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LOS ANGELES, California -- On Earth Day on Wednesday, Dr. David Jentsch marched at the head of a column of UCLA students and faculty members to the chant of, "Stand up for science!" Across the street a smaller but equally vocal group of animal rights advocates chanted, "U-C-L-A, how many animals have you killed today!" Animal rights activists say large numbers of animals are killed each year during medical trials. Until recently, Jentsch had never dreamed he would lead a political demonstration. But Jentsch's life took a sharp turn last month when his car was firebombed in his driveway. A radical group of animal rights activists claimed responsibility for the act. "This is terror," Jentsch said. "There is no two ways about it. It's extremism. It's an attempt to intimidate." It was the latest in a string of arson attacks against UCLA researchers who use animals in medical research projects. Since 2006, there have been seven attacks aimed at researcher's homes or cars. No arrests have been made in the cases, which are being investigated by an FBI lead task force on terrorism. "We believe it's just a matter of time before someone is going to be hurt," said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Salvador Hernandez. "The intent of these groups is to intimidate and coerce." Hernandez heads up the task force investigating the series of attacks and says their actions qualify as terrorist attacks. But animal rights advocate Chris DeRose says nothing could be further from the truth . "There has never been one human being in this country being killed or even hurt," he said. He believes the university researchers are the bad guys. "What I do condemn is what goes on behind those walls," he says. DeRose, founder of Last Chance for Animals, says he doesn't condone firebombing researchers' homes, but he doesn't condemn it either. Watch people against animal research at protest » . "The reason these people are doing it is because they have been pushed ... nobody is listening ... over a hundred million animals a year are killed in universities and major hospitals in this country," he said. Jentsch argues that same medical research using lab animals has lead to many medical breakthroughs that benefit mankind. UCLA points to research advances in breast cancer treatments, Parkinson's disease and artificial heart technology that relied on experiments involving lab animals at their California facilities. Jentsch's own research involves studies aimed at treating drug addiction in humans. He studies the brains of monkeys that have been injected with methamphetamine. He says his experiments are peer-reviewed and adhere strictly to established rules for the treatment of lab animals. Watch supporters of animal research at protest » . Jentsch says that he hopes that this week's dueling demonstrations can lead to a dialogue. He believes many of the protestors voicing opposition to the UCLA labs do not endorse the string of violent acts aimed against him and other researchers, "but it is essential for them to repudiate this type of activity." In the meantime, Jentsch says he refuses to be intimidated. "I'm going to continue to live where I live, continue to educate people about my work," he said. "I'm not going to stop."

Dr. David Jentsch joins protest after his car was firebombed last month . Activists condemn use of animals as subjects for medical research . Since 2006, there have been seven attacks aimed at researcher's homes or cars . Jentsch: "This is terror. There is no two ways about it. It's extremism"

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(CNN) -- The sport of polo needs new oversight to protect its prized horses, the nation's largest animal protection organization said after reports that a pharmacy's mistake with medication may have killed 21 animals. People attend a memorial ceremony Thursday for 21 polo horses that died Sunday in Wellington, Florida. "This tragedy has brought to light the absence of drug policies and regulation within the sport of polo," said Keith Dane, director of equine protection for the Humane Society of the United States. "There are no prohibitions or testing requirements for the use of drugs or other performance-enhancing substances," Dane said in a statement. The HSUS statement called on the polo community "to use this tragedy as a catalyst to begin implementing reforms to ensure that policies are enacted and enforced that will ensure better protection for the horses in its care." But a veteran Florida polo player is urging would-be reformers to take it slow. "If you step back and look at the reality of the situation, it was a misformulation of a vitamin and mineral supplement that killed the horses, not performance-enhancing drugs," said Don Dufresne, who describes himself as an equine legal expert and horse lover. Watch what a pharmacy says happened » . "If this were a pervasive problem in polo, and if this were to happen twice in the last year or something ... then yes, I think that (regulation) would be appropriate," said Dufresne, who is a member of the sport's equine welfare committee but emphasized he was not speaking for the panel. "I don't see this as a pervasive problem," he said. "We have no reports to my knowledge of anyone using performance-enhancing drugs other than vitamins and mineral supplements." The sport's governing body, the U.S. Polo Association, has been considering taking up such testing for several years, John Wash, operations president of the club where the horses fell ill Sunday, said this week. "People are calling for reform, and maybe that needs to happen," he said. A tearful memorial ceremony for the horses was held Thursday evening at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida. As part of the service, bagpipers played and people tossed flowers into a pond on the grounds. Watch scenes from the memorial » . Play resumed in the U.S. Open Polo Championship after matches were postponed by the horse disaster Sunday and rain Wednesday. A veterinary pharmacy in Florida acknowledged Thursday that it incorrectly prepared medication used to treat the 21 horses that died. An internal investigation by Franck's Pharmacy in Ocala, Florida, "concluded that the strength of an ingredient in the medication was incorrect. We will cooperate fully with the authorities as they continue their investigations," the company said in a statement issued Thursday afternoon. "We extend our most sincere condolences to the horses' owners, the Lechuza Polo team and the members of the United States Polo Association. We share their grief and sadness," the pharmacy's chief operations officer, Jennifer Beckett, said in the statement. The pharmacy said it prepared medication for the horses on orders from a veterinarian. Many teams commonly give horses injections of vitamin B12 and other nutritional supplements before competitions to prevent muscle cramps and help them recover after the match, Dufresne said. "When you talk about polo ponies, we consider them equine athletes," he said. "A horse is so important to your game as a player, you want the horses to be as healthy as they can be, to last as long as they can. ... "You don't want to overexert a horse. A tired horse is an unsafe horse." The pharmacy that made the error is likely to be sued, which should put all pharmacies on sufficient notice to prevent future errors, he said. "Everybody wants to ensure that what their horses are getting is correct and is not going to harm their horse. I thing everybody is going to become more aware of this and more cautious." Liz Compton, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, told CNN that the agency is awaiting toxicology results from the animals and could not comment on the pharmacy's disclosure. "Obviously, we are going to follow any and every potential lead to get to the bottom of this," she said. The horses were trained by Lechuza Polo, a Venezuela-based team. Its captain, Juan Martin Nero, told an Argentine newspaper earlier this week that he had "no doubts" vitamins administered to the animals were at fault. "There were five horses that did not get the vitamin, and those were the only ones that survived," Nero said. Post-mortem examinations done by a University of Florida laboratory found significant hemorrhaging in several horses, but the findings did not single out a specific cause. CNN's Jim Kavanagh and Kim Segal contributed to this report.

NEW: Regulation not necessary after simple mistake, polo veteran says . NEW: Likely lawsuit should prevent similar errors, equine legal expert says . Ponies' deaths demand reform, head of organization's equine unit says . Pharmacy in Ocala, Florida, says it made mistake with dosage .

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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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ISTANBUL, Turkey (CNN) -- Fethiye Cetin was 25 years old when she discovered her beloved grandmother's secret. Fethiye Cetin, with her grandmother, said she felt deceived when she learned her origins. The little old lady in the white headscarf was Armenian. Her real name was not Seher, but Heranus Gadarian. Cetin says at the age of nine, a Turkish gendarme captain ripped Heranus from the arms of her mother while they were on a brutal death march into the desert. A Turkish couple later adopted the Armenian girl, and gave her a Muslim name. When Cetin first learned about her grandmother's Armenian origins, she was shocked. "I felt deceived," she says. "I felt like going out into the street and screaming 'they are lying to us.'" Instead Cetin, a Turkish human rights lawyer, wrote a book titled my "My Grandmother." It describes the atrocities that Cetin's grandmother witnessed and suppressed since childhood. It also recounts Cetin's reunion, after her grandmother died, with Armenian relatives in the United States. The book, which has been translated into six languages, is helping chip away at a taboo in modern-day Turkey about what happened to the Armenians in the final days of the Ottoman Empire. According to the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul, in 1914 there were more then 2,000 Armenian churches scattered across what is now Turkey. Today, there are fewer then 50. Between 1915 and 1918, as Europe and the Middle East plunged head-long into World War I, Ottoman authorities organized mass deportations that led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Armenians living in eastern and central Anatolia. Watch more on this story » . Every April 24, Armenians around the world commemorate the anniversary of what they call the "Armenian genocide." They say more then a million Armenians were killed in the massacres. The Turkish government vehemently rejects the figure. "The people of Turkey do not believe that their ancestors were criminals, were killers," says Onur Oymen, a former ambassador who is now a member of the Turkish parliament. "The historical fact says that the Armenians killed during this period more then 500,000 Ottoman citizens, Turkish citizens." "Regardless of whether 1,000 people were killed or one person was killed, it was still a human" says Cetin. "I wrote this book to say that people felt pain, people suffered in 1915 -- to look at the events from a humanitarian perspective." The battle over history continues to claim victims. On January 19, 2007, Cetin's friend and client, Armenian newspaper editor Hrant Dink, stepped out of his office on to a busy boulevard in Istanbul to go to a nearby bank. He was gunned down in broad daylight by a 17-year-old Turkish ultra nationalist. Television cameras filmed Dink's body that afternoon, lying on the sidewalk covered with newspapers. "Hrant Dink was defending democratization. Hrant Dink was supporting dialogue. And at the same time Hrant Dink was destroying the taboos of the system," Cetin said. "Therefore Hrant Dink was dangerous for them and he was an important target." Before his murder, Dink received a six-month suspended jail sentence for "insulting Turkishness," after he wrote an essay urging Armenians and Turks to overcome their mutual distrust. He was battling another court case at the time of his death, after he labeled the massacres of 1915 "genocide" in an interview. He was quoted by the Reuters news agency saying: "Of course I'm saying it's a genocide, because its consequences show it to be true and label it so. We see that people who had lived on this soil for 4,000 years were exterminated by these events." An estimated 100,000 Istanbul residents poured into the streets in solidarity after Dink's murder, some of them chanting "We are all Hrant Dink." But today, his surviving son is still defending himself in court for his father's genocide comments. During his visit to Turkey this month, President Obama was asked whether he would follow through on a campaign pledge to recognize what happened to the Armenians nearly a century ago as genocide. Obama said his views had not changed on the subject, but added: "What I want to do is not focus on my views right now but focus on the views of the Turkish and the Armenian people. If they can move forward and deal with a difficult and tragic history, then I think the entire world should encourage them." Twenty-eight-year-old Aris Nalci, one of the new generation of Armenian journalists in Turkey inspired by Hrant Dink, said he opposed a proposed resolution in the U.S. Congress to formally recognize the Armenian genocide, arguing it would only hurt U.S.-Turkish relations. "People and politicians in other countries are using this in a political way," says Nalci. "It will not change the minds of the people walking in the streets and the people living here." But there is one area where the tiny -- and shrinking -- community of some 70,000 Armenians still living in Turkey is praying for American help. During a short meeting with Obama, Armenian Orthodox Archbishop Aram Atesyan urged him to do everything in his power to help Turkey and its northern neighbor Armenia normalize diplomatic relations. Borders between the two countries have been shut since 1993, but the two countries have recently engaged in a diplomatic rapprochement. On April 16, Turkey's foreign minister traveled to the Armenian capital to attend a regional summit. "Turkey is our motherland and Armenia is our fatherland," Atesyan explained. "And we are like orphans, stuck in between."

Disagreement over events in 1915 continue to divide Turks and Armenians . Armenians say one million were killed in genocide . Turks reject claim that their forebears were involved in genocide .

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Editor's note: Nancy G. Brinker is the founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, named after her only sister, Susan, who died from breast cancer in 1980. The organization describes itself as the "world's largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find cures." Brinker served as Ambassador to Hungary in 2001 and Chief of Protocol of the United States during the Bush administration. Nancy Brinker says a bill by Sens. Ted Kennedy and Kay Bailey Hutchison would renew the fight against cancer. (CNN) -- During his first address to a joint session of Congress, President Obama urged a new effort "to conquer a disease that has touched the life of nearly every American, including me, by seeking a cure for cancer in our time." It was a call to action that resonated for me, as it's a cause I've dedicated my life to pursuing. Nearly three decades ago I promised my sister, Suzy, who died at age 36 from breast cancer, that I would do everything I could to end the disease that took her life. A couple of years later, I too was diagnosed with breast cancer, at age 37. Fortunately my cancer was detected and treated much earlier than Suzy's, and it was much smaller and not nearly as aggressive. Following a mastectomy and four rounds of chemotherapy, I am now a 25-year survivor. We have made a lot of progress since the 1980s. We now have a basic understanding of breast cancer, which is the foundation for discovering the cures. And with this new understanding, we're moving toward more personalized treatments -- as each patient and each tumor is different, their treatment must reflect those differences. Yet while we are in position to experience significant advances, the sad fact remains that we are still facing an enormous cancer crisis -- cancer will claim the lives of more than a half-million people this year -- about 1,500 people a day. In all, 40 percent of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives, including approximately 1.4 million new cases this year alone. With the graying of the Baby Boom generation, we are about to experience a cancer tsunami. Thus I was inspired to hear our new president call for reigniting our nation's war on cancer. And it didn't take long for a bipartisan group of senators to answer that challenge. The group, led by Sens. Edward Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, and Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, who have been working together and in close consultation and collaboration with the cancer community for more than a year, introduced the 21st Century Cancer ALERT (access to life-saving early detection, research and treatment) Act. This bill is an effort to address our shortcomings and renew our commitment to discovering and delivering the cures to cancer. In a period where Democrats control both the Congress and the White House and true bipartisanship is a rare and precious commodity, I am grateful to both senators, particularly Hutchison, for ensuring that this was a true partnership, and that everyone had a seat at the table. For Kennedy, this is obviously a personal issue. Hutchison has been with us in this fight since our early days, and this would not have happened without her leadership. The first step in saving lives is in detecting cancer early. If breast cancer is a guide, developing effective early detection techniques is critically important to increasing mortality rates. For example, when my sister died, only 77 percent of women who discovered their cancer before it spread beyond the breast survived at least five years. After nearly three decades of investments and advancements, the five-year survival rate has increased to 98 percent. Unfortunately, many cancers still do not have effective early detection methods. Ovarian cancer is a particularly devastating example: There is no screening diagnostic, thus a diagnosis is most often made after the cancer has spread. According to the American Cancer Society, when ovarian cancer is detected locally, the survival rate is 92 percent; however, only 1 in 5 cases are detected at this stage, dropping the overall five-year survival rate to only 45 percent. Mortality rates are even more disturbing for lung and pancreatic cancers. This has to change. This legislation seeks to address this by placing an emphasis on early detection and promoting the discovery and development of biomarkers so cancers can be detected at the earliest possible stage, when cancer is most treatable. It will also strengthen the cancer research process by promoting public-private partnerships and collaboration between government agencies. And the bill stresses translational research, so new discoveries and breakthroughs in the laboratory make their way to patients' bedsides as quickly as possible. At the same time, we have to remind ourselves as we push for science to develop the early detection methods that will save lives tomorrow, millions of our friends and loved ones do not have sufficient access to the detection and treatment methods available today. Tens of millions of people are uninsured and lack access to basic health care. Federal and state programs that provide support to underserved people with cancer are dramatically underfunded, leading to huge gaps in access. Even those with insurance often have difficulty accessing life-saving treatments, whether it is because they live in a rural community, have language barriers or are faced with roadblocks to participating in a clinical trial. The Cancer ALERT Act will begin to improve access to cancer care for underserved populations by expanding access to clinical trials and patient navigation services. One thing I've learned over this journey is that we can do anything if we just put our minds to it and show that we are committed to success. This effort is an important and promising step in showing that discovering and delivering the cures for cancer is still a national priority, and that we are committed to seeing it through. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Nancy Brinker.

Nancy Brinker: I made promise to my sister who died of breast cancer . A cancer survivor, Brinker says she's dedicated herself to fighting the disease . She says new legislation would go far toward energizing fight against cancer .

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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport was back in operation late Thursday after lightning hit the control tower and severe storms knocked out power to the area. The control tower and three of the airport's five runways were open, said Kathleen Bergen, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration. All systems were running on emergency generator power. A ground stoppage was already in place for arriving or departing flights when lightning struck the tower at 8:45 p.m., according to Bergen. People evacuated the tower and a smoky odor was investigated. At 9:10 p.m., the all-clear was given and controllers returned to the tower, she said. But at 9:20 p.m., the tower and parts of the airport were hit by a power outage. The outage affected all the airport's runway lights, Bergen said. During the outage, planes headed to Atlanta from other airports were being held on the ground, Bergen said, and arrivals were circling or being diverted to other airports. Atlanta's airport is one of the world's busiest.

Lightning strikes a control tower at Hartsfield airport as people evacuated . Power outage follows lightning after severe storms roll through Atlanta area . Outage affects runway lights; arriving planes diverted or told to circle .

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SEATTLE, Washington (CNN) -- Saana Nyassi considers himself lucky. Saana Nyassi is a player for the Seattle Sounders soccer team. He is also a malaria survivor. He is fortunate not just because he has a natural talent for soccer and the dedication to rise through the ranks in his native Gambia and eventually go to the United States to play for the Seattle Sounders. Before leaving the tiny West African nation for America, Nyassi contracted malaria. "It's a killer disease," the midfielder, 20, says. "You lose appetite. You are throwing up all the time. Your body gets warm. It's very serious." Nyassi recovered. But nearly a million people -- mostly young children and pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa -- do not survive the disease, according to the National Institutes of Health. On Saturday, before their game against the San Jose Earthquakes, Nyassi and his teammates will mark World Malaria Day by giving a check for $20,000 they raised for Nothing But Nets, a U.N. Foundation-sponsored campaign to supply anti-malarial bed nets to some of the poorest parts of the world. Watch how researchers are fighting malaria » . Nothing But Nets buys and delivers each bed net for about $10. The nets prevent mosquitoes from biting people while they sleep and passing on the parasite that causes malaria. Even though malaria was been wiped out in the United States, it still rages in countries in Africa, Asia and other developing parts of the world. "The challenge is enormous because of the size," says Dr. Regina Rabinovich, director of Infectious Diseases Development at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which so far has dedicated over $1 billion to fighting and preventing malaria. Rabinovich, who also contracted malaria during a visit to Gambia, says the Gates Foundation is waging a war against the disease on several fronts. "Keeping people from getting bitten by a mosquito, that's what a bed net does," she says. "Not having the mosquito thrive, that's what insecticide does. By treating them, you keep someone else from being infected by another mosquito bite." While malaria can be treated, getting that treatment to people suffering from the disease who are often in remote places and with little access to health care is not always easy. There is no vaccine to prevent malaria. But Rabinovich argues that cases of malaria can be greatly reduced even before a vaccine is discovered. "The really interesting thing about malaria is that they haven't depended on a magic silver bullet," she explains. "Bed nets protect you about half the time, spraying protects you. It's been the combination of prevention and treatment that's effective. When we have a malaria vaccine it will join that toolbox." That malaria vaccine could potentially come from a temperature- and humidity-controlled vault nicknamed "the swamp" at the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute. There, larvae imported from India are carefully hatched into mosquitoes. Using funds from the Gates Foundation, Dr. Stefan Kappe is trying to genetically engineer the parasite that causes malaria and create a vaccine from it. With the vaccine that Kappe is working on, the malaria parasite would be unable to pass from the liver, where the parasites multiply, into the blood. "We call this the 'you-can-check-in-but-cannot-check-out' approach," Kappe says. "The immune system learns [and] is trained to recognize it -- and when the real parasite comes in, the one that can infect you, your immune system is very quickly able to eliminate it." If it is successful, the vaccine that Kappe is formulating will aim to prevent malaria every time it is administered -- a crucial element to fighting a disease that is passed from person to person by mosquito bites. "You need to break transmission, you need to break the ability of the parasite to move to the mosquito and from the mosquito back to humans," he says. "This liver infection is a great place to attack. If you prevent infection right there, then humans don't become infected, the mosquito that bites them the next time can also not become infected and cannot bring the disease to another person." The vaccine has already been proven effective 100 percent of the time in studies with mice, Kappe says. Now the researcher will begin human trials of a potential vaccine. Or, as he calls it, taking the difficult leap "from mice to men." Until there is a vaccine, prevention and remedies as simple as bed nets will be crucial. Success playing soccer means Sanna Nyassi no longer needs to be wary of malaria, but that hasn't made him forget those that do. "I was born poor," Nyassi says. "But things are getting better for me. I have to look back at the other ones."

Professional soccer player is also survivor of malaria . Saana Nyassi and Seattle Sounders teammates raise funds to fight malaria . Researcher looks for vaccine that can break malaria's transmission cycle . "I have to look back at the other ones" who are born poor, soccer player says .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Without seeing the water, the weather, or even his own boat, Dick Lancaster steered a 25-foot yacht to a silver medal at a sailing world championships this month. Crews from Italy and Australia do battle in the recent Blind Sailing World Championships in New Zealand. Lancaster's remarkable feat came at the recent Blind Sailing World Championships on Lake Rotorua, New Zealand. His silver medal added to two golds he has won at previous championships. The New Zealander, who gradually lost sight until he became completely blind in the last couple of years, is also the chairman of Blind Sailing New Zealand. Lancaster told CNN that sailing for the blind and visually-impaired is growing around the world. There is also hope that the sport may get its own category at the Paralympics. "This year's event was as big as it has ever been. We had ten countries represented and most countries sent three teams." Attendance would have been stronger had it not been for the challenging financial climate, which had prevented some nations from traveling to New Zealand for the event, he said. Since the inaugural world championships in 1992, events have been held in Australia, the U.S., the United Kingdom, Italy and New Zealand. At this world championships Lancaster was sailing in the "B1" class which is for the blind, while the "B2" and "B3" classes have lesser levels of visual impairment. So, how exactly do blind and visually-impaired people manage to sail a large racing boat? Lancaster explained that it is not as difficult as it may sound. "We sail with a four man crew. There is a blind person at the helm and another blind person on the mainsheet. There is also a sighted tactician, who's not allowed to touch anything, and a fourth sighted crew member. "The most challenging thing for me has been the last few years when I have gone from B2 to B1 (blind). You have to rely on your feel a lot more now,"he said. Even though he is unable to see, Lancaster says it's not impossible. "There are plenty of people who sail at night-time -- so it's not too difficult." Contrary what many may presume, Lancaster said there were not too many crashes during races, though some areas of the course were challenging. "At the start line and when you're going around a mark it gets pretty exciting at times. There's inevitably a few prangs on the water -- but I don't know if there's any more than in other sailing." New Zealand won the overall team trophy at the event.

The Blind Sailing World Championships were held in New Zealand this month . Blind and visually impaired sailors work with sighted crew aboard the vessels . The competition has been running since 1992 .

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Editor's note: The following story about "The Reader," by necessity, contains spoilers. If you'd rather not know about the plot, stop reading now. Kate Winslet and David Cross star in "The Reader," which has received criticism from some quarters. LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- One major contender's chances at Oscar gold may be damaged due to its sensitive subject matter. "The Reader," which is up for five Oscars -- including best actress (for star Kate Winslet) and best picture -- is being slammed by "Explaining Hitler" author Ron Rosenbaum, who's asked Academy members to shun the post-World War II drama because the film "asks us to empathize with an unrepentant mass murderer." Rosenbaum, who wrote his commentary for Slate.com, said that's not his only reason. "It gives the impression that ordinary German people only learned the terrible things that happened in the death camps in the East after the war," he said in an interview with CNN. "In fact, ordinary German people participated in Hitler's final solution, the extermination of the Jews -- it was no secret." Read Rosenbaum's essay . Based on the German book with the same title, "The Reader" stars Winslet as Hanna Schmitz, a former Nazi prison guard living in postwar Germany. She meets and has a secretive affair with teenager Michael Berg (David Cross), who often reads aloud to her at her request. Unbeknownst to Michael, Hanna is illiterate. Their affair ends abruptly when she mysteriously disappears. Eight years later, Michael is a law student. One day, while observing Nazi war criminals on trial, he's shocked to find Hanna as a defendant in the courtroom. The court finds her guilty of killing 300 Jewish women during the war and sentences her to life in prison. While behind bars, Michael sends her books on tape, which, over time, help Hanna finally learn to read. Therein lies the problem for Rosenbaum. "What essentially it did," said Rosenbaum, "was celebrate the enrichment of a life of a mass murderer when she learned how to read. ... Imagine if there were a film about Charles Manson learning how to play chess and what a better guy it made him." However, others in the Jewish community are applauding the film, including Ken Jacobson, deputy national director of the Anti-Defamation League. Jacobson says "The Reader" opens itself up to criticism, but is worthy of an Oscar at the same time. "I think it conveys a series of messages that actually are very powerful about the Holocaust, and it's not in the usual way," Jacobson told CNN. "As time goes on, as we have Holocaust deniers emerging more and more, we need people to be able to relate personally to what happened," said Jacobson. "I think this film does this in a very powerful way." The Weinstein Company, the studio behind "The Reader," says it is proud of the film. "It is sad that some people misinterpreted the film's message," the company said in a statement. "It is not about the Holocaust," the company added, "it is about what Germany did to itself and its future generations." Will Rosenbaum's piece, and the backlash he touched off, affect "The Reader's" Oscar chances Sunday? Entertainment reporter Tom O'Neil, who follows awards shows for the Los Angeles Times' TheEnvelope.com, doesn't think so. Given "The Reader's" five nominations, he believes Hollywood has already embraced the film. "Oscar has taken special notice of 'The Reader' because it's not just your average Holocaust movie," said O'Neil. "It doesn't beg for forgiveness when dealing with Nazis. It makes you think." Still, Rosenbaum says any further accolades for the drama would be unfortunate. "I would be very disappointed in the intelligence level of Hollywood if it gave the best picture award to 'The Reader,' " he said.

Plot of "The Reader" involves a former Nazi prison guard . Film is up for five Oscars, including best picture and best actress . Author says film asks audiences to "empathize with ... mass murderer"

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(CNN) -- For most Americans, mosquitoes are pests whose bites leave behind itchy bumps. But in other parts of the world, mosquitoes carry a disease called malaria that kills more than a million people each year. Mosquitoes, especially those in Sub-Saharan Africa, may transmit malaria to humans. A new malaria vaccine that's about to begin human clinical trials is dependent on mosquitoes -- a whole lot of them. Bioengineers have been growing millions of mosquitoes in a sterile environment, letting them feed on malaria-infected blood, irradiating the bugs, extracting the disease-causing parasites and storing them for use in vaccines. The announcement of the Food and Drug Administration's approval for clinical trials comes just days before World Malaria Day, which is Saturday. Check out the World Health Organization's site about malaria goals worldwide . The vaccine is unique among other candidates in that it uses the entire parasite and not just parts of it, said Dr. Stephen Hoffman, chief executive and scientific officer at Sanaria Inc., the Maryland-based biotechnology firm developing the vaccine. This technique was first shown to be effective in the 1970s, but the technology didn't exist to mass-produce it for the millions of people who need it, said Dr. Kirsten Lyke, principal investigator in the clinical trial site at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. At that time, people were immunized by being bitten by the irradiated mosquitoes. "That is the only effective vaccine that anyone has ever really developed that works and does complete protection," said John Dame, chair of Infectious Diseases and Pathology at the University of Florida, who is not involved with the Sanaria trials. The vaccine takes the same basic approach as standard vaccines in use for diseases such as measles and polio. In those vaccines against viruses, weakened bacteria is injected, creating an immune response without causing illness. In the Sanaria vaccine, the body recognizes the malaria parasite as a foreign material, Lyke said. It goes to the liver, where a lot of the immune response is generated, but does not develop into a disease because the mosquito was irradiated, she said. Clinical trials will begin in May, Hoffman said, and will include 80 immunized individuals and 24 controls. About 3,000 mosquitoes were used to produce the vaccines for the first clinical trials, he said. If these trials are successful, researchers will initiate trials on adults in Africa, and then children. Among other vaccines in clinical trials currently, the one that is furthest along is RTS,S, developed by GlaxoSmithKline PLC. The company announced in December that this vaccine, based on a recombinant protein that uses part of the malaria parasite, was safely administered to African infants, with an efficacy of 65 percent in a three-month follow-up. Both the Sanaria and the GlaxoSmithKline projects receive support from the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative, a program at the nonprofit PATH established through an initial grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Dame, who used to be involved with the GlaxoSmithKline vaccine, said he would guess the Sanaria vaccine will be more effective, but clinical trials will provide more information. He also noted that mass distribution to developing countries would require appropriate infrastructure, and may be more difficult depending on how long the immunization lasts. Each year, 350 million to 500 million cases of malaria occur worldwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most people who die from the disease are young children in Africa south of the Sahara. Symptoms of malaria include fever, chills and flu-like illness, the CDC said. Although preventive measures exist, such as insecticide-treated nets and medications, there is no licensed vaccine on the market. Moreover, effective treatments are largely too expensive for the people who need them in poor countries. The parasite has become resistant to cheaper treatments, Lyke said. "Individuals living on $1 or $2 a day can't even afford $8 medication," Lyke said. The U.S. military also has a keen interest in a malaria vaccine. The antimalaria drugs available have side effects such as stomach aches, said Dr. Tom Richie, director of the Navy component of the U.S. military malaria vaccine program, who provides oversight to the clinical trials. "Malaria has been one of the most significant infectious threats to our military personnel when we deploy to tropical areas," Richie said. The disease was the leading cause of casualties in the South Pacific theater during World War II, and also a major problem in the Vietnam War, he said. There are five species of the malaria parasite known to infect humans. One called Plasmodium falciparum causes the vast majority of cases. Malaria was eliminated in the United States in 1951, but there are still cases in the country, mostly from people who acquired it in high-risk countries. In 2002, there were 1,337 cases of malaria in the U.S., and all but five had been acquired abroad. An international team at the Malaria Atlas Project recently published what researchers say is the most comprehensive map ever illustrating global malaria risk. Researchers told CNN the map offers hope that it is possible to eradicate the disease in many parts of the world. Hoffman, former head of a U.S. Navy malaria vaccine team, started the Sanaria effort himself in the breakfast room of his house in 2003. The company now has a more official corporate headquarters in Rockville, Maryland. "I thought that the world needed a malaria vaccine, there was no question this was the best way to make one," he said.

Sanaria Inc. is developing a malaria vaccine that uses the whole parasite . Concept is akin to live virus vaccines, such as those for polio and measles . The method had been tried in the 1970s but wasn't feasible on mass scale . The most advanced malaria vaccine, by GlaxoSmithKline, has been tested in Africa .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- The FBI has begun interviewing clients of deceased Garden City, New York, lawyer William Parente as part of an investigation into his financial dealings, according to FBI spokesman James Margolin. Stephanie Parente, 19, was found dead along with her sister and parents in a Baltimore hotel Monday. Margolin said the investigation was launched at the request of police in Baltimore County, Maryland, where Parente, his wife and their two daughters were found dead in a hotel room earlier this week. "We're looking into Parente's business interests and whether there's any impropriety there and any crime was committed," Margolin said. Baltimore County police say Parente, 59, killed his family before committing suicide. There have been allegations of financial impropriety in the course of the investigation, said police spokesman Cpl. Mike Hill at a news conference Wednesday. A law enforcement source told CNN a cell phone belonging to Parente was recovered in the hotel room where the bodies were found. In an attempt to locate surviving family members, investigators contacted people in the phone's directory, and some of those people said they were Parente's investment clients. The New York attorney general's office confirmed it received a complaint alleging financial wrongdoing from attorney Bruce Montague of Queens, New York. CNN spoke with Montague's law partner, Steve Drelich, who said he was speaking on Montague's behalf because Montague is distraught over the death of Parente, whom he considered a personal friend as well as a financial adviser. Drelich confirmed Montague was a client of Parente's, and said the two had known each other about six years and that Montague had been investing with Parente for about that long. Drelich said Montague's estimated losses in investments with Parente total about $450,000. Drelich said recently Montague "got nervous and asked [Parente] for his money back," in light of highly publicized scandals involving other investors and financial advisers. Drelich said when Montague kept asking Parente about the money, he was told "it was in a Canadian bank and [Parente] was having trouble getting the money back." Montague finally received six checks late last week, Drelich said. "Four of the six checks bounced. We were told there was no money in the account. ... We were told by the bank that the checks were bouncing," Drelich told CNN. Drelich said he doesn't know the amounts of the two checks that did clear for Montague. It was not until news broke about the Parente family deaths and apparent murder-suicide investigation that Montague contacted authorities, Drelich said. But Drelich emphasized that Montague was more upset with the deaths than any financial loss. "You can always make more money," Drelich said. "But Bruce is devastated about the family. He considered [Parente] a friend, but he's especially concerned about the family." Drelich said his office received calls from at least five other people who said they invested money with Parente, with callers claiming more than $4 million in total investments with Parente. Drelich said his office referred those callers to the state attorney general's office. Baltimore County police said Parente killed his wife, Betty, 58, on Sunday, April 19, using "blunt force trauma" and asphyxiation. Police said he killed his daughter Catherine, 11, around the same time, using the same method. Later that day, his daughter Stephanie, 19, a Loyola College sophomore, was killed also by blunt force trauma and asphyxiation, according to police. Citing hotel records, police said the room was accessed by its electronic key at around 4 p.m. on Sunday, making it plausible that Stephanie entered the room. Later that evening, police said, Stephanie's college roommate, worried that she had an exam the next morning and hadn't come home, called the room and spoke to William Parente. Parente told the roommate Stephanie would be spending the night. Police believe she was dead at the time. Parente died some time later by cutting himself, police said, but would not elaborate further on his death.

FBI looking for financial impropriety after man's clients talked about money loss . Police say William Parente killed wife, two daughters in hotel room . Family ID'd as William and Betty Parente, Stephanie, 19, Catherine, 11 . Police say Parente, an attorney, fatally cut himself .

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LA PAZ, Bolivia (CNN) -- An agreement aimed at ending violence and bloodshed that has erupted in Bolivian provinces has been reached between President Evo Morales and provincial governors, officials announced Tuesday. Leopoldo Fernandez Ferreira, governor of Pando province, talks to reporters a day before his arrest. The announcement on Bolivian television came just hours after the military arrested the governor of one of five provinces where violent clashes have occurred in the past three weeks, saying he had committed genocide in the deaths of 30 peasants. Gov. Leopoldo Fernandez Ferreira of Pando province was picked up at his office in Cobija and placed on a military plane for La Paz, the Bolivian capital. He did not resist. Groups in Pando and four other Bolivian provinces, backed by the local governors, have demanded greater autonomy and clashed with supporters of the federal government. Federal authorities say the 30 people who were killed Friday were federal supporters. Bolivian President Evo Morales said the arrest was legal and constitutional. "This arrest is within the framework of the state where it happened, within the constitutional framework and no one can oppose it," Morales said at a news conference at the presidential palace. Officials said more arrests are possible. "We will work day and night to avoid any more deaths or terrorist acts," presidential minister Juan Ramon Quintana said in another news conference. "We will do everything we can to arrest those who have committed terrorist acts." As news of Fernandez's arrest spread across the country, many citizens talked about who else could be on the government's "black list," as they were calling it. Besides demanding greater autonomy, opposition leaders in the five provinces want the cancellation of a constitutional referendum that would give the president more power. The opposition also is angry over tax money that Morales is diverting from the provinces to fund programs for the elderly. Learn more about the Republic of Bolivia » . Morales has said the opposition leaders are trying to overthrow the government. "This is a coup in the past few days by the leaders of some provinces, with the takeover of some institutions, the sacking and robbery of some government institutions and attempts to assault the national police and the armed forces," Morales previously said. Opposition leaders say they merely want their demands met. On Tuesday, they warned that Fernandez's arrest could destroy a shaky truce with the government. The arrest came hours after Morales returned Monday night from a quick trip to Chile, where presidents of the 12-nation Union of South American Countries met to discuss the Bolivian crisis. Watch leaders meet to discuss Bolivia » . Confronting its first crisis, the four-month-old UNASUR voted to create a commission to support Morales' democratically elected government, said Chile's president, Michelle Bachelet. She read a nine-point statement on Chilean TV that calls for the support of human rights and democracy and the preservation of Bolivia's territorial integrity. The statement condemns any attempts to overthrow the government. It also said the new commission will investigate the peasants' deaths. UNASUR is modeled on the European Union and aims to politically and economically integrate South American countries. On Tuesday, the United States announced it is organizing emergency evacuation flights for Americans in Bolivia and urged them to leave if the situation permits. A statement from the U.S. Embassy in La Paz said U.S. citizens need to sign an agreement to pay later for the cost of the flight. The embassy said some commercial flights are still available, although American Airlines suspended some flights until Sunday. The United States also continued to urge Americans to delay traveling to Bolivia. Morales expelled the U.S. ambassador last week, accusing the American government of inciting the violence. The expelled ambassador, Philip Goldberg, called the charges "false and baseless" and said Bolivia was making a "grave mistake." On Monday, the Peace Corps temporarily suspended operations in Bolivia because of "growing instability" there. All Peace Corps volunteers in the country have been moved to Peru. "Our first priority is the safety and security of our volunteers," Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter said in a written statement. Protests started 21 days ago in Pando, Beni, Santa Cruz, Tarija and Chuquisaca provinces. The opposition groups have blockaded major roads and threaten to disrupt the nation's natural gas shipments, particularly to Brazil and Argentina. Anti-government protesters also have clashed with police and taken over offices and buildings in the five provinces. Much of the violence has taken place in Pando, where Morales declared martial law Friday. Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president, was elected in December 2005.

