Datasets:

abisee

/

cnn_dailymail

like 234

(AOL Autos) -- Have you ever heard of someone having their car "totaled"? While the word might conjure images of a massive car accident, replete with broken glass and the Jaws of Life, the reality is sometimes far removed. Ford's repair and safety engineers first began collaborating on the 2009 F-150 pick-up truck. In fact, there are many accidents that produce structural damage such that the vehicle's frame is bent, even though the exterior of the car might even look drivable. Typically these cars are "totaled," which might give buyers the peace of mind knowing they will get a replacement vehicle. But, overall this produces much higher insurance rates for all drivers. Car companies and insurers are working hard to try and reduce the cost of auto repairs and insurance premiums for consumers and some of the development is breathtaking in its innovation . This effort has already led to many new developments in the design of various auto parts and components -- which have indeed led to a reduction in repair costs for various auto parts, components and structures. And more advances are on the way: some carmakers have recently ramped up their operations in this area, which should result in greater cost savings in coming years. One recent development in this area is the Ford Motor Company's new $650,000 Paint and Body Technology Center in Inkster, Michigan, about 20 minutes from the company's Dearborn world headquarters. The new center was created by merging operations with the company's Safety Crash Test Analysis department. Other car companies have their own versions of this kind of operation, including Ford's crosstown rivals, General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC. The new Ford center represents an advancement over its previous paint and body tech operation in that it's larger, closer to the company's HQ, and now works more closely with design engineers and auto insurers -- and gets insurers involved earlier in the design process. AOL Autos: Cut your insurance in half . The goal is to identify potential repair issues and then use that info to refine designs -- which in turn helps cut the cost of repairs at dealerships and independent repair shops. Plus, this effort allows repair techs to more effectively restore the vehicles to their pre-accident condition. To that end, engineers gather data earlier in the vehicle development process so it can be then analyzed during crash and durability testing. AOL Autos: How to choose a repair shop . For Ford, the closer integration of these functions began when the carmaker's repair and safety engineers first began collaborating on the 2009 F-150 pick-up truck. During the vehicle's early development period, these engineers realized that new materials -- including ultra-high-strength steel and boron -- helped make the new truck safer, but also could make it more expensive to repair after a collision. AOL Autos: Minor damages, major repair costs . "The extensive use of advanced technologies and materials in the 2009 F-150 required us to develop new, specific procedures and repair recommendations," said Gerry Bonanni, Ford's collision repair senior engineer. So, Ford engineers designed and developed new front and rear-frame-section kits -- which means one single section of the frame can now be repaired / replaced after a crash, instead of having to replace the entire frame. "Partial-frame repairs cost at least $2,000 less than full-frame replacements," says Bonanni -- and will prevent some vehicles from being "totaled," which would have previously been the case under repair laws in some states. The success of the collaboration on the F-150 prompted the decision to open the new paint and body tech center. A more recent example was the work done on the 2010 Mustang. "Previously, we had no real procedure for sectioning off the rear-frame rails," says Bonanni. "But, by collaborating with repair technicians and the insurance companies, we developed a procedure, which we then documented for the repair techs in our dealers. "That allows them to repair just a short section of the rear-frame rails, instead of replacing the entire frame-rail system -- which also translates into lower repair costs, and lower insurance rates, for the owner." General Motors' Collision Repair Test Center has had also had recent success on this front, says Jim Doherty, GM's manager of the service-engineering team for aftersales body structures. "We coordinate with the product engineers, so as soon as a new vehicle starts development, about four years before it's introduced, we engage with their team," says Doherty. "Some of our people work on the structure, and some on the exterior, and we collaborate with the design engineers to work out whatever improvements might need to be made over the previous version of a component or assembly." AOL Autos: Best & worst auto designs . As with Ford, "the goal is to make sure that the vehicle has the most cost-effective repair strategy," adds Dave Bakos, GM's director of global after-sales mechanical engineering. "Our liaisons with people in the insurance industries are definitely useful -- they call us if they have concerns, and when we develop a new technology, we contact them to make sure they understand it." The development of lighter-weight steel for auto frames also presents challenges to GM's center. "They're very high-strength, but their repairability is more difficult when compared with the old cold-rolled steels -- so, that has forced us to come up with new welding, sectioning and attachment strategies as the vehicle is being designed and developed," says Doherty. AOL Autos: Take the guesswork out of buying a used car . Doherty and Bakos cite a couple of examples of how the Collision Repair Test Center -- and the collaboration between design and repair engineers and insurance companies -- have been parlayed into cost savings for car owners. Prior to the current model year, the cost of repairing the frame-rail assembly on a Pontiac Solstice included $936 for the part itself, plus 13 ½ hours worth of labor costs to install, says Doherty. But by working with design engineers and insurers, the Collision Repair Test Center was able to develop and create a "service-only" partial assembly. That means that, on the '09 Solstice, a collision technician can replace the damaged section of the front rail only, rather than the entire front rail section. The parts for the partial assembly cost far less and require just three and a half hours of labor to install," says Doherty. "Because of these changes, the total cost savings for this repair could be as high as $1,500." The current Saturn Aura presented a challenge / opportunity along the same lines. For the '09 Aura, GM engineers at the Collision Repair Test Center created "zone-specific" replacement parts. "Rather than replacing the entire body-side assembly as a single piece, engineers developed sectioning procedures for the front, center and rear quarter sections of the vehicle," explains Doherty. "This allows the technician multiple repair options when repairing the side of a damaged vehicle. Even though the cost of parts remained similar, labor cost savings created were substantial, ranging from about $600 to as high as $1,200." One current focus for these operations at Ford, GM and other carmakers relates to side-impact crashes. "We don't want every vehicle to have to end up in the salvage yard just because a side pillar is damaged," says Bakos. "So we're working on some combination of welding or welding and adhesives, or maybe mechanical fasteners, in order make those sections more repairable, so that the vehicle isn't totaled." New challenges continue to present themselves, says Ford's Bonanni. "New technologies are developing pretty rapidly," he says. "And each time a new one comes along, it's our job to develop new ways of repairing the various structures, components and parts that incorporate those new technologies -- and do it in a way that maintains the vehicle's after-crash structural integrity, and keeps costs down for the vehicle owner."

Companies and insurers sections cars to be crash (and repair) friendly . Many new developments exist in the design of auto parts and components . New materials -- including ultra-high-strength steel -- help make vehicles safer . New challenges continue to present themselves, says Ford expert .

1cd8e2f10e9257f81af250fe9d226896957cc625

(CNN) -- North Carolina State University women's basketball coach Kay Yow, who won more than 700 games in nearly four decades of coaching, died Saturday after a long struggle with breast cancer, the university said. North Carolina State University's Kay Yow, in 1996, was one of only six coaches to amass 700 wins. She was 66. Yow, who was in her 38th season as a coach, had amassed numerous awards, including inductions into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. In her 34 years on the sidelines for the Wolfpack, her teams won four Atlantic Coast Conference titles, averaged 20 wins a season, appeared in 20 of 27 NCAA tournaments and reached the Final Four in 1998. She was one of only six coaches in the women's game to win at least 700 games, the university said. She also coached the 1988 women's Olympic basketball team to a gold medal in Seoul, South Korea. Yow was beloved by her players, colleagues and fans, and in 2007, N.C. State christened the court in Raleigh's Reynolds Coliseum in her name. Since being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987, Yow had been active in efforts to raise awareness and money to battle the disease, which forced her to miss two games during the 2004-05 season and another 16 in the 2006-07 season, the university said. She helped establish the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund, which raised money for the cause. About three weeks ago, Yow announced that she was stepping away from coaching duties for the remainder of the 2008-09 season, after missing four straight games because of an extremely low energy level. "Stepping away from coaching is one of the hardest decisions I have had to make," Yow said January 6, according to N.C. State. "Even though I don't feel well enough to coach, I'm hopeful to feel well enough to attend some ACC games and show my support for the team as well as N.C. State University," she added. Yow was born in 1942 in Gibsonville, North Carolina, about 16 miles outside Greensboro. She began coaching at local high schools in 1964 before Elon University hired her. N.C. State hired her in 1975. "It has been an honor and a privilege to work with Coach Yow for the last 15 seasons. I suddenly find myself grasping to retain everything she has ever said and ever taught me," interim head coach Stephanie Glance said, according to the university. The team's game against Wake Forest University, which was scheduled for Monday, has been postponed until February 10 in Winston-Salem, the university said.

Women's basketball coach dies at 66 after struggle with breast cancer . Yow's North Carolina State teams won 4 ACC titles, reached Final Four . Yow coached the 1988 women's Olympic basketball team to a gold medal in Seoul . Yow helped establish the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund .

c32df40cd5c879d65224dbfe93871243881bbc1e

(CNN) -- New Yorkers feasted on the stories when the news broke in 2006: Brooke Astor, a socialite and megaphilanthropist with Alzheimer's, had allegedly been swindled of millions and mistreated by her own son. Brooke Astor and grandson Philip Marshall outside her New York country estate, Holly Hill, in 2001 or 2002. Anthony "Tony" Marshall, her only child, was indicted on criminal charges including grand larceny, possession of stolen property, forgery and conspiracy. Jury selection for the criminal trial was scheduled to begin Monday. But co-defendant Francis Morrissey's attorney filed an 11th-hour motion to sever his client's trial from Marshall's. The motion was denied late Friday, and a new trial date has been set for March 2. Morrissey, Marshall's former lawyer, faces charges including forgery and scheming to defraud. A lawyer representing Marshall, Fred Hafetz, would say only that there would be "no plea" and that he hopes his client will "be vindicated." Watch author Meryl Gordon discuss the case » . The trial is likely to resuscitate the tabloid feeding frenzy, which has fostered headlines such as "Bad heir day," "Mrs. Astor's disaster" and "DA's kick in the Astor." It's not the way those closest to Astor want to remember her. And the disclosures expected to spill forth from the witness stand aren't the type that Astor, who died in August 2007 at 105, would want shared in public. "She would have been mortified," said Vartan Gregorian, a longtime friend and president of the Carnegie Corporation of New York. "She was very private." Through her late husband's Vincent Astor Foundation, Astor was credited with giving New York, where the Astors made their fortune, about $200 million. And although she felt it was expected of her to be proper and elegant, Gregorian said, her wealth didn't define her. Talk of money, real estate and other people's misfortunes were off-limits at her dinner parties, he said. "She was not ostentatious. ... She was very funny, very witty and very caring." When a would-be robber accosted her, she foiled the holdup attempt with this response: " 'Excuse me. My name is Mrs. Astor. I don't think we've been properly introduced,' " Gregorian remembered with a laugh. For 23 years, Linda Gillies directed the Astor Foundation and witnessed her hands-on approach to doing good -- not just for her "crown jewels," which included the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the New York Public Library, but also for lower-profile programs. Astor was often quoted as saying, "Money is like manure; it's not worth a thing unless it's spread around." But for her, again, it wasn't just about the money. Betty Cooper Wallerstein, a community organizer who benefited from Astor's help in saving 2,500 low-income apartments on Manhattan's Upper East Side, described Astor as being equally comfortable mingling with tenants as she was in high society. She remembered attending Astor's 90th birthday party and being struck by the diversity of the crowd waiting to get inside. Around her were elected officials, the social elite, big names such as Henry Kissinger as well as Astor's staff members and activists such as herself. "She was as lovely to me as she was to the dignitaries who were there," Wallerstein said. "It was such a beautiful and democratic line." Many close friends and staff members would not speak to CNN, as they will be testifying in the trial or will be involved in a later suit to contest Astor's will, which her son is said to have changed. But those who did speak were quick to share memories they'll always hold dear. The tears came quickly when Carmine Fasciani, 73, remembered Astor. The one-time police detective sergeant, whom Astor always called Sergeant, said he handled security and later served as the full-time head of staff at Holly Hill, Astor's New York country estate. He was employed by her for three decades, up until he had a stroke eight years ago. But his status as employee hardly described their relationship. "She was my friend. She was a good lady," he said, his voice cracking and his words slightly slurred because of the stroke. "She said, 'I love you' ... and I loved her." He built the gazebo where Astor watched sunsets and brought her the pink roses she loved. She took him to see a house that she knew he'd fall for and helped secure a good price. When Astor lost part of a finger breaking up a dog fight, she called on Fasciani to fly in to be by her side. And two years after his stroke, he sought Astor's approval, which she gave with a wink and a nod, before marrying his wife, Marilyn, who helped speak for Fasciani by phone from Florida. But working for Astor had its distractions, said Alicia Johnson, who was head of staff at her Maine estate, Cove End, for about 12 years. "We had the Irish maid fighting with the French maid, the English butler fighting with the cook from Jamaica," Johnson said, laughing at the memories. "Mrs. Astor was a peach. The problem was everyone else." In Johnson's Maine closet, there are still items Astor insisted she take, including a dress Astor "hauled out" for her to wear when she announced that she was getting married in 2000. "It was a size two, and I was a size 12," she said. Employees stayed with Astor for years, until her son reportedly fired most all of them. But the loyalty of Steve Hamor and his two sons stands out. Hamor, 65, was her groundskeeper in Maine for 42 years. Hamor's son Scott, who with his brother also would grow up to work on the grounds, spent his childhood running around the estate as if it was his own playground. As a teen, he remembered "Mrs. A" beckoning him from mowing a lawn to say hello and introduce him to Barbara Walters. Astor wanted to send him and his brother to university. They refused. But when Scott found himself in his mid-20s, going through a divorce and with custody of two boys, he accepted her assistance -- and insistence -- in helping him settle into a new apartment. "She was always wanting to know how you were doing and what she could do for you," said Scott, 42, who now works on Maine property owned by David Rockefeller. Concern that not enough was being done for her is what drove Philip Marshall, defendant Tony Marshall's son, to file a petition for guardianship for his grandmother in 2006, alleging, in the words of his lawyer, "elder abuse" by his father. The intention was nothing more than to ensure that she was cared for, removing control by his father and transferring care to Astor's dear friend Annette de la Renta. Though he wouldn't discuss the details that prompted his actions -- "I won't survive this conversation if I do," he said -- the successful petition mentioned her sleeping in torn nightgowns on a urine-stained couch and eating bland leftovers. "To the rest of the world, she was Brooke Astor. To us, she was our grandmother," said Marshall, 55, who grew up in Vermont with his twin brother, Alec, and was not "of the New York world." The practicing Tibetan Buddhist, who is a professor of historic preservation at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island, never anticipated the findings that led to his father's indictment and said he merely wanted to "provide my grandmother with the care, comfort and dignity she deserved."

Criminal trial of late socialite Brooke Astor's son begins soon . Tony Marshall is accused of swindling millions while mom had Alzheimer's . Former staff members, friends and grandson remember who she was to them . Astor, New York legend whose foundation gave $200 million to city, died at 105 .

9186d65b482faadda065d0e401516702ff800c43

LONDON (CNN) -- Iran offered to stop attacking coalition troops in Iraq nearly four years ago in an attempt to get the West to accept Tehran's nuclear program, a British diplomat told the BBC in an interview aired Saturday. John Sawers, British ambassador to the U.N., told BBC of Iran approaching Western nations with offer. "The Iranians wanted to be able to strike a deal whereby they stopped killing our forces in Iraq in return for them being allowed to carry on with their nuclear program -- 'We stop killing you in Iraq, stop undermining the political process there, you allow us to carry on with our nuclear program without let or hindrance," said John Sawers, now the British ambassador to the United Nations, in the documentary, "Iran and the West: Nuclear Confrontation." The United States and other Western nations believe Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program, but Iran says it is developing nuclear capability to produce energy. Iran also has been accused of sponsoring terrorists and supplying weapons to Iraqi insurgents. The latter prompted a warning from the United States that such behavior by Tehran "would be regarded by us as enemy action," Philip Zelikow, a State Department counselor, told the BBC. Then, Iran began shopping its offer around Europe, Sawers said. Sawers, Britain's political director at the time, reveals the behind-the-scene talks from 2005 -- when roadside bombing against British and American soldiers in Iraq peaked -- were held with British, French and German diplomats at hotels in London, Paris and Berlin. "And then we'd compare notes among the three of us," Sawers told the BBC. The British government dismissed the offer and Iran's nuclear enrichment program restarted once again, the BBC reports . Iran has denied offering any such deal and reiterated its position Saturday. "Iran's high officials have repeatedly stated that Iran has not had any part in attacks against American and British forces, and there is no evidence to support these baseless accusations," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said, according to the semi-official Mehr News Agency. Interviews with top brass from former President Bush's administration and British envoys indicate that Iran and the West had neared agreements several times in the past few years, but never reached success. Nick Burns, who was in charge of the Bush administration's State Department policy with Iran, said taking a tough approach with Iran didn't seem effective. "We had advocated regime change," Burns told the BBC. "We had a very threatening posture towards Iran for a number of years. It didn't produce any movement whatsoever." The documentary aired a day after the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security released a report stating that Iranian scientists have reached "nuclear weapons breakout capability." The report analyzed the finding of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). However, an IAEA official who asked not to be named cautioned against drawing such dramatic conclusions from the data, saying Iran's stock of low-enriched uranium would have to be turned into highly enriched uranium (HEU) in order to be weapons-grade material. That hasn't been done, the official said. Meanwhile, Iran's relationship with the West continues to be strained, though both sides have indicated interest in holding direct talks. President Obama, in his first prime-time news conference held earlier this month, said the United States is looking for opportunities for "face-to-face" talks with Iran after an absence of diplomatic ties for nearly three decades. "There's been a lot of mistrust built up over the years, so it's not going to happen overnight," he said. And Iran's powerful parliament speaker and former nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, has called the Obama administration "an exceptional opportunity for Americans."

Iran approached diplomats with offer nearly four years ago, BBC told . Diplomat: Iran offered to stand down in Iraq if West would accept its nuke program . Iran denies involvement in fighting in Iraq, says allegations are "baseless" Despite strained relations, Obama administration has hinted at direct talks .

45f0a79c5f6213d8b8fb7ba700478834f51b811d

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani security forces say they have killed at least 16 militants overnight in the country's volatile tribal region. Pakistani security personnel patrol the Buner district. This appears to be separate from the hostilities in the military's week-long crackdown in northwestern Pakistan against a Taliban militant advance in the country's North West Frontier Province. However, this reflects the tensions in the region and could signal a spread of fighting resulting from the crackdown. The Pakistani offensive started in the province on Sunday and it came after Taliban militants moved into Buner district last week, a move that alarmed U.S. and Pakistani officials. In this latest incident, about 100 militants attacked a Frontier Corps checkpost in the Mohmand Agency, an area where militants hold great sway. Troops returned fire and killed the 16 militants, the military said. Mohmand is in the country's Federally Administered Tribal Areas that borders a volatile region in war-torn Afghanistan and Pakistan's North West Frontier Province. The military on Saturday released details about other incidents in the province that occurred over the last 24 hours. Troops conducted a successful operation against militants in the district, in the Ambela-Daggar area in the Buner district. They secured a key road and cleared roadside bombs, the military said. In the province's Upper Dir district, militants abducted and then released 10 troops and seized their weaponry and ammunition. And two civilians were wounded when militants lobbed hand grenades. In the province's Swat district, militants attacked a security forces checkpost on Khawazakhela Bridge and Sambat Ridge. In Langer, security forces and militants exchanged fire and forces found military uniforms that militants were using for terrorist activity. Three Afghan nationals were among five militants arrested while planting a roadside bomb. Earlier this year, Pakistan entered into an agreement with militants, allowing them to enforce Islamic, or sharia, in parts of Swat Valley in exchange for ceasing violence. The Swat Valley is a broader area that includes several provincial districts, including Chitral, Swat, Shangla, Malakand, Upper Dir, and Lower Dir. But Pakistani officials say the armed militants' advance into Buner district violated the agreement and briefly halted peace talks between both sides in North West Frontier Province. Representatives from Pakistan's government and the Taliban restarted their negotiations on Friday and were planning to have another session soon, a provincial spokesman said. The Pakistani government has been criticized for not cracking down on militants along its border with Afghanistan. As a result, the U.S. military has carried out airstrikes against militant targets in Pakistan, which have rankled relations between the two countries.

Pakistani security forces kill at least 16 militants in country's tribal region . Pakistani army has been waging a week-long crackdown on Taliban . 100 militants attacked a checkpost and Pakistani troops returned fire .

f6971288675e2d600d741b8290f09d0dcdb96ead

(CNN) -- Barcelona produced a dazzling display of attacking football to rout arch-rivals Real Madrid 6-2 in the Bernabeu and all but secure the Primera Liga title. Messi celebrates his second and Barcelona's fifth in the 6-2 rout at the Bernabeu. Two goals apiece from Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry, with defenders Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique also on target, signaled a humiliating defeat for Real who went into 'El Clasico' with renewed hope of retaining the Spanish title. But a mixture of inspired play and comical defending undermined Juande Ramos' men who had taken the lead as Gonzalo Higuain headed home after 14 minutes. Henry quickly equalized with a clinical finish after Messi's through ball beat the offside trap before an unmarked Puyol headed Barcelona ahead in the 20th minute from a Xavi free-kick. Messi then waltzed through the Real defense after Xavi had cleverly won the ball to put his side 3-1 ahead before the half-time. Sergio Ramos gave Madrid hope in the 56th minute as he headed home an Arjen Robben free-kick, but any hopes of a comeback were quickly dashed. Henry raced onto a through ball from the brilliant Xavi for the fourth before Messi made it five with an impudent finish to fox Iker Casillas in the Real goal for his 23rd goal in the league this season. The final humiliation saw Samuel Eto'o charge down the right to cross for Pique who twisted cleverly to beat Casillas for the sixth and his first-ever La Liga goal. It was Barcelona's 100th league goal of the season which has brought them 27 wins from 34 matches. Real fans headed rapidly for the exits as they tried to come to terms with the most goals ever scored by Barcelona in the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Their side trail by seven points with only four games remaining with a super-confident Barcelona now heading to the second leg of their Champions League semifinal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The first leg was goalless. Meanwhile, Sevilla took a giant stride towards the Champions League with a 2-0 win at rivals Villarreal in Saturday's late match. Luis Fabiano and Freddy Kanoute were on target as third-placed Sevilla moved four points clear of Valencia and five of Villarreal. In other matches, Numancia gave themselves a chance of staying up with a 2-0 win over Malaga to move off bottom spot, three points from safety.

Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry score two goals each in 6-2 Bernabeu victory . Success leaves Barcelona seven points clear at the top of the Spanish league . Sevilla consolidate third position after a 2-0 win at rivals Villarreal on Saturday .

5fef64784cbb059b15a5ea1110a7fa13452e4610

(CNN) -- A head-banging parrot who became a YouTube sensation has demonstrated that an ability to appreciate music and keep a rhythm is not unique to humans, scientists say. Alex, an African grey parrot, was one of 14 birds which displayed an ability to keep time with a tune. Snowball the cockatoo, who appears to bop his head, tap his claws and squawk enthusiastically to the Back Street Boys' "Everybody" is one of several birds apparently capable of dancing to a beat, according to two studies published in the latest edition of the journal Current Biology. In a study lead by Adena Schachner of Harvard University, researchers examined more than 1,000 YouTube videos of dancing animals and found 14 types of parrot species and one elephant genuinely capable of keeping time. The video of Snowball has been viewed more than two million times since it was posted in 2007. Another video of Snowball shows him dancing to Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust." Watch Snowball the dancing parrot » . Schachner analyzed the videos frame-by-frame, comparing the animals' movements with the speed of the music and the alignment of individual beats. The group also studied another bird, Alex, an African grey parrot, which had exhibited similar abilities to Snowball, nodding its head appreciatively to a series of drum tracks. "Our analyses showed that these birds' movements were more lined up with the musical beat than we'd expect by chance," says Schachner. "We found strong evidence that they were synchronizing with the beat, something that has not been seen before in other species." Aniruddh Patel of The Neurosciences Institute in San Diego, who led another study of Snowball's performance, said that the bird had demonstrated an ability to adjust the tempo of his dancing to stay synchronized to the beat. Scientists had previously thought that "moving to a musical beat might be a uniquely human ability because animals are not commonly seen moving rhythmically in the wild," Patel said. Schachner said there was no evidence to suggest that animals such as apes, dogs or cats could recognize music, despite their extensive experience of humans. That leads researchers to believe that an ability to process musical sounds may be linked to an ability to mimic sounds -- something that each of the parrots studied by researchers was able to do excellently, she said. Other "vocal-learning species" include dolphins, elephants, seals and walruses. "A natural question about these results is whether they generalize to other parrots, or more broadly, to other vocal-learning species," Schachner said. Researchers believe a possible link between vocal mimicry and an ability to hear music may explain the development of music in human societies. "The question of why music is found in every known human culture is a longstanding puzzle. Many argue that it is an adaptive behaviour that helped our species to evolve. But equally plausible is the possibility that it emerged as a by-product of other abilities -- such as vocal learning," music psychologist Lauren Stewart of Goldsmiths, University of London told CNN. "Parrots and humans both have the ability to imitate sounds that they hear, unlike our closer simian relatives. Once a species has the neural machinery in place for coupling the perception and production of vocal sounds, it may be only a small step to use the same circuits for synchronizing movements to a beat."

Scientists: Dancing parrots prove ability to recognize music not unique to humans . YouTube hit Snowball the cockatoo dances to Back Street Boys, Queen . Ability to keep time apparently linked to vocal mimicry, scientists believe . Other animals capable of mimicry include dolphins, elephants, seals, walruses .

63316028b7dc9c7995a9aafa2ff440f170576f32

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani armed forces have killed 80 militants since launching an assault on a region recently held by the Taliban, the military announced Sunday. Displaced people from Buner district flee the fighting. Three soldiers have been killed and eight wounded in the crackdown in the Buner district in the northwest of the country, the military statement said. The Pakistani offensive started in the province last Sunday, after Taliban militants moved into Buner, a move that alarmed U.S. and Pakistani officials. Pakistani security forces also killed at least 16 militants late Friday and early Saturday in the Mohmand district, in the country's volatile tribal region, the country's military said on Saturday. The incident appears to be separate from the hostilities in Buner. However, it reflects the tensions in the region and could signal a spread of fighting resulting from the crackdown. In the incident, about 100 militants attacked a Frontier Corps post in the Mohmand Agency, or district, an area where militants hold great sway. Troops returned fire and killed the 16 militants, the military said. Mohmand is in the country's Federally Administered Tribal Areas that border a volatile region in war-torn Afghanistan and Pakistan's North West Frontier Province. Earlier this year, Pakistan had entered into an agreement with militants, allowing them to enforce Islamic law, or sharia, in parts of Swat Valley in exchange for ceasing violence. The Swat Valley is a broader area that includes several provincial districts, including Chitral, Swat, Shangla, Malakand, Upper Dir, and Lower Dir. But Pakistani officials say the armed militants' advance into Buner district violated the agreement and briefly halted peace talks between the two sides in North West Frontier Province. Representatives from Pakistan's government and the Taliban restarted their negotiations on Friday and were planning to have another session soon, a provincial spokesman said. The Pakistani government has been criticized for not cracking down on militants along its border with Afghanistan. As a result, the U.S. military has carried out airstrikes against militant targets in Pakistan, which have rankled relations between the two countries.

Pakistani security forces kill at least 80 militants in country's tribal region . Pakistani army has been waging a week-long crackdown on Taliban . Three soldiers killed, eight wounded in crackdown in northwest of country .

600e2b091cf467ab57e7bdba2aeff89dbcf815c6

(CNN) -- When the highly anticipated movie "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" opened Friday in theaters, many fans had already seen it. The pirating and distribution of "Wolverine," starring Hugh Jackman, is being investigated by the FBI. The online leak of a pirated, unfinished version of the 20th Century Fox film a month ago sent federal authorities springing into action and stoked a heated conversation within the entertainment industry about digital piracy. Piracy of upcoming films is not new, but the theft of "Wolverine" is especially troubling for an industry concerned with a stalled economy and the financial bottom line. It's rare for high-quality copies of a big-budget blockbuster to appear on the Internet more than a month before the film's release, experts say. Within a week of "Wolverine's" March 31 leak, more than a million people had downloaded the movie, according to TorrentFreak, a blog devoted to the BitTorrent file-sharing protocol. Watch intrepid reporter look for answers » . "Unfortunately, the recent leak of the Fox film 'Wolverine' provided a stark backdrop to the impact that digital piracy has on the large investments that producers make in creating state-of-the-art films," said Rep. Howard Berman, chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, who oversaw a congressional hearing on piracy after the leak. "During our hearing in Los Angeles, director Steven Soderbergh said that in 2007, the entertainment industry generated a trade surplus of $13.6 billion," Berman added. "Imagine what those numbers would be if we could rein in piracy." Bootleg, or illegally copied, movies have long been a thorn to the film industry. In 2003, a version of Universal's "The Hulk" appeared on the Internet two weeks before the film opened. A New Jersey man pleaded guilty to the theft. And in 2005, a pirated print of "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith" was uploaded to the Web within hours of the movie's release. But where Hollywood's biggest headache used to be murky, muffled copies of films taken by someone who snuck a camcorder into a theater, today's pirates are getting more sophisticated and gaining access to better-quality goods. Greg Sandoval, who covers media and digital entertainment for CNET News, said that in the digital age, thieves can gain access to near-perfect advance copies of films on DVD that have greater potential to undermine a movie's box-office prospects. And even studios' attempts at safeguarding their products against piracy, such as by encoding DVDs with digital watermarks that allow authorities to trace individual copies, aren't enough, Sandoval said. He said tech-savvy thieves have figured out how to strip such watermarks from DVDs. "When you're talking about digital content ... it's impossible to lock it down completely" from theft, Sandoval said. "These hackers are very creative. Sometimes, they're one step ahead of the security experts." 20th Century Fox issued a statement vowing to prosecute the "Wolverine" thief "to the fullest extent of the law." The FBI is investigating, but as of Thursday, no arrests had been made. Darcy Antonellis, president of technical operations for Warner Bros. (which is owned by the parent company of CNN), said the growth of technology has aided the pirates. "Digital piracy has continued to increase with greater access to [files] and improved broadband services," said Antonellis, who helps oversee Warner Bros.' anti-piracy efforts. "As broadband services increase their capacity to support legitimate services, they also enable increased illegal file-sharing. Technologies have evolved to encumber such distribution but must compete with the strength of viral or super distribution of content." The bad guys aren't the only ones keeping up with the technology. Keith Bolcar, special agent in charge of the FBI's cyber division in Los Angeles, said agents and their partners as "doing everything we can to keep up with the learning curve of technology, hopefully just as fast as our criminal subjects." The FBI meets routinely with studio representatives to share intelligence, to discuss strategy and to detect and fix vulnerabilities in security measures, he said. "While I can't discuss investigative techniques, we employ a myriad of sophisticated methods to solve these crimes," said Bolcar, whose office is investigating the "Wolverine" leak. "Our investigators receive extensive training and are technologically savvy." Hollywood also faces the challenge of protecting digital files that pass through so many hands while in production and post-production. Antonellis said Warner Bros. works diligently to safeguard its properties. "Each project, for us, is unique, with its own unique set of challenges," she said. "Whether there are 50 or 500 people involved in the process, we try to focus on ownership/responsibility of our assets throughout the entire production through to distribution process." John Malcolm, director of worldwide anti-piracy operations for the Motion Picture Association of America, said digital piracy can take many forms, including peer-to-peer file sharing and streaming. Malcolm said the association is conducting a lot of outreach to universities and Internet service providers to help them address piracy that occurs over their systems. The issue is global, Malcolm said, as evidenced by pending litigation in France that would shut down Internet accounts of illegal downloaders. The association is in litigation against an Australian service provider, iiNet, to try to establish the legal parameters of its responsibility in policing its system, Malcolm said. "In some cases, we are making great progress with ISP, and in some cases, it's a little bit tougher going," Malcolm said. "After all, it's their broadband that's being eaten up, and it slows down their systems." Berman, D-California, said advances in technologies that enable filtering and other anti-theft tools will help curb piracy. So will creating more sites where viewers can legitimately access movies, shows and music, such as Hulu and the recently announced Vevo, a partnership between Universal Music and YouTube. "Given how pirated materials often damage computers with viruses, spyware and other problems, consumers will continue to embrace the innovative, legitimate sites that are becoming more and more available," Berman said. Malcolm agrees. He said there are more than 350 sites that legitimately distribute digital content. If a person is a true movie lover, they will want to respect the art, the artists and the countless people behind the scenes who make the magic happen, Malcolm said. "I hear periodically, 'Well, Tom Cruise has enough money' or 'Tom Hanks has enough money,' " Malcolm said. "I would say to movie lovers, stick around and watch all of the credits. When you see hundreds of names scrolling across the screen, those are the people whose talents contributed to making that movie, and they need to make a living." CNN.com's Brandon Griggs contributed to this story.

Pirated version of "Wolverine" distributed online weeks before movie's debut . Industry employs technology like digital watermarks to hinder thieves . Pending French legislation would shut down Internet accounts of downloaders . MPAA exec says fans should consider the livelihood of those who make films .

5afb10035dbf99fcada8a372adc4093219e16b52

(CNN) -- A snowstorm that could last up to 18 hours was on its way to southern New England, and Boston, Massachusetts, could be snowed under with up to 15 inches, the National Weather Service said Sunday afternoon. A snowstorm is threatening parts of the Northeast with as much as 15 inches of snowfall. Monday's commuters in the region could face a nightmare with blowing and drifting snow, freezing temperatures, gusty winds and periods of sleet. Flight delays and cancellations were likely, the weather service said. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino declared a snow emergency starting 10 p.m. Sunday in anticipation of the storm, CNN affiliate WCVB reported. Boston public schools will be canceled on Monday. At 2:15 a.m. Monday, light snow was starting to fall, WCVB reported. Winter storm warnings straddled Interstate 95 from Maine to the Carolinas, and they also were issued in parts of Georgia and Alabama. Delta Air Lines canceled 300 flights, most of them to or from Atlanta, because of snowy weather, spokesman Brian Kruse said Sunday. It was snowing in Atlanta, where Delta is based, and 2 to 4 inches was expected. David Spear, a spokesman for the Georgia Department of Transportation, expected traffic chaos. "People tend to get a little animated out here at the sight of snow," he told CNN. "Our concern is going to be -- as we move into the evening hours and the temperature drops -- that that slush becomes ice and then we have a real situation for our morning commute tomorrow." He said about 200 DOT trucks were deployed to help make roads safe for motorists. In northern Connecticut, southern New Hampshire and most of Rhode Island and Massachusetts, a winter storm warning was to be in effect from 9 p.m. Sunday to 5 p.m. Monday, the weather service said. Such a warning is issued when winter weather conditions are expected to make travel dangerous. As the storm continued its northward trek late Sunday, Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport in South Carolina was closed at 9 p.m. for snow removal from runways, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Farther north, Richmond International Airport in Virginia was closed at 10:45 p.m. for the same reason, the FAA said. Both airports were expected to reopen before midnight. The heaviest snow, up to 15 inches, was forecast for the heavily populated I-95 corridor between Boston, Massachusetts, and Providence, Rhode Island, northeast Connecticut and north into the Merrimack Valley in northeast Massachusetts, the weather service said. As much as 3 inches per hour could fall between 10 p.m. Sunday and 10 a.m. Monday. In Washington, Mayor Adrian Fenty declared a snow emergency Sunday afternoon, meaning any street designated as "snow emergency route" by signs would be cleared of any parked vehicles, towed if necessary, so snow plows could work unimpeded. Watch report on the storm system » . "It is important that our crews have access to the roads from curb-to-curb in order to plow the snow," said Fenty, whose city was expected to get up to 8 inches of accumulation Sunday night and early Monday with accumulations up to 10 inches by Monday night. "This is one of the first plow events we have had this season, and we want to ensure we are able to maintain clear and safe roadways as we move into Monday morning," Fenty said. Forecasters said as many as 14 inches of snow could pile up in Philadelphia and New York City, starting Sunday night. Lesser amounts of snow were reported as far south as Alabama, although Charlotte, North Carolina, could see up to 8 inches. Watch snowfall in Georgia » . In Memphis, Tennessee, CNN iReporter George Brown said Sunday that forecasters had predicted "Teflon snow," which wouldn't stick to the ground. But the snow that fell was much heavier, he said. iReport.com: Share photos of icy, snowy weather in your town . "We were getting an inch or more an hour," he said. "Some roads are impassable because the folks here aren't use to dealing with slick streets. Many cars are off the interstate, and hotels are packed," Brown said. Watch winter storm cause accidents » . Snow in Germantown, Tennessee, was more than 5 inches deep by Sunday afternoon, forecasters said. "I talked with our maintenance director, Bill Hazlerig, who tells me he hasn't seen snow like this in West Tennessee in many years," Julie Oaks from the Tennessee Department of Transportation told CNN. Watch the situation in Tennessee » . Tennessee called in 260 employees in the western portion of the state alone to salt and plow roadways through the night, she said. By Sunday afternoon, about 45 cars and semi-trailers had pulled over on the shoulder of Interstate 40, Oaks said. Watch the snow come down in Memphis » . Rebecca Horsley, an iReporter from Pelham, Alabama, near Birmingham, said snow began falling there Sunday at 6 a.m., interfering with her planned birthday celebration. "It looks like we may have to reschedule," she said. CNN's Sean Morris, Lee Garen and Chuck Johnston contributed to this report.

Winter storm warnings issued from New England south to Georgia, Alabama . Washington declares snow emergency, could get 10 inches by Monday night . Heavy snow could make for nightmarish Monday commute in parts of New England . Snow falls in South; Georgia-based Delta Airlines cancels 300 flights .

59f74a51c480a01910b43700eaa6a7e2f8e3f75e

(CNN) -- More than a week after the swine flu outbreak rattled the world, with cases of infected people popping up from Mexico to South Korea, the new virus strain has shown up in a herd of swine. Masked workers push food to a sealed-off hotel in Beijing where Mexican nationals are being quarantined. The catch, Canadian officials say, is that the animals may have caught the flu from a human. Canadian officials are quarantining pigs that tested positive for the virus -- scientifically known as 2009 H1N1 -- at an Alberta farm in what could be the first identified case of pigs infected during the recent outbreak. They said the pigs may have been infected by a Canadian farmer who recently returned from a trip to Mexico, the epicenter of the outbreak that has sickened more than 680 people. The farmer "may have exposed swine on the farm to an influenza virus," said Dr. Brian Evans of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. "We have determined that the virus H1N1, found in these pigs, is the virus which is being tracked in the human population," he added. Learn about the virus » . Evans and other officials said it is not uncommon for flu viruses to jump from humans to animals and that it does not pose a risk for consuming pork. The number of pigs infected was not disclosed. The infected farmer had flu-like symptoms and is recovering, Evans said. Meanwhile, as the number of confirmed swine flu cases reached 787 worldwide, the World Health Organization said Sunday it had started distributing 2.4 million doses of a common anti-viral drug to 72 nations. So far, 17 countries have confirmed cases of swine flu, the WHO said. Watch latest developments as swine flu sweeps world » . Dr. Michael J. Ryan, the WHO director of its global alert and response team, said the doses of the drug Tamiflu came from a stockpile that was donated by Swiss health-care giant Roche in 2005 and 2006. Roche said it was working with the WHO to prepare for the virus. The drug should be taken within 48 hours of experiencing symptoms, according to the drug's Web site. Mexico has the most confirmed swine flu cases, with 506 infected people and 16 deaths, the WHO said. Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos reported that the country has confirmed 421 cases and 19 deaths. Several other countries, including Canada and Italy, had confirmed additional cases that had not yet been added to the WHO's total. The United States has the second-highest number of confirmed cases, with 160 sickened and one death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the WHO. President Barack Obama spoke with Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Saturday afternoon to discuss both countries' "efforts to limit the spread of the 2009 H1N1 flu strain and the importance of close U.S.-Mexican cooperation," the White House said in a statement. Other than Mexico and the United States, the WHO confirmed cases in 14 other countries: Canada, with 70; the United Kingdom with 15; Spain with 13; Germany with six; New Zealand with four; Israel with three; France, with two; and Austria, China, South Korea, Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Costa Rica, each have one. See where cases have been confirmed » . Ryan said the WHO was still preparing for a pandemic. "At this point we have to expect that phase six will be reached," he said, referring to the organization's highest pandemic threat level. "We have to hope that it is not reached." And he noted that a pandemic describes "the geographic spread of the disease, not its severity." The latest developments come as parts of Asia discovered they were not immune to the spread of the virus. Hundreds of guests and staff were under quarantine in China after health officials determined that a hotel guest had contracted the H1N1 virus. Nearly 200 hotel guests and 100 staff members were ordered to stay in Metro Park Hotel in Hong Kong for seven days to stop the spread of the H1N1 virus, a government spokesman said. The quarantine was ordered after a 25-year-old Mexican man stayed in the hotel and became sick, according to the spokesman. It is the first confirmed case of the virus in Hong Kong, local medical officials said. South Korean officials on Saturday confirmed their first case -- a 51-year-old nun who recently traveled to Mexico for volunteer work.

Pigs in Canada may be first in recent outbreak to test positive for virus . One-third of 160 sick Americans visited Mexico or had contact with visitor . WHO reports 787 confirmed cases of H1N1 virus in 17 countries .

80030918e348618c2be5900c252b9a1b031fa558

KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Nepal's government ordered the country's army chief of staff fired Sunday, touching off street protests and a split in Nepal's Maoist-dominated ruling coalition. General Rookmangud Katawal gestures after inspecting the guard of honour in New Delhi on December 12, 2007. But Gen. Rookmangud Katawal has refused to accept his dismissal, and Nepalese President Ram Baran Yadav -- the constitutional commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces -- has told Katawal to remain in office, a presidential spokesman said. Nepal's Cabinet voted to dismiss Katawal after the military refused the government's order to stop recruiting about 3,000 new soldiers to fill vacant positions when it has yet to take in former Maoist rebels, as a 2006 peace deal required. The move prompted the Maoists' largest coalition partner to quit the government, the party's leader said. "Without consensus, the ongoing peace process will not reach its logical conclusion and the drafting of the new constitution will not be possible," said Ishwor Pokharel, general secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist). "The consensus that existed so far has come to standstill." Supporters of both sides in the dispute took to the streets for demonstrations Sunday. Despite sporadic clashes between the two factions, there were no serious injuries reported. The Maoists laid down their arms and won power in 2008 elections after an agreement that ended a decade-long insurgency. Under the deal, more than 19,000 former insurgents were to be integrated into the country's security forces. But two weeks ago, the government asked Katawal to explain why he went to the Supreme Court to challenge the government's refusal to extend the tenure of eight brigadier generals in March. Government spokesman Krishna Bahadur Mahara said Sunday that the government was not satisfied with Katawal's explanation and fired him -- three months before his scheduled retirement -- in a meeting that the Maoists' coalition partners boycotted. Pokharel said his party urged the Maoists not to fire Katawal without a consensus in the country's parliament. He said the Maoists, led by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, ignored that advice. "We do not like the way the Maoists' way of functioning," Pokharel said. The Maoists hold 238 of the 601 seats in parliament, while Pokharel's party has 109. The Maoists could continue to hold power with the support of smaller parties, but Pokharel said his party is working to form a new ruling coalition. The Cabinet named an interim army chief, but presidential spokesman Rajendra Dahal told CNN that 18 parties in Nepal's parliament asked Yadav to keep Katawal on the job. There was no immediate reaction from the government on the president's decision.

