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(CNN) -- Not long ago, it was virtually guaranteed that the "Big Four" of men's tennis would grace the semifinals of every major tournament. But times are changing -- while fans had hoped Roger Federer might make it as far as the last eight in China this week for a tantalizing clash with Novak Djokovic, it was not to be. The former world No. 1 said he had been energized by the response to his first appearance since September's U.S. Open after Wednesday's win over Andreas Seppi, but he was stopped in his tracks 24 hours later. Federer, now ranked seventh and battling for a place in the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals for the 12th successive year, was beaten 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 by former world No. 7 Gael Monfils at the Shanghai Masters. Blog: When should Federer retire? As a semifinalist last year, the 32-year-old will lose points in the race for the eight places in London. The 17-time grand slam champion went straight back out on court to play alongside China's Zhang Ze in the doubles -- a rare foray in the format for the Swiss -- and suffered another defeat as they went down 6-1 1-6 10-8 against Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo. Defending champion Djokovic, meanwhile, booked his place in the quarterfinals with a 6-3 6-3 win over Italy's Fabio Fognini. He will face a Frenchman who beat Federer for just the second time in eight career meetings, but has a 0-8 record against Djokovic. Monfils, now ranked 42nd after resuming his career this year following an injury-plagued 2012 season, had led 5-3 in the second set and also 5-3 in the tie-break but admitted nerves got to him. "I knew that I choked on this forehand at 5-4," the 27-year-old said. "Then I changed my ideas because I was maybe nervous, too. Even though I was tired, I tried to play more aggressively sometimes, going more for my shots and it worked. "It's a good win for me. I feel a bit sorry for him because I know he's running for London. But it's tennis. He's going to have more opportunity those weeks coming up." World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, who is assured a place at the London finals, moved into the Shanghai quarterfinals with a 6-1 7-6 (7-5) victory over Carlos Berlocq on Thursday. The Spaniard will next face Federer's eighth-ranked compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka, who won 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 against another finals hopeful, Canada's No. 11 Milos Raonic. With the other member of the game's leading quartet, Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, already ruled out of his home showpiece event next month due to injury, it would be a massive blow for organizers if Federer is also absent. Federer has two tournaments left in which to qualify -- his home Swiss Indoors and the Paris Masters. He was the losing finalist in Basel last year, but skipped the French event so can potentially gain points there. "He's still strong," Monfils said. "It's just a matter of confidence, I think. I have no doubt that he will get back to the way people expect him to be." Spanish third seed David Ferrer also crashed out in Shanghai, losing 6-4 6-3 to Florian Mayer -- becoming the German's first top-10 scalp this year. Fourth-ranked Ferrer, who has already qualified for next month's season finale, dropped to a 50-18 record this year. Mayer, meanwhile, will next face French seventh seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who kept alive his hopes of qualifying for London by beating Japan's Kei Nishikori 7-6 (7-5) 6-0. Sixth seed Juan Martin del Potro walked into the quarterfinals when German veteran Tommy Haas pulled out of their clash with a back problem. The Argentine, fifth in the points standings, will next face Spain's Nicolas Almagro -- who dented Tomas Berdych's hopes of clinching a London berth by beating the sixth-ranked Czech 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 7-6 (7-4) in two hours and 37 minutes.

Roger Federer loses to Gael Monfils in third round of the Shanghai Masters . Former world No. 1 also beaten in the doubles later Thursday . The 17-time grand slam winner battling to qualify for ATP World Tour Finals . He missed out on a Shanghai quarterfinal against world No. 2 Novak Djokovic .

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(CNN) -- As Moore, Oklahoma, struggles to regain its footing under the public spotlight, journalists from CNN are among those sharing online images of the devastation of a deadly tornado, as well as the rescue and recovery efforts there. But they're not alone. From rescue workers like the Red Cross to the Oklahoma County Sheriff's office to the governor of the state, regular citizens are taking to social media to share, as well, helping paint the picture of a tragedy that has captivated and saddened a nation. How to help . Here is our roundup of social media images and messages coming out of Moore -- both from our own staff and others. Let us know of any other social media accounts providing good information in the comments. . Mobile users unable to see the Storify, please click here.

CNN staff on the ground in Moore, Oklahoma, are posting social media updates . Photos show devastation, signs of hope . Red Cross, Gov. Mary Fallin among officials also posting social updates .

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Sanford, Florida (CNN) -- George Zimmerman was booked into jail Sunday after surrendering to authorities before an afternoon deadline, the Seminole County sheriff said. Zimmerman met two members of the sheriff's office in a business parking lot about 1:25 p.m. Sunday and was taken into custody, Sheriff Donald Eslinger told reporters. Zimmerman was required to return to central Florida and turn himself in after a judge revoked his bail Friday, saying Zimmerman misled the court about his finances. Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, is accused of shooting unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin in a gated community in Sanford in February. Zimmerman argues he acted in self-defense. Police: Martin's death 'ultimately avoidable' Eslinger said Zimmerman, who will be housed in administrative confinement at Seminole County's John E. Polk Correctional Facility, was "quiet and cooperative." He was being held on a no-bail status, the sheriff's office said. Video from the jail showed Zimmerman exiting a white minivan, wearing handcuffs, jeans and a long-sleeve shirt, escorted by authorities. Zimmerman's cell is designed to hold two inmates and is about 67 square feet, the sheriff's office said. It is equipped with two beds and a toilet. Inmates are not provided access to televisions, authorities said. It was not clear from the sheriff's office whether another inmate would be in the cell with Zimmerman. After being booked, Zimmerman will be given an opportunity to purchase items at the commissary. His balance in the commissary account, posted on the sheriff's web site, was $500. "While out on bond, Mr. Zimmerman has been living in a secure, undisclosed location as there are significant threats against his life," his attorneys said Sunday on the official website for his defense. Documents shed light on Florida killing . Asked how his client spent the weekend, attorney Mark O'Mara told reporters, "travel." He said Zimmerman was worried about coming out of hiding, "but I think he also realizes the judge's concerns." O'Mara said he will be filing a motion Monday asking Seminole County Judge Kenneth Lester Jr. for a new bond hearing to revisit Zimmerman's status and allow the defense to "explain why what happened seems to have happened." Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder in the case that sparked anger across the country. Martin's family contends that Zimmerman racially profiled the 17-year-old who was walking home from a convenience store. Martin was black; Zimmerman his white Hispanic. His family has said Zimmerman did not act out of racial bias. Opinion: Trayvon Martin shooting wasn't a case of racial profiling . Lester ordered Zimmerman back to jail, saying the 28-year-old was not truthful about how much money he had access to when he was freed on bond in April. Lester's ruling on Friday followed allegations by prosecutors that Zimmerman had $135,000. At the time, his wife told the court under oath that the family was indigent. Zimmerman's attorneys said they will request a new bond hearing to address the issue. "The defense team hopes that Mr. Zimmerman's voluntary surrender to Sanford police will help demonstrate to the court that he is not a flight risk. Furthermore, the vast majority of the funds in question are in an independently managed trust" which Zimmerman and his attorneys cannot access directly, the statement on his defense website said. Asked about the possibility that Zimmerman's wife could be charged with perjury, O'Mara said that statement was out of his control. He said his client is worried about himself, his wife and his family -- everyone who had to go into hiding because of the "enormous anger and hatred" the case has generated. Zimmerman's trial is not "anticipated" to commence until some time in 2013, the defense statement said, and the next bond hearing will determine whether he waits "those many months in jail or not." Zimmerman was charged in April after the case was referred to a state attorney for a review. The money in question appears to have been donated to Zimmerman through a website he set up to help with a legal defense fund. Citing recorded jailhouse conversations between Zimmerman and his wife, prosecutors alleged the two spoke in code when discussing the money in a credit union account, according to a court documents filed Friday by State Attorney Angela B. Corey. HLN: Zimmerman wife talks publicly for the first time . In light of that, Lester revoked Zimmerman's bond and ordered he turn himself in no later than Sunday afternoon. Zimmerman "fully controlled and participated in the transfer of money from the PayPal account to defendant and his wife's credit union accounts," Corey said in court records. "This occurred prior to the time defendant was arguing to the court that he was indigent and his wife had no money." O'Mara said in April that the money raised by the website was put into a trust account that the attorney controls. But in court documents, Corey said the money still belongs to the defendant. The judge "relied on false representations and statements" by Zimmerman and his wife when the court set his bond at $150,000, Corey said. Zimmerman was required to post only 10% of that amount. Corey argued that the court should revoke the bond or increase it. Lester appeared angry that the court had not been told about the money. "Does your client get to sit there like a potted palm and let you lead me down the primrose path?" he asked Zimmerman's lawyer. "That's the issue." Judge in Zimmerman case no 'soft touch' O'Mara said he had discussed the judge's decision with Zimmerman, who was not in court. "He's frustrated because he now has to come out of hiding," O'Mara said in an interview with CNN. "You need to realize we're still talking about a 28-year-old who's being charged with a crime he does not believe he committed, and his whole life has been turned upside down, so I think that it all needs to be kept in context."

Man who shot Florida teen met authorities in a parking lot, sheriff says . He'd been in a "secure, undisclosed location" amid "significant threats against his life" A Florida judge set a Sunday afternoon deadline for George Zimmerman to surrender . The judge revoked bail after a ruling that Zimmerman misled the court .

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(CNN) -- Last Thursday was back-to-school night in many of the communities that dot the peninsula below San Francisco, California. Off-duty firefighters and police officers who went to schools with their children and families soon learned something horrible had happened in a San Bruno residential neighborhood. Speculation ran from an airplane crash, to an earthquake, to terrorism. It was only later that they learned that is was a gas transmission line explosion. South San Francisco firefighter Anthony Ottoboni was at his son's baseball practice when he got the news. "My wife looked right at me and said, 'Go.'" Capt. Bill Forester of the San Bruno Fire Department was on duty. "We looked out the back door and saw a fireball," he said. John Priolo, also with the fire department, recalls rushing to work and seeing the "walking wounded" arrive at the station. Tuesday, first-responders gathered near the fire site to talk about the heroics of others, including citizens, last week. They spoke of the strong fraternity of the 400 firefighters, paramedics and police officers who thronged to the neighborhood. They mentioned how their training prepared them, but there are some things training can't foresee. "Somebody said it was like they took a Saturn V rocket and tipped it upside down at the blastoff," said Forester. The high-pitched roar of gas sounded like a jet engine, he added. Chaos greeted them as they moved into the area. Many people were running away. Bystanders were taking photos. Always, there was the wall of fire and oppressive heat. "I realized immediately how overwhelmed we were going to be," said Sgt. Mike Guldner of the San Bruno Police Department. Guldner and some civilians helped a seriously injured man. "Thank God to the people and citizens of San Bruno who stepped up to provide assistance to me," Guldner said. Firefighters quickly learned the water mains had been taken out by the explosion. "It's a sinking feel to say the least because you count on that water being there," said Forester. "If there was ever a time you need it, it was there." But firefighters improvised, stretching lines from another water grid. The responders, many of whom knew people who lived in the Crestmoor Canyon neighborhood, went to smoke-filled homes, making sure people got out. They were assisted by several residents. "We got as close to the flame as we possibly can without getting ourselves burned," said Officer Ken Chetcuti of the South San Francisco Police. Lt. Ron Carlino of the South Francisco Police Department recalled the dazed homeowners who grabbed a few belongings. "Some people wanted to grab just anything," he said. "They felt like they couldn't leave empty-handed." Four people died in the fire and three are still missing, officials said Tuesday. Thirty-seven homes were destroyed. Homeowners have since returned to Crestmoor Canyon and are trying to patch their lives back together. But the people of San Bruno have changed, according to local police officer Scott Rogge. "We had everyday people running into houses, helping us," he said. Since then, the community has received and given donations, opened a shelter, provided food, clothing and more. "People that normally you see maybe wave -- they are exchanging emails, phone numbers, hugs and tears," Rogge said. "Those are the true heroes, the people of the community... We do this every day. We've chosen to do this. But those people stepped up."

Residents assisted firefighters and police officers in San Bruno . Firefighters recall sinking feeling when they realized there was no water . Some residents grabbed a few belongings before fleeing . Community came together following tragedy .

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Sunny Hostin is a legal analyst on CNN's "American Morning." Hollywood private eye Anthony Pellicano represented himself at his federal trial. The jury's still out. NEW YORK (CNN) -- There's a courthouse adage: A person who represents himself has a fool for a client. When a defendant utters those tragic words, "I'm going to represent myself," judges blanch, attorneys snicker, and even the court reporters grimace. I've been on the opposite side of those who have chosen to represent themselves. It wasn't pleasant. Since 1975, when the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Sixth Amendment "grants to the accused personally the right to make his own defense," many defendants have decided to take the law literally into their own hands. The most recent self-represented "client" is Anthony Pellicano, the Hollywood private investigator who's been on trial for 78 counts lodged against him and two co-defendants. Pellicano's jury has been out for a week, so it's not yet clear whether the outcome of his case will follow the conventional wisdom. The 64-year-old celebrity sleuth is accused of leading a criminal enterprise that raked in more than $2 million by illegally spying, allegedly using wiretaps and law enforcement databases, on Hollywood's rich and famous. He then dished the dirt to their rivals. If convicted of leading a criminal conspiracy, known as a RICO charge, he could spend up 20 years to life in prison. RICO, by the way, stands for the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. It's the law the Justice Department used to bring down the mob. Prosecutors have to prove that Pellicano and his co-defendants ran a corrupt enterprise that profited from information they obtained illegally. U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer granted Pellicano's request to represent himself, but she wasn't too happy about it. "If the U.S. Supreme Court didn't require me to let defendants represent themselves, I wouldn't do it," she said. Even without a law degree, Pellicano seemed to realize that getting the jury to acquit him of the conspiracy charge was important. During his 15-minute closing argument, he denied he led a criminal enterprise and insisted that he acted as a "lone ranger" while gathering information for his clients. He also told the jurors that he shared no information with colleagues as he conducted investigations and allowed others to learn only what he wanted them to know. "There was no criminal enterprise or conspiracy. Mr. Pellicano alone is responsible. That is the simple truth," he said, referring to himself in the third person. But unlike a seasoned attorney, he failed to address the evidence against him, including illegally taped conversations. Instead, he bragged about his career, while wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, saying of himself, again in the third person: "Perhaps his business card should read, 'I deliver,' because he did it over and over again." Courtroom observers said his "cross-examination" often consisted of little more than settling old scores. So is Pellicano a fool, or absolutely brilliant? Well, if history is our teacher, he would do better if he had a lawyer, even a bad one. If you have a bad lawyer and you get convicted, you can always argue on appeal that your lawyer was ineffective and get a new trial. The following self-appointed lawyers learned the hard way that they had fools for clients: . In fact, I can't think of a defendant who represented himself or herself as well, or better, than a lawyer. So maybe I'm biased, but lawyers are trained professionals. We're trained in the art of trial war. Let us do our jobs.

Private eye Anthony Pellicano chose to represent himself at his trial . Pellicano is accused of illegally gathering dirt for A-list clients . People who represent themselves usually don't do well with juries .

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(CNN) -- Oklahoma's governor Tuesday declared states of emergency in 56 counties following a string of deadly tornadoes and severe storms that swept through the area the day before. Gov. Brad Henry took an aerial tour of one of the hardest hit areas Tuesday afternoon. "I lost track of the number of damaged and destroyed homes that we saw," Henry said. "Literally hundreds and I think thousands of homes have received damage in these storms, and many, many of those homes have been destroyed." Are you there? Send images, video . "Even though central Oklahoma was the hardest hit, this storm really was a statewide event, and there is damage and destruction throughout the state," he said. The governor said that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano assured him "that FEMA would act very, very quickly on our request for a presidential disaster (declaration) and federal aid." Meanwhile, a maze of downed power lines and wrecked homes in parts of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, hindered search-and-rescue efforts Tuesday as authorities worked to ensure no more victims of Monday's tornadoes lay in the rubble. The state Department of Emergency Management lowered its death toll from five to two, saying that three children had been erroneously reported dead. The children are in critical condition, the state said. Their mother was one of the two dead. More than 100 people were treated for various injuries, the state said. Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said 80 homes and businesses in the city were destroyed by the storm, which he called "probably the most significant" to hit during his seven years in office. The storm system that swept through the state on Monday spawned multiple tornadoes and dropped softball-sized hail. More bad weather was on the way Tuesday, and the National Weather Service warned Oklahomans to prepare for severe storms Tuesday afternoon and early evening. Tornado watch in western Oklahoma . Officials said they planned to release more detailed damage estimates Tuesday and decide how to manage cleanup efforts in areas where tornadoes left behind snapped utility poles, downed trees and severely damaged homes. In Norman, Oklahoma, south of Oklahoma City, mobile homes were blown to pieces in one neighborhood, where debris littered yards and streets alongside large trees ripped straight from the ground. Watch iReport video of tornado in Norman, Oklahoma . Norman resident and CNN iReporter Erica Loftis said she spotted the funnel cloud from Interstate 40 while headed to her parents' home and could see it headed toward the home when she arrived. She and her parents took shelter in a small cement room with steel doors, where they could feel their ears popping and hear the storm ripping away parts of the house around them. "You could feel the pressure - it was scary," Loftis said. Outside, the sound of "screeching metal" filled the air, she said. Afterward, all the home's windows were broken, its chimney was blown into a neighbor's yard and the garage door was sucked in. In addition, a boat from a nearby marine store ended up in one of their trees, she said. And a truck stop east of Oklahoma City was demolished, taking a direct hit from one of the tornadoes, according to a spokeswoman for Love's Travel Stops and Country Stores. But motorists who pulled off the interstate to take cover were ushered into the truck stop's large coolers and restrooms before the tornado tore the roof off the building, blew out car windows and overturned tractor-trailers, spokeswoman Christina Dukeman said. Love's employee Charlescie Greenway said she and two other women made it to one cooler before the twister hit. "The three of us were kind of trapped in there, holding the door shut, praying to God that we don't die and that everybody else was safe," Greenway told CNN affiliate KWTV, adding, "it was really scary -- the wind was like trying to pull the door off the latch." Cornett said quick thinking by the truck stop's employees saved people inside. "They were all huddled into a cooler and all walked out alive," he said. More than 65,000 homes and businesses were without power throughout the state, emergency management officials said. Nearly 15,000 homes were without power in Norman alone, according to Oklahoma Gas & Electric. The Lake Draper Water Treatment Plant, which provides about half of Oklahoma City's water, was also without power, City Manager Jim Couch said. Because of the outage, city officials placed a ban on outside watering for 48 hours, he said. "It's unknown when that power will be restored," he said. "Major transmission lines in the area have been damaged." State emergency officials said more than 100 homes were destroyed and another 70 sustained major damage. Additionally, 43 businesses were destroyed. CNN's Tyson Wheatley contributed to this report.

