Datasets:

CohleM

/

CNN_small

like 0

(CNN) -- Lab tests found hundreds of cases of salmonella contamination at an Iowa farm in a nearly two-year period before the outbreak that prompted a massive recall of eggs this summer, congressional investigators said Tuesday. Wright County Egg is one of two farms at the center of the massive recall. In a letter to its owner, Austin "Jack" DeCoster, leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee said tests confirmed 426 cases of salmonella contamination between September 2008 and the past July, and 73 were "potentially" positive for the strain of the disease involved in this year's outbreak. The committee's Democratic leaders asked DeCoster to explain those findings when he appears at a September 21 hearing. They also called on him to explain why those test reports weren't included in material the company has provided to Congress so far, and demanded that the company produce "all documents relating to your response to the test results" by Wednesday. "Despite the committee's specific request, your response on September 11, 2010, did not include the 73 potentially positive results for Salmonella enteritidis," Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman and investigations subcommittee chairman Bart Stupak wrote. "It also did not show whether Wright County Egg took appropriate steps to protect the public after receiving the positive test results." Wright County Egg and another Iowa producer, Hillandale Farms, were forced to recall about 550 million eggs in August after health officials linked them to the salmonella outbreak, which has so far been blamed for more than 1,500 illnesses across the United States. Wright County Egg and other operations owned by the DeCoster family have come under increased scrutiny since the outbreak. In a written statement responding to the letter, the company said it previously pledged to "fully respond" to the committee's requests for documents. "At that time, we also indicated that our response was ongoing," it said. The company said it was "terribly disappointed" to find positive tests for salmonella in its eggs, but said it provided results of those voluntary tests "as soon as those results were available." "We believe our open communication about our forthright efforts to compile testing data and provide documents as requested is consistent with our ongoing cooperation with this investigation," it said. "We have provided the committee with additional testing documentation today and will continue to do so as we restore past testing records." Salmonella occurs naturally in chickens, but Food and Drug Administration inspectors reported in August that neither Wright County nor Hillandale fully followed their plans to prevent Salmonella enteritidis. Federal investigators reported finding salmonella bacteria in chicken feed and in barn and walkway areas at the farms, as well as rodents, piles of manure, uncaged birds and flies too numerous to count, the FDA said.

Congressmen demand answers from Iowa farm's owner . Reports find 426 cases of salmonella contamination in 2 years . Company has come under close scrutiny since summer outbreak .

d0a80a94c9e61784ddd4e01c5199239fe03aa713

(EW.com) -- In "Stand Up Guys," Al Pacino and Christopher Walken play second-rate Baltimore gangsters in their late 60s who make no bones about what grumpy old sociopaths they've become. Yet neither one is nearly as slow or creaky as the movie itself. Pacino, eyes burning with life beneath his electric thatch of hair, is Val, who has just gotten out of prison. Walken, whose own gravity-defying mane is practically a character of its own, is Val's old chum Doc, a guy with secret orders to rub out his pal before the next morning. The two sit around diners, cappuccino joints, and a cruddy apartment, talking about the bad old days. They go to a brothel and crack wise about threesomes and Viagra. Pacino, showing off any way he can, gets onto a dance floor, and Walken commands attention his own way, by staring off into space. 'World War Z' Super Bowl trailer: Watch . Directing his first dramatic feature, Fisher Stevens does his best to give these gravel-voiced legends room to strut their stuff. But that's the problem: The movie is too much of a wide-eyed, ramshackle homage to '70s-acting-class indulgence. It needed much more shape and snap. 'Idol': The Anthem of Zoanette Johnson . Still, when Alan Arkin joins the party as a dying colleague, his antics — at least once he gets behind the wheel of a stolen car — give the film a fuel injection. Stand Up Guys reminds you that these three are still way too good to collapse into shticky self-parody, even when they're in a movie that's practically begging them to. Grade: B- . See the original article at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.

Al Pacino and Christopher Walken star as grumpy old sociopaths in "Stand Up Guys" Pacino and Walken play second-rate Baltimore gangsters in their late 60s . "Stand Up Guys" is director Fisher Stevens first dramatic feature .

44e0fde4d306596923ac9fef4a3609c3f9236636

(CNN) -- At least 60 people were killed and dozens more injured in Iraq on Wednesday during a wave of bombings and shootings, police told CNN. Most of the deaths occurred in Baghdad, where eight car bombs and two roadside bombs detonated in mostly Shiite areas. At least 54 people in the Iraqi capital died in strikes at an outdoor market, outside a coffee shop, near a Shiite mosque, inside a bus station, and at other locations. Sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shiites and political unrest have festered in recent months. In September alone, nearly 1,000 people were killed in violence across Iraq, according to the United Nations. 14 dead in wave of Baghdad bombings . 36 killed in blasts targeting Iraqi Shiite Muslims on holy day .

NEW: Bombings, shootings raise death count to 60 . NEW: Eight car bombs and two roadside bombs detonated in Baghdad . Scores of people were injured, police said .

88904c2acacbb2bbc723a45bb26a01099083940a

(CNN) -- "A peep show." That's how attorney James Egan described the jail in Puyallup, Washington. In a lawsuit filed Thursday on behalf of 12 plaintiffs -- 11 women and one man -- Egan alleges that police there recorded suspects undressing and using the toilet. Each had been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. "For an extended period, the Puyallup Police Department has engaged in a pattern and practice of violating the fundamental rights to bodily privacy, dignity, and unlawful searches and seizures of the inmates detained within the Puyallup Police Department's Jail," read the lawsuit, which was filed in Pierce County Superior Court. "Plaintiffs had a reasonable expectation of privacy which was violated by their having been secretly videotaped in assorted states of undress. It is believed that officers may have committed this offense for the purpose of obtaining arousal or personal gratification," the suit continued. Police and the city deny any wrongdoing. They say suspects are given clothes to change into before having their mug shots taken, and are recorded for the safety of everyone at the jail. "People are very creative in where they can hide things. They hide things in places you wouldn't image. The jail business is not fun and it's not safe. So we have to expect the worst," said Kevin Yamamoto, city attorney for Puyallup. The lawsuit describes in great detail the alleged experiences of the 12 plaintiffs, who are identified by their initials. S.C. was recorded changing clothes in a holding cell. She alleges that officers made inappropriate comments, saying things like, "I love red heads," and "You have a nice body," the lawsuits reads. "What they were doing is perverted. This is like a porn video they were watching. I feel extremely violated. They took me at my most vulnerable part and forced me to indulge in their needs or sick fantasy to watch me undress and gawk at me afterwards," S.C. is quoted as saying. Another plaintiff, identified as M.L., was recorded using the toilet and changing her clothes. "It was one of the worst experiences of my life because of how mean and rude they treated me. I am absolutely horrified and violated. I honestly can't believe it. I had no idea there were cameras around. The fact those are supposed to be police officers upholding our justice system while violating it is absolutely disgusting," she said. Capt. Ryan Portmann, with the Puyallup police, accused Egan of picking the 12 plaintiffs out of many possible cases because they look better on paper. Jail video monitoring is widespread. Many correctional institutions use it, and it's legitimate, Portmann said. "I'm just as human as anyone else, and I wouldn't like it," said Yamamoto, the city attorney. But, he added: "We have a facility we need to ensure the safety of." CNN's Cristy Lenz contributed to this report.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of 12 plaintiffs: 11 women and one man . "I am absolutely horrified and violated. I honestly can't believe it," says one . Police and the city of Puyallup, Washington, deny any wrongdoing . They say suspects are recorded for the safety of everyone at the jail .

fa6834612ec5efd3ea541b548b2574a815206519

Los Angeles (CNN) -- The first woman mayor of San Diego has acknowledged in court she misappropriated more than $2 million from her late husband's foundation to fund a casino gambling habit with which she allegedly won and lost $1 billion over nine years. Her attorney said a brain tumor affected Maureen O'Connor's judgment in playing video poker. She's now broke and suffering cognitive impairment following brain surgery and a stroke in 2011, prosecutors said. O'Connor, mayor of San Diego from 1986 to 1992, reported to the IRS more than $1 billion in casino winnings but also reported losses bigger than those winnings, resulting in a net loss from 2000 to 2009, prosecutors said in court papers. Those net losses amounted to $13 million, her attorney said. O'Connor was married to Robert O. Peterson, founder of the Jack in the Box restaurant chain, from 1977 until his death in 1994, but court documents don't disclose the size of the couple's fortune that apparently funded O'Connor's gambling habit. O'Connor, 66, entered a deferred prosecution agreement Thursday in federal court in San Diego in which she admitted misappropriating money from the R.P. Foundation, on which she served as a trustee. Under the agreement, she will repay the foundation $2,088,000, pay owed taxes, and be treated for her gambling addiction, prosecutors said. O'Connor, however, is bankrupt and unable to work, court papers say. Her ability to repay the foundation is "limited," they say. In 2011, surgeons removed a large tumor from O'Connor's brain, and she suffered complications that included cognitive impairment and a pulmonary embolism, prosecutors said. Magistrate Judge David Bartick found that her continuing health problems made it highly improbable she could be brought to trial, prosecutors said. If O'Connor repays the foundation and satisfies the conditions of her deferred prosecution, the government will dismiss its prosecution in two years, prosecutors said. She faces an unlawful monetary transaction charge carrying a maximum prison sentence of 10 years, documents say. "Maureen O'Connor was a selfless public official who contributed much to the well-being of San Diego," U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy of San Diego said in a prepared statement. "However, no figure, regardless of how much good they've done or how much they've given to charity, can escape criminal liability with impunity." O'Connor told reporters Thursday that for a while, she didn't know she had a brain tumor. "There were two Maureens -- Maureen No. 1 and Maureen No. 2," she said. "Maureen No. 2 is the woman that did not know she had a tumor growing in her head." She described that era as "the last chapter of my life where I lost my husband, I lost three of my siblings, I lost my two best friends and I had a difficult time. "I think most of you who know me here would know that I never meant to hurt the city," she told reporters. She began to choke up and cry. O'Connor was described as "a public figure and a civic treasure to the San Diego community" for 30 years, according to court papers filed by her attorney. She is the eighth of 13 children of a mother who was a registered nurse and a father, Jerome, who was a boxer known as "Kid Jerome" and later became a prominent businessman, defense documents said. She was elected to city council at age 25 in 1971 and, later as mayor, "put our city on the map as a destination for international tourism," partly by presiding over the completion of the city's Convention Center, defense documents said. O'Connor's attorney attributed her gambling addiction to her medical condition. "This was not, we think, a psychiatric problem or a characterological defect because there is substantial evidence that during this same time, there was a tumor growing in her brain, in the centers of the brain that affect and control, logic, reasoning and, most importantly, judgment," attorney Eugene Iredale said at a news conference Thursday. O'Connor sat next to him with her head lowered. O'Connor didn't plead guilty this week and the charge is played in abeyance for two years, Iredale said. "It is fair to say in the last eight to 10 years a multiple amount of tragedies have befallen a person who was a great civic leader -- one of the sweetest, funniest people who ever existed in our city's history," the attorney said. "She suffered from terrible loneliness. She began around 2001 to gamble heavily." "Although it's not fair of us to say there is no moral culpability, Maureen acknowledges doing something she ought not to have done," he added. Photographs of her head after surgery show a fluid-filled cavity without brain matter at all, he said. From 2000 to 2008, O'Connor gambled in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and San Diego casinos, court papers said. In 2008, when she became nearly broke, she began to siphon off funds from the R.P. Foundation and continued the activity into 2009, court documents said. To fund her high-stakes gambling, she had liquidated her savings, sold several real estate holdings, auctioned valuables, and obtained a third mortgage on her home in La Jolla, California, the documents say. O'Connor allegedly bankrupted the foundation and tried to avoid paying federal income taxes on the charity's money by characterizing what she took as "loans," court papers say. "Despite having limited, if any, assets other than the funds misappropriated from the foundation, defendant continued high-stakes gambling," the documents say. By March 2009, O'Connor allegedly had paid off casinos' gambling markers, or lines of credit, but hadn't repaid the foundation, prosecutors said. She then enjoyed a streak of "several large gambling winnings after March 2009 that were used to continue gambling, not bring the foundation out of bankruptcy," court papers say. Prior to 2008, the foundation funded such philanthropies as City of Hope, the Alzheimer's Association, Sharp Healthcare, Little Wishes Foundation, San Diego Hospice and the John Burton Foundation, authorities said. CNN's Jaclyn Wang contributed to this report.

NEW: Former mayor is "a civic treasure" in San Diego who put city on tourist map . Maureen O'Connor was the first woman mayor of San Diego, serving from 1986 to 1992 . Her late husband, Robert O. Peterson, founded the Jack in the Box fast-food chain . She won and lost $1 billion playing video poker at casinos from 2000 to 2009 .

5048697a8575167ca4e43d8a5ce92c20d0181b11

LINCOLN, Nebraska (CNN) -- Lincoln Industries looks like a typical blue-collar plant: workers cutting, bending, plating and polishing steel for products such as motorcycle tailpipes and truck exhausts amid the din of machinery. Howard Tegtmeier, right, leads co-workers in stretching before their shift starts at Lincoln Industries. But the 565-employee Nebraska company is different. Lincoln Industries has three full-time employees devoted to "wellness" and offers on-site massages and pre-shift stretching. Most unusual of all: The company requires all employees to undergo quarterly checkups measuring weight, body fat and flexibility. It also conducts annual blood, vision and hearing tests. "When you get the encouragement from somebody to help you with nutrition and to help with a more active lifestyle, it makes it easier to be able to attain a lifestyle that most people want to attain anyway," says Hank Orme, president of Lincoln Industries. The program has been in place 16 years. The company ranks workers on their fitness, from platinum, gold and silver down to "non-medal." To achieve platinum, they must reach fitness goals and be nonsmokers -- and the company offers smoking cessation classes. For employees, reaching platinum means a three-day, company-paid trip each summer to climb a 14,000-foot peak in Colorado. This year, 103 qualified, the most ever. And 70 made the climb. For the company, the payoff is significantly lower health-care costs. The company pays less than $4,000 per employee, about half the regional average and a savings of more than $2 million. That makes the $400,000 Lincoln Industries spends each year on wellness a bargain. Watch Dr. Sanjay Gupta on wellness at work » . "The return on investment is extraordinary," Orme says. The investment in "wellness" pays other dividends, according to Orme. He says fitter workers are more productive, have better morale and are safer. As evidence, he points to worker's compensation claims. Ongoing safety training and an increasingly fit work force have pushed worker's comp costs down from $500,000 five years ago to less than $10,000 so far this year. Seven years ago, shift leader Howard Tegtmeier was in the non-medal category. The 49-year-old smoked, drank, was overweight and took 12 pills a day to treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. "I just made the decision it was time to change my life, and the wellness program showed me ways to do that," Tegtmeier says. Tegtmeier says he no longer smokes or drinks. His weight is down from 230 to 180, thanks to diet and exercise. His cholesterol and blood pressure are also down, and he says he no longer needs medication. Tonya Vyhlidal, Wellness and Life Enhancement director, says Lincoln Industries doesn't pressure workers who don't want to participate. But sooner or later, she says, the company's "culture" attracts most employees to live healthier lives. The company sponsors races, helps with gym memberships or exercise equipment, offers healthy choices in the vending machines and hosts classes on health and nutrition. "There's a way to engage everyone. Even those that are really resistant," Vyhlidal says, adding that she'll offer employees suggestions based on what makes them feel fulfilled: "Do you like to ride a bike? Ride a bike. Do you like to cook? You may need a different cookbook." This month, Tegtmeier and 69 co-workers climbed Mount Bierstadt, a 14,060-foot mountain. All of them reached the summit. It was Tegtmeier's fourth climb with the company. "The view up here is wonderful," he said.

Nebraska company grades employees on how healthy they are . All employees have quarterly checks of weight, body fat and flexibility . Firm's per-employee health-care cost is $4,000 annually, about half regional average . Company president: Fitter workers more productive, have better morale, are safer .

a9695561fb1fa27f7f3784b3f608b2aca13a13be

Editor's note: A nationally syndicated columnist, Roland S. Martin is the author of the forthcoming book, "The First: President Barack Obama's Road to the White House as originally reported by Roland S. Martin" and of two other books, "Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith" and "Speak, Brother! A Black Man's View of America." Visit his Web site for more information. Roland Martin says conservative critics are wrong to chortle at the defeat of the Chicago Olympic bid. (CNN) -- Whenever President Obama has traveled overseas and offered pointed and direct assessments of the United States, some of them critical, Republicans have ripped him for criticizing America, saying a president should always defend the United States. So I want to hear the explanation by these so-called patriots of their giddy behavior over the United States losing the 2016 Olympic Games. Yes, the United States. The bid that was rejected Friday by the International Olympic Committee was not a Chicago, Illinois, bid. It was the official bid submitted by the United States Olympic Committee and was representative of the nation. Tokyo's bid was that of Japan; Madrid's was that of Spain; and Rio de Janeiro's was that of Brazil. Republicans want to spin the decision as a massive loss by President Obama and the Democrats who have always controlled Chicago politics. "Hahahahaha," wrote Erick Erickson on the conservative "RedState" blog, "I thought the world would love us more now that Bush was gone." What the critics don't see is that Obama's loss on the Olympics is America's loss. Any red-blooded American who loves to see the American flag raised and the national anthem played when one of our own wins a gold medal should blast the Republicans' giddiness over the loss. I can recall crying along with millions of Americans when our hockey team beat the Russians and won the hockey gold in 1980. Where were those games? Lake Placid, New York. Euphoria spread all across the nation, not only because we beat the mighty Russians, but also because it took place on American soil. When Carl Lewis and Mary Lou Retton dominated the 1984 Olympic Games, we all beamed with pride because they represented the United States on American soil in Los Angeles, California. And when Michael Johnson stormed around the track to obliterate the world record in the 200-meter dash (since broken by Jamaica's Usain Bolt), we relished the win as he took a victory lap around the stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Americans love home field advantage, and we always desire to show the rest of the world what we are made of. I don't care if Republicans want to rip President Obama over going to Copenhagen, Denmark, to pitch for the games. This isn't about politics. It's not about ideology. This is about America. OUR pride. Our chance to shine. Our loss of the games. So, to all the critics happy about us losing the 2016 games, turn in your flag lapel pins and stop boasting of being so patriotic. When an American city loses, like New York did in the the last go-round, we all lose. And all you critics are on the same level as the America haters all across the world. You should be shouted down for not backing your own country. The next time any of you bang out a press release about "Buy American" or "Support our troops," remember this moment when your cynical, callous and small-minded brains happily rejoiced when America lost the 2016 Olympic Games. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Roland Martin.

Roland Martin: The Chicago bid was made on behalf of the whole country . He says conservatives boast of being patriots but are applauding a U.S. defeat . He says Americans love to cheer on their Olympic athletes on home soil .

c3dc2a617f07db375a12bd45d7a8e144b0c8ad1e

(CNN) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel signed a coalition deal with the center-left German Social Democratic Party (SPD) on Wednesday, paving the way for a "grand coalition" of right and left. The SPD membership must still give final approval to the coalition agreement. They are expected to vote between December 6 and 12. The deal, agreed to early Wednesday, came more than two months after Germans voted in parliamentary elections and followed lengthy negotiations between Merkel's conservative bloc, her Christian Democratic Union party and the allied Christian Social Union, and its main opposition, the SPD. Speaking at a joint news conference with the leaders of the SPD and CSU, Merkel said the three main points of the deal concerned solid finances, safeguarding wealth, and social security. On the issue of solid finances, Merkel said Germany wants to see an end to debt and added that its strength relies on Europe also being strong. As for wealth, Merkel said it is important that the treaty includes no tax increases, which would help small businesses and give their workers job security. She promised investment in education and infrastructure projects, and spoke of the need to ensure Germany's future energy supply without nuclear power. Germans get minimum wage, pension boost . Despite their differences, the parties managed to reach a compromise on social security that balances flexibility and security, Merkel said. "We went into the talks with very different ideas, and that is why it took a little while," she said. "We have a good chance to say in 2017 that people will be better off than today." Under the coalition treaty, a new nationwide minimum wage of 8.50 euros ($11.50) an hour will come into force starting January 2015. The 185-page treaty also includes a provision to lower the retirement age for some Germans. From July 2014, workers who have paid social security contributions for 45 years will be able to retire on a full pension at 63, two years earlier than is currently the case. If the deal is approved, as is widely expected, Merkel will be in line for a third term in office. 'Good for the country' Hermann Groehe, general secretary of Merkel's center-right Christian Democratic Union party, said in a statement on the party's website: "The work is done. The coalition agreement between the CDU, CSU and SPD bears a strong conservative imprint. "We have achieved a result that will be good for the country. Solid finances and the stability of the euro are at the heart of the agreement." Leaving the late-night talks, SPD lawmaker Martin Schulz told CNN's German affiliate RTL he believes the treaty is "an excellent result" for his party. Pepe Egger, senior analyst for IHS Country Risk, said the coalition deal does not contain any major surprises but represents a compromise between current policy and the campaign pledges of the SPD. The inclusion of a minimum wage increases the likelihood that SPD members will back the deal in their postal vote next month, he said. "Although the text of the deal vows to retain budgetary discipline and refrain from raising taxes, realization of what has been pledged is only likely to be possible in a markedly growing economy, or else it will push the budget balance back into deficit," Egger said. This means slow growth or a downturn may force the renegotiation of parts of the agreement, he said. The treaty "does not depart markedly" from current German government policy on European and eurozone issues, he added. Merkel emerged from the September elections with the CDU's biggest vote in 20 years. But the CDU and CSU did not win an outright victory, requiring them to form a coalition government. The pro-business Free Democrats, Merkel's previous coalition partner, failed to pass the 5% threshold for getting into parliament, making a grand coalition with the SPD, the CDU's chief election rival, the most likely scenario. Merkel's expected third term would give the country consistent leadership at a time when the future of the euro has come under question amid the economic problems of some euro zone members. While Germany has emerged from the crisis with its economy relatively intact, nations such as Greece have entered deep recessions while unemployment has soared. CNN's Anna Maja Rappard and Mark Thompson contributed to this report.

German chancellor's deal paves the way for a coalition of parties from the right and left . CDU general secretary: "We have achieved a result that will be good for the country" The coalition deal must still be put to SPD members for final approval . Merkel's CDU party got the most votes in September's poll but not an outright victory .

b2a8806e4e5585ca2e7ce1b696abd0751f62c370

(CNN) -- Tropical Storm Ana threatened the Caribbean on Saturday, but it was too early to know how much trouble the first named storm of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season might cause. Forecasters expect Tropical Storm Ana to hit the Leeward Islands on Monday. Ana formed overnight and was expected to gain strength as it moved west toward the Leeward Islands, where forecasters expect it to hit on Monday. The Dutch Antilles issued a storm watch for St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius, meaning tropical storm conditions are expected in the islands within 36 hours, according to the Miami, Florida-based National Hurricane Center. For now, the center has advised the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico to monitor the storm's progress. As of 8 p.m. ET, Ana was about 730 miles (1,180 km) east-southeast of the Leeward Islands, according to the hurricane center. Ana, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph), was moving west at about 17 mph (28 kph), the center reported. The storm is expected to turn west-northwest over the next few days, the center said. Ana may eventually hit Haiti and the Dominican Republic, but forecasters can't say whether Ana will strike the continental U.S. Further east in the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Bill has developed and is expected to become a hurricane Wednesday. Forecasters say Bill could evolve into a Category 3 hurricane as it approaches the Leeward Islands by Wednesday or Thursday. Bill was about 820 miles (1,320 km) west-southwest of the Cape Verde islands at 5 p.m. ET.

NEW: Ana is 730 miles east of Leeward Islands, moving west at 17mph . Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico advised to monitor storm's progress . Storm has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, hurricane center says .

468a23a20ae9f369bd2f5e1ef531987ed69d14b1

(CNN) -- He has been captured by bank surveillance cameras in four states, sneering and holding a pistol sideways during heists. The FBI is searching for this suspect, who they say has robbed at least 10 banks in the South. Now authorities hope to catch the serial bank robber by plastering his image on electronic billboards throughout the South. The FBI is searching for the suspect, who they say has robbed at least 10 banks in Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The brazen bandit has been captured in surveillance footage sporting the same close-cropped hairstyle and goatee in many of the holdups. He does not seem to make any effort to cover his face and sometimes is seen aiming a handgun sideways, showing his tattoos on both forearms as he gestures at bank employees. "It is uncommon to come in to a bank and show his face like he does," said FBI agent Kevin Keithley. Watch how the FBI hunts bank robbers » . The FBI has tracked the bank robber's path on a map that crisscrosses the southern United States. The billboards that went up Monday roughly follow the path that the bank robber took, the FBI said. The billboards are in Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, the FBI said in a statement. His odyssey has spanned more than 600 miles north, from Charleston, South Carolina, to Louisville, Kentucky, and about 500 miles east, from Knoxville, Tennessee, to Edenton, North Carolina. The robberies started in May and the most recent one was last week in Tennessee, Keithley said. The suspect is described as white, about 25 years old, 5 feet 9 to 5 feet 11, 170 to 175 pounds. He has short, reddish-brown hair and an unshaven goatee, the FBI said. The suspect has not yet harmed anybody in the robberies but the FBI considers him extremely dangerous. "This guy has made no effort to hide the gun," Keithley said. "He has threatened the use of it in every bank robbery he has committed. He has put the gun in the faces of tellers, threatened to use the gun against them. So we want to get this guy in custody before he harms anyone." In surveillance video of a robbery in Fletcher, North Carolina, the suspect is seen talking into a handheld radio, said an FBI official involved in the investigation. In a South Carolina robbery, a wireless phone device is seen on his ear. "That prompted us to look at the prospect of another suspect out there helping him, and we continue to look for that angle but have no leads into that as of now," the FBI official said. Authorities are also working with police agencies, corrections departments and others who use facial recognition technology, the official said, and are working with corrections departments on tattoo identifications, recorded by prisons in some states. Since the national billboard program began in 2008, the billboards have been directly responsible for the apprehension of at least 20 fugitives, said Stephen Emmett, spokesman for the FBI's Atlanta office. "We try to reserve the billboards for the more mobile, more egregious, violent offenders, because we understand we're pulling resources away from a corporate entity, and we try not to take advantage of that," he said. "But they are a very valuable tool to law enforcement in these type of cases where the individual is highly mobile and very dangerous." The bank robbery suspect has distinctive tattoos on his forearms, Emmett noted. "Somebody will recognize these tattoos. Somebody will recognize this individual. The remarkable thing about this serial bank robber is that he did not attempt whatsoever to disguise himself. The photographs from these cases are very good, very detailed. The public will know who this individual is." He said his past experience, as well as statistics, show that "there are addiction issues with the majority of these bank robbers, and that provides a bad additional ingredient to this bank robbery scenario. You have an individual going into a bank with a gun, in a reckless manner, and now he might actually be on drugs and strung out on drugs. So that makes this even more imperative, to get this individual off the street before anybody gets hurt and to get him the help that he needs." Robbing banks is not as lucrative as the public might believe, he said, and "with addiction-type motives by these robbers, they tend to get only enough money to get their next fix." It's possible the suspect's family members may not know of his activities, Emmett said. "He's an individual that we want off of the street in the worst way," he said, "and we feel these billboards are a tool. We feel the photographs from the banks are going to make that happen." The FBI asks anybody who knows the bank robber or who has information in the case to call 423-282-8090. A reward is being offered. CNN's John Murgatroyd contributed to this report.

Bank robbery suspect does not seem to make any effort to cover his face . Police say suspect has hit 10 banks in the South . FBI asks anybody who knows the bank robber to call 423-282-8090 .

267f9cd29988323743904ee5e01e21cbd13f51dd

(CNN) -- A plane performing at an air show in Davenport, Iowa, crashed and exploded in front of thousands of spectators. The pilot of the plane was killed in the accident Saturday afternoon when the plane nosedived into an alfalfa field during the Quad City Air Show, officials said. The pilot, who died on impact, was not immediately identified by authorities. The plane, a high performance L-39 Albatross jet trainer, was attempting a 45-degree bank when it crashed, Assistant Police Chief Don Schaeffer told CNN affiliate WQAD. The pilot was a member of the Hopper Flight, a group of exhibition fliers, Schaeffer said. A home video taken by a spectator showed what appeared to be three airplanes flying in formation when one appeared to experience a problem. Seconds later, the plane hit the ground and exploded in a giant fireball. "Ladies and gentlemen, please keep your seats," an announcer can be heard saying on the video obtained by CNN affiliate KWQC. "We have training and personnel on board to handle these situations." The crash is under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety, officials said. The air show was temporarily halted after the crash, with "Taps" being sounded as aircraft flew in formation over the crowd. The crash occurred just days after federal investigators released their findings behind the cause of a crash last September at the National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nevada, that killed a pilot and 10 spectators. More than 60 others were injured in the crash. Investigators found that unprecedented speed and worn aircraft parts were behind the accident.

The plane crashes into an alfalfa field in Davenport, Iowa . The pilot has not been identified by authorities . A home video captures the crash and subsequent explosion .

29bdc0c5390ef6705f79cac4a4e51552cddca735

(CNN) -- Returning home from the London 2012 Paralympic Games, I discovered the level of U.S. media coverage for a global sports event. Ten days of competition, 21 sports, and 503 events crammed into five-and-a-half hours of coverage. To think that we have 227 athletes who just returned home after representing Team USA at the largest Paralympic Games in history, where 2.7 million tickets were sold, and most Americans didn't even know about it. That hits home personally, not only because I am a Paralympian, but because four-and-a-half years ago I was like most Americans and didn't know about the Paralympics. Opinion: The Paralympics were brilliant, why weren't you watching? Before I was paralyzed, I didn't so much as know the word Paralympics even existed. I was raised in a well educated household in Minnesota, but I knew nothing about the Paralympics until after my paralysis in 2008. After I was paralyzed swimming saved me; swimming gave me hope again and allowed me to believe in what my future could hold. From disaster to triumph: A week in the life of Mallory Weggemann . Swimming, and being involved in the Paralympics, changed my life and changed me as a person. Silent voices . I saw how getting involved in not only the Paralympics, but athletics changed my life. I have heard countless stories of amazing ability that my fellow Team USA teammates displayed. But how many of them were and are heard? How many Paralympians are household names in the United States? How many households are aware of the Paralympics? The biggest difference I noticed though was the appreciation for Paralympic athletes overseas. During the Paralympics, when I left the village and went into London, people knew about the Games, not just knew about them but respected them and were following them. The media coverage was totally different there. You couldn't turn on the television without seeing it, much like it is during the Olympics here in the States. For me it is my hope that I can continue to help push the Paralympic movement forward for generations of athletes to come, just as those before me paved the way for opportunities I have been fortunate enough to experience. So it is a weird feeling being back home. Four years of waiting and working and just like that it is all over. I have spent time at home unpacking and organizing my things and it feels like yesterday I was packing my bags for the start of this adventure. I trained for four-and-a-half years and it is already over. I am back home and making plans as to what I do next, starting to plan my next four years as I begin training for the Rio 2016 Games. Overcoming adversity . I will be honest, coming home from London isn't what I expected it to be. My goal was to come home as the Games' most successful athlete; my goal was to bring home nine gold medals. As I got on the plane to return to Minnesota I carried one gold medal and one bronze, but I carried them with pride. What I had to go through to earn both of those medals makes them more meaningful than nine golds ever could be. That medal represents more than just a winning performance. That one gold medal represents hope, belief, overcoming adversity, a dream and my supporters who backed me throughout the entire journey. When I look at it I see everything I went through to get it, the ups and the downs, the joy and the pain. When I look at my gold medal, I see a dream that I made four-and-a-half years ago and the journey it took to achieve that dream. In life we all make plans. We have this idea of how things are supposed to go and when they don't go according to plan we often find ourselves disappointed. I feel that it is in those moments that we find who we are. Life doesn't go according to a plan. We can map it out, we can plan it, we can even envision it but often we find that life has a plan of its own. My life this past month had a plan of its own. It didn't matter that I had planned that moment for the past four years, it didn't matter that I had done everything in my power to try and control the situation. When the day came to a close the plan I had envisioned wasn't the plan that life had for me. Bubble . Over these past few weeks, as I have tried to understand what happened and make sense of it all, I have realized everything happens for a reason. There is a reason I was reclassified in London, there is a reason life threw me another curve ball, and there is a reason I am sitting here in a wheelchair. As I came back home, I continued to reflect on London and felt many emotions. As an athlete I have put a lot of thought into what I can do different next time. What can I change in my preparations over these next four years before the Rio 2016 Games? I have also found myself settling back into life. When I was in London we as athletes were in this little bubble, the village. We were away from the real world in many ways. We didn't think of what day of the week it was or what the date was, we thought of what day of competition it was. Most of us were cut off from the real world because our lovely cell phones didn't work internationally. But then we return home and real life hits. You no longer are completely focused on competition; you are no longer surrounded by other athletes in the bubble. You are home.

Swimmer Mallory Weggemann won gold in the women's S8 50m freestyle . The 23-year-old also took bronze as part of the 4 x 100m medley relay 34 points . Weggemann hopes to raise the profile of the Paralympic movement in the U.S. The U.S. sent a team of 227 people to the London 2012 Paralympic Games .

4b10e58ffd0e8901549e1a243e2acd10be3dd302

Washington (CNN) -- Apparently, Chris Christie didn't get the memo. "Wednesday night is the restart of this campaign, and I think you're going to see those numbers start to move right back in the other direction," the Republican New Jersey governor said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." Christie raises the bar for debate . Note to Gov. Christie: No, no, no, no, no. Standard operating procedure for pre-debate chatter is to lower expectations for your guy by raising expectations for the other guy. The way Mitt Romney's running mate, Paul Ryan, did on Fox: . "President Obama is a very -- he's a very gifted speaker. ... The man's been on the national stage for many years, he's an experienced debater." And because this is a bipartisanly accepted strategy, Obama's guy David Plouffe did it too: . "We have expected all along that Gov. Romney will have a good night. He has prepared more than any candidate in history. And he has shown himself to be a very, very good debater through the years." Obama campaign: Don't expect zingers . Further, governor, since you are supporting the candidate who is running behind (You are supporting him, right?), then you also need to lower the stakes for Wednesday's first of three presidential debates. As John McCain told me: "Frankly, I can't remember the last time there was one of these comments that grabbed everybody's attention because, frankly, the candidates are too well-prepared. They're well-scripted." What does Romney need to do to change the race? And as Ryan did (obviously he got the memo): . "I don't think one event is going to make or break this campaign." But definitely, Gov. Christie, definitely not the way you did: . "And I'm telling you, Thursday morning, you're all going to be scratching your heads and saying, 'Wow, we have a barn-burner now for the next 33 days.' " What questions would you like to ask the candidates? Share a short video question. Because the thing is, when you say that, Plouffe says stuff like this: . "They expect to come out of this with the race fundamentally changed. Now, what does that mean? If it's going to fundamentally change, that means in seven or 10 days from now you'll see states like Ohio tied, the state of Iowa tied, because that's what really matters here." You know what they say, governor -- there's no heavier burden than great expectations. On the other hand, you may be onto something: Actually believing (you do, right?) and saying out loud (which you did) that you think your guy will do great. Talk to you Thursday morning? -- CC .

Both sides have played low-expectations game about Wednesday's debate . New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie defies GOP, predicts debate will be game-changer for Romney . Christie's prediction sets high expectations for Romney, who is running behind .

bd75ba85c072cf11bcbdad9ffef8c6e3cff7f3ab

(CNN) -- Forty-four years ago, an Australian man stood on the Olympic podium in Mexico alongside two American athletes who, with their heads bowed, punched the air with gloved hands in a black power salute. The peaceful yet potent political protest at the 1968 Olympics by 200-meter medalists Tommie Smith and John Carlos became a symbol of the struggle for civil rights in America. To their left in the photo stood silver medalist, Australian Peter Norman, who stared straight ahead, his hands by his side, but who expressed his support for the pair by wearing an Olympic Project for Human Rights badge. Yet, on the list of famous Australian athletes, Norman barely rates a mention. Far from elevating Norman to the status of hero in his home country, his family say he was shunned on his return to Australia and unfairly denied the opportunity to contest another Olympics -- claims the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) denies. "In the States he's hugely well known. But here in Australia, a lot of people are shocked when they find out that the white guy in the black power protest is an Aussie," his nephew, Matt Norman, told CNN. Norman, a filmmaker who describes himself a civil rights activist, turned his uncle's Olympic story into a film "Salute" which was released in Australia four years ago and had a short run in cinemas during the 2012 Olympics in the U.S. and UK. Peter Norman: The forgotten Black Power hero . He has turned the story into a film script called "1968" that aims to set the record straight using big name stars including Ewan McGregor, Will Smith and Jamie Fox, Norman said. It is hoped filming will begin next year. It was not "Salute," but a magazine article that alerted Australian Federal lawmaker Andrew Leigh to Norman's story and motivated him on Monday to urge the country's Federal Parliament to formally acknowledge Norman's achievements and extend him a posthumous national apology. The athlete suffered a heart attack and died in 2006 at the age of 64, but his 91-year-old mother, Thelma Norman, was in Parliament to hear seven MPs, including Leigh, deliver impassioned speeches as to why Norman deserves a greater presence in modern Australian history. "It's just one of those tales that I think ought to be better known," Labor MP Leigh told CNN. "What really struck me about it, was that I, as an Aussie, should have been brought up on Peter Norman, but I wasn't." Bronze medalist Carlos told the ABC Tuesday that there was "no one in the nation of Australia that should be honored, recognized, appreciated more than Peter Norman for his humanitarian concerns, his character, his strength and his willingness to be a sacrificial lamb for justice." During his speech, Leigh told Parliament: "After Carlos forgot his gloves, Norman came up with the idea that the two Americans should share the one pair of gloves. A protest like this, on a global stage, had never been done before. "At the time, it was electrifying. Racist slurs were hurled at Smith and Carlos. IOC President Avery Brundage -- a man who'd had no difficulty with the Nazi salute being used in the 1936 Olympics -- insisted the two be expelled In that moment Norman advanced international awareness for racial equality." However, what happened after Norman returned home to Australia is less clear. More than 40 years after that "electrifying" event, divergent accounts have emerged about whether Norman's political stance denied him future Olympic glory. Norman's family insists he was deliberately excluded from the Australian Olympic team sent to the Munich Games in 1972, despite repeatedly qualifying. "He qualified for both the 100 and 200 meters for the Munich Games but just wasn't selected. I guess that could be considered as a ban but he was pretty disappointed by that," Norman's brother, Laurie, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). The AOC says Norman failed to qualify for the Munich Games after finishing third in the 200-meter sprint at the Australian Championships in March 1972. The body's media director also denied any suggestions that Norman was "blacklisted" for supporting Smith and Carlos' podium protest. "There was no punishment dealt out to Peter Norman following the 1968 incident with black power salute. He was not punished. He was not ostracized. He was not blacklisted. He wasn't even reprimanded by the Australian Olympic Committee at the time," Mike Tancred told CNN. "He was given, what has been written in a book by historians, as a gentle caution and then he was given some tickets to a hockey game so he could go and watch his teammates play hockey and that was the sum total of his punishment," he added. Asked whether the AOC would support a formal apology to Norman from the Federal Parliament, Tancred said: "We're a little bit baffled by this debate. We never had an issue with Peter Norman. He never had an issue with us. "There was never any suggestion that he was ostracized or not happy with the AOC. We've got nothing to apologize for because we've never wronged Peter Norman." Norman's family says that the Olympian was also snubbed during the 2000 Olympics in Sydney by not being invited to be part of the official opening or closing ceremonies. The AOC said no former athletes were invited and that Norman was offered tickets to buy to attend, like any other former Australian Olympian, as the cost "would have been astronomical" to host them all. "The AOC is certainly right that they treated him like every other former Olympian," Leigh said. "He was given the opportunity to purchase tickets. They could have done so for hundreds of people who have ever competed for Australia in the Olympics. But I do think he's pretty special. Not just because he's pretty much the only white guy to win a sprint medal in the last generation. But just that amazing stance that he took in 1968, being on the right side of history when so many others were on the wrong side." Aside from his political statement, Norman has for 44 years retained the Australian record set for the 200-meter sprint during the 1968 Games. Asked whether, aside from the apology, the AOC would support Norman's recognition for his achievements on the track, Tancred evoked another great and arguably better-known Australian Olympian, distance runner Herb Elliott. "There's people like Herb Elliot who won gold medals in 1960. We're not acknowledging Herb Elliot... so why do we have to acknowledge that Peter Norman might hold a 200-meter record? There are lots of champions out there who have done equally as well or better than Peter Norman." Tancred also said that the debate in Federal Parliament was "irrelevant" given the progress made in civil rights since the 1968 Games. "The politicians from both sides need to look and check on who is the American President, at present. He's black. And I think the whole world has moved on since 1968. So on that score, really, their debate is irrelevant," he said. The Australian parliament has yet to issue a formal apology or recognition for Norman. While the motion was debated, an official vote still needs to be scheduled for a later date. Read more: Peter Norman, forgotten Black Power hero .