NEW: Deal aimed at ending weeks of violence . Bolivian military accuses governor of genocide . 30 peasants killed Friday in clashes in Pando province . U.S. urges its citizens to leave Bolivia, announces emergency evacuation flights .

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(CNN) -- The homeless Florida woman who made a tearful plea for help from President Obama earlier this year is still jobless and struggling financially. President Obama greets Henrietta Hughes during a town hall meeting in Fort Myers, Florida, on February 10. Henrietta Hughes caught the nation's attention in February when she cried for help during one of Obama's town hall meetings. After her plea, Hughes was given a free home to live in temporarily, but she is still struggling to find a job and might soon lose that home, CNN affiliate WINK reported Thursday. Hughes, who is in her 60s, faithfully goes to an employment center in Fort Myers in hopes of finding a job. "It's almost our second home," Hughes told WINK. She and her son have taken a computer class at the center to help land work. Hughes said she has applied for as many jobs as possible but has struck out. Her son has had no luck either. Now Hughes says she feels time is running out. The home she lives in was donated by the wife of a Florida lawmaker, Chene Thompson, who has been trying to sell the vacant home in the Fort Myers suburb of Lavelle since 2006. Once the house sells, Hughes will have to leave. But Thompson told CNN that she will do everything in her power to make sure Hughes is not back out on the streets even if her house sells. "I've told Miss Hughes ... she will never again be homeless, even if I have to personally assist her with her rent," said Thompson, who is a longtime advocate of the homeless. Thompson said Hughes reminds her of her grandmother and that she and her son are "upstanding, good-hearted people." "Her concern is that she doesn't want to be a freeloader," Thompson said, but Hughes and her son have helped deter vandals who have targeted vacant homes in the area. "They really are a blessing for me," Thompson said. But Hughes told WINK that she worries that she could end up living in her truck again if she has to move without a job. Her plea to Obama came as he promoted his economic stimulus plan at a town hall meeting in southwest Florida. After talking about the plan, the president opened the floor to questions from the crowd. "I have an urgent need -- unemployment and homelessness, a very small vehicle for my family and I to live in," Hughes said at the time. "The housing authority has two years' waiting lists, and we need something more than the vehicle and the parks to go to. We need our own kitchen and our own bathroom. Please help." Hughes said her son had lost his job, leaving them homeless. Obama gave Hughes a kiss on the cheek and a promise: "We're going to do everything we can to help you, but there are a lot of people like you."

Homeless Henrietta Hughes made tearful plea for help from President Obama . Hughes still jobless, was given a free home but fears she will lose it . Hughes and son striking out on jobs despite retraining, visits to job center . Obama told Hughes he would help, "but there are a lot of people like you"

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(CNN) -- An adoptive mother has been charged with murdering her 9-year-old quadriplegic daughter, prosecutors in Michigan said Friday. An official says Shylea Thomas, 9, had a "suffocation issue" at 3 weeks old that made her quadriplegic. Lorrie Thomas was charged with second-degree murder and child abuse in the death of Shylea Myza Thomas, said John Potbury, an assistant prosecutor with the Genesee County Prosecutor's Office in Flint, Michigan. Thomas is also charged with tampering with evidence. Thomas, who is the girl's biological aunt, made no immediate public statement. Police found the girl's body this week, stuffed inside a garbage bag in a public storage facility in Vienna Township, near Flint, said Genesee County prosecutor David Leyton. The bag was covered in mothballs "in an apparent attempt to mask odors from the dead body," Leyton's office said in a news release. "This is a very sad and tragic case that hurts all of us involved in the ongoing investigation," Leyton said. Shylea had not been seen in six weeks, but relatives did not report her missing until Tuesday, Leyton's office said. Thomas had been taken into custody earlier this week and held as a suspect. Because of her physical disabilities, Shylea had to use a feeding tube. She suffered from quadriplegia because of a "suffocation issue" in her crib at 3 weeks of age, Leyton said. Leyton said Shylea and other relatives had lived in "absolutely filthy" conditions. Relatives told CNN affiliate WJRT that they remember Shylea as a happy child who loved music and had an infectious smile. "The last memory I actually have of Shylea is seeing her when she was in my care," said her second cousin, Josette Thomas. "She was on the bed listening to the radio and smiling. Those are actually the memories I want to keep in my head. I don't want that memory to leave me."

NEW: Adoptive mom charged with murder of quadriplegic girl, 9 . Lorrie Thomas also was child's biological aunt . Shylea had not been seen in six weeks, was reported missing Tuesday . Body was found in mothballs and trash bag at Michigan storage facility .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Drugmaking giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has agreed to buy independent U.S. skincare specialist Stiefel Laboratories for up to $3.6 billion. The new business will operate under the Stiefel identity within the GSK Group. In a statement Monday, the two companies said the deal would create a new world-leading specialist dermatology business with combined revenues of $1.5 billion. Under the terms of the agreement GSK will acquire the total share capital of Stiefel for $2.9 billion. GSK also expects to assume $400 million of net debt upon closing. A further $300 million cash payment will be made depending on future performance. GSK's existing prescription dermatological products will be combined with Stiefel's and the new specialist global business will operate under the Stiefel identity within the GSK Group. The new business will have a broad portfolio of dermatology products including Stiefel's leading brands: Duac, for acne, Olux E for dermatitis and Soriatane for the treatment of severe psoriasis. GSK's key dermatology brands include: Bactroban, Cutivate and the recently launched Altabax. Stiefel, part-owned by buyout firm Blackstone Group, is the world's largest independent dermatology company, with a range of prescription and over-the-counter products. According to Reuters.com it was put up for sale a month ago and attracted interest from a number of large pharmaceutical companies, including Novartis and Johnson & Johnson. Following the announcement, GSK Chief Executive Andrew Witty said: "As part of our strategy to grow and diversify GSK's business, we are continuing to make new investments through targeted acquisitions. This transaction will create a new world-leading, specialist dermatology business and re-energize our existing dermatology products. "The addition of Stiefel's broad portfolio will provide immediate new revenue flows to GSK with significant opportunities to enhance growth through leveraging our existing global commercial infrastructure and manufacturing capability. We look forward to working with Stiefel to develop this exciting opportunity."

GSK is the world's second-largest drugmaker . U.S.-based Stiefel is world's largest independent dermatology company . GSK will acquire total share capital of Stiefel for $2.9 billion . Global business will operate under Stiefel identity within GSK Group .

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(CNN) -- Senior Bush administration officials authorized aggressive interrogation techniques -- including forced nudity and waterboarding -- on suspected terrorists, despite concerns from military psychologists and attorneys, according to a Senate report released Tuesday. The Senate report focuses on the authorization to use aggressive techniques to interrogate detainees. "The fact is that senior officials in the United States government solicited information on how to use aggressive techniques, redefined the law to create the appearance of their legality, and authorized their use against detainees," said the report, which reveals new details about prisoner treatment at U.S. military prisons in Cuba, Afghanistan and Iraq. "Those efforts damaged our ability to collect accurate intelligence that could save lives, strengthened the hand of our enemies and compromised our moral authority," the report said. The full report on the Senate Armed Services Committee investigation was declassified Tuesday by the Defense Department, less than a week after the Obama administration released several Bush-era memos detailing the use of such techniques. "In my judgment, the report represents a condemnation of both the Bush administration's interrogation policies and of senior administration officials who attempted to shift the blame for abuse ... to low-ranking soldiers," Sen. Carl Levin, D-Michigan, chairman of the Senate committee, said Tuesday. "Claims, such as that made by former Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz that detainee abuses could be chalked up to the unauthorized acts of a 'few bad apples,' were simply false." The Senate report said that in December 2001 the Defense Department's General Counsel's Office solicited information on the "exploitation" of detainees from the federal agency charged with training U.S. troops on how to withstand enemy interrogation techniques considered illegal by the Geneva Conventions. The inquiry to that agency, the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency, was submitted more than a month before then-President George Bush signed a memo stating that U.S. military personnel "shall continue to treat detainees humanely and, to the extent appropriate and consistent with military necessity, in a manner consistent with the principles of the Geneva Conventions." The Senate committee's investigation was largely focused on the influence of a Joint Personnel program called "Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape." The program is used to train U.S. soldiers how to resist enemy interrogation, and employs harsh techniques such as forced nudity, use of fear, sleep deprivation and -- until last year -- waterboarding. The Senate report said Bush administration officials green lighted the use of Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape techniques on detainees -- despite warnings from military psychologists against doing so. The report includes an e-mail from an Army psychologist. "[T]he use of physical pressures brings with it a large number of potential negative side effects ... If individuals are put under enough discomfort, i.e. pain, they will eventually do whatever it takes to stop the pain," said Lt. Col. Morgan Banks, the senior Army Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape psychologist, in an October 2, 2002, e-mail to personnel at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Levin said the program is supposed to prepare troops in the event they are captured and subjected to abusive interrogations, and that it was "never intended to be used in the interrogation of detainees in U.S. custody." In a section titled, "The Department of Justice Changes the Rules," the Senate report noted that less than a week after the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency sent the Defense Department information about the interrogation techniques, the Justice Department issued two legal opinions signed by then-Assistant Attorney General Jay Bybee. The first opinion "presented a narrow interpretation of what constituted torture under U.S. law," the report said. The memo said that to constitute torture, physical pain would have to match the intensity of that accompanying "serious physical injury, such as organ failure, impairment of bodily functions or even death." The opinion said the administration could defend itself against the federal anti-torture statute by arguing necessity or self-defense. The second opinion concerned the interrogation of a specific detainee, al-Qaeda operative Abu Zubaydeh, and concluded that 10 different techniques -- including sleep deprivation and waterboarding -- did not violate prohibitions against torture. Last week, the Obama administration released the second Bybee opinion -- which the Senate committee did not have access to during the investigation -- and three others written by then-Deputy Assistant Attorney General Steven Bradbury in May 2005. Bradbury's opinions concern hypothetical situations with the same interrogation techniques, as well as some others not mentioned in the 2002 memo. Those memos also conclude, for varying reasons, that the techniques did not violate prohibitions against torture. The Senate report reveals new information about Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape use on accused enemy combatants held at Guantanamo -- which President Obama plans to close within a year. "By early October [2002] there was increasing pressure to get 'tougher' with detainee interrogations" at Guantanamo, according to testimony cited in the Senate report from a military behavioral scientist, Maj. Paul Burney, who worked with interrogators at the facility in Cuba. So, Burney and a colleague drafted a memo proposing aggressive interrogation techniques at the facility. The scientist testified that Guantanamo's intelligence chief told him the memo needed to contain coercive techniques or it "wasn't going to get very far," the report said. Levin said that despite "serious legal concerns raised by the military service lawyers," Defense Department General Counsel Jim Haynes recommended that then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld approve 15 of the interrogation techniques -- including stress positions, removal of clothing, use of phobias (such as fear of dogs) and deprivation of light and auditory stimuli. After Rumsfeld's December 2, 2002, approval, senior Guantanamo staff issued a memo on the use of aggressive techniques, saying, "The premise behind this is that the interrogation tactics used at U.S. military SERE schools are appropriate for use in real-world interrogations," according to the report. The report details how Rumsfeld's approval prompted interrogators in Afghanistan and Iraq to adopt the aggressive techniques. Military officials essentially copied and pasted interrogation policies from Guantanamo, and posted them as their own in Afghanistan and, ultimately, Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. In September 2003, U.S. Central Command lawyers raised concerns about the interrogation techniques authorized for Abu Ghraib, which included stress positions, sleep deprivation and exploiting fears of dogs, the report said. The report reveals a newly declassified September 16, 2003, e-mail from a CentCom lawyer, Maj. Carrie Ricci, who warned that "Many of the techniques appear to violate [Geneva Conventions] III and IV and should not be used. ..." Dozens of military personnel who served at Abu Ghraib confirmed that the interrogation techniques cleared by Rumsfeld had made their way to the prison, according to the Senate report. An Army dog handler at Abu Ghraib told military investigators in February 2004 that "someone from [military intelligence] gave me a list of cells, for me to go see, and pretty much have my dog bark at them. ... Having the dogs bark at detainees was psychologically breaking them down for interrogation purposes." The Senate report said that an interrogator told military investigators in May 2004 that it was "common to see detainees in cells without clothes or naked" and said it was "one of our approaches." Levin noted that, despite the revelation of widespread use of aggressive and abusive interrogation techniques, there is still the question of whether the senior officials who approved the policies should be held accountable. Obama on Tuesday left open the possibility of criminal prosecution, saying it would be up to Attorney General Eric Holder to decide whether to prosecute the former officials. "With respect to those who formulated those legal decisions, I would say that is going to be more a decision for the attorney general within the parameter of various laws and I don't want to prejudge that," Obama told reporters. "There's a host of very complicated issues involved there. As a general deal, I think we should be looking forward and not backwards. I do worry about this getting so politicized that we cannot function effectively and it hampers our ability to carry out critical national security operations."

Lawyer's e-mail says, "Many of the techniques appear to violate" Geneva Conventions . Investigator says "one of our approaches" was to keep detainees naked . Report: Officials encouraged use of stress positions, phobias, deprivation of light . Techniques came from program used to train troops to resist enemy interrogation .

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(CNN) -- A man in northern Idaho says he has seen a massive hand of God in his life, and he is willing to share it with the highest bidder. Paul Grayhek says the "Hand of God" appeared in his backyard in March. Paul Grayhek, 52, listed the rock formation he dubbed the "Hand of God Rock Wall" on the online auction Web site eBay. The highest bid was $250 early Sunday, with three days left to go in the auction. The hand-like formation, approximately 9 feet tall and 4 feet wide, appeared in Grayhek's backyard after a rockfall during Lent on March 8, he said. The Coeur d'Alene resident said he faced tough times after losing his job, and believed the rock was a sign. "I prayed between licking my wounds and looking for a job," he said. "We rarely get rockfalls and this formation is 20 feet from my house. It's definitely a symbol of the hand of God in my life." However, the winning bidder on eBay should not start clearing out his backyard. Grayhek is not planning to part with the formation. The buyer will "basically be buying the rights, complete and exclusive rights" to the rock, including literary and movie rights, according to Grayhek. Grayhek said he plans to use the money from the sale to pursue an unpaid internship in counseling when he graduates with a master's degree in social work in two years. "People think I'm some holier-than-thou person trying to get rich. I'm not," Grayhek said. "The purpose is to spread the story of God and eBay is just a vehicle."

Idaho man places "Hand of God" rock for sale on eBay . Paul Grayhek says hand-like formation appeared in his backyard during Lent . Winning bidder on eBay would get "exclusive rights" to rock .

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- TV talk show host Jay Leno fell ill and checked himself into a Los Angeles, California, hospital on Thursday, his representative said. NBC cancels tapings of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on Thursday and Friday after Leno became ill. Tracy St. Pierre would not disclose the nature of Leno's illness. Leno will be 59 on Tuesday. NBC canceled tapings of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" scheduled for Thursday and Friday, she said. The network will rerun the March 26 show on Thursday, which features a musical performance by Prince and interviews with actors Paul Giamatti and Emma Roberts, according to the show's Web site. Actor Ryan Reynolds, animal trainer Jules Sylvester and swing band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy had been booked for Thursday's show. CNN's Anderson Cooper, anchor of "Anderson Cooper 360," was scheduled to appear on Friday's show. The network did not announce which show would be broadcast on Friday. CNN's Jack Hannah contributed to this report.

Jay Leno's representative, Tracy St. Pierre, would not disclose illness . Network cancels tapings of Thursday and Friday night shows . Leno will be 59 years old on Tuesday .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- French scientists have unveiled a working prototype of a fully artificial heart which is based on the technology of satellites and airplanes. The artificial heart based on satellite and airplane technology was presented in Paris. The device could save millions of lives and beats almost exactly like the real thing using electronic sensors to regulate heart rate and blood flow. Developers Carmat, funded by the European space and defense group EADS, presented the device at a press conference in Paris on Monday. Carmat's chief operating officer Patrick Coulombier told The Associated Press: "it's the same principle in the airplane as in the body." Coulombier explained that the same tiny sensors that measure air pressure and altitude in an airplane or satellite are also in the artificial heart. This should allow the device to respond immediately if the patient needs more or less blood. The French design has so far only been tested in animals, and now needs approval from its authorities before pushing ahead with clinical trials. Previous artificial hearts have been unable to automatically vary their pumping speed and must be tweaked externally. The French heart is also the most lifelike, with two pumps to send the blood into the lungs and the rest of the body, just like a real heart. Past artificial hearts have only had one pump. The French model is made from natural materials including polymer and pig tissue, which have already been used in heart valves implanted into people. The artificial heart would initially be for patients who had suffered a massive heart attack or who had heart failure, but might eventually be used in patients who are not that sick. Heart disease is the world's top killer, claiming some 17 million lives a year. According to the American Heart Association, about 2,200 heart transplants were performed in the U.S. in 2006. Thousands more patients would benefit if more donor hearts were available. The artificial heart is expected to cost about 150,000 euros or $192,140.

French scientists have unveiled a working prototype of a fully artificial heart . The design is based on the technology of satellites and airplanes . It could save millions of lives as heart disease kills 17 million a year .

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LONDON, England -- Malaria is one of the world's worst health problems and one of its biggest killers, with half a billion people affected every year, according to the Roll Back Malaria partnership. Around half a billion people are infected with malaria every year. Ninety percent of those cases are in Africa. Saturday marks World Malaria Day, when the world commemorates global efforts to eradicate the disease. Below CNN's Vital Signs has produced a complete A - Z guide to how malaria spreads, the symptoms to look out for and how to protect yourself. A is for Anti-malarial drugs The history of anti-malarial medicine has been marked by a constant struggle between evolving drug-resistant parasites and the search for new drugs. Currently, anti-malaria experts are focusing on therapies that combine several drugs for better effects. B is for Blood stream Once a mosquito has bitten and the malaria parasites reach the liver, the parasites divide and create thousands of mature parasites. These are released into the blood and infect red blood cells. At that point, typical malaria symptoms such as fever and anemia develop. C is for Chloroquine Until recently, Chloroquine, an anti-malarial drug, was the first option for many people because of its relatively low price and effectiveness. However, resistance to Chloroquine in many parts of the world has rendered the drug ineffective. D is for Diagnosis After noting your symptoms and travel history, your doctor will likely obtain a sample of your blood for observation. Two blood samples, taken at six- and 12-hour intervals, can usually confirm the presence of the malaria parasite and its type. It is possible to be infected by more than one parasite at the same time. E is for Epidemic According to the World Health Organization (WHO), large and devastating epidemics can occur when the mosquito-borne parasite is introduced into areas where people have had little prior contact with the infecting parasite. These epidemics can be triggered by wet weather conditions and further aggravated by floods or mass population movements driven by conflict. F is for Fever The most common symptom of all types of malarias is high fever, which is why doctors often misdiagnose malaria for flu. The fever is a reaction to toxins in the blood. It is therefore advised to tell your doctor you have been to a malaria affected zone, even if symptoms arise months after the trip. G is for Genome In 2002, -- hundred years after it was discovered that mosquitoes transmit the malaria parasite -- the complete genetic codes of both the human malaria parasite and the mosquito that spreads it was cracked. This development brought scientists a step closer to developing drugs and vaccines to fight the disease, Nature magazine reported. H is for Hotspots Most cases and deaths are in sub-Saharan Africa, many of them occurring among children. However, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and parts of Europe are also affected. In 2006, malaria was present in 109 countries and territories. I is for Immunity Travelers from malaria-free regions such as Europe and the United States, with little or no immunity, who go to areas with high disease rates, are particularly vulnerable. It is essential to take precautions by taking anti-malarial drugs prescribed by your doctor. J is for Julius Wagner-Jauregg Julius Wagner-Jauregg, a Viennese doctor, was the first to intentionally infect syphilis patients with malaria parasites. By controlling the subsequent malaria-related fever with an anti-malaria drug, the effects of both syphilis and malaria could be minimized. Jauregg received the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1927. K is for Killer Malaria is a life-threatening disease but it is preventable and curable if the right steps are taken. Education in recognizing the symptoms has reduced the number of cases in some areas by 20 percent. Recognizing the disease in the early stages can stop the disease from becoming a killer. L is for Laser gun U.S. scientists say they are developing a laser gun that could kill millions of mosquitoes in minutes. The laser fires at mosquitoes once it detects the audio frequency created by the beating of wings, the lead scientist on the project told CNN. The project is being funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. M is for Mosquitoes Malaria is caused by the bite of the female Anopheles mosquitoes. The mosquitoes bite between sunset and sunrise and parasites from the mosquito are then injected into the person's skin and transported to the liver. About 170 species of such parasites exist, but only four cause malaria in humans. N is for Nets The distribution of mosquito nets with insecticide is a very effective method of malaria prevention, and it is also one of the most cost-effective methods. These nets can often be obtained for around $3. Earlier this month, actor Ashton Kutcher won a Twitter race against CNN to reach 1 million followers. Kutcher had pledged 10,000 mosquito nets to charity if he beat CNN, and 1,000 if he lost. CNN agreed to do the same. O is for Obstacles In many endemic areas, access to health facilities, as well as drug costs, still present major obstacles. Humanitarian agency Medecins Sans Frontieres estimates that the cost of treating a malaria-infected person in an endemic country was between $0.25 and $2.40 per dose in 2002. P is for Pandemic For malaria to become a pandemic (plague) in an area, several factors have to be present: high human population density; high mosquito population density; high rates of transmission from humans to mosquitoes and from mosquitoes to humans. Q is for Quinine Quinine was the first effective treatment for malaria in the 17th century. Since the 1940's, many other anti-malarial drugs have appeared on the market and have taken precedent over quinine. But quinine is still being used to treat malaria in some cases. R is for Repellent The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says inspect repellents with DEET (most common active ingredient in strong insecticides) in them should be used on exposed skin and flying-insect spray can be used to kill mosquitoes in the sleeping area. DEET may be toxic, however and should be used with care. S is for Symptoms Fever is not the only symptom of malaria. Other symptoms can include shivers, headaches and nausea. Sweating and exhaustion is also common and in some cases, it can affect the brain or kidneys. T is for Tablets Malarone is a common anti-malaria drug among many travelers. It is said to have a 97 percent efficacy with relatively few side-effects. It can be given just one day before arrival in a malaria endemic country and only needs to be taken for another week after leaving. U is for Unborn child According to the WHO, pregnant women are at high risk of contracting malaria. The illness can result in high rates of miscarriages and cause more than 10 percent of maternal deaths annually. This figure can rise to 50 percent in cases of severe disease. V is for Vaccine Despite intensive research, no effective malaria vaccine has been developed to date. But according to a report in April's New Scientist journal, a unique vaccine taken from the saliva of infected mosquitoes has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to be tested in people. W is for World Malaria Day April 25 has become World Malaria Day to provide a global effort to control malaria around the world. The international malaria community only has two years left to meet the 2010 targets of delivering effective protection and treatment to all people at risk of malaria, as called for by the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon. X is for X-ray X-ray microscopes are used to find the presence of malaria in red blood cells and see how they interact with healthy cells. One of the advantages of this type of microscope is that it produces very-high-resolution images of the cell structure. Y is for Yellow fever Yellow fever is another disease transmitted by mosquitoes. Some countries, such as Peru, require a certificate showing yellow-fever vaccination before you can travel there. Z is for Zanzibar Zanzibar, part of the African republic of Tanzania, has had relative successes in combating malaria; Africa's biggest killer according to the New Scientist journal. The achievements are due to the widespread use of treated bed nets, along with the switch to new anti-malarial drugs instead of Chloroquine in 2004.

World Malaria Day on April 25 highlights the danger of malaria and calls for action . According to the WHO there were 247 million cases of malaria in 2006 . 880,000 people died of malaria in 2006, a preventable and curable disease .

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(CNN) -- She said she was a scapegoat. She said she was just following orders. She said she was demoted unfairly. Retired Army Col. Janis Karpinski was one of two officers punished over Abu Ghraib. Now, retired Army Col. Janis Karpinski can say: I told you so. Karpinski was one of two officers punished over the aggressive interrogations at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Pictures of detainees caused outrage around the world when they were leaked to the news media in May 2004. The photos showed naked prisoners stacked on top of each other or being threatened by dogs or hooded and wired up as if for electrocution. Throughout the ordeal, Karpinski maintained that she and her troops were following interrogation guidelines approved by top brass. Today, Karpinski has found validation in a few Bush-era memos released last week by the Obama administration. "The outrage was over the photographs, because the photographs were living color of what those top-secret memorandums authorized," Karpinski said in an interview Wednesday. "So, it is unfair ... the soldiers may have moved through [the military justice] system, but they never had a fair court-martial. Not any one of them, because they were condemned as one of the 'bad apples.' " Karpinski, then a brigadier general and commander of Abu Ghraib, was demoted to colonel because of the scandal. A second officer, Col. Thomas Pappas, the commander of the military intelligence unit assigned to Abu Ghraib when the offenses occurred, was relieved of duty and fined in May 2005. Seven low-ranking guards and two military intelligence soldiers -- described by then-Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz as "bad apples" -- were disciplined. The memo, by then-Assistant Attorney General Jay Bybee and then-Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Steven G. Bradbury, allowed the use of such tactics as keeping a detainee naked and in some cases in a diaper, and putting detainees on a liquid diet. One memo said aggressive techniques such as waterboarding, sleep deprivation and slapping did not violate laws against torture absent the intent to cause severe pain. "I will tell you that when I read those memorandums, when they were first released a few days ago, I did -- I did feel this sense of being able to exhale after five years," Karpinski said. "That is what we have been saying from the very beginning, that, wait a minute, why are you inside pointing the finger at me, why are you pointing the fingers at the soldiers here? There's a bigger story here." The Senate Armed Forces Committee released a report Tuesday, five days after the memos were released, stating that senior Bush administration officials authorized aggressive interrogation techniques on suspected terrorists, despite concerns from military psychologists and attorneys. The report points to then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's approval of such techniques -- including stress positions, removal of clothing, use of phobias (such as fear of dogs), and deprivation of light and auditory stimuli -- in December 2002 for detainees at the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. His OK prompted interrogators in Afghanistan and Iraq to adopt the aggressive techniques. The guidance was delivered to Abu Ghraib by then-Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller, who was summoned to Baghdad from Guantanamo to evaluate the prison system. "We had a myriad of problems in our -- in the prison system, not with detainees who were undergoing interrogations, but with Iraqi criminal prisoners," Karpinski said. "And instead of coming to give us support, he was sent specifically to work with the military intelligence interrogators to teach them the harsher techniques that were being used down in Guantanamo." Shortly before he left office in late 2006, Rumsfeld said the day the Abu Ghraib scandal broke was the worst in his tenure as defense secretary. "Clearly the worst day was Abu Ghraib, and seeing what went on there and feeling so deeply sorry that that happened," he said at the time. "I remember being stunned by the news of the abuse." But Karpinski said the condition of detainees at the prison should have come as no surprise for the Bush administration. "I think it was torture, absolutely. You know, I was never inside an interrogation room where they were conducting interrogations, but I read the memorandums many times over," she said. "Waterboarding is torture." Karpinski said that while she was the commander of Abu Ghraib, she didn't personally witness any of the interrogation techniques. "The first time I saw the photographs was at the end of January [2004]," she said. Karpinski said she was ordered by Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, the U.S. commander of operations in Iraq at the time, not to discuss the photographs or the investigation with anybody. Now, despite any relief felt by the release of the memos and the Senate report, Karpinski said she will have a hard time shaking off the humiliation and disgrace brought on by the Abu Ghraib scandal. "I think that, you know, you cannot dismiss five years of having to live under these accusations," she said, "and people associating my name and these soldiers' names with what they were so unfairly accused of." CNN's Rick Sanchez contributed to this report.

Retired Army Col. Janis Karpinski was punished over Abu Ghraib interrogations . Abu Ghraib photos showed naked prisoners and prisoners with dogs . Memos from Bush administration reccommended such tactics . Karpinski says she and other disciplined soldiers were treated unfairly .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Obama administration told a federal court late Friday it will maintain the Bush administration's position that battlefield detainees held without charges by the United States in Afghanistan are not entitled to constitutional rights to challenge their detention. Former detainees pray near Kaubul in 2005 following their release from U.S. custody at Bagram Air Base. "Having considered the matter, the government adheres to its previously articulated position," said a Justice Department document filed in federal court in Washington. In a controversial 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court last year ruled that detainees held at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay had a right under the constitution to challenge their continued detention. However, the court did not say whether it applied to prisoners in other locations abroad, including Afghanistan. Five prisoners held at Bagram Air Base, backed by human rights groups, have gone to court to claim the same rights as the men detained in Guantanamo Bay. The new administration, which was given a month by a federal judge to declare whether the government wants to change its position, has now indicated it will continue to argue that it is against its security interests to release enemy combatants in a war zone. Barbara Olshansky, lead counsel for three of the detainee petitioners, said that the administration's decision was "deeply disappointing." "We are trying to remain hopeful that the message being conveyed is that the new administration is still working on its position regarding the applicability of the laws of war -- the Geneva Conventions -- and international human rights treaties that apply to everyone in detention there," she said. The air base at Bagram, located north of the city of Kabul, houses between 600 and 650 detainees. Most were picked up for suspected ties to terrorism.

Justice Department: U.S. "adheres to its previously articulated position" Lead counsel for detainees in Afghanistan calls decision "deeply disappointing" New administration was given a month to review detainee rights in theater of war .

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(CNN) -- Two senior Indian officials met with the Sri Lankan president Friday in Colombo to address the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn island nation. A Sri Lanka army photo of what it says are refugees fleeing a rebel area. Shiv Shankar Menon, the Indian foreign secretary and M.K. Narayanan, the national security adviser, met with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, according to A.M.J. Sadiq, a foreign ministry official in Sri Lanka. He did not provide further details. "The Indian message was just short of reading the riot act," a source told CNN. Significant numbers of people have been killed or wounded in a Sri Lankan offensive against the faltering Tamil Tiger rebel movement, and thousands are trapped by the fighting, the United Nations said Wednesday. "Given that the area has shrunk even further, the potential for further significant casualties still remains," the U.N. said in a statement. The Sri Lankan army launched an operation against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam in the country's northern area Monday, and a deadline for the rebels to surrender passed Tuesday. Government troops say they have rescued 39,000 civilians trapped in the area, but tens of thousands more remain wedged on the island's northeastern coast. The area remains controlled by the rebels, the U.S. State Department said Tuesday. The Tigers have been fighting for an independent state in Sri Lanka's northeast since 1983. As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began, and the group has been declared a terrorist organization by 32 countries, including the United States and the European Union. Thousands of civilians remained threatened, Pranab Mukherjee, India's foreign affairs minister, said in a statement Thursday. He called for an end to hostilities in the area. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said it is helping the government in the regions of Vavuniya and Jaffna, with emergency shelters and distribution of aid. There are about 38 internally displaced persons sites and authorities are working to come up with more land and buildings for more displaced people. "UNHCR remains deeply concerned about the estimated 50,000 people who are still trapped inside the conflict zone where fighting is intensifying," the organization said. "We urge the government to exercise extreme caution in its military actions and calls upon the LTTE to allow displaced people to leave the area immediately," the UNHCR said.

Senior Indian officials meet with the Sri Lankan president . U.N. says "significant number" of dead and wounded in Sri Lanka offensive . Humanitarian agency says aid cut off to more than 80,000 .

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Could your cell phone be bad for your health? Maybe. But not because it's zapping your brain. More homes are using just the cell phones, which limits the CDC's ability to collect health data. According to a report released this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as one-quarter of homes in certain areas, such as Oklahoma and Utah, lack a landline and are completely reliant on cell phones. While that's terrific news for reducing the cost of phone bills, it may not be so great in terms of health-- or at least health care in general. The CDC often relies solely on landline phones when conducting large, state-based health surveys, conducted every year to determine sexual habits, childhood immunizations rates, and dozens of others factors related to American health. "It doesn't affect health per se, rather it has implications for how well the CDC and others can track the health of the nation," said Stephen Blumberg, senior scientist at the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. The federal government and states often use the survey information to set national health policies aimed at reducing the number of people who lack health insurance, decreasing high-risk behavior and determining immunization rates for children and teens, Blumberg said. The CDC's report is the first to compare wireless phone-- only homes on a state-by-state basis. The new report is based on 2007 data, which found that Oklahoma had the highest percentage of cell phone--only homes (at 26 percent) and Vermont has the lowest (5 percent). There are probably more landline-free homes now, as the rate has increased by 3 percentage points each year, said Blumberg. Health.com: Cell phone study suggests people are losing their wanderlust . "I'd expect today in 2009 the rate is probably 5 percentage points higher, perhaps even more," he said. Overall, about one in six American homes or about 18 percent, rely solely on wireless phones. The high rates of cell phone--only homes were not that surprising, said Blumberg. What was surprising, he noted, was the wide variation from state to state. The rates of cell phone--only homes are generally low in the Northeast; for example, Connecticut (5.6 percent), New Jersey (8.0 percent) and Delaware (5.7 percent) have low rates. In other areas, it's a different story- in Nebraska the rate is 23.2 percent, and in Arkansas it's 22.6 percent. Check your state's percentage of wireless phone--only homes. The wide variation is due to factors such as income and age. Young adults living on their own in rentals, for instance, are less likely to have landlines. "Households in poverty or near poverty are also more likely to be wireless-only," said Blumberg. While missing a pesky phone call from a CDC researcher asking probing questions about your private health information may seem like a good thing, it's not, said Blumberg. "As a result of missing all of these wireless-only households, those surveys can be biased," he explained. "The potential for bias in Oklahoma is greater than the potential for bias in Vermont." Some major, national CDC surveys are done door-to-door, but many state surveys rely on landline phones. The CDC doesn't use cell phones for a number of reasons, said Blumberg. Most callers aren't happy about using cell phone minutes to chat about a survey, and participants might want compensation for taking part in the survey. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act forbids the use of automated or computer-generated dialing to cell phone numbers. Researchers can do it by hand, but it costs more money. Researchers are considering finding ways to call cell phones or going back to an older method, in which surveys are mailed to specific addresses. It seems unlikely that Americans will be adding landlines back into the mix any time soon or ever, particularly given the added expense in a weak economy. Health.com: 10 ways to go from tired to terrific . "All of the major surveys are already experimenting with methods of contacting the wireless only population," said Blumberg. "It has to be done, but it requires additional money and experimentation to determine the best way to do it." Health.com: How exercise can help fibromyalgia . Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright Health Magazine 2009 .

CDC relies on landline phones for health surveys,conducted every year . Survey used for national health policies for health insurance, immunization and etc. 26 percent of Oklahoma were cell phone-only homes; Vermont had 5 percent .

