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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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(CNN) -- A military junta that toppled Guinea's government announced its new leader Wednesday in a nationwide radio address. Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara wrapped in the Guinean flag Wednesday. Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara declared himself president of the National Council for Democracy, which he called a transitional body that will oversee the country's return to democracy. In effect, that would make Camara president of Guinea, which was thrown into turmoil Monday after the death of President Lansana Conte. Camara also declared a curfew from 8 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. local time. Guinea's parliament is holding negotiations with the military, Africa News reporter Mamdou Dian Donghol Diallo told CNN. "For the time being the situation is calm and negotiations are under way," Diallo said. "There is no traffic. Everyone is staying inside their homes." Camara, previously the spokesman for the National Council for Democracy, suspended the government, constitution, political parties and trade unions, Diallo said from Conakry. The newly formed government, made up of 26 military personnel and six civilians, is negotiating a power-sharing deal that would reflect its ethnic make-up, Diallo said. But some in the military may not support the new leadership, he said. International institutions, including the African Union, have condemned the coup. Guinea, in western Africa bordering the Atlantic Ocean, has had two presidents since gaining independence from France in 1958. Conte came to power in 1984, when the military seized control of the government after the death of the first president, Sekou Toure. The country did not hold democratic elections until 1993, when Conte was elected president. He was re-elected in 1998 and 2003 amid allegations of electoral irregularities. Worsening economic conditions and dissatisfaction with corruption and bad governance prompted two massive strikes in 2006, the CIA World Factbook says. A third nationwide strike in early 2007 sparked violent protests that resulted in two weeks of martial law. To appease the unions and end the unrest, the Factbook says, Conte named a new prime minister in March 2007. Guinea is one of the poorest countries in the world, despite its mineral wealth, according to the British charity Plan UK. The country hosts large refugee populations from neighboring Liberia and Ivory Coast.

NEW: Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara named de facto president of Guinea . Coup leaders impose overnight curfew; government, constitution suspended . President Lansana Conte died Monday after near 25-year rule . Coup condemned by African Union .

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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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AMSTETTEN, Austria (CNN) -- The Austrian who reportedly admitted holding his daughter captive for 24 years and fathering seven children with her will plead insanity, his lawyer said. Josef Fritzl admitted to authorities he raped his daughter and fathered her children. Attorney Rudolf Mayer said he believed 73-year-old Josef Fritzl had a mental disorder, The Associated Press reported. Mayer said someone who was mentally ill "didn't choose" to do what police allege he did. Mayer said Fritzl would be confined to a psychiatric institution rather than a prison if he was certified as insane and convicted, AP reported. Police said last week that Fritzl had confessed to imprisoning his daughter in a secret cellar dungeon in his home, fathering seven children with her and burning the body of one who died in infancy in a furnace. Meanwhile, Fritzl's sister-in-law has said his wife did not know her daughter was held captive in their basement for decades because she had been trained not to ask questions under her husband's tyrannical rule of the household, . "He was such a tyrant," said the woman identified only as Christine R. in a Saturday interview conducted and translated by AP. "He tolerated no dissent," Christine R. added. "Listen, if I was scared myself -- I was scared of him at a family party and I did not feel confident to say anything in any form that could possibly offend him -- then you can imagine how it was for a woman who spent so many years with him." Watch what the sister-in-law has to say » . In the televised interview, Christine R. added detail to the bizarre story of 73-year-old Fritzl who was recently arrested and confessed to holding his daughter captive in a dungeon under the home for decades, repeatedly raping her and fathering seven kids -- with six of them surviving. Christine R. also said Fritzl committed an unrelated rape in 1967, served 18 months in prison for that crime and that her sister continued to stay married to him in a desperate attempt to keep their family together. Recent media reports also claimed Fritzl had been convicted of rape. Austrian police have said they are looking into the claims. The horrifying story has shocked many locally and across the world. On Sunday, members of the Amstetten religious community held a Mass to remember Fritzl's family. After the Mass, members of the church signed a banner outside a church in support of the victims. Watch church members sign the banner » . The story of the family's imprisonment began to unravel two weeks ago, when Fritzl's daughter, Kerstin Fritzl, fell seriously ill with convulsions and was hospitalized. The 19-year-old girl, who had been locked in the basement her entire life along with her mother and two brothers, was in an artificially induced coma in an Amstetten clinic. She was suffering from a kidney ailment that worsened because she did not receive medial treatment sooner, authorities said. Watch how Fritzl led double life » . Fritzl told his wife that their daughter Elisabeth, who is now 42, ran away from home at age 18. The couple adopted three of the children who Josef said were left on their doorstep as infants by his runaway daughter. In the interview Christine R. said her sister, Rosemarie, truly thought that her daughter had ran away to join a cult. "She never believed him being capable of it," said Christine R. "We were all taken in by him and believed that she (referring to Elizabeth), was in a cult and that she wouldn't come out." It may have been Fritzl's strict rule over the household that made it possible for him to keep his gruesome secret hidden for so long, Christine R. said. The unspeakable ordeal has taken a toll on the whole family, Christine R. said, stating that she spoke to her sister on the phone recently. "Five or six days after Kerstin went to the hospital I called my sister and asked her how the girl was doing," Christine R. said. "She said that she herself was doing badly, and the girl herself was doing badly and she wished with all of her heart that the girl would pull through." Fritzl is being held in police custody. He has yet to be charged, but he can be held by police for 14 days without formal charges while the investigation is under way. That amount of time can be extended by a judge. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2008 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

NEW: Lawyer of Austrian incest suspect says his client has a mental disorder . Fritzl imprisoned and raped daughter, also fathered her children, police say . Wife of Josef Fritzl was too scared to question him, her sister says . Fritzl's wife focused on keeping family healthy, according to her sister .

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(OPRAH.COM) -- As a fiction writer, I struggle to tell useful truths by telling the lie that I am someone other than myself. I'm a fat girl trying to survive rape in my first novel, the resentful brother of a mentally ill twin in my second. In my third novel, which I'm close to finishing, I'm the husband of a drug-addicted nurse lost in a maze of her failures and fear. Author Wally Lamb says writing personal stories can free you from painful memories and imprisoning secrets. Writing fiction invites me to move beyond the limitations of my own experience and better understand the un-me, the other. I am similarly invited to do so each time I go to jail. For the past eight years, I have run a writing workshop for inmates at the Janet S. York Correctional Institution, Connecticut's high-security prison for women. Someone asked me recently if I ever felt afraid of my students. Our class, after all, includes individuals who have committed armed robbery, gang-related assault, and homicide. But no, I don't fear these women, because through their autobiographical writing, I come to know them not merely as their convictions but as complex human equations that go far beyond "good versus bad" or "us versus them." Listen to the voice of one of my students. "I am Barbara Parsons, who has been a healthcare worker, a business manager, a homemaker, a gardener, and a killer -- and who is consequently a state prison inmate." Molested by her grandfather when she was 4, Parsons shot and killed her abusive husband when he revealed that he had molested her granddaughter. Convicted of "manslaughter due to emotional duress," she challenges readers to think beyond stereotype. "I am sure you have a dark side, too," she writes. "Look at me. Who would ever have thought that I, an average neighbor from rural Connecticut, could be capable of murder?" Oprah.com: How to make peace with your past . Most of my students begin as you might begin: by writing safe pieces -- narratives about fun family vacations, loving tributes to favorite relatives. But sooner or later their painful memories call to them and demand to be examined. With pen in hand, an inmate may, for example, begin to explore the connection between the incest she endured as a young girl and her subsequent drug addiction. She may discover a link between her embezzlement conviction and her lifelong inability to please an emotionally distant mother. Along with that growing clarity, she will confront anger, shame, grief, and the need to stop making excuses and take responsibility. Doing so will lessen her heartache and promote her recovery if she stays with it, but she may surrender to the pain before she gets to experience the gain. She may become too busy, too tired, too headachy, too blue to come to class. Before long, her seat will go to the next woman on the waiting list. Addicts are particularly vulnerable to cold feet when truth telling begins to overpower manipulation and self-deception. Yet if the writer reflects honestly and un-self-pityingly on the damage she has both endured and caused -- and if she takes the critical next step of sharing her words with the group and receiving feedback -- she will begin to defy the gravity of her painful past. But a person need not go to prison to access the therapeutic value of autobiographical writing. Which of us has not put walls and razor wire around our concealed sadnesses and past regrets? Who among us was raised by a perfect family? Who does not have hilarious, life-affirming stories to share and debilitating secrets to dispel? Which of us is so self-aware that we could not reveal ourselves more deeply by reflecting on our lives with fingertips on the keyboard -- and then sharing our discoveries with other writers and bearing witness to theirs? In doing so, we discover that "the other" and we are more alike than different, variations on a theme of humanity and circumstance. Michelangelo, the 16th-century artistic genius, once said this about his work: "I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free." My inmate students, you, and I are damaged angels-in-waiting who have the potential to sculpt our best selves with the aid of paper and pen. Oprah.com: 6 ways to get your creativity flowing . The rehabilitative power of our words invites us to test our still-wet wings, tentatively at first and then with greater and greater assurance. And as that happens, we rise above the concrete and razor wire of painful memories, baffling personal mysteries, and imprisoning secrets. Our load lightens, our perspective changes. We fly away. 3 tips for writing your personal Story . Voice . In writing, as in life, voice is crucial. Your voice has been honed by your family, your ethnic heritage, your neighborhood, and your education. It is the music of what you mean in the world. Imitate no one. Your uniqueness -- your authenticity -- is your strength. Revisions . Learn to love revision. Listen to suggestions about what you might add, cut, reposition, and clarify in your work-in-process. Welcome such feedback with gratitude and humility, returning to your words with sharper insight. Make mistakes, lots of them, revising draft after draft of your continuing story. Your errors will be educational, and if your pencil outlives its eraser, then you will know you're getting it right. Oprah.com: How to write your own memoir . Plot . Regarding plot -- the twists and turns and episodes of your life -- outline as much or as little as you like, but expect surprises. In fact, invite surprise. Each time you begin some next chapter, your composition of yourself will be at risk. But that's okay -- that's good -- because you will not live fully if you never take side trips and detours. "Writing is like driving at night in the fog," E.L. Doctorow once noted. "You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way." By Wally Lamb from O, The Oprah Magazine . Subscribe to O, The Oprah Magazine for up to 75% off the newsstand price. That's like getting 18 issues FREE. Subscribe now! TM & © 2009 Harpo Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Author Wally Lamb: Sculpt our best selves by writing our own stories . He teaches writing to female prisoners at a high-security prison . Writing about past history, confronting emotional issues can help progress . Lamb says your uniqueness is your strength, but welcome feedback .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Juliana Redding was 21, an aspiring actress and model who, like so many others before her, had moved from Arizona to southern California in pursuit of the Hollywood dream. She wound up the victim in a real life murder mystery -- one few people are willing to talk about in any detail. Juliana Redding, an aspiring model and actress, was found murdered in her Santa Monica apartment. By the age of 18, Redding had earned her first film credit, appearing in a 2005 independent film called "Kathy T Gives Good Hoover," about college students and the graffiti culture. In 2006, she moved into a one-bedroom apartment in Santa Monica, California, with her pet Yorkshire terrier. She was also taking college courses while working part-time in a trendy Venice Beach bar. Friends grew worried in March when they couldn't reach Redding for a few days. They called her mother in Redding's hometown of Tucson, Arizona. Her mother called the Santa Monica police. Watch why this case is so baffling » . Police found Redding dead inside her apartment. "The manner of death is homicide," said Sgt. Rinaldi Thruston of the Santa Monica Police Department. Although there are unconfirmed reports that the cause of death was blunt force trauma, the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office denies that. "Those media reports are not accurate. The cause of death was not blunt force trauma. The file has been sealed by police, so we cannot disclose the actual cause of death." Police also would not disclose whether a weapon was used or whether Redding's apartment had been broken into, which would give clues as to whether she knew her assailant and opened the door for him or her. Thruston also refused to say whether Redding had been sexually assaulted. "We have made no arrests in this case nor do we have any suspects or persons of interest at this time," Thruston said. He said police have collected evidence from the crime scene that could link a potential suspect to the crime. Police are hoping they will continue to get tips and leads from the public. According to friends, Redding had been dating another actor for two years and they had broken up about six months before her slaying, but remained friends. It is unclear whether she had a new boyfriend, but police have been interviewing all of Redding's known friends and neighbors. "We believe the police are doing what they can to solve this case, but we really prefer no media attention," her mother said. Early in the investigation, there were reports of blood found on the sidewalk or wall outside Redding's apartment. Police will not comment on the forensic results of that blood or any specific evidence at the crime scene. They also will not reveal whether any of Redding's neighbors heard screams or other sounds of a struggle. At this point, there are more questions than answers. If anyone has any information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for Juliana Redding's death, please call the Santa Monica Police Department tip line at (310) 458-8449.

Aspiring actress found dead in Santa Monica apartment in March . Police have released few details about the crime . File sealed by police; coroner unable to disclose cause of death . Have information? Call (310) 458-8449 .

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(CNN) -- Bruce Windsor is known as many things: church deacon, soccer coach, father of four. But facing potential financial problems, he's now known as something else: suspected bank robber. Bruce Windsor listens Friday as a judge tells him he faces kidnapping and robbery charges. Police say the 43-year-old owner of a real estate company walked into the Carolina First Bank in Greenville, South Carolina, late Thursday with a mask and a handgun. In court documents filed Friday, police said he forced two bank employees into an office at gunpoint and demanded money. Police arrived minutes later with the suspect still inside, touching off a tense 90-minute standoff before he released the hostages and surrendered. His actions were "out of character" for a man who has never been in trouble with the law before, friends and relatives said. His tearful sister, defending him as he stood before a judge, said, "He must have just snapped under the pressure." In his initial appearance for a bond hearing, Windsor was in an orange jail jumpsuit, shackled and with his hands cuffed. In a quiet voice, he answered "yes, sir" as the judge explained the charges to him: two counts of kidnapping, one count of robbery and two counts of pointing firearms at a person, charges that could carry more than 30 years in prison if convicted. A police detective told the judge Windsor said he had been experiencing financial problems. But police spokesman Cpl. Jason Rampey told CNN they could not yet say for certain whether money problems were the motive for the alleged robbery. His attorney said in court Windsor had been married for 16 years and was the father of four children. Reports say the oldest is 11. Attorney Sidney Mitchell told the judge he was "a model citizen up until yesterday,' and we've obviously got a lot of talking to do with him," Rampey said. The judge allowed his family to stand with him during the court appearance. His sister clutched his arm, crying through most of the brief hearing. His wife stood behind him, appearing to rub his back. His pastor at Brushy Creek Baptist Church, where Windsor is a deacon, stood at his side. His sister told the judge Windsor coaches one of his children's soccer teams and picks them up every day from school. "He would never, ever hurt his family," she said in a halting voice. Sobbing, she said, "I can't imagine the desperation that must have caused this." The incident, she said, "doesn't even register." Windsor then spoke up, saying, "I've never stolen anything in my life." But the judge reminded the court "this is a very serious incident," setting the bail at just over $1.5 million. On Thursday, SWAT officers surrounded the Carolina First bank as the suspect allegedly made the hostages move with him at gunpoint inside until he surrendered. Bank owner Art Seaver, who nervously watched the standoff unfold at the scene, met with his employees before they reopened Friday morning for a "time of reflection and a time of healing." Asked if everything was back to normal, he told CNN affiliate WSPA, "No. What is normal?" Two different images of Windsor unfolded the day after the incident. The man his pastor called "one of the best fathers I know, anywhere" and the man court documents said "forced the victims to move with him at gunpoint during the attempted robbery. The victims were held by the accuser against their will for over an hour." Rampey said Greenville's crisis negotiating team just happened to be training on Thursday for hostage scenario when the call came in for the real thing. As SWAT officers took up positions outside, negotiators talked to the suspect, who then allowed the hostages to go. SWAT officers said in court documents they "challenged the subject at gunpoint" before he lay down on the ground and surrendered. No shots were fired and no one was injured.

Police say man robbed a Carolina First Bank in Greenville, South Carolina, Thursday . Suspect, Bruce Windsor, 43, owns a real estate company and is a church deacon . He had no criminal history but was facing financial difficulties, detective testifies . Robbery resulted in a tense standoff with two bank employees held hostage .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- An oil painting was returned Tuesday to the estate of a Jewish art dealer who was forced to consign the painting and other artwork under Nazi Germany before fleeing the country. "Portrait of a Musician Playing a Bagpipe" was done in 1632 by an unknown artist. The painting, "Portrait of a Musician Playing a Bagpipe," was done in 1632 by an unknown painter from the Northern Netherlandish school, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney's office in southern New York. It was owned by Max Stern, an art dealer who had a gallery in Dusseldorf, Germany, until 1937, when the Nazis' Reich Chamber for Fine Arts ordered him to liquidate the gallery and its inventory, the statement said. Stern, who died in 1987, left no heirs. He and his wife had founded the Max Stern Art Restitution Project, which directly benefits Concordia University and McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and Hebrew University in Jerusalem, according to a statement from U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The painting was returned Tuesday -- Holocaust Remembrance Day -- to Clarence Epstein of Concordia University on behalf of the executors of the estate, said Lou Martinez of the immigration agency. It was returned in a ceremony at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York, he said. The painting had been owned by Philip Mould Ltd., a London, England, gallery, when Lawrence Steigrad, a New York art dealer, bought it in 2008, the New York attorney's office said. Neither had any idea of the painting's past. Philip Mould Ltd. had purchased the painting the year before from Lempertz Auction House. The same auction house sold the painting in 1937 after Stern was forced to liquidate, without receiving any proceeds from the sale, the New York attorney's office said. Immigration agents used information from a Holocaust claims office in the New York state Banking Department to look into Steigrad's gallery. The art dealer "confirmed the painting was in his possession." and he eventually allowed agents to seize the painting, the attorney's office said.

Art dealer Max Stern was forced to liquidate his gallery in 1937 . Stern died in 1987 with no heirs . His art restoration project benefits three universities . "Portrait of a Musician Playing a Bagpipe" was returned Tuesday .

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(CNN) -- A controversial comment by the top U.N. envoy to Somalia "motivates" those who have carried out recent fatal attacks against journalists in the war-torn country, the head of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) said Wednesday. Friends and relatives prepare to bury Said Tahlil, a journalist killed on February 4. Earlier this month, the U.N. special representative for Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, compared the role of Somalia's media with the infamous Rwandan radio station that was used to incite participation in the 1994 genocide in that country. A day after his remarks, suspected Islamist gunmen shot and killed Said Tahlil Ahmed, the director of independent HornAfrik Radio in Mogadishu, in broad daylight in the Somali capital. Ould-Abdallah's statement "motivates the criminals and warlords who have been committing unpunished crimes against journalists to keep on their merciless war against media," according to Omar Faruk Osman, head of the NUSOJ. It also "raises serious questions regarding the willingness of (Ould-Abdallah) to help protect Somalia's endangered media professionals," Faruk Osman said. He called on the U.N. official to "immediately withdraw allegations against Somali media and make (a) public apology." "If the U.N. ambassador does not meet our demand, it only confirms a hidden and dangerous agenda by the U.N. official," he said. Last week, Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on Ould-Abdallah to "immediately retract" his statement. In a February 3 Voice of America interview, Ould-Abdallah reacted angrily to allegations that African Union troops the day before had indiscriminately fired on Somali civilians after their convoy was struck by a roadside bomb. HRW has also called for an independent investigation into that incident, which killed at least 13 -- most of them civilians. "What happened is to divert attention from what is going on here and, as usual, to use the media to repeat Radio Mille Collines, to repeat the genocide in Rwanda," Ould-Abdallah said in the VOA broadcast. Faruk Osman said that while not all Somali journalists are perfect, "they are working in an extraordinarily difficult environment by the fault of politicians, and toothless diplomats." "The comparison with Radio Mille Collines is insulting, ignorant and dangerous, as that radio had become a legitimate military target in Rwanda," the NUSOJ secretary-general added. On Saturday, another Somali journalist, Hassan Bulhan Ali, was stabbed five times in the stomach and heart during a tribal reconciliation meeting in the central town of Abudwaq, according to NUSOJ. Bulhan, 38 and director of Radio Abudwaq -- was critically wounded. "Somali journalists have paid an enormous price to continue reporting on the crisis in Somalia," said Georgette Gagnon, HRW's Africa director. "The U.N. should be making every effort to support independent Somali media and civil society at this critical time, not comparing journalists to war criminals." Somali radio stations in Mogadishu recently agreed to take steps to avoid broadcasting any messages of incitement, according to Shabelle Media. The stations agreed not to air live sermons by Muslim clerics or live news conferences or interviews by insurgent groups in an effort to avoid promoting their political agendas, according to the Shabelle report. The statements will instead be recorded and "checked and edited," before they are broadcast, it said. CNN regularly works with Somali journalists who are employed by Shabelle Media. The Committee to Protect Journalists lists Somalia as the seventh most deadly nation in the world for journalists, with 11 Somali journalists killed since 2007, including Said Tahlil Ahmed and another this year. Members of the news media work under duress there amid a war between a weak transitional government and insurgents, the committee said.

Somali journalists say U.N. envoy's quote motivates attacks on them . He appeared to compare Somali journalists with Rwandan radio staion during genocide . Journalists want an apology and the remark retracted . Rwandan radio was used to encourage participation in genocide in 1994 .

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(CNN) -- Surviving economically in downtrodden Elkhart, Indiana, may require doing some things you don't want to do. Elkhart, Indiana, has become the poster child for the nation's economic downturn. "Here in Elkhart, I've never seen things as bad as they are," lifelong resident Yvonne Sell said Tuesday. "When you open the newspaper, unless you want to be a topless dancer, there's nothing." Elkhart became the poster child for the nation's economic downturn when President Obama visited there Monday and then mentioned it several times during his first White House press conference. Unemployment in the Elkhart-Goshen, Indiana, area was 15.3 percent in January, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported, the fourth highest of any U.S. metropolitan area. Elkhart's unemployment rate has spiked more than 10 percentage points in the past 13 months. But is it really that bad in Elkhart? According to Sell and several other business owners and workers, it is. Sell and her four co-owners are in the process of selling Blessing Music Co., which has sold, rented and repaired musical instruments for school bands since 1916. "We're not making money. It's just too tight," Sell said. The company has high overhead and a "considerable" high-interest loan, and credit continues to be a problem, she said. Sell said she isn't hopeful that any government plan will kick-start commerce in Elkhart or elsewhere. The banks, which started the mess, have already been bailed out, she said, but "I'm not seeing them loosening their purse strings." Small businesses as well as individuals need credit -- not government spending -- to keep the economy churning, she said. Take, for example, recreational vehicles, one of the town's knotted lifelines: Sell said she knows plenty of people willing to purchase RVs, but they can't without a bank loan. "People won't buy them because they're too scared," she said. "I don't personally see how spending the amount of money [Congress is] talking about spending is going to stimulate the economy." Robert Dunlop runs a different kind of business, but he agrees with Sell. "Unfortunately, when you drop a ton of money to pay billion-dollar bonuses on the East Coast, it kind of sucks on the Midwest," said Dunlop, president of J.A. Wagner Construction Co. in Elkhart. "If banks can free up a little bit of credit so that people can buy products and get people back to work, that would be good for this area." People in Elkhart who were interviewed said they don't have much confidence in the government's ability to resolve the crisis, though Dunlop said he thinks tax relief would help some. "Unfortunately, you still have to have a job to have relief from the tax burden, and a lot of these people are behind in house payments and, quite frankly, it's a vicious cycle: You don't have a job, you can't make your house payment, you're not out buying anything. Even if you reduce the tax burden to those people, they still need to have some sort of income. When that occurs, they start buying things, which creates more jobs, which then starts the cycle back up again." Elkhart Mayor Dick Moore echoes that view. He said people need jobs so they have money to spend and support industries such as RVs. The Democrat supports the stimulus plan Obama was touting in his town Monday because it will get residents to work quickly. "It's jobs, jobs, jobs," Moore told CNN's "American Morning" on Tuesday. Watch what Elkhart's mayor says about the president's visit » . "We have 16 shovel-ready projects ready to go ... These are not pie-in-the-sky items; they're not pork. ... These are projects we will have to do," Moore said. But gift shop owner Joanie Smith said she thinks government programs are no solution. "I think that the government and the banks are the biggest problem, because we have checks and balances to make sure what happened didn't happen, and obviously it didn't work," she said. "They've already bailed out the banks; I don't know why the banks aren't lending money or offering the assistance that most businesses run with." Smith saw traffic at her gift shop start dropping off at the end of 2007. "I have a store that is full of wonderful things, but nothing anybody needs," Smith, owner of The Picture Show for 27 years, said with a tense laugh. "We're just in a real reality-check area right now. It's hard not being negative." Smith has survived in retail by being financially conservative -- she doesn't have any loans to repay and has cut hours for her two employees, she said. Several years ago she downsized her shop from more than 4,000 square feet to a cozy 1,200. Smith said she feels protective of Elkhart and its image. "It's a real entrepreneurial city," she said. "We still manufacture here. We still create here. And unfortunately we've lost so much of our diversity of businesses here to China." Despite these lean times, Smith said she is determined to stay in business. "Women love to come in here and shop, and we want to be there for them."

Elkhart, Indiana, entrepreneurs sweating out tough economic times . Several express doubt the federal government can get commerce moving . Loosening of credit would get people spending again, they say . President Obama visited Elkhart on Monday, mentioned it during press conference .

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(CNN) -- The actors of "Slumdog Millionaire" won outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture, and Heath Ledger posthumously won best supporting male actor at the 15th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday. "Slumdog Millionaire" actors Irrfan Khan, Dev Patel, Freida Pinto and Anil Kapoor accept the film-cast prize. "It was overwhelming enough to be nominated, but to win this is unbelievable," said "Slumdog" actor Anil Kapoor of the award given to him and his cast mates at Los Angeles' Shrine Exposition Center. The cast's win comes two weeks after the modestly budgeted movie, about a poverty-raised orphan in Mumbai who goes on the Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," won the Golden Globe award for best drama. The film has been nominated for 10 Oscars, including for best picture. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," the big name when the Academy Award nominations were announced earlier this week, was shut out at the SAG Awards. The movie leads all films with 13 Oscar nods. Ledger, who was 28 when he died just more than a year ago of an accidental prescription drug overdose, won his award for his role in "The Dark Knight," 2008's box-office king. Ledger's performance was widely praised, and he won the Golden Globe for best supporting actor two weeks ago. He also is considered the front-runner for an Academy Award for supporting actor. Watch a roundup of SAG winners » . Actor Gary Oldman accepted the SAG award for his friend. "He was an extraordinary young man with an extra ordinary talent, and it is wonderful that you have acknowledged that and honored that talent tonight," Oldman said. Josh Brolin, one of four actors who lost to Ledger on Sunday night, compared the SAG awards to "a big campfire we're all showing up for." "It's not a competition," Brolin said. "We're just happy to party together." Meryl Streep echoed Brolin's words when she accepted for best leading actress in a movie for her role in "Doubt." "Can I just say there's no such thing as the best actress," Streep said. Streep was dressed as if she might ready for Brolin's campfire, wearing black pants, a black blouse and no jewelry except for earrings. "I didn't even buy a dress," she said. Watch SAG awards fashion » . Sean Penn, chosen as best leading male actor in a movie for "Milk," told the four actors he won against that he wept when he watched their work. "You're stunning," Penn said. Penn's took a brief political turn when spoke about "Milk," the story of a gay San Francisco politician assassinated in 1978. "This is a story about equal rights for all human beings," Penn said. iReport.com: Share your thoughts on the Oscar race . Kate Winslet's win as best supporting actress for her performance as Hanna Schmitz in "The Reader" could help her best actress Oscar nomination for the same role. Watch an overwhelmed Winslet backstage » . Winslet was nominated for SAG's lead actress in a movie for "Revolutionary Road," but lost to Streep. The SAG Awards are watched closely by Oscar fans, but they're not always a guarantee of Oscar gold. Last year, for example, Julie Christie won the SAG's outstanding lead actress for her work in "Away From Her." At the Academy Awards, she was beaten by Marion Cotillard, who played French singer Edith Piaf in "La Vie en Rose." Most of the SAG trophies handed out during the first half of Sunday night's show were for TV categories. Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney won for their roles in HBO's "John Adams." Giamatti got the trophy for best male actor in a TV movie or miniseries for his role as President John Adams, while Linney won the female actor award for her portrayal of first lady Abigail Adams. Watch Linney say 'I've been very lucky' » . Veteran actress Sally Field won her first SAG Actor trophy after seven nomination over the past 14 years. Field won outstanding performance by a female actor in a drama series for her work on "Brothers & Sisters." Hugh Laurie won best male actor in a TV drama series for a second time for his work in "House." He won the same trophy two years ago. "I actually had $100 on James Spader," Laurie said. "This is just not my night." Spader was also up for the best actor award. The TV drama ensemble award was given to the cast of AMC's "Mad Men." The evening began with NBC's "30 Rock" sweeping best actor and ensemble trophies. Tina Fey won the outstanding performance by a female actor in a comedy series category, while Alec Baldwin won the male honor for his "30 Rock" role. The 10 actors in the "30 Rock" cast also captured the trophy for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series. The 16 SAG categories include honors for both television and film actors. James Earl Jones was given SAG's 45th Life Achievement Award. "Whatever medium he tackles, he consistently delivers," actor Forest Whitaker said. Jones' trademark deep voice has been heard in movies as "the most evil voice in the entire universe... and the voice of God," Whitaker said. Jones used his acceptance speech to salute the late actor Paul Newman. "Somebody down here likes you," Jones said to Newman. In 1956, Newman starred in "Somebody Up There Likes Me." The 15th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards aired on TNT and TBS. Both TNT and TBS are units of Time Warner, the parent company of CNN.

"Slumdog Millionaire" gets outstanding performance by cast in motion picture . Meryl Streep gets SAG award for best leading actress in a movie . Sean Penn named best leading male actor in a movie . Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock" ensemble cast win television awards .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- One can only imagine the sights this hat has seen. Perched atop a man who towered over his peers at 6 foot 4 inches, this hat must have had quite a view. "Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life" will be on display through January 2011. It may have been there when a divided nation -- a devastating Civil War on the horizon -- elected a politician from Illinois as president. It could have watched as this president, so desperate to preserve the Union, carefully drafted the Emancipation Proclamation, thus changing the course of American history. And we know for sure that this hat was witness to a tragic April night when the same president was fatally shot while enjoying a play. The iconic top hat, part of a collection of items associated with Abraham Lincoln, is now on display at the National Museum of American History. Nearly three years in the making, "Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life" is part of the Smithsonian Institution's bicentennial celebration of Abraham Lincoln's birth and a rare glimpse into the life of one of our nation's greatest presidents. Nearly two centuries later, still adorned with a black band of mourning for a son who died too early, Lincoln's hat is worn-down, yet strangely magnificent. Maybe it is the hat's history that gives it such a majestic quality. Or perhaps it is simply that a top hat always commands a certain reverence -- an attribute that may reveal a great deal about the vanity of its owner. "Why would somebody who is 6 foot 4 inches decide to wear a tall hat?" asks Harry Rubenstein, curator of the exhibit. "He clearly has this desire to stand out in the crowd, to make his place in it." Rubenstein hopes this is the type of intimate detail about our 16th president's life that people will take away from the ongoing Lincoln exhibit. "This is the first time we've brought together all of the museum's best Lincoln objects to tell the story of Lincoln's life," Rubenstein says. "And I think it's a different kind of story that emerges -- one that's more intimate and more personal and one that brings this story to life in very tangible ways." Watch descriptions of items in the Lincoln exhibit » . The Smithsonian Institution started its Lincoln collection more than 140 years ago, Rubenstein says. The exhibit, which opened in January, houses more than 60 items from Abraham Lincoln's life, spanning his humble beginnings, his political career, his life in the White House, and even relics recovered in the wake of his assassination. Rubenstein says the collection includes "little personal objects of things he touched and used at pivotal moments in his life," like his office suit, his gold pocket watch -- and a coffee cup he left on a windowsill the night of his assassination. The exhibit is also home to more significant objects, such as the inkstand Lincoln used to draft the Emancipation Proclamation, and a patent model of a device he invented for lifting boats over sand bars. See photos from the exhibit » . Also on display is memorabilia from the 1860 presidential election campaign -- such as a replica poster portraying a young and masculine Lincoln splitting rail -- that reveal a candidate not impervious to the somewhat superficial aspects of the American political system. Rubenstein says that although Lincoln scoffed at his party's attempts to brand him as "Old Abe the Rail Splitter," he understood the importance of appealing to the masses and creating an image to "link him and his ideals in an iconic kind of way." Perhaps no one is more aware of the power of Lincoln's iconic image than President Barack Obama, who frequently cited his Illinois predecessor as a source of inspiration for his own presidency. While Rubenstein warns against drawing too much of a comparison between presidents -- the two Illinoisans have been linked by their reformist platforms, their penchant for eloquent speeches, and even for their physical likenesses -- he acknowledges the significance of the symbolic timing: As the first African-American becomes president, the nation celebrates the 200th birthday of the man who ended slavery. "We have a president from Illinois -- the land of Lincoln -- who has found inspiration in the Lincoln story. ... It's clearly an historic moment," Rubenstein says. Nonetheless, as the nation celebrates Obama's momentous election, "An Extraordinary Life" is a reminder of the relevance of Lincoln's legacy today and commemorates the incredible life that he led. "It is amazing ...here is this individual from a family in the middle of the woods in Kentucky ... [struggling] to educate himself," Rubenstein says. "To then take on this incredible responsibility, [and] beyond that, his ability to articulate those ideas to inspire not only his generation, but for us today ... it's an extraordinary odyssey that he took." Visit "Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life" at the National Museum of American History on the National Mall, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W., in Washington, D.C. The exhibit runs through January 2011. For more information, or to view the online exhibit, visit the museum's Web site.