Australian Parliament debates whether to issue apology to Peter Norman . Norman famously supported the 1968 Olympics black power salute protest . AOC says there's no need for an apology as Peter Norman wasn't wronged . Norman's family says the Olympian was "blacklisted" after his silent political protest .

83f3fe2082a1c193fbf44f690f2d86b360d18b7c

(CNN) -- A year ago, Libyans celebrated the death of dictator Moammar Gadhafi. I wrote then that despite enormous challenges, the country's prospects were actually pretty good. Its small, relatively well-educated population and abundant oil wealth certainly gave it a leg up on neighboring Egypt, which has to make its transition under dire economic circumstances. Libya's path was never going to be easy, but its trajectory since Gadhafi's death has defied the worst predictions of chaos and civil war. The Transitional National Council, headed by Mahmoud Jibril, oversaw the first phase of transition. It managed to bring all of Libya's factions to the bargaining table, crafted an electoral law and held successful elections on July 7. Despite security concerns, some 3,700 candidates contested 200 seats with a minimal violence. Turnout was high among the 1.8 million Libyans who registered to vote in the country's first election since 1965. Bucking the Islamist tide that swept Tunisia and Egypt, Libya's secularists fared well, with the relatively progressive National Forces Alliance winning 39 out of the 80 seats. News: Rights group recounts Gadhafi's last bloody moments, calls for justice . There has also been a flowering of civil society in a country that for decades had almost none. Dozens of new organizations focusing on issues such as democracy building, the environment and women's rights have formed in the past year. Some groups played an important role in advocating for a female quota in the electoral law. As a result of that preference -- which required political parties to alternate male and female candidates on their ballots -- women won 33 of the 200 seats. And thousands of Libyans shared their opinions of the draft law through the council's website and phone line and through social media. Libyans went from being barred from any kind of organized activity outside the reach of Gadhafi's network to creating a rich civic dialogue in a matter of months. But Libya faces profound challenges, most notably the threat from armed militias that still control parts of the country. Some of those militias adhere to radical, jihadi ideologies. The terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi in which four Americans died, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, is a stark reminder of the danger posed by heavily armed militias and extremists. The government's inability to bring these militias under state control has contributed to an environment of lawlessness. Gadhafi timeline: A long 8 months in Libya . Much of the violence is fueled by bitter tribal rivalries. Over the past few weeks, competing militias have fought to take control of the town of Bani Walid from Gadhafi loyalists. In some places, the militias are given free rein by a government that cannot provide security. The prevalence of weapons -- many of them looted from Gadhafi's arsenals -- makes things worse. Still, especially after the Benghazi attack, thousands of Libyans have protested the rise of the militias, demanding that the government disarm them. Undoubtedly, this is an important inflection point in Libya's transition -- a moment when the government must rein in the militias or see them become more deeply entrenched, more emboldened and harder to dislodge. Photos: A silent Libya after Gadhafi . Libya's next challenge is the writing of a new constitution, and it has set itself an ambitious, perhaps impossible, timeline of a draft within 60 days of the constitutional committee's first meeting. The country needs time to debate the big issues, and the more actively involved a broad cross-section of civil society is, the better the outcome. As is true in Egypt and Tunisia, religion will be a flashpoint in the constitution. Already, various groups are pressing to make Islam a central source of law, while others are trying to restrict the role of religion. How Islam is reconciled with human rights in general, and women's rights in particular, will be a litmus test for which path forward Libya chooses. The division of power between the central government and the regions will also be critical to resolve, especially since significant oil resources are at stake. Libyans rightly fear a scenario of civil war fought along regional lines, reminiscent of the tragedy in Iraq. Clearly, Libya must overcome many political pitfalls and security challenges before it can successfully emerge from its transition. But it has already made significant progress with a legitimate first election, a flowering of civil society and a briskly recovering economy. The United States should continue to support the Libyans with technical assistance, capacity building, military intelligence and critical training of security forces. Amanpour: The Libyan who knew too much . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Isobel Coleman.

Isobel Coleman: A year after Gadhafi's death, Libya defied predictions, has made gains . She says in an election that included women, secularists did well; civil society blooming . She says militias and extremists pose big threat to gains; government must get control . Coleman: New constitution will be litmus test for reconciling Islam with women's rights .

2767cce1234908d2827b2dea539cfcbfd7011137

(CNN) -- A 16-year-old suffered a medical emergency on a Delta Air Lines cross-country flight, and died after the flight made an emergency landing in Spokane, Washington, authorities said Saturday. Jim Uttke, deputy medical investigator for the Spokane Medical Examiner, said it appeared the youth died of natural causes. An autopsy will be performed Monday. His name was not released. The youth was the son of a soldier from the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade of the 7th Infantry Division out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord at Fort Lewis, Washington, a U.S. military official said. The youth was traveling with mother to join his father who'd gone ahead to a new base, the official said. The Spokane Fire Department said on its Facebook page that the youth was part of a military family flying to Atlanta for Christmas. Delta Flight 128 was bound for Atlanta from Seattle on Saturday and was diverted to Spokane after a medical emergency, Delta spokesman Michael Thomas said. Thomas said the plane carrying 258 passengers was scheduled to land in Atlanta at 4 p.m. ET Saturday. It's now expected to arrive about 11 p.m. Pilot's deadly in-flight heart attack threatens passengers .

NEW: The youth's father was a soldier in Washington state . The teen and his family were flying to Atlanta for Christmas, fire department says . The plane made an emergency landing in Spokane . The flight had left Seattle en route to Atlanta .

ebf8df72998f3807f2787dd88a74ad9a286310b7

(EW.com) -- Over the past few years, Zachary Quinto has established his acting rep by playing Sylar in "Heroes," a couple of memorable roles on "American Horror Story," and, of course, Spock in the last two "Star Trek" movies. So you could describe his transition into producing as, well, "logical." Certainly it has gotten off to an encouraging start. Quinto produced director J.C. Chandor's financial crisis movie Margin Call through the actor's Before the Door company — the production outfit he runs with partners Corey Moosa and Neal Dodson — and exec produced Chandor's Robert Redford-starring "All Is Lost," which just screened at Cannes. Through Behind the Door, Quinto has also produced the new film "Breakup at a Wedding," a nuptials-themed comedy which is told through the lenses of the wedding videographers. Directed by Victor Quinaz and starring Quinaz's brother Philip and Alison Fyhrie as the engaged couple this tale of a big-day-which-goes-horribly-awry is available on VOD from June 18. Below, Quinto talks about "Breakup at a Wedding" and, below that, you can exclusively check out the movie's new poster here which was created by Tom Hodge (the designer responsible for the similarly eye-catching posters for The Innkeepers and Hobo With a Shotgun). Entertainment Weekly: I'm guessing you're kind of happy to be talking about something which doesn't involve spaceships. Zachary Quinto: Well, I've been having a great time talking about all that stuff, too. No complaints! But it's always good to promote other projects that I have going on. The great thing about this movie is that it really is a friends and family situation. We've known Victor and Anna (Martemucci, who cowrote the film with the Quinaz brothers) for years. And to be able to give them this opportunity and to bring all the other collaborators that they work with on a regular basis into the equation was really gratifying for us. One of our main tenets is providing opportnities for people that we've loved and have inspired us for a long time and Victor and Anna are certainly among them. EW: The wedding comedy is well-tilled ground. What attracted you to the project? Quinto: One of the other things that we're really focused on at my production company is innovative storytelling, whether that means the story itself or the style in which the story is told. In this case, we felt like, yes, the wedding comedy has definitely been done and done very well by other people already. But what we felt was fascinating about this script was taking the found footage mode — that tends to be reserved for more horror, thriller, genre projects — and applying it to this more traditional romantic comedy. We're really excited to be working with Oscilloscope and obviously this poster that they've done up which is so incredible, to see all the faces of all of our friends in that kind of high art rendering, it's really gratifying. It's been all-round a really good experience and on the heels of everything else that I have going on. EW: This film is different in almost every imaginable way from Margin Call. Was it a similarly different experience in terms of producing it? Or were many of the challenges and problems the same? Quinto: It was very different to produce this, just simply based on the budget. I mean, Margin Call was about a $3.5M film and this is a half of a million dollar film. So we had less resources and less time. It was also different because it was our friends and literally their family—you know, Victor and Phil are brothers and Victor's mom is in the movie and Anna's mom is in the movie. It really was a friends and family affair. We had a lot of good times while making it but we basically holed ourselves up in a hotel out by JFK and just were there for pretty much two weeks banging away all hours and shooting multiple pages a day. It was definitely a brisk experience but luckily the style of the film allowed for that to happen. It was really fun, but definitely a brief encounter. EW: Did making this movie alter your own views on marriage at all? Quinto: [Laughs] Um...No. I think there's a tremendous amount of heart in the film and I think the journey that Phil and Alison take in the movie is one that is very relatable in terms of people entering into that institution. But I would say my views on marriage are ambivalent at best anyway so I feel like it's just sort of kept me in that same space. EW: What's the one practical lesson you've learned as a producer? Quinto: Not to sit in meetings where they're talking about actors and actors' value. There are certainly things I've learned as a producer that no actor should ever know. And the way that we are talked about in financing meetings and casting meetings is one of them. So I recuse myself of those conversations with financiers until my business partners are able to handle that part of it and then I come in. EW: When you say the "value" of actors you mean their actual financial value to a project? Quinto: Yeah. You know, we all have a number attached to our name and that number is different domestically than it is internationally. It's different in different territories and financiers really do break it down by those kind of metrics. It's horrible because you're talking about people and you're talking about talented people and to hear them talked about in such a broad and impersonal way can be really disappointing. EW: Well, if it makes you feel any better, I feel like we've all got a number by our names one way or another. Yeah, you're right. I guess that's true. It doesn't make me feel any better. But thanks for trying! See the original story at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.

Zachary Quinto has produced a new film . "Breakup at a Wedding" is a nuptials-themed comedy . Quinto says his production company is focused on innovative storytelling .

b25fdc6a95c256194554b8ca575f146551b1d587

(CNN) -- An 18-year-old Tibetan monk set himself on fire in a monastery in China's Sichuan province, according to advocacy organizations and the Tibetan government in exile. The teenager, identified as Lobsan Lobzin, self-immolated, shouted slogans and attempted to march towards the local government's office in the town of Ngaba around noon Tuesday, according to the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), which functions as the government of Tibetans outside the Chinese territory. It was unclear what Lobzin shouted before he died, according to the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, a group based in India. My Take: Why the Dalai Lama cannot condemn Tibetan self-immolations . Lobzin became the 44th Tibetan to self-immolate since 2009, according to the CTA. Self-immolation has become a common form of protest for Tibetans who want autonomy from China. The local police office and county government did not comment on the incident when contacted by CNN. The Ministry of Public Security also did not respond to CNN's request for information. After Lobzin's death, Chinese forces headed towards the monastery, but local Tibetans blocked a bridge to prevent the police from a possible confrontation, according to CTA and several Tibetan advocacy groups. Lobzin had been at the Tsodun Kirti Monastery in Barkham County since he was young, according to the group, Free Tibet. He was described as being "one of the best students" at the monastery. An act of faith, desperation or protest . Earlier in March, two other monks from the same monastery set themselves on fire. The group, Free Tibet, has described the self-immolations as "a fundamental rejection of China's occupation." Timeline of Tibetan protests in China . The Dalai Lama has remained silent on the issue of self-immolations, refusing to answer questions earlier this year about whether monks should stop setting themselves on fire in protest. Costica Bradatan, an assistant professor in the Honors College at Texas Tech University, observed that the Tibetan self-immolators were young and even teens, "which indicates that the new generation of politically aware Tibetans might have lost patience with the Dalai Lama's nonviolent political philosophy. "In essence, these self-immolations are an extreme form of political self-expression. They are performed as part of a struggle for recognition, as an autonomous political community," he wrote in a CNN opinion piece. Bradatan noted that the self-immolation of a young Tunisian street vendor in 2010 sparked an uprising that spread throughout the Arab world, yet dozens of Tibetan self-immolations have yielded little political results. My Take: Dalai Lama should condemn self-immolations .

18-year-old Tibetan monk set himself on fire in a monastery Tuesday . Lobsan Lobzin became the 44th Tibetan to self-immolate since 2009 . Self-immolation have become common form of protest against Beijing .

c2e7112a62908f4563500f7c1290e2eb60ad3557

(CNN) -- Francesca Schiavone returned "home" to the scene of her French Open triumph last year with an emphatic victory in her opener against 19-year-old American Melanie Oudin Monday. Schiavone, who beat Samantha Stosur in last year's women's singles final, showed her liking for the red clay of Roland Garros with a 6-2 6-0 rout of the unfortunate Oudin. The fifth-seeded Italian will meet Russian Vesna Dolonts in round two and on the evidence of her victory on the Philippe Chatrier will take some stopping. "I'm still shaking a little bit," Schiavone told gathered reporters after her swift win. "That court is fantastic because it's compact and the court is perfect. It goes all around you. "It's like when you go home and your mum does everything for you and you feel comfortable. I felt like this, but with a lot of adrenaline." Top seed Caroline Wozniacki later made light work of Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm in their first round match, winning for the loss of just two games. The Dane is bidding for her first grand slam title. Another pre-tournament favorite, Russian third seed Vera Zvonareva, also reached the second round by beating Spanish veteran Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-3 6-3 on Court Suzanne Lenglen. Zvonareva was a losing finalist at both Wimbledon and the U.S Open last year. Her fellow Russian and 26th seed Nadia Petrova was a first day casualty, going down 6-7 6-3 6-4 to Australia's Anastasia Rodionova.

Francesca Schiavone wins opening match of her title defense at Roland Garros . Italian fifth seed beats Melanie Oudin of United States 6-2 6-0 . Top seed Caroline Wozniacki brushes aside Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm . 26th seed Nadia Petrova crashes out to Australia's Anastasia Rodionova .

67540e181c50244da31a834bd1e386f886457b3d

(CNN) -- "Be sure that buttocks and female breasts are adequately covered." "Thong type costumes are problematic." "Avoid sheer see-through clothing." Is this the new edict of a religiously conservative government that wants to make sure that men -- and especially women -- are covered up? Could it be the dress code for visiting the Vatican, the Wailing Wall, the Dome of the Rock or other holy sites? Nope, these words are actually part of the wardrobe advisory e-mail that CBS sent to attendees of this Sunday's Grammy Awards. Yep, CBS, the network that brought you a promo during last week's Super Bowl for its show, "2 Broke Girls," featuring the show's young female stars writhing on a stripper pole, is now concerned about sending the wrong message. The language that CBS used in explaining its clothing recommendations is actually hilarious -- it seems to have been written by a cross between an elderly lawyer and Goody Procter from "The Crucible." Predicting the 2013 Grammy winners . Here are some of the highlights: Talent should, "avoid exposing bare fleshy under curves of the buttocks and buttock crack." What exactly is "fleshy under curves" and why does it sound so oddly hot? (And by frowning upon the showing of buttock cracks, does this mean that many of the union plumbers working at the Grammy venue may also have wardrobe problems?) CBS wants attendees to avoid outfits that could "expose female breast nipples." And the network also put its foot down on clothes that expose the "bare sides" of breasts, aka, the famed and increasingly popular "sideboob." However, the most bizarrely worded wardrobe line is that talent must, "be sure that the genital region is adequately covered so that there is no visible 'puffy' bare skin exposure." What exactly is "puffy" bare skin? Is that code for some word I don't know about? And why did CBS put the word "puffy" in quotes? It sounds even dirtier that way. My big question is this: What caused CBS to be so concerned that this year it issued a written wardrobe advisory? CBS has aired the Grammys for more than 40 straight years, dating back to 1973. Obviously over that time we have seen some pretty risqué outfits. Could it be because CBS wants to appease conservatives who freaked out over the outfit Beyonce wore while performing in the Super Bowl halftime show? 21 questions for the 2012 Grammys . Right-wing radio host Laura Ingraham protested Beyonce's outfit with a sarcastic tweet: "Very family-friendly dancing S&M by Beyonce. What every girl shd aspire to. #waronwomen." A writer at "The National Review" penned a column entitled, "Put a Dress on," demanding that Beyonce not wear a "black teddy" on stage but something less revealing. (Of course, if similar language was espoused from people in the Muslim world, these same conservatives would denounce it as Muslims attempting to oppress women, but it's somehow OK when they do it.) The real reason is unclear. CBS declined to officially comment but sources there stated that a similar verbal wardrobe warning had been given in the past. What is clear is that this wardrobe advisory is not gender neutral. Its very language tells women what they cannot wear. "Female breasts" must be adequately covered. "Female breast nipples" must not be exposed. Even where there's no specific gender reference, we all understand that no one is concerned that Bruce Springsteen, who is nominated for a Grammy this year, will show up exposing the, "bare fleshy under curves" of his buttocks. No, CBS is more concerned with making sure that women are properly covered. 'Boss' auctions guitar, lesson . Beyond the apparent sexism of the wardrobe advisory, we also need to keep in mind that freedom of expression is not just words. Freedom of expression also includes expressing yourself through the clothes you wear, especially for the talented musical artists attending the Grammys. These performers should be able to dress any way they choose, both men and women. A big part of the Grammys is enjoying the range of outfits worn, from the glamorous to the provocative to ones that make you wonder what was the bet the person lost that made them wear that outfit -- I'm looking at you Nicki Minaj, who last year dressed like a bright red version of "The Flying Nun" and was accompanied by a man dressed like the pope. And of course, if someone wears an outfit that truly violates FCC regulations, then CBS should not allow that person on camera. That is not only CBS' right, it's CBS' obligation. But the CBS wardrobe advisory note goes too far -- it both hampers creativity and imposes restrictions that are sexist. I hope that at Sunday's Grammys we see people dressed as creatively and provocatively as they choose. Part of me even hopes that Bruce Springsteen wears an outfit that exposes his "puffy" bare skin -- whatever that may be. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Dean Obeidallah.

CBS sent a wardrobe advisory e-mail to Grammy attendees to cover up well . Dean Obeidallah: The note is not only hilarious, it's also sexist toward women . He says maybe CBS is trying to appease conservatives like Laura Ingraham . Obeidallah: Artists should be able to dress as creatively and provocatively as they choose .

22659c2f9cbc8d811a53663f1bf92401a86f16ca

(CNN) -- David Villa scores a dramatic injury time winner to give Spain a 2-1 victory over Sweden in Innsbruck to put them in the quarterfinals of Euro 2008 by finishing top of Group D. David Villa leads the race for the Golden Boot after his fourth tournament goal saw Spain defeat Sweden 2-1. The match had looked set to end in a draw after Zlatan Ibrahimovic had equalized following Fernando Torres' 15th-minute goal. However, a long ball out of defense dropped kindly for Villa and the striker slipped the ball to the left of goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson for his fourth goal of the tournament. The result leaves Spain with six points in Group D, three more than Sweden and Russia and certain of top spot after beating both those teams. Torres had put Spain in front when he lunged at a pass from David Silva, with his right foot outstretched, to touch the ball past Isaksson. Sweden veteran Henrik Larsson had shot over the bar and Johan Elmander, who scored against Spain in a qualifying match for Euro 2008, missed two chances before Fredrik Stoor curled a pass from the right to Ibrahimovic in the area in the 34th minute. The Inter Milan striker turned away from marker Sergio Ramos and hit a low shot that just made it under goalkeeper Iker Casillas. Spain controlled early on and it was no surprise when Torres put them ahead with his first goal of the tournament. Silva chipped a diagonal pass into the area toward Joan Capdevila, but Torres stuck out his right foot to intercept and touch it in for his 16th goal in 51 appearances for Spain. Larsson and Johan Elmander both had their chances before Stoor found Ibrahimovic at the far post. Ibrahimovic initially tried to volley Stoor's cross from the right and regained control before shrugging Ramos to the ground. He then swerved to score with a low right-footed shot that Casillas got a hand to but could not keep out. It was the second straight match in which Ibrahimovic had scored, after he ended a near three-year scoring drought in a 2-0 victory against Greece. Villa was in the team despite sustaining a hairline fracture of his right index finger while celebrating the first of his hat-trick goals against Russia, and the Sweden defense kept him under wraps until the 38th minute, when Isaksson had to stop a low shot. Elmander, who started in place of the injured Christian Wilhelmsson, was troubling Spain down the flank but was lucky not to concede a penalty for a nudge on David Silva just before halftime. Markus Rosenberg came on for Ibrahimovic to start the second half, with Sweden not wanting to risk their star player's swollen left knee. There were few clear chances in the second half, and those that came went to Spain. Sweden's attack sorely lacked the physical presence of Ibrahimovic, and Larsson just failed to meet Petter Hansson's cross at the far post in the 79th minute for his team's best opportunity. At the other end, Villa jumped on Silva's rebound in the 63rd minute and fired straight at Isaksson from close range. Villa then recovered the loose ball and centered to find Torres, whose shot was blocked. The teams seemed content with a draw that would have helped both, but Sweden was caught out when Capdevila sent a 40-meter pass over the head of Torres and into the path of Sweden defender Hansson. However, Hansson lost the ball under pressure from Villa, who calmly scored with an angled shot from just inside the area. "We're happy. We had many chances in both halves and we managed to score right at the end," said Spain coach Luis Aragones. "In the second half, we went out looking for the goal and things finally worked out."

David Villa scores an injury time goal to give Spain a 2-1 victory over Sweden . Earlier, Zlatan Ibrahimovic had equalized Fernando Torres' 15th minute opener . The win puts Spain in the last eight and guarantees them top spot in Group D .

2d21cf044a90b0e8e7fd1aeb215b1537505d3836

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A source close to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi now confirms that Pelosi was told in February 2003 by her intelligence aide, Michael Sheehy, that waterboarding was actually used on CIA detainee Abu Zubaydah. Source says Nancy Pelosi didn't object about waterboard usage because she wasn't personally briefed about it. This appears to contradict Pelosi's account that she was never told waterboarding actually happened, only that the administration was considering using it. Sheehy attended a briefing in which waterboarding was discussed in February 2003, with Rep. Jane Harman, D-California, who took over Pelosi's spot as the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. This source says Pelosi didn't object when she learned that waterboarding was being used because she had not been personally briefed about it -- only her aide had been told. The source said Pelosi supported a letter that Harman sent to the administration at the time raising concerns. The source asked not to be identified because of the sensitive nature of matters discussed in classified intelligence briefings. Pelosi admits attending one briefing in September 2002, but at a news conference last month, she was adamant that she did not know waterboarding was used. "At that or any other briefing, and that was the only briefing that I was briefed on in that regard, we were not -- I repeat, we were not -- told that waterboarding or any of these other enhanced interrogation methods were used, " Pelosi said on April 23. Some Republicans have called for Pelosi to testify at congressional hearings. The number two House Democrat -- Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland -- said Tuesday, "I think the facts need to get out" regarding what members of Congress had been told about harsh interrogations. But when asked whether Pelosi testifying would be appropriate, Hoyer did not directly answer the question, saying, "The issue is what was done. If you don't have the facts pounded on the table, they (Republicans) are pounding on the table, or they are pounding on Speaker Pelosi. Take your pick. But they are doing so as a distraction, as a distraction from what was done in this case."

Source says Nancy Pelosi was told by intelligence officer of waterboarding . The source also said because she wasn't personally briefed, Pelosi didn't object . She did support letter voicing concern about waterboarding, source says . Pelosi has been previously adamant she didn't know waterboarding was used .

a1271796e45f5f9c83771ac045031ccbbd1b0972

(CNN) -- France has been chosen to host the 2016 European Football Championship. France beat off the challenge of Italy and Turkey to win the decision, which was made by the 13 members of the UEFA executive committee. UEFA president Michel Platini unveiled the name of France in a ceremony at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on Friday. It will be the third time the country has hosted the tournament, having previously staged it in 1960 and 1984. France won the competition in 1984, captained by Platini, and again in 2000. "This is a beautiful day for us," French Football Federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes told the official UEFA Web site. France also hosted the World Cup in 1938 and 1998. The bid was strongly supported by French president Nicolas Sarkozy, who spoke in the final round of bid presentations to the UEFA officials earlier in the day. Turkish president Abdullah Gul was in Geneva to back his country's bid, while Italy were represented by sports minister Rocco Crimi. The final decision was tight, with UEFA revealing that France beaten Turkey seven votes to six in the second round of voting after Italy had been eliminated. France will follow Ukraine and Poland, the co-hosts of Euro 2012, which is the last championship under the current format of 16 nations. The 2016 event will comprise 24 teams in the finals and will be extended by a further week to accommodate the extra matches. The French bid included 12 stadiums, four of which will be new, in 11 cities. The Stade de France where France beat Brazil in the 1998 World Cup final, Paris Saint Germain's Parc des Princes, Lens, Lille, Bordeaux, Nice, Toulouse, Marseille, Lyon, Strasbourg, Saint Etienne and Nancy are the proposed venues.

France wins right to host the 2016 European Football Championship . France beats off the challenge of Italy and Turkey . Decision made by 13-strong UEFA executive committee . France previously hosted the 1960 and 1984 European Championships .

ee25c74b6d7b5c509c8bf1267d3f6a0dcc5d652f

(CNN) -- A November 1 trial date has been set for Brian David Mitchell, who is suspected in the 2002 kidnapping of Utah teenager Elizabeth Smart, said a spokeswoman for federal prosecutors. U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball set the trial date at a scheduling conference Friday, said Melodie Rydalch, spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Utah. Mitchell was not in court that day, she said. The trial is expected to take two weeks, according to the case file. Mitchell's defense attorneys have apparently indicated they will file a motion asking for a change of venue, as the case file said Kimball set a May 26 deadline for the motion and agreed to hear arguments before July 11. Mitchell is accused of abducting Smart, then 14, at knifepoint from her bedroom in her family's Salt Lake City, Utah, home in June 2002. Smart was found nine months later, walking down a street in the Salt Lake City suburb of Sandy with Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Eileen Barzee. Mitchell, a drifter and self-described prophet who called himself "Emmanuel," had done some handyman work at the Smarts' home. Barzee, now 64, pleaded guilty in November to kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor. As part of a plea deal with prosecutors, she agreed to cooperate in the state and federal cases against her husband. Earlier this month, Kimball ruled Mitchell, now 56, is competent to stand trial. State court proceedings against him have been on hold pending the outcome of the federal case. Smart, now 21, testified in October as part of Mitchell's competency hearing that after kidnapping her, Mitchell took her to a wooded area behind her home and performed a mock marriage ceremony with her before sexually assaulting her. She testified that in the nine months of her captivity, no 24-hour period passed without Mitchell raping her. Kimball's ruling on Mitchell's competency cannot be appealed until after the case concludes. Barzee had been housed at the Utah State Hospital while courts determined her competency as well as that of her husband. A state court had ruled she could be forcibly medicated, and that ruling led federal prosecutors to file charges against her. Last month, Barzee pleaded guilty but mentally ill in state court in the attempted kidnapping of Smart's cousin a month after her kidnapping. In exchange for the plea to one count of conspiracy to commit aggravated kidnapping, state prosecutors dropped charges against Barzee in Smart's abduction. Federal prosecutors have recommended that Barzee serve a sentence of 15 years, but asked that her sentencing date be continued to allow for her participation in the case against Mitchell. She faces between one and 15 years in prison on the state charge, but prosecutors agreed to allow that sentence to run concurrently with the federal sentence.

Brian David Mitchell is charged with kidnapping Elizabeth Smart from her bedroom in 2002 . Smart, then 14, was found nine months later walking with Mitchell and his wife . Mitchell's attorneys apparently plan to ask for change of venue . Under a plea deal, Mitchell's wife agreed to cooperate in case against her husband .

14b8c3c59feacbdc736e4685eae8e30a59c9d827

Nairobi, Kenya (CNN) -- The medical charity Medicins Sans Frontieres -- also known as Doctors without Borders -- said Friday the abduction of two of its workers is jeopardizing assistance to refugees in Kenya. The Spanish women were part of the MSF's international staff, officials said. MSF identified the victims as Montserrat Serra, 40, of Girona, and Blanca Thiebaut, 30, of Madrid. They were working as logisticians at the Dadaab camp complex. In a statement, the organization said it has been unable to contact the pair and asked media to respect the privacy of their families. "We are doing all we can to ensure their safe and swift return," said Jose Antonio Bastos, president of MSF in Spain. The attack took place in a new camp known as Ifo 3, an MSF staffer said Thursday. He said the two women as well as their pickup truck were missing. The driver, shot in the neck, was in stable condition at a hospital. He was identified Friday as Mohamed Hassan Borle, 31. MSF has evacuated part of its team working in Dagahaley and Ifo, two of the three refugee camps in Dadaab, the statement said. "As a consequence, crucial medical activities had to be stopped," the statement noted. However, MSF is still maintaining its lifesaving activities." Dadaab, about 80 kilometers from the Somali border, is the largest refugee complex in the world. It houses thousands of people who have fled war and famine in the Horn of Africa. United Nations staff and international aid workers often travel with armed Kenyan police escorts from their bases to the various camps. They are not allowed, under their regulations, to travel on their own. However, MSF usually operates without a security escort. The medical humanitarian organization delivers emergency aid to people affected by war, epidemics and disasters. A Kenyan driver from Care International was abducted in September in a nearby camp and is still missing. Aid workers have long worried about security in Dadaab, particularly since the refugee processing center at the border has been closed by the Kenyan government for several years. "Virtually anybody could be arriving in Dadaab," a U.N. official said.

Medical charity evacuates parts of its team in two camps in Kenya . It says it is working to ensure release of two workers . Two missing women from Spain were in a pickup truck; the driver was shot . Dadaab is overflowing with refugees fleeing war and famine .

3883da75d1cee4688612142109ed41bb01ab4ea7

(CNN) -- Lindsey Vonn of the United States lived up to her billing as the golden girl of the Winter Olympics with a dominant victory in the women's downhill at Whistler Creekside on Wednesday. Vonn had been troubled by a shin injury in the build-up to the Games in Vancouver but showed no ill-effects with a blistering run of one minute 44.19 seconds to win her first Olympic medal of any color. The Minnesotan, the reigning world champion in the discipline and totally dominant on the World Cup circuit in the build-up to Games, decimated the time set by fellow American Julia Mancuso by over half a second from start number 16. "I dreamed about what this would feel like but it is much better in real life," said the 25-year-old. "I can't stop crying. This is everything that I ever wanted and hoped for. I had a lot of ups and downs in my career. Standing here today at the finish, and to win, is amazing." Vonn is also the first American woman to win downhill gold and the first to win a speed event at the Olympics since Picabo Street triumphed in the super-G at Nagano in 1998. Elisabeth Goergl of Austria won the bronze medal, fully 1.46 seconds adrift of Vonn, just edging out compatriot Andrea Fishbacher for the final podium position. Experienced Swede Anja Paerson looked to be mounting a dangerous challenge to Vonn on the early part of the course, but took a heavy fall on one of the numerous jumps and needed medical attention. Germany's Maria Riesch, a great friend of Vonn's and her closest challenger in the overall World Cup standings this season, could only finish a disappointing eighth. Vonn, who was injured at the Turin Games four years ago, but bravely still took part, is competing in five events this time around and has strong medal chances in each, particularly in the Super-Combined and super-G disciplines. Her husband and coach Thomas Vonn had no doubts she would claim gold with her first attempt despite her pre-Games injury scare. "For Lindsey to come though, under this kind of pressure and with her shin injury, is fantastic," he said. "Lindsey called me before the race and told me, 'I think I got this. I may not need you," he added. She will next be in action in Thursday's Super-Combined event. There was further triumph for the United States in the men's speed skating as Shani Davis retained his 1,000 meters crown at the Richmond Olympic Oval. Davis is the first man in Winter Games history to achieve the feat as he enjoyed a victory margin of 0.19 seconds over South Korea's Mo Tae-Bum. Another American, Chad Hedrick, took bronze. And the U.S. gold rush continued with a commanding performance from Shaun White in snowboarding's half-pipe final to successfully defend his Olympic title. White had a massive four-point lead over compatriot Scott Lago after the first run and rounded off an incredible display with a series of trademark moves in his second effort which scored a massive 48.4 points. Elsewhere, there were golds in the cross country sprint races for Nikita Kruikov of Russia in the men's event and in the women's for Norway's Marit Bjoergen, who also won bronze in the 10km freestyle event on Monday. In the men's luge doubles event, the Linger brothers from Austria, Wolfgang and Andreas, successfully defended the title they won in Turin ahead of the Latvian pair of Andris and Juris Sics. China won their first gold of the sixth day in the short track speed skating as Wang Meng took the 500 meters event by a convincing margin as she pulled clear of the field in the final after a series of false starts.

Lindsey Vonn wins Olympic women's downhill title with dominant display . Vonn beats fellow American Julia Mancuso by over half a second at Whistler Creekside . NEW: Shani Davis of United States retains his Olympic title in men's 1,000m speed skating . NEW: Shaun White adds to U.S. gold rush with successful defense of his half-pipe crown .

fb05b06915cd88faf7a4a28e35042e5f77912a0f

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Millions of television screens reverted to black and white for a few minutes Sunday night as the 53rd annual Grammy Awards turned off the color for Bruno Mars. It was a section of the show that emphasized the connections current popular music has to the past, on a night with several music legends are teamed with new stars, including Barbra Streisand, Mick Jagger and Bob Dylan. Mars sang his hit "Grenade," a performance that echoed back to the 1950s and Sam Cooke, or the 1960s and Otis Redding. Janelle Monae followed with a futuristic soul performance of her song "Cold War," which brought the Staples Center crowd to their feet for a long standing ovation. Rihanna made a triumphant return to the Grammys, two years after she canceled her performance hours after she was beaten by then-boyfriend Chris Brown. Rihanna teamed with rapper Eminem to perform their "Love the Way You Lie," a record of the year contender. As Rihanna sang the lyric "I need a doctor," they were joined by Dr. Dre. It was Dre's first live television performance in over a decade. Eminen was later handed a Grammy for best rap album for "Recovery," the best selling CD of 2010. Rihanna, who appeared to have recovered from her bout with the flu, also delivered a steamy rendition of her hit "What's My Name" with best new artist nominee Drake. Lady Antebellum took home five Grammys, including for song of the year, record of the year and best country album for "Need You Now." The group also was given two Grammys in the pre-telecast show. Jazz bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding beat out Drake and Justin Bieber to win the best new artist award. The show opened with a "get-well card" to Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, who is recovering from an undisclosed illness. Yolanda Adams, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Martina McBride and best new artist nominee Florence Welch sang a soulful montage of Franklin's hits, including "A Natural Woman," "Ain't No Way," "Knock On Your Door," "Think," "Baby I Love You" and "Respect." Franklin did not attend, but instead a video message was played. "I especially want to thank all of you who took the time to send me get well cards and flowers, beautiful flowers, and most importantly your prayers during my time of hospitalization," Franklin said. "I wish I could have been with you tonight," Franklin said. "But next year, OK?" The star power from the past included Barbra Streisand, who sang her 1976 Grammy and Oscar winning song, "Evergreen." It was the theme song for "A Star Is Born," the film in which she starred with Kris Kristofferson, who introduced Streisand. Mick Jagger paid tribute to songwriter Solomon Burke, who died last October, by singing Burke's "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love." The Rolling Stones covered the song on a 1965 album. Bob Dylan sang and played his harmonica with best new artist nominee Mumford and Sons and rising roots rockers, the Avett Brothers, in a salute to the comeback of acoustic music. A musical tribute to country legend Dolly Parton featured Nora Jones, Keith Urban and Jon Mayer singing her song "Jolene." Lady Gaga popped out of a giant egg on stage at the start of her performance of "Born This Way," a song with a message about gay and lesbian rights. Gaga, who wore a raw meat dress on another red carpet last year, arrived inside the egg for the Grammys. Gaga was "incubating," her creative director Lauri Ann Gibson said. "It was necessary to incubate her for a certain time, because tonight she is actually birthing a new race," Gibson said. "A new race that doesn't have the ability to judge or hate in their DNA, so she is incubating right now so she goes through that process." Gaga, whose "Bad Romance" won her two Grammys during the pre-telecast show, was given the best pop vocal album Grammy during the telecast for "The Fame Monster." British alternative rock band Muse won the best rock album grammy for "The Resistance." Miranda Lambert won her first Grammy, taking home the best female country vocal award for her song "The House That Built Me." "Thank you, and I love country music," Lambert said. Train won the first Grammy handed out on the telecast. It was for best pop duo or group performance with vocals. "Thanks, Justin Bieber, for not being in a duo or a group," Train lead singer Patrick Monahan said, . A mini-tribute to the four-year career of the 16-year-old pop sensation included video of an even younger Bieber auditioning for his eventual mentor, Usher. Bieber sang a montage of three songs with Usher and actor Jaden Smith, the 12-year-old son of actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. Cee Lo revamped his hit "F**k You" into "Forget You" so he could perform the record of the year contender on the broadcast. He was accompanied by Jim Henson's Muppets and Gwyneth Paltrow. It was a colorful performance, strikingly reminiscent of Elton John's guest appearance on the Muppets. With 98 of the 109 awards presented pre-telecast, producers had plenty of time for entertainment during the 3 1/2-hour live show on CBS. Jeff Beck, John Legend and Jay-Z each won three Grammys in the pre-telecast presentations, while BeBe & CeCe Winans, the "Crazy Heart" soundtrack and Usher gained two trophies. Jazz legend Herbie Hancock added two Grammys to his extensive collection, one for improvised jazz solo and one for best pop collaboration with vocals. With 14 of the trophies on his shelf, Hancock told CNN winning them never gets old. CNN's Denise Quan contributed to this report .