NEW: State officials lower death toll from five to two . Storm destroyed more than 100 homes and 43 businesses . Truck stop east of Oklahoma City destroyed by direct hit from tornado . More than 65,000 homes, businesses without power throughout the state .

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(CNN) -- A Utah woman lied about her 4-year-old daughter having cancer -- including to the girl and the girl's father -- to scam donations in her community, investigators said. The mother, Abreail Denise "Abby" Winkler, 30, "told the girl she had cancer and that she would be treated. When she was around her dad, the little girl would talk about having cancer," said Keith Campbell, assistant chief of the Vernal Police Department. Winkler was charged with one count of communications fraud, a third degree felony, according to court documents. She was booked into the Uintah County Jail and posted a $5,000 bond. "In early July we started the investigation and quickly determined that Abreail Winkler had told people in the community that the 4-year-old had leukemia. During the investigation, it was determined that the child never had leukemia. No records for treatments were located," Cambpell said. Woman pleads guilty in Newtown fundraising scheme . Investigators said donors who gave a total of more than $3,000 want their money back for "getting duped," said Campbell. "She wasn't actively going door to door, but our local high school drill team did a fund-raiser for her, and so did a private dance teacher and private donors," he said. Two men charged with running 9/11 scam . The child's father did not live in the same home as the mother, Campbell said. The father told investigators that "when he inquired about the cancer, he was told not to worry about it because the child was receiving treatment." Winkler's initial appearance is scheduled for September 9. Read more: N.Y. woman arraigned in One Fund Boston scam .

Police: Utah woman tells daughter, girl's dad, community girl has cancer to get donations . Abreail Denise "Abby" Winkler, 30, collected more than $3,000, Vernal police allege . "When she was around her dad, the little girl would talk about having cancer," police say . Winkler is charged with communications fraud, court papers say .

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Ciudad Juarez, Mexico (CNN) -- A man was gunned down Thursday in front of children at an elementary school as they were leaving for the day, local officials and witnesses told CNN. The shooting happened at 1 p.m. (3 p.m. ET), causing panic, witnesses said. Some parents waiting for their children at the time of the shooting also witnessed the attack. The school issued a statement saying the shooting was coincidental and was not connected to the school. The victim, 30, was shot nine times with a .45-caliber pistol by an unidentified gunman as he fled his attackers, according to the Chihuahua State Attorney General's Office. Witnesses said one attacker shot the victim inside the school next to a basketball court, while another attacker stood outside. A team of forensic experts rushed to the scene to conduct a survey, but could not determine if the man was already wounded before he entered the school. Police said the suspects remain at large. In the first nine months of 2011 there were 12,903 homicides in Mexico, according to official statistics. On Wednesday, the Mexican Attorney General's Office (PGR) said Juarez led the nation in homicides between January and September 2011, with a total of 1,206. Juarez saw a decline in the number of homicides in 2011, but is still considered to be a flashpoint in Mexico's drug cartel-related violence. There have been 18 homicides in Juarez in the first 12 days of 2012.

Some parents waiting to pick up their children witnessed the attack . 30-year-old victim was shot nine times while trying to flee his attackers . Homicide is the 18th this year in Mexico's bloodiest city .

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Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- The death toll from the suicide bombing in Pakistan's financial capital, Karachi, rose to 40, authorities said Tuesday. The blast on Monday targeted a Shiite procession on M.A. Jinnah Road. The victims were among thousands of devotees commemorating Ashura, a major religious observance for the Shiites, one of two main Muslim denominations. Ashura marks the death anniversary of Imam Hussein, grandson of Prophet Mohammed. Hussein, who was killed in battle in Karbala in 680 A.D., is regarded as a martyr -- and the battle is one of the events that helped create the schism between Sunnis and Shiites, the two main Muslim religious movements. Religious mourning during Ashura is characterized by people chanting, beating their breasts in penance, cutting themselves with daggers or swords and whipping themselves in synchronized moves. Shias are a minority in Pakistan. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. But the government is in the midst of an intense army offensive to rout militants from their haven along the country's border with Afghanistan. In retaliations, the militants have launched a series of deadly attacks in Pakistan. CNN's Pierre Bairin contributed to this report.

Death toll rises . Blast took place near where thousands of Shiite devotees were commemorating Ashura . A day earlier suicide bombing in northeast Pakistan killed seven people .

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(CNN) -- Pakistan's former president said his country is being treated "unequally" to other countries, despite being a staunch ally of the United States in its war on terror. Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf says anti-American sentiment in Pakistan is high. "Pakistan is being treated so unequally while we are the ones who are in the lead role fighting the global war on terror," said Pervez Musharraf, interviewed by CNN's Wolf Blitzer for "The Situation Room." "This is what hurts Pakistan. It hurts the leadership. Indeed, it hurts the government. It hurts the people of Pakistan," said Musharraf, speaking from Dallas, Texas, during a book tour in the United States. The interview took place amid reports Friday of U.S. drones striking militant targets in Pakistan just days after the start of the Obama administration -- which has made combating al Qaeda and Taliban militants in the Pakistan tribal region near Afghanistan its most immediate national security priority. Musharraf was asked whether he is comfortable with the continuation of the attacks, even with a new U.S. president in place. "Nobody in Pakistan is comfortable with the strikes across the border. There is no doubt in that. Public opinion is very much against it," he said. "But as far as this issue of the new president -- President Obama having taken over and this continuing -- but I have always been saying that policies don't change with personalities; policies have national interest, and policies depend on an environment. "So the environment and national interest of the United States being the same, I thought policies will remain constant," he said. Watch Musharraf address the reported U.S. air strike » . Musharraf also addressed a statement he made about the $10 billion in assistance from the United States that Pakistan has received, calling it a "pittance for a country which is in the lead role to fight terrorism." He emphasized his gratitude to the United States for the funding, but said the amount is low compared to billions spent in Afghanistan and "maybe over a trillion dollars" in Iraq. "Please don't think that this $10 billion was such a great amount that we ought to be eternally grateful while we know that we deserve much more and we should have got much more and we must get much more if we are to fight the global war on terror," he said. Musharraf stressed that Pakistan was "in the lead role fighting a war for you for 10 years, between '79 and '89," a reference to Pakistan's alliance with the United States and the Afghan mujahedeen rebels during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Musharraf emphasized that for 42 years, up until 1989, Pakistan had been a "strategic partner" of the United States. But many Pakistanis felt abandoned by the United States after the Russians pulled out of Afghanistan. Musharraf said the 1989 "peace dividend" went to Europe -- East Europe. Pakistan was "left alone" from 1989 to 2001, and during that period, the militant Taliban movement took control of Afghanistan. "What did Pakistan get out of fighting for 10 years with you? Nothing, sir," he said, explaining why public opinion in Pakistan has been "so much against the United States." Musharraf said public opinion in his country is strongly against strikes by U.S. drones against militants in the Pakistani tribal region. While al Qaeda and the Taliban must be confronted, he said, "public opinion is certainly against the methodology being adopted." Watch Musharraf says Pakistan is not sponsoring terrorism » . Musharraf, once Pakistan's army chief, resigned under intense political pressure in August as the ruling coalition began taking steps to impeach him. He swept to power in 1999 in a bloodless coup. Asked why al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who is thought to be somewhere in the border region, hasn't been found, he replied: . "I would like to ask the United States why he hasn't been found. They have their intelligence. There are -- you have more intelligence capability. I would like to ask the United States, why Mullah Omar has not been found, who is the leader of all of the Taliban in Afghanistan?"

"We are ... in the lead role fighting the global war on terror," Musharraf says . He says Pakistan receives small amount of U.S. aid compared to Afghanistan, Iraq . Opinion of U.S. is low due to drone strikes in Pakistani tribal region, Musharraf says .

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(CNN) -- An Alaska judge has denied Bristol Palin's request that her court fight with ex-boyfriend Levi Johnston over custody of their son be kept private to avoid a "media circus." The daughter of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is seeking full custody of 1-year-old Tripp, contending that Johnston is too immature to be a responsible father and that his mother's felony drug conviction makes her a danger to the child. Bristol Palin filed for full custody in November, but Johnston is seeking shared custody. Both parents are 19. Their teenage relationship fell under an intense public spotlight after Sen. John McCain picked Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate in August 2008. Court documents, now unsealed, were published online Monday by the Anchorage Daily News. Johnston joined the family at the Republican National Convention after the campaign confirmed that Bristol, then 17, was five months pregnant with his child. The couple broke off their engagement about two months after their son's birth in December 2008. Johnston has asked that the case conducted in public to protect himself from Sarah Palin, whom he said was "powerful, politically ambitious and has a reputation for being extremely vindictive." But Bristol Palin's request that the case be sealed said public proceedings "will turn this custody case into a media circus which is not in Tripp's best interest." "In this day and age of the Internet, media stories remain available for years, even decades, after they are first published, and anything printed in the media (whether it is true or not) will be available to Tripp when he is old enough to read," Palin said in a sworn affidavit. She said Johnston wanted a public case so he could "continue to make a spectacle of this custody dispute for his own self-promotion." Johnston was set to take part in a reality show in Alaska, she said. "I do not believe that it would be in Tripp's best interest for Levi's reality show to be filming this case as it unfolds, or for Levi Johnston to be capitalizing off of this custody case through his reality show," Palin said. Johnston's sworn statement said he feared what Sarah Palin might do against him if the case were kept secret. "I really think that closing the court could make this matter very uncivil and potentially open the door for poor influences on Bristol and her attorney that may be extremely inappropriate and potentially harmful to Tripp," he said. While Johnston said his former girlfriend would never be malicious toward him, "her mother is powerful, politically ambitious and has a reputation for being extremely vindictive." "So, I think a public case might go a long way in reducing Sarah Palin's instinct to attack and allow the real parties in this litigation, Bristol and I, to work things out a lot more peacefully than we could if there is any more meddling from Sarah Palin," Johnston said. Bristol Palin's affidavit said her mother is not involved in the custody case, except as a grandmother. But Johnston's lawyer, Rex Butler, said in his own affidavit that his client does not trust closed proceedings because "Sarah Palin is known to deal forcefully with those she perceives as political enemies." "He feels Sarah Palin, through her lawyer, under the guise of Bristol Palin's name, would run roughshod over his very bones," Butler said. The judge's ruling, signed last week, concludes that Bristol Palin "failed to demonstrate that this case involves 'matters of a sensitive and highly personal nature' of such a magnitude that 'protection of the party's name outweighs the public's interest in disclosure.' " Her filing for full custody argued that Levi was "not ready for the demands of parenthood and the sacrifices that would entail to a 19-year-old aspiring actor/model." "Levi remains without a regular job or steady source of income," the petition states. While he's not enrolled in school "to learn a trade or earn a degree," he has made money by selling stories about his son and the Palins to news outlets and engaged in "risque modeling for Playgirl magazine," it states. The photos published last month showed Johnston in semi-nude poses, not with the full frontal nudity that's Palin's filing cited. The petition cited a series of messages posted on the online social network Twitter.com as evidence that Johnston "may have substance abuse issues, based on statements he has made about seeking 'weed.' " Johnston's response said he does not have a Twitter account "and has made no such statements about the use of marijuana." But Palin's harshest attack was on Levi's mother, Sherry Johnston, who pleaded guilty to a felony drug charge earlier this year. Palin asked that the paternal grandmother be barred from having any unsupervised visitation with Tripp. Her petition said she "may re-offend, keep medications around the house which could be accessible to the baby, have illegal drug users come to the house (or she could take the baby in her car during a drug sale)." Palin also said that since Sherry Johnston "could fall asleep or be too drowsy to appropriately monitor the baby." "She is also a chronic pain patient and undergoes daily, regular and sustained narcotic infusions," Palin's petition said. Johnston's response said his mother's "chronic pain condition is currently being managed in coordination with the Department of Corrections." "Sherry Johnston will not be left to take care of the minor child alone, but will simply be there to assist to the best of her ability," Johnston's filing said. She was released from an Alaska prison last week to serve the remainder of her three-year sentence under house arrest at her home in Wasilla, Alaska. She must wear an ankle bracelet for electronic monitoring, Corrections Department spokesman Richard Schmitz said.

Levi Johnston is seeking shared custody of Tripp Palin, now a year old . Bristol Palin requested that proceedings be closed to prevent a "media circus" Johnston wanted case kept public to protect himself from ex-fiancee's powerful mom . Unsealed court documents were published online by the Anchorage Daily News .

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(CNN) -- Delaware authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the recent discovery of the body of a former Pentagon official in a landfill, according to a statement released Monday by the Newark, Delaware, Police Department. The Delaware medical examiner's office has ruled the death of 66-year-old John P. Wheeler a homicide. Wheeler was discovered at Wilmington's Cherry Island Landfill on December 31. Wheeler, who lived in New Castle, worked under three Republican presidents -- Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush. He served as a special assistant to the Air Force secretary from 2005 to 2008. Among other things, he also served as head of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and was the first chairman of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. A staff officer in Vietnam, Wheeler was a graduate of West Point, as well as Harvard Business School and Yale Law School. "We are asking for the public's assistance" in the case, Newark police spokesman Lt. Mark Farrall told CNN. "We don't know where the crime scene occurred. The body was dumped within our jurisdiction." Newark is about 12 miles southwest of Wilmington. Farrall noted that Wheeler's body was seen jutting out of a garbage truck at the landfill by a spotter whose job it is to ensure that hazardous material is not dumped there. Police believe Wheeler's body was most likely picked up by the truck at one of the first of ten specially designated dumpster pick-up spots before heading to the landfill. Farrall said police do not know when Wheeler was last seen. He noted that Wheeler had been scheduled to take a train from Washington to Wilmington near the time of the death, though he dismissed reports that Wheeler had actually been seen on a train. Farrall said an apparent dispute between Wheeler and a neighbor was "one facet of the investigation." Wheeler's attorney, Bayard Marin, told CNN that his client had been involved in a lengthy legal fight with a couple building a new home across the street in a historic district of New Castle. Wheeler had adamantly opposed the new construction. The dispute may have become contentious, but "I can't recall a confrontation," Marin said. "Everything seemed to be kept within normal bounds." The Newark Police Department released a statement on behalf of Wheeler's family. "As you must appreciate, this is a tragic time for the family. We are grieving our loss. Please understand that the family has no further comment at this time. We trust that everyone will respect the family's privacy," the family said. Veterans advocates offered statements of praise for the former official, who served in Vietnam. "It is only fitting that we pause now and remember Jack Wheeler, who served his country honorably, then dedicated himself to ensuring that our nation's service members are always given the respect they deserve," said Jan Scruggs, president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. What Wheeler "cared about was civic values and civic virtue," wrote James Fallows, national correspondent for The Atlantic. "He was a complicated man of very intense (and sometimes changeable) friendships, passions, and causes. ... I feel terrible for his family and hope they will eventually find comfort in knowing how many important things he achieved." CNN's Alan Silverleib, Allan Chernoff, Sarah Baker, and Nina Golgowski contributed to this story .

The body of John P. Wheeler was found in a landfill . Wheeler was involved in a lengthy property dispute with a neighbor . Delaware authorities are investigating the former Pentagon official's death . The Delaware medical examiner's office has ruled Wheeler's death a homicide .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- The British military marked a grim milestone Friday as the number of troops killed in Afghanistan surpassed the death toll in Iraq. A British Marine is shown in Arbroath, Scotland, last year on the eve of a six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan. An especially bloody 10 days in Afghanistan's troubled Helmand province claimed 15 British lives, putting the total number of dead in that conflict at 184, the Defense Ministry said. The British military has lost 179 soldiers in Iraq. Five soldiers were killed Friday in two explosions that rocked the same patrol near the town of Sangin in Helmand province, where British troops are based. The Defence Ministry earlier announced the deaths of three other soldiers in Helmand. British troops have joined with roughly 4,000 U.S. Marines and sailors, and several hundred Afghan security forces, in Operation Khanjar, a drive to secure Helmand before Afghanistan's presidential elections in August. See a map of Helmand province » . Britain's Chief of the Defense Staff, Jock Stirrup, issued a video statement in which he mourned the latest losses. Watch profiles of six British soldiers killled in Afghanistan on the same day » . "It's important we also remember why our people are fighting in Afghanistan and what they're achieving through their sacrifice and their courage," Stirrup said. "The mission in Afghanistan is about supporting the delivery of governance in order to reduce the opportunities for extremist terrorist groups who are a direct threat to the United Kingdom, its citizens, and their interests." Results are starting to emerge, he said, but the military still has a long way to go. "It's tough going because the Taliban have rightly identified Helmand as their vital ground," he said. "If they lose there, they lose everywhere, and they're throwing everything they have into it. But they are losing." Watch a gallery of Britain mourning its fallen in Afghanistan » . British Prime Minister Gordon Brown spoke about the military casualties while at the G8 summit in Italy on Friday, calling it a "very hard summer" so far for British forces. "Our resolution to complete the work that we have started in Afghanistan and Pakistan is undiminished," he said. "We knew from the start that defeating the insurgency in Helmand would be a hard and dangerous job, but it is vital."

UK military deaths in Afghanistan now at 184, five more than in Iraq . 15 British lives lost in past 10 days in Afghanistan's Helmand province . UK forces have joined with U.S., Afghan troops in offensive in Helmand . Drive in Helmand is part of effort to secure country before August elections .