Nepal's government orders army chief of staff fired after recruitment issue . Military refused to stop recruiting soldiers while it hasn't accepted ex-Maoist rebels . Dismissal touches off street protests and a split in Maoist-dominated ruling coalition . Gen. Rookmangud Katawal has refused to accept his dismissal .

5ac5fb3ab6f87c9974952342919a51ac33a319ad

HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- In Hong Kong, where the alert level has been raised to "emergency" after reporting its first case of swine flu, authorities are trying to keep the H1N1 virus from spreading through the metropolis of 7 million people through quarantine, stepped-up border measures and surveillance. Quarantined guests and hotel employees wave through the glass of the main entrance of Hong Kong's Metro Park Hotel. The quarantine has extended beyond the single confirmed case, a 25-year-old Mexican man, to include more than 340 people. They include: two taxi drivers, two fellow taxi passengers, a local friend, 36 passengers within a three-row vicinity of the patient aboard a China Eastern flight from Shanghai to Hong Kong, and 300 guests and staff at the Metropark Hotel he checked into. All have been put on the antiviral drug, Tamiflu. Among the two cab drivers, one was suspected of taking the patient from the airport to the hotel, and another was believed to have taken him from the hotel to the hospital. Authorities are seeing another 40 to 50 guests whose names are on the hotel's guest list. Some of them left their luggage behind. "They are gambling with their health, jeopardizing public health safety," said Dr. York Chow, secretary for Food and Health, appealing to the guests to come forward. In addition to the Metropark Hotel in Wanchai district, the Lady Maclehose Holiday Village is being used as an isolation center during the one-week quarantines. The government has assured that people under quarantine will have their visas automatically extended, their hotel lodging fees waived and their onward journeys prepared. The Wanchai hotel is providing guests $200 worth of free overseas telephone calls daily. The isolation order, which went into effect Friday night, is to expire Friday at 8:30 p.m. (8:30 a.m. ET) -- the length of an incubation period for swine flu. The isolation order did not extend to the air crew or remaining passengers aboard the China Eastern flight. An airplane's air exchange rate is high compared to that in an office or hotel, explained Yuen Kwok-yung, chair of infectious diseases at the University of Hong Kong. "Risk is very low on a plane," he said. So far, there have been no further confirmed cases of swine flu, and no Hong Kong pigs have tested positive for the virus, Yuen said.

More than 340 people quarantined in Hong Kong following single case of H1N1 . Those isolated due to remain in quarantine until Friday . Confined persons include 36 travelers in three-row vicinity of sick man aboard flight .

6d92cde6834513d42f90fe446848a6a34b34cafe

(CNN) -- In 2004, a bullet ripped away Connie Culp's nose, cheeks and upper jaw. Metal fragments sprayed into her skull and stripped her face away, leaving nothing except for her eyes, her chin and forehead. Culp, an Ohio mother of two, lost the mid-portion of her face after a gunshot wound in September 2004. Without her nose, she could not smell. She breathed through a tracheostomy -- a surgical opening in her neck. Without lips, she could barely speak. But Tuesday, when Culp, 46, the first recipient of a face transplant in the United States, stepped in front of the cameras at a news conference, she was whole. In a soft voice, the Ohio mother of two repeatedly thanked the medical staff and the deceased donor whose nose, upper lip, cheekbones are now hers. "I want to focus on the donor family that allowed me to have this Christmas present," she told reporters gathered at the Cleveland Clinic, where her surgery took place. Watch Culp talk about the surgery » . In December, Culp underwent a 22-hour transplant surgery. Although the hospital announced the facial transplant at that time, the patient had remained anonymous until the news conference. During the surgery, tissue from a deceased donor's face was shaped and fitted into position. Multiple layers of tissue, bone, muscle and blood vessels, nerve grafts and each artery and vein were connected. Culp received a nose, lower eyelids and upper lips, as doctors filled in the missing components of her face. Culp could not yet move her facial muscles to form a smile, but she laughed. "Well, I got me my nose." she quipped. Two months after the surgery, Culp was discharged from the hospital and returned home. Before the surgery, Culp could not eat solid foods. She could not taste. "Connie can now enjoy her food," said Dr. Maria Siemionow, who led the transplant operation. "She eats hamburgers and enjoys her pizzas, she's drinking coffee from the cup." Her new face allows her to "blend with society." "As you can see we have now a healthy person and happy person," Siemionow said. "She has reduced dramatically her pain and also she's able to walk on the street without being called names." Since the operation, doctors say Culp's new face has developed more movement. The new facial nerves are growing slowly, about an inch a month. See before and after photos of Connie Culp » . "While Connie can do several things now that she was unable to do in the past, as time goes on more and more of the facial nerves will grow," said Dr. Frank Papay, chairman of the Dermatology and Plastic Surgery Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. "She will become more animated." For years, Culp lived "in tremendous pain, chronic pain, over the entire time," said Siemionow, director of plastic face transplant surgery research and head of microsurgery training at the hospital. Culp told a local television station in a 2008 interview that she had been shot in the face from just eight feet away in an attempted murder-suicide by her husband. In 2005, Culp came to the Cleveland Clinic for treatment. After 30 surgical procedures, none had restored her basic functions. "The last resort and the last option was to consider face transplantation," said Siemionow. Transplant recipients have to take immunosuppressing, anti-rejection drugs for the rest of their life. After the hospital's surgeons, ethical committee members, psychiatry and psychology specialists met with Culp, they decided "that Connie is the right patient," Siemionow said. Doctors involved in Culp's treatment said the surgery was not about aesthetics, but to restore Culp's basic abilities. "We are actually overwhelmed by how great she's doing functionally," Siemionow said. "And I'm re-emphasizing that this is all about functional outcome. Someone who couldn't breathe through the nose, who couldn't eat solid foods, didn't have a palate or not able to drink from a cup. ... So if she can do all these functions that are taken for granted on a daily basis, this is amazing." Although there is a risk Culp's body could still reject the transplant, the doctors said they have not seen such signs. Some critics say face transplants are unnecessary, because they are risky procedures involving a lifetime of immunosuppressants, that do not save a person's life, but improve an individual's appearance. Previous face transplants performed in Europe and Asia generated controversy. A Chinese man whose face was disfigured in a bear attack died of unknown causes two years after receiving the face transplant. The fact that Culp regained some of her basic functions highlights that "this is not cosmetic surgery in any sense of the word," said Dr. Eric Kodish, the professor and chairman of the Cleveland Clinic's Department of Bioethics. "We remain convinced about the ethical justification for the face transplant in this and potentially in other cases in the future." Ultimately, the face transplant affords an individual's "right to decide what kind of life they want to live." Many with facial disfigurements are called names, can't go out in public or wear masks to hide their face, said Siemionow. In Culp's case, it was a matter of restoring basic physical abilities. "If you can breathe through your nose in the spring in Cleveland, isn't that amazing?" said Siemionow. Culp will require a few more cosmetic procedures, for example to remove excess skin from her face. Culp read a statement and did not take questions. She told reporters in the news conference that she had been shot and said, "I don't want to go into it." Then she asked the public to have empathy for people with facial disfigurements. "When somebody don't look as pretty as you do, don't judge them," she said. "You don't know what might happen to you. Don't judge the people who don't look the same way as you do. You never know when it may be taken away from you."

An Ohio woman who suffered gunshot wound is first U.S. face transplant recipient . Connie Culp regained breathing and speaking ability after transplant . Doctors say she has shown major medical improvements .

b571e16f4abb7dd460642d277f0912fe5fec76a1

(Entertainment Weekly) -- It couldn't top its predecessors, but "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" still brought in quite a haul, grossing an estimated $87 million for the opening weekend of the summer movie season. Hugh Jackman stars as the title character in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." The Hugh Jackman pic brought in a strong $21,225 per-theater average in 4,099 movie houses, despite generating mixed reviews. The film fell $15 million short of 2006's "X-Men: The Last Stand" but it is still an enormous success for Jackman and director Gavin Hood. Matthew McConaughey's "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" generated an estimated $15.3 million for a second place bow. It's not a shabby opening but it is far less than McConaughey's previous romantic outings including last year's "Fool's Gold" ($21.6 million) or 2006's "Failure to Launch" ($24.2 million). (Perhaps women were too busy checking out all those hunky mutants this weekend?) The two new openers did help the industry maintain its year-over-year increase of 16 percent. Also aiding that statistic was Beyonce Knowles' "Obsessed." Dropping a not-surprising 57 percent for its second weekend in theaters, the thriller earned another $12.2 million to put its ten-day gross at a shockingly strong $47 million. And Zac Efron's "17 Again" showed surprising stamina, too, grossing an additional $6.3 million its third weekend for a total take of $48.4 million. The other new wide release for the weekend was the anemic 3-D animated sci-fi film "Battle for Terra." Opening on 1162 theaters, the Justin Long, Evan Rachel Wood-voiced feature proved to be little competition for the other 3-D movie in the marketplace. Dreamworks Animation's juggernaut "Monsters vs. Aliens" grossed another $5.8 million its sixth weekend for the fifth slot in the rankings, while newcomer "Terra" couldn't muster more than $1 million for a twelfth place in the box office derby. Summer has officially begun -- at least in Hollywood -- so expect a giant event film every weekend. Wolverine may have bowed mightily but with "Star Trek" hot on its heels next weekend, the Marvel superhero is going to need more than adamantium to maintain its box office lead. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . Copyright 2009 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.

"Wolverine" takes the top slot at the box office, earning an estimated $87 million . "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" took in an estimated $15.3 million for second place . Dreamworks Animation's "Monsters vs. Aliens" grossed another $5.8 million . Check out the rest of the top 10 movies at the box office this weekend .

e3f95cc1d5aa9d7c8c6dfa191c5e78cea273325c

(CNN) -- Fiat Group, fresh from an agreement to buy a piece of troubled automaker Chrysler, has plans to purchase GM Europe and spin off the recombined carmakers into a new company. Fiat's update of the Cinquecento. The company says its small car expertise can help GM Europe get back on track. If successful, the new company would become one of the largest car manufacturers in the world behind Toyota. The combined company would generate about $100 billion annually with sales of between 6 and 7 million cars a year. "Clearly they're trying to take advantage of the opportunity when a lot of stakeholders may be willing to accommodate them," said John Bonnell, an auto industry analyst with JD Power and Associates. "It may be their only opportunity to get to the kind of scale necessary to succeed in this market." In an interview with the Financial Times, Sergio Marchionne, chief executive officer of Fiat, detailed a plan to separate Fiat Auto core car divisions and join with Opel/Vauxhall, Saab and GM's other European operations. Last week, Fiat agreed to take an initial 20 percent of Chrysler as the U.S. manufacturer filed for bankruptcy protection. "It's an incredibly simple solution to a very thorny problem," Marchionne told the Financial Times. Marchionne hopes to have the deal finished by the end of this month, and list shares for the new company -- which may be called Fiat/Opel -- by the end of August. Fiat has only recently gotten itself back on track. In his five years at the helm of Fiat, Marchionne has helped turn around the troubled Italian automaker. Analysts say its small-car technology can help Chrysler, known for its minivans. In the past five years, Fiat has been able to regain market share in Europe with its economy fuel-saving cars as well as its luxury line, Alfa Romeo. Marchionne is scheduled to meet with German government officials Monday to discuss the plan. Opel is GM Europe's German unit. To secure the deal, Fiat is hoping to secure loans from the German government, raising concerns in Germany about helping to fund the Chrysler deal. The company plans to keep its plants operating in Germany, but will reduce workforce, which is likely to raise political concerns.

Fiat hopes to purchase GM Europe . The move comes a week after Fiat agreed to buy a stake in Chrysler . Fiat plans would create one of the world's largest car companies . The new company, Fiat/Opel, would generate $100 billion a year .

be2d996f2edd19327ce07e4991b9d9af4e8d35da

Editor's note: Dr. John Boyce, chief of the Infectious Diseases Section at the Hospital of Saint Raphael in New Haven, Connecticut, was lead author of the Centers for Disease Control's national hand hygiene guidelines for health-care workers and heads the Hand Hygiene Resource Center. Dr. John Boyce says hands contaminated with virus are often a pathway for people to develop flu. (CNN) -- The rapid spread of the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus (also known as swine flu) from Mexico to at least 19 other countries in less than 10 days is a cause of major concern. It emphasizes the need for the public to become familiar with how influenza is spread and which preventive measures they can use to reduce their chances of becoming infected. Although little information is available at this time, it appears that this influenza virus spreads from one person to another in the same way as other influenza viruses -- by "droplet spread." Respiratory droplets are generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes and expels droplets of fluid. Those droplets travel short distances (usually less than three feet) through the air and can be deposited on the mouth or in the nose of people or on surfaces. Those who develop influenza often shed large amounts of virus in their respiratory secretions for several days after they become ill. Experience with other viruses suggests that individuals with influenza can contaminate their hands when coughing, sneezing or blowing their noses. The virus can survive on the hands for at least one hour. If a person whose hands are heavily contaminated touches a surface such as a doorknob, table or computer keyboard, they can deposit the virus onto that surface, where it can survive for minutes to several hours. One study conducted with a regular seasonal strain of influenza virus found that the virus could survive on facial tissues for several minutes and for two to eight hours on stainless steel or plastic surfaces. If another person touches a contaminated surface with his hands when the virus is still alive and then touches his own mouth or nose, he may become infected. Infection might also occur when a person with influenza shakes hands with another person who subsequently touches their own mouth or nose with their fingers. Several studies have found that many people touch their noses or mouths several times an hour during the course of daily activities. So there are plenty of opportunities for people to inadvertently introduce a flu virus into their bodies if their hands become contaminated. As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that individuals perform hand hygiene -- also known as hand washing or decontamination -- frequently during influenza outbreaks. In addition to reducing the risk of developing influenza, hand hygiene can help protect people from becoming ill with several other respiratory viruses by eliminating these organisms from the hands. A recent study found that hand washing with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer were both highly effective in reducing a seasonal strain of influenza virus on the hands. This should also be true for the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. Either plain soap or antimicrobial soap will reduce the amount of virus on the hands. To ensure decontamination, be sure to wash your hands vigorously and keep both soap and water on your hands for at least 15 seconds. When sinks are not readily available, alcohol-based hand sanitizers are a convenient and effective way of eliminate the virus from hands. Use an amount of sanitizer at least the size of quarter or enough to keep your hands wet for at least 15 to 20 seconds while you're rubbing them together. The CDC also recommends that people should avoid touching their mouths, noses and eyes, since surfaces they touch may be contaminated when flu virus is present. People who develop influenza or other respiratory viral infections should also clean their hands after blowing their nose or after covering a cough with their hands. Since droplet spread is the most common way influenza is transmitted from person to person, the CDC also recommends avoiding close contact with individuals who are sick. If you do become ill with influenza, the CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others. Hand hygiene is an important tool in preventing infection from influenza viruses such as this recent strain and is an easy and effective way to prevent contracting infectious diseases in general. Take the time to educate yourself about proper hand hygiene to protect both yourself and your family. Note: Further information about the 2009 H1N1 influenza (swine flu) outbreak can be obtained by going to CDC's Web site. For general information about hand hygiene in health-care settings, go to this CDC site or this Hand Hygiene Resource Center site. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of John Boyce.

John Boyce: Hands contaminated with virus often spread the flu . He says viruses can survive for hours on various surfaces . Boyce: People need to wash hands with soap and water for at least 15 seconds . He says alcohol-based sanitizers can work in the absence of a sink .

6a02a9f234fa350ba154a7f80f7d8bfede7f950e

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Look at a Bratz doll. What do you see? Ask that of random shoppers and you might hear it's an empowering role model, a degrading caricature or a harmless piece of plastic. Many parents see Bratz dolls, left, as too racy for their children, and Barbie dolls as representing false ideals. Nine-year-old Ashley Gibbs of Cumming, Georgia, is a fan of the edgy dolls, so it came as an unpleasant surprise that they would soon leave store shelves. "Ever, ever, ever?" she asked her mother, Kathryn Adams, after Adams said stores weren't going to sell Bratz after the end of this year. But after a moment of reflection, Ashley seemed relieved. "Good [thing] I have lots." Ashley didn't know it, but Bratz are the target of allegations that their creator came up with the concept when he was working for Mattel, the maker of Bratz rival Barbie. Mattel sued Bratz manufacturer MGA Entertainment Inc., and last week a federal judge ordered MGA to cease making the dolls immediately and to stop selling them after the holiday shopping season ends. MGA said it intends to appeal the judge's order and Mattel said it remains open to "all viable options" as the matter moves through the courts. The judge's ruling came as a relief to some parents who see the popular dolls' clothes and makeup as too racy for their young daughters. It also eliminates heavy competition against Barbie -- a doll often seen as less provocative, but whose slender body also raises parents' eyebrows. "I'm happy to not see [Bratz]," said Kristi Cassell of Sandy Springs, Georgia. Her 5-year-old daughter, Emily, has amassed a collection of Barbies. Watch mothers and daughters weigh in on the Barbie-Bratz debate » . "Barbies come across more wholesome," Cassell said. Barbie has some "questionable" clothes, "but it seemed like all the Bratz dolls were on a darker side of Barbie," she said. Six-year-old Sierra Curry-Corcoran of Newport News, Virginia, also has a Barbie collection and no Bratz dolls. But not by choice. "I like Bratz better. They have more fancy clothes, and they look more cool," Sierra said. Her mother, Tasha Curry-Corcoran, strongly disagrees. "Bratz are trashy: They wear too much makeup. Their clothing is too short; their boots are too high. They look like prostitutes. That's why we don't have them in our house." Parents aren't the only ones who have taken aim at Bratz. A 2007 report by the American Psychological Association Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls called Bratz dolls' miniskirts, fishnet stockings and feather boas "sexualized" and argued that the dolls' "objectified sexuality ... is limiting for adolescent girls, and even more so for the very young girls who represent the market for these dolls." Researchers have criticized Barbie, too. The Mattel dolls represent a "distortedly thin body ideal," and girls experienced "heightened body dissatisfaction after exposure to Barbie doll images but not after exposure to ... neutral control images," according to a 2006 study out of the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom. Cassell acknowledged that Barbie bodies "are a little unrealistic." "But they've been around for generations. I grew up playing with Barbies, and I don't have any physical issues because I had Barbies. I think the adults make a bigger deal out of it than the kids," she said. Theresa Hawkesworth of South Africa believes Bratz dolls rather than Barbies are a more positive influence for her 12-year-old daughter, Emma. "Because their faces and their makeup are so extreme it's almost impossible that a young girl could look like that," Hawkesworth said. "Whereas [with] Barbie dolls, the young girls think that they need that beautiful hair and that beautiful body, and when they don't look like a Barbie they have that poor self-image." Over the years Emma has accumulated a dozen Bratz dolls, in addition to Bratz shirts, pajamas, posters, computer games and a rolling backpack. "It's too bad for other girls" that they're leaving the marketplace, Emma said. As a preteen, Emma feels too old for Barbies, although she still appreciates the style of Bratz. But she doesn't want to emulate that style. "It looks nice on the dolls, but I would prefer to just wear my own makeup," she said. Emma's mother said her daughter's interest in Bratz actually helps the girl maintain her innocence. The branded clothing is "more innocent, feminine and girly than a see-through or immodest top," Hawkesworth said. Ashley's mother had been hesitant to let Ashley or her other daughter, 6-year-old Kate Gibbs, play with Bratz, but she relented when they received them as gifts. Adams had been "definitely a little bit more of a Barbie fan," but, "I don't want them to buy into the mentality that they've got to look like a Bratz doll or a Barbie doll," she said. Ashley seems to be resisting the influence of the Bratz style. "They have lots of makeup and I don't want that much makeup," she said. "I like casual things, not the big pretty things." To which Adams later beamed, "Yes! Proud mom!" CNN's Sean O'Key contributed to this report.

Bratz dolls will leave the market at the end of the year, to tweens' dismay . Mattel sued Bratz, claiming Bratz dolls' creator came up with concept while at Mattel . Some parents prefer Barbies to Bratz because of Barbies' more wholesome image . Others feel Barbies present an unhealthy, unrealistic image .

34ee9b3de63d51b77c531f45c0662281cb3ba06f

(CNN) -- A Tampa judge denied bail Wednesday for a Florida man charged with first-degree murder in the death of a 3-month-old child, who authorities say was thrown out of a moving car. Police say infant Emanuel Murray died after his mother's ex-boyfriend threw him from a car on a Florida interstate. Richard Anthony McTear Jr., 21, was arrested Tuesday, hours after a confrontation at his former girlfriend's apartment in which he snatched the infant, Emanuel Wesley Murray, the Hillsborough County sheriff's office said. The child's body was found about 4 .am. Tuesday on the side of Interstate 275 in Tampa, Florida, by a local television photographer on his way to work. The photographer, WTVT's Jason Bird, said he stopped when he spotted something by the roadside . "It had to be a baby doll but it was too big to be a doll," Bird told CNN affiliate WFTS in Tampa. "I almost passed out, I started shaking," said Bird. A preliminary autopsy determined the child died of blunt trauma to the head, the county medical examiner's office said. Police were called to the apartment of McTear's former girlfriend about 3:15 a.m. Tuesday. The mother, Jasmine Bedwell, 17, told investigators that McTear had hit her several times and threatened "to kill the both of y'all," the sheriff's department said in a statement announcing the charges. McTear threw a car seat containing the child across the room during the fight, causing the boy to fall onto the apartment's concrete floor, investigators said. He then picked up the boy and drove off in his blue Chevrolet Impala, throwing the child out while on the interstate, the sheriff's department said. Video on CNN affiliate WFLA TV showed McTear being led out of a Tampa police squad car after his arrest. He ducked his head as TV cameras surrounded him on his walk into a police building. When asked by reporters if he had thrown the child out of the car window, McTear answered, "It's a dirty game. A dirty game." McTear is not related to the child, said sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter. McTear is facing additional charges of burglary with battery, felony battery, aggravated child abuse and kidnapping, the sheriff's department said.

Richard Anthony McTear Jr. threatened "to kill the both of y'all," baby's mother says . McTear, 21, threw child across room, then out of car, authorities say . A motorist found the baby boy on Interstate 275 in Tampa, Florida, around 4:30 a.m. McTear, who was not related to boy, faces charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping .

ca5b472fa3c00cae4cedeff9e5a296f3e420e725

(CNN) -- Didier Deschamps has been named to succeed Eric Gerets as coach at current French league leaders Marseille at the end of the season, the club announced on Tuesday. World Cup winning captain Didier Deschamps is returning to Marseille as coach at the end of the season. Gerets said last week that he would not be renewing his contract and Marseille decided that France's 1998 World Cup winning captain, Deschamps, was the outstanding candidate to replace him. Former Marseille captain Deschamps, who has signed a two-year contract, has been commentating on French television since leaving Italian giants Juventus where he was coach until the summer of 2007. The 40-year-old previously had a spell in charge at Monaco having ended his playing career in 2001. "Didier Deschamps will be OM coach next season," confirmed a statement on the Marseille Web site. Officials added: "Last Friday's meeting between the club president (Pape Diouf) and its principal shareholder (Robert Louis-Dreyfus) was able to confirm definitively this choice. "After Eric Gerets, the club could only fix their choice on a coach of the highest standard to continue the great work already accomplished and the club's development on the playing front. "Based on our criteria, the choice of Didier Deschamps, whose career as a player and a coach works largely in his favor, naturally won over." Deschamps led Marseille to a Champions League triumph in 1993 and had two spells at the club as a player, between 1989-1990 and 1991-1994. He also played for Nantes, Bordeaux, Juventus, Chelsea and Valencia in a top career and was also France captain when they won Euro 2000.

Didier Deschamps becomes new manager of Marseille at end of the season . French 1998 World Cup winning captain succeeds Eric Gerets on 2-year deal . Gerets said last week he would not be renewing contract with league leaders .

a4e97dfa53163d840d0ac6bffba522a068554526

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Michael Jackson may soon return to the stage, at least for a "special announcement." Pop star Michael Jackson has been the subject of recent rumors about his health and about a comeback. The pop star has scheduled a news conference Thursday at London's O2 arena, the same venue where Prince sold out 21 nights in 2007, according to London's Outside Organisation. Although the short statement announcing Jackson's news conference did not reveal any details, Britain's Sky News reported Wednesday that the 50-year-old King of Pop has agreed to a series of summer concerts at the O2. Rumors have circulated for years about a possible Jackson concert comeback, just as speculation has abounded about his physical and financial health. Jackson's reclusive lifestyle -- and a photo last year of him being pushed in a wheelchair -- created fertile ground for health rumors. When a London tabloid reported in December that Jackson was battling a potentially fatal disease that required a life-saving lung transplant, his publicist responded that he was "in fine health" and that the story was "a total fabrication." Jackson's financial troubles in the past year have included the near-foreclosure of his Neverland Ranch in California, which he later sold. Jackson has not lived at Neverland since June 2005, after a Santa Barbara County jury found him not guilty of child molestation charges.

Musician schedules news conference for Thursday at O2 arena . One news outlet says he will hold series of summer concerts . Jackson's physical and financial health have been subject of rumors .

8d11a8cd0116af7bf9039275e2158a676128b44b

(CNN) -- A Tampa judge denied bail Wednesday for a Florida man charged with first-degree murder in the death of a 3-month-old child, who authorities say was thrown out of a moving car. Police say infant Emanuel Murray died after his mother's ex-boyfriend threw him from a car on a Florida interstate. Richard Anthony McTear Jr., 21, was arrested Tuesday, hours after a confrontation at his former girlfriend's apartment in which he snatched the infant, Emanuel Wesley Murray, the Hillsborough County sheriff's office said. The child's body was found about 4 .am. Tuesday on the side of Interstate 275 in Tampa, Florida, by a local television photographer on his way to work. The photographer, WTVT's Jason Bird, said he stopped when he spotted something by the roadside . "It had to be a baby doll but it was too big to be a doll," Bird told CNN affiliate WFTS in Tampa. "I almost passed out, I started shaking," said Bird. A preliminary autopsy determined the child died of blunt trauma to the head, the county medical examiner's office said. Police were called to the apartment of McTear's former girlfriend about 3:15 a.m. Tuesday. The mother, Jasmine Bedwell, 17, told investigators that McTear had hit her several times and threatened "to kill the both of y'all," the sheriff's department said in a statement announcing the charges. McTear threw a car seat containing the child across the room during the fight, causing the boy to fall onto the apartment's concrete floor, investigators said. He then picked up the boy and drove off in his blue Chevrolet Impala, throwing the child out while on the interstate, the sheriff's department said. Video on CNN affiliate WFLA TV showed McTear being led out of a Tampa police squad car after his arrest. He ducked his head as TV cameras surrounded him on his walk into a police building. When asked by reporters if he had thrown the child out of the car window, McTear answered, "It's a dirty game. A dirty game." McTear is not related to the child, said sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter. McTear is facing additional charges of burglary with battery, felony battery, aggravated child abuse and kidnapping, the sheriff's department said.

Richard Anthony McTear Jr. threatened "to kill the both of y'all," baby's mother says . McTear, 21, threw child across room, then out of car, authorities say . A motorist found the baby boy on Interstate 275 in Tampa, Florida, around 4:30 a.m. McTear, who was not related to boy, faces charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping .

f6382a7bdd53ebfd54e771b7d014b1656f015395

(CNN) -- President Obama said Tuesday that the country already is "seeing shovels hit the ground" on the first infrastructure repair project funded through the Transportation Department's share of the $787 billion stimulus bill. Workers mark where repairs are needed on Maryland Route 650. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said, "The work begins today in Montgomery County, Maryland, where a work crew is starting on a project to resurface Maryland State Highway 650 -- a very busy road that has not been fully repaired in 17 years." The resurfacing contract is going to a Pennsylvania-based family-owned company, American Infrastructure, LaHood said. He said the project will support 60 jobs. "And that's how we're going to get the country back on its feet," LaHood added. Mark Compton, director of government affairs for American Infrastructure, said his company received $2.1 million in federal funds, by way of the Maryland State Highway Administration. The money will be used to repave and add safety features to a stretch of the highway. Compton said the cash infusion is the "catalyst" to create 60 jobs, including bringing back some laid-off employees. He said he hopes the workers can be retained beyond this six-month project. "We'll continue to bid, so the goal is to get more projects to keep those guys working, so they can roll off that project onto another," Compton said. CNNMoney: Stimulus funds hit the street . Obama and LaHood on Tuesday announced the release of $27 billion in funds from the stimulus package "to help states create a 21st-century infrastructure." The president said it is part of the "largest new investment in America's infrastructure since President Eisenhower built the Interstate Highway System." Obama said another 200 construction projects would be launched over the next few weeks, "fueling growth in an industry that's been hard hit by our economic crisis." Two weeks ago, Obama signed into law his stimulus plan, known as the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. The president has said the plan will create or save up to 3.5 million jobs over the next two years. Four-hundred thousand of those will be infrastructure jobs that include rebuilding roads, bridges and schools. LaHood has asked the nation's governors to certify projects and provide assurances that funds from the act will be spent for appropriate infrastructure projects. Obama said transportation projects would be stamped with a special emblem so people can see where their tax dollars are going. Obama said the investments in highways would create or save 150,000 jobs by the end of 2010. The number of jobs being created or saved in one year is more than the number of jobs the Big Three automakers have lost in manufacturing over the past three years, Obama said. By investing in roads "that should have been rebuilt long ago," Obama said, "we can save some 14,000 men and women who lose their lives each year due to bad roads and driving conditions." "Poor roads are a public hazard, and we have a responsibility to fix them," he said. Watch Obama explain how the roads will save lives » . Obama also announced Tuesday that the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve were launching the Consumer and Business Lending Initiative. When fully implemented, Obama said, the initiative "will generate up to a trillion dollars in new lending for the American people, and this will help unlock our frozen credit markets, which is absolutely essential for economic recovery." CNNMoney's Aaron Smith contributed to this report.

New highway resurfacing project in Maryland is expected to support 60 jobs . President Obama: Highway spending will create or save 150,000 jobs by end of 2010 . Another 200 construction projects to be launched in next few weeks . Investing in roads will save lives, Obama says .

fd9d50f2aa7cc1d57b8f21cf5f3d414106704777

LAHORE, Pakistan (CNN) -- It's hot and sweaty in a rat-infested room in Lahore's historic red light district, a neighborhood of narrow alleyways lined with brothels. A dancer does the "mujra," a traditional dance banned by a judge for being "vulgar," in Lahore, Pakistan. A barefoot, long-haired woman is gyrating and twirling on the carpet, to the beat of a four-man band whose drummer sweats profusely as he pounds out a furious rhythm. The dancer, who only gives her first name, Beenish, is performing a kind of Pakistani belly-dance called the mujra. Her harmonium player, a skinny bald man who squints through coke-bottle glasses, has been performing like this for the past 50 years. But he says the art form is dying out. "That spark, the way it was in the past, is no more," said Ghulam Sarwar. Last fall, a judge in Lahore's high court declared the mujra dance "vulgar" and banned it from being performed on stage. Some here say the government is cracking down on easy, "immoral" targets in an attempt to appease religious hard-liners like the Taliban. Islamist militants are believed to be responsible for a recent wave of bomb attacks in Lahore, targeting cinemas, theaters and cafes where young men and women fraternize together. "It is a gesture of good will to pacify the mullahs and the Taliban," said Samia Amjad, a lawmaker in the provincial assembly. Though she is a member of an opposition political party, she said she supported the crackdown on vulgarity. "I see it as an essential part of Islam." Dancers aren't the only targets of the court censors. In late March, the Lahore high court banned two female singers from recording new albums after ruling that they sang sexually explicit lyrics. "If the current circumstances persist in Pakistan," said Noora Lal, one of the banned singers, "then singing will die out in this country." Pakistan is a deeply conservative Muslim nation, where the punishment for blasphemy is the death sentence. But there is one person in Lahore who openly mocks the conservative establishment: painter and restaurant owner Iqbal Hussain. Though he said he has received multiple death threats from Islamist fundamentalists, Hussain continues to be Pakistan's most vocal defender of prostitutes. All of the models portrayed in his paintings are sex workers. "I portray them on canvas, portray them as human beings," Hussain said, "They feel pain. They want their children to be educated." Hussain knows the industry intimately. He was born to a family of sex workers. His mother, a former prostitute, passed away last month at the age of 98. The small, soft-spoken painter has turned the house he grew up in, an old four-story building with ornate wooden balconies, into a popular restaurant for tourists and wealthy Pakistanis. On one side of the house there is a brothel, on the other side, the 17th century Badshahi Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world. In his subversive paintings, which Hussain said sell for more than $10,000 each, he highlights the overlap between Lahore's sex industry and its religious community. In one canvas, hundreds of worshippers are depicted prostrating themselves around the mosque, while in the foreground, two women apply lipstick and makeup on a balcony. Hussain explained that the prostitutes in the painting were preparing to receive new customers as soon as the prayers in the mosque were over. Watch the dance being called "immoral" in Pakistan » . The painter claimed that on religious festivals, the brothels and dance halls in his neighborhood overflow with customers. "They come from the northern areas with their turbans," Iqbal said, laughing. "All coming to this area. They're not going to the mosque ... but to the brothels!" Nevertheless, the rising tide of the Taliban in northwestern Pakistan has some residents of Lahore's red light district worried. "May Allah keep us safe from them," said Beenish, the mujra dancer. "We are poor, humble people. They should not target this place." Photography by CNN's Farhad Shadravan.

In Lahore's red light district, Iqbal Hussain mocks Pakistan's religious establishment . "I portray [sex workers] on canvas, portray them as human beings," Hussain said. Painter has turned home into popular restaurant for tourists and wealthy Pakistanis . Rising tide of Taliban and threat of violence has some residents worried .

e704da94ac9af6df8ef9e275c568d26bf1f65e2b

(CNN) -- A federal agency is examining what caused the Dallas Cowboys' practice facility to collapse on Saturday, paralyzing a scout and injuring 11 others. An aerial view of the scene shows the Dallas Cowboys logo amid the ruins of the indoor practice facility. "We're trying to determine if there were any violations, or determine the cause," said Elizabeth Todd, spokeswoman for Region 6 of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA investigators will be interviewing witnesses and looking for identifiable hazards, she said. The procedure is routine and implies no wrongdoing, Todd said. OSHA has six months to finish its investigation. Meanwhile, the CEO of a company that makes similar buildings says he believes fewer people would have been injured if the Cowboys' facility had been supported by air rather than a metal frame. About 70 people -- including players, coaches, staff and media -- were inside the metal-framed structure for a rookie mini-camp practice when a line of heavy thunderstorms hit the dome. Video from the incident shows the lights swinging violently from the dome's ceiling seconds before the ceiling crashes to the ground. Players and coaches rushed to help those trapped. "It was as if someone took a stick pin and hit a balloon," said photographer Arnold Payne, who was shooting the practice for CNN affiliate WFAA-TV. Watch Payne describe being inside when structure collapsed » . Scouting assistant Rich Behm, 33, suffered a severed spinal cord and is paralyzed from the waist down, the team said. He underwent surgery Saturday. "Rich is a courageous member of our family and someone for whom we care deeply. We ask for all friends and fans of the Dallas Cowboys to join us in embracing him and his family with their thoughts and prayers at this very difficult time," team owner Jerry Jones said. Watch the roof collapse on players, coaches » . Special teams coach Joe DeCamillis fractured a cervical vertebra, and assistant trainer Greg Gaither had two broken bones in his leg, the team said. Gaither had successful surgery Saturday, and DeCamillis was scheduled to undergo surgery Monday, the team said. According to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth, "a microburst impacted the Valley Ranch area," where the Cowboys practice. A microburst is a "small, intense downdraft which results in a localized area of strong thunderstorm winds," the weather service said. Though winds near the ground were estimated near 70 mph, winds are generally more fierce farther from the ground, and microbursts can have winds in excess of 100 mph, the weather service said. "Therefore, it is quite possible that winds greater than 70 mph affected the upper portions of the damaged structures," the service said. The Cowboys' attorney, Levi McCathern II, was in meetings at Valley Ranch on Monday morning and could not be immediately reached. Elizabeth Criswell, a paralegal with his firm, said OSHA's involvement was standard procedure and that the Cowboys would issue a press release at a later time. Summit Structures of Allentown, Pennsylvania, and Cover-All Building Systems of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, which built the dome, referred all questions to a Boston, Massachusetts, public relations firm. The firm released a statement from Nathan Stobbe, Summit's president, who said he was in Texas working with officials to "assess this severe weather event." The statement quoted the National Weather Service description of a microburst. It further said the facility was constructed in 2003. A new roof was installed on the building during a 2008 upgrade, the statement said. "We understand there is a great deal of concern and curiosity about what happened on Saturday, but rather than speculate, we are focused on being part of the effort to find answers and assist the team," Stobbe's statement concluded. Mariellen Burns of Regan Communications in Boston did not immediately respond to a follow-up e-mail inquiring what wind speeds the building was engineered to sustain. At least three of Summit's competitors say their buildings can withstand winds of 140 mph or higher. Donato Fraioli, the CEO of Air Structures American Technologies Inc., said the air-supported structure his company built for the Miami Dolphins can withstand winds up to 140 mph. However, Fraioli said, several media outlets, including CNN, have been erroneously reporting that the Cowboys' structure was supported by air. The Cowboys' facility was supported by a metal frame, which is why so many people were hurt, he said. Fraioli, who has 47 years of experience in air- and metal-supported structures, said his company has built air-supported structures in some of the most troublesome climates in the nation, including facilities for the New York Giants, New York Jets, Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles. His company also has constructed metal-frame buildings -- generally for industrial applications and to accommodate aircraft -- and he has found that many football teams, both college and pro, are opting for air-supported structures because they are cheaper and safer. "The worst that could happen if it had a failure of any sort ... the fabric would fall over the interior players," he said, adding that repairing an air-supported structure generally entails patching and re-inflating it, as opposed to reconstructing a metal frame. Not only are the air-supported buildings safer in the event of a collapse, he said, but they're safer during practice as well. "There are no steel beams to run into or any aluminum frames to run into," he said. Metal frames also leave more room for construction and engineering error. "I just think you have that many more nuts and bolts and components that could easily be erected with error," he said. "Why have it, just for the reason of what happened in Dallas? Why take the risk?" CNN's Matt Smith contributed to this report.

NEW: Cowboys' attorney's office says OSHA involvement standard procedure . Facility's manufacturers point to weather reports of a "microburst" in statement . Competitor says there might have been fewer injuries in an air-supported dome . Special teams coach scheduled to undergo surgery for fractured spine Monday .

29dea367aadc966bfa9d3e59dbc24b1f35d386f6

HAVANA, Cuba (CNN) -- In a major shake-up the likes of which Cubans have not seen for decades, President Raul Castro on Monday reorganized his Cabinet, replacing longtime aides to his brother Fidel, who resigned from office a year ago, citing poor health. Cuban President Raul Castro is moving his own people into power, analysts say. Some analysts said the changes appear to be an attempt by Raul Castro to put his own supporters into positions of power. Among the changes: . Felipe Perez Roque, the 43-year-old foreign minister, was replaced by his deputy, Bruno Rodriguez Aprilla. Carlos Lage Davila, an economist, lost his job as Cabinet secretary, but no mention was made of removing him from his other post as vice president of the Council of State. Lage, who helped guide the nation through its "special period" of dire economic times in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the loss of billions in subsidies, was replaced by Brig. Gen. Jose Amado Ricardo Guerra; Raul Castro is also commander in chief of the armed forces. "It looks like Raul putting some of his own people in," said Wayne Smith, director of the Cuba program at the Center for International Policy in Washington, who led the U.S. Interests Section in Havana during the Carter administration. Smith noted that Cuba's government underwent "quite a few shake-ups after the revolution first came in" in 1959, but said Monday's move "is the biggest shake-up that I've seen in a very long time ... for the last 30 or 40 years." "This is obviously a major move," concurred Vicki Huddleston, who led the Interests Section during the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and is a visiting scholar at the Brookings Institution in Washington. "[There is] nothing like this that I can recall since the late 1960s." She noted that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez met with both Castro brothers during a visit late in February to Havana, on what Granma described as a "work visit," and speculated that Raul Castro may have asked him then to buy in on the changes. "They really need Chavez to be on board, because without the subsidized oil from Venezuela, they're dead," Huddleston said. With the Cuban economy hamstrung by the world economy, Raul Castro may have decided it is time for him to make reforms of his own without worrying about second-guessing by his brother or his brother's allies, she said. Huddleston speculated that the changes could portend the government once again allowing private enterprise to flourish in Cuba. Communist leader Fidel Castro experimented with that during the 1990s, but pulled back. "It represents a significant step by Raul Castro to gain autonomy and, essentially, distance himself from Fidel's old gang," said Larry Birns, director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs. "In other words, he feels confident enough that he has an independent base of power." He said Raul Castro's moves to date have proven popular not only with his party members, but also with the general population. Still, Raul Castro should not take that support for granted, Birns said. "It may be that, if he makes too many moves, the party will feel that their privileges are being taken away, and that will make them unhappy." Otto Reich, who served as assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs during the George W. Bush administration, said he was withholding judgment. "It's a little early to tell what this really means," he said. "Some people are saying the Fidelistas are being replaced by the Raulistas. But the other side is: Are we talking about rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic?" The state-run newspaper Granma published an official notice from the State Council that said the changes were intended to form a structure that is "more compact and functional, with fewer organisms of the central administration of the state and a better distribution of the functions that they carry out." CNN's Morgan Neill and Shasta Darlington in Havana, Tom Watkins and Arthur Brice contributed to this story.