NEW: Lady Antebellum wins 5th Grammy for the night . NEW: Eminen wins best rap album grammy . Esperanza Spalding wins for best new artist . Rihanna makes a triumphant return .

30d9ad1f0cda2ef2e4e09d00334cef30dda73d01

(CNN) -- Air Canada has seen quite a turnaround. A few years ago, Canada's national carrier was on the brink of declaring bankruptcy for a second time in a decade, and at the end of 2011 it reported a $60 million loss. After a year-long shakeup, however, the once-turbulent company has seen a dramatic rise in profits, and its end-of-year earnings for 2012 were $8 million (the first time the company had turned a profit in five years). Calin Rovinescu, the company's CEO, attributes the upturn to his "Gangnam-style" approach. In a recent issue of the airline's in-flight magazine, he wrote: . "Full-service, established airlines like Air Canada have to be especially flexible and nimble to avoid becoming the great-uncle launching into a twist at the wedding, whilst the youngsters go 'gangnam'." In other words, Air Canada realized it had to learn new moves, or, as Rovinescu clarifies, "get off the dance floor." One of the carrier's most prominent restructuring methods is adding 109 more seats to five new Boeing 777-300ERs, and introducing a new premium economy class. "I want us to be the leading, premium airline in North America," says Rovinescu, who acknowledges there is stiff competition. Read more: Economy class goes gourmet . Though there's always a risk that a boosted up economy class will lure a few passengers who would have otherwise booked a more expensive business-class ticket, Rovinescu is confident the move will instead attract a new demographic of economy passengers who want a few extra creature comforts. "People that are on the edge of being able to pay for a business class seat may well move to the premium economy, but our expectation is that it will be more than made up by economy class passengers that buy in (because they find) the pricing of a business class too high." Another major move is that the airline has started to launch a bigger presence in the Asian market, increasing their routes between Toronto and Vancouver to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Perhaps the most dramatic change, though, is the addition of a second, low-cost airline, called Rouge, which the company is billing as its "leisure" service. Rouge employs smaller planes and travels to separate, more vacation-themed destinations than the main carrier. "We're a pretty good brand in the leisure market, though word is that we do well on the business travel-side internationally. We look at our business and say, well, we could either abandon (the leisure-side) over time, as there will always be an efficient, lower cost producer, or we could get into it in a much more meaningful way." It's still too early to see what effect these changes will have on Air Canada's bottom line in the long run. But the company's recent profit margins bode well. "One year does not a transformation make," acknowledges Rovinescu, "but I'm really encouraged by the results of last year. I will characterize ourselves as a baseball game. We are probably in the fifth inning right now of a transformation process." Read more: Air Canada flight finds stranded Australian yacht . The company also faced labor challenges last year with disputes with the airlines' two largest unions, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The launch of Rouge was one point of contention, with airline staff worried about the implications for the safety of their jobs. "Some of the things (we implemented) were a little bit of a shock to the airline, a shock to the system. The contracts were all settled and everybody did a great job and went back to work," he says. "Otherwise, we wouldn't be winning awards," he adds. The accolades he refers to include an award for best international airline in North America for three years running in the World Airline Awards. The carrier also was named best North American airline for international travel and best North American airline in-flight experience (as voted on by readers of U.S. magazine Business Traveler). As Rovinescu points out, Air Canada has a legacy to maintain, and sometimes doing so can be harder than starting from scratch. "As significant as it is for an entrepreneur to start a business, it's a lot tougher to convert a business that has been around for twenty five years, and that's really what we're doing now," he says.

In 2012, Air Canada turned a profit for the first time in five years . Calin Rovinescu, the CEO, wrote that the company needed to keep up with the competition by going 'Gangnam' One major change was introducing premium economy class . The company also started a low-cost airline called Rouge, which has vacation-oriented routes .

e71488ca3d1be5fcd7a94e198ccd8cf829b10d11

(CNN) -- Gunmen targeted several areas in the Indian city of Mumbai on Wednesday, taking scores of hostages, killing dozens and taking over the Taj Mahal Hotel and Hotel Oberoi. A fire burns through the dome of the Taj hotel in Mumbai Wednesday. Below is a list of eyewitness accounts from news agencies in the area as well as blogs and Twitter postings. None of the accounts or sites below has been vetted for accuracy: . NDTV.com, New Delhi Television Limited . "Me and my friend escaped down the fire exit, but I think they took more people upstairs. They tried to get to the roof ... [with] about 15 people, i think about half were foreigners. There were two gunmen, young boys, maybe 20 years old ... 25. There was a lot of smoke, but they had two guns. They came from the restaurant and took us up the stairs. They had bombs. There was something, because there was a lot of smoke. They wanted anyone with British or American passport ... so I guess they were after foreigners." -- Rakesh Patel, a businessman from London who lives in Hong Kong, talking about being taken hostage . "I was just sitting and reading the paper. ... I started seeing the sound was increasing and bodies started falling and all of the bloodshed. ... People were crying; people were limping. We were frightened; we started to run. I was trying to see if I could see anyone carrying a gun or anything, but I couldn't." -- A witness in Mumbai . GulfNews.com . "I was fortunate to have managed to escape the hostage situation at the Taj hotel located near the Gateway of India. ... I heard a loud explosion and the firing, and all those present at the hotel lobby were bundled into the hotel basement by the hotel staff. I had come down to Mumbai to meet a business client at the Taj hotel. There were people running everywhere. It was a panic situation. ... It went on for 15 to 20 minutes. After they caused an impact, the gunmen moved away, and that is when managed to escape with some others." -- Jacob Joseph Thuthanparambil, a Dubai- based Indian who was in Mumbai for a meeting, described the shooting and grenade-throwing as what "you see in video games." Rediff.com -- Rediff India Abroad . "At around 9 p.m., all of us came to the ground floor to have dinner. When we were eating, we heard heavy firing. It was so rapid that I thought someone was celebrating with crackers. Then we heard huge blasts. The waiters told us that it seemed to be a terrorist attack. The senior staff then took all of us to the back of the hotel. We were in the swimming pool area and asked to lie on the ground. All the MPs and parliamentary officers were holed up there on the floor for some 60 to 80 minutes. We heard the sounds of firing without uttering a word. One injured foreigner was also with us. We were some 50, 60 people, waiting to escape. We didn't know what was going to happen next." -- Bhupendrasinh Solanki, the Bharatiya Janata Party member of Parliament from Godhra, Gujarat, who was at the Taj Hotel . "The taxi was shattered to pieces. Only the [tires] and the chassis were left. Three people died in the taxi. One victim's head flew 10 feet onto the divider. You cannot tell who the victims were or their age; they were injured so badly. Flesh was all around." -- Bhaurao Kumbhar, a Vodafone employee, about an explosion in Vile Parle, in the Juhu region . SkyNews.com . Alex Chamberlain, a Briton who works for Indian Premier League cricket, was in the Oberoi hotel when the attackers opened fire. Chamberlain said that a group of about 40 people was "marched up like sheep" to the roof by a "young guy with a submachine gun, who was about 22 or 23." The gunmen then asked if any of the hostages were British or American, Chamberlain told SkyNews.com. "My Indian friend told me, 'don't be a hero' and 'tell him you're Italian' and that kind of stuff," Chamberlain said. Chamberlain and another man sneaked out a fire exit. "I phoned my girlfriend and told her I loved her and thought it would be the last time I would talk to anyone," he said. Chamberlain walked downstairs and smashed a window. "The smoke was so thick, I thought we were going to suffocate," he told SkyNews.com. Flickr . A Mumbai-based photographer known as Vinu has uploaded dozens of photos of the attack to his Flickr account, showing chaos and destruction throughout the city. Twitter . "Emergency" can some one check if there bomb blast of some shootout in oberoi hotel of anywhere in Mumbai ? I am at inox inside" "I could hear noises outside hard to make out if it gun shootout." "when I heard noise outside you could see people scared crying" -- Twitter user Puneet updating the microblog from the Inox movie theater in Mumbai . "I just heard a blast - confirmed mid-sentence by the reporter live on TV. grim situation." "@#$%&* in bed trying to sleep... just heard another blast! 5:53am" -- Gaurav Sikka updating the microblog from an unknown location in Mumbai .

NEW: Twitter user: "in bed trying to sleep... just heard another blast!" Man says he and friend escaped from men trying to take foreigners hostage . Dubai-based man said shooting, grenades like "in video games" No reports, sites have been vetted for accuracy .

6e3609c4ef991daca8c7f5ab332a5e61e799bb25

TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Even before one reaches the front door of Canon's headquarters in Tokyo, one can sense the virtual stampede of employees pouring out of the building exactly at 5:30 p.m. Japan's birth rate of 1.34 is below the level needed to maintain the country's population. In a country where 12-hour workdays are common, the electronics giant has taken to letting its employees leave early twice a week for a rather unusual reason: to encourage them to have more babies. Japan is in the midst of an unprecedented recession, so corporations are being asked to work toward fixing another major problem: the country's low birthrate. Tell us what you think . At 1.34, the birthrate is well below the 2.0 needed to maintain Japan's population, according to the country's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. Keidanren, Japan's largest business group, with 1,300 major international corporations as members, has issued a plea to its members to let workers go home early to spend time with their families and help Japan with its pressing social problem. Watch more on this story . One reason for the low birth rate is the 12-hour workday. But there are several other factors compounding the problem -- among them, the high cost of living, and social rigidity toward women and parenting. In addition, Japan's population is aging at a faster pace than any other country in the world. Analysts say the world's second-largest economy faces its greatest threat from its own social problems, rather than outside forces. And the country desperately needs to make some fixes to its current social and work structures, sociologists say. The 5:30 p.m. lights-out program is one simple step toward helping address the population problem. It also has an added benefit: Amid the global economic downturn the company can slash overtime across the board twice a week. "It's great that we can go home early and not feel ashamed," said employee Miwa Iwasaki.

Japanese electronics maker Canon encourages workers to have more babies . Japan's birthrate of 1.34 is below 2.0 needed to maintain its population . Country's population is also aging faster than any other in the world .

13c6ef48c6c1eb89f3613c04c861666d2c071ac8

Rome (CNN) -- An autopsy has determined that actor James Gandolfini's death Wednesday was the result of natural causes -- a heart attack -- family friend Michael Kobold told reporters here Friday. "There was nothing out of the ordinary," he said. "There was no foul play, there was no substance abuse, none of that." The 51-year-old actor had arrived Tuesday with his son, Michael, at the five-star Boscolo Exedra Roma. "Jim was happy, he was healthy, he was doing really fine," Kobold said. "He was on vacation with his son. He has an 8-month-old daughter. Everything was going great. I just spoke to him on Father's Day." Reactions to his death . On Wednesday, the actor had visited the Vatican and dined at the hotel with his son, the family said in a statement read by Kobold. After he had returned to his room, Michael Gandolfini alerted hotel staff that his father was not answering his knocks on the bathroom door, said Tiziana Rocca, head of a film festival that the actor was planning to attend. Hotel staff then broke down the door to get to him and called an ambulance, Rocca said Michael Gandolfini had told her. The body has been turned over to a funeral director for embalming, Kobold said. Relatives were seeking to expedite the paperwork needed to repatriate the body on Wednesday or Thursday to New York, where a funeral was planned for Thursday, Friday or Saturday, Kobold said. 'Sopranos' cast mourns Gandolfini . Had he survived . Gandolfini was to have traveled Friday to the Sicilian town of Taormina to receive an award at the Taormina Film Festival, set in the ruins of an ancient Roman arena. Festival organizers said that, in place of the award ceremony, they would hold a tribute to Gandolfini's lifetime achievements. CNN's Hada Messia reported from Rome.

An autopsy confirms James Gandolfini died of a heart attack, a family friend says . "There was no foul play," he adds . Gandolfini was taken to a Rome hospital Wednesday from his hotel . The actor had been scheduled to receive an award at an Italian film festival .

3b68b1cfe8cb9539bff41b09430eba9c48156aa5

TOSTADO, Argentina (CNN) -- The northern province of Santa Fe usually boasts lush vegetation in September -- the Southern Hemisphere's spring -- but not this year, as Argentina grapples with its worst drought in a century. Cattle in Argentina's Patagonia region. "Hopelessness approaches, but you realize that hopelessness makes you crazy," said Jose Miguel Zabala, a cattleman in Tostado, a town full of hungry, thirsty animals. "You give up hope, but there is no solution, there is no one who can alleviate the problem." Zabala is managing 900 head of cattle, 130 short of his usual complement. So far this year, fewer than 200 millimeters (7.9 inches) of rain have fallen, less than a third of the 600 millimeters that usually have fallen by this time. Salt that has concentrated in the remaining well water is slowly poisoning his remaining animals. He and his fellow cattlemen know that more deaths are inevitable. The country's farm sector had already been hurt this year during four months of strikes held to protest an export-tax hike ordered in March by President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. Meanwhile, it's not just the old and weak cows that are at risk. Young, pregnant cows are dying, too. Government figures indicate that the drought is responsible for the deaths of about 15 percent of the area's 1 million head of cattle. And the impact is creeping into other farming sectors. "We are almost at the limit of the last date that we can plant sunflowers," said Sixto Periche, of the National Institute of Farming Technology. "If it doesn't rain this week, they won't plant sunflowers."

Prolonged lack of rainfall placing Argentina's cattle at risk . So far, less than one-third usual rainfall has fallen in South American country . Extended strikes by farmers protesting export-tax hike has hurt farming sector .

2426beebbefe07875941526605ca833c1b0c6b06

(CNN) -- Somali government forces have seized control of a central town from an al Qaeda-linked Islamist militia, a spokesman for Somalia's president said Thursday. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has offered aid to Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, Somalia's president. "Bulo Burde is now under the control of government forces after our forces overran a stiff resistance at the entrance bridge of the town by Al Shabaab fighters," said Abdulkadir Mohamed Osman, communication director for Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, Somalia's transitional president. Despite the announcement, residents said heavy fighting continued Thursday and the town is still divided between pro-government forces and Al Shabaab fighters. The ongoing exchange of heavy-weapon fire between the two sides has trapped people in the town, residents said. "Everyone inside this house is scared because heavy shells are raining in the town," said one resident, Sahra Muse. Bulo Burde is about 155 miles (250 kilometers) southeast of the Somali capital of Mogadishu. The United States is supporting the Somali government's fight against the insurgents, including providing weapons to government forces. Al Shabaab is on the U.S. list of terror organizations because of its ties to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network. The United States is concerned that Somalia's weak government could fall to the Islamist insurgency, as it did in 2006 before Ethiopian forces ousted the militants from power later that year. Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Somalia's transitional president and vowed to continue U.S. support for his government. "The United States and the international community must serve as an active partner in helping the TFG [transitional federal government] and the people of Somalia confront and ultimately move beyond the conflict and poverty that have gripped their country," Clinton said at a joint news conference with Ahmed at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. The United States announced in June that it is providing weapons and ammunition to help Ahmed's government fight the militants. The weapons shipments are in accordance with U.N. Security Council resolutions, which ban some arms shipments to Somalia, said State Department spokesman Ian Kelly. Clinton warned that terrorist groups like Al Shabaab pose a threat to the broader international community. "Certainly if Al Shabaab were to obtain a haven in Somalia, which could then attract al Qaeda and other terrorist actors, it would be a threat to the United States," she said. There are growing concerns that Somalia could be the next base for al Qaeda as U.S. forces pound their positions in Afghanistan and Pakistan. CIA Director Leon Panetta recently said that the intelligence agency is keeping tabs on the region as a possible destination for fleeing al Qaeda operatives. "Our concern right now is that likely safe havens are areas in the Horn of Africa, like Somalia and Yemen, that are countries that because of their political status can be attractive to al Qaeda in order to operate there," Panetta said in June. Separately, the FBI is investigating what appears to be a massive recruiting effort by Al Shabaab in immigrant communities in the United States. More than a dozen young men of Somali descent have disappeared from the Minneapolis, Minnesota, area in recent months. At least three of them, including a suicide bomber, have been killed in Somalia. Also, Australia recently announced the arrests of four men with ties to Al Shabaab who were suspected of planning a suicide attack on a military base in the southern state of Victoria. President Ahmed is a former member of the Islamic Courts Union, which took part in the 2006 coup. His decision to renounce the bloody insurgency and try to establish peace in Somalia has put him at odds with Islamist hard-liners who are still battling for control of Somalia. It also paved the way for his election as president of Somalia's U.N.-backed transitional government in January. Journalist Mohammed Amiin Adow contributed to this report.

Troops "overran a stiff resistance" from Islamist militia, spokesman says . But residents still report heavy fighting between Al Shabaab, pro-government forces . U.S. backs Somalia's weak government, fears it could fall to al Qaeda-linked group . U.S. officials warn that Somalia could become haven for al Qaeda operatives .

d12e21f65a2a9f55a86731a97d88fc9a53204d5e

(CNN) -- An elderly couple survived a bear attack in rural British Columbia, and authorities are hunting for the animal. The attack, near the southeastern city of Kimberley, apparently happened Sunday while a husband and wife were out on an afternoon walk, Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokesperson Sgt. Laurie Jalbert said. The woman was walking in front when she encountered a brown bear and cubs who were near a dead deer. The bear turned on the woman, Jalbert said, and her husband tried to help her. The bear then turned on him and began attacking him, then turned back to her. Somehow the couple managed to fight the animal off, and it left, Jalbert said. The husband is in his 80s. The wife is in her 60s. Both were rushed to Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary and remain in stable condition. Both have head wounds and bites on their arms and legs. Jalbert said authorities believe the bear was a grizzly, but the husband said he thought it might be a black bear. If a bear is determined to have attacked someone, often it is put down, Jalbert said. During this time of year in that area, bears are starting to hibernate. Because this bear has cubs, it may be out of its den longer to gather food, Jalbert said.

Couple out for walk survives bear attack near Kimberley, British Columbia . The husband, in his 80s, tried to help his wife, in her 60s, but the bear turned on him . Conservation authorities are looking for the bear, police say, and it may be put down .

428573f524944a428a1f4fc60a0c595f0875a6a8

CISHAN, Taiwan (CNN) -- Taiwan's leader Ma Ying-jeou said Sunday he accepts responsibility for the government's slow response after Typhoon Morakot slammed into the island killing at more than 120 people and unleashing floods, mudslides and misery. Mourners kneel and pray to the dead as they face the devastated valley of Shiao Lin. Ma, who has faced heavy criticism from victims of the disaster, ruled out resignation, insisting his government did its best in the face of difficulties, however he pledged an investigation into any irregularities. "Certainly, I will take full responsibility whatever the blame is because, after all, I am the president of this country," Ma told CNN, saying heavy rains grounded rescue helicopters in the first few days after the storm hit, delaying relief. "Once the weather was good -- that is the 14th of August -- we were able to evacuate 2,518 people. It's a record," he said. Hundreds of people still await rescue in remote areas of Taiwan, where torrential downpours, dense fog, rugged terrain and raging rivers have hampered relief efforts. Washed-out roads and collapsed bridges have made some rescue operations impossible . Touring disaster areas, Ma has been confronted by angry survivors, and even provoked a scuffle when he opened a weekend baseball game as protesters demanded he step down. Ma has offered apologies and promises to do better. "We will find out not only to correct the mistakes but (also) to punish the people responsible," he said. Rescue efforts were ongoing Sunday with military helicopters bringing stranded villagers to their waiting relatives. Watch rescue efforts in Taiwan » . Others, waiting days in anguish for word on their loved ones, lashed out in anger. "Local officials don't care," one man said. "There are still people there and they don't do anything." On Saturday, weeping relatives of typhoon victims set up shrines near devastated villages to calm the spirits of the dead and honor the belief that their souls will return home after seven days. Watch mourners call home souls of the dead » . Morakot hit the island last weekend, dropping 2.6 meters (102 inches) of rain. Before it roared on to mainland China on Sunday, the storm killed at least 123 people in Taiwan. The death toll could climb to more than 300 after more villagers buried by mudslides and floodwaters are found, Taiwan officials have said. Southern and central Taiwan were hardest hit by the storm. Mudslides inundated some places in the south, including the village of Shiao Lin, where 160 homes were lost. Authorities believe hundreds of people could be trapped under five stories of mud in the village. International aid efforts were mobilizing on Sunday, however these were complicated by diplomatic pitfalls in the face of China's territorial claims over Taiwan, which it considers a renegade province awaiting reunification. The U.S. military has begun a "modest" humanitarian aid mission to Taiwan with the dispatch of a Marine Corps C-130 cargo plane carrying plastic tarpaulins for shelter, U.S. defense officials said. Also Sunday, the USS Denver was en route to the Taiwanese coast with additional humanitarian aid and water purification capabilities, the officials said. The Navy ship is expected to arrive Monday, but officials could not say when it will launch its heavy-lift helicopters to drop the aid. Sources in Washington have said in providing aid to Taiwan, the United States must be sensitive to its territorial relationship with China. CNN's John Vause in Cishan, Taiwan; Pauline Chiou in Shiao Lin, Taiwan; and Mike Mount in Washington contributed to this report.

Taiwan's leader says he takes blame for slow typhoon response . Ma Ying-jeou has refused to stand down over criticism . Typhoon killed 123 people in Taiwan and left many thousands homeless .

ca5351653b93bb3130e561feb86dbef95d26bb82

Dhaka, Bangladesh (CNN) -- Bangladeshi President Mohammad Zillur Rahman died Wednesday at a Singapore hospital, where he was being treated for a lung infection, an official with his office said. He was 84. Rahman was admitted to Mount Elizabeth Hospital on March 10. He died there Wednesday afternoon, according to the official, Mohammad Shafiul Alam. He had been taken from the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, to Singapore by air ambulance after his health deteriorated and was suffering from acute kidney and respiratory problems when he died. Bangladesh is a parliamentary democracy, meaning the role of the president is largely ceremonial. The president is elected by the parliament, while the prime minister is chosen in a general election. Rahman, of the ruling Awami League, was elected to the position in 2009, becoming the 19th president of Bangladesh. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and others offered their condolences on Rahman's death. Independence struggle . Born in 1929 in the Kishoreganj district of Bangladesh, Rahman became involved in politics when he was a student at Dhaka University. He played a significant role in the country's war of independence in 1971 and was a close aide to the country's founder, President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Mohammad Zillur Rahman became a member of the Provincial Assembly of East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, in 1970 and was elected a member of parliament five times after his country's independence. As a senior figure in the Awami League, he was imprisoned for four years after the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975. He was again detained in 1986. He served twice as the general secretary for the Awami League, which won a landslide victory in the 2008 general elections. Zillur Rahman's wife, Ivy Rahman, also an Awami League politician, was killed in grenade attacks on a party rally in Dhaka that left 24 people dead and more than 200 injured in August 2004. Sheikh Hasina, who is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, narrowly escaped the 2004 grenade attacks.

President Mohammad Zillur Rahman died in hospital at age 84 . He was suffering from acute kidney and respiratory problems . Rahman was elected president, a largely ceremonial position, in 2009 . An Awami League member, he had been involved in national politics for decades .

fd176756f8419e77bb18c504314f4b4db01b668d

Washington (CNN) -- The United States has renewed a travel alert to Mexico, citing increased violence in the country. The alert, issued Sunday by the State Department, is in effect until August 20 and supersedes an alert issued August 20, 2009. "Recent violent attacks have caused the U.S. Embassy to urge U.S. citizens to delay unnecessary travel to parts of Michoacan, Durango, Coahuila and Chihuahua ... and to advise U.S. citizens residing or traveling in those areas to exercise extreme caution," the alert says. "Drug cartels and associated criminal elements have retaliated violently against individuals who speak out against them or whom they otherwise view as a threat to their organization. These attacks include the abduction and murder of two resident U.S. citizens in Chihuahua." More than 16,000 people have died in Mexico since President Felipe Calderon declared war on the drug cartels shortly after assuming office in December 2006. Ciudad Juarez, in Chihuahua state across the border from El Paso, Texas, is the most violent city in the nation. "The situation in the state of Chihuahua, specifically Ciudad Juarez, is of special concern," the alert says. "Mexican authorities report that more than 2,600 people were killed in Ciudad Juarez in 2009," the report states. "Additionally, this city of 1.3 million people experienced more than 16,000 car thefts and 1,900 carjackings in 2009. U.S. citizens should pay close attention to their surroundings while traveling in Ciudad Juarez, avoid isolated locations during late night and early morning hours, and remain alert to news reports." But the problems are not limited to Juarez, the State Department says. "Mexican drug cartels are engaged in violent conflict -- both among themselves and with Mexican security services -- for control of narcotics trafficking routes along the U.S.-Mexico border," the report says. "In order to combat violence, the government of Mexico has deployed military troops throughout the country. U.S. citizens should cooperate fully with official checkpoints when traveling on Mexican highways. "Some recent Mexican army and police confrontations with drug cartels have resembled small-unit combat, with cartels employing automatic weapons and grenades. Large firefights have taken place in towns and cities across Mexico, but occur mostly in northern Mexico, including Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana, Chihuahua City, Nogales, Matamoros, Reynosa and Monterrey. During some of these incidents, U.S. citizens have been trapped and temporarily prevented from leaving the area." A number of areas along the border continue to experience a rapid growth in crime, with robberies, homicides, petty thefts and carjackings increasing during the past year nationwide, the alert says. The State Department reports notable spikes in Chihuahua, Sinaloa, and northern Baja California. "Ciudad Juarez, Tijuana and Nogales are among the cities which have experienced public shootouts during daylight hours in shopping centers and other public venues," the alert says. "Criminals have followed and harassed U.S. citizens traveling in their vehicles in border areas including Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros, and Tijuana. Travelers on the highways between Monterrey and other parts of Mexico to the United States (notably through Nuevo Laredo and Matamoros) have been targeted for robbery and violence and have also inadvertently been caught in incidents of gunfire between criminals and Mexican law enforcement. Such incidents are more likely to occur at night but may occur at any time," the alert says.

The new State Department travel alert is in effect until August 20 . U.S. citizens are urged to delay unnecessary travel to parts of Mexico . Violent attacks have occurred in parts of Michoacan, Durango, Coahuila and Chihuahua .

2fc103c33b2e5af7c787a7614915d9329b70aa2f

(CNN) -- Julian Juarez Baena, a police officer in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, had just finished his shift. It was just after 9 p.m. last Saturday, and he was driving home. But the 35-year-old would never reach his destination. At an intersection near his home, he was ambushed and shot to death. Investigators found 34 bullet casings at the scene. Juarez was found facing down with multiple bullet wounds in his head, chest and left side of his body. His death made headlines in the Mexican city across the border from El Paso, Texas. Not only was the victim a police officer, but he was also the eighth member of the force to be murdered in two weeks. In the weeks prior to Juarez's death, banners had appeared in Ciudad Juarez threatening to kill one officer per day unless Police Chief Julian Leyzaola resigned. Leyzaola, some of the banners claimed, was only targeting members of one cartel while its rivals roamed free. Leyzaola, a former military officer who has been on the job for less than a year, says he's not stepping down. "We have to show them (criminals) that they can't be above the law or above authority. They're criminals and they should be isolated; isolated in jail or buried in the cemetery. They can't keep on intimidating or kidnapping people," Leyzaola said the day after Juarez's death. The murders of police officers have taken their toll on morale in the department of 2,500, and forced authorities to take unprecedented measures. Ciudad Juarez Mayor Hector Murguia Lardizabal made the decision to temporarily house most of the police force in hotels, with 24-hour police protection -- the police department protecting its own officers.. "I had to respond to reality," Murguia said. "I also decided that we were going to allow police officers to keep their duty weapons after their shift ended. We decided to send them to the barracks after the eighth death. We needed to do something about it." The attacks against officers haven't stopped. A shootout between officers and their attackers earlier this week left three dead gunmen and produced three arrests. According to police, attackers tried to ambush the officers Monday as they were fueling up their cars. Three police officers suffered minor wounds in the shootout. In the blue Ford Explorer the suspects used in the attack, investigators found two high-caliber rifles, two handguns and a fragmentation grenade. Mayor Murguia has stopped short of calling the situation a crisis. Responding to a reporter's question about the recent deaths of police officers, Murguia became visibly impatient. "It would be stupidly naive not to expect deadly attacks in an open war against organized crime," Murguia said. "What would you have us do? Do you want us to send messages to the criminals asking them to please put their AK-47s (assault rifles) down and stop committing crimes?" Three years ago criminal groups successfully used the same tactic of killing police officers to force the Juarez chief of police then to resign. Roberto Orduna Cruz stepped down after his assistant chief of police, Sacramento Perez, and two of his bodyguards were gunned down in an ambush. Investigators found more than 150 bullet casings at the crime scene. Just before that incident in February of 2009, anonymous banners had appeared throughout the city of 1.2 million warning that if Orduna didn't resign a police officer would be murdered every 48 hours. By at least one measure Leyzaola, the current police chief, has been successful. The number of violent deaths in Juarez dropped by almost 40% last year compared with the year before. There were 1,933 murders in 2011, compared with 3,117 in 2010, the all-time record. But Leyzaola says he is not done yet. Leyzaola, who also served as chief of police in Tijuana, is credited with bringing a significant decline in crime in that border city. His goal, he says, is to do the same in Ciudad Juarez. Journalist Edgar Roman in Ciudad Juarez contributed to this report.

Eight police officers in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, have been killed in recent weeks . Authorities say cartels are responsible for killings . Banners threaten that an officer will be killed each day unless the police chief resigns . The chief -- a former military officer -- says he's not stepping down .

84065a8764a66cc8cb7414feca79e87227c473d3

Washington (CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her South Korean and Japanese counterparts jointly condemned North Korea on Monday for recent attacks and nuclear arms proliferation that the three diplomats said threaten stability and peace in the Korean peninsula and, more broadly, the Far East. The trio pledged support for South Korea in the latest escalation of its long-running conflict with North Korea, and urged China to take on a larger role in constraining Pyongyang. "We all agree that North Korea's provocative and belligerent behavior jeopardizes peace and stability" in the region, Clinton said after a meeting at the State Department in Washington with South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan and Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara. Any effort to resume multinational talks with Pyongyang "must start with North Korea ceasing all provocative and belligerent behavior," Clinton said at a joint news conference by the three. "We want the people of South Korea to know we are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with you and that we are deeply committed to your defense," Clinton said. Kim said the United States, Japan, and South Korea all "share the view that North Korea will face severe consequences" if it launches further attacks on his country. Monday's meeting came as Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, prepared to depart Washington for South Korea, Pentagon officials said. The hastily planned visit is aimed at reassuring the South Korean military of U.S. support, according to the officials. "The principal message is to the South Koreans that we continue to stand by them in the defense of their territory, for stability on the peninsula," said Capt. John Kirby, a spokesman for Mullen. "Nobody should mistake our resolve," Kirby said, adding that the situation on the peninsula is tense but "relatively stable" at the moment. Next week, Deputy Secretary James Steinberg will lead a delegation to Asia to follow up on Mullen's visit, two senior administration officials told CNN on Monday. The delegation will include Kurt Campbell, assistant secretary for Asia, and Jeff Bader, the White House's top Asia adviser, the two senior administration officials said. At the joint news conference, Maehara said Japan would send an envoy to China to discuss the situation. China is North Korea's main ally, and Clinton said Monday that the three diplomats agreed in their talks that China should be doing more to get North Korea to change its behaviour and meet its international responsibilities. Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court said Monday it had opened a preliminary investigation into North Korean shelling of South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island last month, as well as the March sinking of a South Korean warship -- allegedly by a North Korean torpedo -- to evaluate if the incidents constitute war crimes. A preliminary investigation will determine whether criteria for an investigation is met, the court said in a news release. Four people died in the Yeonpyeong incident; 46 South Korean soldiers died in the Cheonan sinking. North Korea, meanwhile, continued its strong rhetoric Sunday, blaming its southern rival for stoking tensions in the region. North and South Korea are technically still at war, 57 years after the Korean War truce. Through the state-run Korean Central News Agency, Pyongyang said the "South Korean puppet group ... is getting more frantic in military provocations." The report warned that Seoul was "rapidly driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to an uncontrollable extreme phase." These latest comments come as South Korea, the United States and Japan have stepped up their public cooperation, further isolating the communist state. On Saturday, President Barack Obama announced what he called a "landmark" trade agreement with South Korea that he said would bolster U.S. exports by $11 billion, support 70,000 American jobs and eliminate tariffs on more than 95% of industrial and consumer goods. Meanwhile, the United States and Japan are holding the largest ever bilateral military exercises between the two countries, according to the U.S. military. The exercises, dubbed "Keen Sword" and running through December 10, include elements throughout mainland Japan, Okinawa and the surrounding waters. Monday's meeting among top diplomats of the United States, South Korea and Japan aims to bring together three "cornerstones of the region," according to a senior State Department official speaking on background because of the issue's diplomatic sensitivity. Representatives from Russia and China -- part of the six-party talks which have focused on North Korea's nuclear program -- were not invited to participate. But the official stressed that China, especially, should not view its exclusion as a "snub." U.S. officials have been pressuring Beijing to do more to exert its influence on North Korea and urge Pyongyang to cease its aggressive behavior. Obama called Chinese President Hu Jintao on Sunday -- Monday in China -- and told him that North Korea needs to "halt its provocative behavior," according to the White House. The state-run Chinese news agency Xinhua reported that Hu called for a "calm and rational response from all sides to prevent the deterioration of the fragile security situation" on the Korean peninsula. North Korean officials have been pushing for the resumption of six-party talks including China and Russia. But the United States has thus far refused, looking first for proof that North Korea is serious about not stoking military tensions and stifling development of its nuclear program. The conflict in the Koreas has intensified since November 23, when North Korean forces launched an artillery barrage Yeonpyeong Island. Pyongyang accused the South of provoking the attack, which also injured 18 people, because shells from a South Korean military drill landed in the North's waters. The following week, members of the U.S. military joined their South Korean counterparts in a military drill that, while long ago scheduled, was meant as a show of military force. Meanwhile, the South Korean navy on Monday began live-fire exercises on seas surrounding the Korean peninsula. The exercises are taking place off all three coasts of the peninsula, officials at South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff told Yonhap. They are scheduled to last through Friday and are a routine monthly exercise aimed at securing the safety of ships in the area, the officials said. The Korean Central News Agency lambasted the exercises in a Sunday article, claiming Seoul is trying to orchestrate another clash around the border island "at any cost" and "ignite a war." Kim Kwan-jin, South Korea's new defense minister, said Friday his country will respond with airstrikes if North Korea attacks it again, in some of the strongest rhetoric since the Yeonpyeong incident. CNN's Jill Dougherty, Elise Labott, Tom Cohen and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report.

NEW: Another U.S. delegation will go to Asia, sources say . NEW: Japan sending an envoy to China to discuss the Korean crisis . Top U.S., Japanese and S. Korean diplomats condemn recent N. Korean actions . U.S. Joint Chiefs chairman to head to South Korea to demonstrate support .

f37ce3fc1cb75cee659063e3539e25d4a67e163b

(CNN) -- Playing cards with images of Hitler. Toy fuhrers. And a lamp and church tapestry with swastikas emblazoned across the front. No, it's not a neo-Nazi convention. Rather, it is a groundbreaking exhibit that opened Friday in the German capital and is intended to show Adolf Hitler's relationship with the German people. Germany has produced exhibits on the Holocaust and Nazism before but never since World War II has one focused solely on the man who taught an entire nation to hate. "Hitler and the Germans" is not about the fascist dictator's memorabilia, not about the man himself, said curator Hans-Ulrech Thamer. It's not about textbook history or scholarly writings. The everyday objects on display show how Hitler won the heart of the German people. Everyone can read a book, but "objects have another quality," Thamer said. There are rows and rows of magazine covers carrying the face of Hitler as well as enormous metal busts carved for industrial mantle pieces. And propaganda signs, welfare collection boxes, photographs, film footage promoting a visionary leader of the fatherland. Thamer hopes viewers -- many of whom are sure to be Germans who no longer have direct memories of their nation's ugly history -- will look inside themselves as they cast their eyes on ordinary things that back then, served a very extraordinary purpose. Michael Salberg of the Jewish civil rights group the Anti-Defamation League, called the exhibit "extraordinary." "It's the ordinary objects -- that is what makes it powerful," he said. They are disquieting, upsetting, even off-putting, he said. Viewers might even go home and turn on a lamp in their living rooms and think about how the objects in the exhibit once occupied the same kinds of places. "It wasn't just among a group of elites," said said Salberg, director of international affairs at the ADL. "That German society was permeated with the symbols and the images that the regime was promoting was an important first step, and it took hold in a very frightening way." More than 1,000 people streamed into the museum on opening day, Thamer said. They walked through halls devoted to three chronologically and thematically arranged chapters showing the circumstances of Hitler's rise and rule. Swastikas are banned in Germany but Thamer said museums have special permission to display them for historical purposes. Still, organizers of the show agonized over possible repercussions: inciting neo-Nazi extremists and infuriating the rest of the world. A new study published this week in the German magazine Der Spiegel revealed far-right thoughts are common in Germany today. One-third of Germans said they would send foreigners home if there were not enough jobs to go around. One-sixth of Germans said Jews have too much influence. "Yes, we have had some objections," Thamer said. "One of the fears discussed in the newspapers is that this might promote extreme groups. But I am not sure they enter museums." Salberg said he did not believe an exhibit was likely to accelerate or motivate extreme viewpoints. "People who have a xenophobic view of their society are not going to be any less or more xenophobic because of this exhibit," Salberg said. Deborah Lipstadt, a scholar of the Holocaust, also felt such exhibits are important. "You understand that these things did not come out of nothing," said Lipstadt, who teaches at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. "There was a method to the madness." She found powerful a similar exhibition of the power of Nazi propaganda at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington. Some 55 million people died in World War II, including 6 million Jews who perished in the Nazi-orchestrated Holocaust.