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(CNN) -- Following a CNN investigation, The University of Kentucky released some data on its pediatric heart surgery program, showing a 5.8% overall mortality rate from 2008 to 2012, slightly higher than the national average of less than 4% mortality. The data was first requested in December 2012 by a local journalist, and again in January 2013 by the Kentucky Attorney General's office. The University repeatedly declined to release the program's mortality rate, saying that information would compromise patient privacy laws. The newly-released data shows that in 2012, the year of the program's suspension, the mortality rate climbed to 7.1%, according to the University of Kentucky. Babies die; hospital halts heart surgeries . "Anytime a question is raised about a clinical program or a patient's care, we bring all involved parties together and review the situation and circumstances in a 'no holds barred' manner," wrote the University of Kentucky in a statement last Friday. "Sometimes we even choose to put a program 'on hold,' until we are certain that we are doing everything necessary to provide the highest level of care. This is what we did with our Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery program." "The mortality rates ranged from 4.5 percent to 7.1 percent. These ranges are comparable to national mortality rates averaging 5.3 percent for programs of similar size to ours," says the University statement. Comparing oneself to programs of a similar size isn't good enough, says Tabitha Rainey. Smaller programs often have slightly higher mortality rates than largest programs. "These smaller institutions want to go open these programs, but they don't have all the correct measures to take care of these kids, and then they don't want to explain, and they end up losing their kids rather than sending them to a bigger facility that's more rehearsed in this," says Rainey, who began a change.org petition asking the hospital to release their mortality outcomes. Mom: 'Mortality is a reality that we face every day' Her son Waylon was born with a severe heart defect and was originally treated at the University of Kentucky before transferring to a higher-volume program at the University of Michigan. "Before we didn't really know what a real cardiac unit looked like, until we went to Michigan. I went there and I was amazed," Rainey said in an interview in May. If Kentucky re-opened, "then they would not be equipped enough, because they don't have the dedicated heart center for these kids." After babies' deaths, more scrutiny for Kentucky surgeon . Rainey says parents like her appreciate that the hospital gave them an overall mortality rate, but that these aren't the only figures that parents wanted. Parents want to know outcomes for specific procedures she says. Other facilities like Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, and others do publicize their outcomes by procedure and complexity. Citing patient privacy laws, the University of Kentucky says they still can't give parents that information. 10 ways to get your child the best heart surgeon . "The mixture of operations performed at various pediatric cardiac surgery programs can vary substantially," said Dr. Jeffrey P. Jacobs, cardiovascular surgery specialist at Johns Hopkins Children's Heart Surgery at All Children's Hospital. "Consequently, programmatic performance cannot be properly assessed by comparison of overall unadjusted rates of mortality. The quality of care of a given program is best assessed by benchmarking specific risk adjusted outcomes to national aggregate data," Jacobs said. "Only then is it possible to truly assess the quality of care of a given program." He added, "Parents have the right to know the outcome of a given pediatric cardiac surgery program for the specific operation that their child needs."

Following a CNN investigation the University of Kentucky released mortality data from pediatric heart surgery program . The program has a 5.8% overall mortality rate from 2008 to 2012, slightly higher than the national average (4%) In 2012 the year the program was suspended the mortality rate was 7.1% .

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(CNN) -- In-demand Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has revealed that his future has still to be decided, amid continued reports linking him with a return to boyhood club Barcelona. Fabregas left the Catalan giants to sign for Arsenal as a 16-year-old, but has been linked with a return in recent years, speculation that has intensified with the London club now six seasons without winning a trophy. However, speaking at a promotional event in Madrid, Gunners captain Fabregas -- a member of Spain's Euro 2008 and 2010 World Cup winnings squads -- said: "I haven't yet spoken to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Lille reveal Gervinho set for Arsenal talks . "He is the one who makes the decisions and I don't know if Arsenal want to sell me or not. I have my values and after everything I have experienced with the team for eight years, I'm not going to say something that could ruin everything." The 24-year-old Fabregas has made no secret of his affection for Barcelona and that came to a head after the last year's World Cup victory, when he admitted he wanted to rejoin the club he left in 2003. However, Fabregas has now conceded he might have erred in making his intentions known then. "I came out and gave my position and maybe I was wrong to do so," he revealed. "Barca are the best team in the world and going there guarantees winning titles. Any player who says they are not frustrated by not winning titles is lying -- I am ambitious." He added: "Everyone has their way of interpreting things, but in these decisions not everything depends on the player -- to say anything else would be to lie and give way to speculations that aren't true."

Cesc Fabregas reveals that no decisions have been made regarding his future . The Arsenal captain continues to be linked with a return to Barcelona . Fabregas left Barca as a 16-year-old but has always spoken of his love for the club .

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- No charges will be brought against a 10-year-old boy accused of accidentally starting an October wildfire that scorched more than 38,000 acres north of Los Angeles, California, prosecutors announced Tuesday. Firefighters battle the Buckweed Fire October 22, 2007. "There is no evidence of intent on the part of the minor," the Los Angeles County district attorney's office said in a written statement issued Tuesday afternoon. "The district attorney's office is referring the matter to the Department of Children and Family Services for evaluation of the minor's situation to determine if other intervention is necessary." The boy had faced possible charges in juvenile court after admitting to sheriff's deputies that he had started the Buckweed fire by playing with matches, investigators said. The blaze eventually destroyed 21 homes and 42 other structures. The fire started October 21 in the Agua Dulce community north of Los Angeles. It was one of nearly two dozen wind-whipped wildfires that swept across southern California in late October, forcing hundreds of thousands of people from homes near Los Angeles, San Diego and San Bernardino and leaving 14 people dead. E-mail to a friend .

There is no evidence that the boy intended to set the fire, prosecutors say . He had faced possible charges in juvenile court after admitting to setting blaze . The boy was playing with matches; the blaze destroyed 21 homes . The Buckweed fire started October 21 north of Los Angeles .

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Atlanta (CNN) -- On a recent Friday, I stepped into a place I hadn't been in years. "Oh, wow!" Shawn Black, my longtime hair stylist, said as I entered the salon. He's been cutting my hair for a decade, but he hadn't seen me in about 26 months. Chuckling at his reaction, I thought back to the dozen times over the previous year that my good friend, Ed, had told me he was going in for a trim and I asked him to assure Shawn I hadn't fired him. I slipped into the black chair and watched in the mirror as Shawn carefully separated my bouffant into about 15 ponytails an inch or two above my scalp. The mildly uncomfortable hair-pulling process was the requisite for Wigs 4 Kids, a charity that manufactures wigs for youngsters with illnesses. Have you donated your hair to charity? Tell us your story . Before I get into how Shawn lopped off 13 inches of my hair, let me explain how I came to acquire the mop atop my head. My mum passed last May. A few months before she bravely marched on, I was visiting her at her Stone Mountain, Georgia, home, where she was essentially bedridden. She noted my hair was getting long. "I've never seen your curls like this," she said, reaching up and taking one of the corkscrews in her fingers. "It's beautiful. Why have you never grown it out before?" The answer was simple: Pops would have skewered me. A hippie or woman . My father had died a few years earlier, but he had instilled in me since my teen years that certain things don't belong on boys, long hair among them. Another no-no was earrings. I vividly recall being shamed into removing the one I acquired in high school over spring break in Daytona Beach, Florida. It rested in my lobe for only a week, but pop's constant harassment those seven days -- primarily manifested in accusations that I had turned into a hippie or a woman -- eventually convinced me to extract the cubic zirconia stud. There are only so many times you can hear your father joke, "I'm heading to the store. You need anything? Skirts? Tampons?" When mum passed, it had been a while since my last haircut. It was already getting long for my taste. Why I went another year without cutting it, I am not sure. Maybe it was cathartic, or perhaps it was because mum said she liked it. Maybe I was just getting back at dad for making me take out the earring when all the cool kids had one. Hell if I know. I just let it grow, and gravity eventually pulled the corkscrews past my shoulders. Problems ensued, issues I had never faced before. My hair would get caught in things like the recliner and my laptop. If I rested sunglasses on my dome, the curls stubbornly entangled the nosepiece. When eating on patios, the wind would blow the locks into my mouth alongside a forkful of food, an awkward (and kinda gross) sensation to say the least. On vacation in Panama several weeks back, it became too much. The humidity left me drenched. I couldn't cool off. My hair kept falling into my eyes. I emerged from a swim in the ocean looking like Cousin Itt. I tried putting it in a ponytail, something for which I had previously never found cause in life. It provided relief from the heat, but if you put me in a pastel leisure suit I could've doubled for a drug lord on "Miami Vice." Not really the look I was going for. The hair had to go. I mentioned this to friends, who had mixed responses. Some had grown accustomed to the shaggy locks; others had been praying I'd get a trim. One suggested I donate my hair. My first reaction: "Who the hell would want my hair?" Shorn for a cause . A little research yielded many takers: charities that collect the hair to make wigs for the terminally ill, namely cancer patients whose radiation or chemotherapy treatments had caused their hair to fall out. Sufferers of alopecia and trichotillomania also receive the wigs. Some of the groups crafting hairpieces include Wigs 4 Kids, Wigs For Kids, Angel Hair for Kids, Angel Hair Foundation, Angel Hair Wig Gallery, Pantene Beautiful Lengths, Locks of Love and Children With Hair Loss. I won't purport to have done my journalistic due diligence on which organization is "the best." I'm sure they all have merits, despite the lack of diversity in naming them. I chose Wigs 4 Kids because it focuses on children, had great reviews, spends 80% of its budget on programs and its website features a charming before-and-after photo gallery of wig recipients. Their smiles were so much wider in the pictures where they showed off their new hair than in the photos depicting them bald. The resplendent grins reminded me of a charity my pal helps organize here in Atlanta, the Songs for Kids Foundation. The group takes musicians to children's hospitals, not only to play music but also to let the kids join in -- singing, songwriting, strumming axes, banging on drums. The little rock stars are giddy when they get their chance on the mic. Wigs and drums may not seem as important as efforts to, say, find cures to the diseases ailing these youngsters, but until cures are found, there is more to treatment than palliative care. Self-esteem can go a long way in a youngster's fight to survive, providing her/him with the necessary confidence to believe the battle is a winnable one. Innocent as they often may be, kids can be cruel. We're all familiar with the schoolyard clique or bully that picks on the kid who's smaller or different in some way. As Songs for Kids notes, illness can further isolate a child. So while a wig may seem like a small gesture, being able to scamper across a baseball field or twinkle-toe across a dance studio -- without worrying about your hairpiece falling off or your baldness making you an outcast -- that can be an enormous deal. It's a chance to earn acceptance, to show you're a lot like everyone else, no matter what ails you. Most importantly, it's a chance to be a kid when a dastardly disease is doing its best to make you grow old faster than you'd like. Chop and a snip . That's what compelled me to finally call Shawn. I didn't have any Sampsonian connection to my hair so it was a fairly emotionless ordeal, though we both had good laughs as he finished up the ponytailing process. A cup of gin and juice and some melanin, and I would've made a decent Snoop Dogg. Shawn felt it wise to document the look in digital imagery. I was sure the pictures would never see the light of day, but I've found myself sharing them with friends who were all too willing to join me in laughing at myself. Thanks, guys. Shawn finished by carefully scissoring off each ponytail and laying it on a table so it could be prepared for shipping. When he was done, he exclaimed with surprise, "Did you know these were under here?!" Thinking I had a rash or perhaps birds nesting in the 'fro, I nervously replied, "No! What?" "These chops," he said, laughing. Ahh, yes. I confessed to knowing about the sideburns, though I hadn't given them much thought as they'd been obscured for months. I told him he could go ahead and cut them off. He declined, saying they "square up" my face. I still don't know what that means, but I assumed from his tone it's a good thing. In all, it took about 90 minutes to get me seriously streamlined. I got the double-take all last week from co-workers who were surprised to see me show up Monday with a buzzcut and sideburns. Some mocked me, asking if I'd lost a bet or expressing relief I no longer looked like a Muppet. Me, I'm much cooler now, which is important considering the sweltering Atlanta summer is almost upon us. I'm also pleased that my 26-month grooming experiment served some purpose other than catharsis, if that's what it was. I'll even go so far as to thank our weekend homepage editor for convincing me to write in the dreaded first person so we could educate people about donating 'dos to organizations aiming to normalize a few challenging lives. But this will probably (read, most definitely) be my last foray into writing about hair. If you'll excuse me, I'll go back to writing about hard news, sports and hip-hop now.

CNN writer Eliott McLaughlin goes for 2+ years without a haircut . His long curls baffle and amuse coworkers, friends . McLaughlin shows up to work one day and the locks are gone . He donates his hair to Wigs 4 Kids, a charity that makes wigs for sick children .

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(CNN) -- Togo international striker Emmanuel Adebayor completed his transfer from English Premier League champions Manchester City to Tottenham Hotspur Tuesday. Adebayor spent last season on loan at the London club, finishing their top scorer with 18 goals in 37 appearances. The 28-year-old was expected to make the move permanent, but negotiations stalled over his personal terms. "It may have taken longer than expected but I am delighted to be back at Tottenham Hotspur. I really enjoyed my time here last season and I am hoping we can achieve great things together again," he told the club's official website. He also tweeted: "I'm back!!!! Tottenham here I come!! I'm hungry for goals...Get ready." Adebayor is the third signing for new Tottenham coach Andre Villas-Boas after Icelandic midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson joined from German club Hoffenheim and Belgian international defender Jan Vertonghen switched from Dutch giants Ajax. Tottenham, who finished fourth last season, began their campaign with a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle, with their attack lacking a cutting edge and with Jermain Defoe as their only recognized senior striker. Adebayor had fallen out of favor at big-spending City, who opened their title defense with a 3-2 home win over promoted Southampton. He started his career in England in 2006 with Tottenham's arch rivals Arsenal, before moving to City in 2009. He also spent time on loan at Spanish giants Real Madrid in the 2010-11 season. In other transfer news Tuesday, Manchester United sealed the signing of defender Alexander Buttner from Vitesse Arnhem on a five-year contract. The 23-year-old Buttner is the second Dutchman to join up at Old Trafford in a week after the arrival of Robin van Persie from Arsenal. "Alexander is one of the best young left backs in Europe and we're delighted to sign him," United manager Alex Ferguson told the club's official website. Fellow EPL side Norwich City strengthened their defense by signing Cameroon defender Sebastien Bassong from Tottenham on a three-year deal. Bassong, who played for his country at the 2010 World Cup, was formerly at Newcastle with new Norwich manager Chris Hughton.

Emmanuel Adebayor transfers from Manchester City to Tottenham Hotspur . Togo star played for Tottenham on loan last season . Alexander Buttner moves to Manchester United from Vitesse Arnhem . Defender Sebastien Bassong leaves Tottenham for Norwich .

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(Mashable) -- Rovio Entertainment, known for its intense focus on one mega-successful game title, "Angry Birds," is looking to diversify with another new mobile game called "Amazing Alex." The title is a rebranding of "Casey's Contraptions," which Rovio bought from developers Noel Llopis and Miguel A. Friginal earlier this month. Rovio CEO Mikael Hed told Finnish TV station Yle that the latest game "has an educational element and centers on the main character Alex, a curious young boy who loves to build things." The title is expected to be released within the next two months. "Casey's Contraptions" is another physics-based game along the lines of "Angry Birds." The game features Rube Goldberg-type contraptions that are made from items like balloons, soccer balls, scissors and buckets. Rovio announced the billionth download of "Angry Birds" last week. The company, which released the game in 2009, offers four different versions of the game -- "Angry Birds Space" is the latest. In addition, Rovio is working on a movie, TV show and theme park based on the property. What do you think? Can Rovio be known for something beyond "Angry Birds"? Sound off in the comments. © 2011 MASHABLE.com. All rights reserved.

Rovio Entertainment has bought "Casey's Contraptions" and is rebranding it as "Amazing Alex." "Casey's Contraptions" is another physics-based game along the lines of "Angry Birds" The game features Rube Goldberg-type contraptions that are made from items like balloons .

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(CNN) -- Attention, Upper East Siders: Headbands are back! If you're not a fan of "Gossip Girl," that reference was probably lost on you, but that doesn't mean you're unfamiliar with the CW series' impact on fashion, and one hair accessory in particular. Thanks to countless pleas from fans, costume designer Eric Daman is bringing back Blair Waldorf's (Leighton Meester) headbands. "We tried to (compensate) with the hats last year, but it didn't seem to have the same impact," Daman said. "I feel like the headband was such a thing for her when she was in high school. We wanted to segue out of it for a little bit." Going into its sixth and final, season, "Gossip Girl" would rather recycle an on-screen relationship than an outfit. While some characters have found themselves back in the arms of past lovers, "every handbag, every shoe, every accessory, every piece of clothing is only used for the scene that it's in," Daman said. With the exception of some of the men's suits and dress shirts, that is. Season six, which premieres October 8, will be no exception. In addition to Blair's headbands, Daman said, fans can expect a "rich fall color palette" complete with "deep sapphire blues, military olives, delicious aubergines punctuated by pops of fuchsia." And look for "neons and acidic yellows in the way of accessories, shoes and bags." Rather than the statement jewelry the characters have rocked of late, Daman said, it's all about delicate layering pieces this season. He called jewelry designer Meira T "one of this season's best discoveries." Fall TV fashion: Outfitting 'Revenge' Daman comes from "Sex and the City," where he was an assistant costume designer on seasons 2, 3 and 4. He said his reputation, from working alongside Pat Field on the HBO series, was one reason designers were excited about getting involved with "Gossip Girl" early on. "It's an honor and a privilege for me to be able to have access to all these amazing designers. ... If I tried to do the show on our budget, there'd be no way it would look like it does." Viewers should expect to see pieces by Valentino, Jonathan Saunders, McQueen, Prada, Marni, Gucci, Jenny Packham and Bottega Veneta on screen this fall. But outfitting a show like "Gossip Girl" isn't as simple as just plucking looks from the runway. Daman styles each ensemble, putting different pieces together to create something unique, like Serena van der Woodsen's (Blake Lively) Jimmy Choo bag and Marc Jacobs laptop case, which peeked out of the tote. It didn't take long before blogs were buzzing about the combo. Fall TV fashion: Outfitting 'Pretty Little Liars' "All the characters have really grown in story and in style," Daman said, "making statements and fashion headlines with their wardrobe choices on the way." Chuck Bass, played by Ed Westwick, has had a significant style transformation, Daman added: He's gone from "bad-boy billionaire to seriously suited business maven." Gordon Gekko -- Michael Douglas' character in 1987's "Wall Street" -- and Patrick Bateman -- Christian Bale's character in 2000's "American Psycho" -- both inspired Chuck's current style, Daman said. "(Chuck) can wear whatever he wants," Daman said. "He can wear a pink suit and an ascot and pull it off. ... When you have men wearing pastels, there's kind of a power behind the sexuality, I think. They're so confident." Blair and Serena have also come a long way from the Constance Billard School uniforms they wore for the better part of the show's first and second seasons. Fall TV fashion: Outfitting 'Scandal' "The challenge really was ... giving them each their own kind of identity," Daman said of accessorizing their uniforms. "Blair obviously started with the headband, and then it became giant ruffled bow blouses and fuller skirts. ... Whereas Serena was wearing her skirt from when she was a sophomore, which was a different plaid. ... It was a little shorter and just kind of worked with who her character was. And to make her more boho chic, she was wearing T-shirts and not proper blouses ... then we'd accessorize her with sparkly cardigans or great little leather vests." Giving the actors an identity through their wardrobe really helps them "generate who they need to be for their characters," he added. And while Daman notes many high points in his five years working on the series, his proudest moment came during season 2, when he watched his own creation walk the runway in "The Serena Also Rises." "It was a Jenny Humphrey (Taylor Momsen) design that Serena (Lively) wore ... a green bubble dress she wore in an Eleanor Waldorf (Margaret Colin) fashion show," he said. "It fit Blake (Lively) like a glove, and it was just one of those moments where I was like, wow, that's really a great dress." Daman teased that there's a possibility season 6 will call for more original designs. In which case, viewers might get to see more from him. Either way, fans will see Daman channel a different decade on the '80s-set "Sex and the City" prequel, "The Carrie Diaries," which is expected to debut on The CW in January. Daman drew from his experience as an assistant costume designer on the original series to reinvent Carrie Bradshaw as a teenage girl. "As (Bradshaw, played by AnnaSophia Robb), grows up, we're going to see the development of her fashion style grow and understand where it all comes from," he said. In the meantime, Daman is excited for fans to see what he's got up his sleeves for the last season of "Gossip Girl." Given the state of the economy, he said, "people just enjoyed getting lost in the drama and the jewels and the sparkly-ness."