National Museum of American History exhibit honors Abraham Lincoln . Exhibit is part of Smithsonian Institution's bicentennial celebration of Lincoln's birth . Show brings together "all of the museum's best Lincoln objects," curator says . Among objects on display are Lincoln's hat, suit, coffee cup, pocket watch .

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(CNN) -- The future of Iceland's elected government was in question Sunday after another weekend of street protests and the resignation of the government's commerce minister -- both responses to the country's financial mess. Iceland's Prime Minister Geir Haarde, left, talks with business minister Bjorgvin Sigurdsson in October. The minister, Bjorgvin Sigurdsson, resigned Sunday, saying the government had failed to restore confidence in the three months after the collapse of several of the country's leading banks, currency and stock market. Senior government officials from the two parties that make up Iceland's coalition government -- the prime minister's Independence Party and the Social Democrats party -- met Sunday to discuss the government's future but nothing was resolved, a spokesman for the prime minister said. Another meeting was scheduled for Sunday night and it was "highly likely" that the parties would decide whether the current government would remain, the spokesman, Kristjan Kristjansson, said. Sigurdsson's resignation followed Saturday's demonstration in which about 6,000 to 7,000 people in front of the parliament building called for the government of Prime Minister Geir Haarde to step down. Protests have been staged regularly since the collapse, but Saturday's was one of the biggest to date, a spokesman for the prime minister said. Saturday's demonstration was peaceful, the spokesman, Kristjansson, said. Watch iReport of Saturday demonstration . Riot police intervened during protests earlier in the week, using pepper spray and arresting some demonstrators. In his resignation letter to the prime minister, Sigurdsson said he was taking his part of the responsibility for the economic situation in the country. But he also said that there were many more who shared responsibility, Urdur Gunnarsdottir, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told CNN. No other officials were named. The night before he resigned, Sigurdsson dismissed the head of the country's financial supervisory authority and requested the authority's board resign. Haarde announced Friday he has a malignant tumor on his esophagus and would not run for re-election as chair of the Independence Party. He also proposed that early elections be held on May 9, two years ahead of schedule. The country's five-party parliament has not yet taken up the proposal, Kristjansson told CNN. Iceland's financial system and currency collapsed in October following a series of bank failures, forcing the International Monetary Fund to intervene. Iceland sought IMF help after its government was forced to nationalize three banks to head off a complete collapse of its financial system. Trading on the country's stock market was suspended for nearly a week, and inflation jumped to more than 12 percent. The IMF announced in November it would pump about $827 million into the Icelandic economy immediately, with another $1.3 billion coming in eight installments. Iceland's Nordic neighbors -- the governments of Finland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden -- announced they would lend Iceland another $2.5 billion. In his resignation letter, Sigurdsson said after the country's financial crash, he hoped the government would re-create trust and restore the country's finances. But he said the effort failed, and he was resigning to help facilitate a restoration of public trust. Sigurdsson is legally entitled to keep receiving his salary for several months after his resignation, but said in his letter he would not accept it. CNN's Per Nyberg in London contributed to this report.

NEW: Leaders meet to discuss future of Iceland's coalition government . Business minister resigns after collapse of the country's leading banks, stock market . Business minister Bjorgvin Sigurdsson says many share responsibility for problems .

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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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(Travel + Leisure) -- Boston-based wedding planner Bernadette Smith has helped arrange the same-sex nuptials of nearly 75 Massachusetts couples during her five-year career. But she's never seen quite the surge in business as she has during the past few months. Wedding planners have seen a surge in same-sex couples traveling to New England to tie the knot. Smith's calendar first started filling up when the 1913 law that banned gay marriage for out-of-state couples was lifted in July 2008. But, she says, things became even more hectic when Proposition 8, the California ballot proposal restricting marriage to heterosexual couples, passed in the November elections. Now Smith and other wedding planners have seen a surge in gays and lesbians traveling to New England to tie the knot. And the trend is growing quickly: On April 3, Iowa's Supreme Court found its gay-marriage ban unconstitutional; four days later, the Vermont legislature gave same-sex couples the right to marry; and on April 16, New York Governor David Paterson announced he would introduce a bill to legalize gay marriage. Not surprisingly, hotels and resorts that cater to same-sex weddings are cashing in. One is the Hob Knob in Martha's Vineyard; its Escape & Elope package includes an intimate ceremony, along with Champagne and massages. And all their wedding packages come with access to Tulle, a destination wedding-and-gown specialist that can accommodate not just one picky bride, but two. Another property capitalizing on the ruling is the Mayflower Inn & Spa in Washington, Connecticut. The inn's "At Last" package includes all the traditional trimmings of a wedding: rehearsal dinner, couples' massage, garden ceremony, and officiant, along with either "his and his" or "hers and hers" stylists. The hotel also offers 25 percent off room rates on the couples' wedding anniversary for life -- much better than a Tupperware set. Travel + Leisure: 50 best romantic getaways . For those who want to plan their own ceremony, Bernadette Smith suggests the Exchange Conference Center overlooking Boston Harbor -- it's where she'll be saying "I do" this summer. Anne P. Worcester, chief marketing officer of Market New Haven, a tourism and commerce organization for the New Haven area, suggests a few other same-sex-friendly Connecticut venues. There's the New Haven Lawn Club, known for its large ballroom and experience in gay weddings; the Union League Café ("arguably the best restaurant in all of New Haven," she says); and the quintessentially romantic carousel at Lighthouse Point. For those traveling long distances, the Omni New Haven Hotel can accommodate out-of-town couples and their guests with in-house ballrooms, restaurants and a spa. Travel + Leisure: Great romantic weekend getaways . Anne Stanback, executive director of Love Makes a Family (a pro-gay marriage organization in New Haven, Connecticut) has become an expert on same-sex wedding planning since she arranged her own nuptials without the help of bridal magazines. "We may not see the lesbian version of Modern Bride until a few more states legalize marriage for same-sex couples, but I have no doubt we eventually will," she says. Now gay advocates in Iowa would like to create the same kind of wedding infrastructure available in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont. Greg Nooney, who started one of the state's few gay-wedding Web sites, began receiving inquiries just days after the decision was finalized on April 3. Nooney admits that building a roster of gay-friendly vendors won't happen overnight. "It is taking some people a little time to get their bearings," he says. One place that wasted no time in promoting itself as gay-friendly is the Sioux City Holiday Inn. Manager Larry Jenson says the property has held commitment ceremonies in the past and looks forward to hosting same-sex couples in the future. Despite the fast pace of change across America, however, wedding experts say all the feedback has been positive. "People may be surprised at just how few ripples the change in the marriage law has caused here," says Anne Stanback, of Connecticut. "There has been no backlash, there have been no protests. Just lots and lots of people who are pleased." Planning a beach getaway? Don't miss Travel + Leisure's guide to Affordable Beach Resorts. Copyright 2009 American Express Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.

Surge in business for wedding planners where same-sex marriage is legal . When California's Proposition 8 passed, more gay couples came to Massachusetts . Gay advocates in Iowa would like to create the same kind of wedding infrastructure .

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Editor's note: Campbell Brown anchors CNN's "Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull" at 8 p.m. ET Mondays through Fridays. She delivered this commentary during the "Cutting through the Bull" segment of Monday night's broadcast. CNN's Campbell Brown says nonemergency legislation needs time to be read by the public and Congress. (CNN) -- Whether by omission or commission, both the White House and Congress get a dose of blame for not living up to the new era of transparency promised by President Obama. The president's old campaign Web site still has this commitment there for all to see: . "As president, Obama will not sign any nonemergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House Web site for five days." Well, the president broke that promise barely a week after taking office when he signed the Lilly Ledbetter Bill dealing with equal pay for men and women. A good bill, and certainly one that could have survived a five-day comment period. So, maybe the White House folks just forgot? But then there is Congress and the Stimulus Bill. How fast could you get through it? According to the nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation, lawmakers had just 13 hours to read 1,100 pages of material that would cost the American taxpayer $787 billion. That's less than a minute and a half per page, with no time for bathroom breaks. No wonder so many of our lawmakers didn't seem to notice that last-minute exemption clearing the way for bailed-out companies like AIG to pay out big bonuses. So, the House tried to clean up the mess last week by rushing through another bill -- a tax on AIG bonuses. That bill was just 11 hours old before it went on the floor to be argued and then quickly approved. And the list goes on well before the president took office. The bank bailout got all of 29 hours, the rescue of Fannie and Freddie was only available for 19 hours. This is how bills could literally become, to borrow a phrase, too big to fail -- and too fast to stop. The Sunlight Foundation is calling on Congress to allow the American people three days, 72 hours, to read a nonemergency bill online before debate begins. We strongly agree. And yes lawmakers, you can have three days to read it over, too, before taking a stand. As for President Obama's promise of a five-day public review once a bill leaves Capitol Hill headed for his desk, it would be nice if he kept his word on this going forward. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Campbell Brown.

Brown: Obama said he'd post legislation on Web for 5 days before signing it . He broke that promise with the Lilly Ledbetter Bill, Brown says . Congress also should take more time to study bills, she says .

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LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Toiling in what is the opium capital of the world, farmers in southern Afghanistan are swapping out their poppy plants for wheat crops. A farmer harvests wheat in a field on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, last summer. The farmers are participating in programs sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development, which is offering seeds, fertilizers and improved irrigation to the region in an effort to stop poppy crops and, ultimately, the production of opium and heroin. Observers have noticed a significant decline in the opium trade in Afghanistan, with the number of poppy-free provinces increasing from 13 in 2007 to 18 in 2008, according to a U.N. report released last year. Opium cultivation in the country, which has 34 provinces, dropped by about 20 percent in a year, the U.N. reported in August. "It's a challenge to deliver assistance in a war zone -- you can hear fighter jets flying above us right now," said Rory Donohoe, a USAID development officer. "At the end of the day, what we found is successful is that we work in areas that we can work," he told CNN in a recent interview in Helmand province. "We come to places like this demonstration farm where Afghans can come here to a safe environment, get training, pick up seeds and fertilizer, then go back to districts of their own." Watch Afghans speak about the change in their farming practices » . Many of Afghanistan's northern and eastern provinces have already benefited from USAID alternative farming programs, which have doled out more than $22 million to nearly 210,000 Afghans to build or repair 435 miles (700 kilometers) of roads and some 2,050 miles (3,300 kilometers) of irrigation and drainage canals. Giving Afghan farmers improved access to markets and improved irrigation is successfully weaning them away from poppy production, according to officials at USAID. Over the years, opium and heroin -- both derivatives of the poppy -- have served as a major source of revenue for the insurgency, most notably the Taliban movement that once ruled Afghanistan. "If you can just help the people of Afghanistan in this way, the fighting will go away," said Abdul Qadir, a farmer in Lashkar Gah. "The Taliban and other enemies of the country will also disappear."

USAID offering seeds, other help to encourage Afghan farmers to grow wheat . Agency trying to wean Afghan farmers from poppy production . Poppy plants used to produce opium and heroin . Opium, heroin has been a major source of revenue for the Taliban .

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(CNN) -- A motel owner in New Zealand -- fed up with one too many incidents of rowdy behavior -- has banned an entire town from checking in as guests. Steve Donnelly, an Australian, has been accused of racism following his decision. Steve Donnelly, the owner of the Supreme Motor Lodge in the town of Palmerston North, said he decided to yank the welcome mat for the 16,000 residents of Wainuiomata because "each time they visited, our life became less exciting." "I'm not Santa Claus. I can't figure out who's naughty and who's nice," he said. "So we went ahead and banned all of them." Wainuiomata, near the capital, Wellington, is about two hours' drive from Palmerston North. Donnelly said he banned the town after three groups of people from Wainuiomata checked in on separate occasions over a six-month period, riling other guests at the 51-room hotel. "We have moms and dads who come here with two or three kids to relax," he said. "They don't want some loudmouth spitting on the pavement, flirting with girls and swearing." The "no vacancy" extends to the members of parliament, as Wainuiomata lawmaker Trevor Mallard found out when he came to test the ban. "He's barging in here with a TV camera, trying to book a room to prove a point," Donnelly said. "We just stood at the front door and said, 'You're not welcome here. Go away.'" By "we," Donnelly is referring to himself and his general manager, Malcolm Glen -- a Scotsman known in the community as "Basil Fawlty" after the iconic and paranoid John Cleese character in the British sitcom "Fawlty Towers." News of the ban sent some former guests complaining, and others accusing Donnelly, an Australian, of racism. Many wanted to know whether he was violating the Human Rights Act, which prohibits hotel owners from discriminating based on race. "Some people are making it out to be about the big Aussie brother giving his poor little Kiwi cousin a hard time," Donnelly said. "They were flabbergasted that there wasn't a law that stopped me. But it's like having a pub. You don't have to have a reason why you won't serve alcohol to any group of people." Donnelly, who's owned the 25-year-old motel for the past two and a half years, said he might annul the ban in the future -- if Wainuiomata adjusts its behavior.

Steve Donnelly owns Supreme Motor Lodge in town of Palmerston North . 16,000 residents of Wainuiomata, near Wellington have been banned . Donnelly says guests from the town are always rowdy . He says he might annul ban in the future -- if Wainuiomata adjusts behavior .

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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- The Taliban in Pakistan have issued a direct challenge to the legitimacy of the Pakistani government, by declaring the country's entire legal system "un-Islamic." Taliban representatives leave talks in Peshawar in February after reaching a deal on Sharia law in Swat. "Let the judges and the lawyers go to Islamic university," said Muslim Khan, a Taliban spokesman in Pakistan's Swat Valley. "(After) they learn Islamic rules, Islamic regulation, they can continue to work." In a telephone interview Tuesday with CNN, Khan demanded the imposition of Islamic sharia law all across the country. He also called for the creation of jaziya, an Islamic tax, to be levied on all non-Muslims in Pakistan. And Khan denounced any Pakistanis who disagreed with his interpretation of Islam, calling them "non-Muslims." The Taliban militant echoed statements made by Sufi Muhammed, an Islamist fundamentalist leader who helped broker a peace deal between the Pakistani government and the Taliban in Swat Valley. Last week, the deal led to the implementation of sharia law in Swat, an alpine region that was once one of Pakistan's most popular destinations for foreign tourists. Speaking before an audience of tens of thousands on Sunday, Sufi Muhammed declared democracy and Pakistan's judicial system "un-Islamic." Since reaching his peace deal with the government in Islamabad, Muhammed has been appointing qazis, or clerics, to serve as judges in Islamic courts in Swat. The rise of the Taliban in Swat has alarmed and frightened some members of local civil society there. "This is a time bomb for the country," said Aftab Alam, the head of the lawyers' association in Swat district. Speaking by telephone from the town of Mingora, Alam claimed Taliban militants have kidnapped, ransomed and even killed lawyers in recent months. "The only sane voice against the militants, the only sane voice against the criminals, is the lawyer community," he said. "And this is why we have been declared by them, I mean the militants, liable to death." This week, some secular Pakistani political parties publicly condemned the Taliban's strict interpretation of Islam. But many other prominent officials appear unwilling or unable to challenge the creeping Taliban conversion of Pakistani society. For example, Ali Ahmed Kurd, one of the leaders of the lawyers protest movement which helped bring down the government of military ruler Pervez Musharraf, declined to comment on Tuesday when asked by CNN about Sufi Mohammed's comments. In recent months, videos have emerged showing what appear to be Taliban militants in Swat meting out vigilante justice. One video shows men beating a woman accused of adultery with a cane. Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan initially claimed responsibility for the public caning in interviews with Pakistani TV stations. But in his interview with CNN on Tuesday he reversed his position, accusing "opponents of Islam" of making fake videos to hurt his movement's image. Meanwhile, in another Taliban-run region called Orakzai, details emerged of militants forcing a small community of Sikhs to pay a jaziya or "minority tax" of 10.5 million rupees, roughly 18,000 dollars earlier this month. During his interview, Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said that if his vision of an Islamic society is fulfilled in Pakistan, terror mastermind Osama Bin Laden will be welcome to travel and live openly here. "Sure, he's a Muslim, he can go anywhere," Khan said. Khan added that he would like to see sharia law implemented beyond Pakistan, even in America, a country he knows intimately. For four years, the Taliban spokesman lived in the United States, working as a painter near Boston.

Taliban in Pakistan demand imposition of Islamic sharia law across country . Government-Taliban deal has led to implementation of sharia law in Swat Valley . Fundamentalist leader declares Pakistan's judicial system "un-Islamic" Secular Pakistani political parties have condemned strict interpretation of Islam .

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(CNN) -- A conference of Islamic prosecutors in Iran worked Wednesday to draft an indictment against Israeli leaders, accusing them of crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza. Palestinian women walk past a building destroyed during Israel's campaign in Gaza. The charges stem from Israel's late-December offensive into Gaza against Hamas militants. The Israeli military has been accused of using excessive and indiscriminate force in civilian areas. Israel is "a regime that only understands the language of violence and force," Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said at the gathering, in calling for the prosecution of Israeli "criminals." "I am confident that there will come a day when all Zionist criminals will be brought to justice," he said on the second day of the conference in Tehran, the capital of Iran. The Iranian president regularly rails against Israel and has called for the Jewish state's elimination. Yigal Palmor, a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry, said: "The day when this conference will start dealing with human rights in the countries that are members of this organization will be the day that their claims concerning Israel will be deserved to be heard, not before. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, let alone commit suicide bombings." "The accusations themselves are nothing more than the hysterical, hostile coverage of the media in these countries and not based on solid facts," he continued. Human Rights Watch, in a report released last month, said there was evidence that Israel committed war crimes in Gaza by firing white phosphorus shells over densely populated areas. Israel has rejected that claim. Israel also has said that the offensive was to defend against repeated rocket attacks by Palestinians. The Israel Defense Forces said on Wednesday its forces "operated in accordance with international law" during recent fighting in Gaza, but said there were a few incidents in which "intelligence or operational errors" occurred. This is the conclusion of probes that emerged from Operation Cast Lead, in which Israel was broadly criticized for its actions in Gaza. Phosphorus shells can be used to create a smokescreen for troops. In creating the diversion, the element ignites when exposed to oxygen and can cause severe burns. The Israeli offensive was launched December 27 and ended January 17 with a cease-fire. Of the 1,453 people estimated killed in the conflict, 1,440 were Palestinian, including 431 children, a U.N. report recently said. Thirteen Israelis died -- three civilians and six soldiers were killed by Hamas, and four soldiers were killed by friendly fire -- the report said. A spokesman for the Israeli prime minister called the U.N. report an example of the "one-sided and unfair" attitude of the U.N. Human Rights Council, which had requested it. The two days of meetings in the Iranian capital have included more than 200 senior judicial officials from the Organization of the Islamic Conference -- an association of 56 states. The organization might ask the U.N. International Court of Justice to charge Israeli leaders with crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza. The court would not be obligated to act.

Islamic prosecutors draft indictment against Israeli leaders over Gaza offensive . Iranian President Ahmadinejad says "Zionist criminals" should face justice . Human Rights Watch says evidence Israel committed war crimes . Israeli spokesman says claims are "hysterical, hostile... not based on solid facts .

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EL PASO, Texas (CNN) -- Sitting in high school, math and history lessons never captured Danny Santos' imagination. The drug-fueled streets of the Texas-Mexico border provided his education, and he was an excellent student. Danny Santos, 21, works two part-time jobs and still doesn't make as much as he did as a drug mule. Santos says he became one of the thousands of American and Mexican teenagers recruited into the dangerous world of drug smuggling. "I didn't care. I had no conscience," Santos said at a boxing gym in El Paso, Texas. "You're young, and you're naïve, and you think it's easy." Santos' journey into the underworld of teenage drug smuggling offers a glimpse into how drug cartels lure teenagers into doing their dirty work. US. Customs and Border Protection officials in El Paso and San Diego report that in recent months, they've seen a rise in the number of juvenile drug smugglers getting busted at border checkpoints. They're often called mules. These teenagers are usually hired only to smuggle drug loads across the border. It's a short drive or walk that offers quick cash but can carry serious consequences. Watch how teens get drugs across the border » . Drug cartels "just need someone who can legitimately cross the border," said Bill Molaski, the El Paso Port Director for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. As an American, Santos could freely cross the El Paso-Juarez border and not raise suspicion. At age 15, Santos says, he met "a guy" at a party who introduced him to drug kingpins in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. "You start off as a driver," Santos said. "People feel like they can trust you, then you move up to something bigger." Two weeks later, he got a $4,000 job offer to drive his first load of marijuana across a bridge into El Paso. It was the beginning of a four-year smuggling career. "I can't say I wasn't nervous," Santos said. "You kind of project yourself into another time of happiness or joy. ... You just have to forget you have something illegal in the car." In all, Santos says, he earned $50,000 making about 20 mule runs, driving right through heavily guarded border checkpoints. Santos, who is now 21, says he was arrested once but spent only a few days in jail. He said charges were dropped. Because he was younger than 18 when he was arrested, and juvenile cases are sealed, CNN could not confirm his story through court records. Young smugglers don't fit a stereotype. Several sources said that both American and Mexican teens are lured into the work. Teenage boys and girls alike are involved. Many smugglers come from middle-class families. "There's a lot of money in the trade, a lot of inducement for a lot of young people to get involved," El Paso County Attorney Jose Rodriguez said. His office is responsible for prosecuting juvenile smugglers. Federal and state authorities say drug cartels recruit young smugglers from schools. Depending on the size of the drug load that's being smuggled, a kid can be paid a couple hundred dollars up to $5,000. Mexican officials say cartels have placed classified advertisements in Mexican newspapers with cryptic messages offering young people a job with good salary and benefits. A phone number is included in the ad. The officials say a cartel member sets up a meeting to determine whether the kid is up to the job. But Rodriguez offers a chilling reason why teenagers should avoid the lure of easy money. "We had a kid here who lost a load and had some of his toes chopped off," Rodriguez said. Santos says he got out of the smuggling business two years ago. Now he spends every day training at a boxing gym in El Paso. Boxing and smuggling can both be vicious worlds, but at least boxing is legal. However, it's a slow climb to the top of the boxing world. He's chasing the golden dreams of boxing championships and hoping to make more money boxing than he did smuggling. Santos is working two part-time jobs, and he says it takes him two months to earn the money that he used to make in one day of drug smuggling. He spent almost all the money he made smuggling. But he has no regrets. "The peace of mind is good," Santos said after a bruising workout. "I sleep good, eat good. I feel better now."

Danny Santos, 21, says he made $50,000 in four years as a drug mule . Santos smuggled drugs across U.S. border from Juarez, Mexico . He was arrested once, as a juvenile, but said charges were dropped . Santos now works two part-time jobs as trains as a boxer .

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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- A Briton bested competitors from 51 other countries to win the recent World Barista Championship in Atlanta, Georgia. The World Barista Championship poured into Atlanta, Georgia, this year after serving Denmark last year. Winner Gwilym Davies said the caffeinated competition was more difficult than other events he has participated in. "In sports, I was able to run harder, or tackle harder ... but this, I still have to keep composed, and watch the shots," the pushcart owner told CNN on Sunday. "I found it tougher." Each competitor served four espressos, four cappuccinos and four signature drinks. Despite incurring a penalty for running 17 seconds over the 15-minute limit, Davies' prowess steamed him to the fore of the competition. Watch contestants battle for title » . "It brings together a group of people from all around the world and we currently have a structure of 61 nations that are part of the family," said Cindy Chang, executive director of the World Barista Championship. The competition was held during the annual meeting of the Specialty Coffee Association of America, which attracted thousands of participants from around the world. In addition to winning an espresso machine, Davies will travel extensively this year representing the specialty coffee community. In what some view as a strange twist, none of the champions over the past decade has come from a country that grows coffee. "It does seem kind of perplexing, because what we look for in this competition is for the baristas to tell a story, show that they have a broad coffee knowledge," said Chang. "And the baristas from coffee-producing countries seem to have an easy access to this." Davies said he owes his success to his willingness to improvise. "There were 256 different drinks that we could have made," he said. "We tried a few and added the ingredients. But it was still a bit risky ... and we got away with it!" The next world championship is to be held next year in London, England. CNN's Felipe Bernal contributed to this story.

Gwilym Davies wins this week's World Barista Championship in Atlanta . Each competitor served 4 espressos, 4 cappuccinos and 4 signature drinks . Strange twist: None of past decade's winners hail from a coffee-growing country .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Chris Cornell has taken to Twitter like Tweety Bird took to making mischief. Chris Cornell's new solo album, "Scream," was produced by Timbaland. He acknowledges it's an odd mix. Not to suggest he's using the popular social networking service to cause trouble. Hardly. The 44-year-old rock musician said he enjoys the open stream of chit-chat with his fans. "It's actually created an environment where I can answer simple questions that someone's probably had forever," said Cornell. "And I don't mind answering them. And I can actually have conversations with fans that are quick, but still more meaningful than the typical situations you're put into. I've really liked it." His more than 200,000 followers can revel in bite-size musings about life on the road ("crowd was amazing last night") or sweet tweets to his wife, Vicky ("hi baby! i miss you!"). Watch Cornell talk about his Twitter fascination » . The former front man of Soundgarden and Audioslave -- who is also known for singing the James Bond theme "Casino Royale" -- is the first to admit he's a fan of experimenting. His new solo album, "Scream," has him meshing his rock vibe with dance-floor beats by the much sought-after producer Timbaland. The collaboration has left some people scratching their heads. Nine Inch Nails lead singer Trent Reznor took a swipe by twittering: "You know that feeling you get when somebody embarrasses themselves so badly YOU feel uncomfortable? Heard Chris Cornell's record?" Ouch. The album debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 chart, but it took a substantial tumble the second week. But Cornell -- who said he's never met Reznor nor read or responded to his tweet -- was more than ready for criticism. "You could kind of see it coming," he said. "Some of it is a script that was written just by putting [me and Timbaland] together. And most of the negative responses fit that script perfectly: 'You can't put these two things together. We don't like it! We're not going to let you! So we're gonna say bad stuff.' " For Cornell, working with Timbaland required him to "rinse away everything that I knew about songwriting and recording." He said the biggest challenge was in having to relearn how to sing to a different rhythm, his raspy voice needing to match up with slick studio beats rather than sliding loosely around the live, loud accompaniment he's so used to. "To me it seemed like an exciting thing to just go and do," he said. "I think this is as good as any album I've ever made, and I listen to it probably more than any other record I've ever made." Cornell spoke to CNN about Timbaland, Twitter and throwing stuff out windows. The following is an edited version of the interview. CNN: Some people have said that you've lost your musical identity in this album. Chris Cornell: I don't have one, really. I don't want to have one. If I had a musical identity that was definable then it would be time to get into painting or something else. Race car driving. CNN: So you would be happy to be experimental on your next album? Cornell: Absolutely. CNN: So what was it like working with Timbaland? Cornell: He didn't really have a particular direction in mind in terms of what he wanted me to do. He did what Timbaland does, and I did what I do. We just wrote songs, which is really the best thing that came out of it. ... It doesn't sound like anybody else's record. It doesn't sound like music I've ever heard. It defies genre, and yet it's very much a song-oriented album as well as an album-oriented album. ... The music never stops. I've performed it that way. It's almost like a movie soundtrack. CNN: How often do you Twitter? Cornell: It depends. When I'm out on the road, depending on the day, a couple times a day I'll spend a half-hour or an hour or so. I've found that doing vocal warm-ups and Twitter at the same time, cause I'm a multitasker. I can watch CNN -- because I do -- and then I can be online and do vocal warm-ups all at the same time. And only one of those things is way too boring. CNN: I read a couple of your tweets, and you said that you were having trouble sleeping. Is that an occupational hazard? Cornell: Probably, yeah. I think everybody has a hard time when you play ... [a] show and then you're finished at 1:30 in the morning. It takes me an hour and a half to be able to eat after that and then to be able to sleep after that. It's hard. CNN: What is the biggest misconception about being a rock musician? Cornell: My first answer would be that it's just all a big party. But then I've been in that situation or seen bands like that where it is all a big party. I think overall there's this idea that it isn't work, that it isn't something that you have to put pretty much 100 percent of your focus and your being into, that it's like winning the lottery in a sense. And I think if you're a musician that's had any kind of success there is a component to that. There's some aspect to timing and luck, there's talent obviously as well. But it's a lot of traveling. It's a lot of waiting, it's a lot of leaving one city going into another city only to see the venue you're going to play in when you arrive, playing for the audience and then leaving and going to the next city. CNN: Have you ever thrown a really big object through a window? Cornell: Yeah. I threw an amplifier, a small one, through a window only because me and a few friends of mine that were out on tour together just made the observation [that] our generation just doesn't do stuff like that. So we sort of did it as kind of a ritualistic, "OK, let's participate in the real thing." There was a piece of duct tape on the amplifier that had my name on it. So I had to run down to the alley and take that tape off so that they wouldn't know who threw it off to the street.

Chris Cornell's new album is "Scream" Former Soundgarden, Audioslave front man working with producer Timbaland . Rock star life takes work, Cornell says . Singer once threw amplifier out window to sample old-school rock star activity .

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(CNN) -- Neenah Pickett is on a mission to find love, and it's the kind that has a countdown and can be monitored by any curious voyeur. No, she's not the newest bachelorette to feed America's reality TV addiction. The New Jersey media consultant is the brains and heart behind "52 weeks 2 find him!" a Web site dedicated to the search for her husband. "This whole process has been me really realizing I need to find new ways to be proactive," said Pickett, 43, who might typically get roped into long hours at work or the embrace of a comfortable couch. "I'm past the stage of believing it'll just happen." So she's putting it all out there on her site. She's blogging. She's asking friends and strangers to weigh in with advice. She's pushing herself to do things and act in ways she never has before. And a little more than 14 weeks into the self-imposed challenge, she's pretty exhausted. "I can't believe how hard it is," she said of the journey so far, which has brought her more dates in two months than she'd had in two years. "But that's why the deadline is so important." Setting goals and working hard -- no doubt, it's the American way. Singles scramble to avoid renewing online dating subscriptions. They sign up for "speed dating" events to feast on a smorgasbord of quick-and-easy first impressions. TV viewers beat up "The Bachelor" when he regrets selecting the mate he's chosen after a limited number of episodes. And how-to books that promise, within a set timeframe, discovery of the One, fly off bookshelves. When it comes to matters of the heart, though, does finding love on a deadline make sense? "It sounds good from a marketing standpoint, but life doesn't work like that," said Blaire Allison, "The Love Guru," who coaches people when it comes to matters of the heart. She should know. About five years ago, when she was 27, Allison posted a site called "Marry Blaire," with the hope -- albeit somewhat in jest -- that she'd be engaged within six months. Like Pickett, she felt that setting aside time to focus on her personal life was necessary. "It's OK to say, 'I want to be a partner in a law firm in three years' ... but we're taught to not be open about our desires about marriage, because we don't want to scare off the guy," she said. By being honest, "you end up attracting men who want the same thing as you." A funny thing happened along the way, though. Allison found "my One," as she calls him, ended up living with the guy and felt essentially married. But she walked away when she realized that she hadn't taken time to know herself. She was young, caught up in the societal pressures and so worried about finding him that she'd never bothered to look within. Through self-discovery, she fell "totally in love with myself," she said. "Now, I'm ready for a partner in my life again, but there's no rush; there's no urgency; there's no fear." And nothing is more attractive than a woman who is happy with herself, said Sam van Rood, a "Love Doctor" based in London, England. He said that putting a deadline on the search for love sounds like "a risky approach" and that allowing time for self-evaluation is most important, no matter the gender. To get where he is, personally and professionally, he had to examine and fix his own mindset when it came to love and romance. "I used to see an ice queen, and I'd run and impale myself on her cold, bitter heart," said van Rood, 35, who's engaged to be married next year. "Now I have the loveliest, warmest woman I've ever met. In helping myself, I've ended up helping other people." For 23 years, Janet Page has been offering her own brand of assistance by way of an evening course offered at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. It was traditionally called "I Will Be Married in One Year," but the psychotherapist has changed the course name in recent years to better represent her curriculum and those she wants to reach, including gays and lesbians who can't marry: "Find Your Dream Mate While Finding Yourself: The Twelve-Month Plan." Too many people are caught up in the fantasy of how love works and happens, she said. They are prepared to work hard on the job or in school, but they haven't done their homework to achieve true and lasting love. Women, for example, think that outward appearances will reel men in, but men don't give enough attention to how they look, she said. And simple things, like making a conscious effort to smile more often, can make a difference. Get advice from matchmakers on what to wear, where to go . "Women who don't smile are perceived as hostile. Women perceive men who don't smile as being unsafe," Page said. "But of course, your best smilers in the world are sociopaths," she added. Though "love doesn't have a time limit on it," Page said giving people time constraints can be important, especially if what they need to do is some of the hard, looking-within kind of work. If people were told to spend five years on this process, they'd wait until year four to focus, she said. "You have to give people deadlines." And it's the deadline of 52 weeks that works for Pickett, who had never allowed herself this time to focus on her heart and the search for love. This "grand effort," as she calls it, is simply her attempt to see whether she can add to what is already "a full life" and one that she loves. If she doesn't find him by the end of the year, she's prepared to take a year off to re-evaluate where she is. "At that point, I'll probably need a year off from dating," she said with a laugh.