This is the first exhibit in Germany that focuses on Hitler . On display are ordinary propaganda objects . The curator hopes viewers will look inward as well .

b9b60b7f8e23915126da9ee13f0543466808fc0a

(CNN) -- A reporter from a right-wing media outlet heckled President Obama -- not once, but twice -- on Friday as he was unveiling a new immigration policy. If this shocks you, you haven't been paying attention. This is simply the latest page from the right's playbook to delegitimize Barack Obama's presidency. Some may dismiss it as an isolated incident, but it's not. It goes much deeper. Believe me, I know hecklers -- I'm a stand-up comedian. If someone heckles me once, it can be a mistake: too many drinks, overcome by emotion, etc. But when you heckle twice, you have an agenda. Neil Munro, the Irish born reporter who heckled President Obama, was not just from some random publication. He works for The Daily Caller, a right-wing website whose editor-in-chief is the bow-tie wearing Tucker Carlson. (You may recall Carlson as the guy who famously sparred with — and was taken down by -- Jon Stewart on CNN years ago.) Munro's first heckle occurred while President Obama was in midsentence, with Munro yelling out: "Why do you favor foreigners over Americans?" Obama responded: "Excuse me, sir, but it's not time for questions." Munro countered: "Are you going to take questions?" To which the president answered: "Not while I'm speaking." Later, Munro again interrupted the president in midstatement. Obama kept his cool; he simply finished his statement. If I had been president, I would have deported Munro back to his country of origin. A quick perusal of Munro's Twitter feed reveals he does not hide his contempt for President Obama. His tweets range from claims that Obama is using NASCAR and country music to attract "white non-college voters," to slams of Michelle Obama, to allegations that Obama is racially discriminating against blacks in his White House hiring practices. But this is all not about Munro -- he is just a small cog in the right's campaign to diminish the legitimacy of Obama's presidency. I'm not talking about people disagreeing with policies. I mean specifically the campaign to paint Barack Obama as less than American -- as an "other"--as someone whose presidency is not entitled to the same respect as that of the presidents who came before him. This crusade began in the days before Barack Obama was even sworn in as president. Back then, Rush Limbaugh, the radio host and self-described "entertainer," announced on his show that he hoped Obama would fail as president. Obama had not even made his first decision as president. The campaign has continued with the right's birther movement contending that Obama was not born in the United States and hence should not be president. Some, like evangelical leader Franklin Graham, have suggested that Obama is a Muslim (he is a Christian), which to many on the right would mean he's not a "real" American. We have seen Republican Rep. Joe Wilson yell out at President Obama, "You lie" while Obama addressed a joint session of Congress in 2009. Can anyone remember the last time a U.S. president was called a liar in a joint session of Congress? I can't. Then there was Republican Rep. Joe Walsh, who last July called on President Obama to "quit lying" in regards to the debt ceiling debate. Can anyone remember something like this with previous presidents? I can't either. And, of course, there's Donald Trump, not only periodically renewing the "birther" fabrication, but also demanding to see President Obama's college grades, implying he doesn't think Obama is intellectually qualified to be president. So you see, Munro is just doing his tiny part. And no doubt some on the right will exalt him for his "courage." His boss, Tucker Carlson, defended him by saying that no one was upset when then-ABC reporter Sam Donaldson heckled President Reagan. But Fox News' Chris Wallace recalled today that when he was a White House correspondent with Donaldson during the Reagan administration, no one ever heckled the president. So, yet another lie. But the truth doesn't matter to the far right. It's not about policy or what is good for the United States of America. It's about delegitimizing President Obama for political gain. In the coming months, as we get closer to Election Day, you may see many more of these kinds of attacks. While they may disgust you, they should never surprise you. It's all in the playbook. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Dean Obeidallah.

Dean Obeidallah: A reporter from right-wing site heckled Obama as he talked about immigration . He says heckling from Irish-born reporter part of right's campaign to delegitimize Obama . He says incidents include Wilson's "you lie," Trump seeking Obama's grades . Obeidallah: Expect to see more disrespecting of the president as "the other" during campaign .

8af881f9d39ea68081b90366d377123d91b567a7

(CNN) -- The Scottish Football Association (SFA) has demanded an apology from their Brazilian counterparts after allegations of racism marred a friendly between the two countries. Brazil striker Neymar scored twice in the game held at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium in London on Sunday but accused Scottish fans of racism after he was booed. A banana was also thrown onto the pitch but police confirmed it was thrown by a German tourist in the crowd and said they were satisfied there was no racial element to it. Will Neymar win 2014 World Cup for Brazil? But Scottish fans were appalled that Neymar suggested after the match he was booed because of his color, stating they had jeered the striker due to his constant playacting. Now Scottish FA chief executive Stewart Regan wants a formal apology from Brazil saying they were "dismayed" by the claims. He said in a statement on the SFA website: "It is very disappointing that this episode threatened to overshadow an entertaining match, played amidst a real carnival atmosphere created by supporters of both teams. "Scotland and Brazil have played many times over the years, each time in a colorful and friendly environment, and we feel that it's necessary to draw a line under Sunday's events. "Scotland's supporters were genuinely upset and annoyed that the unfounded allegations leveled against them threatened to sully their reputation as fair, good humored and respectful spectators. "As the matter has been resolved, and Scotland supporters cleared of any involvement, we felt it was only right that we acted on behalf of our supporters to request an apology either from the player involved, or the Brazilian FA."

Scottish Football Association demand apology from their Brazilian counterparts . SFA are dismayed Scottish fans were accused of racism during a friendly on Sunday . Brazil striker Neymar claimed he was booed because of his color . Scottish fans say he was jeered for his playacting .

483c07f374e904fc1a402cad6a8b3bfe2abcfca6

(CNN) -- Two convicted murderers who allegedly used forged documents to walk out of prison were booked Tuesday in Orange County, Florida -- the place where both men hail from and where the murders they are responsible for took place. After days on the lam, Charles Walker and Joseph Jenkins were recaptured on Saturday night at Panama City's Coconut Grove Motor Inn, some 360 miles northwest of the Orlando area. By 2:30 p.m. ET Tuesday, they were back in the Orange County jail, according to county corrections spokesman Allen Moore. "The two will be held in maximum custody in two separate locations of the jail system," Allen said. Walker, who faces a new escape charge, is set to appear at 9 a.m. Wednesday in an Orlando courtroom. Jenkins does not face the same charge, and is not set to appear in court. Courts, corrections deflect blame . Walker and Jenkins, both 34, had been serving life terms without parole for unrelated killings at the Franklin Correctional Institution in North Carrabelle, south of Tallahassee in Florida's Panhandle. Jenkins walked out September 27, while Walker left October 8. Both used legal-looking documents with bogus reproductions of several key players' signatures, including those of the Orlando-area state attorney and Judge Belvin Perry, plus the seal of the Orange County clerk of court's office. State officials have been investigating that type of scam for about a year and had warned prosecutors about the schemes over the summer, said Jerry Bailey, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's commissioner. On Tuesday, Bailey's agency announced that a reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those involved in the forgeries or inmates' escapes. The Florida attorney general's office is offering another reward of up to $10,000. CNN's Greg Botelho contributed to this report.

Charles Walker and Joseph Jenkins are in custody in Orange County, Florida . That's where they are from, and where they committed murders years ago . The two men used forged documents to walk out of prison, authorities say .

5be2d16c02cdea06b107ac62ef04cc8f78b13f11

(CNN) -- Negotiating teams from Sudan and South Sudan have agreed to end a dispute on oil payments to allow the resumption of southern oil exports through Sudan's territories, Sudan's state-run Ashorooq TV reported early Saturday, citing official sources. The negotiating teams met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with the head of the African Union, the state-run TV station said. Both countries still have to discuss when to resume southern oil exports through the north. Sudan's economy has suffered since the separation of South Sudan last year, which took with it nearly 75% of the country's oil wealth. While most of the oil wells are in the south, the pipelines and port to export the oil are in the north. The agreement covers how much the landlocked South Sudan will pay to use those facilities. South Sudan halted oil production in late January after accusing Sudan of stealing $815 million worth of its crude. Sudan said it had confiscated the oil to make up for unpaid fees. The negotiating teams agreed that Sudan will receive $25.80 per barrel that passes through pipelines from the south to the north as an export tax and refining cost, Ashorooq TV reported. The teams are expected to meet later Saturday to discuss territorial disputes. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised the deal Saturday, saying it "reflects leadership and a new spirit of compromise on both sides." "The Government of Sudan deserves credit for taking this step," Clinton said in a statement. "If Sudan would now also take the steps to peace in Southern Kordofan, Blue Nile, and Darfur, and if it will respect the rights of all citizens, it can likewise give its people a brighter future." Border clashes have brought the countries to the brink of war and left South Sudan coping with a massive humanitarian crisis as people flee the fighting. The South Sudan state of Upper Nile has been flooded with refugees crossing the border from Sudan. In total, aid agencies estimate that at least 150,000 refugees from Sudan are currently in South Sudan. Regarding two areas in the Blue Nile and Nubia, the government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North, a rebel force in the border region, agreed to a partial cease-fire so humanitarian aid could reach victims of hostilities, the state-run TV station said. CNN's Amir Ahmed contributed to this report.

NEW: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised the deal Saturday . While most oil wells are in the south, the pipelines and port are in the north . South Sudan halted oil production in January after accusing Sudan of stealing .

036cf9fe7256b75d44b1a5f72f93fd813afbdd8b

Hura, Israel (CNN) -- Israeli riot police broke up a demonstration comprising more than 1,000 people who were protesting an Israeli Parliament plan to displace tens of thousands of Bedouin from southern Israel's Negev. Dozens of the protesters -- including a 12-year-old boy -- and a number of riot police were injured and dozens more were arrested. The protesters -- composed of Bedouin, Palestinians, Israeli and international activists -- were demonstrating against the Prawer Plan, which they say would displace the Negev's original inhabitants. According to Israeli sources, more than 40,000 Bedouins would be affected by this plan; Bedouin elders estimate the total at more than 70,000. If passed by the Knesset, the plan's implementation would destroy 35 "unrecognized" Arab Bedouin villages and displace Bedouin citizens of Israel from their historical lands in the Naqab, the Arabic name for the Negev, according to a posting on the website for Adalah, the legal center for Arab minority rights in Israel. A spokesperson for the Israeli Knesset did not immediately return a call. The demonstration here was one of 25 planned around the world -- including Jerusalem and Haifa, Washington and London. In the protests here, Israeli riot police -- some of them on horseback -- fired stun grenades, tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon to disperse the protesters, most of whom appeared young. Some threw stones and bottles at the police and set tires afire. "We are all here to say loudly and clearly that the Prawer Plan will not pass," Arab Knesset member Ahmad Tibi told CNN. "Prawer is the plan to take out Palestinians -- the indigenous people -- from their land in the a Negev and bring instead Jewish settlers. "We are Palestinians, we are the Arab minority here and asking to be treated equally. The Zionist point of view is to get rid of the Arabs and Palestinian from their land who are the original people in the first place and bring in Jewish settlers ... we will not accept that." Amir Abu Quaidar, an organizer of Saturday's demonstration, said the protesters were seeking to pressure the Israeli government to withdraw its plan. "We are here to give a clear message to the Israeli government that the Bedouin communities are Palestinian, and we see today protests all over the world, in Palestine, in the U.S., Europe, opposing this plan and to express solidarity with our Palestinian cause." The Knesset passed in June a draft version of the Prewar Plan by a 43-40 vote and the measure could be finalized by the end of the year, the organizers said. The Prawer Plan would allow Israeli police to use force in its expulsion of Palestinian-Bedouin, they said in a news release. "It will also permit the police to arrest and imprison any Palestinian-Bedouin up to two years for violating the law. The plan negates Palestinian-Bedouin ownership rights in their ancestral land, it gives Israel's Prime Minister unprecedented powers to implement the plan and it legitimizes the use of violence and coercion in the execution of the plan." In addition, it said, the plan would expand Israeli presence at the expense of the indigenous Palestinian-Bedouin .

Dozens are injured, including a 12-year-old boy . The clash is over a Knesset plan to displace Bedouins from the Negev . Some Arab members of the Knesset joined the demonstration .

102a175d0ff999a617e6e13864564a3c8a7f2359

(CNN) -- Omar Hammami is living proof that there is no one road to terrorism. U.S. officials believe the journey for Hammami -- one of 14 U.S.-born and naturalized citizens to be indicted last week on charges of conspiring with a Somali terrorist organization affiliated with al Qaeda -- took him from a small town in Alabama to a radical command role in Somalia. Hammami was a late convert to Islam, becoming passionate about his father's faith during high school in Alabama. He was born in Daphne, a small town nestled in the Bible belt where Islam was not only uncommon, but rebuffed. His hijab and public prayer made Hammami a target for insults in the conservative community. He dropped out of the University of South Alabama in 2002, moving to Toronto, Canada, and then to Cairo, Egypt, as he searched in vain for a setting where Islam was practiced as rigidly as he believed it should be . It is possible that Christof Putzel -- a correspondent for Current TV's documentary series, "Vanguard" -- once brushed arms with Hammami. Putzel was finishing a story in Somalia in 2006 as Hammami entered the country to seek out al-Shabaab. Putzel later created a documentary that retraces Hammami's steps from young American to "American Jihadi." "American Jihadi" culminates in Somalia, where Hammami joined the ranks of al-Shabaab, or "The Youth." Hammami is a top commander of al-Shabaab and the organization's most successful recruiter, Putzel says. Since he appeared on the Al-Jazeera TV network and the YouTube website in 2007, more than 30 young Muslims have disappeared from Hammami's old stomping grounds in the U.S and Canada, only to reappear fighting with al-Shabaab. "Omar Hammami is making jihad look like a camping trip with weapons. You don't see the brutality of war. You see guys who look really cool, and they look like they are taking their religion really seriously," Putzel says. Although he alone is effective, Hammami is not the only American jihadi on the Internet. Born in New Mexico and wanted by the FBI, Anwar al-Awlaki has been using social media sites to spread his lectures to larger audiences. According to Putzel, these videos address Western youths in terms they understand, using both English and modern slang. "What is pretty clear is that groups like al-Shabaab or al Qaeda are in a war for the hearts and minds of young Muslims in the U.S. They are telling them that they're not wanted here ... and that by living here, they're a traitor," Putzel says. To Steve Hassan, this narrative is strikingly familiar. He is a cult counselor, mind-control expert and former follower of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon and his "Moonies." It is Hassan's belief that a terrorist organization is little more than a cult with a strong violent streak. "There are totalitarian mind-control cults that use deception and manipulation to get people in, and then indoctrinate people with new identities -- which are dependent and obedient on their superiors -- that often cause a divorce from their past identities and refutation of family and friends," Hassan says. Drawing upon more than 30 years of personal and professional experience, Hassan says indoctrination is dependent upon timing and social influence, not personal weakness or an intrinsic character flaw. "People from the outside looking in try to find all kinds of theories and justifications ... but speaking from the inside-out in terms of my own personal experience, I would have flown a plane into the World Trade Center if I had been ordered to. But I did not join a group to blow up people. I wanted to make the world a better place, and I wanted to make the world filled with God," Hassan says. It is that ideology in radical Islam that Nasser Weddady sees as the greatest draw for young Westerners. Weddady is the civil rights outreach director for the American Islamic Congress -- and a Muslim. "This is not just some poor victim who, because he was unable to make it in life, became a terrorist. One of the allures of radical Islamist ideology is it gives a person a purpose for their life, an evil purpose I would say, but nonetheless, they are fighting for something," Weddady says. As a child growing up in Syria, Weddady's first brush with terrorism occurred when he witnessed car bombs set off by Islamist extremists. He observed Islamist operatives recruiting in schools and says it wasn't uncommon to walk past someone considered a terrorist by the U.S. Due to their Middle Eastern appearance, Weddady and a friend were falsely held by the FBI following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Racial profiling has compelled many Muslims to hide their roots and suppress their religion. According to Weddady, a lack of identity and leadership within the Muslim community has prompted some youths to combat the temperance that surrounds them. "These young Muslims in America are looking for answers, are looking for ways to deal with that aspect of their identity," Weddady says. "Some decide to erase it, some decide to explore it and express it. The problem is the message that is most available to them is not one you want them to hear." Steve Emerson is the founder of the Investigative Project on Terrorism, a research group that studies Islamic terrorism worldwide. He says governments are mistaken in "reaching out to certain Islamist groups that still push the narrative that the U.S. is at war with Islam and that refuse to condemn Hamas or Hezbollah." "The Islamist narrative is that there is a conspiracy against Islam, waged by the West and led by the United States, and this alleged 'conspiracy' is to suppress Islam," Emerson says. "Radical leaders will all say and repeat a litany of crimes against Muslims by the West, going as far back as the crusades in 1095. Therefore, these Islamist terrorist acts are perceived to be defensive reactions to defend Islam." Emerson's organization works closely with the FBI to share information and prevent future terrorist attacks. Robert Blitzer is the senior fellow at ICF International -- a global consulting firm -- and former chief of the domestic terrorism and counterterrorism planning section in the FBI. His work included investigating terrorists within the United States. "We conducted investigations into terrorist activities based on what we were authorized to do," Blitzer says. "We would ... determine what sort of group they might be affiliated, who they were in contact with in the United States or abroad and essentially what kind of activities they might be engaged in. That could be as simple as collecting money and sending it back to folks, or as complex as engaging in planning and conducting terrorist attacks." Blitzer says that since 9/11, intelligence and law enforcement communities have been successful in averting terrorist attacks of that magnitude, but that isn't to say it will never happen again. "The intelligence has to be right every time, but the terrorists only have to be right once to carry out a significant attack," Blitzer says. To carry out attacks, Emerson says, Islamist groups deliberately try to alienate Muslim populations from any loyalty to the host country, and thereby to have leverage over that country. "If you look at the European continent, there's been a lot of immigration by Indians and Latin Americans," Emerson says. "They are not the ones who are carrying out terrorist attacks. There is something else going on in the Muslim communities." Ghaffar Hussein, head of the outreach and training unit for the Quilliam Foundation -- which calls itself the world's first counterterrorism think tank -- says there are ways to prevent this alienation of Western Muslim youth. "Western societies need to strengthen civic identity and make all members of society feel like they belong," Hussein says. "They need to treat Muslims as citizens and not as homogeneous blocs or groups with monolithic interests." As a cult expert, Hassan suggests offering radicalized youth the same treatment he offers his clients. He says the universal way to free someone from a cult's clutch is to dissipate their phobias that by leaving, they are betraying God or Allah. "A lot of people get into these groups following a dream or following an ideal. If people can see that the dream is not going to be a part of this group movement, that would help somebody reevaluate," Hassan says. Weddady, meanwhile, says that while the support of the West is necessary, "to a larger extent, this is a Muslim problem that only Muslims can solve." He says his moral compass ultimately led him down a path very different from some young Muslims in the world today. "I am an outspoken critic of some of the most extreme and intolerant elements within Islamic society, but at the same time, I am proud of my Islamic heritage and Muslim culture." Weddady says. "Those things are not in contradiction in my mind. The supreme irony of this story is that I can't be any more Muslim that I can be in America. If we Muslims were not living in a free society, we could not take a stand against extremism and reclaim our heritage."

Omar Hammami is one of 14 U.S. citizens indicted last week on terrorism conspiracy charges . Hammami went from a small town in Alabama to a command role in Somalia . Terrorism experts say extremist groups are battling for the hearts and minds of young U.S. Muslims .

37e6487b3141f25cb0d644fba3c88174613fce5c

Washington (CNN) -- First Lady Michelle Obama will lead the U.S. delegation to the opening ceremonies of the London Olympics in July, she said Tuesday. Obama announced her London trip at an event Tuesday with Samantha Cameron, the wife of visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron. Obama also used the meeting to promote her "Let's Move" initiative that tackles the national epidemic of childhood obesity by recommending physical activity. "In the months ahead, I'll be talking to Americans all across the country to encourage even more young people to tap into that Olympic spirit and turn their inspiration into action," Obama said in a statement. "As the Olympic creed states, 'the most important thing ... is not to win, but to take part.' And that doesn't just mean sitting and watching, it means getting up and getting active as well," the first lady said. The White House will announce in coming months the delegates who will accompany Obama to London. Other first ladies have led a presidential delegation to past Olympic Games. The 2012 Summer Olympic Games' opening ceremony will take place on July 27. CNN's Michael Martinez contributed to this report.

Michelle Obama will be urging Americans to "turn their inspiration into action" She will lead the U.S. delegation to the opening of the London Olympics . The opening ceremony takes place in British capital on July 27 .

dae2311d0cf106fc3aabfc98c987c0f5d6de55b6

(CNN) -- Inspirational music has long served to focus the mind of some of the world's greatest sporting stars. Retired swimming champion Michael Phelps swore by the grizzly bark of rapper DMX, while former England footballer Stuart Pearce was known to crank out the snarling punk of the Sex Pistols. For giant judo champion Teddy Riner, however, the motivational music of choice is something altogether more sensitive. "The moments before the fight, I put my headphones on to enter into the zone," Riner told CNN's Human to Hero series. And on his iPod, alongside a dollop of rap and dance music, the Frenchman confesses to getting pumped up on the power ballads of Celine Dion. See also: Skiing's winning machine . The Canadian diva may seem like an unorthodox motivator for a sport where brute strength and controlled aggression are key. But the tuneful preparation has already helped the man nicknamed the "Teddy Bear" shape up for spectacular success -- a long way from his early days, when he admits to being "a bit useless." The 23-year-old -- who measures in at an imposing 6 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 282 pounds (128 kg) -- is already a five-time world champion and the Olympic gold medal winner at London 2012. He also picked up a bronze at the Beijing Games of 2008 and has twice been crowned Europe's best. Caribbean roots . Born in the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, Riner was raised by his parents in Paris. A self-confessed bundle of energy as a child, he was encouraged to hit the tatami (judo mats) at a small club in the city. Given his sheer size and athleticism, he was a natural and soon fell in love with the sport. The goal of achieving "ippon" -- the fight-ending maximum score a judoka receives when a move that flips or throws an opponent onto their back is executed -- was a source of particular pleasure for the young Riner . "Before judo I did many other sports," he explains. "I did tennis, basketball, swimming, golf ... squash, football. I stuck with judo because of the call to score ippon. "To win a fight there are rules, a technique. The two shoulders of the opponent must touch the tatami. If the two shoulders touch with speed and impact on the floor, it's ippon (and) it's won." Disciplined approach . Like any athlete operating at the elite level of their chosen sport, Riner adheres to a strict training program that requires unwavering discipline and a robust frame of mind. In judo, more so than other sports, these qualities are especially valuable. The philosophy of self-control and respect for one's opponent outside the arena is just as critical to master as the physical conditioning for when the fight begins. See also: Blind runner beats bullies . "It is a sport which demands an irreproachable lifestyle, a sport which demands a rigor," Riner says. "(There is) a moral code which is similar to that which you learn from your parents. "You need to be strong up here," Riner adds, tapping his head. "The opponent in front of you may be strong, tall, thin -- you have to work hard to get ippon. "It's this that makes the difference, you can't let anything go." While an array of medals and championship-winning performances suggest Riner has mastered both the mental and muscular side of his sport, he is quick to point out that his path to the top was far from smooth. "I don't think I have a gift. You should have seen me when I first started, I wasn't the great judoka I have become," he says. "I was a bit useless." "Today it is true that with a lot of work and a lot of assiduousness I have succeeded in forging a good judo, a good character and an intelligence for the fight," he adds. "My secret to winning, I think, is the fact that I am so determined in my training, to put myself in the red, always pushing the limits." Judo calling . This desire to constantly improve is undoubtedly made easier with a genuine enjoyment and appreciation of the intricacies of his sport. Riner's daily training schedule consists of five hours' intense cardio and meticulous judo work. But while some athletes look for distractions once away from competitive arena or training field, Riner remains firmly attuned to his sport. See also: Ice Hockey's David faces Goliathan challenge . "Judo is a calling, a vocation for me," he enthuses. "Sometimes we finish a training session and I'm tired, but a few hours later I already feel like playing again. "For me it's not a work or a sacrifice, it's a game and it's a pleasure. The day I no longer feel like playing on the tatami ... I'll stop." For now, the day that Riner hangs up his kimono seems a long way off. Still very much in his youth and operating at a level few of his peers can match, there seems little capable of subduing this Goliath of the mats or his hunger for success. "What motivates me is winning medals, reaching the top of my sport," he says. "I have my mentality, I have my way of being, I have my personality which makes me a fighter. I am a real fighter, and I love that."

Teddy Riner is the reigning heavyweight Olympic judo champion . Frenchman measures in at a giant 6 foot, 8 inches tall and 282 pounds . The 23-year-old says judo is as much a way of life as it is a sport . He says he is dedicated to "the search for ippon"

659fed2d7989ba5e8eb5902a4206fc1065872716

(CNN) -- In an age of streaming media, we're still a culture of digital hoarders. That may partly explain why on Tuesday, Apple introduced an iPad with 128 gigabytes of storage capacity, twice as much as any previous model. But will the average tablet owner need that much space? For casual users, tablets are media-consumption devices. We use them to watch movies and TV shows, listen to music, play games and read books and magazines. All those files take up memory on your internal hard drive. Today's high-resolution photos and videos are increasingly hogging storage, too. It's easy to see how someone with a lot of downloaded files might eventually run out of room on a 64GB tablet. But 128 gigabytes? That's the equivalent of about 100 DVD-quality movies, 30 Blu-ray movies, 30,000 songs or 40,000 photos, according to this graphic by a computer store in the United Kingdom. Everything else about the iPad announced Tuesday is the same as the current fourth-generation models: a 9.7-inch Retina display, a dual-core A6X processor, a FaceTime HD camera, 2 gigabtyes of RAM and an estimated 10 hours of battery life. So the new device, which goes on sale February 5, is all about giving users more storage space. That's why Apple is targeting the 128GB iPad at professional users such as architects, doctors or audio engineers, who often work with large files (and can afford pricey gadgets). "Companies regularly utilizing large amounts of data such as 3D CAD files, X-rays, film edits, music tracks, project blueprints, training videos and service manuals all benefit from having a greater choice of storage options for iPad," Apple said in a news release announcing the new iPad. Some observers say the tablet's cost -- $799 (Wi-Fi only) and $929 (Wi-Fi and cellular), $100 more than the current 64GB model -- isn't worth it in an age when we can store movies, music, photos and documents on cloud-based servers instead of our own machines. "Apple doesn't expect you to buy a 128GB iPad, not unless you're a professional-grade buyer, like an architect or a supervillain," writes Leslie Horn for Gizmodo. "The 128GB iPad is like a $300/head steakhouse dinner. It goes on the corporate account." Other pundits noted that at $929, the top-of-the-line 128GB model costs almost as much as the base-model MacBook Air laptop ($999), which is much easier to type on. "Apple has set its eyes on the dying infrastructure of the PC industry and Microsoft's Windows operating system business," writes Dan Rowinski of ReadWriteWeb. "That is really the only reason that Cupertino would unveil an iPad with 128 GB, a size that challenges many of the 'ultrabooks' that have become popular in the laptop market these days." In that way, the launch of the new iPad seems poised to stave off competition from Microsoft's 128GB Surface Pro tablet, due February 9 in the U.S. and Canada. When it comes to storage capacity, though, these tablets aren't close to being the biggest. That distinction belongs to the Panasonic Toughbook H2, which retails for $3,579 and has a whopping 320GB of internal storage.

Apple introduces iPad with 128 GB of storage capacity. twice as much as previous models . The average user won't need that much internal storage . 128 gigabytes is equivalent of about 100 DVD-quality movies, 30,000 songs or 40,000 photos . Gizmodo: "128 GB iPad is like a $300/head steakhouse dinner. It goes on the corporate account"

33ac596a7b64dcabdbc7188c1c19d2c4710a8faf

(EW.com) -- FX has given the greenlight to "The Bridge," a thriller starring Diane Kruger ("Inglorious Basterds") and Demian Bichir ("A Better Life") and from Meredith Stiehm, a "Homeland" writer known for penning some of the series' most acclaimed episodes. Based on the Scandinavian series "Bron," "The Bridge" is about a body found on the border of Texas and Mexico and the investigation that ensues. The 13-episode first season will go into production in April for a July premiere on FX. This news means that Stiehm will likely have to leave the Showtime hit for her new FX series. "I think it's one or the other," Stiehm told EW in January about choosing between Homeland and "The Bridge." "It's a high-cost problem. It's so hard to get your own series but, at the same time, What kind of idiot leaves 'Homeland' right now?" See the original article at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.

FX has given the greenlight to "The Bridge" "The Bridge" is a thriller starring Diane Kruger and Demian Bichir . "Homeland" writer Meredith Stiehm is behind the series .

3ffcc2d59332da992765fe720f45bfa302681905

Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Steve McPherson quit his job as ABC Entertainment president this week amid "gossip and innuendo" that "goes with the territory," his lawyer said Thursday. The network confirmed McPherson's resignation, but would not comment on what McPherson attorney Tom Hoberman described as the "rumors of internal situations" at ABC. McPherson held the post for six years and had another year on his contract. "Upon Steve McPherson returning to work from his vacation on Monday, he made a voluntary decision to resign and ABC accepted his resignation," Hoberman said in a written statement. The statement only hinted at what led to his decision to suddenly depart just days before the network was set to present its fall primetime lineup to television critics. "It is not uncommon for high level executives to be the subject of gossip and innuendo," Hoberman said. "That would include rumors of internal situations which can easily be misinterpreted or misrepresented. Seems like it goes with the territory, and there is nothing further to discuss." McPherson said he has "a new entrepreneurial venture in the spirits business" lined up as well as "involvement in a new media company." ABC said it would announce a replacement for McPherson "shortly."

Lawyer: Resignation came amid "rumors of internal situations" McPherson quit the day he returned from vacation . ABC will announce a new president "shortly"

585f8239dba4caff87c3209f0b7a2a789931f98e

(CNN) -- Argentina's president declared three days of national mourning Wednesday after heavy rains claimed dozens of lives. At least 48 people were killed in La Plata, outside Buenos Aires, officials said Wednesday. "In 12 hours it has rained what it normally rains in the entire month of April," Santiago Martorelli, cabinet chief of the city, told the state-run Telam news agency. The rainfall in that period was 13 inches, he said. "This storm is a catastrophe without precedent," Martorelli said. Some 3,000 residents of La Plata have evacuated due to the rain, officials said. Earlier, eight storm-related deaths were reported in Buenos Aires, the capital. President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner toured some of the most heavily damaged areas Wednesday evening. "I have come to see what happened with this disaster," she said as she entered a flooded home, according to Telam. "I am not going to leave you alone." Police patrols in the area will increase, she said, due to residents' concerns for their safety. "People told me that they are afraid," she said, "beyond what they've lost."

NEW: 48 deaths are reported in the city of La Plata . NEW: President declares three days of national mourning . Earlier, eight deaths were reported in Buenos Aires . Officials call it a storm without precedent .

42273200590e491f2ed6c9fe1c8fdd1f7e0a55ef

(EW.com) -- Six weeks ago, "The Avengers" entered theaters and blew everyone's expectations out of the water with its record-breaking $207.4 million debut. In the weeks that followed, though, the box office fell into a bit of a slump. Expensive tentpoles like "Battleship" and "Dark Shadows" outright bombed, while major studio fare like "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and "The Dictator" underperformed, and even "Men In Black 3's" number one opening felt weak given its predecessors' strength. Last weekend, "Snow White and the Hunstman" exceeded industry expectations, giving Hollywood hope that summer 2012 might live up to the hype that "The Avengers" had suggested. This weekend, "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" and and "Prometheus" continued to ease any fears that the box office was in trouble with robust debuts in first and second place, respectively. These hefty starts helped the Top 10 films gross $169.6 million, up a whopping 30 percent over the same weekend in 2011, when Super 8 topped the chart. Dreamworks $145 million 3-D sequel "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted," which features the voice work of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith, and David Schwimmer as lost Central Park Zoo animals, handily won the weekend with $60.4 million, 45 percent of which came from 3-D ticket sales. That's a touch behind 2008′s "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa," which started with $63.1 million, despite the fact that "Madagascar 3" earned more on its opening day than "Escape 2 Africa" ($20.5 million vs. $17.5 million). It looks like this threequel may suffer from a slight case of sequelitis, when franchise films become increasingly front-loaded at the box office as the franchise continues. "Madagascar 3" earned a terrific "A" CinemaScore grade from polled audiences, which were 56 percent female and 54 percent below the age of 25, and it will benefit from strong word-of-mouth in the weeks to come. Still, "Madagascar 3" will likely finish a bit behind the $180 million total that "Escape 2 Africa," which played during the holiday season, earned domestically. International grosses are already proving to be more substantial, though. "Madagascar 3" earned $75.5 million overseas this weekend, giving it an early worldwide total of $135.9 million. The colorful comedy will face direct competition when Pixar's "Brave" debuts in two weeks, but its lighthearted tone and zippy pace may prove more attractive for summer moviegoers. We'll have to wait and see! Ridley Scott's return to sci-fi, "Prometheus," invaded theaters in second place with $50 million. The $130 million Fox thriller, which stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, and current box office (ice) queen Charlize Theron, conjured an impressive $14,723 per theater average from 3,396 locations (ahead of "Madagascar's" $14,123 average from 4,258 venues). "Prometheus" notched the best debut for an R-rated picture since "Paranormal Activity 3's" $52.6 million bow in October, but where it goes from here is anyone's guess. After topping the box office on Friday with $21.4 million, "Prometheus" sank 22 percent on Saturday -- a sure sign of built-in excitement from fanboys and fangirls who rushed to the theater to find out if the film really was an "Alien" prequel. Discouragingly, "Prometheus" earned a lukewarm "B" CinemaScore grade, yet it's sparking more post-release conversation than any title in recent memory, and although much of the chatter is negative (and filled with over-the-top vitriol for scribe Damon Lindelof), all the buzz could work in the film's favor. Word-of-mouth doesn't suggest that "Prometheus" will become this year's "Inception," a thinky thriller-turned-box-office-smash, but its successful debut and ample international receipts (it's earned $91.5 million after two weekends) should have the suits at Fox pretty happy. Last weekend's fairest movie of them all, "Snow White and the Huntsman," bit into the poison apple of competition and dropped 59 percent to $23 million during its second frame. The $170 million fantasy has earned $98.5 million total after ten days, and another $83.5 million overseas. Universal is reportedly fast-tracking a sequel for the film, which frankly seems like a rather irrational decision at this point. While a $181.5 million worldwide total is nothing to shake a stick scepter at, between the budget, marketing costs, and distribution fees, "Snow White" has a long way to go before it's out of the red. Still, Universal must see a path to profitability on the home market and ancillary markets. If the studio does make a sequel, I have one request: Bring back Charlize Theron! "Men In Black 3" held on to fourth place, dropping 52 percent (after losing many 3-D screens to "Prometheus" and "Madagascar") to $13.5 million. The $230 million sequel has earned a lackluster $135.5 million after 17 days -- even without accounting for inflation, both "Men In Black" and "Men In Black 2" (neither of which had 3-D ticket prices working their favor) had earned more money at the same point in their runs, with $158.9 million and $148.0 million, respectively. The Sony production may finish with about $165 million, domestically. Fortunately, international grosses have been powerful, and globally, "Men In Black 3" has earned $487.6 million total. Whether the film will eventually earn enough to counteract it's massive negative costs is unclear. (Speaking of negative costs, are you aware that the combined budgets of the Top 5 movies right now total $895 million? Seriously.) Rounding out the Top 5, "The Avengers" flew to $10.8 million in its sixth frame -- a 47 percent drop -- which pushed its total to a truly heroic $571.9 million. Worldwide, "The Avengers" has grossed a jaw-dropping $1.396 billion. This year's second-biggest blockbuster, "The Hunger Games," reached a major milestone over the weekend. On its 80th day of release, "Hunger Games" passed the $400 million mark in the United States -- a remarkable feat for a franchise launching pad. With a $248 million overseas total, the dystopian thriller hasn't exhibited similar box office ubiquity overseas, although this may very well change with future "Hunger Games" installments. The film's worldwide total will climb substantially when it opens in China later this month. In limited release, Wes Anderson's well-liked indie "Moonrise Kingdom" continues to impress. The young love story picked up $1.6 million in 96 theaters, enough for a tenth place finish. "Moonrise" once again boasted a dazzling per theater average: it's $16,448 average was the best at the box office. After three weekends, the film has earned $3.8 million. Fellow indies were met with mixed results. "Peace, Love, and Misunderstanding" found a weak $102,000 out of 30 theaters, which was slightly ahead of Sundance fave "Safety Not Guaranteed," which earned $100,000, but was notably playing in just 9 theaters. "Lola Versus" earned $34,100 out of 4 theaters, yielding an $8,525 average -- too low to merit major expansions. What did you see this weekend? Do you think "Prometheus" will crash and burn from here, or do you think curiosity and buzz will attract more audiences? Sound off in the comments, box office junkies! 1. "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" -- $60.4 million . 2. "Prometheus" -- $50.0 million . 3. "Snow White and the Huntsman" -- $23.0 million . 4. "Men In Black 3" -- $13.5 million . 5. "The Avengers" -- $10.8 million . See the full story at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.

"Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" won the weekend with $60.4 million . "Prometheus" invaded theaters in second place with $50 million . "Snow White and the Huntsman" dropped 59 percent to $23 million .