Eric Daman is the costume designer on "Gossip Girl," which is heading into its sixth season . Daman is bringing back Blair Waldorf's headbands after countless pleas from fans . Viewers can expect to see fall colors and delicate jewelry on season 6, Daman said . He's also outfitting "The Carrie Diaries," a "Sex and the City" prequel to air on The CW .

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(Time ) -- In April, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated the warning to finasteride, Merck & Co.'s drug marketed to treat both male pattern baldness (Propecia) and enlarged prostate (Proscar). The new warnings noted that the sexual side effects associated with the medication, including problems with libido, ejaculations and orgasm, could last even after patients stop taking the drug. Now a new study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine finds that side effects may not only continue after stopping finasteride, but they may last for months or even years. In the study, Dr. Michael Irwig of George Washington University and his colleagues surveyed 54 men under age 40 who reported experiencing side effects for three months or more after stopping the medication Propecia. The patients reported a variety of sexual problems including erectile dysfunction, low libido, trouble having an orgasm, and shrinking and painful genitals. Some men also reported neurological problems like depression, anxiety and cognitive haziness. Time.com: FDA warns statin users of memory loss and diabetes risks . For 96% of the men, the sexual problems lasted more than a year after they quit using the drug. None of the men had sexual, medical or psychiatric complaints before taking Propecia. The study sample was small and the authors acknowledge that it may be skewed to include only men who were most negatively impacted by the drug. Most of the participants were recruited through an Internet forum called Propeciahelp.com, for men experiencing persistent side effects. Still, the authors argue their findings may signal potentially serious risks for men using finasteride. "Our findings make me suspicious that this drug may have done permanent damage to these men," Irwig told ABC News. The FDA's updated warning labels for finasteride were based on a review of post-marketing reports of sexual dysfunction. The agency reviewed 421 post-marketing reports of sexual side effects related to Propecia from 1998 to 2011; out of these cases, 59 reported adverse sexual effects lasting over three months after discontinuing the drug. For Proscar, the FDA reviewed 131 cases of erectile dysfunction and 68 cases of decreased libido from 1992 to 2010. As Healthland reported in April: . Finasteride labels will now warn users that Propecia's side effects can include libido disorders, ejaculation disorders, and orgasm disorders that continue after discontinuation of the drug and that Proscar can lead to decreased libido that continues after quitting the drug. Both medications will receive a new description of reports of male infertility and poor semen quality that normalized or improved after stopping therapy. "Despite the fact that clear causal links between finasteride (Propecia and Proscar) and sexual adverse events have not been established, the cases suggest a broader range of adverse effects than previously reported in patients taking these drugs," the FDA said in a statement. Time.com: Study finds pattern in male baldness: Could there be a cure? Irwig acknowledges that the number of men experiencing long-lasting side effects from finasteride is small, although the incidence of sexual side effects in clinical trials was around 2%, the incidence of persistent sexual side effects is unknown, but likely less than 0.1%. "But because the medication is prescribed so commonly, it's still a lot of people, likely several thousand men around the world," Irwig told ABC News. Both the FDA and Merck maintain that finasteride is safe and effective. This article originally appeared on Time.com: Propecia problems: Baldness drug linked with long-lasting sexual side effects . &copy 2012 TIME, Inc. TIME is a registered trademark of Time Inc. Used with permission.

Study finds side effects of finasteride may continue months after stopping medication . 96% of subjects' sexual problems lasted more than a year after stopping medication . Study authors believe finasteride may do permanent damage . FDA labels will now warn users of post-use sexual side effects .

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(CNN) -- A California-based commercial pilot says the Transportation Security Administration retaliated against him after he posted videos online showing what he described as shortcomings in airport security. The series of videos showed scenes from inside the San Francisco International Airport and were narrated by the pilot, who pointed out the contrast between the passengers who were heavily scrutinized, while a single door separated employees who worked on the airfield from the airport. "I was trying to bring up the obvious, ludicrous TSA-type of security," the pilot said, referring to the cell phone videos he posted, and later removed, from the popular video-sharing website YouTube. The pilot requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. He said he didn't think much about posting his videos online in late November, but that within a matter of days, his chief pilot called him to ask him to remove the videos because they were "stirring a commotion." A few days after that, the pilot was informed by the TSA that he was being suspended from a program in which he participated, the Federal Flight Deck Officer program. As an officer in the program, he was deputized by TSA to carry a handgun in the cockpit. "Basically, an air marshal in the sky," the pilot said of the volunteer program. After his suspension, four air marshals and two local deputies showed up at his home near Sacramento, California, to personally confiscate his weapon. The only answer he could get from the TSA as to why he was suspended from the program was that he may have violated a regulation, he said. The TSA said that it holds those serving as federal flight deck officers to "the highest ethical standards," and said it took action because the pilot was in the program. "FFDOs must be able to maintain sensitive security information as a condition of the FFDO program," TSA spokeswoman Sarah Horowitz said. "As the issuing authority of credentials and firearms, TSA reviews each possible violation of those standards and acts accordingly up to and including removing an individual from the assigned role." Horowitz also defended security measures at the San Francisco airport, saying that there are "measures in place that are both seen and unseen." In the aftermath of the incident, the pilot said he resigned from the program. In the age of WikiLeaks, where divulging sensitive information can be so controversial, why did this pilot decide to share his videos so publicly? "I didn't think anything would come of it," said the 50-year-old pilot, a veteran who was a maintenance test pilot. "This is really about getting the message out and demanding intelligent security," Don Werno, the pilot's attorney, said. "No state secrets are being shown here. What's being shown here is a lack of security." Beyond the TSA action, the pilot's airline had not taken any action against him, and he counts on the support of his union. However, when the sheriff's deputies showed up at his house with the air marshals, they also took his California concealed weapons permit. The pilot said this permit was unrelated to his work for the TSA. CNN's Jim Barnett contributed to this report.

The videos show what he called lax security at the San Francisco airport . "I was trying to bring up the obvious, ludicrous TSA-type of security," the pilot says . The TSA suspends him from the Federal Flight Deck Officer program and takes his gun . TSA says he may have violated a regulation, pilot says .

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(CNN) -- A Texas man convicted in the shooting death of a 21-year-old man in 1992 was executed Tuesday in Huntsville, officials said. Marvin Wilson was pronounced dead at 6:27 p.m. (7:27 p.m. ET), the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said. Wilson's IQ had been measured at 61, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, which opposed the execution. In an online posting, the ACLU said Wilson, 54, had been declared "intellectually disabled" by a court-appointed neuropsychologist. "Despite all the signs of Mr. Wilson's intellectual disabilities and the diagnosis of the court-appointed neuropsychologist, the District Court of Jefferson County (Texas) concluded that Mr. Wilson is not mentally retarded," the ACLU posting said, with "not" italicized for emphasis. Before he was put to death by injection, Wilson made a final statement in which he said, "Ya'll do understand that I came here a sinner and leaving a saint. Take me home, Jesus, take me home, Lord." Wilson was convicted in the shooting death of Jerry Robert Williams in Beaumont, Texas. According to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Williams was abducted and shot after a "physical confrontation" between the two men. More from CNN Justice . Army vet identified as shooting suspect . Loughner pleads guilty to 19 counts in Tucson, Arizona, mass shooting . NYPD to subpoena Twitter over theater threat . Police try to unravel mystery of man with huge stash of fake IDs .

Marvin Wilson was convicted of shooting to death a 21-year-old man in 1992 . Wilson had an IQ of 61, according to the ACLU, which opposed the execution . "Take me home, Jesus, take me home, Lord" are among his last words .

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(CNN) -- Verizon pulled a rabbit out of its corporate hat earlier this month. The wireless giant announced a multibillion-dollar deal to purchase rights to largely unused spectrum, which is like an open lane on the congested wireless Internet highway. Verizon purchased these rights from Comcast and Time Warner, two large cable-TV companies, and the smaller Bright House Networks. Sound familiar? AT&T made a similarly surprising move in March, declaring its intention to buy T-Mobile, in large part to get access to T-Mobile's underused spectrum. The AT&T deal drew the wrath of the Justice Department and the FCC. Indeed, it appears the current incarnation of the AT&T proposed merger is dying a slow death. U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle agreed on Monday to a request from both sides to delay the merger hearing, and asked AT&T to supply information on whether it will pursue a different deal with T-Mobile. Does a similar fate await Verizon? Ah, you say, there's no real comparison. Unlike the proposed AT&T/T-Mobile merger, Verizon's acquisition doesn't involve taking millions of subscribers from a competitor, thereby increasing concentration in the wireless market. But the deals do have one big thing in common: In both, the primary objective is to cope with the looming scarcity of spectrum. For without more of it, neither carrier will be able to deliver on the promise of whizbang wireless services such as high definition movies any time, anywhere. To be sure, the problem here is not precisely a shortage of spectrum, but wasteful allocation of what's usable with the latest technology. If Washington were so inclined, it could free up a ton of spectrum for more valuable uses. That includes spectrum warehoused by government: In many cases, the repositioning of equipment or the purchase of up-to-date equipment would allow tasks ranging from public safety communication to weather forecasting to be done as well with less. Not to mention spectrum assigned long ago to local TV stations for old-fashioned analogue broadcasting that is no longer needed since the switch to digital. The process would be pretty simple: Auction the spectrum to the highest bidders and then allow it to be traded like any other valuable resource. This is an old, but important, idea first suggested by Nobel economics laureate Ronald Coase back in 1959. And it's an idea that has taken on greater urgency in recent years, both because of the proliferation of spectrum-hungry wireless devices -- smartphones and tablets -- and because Washington desperately seeks revenue. (We're talking tens of billions here.) But the politics of spectrum allocation remain gridlocked, as competing interests push and shove for preferred access, or just a claim on some of the cash from future spectrum auctions. So AT&T and Verizon, the No. 1 and 2 players in the American wireless market, have resorted to end-runs around the problem -- that is, buying spectrum from other carriers or merging to make more efficient use of the partners' combined holdings. If the AT&T/T-Mobile combination survives the legal gantlet, it could, in theory, become the largest U.S. wireless provider, with as much as one-third of the market. But the emphasis here is on the word "theory." The merger might or might not reverse T-Mobile's sinking fortunes, which is why its parent company, Deutsche Telekom, has signaled its intent to leave the U.S. market, no matter what the government decides about the merger. The upshot is that it's far from self-evident that AT&T would remain first in subscribers for long in a post-merger market. Verizon's 4G system, the holy grail of mobile excellence, is expected to be available to some 200 million Americans by the end of this year, compared with roughly 70 million for AT&T. Moreover, the proposed Verizon deal includes cross-marketing with the cable companies' retail stores, yet another advantage in this most visible of consumer markets. But the merger seems to face implacable opposition from the trust-busters at the Justice Department and the micromanagers at the FCC. Both agencies argue that it would give AT&T more latitude to raise prices. And neither apparently puts much weight on AT&T's need for additional spectrum if it is to offer viable competition for Verizon in a 4G world. If this were 1951 instead of 2011, when self-satisfied American megacompanies like GM set the pace for global industrial innovation, we'd have more sympathy for the government's tilt against market concentration. But as the Verizon gambit makes clear, this is anything but a static contest. AT&T and Verizon are living in uncertain times in which they must run to stay in place. That doesn't mean the risk of monopoly power is as dead as the Oldsmobile. But it does mean that discretion in managing markets really has become the better part of valor. As we see it, Washington has three options. The first is to limit what firms like Verizon and AT&T can do to improve their service offerings, slowing the rollout of 4G. The second is to break through interest-group gridlock and stimulate improvements in the wireless market with a lot more spectrum -- the best option, surely, but probably a political nonstarter in the near term because the relevant players seem unable to build the necessary political coalitions. The third option, and probably the best under the circumstances, is to look on the Verizon and AT&T gambits with sympathy, on the premise that the vitality of innovation means more to consumers than the potential downside of greater market concentration. Does that mean giving AT&T and Verizon free passes? Hardly. But it would mean a change in priorities at Justice and the FCC in which the agencies use their legal leverage to minimize concentration in regional wireless markets without undermining the potential for more efficient use of spectrum. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writers.

Writers: Verizon, AT&T deals are attempts to get more spectrum for wireless services . Spectrum, or bandwidth, is getting scarce because it is badly used, they maintain . Washington could sell spectrum for billions of dollars, they say, still minimize monopolies . Writers: Until then, regulators should look more kindly on telecom mergers .

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WINNENDEN, Germany (CNN) -- A gunman dressed in military gear killed 15 people Wednesday in a shooting spree in Germany, police said. German shooter Tim Kretschmer, 17, targeted females during his rampage. Tim Kretschmer, 17, began his rampage at a school where he used to be a student in Winnenden, a small town about 20 kilometers (12 miles) northeast of Stuttgart. Most of the victims at the school were female -- eight female students, three female teachers and one male student, said Heribert Rech, interior minister for Baden Wuerttemberg region. Rech said: "They were completely taken by surprise. Some of the victims still had their pens in their hands." Kretschmer opened fire in three first floor classrooms, including a physics lab where a teacher was found dead behind her desk, Rech told a news conference. Rech said police arrived in minutes. "This speedy intervention means they prevented further escalation of events." The shooting at the Albertville-Realschule Winnenden school began around 9:45 a.m. (0845 GMT) and lasted about two minutes. Student Louis Schweizer was in class when he heard the gunshots. "When I came out, I saw the shell casings lying around everywhere," he said. His sister, Lisa Schweizer, also heard the shots. "It is a tragedy," she said. "One of my teachers was killed." Another student told CNN: "We heard that someone was inside shooting. Then we also saw a teacher who had blood on his hands because he wanted to help a female teacher who sacrificed herself for a student -- she stood in front of a student to protect her." Read how students jumped from windows to escape . Fifteen-year-old Natta lost a long-time friend. "She was a very good friend of mine from soccer, and I knew her since we were four years old and it's very hard," she said. Kretschmer did not shoot wildly, Rech said, contradicting earlier police statements, but hit most of his victims in the head. As the first police arrived at the school, he fled and killed a person working in a hospital nearby, then hijacked a car, taking the driver hostage. He drove towards the nearby town of Wendlingen, but the car crashed on a sharp bend, Rech said. The driver escaped and called police as Kretschmer ran away and towards a car salesroom in Wendlingen where he shot a salesperson and a customer, Rech said. Watch the gunman's deadly route » . "Police officers in civilian clothes opened fire and shot several times. The perpetrator tried to escape and was shot at least once in the leg. ... A little later he was found dead," he added. It was not clear if he died from injuries received in the police shootout or if he committed suicide. Regional police chief Erwin Hetger said police thought he had killed himself. Kretschmer was on the loose for three and a half hours after the incident began, police said. Watch more about the shootings » . German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it was "inconceivable that within seconds school students and teachers have been put to death by this terrible crime." "It is a day of mourning for the whole of Germany," she said in a televised statement. Police did not know the motive for the shooting spree, CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reported from Winnenden. "No one seems to have an explanation for why this happened," he said. "Police officers have heard that this young man didn't cause much of a buzz, wasn't someone who was negative or known for violence. They have no idea why he did all this." Police raided his parents' home later and found they had a collection of 14 guns. The pistol used in the killing was part of the father's collection, authorities said. German gun laws are fairly restrictive and require owners to control access to them. Do you think the gun control issue is taken seriously enough? Rech said the guns were legally owned by Kretschmer's father who is a member of a gun club. At least seven people were injured in the shootings -- five people in Winnenden and two police officers in Wendlingen -- police spokeswoman Renate Roesch added. She was unable to say how serious the injuries were. Six teenagers from the from the school shooting were transported to the Waiblingen hospital with undisclosed injuries. One of those patients has already been released from the hospital, according to a hospital spokeswoman. The families of the dead have been informed and are receiving counseling, Roesch said. About 1,000 students attend the school where the killings began. Map of the area » . Authorities sealed off the town of Winnenden and launched an intense manhunt for the gunman after the school shootings. Police said the man was about 1.80m (5'11") and heavily armed. "It is a small town, an idyllic town," said Frank Nipkau, the editor in chief of Winnenden Zeitung newspaper. "The town people are devastated and they can't understand why this is happening in this town." Security at German schools has been an issue in the past. In November 2006, an 18-year-old former student strapped explosives to his body and went on a rampage at a middle school in western Germany, shooting and wounding six people -- most of them students -- before killing himself. In July 2003, a 16-year-old student shot a teacher before taking his own life at a school in the southern German town of Coburg. iReport.com: 'Fear and confusion' in German town . A year earlier, 18 people were killed when an expelled student went on a shooting spree at his school in eastern Germany. Another European country, Finland, is planning to toughen firearm laws after two school shootings there left 20 people dead. Those incidents occurred in November 2007 and September 2008. Finnish news reports on Wednesday said an Interior Ministry working group has issued a proposal calling for age 20 as the minimum age for handgun ownership and 18 as the minimum for rifles. The proposal will be circulated among legislators. -- CNN's Katy Byron, Diana Magnay, Frederik Pleitgen, Nadine Schmidt and Ivan Watson contributed to this report.