A woman sets up a Web site for help in her 52-week search to find The One . "Love Guru" and "Love Doctor" weigh in: Does setting deadlines make sense? Experts say loving oneself should come first, and fantasies need to go . Setting aside time to do self-examination is a, however, a deadline worth making .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Nine of the 11 Pakistani nationals being held in an alleged terror plot in northern England were released Tuesday, according to police. Police officers guard a house in Manchester, England, following raids and arrests of terror suspects. The arrests were made the week before Easter and came quickly after Britain's chief terrorism officer, who has since resigned, exposed a list of people who were suspected of planning an al Qaeda-linked attack. Britain's Greater Manchester Police said the men were released into the custody of the U.K.'s border agency, which will determine whether they can legally remain in England. Police and the border agency said they want the men deported, even though investigators apparently were unable to find enough evidence to charge them with crimes. "We are seeking to remove these individuals on grounds of national security. The government's highest priority is to protect public safety," said a statement from the agency. "Where a foreign national poses a threat to this country, we will seek to exclude or to deport, where this is appropriate." Twelve people originally were arrested April 8, and one had been released before Tuesday. Two people remained in custody, authorities said. Police said that at the time of the arrests, their investigation compelled them to take action, even without the blunder made by Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick. The document he was carrying when photographed outside 10 Downing Street contained the names of those to be arrested, and a source said photographers were able to easily read the names when they enlarged the photographs. Once the word was out, police rushed to make the arrests. Authorities said those actions would have been taken in the following 24 hours anyway. The men -- ranging in age from 18 to 22 -- were arrested in Manchester, about 200 miles northwest of London. They had been held for 13 days without being charged. Police will need to seek an extension by Wednesday to be able to continue holding the two remaining suspects without charges. Police say they are continuing to review evidence collected in the case and are searching at least one more house . CNN's Paula Newton in London contributed to this report.

Border officials want men deported despite lack of evidence to charge them . Agency: We want to remove men "on grounds of national security" Men had been held in association with alleged terror plot in northern England . Widespread arrests made after police official photographed with name of suspects .

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(CNN) -- Besides charting the nature of space and time and penning the bestseller "A Brief History of Time," Stephen Hawking has another distinction: He beat the life-expectancy odds for people with ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Stephen Hawking, shown in Pasadena, California, in March, is hospitalized but said to be "comfortable." Most people with ALS survive only two to five years after diagnosis. Hawking, on the other hand, has lived more than 40 years since he learned he had the disease, which is also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease in America and motor neuron disease, or MND, in the United Kingdom. Hawking, 67, was taken to Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, England, on Monday in a "very ill" condition, and spent the night in the hospital. He was said to be "comfortable" Tuesday. Bob Hawkins, 75, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, who learned of his ALS diagnosis last year, said Hawking, with his long life and ability to communicate through a voice synthesizer, gives him hope. The physicist should be a role model for people with the disease as well as those without it, Hawkins said. "The man is brilliant, and he has striven through a lot of adversity to accomplish all of the things he has accomplished," Hawkins said. "He should be an inspiration for anyone." The British physicist also embodies the idea of empowering people with ALS to live life to the fullest, said Dr. Lucie Bruijn, scientific director for the ALS Association, in an e-mail. This empowerment theme is part of the mission of the ALS Association, she said. "To have achieved so much in his lifetime while battling Lou Gehrig's Disease is quite remarkable," she said. ALS affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, which results in muscle weakness and atrophy. The disease causes the death of motor neurons, meaning the brain loses its ability to control muscle movement. Hawking has had direct involvement in promoting awareness and research into his disease. He recently agreed to be a patron of the MND Association in Northampton, England, meaning he will lend his name to the charity and support it by attending events, fundraising, or other activities. He has participated in some of the organization's high-profile events, said Mel Barry, communications manager at the MND Association. "He's a very busy man, so it's wonderful that he's publicly supporting us with his very heavy workload," she said. Hawking's case is also unusual because his condition was diagnosed at a young age, said Sharon Matland, vice president of patient services at the ALS Association. People typically are between 40 and 70 when they learn they have ALS; Hawking found out at age 21. Some very rare cases manifest in the late teens, Bruijn said. There have been other rare cases of people living long lives with ALS, although none as famous as Hawking. Barry said she knows of a man in Ireland who has lived with the disease for 30 years -- but only about 5 percent of people with ALS live longer than 10 years. ALS affects 350,000 people worldwide and up to 30,000 people in the United States, the ALS Association estimates. "It totally upsets your entire way of living," Hawkins of North Carolina said. "It slowly takes over your entire muscle structure and eventually your limbs are affected, your speech may or may not be affected. The only part of your body that isn't affected is your mind." Still, patients experience different symptoms, and some do have cognitive impairment, Matland said. They may have trouble making day-to-day decisions, such as choosing which bills to pay first. Hawkins said he first experienced weakness in his legs and arms, typical symptoms of the disease. People with ALS may also find it difficult to lift their arms or feet, Matland said. "You drop things or you can't grasp things as you might have been able to do in the past," she said. Loss of voice is another potential symptom, but some people are able to speak until they die, Barry said. The nature of the disease is that it's very different in each person, she said. Most people with ALS become dependent on a wheelchair -- sometimes within six to eight months, but the time frame varies, Matland said. Typically, the ultimate cause of death is respiratory failure, because ALS affects the muscles used for breathing, she said. David Niven, the English actor known for his roles in "Around the World in 80 Days" and "The Pink Panther," died of ALS at age 73. He suffered from the disease for more than a year. A variety of ongoing clinical trials seek to find an effective treatment for ALS in the U.S. Drugs in these trials include lithium, ceftriaxone, and memantine, according to the ALS Association. A recent study showed there may be a genetic component to the disease. In the UK, the MND Association is funding a trial for lithium, which has produced promising results in mice, Barry said. Psychiatrists currently prescribe lithium, a mood-stabilizing drug, for bipolar disorder and other conditions. An FDA-approved drug called riluzole has been shown to prolong survival for some ALS patients, but extends the life span by only three to six months, Barry said. Typically, palliative care is the main treatment -- managing symptoms rather than stopping or curing them. Stem cell therapy may hold promise for the disease, but the general perception is that research into it is not sufficiently advanced, according to the MND Association. To raise money for research in the U.S., the ALS Association hosts walks across the country. Hawkins said he will be participating in the 2009 Fayetteville, North Carolina, Walk to Defeat ALS in May. "I would encourage everyone to recognize how terrible this disease is, and encourage them to support the ALS Association and research projects," he said. CNN's Jennifer Pifer Bixler contributed to this report.

Stephen Hawking is a rare case of someone who has survived decades with ALS . ALS affects 350,000 people worldwide and as many as 30,000 people in the U.S. Symptoms vary from person to person; some lose their speech but others do not . Clinical trials are in progress for a variety of treatments .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Move over Susan Boyle. A week after the Scottish woman became a global sensation following a barnstorming audition on "Britain's Got Talent," a 12-year-old Welsh boy with a Motown voice has been hailed for his "life-changing" performance on the TV show after earning a standing ovation from Simon Cowell. Jafargholi impressed the "Britain's Got Talent" judges with a rendition of "Who's Loving You." Shaheen Jafargholi's prospects looked bleak when the infamously hard to impress Cowell brought the audition to an abrupt halt just one verse into his rendition of "Valerie," the Zutons' song covered by Amy Winehouse. "You've got this really wrong," Cowell told him. "What do you sing apart from that?" Jafargholi instead offered to perform "Who's Loving You," written by Smokey Robinson and performed by a young Michael Jackson with the Jackson Five, bringing screams of delight from the audience as he launched into a note-perfect rendition that brought a beaming Cowell and fellow judges Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden to their feet. "This is how one song can change your life," Cowell told him. "This may be the start of something special for you young man." Watch Shaheen Jafargholi perform on "Britain's Got Talent" » . Writing in his blog for the show, Morgan said Jafargholi had been the stand-out act of the show and tipped him as a possible challenger to Boyle for the TV talent show's £100,000 ($146,000) prize. "Once Simon got him to sing the right kind of song for his voice, he was sensational. Like a young Stevie Wonder," Morgan said. In an interview for the show, Jafargholi said he had been singing since he was two years old. "When I was a bit older my mum got me some singing lessons and my voice just got bigger and bigger," he said. "Hopefully this is going to be my big break." Last week's performance by Boyle, the 47-year-old with a Broadway voice who claimed to have never been kissed, brought the show global attention, with her version of the Les Miserables' tune "I Dreamed a Dream" gaining more than 32 million hits on YouTube as well as earning her a string of U.S. media appearances, including on CNN's Larry King Live. Jafargholi has some way to go to match Boyle's success. By Monday morning a YouTube link to his performance had been watched just 330,000 times. Who do you prefer? Susan Boyle or Shaheen Jafargholi? Sound Off below .

12-year-old Welsh boy shines on "Britain's Got Talent" with Motown voice . Shaheen Jafargholi earned standing ovation from judge Simon Cowell . Cowell had earlier halted Jafargholi's audition and got him to change songs . Show has become a global hit following Susan Boyle's performance last week .

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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Four people in two states have been arrested as part of an investigation into the Final Exit Network, an organization that police believe helped a Georgia man end his life in June, authorities said Thursday. Claire Blehr, 76, of Georgia, and Thomas E. Goodwin, 63, of Florida and Georgia, were two of the four arrested. John Celmer, 58, lived in Cumming, north of Atlanta. Cumming police, the Forsyth County coroner and the man's relatives all had suspicions that his death was an assisted suicide, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation launched an investigation, the agency said in a news release. The GBI on Wednesday set up a sting operation at a residence in adjoining Dawson County, using an undercover agent who had posed as a terminally ill man seeking assistance with his suicide, the statement said. Claire Blehr, 76, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Thomas E. Goodwin, 63, of both Punta Gorda, Florida, and Kennesaw, Georgia, were arrested, the GBI said. Meanwhile, authorities in Baltimore, Maryland, arrested Dr. Lawrence D. Egbert, 81, of Baltimore in connection with the investigation. A second person, Nicholas Alec Sheridan, 60, also of Baltimore, was arrested Wednesday night, GBI spokesman John Bankhead said Thursday. All four face charges of assisted suicide, tampering with evidence and violation of the Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, the GBI said. The Final Exit Network, based in the north Atlanta suburb of Marietta, identifies itself on its Web site as "an all-volunteer organization dedicated to serving people who are suffering from an intolerable condition. Network volunteers offer you counseling, support and even guidance to self-deliverance at a time and place of your choosing, but you always do the choosing. We will never encourage you to hasten your death." Celmer suffered from "very, very severe mouth and throat cancer," his 85-year-old mother, Betty Celmer, said from her home in the Buffalo, New York, suburb of East Amherst. "They were rebuilding the whole mouth," she said. "He was suffering terribly, that I know." She said her son had undergone numerous surgeries and "sounded depressed." When he died, she said she had no idea his death might have been a suicide. In a statement released by the GBI, Celmer's widow, Susan, said that she and her family "are gratified that the GBI and other law enforcement agencies have pursued this matter vigorously and that their investigation has led to the arrests reported today." She said she will not comment further and requested privacy, referring future questions to her attorneys. An e-mail to Jerry Dincin, a man listed as Final Exit Network's vice president and treasurer on its Web site, was not answered Thursday. A call to Final Exit was answered by a recording. The method used in the suicide was helium inhalation, according to the GBI statement. People pay $50 to join the Final Exit Network, according to the GBI, and complete an application process. They are then visited by an "exit guide" assigned to the case. "During the visitations, the member is instructed to purchase two helium tanks of a specific size and brand and a specific type of hood known as an 'exit bag,' " according to the GBI statement. "On the day of the event, the member is visited by the 'exit guide' and a 'senior exit guide.' The senior exit guide instructs the member through the process." Goodwin and Blehr were told the GBI agent suffered from pancreatic cancer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. At the Dawson County residence on Wednesday, Goodwin allegedly walked the undercover agent through the steps and demonstrated how he would hold the agent's hands to stop him from removing the exit bag, Bankhead said. The GBI said that after the death occurs, "all evidence is removed from the scene by the 'guides' and discarded, as evidence indicated happened in the Cumming case." Goodwin's former neighbors in Kennesaw told CNN he moved to Florida a few years ago but still owns his large home there and returns to check on it occasionally. Kay Makarenko, 69, who lives behind Goodwin's home, said she was shocked to hear of his arrest. "I said, 'It can't be the same Ted Goodwin.' " After the arrests Wednesday, authorities in Georgia, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Missouri, Colorado and Montana began executing search warrants and conducting interviews as part of the probe into the Final Exit Network, the GBI said, adding that GBI agents were in each state except Colorado to assist. In Phoenix, Arizona, police have linked the 2007 death of a 58-year-old woman to the Final Exit Network, Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas said Wednesday, according to CNN affiliate KPHO-TV in Phoenix. Thomas said the woman, Jana Van Voorhis, was not terminally ill but suffered from mental illness and depression. He said a police investigation turned up records of visits from Final Exit guides to Voorhis, according to KPHO. No arrests have been made, but Thomas said he expects his office to wrap up its investigation and decide if charges are warranted within 60 days. CNN affiliate WDIV-TV in Detroit, Michigan, reported that search warrants were executed regarding two Michigan residents who sit on Final Exit's board of directors. The Final Exit Network Web site features a "Wall of Fame" with photos of Dr. Jack Kevorkian, among others. Kevorkian was released on parole in June 2007 after serving more than eight years of a 10- to 25-year sentence in the 1998 death of a man suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. "We believe the needs of those who are suffering are paramount," the organization says. "We applaud the work of organizations that seek legislative action to strengthen our right to die a peaceful and painless death at the time and place of our choosing. However, we feel that legislative change will not come soon enough for the many people who need help now and in the interim." Betty Celmer, meanwhile, declined to share her thoughts on assisted suicide or the Final Exit Network's alleged involvement in her son's death, saying she lacks specifics. "He's in a far better place," she said. "That's the only comment I'm going to make." CNN's Ashley Broughton and Jim Kavanagh contributed to this report.

NEW: Widow says she's gratified "investigation has led to the arrests" Authorities probing group that police believe helped Georgia man end his life . After Wednesday arrests, authorities in eight states execute search warrants . Final Exit Network's Web site: Volunteers offer "guidance to self-deliverance"

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Smokers with high levels of a carcinogen byproduct (NNAL) are at higher risk of developing lung cancer. Smoking is a lot like Russian roulette: You never know who will end up developing lung cancer and who won't. But Dr. Jian-Min Yuan, as well as other researchers from the University of Minnesota, say they are one step closer to determining a smoker's risk for developing the disease. In a study, they tracked the carcinogen and nicotine levels in nearly 500 smokers through a simple urine test and discovered a link between the level of a specific carcinogen and lung cancer. Their findings were presented at the American Association for Cancer Research conference. Why did researchers track only the levels of one carcinogen? We all know that tobacco smoke is bad: It's loaded with 60 different carcinogens, which cause all sorts of health risks. There is one carcinogen in particular that researchers suspected for years contributed to human lung cancer. But there were never any scientific human studies showing this relationship. This carcinogen is known as NNK. It releases into your body when you inhale smoke, quickly passes through the liver, gets metabolized and releases NNAL, a byproduct of NNK, into the bloodstream. University of Minnesota researchers were tracking the NNAL levels via urine samples. Watch Dr. Gupta explain the findings » . How much did a person have to smoke to develop high levels of NNAL? The exact amount is a little tricky to determine because a lot depends on how honest a person is about how many cigarettes he or she smoked per day. Additionally, the type of cigarette and how deeply a person inhales could affect the amount of carcinogens in the body. Researchers say a person with high levels of NNAL and high levels of nicotine (equivalent to smoking about a pack of cigarettes a day) is 8.5 times more likely to develop lung cancer compared with a smoker with lower levels. While the researchers point out that not everyone who has a high level of NNAL is going to develop lung cancer, it does help assign a number to a risk that was hard to quantify before. Isn't smoking bad for you regardless? What is the benefit of having this type of information? There is nothing healthy about smoking. Even if this test pegs you at low risk of developing lung cancer, it doesn't mean you won't develop a dozen other cancers commonly cause by smoking. If you smoke, the No. 1 thing you should do is quit. But that is easier said than done. If it were easy, 23 percent of adults in the United States would not smoke regularly. One benefit of knowing whether a smoker is at increased risk for lung cancer is for his or her doctor to screen the person regularly for abnormalities, in the hopes of catching the cancer early. Lung cancer is but one consequence of smoking, so this type of testing is not going to fix everything. But as far as lung cancer goes, it may give people a better idea of when and how often to get screened. Reported by CNN's Danielle Dellorto .

First study to quantify link between carcinogen byproduct and lung cancer rates . Researchers tracked levels of byproduct (NNAL) using urine samples . Smokers with high levels of NNAL doubled their risk of developing lung cancer . Test could identify high-risk people, aid in early detection and treatment . Bottom Line: This test may one day be used to identify smokers at high risk for lung cancer, but won't help against smoking's other health hazards.

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(CNN) -- Jon Opsahl said he doesn't think domestic terrorist-turned-housewife Sara Jane Olson served nearly enough time for his mother's murder, but he's relieved the saga ended with Olson's Tuesday release from prison. Sara Jane Olson was released from a California prison Tuesday after serving seven years. Olson, a member of the self-styled revolutionary Symbionese Liberation Army -- perhaps best known for kidnapping Patricia Hearst -- was released from a California prison after serving seven years, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said. She was released to her husband just after midnight and is expected to serve her yearlong parole term in Minnesota -- over the the objections of police unions and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Her sentence stems from her involvement in the 1975 attempted bombings of two police cars and the slaying of Myrna Opsahl during a bank robbery that same year. Back then, Olson went by her birth name, Kathleen Anne Soliah. After her 1976 indictment in the attempted bombings, she changed her name and started a new life in St. Paul, Minnesota. She was not apprehended until 1999. "I've really got nothing to say. She did her time, as minimal as that may have been," said Jon Opsahl, who was 15 when his mother was killed. "One of those years -- just one -- was for the murder of my mom and the bank robbery up in Carmichael." Myrna Opsahl, a mother of four, was depositing money at the Crocker National Bank for her church when she was shot by Olson's co-defendant Emily Montague Harris, according to court documents. Harris was sentenced to eight years; she served four and was released on parole in February 2007. Jon Opsahl, now 49, said he never understood why it took so long to bring his mother's killers to justice. While charges were filed in the bombings within months, no charges were brought in his mother's murder until 2002. "You expect thugs to do what thugs do, but you don't expect the district attorney to turn a blind eye to the murder of an upstanding citizen," Jon Opsahl said Monday. Olson's release Tuesday will cap an oft-strange storyline that spans more than three decades and which saw Olson wear the hats of college student, 1970s radical, housewife and philanthropist. Attorney Andy Dawkins met Olson, now 62, shortly after she moved to St. Paul through friends in the reggae band, Pressure Drop. Fred Peterson, Olson's husband, played trumpet in the band, Dawkins said. "She did good deeds everywhere. She raised three wonderful daughters. It was always a shock to all of us that the Sara we know had that past," Dawkins said. After attending the University of California, Santa Barbara, Olson moved to Berkeley in the early 1970s. There, she met Angela Atwood in 1972, and the two became best friends and roommates, Olson told L.A. Weekly in a 2002 interview shortly before she was imprisoned. After Atwood and five other SLA members were killed in a 1974 gunfight with the Los Angeles Police Department, Olson appeared at a memorial in Berkeley's Ho Chi Minh Park to eulogize her friend. "SLA soldiers, although I know it's not necessary to say, keep fighting. I'm with you, and we are with you," Olson told the crowd. Almost a year later, Olson took part in two bank robberies to help fund the SLA, according to court documents. During the Carmichael robbery, Olson "entered the bank with a firearm and kicked a nonresisting pregnant teller in the stomach. The teller miscarried after the robbery," the documents said. In August 1975, Los Angeles police found homemade bombs under two squad cars. They were designed to explode when the car moved, but neither device detonated. Authorities cast the attempted bombings as payback for the bloody shootout that left Atwood and other SLA members dead. A probe into the gunbattle helped police arrest Hearst, the granddaughter of publishing mogul William Randolph Hearst, who claimed she had been kidnapped, raped and brainwashed by the SLA. In her book "Every Secret Thing," Hearst put Olson at the center of the Carmichael robbery. Olson soon left California. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, "she evaded capture for 23 years, and in the meantime, became a doctor's wife, mother of three, community volunteer, veteran of charity work in Africa and practicing Methodist living in an upscale neighborhood in St. Paul." Though authorities said a 1999 "America's Most Wanted" episode marking the 25th anniversary of the L.A. shootout led to Olson's arrest, the show's Web site mentions neither Olson nor Soliah among its almost 1,100 "captures." Her Minnesota friends and neighbors were shocked, even incredulous, when she was arrested. They pleaded with a judge to grant her bail. The Sara Olson Defense Fund began selling cookbooks, titled, "Serving Time: America's Most Wanted Recipes." It would help that Olson was generous with her time. She was active in the church. She volunteered for political campaigns. Dawkins said he had a blind client to whom she used to read The New York Times. Olson's philanthropy, coupled with the connections of her husband, a respected emergency room doctor, made raising the $1 million bail relatively easy, said Dawkins, who remembers that some members of the community had so much faith in Olson they put up their children's college funds. On October 31, 2001, Olson pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to ignite a destructive device or explosive. She later tried to rescind the plea, saying "cowardice" prevented her from telling the truth. A superior court judge, however, denied her request and in January 2002 sentenced her to 20 years to life in prison, a sentence the parole board later reduced. Olson was charged with Opsahl's slaying that same week and pleaded guilty in 2003 to second-degree murder. Olson received a sentence of five years to life. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in a statement that Olson's sentence was reduced for good behavior and for her work on a maintenance crew that cleaned the main yard of the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla. Dawkins said "it's right" that Olson served time, but he is glad she is being released. He expects many hugs await her in St. Paul and that she will soon be back to her generous ways. "I really believe who we knew in St. Paul was the true Sara Olson," he said. The Los Angeles Police Protection League disagrees and has loudly opposed her early release. Sgt. Paul Weber, the league's chief, called her a sociopath who "never said she was sorry." He also lashed out at those who rush to defend her. "Enough with the BS that she was unfairly targeted by law enforcement for her youthful indiscretions -- she is a criminal," Weber said in a Monday statement. Corrections officials say it's important that she be reunited with her family during her parole -- it helps reduce recidivism -- but Minnesota legislators, the governor and the St. Paul Police Federation have asked Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to keep her in California over the next year. "Letting a domestic terrorist like Kathleen Soliah set the terms of her parole is an insult to the memory of Myrna Opsahl and all the men and women of LAPD past and present," the St. Paul union said in a letter last week. Jon Opsahl, however, just wants to put Olson out of his mind. "Get her out of here," he said. "I don't want to see or think about her again."

NEW: Governor, police unions oppose Olson serving parole in Minnesota . Olson evaded capture for more than 20 years living as Minnesota housewife . Olson was member of Symbionese Liberation Army, which nabbed Patricia Hearst . Court documents say Olson kicked pregnant teller during 1975 bank robbery .

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(CNN) -- "Sesame Street" may not be a real place, but tell that to some of the people Michael Davis met when researching and talking about his new book, "Street Gang." Bert, left, and Ernie have been mainstays of "Sesame Street" since the beginning. "I met a lot of people who I worked with in New York or got to know in New York -- transplants -- who said to me, 'When I first arrived here in New York, I had this strange desire to find Sesame Street,' " he said. Well, to paraphrase the famous theme song, who wouldn't want to get to "Sesame Street"? For two generations, the fictional block of brownstones inhabited by curious children, friendly adults and some odd-looking Muppets has helped shape childhood education by offering exercises, games and life lessons all wrapped up in a television-friendly format. It's a model that's proved durable and influential, says Syracuse University pop culture professor Robert Thompson. "If I were to make a list of the top 10 most significant American TV shows ... I'd put 'Sesame Street' on the list. The fact that it's still on the air attests to its [significance]," he said. See "Sesame Street" in pictures » . "The idea they came up with was kind of radical: If you can sell kids sugared cereal and toys using Madison Avenue techniques, why couldn't you use the same techniques for teaching counting, the alphabet and basic social skills? And it works." Indeed, as Davis notes in "Street Gang" (Viking), the genesis of "Sesame Street" was when the 3-year-old daughter of a Carnegie foundation executive was fascinated by television, waking up to watch the broadcast day begin and memorizing commercial jingles. He talked about his daughter with a friend, producer Joan Ganz Cooney. In the liberal ferment of the mid-'60s, both wondered whether educational TV could go beyond the staid classroom shows of the era. Cooney became the driving force of "Sesame Street." She put together the plan, helped recruit talent, located financing and oversaw production. "Sesame Street" became the foundation for the Children's Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop), which created other educational shows such as "The Electric Company" and "3-2-1 Contact." "She is just such an impressive woman," said Davis, adding that Cooney gave her blessing to his book project without any requirements but one: that he "get it right." "She's just one of those extraordinary public figures." Cooney didn't hold much back in telling her story to Davis, and neither did others. From its debut on November 10, 1969, the show was a hit -- within a year, it was on the cover of Time magazine -- but it was not without its personality clashes. The original Gordon, Matt Robinson, was a producer uncomfortable in the spotlight. Northern Calloway, who played David, struggled with mental illness. The show's primary songwriters, Joe Raposo and Jeff Moss, were constantly in competition; Raposo "fairly seethed with envy" when Moss' "Rubber Duckie" hit the Top 20, Davis writes. The book provides balanced biographies of a number of principals, including producer Jon Stone, whom Davis calls "the heart of the book." "I wanted people to say, 'Wow, this guy Jon Stone, he really was the Orson Welles of "Sesame Street." ' Without him, the show wouldn't have been what it became," Davis said. But for all the backstage machinations that affect any creative enterprise, "Sesame Street" stayed true to education, in all its forms. One show matter-of-factly included a breast-feeding Buffy Sainte-Marie; others featured a boy with Down syndrome, Jason Kingsley. EW: Stars who dropped by "Sesame Street" Jim Henson, who was famous as creator of the Muppets when "Sesame Street" began, invented a world of (literally) colorful characters -- Oscar, Big Bird, the Cookie Monster, Bert and Ernie -- and, with his puppeteering crew, gave them soul. And when Mr. Hooper (Will Lee) died, the show dealt with his passing honestly. Over the years, the show has taken its knocks. Critics from the left have complained about its merchandising; critics from the right disliked its avowed commitment to diversity. In the '90s, "Barney" stole its thunder, and cable drained its audience. As "Sesame Street" comes up on its 40th birthday, some critics wonder whether it's still necessary. But for all that, says Thompson, the show remains important, both in its pioneering educational style and in its clever business model. And it takes its charges seriously, he points out. "One thing I still like about 'Sesame Street' is that it's not artsy," he said. For Davis' part, doing the book -- which succeeded a TV Guide article he did on the show's 35th anniversary -- gave him renewed respect for its creators' achievements. And he's found out through his Web site, http://www.streetgangbook.com/, that "Sesame Street" still has the magic to move children -- mothers of autistic children credit the show with helping the kids' development -- and adults. "Somebody said, 'I was OK when my mom explained to me there was no Santa Claus,' " he recounts. " 'But I cried my eyes out the day I realized Kermit was a puppet.' Isn't that great?"

"Street Gang" is a new book that chronicles the history of "Sesame Street" Show was unique when it went on air in 1969, using TV techniques for education . Much behind-the-scenes activities, but show has stayed true to goals . Author Michael Davis has heard countless stories about "Street's" benefits .

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(CNN) -- Singer Rihanna, through her lawyer, asked a judge Thursday not to prohibit her boyfriend, singer Chris Brown, from having contact with her while he faces felony charges of assaulting her. Chris Brown attends his arraignment in Los Angeles on Thursday. Attorney Mark Geragos is at right. The judge granted Rihanna's request. Brown, 19, allegedly attacked Rihanna, 21, during an argument in February that began when she found a text message from another woman on his cell phone, according to a sworn police statement. Brown appeared before a judge Thursday on the two felony counts, but his arraignment was delayed until next month at the request of his lawyer. Authorities charged Brown on Thursday with felony counts of assault and making criminal threats, the Los Angeles County, California, District Attorney's Office said. If he is convicted, the sentence could range from probation to four years and eight months in prison, the office said. While Los Angeles County Judge Kristi Lousteau warned Brown "not to annoy, harass, molest, threaten or use force or violence against anyone," Lousteau did not issue a "no contact" order that would have kept Brown away from the woman he is accused of beating. Watch a discussion of the charges -- and Brown's future » . Rihanna's lawyer, Donald Etra, stood near Brown and his lawyer, Mark Geragos, during the brief hearing. Rihanna was not in the courtroom. Referring to the "no contact" order that could have been imposed, Etra told reporters after the hearing, "Rihanna requested that no such order be issued." Etra said the less stringent protective order against harassment and threats signed by Lousteau was "more than sufficient in this case." Etra did not respond when reporters asked if the singer was cooperating with prosecutors in the case against Brown. Brown, dressed in a suit and tie, said little during the hearing, except to answer "yes" when the judge asked him if he wished to waive his right to a speedy trial in exchange for a delay in arraignment. He then signed a waiver, which also allows Geragos to appear without him in court for hearings on routine issues. Lousteau ordered Brown to return to court on April 6 for formal arraignment. Court documents released Thursday revealed details about the case against Brown, including a police statement that the incident began when Rihanna, whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, found a text message on Brown's cell phone from "a woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with." Watch panelists discuss whether Rihanna will testify » . A search warrant used by police to obtain cell phone records related to the case included the sworn statement by Los Angeles Police Detective DeShon Andrews in which he detailed what allegedly happened in the early morning hours of February 8. Read the affidavit (PDF) "Brown was driving a vehicle with Robyn F. as the front passenger on an unknown street in Los Angeles. Robyn F. picked up Brown's cellular phone and observed a three-page text message from a woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with. "A verbal argument ensued and Brown pulled the vehicle over on an unknown street, reached over Robyn F. with his right hand, opened the car door and attempted to force her out. Brown was unable to force Robyn F. out of the vehicle because she was wearing a seat belt. When he could not force her to exit, he took his right hand and shoved her head against he passenger window of the vehicle, causing an approximate one-inch raised circular contusion. "Robyn F. turned to face Brown and he punched her in the left eye with his right hand. He then drove away in the vehicle and continued to punch her in the face with his right hand while steering the vehicle with his left hand. The assault caused Robyn F.'s mouth to fill with blood and blood to splatter all over her clothing and the interior of the vehicle. "Brown looked at Robyn F. and stated, 'I'm going to beat the s--t out of you when we get home! You wait and see!' " The detective said "Robyn F." then used her cell phone to call her personal assistant Jennifer Rosales, who did not answer. "Robyn F. pretended to talk to her and stated, 'I'm on my way home. Make sure the police are there when I get there.' "After Robyn F. faked the call, Brown looked at her and stated, 'You just did the stupidest thing ever! Now I'm really going to kill you!' "Brown resumed punching Robyn F. and she interlocked her fingers behind her head and brought her elbows forward to protect her face. She then bent over at the waist, placing her elbows and face near her lap in [an] attempt to protect her face and head from the barrage of punches being levied upon her by Brown. "Brown continued to punch Robyn F. on her left arm and hand, causing her to suffer a contusion on her left triceps (sic) that was approximately two inches in diameter and numerous contusions on her left hand. "Robyn F. then attempted to send a text message to her other personal assistant, Melissa Ford. Brown snatched the cellular telephone out of her hand and threw it out of the window onto an unknown street. "Brown continued driving and Robyn F. observed his cellular telephone sitting in his lap. She picked up the cellular telephone with her left hand and before she could make a call he placed her in a head lock with his right hand and continued to drive the vehicle with his left hand. "Brown pulled Robyn F. close to him and bit her on her left ear. She was able to feel the vehicle swerving from right to left as Brown sped away. He stopped the vehicle in front of 333 North June Street and Robyn F. turned off the car, removed the key from the ignition and sat on it. iReport.com: Chris Brown fans: Share your reaction . "Brown did not know what she did with the key and began punching her in the face and arms. He then placed her in a head lock positioning the front of her throat between his bicep and forearm. Brown began applying pressure to Robyn F.'s left and right carotid arteries, causing her to be unable to breathe and she began to lose consciousness. "She reached up with her left hand and began attempting to gouge his eyes in an attempt to free herself. Brown bit her left ring and middle fingers and then released her. While Brown continued to punch her, she turned around and placed her back against the passenger door. She brought her knees to her chest, placed her feet against Brown's body and began pushing him away. Brown continued to punch her on the legs and feet, causing several contusions. "Robyn F. began screaming for help and Brown exited the vehicle and walked away. A resident in the neighborhood heard Robyn F.'s plea for help and called 911, causing a police response. An investigation was conducted and Robyn F. was issued a Domestic Violence Emergency Protective Order." At the end of his statement, Andrews said Brown sent a text message nine days later apologizing. "In the text message, Brown apologized for what he had done to Robyn F. and advised [Rihanna's assistant] Ford that he was going to get help." Brown issued a public apology for the incident last month. "Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired," he said in a statement released by his spokesman. "I am seeking the counseling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones and I am committed, with God's help, to emerging a better person."

NEW: Rihanna's lawyer says she requested there be no "no contact" order . Chris Brown's arraignment delayed until April 6 . Brown charged with assault, making criminal threats . Victim identified as "Robyn F."; "Robyn F." is Rihanna .