Several longtime aides to Fidel Castro are replaced . Foreign minister and Cabinet secretary move aside . Analyst says it's the biggest shake-up in 30 or 40 years .

f1e8ec9c8b4791d2a58ad0fbf0524118c102a8ea

(CNN) -- The intrusive voices popped into William "Bill" Garrett's head. "They're coming for you," the voices told the 18-year-old. "Find somewhere to hide; they're going to get you." In the left shows William "Bill" Garrett in high school, and the right is a 2007 photo of the Maryland teenager. They told the Johns Hopkins University freshman that his father had poisoned the family dog, his sister had injected crystal methamphetamine into his pet lizard and his grandmother had put human body parts into his food. As schizophrenia took hold, the Maryland teenager became lost within his own mind and had to leave college after winning a full, four-year scholarship. Garrett's experience echoes the teenage years of Nathaniel Ayers, a promising string bass player whose musical training at the Juilliard School was cut short by schizophrenia, a brain disorder that blurs a person's ability to distinguish between reality and delusions. Ayers became homeless and played Beethoven pieces on a broken violin in the streets of Los Angeles, California. His struggles with schizophrenia and his friendship with a Los Angeles Times columnist inspired the movie "The Soloist," which releases Friday. His sister, Jennifer Ayers-Moore, hopes the movie will raise awareness about schizophrenia and has established the Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Foundation for the artistically gifted mentally ill. "I know there are thousands of Nathaniels, and they deserve a chance, too," said Ayers-Moore, an Atlanta-based social worker. Teen interrupted . Schizophrenia is the result of disrupted brain development. Males typically get symptoms during their teens or early 20s, as Ayers and Garrett did. "It's a critical time for the brain," said Dr. Jon McClellan, the medical director of the Child Study and Treatment Center at Seattle Children's Hospital. "It's the CEO part of the brain that pays attention, makes decisions and filters. The prefrontal cortex, that's the last area of the brain to develop. As that area comes online, that's when the illness presents." In high school, Garrett won elected offices in student government and headed the lacrosse and cross country teams. A gifted student, he wanted to study political science and biology at Hopkins. At home, he cooked family dinners, helped his little sister with homework, and surprised his mother with pancakes on her birthday. "People likened him to the perfect child before he got sick," said his mother, Kristan Kanyuch. In 2007, the unusual behaviors started. He slept a lot. He emptied an entire can of bug spray in his bedroom. When he came home for a weekend from college, he pointed to a blister on his hand that had formed from playing lacrosse. "Look, I have gangrene," he said. "My hand is going to rot." Then he tried to cut off his hand with a paring knife. His family stopped him and took him to an emergency room for a psych evaluation, but Garrett refused to wait and left. A week later, Kanyuch got a call from the university. Her son was failing every class. When confronted, Garrett looked at the F's and calmly replied, "I'm not failing anything." In the 1970s, Ayers-Moore saw the symptoms when her family picked her brother up from Juilliard to head home to Cleveland, Ohio, for summer. "The look in his eye was so different," she said. "It was like you could see into his soul, he could look into yours. It sort of startled me a little bit. I didn't know what to say to him. On the way from New York, I pretended I was asleep. I didn't know what to say." Paranoid schizophrenia . About three decades later, Nickole Kanyuch, 15, watched a similar scenario unfold as her brother, Garrett, struggled with paranoid schizophrenia and obsessive compulsive disorder. "I watched the big brother who I had looked up to all my life fall apart and become someone entirely new," she said. "The boy who was destined for greatness, who worked long and hard for 12 years to lead a successful life, was destroyed in a mere six months." Garrett, who had once organized his 600 books by the Dewey Decimal system, could hardly read two sentences. The voices in his head drowned out the words on the page, he told his mother. Garrett, who color coordinated the clothes inside his closet, could no longer groom himself or shower. The voices told him the shampoo and soap were poisoned. Kristan Kanyuch quit her financial planning job to take care of him. Despite taking medicine, Garrett's health fluctuated. One day he was fine; the next, he threatened to kill the neighbors. Frustrated and facing mounting debt, Kanyuch sought help. She joined a mental health support group. At one session, she was told to follow simple instructions from a counselor. Meanwhile, 10 people who stood around her talked at once. While the chorus of voices drowned out the instructions, she realized this was how her son lived every day. That night, Kanyuch hugged her son. "You have to be the most courageous person. You wake up every day," she told him. "That's when he explained to me the reason he sleeps," Kanyuch said. "He doesn't hear the voices. He doesn't hear them telling him he's fat, stupid, there's a conspiracy. It's a break for him to sleep." Although no one knows where these voices originated, they could be triggered by wiring problems in the brain, said McClellan, who researches adolescent psychiatry. One theory is schizophrenia causes difficulty distinguishing thoughts from their outside experiences, "so they experience internal thoughts and perceptions as voices," he said. Recovery . Garrett has been a subject in two research programs searching for better schizophrenia treatments. His condition fluctuated, and, for months, he was on suicide watch. Schizophrenia is a difficult disorder to treat, because one medication that soothes one patient can make another psychotic. "Medication or dosages can't be matched absolutely with the individual, so there is some of that trial and error," said Dr. Thomas Bornemann, director of the Carter Center's Mental Health Program. Garrett tried many drugs. Some made him drowsy, others volatile and one drug made him gain 75 pounds. Severe side effects often cause patients to stop taking medication. For now, doctors seem to have found one that helps Garrett. Since March, Garrett has been at a Maryland research center that looks into the relationship between metabolism, tobacco and schizophrenia. After a violent visit in August, Garrett, 21, had not been home until Easter. During the recent visit, he played basketball, Yahtzee and Wii bowling with his family. "He was able to carry on a conversation and play card games," Kanyuch said. "He was interacting." At home, surrounded by reminders all his past achievements, Garrett said: "Mom, I was on the top of the world. Now I'm in the gutter." His mother disagreed: "Look at it as an opportunity." "What?" he said. "It's not an opportunity everyone would jump at," she told Garrett. "But as you rehabilitate, as you grow an insight into your illness, there may be things you deal with forever. But you've had significant experiences that you may be able to use to help other people. There's no place where insight and advocacy [for mental health] is needed more than in politics, which is what you wanted to do." A life with schizophrenia won't be easy, but some with the disorder have graduated from college, earned doctorates and lead enriched lives, she told Garrett. "He doesn't understand the courage he has."

Schizophrenia disrupts Maryland teenager's life, forces him to leave college . Teen's story echoes experience of Nathaniel Ayers, subject of film, "The Soloist" Family struggles to learn how to best help teenager deal with mental illness .

62878f99854de7dd63d23266d4aa80e485ab227f

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Tim Russert's personal physician says medics tried to save the NBC anchor shortly after he collapsed at work. Dr. Michael Newman said medics tried to revive Tim Russert several times before he died. Dr. Michael Newman told CNN's Larry King that a defibrillator, a heart-shocking device, was used to try to save Russert. "A resuscitation was begun almost immediately," he said. Russert, a mainstay of television journalism's political talk as the host of "Meet the Press," died of a heart attack after collapsing at NBC's Washington bureau Friday. He was 58. Newman appeared on "Larry King Live" on Monday, along with Dr. Mehmet Oz, a cardiac thoracic surgeon, and Dr. P.K. Shah, King's heart doctor. Watch Russert's son greet guests at wake » . Newman described Russert as a model patient: "He complied with almost everything that was asked of him." The following is an edited version of the show's transcript: . Newman: Tim had a cardiac arrest. It was related to an acute -- presumably acute dissection, rupturing plaque that's causing a blockage of a coronary artery. He had a heart attack -- a fatal arrhythmia. Watch panel discuss if Russert's death was preventable » . King: Did we know he had heart disease? Newman: Tim was known to have coronary artery disease, and it was being treated with respect to management of his risk factors. King: Was he on medication? Did he exercise? Did he watch what he ate? Newman: Tim was on medication. I'd like to say, I'm glad you mentioned exercise and watching what we eat. The foundation of management of heart disease and every medical condition, really, starts with lifestyle modification. You know, a healthy lifestyle, and you'll have good health, and you'll certainly have a healthy heart. ... Tim appreciated that. Yes, he exercised. He was on his Aerodyne bicycle. See a timeline of Russert's career » . King: Dr. Oz, from what Dr. Newman said, could it have been prevented? Oz: You can never tell for sure. And the reality is a big wake-up call. And it's the question that Tim Russert would be asking right now: What are the odds that I could have done something different myself? Let's examine it for a second. Of the 450,000 people a year who die of heart attacks in this country, probably half of them never knew they were at risk of a heart attack. It's because the heart doesn't really have pain fibers. In fact, the only reason you ever feel any pain when you're having a heart attack is because the nerves in the heart cross other nerves -- from your chin, your arm or from the chest and the spinal column. And they short-circuit each other out. And that creates this referred pain that in cardiology and cardiosurgery we recognize to be angina. The other reality -- and this is a big wake-up call for a lot of Americans, as well -- is that a lot of the plaques that we have are not flow limiting. And by that I mean they don't cause a limitation on the amount of blood that courses through the veins that go to our heart. ... King: Dr. Shah has brought along a defibrillator. Right? Dr. Newman, it was not used, is that correct? Newman: That's not correct. King: OK, it was used. Newman: NBC had a defibrillator. A resuscitation was begun almost immediately. NBC had an EAD [external automated defibrillator] on site, and they were preparing to use it. At the same moment, the DC EMS, emergency medical squad, arrived, and they immediately defibrillated Tim. He had no heart rhythm. They defibrillated him. His heart was beating then in a ventricular -- fine ventricular fib, and then it deteriorated. They shocked him again. Actually, he was defibrillated three times before his arrival at Sibley Memorial Hospital. Remembering Tim Russert » . King: Why do you think it didn't work in the Russert case? Shah: There are several possibilities. The longer the delay between the time collapse occurs and you begin defibrillation, the less the success of defibrillation. That's number one. Number two, if you're a very big-sized individual and have a large heart, the larger the heart, the harder it is to get a successful defibrillation. The bigger the heart, the more likely you are to go back into fibrillation. King: Dr. Newman, was Tim Russert a good patient? Newman: Tim was a great patient. Tim Russert as a patient was the Tim Russert that we all know. He complied with almost everything that was asked of him. He was well-informed, asked good questions. Tim was a good patient. Are there things all of us as patients could be better at? Sure. But Tim was a good patient. King: Do you ever think, Dr. Newman, in retrospect, I could have done more? Should have done more? Newman: You know, as physicians, we always hope that we can change people's lives, that we can make them feel better, live longer, that we can intervene, and that's what our role is. Unfortunately, in many instances, our hopes are not fulfilled. Absolutely, I wish Tim was alive and with us today. ... And ... patients die of heart disease or cancer; we all struggle with the fact there are limits to what we can do.

Tim Russert's doctor says he was a model patient . Doctor: Russert was on heart medication and exercised . Doctor says medics used a defibrillator three times before Russert got to hospital .

436c70bff8bbbafe76b09fd773a853c465653171

(CNN) -- Pig farmers threw rocks at police officers in Cairo, Egypt, on Sunday as health workers gathered the farmers' herds for slaughter in what the government says is a precaution against the spread of swine flu, an interior ministry official told CNN. The Egyptian government required all pigs in the country be killed, citing a need to prevent the spread of swine flu. Brig. Gen. Hani Abdel-Latif said 50 to 60 protesters gathered in Cairo's Manshiyet Naser slum because they were upset with the health ministry's decision to slaughter all pigs in the country. But local media reported the number of farmers clashing with police on Sunday was in the hundreds. Experts have criticized the Egyptian government's move, announced last week, to slaughter all pigs regardless of whether they are infected. There have been no confirmed cases of the virus in Egypt. And according to the U.S.-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, humans cannot get the swine flu virus, known to scientists as the H1N1 virus, by eating pork. The CDC says human infection from pigs most likely occurs when people are in close proximity to sick animals, such as in pig barns. But Egyptian officials cite how avian flu still exists in the country because, they say, the government did not take sufficient protective measures when that disease was first discovered there in 2006. Most Egyptian pig farmers are Coptic Christians, a group that makes up about 10 percent of the 80 million people in the mostly Muslim nation. Coptic Christians do not observe the Muslim ban on eating pork, and historically they have coexisted peacefully with the Muslim majority in Egypt. The farmers also work in the garbage industry and use their daily collections to feed their herds, which number about 300,000 animals in the country. With the government-mandated slaughter under way, Egypt's Health Ministry declared Saturday that "Egypt is free of the swine flu." Dr. Hamid Samaha, head of the country's Public Institute for Veterinary Services, said that starting Sunday the government will compensate pig farmers by paying as much as $45 for a disease-free pig and about $5 for diseased ones. The health ministry told CNN its workers are freezing all the disease-free meat and plan to give it back to its owners once the ban on pigs is lifted. But according to Egypt's state-run al-Akhbar newspaper, ministry sources said the country does not have enough facilities to store the frozen meat. Ministry spokesman Dr. Abdel-Rahman Shaheen said the government will open two new slaughterhouses in two provinces near Cairo, al-Alioubiya and al-Giza. Shaheen also announced Saturday that the ministry has enlisted 100 additional doctors and nurses to help in health quarantines at Cairo Airport, where travelers are being questioned if they have been to Mexico recently. And more are expected to be hired to help at Alexandra's main seaport, where the government declared a state of emergency last week. CNN's Housam Ahmed in Cairo contributed to this report.

Farmers in Cairo clash with police as health officials take pigs to slaughter . Egypt mandated slaughter of pigs in country over news of swine flu . There have been no confirmed cases of swine flu in Egypt .

281369bc9df044394a50665f2fb441a5d977b87c

KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Nepal's prime minister said Monday he will resign to save what he called the country's "infant democracy." Pushpa Kamal Dahal cited a serious political crisis caused by the president's "unconstitutional" order. It is the latest fallout over the status of Nepal's army chief, Gen. Rookmangud Katawal. The Maoist government sacked Katawal on Sunday. Hours later, President Ram Baran Yadav reinstated him. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, commonly known as Prachanda, resigned on Monday, citing a serious political crisis caused by the president's "unconstitutional" order. "The dual powers that have been unconstitutionally established in the country must end under any circumstance," Prachanda said in a televised address announcing he would resign from the country's Cabinet. Prachanda is the leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), which had been the largest party in Nepal's coalition government until it recently withdrew. The former guerilla leader headed a decade-long bloody Maoist insurgency to abolish the country's monarchy before being sworn in as prime minister in August. In his address on Monday, Prachanda blamed certain political parties and "power centers" for "striking at our democracy, constitution and the peace process by putting the president in the forefront of the controversy over the chief of army staff." "This has raised concerns over our infant democracy and the peace process," he said. "I appeal to the people, civil society and political powers to be committed to the struggle for establishing a democratic Nepal." Nepal's interim constitution gives the president powers as supreme commander of the army and guardian of the constitution. Yadav's spokesman said the president had the support of 18 parties in parliament when he reinstated the army chief. The decision to fire Katawal touched off protests. Supporters of both sides in the dispute took to the streets on Sunday. Despite sporadic clashes between the two factions, there were no serious injuries reported. The Cabinet voted to dismiss Katawal after the military refused the government's order to stop recruiting about 3,000 new soldiers to fill vacant positions when it has yet to take in former Maoist rebels, as a 2006 peace deal required. The Maoists laid down their arms and won power in 2008 elections after an agreement that ended a decade-long insurgency. Under the deal, more than 19,000 former insurgents were to be integrated into the country's security forces. Journalist Manesh Shrestha contributed to this report.

Government calls president's order to keep army chief in office "unconstitutional" Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal resigns over order . Maoist government ordered army chief of staff to be fired after recruitment issue . Military refused to stop recruiting soldiers while it hasn't accepted ex-Maoist rebels .

618ded2d44da31c66fe8279542a526c0b916bbda

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's chief medical correspondent, withdrew his name from consideration as surgeon general of the United States on Thursday. He spoke to CNN's Larry King about the decision and President Obama's health care plans. Here is an edited transcript: . Dr. Sanjay Gupta says he just returned from India, where he looked into medical tourism. Larry King: But, first, breaking news about CNN's own Dr. Sanjay Gupta, long rumored to be the main candidate for U.S. surgeon general. He's taken himself out of the running. Joins us now here in Los Angeles to talk about it. Why? Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Well, first of all, it was a really tough decision, and a long decision and a long process for sure. And I was incredibly flattered, humbled by the consideration even for the position. I think for me it really came down to a sense of timing more than anything else. You know, I have two daughters. Our third daughter is now imminent. In fact, I have my phone on right here, I might get called off the set. King: As we talk. Gupta: As we talk, my wife is imminent with our third child. You know, this job that we have collectively takes us away from our children for so many years at once, and I sort of came to grips with the fact that I'd probably be away at least the first several years, four or five years -- there's my existing two daughters, one more on the way -- but several years of their lives. And I just didn't feel like I should do that now. And the other thing, let me just add, you know, you know me and a lot of people know me, obviously, as a journalist for CNN, but you know, I continue to practice neurosurgery, Larry. You and I have talked about that, and I... King: You do brain surgery all the time. Gupta: Yes. And it's an important part of my life. And I work at a county hospital. That's the hospital I've chosen to work at in Atlanta [Georgia]. And I really enjoy that. I came to grips with, ironically, that being surgeon general, I probably would not be able to continue to practice surgery. King: How about the cut in pay? Gupta: Well, you know, that's a sacrifice we were willing to make. I think, you know, either you're a public servant or you're not a public servant. I've always been drawn to public service. So that really wasn't a consideration for me. King: Was it an offer or a "would you consider if"? Gupta: It's a little bit of a funny thing -- and I've never been through this process before. I guess the formal part of it is when you are nominated. I was not nominated, but I had conversations with the senior-most people that would make an offer, and they told me they wanted me to do this job. So... King: Was it the thought of [Democratic former] Sen. Tom Daschle, who was going to be secretary of health, that you be his surgeon general? Gupta: Well, I did have conversations with him, but you know, the fact that he withdrew did not play as big a role in my mind in terms of not considering the job. Again, I think either you do public service or you don't. You want your job to be as precisely defined as possible, for sure, but that wasn't a major factor. King: The way it was presented, then, you feel that you would have been offered it even if Daschle had not left or had left, no matter what? Gupta: I think so. You know, I mean, you know, I've had a lot of conversations with the White House folks. I think there was a big interest on their part, and obviously they know of my dedication to public service. I think there was a real melding there. King: Do you have anyone you would recommend for that job? Gupta: You know, no one off the top of my head. I mean, I think whoever takes that job really does have to make it a higher-profile job. I mean, this is an important job. I have a great deal of respect for the office and for the commissioned corps. You've seen the work they do. They do life-saving... King: A lot of clout. Gupta: Yes, a lot of clout, life-saving, life-preventing work -- or life-preserving work -- all over the country every single day. And I think that it has to have a little bit of a higher profile. Whoever takes this job has to be out there really advocating the issues of public health. At no time is it probably more important than right now, as we're dealing with health care reform. These issues really go hand in hand. King: Well, their loss is a continuing our gain. Gupta: I appreciate that. King: If I may speak to it. Gupta: I would miss this witty banter for sure, back and forth. King: May I speak for CNN. But you had to be flattered. Gupta: I was flattered. And you know, I have a great deal of respect for that office. And I in no way want people to think that I don't. This is really more about my family and my surgical career. King: Couple other notes. I know you're just back from India. I want to ask about that. Gupta: Yes. King: President Obama held a health care summit [Thursday] at the White House. More than 100 experts, policy makers took part, including some who opposed the Clinton administration's health care reform back in the '90s. Do you support his aims? Gupta: He is drawing an inextricable relationship between the economy and health care. As people talk -- the economy is issue No. 1, as we talk about all the time. But he's making the point, I think, and he has been for some time, even while he was campaigning, that you cannot talk about the economy without talking about health care. The businesses have to provide health care insurance for their employees. It is often very difficult for them to do that, in addition to trying to reach some sort of profit from their product. So I -- that message, I think, has been pretty loud and clear, and I think it is resonating. He's also talking about the fact that you can't fix the health care system without bringing down costs of health care overall. And since you brought it up, I was just in India, and one of the stories that I was doing was about medical tourism. Here is a good example -- 750,000 Americans leave the United States every year to go abroad for life-saving operations. Why? Mainly because of cost. It can be up to a tenth of the cost in some of these countries such as India, such as Singapore. King: Open-heart surgery in India might be one-tenth of what it costs here? Gupta: One-tenth. Hip surgery, neurosurgery. All -- a lot of these various operations. And the real question, and I think it's a question worth exploring, is why? How can they do it so much cheaper? How can they offer good-quality care? I saw it. It is good-quality care. I saw that with my own eyes. What do we have to learn? And how can we use this to help reform our health care system? King: Is there an assumption that we have the best doctors, that we do it better than anybody else, that's an American assumption? Gupta: Yes. And I think, you know, we do provide very good health care for people who have access to it. King: Ah. Gupta: And I think that's part of the problem. King: That's the rub, though, right? Gupta: That is the rub. And I think there are really two schools of thought, which we are going to hopefully distill down, as we talk about this issue more and more. One is, do you revamp the entire health care system? Do you say, look, this health care system is broken, toss it all out, let's start all over again? Or do you say, look, it works pretty well for a fraction of the population. Let's see who it doesn't work for and fix those things only. So don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Let's target what's broken and focus on that. King: What role in all of this will the new surgeon general play? Gupta: I really don't know. I'm not sure. At one point... King: He would have to be a proponent for it, you would think. Gupta: You know, the surgeon general has an interesting position, and this is something that I learned. It is truly one of the more apolitical positions at that senior level. So they are really the nation's doctor. I think that they really have to focus on making sure that best health practices are constantly known. It's amazing how high the health illiteracy rate remains in this country. To remind people how to best take care of themselves. King: One other thing. Do you think it's going to -- do you think we're going to get a new health care program? Gupta: I think so. It's going to take a long time. I think that it may not even happen within this first term, if there is a second term for him. So I think it's not going to be something that happens certainly overnight. The fact that they had a health care summit this early on I think is probably a good sign of at least his commitment to this issue.

Gupta: "It really came down to a sense of timing" Gupta says job would have taken him away too long from family . Gupta talks about challenges Obama faces in reforming health care .

6a0f9c8a5d0c6e8949b37924163c92923fe5770d

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- A magnitude-7.9 earthquake that struck southwestern China last year left 5,335 students dead or missing and disabled an additional 546 children, state media reported. A girl fastens wish cards at a middle school at Qushan township earlier this year in memory of students. The first official tally of students killed in the Sichuan province quake was released Thursday by Tu Wentao, the head of the province's education department, the Xinhua news agency said. As of September, official figures put the death toll at 69,227, with more than 17,923 people missing. The tremor struck May 12 about 2:30 p.m., when many children were in school. The official tally of student deaths and injuries was released a few days after an Amnesty International report accused the government of China of intimidating and unlawfully detaining relatives of children who had died in the earthquake. The 52-page report, published Sunday, documented instances in which relatives said they had been detained for up to 21 days for trying to get answers from officials. "By unlawfully locking up parents of children who died, the government is creating more misery for people who have said in some cases they lost everything in the Sichuan earthquake," said Roseann Rife, deputy program director of Amnesty International Asia-Pacific. The report also accused authorities of preventing relatives from complaining to higher officials about the quality of construction in the buildings that had collapsed. The human-rights organization called on Chinese authorities "to take immediate action to address the grievances of survivors and relatives of those who were killed or injured." CNN was not immediately able to get a response to the report from China's Ministry of Civil Affairs and Ministry of Justice.

In September, officials put death toll at 69,227, with more than 17,923 missing . The tremor struck May 12 at about 2:30 p.m., when many children were in school . Amnesty accused China intimidating relatives of children who died in quake .

c50e5e42961a00c77ad5ced06828d461d339448b

HOUSTON, Texas (CNN) -- On the tape, Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan appears to burn with rage. Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan, pictured here, allegedly tortured a business associate on videotape. Believing he was cheated in a business deal, the member of the United Arab Emirates ruling family was trying to extract a confession from an Afghan grain dealer. With a private security officer assisting, Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan is seen stuffing sand in the Afghan's mouth. As the grain dealer pleads and whimpers, he is beaten with a nailed board, burned in the genitals with a cigarette lighter, shocked with a cattle prod, and led to believe he would be shot. Salt is poured on his wounds. In the end, the victim can muster up only weak moans as an SUV is repeatedly driven over him. The 45 minutes of torture appears on a nearly three-hour-long videotape shot in late 2004 in the desert outside Abu Dhabi, one of the United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf region. It was made at the direction of the sheikh himself. The tape has been viewed by CNN. Now the tape has surfaced as a piece of evidence in a federal civil suit filed in Houston, Texas, against the sheikh by his former business partner, Bassam Nabulsi. As media, U.S. governmental and human rights questions and concerns emerged, Abu Dhabi's government on Tuesday issued a statement saying it deplored the contents of the video and plans an immediate and comprehensive review of it. Nabulsi, a Lebanese-born U.S. citizen living in Houston, says he met Sheikh Issa when the royal came to Houston for medical care in 1994. Watch portions of the tape and Nabulsi tell his story » . According to Nabulsi, the men became friends and business partners, and Sheikh Issa eventually recruited Nabulsi to move to Abu Dhabi to work for him. "We were buddies," said Nabulsi, who met with CNN journalists in Houston. "He gave me his personal vow. He swore to look after my family in case something happened to me." The sheikh, who holds no official government position, is the half-brother of the country's ruler. In the lawsuit, Nabulsi says was disturbed by the sheikh's "increasingly bizarre behavior" after the November 2004 death of his father, UAE ruler Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan. Nabulsi's lawsuit says that Sheikh Issa's father "kept tight control over Sheikh Issa" but after the father's death, he "apparently no longer felt constrained." Nabulsi claims he confronted his business partner about the Afghan's treatment, telling him that to do such a thing he "must not be a God-fearing person." Nabulsi says his boldness prompted the sheikh to turn on him. Later, Nabulsi was arrested on drug charges. Security officers working for the sheikh ransacked his home and demanded the torture video, Nabulsi claimed. By this point, the tape -- shot by Nabulsi's brother at the order of the sheikh -- had been smuggled out of the country. According to an affidavit, Nabulsi's brother worked for Sheikh Issa as a personal assistant. In 2005, Nabulsi was arrested, jailed and ultimately convicted on drug charges. And, he said, he was tortured and humiliated by UAE police, who demanded he return the tape. "It was a lot of humiliation," Nabulsi told CNN. "And I really don't like to talk about it." Nabulsi was fined and deported. Darryl Bristow, the sheikh's Houston attorney, argued in court papers that American courts have no jurisdiction over his client. In a statement to CNN, Bristow said Nabulsi is using the videotape of a third party, Nabulsi's brother, to influence the court over a business dispute. "The public should know that the man behind the camera was Bassam Nabulsi's brother and that Bassam Nabulsi kept the video from the media while his lawyer was asking for money. What do you call that where you come from?" Bristow asked. Nabulsi's attorney denied wrongdoing. The Houston case languished in the U.S. court system after it was filed in 2006 but it eventually moved forward when the sheikh's personal assistant was served with court papers last year. Nabulsi's attorney, Anthony Buzbee, said he has deposed the sheikh, but the deposition is under seal. The case was filed in Houston because the Sheikh Issa-Nabulsi business partnership was formed and focused in Texas and "claims at issue in this case arose out of contacts within Texas." Nabulsi claims breaches of contract and fiduciary duty. He wants $80 million he says is owed to him from their business relationship. He also wants to be awarded punitive damages for torture, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and malicious prosecution. Initially, the UAE Interior Ministry said Sheikh Issa "does not hold any official position" in the government and that Nabulsi's lawsuit is "a private dispute." Asked about the torture allegations, the UAE said it investigated and found "...all rules, policies and procedures were followed correctly by the police department. The review also concluded that the incidents depicted in the videotapes were not part of a pattern of behavior." The shocking case has made waves recently as news organizations asked about the tape. U.S. senior officials familiar with the case say the administration is holding off sending a nuclear deal with the United Arab Emirates to Congress for ratification because they fear a fallout from the torture story. Congress has to ratify the civil nuclear agreement signed in January between the Bush administration and the UAE. Those senior U.S. officials said the agreement was supposed to be sent to the Senate, but Secretary of State Hillary Clinton held off doing so because of the story's sensitivity. One American lawmaker, Rep. James McGovern, D-Massachusetts, asked Clinton to investigate and that all "expenditures of funds, training, sales or transfers of equipment or technology, including nuclear" to the UAE be put on hold until the matter is reviewed. He also wants the United States to deny any visas for travel by Sheikh Issa or his immediate family. "I think we have an obligation to say we want to step back a bit and look at this a little more closely," said McGovern, co-chairman of the congressional human rights commission. He promised hearings on the issue, probing the case and how the U.S. Embassy in the UAE handled it. "I am not going to let it go away," McGovern said. Human Rights Watch, the humanitarian watchdog group, is calling for the United Arab Emirates to "investigate and prosecute" the grain dealer's torture. With media questions about the tape mounting, Abu Dhabi said on Wednesday it decided to renew its inquiries -- more than four years after the incident. As for the grain dealer, UAE officials say he survived the ordeal, and said the sheikh and the grain dealer settled the matter privately by agreeing not to bring formal charges against the other. How much money was the grain dealer accused of stealing from the sheikh? "It's nothing," Nabulsi said. "No more than about $5,000." CNN's Scott Bronstein, Drew Griffin, Stan Grant, Elise Labott, Octavia Nasr, and Joe Sterling contributed to this report.

Former business partner of Sheikh Issa of Abu Dhabi suing royal . Bassam Nabulsi's tape shows sheikh severely torturing grain merchant . Nabulsi, of Houston, says he himself was tortured in jail, sheikh owes him $80M . U.S. senior officials say case is holding up a U.S. nuclear deal with the UAE .

ade5e1bbb4c4f22a27be5cbee812488ae34673f0

(CNN) -- The "best job in the world" contest has generated huge interest around the globe, but the jury is out on whether that will translate into more tourism dollars for Queensland, Australia. Ben Southall will move into a three-bedroom beach home overlooking the Great Barrier Reef. "That's the million dollar question," said Anthony Hayes, CEO of Tourism Quensland, which sponsored the contest. "Quite frankly you can have $150 million worth of publicity, but if it doesn't generate sales you've really wasted your time on a pretty story." A British man beat 34,000 other applicants Wednesday to win the right to stroll the white sands of a tropical island in Queensland, Australia, file weekly reports online to a global audience and earn a cool $100,000. Watch as lucky winner is revealed » . For the winner, Ben Southall, the six-month assignment is a far cry from his old job as a fundraiser. "I love discovering new places," Southall said in his hyperkinetic minute-long application video for the position. "Last year, I drove all around Africa, I crossed deserts, climbed mountains, run marathons, bungee jump, mountain-bike, scuba-dive and snorkel everywhere because I'm practically a fish myself." Oh, and he rode an ostrich. He will move into a three-bedroom beach home overlooking the tropical island's Great Barrier Reef. For six months, he will feed the fish, clean the pool and send weekly blog and video reports on what is happening on the island. Other benefits include free return airfares from their nearest capital city, transport on the island, computer and camera gear and travel to other islands. The applicants used various attempts to woo their prospective employer, from wandering round a chilly city center in a bikini, to making their application in the form of a street musical, complete with chorus singers. Sixteen finalists were flown in to Hamilton Island on Monday for interviews with a four-person panel. The job starts July 1. The "world's best job" campaign was 18 months in the making as a way to lure more tourism to the 600 islands near the Great Barrier Reef. "The starting point was how do we get the message out there ... that they're open for business and we want people to come and visit," Hayes said. "The idea of this is to protect jobs throughout our regional parts of Queensland."

Winner of "best job" competition is British citizen Ben Southall . Tourism Queensland advertised dream island caretaking job for $100,000 . Six-month stint involves reporting on the Great Barrier Reef island off Australia .

ba5dbea76469c366465dece06f0826aed059a554

(CNN) -- The days of being cut off from the Internet while you're on a plane are quickly disappearing. An American Airlines passenger uses Wi-Fi to access the Internet during a flight. A number of domestic airlines have recently begun offering Wi-Fi Internet access aboard planes, and other airlines say they are working toward making it happen. "This is the year" for Wi-Fi on planes, said Jack Blumenstein, president and CEO of Aircell, whose Gogo® Inflight Internet service provides access on Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and Virgin America flights, and will begin testing on United flights later this year. Gogo is installed on more than 190 commercial planes, and Blumenstein said he expected 1,200 aircraft to have Gogo capability by the end of 2009. For now, Wi-Fi on domestic carriers' planes is limited to flights within North America. Gogo, which operates by transmitting signals from ground-level towers, functions across the United States and up to about 300 miles offshore. The company's access will cover the entire continent within a year or two, Blumenstein said. Row 44, which uses satellite technology to provide connectivity to Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines, already covers much of North America and will roll out trans-Atlantic and European service in the third quarter of this year, said the company's CEO, John Guidon. Neither company would release the exact cost of turning airplanes into Wi-Fi hot spots. But Blumenstein said Aircell managed to equip a plane for "substantially" less than $100,000. Row 44, which bills itself as the "industrial-strength solution" to airplane connectivity, costs hundreds of thousands of dollars per plane, Guidon said. Another company, LiveTV, is a subsidiary of JetBlue that provides free e-mail and messaging aboard flights but doesn't offer open Web surfing. LiveTV, which uses air-to-ground technology, provides the service on select JetBlue flights and also is working with Frontier Airlines on offering Internet access aboard its planes. The Wi-Fi venture has the potential to be "very profitable," said Harlan Platt, an airline industry expert and professor of finance at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. "Normally, air carriers rush to purchase capital equipment that raises their cost but doesn't raise their revenue. ... This is actually a revenue-producing tactic. And it's a good one because it's providing value to the passenger and it's creating incremental revenues for the airline," Platt said. Aircell, which shares its revenue from Gogo with the airlines, charges $9.95 for flights under three hours, $12.95 for flights longer than three hours and $7.95 to use a Wi-Fi capable handheld device for any flight length. Passengers can begin using the service once the plane reaches 10,000 feet. If the plane remains in flight for longer than three hours as part of a delay, passengers do not pay the higher fee, Blumenstein said. Platt believes that business model will evolve to entice more passengers to use it. The size of those fees could result in "a whole segment of the market that they're not going to capture," said Platt. The airlines will maximize their profits by convincing more passengers to use the system with a lower price, he said. Platt predicted Aircell and the airlines would create a second tier of service, which would be less expensive but with fewer capabilities. He compared the strategy to airlines' price-reducing tactics to avoid empty seats on planes. As Aircell and Row 44's services expand, LiveTV is monitoring passengers' usage to gauge how to move ahead with its own business model, said Mike Moeller, vice president of sales and marketing for the company. "Yes, broadband is coming. We're sitting there asking, 'Who pays? Is it the airlines or the customers? And what will they pay? What is the right technology? ... When does all of this happen?' We're in weird economic times," Moeller said. As for the possibility of passengers offending their seat-mates by surfing for inappropriate content, Blumenstein said nine months of Wi-Fi availability on American yielded no such incidents. Still, airlines including American, Delta and United have requested screening for potentially offensive content, he said. On the other hand, Alaska Airlines, which uses Row 44, does not plan on using the company's content-blocking capabilities. Instead, flight attendants will follow standard protocol for objectionable material -- they'll ask passengers to stow it away, said Bobbie Egan, an airline spokeswoman. Here is what major U.S. airlines offer, and what is coming up: .

Many domestic airlines have begun offering Wi-Fi Internet access aboard planes . Provider Aircell expects to have 1,200 planes equipped by the end of this year . Another company, Row 44, says it will have trans-Atlantic Wi-Fi in the third quarter .

4e86c3f75b81de01b2f540e8b880a270fa8a000a

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Dom DeLuise, who spiced up such movies as "Blazing Saddles," "Silent Movie" and "The Cannonball Run" with his manic delivery and roly-poly persona, has died, his son's publicist said. Dom DeLuise was best known for his roles in Mel Brooks films as well as films with his friend Burt Reynolds. Publicist Jay Schwartz did not disclose the cause of death, but DeLuise, 75, had been battling cancer for more than a year. DeLuise was surrounded by family when he died in a Santa Monica, California, hospital Monday night, son Michael DeLuise told CNN affiliate KTLA. DeLuise was most famous for his supporting roles in a number of Mel Brooks films, including 1974's "Saddles" -- in which he played a flamboyant musical director who led dancers in a number called "The French Mistake" -- and 1976's "Silent Movie," in which he played the assistant to Brooks' director Mel Funn. He was also in the Brooks-directed "The Twelve Chairs" (1970), "Spaceballs" (1987) and "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" (1993). But he could also assay more serious roles, most notably in the 1980 dark comedy "Fatso," in which he played an overweight man trying to wean himself from comfort food. The film was directed by Brooks' wife, Anne Bancroft. Watch an impromptu performance by Dom DeLuise » . DeLuise, who struggled with his own weight, was also an author of cookbooks. In 1991, he told CNN's Larry King that after meeting Luciano Pavarotti while working on an opera, he realized he needed to try to shed some of his weight. "I finally became powerless over food," he told King. "You know, anybody who's an alcoholic or cocaine or something, that's what food was to me." Besides authoring cookbooks, DeLuise penned seven children's books. DeLuise was also part of the supporting cast in the Burt Reynolds crash-'em-up vehicles "Smokey and the Bandit II" (1980), "Cannonball Run" (1981) and "Cannonball Run II" (1984). Other DeLuise films include "The End" (1978), "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" (1982) and "Johnny Dangerously" (1984). His voice was featured in such films as "An American Tail" (1986) and its sequels, "All Dogs Go to Heaven" (1989) and its 1996 sequel, and "Oliver & Company" (1988). Dominic DeLuise was born in Brooklyn, New York, on August 1, 1933. In the 1960s he had bit parts in a handful of movies, including "Fail Safe" (1964), but became well known as a regular on "The Entertainers" and a Dean Martin variety show. He had his own summer replacement show in 1968 and was a regular on Glen Campbell's "Goodtime Hour" in 1971-72. Watch DeLuise talk about working on "The Mike Douglas Show" » . DeLuise had three sons -- Peter, Michael and David -- who all became actors. He told Larry King that it was the "joy of my life" to work with his oldest son, Peter, when he directed the film "Second Nature." His wife of 40 years, actress Carol Arthur, appeared in several movies with him, including "Blazing Saddles" and "Silent Movie," according to DeLuise's Web site. DeLuise worked closely on several films with pal Gene Wilder, who in 2002 told Larry King that of all of his co-stars, DeLuise "makes me laugh the most." A frequent collaborator with DeLuise, Burt Reynolds released a statement to "Entertainment Tonight" on his friend's death. "I was thinking the other day about this. As you get older you think about this more and more, I was dreading this moment. Dom always made everyone feel better when he was around. I never heard him say an unkind word about anyone. I will miss him very much," Reynolds says.

Dom DeLuise appeared in several Mel Brooks films and Burt Reynolds movies . Among DeLuise's best-known films: "Silent Movie," "Cannonball Run" Reynolds: "Dom always made everyone feel better when he was around"

23e3ba210a9bf374f436360d585308445d4838b7

KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Nepal's prime minister said Monday he will resign to save what he called the country's "infant democracy." Pushpa Kamal Dahal cited a serious political crisis caused by the president's "unconstitutional" order. It is the latest fallout over the status of Nepal's army chief, Gen. Rookmangud Katawal. The Maoist government sacked Katawal on Sunday. Hours later, President Ram Baran Yadav reinstated him. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, commonly known as Prachanda, resigned on Monday, citing a serious political crisis caused by the president's "unconstitutional" order. "The dual powers that have been unconstitutionally established in the country must end under any circumstance," Prachanda said in a televised address announcing he would resign from the country's Cabinet. Prachanda is the leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), which had been the largest party in Nepal's coalition government until it recently withdrew. The former guerilla leader headed a decade-long bloody Maoist insurgency to abolish the country's monarchy before being sworn in as prime minister in August. In his address on Monday, Prachanda blamed certain political parties and "power centers" for "striking at our democracy, constitution and the peace process by putting the president in the forefront of the controversy over the chief of army staff." "This has raised concerns over our infant democracy and the peace process," he said. "I appeal to the people, civil society and political powers to be committed to the struggle for establishing a democratic Nepal." Nepal's interim constitution gives the president powers as supreme commander of the army and guardian of the constitution. Yadav's spokesman said the president had the support of 18 parties in parliament when he reinstated the army chief. The decision to fire Katawal touched off protests. Supporters of both sides in the dispute took to the streets on Sunday. Despite sporadic clashes between the two factions, there were no serious injuries reported. The Cabinet voted to dismiss Katawal after the military refused the government's order to stop recruiting about 3,000 new soldiers to fill vacant positions when it has yet to take in former Maoist rebels, as a 2006 peace deal required. The Maoists laid down their arms and won power in 2008 elections after an agreement that ended a decade-long insurgency. Under the deal, more than 19,000 former insurgents were to be integrated into the country's security forces. Journalist Manesh Shrestha contributed to this report.

Government calls president's order to keep army chief in office "unconstitutional" Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal resigns over order . Maoist government ordered army chief of staff to be fired after recruitment issue . Military refused to stop recruiting soldiers while it hasn't accepted ex-Maoist rebels .