NEW: Victims of gunman's rampage at German school are mostly female . NEW: Police unsure if Tim Kretschmer died from police wounds or killed himself . Police: Three teachers, 9 students among 15 people during 3-hour killing spree . Chancellor Angela Merkel: "It is a day of mourning for the whole of Germany"

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Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Michael Jackson's father suspects his son was murdered and that Dr. Conrad Murray is "just a fall guy" in a conspiracy. Joe Jackson appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live" on Monday night, just hours after sitting in a courtroom to hear Murray plead not guilty to a single charge of involuntary manslaughter in his son's death last summer. A Los Angeles judge set bail at $75,000, despite arguments from the prosecutor that Murray is a flight risk and needs a higher bail. Murray posted the bond and was released several hours later. Michael Jackson's family, including his parents, four of his brothers and one sister, filled the first two rows of the small courtroom. "I was looking for justice, and justice, to me, would be a murder charge," Joe Jackson told King. Prosecutors charged Murray, who was Jackson's personal physician, with causing the pop star's death "without malice" by acting "without due caution and circumspection." Murray was with the pop star when he died on June 25, 2009. The Los Angeles County coroner ruled Jackson's death a homicide, resulting from a combination of drugs, primarily propofol -- a powerful anesthesia -- and lorazepam. Joe Jackson suggested it was more than a doctor making a fatal judgment. "To me, he's just a fall guy," Jackson said. "There's other people, I think, involved with this whole thing. But I think that he's interrogated -- he would come clean and tell everything he knows." He said Michael Jackson told his mother, as he was preparing for his comeback concerts in London, England, last year, that he thought he would be killed. "He was afraid to even do all of these shows, because he was afraid that he wouldn't get a chance to finish all of the show," Joe Jackson said. "He couldn't do all those shows back-to-back. Even his kids say that he had told them that he would be murdered." Murray turned himself in shortly before 4 p.m. at a branch courthouse near Los Angeles International Airport. He pleaded not guilty during a brief hearing before Judge Keith L. Schwartz. The judge refused to suspend Murray's medical license as a term of his bond, but he did order him not to use any anesthesia on patients. "I don't want you sedating people," Schwartz told Murray. Read the criminal complaint . The involuntary manslaughter charge means that Murray caused Jackson's death by acting "without due caution and circumspection." If convicted, Murray would face a maximum four-year prison sentence, according to prosecutors. More on involuntary manslaughter . Jackson family members later reacted to what they saw in the courtroom: . "Not enough," Jermaine Jackson said when asked what he thought of the charge. "I don't like what happened," Joe Jackson said as he left the courthouse. La Toya Jackson later issued a statement through a publicist. "Michael was murdered and although he died at the hands of Dr. Conrad Murray, I believe Dr. Murray was a part of a much larger plan," her statement said. "There are other individuals involved and I will not rest and I will continue to fight until all of the proper individuals are brought forth and justice is served." Her statement did not elaborate on what she meant in her reference to "a much larger plan." Murray traveled to Los Angeles at the end of January from his home in Houston, Texas, in expectation of possible charges, his lawyer said. He used part of his time last week to visit the pop star's resting place in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. Murray, a cardiologist, was hired as Jackson's personal physician last spring as the singer prepared for comeback concerts in London, England. The doctor told Los Angeles police that he was with Jackson at his $100,000-a-month rented Holmby Hills mansion through the early morning hours of June 25, 2009, in an effort to help the pop star fall asleep, according to a police affidavit. He administered sleep aids, and after Jackson finally began sleeping in the late morning hours, Murray said, he left the bedroom for "about two minutes maximum," the affidavit says. "Upon his return, Murray noticed that Jackson was no longer breathing," it says. The doctor stayed with Jackson as an ambulance rushed him to UCLA Medical Center. Efforts at CPR proved fruitless, and Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. The Los Angeles County coroner ruled Jackson's death a homicide, resulting from a combination of drugs, primarily propofol and lorazepam. The coroner's statement said Jackson died from "acute propofol intoxication," but there were "other conditions contributing to death: benzodiazepine effect." Lorazepam and two other drugs Murray said he used are benzodiazepines. The doctor told investigators he had given Jackson three anti-anxiety drugs to help him sleep in the hours before he stopped breathing, a police affidavit said. Murray had been treating Jackson for insomnia for six weeks at the time of the singer's death. The doctor told investigators he gave Jackson 50 milligrams of propofol, the generic name for Diprivan, diluted with the anesthetic lidocaine every night via an intravenous drip. The doctor told police he was worried that Jackson was becoming addicted to the drug and tried to wean him off it. During the two nights before Jackson's death, Murray said, he put together combinations of other drugs that succeeded in helping Jackson sleep. The full autopsy report, which was released Monday afternoon, included an analysis by an anesthesiology consultant of the use of propofol. The consultant, Dr. Selma Calmes, concluded that the "standard of care for administering propofol was not met." "There was no evidence of an infusion pump for control of an IV infusion. No monitors were found at the scene; a blood pressure cuff and portable pulse oximeter were recovered from a closet in the next room," Calmes wrote. An oxygen tank was found near where Jackson slept, but it was empty when the coroner investigator checked it two weeks after Jackson died, Calmes said. "Multiple opened bottles of propofol were found with small amounts of remaining drugs," Calmes said. "A used bottle should be discarded six hours after opening, to avoid possible bacterial growth." "The level of propofol found on toxicology exam are similar to those found during general anesthesia for major surgery," Calmes said. During such surgery, any patient would be "intubated and ventilated by an anesthesiologist," she said. The consultant's report said that the level of lorazepam found in Jackson "would have accentuated the respiratory and cardiovascular depression from propofol." CNN's Stan Wilson and Ted Rowlands contributed to this report.

On "Larry King Live," Joe Jackson says he believes Michael was murdered . Father says MJ had expressed fears that he would be murdered before London shows . Dr. Conrad Murray pleads not guilty to a single charge of involuntary manslaughter . Judge sets bail at $75,000; Murray posts bond and out of jail several hours later .

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Washington (CNN) -- One year after a video surfaced showing government contractors using hedge clippers to cuts limbs off anesthetized goats -- an effort to replicate wartime injuries -- the U.S. Coast Guard says it is looking for training that does not use live animals. In a report released Friday, the Coast Guard cleared its members of any wrongdoing, saying the training is required by the Department of Defense and that Coast Guard participants did not violate any law, regulation or standard of conduct. But it said the contractor was cited for violating the Animal Welfare Act. Coast Guard Vice Adm. Manson K. Brown, who investigated the matter, ordered the agency to look for training methods that "reduce and/or eliminate the role of live animals." "While no misconduct was committed by Coast Guard personnel, the controversial nature of (the program) demands the service continue to closely scrutinize its policies," Brown wrote. In the meantime, a Coast Guard spokesman acknowledged, the training program will continue. The so-called "Live Tissue Training" session that gave rise to the controversy occurred March 3, 2012 -- the last day of a five-day course for non-medical military personnel who might face life-threatening situations. Thirty-two Coast Guard members -- 29 of whom were being deployed to Iraq and the Persian Gulf -- participated at an outdoor site in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Instructors with Tier 1 Group, a federal contractor, anesthetized and intentionally injured the goats so the students could assess and treat combat-like injuries, the Coast Guard said. During the first phase of the training, the group was divided into teams of four to six students, and instructors placed anesthetized goats -- which they referred to as "patients" -- on tables. The instructors "had the students turn their backs to the table while the instructor inflicted trauma to the animal." Students then turned, assessed the injuries, and treated the animals. During the second phase, instructors "inflicted combat-like injuries to the animals with a shotgun, pistol, ax, and scalpel," Brown's report says. The injured animals were laid out alongside a road to simulate an attack with an improvised explosive or enemy firefight, the report says. Teams ran into the simulated hot zone, some administering aid while others secured the scene and simulated returning gunfire. At the end of the training, the goats were euthanized. The number of goats was not disclosed. A participant videotaped some of the training, leaking the video to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, an animal rights organization. PETA posted the video online and filed a complaint with the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Coast Guard. PETA said the training did not reflect battlefield situations, that the goats showed signs of pain and that the students did not show any sense of urgency in treating the animals. It also said an instructor cheerfully whistled while dismembering an animal as Coast Guard members made jokes. Brown's report concluded Coast Guard members behaved properly. "Before the training started, both a T1G instructor and a Coast Guard chief petty officer encouraged students to make reports of any unprofessional behavior," the report says. It says many students described the training as professional, some calling it the best medical training they had ever received. "However, one student opined that instructors and students were too lighthearted during training," the report says. But another student said the laughter was unconnected to the course. "There is nothing in the video to suggest that this type of behavior was prevalent during the training or was motivated by anything other than reaction to a high stress situation," the report says. "When one student inappropriately waved a severed animal leg in the air, a more senior ranking student quickly reprimanded him and the behavior stopped," the report says. One student also said that having only one person administer anesthesia was not sufficient for all of the animals, the report says, noting that the PETA video shows one animal moaning. Based on the video, the Department of Agriculture subsequently cited T1G for violating the Animal Welfare Act, the report says. Asked about the citation on Friday, the Agriculture Department gave CNN a warning letter it issued Tier 1 Group on Aug. 8, 2012, saying the department has evidence the contractor violated a regulation governing proper anesthesia for animals. T1G did not immediately return a CNN request for comment. But R. Andre Bell, a spokesman for the Agriculture Department's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said, "We conducted a follow-up inspection and determined the noncompliance items had been addressed." A PETA official decried the Coast Guard report. "Basically, this report says that all of the disturbing allegations that PETA made are true, but that the Coast Guard isn't accepting responsibility for it. They all but say that it was the contractor's fault," said . Justin Goodman, director of PETA's Laboratory Investigations Department. Last September, 11 members of Congress signed a letter asking the Government Accountability Office to investigate Tier 1 Group, citing last year's Coast Guard training and a 2011 USDA action citing the contractor for "inadequate anesthesia oversight" for at least 50 goats. PETA said the GAO has referred the matter to the Defense Department's inspector general's office, which could not be reached late Friday. T1G won a $1.7 million contact with the Naval Supply Systems Command in 2012 to conduct 24 iterations of Live Tissue Training for 360 Navy personnel using pigs, the letter says.

Video previously showed contractors dismembering goats to replicate battlefield wounds . Coast Guard report vindicated service members, said training program will continue . Images leaked to animal rights group, which complained to the U.S. government .

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Hong Kong (CNN) -- Yahoo and China's Alibaba Group have agreed to a $7.1 billion deal in which the Hangzhou-based internet behemoth buys back half of Yahoo's 40% stake in the company. The agreement will give a much-welcomed cash injection to Yahoo, which has lost 65% of its value since its 2006 peak and is smarting from the resume-padding scandal of ex-CEO Scott Thompson, the third chief executive to lead the beleaguered web portal in three years. Yahoo's 40% stake in Alibaba, purchased in 2005 for $1 billion, is widely considered the company's greatest asset. But the relationship has been a fractious one, punctuated with public disagreements over company direction, as well as Yahoo siding with Google in its 2010 fight with Chinese regulators. Alibaba CEO Jack Ma publicly said in September he might be interested in buying Yahoo. "This transaction opens a new chapter in our relationship with Yahoo," Ma said in a news release Monday. Alibaba is a leading e-commerce provider in China, the world's largest internet market. "Today's agreement provides clarity for our shareholders on a substantial component of Yahoo!'s value and reaffirms the significance of our relationship with Alibaba," said Ross Levinsohn, interim CEO of Yahoo, in a release on the deal. Under the terms of the deal, Yahoo will get $6.3 billion in cash and up to $800 million in newly issued Alibaba preferred stock. "We look forward to delivering the proceeds of the near-term transaction to our shareholders, and to the further enhancement of value and the additional monetization in the future that this agreement enables," said Timothy R. Morse, chief financial officer of Yahoo.

Yahoo and China's Alibaba Group have agreed to a $7.1 billion share buyback deal . The China internet behemoth will buy back half of Yahoo's 40% stake in the company . Comes after the departure of Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson in a resume padding scandal . The relationship between Alibaba and Yahoo has often been fractious .

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(CNN) -- Yamaha rider Jorge Lorenzo notched up his 46th career pole position on Saturday at qualifying for the Spanish MotoGP in Jerez. The 2010 world champion, who finished first in the season-opening Qatar MotoGP, narrowly beat compatriot Dani Pedrosa on a Honda in a time of one minute 39.532 seconds. Lorenzo and Pedrosa battled for the fastest time throughout qualifying but it was Lorenzo who finished on top bettering Pedrosa's fastest lap time at the circuit set back in 2010. "We are very happy with this pole position because it was a strange session. There were a lot of water patches and it was very dangerous. You had to pay a lot of attention, it would have been easy to crash and get injured," Lorenzo said. "Anyway we start in first position so let's see what happens in the race. Thank you to the team for working hard to keep giving the right set up in changing conditions," he added. America's Nicky Hayden was third fastest on his Ducati while England's Cal Crutchlow recovered from a spectacular crash to finish fourth. Defending world champion Casey Stoner of Australia will start Sunday's race in fifth. Italy's Valentino Rossi once again had a disappointing day and will start down in 13th place.

Former world champion Jorge Lorenzo beats compatriot Dani Pedrosa to pole position in Jerez . America's Nicky Hayden was third fastest on his Ducati . England's Cal Crutchlow recovers from crash to finish fourth . Valentino Rossi disappoints again finishing 13th in Saturday's qualifying .

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(CNN) -- Fernando Llorente's dramatic last minute goal sealed an all-Spanish Europa League final as Athletic Bilbao booked a clash with Atletico Madrid in Bucharest. The forward's late strike finally settled a pulsating tie against Portugal's Sporting Lisbon ensuring Bilbao triumphed 3-1 on the night and 4-3 on aggregate. The Basque side will face Atletico Madrid in the final on May 9 after their fellow Spanish team won 1-0 away at Valencia to record an impressive 5-2 aggregate victory. Trailing 2-1 from the first leg in Portugal, Bilbao leveled the tie when Markel Susaeta fired into the net after Llorente had chested a cross into his path. Just before halftime Sporting's Dutch striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel smashed a low shot into the net to edge the away side in front once again. But a minute later Ibai Gomez locked the tie at 3-3 on aggregate and 2-1 on the night after he converted following a glorious piece of skill from Llorente, who beat a man before flicking the ball into his teammate's path. Both sides hit the woodwork in the second half, Llorente with a header and Emiliano Insua with a vicious long range strike, but the game looked destined for extra time. That was until the final minute of normal time when Gomez turned inside the area and crossed for star man Llorente to poke home at the near post and send the San Mames stadium into raptures. In the other semifinal, Valencia came charging out of the blocks, determined to reverse Atletico's 4-2 advantage from the first leg but striker Roberto Soldado wasted two clear cut chances. The decisive blow was struck on the hour mark as Adrian Lopez took down a long pass on his chest before thumping a fierce volley into the net. With the tie all but wrapped up, a moment of madness from Atletico's Portuguese midfielder Thiago cost him a place in the final after an extraordinary melee on the field. Thinking Thiago had handled a cross the referee pointed to the penalty spot, but replays showed it was a Valencia forward who had made contact with the ball. As players from both sides argued with the referee, Thiago slapped Soldado and then trod on Jordi Alba's foot, earning him a red card and a suspension for the final. After consultation with his assistants, the referee then reversed his penalty decision and awarded a free kick to Atletico. The Europa League final will be held in the Romanian capital Bucharest on May 9.

Europa League final to be all-Spanish clash between Athletic Bilbao and Atletico Madrid . Fernando Llorente's late goal helps Bilbao beat Sporting Lisbon 4-3 on aggregate . Atletico win 1-0 away at Valencia thanks to Adrian's goal to seal a 5-2 aggregate win . The final will be held in Romania's capital Bucharest on May 9 .

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Harare, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Costly and frequent travels to Singapore by Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe for medication were justified because the 87-year-old might be having "complications," his political rival and Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said Wednesday. "The responsibility of the state is to look after its leaders. If the president is sick, he should be attended to," said Tsvangirai responding to journalists who were eager to know why his and Mugabe's travel expenses had reached $29 million dollars in eight months, according to government figures published quarterly. The figures represent an enormous sum for a country where the majority of the population struggles to have one meal a day. Official figures show Zimbabwe spends about $5 million a month. Mugabe's and Tsvangirai's travels consume more than $3.6 million a month, the figures show. When quizzed by journalists why the 87-year-old frequents Singapore which accounts for the bulk of the two's travels, Tsvangirai said: "Whether you like it or not he (Mugabe) may say I was sick and I had to go and seek medical attention. Who am I to question him? I do not want to divulge (his real ailment), what you are trying to draw me is to tell what ailment he is suffering from. Maybe the attention (Mugabe needs) is outside the country. Maybe we do not have the expertise (in Zimbabwe). What do you want him to do? He is not certainly suffering from malaria as you would understand, which we can obtain (treatment for) at the nearest hospital. There might be complications." Mugabe, last week flew to Singapore for medical treatment for the eighth time this year, heightening concern over his health. In March, Mugabe's office declared that he had undergone an eye operation to remove cataracts earlier in the year, and that he had just had "a final review." Last month Mugabe's Zanu-PF party set up a committee to probe revelations contained in the WikiLeaks documents that party officials told U.S. diplomats that Mugabe had prostate cancer and would be dead by 2013. The U.S. diplomatic cables indicate that information was allegedly conveyed to the U.S. officials by one of Mugabe's allies, central bank head Gideon Gono. Gono has rejected the claims that Mugabe had prostate cancer.

Tsvangirai says travel by Mugabe is justified . Public documents show $29 million in travel expenses in eight months . Most of the travels are to Singapore .