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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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LONDON, England (CNN) -- What recession? Christie's, the famed auction house, this week sold a nearly 36-carat diamond for $24.3 million, which it said was the highest price for a diamond sold at auction. The 35.56-carat diamond dates back to the 17th century. The previous record was a mere $16.5 million for a 100-carat diamond in 1995, Christie's said. "In the midst of these challenging times, we were thrilled to achieve an historic price for an historic diamond," said Francois Curiel, chairman of Christie's Europe and auctioneer for Wednesday's sale. The 35.56-carat Wittelsbach blue diamond, dating to the 17th century, was purchased by international jeweler Laurence Graff, the auction house said in a release. Graff was bidding against Aleks Paul of Essex Global Trading, a professional of Russian origin based in New York, Christie's said. "Known as 'Der Blaue Wittelsbacher' since 1722, it is one of very few diamonds which can claim 17th century heritage, incredible rarity and exceptional beauty." The diamond, mined in India nearly 400 years ago, has been privately owned since 1964. Until 1723, Christie's said, all diamonds worn by European royalty came from India. The diamond has a royal lineage. Christie's traces it thus: King Philip IV of Spain (1605-1665) selected the diamond in 1664 as part of a dowry for his daughter, the Infanta Margarita Teresa (1651-1673). She had become engaged to Leopold I of Austria (1640-1705), who later became Holy Roman Emperor. When she died in 1673, her husband retained the diamond, which was passed on to his heirs. In 1722, the diamond entered the Wittelsbach family when the Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria (1701-1756) married the Bavarian Crown Prince, Charles Albert (1697-1745). It was worn by successive rulers until the abdication of King Ludwig III (1845-1921) in 1918. The world's largest deep blue diamond is the "Hope Diamond," a 45.52-carat stone housed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Diamonds apparently are recession-proof. Christie's reported jewelry sales of $226 million for the first half of 2008, calling it "the best jewelry season ever seen at auction." Sales for the first six months of this year marked a 32 percent increase over the same period in 2007, Christie's said. According to Christie's, key diamonds the company sold in the first half of 2008 included a 13.39-carat fancy intense blue diamond that fetched $8.9 million in Geneva on May 14 and the pear-shaped potentially flawless 38-carat Onassis diamond, which sold for $7.1 million on June 11 in London.

Christie's sells nearly 36-carat diamond for $24.3 million . Amount said to be highest price for a diamond sold at auction . Jewel was mined in India nearly 400 years ago .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates has asked Pentagon staff to draw up plans for shutting the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a Pentagon spokesman said. A detainee is seen through a fence in July at the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The camp holds about 250 suspected terrorists, down from a peak of roughly 750 men from 40 countries. It houses several top al Qaeda figures, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed -- the confessed architect of the September 11, 2001, attacks. Gates "has asked his team for a proposal on how to shut it down, what would be required specifically to close it and move the detainees from that facility, while at the same time, of course, ensuring that we protect the American people [from] some very dangerous characters," Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said Thursday. Morrell described it as a contingency plan in case the new administration wants to take it up early in the new year. President-elect Barack Obama has pledged to close the camp at Guantanamo but hasn't set a specific timetable. Gates will continue as defense secretary when Obama takes office. "I would like to see it closed," Gates told Charlie Rose in a PBS interview. "And I think it will be a high priority for the new administration." Officials close to the Obama team said in November that the incoming administration is pondering options, including trying some of the Guantanamo Bay inmates in federal courts, setting up a special national security court to deal with cases involving the most sensitive intelligence information, and releasing some inmates. In an October 31 interview with CNN, Obama said only that he would close the facility "as quickly as we can do prudently." "I am not going to give a time certain because I think what we have to do is evaluate all those who are still being held in Gitmo," he said. "We have to put in place appropriate plans to make sure they are tried, convicted and punished to the full extent of the law, and that's going to require, I think, a review of the existing cases, which I have not had the opportunity to do." In May, Gates told a Senate committee that efforts to shut down the facility were "stuck" over what to do with the inmates.

Camp holds about 250 inmates, down from peak of about 750 . Defense Secretary Robert Gates asks Pentagon staff to draw up closure plans . Gates anticipates possible move by Barack Obama to close camp . President-elect has pledged to shut down Guantanamo .

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(CNN) -- The brutal winter storm that caused havoc from Texas to Maine has paralyzed swaths of Kentucky, where officials are working to cope with what they say is the worst power outage in the state's history. "We are kind of in a state of emergency. It's pretty bad," said iReporter Dwight Stanley of Louisville, Kentucky. Andrew Melnykovych, spokesman for Kentucky's Public Service Commission, said it is "an indescribable mess everywhere." Ice storms covered parts of the state Friday, with moderate snowstorms expected to continue into Saturday morning, the National Weather Service said. Temperatures that dipped into the teens on Friday are expected to rise to the upper 30s to lower 40s on Saturday, the weather service said. Larry Holeman, deputy emergency management director of rural Grayson County, called his hard-hit community "a war zone." The emergency reflects the challenges faced in states such as Kentucky, where many rural and remote regions struggle to keep warm and dry under dire weather conditions. Nine weather-related deaths have been reported, with two confirmed, said the office of Gov. Steve Beshear. A previously confirmed death has since been found to be unrelated to the weather. In western Louisville, three adults were found dead Friday morning of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator the family brought indoors, Mayor Jerry Abramson said. The deaths prompted authorities to issue a stern warning about the dangers of carbon monoxide. "We've lost three citizens because people weren't listening to the fire department when they look into the cameras and talk on the radios and say, 'listen up, carbon monoxide kills,' " Abramson said in a press conference Friday afternoon. "We can't talk enough about it." The storm caused the largest power outage in Kentucky's history, with more than 607,000 customers out of power. Watch residents of Grayson County, Kentucky, try to cope with outage » . But Melnykovych said that while the state is saying 607,000 customers have lost power, he thinks the number is closer to 650,000 because the state figure comes only from utilities it regulates. When Hurricane Ike hit in September, 600,000 customers lost power. Melnykovych said the temperature was around 75 degrees and power outages were more of an "inconvenience than a life-threatening situation." iReport.com: Send your wintry weather photos, videos . "Hurricane Ike didn't have this kind of impact," he said. Of the state's 120 counties, 78 have declared emergencies. So have 47 cities, the governor's office said. At least 113 emergency shelters have been opened. Jewel Tomes, who lives in Leitchfield, took shelter at a high school after a complex for the elderly lost power and was "thrilled to have a place to come to." "The high school here was generous, and more than 500 people have been sheltered here, and we have had cots and blankets and three meals a day. And we had medication," she said. Around 93,000 customers on 55 water systems remain without access to water because of outages and storm damage. Photos of storm's impact » . Crews across the state were working to clear roads of snow, ice and trees. A key concern is getting generators to water treatment facilities because of the large number of people without water. The Kentucky National Guard, which has had 620 soldiers on duty, is bolstering to 1,000 the number of soldiers aiding recovery efforts. Three of the battalions are headed to Paducah, Owensboro and Benton in the west and others are headed to other hard-hit spots. The state said the Federal Emergency Management Agency will operate out of a National Guard center in Frankfort. Beshear praised the Obama administration's prompt reaction to the storm. "They really hit the ground running," he said. "They're working very hard to get all the equipment and supplies here that we need." For a third day, Beshear on Friday visited regions of the state slammed by the storm. "Western Kentucky has obviously been hit very badly by this storm," Beshear said Friday. It's the first ice storm for Debbie Pelissero, who moved to Lexington from San Diego in May. She took pictures of the "peaceful and surreal" scenes for her California family. "I never saw anything like it before. I've never lived in anything like this," she said, watching crews salt the road for the next expected storm. The newcomer is learning a basic principle about her new Kentucky home, uttered by the governor. Kentuckians, he said are "a very resilient bunch."

NEW: 3 die of carbon monoxide poisoning in Louisville, mayor says . NEW: Moderate snowstorms expected to continue into Saturday . Nine weather-related deaths have been reported, governor says . More than 607,000 customers without power, state says .

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(CNN) -- Cambodia and Thailand have agreed to redeploy some troops away from the site of a border temple at the center of a tense military standoff in its second week. Thai soldiers take a rest near the Preah Vihear temple in Preah Vihear province. The decision came after the two sides met to resolve the impasse. Government officials from both nations plan to meet again to decide how many troops will remain at the site of the Preah Vihear temple, the Thai News Agency reported Monday. At a later meeting, the two sides plan to discuss how to tackle the thorny issue at the center of the ongoing dispute -- the question of whether land around the temple belongs to Thailand or Cambodia. The 11th century temple sits atop a cliff on Cambodian soil but has its most accessible entrance on the Thai side. The two countries differ on whether some territory around the temple forms part of Thailand or Cambodia. The decision to redeploy troops took place after a Monday meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Last week, an eight-hour meeting between Thai and Cambodian officials ended with both sides agreeing on only one point: that troops each country has amassed at the site of the temple will not fire on each other. The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962. Thailand claims, however, that the 1.8 square mile (4.6 sq. km) area around it was never fully demarcated. Thailand says the dispute arose from the fact that the Cambodian government used a map drawn during the French occupation of Cambodia -- a map that places the temple and surrounding area in Cambodian territory. This month, the United Nations approved Cambodia's application to have the temple listed as a World Heritage Site -- a place the U.N. says has outstanding universal value. The decision re-ignited tensions, with some in Thailand fearing it will make it difficult for their country to lay claim to disputed land around the temple. Opposition parties in Thailand used the issue to attack the government, which initially backed the heritage listing. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has been in power since 1985, portrayed the U.N. recognition as a national triumph in the run-up to the general elections. Analysts believe that the nationalist sentiments stirred up by the military standoff helped Hun Sen's ruling party win enough seats in Sunday's parliamentary elections so that it can form a government without the need for a coalition. The current flare-up began July 15, when Cambodian guards briefly detained three Thais who crossed into the area. Once they were let go, the three refused to leave the territory. Cambodia claims Thailand sent troops to retrieve the trio and gradually built up their numbers. Thailand denies that, saying its troops are deployed in Thai territory.

Cambodia, Thailand to redeploy some troops away from the site of a border temple . Two sides plan to discuss issue of who the land around the temple belongs to . Flare-up began when Cambodian guards detained three Thais who entered area . Cambodia claims Thailand sent troops to retrieve the trio and built up their numbers .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Predatory mice are threatening the albatross population on a remote south Atlantic island and have caused the birds' worst nesting season on record, a British bird charity says. Baby albatross on a remote Atlantic island are threatened by killer house mice. The research from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds indicates bad news for the Tristan albatross, whose only home is Gough Island in the middle of the south Atlantic. House mice not native to the island are threatening the Tristan albatross with extinction, the RSPB said. The mice are also threatening the native population of bunting, one of the world's largest finches, the RSPB said. "Without removal of the mice, both the albatross and the bunting that live there are doomed to extinction," Grahame Madge, a conservation spokesman for the RSPB, told CNN. The mice on the island eat the chicks of the albatross and bunting before they make it to the fledgling stage, the RSPB said. This makes it especially difficult for the albatross population to survive because the birds lay eggs only once every two years -- a very low reproductive rate compared to other birds, Madge said. "What [the mice] are affecting is the ability of the albatross to produce enough young to sustain the population," he said. Adult Tristan albatross are threatened by longline fishing at sea, a practice in which boats put up numerous 100-meter long fishing lines baited with squid or fish. The albatrosses are attracted to the bait and while some manage to steal it successfully, many more get snagged and drown, Madge said. Because of the impact from house mice, introduced to the island by sealers in the 18th and 19th centuries, conservation alliance BirdLife International earlier this year listed both the Tristan albatross and the Gough bunting as critically endangered -- the highest threat level before extinction. Gough Island, a British territory almost midway between Argentina and South Africa, is a place of stunning natural beauty. The island is not inhabited by humans. Gough Island and nearby Inaccessible Island are both listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. A survey of the albatross on Gough Island in January showed 1,764 adults incubating eggs, the RSPB said. A later survey revealed only 246 chicks had survived to fledgling. "We've known for a long time that the mice were killing albatross chicks in huge numbers," said RSPB scientist Richard Cuthbert, who recently visited the island to assess the problem. "However, we now know that the albatrosses have suffered their worst year on record." The bunting suffer because the mice eat their eggs and chicks, and may also compete with them for food in the winter, Cuthbert said. "The decline in bunting numbers is alarming," said Peter Ryan of the University of Cape Town, who has been studying buntings on the island since the 1980s. "Without urgent conservation action to remove the mice, both the albatross and the bunting are living on borrowed time." The RSPB has been studying whether it is possible to remove the mice. It said trials so far look promising, but it urged the British government to step up funding for the project. It said eradicating the mice from Gough Island would solve the primary conservation threat facing both bird species. The RSPB said it had been working with New Zealand conservationists on a program to remove the smaller mice by dropping poisoned bait from helicopters. Tristan albatrosses are one of 22 species of albatross in the world. Albatrosses principally live in the southern Atlantic but some also live in the Pacific, the RSPB says. Albatrosses are among the largest flying birds, weighing up to 25 pounds (22.5 kilograms). One species -- the wandering albatross -- has a wingspan of 11 feet, the RSPB says. The birds can fly thousands of miles without a pause, and their only need to touch land is to nest and raise their young, the RSPB says.

Predatory mice are threatening the albatross population on a south Atlantic island . House mice not native to the island are killing and eating chicks . Mice are also threatening the native population of large finches .

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(Real Simple) -- Learn how to be plugged in without being impolite. (This is one user manual worth reading.) If you run into someone while you're listening to your iPod, remove both earbuds to talk to her, experts say. 1. You're walking down the street and listening to your iPod when you run into someone you know. Do you need to remove both earbuds to talk to her? Jodi R. R. Smith: If you're having more than a two-minute conversation, then, yes, both buds need to come out -- whether you turn off the device or not. And that goes for your Bluetooth earpiece, too. Jodi R. R. Smith is the president of Manner-smith Consulting, in Boston, Massachusetts, and the author of "From Clueless to Class Act: Manners for the Modern Woman." Joni Blecher: Yes. People want to know that the person they're talking to is really paying attention to them. Joni Blecher is editorial director of LetsTalk.com. Her blog, Somethin' to Talk About, covers the latest technology. Sue Fox: Remember -- etiquette is all about making the other person more comfortable. How comfortable could your friend be trying to talk to you when you've got something in your ears? Sue Fox is the founder and president of EtiquetteSurvival.com, an etiquette consulting firm. 2. Is it rude to check your PDA at a friend's house? Blecher: A little bit. But if you arrive at a friend's home and explain that you need to check a few e-mails before you visit so you can give her your full attention, she will probably understand. Smith: It depends on how you're using it. If you're checking on something relevant to your visit, then no. If you find yourself perusing other e-mails, you will send the message that you're bored. Will Schwalbe: Think of your PDA as a crossword puzzle. Anywhere it's acceptable to work on a crossword puzzle, it's OK to check your PDA. Will Schwalbe is a coauthor of "Send: Why People Email So Badly and How to Do It Better." Real Simple: Tips for dealing with obnoxious co-workers . 3. How quickly must I respond to an e-mail? Are the standards different for work e-mails versus personal e-mails? Schwalbe: It's all about consistency. If you're going to deviate from what you usually do, use your out-of-office assistant or automatic-response setting to let people know why they might not be hearing from you as quickly as they're used to. You don't want them to think they've insulted you somehow or that you are ignoring them. Judith Kallos: Not responding quickly -- within hours and certainly by the end of the day -- to any e-mail might make the other side feel as though she's being overlooked. It's particularly important to respond promptly to business e-mails because that is professional and courteous. Judith Kallos oversees NetManners.com, a Web site dedicated to the topics of e-mail and Internet etiquette. Anna Post: The sooner you can reply properly, the better. Never leave someone hanging. Anna Post is the resident technology-etiquette expert at the Emily Post Institute, in Burlington, Vermont. 4. If someone calls you, can you e-mail the person back or send a text message if you're not in the mood to talk? What if you text or e-mail someone and the person calls you back? Pier M. Forni: Unless the person has requested something specific or you sense a tinge of urgency, there's nothing uncivil about replying with a "Can we talk later?" text message. Pier M. Forni is the author of "The Civility Solution: What to Do When People Are Rude" and a professor of Italian literature at Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, Maryland. Schwalbe: Think about what is the best way to respond. If someone called you to get directions somewhere, for instance, reply via e-mail so you can send along a map. Blecher: If you text someone because you don't want to talk and the person calls back, don't answer. If you do answer, the other person will sense your foul mood immediately and might get offended. Just text back that you can't talk now but will call later. Your friend will thank you. Real Simple: 18 common phrases to avoid in conversation . 5. Is using BCC (blind carbon copy) on an e-mail considered sneaky? Schwalbe: Yes, and it's dangerous too, because your BCC can be exposed if the blind recipient hits Reply All or forwards the e-mail to someone else. To protect yourself from this, forward the message separately with an explanation. Kallos: Using it to make someone look bad or e-tattle on someone is not appropriate. BCC is best used to protect your contacts' e-mail addresses from being exposed to strangers. Smith: BCC can be sneaky but also useful. If you feel that an e-mail discussion you had could turn into a larger issue, you could BCC your boss to make her aware of the situation. Just don't inundate her with copies of every e-mail you send. Get a FREE TRIAL issue of Real Simple - CLICK HERE! Copyright © 2009 Time Inc. All rights reserved.

Remove iPod earbuds when you're talking to someone, experts say . Author: Anywhere it's OK to work on a crossword puzzle, you can check your PDA . The sooner you can reply to an e-mail properly, the better, an etiquette expert says .

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Actor Ricardo Montalban, star of the hit TV series "Fantasy Island," died Wednesday in Los Angeles, a family spokesman said. Ricardo Montalban attends the opening of a theater named for him in 2004 in Hollywood, California. Montalban, 88, was in deteriorating health over the past several days but "died peacefully" at 6:30 a.m. at his home, son-in-law Gilbert Smith said. He understood "it was his time," Smith said. The cause of death was not given. Montalban rose to prominence as one of the most visible Hispanic actors in post-war Hollywood in the 1950s and 1960s. But his star grew as he took on television roles as the mysterious host Mr. Roarke on the hit drama "Fantasy Island" and as Captain Kirk's archnemesis Khan Noonien Singh in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." Born in Mexico City, Mexico, on November 25, 1920, Montalban knew at an early age that he wanted to be an actor. He moved to Hollywood as a teenager, and his first big break came when he was cast in a small part in a 1941 play, Tallulah Bankhead's "Her Cardboard Lover." After starring in 13 Spanish-language films in Mexico, Montalban made his American feature film debut in 1947 in "Fiesta." Montalban became a member of the MGM stable and was often cast in the role of the steamy Latin lover opposite such female stars as Lana Turner and Esther Williams. While working on "Across the Wide Missouri" with MGM's biggest star, Clark Gable, Montalban suffered an injury to his spinal cord that, despite surgery, would plague him for decades to come, according to Turner Classic Movies. It was during this early stage in his career that Montalban dedicated himself to changing Hollywood's stereotypes of Latinos. "When I first came to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer under contract in 1945, that's when the image was at its worst," Montalban said. "They didn't realize that by trying to be colorful, they were very insulting." Montalban played a wide range of film roles over the years, often relishing the chance to play in comedies. As he approached midlife in the 1960s, Montalban made numerous guest appearances on television shows including "The Untouchables" and "The Lieutenant," eventually landing a recurring role as Damon West on the popular medical drama "Dr. Kildare." During this period, Montalban secured his place in science-fiction history playing the evil but charismatic Khan in the first season of "Star Trek." Montalban's dignified demeanor and rich accent added flair to the small screen on a number of television shows. It also established him as a popular pitchman for Maxwell House Coffee and Chrysler. It was the role of the wise and benevolent Mr. Roarke on the 1970's hit TV series "Fantasy Island" that perhaps earned Montalban his greatest number of fans, something he called "very rewarding." iReport.com: Share your memories of Montalban . But he said he tired of hearing fans shouting "Zee plane, zee plane" when they saw him. The line was featured in the show's opening credits by another character, Tattoo. "They think they are the only ones that thought of saying that," he told CNN during the 1990s. "People mean well, but the joke gets a little tired at times." Montalban never tired of fighting for the rights of Latinos in Hollywood. For almost 20 years, he served as president of Nosotros, an organization he founded for the advancement of Hispanics in the entertainment industry. "The ideals of Nosotros continue. As our community of Latinos in show business increases, so will our participation in all of the many aspects of our industry," he said in 1987.

Montalban's health was deteriorating, but he "died peacefully" in his home . Montalban rose to fame as one of MGM's most visible Hispanic actors in 1950s . The Mexican-born actor was best known for his roles on "Fantasy Island," "Star Trek" Montalban was dedicated to changing Hollywood's stereotypes of Latinos .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- It was an understated gesture, but one that reverberated around the footballing world. Seville forward Frederic Kanoute reveals a pro-Gaza T-shirt after scoring against Deportivio La Coruna. When Frederic Kanoute scored for Seville against Deportivo La Coruna last week in the Copa del Rey he slowly lifted his jersey and revealed a black shirt embossed with the word 'Palestine' in various languages. Within a few seconds it was gone but by then Kanoute, a French-born Muslim who plays for Mali, had made his political point. It earned him a booking for lifting his shirt and, later, a €3,000 ($4,000) fine for breaking article 120 of the Spanish FA's rule book which states that "revealing messages of a religious or political nature on the pitch is strictly prohibited during the time of play." See images of footballer's political protests » . Yet for many in the Arab world, Kanoute's gesture made him something of a hero. Bloggers buzzed with praise for the striker, whilst the Palestinian diplomatic mission in Spain was quick to thank Kanoute for his support. "[Kanoute] has shown himself to be very brave by supporting our region in a public act like he did," Mahmud Aluanen, a spokesman for the mission, told Radio Marca. Should football and politics mix? Tell us what you think. "Sportsmen are human beings, and they cannot hide their feelings. They have all the right in the world to express their opinions in areas that question human rights. I am sure that all Palestinian children, who love Spanish football, will be moved by this gesture." High profile players like Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o also lined up to praise Kanoute's actions, according to Spanish newspaper Marca. Footballers have always made political gestures. During the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999, Yugoslav players plying their trade in Europe's top leagues organized a series of symbolic protests, the most famous being Lazio's Sinisa Mihajlovic who wore a T-shirt saying 'Peace, not war.' However, it's not just international politics that gets footballers going, as Liverpool FC player Robbie Fowler proved when he revealed a T-shirt that supported striking dock workers during a game in 1997. FIFA has campaigned long and hard to try and remove overt political gestures from football, suspending national football associations when their internal politics impinge on the game whilst strongly disapproving of actions on the field of play that may harm football's impartiality. There are plenty of other forums, they argue, for players to air their political views rather than on the pitch. What do you think? Should footballers be free to make political statements on the pitch? Should politics and sport be kept separate? Or is the commonly used maxim that 'football and politics don't mix' a fallacy?

Seville striker Kanoute launches pro-Gaza T-shirt protest after scoring a goal. Kanoute is booked and fined $4,000, but some players and fans back him . Should footballers mix sport and politics? Have your say.

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(CNN) -- Spanish giants Real Madrid have retained their position as the richest football club in the world -- according to an annual survey issued by accountancy firm Deloitte. Spanish champions Real Madrid remain the richest football club in the world. English and European champions Manchester United and Spanish league leaders Barcelona remain in second and third places respectively in the latest "Football Money League" report on the world's 20 biggest clubs ranked by revenue. Despite their lofty position in the list, United, along with the rest of the English Premier League clubs have been affected by sterling's recent fall in the money markets. "If the exchange rate value of the pound had not depreciated, there would have been nine, rather than seven English clubs in the top 20 and Manchester United would have topped the Money League ahead of Real Madrid," Dan Jones, partner in the Sports business group at Deloitte, told Reuters.com. The impact of the current economic downturn on club revenues was not measured in the report from the 2007-2008 football season. Fenerbahce became the first Turkish club to feature in the list, while German champions Bayern Munich climbed three places to fourth, reaching the top five for the first time in five years. Scottish champions Celtic, Spanish side Valencia and German club Werder Bremen all dropped out of the list which is comprised solely of clubs from Europe. World's wealthiest football clubs by revenue: . 1. Real Madrid (Spain) 365.8m euros 2. Manchester United (England) 324.8m 3. Barcelona (Spain) 308.8m 4. Bayern Munich (Germany) 295.3m 5. Chelsea (England) 268.9m 6. Arsenal (England) 264.4m 7. Liverpool (England) 210.9m 8. AC Milan (Italy) 209.5m 9. Roma (Italy) 175.4m 10. Inter Milan (Italy) 172.9m 11. Juventus (Italy) 167.5m 12. Lyon (France) 155.7m 13. Schalke (Germany) 148.4m 14. Tottenham (England) 145m 15. Hamburg (Germany) 127.9m 16. Marseille (France) 126.8m 17. Newcastle (England) 125.6m 18. Stuttgart (Germany) 111.5m 19. Fenerbahce (Turkey) 111.3m 20. Manchester City (England) 104m .

Spanish champions Real Madrid are top of the latest Deloitte football rich list . Manchester United and Barcelona are second and third in the annual rankings . The fall in value of sterling has affected English clubs' positions in annual list .

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(CNN) -- Sonic booms and at least one fireball in the sky were reported in Texas on Sunday, less than a week after two satellites collided in space and a day after the Federal Aviation Administration asked U.S. pilots to watch for "falling space debris," authorities said. Video captured in Austin, Texas, shows a meteor-like object in the sky Sunday morning. There were no reports of ground strikes or interference with aircraft in flight, FAA spokesman Roland Herwig said. Herwig told CNN the FAA received no reports from pilots in the air of any sightings but the agency recieved "numerous" calls from people on the ground from Dallas, Texas, south to Austin, Texas. Video shot by a photographer from News 8 TV in Austin showed what appeared to be a meteor-like white fireball blazing across a clear blue sky Sunday morning. The photographer caught the incident while covering a marathon in Austin. On Saturday, the FAA told pilots through its routine notification system that "a potential hazard may occur due to re-entry of satellite debris into the earth's atmosphere." The notice did not specify a time or location. Watch video of meteor-like fireball » . Herwig said most of the reports the FAA received came in about midday Sunday in an area of Texas from Dallas south to Austin. iReport.com: Did you see the fireball? Send photos, video . He said he was not certain where the information that sparked the FAA notification came from, but it was "probably from NORAD," or the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which tracks man-made objects in space. Calls to NORAD headquarters in Colorado were not immediately returned. Lisa Block, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said her agency had received calls from residents surprised by sonic booms about 11 a.m. She said calls came from an area from Dallas to Houston. Last week, the Russian and U.S. space agencies said two satellites, one Russian and one American, collided about 496 miles (800 kilometers) above Siberia, Russia. The collision on Tuesday produced two large debris clouds, NASA said. The satellites collided at 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) per second, producing 500 to 600 pieces of space debris, the U.S. Strategic Command said. CNN's Monte Plott contributed to this report.

Video shot in Austin, Texas, shows meteor-like object in sky Sunday morning . Fireball sightings, reports of sonic booms come days after satellite collision in space . FAA told U.S. pilots to watch for "falling space debris" No reports of ground strikes or interference with aircraft, FAA spokesman says .

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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) -- The United States and Russia were absent Wednesday as representatives from countries from around the world gathered to sign a treaty banning the use of cluster bombs. French troops examine cluster bombs collected after the Lebanon conflict of 2006. Some 111 countries were due to adopt the Convention on Cluster Munitions at an all-day signing ceremony in Oslo, Norway. But four of the biggest cluster bomb makers -- Russia, China, Israel and the United States, which claims the devices are a vital part of its defense strategy, stayed away. Cluster Munition Coalition activists behind the agreement expressed disappointment at the absence of the big four, but insisted it wouldn't undermine the treaty as it passes into international law. "Obviously it's very disappointing that those countries aren't here, but at the same time, the strong message that this treaty sends will make it very clear to those countries that these are unacceptable weapons and inappropriate in future conflicts," CMC Co-Chair Richard Moyes told CNN from Oslo. "The treaty and the stigma that it builds will make it practically and politically much more difficult for them to use these weapons again in the future," Moyes added about the absent countries. "Many of their partners will no longer be allowed to use these weapons, and clearly recognize these weapons as far too costly in humanitarian terms." Cluster munitions, which break apart in flight to scatter hundreds of smaller bomblets, are described by the International Committee of the Red Cross as a "persistent humanitarian problem." Most of a device's bomblets are meant to explode on impact, but many do not. Credible estimates show the weapons fail between 10 and 40 percent of the time, leaving civilians at risk of harm from unexploded ordnance, the ICRC says. In addition to calling for a total, immediate ban of the weapons, the Oslo accord calls for strong standards to protect those injured. It urges that contaminated areas be cleaned up quickly and weapons immediately destroyed, the CMC said. The agreement requires the destruction of stockpiles of the weapons within eight years, said Thomas Nash, coordinator of the Cluster Munition Coalition. Earlier this year, a U.S. State Department representative called it "an absolute moral obligation" to rid a battlefield of unexploded ordnance after battle, but the insists cluster munitions are an important part of its defense strategy that can be regulated post-conflict. During the 34-day war in Lebanon in 2006, the United Nations estimated that Israel dropped 4 million bomblets, 1 million of which may not have exploded, according to the ICRC. More than 250 civilians and bomb-disposal operators have been killed or injured by them in southern Lebanon since the war ended. Cluster bombs were also used in the 1999 war in Kosovo. In more than 20 countries, according to the ICRC, cluster bombs have created lasting "no-go" areas, rendering them as dangerous as minefields. Laos is the most affected country. Millions of bomblets dropped during the Vietnam War continue to kill civilians more than three decades later.

United States, Russia absent from signing of cluster bomb ban treaty signing . U.S., Russia, China, Israel are top four cluster bomb producers . U.S. insists the devices are important part of its defense strategy .

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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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(CNN) -- I wanted to believe the man in front of me wasn't a rapist. I knew he was a former Sudanese soldier, I knew he wanted to talk about rape in Darfur. A humanitarian group working on Darfur issues had introduced him to us. They told us his testimony was important to hear. A woman left homeless by conflict in Darfur walks along railway tracks. Last year in Darfur aid workers told me children as young as five were being raped in the huge displacement camps that are home to several million Darfuris. In some camps, they told me, rape had become so common that as many as 20 babies a month born from rape were being abandoned. As I sat inches from Adam --not his real name -- I feared the revulsion I knew I would feel at my own questions as I asked about rape and his involvement. I have interviewed rape survivors in Darfur. I have two daughters. I am a human being with a conscience. It would be hard to listen to his replies. He told me he was conscripted by force in to the Sudanese army in the summer of 2002. He thought he was being taken for six months' national service and then would be released. The conversation was slow going at first. We were both holding off from delving into the sordid details he'd come to discuss. His answers were short, he told me he got no pay from the army, only food and drink. He said he was rounded up in an army truck from a market in Darfur and trained to kill. He said he was armed with Kalashnikovs and told to "shoot targets." Watch ex-soldier describe brutal attacks on children to Nic Robertson » . Then, he says, his officers told him "we will be taken to a patrol and then soon after that we were asked to join other people to go and burn and kill people". That's when he says he realized he wasn't getting national service training, that in fact, he was being forced into war against his will, with his own people. "They are black," he told me, noting the difference between the lighter skinned rulers of Sudan and the darker farmers of Darfur. "I am black," he said, "this shouldn't be happening." But, he said, worse than being told to kill his own people, was that if he tried to resist, he himself would be killed. "The order is that the soldiers at the front, and there are some people who are watching you from behind, if you try to escape or do anything you will get shot. The order is that we go to the village, burn it and kill the people." It felt as Adam was beginning to open up a little -- not easy, given the topic, and the lights and cameras all around us. He was beginning to talk a bit more, answer questions with more than one or two words. But it was following a pattern: I'd have to lead the way. We were both waiting for the inevitable. How he came to know of rape in Darfur. And that's when he said it. Watch warrant being issued for president » . He brought up the rape by himself. He was talking through a translator but his voice was quiet. I thought I heard anger, heard him slow and his voice drop: "I had no choice," he said "but I will say that I didn't kill anybody but the raping of the small children, it was bad" I knew this was going to be difficult and now it had begun. What happens with the children, I asked. "They cry out," he answered. "And what happens when they cry out?" "Two persons will capture her while she is crying and another raping her, then they leave her there," came his reply. Silence. "What do I ask now?" I thought. Be forensic. Get the story. This is important testimony, I reminded myself. And so we continued, Adam describing in detail how soldiers raped girls as young as 12. How officers ordered them to do this to make people flee their villages, run away and never come back. Through all of this, Adam didn't once mention whether he actually had been directly involved in the raping. He said he tried to desert the army as soon as he could, but was caught and tortured. He showed me the scars where he said he was tied down beneath a tree and officers set fire to tires above him, dripping burning rubber on his body. Eventually, he said, he did get away, went to his sisters, tried joining the rebels to fight the army. But even there, his troubles were far from over. Incredibly, he said, the rebels didn't trust him; he was kept at their camp and only escaped when it was bombed by the army. The end of his story, but we weren't really done. One more question. Had he been forced to rape children? "Yes I did, they were government orders," came his reply. How many? "Well it didn't feel like raping, I was feeling very bad but as I was ordered, I had to do something. What I did was take off my trousers and lay myself on top of the girl but I didn't feel like raping, so I lay there for about 15 minutes." I want to be sure I understand him. "So you didn't actually penetrate the girls?" I ask. No, he says, "because I had no feeling for it, my penis didn't actually wake up, so there was no actual penetration," he replied. There were other people in the room, the translator, a cameraman, our producer Jonathan Wald, but I had forgotten they were there. My thoughts were entirely locked on Adam. What more could I ask? I was emotionally drained. There was no way of knowing whether he was telling me the truth. Only in the measure of his voice was there a clue. Here, sitting on an office chair, thousands of miles away from Darfur, the memories come flooding back. The many, traumatized women and children we've interviewed, distraught families, unable to protect themselves. The pain we put them through, to recount, to relive, their nightmares. Each time, I've asked myself can I justify the suffering these questions cause? Each time, I tell myself it is only their own accounts that can cast light on the darkened corner of humanity they inhabit. Only their own accounts that can help break their cycle of suffering. Time and again, though, it seems telling the world their stories has little tangible impact on their reality of their lives. And now I'm face-to-face with a man who says he was part of the suffering, albeit by his own account not complicit and not guilty. I am left with the thought perhaps Adam's words carry even greater power. If his story is true -- and it mirrors other accounts emerging from Darfur -- then it implicates the government in these terrible crimes. He says he has trouble sleeping at nights. I can understand why. He is not alone. Aid workers say millions of women in Darfur not only have trouble sleeping at nights, but live in fear of rape 24 hours a day.