28d0df11ee3ddcf98b990c1c610e89c746c1dea1

(Tribune Media Services) -- Look out for cancellation penalties. Beware of energy surcharges. And watch for facilities fees. Hertz lost $73 million in the fourth quarter of 2008. No, not on your airline ticket. Not on your hotel folio. You may find these new extras on your next car rental bill. Beleaguered auto rental firms are quietly adding new surcharges designed to lift revenues in a recessionary economy. To get an idea of how absurd it's becoming meet Jim Swofford. He found a mysterious $5 fee on his Hertz bill recently, which a representative described as a cancellation fee. Car rental companies typically don't charge their customers for cancellations, so Swofford, who frequently rents from Hertz, said he didn't want another car he'd reserved for later. "That'll be $25," the agent told him. "So I jokingly said I would not cancel but just be a no-show," he remembers. "She said that would result in a $50 fee." Or talk to Eric Hegwer, a photographer from Austin, Texas, who spotted a $1 "energy surcharge" on his Hertz car rental bill recently. "My previous rentals didn't have one," he says. I asked Hertz about the two new surcharges. Company spokeswoman Paula Rivera told me the cancellation fee, which was added in December, applied only to prepaid reservations and is meant to "reimburse Hertz for the paperwork and billing involved with a prepaid reservation." The fee also covers part of the company's cost of holding vehicles for prepaid reservations. The energy surcharge, which was added in October, bills all rentals in most states an additional $1 a day "to offset the increasing costs of utilities, bus fuel, oil and grease," she said. It's easy to see why car rental companies are taking these steps. The industry is hemorrhaging money faster than oil leaking from a cracked gasket. Hertz lost $73 million in the fourth quarter, and competitor Avis lost $121 million in the same period. They fared much better than Advantage Rent A Car, which filed for bankruptcy protection in December and whose assets were sold to Hertz for a reported $33 million. Every penny counts for the car rental companies. Then again, in this dreadful economy, who isn't counting every cent? Shocking anecdotes aside, there's a pattern here, and you don't have to be an investigative reporter or a conspiracy theory-obsessed columnist to see it. Just read the annual reports issued by one of the publicly traded car rental companies. (Look for the form 10-K and then scroll down to "Legal Proceedings" for an enlightening read.) They're littered with lawsuits over fees, surcharges and add-ons that motorists say broadsided them when they rented a car. A representative of the American Car Rental Association, a trade group for the car rental business, says these fees are essential to the industry's survival. But that doesn't give companies a license to surprise their customers. "The car rental company has an obligation to clearly and concisely explain all fees and charges at the time of rental, " says Robert Barton, the association's president and chief operating officer for U-Save Car & Truck Rental. How to stay ahead of these extras? Knowing is half the battle. Here are five of the newer charges that could sideswipe you on your next trip. A fee for something you've already paid for . This is one of the more creative new ways of separating you from your money: charging you twice for the same thing. "Three times now, with three different companies, they have tried to charge me for gas when I've returned the car with a full tank and claimed it was an honest mistake," says Sid Savara, a software engineer in Oahu, Hawaii. "It leads me to suspect they are just tacking the fee on and most people aren't noticing or complaining about it." Boston-based author John DiPietro brought his own E-ZPass toll transponder when he rented a car in Massachusetts recently, but Budget billed him for the toll roads anyway. "We're still trying to resolve it," he told me. Now more than ever, it's important to be on the lookout for duplicate charges on your rental bill. A fee for something that should come with the car . Such as tires. Enterprise recently charged one of Edgar Dworsky's readers a $2 "tire fee." He edits a Web site called Consumer World, and like me, he hears a lot of horror stories from travelers. What's a tire fee? Enterprise told Dworsky it was required by the state of Florida. "I guess the consumer advice is to order a car without tires next time," he joked. But other fees can't be blamed on the state, including surcharges that cover the cost of oil and grease. It might be interesting to show up at a car rental counter with four tires and a can of Pennzoil, and ask to have those fees waived. You think they would do it? Yeah, neither do I. Surcharge on surcharges . Scott Lerman found a "privilege fee" on his last car rental in Florida, which applied to rentals picked up within 48 hours of flight arrival. "Never seen anything like it," says the Livingston, New Jersey-based freelance publicist. (The fee covers the costs of operating an off-airport location.) Other renters have reported seeing a similar surcharge combined with what's often called a concession recovery fee, which amounts to a surcharge on top of a surcharge. At best, car rental companies are coming up with new and confusing names for their fees. At worst, they're charging us a fee on top of another fee. Next thing you know, there'll be a surcharge on a surcharge on top of a surcharge. Don't laugh -- I'm sure they've already thought of it. The stadium tax . Fees for new stadiums and concert halls are technically not new, and technically they're not even controlled by car rental companies. Except that municipalities keep coming up with new ones and car rental companies don't lobby hard enough to have the fees removed. So rental firms are not completely blameless. Seth Mendelsohn, the president of a food store in Boulder, Colorado, found a $4 "downtown arena" fee on his bill when he visited Kansas City recently. "Apparently the city is trying to pay for part of the Sprint Center through car rental fees," he told me. There are dozens -- perhaps hundreds -- of these so-called stadium taxes across the country. And new ones keep popping up. One of the latest is a car rental tax in Gwinnett County, Georgia, to build a stadium for the Atlanta Braves. And just last week, legislators proposed a $2 tax to fund commuter rail service in South Florida. Extra driver fees . These aren't brand new, but the way in which they're being enforced has changed recently. When Carol Stevenson and her sister rented a car from Payless in Phoenix, they were asked to pay $9 a day more if Stevenson's sister wanted to drive. "And that didn't include their insurance waiver," she remembers. Why charge for an extra driver? The simple answer: because they can. In the past, car rental agents looked the other way when two drivers showed up to rent the same car. But now, with money tight, they're applying more pressure to authorize a second driver. If you don't fork over the money and happen to get into an accident, they warn, you won't be covered by their insurance. Of course, that assumes you buy their overpriced collision-damage waiver in the first place. Odds are, your credit card or car insurance offers comparable coverage. Most of these fees can be avoided by pre-paying for your car through one of the "opaque" travel sites such as Hotwire.com or Priceline.com, or by buying through an online travel agency that guarantees its rates. But car rental companies are trying to find a way to stick it to customers with prepaid vouchers, too. I'll have more on that in a future column. Where will it end? Something tells me we're not there yet. Not even close. (Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine. This column originally appeared on MSNBC.com. You can read more travel tips on his blog, elliott.org or e-mail him at celliott@ngs.org). © 2009 CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.

Beleaguered car rental firms are quietly adding "absurd" new surcharges . Charges include: "Cancellation fee," "energy surcharge," "tire fee," "privilege fee" Economy resulted in Hertz losing $73 million in Q4; Avis lost $121 million .

ca012876b5b6faf014d03f46e0e0537cc4fddfd0

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam (CNN) -- To feel the vibrancy of Ho Chi Minh City, all you have to do is step out onto a bustling city street. Step to it: Walking through the city's streets is the best way to see it. Negotiating the roads, chock full of motorbikes and an increasing number of cars, can be daunting. But copy the fearless locals -- they don't break stride and never retreat -- and put your fate in the hands, or throttle, of the city's drivers who seems masterful at avoiding each other. A good place to kick off a visit is on one of the main drags, Le Loi, a street that runs through the heart of the city. Near one end is the picturesque Opera House, as well as the majestic City Hall or "People's Committee Building" (this is still a communist country of course). You shouldn't have to do too much motorbike dodging down Lei Loi and after just a 15 minute stroll from City Hall is the famed Cho Ben Thanh Market. However give yourself more time to stop into galleries or buy a classic piece of communist propaganda along the way. The hundreds of stalls at Cho Ben Thanh offer a mix of traditional culture and tourist kitsch. You can sit with the locals and sip a solid jolt of Vietnamese coffee then move on to shopping for touristy T-shirts and "authentic chopsticks". Many of the stalls feature signs saying the prices are fixed. But if you're prepared to drive a hard bargain, or buy in bulk, that idea can be amended. It's also worth a return trip later on in the evening when the market closes and street side restaurants spring up, offering great meals at cheap prices. If you're looking to get away from the strip of Western hotels in the city center, hail a cab and head over to Cholon, or Ho Chi Minh City's Chinatown. In the late 18th century, this enclave was actually a separate city from old Saigon but the two were united in the early 1930's. Today Cholon is home to the Binh Tay Market, which the locals call "Cho Lon." Just don't confuse it with Ben Thanh, or you'll be right back where you started. The area is filled with plenty of local color and is a photographer's dream. Despite mass consumption of bottled water and the finest sunscreen, you'll need to find a way to beat the heat in Ho Chi Minh City. One of the best ways is to make regular stops at any restaurant or café for a refreshing lime soda. A bowl of the traditional Pho (pronounced "fuh") is also a must. It's said that this simple dish -- consisting of noodles, beef and broth -- was created at food stalls in Hanoi nearly a century ago. But even in Ho Chi Minh you need to walk only a few feet before coming across a food joint claiming to serve the city's best Pho. In a place with stifling heat and the motorbike madness, an afternoon rest is a wise move, especially if you want to partake in the nightlife. Another dose of Vietnamese coffee will surely have you revived in no time. Or, if you're in need of some pampering, try a foot massage at any of the countless establishments -- to play it safe and avoid "additional services" get a suggestion from any hotel concierge. Is Ho Chi Minh City the most exciting city in Asia for a short break? Have you say in the "Sound Off" box below. If you're keen to try to play foreign correspondent -- or at least see where they gathered during the days of the Vietnam War - look no further than the Rex Hotel on Nguyen Hue Boulevard. The drinks are wildly overpriced and the crowd seems to be on the "5 Asian Cities in 7 Days" tour, but its large rooftop does offer a great bird's eye view of the lively streets below. The nearby Temple Club on Ton That Thiep Street offers a quieter setting for a cocktail. Diners also give great reviews for the food. Afterwards, stroll over to Vasco's on Hai Ba Trung Street. The French colonial style building features bands playing away upstairs with large lounges on the veranda, while downstairs you can settle in for a more mellow night. If your 24 hours in Ho Chi Minh City happens to turn into 36 or 48, arrange a day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels, about 70 kilometers Northwest of the city. The Viet Cong built this maze of passageways, which served as supply lines, during the Vietnam War. The narrow tunnels snake underground for a staggering 200 kilometers. Not only can you take a stroll, or crawl, through a few parts of it, you'll also be served a unique dose of communist propaganda. Most trips to Cu Chi also include a stop at the very colorful and unique Cao Dai Temple in Tay Ninh. If these options don't hit the mark, you can always accept an offer from one of the countless "moto drivers." They'll have you on the back of their bike and whizzing through the streets in no time. Just hold on tight. And maybe close your eyes.

The city is buzzing with motorbikes, so be quick to get up to speed . All the sights, smells and color of the city can be found around Cho Ben Thanh . Take a break from the heat and traffic with regular pit stops for delicious local food .

5e715e8e1065fbe0e3dd5f86ad7ec017b235b270

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Obama's ambitious strategy for Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan, dubbed "Afpak" by administration officials, will face its first test Wednesday when he meets with the leaders of both countries -- neither of which is seen as able to maintain stability and fight strengthening Islamic insurgencies. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari will meet with Afghanistan's president and President Obama. The president will meet separately with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari before holding a joint session with the two leaders. The leaders also will hold talks at the State Department, FBI, CIA and on Capitol Hill. Obama will try to build an enduring regional alliance with both countries, enlisting them as full partners rather than treating them as battlefields for U.S. soldiers to fight extremists. But both leaders are seen as weak and are deeply unpopular back home. The Taliban has re-emerged to retake large swaths of Afghanistan, and in recent weeks, Taliban fighters have made alarming advances in Pakistan. Just last week, the State Department warned that al Qaeda continues to enjoy safe haven along the rugged border between the countries, where al Qaeda plots attacks against the U.S. and its allies. U.S. concern has focused on Pakistan, which Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-New York, on Monday aptly warned has its "pants on fire." In Pakistan's Swat Valley, the government's recent peace deal with militants pushing for the establishment of strict Islamic law went awry, allowing the Taliban to advance within 60 miles of the capital, Islamabad. The government's initial inaction prompted Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to accuse Islamabad of abdicating to terrorists. Obama also expressed concern about the fragility of Zardari's government. Richard Holbrooke, Obama's formidable point man for Afpak, insists Pakistan isn't a failed state. Yet there is plenty of concern in Washington that Zardari's government could fall, leaving Pakistan's considerable nuclear arsenal at risk. Holbrooke also played down reports the U.S. is courting Zardari's main political rival, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Rather, officials say the U.S. wants the two men to work together, which would divert Zardari's attention away from domestic political squabbles and enable him to unite the country in the fight against extremists. This is the U.S. main challenge -- persuading Pakistan to focus on what it considers a "mortal threat," and not on what Obama himself has called the Pakistani military's misguided "obsession" with neighboring India. The Taliban advances seem to have delivered a wake-up call to the government, which has launched an offensive against the militants. To help, Obama has asked Congress to quickly approve hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency aid to help the Pakistanis combat the insurgency and is supporting a $7.5 billion civilian aid package over the next five years. Concerned about reports that the Pakistani military is working at cross-purposes and, in some cases, aiding the Taliban, Congress is trying to condition the money on progress made by Pakistani forces in rooting out extremists. A key component of the U.S. strategy is a surge in civilian assistance to boost domestic support for both governments. In an effort to promote more economic development and cooperation between the U.S. and the two countries, the ministers of agriculture and finance from both countries have been invited to Washington to join the talks. While the U.S. focus clearly has been on Pakistan, violence in Afghanistan has reached its highest levels since Taliban forces were driven from power after the U.S. invaded in the fall of 2001 in response to the 9/11 terror attacks. The U.S. wants to ensure stability in the lead-up to August elections, which is why Obama has committed 21,000 additional troops, in addition to the much needed economic assistance. Since talking office in January, Obama and other U.S. officials have been tough on Karzai, criticizing his government as ineffective and weak on corruption. Karzai further angered U.S. officials this week when he named Mohammad Qasim Fahim, a powerful warlord accused of violating human rights, as his vice presidential running mate, despite warnings from Secretary of State Clinton that Fahim would be a polarizing choice. But despite the belief by many in Washington it is time for Karzai to go, the Afghan president arrived this week in Washington virtually assured re-election, having persuaded his main opposition not to run against him. In a speech Tuesday, Karzai wisely said "money can't buy you love" and "force won't buy you obedience" Those sentiments illustrate one of the deficits in Obama's strategy. While the U.S. hopes the additional assistance will turn both leaders into reliable allies, the administration has yet to unveil a plan for communicating directly to the Afghan and Pakistani populations, both of which are skeptical of the U.S. intentions toward their countries. Additionally, the U.S. has focused its diplomacy so far on officials at the federal level, and efforts to establish strong and regular lines of communication with provincial government officials are in their infancy. That has contributed to the lack of U.S. influence in Pakistan during the Taliban's recent advances in the Northwest Frontier. Creating and implementing an effective strategy toward Afghanistan, and more importantly, Pakistan, is proving to be one of the most challenging, yet important, foreign policy issues facing the Obama administration. Wednesday's talks will be the first indicator as to whether the U.S. has two partners in what has been dubbed "Obama's war." CNN's Jill Dougherty contributed to this report.

Obama to meet with leaders of Afghanistan, Pakistan on Wednesday . President's ambitious agenda for nations faces its first critical test . Recent Taliban gains in nuclear-armed Pakistan especially worrisome . Analysis: Lack of influence with the populace could weaken Obama's hand .

b473dc73786cc0a3fd8ff44117939d1a3ce132ec

LONDON (CNN) -- The latest video from Somalia's al Qaeda-backed Al-Shabaab wing is as slickly produced as a reality TV show but with a startling message -- complete with a hip-hop jihad vibe. Experts think Abu Mansoor al-Amriki, dubbed "The American" by al Qaeda, speaks in the Somali video. "Mortar by mortar, shell by shell, only going to stop when I send them to hell," the unidentified voice raps on the video, which runs at least 18 minutes. The video also shows a man reported to be Abu Mansoor al-Amriki, dubbed "The American" by al Qaeda. He apparently is now in Somalia training and counseling Somalis from North America and Europe. He speaks in American English. "Away from your family, away from our friends, away from ice, candy bars, all those things is because we're waiting to meet the enemy," says the man believed to be al-Amriki. Watch part of the video » . Intelligence experts say the video was probably made in recent weeks and comes on the heels of an audio message in March purportedly from Osama bin Laden. In that recording, the al Qaeda leader calls on his "Muslim brothers in Mujahid Somalia" to overthrow President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed for cooperating with the West. Al-Shabaab is the militant Islamic wing in Somalia. It means "Youth" in Arabic. "We're seeing perhaps their most sophisticated attempt so far to really reach an audience of potential recruits in America, and that's one of the things that made that video very significant," said Ben Venzke of the IntelCenter, a Washington-based research group that tracks al Qaeda's development and messages. "They're casting it in a way that's going to speak to the youth of today," Venzke said. "Most of the time, what we're seeing in their videos directly parallels what the groups are doing operationally, what they are targeting, where they're recruiting." Sheik Ahmed Matan knows that firsthand. A respected member of Britain's Somali community, Matan said he knows of hundreds of young Somali men who have returned to Somalia for terrorist training. "A lot of young people from here, from America, from Canada, from everywhere from Europe -- they went there," he said. He added that these men are capable of being sent back home to conduct terrorist operations, even suicide bombings. "It can be, they can train anytime and send them here, anytime," Matan said. Somalis from North America and Europe are beginning to come to terms with the problem of recruitment, he said. The United States and British governments say Somalia is an emerging terror hot spot, which could pose a threat beyond its borders. Matan said he often challenges "recruiters" at mosques and elsewhere in Britain, demanding that they stop brainwashing younger Somalis about Islam. He said the government should play a greater role in monitoring what is said and done at these mosques -- but, he concedes, doing so has proved highly controversial in Britain and throughout Europe. There is some evidence that al Qaeda is successfully preying on some of those with Western backgrounds. One of them was a business student from London who suddenly left for Somalia. He surfaced about 18 months ago on a martyrdom video, just before blowing himself up in southern Somalia, killing at least 20 people, officials say. U.S. Defense officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also said months ago that one of their worst nightmares would be al Qaeda operating freely in Somalia. Now that nightmare continues, with Somalis in North America and Europe admitting that al Qaeda's reach is spreading. Venzke said Al-Shabaab has put out more videos than ever before in the past year. "If that's what they're doing publicly, we can only assume how their operations have developed," he said.

Al Qaeda's Somali arm has hip-hop jihad rap and message from "American" Intel expert says group is trying "to reach audience of potential recruits in America" Video comes on the heels of purported bin Laden message on Somalia .

cbd3f8c135470ff1667883296c8000d47b0611d4

(CNN) -- Trains and text messages made a deadly combination when two locomotives collided head-on last year near Los Angeles, California, witnesses told an investigative panel this week. Firefighters and investigators inspect the wreckage a day after a train collision in California killed 25 people. Metrolink commuter train engineer Robert Sanchez missed a stop signal while trading text messages with a friend on September 12, leading to a collision with a Union Pacific freight train that killed Sanchez and 24 other people in Chatsworth, California. The accident injured 101 people and caused $10.6 million in damages, according to a report by federal investigators. One National Transportation Safety Board member worries other disasters loom on the nation's rail system. "One train, one day, one crew. It raises questions for me as to what the heck else is going on out there," said Kitty Higgins, chairwoman of a two-day NTSB hearing in Washington on the accident. Sanchez violated his employer's safety rules by even having a cell phone in the cab of the locomotive, a supervisor testified. Watch what investigators found » . Phone records show Sanchez was not only texting a friend just 22 seconds before the collision, but he also had made plans to allow the same friend to actually operate the train. This was a text conversation four days before the crash: . [Sanchez to friend]: "I'm REALLY looking forward to getting you in the cab and showing you how to run a locomotive." [Friend to Sanchez]: "OMG dude me too. Running a locomotive. Having all of that in the palms of my hands." [Sanchez to friend]: "I'm gonna do all the radio talkin'...ur gonna run the locomotive & I'm gonna tell u how to do it. " At the hearing, officials said Sanchez had been caught with a cell phone twice before. Once another employee turned him in, another time a manager called his phone to see if it was with him in the train cab. "The engineer's cell phone rang. It was in his briefcase on the other side of the train. I told the engineer that he was in violation of our policy," Rick Dahl, who was a safety manager with Metrolink at the time of the accident, told the NTSB investigative panel. Federal regulations do not cover cell phone use by train crews. Records also indicate Sanchez previously had allowed unauthorized people to ride in the cab, and one person even sat at the controls while the train was operating, investigators said. Phone company records indicate the Union Pacific freight train conductor, who was not named and who survived, also sent a text message about two minutes before the collision, but no other crew member sent or received any messages while on duty, investigators said. That train crew followed all signals and other procedures properly, according to an NTSB timeline. The Metrolink train stopped at a station for 57 seconds to allow passengers to exit and board the train, according to an animation of the timeline presented at the hearing. "The engineer is required to call all signals and indications via radio," Dahl testified. Sanchez did not call any of the last three signals before the crash, investigators determined. The freight train was supposed to move onto a siding to allow the Metrolink train to pass, but it never got there because the commuter train ignored a stop signal and intercepted it at a curve. The freight train was just emerging from a tunnel in the rugged Topanga Canyon, and the trains were visible to each other in the curve for only about five seconds, according to the report. At the time of impact, the Metrolink train was traveling about 42 mph and the Union Pacific train 41 mph. The freight train braked for two seconds before impact; the commuter train didn't brake at all, according to onboard data recorders. Investigators found no problems with the signals, the trains' brakes and radios or the tracks. The Union Pacific conductor's blood and urine tested positive for marijuana, but no other crew member's from either train did. A final report on the Southern California crash is months away. A month after the crash, former President Bush signed into law a bill requiring the railroad industry to implement by 2016 a rail-traffic control system akin to the familiar air-traffic control system in the nation's airports. Such a system had been on the NTSB's "wish list" since 1990, an agency press release said. "Many lives will be saved as a result of this legislation," NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker said at the time. CNN's Ted Rowlands and Jim Kavanagh contributed to this report.

NTSB: Train engineer missed stop signal just before crash . September crash in California killed 25, injured 101 . Railroad rules prohibit cell phone use; federal regulations don't . Engineer planned to let friend operate train, records indicate .

2563703f10fc562819f1c5224a8a53339cafad8b

(CNN) -- Terrell Owens, a former San Francisco 49er and a former Philadelphia Eagle, is now a former Dallas Cowboy. The Cowboys released Owens late Wednesday, according to published reports. The Dallas Cowboys have decided to part ways with wide receiver Terrell Owens, according to published reports. Questions surrounding the future of the controversial wide receiver have swirled since the Cowboys' season ended with a 44-6 loss at Philadelphia that kept Dallas out of the playoffs. Owner Jerry Jones had said in recent weeks that he had not decided whether to keep or release Owens. In early February, Jones struck down an ESPN report that Jones' son, Stephen, who is the team's vice president, was lobbying his father to cut the wide receiver. Owens signed a three-year, $25 million contract with Dallas in March 2006. He signed a new four-year, $34 million deal that included a $12 million signing bonus, in June 2008. Owens finished the 2008 season 69 receptions for 1,052 yards and 10 touchdowns. In Owens' three seasons with the team, the Cowboys went 31-17, but 0-2 in the playoffs. While Owens has produced solid numbers on the field, his career has been plagued with controversy. After Owens left the San Francisco 49ers in 2003, he insinuated in an interview with Playboy magazine that his then-quarterback, Jeff Garcia, was homosexual. As a Philadelphia Eagle, Owens made headlines for coming back to play in Super Bowl XXX after suffering a severely sprained ankle and a fractured fibula weeks earlier. The following season, he voiced his displeasure with QB Donovan McNabb and Eagles management, which led to a four-game suspension without pay and his eventual deactivitation from the team. In September 2006, police responded to Owens' home after his publicist found the wide receiver unresponsive with an empty bottle of painkillers. Owens refuted reports that it was a suicide attempt and claimed a combination of painkillers and supplements made him groggy. This past season, Owens was reportedly jealous of Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo's relationship with tight end Jason Witten. According to published reports, Owens believed Romo and Witten held private meetings and created plays without including him. Published reports also said Owens had issues with Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett's play-calling. -- CNN.com's Kamal Wallace contributed to this report.

Sources: Dallas Cowboys release wide receiver Terrell Owens . Owens signed new four-year, $34 million deal in June 2008 . Owens' career has been plagued by controversy .

d95ef25a7c606976ce8eeb7007dd4915b8d0810e

(CNN) -- Around 200 new species of frogs have been found in Madagascar, one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. A study has found nearly 200 new species of frogs in Madagascar. A study identified between 129 and 221 new species of frogs on the island. The Spanish Scientific Research Council (CSIC), who carried out the study, believe the find could practically double the number of amphibians known in the world if the results are extrapolated at a global scale. The study, published in the journal "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA," suggests that the number of amphibian species in Madagascar has been significantly underestimated. "The diversity of species in Madagascar is far from being known and there is still a lot of scientific research to be done. Our data suggest that the number of new species of amphibians not only has been underestimated but it is spatially widespread, even in well studied areas," said Professor David R. Vieites, CSIC researcher to the press at the Spanish National Natural Sciences Museum in Madrid. "For example, two of the most visited and studied national parks, Ranomafana and Mantadía/Analamazaotra, harbor 31 and 10 new species respectively." Dr. Frank Glaw, curator of herpetology at the Zoologische Staatssammlung from Munich was part of the research team: "During the past 15 years, we discovered and described over 100 new frog species from Madagascar, which led us to believe that our species inventory is almost complete. But as our new surveys show, there are many more species than we suspected," he said in a press statement. The paper suggests that the total biodiversity on the island could be much higher in other species as well, so the actual destruction of natural habitats may be affecting more animals than previously thought. This has important consequences for conservation planning, as the rate of destruction of rainforests in Madagascar has been one of the highest in the planet, with more than 80 percent of the historic surface of rainforest already lost, according to the study's authors. Almost a quarter of the new species discovered have not been found yet in protected areas, but the unstable political situation in Madagascar has also been cited as hampering conservation efforts. "Although a lot of reserves and national parks have been created in Madagascar during the last decade, the actual situation of politic instability is allowing the cut of the forest within national parks, generating a lot of uncertainty about the future of the planned network of protected areas", said Vieites. Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world and one of the most biodiverse areas globally, with a high degree of endemic species. "To get an idea of its biodiversity --while in the Iberian Peninsula [there] are about 30 species of amphibians and in Germany about 20, in a single locality in Madagascar we can find around 100 species of frogs," said Vieites. Dr. Miguel Vences, professor at the Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany, who was also part of the study team, and believes that a century of new species discovery is just beginning: "People think that we know which plant and animal species live on this planet. But the majority of life forms on Earth is still awaiting scientific recognition."

Nearly 200 new species of amphibians found on biodiversity hotspot of Madagascar . Study found many outside of the island's conservation areas . Political instability in the country makes conservation efforts extra difficult .

18677a3f6da0e49ffef4fc53520806af9faa7bde

(CNN) -- The Turkish Airlines plane that crashed this week in Amsterdam fell almost vertically to the ground, making only a short track in the muddy farmer's field where it went down, Dutch investigators said Friday. Dutch investigators continue to probe the crash site for more clues. That sudden drop indicates the aircraft did not have enough forward speed when it crashed, a spokesman for the Dutch Safety Board said, but the reasons for that are still unclear. It is too early to speculate on the cause of the crash, spokesman Fred Sanders told CNN. Reports that it was caused by engine failure are premature, he said. "There must have been ... reasons why the plane did not get enough speed," Sanders said. "We don't know yet why this came about, and that's the main thing that will have to be investigated." Wednesday's crash of Flight 1951 from Istanbul, Turkey, to Amsterdam killed nine and injured more than 60 of the 135 people on board. The crash, less than 500 yards short of the runway, split the plane into three parts. Watch crash survivors return home » . Weather conditions at the time were favorable. Passengers described feeling the plane suddenly drop before impact, and at least one passenger said he heard the pilot trying to give more power to the engines before the plane went down. Safety Board specialists are analyzing the flight data and voice recorders and expect to finish their work at the crash site this weekend, Sanders said. Pieces relevant to the probe will be brought to a hangar at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport for further analysis. Watch how survivors described crash » . The Safety Board may release preliminary findings next week, Sanders said. The nine dead included five Turks and four Americans, said Theo Weterings, the mayor of Haarlemmermeer municipality, where the airport is located. See where 737-800 has been involved in previous incidents » . There were four Boeing employees on the flight, and three were killed, the company said Friday in a posting on its Web site, citing the U.S. Embassy in Amsterdam as its source. The fourth employee is hospitalized. The flight's pilot, Captain Hasan Tahsin Arisan, with more than 12,000 hours in the cockpit of Boeing 737s, also died. Before becoming the pilot of passenger planes, Arisan was a Turkish Air Force squadron commander and F-4 Phantom Fighter pilot, famed for engaging in mock dog-fights with rival Greek pilots over the Aegean Sea. An airline workers union mired in an ugly labor dispute with Turkish Airlines called Friday for the resignation of the company's top management, as well as the sacking of top government ministers. Atilay Aycin, the chairman of Hava-Is which claims to represent 12,000 workers, denounced Turkish Airlines executives at a news conference Friday, accusing them of "failing to manage a crisis" and calling Wednesday's plane crash "work-related murder." A week before the accident, Hava-Is published a statement that accused Turkish Airlines management of "inviting a disaster" by "ignoring the most basic function of flight safety, which is plane maintenance services." After the crash, Turkish newspapers reported the Boeing 737 had had a series of malfunctions in the days and weeks before the fatal flight. Turkish Airlines defended its maintenance record. "Turkish Airlines, which strictly follows its work on flight safety, followed all the maintenance procedures of the plane manufacturer [and] national and international authorities' directives for this plane," an airline statement said. In its news release, Turkish Airlines noted a signal light and a wing-flap had recently been replaced on the aircraft. Turkey's flagship airline is well-rated internationally for its overall safety record. Some aviation industry experts in Turkey have played down the critical comments coming from Hava-Is, calling them overheated rhetoric. "These are just political slogans," said Savas Sen, a Turkish Airlines pilot and the head of Turkey Airline Pilots' Association. "It's just like an argument between a child and his father."

NEW: Dead pilot used to engage in mock dog fights when in Turkish air force . Investigators: Turkish Airlines plane fell almost vertically to ground . Sudden drop indicates aircraft did not have enough forward speed, official says . Three Boeing employees killed, one remains hospitalized, company says .

a2f0b1c374aa6a85160628e45c17fd0188fd46cf

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Actor Tim Roth is in an abandoned building near downtown Los Angeles, and he's about to mix things up. British actor Tim Roth plays a human lie detector on the hit series "Lie to Me." "This is a scene where the FBI is interrogating a suspect," Roth said. "I'm breaking into the interrogation to get information out of him using the sort of techniques that my character espouses as opposed to pressuring him." Roth, who plays Dr. Cal Lightman on the hit Fox series "Lie to Me," is shooting scenes for the season finale, which will air May 13. His character is an expert on body language and the detection of deception. "Our series is based on the idea that we can read what's going on across your face and if it's contradicting what you're actually saying," Roth said. Lightman and his colleague, Dr. Gillian Foster -- played by Kelli Williams -- run "The Lightman Group." They observe body language and interpret what it means in order to help law enforcement agencies see through the bull. His character is based on Dr. Paul Ekman, a specialist who reads clues embedded in the human face, body and voice to expose the truth in criminal investigations. Ekman, who in 2001 was named as one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century by the American Psychological Association, is a scientific consultant for the show. Roth says Ekman can be intimidating. "He makes me very, very nervous, Paul, you know," he said. "I mean, he's the sweetest man, as sweet as can be, but when he's around, you feel like your acting is really being judged." Roth is perhaps best known for his outings with famed director Quentin Tarantino. The British actor pulled off a convincing American accent in the cult classics "Reservoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction." He uses his true-Brit accent in "Lie to Me," which debuted in January and is one of the season's few successful new dramas. In a review for Entertainment Weekly, critic-at-large Ken Tucker wrote that "Like 'Monk' and 'Psych' and 'The Mentalist,' 'Lie' offers us an eccentric who's brought in by law enforcement to solve crimes." Though he gave the show a B-minus, Tucker praised Roth for "resist[ing] the cuddly/cranky." The show has quickly found its fan base, though ratings have declined slightly since the show was put in its 8 p.m. Wednesday time slot, ahead of "American Idol." (The first five episodes aired after "Idol.") "I got stopped because one of my lights was out and I was coming back from work and the guy, the cop that stopped me said 'Oh, we watch your show' and they seemed to enjoy it," said Roth. "ER" alum Mekhi Phifer is set to join the cast as an FBI agent for two episodes this season, starting Thursday. "I'm here to kick ass and take names, you know. So it's kind of different," Phifer said. "It's fun, you know. Obviously, I carry a gun and I'm in law enforcement rather than being a doctor." Phifer particularly likes acting in intense scenes with Roth. "I have my own way of doing it," he said. "It's a little different than the way Tim does it. It's a lot of fun, and we're having a great time." And will time spent on the show help Phifer better detect when people are lying to him in real life? "It's going to take a few more episodes, but I'm pretty perceptive," he said. Roth, however, makes no claims of special powers -- at least when he's away from the set. "I try not to know too much, because it actually is quite extraordinary," he says. "When you watch politicians on TV, you can use the stuff that Paul does to see if they're lying or not. I try not to take it home."

British actor Tim Roth stars in the hit Fox series "Lie to Me" Actor best known for his appearances in Quentin Tarantino films . Roth plays a body language expert who can detect liars . "ER" alum Mekhi Phifer is set to join the cast .

010178277d04a94875853b0db1e58cc7846f7f70

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Consumers in Beijing's malls and shops are shunning the milk and poultry sections -- for good reasons. Poultry products, including eggs, may be contaminated with melamine through animal food. They are shocked and scared by the news headlines: some food produced in China is tainted with melamine. "Of course I'm worried," says a woman shopping in Nanxiaojie Market. Stop eating eggs? "That's not possible," she tells CNN. "If there's a problem with eggs, it should be solved fundamentally." Chinese premier Wen Jiabao says China will take steps to win back consumers. "We will use our actions and high quality of our food products to win the trust and confidence of Chinese people and people around the world," he told reporters at the end of a two-day summit of Asian and European leaders in Beijing last weekend. Watch more about the tainted food scandal » . "Three minister-level officials have resigned and a government investigation is going on. Whoever is responsible must be brought to justice. We need to protect the Made in China brand," said Chinese analyst Victor Gao. But the problem could be more pervasive. The state-run Nanfang Daily published an investigative story saying that adding melamine into animal feed has become an "open secret." The report said adding melamine into feed started in the aquatic farming industry five years ago, as a way of faking higher protein levels. Learn more about chemical melamine » . It then spread into other agro-industries such as poultry. Even more shocking is the allegation that the melamine added is from industrial waste material. CNN contacted the Ministry of Agriculture about the story, but got no immediate response. Two years ago, reports revealed pet food exported from China to the United States was spiked with melamine and had sickened and killed dogs. Several weeks ago, the food scandal spread to milk, biscuits and candies. Now, it is tainted eggs. So far, no illnesses or deaths have been linked to eggs. Tests in Hong Kong last week showed eggs exported by a Chinese company are contaminated with excessive levels of melamine. In recent days three other brands of eggs have also been found to contain the chemical. Small wonder egg sales at the Xinfadi, a wholesale market in Beijing, dropped by 10 percent this week, according to the state-run China Daily. Chinese officials say the source of the problem is melamine, an industrial chemical used to produce plastics and fertilizer. Melamine is high in nitrogen. Unscrupulous milk suppliers would water down milk and spike it with melamine -- but in amounts that allowed it to still pass quality tests. Agriculture experts speculate that eggs tainted with melamine may be the result of tainted feed given to hens. That begs the question: if melamine was in the animal feed, will it make into the meat, and into consumers' bodies? Ingesting melamine in large doses over an extended period of time could cause kidney stones and other illnesses, agriculture and health experts say. But taking in a small amount of melamine poses no such danger. "If it's taken over a long period of time, maybe, but if it's ingested only for short period of time it does not pose harm on animals," says He Jiguo, a professor of food science and nutrition at the China Agriculture University. He says the animals that end up being slaughtered do not live that long and do not actually ingest enough melamine for it to build up in their systems. The dogs and cats that were sickened in the United States were probably eating treats and meals tainted with melamine over a long period of time, he explains. Until the situation is resolved, worried grocery shoppers in Beijing say they'll just have to eat fewer eggs and more bean-products, like soybeans.

Chinese premier Wen Jiabao says China will try to win back consumers . Melamine is said to have been added to animal food products . Report: Adding melamine to feed started in aquatic farming 5 years ago . Some grocery shoppers say to eat fewer eggs and more bean-products .

6b7aabcb186dbb15c128d754ccd80282a2d6566e

LONDON, England (CNN) -- If you want to peer inside your DNA, there's no shortage of companies offering avenues for doing so these days. A cheek swab or saliva sample is all firms need to scan your genes. But how much health-relevant information can they provide? The opportunity to have your complete genome mapped was recently auctioned on eBay -- with the winning bidder shelling out a cool $68,000 in the auction, which ended Monday. However, more cost-conscious consumers are more likely to send in a saliva sample to a company like Google-backed 23andMe, which will scan and analyze genetic information for about $400. The costs and services these firms offer vary widely, but they're basically chasing the same market: the customer who is curious about what their genes can tell them about themselves. Welcome to the world of personal genomics. A spate of firms -- from 23andMe and fellow Silicon Valley start-up Navigenics to Cambridge, Mass.-based Knome and Iceland's DeCode Genetics -- are vying to tap the growing interest in DNA analysis among individuals. They're upbeat about the promise of this business, saying that consumers' ability to gauge how their genes influence risk for diseases like diabetes and cancer could revolutionize health care. "The ability to treat disease is driven by the ability to assess risk. As knowledge builds up, it will increasingly become an unacceptable position not to have your genetic profile," says Kari Stefansson, chief executive of DeCode, one of the first firms to offer scans that allow individuals to examine their genomes. But analysts and researchers are a bit more cautious. While there's plenty of potential for retail genomics, they say the budding market is still in its early stages. Have you bought a retail DNA test? Share your story on iReport . Companies that offer personal DNA analysis have attracted the interest of individuals who are highly concerned with their health, as well as so-called early adopters who are enamored with new technologies. But the outlook for business opportunities is still hazy, mostly because there isn't a full understanding of the benefit of these tests in terms of identifying how and why diseases occur in people, according to Jonathan Witonsky, a health care analyst at consulting firm Frost & Sullivan.. Just how much health-relevant information consumers can glean remains hotly debated in the research community. Studies suggest that common maladies like heart disease and diabetes may result from the variations of several genes, rather than the single variants that many retail gene tests scan for. David Goldstein, head of the Center for Human Genome Variation at Duke University, believes that given the current knowledge of how genes influence disease, there is only a "recreational" use for retail tests. Like many other researchers, he believes the odds identified by these tests can be so marginal that they have a weak effect on health when compared to lifestyle or environmental factors. If someone wants to lower their risk for diabetes, for instance, they're better off exercising more and changing their diet than getting a retail gene test, Goldstein told CNN. Consumer genomics firms agree there is still much to be discovered, but they say providing consumers with the knowledge that is available to them is better than none at all. "It is an evolving science. To ignore the genetic markers that we currently understand would be complacency," says Vance Vanier, chief medical officer at Navigenics, which is backed by venture capital heavyweights Kleiner Perkins and Sequoia Capital. Linda Avey, co-founder of 23andMe, says arming people with information may help them turn their attention to prevention. "We think making this data available to people will help people focus their behavior and lifestyle." Companies are adjusting their services as new research becomes available, says Daniel MacArthur, a UK-based genetics researcher who follows the consumer genomics market on his blog, Genetic Future. "Right now, the genome scans offered by companies like 23andMe focus on common genetic variants, and don't pick up most rare variants like Huntington's disease mutations," he said. However, several companies are now beginning to add these rare, severe disease mutations into their tests, MacArthur said. The market may also get a boost as costs for complete genome sequencing continue to drop. Privately funded Knome currently charges $99,500 to map a complete genome. But many scientists foresee complete sequencing eventually falling to just $1,000. As it becomes more cost effective to conduct larger research studies, they anticipate discovering more medically relevant information. Being able to identify ahead of time whether you're at risk of disease is something that can be beneficial going forward," says Bill Buhr, an analyst at investment research firm Morningstar. He expects sales of services for testing genetic make-up to hit $1 billion in three years. "As the technology gets better, this potentially could be something more people get into," he said. Although Buhr, who covers DeCode, one of the few firms in the space that's publicly listed, said the outlook for the Icelandic firm was bleak. DeCode has been hit by the credit crisis, fueling chatter it's headed for bankruptcy. However Stefansson dismissed that speculation and told CNN the company expects to complete its restructuring by the end of May. It's too early to say whether consumer genomics is going mainstream, 23andMe's Avey says. But there's no denying there's tremendous interest among consumers. "It goes [back] to human nature. We're very curious about ourselves."

Handful of firms from 23andMe to DeCode offer DNA tests to individuals . But how much health-relevant information can be gleaned is hotly debated . Consumer genomics market in early stages, but has potential, analysts say .

5485bd5d45070717b729f84ef22da3667a49e3cd

BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) -- A 22-year-old medical student suspected of killing a woman he may have met through a Craigslist online ad was arraigned Tuesday and will be held without bail. Medical student Philip Markoff, 22, appears in court Tuesday in Boston, Massachusetts. Philip Markoff, a second-year student at Boston University's School of Medicine, listened intently but did not speak during the hearing in Boston Municipal Court. Dressed in a blue-striped shirt and slacks, Markoff was handcuffed and wearing leg irons. His attorney, John Salsberg, told reporters after the hearing that Markoff is "not guilty of the charges. He has his family's support. I have not received any document or report or piece of evidence other than what I heard in the courtroom. All I have at the moment are words -- no proof of anything." A woman identifying herself as Markoff's fiancee also maintained his innocence in an e-mail sent to ABC News. Megan McAllister said Markoff "is the wrong man" and "was set up." "Unfortunately, you were given wrong information as was the public," McAllister wrote. "All I have to say to you is Philip is a beautiful person inside and out and could not hurt a fly!" She accused Boston police of "trying to make big bucks by selling this false story to the TV stations. What else is new??" Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel Conley told reporters, "This was a brutal, vicious crime -- savage. And it shows that Philip Markoff is a man who's willing to take advantage of women -- to hurt them, to beat them, to rob them." A procedural not-guilty plea was entered on Markoff's behalf, Conley said. A Boston University spokeswoman said the school suspended Markoff, who has no criminal record, when it learned of the charges on Monday. Markoff is charged with killing 26-year-old Julissa Brisman of New York on April 14 at Boston's Copley Marriott Hotel. Evidence from the scene suggests that Brisman "put up a fight," prosecutor Jennifer Hickman said during the hearing Tuesday. Police said Brisman, a model, advertised as a masseuse on Craigslist, a popular online classifieds service. She sustained blunt head trauma, Hickman said, and was shot three times at close range. One of those bullets passed through her heart, killing her, she said. Markoff is also charged in connection with the robbery four days earlier of a woman at a Westin Hotel. In that case, the woman made arrangements to meet a man through Craigslist for a massage at the hotel, but was held at gunpoint and bound, Hickman said. She was robbed of $800 and personal items, and left tied to a door handle with duct tape over her mouth, Hickman said in court Tuesday. Police said earlier the Westin victim was 29. She was not identified. Authorities believe the motive in Brisman's death was robbery, Conley told reporters, and she was killed during a struggle. In executing a search warrant at Markoff's home, police found a firearm, along with restraints and duct tape, he said. Watch police say assailant has perused Craigslist ads » . Surveillance videos from the hotel where Brisman was murdered showed a tall, clean-cut young blond man in a black windbreaker leaving the property, according to Boston police, who sought public assistance identifying the man. Police traced the Internet communications with Brisman to an e-mail account opened the day before her death, Conley said. Using Internet provider information, they found the computer was at Markoff's residence in Quincy, Massachusetts, he said. Authorities put the home under surveillance, Conley said, and "the case just begins to build from there." "This poor woman, Julissa Brisman, no matter what choices she made or decisions she made in life, she is a human being who's entitled to dignity and respect," Conley said. There may be more victims that authorities are unaware of, he said, adding that the prosecutor's goal is to hold Markoff accountable, not to pursue women who may be advertising on Craigslist. "If you have been a victim like these victims have, please come forward," he said. Markoff is "bearing up," according to attorney Salsberg. "It's obviously a difficult time for anybody in these circumstances with the charges that have been brought against him. ... He's pleaded not guilty. He is not guilty," said Salsberg. McAllister, in her e-mail to ABC, wrote, "Philip is an intelligent man who is just trying to live his life, so if you could leave us alone we would greatly appreciate it. We expect to marry in August and share a wonderful, meaningful life together." The couple's wedding Web site had been taken down or was unavailable as of Tuesday afternoon. Authorities in Boston are working with police in Warwick, Rhode Island, on what could be a related case. On April 16 at a Holiday Inn Express in Warwick, a man tied up and demanded money from a 26-year-old dancer who had posted a Craigslist advertisement, Warwick Police Chief Col. Stephen McCartney said. The robbery was interrupted when the woman's husband entered the room. After pointing his gun at the husband, the suspect fled, McCartney said. He said no conclusions could be made yet, but allowed that the incident "may be related to similar crimes occurring in the Boston area." Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster told CNN the company is "horrified and deeply saddened that our community services have been associated in any way whatsoever with a crime of violence." He promised that Craigslist will evaluate the incident to see if additional measures could be introduced to protect users. CNN's Mary Snow and Jason Kessler contributed to this report.