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(CNN) -- A bank that received $1.6 billion dollars of the government's bailout money sponsored what reports are calling a lavish series of events in Los Angeles, California, last weekend. Northern Trust sponsored a Professional Golf Association tournament and associated client events. Northern Trust, based in Chicago, Illinois, spent an undisclosed amount of money sponsoring a Professional Golf Association tournament and associated client events, including concerts, dinners and parties, according to celebrity Web site TMZ.com. The bank spent millions of dollars on the event, which included -- on top of the sponsorship costs of the Northern Trust Open tournament -- concerts by Sheryl Crow and Earth Wind & Fire, a private party at music venue House of Blues and gift bags from Tiffany & Co., the Web site said. Watch splashy concerts, parties » . According to TMZ.com's report, employees and clients attending the tournament dined on seared salmon and petite Angus filet and stayed at some of Los Angeles' most elegant and expensive hotels. Doug Holt, senior vice president of communication for Northern Trust, confirmed to CNN that his bank sponsored the tournament and its events but, he said, not at taxpayer expense. Holt told CNN that as a "healthy" bank, Northern Trust did not seek the $1.6 billion it received from the government as part of the U.S. Treasury's Capital Purchase Program, but that it "agreed to the government's goal of gaining the participation of all major banks in the United States." "This is the second year Northern Trust is sponsoring the Open as part of a five-year contract," Holt said. The contract was signed in 2007, before the government's Capital Purchase Program to aid banks came into existence. Holt also said that the sponsorship is an "integral part of Northern Trust's global marketing activities," and as with all marketing, advertising, corporate sponsorship or charitable activities, no taxpayer money was used to fund the weekend events. But that assurance doesn't seem to be enough for some. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Massachusetts, the House Financial Services Committee chairman, is writing a letter to Northern Trust asking the bank to pay back the money it spent, according to Frank's spokesman. "We are asking Northern Trust to repay the government the equivalent of the funds they spent on the tournament and related events," Steve Adamske of Frank's staff told CNN. Northern Trust announced it was laying off 450 employees in December of last year, with the bank saying the move was part of a number of actions "to better position the company for improved profitability and continued global growth during these difficult economic conditions." Last year, Northern Trust earned an operating net income of $641 million. TMZ.com, like CNN, is owned by Time Warner.

Chicago-based Northern Trust received $1.6 billion from U.S. government . Web site TMZ.com says bank held lavish events in Los Angeles last weekend . Employees, clients dined on seared salmon and petite Angus filet, TMZ.com reports . U.S. Rep. Barney Frank says he wants bank to pay back money it spent on events .

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Editor's note: Peter Bregman is chief executive of Bregman Partners, Inc., a global management consulting firm, and the author of "Point B: A Short Guide to Leading a Big Change". He writes a weekly column, How We Work, for HarvardBusiness.org. Peter Bregman says recession is an opportunity to reorient the focus of your working life to what you love to do. NEW YORK (CNN) -- A friend of mine, a senior leader in a pharmaceutical company, spends all her spare time doing yoga, taking classes in comparative religions, reading about spirituality, speaking with others about their beliefs. Just talking about it energizes her. Which is not how she feels about her day job. "Why don't you leave your job and do something with this full time?" I asked her. "I've thought about it. But I could never make the kind of money I make now." She might be right. But the question isn't whether she could make as much money. Even if she stays in her job she's unlikely to do that in this economy. The question is far broader and more interesting. What would her life look like -- in every dimension she values -- if she decided to pursue her passion full time? She needs to consider the contribution she'd make. The relationships she'd foster. The fun she'd have. The feelings she'd carry with her throughout the day. Her engagement in her work. In short, what her life would mean. And, of course, also the money. Which, as it turns out, might actually be greater if she were more engaged in her work. Gallup has collected data on 5.4 million employees in over 137 countries and concluded that engaged employees are more productive and customer-focused. And more profitable. Which could mean more money for her. But why are we even having this conversation during the worst downturn this country has seen in the last 70 years? Isn't she lucky simply to have a job? Yes. And, because of that, she's also stuck. For better and worse, she probably won't leave. But maybe you're not so lucky -- you've been laid off or might be soon; you're a student coming into the job market; or like several people I know, you've been thinking about a change. Well, this is your opportunity. You didn't want to risk a change when things were going well. There was too much to lose. But this downturn, this economic mess we're in, could be your chance. When everything was going well, we spent money we didn't have thinking we would make more tomorrow. Well, tomorrow came. It's easy to point a finger at Bernie Madoff (and he deserves the finger), but the truth is, it's not just him. We're all victims of our own little Ponzi Schemes. But now we know. The life we've been living, the debt we've been incurring, is unsustainable. Maybe the layoff is a favor. You were treated as expendable. But were you, working those long hours to keep a job you didn't love, treating your self as expendable too? Depressing? Sure. But now that we know, we can do something about it. I don't want to be cavalier; I know food on the table is a necessity. We still need work and money. Here are our new rules for finding it: . Rule #1: Don't spend too much time looking for your next job. As I discuss in my article for Harvard Business, "Need to Find a Job? Stop Looking So Hard," searching for a job more than 1-2 hours a day will actually make it less likely you'll find one. Rule #2: Focus your time on what you're truly passionate about. Get more training. Expand your comfort zone with new activities, new people. Studies show that 80 percent of jobs are found through networking. Which is what you're doing when you pursue your passion with other people. So do it without guilt. Spend your newfound spare time doing what you enjoy with people whom you enjoy. Rule #3: Let those people know you want to make your money doing these things. Don't hammer it in. Just mention it. Once. Successful people are passionate, obsessed. And obsession isn't motivated by money. It's deeper than that. Find your obsession. Let it loose. Employers want to hire someone who is naturally driven. Self-motivated. You'll work at your obsession all the time because you want to. And that kind of persistence, that kind of focus, is worth a lot of money. But don't make the mistake of chasing the money. That's what got us into this mess in the first place. Let the money chase you. iReport.com: Brown-bagging lunch to save money? Send video . Most people are afraid to do that. Afraid of the risk. Afraid of the gap in their resume. They try to cover it up. Find ways to explain it away. But my advice to employers is hire for the gap. It's often the most interesting part of a person's life. What does a person do when they don't have anything they have to do? What do they do in their spare time? If you can hire someone for that, you'll find your star. This isn't the time to be afraid of risk. It's too late. You're already in the risk. You might not have chosen it, but why not take control and act as if you had? Remember my friend working at the pharmaceutical company -- the one with the job? By staying in work she doesn't love, she's taking a risk too. She's risking her life. Imagine how great she would be, how much she would offer, how much she would gain, if she devoted herself to her passion? Now how about you? Let's become a nation of people who love what we do. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Peter Bregman.

Peter Bregman: The recession provides an opportunity as well as a challenge . He says people who were working just for money now can rethink what they do . He says, if you were laid off, focus your time on what you love doing . Bregman: Spending time with people is best route to fulfilling new job .

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(CNN) -- Bulgaria is a Turkish toilet, France is always on strike, Romania is a vampire theme-park and the UK... Well the UK doesn't exist. The piece "Entropa" shows Romania as a giant Dracula-inspired theme park. That's the view of the European Union according to a controversial art installation by Czech artist David Cerny, commissioned by his government to mark its six-month presidency of the pan-continental body. The work, "Entropa," frames various representations of each member state as components of a giant multimedia model kit. But the piece, scheduled to have its official unveiling Thursday at the EU headquarters in Brussels, has sparked controversy. Look at images of European nations » . Bulgaria's foreign ministry has summoned the Czech ambassador in Sofia to lodge a protest about the piece, according to the Czech News Agency. What do you think about images? And Betina Joteva, spokesperson of the Bulgarian permanent representation to the EU, said in comments reported by EUObserver.com: "It [the work] is preposterous, a disgrace. It is a humiliation for the Bulgarian nation and an offence to [our] national dignity." Bulgaria is not the only nation to suffer an unflattering depiction. Germany is criss-crossed by a series of autobahns in what some critics say is a close approximation of a swastika; Spain is a giant construction site in a dig at its building boom; and Luxembourg is a gold covered nugget sporting a "For Sale" sign. The Netherlands is depicted as a submerged land with only minarets peeking through the waves in an apparent reference to its religious tensions. Poland recreates the WWII flag-raising at Iwo Jima, only with the U.S. Marines and the Stars and Stripes replaced with Catholic clergy brandishing the multi-colored gay pride flag. The UK is absent from the work -- possibly because of its on-off relationship with the rest of the continent. The Czech government said in a statement on its presidency Web site Tuesday that the original brief was for the work to be created by 27 artists representing all EU Member States -- and that it was "unpleasantly surprised" to learn that this was not the case. "David Cerny bears full responsibility for not fulfilling his assignment and promise," said Alexandr Vondra, Deputy Prime Minister. "In this situation we are now considering further steps. The government said it will issue a further statement Thursday. The comments were in contrast to a statement issued by Vondra Monday, when he said that "sculpture, and art more generally, can speak where words fail. I am confident in Europe's open mind and capacity to appreciate such a project." Cerny is no stranger to controversy. In 1991 he was arrested after painting pink a Soviet tank that served as a Prague war memorial. His Web site shows other examples of his work, including previous kit-style installations entitled "Jesus Christ" and "Dead Raped Woman"; and a life-size bronze fountain that depicts two men standing opposite each other, urinating. Cerny, and his main collaborators Kristof Kintera and Tomas Pospiszyl apologized to Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek and other government ministers Tuesday, according to a statement on the artist's Web site, for " not having informed them about what is true and for having misled them. The statement adds that Cerny and his colleagues initially wanted to use 27 European artists for "Entropa", but fell short due to lack of time and money. Instead, they say, they decided to create fictional artists, some of whom have even been given their own Web sites. Cerny says he knew the truth would eventually come out but adds: "We believe that the environment of Brussels is capable of ironic self-reflection, we believe in the sense of humor of European nations and their representatives." Try telling that to Bulgaria.

Czech Republic assumed six-month presidency of European Union this month . Czech artists has apologized for artwork that has sparked diplomatic protests . "Entropa" is due to be officially unveiled at EU HQ in Brussels Thursday . Bulgarian EU representative: A humiliation for the Bulgarian nation .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Michael Bookatz, 32, was walking home one night in January when he noticed a man walking toward him. Michael Bookatz as he looked when first responders arrived after he was attacked. "Then he just suddenly ran up to me and punched me in the face," he said. "He started stamping on me, kicking me. A friend of his came from the other side of the road and started stamping and kicking on me. And they said: 'This is because of what happened to the Palestinians in Gaza.'" The attack on Bookatz -- a Jew who wears a skullcap and lives in a particularly Jewish neighborhood of London -- is one of more than 250 assaults on Jewish targets in the United Kingdom since the beginning of the year, according to the Community Security Trust, a non-governmental organization which monitors anti-Semitism in Britain. The group recorded more than 200 incidents in the month of January alone, the highest monthly total it has seen since it began keeping records in 1984. London's Metropolitan Police "report that since December, there have been four times as many anti-Semitic attacks as attacks on Muslims, even though there are seven or eight times the number of British Muslims as there are Jews," said British lawmaker Denis MacShane, who chaired the country's first parliamentary inquiry into anti-Semitism. Against this backdrop, London hosted a two-day international conference on combating anti-Semitism Monday and Tuesday. Watch what Bookatz says of the attack on him » . MacShane called it the "first conference of its type," bringing together lawmakers from at least 35 different countries. "Parliaments now have to acknowledge that anti-Semitism is back. It's a potent ideological force, causing fears to Jews in many different countries, and it has to be combated by all people that care about democracy," MacShane said. It is not only a problem for Jews to tackle, the lawmaker said. "I'm not Jewish. Most people at the conference are not Jewish," he said. The rise in attacks on Jewish targets comes amid heightened tension in the Middle East, the Community Security Trust noted. The incidents include arson and graffiti attacks on synagogues, verbal and physical abuse of Jews, and hate mail. Similar events were reported across Europe during Israel's three-week military assault on Hamas in Gaza in December and January, the CST said in a statement. But Bookatz is not convinced Gaza is the real reason for the assaults on Jews. "Anti-Semitism is around," he said. "It has always been around. Throughout my life, I have experienced anti-Semitic attacks. "Gaza was probably a focal point, something that triggered it: 'OK, now that Gaza is happening, we can use it as an excuse to attack people,'" Bookatz said. MacShane said lawmakers around the world needed to take a stand against anti-Semitism. "We would like to get the police to take anti-Semitism seriously, to take Internet anti-Semitism seriously," he said. "We need to say to countries that promote anti-Semitism: 'Drop that hate of Jews.'" He warned anti-Semitism was an indicator of other problems. "Whenever anti-Semitism sinks roots, the world is heading in a disastrously wrong direction," he said. "That is a lesson from history. If we don't tackle anti-Semitism in the early stage, then it devours democracy." CNN's Atika Shubert and Eileen Hsieh contributed to this report .

UK holding international conference to combat anti-Semitism . Watchdog says January saw highest ever number of anti-Semitic attacks in UK . Police: More Jewish attack victims than Muslims despite bigger Muslim population . Lawmaker: Anti-Semitism has to be combated by all (who) care about democracy .

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MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- Mexican authorities said they have arrested the leader of a drug cartel that set off two grenades during a public celebration in September, killing eight people and wounding more than 100. Cesar Duarte, president of the federal chamber of deputies, says he supports the government plan on narcotrafficking. Alberto Espinoza Barron, known as "the Strawberry," heads the "Michoacan Family," which operates in the Mexican states of Michoacan and Mexico, authorities said. Officials say the cartel set off the two grenades September 15 in the public plaza in Morelia, the capital of Michoacan. Espinoza Barron's arrest Monday, which officials did not confirm until Tuesday, came just days after Mexican officials arrested an army major assigned to a guard unit protecting Mexican President Felipe Calderon. The army major, Arturo Gonzalez Rodriguez, was paid as much as $100,000 a month for passing information to a drug cartel, officials said after the officer's arrest Friday. Espinoza Barron's arrest by the military as part of its permanent presence in Michoacan came at a time when some are questioning the military's role in the war against narcotics traffickers. "I believe that we need to totally change our strategies since the results have been awful," said Juan Francisco Rivera of the Mexican Commission on National Security. "It's not me who is saying that, because the president himself has recognized it. I don't believe the country is willing to keep committing errors." Others believe that the military, known by the acronym SEDENA, is the only institution capable of confronting organized crime. "The participation by SEDENA is necessary because there is a threat and harm to national security," said Guillermo Velasco, member of an organization called Better Society, Better Government. "It's known that many of the successes have come from the work done by military intelligence and investigation." Amid this debate, the secretary for national defense recently proposed a 60-year prison term for any military member linked to organized crime. "We believe the national defense secretary's position is adequate," said Cesar Duarte, president of the federal chamber of deputies. "We support him with respect to implementing major punishment for elements that are infiltrated or compromised with narcotrafficking." In many parts of the country, narcotraffickers constantly recruit low-level soldiers. The secretary of defense has said that in the past seven years about 100,000 soldiers have quit to join the drug cartels.

Mexico arrests Alberto Espinoza Barron, known as "the Strawberry" He heads the "Michoacan Family," accused of setting grenades that killed 8 . Some question military's role in the war against narcotics traffickers .

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(CNN) -- Do not go backstage at Cirque Du Soleil. It will only hurt your self-esteem. Anthony Gatto says he's been in training since he was 3 years old and performing since he was 8. In the performers' tent for the touring show "Kooza," there are the chiseled men catapulting their partners onto each other's shoulders from a giant see-saw and the woman doing contortions on children's-sized blocks. You can only take so much of this before your ego needs normal. Normal might be that man in the corner, wearing a T-shirt, shorts and sneakers throwing balls in the air. How hard can that be? Your self-worth will be quickly dashed again when the man picks up a soccer ball, bounces it on his head and jumps rope at the same time. Moments later, he's juggling six or seven orange rings (they move so fast, it looks like a blur) and then does a pirouette -- while all the rings are in the air -- and then catches them on his arm. Watch the juggler in action » . You could say Anthony Gatto went into the family business. But his stepfather wasn't a farmer or a doctor. He was a juggler. "By the time I was 8, I was entered into a juggling competition, and incidentally, that was the same competition that Patrick Dempsey, the actor, was in," Gatto said. "He used to be a juggler. We competed against each other. I took first, he took second. Now he's a big actor and here I am, juggling." Gatto is being modest. In fact, he didn't audition for "Kooza." The show went looking for him. "I have right now 11 juggling world records," he said. "Some of them I've held since I was 16 years old and they have yet to be beaten." Imagine a wearable disco ball. That's not too different from the form-fitting outfit Gatto wears onstage. Backstage, it's a long-sleeve T-shirt, gym shorts and sneakers. But there's nothing casual about his daily routine. He typically works out and practices six to seven hours a day to prepare for his 10 minutes in the spotlight. In fact, he is practicing until moments before he runs on stage. "Juggling is something that is so delicate, you have to have a really good feel, you can lose that in minutes," he said. "There are so many variables that can affect you. If it's a humid day, it's a very difficult task to get through the number that I do. The wind, if there's any air current in there and you're expecting to catch a ring and it blows an inch, you miss it." But he rarely misses -- at least not in his act. This performer, who relies on coordination and concentration 350 shows a year, admits his most embarrassing moment has nothing to do with balls, clubs or rings. It's acting that trips him up. "I have fallen as the delivery-man character in the show. In fact, I have done this a few times," he said. "I like to think it's because I put my heart and soul into the characters I'm portraying." Surrounded by all this talent and precision, there is some comfort in knowing one of the best -- maybe the best juggler in the world -- is also a klutz.

Cirque Du Soleil's "Kooza" went looking for juggler with 11 world records . Anthony Gatto beat actor Patrick Dempsey in juggling competition . Gatto practices six to seven hours to prepare for 10 minutes on stage . Says humidity and wind can affect his routine .

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(CNN) -- For three years, the thieves crept into some of the poshest homes in the most exclusive enclaves in the nation. The gated community of Bel Air was one of several enclaves targeted by the so-called "Hillside Burglars." Police said they finally have a break in the case, and wealthy residents of Los Angeles, California, are breathing a sigh of relief. "These guys were real good," said L.A. City Councilman Jack Weiss, who oversees Bel Air where some of the burglaries were committed. "They were professionals." The thieves hauled away more than $10 million worth of valuables and cash from 150 homes in upscale neighborhoods such as Bel Air, Pacific Palisades and Beverly Hills, police said. Homes of Hollywood celebrities, professional athletes and multimillionaires were hit. According to CNN affiliate KABC, country music stars Faith Hill and Tim McGraw and former Paramount Pictures CEO Sherry Lansing were among the victims. DNA evidence led the LAPD to suspected ringleader Troy Corsby Thomas, 45, of Los Angeles. He was arrested near L.A. International Airport last weekend. Police say Thomas led a gang dubbed the "Hillside Burglars" that targeted the neighborhoods overlooking Sunset Boulevard. "It's a very euphoric, satisfying feeling that we got this person," said the police Lt. David McGill. "It's a very frustrating feeling to tell the victims, 'I'm sorry I don't have any news for you.' Finally when we got some good detective work and breaks, things started lining up." Police are looking for more suspects linked to the three-year spree but are not naming them. Thomas is being held on $2 million bail, according to the L.A. County District Attorney's Office. He is likely to stay in custody because he must reveal the origin of any funds used to pay the bail, authorities said. At a court appearance Tuesday, Thomas pleaded not guilty to two charges of residential burglary, one in January 2006 and another in March 2008. The preliminary court date for Thomas will be set on January 29 and additional charges are expected to be filed, according to CNN affiliates KABC and KTLA. Police will not comment on Thomas' background. The Los Angeles Times reported that Thomas told police he had been working as an auto broker. The Hillside Burglars have not struck since Thomas' arrest, police said. "Hallelujah!" said L.A. Councilman Bill Rosendahl, whose district includes Brentwood and Pacific Palisades. "Even a crafty crook does make his mistake and that's what happened to this one." Some residents are cautiously optimistic. "We're delighted," said Robert René, president of Brentwood Homeowners Association, which represents about 800 homes. "We are very fortunate to have the due diligence of the Westside LAPD." Harvey I. Saferstein, president of the Bel Air Association, agreed, "We are all obviously thankful and relieved." The financially strapped LAPD created a Hillside Burglars task force. People donated cameras and other equipment and police stepped up patrols. The outlay amounted to "millions of dollars," Rosendahl said. Neighborhood watch groups formed. One in Bel Air donated $8,000 for infrared cameras that can spot burglars in the dark. Robert Ringler, president of the Bel Air Beverly Crest Neighborhood Council, hosted a community meeting with the LAPD at the five-star Bel Air Hotel a year and a half ago. As swans swam in ponds in the background, about 150 Westside residents sipped Perrier and vented their fears. "It had gotten to be such an epidemic," Ringler said. The impressive mansions -- usually gated and hidden by walls and hedges -- dot the lush hillsides and canyons between the coast and the mountains. The qualities that make them so desirable also make them vulnerable. The seclusion that appeals to upscale homeowners also appeals to thieves. Because many of the homes are tucked into the sides of mountains and canyons, behind gates, it's easy for a thief to escape unseen and hard for police to get there quickly. "It's the perfect target," Ringler said. "You can access the property and nobody would ever see you." Frequently, maids, pool workers and gardeners have access to the property, which allows burglars to pass as the help and slip in unchallenged. According to police and media reports, the methods were sophisticated. Burglars waited till homeowners went on vacation or out for the night. They used lawn furniture and ladders to creep into the second floor, which often lacked alarms. They quickly went in, looked for jewelry, safes and cash, and ducked out with the goods. They never attacked any of the homeowners, preferring stealth to confrontation. Residents say they learned to keep jewelry and other valuables in safety deposit boxes and out of sight. Many added alarm systems and insured their belongings. "It's not just about money," said Robin Stevens, who lives with her husband and son in Brentwood. "A lot of people lost things of sentimental value." Stevens, whose neighbors have been burglarized, said she feels safer knowing that police arrested Thomas, but will continue hiding her mother's antique jewelry and locking the windows. During a two-week trip to the South Pacific last fall, Stevens made sure to e-mail her neighbors, notifying them that she would be gone so they could look out for strangers. Other residents remain skeptical. Pacific Palisades Community Council Chairman Richard G. Cohen said he feels relief but is waiting for a conviction. "The arrest doesn't mark the end of our concern," he said. With the economy in a tailspin, Steve Twining, who serves on the West Los Angeles Police advisory board, believes thefts will continue. "In these dire economic times, I don't think it's going to dissuade others from trying to do the same thing," he said. "The burglary situation will probably get worse before it gets better."

Wealthy Bel Air, Beverly Hills residents feel cautious relief . Police say Troy Thomas led gang that stole $10M from 150 upscale homes . Thomas in custody, pleads not guilty to felony burglary .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In the wake of a highly publicized chimpanzee attack, the U.S. House made its first official move to ban humans from owning primates as pets. Travis, seen here as a younger chimp, was fatally shot by police after attacking a woman, authorities say. The House overwhelmingly voted in favor of passing the Captive Primate Safety Act on Tuesday, which prohibits people from buying or transporting primates across state lines to keep as pets. This legislation amended the Lacey Act, which had only applied to wildlife and fish. The Humane Society of the United States applauded the bill, which passed by a vote of 323 to 95. "There is no reason for any private citizen to keep a primate as a pet, and this trade is driven by unscrupulous dealers who sell primates across state lines for thousands of dollars," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the HSUS. Last week, Charla Nash, 55, was left with severe trauma to her face, scalp and hands after her neighbor's pet chimpanzee, Travis, mauled her in Stamford, Connecticut. Police shot Travis to halt the attack, and he later died of gunshot wounds. Nash was brought to the famed Cleveland Clinic, where the nation's first face transplant was performed. Doctors there are contemplating whether to offer her a similar procedure. The bill was introduced by U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, and Mark Kirk, R-Illinois, who said it would protect animals and humans from similar attacks. "As the tragic attack in Connecticut shows us, The Captive Primate Safety Act is necessary, common-sense legislation for the welfare of humans and animals," Blumenauer said. "Make no mistake, this bill will protect communities and ensure the humane treatment of these animals." "It is inhumane to cage primates in private homes. Besides the animal cruelty concerns, the interstate movement of pet primates creates serious public health and safety risks. The Captive Primate Safety Act takes important steps to address these concerns," Kirk said. As cute as they can be, primates can inflict serious injuries and spread life-threatening disease, according to the Humane Society. The average pet owner cannot provide for their basic social and physical needs in captivity, says the organization, which estimates 15,000 monkeys and other primates are living as either pets or in private zoos. "As infants, they are fascinating," said Beth Preiss, who directs the organization's Exotic Pet Campaign. "But they grow up and become dangerous to manage." The bill moves now to the Senate, where Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer of California and Republican Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana will lead the effort to pass the legislation. CNN's Lauren Kornreich contributed to this report.

Bill prohibits purchase, transportation of primates across state lines . Trade driven by "unscrupulous dealers" who sell primates, Humane Society says . Primates can inflict serious injuries, spread disease, group says . Bill comes 8 days after woman left in serious condition after chimpanzee mauling .

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(CNN) -- David Beckham was upstaged on the day his AC Milan future was finally resolved as teammate Filippo Inzaghi fired a hat-trick in the 3-0 success over Atalanta at the San Siro on Sunday. David Beckham congratulates hat-trick hero Filippo Inzaghi as the San Siro enjoys a double celebration. Milan confirmed in a brief statement a deal had been reached with Los Angeles Galaxy over England international Beckham. "AC Milan announces that the player David Beckham will remain at the club until June 30, 2009," it read. The 33-year-old midfielder will then return to the United States to play for the Galaxy between July and October. "I'm grateful to both clubs for allowing this dream to come true," Beckham said in a statement posted on www.gazzetta.it. What do think of Beckham's move to play in the U.S. and Italy? "It will enable me to play for Milan and the Galaxy in the same season, with the possibility of been able to keep up my commitments with Major League Soccer and the development of soccer in the United States, something which I'm very passionate about." The deal follows weeks of negotiations between the two clubs during which Milan baulked at the size of the transfer fee Galaxy were demanding -- thought to be around £12million. Galaxy's chief executive, Tim Lieweke, admits the deal is one which suits both clubs. "I'm sorry that it had to go for so long, for him and for us and particularly for the fans," he told the Los Angeles Times. "This is a good solution. It allows him to finish the season with Milan. We will see him in July." Coach Carlo Ancelotti admits Beckham has exceeded all expectations during his first two months as an AC Milan player. "Beckham has done more than we could have possibly expected from him," Ancelotti told PA Sport. "He has settled in very well with the squad and given a huge contribution up to now. "He is very professional and we are all very, very happy that he is staying." He added: "The aim was to keep him until June 30 and we have done that. He is very happy with the solution that has been found and we will make the most of having him now and then we will see." Sunday's victory gave Milan a five-point gap over fourth-placed Fiorentina, who lost 2-0 at home to Palermo. Ancelotti said Inzaghi had helped lift the club out of a crisis after their UEFA Cup exit. "He gave us a real helping hand. It was a tough match and for most of the first half Atalanta caused us problems," he said. "Then Pippo's ability to find the right place to be in allowed us to end the match well. We were in a crisis and now I hope that this result has put an end to the crisis." Only the top three in Serie A will go straight into next season's Champions League group stages with the fourth place finisher having to negotiate two qualifying rounds. With his contract uncertainty behind him, Beckham seemed to have a new lease of life and he was even given a free role behind forwards Inzaghi and Pato by Ancelotti. The former England captain dictated the play and helped open the way for Milan to take a seventh-minute lead when Marek Jankulovski firied across goal for the unmarked Inzaghi to score. Milan had to wait until the 71st minute for Inzaghi's second. He beat the offside trap to latch onto Pato's chip and take the ball around Consigli before slotting home. Moment's later Inzaghi was once again in the right place at the right time to tap in Gianluca Zambrotta's pass from close range. After that Ancelotti took both Inzaghi and Beckham off to give the fans the chance to show their appreciation for both players. There was no change to the top three in Serie A as Inter Milan and Juventus both won on Saturday, 2-0 at Genoa and 1-0 at Torino respectively. Serie A top scorer Marco Di Vaio also scored a hat-trick as Bologna thrashed Sampdoria 3-0.

Filippo Inzaghi fires hat-trick in Milan's 3-0 win over Atalanta at the San Siro . Double celebration for fans as David Beckham's Milan future is also resolved . Beckham will stay at San Siro for rest of season and the rejoin L.A. Galaxy .

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MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Gas will resume flowing "in the next few days," Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told reporters following summit talks in Moscow aimed at resolving the ongoing dispute between Ukraine and Russia which has left many parts of Europe without natural gas. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was in Moscow Saturday for talks with Russian leaders. Medvedev said the summit talks, which also involved Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and her Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, had raised a number of "interesting ideas," including loans and extensions of credit aimed at resolving the crisis. But he reiterated that no agreement had been reached. Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said the meeting highlighted Russian efforts to enlist major European gas companies as a part of an international consortium that would subsidize Ukrainian payments to ensure gas deliveries from Russia. "Preliminary willingness (to join the consortium) has been stated by Eni, which was the first to do so, then by Ruhrgas, Wingas, Gaz de France, OMV, and Gasterra," Kupriyanov told Russian news agency Interfax. On Friday, Putin said Ukraine required about $730 million of "technical gas" to resume export deliveries from Russia. It has now been 11 days since much of Europe was cut off from crucial supplies of Russian natural gas because of the dispute between Russia and Ukraine, which is in charge of pipelines carrying gas to the continent. The taps remain shut despite a deal signed in Brussels earlier this week. The European Union has tried to pressure Russia and Ukraine into sorting out the matter, calling into question their reliability as energy suppliers. Russia has said the dispute is not bilateral. Tymoshenko said ahead of the trip that her top priority was to resume Russian natural gas transit to Europe in order to protect Ukraine's reputation as a transit country and prevent the empty pipelines from suffering damage as a result of being idle. Watch how a simple price dispute led to the crisis » . "The government takes full responsibility for resolving the crisis in relations with Russia, which was not initiated by us," Tymoshenko said in a statement on the government's Web site. The prime minister said she would press for direct relations between Russian energy giant Gazprom and Ukraine's state-run gas company Naftogaz and "mutually beneficial prices" for gas and transit. It was prices and cost that caused the problems in the first place. Russia cut off Ukraine's domestic gas supply at the start of the year, claiming nonpayment of debt, and the two sides failed to agree on the terms for a new contract. Six days later, in a move each side blamed on the other, Russian gas supplies to Europe via Ukraine were turned off as well. Watch how Slovakia has been affected by the gas row » . "There is the need to compromise in order to preserve friendly relations between Ukraine and Russia, and to uphold the reputation of both countries in Europe," Tymoshenko said. "I am sure that such compromise will be brokered." CNN's Matthew Chance contributed to this report.

Russian President Medvedev says gas flow to Europe will resume in days . Medvedev hosted summit talks Saturday aimed at resolving dispute with Ukraine . Ukrainian PM Yulia Tymoshenko also attended talks . Shutdown has left many European countries without natural gas .

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(CNN) -- Roll out the pink carpet, grab a feather boa and throw open those Malibu Dream House doors. It's Barbie's 50th, and the iconic doll, unveiled today in her latest swimsuit, has plenty to celebrate. The classic 1959 Barbie strikes a pose in front of an early Malibu Barbie Camper. Only this American institution could have inspired Barbara Karleskint, 48, to spend nearly $700 so she and one of her dolls could wear matching red chiffon gowns and capes at an annual collectors gathering. "Look, we're not as bad as the Star Trek convention people," Karleskint, who lives outside of Orlando, Florida, said with a laugh. Collecting Barbies "brings me joy; that's all I can say. And life's not worth living unless you have some joy." With 8 million active collectors dotting the globe, according to Mattel, Karleskint is hardly alone. Since Mattel introduced Barbie in 1959, she has become a household name -- owned by 90 percent of American girls ages 3 to 10 and sold in 150 countries, said Lauren Dougherty, a Mattel spokeswoman. Barbie attracts 50 million visitors to her Web site each month, she added. See Barbie dolls from all over the world » . Along the way, she spawned a cosmetics line, apparel stores throughout Asia and an entertainment franchise that has sold more than 65 million DVDs. Watch old toys get new life » . Last week, a six-story flagship store opened in Shanghai, China. And a real-life Malibu Dream House, a temporary home tricked out for Barbie's birthday -- including a chandelier made of her hair -- is currently on display in California. Not bad for a doll that, according to author Robin Gerber, was initially inspired by "a sexually-themed gag toy for men." The now-legendary doll was conceived by Ruth Handler, a daughter of Polish immigrants, said Gerber, author of the newly published "Barbie and Ruth: The Story of the World's Most Famous Doll and the Woman Who Created Her." She and her husband, Elliott, owned Mattel until a scandal involving accusations of cooked books drove them out in 1975, Gerber said. Handler, who died in 2002, used to watch her own daughter, Barbara, play with paper dolls. Then, on a trip to Europe, Barbara became fascinated with a buxom doll that Gerber said was based on a female German cartoon character, named Lilli, who used sex to get what she wanted. "My guess is she didn't know what it was when she bought it," because at that point, four years after the Lilli doll's release, it had landed in European toy stores, the author explained. Handler took the doll back to the states and insisted Mattel designers get to work. "Who would have thought," Gerber said. Barbie was thought up by a woman and modeled on a cartoon character "who was essentially a prostitute." Though the men at Mattel, a company that had never sold dolls before, were skeptical at best, Handler proved to be "a corporate genius," Gerber said. In the three years after Barbie's release, Mattel's worth grew to $200 million, doubling the value earned in the first 20 years of business. Handler's daughter, now Barbara Segal, 67, is a bit dumbfounded by all the hype. "It's been quite an interesting ride," she said from her Los Angeles, California, area home. "I can't believe this doll's created all of this." Barbie's collector line (not what's seen on Wal-Mart shelves) is designed for the grown-ups who still relish Barbie. Many say Barbie is an antidote to adult woes, allowing them to recapture their youth and revisit simpler times. iReport.com: See, share Barbie collections . The woman behind Sandi Holder's Doll Attic in Union City, California, strolled through her 3,000-square-foot warehouse and one-of-a-kind Barbie museum, home to thousands of dolls, and spoke of the visitors who flock through her doors each year. Tour an iReporter's Barbie dream house » . She says the doll can evoke powerful emotions and has seen visitors weep for a lost sibling or childhood friend. But Holder, 51, who gave up a nursing career to pursue her Barbie dream more than 20 years ago, said that while trips to the museum can be emotional, they're also full of laughter and stories. "No one leaves without sharing a fond portion of their childhood with me," said Holder, who once snagged a record for selling a doll at auction for $27,600. Barbie, however, doesn't conjure up smiles for everyone. Though the 11.5-inch doll can't be single-handedly blamed for the eating disorders and body-image issues that plague young women, Ellyn Kaschak, a psychology professor at San Jose Sate University in California, said Barbie, especially given her prevalence, is part of the problem. "I don't think the concerns are overblown at all," said Kaschak, one of the founders in the 1970s of the feminist psychology field. "Blow her up to normal [human] size, and she'd fall over," she said of Barbie's unattainable figure. Still standing, however, is Cindy Jackson, a 53-year-old woman inspired by Barbie to do much more than collect dolls and splurge on matching outfits. Over the course of more than two decades, Jackson has gone under the knife for 13 full-scale operations, including multiple procedures each time, and hundreds of less intrusive cosmetic tune-ups in order to achieve the "all-American beauty" look she said Barbie represents. She grew up in rural Ohio, "plain and unpopular," she said. "Every real woman around me was a farmer's wife, a factory worker, a mother or a school teacher. ... For me, it was soul-destroying. There was no glamour whatsoever." And then she met her first Barbie, a vintage doll sporting a bubble cut, "a sidelong glance" and dressed as Jackie Kennedy, she remembered. "It was powerful," Jackson said from her London, England, home. "I'd never seen a real woman who looked like that, and I thought, 'That's what I want to look like.' " Concern about Barbie's looks and her values, including materialism -- she has worn about 1 billion outfits, Mattel's Dougherty said -- has at times gained ire from more than feminists and psychologists. The recent release of Tattoo Barbie, for instance, has gotten under the skin of some parents. Watch video about the controversy » . But such criticism misses the point of what Barbie is all about, according to diehard fans. iReport.com: Barbie's body is not the issue . "It's not about wanting to look like her. It's about imagining what could be," said Nancy Parsons, of western Pennsylvania, who is chairwoman of the Barbie 50th Anniversary Gala, this year's collectors convention planned for July. "People who say it's a bad influence -- they don't know the imagination that goes into playing with dolls. ... My sister always pretended she was a nurse, and [now] she's a nurse." All told, Barbie has held down 108 careers, Mattel says. She's been a police officer, a doctor, a veterinarian, an astronaut and a presidential candidate. Women, by the way, are not the only ones drawn to Barbie. Up to 20 percent of annual convention attendees, who fly in from all over the world, are men, this year's chairwoman, Parsons, said. In her own collector's club there are two of them: "One's a hair dresser, and one's an auto mechanic," she said. Scott Warren, 45, of Orlando, Florida, will attend his seventh consecutive annual convention this summer. The "novice fashion fan," as he described himself, has been collecting Barbies for about 14 years and counts among his favorites his Versace Barbie, Ralph Lauren Barbie and Diane von Fürstenberg Barbie. "I know there's no way I can afford a designer's original, but I think it's cool that my Barbies can," he said. See photos of Barbie dolls in designer clothes » . Barbie has had a long partnership with top designers, 50 of whom jumped at the chance to participate in the Barbie Runway Show in New York last month, bringing life-sized Barbie fashions to the catwalk. "A lot of them say she was their first client, the first model they dressed," said Mattel's Dougherty. "We thought it was the perfect place to kick off her celebration."