5d89d0b2899ce1a4b2859e9066472b4940684531

(CNN) -- Thousands of demonstrators marched through cities across Europe on Saturday, calling for an immediate end to Israel's attacks on Gaza. A protester swings a club at a police horse Saturday night near London's Israeli Embassy. Up to 20,000 people were gathered outside the Israeli Embassy in London, England, at the peak of protests there, London Metropolitan Police said. A police officer was knocked unconscious Saturday night as the protests turned unruly, the police said. The London crowd dismantled barriers placed in front of the embassy and began pelting officers with sticks, rocks and pieces of the metal barriers, police said. Three people were arrested. Organizers including the Stop the War Coalition and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign expected more than 100,000 people to join the London march to protest Israel's ongoing attacks on Gaza. Celebrities including musician Annie Lennox and Bianca Jagger, musician Mick Jagger's ex-wife, spoke at a rally before the procession, which went from Hyde Park to the Israeli Embassy in Kensington, West London. Watch demonstrators throw bottles, metal at police » . Lauren Booth, the sister-in-law of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, also spoke at the rally, The Times newspaper reported. During her speech, Booth criticized Blair over his attempts to bring about a resolution to the conflict. "Tony Blair's only comment regarding the cease-fire has been to say that it can only take place after the tunnels in Gaza are destroyed," The Times quoted her as saying. "What he is suggesting means that after the massacre, people will have no access to food, kerosene and medicines that came through those tunnels. That is not a cease-fire; that is a slow agonizing death," she said, according to The Times. Former London Mayor Ken Livingstone issued a statement backing the demonstration. "Every day, we see appalling pictures of children slaughtered by Israeli bombs, missiles and other sophisticated weapons," he said. "Yet with more than 700 dead and thousands more seriously wounded, the international community is allowing Israel to continue its completely disproportionate onslaught accompanied by an Orwellian litany of lies." Meanwhile, the British Press Association reported that similar demonstrations took place in other British cities, including Newcastle and Edinburgh. Thousands took part in a rally through the center of Edinburgh calling for an end to the military campaign. About 300 shoes and red paint were thrown toward the U.S. consulate in the Scottish capital, the PA said. Thousands demonstrated in other European cities, according to local media reports, including Innsbruck, Austria; Paris, France; Milan, Italy; Berlin, Germany; and Oslo, Norway. iReport: Protests in Paris . In Washington, pro-Palestinian activists rallied outside the temporary residence of President-elect Barack Obama on Saturday and called on the incoming leader to stop the violence in Gaza. About 3,000 people carrying signs and chanting "Free Palestine" flooded Lafayette Park between the White House and the Hay-Adams Hotel, where the president-elect is living with his family. Carrying a flag and wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh head scarf, Abdel-Kader Elkabil exhorted the president-elect to take action. "Please, Mr. Obama, do something. We love you. We voted for you," he said. "I'm expecting you to do something. ... You're the only one who can do something." Asma Mobin-Uddin drove to Washington with a group of 500 activists from Ohio. She said she voted for Obama because she believed he could "make a difference." "President Obama, look in the eyes of your kids and look in the eyes of the kids in that region," she said at the rally. "Please, stop the violence, stop the hate, stop the occupation." Israelis say their Gaza military operation, which started December 27, is targeting rocket-launching sites, Hamas infrastructure and the movement's leaders in an effort to stop militants from sending rockets into southern Israel. Palestinian medical sources said that more than 800 Palestinians have been killed in the attacks, including 235 children, and about 3,300 people have been wounded. Thirteen Israelis, including 10 soldiers, have died since the operation began. CNN's Rachel Streitfeld and Mona Larijani contributed to this report.

Three arrested after London protest becomes unruly; officer knocked out . Police say 20,000 gathered outside Israeli Embassy in London . Similar demonstrations take place in other European cities . 3,000 protest outside temporary residence of U.S. President-elect Obama .

2d3b2eb21a6691c764aaa1f27030453fc44331ab

(RollingStone.com) -- Save for some bit roles in a smattering of unremarkable TV shows, the world hasn't heard much from Ben Savage since 2000. That's when his reign as Cory Matthews, the lovable goofball lead on the seminal Nineties sitcom "Boy Meets World," came to an end. But last week, with one tweet, Savage returned to our lives: "I'm going to be a father!" the 32-year-old wrote. "Well, on TV at least. The 'Boy Meets World' sequel is officially happening!" Yes, much to the delight of twentysomething TGIF aficionados everywhere, "Boy Meets World" is getting a reboot. Titled "Girl Meets World," the spinoff series, which is set to begin shooting in February and will air on the Disney Channel, stars both Savage and Danielle Fishel (as his wife, Topanga Lawrence) and follows the couple's experience raising a 13-year-old daughter. Rolling Stone needed more answers, so we rang up Savage to find which, if any, old cast members would be returning, and how he's preparing for impending fatherhood. Rolling Stone: Congratulations are in order. What has life been like since the Girl Meets World announcement? Ben Savage: It's been pretty . . . I'm gonna say pretty exciting. Let's leave it at that. RS: Are you surprised at how insanely happy people are about this? Savage: Well, it was very nice. I'll say it was exciting and flattering that people are still so excited about the show after all this time. 100 Best Albums of the Nineties . RS: The show's popularity is tied into people's Nineties-related nostalgia. How aware were you of the show's revered status among people of a certain age? Savage: I mean, I knew it was a highly-regarded show, and I know it holds a special place in people's hearts after all this time. Like I said, it's very flattering. But, you know, the other thing is, it was a big part of my childhood as well. As important as it is to a lot of fans and a lot of people who watched our show, it's just as important to me after all this time. It was an integral part of my life too, obviously. RS: Apparently it was a big part of Snooki's and Brooklyn Decker's, as well. Savage: It's a little ridiculous. It's very nice, though. All of it is very flattering. I know a lot of people grew up with that show. The funny thing is, back then -- and it sounds like I'm talking about some prehistoric age -- it was not long ago we didn't have as much options of cable television and Internet. And we were all kind of in the same place at one point just watching TGIF on Friday nights. And so, to a lot of people, this show means a lot. RS: Thanks to your role as Cory Matthews and your brother Fred's as Kevin Arnold on "The Wonder Years," many people feel they know the Savage family on an intimate level. Savage: At the risk of using this word too often, it's flattering. And it's very nice that people think of us that way. It's nice that we have a special bond with the public. RS: Much of the show's success and continued popularity over the years is due to its ability to speak to both kids and adults. Savage: I guess it was kind of a hybrid of a kids' show and an adult show. We were just having fun on that show. Everyone was just kind of having a blast. The writers were a lot of fun. And the directors were always fun. And the acting was always fun. It was just a fun experience. So hopefully that came across to our viewers. At the same time, we tried to communicate some sort of message that was somewhat wholesome and had some sort of meaning. And I think people appreciate it. I think people can really appreciate a show with a good message, but one that does that with some humor. Nineties fashion gets a second spin . RS: Had the idea for a Boy Meets World sequel come up over the years? Savage: In an official capacity, no. This was really the first time where it had sort of been mentioned in an official way. I mean, people have been discussing it for a long time -- some sort of movie-of-the-week or some sort of, I guess, some sort of film about the show. But I think that everyone associated with the show wanted to make sure that if we were to come back, that we weren't going to do it in a way that was going to be a disservice to the show. No one wanted to really cash in, if you will, too early, or no one really wanted to do something that was going to be cheesy. So when we all decided to get together for this, there were a lot of discussions. I mean, this has been going on for months in an unofficial way. But the build-up to this Girl Meets World series, there was a lot of discussions and a lot of conversations to make sure we were all on the same page about what we were doing. RS: Were you hesitant to sign on? Savage: Let me say this: It wasn't that I was resistant . . . I think it was just a matter of making sure all of us were on the same page about what we were going to do in terms of making the show last another seven years, hopefully. There were different options around of following our characters or following this. But it just seems a little poetic that we're coming back 13 years later and it's following our daughter's character. I like that concept, because it's very poetic and it's kind of passing it off to the next generation. RS: The sequel wouldn't have worked without both you and Danielle Fishel returning. Savage: It was interesting how it came together. But Danielle and I had definitely had a lot of discussions of what we wanted to do, and if we were both onboard. Again, just making sure that everything was right and we felt right about it. Listen, the people that are doing the show -- Michael Jacobs is the executive producer -- they know what we're about, and they know what we're looking for. I guess it's also a matter of trust that we're all on the same page. ' 'Boy Meets World': Where are they now? RS: A lot of people are wondering if other original cast members, such as Rider Strong's Shawn or Bill Daniels' Mr. Feeny, will be back in the mix. Savage: We're going to wait and see what happens. Obviously, I don't want to give away too many details. But there's definitely been discussions about some of everyone's favorite characters popping up in the show and making appearances. We'll see what happens. RS: We'd like to see a return of Lee Norris' Stuart Minkus. Savage: [laughs] That's definitely an interesting way to go. I'm not sure when he stopped being on the show. I'm not sure, but I'm definitely in favor of a return of Minkus. Why not? RS: When do you start shooting? Savage: We start shooting, I think, February of next year. RS: Some people are worried the show will be a bust. Savage: We want to do justice to the characters, and we want to make sure we respect people's memories of the show. It's funny, a lot of the tweets and emails and mentions I've gotten are from a lot of people who are worried that the show wont' hold up. And that we shouldn't do it because it's going to ruin a lot of their childhood memories. And I totally can understand that -- I get it. I know there are things that they've done in the past where I feel like it's ruined my childhood memories. And I didn't like that. But we're really working hard and doing everything we can to make sure that this is going to be something special and funny, and hopefully it'll make new memories for a new generation. RS: How does it feel knowing you're about to be a father -- onscreen, that is? Savage: Well, I dunno [laughs]. In real life I've just been an uncle up to this point. Which has been great -- it's a nice role. We'll see how fatherhood works for me. Rolling Stone looks back on nineties with new anthology . RS: Maybe you can draw from your experiences as an uncle for the role. Savage: Perhaps. I think it's slightly different. Being an uncle is easy. You just get to stick around for the fun pasts. RS: No babies waking you up in the middle of the night. Savage: Exactly. RS: Have you started the casting process for the role of yours and Danielle's daughter? Savage: We're working on that right now. There have been a few names tossed around. We're meeting with girls and auditioning and that whole process. You know, we're slowly trying to find the perfect girl. RS: Lastly, how often do random strangers call you Cory? Savage: It's a bit of a humblebrag if I make that complaint. I'll just say, again, going back to our favorite word, it's always very flattering when people recognize me. See original story at RollingStone.com.

Savage will play the father in the "Boy Meets World" reboot . He said he and co-star Danielle Fishel had a lot of talk about what to do . In real life he doesn't have any children of his own .

186f3cc9f441a5f6828cc237269b2b8c2ba2b5cd

Washington (CNN) -- The Supreme Court has ordered a federal appeals court to take another look at whether a key requirement in the health care reform law violates religious freedoms. A pending lawsuit from the private Liberty University had claimed, among other things, that the law would lead to taxpayer dollars funding abortions and contraception, a claim the Obama administration rejects. The justices issued their order Monday. The high court in June had upheld the overall law championed by President Obama, but left room for continued legal challenges to certain aspects of the law's application. Read more: What Obama's re-election means for health care . The Lynchburg, Virginia-based school bills itself as the largest Christian evangelical college in the world. A three-judge panel of the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in 2011 unanimously concluded the university's lawsuit should be blocked on jurisdictional grounds. There is no indication when the appeals court will revisit the issue in the wake of the high court's order. After the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act's funding mechanism -- the so-called individual mandate requiring nearly all Americans to purchase health insurance or pay a financial penalty -- it tossed out all other pending appeals. Liberty University then refiled its lawsuit, saying its objections to the law should be reconsidered in light of the court's 5-4 ruling affirming the overall law. Read more: Wyoming voters send anti-Obamacare message . The school believes Americans should not be required to purchase health insurance -- and employers forced to provide it -- if there are legitimate moral and religious objections to some provisions. It is one of several dozen pending lawsuits around the country filed to challenge the law's application since the June decision. The Richmond-based appeals court taking on the Liberty University case could ask both the federal government and the school to submit updated legal arguments. The Obama administration did not object to the university asking for another chance to press its claims. The case is Liberty University v. Geithner (11-438). Photos: 15 Supreme Court cases that changed America .

Liberty University claims law means taxpayer dollars will fund abortions . An appeals court panel had blocked the suit on jurisdictional grounds .

452fecba46f21e822e318604bda9a3fd99d3c955

(CNN) -- The luck of the Irish may not be enough to push ahead special legislation introduced by Sen. Scott Brown, R-Massachusetts, to grant 10,500 special work visas for Irish immigrants. Brown proposed the legislation in the midst of a neck-and-neck re-election battle in Massachusetts, which has the highest percentage of Americans of Irish descent. Brown is serving out the term of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, who was extremely popular with Irish-Americans because of his work on the Irish peace process. Brown has predicted that his legislation would "pop" soon, in plenty of time for St. Patrick's Day marches that are magnets for Northeast politicians. "The Irish economy crashed in 2008. People have come and overstayed visas. The Irish-American vote here is substantial," said Hugh Meehan, an Irish-American businessman in Boston. "This would be welcome relief and a recognition of the strong ties between Massachusetts and Ireland." But Numbers USA, a conservative organization that supports reducing immigration, is lobbying hard against the bill, questioning why the United States would bring in skilled foreign workers to compete with U.S. citizens in the midst of a recession. Roy Beck of Numbers USA called Brown's bill an election-year ploy to gain favoritism for one ethnic group. "What about Mexicans? What about Asians and Africans?" he said. "There is no reason why we should give this privilege." The unemployment rate in Massachusetts, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is 6.9%. The unemployment rate in Ireland is 14.2%. The renewable visas Brown's legislation seeks would expire every two years. The bill is also opposed by the Federation for American Immigration Reform, an organization that typically sides with Republicans on immigration issues. It derided Brown's proposal as a throwback to the days when immigration was based on national origin. In addition, America's Voice, which calls itself non-partisan organization, said that while it supports reform of immigration laws it has called into question the motivations behind giving a special visa status to Irish nationals. On illegal immigration issues, which largely affect immigrants from Central and South America, Brown has been in line with his party. He has spoken against creating magnets for illegal immigration and has opposed the DREAM Act, which would grant permanent residency to college graduates who entered the United States illegally as children. But, in an e-mail statement to CNN, Brown's office said his E3 visa legislation was different. "For decades, the Irish have been unfairly shut out by our immigration laws. In an effort to increase visa prospects and maintain the close bond between the United States and Ireland, Sen. Brown is working in a bipartisan way to add the Irish E3 program to larger, House-passed visa legislation that benefits several other countries." In a recent editorial, the Boston Globe said Irish immigrants have already been given ample favoritism. "Brown argues that Ireland deserves special visas because changes in U.S. immigration policy have disproportionately limited the numbers of Irish workers for decades. But Ireland has often benefited from temporary exemptions. In 1986, Rep. Brian J. Donnelly, a Massachusetts Democrat, pushed for a visa lottery that awarded 4,161 visas to Irish applicants out of the first 10,000. In the 1990s, Rep. Bruce Morrison, a Connecticut Democrat, created a program that gave out 120,000 green cards -- 48,000 reserved for Irish applicants, whose undocumented immigrants had been left out of an earlier amnesty program." Brown's Democratic opponent, Elizabeth Warren, said the visa system is badly broken. "We need to reform the visa system for talented Irish men and women coming to this country, and more generally we need to reform the visa system as a whole," she said. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, introduced legislation in the House in November that would eliminate per-country caps for employment-based immigration applications from countries with large backlogs like China and India. It would also grant visa waivers to undocumented Irish immigrants, a move widely unpopular with Republicans. Brown's standalone Senate bill on E3 visas for the Irish, S.2005, followed in December with no provision for undocumented immigrants. Brown's bill was added to Schumer's broader proposal, which eliminated the provision for undocumented immigrants. But Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, placed a hold on this bill when it came over to the Senate. Beth Levine, communications director for Grassley, said he has now extended an offer to move the Brown bill forward. "An up or down vote on Sen. Brown's Irish visa bill would be acceptable to Sen. Grassley with some modifications dealing with the skill level of those receiving an E3 visa, the current visa program the visas would be allotted from, and the inclusion of a sunset on the program," Levine wrote in an e-mail. "Sen. Grassley's staff is still discussing modifications with the sponsors of the bill."

Sen. Scott Brown backs bill for 10,500 special work visas for the Irish . Brown represents Massachusetts, home to many Americans of Irish descent . Brown's bill has been blocked by a fellow Republican who wants the bill changed .

89558012670f6debc4cdb6f8b79ad3fabac836ce

(Health.com) -- Doctors often recommend exercise for patients with fibromyalgia, but the chronic pain and fatigue associated with the condition can make activities like running and swimming difficult. Tai chi -- a slow, meditative martial art -- may be an effective alternative, a new study suggests. Fibromyalgia patients who took tai chi classes twice a week for three months experienced less pain, stiffness, and fatigue than a control group that attended lifestyle education and stretching sessions, according to the study, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Tai chi involves a series of slow, fluid movements that focus on balance and deep breathing. Although it's not clear from the study how exactly tai chi might improve fibromyalgia symptoms, both the physical activity and the meditative aspects are likely beneficial, says Chenchen Wang, M.D., the lead researcher and an associate professor at the Tufts University School of Medicine, in Boston, Massachusetts. "Some people need the physical improvement; some people need more mental improvement," she says. "Tai chi can help with both." Health.com: How fibromyalgia is diagnosed . Previous research has shown that tai chi can help relieve the symptoms of arthritis and other pain conditions, but this study is the first controlled trial to examine its effectiveness as a treatment for fibromyalgia, which affects an estimated 10 million Americans. The study included 66 fibromyalgia patients who were randomly assigned to take one-hour tai chi classes with an experienced teacher or one-hour classes that taught coping skills, pain-management techniques, and stretching. Participants were also asked to practice tai chi or stretch on their own for 20 minutes each day, depending on which group they were in. Health.com: 13 mistakes fibro patients make . After three months, Wang and her colleagues asked the patients to rate their pain symptoms, physical functioning, fatigue, and mood, all of which were combined on a single scale ranging from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms. (The patients completed the same survey before the study began.) The average score among the tai chi patients dropped from 63 to 35, while the average for the control group dropped by just nine points, from 68 to 59. Three months after the sessions stopped, the scores had remained roughly the same, which suggests that the benefits of the tai chi were lasting, Wang says. The results were encouraging, as existing fibromyalgia treatments -- including medication, sleep therapy, and aerobic exercise -- fail to help many patients. "We need another approach," says Wang. Health.com: Medical marijuana may help fibromyalgia pain . Robert Shmerling, M.D., an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and the clinical chief of rheumatology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in Boston, says that he often recommends alternative treatments, such as acupuncture and massage, to his fibromyalgia patients, although some of them are skeptical. "I would certainly put tai chi on the list," says Shmerling, who co-wrote an editorial that accompanies the study. "It's difficult to take something that's as safe as tai chi and show that it has this dramatic benefit and not be enthusiastic about it." The calming style of tai chi used in the study, known as Yang, may be especially effective for fibromyalgia patients, says Kim D. Jones, Ph.D., an associate professor at the Oregon Health & Science University School of Nursing, in Portland. "It works more on the parasympathetic nervous system, ...the part of the nervous system that helps us feel calm and relaxed," says Jones, who studies Yang-style tai chi and yoga in fibromyalgia but wasn't involved in the study. Health.com: 13 conditions that mimic fibromyalgia . Jones recommends that fibromyalgia patients find a well-trained instructor rather than trying tai chi on their own. She points out that learning tai chi in a group may have its own therapeutic benefits, by boosting confidence, for instance. Many community centers offer affordable tai chi classes, but experienced teachers can be expensive and hard to come by. However, if future studies support the benefits of tai chi, insurance companies might start to cover the practice, Shmerling says. Copyright Health Magazine 2011 .

Study suggests Tai chi as a good exercise for fibromyalgia patients . Tai chi practicers experienced less pain, stiffness and fatigue . Doctor says the benefits of tai chi were also lasting .

7e70f2aa19dee8dd0d21bf1258518e546f997e6a

(CNN) -- The United States women's soccer team remains on course to defend its Olympic title after reaching the semifinals on Friday, while rivals Brazil and Great Britain crashed out. The U.S. beat New Zealand 2-0 to set a Monday clash with North American rival Canada, which defeated host Britain 2-0. In the other semifinal, World Cup champion Japan will play first-time Olympic qualifier France. Veteran striker Abby Wambach gave the U.S. a 27th-minute lead as she turned home a cross from fellow forward Alex Morgan at the far post, making up for the duo's earlier misses. It was her fourth goal in four games so far in the tournament, and eighth in all Olympic appearances. "Everything she does on and off the field, she leads this team. If you look at this game today, she scored a huge goal," coach Pia Sundhage said of the 32-year-old Wambach, whose 142 international goals from 186 games is second only behind former teammate Mia Hamm in the scoring stakes. Morgan had three more second-half chances but the Americans could not make the game safe until the 87th minute when her replacement Sydney Leroux scored. "We thought that we needed a little bit of a spark," Sundhage said. "This bench will win games for us. The fact that Syd Leroux comes in and changes the game a little bit is huge for us and for her." Canada, which will host the next World Cup in 2015, ended GB's hopes of a medal in the team's first Olympic appearance as Jonelle Filigno and Christine Sinclair scored in the first half. Britain had beaten Brazil to qualify top of its group, but could not find the net despite constant second-half pressure and a strong shout for a penalty kick. Young striker Filigno netted the first in the 11th minute and Sinclair bent in a free-kick five minutes before halftime with her 140th international goal. The Canadians finished eighth four years ago in their debut appearance, and will be seeking to end U.S. hopes of a third successive title and fourth overall since the tournament's inception at Atlanta '96. Japan defeated Beijing 2008 runner-up Brazil 2-0, with Yuki Ogimi and Shinobu Ohno scoring in each half. France defeated Sweden 2-1 to earn revenge for a defeat in the third-place playoff at the 2011 World Cup. Nilla Fischer put the Swedes ahead after 17 minutes with a lucky deflected effort from a corner, but Laura Georges headed an equalizer and fellow defender Wendie Renard scored the winner seven minutes before halftime.

Abby Wambach scores her 142nd international goal as U.S. reaches semifinals . American women beat New Zealand 2-0 to keep Olympic title defense alive . The U.S. will play Canada on Monday after rival beats host Great Britain 2-0 . World Cup champion Japan will play France in the other semifinal .

51dc061925ca5ed646b261f2728a3737a2df6f07

Tokyo (CNN) -- Even as Washington and Tokyo disagreed on the extent of the threat a damaged nuclear power plant poses, President Barack Obama told the Japanese prime minister Thursday that the United States will help Japan rebuild following last week's devastating earthquake and tsunami. The two leaders had a 30-minute phone call at 10:30 a.m. Thursday (9:30 p.m. ET Wednesday). During the phone call with Prime Minister Naoto Kan, Obama voiced sympathy for Japan's plight. "The president again conveyed his deep condolences at the tragic loss of life and the widespread suffering in northeastern Japan," a White House statement on the call said. "The president emphasized that the U.S. is determined to do everything possible to support Japan in overcoming the effects of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck on March 11." Kan also briefed the president on the status of Japanese efforts to contain the nuclear emergency at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in the country's northeast, the White House said. The developments came as the nations established significantly different radiation exposure warning zones. The U.S. military will not allow troops to get within 80 kilometers (50 miles) of the damaged plant. The Japanese government has told people to evacuate to at least 20 kilometers (12 miles) away from the damaged reactors. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said Thursday it's "understandable" that the United States would make a "more conservative decision" on the warning zone as it tries to protect its own citizens. He suggests that is, in part, because the United States is "not directly controlling" the situation. Meanwhile, a Tokyo Electric Power company official said Thursday that -- based on information gathered from a helicopter that flew over the Fukushima facility on Wednesday -- authorities believe that there is water in a key fuel pool outside one of the plant's most troubled reactors. Hours earlier, Gregory Jaczko, the head of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, told Congress that spent fuel rods in Unit 4 of the plant had been exposed, resulting in the emission of "extremely high" levels of radiation. Having water in the fuel pool is important because it helps absorb the radiation. The Fukushima complex lost its power Friday, after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake followed by a tsunami pounded northeastern Japan.

NEW: Japan and United States issue different radiation warning zones . Obama emphasizes that the U.S. is determined to do everything possible to support Japan . Kan briefs the president about efforts to contain the nuclear emergency at the Fukushima plant . Kan and Obama talk for about 30 minutes .

ffd8907cf6cb733bde6667656c97bc30e82e399f

(CNN) -- When Katy Wilson was born with Down syndrome, doctors told her mother that the infant likely would never walk or talk. Katy Wilson says she wants her athletic successes to surprise people and give them hope. She sure showed them. Wilson, now 29, has won two international gold medals in the Special Olympics for her gymnastic abilities. She turns cartwheels for her floor routine and does acrobatics on the balance beam. She also goes on public speaking tours. "Most of all, I love doing speeches because I want them [the audience] to be surprised just how good my speeches are," she said by phone. Wilson's story -- and countless other stereotype-bending stories like it -- is possible in part because of the dogged vision of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and the Special Olympics organization she founded more than four decades ago. Shriver, who died Tuesday, started the organization as a sports camp for special-needs kids and adults in her backyard in Maryland in 1962. The camp, in part, was inspired by the life of Shriver's sister, Rosemary Kennedy, who had an intellectual disability. The Special Olympics has grown from that small camp into a global organization that helps 3 million athletes with Down syndrome, autism and other intellectual disabilities compete for medals in an array of sports. Her legacy will live in the stories of hope and against-the-odds success she made possible through the Special Olympics. See photos of Eunice Kennedy Shriver » . "She helped forever alter how people with intellectual disabilities are viewed and treated and respected," said Amie Dugan, a spokeswoman for the Special Olympics. "This is a population that 40 years ago they were beyond marginalized. They were disenfranchised from society. "It was considered the status quo ... to put them in an institution and never think about that again. And she changed all of that. She brought them out into the light." An estimated 200 million people in the world live with intellectual disabilities. That population was largely unseen and voiceless in 1968 when Shriver stepped to the microphone to announce the start of the first Special Olympic Games at Chicago's Soldier Field. "In ancient Rome, the gladiators went into the arena with these words on their lips," she told the 1,000 athletes in the stadium. "'Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.'" In 2007, the most recent Special Olympics World Summer Games were held in Shanghai, China. More than 7,000 athletes competed. The sports competitions are held in the winter and summer on four-year intervals, just like the Olympic Games; people from countries as far-flung as Tunisia, Rwanda and Sri Lanka participate in events that include skiing, volleyball and track and field. Before the program, people with intellectual disabilities were only told what they could not accomplish, said David Tolleson, executive director of the National Down Syndrome Congress. "Special Olympics emphasizes what folks can do, and it does it in a manner that's fun and exciting and it offers a sense of community both within the family of those with developmental disabilities as well as with the greater community at large -- the volunteers who come in and have some of their misconceptions or preconceptions cast aside when they realize how much people with developmental disabilities truly are capable of," he said. The program continues to expand its global reach, but in many places, people with intellectual disabilities lack basic human rights, said Dugan. Thomas Webb, a Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation fellow who studies public policy and intellectual disability, said it's still a challenge in the United States to integrate people with disabilities into mainstream society. No one knows all of the solutions, but Shriver and the Special Olympics have had "significant impact" on peoples' lives, he said. Coming from the athletic Kennedy family, Shriver realized the wide-ranging benefits of sports, said Dugan. "It's just a fun way to bring people with intellectual disabilities and their non-disabled peers together," she said, "because everyone enjoys competition and fun and exercise and getting out there." The fun translates into experience that helps Special Olympians build communities of friends and succeed in the workplace, advocates and athletes said. Melissa Stokes, 26, started playing sports with the Special Olympics when she was 8. She now is a volunteer Special Olympics ski coach in the Denver area and works as an assistant at the Special Olympics of Colorado office. "We're like a little family," she said of her ski team. She added: "Because we have special needs doesn't mean we can't do stuff. We can still accomplish a lot." More than half of Special Olympians in the U.S. are employed, according to the organization, compared with an estimated 10 percent of the intellectually disabled population at large. Jeanne Wilson, the mother of the gymnast with Down syndrome , started tearing up when she recounted the moment she saw her daughter -- whose future once looked so uncertain -- standing atop an awards podium with a gold medal draped around her neck. "It was just amazing because that really gave her confidence. And I don't think people realize how much it means to a young person who you might have thought did not have a future or might not ever have a chance to walk," she said. "To see her doing a routine on balance beam or a floor routine is pretty amazing." Katy Wilson, who lives in Gainesville, Georgia, continues to train as a gymnast. She also goes bowling with a group of Special Olympians most Fridays. They call themselves the Alley Kats, and Wilson describes the bowlers as some of her best friends. "I love bowling because it is so much fun being out there being able to have friends," she said. "It's exciting to do bowling because I get a lot of scores." When she's not in training, Wilson works at a steakhouse as a hostess. "I get their coffee, I get their bread, I get their drinks, I do the silverware, I sweep up, I do the hostess," she said. "Oh, I love the job because everybody's so nice to me, especially the managers, they give me hope and they're so excited to have me there and I'm so happy to be there with them." As a global ambassador for the Special Olympics, Wilson tours the country telling people about her life story. She says she hopes it reminds them that everyone can succeed with a positive attitude. She grew up watching her sister do cartwheels as a cheerleader. She modeled her life in her sister's image, but she forged a life that's all her own.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver started Special Olympics in her backyard in 1962 . Special Olympics has grown into a global organization that helps 3 million athletes . An estimated 200 million people live with intellectual disabilities worldwide . Says one athlete: "Because we have special needs doesn't mean we can't do stuff'

2d16d737942097092643ea40ca0f1f819b8ae20c

New Delhi (CNN) -- The story has all the stuff that sells: a sexy starlet, a powerful enemy spy agency and lots of bare flesh. Nude photographs of Pakistani actress Veena Malik, published in the December issue of the Indian edition of the men's magazine FHM prompted Malik to threaten a lawsuit. Malik said FHM doctored photographs to show her without clothes. The magazine, however, denied those allegations. Malik, editor Kabeer Sharma said, posed nude. What made the photos even more scandalous was that Malik's upper left arm bears the letters ISI, the acronym for Pakistan's powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency. In a legal notice served to the magazine, Malik contends that it was Sharma's idea for her to wear the painted on ISI tattoo; she was told t would be good for her image. And in another photo, which was originally slated for the cover, she is shown holding a grenade in her right hand. FHM published the grenade photo inside, with a line plastered across it: "The cover we didn't use." Sharma said the magazine opted not to use the photo on the cover because it "could have offended sensibilities." But the magazine has already incensed Malik. Lawyer Ayaz Bilawala told CNN that Malik is seeking $1.9 million in damages. Bilawala said the publication "cheated" his client and doctored the nude pictures. "Proceedings (in a court of law) will begin soon," he said. FHM, Bilawala said, violated its agreement with the Pakistani model that stipulated that Malik would be shown the photos from the shoot before they were published. "The pictures that are on display are tampered with, morphed and doctored," he said. Bilawala didn't dispute the ISI print on Malik's left upper arm but said numerous organizations worldwide used the same acronym. He refused comment on the grenade-like object. FHM India hinted at countersuing the actress. "These allegations are completely and entirely false. We are exploring various other options, including filing a countersuit," Sharma told CNN. Malik said she never agreed to pose nude, the prospect of which sparked outrage in her homeland. "What I am doing takes a lot of guts," she said. "If I had posed nude for the magazine, I would be the first to admit it. But I didn't agree to this and they are wrong. "I did not go for this, and I am deeply shocked and depressed about what has happened," she said. But Malik is no stranger to controversy. She triggered uproar two years ago when she claimed that her former boyfriend, Pakistani cricketer Mohammed Asif, was involved in spot-fixing international matches. Asif was found guilty last month in an English court. A year later, the actress came under fire from Pakistani clerics who decried her behavior in the Indian reality TV show "Big Boss," as "un-Islamic." "I am not a perfect Muslim or a perfect person, but I haven't committed a crime, and unfortunately things like this are part and parcel of the industry I work in," Malik said. Still, she downplayed her criticism back home. "I am not bothered about what they think," she said. "My fans and many Pakistanis support me and believe (in) me." Harmeet Shah Singh reported from New Delhi and Shaan Khan reported from Islamabad, Pakistan.

The magazine, FHM India, denies Veena Malik's allegation . An attorney for Malik says nude photos in December issue were "doctored" On cover, she holds what appears to be a grenade, has "ISI" written on her left arm . Malik's attorney says the actress is seeking $1.9 million in damages .

070d162449f591d52105d46983543748a4b6357e

(Rolling Stone) -- "I went through a few roller coasters," says Taylor Swift, reflecting on her relationships over the past two years. She channeled the turmoil into her fourth studio LP, "Red," out October 22. "Trying to chronicle each step of the way was challenging, because you go to some really dark places with the lyrics. Then in the next track, you're talking about how amazing it is to meet somebody new." After writing 2010's smash "Speak Now" by herself, Swift veered in the opposite direction, co-writing with pop hitmakers such as Max Martin and Adele collaborator Dan Wilson. She wound up with nearly 40 potential songs; in between stops on the yearlong world tour that she wrapped in March, Swift joined her writing partners in L.A. and Nashville. "I felt like an apprentice," Swift says. "They taught me so much about melodic sense, and they let me do what I love, which is the lyrics." The result is Swift's most eclectic set ever, ranging from "State of Grace," a howling, U2-style epic with reverb-drenched guitars, to a sweet acoustic duet with U.K. singer Ed Sheeran. Another key track even features a dubstep-inspired bass breakdown. So far, the new direction isn't hurting Swift's career: Lead single "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," a bitter breakup anthem with a hip-hop-flavored Max Martin beat, has shattered chart records, selling a stunning 623,000 digital singles in its first week. Taylor Swift to Release New 'Red' Album in October . To Swift, the musical excursions aren't surprising, given how much hip-hop and R&B she listens to. "I have so many play-lists full of Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown," she says. "I love Wiz Khalifa." Lyrically, the album is full of Swift's usual themes of romance and heartbreak. "I know general things about love," she says. "How to treat people well, what you deserve and when to walk away. Other than that, love is a complete mystery -- and that's why I like to write about it." Taylor Swift: My Fourth Album Is About 'Crash-and-Burn Heartbreak' Swift has spent much of the summer with her new boyfriend, Conor Kennedy (the son of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.), in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. She's even looked into buying a house near the Kennedy compound. "That would be so amazing," she says. But Swift won't be resting for long: She's already thinking about how to top her last tour, which featured aerialists, costume changes and a mock wedding onstage every night. "I really want to go out on the road in the spring," she says. "After I write a song, I always end up laying awake at night thinking, 'What are the lighting cues going to be on this? How big is the pit going to be?' I have been thinking of some big moments that are going to happen." Copyright © 2011 Rolling Stone.

Lyrically, "Red" is full of Swift's usual themes of romance and heartbreak . Swift co-wrote "Red" with pop hitmakers such as Max Martin and Adele collaborator Dan Wilson . The album, which features "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," is due out on October 22 .

89d7f8088281924ad3b9ad552bc8dd3365391440

(CNN) -- The insurgents who attacked an Afghan military base where Prince Harry is deployed may have gotten onto the base by sneaking through a hole in a fence, a British military source said Monday. Officials discovered the hole after the attack, the source said, adding that the attackers -- daringly disguised in U.S. Army uniforms -- also tried to blow up parked NATO aircraft with hand-held improvised explosive devices. Prince Harry was about a mile and a half away from Camp Bastion when the attack happened, according to the source. The royal was immediately placed on lockdown, as were other troops who were not fighting the insurgents, the source said. U.S. Marines, British forces and a U.S. Army unit that just happened to be nearby spent nearly three hours battling the insurgents, the source said. NATO releases details of brazen raid on base in Afghanistan . "This was a well-coordinated and complex attack that we're taking very seriously," a U.S. official said Monday. It's extremely rare for Afghan insurgents to use U.S. uniforms in their attacks. The last time CNN can identify was more than two years ago, when NATO repelled attacks on two bases in Khost province in August 2010. No coalition troops were killed in that attack, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said at the time. At least two U.S. Marines were killed in the brazen strike late Friday, and six jets were destroyed, the ISAF said. Well-trained, well-rehearsed fighters carried out the sustained assault in Helmand province, the ISAF said. About 15 insurgents organized into three teams penetrated the base's perimeter fence and did considerable damage, destroying six refueling stations and damaging six aircraft hangars. Slain Marine predicted his own death . The attackers toted automatic rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and suicide vests. They destroyed six AV-8B Harrier jets and damaged two others before the attack ended, the coalition said. Fourteen of the fighters were killed, and one was wounded and captured, the ISAF said. Eight coalition military personnel and one civilian contractor were also wounded. It is too soon to say whether the attackers had "inside knowledge," ISAF spokesman James Graybeal said. The ISAF would not say how the attackers got the uniforms, but CNN staff who have spent time in Afghanistan say they are for sale in markets there. There has been at least one other case of Afghan insurgents wearing U.S. uniforms, in May 2010. And in Iraq five years ago, there was a dramatic and successful raid using the tactic. Attackers wearing what appeared to be American uniforms were responsible for the kidnapping and killing of five U.S. soldiers in Karbala, Iraq, in 2007. Prince Harry is an Apache helicopter pilot based at Camp Bastion, but the British Ministry of Defence categorically rejected reports in Sunday's British press that he was just a few hundred yards from the gunbattle. NATO admits killing civilians in Afghan strike . Harry, a grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and third in line to the British throne, "was in no way in any danger" during the latest attack, ISAF spokesman Maj. Martin Crighton said earlier. On Saturday, the ISAF said the camp is secure and the strike would not "impact" air and ground operations. Camp Leatherneck, the U.S. side of the base, was not affected by the attack, said Maj. Adam N. Wojack, an ISAF spokesman. The joint base is in a remote desert region of Helmand, the southern province in the Taliban heartland. The Taliban said it carried out the strike, calling it a response to the anti-Islam film stoking anger among Muslims. Yet Crighton said there had no organized demonstrations outside its gates before the assault. Afghanistan has seen only relatively small and peaceful demonstrations against the film during a week in which there were protests across predominantly Muslim countries and other locations. 4 NATO troops killed in 'insider' attack in Afghanistan .

Attackers, disguised in U.S. Army uniforms, tried to blow up NATO aircraft, source said . British royal, a helicopter pilot, is deployed to Afghanistan . Prince Harry was about mile and a half from attack, source says .