Not-guilty plea entered in Philip Markoff's behalf in woman's slaying in Boston . Prosecutors say semiautomatic firearm found in search of student's home . CEO says Craigslist looking for ways to make site safer in wake of killing . E-mail from suspect's fiancee says police have "wrong man"

d3789d7ae2413138995354a0518f1093f7516048

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Safety advocates are fighting efforts to allow tractor-trailers to carry heavier loads on highways, saying the trucks are already too dangerous. But at least one group says adding an axle would improve safety margins so such loads can be carried. Mark and Tracy Quinichett, whose daughter was killed in a wreck, speak Monday against raising trucks' load limits. "It is a public health crisis," policy activist Joan Claybrook said Monday, announcing a petition drive to fight larger loads that could be authorized as part of a transportation bill moving through Congress. At a Monday news conference, Claybrook -- who chaired the National Highway Transportation Administration during the Carter administration -- and her Truck Safety Coalition presented several families who have lost a loved one to a highway accident involving commercial trucks. A new Web site from the coalition, StopBiggerTrucks.org, provides statistics the group believes will persuade people to pressure lawmakers to leave truck limits as they stand. But an industry group, the Coalition for Transportation Productivity, hopes lawmakers will approve a proposal to add an axle to today's big rigs -- an action it says will allow higher load limits and lead to safer roads. Adding an axle would give big rigs 22 wheels, up from the current 18. Without the change, "more trucks will have to take to the road" to handle rising cargo demand, said John Runyan, co-chairman of the truck cargo industry group. Runyan was at the back of the room during the other group's news conference, where families gave tearful accounts of losing loved ones in truck wrecks. One of those couples, Mark and Tracy Quinichett, lost their 21-year-old daughter a few months ago when a truck's wheel flew off and crashed through the windshield of her car on the Capital Beltway outside Washington. "The larger the trucks -- it's just so much more dangerous. And if they are allowed to make these trucks larger, it's going to be a real, real problem, even more than it is right now," Mark Quinichett said. Runyan told CNN that going from 18 wheels to 22 wheels would allow for the safe transportation of heavier loads because the weight would be more evenly distributed.

A petition drive is fighting effort to let trucks carry larger loads . "It is a public health crisis," policy activist Joan Claybrook says . Truck industry group argues adding wheels would make heavier loads safe . Industry group: If load limit isn't increased, we'll need more trucks on the road .

ba9cf67ef4b69bf3e4ef9946b775fd80e7e0ea24

(Mental Floss) -- Although you probably use it every day, here's some interesting trivia you may not know about deodorant. Actor Matthew McConaughey reportedly doesn't wear deodorant. 1. Be thankful for your foul body odor. According to anthropologist Louis Leakey, it might be responsible for early man's survival. Leakey's theory claims that most predators avoided feasting on humans because our body odor was "too repugnant." 2. Not only did the ancient Egyptians give us pyramids and flush toilets, they also pioneered the field of deodorants. Egyptians were the first to popularize the idea of applying scents to armpits, usually using cinnamon and other spices that wouldn't turn rancid in the heat. 3. The Roman poet Ovid preferred a more proactive solution. In Book III of the Art of Love, he cautions women against carrying goats under their arms. 4. Antiperspirants are classified as drugs by the FDA. Technically, they affect and/or alter your body's natural functions. 5. The first modern brand of antiperspirant, EverDry, hit drugstores in 1903. The original formula was so acidic that it regularly ate through clothing. 6. Of course, modern antiperspirants can also ruin your clothing. Aluminum chloride, the ingredient that blocks glandular openings and prevents sweating, is notorious for turning T-shirts yellow. So, blame your antiperspirant for your pit stains, not your body. 7. Offensive body odor is actually illegal in libraries in San Luis Obispo County, California. Mental Floss: Weird wedding laws still on the books . 8. One thing modern antiperspirants don't do is cause degenerative diseases. Medical science has found no conclusive evidence that absorbing aluminum chloride through the skin can lead to memory loss or slurred speech. 9. Aoki, a Japanese company known for its menswear, has developed a deodorant suit that supposedly absorbs sweat and neutralizes odors all over the body. 10. But that's nothing! The greatest Japanese innovation in the fight against B.O. is Fuwarinka scented gum. The so-called "functional candy" contains aromatic compounds that cause your skin to release "Fresh Citrus" or "Fruity Rose" aromas for up to 6 hours after chewing. 11. When Kurt Cobain wrote the lyrics for Nirvana's breakout song "Smells Like Teen Spirit," he didn't know Teen Spirit was a popular deodorant brand. The Mennen Company, which produced the deodorant, wouldn't say whether the song caused sales to spike, but six months after the single debuted, Colgate bought the company for $670 million. Mental Floss: 7 food promotions gone horribly wrong . 12. In May 2008, actor Matthew McConaughey revealed that he never uses deodorant or antiperspirant. The next day, he received a year's supply of deodorant body spray from the Axe Company, along with a note on why he might want to start. For more mental_floss articles, visit mentalfloss.com . Entire contents of this article copyright, Mental Floss LLC. All rights reserved.

Anthropologist: Predators avoided early humans because body odor too rank . Egyptians were first to popularize applying scents to armpits . Offensive body odor is actually illegal in one U.S. city's libraries . Actor Matthew McConaughey reportedly doesn't wear deodorant .

814ebf3b8bc583b672d0488c150bcfe87ca8c422

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Two Americans banned from entering the United Kingdom because the government feels they have been "stirring up hatred" responded by slamming the country's home secretary, and one of them threatened to sue her. Jacqui Smith said she did not hesitate to name and shame those who foster extremist views. Radio talk show host Michael Savage and the anti-gay Rev. Fred Phelps were listed Tuesday among white supremacists and radical Islamic clerics who will not be allowed into the country. Savage, whose conservative daily show can be heard on radio stations across America, lashed out in an audio clip on his Web site and devoted seven stories on his main page to the ban. He is listed under his real name, Michael Alan Wiener. Britain's Home Office said it decided to exclude the 22 people on the list after measures by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith last year targeting people "who have engaged in spreading hate." "She has painted a target on my back, linking me with people who are in prison for killing people," Savage said. "How could they put Michael Savage in the same league as mass murderers when I have never avowed violence?" Watch more about Savage's reaction » . According to the British Home Office, Savage is on the list for "seeking to provoke others to serious criminal acts and fostering hatred which might lead to inter-community violence." Smith said she is determined to keep those who "spread extremism, hatred and violent messages" out of the country. "Coming to the UK is a privilege, and I refuse to extend that privilege to individuals who abuse our standards and values to undermine our way of life," Smith said. "Therefore, I do not hesitate to name and shame those who foster extremist views, as I want them to know that they are not welcome here. The Home Office named only 16 people on the list, saying it was not in the public interest to disclose the names of the other six. Savage called Smith a "witch" in the audio clip and asked why six names on the list weren't released. He also questioned why North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez didn't make the list. Savage said he has seven attorneys working on a defamation lawsuit against Smith and encouraged his listeners to call off any travel plans to England and boycott all British products. Savage's show is not syndicated in England. The outspoken Kansas Rev. Fred Phelps and his daughter, Shirley Phelps-Roper, also made the list for "engaging in unacceptable behavior and fostering hatred." Phelps did not issue a response on his Web site. However, the site linked to a British news story on the ban and the link called Smith a "neo-Nazi dyke" and "filthy God-hater." Phelps and his followers at Topeka's Westboro Baptist Church oppose homosexuality. They picket the funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq, saying their deaths are God's way of punishing the United States for supporting homosexuals. They have expressed similar views about the victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks and Hurricane Katrina. The church's slogan is "God Hates Fags." Also on the list: . • Former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard Don Black, who established the white supremacist Web site Stormfront, which the Home Office called one of the oldest and largest hate group sites. • Eric Gliebe, chairman of the National Alliance, one of the largest neo-Nazi groups in the United States. The Home Office accused Gliebe of "justifying terrorist violence, provoking others to commit serious crime and fostering racial hatred." • Samir al Quntar, a Lebanese man who spent three decades in prison for killing four Israeli soldiers and a 4-year-old girl in 1979. Al Quntar is listed for "engaging in unacceptable behavior by seeking to foment, justify or glorify terrorist violence" in order to provoke terrorist acts, the Home Office said. • Nasr Javed, a leader of the Kashmiri militant group, Lashkar e Taiba. • Islamic clerics Abdul Ali Musa, Abdullah Qadri Al Ahdal, Amir Siddique, Yunis Al Astal and Safwat Hijazi. • Wadgy Abd El Hamied Mohamed Ghoneim, whom the Home Office describes as a prolific writer and speaker. The Home Office said he has sought "to foment, justify or glory terrorist violence in furtherance of particular beliefs and to provoke others to commit terrorist acts." • Mike Guzofsky, the leader of a militant Jewish group who also has ties to Kahane Chai, a group that the U.S. State Department lists as a foreign terrorist organization. • Russian skinheads Artur Ryno and Pavel Skachevsky, whom the Home Office said are "leaders of a violent gang that beat migrants and posted films of their attacks on the Internet."

Talk show host asks why Hugo Chavez, Kim Jong Il not on list . UK Home Office: 22 people banned from Britain for "stirring up hatred" Home Office named only 16 of those on the list . Ex-Ku Klux Klansman, Russian skinheads, radical Islamic clerics also on list .

4080315430b11c32edb5c60f7a3f99dd2e89cc17

CRANWELL, England (CNN) -- Britain's oldest man and the oldest living veteran of World War I was celebrating his 112th birthday Friday with a party and a fly-past at an air force base. Henry Allingham at a 90th anniversary celebration of the Royal Air Force this year. Henry Allingham is the last surviving member of the Royal Naval Air Service, which he joined in 1915. He saw action at the Battle of Jutland off Denmark the following year, according to the Ministry of Defense. Allingham is also the last surviving founding member of the Royal Air Force, which was created in 1918, nine months before the end of the war. He left the service a year later, the defense ministry said. Friday's events were happening at the Royal Air Force base in Cranwell, England, about 120 miles north of London. Friends of his at the base said Allingham, who arrived in a wheelchair, was looking "fresh." After a birthday lunch, aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, an aerial display team, planned to fly overhead, the base said. Members of the Falcons Parachute Display Team then planned to drop in and present Allingham with a birthday card from the chief of Britain's air staff. Allingham is Britain's oldest man and the oldest surviving member of the armed forces, according to Guinness World Records. The former aircraft engineer still travels and makes public appearances at military events and commemorations. In July, Allingham had a private audience with Queen Elizabeth and attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace. In November, he laid a wreath in St. Omer, France -- where he was stationed during the war -- to celebrate Armistice Day, the end of World War I. Allingham said last year that he remains active to emphasize the importance of remembering the conflict. "I don't do these things because I enjoy doing them but to keep the memory alive of all my comrades who fought and died in the First World War," he told the Ministry of Defense.

Britain's oldest man, oldest veteran from World War I, celebrates his 112th birthday . Henry Allingham last founding member of the Royal Air Force, formed in 1918 . Ex-aircraft engineer still travels, makes public appearances at military events .

5e105dbe323aecdc99ead835bc418e38627e8312

(CNN) -- A fourth man was charged Tuesday with murder in the shooting death of University of Memphis football player Taylor Bradford, Memphis police said. Devin Jefferson, 21, planned the armed robbery of Bradford because he thought the football player was carrying a large amount of cash, police said. "He was the brain trust on this one, he was the one that got the information that Taylor had cash," Sgt. Vince Higgins said. "Taylor and Jefferson knew each other. They had a girlfriend in common so there was some history there." Police investigating a car crash on September 30 found Bradford, 21, fatally wounded near the campus residence hall area. He had apparently gotten into his car after he was shot and drove a short distance before crashing into a tree. The 5-foot-11, 300-pound defensive lineman from Nashville was taken to Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. DaeShawn Tate, 21, Victor Trezevant, 21, and Courtney Washington, 22, have been charged with murder in perpetration of attempted aggravated robbery, Memphis Police Department Director Larry Godwin said Monday. Homicide investigators developed their case with the help of a citizen's tip and from Crimestoppers, Godwin said. "It was an attempted robbery, aggravated robbery," he said. "He [Bradford] was targeted because of some information that was out there and the fact that they believed he had some cash, or he had something that they wanted." Officials at the 21,000-student school said Bradford, a marketing major who lived on campus, was popular with the football team and on the campus. He had transferred from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and was 36 credit hours short of graduation. E-mail to a friend .

Devin Jefferson, 21, charged with murder in shooting death of football player . University of Memphis athlete Taylor Bradford, 21, found dead September 30 . Three others in custody; police say Jefferson was the "brain trust" behind crime . After player was shot, he got in his car, drove off and then crashed into a tree .

eabd8d65f23575cfd527d4b1dd405808c58dc8d5

(CNN) -- Comic and best-selling author Joy Behar appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live" Wednesday. Joy Behar and her co-hosts on "The View" were recently named on the Time 100 most influential list. "The View" co-host discussed a variety of topics, including the Miss California USA pageant, her feud with Donald Trump and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's political future. The following is an edited version of the interview. Larry King: It looks like Donald Trump has made up with Barbara (Walters). How are you and Donald now? Joy Behar: You would not believe how friendly he was to me today at "The View." The man was all over me. First of all, in the green room after the show, he actually kissed me. I don't think that he kisses anybody. He came up to me and he actually kissed me and hugged me. It was weird. King: Because he criticized you, as you know, in the past. Behar: Well, he said that you hit me hard and so I went back at you. I don't remember even what I said. I made a joke about his hair, I think. But, you know, I'm done with that anyway. It's an old story. I'm not interested in his hair anymore, and we're fine. Watch Behar dish » . King: What did you make of (the controversy with Miss California USA), Joy? Behar: This Miss California girl, I think she's doing great. I mean who even thinks of Miss USA? Nobody even knows Miss USA exists. She's got a great career ahead of her now, where everybody sees how gorgeous she is. She's winning the race, believe me, and with new boobs. Who can ask for anything more? King: What do you think of the fact that your program made the (Time magazine) most influential list? View the list . Behar: That is my favorite, that we are on the most influential list. I never thought I would see this day. I just feel like good, now I can have some influence on Ahmadinejad, (Benjamin) Netanyahu. Maybe I can have some influence on the world. King: Elizabeth Edwards, as we all know, is battling breast cancer, coping with the fallout of her husband's infidelity, selling a new book, too. What do you make of that whole situation, Joy? Behar: You know, what is it with these political wives who love to stand by their men? I happen to like Elizabeth Edwards very much. She's been on the show and I've met her a couple of times. She's a really nice person, and he's a dog, you know? Let's tell it like it is. He's a dog and people do not like him. I think his political career is over, and it's disappointing because he was a decent Democrat. He had his heart in the right place. He was a good liberal, and now he's out of the picture. Although it didn't stop Newt Gingrich, who also told his wife he wanted a divorce when she was in the hospital. So, you know, bad taste, I guess, doesn't hurt all of their careers. So we never know what's going to happen to him. I just feel bad for her. King: Let's move to another politician, Sarah Palin. What's your read on the governor? Behar: Well, you know, they're talking about her as the new Republican Party. If that's what they want for their new Republican Party, that's fine -- somebody who doesn't believe in a woman's choice, someone who doesn't believe in evolution, someone who is, you know, loves to hunt and kill animals or whatever. I don't know what her reasoning is. Then fine. ... And doesn't really believe in global warming. She and Rush Limbaugh constantly are talking about how there's no problem. I mean this guy, Rush Limbaugh, I used to work with him years ago, and I've sort of been friendly with him in a certain weird kind of way. He constantly is talking about how there is no global warming. Every climatologist in the world says there's global warming. Every scientist has said there is a problem. We're all on this Earth together and this guy goes out and says that there's no global warming. Who is he? What is he talking about and who are these ditto heads that agree with him, I'd like to know? Aren't they breathing the same air that we are? King: Do you think Palin will be a presidential (candidate)? Do you think she's going to get up pretty close to getting that nomination? Behar: Oh, I hope so. I would love to see that, because whoever is running against her, that's going to be, you know, a slam dunk, in my opinion. Because every time the woman is in an interview, she shows herself to be very, very shallow -- you know, as they say, stunningly superficial on another network. So, let her run. I hope she runs.

"The View," co-hosted by Joy Behar, named to Time 100 most influential list . Behar: Miss California USA has "great career" ahead of her . Behar calls John Edwards "a dog" for his infidelity . Behar says whoever runs against Sarah Palin would be "slam dunk"

d7eb9a1602218304c11f2dc3f4da5e0d2248f968

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Hydroxycut products, popular dietary supplements used for weight loss, have been linked to liver damage and are being recalled, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday. The FDA has received 23 reports of serious liver injuries, including a death, linked to Hydroxycut products. The FDA said it has received 23 reports of serious liver injuries linked to Hydroxycut products, which are also used as energy enhancers and as fat burners. The reports include the 2007 death of a 19-year-old man living in the Southwest, which was reported to the FDA in March. Other serious liver problems reported included liver damage that resulted in a transplant in 2002, liver failure, jaundice, seizures and cardiovascular problems. The FDA is warning consumers to immediately stop using 14 Hydroxycut products manufactured by Iovate Health Sciences Inc. of Oakville, Ontario, and distributed by Iovate Health Sciences USA Inc. of Blasdell, New York. The company is voluntarily recalling the following products: Hydroxycut Regular Rapid Release Caplets, Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Rapid Release Caplets, Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Caplets, Hydroxycut Max Liquid Caplets, Hydroxycut Regular Drink Packets, Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Drink Packets, Hydroxycut Hardcore Drink Packets (Ignition Stix), Hydroxycut Max Drink Packets, Hydroxycut Liquid Shots, Hydroxycut Hardcore RTDs (Ready-to-Drink), Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed, Hydroxycut 24, Hydroxycut Carb Control and Hydroxycut Natural. Watch more on the FDA's concern » . According to the FDA, last year, Iovate sold more than 9 million units of Hydroxycut products, which were distributed widely to grocery stores, health food stores and pharmacies. "The FDA urges consumers to discontinue use of Hydroxycut products in order to avoid any undue risks. Adverse events are rare, but exist. Consumers should consult a physician or other health care professional if they experience symptoms possibly associated with these products," said Dr. Linda Katz, interim chief medical officer of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Liver damage is rare, but patients who experienced problems were taking doses recommended on the product label, the FDA said. Symptoms include brown urine, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, stomach pain, itching and light-colored stools. The FDA has not determined what specific ingredients are responsible for the problems, because the products contain a variety of overlapping ingredients and herbal extracts. Dietary supplements sold before October 1994 are not required to undergo any FDA review before going to market. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 required manufacturers to ensure a supplement to be safe before marketing. But manufacturers still don't need to register a product with the FDA or get approval before selling a supplement. The agency can take action against an unsafe supplement once it's on the market. Since December 2007, any serious adverse event reported to the manufacturer must now be reported to the FDA within 15 days. The Council for Responsible Nutrition, the leading trade association representing the dietary supplement industry, said that both the FDA and Iovate "took appropriate action today." "We commend FDA for warning consumers of a potential safety problem associated with these products, and were encouraged to see that the company -- Iovate Health Sciences -- agreed to recall the products from the market until further determinations can be made," said Steve Mister, the council's president and CEO.

FDA recalls Hydroxycut products after 23 liver injuries and one death . Hydroxycut products used as popular dietary supplement for weight loss . Damage from product: liver failure, jaundice, seizures, cardiovascular problems .

4420fa95640c6a5d31ac6d47aab40532c2fe94d8

(CNN) -- A man suspected of killing five members of his family and wounding another on Thursday committed suicide after police surrounded him in a house, police in Cleveland, Ohio, said Friday. Police say Davon Crawford, 33, killed his new wife, her sister and three children. Acting on a tip, police surrounded the house and then entered it after seeing a man who matched the description of suspect Davon Crawford briefly step outside, police spokesman Lt. Thomas Stacho said. "They confronted the male hiding in a bathroom," Stacho said. "When he spotted the agents, then he took his own life." Cleveland police launched a manhunt Thursday for Crawford, 33, suspected of killing his new wife, Lechea Crawford, 30; her sister, Rose Stevens, 25; and three of Stevens' children, Destiny Woods, 5, and 2-year-old twins Dion and Davion Primm. A 7-year-old boy was shot and hospitalized, Julie Short, a spokeswoman for MetroHealth Medical Center, said Friday. The boy's grandfather told CNN affiliate WEWS that the boy was in stable condition and talking after having been shot in the shoulder. A fourth child, a 12-year-old boy, managed to escape, WKYC reported. The Cleveland Plain Dealer also reported that a 2-month-old girl, the daughter of Davon and Lechea Crawford, escaped the shooting unharmed and is being cared for. Police began searching for Crawford, 33, Thursday night after receiving a call around 8 p.m. to the upper floor of a duplex. "It looks like it was some type of domestic argument that sparked this tragedy," Police Chief Michael McGrath said Friday. The CNN Radio Network contributed to this story.

NEW: Davon Crawford shoots self after police find him in bathroom . Crawford was accused of shooting wife, her sister and her three children . 12-year-old escaped; 7-year-old in hospital after being shot . "Domestic argument" may have sparked shooting, police chief says .

a6067be77650dacff1679be33f83df7053e6342c

(CNN) -- Elisabeth Hasselbeck, co-host of "The View" and author of the new book, "The G-Free Diet," spoke Wednesday with Larry King. Elizabeth Hasselbeck, of "The View," says Bristol Palin is an ideal choice to speak about teen abstinence. Hasselbeck offers her thoughts on being the sole conservative on her show, Elizabeth Edwards dealing with her husband's infidelity, Bristol Palin being abstinence spokeswoman and her battle with celiac disease. The following is an edited version of the interview. Larry King: Were you surprised that "The View" made the most influential list of Time magazine? Elisabeth Hasselbeck: I sure was. I think it's truly a tribute to what Barbara (Walters) has done and the show that she created along with Bill Geddie, our executive producer. It's a great place for women to come to and listen -- men, as well. But, also, for us to get there every day and discuss everything from politics to motherhood and parenting. But it was a shock. I think any time you receive an honor such as that, it's shocking. Watch Hasselbeck defend Bristol Palin » . King: As the definitive conservative in the group, do you feel like the outcast? Do you feel put upon? Hasselbeck: I never feel like an outcast there. If anything, I feel more included than ever. I mean, truly that is a table where respect is number one, in terms of we sort of have a vow to one another. And we couldn't come there every single day and talk about the things that -- that we discuss and have the debates that we do and get as fiery as we do and get back there the next day if there wasn't that respect at the table and true value for the others' opinion. I mean the more we tend to disagree, I think the more we sort of dig deeper into that relationship. King: So the anger doesn't carry over? Hasselbeck: No. I wouldn't even classify it as anger. I think it's passion, and I think it's passion with purpose. You know, we do believe different things at times. Occasionally, we agree. It may not be that interesting when we do, but there is passion. It is coming from different places, but we love that conversation. I love being able to hear someone else's opinion on a subject and maybe sort of, you know, push a button here and there and see what they think about what I have to say. King also talked with Hasselbeck about Bristol Palin, the daughter of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, being a spokeswoman for abstinence. King: What do you make of that choice? Hasselbeck: I think she's the perfect choice. She has a tangible, living example of what this new responsibility is in her life. I believe that there is a sort of sadistic giddiness on the part of some true radical leftists, who are laughing behind-the-scenes about Bristol Palin's situation. Why are they so obsessed with her being a spokesperson for this? She's promoting a great thing -- abstinence. Find me something else that works 100 percent of the time. King: Elizabeth Edwards has gone public about her pain about her husband's infidelity. Yesterday on this show, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Joy Behar, your compatriot, called John Edwards a dog. Do you agree? Hasselbeck: You never understand the intimacies of someone's relationship with their spouse -- I mean or boyfriend, partner, etc. Those are places that only the two people truly understand. I think we're also looking at a woman of incredible strength, having looked at cancer and battled through. I believe that nothing, truly, can compare to that. And, you know, it's unfortunate. I think this alleged affair and, you know, disturbance, even in terms of allegedly funding his mistress' foundation, is even more complicating the matter. The idea of another child in the mix (is) disturbing as well. King: Elisabeth, Miss California USA Carrie Prejean -- first, the controversy over gay marriage statements and now scandal over semi-nude modeling photos of her. What do you think of the way she's being treated in the media? Hasselbeck: Well, I think there's a very specific witch hunt going on here because she expressed her opinion. So now we're going to dig and throw fear into the heart of any person who may want to freely express their opinion in the United States of America. That seems like a big bullying scheme to me. If she had answered the other way, would anyone have been searching for those photos? Would they want to vilify her or remove what she's been working for? I don't understand the pageant well, and I don't know what her responsibilities were. Was she to represent the state of California in her opinions and was she to represent the opinions of a young woman who believed in her heart one thing? That's her personal opinion. I'm not sure what her duties were or were to be. I do know this, though. I'm not sure this investigation into any sort of photos or background or family members that they're pulling out of left and right would have even occurred if she had given an answer on the other side. So it seems to me a bit of a bullying scheme, as I said before, and that disturbing. We should be able to have our opinions in this country and stand by them and at least be respected, at the very least. Later in the interview King talked with Hasselbeck about her new book, "The G-Free Diet: A Gluten-Free Survival Guide." King: Now, (when) we think of gluten, we think of wheat, right? Hasselbeck: Well, it's actually more than that. Gluten is a protein found in barley, oats, wheat and rye. It's more broad than most people actually think, so that is definitely a misconception out there. This has been a decade-long process for me. I have celiac disease, and I say out of diabetes came that low glycemic index diet and out of my celiac disease, I found this all-star diet. I call it my "diet in the rough" because it is something that, even if I didn't have celiac disease, like many others, I would follow this diet. You know, over 10 years ago, I was diagnosed with IBS, thyroid issues. I was having infertility problems. People suffer miscarriage after miscarriage, stillbirth. It eventually leads to intestinal cancer. This is something that needs to be treated. But the diet is actually, yes, for people with celiac disease, for millions with food intolerance that is up like 25 percent in the past five years (and) for people who just want a healthy lifestyle. I mean I'm on this diet before I'm pregnant, during pregnancy and when I'm trying to get back in my bikini to, you know, strut around in the summer.

Elisabeth Hasselbeck says "radical leftists" laughing at Bristol Palin's situation . Hasselbeck calls Miss California USA controversy "a big bullying scheme" Hasselbeck, who has celiac disease, wrote book on gluten-free lifestyle .

85390d5083494ab234d5e922147c8c189d12e94d

(CNN) -- "Get yourself together." Mary Williams repeated those three words often to her 28-year-old daughter, who served three years in a Kansas prison for a 1988 armed robbery. Donnie Belcher, 7, visits her mother, Wanda Taylor, at Lansing Correctional Facility in Kansas in 1991. Williams never judged her daughter, Wanda Taylor, for the crime or the crack cocaine addiction that fueled it. There was no need to pick at the past. Instead, Williams looked to the future. The future was her granddaughter, Donnie Belcher, a shy 4-year-old girl with curly hair who cried inconsolably from behind the glass the first time she visited her mother in jail. The little girl's mother was locked up for three years, leaving her in the care of her grandmother. "It was hard on me," said Belcher, now 25. "I never wanted to leave my mother." Belcher defied the odds, growing up straight as an arrow despite having a mother in prison. Her childhood was part of a national trend. The incarceration rates for U.S. mothers began to surge in the 1980s, fueled by the crack cocaine epidemic and tougher mandatory sentencing laws, experts said. A recent study by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics found the number of incarcerated mothers rose 131 percent from 1991 to 2007, while the number of fathers in prison increased 77 percent during the same period. According to the Sentencing Project, a Washington-based nonprofit, about 1.7 million children have a parent in prison. "We should be alarmed," said Georgia Lerner, executive director at the Women's Prison Association, a national nonprofit working with incarcerated women. "Even when children have seen their mothers get arrested, they still want to be with their parents," Lerner said. "They still love their mothers and want to be together." While some critics argue that criminals make poor parents, experts said there is no doubt that separation from a parent, particularly a mother, affects a child's psychological development. When a father is imprisoned, the mother typically cares for the children, said Danielle Dallaire, a psychology professor at the College of William and Mary. But her research shows that when a mother is incarcerated, the father often plays no role in raising the children left behind. Federal statistics show children are five times more likely to end up in foster care when a mother is sent to prison than when a father is imprisoned. Read the Federal Report . Belcher's grandmother, Williams, stepped in because she didn't want the child in foster care. The girl's father was not in the picture. For three years, Williams, a single mother herself, drove her granddaughter twice a month to see her mother. They never missed a visit, despite having to travel to several prisons across Kansas. After passing through the metal detectors and being frisked by security officers, the girl showed off the A's she received from school or told her mother about which boy had cooties. Each visit lasted two hours. Belcher often asked, "When will you come home?" "Soon," her mother said. "Soon." Find out what Taylor and her family learned from her time in prison » . A growing number of prisons are recognizing the need to preserve mother-child relationships. They have staffed nurseries and day care centers to keep families connected. Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, a maximum security women's prison in New York, is host to an annual summer camp run by volunteers. At camp, children can play basketball and participate in other activities with their incarcerated mothers. In May, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is reuniting moms and dads with their children. The "Get on the Bus" program provides 700 children with free rides to the prisons. The three years without Taylor were financially difficult for Williams, who was approaching retirement age. In her 50s at the time, she worked as a dental assistant to support her granddaughter. She poured all her time and effort into the quiet little girl. She packed her schedule with Girl Scouts and free summer camps, determined to make sure her granddaughter stayed out of trouble. "Kids would tease me and say to me, 'Why is your mom so old?' " Belcher recalled. Belcher was elated on May 29, 1991, when her mother returned to their home in Kansas City, Missouri, after serving three years of an eight-year sentence. Taylor got sober and attained her GED behind bars. She returned to find her 7-year-old daughter blossoming into her polar opposite. The girl put her head into books and graced the honor roll regularly. She didn't rebel. "I wanted to be everything my mother wasn't," Belcher said. "I loved my mom, but I couldn't do what she did." "I did it all," said Taylor, now 48. By 13, she skipped school frequently to attend "hooky parties" where she used drugs and alcohol. By 16, she dropped out of high school. "When you're out there, you're out there." The years after Taylor's release from prison also were tough on the mother-daughter relationship. As an adolescent, Belcher battled feelings of bitterness toward her mother and feared her mother would relapse. "I felt angry," Belcher said, and the anger only grew during her high school years. "It wasn't fair to me. Why did I have to have a mother like that?" Belcher threw herself into academics and excelled. She knew that many children without parents often end up in trouble and behind bars themselves. She didn't want that for herself. "She had a life where she could have just gave up, but she didn't do that," said Williams, now 71. "She went straight ahead." By 13, she was writing poetry. By 16, she was a track star at her high school and at the top of her class. She entered DePaul University in 2002 with nearly 50 scholarships. Belcher is a high school English teacher at Whitney M. Young Magnet High School, a college preparatory school that boasts alums like Michelle Obama. She has a cozy apartment in Chicago, Illinois -- her first home that is all her own. This summer, she will apply for grants to start her own nonprofit to help children of incarcerated parents stay out of trouble. Belcher said she admires her mother's resilience. She watched her search tirelessly for a job, despite her felony record. She is proud of her mother, who worked her way up to become a successful child care operator for the state of Minnesota after years of working in factories and fast food restaurants. Today, her mother resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and her grandmother still lives in Kansas City, Missouri. "You can't always control life's circumstances, but you can control how you react to them," Belcher said. Her mother and grandmother will visit Belcher this weekend to celebrate completion of her master's degree -- and Mother's Day.

Donnie Belcher's mother was incarcerated when she was 4 . Number of incarcerated mothers exploded 131 percent from 1991 to 2007 . "I wanted to be everything my mother wasn't," Belcher says . More prisons are creating programs that preserve mother-child relationships .

9fb410d2b02e70f6d838faed6d3df91fa1181918

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A second lingerie-modeling photo of Miss California USA Carrie Prejean has appeared after she assured pageant officials this week that the earlier shot was the only one she had appeared in. Miss California USA Carrie Prejean may lose her crown because of some semi-nude photos she appeared in. The Web site that published the first picture published a second one Wednesday. It had already promised to "slowly roll out" more photos. After the appearance of the first photo, the possibility that racier images could emerge prompted "closed-door meetings" Tuesday to consider stripping Prejean of her beauty queen title, pageant spokesman Ron Neal said. Although Neal said Prejean "breached her contract" by keeping the semi-nude photo or photos a secret, the only pictures published so far appear about as revealing as the bikini Prejean wore in the pageant's swimsuit competition. "We have been told by Carrie Prejean there are no other photos other than the one circulating in existence. She should know better than anyone," Miss California USA Director Keith Lewis said Wednesday before the latest photo was released. Watch reaction to racy photos » . Pageant officials were not immediately available for comment on the new picture. The 21-year-old Miss USA contestant has been the center of controversy since she declared her opposition to same-sex marriage in a response to a question on the national pageant stage last month. She finished as runner-up to Miss USA. In a statement given to CNN on Tuesday, Prejean said the photos -- and she did use the plural -- were being used in a "vicious and mean-spirited" effort to silence her for "defending traditional marriage." While she vowed to "continue to support and defend marriage as the honorable institution it is," Prejean may be doing so without the Miss California USA title. State pageant officials met Tuesday with lawyers and representatives of Donald Trump, who owns the international competition, to consider whether they had grounds to take the crown away from Prejean, according to Neal. "When you compete for Miss California, you're supposed to disclose whether you posed for nude or semi-nude photos, because it's grounds for disqualification," he said. CNN obtained a copy of the pageant contract Prejean signed last year, in which she agreed that the discovery of semi-nude photos could mean disqualification. The first photo made public shows Prejean -- who said she was 17 at the time -- wearing pink panties and no top. She is turned away from the camera, with her arm hiding most of her breast. The second photo is essentially the same, but Prejean is looking over her opposite shoulder. It was unclear whether pageant officials would consider that a semi-nude photo, in light of their standard requirement that contestants parade across stage wearing a bikini that arguably shows more skin. Ahead of the second photo being published, Nik Richie -- of TheDirty.com -- said he was upgrading his Web site's servers to handle the flood of traffic he expects will come after he posts the additional photos. "I will slowly roll these out," Richie said. The Web site appeared to be overwhelmed by traffic early Thursday. CNN tried to access it, but could not. "We'll see what happens with those and we want to know who's releasing them," Neal said. Shanna Moakler, the co-executive director of the Miss California USA organization, will meet with Tami Farrell, the runner-up for the title, "to discuss the possible next steps," Neal said. Prejean defended the photos, which she said were taken when she was a teenager aspiring to be a Victoria's Secret model. "I am a Christian, and I am a model," she said. "Models pose for pictures, including lingerie and swimwear photos." She said the photos "have been released surreptitiously to a tabloid Web site that openly mocks me for my Christian faith." "I am not perfect, and I will never claim to be," she said. "But these attacks on me and others who speak in defense of traditional marriage are intolerant and offensive. While we may not agree on every issue, we should show respect for others' opinions and not try to silence them through vicious and mean-spirited attacks." Her publicist, Melany Ethridge, confirmed a comment she gave to celebrity Web site TMZ in which she said Prejean was 17 when she posed for the photos, hoping they would land her a modeling job. "In her naivete, an agent convinced her to pose for this photo to submit to a lingerie company, claiming they could make her the next Victoria's Secret model," Ethridge told TMZ. "She has since learned what a lie that was, and what a mistake it was to have the photo taken." Prejean announced last week that she would star in a new $1.5 million ad campaign supporting "opposite marriage" (marriage between a man and a woman) funded by the National Organization for Marriage. "Marriage is good," Prejean said at a news conference announcing the ad campaign. "There is something special about unions of husband and wife. Unless we bring men and women together, children will not have mothers and fathers." CNN's Aileen Martinez contributed to this report.

Miss California USA Carrie Prejean says she posed for one semi-nude photo . A Web site says it has more photos of Prejean, and plans to slowly roll them out . Prejean is in the news for her response to question about same-sex marriage .

4420fffbaeb0ae3d6d9e729a5fdb0d2a64464758

Editor's note: CNN.com has a business partnership with CareerBuilder.com, which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to CNN.com. You may think you have the worst boss in the Western Hemisphere, but if you've never had to dodge a cell phone, been fired over a breakfast pastry or had your work referred to as "a complete and utter mess," you probably have it better than you realize. Consider the following celebrities, whose poor underlings withstood verbal and sometimes physical abuse and lived to tell about it: . Scott Rudin . The high-profile film producer, whose film credits include "The Queen," "The Royal Tenenbaums" and "The Firm," is infamous for his hot temper and verbal rants. The Wall Street Journal once claimed he has fired 250 personal assistants, sometimes for offenses as minor as bringing him the wrong breakfast muffin. (Rudin claimed the actual number is closer to 120; however, he wasn't counting those who didn't survive his grueling two-week trial period.) Despite Rudin's reputation, however, being his personal assistant remains one of the most coveted jobs among wannabe movie moguls. Naomi Campbell . Campbell is to her employees what fireworks are to the average person: If not handled carefully, she may cause bodily harm. In early 2007, the British supermodel pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault for hitting her housekeeper with a cell phone over a pair of missing jeans. Campbell insisted the incident was an accident, but a history of similar events -- including a 2000 guilty plea for assaulting a personal assistant on a movie set in 1998 -- indicates otherwise. Simon Cowell . It's no secret that the mastermind behind "American Idol" has notoriously high standards, nor does he apologize for them. In fact, Cowell, who is known for finding new and creative ways to insult everyone from contestants to "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest, seems to relish his reputation as the judge everyone loves to hate. And why not? After all, it is his famously prickly personality that has helped make him a household name. Al Capone . Alphonse "Al" Capone's name is synonymous with organized crime. He was as well-known for his involvement in illegal gambling, bootlegging and prostitution as for his brutality. His own men were behind 1929's infamous "St. Valentine's Day Massacre." In 1931, Capone finally went to prison for income tax evasion and was released -- ironically, for good behavior -- after serving eight years in federal prisons. Afterward, Capone retired to his estate in Florida, where he died in 1947 of heart failure. Leona Helmsley . The recently-deceased Manhattan hotelier will go down in history as the "Queen of Mean," a nickname she earned as a result of her erratic behavior and hasty firing of employees. After serving time for tax evasion in 1989 ("Only the little people pay taxes," was her infamous defense), Helmsley again brushed with the law in 2004 when a court ordered her to pay a former landscaper for breach of contract (Helmsley had abruptly fired the man after finding out he was gay). Gordon Ramsay . The hot-tempered (pun intended) host of "Hell's Kitchen" could give Simon Cowell a run for his money as the cruelest judge on TV. Neither holds back when it comes to doling out criticism, but Ramsay steps it up a notch with slightly more colorful language. In fact, his fondness for four-letter words is matched only by Cowell's fondness for tight black T-shirts. E-mail to a friend . Copyright CareerBuilder.com 2009. All rights reserved. The information contained in this article may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority .

One high-profile film producer has fired hundreds of personal assistants . Naomi Campbell's treatment of her employees has landed her in court . And would you really want to answer to Simon Cowell or Al Capone?

37b1ccb673cc72e94adc6a32eb32f62f3bc8873b

LONDON, England (CNN) -- A habitually violent young man was convicted Wednesday of the murder of teenage actor Rob Knox, who had starred in the latest "Harry Potter" film. The father, brother and mother of Rob Knox pose together after the death of the young actor. Karl Bishop, 22, attacked Knox and four friends with two kitchen knives outside a bar in Sidcup, south east London, last May. He stabbed them 10 times in less than two minutes, the Old Bailey court in central London heard. Knox, 18, had rushed out of the bar after he heard that Bishop had threatened his younger brother Jamie but he ended up being stabbed five times, once in a main artery. He died in hospital later that night. Bystanders said Bishop's face was "screwed up in rage" as he lashed out with the two knives, the Press Association reported. Days before the attack, the actor had finished filming on "Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince," due for international release in July, in which he played the role of Marcus Belby. He was set to reprise the part in future "Harry Potter" films. Knox's father Colin told mourners at his funeral, including co-star Rupert Grint, that his son had been "living the dream," PA said. Prosecutor Brian Altman told the court that the young actor's promising life was ended by a "habitual knife carrier" who believed stabbing people was an "occupational hazard" and had previous convictions for knife crime. Bishop is due to be sentenced on Thursday. Knife crime in Britain is a political hot topic due to a spate of recent killings of mainly young people in major cities. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has urged tougher sentences for those caught carrying knives. He told the Daily Telegraph last month: "By carrying a knife you are not only endangering the lives of others, but you are more likely to be killed, or end up in jail. "We need to change the way young people think about knives, we need families and communities working together ... to get this message across and help stamp out knife crime and get weapons off our streets."

Man convicted of murder of teenage actor who starred in new "Harry Potter" film . Karl Bishop, 22, attacked Rob Knox with 2 knives in southeast London last May . Knife crime in Britain is political hot topic due to spate of recent killings .

62282935cb0e5ec210e1e854fc39084603f68086

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan's president has defended his government's recent ceasefire in the country's volatile Swat Valley in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, saying that many in the West have mischaracterized the deal. President Zardari also said that the cease-fire would not close girls' schools in the troubled region. The permanent ceasefire, which was brokered in late February between members of the Taliban and leaders of Swat Valley, has been criticized and called a major concession by the Pakistani government in an attempt to hold off Taliban attacks. The central government has long exerted little control in the area, but it launched an intense military offensive in late July to flush out militants from areas of the North West Frontier Province . As retaliation for the military presence, the Taliban carried out a series of deadly attacks, beheadings and destruction of girls' schools. They also continued to gain ground, setting up checkpoints throughout the area. President Asif Ali Zardari addressed the international criticism in his Wall Street Journal article, published Wednesday. "We have not and will not negotiate with extremist Taliban and terrorists," Zardari wrote. "The clerics with whom we have engaged are not Taliban. Indeed, in our dialogue we'd made it clear that it is their responsibility to rein in and neutralize Taliban and other insurgents." The deal was brokered by Sufi Mohammed, a pro-Taliban cleric who in the past was arrested for leading thousands of fighters against the United States in Afghanistan. Mohammed made the deal with his son-in-law and Taliban commander Maulana Fazlullah. In the article, Zardari also said that the cease-fire would not close girls' schools in the region. "We have not and will not condone the closing of girls' schools, as we saw last year when militants closed schools in pockets of Swat Valley. Indeed, the government insists that the education of young women is mandatory. This is not an example of the government condoning or capitulating to extremism -- quite the opposite," Zardari wrote. The cease-fire deal imposes Islamic law, or sharia, in the region. As part of the agreement, the Taliban is allowing boys' schools to reopen and the government to set up temporary quarters for the more than 200,000 Swat residents who fled. Women in the area interviewed by CNN said that they would not be able to go to the schools and that, under Taliban-imposed sharia law, they cannot even be seen in public without their husbands or fathers. Swat Valley, located in North West Frontier Province, was once one of Pakistan's biggest tourist destinations. It is near the Afghanistan border and is 300 kilometers (186 miles) from the capital, Islamabad. -- CNN's Stan Grant contributed to this report.

Deal brokered in February between Taliban and leaders of Swat Valley . Central government has long exerted little control in the area . Zardari: "The clerics with whom we have engaged are not Taliban" "It is their responsibility to rein in and neutralize Taliban," he said .