Former soldier says he was armed with a Kalashnikov and told to kill . "Adam" describes taking part in rape attacks on children in Darfur . Victims included girls as young as 12, he says .

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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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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- From a distance, it looks like an apparition: a huge multi-colored hot-air balloon floating in the Baghdad sky, bearing a large poster of Jesus Christ. Below it, an Iraqi flag. Santa and his helpers stand under palm trees at Baghdad's first public Christmas festival. Welcome to the first-ever public Christmas celebration in Baghdad, held Saturday and sponsored by the Iraqi Interior Ministry. Once thought to be infiltrated by death squads, the Ministry now is trying to root out sectarian violence -- as well as improve its P.R. image. The event takes place in a public park in eastern Baghdad, ringed with security checkpoints. Interior Ministry forces deployed on surrounding rooftops peer down at the scene: a Christmas tree decorated with ornaments and tinsel; a red-costumed Santa Claus waving to the crowd, an Iraqi flag draped over his shoulders; a red-and-black-uniformed military band playing stirring martial music, not Christmas carols. On a large stage, children dressed in costumes representing Iraq's many ethnic and religious groups -- Kurds, Turkmen, Yazidis, Christians, Arab Muslims not defined as Sunni or Shiite -- hold their hands aloft and sing "We are building Iraq!" Two young boys, a mini-policeman and a mini-soldier sporting painted-on mustaches, march stiffly and salute. Watch the celebration in Baghdad » . Even before I can ask Interior Ministry spokesman Major-General Abdul Karim Khalaf a question, he greets me with a big smile. "All Iraqis are Christian today!" he says. Khalaf says sectarian and ethnic violence killed thousands of Iraqis. "Now that we have crossed that hurdle and destroyed the incubators of terrorism," he says, "and the security situation is good, we have to go back and strengthen community ties." In spite of his claim, the spokesman is surrounded by heavy security. Yet this celebration shows that the security situation in Baghdad is improving. Many of the people attending the Christmas celebration appear to be Muslims, with women wearing head scarves. Suad Mahmoud, holding her 16-month-old daughter, Sara, tells me she is indeed Muslim, but she's very happy to be here. "My mother's birthday also is this month, so we celebrate all occasions," she says, "especially in this lovely month of Christmas and New Year." Father Saad Sirop Hanna, a Chaldean Christian priest, is here too. He was kidnapped by militants in 2006 and held for 28 days. He knows firsthand how difficult the lot of Christians in Iraq is but, he tells me, "We are just attesting that things are changing in Baghdad, slowly, but we hope that this change actually is real. We will wait for the future to tell us the truth about this." He just returned from Rome. "I came back to Iraq because I believe that we can live here," he says. "I have so many [Muslim] friends and we are so happy they started to think about things from another point of view and we want to help them." The Christmas celebration has tables loaded with cookies and cakes. Families fill plates and chat in the warm winter sun. Santa balloons hang from trees. An artist uses oil paint to create a portrait of Jesus. In the middle of the park there's an art exhibit, the creation of 11- and 12-year-olds: six displays, each about three feet wide, constructed of cardboard and Styrofoam, filled with tiny dolls dressed like ordinary people, along with model soldiers and police. They look like model movie sets depicting everyday life in Baghdad. Afnan, 12 years old, shows me her model called "Arresting the Terrorists." "These are the terrorists," she tells me. "They were trying to blow up the school." In the middle of the street a dead "terrorist" sprawls on the asphalt, his bloody arm torn from his body by an explosion. Afnan tells me she used red nail polish to paint the blood. A little plastic dog stands nearby. "What is he doing?" I ask. "He looks for terrorists and searches for weapons and explosives," Afnan says. Her mother, the children's art teacher, Raja, shows me another child's display called "Baghdad Today." "This is a wedding," Raja explains. "Despite the terrorism, our celebrations still go ahead. This is a park, families enjoying time. And this is a market where people go shopping without fear of bombings. This is a mosque where people can pray with no fear." In the middle is a black mound that looks like a body bag. Policemen and Interior Ministry forces surround it. "This is terrorism," she tells me. "We killed it and destroyed it, and our lives went back to normal." A Christmas tale perhaps, I think, but one that many Iraqis hope will come true.

Iraq's first public Christmas party decorated with Jesus, Santa, Christmas tree . Celebration put on by Interior Ministry to "strengthen community ties" Kids' art projects show Baghdad scenes, including one with toy as dead "terrorist" Christian priest at celebration says Baghdad changes give him hope .

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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- After heated arguments, the Iraqi parliament turned down the first draft of a bill Saturday that would have allowed foreign troops, including British forces, to remain in Iraq after the U.N. mandate expires on December 31. A British soldier attends an Iraqi army training session Thursday in Iraq's Basra province. Kurdish legislator Mahmoud Othman said the measure was sent back to Iraqi Cabinet members for reworking before resubmitting it to lawmakers. There is no parliamentary deadline for the measure to pass. The bill does not apply to U.S. troops because the United States last month reached a Status of Forces Agreement with the Iraqi government that calls for American troops to leave Iraqi cities by June 2009, and to be out of Iraq by the end of 2011. But after December 31 other foreign troops would not be authorized to remain in Iraq. This could cause a problem for Britain, which has the second-largest number of troops in Iraq after the United States. Britain was the leading U.S. ally during the invasion of Iraq and still has about 4,000 troops based outside the southern city of Basra. Five other nations -- Albania, Australia, El Salvador, Estonia and Romania -- have a total of fewer than 2,000 troops Iraq, according to the Multi-National Force-Iraq Web site. British troops will begin leaving Iraq in May 2009, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said in a joint statement with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki during a visit to Iraq on Wednesday. Watch the planning to withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq » . Othman said some legislators argued that the bill had not been assigned to committees, as is the custom before a measure's first reading. The session became so contentious that the speaker threatened to resign, lawmakers said. Lawmakers will take a holiday break for Christmas and New Year but could be called back into session by the parliament speaker, Othman said. Watch Britain's PM talk on withdrawing UK troops » . Wrangling over the bill on non-U.S. troops began Wednesday when the first reading took place. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report.

Measure sent back to Iraqi Cabinet members for reworking, lawmaker says . It would have allowed foreign troops to remain in Iraq after December 31 . Bill doesn't apply to U.S. troops, who are to be out of Iraq by the end of 2011 . Lawmakers questioned legitimacy of legislation's first reading or raised other issues .

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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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KINGLAKE, Australia (CNN) -- Two men, who were arrested Thursday in connection with the deadly wildfires that have swept through southeastern Australia, were released without being charged, police said. Bushfires have destroyed huge tracts of the Australian countryside. Victoria state police had told CNN that the two -- who had been taken into custody and were "assisting" police earlier -- had been behaving suspiciously in or near Marysville, a town where roughly 100 people have died in the fires. It was not immediately clear what the behavior was or why the men were released. Meanwhile, authorities said they fear the death toll from the fires, which sat at 181 on Wednesday, could reach as high as 300. Authorities are basing that figure on the number of people who remain missing and the number of homes that have been destroyed. Rescue workers have not been able to thoroughly investigate many of those homes because of the intense heat. Firefighters have battled blazes since Saturday -- including several new fires that broke out Tuesday night and which officials say almost certainly were the result of arson. About 35 separate fires continued burning Thursday morning, authorities said. But none of those blazes posed an immediate threat to villages and their intensity had lessened, according to police. Authorities were saying Wednesday that more than 500 people have been injured, nearly 1,000 homes destroyed, thousands left homeless and at least 365,000 hectares (901,935 acres) of the Australian countryside burned black. See a map of the area » . Those numbers were expected to continue to rise Thursday. Arson is thought responsible for all the destruction in the towns of Marysville and Kinglake. As many as half the homes in Kinglake have burned to the ground, police say. Watch how survivors of the fires are facing looters, scammers and vandals » . John Brumby, the premier of the hard-hit state of Victoria, said many of 20 fires burning Wednesday were suspected to have been started by arsonists -- an act described earlier by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd as "mass murder." "There seems little doubt these were deliberately lit -- a number of them last night," Brumby said on national television. "I think words escape us all when it comes to describing deliberate arson." Seven Network reporter Sarah Cumming said two major fires blazing west of Melbourne at Healesville and Bunyip State Park were in danger of joining up despite being 18 kilometers apart. Watch as residents return home to destruction » . Several fires started by lightning between the two blaze fronts were exacerbating the situation, she said. In Marysville, officials warned that as many as 100 people, or one-fifth of the town's population, might be dead, with many bodies believed to be still buried under debris. Photos: Bushfires leave path of destruction » . Likely to add to the fatality figure was the discovery by forensic scientists that some skeletal remains initially thought to be single bodies were actually two people fused together by searing temperatures. iReport.com: Raging fire approaches home . As efforts to help those affected by the wildfires gather pace, tent cities have sprung up in Whittlesea, just north of Melbourne. Relief agencies have pitched camps for those forced out of their homes. Many fire victims have grown increasingly frustrated, kept from returning home -- or to what is left of their homes -- by authorities because of safety concerns. Watch a koala bear being rescued » . Fires were Wednesday threatening a gas plant and a reservoir supplying Melbourne, Cummings added. She said firefighters were counting on three days of relative calm weather before high winds were expected to fan flames again. CNN's John Vause contributed to this report .

NEW: Released men had been behaving suspiciously . NEW: Authorities say death toll may have jumped from 181 to around 300 . NEW: About 35 separate fires continued burning Thursday morning . Arson thought responsible for the destruction in the towns of Marysville and Kinglake .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- If your organization has the right stuff, it could display one of the U.S. shuttles that NASA plans to retire from service in 2010. Space Shuttle Endeavour comes in for a landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California last month. The space agency sent a notice this week to museums, schools and similar institutions to gauge their interest and qualifications for properly housing Discovery, Atlantis or Endeavour. The shuttles are to be retired by September 30, 2010, but they won't be available until about a year later, NASA spokesman Michael Curie said Thursday. "These are national assets, national treasures and something that NASA feels the public would want to see displayed publicly for years to come," Curie said. Space shuttle Discovery already has been offered to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington. "We have the information, and of course, we're thrilled to be considered for this artifact," said Claire Brown, director of communications for the museum. But no action has been taken at this point, and the institution doesn't have a plan for incurring the cost, she added. The privilege of showing off a shuttle won't be cheap -- about $42 million. This figure will include $28.2 million for the removal of hazardous chemicals -- such as ammonia, used as a coolant, and nitrogen tetroxide and hydrazine, used as fuel; $5.8 million for moving the shuttle via a carrier aircraft to its new location; and $8 million for preparing the shuttle for display, Curie said. A carrier aircraft will be the only way to deliver a shuttle to a landlocked location, and such aircraft will no longer be in NASA's budget once the shuttle program ends. After chemicals are drained from the shuttle, its estimated weight will be about 170,000 pounds, Curie said. Whatever facility receives a shuttle must have experience in displaying space hardware and major historical artifacts, NASA said. The shuttles will be released without their engines, which, along with other components, will be offered separately. The deadline for responding to NASA is March 17. NASA emphasizes that it will pay special attention to ensuring that the shuttles will retire to "appropriate places." The agency wants them to remain in the United States, and private collectors likely would not meet NASA's goal to have the orbiters and engines displayed publicly, Curie said. "We really feel that these are artifacts that are important to the history of the country and that as many people as possible should have the opportunity to see them if they can," Curie said. Asked whether NASA had considered trying to sell the shuttles on eBay, he laughed: "No, that probably wouldn't be the prudent thing to do with something paid for by taxpayers' money." In January 2004, President Bush called for an eventual shift in focus from the space shuttle program to the new Vision for Space Exploration program, which NASA describes as "a sustained and affordable human and robotic program to explore the solar system." Bush has said he wants astronauts to return to the moon by 2020. However, President-elect Barack Obama has a team reviewing options for the direction of space exploration. CNN's A. Pawlowski contributed to this report.

NASA gauges interest of museums and schools for properly housing shuttles . Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour will be retired by 2010 . Discovery has been offered to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum . The privilege of showing off a shuttle won't be cheap -- about $42 million .

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TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- For years Ahmad has been unable to find true love. So the 27 year-old bachelor who lives in Tehran is turning to a professional matchmaker. Jafar Ardabili's matchmaking service provides one option for Iranian singles. "I'm searching for a love that lasts," Ahmad said. What's unusual is Ahmad's matchmaker wears a turban, a robe and could be the first-ever Iranian cleric who plays cupid. "First they say 'wow'," Jafar Ardabili said, "then they take a closer look and say 'since he's a cleric we have faith in him.'" Ardabili made his first love match 10 years ago while he taught at a Tehran university. One of his students had a crush on a person, so Ardabili arranged for the two to meet. A few months later they married. The set-up worked so well that Ardabili and his wife opened the Amin International Family and Cultural Institute, a service that matched Iranian singles in a supervised setting. In Iran, Islamic law restricts social interaction. "You can't just go after someone in public and say would you like to live with me?" Ardabili said. "Especially the women, who often don't have any right to choose their companion, but in our institute women do have the right to choose." Ahmad would love nothing more than one of those women to choose him. On a Thursday morning he anxiously sat in the institute's waiting room. Ardabili had arranged for Ahmad to meet a young lady. Could she be the one? Ahmad had paid a $100 fee, submitted a picture and his information. In return he has access to thousands of other applicants. Once applicants approve of one another's pictures and profiles Ardabili arranges up to two meetings inside his office. After each meeting, the applicants report back to Ardabili. "When there's no connection they look like wrinkled potatoes," Ardabili said. And when cupid's arrow hits the mark? "They look very eager. They're as happy as an ice cream cone." Watch Ardabili describe how his service works » . The third meeting for couples takes place outside the institute without supervision. If all goes well, Ardabili arranges for the families to meet and then the couple ties the knot. "You feel good because you're serving humanity," Ardabili said. Ardabili said that during the past 10 years his institute has had more than 50,000 applicants. More than 2,000 of his couples have married without a single divorce, he said. Ardabili gave credit to his 10-member staff that offers counseling to married couples, even sex therapy. "We want to reduce divorce, give families a strong foundation," Ardabili said. On his Web site, Tehran's matchmaking mullah has posted wedding pictures of some of his success stories. Ahmad can't wait to see his picture among them. "At this very moment I'm counting down the days."

Iranian cleric, wife runs matchmaking service . Service offers option for social interaction between Iranian singles . Cleric claims his service has married 2,000 couples without a divorce .

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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- A top official in Pakistan's troubled Swat Valley was kidnapped Sunday -- a day after a cease-fire between the government and Taliban militants was supposed to go into effect. Girls study this week in Pakistan's Swat Valley, where education fhas been an issue in peace talks. Kushal Khan was on his way to take up his new post as the District Coordination Officer when unknown gunmen kidnapped him and six members of his security guards near Mingora, the valley's main city, officials said. Khan was nabbed a day after the provincial government declared a permanent cease-fire agreement with Taliban militants in the valley. Yet, hours after the announcement, Maulana Fazlullah -- the Taliban commander in the area -- was playing down the agreement with aggressive rhetoric in a radio broadcast. Fazlullah said militants will continue their fight to impose Islamic law, or sharia, in the region. Watch cease-fire deal with Taliban » . Swat Valley, located in North West Frontier Province, was once one of Pakistan's biggest tourist destinations. It is situated near the Afghanistan border and about 186 miles (300 km) from the capital city of Islamabad . Watch what sharia law requires . The valley boasted the country's only ski resort until it was shut down after militants overran the area. The area was also a draw for trout-fishing enthusiasts and visitors to the ancient Buddhist ruins in the area. In recent months, however, militants have unleashed a wave of violence that has claimed hundreds of lives across the North West Frontier Province. The militants want to require veils for women, beards for men and ban music and television. The fighting has displaced nearly half of Swat's population, officials said. The central government has long exerted little control in the area, but it launched an intense military offensive in late July to flush out militants. As retaliation for the military presence, the Taliban carried out a series of deadly bombings, beheadings and kidnappings -- and said the attacks will continue until the troops pull out. On Saturday, the government of the province said it had reached a deal with the Taliban for a permanent cease-fire. It marked a major concession by the Pakistani government in its attempt to hold off Taliban militants. The agreement means boys' schools will reopen on Monday and camps will be set up for Swat residents who have fled the fighting or whose homes had been destroyed. Watch what sharia law requires » . CNN's Zein Basravi contributed to this report .

Provincial govt. struck permanent cease-fire with Taliban in Swat Valley Saturday . Establishment of strict Islamic law in the region is key to the agreement . Swat Valley was once one of Pakistan's biggest tourist destinations . Central govt. launched an intense military offensive against militants in late July .

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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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(CNN) -- Critics took to the social networking site Facebook to voice their fury over Pope Benedict's remark that condoms do not prevent HIV. Pope Benedict XVI's anti-condom comments have raised the ire of some Facebook users. Thousands have pledged to send the pontiff millions of condoms to protest the controversial comment he made to journalists as he flew to Cameroon last week. "You can't resolve it with the distribution of condoms," the pope told reporters. "On the contrary, it increases the problem." Pope Benedict XVI has made it clear he intends to uphold the traditional Catholic teaching on artificial contraception. The Vatican has long opposed the use of condoms and other forms of birth control and encourages sexual abstinence to fight the spread of the disease. About a dozen Facebook groups have sprung up, mostly from European countries, criticizing the pontiff. "The clergy aren't supposed to have sex at all, but they are free to tell people how to conduct themselves? That's like a girl who wears no make-up as the CEO of CoverGirl," one member posted on the page, "Condoms for Pope Benedict XVI." "It frightens me that a man who has devoted his life to moral guidance ... and is undeniably a learned, intelligent man can be at the same time so narrow-minded, bigoted and irresponsible," posted another person on a different page. The online campaign added another voice to a deluge of criticism, which includes the governments of France, Germany and Belgium. Aid agencies and other health organizations have also chimed in. The Lancet, a British medical journal, urged the pope Saturday to issue a retraction for the "outrageous and wildly inaccurate" statement to journalists aboard his plane. "When any influential person, be it a religious or political leader, makes a false scientific statement that could be devastating to the health of millions of people, they should retract or correct the public record," The Lancet said in an editorial. "Anything less from Pope Benedict would be an immense disservice to the public and health advocates, including many thousands of Catholics, who work tirelessly to try and prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS worldwide." Some in the Catholic Church have rallied to the pontiff's support. Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, head of the Italian Bishops Conference, told Times Online in Britain that Benedict was simply pointing out that condoms "had not solved and could not solve the AIDS problem." Despite the controversy, the pope's pilgrimage spurred excitement in Africa. An estimated 1 million people turned out to hear him preach a Mass in Angola on Sunday, the last major event of his trip. He spoke of the need for reconciliation in the country, which has endured a brutal civil war. "Look to the future with hope, trust in God's promises and live in his truth. In this way you will build something that will stand and endure," he said.

Facebook users plan to send condoms to Pope Benedict XVI . Pope Benedict XVI recently said condoms are not the answer to stop HIV/AIDS . Vatican has long opposed use of condoms, other forms of birth control .

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(CNN) -- A 23-year-old beauty queen and seven men arrested in vehicles loaded with weapons and cash near the central Mexico city of Guadalajara have been transferred to Mexico City, the state news agency said Wednesday. Laura Zuniga and seven men were found in vehicles with guns and $50,000, Mexican police say. Laura Zuniga and the men were traveling Monday night in two vehicles that contained AR-15 assault rifles, 38-caliber specials, 9 mm handguns, cartridges and $50,000 in cash, said Luis Carlos Najera Gutierrez de Velazco, secretary of public security for the state of Jalisco. Police, who had received a tip that armed men were in a home, detected the vehicles in the city of Zapopan as authorities were en route to investigate the call, Najera said Tuesday. Inside one of the vehicles, authorities found Angel Orlando Garcia Urquiza, 29, who is Zuniga's boyfriend and the brother of "one of the greatest capos [bosses] of narcotraffic," Ricardo Garcia Urquiza, a member of the Juarez cartel already in police custody, Najera said. 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. Watch footage of the eight arrested and weapons seized » . They were transported in a heavily armed 30-vehicle convoy late Tuesday to Guadalajara International Airport and flown to Mexico City, the official Notimex news agency reported. The federal organized crime team in Mexico City will investigate, and the suspects will face arms charges, Najera said. Zuniga is from Culiacan in the state of Sinaloa, a center of drug activity. In July, she won the title Our Sinaloa Beauty. That gave her the right to compete two months later in the national Our Mexico Beauty 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. Mexican newscasts referred to her Wednesday as "Miss Pistols" and likened her situation to "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." According to the Nuestra Belleza Mexico Web site, she is to represent Mexico in next year's Miss International contest. A statement issued Wednesday by Lupita Jones, director of Our Mexico Beauty, said the organization will wait to see what happens in the legal system. "In order to determine the situation with Miss Laura Zuniga, Our Mexico Beauty will be watching the case and will take appropriate action once the results of the authorities' investigation are known," said the statement, published on the Web site for CNN affiliate Televisa Mexico.

NEW: Mexican newcasts refer to arrested beauty queen as "Miss Pistols" Mexican police: Laura Zuniga, seven men face arms charges, federal probe . Zuniga, men found in vehicles with weapons, $50,000, police say . Zuniga set to represent Mexico in next year's Miss International contest .

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(CNN) -- Congolese rebels seized a major military camp and a spacious gorilla park in a renewed bout of heavy fighting that sent thousands fleeing, according to the United Nations and park officials. Young gorillas play in Congo's Virunga Park, which was taken over Sunday by rebels fighting army forces. The fighting comes after a tenuous week-old U.N. brokered cease-fire between rebels and government forces fell apart Sunday. Fighting between the rebels under renegade Gen. Laurent Nkunda and Congolese army regulars in the eastern province of North Kivu of the Democratic Republic of the Congo displaced thousands of civilians, according to U.N. spokesman Michele Bonnardeaux. The rebels also seized the headquarters of Virunga National Park in eastern Congo after intense fighting with the Congolese army, according to a statement by park officials. The rebels have used Virunga Park as a base but have never seized its headquarters before. The 3,000 square mile (7,800 square kilometer) park has a gorilla facility and is home to 200 of the 700 endangered mountain gorillas in existence. "Over 50 rangers were forced to flee into the forests and abandon the park station, in fear of their lives," the park statement said. "They have seized the entire gigantic infrastructure [of the park headquarters] which is stategically very close to the main road heading north into Goma," said park spokeswoman Samantha Newport by phone from Goma, about 40 kilometers from the fighting. "The situation is eastern Congo is very dangerous," she said. "It's the first time they've [rebels] ever had the audacity" to take over the park. Watch as park ranger describes the violence as it explodes behind him » . Newport said the rebels have set up roadblocks so the rangers are making their way through woods south to safety. She said the gorillas and other wildlife in the park are in danger of getting caught in the crossfire. A park ranger described the takeover. "When the rebels started approaching the park station we thought we were all going to be killed," said Park Ranger Bareke Sekibibi, 29, who spoke by cell phone from the forest earlier as he fled, according to the park statement. " We are not military combatants, we are park rangers protecting Virunga's wildlife." Although the civil war in the Congo officially ended in 2003, recent fighting in eastern Congo between government forces and rebels has caused tens of thousands to flee their homes . The conflict and humanitarian crisis in Congo have taken the lives of some 5.4 million people since 1998, and that 45,000 people continue to die there every month, according to an International Rescue Committee report in January.

Congolese rebels seize military camp and Virunga Park's gorilla sanctuary . Fighting breaks week-old cease-fire between rebels and government forces . 50 park rangers fled for their lives; very rare mountain gorillas in danger . Congo's war has taken 5.4 million lives since 1998; 45,000 people die every month .

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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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BETHLEHEM, West Bank (CNN) -- Hundreds of Christians packed the Church of the Nativity on Thursday for a midnight Mass in what is thought to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ. A worshipper touches a star at the point where tradition says Jesus Christ was born in the Church of Nativity. The standing-room-only service included singing and organ music. There were also large crowds outside the church, one of the most sacred places in Christianity. So many people had flocked to the area this Christmas season that there were no rooms left at the inns and hotels in Bethlehem. Some took this as a sign that tourism in Bethlehem was on the upswing. Christmas is the one time of year when the West Bank's small, shrinking Christian communities show everyone else that they are still there. Before the midnight Mass, Palestinian scout groups representing Christians throughout the West Bank did as they always do on this day -- they marched, banging their drums loudly and, in a way, trying to make a point. Watch Bethlehem's Christmas celebrations » . The drumbeat has been heard by more and more people, locals say, as tourism has skyrocketed this year. "This year, tourism is much better than last year -- we reached 1,250,000," said Victor Batarseh, the mayor of Bethlehem. "All our hotels are full around Christmastime. We have 30,000 tourists coming in." Tourists in record numbers were on hand this year, braving an unusually cold, gray and windy day to watch the parade of drums and holiday songs. "It's kind of neat to see it in the Middle East, and they're playing Christmas carols and the songs we know," said one American tourist. "I'm loving it, it's just been an incredible atmosphere and just a wonderful learning experience," said another. The Latin Patriarch in Jerusalem also came to the birthplace of Jesus, as he does every Christmas Eve, allowed through normally tightly shut gates by Israeli troops. The heavy security is a testament to ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. "My Christmas wish is that we will have real peace, based on justice and freedom," said Mustafa Barghouti, a Palestinian parliament member. "My Christmas wish is that the justice that Jesus Christ gave his life for will happen sometime in his birthplace in Palestine." CNN's Ben Wedeman contributed to this report.

Hundreds of Christians pack Church of the Nativity Thursday for midnight Mass . The church is thought to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ . Large crowds gathered outside the church -- one of Christianity's most sacred places .

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(CNN) -- The long-running Carlos Tevez affair was finally brought to a close on Monday as West Ham and Sheffield United reached an out-of-court settlement. Tevez scored a crucial winning goal at Manchester United on last day of the 2006-07 season. West Ham will be paying United an undisclosed compensation fee to settle the dispute, meaning an independent tribunal chaired Lord Griffiths will not reconvene to rule on the controversy. A statement from Blades chairman Kevin McCabe and West Ham chief executive Scott Duxbury released to the Press Association said: "Both clubs are pleased to announce that a satisfactory settlement for compensation has been reached which brings the dispute between Sheffield United and West Ham to an end. "The tribunal will not be resuming." The Tevez controversy began in 2006 when the Argentina international and his fellow-countryman Javier Mascherano were signed by West Ham under third party ownership deals which contravened Premier League rules. Mascherano was later loaned to Liverpool, but Tevez stayed at Upton Park and played a crucial role as West Ham narrowly avoided relegation. He scored the winning goal as the Hammers beat Manchester United on the last day of the season to send Sheffield United down. Tevez later joined Premier League champions Manchester United, but the row lingered on with Sheffield United continuing to insist that West Ham had gained an unfair advantage. The affair has sparked three separate inquiries, the first of which led to a $8 million fine for West Ham, but crucially no points deduction. But United refused to give up and in September 2008 an independent arbitration ruled in their favor in a claim for compensation from West Ham. The Premier League and the Football Association promptly announced another fresh inquiry, but the out-of court settlement looks set to bring the affair to an amicable conclusion. West Ham, whose Icelandic owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson has been hard hit by the global economic downturn, were reported by Sky Sports News to be paying the compensation fee, which could rise to $35 million, in installments. The money will certainly be welcomed by Sheffield United, who are pressing for promotion from the Championship to the Premier League. "We are two clubs with a fantastic footballing history who now want to move on and focus on the business of playing football -- hopefully for us against the Hammers in the Premier League next season," said McCabe.

Carlos Tevez now starring for Premier League champions Manchester United . Tevez scored crucial goal as West Ham avoided the drop in the 06-07 season . Relegated Sheffield United claimed West Ham had gained an unfair advantage .

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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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NASHVILLE, Tennessee (CNN) -- A singer took center stage at a Nashville honky-tonk to promote his new album. He had the good looks and easy charm of a movie star. Kevin Costner is putting his energies into music. His new record is "Untold Truths." Only in this case, he was a movie star. Kevin Costner recently celebrated the release of "Untold Truths" -- his debut country record -- with a free show at The Stage on Broadway. He was backed by his band, Modern West, which also features guitarist John Coinman and bassist Blair Forward -- two men he met 20 years ago in an acting class. The three have been making music on and off since then, with Costner on lead vocals and rhythm guitar. Back in the day, they called themselves Roving Boy. Truth be told, the 2008 incarnation -- Kevin Costner and Modern West -- does not sound like a movie star's vanity project. It's contemporary Americana set against a Western backdrop. Costner sings about freight trains, dusty avenues and broken dreams in a voice that's pleasant, if not terribly distinct. In faded jeans and a toffee-colored cashmere sweater, he commands the stage with the same understated sex appeal he has on the big screen. At 53, Costner is the soft-spoken, heroic everyman we've seen time and again in such movies as "Dances With Wolves," "The Bodyguard" and "Field of Dreams" -- except today he's wielding an acoustic guitar instead of a baseball bat. The mission statement from "Field of Dreams" seems to apply to his philosophy as a recording artist: "If you build it, they will come." Plenty of fans did come to his show that night, but earlier in the day, we caught up with the busy superstar during his rehearsal -- which he had opened up to a group of local college students in a Grammy-sponsored "SoundCheck" session. Listen to Costner kick it with his band » . CNN: Even though your album, "Untold Truths," is being marketed as a country album, your sound is really more rootsy than traditional country. Kevin Costner: Yeah. It's just music. CNN: What made you decide to put out an album? Costner: My wife said, "Look, you are the happiest by far when you are making music. Why don't you keep on making music?" CNN: People may not know this, but you've been making music for a long time. Costner: Yeah, for a long time. I have been doing a lot of things for a long time. (chuckles) It's not like we called up and said, "Hey, we have a garage band. Can we show up?" We have been working really hard at this for three years. All of it has been under the radar just because we have not felt like publicizing it. It has kind of happened in the way we wanted it to -- which was more of a grassroots situation, people discovering the band. CNN: When you were talking to the students, you spoke a lot about being fearless. Costner: Their choices are going to be questioned not only by their colleagues, but by their parents. You only get one shot at this life. They can go to college and learn a lot of things, but they should also be encouraged to try things, even if they don't succeed. I am trying -- even if I don't succeed. You know, failure is completely underrated in America. (smiles) CNN: With this new project, there's the possibility of having your head handed to you on a platter. Costner: Well, that will happen no matter what I do -- so I'm not worried about that. I have to get over my own bar on what I think is acceptable. CNN: And what is that? Costner: I don't know. It's just a moment when you feel you've given an honest effort. CNN: You have trouble stuffing everything you want into a three-hour movie, let alone condensing things into a three-minute song. How do you -- . Costner: I don't have that hard a time! CNN: Oh, come on! Costner: I make jokes about it a lot. You know, I make one-hour, 59-minute movies! But yeah -- telling the story, I don't believe in some conditional running length. I just believe in telling the story -- musicially or cinematically. CNN: You met John -- one of your guitar players -- in an acting class 20 years ago. Costner: Yeah, a long time ago. Blair (his bass player), the same. Like anybody with good sense, you keep people who have been really true and honest with you around you. CNN: Which is more cutthroat, the movie business or the music business? Costner: There is cutthroat stuff in everything -- these corporations going under, and people ducking for exits, pointing fingers. You know, it is a cycle of life. Then someone else will take that spot, some heavy hitter. Maybe it is good to take a lesson. You have to be a little humble because maybe one day, you are not that big, swinging dog you think you are. CNN: Do you ever feel like that in your own career? Costner: Well, I am aware that a career that takes chances isn't always going to ring a bell. It is not the greatest risk in the world to not be the most popular person, or the number one person, because that is a pretty fleeting thing to begin with. CNN: Do you read reviews? Costner: No. Sometimes they are read to me. "Look what he said!" I am like, "Please don't show me." CNN: Are you planning to make more albums? Costner: I will be making more music. We'll see where it lands. We made a record. We made it as good as we could make it, and now we let it go. And we go and write a better song. CNN: In the meantime, you have a show to put on. Costner: There is a moment for two hours when you are really burning, and that is a great feeling. Some people like to jog because that somehow does something for them. When you perform, for me, it's like filling up the gas tank.