77bfdbf85bfa1891ead1a6c6813e58b44ae8a095

London (CNN) -- British author Hilary Mantel has become the first woman to win the Man Booker Prize twice. Mantel, 60, won the prestigious £50,000 ($81,000) literary prize Tuesday for her novel "Bring up the Bodies," the second in a historical trilogy set during the reign of King Henry VIII. She also won the prize in 2009 for "Wolf Hall," the first novel in the trilogy. "You wait 20 years for a Booker Prize and then two come along at once," she told reporters, adding, "I feel a bit weak at the knees to be honest." "This double accolade is uniquely deserved," said Sir Peter Stothard, chairman of the judging panel and editor of the Times Literary Supplement. "In 'Bring up the Bodies,' our greatest modern writer retells the origins of modern England." Mantel is the third author to win the prize twice, alongside South-African-born J.M. Coetzee and Australian Peter Carey. This year, she overcome competition from 144 other entries, including the shortlisted, "Umbrella" by Will Self; "Narcopolis" by Jeet Thayil; "Swimming Home" by Deborah Levy; "The Lighthouse" by Alison Moore; and "The Garden of Evening Mists" by Tan Twan Eng. Also on Leading Women: Nobel Peace Prize winner rips fellow laureate over corruption . A former social worker who lived in Botswana and Saudi Arabia before returning to the U.K., she did not have her first novel published until she was in her mid-30s. She said the idea for her trilogy about Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's chief minister, first came to her when she was in her 20s, but she was not in a position to write it for more than three decades. Established in 1969, the Man Booker is the best-known fiction prize for English-language authors from Commonwealth countries and Ireland. It is intended to reward literary heavyweights rather than bestsellers. While sales are not a factor in the judges' decision, authors typically experience a dramatic increase in sales after receiving the prize. Weekly sales in the U.K. of last year's winner, "Sense of an Ending" by Julian Barnes, jumped from 2,535 to 14,534 -- an increase of 473% -- in the week it won, according to Nielsen Bookscan. In the week she won the prize in 2009, Mantel enjoyed a 463% rise in weekly sales and more than 600,000 in total sales in the U.K. She joked then that she would spend the prize money on "sex, drugs and rock and roll." This time around, she said she would probably spend it on her pension, although she said she still has writing years left in her, despite suffering "misadventure" since her first win and illness that stopped her from writing for most of 2010. "Bring up the Bodies" and "Wolf Hall" are being adapted into a six-part series for the BBC and stage plays. Mantel said she had turned down offers for movie adapations because she felt the plot was too complex and better suited to a television series. She is also at work on the third novel in her trilogy, which she plans to call, "The Mirror and the Light." "When I start writing again, I will forget all this (the award ceremony) because every day has its own problems and every day you feel like a beginner." Also on Leading Women: To my 15-year-old self .

Hilary Mantel is first woman and first British author to win Man Booker Prize twice . Her winning book "Bring up the Bodies" is sequel to 2009 winner "Wolf Hall" $81,000 prize is best-known English-language literary prize outside United States .

7edcac901bd51605952b3b2d2b9403e2fb505cb1

(CNN) -- The eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, in a rare television interview Tuesday, shed some light on who might eventually take over leadership of the country. Kim Jong Nam, 35, in southern China's casino haven of Macau on January 30, 2007 . Kim Jong Nam told TV Asahi in Macau that he does not care about politics or succeeding his father. "Personally, I am not interested in this issue (succession)," he said in an interview with the Japanese television network. "Sorry, I am not interested in the politics." The rules governing transfer of power in the secretive communist nation are unclear. Kim Jong Il rules without challenge and has built a cult of personality around himself and his family. He is widely reported to have suffered a stroke in August and has been absent from many public functions in recent months. In April, he named his son Kim Jong Un and brother-in-law, Jang Song Thaek, to the country's powerful National Defense Commission, suggesting his third son may be his heir. "I hear that news in the media," Kim Jong Nam said. "I think it's true ... however, it is my father's decision. So once he decides, we have to support him." iReport.com: How should the U.S. approach North Korea? There has been speculation that Kim Jong Nam would defect from North Korea and that a purge of his supporters was under way. He told Asahi he saw no reason for leaving his homeland.

Kim Jong Nam tells TV Asahi he has no interest in leading North Korea . Kim Jong Nam is eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il . Rules of succession in secretive communist state unclear . Kim Jong Il widely reported to have suffered stroke last year .

9c51ce9446a9964b1e3ca6909bd1fd2b79558bc5

(CNN) -- Well humans, it's been a good ride, but after being eviscerated by IBM's supercomputer Watson on "Jeopardy!," it's probably time to pack up the truck and let the machines inherit the Earth. Or is it? Despite Watson's tremendous performance, the Final Jeopardy question at the end of Tuesday night's airing revealed the Achilles' heel that computer scientists have known all along: Watson doesn't really "think" anything, and it struggles with simple questions that most humans can answer without a second thought. Most of the clues on the "Jeopardy!" board mention proper nouns -- specific places, events, people, songs, books and so on, says Dr. Douglas Lenat, a machine learning pioneer, former Stanford professor of computer science and CEO of Cycorp, a company that develops semantic technologies. "This gives the Watson algorithm a great deal of 'traction.' To us viewing the show, it's impressive if it correctly knows that Franz Schubert's birth date was January 31, 1797. But if that date had been part of the clue, could Watson correctly pick out [Schubert's] maternal grandmother's birth date from a list where only one of the dates was earlier than 1797?" We could, because we understand that everyone is younger than their own mother and grandmother, but Watson is unable to understand this, Lenat explained. At the end of the day, Watson is not really conceptualizing a clue's meaning. It simply number-crunches its way to the right answers by comparing vast amounts of data. This is why it dominates the "fill in the blank" knowledge clues (Aeolic, spoken in ancient times, was a dialect of this), but falters on some more "common sense" deductions. The biggest blunder was in the first game's Final Jeopardy round. Lenat broke down IBM's explanation of why Watson guessed "Toronto?" to the clue in the category of "U.S. Cities:" "Namely, the string 'U.S.' often appears in articles near the word 'America,' which appears often near the phrases 'North American' and 'American League,' and so on, all the way to the word 'Toronto.' " As Dave Ferrucci of IBM Research says, this points out the limitations of relying so heavily on statistical reasoning. The result, as in Watson's case, is akin to a human autistic savant." "Jeopardy!" is challenging because the clues are esoteric. No one would watch a battle of common sense. But Lenat notes that a question like "If a snowman melts and later refreezes, does it turn back into a snowman?" would be nearly impossible for a statistical reasoning program to tackle. You can't answer it by calculating how many times "snowman" appears next to "melt" and "refreeze" in every article and book ever written. Not so hot now, are you Watson? Last week, I interviewed Stephen Baker, a journalist with unfettered access to Watson's development at IBM. I asked him about people's concern that computers with natural language capabilities could replace members of the work force. "People have good reason to worry about machines supplanting them," Baker said. "That's what technology does. Tractors, forklifts, word-processing software, they all took away jobs. And people, with their creative minds, have used them throughout history to figure out where the next jobs will be." And like its forebears, Watson's eventual commercial incarnation will be a tool, not a human replacement. Lenat thinks of Watson or Deep Blue or even the steam-powered hammer that bested John Henry in American folklore as an "impressive demonstration that a certain task can, despite popular intuition at the time, be performed better by a machine." Watson's natural language abilities might make it a good candidate for work in call centers, where it could interpret customers' needs and direct them to the right information (or people) via conversation. There's also been discussion of how Watson could be used in medicine to cross reference a patient's symptoms with compendiums of digitized medical journals and data -- a sort of statistical second opinion to a doctor's professional experience. But because Watson is only a "statistical brain," and not an analytical one, don't expect to see it managing your HR department or running a daycare facility anytime soon. We'll still be getting up early and trudging off to do those jobs for the foreseeable future. Thanks for nothing, IBM. Matt Silverman is an editor at Mashable. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his alone.

IBM's Watson computer doesn't really "think" anything; it struggles with simple questions . Most of the clues on "Jeopardy!" mention proper nouns -- specific places, events, people . Watson's eventual commercial incarnation will be as a tool, not a human replacement .

1c1f6c0eae929c2c8d9372209dfddf4c1ef178e6

(CNN) -- A reactor at Japan's Ohi nuclear plant will be shut down following problems with an emergency cooling system, Kansai Electric said Saturday. The move follows an emergency alarm late Friday triggered when the pressure dropped in the tank for the cooling system, company spokesperson Masaki Todatake said. Pressure returned to normal within about an hour after an injection of liquid nitrogen, but engineers plan to manually stop the No. 1 reactor at the Ohi plant in Fukui Prefecture to carry out a full inspection,Todatake said. It is not known how soon the reactor might start operating again, the company said, but there is no danger of radiation leak. The reactor's closure leaves only 18 of Japan's 54 nuclear plants producing electricity, worsening power supply problems following March's earthquake and tsunami. The 15-meter (48-foot) tsunami inundated Japan's coastal Fukushima Daiichi power plant, leading to a triple meltdown, the aftermath of which Tokyo Electric Power Co. engineers are still struggling to manage. The disaster has caused Japan to rethink its commitment to nuclear energy. Journalist Chie Kobayashi contributed to this report.

An emergency alarm is triggered when pressure drops in a cooling tank . There is no danger of a radiation leak, power company Kansai Electric says . The reactor's closure leaves only 18 of Japan's 54 nuclear plants in operation .

be447ecc303f7e6932a8bc6f8b7b5628e999daa3

(CNN) -- It's a good thing he didn't go with "@andrew." Drew Olanoff wants to benefit the LiveStrong charity because of the support the foundation has given him. Drew Olanoff, cancer-fighter and blogger, is auctioning off his enviable Twitter username "@drew" to benefit the LiveStrong foundation. Since Tuesday, its value has already been raised to $1 million, thanks to that other Drew -- last name Carey. "I thought we would find a Drew who would bid $10,000 on the last day and that was it," Olanoff said. "I certainly didn't think Drew Carey would get wind of it." Get wind he did. The Cleveland comedian raised the stakes on Saturday, first tweeting an initial bid of $25,000 only to quadruple it, offering up $100,000 if his Twitter followers totaled 100,000 by the auction's closing at midnight on November 9. Olanoff was taken back by Carey's generosity, whom he's never met nor spoken to, but it seems Carey wasn't done yet. In the middle of an interview yesterday with CBS (the corporation writing Carey's checks, as he's the host of the network's "The Price is Right"), he upped the ante from $100,000 to a cool $1 million if he gets the same amount of followers by midnight on December 31. Judging by how quickly the follower count increases every time his @DrewFromTV Twitter page is refreshed -- on Thursday evening, he was rapidly approaching 66,000 followers -- Carey is well on his way to doing so. Of course, if he doesn't reach a million followers, the donation will be prorated: If there are 500,000 followers when the clock strikes midnight, then $500,000 will be given to LiveStrong. It may seem like Carey's gotten himself into some sort of popularity game, but it's not about amassing millions of followers or the Twitter name, Olanoff said. "There are obviously going to be skeptics, but Drew Carey is new to Twitter. Celebrities can get followers; Ashton Kutcher has 3 million," Olanoff told CNN. "What he's saying is, 'Follow me; you're worth a dollar, and it's going to LiveStrong.' " This isn't the first time Olanoff's stirred up the "Twitter-verse." From the minute he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease in late May, he decided his cancer was of the social variety, and turned to Twitter to air his frustrations. "I'm a very public person, I'm a geek, and I've been on Twitter for years," Olanoff said. "I realized this is serious, and I started to blame things on my cancer. I'm not a whiny person and I didn't want to get negative [so the site] it was a nice way for me to focus all of my anger and being upset and worrying. " With the help of a friend who's also suffered from Hodgkin's disease, Olanoff set up BlameDrewsCancer.com, where tweeters can blame his cancer for any and everything that's gone wrong, in 140 characters or less. Lance Armstrong, LiveStrong's founder, blamed a broken collarbone on it, while Alyssa Milano found Drew's cancer to be at fault for her inability to resist chocolate drizzled popcorn; she then tweeted an offer to help out Drew's cancer awareness campaign in whatever way she could. Famous or not, Olanoff found comfort in those tweets. "When I would go through my chemo treatments every two weeks, for me it felt like I had a huge support group, because when you're diagnosed with [cancer] you can feel alone," he said. As a result, Olanoff has decided to keep blaming cancer even though signs are pointing towards improved health; his last chemo treatment is November 2. Until midnight on November 9, his 30th birthday, Olanoff's resolved to round up as many @DrewFromTV followers as he can, and maybe accept Carey's invitation to meet up when Olanoff's back in Los Angeles. For now, Olanoff is resting up and tossing around new Twitter names. One in the running is @TheOtherDrew, but no word on how much that one could go for.

Drew Olanoff has placed his Twitter username up for auction to benefit charity . Drew Carey said he'd donate $1 million if he gets 1 million followers by Dec. 31 . Olanoff never expected his auction to get attention from other Drews like Carey . The L.A.-based blogger is also behind the @BlameDrew'sCancer username .

c601114f55cf470a012afece9ed26518ea695fe4

(CNN) -- Andy Murray became the first member of the so-called Big Four in men's tennis to flinch at the U.S. Open. He lost a set to Argentina's Leonardo Mayer on Friday. But the defending men's champion in New York had an easier time in sweltering conditions Sunday, dispatching German Florian Mayer 7-6 6-2 6-2 to move into the fourth round. Women's defending champion Serena Williams progressed, too, defeating Sloane Stephens 6-4 6-1 in a rematch of their thriller at the Australian Open. Even though Murray's serve wasn't fully firing, he didn't get broken and struck 42 winners -- double his unforced error count. It was especially impressive given Mayer's ability to throw off opponents with his change of pace and quirky forehand. Mayer, ranked as high as 18th and now the world No. 47, needed to claim the opening set to have a chance of upsetting the Scot. Once Murray took it in a tiebreak, and convincingly, Mayer's shoulders slumped and he proceeded to win four games the rest of the way. Murray was happy he didn't have to spend too long on court -- under two hours -- in the draining conditions. "It cooled down a little bit towards the end but the first and second sets it was very hot," he said in an interview on court afterwards. "It was very tough conditions and he's a very tricky opponent," Murray continued. "He plays strange shots and he takes your time away. It's tough to get into a rhythm. "I'm really glad to come through in three sets." Murray's next foe is Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin, who topped steady Italian Andreas Seppi in five sets. Looking further ahead, Murray could meet the dangerous Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals and the Czech had an even easier time than Murray on Sunday. Berdych conceded a mere five games to Frenchman Julien Benneteau. The 31-year-old Williams, bidding to become the oldest U.S. Open women's winner in the Open era, captured eight of the last nine games to see off Stephens and book a spot in the quarterfinals. Stephens sent Williams packing in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, although the latter was injured in the match, and some regard the 20-year-old as the future of American tennis. The pair were friends, fell out when Stephens criticized Williams but are now back on good terms. Williams next plays Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro, who upset Germany's Angelique Kerber in a third-set tiebreak.

Andy Murray beats Germany's Florian Mayer to reach the fourth round at the U.S. Open . Murray didn't face a break point and hit more than 40 winners as he advanced in straight sets . Tomas Berdych moved a step closer to meeting Murray after thumping Julien Benneteau . Serena Williams crushes Sloane Stephens after Stephens upset the world No. 1 in Melbourne .

369bbc13e28fbd07f4a493ed0a39f1023bb59b5d

(CNN) -- The World Health Organization cautioned that the swine flu outbreak could gain momentum in the months ahead, despite claims by the health secretary of Mexico -- the epicenter of the outbreak -- that the virus "is in its declining phase." The number of confimed cases of the H1N1 virus continue to multiply. As of early Monday, Mexican health officials reported 568 cases and 22 fatalities linked to the flu. WHO says it has confirmed 506 cases and 19 deaths in Mexico. The world has 985 confirmed cases of the virus, known to scientists H1N1 virus, in a total of 20 countries, WHO said Monday. The United States has reported 226 confirmed cases in 30 states. The U.S. cases include one death -- a Mexican toddler visiting relatives in the United States. According to WHO, Canada has 85 confirmed cases; Spain has 40; the United Kingdom has 15; Germany has 8; New Zealand has 4; Israel has 3; El Salvador has 2; France has 2; and Austria, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, Italy, South Korea and Switzerland each have one. The outbreak is only about 10 days old, and even if the illness is declining, it could return, said Gregory Hartl, the WHO spokesman for epidemic and pandemic diseases, at a briefing Sunday. "I ... would like to remind people that in 1918 the Spanish flu showed a surge in the spring, and then disappeared in the summer months, only to return in the autumn of 1918 with a vengeance," Hartl said. "And we know that that eventually killed 40 million to 50 million people." Mexican authorities believe the most active period of the virus in Mexico was between April 23 and April 28, and Mexican Health Secretary Jose Cordova described the outbreak as being in decline in his country. In China, officials have quarantined 68 people, including 13 crew members, who were passengers of a Mexico City to Shanghai flight, which carried a passenger who tested positive for the virus, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported Sunday. None of the other passengers has exhibited any flu-like symptoms, one health official said. About another 110 people who were on the Aeromexico plane went on to other destinations, and may face quarantines elsewhere, the news agency said. Fifteen have been quarantined at a Beijing hotel. Shanghai's airport is now barring other Aeromexico planes from landing there, a representative of the airline told CNN. Aeromexico is suspending flights to Shanghai until May 15, the representative said. The airline does not fly to Hong Kong or Beijing. In the United States, New York has the most confirmed cases, with 63, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Texas has 40; California has 26; Arizona 18; South Carolina 15; Delaware 10; Massachusetts and New Jersey each have seven; Colorado has four; Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, Wisconsin each have three; Connecticut, Kansas and Michigan each have two; Alabama, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Utah each have one. California officials suspended visitation and other "nonessential activities" at Centinela State Prison in Imperial County after an inmate was suspected of having swine flu. The case has yet to be confirmed with lab testing. On Sunday, health officials in North Carolina and Pennsylvania announced the first confirmed cases in those states, and Louisiana's governor said his state had seven confirmed cases. The cases from those three states were not immediately included in the CDC tally. In Washington, U.S. Secretary of Health Kathleen Sebelius, appearing on CNN's "State of the Union," warned that even if the flu outbreak wanes, "it could come back with greater force in the winter and fall, when we get into flu season." "So, this is no time for complacency," she said. "We want to stay out ahead of this." Dr. Anne Schuchat, the CDC's interim deputy director for public health, told reporters Sunday that she was "heartened" by Mexican authorities' reports but still is "very cautious." "I know that influenza can be surprising, and the time course here in the United States is later. We believe we're just on the upswing here, and in several parts of Mexico, cases began quite a while ago," Schuchat said. "From what I know about influenza, I do expect more cases, more severe cases and I do expect more deaths," she added. "And I'm particularly concerned about what will happen in the fall." Acting CDC Director Richard Besser, also speaking on "State of the Union," said U.S. health officials are examining whether people who received flu shots for the swine flu in 1976 may have some level of protection from the current swine flu. "That's going to play in very, very big as we move forward with our plans around vaccines, because that may help guide some of the issues around who is most at risk at getting this in the future," Besser said. Offering a general picture of the state of U.S. efforts to combat the virus, Besser said "there are encouraging signs." "We're not out of the woods yet," he said. "But what we've learned about the virus itself -- it doesn't contain the factors that we know are seen in much more severe flu strains." While the new virus strain in the recent outbreak has affected humans, Canadian officials said it has shown up at a pig farm in Alberta, Canada. Officials said the pigs may have been infected by a Canadian farmer who recently returned from a trip to Mexico, the epicenter of the outbreak. The pigs have since been quarantined. "We have determined that the virus H1N1, found in these pigs, is the virus which is being tracked in the human population," said Dr. Brian Evans of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. iReport.com: How should H1N1 be handled? 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, but he is recovering, Evans said. Learn about the virus » .

WHO has confirmed 985 cases of H1N1 virus worldwide . Mexico says illness declining there; WHO warns it could return . Mexico has largest number of confirmed cases, followed by U.S., WHO says . Canadian officials claim pigs at farm have been affected by virus .

6fd73c491497ff187c370c61fe4f31f29f3ca74d

(CNN) -- The enduring beauty of the U.S. Open has little to do with the golf course on which it is played in a given year. (Although the course in Pebble Beach, California, where the final round of this year's Open is scheduled to be played Sunday, is quite a looker.) But the thing that sets the Open apart from other top-tier championship events in big-time sports is this: . You can play your way into it. If you're watching the Open on television this weekend, and you're a good golfer with a handicap low enough to prove it, and you're saying to yourself: "Man, would I like to be out there competing in that thing. . . ." Well, if you're an unknown who's not a part of the sport's elite, and you want to give it a try and you do well enough, you'll be there. Dozens of golfers do it every year. It's what makes the Open perhaps the sporting event whose rulebook best represents the American ideal. There are other tournaments that open their doors to non-marquee competitors; the British Open holds qualifying rounds, and this year the U.S. Tennis Association has instituted a feature similar to the U.S. Golf Association's qualifying system. But nothing can compare with the scope and the spirit of inclusiveness of the pathway that leads to golf's U.S. Open. Every year, numerous spots in the Open are reserved for players who think they're good enough to compete with the most famous names in the game. This year, local qualifying rounds were held on more than 100 golf courses. More than 9,000 golfers filled out entry forms. A big, guaranteed chunk of the spots in the Open was, as always, given to established stars who are exempt from having to qualify, having proven themselves in other prestigious golf events. But at those 100-plus local qualifying courses, and at sectional qualifying courses that were the next level, the thousands of dreamers were welcomed. They couldn't just stroll in and tee off. They had to have demonstrated that they were serious and skilled golfers; professionals (both playing pros and teaching pros) are eligible to compete in the qualifying rounds, and amateurs must meet a handicapping formula devised by the USGA. But once they stepped up to the first tee, the only thing between them and Pebble Beach was how well they played on those local and sectional courses. And once the best of them arrived at Pebble Beach, the playing field was absolutely level. According to USGA officials, half of the 156 competitors at the Open this year got there through the qualifying rounds. They were looking out at the same 18 holes as golf's current legends were. The appeal of this is that, to get into the U.S. Open through the qualifying rounds, there are no admissions committees peering down their noses at you; there is no one in an executive office telling you there's no room for you to try. You don't have to know anyone with influence in the high echelons of golf; you don't have to be recruited by anyone; you don't have to have an agent. You just have to have your game, and your belief in yourself. I'm not a golfer; never have been. But I think the reason I have always so admired the tradition of the U.S. Open's qualifying rounds is that there was someone from my hometown who, at the age of 17, played himself into the Open that way. Just four years earlier, when he was 13, he'd had polio. But he recovered, and he fought through it, and he willed himself to excel. I know that a lot of you probably have stories about tenacious golfers from your own towns who made it to the U.S. Open one year. But the 17-year-old from our town was pretty special. His name was Jack W. Nicklaus; he didn't make the 36-hole cut at the Open that first year he qualified, but by three years later, in 1960, at age 20, he was paired in the final rounds with Ben Hogan. In 1962 he won the Open, the first of his 18 major championships. After qualifying in that first year, he would play in 44 consecutive U.S. Opens. For decades, on warm summer weekend afternoons, you could walk around his hometown and you would almost inevitably hear a sound coming from one screened-in porch or another. It was someone who lived in the house, calling out: "Get up, Jack!" Nicklaus would be somewhere in the country, somewhere in the world, playing in a tournament, and he had just struck his putt, and here, back home, as on TV the ball rolled toward the cup, the person in the house would be cheering for him, willing that ball toward the hole: "Get up, Jack!" He may be the best golfer who ever lived, but once he was a boy, an Ohio pharmacist's son, dreaming of making it to the U.S. Open. He played his way in, as so many did before him, as so many have after. It's the essential magic of the Open. And on Sunday, as the drama of the final round at Pebble Beach unfolds, somewhere in the United States someone will be sitting in front of a television set, thinking: I'm good enough to be there. If he's right, and he wants it badly enough to go after it, next June the U.S. Open is exactly where he'll be. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Greene.

Bob Greene says the U.S. Open has a special quality among top sports events . He says amateurs are able to qualify to play alongside the elite of golf . Greene says a 17-year-old polio survivor from his hometown broke into the game at the Open . Jack Nicklaus went on to have a legendary career, Greene says .

5945783f24b6fc04b0c69ea37ea3fb24a9b1cce0

(CNN) -- Today on Valentine's Day, my daughter and I will sift through the candy she receives from her third-grade classmates and throw most of it away. Although the tradition of trading chocolate and sugared hearts seems harmless, it actually poses a risk to my daughter and the millions of other American children who suffer from severe food allergies. This threat became all too real at the beginning of January with the death of 7-year-old Ammaria Johnson. Ammaria died of an allergic reaction to a peanut, and her Chesterfield, Virginia, school did not give her any medication. The emotional devastation of this loss is compounded by its senselessness: Ammaria's death could have been easily prevented by epinephrine. A form of adrenaline, epinephrine immediately counters the symptoms of anaphylaxis: hives, breathing difficulties and, without intervention, death. In our family, we are well-acquainted with epinephrine, administered by an automatic injector and sold under the brand names of Twinject or EpiPen. My daughter has needed multiple shots of epinephrine in four emergencies, and those shots saved her life. These experiences taught us how serious her allergies are. Our simple rule is that we don't leave home without it. But kids forget. Parents, too. We're pretty vigilant, and yet we've left EpiPens at birthday parties, friend's houses and in the middle of a park. With the benefit of health insurance, we can afford to buy another one. Not all families can. The School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act, a bipartisan bill introduced at the end of last year and being considered in committee, encourages states to pass laws introducing incentives for schools to stock epinephrine for all students -- not just those who have a prescription. Having epinephrine on hand would protect everyone, including those who have not yet been diagnosed with a food allergy. The latter represents a significant group: Studies have shown that up to 25% of all epinephrine administrations at school involve someone whose allergy was previously unknown. Of the eight top food allergens, research suggests the most common ones are peanuts, followed by milk, shellfish and tree nuts. Chocolate often has milk or nuts in it and can be cross-contaminated: Even if a piece of chocolate does not contain any allergens, it might have been produced on the same line as chocolates that do. Stocking epinephrine at schools will help to ease concerns about using another child's medication for someone who needs it but does not have an EpiPen at school. As Maria Acebal, CEO of the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, explains, this legislation "puts into place the laws we need to encourage people to do the right thing." Granted, buying auto-injectors and training adults to use them will require time and money. It's hard to imagine adding another expense when school budgets continue to dwindle. But for just a few hundred dollars every year, schools can ensure that all students are covered. Some schools, including ours, already do this. Initiatives in the private sector can help mitigate the costs: Dey Pharma, the manufacturer of EpiPen and EpiPen Jr., has already offered its auto-injector at a 50% reduced rate to schools. That comes to about $112 for two injectors. We should especially make sure that low-income districts can stock epinephrine. No parent should fear that his or her child might never come home from school. If the first step is having epinephrine, the second is knowing when and how to use it -- and not being afraid to do so. Dr. Scott Sicherer, professor of pediatrics at the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, explains some of the most common reasons people don't give epinephrine immediately: "Not recognizing a reaction. Being worried that the child is not 'sick enough.' Being worried about side effects of the medication or that they might hurt the child." I learned this the hard way. The second time my daughter had an allergic reaction, I failed to use her EpiPen. She was 3, and I was eight months pregnant, home alone and paralyzed with fear. I did call 911 -- and luckily they arrived within minutes. But this experience taught me that her life depends upon the immediate use of epinephrine. All adults who supervise children should be trained to recognize an allergic reaction and use an auto-injector. At the moment, parents bear the burden of educating teachers, which isn't easy. Creative collaborations may help schools take the lead, such as a free online tutorial for educators recently introduced by the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, the Food Allergy Initiative and several Canadian organizations. Food allergies have become a part of American childhood, just like childhood obesity, diabetes and asthma. According to a 2011 study in Pediatrics, 8% of children in the United States have a food allergy. Surely initiatives focusing on healthy habits, such as Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign, can incorporate teaching kids that not all foods are safe for everyone and that washing hands after eating can help to prevent spreading food allergens. Often the healthiest option is also the safe one -- like sending stickers to school on Valentine's Day instead of candy. And if we continue to indulge our sweet tooth on special occasions, let's at least focus on making school safe for everyone. Follow CNN Opinion on Twitter . Join the conversation on Facebook . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Heather Hewett.

A 7-year-old died of an allergic reaction to a peanut; school had not given her medication . Epinephrine has saved Heather Hewett's daughter, who has a severe food allergy . Schools should have epinephrine, she says, and train teachers to administer it . Hewett: On Valentine's Day, chocolates brought to school put children with allergies at risk .

23f4ef77966a0d2c6b4bbff962ec24d67a4d74a5

(CNN) -- A man who landed a plane with the assistance of air traffic controllers after the pilot fell unconscious and died said Monday he was "still in a daze of adrenaline." Doug White said he is certified to fly a single-engine plane, but had no idea how to fly the large turboprop. "I'm grateful, thankful to be alive," Doug White of Archibald, Louisiana, told CNN affiliate WINK. "I'm glad my family is safe, but let's don't lose sight of the fact that a man died, and I don't want people to forget that." White, his wife and two daughters were flying from Marco Island, Florida, to Jackson, Mississippi, on Sunday after attending a funeral for White's brother. White recalled watching and listening as the pilot, Joe Cabuk, conducted his "climb checklist" upon takeoff from Florida. After the checklist was complete, he said, Cabuk laid his book down. About a minute later, White told WINK, he looked at Cabuk, and "he was just sitting there. He had his chin on his chest, looking down at his lap, but there's nothing in his lap that he needed to be looking at." "That's when I kind of looked at him for a minute, probably two, three seconds, and I touched him on the shoulder. I said, 'Joe! Joe!, and that's when his head rolled over to the side, and his eyes rolled back in his head, and his arm fell off the armrest ... and I knew if he wasn't gone then, he was in deep distress, but we were in trouble." Listen to White describe seeing the pilot's eyes roll back in his head » . The plane's autopilot was on, and the plane was at about 5,000 feet and climbing, White said. Although he was a certified single-engine pilot and had about 130 flying hours, he had no idea how to fly the much larger Super King Air two-engine turboprop plane. "The only thing I knew how to do up there was talk on the radio," White told WINK. "I've only been up there (in the cockpit) one other time. I made it a point to ask the pilot -- not Joe, but another one -- 'How do I talk on the radio?' and they showed me what button to push." He told his daughters, " 'Y'all go back there, and I want you to pray hard.' The wife kind of trembled and shook the whole time, and the youngest daughter, Bailey, cried and squalled, and the oldest daughter, Maggie, vomited and threw up three or four times." Although White sounded fairly calm, some tension is evident on recordings released by the Federal Aviation Administration as controllers at Fort Myers, Florida, attempted to talk him through landing at the airport there. At one point, a controller asked whether the autopilot is still on or whether White is flying the aircraft himself. "Me and the good Lord are hand-flying this," White replied. He described his mindset as being one of "focused fear." "I had a 10,000-pound gorilla by the hand, and it wasn't wanting to cooperate," White recounted to WINK. Asked about his mindset, White said, "I lost it" after landing. His emotion can be clearly heard on the recording as he told air traffic controllers in a shaky voice, "We're down, buddy. Thank you." Air traffic controllers at Miami Center helped White at first, talking him through disengaging the autopilot, turning the plane and beginning his descent. They then handed the plane over to air traffic control at Fort Myers' Southwest Florida International Airport. Hear audiotape of emergency landing » . It was a Fort Myers controller who called Kari Sorenson of Danbury, Connecticut, for help in talking White down. A veteran pilot and flight instructor, Sorenson is intimately familiar with the plane White was flying. "We started providing him with positions of controls, switches, how to configure the aircraft for landing," Sorenson told CNN affiliate WTNH in Connecticut. Sorenson said he was told that the plane was down and that the controller would call him back. But he said he spent a few tense moments because he didn't know "if he was down in a positive or negative way." Sorenson credited the air traffic controllers for working as a team in helping White land. "It was a team of people, and a good team at that," he said. "The husbands and the wives of air traffic controllers have no idea what their spouses do for a living," White said. "They have no idea, particularly in a busy airspace like Miami or Fort Myers ... they don't make enough money for what they do, the service they provide." He said, "when something good happens, (air traffic controllers) don't get the high five and the 'attaboys.' I'm gonna give them the attaboy, and I'm going to send them all notes." He said he would also send them restaurant gift certificates so they can take their friends or family out to dinner. But while he is grateful, White said, he is also saddened at Cabuk's death. "Joe Cabuk was a father, he was a husband, he was a grandpa, he was a pro at what he did, he was a Christian, he was a great guy and he loved to fly ... this is not all about me. Joe Cabuk died." The cause of Cabuk's death has not been released. The Federal Aviation Administration has not given any of the involved air traffic controllers permission to speak about the incident.

Pilot Joe Cabuk went unconscious at the controls during a flight from Florida . "I said, 'Joe! Joe!' and that's when his head rolled over to the side," Doug White says . White says, "The only thing I knew how to do up there was talk on the radio" Air traffic controllers helped White safely land plane carrying his wife and 2 daughters .

cbbaf7578e9ededdc10af31f438df9e9f8b1dafe

(CNN) -- A judge issued bench warrants for the arrest of actor Randy Quaid and his wife, Evi, after the couple failed to appear for a court hearing in Santa Barbara, California, Monday morning, a court spokesman said. The Quaids were ordered to appear for a hearing on burglary charges filed last month after police were called to a Montecito, California, residence to investigate a report of squatters. According to a press release from the Santa Barbara Sheriff's department, a representative for the owner of the property came by the house to check the security alarm because it had gone off earlier that day, and then discovered that someone had been resting their head in the property's guest house. The Quaids weren't around at the time, but upon their return later that evening the couple told police that they have "owned the property since the 1990s." According to the statement, the owners had documentation that another buyer had purchased the property from the Quaids several years earlier. A contractor who worked on the residence told police he believes the couple caused more than $5,000 in damages in the guest house, and the Quaids were charged with residential burglary. The judge revoked their $50,000 bond when they failed to show up for Monday's hearing, the court spokesman said. Another hearing was set for next Tuesday. CNN's Brittany Kaplan contributed to this report.

The judge issued an arrest warrant after the Quaids failed to appear in court . Randy and Evi Quaid are charged with burglarizing a home they once owned . A new hearing was set for next Tuesday .

5465a1e1199018ede76485e31f8acaaf69ad32ac

(CNN) -- It is one of the most iconic ports in the world, the dramatic backdrop to everything from ancient Roman sailing ships to World War Two military vessels and gas-guzzling speedboats. Now London's historic River Thames has played host to a new generation of boat -- one which could revolutionize not just the future of nautical design, but scientific research on the high seas. Introducing MS Turanor Planet Solar -- the world's largest solar-powered boat. Sunny disposition . Resembling more "Starship Enterprise" than a modern catamaran, the 35-meter vessel arrived in the British capital last week -- its last stop on a scientific expedition across the Atlantic. Featuring an expandable deck covered in over 500 square meters of solar panels, the 60-ton vessel is completely powered by the sun. More than 800 solar panels charge enormous lithium-ion batteries stowed in the catamaran's twin hulls, which power two electric motors at the back. "On a full battery we can run for 72 hours without sun," says captain Gerard d'Aboville, who is also the first man to row solo across the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. "I receive meteorological forecasts for the next week, which update on our map every hour, so I can see the sunniest route to take." Eco expedition . The $16 million vessel cut an impressive figure as it cruised beneath London's raised Tower Bridge, marking the end of an almost three-month scientific expedition along the Atlantic's warm Gulf Stream. Heading off from Miami in June, the boat's team of scientists examined water and air samples, as part of their research into climate change. Led by University of Geneva climatologist Martin Beniston -- a member of a United Nations-backed panel on climate change that won the 2007 Nobel peace prize -- they used high-tech "vacuum cleaners" to measure aerosols (fine particles in the air) and winches which plunged 200 meters below the water. Watch: Stunning time-lapse of Antarctic science mission . "The fact that the boat doesn't create any pollutants means what we measure is as natural as possible," said Beniston. "And in terms of awareness-raising, we're carrying out the research in a boat which could be connected to the future and reducing our carbon footprint." Record breaking design . It's not the first time the high-tech vessel has made headlines around the world. In May last year it also became the first solar-powered vessel to circumnavigate the globe, traveling at an average speed of five knots. It continued to break the record books earlier this year when it made the fastest solar-powered crossing of the Atlantic -- traveling from Spain to the West Indies in 22 days and breaking its own previous record by four days. See: High-tech yacht aiming to smash speed record . The brainchild of Swiss eco-adventurer Raphael Domjan, the high-tech boat was designed by New Zealand nautical architecture company LOMOcean Design, and built by German shipyard Knierim Yachtbau in 2010. And with room for up to 60 people, you're more likely to see the unusual boat before you hear it. Unlike other diesel-powered ships, MS Turanor Planet Solar glides silently across the water. "The boat has a very special look, with her expandable deck," said d'Aboville. "In fact, we were two miles off the coast of Monaco when some people called the police to say there was an airplane on the water." Old name, new look . But for such a futuristic-looking vessel, MS Turanor Planet Solar has an ancient-sounding name. "Turanor" was named after the word for "power of the sun" in J.R.R Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. It may also prove to be the beginnings of an epic adventure -- this time on the high seas.

World's largest solar-powered yacht cruises beneath Tower Bridge . MS Turanor Planet Solar features over 500 square meters of solar panels . Completes scientific expedition along Atlantic's Gulf Stream . $16 million vessel could revolutionize nautical design, climate change research .

1371925f3bfd3e67064b137b3e4f5680cdc397f8

(CNN) -- Three quarters of the world's poor are living without a bank account, impeded by physical distance from banks and by bureaucratic roadblocks, according to a World Bank report. In a 2011 survey of 150,000 adults in 148 countries, it found that more than 75% of adults earning less than $2 per day are "unbanked" or do not use a formal financial institution. Of 70,000 respondents without a bank account, 65% cited not having enough money to use one as the most important reason. Other top reasons included the cost of opening a bank account being too expensive and a lack of trust in banks. "I hope policy makers will use this research to help make sure everyone, everywhere, has access to financial services," Her Royal Highness Princess Máxima of the Netherlands and the UN Secretary General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development said in a news release. Among regions surveyed, people in the Middle East and North Africa have most difficulties, with only 18% reporting an account. In high-income economies, nine out of 10 adults have an account at a formal financial institution. Being 'unbanked' is linked to inequalities, according to The World Bank. The richest 20% of adults in developing countries are more than twice as likely to have an account as the poorest 20%. Also, in developing economies only 37% of women have a bank account compared with 46% of men keeping their savings in financial institutions. A bank account could enhance economic opportunities among the poor, as saving and borrowing enables them to start a business or invest in education. Instead, they often rely on money lenders charging high fees, the World Bank says. "Providing financial services to the 2.5 billion people who are 'unbanked' could boost economic growth and opportunity for the world's poor," says World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick. Mobile banking is becoming a popular alternative to money lenders among the poor, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. These money transfers through mobile phones enable them to pay bills or make deposits through a text message without traveling or setting up a formal bank account. Mobile banking is especially popular in Kenya, where about 7 in 10 adults have access to mobile money services, according to Safaricom, a leading mobile network provider that offers money transfers via text messaging through its M-Pesa service. The world's poorest live in the Sub-Saharan Africa region, with almost 70% of adults living on less than $2 a day. In South Asia, almost 60%of people and just over 50% in Middle East and North Africa live on less than $2 a day, according to the World Bank Report.