3a7def2f1ecf1515163394336c215507233a5130

MIDDLETOWN, Connecticut (CNN) -- The suspect in the shooting of a Wesleyan University student is in police custody, police in Meriden, Connecticut, said Thursday. Police have arrested Stephen Morgan in the shooting death of Johanna Justin-Jinich. A spokesman in Meriden said Stephen Morgan had been in custody there, but was transferred to police in Middletown, seven miles away. No other details were available. An arrest warrant was issued earlier for Morgan, charging him with murder in the death of Johanna Justin-Jinich at a Middletown bookstore on Wednesday. Justin-Jinich was shot Wednesday afternoon at the Red & Black Cafe in Broad Street Books, the campus bookstore, the university said. She worked at the cafe, the cafe said on its Web site. It said that her killing has left employees "devastated." Earlier Thursday, a law enforcement source told CNN that police spoke briefly to the suspect after her shooting death. Morgan was one of several people who gathered Wednesday afternoon outside Broad Street Books after the Wesleyan junior was shot, the source said. He gave his name to investigators who spoke with him, the source said. At that early stage of the investigation, the source said, police had no reason to suspect Morgan. Earlier Thursday, Morgan's sister had urged him to turn himself in to "avoid any further bloodshed." Diana Morgan told reporters in Marblehead, Massachusetts, that her family was "shocked and sickened by the tragedy in Middletown." She said her family did not know her brother's whereabouts, but issued a brief statement to him through the media: "Steve, turn yourself in right now to any law enforcement agency, wherever you are, to avoid any further bloodshed. We love you, we will support you in every way and we don't want anyone else to get hurt." She did not take questions. Before his arrest, police had been worried that Morgan may be targeting Wesleyan University and the town's Jewish residents. A statement from the university alleges that Morgan had written threats against "Wesleyan and/or its Jewish students" in his personal journals. Congregation Adath Israel, Middletown's lone synagogue, canceled all activities for the next day, said its president, Eliot Meadow. He said police told him that they do not think Morgan is part of a larger anti-Semitic organization. About 200 families attend the synagogue, Meadow said, and he added that Wesleyan, a private university with about 3,000 students, has a substantial Jewish population. While Justin-Jinich was a student at Wesleyan and was Jewish, according to the Middletown mayor, there was another connection between her and her alleged killer, authorities said. Watch how suspect and victim knew each other » . In July 2007, the young woman filed a harassment complaint against Morgan while the two were taking the same six-week summer course at New York University, school spokesman John Beckman told CNN. The complaint, in which Justin-Jinich said she was receiving harassing e-mails and phone calls from Morgan, was filed with the university's public safety department toward the end of the course, Beckman said. The public safety department brought in the New York Police Department and after conversations with Morgan and Justin-Jinich, the young woman declined to follow up or press charges, Beckman said. Beckman said the two were not living in the same student residence house during the course. Additional details were not immediately available. Another law enforcement source also told CNN that in an excerpt from one of the e-mails sent to Justin-Jinich, Morgan wrote, "You're going to have a lot more problems down the road if you can't take any (expletive) criticism, Johanna." Watch the crime described as 'every parent's nightmare' » . Middletown Mayor Sebastian Giuliano said the connection between Morgan and Justin-Jinich may "go back to Colorado." No further details were available. CNN's Susan Candiotti and Ross Levitt contributed to this report.

NEW: Stephen Morgan, 29, arrested in university student's shooting death . Suspect's sister earlier urged him to turn himself in 'to avoid further bloodshed' Suspect walked into bookstore near Wesleyan University campus, opened fire .

24acff30bcd0561749c4f5cf195716d76f623958

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Paula Abdul is ready for another fresh start, now that she's kicked her addiction to painkillers, the "American Idol" judge told a magazine. Paula Abdul told Ladies' Home Journal that she struggled with a drug problem. The former pop star released a new song this week and will take the "American Idol" stage Wednesday night to perform it. Abdul, in an interview for the Ladies' Home Journal's June issue, acknowledged what she has denied for years -- that she had a drug problem. But last November, days after an obsessed fan apparently killed herself outside Abdul's home, she went to a health spa where weaned herself off prescription pain medications she had used for a dozen years. "Withdrawal -- it's the worst thing," she told the magazine. "I was freezing cold, then sweating hot, then chattering and in so much pain, it was excruciating. But at my very core, I did not like existing the way I had been." Watch more on Abdul's challenges » . Abdul acknowledged several years ago that she used medications to kill the pain for a series of injuries, but this is apparently her first admission she was hooked on them. When People magazine asked her about it in 2005, she chose her words carefully: . "Drugs? I'm not addicted to pills of any kind," Abdul then said. Her painkillers were, in fact, not pills. Abdul wore a patch that delivered a pain medication about 80 times more potent than morphine, she told Ladies' Home Journal. Abdul's slurring of words and apparent confusion on "American Idol" and during interviews stirred rumors of a drug problem in recent years. She told the magazine, though, she was never under the influence during a show. Her pains began with a cheerleading accident at age 17, but were compounded by later mishaps -- including a stage accident in 1991, a car wreck in 1992 and a plane crash in 1993, she said. The persistent hurting is almost gone after a 15th surgery, she said. After two short marriages, Abdul said she is still looking for a soul mate. "I'm working on finding that guy," she said. She premiered her new song -- "I'm Just Here for the Music" -- on "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest's radio show Tuesday. She told Seacrest she only decided last week to accept the invitation to perform it live on the TV show. "I was invited by the producers and I wasn't sure it I was going to do it because timing was of the essence," she said. She said she put her performance together over the weekend. Abdul's "American Idol" contract ends with this season, and she told Seacrest she did not know if she would be back to judge next season.

Paula Abdul told Ladies' Home Journal she had painkiller addiction . She went to spa to wean self: "I did not like existing the way I had been" Abdul told magazine she was never under the influence on "American Idol" Series of painful accidents starting at age 17 were root cause of addiction, she says .

25a892ac9ba22a2f0fc6cd9a6577f84dcdc0bb2b

FOLKSTON, Georgia (CNN) -- Rain or shine, 80-year-old Cookie Williams plops himself on the wooden viewing platform perched over double train tracks. Cookie Williams, 80, watches a CSX freight train chug by on a typical Tuesday afternoon. On this warm May afternoon, a patient Williams sits slouched, legs crossed and arms relaxed, donning his vintage CSX railroad company cap littered with miniature train pendants. He is waiting for a train. A scanner, listening for oncoming train signals, crackles in the background as it picks up some conductor chatter. He waits some more. "A lot of people in this town thought I was on the kooky side," said Williams, who is retired from the paper and pulp industry. "But I love it. I've loved these trains ever since I was a kid." Folkston, Georgia, where Williams lives, is one of many train hot spots nationwide. Here, the blasting train noises are jokingly called "Folkston music." With up to 60 trains crawling loudly through the quaint town each day, it's become an attraction for fans eager to collect train images and sounds. In 2001, Williams, who grew up by a train track, pushed town officials to construct a viewing platform with picnic tables, wireless Internet and a scanner to detect oncoming trains. The Southeast Georgia town reports that at least 12,500 visitors from all over the world visit the platform to watch trains each year. Watch Williams and his friend talk about the joy of train watching » . As the prominence of the iconic American railroad has faded over the past half-century, there remains a devout group of train enthusiasts like Williams and his friends, dubbed railfans, who obsessively chase and watch powerful trains glide along railroad tracks. Trains Magazine, an industry publication, estimates that there are 175,000 U.S. railfans, mostly male baby boomers. "The word 'enthusiast' doesn't begin to cover their devotion," said Rhonda Del Boccio, head of the Okefenokee Chamber of Commerce, which oversees railfan tourism in Folkston. "Picture [the popular game] 'World of Warcraft' for train people." On any given day in America, loyal railfans camp out for hours or even days on a platform, a grassy field, a road or a backyard to snap a few photographs or shoot video of the moving trains. Some travel to different cities and countries to capture the right shot. Last weekend, nearly 20 railfans convened at the Izaak Walton Inn in Essex, Montana, a railroad worker dormitory built in 1939 that was converted into a hotel. The group took pictures of trains set against the backdrop of Glacier National Park during the day and had history lessons about trains at night. A train festival this summer in Oswego, Michigan, is expected to draw in 30,000 attendees, many of them railfans. Just like bird watcher keeps an eye out for specific birds, railfans watch for cargo and passenger trains and "critters"-- railfan lingo for small freight trains. On a lucky day, they may spot a historic steam locomotive. Hardcore railfans spend so much time visually dissecting the trains, they can recite the number of axles in a passing train or recount which years railroad giant Union Pacific Railway Co. changed its logos. "It's a marvel to see something that weighs hundreds of tons, hauling thousands of tons, moving through rural country," said Bill Taylor, a 62-year-old railfan and former teacher. His Missoula, Montana, home is adorned with antique rail items, such as train silverware and conductor lanterns. "It's an orchestra of motion." In an age of social media, railfanning has taken a new turn, going viral. On YouTube, there are more than 24,000 railfan videos, ranging from trains chugging through Gary, Indiana, to the subway in New York. Flickr.com touts thousands of pictures uploaded my railfans delighted to share their most prized train spotting moments. The obsession over railfanning often stems from historical and technological intrigue. Trains not only represent a romanticized era, they have been central to American economic growth and commerce across the country, historians say. Like any other pastime, railfanning has rules. Most railfan veterans execute the hobby with caution, steering at least 100 feet from private property and dangerous areas, railfans say. Sometimes, amateur train lovers wander too close to the tracks, raising safety concerns and irritating rail conductors and employees. Rail workers nickname pestering railfans "foamers" because fans stand near the tracks in such awe that they are practically drooling when a train plows through. See train photos from our iReporters » . "For [conductors and rail workers], it's a dog chasing a car," said Rick Enselman, 41, of Edmond, Oklahoma, who became enamored with railfanning 15 years ago. He started taking his two children to the tracks with him. "They don't understand the rhythm and rhyme of why we're doing it." Enselman, a salesman, says railfanning takes his mind "away from the real world." His love of trains was inspired by his great-uncle, who bequeathed him a vintage Lionel O Scale train set decades ago. But it hasn't been a smooth ride for railfans. After September 11, railfanning sparked some controversy. Security officers at railroad companies began to ward off railfans, fearing that they might be a terrorism threat. Officers soon realized railfans were no harm and could bolster surveillance. In 2006, BNSF Railway Co., one of the largest railroad operators in the United States, created the Citizen for Rail Safety Group, where railfans help the company watch for unusual activity. There are more than 8,700 people, mostly railfans, registered today. Today, trains are also making a steady comeback despite the challenges of a sluggish economy. Amtrak passenger ridership saw an increase of 10 million over the past decade. President Obama has talked about resurrecting plans for a national high-speed rail network. "Even though there are fewer railroad companies, they are hauling more stuff than ever before," said Kevin Keefe, publisher of Trains Magazine. "I don't think railroads have lost the ability to capture people's attention." Back on the viewing platform in Folkston, a 10-year-old boy with eager blue eyes hidden behind a thin pair of glasses, with a videocamera in his hand, is sitting two seats away from Cookie Williams. Surveying the naked tracks carefully, the boy, a railfan from North Carolina, fidgets in his seat . "It's coming up, son," Williams reassures the boy and the four other railfans on the platform. "A few more minutes." So they wait together, faces brushed by the soft breeze. And they wait a few minutes more, before the bells jingle a warning. The horn screams twice. And the howling cacophony of a diesel locomotive crashes toward them as they watch the train come into focus from the distance.

Trains Magazine estimates there are 175,000 railfans in the U.S. Folkston, Georgia, has about 12,500 visitors to watch trains each year . "It's an orchestra of motion," says 63-year-old railfan Bill Taylor of Montana . Trains are making a steady comeback despite the sluggish economy .

840893dd3d58a2f3f36d397282c256883ee825bc

(CNN) -- Toyota reported a first-ever annual net loss of $4.4 billion on Friday, the latest automobile maker to be battered by the credit crisis. The top executives for Toyota at a press conference in January. Net revenue for the fiscal year ending March 31 was down nearly 22 percent, with total sales of 7.6 million vehicles -- 1.3 million fewer than the previous year. The company dividend will be reduced to 100 yen per share, down from 140 yen per share last year . The appreciation of the yen against major currencies, rise in raw material costs and the collapse of the auto market in Europe and North America led to the company's annual loss, said Katsuaki Watanabe, Toyota president, at a press conference. The firm expects sales to decline even further to 6.5 million units this year. The company, however, will be further expanding it environmentally friendly line of automobiles. Watch more about the results » . "It appears to take some more time before the financial markets in the U.S. and Europe normalize and the global economy recovers," Watanabe said. "However, in the 2010 fiscal year, we plan to accelerate our profit improvement activities including the expansion of our hybrid vehicle line-up such as the next generation Prius in May and the Lexus' HS250h in July." Toyota plans to launch four hybrid models in Japan and three models overseas in the next year. The new Prius model will be more compact and reduce production costs by 30 percent, Watanabe said.

Toyota reports its first annual net loss of $4.4 billion . Company will reduce dividend to 100 yen per share from 140 . The appreciation of yen, increased costs and decrease in car buyers blamed .

acd50b8aa363353a03f797d26c28917366af72a6

(CNN) -- A year ago, employees at Boiron, a medical manufacturing company, wined and dined at the Ritz-Carlton Golf & Spa Resort overlooking the picturesque bay in Rose Hall, Jamaica, for their annual retreat. The InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa is subtly scaling back amid a sagging economy. This year, employees are saying goodbye to luxury as company President Ludovic Rassat moved the event to a more sensible location: the Sheraton Suites Philadelphia Airport. Many of his employees who live near the hotel are expected to sleep at home. "It's important to see we are making decisions for the good of the company," Rassat said. "At the end of the day, it's going to be good for them. Their jobs are still going to be there." With a mentality like Rassat's pervading the business and leisure traveler psyche, luxury hotels are bleeding occupancy and revenue at a rate far worse than the travel slump experienced after September 11, travel experts say. To overcome their financial woes, luxury hotels are dropping rates, giving customers incentives and finding ways to cut operating costs without compromising the integrity of their posh images. Starwood Hotel & Resorts, which owns the chic W and St Regis hotels, is offering existing and new members of its preferred guest program the opportunity to earn a free weekend night with two stays at any of Starwood's hotels from May through July. Guests can use their free night through the end of September across Starwood's brands, including many of the company's luxury properties. This summer, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, which operates five-star properties around the world, will offer customers who book particular packages free breakfast and a $100 resort credit. Washington's Willard Intercontinental Hotel is offering a "buy two nights, get a third night free" promotion for weekend stays through December. From December to February, occupancy in luxury hotels, a category that includes names such as the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. sunk more than 15 percent -- a steeper drop than at mid-level hotels, according to leading hotel industry watcher Smith Travel Research Inc. The revenue generated from the available luxury rooms fell 23 percent in that same three-month period, according to the Smith Travel Research report. Meanwhile, there are 551,610 rooms opening this year amid sluggish consumer demand, according to a STR construction pipeline report in March. And when the economy rebounds, the luxury lodging segment will take longer to recover. "Luxury hotels will lag behind the rest of the hotel industry," said Bobby Bowers, senior vice president of operations at STR. "They have ups and downs that are steeper than the industry as a whole." PKF Consulting forecasts that the luxury hotel segment will stay in red ink until 2011. Things have gotten so bad that some upscale-hotel owners across the country are delaying hotel construction to save money. Other developers are facing foreclosure or have scrapped future hotel plans altogether, industry experts say. Much of the luxury hotel business' slowdown has been driven by guilt, some executives say. Business leaders fear that they might look too excessive by staying at an upscale hotel as pink slips and pay freezes become ubiquitous. One high-end resort in Amelia Island, Florida, had one of its business customers suggest that the hotel drop the word "island" from its address to downplay the resort's exclusive image. Many companies such as Starwood and Rosewood are trying to lure customers by giving free nights and dining and spa credits without significantly lowering room rates, which could tarnish their exclusive appeal. Hotel operators hope that offering guests free nights will encourage them to spend more money overall. Other hotels prefer bundling their rates in packages so it is difficult to tell how much the prices have dropped. "They need to protect the image of their property," explained Erik Herskind, a principle at Greenlight, a Dallas, Texas-based company that works with luxury hotels. "They need to feel like even in this tough time, they are a prestigious place, so they are finding quiet ways to attract business and the right kind of business." But other luxury hotels are dropping rates anyway, partnering frequently with online travel companies like Expedia Inc.'s Hotels.com in special sales featuring five-star hotels. Shaun Stewart, director of market management for Hotels.com, says the discounts make it the "best time to upgrade" for travelers who have never lodged in luxury. Hit particularly hard by the recession is Las Vegas, Nevada, where luxury hotel rates have plummeted more than 30 percent, according to Hotels.com. For example, the Trump Hotel Collection, which is advertising with online travel companies for the first time, is touting prices of $89 a night at the opulent Trump International Hotel Las Vegas. The year-old luxury hotel sold rooms for about $200 before the economy crumbled. The company is also using Facebook and Twitter to appeal to a younger demographic, who can now afford to stay at their property. "You have a couple of bad apples in the bag," Melissa Brown, vice president of sales and marketing at Trump, said of luxury hotels that began to dramatically drop prices last year. "Then we all have to fall with it." Many luxury hotels, known for their extravagant pampering, amenities and services, are also making subtle cuts to save money. But they are careful not to scale back too much. InterContinental, owned by InterContinental Hotel Group, says a growing number of branches are replacing costly imported floral displays with arrangements from local vendors. Some gift baskets now have fresh fruit and bottled water rather than smoked salmon, cheeses and chocolates. Share prices at the company fell by 26 percent in 2008 while the company opened a record 430 hotels that year. At the InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa in Paradise Valley, Arizona, the hotel has made valet parking optional to reduce the number of employees working in the front. Instead, guests can park their cars. But cutting prices and services is a risky balancing act for luxury brands in the long run, warns Bob Caroll, a senior lecturer at the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University. "If you really are that much of a better property, consumers will start to wonder why your price is the same as a normal hotel," Carroll said. "But once consumers start to believe the lower price, luxury hotels may experience difficulty in raising prices when the economy recovers. It's a double whammy."

Occupancy in luxury hotels dropped 15 percent from December to February . Executives are avoiding meetings at fancy resorts to cut costs and appear frugal . Luxury hotels are offering free nights and spa credits to attract new customers . Rates at luxury hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada, have dropped 30 percent .

5187470febb0ff18d4b8cf6474ff38cdd947fa08

(CNN) -- Drew Peterson, who was arrested this week in the death of his third wife, joked with the media about his jail jumpsuit and chewed gum throughout his first court appearance Friday. A judge delayed Drew Peterson's arraignment until May 18 because his lawyers couldn't attend Friday's hearing. The 55-year-old former police officer flashed a broad smile and engaged in banter during the 10-yard walk to the courthouse. Wearing an inmate uniform -- a bright-red short-sleeved shirt and pants, white socks and sandals -- Peterson had his hands and feet shackled as he arrived at the courtroom. Asked how he was, he responded, "three squares a day and a spiffy outfit." He then held up the chains and said, "and I got the bling. Can't complain." Peterson, who authorities call the prime suspect in the disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, was indicted on murder charges related to the death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, the Illinois state attorney's office said. Watch a shackled Peterson go to jail » . Peterson appeared in court Friday, but a judge delayed his arraignment until May 18. Judge Richard Schoenstedt ordered the delay after Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow told him that Peterson's primary lawyer, Joel Brodsky, had asked for it because neither he nor Peterson's other attorney could attend Friday's hearing. Peterson, chewing gum throughout the proceedings and speaking in a clear voice, told Schoenstedt that he knew both of his lawyers were out of town and that he had no objection to the delay. Glasgow, who has said he will prosecute the case personally, said Brodsky told him that he expects to ask the judge for a reduction in Peterson's $20 million bail during the May 18 arraignment. Illinois State Police said Peterson was taken into custody about 5:30 p.m. Thursday after a traffic stop near his home. Police had staked out his home all day, police Capt. Carl Dobrich said, but waited for Peterson to leave before arresting him out of concern for his three young children, who were in the house. Peterson, through his attorney, denied any wrongdoing in either case. Glasgow said he believes that the case is strong. "This is an extremely grave and serious matter, and it is reflected in the bond," Glasgow said. Brodsky told CNN's Larry King that he thought the bail was excessive and would seek a more "reasonable" amount, noting that it was the most expensive bail he'd seen in 10 years. Watch Peterson's attorney address his client's arrest » . Charles B. Pelkie, a spokesman for Glasgow, said a grand jury indicted Peterson in the murder of Savio, whose death had once been ruled an accidental drowning. But Brodsky said in a statement that prosecutors won't be able to prove their case, because "he didn't do it." "There is no evidence that links Drew Peterson to the death of Kathleen Savio or anyone else for that matter," Brodsky said. "Drew did not harm Kathleen; he has said so from Day One. We're obviously disappointed a grand jury indicted him. But an indictment does not mean guilt." Pelkie said the grand jury continues to meet and is studying the possibility of charges in Stacy Peterson's disappearance. Watch family members react to the arrest » . After Stacy Peterson went missing in October 2007, media and police scrutiny of Peterson revealed that Savio had died mysteriously during a nasty divorce a few years earlier. Savio died just before the division of marital assets was finalized, making Drew Peterson the sole beneficiary. Savio was found in the dry bathtub of her home. At the time, the death was ruled an accidental drowning. But her family continued to insist that Savio died as a result of foul play. The investigation into Stacy Peterson's disappearance brought renewed interest in Savio's death. Authorities exhumed Savio's body, further tests were conducted, and her death was been ruled a "homicide staged to look like an accident." Brodsky told King that he thinks the case has always been about circumstantial evidence and that he will bring a pathologist to trial who will say Savio died in an accidental drowning. "I think the jury's going to see that, in fact, this always has been an accidental death and still is an accidental death," Brodsky told King. Kathleen Savio's brother, Nick, told CNN affiliate WLS that he received a call saying Peterson had been arrested. Watch police arrest Peterson » . "The state police had been telling us the day was coming," he told WLS. "We kept hearing it for about eight months. I'm almost in tears here. It's been so hard for our family. "Hopefully, we'll get the justice we've always been waiting for." Martin Glink, attorney for the Savio family, said they had been hopeful the grand jury felt that there was enough evidence to charge Peterson. "We're very happy that the wheels of justice have continued to move and they are pointing in his direction," Glink told WLS. The news was bittersweet for Stacy Peterson's family, who continue to wait for news about her disappearance. "We have anticipated this coming. We have dreamed about it. We have been patient over it," family spokeswoman Pam Bosco told WLS. "Now that it's here, it's almost a little bit calm. We're waiting for the storm to calm now. The calm before the storm." Bosco said she was hopeful there would be charges in Stacy Peterson's case. "We always said from the very beginning that Kathleen and Stacy had one thing in common, and that was Drew Peterson," she said. "So, hopefully, we'll have news soon about Stacy, too." Ernie Raines is also relieved about the arrest. His daughter, Christina Raines, is dating Peterson and was living with him before his arrest. Raines told CNN's Anderson Cooper that he was with his daughter and Peterson as recently as last week, when they talked about going to Las Vegas, Nevada, and getting married. Thursday night, he spoke with his daughter after the arrest. "My daughter was terrified, very emotional, upset," Raines said. "And I tried to tell her from the beginning that this was going to happen, be prepared." Raines said that when he heard about the arrest, he was more relieved than anything. "I'm glad justice finally came before he hurt my daughter," he said. Police put Peterson's three young children in the custody of the state's children and family service department. His adult son was contacted, at Peterson's request, to take them, according to Dobrich. Dobrich said Peterson cooperated with police during his arrest. CNN's Susan Roesgen contributed to this report.

NEW: Peterson to media on handcuffs, chains: "I got the bling. Can't complain" Drew Peterson arrested in the death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio . Renewed interest in Savio's death came after Peterson's fourth wife disappeared . Peterson, through his attorney, denies any wrongdoing in either case .

2206e49ec85431fe8d21dfb5feffcf6a8b62f97e

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A member of the royal family of Abu Dhabi who was captured on videotape torturing an Afghan grain dealer has reportedly been detained, a senior U.S. State Department official told CNN Saturday. Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan, pictured here, allegedly tortured a business associate on videotape. The official said the government of the United Arab Emirates, which includes Abu Dhabi as one of its seven emirates, told the State Department that Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al Nahyan is under house arrest pending an investigation, but that the United States has not independently confirmed the development. The videotape emerged last month in a federal civil lawsuit filed in Houston, Texas, by Bassam Nabulsi, a U.S. citizen, against the sheikh. Former business partners, the men had a falling out, in part over the tape. In a statement to CNN, the sheikh's U.S. attorney said Nabulsi is using the videotape to influence the court over a business dispute. The tape of the heinous torture session is delaying the ratification of a civil nuclear deal between the United Arab Emirates and the United States, senior U.S. officials familiar with the case have said. The senior U.S. officials said the administration has held off on the ratification process because it believes sensitivities over the story can hurt its passage. On Saturday, Human Rights Watch called the sheikh's reported detention "a significant development" but said the UAE government needs to do more to restore confidence in its judicial system. "The videotape of this episode shocked the world," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "The report of the arrest was reassuring, but now the government needs to make the details public. Secretive prosecutions will not deter further abuses and torture." On the tape, Sheikh Issa appears to burn with rage. Apparently believing he was cheated in a business deal, the sheikh was trying to extract a confession from the Afghan grain dealer. With a private security officer assisting, Sheikh Issa is seen stuffing sand in the Afghan's mouth. As the grain dealer pleads and whimpers, he is beaten with a nailed board, burned in the genitals with a cigarette lighter, shocked with a cattle prod and led to believe he would be shot. Salt is literally poured on his wounds. The 45 minutes of torture appears on a nearly three-hour-long videotape shot in late 2004 in the desert outside Abu Dhabi. It was made at the direction of the sheikh himself. The tape has been viewed by CNN. Watch portions of the tape and Nabulsi tell his story » . After international concerns over the tape mounted in late April, Abu Dhabi's government issued a statement saying it deplored the contents of the video and planned an immediate and comprehensive review of it. The sheikh, who holds no official government position, is the half-brother of the UAE's ruler, President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Human Rights Watch sent a April 28 letter to the president imploring him to form "an independent body" to probe both the torture and and the "failure" of the UAE's Interior Ministry "to bring those involved to justice." The group reiterated that call Saturday. As for the grain dealer, UAE officials say he survived the ordeal, and said the sheikh and the grain dealer settled the matter privately by agreeing not to bring formal charges against each other. However, Nabulsi's attorney, Anthony Buzbee, said the grain dealer can't be located and it is not known whether he is alive.

State Department official says member of Abu Dhabi royal family reportedly detained . Investigation continuing after videotape shows sheikh torturing grain merchant . Videotape emerged last month in federal civil lawsuit filed in the United States . U.S. senior officials say case is holding up a U.S. nuclear deal with the UAE .

aa3a5a5fc5534c9929c96451690ff842eafca279

(CNN) -- As a spending bill loaded with pork makes its way through Congress, President Obama is getting pushback from members of his own party who are questioning his vow to end wasteful spending. The Senate could vote on the spending bill as early as Thursday. The president on Wednesday pledged turn tide on an "era of fiscal irresponsibility," reiterating his campaign promise that the days of "pork ... as a strategy" are over. And in a prime-time address before a joint session of Congress, Obama last week praised the $787 billion stimulus package signed into law, telling the nation, "I'm proud that we passed a recovery plan free of earmarks, and I want to pass a budget next year that ensures that each dollar we spend reflects only our most important national priorities." But some in the audience found that hard to swallow. "There was just a roar of laughter -- because there were earmarks," said Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri. Earmarks, sometimes called "pork," are unrelated pet projects that members of Congress insert in spending bills. Watch more on the earmarks in the bill » . The scoffing continues as the president hammers away at reducing wasteful spending and saving taxpayers money while lawmakers on Capitol Hill load up a spending bill with more than 8,000 earmarks totaling nearly $8 billion. The legislation in question is a $410 billion omnibus bill that would keep the federal government running through the rest of the fiscal year, which ends in September 2009. According to Taxpayers for Common Sense, a group that monitors government spending, the bill includes: . About 60 percent of the earmarks are from Democrats, and about 40 percent are from Republicans, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense. Ryan Alexander, the president of the Taxpayers for Common Sense, pointed out that not all earmarks are bad. "They're not always good or bad. What's bad is the process. We don't know why certain projects get earmark funds and why other projects don't. Some of them may be good. But that could be just as well by accident as it is by design, because we have no idea why these projects are funded and why other projects aren't," he said. Earlier this week, 14 Democratic senators met to talk about their concerns with the spending. On Wednesday, Democratic Sens. Evan Bayh and Russ Feingold called on Obama to veto the bill. Watch Feingold talk about a 'teary-eyed' defense of earmarks » . "But the bloated omnibus requires sacrifice from no one, least of all the government. It only exacerbates the problem and hastens the day of reckoning," Bayh wrote in a Wall Street Journal editorial published Wednesday. Democrats blocked amendments by Sens. John McCain, R-Arizona, and Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma, that would have narrowed the spending on earmarks. "So much for the promise of change. This may be -- in all the years I have been coming to this floor to complain about the earmark pork barrel corruption that this system has bred, this may be probably the worst, probably the worst," McCain said Tuesday. The spending bill made it through the House last week. A vote in the Senate could come as early as Thursday, but it's unclear if there are the 60 votes necessary to sent it to the floor since some Democrats aren't supporting it. Obama is expected to sign the bill when it reaches his desk. But Democrats speaking out against the pork could just be flexing their muscles, said CNN contributor Roland Martin. "I would love to see these same Democrats have the courage to actually stand up, look their fellow senators in the eye, Democrats and Republicans, and say, OK, let's get rid of your particular project," he said. "What often happens in Congress is, they complain in terms of the general ... What I am saying is, call them out. Put it on the table," he said. Those defending the earmarks say they make up just a small portion -- less than 1 percent -- of the overall bill. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, on Thursday defended congressional earmarks, despite calls from the White House earlier this week to reform the process. "The legislatively initiated proposals in the appropriations bill, I think, are an appropriate function of Congress of the United States," Pelosi said. But Pelosi said she does believe Congress should cut back on the number of earmarks. Pelosi said after Congress finishes the $410 billion spending bill for this year, she planned to work with the Obama administration to find ways to reduce the number of earmarks in future spending bills. The White House says this bill is just last year's unfinished business -- and next time, it will be different. "We'll change the rules going forward," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Wednesday when asked about the legislation. Obama presented his budget summary to Congress last week, but the full details of his 2010 budget won't be available until April. CNN's Jason Carroll, Joe Johns, Kristi Keck and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report.

$410 billion spending bill for FY 2009 includes 8,000 earmarks . Democratic Sens. Evan Bayh and Russ Feingold want Obama to veto bill . Senate could vote on bill as early as Thursday . Defenders of bill say earmarks make up less than 1 percent of it .

23e04d05fde830cb5e135e7fca520cbb187c1f1e

(CNN) -- Four British soldiers have been killed in one day in separate attacks in Afghanistan, the British Ministry of Defense announced Friday. A British marine with an opium haul in Helmand province, where the four soldiers were killed. The deaths happened in three incidents in the southern Helmand province, the ministry said. Two soldiers were killed in a suicide bombing that happened Thursday afternoon during a patrol in Gereshk, the ministry said. One was a member of the Royal Gurkha Rifles and the other served with the Royal Military Police. "With heavy heart we report another extremely sad situation, where lives of our courageous soldiers have been sacrificed for the greater good of the Afghan people," said Lieutenant Colonel Nick Richardson, a spokesman for Task Force Helmand. "Our deepest and heartfelt sympathies go to their families and loved ones and we offer our thoughts and prayers to them all at this most painful and distressing time." Thursday evening, another soldier was killed by an explosion as he traveled in a Jackal 4x4 patrol vehicle, the ministry said. He served in the 2nd Battalion The Rifles. Watch Afghanistan's president talk on U.S. troops withdrawals » . Earlier in the day, a soldier from The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland was killed by a gunshot wound, the ministry said. He had been on patrol with the Afghan National Army in the vicinity of Woqab, close to Musa Qala.

4 British soldiers die in one day in separate attacks in Afghanistan . Deaths happened in three incidents in the southern Helmand province . Two soldiers were killed in a suicide bombing during a patrol in Gereshk .

7aa1476ab29f4a45ed1090f84d1bd4e1b9dbbc8d

(CNN) -- Doctors chose a woman who survived a shotgun wound to her face as the first recipient of a face transplant after treating her for nearly four years. This image projects what Connie Culp, 46, may look like two years after the face transplant. Connie Culp knew of the Cleveland Clinic's interest in face transplants and approached the medical staff, doctors said at a news conference Tuesday. Dr. Maria Siemionow, the Cleveland, Ohio, hospital's director of plastic surgery research and head of microsurgery training, had more than 20 years of experience in complex transplants. By 2004, Siemionow was looking for the right candidate for a face transplant who wasn't doing it for vanity. "They are not looking to go out on the street and be beautiful," Siemionow told CNN in a 2006 interview. "Some of these patients, when they were interviewed just said 'I want to walk on the street and just make sure I am not sticking out.' They just want to have a normal face." The doctors examined the patient's history, motivation and ability to understand the risks of the transplant. And they found Culp to be an ideal candidate. Five years after a gun blast shattered her nose, cheeks and upper lip, she had a band of scar tissue extending across her face. "The most devastating of all was the fact that society had rejected her and children were afraid of her," said Siemionow, who led the December 10 transplant operation. See before and after photos of Culp » . Culp, a mother of two and a grandmother, told her doctors she could understand that some adults would shun her. "But what really bothered her the most were children -- the children that shied away from her," said Dr. Frank Papay, the chairman of Institute of Dermatology and Plastic Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. "That sense of innocence, and her not being able to see that innocence really, really affected her." The shooting . In September 2004, Culp's estranged husband shot her in the face in an attempted murder-suicide outside a restaurant in Hopedale, Ohio, according to CNN affiliate WTOV in Steubenville, Ohio. Culp was 8 feet away from her husband, Thomas Culp, when he pulled the shotgun's trigger. He then turned the weapon on himself, according to local news reports. They both survived. Thomas Culp was sent to prison. Despite her wounds, she told WTOV in 2008, "I'll always love him. He was my first love." At the same time, Culp said, she felt angry. "I wouldn't be human if I didn't. I forgive him, but I have to go on, you know?" After the shooting, Culp recuperated in a hospital and in a personal care home for two years. Culp told WTOV she had vision problems and was learning Braille. Her approach to life was to "keep motivated. Don't sleep your life away -- that could have happened. I could be depressed. I'm not." As she spoke, her breaths emitted a small whistle from her tracheotomy tube, which protruded from a surgical opening in her neck. "I cannot smell. I will never be able to smell," she said in the interview. Culp was wrong. How doctors transplanted a face . The doctors at the Cleveland Clinic analyzed Culp's injuries using CAT scans and developed plastic models of her skull. They practiced face transplant operation on cadavers several times. Culp met with the hospital's surgeons, ethical committee members and psychiatry and psychology specialists who determined that she was an ideal candidate for the surgery. Then, the wait for the right donor began in 2008. "We thought we were going to wait a long time because we had to find a Caucasian female in her mid 40s to match Connie, so we expected a year before we were able to find a donor," said Papay, who is also head of craniofacial surgery. "Well, three to four months later, I got a call at around midnight from Dr. Siemionow saying 'I think we have a donor.'" The family of a brain dead woman granted permission to use her face. He likened the preparation for the December transplant to a rocket launch, saying, "Everything was prepared beforehand very, very, very carefully." Surgeons sheared out the donor's mid-facial area including the lower eyelids, cheekbones, the nose, some of the sinus and the whole upper jaw, with the blood vessels. Watch CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta discuss the face transplant » . When it came time to move the donor's parts to Culp, they had to see that the donor and recipient parts aligned. "One of the ways you can tell that is how your upper teeth fit to the lower teeth," Papay said. "We knew it was like a hand in a glove, exactly where we needed to be." They secured the bones into Culp's face using titanium plates and screws. Then the microvascular surgeons attached the vessels. They tucked the scars around Culp's ears or underneath her eyelid, where they would not be visible. How the doctors operated » . Doctors added more skin than needed in case of tissue rejection. After monitoring Culp's progress, doctors say they will remove the excess tissue and tighten her jawline in future surgeries. Contrary to science fiction and movies, the surgery did not make Culp look like the donor. "If you just took the skin and transplanted it to the other patient, the bony structure is different," Papay said. "If you took the bony structure and transplanted it on the other side, it ends up being a composite. So, it doesn't look like the donor. It doesn't look like the recipient. It ends up looking like someone new." Recovery . At this point, all the transplanted parts of Culp's face are functioning except for her facial nerves, which are growing about an inch a month. Doctors anticipate Culp will be able to have full facial function -- and more expression -- by this winter. In physical therapy, she learns to train her nerves, make facial expressions, smile and purse her lips, doctors said. "If you cry or you laugh or you smile, it's not like you think about it. You just emotionally do it. So that's a wait and see for us," Papay said. "As far as the emotional one, that's really the key issue. A far as when she laughs, cries and grimaces and gets angry at you...what's her face going to look like? That's the exciting part about it." Five months after the first face transplant in the United States, Culp lives at home. She has checkups with the medical staff once or twice a month and will do so for the next year, her doctors said. Initially, Culp used immunosuppressants that transplanted kidney, liver or heart patients would normally take. Transplant patients must take immune-suppressing drugs throughout their lifetime to prevent tissue rejection. But she showed improvements that enabled the doctors to reduce her regimen to one medication, doctors said. "She's taking her medications," Siemionow said. "We know she is compliant. She cares about how she looks. She has her hair done in a new color...She is full of life. She does her push-ups. She's on the treadmill. What else can I say?"

Face transplant recipient was shot in 2004 by her husband . In a 2008 interview she told CNN affiliate that she forgave her husband . Doctors say Connie Culp fit criteria for ideal face transplant recipient .

68f3087b6d588d77d02726e206fa030545bfb115

(CNN) -- A terrorism suspect -- whose 2008 escape from Singapore launched a global manhunt -- has been arrested in Malaysia, according to authorities there. An public alert posted at a supermarket for Mas Selamat Kastari on March 1, 2008, in Singapore. Mas Selamat Kastari, suspected leader of the Islamist militant group Jemaah Islamiyah's Singapore arm, was arrested April 1 in Johor state in Malaysia, near the border of Singapore, Malaysian police said. Authorities have interrogated him and are sharing the information with police in the region, Malaysian law-enforcement officials said. "It's very good he's been caught, but it's important to remember there are many other fugitives still at large, not (the) least, Noordin Moh Top," said Sidney Jones, South East Asia director for the International Crisis Group. Noordin is a Malaysian thought to be behind the region's most recent major attacks. He belongs to a small splinter group of Jemaah Islamiyah that espouses the use of large-scale terror attacks to push for the establishment of Islamic states in the region. Noordin is a one-time officer, recruiter and bomb-maker for Jemaah Islamiyah, who police say has narrowly escaped their dragnets for years. In the case of Mas Selamat, thousands of security forces fanned out across Singapore after he escaped in February 2008. Interpol, the organization that helps facilitate cooperation among police agencies around the world, later issued a worldwide security alert for him. Mas Selamat had been arrested in Indonesia and turned over to Singapore, on suspicion of plotting to crash a plane into the country's airport. Jemaah Islamiyah is thought to have links to al-Qaeda and is suspected of being behind the 2002 nightclub bombings on the Indonesian island of Bali that killed more than 200 mostly Western tourists. Singapore is a strong U.S. ally and one of the world's most prosperous countries with strong international trading links. Mas Selamet fled the southeast Asian country in 2001 after authorities cracked down on Jemaah Islamiyah and arrested dozens of its members. To retaliate, Mas Selamet plotted to hijack a plane and crash it into Singapore's main airport, Changi, the Home Affairs Ministry said. The plot was not carried out. He also is suspected of being behind plans to attack the U.S. Embassy and a government building. Indonesian authorities arrested Mas Selamet on immigration violation charges in 2003. Three years later, he was deported to Singapore, the Home Affairs ministry said. He was being held under Singapore's Internal Security Act, which allows authorities to indefinitely detain someone without trial. Mas Selamet slipped away from a detention center in Singapore after asking to use the toilet before a visit with his family, Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng told lawmakers in parliament 2008. Journalist Baradan Kuppusamy contributed to this report.

Mas Selamat Kastari was arrested April 1 in Johor state in Malaysia . He is suspected head of Islamist militant group Jemaah Islamiyah's Singapore arm . His 2008 escape from Singapore launched a global manhunt . He had been arrested on suspicion of plot to crash plane into Singapore's airport .

94f1a5f2cf453637bab1ae061a578c9762d4b99f

(CNN) -- Hulk Hogan said his comments to Rolling Stone magazine that he can "totally understand" O.J. Simpson -- the former football great found liable for the deaths of his wife and another man -- are being misunderstood. Linda and Hulk Hogan enjoy happier times at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards in New York. The pro wrestling legend said Wednesday that he "took the high road" and "didn't do the O.J. Simpson thing" despite the pain of his bitter divorce fight with wife Linda. Hogan's lawyer said the quotes leaked to a gossip column have been taken out of context and the full article proves Hogan "never condones the O.J. situation." Watch Hogan claim he was misquoted » . A spokesman for Linda Hogan said the statement amounts to a death threat and that her attorney is "weighing all options necessary to protect his client." "His violent and scary mood swings have been my nightmare for too many years," Linda Hogan said Thursday in a written statement. "I hope for the sake of our kids that he gets the psychological help for himself and the safety of others." Her spokesman, Gary Smith, said, "For those who buy his claim the comment was taken out of context, read the rest of Rolling Stone and determine for yourself if his suicidal tendencies coupled with the use of drugs and alcohol make him a danger." The controversial quote is part of a eight-page feature article about Hogan to be published in the magazine's Friday edition. "I could have turned everything into a crime scene like O.J., cutting everybody's throat," Hogan told Rolling Stone. "You live half a mile from the 20,000-square-foot home you can't go to anymore, you're driving through downtown Clearwater [Florida] and see a 19-year-old boy driving your Escalade, and you know that a 19-year-old boy is sleeping in your bed, with your wife... . "I totally understand O.J. I get it." The controversy began with a leak of the quote to the New York Post's Page 6 gossip column. Hogan lawyer David Houston said that quote was "part of a larger conversation to exemplify degrees of emotional turmoil." "Earlier reports to the contrary exemplify the danger of cherry-picking quotes and reacting to them," Houston said. Hogan spoke later Wednesday to a photographer with the gossip Web site TMZ: . "I spent three days with a writer for Rolling Stone talking about being positive and happy and walking in the spirit of Christ. And he asked me, 'Well, why didn't you flip out?' Well, I didn't jump off the Empire State building, I didn't buy a white Bronco. I didn't do the O.J. Simpson thing. I took the high road. "I'm not focused on Linda anymore," Hogan said. It has been widely reported that Linda Hogan, 49, is dating a younger man. She filed for divorce in 2007 after nearly 25 years of marriage. Simpson was found not guilty of murder in the 1994 stabbing deaths of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, but was found liable for their deaths by a civil court jury. Simpson later was found guilty in a Las Vegas, Nevada, armed robbery case and sentenced in December to up to 33 years in prison. Linda Hogan's spokesman linked the comments to the 55-year-old Hogan's three-decade career, during which he held multiple championship titles and, during his heyday in the 1980s, was easily the most popular wrestler in the world. "We have always maintained that the fear that Linda has had to live with comes from the rage and instability much too often associated with pro wrestlers," Smith said in the statement. Hulk Hogan's real name is Terry Bollea. His wife alternately goes by Linda Hogan and Linda Bollea. CNN's Marc Balinsky contributed to this report.