Barbie, originally based on a 'sexually-themed gag toy for men,' celebrates 50 years . 90 percent of American girls, ages 3 to 10, own at least one, Mattel toy company says . Doll inspires with 108 careers and fosters 8 million collectors worldwide . One woman in London, England, had cosmetic surgery to look like Barbie .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Air Force is grounding more than 100 planes used to support ground troops in Iraq and Afghanistan because of fatigue cracks in the wings, Air Force officials said Friday. Aircraft like this A-10 Warthog provide close support to ground troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The officials said 127 A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, including some used in the United States, will be grounded until they are each inspected for the cracks. "The inspections are a necessary step in addressing the risk associated with A-10 wing cracking, specifically with thin-skin wings. This risk is of great concern to the Air Force and is representative of a systemic problem for our aging Air Force fleet," the Air Force said. The A-10 Thunderbolt II, nicknamed the "Warthog" because of its unique un-aerodynamic look, is one of the Air Force's older aircraft, having first been delivered to the service in 1975. The average age of the A-10 fleet is now 28 years, but the entire Air Force fleet has an average age of 25 years, according to Air Force statistics. The Air Force has more than 400 A-10s in its fleet. The cracks in the older A-10 A-models and A-10 C-models were discovered at Hill Air Force Base in Utah during routine maintenance. No A-10 has had an accident because of the cracks just discovered, according to Air Force officials. The inspection of the 127 planes will give priority to the planes in the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters of battle, officials said. The plane was designed as a tank killer, with a front-mounted Gatling gun that fires 30-mm armor-piercing ammunition capable of destroying a tank. The planes are now primarily used in Iraq and Afghanistan to protect ground troops in close combat situations, flying low and slow and with the ability to target individuals hidden on mountainsides or rooftops. Last year, the Air Force grounded hundreds of F-15 fighter jets after one fell apart during a training mission. The culprit was a fatigued longeron, a part that holds the fuselage together. Numerous F-15s flying in Iraq and Afghanistan also were grounded until they were inspected, forcing the service to fly other aircraft in their place. The Navy was also asked to help cover the F-15 missions during the weeks they were grounded.

127 A-10 Thunderbolt IIs will be grounded because of fatigue cracks in wings . A-10s first delivered to Air Force in 1975; average age is 28 years . None of the cracks has been attributed to accidents . Planes used in Iraq, Afghanistan to protect ground troops in close combat situations .

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(CNN) -- Entertainer Ed McMahon has been hospitalized for more than three weeks with pneumonia and other medical problems, his spokesman said Friday. 85-year-old Ed McMahon is in serious condition, according to his spokesman. Doctors say McMahon is in serious condition, said the spokesman, Howard Bragman. "Ed's a big, strong, hearty guy and his family and I are hopeful and optimistic about his prognosis," he said. McMahon is 85. He will turn 86 on March 6. Bragman and McMahon's family are "praying and hoping for the best and are appreciative of everyone's thoughts and prayers," Bragman said. He declined to say where McMahon is hospitalized. McMahon gained fame as Johnny Carson's sidekick on "The Tonight Show." CNN's Rachel Wells contributed to this story.

Ed McMahon has been in the hospital for almost a month . He is in serious condition, says spokesman . McMahon best known as Johnny Carson's longtime "Tonight" show sidekick .

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(CNN) -- The entire population of Taloga, Oklahoma, was evacuated Thursday because of a raging fire that has burned tens of thousands of acres, officials said Friday. Wildfire threatens a house in Edmond, Oklahoma, on Friday. All of the residents, about 400, left the Dewey County town, but have been allowed back in, said Bill Challis with the fire department in Clinton, Oklahoma, south of Taloga. Clinton is among dozens of fire departments helping battle the blaze. Wildfires have been burning in northwest and central Oklahoma since Thursday, according to the state Department of Emergency Management. A large wildfire also came within inches of homes north of Edmond late Friday morning and was still burning during the noon hour, CNN affiliate KOCO reported. Oklahoma Department of Public Safey officials also report that one to two city blocks of Weleetka, in Okfuskee County, were on fire, according to KOCO. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved the state's request for federal assistance for fighting the wildfire in Dewey County, where Taloga is located. The original call about the Taloga fire came in Thursday at about 12:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m. ET), Challis said. Officials don't know how the fire started. Brett Russell, also with the Clinton Fire Department, said about 60,000 acres have burned. There are no reports of anyone injured. As of about 11 a.m. Friday (12 p.m. ET), the Taloga fire was about 50 to 60 percent contained. About 80 fire departments helping battle the blaze, Russell told CNN. An Oklahoma Army National Guard Blackhawk helicopter was helping with aerial fire suppression, according to the state.

All residents of Taloga, Oklahoma, were evacuated because of fire . Entire population of about 400 people allowed back in . Wildfires have been burning in northwest and central Oklahoma since Thursday . Wildfire also burning near towns of Edmond, Waleeka .

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- The United Arab Emirates has refused to grant a visa to a female Israeli tennis player, preventing her from competing in the Sony Ericsson World Tennis Association Tour in Dubai, the WTA said in a statement Sunday. The UAE has refused to grant a visa allowing Shahar Peer to compete in Dubai. Shahar Peer would have been the first Israeli athlete to participate in a professional sporting event in the UAE, CNN Sports correspondent Pedro Pinto said. The UAE has no diplomatic ties with Israel. Peer told CNN on Sunday evening she was "very, very disappointed" to be denied access to the tournament. "Any player that qualifies should attend, and I was prevented," she said from Israel. "I'm glad the WTA support me. A red line was crossed for every athlete in the world -- politics should be kept separate from sports." The governing body of women's tennis said it was "deeply disappointed" that Peer was being denied entry to the country hosting the tournament, but it did not cancel the competition, which began Sunday. The move runs counter to WTA policy, which says no player should be barred from competing in a tournament for which she has qualified. Dubai could lose its membership in the WTA tour next year over the ban on Peer, according to WTA rules. That would mean professional players could compete only in exhibition matches in Dubai, the results of which would not count in pro rankings. Government officials in Dubai have not responded to CNN's request to comment over their refusal to allow Peer to compete in the event. "Ms. Peer has earned the right to play in the tournament, and it is regrettable that the UAE is denying her this right," said Larry Scott, chairman and chief executive of the tour. Watch Scott express disappointment » . "Following various consultations, the tour has decided to allow the tournament to continue to be played this week, pending further review by the tour's board of directors." The patron of the Dubai Tennis Championships is Dubai's ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Makhtoum. Two million dollars in prize money is on the line. Al-Makhtoum told CNN in 2004 that Dubai would accept Israeli students to a school dedicated to students from the Middle East who are talented at sports. In 2003, Dubai hosted World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings, which Israeli government officials attended. The Israeli flag -- among other member states' flags -- is still part of a globe monument in Dubai. Peer, 21, is ranked 48th in the world among female tennis players. She was allowed to compete at the Doha tournament in Qatar last year, where she received a warm welcome, according to Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz. Qatar, another Gulf Arab state, froze diplomatic ties with Israel after Israel's military offensive in Gaza last month. Peer downplayed the political undertones of her participation in last year's Doha tournament, telling Haaretz that she didn't come to Qatar "to help the politics of course." But she added that if her playing in the tournament "can help for peace or anything, I'd be really happy." Scott said the tour will "review appropriate remedies for Ms. Peer" as well as "appropriate future actions with regard to the future of the Dubai tournament." Peer was advised Saturday by tournament and WTA officials of the denial of her visa while she was participating in a tournament in Pattaya, Thailand, according to a WTA statement. The Dubai Tennis Championships runs through February 28.

NEW: Shahar Peer, female Israeli tennis player, says she's "very, very disappointed" United Arab Emirates refuses to grant a visa to Peer . Peer needed the visa to play in the Dubai Tennis Championships . World Tennis Association unhappy, says move runs counter to its policy .

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(CNN) -- The pilot of a tanker that crashed into the San Francisco Bay Bridge in 2007, causing a major oil spill, was under the influence of multiple prescription medications that impaired his judgment, federal officials said in a report Wednesday. The November 2007 crash left a gash in the tanker's side and led to an oil spill that killed more than 2,000 birds. The National Transportation Safety Board said the pilot of the Hong Kong-registered Cosco Busan, was "medically unfit" on November 7, 2007. That, and a master pilot's poor oversight of his performance, were major factors in the crash that dumped 53,000 gallons of oil into the bay, the NTSB said. "How a man who was taking a half-dozen impairing prescription medications got to stand on the bridge of a 68,000-ton ship and give directions to guide the vessel through a foggy bay and under a busy highway bridge is very troubling," said acting NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker. The pilot, John Cota, was charged with criminal negligence in federal court last year. He faces two misdemeanor charges that could result in up to 18 months in prison and $115,000 in fines. The 901-foot ship left Oakland, California, en route to South Korea when Cota gave orders that steered the ship directly toward a support tower on the bridge. While the ship avoided a direct hit, it hit a support system at the tower's base, cutting a 212-foot gash in the ship's side, the NTSB said. The board ruled that Cota and Chinese master pilot Mao Cai Sun never thoroughly discussed a plan before they took off on a foggy night when visibility was less than a quarter-mile. The oil spill killed about 2,500 birds of 50 different species, according to the report. The crash caused more than $70 million in environmental cleanup costs, $2 million in damage to the ship and $1.5 million in damage to the bridge. The report also blamed the ship's operator, Fleet Management Ltd., for not properly training crew members and the U.S. Coast Guard for not providing adequate medical oversight of the pilot. It said the Coast Guard should have revoked the pilot's license, the pilot should have given a meaningful pre-departure briefing about plans for the voyage and the master pilot should have taken a more active role in ensuring the ship's safety. "There was a lack of competence in so many areas that this accident seemed almost inevitable," Rosenker said.

Pilot of tanker that struck San Francisco Bay Bridge "medically unfit," NTSB says . Man was taking "a half-dozen impairing prescription medications," report says . Crash in 2007 caused oil spill that killed about 2,500 birds, NTSB says . Supervisor's poor oversight also cited as factor in NTSB report .

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BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) -- A huge mural greets visitors to the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Boston. It's a memorial to the building's namesake, who died unexpectedly in 1993. Hundreds of tiles are used to create the "magic" mural at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Boston. A young Reggie Lewis, wearing his No. 35 Boston Celtics jersey, dominates the middle of the 11-foot-by-14-foot artwork. At the bottom left is a picture of him and his wife. To his right, the face of legendary Celtic Larry Bird. But as young men in sweats and sneakers make their way into the gym, something strange happens. The mural comes alive. The photo of a beaming Lewis in formal attire transforms into Lewis the basketball player, streaking down the court. Larry Bird's picture morphs into that of another famous player, Robert Parrish. With each step, the mural transforms, representing the many scenes in one man's life. Artist Rufus B. Seder calls these "movies for a wall" Lifetiles. The Massachusetts artist invented the Lifetiles medium and is the only artist in the world using it. He has more than 30 Lifetiles installations around the globe. Watch a magic mural in action » . At the Taiwan Aquarium, dolphins swim on the wall alongside awestruck children. Bucking broncos line the halls of the the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas. Dancers spin and twirl along with passengers on luxury cruise ships in the south of France. And Seder calls the the South San Francisco, California, BART station his "own personal gallery," with more than 16 installations. Lifetiles don't use electricity, moving parts or tricky lighting -- just an elaborate and painstaking process done out of Seder's Eye Think Inc. studio near Boston. "What I'm after is trying to create an experience which totally takes you by surprise," he said. Scanimation on the shelf . If the technology you see in Lifetiles looks familiar, you might have caught something similar at a local bookstore. The popular children's books "Gallop!" and "Swing!" were also written and illustrated by Seder. With a technique he calls scanimation, pictures in the books come alive as you flip the page. It's a kids' favorite that quite a few parents enjoy, too, based on sales numbers. "Swing!" and "Gallop!" are currently on The New York Times bestseller list. Seder originally used scanimation in greeting cards he sold at trade shows around the country. Then Workman Publishing came calling, asking Seder to develop a book based on the eye-catching technique. That's when Seder caught lightning in a bottle. After several decades as a somewhat unknown artist, he found himself flying to China to teach the scanimation technique to book makers. Just a few years later, there are over 2 million copies of "Gallop!" in print in more than 13 languages. Still awed by their popularity, Seder said, "I would've been satisfied if a limited edition sold well. It totally blew my mind what happened." Although his books' success have gained Seder some newfound publicity, the Lifetiles are truly his life's work. The relatively unknown and seemingly modern form of art isn't new at all. Seder's been working on Lifetiles for more than 20 years, inspired by toys from the 1850s called zoetropes and an active imagination as a youngster. "I started making movies when I was 12 years old," he said, "so I was always into motion pictures and especially into optical tricks and techniques that trick the eye." How does it work? As a viewer, you don't have to learn how to see a Lifetile. It's intuitive, and one immediately understands the concept. As you walk past the mural, it begins to move along with you. But the question that immediately comes to mind -- and the one Seder gets the most -- is, "How does it work?" "The short answer is, it's magic," Seder said. "The longer answer is, it's like a flipbook. I've taken all the pages from a flipbook and scrambled them all together, and I've put them up on the wall and made them animate." The lengthy process also requires attention to detail. Much like an animator, he creates a series of drawings on his computer. He then strips down each image into what becomes an indistinguishable picture made up of a series of vertical lines. This squiggly-lined image becomes the equivalent of a photo negative. The negative gets sandblasted onto a hand-cast glass tile made in Seder's studio. The heavy, 8-inch-square glass tiles get painted, scraped, fired in a kiln and finally added piece by piece to a Lifetiles mural. Hundreds of these tiles work in harmony to create a huge moving image when displayed on a wall. Seder patented the painstaking technique but thinks most other artists wouldn't have his patience, even if they had his know-how. "It's not that I've been playing my cards close to my vest," he said. "It's just very difficult to do." A Lifetiles installation, from conception to completion, can take up to a year to complete. It's a labor of love he shares with others who walk by his "magic" walls. "I love to watch people react to the work. They don't expect a wall to move," he said. "They'll be walking down the hallway in a museum and walking outdoors through a zoo ... and suddenly they realize, 'Those dolphins are starting to move next to me! How is that possible?' "

Lifetiles are murals, created without electricity or moving parts, that appear to move . Rufus Seder is the inventor of Lifetiles and the only artist in the world using them . His eye-catching Lifetiles installations can take over a year to make . Seder also is the author of two bestselling books using similar technology .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The former Halliburton subsidiary KBR has been charged with bribing Nigerian government officials with "tens of millions of dollars" to obtain "billions of dollars in contracts," according to court documents filed late Friday in Houston, Texas. KBR was spun off from its former parent corporation Halliburton in 2007. Justice Department lawyers filed an "information," which is generally associated with an expected plea agreement. The Justice Department had no comment on the filing, but officials familiar with the case said they expected KBR representatives to appear Wednesday in federal court in Houston. The 22-page court document outlines a complex joint venture involving KBR and the Nigeria government-owned National Petroleum Corporation charged with developing the country's oil and gas industry. The contracts involved the design and construction of a natural gas plant. The government documents say the joint venture included payments to international consultants to bribe Nigerian officials. The alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act come after the conviction of Albert Stanley, KBR's former chief executive officer, who pleaded guilty to bribery last fall. "We are not providing comment at this time," said company spokeswoman Heather Browne in an e-mail. She referred CNN to a filing in October that cited a consortium that included KBR called TSKJ. It said, "information has been uncovered suggesting that, commencing at least 10 years ago, members of TSKJ planned payments to Nigerian officials. We have reason to believe, based on the ongoing investigations, that payments may have been made by agents of TSKJ to Nigerian officials. "The government has recently confirmed that it has evidence of such payments. The government has also recently advised Halliburton and KBR that it has evidence of payments to Nigerian officials by another agent in connection with a separate KBR-managed offshore project in Nigeria and possibly evidence of payments in connection with other projects in Nigeria." The company said that in June 2004 it terminated its relationship with Stanley, and noted his guilty plea. "By the plea, Mr. Stanley admitted that he participated in a scheme to bribe Nigerian government officials and that payments were made by agents of TSKJ to Nigerian officials in connection with the construction and expansion by TSKJ of the complex at Bonny Island," it said. KBR, which was spun off from its former parent corporation Halliburton in 2007, has been under fire for its business practices in providing logistical support to the U.S. war effort in Iraq. The Nigerian charges are separate from KBR's contracts in Iraq and Kuwait. CNN Justice Producer Terry Frieden contributed to this story.

Feds: KBR bribed Nigerian government for "billions of dollars in contracts" 22-page document outlines venture to pay international consultants . KBR's chief executive officer was convicted of bribery last fall .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The White House has provided the use of a government airplane to a key Democratic senator in order to ensure the availability of what may prove to be the deciding 60th vote in favor of the $787 billion economic stimulus package. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, could represent the decisive 60th vote on the $787 billion economic stimulus package. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, has returned to his home state to attend a wake for his 88-year-old mother, who died February 2 from complications from leukemia. At the end of the wake, Brown will be flown from Mansfield, Ohio, to Andrews Air Force Base. After he casts his vote, he will return to Ohio for his mother's funeral early Saturday. The plane is being provided by the White House, Brown's office said, because the vote is considered "official business," and there are no commercial flights available that would allow him to cast the vote and return to Ohio for his mother's funeral Saturday morning. A White House official refused to provide a cost estimate for the military plane, but acknowledged "it will be a higher cost than if he were flying commercial." The official said it is a "small government plane." "Taking immediate action to save or create 3.5 million jobs and get America's economy moving again is a top priority for Ohio and the nation," said the White House official. "Given that no commercial flights were available that would allow Sen. Brown to make the vote and to attend services memorializing his mother, the administration provided government transportation to ensure that he could do so." While the final Senate vote on the stimulus plan began at 5:30 p.m. ET, senators are expected to be allowed to vote until after 10:30 p.m., giving Brown enough time to return to the Capitol. CNN's Ed Henry and Ted Barrett contributed to this report .

White House provides plane to Democratic senator so he can vote on stimulus bill . Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, may represent the decisive 60th vote on measure . Brown will vote between wake and funeral in Ohio for his mother, who died at age 88 . White House official says loaner is a "small government plane"

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- A motorcycle gang carried out a bold smash-and-grab raid on a jewelry store in the center of London -- right in front of a CNN camera. One of the raiders can be seen clutching stolen watches as the gang makes its getaway. CNN reporter Sasha Herriman and cameraman Peter Kavanagh were filming in Oxford Street, London's busiest retail area, when the raiders took a sledgehammer to the store's windows in broad daylight. Kavanagh kept the camera rolling as the thieves helped themselves to handfuls of luxury watches before roaring off on their motorcycles, leaving a crowd of stunned shoppers in their wake. "They always tell you to expect the unexpected when working in news, and this certainly was unexpected," said Kavanagh, an Australian cameraman with 19 years' experience. Images from the daring heist » . "As we were filming we heard a couple of motorbikes revving their engines loudly and saw a crowd forming. We couldn't tell what was happening at first. "We saw the men yelling at the crowd and gesturing for them to stay back. Then they ran out of the store, climbed on their bikes and sped off." Kavanagh says the daring heist nearly came unstuck at the last minute when the riders were forced to swerve to avoid a truck pulling into the road -- a moment he caught on film, along with a tantalizing glimpse of their booty. Watch raiders zoom away on motorcycles » . "As they went past, I zoomed in to get a clear shot. I noticed one of the passengers on the bikes was carrying a fistful of watches." London's Metropolitan Police would not reveal the value of the items taken from the store, but said they were trying to establish if it was linked to other smash and grabs. No one has been arrested in connection with the raid, they said, and witnesses were being sought. Says Kavanagh, after the four raiders had fled, punching the air with victory signs, so did many of the passers-by who saw it happen. "Afterwards we went over to the store and saw the glass from smashed cabinets and the sledgehammer lying on the ground. Most witnesses cleared off, but a few who had taken photos came forward."

Raiders take sledgehammer to store's windows as CNN camera rolls . Motorcycle gang helped themselves to watches before making getaway . Police say no arrests have been made yet .

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(CNN) -- Boeing is asking pilots who fly its 737 jets to pay careful attention to flight instruments after Dutch investigators said a faulty altimeter contributed to the recent crash of a 737 in the Netherlands. Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 broke into three pieces near Schiphol Airport on February 25. The 737 is the most widely flown jet in commercial aviation. More than 6,000 have been sold, according to Boeing. "Boeing reminds all operators to make sure flight crews pay close attention to all primary flight controls during critical stages of a flight," Boeing spokesman Jim Proulx told CNN on Thursday. On February 25, Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 from Istanbul to Amsterdam dropped from the sky on approach to the landing strip at Schiphol Airport, breaking into three pieces in a muddy field. Nine people died and 80 people were hurt in the accident. In a memo to pilots, Boeing says there was a malfunction in one of the plane's two altimeters, which measure the altitude above the terrain where the plane is going to land. The left altimeter was giving "erroneous" information, indicating that the plane was below 7 or 8 feet from ground level when it was actually about 2,000 feet in the air, the memo said. That caused the automatic throttles to slow the plane down. "Boeing recommends operators inform flight crews of the above investigation details and the (Dutch Safety Board) interim report when it is released. In addition, crews should be reminded to carefully monitor primary flight instruments," the memo said. The plane was on automatic pilot when it crashed, said Pieter van Vollenhoven, head of the Dutch Safety Board. The weather was misty at the time of the crash, possibly keeping the pilots from noticing their altitude, Van Vollenhoven said. Automatic pilot should not be used for landings if altimeters are malfunctioning, he said. Dutch investigators said there had been faulty meter readings on two other flights of the same jet, but the pilots were able to land. In the Amsterdam crash, the pilots did not recognize the altimeter problem until it was too late, Van Vollenhoven said. The Boeing memo notes that "the autothrottle, which uses the left radio altimeter data, transitioned to landing flare mode and retarded the throttles to the idle stop. The throttles remained at the idle stop for approximately 100 seconds during which time the airspeed decreased to approximately 40 knots below the selected approach speed." Proulx said he did not know what that speed was for that particular 737 model. The warning issued by Boeing was for many other models of 737 jets, not just the 737-800 involved in the Amsterdam crash.

Boeing urges 737 pilots to pay careful attention to flight instruments . Dutch investigators said a faulty altimeter contributed to Netherlands crash . Erroneous altitude data caused automatic throttles to slow the plane down . The Turkish Airlines jet broke into three pieces on impact, killing nine people .

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(CNN) -- Scientists in Colombia have unearthed the remains of a true prehistoric monster believed to be the biggest snake ever to have lived on Earth. An artist's impression of what Titanoboa cerrejonensis would have looked like. Named Titanoboa cerrejonensis, the snake would have weighed 1,140 kilograms (2,500 pounds) and measured 13 meters (42.7 feet) nose to tail tip -- dwarfing the largest modern pythons and anacondas which can grow to 6 meters (19.5 feet). Scientists believe it slithered around the planet between 58 and 60 million years ago. Geologist David Polly, who identified the position of the fossil vertebrae which made a size estimate possible, said in a statement Wednesday: "At its greatest width, the snake would have come up to about your hips. The size is pretty amazing. "But our team went a step further and asked, how warm would the Earth have to be to support a body of this size?" Titanoboa's fossilized remains were discovered at a coal mine in the tropical Cerrejon region of northern Colombia by an international team of scientists. "Truly enormous snakes really spark people's imagination, but reality has exceeded the fantasies of Hollywood," paleontologist Jonathan Bloch, who co-led the expedition, told reporters. "The snake that tried to eat Jennifer Lopez in the movie 'Anaconda' was not as big as the one we found." Based on the snake's size, the team was able to calculate that the mean annual temperature in equatorial South America 60 million years ago would have been about 91 degrees Fahrenheit, about 10 degrees warmer than today, Bloch said. "Tropical ecosystems of South America were surprisingly different 60 million years ago," said Bloch. "It was a rainforest, like today, but it was even hotter and the cold-blooded reptiles were all substantially larger. "The result was, among other things, the largest snakes the world has ever seen...and hopefully ever will." According to Nature.com, snakes are poikilotherms (cold-blooded) that, unlike humans, need heat from their environment to power their metabolism. Therefore research suggests that at the time the region would have had to be no less than 86 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit for the snake to have survived. Most large snakes today live in the tropical regions of South America and south-east Asia, where the high temperatures allow them to grow to impressive sizes. Meanwhile, Carlos Jaramillo -- who was also part of the expedition -- said the tropical rainforest at Cerrejon appeared to have thrived at these temperatures. "This data challenges the view that tropical vegetation lives near its climatic optimum, and it has profound implications in understanding the effect of current global warming on tropical plants," he said.

Snake weighed 1,140 kgs (2,500 pounds), measured 13 meters (42.7 feet) Scientists believe it lived between 58 and 60 million years ago . Size offers clues about world's temperature at this time . Discovered by scientists in tropical northern region of Colombia .

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MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- Mexican authorities arrested Vicente Carrillo Leyva, a leader of the Carrillo Fuentes drug cartel, officials announced Thursday. Vicente Carrillo Leyva is escorted by police at a news conference in Mexico City on Thursday. Carrillo Leyva was arrested as he exercised in a park in a residential area of Mexico City, where he had been living under the alias Alejandro Peralta Alvarez, officials said. The federal attorney general's office told reporters he was tracked through his wife, who did not change her name. Carrillo Leyva "is considered one of the heirs to the criminal organization known as the Juarez Cartel, after the death of his father, Amado Carrillo Fuentes," said Assistant Prosecutor Maricela Morales. His father died in July 1997 while undergoing plastic surgery to alter his appearance in an effort to avoid capture. Amado Carrillo was known as "El Senor de los Cielos," the "Lord of the Skies," because of the fleet of jetliners he used to transport cocaine from Colombia to Mexico. Carrillo Leyva, 32, was presented at the news conference, surrounded by black-clad, hooded law-enforcement officials. He wore dark-frame glasses and a white jogging suit with double black stripes on the sleeves. His dark hair was long and shaggy. Last month, federal officials offered a reward of up to $2.16 million (30 million pesos) for information leading to his arrest. The same reward has been offered for his uncle, cartel leader Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, also known as "El Viceroy" and "El General," who remains at-large. Rewards of $2 million apiece have been offered for 22 other leading cartel suspects. Wednesday's arrest was the fourth detention of a top drug cartel leader in recent weeks. Last week, officials announced the arrest of Hector Huerta Rios, also known as "La Burra" or "El Junior," a top lieutenant of the Beltran Leyva cartel. He was arrested in the city of San Pedro Garza Garcia in Nuevo Leon state, along Mexico's border with the United States. The previous week, Mexican authorities announced the arrest of Sigifredo Najera Talamantes, a drug-trafficking suspect accused of attacking a U.S. consulate and killing Mexican soldiers. Talamantes, also known as "El Canicon," also is suspected in attacks on a television station in Monterrey in Nuevo Leon, the state-run Notimex agency said. That same week, the Mexican military also arrested the son of a top drug cartel lieutenant. Authorities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border blame drug cartels for a surge in violence in the region. Despite the violence, Mexican officials say the country is generally safe and that tourist areas such as Cancun and Acapulco are heavily patrolled. Watch Leyva get escorted by law enforcement officials » . Officials from Acapulco city hall, the Guerrero state government and the Mexico attorney general went so far as to sign a statement in early March assuring students wanting to go there on spring break that efforts had been taken to ensure their safety. In a speech in mid-March, Mexican President Felipe Calderon said 93 percent of the 6,500 deaths attributed to organized crime in 2008 occurred among the criminals. Most of the rest were law enforcement authorities, officials have said. Few civilians are killed, the president said. In that same speech, Calderon ridiculed those who say Mexico is unsafe. "It is absolutely false, absurd, that anyone indicate that Mexico does not have control over one single part of its national territory," he said. "I challenge anyone who says that to tell me what part of the country they want to go to and I will take that person there." Analysts point out that most of the violence is occurring along the U.S. border, particularly in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua and Tijuana. Drug cartel violence is also found on Mexico's western coast. "The situation in Ciudad Juarez is of special concern," the U.S. State Department said in a February 20 travel alert. "Mexican authorities report that more than 1,800 people have been killed in the city since January 2008. Additionally, this city of 1.6 million people experienced more than 17,000 car thefts and 1,650 carjackings in 2008." The State Department advisory tells U.S. citizens how best to remain safe. "While millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year (including thousands who cross the land border every day for study, tourism or business), violence in the country has increased recently. It is imperative that travelers understand the risks of travel to Mexico, how best to avoid dangerous situations, and whom to contact if one becomes a crime victim. Common-sense precautions such as visiting only legitimate business and tourist areas during daylight hours, and avoiding areas where prostitution and drug dealing might occur, can help ensure that travel to Mexico is safe and enjoyable." CNN's Mario Gonzalez contributed to this story.

Vicente Carrillo Leyva, 32, arrested in Mexico City, officials say . He was living under fake name; was found through his wife, who used her own name . This is the fourth arrest of major drug cartel suspect in recent weeks . Authorities in U.S. and Mexico blame drug cartels for surge in violence near border .

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(CNN) -- The great paddlewheel turned the Ohio River water to a froth as the Delta Queen steamboat, a floating National Historic Landmark, departed Cincinnati, Ohio, on its final scheduled voyage this week. The Delta Queen is the last running steam-driven, paddlewheeled overnight passenger boat. The boat is a throwback to the 1800s and the era of Mark Twain, when thousands of steam-driven paddlewheelers plied the Mississippi River system. The Delta Queen is the last of those operating as overnight passenger boats on U.S. waterways, giving riders a 19th-century experience on cruises complete with the carnival-like sounds of the steam-whistle calliope. But it will dock permanently if Congress doesn't grant a safety exemption. It left Cincinnati on Tuesday on a 10-day cruise down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to Memphis, Tennessee, where it will unload what could be its final passengers. "There are so few really authentic things left. Everything is a re-creation or a tied up old dusty museum," said Vicki Webster, leader of the grassroots Save the Delta Queen Campaign. "The Delta Queen is a breathing part of history and we have to keep as many of those as we can." The frequent riders and steamboat aficionados are being punished, Webster insists. Sherrin Kraus, 66, admires the Delta Queen as it passes by her home in Hanover, Indiana, each year. "I've been in love with this boat since I was 5 years old," Kraus told CNN affiliate WLWT-TV when the ship arrived in Cincinnati. iReport.com: Share your photos, videos and memories of the Delta Queen . Kraus and her husband Ken boarded the Delta Queen's possible final voyage to celebrate their 45th anniversary. They told WLWT they decided to celebrate the occasion early out of concern the ship would not get another exemption. "This was our 45th anniversary trip because we don't know what the future's going to bring, but we're worried," Kraus said. "If she doesn't survive this last onslaught, it's the end of an era." The Delta Queen will go out of service if Congress does not grant the ship another exemption from a 1960s federal law, the Safety at Seas Act, which bans boats made largely out of wood because of fire hazards. The current exemption, which expires at the end of October, has been given to the ship nine times over 40 years. See the Delta Queen's life in photos » . Supporters of the boat, which has roamed the nation's waterways since 1927 and helped the Navy ferry survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor to San Francisco hospitals in 1941, are hopeful the ship will not play its famed calliope for the last time. iReport.com: Watch the ship depart as a calliope concert plays . The grassroots campaign is gaining traction and the support of high ranking politicians. House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said in a statement he would work with Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, to try to get an exemption granted if the House returns for a lame duck session to address economic issues following the election. Supporters, including several mayors, agree with Webster that granting an exemption to the Delta Queen would be a way to help stimulate the economy without it costing taxpayers a dime. Lee Powell, director of the Mississippi Delta Grassroots Caucus said the boat provides economic opportunities. By docking and unloading nearly 200 passengers up to a dozen times a year, the Delta Queen helps to pump money into small cities along the heartland's rivers that are not normally tourist destinations. Helena, Arkansas, which Mark Twain wrote in Life on the Mississippi "occupies one of the prettiest situations on the river," could suffer if the boat ceases operation. "There are places in Helena that are essentially at virtually the levels of a third world country," Powell said. "They were impoverished before and now with the economic suffering, to choke off one of the good things they have is ridiculous." The fight ahead is not uncharted territory for the Delta Queen, which fought down to the wire in 1970 to be given the exemption. Rep. James Oberstar, a Minnesota Democrat who heads up the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has refused to support the exemption, claiming the boat, with a steel hull but largely wooden superstructure, is a fire hazard. Webster, who says she is "seething with anger" about the complaint, said the ship is outfitted with state-of-the-art fire safety equipment and a full fire crew on board. "The heat detectors are so sensitive in the rooms if you take a shower and forget to close your bathroom door, the heat detectors go off," Webster said. "It's ridiculous. You literally could not have a fire on the boat because it would be put out in seconds." Webster says the fight with Oberstar amounts to a labor dispute and that Oberstar is bowing to the Seafarers International Union which represented the boat's employees before it was bought by Majestic America Line. Oberstar and the union have both denied those accusations, but Webster insists simple politics are getting in the way of saving a national treasure. "They're holding her hostage," Webster said. "That's like punishing a child because his parents are bickering or tearing down the Statute of Liberty because of a dispute between the owners of the land and the snack shop."

Delta Queen paddlewheeler has been in service since 1927 . Boat is last steam-powered paddlewheeler providing overnight passenger cruises . Vessel needs new exemption from 1960s federal law . Safety of Seas Act bars largely wooden ships from overnight cruises .

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(CNN) -- Liverpool want to avoid playing on the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster and UEFA president Michel Platini says he will "do his utmost" to make it a reality. Liverpool fans had to be treated on the pitch as the tragedy unfolded at Hillsborough in 1989. The anniversary falls on April 15, one of two dates set aside for the second leg of this season's Champions League quarterfinal ties, the other being the previous day. European governing body UEFA issued a statement from Platini, rejecting reports that they had snubbed the appeal by Liverpool. "We are aware of the huge significance of the April 15 date for both Liverpool FC and their fans, and that is why we will do our utmost to make sure that the club does not have to play its UEFA Champions League second leg quarterfinal match on that day," Platini said. "This being the 20th anniversary of that tragic disaster in 1989 makes it even more relevant and we will take this into account." Ninety six people died when Liverpool supporters were crushed at the Leppings Lane end of Hillsborough on April 15, 1989, before the start of their team's FA Cup semifinal against Nottingham Forest. A cousin of Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was among the dead, and the England midfielder has urged UEFA to be sympathetic to the club. Gerrard told Press Association at the weekend: "We're still waiting to see whether UEFA will make us play on the day. That would be far from ideal given all the emotion that always surrounds the club on that day." Liverpool have never played a game on the anniversary of the tragedy. The Champions League quarterfinal draw takes place on Friday with four English clubs in the draw and no seedings in place. Liverpool reached the quarterfinals with a superb 4-0 home win over Real Madrid last week and followed it up with a 4-1 thumping of Manchester United to revive their Premier League title hopes.

Liverpool anxious to avoid playing on 20th anniversary of Hillsborough tragedy . April 15 is one of the two dates nominated for Champions League quarterfinals . UEFA president Michel Platini personally intervenes to ensure date stays free .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- A new sleeper virus that could allow hackers to steal financial and personal information has now spread to more than eight million computers in what industry analysts say is one of the most serious infections they have ever seen. Experts say a single infected laptop could expose an entire network to the worm. The Downadup or Conficker worm exploits a bug in Microsoft Windows to infect mainly corporate networks, where -- although it has yet to cause any harm -- it potentially exposes infected PCs to hijack. Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at anti-virus firm F-Secure, says while the purpose of the worm is unclear, its unique "phone home" design, linking back to its point of origin, means it can receive further orders to wreak havoc. He said his company had reverse-engineered its program, which they suspected of originating in Ukraine, and is using the call-back mechanism to monitor an exponential infection rate, despite Microsoft's issuing of a patch to fix the bug. "On Tuesday there were 2.5 million, on Wednesday 3.5 million and today [Friday], eight million," he told CNN. "It's getting worse, not better." Hypponen explained to CNN the dangers that Downadup poses, who is most at risk and what can be done to stop its spread. How serious is it? It is the most serious large scale worm outbreak we have seen in recent years because of how widespread it is, but it is not very serious in terms of what it does. So far it doesn't try to steal personal information or credit card details. Who is affected? We have large infections in Europe, the United States and in Asia. It is a Windows worm and almost all the cases are corporate networks. There are very few reports of independent home computers affected. What does it do? It is a complicated worm most likely engineered by a group of people who have spent time making it very complicated to analyze and remove. The real reason why they have created it is hard to say right now, but we do know how it replicates. How does it spread? The worm does not spread over email or the Web. However if an infected laptop is connected to your corporate network, it will immediately scan the network looking for machines to infect. These will be machines that have not installed a patch from Microsoft known as MS08-067. The worm will also scan company networks trying to guess your password, trying hundreds and hundreds of common words. If it gets in, even if you are not at your machine, it will infect and begin spreading to other servers. A third method of spreading is via USB data sticks. How can I prevent it infecting my machine? The best way is to get the patch and install it company-wide. The second way is password security. Use long, difficult passwords -- particularly for administrators who cannot afford to be locked out of the machines they will have to fix. What can I do if it has already infected? Machines can be disinfected. The problem is for companies with thousands of infected machines, which can become re-infected from just one computer even as they are being cleared.