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(OPRAH.com) -- Slouching over coffee in a booth at a New York diner, Jerry Seinfeld looks so...Seinfeldian, you might think he was shooting a scene from the old sitcom. But this is a different Jerry: a husband and father of three, who, at 55, finds himself comfortably bemused by the strange intricacies of marriage. It's his current obsession and the subject of the new show he's coproducing, "The Marriage Ref" -- a stand-up/reality-TV hybrid that features clips of real couples in real tussles, plus a panel of celebrity "experts" and a referee (comedian Tom Papa) who ultimately declares the husband or wife in each standoff the winner. If you've seen the show, you already know that the niggling mundanity of other people's lives provides its share of laughs, yet Seinfeld is expecting even more. "I hope it's not grandiose to say, but maybe it'll save a marriage here and there," he explains. "I gotta believe that somewhere, someone out there is going to go, 'I'm not the only one!'" Lucy Kaylin: This is a pretty big topic you're taking on. Jerry Seinfeld: I feel like Jacques Cousteau, frankly. I feel like the first person to explore the ocean. And we're just gonna go out and search and -- . LK: Spelunk. JS: Spelunking is for caves. I'm talking about oceanography. Caves are small; the ocean is vast. In the comedy business, you deal with scarcity all the time. You never have enough funny things. But in this show, it's the exact opposite. You talk about, What's a great sitcom? What's a great romantic comedy premise? Well, here it is: Here's a man and here's a woman, and they have decided to shackle themselves together. Let's see how that works out. Oprah.com: The definitions Jerry thinks every couple needs . LK: Tell me about the spat between you and your wife, Jessica, that prompted the idea for The Marriage Ref. JS: A friend of hers was over. I don't even know what it was about, but we got into something. And the friend started to get uncomfortable and said, "Maybe I should go." And I hit upon the idea of, "No, you have to stay. You have to solve this for me." And we each pleaded our case. LK: Who won? JS: Well, it wasn't me. But the simplicity of it was exciting. LK: Do you think there should be ground rules for marital fights? Oprah.com: The fight that can save your marriage . JS: The best piece of advice I received before I got married was, "Be careful what you say when you're in a fight, because it could stick in someone's head." I don't think I've ever said anything I really regretted. I'm very sympathetic to women. I've really studied wife-ology, and I know you've got to figure out the feelings. Deal with the feelings. LK: So what's your fighting style? JS: I can get very lawyerly when my wife and I get into a thing. I get very logical and I try and channel my emotion through that. LK: Well, that's one approach. JS: If you're a man, you have to figure out what she needs to hear. So ask her: "What do you need to hear me say?" And then just say it. That's a very good way out of an argument. But then you have to act -- you have to say it like you mean it. Even our kids have this thing where, if you say, "I'm sorry," they go, "No, say a nice sorry. If it's not a nice sorry, it doesn't count." LK: Any other ground rules? JS: I'm very big on staying in the room. In fact, I said this to my wife the other day: "I understand that you're so upset that you just want to walk away. But, you know, I don't care that it's hard." You stay in the room until you feel better. Then you can leave. LK: How about the classic, "Don't go to bed angry"? JS: I remember agreeing to that on the night of our wedding. I don't think we've kept it once. Oprah.com: What's wrong with being angry? LK: So monogamy -- is it natural? Something we ought to aspire to? JS: My personal viewpoint is this: The problem with humans is our heads are just way too big. And one of the greatest appeals of monogamy is the simplification of the mental process. I don't have any friends who aren't faithful to their wives, but if I did, my main question would be, "Who's got time to figure all that out?" It's just too much work. The emotions that have to be disposed of, the values, the ethics.... All I see is this gigantic amount of work for a fleeting pleasure. People should get married because they have finally seen the folly of being single: "Oh, this is all just kind of a bad magic trick. I just keep bending over to reach for this wallet on a string. How much longer am I gonna do that?" LK: What's one of the things you most like about being married? JS: I love being made fun of, if it's done well. I love being brought down to size. LK: And your wife is good at that? JS: Yes. Yes. Yes, she is. I feel like humor is the answer to everything. For example, let's look at David Letterman and Tiger Woods. Now, there are some differences to the two situations. The biggest difference is, what can a guy who has humor do that a guy who does not have humor cannot do? You're looking at a guy who knows how to make fun of himself, and a guy who hasn't the first clue how to make fun of himself -- and the resulting difficulty. If you have a little bit of humor in the shaker and you can sprinkle that on, that's your answer. LK: So ultimately, is marriage worth it? Or is it the most foolhardy thing we could do? JS: No more foolhardy than "I think I'll take human form for 75 years and try to negotiate the planet I see below me." There's a tremendous power and energy in sharing your life with another person. I'm married ten years next week, and it's as big a joy for me now as it was when we first started dating. I love these two puzzle pieces that don't quite fit, you know? Somehow you make them fit. Subscribe to O, The Oprah Magazine for up to 75% off the newsstand price. That's like getting 18 issues FREE. Subscribe now! TM & © 2010 Harpo Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Jerry Seinfeld: I don't have any friends who aren't faithful to their wives . In arguments men should figure out what she needs to hear and then say it . Best advice he's gotten: Careful what you say in a fight . Likes most about marriage? "I love being brought down to size"

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Mexico City, Mexico (CNN) -- Grupo Mexicana suspended operations at its three airlines Saturday "until further notice," citing the financial problems inherited when the group changed owners a week ago. The company's three airlines -- Mexicana Airlines, MexicanaClick and MexicanaLink -- stopped all flights at midday Saturday, according to a statement from the group. "Today's decision is a painful one for the 8,000-strong Grupo Mexicana family, but we will continue seeking out ways of securing the company's long-term financial viability, so our passengers can once again enjoy the quality services they are accustomed to," the statement said. "We hope to be back in the air soon and would like to thank everyone involved in this process for their support and understanding." Grupo Mexicana said the current management received the company in a state of technical bankruptcy last week after it had filed for insolvency protection. It also cited the fact that the previous management had stopped selling tickets for the airlines a month ago, "forcing the company to continue operating in the interests of passengers without receiving any revenue." The company advised passengers still holding tickets to consult its website to apply for refunds, or for those traveling Saturday, to contact Grupo Mexicana for assistance.

Company owns Mexicana Airlines, MexicanaClick and MexicanaLink . Airlines suspend operations due to financial problems . Grupo Mexicana changed owners a week ago . Company hopes to begin flying again soon .

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(CNN) -- As we tuck ourselves into bed at night, little do we realize that we have the chance to get some extra work done while we sleep. The unconscious mind has long been appreciated as a well of creativity from which some of our greatest artworks, scientific discoveries and inventions have been dredged up. But studies show it is also a powerhouse when it comes to processing unwieldy amounts of information. When making complex decisions that require us to weigh multiple factors, some researchers believe we can benefit from learning to combine our conscious deliberations with unconscious processing. The idea that we only use a small percentage of our brain's capacity is "completely ridiculous," according to Maarten Bos, who researches decision making and the unconscious mind at Harvard Business School. "We use our brain the whole time," he says. We tend to consider the time we spend sleeping, for instance, as a mentally inactive period. But sleep is associated with better memory performance, and "slow-wave" sleep in particular has been shown to enhance our ability to make mental connections and integrate unassociated information. This sort of mental heavy-lifting during sleep could be useful for discovering creative solutions to problems and could potentially help combining factors in a way that allows us to make decisions, says Bos. See also: Work skills for the 'conceptual age' "We sleep a quarter to a third of our lives," Bos says. "Just imagine how great it would be if you can use that time, in a way that's not disrupting us. "Many people don't like their job, but if you are wrestling with something and you can, without laying awake, help your mind process information, that would actually be pretty awesome." According to Unconscious Thought Theory, the conscious mind is good at arranging information in accordance with rules, and performing precision maneuvers such as those involved in arithmetic. But compared to the unconscious, it is "low capacity" -- we can only consciously think about a certain number of factors at any one time -- and more likely to be bamboozled by irrelevant factors. In comparison, the unconscious is good at synthesizing large amounts of information, and privileging important considerations over trivial ones. In an experiment conducted by Loran Nordgren (Kellog School of Management), Bos and Ap Dijksterhuis (Nijmegen University), a group of subjects were asked to choose the best out of 12 apartments, and given six rules to abide by (rent must be no more than $2,000 a month, must allow dogs), in making their choice. Those given four minutes to consider their decision chose apartments that fit with the rules 75% of the time but selected the best apartment just 29% of the time. Those who deliberated for two minutes and then were distracted for two minutes chose a rule-abiding apartment 44% of the time, but identified the apartment with the best aggregate of attributes 58% of the time. This may sound deeply mysterious, but most of us are probably familiar with the feeling of having arrived at a decision by unconscious means. "Say you want to buy a house," Bos explains. "You walk in and the house just feels right. This is the place where you think you want to live. There may be factors that are not easily verbalized, and that's where your unconscious mind comes along." Maybe the real estate agent is diffusing the scent of freshly baked cookies in your direction. Maybe you are just tiring of looking at open homes. But Bos's research suggests that some instincts are the result of the unconscious having correctly identified the best option. Bos explains you can actively use this kind of intuition as a decision-making tool. "You start with taking in all the information. Then, you distract yourself. Then, whatever feels right, that's the (option) you go with," he explains. "But after that, you check the facts. One house might feel really right when you're there, but it might be built on toxic waste." See also: Micro managers: Learn to trust your people . A growing body of research suggests that cognitive biases consistently cloud our judgment, and that we consistently overestimate our analytical prowess. Psychologist Daniel Kahneman, who won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2002 and authored last year's "Thinking Fast and Slow," has explored how our conscious thought processes are susceptible to being disrupted by irrational, subconscious influences. He famously distinguished between two modes of thinking: System 1, which is "fast, automatic, effortless, associative, and difficult to control or modify", and System 2, which is "slower, serial, effortful, and deliberately controlled ... relatively flexible and potentially rule-governed". "We think that's incomplete," Bos says, "because there's also a slow, unconscious process, and that's what we're talking about." "Gut decisions are really fast and influenced by all kinds of things, like stereotyping, or liking the first or last thing you see," he explains. "There's a difference between those, and a slower, more deliberate process that happens subconsciously."

The unconscious can help make complex decisions, scientists say . While sleeping, our ability to make associations is enhanced. "Unconscious Thought Theory" says the unconscious is good at synthesizing large amounts of information .

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(CNN) -- Clouds intrigued me as a boy. I was curious about what they were made of, how they got up in the sky and what it would be like to sit on one. I also thought they looked beautiful. Kids are often entranced by clouds. Unfortunately, such positive feelings rarely endure into adulthood. As we grow up, we start to moan about clouds. We consider them as metaphors for doom and gloom, describing someone who's depressed as "having a cloud hanging over them" and bad news in store as "a cloud on the horizon." Watch Gavin Pretor-Pinney's TED Talk . Clouds get a bad press. That's why, a few years ago, I started the Cloud Appreciation Society. It exists to remind people that, far from being things to complain about, clouds are among of the most diverse, evocative, and poetic parts of nature. TED.com: Sculpting waves in wood and time . It must be because they are so commonplace, so ubiquitous, so everyday, that we become blind to the beauty of clouds. We only tend to notice them when they block out the sun. So they come to represent the annoying obstructions in life, the things that get in the way. Our feelings about the weather are often articulated as if there is a battle between the sun and the clouds -- between good weather and cloudy weather. Such an opposition is, of course, just projection. The sun's energy powers the very movement of air around our atmosphere that causes clouds to form. "The most beautiful thing in Nature," wrote Henry David Thoreau, "is the sun reflected from a tearful cloud." TED.com: Tom Shannon on anti-gravity sculpture . Not only should we appreciate clouds more, we also need to understand them better. The recent fifth report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change includes one conclusion that all sides of the climate change debate can agree on. This is that the one factor contributing the greatest uncertainty in scientists' attempts to predict future global temperatures is the clouds. They have a huge and complex effect on the flow of energy to and from our planet, sometimes reflecting away the sun's heat, sometimes trapping in Earth's warmth. Scientists still don't understand enough about the formation of clouds to predict with confidence how cloud cover will be affected by changing atmospheric conditions. Without knowing that, they can neither be sure how the clouds will amplify future changes in global temperatures and nor make confident predictions about our climate in decades to come. But on the ground, in the meantime, the pleasures of cloudspotting, are all about the here and now. There is a satisfaction in learning to recognize the different types of cloud, from the fair-weather cumulus to the high, wispy cirrus, the fierce cumulonimbus storm cloud and the many other rare, unusual and fleeting cloud forms. TED.com: Nature, beauty, gratitude . Finding shapes in the clouds is an aimless, carefree pastime that we adults should also do more of. The digital age conspires to make us feel busier than ever. Cloudspotting, by contrast, is an activity that legitimizes doing nothing. These days, we need excuses to do nothing. Happiness comes not from a desperate search for stimulation elsewhere but from finding what is intriguing, surprising and "exotic" in the everyday stuff around us. You don't need to cross the world to be amazed. You just need to step outside and look up, every now and then, as if you are seeing the sky for the first time. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Gavin Pretor-Pinney.

Gavin Pretor-Pinney: Clouds entrance kids, but for adults are often metaphors for gloom . But he says they are one of the most diverse, evocative, poetic parts of nature. He says scientists puzzled by what clouds can tell about predicting future climate change . Pretor-Pinney: In frenzied age, cloudspotting legitimately, blissfully allows us to do nothing .

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Newtown, Connecticut (CNN) -- The center of Newtown couldn't be more decked out for the holidays. It seems like there are ribbons and wreaths for every lamppost and door. Lights sparkle from trees, and a big wood sign calls residents to the local firehouse to pick up even more holiday sprigs. That same firehouse is where parents ran in panic after receiving robocalls and texts about a shooting Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School up the street. Now, the high spirits of the holidays have been darkened. Signs in storefronts have stopped declaring holiday cheer and are calling instead for prayer and mourning. The firehouse is ringed by first responders greeting members of the community coming to drop flowers and notes. A sign pointing to the entrance of the local grade school now marks the scene of a massacre of young children. A day that started like any other . Since the shooting, tears fall easily in this town, especially after police released the sober list of names of the dead. It was striking as much for the birth dates as for the length. The column "DOB" listed 20 born in the years 2005 and 2006. Then six names of female educators young and middle-aged. The 7th birthday of a little girl named Josephine Gay happened last week. Another named Charlotte Bacon would have turned 7 in February. Remembering the victims . "I don't think there are words," said a woman as she broke down in tears when she came to leave flowers for the dead. Her daughter also went to the elementary school. She had listened to the robocall about the shooter, feeling anything but calm. Like a lot of mothers in the area, she had been swept by panic wondering which school had an unfolding crime and whether her child might be among those injured or killed. Another woman, Miriam Espinoza, fell to the grass and wept when she saw the flowers around the elementary school sign post. She clutched her third-grader, recounting her later relief as she discovered her child was not among the victims. "But those other mamas," she said in Spanish, "how did they go forward?" It was as if an entire town suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. No one was left unmarked since those harrowing minutes Friday of sorting out who had and had not survived, and the many hours since of figuring out how close danger had touched their lives. Was their child OK? What about their neighbor's child or the teacher who once taught their teen? Laura Phelps and husband Nick have a first and third-grader at the school. They rushed to Sandy Hook Elementary to see if their children were among the injured or dead. "When we got our children and I saw my son's teacher, they were like ghosts, but they were incredibly composed; they were calm; they had their sheets with them checking off, making sure each child went with their parent," she said. "They did everything possible to keep our kids safe, and I wish I had known when I looked at their faces just to say thank you because I have my children." Teacher: 'I wanted to be the last thing they heard, not the gunfire' As mourners placed flowers for the dead, their friends could barely put together words. Alexander Galinsky walked with his head dipped as he thought of a friend who lost a son. "Last night we felt something unusual because they didn't respond on the phone calls, messages," he said of his friend. "Last night they basically called us and (there were) just a few words. (Their son is) not with us anymore." This family had come from England two years ago but quickly fit into a tightly knit community. Galinsky said he began considering them close friends almost overnight. "We cannot comprehend with our minds and our hearts," he said. Some parents' voices still rattled as they uttered that awful word "lockdown," something children practice with their teachers. It is a modern addition to a fall season of fire drills and other safety lessons for the littlest of schoolchildren. But the word shocked adults when it took on real-life meaning. Library clerk Mary Ann Jacob fell into the arms of her husband as she recounted hearing crackling over the school's public address system. "I thought they'd left it on so I just called the office to tell them we could hear them," she said. A member of the office staff told her about the shooter so she and some other staff hustled the kids into a storage closet. "We practice these lockdowns; we have to have several by a certain date," she said. She handed out pieces of paper and crayons to the cluster of 6-year-olds to keep them quiet. Latest developments . Jacob said the door was kept locked while the principal and other staff were in the halls fighting off an attack. They were so scared of what was unfolding that they didn't even open the door for police when they finally came knocking. "I made him show his badge," she said. The town's initial trauma has turned to mourning as churches opened their doors for counseling and services, and a vigil for one teacher drew hundreds. On Sunday, there were even more services as well as a planned visit by President Barack Obama, all as the investigation unfolds into how a day that began with promises of some first-graders building gingerbread houses after school had ended this way. One woman who came with flowers said she was there because she didn't know what else to do. Her friend could only offer this response: "I think it's coming to these memorials, I think it's being close from one family to another. And just being there. You know just hugs; I don't think there are any words." How you can help .

Signs of holiday cheer replaced with calls for prayer and mourning . Initial trauma turns to grief as Newtown families come together . Parents begin to face the new reality in Newtown, Connecticut .

