman has created Web site to solicit donations to help support 14 kids . Suleman, a mother of six, recently had octuplets . Suleman has rejected notions that she would not be able to care for children .
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BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie has asked Thailand to permit greater freedom for thousands of refugees stuck in camps after fleeing neighboring Myanmar, according to a U.N. statement released Friday. Angellina Jolie and Brad Pitt visited refugees in northern Thailand on Wednesday. Jolie and actor Brad Pitt traveled to a refugee camp in northern Thailand on Wednesday in effort to draw international attention to what the U.N. has called "restricted" movement of roughly 111,000 refugees housed in nine camps along the Thai-Myanmar border, the statement said. Jolie has spent several years as a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. She said her passion for helping refugees, whom she calls "the most vulnerable people in the world," was sparked in 2001 during visits to Cambodia." The U.N. estimates more than 5,000 people have fled to northern Thailand's Mae Hong Son province between 2006 and 2007. A recent CNN investigation found evidence of the Thai army towing an apparent boatload of 190 Rohingya refugees -- a Muslim minority group from Myanmar -- out to sea, prompting Thai authorities to launch an investigation. CNN's Dan Rivers and Kocha Olarn contributed to this report.
Angelina Jolie calls on Thai leaders to grant more freedom to refugees . Thousands of refugees are stuck in camps after fleeing Myanmar . Jolie is currently goodwill ambassador for U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees .
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(CNN) -- European Union peacekeepers in Bosnia on Tuesday raided homes belonging to family members of Ratko Mladic, the highest-ranking figure still at large from the Balkan conflict in the mid 1990s, Serbian media reported. Portuguese peacekeepers stand guard outside a home raided on Tuesday. The force raided houses belonging to Mladic's sister, Milica Avram, and sister-in-law, Radinka Mladic, in East Sarajevo, an area of the city inside the Bosnian Serb-controlled Republika Srpska, a seperate political entity to the Muslim-Croat-controlled Bosnia-Croat Federation. The raids were a part of a broader operation targeting locations and people who are believed to be helping Mladic evade trial, the reports said. Serbian authorities recently put up "wanted" posters for Mladic at police stations across Serbia, reminding people of the 1 million euro ($1.3 million) reward for any information leading to Mladic's capture. Mladic, who commanded the Bosnian Serb military during the 1992-95 war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, has been the Balkans' most wanted since former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was arrested in Belgrade last July. The 66-year-old is wanted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for allegedly overseeing the killings of almost 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys in the town of Srebrenica in July 1995. Mladic is charged with genocide, crimes against humanity, and violations of the laws of war. He has been on the run for 13 years, ever since the ICTY issued the indictments against him. The ICTY has accused Serbia of knowing Mladic's whereabouts and letting him slip through their hands. Serbia's status as a candidate for European Union membership also remains conditional on Mladic being handed over to the ICTY. Serbian leaders have denied protecting Mladic.
EU troops in Bosnia raid homes belonging to family members of Ratko Mladic . Former Bosnian Serb general is highest ranking accused war criminal at large . Mladic accused of orchestrating Srebrenica massacre in 1995 . Raids part of operation targeting those believed to be helping Mladic evade trial .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Canada geese got into both engines of US Airways Flight 1549 and forced the plane to ditch into the Hudson River last month, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday. Surveillance video shows passengers of US Airways Flight 1549 hurrying onto the plane's wings. The flight crew of the Airbus A320 put the plane down gently on the river, which separates New York from New Jersey, after the bird ingestion caused both engines to lose power on January 15. All 155 people aboard survived. Adult Canada geese weigh between 5.8 and 10.7 pounds, although birds from resident populations rather than migratory populations can be heavier. The plane's CFM56-5B/P turbofan engines were certified in 1996 as being able to withstand bird ingestion of 4 pounds. The NTSB said last week that both engines contained the remains of birds, confirming the pilots' report that the engines shut down after colliding with birds less than two minutes after taking off from from New York's LaGuardia Airport. Material from both engines was sent to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington for identification of the bird species. Investigators have not yet determined how many birds hit the jet's engines. The plane's flight data recorder "revealed no anomalies or malfunctions in either engine up to the point where the captain reported a bird strike, after which there was an uncommanded loss of thrust in both engines," the NTSB said last week.
Investigators have yet to determine how many birds hit the plane's engines . Canada geese caused engines to lose power, NTSB says . Bird ingestion forced US Airways Flight 1549 to land in Hudson River last month . All 155 passengers and crew members on board survived the landing .