Kevin Costner has band, Modern West; new album just out . Costner has actually played music for years, band happened organically . Costner not bothered by reviews, tries to do things because he loves them .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Move over Susan Boyle. A week after the Scottish woman became a global sensation following a barnstorming audition on "Britain's Got Talent," a 12-year-old Welsh boy with a Motown voice has been hailed for his "life-changing" performance on the TV show after earning a standing ovation from Simon Cowell. Jafargholi impressed the "Britain's Got Talent" judges with a rendition of "Who's Loving You." Shaheen Jafargholi's prospects looked bleak when the infamously hard to impress Cowell brought the audition to an abrupt halt just one verse into his rendition of "Valerie," the Zutons' song covered by Amy Winehouse. "You've got this really wrong," Cowell told him. "What do you sing apart from that?" Jafargholi instead offered to perform "Who's Loving You," written by Smokey Robinson and performed by a young Michael Jackson with the Jackson Five, bringing screams of delight from the audience as he launched into a note-perfect rendition that brought a beaming Cowell and fellow judges Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden to their feet. "This is how one song can change your life," Cowell told him. "This may be the start of something special for you young man." Watch Shaheen Jafargholi perform on "Britain's Got Talent" » . Writing in his blog for the show, Morgan said Jafargholi had been the stand-out act of the show and tipped him as a possible challenger to Boyle for the TV talent show's £100,000 ($146,000) prize. "Once Simon got him to sing the right kind of song for his voice, he was sensational. Like a young Stevie Wonder," Morgan said. In an interview for the show, Jafargholi said he had been singing since he was two years old. "When I was a bit older my mum got me some singing lessons and my voice just got bigger and bigger," he said. "Hopefully this is going to be my big break." Last week's performance by Boyle, the 47-year-old with a Broadway voice who claimed to have never been kissed, brought the show global attention, with her version of the Les Miserables' tune "I Dreamed a Dream" gaining more than 32 million hits on YouTube as well as earning her a string of U.S. media appearances, including on CNN's Larry King Live. Jafargholi has some way to go to match Boyle's success. By Monday morning a YouTube link to his performance had been watched just 330,000 times. Who do you prefer? Susan Boyle or Shaheen Jafargholi? Sound Off below .

12-year-old Welsh boy shines on "Britain's Got Talent" with Motown voice . Shaheen Jafargholi earned standing ovation from judge Simon Cowell . Cowell had earlier halted Jafargholi's audition and got him to change songs . Show has become a global hit following Susan Boyle's performance last week .

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(CNN) -- Troops in Jamaica captured an armed man Monday who had barged onto a Canadian airliner, robbed passengers and held six crew members hostage, Jamaica Information Minister Daryl Vaz said. A hostage-taker commandeered a CanJet flight at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The crew members were not harmed, Vaz said. The hijacking suspect, described as a "mentally challenged" man in his 20s, had demanded that the Boeing 737 be flown to Cuba. The military captured him around 7 a.m. local time. The FBI helped Jamaican authorities handle the situation at the Jamaican government's request, a U.S. government source told CNN. The CanJet flight from Halifax, Canada, had made a scheduled landing at Sangster International Airport in the Jamaican resort city of Montego Bay and was scheduled to continue to Santa Clara, Cuba. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was in Jamaica, told reporters that he planned to travel to Montego Bay to meet with Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding. Harper has been following the airplane security breach and may meet with the plane's crew later today. "The hijacking is that from a mentally challenged youngster and not anything that would be of concern in terms of an international incident," Vaz said. The suspect gained access to the plane Sunday night through the terminal in "a breach of security" that "will be investigated," Deputy Police Commissioner Owen Ellington told CNN. The gunman fired a shot in the boarding bridge as he entered, said CanJet Airlines Vice President Kent Woodside. No one was hit. CanJet Flight 918 was carrying 174 passengers and eight crew members, Woodside said. All the passengers were Canadian, he said. The suspect took an undisclosed number of passengers and crew members hostage before releasing all the passengers and two crew members, said Elizabeth Scotton, a spokeswoman for the company that manages the airport. Two of the six crew members who remained inside the plane Monday locked themselves in the cockpit, Vaz said. The suspect's father and Golding, who flew in by helicopter, were among those who negotiated with the gunman before his capture. The country's minister of national security also was at hand. The released passengers were taken to a hotel, and the airport was shut down for a time, Vaz said. The airport reopened shortly after the standoff, Woodside said. A CanJet airliner was on its way to Jamaica, he said, to take passengers on to Cuba or back to Canada. Christian Gosselin, a passenger on the flight, told his father that the gunman demanded cash from the plane's occupants. Vaz confirmed the account. "The guy wanted to have all their money," said Gosselin's father, Alphonse. "He [my son] told his girlfriend to take all the money and just take her passport and credit card and put it in her back pocket." Christian Gosselin was part of a 25-person wedding party headed to Cuba. He and his girlfriend were released by the hostage-taker, and they spoke to his father in New Brunswick, Canada, while waiting for another flight. "I didn't ask them too many questions; I was more concerned for their safety," the father said. "They were a bit shaken up. It was quite an experience." Another passenger, Brenda Grenier, called her husband and said the man apparently got aboard the plane as airport workers were loading bags. Grenier and her daughter were safe, her husband said by phone from his home in Nova Scotia, Canada. CNN's Joyce Joseph, Janet DiGiacomo, Jessica Jordan, Saeed Ahmed and Mike Brooks contributed to this report.

NEW: FBI helped Jamaican authorities to end hijack attempt, U.S. source says . Canadian PM says he'll be meeting with Jamaican PM . Hostage-taker captured by military described as "mentally challenged" Flight 918 flew in from Halifax, Canada, when armed man boarded plane .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- They came from all corners of the world, braved fiercely cold temperatures and stood together on the Mall in Washington to share in one historic moment -- when Barack Obama became the 44th president and the first African-American elected to the post. Crowds at the inaugural parade cheer and snap photos of President Obama on Tuesday. Millions of people packed the Mall early Tuesday to watch Obama's inauguration and later hit the parade route to catch a glimpse of the new president. For many, the inauguration was the realization of a dream they never thought could be fulfilled. This is America happening," said Evadey Minott of Brooklyn, New York. "It was prophesied by [the Rev. Martin Luther] King that we would have a day when everyone would come together. This is that day. I am excited. I am joyful. It brings tears to my eyes." Obama's speech: How did he do? L.J. Caldwell of Somerset, New Jersey, said Obama's inauguration capped five decades of struggle for African-Americans. "When you think back, Malcolm [X] fought. Then we come a little further, Rosa Parks sat. Then come up a little further, and Martin [King Jr.] spoke. Then today, President Obama ran, and we won." Watch Obama say Americans have "chosen hope over fear" » . iReporter Barbara Talisman, 48, of Chicago, watched Tuesday from a spot on the Mall near the American Museum of Natural History. "The historical significance of today and importance of our work made it necessary for me to be here and not at home. I want to be a witness," Talisman said. Kim Akins, 43, of Chicago, Illinois, who lives just blocks from Obama's home, made the trek to Washington with her 8-year-old daughter, Chloe. Vanessa Reed of Centerville, Virginia, took her daughters to a spot on the inaugural parade route. "I was going to take my daughter here if it was the last thing I did," she said. "It's breathtaking. ... It's overwhelming." Vanessa Reed of Centerville, Virginia, who brought her two young daughters to the inauguration, reflected on Obama's speech as she sat with her daughters across from the presidential reviewing stand at the end of the parade route. "It was beautiful. It spoke to the issues of the moment," said Reed, who worked for the Obama campaign. "I am proud this country saw what we saw in him." Patrick Bragg, 44, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, contemplated the day as he tried to stay warm standing over steam vents on H Street. Patrick Bragg says he rode a bike 18 miles to get to downtown Washington on Tuesday morning. "I've been sitting here thinking -- it's really beautiful," said Bragg, who rode a bike 18 miles from Bethesda, Maryland, to attend Tuesday's ceremonies. "This is what I would consider the true representation of all of America. Obama gives everyone space at the table." Some of those attending Tuesday recalled how they were part of the effort that culminated in the historic day. "You remember why you are doing it all, why you were working so hard on the campaign making phone calls, knocking on doors and getting slammed in the face sometimes," said iReporter Vanessa Palmer of the University of South Florida in Tampa. Howard University student Shakuwra Garrett, 18, said she felt like "a part of history." "I can carry this with me the rest of my life," Garrett said. "It's an accomplishment for all of us." The accomplishment crossed borders and oceans for some of those at Tuesday's inauguration. "The dream came true," said Fatima Cone, 39, who came to the U.S. from Ivory Coast, where her mother wears an Obama T-shirt. She conveyed the excitement her family feels in West Africa. "The fight is the same for all blacks. It's the same story. It's the same fight wherever you come from," Cone said. Canadians Peter and Susan Butler drove down from Toronto, Ontario, to see the event and "support the American people." iReport.com: Are you in Washington? Share your story . "This is a world event," Susan Butler said. "We can tell our grandchildren we were here." Briton Simon Ginty called the Obama inauguration "an international moment." Simon Ginty of Manchester, England, said the world was celebrating Tuesday. "This is an international moment as well as an American moment. I'm excited to see how Obama changes things. I imagine things are gonna be on the up," Ginty said. Eli Bracken, an iReporter from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, drove into Washington early Tuesday to try to see the inauguration, but large crowds kept him away from the Mall. Watch a satellite image of the crowd » . Instead, he watched on TV from a McDonald's restaurant on E Street near the Canadian Embassy. The eatery went silent during the inaugural prayer, he said. "It was just cool that everybody knew they were witnessing something awesome," Bracken said. "There were people gathered around every car they could just to hear it." Dartmouth College student Amarita Sankar, 18, watched Obama's speech on the grounds of the Washington Monument. "Whenever I hear him speak, I want to be a better person. That's what you want in a leader, " Sankar said. Margaret Trowelle of Jersey City, New Jersey, gets strangers to autograph an inauguration hat Tuesday. Margaret Trowelle of Jersey City, New Jersey, showed off a hat she had signed by others she's met in the nation's capital. "Everyone is so friendly," she said. Benica Tripleti from Eastern Kentucky University was among a group of 54 people headed to the Mall. She said she had one goal: "to see Obama's head." Kathie Easom and Christine Hannon of upstate New York were looking to plant themselves on the Mall and watch the proceedings on a screen. "It's a once in a lifetime event," Easom said. Eight rows behind the inauguration stand, Sylvia Schoen of Phoenix, Arizona, waited in the morning cold. "It's freezing. It's worth it. It's worth it," she said. Watch the atmosphere surrounding the inauguration » . "Obama's cause is all about the future. I think that's why everyone's so excited right now," Schoen said. "It's like we can do anything. Look what we just did, the people. The people did this. Not the politicians. We did it." Harvard University student Megan Starr, 21, was impressed with the crowd. "I've never seen people excited about politics before," she said. "Usually they are politically apathetic, but people are getting involved." Woodie Lee Durham of Buffalo, New York, says Tuesday marks a milestone for African-American influence. In a seating section for the disabled on the Mall, Woodie Lee Durham of Buffalo, New York, said Tuesday was a landmark for African-American influence on America. "It is no longer a question; this is the answer," Durham said. Of the millions who came to hear Obama speak, many made sure to hit the parade route, in hopes of catching a glimpse of the new president. "Obama! Obama!" throngs of people cheered as the limo carrying the new president made its way down the street. Obama and his wife, Michelle, stepped out of the presidential limo for a couple of minutes and walked the parade route, waving to supporters as they passed. Meghann Curtis, 30, of New Jersey was at the Mall for the inauguration but also managed to snag a seat at the parade. "It was majestic. That's the word that keeps coming to mind," she said. "They are elegant and tall and gorgeous," Curtis said of the Obamas. "There is something breathtaking about the two of them." Many reached for their cameras, trying to capture a permanent memory of the moment. Supporters waved American flags, and some even sang as they waited for their chance to greet President Obama. See photos of Obama's inauguration » . After 12 hours of waiting, many of them in the cold, Karin Riggs, 29, of Seattle, Washington, and her bandmates marched into history. The trumpet player was one of 177 participants, from 26 states, performing with the Lesbian and Gay Band Association -- the first lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender group in history to be invited to march in a presidential inaugural parade. "We were not just making history for our organization. We were making history for the LGBT community," she said by phone. Danielle Davis and son Carson, 6, of Chantilly, Virginia, got into their parade seats at 10:40 a.m. Davis said the experience was worth dealing with freezing weather and a long wait. "It was exciting, thrilling," she said. "I am so glad to be a part of history." CNN's Adam Levine, Ed Hornick, Valerie Streit, Scott J. Anderson and Kristi Keck contributed to this report.

New Jersey woman calls inauguration, parade "majestic" "This is America happening," says New York woman . Barack Obama's election shows American people "can do anything," woman says .

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(CNN) -- If there is one thing that Africa can learn from the global financial crisis it's that the West doesn't always get it right, Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai told CNN. Two young boys plow their dry cornfield in Kwale, Kenya which has been blighted by drought. "It sends a message that anyone can make a mistake. Nobody has a blueprint and nobody is a know-it-all," she said of the current turmoil engulfing the global banking system. "I can tell you I never would have thought we could experience what we're experiencing in America now," she added. "Because for one we never would have thought that the Americans could be caught 'asleep,' not monitoring their financial system and therefore waking up one day and finding out that their most respected institutions are collapsing right and left." The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned the global financial crisis will have a "major impact," on low-income countries. In a recent report, "The Implications of the Global Financial Crisis for Low-Income Countries," the Fund singled out sub-Saharan Africa as particularly vulnerable to the crisis, as lower global growth reduces export demand and depresses commodity prices. And last month, anti-poverty campaign group ActionAid forecast Africa's income would drop by $49 billion dollars between 2007 and the end of this year. Most of that, it said, would be due to a fall in export earnings, aid and income from rich countries now in recession. "Although developing countries didn't make this crisis, it has become all too clear that they are in the firing line when it comes to suffering its worst effects," Claire Melamed, Head of Policy at ActionAid said in a statement accompanying the report. "There is a real risk that development will start to go backwards in many countries as the money dries up and that the recession will lead to worsening poverty and terrible consequences for the men, women and children caught in its grip," she added. Wangari Maathai said many Africans had become so accustomed to their daily struggles that they assumed life could not get any worse. "Some of the impact that the western banks or the Western people are experiencing we've been experiencing for decades," Maathai said. "We've been raising and educating children who cannot get any employment. Long ago our hospitals collapsed, our infrastructure collapsed, our education system collapsed. "That's why people are saying it can't get any worse, but you and I know it can get worse," she said. Now 69, Wangari Maathai has long campaigned for human rights and the empowerment of Africa's most impoverished people. Watch Revealed: Wangari Maathai » . More than thirty years ago she founded the Green Belt Movement, a tree-planting campaign to simultaneously mitigate deforestation and to give locals, especially women and girls, new purpose. They have since planted more than 40 million trees. In 2004, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote sustainable development, democracy and peace, and has recently repeated calls for Africans to 'rise up' and demand greater accountability from their governments. See photos of Maathai receiving the Nobel Peace Prize » . "What Africa needs to know is that now that the world has its own crisis in its own hand, if they don't take care of themselves and place themselves in a position where they can be assisted, they will suffer, the people will suffer," Maathai told CNN. Earlier this month, the group of 20 industrialized nations agreed an unprecedented rescue package worth $1.1 trillion to tackle the global economic crisis. It included $750 billion dollars for the International Monetary Fund (IMF), three times the Fund's previous lending capacity, as well "special drawing rights" to an additional $250 billion. Of the commitment, Maathai said: "I'm glad that the G20 identified that they must help the poor people, but the biggest problem for the poor developing countries in Africa is that they are already facing so many challenges."

Nobel Peace Laureate says Africans need to take responsibility for future . Wangari Maathai says global economic crisis shows West is fallible . Maathai of the West: "Nobody has a blueprint and nobody is a know-it-all"

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(CNN) -- Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said Tuesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il is using his claims of a successful rocket launch to shore up his political strength within his country. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright discusses North Korea on CNN's "American Morning" on Tuesday. Albright, who was secretary of state in the Clinton administration, told CNN's "American Morning" that "it was a huge mistake for the United States to stop talking to North Korea" when the Bush administration took over. The communist nation launched the rocket over the weekend in defiance of international opposition. Satellite images released Monday appear to show the rocket in flight, according to a nonprofit institution that focuses on stopping the spread of nuclear weapons. The following is a transcript of Albright's conversation with CNN's Carol Costello. Carol Costello, CNN: We do have this video from North Korea of this rocket taking off. What do you make of that? Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright: Well, I think that the North Korean leadership is living in a parallel universe of acting as if the launch was a success, when tracking and everything has shown that in fact, it is a failure. And I think it proves a point, which is that the North Koreans, Kim Jong-Il is doing this for his own internal reasons -- because on Thursday, tomorrow, there will be a rubber stamp by the parliament of his leadership -- and the problems that he's generally had since he had his stroke. So this is part of their kind of Orwellian approach of saying that "This is what happened, and wasn't it a success," when we know it wasn't. Costello: The U.N. Security Council hasn't been able to come up with any sort of resolution because apparently that body is split. President Obama made a really big deal of this and said this was like a clear violation. It sort of seems like the United States is stuck, and it can't do anything about North Korea. Albright: Well, I don't think that's true, because what has happened is there have been individual condemnations by leaders of various countries. And I have to say from my own experience of the United Nations, it does take a while to get the 15 members [of the Security Council] together. But the saddest for me is the fact that the U.N. passed a resolution, 1718, which said that this was not acceptable. So the truth is that the U.N. has to live up to its own resolutions. And Ambassador Rice, I think, is working very hard up there in order to get some action, but there have been condemnations already throughout the world. And the bottom line here is that President Obama's speech, for instance, in Prague, when he talked about the importance of cooperation generally on a whole nonproliferation regime -- it's very clear that there's going to have to be a lot of work on that and that President Obama laid out a very, very important set of goals. amFIX: Your thoughts on the rocket launch . Costello: And, you know, there has been some criticism that President Obama turned to the U.N. to try to solve this crisis. I want to read you a quote from Politico. It interviewed Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House. I want to read you his quote. Newt Gingrich said, "The embarrassing repudiation of the United States appeal to the United Nations Security Council Sunday afternoon is a vivid demonstration of weakness. This is beginning to resemble the Carter administration's weakness in foreign policy." How would you respond to that? Albright: Well, I think that it's just kind of typical of Newt Gingrich, frankly. But the bottom line here is, I think the United States and President Obama has made very clear the leadership of the United States, his concern about, generally, proliferation issues. I think his trip, for instance, laid out a whole set of issues that prove that American leadership is essential, the respect that he gained for American leadership. And I think you're going to see additional ways that we all work together, because the issues that are out there that have to be dealt with require cooperation, and they will require international organizations and cooperation through NATO and a number of activities. So I'm very confident that President Obama is going to be able to prove American leadership. Costello: Well, I guess many Americans look at it this way, you know: You talk about sanctions, but sanctions have been instituted against North Korea before, and it hasn't really worked. North Korea just seems to kind of do what it wants. You've met Kim Jong-Il. I mean, what does he want? Albright: Well, what he wants is respect. And I have to say that part of the problem here is -- and as you mentioned, I met Kim Jong-Il. We were in the middle of negotiations with him. In fact, we had a missile moratorium. And President Bush came in and canceled those talks. It was confusing to everybody. And I do think that what is important now is to get the North Koreans back into the six-party talks, to make it clear to them that the only way that they are going to have respect is to abide by international regulations and to try to deal with the fact that they would be better off if, in fact, they allowed their people to be fed and an economy that functions, rather than be living in this way where poverty is rampant, and hunger, in every way in North Korea, and a leadership that is shaky. But the bottom line is, I think it was a huge mistake for the United States to stop talking to North Korea. And in the interim period, they were able to develop material in order to create nuclear weapons, and so I hope very much that the six-party talks continue. Costello: We'll see. Madam Secretary, thanks so much for joining us this morning. We appreciate it. Thank you.

Former secretary of state: U.S. made "huge mistake" stopping talks with North Korea . Madeleine Albright says North Korean leader is seeking respect internationally . Kim Jong-Il also using rocket launch for internal political reasons, Albright says . Albright says President Obama proving U.S. leadership in response to launch .

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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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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Obama on Monday gathered together every confirmed member of his Cabinet for the first time as president and challenged them to cut $100 million in the next 90 days. President Obama meets Monday with his Cabinet, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates, right. Agencies will have to report how they saved on expenses at the end of the period. The federal government has "a confidence gap when it comes to the American people," Obama said at the White House. "We've got to earn their trust. They've got to feel confident that their dollars are being spent wisely." The edict is part of Obama's "commitment to go line by line through the budget to cut spending" and "reform the government," a senior administration official said. One potential Cabinet officer was missing from the meeting -- Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, the health and human services secretary-designate. The Senate has not voted on whether to confirm Sebelius to the post. Obama made his savings request as the House of Representatives and Senate were returning from recess this week, ready to start reconciling their versions of the fiscal 2010 budget resolution. The president's budget request is $3.67 trillion. Watch how the administration hopes to cut costs » . In the context of the federal budget, $100 million in savings is a small amount, critics said. "Any amount of savings is obviously welcome," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, said. "But [$100 million is] about the average amount we'll spend every single day just covering the interest on the stimulus package that we passed earlier this year." White House press secretary Robert Gibbs insisted that ordinary Americans nevertheless would appreciate the savings effort. "Only in Washington, D.C., is $100 million not a lot of money," Gibbs said. "It is where I'm from. It is where I grew up. And I think it is for hundreds of millions of Americans." The administration also contends the order signaled an important demonstration of fiscal responsibility. "None of these savings by themselves are going to solve our long-term fiscal problems," Obama said. "But taken together, they can make a difference, and they send a signal that we are serious about how government operates." The White House offered examples of how agencies already have started cost-cutting measures, including: . CNN's Suzanne Malveaux contributed to the report.

NEW: President Obama says, "We've got to earn [the public's] trust" NEW: Obama meets with Cabinet to discuss how agencies can cuts costs . Agencies will have to report how they saved on expenses after 90 days . Critics say $100 million in savings is a small amount .

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(CNN) -- Dozens of international envoys walked out during a speech by Iran's president Monday as he accused Israel of having a "racist government" and committing genocide. European Union delegates leave during Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech Monday. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused the West of making "an entire nation homeless under the pretext of Jewish suffering ... in order to establish a totally racist government in occupied Palestine." Many delegates at the controversial U.N. anti-racism conference in Geneva, Switzerland, cheered his words as a minority of diplomats -- mostly from Europe -- collected their papers and briefcases and left the room. Cameras at the scene showed empty seats where delegates from France, Finland and Denmark had been sitting. The British and Spanish delegations also walked out, both countries' foreign affairs divisions confirmed. Watch delegates make their exit » . U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement criticizing Ahmadinejad for using the conference "to accuse, divide and even incite." Ban said he had spoken to the Iranian president and asked him not to focus on "divisiveness" in his address. "It is deeply regrettable that my plea to look to the future of unity was not heeded by the Iranian president," Ban said. "This is the opposite of what this conference seeks to achieve. This makes it significantly more difficult to build constructive solutions to the very real problem of racism," Ban said in a statement following Ahmadinejad's speech. During Monday's speech, Ahmadinejad paused a moment, then continued: "In fact, in compensation for the dire consequences of racism in Europe, they helped bring to power the most cruel and repressive racist regime in Palestine. "It is all the more regrettable that a number of Western governments and the United States have committed themselves to defend those racist perpetrators of genocide," he said, echoing Tehran's official line on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel was established in 1948 as a homeland for Jewish people after the Holocaust, on land also claimed by Palestinians. Ahmadinejad said Zionism, the Jewish national movement, "personifies racism" and accused Zionists of wielding economic and political resources to silence opponents. He also blasted the United States-led invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan. "Wasn't the military action against Iraq planned by the Zionists and their allies in the then-U.S. administration?" he demanded. At least two protesters in brightly colored wigs interrupted Ahmadinejad as he began to speak, shouting: "You're a racist!" in accented English. But some delegates cheered as he began his speech while security officers dragged the protesters from the chamber. Later in the address, more protesters shouted at him from a balcony, leading him to pause and look down for a moment, a smile playing across his lips. He also blamed the United States for the world economic crisis. Israel withdrew its ambassador from Switzerland in protest before the conference, which the United States and a number of other countries are boycotting. Alejandro Wolff, the U.S. deputy ambassador to the U.N., called Ahmadinejad's remarks "vile," "hateful" and "inciteful," and praised Ban's condemnation. Speaking at a Holocaust remembrance service in Jerusalem, Israeli President Shimon Peres said Ahmadinejad's address "constitutes an acceptance of racism, rather than the fight against it." "It is hard to fathom why despots such as Hitler the Nazi, Stalin the Bolshevik and Ahmadinejad the Persian chose the Jews as the main target for their hatred, their madness and their violence," Peres said. "Perhaps they targeted the Jewish people because of its spiritual power - a nation poor in material possessions, but rich in values -- for he who is infected with megalomania fears the power of the spirit." New Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu declared during the Holocaust commemoration event that Israel will not allow "Holocaust deniers to carry out another Holocaust against Jews." A number of European countries had vowed to walk out if Iran's president made offensive remarks. "The UK unreservedly condemns Iranian President Ahmadinejad's offensive and inflammatory comments. Such outrageous, anti-Semitic remarks should have no place in a U.N. anti-racism forum," said Peter Gooderham, Britain's envoy to the U.N. in Geneva. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was quick to "unreservedly condemn" the Iranian president's words. Britain decided against boycotting the event being held in Geneva, although other Western countries including Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Israel, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden, and the United States withdrew in advance over concerns that the conference would devolve into a platform for some nations to attack Israel. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said he instructed the country's ambassador to the U.N. to leave the conference along with his European colleagues after Ahmadinejad spoke "in an unacceptable way." Koucher explained that France "would not tolerate anyone holding the conference hostage and using it as a platform for making heinous remarks." Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper told reporters that he believed the vocal opposition to Ahmadinejad's positions was a "very positive thing". The major problems with Iran, according to Harper, are continued threats against Israel and against the Israeli people, along with persistent nuclear ambitions. Ahmadinejad was the first speaker at the conference because he was the only head of state to respond to the invitation, conference spokesman Ramu Damodaran told CNN. "Invitations are sent to all member states. They decide at what level they wish to be represented," he explained. Ahmadinejad "was the only head of state who had confirmed as of today -- and when you arrange the list of speakers, heads of state get precedence over non-heads of states." The United States, among others, is refusing to send any envoys at all to the Durban Review Conference. While rejecting the boycott, Navi Pillay, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, urged reporters "not allow this one intervention to mar the conference. "I prefer to move on," she said at a news conference after Ahmadinejad's speech. She also criticized the delegates who walked out during his speech, saying his "unsavory remarks" did not "provide justification for anyone to walk out of the conference." Pillay said Sunday that she regrets -- and is "shocked" by -- the United States' decision to boycott. The U.S. State Department said Washington's decision was based in part on a conference document that "singles out" Israel in its criticism and conflicts with the United States' "commitment to unfettered free speech." Australia, Canada, Germany, Poland and Italy are among those also boycotting the conference . CNN's Atika Shubert contributed to this report.

U.S. calls remarks vile, hateful, inciteful, praises U.N. condemnation . Dozens go as Iran's president says Israel is genocidal, has "racist government" U.N. secretary-general says Iranian leader is trying "to accuse, divide and even incite" But some delegates cheer; security officers drag protesters from speech chamber .

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(CNN) -- The suspected killer of a 20-year-old pregnant Camp Lejeune Marine is in a North Carolina jail late Friday after being extradited from Mexico, law enforcement sources said. Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean, 22, was extradited Friday to the United States and held on a murder charge. Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean, 22, was arrested in Mexico in April 2008. He has been indicted on charges that include financial card transaction fraud, obtaining property by false pretenses and first-degree murder in the death of Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach. Laurean, who is being held without bond, was booked into the Onslow County Detention Center about 9 p.m. ET, according to a police statement obtained by CNN. An arraignment is scheduled for Monday, the statement read. Lauterbach was eight months pregnant when she disappeared in December 2007; her charred body and that of her fetus were found beneath a fire pit in Laurean's backyard near Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, where both were stationed, in January 2008. Investigators accompanied Laurean, who fled to Mexico, back to the United States on Friday morning, two law enforcement sources said. Laurean will stand trial in Onslow County, North Carolina, for Lauterbach's killing. North Carolina prosecutors allege Laurean killed Lauterbach on December 14 and used her ATM card 10 days later before fleeing to Mexico. He was arrested in San Juan Vina in the Mexican state of Michoacan. Because he holds dual citizenship in the United States and Mexico, he could not be immediately deported and had to go through the extradition process, authorities have said. Before Laurean's extradition to the United States, Camp Lejeune spokesman Maj. Cliff Gilmore said the slaying suspect would go into the civilian jail in Onslow County and stand trial in a civilian court. He was listed as a deserter shortly after he disappeared following Lauterbach's death. He remains on deserter status, but is still considered an active-duty Marine, Gilmore said. "[Laurean] will be treated like any other inmate in our detention center, and he will be prosecuted by the district attorney's office," Rick Sutherland, inspector general of the Onslow County Sheriff's Office, said in a written statement. The FBI said in a news release Thursday the sheriff's office asked for help in finding Laurean after he disappeared January 12, 2008. If convicted, Laurean would face a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. Mexico's extradition policy prohibits U.S. authorities from seeking the death penalty against fugitives it hands over. Asked by a Mexican reporter at the time of his arrest whether he killed Lauterbach, Laurean replied, "I loved her." Authorities found Lauterbach's body after Laurean's wife, Christina, produced a note her husband had written claiming the 20-year-old woman slit her own throat during an argument, according to officials. Although a gaping 4-inch wound was found on the left side of Lauterbach's neck, autopsy results indicated that the wound would not have been fatal and may have occurred after death. Lauterbach died from blunt-force trauma to the head, according to the autopsy. Prosecutors have said there was no evidence that Christina Laurean was involved in or aware of Lauterbach's slaying before she gave the note to authorities. As part of the effort to apprehend Laurean, authorities had seized a computer belonging to his sister-in-law that Christina Laurean was using to communicate with her husband, a law enforcement official had told CNN. Lauterbach had accused Laurean of raping her, and it is unclear whether he was the father of her unborn child. Her relatives have said they believe he was. Laurean had denied the rape allegation and said he had had no sexual contact with Lauterbach. Mary Lauterbach, the slain woman's mother, has said she's unconvinced that the Marine Corps took her daughter's rape allegation and other allegations of harassment seriously. Relatives said that Lauterbach's car was keyed and that an anonymous person had punched her in the face. "Those particular actions should have been taken much more seriously because the Marines were aware of them," she has said. In a statement issued after Lauterbach's death, the Marine Corps said Laurean's denial of the rape allegation "was believed to be significant evidence." CNN's Rich Phillips, Carol Cratty and Larry Shaughnessy contributed to this report.

NEW: Cpl. Cesar Laurean, 22, booked in North Carolina jail about 9 p.m. Camp Lejeune spokesman: Laurean to be tried in civilian court in North Carolina . Laurean accused of killing Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach, 20, in 2007 .

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BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) -- Timothy Connick was in agony for six years. In bed at night, it felt as if a pair of scissors was sticking out of his foot. "I turn over, and it's just like they're getting jammed in more." Timothy Connick got relief from chronic pain through a peripheral nerve stimulator implanted above his hip. Connick, 52 from Lynn, Massachusetts, injured his foot falling from a loading dock at work 11 years ago. "I fell about seven feet onto the concrete and smashed my heel. It started hurting that moment and kept hurting for six years after that." Connick is among millions. As many as one in three American adults suffer from chronic pain, according to the American Chronic Pain Association. The organization defines chronic pain as "pain that continues a month or more beyond the usual recovery period for an injury or illness or that goes on for months or years because of a chronic condition." It's usually not constant, the group says, but can disrupt the sufferer's life. Over the years, Connick consulted multiple doctors and tried two dozen medications for pain management, but nothing eased the pain and the resulting depression. "It was pretty much a no-win situation as long as that pain was going to be there," he recalls. He was eventually referred to neurologist Anne Louise Oaklander, director of the nerve injury unit at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. "Pain is the No. 1 reason why patients seek medical care, but until recently it hasn't been part of the medical school curriculum," she says. "Many physicians and nurses feel uncomfortable and unqualified to treat these patients." Oaklander sees many patients whom she describes as "bouncing around the health care system" for years with no firm diagnosis. She divides chronic pain sufferers into two groups. "One is the group that has an ongoing cause of their pain," she says. "The classic example of that is patients with arthritis. They have pain in their joints every day." Much more difficult, she says, is the second group: "Patients who have chronic pain without an obvious cause of tissue injury." Connick falls in the second category, Oaklander says, noting that X-rays show broken bones, but not nerve damage. "It was only many years later when he was examined by a neurologist that his underlying nerve injury was identified and able to be treated," she said. Health Minute: The struggle of managing chronic pain » . Oaklander says pain medications can help most patients, but there are other options. For instance, she says, if the pain is related to an orthopedic problem, physical therapy may be the best choice. In Connick's case, relief came through surgery to implant a peripheral nerve stimulator above his hip. Based on pacemaker technology, the stimulator is placed under the skin and works by giving off benign pulses that override pain signals to the brain, Oaklander explains. She cautions that minor surgery is involved, and the device works in only about half the patients who get it. For Connick, it made all the difference. "The day they put it in and I turned it on, I was up seven flights of stairs before they stopped me. Everything that I hadn't been able to do and everything that made me happy was back available to me again and I knew it right away." These days, Connick is back at work loading trucks. He's on his feet all day and doesn't complain about any pain. Oaklander concludes: "If you have chronic pain, don't take no for an answer....I think it's important for chronic pain patients to keep a sense of purpose, optimism and hope despite the indignities that many are subjected to." E-mail to a friend . Judy Fortin is a correspondent with CNN Medical News. Linda Ciampa of Accent Health contributed to this report.