A new sleeper virus has now spread to more than eight million computers . Industry analysts say is one of the most serious infections they have ever seen . The worm exploits a bug in Microsoft's ubiquitous Windows software . Virus could allow its creators to hijack entire networks .

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(CNN) -- Kaka underlined his commitment to AC Milan with two goals in a 4-1 Serie A win at Bologna on Sunday when on-loan David Beckham claimed his first goal in Italian football. Kaka scored twice for AC Milan days after rejecting a world record transfer to Manchester City. Brazilian star Kaka, playing his first match since the collapse of a proposed world record transfer to Premier League Manchester City, converted from the penalty spot after 17 minutes and added a spectacular second two minutes before half-time. Kaka's double took the limelight away from former England captain Beckham who made his mark on the hour as Milan kept up the pressure on top two, city rivals Inter and Turin-based Juventus. Beckham moved to Milan from Los Angeles Galaxy earlier this month and found the target as coach Carlo Ancelotti marked 400 games in charge of the club. The former Mancherster United star is clearly enjoying his stay in Italy and there have been suggestions he could extend his stay. "I can't say what will happen," PA Sport quoted him as saying on Sunday. "Even if my contract says that I'll be here until March. We'll have to see. "At the moment I'm enjoying this experience. I'm at one of the biggest clubs in the world. And having won gives us confidence to continue." He added: "It's great to score my first goal -- I will keep this jersey. It's special to play for Milan and also to score, but what's most important is that we won." Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti was delighted with Beckham's performance, but insists the club can do nothing to keep him at the San Siro. However, he claims the 33-year-old holds his future in his own hands. "If he said 'we'll see' it means he's thinking about staying," Ancelotti told Sky Italia. "However, our hands are tied as he has a clear contract." Bologna took the lead through a Marco Di Vaio penalty after nine minutes and Clarence Seedorf equalised after Kaka's effort had been spilled by goalkeeper Francesco Antonioli. AS Roma closed to within three points of fourth, the final Champions League qualifying position, with a stunning 3-0 win at Napoli. Centre-backs Philippe Mexes (18) and Juan (32) gave Roma a two-goal lead at the interval and Montenegro forward Mirko Vucinic added the third four minutes into the second half. Roma are now only three points behind Genoa who were surprisingly held to a 1-1 home draw by Catania who led through a 67th-minute goal from Jorge Martinez. Diego Milito replied six minutes later. Roma have won eight of their last 10 Serie A matches following an awful start to the season where they won only two and lost six of their first 10 games. Fabio Simplicio scored twice as Palermo defeated Udinese 3-2 while strugglers Lecce and Torino shared six goals.

Brazil star Kaka scores twice as AC Milan romp to 4-1 Serie A win at Bologna . Goals come at end of week that saw him reject world record move to Man City . David Beckham hits first goal of loan spell as Milan step up their title chase .

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DENDERMONDE, Belgium (CNN) -- Authorities have charged a 20-year-old man with murder and attempted murder in a stabbing rampage at a Belgian nursery school that left two children and a staff member dead and a dozen others wounded. A family pays tribute Friday evening outside the nursery school in Dendermonde, Belgium. The regional prosecutor's office identified the man, who has been in custody since Friday, as Kim D., and would not release his last name. They said he lives alone in Sinaai, a city about 20 kilometers (12 miles) outside of Dendermonde. He has no police record and is unemployed, the office said. Authorities allege the man, whose face was painted white with black rings around his eyes, entered the Fabeltjesland (Fable Land) nursery school midmorning Friday and began stabbing those inside. He entered the building through a side door, typically only used by parents who are late in arriving to pick up their children from the school, authorities said. Once inside, he went through several rooms in the center. The dead included the head of the nursery, a woman in her 60s who was well known in the town, residents said. The other victims were young; the nursery cared for children up to the age of three. Watch report on attack » . Authorities caught up with him about an hour-and-a-half later after the attack ended, the ministry said. At the time of his arrest, he had on him a knife, an ax and a fake pistol. He was wearing a bullet-proof vest, authorities said. Two other knives were found at the nursery school, but it has not been confirmed whether they were used in the attack. Kim D. has said nothing to authorities regarding the attack, the prosecutor's office said. Authorities have searched his home, but they did not release any information from the search. Watch description of what happened » . The suspect, who is being held in jail, is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday morning. The judge has assigned three doctors to monitor him, authorities said. Earlier, authorities said he was not registered with any psychiatric institution. Dendermonde, about 16 miles northwest of Brussels, is a tight-knit community of about 40,000 people, residents said. Fabeltjesland lies off a park and is not easy to find from the road. On Saturday, the nursery stood quiet and boarded up, with tributes of flowers, cuddly toys and cards left outside.

Two children, one adult killed in attack at Belgian nursery school Friday . Tributes including cards, cuddly toys, flowers left outside boarded-up nursery . NEW: Authorities: Suspect was also carrying an ax, bulletproof vest, fake pistol . Attack happened in town of Dendermonde, about 16 miles northwest of Brussels .

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(CNN) -- At least 23 people died Saturday when a protest rally turned violent outside Madagascar's Presidential Palace, a fire official at the main hospital said. People duck to avoid gunfire Saturday in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. The official said 83 people were injured during the demonstration in the capital city of Antananarivo, according to journalist Dregoire Pourtier, who passed the information to CNN. The International Committee of the Red Cross helped at least 18 injured people, press officer Mbola Ramamanana said. Brittany Martin, an American who is a Harvard Fellow and lives near the palace, said she could hear the crowd cheering amid intermittent gunshots and noises that may have been tear gas canisters. iReport.com: Are you there? "From the window I can see military cars and ambulances driving by," Martin said. "Nothing is up in smoke. We know there have been people killed from French and Malagasy news reports. "We can see the back of the president's palace. This morning was totally peaceful. We knew that Andry [Rajoelina] was unveiling his new government at the May 13th Plaza, which was peaceful," she said, citing a friend who was there. Madagascar's government is in flux. President Marc Ravalomanana fired Rajoelina as mayor of Antananarivo and put someone else in the job, but Rajoelina is still technically mayor and claims to head a transitional national government. Martin said she heard gunshots starting about 2 p.m., after the protesters marched from the plaza to the palace. She said it was unclear where the shots were coming from. Some media reports blamed foreign mercenaries for the shootings; others said army guards were responsible or that the army was firing at the mercenaries to protect the crowd. Violence in Madagascar began January 26, when protesters stormed state-run television and radio stations in Antananarivo. Hours earlier, the government had shut down a radio station owned by Rajoelina and, weeks before, had similarly shut down Rajoelina's television station after it aired an interview with ex-President Didier Ratsiraka. Ravalomanana took power in 2001 after ousting Ratsiraka in a tense, hotly contested election. Ratsiraka fled to France afterward. Loyalists blame Ratsiraka's family members for inciting the recent trouble. There is also anger in Madagascar -- where the World Bank says the average person earns about $320 a year -- over reports that Ravalomanana recently bought a $60 million airplane. Last Saturday, Rajoelina took to the streets, declaring himself the nation's leader after a week of violence and looting that killed at least 80 people and wounded more than 300. Rajoelina urged supporters to demand the resignation of Ravalomanana and said he planned to take charge until a transition government can be established in the island nation off Africa's southeastern coast. Map » . "What we've been pushing for is dialogue the whole time," said Rodney Ford, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy. He said he received reports that palace guards used tear gas and shot into the air to try to disperse the crowd. "I don't think anyone wanted violence." According to the U.S. State Department, Madagascar has about 20 million people with ethnic origins in Africa and Asia. It was administered by the British Empire during much of the 19th century until it came under the control of France, from which it gained independence in 1960.

Gunfire heard near presidential palace, site of anti-government rally . President and fired mayor of capital city are locked in a power struggle . Rally started peacefully, American in capital says .

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(CNN) -- Bulgaria is a Turkish toilet, France is always on strike, Romania is a vampire theme-park and the UK... Well the UK doesn't exist. The piece "Entropa" shows Romania as a giant Dracula-inspired theme park. That's the view of the European Union according to a controversial art installation by Czech artist David Cerny, commissioned by his government to mark its six-month presidency of the pan-continental body. The work, "Entropa," frames various representations of each member state as components of a giant multimedia model kit. But the piece, scheduled to have its official unveiling Thursday at the EU headquarters in Brussels, has sparked controversy. Look at images of European nations » . Bulgaria's foreign ministry has summoned the Czech ambassador in Sofia to lodge a protest about the piece, according to the Czech News Agency. What do you think about images? And Betina Joteva, spokesperson of the Bulgarian permanent representation to the EU, said in comments reported by EUObserver.com: "It [the work] is preposterous, a disgrace. It is a humiliation for the Bulgarian nation and an offence to [our] national dignity." Bulgaria is not the only nation to suffer an unflattering depiction. Germany is criss-crossed by a series of autobahns in what some critics say is a close approximation of a swastika; Spain is a giant construction site in a dig at its building boom; and Luxembourg is a gold covered nugget sporting a "For Sale" sign. The Netherlands is depicted as a submerged land with only minarets peeking through the waves in an apparent reference to its religious tensions. Poland recreates the WWII flag-raising at Iwo Jima, only with the U.S. Marines and the Stars and Stripes replaced with Catholic clergy brandishing the multi-colored gay pride flag. The UK is absent from the work -- possibly because of its on-off relationship with the rest of the continent. The Czech government said in a statement on its presidency Web site Tuesday that the original brief was for the work to be created by 27 artists representing all EU Member States -- and that it was "unpleasantly surprised" to learn that this was not the case. "David Cerny bears full responsibility for not fulfilling his assignment and promise," said Alexandr Vondra, Deputy Prime Minister. "In this situation we are now considering further steps. The government said it will issue a further statement Thursday. The comments were in contrast to a statement issued by Vondra Monday, when he said that "sculpture, and art more generally, can speak where words fail. I am confident in Europe's open mind and capacity to appreciate such a project." Cerny is no stranger to controversy. In 1991 he was arrested after painting pink a Soviet tank that served as a Prague war memorial. His Web site shows other examples of his work, including previous kit-style installations entitled "Jesus Christ" and "Dead Raped Woman"; and a life-size bronze fountain that depicts two men standing opposite each other, urinating. Cerny, and his main collaborators Kristof Kintera and Tomas Pospiszyl apologized to Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek and other government ministers Tuesday, according to a statement on the artist's Web site, for " not having informed them about what is true and for having misled them. The statement adds that Cerny and his colleagues initially wanted to use 27 European artists for "Entropa", but fell short due to lack of time and money. Instead, they say, they decided to create fictional artists, some of whom have even been given their own Web sites. Cerny says he knew the truth would eventually come out but adds: "We believe that the environment of Brussels is capable of ironic self-reflection, we believe in the sense of humor of European nations and their representatives." Try telling that to Bulgaria.

Czech Republic assumed six-month presidency of European Union this month . Czech artists has apologized for artwork that has sparked diplomatic protests . "Entropa" is due to be officially unveiled at EU HQ in Brussels Thursday . Bulgarian EU representative: A humiliation for the Bulgarian nation .

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BEIJING, China (CNN) -- China surpassed the United States in 2008 as the world's top user of the Internet, according to a government-backed research group. Nearly 91 percent of China's Internet users are surfing the Web with a broadband connection. The number of Web surfers in the country grew by nearly 42 percent to 298 million, according to the China Internet Network Information Center's January report. And there's plenty of room for growth, as only about 1 in every 4 Chinese has Internet access. The rapid growth in China's Internet use can be tied to its swift economic gains and the government's push for the construction of telephone and broadband lines in the country's vast rural areas, the report says. The Chinese government wants phone and broadband access in each village by 2010. Nearly 91 percent of China's Internet users are surfing the Web with a broadband connection -- an increase of 100 million from 2007. Mobile phone Internet users totaled 118 million by the end of 2008. While China's Internet usage has been growing in leaps in bounds, the government limits the Web sites its citizens can visit. Learn more about China's Internet censorship » . Earlier this month, China released a blacklist of 19 major online portals and Web sites, including Google and Baidu, that it claims provide and spread pornographic or obscene content. The move came as several Chinese government agencies, including the Ministry of Public Security, launched a month-long campaign to clean up the Web, according to the state-run Xinhua news service. China has come under criticism for restricting Web access to ordinary citizens as well as on local and foreign media covering last year's summer Olympics in Beijing. The U.S. State Department noted in a 2008 report that China had increased its efforts to "control and censor the Internet, and the government had tightened restrictions on freedom of speech and the domestic press" and bloggers. In an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria in September 2008, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao said, "the freedom of Internet in China is recognized by many, even from the West." "Nonetheless, to uphold state security, China, like many countries in the world, has also imposed some proper restrictions. That is for the safety, that is for the overall safety of the country and for the freedom of the majority of the people." CNN's Yuli Yang contributed to this report.

China was top user of the Internet in 2008, says government-backed research group . The number of Web surfers in the country grew by nearly 42 percent to 298 million . Growth tied to economic gains, new telephone, broadband lines in rural areas . Chinese government wants phone and broadband access in each village by 2010 .

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LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (CNN) -- Carlotta Walls LaNier points out the only two African-Americans in her senior class as she flips through her high school yearbook. She pauses when she sees the picture on a page dedicated to "Integration." Carlotta Walls LaNier and eight other members of the Little Rock Nine are invited to Obama's inauguration. It's been nearly five decades since LaNier graduated from Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas. "It shows how the 101st were on the grounds of the school," says LaNier. In 1957, soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division, an elite Army unit, escorted LaNier and eight other African-American students into the all-white public high school. The students, who became known as the Little Rock Nine, were taunted and threatened by an angry mob. "We knew we could not participate in extracurricular activities," recalls LaNier. "There was one who could have been in the band, one who could have been on track. I was the one who played basketball ... I couldn't do that." Back then, LaNier thought once the doors of equality were open it wouldn't be long before an African-American became president. "I had hoped to see something like that in the next 10 or 15 years when I was in high school but that didn't happen," says LaNier. What has happened is a new generation of students walks the halls at Central High. Even though the exterior looks the same as it did during integration -- the interior would be almost unrecognizable to LaNier and the other Little Rock Nine. Student: I can't believe it happened here, but I'm glad it did » . Today, the sea of mostly white faces has disappeared. The hallways are now filled with a more racially diverse student body. Students take a class to learn about the school's history and many say it's given them a greater appreciation for racial tolerance. "Now it's definitely hard to imagine -- you walk into the halls and you see people of all different races are in the hallway. And in addition, the majority of our school is African-American now," points out Afshar Sanati, student body president. "It is hard for me to walk inside the school every day and see how this place could have been such a hostile environment for nine African-American students." LaNier is still humble when she reflects on her experience. "We all knew that we were giving up something for a bigger cause and [we were] happy that we did it," says LaNier. "Because it has been 51 years, I think they were baby steps now. But they were big steps then." The steps taken by the Little Rock Nine were so big, in fact, they received personal invitations to attend President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration. "I think the Little Rock Nine set the foundation," says student Sarah Karney. "I don't think [Obama's election] could have happened without them." Today, many students at Central High see themselves as the beneficiaries of an Obama presidency. "Him being president means there actually is a chance for anyone to do what they want to do if they work hard enough," says Helena Liu, who says she doesn't see race when she looks at Obama. "It doesn't depend on your race -- it depends on who you are, the quality of your character," says DeIvory Howard. "[We've] got to get past just the color of our skins being newsworthy. It's really about all the things we knew we could do for this country and now we have the opportunity to show it and it's going to come through his leadership," says LaNier. "And, we're looking forward to that." Senior Chris Bell couldn't agree more. "This election proves that this America is just not the old America. It shows that America is ready for something different," says Bell. "I just think ... that's amazing."

Carlotta Walls LaNier, eight others integrated Little Rock Central High School . In 1957 school was all-white; today it's predominantly African-American . "Little Rock Nine set the foundation" student says of Obama presidency . LaNier hopes Americans will focus on a person's ability; not their race .

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(CNN) -- North Korea has begun reprocessing fuel rods, its Foreign Ministry said Saturday, according to state-run media. A satellite view of the nuclear facility at Yongbyon. "The reprocessing of spent fuel rods from the pilot atomic power plant began as declared in the Foreign Ministry statement dated April 14," a ministry spokesman said. "This will contribute to bolstering the nuclear deterrence for self-defense in every way to cope with the increasing military threats from the hostile forces." North Korea, angered by the United Nations Security Council's unanimous condemnation of a rocket launch, has threatened to walk away from the six-party talks aimed at disarming the country of nuclear weapons. It has said it will restore its disabled nuclear reactor. The six-party talks -- involving China, Japan, North Korea, Russia, South Korea and the United States -- have been aimed at persuading North Korea to scrap its nuclear program. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, during an unannounced visit to Baghdad, Iraq, said the United States and its partners are working to resume the discussions. A U.N. panel Friday targeted three North Korean companies to have their assets frozen in response to Pyongyang's April 5 rocket launch. The companies that made the list were Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation (KOMID), Korea Ryonbong General Corporation and Tanchon Commercial Bank. U.N. member nations that have dealings with those companies must now freeze their assets. A presidential statement from the Security Council on April 13 authorized the sanctions panel to update a 2006 resolution barring North Korea from launching ballistic missiles after Pyongyang launched what it said was a communications satellite after weeks of warnings from the West not to do so. North Korea declared the launch successful, but U.S. officials said the missile's payload fell into the Pacific Ocean shortly after the launch. Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom had sought a new resolution imposing new sanctions on North Korea, but China and Russia -- permanent members of the Security Council with veto privileges -- blocked the way.

NEW: U.S., partners working to resume talks, Clinton says . North Korea begins reprocessing nuclear fuel rods, state media reports . Process will bolster country's nuclear deterrence, foreign ministry says . Pyongyang angered by U.N. condemnation of rocket launch .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- An American professor doing research in London stumbled across a series of previously unknown letters written by, to, and about Benjamin Franklin, a stunning find that sheds new light on early U.S. history. The letters cover Benjamin Franklin's success in dealing with a British general. The collection of 47 letters are hand-written copies made 250 years ago, when Franklin lived in London. That they were filed under the copyist's name, not Franklin's, may explain why they were overlooked by historians until now, said a curator at the British Library, where the letters are held. The find is reported in the April issue of the William & Mary Quarterly, a journal of early American history and culture. The letters are important in large part because they offer a "wealth of new details" that affect modern understanding of Franklin, writes Alan Houston, the political science professor who discovered the letters in the spring of 2007. They also raise the question of how many other documents remain waiting to be found on Franklin and his life. Houston, a professor at the University of California at San Diego, discovered the letters on the last day of his last research trip to London, just before the library's closing time. "The first item was a letter from Benjamin Franklin to the secretary of the governor of Maryland, and I looked at it and I started to read, and I thought, 'This doesn't look familiar,'" Houston told CNN. "I've read everything Franklin ever wrote." Houston said he quickly began to realize he had uncovered something previously unknown to historians. "I swear, I just about shot through the ceiling I was so excited," he said. "It's like finding a treasure chest." Houston had been working at the time on a book on Franklin, "Benjamin Franklin and the Politics of Improvement," published last year. The letters cover Franklin's success in dealing with British Gen. Edward Braddock, who had been sent to Pennsylvania in 1755 to defeat the French at Fort Duquesne, in modern-day Pittsburgh. The march to retake the fort was part of the French and British battle for control of the western lands in the colonies, part of a larger struggle for control of North America, Houston said. The problem was that Braddock was given no horses or wagons when he arrived in America -- no means of transport for him and his 2,000 redcoats. Braddock started to blame his hosts, so Franklin -- the Pennsylvania assembly's leading politician -- stepped in to help. Franklin went all over Pennsylvania trying to persuade farmers to lend their horses and wagons to Braddock and his men. It wasn't easy, because the farmers were tough negotiators who were also anxious and suspicious of the effort. Eventually, Franklin managed to get the farmers to agree, and within weeks, Braddock and his men were on the march. Braddock suffered a devastating defeat before he even reached the fort, however, when a much smaller contingent of French and Indian soldiers surprised the British. They killed Braddock and about 1,000 of his men. Despite the defeat, Franklin's success -- in what became known as "the wagon affair" -- highlighted his skill as a colonial leader, Houston said. When Franklin was sent to London in 1757 as a representative of the assembly, he brought with him a collection of letters detailing that success. It was proof of his political value to Great Britain and that the assembly's loyalties had been on the right side. This collection of letters, which Franklin referred to in his autobiography as his "quire book," was never found, however -- until now. Houston said he believes the documents he read at the British Library are copies of that collection. They were made by Thomas Birch, an industrious and obsessive transcriber of historical documents who copied anything he could get his hands on. "There was a vogue. It was very common for letters to be copied," said Matthew Shaw, curator of the U.S. collections at the British Library. "Birch was very well known for being a copyist." Birch and Franklin were friends in London, both members of the Royal Society, and Houston said he believes the copies were made sometime between 1757 and 1758. "Birch undoubtedly found Franklin's quire book captivating, and he appears to have copied anything that remotely interested him," Houston writes in the journal. Also, Braddock's campaign and defeat were widely discussed in London, and "Birch may have wanted to capture a crucial moment in the life of the (Royal) society's most famous American member." Birch's transcripts were filed in the British Library as "Copies of Letters relating to the March of General Braddock." They form part of the massive Birch Collection containing the hundreds of volumes of his copies that Birch bequeathed to the library on his death, said Shaw. They weren't properly catalogued until the early 1970s, Shaw said, which is largely why they haven't been used by scholars. "It's the first time they've really been shared with a wider audience," Shaw told CNN. "We're very pleased."

Collection of letters by, to, and about Benjamin Franklin found in London . Letters were copied by hand and had been filed under copyist's name . Letters concern war between British and French for control of North America . Franklin was sent to London in 1757 to represent Pennsylvania's assembly .

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(CNN) -- Human rights groups in Bangladesh and abroad are calling for an investigation after 16 borders guards accused of participating in a bloody revolt in February died in custody in recent days. A Bangladesh Rifles soldier is shown wearing a white cloth signifying surrender in late February. The Bangladesh military acknowledged the deaths of the Bangladesh Rifles paramilitary troops, or jawans -- but insisted they were the result of illness and suicide. "Given the history of abuses by security forces in Bangladesh, there is no reason to take at face value the claim that these detainees have committed suicide," said Brad Adams, Asia director or the New York-based Human Rights Watch, in a statement. The 16 were among 1,100 jawans rounded up after a 35-hour mutiny that began on February 25 in the Rifles headquarters in the capital city, Dhaka. The jawans rebelled against their commanding officers, taking dozens of them hostage. When the standoff ended, more than 70 people were found dead -- the majority of them army officers. Initially, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina promised the jawans amnesty if they laid down their arms. But once the scope of the massacre came to light, Hasina withdrew her offer -- saying the government will not show mercy to those who killed, looted or committed arson. The jawans were issued an ultimatum to turn themselves in, while the government created a committee to probe into the mutiny. The result of the government inquiry is yet to be made public, after several delays. On Thursday, the Rifles leadership issued a statement that said 16 detainees have died in custody since March 9: four from suicide, six from heart attacks and six from other diseases. "We believe that perhaps they have failed to cope with the mental pressure associated with the guilt of committing the brutal attacks,"the statement said. It then added: "Suicide is seen as a sin in religious terms and is also socially undesirable." In response, the legal aid group, Ain o Salish Kendro (Law and Adjudication Center), and the Bangladesh National Women Lawyers' Association were among several organizations calling for an investigation. During a hearing Wednesday, one of the suspects told a Dhaka court he had been administered electric shocks during a seven-day detention. Family members of other detainees have made similar allegations. Some of the suspects who died in custody had wounds on their bodies consisted with torture, Human Rights Watch said. Bangladeshi authorities have said the wounds may have been inflicted when the suspects tried to escape from the Rifles headquarters after the rebellion. "The explanations given by representatives of the security forces are simply not credible," Adams said. "Torture is a regular 'investigative technique' in Bangladesh and killing of detains in government custody is an endemic problem." The country's elite anti-crime unit, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), have often been accused of 'extra-judicial' killings. The battalion is involved in the interrogation of many of the Rifles suspects. Since its inception in 2004, more than 550 alleged criminals died soon after they were captured by RAB forces. In each case, the battalion claimed the arrested men died from stray bullets as their units were engaged in gun battles with the suspects' comrades. The 65,000-strong Bangladesh Rifles is responsible primarily for guarding the country's borders, but it also takes part in operations such as monitoring polls. It is distinct from the army, but their commanders are career army officers. The troops staged their rebellion on the second day of BDR Week, when officers and troops from various BDR outposts along the border were in the capital for celebrations. Discontent had been bubbling for years in the ranks of the BDR, who complained their army superiors dismissed their appeals for more pay, subsidized food and their requests to participate in United Nations peacekeeping operations -- which pay far more than what they make at home. Bangladesh and its South Asian neighbors are the largest troop contributors to U.N. peacekeeping operations. During the stand-off, dozens of officers were killed. Some bodies were dumped in mass graves. Others were tossed in sewers that emptied into a river, where they floated for miles before being retrieved.

Rights groups in Bangladesh, abroad call for probe into string of soldiers' deaths . 16 border guards accused of participating in revolt have died in recent days . Military statement suggests deaths came from guilt-induced stress . More than 1,000 soldiers were rounded up from late-February revolt .

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(CNN) -- Greg Cannom. Remember that name. The late Heath Ledger is expected to win best supporting actor for playing the Joker in "The Dark Knight." It's not a household name, for sure. But this two-time Academy Award winner (for "Bram Stoker's Dracula" and "Mrs. Doubtfire") is the red-hot favorite to win the Oscar in the best makeup category, for his work taking Brad Pitt from decrepitude to infancy in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." His colleagues in the visual effects department are likely to join him, along with the art direction team and possibly costume designer Jacqueline West, taking "Button's" tally to four awards. But my hunch is that this will prove the outer limit of the Academy's love for David Fincher's epic. Not a good return on 13 nominations. Watch which films, stars are up for top honors » . On the other hand, I predict that "Slumdog Millionaire" will reap the rewards, with as many as seven Oscars from 10 nominations, including best picture and best director for Danny Boyle. (A full sweep is impossible, as composer A.R. Rahman has been nominated against himself in the best song category. "Slumdog" will also probably miss out for sound editing and sound mixing, two categories that favor big-budget films.) Watch how "Slumdog" is getting mixed reviews in India » . If I'm right, it will be a fairy-tale ending for what is in many respects a fairy tale of a movie, albeit a fairy tale punctuated with sometimes distressingly grim episodes of violence and poverty. Still, upsets do happen. Four years ago, all the pundits (including this one) had "Brokeback Mountain" pegged for best picture. Instead, a left-field movie that had been kicking around for months surged from behind and "Crash"-ed the party. EW's Dave Karger makes his predictions . It could happen again, but this year "Slumdog" is -- or at least began as -- the left-field movie. The surprise came when American audiences embraced the energy and passion (the underdog spirit, if you will) of Boyle's film. After all, this was a film that Warner Bros. almost consigned straight to DVD until Fox Searchlight stepped up and obtained U.S. theatrical rights. North American box office receipts will probably reach the $100 million mark soon, making the $15 million film easily the most profitable of the best picture contenders. ("Benjamin Button" has grossed more, but with a budget estimated at $150 million, it cost 10 times as much to make.) Vote for your favorite nominees in major categories » . Best actor . The "Slumdog" wave won't affect the acting categories, not because the Academy struggles to recognize Indian excellence but because the lead roles in the film are split between three generations of young actors. Similar considerations will weigh against Brad Pitt's chances for best actor, despite his outstanding performance as "Benjamin Button's" lead. No one seems entirely clear where Pitt leaves off and the makeup, the CGI and the four other actors credited with playing the part take over. The pundits have decided that this category is a straight choice between Sean Penn ("Milk") and Mickey Rourke ("The Wrestler"), and although I wouldn't rule out Frank Langella for his strangely sympathetic portrait of the disgraced president in "Frost/Nixon," I have to agree that Penn and Rourke are both compelling choices, and either would be a worthy winner. Given the soft love the Academy has shown "The Wrestler" (two nominations) compared with "Milk" (eight, including best picture), Penn is the smart choice. But my heart goes with Rourke. Penn transforms himself to play Harvey Milk, but Rourke does something more difficult; he reveals himself. Watch how Rourke made a comeback to get Oscar nomination » . Best actress . This category, like best actor, seems to come down to a choice between two: Meryl Streep (who overpowers the ethical uncertainties of "Doubt") and Kate Winslet (who contrives to make a mass murderer sexy and sympathetic in "The Reader"). These are two ostentatious, technically demanding performances of the kind that Oscar voters appreciate; Melissa Leo's understated naturalism in the little-seen "Frozen River" would stand at the opposite end of the spectrum, well out of the limelight. It's astonishing that Streep -- by common consent our finest actress -- hasn't won an Academy Award since "Sophie's Choice" (1982), a losing streak that runs through 10 nominations (and counting). But at least she already has a couple of Oscars on her mantel, which is more than you can say for Kate Winslet, hoping it will be sixth-time lucky on Sunday. In this critic's opinion, she's been nominated for the wrong performance and the wrong film ("Revolutionary Road" would have been my choice), but I've had more arguments about "The Reader" than any of the other contenders this year, and I suspect that there is enough support out there for a Winslet win. iReport.com: iReporter sees Streep winning . Supporting actress . I think we'll see Penelope Cruz triumph for her fabulously funny bilingual artist in Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." She's already won a BAFTA and an honor from the National Board of Review. But the Academy likes surprises in this category, and a first-time such as Taraji P. Henson could take it. iReport.com: Who do you think will win? Supporting actor . The idea that Heath Ledger won't win for "The Dark Knight" is so unthinkable, I can only imagine mass walk-outs at the ceremony and riots breaking out across the country if it doesn't come to pass.

CNN.com's Tom Charity predicts "Slumdog Millionaire" is going all the way . Charity believes Mickey Rourke will edge past Sean Penn for best actor . Heath Ledger not winning? "Unthinkable," says Charity .

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(CNN) -- While all eyes seem to be on "Slumdog Millionaire" for the Oscars, one very courageous little girl will be focused on another India-based film at the ceremony. Pinki, like millions in developing countries, had to live with her deformity and suffer the social consequences. It's called "Smile Pinki," and it's up for an Oscar, too -- nominated for best short documentary, which it won on Sunday. The little girl watching it from inside the Oscar ceremony has traveled all the way to Los Angeles, California, from her small Indian village with her dad -- and it has been an incredible journey for Pinki Sonkar. "Smile Pinki" tells the story of her transformation from a sad outcast to a vibrant 8-year-old with plenty of spunk. Pinki was born with a cleft lip, and her impoverished family did not have the money for corrective surgery. Like millions of other children born with the lip deformity in developing countries, Pinki simply had to live with it and suffer the social consequences. Her father Rajendra Sonkar says: "She used to go to school and the kids would not befriend her. She would say, 'I don't want to go to school.'" Watch how Pinki was transformed by the operation » . "Pinki was a depressed, sad, lonely, shy, young little girl, growing up on the periphery of the society in a little village," said Satish Kalra, director of Smile Train's South Asian region, after meeting with Pinki. The little girl's own family was ashamed of her, Kalra says. But all of that has changed. Pinki is now a real pistol, full of energy and confidence, and she has a fantastic smile too -- thanks to the Smile Train charity. Smile Train teaches doctors in their own countries to operate on cleft lips, a deformity afflicting up to four million children across the world. iReport: Share your Oscar predictions . Pinki just happened to be one of the chosen candidates for surgery and was also chosen to be the subject of the documentary. The film chronicles her transformation, following her from her village to the hospital and home again. "She has absolutely and totally changed," said Pinki's surgeon, Dr. Subodh Kumar. The film's director is Megan Mylan. She has won several awards but not an Oscar -- until now. For Pinki and her dad, being able to see the film's director win an Oscar would be a thrill. But they know they already have the greatest prize: Pinki's new smile. "I am so happy that my daughter's lips have been repaired," her dad Rajendra said with a smile, expressing hope that the movie will inspire people to help children whose families can't afford the surgery.

NEW: "Smile Pinki" wins best short documentary Oscar . Pinki Sonkar was born with cleft lip; her family in India couldn't afford surgery . Smile Train charity provided operation; 4 million children worldwide have cleft lips . Pinki, once an outcast because of the deformity, will attend the Oscar ceremony .

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(CNN) -- Sri Lankan officials rejected a proposed cease-fire from the Tamil Tiger rebels Sunday, warning instead that government troops intended to continue a new offensive until the group surrenders, a senior government official said. Tamil demonstrators call for a cease-fire in Sri Lanka during a rally Saturday in Paris, France. "The government is firm that (the rebels) lay down their arms and surrender. We do not recognize this so-called offer," said Lakshman Hulugalle, director of Sri Lanka's Media Center for National Security. The proposed cease-fire came six days after the Sri Lankan army launched a new offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) in the country's northern area. Government troops made significant advances into rebel-held territory on Friday and Saturday, according to Sri Lankan Army sources. A government-imposed deadline for the Tigers to surrender passed last Tuesday. Tens of thousands of displaced civilians currently remain wedged in a dwindling swath of territory controlled by the Tigers along the country's northeastern coast. Government troops say they have rescued 39,000 civilians trapped in the area, but a U.N. refugee agency said Friday that a wave of "fresh displacement" has now exceeded 100,000 individuals. "In the face of an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and in response to the calls made by the U.N., EU, the governments of the USA, India and others, the (LTTE) has announced an unilateral cease-fire. All of LTTE's offensive military operations will cease with immediate effect," the rebel leaders said in a written statement issued earlier Sunday. "We welcome the attempts by the U.N. and its agencies to assist the civilian population and are ready to engage and cooperate with them to address the humanitarian needs of the population. ... We are in full agreement that the humanitarian crisis can only be overcome by declaration of an immediate cease-fire." The Tiger leadership asked the international community to "pressure the Sri Lankan government to reciprocate" on the cease-fire offer. The Tigers have been fighting for an independent state in Sri Lanka's northeast since 1983. As many as 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began, and the group has been declared a terrorist organization by 32 countries, including the United States and the European Union.

Government says it will continue offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels . Rebels control a dwindling swath of north Sri Lanka . U.N. agency says 100,000 refugees have fled fighting .