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(CNN Student News) -- April 12, 2011 . Download PDF maps related to today's show: . • Ivory Coast • Japan • France . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. CARL AZUZ, CNN STUDENT NEWS ANCHOR: I'm Carl Azuz, and this is CNN Student News! We don't need 80 days. We're taking you around the world in 10 minutes. Asia, Europe, North and South America. But we're starting things off in western Africa. First Up: Ivory Coast Crisis . AZUZ: The civil war that's been raging in the nation of Ivory Coast seems to be coming to an end. In fact, a United Nations representative said yesterday that while there are still some small signs of resistance, to his knowledge, most of the fighting has stopped. That is because Laurent Gbagbo, Ivory Coast's former president, was arrested on Monday. This is Gbagbo, and this is the hotel that he was taken to yesterday. It's the headquarters of both the U.N. group in Ivory Coast and of Alassane Ouattara, the man who defeated Gbagbo in last year's presidential election. Gbagbo refused to step down despite having lost the election, and that is what led to the violence. Hundreds of people killed. Thousands fleeing from the country. Now that Gbagbo's been taken in, one U.S. official said Ivory Coast can start to return to normal. Libya Civil War . AZUZ: Moving northeast across Africa, we come to Libya. That country's government and military, led by Moammar Gadhafi, have been fighting against rebels who want him out of power. The African Union has come up with a plan to end that fighting. They're calling it a "road map." What it would do is immediately stop the fighting and help bring humanitarian aid into Libya. Colonel Gadhafi has signed off on the plan. But the rebels who are fighting against him haven't. The plan doesn't force Gadhafi to step down from power, so he could continue to lead Libya. And while rebel leaders say they're open to ideas, they say Gadhafi leaving power has to be included. Quake Anniversary . AZUZ: In Japan, rescue workers briefly stopped their search yesterday as the nation paused to remember the victims of the deadly earthquake and tsunami that hit exactly one month earlier. Special ceremonies, moments of silence paying tribute to the more than 13,000 people who were killed and the more than 14,000 others who are still missing. Just a short time later, Japan was hit by another earthquake. There have been hundreds of these aftershocks since the quake on March 11th. Yesterday's had a magnitude of 6.6. It caused landslides that trapped several people in one city. It also caused a temporary evacuation at that troubled nuclear power plant where engineers have been trying to cool down nuclear reactors. Just the Facts . STAN CASE, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Just the Facts! Burqa is an Arabic word that dates back to the 1800s. It is an article of clothing that covers someone's face and body. Burqas are often associated with Islam, as they are worn by some Muslim women. Burqa Ban . AZUZ: In France, it's illegal to wear a burqa according to a new law that went into effect this week. Two women who were protesting the ban were arrested on Monday. Police say they weren't arrested for wearing burqas, but rather for being part of an unauthorized protest. French officials say burqas pose a security concern and affect the dignity of women who wear them. But critics of the ban say it violates European human rights laws. Atika Shubert is in France. She has more on this new law and the reaction to it. (BEGIN VIDEO) ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A highly controversial law has gone into effect, and it's the talk of the country, as you can imagine. In fact, I'm going to hold up just a section of Le Parisien newspaper here. The headline is "the full veil is banned on the road." It actually has a small diagram here to show exactly what is allowed and what is not allowed in France now. The burqa, which covers the entire face, is banned. The niqab, which covers everything but the eyes, is also banned. But the hijab, which covers the head but leaves the face unveiled, is allowed. Now, the nuts and bolts of this law: Basically, it is now illegal for anyone to wear a full veil covering on the streets of France in public. And in public, it means anywhere on the streets, in a public office, such as a post office or a train station, even in a cinema, it is not allowed. Really, the only place where the full veil is allowed is in a car, the private vehicle, or in the privacy of your own home. There are only an estimated less than 2,000 women in France that actually wear the full veil, so it won't impact that many people, but it is highly controversial. Now, CNN did have the opportunity to speak to one woman who is wearing the full veil and says she will continue to wear the full veil even as this law goes into effect. And she told us what she thinks of this new face of France. HIND AMAS, VEIL WEARER IN FRANCE [TRANSLATED]: In all honesty, I'm just sad. I'm just sad and disappointed, because quite frankly to get to this point, I think it's very revealing about many things. And thankfully, thankfully, not all of the French population think like the politicians who voted this law. SHUBERT: Now, even though this only affects a small portion of women here in France, this law is very popular. It was passed with an overwhelming majority in France's parliament. And in the most latest polls, more than 80% of French respondent say they support the law. Atika Shubert, CNN, Paris. (END VIDEO) Debt Ceiling . AZUZ: To North America, Washington, D.C.: the U.S. Congress just finished up one round of financial debate. There are several more of those to go, and one of the big ones coming up soon is about the U.S. debt ceiling. Now, that is the legal limit for how much money the U.S. can borrow. Congress has about a month to work on this. But with a two-week spring break coming up, that doesn't leave a whole lot of time. So, what is the current debt ceiling? How close are we to it? And what are the options facing Congress? Ali Velshi is here to help break it all down. (BEGIN VIDEO) ALI VELSHI, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: The real fight, the one that's getting started, is over the country's debt limit. By law, the amount that the U.S. can carry, the amount of debt that the U.S. can carry, is $14.294 trillion. It's a credit limit that Congress sets. Now, that's what they can borrow. Here's where we stand right now. The actual current debt of the United States: $14.208 trillion. The difference between the two is $86 billion. Now, the U.S. is going to exceed this limit by May the 16th, based on current spending. The government can pull a few tricks and get away with being over the limit until about July 8th. But not increasing this credit limit is going to create some problems. Now, there are two scenarios for what could happen if Congress doesn't raise that debt limit by May 16th. Neither of them are good. The government can cut spending or it can raise taxes. They need to raise $738 billion to keep the country running until the end of the fiscal year, which is September 30th. But Democrats oppose cuts and oppose increasing taxes, so if they don't do that, the U.S. could default on its loans. That could create a big problem. That could send the dollar plummeting. It could send oil prices higher. It could hobble an already delicate economy, which is why this, this debt ceiling, is going to become the focus of our attentions for the next month. (END VIDEO) Shoutout . TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's Shoutout goes out to Ms. Kelleher's computer class at Wesleyan Middle School in Norcross, Georgia! Fort Sumter was where the first shots were fired in what war? You know what to do! Was it the: A) American Revolution, B) War of 1812, C) Spanish-American War or D) U.S. Civil War? You've got three seconds -- GO! The shots fired at Fort Sumter marked the start of the Civil War. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout! Civil War Anniversary . AZUZ: Those shots were fired exactly 150 years ago today. The Civil War, also known as the War Between the States, killed more American troops than any other U.S. war. And it all started here: at Fort Sumter in South Carolina's Charleston Bay. Confederate troops opened fire on the fort. The Union commander surrendered the next day, and the Civil War had begun. Many Civil War battles are played out today in re-enactments like this one. You might've seen one nearby where you live. The Civil War lasted four years, with the South ultimately surrendering in April of 1865. Before We Go . AZUZ: Well, we promised you five continents at the beginning of today's show, and that can be a tall order. But so is this. In fact, when it comes to towers built out of Legos, this is the tallest. It took 6,000 people working on this -- and, yes, they needed a crane -- in Sao Paulo, Brazil to put it together. 500,000 Legos stacked up more than 102 feet high. Something like this takes a lot of planning, a good strategy. So, no matter how fast the finished product comes together... Goodbye . AZUZ: ...We are sure they were toying around with the idea for a while. Will that tower be a building block for future world record attempts? If you ask me, for those builders, the sky's the limit. But for now, we'll "lego" of this story. For CNN Student News, I'm Carl Azuz. We will look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Bye bye!

Find out why the civil war in Ivory Coast is coming to an end . Consider a controversial new law in France that bans the burqa . Examine a crucial moment that's looming for the U.S. debt ceiling . Use the Daily Discussion to help students understand today's featured news stories .

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WATERLOO, Illinois (CNN) -- A southwestern Illinois man accused of strangling his wife and two young sons did not ask how his family was killed or see their bodies after he learned of the deaths, a police official said at a preliminary hearing Wednesday. Christopher Coleman has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bond. Christopher Coleman, 32, is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Garett, 11, Gavin, 9, and his wife, Sheri Coleman, 31. The victims were strangled in their beds last month. A pathologist will testify during the trial that the time of deaths May 5 was between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m., hours before Coleman said he drove to a gym, said Chief Joe Edwards of the Columbia Police Department. Coleman, a security supervisor, was arrested May 19. The chief also said that a handwriting expert has concluded that the profanity-laced messages scrawled in red spray paint throughout the house match Coleman's handwriting. Spray-painted messages were also found on Gavin's bed sheets, he said. Watch more on the profane messages » . Threatening letters left in the family's mailbox and an e-mail allegedly sent to Coleman before the killings were traced back to the suspect's laptop, he said. The letters had no envelopes and no postage, according to Edwards. Testifying at a hearing at the Monroe County Courthouse, the chief said that a police chaplain noticed an abrasion on Coleman's right arm as he was escorted to an ambulance after the bodies were discovered. Coleman then repeatedly punched the gurney with the arm, Edwards said, adding that when the suspect's father asked him about the abrasion, he said it was from punching the gurney. The suspect was having an affair with a friend of his wife who lives in Florida, according to prosecutors. Computer forensics found videos, photos and messages between the two, Edwards said. Coleman pleaded not guilty to all charges. The next court date is set for August 26.

Police chief testifies at preliminary hearing for man accused of slayings . Sheri Coleman, 2 sons killed in Columbia, Illinois, home . Christopher Coleman, husband and father, is accused in the deaths . Graffiti, threats against family tied to Coleman at hearing .

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(CNN) -- CNN correspondent Sean Callebs has just finished a long assignment: living on food stamps during all of February. He tracked his experiences on the American Morning blog. CNN's Sean Callebs with a meal he prepared living on a food-stamp budget. This meant no eating out, no food on the run while covering stories and no enjoying king cake and other New Orleans specialties during Mardi Gras. The food stamp program, newly named the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is run by the Department of Agriculture and provides food to those in need. The latest numbers show 31 million Americans are relying on supplemental food assistance to get by every month. Callebs is based in New Orleans, so he worked through the Louisiana Department of Social Services. The agency gave him a gift card worth $176, the maximum amount of assistance for which he was eligible, instead of an actual EBT card or food stamps. This week, he reflected on what he learned in an interview with House Call. House Call: Did living on a limited food budget have an impact on your health? Callebs: I wouldn't say it had a big impact on my health. I think that towards the end, I wondered if having fewer calories than I normally eat and also not having as much meat and fish -- I wondered if that affected my energy levels. I was running maybe 4 to 5 miles and toward the end of this diet when I got to three miles I just got kind of winded. I don't know why that happened. Watch Sean Callebs talk about his experience » . HC: Were there also some benefits? Callebs: I think I lost weight. I wouldn't say noticeable. It's not like I came out of this 30 days later and people were like "Wow, what happened to you?" but all my clothes are looser. I don't have a scale, but I can tell you my pants are much looser. HC: You write in your blog about your love of diet soda and how you had to drop it. Callebs: (Laughing) It's funny, because for the first 10 days it was really on my mind a lot. It was probably more than anything else I missed -- probably a sad commentary on my lifestyle. Then toward the end, I didn't even think about it and my photographer, as a joke the last day, he brought over two 20 ounce bottles of diet soda and said, "At midnight tonight you can have these," and I didn't drink them. I don't miss it as much and, I can't guarantee this is what caused it, but I've always had a problem with acid reflux and once I got started eating on the food stamp diet, it seemed to go away. I can't conclusively say that that was the cause, but I sleep better and I feel better. HC: How does your $176 compare with the average food stamp allotment? Callebs: I think it's difficult to say that there's an average food stamp allotment because it really breaks down to how many people you have in the family and to what degree you live at or below the poverty level. I went to the state, and I said, "I want to pretend I have no income so how much can I get?" and they said this is the maximum you can get: $176. I did get a lot of e-mails, A LOT of e-mails, from people who have lived with government assistance and they said, "Look, $176 is a ton of money to live on. So you think it's hard? You should put yourself in our shoes." That was sobering because I thought $6.28 a day -- that's basically a super-sized fast-food meal. (According to SNAP, the average monthly stipend was about $96 per person and about $215 per household in 2007.) HC: So, what did you learn? Callebs: I think that I learned that you can stretch $176. It sounds intimidating if you've always had enough, but if you haven't had enough then you learn pretty quickly how to make ends meet. That's what I learned pretty quickly. Snacks went out the window, name brands went out the window but, all in all, I ate pretty healthy. HC: Are you going to continue with this new way of living? Callebs: I am. I just got back from the grocery store and I spent $27 and I got plenty of food to last me for a few days. I've already wrapped it up and put it in the freezer. I'm still buying the stuff I bought before. It's a diet I'm sure I'll stick to. I feel good.

CNN's Sean Callebs talks about his month living on a food-stamp budget . He lost some weight but learned how to better cook, budget and bargain-hunt . Callebs cut out diet soda "treat" and experienced less acid reflux . Range of responses from readers, from "can't be done" to "welcome to my world"

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Washington (CNN) -- The commander of U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan was escorted from a congressional hearing room after fainting during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday, his spokesman said. Gen. David Petraeus "is feeling much better," spokesman Col. Erik Gunhus said. "It appeared that he fainted." A doctor checked Petraeus out and he returned to the hearing room to continue, but committee chairman Sen. Carl Levin "overruled him," Gunhus said. "Looks like we will continue tomorrow. He will be OK." Petraeus returned amid applause to the hearing room. On his way out of the building, Petraeus told CNN's Dana Bash, "I'm doing OK. I just got a little dehydrated. I ate a couple of bananas and drank some water. I didn't eat breakfast this morning." Petraeus is the head of U.S. Central Command, which oversees the conduct of the U.S. wars in the Middle East and central Asia. Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Petraeus was examined by a doctor in an outer room. "They gave him some fruit and juice to get his blood sugar up and did all the tests you would do in the aftermath of an unusual episode like that," Morrell said. "He took some time, is feeling better and wanted to go back out to complete the hearing." President Barack Obama called Petraeus from Air Force One while the president was en route back from Pensacola, Florida, a White House spokesman said. Obama got the impression, from his talk with Petraeus, that he is "doing great," deputy White House press secretary Bill Burton told reporters. "Sounds like he was just a little dehydrated," Burton said. A Pentagon official added that Petraeus "goes nonstop and has kept his schedule like this for nine years. I don't know if it was the schedule and pace at which he drives himself contributed to this. He indicated he didn't have breakfast or anything to eat or drink. He is back at the Pentagon working. He did not go for further medical tests." Gunhus said, "We have just returned from a weeklong overseas trip to Jordan and London and I think he was just dehydrated. He will be OK. We are back at the Pentagon working and executing his afternoon schedule." Before Petraeus was escorted out, key senators questioned the progress and planning for U.S. efforts in Afghanistan. Opening the hearing, Levin, D-Michigan, questioned the ratio of U.S. and NATO troops to Afghan troops, urging a faster ramping up of Afghan security forces. "Progress towards the goal of Afghans taking the lead in operations has been unsatisfactory. Today operations in Afghanistan are excessively dependent on coalition forces," Levin said. Levin said in the coming campaign in Kandahar, there is a plan to have one Afghan service member for every two international troops. He called instead for a one-to-one ratio, with Afghan forces in the lead. His Republican counterpart, Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, said in his opening remarks that the key trends were going in a "bad direction, perhaps even signaling a mounting crisis." "Hoping for success on the arbitrary timeline set by the administration is simply unrealistic," McCain said, calling for the president to say the U.S. will stay in Afghanistan until there is success. Moments before Petraeus' fainting spell, McCain asked him about the president's target to begin withdrawal of the additional troops by July of next year. "July 2011 is not the date where we race for the exits. It is the date where, having done an assessment, we begin a process of transition of tasks to Afghan security forces based on conditions and begin a process of, quote, a responsible drawdown of our forces," Petraeus explained. McCain expressed doubts about the timetable, as he has before. The Arizona senator worried that people in the region will assume America is leaving and that will strengthen the hand of the Taliban. "You believe that we can begin a drawdown in July of 2011, under the projected plans that we have?" McCain asked. "That is the policy and I support it," Petraeus said. "I understand you support the policy," McCain responded. "Will conditions on the ground indicate that we will begin a withdrawal, in the words of the vice president: 'July of 2011, you're going to see a whole lot of people moving out, bet on it'?" McCain moved on to another topic before Petraeus could answer the question. A few moments later, the hearing was recessed until Wednesday morning. Prepared remarks from Petraeus said progress is being made even as the security violence has gotten more intense. The surge of U.S. troops into Afghanistan is ahead of schedule, but the situation on the ground will get more difficult before it gets better, he warned in the prepared remarks. "I noted several months ago ... the going was likely to get harder before it got easier. That has already been the case, as we've seen recently." All 30,000 additional U.S. troops ordered by Obama last year will be in place in Afghanistan by the end of August, according to Petraeus. Troops had originally been scheduled to be in place by September. In the prepared remarks, he told the congressional panel Tuesday that increasing the size and capability of the struggling Afghan National Army and police forces are back on track, but there is more work to be done. Undersecretary of Defense Michele Flournoy also argued that progress has been made. "We are regaining the initiative and the insurgency is beginning to lose momentum," she said in her opening statement, but noted the outcome is "far from determined."

NEW: Obama calls Petraeus from Air Force One . Spokesman says Petraeus fainted, "is feeling much better" General says he got "a little dehydrated," hadn't eaten breakfast . Petraeus was set to testify at Senate Armed Services Committee hearing .

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(CNN) -- Iran's finance minister believes oil prices could rise as high as $160 a barrel thanks to sanctions over its nuclear program, a prediction that comes just as the chief of the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency headed to Tehran on Sunday for high-level talks. "We must pay close attention when we speak of oil revenues and sanctions against oil sales, who are the winners and the losers of such sanctions?" Shamseddin Hosseini told CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS" in an interview that airs Sunday. "Indeed, it is difficult. But not just for Iran. And we can all rest assured that there will be a considerable increase in international oil market prices. Now, is this the best approach?" The comments came as the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a carefully worded statement that its director-general, Yukiya Amano, was headed to Iran for talks on what it described only as "issues of mutual interest with high Iranian officials." The trip raises speculation that Iran may be willing to grant IAEA inspectors access to sites to determine whether it is developing nuclear weapons. The talks come at a critical time for Iran, whose economy has been crippled by sanctions imposed by the United Nations, the United States and the European Union. Eighty percent of Iran's foreign revenues are derived from oil exports, and an embargo by the EU set to go into effect in July will further devastate its economy. But Hosseini said the embargo would also likely hurt the EU, which is grappling with its own weakened economy. Oil prices as a result of the sanctions, he said, "will go considerably higher than $100 per barrel." Even the International Monetary Fund "says as a result of these sanctions, oil prices will perhaps reach and hover around $160 per barrel," he said. Hosseini gave little indication to Zakaria that Iran would be willing to abandon its nuclear program, which Tehran has consistently maintained is solely for the development of alternative energy. "There are conversations and dialogues taking place currently, but there cannot be a hegemony and a double-standard in the treatment of member countries such as Iran," he said. "If these principles can be understood and applied with mutual respect, I think we will be in a much better place. If we don't, we will witness a increase in international oil markets." The Iranians met with the IAEA for the first time in three months in Vienna, Austria, last week and are expected to meet again Monday. Later this week in Baghdad, Iran is set to continue talks over its nuclear program with world powers who make up the group known as P5+1: the United States, France, Russia, China, Britain and Germany. Tensions over the country's nuclear program have roiled the Middle East, with Iran threatening earlier this year to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil shipping lane, if sanctions were imposed on its exports of crude oil. Meanwhile, Israel has said it may attack Iran to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. During the height of tensions, oil prices soared to $110 a barrel. The price per barrel of crude oil finished last week at $92.50 per barrel. In March, the IAEA noted what it called a sharp and troubling increase in Iran's uranium enrichment capabilities. The United States and its allies suspect that Iran is evading international inspections and is developing nuclear weapons. As punishment, Western nations have slapped crippling sanctions on Iran. Leaders of the so-called Group of Eight -- United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Russia -- called on Iran on Saturday to comply with the requirements of the U.N.'s watchdog agency to open its doors to nuclear inspectors. In a declaration, the G8 leaders said they welcomed the resumption of talks. The leaders called on Iran to engage "in detailed discussion about near-term, concrete steps that can, through a step-by-step approach based on reciprocity, lead towards a comprehensive negotiated solution which restores international confidence that Iran's nuclear program is exclusively peaceful," according to the declaration. The G8 leaders also urged Iran to comply with international obligations to uphold human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of religion.