As many as one in three American adults suffer from chronic pain . Chronic pain continues a month or more beyond usual recovery period . Expert: Pain is the top reason patients seek medical care .

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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Stephen Plumlee started feeling dizzy and nauseated shortly after his flight from Sarasota, Florida, landed in Atlanta, Georgia. He was wheeled off the plane by paramedics, but instead of being taken to a hospital emergency room downtown, he was treated in the atrium of the busiest airport in the world. The AeroClinic joins a growing field of easy-access medical facilities found in pharmacies and retail outlets. The AeroClinic, a new retail medical facility, offers quick, inexpensive care to travelers and some of the airport's 55,000 employees. "We're kind of the stop in between the hospital during your travels," said Dr. Dominic Mack, chief medical officer for the clinic. The AeroClinic joins a growing field of easy-access medical facilities found in pharmacies and retail outlets around the country. You could say it falls somewhere between the newer, small clinics and the larger full-service after-hours clinics that have been around for many years. For about $80, a patient can be treated by a doctor or physician assistant for a minor acute illness such as strep throat, upset stomach or headache. That was the reason behind Derrick Gross' visit. The medical sales representative lives in Atlanta, but travels at least three days a week. He says he's too busy to see a regular doctor, and when he saw the sign while passing through the airport, he decided to make an appointment. Gross spent about 20 minutes with physician assistant Sabrina Jackson going through a battery of tests to try to determine the source of his headaches. Health Minute: Airport clinic gives travelers a health-care alternative ». He received a supply of ibuprofen when the tests revealed no obvious medical problems. "I took a chance by coming here today and I'm satisfied," Gross said. He agreed to follow up with his primary care physician. Mack said he treats a lot of patients like Gross. "You have 250,000 passengers who come through Atlanta Hartsfield every day, and people are sick. What they do is delay their care or they don't get their care at all." Dr. David Satcher, former U.S. surgeon general and frequent flier, sees the need first hand. "I've traveled almost 40,000 miles in the last month and I know there are a lot of people who spend time in airports and a lot of people don't get the care they need," he said. As a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, Satcher believes the concept of a quick-care health facility inside an airport is a good one so long as patients continue to have contact with a primary care physician at home. He serves on the board of directors for The AeroClinic and is one of the privately held company's original investors. He wants potential patients to understand the restrictions of a facility such as The AeroClinic. "This is not the place to go when you're having chest pains. ... (But) obviously, if you have a minor illness this is an opportunity to seek care while you're traveling and not have to wait until you get back home." The clinic's 12 staffers also offer preventive care including physical exams, routine vaccinations and monitoring of chronic diseases. The facility accepts some insurance coverage. In the fall, The AeroClinic, will open a second facility in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, airport. The staff plans to offer flu shots at mobile kiosks in the airport concourses. For now, travelers must go out of the airport security zone to reach the facility. Stephen Plumlee didn't mind the inconvenience. "I was so out of it, I didn't know what was happening. But everyone has been very helpful." After he rested for a couple of hours and recovered from the nausea, an imbalance in his inner ear was diagnosed. He was given medication to help him cope with the flight home and sent on his way. "This has been good," concluded Plumlee. "It's been fine to be able to do it in the airport, not have to go to some other part of the city and find my way back." E-mail to a friend . Judy Fortin is a correspondent with CNN Medical News.

New retail medical facility offers care to Atlanta airport travelers, employees . Treatment available for minor acute illnesses such as strep throat, headache . Physical exams, vaccinations, monitoring of chronic diseases also offered .

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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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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- "I like L.A., but there sure are a lot of ugly bastards running around here," says James Hunter, with a set of grotesque joke teeth in his mouth -- and tongue firmly in cheek. James Hunter has received raves for his recordings, but has yet to break through to big-time success. Midway through a lengthy tour, it's nice to know his sense of humor is intact. The boyish 46-year-old British retro-R&B singer is in a dressing room at the Sunset Strip's House of Blues, sitting in a throne-like chair festooned with Mexican Day of the Dead skulls. It's oddly fitting. Like that festival, Hunter is remembering -- through his music -- those who are no longer with us. His classic soul-inspired sound and concert style harkens back to the golden days of R&B and the men who practiced it: Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke and guitarist Lowman Pauling, among others. "I think I probably stole a couple of tricks from people who were already dead by the time I started," he replies, when asked about his stage moves. Indeed, an hour later he's on stage and it's clear that if you put him in the "Back to the Future" DeLorean, traveled back to 1955 and dropped him off with Marvin Berry's band at the "Enchantment Under the Sea" dance, he'd be right at home. Watch Hunter perform for a sound check » . That authentic old-school sound has made him a cult favorite among jazz and blues aficionados. His first two albums -- 2006's "People Gonna Talk" and last year's "The Hard Way" -- were acclaimed by critics and the cognoscenti, with the Boston Globe calling "The Hard Way" "one of the year's smoothest and best discs." He's also earned praise as a dazzling live performer, one who is known for guitar acrobatics performed with a smile. But he has yet to achieve the mainstream success of British retro-soul contemporaries Amy Winehouse, Duffy and Adele. Could it be because they've found a way to blend contemporary lyrics with an older sound? Hunter acknowledges he doesn't do enough of that in his own music: "I think that's my downfall, to be honest. I think they picked up on a trick that I'm trying, that I've mastered. I mean, I think they're as much immersed in contemporary stuff as the old days. I think that's pretty cool. I'm trying to do that. "Stylistically, I'm more embedded, not in tradition -- I mean I'm not into genres -- but styles, you know," he continues. "The sound of things. I've got my preference in the sound and stuff. But, you know, I think I can afford to go their way a little bit, not because it's successful, but because it works." Interestingly, few American acts have embraced the retro-soul sound with the fervor of their British counterparts. Hunter has his theories on why that's the case. "It could be because you guys invented it, you know. I think it's possible," he says. "I'm not sure these days, but initially you had the Stones and people like that, even the Beatles who were much more in awe in this American music than Americans were. It all tends to be on your doorstep and you tend to be more cavalier to the stuff that's already there. It's like the thing when John Lennon told the reporters that he wanted to see Muddy Waters and they said, 'Where's that?' " But despite the love he has for the music of the classic soul era, Hunter understands that going forward, a healthy irreverence is what will keep it fresh for audiences -- and himself. "I think the downfall of any type of music is to treat it with too much reverence, because the people at the time weren't treating it with reverence and they were sort of bashing it out, that was the beauty of it, the spontaneity," he says. "But, when people are trying to preserve stuff -- you've got to be loyal to this or that kind of music -- that's so much nonsense."

James Hunter known for old-school R&B recordings . British guitarist has earned raves, but still no big-time success . Hunter admits that he's trying to combine contemporary lyrics with old sound .

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MONTE CARLO, Monaco -- Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva has broken her own world record in the women's pole vault with a leap of 5.04 meters as she warmed up for her Olympic defense. Isinbayeva broke her own women's pole vault world record on her third attempt in Monaco. The record came at the Monaco Grand Prix on Tuesday on her third and final attempt at the height. Her previous record of 5.03 meters was set in Rome on July 11. Isinbayeva is the reigning Olympic and world champion. Asafa Powell claimed his third 100 meters success inside a week when he raced clear in his season-best time of 9.82 seconds. Powell shaved 0.06sec off his previous season-best of 9.88, set last Tuesday in Stockholm, where he saw off fellow Jamaican and world record holder Usain Bolt. On Tuesday Powell was too hot for Davis Patton of the U.S. (9.98) and Nesta Carter of Jamaica (10.02), the fourth best time of the season all the more impressive given the calm conditions. "I am very happy," said Powell. "I feel great, very fresh. I've got a world record in my legs. I am very confident. My goal is to be consistent." A tough headwind had compromised Powell's attempts to have a tilt at Bolt's mark although he still cruised to a weekend victory at the London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace in 9.94sec. Other Tuesday highlights saw Jamaica's Melaine Walker set a year mark in the women's 400m hurdles in clocking 53.48 sec. Walker, who shattered her own personal best of 54.14 in the process, will hope her performance augurs well for the Beijing Games, where Aussie two-time world champion Jana Rawlinson will not be competing owing to a toe injury. Kenyan Daniel Kipchirchir Komen also set a year best mark in the 1500m, crossing the line in 3 min 31.49sec to take 0.08sec off compatriot Augustine Kiprono Choge's June 1 showing in Berlin. The 23-year-old's win tempered the disappointment of missing out on an Olympic berth. Britain's Martyn Rooney also improved his personal best in the 400 meters for the second successive race, following up his win in the London Grand Prix with victory in 44.72 seconds. The Monaco Grand Prix was the last major international track and field meeting before the Beijing Olympics which start on August 8.

Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva breaks her own women's world pole vault record . Leaps 5.04 meters on her third and final attempt at height at Monaco meeting . Jamaican Asafa Powell wins third 100 meters race in a week in 9.82 seconds .

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(CNN) -- Tax day is an annual stress test for millions of Americans, but Wednesday's Internal Revenue Service filing deadline may be the toughest one yet for many who can't pay their mortgages or rent, let alone a big tax bill. Jonathan Hermosa wears a costume this week to beckon customers to a tax service office in New York. "Our message to taxpayers [is] that we're going the extra mile to help those of you in economic distress," IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman told the National Press Club in Washington on Monday. "We want to get you your refunds as quickly as possible. And if you think you can't pay, please come in and let's talk about it. There are steps we can take to help." iReport contributor Crystal Gress will need to follow some of those steps. The Coplay, Pennsylvania, bank call center employee said she doesn't know how she's going to pay the $1,200 she owes the IRS. It's the first time she's had a balance due on April 15. "I'm really scared because I've never had to do it before," said Gress, 23. "I'm used to getting a return, but this past year has been really rough." Watch who's more likely to get audited » . Gress adjusted her withholding last year to increase her take-home pay to cover bills; she intended the change to be temporary, but car repairs and other expenses kept coming up, she said. She used an estimating tool on tax preparer H&R Block's Web site and got the bad news. "I was like, 'Oh, crap. I owe money.' And I don't know what to do now," she said. "... I waited until yesterday to do my taxes because I didn't want to submit them." People who know they're getting a refund tend to file as early as possible, while those with a balance due tend to file late in the season, IRS spokesman John Lipold said. Watch last-minute tips from CNN's Gerri Willis » . "A lot of people who were getting refunds in the past are not getting them this year," said Brian Joubert, owner of L&B Tax Service with five locations in the Atlanta, Georgia, area and Houston, Texas. Because his clients usually pay their preparation fees out of their refunds, Joubert's company has had to make changes to accommodate them, including cutting fees in select cases, holding checks until payday or taking payments in installments. "We've had more people to pay with a credit card this year than I've ever seen," said Joubert, who has been in the tax preparation business for 12 years. "I feel like a department store in some sense." The IRS has a monthly payment plan, but it comes with an upfront fee, stiff penalties and interest, making it more costly than a commercial loan. But a loan isn't an option for Gress, whose credit rating is hurt by lingering debt from admittedly unwise earlier choices. After her monthly rent, utilities and car payment, "I barely have enough to buy ramen noodles," Gress said. iReport.com: Read more of Gress' story . She tried to refinance her $5,000 used car but was turned down, and getting a loan from her family is not an option, she said. Her fiancé doesn't make much at the auto body shop where he works, and she can't work a second job because of long hours at the call center and recent hip surgery. "I've been looking at every option to pay my taxes," she said, acknowledging she'll probably have to go with the costly IRS installment plan. She won't be alone. Between 2 million and 3 million taxpayers a year follow that route, Lipold said. Watch what protesters are planning for tax day » . Others in similar situations might consider filing for an extension, but they still have to pay extra on any balance not paid by midnight Wednesday. "Bring your checkbook when you go to file an extension," said Amy McAnarney, executive director of the Tax Institute at H&R Block. "The tax that isn't paid by April 15 is subject to interest and penalties, so it's best to pay as much as you can even if you are requesting an extension." In rare cases, the IRS will negotiate with the taxpayer and settle for a smaller amount in what is called an offer in compromise. In 2008, the agency worked out 11,000 offers in compromise (out of about 150 million individual returns) worth about $200 million, Lipold said. "The IRS understands that a lot of people are having problems right now economically and is willing to work with them," he said. "If you're having a problem, call now." Watch how your car could earn you a tax break » . In contrast to Gress, Joe and Patty Lewis are getting a large tax refund for the first time. The Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, couple are due $7,000, which they said they hope will help save their home, which is in foreclosure. Joe Lewis' job as a senior systems analyst was eliminated in January 2008, and at 56 he hasn't found anyone willing to hire him. His $1,800 monthly unemployment benefit -- of which $900 goes to COBRA health care coverage -- runs out at the end of April. iReport.com: Watch Patty Lewis' iReports . Patty Lewis, 55, is a former executive with a furniture company who is disabled and no longer able to work. She first shared her story on iReport.com. The $7,000 is mostly a refund of the penalties they paid when they cashed in Joe's 401(k) and a deduction for their considerable medical expenses, Patty Lewis said. The Lewises are in talks to take that money and a lump-sum payment of her private long-term disability insurance and make a deal with their lender to settle their mortgage debt, she said. "If I cash it in, I'll be screwing myself by a couple hundred thousand dollars," she said. "But if it's something that's going to save me from foreclosure, I'm willing to do anything I can to secure my home. I'm offering my lender everything that I possibly have. I'm praying to God." Until Joe can find a job, "I'm going to have to live on $900 Social Security a month, which is going to be extremely difficult, but our house is everything to us and it's the only thing that I have to offer," she said. Their property taxes are $500 a month, she noted. The couple has filed for mortgage assistance available through national economic stimulus legislation, but Patty Lewis said she doubts they'll get it. "The administration is not looking at people who have been out of work since this recession started -- December 2007, January 2008. That's when my husband lost his job. And they know that a huge part of foreclosures is due to job loss, but yet they still keep addressing the subprime and adjustable-rate victims," she said. "And there's nothing out there for us at all. ... How can they structure the payments in order for you to pay that mortgage payment every month?"

NEW: More clients using credit cards to pay fees, tax preparer says . Tough economic times make it hard for some to pay tax bills . IRS offers installment payment plans, may be willing to negotiate . Couple hopes to use refund to save house from foreclosure .

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Distance runner Gilbert Tuhabonye survived the ethnic violence in his native Burundi in 1993 and rebuilt his life in the U.S. He now coaches in Austin, Texas and has been attempting to qualify for this year's Olympics. He'll be writing about his preparations and giving his views on athletics leading up to the Games. CNN -- May 20, 2008 . Athletes and non-athletes alike often have the dream of going to the Olympic Games -- it's the ultimate experience in sports. He may have not finished the London Marathon, but Gilbert Tuhabonye has overcome greater setbacks. I am no exception and this year, I decided to go for it, but first I needed a qualifying time in the marathon. I decided that the Flora London Marathon was my best shot at getting a qualifying time that might land me a spot on the team of my country -- Burundi. I trained hard in the U.S. and was feeling very good about the upcoming race. A few weeks before I was heading out to London, I started to experience pain in my sciatic nerve, which started to pull at my hamstring. I continued to train and hope for the best, knowing that I have pushed my body many times before and worked through injury. When I arrived in London and tried to run, my hamstring really gave me a lot of pain, but I did not panic. I thought it was from sitting on the plane over to London from Texas for ten hours. I continued to train and to stay hydrated and hope for the best. The marathon is a race that must always be respected. You have to have a strategy and a back up plan. So, on the day of the race, I really felt good and tried to warm up. My hamstring was not cooperating. When I hit mile two, I knew that it was going to be rough and dialed back my time per mile time from 5:15 to 5:42 thinking I could make up the time later. By mile 3, the pain was so terrible, I knew that the Olympics were out of the question. At mile 4 and 5 I thought that I would just finish the race, I could not quit. Things began to get worse for me from that point. The rain had started and I was looking for the medical tent. There, they wrapped me up and told me to wait, but I just couldn't. I headed back to the course and started to walk. The rain was really coming down at that point and I became upset. My dream was washing away through my tears onto the streets of London. I had never been in this part of a marathon before, but I knew a friend who was running and I tried to find her to help her and encourage her along the way. Finally, a taxi driver saw me and double-backed, picked me up and dropped me off at my hotel. It was time to regroup and figure this out. This was not the worse thing that has ever happened to me. I have survived worse situations. Watch Gilbert Tuhabonye talk about his experiences ». I started to reflect upon the fact that every time I try and train hard for a marathon, something happens. Perhaps this is just not the right time for me. Perhaps God has something else in mind for me. I am being stubborn and pushing for something that is not supposed to be right now. Now, I am home in Austin, Texas some weeks later. Watch Gilbert coaching his Gilbert's Gazelles ». Thankfully, my hamstring was not torn. I have done physical therapy and massage therapy to repair the damage. I have been working hard at strengthening my core to support the rest of my body. I know that I still have that marathon in me, but it was not meant to be for this year. There are so many issues with these Olympics -- the humidity, the pollution and now, the terrible crisis and suffering of the Chinese people hit by the earthquake. They are the ones who need our help, our hope and our prayers.

Marathon runner Gilbert Tuhabonye writes for CNN.com leading up to the Olympics . Training has been tough and there is still some way to go if he is to qualify . Survived ethnic cleansing in Burundi to make a new life in the U.S.

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Editor's note: William Jelani Cobb is Associate Professor of History at Spelman College, and author of the forthcoming "Change Has Come: Barack Obama and the Meaning of Progress." He blogs at http://americanexception.com/ . William Jelani Cobb says Somalia's piracy problem was fueled by environmental and political events. (CNN) -- The drama of an American ship captain held hostage by Somali pirates led last Sunday's talk shows. Just hours before Maersk Alabama Capt. Richard Phillips was rescued, the piracy incident was discussed as one of the "tests" of President Obama that Joe Biden warned about during the campaign. Others wondered whether wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have stretched our military resources too thin to respond effectively to these kinds of provocations. Many expressed outrage at the brand of naval gangsterism that by some estimates generated as much as $80 million in 2008. Clearly this escalating pattern of pirate attacks may soon constitute an international crisis. But what this situation actually reveals is how little we've learned in the nearly eight years since George W. Bush declared war on terror. Somalia is like Afghanistan in that we had a great deal of interest in the place during the Cold War and more or less forgot about it afterward. The United States supported the government of Said Barre during the 1980s primarily for the same reason we began funneling aid to the Afghan rebels: anticommunism. Barre was a regional counterpoint to the Marxist regime next door in Ethiopia and strategically important enough for his human rights abuses to be tolerated. And like Afghanistan, Somalia quickly fell into disarray after the Cold War ended and the United States cut off support. During the early post-Cold War era, the United States developed a more narrowly defined set of interests and it was common to hear American foreign policy circles express disdain for "nation-building" projects. But two decades later we continue to deal with the consequences of our abrupt exit from both countries. Our fleeting humanitarian concern with Somalia ended with the downing of two Blackhawk helicopters in 1993. But that incident actually served as a kind of foreshadowing and highlighted yet another link to Afghanistan: The forces that attacked American troops in Mogadishu were reportedly linked to al Qaeda. The 9/11 attacks and Afghanistan's role in sheltering al Qaeda should have given us reason to re-examine other regions where similar blowback might take place. In short, we might well have looked at what was going on in Afghanistan after September 11, 2001, and seen trouble on the horizon elsewhere. The Somali situation was further complicated by a series of economic and ecological problems that have struck the region in the past decade. In the wake of the government collapse, the Somali coast became a target of illegal commercial fishing. This is a problem across East and Southern Africa but rampant in Somalia. According to one report, some 700 vessels were illegally operating in the region and fishing the local stock to near depletion. As recently as 2006 Somali fishermen complained to the U.N. that illegal fishing was driving them to the brink of economic collapse. To add to the burden, the coast also became a favorite locale for nuclear waste dumping. In 2005, U.N. officials confirmed that barrels containing illegally dumped nuclear waste had cracked open during the tsunami that year and begun washing ashore. The situation was widely reported by international news outlets with virtually no consequences. No matter what we think of their current methods, it's impossible to solve the piracy problem without addressing the illegal fishing issue. Somalia lacks a functioning navy -- or government. Similarly, we were not talking about the over-fishing and nuclear waste issues -- to the extent we do talk about them now -- before the Somalis began to respond in kind. These environmental violations will undoubtedly cost lives and the West has more or less ignored Somali pleas. Our intense and highly selective outrage began when the Somalis started targeting commercial vehicles. Faced with this response it's hard to avoid the conclusion that the Western consumer products, carried by these ships are more valuable than Somali lives. Given the recent history of unstable states like Afghanistan and Iraq, piracy is actually one of the milder problems we could have expected from the region. In a worst-case scenario, the region could become an incubator for terrorist cells or a depot for training international jihadists -- if it hasn't already. Resolving this problem will likely involve precisely the kind of nation-building the United States once disdained and are now engaged in with Afghanistan. They amount to the back-end costs of the Cold War. These pirates are not romantic heroes and their actions have generated an entirely different set of problems in Somalia, but they have our attention. In light of this incident we should recognize there are two sets of victims here: innocent workers taken hostage by pirates and those people living along the poisoned and depleted Somali coast who may well see these pirates as heroes. We should also know that part of combating terrorism means addressing the conditions in which it flourishes. Extortion and kidnapping on the high seas is certainly wrong, but by ignoring the dumping of nuclear waste and the threats to the regional food supply, we effectively created a niche for these pirates. And Capt. Phillips' ordeal is a clear signal that humanitarian concerns are not the soft aspects of foreign policy, but rather the key to protecting our national interests abroad. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of William Jelani Cobb.

William Jelani Cobb: Somalia piracy being seen as test of Obama's foreign policy . He says piracy developed in wake of political and environmental problems . Cobb: U.S. cared about Somalia, like Afghanistan, during the Cold War . He says U.S. lack of interest in the country helped to let piracy develop .

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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (CNN) -- Federal officials said Monday they are probing allegations by a former investigator into the deadliest terrorist attack in Argentine history that he was kidnapped and tortured by men who said they were national intelligence agents. Claudio Lifschitz shows off the scars he says kidnappers carved on his back. Claudio Lifschitz, 43, said three hooded men threw him into the back of a truck on Friday night and put a plastic bag over his head. They then questioned him on details of the probe into the bombing of the Argentine Jewish Mutual Association (AMIA) building in Buenos Aires on July 18, 1994, he said. Eighty-five people died and more than 200 were injured in one of the bloodiest anti-Semitic attacks in the world since World War II. "The police are investigating [the alleged kidnapping] as we speak," said Miguel Ambrosio, legal secretary in the office of federal Judge Rodolfo Canicoba Corral. "Once the judge heard the details of the alleged incident, he ordered an investigation to the police via telephone." Lifschitz said his abductors tortured him while asking about the AMIA investigation. "I heard the noise of a blowtorch, and that's when the worst started, and I started to feel a burn on my left arm, and I could smell my hair on my arm burning," Lifschitz told CNN. "Then I felt them slicing my back with a knife." Images of Lifschitz taken after the alleged kidnapping showed bloody marks on his back where the letters 'AMIA' had been scratched. The assailants also carved numbers into his arm; the significance of the digits is unclear. Lifschitz said he was released a few hours after being abducted. He was treated for injuries in a hospital. "They told me that I wouldn't die unless they wanted me to," he said Sunday. Lifschitz, who has also worked as a lawyer for Argentine Federal Police, is the former legal secretary for Judge Juan Jose Galeano, who headed the investigation into local connections to the AMIA bombing until he was removed from the case. Lifschitz has testified that Galeano mishandled the investigation, including allegedly making a $400,000 bribe to a key witness. Galeano was taken off the AMIA investigation in 2003 and was removed from his position as a judge in 2005. The investigation in the AMIA bombing has dragged on for nearly 15 years, with no indictments and a series of accusations of cover-ups and corruption. Argentina, Israel and the United States have blamed the Mideast-based Hezbollah terrorist organization for the attack. In March 2007, Interpol issued arrest warrants for five Iranian officials and a Lebanese national in connection with the bombing. Tehran has repeatedly denied any involvement. Former Argentine President Carlos Menem also has been investigated to see whether he was involved in a cover-up. Menem appeared in federal court Monday on an issue related to the AMIA attack investigation but declined to testify. He did submit a written statement denying that he had any involvement in a cover-up. Lifschitz said his alleged abductors were interested in the possible Iranian connection. "They started to ask about information about the SIDE (State Intelligence Secretariat) related to the AMIA attack," Lifschitz told CNN. "And then they asked me about cassettes of conversations between the Iranians. That shows that the SIDE doesn't deny that they had intercepted some phone lines with the help of some judges. "They were afraid that I had copies of these tapes and I would present them to a judge, but I told them that I don't have any copies of the tapes." Lifschitz, who said he is a non-practicing Jew, also told CNN the men were interested in his religion. "I always wear a rosary around my neck, and they grabbed me by the neck and said, 'Why are you wearing this if you're a Jew?'" In addition to the AMIA attack, a similar deadly anti-Semitic terrorist attack took place on March 17, 1992, when 29 people died and more than 250 were injured in a bombing at the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires. No one has been prosecuted in that case. Argentina has one of the world's largest Jewish populations, estimated around 250,000. Jewish leaders from around the world called for an investigation into the attack on Lifschitz. "We trust Argentine authorities will quickly find those who carried out this brutal attack on Mr. Lifschitz," said David Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee. "This awful incident undermines Argentina's important progress to bring to justice those responsible for the murderous attack on AMIA's headquarters." Earlier this month, an Argentine court ordered the seizure of property owned by a former Iranian diplomat in Buenos Aires sought for his role in the 1994 AMIA attack.

Lawyer says he was tortured by men claiming to be Argentine Intelligence agents . Claudio Lifschitz says he was abducted Friday and men scarred his arm and back . He says they asked about the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center in Buenos Aires . Police are investigating the allegations, a judge's official says .

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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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HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- In ancient China, a hat tells of social rank. For the six Ngan siblings, hats tell the story of their rise to fortune. A shop assistant displays a Beijing 2008 Olympic Games baseball cap. The Ngan siblings grew up in a poor rural village in China's Fujian province in the 1960s and 1970s in the newly established communist China. People in Fujian and elsewhere in mainland China would speak of the fortunes that could be made in the booming Hong Kong economy. Occasionally, the talk would lead some to move to the international capitalist enclave. Today, the siblings operate their own headwear making and cosmetic trading businesses. One sister's company is the only licensed headwear manufacturer for the upcoming Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. "Everybody has opportunities in Hong Kong, it's up to you if you'll take the chance, and make use of your talents," says the third and the eldest sister, Ngan Po Ling, Pauline. If the hat fits, wear it . None of the Ngan siblings wear hats regularly. They say hats don't really fit their oriental faces. The eldest brother Ngan Shun Kwing, without any other job offers, found work at a hat factory when he first arrived in Hong Kong in 1972. Four years later, Ngan Shun Kwing started his own hat company with his second brother. "Doing your own business is better than being employed," Ngan Shun Kwing, now 55, says. "I have no qualifications, nobody hires me. And, when can you earn millions as a factory worker?" The family united in 1980 when the parents and four younger siblings obtained approval to move to Hong Kong. Some of them, including their father, helped with the hat business. The company grew and later branched out to Global Headwear Ltd., which owns factories in China, Cambodia and Bangladesh with more than 10,000 workers, offices in six U.S. cities and major clients include Polo Ralph Lauren and Abercrombie & Fitch. The three Ngan brothers and some of their children manage the corporation, which has also diversified in mining and recycling. The three sisters are also entrepreneurs, but only the fourth sibling, Ngan Po Wan, Wendy, 45, is out of the headwear trade. She started Kingstar International Trading Ltd. in 1992 with her husband and the company is now the Hong Kong, Macau and China distributor of world-famous skin care products, including Guinot and La Colline. Pauline, 48, also started a company with her husband, Ngan Hei Keung. In 1986 the couple began trading headwear and promotional goods and later the company formed the group, Mainland Headwear Holdings Ltd., which was listed on Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2000. "My elder brothers' success is the spur and encouragement," Pauline says, "For us the younger ones, we follow their path." Mainland Headwear is a world leader in licensed headwear manufacturing. The company holds sole license to manufacture headwear for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, and worldwide exclusive rights to manufacture and distribute FIFA World Cup headwear in Greater China and Japan from 2007 to 2014. Watch a spokeswoman lead a tour of the plant » . Ngan Shun Kwing, Pauline and Wendy attributed their success to their parents' upbringing and tough rural life in Mainland China, which nurtured their exceptional diligence and determination in facing all challenges in life. From harsh rural life to Hong Kong . Back in the quiet life in Chishui town in Dehua, Fujian, life was very different from Hong Kong's. The siblings ate sweet potatoes in congee (rice porridge), while receiving new clothes and enjoyed meat only once a year during the Chinese New Year. At night, they hardly had electric lights on. They spoke Fujian's Chinese dialect Hokkien and the national language Putonghua. The family did small businesses. Ngan Shun Kwing and Pauline were sent to the nearby mountain Daiyun Shan to learn from farmers during the Cultural Revolution's "Down to the Countryside Movement." "The hardest life in the world is being a farmer." Ngan Shun Kwing says. "If you can endure a farmer's life in China, nothing is even harder." Pauline stayed with a family of six children whose mother died. As a young woman, she was assigned to a heavy responsibility in taking care of the family and the farm animals. "Living in a society that rejects you, abandons you, look down on you, your inside gets even stronger," Pauline says. So when she arrived in Hong Kong, she was even more determined to work hard and become a successful person. The trip headed to Hong Kong was the Ngan siblings' first time on a train. The contrast between the rural and city lives created many exciting first-time experiences for the Ngan siblings when they landed in the city -- seeing airplanes, the hundreds of lights above their heads, ringing a door bell and using a coin-operated telephone. And, the first time to learn English and Cantonese -- the dominant Chinese dialect used in Hong Kong and parts of southeast China. "We didn't even know there's something called Cantonese," Ngan Shun Kwing says. "Even a coolie [unskilled laborer] needed to speak Cantonese to get hired." Father Ngan encouraged the younger four siblings to study English. He told his children that English would secure a better career and provide opportunities abroad. "My father is a very far-sighted person." Wendy says, "He did something that helped us a lifetime. If we didn't study English, I could have worked in a factory for my whole life." In the first few years in Hong Kong, Pauline and Wendy had full days; two hours in English class, working two part-time jobs until 10 at night, and then more language studies until 3 in the morning. Although some classmates in the English class once looked down on them as mainland migrants, Wendy says she is grateful for her experiences; she says she now carries herself with greater confidence. "Now as we [classmates] meet up, they would show respect and admiration for what we've become," Wendy says. Siblings share close relationship . Despite being in the same industry, the siblings claim different clients in the headwear market and do not have direct competition. The siblings are thankful for their self-made fortune. "People respect our ... family, not because of our businesses, but our unity," Pauline says. The siblings' closeness can be understood in measurable terms: Pauline and Wendy are literally next-door neighbors; the three siblings living in the U.S. are just two to five minutes drive away. The siblings are bond by their love for work and food. When the siblings get together, they drink and chat for the entire night. They also share a favorite song -- You gotta fight, then you can win ("Ai piah jia eh iah"), originally sang in the Chinese dialect of Hokkien. The song was first published in 1988 in Taiwan, and quickly became popular among Chinese communities around the world. The song tells of the Ngan siblings' heartfelt thoughts, and of those who strived for a better living in their diasporas from villages to cities, from homeland to abroad. Pauline says she's been lucky in her life. Not many people can go through the variety of experiences she had, including the backward life in rural China, the Cultural Revolution, and Hong Kong's economic miracle. Looking back, Pauline still thinks of the "Hong Kong Dream" rather undreamed of. "Today's life is like heaven," Pauline says, "When I was a kid, when I think of a heaven, it's not even as beautiful as today's life." The Ngans joined the hundreds of thousands who defined China's first modern Horatio Alger stories. Today, Hong Kong is known as a center of international finance. However, without first establishing itself as a hotbed for the textile and manufacturing industries, the city would have never made this economic progression.

"Everybody has opportunities in Hong Kong," Ngan Po Ling, Pauline says . Mainland Chinese siblings began their fortune in headwear making . Pauline's company is the Beijing Olympics' licensed headwear manufacturer . Parents' upbringing and tough life experiences in China paved their success .

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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (CNN) -- Farmers in Argentina blocked highways and rural routes throughout the country to protest anew the lack in progress in negotiations with the government over export taxes on farm goods. Farmers stage a "tractorazo" in Esperanza, Argentina, on March 12 in protest against taxes on exports of soybeans. Argentine television news channel Todo Noticias showed images of trucks and cars stopped along rural routes in the provinces of Santa Fe and Entre Rios on Thursday. In the town of Armstrong, 250 miles northwest of the capital of Buenos Aires, protesters stopped traffic on Route 9, burned car tires and waved Argentine flags. The roadblocks were the latest in a year-long conflict between the government of President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and Argentina's large farming sector over export taxes on soybeans. Argentina is the world's third-largest soybean exporter. The country has been hard hit by recent drops in global commodities prices, as well as a severe drought. Last year, demonstrations by farmers caused food shortages and blocked farm products from leaving the country. On Thursday farmers once again mounted roadblocks after lawmakers failed to reach quorum in Congress to debate a bill that would reduce the 35 percent soybean export tax. As farmers gathered Thursday afternoon on the nation's highways, Fernandez was announcing new money-sharing measures. "Soy revenues will go to a fund that will be shared with the provinces and municipalities," Fernandez told lawmakers at the presidential residence in Olivos. "Seventy percent of the fund will be controlled by the federal government and 30 percent by governors and local officials." "It's never been our intention to take anything away from anyone," she said, alluding to complaints from farmers that the export taxes on soybeans were unfair. The president said $1.776 billion from the fund would be used for social infrastructure needs -- "schools, houses, drinking water, sewers." Fernandez cited "the moment of international crisis" as the reason for her decision to create "a federal solidarity fund." But farm leaders criticized the announcement as a political move during an election year. Fernandez has sent a bill to Congress that would move mid-term congressional elections up four months, from October to June. "The government again will lose again with ideas like these; this is an attitude that will only serve to provoke farmers," Eduardo Buzzi of the Argentine Agrarian Federation told Todo Noticias. "The people are still being strangled by these taxes."