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(CNN) -- A potentially deadly new strain of the swine flu virus cropped up in more places in the United States and Mexico on Saturday, in what the World Health Organization called "a public health emergency of international concern." Women wearing masks wait at a health clinic Saturday in Mexico City. The most recent reports Saturday afternoon were of two confirmed cases of the virus in Kansas -- bringing the number of confirmed U.S. cases to 11. Those joined nine confirmed cases in Texas and California and an apparent outbreak at a private school in New York City, where officials say eight children likely have the virus. By Saturday night, health officials in Mexico said 81 deaths there were "likely linked" to the swine flu. Dr. Jose A. Cordova Villalobos, Mexico's Secretary of Health, said viral testing has confirmed 20 cases of swine flu across the country. President Felipe Calderon on Saturday issued an executive decree detailing emergency powers of the Ministry of Health, according to the president's office. The order gives the ministry with the authority to isolate sick patients, inspect travelers' luggage and their vehicles and conduct house inspections, the statement said. The government also has the authority to prevent public gatherings, shut down public venues and regulate air, sea and overland travel. The WHO's Gregory Hartl said the strain of the virus seen in Mexico is worrisome because it has mutated from older strains. "Any time that there is a virus which changes ... it means perhaps the immunities the human body has built up to dealing with influenza might not be adjusted well enough to dealing with this new virus," Hartl told CNN. In Mexico, otherwise young and healthy people have been hit by the virus -- "one of the pieces of the puzzle that is worrying us," he said. Mexico City has closed all of its schools and universities because of the virus, and the country's National Health Council said all Saturday's soccer games would be played without public audiences. Watch an alarmed Mexico City react with face masks, cancellations » . WHO has sent experts to Mexico at the request of the country's government, Chan said. All of the U.S. patients have recovered or are expected to. Two of the border cases were in Texas, near San Antonio, and seven of the cases were in southern California, the CDC said. Watch for more on the U.S. cases » . More than 1,300 people with flu-like symptoms have been admitted to hospitals in Mexico, and officials are trying to determine how many of those patients have swine flu, the country's health minister, Cordova said. U.S. health officials said Friday that some cases of the virus matched samples of the deadly Mexican virus. On Saturday, New York's Bureau of Communicable Diseases said preliminary tests from a Queens school suggest that eight out of the nine children tested probably have the swine flu virus. Dr. Don Weiss said up to 200 students at the school reported feeling ill. He said the samples will be sent to the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia, to determine the subtype of the strain. The results could be known as early as Sunday. "What's concerning about this is, first, that it's likely swine flu; second is that at this time it is spreading from person to person," said New York City health Commissioner Thomas Frieden. Watch news conference with NYC health department spokesman » . When the flu spreads person to person, instead of from animals to humans, it can continue to mutate, making it a tougher strain that is harder to treat or fight off. Watch author John Barry discuss potential for a pandemic » . The infected people in Kansas are a man who had recently traveled to Mexico and his wife, officials said. Neither of them was hospitalized, said Dr. Jason Eberhart-Phillips, director of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The United States had not issued any travel warnings or quarantines by Saturday evening. The Canadian Public Health Agency had issued a travel health notice, saying, "The Public Health Agency of Canada is tracking clusters of severe respiratory illness with deaths in Mexico." Watch CBC report on Canadian microbiologists' concerns » . Symptoms of swine flu include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, coughing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, the CDC said. Besser advised people with flu-like symptoms to stay home from work or school and to see a doctor. CNN's Mayra Cuevas, Ann Curley, Caleb Hellerman, Elaine Quijano and Susan Candiotti contributed to this report.

NEW: 81 deaths in Mexico "likely linked" to swine flu . NEW: Mexican Health Ministry given emergency powers . Two cases confirmed in Kansas; more suspected in New York . Mutated form concerns World Health Organization .

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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- The photograph is a jarring image that shows Nazi Party members, shovels in hand, digging up graves of American soldiers held as slaves by Nazi Germany during World War II. Members of the Nazi Party are forced to dig up mass graves of U.S. soldiers while American GIs look on. While the men dig up the site, U.S. soldiers investigating war crimes stand over them. Two crosses with helmets placed atop them -- the sign of a fallen soldier -- are visible. Two Germans are knee deep in mud. Another, with a handlebar mustache, has the look of a defeated man. The bodies of 22 American soldiers were found in at least seven graves, according to the photographer. On the back of the photo is written, "Nazi Party members digging up American bodies at Berga." Berga an der Elster was a slave labor camp where 350 U.S. soldiers were beaten, starved, and forced to work in tunnels for the German government. The soldiers were singled out for "looking like Jews" or "sounding like Jews," or dubbed as undesirables, according to survivors. More than 100 soldiers perished at the camp or on a forced death march. It was on this day six decades ago, April 23, 1945, when most of the slave labor camp soldiers were liberated by advancing U.S. troops. The emaciated soldiers, many weighing just 80 pounds, had been forced by Nazi commanders to march more than 150 miles before their rescue. Watch survivor break down in tears over liberation » . The new photograph was likely taken in May or June 1945 when U.S. war crimes investigators combed Berga. It was donated earlier this month to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum by Jim Martin and his family, whose father, Elmore "Bud" Martin, is believed to have snapped the picture as part of the war crimes investigation team. The photo and dozens of others sat for years in Jim Martin's closet. Some of the photos, including graphic images of American corpses, were placed on record at the National Archives years ago. See shocking photos of the slave camp » . But the image of Nazi Party members digging up graves doesn't appear to be part of that collection. Martin said he was proud to hand over the photos. "People have to see these. This is something that's history and it belongs with something that's historical to tell that story. It doesn't belong in my closet." "To be honest, I'm kind of sorry I haven't done it sooner. We didn't realize what it was." Elmore Martin, who won a Silver Star for his valor in capturing images during the war, was 28 when he shot the photographs. Before the war, he worked as a photographer for the St. Paul Dispatch and Pioneer Press. Martin's son said his dad, who died several years ago, struggled to keep a job when he returned home. "I now see where it all started," he said. What Elmore Martin and the war crimes soldiers seen in the photo couldn't have known that day was how the case would evolve. The two Berga commanders -- Erwin Metz and his superior, Hauptmann Ludwig Merz -- were tried for war crimes and initially sentenced to die by hanging. But the U.S. government commuted their death sentences in 1948, and both men were eventually released in the 1950s. One other Berga commander, Lt. Willy Hack, was executed, but not by the United States. He died by hanging, justice carried out by the Soviets. Jim Martin said his father would have been upset at the freeing of the Berga commanders after the atrocities he documented. "He knew it happened and to see that these people were released would be pretty devastating." Efraim Zuroff, who has spent nearly 30 years hunting Nazis responsible for the Holocaust, said the U.S. government commuted the sentences and freed hundreds of war criminals like those at Berga after the war, as the Cold War began to intensify. "They were more concerned about keeping out Communists than admitting victims of the Nazis," he said. "The realities out there were very conducive of letting these people off the hook." How should Americans feel six decades later that the government freed the Nazi commanders responsible for atrocities against U.S. soldiers? "We're supposed to feel very pissed off about that, to be perfectly honest, and that feeling is very justified," Zuroff said. The German government has since made reparations to the soldiers held at Berga. Zuroff said now it's time for the U.S. government to do "the right thing." "To apologize," he said. The Army said it is trying to figure out the best way to honor the Berga soldiers. There are about 20 known survivors still living. "The U.S. Army honors the service and sacrifice of all veterans who have fought our nation's wars. The Army is working to identify the most dignified and personal way to honor the soldiers held at the Nazi slave camp, known as Berga," Army spokesman Lt. Col. Willie Harris said in a written statement. The Army refused to answer further questions about the Berga case. Listen in as an elderly man learns about his brother's death at the camp » . Survivors have long wanted to know why the sentences of the commanders were commuted. In a letter dated June 11, 1948, to an attorney whose nephew died at Berga, the U.S. War Department said the sentences of Metz and Merz were commuted because they were "underlings." The letter goes on to say that Metz "though guilty of a generally cruel course of conduct toward prisoners was not directly responsible for the death of any prisoners, except one who was killed during the course of an attempt to escape." That soldier was Morton Goldstein. Survivors say Goldstein tried to escape but was captured. They say Metz stood him against a wall, walked up to him and shot him, execution-style, through the head. As his body lay on the ground, guards riddled him with bullets, according to survivors. The soldiers who survived were not called to testify at the war crimes trial against Metz and Merz, instead prosecutors relied on about a dozen soldiers' statements gathered through the course of the investigation. At the trial, Metz blamed any deaths at the camp on U.S. medics. "They bore the sole responsibility for the medical care," Metz told the court, according to the book "Given Up for Dead," by Flint Whitlock, citing trial transcripts. "I ask you: Who must bear the responsibility? The answer is obvious: The U.S. medics." Those comments don't sit well with Berga survivors. "He was terrible, absolutely terrible. He lied," said Tony Acevedo, a U.S. medic who catalogued the deaths in a diary at the camp. "Everybody hated his guts." "Even the German guards were scared of him." Flip through Acevedo's diary from the slave camp » . Berga survivors say they await any recognition from the Army that may come, especially after all these years. Morton Brooks, 83, said he constantly thinks about the day he was liberated. He was rail thin and had walked by political prisoners shot in the head during the forced death march. In the final hours before his rescue, his attitude was, "Let them kill us," he said. "I think all the time that I'm a survivor of this and I'm still around," said Brooks. "To me, it just amazes me. I don't know how I got through." Jim Martin said he's still trying to process his father's role as a forgotten American war hero, armed not with a gun, but a camera. "The worst part is I'm just finding it out," he said.

New photo surfaces of Nazi slave labor camp where U.S. soldiers held during WWII . Photo donated to U.S. Holocaust museum by family of U.S. war crimes photographer . "People have to see these. This is something that's history," Jim Martin says . Today marks the anniversary of the liberation of the soldiers held at the camp .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A lawsuit alleging that civilian American interrogators subjected Iraqis to torture and severe mistreatment at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad can move forward, a federal judge ruled Thursday. Detainees leave Baghdad Central Prison -- also known as Abu Ghraib -- in 2006. U.S. District Court Judge Gerald Bruce Lee rejected claims by defense contractor CACI that the company was immune from accountability over claims of physical abuse, war crimes and civil conspiracy. Reports of torture and humiliation by soldiers and civilian contractors against Iraqi detainees created a political, diplomatic and public relations nightmare for the Bush administration in the months and years after the 2003 Iraq invasion. Four Iraqi detainees have sued in U.S. federal courts, alleging contract interrogators assigned to the Baghdad Central Prison -- known as Abu Ghraib -- subjected them to beatings and mental abuse, then destroyed documents and video evidence and later misled officials about what was happening inside the facility. Eleven U.S. soldiers who also worked at the prison were court-martialed under the Uniform Code of Military Justice for prisoner abuse, and several implicated company workers in similar crimes. No contractors have yet faced criminal charges in the wake of the scandal, however. Arlington, Virginia-based CACI said it was merely providing contracting services the government required, and that sensitive political and policy questions could not be brought up in any civilian trial. The judge disagreed. "While it is true that the events at Abu Ghraib pose an embarrassment to this country, it is the misconduct alleged and not the litigation surrounding that misconduct that creates the embarrassment," Lee wrote. "This court finds that the only potential for embarrassment would be if the court declined to hear these claims on political questions grounds. Consequently, the court holds that plaintiffs' claims pose no political question and are therefore justiciable." The four Abu Ghraib detainees, led by Suhail Najim Abdullah Al Shimari, were released between 2004 and 2008, and were never charged with a crime, said their attorneys. They were represented in their civil suit by the Center for Constitutional Rights and other individual lawyers. Other Iraqi civilian lawsuits are pending. "Private military contractors like CACI cannot act with impunity," said the center's Katherine Gallagher. "They must act within the bounds of law and must be held accountable for their participation in the atrocities at Abu Ghraib and the other facilities in Iraq. We believe their actions and the acts of torture of their employees clearly violated the Geneva Conventions, the Army Field Manual and the laws of the United States." The case is Al Shimari v. CACI Premier Technology Inc., 1:08cv827. There is no word on when the case might go to trial; it could also be settled out of court.

Judge rejects immunity claims from defense contractor CACI . In lawsuit, four Iraqi detainees accuse interrogators of physical, mental abuse . Interrogators also accused of destroying evidence, misleading officials . Contractors not facing criminal charges stemming from scandal .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The alleged pirate apprehended by the U.S. Navy after the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama is en route to New York, according to defense officials. The USS Bainbridge tows the lifeboat in which Capt. Robert Phillips was held for days. He was handed over to federal authorities by the U.S. military in Djibouti, the officials said. The suspected pirate, known in official documents as "Pirate Defendant," was brought to Djibouti aboard the USNS Walter S. Diehl, a refueling ship that was with the warship USS Bainbridge at the scene of the failed hijacking that turned into a hostage ordeal 350 miles off the Somalian coast. Three pirates who were holding the Maersk Alabama's captain in the ship's lifeboat were killed by Navy SEALs. The survivor had surrendered and was aboard the Bainbridge when the captain, Richard Phillips, was rescued, officials said. From the Bainbridge, he was transferred to the USS Boxer for medical treatment. He was wounded when crew members of the Maersk Alabama took him hostage in the early hours of the pirate attack on the cargo ship, according to the military. See an interactive map of 2009 pirate attacks off the Horn of Africa » . The crew members had hoped to exchange him for their captain, but the pirates did not release Phillips when the crew returned their captive. "I'm mad because, you know, I could have been dead right now," Ken Quinn, the Maersk Alabama's navigation officer, told CNN Radio Monday. "But at the same time he's just a little skinny guy, you know, from Somalia where they're all starving and stuff." Quinn said he wasn't angry at the single alleged pirate, noting piracy in the region is fueled by the desire to survive hardship and poverty. He said the suspect told him he wanted to go the United States, and asked whether Quinn could help him get there. "I said, 'Yeah, you're probably going to go anyway -- I don't think you're going to need my help,' " Quinn said. "If he goes to jail here, it will be a whole lot better than living in Somalia." CNN Radio's Steve Kastenbaum in New York contributed to this report.

Alleged pirate known in official documents as "Pirate Defendant" Alleged pirate brought to Djibouti aboard the USNS Walter S. Diehl, a refueling ship . Handed over to federal authorities by the U.S. military in Djibouti, officials said . Diehl was with the warship USS Bainbridge at the scene of a failed hijacking .

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NEW DELHI (CNN) -- India's Tata Motors Monday announced it would begin delivery of the Nano, billed as the world's "cheapest car", in July. Tata Motors expects to begin delivery of the Nano, billed as the world's cheapest car, in July. The four-door Nano is currently being built in "limited numbers" at a company plant in the north Indian hill state of Uttrakhand. Tata Motors, however, aims to make 350,000 Nanos a year from 2010 at another unit elsewhere in the country, a company statement said. "It is to the credit of the team at Tata Motors that a car once thought impossible by the world is now a reality. I hope it will provide safe, affordable, four-wheel transportation to families who till now have not been able to own a car. We are delighted in presenting the Tata Nano to India and the world," company chief Ratan Tata told a news conference in Mumbai to announce the "commercial launch" of the $2,000 car. Watch more on the Nano » . Tata Motors said the Nano would initially be available through bookings or reservations filed on a request form priced around $6, or Rs 300. Tata will accept the bookings from April 9 to April 25. Within 60 days of the closure of bookings, Tata Motors will process and announce the allotment of 100,000 cars in the first phase of deliveries, through a computerized random selection procedure, it added. "Deliveries will commence from July 2009," said the company statement.

Tata Motors to begin delivery of the Nano in July . Tata aims to make 350,000 Nanos a year from 2010 . Car is billed as the world's cheapest, costing $2,000 .

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BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- After 17 hours, Kerri Gannon and her husband were still stranded in an airport in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, trying to find a way home to the United States after the facility was occupied by crowds of protesters and closed. Anti-government protesters gather in front of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport early Wednesday. The newly married husband and wife, in Thailand for their honeymoon, were struggling to find a way home to California after explosions at two Bangkok airports wounded four people and both airports were shut down. The day before, thousands of anti-government protesters stormed the airports to protest the return of Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat from an economic summit in Peru. "The upper level outside is really crowded with protesters and for the most part they're kind of quiet and polite," Gannon said from the airport. "They're roaming the airport, they're cheering and clapping and walking around, but it's clearly their domain." Watch protesters clash » . It was not clear which of the two occupied airports she was speaking from, but tourists were stranded in both. The People's Alliance for Democracy , which is leading the protests, said it will not end its occupation of the airports until the prime minister resigns. They accuse his government of being a front for ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Ongoing protests caused authorities to cancel all incoming and outgoing flights at the main hub, Suvarnabhumi International Airport, which handles 60,000 incoming passengers daily, an assistant to airport director Serirat Prasutanond told CNN. Pro- and anti-government protesters also exchanged gunfire Tuesday, a Thai police official said. Protesters with golf clubs and long wooden sticks clashed with airport taxi drivers, with each side throwing objects at the other. Watch what's causing the protests » . Protesters blockaded people trying to get to one of the airports. They directed travelers to exit onto the access roads. See more photos » . "I'm trying to get out of this place, but I'm stuck," iReporter Arjan Sing, who was on a two-week vacation to India and stopped in Bangkok to visit a friend's family. "When we took the exit there were lots of tourists standing around wondering what they were going to do." Gannon said the situation started off fairly relaxed, but tensions were escalating. "As more and more tourists leave [the airport], the fact that we don't have any information and there's no one to give us information, now we feel stranded here and we don't know where to go," Gannon said. "It seems a little bit more hostile than it was earlier." Gannon said she's heard nothing from airport personnel and her quest for answers is hurt even more by the fact that many people in the airport speak no English. "I don't know what happened to my flight," one woman waiting in an airport told CNN. "They won't talk to us and I'm angry and sad because I have two small children and they're sick so we want to go home." The airlines have also been mum on the situation, Gannon said, making it difficult for them to decide whether to wait it out at the airport or try to find a hotel. "We've had absolutely no contact from our air carrier," Gannon said. "But that seems to be universal across the board." One traveler said the wait was frustrating. "They've started coming through and telling us that we possibly might be out of here in the morning," he told CNN. "But either way, there's no problem. We just sit here and relax and enjoy the ride." Gannon said she and her new spouse just hope to get home sometime in the near future. "We've been gone for 17 days and [the honeymoon] was good -- until now," she said. "We are just trying to go home, get back to work and Thanksgiving."

Airports closed after blasts, and thousands of protesters taking over . Kerri Gannon, husband, on honeymoon in Thailand, stuck for 17 hours . Protesters swarmed the airports, said they won't leave until prime minister resigns . Continuing protests; travelers have no information about what's going on .

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(Budget Travel) -- In the lodging world, green has gone mainstream. Once chided for being wasteful, the big hotel chains are now constantly trying to one-up each other with smart eco-design upgrades and stringent water and energy conservation policies. Hyatt has begun recycling its own aluminum, plastics and paper in countries where such programs don't exist. Consider this fact: In a recent survey, 68 percent of U.S. hotels said they had energy-efficient lights, and two thirds had implemented towel- and linen-reuse programs, up from just over half five years ago. The number of properties trying to become LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, the most recognized standard for building sustainability, is also on the rise: Applications to the U.S. Green Building Council for the award spiked by 550 percent between 2006 and 2008. More than 500 hotels could soon earn the label; until four years ago, only one had the designation. Although all the major players are making strides toward better green policies, some are doing more than others. Here's what the leaders have achieved in four earth-changing categories: . ENERGY CONSERVATION . Replacing inefficient lighting, one energy-draining bulb at a time . Accor: More than 8,600 Motel 6 locations in at least a dozen states have been retrofitted with occupancy sensors that cause the thermostat to readjust when guests go out. InterContinental: A trial program has been rolled out at 650 hotels that aims to cut energy consumption by as much as 25 percent. If successful, it could be expanded to all of the chain's 4,000 properties, including Holiday Inns. Marriott: Over the past decade, 450,000 incandescent bulbs have been replaced with compact fluorescent ones, and more than 250 hotels (including some Residence Inns) have earned an Energy Star efficiency label from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Starwood: The new Element brand's goal is for every hotel to be LEED certified. Its first property, which opened last year in Lexington, Massachusetts, is fully loaded with Energy Star appliances, LED lighting, and top-notch ventilation systems. All together, that saves enough energy annually to power 236 homes. WATER CONSERVATION . Tightening up on all the drips and drops in hotel bathrooms . Hilton: The company's aim: to reduce water use at all of its brands, such as Hilton, DoubleTree, and Embassy Suites, by 10 percent by 2014. Its nearly 90 European properties have taken the lead, installing water-saving toilets, showerheads, and faucets over the past three years. Home-turf hotels are next. Hyatt: Nearly all North American properties have "low-flow" showerheads (which use a maximum of 2.5 gallons of water per minute) and toilets (1.6 gallons of water per flush). The improvements helped reduce the chain's overall water consumption by 3 percent in 2007. Marriott: Over the past 10 years, the company has added some 400,000 low-flow showerheads and toilets to all of its locations worldwide. Marriott also buys 1 million towels annually that don't require prewashing, conserving 6 million gallons of water each year. Starwood: All new Element hotels will have low-flow water fixtures in rooms and water-efficient landscaping; its Lexington star has led the way, saving up to 1 million gallons of water per year. GREEN DESIGN . Thinking about the environment from the foundation up . Accor: The Motel 6 brand broke ground last year on an ultra-green building near Dallas, with laminate flooring made from recycled wood chips and a solar-powered water-heating system. Best Western: Opening this year in Golden, Colorado, the chain's first LEED-certified hotel will run partially on solar power and have a porous asphalt parking lot to reduce storm-water runoff. Hilton: The company's green gem is in Vancouver, Washington: a LEED-approved hotel with low-emission paint on the walls and special drains that funnel rainwater into wells for future use. Hyatt: Seattle's Hyatt at Olive 8, which opened in January, has an 8,000-square-foot rooftop garden, water-efficient dual-flush toilets, outlets in the parking lot for electric cars, and lighting controlled by room key cards. Marriott: In 2005, the Marriott in College Park, Maryland, was the first chain hotel in the U.S. to become LEED certified. Among the earth-friendly frills: kitchen composting, in-room recycling bins, water pitchers instead of plastic bottles, and an organic restaurant. Starwood: All eight Element locations being built across the country this year have carpets and cushions made from recycled materials, art mounted on frames constructed from old tires, and priority parking for guests with hybrids. RECYCLING . Allowing not a single can, bottle, or plastic key card to go to waste . Hyatt: Starting this year, the company will only use key cards and shampoo and lotion containers made from recycled plastics. Hyatt has also begun recycling its own aluminum, plastics, and paper in countries such as Russia and Chile where such programs don't exist. Intercontinental: As part of a pilot program started two years ago, about 140 Candlewood Suites properties donated old furniture and linens to local families following renovations -- helping to cut back on landfill. It hopes to replicate the initiative nationwide. Marriott: Each year, the chain buys 47 million pens and 24 million key cards made from recycled plastics; it has also eliminated Styrofoam and plastic utensils at all of its locations. Coming soon: bed pillows made from the polyester fibers of recycled plastic bottles. Wyndham: Debuting later this year at Super 8 motels across the country: new staff uniforms fashioned entirely from recycled plastic bottles. Get the best travel deals and tips emailed to you and enter to win a free trip - CLICK HERE! Copyright © 2009 Newsweek Budget Travel, Inc., all rights reserved. Note: This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

Survey: 68 percent of U.S. hotels said they had energy-efficient lights . InterContinental aims to cut energy consumption by as much as 25 percent . Nearly all North American Hyatt properties have "low-flow" showerheads and toilets .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- British broadcaster Channel 4 has been criticized for creating a new television show which looks at how children as young as eight would cope without their parents for two weeks. Channel 4 said the program was made with the parents' full consent. Boys And Girls Alone -- which will be aired in the UK on Tuesday evening -- has been compared to adult reality show Big Brother. The show allows 10 boys and 10 girls between the age of eight and 11 to create their own mini-societies, organizing everything from what they eat to how they should entertain themselves. Ultimately the children are shown on camera squabbling over sleeping and cooking arrangements and, as they split into factions, some of them feel "picked on," the show's publicity says. This has led to a stream of criticism from British lawmakers and children's charities, who have labeled Channel 4's "experiment" a disgrace that "served no purpose other than to cynically boost ratings," according to Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper. Camila Batmanghelidjh, of the charity Kids Company, was quoted by The Daily Mirror as saying: "Any situation that leaves a group of young people without the mediating presence of a responsible adult is cruel and abusive." Do you agree? Share your views . Labour MP Denis MacShane told the newspaper that "children should be protected and not exploited for commercial gain." However, Channel 4 defended the show and said it features "the kind of tussling you'd get in any playground -- but no physical violence." It added that one boy pointed a knife and fork during the series but emphasized that no one was in any danger, Britain's Press Association reported. "This is not a project for commercial gain. It is done with the parents' full consent," a Channel 4 spokesperson was quoted by PA as saying. "They were watching and there were mentors and a clinical psychologist who made sure there were no problems."

Boys And Girls Alone has been compared to adult reality show Big Brother . Children between 8 and 11 live without their parents for two weeks . Program shows children squabbling and arguing with each other . British lawmaker says children must not be exploited for commercial gain .

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(CNN) -- It arrived in Rich Stevens' mailbox a few weeks ago: the notice that Citibank had "rate-jacked" the Visa cards belonging to him and his wife. Some credit card holders have seen their interest rates go up dramatically, a practice called "rate-jacking." "In my case, from 9.5 percent to 16.99," the 54-year-old nurse from the Long Island hamlet of Merrick, New York, told CNN. And his wife's rate zoomed from 7.95 percent to 16.99 percent, he said. Stevens said he did not know why the rates had soared; his credit rating is great. But, like thousands of other credit card customers around the nation, he has been notified his rate is skyrocketing. "It almost borders on loan-sharking, from my perspective," he said. In the blogosphere, writers are livid at the instant rate hikes -- called "rate-jacking." Citigroup seems to be the target of most bloggers' venom -- partly because Citigroup issues so many credit cards and partly because Citi began sending the notices at about the same time it was getting a $20 billion, taxpayer-financed government bailout. No one at Citigroup would talk on camera to CNN about the matter. Instead, the company issued a written statement, which said: "To continue funding in this difficult credit and funding environment, Citi is repricing a group of customers." Citi told CNN that anyone unhappy with the new rates can opt out and continue paying the lower interest, but they must close their account when their card expires. It's all in the fine print. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-New York, said she is sick of the fine print. She agreed that credit card companies get away with whatever they want, as long at they put their desires into the fine print. "They have this provision that says they can raise the rate -- any time, any reason," she said. In September, Maloney got the House to pass by an overwhelming margin of 200 votes the "credit card holders' bill of rights," which would have stopped rate-jacking and the imposition of other fees by banks. But the bill has languished in the Senate since September. "There's a lot of pushback from the financial industry," she said. Watch how card companies are trying to woo customers » . Critics say that pushback is linked to donations from the banking industry to the politicians responsible for regulating credit cards. The chairman of the Senate Banking Committee is Christopher Dodd. His staff said the Connecticut Democrat has his own credit card bill containing tough language to stop things like rate-jacking and shortening of billing cycles -- two issues that anger consumers. But even Dodd's own bill has failed to gain traction -- it has sat since July. Dodd himself received more than $4 million from the financial sector during the last campaign, according to campaign records. His office did not respond to CNN's questions about that. It did say that he has tried repeatedly to protect consumers, but added, "legislation has been met with stiff opposition by the credit card industry." On Thursday, the Federal Reserve is expected to vote on its own new rules regarding credit cards, rules in the works for four years that could clamp down on rate-jacking. Whatever is passed, Maloney said, probably would not take effect until 2010.

One man's rate went from 9.5% to 16.99%: "It almost borders on loan-sharking" Citigroup, recipient of bailout funds, seems to be the target of most bloggers' ire . U.S. House passes "bill of rights" for customers, but legislation stalls in Senate . Citi says anyone unhappy with rate can opt out and close account when card expires .

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(CNN) -- John McCain tried to make Barack Obama's celebrity status a campaign issue last summer, but there's no debate about the president-elect's ability to draw famous and talented Americans to his inauguration. Bruce Springsteen campaigns for Barack Obama in Cleveland, Ohio, on November 2, 2008. Dozens of major celebrities will perform on several nationally televised shows, as well as 10 inaugural balls the evening after Obama is sworn in as the 44th U.S. president. The celebration will open Sunday evening on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial with a free concert so star-studded it's hard to choose a headliner. Beyonce, Bono and Bruce Springsteen are on the list. Other musical performers include Mary J. Blige, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Renee Fleming, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, Heather Headley, John Legend, Jennifer Nettles, John Mellencamp, Usher Raymond IV, Shakira, James Taylor, will.i.am, and Stevie Wonder. In addition, Jamie Foxx, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah and Denzel Washington will take the stage to deliver historical readings. More performers will likely be named. Executive Producer George Stevens Jr. said the intention is "to root the event in history, celebrating the moments when our nation has united to face great challenges and prevail." See how inaugurations have changed over the years » . Don Mischer, who directed the opening ceremony of the 1996 Olympics and ` recent Super Bowl half-time shows, is directing this event. "We will have the statue of Abraham Lincoln looking down on our stage and a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people lining the mall -- a tableau any director would relish," Mischer said. Admission will be free, but security will be tight. Check out an interactive map of Washington . Five gates leading into the area, including one around the Reflecting Pool at the base of the Lincoln Memorial, open at 8 a.m. ET Sunday. Performances start at 2:30 p.m. HBO paid for exclusive rights to televise Sunday's show, but its feed will be free to all cable and satellite viewers from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET. It cannot be seen through local broadcast television stations. The Disney Channel will carry Monday night's big event -- "Kids' Inaugural: We Are The Future" -- from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. ET. Those who don't have cable will be able to hear it live on Radio Disney or watch it online later at Disney.com. Musical performers will include the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato and Bow Wow. Singer-actress Keke Palmer -- star of Nickelodeon's "True Jackson, VP" -- is one of the hosts for the show, which will be staged in Washington's Verizon Center. Palmer, 15, hopes to meet Obama's daughters Sasha, 7, and Malia, 10, backstage Monday night. Palmer said she moved from Chicago to Los Angeles when she was about the same age as Malia is now, and Obama's election is "very special for my family and me, being from Chicago and all." "I also feel like I know what Sasha and Malia are experiencing in terms of leaving Chicago at an early age, having to attend a brand new school, a new house, just new everything," Palmer said. "It's not easy, but as long as you have great parents, which we all three have, then it turns out OK." There should be plenty of celebrity sightings at the swearing-in ceremony at noon ET Tuesday or in the parade starting at 2:30 p.m. Viewers will have no trouble finding a television broadcast of those events. Palmer said she will likely view the inaugural parade from a viewing stand at the Pennsylvania Avenue headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women. "Hey, either way I'm so happy to be a part of it no matter how small," she said. "This is historic!" While inaugural ball tickets are tough to get, one of the 10 balls Tuesday evening will be shown live on ABC television from 8 to 10 p.m. ET. "The Neighborhood Ball: An Inauguration Celebration" is billed by planners as "the premier event of the inauguration evening." Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Faith Hill, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Shakira, Stevie Wonder and others yet to be announced will perform live at the ball. The Neighborhood Ball will take place in a hall at the Washington Convention Center, the venue for four other balls. Take a quiz about first ladies' inaugural gowns » . A Youth Ball -- aimed at partygoers ages 18 to 35 -- will take place at the Hilton Washington. Ball planners have not released the entertainment line-up for this ball, but said whoever is there won't stop playing until 2:30 a.m. For those who somehow miss all of this -- or want more -- the Presidential Inaugural Committee is selling a CD-DVD with 18 music tracks from many of the inauguration performers. Eight key Obama speeches from the past two years also are included.

Celebrations open Sunday evening with a free star-studded concert televised by HBO . Kids' inaugural show Monday will feature Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus . One of the 10 inaugural balls Tuesday evening will be shown live on ABC . Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Stevie Wonder will perform at the ball .

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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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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- More than 170 people around the globe, including at least 61 in the United States, have been arrested in a major operation targeting international child pornographers, officials said Friday. Attorney General Michael Mukasey and European Union representatives announced the sting's results Friday. Operation Joint Hammer has rescued 11 girls in the United States, ages 3 to 13, who were sexually abused by child pornography producers, U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey and representatives of the European Union said at the Justice Department. Dozens more were located in Europe, including several young female victims in Ukraine. Authorities found connections between producers, distributors and customers in nearly 30 countries as a single investigation grew to a global inquiry into the dark corners of brutality and child abuse. The investigation, code-named Operation Koala in Europe, was developed when investigators determined that a pornographic video found in Australia had been produced in Belgium. "This joint EU-U.S. coordinated effort began with the discovery in Europe of a father who was sexually abusing his young daughters and producing images of that abuse," Mukasey said. Further investigation showed a number of online child porn rings. Some included dangerous offenders who not only traded child pornography but also sexually abused children, the officials said. Agents are still attempting to locate child victims whose images have appeared in photos and videos, and more arrests are expected as the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Postal Inspection Service continue the investigation. A Postal Service official said ringleaders primarily targeted prepubescent female victims to satisfy their customers but noted that other groups produce photos and videos of boys and girls of all ages -- or even infants. "For this subset, that's what turns them on," the official said.

U.S., European officials join for child pornographer sting . 11 girls ages 3 to 13 rescued in the United States, dozens more found in Europe . Arrests turn up people who traded child porn, sexually abused children, officials say . Inquiry began with pornographic video found in Australia that came from Belgium .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- London's subway system was engulfed by thousands of revelers Saturday night, marking the introduction of an alcohol ban on the mass transit network. Revelers hit London's subway system Saturday night to mark the introduction of an alcohol ban. Eyewitnesses have described how some drunken partygoers, often dressed in fancy dress, fought, damaged subway trains and vomited. Authorities were forced to close six stations on the network, including major transportation hubs at Liverpool Street, Baker Street and Euston. A spokesman for British Transport Police, which patrols the network, said that police had been told of a large "large amount" of disorder and "multiple instances of trains being damaged", causing them to be pulled from service, the UK's Press Association reported, adding: "This was an unfortunate end to what should have been a fun event." There were reports of at least 17 arrests. Much of the disorder concentrated on the Circle Line, which encircles the center of the city. Many reports say that the night had begun good-naturedly. Web programmer, David Mudkips, 25, from east London, told PA that the event was "Like rush hour but fun. There were people's sweaty armpits in my face but I didn't care because I was drinking." Student Frankie Abbott, 21, also from east London, said earlier in the evening: "It might be fun to do the whole night but I think it's going to get a bit messy. There are guys drinking from funnels already." Sailor Peter Moore, 35, from Brighton on the southern English coast, told the agency his night was "Drunken, I just downed a can of beer in 10 seconds. It's sweaty on there but I'm going round and round until I vomit." As the evening progressed the situation deteriorated. Photographer Desmond Fitzgerald, 48, from south London, told PA that by 11pm at Gloucester Road subway station he was afraid someone might slip onto the tracks due to the amount of spilt alcohol on the platform. "At first the atmosphere was happy but anarchic, defiant," he said, with people wearing hats and having a good time. As the journey progressed, more heavily drunk people joined the train, he added. "Then a fight broke out between about five people, but because we were so tightly packed in it soon spread throughout the carriage and I had to struggle to escape to the next one," he told PA. "The atmosphere had really changed by this point. People were ripping off adverts and maps and being sick all over the place. "When it pulled in to Embankment people fell out and carried on fighting on the platform. Thankfully police were there, and they handled it very well." Many of those gathered had learnt of the party on social networking Web sites, through groups with names such as "Circle Line Party - Last day of drinking on the tube", which had 850-plus members listed by Saturday lunchtime, and "Party/Flashmob on the Underground", with 1,300-plus names listed. The anti-drinking strategy was introduced by newly elected London mayor Boris Johnson. He said before the party occurred: "I'm determined to improve the safety and security of public transport in London and create a better environment for the millions of Londoners who rely on it. The ban has the full support of the Metropolitan Police and British Transport Police. "I firmly believe that banning the drinking of alcohol on London's public transport will create a better traveling environment for all Londoners and that if we drive out antisocial behavior and so called minor crime then we will be able to get a firm grip on more serious crime." But Bob Crow, General Secretary of the Rail Maritime and Transport Union of which many subway staff are members, countered that the ban put workers at greater risk of of attack, reported PA, saying it was "half-baked."

Revelers mark alcohol ban on London subway system, cause chaos . Police say at least 17 arrests, subways stations shut as thousands gather . Many had learnt of the event through social networking Web sites . London mayor says he introduced alcohol ban for better traveling environment .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Obama reached out to citizens of the world Tuesday, saying in an op-ed piece that ran in 31 newspapers around the globe that there is an urgent need for worldwide economic cooperation. President Obama will discuss the economic downturn with other world leaders next week at the Group of 20 meeting. Obama's move comes ahead of next week's Group of 20 meeting in London, England, in which leaders of the world's richest nations will discuss the global economic downturn. "My message is clear," Obama wrote. "The United States is ready to lead, and we call upon our partners to join us with a sense of urgency and common purpose. Much good work has been done, but much more remains." The president is scheduled to hold his second prime-time news conference at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday. In the op-ed, Obama spoke about the upcoming G-20 meeting, saying that world leaders have to work together. Watch as the White House press secretary outlines Obama's economic strategy » . "We are living through a time of global economic challenges that cannot be met by half measures or the isolated efforts of any nation," Obama said. "Now, the leaders of the Group of 20 have a responsibility to take bold, comprehensive and coordinated action that not only jump-starts recovery, but also launches a new era of economic engagement to prevent a crisis like this from ever happening again." The president also pointed out that although the United States is separated by two oceans from most of the rest of the world, a global economy renders those geographic distinctions moot. "Once and for all, we have learned that the success of the American economy is inextricably linked to the global economy," Obama said. "There is no line between action that restores growth within our borders and action that supports it beyond." Next week's G-20 summit will be Obama's first meeting as president with many of the world's leaders. He will meet many of the Western Hemisphere's leaders at the Fifth Summit of the Americas next month in Trinidad and Tobago.