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(CNN) -- A 27-year-old woman from eastern China has died of bird flu, Chinese authorities said, making her the second person to die this year from the deadly virus. Human-to-human transmission of avian flu is rare, but in some cases, the virus has passed from poultry to humans. The woman fell ill on January 5 in Shandong province on the country's east coast and died on Saturday, the Ministry of Health said in a statement. Two tests on the woman were positive for H5N1 avian influenza, said the ministry, which did not say how she might have contracted the virus. On Saturday, the World Health Organization said a 2-year-old girl in northern China had tested positive for bird flu -- now the country's third confirmed case of the virus this month. The girl fell ill on January 7 in central Hunan province and was taken to her home province of Shanxi in northern China, the state-run news agency Xinhua said. The report did not say how she became infected. On January 5, a 19-year-old Beijing woman died of bird flu after handling poultry, officials said. Xinhua said the woman bought nine ducks at a market in Beijing's neighboring Hebei province and cleaned their organs before falling ill. Since the end of 2003, the H5N1 virus has infected numerous species of birds in more than 60 countries in Asia, Europe and Africa. It has not been found in birds in North or South America or the Caribbean, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Human-to-human transmission of avian flu is rare, but in some cases the virus has passed from poultry to humans. It has killed more than 200 people since 2003. China reported its first human-to-human infection case in 2005. So far, 30 cases have been confirmed. Twenty of them have been fatal, according to Xinhua. On Friday, China announced it was setting up a nationwide network to test for the virus.
NEW: The woman became ill on January 5 and died on Saturday . NEW: Two tests on the woman are positive for H5N1 avian influenza, officials say . A 2-year-old girl in northern China is in critical condition with bird flu . China reported its first human infection in 2005; 30 cases confirmed so far .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The FBI has hit a dead end in its search for a missing 3-year-old Arkansas boy and is asking the public for help. The FBI is hoping the public can help find 3-year-old Dominick Wesley Arceneaux. Dominick Wesley Arceneaux was last seen by an aunt Tuesday afternoon in the front yard of a mobile home in Chidester, in south-central Arkansas, authorities said. In a missing-person alert, the FBI described Dominick as 3 feet tall, weighing 38 pounds, with brown hair and eyes. Kimberly Brunell, a special agent with the FBI in Little Rock, said authorities have made "an exhaustive search" of White Oak Lake, close to where the boy was last seen. National Guardsmen have also done a grid search covering a one-mile radius around the home, she said, and are currently expanding it to a two-mile radius. Investigators also have looked at registered sex offenders in the area, Brunell said. They have also found Dominick's father, who lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. "We have not ruled anyone out at this point," she said. The investigation has included looking at patrons of a bar next to the mobile home where Dominick has lived with his mother since December, she said. "There is not the normal traffic of just neighbors." Brunell said investigators have run down every lead and are looking for new ones, including "suspicious vehicles, suspicious persons ... anyone who might have a nugget that might lead us on our way to finding out what happened to him." Anyone with more information is asked to call an FBI hot line, 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
Dominick Arceneaux last seen by an aunt Tuesday in Chidester, Arkansas . FBI says it has made an "exhaustive search" of nearby White Oak Lake . Investigators looking at sex offenders in area and have found boy's father . Special agent: "We have not ruled anyone out at this point"
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(CNN) -- Staffers at a federal prison in central Florida fired shots to break up a large-scale fight that sent eight inmates to hospital emergency rooms Sunday afternoon, officials said. Eight inmates were injured Sunday in a fight at Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Florida, officials said. Authorities did not say what led to the fight at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County. A statement from the prison said one inmate suffered a gunshot wound, but did not say whether the person was struck by a prison staff member's bullet. The other seven were "stabbing/shooting victims," said a spokesman for Orlando Regional Medical Center, where the inmates were taken. The hospital did not elaborate. No prison staffers were seriously hurt in the incident, which the FBI is investigating, said Charles Ratledge, spokesman for the prison. The fight broke out in the recreation yard of the United States Penitentiary No. 2, a high-security facility, about 2:20 p.m. The Coleman complex consists of four institutions. The other three facilities -- another U.S. penitentiary, a medium-security and a low-security facility -- were not affected, said Bureau of Prison spokeswoman Traci Billingsley. "The inmates ignored staff orders to stop their assaultive behavior, and shots were fired by institution staff to prevent possible loss of life," Ratledge said. Five medical evacuation helicopters -- three from the hospital -- landed at the prison and transported the injured inmates on the 15- to 20-minute flight to Orlando Regional, hospital spokesman Joe Brown said. The prison complex is in near Coleman in Sumter County, about 50 miles northwest of Orlando, Florida. The community was never endangered by the fight, U.S. Justice Department spokeswoman Laura Sweeney said. CNN's Nick Valencia, Susan Candiotti and Terry Frieden contributed to this report.
NEW: Staffers had to fire shots to break up large-scale fight, officials say . Eight inmates wounded, one by gunshot, at prison complex in Florida, officials say . Officials: Fight happened at Coleman Federal Correctional Complex's recreation yard . No staff members were hurt during the brawl, spokeswoman says .