75% of the world's poor do not have a bank account, a World Bank report says. Among the reasons are a lack of money and required documentation to open one and travel distance. Financial services could boost economic growth and opportunity for the world's poor, says Zoellick.

2165fd490b9d14ce0cd3784beb2f4a1d10028a1d

(CNN) -- The man described by counterterrorism officials as al Qaeda's "military brain," Ilyas Kashmiri, was killed in a drone strike Friday night in Pakistan, a spokesman for his group, the jihadist Harakat-ul-Jihad-Islami, said. Pakistani and U.S. officials, however, said they have not confirmed Kashmiri's death. Kashmiri was killed, along with some aides, in a strike at 11:15 p.m., spokesman Abu Hanzla Kashar said. "The oppressor U.S. is our only target and, God willing, we will take revenge on the U.S. soon with full force," he said. A senior Pakistani military official said that in all, nine were killed by the drone strike. The official reiterated that they had not confirmed Kashmiri's demise. Kashmiri, who was known to operate in North Waziristan, had moved to South Waziristan and was seen at the site of the attack on Friday, the official said. If confirmed, his death would be the first major kill or capture since Osama Bin Laden, and the highest profile drone target since Beitullah Mehsud in 2009. It could also be seen as an embarrassment for Pakistanis, who have twice in just over one month, had a major al Qaeda figure killed on their territory without their participation. U.S. drones now operate entirely autonomously in Pakistan, a Pakistani intelligence source has told CNN. Whereas before the United States cooperated with Pakistan and used their intelligence, today, the Americans have an intelligence network that allows them to go after terrorists unilaterally. Kashmiri, a veteran jihadist, is considered one of the most dangerous men in the world by counterterrorism officials on three continents. He was commander of "Brigade 313" of Harakat-ul-Jihad-Islami, which has formed a close relationship with al Qaeda. Kashmiri is also said to have ties with David Coleman Headley, the U.S. citizen who confessed to helping scout . targets for the Mumbai attack in November 2008. After his arrest, Headley said he had twice met Kashmiri. During questioning by India's National Intelligence Agency, which was given access to him in Chicago, Illinois, in June 2010, Headley said he'd been taken to Pakistan's tribal territories to meet Kashmiri early in 2009. A copy of the interrogation obtained by CNN reveals that Kashmiri sent Headley on another trip to survey targets in India. One place he said he videotaped was a bakery that was later attacked in Pune in February 2010. Kashmiri in his early years fought the Indians in the disputed territory of Kashmir and the Russians in Afghanistan, where he lost an eye. He famously escaped from an Indian jail and went to fight with a unit of Pakistan's special forces. Eventually, he fell out with his sponsors in the Pakistani military, and moved his operations to North Waziristan. At one point, he was arrested in connection with an attempt to assassinate Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, in 2003. For reasons unknown, Kashmiri was released a short time later. CNN's Nasir Habib, Nick Paton Walsh and Tim Lister contributed to this report.

NEW: Kashmiri was seen at the location of the strike . Pakistan has not confirmed the death of Ilyas Kashmiri . Kashmiri's followers say he was killed in a drone strike in Pakistan . He is considered one of the most dangerous men in the world .

99e8ee562df260749d1eaaa9085590c73e2af710

Beijing (CNN) -- It has been called the first "Twitter Olympics" in the West, including on CNN. But in China -- where the government has long blocked the popular U.S.-based social media site -- the London Games are undoubtedly the first "Weibo Olympics." Micro-blogging sites -- called "Weibo" in Chinese -- have exploded in China since one of the country's biggest web portals, Sina, launched its Twitter-like service in 2009, a year after the Beijing Olympics. Now several leading Weibo sites give an estimated 250 million users a platform for unprecedented diversity of opinion on the world's biggest sporting event and beyond. Million of comments are being posted about Olympic-related topics, with many echoing the state media coverage's cheers and celebration over Chinese athletes' stellar performance, especially the two record-shattering swims by the country's gold medalist Ye Shiwen. Read more: Ye's Shiwen's 'unbelievable' swims are talk of Olympics . State media covered allegations raised by Western coaches and journalists that Ye had been doped with nationalistic fervor, prompting countless profanity-filled tirades against her accusers on Sina Weibo. However many cooler heads also reminded their fellow countrymen to look at the overall international reception to Ye's achievements. "I'm actually surprised to see that 99% of Americans seem to be defending Ye's innocence in their comments on CNN's story on her," posted a user named Muyao. "We can't simply say Western media did this or that -- they don't speak with one voice," wrote a user named Hongwenkaiqiang. Read more: China says West being 'petty' over Ye . Others also pointed out that state media has largely failed to mention the 1990s, an embarrassing period for Chinese swimmers during which several female stars tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. "The impact of the scandals back then is still being felt today," said user Dahaoheshan. Many Sina Weibo users, who continue to brave the seven-hour time difference to stay up late for live Olympics coverage, have also exchanged views on China's state-sponsored sports system -- thoughts often too provocative to be heard in state-controlled media. Read more: Doping expert: 'Only 10% caught' Some had harsh words for the seemingly cruel aspects of the system's "gold-medal-at-all-cost" mentality, for example, when diving gold medalist Wu Minxia's mother told domestic media that she hid the news of the passing of Wu's grandparents as well as her own breast cancer so not to distract Wu from her training. "Is a gold medal so important that even the deaths of her grandparents should be kept in secret?" asked user Binghanyulin. "Is a gold medal more important than family ties?" A similar sentiment emerged following reports in Chinese media that Zhang Chenglong, a member of the gold-winning men's gymnastic team, had spent only 17 days at home with his family in the past 14 years. "I wonder if this is any different from being sent to prison -- except even prisons allow visitors," commented a user whose lengthy handle begins with "Shenme." "How would seeing your family have a devastating impact on your sports performance?" Read more: Olympics Day 5 sees scandals, joy, world records and controversy . There has also been an outpouring of online sympathy and support for athletes who have failed to reach the top in London, like weightlifter Wu Jingbiao who cried uncontrollably after winning a silver and apologized on national television for "letting the country down. "You don't have to apologize -- I don't think gold medals equal the Olympic spirit," said user Yuzili. "We all cheered for you -- it was just a game." Besides all the serious reflection on the country's sports system, some Weibo posts also touched the lighter -- albeit no less sensitive -- side of Chinese athletics. After Team China captured the top prize in men's gymnastics, one member, Feng Zhe -- a prolific poster on Sina Weibo with almost two million followers -- received more than just heartfelt congratulations. A one-line message he posted in October 2010 was dug up, generating thousands of retweets and comments within hours. The post teased: "The reason you're not gay is because you haven't met the man who can capture your heart." While some thought it was just Feng being his facetious self, the overwhelming response appeared to hail a rare coming out for gay Chinese athletes. The post soon disappeared from Feng's public feed. Even at the free-spirited Weibo Olympics, some taboo subjects seem to remain.

Unprecedented Olympic chatter in China over micro-blogging sites . Around 250 million people are exchanging views like never before . Most popular site Sina Weibo only started after 2008 Beijing Olympics . Some are commenting on China's "gold-at-all-costs" sports system .

788a9187340b9182b4245ad86210b94cbff09093

(CNN) -- AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso has been banned for four matches by UEFA after he "assaulted" Tottenham's assistant manager during their Champions League tie. The Italian grabbed 59-year-old Joe Jordan round the throat during the match as tempers flared, then as the pair came face-to-face after the final whistle, Gattuso launched a head-butt. UEFA charged the 33-year-old with "gross sporting misconduct" after Milan's 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their last 16 tie with the English Premier League club at the San Siro stadium. He was due to miss the second leg next week anyway after picking up his third yellow card of the competition during the clash. CNN blog: Why Gattuso has to lose his cool . A statement on UEFA's website read: "AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso has been suspended for four competition matches by the UEFA control and disciplinary body. "The control and disciplinary body ruled that Gattuso had assaulted the Tottenham Hotspur assistant coach Joe Jordan after the match. "Gattuso, who was also cautioned in the 76th minute of the game, is already suspended for the return leg of the UEFA Champions League tie against Tottenham after receiving three yellow cards. "Consequently, the four-match suspension applies to the next four UEFA club competition matches for which he would be eligible." The ex-Glasgow Rangers star came to blows with England striker Peter Crouch during the game, in which Milan struggled to find a way past their opponents. Gattuso did apologize to Jordan after the game, admitting: "I lost my head." "I'm taking responsibility because I did something I shouldn't have done," he added. "I made a mistake doing what I did to an older person, and that's it. I will wait and see what UEFA decides now."

UEFA ban AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso for four matches . Gattuso head-butted Tottenham's assistant manager during a Champions League tie . The 33-year-old later apologized to Joe Jordan for his actions . Milan lost 1-0 to the English club and will play the second leg next week .

7d7c15149c5608654a52b397390f616522d85226

(CNN) -- The English Premier League (EPL) have confirmed they will vehemently oppose a new move by a supporters' association to bring back standing at football matches. Following the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, when 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death on terracing, it was made law in England for all top-flight stadiums to be made all-seater -- although terraces are still common place in the lower divisions. However, many supporters believe that the banning of standing up at football grounds has resulted in the atmosphere becoming diluted -- prompting the 180,000-member Football Supporters' Federation (FSF) to launch an online petition calling for the return of standing areas in the top division. Speaking to the official English Premier League website, EPL spokesman Dan Johnson said: "Our view is that the benefits of all-seater stadia far outweigh the return of standing areas. "They have led to more women and children attending the games and, no matter how safe standiing can be made, seating is always safer. We will not be encouraging the Government to change the law," he added. The FSF held a meeting on Monday with representatives from the police, the Government and footballing authorities, with their chairman Malcolm Clarke arguing that many fans still stand up despite having a seat. However, British Sport's Minister Hugh Robertson told the meeting: "Should we return to terracing, then the first time there is any significant crowd trouble, or an accident, the minister's head would be on a spike at Tower Bridge before he could draft a resignation letter!" The FSF has cited the German Bundesliga, where terraces are widespread, resulting in packed stadia and cheaper tickets, as a good example of how standing can be safer at matches. Standing is also still very much evident in Argentina and Brazil, where the most fervent supporters adorn their own respective terraces in club colours, making for a noisy, passionate, and at times, intimidating atmosphere.

The English Premier League oppose a petition to bring back standing at matches . The Football Supporters' Federation want to see terracing return to top flight games . The 1989 Hillsborough disaster resulted in all-seater stadia being made compulsory .

5e3864ea3504257070d259a5810cb0639163b132

(CNN) -- A massive search and rescue mission continued late Friday for nine people who may have plunged into chilly Pacific water off the Southern California coast after a Coast Guard plane and a Marine helicopter collided. "We're still in the search and rescue phase. We are not standing down from that at this point," Coast Guard Capt. Thomas Farris told reporters at a news conference. "We have every hope that we'll be able to find survivors." The search will continue, he said, "Until I stop." The Coast Guard plans to continue the search at least throughout Friday night and Saturday morning, Petty Officer Henry Dunphy of the San Diego Coast Guard told CNN. The Coast Guard C-130 plane and its seven crew members had been searching for a missing person when it collided Thursday with the Marine AH-1 Cobra helicopter, with a two-person crew, on a military training exercise, Farris said. None of the names of those on either aircraft has been released. A pilot reported seeing a fireball about 7:10 p.m. Thursday near the crash site. The crash occurred about 16 nautical miles (18 miles) off the coast, near San Clemente Island, said Cpl. Michael Stevens of U.S. Marine Air Station Miramar in San Diego. Helicopters, cutters and patrol boats, aided by the Navy, were scanning a 644-square-mile area for survivors, said Coast Guard Rear Adm. Joseph Castillo. Castillo earlier said an investigation "to determine what exactly happened" was beginning. The investigation will be done in "lockstep" with the Marine Corps, he said. A large debris field has been located, and debris has been collected, he said. "The debris is what you'd expect, I think, from a midair collision," he said. The two Marines on the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton chopper were one of four helicopter crews involved in the training exercise, Stevens said. The Coast Guard plane had been on a search mission for a couple of days before Thursday's crash. "They were searching for a possible person in the water who was reported to have gotten in a dinghy and attempted to row to Catalina [Island]," Farris said. "We were searching in that area because of the drift that would have naturally occurred after that event." With water temperatures in the 60s, Farris earlier Friday estimated survivability could be up to 20 hours. The missing person the Coast Guard members were searching for prior to the collision is still missing, Farris said. CNN's Sonya Hamasaki and Larry Shaughnessy contributed to this report.

NEW: Coast Guard Capt. Thomas Farris: "We're still in the search and rescue phase" A Coast Guard plane and a Marine helicopter collided off cost of Southern California . Seven people were aboard C-130 Thursday, which was searching for a missing person . The Marine helicopter contained two crew members .

55926b055ba24fad3d1351b7530541c65b69baa9

(CNN) -- Amid all the jockeying of the primary debates, President Barack Obama's 2013 budget was a breath of fresh air that underscored the priorities we should have as a nation. Sure, politicos may call it a campaign document, but even if you view it as only that, it is a much needed reminder of just what we should be focusing on. For Latinos, there is plenty in this budget, especially coming on the heels of the president's State of the Union speech a couple of weeks ago, to remind us that there is still reason to be hopeful. Obama's call for greater income equality on taxes, his focus on job creation, including focusing on key elements of his American Jobs Act (supported by 78% of Latinos), his renewed call for DREAM Act legislation in the State of the Union, and yes, his commitment to environmental and public health protections, as well as for the expansion of a clean energy economy. While not a "typical" Latino statement, the plan to create more clean energy jobs and more responsible energy development is just what the doctor ordered, as far as they are concerned. Although it is down in the latest jobs numbers, Latino unemployment continues to hover near 11%, and with many of the Latino community's job losses stemming from the slowdown in the housing market, they need this boost now. Interestingly enough, even just a few years ago, environmental issues did not register with Latinos as top concerns for their families. That has changed. Majorities of Latinos support strong environmental protections, especially since many communities happen to be in historically unsafe and polluted environs. So the president's statement -- "We don't have to choose between our environment and our economy" -- which is reflected in his budget, really hits home for Latinos. And that's not what we've been hearing in the news these days. We hear an unrepentant tirade from GOP pundits that regulations are nothing but "job killers." But Obama is telling us they save lives and create jobs? Well, that not only happens to be the case, but GOP pundits also conveniently disregard the fact that there were fewer regulations put in place in the first three years of the Obama administration than in the first three years of the George W. Bush presidency. But let's look at the facts that underscore why Latinos care about this issue. Hundreds of thousands of Americans are already at work in clean energy jobs. More than 100,000 people already work in the solar industry, according to the National Solar Jobs Census. Installing solar panels cannot be outsourced and fits the bill for many construction workers struggling to get by, and is a tremendous opportunity for many Latino entrepreneurs, who already have a strong foothold in the construction industry. The president has also spoken of jobs that Latinos might get on farms -- wind farms, that is - thanks to the growth of wind power, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics says now employs 85,000 Americans. More than 150,000 jobs are already out there in the clean car industry — for workers making parts and assembling hybrid and electric cars. And the shift to more advanced vehicles means more opportunity in the coming years. We keep hearing about these "job killing regulations," but for millions of Americans and especially minority and low income communities, clean air protections are "life-saving regulations." This is another big reason environmental issues are registering on the minds of many Latino families, especially Latina mothers, a key swing vote group in the upcoming elections. Low income communities overwhelmingly suffer the worst impacts of pollution nationally. Cleaning up our communities means protecting our health and creating jobs (after all, someone needs to build and install the equipment necessary to protect us from polluters). Clean air safeguards generated approximately $1.3 trillion in public health and environmental benefits in 2010 alone for a cost of $50 billion. For Latino families, who often lack health insurance even if they are employed full time, these savings can make the difference between home ownership and foreclosure. So as you listen to the politicians shouting at each other in Washington, they are drawing a very bright line and letting you know what really matters to them. Ask yourself, "Who has my and my family's best interests in mind?" The folks looking out for public health or the folks representing polluters who don't want to invest in America, or in their employees — not to mention the facilities that are now finally being forced to live up to the law? The folks who see opportunities to bring manufacturing back to America as we shift to cleaner energy or those working to keep things just the way they are — no matter the price? The answer is pretty clear. And that is what we need right now. Follow CNN Opinion on Twitter . Join the conversation on Facebook . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Maria Cardona.

Maria Cardona says Obama's committment to environment resonates wtih Latinos . She says jobs and clean energy are linked for Latinos, whose unemployment is high . She says pollution important issue to Latino mothers, who often live in poor communities . Cardona: Ask yourself: Which politicians are protecting the environment and public health?

a6f72a13825e9e42b6a067ae65351d9aea3bc386

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Prince Charles visited the Vatican on Monday for his first meeting with a pope since his 1996 divorce from Princess Diana. Pope Benedict XVI is flanked by Prince Charles and his wife Camilla during their meeting at the Vatican. The heir to the UK throne was accompanied by his second wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, who wore the mandatory modest black dress and veil which the Vatican requires for wives of dignitaries who meet the pope. The 20-minute meeting was "cordial," the Vatican said in a statement afterwards. Prince Charles's accession to the throne was likely to be an unspoken subtext of the meeting, an expert on the prince told CNN. "The biggest thing on Prince Charles's agenda is the preparation for his coronation," said Christopher Wilson, author of "The Windsor Knot: Charles, Camilla and the Legacy of Diana." Charles would like the pope to attend personally, unlikely as that may be, given the religious divide between London and Rome, Wilson said. "He will expect a high-profile Roman Catholic presence in Westminster Abbey," where he will be crowned, Wilson argued. "The combined heads of state come from everywhere. Every democratically elected head of state will be invited. It bigs up your coronation if you can get the highest Roman Catholic to come." The meeting between prince and pope came days after the 500th anniversary of the crowning of Henry VIII, the English king who broke with the Roman Catholic Church and established the Church of England because he wanted to divorce. It was Prince Charles's first visit to the Vatican since he went to the funeral of Pope John Paul II four years ago, and his first meeting with a head of the Roman Catholic Church since 1985. There are multiple factors complicating his relationship with the Vatican, Wilson pointed out. Not only is he divorced, which the Roman Catholic Church disapproves of, but so is Camilla -- and her children are being raised as Catholics because their father is one. A centuries-old British law forbids Catholics or their spouses from holding the throne. The Prince of Wales "is trying to break down the breach between the Vatican and the House of Windsor," Wilson said. "It's a path-smoothing exercise." Additionally, he said: "Prince Charles likes very much to be photographed with heads of state. He's not the head of state himself. It adds luster to his royal presence." Charles and the pope were expected to discuss issues such as interfaith dialogue and climate change -- subjects to which Prince Charles has devoted himself. The pair exchanged gifts. Benedict gave Charles a gold pontifical medal and an antique engraved copper plate of St. Peter's Basilica dating from the 16th century. Charles gave Benedict a set of 12 porcelain plates with floral design of the plants and flowers that grow at his country estate in Gloucestershire. Afterwards, Prince Charles met Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarciso Bertone and Vatican foreign affairs minister Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, while Camilla received a private tour of the Sistine Chapel. Charles and Camilla are on a tour of Italy and Germany at the request of Britain's Foreign Office, Clarence House said. The European Union director of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Matthew Rycroft, cited "the prince's personal passion and personal engagement over the years on the issue of climate change" as a major reason for the trip, a Clarence House statement said.

UK's Prince Charles meets pope for first time since divorce from Princess Diana . Heir to UK throne was accompanied by 2nd wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall . Charles's first visit to Vatican since he attended funeral of Pope John Paul II .

d8679ec659cb7630339d662069f2b8411d4dab4a

(CNN) -- It's one of the top 10 most-visited sites worldwide, with over 2 million articles in its English language edition. But is online encyclopedia Wikipedia's strength -- that anyone can edit it -- also its greatest weakness? Wikipedia: an invaluable repository of global knowledge or a magnet for digital vandals and hoaxers? This June, former president of the American Library Association, Michael Gorman hit out at academics who endorsed the use of Wikipedia to their students, saying in the Encyclopaedia Britannica blog that "a professor who encourages the use of Wikipedia is the intellectual equivalent of a dietician who recommends a steady diet of Big Macs with everything." Gorman added that Google and Wikipedia were creating a generation of "intellectual sluggards incapable of moving beyond the Internet," with no interest in exploring non-digital resources. Gorman's remarks received a mixed response. Some said that students should be taught to discern whether a source was authoritative. Others pointed to academics who cite Wikipedia, saying it was unfair to prevent students from doing the same. Ben Fairweather, research fellow in the center for computing and social responsibility at De Montfort University, England, was quoted in the Times Higher Education Supplement saying that Internet resources had made research more efficient and removed some of the "drudgery out of producing good work." Gorman's position was that he was not taking issue with the technology per se, but was concerned by the lack of peer review based on an intellectual meritocracy, adding, "That meritocracy must be based on respect for expertise and learning." Perhaps surprisingly, this view is shared by Larry Sanger, who was with Wikipedia from the start and is often referred to as a co-founder. (Though that's up for debate on the site, too.) When he parted ways with Wikipedia, Sanger felt that the site's vulnerability to vandalism could undermine its reputation. That spurred him to set up "Citizendium," a rival wiki-based project where articles are vetted by known experts and authors are required to use their real names. Citizendium launched this year with the aim to become "the world's most trusted knowledge base," though with just 3000 articles to hold to Wikipedia's 2 million, some would question whether the site can ever catch up. For the most part, Wikipedia is working. A 2005 study by British journal Nature found that the online encyclopedia was about as accurate as its competitors on science. But a commonly cited peril of Wikipedia's anonymity is vandalism. In one notorious example, journalist John Seigenthaler Sr. was listed as a suspect in both Kennedy assassinations by a prankster: the entry remained up for four months in 2005. Such abuse tends to get quickly swept away by the site's volunteers, especially if an article has been placed on a watch list by editors who are interested in the subject. Still, at any given point, Wikipedia visitors can't be sure of what they're getting. Look no further than the Seigenthaler entry: For 31 hours last September, he was said to have killed and eaten JFK. Seigenthaler slammed the site in an opinion piece in USA Today, berating Wikipedia's "volunteer vandals with poison-pen intellects." Some might say that the edits in Seigenthaler's profile would never have made it into the mainstream media. But those seeking proof of just how much emphasis even professional journalists can place on Wikipedia need look no further than the example of Ronnie Hazlehurst, a British composer of TV theme tunes for shows including "Yes, Minister" and "Last of the Summer Wine," who died this October. According to several high-profile obituaries, including the BBC, Reuters, the London Times and The Guardian, Hazlehurst, at the age of 72, also penned "Reach," a 2000 hit for UK pop combo S Club 7. The unfortunate writers had omitted to double-check his Wikipedia discography, and collectively fell victim to Wiki-hoaxers. Even those who spot errors in their own profiles can be reluctant to address them. In April this year, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and academic Douglas Hofstadter told the New York Times of his Wikipedia entry, "[it] is filled with inaccuracies, and it kind of depresses me." When asked why he didn't fix it, he replied, "The next day someone will fix it back." Wikipedia recognizes that to-and-fro tussling -- or "edit warring" -- is damaging to its reputation, and some of the more controversial topics -- such as those on Islam, Elvis Presley and abortion -- have been locked to limit who can alter them. But as its reputation as an online resource has grown, the encyclopedia has also become a target for corporate spin. In January this year, the Associated Press reported that Microsoft had offered a blogger cash to alter Wikipedia articles. Microsoft claimed that the articles contained inaccuracies on an open-source document standard and a rival format put forward by the software giant. Then, this summer, Virgil Griffith, a 24-year-old Cal Tech graduate student, unearthed some eyebrow-raising data. Wired.com reported in August that Griffith created an application called WikiScanner that tracks edits that have been made to Wikipedia articles and cross-references them against IP addresses, which can be traced back to companies' offices. Griffith proved what many had suspected for some time: that edits on company profiles were often originating from IP addresses owned by those companies and even their competitors. Just a few of the corporations listed included Exxon Mobil, Apple, Microsoft and Wal-Mart, along with several politicians' offices. ""It was dead easy," Griffith told Forbes.com. "I just combined two databases and -- poof -- you have these public relations disasters." Some of those edits, Wired reported, appeared to be "transparently self-interested, either adding positive, press release-like material to entries, or deleting whole swaths of critical material." Wired cited the example of voting-machine company Diebold, "with someone at the company's IP address apparently deleting long paragraphs detailing the security industry's concerns over the integrity of their voting machines, and information about the company's CEO's fund-raising for President Bush." The deleted text was restored by a Wikipedia contributor, who added: "Please stop removing content from Wikipedia. It is considered vandalism." So should we turn our backs on Wikipedia -- scratch it and start again? Absolutely not. As a project -- to gather together our collective knowledge -- Wikipedia is admirable. As a repository for human knowledge, it is invaluable. As an introductory resource on anything from scientific formulae to walk-on characters in TV sitcoms, its breadth is unmatched. Its content is also a priceless reflection of humanity and its concerns. Only a tiny fraction of its vast repository is polluted by vandals, hoaxers and ne'er-do-wells, who in turn are chased down by its dedicated band of editors and administrators. But a resource that can be edited by experts and non-experts alike will always carry risks, and perhaps that's Wikipedia's greatest lesson for us all: that its very existence must force us to question notions of accuracy and reliability, while giving us a means to correct errors and add to the global knowledge pot. Two things are certain: no encyclopedia will ever be perfect, and we will never reach consensus on all Wikipedia articles. And in the meantime, while an invaluable first port of call, those using Wikipedia would be well advised to confirm their facts elsewhere. .............................. Do you take Wikipedia at face value, or with a pinch of salt? Should we learn from the experts, or does each of us have a part to play? Share your views and read others' thoughts in the Just Imagine forum. The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Free online encyclopedia Wikipedia has fallen victim to hoaxers, vandals . Students and journalists have fallen foul of site's inaccuracies . Cal Tech grad student has uncovered corporate Wikipedia whitewashing . Site is still a valuable resource -- when used with caution .

8e0a44c4bf562d6b7d1244d1959efbff27b55f27

Minot, North Dakota (CNN) -- Waters rushed into an overflowing lake near Minot, North Dakota, faster and in greater amounts than expected Thursday, officials said, exacerbating the region's flood concerns. But Minot Mayor Curt Zimbelman said Thursday that no new evacuations had been ordered, even though "the flows coming into Lake Darling are reaching the lake quicker and at a greater volume than predicted." "Due to this, Lake Darling has increased its outflow," the mayor added -- increasing flooding in the flood-plain, though not to a point that it yet changes the "inundation zone." Evacuations stand at about 12,000, according to Minot Fire Department Capt. Dean Lenertz. The mayor of Minot and the state's governor congratulated citizens on an organized and efficient evacuation thus far, with Gov. Jack Dalrymple saying it had "gone extremely well." Sirens sounded in Minot early Wednesday afternoon, urging residents to abandon their homes in the face of major flooding. Water is already overtopping the city's dikes, which are leaking in some places. Populated areas are seeing a couple inches of water on the ground at this time, and there is significant concern about dikes eroding, Lenertz said. Dalrymple said that "all agencies are engaged" statewide in addressing the issue. He noted, for example, that workers with North Dakota's transportation department are moving 100,000 sandbags from Bismarck to the Minot area, and there are about 500 National Guard personnel on site. The National Weather Service predicted record flooding as heavy rains and dam releases cause the river to swell at Minot. The Souris River is expected to crest on Monday, two to three days earlier than had been forecast. Zimbelman said the river is expected to rise to a level five feet higher than any previously recorded. Minot got some support from a hometown hero who was halfway around the world. Actor Josh Duhamel, in Moscow for the "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" premiere, asked for donations to the local Red Cross. "My heart goes out to all the incredible people of Minot & surrounding areas," Duhamel said on his Twitter account. The Souris River, which locals call "The Mouse" after the French translation of its name, flows through the center of town, and there are several homes and businesses along its low-lying banks. Fearing the main levees would not hold back the water, emergency workers have been constructing local levees around a school and the Broadway Street Bridge, a main thoroughfare. At least one of those had to be pushed back Thursday, said Zimbelman, eliminating Third street as a north-south access point through the city. Residents appear to be heeding evacuation warnings. The evacuations zones are "pretty bare," Lenertz said. In a sign they're taking the flooding seriously, some residents were pulling up carpets because they are easier to remove now than after their homes have been inundated with water. Not everyone, however, was planning to evacuate. Troy Erickson, 44, lives across the street from the perimeter of the evacuation zone and said he plans to ride out the flood. His neighbor has a bucket loader and they have distributed several loads of sand and gravel around four houses, which are home to 13 people, he said. They have "lowered a couple hundred sandbags" on top of the mixture, he said. "We've got more sandbags coming to have just in case we need to build it higher," said Erickson, a lifelong North Dakotan. "It if happens, it happens." He said he is "a little bit" frightened because he's never been in this situation, though he was a toddler during the flood of 1969. At the nearby Minot Air Force Base, about 1,000 members of the military and their families have been displaced by the rising waters in the city, according to Capt. Genieve David, a base spokeswoman. An emergency shelter has been set up on the base, with 50 people staying their overnight, the mayor said. An additional 221 people stayed at shelters run by the Red Cross. Minot, in the north central part of the state, is the fourth-largest city in North Dakota. The evacuation order covers a third of its population, Fong said. The river at Minot, which stood 1,555.6 feet above sea level early Thursday, is forecast to top the 1881 record of 1,558 feet early Friday and peak at 1562.5 feet early Monday. The Souris River looks like a "U." It swoops in and out of North Dakota from Canada. CNN's Jim Spellman, Ed Payne, Marlena Baldacci and Alta Spells contributed to this report.

NEW: Water levels also are greater than expected, Minot mayor says . NEW: No new evacuations beyond the 12,000 who were asked to leave . City mayor and state governor congratulate residents on smooth evacuation .

a124912bf5f6a0ec05154ce25693d9506b49e533

(CNN) -- The suspected link between Chinese drywall and toxic effects reported by thousands of U.S. homeowners was strengthened Monday by three preliminary reports issued by the federal government. The strongest link came from an analysis of air sampled inside dozens of homes containing drywall made in China. "While the study of 51 homes detected hydrogen sulfide and formaldehyde ... at concentrations below irritant levels, it is possible that the additive or synergistic effects of these and other compounds in the subject homes could cause irritant effects," the Consumer Product Safety Commission said in its executive summary of the study. Two other preliminary studies found copper sulfide corrosion in metal components taken from homes containing the Chinese drywall. The drywall in question was imported from 2005 through 2007, when a housing boom and two active hurricane seasons created a shortage of building materials in the southern United States. Since then, the product safety agency has received nearly 2,100 reports from 32 states -- but mostly from Florida, Louisiana and Virginia -- of homeowners complaining of a rotten-egg smell, sickness, failed appliances, and corroded wires and pipes. Many have moved out of their homes. In some cases, insurers have refused to reimburse them. The air study tested 41 houses containing Chinese drywall and compared those findings with air from inside 10 homes in the same geographical areas whose homeowners had not complained, said Jack McCarthy, president of Environmental Health & Engineering Inc., which carried out the work. The investigators also examined materials such as copper pipes and wiring for corrosion, and looked at indoor air humidity, temperature and air exchange, he said. Copper and silver strips were left in the homes for two weeks and then examined for corrosion, he said. The result: in the 41 homes containing the problem drywall, there was a "strong association" between the high levels of hydrogen sulfide and the corrosion of the metals, he said. "Temperature, humidity and air-exchange rates also appear to be contributing factors," McCarthy told reporters on a conference call, noting that higher moisture and temperature levels and lower air-exchange rates were connected with more corrosion. Formaldehyde, also a potential source of irritation, was found in both complaint and noncomplaint homes, he said. Though McCarthy cautioned that the study was not intended to examine health effects, "we can say that the levels of the pollutants we found, particularly the hydrogen sulfide and formaldehyde, could possibly contribute to some of the health problems that have been reported to the CPSC." McCarthy also said that not all Chinese drywall may be alike. Its risk "depends on what it is made of, not necessarily what country it's from," he said. The next step is to determine how to identify homes with the corrosive materials and how to fix them, said Scott Wolfson, the product safety agency's director of information and public affairs, who noted that the investigation is the largest in the agency's history. He said none of the tainted drywall entered the United States this year. Hundreds of thousands of suspect boards have been stockpiled in warehouses; their owners have been told it will not be sold, he added. Several weeks ago, agency representatives traveled to China, where they visited mines, factories and government officials to determine the scope of the problem, which is still not clear, Wolfson said. "The CPSC is working hard to determine how many homes in how many states are affected," he said, adding that the data do not support the widely reported figure of 100,000 homes. Wolfson said the Chinese helped investigate. "They're committed to helping us with the technical side of this investigation," he said. Though the study raises suspicions that the drywall is responsible for the health effects reported by some families, Wolfson said a causal association has not been proved. "The work continues," he said. "The work toward an exact nexus between drywall and effects is still ongoing." Wolfson called on the news media to help alert homeowners in affected houses to report the problem. Some may be hesitant to report because they are afraid their insurers will drop their coverage, he said, but he pointed out that the reports can be made confidentially. "We will make sure that you are not harmed in any way by reporting to the government," he said. Monday's report did not surprise Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, who said the product safety commission's chairwoman, Inez Tenenbaum, told him Monday she did not know when further testing would be completed. "I am very disappointed with the whole process, and especially that the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] can't say whether drywall is harmful to people's health," he told CNN. "Common sense says otherwise, but we still lack definitive answers." Joan Glickman, who moved out of her townhouse in Pompano Beach, Florida, after her wiring and air conditioning failed, said Monday's report told her nothing new. "It was a huge letdown because it still didn't tell me how to fix it, who's going to fix it, how do we go about fixing it, where the money comes from," said Glickman, who moved in with her mother. "This has left us in such a mess." CNN's Rich Phillips contributed to this story from Miami, Florida.

Air samples from 41 homes containing drywall made in China are analyzed . "Strong association" found between high hydrogen sulfide levels, corrosion in the homes . Nearly 2,100 reports detail smell, sickness, failed appliances, corrosion in homes . Drywall in question was imported during U.S. housing boom, from 2005 through 2007 .

cb0ce455073f3254424fe3222fd1786bf5db7c10

(CNN) -- Even before Manchester United and Chelsea kicked off at Old Trafford on Monday, there was ample intrigue. With Chelsea making no secret about its interest in United striker Wayne Rooney, would the Englishman start? Rooney, who United repeatedly insist isn't for sale despite the 27-year-old putting in a transfer request at the end of last season, did make the starting 11 and played the full 90 minutes. Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, didn't start a recognized striker, leaving $78 million man Fernando Torres on the bench. He again omitted Chelsea's player of last season, creative midfielder Juan Mata. In the end, both teams maintained their unbeaten start to the young season thanks to a mostly dour 0-0 draw. In David Moyes' first home game in charge since replacing Alex Ferguson, the scoreless tie was the first in the league at Old Trafford in four years. The pre-game hype thus made for more fun than the game itself and the post-game comments from both managers provided yet more entertainment. With reports of a club other than Real Madrid making a late bid for Tottenham winger Gareth Bale, a smiling Moyes didn't deny United was the team in question. "Manchester United will always be interested in the best players," Moyes told Sky Sports. "We're always looking to try to improve the team and the owners have given me every opportunity to bring in whoever I want." Mourinho didn't rule out Chelsea making a third bid for Rooney, although he acknowledged the support the England international received from the crowd would make it difficult for him to leave. Rooney's shift was full of commitment, particularly evidenced when he tracked back late to dispossess Ramires. He was arguably United's best player. "(United fans) supported him all the way so I think this is a real special club with special fans and I think probably now he decides he wants to stay," Mourinho told Sky. Chelsea went top of the standings with seven points through three games, having contested a game more than its rivals when the fixture against Aston Villa was moved up due to the Blues' upcoming Super Cup clash against Bayern Munich. United, Chelsea and Manchester City are thought to be the title contenders this season and City was the first team to flinch when it lost 3-2 at newly promoted Cardiff on Sunday. "I told the players before the game we want to win, we will play to win but if you don't win, you don't lose," said Mourinho. "I think the players understood this completely." The first half Monday never took off. If ever a game needed a goal, as the saying goes, this was it. United striker Robin Van Persie struck the side netting and somehow teammate Antonio Valencia escaped a yellow card from Martin Atkinson when he hacked down Oscar. As the half drew to a close, Rooney almost slipped in van Persie but his pass was too heavy. United began the second half with more urgency and Danny Welbeck -- who scored two goals in United's league opener last week versus Swansea -- should have done better when Rooney found him inside the box. Chelsea's no-striker formation failed to match the potency of the Spanish national team and Torres entered in the 60th minute. United wanted a penalty when it felt Tom Cleverley's shot struck Frank Lampard in the arm but Atkinson didn't budge. "I think that's two in a week that Chelsea has had ... which have been good shouts," Moyes said, referring to an incident in the Villa game last week. Rooney's rising shot in the 77th minute forced Petr Cech into a diving save and from the ensuing corner, Welbeck mistimed his header. Chelsea was by this time happy with a point, further shown when Mourinho replaced Kevin de Bruyne with not Mata but defensive midfielder John Obi Mikel. Three points for Madrid . In Spain, Real Madrid made it two wins from two league games to match Barcelona after beating Granada 1-0 away. Karim Benzema, the French striker linked with Arsenal, accounted for the scoring with a 10th-minute goal. Real Madrid could have added to its lead, but Isco hit the post and Cristiano Ronaldo was denied by keeper Roberto.

Premier League title contenders Manchester United and Chelsea draw 0-0 . It was the first scoreless tie in a league game at Old Trafford since 2009 . Wayne Rooney, linked with a move to Chelsea, played all 90 minutes for the Red Devils . The game marked David Moyes' first home game in charge since replacing Alex Ferguson .