President Obama urges nations to work together ahead of Group of 20 meeting . Obama's op-ed piece runs in 31 newspapers worldwide . President set to hold prime-time news conference Tuesday night . Obama: U.S. economy's success is "inextricably linked to the global economy"

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LANCASTER, California (CNN) -- The sound of pounding hooves thunders in the high desert air. A cloud of dust marks the trail of a herd of wild horses as they race across the arid plain. This is Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue, a shelter for wild mustangs and unwanted horses near Lancaster, California. Jill Starr, president of Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue, vows to do right by the horses: "I will take care of them." Lifesavers President Jill Starr says she and other shelter operators are witnessing an equine crisis. "People have lost their homes, their jobs, their hope," she said. "And they are giving up their animals." "We've had horses come onto the property in a horse trailer, unannounced, and just offloaded and [owners] ask us, beg us, if we could take these skinny horses," she said. Starr says she has taken in so many unwanted horses in the past year that her resources are stretched to the breaking point. Watch rescue center that cares for horses » . "All of a sudden it's like somebody flipped a switch and people started bringing back the horses they adopted from us," she said. "There are no hard numbers on this," said Michael Markarian of the Humane Society of the United States. "The states don't seem to be keeping numbers. The economy has been hard on everybody, and animals are no exception." Shannon Bonfanti is a case in point. A freelance fashion industry worker, Bonfanti says that jobs have dried up, and so has her income. "When I was working I was able to take care of all the expenses," she said. But she has since decided to sell three of the six horses in her stable -- to save her family as much as $800 a month. "How do you sell your kids?" a tearful Bonfanti asked. So far, Bonfanti has found no buyers. Not even for Hunni, a horse that has won trophies and ribbons in national riding competitions. "I'm willing to take almost any offer," Bonfanti said. "I know my trainer would say I'm crazy. 'You can't give that horse away. She is valuable.' " Bonfanti even considered the county animal shelter as a possible solution. "I had contacted a few people," she said. "And the factor that there is the possibility that a horse could be put down made me look further." Last year, the Los Angeles County shelter took in 188 abandoned or abused horses -- up 600 percent from the previous year. Veterinarian David Byerly says the numbers are even worse this year. "It has not leveled off in any way," Byerly said. "It just keeps going up." Byerly says that for the first time, the county has had to euthanize abandoned horses because its facilities are full. Horses considered likely adoption candidates are spared. Even so, the Los Angeles County animal shelter is killing abandoned horses at a rate of three or four a week. That is not a fate that James Gulledge wants for his horse, Rico. Gulledge says he first met Rico at the Lifesavers shelter. "I was volunteering over there and just fell in love with him," he said. But now the economy is forcing some hard choices. "I'm very conflicted about it," Gulledge said. "It's just a decision about paying for him or having some money to help some important people make it through all this." Gulledge chose to return Rico to Lifesavers. For Starr, the horse is one more mouth to feed, and she intends to. "I'm hoping that this is the worst of this, that we are going to climb out of this pretty soon," she said. In the meantime, she said, "I will take care of them and won't let anything bad happen to them. ... They're basically family members."

Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue, a shelter for unwanted horses, stretched to the limit . Hard times have forced owners to return horses they adopted, shelter president says . Los Angeles County animal shelter killing some abandoned horses as owners leave .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Obama takes his first stab Wednesday night at the role of fundraiser in chief. President Obama raised lots of money as he campaigned, but how will he do now that the election is over? The president is the main attraction at two events in the nation's capital for the Democratic National Committee, making for the first fundraising test for Obama since he took over the presidency two months ago. As a candidate for the White House, Obama, who was then a senator from Illinois, had little trouble raising money: He broke all fundraising records, raking in nearly $750 million during his two-year campaign for the presidency. The money raised at Wednesday night's two events -- at the National Women in the Arts Museum and the Warner Theater, where singer Tony Bennett is scheduled to perform -- will come in handy as the Democratic National Committee struggles to keep pace with its Republican counterpart. Democrats won back the White House and increased their majorities in Congress in November's elections, but when it comes to campaign cash, the national party is not having the same kind of success. The DNC raised about $3.3 million last month, while the Republican National Committee raked in more than $5 million. Thanks to a larger transfer of campaign cash left over from Obama's presidential run, the DNC was able to report $5.4 million in total contributions last month, slightly edging out the RNC. But when it comes to cash on hand -- the amount of money the parties have in the bank -- the DNC's $8.5 million trails the RNC's $24 million. DNC Chairman Tim Kaine on Tuesday dismissed the committee's disappointing February cash haul, saying that his fundraising efforts were handicapped by a Virginia law that prohibits officials from raising money during the state's legislative session. "Fundraising stories don't interest me that much," Kaine said, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. "I was unable to raise any money in February, by law." Kaine, who is DNC chairman while finishing out his term as Virginia's governor, wrapped up work with the state's General Assembly on February 28. "That is the reason that the numbers aren't going to be what they're going to be in future months," said Kaine, who became DNC chairman in late January. Kaine said that observers should "stay tuned" now that he's free to solicit donations. "Historically, the Republican Party has almost always out-raised the Democratic Party, regardless of who sat in the Oval Office. It wasn't until the 2004 cycle that the DNC was able to barely out-raise the RNC. So the fact that Democrats haven't brought in as much this year as the GOP isn't necessarily a huge surprise," said Robert Yoon, the CNN Political Unit's research director. The president's appearances at the fundraisers come on the same day he spent some political capital, for the first time since taking over the White House, in an effort to get another Democrat elected. Obama e-mailed New York Democrats endorsing Scott Murphy, the venture capitalist who is running in the special election to fill the seat in New York's 20th Congressional District that was vacated by Kirsten Gillibrand when she was appointed to the U.S. Senate in January. Murphy's Republican opponent in next Tuesday's election is is New York assemblyman Jim Tedisco. Though the Democratic and Republican campaign committees in the House of Representatives have pumped resources into the race, the president had so far kept his distance. In fact, the president has largely avoided overtly political events since his inauguration two months ago. Last week, that began to change: He sent a video to millions of his supporters through the e-mail distribution list of Organizing for America, the remnant of his presidential campaign that is now under the umbrella of the DNC. With Democrats hoping to defend two governorships this November, the party hopes that the president will be able to bring in the big bucks. "Controlling the White House is still a big plus when it comes to fundraising. In the last midterms, President Bush raised at least $170 million on behalf of Republican candidates and party committees, even while his personal approval ratings were relatively low," Yoon said. "So there's no doubt that President Obama can give the party a huge fundraising boost if he hits the campaign trail and stumps for other Democrats."

Obama broke fundraising records during general election . He is appearing at two fundraising events for the DNC on Wednesday night . DNC trails RNC when it comes to cash on hand . DNC Chairman Tim Kaine says "stay tuned," now that he can raise funds .

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(CNN) -- Environmental activist Erin Brockovich was in Kingston, Tennessee, on Thursday to speak with residents affected by a massive spill of coal sludge from a nearby coal-fired plant. Properties near ground zero of the December 22 Tennessee spill are covered in sludge. Brockovich said many people in the community told her they don't feel they've been told the truth about the December 22 spill that occurred after a retention wall was breached at the Kingston Fossil Plant. She quoted citizens as saying they don't get satisfactory answers or they get inconsistent answers when they call the the plant's owner, Tennessee Valley Authority. "They don't have the answers and they're very, very concerned," Brockovich said. "So we're here to address all of that and begin to put the pieces of the puzzle together." Brockovich, who said she was invited to the community by residents, planned to meet with them Thursday night. A public meeting is scheduled for Friday night. She hopes people will come to the meetings and air their concerns. She said she will tour the site on the ground and from the air. Brockovich gained fame after the 2000 release of the movie bearing her name. It told the story of how she, as a file clerk at a law firm, established that a toxic chemical from the Pacific Gas and Electric Company's compressor station leaked into the groundwater of a nearby town, compromising the health of hundreds, according to a biography posted on Brockovich's Web site. In 1996, the company paid the largest toxic tort settlement in U.S. history -- $333 million -- to more than 600 Hinkley residents, the Web site said. About 1.1 billion gallons of sludge, or ash mixed with water, spilled onto 300 acres from the plant located 40 miles west of Knoxville, Tennessee. That is enough sludge to fill 1,660 Olympic-size swimming pools. Fly ash is a byproduct of burning coal. Brockovich said residents have sent her photos showing fly ash up to 2 feet deep in places. She said citizens are worried about contact with the fly ash, including its impact on the water supply. Last week, authorities said drinking water in the area was potable, although samples of ash near the site showed "elevated levels" of arsenic. Leslie Sims, the Environmental Protection Agency on-scene coordinator, said the Tennessee Valley Authority is addressing the issue. "I don't think TVA can move fast enough to possibly satisfy these people," said Brockovich, noting that she hasn't spoken with anyone from the TVA. TVA, the nation's largest public utility, promised to do whatever it takes to clean the spill in central Tennessee. Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen promised state government will keep a close watch on TVA's cleanup.

Environmental activist says people affected by coal sludge spill feel misled . Brockovich plans to meet with residents Thursday and Friday to discuss concerns . Residents show her pictures of fly ash piled up two feet high . "I don't think TVA can move fast enough to possibly satisfy these people," she said .

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(OPRAH.com) -- One of the original Kings of Comedy, Steve Harvey is the host of one of the most popular radio shows in the country, "The Steve Harvey Morning Show." His first book, "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man," is shooting to the top of the best-seller lists, and Oprah Winfrey says she loves everything it has to say! Harvey says this book has a special meaning for him. "This is the first project that I didn't do for money," he says. "Other than my foundation -- mentoring programs -- everything I do is for money. I tell jokes for a check; I'm on TV for a check. ... But this [book] right here I did purely to empower women." In his book, Harvey says the way a man introduces you gives good insight into the status of your relationship. If a man introduces you as a friend or says your name with no title at all, Harvey says you have nothing. "We're very protective. We mark our territory. If a man loves you...he's willing to profess it. He'll give you a title after a while. You're going to be his lady, his woman, his fiancée, his wife, his baby's mama, something," he says. "If he's introducing you after six months, 'This is...Oprah,' you should be standing there going, 'This is going nowhere.'" Oprah.com: Read an excerpt from this best-selling book! Man with a plan . Another thing women need to understand, according to Harvey, is that every man has a plan. "Men don't come up to you to just talk. We come up to you with a plan," he says. "We're looking across the room at you, and we don't care about your hopes and dreams. We don't care about what your future holds. We saw something we wanted." When a man approaches a woman, Harvey says, he already knows what we wants from her, but he doesn't know what it will cost. "How much time do you want from me? What your standards? What are your requirements? Because we'll rise to the occasion no matter how high you set the bar if we want to," he says. "The problem is, women have stopped setting the bar high." Oprah.com: What's your love type? The cookie . Though a woman might want many things from a man, Harvey says men only need three things: support, loyalty and sex. Or as Harvey calls it, "the cookie." "We've got to have your support. Whatever adventure we're out on, whatever pursuit in life, we need your support. Then we need your loyalty. That's your love. We've got to know that you belong to us," he says. "And we've got to have a cookie. Everybody likes cookies. That's the thing about a cookie. I like oatmeal raisin...but if you've got vanilla cream, I'll eat that too." Kickin' it . In his book, Harvey tells the story of his father-in-law's first introduction to one of Harvey's daughter's boyfriends. "[My 26-year-old daughter] was dating this guy who was about 30. He had been over to the house about four, five times. And my father-in-law was visiting from Memphis," Harvey says. "He's in the kitchen and he's eating and [my daughter's] boyfriend is in there, and [my father-in-law] goes: 'So, son, sit down. Tell me, what's your plan for my granddaughter?'" After plenty of hemming and hawing, Harvey says the boyfriend finally said that the two were just "kickin' it." Harvey was pretty confident his daughter didn't have the same interpretation of the relationship, he says. "I said: 'Cool. Let's bring my daughter in there. Let's inform her that she's just being kicked...let's see if that's what she wants to do," he says. "They broke up the next day." Gone fishin' Harvey says men are like fishermen -- but women are actually the ones looking for a good catch. You won't be able to find one, though, until you up your standards. "You've got sports fishermen, and you've got guys out there fishing to eat. You've got guys that are fishing to keep the fish, and you've got guys that are fishing to catch them, unhook them and throw them back," Harvey says. "You've got to determine along the way which one of the fish you're going to be." Without ironclad standards, Harvey says you'll always end up back in the dating pool. "You've got to quit lowering your standards," he says. "Set your requirements up front so when a guy hooks you, he has to know this is business." And don't let the man set the pace of the relationship -- Harvey says it's always the woman who has total control. "With all that power, why do you suddenly relinquish this power just because you want a guy to accept you? That's stupid," he says. "Say: 'Look, if you want to be with me, this is what you got to do. This is what it takes to get to me.'" When should you sleep with your new boyfriend? As an auto plant worker, Harvey says he had to wait 90 days to receive benefits -- and says the same probation period should apply to dating. "In 90 days they checked me out. They determined if I was easy to work with, if I got along well with others, if I showed up when I said I was going to show up, if I was worthy." Women, Harvey says, hold the greatest benefit of all -- the cookie -- so there's no reason to give it away until you know your man deserves it. "Slow down, ladies," Harvey says. "Look, you cannot run us off." So what if you don't want to wait 90 days? Harvey says if you change the probation period, you do so at your own risk. "You all keep changing the rules. And men are aware of the fact that you are changing the rules. We're aware of the fact that you act desperate. We're aware of the fact that you think there's a good shortage of good men out there," he says. "We play on all of that. ... We created the term 'gold digger' so you won't ask us for nothing. We created the term 'nagging' so you can quit badgering us. These are terms that we created so you can require less of us." Mr. fix-it . Harvey says four little words can strike fear and dread into any man: We need to talk. "You just drove a nail in his forehead," Harvey says. Men are fixers, not talkers, Harvey says, so it's better to get to the point. "When you say, 'We need to talk,' we put up the barriers," he says. "I tell ladies, just sit down and strike up a conversation." Oprah.com: How to talk to a brick wall . Turn off the text . Social networking Web sites and text messages can be a great way to keep in touch with friends, but Harvey says it's not the best way to date. "You have nothing if you're texting a guy in a relationship," he says. "We can text six women a minute. We can text it and push 'reply all.' I mean, since we're lying, we might as well lie to everybody." If you want the relationship to be more, take it face-to-face. "Women talk about [how] chivalry's dead. Chivalry's not dead -- it's just not required anymore," he says. "You've got to get a guy in your face. Look in his eyes. ... God has given you all this incredible thing called intuition. You've got to use that." Safety first . You know you've got a keeper when your man wants to make sure you're always safe, Harvey says. Every man wants to protect his woman, and Harvey says this instinct kicks in when his wife, Marjorie, scuba dives. "I can't go home without her. We've got seven kids between us," Harvey says. "They need their mother. I'm not a good mother at all." Although Marjorie is a certified diver, Harvey isn't a swimmer. "I have a security guy who can swim," he says. "So [he puts] on the snorkeling gear and when she goes down, I tell him, 'You swim over and just keep an eye on my wife.'" Harvey also has instructions for everyone else on the boat. "I told all the dive masters on the boat: 'If she does not come out of that water in 30 minutes, everybody in the water. Everybody. We're doing a dive search right here,'" he says. "I don't care if nobody [else] on the boat goes home. She goes home." Oprah.com: How to read his body language . From The Oprah Winfrey Show . 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.

Comedian Steve Harvey says women set the bar too low when dating . Harvey: Workers wait 90 days for benefits; women should date 90 days before sex . Texting is not dating, says Harvey, just easier way for men to tell more lies . Men use terms like "gold digger" and "nagging" as weapons against women .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The crew of a commuter plane that crashed outside Buffalo, New York, in February may have responded improperly to signs the plane was stalling, according to details of the investigation released Wednesday. Only a few pieces of the Continental Connection Dash 8 turboprop were recognizable after the crash. The crew of Continental Connection Flight 3407 pulled back on the plane's control column when it received a stall warning, pulling the plane upward, an update released by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed. That would have aggravated the situation rather than improving it, according to a veteran pilot contacted by CNN. But investigators are far from determining the exact cause of the crash, the NTSB said. And Colgan Air, the plane's operator, urged the public not to jump to conclusions. The Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 crashed into a house about six miles from Buffalo-Niagara International Airport the night of February 12. All 49 people on the plane and one man who was in the house were killed. The pilot and first officer discussed "significant" ice buildup on the aircraft's windshield and wings before the crash, the cockpit voice recorder revealed. But in an update on the investigation, the NTSB said there is no indication that aircraft's systems failed, or that ice had a significant impact on the plane. The NTSB said a stall warning device known as a "stick shaker" appears to have behaved properly, activating when the plane's speed dropped to 130 knots (150 mph). At that point, however, "there was a 25-pound pull force on the control column," pulling the plane upward, and data suggests there was a "likely separation of the airflow over the wing" -- meaning the plane had stalled. "The circumstances of the crash have raised several issues that go well beyond the widely discussed matter of airframe icing," the NTSB's acting chairman, Mark Rosenker, said in a statement on the findings. In general, when a stick shaker activates, pilots are taught to apply full power and maintain the plane's altitude or lower the nose, a captain for a major airline told CNN. "What you don't want to do is aggravate the situation," said the pilot, who would not be named because he had not sought approval from his airline. "By pulling it up without adding power, you're aggravating the situation." The safety board said it intends to investigate "stall recovery training" among other issues at a three-day public hearing it will offer on the crash in mid-May. Doug Moss, a United Air Lines pilot and aerospace consultant, said that appears to be what the NTSB "is really looking at." "It's easy to build a lot of experience in airline flying without ever getting close to the edges of the envelope," he said. In a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, Colgan Air said the NTSB data does not pinpoint a cause, and its crews "are prepared to handle emergency situations they might face." "We stand by our FAA-certified crew training programs which meet or exceed the regulatory requirements for all major airlines and include training on emergency situations," the Virginia-based carrier said. Colgan Air said it is "cooperating thoroughly" with the investigation. "The only absolute fact is that we do not know the cause of this accident," it said. Information released Wednesday appears to count out one possibility that was the subject of speculation after the crash: a stall induced by ice on the aircraft's tail. Pilots say those stalls are particularly insidious because pilots cannot see the tail wings and because the recovery procedure is the opposite of a main-wing stall -- tail-wing stalls generally are overcome by raising the plane's nose. The NTSB said that toxicology tests of the flight crew were negative for alcohol or illicit substances. The captain tested positive for diltiazem, a prescription blood pressure medication the Federal Aviation Administration had permitted him to use. At the board's hearing in May, the NTSB will look into a number of topics, including the effect of ice on the aircraft's performance, cold weather operations, the crew's experience and sleep issues. The board also will investigate "sterile cockpit rules," or requirements that crews discuss only aircraft issues during critical phases of flight, such as take-offs and landings. CNN's Allan Chernoff contributed to this report.

NEW: Plane's operator: Cause still not known; public shouldn't jump to conclusions . NTSB: Crew pulled back on control column after stall warning . A pilot tells CNN that move would have aggravated the situation . All 49 aboard, plus 1 in house, were killed in February crash near Buffalo, New York .

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(CNN) -- Yes, it's a limited sample. Yes, it's more likely for people who are disgruntled to comment than people who are pleased. Bruce Springsteen expressed strong reservations about a possible Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger. But still: CNN.com users who responded to our iReport and blog queries about the possible Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger were really, really unhappy. "Put 'going to a rock concert' on your list of 'Things you used to do, but can't anymore,' along with watching free television, seeing a double-feature with a cartoon, and riding a train cross country," wrote Carlos Sandoval. "Ahh, the beginning of yet another monopoly. I hope the feds nix this one," added RJ. "Ticketmaster is already nearly a monopoly in the ticket game. Live Nation is built on greed. Might be a marriage made in heaven for them, but it's a marriage made in hell for the concert-going public," wrote Allison. Many who commented were compelled to share their horror stories, of which there were many. "I was recently at a concert where I sat at the top of the stadium -- read: the WORST seats," wrote Kim Levering. "And I was surrounded by people who had bought their tickets through a Ticketmaster pre-sale. So lemme get this straight ... Ticketmaster rewards its customers and loyal fans by providing them with the worst seats in the house (even when selecting 'best available') during a pre-sale?" "I hoped Live Nation would provide competition for Ticketmaster and the outlandish surcharges and service fees," wrote avettbrosfan. "Unfortunately, when I went to buy a '30 dollar' lawn ticket to see the Avett Brothers and Dave Matthews Band, the Live Nation surcharges bumped the ticket up to 52 dollars! So much for that hope." Read more comments on the Marquee blog . Other people wrote of being forced to pay $100 surcharges, of being sent to other ticket sites (including Ticketmaster's own premium site, TicketsNow) and of all the other costs to go to a concert, such as parking, refreshments and merchandise. iReport: Your reaction to the possible merger . "Here in L.A., the [Bruce Springsteen] TicketsNow tickets were available immediately when the tickets when on sale. Those seats were never available to the public to begin with. 'Reputable brokers' means 'really just us using a different name,' " wrote Mauricio Heilbron Jr., M.D. Still, Ticketmaster had its defenders. The company's Web site is clean and simple, and it beats the old days of camping out at stores, wrote Steve. "I remember all too well those days of standing in line for hours at Dillards to get to their Ticketmaster outlet, and still getting lousy tickets," he said. "I'll be glad for the day when all tickets are available from one single outlet online." Lost in all this is the impact on musicians, who seldom have a choice regarding ticket sellers at large venues. Pearl Jam had its protest in the '90s; Bruce Springsteen sounded off on the sales snafu for his 2009 tour. But in general, if you want to see -- or play -- a concert, there aren't many options. "I could have gone on for hours about this. The fact is, I would love to change my purchasing plans, but how can I? If I want to see a show, what option do I have?" said musician, and music fan, Brian Riback on iReport. iReport.com: Read more of Riback's comments . "Sure, I can purchase off of Stubhub or Craigslist ... but I don't want to pay even more than I'm already being ripped off. The other end is even if I'm purchasing second hand...the original purchaser still supported [Ticketmaster/Live Nation] ... so I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't," Riback said.

Ticketmaster and Live Nation are reportedly in merger talks . CNN.com users have few nice things to say about either company . "Marriage made in hell for concert-going public," said one user .

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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Suicide bombers killed 60 people near a holy Shiite shrine in Baghdad on Friday and a car bomber left seven people dead in Diyala, according to security and medical officials. A little girl whose parents are missing in the Baghdad bombings Friday rests in a hospital. Along with the 60 dead, many of whom were Iranian pilgrims, at least 125 others were wounded when two female suicide bombers struck on roads leading to the Imam Musa al-Kadhim shrine, one of the holiest in Shiite Islam, the Interior Ministry said. The Iranians who were killed and wounded were on a pilgrimage to holy sites in Iraq, an Interior Ministry official said. The bombers hit the Kadhimiya neighborhood of Baghdad, where the shrine is located, on the Muslim day of prayer. Iraqi State TV reported that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has ordered an investigation. The top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. Raymond Odierno, told CNN's "American Morning" on Friday he believes Iraqis won't be "intimidated by the attack" and "they will not let this stand in their way of moving forward." Watch the scene at the hospital as victims of the shrine attacks arrive » . Later on Friday, a suicide car bomber detonated explosives in Diyala province, killing at least seven people and wounding 29 others. The bomber attacked a car dealership in Jawlawla, a town that has been the center of a territorial dispute between the central government and the Kurdistan Regional Government. Fridays attacks follow the deadliest day in Iraq this year, in which 87 people were killed in attacks, after months of plummeting violence. Many of the dead on Thursday were also Shiite pilgrims from Iran. Friday's bombings were the third attack on Kadhimiya this month. Reaction was swift in predominantly Shiite Iran. The media reported that Reza Moussavi, spokesman of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, announced a ban on Iranians crossing into Iraq via the Khosrawi border for pilgrimage until further notice. Javad Jahangirzadh, a member of Iran's parliament, was quoted as saying the aim of the attackers "was to show that the Iraq government was not successful and not performing well. "There must be a plot behind all of this aimed at damaging the growing relationship between Iran and Iraq." Iranian President Mahmoud Ahamedinejad earlier issued condolences for the Iranian pilgrims killed on Thursday. "The report on martyrdom and injury of a group of dear compatriots, who were on their way to holy sites [in Iraq], has caused deep sorrow," he said. "The incident once again showed that the results and gift of occupation and terrorism for regional nations are insecurity and innocent people's bloodshed," he said. Odierno said "this spike in suicide attacks that we've seen over the last couple of days, frankly, is another tragic event caused by al Qaeda and their links. They are killing many innocent people. They are killing pilgrims going to pray. They're killing women and children. They're killing homeless." The violence erupted as the Obama administration plans to withdraw American troops from Iraq. The U.S.-Iraqi security agreement negotiated last year set a June 30 deadline for combat troops to be pulled out of urban areas. The Iraqi government could request that combat forces remain in some cities and the agreement could be amended. The agreement calls for the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of 2011. Odierno was asked what effect the violence will have on that deadline and whether the volatile city of Mosul -- where al Qaeda in Iraq has had a potent presence -- would be included in the combat withdrawals. "The one area I'm still not sure about is Mosul," Odierno said.Most of the 87 people who died Thursday were killed in a bombing in Diyala province, in which 55 died, and an attack in Baghdad that killed 28. Many of the dead in the Diyala attack were also Shiite pilgrims from Iran. In the Baghdad attack, a female suicide bomber struck as national police were helping distribute Red Crescent aid to displaced families in the Karrada district. CNN's Yousif Bassil, Jomanah Karadsheh and Cal Perry contributed to this report.

NEW: 60 dead in Baghdad shrine attack, car bomber kills seven in Diyala . Many dead, wounded in attack near Baghdad shrine were Iranians on pilgrimage . Many of the 87 killed on Thursday were also Shiite pilgrims from Iran . Iran condemns attacks; Iranian pilgrims banned from crossing into Iraq .

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FARGO, North Dakota (CNN) -- More than 1,000 volunteers rushed to fill sandbags early Wednesday as many in North Dakota tried to protect themselves from a historic floods that are expected to swamp the area. A Fargo resident surveys the sandbags outside his home, located about 15 feet from the Red River, on Tuesday. Even at 3:30 a.m., hundreds of volunteers packed into individual sandbagging centers, an organizer said. "There have been so many volunteers that we had to turn people away," said Ryan McEwan, a supervisor at one volunteer coordinating center. "It is very busy. They are filling sandbags as fast as they can." Fargo city officials estimated that as many as 10,000 volunteers have come forward since Sunday to aid in a sandbagging effort that's taken over North Dakota State University's central arena, the Fargodome, and to help build levees along the now closely watched Red River. See map of affected area » . That river posed the greatest risk of about eight rivers in the state that were at flood levels, emergency officials said. The fear is that the Red River could overtake all previous records. As of Wednesday morning, the Red River ran at about 33 feet -- 15 feet above flood stage. A record level of 41.1 feet was set in 1897. The record level of the river set in the April 1897 flood could be surpassed Friday, Cecily Fong of the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services said Tuesday. More than 1,000 people were evacuated from an area near the city of Bismarck on Tuesday night as the Missouri River flooded, Rick Robinson of the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services said Wednesday. Recent rain and blizzard conditions have swollen the rivers. Gov. John Hoeven received word late Tuesday that North Dakota had received a presidential disaster declaration. "We've had a severe winter and are experiencing significant flooding across the state, so we are grateful to receive this federal assistance as we continue the flood fight and recovery effort," Hoeven said. Under the declaration, the federal government will cover 75 percent of the costs. "We're concerned about the rise of the river and how fast it's coming up, so our concern is that we're going to hit 41 feet," Fargo Deputy Mayor Tim Mahoney said Tuesday, adding that the way the levees are currently set up, they would protect against overflow only up to 38 feet. Officials are guessing the Red River, which runs through the eastern parts of North and South Dakota, and western Minnesota, could crest in Fargo -- North Dakota's largest city, with about 99,200 residents -- anytime Friday or Saturday and that the water may linger at its crest height. The city has canceled all trials scheduled in Fargo Municipal Court through April 2 because of the expected flooding, to allow all police officers to be available for possible emergencies, according to the city's Web site. As of late Tuesday, Fargo residents and out-of-town volunteers had filled more than 1 million sandbags out of the needed 2 million. Mahoney said he hoped that, with the 24-hour sandbagging effort at the Fargodome, that goal will be met by Thursday. iReport.com: Are you there? Share photos, video . Another factor threatening efforts is the possibility of freezing temperatures, because sandbags freeze together and then aren't individually stackable. Despite the stress, volunteers have been working around the clock. "You got old people, young people -- all helping out," Mahoney said. "It's heartwarming to see how many people are here." CNN's Robyn Sidersky contributed to this story.

City of Fargo prepares for what could be the worst flooding it's ever had . Up to 10,000 volunteers have come forward since Sunday to aid in sandbagging . Swollen Red River running 14 feet above flood stage Tuesday night . Residents have had much less time to prepare than major 1997 flood .

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ATHENS, Georgia (CNN) -- A University of Georgia professor apparently shot and killed his wife and two other people at a community theater group's reunion Saturday, then dropped the couple's two children off at a neighbor's and fled. An alert on the UGA Web site says professor George Zinkhan is a suspect in an off-campus shooting. Athens-Clarke County police said they have local, regional and national alerts out for George Zinkhan, 57, an endowed marketing professor at the school's Terry College of Business. "It appeared he and his wife were having problems," police Capt. Clarence Holeman said. Holeman identified the dead as Marie Bruce, 47, Zinkhan's wife and a prominent Athens attorney; Tom Tanner, 40; and Ben Teague, 63. Friends identified Bruce as the president of the board of the Town and Gown Players, the theater group holding a reunion picnic on the theater's deck when the shooting took place. Tanner and Teague were identified as set designers for the theater. Two other people were wounded by ricocheting bullets, Holeman said, but did not identify them. At least 20 people were in attendance at the event, he said. Zinkhan was not at the theater event initially, Holeman said, but when he arrived, he got into "a disagreement" with his wife. He left the scene -- police believe to his car, where his children were waiting -- and returned with two handguns. "It only took a few minutes," Holeman said. Police found eight shell casings, he said. After the shootings, Zinkhan left the scene with his two children -- ages 8 and 10 -- still in the vehicle, police said. He drove to a neighbor's home in nearby Bogart, Georgia, where he lived, and left the children there. The neighbor, Bob Covington, told CNN that Zinkhan arrived at his home shortly after noon with the two children. "He rang the doorbell -- asked me if I could keep his kids for about an hour," Covington said. "I said sure, and he said there'd been some type of emergency, and he took off." Zinkhan seemed hurried and agitated but that seemed consistent with an emergency, Covington said. He didn't question Zinkhan about the emergency, Covington said, adding that it wasn't unusual for someone in his family to watch the children. An hour or so later, he said, police arrived and took the children. Covington described Zinkhan as "a very quiet guy, but family-oriented." "He was great around his kids," he said. "Never saw a bit of a problem between he his wife or his kids." Covington said he was "completely shocked, didn't believe it" when he heard the news, and said he knew Marie Bruce much better than her husband. "She was much more talkative, very vivacious," he said. Police Maj. Mike Shockley told CNN that officers were searching Zinkhan's home Saturday and that a wide search for the suspect was in progress. "It's still a hunt," he said. " ... Now it's just a matter of trying to locate him." Holeman said Zinkhan has relatives in Texas and owns a home in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He was last seen driving a red, 2005 Jeep Liberty, Holeman said. The news reverberated across Athens. "The University community is shocked and saddened at this tragic event," University of Georgia President Michael F. Adams, said in a written statement. "Our first thoughts are for safety of the university community and for prompt apprehension of the person responsible. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of all those who have been affected." Another university professor, Steve Elliott-Gower, told CNN that Zinkhan had been at the school for at least 10 years and was "a distinguished professor with a national reputation." "He was quirky and aloof, but absolutely nothing that I saw would lead me to this conclusion," said the professor. Elliott-Gower said he didn't know Zinkhan well, but knew him through Zinkhan's wife who, like Elliott-Gower, was associated with the theater. "There are generations of people in the Athens community that have been involved in the theater," he said. "It's really difficult to imagine how an organization which is this close-knit recovers from something like this." Town and Gown Players' Web site said its present production, "Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure," is canceled. CNN's Divina Mims contributed to this report.

NEW: Marie Bruce, 47, wife of the suspect, was one of the victims, police say . NEW: Other victims identified as Tom Tanner, 40, and Ben Teague, 63 . NEW: Suspect apparently dropped children off at a neighbor's house before fleeing . NEW: Local, state and national alerts are out for George Zinkhan, 57 .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- FBI Director Robert Mueller pointed Monday to recent terror attacks in Mumbai, India, and Somalia to highlight the FBI's concern that small groups or individuals could carry out such attacks on U.S. soil. FBI Director Robert Mueller says he worries the Mumbai attack could be replicated in the United States. In a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations, Mueller worried that the dramatic terror attack on hotels and other facilities in Mumbai potentially could be replicated in the United States. "This type of attack reminds us that terrorists with large agendas and little money can use rudimentary weapons to maximize their impact. And it again raises the question of whether a similar attack could happen in Seattle or San Diego, Miami, or Manhattan," Mueller said. He said he is increasingly concerned with "pockets of people around the world that identify with al Qaeda and its ideology" but who have little or no actual contact with al Qaeda. Mueller cited the first-ever suicide bombing by a naturalized U.S. citizen last October. A Somali native who had settled in Minnesota traveled back to Somalia and blew up himself and 29 others. The idea that Shirwa Ahmed, 27, was radicalized in the United States raised red flags throughout the FBI. "One pattern in particular concerns us," Mueller said. "The prospect of young men, indoctrinated and radicalized within their own communities and induced to travel to Somalia to take up arms -- and to kill themselves and perhaps many others -- is a perversion of the immigrant story. And it raises the question of whether these young men will one day come home and, if so, what they might undertake here." Authorities have said as many as 20 young Somali men reported missing in Minnesota may have returned to Somalia to take up arms.

FBI director: Mumbai attack showed terrorists with little money can have large impact . FBI worries "whether a similar attack could happen in" the U.S., Mueller says . Suicide bombing involving naturalized U.S. citizen in Somalia also alarms Mueller .