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(CNN) -- A man in northern Idaho says he has seen a massive hand of God in his life, and he is willing to share it with the highest bidder. Paul Grayhek says the "Hand of God" appeared in his backyard in March. Paul Grayhek, 52, listed the rock formation he dubbed the "Hand of God Rock Wall" on the online auction Web site eBay. The highest bid was $250 early Sunday, with three days left to go in the auction. The hand-like formation, approximately 9 feet tall and 4 feet wide, appeared in Grayhek's backyard after a rockfall during Lent on March 8, he said. The Coeur d'Alene resident said he faced tough times after losing his job, and believed the rock was a sign. "I prayed between licking my wounds and looking for a job," he said. "We rarely get rockfalls and this formation is 20 feet from my house. It's definitely a symbol of the hand of God in my life." However, the winning bidder on eBay should not start clearing out his backyard. Grayhek is not planning to part with the formation. The buyer will "basically be buying the rights, complete and exclusive rights" to the rock, including literary and movie rights, according to Grayhek. Grayhek said he plans to use the money from the sale to pursue an unpaid internship in counseling when he graduates with a master's degree in social work in two years. "People think I'm some holier-than-thou person trying to get rich. I'm not," Grayhek said. "The purpose is to spread the story of God and eBay is just a vehicle."
Idaho man places "Hand of God" rock for sale on eBay . Paul Grayhek says hand-like formation appeared in his backyard during Lent . Winning bidder on eBay would get "exclusive rights" to rock .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- British military investigators interviewed a woman who claimed to have met a man from another planet while she was walking her dog, newly released Ministry of Defence files have revealed. The woman said she had been approached by a man with a "Scandinavian-type accent" dressed in a flying suit-style outfit while out walking on a sports field near Norwich, eastern England, in 1989. She claimed to have been "completely terrified" during the 10-minute encounter. Running home, she said she had then seen a large glowing object rising vertically from behind some nearby trees. The woman called a local military base to report the encounter the following day. A cover note on the file of the incident describes it as "one of our more unusual UFO reports." The incident is just one of around 1,200 sightings recorded by investigators between 1987 and 1993, according to the files released by the National Archives on Sunday. On another occasion, military officials took the unusual step of briefing ministers about an unidentified flying object photographed in the sky over Scotland alongside an RAF fighter jet. Witnesses claimed to have seen the large diamond-shaped object hanging in the air for about 10 minutes before it ascended vertically at high speed. Fearing intense media interest, investigators also commissioned detailed drawings of the object. The files also reveal that the Ministry of Defence abandoned plans to build a computer database of sightings out of fears of a public relations disaster should details of its existence ever be revealed. "I personally doubt that the the MoD would lose much if we filed UFO reports in 'WPD' (the waste paper basket)," one unnamed official wrote of the project.
National Archives releases details of recorded UFO sightings from 1987 to 1993 . One woman claimed to have met a man from another planet while walking dog . Officials briefed ministers about 1990 UFO sighting over Scotland . Ministry of Defence abandoned plans for UFO database fearing PR disaster .
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LIMA, Peru (CNN) -- Doctors in Peru started a 48-hour strike Tuesday over pay and other benefits they say the government agreed to last year but has not delivered. The Medical Federation of Peru's Julio Vargas says, "The stoppage ... will require the cooperation of all doctors." The doctors' union, the Medical Federation of Peru, called the strike after meeting Monday with Prime Minister Yehude Simon, news sources reported. "The stoppage that we will implement ... will require the cooperation of all doctors and that they suspend their external consults, although we will reinforce intensive and emergency care," union President Julio Vargas was quoted as saying in El Comercio newspaper. Health Minister Oscar Ugarte said the government has complied with all the agreements reached last year and the doctors have no reason to strike, RPP radio reported. Ugarte also warned doctors they will not be paid while on strike, the Andina news agency and El Comercio said. "You can't stop working and later come and say, 'Pay me,' " Ugarte said in El Comercio. "That is immoral and does not conform with professional ethics." At issue are pay for special work and more equal pay among state doctors, the news reports said. Salaries for doctors in Peru have decreased to one-fourth of 1976 levels, The Lancet professional medical journal reported in May 2008. As a result, physicians often hold two or more jobs to make ends meet. An average doctor's salary in Lima, the capital, is the equivalent of $670 a year, The Lancet said. A 2007 survey of 202 interns in Lima showed that 38 percent were thinking about migrating to a developed country to practice medicine, the publication said. Salary was one of the main reasons given.
Doctors' union calls for 48-hour strike after meeting with Peru's prime minister . Doctors say government has failed to deliver on agreements last year . Health minister says doctors have no reason to go on strike . Medical journal: Salaries for doctors have decreased to one-fourth of 1976 levels .
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