51b2062a439c35a3c2013551fbf8276f777d532b

(CNN) -- Most of us can appreciate that the world is an ancient place and that a lot has changed in the almost 4.6 billion years since it took its shape. It's not easy to have a feel for the amount of time that has passed, but grappling with deep time helps you understand why an atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration (CO2) of 400 parts per million (ppm) is meaningful. Deep time is geologic time and the scale needed to fathom the evolution of life, mountains, oceans, and Earth's climate. Climate, one must note, is not weather. Weather is experienced day to day. Climate occurs on longer scales: the tropics are hot and wet; Antarctica is freezing and miserable. If you wanted to consider the climate of the whole planet you would need to consider its temperature. Without greenhouse gases the world would be a much colder (~30˚C or 65˚F colder) and lonelier place. All of us have felt the greenhouse effect because water vapor is a greenhouse gas and when summer humidity is high you just can't get any relief. Even at night when the sun is gone, water vapor keeps radiating the heat. Dry desert nights are just the opposite, with temperatures falling fast when the lights go out. CO2 works the same way as water vapor. More CO2 radiates more heat, increasing the average temperature and turning more surface water into water vapor, which radiates more heat. This is an example of a positive feedback and positive feedbacks push temperatures higher than CO2 alone. Global climate models tell us that doubling CO2 will lead to a global temperature increase between 2 and 4.5˚C (that's 3.6 to 8˚F), reflecting the climate sensitivity to CO2. Since 400 ppm marks a 43% man-made CO2 rise (from 280 to 400 ppm in ~200 years), we should soon expect 1˚C (1.8˚F) of warming if low-end estimates of climate sensitivity are correct. Well, a 1˚C (1.8˚F) global temperature increase is close to what we've already measured, but full warming is not expressed overnight or even over decades because the world is mostly a cold ocean that helps ameliorate immediate warming by taking up heat. Also, man-made atmospheric particles could be masking up to 0.5˚C (0.9˚F) of the potential temperature rise. With this in mind, we expect temperatures to further increase even if CO2 stopped rising, and so it's not alarming to assume that climate sensitivity might be higher than the belief of an optimist. So, how much CO2 is too much? This is where deep time helps frame our expectations of things to come. First, as far as we know, the rate of our CO2 rise is unprecedented in Earth history. That's saying something, isn't it? During the well-known glacial-interglacial cycles that occurred in the last one million years, CO2 fell to a cold 180 ppm and back up to 280 ppm. Those changes took thousands to tens-of-thousand of years, so, 400 ppm not only breaks that record, but it breaks it in record time. When climate scientists say that they are worried about 2 to 5˚C (3.6 -- 9˚F) of global warming, keep in mind that global temperature was, at most, 4 to 5˚C (7.2 -- 9˚F) colder during the last ice age when miles of ice piled up on land and pushed enough dirt to make Long Island. Small numbers, like 4˚C (7.2˚F) of cooling can mean big things, but that's not where we're headed any more. Now we're headed deeper into the past. At best, CO2 levels are similar to 4 million years ago when global temperatures were 3 to 4˚C (5.4 -- 7.2˚F) higher, and there was little-to-no ice on Greenland, and sea levels were at least ~~20 m (65 feet) higher. Even if we were to resolve to live in the warmth of the relatively recent past, the nagging problem is that atmospheric CO2 levels will continue to rise and stay around for a very, very long time without intentional intervention and/or a surprising technological innovation. CO2 is increasing at about 3 ppm per year and we will be arriving at a minimum CO2 concentration of 700 ppm by year 2100 if nothing is done. In terms of our history, that places us somewhere beyond 35 million years ago when there was no permanent ice on the poles and sea level was over 200 feet higher than today. Add more CO2 to the mix and we step back towards peak temperatures 50 million years ago when CO2 is estimated to have been about 1000 ppm and sub-tropical plants and crocodiles inhabited the poles. There's lots of uncertainty when trying to reconstruct ancient climates and the factors that produced them, but having some sense of the past informs us in the same way as knowing the history of our grandparents and the potential inheritance of future ailments. Deep time tells us that we are traveling forward to a world that is an extraordinary warm and different place, something Earth scientists refer to as a greenhouse world. Hopefully we will resist the urge to take the trip, but if we don't, I know a few people who would be happy to study how it all went down. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Mark Pagani.

Mark Pagani: CO2 level in atmosphere portends major changes . He says research on the past shows the dangers of high levels of greenhouse gases . Today's CO2 levels comparable to time when Greenland had little ice, sea was 65 feet higher . Pagani: With more CO2, we hark back to when crocodiles and sub-tropical plants inhabited the poles .

2e70529831dbeab97cc1fcda167fd88c6d752851

(CNN) -- Denmark's Nicklas Bendtner has been fined US $125,800 for exposing boxer shorts adorned with the logo of an online betting company as he celebrated scoring against Portugal at Euro 2012. The Arsenal striker, who spent last season on loan to Sunderland, was also handed a one-game ban, European football's governing body, UEFA confirmed. After netting his second goal in the match last Wednesday, Bendtner lifted up his shirt to reveal the top of his underpants complete with the "Paddy Power" motif. "Following the opening of disciplinary proceedings concerning the improper conduct of Denmark's Nicklas Bendtner against Portugal, the UEFA control and disciplinary body has decided to suspend the player for one competitive fixture, UEFA said in a statement. Portugal downs Denmark in five-goal thriller . "This suspension applies to the next 2014 World Cup match, including the qualifying competition, for which Bendtner is eligible. The player has also been fined €100,000." Bendtner claimed he had no idea his actions were illegal under UEFA rules. "It is just a pair of lucky boxer shorts that I used in the first game as well and have used before the tournament," Bendtner told reporters. "I didn't know I was breaking any rules but I am aware of that now." But the severity of the punishment has sparked outrage on social media, with many questioning the size of the fine compared to those recently issued for racist incidents earlier in the year. Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand tweeted: "Uefa are not serious...Platini was a great player but him & his colleagues alienate themselves with exactly this type of rubbish ‪#priorities. "If racism made money for Uefa like advertising does do you think Uefa would take it as serious?? ‪#priorities." In April, Portuguese club FC Porto was fined only €20,000 (US $25,208) after their fans racially abused Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli. Paddy Power also voiced its opinion on Twitter: "We think this is a hysterical and deeply cynical move by Uefa driven by pure commercialism!" The company has said it would be contacting Bendtner to offer their full support. Bendtner has three days to file an appeal.

Denmark's Nicklas Bendtner fined €100,000 for underwear incident, UEFA said . Bendtner displayed "Paddy Power" boxer shorts last week during a match against Portugal . Fans expressed outrage on Twitter over the fin, which was sizeably more than recent fines for racism . Bendtner will also be required to sit out one game in the 2014 World Cup .

3a1ae79696939dbfb09efdf5d538a69b78615ed6

(CNN) -- The list of relatives Widline Germain has not heard from since Haiti's earthquake seems like a town population in itself. "When you count our extended family -- the dozens of cousins and aunts and uncles -- there's several hundred of us in Haiti, and we don't know where most of them are," she said from her home in Binghamton, New York. On January 11, the day before the magnitude-7.0 earthquake hit, the 25-year-old who recently graduated from SUNY Cortland returned to New York from an extended New Year's holiday in Haiti. Drawing attention to a photo of the Haitian presidential palace lit up with Christmas lights, a tree decorated on its grounds, she said, "It's like I'm stuck in a horrible dream. The bed I was sleeping in the day before the earthquake is dust." On Thursday, Germain went through the names of relatives -- she says she has about 400 in Haiti -- whom she and her parents are searching for and whom they know are gone. Elise and Benson Germain and their son Junior Germain, missing. Marie Nerla Nicolas and Wilkense Nicolas, missing. "I lost a cousin on my father's side. My mother lost her sister and all four kids," she said. "There are 10 missing on my mother's side and eight missing on father's side." Learn more about some of Germain's missing relatives . She described a mentally disabled uncle who reported being attacked by thugs in Port-au-Prince. Many of her family members live in Jérémie, a river town of about 31,000 that is largely isolated from the rest of the country. "The ones in Jérémie, I don't think most rescuers are getting to the smaller towns," she said, pausing. "All my little cousins -- like ages 2 to 7 -- how are they ever going to be able to get over walking over dead bodies in the street? "They were telling us on their cell phones that they don't have water. They have nothing," Germain said. "We are here, and we can't do anything for them. My family is there starving and thirsty, sleeping on the street -- elderly people sleeping on the street -- and I'm here with water and food. I can't stand this. It's wrong." She and her father and their extended family in New York are prepared to take everyone in. "It's going to be hard, but we have college degrees, jobs, a big house," she said. "We're going to manage, because they're family, and that's what you do."

Haitian-American spent holidays in Haiti, returned day before quake hit . She said her extended family in Haiti numbers about 400 . "My family is there starving and thirsty, sleeping on the street," she said .

b57baf1d9e36fd33ae38ced1cd2285fd1d9d9b81

(Real Simple) -- Find out when it pays to call for help in 8 common situations. Using a Color Consultant . Problem: You'd like to spruce up your house, but you can't seem to find the right red paint to complement your olive green couch. Enter: The color consultant. She can help you select colors that work for your space and spare you from testing 15 different reds on your walls. She can also lead you to unexpected, possibly more daring choices. Cost: Around $50 to $75 an hour (enough time to pick colors for two rooms). To find one: Contact the International Association of Color Consultants/Designers at iaccna.org. Consider doing it yourself when: You have the time and the inclination to sort through paint chips and design magazines for inspiration. For ideas, try "Choosing Colors", by Kevin McCloud ($25, amazon.com). Real Simple: Home Upgrades That Pay Off . Hiring a Carpenter . Problem: Your bookcases are buckling under their heavy load. Enter: The carpenter. A professional knows exactly what to do, from choosing the right veneer to finding the proper wall studs that will prevent it all from crashing down. Cost: Varies considerably. Count on spending at least a few hundred dollars for multilevel shelves. To find one: Ask friends and neighbors for referrals, or contact your local building association at the National Association of Home Builders' website (nahb.org). Consider doing it yourself when: You relish the chance to act as a handyman and break out your power drill. Find a kit with instructions and hardware at a home-improvement or hardware store. Real Simple: Essential Tools for DIY Projects . Consulting an Energy Auditor . Problem: Your energy bill has gone through the roof, and you still feel a chill. Enter: The energy auditor or rater. These pros come armed with sophisticated equipment to trace even tiny air leaks and will prioritize problem areas in your home. Some local utility companies will send a contractor to you for a free basic inspection. Cost: Zero to $350. To find one: Check out energystar.gov or the Residential Energy Services Network at natresnet.org for a certified rater. Consider doing it yourself when: You want to know your house from the insulation out. Check your local utility company's website. Many have relatively easy instructions for do-it-yourself energy audits. Or see the U.S. Department eere.energy.gov. Selling on eBay . Problem: Your china cabinet is full of unused mint-condition heirlooms. Enter: The eBay drop-off store. These independently owned stores handle everything from photographing to shipping. Stores known as Power Sellers, such as iSold It, may fetch a higher price than you can, and there's usually no charge if an item doesn't sell. Cost: A commission of up to 35 percent of the sale. To find one: Go to i-soldit.com for stores, or look under Consignment Services at auctionbytes.com. Consider doing it yourself when: You are comfortable uploading digital pictures and have time to pack and ship the goods. Setting up an eBay account and posting a picture is free. If you sell, eBay keeps a commission of 5.25 to 1.5 percent of the sale, depending on the selling price. Real Simple: 5 Easy Decorating Projects . Cleaning Your House . Problem: Despite your best efforts, your house always seems to be a disaster zone. Enter: The house cleaner. One person or a whole crew will do the dirty work for you, whether it's a weekly visit or a job every few months -- all in a couple of hours. Cost: $80 to $400 a visit, ranging from maintenance to a deep cleaning. To find one: Ask friends for referrals, or try the National Cleaning Directory (cleaningassociation.com). Consider doing it yourself when: You're picky about where you stash Bobby's toys. It may take a bit longer to get the job done, but you'll have the peace of mind of knowing what's where. Finding Carpet, Upholstery and Curtain Cleaners . Problem: Your carpet is stained, and your upholstery and curtains are looking dingy enough to darken anyone's mood. Enter: Curtain, upholstery, and carpet cleaners. They'll work with heavy equipment and cleaning solvents for a deep cleaning that will extend the life of your home's fabrics. Cost: About 25 cents a square foot for curtains, $12 to $25 a linear foot for upholstery, and 30 cents a square foot for carpets. To find one: Ask around, or look up Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning in the Yellow Pages. Consider doing it yourself when: It's a small job, the stains are minor, or it's an in-between maintenance job. For less risk of permanent damage, know the type of fiber and stains you're dealing with. Real Simple: Simple Updates for Old Furnishings . Restyling a Room . Problem: You have a living room full of lovely furniture, but the arrangement isn't working. Enter: The professional restyler. Also called redecorators and interior refiners, restylers will pop into your home, look at what you've got, and rearrange it, giving your old furniture new life. Cost: $200 to $350 a room. To find one: The Interior Refiners Network (interiorrefiners.com) has a directory of local restylers. Consider doing it yourself when: You want to learn the tricks of the styling trade. One book you might want to consult is "Home Therapy" (Perigree, $20, amazon.com), by Lauri Ward. Real Simple: Decorate on the Cheap With Everyday Items . Handling a Computer Snafu . Problem: Your home computer has taken mutiny to a new level. Enter: The home-technology consultant. A pro will save you time on tasks like setting up a computer and rescuing a hard-drive crash and make all systems go by the end of setup. Cost: $100 to $250 a visit. To find one: Find a tech specialist nationwide at Best Buy stores or geeksquad.com, or servicemagic.com. Consider doing it yourself when: You have a knack for technology and aren't intimidated by the jungle of wires inside your machine's guts. For live troubleshooting help, call a manufacturer's 800 number and be prepared for a wait and perhaps a fee. Real Simple: 6 Simple Steps to Painting a Room . Get a FREE TRIAL issue of Real Simple - CLICK HERE! Copyright © 2011 Time Inc. All rights reserved.

If paint colors have you baffled, try hiring a color consultant . You can hire someone to clean your house, but for peace of mind, you may want to do it yourself . Handle a computer snafu by phoning in a request to geeksquad.com .

ce984a0a90765a4d58b703869263022000ddd4db

Los Angeles (CNN) -- A judge declared a mistrial Monday in actress Nicollette Sheridan's wrongful termination lawsuit against "Desperate Housewives" creator Marc Cherry and ABC. The jury told the judge they were deadlocked at 8-4, in favor of the actress, after three days of deliberations. They needed nine jurors to agree on a verdict. Sheridan sued, claiming her character was killed -- and her acting job eliminated -- in retaliation for her complaining that Cherry hit her during a rehearsal for the ABC comedy. Lawyers for Cherry and ABC's Touchstone Television argued the demise of her character was a creative decision unrelated to the workplace complaint. ABC executives testified that Cherry gained their permission to have Edie Britt -- the sassy blonde played by Sheridan -- die in May 2008, four months before an incident in which Cherry allegedly struck Sheridan. The hit during a rehearsal was just "a light tap on the head" intended to demonstrate "a piece of physical humor" Cherry wanted Sheridan to perform, the defense said in opening statements. Sheridan testified that Cherry hit her because he was frustrated during a discussion over her lines in a scene. "It was a nice wallop to my head" she said. One juror who voted for Sheridan's case said afterward that the defense story "just didn't hold water for me." Beverly Crosby, a retired elementary school principal, said her decision to find the studio liable was based on her doubts about the credibility of several defense witnesses, which included high-level ABC executives. "There were a lot of people that some of the jurors found not too credible," Crosby said. Juror Johnny Huynh, who also voted for Sheridan's side, said it seemed to him that ABC executives scripted their stories "just a little bit." "I don't say they was scripted," Huyhn said. "It's more like the story don't match for me." Sheridan lawyer Mark Baute said while there was no victory, the jury's 8-4 vote did send a message to ABC and parent company Disney. "They had 10 witnesses tell their little scripted story, with no documents, and eight jurors looked at their best, their presidents, and said, 'No, I'm not buying it, I'm not buying what you're selling, Mr. President,' " Baute said. Lawyers will now prepare for a retrial, because an out-of-court settlement is not expected, he said. "My view is that Disney is the unhappiest place on Earth, so why would there ever be a settlement offer?" Baute said. ABC lawyer Adam Levin said the retrial will be "far more narrow than the previous case" since the judge tossed out Sheridan's battery complaint, leaving only the wrongful termination issue against the studio. In fact, Cherry is no longer a defendant, he said. The jury of nine women and three men began deliberating on Wednesday but told the judge on Monday morning they were hopelessly deadlocked. Although the show's line producer reported the hitting incident to the studio's human resources department, there was no investigation until an ABC senior executive saw a National Enquirer story about it at a grocery store two months later, according to testimony. What followed was a "fake" investigation designed "to protect the money machine known as 'Desperate Housewives,'" Baute said. "Nobody wants the 'Desperate Housewives' applecart turned upside down." The human resources investigator did not interview Cherry or Sheridan about the incident, only three people who worked for Cherry, Baute said. Five months and 11 episodes after the rehearsal incident, Cherry informed Sheridan that Britt would die during a show taping the next day, ending her five-year run on "Desperate Housewives." "To my estimation, it wasn't handled correctly," juror Crosby said. "It wasn't handled the way it should have been handled." Sheridan was asking for $5.7 million in damages from ABC and Cherry, although the actress was paid $4 million in her last year of work and is still earning royalties from her vested interest in the hit series.

NEW: Juror says she questioned credibility of ABC's witnesses . Actress Nicollette Sheridan sued the show's creator and ABC for wrongful termination . She claims her firing was in retaliation for complaining she was struck by show's creator . The jury was deadlocked at 8-4, in favor of the actress .

5c333a320827b64bd51ec062b7a393801f19db98

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Afghanistan officials said 26 people across the country were killed in election day violence, although they hailed Thursday's vote as a success. A woman dips her finger in ink to show she voted in Bamiyan, one of Afghanistan's more peaceful provinces. Nearly 95 percent of the more than 6,000 polling stations across Afghanistan opened on Thursday, according to government and electoral officials. Counting is under way but initial results are not expected for another 36 to 48 hours, while final results will not be certified until mid-September. Officials extended voting until everyone waiting in line had a chance to cast their ballots. "At some [polling stations] there is a very large line," said Azizullah Ludin of Afghanistan's Independent Electoral Commission. "We have to complete all these people that are coming here." It is the nation's second presidential election since the 2001 fall of the Taliban. Ludin said the decision to add more time to vote was because of a large turnout at some stations and technical issues that delayed voting for others. There were no official details on voter turnout and it has been difficult to get an accurate count of how many Afghans voted in defiance of threats of violence from the Taliban. CNN's Atia Abawi said election officials at one polling station in Kabul had already begun counting ballots after a low turnout when the order to extend voting reached them. Afghan voter turnout low as presidential election nears end » . When asked how many ballots had been counted, an election official said 1,000 -- which seemed high to the CNN crew that had been at the polling station all day. "We were there all day and we did not see 1,000 people," CNN's Kevin Flower said. Election workers in central Bamiyan province immediately began reopening the polls after the order to extend voting. "Election workers had put up security tape barriers and even tied down the flaps to their voting tents shortly after 4 p.m. local time," CNN's Ivan Watson reported from the province. "The security tape has been removed and voters are straggling in again." Election observers from 30 groups -- both domestic and international -- said voting in Kabul province was fairly smooth, though a few reports surfaced of irregularities at various polling stations. Afghans were electing a president from 40 hopefuls and 420 members of the provincial council in what was seen in the international community as a high-stakes test for the fledgling South Asian democracy. The Taliban had vowed to disrupt the voting and the risk factor in some areas may have been too high for some Afghans to venture out to vote. Watch an election monitor in Kabul discuss what's being examined » . The government ordered a ban on media coverage of incidents of violence in an effort to "ensure the wide participation of the Afghan people" as 300,000 NATO and Afghan soldiers were out in force to safeguard voters. The independent Pajhwok Afghan News, which had announced it would not heed the media ban, posted online reports of deadly attacks across Afghanistan. CNN has not confirmed those incidents. Afghan security officials said voting day violence claimed the lives of 17 Afghan policemen and soldiers, and another nine civilians. An American service member was killed in a mortar strike in eastern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said. It did not say where the attack took place. Major fighting continued for a second day in the city of Baghlan, north of Kabul, security sources said. Rockets were fired at the town throughout the day, a day after heavy fighting that claimed the life of the city's police chief, the sources said. Afghans in Baghlan are afraid to leave their homes to cast their ballots, Afghan security officials said. In the eastern city of Gardez, four rockets pounded the outskirts of the city, while a roadside bomb struck in another area, the local security chief said. There were no casualties from either incident. But other parts of Afghanistan have been largely spared the daily drumbeat of car bombs, assassinations and whizzing rockets. Enthusiasm filled the air as voters lined up to have their say. Pajhwok reported brisk turnout in western Herat province, which borders Iran. Khwaja Mahboob told Pajhwok that he voted for a woman for a provincial council seat because he believed women should have a stronger say in Afghanistan. Watch what ranks high among Afghan concerns » . In central Bamiyan province, where predominantly ethnic Hazaras suffered under Taliban rule, thousands of voters cast their ballots behind cardboard screens inside dust-caked tents. Police struggled to hold back and search the crowd and at one point, people pushed through, breaking off one of the gates to the polling center. After voting, one elderly man admitted he wasn't sure who he voted for. "Whoever God wants will be king," he said. Many Afghans are illiterate and rely on symbols like light bulbs and books to identify their candidates on the ballot paper. Organizers from Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission said 11 polling centers in Daikundi province were closed because of security concerns. Some polling stations in eastern Kunar and Nuristan provinces did not open and others, including 100 in Ghor, opened without a security presence, according to Pajhwok. Afghanistan observers and experts said a high turnout would help marginalize the Taliban which ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. Incumbent President Hamid Karzai, dressed in his traditional purple and green striped robe, cast his vote shortly after the polls opened and had his finger stained with ink that is supposed to last for two weeks, a measure intended to thwart fraud by preventing people from voting multiple times. "I'm sure this will be for peace, for progress and for the well-being of the Afghan people," Karzai said. But at some Kabul polling stations, the ink apparently was not potent enough, according to Damaso Magbual, an observer from the Asian Network for Free Elections. At another station, a boy who successfully voted with a fraudulent registration card, admitted to being only 13, Magbual said. Karzai's top rival was his former finance minister Abdullah Abdullah, who once served as a confidante of Ahmed Shah Massoud, the charismatic leader of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance killed by al Qaeda. Who are the candidates? How does the voting work? Read here » . The other candidate who gathered steam in the campaign was former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani, a Western-educated man who served as a World Bank analyst. Karzai was named interim leader after the fall of the Taliban regime and won the 2004 election by a significant margin. His popularity, however, has waned in recent months as Afghanistan has been crippled by corruption and increasing bloodshed. Both Abdullah and Ghani hailed anti-corruption measures and government transparency as centerpieces of their campaign platforms. Women's votes were seen as crucial after an especially repressive period for women under the Taliban when they were stripped of rights. But in some polling stations Thursday, women voters were greatly outnumbered by men. What do Afghans want? See in photos here » . Habiba Surobi, the female governor of Bamiyan, said women who live in remote Afghan villages are still not aware of their rights. "This is something to be concerned about," she said, adding that it was the responsibility of Afghanistan's women leaders to ensure better awareness and education. About 15 million of Afghanistan's 33 million people are registered to vote. Earlier, officials had estimated that number as 17 million. CNN's Atia Abawi and Ivan Watson contributed to this report.

26 people killed in election day violence, Afghan officials say . Vote hailed a success by officials as the count begins . The Taliban had vowed to disrupt the voting . More than 3,000 candidates vie for 420 provincial seats; 40 standing for president .

4bc1bf16a3364ff70a41bb4d4d19a6c33e0937cd

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Police arrested 26 demonstrators at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday during a protest of federal AIDS policy, a Capitol police spokeswoman said. A man is placed in a van Thursday after being arrested on suspicion of unlawfully demonstrating in the Capitol. Police arrested the protesters on suspicion of unlawful assembly and disorderly conduct at the Capitol rotunda, spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Schneider said. The protesting group, Health Global Access Project, said in a statement that 27 people were arrested. The 10 a.m. demonstration by dozens of AIDS activists for increased funding of AIDS programs coincides with this week's congressional talks over the financing of a health care reform plan. Members of Health Global Access Project entered the busy rotunda and chained themselves together with plastic chains, Schneider said. They lay on the ground holding up signs while some amused bystanders watched as police tried to persuade the protesters to disperse. Police took those who refused into custody. Group members knew they risked arrest, the group said in its statement, but they wanted to grab the attention of lawmakers and President Obama, who they accused of creating a "flawed budget proposal" that did not include critical HIV/AIDS funding. "HIV is not in recession," Omolola Adele-Oso of DC Fights Back said in the statement. "So why are we bailing out the bankers with $9 trillion, but breaking promises to fund life-saving AIDS programs in the U.S. and around the world at a fraction of that cost?" The group wants increased HIV/AIDS funding in the health care plan and requested that the government "fully fund" global AIDS programs and housing programs for low-income AIDS sufferers, they said. They argue that the administration's budget proposal "essentially flatlines global AIDS funding." HIV/AIDS funding increased for 2010 under a Department of Health and Human Services budget. Obama applauded former President Bush in December for his funding of global AIDS programs and said he planned to continue the work for AIDS relief in Africa. About 33 million people worldwide have HIV, according to the World Health Organization. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 1.1 million people living in the United States are infected with HIV/AIDS. More than 13 percent of those newly diagnosed in 2006 transmitted the disease through injection drug use, the CDC reported. Health Global Access Project also wants Congress to lift the federal ban on funding syringe exchange so clean needles are available to users, Jose De Marco said in the statement. De Marco, who has HIV, is a member of the AIDS activist organizations ACT UP Philadelphia and Proyecto Sol Filadelphia.

Police: Demonstrators chained themselves together, lay on ground in rotunda . Protesters: Federal government needs to spend more on AIDS programs . Group also wants Congress to lift the federal ban on funding syringe exchange .

8a04e8a2f4b8fce2c20043664886c9b0a1319b61

(CNN) -- Alberto Contador will ride for a new team when he seeks his fourth Tour de France title next year, after deciding not to renew his contract with Astana. The Spanish cyclist made the announcement on Wednesday, just three days after winning the sport's premier event for the third time in four years. "Alberto Contador has rejected the ultimatum of the Astana team, who had asked for a definitive answer to its offer of a contract renewal for the coming seasons," read a statement from his spokesman, the UK Press Association reported. "Contador had asked for time to consider his future, given the importance of this decision. Although the positions of both parties were not so far apart, the team wanted to know urgently whether or not the winner of the Triple Crown would lead the team in 2011, and that's where the positions began to differ." The 27-year-old joined Astana -- which is owned by a group of state-run companies from Kazakhstan -- in 2008. Contador claims third Tour de France title . He had won the Tour for the first time with the Discovery Channel team in 2007, but Astana were not allowed to enter the following year after doping scandals. Contador claimed the title again last year despite an uneasy relationship with Astana teammate Lance Armstrong, the seven-time champion who was making his racing comeback after a short retirement. Armstrong's team faces hearing over jerseys . With Armstrong leaving after the 2009 event to form his own team, RadioShack, Contador was the clear leader of Astana this year despite the successful return by Alexandre Vinokourov, who had quit in 2008 after being banned for blood doping. Contador has yet decide where he will ride next year, his spokesman said. "After winning the 2010 Tour de France, Alberto Contador wants to have time to calmly explore all possibilities available to him to ride during the coming seasons, but so far none has been excluded," the statement said.

Three-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador decides to leave Astana team . The Spanish cyclist has been with the Kazakhstani outfit since 2008 . The 27-year-old released a statement saying he was not ready to make a decision to stay . Contador said he has yet decide where he will ride next year .

977c7954ffa2edb66b28b094b389b451002262a7

(CNN) -- Andre Villas-Boas' troubles as Chelsea manager deepened on Saturday as he watched his side go down to a 1-0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion in the English Premier League. An 82nd minute strike by defender Gareth McAuley was enough to sent the Blues' crashing to a seventh league defeat. The result also means they lose ground on London rivals Arsenal in the race to finish fourth place and secure Champions League football next season. "It wasn't good enough and it's not been good enough for quite some time. We don't win enough games and they are not numbers that make us proud. In football there is joy and there is pain," Villas-Boas told BBC Sport after the game. Robin van Persie's deft injury-time volley gave Arsenal all three points against Liverpool at Anfield. Liverpool were awarded a penalty in the 19th minute when Tomasz Szczesny brought down Luis Suarez, but made amends palming Dirk Kuyt's spot kick to safety. But four minutes later the Reds went ahead when Laurent Koscielny turned the ball into his own net as he tried to divert Jordan Henderson's cross. But the lead didn't last long as van Persie headed home his first from a Bacary Sagna cross in the 31st minute. The game looked to be heading for a draw when the Dutch striker caressed the ball past Pepe Reina in the second minute of injury time to leave Liverpool 10 points adrift of a Champions League place. Arsenal are now three points clear of Chelsea in fourth place with 49 points. League leaders Manchester City enjoyed a comfortable 2-0 win against Bolton Wanderers at the Etihad Stadium. A 23rd-minute own goal by Icelandic defender Gretar Steinsson handed Roberto Mancini's team the lead. Mario Balotelli's 14th goal of the season in the 69th minute ensured all three points and a five-point lead at the top of the table. Nearest rivals Manchester United play Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on Sunday. Bolton remain mired in trouble, level on 20 points with bottom side Wigan who also lost on Saturday going down 2-0 at home to Swansea City who despite the win stay in 14th place with 33 points. Stoke City made it back-to-back wins in the league with 1-0 victory over Norwich at the Britannia Stadium -- a result which keeps them in eighth place. Queens Park Rangers drew 1-1 with Everton at Loftus Road to rise to 16th in the table. West Brom's win means Everton drop to 11th. An 85th-minute header from David Dunn earned Blackburn Rovers a point against Aston Villa who took the lead through Charles N'Zogbia in the 24th minute. Steve Keen's team remain in 18th with 22 points while Villa stay in 15th. Newcastle United take on Sunderland in the northeast derby on Sunday while Wolves travel to Fulham.

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas under further pressure after 1-0 defeat at West Brom . Robin van Persie brace hands Arsenal 2-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield . League leaders Manchester City move five points clear with 2-0 win over Bolton .

38a7528e232e8497026ca6b0d7fb1df6902bd8d0

(CNN) -- Sebastian Vettel led home teammate Mark Webber as Red Bull claimed a 1-2 in the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday. Red Bull have claimed all three pole positions so far this season, with German Vettel heading the grid in the first two races and Webber starting first at Sepang, but had been hit by reliability issues priot to Sunday's race. However, they finally got their reward this time around, with Vettel outpacing his Australian colleague after the first lap, holding on for a comfortable victory. Formula One standings after three races . "It was a great race for us and a great result for the team after the last two races when we just didn't get the results we wanted," Vettel told reporters. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg claimed third place -- although it proved another disappointing race for seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher who was forced to quit the race early because of suspension problems. The grid had a lop-sided look to it due to Saturday's dramatic qualifying session which was hit by heavy rain. This meant the two dominant teams, Ferrari and McLaren, were both towards the rear of the field as the race began and had to weave their way through slower cars in order to get amongst the top 10 for some world championship points. McLaren's former world champion Lewis Hamilton drove superbly to battle his way to sixth position, after starting 20th, while Ferrari's Felipe Massa finished seventh and current world champion Jenson Button was eighth. Meanwhile, Bahrain GP winner Fernando Alonso, who led the championship going into the race, saw his race ended on the penultimate lap due to an engine problem with his Ferrari -- after he had tried to overtake Button. With Alonso failing to finish in the top 10, therefore missing out on world championship points, Massa's seventh-placed finish proved enough for him to steal the overall lead from his Ferrari teammate . The Brazilian, who has returned to F1 this season after suffering head injuries in an horrific crash last season, lies on 39 points, two ahead of Alonso and Vettel who are tied for second place. But this season promises to be one of the closest ever with only nine points separating the top seven after three different winners -- Alonso, Button and Vettel -- in the first three races.

Sebastian Vettel beats Red Bull teammate Mark Webber to win Malaysian GP . Vettel had started on pole position for the first two F1 races of the season . Felipe Massa finishes seventh but overtakes Fernando Alonso to lead overall .

5ccadc9e32f089fa7bf643e2a57be9e7d7ce9432

(CNN) -- For some, this week in Europe will be consumed by a singing contest. Eurovision. A contest where musical ambassadors from all over Europe and beyond come together as an instrument for political jockeying... I mean to showcase their talent in a performance of free expression. In either case, it makes this year's venue --Azerbaijan -- a controversial one, but also an excellent opportunity for international advocacy to do some good. Eurovision is a singing contest whereby each country participant, which includes most countries in Europe and others who are members of the Eurovision Broadcasting Union, like Russia and Israel, sends musical acts to a competition that pits country against country. It should be about the performances. But, it isn't. It's European politics at its most flamboyant. And this show has been a curious reflection of regional politics since 1956. Historically, Eurovision has offered some interesting outlets for citizen voters. Britain received no votes in 2003 after joining the U.S. in invading Iraq. On the other hand, the contest provided for a coalition with encouraging indications in 2007 when Serbia won after it nabbed the support of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Slovenia. This year's contest is in Azerbaijan, which is a member of the Eurovision Zone. The venue is a contested one, both when it comes to the country and the actual site for the competition itself. Claims of corruption and political repression plague the Baku government led by President Ilham Aliyev. The Aliyev government is especially infamous for corruption, and Transparency International rates it as one of the most corrupt governments in the world. The Aliyev family is reported to have interests in just about every private sector (which does not include oil and gas in the public sector), including telecoms, construction, real estate, aviation, and mineral mines. Few were surprised to learn recently that the president is profiting off the Eurovision contest. It was recently uncovered by the Organized Crime and Reporting Project in conjunction with Radio Free Europe that his family appears to have a stake in the company actually constructing the venue. Azerbaijan won the honor of hosting this year's contest in Baku because its singing duo, Eldar & Nigar won with their song, "Running Scared" in 2011. Coincidentally, plenty of people in Azerbaijan are in fact scared. And this reality flies in the face of the polished pro-Western exterior the government transmits to the world. The, actually very, autocratic government cracks down on any dissent. Some reports indicate that the Azerbaijan government is imprisoning 17 "prisoners of conscience"; others say it is more like 70. These are individuals imprisoned not for a crime but as punishment for their exercise of a fundamental freedom, most often freedom of expression. On World Press Day earlier this month, Azerbaijan's Ambassador to the United Nations, and current Security Council President, Agshin Mehdiyev told a room of journalists that Azerbaijan has a "free media" and "does not need world press day." People inAzerbaijan tell a different story. And embarrassingly, the ambassador was clearly unaware of the occasion. The month before, an Azerbaijani journalist, Eynulla Fatullayev, had been awarded UNESCO's World Press Freedom Prize. Eynulla Fatullayev had been unjustly imprisoned in 2007 and released in 2011. In another attempt to cut off criticism, the Azerbaijan government imprisoned two well known bloggers, Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizade, in 2008. The bloggers' crimes: hooliganism. Their real crime: a video poking fun at the government's recent extravagant payment for donkeys. The two men -- now known as the donkey bloggers -- were released early, after a coordinated international campaign. Today among these prisoners of conscience is Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, a former student of the Harvard University Kennedy School of Public Policy. After the program, Bakhtiyar went home to Azerbaijan to stand in a parliamentary election. He used his campaign platform to call for an end to government corruption. The government did not appreciate this, and began hassling him about compulsory military service. The Council of Europe, of which Azerbaijan is a member, has called repeatedly for alternative civil service to be permitted. The government added constitutional language to provide for alternative service, but in practice does not permit alternative service. Despite legal deferments and a plea for alternative civil service, Bakhtiyar was sentenced to two years in prison -- the longest prison term observed for this crime. With the Azerbaijan government in violation of the Council of Europe, infamous for corruption, notorious for repression against expression, it is indeed ironic that Europe's most beloved singing contest is held in Azerbaijan. Certainly, the Azerbaijani people are proud of this attention. And they should be. But, this is not just an opportunity for the Azerbaijani people to shine, Eurovision is also an important opportunity for us all to focus on the host country's government and to demand reform, which to start should be the release of individuals like Bakhtiyar Hajiyev. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Maran Turner .

Maran Turner says Eurovision is an opportunity for international advocacy to do good . The very autocratic government "cracks down on any dissent," says Turner . The Council of Europe has called for alternative civil service to be permitted . She says it is ironic that Europe's most beloved singing contest is held in Azerbaijan .

de44714705e9c2d30593f40c7ebbb73426319804

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- The world knows her as the daring nanny who, clutching a 2-year-old boy, pushed past the havoc in a terrorized Mumbai and risked her life to keep the toddler safe. Sandra Samuel bravely saved the life of Moshe Holtzberg, 2, but says she sees no heroism in her actions. But Sandra Samuel sees no heroism in her actions amid last week's terror attacks on India's financial capital that killed nearly 180 people -- including baby Moshe's parents, Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife, Rivka. She only wishes she could have done more. "Even today, I am thinking I should have sent the baby and done something for the rabbi and his wife," Samuel told CNN in an exclusive television interview in Israel, where she now lives. Samuel and Moshe were among the few to make it out of the Chabad House alive after gunmen stormed the Jewish center, killing the Holtzbergs and four others. Israel's Chabad movement has set up a fund to provide for Moshe's care. He is being looked after by members of the community, although who will serve as his guardian has not yet been established. The nanny says she came face to face with a gunman late Wednesday, the first night of the siege. "I saw one man was shooting at me -- he shot at me." Watch CNN's Paula Hancocks talk with Samuel » . She slammed a door and hid in a first-floor storage room and attempted to reach the rabbi and the others on the second floor. Overnight, Samuel frantically tried to call for help as gunfire and grenade blasts shook the Chabad House. Samuel says she emerged early the next afternoon, when she heard Moshe calling for her. She found the child crying as he stood between his parents, who she says appeared unconscious but still alive. Based on the marks on Moshe's back, she believes he was struck so hard by a gunman that he fell unconscious at some point as well. "First thing is that a baby is very important for me and this baby is something very precious to me and that's what made me just not think anything -- just pick up the baby and run," Samuel said. "When I hear gunshot, it's not one or 20. It's like a hundred gunshots," she added. "Even I'm a mother of two children so I just pick up the baby and run. Does anyone think of dying at the moment when there's a small, precious baby?" Watch Samuel describe the escape » . Outside, chaos flooded the streets as people tried to make sense of the massacre that killed at least 179 people and wounded 300 others. Ultimately, she and Moshe reached safety at the home of an Israeli consul before arriving in Israel, where she is considered a hero. In the aftermath of the attacks, Moshe asked for his mother continuously, Samuel says, and he is learning to play again -- though he likes the nanny close by. And while she still has nightmares of the horrific siege that took hold of Mumbai, Samuel, a non-Jew and native of India, said she will stay in Israel for as long as Moshe needs her. Watch as Samuel describes boy asking for his mother » . "Yes, yes, they said it is important I am here," she said. "Me, I just take care of the baby."

Sandra Samuel, who saved toddler's life, sees no heroism in her actions . Why she faced gunfire: "This baby is something very precious to me" Samuel: "When I hear gunshot, it's not one or 20. It's like a hundred gunshots" For now, she will stay in Israel helping take care of orphan toddler that she saved .

6c3e38f97b830625ffa95587b082e0d80be54ed5