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(CNN) -- Skier Paul Wampach, a 49-year-old manager from Chicago, Illinois, hardly matches the stereotype of a hostel dweller: an under-30 backpacker from outside the United States who can't afford fancy lodging. Travelers looking to meet new people might consider staying at hostels, say experts. For the fifth time in two years, Wampach plans to head to the Fireside Inn in Breckenridge, Colorado, where he's booked a dorm-style room for less than $40 a night during his ski vacation. "If I'm traveling by myself, there's no reason to splurge," said Wampach, who is single and described himself as neither rich nor poor. "That $40 or $50 [I save on lodging] goes to food, beer and ski-lift tickets." And amenities such as Internet access and a hot tub at the hostel add creature comforts to the trip. Wampach's travel habits are consistent with a growing number of travelers called "flashpackers." They are usually over 30, in mid-to-late career and can afford higher-end hotels but instead choose budget options -- albeit better-furnished and well-kept ones -- because it fits their lifestyle, said Mark Vidalin, Marketing Director for Hostelling International USA, a nonprofit network of hostels. Flashpackers also tend to stay connected by traveling with gadgets and seeking accommodations with free Wi-Fi, Vidalin said. The term "flashpacker" likely originated in Australia, and combines the term "flash" -- meaning "stylish" -- with "backpacker," according to Vidalin. Flashpackers and regular backpackers are booking hostels at U.S. vacation destinations in full force this year. Attendance at hostels has been consistently rebounding from lows following the September 11, 2001. This year's turbulent economy appears to be fueling demand for hostel space. Heading into ski season, Loree Weisman, the owner of the Crested Butte International Lodge and Hostel in Crested Butte, Colorado, said her hostel bookings are trending ahead of the town's other lodging options -- and up about 25 percent from her bookings by the same time last year. Amid the unsteady economy, she said, people "don't want to give up a vacation, but they might need to adapt a vacation." Instead of canceling pricey vacations due to economic fears, many travelers are rejecting accommodations with private bedrooms and bathrooms. They're going for hostels with their dorm-style bunk beds, community bathrooms, and, most importantly for many hostel dwellers, shared living spaces. "There's a sense of community, and there's a social aspect to it that's pretty significant," said Jim Williams, editor of "The Hostel Handbook" and a former hostel owner. "That is the heart of hostelling. You don't go to a hotel and lock the door." Wampach agreed, saying that hostels offer "a tremendous way to meet people from different cultures and talk to people you wouldn't normally talk to." But the communal atmosphere of hostels leaves many travelers skeptical, particularly Americans, Williams said. "Americans have privacy issues. If you suggested to most people they were going to share a room with five other people, most of them wouldn't want to do it," he said. What if a roommate snores or what if he smells or doesn't stop talking? -- these are legitimate questions for travelers considering the hostel option, said Williams. Frequent hostel dweller Mandy Creighton, 30, said she enjoys the overall hostel experience, but it's a "huge challenge" to "walk through the room and to my room without having to talk to 20 people." Creighton and her partner, Ryan Mlynarczyk, 32, who are documentary filmmakers from Sebastopol, California, are bicycling around the United States for a year and stopping in ecologically sustainable communities along the way. Their choice to stay in hostels is rooted in a desire to maintain a green lifestyle by sharing resources as well as saving money. Mlynarczyk experienced the other side of the privacy issue when he stepped out of a shower in a San Francisco, California, hostel to discover he had a female audience. "I ... didn't have my towel on -- and some girl walks in and was like, 'Woo!' I'm totally open to that sort of thing, but I think she was a little bit new to it, and she kind of was giggling. But obviously the immediate reaction was, 'Oh my God!' " Mlynarczyk said. In contrast to Americans who treasure their personal space, the communal environment is more ingrained in European culture, experts said. It's possible to trace that cultural divide to post-World War II, said Williams, when Europe underwent its financial recovery in the 1950s and its culture was more communal. On the other hand, the U.S. economy was booming, and there was no need for Americans to share resources. "At the same time [Europeans] were creating hostels, American teenagers were focused on getting their own cars," Williams said. Nevertheless, Hostelling International reported its hostels in many destination cities saw notable increases in October versus the same time last year: New York overnight guests increased by 9.8 percent, Washington by 9.7 percent and San Diego, California, by 22.1 percent, according to Hostelling International. Despite the rise in many hostel bookings, Williams said hostelling still isn't part of mainstream American culture. "We do hostelling about as well as we do soccer. We do it, but it's a limited market, and we do it a certain way. Otherwise, most Americans aren't very comfortable [with] it," Williams said. Wampach said he believes this represents Americans' "relatively conservative views and lifestyles." But people are respectful of each other's space, he said, and they rarely spend time together in the dorm room aside from sleeping anyway. "You just do your best; everybody understands you are who are," Wampach said. "Sometimes you get a guy who snores but ... that's part of the deal."

"Flashpackers" are professionals older than 30 who prefer hostels to hotels . Hostels in New York, Washington and San Diego, California, report increased guests . Sense of community is the "heart of hostelling," expert says . Many Americans uncomfortable with hostels' lack of privacy .

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(CNN) -- When 3-year-old Rowan Isaacson darted away from his father and dived into a herd of grazing horses, it easily could have been the end of the small autistic boy. He was babbling under the hooves of a boss mare. Rupert Isaacson says he noticed immediate improvement in his son's language skills when he started riding. "I thought he was going to get trampled," recalled Rupert Isaacson, Rowan's father. But the horse, Betsy, dipped her head and chewed with her mouth in submission. Isaacson, who had trained horses for a living, had never seen it happen so spontaneously. Rowan had seemingly made a connection. The Austin, Texas, family had been struggling with Rowan. His wild tantrums were nearly driving Isaacson and his wife, Kristin Neff, to divorce. All the while, little Rowan was becoming unreachable. "He would just stare off into space," Isaacson said. "I was worried it was going to get progressively worse and that eventually, he might float away from us entirely. Luckily, right about that time is when he met Betsy." Isaacson began riding Betsy, a neighbor's horse, with Rowan. He says he noticed immediate improvement in his son's language skills. Watch Rowan and Betsy » . "He would start to answer. He would start to talk. We would do song games up there on the saddle. I would take books up there in the saddle," Isaacson said. Autism specialists say that horse riding can be effective in gaining access to autistic children. Experts make a distinction between the kind of recreational therapeutic riding Isaacson was using with Rowan and hippotherapy, which is a medical treatment that uses horses and is supervised by a licensed speech-language pathologist. "People perceive it's the interaction with the horse that's making the change. However, the movement of the horse is extremely powerful, and it's that movement that's having neurological impact on the autistic child," said Ruth Dismuke-Blakely, a speech-language pathologist and hippotherapy clinical specialist in Edgewood, New Mexico. According to preliminary analysis of an ongoing study by Dismuke-Blakely, hippotherapy has been shown to increase verbal communication skills in some autistic children in as little as 18 to 25 minutes of riding once a week for eight weeks. "We see their arousal and affect change. They become more responsive to cues. If they are at a point where they are using verbal cues, you get more words," Dismuke-Blakely said. "It's almost like it opens them up. It gives us access." She cautions that a horse's movements can be powerful. For some autistic children, riding too long can overstimulate their nervous system, leading to more erratic behavior. On Betsy, Rowan was at ease. After about three weeks, Isaacson says, Rowan's improved behavior was translating into the home and outside world as well. But not consistently. In late 2004, Isaacson, a human rights activist, brought a delegation of African bushmen from Botswana to the United Nations. Among the men were traditional healers, who offered to work with Rowan. Isaacson says he was skeptical, but he had experience with the bushmen and allowed the healers to lay their hands on his son. "I was kind of flabbergasted at Rowan's response. For about four days while they were with him, he started to lose some of his symptoms. He started to point, which was a milestone he hadn't achieved," Isaacson said. When the tribal healers left, Rowan regressed. Isaacson says he couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he were to give Rowan a longer exposure to the two things that he seemed to have responded well to: horses and shamans. "I know it sounds completely crazy," he said. "I just had a gut feeling." Isaacson took his wife and son to Mongolia. "It's the oldest horse culture on the planet. Everyone still gets around on a horse there -- so a nomadic culture. The word 'shaman' comes from there," Isaacson said, explaining his decision. "I just thought, 'Well, what if we went there and rode across the steppe and visited traditional healers? You know, what might happen for Rowan? Might there be some positive outcomes?' " Trekking across the Mongolian prairie on horseback, Isaacson says, Rowan's behavior was changed dramatically. "Rowan was not cured of autism out there," Isaacson stressed. "The word 'cure' is not in my vocabulary for this. Rowan came back without three key dysfunctions that he had. He went out to Mongolia incontinent and still suffering from these neurological firestorms -- so tantruming all the time and cut off from his peers, unable to make friends -- and he came back with those three dysfunctions having gone." Isaacson credits Rowan's improvement to horses and time in nature -- and to shamanic healing, which he says he simply can't explain rationally. Isaacson has written a book, "The Horse Boy," about Rowan's autism. Rowan, now 7, rides Betsy by himself. His parents never abandoned more orthodox treatments for his autism, and Rowan's applied behavioral analysis therapist has him studying math and English at the third-grade level -- a full year ahead of some of his peers. "He's just becoming a very functional autistic person," Isaacson said. As far as the Isaacson family's journey took them, it is the same hard slog facing millions of families gripped by autism. "A lot of the parents go to the ends of the Earth in their own living rooms every day," Isaacson said. "I mean, we had more stressful car rides to the grocery store than any of the stresses and challenges of the trip to Mongolia." You don't have to get on a horse -- or plane to Siberia -- for relief. For autism families, Isaacson encourages parents to simply follow their instincts and listen to what their child shows them. "In our case, it was horses in Mongolia and these shamans," Isaacson said. "It could just as easily have been bicycles and, you know, steam trains. And if it had been, we'd have done a steam train journey. We'd have done whatever Rowan seemed to be showing us he wanted to do, because that was where he was intrinsically motivated."

Family travels across Mongolia so autistic son can ride horses, meet shaman . Experts say riding horses can be effective in gaining access to autistic children . Rowan Isaacson's language and temper improved with horse/shaman therapy . His parents never abandoned more orthodox treatments for Rowan's autism .

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(CNN) -- A female graduate student at Virginia Tech was killed Wednesday night when a man she knew attacked her with a knife and decapitated her, a school spokesman said. Virginia Tech police Chief Wendell Flinchum talks about the first slaying on campus since the 2007 shootings. Virginia Tech spokesman Mark Owczarski said Thursday that Xin Yang's killing was the first on the campus since April 16, 2007, when a shooter killed 32 people before turning a gun on himself. Yang, 22, from Beijing, China, was killed at the Au Bon Pain restaurant in the Graduate Life Center at around 7 p.m., school spokesman Larry Hincker said in a written statement. Campus police took Haiyang Zhu, 25, into custody at the scene. The Ningbo, China, native has been charged with first-degree murder and is being held without bail at a local jail, Hincker said. Zhu did not say anything to the arresting officers, said campus police Chief Wendell Flinchum. "There was blood on him," Flinchum said. The young woman and the suspect "were not seen arguing, or anything of that nature," he added, citing witness statements. Authorities said the two students knew each other. "Based on emergency contact records maintained by the university, it is known that Zhu and Yang knew each other," Hincker said. No other details were provided. The young woman arrived at the university two weeks ago to begin studies in accounting, he said in the statement. Zhu is a graduate student pursuing a doctorate in agricultural and applied economics. He began studies at Virginia Tech in fall 2008, Hincker said. "Our hearts go out to the victim and her family," President Charles W. Steger said in a letter to the campus community. "An act of violence like this one brings back memories of the April 16 tragedy and I have no doubt that many of us feel especially distraught." Authorities say on April 16, 2007, Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 students and professors before killing himself.

Killing was first on campus since gunman killed 32 on April 16, 2007 . Victim Xin Yang, a graduate student from Beijing, knew accused killer, police say . Haiyang Zhu, 25, taken into custody; he is charged with first-degree murder . Attack took place at restaurant in Graduate Life Center .

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(CNN) -- The mother of a woman who gave birth on Monday to octuplets said her daughter already has six children at home and was undergoing fertility treatment. Dr. Karen Maples is part of the large team of doctors and nurses that helped deliver the octuplets. The Los Angeles Times reported on Thursday that Angela Suleman said her daughter had the embryos implanted last year, resulting in the eight births. "They all happened to take," Suleman told the Times. "I looked at those babies. They are so tiny and so beautiful." The woman declined to have the number of embryos reduced when she discovered she was carrying multiples, the Times reported. The six older siblings range from ages 7 to 2, according to the newspaper. Suleman said she was concerned about her daughter's homecoming because her husband, a contract worker, is due to return to Iraq. In the meantime, the mother, who remains unidentified, appealed for privacy while she recovers from giving birth, medical officials said Thursday. In her written statement delivered by Dr. Karen Maples of the Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center in California, the woman who delivered eight babies in five minutes said she would soon make public the details of her "miraculous experience." "We understand that you are all curious about the arrival of the octuplets, and we appreciate your respect for our family's privacy," she said. "The babies continue to grow strong every day and make good progress. My family and I are ecstatic about all of their arrivals." "Needless to say, the eighth was a surprise to us all, but a blessing as well," she added. The six boys and two girls -- ranging in weight from 1 pound, 8 ounces to 3 pounds, 4 ounces -- are doing well following their Caesarean-section delivery at the Bellflower hospital, doctors said. They were born nine weeks premature. Dr. Mandhir Gupta, a neonatalist, said all but one of the octuplets are now breathing on their own. That baby might be taken off breathing equipment Friday. Caring for eight premature babies is a challenge. Duties are being shared by a large team of hospital nurses and doctors for the time being. Two nurses have been assigned to each child, and all the babies are receiving fluids, proteins and vitamins intravenously, Gupta said. "We feed them. ... We change diapers. ... When they cry, we console them," Gupta said. "When the mom comes and touches the babies, you can definitely see their expression on their faces and body. They are very happy." The babies, who are being referred to by letters of the alphabet, will remain in the hospital for at least seven more weeks. Baby H made headlines for its surprise appearance during the delivery, which took months of preparation by a team of doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists. Watch a report on babies' progress » . The mother will not be able to hold her babies for another week, Gupta said. They are still fragile, developing intestines, he said. Doctors initially thought the mother was pregnant with seven fetuses. She was hospitalized seven weeks ago and ordered to bed rest. During the seven weeks, a team of 46 physicians, nurses and other staff members prepared for the births. When they started the delivery Monday, they were in for a surprise. "After the seventh baby was born, we were taking a sigh of relief," Maples said. "It was a surprise of our life when we in fact discovered there was an eighth baby," she said. "We never had an assignment for baby H nurse or baby H doctor. We just had to go on the fly and figure out what to do." "Baby G nurse stepped up. We handed off the baby to baby G nurse. She then delivered that last baby to the neonatologist of the baby F." "It was all wonderful because of the teamwork and the training we did before," Maples said.

Grandmother of the eight babies: 'They are so tiny and so beautiful' The father, a contract worker, is due to return to Iraq, mother-in-law says . Mother of babies appeals for privacy while she recovers from giving birth . Large medical team monitoring babies; each infant has two devoted nurses .

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(CNN) -- Tough economic times are taking a toll across the spectrum of business and individual activity -- and the country's institutions of higher learning are no exception. Andy Warhol is one of the artists in Brandeis University's acclaimed Rose Art Museum. Brandeis University, in Waltham, Massachusetts, will be taking an extraordinary step to preserve its educational mission -- the school's board of trustees voted Monday to close its acclaimed Rose Art Museum. The university will sell every one of the approximately 6,000 items in the museum, opened in 1961. "These are extraordinary times, we cannot control or fix the nation's economic problems," university president Jehuda Reinharz said. "We can only do what we have been entrusted to do -- act responsibly with the best interests of our students and their futures foremost in mind." University spokesman Dennis Nealon said that the move to sell off the museum's exhibits was "a very hard and painful decision" but a necessary one for the school's survival. He said the decision, which calls for the museum to close in the summer, will not affect the university's "commitment to the arts and the teaching of the arts." The facility will become a fine arts teaching center with an exhibition gallery and studio space, he said. The museum's collection includes iconic paintings by such luminaries of American art as Andy Warhol, James Rosenquist, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Alex Katz and Roy Lichtenstein. Nealon said most of the museum's acquisitions are paintings and sculptures. The school has not undertaken a recent appraisal of the works, Nealon said, adding that the process may take as much as two years to complete. Brandeis, founded in 1948, is the only non-sectarian, Jewish-sponsored university in the country.

Brandeis trustees vote to close Rose Art Museum, sell collection . University spokesman says "painful decision" necessary for school's survival . Collection includes iconic paintings by Warhol, Johns and Lichtenstein . Brandeis is the only nonsectarian, Jewish-sponsored university in nation .

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(Entertainment Weekly) -- Over the last decade, Steven Soderbergh has taken the "one for them, one for me" concept of film-director politics to an almost comically programmatic extreme. Benicio Del Toro plays Ernesto "Che" Guevara in Steven Soderbergh's biopic. Basically, he makes big-budget crowd-pleasers like the "Ocean's" films, stuffed with movie stars and candied gimcrack fun, and between them he makes whatever oddball labor-of-love doodle (the enticing "Bubble," the dreadful "Solaris") enters his head. What's disorienting about "Che," his two-part, four-hour-and-17-minute, studiously eccentric drama about the revolutionary life and times of Ernesto "Che" Guevara, is that it's almost a knowing brainteaser on Soderbergh's part to force you to figure out which category the film belongs to. Che cost a reported $65 million to make, it's full of exacting panoramas of strategy and combat set in the mountainous jungles of Cuba and Bolivia, and its hero is a figure who -- 41 years after his violent death -- remains so loved, hated, and mythologized that he fits into an epic drama timed for awards season as perfectly as Gandhi or Ray Charles ever did. Following a one-week Oscar-qualifying run, "Che" is now rolling out to major American cities, where it is likely to draw generations of filmgoers who've either worn Che on their T-shirts or have the honest curiosity to wonder: Who was this man before he became a Warhol-worthy icon of radical chic? In "Che," Soderbergh stokes that curiosity, feeds it, and frustrates it, all at the same time. He's made a film that embraces the romance of revolution only to shake it off, leaving very little in its place. The first half of "Che" is a genuine achievement. It picks up Guevara (Benicio Del Toro) in 1955, when he was a clean-cut Argentine physician who dreamed of uniting Latin America through armed struggle. At a dinner party in Mexico City, he meets Fidel Castro -- played, with perfect domineering gesticulations, by Demian Bichir -- and the movie follows these two into the Cuban countryside, where they assemble the nuts and bolts of a revolution. Soderbergh exhibits a tinkerer's fascination with how it all worked, embedding each scene with a docu-nugget of information. We see Che taming his asthmatic coughing fits or reading books between battles, and learn how a battalion of rebels could defeat a platoon three times its size (with surprise, daring, and Molotov cocktails). Che is by turns scholar, guidance counselor, drill sergeant, and comandante, and Del Toro makes him a warrior-saint who learns, against his will, to cultivate a gruff bruiser facade. He yearns to be a "true revolutionary, the highest level of humanity," and it's no insult to the film to say that Soderbergh and Del Toro succeed in portraying Che as a kind of T-shirt in three dimensions, a Guerrilla for All Seasons. But that's when things get strange, if not monumentally perverse. At the end of Part I -- the victory of the Cuban rebels -- my appetite was whetted to learn even more about Che, in particular how his humane ideals were tested, and compromised, by the Castro regime as it edged toward dictatorship. Instead, Part II leaps forward to 1966-67, when Che led the revolutionary war in Bolivia, and here's the thing: It turns out to be the same damn movie. Only in this dispirited rerun, the revolution doesn't take. The rebels, all squabbling ego, can barely summon the will to sacrifice and die, and the peasants have little belief that this ragtag crew is bringing a better world. Even with the U.S. poking its nose into the region, the Soviet Union won't back an insurrection. Soderbergh has built "Che" conceptually, as two giant panels of war, and his message is about the doomed destiny of Marxism. Che, like Marx, believed that the rise of the proletariat was inevitable -- the unstoppable tide of history -- but as the movie reveals, he was wrong. Che didn't ride a wave of history; instead, it crashed down on him. By remaining the same, he becomes, in Part II, a distant and deluded figure whose dream evaporates around him. As political theater, "Che" moves from faith to impotence, which is certainly a valid reading of Communism in the 20th century. Yet as drama, that makes the second half of the film borderline deadly. Che doesn't grow richer, deeper, or reveal any contradictions; he just gets more abstract -- a symbol of idealism too pure for this world. Che is twice as long as it needs to be, but it is also only half the movie it should have been. EW Grades: Part I: B+, Part II: C . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . Copyright 2009 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.

"Che" has a brilliant first half, but second half is repetitious, says EW . Steven Soderbergh's four-hour film is trying to make a point, but loses steam . However, Benicio Del Toro is terrific as famed Marxist revolutionary .

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(The Frisky) -- I've never really been a fan of the "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus" school of relationship thought, but I'll admit that sometimes I feel as though the men I've dated have spoken a different language. Like when a great date is followed by the deafening silence of the phone. Or when the big relationship talk results in a boyfriend-shaped hole in my wall. Those are the times I want nothing more than a dictionary that translates every deer-in-headlights look, ambiguous voicemail, and cryptic text message. That's where Jeff Mac's "Manslations: Decoding the Secret Language of Men" comes in. The good . Actions speak louder than words. Sure, not a novel idea, but this "duh" lesson is one that can take years to learn. If it looks, walks, and quacks like a duck, then it's a duck. Mac's Golden Rule? Whenever there is any conflict between what a man says and what he does, always, always ignore what he says. There is no such thing as a man dumping you because he is afraid of getting hurt, is frightened that his feelings are too strong, or because he finds you intimidating. Mac says to think of the simplest solution -- is it that this man sensed you were the perfect woman for him, who touched him so much in deep, important places that he couldn't handle? Or was he just not feeling it? It's OK to call him first -- and if you get blown off, it's not because you called first. This is my favorite piece of advice from Mac, who says the mistaken conclusion women come to when they call first post-date and get blown off is that the call made them look clingy and spooked the guy. "This is not how it went," says Mac. "If you called him and he blew you off, it went like this: . 1. You had a great date, and he did not. 2. He planned to blow you off. 3. You called him, and nothing changed." The bad . All men are obsessed with cars, the remote, sports, and video games. Yawn. For the record, my man keeps his video game playtime short, hands remote control power over to me, and doesn't care for sports or cars. Is my guy an exception to the rule, or is it possible that all men are different and do not necessarily share those interests as a gender? I'm guessing it's the latter. The ugly . Men are like dogs. Is this statement required filler for all dating books, right after the part about women being shopping-obsessed nags? According to Mac, men are like dogs because, among other things, they have short attention spans and pay a lot of attention to their own crotches and the crotches of others. I'm willing to bet short attention span isn't an inherently male trait, and I can personally testify that neither is an interest in crotches. So is Jeff Mac's "Manslations" the be-all and end-all of man manuals? Not exactly. But when your girlfriends refuse to help you decode, for the eighth time, what he meant when he said, "I'll call you later," Jeff Mac's sometimes trite, always funny advice comes in handy. TM & © 2009 TMV, Inc. | All Rights Reserved .

Woman rates Jeff Mac's "Manslations: Decoding the Secret Language of Men" If there's conflict between what man says or does, always ignore what he says . Her favorite:OK for women to call guy first, and if dumped, it's not because of call .

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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan has arrested a suspected al Qaeda militant who intelligence officials say is tied to the London subway bombings in 2005, authorities there said Thursday. The double-decker bus damaged by a bomb in central London on July 7, 2005. Zabih al-Taifi was arrested in a village near Peshawar on Wednesday as part of ongoing security operations in the area, police and intelligence officials told CNN. Six others, both Afghans and Pakistanis, were also arrested. The Metropolitan Police Service in London, also known as Scotland Yard, issued a statement refusing to comment on the arrest. "Speculation around this reported arrest with alleged links to an ongoing terrorist trial is unhelpful and may be prejudicial to current criminal proceedings," it said. The London blasts killed 52 people and wounded at least 900 others when bombs went off on three subway trains and a bus on July 7, 2005. Security analysts say the village where al-Taifi was arrested in the North West Frontier Province has been the site of recent clashes between Pakistani security forces and militants. CNN's Zein Basravi contributed to this report.

Officials say arrested al Qaeda militant has ties to 2005 London subway bombings . 52 killed, 900 wounded from bombs on 3 subway trains and a bus on July 7, 2005 . Zabih al-Taifi arrested in village near Peshawar in ongoing security operations .

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MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- A Russian-led bloc of post-Soviet nations has agreed to establish a rapid-reaction military force to combat terrorists and respond to regional emergencies, Russian media reported Wednesday. Russian navy soldiers stand guard during a military ceremony. The decision came a day after reports that Kyrgyzstan is planning to close a strategically important U.S. military base that Washington uses to transport troops and supplies into Afghanistan. On Wednesday, the Collective Security Treaty Organization -- made up of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan -- decided on the rapid-reaction force at a Kremlin summit, the Russian news agency RIA-Novosti reported. The group's security council "spent a long time discussing the central issue of forming collective reaction forces and, generally, of rapid reaction to possible threats," said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, according to Russian news agency Interfax. "Everyone agreed that the formation of joint forces is necessary," he said. Officials told Russian media that all the members had signed the agreement, though Uzbekistan submitted a special provision. Uzbekistan doesn't mind contributing military units to the rapid-reaction force "but does not consider it necessary for the moment" to attach emergency responders, drug-control forces and other special services, organization spokesman Vitaly Strugovets told Interfax. Russian media reported that the force will be used to fight military aggressors, conduct anti-terror operations, battle regional drug trafficking and respond to natural disasters. The force will be based in Russia under a single command, with member nations contributing military units. On Tuesday, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev announced at a Moscow news conference that "all due procedures" were being initiated to close Manas Air Base, RIA-Novosti reported. The announcement was made after news reports of a multimillion-dollar aid package from Russia to Kyrgyzstan. Gen. David Petraeus, who oversees U.S. operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, including Afghanistan, was in Kyrgyzstan last month, partly to lobby the government to allow the United States to keep using the base. He said he and Kyrgyz leaders did not discuss "at all" the possible closure of the base and said local officials told him there was "no foundation" for news reports about the issue. The United States is planning to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan to halt a resurgence of the Taliban. Petraeus described Manas as having "an important role in the deployment of these forces" and in refueling aircraft. The relationship between the United States and Kyrgyzstan was damaged when a Kyrgyz citizen was killed by a U.S. airman in December 2006. The airman was transferred out of Kyrgyzstan, and the dead man's family was offered compensation. Petraeus said in January that the investigation was being reopened. As he announced the base closure Tuesday, Bakiyev said he was not satisfied with the inquiry into the accident and his government's "inability to provide security to its citizens" was proving a serious concern. Medvedev also weighed in on the issue Wednesday, saying the base closure shouldn't hamper anti-terrorism operations, according to Interfax. "It would be great if their numbers meant there were fewer terrorists, but such action depends on other things as well," he said.

Seven nations agree to form rapid-reaction force . Russian media say force will fight terrorism, respond to disasters . It will be based in Russia under a single command . Report comes after Kyrgyzstan says it will close U.S. base .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Fragile finances are likely to rule out buying a boat for many this summer but that shouldn't mean the end of all water-based pastimes. Underwater scooter: The Seabob Cayago will move you like a fish with its 7hp motor. MainSail presents you with some of the coolest toys for slightly more affordable fun on the water. Seabob Cayago scooter: Do you want to become a human fish this summer? This water and diving scooter is purported to be the fastest of its kind, with a 7hp electric motor. Hydradome BOB: If you want to take the motorized diving experience to a new level, the Breathing Observation Bubble (BOB), is the ideal machine. This submersible can cruise underwater at two knots while the rider sits in comfort. Hovpod: For high-speed fun on and off the water, the Hovpod hovercraft should be your gadget of choice. The Hovpod will take you across any flat surface at speeds of up to 45 miles per hour (72 kilometers per hour). Powerski Jetboard: This machine is a cross between a surfboard and a jet-ski. Capable of up to 35 knots, the Powerski Jetboard lets you surf without the surf. Walk-on-water ball: For cheaper and more simple fun on the water, the Nuclear Globe Walk-on-water ball is perfect. The heavy-duty PVC ball can keep you fit and you can even stay dry if you want to. Iceberg Wall: If you're entertaining plenty of people, the Iceberg Wall looks like a great time. Coming in either the 2.5 meter or a massive 4.9 meter size, the Iceberg offers safe climbing, sliding and jumping for everyone. See our photo gallery » of this summer's top six toys for fun in the water, thanks to SuperYachtWorld. For more sailing news and more about the super-yacht industry, visit CNN's MainSail homepage here. Subscribe to SuperYachtWorld . COPYRIGHT © 2009 IPC MEDIA LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED .

MainSail profiles six top water-toys for cheaper fun in the water this summer . The Seabob scooter can propel a person through the water like a fish . The Iceberg wall is the ultimate water toy for the whole family .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Britain's Serious Fraud Office and London police are investigating an alleged $81 million (£56 million) fraud on the corporate banking department of Allied Irish Banks (AIB). Allied Irish Banks has allegedly been the subject of a $81 million fraud. The SFO said it had searched a business and two residential addresses in London and believed AIB was not the only financial institution deceived by the suspects. It said that between 2003 and 2007 AIB, Ireland's largest bank by market value, loaned money for the purchase of UK investment properties to companies controlled by an individual who was now the main suspect. The SFO said the main suspect operated with the assistance of others. However, in 2008 AIB identified problems with one element of its security interests over the investment properties. "Following an internal review it became apparent that the guarantees of certain lease payments on these properties by an investment grade counterparty (a blue chip property company) were fraudulent," the SFO said. AIB referred the matter to the authorities and also took control of and sold the relevant properties, which resulted in a write down of the outstanding loan balances by £56m, the SFO said. The office said the alleged fraud involved the borrowing companies creating "overriding" leases. "These leases were generally for longer periods and at higher rents than the existing occupational tenants' leases. "The apparent existence of these additional leases increased the values of the properties, with lease payments being a direct obligation of the investment grade counterparty," the SFO said. AIB is considering legal action over the $81 million loss.

British authorities probing alleged $81 million fraud involving Irish bank . They say more firms are likely to have been deceived by scam . It involved manipulation of leases on properties in the UK .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- The Indian owners of car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) have agreed to pump "tens of millions" of dollars into the luxury car brand to prevent a cash flow crisis, it was reported Monday. Jaguar Land Rover was bought by the Indian company Tata earlier this year for $2.3 billion. The moves comes as the British government ponders a public-funded bailout of the West Midlands-based automaker, the Financial Times newspaper said. Tata, which bought JLR earlier this year, warned its support for the UK subsidiary did not negate the argument that the British government should provide bridging loans and credit guarantees to help the company and the car sector as a whole through the current financial difficulties, the FT said. Last week, the ailing "big three" automakers in the U.S. were given a boost when the Bush administration agreed a $13.4 billion loan package. Now British Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has come under pressure to come up with a similar package for UK manufacturers. JLR employs 15,000 workers in Britain and is seen as a vital contributor to the West Midlands regional economy in particular. However, the business secretary at the weekend reiterated that the state had to be a "lender of last resort," only after Tata has looked to its own resources, the FT reported. Any state support would be conditional on the due diligence on the Indian parent company being conducted by the government's City advisers, according to officials. A spokesman for Lord Mandelson's Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform told the British Press Association: "The Government doesn't have an open cheque-book to bail out ailing companies, but we are doing all we can to help businesses overcome the current challenges. "Jaguar Land Rover have owners who are well resourced and have the first responsibility to sustain the companies they own." According to the FT, accountancy firm KPMG and investment bank NM Rothschild have been called in to advise the UK government on the Indian group's complex finances and to assess demands from the car sector.

Tata bought the British-based luxury car maker earlier this year . UK government also pondering a public-funded bailout of the company . JLR employs around 15,000 workers in Britain .

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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Conflict raged Wednesday in volatile northwestern Pakistan, with nine militants killed in a gun battle, the Taliban's abduction and release of about 30 police officers, and strikes on stranded NATO trucks. Pakistani policemen at a check point in Khyber Agency near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, February 12, 2008. It's the latest fighting between Pakistani security forces and the Taliban militants in the northwestern region near Afghanistan. The country's central government has little control in the area, and U.S. intelligence officials say the area is a haven for militants. Nine militants were killed when police and local residents foiled an attempted kidnapping of the mayor in a village on the outskirts of Peshawar, police told CNN. Taliban fighters attempted to abduct Fahim Ur Rehman, but police and residents resisted and a gun battle ensued. Along with the slain militants, two police and two civilians were wounded and some of the militants fled. The village, Bazid Khel, is located between Peshawar and the Khyber Agency in the tribal areas. In the Swat Valley, militants abducted around 30 police Tuesday night but eventually released them on Wednesday. Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan confirmed to CNN that the personnel had been released after returning to the path of Islam and promising not to return to their jobs. Police told CNN that the security personnel had been forced to agree to the Taliban's terms and confirmed the release. There are conflicting details about the incident, in which Taliban forces attacked the Shamozai check post in the Barikot area of Swat Valley on Tuesday night and captured the people after a nightlong firefight. Khan said the personnel surrendered after Taliban forces mined the area, preventing access. He said their ammunition was seized when supply vehicles coming to assist government forces were stopped by Taliban mines. Pakistan police said the security personnel didn't surrender; they were caught after they used up their ammunition. Police and military sources said the personnel were police, but Khan said paramilitary officers as well as police were among the group. Locals said government forces came under attack Tuesday evening and ran out of ammunition before surrendering. This comes as the Pakistani military beefed up its operations this week in the Swat Valley. In the latest in a series of recent attacks meant to choke off supplies into Afghanistan for the United States and its allies, a rocket strike destroyed at least nine vehicles near the town Landi Kotal in the Khyber Agency -- one of seven semiautonomous tribal agencies along the Afghan border, a Khyber official told CNN. The trucks were returning from Afghanistan but were stranded in the town because, a day earlier, suspected militants had destroyed a bridge connecting Landi Kotal to Jamrod, another part of the Khyber Agency. The bridge's destruction had forced authorities to halt traffic. Because Afghanistan is landlocked, many of the supplies for NATO-led troops fighting Islamic militants there have to be trucked from Pakistan. In recent months, militants aligned with the Taliban and al Qaeda have carried out several attacks to disrupt supplies, Pakistani officials said.

NEW: Nine militants die as police, residents foil attempted kidnapping of mayor . NEW: Swat Valley: Militants release about 30 police who were abducted Tuesday . Attack destroyed nine vehicles near the town Landi Kotal in the Khyber Agency . Series of recent attacks have tried to choke supplies into Afghanistan for the U.S.

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(CNN) -- A major humanitarian crisis is unfolding in northern Sri Lanka with 250,000 unprotected civilians trapped in the crossfire between government troops and rebel forces, the Red Cross says. A civilian, injured during fighting in rebel territory, lies on a bed at a hospital in Vavuniya on January 16, 2009. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has appealed to both sides to facilitate the movement of civilians out of the combat zone which has seen intensified fighting. "People are being caught in the crossfire, hospitals and ambulances have been hit by shelling and several aid workers have been injured while evacuating the wounded," Jacques de Maio, ICRC head of operations for South Asia in Geneva said in a statement on the ICRC Web site." The violence is preventing the ICRC from operating in the region. In the capital, Colombo, Indian foreign affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee huddled Wednesday with Sri Lankan President Mahindra Rajapaksa on the potential humanitarian crisis. "The Sri Lankan government has reassured that they would respect the safe zones and minimize the effects of conflict on Tamil civilians," Mukherjee said. His discussions with Rajapaksa also envisioned a post-civil war Sri Lanka. "We will work together with the government of Sri Lanka to enable all Sri Lankans, and particularly the Tamil community who have borne the brunt of the effects of the conflict, to lead normal lives as soon as possible," Mukherjee said. But for now, the ICRC says hundreds of patients are in need of emergency treatment and evacuation to Vavuniya Hospital in the government-controlled area and has urged that humanitarian assistance be unhampered in the Vanni region. "When the dust settles, we may see countless victims and a terrible humanitarian situation, unless civilians are protected and international humanitarian law is respected in all circumstances," Maio said. "It's high time to take decisive action and stop further bloodshed because time is running out." Meanwhile, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has also called for the safety of civilians as humanitarian groups try to provide aid to people trapped in the region. "The secretary-general is deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of civilians caught in intensified fighting in the Vanni region of Sri Lanka," a spokesman for Ban said in a statement Monday. Ban called on the government and the separatist Tamil Tigers to respect "no-fire zones" and civilians areas, including schools, hospitals and humanitarian posts. He also asked both sides to allow civilians trapped in the fighting to move to "safe areas." Sri Lankan soldiers seized a key rebel stronghold in a surprise attack Sunday, even as humanitarian agencies feared for the safety of civilians. Watch a report on the recent fighting » . "It's an incredibly serious situation," James Elder, a U.N. spokesman, said Monday. "We have a very large number of people, including tens of thousands of children, trapped in a fast-shrinking conflict zone." Troops crossed a lagoon and entered the town of Mullaittivu before encountering heavy resistance from Tamil fighters, according to the government-run news agency. "Our troops fought their way through a 40 km (25 mile) thick jungle track," Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka said in a televised address Sunday. "This is the long-awaited victory and I am happy to say that our heroic forces today captured the Mullaittivu town after 12 years," the Sri Lanka Army chief said. There has been no confirmation from the rebels that the strategic garrison has been overtaken. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) -- commonly known as the Tamil Tigers -- have fought for an independent homeland for the country's ethnic Tamil minority since 1983. The civil war has left more than 70,000 people dead. The rebels gained control over Mullaittivu in 1996 and established a military garrison there, according to the government. In recent days, the military has said it has made significant progress in its campaign to recapture rebel strongholds. Earlier this month, troops regained control of the northern town of Elephant Pass, the point at which mainland Sri Lanka links to the northern Jaffna peninsula. It had been in rebel hands for more than nine years. The recapture enabled the government to use a highway linking the mainland to the peninsula to move troops and supplies. Previously, it was done by air and sea. "The area that the LTTE has dominated has shrank phenomenally," Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India, C.R Jayasinghe, told CNN. "They lost ... about 90 percent of what they had."

NEW: ICRC says hundreds of patients need emergency treatment and evacuation . NEW: Intensified conflict is preventing the ICRC from operating in the region . NEW: Indian foreign affairs minister meets with Sri Lankan President over the crisis . U.N. asks both sides to allow 250,000 trapped civilians to move to "safe areas"

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