Hulk Hogan, in a bitter divorce with his wife, Linda, talks to Rolling Stone magazine . "I could have turned everything into a crime scene like O.J.," Hogan said . Hogan, 55, says his comments are being taken out of context . Spokesman for Linda Hogan says the statement amounts to a death threat .

fff567e27b2f96f9112aef4b454712b5f568ef9f

(CNN) -- The mood at Hong Kong's Metropark Hotel was subdued Thursday -- but only because most of the guests were in their rooms nursing hangovers from a night of partying the evening before. Quarantined guests and hotel employees wave through the glass at Hong Kong's Metro Park Hotel. And with good reason. For seven days, the 200 guests and 100 staff members at this modest business hotel in the Wanchai bar district have been in involuntary confinement after health officials determined that a guest there had contracted swine flu. But in another 24 hours -- at 8:30 p.m. Friday to be precise, as guests kept reminding themselves -- they would be free to leave. "Last evening, people perked up a bit," said Kevin Ireland, an Indian national. "We're cheerful. We're happy we're getting out tomorrow." For most of the guests here, it was a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. They picked the same hotel as a 25-year-old guest from Mexico who tested positive for the H1N1 virus. And Hong Kong health officials -- unwilling to see a repeat of the SARS epidemic in 2004 that killed nearly 300 people -- placed the hotel on lockdown. That was last Friday night, when Ireland was headed out to grab some Italian food with friends but hotel staff stopped them at the door. Since then, the guests have kept themselves busy trying to ward off boredom as they waited out their seven-day confinement. Images from a British hotel guest » . Most stayed cocooned in their tiny rooms, flipping through channels on the television or staying connected with their work colleagues via Internet chats. With no pool to lounge by and just one restaurant to pick from, guests milled about in the lobby to pick up food or get their temperatures taken once a day. "We go down to the lobby for food and then back to the room to eat your food," said Leslie Carr, a British man. "Not many people are downstairs hanging around to talk or discuss anything." Outside, bars and clubs lay only a short walk away. But police in face masks stood guard at the door, barring exit. Packs of reporters and camera crews peered through the hotel's glass windows. The British contingent organized a quiz night once. When a French national had a birthday, the country's consulate sent wine and champagne. The Hong Kong government, itself, tried its best to make living arrangements as comfortable as possible. They delivered a box of chocolates to guests, comped their rooms and offered them free long-distance phone calls. But food was a constant complaint. Guests, tired of hotel fare, were allowed to order take-out -- a boom in business for area eateries. "A tribal instinct sort of manifested itself," Ireland said. "You get into linguistic groups. You hang with people of the same country and region." Mark Moore, a British national, spent many hours kicking himself for changing his plans at the last minute -- the day before the quarantine. He was scheduled to fly home at the end of a business trip, but decided to spend the weekend visiting friends and family in Hong Kong. "I wish I'd left the day before," Moore said. "I definitely wish I'd gone home a day early." Tempers sometimes flared. Guests questioned the point of a quarantine when they were allowed to flout health safety recommendations. Many walked around without the blue surgical masks they were expected to cover their mouth and noses with. Each also had to take a 10-day dose of anti-viral medication. None have tested positive for the virus. "We were all using the same elevator when we knew the virus can spread through touching objects," Ireland said. "The health workers worked in shifts. I don't know if they go home or to some other place where there's some sort of quarantine. And we're handing money to pay the people outside bringing our food. I'm not wearing gloves, the guy on the outside's not wearing gloves." Hong Kong's Chief Executive Donald Tsang publicly apologized to the guests but said the precautions were needed. "In view of the lack of data ... we have to be very cautious," added Yuen Kwok-Yung, a professor of microbiology of Hong Kong University. "I believe that as time goes by, we can change our strategy." By Thursday, many guests said they have paid their bills and packed their bags. All there was left to do is stare at the clock ticking away toward their release.

More than 340 people quarantined in Hong Kong following single case of H1N1 . Hong Kong health officials have been unwilling to see a repeat of the SARS . Those isolated due to remain in quarantine until Friday . Confined persons include 36 travelers in three-row vicinity of sick man aboard flight .

202eeee7a20eee3dbf64e0029207785d1cb99020

(CNN) -- The mother of a 17-year-old Rochester, New York, high school student who vanished over the weekend on spring break in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, says she did not give her daughter permission to go on the trip. Brittanee Marie Drexel's mom says she thought she was at the beach in New York, not South Carolina. In an appearance on HLN's Nancy Grace, Dawn Drexel said her daughter, Brittanee Marie Drexel, has never run away. Drexel said the high school junior stayed in touch with her by phone, and she last spoke with Brittanee on Saturday afternoon. "I asked her what she was doing and she says 'Oh, mom, I'm at the beach.' And it was an 80-degree day in Rochester so, of course, I thought maybe she was at the beach in Rochester with one of her girlfriends that she had said she was staying overnight," Drexel said. Watch mom describe daughter's last call » . Drexel said she asked Brittanee to call her later and the girl agreed. "I said, 'I love you, Brittanee' and she says, 'I love you, mom.' And then we hung up the phone." Brittanee is believed to have last been seen Saturday evening, though an unconfirmed sighting may have placed her at a restaurant on Sunday. She was staying with friends at the Bar Harbor Hotel on North Ocean Boulevard, according to police reports.

Brittanee Drexel disappears on trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina . Mom says she spoke to daughter but didn't know she was out of state . Brittanee is believed to have last been seen Saturday evening .

047c3f0f3c3faf48a8b0ac10ad3523d7c758ec93

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A federal judge has ordered the immediate release into the United States of 17 Chinese Muslims who have been held for several years in the U.S. military facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. A guard tower is visible behind razor wire at the military facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina on Tuesday ordered the 17 detainees to appear in his Washington courtroom at 10 a.m. Friday and said he would hold a hearing next week to determine under what conditions they will be settled in the United States. The government late Tuesday afternoon announced it would file papers shortly with an appeals court seeking an emergency stay to stop the judge's order in its tracks. The detainees are ethnic Uighurs, from a mostly Muslim autonomous region in western China. They have been in government custody for seven years and have been cleared for release for the past four years to any country willing to take them. No countries have volunteered. The judge, visibly impatient, told government lawyers he wants no delays. "There is a pressing need for them to be released," Urbina declared. When a government lawyer requested one week for authorities to determine how immigration authorities would handle a court-ordered arrival of individuals with no status, Urbina summarily rejected the request. He angrily demanded Immigration and Customs officials not even consider arresting the Uighurs upon arrival. "I have issued an order. I do not want these people interfered with in any way," the judge said. Justice Department lawyers told the judge they will immediately appeal the ruling and seek a stay of the order with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The Justice Department released a statement late Tuesday afternoon protesting Urbina's order. "Today's ruling presents serious national security and separation of powers concerns and raises unprecedented legal issues," said Justice Department chief spokesman Brian Roehrkasse. At the White House, Press Secretary Dana Perino warned the ruling represents a dangerous precedent. "The district court's ruling, if allowed to stand, could be used as precedent for other detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, including sworn enemies of the United States suspected of planning the attacks of 9/11 who may also seek release into our country," she said. Dozens of colorfully dressed members of the Uighur community from the Washington area beamed as they left the courtroom and began embracing. "We welcome this. It has been a very long time," said Amy Reger of the Uyghur Human Rights Project. The United States determined in 2004 the 17 Uighurs are not enemy combatants, but has kept them at Guantanamo while trying to persuade other countries to resettle them. Officials said they were not returned to China because of credible fears they could be mistreated if returned. The Uighurs fled Afghanistan shortly after the U.S.-led bombing campaign began in 2001. They were turned over to U.S. military officials by Pakistani authorities. U.S. intelligence officials alleged the Uighur detainees are associated with the East Turkmenistan Islamist Movement, which the administration designated a terrorist organization in 2002. Lawyers for the Uighurs dispute any terrorist connections. Attorneys for the 17 detainees promised the court that if the judge's ruling stands, a Lutheran church group in Maryland and other service groups are prepared to provide both short-term and long-term care and support for the freed prisoners. Seventeen Uighur homes have been identified to initially house the detainees. Urbina scheduled an October 16 hearing for immigration officials and other government agencies to discuss conditions for the 17 men.

Group of 17 Chinese Muslims must be released into United States, judge rules . Federal government says it will appeal ruling, seek emergency stay of the order . Detainees are ethnic Uighurs, from mostly Muslim region in China . Prisoners have been cleared for release, but no country will take them .

5d0cfc327c753bf1f6285ceb5fc64c7a95f81241

Editor's note: John Feehery worked as a staffer for former House Speaker Dennis Hastert and other Republicans in Congress. He is president of Feehery Group, a Washington-based advocacy firm that has represented clients including News Corp., Ford Motor Company and the United States Chamber of Commerce. He formerly was a government relations executive vice president for the Motion Picture Association of America. John Feehery says Republicans are poised to bounce back for several reasons. (CNN) -- "It is important for us to have a strong Republican Party," Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi tauntingly told a press conference on April 23. "And I hope that the next generation will take back the Republican Party for the Grand Old Party that it used to be." Thanks Mrs. Pelosi, for your best wishes. But be careful what you wish for. I wouldn't write the obituary for the Republican Party quite yet. Sure, things are looking grim at the moment. Yes, our Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele stumbled out of the starting gate, making several verbal gaffes, and raising questions about his competence. Yes, the latest poll numbers are in the toilet, showing only 21 percent of the American people call themselves Republicans. Yes, Arlen Specter decided the GOP was a drag on his personal political future. And yes, we lost a special election in upstate New York that maybe we should have won. But things change. Remember a year-and-a-half ago, when everybody thought the election would be a referendum on the Iraq war. Remember 10 months ago, when everyone thought that expensive gas was going to drive people to the polls. It turned out that, by the time of the election, the most important thing that people cared about was their declining 401ks or their lost job. Here are five reasons why the Republican Party will be back and perhaps sooner than anyone thinks: . 1) Overreach: Several of my Democratic friends over the last several months have tried to comfort me when discussing the fall of the Republican Party with one consoling thought: Don't worry, we will screw it up. And on that one thing I agree with them. The liberal Democrats that currently run the Congress are destined to overreach on the legislative front. Pelosi and her California allies, like Reps. Henry Waxman, George Miller and Pete Stark, tend to think the rest of America wants the same things they do, from higher taxes on energy to a national health care plan that could be a blueprint for socialized medicine, from abortion on demand to gay marriage. But most Americans actually look at California as an economic basket case and social mess. It is a beautiful state, but it is also completely screwed-up, thanks largely to liberal governance. The Democrats are certain to overdo it on the liberalism, and that will make the Republicans much more attractive in two to four years. 2) Checks and balances: Unlike the parliamentary governments of Europe, where one party runs everything until they mess up, the American system actually gives a preference to both parties having skin in the game. While most voters don't actually think "divided government" when they go to the polls, they do think that one-party government tends to lead to excess and corruption. That is why the people have a chance a mere two years after the president gets elected to give him a midterm report card in the form of Congressional elections. Most polls now show voters prefer a candidate who will serve as a check on President Obama's power. And for most voters, who see Pelosi and Nevada Sen. Harry Reid as even more liberal than the president, Republicans will serve as that check. 3) Crisis breeds renewal: When things are going well, a political party tends to discourage independent thought and enforce philosophical orthodoxy. But when a political party faces crisis, all of that goes out the window. It is a wide-open world right now for Republicans as they debate amongst themselves what the party truly stands for. The debate will be painful, as neoconservatives, paleo-conservatives, progressive conservatives, moderates and libertarians battle it out to chart the course for a new and more vibrant party. Republicans can afford to have these debates now when they are in the minority, because frankly, they have nothing else to do. The Democrats went through this process in the mid-90s, and they built a new party that attracted centrists like Mark Warner, without alienating old-line liberals like Pelosi or Waxman. 4) Talent senses opportunity: Investors know that the time to buy is not when the market is at its peak, but when the market is at the bottom. But it is not always easy to know when the bottom hits. In politics, it is pretty easy to know when a party has hit the bottom. And for the Republicans, it is now. Talented political entrepreneurs look to the GOP and see nothing but opportunity. The old bulls have been wiped out. The new guard is ready to start leading. In the House, young guns like Eric Cantor, Kevin McCarthy and Paul Ryan are charting the future for the next Republican takeover. Adam Putnam of Florida and Mark Kirk of Illinois are getting ready for state-wide runs. But it is not just the young guns. It also more experienced politicians, John Kasich and Rob Portman of Ohio, Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania, Jeb Bush of Florida, who see an opportunity to lead the party back to power. 5) The Republican Party is the de facto Libertarian Party: Most people I talk to think of themselves not as Republicans or Democrats, but as libertarians. Not libertarians in the political party sense, but libertarians in a deeper philosophical sense. They tend to want government to stay out of their lives as much as possible. They tend to distrust all politicians, and when they hear someone say, "I am from the government, and I am here to help," they tend to laugh uproariously. It was Will Rogers who said, "I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts." The Republican Party does best when it seeks to reform government, to lessen the power of the bureaucrat, and to fight to give more freedom to the people. When the GOP returns to that philosophical creed -- which it will do in the face of the Obama administration's vast expansion of government power -- its fortunes will brighten again. If the Republican Party were a stock, the smart investor would start buying it now. Yes, things look grim at the present time, but things change. The GOP is not dead yet, and Speaker Pelosi may see her wish of a resurgent Republican Party come true quicker than she anticipated. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of John Feehery.

John Feehery: The Republican Party is struggling, but isn't dead . He says there are five good reasons to think the GOP will bounce back . U.S. system is designed to provide checks on the majority party, he says . Republicans are in position for creative thinking about ideas, Feehery says .

50ddd702f13360c101417acd98b97313a79c27f1

(CNN) -- While most parts of the country grapple with massive job loss and a deficit in new jobs, the South is faring a bit better. Hundreds stand in line at the Miami Dade College Mega Job Fair 2009 in Florida. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in December the South recorded one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country at 7 percent. According to Careerbuilder.com, the nation's largest online job site, the South continues to see growth in the oil and gas industries which means more job opportunities in related fields like engineering. As an attractive destination for senior citizens, the South is also a hot spot for those seeking employment in the health care field or industries that cater to older populations. Education also continues to be an area that many consider "recession-proof." CNN affiliates in the South report there is hope for those seeking jobs at job fairs which are drawing big crowds. Charlotte, North Carolina In a competitive market, job seekers have to be creative and some are turning to Twitter to give them an edge. The Web site TweetMyJobs.com is an online service that couples the social networking capacity of Twitter with more traditional online job-search services. "Pick a location and job type you are interested in -- you subscribe to that. Any time a new job comes out on TweetMyJobs.com, it will automatically be sent to your cell phone," Web site developer Gary Zukowski told News 14 Carolina. Read what developer told News 14 Carolina about the site . Antwon Keith, Mecklenburg County employment security commission manager, said that such an instantaneous job alert may be just what job seekers need to stay ahead of other applicants. His concern, he told the station, was that older applicants, who are currently flooding his office, may have a difficult time utilizing the online site. Hope for those in the financial sector There is an expectation that some financial services companies in Charlotte will be hiring soon, a possible bright spot for those laid off from companies like Bank of America and Wachovia. Robert Half International conducts a hiring survey every three months and told WCNC that while some companies are planning reductions due to the economy, others will add staff. "As companies have contracted and realized that their staff may be smaller than they like, they've been looking at the idea of possibly bringing in more talent," Michael Steinitz of Robert Half International said. "And it's actually a really good time to improve your talent pool and make sure you have the best people on your staff." Read about the hopeful survey . Winston-Salem, North Carolina Many area residents aren't just looking forward to the summer for the warm weather. They are also looking forward to the baseball season which is slated to bring new jobs. The Winston-Salem Dash baseball team has openings for batboys, ushers, attendants and other hourly positions. Read about resident's excitement over the ballpark jobs . Competition for the 150 positions has been fierce, especially since seasonal workers from last year have also been applying to regain their former jobs. Job seeker Akila Covington told the news channel that she has not worked in a long time and she hoped to land one of the positions to help provide for her family. "I need this job badly," she said. "I was working at US Airways last year and lost my job, so I've been out almost a year and most definitely, yeah, need the job." Even those lucky enough to score a position won't begin immediately. Workers won't start until the new ballpark is completed and that date is still tentative, officials told WXII 12 News. Miami, Florida More than 1,000 Floridians stood in line to meet recruiters for the second day of a job fair held at Miami-Dade College's North Campus. Held March 3-4, the number of recruiters present was fewer than years past, but those on hand told local station WPLG there were jobs for qualified applicants. Many of the job-far companies were members of "recession-proof fields" like nursing, education and public safety. Read about the employers that attended the job fair . Even Walt Disney World, which shed 5 percent of its workforce and offered buyouts to hundreds of its employees, was represented. "There are still jobs there and it's a very fun program," Dayo Graham, a Disney recruiter, told WPLG. The thought of available jobs was very comforting to attendees like applicant Alex Barrino who told the WPLG it's been difficult being unemployed. "It's been six-and-a-half months," Barrio said. "I've been looking for a job and it's getting ridiculous."

The South is not as hard hit with unemployment . Careerbuilder.com: Oil, gas and health care industries continue to grow . CNN affiliates report jobs are available and seekers are flocking .

6cc925e2e9204d3ebccbdbaef2ccbb7f2af62e07

(CNN) -- Both people who died of swine flu in the United States had pre-existing health problems, federal health authorities said Thursday in a report. A student uses disinfectant as she arrives Thursday at the National Technical Institute in Mexico City. The 22-month-old child who died April 27 of the flu, also called H1N1, had neonatal myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease, said the report, which was written by a virus investigation team at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and published online in the New England Journal of Medicine. The child -- who was from Mexico and who fell ill while visiting relatives in Texas -- also had a heart defect, problems swallowing and chronic hypoxia, the report said. The 33-year-old Texas woman who died last week was pregnant when she became ill, the article said. She had been diagnosed with asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. The details came in a summary of the 642 confirmed cases of H1N1 infection that were diagnosed between April 15 and May 5 in 41 states among patients ranging in age from 3 months to 81 years. Sixty percent were 18 years or younger and 18 percent had recently traveled to Mexico, the report said. It said that 36 of the 399 patients with confirmed H1N1 infection whose hospitalization status was known had been hospitalized. Of the 22 hospitalized patients for whom data were available, four were younger than 5. Nine had chronic medical conditions, some of which included Down Syndrome and congenital heart disease. Seven patients said they had traveled to Mexico during the week before onset of illness. Eleven of those 22 hospitalized patients had pneumonia and eight patients were treated in an intensive care unit. Four were placed on ventilators. As of Tuesday, 18 of the 22 patients who had been hospitalized had recovered, it said. In a conference call with reporters, CDC's Dr. Carolyn Bridges said epidemiologists would be scrutinizing the disease's spread in South America, where the cool season is set to begin. Flu virus "prefers lower humidity and lower temperatures for transmission," she said. "We'll be looking closely to the Southern Hemisphere during their winter to see what happens. That may give us some clues as to what to expect." Brazil's health minister told reporters Thursday that four cases of H1N1 infection have been confirmed in Brazil. Three have been hospitalized and one is at home, said Health Minister Jose Gomes Temporao. One case is in Rio de Janeiro, two are in Sao Paolo and the fourth was in Minas Gerais in southeastern Brazil. Two of the patients had recently been in Mexico City; the other two had recently been in Florida, he said. Another 21 cases are suspected in Brazil, he said. In Buenos Aires, Health Minister Graciela Ocana confirmed Argentina's first H1N1 case -- a man who arrived April 25 from Mexico. The man was hospitalized in the capital and released after he recovered, Ocana said. The ultimate course of the disease remains unclear, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who is involved in the effort to create a vaccine. "We may be seeing the tip of the iceberg," he told CNN. "We can't make any definitive projections about where this is going. It appears to be acting like a typical seasonal flu, only it's out of season. We shouldn't be seeing this much influenza and it's with a new virus and that's the cause fo the concern." Asked when a vaccine might be available, he said, "We hope to get doses by mid- to late fall." Journalist Fabiana Frayssinet in Rio de Janeiro and Brian Byrnes in Buenos Aires contributed to this story.

Pre-existing conditions contributed to deaths of U.S. victims, officials say . CDC report summarizes 642 confirmed cases of H1N1 infection . Most hospitalized patients have recovered, report says . Brazil reports four cases of H1N1 .

124389f1b5210d1a47c992adddb75968977b8b1c

(The Frisky) -- When I asked an old friend why she hadn't just broken up with her live-in boyfriend instead of beginning a messy affair with a married neighbor, she snapped, "Don't be stupid -- nobody leaves a relationship without having another one in place." Overlappers refuse to end one relationship until they have another one in progress. Oh, please, I corrected her. Of course they do. People fall out of love or get angry and leave without a safety net all the time. But as I thought back, I realized that for as long as I knew her, she never had. Even when she pretty much hated the one she was with, she stuck it out until she'd lined up his replacement. I could never understand why. My friend is beautiful, successful and very smart; surely being single for a little while wouldn't end her world. Women aren't the only ones guilty of this. I know -- and have unfortunately dated -- plenty of men who careen from one girlfriend directly into another, often with a big fat overlap; connecting the two relationships like a murky Venn diagram. I understand that being single can be annoying and lonely sometimes, but there are plenty of good reasons not to be -- or date! -- an Overlapper. 1. Karma! While overlapping is definitely cheating, the difference is these types go into it with the sole purpose of transitioning into another relationship. But however you word it, Overlappers deceive one or both parties in order to get what they want. When you begin a relationship dishonestly, it usually comes back to bite you in the butt. At the very least, you will never be fully able to trust an Overlapper. Because -- as yet another cliche based in truth goes -- if he does it with you, he'll do it to you. 2. Drama! Breakups are never fun, however splits caused by infidelity are hands down the most explosive. If you're like my friend and her man (who, against all odds, actually left his wife), this means that instead of talking about hearts, flowers, and butterflies -- like other new couples -- you spend your nights plotting how to hide assets and whether or not your overpaid lawyer is enough of a shark. How romantic! 3. The Pressure! Though they may appear independent, people who can't be alone are that way because they need to see themselves reflected in someone else's adoring eyes. But when their mirror (aka, partner) develops a flaw (weight gain, job loss, etc.), their image of themselves reflects that. Being a narcissist, nothing less than perfection is acceptable, so they start looking for the next mirror. Got that, fatty? You'd better stay at the top of your game if you want to hang onto an Overlapper. 4. Not cute! "I met my boyfriend when his puppy peed on my foot" is the perfect example of a meet-cute story. It has all the key elements -- chance, humor, and, best of all, a cuddly puppy! "I met my boyfriend because I was his kids' nanny and then his wife found out, which is how I got this black eye," is definitely not a tale you're going to want to share at parties. TM & © 2009 TMV, Inc. | All Rights Reserved .

Some people afraid to be alone are guilty of dating overlapping . They cheat on both partners while transitioning between relationships . Overlappers can't be trusted -- they might do it to you . Because they're narcissistic, they'll trade you in for better model .

68707273090b953ec98884b3f4bfa03f75c437f0

(CNN) -- This spring break, thousands of college students will ditch the bars and the beaches to do something more meaningful with their vacation time. Brad Vonck (bottom, left) and other student volunteers worked with the Cherokee Nation in Stilwell, Oklahoma. Brad Vonck is one of them. A sophomore at the University of Illinois, Vonck will travel to San Juan, Texas, in a group of 13 students to volunteer with La Union del Pueblo Entero, an organization that helps strengthen the communities and lives of farm workers and their families. "Learning about different cultures is very important to me," Vonck said. "I like to engage in different areas of life that I don't really understand." Every year, more and more college students, like Vonck, are choosing to spend their valuable time off from school participating in "alternative spring break" programs -- community service-based opportunities dealing with the most pressing issues of the day, including hunger and homelessness, disaster relief and global warming. "If you can name a social issue, then students are doing trips around it," said Jill Piacitelli, executive director of Break Away, an organization that trains and helps colleges across the United States promote alternative break programs. For the past six years, these programs have been growing in popularity among college students. Break Away estimated that this year, nearly 65,000 students will participate in its alternative break programs, an 11 percent increase from 2008. "It's a student-led social movement. ... This is a group that very much wants to be involved in the world around them," Piacitelli said of the volunteers. "They're solution-oriented. They want to innovate and lead and involve their peers." The average domestic trip costs around $250 or $300, Piacitelli said, which includes "housing, travel, social activities, food and often a donation to the community." Many university programs offer financial aid and the option to raise money to help pay for trips. "It is rare that anyone who wants to go on a trip cannot go," Piacitelli said. The affordability is part of the reason why so many students return for second or third trips. Nikunj Shah, a graduate of Arcadia University, has taken several alternative spring break trips volunteering in the United States and Mexico. This year, he will be traveling as an alumnus to Jean Lafitte, Louisiana, a city that has been largely ignored by disaster relief efforts in the wake of hurricanes Katrina, Wilma and Rita. "I've always had an interest in helping people. I've always been really involved in community service," Shah said. "So I saw this as an opportunity to go places I haven't been before, to get a feel for different cultures and to help people there that truly need help." In an effort to expand their alternative spring break options, universities across the United States partner with humanitarian organizations like the United Way of America. Randy Punley, director of corporate and media partnerships at the United Way, oversees the organization's Alternative Spring Break programs. After Hurricane Katrina, the United Way partnered with MTV to engage young people in the response effort. "We knew there was an interest and a passion in young people for the work we were trying to achieve," Punley said. Since then, the United Way has evolved and expanded, establishing chapters on college campuses. The organization has also developed an Alternative Spring Break Social Media Challenge, encouraging young people to be active in their communities and use social media Web sites, like Facebook or Twitter, to involve other people. "Whether it started with the first Gulf War, punctuated by the September 11 attacks and Katrina and the economic meltdown, young people have a very different perspective about what's going on in the world," Punley said. At the end of the weeklong trip, most students say it was the best week of their lives, Punley said. The increasing interest in these programs, Punley believes, speaks volumes about the attitudes of Generation Y, a group of people who are eager to make an impact on the world around them. "It's such a difference from going home and not really feeling accomplished to going on these trips and meeting new people," Vonck said. "You get experiences that you wouldn't get sitting on the couch watching TV for a week." Piacitelli said these programs encourage young people to continue serving their communities and those in need. "The students are the main benefactors of what goes on," Piacitelli said. "It changes their consciousness. They get really interested in social issues ... They see themselves as active citizens, and helping the community becomes a priority." Like Vonck and Shah, University of Illinois senior Adriana Collazo has a passion for community service. During her spring break last year, Collazo traveled to the Bronx in New York to volunteer at a homeless shelter. She stayed at a hostel with other volunteers and helped serve food and organize clothing drives. "I never really had all that money to go off and do the whole Cancun, Mexico, spring break, and I didn't really want to, because I think that's throwing away money," Collazo said. "When you can give back, it's selfish." The trip to the Bronx was a personal one for Collazo who, at the age of 6, experienced poverty firsthand when her family became homeless. "My family's better now, and I want to give back," Collazo said. "I think a lot of students have realized that they can do better things with their time. ... It humbles you."

"Alternative" spring breaks are becoming more popular among college students . The programs center on community service . Trips may address hunger and homelessness, disaster relief and global warming . The average domestic trip costs around $250 or $300 .

b29ac937b1c0c7cbc502dbf678563ad06794fca9

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani forces have killed as many as 200 Taliban militants in the past day in the Swat and Shangla areas, the military said Sunday. Pakistan has launched a massive military operation against the Taliban in the Swat Valley. CNN could not verify the account, because journalists are barred from the region. The military blamed the Taliban for injuring civilians as the offensive entered its third week. "Indiscriminate mortar firing and planting of IEDs [improvised explosive devices] in the streets and roads by the miscreants in the populated areas of village Thana, Malakand and Mingora, resulted into civilian casualties," the military said in a statement. Watch more on crisis » . The military eased a curfew on the region, allowing civilians to flee the fighting between 6 a.m. and 3 p.m. (7 p.m. Saturday and 4 a.m. Sunday EDT). The United Nations refugee agency warned Friday of a "massive displacement" of civilians as the military wages its campaign with helicopter gunships, tanks and artillery. Watch as CNN's Ivan Watson tours a refugee camp » . In the last few days, an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 Pakistanis have fled the military operation, according to U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees spokesman Ron Redmond, citing provincial government data. Another 300,000 Pakistanis were on the move or expected to flee the fighting. At least two soldiers were killed Sunday, and another died of wounds he suffered on Friday, the military statement said. Watch why civilians have backed the Taliban to survive » . The military has been releasing regular reports saying it has killed Taliban militants in the region, but it has produced little evidence of the successes it claims. Journalists have not been permitted to observe the offensive and the army has not shown the bodies of the dead militants. It is also not clear what effect the offensive is having on the overall fight against the Taliban in the region, as fears grow that they could threaten the stability of Pakistan, a nuclear-armed power and key U.S. ally.

Pakistani military says 200 Taliban fighters have been killed in 24 hours . An unknown number of civilians have also been killed and injured . Tens of thousands of civilians have fled as the military campaign intensifies .

ba65b0ced62c91ca40823ca0b8dd39e07eb6cf9f

(CNN) -- Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday insisted that his country's nuclear arsenal is "definitely safe," despite growing concerns about recent gains by the Taliban along the country's border with Afghanistan. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari insists his country's nuclear arsenal is "definitely safe" from militants. In an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Zardari responded to the fact that the United States doesn't know the locations of all of Pakistan's nuclear sites. He also addressed the Obama administrations concern over whether the weapons are vulnerable to Taliban fighters who are gaining control of some border regions. "They can't take over," Zardari said, referring to militants. "We have a 700,000 (person) army -- how could they take over?" For the last two weeks, Pakistani troops have been battling Taliban fighters in Buner and Lower Dir, two districts bordering the Swat Valley -- a broad Taliban stronghold in Pakistan. Army generals claim to have killed scores of militants. Pakistan's government recently signed a deal that would allow Islamic law, or sharia, in the Swat Valley, in exchange for an end to fighting. Still, Pakistan's military is continuing an assault on militants in Taliban-held areas after they seized territory in violation of the agreement signed by Zardari. Last week, U.S. President Barack Obama said Pakistan's government appears to be "very fragile" and argued that the United States has "huge national security interests in making sure that Pakistan is stable" and doesn't end up a "nuclear-armed militant state." And, after making two visits to Pakistan in the last three weeks, Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, indicated Monday that he is "gravely concerned" about recent Taliban and al Qaeda gains across much of southern Afghanistan and in Pakistan. Pakistan's nuclear weapons are "definitely safe," Zardari said Tuesday. "First of all, they are in safe hands. There is a command and control system under the president of Pakistan. And Buner ... there has been fighting there before. There will be fighting there again and there will always be an issue of people in those mountains that we've been taking on." Zardari's comments came as the Obama administration prepared for meetings set for Wednesday with Zardari and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai to discuss security in the region. A senior administration official told reporters that the U.S. objective of the meetings is "an alliance with these countries against a shared threat." Watch Pakistan's U.S. ambassador discuss the Taliban insurgency » . Zardari and Karzai will also be visiting key congressional leaders and policymakers in advance of meetings with Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. A bill called the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009, introduced by Sens. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, and Dick Lugar, R-Indiana, would authorize $7.5 billion in non-military aid to Pakistan over the next five years to foster economic growth and development, and another $7.5 billion for the following five years. Zardari, for his part, said he is grateful for the financial aid Pakistan has received from the United States, but said he needs "more support." "I need drones to be part of my arsenal. I need that facility. I need that equipment. I need that to be my police arrangement," he said. The U.S. military has carried out airstrikes against militant targets in Pakistan, after Zardari's government was criticized for not cracking down on militants along the Afghan border. The unmanned drone attacks have rankled relations between Pakistan and Washington. Asked whether the U.S. strategy bothered him, Zardari said, "Let's agree to disagree. ... We're still in dialogue." Zardari also denied speculation by some Congressional lawmakers that his country has used most of the $10 billion given by the United States to strengthen its arsenal against a threat from nuclear rival India -- as opposed to going after the ongoing militant threat. "They've given $10 billion in 10 years, a billion nearly a year for the war effort in -- against the Taliban, and the war that is going on," he said. Zardari also addressed his government's apparent resistance to significant U.S. involvement on Pakistani soil. Recently, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates observed, "There has been a reluctance on their part up to now. They don't like the idea of a significant American military footprint inside Pakistan. I understand that. And -- but we are willing to do pretty much whatever we can to help the Pakistanis in this situation." Zardari called Pakistan's relationship "pretty strong" and said, "We are asking. We've been asking for a lot of help, and it has been in the pipeline for a long time."

Pakistani President insists his state's nuclear arsenal is safe, despite Taliban gains . Recent gains by the Taliban along Pakistan's Afghan border have raised concerns . For 2 weeks, Pakistani troops have fought Taliban in districts bordering Swat Valley . U.S. President Barack Obama said Pakistan's government appears "very fragile"

0af1bad942a8cab168699c03d2675a8d7523ab6d

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Obama drew big laughs at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner Saturday, taking jabs at his administration, his Republican rivals and even himself. President Obama delivers some one-liners at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Saturday. "I would like to talk about what my administration plans to achieve in the next 100 days," Obama said. "During the second 100 days, we will design, build and open a library dedicated to my first 100 days." He added later, "I believe that my next 100 days will be so successful, I will be able to complete them in 72 days -- and on the 73rd day I will rest." The Democratic president poked fun at the Republican Party, saying it "does not qualify for a bailout" and conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh "doesn't count as a troubled asset." Watch Obama deliver laughs at dinner » . Obama touched on a few gaffes during his short time in office, from Vice President Joe Biden's verbose tendencies to an unfortunate Air Force One photo op that frightened New Yorkers -- playfully pointing his finger at his young daughters. "Sasha and Malia aren't here tonight because they're grounded," he said. "You can't just take Air Force One on a joyride to Manhattan -- I don't care whose kids you are." Watch celebrities mingle before dinner » . As the world shakes off swine flu fears that started in Mexico, Obama noted his old rivalry with former Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, who now serves as secretary of state. "We had been rivals during the campaign, but these days we could not be closer," the president said. "In fact, the second she got back from Mexico, she pulled me into a hug and gave me a big kiss -- told me to get down there myself." Gallery of celebrity guests » . Obama even took on former Vice President Dick Cheney, who wasn't in attendance: "He is very busy working on his memoirs, tentatively titled, "How to Shoot Friends and Interrogate People." Obama took a somber tone, though, when specifically addressing the reporters in the room -- noting the financial struggles that have afflicted the newspaper industry. Watch reporters arrive for dinner » . "Across the country, there are extraordinary, hardworking journalists who have lost their jobs in recent days, recent weeks, recent months," he said. "I know each newspaper and media outlet is wrestling with how to respond with these changes. ... Not every ending will be a happy one. "It is also true that your ultimate success as an industry is essential to the success of our democracy -- it's what makes this thing work," Obama said.

Obama delivers zingers at White House correspondents' annual dinner . President jokes Republican Party "does not qualify for a bailout" Obama also pokes fun at Vice President Biden, Secretary of State Clinton . Obama says journalism industry's success is essential to democracy .

eb5c581b29ec32b778eddcbe73d76a04b60535b1

Editor's note: Simon Johnson, a former International Monetary Fund chief economist, is a professor at MIT Sloan School of Management and a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Peter Boone is chairman of Effective Intervention, a UK-based charity, and a research associate at the Centre for Economic Performance, London School of Economics. They run http://baselinescenario.com/, a global economy Web site. Simon Johnson, above, and Peter Boone say the U.S. could be in for a long period of virtually no growth. (CNN) -- Euphoria returns! Who could have guessed that Bank of America stock would rally 70 percent the week it learns the Feds are demanding new capital equal to nearly half the bank's market capitalization? The ongoing grim news -- on rising unemployment, continued (albeit slower) economic decline, and ordinary working Americans being hammered on all sides -- is being ignored by stock and commodity markets. Is America now back on track for growth? The answer to that is almost surely no. Rising stock markets don't necessarily mean a sharp recovery is under way. Consider the case of Japan in its first lost decade of the 1990s. After falling 63 percent from its peak in late 1989, the Nikkei staged a 32 percent rally in one month. It then remained volatile but around the same level for nearly 10 years -- because the return on assets and capital investors could earn proved so low throughout that economy. During the 1990s, Japan's banking system was burdened with bad loans that kept eating into profits and its nonfinancial companies had excess capacity that had to be wound down; these problems were made worse by a decline in the working population. The initial excess of capital, supplemented by high ongoing savings from households and corporations, kept interest rates low. Throughout this period the price/earnings ratio on stocks ranged from 30 to 50 (it's 51 today), compared with 15 to 20 in Europe and the United States. The logic was simple: With so little return available on all assets, local investors were willing to pay up for stocks even if the dividends were a paltry 1-2 percent. Does this sound familiar? We think so. The current rally in stocks marks one clear success -- the fear of a systemic collapse due to loss of confidence in our financial system has subsided. This is good news, and an important achievement of President Obama's team. However, our "turning Japanese" phase may just have begun. The "stress tests" that were just completed do not mark the renewed health of our banking system. We still have 22 percent of Americans with houses worth less than their mortgages, and there are parallel problems for commercial property and other sectors. Many bankruptcies are yet to come. Most publicly traded large homebuilders are deep in debt, yet they are burning cash and waiting to see if -- magically -- the two-year stock of unsold housing can somehow disappear. We've barely begun to downsize our auto industry, and the parts suppliers and dealers that go along with it, to reflect the lower level of consumer spending and scarcer availability of credit for the future. All of this is also true across much of Europe. In essence, Europe and the United States both are saddled with zombie banks (which don't really lend), zombie corporations (which don't grow), and a decline in the relative size of the working population (as more people try to retire). This "Japanese" scenario can persist for many years. The biggest risk now is that the Federal Reserve and the Treasury try to re-leverage our way out of a Japanese-style prolonged recession by flooding the economy with cheap credit -- like they did in 2002, but to an even greater degree. Cheap government finance for powerful banks is a great cocktail for re-election; running stress tests that weren't really stressful is a good indication this is where policy is heading. This time the money won't come from consumers (or from China, as it did after 2002); it will be American and European central banks providing funds and our governments running massive budget deficits. If this is the strategy, the next crisis will be even more traumatic. Budget deficits over 10 percent of Gross Domestic Product and trillions of dollars of new loans to the banks from the Federal Reserve are recipes for hyperinflation and, if the Fed and Treasury don't pull away the punch bowl soon, sharply increasing inflation is very much in the cards. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Simon Johnson and Peter Boone.

Johnson, Boone: Stocks are rallying as if economy is out of the woods . They say that's premature, and we could be in for a long period of stagnation . Japan's economy suffered for years from similar problems, they say . Johnson, Boone: We have zombie banks and zombie companies .

c5b430f03308fd3aa6eb64d0bbc83d18c3341c20

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A second lingerie-modeling photo of Miss California USA Carrie Prejean has appeared after she assured pageant officials this week that the earlier shot was the only one she had appeared in. Miss California USA Carrie Prejean may lose her crown because of some semi-nude photos she appeared in. The Web site that published the first picture published a second one Wednesday. It had already promised to "slowly roll out" more photos. After the appearance of the first photo, the possibility that racier images could emerge prompted "closed-door meetings" Tuesday to consider stripping Prejean of her beauty queen title, pageant spokesman Ron Neal said. Although Neal said Prejean "breached her contract" by keeping the semi-nude photo or photos a secret, the only pictures published so far appear about as revealing as the bikini Prejean wore in the pageant's swimsuit competition. "We have been told by Carrie Prejean there are no other photos other than the one circulating in existence. She should know better than anyone," Miss California USA Director Keith Lewis said Wednesday before the latest photo was released. Watch reaction to racy photos » . Pageant officials were not immediately available for comment on the new picture. The 21-year-old Miss USA contestant has been the center of controversy since she declared her opposition to same-sex marriage in a response to a question on the national pageant stage last month. She finished as runner-up to Miss USA. In a statement given to CNN on Tuesday, Prejean said the photos -- and she did use the plural -- were being used in a "vicious and mean-spirited" effort to silence her for "defending traditional marriage." While she vowed to "continue to support and defend marriage as the honorable institution it is," Prejean may be doing so without the Miss California USA title. State pageant officials met Tuesday with lawyers and representatives of Donald Trump, who owns the international competition, to consider whether they had grounds to take the crown away from Prejean, according to Neal. "When you compete for Miss California, you're supposed to disclose whether you posed for nude or semi-nude photos, because it's grounds for disqualification," he said. CNN obtained a copy of the pageant contract Prejean signed last year, in which she agreed that the discovery of semi-nude photos could mean disqualification. The first photo made public shows Prejean -- who said she was 17 at the time -- wearing pink panties and no top. She is turned away from the camera, with her arm hiding most of her breast. The second photo is essentially the same, but Prejean is looking over her opposite shoulder. It was unclear whether pageant officials would consider that a semi-nude photo, in light of their standard requirement that contestants parade across stage wearing a bikini that arguably shows more skin. Ahead of the second photo being published, Nik Richie -- of TheDirty.com -- said he was upgrading his Web site's servers to handle the flood of traffic he expects will come after he posts the additional photos. "I will slowly roll these out," Richie said. The Web site appeared to be overwhelmed by traffic early Thursday. CNN tried to access it, but could not. "We'll see what happens with those and we want to know who's releasing them," Neal said. Shanna Moakler, the co-executive director of the Miss California USA organization, will meet with Tami Farrell, the runner-up for the title, "to discuss the possible next steps," Neal said. Prejean defended the photos, which she said were taken when she was a teenager aspiring to be a Victoria's Secret model. "I am a Christian, and I am a model," she said. "Models pose for pictures, including lingerie and swimwear photos." She said the photos "have been released surreptitiously to a tabloid Web site that openly mocks me for my Christian faith." "I am not perfect, and I will never claim to be," she said. "But these attacks on me and others who speak in defense of traditional marriage are intolerant and offensive. While we may not agree on every issue, we should show respect for others' opinions and not try to silence them through vicious and mean-spirited attacks." Her publicist, Melany Ethridge, confirmed a comment she gave to celebrity Web site TMZ in which she said Prejean was 17 when she posed for the photos, hoping they would land her a modeling job. "In her naivete, an agent convinced her to pose for this photo to submit to a lingerie company, claiming they could make her the next Victoria's Secret model," Ethridge told TMZ. "She has since learned what a lie that was, and what a mistake it was to have the photo taken." Prejean announced last week that she would star in a new $1.5 million ad campaign supporting "opposite marriage" (marriage between a man and a woman) funded by the National Organization for Marriage. "Marriage is good," Prejean said at a news conference announcing the ad campaign. "There is something special about unions of husband and wife. Unless we bring men and women together, children will not have mothers and fathers." CNN's Aileen Martinez contributed to this report.