Roadblocks are the latest in a year-long conflict over export taxes on soybeans . Lawmakers failed to reach quorum in Congress to debate a bill to cut the tax . Fernandez announces fund from soy revenues for provinces, municipalities . Farm leaders criticize announcement as election ploy .

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(CNN) -- People who go to Daytona Beach, Florida, by car this weekend will probably wish they hadn't -- they'll definitely stand out in a crowd. Bobby Mitchell, left, and Sheila Justin enjoy Bike Week in Daytona Beach, Florida. The city is being taken over by half a million motorcycle enthusiasts enjoying Bike Week, which began Friday and will end Sunday. The economy may be in a recession, but bikers aren't passing up the chance to soak up some sun and rev up their engines for a few days in Florida for the biggest motorcycle event in the country. "Every indication we've had so far is that this year's going to be a good one," said Kevin Kilian, senior vice president of the Daytona Beach/Halifax Area Chamber of Commerce. The chamber is the managing arm of the city's involvement in Bike Week, a 10-day event that Kilian said takes an entire year to prepare for. Events like Bike Week and its little brother, Biketoberfest, are what keep Daytona Beach running, Kilian said. With 8.5 million visitors each year, special events bring in about $1.3 billion. The two biker events alone generate $650 million of that, he said. The festival didn't always pack in a half-million people, though. In 1988, said Paul Crow, the Daytona Beach police chief at the time, the event had morphed into something very different from what it was when it started. He said he had to battle what he called "the 1 percent problem" -- the small group of gangs whose viciousness and threats against outsiders had allowed them to take over Bike Week. He decided he wouldn't have any more of their troublemaking, Crow said, so he created a task force that evolved into the office of special investigations for the Daytona Beach Police. Its specific purpose was to deal with the problem. Today, Bike Week has been restored as family-friendly event. The event has even drawn in other nearby Central Florida communities -- including Ormond Beach in the north and Port Orange and New Smyrna in the south -- giving bikers more events to attend and places to go. Bike Week caters to a wide demographic of people. "These are people with a lot of disposable income," Kilian said. "They can afford a $30,000 toy." Factors like the economy and this year's long hard winter probably got people more excited about Bike Week because it's a chance to get away, he said. "Everybody needs a break." Ken Logan, 50, a radio producer from Orlando, Florida, has been going to Bike Week for four years. He said he goes to "keep updated on motorcycle stuff as far as styles, what's done to them, meet people who enjoy bikes, to get patches and all the toy stuff, so to speak, and enjoy other people who enjoy the same thing." The ride from Orlando is only 35 minutes, and he said that's half the fun. "Everybody should go -- whether you have a bike or not -- at least once, just to take it in and see what it's about," Logan said. Bobby Mitchell, 52, also a radio producer in Orlando, grew up in Daytona Beach and has been going to Bike Week his entire life. He said it's been more fun in recent years, though. "It's more fun when you actually have a motorcycle," he said. "You get out there and ride alongside people. You're part of the roar, the noise." Not only is Bike Week becoming more family-friendly, but it's more diverse as well, with more women participants, said Kathleen Tolleson, president and CEO of Roar Motorcycles. There's even a "sisterhood bikeride" in which 35 to 50 women ride together. Daytona Beach-based Roar Motorcycles specifically markets accessories and motorcycles for women. This year, Tolleson said, the company is unveiling a new motorcycle designed by women and made specifically for women and their needs. "It's becoming more culturally acceptable, so more and more women are riding." she said. The bike has a lower seat so that a woman can use her legs and hips when picking the bike off the stand, and can put her feet firmly on the ground when stopped. Most bikes are designed for men, who have more upper body strength and longer limbs. "Women," she said, "need a lower center of gravity." The company is taking orders now, and the bikes will be available in six to nine months.

Bike Week in Daytona Beach, Florida, began Friday and ends Sunday . Bike Week caters to a wide demographic of people . Bike Week and Biketoberfest generate $650 million, official says .

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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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(OPRAH.com) -- The recession has millions of consumers spending less, saving more and paying off debt. The fact that we are adjusting to the reality of this economy is good news, to be sure. There are items in any budget that can be scaled back easily. Financial expert Jean Chatzky warns there are items you should not cut out of your budget. But there's some spending areas where you shouldn't budge. Retirement planning . The Pension Rights Center counted about 20 corporations in December that announced changes to their 401(k) plans. Many others have discontinued or downsized their traditional pension plans. If your company is still offering matching dollars, you should keep kicking in money to grab them. "To get that free money from your employer is so important for the long-term growth of your retirement nest egg. Especially now, with the down market, when you're dollar-cost averaging in at lower prices, that free money has more value in the long run," said Derek Kennedy, a financial planner in Cincinnati. If your company has cut back, it still pays to contribute. Also consider an Individual Retirement Account. You can get your money out any time and, after five years, use it without penalty for a first-time home purchase. Insurance . Don't cut your homeowners insurance thinking that because home values have dropped you don't need as much coverage. What you're paying for is the amount it would cost to rebuild your home and replace your belongings. If you need to save, boost your policy's deductible. Raising it to $1,000 from $500 could shave 25 percent off the cost. Exercise . Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota just completed a study that found that people who go to the gym at least eight times a month have significantly lower health costs than those who don't. You can get those same benefits by going for a brisk walk, running or riding a bike or by spending less than the cost of a monthly gym membership on a pair of dumbbells. Healthcare . Some cuts are fine -- generic drugs instead of name brand, for instance. But skipping doctor visits is a bad idea, and so is canceling your insurance. "I've seen so many people go through horrendous financial nightmares and even bankruptcy because they don't have health insurance. This is just not one you want to mess with," said Jonni McCoy, author of "Miserly Moms: Living Well on Less in a Tough Economy." Charity . Giving to others can make you feel better about yourself and your situation. If money is tight, donate items you no longer use, give canned goods, shop at thrift stores that benefit a charity or share some of your time. Oprah.com: Five steps to secure your financial future . By Jean Chatzky and Arielle McGowen, Oprah.com exclusive, March 2009 . Subscribe to O, The Oprah Magazine for up to 75% off the newsstand price. That's like getting 18 issues FREE. Subscribe now! TM & © 2009 Harpo Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Financial expert Jean Chatzky: Don't cut house insurance coverage . Continue contributions to 401(k) if your company is matching . Study finds exercise significantly cuts health care costs . Giving money, goods or time to charities can make you feel good .

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Comic book fans have been waiting for years for a film to be made of "Watchmen," the famed graphic novel about a group of misfit crimefighters battling a plot to eliminate their members while the world awaits nuclear war. Malin Akerman, who plays the second Silk Spectre, says "Watchmen" will make fans proud. Now that the film is complete and set for release Friday, the cast of the adaptation is confident the movie will meet fans' high expectations. "We've heard a few comments from diehard fans where they're just saying, 'Wow, we're really impressed,' " said Malin Akerman, who plays Laurie Jupiter/Silk Spectre II in the movie. Praising director Zack Snyder, whose resume includes the highly successful "300" and "Dawn of the Dead," Akerman said the film will make fans proud. "This is just sort of a huge feat for Zack to take on. But him being a true fan, he came in with the mind of these fanboys and really kept that in mind and I think that he did a great job," she said. "Watchmen" had a long road to the screen. The original comic book series by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons came out in 1986 and 1987 and was compiled into a book. Since then it has been considered both brilliant -- it made Time magazine's list of the 20th century's greatest novels -- and unfilmable. Watch "Watchmen" stars talk about the film at its premiere » . Rights passed from studio to studio, with any number of directors attached (including Terry Gilliam and Paul Greengrass), before ending up with Warner Bros. (like CNN, a division of Time Warner) and Snyder. A longtime fan himself, Snyder said he was determined to remain true to the book. "Zack respected the source material so much that he knew the only way to adapt it was to hew as close to the source material as possible," said Snyder's wife and producing partner, Deborah Snyder. EW: A "Watchmen" primer . Jackie Earle Haley, who stars in the film as Rorschach, said Snyder's passion for the film will lead to its success among dedicated fans. "I think the film does to the comic book film genre what ['Watchmen'] the comic book does to the comic book genre," Haley said. "I think Zack captured it ... and it's just an in-your-face, kick-butt comic book film, but it's got that extra depth, it's a little smarter." Fans of the comic book have been scrutinizing the film "every step of the way," said Jeffrey Dean Morgan. But, he added, "It's going to blow people away even with these high frigging expectations that everybody has." Indeed, there have been any number of challenges. The comic book is set in an alternative 1985 in which the United States and Soviet Union are on the verge of nuclear war, so there were period details to attend to. There are some superhero accessories, such as a flying machine nicknamed Archie, as well as the character Dr. Manhattan, a blue, extremely powerful and often naked Superman type. Carla Gugino lost herself in the part of Sally Jupiter, an early female crimefighter who is the mother of Akerman's character. That immersion -- which included age makeup for scenes in which Sally is in her 60s -- made the film easier to watch, she said. "I look at it and don't feel like I'm watching myself, which then liberates you, because I am my own worst, harshest critic," she said. "There was something about watching Sally older and I was like, 'Oh, that seems like a different woman ...' and I can sort of see her for what she is." iReport.com: Are you excited for "Watchmen"? Billy Crudup, who plays Dr. Manhattan, said seeing himself transformed with the effects of computer-generated imaging was astonishing. "I was totally flabbergasted by the level of detail and sophistication that went into making Dr. Manhattan real," he said. In some cases, the actors were as excited as they expect fans to be. Morgan enjoyed delving deep into the character of Edward Blake, or The Comedian, and said the role allowed him to live his childhood dream. "We got to play superheroes. We got to do something that I used to do when I was 12 years old," he said. "This is always the guy that I wanted to be when I was 12 and I get to do it at 40 years old." CNN.com's Elham Khatami contributed to this article.

"Watchmen" film has been anticipated since comic books in mid-'80s . Film to be released Friday; stars are proud of finished product . Actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan: "We got to play superheroes"

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(CNN) -- Thousands of taxpayers across the country aren't getting their refund or stimulus checks because criminals have stolen their Social Security numbers in an identity theft scam, CNN has learned. Some victims don't learn about identity theft until the IRS questions them about income in their name. "We see a lot of activity right now, because clearly folks who are trying to perpetrate a fraud have to get their claims in early before a true taxpayer files their return," said Nina Olsen, the national taxpayer advocate for the Internal Revenue Service. Olsen, whose independent office is set up to help taxpayers, said her office fielded several thousand complaints this year connected to the scam. The Federal Trade Commission reported that approximately 50,000 taxpayers complained about tax fraud and employment-related identity theft during 2006, compared with 18,000 in 2002. "It's a huge nightmare," Olsen said. "Basically, their life can be taken over by just about every approach, trying to prove that they are who they are and other people are not. And when you think about how central the Social Security number is to banking, to credit, to school applications, for financial aid, just for everything you can think of -- plus your taxes -- it has a significant impact on a person's life." That's what happened to Brenton King, a 25-year-old father and student from Orem, Utah. King said he was 17 when someone stole his wallet at a ski resort. Over the past four years, at least five people have used his Social Security number to report income. And since the criminals earned income on his number and never paid taxes, he and his wife, Jennifer, can't get any tax refunds from the IRS or their government stimulus check even though he reported the theft several years ago to police and the IRS. Under the government's economic stimulus plan, 130 million people were supposed to received tax rebate checks from $300 and up last year. "We want to put that money in the bank," Jennifer King said. "We want to be able to put money down on a home." The Kings said the ordeal has been frustrating because they know when they file their tax return every year that they won't get the money back that they are owed. Initially, they said, it was difficult dealing with the IRS, which they said made Brenton feel as if he were the criminal. "The fear is it will happen for the rest of our lives," Brenton King said. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Montana, said it takes the IRS an average of about a year "to sort out who is the real taxpayer." "In the meantime, the victim's tax accounts get frozen," Baucus, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said in a written statement. "The IRS issues no refund. The money that the taxpayer was planning on doesn't come. The taxpayer waits in tax limbo, for months and months." Baucus, who led a hearing into the issue in 2008, said other taxpayers don't learn that they are victims of identity theft until years later. "Victims first realize that other people are using their identities when the IRS contacts them. The IRS asks them why they did not report the income that appears on W-2 forms with their names on them," he said. And Sen. Chuck Grassley, the ranking Republican on Baucus' committee, said the IRS doesn't do enough to combat tax-related identity theft. He said the IRS does not prosecute, "and that's not very helpful. It sends a signal that you get a free pass if you're using IRS instruments." But IRS spokesman Dean Patterson called preventing identity theft "a top priority" for federal tax collectors and said, "we are committing significant resources to address the challenges posed in protecting taxpayers' identity information." "We have established a special unit dedicated to resolving tax issues incurred by identity theft victims and special tracking codes to monitor returns and prevent further fraud," Patterson said in a written statement. "Potential identity theft victims can contact the IRS if they suspect fraud." The IRS said it "vigorously prosecutes identity thieves to the fullest extent of the law using tax-related laws that result in the toughest penalties possible." The agency said it was unable to provide details of how many cases it prosecuted, however. In the meantime, the Kings have signed up with Lifelock, a private company that helps identity-theft victims. Todd Davis, the company's CEO, said cases like theirs are "like getting a disease that's incurable." "Look, once your information has been compromised, it's not like when they steal your car," Davis said. "Once they steal your car, you file a police report, you do an insurance claim or whatever it may be, you get your replacement car, it's over. Once they have your personal information, as exemplified by this couple in Utah, this information could be used over and over by multiple people."

Tax fraud reports jump between 2002 and 2006, FTC reports . Senator says it can take a year for IRS to sort out identity theft . Agency says that preventing such fraud is a priority .

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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) -- More timely now than when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2008, "Sunshine Cleaning," an agreeable, midrange independent film, makes light work of heavy burdens. Amy Adams gets to work cleaning up as Rose in the indie comedy "Sunshine Cleaning." Sisters Rose (Amy Adams) and Norah (Emily Blunt) struggle with menial jobs and periods of unemployment. Together, they're also coping with the nasty emotional residue of their mom's long-ago suicide -- a trauma that is likely responsible for their current troubles. Self-esteem isn't a strong suit for either of them. As "Sunshine Cleaning" dawns, they're both scraping by. If Norah is out of work before we've settled into our popcorn, she's not overly concerned by her situation. Rose, on the other hand, is desperate to graduate from cleaning other people's middle-class homes. It's not just that the humiliation of laundering for her old cheerleader team is getting her down; she needs the money to put her "difficult" kid (Jason Spevack) into the kind of school that will give him a chance. It's Rose's married boyfriend -- and old high school sweetheart -- Mac (Steve Zahn) who spies a new niche for the sisters. A homicide detective, he's watching the cleaning crew bag the blown brains of a shotgun enthusiast when he overhears the proprietor of the building grousing about the "three grand" it's costing him. Granted, blood and intestinal juices aren't everybody's cup of tea, but that kind of return sure beats washing Mrs. Johansson's drapes for $30 an hour. "CSM: Crime Scene Maid" isn't a job you're likely to find down at the employment office, but somebody must be doing the dirty work. Rose and Norah -- incorporated -- find that the stench takes some getting used to, and there's a whole new arsenal of cleaning fluids to master, but they get to work with a positive attitude and like to think they're doing their bit to put the world right. From this unusual setup, the movie might have skewed in any number of ways. The sisters might have uncovered evidence of corruption and murder, for instance, perhaps implicating Mac? "Sunshine Cleaning" is nowhere near so abrasive or generic as such a scenario. Written by Megan Holley and directed by Christine Jeffs ("Sylvia"), it instead puts a sympathetic, gentle comic gloss on the characters' fundamentally forgivable foibles and imperfections. Norah tracks down the daughter of one suicide (Mary Lynn Rajskub) to present her with mementos that should have been destined for the junkyard. Blunt's edgy performance keeps us guessing. Norah's a bit of a flake, but she's animated by her anger and her rebellious streak. If she's hard to read, it's because she's still young and doesn't know herself yet. Rose is easier to understand. She's determined to seize this chance to dig herself out of the hole and recapture the promise she used to see in herself. Adams has a knack for putting a brave face on things -- something about the way she tilts her chin up while her mouth goes in three directions at once. She keeps our rooting interest in Rose alive even when her choices seem misguided or naive. A subplot concerning Rose's son bonding with Joe (Alan Arkin), the sisters' lovable but infuriating father (you know the kind: He buys bulk orders of shrimp off the back of a truck) tips us too far into the realm of indie quirk. The character is a useful sounding board, and an amusing grouch, but it's just about impossible to imagine this man bringing up these girls. Ironically, for a movie that's marketed with the one-liner "Life's a messy business," Holley's script has been polished to within an inch of its life. Emotions are experienced most vividly when they're raw, but in "Sunshine Cleaning," feelings come filtered through neat-and-tidy grace notes. The film flirts with dangerous material, but it's too intent on putting the sunny side up to get its hands dirty. The way director Jeffs tells it, not only is suicide painless it can be positively feel-good. That's not to say there isn't a lot to enjoy in this well-acted and humanistic comedy. Buoyed by its up-and-coming stars and its optimistic message, it should do very nicely with discriminating audiences. ... It might even clean up.

Tom Charity: Up-and-coming stars, optimistic message buoy "Sunshine Cleaning" Two struggling sisters become a crime-scene cleanup crew . Movie presents feelings in neat-and-tidy packages, reviewer says .

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Editor's note: This story is part of an ongoing series of profiles CNN is doing about economic survival in this time of financial crisis. Married couple Lindsay De Vore and Eliot Kohan on their delayed honeymoon to Orlando, Florida. (CNN) -- At age 23 and fresh out of college, Eliot Kohan was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia. He was told he had four months to live. He survived. But the disease left him and his wife, Lindsay De Vore, who live in St. Paul, Minnesota, saddled with thousands of dollars of medical bills on top of their student loans and daily expenses. But their struggles taught them an important lesson in saving money. "When you have medical issues, it's easy to spiral into some sort of depression," the 26-year-old a technology analyst for a private contracting company in St. Paul said. "My goal was to keep moving forward. I wanted to create some stability for our us." All of that hard work saving for the past few years has paid off. The couple is elated to be closing next month on their first home in St. Paul, thanks to the troubled economy. De Vore and Kohan first told their story on CNN's iReport.com. Share your economic survivor story with CNN. The timing couldn't have been better for the couple to purchase a modest three-bedroom, one-story stucco house. De Vore and Kohan locked into a historically low mortgage rate of 4.9 percent this month. The couple selected a foreclosed home, slashing nearly $20,000 off the final price. "We wouldn't have been able to buy this house if the economy weren't the way it is," said De Vore, 25, who works in the financial aid office at a private college in St. Paul. "We were in the perfect position." There were more than 300,000 foreclosure filings reported nationwide in December, marking a 17 percent increase from the previous month and a 41 percent increase from December 2007, according to RealtyTrac, a foreclosure listing service. Meanwhile, unemployment continues to climb to rates unseen in decades. Yet the rocky economy is having a positive effect on some Americans, who are finding it the ideal time to buy a home. Similar to many married couples, Kohan and De Vore envisioned owning a house perhaps two or three years down the road, they say. Soon the couple says they noticed interest rates and home prices dipping so low that they found themselves nabbing a home as soon as they could afford the down payment. But the couple's ability to afford their first home is a story about fiscal responsibility, patience and determination. De Vore and Kohan, who met in their freshman year at St. Paul's Hamline University in 2002, moved into a two-bedroom apartment during their last year of college. For the past five years, they have remained in the same collegiate apartment, furnished with Craigslist finds and family hand-me-downs. "Money was a reason we've stayed here so long," Kohan said last week, bundled up with his wife because their apartment's heater broke. "But at a certain point, we felt like we were growing out of it in more ways than just physically. We wanted a change of pace." The couple says they've always been tight with money, keeping credit card usage limited to emergencies and being picky about what they spend their money on. But they became more "money-conscious" in June 2006, when Kohan was diagnosed with leukemia. He needed a costly stem cell transplant, and the couple did not have enough money. The sickness was evident in his frail face and bruised body. Luckily, when he went on leave from his job, his employers offered to hold his position until he recovered. Back in his hometown of Fergus Falls, a small city in western Minnesota, Kohan's family and friends threw a benefit, raising $12,000 toward the costly medical bills. He soon recovered, but the experience forced him to refocus his goals in life, including buying a house.. The couple began saving in small ways. They bring their lunch to work and eat out only once or twice a month. They cut extra expenses that many couples in their 20s enjoy, such as nights at bars with friends and date nights to the movie theater. To save on gas money, Kohan takes public transportation, a 45-minute bus ride each way, to downtown Minneapolis for work. "The house was a big motivation," says De Vore, who tracks their expenses meticulously each month. When the couple married a year after his leukemia diagnosis, she opted for a small, intimate wedding. That helped cut costs too, she said. They waited nearly nine months before heading on their honeymoon trip. Instead of a grand trip abroad, they settled for a smaller trip to Orlando, Florida. Knowing that higher education would help her earn more, De Vore is taking night classes to earn her master's degree in student affairs. Her tuition is free because she chose to attend the university where she works. By December, the couple began to realize all the saving had amounted to a down payment on a home. They wanted to invest in a home for at least 10 years, they say, so they can try to build equity. De Vore found the home through a real estate agent on her lunch break one afternoon in early January. It was "nothing fancy," she says, but the 1960s ranch-style house had a spacious kitchen and a small yard with enough space for a dog that they want. She knew instantly that it would be their new home, she says. "We worked hard. We didn't cut corners," she said. "We did everything we did to get here, and it's worth it, to our opinion."

The couple will close on their first home next month in St. Paul, Minnesota . They benefited from low mortgage rates and prices on foreclosed homes . Eliot Kohan's leukemia diagnosis helped him realize they had to start saving early . "We worked hard. We didn't cut corners," Lindsay De Vore says .

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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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(CNN) -- Watch out! Lock up your loved ones! Another bloated, over-produced, high-concept monstrosity has escaped from the labs at Dreamworks Animation, and it's out to devour your kids. Susan, aka "Ginormica," has to save the world in "Monsters vs. Aliens." But don't be too alarmed. "Monsters vs. Aliens" is relatively harmless -- a toothless satire with a knee-jerk feminist theme and a sorry excuse for a plot. That sounds harsh, I know. Who doesn't want to see a 50-foot woman careening through San Francisco on skates that turn out to be automobiles -- the ultimate demolition roller derby? But think about that, just for a second. Roller skates work because they have fixed wheels. Try it with motorcars and you won't get very far. Is that too picky? Perhaps, but you wouldn't find Pixar playing so fast and loose with the laws of physics, and that kind of inattention to detail is typical of the lackadaisical storytelling here and in other Dreamworks animated features. (The talent pool for this one includes the directors of "Shrek 2" and "Shark Tale" and the writers of "Kung Fu Panda" and "The Rocker," incidentally.) High concepts, top-notch voice talent and scattershot pop cultural references are no compensation for a coherent script. The XXXL lady in question -- dubbed "Ginormica" by her U.S. military guards -- starts out plain and petite Susan Murphy (voiced by Reese Witherspoon), until a meteorite hits her just minutes before she's supposed to tie the knot with unctuous chauvinist Derek (Paul Rudd). Her rapid growth spurt saves her from that particular fate worse than death, even if at first glance her new roommates don't look like much of an improvement. There's Dr. Cockroach (Hugh Laurie), a mad scientist who semi-advertently mutated with a bug; B.O.B. (Seth Rogen) an amorphous blue jelly-like blob who gets on just fine without a brain; Missing Link (Will Arnett), a gung-ho amphibian who's all mouth; and a giant dust mite called Insectosaurus who isn't voiced by anyone because he doesn't have anything to say. Sci-fi fans will have fun counting off the references to myriad classics -- "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "Invaders from Mars," "The Fly," "The Creature from the Black Lagoon," "The Blob," "Mothra" and "Attack of the 50-Foot Woman," for starters -- and noting a few clever bits and pieces (Kiefer Sutherland, as General W.R. Monger, riffs on George C. Scott in "Dr. Strangelove"). The trouble is, once the introductions are over, the filmmakers can only launch their desperately limp plot: The White House turns to these monstrous superheroes to save the planet from evil Gallaxhar (Rainn Wilson), a squidlike creature with four eyes and twice as many legs, and a one-eyed tin robot to do his dirty work for him. Ginormica gets a kick-butt finale, and is a much stronger character -- in any number of ways -- than the movie's president. (In a genuinely witty casting touch he's voiced by Stephen Colbert.) That may be good politics or at least a sound marketing decision from the studio's perspective -- it's been awhile since a family animated feature produced a genuinely strong female character (unless you count "Coraline," which was way too scary for my family) -- but Susan's self-esteem is an awfully long time coming. iReport.com: What do you think of 'Monsters vs. Aliens'? (Bizarrely -- and maybe it's just my imagination -- Gallaxhar bears a passing resemblance to President Obama. I wonder ... would that make Susan/Ginormica a surrogate for Sarah Palin or Hillary Clinton?) Visually, too, "Monsters vs Aliens" is undistinguished, although its shortcomings may be disguised if you seek out the 3-D version. Funny how 3-D movies tend to produce two-dimensional characters, with "Coraline" again the exception to the rule. Jocular and unpretentiously trashy, "Monsters vs. Aliens" should be a lot of fun -- and it is, in places. But the truth is it's as hung up on itself as Susan's preening fiance. Hand on heart, I had a better time at "Space Chimps." "Monsters vs. Aliens" runs 94 minutes and is rated PG. For Entertainment Weekly's take, click here.

"Monsters vs. Aliens" about Earth-born "monsters" taking on megalomaniacal alien . Film's main character is almost 50-foot woman voiced by Reese Witherspoon . "Monsters" has great talent but no script to speak of, says Tom Charity .

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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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(CNN) -- Sooner or later, James Richter knows the rabbit-ear antennas on his old-fashioned television will listen for a signal and hear nothing. Old TV sets at a California recycling center last month. Many analog TV owners aren't ready to switch to digital. The 36-year-old from Atlanta, Georgia, said he tried to convert his analog TV to digital but was turned down for a government coupon. He doesn't seem to mind. "With the economy, I don't have enough cash to do cable, so I'm just really debating whether or not I really want to make that switch to digital," Richter said. Richter will have four months longer to make up his mind after Congress voted Wednesday to delay the end of TV's rabbit-ears era. On June 12, analog TV signals will end and only digital signals will remain. Old televisions like Richter's won't accept the new form of broadcast. People with cable TV or satellite service will not be affected. The switch had been scheduled for February 17, but Congress delayed the conversion -- which had been planned for years -- to accommodate people like Richter who had not been able to update their TVs. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration offered a program to help people buy converter boxes that make old TVs work in the new era. That giveaway didn't meet demand, though, and as of late January, more than 3.2 million people were on the program's waiting list. More than 6.5 million U.S. households, or 5.7 percent, were not ready for the crossover last month, according to an estimate from the Nielsen Company. There's been little made of the people behind those numbers, though, as media reports largely have focused on the mechanics of the switch and the politics of when and how it will happen. Many of those who haven't bought converters are poor, older than 55, rural residents or racial minorities, according to Nielsen's estimates. Some of them told CNN they couldn't afford to pay for cable or satellite TV service. While a person can live without TV, some of the late converts to digital depend on television for information and companionship. "I live here by myself, so it will be a big deal for me," said Monica Lawson, a 42-year-old from rural Alto, Georgia. "Even just a couple hours a day of having that extra interaction, it's a stress reliever for me." Lawson said she got a coupon to buy the digital converter box for her analog television as soon as they became available. She's attached the box to her TV, but her signal got worse. "Basically I'm downgrading at this point," she said. "I'll go from having four or five channels I can watch on a regular basis to having one channel I can watch every now and then -- if at all." Lawson, who is a real-estate appraiser and practices kinesiology, said she can't afford satellite service because her business has dropped with the economy. She falls into a category of people who may lose their TV coverage with the switch to digital. It's likely the result of a phenomenon called the "cliff effect." While analog signals fizzle out over long distances, digital signals tend to stop completely at a certain falling-off point. "With digital, you get a great picture or nothing," said Mark Wigfield, spokesperson for the Federal Communications Commission. Some remote areas of the country could lose reception when analog signals stop in June, said Shermaze Ingram, spokesperson for the National Association of Broadcasters, an advocacy group that has been trying to inform people about the switch since 2006. On the whole, studies show more people will get TV signals than will lose them in the switch to digital, Ingram said. The National Association of Broadcasters supports delaying the change until June in part because it will cause fewer people to go without TV after the change. "There's no question that television is an important piece of the fabric of American life," Ingram said. Congress elected to delay the digital switch in part because lawmakers don't want people to go without TV. George Touchine, a 64-year-old from Gallup, New Mexico, said he has not gotten a converter coupon yet and cannot find the device in local stores. He said he will check back often, though, and hopes to be able to switch to digital in the coming days. Like Touchine, more than 12 percent of New Mexico households in the Santa Fe and Albuquerque TV market are not ready for the switch, making the area the least prepared in the nation, according to Nielsen. Being left out of the switch would be a big deal for Touchine. He is retired and says he spends a substantial part of his evening watching TV with his wife. "I just watch the news all the time, that's all I want," he said. "I get the weather, the news, what's going on -- all of it -- I want to know it." The annoyance of having to convert to digital may push Richter, the man in Atlanta, away from television entirely. iReport.com: 'You snooze, you lose' Richter said he left a bad job as a local truck driver four years ago and hasn't been able to find steady work since. He's given up luxuries like cable TV, an Internet connection and movie rentals to make ends meet. He said he applied for the free converter about a month ago but was turned down at least temporarily because all of the coupons had been given out. He doesn't buy the idea that he needs a television to alert him about emergencies or severe weather. "I do have a radio and I also have a cell phone. If something's really, really bad, someone can call me," he said. "And I figure if there's a nuclear war, it will be everywhere. Someone will let me know." If Richter eventually gets a free converter box, he'll consider joining the digital TV world. But if not, he said won't be angry at the government for the delays. He thinks he might be better off without all that extra noise.

Congress delays nationwide switch to digital TV until June 12 . Some of those who haven't switched say they can't afford to pay for cable TV . For some, TV is a companion and a source of comfort . For others, television is an annoyance. One Atlantan may not switch to digital .

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(CNN) -- Lessons learned from previous successful airliner ditchings helped pilot C.B. "Sully" Sullenberger save 155 lives when he put his US Airways A320 jetliner down in the Hudson River, a fellow pilot told CNN. An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767 is seen just before it crashes into the sea off the Comoro Islands in 1996. Twenty-three people died when an Overseas National Airways DC-9 ditched off the Caribbean island of St. Croix in 1970, and 123 were killed in the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767 off the Comoro Islands near Africa in 1996. But Emilio Corsetti, an Airbus 320 pilot and aviation author, said those ditchings were actually successful "because people were able to get out" -- 40 in the 1970 crash and 52 in the 1996 incident. More may have survived if those planes were equipped like the Airbus 320 and if passengers followed standard evacuation procedures, Corsetti told CNN. Watch how to survive a plane crash » . In fact, Corsetti said, the 1970 crash helped lead to a redesign of seat belts. The belts aboard the DC-9 were "metal-to-fabric," Corsetti said, depending upon tension to keep passengers strapped in their seats. "Those things gave out... People were thrown out of their seats 10 rows up," said Corsetti, who has written a book, "35 Miles from Shore," about the 1970 crash. On the Hudson River on Thursday, the impact was like "being inside a car that crashes," passenger Alberto Panero said. Corsetti also said that the DC-9 didn't have life raft capacity for all those aboard. Unlike the A320's escape slides, which helped dozens of passengers get out, the DC-9s rafts could hold only three or four. In the 1996 crash, the Ethiopian Airlines 767 was attempting a water landing off the Grand Comoro Island during a hijacking. The plane had run out of fuel. While it is uncertain whether there was a struggle in the cockpit, video shows the 767 nearing the ocean's surface. As it does, the plane's left engine hits a reef, Corsetti said, sending it into a cartwheel. He said the majority of the 123 who died drowned. They had put on life vests and inflated them before they could get out of the splintered fuselage, he said, and were trapped against the bulkheads as water filled the wreckage. Sullenberger had other advantages, too, Corsetti said. Putting the jetliner down into the placid Hudson River probably helped him keep the plane level. The DC-9 pilot faced 8- to 15-foot seas in the 1970 ditching and the Ethiopian jet was dealing with offshore waves. Watch a pilot describe how plane went down » . The A320 also is equipped with a ditching button, Corsetti said, which closes all valves below the waterline, enabling it to float more easily. No matter the lessons learned from the earlier crashes, US Airways passengers were happy Sullenberger was in the cockpit Thursday. "He's the man! He's absolutely the man!" passenger Vince Spera said. "If you want to talk to a hero, get a hold of him because that is the hero in this whole deal." CNN's Wayne Drash contributed to this report.

Lessons from 1970 DC-9 ditching into Caribbean, 1996 crash off Comoro Islands . DC-9 seat belt failure lead to new design; jet didn't have enough life rafts . Passengers in 1996 crash inflated vests before getting out, were trapped . A320s have a "ditching button" to close valves, allowing jet to float longer .

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