Miss California USA Carrie Prejean says she posed for one semi-nude photo . A Web site says it has more photos of Prejean, and plans to slowly roll them out . Prejean is in the news for her response to question about same-sex marriage .

9f3860c446b7008351705a42c7f060ae54a5b42a

DUBLIN, Ireland (CNN) -- Jane Orobator lives in a small house in Dublin, Ireland. She's a full time psychology student at Trinity college and she is single-handedly raising 3 girls aged 9 to 14. Their smiling faces are framed in photos on the walls at home -- the only ornaments in an otherwise sparsely decorated house. An emotional Jane Orabator said her daughter's arrest made her world crumble like a pack of cards. But there is one family member missing from these photos: the oldest sister, Samantha, now 21, in prison in Laos charged with smuggling heroin. "My life, my world is crumbling like a pack of cards right before me," Jane Orobator told CNN in an emotional interview. "Samantha has never given me any cause to worry." Over the course of a 90-minute interview with CNN, Orobator frequently broke down in tears. At one point, she collapsed to her knees and begged for her daughter's release. But Jane Orobator is clearly baffled and mystified as to how her daughter ended up in Laos in the first place. Samantha Orobator was born in Nigeria. Her family sent her to London, England, to live with her aunt when she was 8 years old to escape the political strife back home. By many accounts, Samantha was a happy and popular child. She achieved good grades and excelled in biology, hoping to become a surgeon. "A really nice child, who loved school, good friends, respected the staff, behaved herself and achieved good academic results," recalls school headmaster Serge Cefai. "We're extremely surprised," he says, "We've had some of her ex-friends get in touch with the school saying 'What do you know?' Well, we only know what the media has told us and what's now coming out. And everybody is in the same boat. Samantha couldn't be involved in drugs, could she?" Jane Orobator describes her daughter as quiet, petite and "fragile." Her daughter never mentioned any boyfriends and didn't smoke or drink, she says. In fact, Samantha's life was so trouble-free that when her mother and three sisters eventually moved to Dublin, Ireland, the family decided that she should stay with her friends and school in London. Friends say she was popular and outgoing, but that she also had an adventurous streak. Her former classmate Ronke Oseni describes a fun-loving girl with a passion for travel. "The thing about Samantha is that she likes to travel and do new things," she explains. "She's very funny, like extremely funny, the weirdest sense of humor, very articulate, very hard working." But the last time Oseni talked to her friend was in June last year. She did not mention any plans to go overseas. In fact, Samantha was planning a holiday, says her mother. Jane Orobator last talked to her daughter in July when she was traveling with friends in Holland. But Samantha did not mention any details about who she was traveling with or where she was going next. In August Samantha was arrested at the Wattan Airport in Vientiane, Laos, allegedly in possession of 1.5 pounds of heroin -- an offense punishable by death. How did Samantha end up here? Jane Orobator doesn't know. British consular officials contacted her sister, the aunt who raised Samantha, in September, informing the family that she was in jail. When Jane Orobator discussed it with her sister, both women dismissed it as impossible. "I just didn't believe it. It was totally out of character." She told us, "I thought it was her passport that someone else was using. And I was furious that Samantha had lost her passport or given it to someone else." It wasn't until January that British consular officials contacted Jane Orobator directly and confirmed that the woman inside the Phothong prison in Laos was indeed her daughter. And the nightmare got worse: She was told Samantha was five months pregnant. "I've not been able to comprehend it. Being there. Samantha? Arrested? Five months later she is pregnant?" she says. "Because it's like a puzzle. I'm still trying to figure out how she got there. I have not been able to figure that out. Suddenly, she's pregnant." Oseni and other friends have rallied to her side and support groups have sprouted across the Internet -- hoping public pressure will lead to her release. There is a glimmer of hope: The Laos government said Samantha Orobator will no longer face the death penalty, because Laotian law does not allow the execution of a pregnant woman. Also, a new prisoner transfer agreement signed Thursday between Laos and Britain may allow Samantha to serve her prison term here in Britain. "It is good news that she might be able to come here and if she's found guilty and has to serve her sentence here, at least I can visit her because where she is no one can visit her," said Oseni. "She's a strong person. She has a strong character. She can defy any odds." But for Jane Orobator, the ordeal is not over yet. She still fears that conditions in the Phothong prison may be too harsh for her daughter. "Technically, they haven't killed her by firing squad. They have killed her the other way around. Because they can never give her the care she needs. Because the circumstances of the pregnancy, the psychological torment she's going through." Jane Orobator says she is waiting for her Irish passport. She then hopes to travel to Laos and see her daughter before her trial starts, possibly as early as next week.

Mom: "Samantha has never given me any cause to worry" Samantha Orobator, now 21, in prison in Laos charged with smuggling heroin . Daughter was facing death penalty, but now won't because she's pregnant . Mom happy about deal that would allow daughter to serve time in England .

c45c8c7b537ae09b5117b01911dcb9749003f23b

(CNN) -- Toney Dixon's fascination with dead bodies goes back to her childhood, when she would sneak around her uncle's funeral home and watch him prepare bodies. The bodies on display are plastinated, a process that replaces bodily fluids and fat with plastic. "I found my heart racing," said Dixon, 67. "But instead of being taken aback and terrified, I wanted to know more." Years later, Dixon's curiosity drew her and her twin sister, Erlyene Toney-Alvarez, to Body Worlds, an exhibit that shows preserved human specimens bisected and stripped of skin. "It's like standing in the mirror and seeing yourself in a totally new way," said Dixon, the younger twin. The twins were so impressed that they signed up on the spot to donate their earthly remains to the exhibit, which is currently showing in the United States, Canada, England and Germany. With their signatures, the women joined a group of people who believe that having their bodies dissected, preserved and displayed will serve a greater purpose than burial or cremation. Body Worlds' donor program boasts about 800 people in North America and 8,600 worldwide. "I thought, since I like to think outside the box, this would be a really good way to preserve our bodies instead of the typical funeral," Toney-Alvarez said. "It's also something I can go to my death feeling good about, like I made a contribution to humankind." Individual Americans have had the right to bequeath their bodies to science since 1965, when the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act established the human body as property. With that law, a donor's wishes superseded those of the next of kin. But academics in the field of gross anatomy attribute recent increases in body donations to relaxed social mores, according to an article published by the Association of American Medical Colleges. Traditionally, medical schools have been the most common recipients of willed specimens in America. Then, in 1993, controversial German anatomist Gunther von Hagens emerged with an alternative. Von Hagens, a self-styled iconoclast who earned the moniker Dr. Frankenstein in Europe for performing a public dissection, invented plastination in the 1970s. See photos of the Body Worlds exhibit » . He spent the next few years popularizing and refining the process, which replaces bodily fluids and fat with plastic, earning equal shares of admiration and infamy. In 1993, von Hagens founded the Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg, Germany, a research center that performs plastination and manages the Body Worlds exhibits. The Institute produces specimens for Body Worlds exhibits and academic institutions that pay anywhere from $200 to $60,000 for them. Von Hagens says he relies on donors not only as a source of specimens, but also as representations of Body Worlds' philosophy. "I feel it is in line with democratic principles that you can decide in your lifetime whether to go to the cemetery or put yourself on display in an exhibition to teach the next generation," von Hagens said in a recent telephone interview. Von Hagens says the Body Worlds donor program distinguishes it from similar exhibitions that have used bodies of questionable origin. In a settlement with the New York State Attorney General's Office, Premier Exhibitions admitted that the specimens used in "Bodies ... The Exhibit" might be victims of torture or execution from Chinese prisons. The settlement requires that Premier Exhibitions obtain proof of donor consent for specimens used in its shows. The company has also set up a fund to compensate visitors to its New York show. Legislation is pending in several states that would require shows like Body Worlds to prove donor consent before they open. Von Hagens has weathered similar allegations over the years. He insists that the specimens in Body Worlds exhibits come from donors. He has done some plastination work on bodies from China at the request of medical schools and universities, but these bodies were not put on display. "It is very, very important for the donors to know the purpose of the exhibit, that it is not entertainment, it is education and enlightenment," von Hagens said. "I have to be in peace with those on display." The donors meet periodically at conferences, where they catch up with each other and with von Hagens. Recently, the sisters attended a donor conference in Los Angeles, California, with their mother, Irma Henry, who signed on in 1997. Marc Rohner donated his leg to Body Worlds because he wanted others to learn from it. "What you see in a picture or on "CSI" does not do justice to what the real human body looks like or how it functions," said Rohner, whose leg was amputated in 2006 to remove a malignant giant cell tumor. "By having a three-dimensional leg or black lung in front of you, you have areas of focus and details you can't see in a photo." With his donation, Rohner, a pathologist's assistant in Columbus, Ohio, became the first living person to give a body part to the Institute. Rohner acknowledges that the exhibits are not for everyone. Church groups in Europe have repeatedly denounced the shows as disrespectful, and skeptics around the world continue to question whether the Body Worlds specimens really are from legitimate sources. But Toney-Alvarez says she will visit Body Worlds, even if her mother and sister are on display. "Once you have passed on, it's just a shell. The memories are in the heart and in the mind," she said.

Body Worlds was created by Gunther von Hagens, who invented plastination . Body donor Toney Dixon says the exhibit is a didactic alternative to burial, cremation . About 800 people in North America are on donor list for Body Worlds . Purpose of the exhibit is education and enlightenment, von Hagens says .

e290cf60b1988b5a96e21d7a403a55175216d40e

(CNN) -- Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has submitted his letter of resignation, the prime minister's office told CNN on Saturday. Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's resignation may smooth the way for a unity government. Considered a political independent, Fayyad was appointed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in June 2007 to be prime minister. Fayyad's decision may help smooth the way for a Palestinian unity government that would be acceptable to both Hamas and Fatah, the region's two main political parties, as well as the international community. Officials have argued a neutral government would be crucial to getting aid into Gaza to help with reconstruction and humanitarian relief. Palestinians unsuccessfully tried their hand at a unity government in the spring of 2007, with the mediation of Saudi Arabia. The experiment ended in June of that year with Hamas taking over Gaza, leaving Fatah in charge in the West Bank. Fayyad, a well-regarded international economist, was finance minister during the short-lived unity government in 2007. CNN's Ben Wedeman contributed to this report.

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad steps down . Fayyad's resignation is expected to pave way for unity government . Fayyad was appointed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007 .

acda10ae304b71f5ab952d780ca65ad1a41e6fc1

HAVANA, Cuba (CNN) -- In a major shake-up the likes of which Cubans have not seen for decades, President Raul Castro on Monday reorganized his Cabinet, replacing longtime aides to his brother Fidel, who resigned from office a year ago, citing poor health. Cuban President Raul Castro is moving his own people into power, analysts say. Some analysts said the changes appear to be an attempt by Raul Castro to put his own supporters into positions of power. Among the changes: . Felipe Perez Roque, the 43-year-old foreign minister, was replaced by his deputy, Bruno Rodriguez Aprilla. Carlos Lage Davila, an economist, lost his job as Cabinet secretary, but no mention was made of removing him from his other post as vice president of the Council of State. Lage, who helped guide the nation through its "special period" of dire economic times in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the loss of billions in subsidies, was replaced by Brig. Gen. Jose Amado Ricardo Guerra; Raul Castro is also commander in chief of the armed forces. "It looks like Raul putting some of his own people in," said Wayne Smith, director of the Cuba program at the Center for International Policy in Washington, who led the U.S. Interests Section in Havana during the Carter administration. Smith noted that Cuba's government underwent "quite a few shake-ups after the revolution first came in" in 1959, but said Monday's move "is the biggest shake-up that I've seen in a very long time ... for the last 30 or 40 years." "This is obviously a major move," concurred Vicki Huddleston, who led the Interests Section during the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and is a visiting scholar at the Brookings Institution in Washington. "[There is] nothing like this that I can recall since the late 1960s." She noted that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez met with both Castro brothers during a visit late in February to Havana, on what Granma described as a "work visit," and speculated that Raul Castro may have asked him then to buy in on the changes. "They really need Chavez to be on board, because without the subsidized oil from Venezuela, they're dead," Huddleston said. With the Cuban economy hamstrung by the world economy, Raul Castro may have decided it is time for him to make reforms of his own without worrying about second-guessing by his brother or his brother's allies, she said. Huddleston speculated that the changes could portend the government once again allowing private enterprise to flourish in Cuba. Communist leader Fidel Castro experimented with that during the 1990s, but pulled back. "It represents a significant step by Raul Castro to gain autonomy and, essentially, distance himself from Fidel's old gang," said Larry Birns, director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs. "In other words, he feels confident enough that he has an independent base of power." He said Raul Castro's moves to date have proven popular not only with his party members, but also with the general population. Still, Raul Castro should not take that support for granted, Birns said. "It may be that, if he makes too many moves, the party will feel that their privileges are being taken away, and that will make them unhappy." Otto Reich, who served as assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs during the George W. Bush administration, said he was withholding judgment. "It's a little early to tell what this really means," he said. "Some people are saying the Fidelistas are being replaced by the Raulistas. But the other side is: Are we talking about rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic?" The state-run newspaper Granma published an official notice from the State Council that said the changes were intended to form a structure that is "more compact and functional, with fewer organisms of the central administration of the state and a better distribution of the functions that they carry out." CNN's Morgan Neill and Shasta Darlington in Havana, Tom Watkins and Arthur Brice contributed to this story.

Several longtime aides to Fidel Castro are replaced . Foreign minister and Cabinet secretary move aside . Analyst says it's the biggest shake-up in 30 or 40 years .

2cff486b110a650bbbabd6ce6135246474d89d37

(CNN) -- Is the movie cop thriller heading for retirement? Colin Farrell, left, and Edward Norton star in "Pride and Glory" as New York cops. It seems incredible to suggest that such a popular form of storytelling might be on the way out, but it's happened before: Musicals and westerns were once staple entertainment for the moviegoing masses, and somewhere in the 1970s they just went thataway. Now the musicals and westerns that emerge are considered unusual. So consider: Last week the top box-office draw in the country was "Max Payne" with Mark Wahlberg as an obsessed cop tracking down the killer who murdered his wife and child. Based on a video game, "Max Payne" takes a rudimentary plot and boils it down still further, to the point where it's worse than predictable. The film's attraction (such as it is) isn't found in story, but in decoration: the blue-filtered chiaroscuro and etch-y comic book compositions, how the snow glints under the streetlights. "Pride and Glory," on the other hand, is resolutely old school. Not only is it not based on a video game, it's hard to imagine that any of the characters has played one -- or seen a movie either. Watch behind the scenes at "Pride and Glory" » . The time period isn't specified, but it seems to be today, going on 1974. Written by "Tumbleweeds" director Gavin O'Connor and Joe Carnahan ("Narc"), based on a story O'Connor put together with his twin brother Greg and ex-New York cop Robert Hopes, this is one of those movies that wants to emulate the serious side of '70s cinema, to dig into thorny ethical quandaries and alert us to institutional corruption. Unfortunately, it does a poor job. This time Edward Norton is the alienated cop, Ray Tierney. Like Max Payne, he's stepped away from the street to nurse his own grievances -- he bears an ugly scar down his cheek from an incident referred to only obliquely. The details remain hazy, but it casts a "Chinatown"-size cloud over Ray and probably accounts for the state of his marriage -- which is over -- and the fact that he's sleeping on his dad's leaky sailboat. There's considerably more plot in "Pride and Glory" than in "Max Payne," but it's only marginally less predictable. A shooting puts four cops down -- all of them from the command of Ray's brother Francis (Noah Emmerich). Francis is devastated, and the boys' father, Francis Sr. (Jon Voight), insists Ray must step up and take charge of the investigation. The Tierney clan has another cop in the family: Jimmy (Colin Farrell) is married to their sister (Lake Bell). We soon realize Jimmy's hands are dirty. But what will Ray do about it? If you've seen your Sidney Lumet movies -- "Serpico," "Prince of the City," "Q&A" -- then you'll be well ahead of the game. Even if you haven't, you'll have seen the cop shows that drew from them. Which is why almost every scene, every line of dialogue in "Pride and Glory" has the dull thud of cliche. "We can't keep doing this," moans Ray's soon-to-be ex-wife. Any regular moviegoer will know exactly what she means: How many more times will we have to suffer this déja-vu? Granted, originality isn't everything. Last year, James Grey's "We Own the Night" invested a very similar story with subtle character shadings and a subversive edge. What's most disappointing about O'Connor's capably acted but gloomy and portentous movie is how it shies away from any real complexity. The Tierneys may have their faults, but the outsider, Jimmy, is the bad egg (we gather that much when he threatens a baby with a hot iron). When push comes to shove, the brothers do the right thing in a climax so stock you could use it to make gravy. The old school was better than this. And, back then, it wasn't old either. "Pride and Glory" is rated R and runs 129 minutes. For Entertainment Weekly's take, click here.

"Pride and Glory" wants to be cop thriller throwback; instead it's just predictable . Film is about a family of cops, one of whom is bad . Edward Norton and Colin Farrell star in well-acted but clichéd movie .

b648d49d4e487f0dc4b8fb0377ca61ff6b43b6da

(CNN) -- The weather can affect your travel, your mood and apparently the size of your family. Edie is a proud blizzard baby, and her parents have already bought her a snowsuit for this year. Denver hospitals are reporting a baby boom, which is arriving about nine months after two blizzards walloped Colorado's capital city. With roads shut down for days, couples were stuck at home and apparently cuddled up to stay warm. Marjorie Silva told the Rocky Mountain News that she has a new baby because she didn't want her husband to play in the snow during the blizzard. "It was cold, and we took a bath together," she told the newspaper, referring to husband Hansell. "And one thing led to another. He wanted to go outside and play with the snow, and I didn't want to. ... We just ate and stayed in bed." Hospital staffers are working extra hours and using an overflow unit to take care of all the new babies and moms at Avista Adventist Hospital in suburban Louisville, according to Lynne Snyder, the director of women's services. One baby couldn't wait to get to the second-floor delivery room. The doctors had to go to Mom at the bottom of the stairs, and everyone went into the emergency room to help the infant into into the world. The infants are going home with T-shirts pronouncing them proud to be a blizzard baby. Dad: We waited nine months for our Christmas present » . Edie Coddington is wearing one of those shirts, even though her parents, Odele and Ian, were out of town when the storms hit. They were visiting family in Calgary and had to wait until the two blizzards cleared before they could get back to Colorado. Edie was a very happy surprise, Odele Coddington said. Their joy is shared by co-workers who are having an "enormous rash" of blizzard babies, Ian Coddington said, adding that company picnics will be very entertaining in about five years, when the babies are older and running around. For now, more babies may be on the way. Sky Ridge Medical Center, just south of Denver, expects a 20 percent increase in deliveries in October. One doctor at the hospital told CNN affiliate KMGH that he expects the baby boom to last for couple of more months. "The snow stayed on the ground throughout December, January, and into February. My theory is that the cabin fever didn't set in until a little bit later," Dr. Steve Grover said. Although the new parents and hospitals are having fun with the term blizzard babies, officials say it will be months before it can be determined whether there is any connection between the blizzards and the new arrivals. And previous purported baby booms have been discounted after experts studied the numbers, according to The Associated Press. University of North Carolina and Duke University researchers found there were no booms after the New York City blackouts in 1965 and 1977. But already, Denver-area businesses say they are benefiting from a boom in sales. "We've also been selling a lot of diaper bags and blankets. I'm completely wiped out of blankets. I can't keep up with the blankets," Linde Schlumbohm, the owner of Studio Bini, told the TV station. E-mail to a friend .

Denver hospitals reporting increase in baby deliveries . Staff at one hospital working overtime to handle deliveries . One couple escaped snow but got caught in baby blizzard .

06aee0ddbbe46d986cf5468f4ee1b097da0f0bcc

(ESSENCE.com) -- While the country celebrates the first black president, African-Americans are facing critical challenges from high unemployment, home foreclosures and a record number of black men in prison. Marc Morial is president and CEO of the National Urban League. Despite these disparities and the fact that African-Americans have been hit hardest by the current economic meltdown, a recent New York Times/CBS News poll found that 59 percent of African-Americans believe the country has made real progress in race relations, a 30 percent jump from last year. The National Urban League, in its report "The State of Black America 2009," acknowledges the feeling of hope the Obama administration brings, but demands the president examine the sobering issues facing African-Americans. ESSENCE.com asked president and CEO of the Urban League Marc H. Morial whether or not the sentiments reflected in the poll mirror the national Black perspective. ESSENCE: With all of these factors that are challenging the African-American community today, do you really believe most of us feel like race relations between blacks and whites have improved? See how a few Americans feel about race relations » . Marc H. Morial: I know that a poll is a snapshot of time, and while it's important to keep the proper context, this is a positive thing. Yes, people are beginning to have a healthier view of race relations. But we must keep in mind the underlying conditions that people are currently living in. There are still very significant disparities between blacks and whites in America. The unemployment rate in the current recession is but one example. ESSENCE: Do you believe the election of the first African-American president had anything to do with the change in black attitude toward the future of the U.S.? Morial: This is clearly a visible example of the effect of President Obama's election. It has created hope, optimism and a better way of thinking about the issue of race. I just hope that it's sustainable. If it's sustainable, it means we can work towards addressing and alleviating some of those underlying conditions. We should hope that it maintains and translates into positive action to try to close some of the difficult challenges like the economic gap and the housing problem. ESSENCE: Does it surprise you that white people had an equally positive outlook on race relations? Morial: Not in light of Obama. He got more white votes than Kerry or Gore. He also got a higher black turnout than at any other time in American history. So he has demonstrated this unique important ability at the national level to appeal to a broad cross-section of people. People place a considerable amount of trust and optimism in his leadership. Watch an Essence editor talk about her interview with Michelle Obama » . ESSENCE: How have organizations like the National Urban League reinforced this new attitude about race? Morial: I really believe a great deal has to do with President Obama. To have that kind of effect and impact means that people are willing to move forward and they believe and hope that things are getting better. Our mission at the National Urban League is to help children and adults, young and old, achieve economic parity, through programs and public policy. Those that have worked in the trenches for many years to improve relations and conditions deserve some credit, but the issue for us is about sustainability and transferability. Have race relations improved? Watch to find out » . We want to see this epidemic of high school dropouts improve. We want to see this disparity that exists in economics reduced. These issues are so critical and important. My hope is that this new change in attitude will ultimately lead to that.

African-Americans still face critical challenges such as high unemployment . Majority of blacks believe U.S. has made progress in race relations . National Urban League CEO talks about "The State of Black America 2009" CEO: Obama "has created hope, optimism and a better way of thinking"

2336a46e888da0d2300d7cd90da937124c2f9bd8

LONDON, England -- In his autobiography, Eric Clapton admits that he enjoys nothing more than sitting in a deck chair on a white sandy beach watching his children playing in the sea. Private getaway: Eric Clapton enjoys spending time relaxing on his superyacht Va Bene. It's the perfect antidote to a punishing tour schedule, and with gigs in the U.S., Canada, the UK, Scandinavia and Europe so far this year, getting away from it all is an experience he values. He found that he was particularly at ease aboard the 157 ft (47.8m) motor yacht Va Bene, which he chartered in 2005 and cruised with friends around the Mediterranean. The sheltered port of Bonifacio at the southern end of Corsica became one of his favorite haunts. In fact, Clapton enjoyed Va Bene so much that he bought her. It was the first time he'd ever had to borrow money to buy something, but he had fallen for the yacht, despite her 13 years and slightly dated looks. Besides there was always the possibility of updating her to give her a new lease of life. Va Bene came with an interesting pedigree. She had originally been commissioned by a Greek ship owner in 1992 to a design by Richard Hein (of Oceanco fame) and built by Kees Cornelissen in Holland. She was then purchased by F1 motor racing supremo Bernie Ecclestone before being sold to an American. A steel-hulled displacement yacht with a cruising speed of about 14 knots, Va Bene can accommodate 12 guests in six separate sleeping cabins and has a crew complement of 13. Having lived with Va Bene for a couple of years, Eric Clapton finally felt the time was right for a refit. Clapton was particularly keen for the work to be carried out in the UK, partly because he wanted to buy British but also because he could keep a close eye on proceedings. Pendennis Shipyard in Falmouth, Cornwall, was an obvious choice. Roger Taylor, the drummer with Queen has his yacht Tiger Lilly refitted regularly in Falmouth and Pete Townsend of the Who is another famous client. Pendennis Shipyard representative Alastair Heane was first introduced to the yacht during the charter show in Antigua in December 2006. Eric Clapton has a house on the island and Va Bene is based here during the winter season. Heane quickly established a detailed proposal of work. The plan was to get Va Bene to Falmouth after Clapton had finished his 2007 summer holiday so that the work could be carried out during the winter. The initial time frame was three months but like most complex refits this quickly extended to six as the work list grew. The target was to have Va Bene ready and waiting in Porto Cervo Sardinia on July 1 this year in time for Eric Clapton's month-long family holiday -- a date that was set in stone to fit around his tour schedule. We caught up with Va Bene during a photo shoot at the end of June 2008 on the very day she was setting sail from Palma, Mallorca, to meet up with the boss in Sardinia. With the final last-minute touches still being applied and the crew busily unpacking everything from the owner's precious guitar to his children's cuddly toys, it was a close run thing but Pendennis had met the deadline in style. The first thing that strikes you on boarding Va Bene is the calm, informal atmosphere of what is clearly a much-loved family yacht rather than a glitzy monument to success. Eric Clapton may be one of the world's greatest living rock stars but he is also an unpretentious family man who wants a yacht that he can relax on. The saloon encapsulates this perfectly. Rather than a single formal space with designer furniture that look so immaculate you hardly dare sit down, Va Bene's saloon is divided into four separate areas with clusters of contrasting chairs, sofas, tables and cabinets. One group of guests can be relaxing round the card table and matching leather chairs, while others stretch out on the big taupe corduroy sofa to watch a movie. That still leaves room for him to sneak off into another corner and perch on one of the special armless low-level chairs to play his guitar. The adjacent dining room is a little more formal but even here the overriding feeling is of a wonderfully light room centered around what looks like a huge limed-oak table inlaid with Italian marble. In fact, it is all the handiwork of a talented local artisan who painted the surface of the original table to match the materials found elsewhere on the yacht right down to the fake wooden joints and natural marble flaws. This solution appealed both to Clapton's desire to refresh rather than replace where possible and his appreciation of skilled craftsmanship. He is a keen collector of modern art himself and every spare wall and surface reflects this passion. From intricate postcard-sized oil paintings of Venice to large, sprawling canvases and some beautiful marble sculptures and ceramic vases, it is a collection that reflects the singer's own ability to transcend the confines of any one genre. Perhaps that also explains the relatively neutral tones of the décor. There is an Art Deco theme running through the main guest areas, which the refit has refreshed and modernized rather dispensed with. The limed-oak paneling is original but all the garish gold door handles, light fittings and switches have either been replaced or replated in chrome to give it a much more contemporary feel. The high gloss white painted ceiling panels and moldings have all been meticulously flatted back to leave a softer matt finish while all the ceiling lights, some 400 of them in total, have been replaced with modern recessed spots. As you'd expect aboard a musician's yacht, the AV system was another major beneficiary of the refit. Every cabin and guest space now has a discreet Arcam iPod dock so that he can plug in his iPhone wherever he is and enjoy instant access to his personal music library. All bar one of the existing Bang & Olufsen CRT televisions have also been swapped for high-definition Panasonic Viera flat screens. The highlight of the refit is the new owner's suite on the main deck -- a space that Clapton and his wife rarely used before the refit, because it is at the opposite end of the yacht to his children's cabins. (They preferred the smaller but more family-friendly location of the VIP guest suite next to the main run of cabins on the lower deck.) But it's a much more enticing space these days. Reconfigured by interior designers H2 in Putney, London, it now enjoys a much bigger family bathroom complete with walk-in rain shower, dramatic stone basins, a large tub and a natural teak floor. The key to the success of the refit, which cost in excess of US$4 million, lay in the planning. Pendennis's Tyrone Harvey and a small team started with a technical visit to the yacht in Palma, Mallorca, in the early summer of last year. Within days of arriving in Falmouth Va Bene had undergone sea trials with Duncan Propellers to try and improve an ongoing issue with her performance and economy. It eventually transpired that one of the gearboxes had been incorrectly fitted. She was then moored alongside at Pendennis while her crew started the long job of removing her entire inventory. She also had her teak deck stripped off before she was floated into the 150m long dry dock. Despite all the changes, Va Bene left Falmouth on time, arriving in Sardinia on July 1. Indeed, it was during this holiday that Eric Clapton took time out to talk to SuperYacht World about his born-again Va Bene (see p74). Now that he has had a chance to enjoy the fruits of his and Pendennis's labor, Va Bene is available for charter through Burgess Yachts in the Mediterranean and Caribbean. It's not often you get to walk in the shadow of a genuine rock legend but on Va Bene you can also swim, sunbathe and sleep in Eric Clapton's personal holiday home. Chartering just doesn't get any better than that. Subscribe to SuperYachtWorld . COPYRIGHT © 2009 IPC MEDIA LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED .

Eric Clapton owns the 48 meter superyacht Va Bene . Bernie Ecclestone had owned the vessel before Clapton bought it . Clapton enjoys spending time on the boat to get away from his work .

214f1bd9a1d5b0ff740f044720e4fae20b3007ce

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- While violence decreases across Iraq, women in the war-ravaged country face worsening hardships as warfare has thrust them into the role of family breadwinners, an aid group's survey said. An Iraqi woman who sells incense and candles to support her children says, "to work is to preserve your honor." In a release dated Sunday coinciding with International Women's Day, Oxfam International issued, "In Her Own Words: Iraqi Women Talk About Their Greatest Concerns and Challenges." Many women have been widowed and have had to run their families because their husbands "had been killed, disappeared, abducted or suffered from mental or physical abuse," the survey says. As a result, many have been unable to earn a decent living. While there are no precise numbers, there are now an estimated 740,000 widows in Iraq, Oxfam says. "Women are the forgotten victims of Iraq," said Oxfam International Executive Director Jeremy Hobbs, in quotes included in the survey. See pictures of women working in Iraq » . The survey found that largely because of the conflict in Iraq, 35.5 percent of participants were acting as head of the household and that "nearly 25 percent had not been married." "If this reflects Iraq as a whole, it is the highest rate in the larger region, a result of the loss of men of marrying age as a result of the conflict," the survey said. Oxfam and its Iraqi partner group Al-Amal Association, conducted the survey in five provinces -- Baghdad, Basra, Tameem, Najaf and Nineveh. Questioners interviewed 1,700 respondents starting last summer. While the survey doesn't represent the situation facing all Iraqis, it provides "a disturbing snapshot of many women's lives and those of their children and other family members." "A quarter of the women interviewed still do not have daily access to water, a third cannot send their children to school and, since the war started, over half have been the victim of violence," Hobbs said. "And to add further insult more than three-quarters of widows, many of whom lost their husbands to the conflict, get no government pension which they are entitled to." The report urges Iraq to invest in social welfare essential services. "A whole generation of Iraqis are at risk. Mothers are being forced to make tough choices, such as whether to pay for their children to go to school and receive health care, or to pay for private power and water services. These are choices no mother should have to make. And they are not only threatening individual families, they are also threatening the future of Iraq itself," Hobbs said. Here are some of the survey results. • Security and safety are the top concerns of nearly 60 percent of women. • More than 40 percent of respondents said their security situation worsened last year. • 55 percent had been victims of violence since 2003. • Some 45 percent of women said their income was worse in 2008 than in 2007 and 2006. • 69 percent said access to water was worse or the same as in in 2006 and 2007. • 80 percent said access to electricity was more difficult than or the same as in 2007. • Nearly half of the women said access to quality health care was more difficult in 2008 compared with 2006 and 2007. • 40 percent of women with children reported that their sons and daughters were not attending school.

An estimated 740,000 widows struggle in new roles as heads of house, survey says . Many women don't have daily access to water and cannot send children to school . More than 40 percent of respondents said security situation worsened last year . Report urges Iraq to invest in essential social welfare services .

5769da5208c5067fee3be273ac5cc0a646152e37

(CNN) -- Millions of people are expected to go to Washington to celebrate Barack Obama's inauguration on January 20, but with a troubled economy and pocketbook issues on the mind, the president-elect must be careful to set the right tone. Construction of the inaugural stand continues in front of the White House last week. President Bush raised a record $42.8 million dollars for his second inauguration, and according to Public Citizen, more than 90 percent of the donations to that ceremony were from executives or corporations. But this year, some say throwing a multimillion-dollar party would be unseemly in a time when crash, bailout, and foreclosure fill the economic headlines. "A lot of it is about tone and making sure that the celebrations that do take place are not over the top, that they don't appear to be insensitive to the pain people have right now," said Ryan Alexander, president of Taxpayers for Common Sense. The inaugural committee for Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to make sure the ceremony underscores the incoming administration's "commitment to change business as usual in Washington." The Presidential Inaugural Committee has limited individual contributions to $50,000. There is no law restricting the size of donations, but in the past, inaugural committees have set contribution limits as high as $250,000. The PIC said it will not take contributions from corporations, political action committees, current federally registered lobbyists, non-U.S. citizens or registered foreign agents. Obama has promised to "take power away from the corporate lobbyists" -- a pledge that would be questioned should the president-elect rely on them to foot his inauguration bill. "If he can pay for these parties with small donations, I think there'd be a lot more acceptance of that," Alexander said. Watchdog groups say there are some things Obama can do to take control of the tone. For example, he could make donations to charity, and Michelle Obama could opt for something more reasonably priced than a designer dress. When Franklin D. Roosevelt took office, he also faced a financial crisis. He gave voters a now famous pep talk about the failing economy, then skipped the fancy inaugural balls because they sent the wrong message. But analysts say Obama's not expected to go that far because so many people want to celebrate his historic win. "Washington, D.C., was pro-Obama and had Obama-mania long before November 4. But the moment November 4 occurred, all -- all craziness sort of broke loose," said Anne Schroeder Mullini, a gossip columnist for Politico. As inauguration organizers work to keep the tone in check, they are speaking out against those trying to make money by scalping tickets to the event. Tickets for the inauguration are distributed through members of Congress, and just 240,000 seats are available for the actual swearing-in ceremony. The tickets are supposed to be free, but with demand outpacing supply, a traditional giveaway has turned into a thriving online marketplace. Legitimate ticket brokers -- the same companies that peddle tickets to rock concerts and NASCAR races -- are selling tickets to the inauguration for thousands of dollars, even for standing-room areas on the National Mall. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein wants to make that practice a crime, punishable by up to a year in prison. Organizers of the inauguration say it violates the spirit of the event and could spell disappointment for people who buy tickets for the ceremony. "We think it's absolutely insane to be selling those tickets. We understand some people want to make a buck, but for those people thinking of buying tickets, it's buyer beware," warned Howard Gantman, staff director of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. CNN's Carol Costello, Brianna Keilar and Erica Hill contributed to this report.

President Bush raised a record $42.8 million dollars for his second inauguration . Barack Obama has limited individual donations to $50,000 . Some say an extravagant celebration would be out of place, considering economy . Inauguration organizers say ticket scalping violates the spirit of the event .

02604253bc8b83628381c7e6ba803f4bed2dd2ac

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- On the same day that it announced record suicides among its soldiers, the U.S. Army said Thursday that it will soon conduct service-wide training to help identify soldiers at risk of suicide. The program will teach soldiers how to recognize behaviors that may lead to suicide, and how to intervene. The program, which will run February 15 through March 15, will include training to recognize behaviors that may lead to suicide and instruction on how to intervene. The Army will follow the training with another teaching program, from March 15 to June 15, focused on suicide prevention at all unit levels. Earlier Thursday, the Army reported the highest one-year level of suicides among its soldiers since it began tracking the rate 28 years ago. The Army said that 128 soldiers were confirmed to have committed suicide in 2008, and an additional 15 were suspected to have committed suicide that year in cases under investigation among active-duty soldiers and activated National Guard and reserves. The Army's confirmed rate of suicides in 2008 was 20.2 per 100,000 soldiers. The nation's suicide rate was 19.5 per 100,000 people in 2005, a figure considered the most recent, Army officials said last month. In 2007, the Army reported 115 confirmed suicides, which was then the highest level since 1980, when it began tracking suicides. Suicides for Marines were also up in 2008. There were 41 in 2008, up from 33 in 2007 and 25 in 2006, according to a Marines report. In addition to the training the Army announced Thursday, the service has a program called Battlemind, intended to prepare soldiers and their families to cope with the stresses of war before, during and after deployment. It also is intended to help detect mental-health issues before and after deployments. The Army and the National Institute of Mental Health signed an agreement in October to conduct research to identify factors affecting the mental and behavioral health of soldiers and to share strategies to lower the suicide rate. The five-year study will examine active-duty, National Guard and reserve soldiers and their families.

Service-wide training to help soldiers identify those at risk of suicide . 2008 was record year for U.S. Army suicides, service reports . Army: 128 soldiers confirmed to have committed suicide in 2008 .

5768cc590a884058e921fc14773b239f9a6c0e4b

(AOL Autos) -- At the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and MINI showed the world what electric vehicles of the future will look like. And the future of driving looks fun. The Dodge Circuit EV can blast from 0-to-60 mph in around 4 seconds. Those in the know realize that sometime in the future, the vast majority of light cars and trucks in the US will feature electric final drive systems. The motors used in these systems will be powered by batteries, fuel cells, on-board generators, and perhaps even the sun. But this open issue doesn't change the inevitability of this reality. Given our current economic times, reality demands practical, tangible, and achievable ideas of what electric vehicles (or "EVs" for short) might actually look like. This is it ... Chrysler . Three of the four electric vehicles Chrysler showed in Detroit, Michigan, were shown at other events and even to Washington bureaucrats. Each of these vehicles is a running prototype, not some pie-in-the-sky-we'll-never-build that idea. ENVI is the special group of engineers at Chrysler that develops the company's EVs. To date, the ENVI group has developed four electrically powered models, each quite different from the other: a Dodge Circuit EV sports car (rear-wheel drive), a Chrysler Town & Country minivan (front-wheel-drive), a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (all-wheel-drive), and now a Jeep Patriot (front-wheel-drive). Chrysler promises to offer at least one of these models in 2010, and three more by 2013. AOL Autos: Dodge Circuit EV photos . Chrysler approaches electric vehicles with simple plug-and-play engineering. Every one of their vehicles uses similar electric drive motors (only varying in power output), advanced lithium-ion batteries, and a power management controller. Each plugs in to 110- or 220-volt household outlets for recharging. The Chrysler and both Jeeps use an on-board range-extending battery charger (a generator). This generator automatically turns on after the vehicle's initial batter charge has been spent (usually within a range of 40 miles), supplying extra voltage that give these three vehicles an estimated range of approximately 400 miles. The generator is powered by a small gasoline-powered engine that runs with exceptional efficiency. This technology is similar in concept to what General Motors has shown in their Chevrolet Volt, a vehicle that should be ready for production in 2010. AOL Autos: Cadillac Converj photos . The Dodge Circuit carries a larger battery pack and no generator, so its range on the charge it carries is approximately 150-200 miles. Its large battery pack combined with compact dimensions and the exceptional torque provided by its electric motor blast the car from zero-to-sixty mph in around four seconds, exceptionally fast for any sports car regardless of engine type. Mercedes-Benz . Mercedes-Benz used the 2009 Detroit Auto Show to showcase their Concept BlueZERO vehicles. The Mercedes approach was to develop one efficient body style, and then equip it with three different electric drive packages. AOL Autos: Mercedes Stirling Moss photos . Much of the hardware for the all-electric front-wheel-drive propulsion units is built into what Mercedes calls "sandwich-floor" architecture that the company uses on several production cars. The design helps keep heavy components mounted low on the chassis for better handling, enhanced safety, and maximized interior room. All three Concept BlueZERO vehicles include electric drive and batteries. The E-Cell uses a large battery pack that is said to deliver a range of 120 miles. The F-Cell utilizes a smaller battery pack, but supplements the vehicle's range with a hydrogen fuel cell. The fuel cell produces electricity to recharge the battery pack that extends cruising range to 240 miles. The E-Cell Plus, with a range of approximately 360 miles, is the distance champion. The key is the on-board generator powered by tiny 1-liter turbo-charged three-cylinder gasoline engine. The engine and generator are located in the rear of the BlueZERO. For the record, when you see photos of these cars together, the E-Cell is lime green, the F-Cell is mint green, and the E-Cell Plus is orange. Toyota . Adding to its line of popular hybrid vehicles in the U.S., Toyota just confirmed plans to add as many as 10 new gas/electric hybrid vehicles in the next few years. On their way toward that goal, Toyota showed their all-new, third-generation Prius plus the new Lexus HS250H. AOL Autos: 2010 Toyota Prius photos . Important to this story, Toyota also committed to selling a battery powered electric car in 2012 for the U.S. market. Toyota debuted what their all-electric vehicle might be at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, and it's an urban commuter called the FT-EV. The little four-seater is based on Toyota's popular iQ, a car that's already a hit in Japan. The good news is that the iQ is a real car, so the FT-EV will not be a glorified golf cart or a neighborhood vehicle with severely limited capabilities. The claimed range for the FT-EV is 50 miles. As we went to press, details were still sketchy about the FT-EV's running gear. As Toyota releases more details, we'll bring them to you. Mini . While standard MINI models like the Cooper are comparatively easy on gas compared to larger cars, under the ownership of parent company BMW, MINI is testing the limits of how green a MINI can be. AOL Autos: 2010 BMW Z4 photos . Perhaps following the performance of the stunt cars used in The Italian Job (2003), BMW decided to investigate a battery-powered MINI. They introduced the MINI E coupe last November at the Los Angeles Auto Show and the car was on display again in Detroit. The "charged" MINI E can run up to 150 miles on a full battery pack. Charging is accomplished through standard 110- or 220-volt outlets. The electrified MINI weighs 600 pounds more than a standard MINI Cooper and because of the bulk of the required battery pack, the interior seats only two. Performance from the 204-horsepower motor equals the gas-powered MINI, with a 0-60 mph run in 8.5 seconds. BMW will produce only 500 MINI Es for the United States (if it were easy to make electric MINIs, they'd make more). The limited-production run will be split between New York and L.A. on one-year closed-end leases. After the leases expire, BMW will ship the MINIs back to Germany for evaluation. This scenario mimics what General Motors did with their EV1 electric vehicle about a decade ago.

Latest technologies debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show . Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and MINI show what electric cars of future will be . Toyota confirms plans to add as many as 10 new gas/electric hybrid vehicles . The "charged" MINI E can run up to 150 miles on a full battery pack .

01fb4659b531060a311ed2c8478f3dbc1db3c065