Iran's finance minister tells CNN that oil prices could rise as high as $160 a barrel . "Rest assured there will be a considerable increase," the minister says . The chief of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency is heading to Iran for talks . G8 leaders urge Iran to cooperate with inspectors .

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(CNN) -- Massachusetts wildlife officials shot and killed an adolescent black bear that climbed a tree in a Boston suburb Sunday after attempts to tranquilize the animal failed, state officials said. The state Environmental Police agency said it killed the 100-plus-pound animal "in the interest of public safety" and gave the remains to a local sports club "to salvage the meat for use by its members." The animal had been spotted on a railroad track early Sunday in the Boston suburb of Newton. State police briefly closed the nearby Massachusetts Turnpike while authorities tried to remove the bear, CNN affiliate WCVB reported. In a statement posted on its Facebook page early Sunday, the Newton Police Department urged people to keep away from the area: "We don't want him to get scared and fall onto the train tracks," it said. Later, via Twitter, Newton police said the bear was killed after several unsuccessful attempts to tranquilize it. The animal was a male, about a year old, and weighed between 100 and 125 pounds, the Environmental Police said. State wildlife officials had tagged it in February. About 3,000 black bears are believed to live in Massachusetts. They have been "known to co-exist with people" in the suburbs, the Environmental Police said in a statement. "The black bear population has been slowly growing and expanding its range into eastern and southeastern Massachusetts. As the bear population expands and moves eastward, more black bears will be seen in eastern Massachusetts," it said. CNN's Jennifer Moore contributed to this report.

The bear was spotted Sunday morning in Newton, Massachusetts . State wildlife officers shot the animal after failing to tranquilize it . The remains were given to a sports club for meat .

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Cairo (CNN) -- Soccer fans in the restive Egyptian city of Port Said clashed with security forces and torched a police station Saturday, the Interior Ministry said. At least 10 people were injured in the fighting, the latest over the last year. Violent clashes in Port Said have highlighted the longstanding resentment residents there feel toward Cairo and President Mohamed Morsy. The Green Ultras -- fans of the city's al-Masry football club long in the middle of political violence -- threw rocks at police vehicles that were transporting prisoners from jail to a court for their hearing. After the incident, about 500 people gathered in front of a police station. They threw rocks and Molotov cocktails and set fire to the building. The people also prevented emergency vehicles from arriving at the scene to help put out the fire. The Interior Ministry said the situation is now under control. The violence comes during a civil disobedience movement in the runup to a March 9 final verdict for people involved in deadly clashes after Port Said-based al-Masry defeated Cairo's al-Ahry 3-1 in a February 2012 soccer game. The fighting, dubbed the massacre at Port Said, left 74 dead and 1,000 injured. The history of tense relations between Port Said and Cairo dates back about 60 years, as residents of Port Said have felt betrayed by Egyptian security forces during a series of wars with Israel. Thousands of residents were displaced several times because of the Suez War, the Six Day War of 1967, the War of Attrition with Israel, and the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. Egyptian opposition leader calls for election boycott . Residents of Port Said, in the northeastern corner of the country, believed security forces did not adequately defend their city. In addition, some say Cairo has not invested enough in Port Said's infrastructure, and that their city doesn't reap enough tax benefits from trade with international ships that pass though Port Said via the critical Suez Canal. Some also contend that Port Said is still getting the cold shoulder from Cairo after a 1999 assassination attempt of then-President Hosni Mubarak, who was visiting the city. Elsewhere, tensions flared in Mansoura, in the Nile Delta region. Thousands poured into the streets for the funeral of Housam Abdelazim, killed Friday night in clashes between protesters and members of the security forces, the state-run Ahram news outlet said. The death occurred when the forces were preventing an attack by protesters against a complex of buildings that houses Dakahliya provincial headquarters. He was killed after a police vehicle drove over him, witnesses said. The security forces fired tear gas as the protesters threw Molotov cocktails and cut off roads leading to the provincial government buildings. Scores injured in anti-government protests in Egypt . Kerry visits Egypt . A protest erupted in Cairo as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry paid a visit to Egypt on Saturday, part of his first trip overseas as America's top diplomat. Dozens of protesters in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs set on fire pictures of Kerry, according to the state-run MENA news outlet. Other protesters laid on the ground at the front gate of the ministry. Some formed a human chain on a bridge leading to the ministry and held banners rejecting Kerry's visit to Egypt. The demonstration caused congestion with many cars backed up on Corniche Nile Road. The protesters chanted anti-U.S. and anti-Israel slogans. This came before Kerry's meeting with Foreign Ministry Mohamed Kamel Amr. His stopover comes amid political quarreling in Egypt. The Obama administration has been stressing to Morsy and other political figures the importance of political consensus. Secretary Kerry sees 'urgent' need to revive Egyptian economy . Speaking at a meeting with business leaders, Kerry said it is "paramount, essential, urgent that the Egyptian economy get stronger, that it get back on its feet." Kerry said that there needs to be a sense of security and an agreement with the International Monetary Fund to help jump-start the economy. Kerry said he spoke with the leaders of Great Britain, France, Germany and Turkey and all want to be helpful "but all of them believe Egypt must make some fundamental economic choices." Kerry met with Amre Moussa and Nabil El Araby, the former and current heads of the Arab League. He met with opposition leaders on Saturday, but state news said opposition leaders Hamdeen Sabahy and Mohamed Elbaradei decided not to meet with Kerry. He will meet with representatives of non-governmental organizations and Morsy on Sunday. In his visit with Morsy, he will broach "very specific ways" in which Obama wants to help Egypt, including economic assistance, support for private business, increasing Egyptian exports to the United States and investing in education. In remarks to reporters on Sunday, he reiterated the importance of economic and political strides. "There must be a willingness on all sides" in Egypt to make "meaningful compromises," and Egyptians must stay focused on economic and political opportunities to succeed in forging a successful democracy. His visit comes as Egypt has been engulfed in political unrest for months. He said the United States will help Egyptians achieve their aspirations for democracy and economic opportunity without interference. "We come here as friends" of Egyptians, not favoring a particular group, person or ideology. He said "the best way to ensure human rights" in the country is through the "broadest possible" political and economic participation. Kerry also said he appreciated Morsy's role in helping bring about a cease-fire between Israel and militants in Gaza in fighting there last year. CNN's Amir Ahmed reported from Atlanta. CNN's Jill Dougherty reported from Cairo. CNN's Joe Sterling contributed to this report .

NEW: Kerry focuses on the importance of democracy, economy . People gathered at a Port Said police station and threw rocks and Molotov cocktails . There has long been tense ties between Port Said and Cairo . There has also been unrest in another city, Mansoura .

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(CNN) -- The oil spill on the Gulf Coast has states and visitors bureaus working hard to keep the public updated and reassure beach-bound travelers. Here are some of the latest updates from destinations affected by the oil disaster: . Northwest Florida . Oil has affected sections of Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key beaches, according to the Pensacola Bay Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. Photos from the area showed patches of dark, syruplike oil on the white sand, but local officials said the situation is getting better. "Our beaches continue to improve hourly as the crews clean up," said Ed Schroeder, director of Visit Pensacola, in a statement on the bureau's website. On Thursday, yellow tape blocked about a quarter mile of the beach to public access, CNN affiliate WPMI-TV reported. Local officials said the temporary closure was put in place to speed up the cleanup process. Pensacola Beach is open, but the waters from the Park West recreation area to the area just west of Portofino are closed to all swimming and wading until further notice because of large quantities of emulsified oil in shore waters and along the shoreline, the visitors bureau said. "The shoreline and water along Santa Rosa Sound on the north side of the island is still clean, clear and open for swimming," according to the bureau's website. iReport: Share your photos of affected beaches . A no-swimming notice has been issued for Destin Beach because of the presence of "tar chips," according to the website of the Emerald Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau, which represents the destination. There were no reported oil impacts along beaches of south Walton County on Friday morning, the area's Tourist Development Council said on its website. The health advisory issued this week for a stretch of beach in the western end of the county has been lifted after two consecutive, clean high-tide cycles, the council said. Meanwhile, small scattered tar balls and oil patches have affected Panama City Beach, but the beaches are open and the swimming is still safe, the area's visitors bureau website said. "Our sugary white sand beaches are open for the enjoyment of our guests and, as of now, we are seeing only intermittent impact," according to the bureau. iReport: A slick trip to Perdido Key . Tar balls, tar patties and tar mousse -- a puddinglike oil-water mixture -- continue to be found in northwest Florida, with the heaviest impacts reported between Escambia and Walton counties, according to Visit Florida, the state's tourism corporation. All of the state's beaches remain open. Gulf Islands National Seashore . All of the Gulf Islands National Seashore sites, which are in Florida and Mississippi, are open, the National Park Service's website said. But several spots have been affected by the oil spill. A health advisory is in effect from Walkover 23 on Pensacola Beach, Florida, to the west tip of Santa Rosa Island including Fort Pickens. This advisory extends to the Perdido Key area, including Johnson Beach. "Because of significant quantities of oil in the water and coming ashore signage and flags advise visitors to not wade or swim in the water," according to the park. Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama . Gulf Shores and Orange Beach have experienced significant oiling, according to the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau. "The beaches are open and visitors are still welcome to sunbathe and walk the beach, but we strongly suggest they swim in a pool or enjoy our many off-beach activities," the site said. The Alabama Department of Public Health has issued an advisory against swimming in waters off Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan, and in bay waters close to Fort Morgan, Bayou St. John, Terry Cove, Cotton Bayou and Old River. Grand Isle, Louisiana . The oil's biggest impact in Louisiana is on the portion of the coast from the mouth of the Mississippi River extending east, according to a state emergency website. "Most of the Louisiana Gulf Coast, 70 percent, is unaffected by the oil spill and remains open for commercial and recreational fishing," according to the Cajun Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau website. Grand Isle has closed its public beach, the site said.

NEW: A no-swimming notice has been issued for Destin Beach, Florida . Oil affects sections of Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key beaches in Florida . Some waters closed to swimming because of emulsified oil along the shoreline . Health officials have issued advisory against swimming in Alabama Gulf waters .

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Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Jesse James' Nazi hat was a gift from a Jewish mentor and does not make him a neo-Nazi, his lawyer said Wednesday. James is at a treatment facility "to deal with personal issues" in a bid to save his marriage to actress Sandra Bullock, a spokeswoman for James said. "He realized that this time was crucial to help himself, help his family and help save his marriage," she said. A photo recently surfaced of James wearing the German Nazi hat as he raised his right arm in a salute. The hat may have been in poor taste, but it was given to James as a gag gift by his Jewish godfather, attorney Joe Yanny said. Possessing Nazi memorabilia does not make someone a neo-Nazi, he said. As evidence that James is no anti-Semite, Yanny said James lived for nearly a month in an Israeli kibbutz. His lawyer would not disclose what kind of treatment the famous motorcycle designer is seeking. "I would request that his rights in regards to privacy and his medical matters be respected," said Yanny. James has been the target of controversy and publicity since his separation with Bullock soon after she won a best actress Oscar earlier this month. Yanny refused to talk about the condition of the James-Bullock marriage, which came under question when several women went public with claims they were involved with him. "I understand people's desire in newsworthy stories, but I would hope that by now this wasn't such a newsworthy story such that his basic rights and privacy aren't continuously invaded in an improper manner," Yanny told CNN. He said "99 percent" of what has published about James in recent weeks is untrue. CNN's Brittany Kaplan contributed to this report.

Nazi hat was given to James as a gag gift by his Jewish godfather, lawyer says . Possessing Nazi memorabilia does not make someone a neo-Nazi, lawyer adds . Spokeswoman says James is at treatment facility "to deal with personal issues" James separated from Sandra Bullock soon after she won a best actress Oscar .

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United Nations (CNN) -- The United Nations formally condemned Friday the sinking of a South Korean warship in March but did not specifically name North Korea, which a multinational probe found culpable in the incident. "The Security Council deplores the attack," the 15-member council said in what is known as a presidential statement. It urged that "appropriate and peaceful measures be taken against those responsible for the incident aimed at the peaceful settlement of the issue." It also called for full adherence to the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement, which ended hostilities in the Korean war. Despite the absence of North Korea's name in the condemnation, U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice said the message to the communist nation is "unmistakable." "This statement is notable and it is clear," Rice said after its approval at a Friday morning session. "It uses the term 'attack' repeatedly, which you don't have to be a scholar of the English language to understand is not a neutral term." South Korea welcomed the statement. "I think it's crystal clear that [the] Security Council made it clear that North Korea [is] to be blamed and to be condemned," said Ambassador Park In-kook. A presidential statement, unlike a Security Council resolution, is not legally binding, though it requires approval of the council's five permanent members: China, Russia, France, the United Kingdom and the United States. An international joint civilian-military investigation deemed North Korea culpable for the March 26 sinking of the warship, the Cheonan. Australia, Britain, the United States, Sweden and South Korea provided experts for the inquiry. The Security Council expressed "deep sympathy and condolences," for the deaths of 46 sailors aboard the Cheonan. The statement was read aloud by the Nigerian ambassador, the rotating Security Council president for the month of July, after being voted on Friday by the full 15-member body. In June, investigation co-chair Yoon Duk-yong presented technical and visual evidence to the Security Council, saying the Cheonan was definitively "sunk by a torpedo which was made in North Korea and the launching was also done by a North Korean midget submarine." The isolated North has maintained its innocence, rejecting the investigation findings outright, questioning the validity of the experts involved, asking to conduct its own inquiry, and telling the Security Council that North Korea is the true victim of a conspiracy. A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, called the presidential statement "devoid of any proper judgment," according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency. He added that the case "should have been settled between the north and the south without referring it to the UN. The DPRK remains unchanged in its stand to probe the truth about the case to the last." North Korean U.N. Ambassador Sin Son Ho called Friday's U.N. statement "our great diplomatic victory." "From the beginning of the incident we have made our position very clear that this incident has nothing to do with us," he said. At a rare appearance before reporters in June, Sin questioned a number of the experts' conclusions, for instance asking how "the body of the torpedo can remain as it is while [a] huge warship is cut down into two parts? How the torpedo can remain?" Sin had warned, "our people and army will smash out aggressors with merciless counteraction if they dare to provoke us." The Security Council statement highlighted the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. It welcomed the "restraint shown" by South Korea in the handling of the Cheonan incident, and urged the resumption of dialogue and negotiations between the strained neighbors. A senior South Korean official called on North Korea again Friday to apologize for the Cheonan's sinking. "North Korea must apologize for the deaths of 46 of our young men" and punish troops involved in the sinking, Vice Unification Minister Um Jong-sik told a group of former ministry officials, according to the Yonhap news agency. CNN's Evan Buxbaum contributed to this report.

NEW: North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman calls the statement "devoid of any proper judgment" South Korean official says the U.N. statement makes it clear North Korea is to blame . North Korean official calls the U.N. statement "our great diplomatic victory" U.N. statement stops short of naming North Korea in sinking of South Korean ship .

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Washington (CNN) -- The chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Tuesday that the situation in the wake of the Japanese nuclear reactor crisis is static but not yet stable. On the day that Japan bumped up the seriousness of its nuclear accident from a Level 5 to a Level 7 priority, on par with the Chernobyl disaster, a Senate committee heard from U.S. environmental officials, scientists and NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko. "From the information we have, we believe the situation currently is static, namely we don't see significant changes on a day-to-day basis with the reactors," Jaczko told the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. "It is not yet, however, what we believe to be stable: namely that given additional events or other circumstances ... there would not be the potential for significant additional problems at the reactors." Thus, Jaczko said, the focus is "on these efforts to transition from static to stable to ensure (the) long-term ... ability to cool the reactors and to provide cooling for the spent fuel pools." California Sen. Barbara Boxer's state has a number of nuclear plants in areas with high seismic activity near millions of people. She pressed Jaczko for reassurances that enough is being done to protect people in the United States, especially California residents. "We've got to move beyond talk and get to the serious question (of) what do we do, to do everything in our power to make it safe," Boxer said. Boxer pointed out that officials once said it was "very unlikely" Japan would ever face the kind of crisis it finds itself in today. Questions were raised at the hearing about how far to extend evacuation zones in the United States in the event of a nuclear incident. The NRC has recommended that Americans in Japan stay at least 50 miles away from the damaged reactors. The current standard in the United States is a 10-mile evacuation zone. "As we've seen in Japan, nuclear events tend to develop over a long period of time," said Jaczko. "This is three weeks into this event, and we've had the time and the ability to make protective action recommendations, and to update and modify them as conditions of the plant changed. So that 10 miles is really based around the idea of what do you need to have prepared right away so that if you have an event that develops quickly, you can address that and have prestaged and prepared what to do," he said. Boxer pointed out that two of the nuclear plants in California were built to withstand a certain level of earthquake, pointing out in Japan it was 7.5 but the devastating quake was much more powerful. She said nuclear regulatory officials are being too conservative. "It's eerie to me, because I don't sense enough humility from all of us here. You know, as some great scientists once said, we think we have all the answers, but Mother Nature may not agree with us. So a lot of what you're saying is the same thing that they said," Boxer pointed out. "You can't know for sure what's going to happen," she said. Lisa Jackson, administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, reassured senators that air and water sampling for radiation contamination continue in the United States and that so far there is nothing to worry about. "Let me be clear, EPA has not seen and does not expect to see radiation in our air or water reaching harmful levels in the United States," said Jackson. "All of the data that we have seen, which we continue to make public and available on our website, indicates that while radiation levels are slightly elevated in some places, they are significantly below problematic levels."

NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko speaks to members of Senate public works panel . "We don't see significant changes on a day-to-day basis with the reactors," Jaczko says . Sen. Barbara Boxer seeks assurances on safety of U.S. reactors in seismic zones . Questions arise about whether evacuation zones in the U.S. need to be extended .

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(CNN) -- Money talks -- that's hardly a revelation, but the overriding feeling towards Saturday's David Haye versus Dereck Chisora "circus fight" in London is shock and outrage that it could even take place. With neither fighter holding a British boxing license, promoter Frank Warren had to resort to asking the little-known Luxembourg federation to sanction the bout. It has since been expelled from the European Boxing Union for agreeing to give legitimacy to an event that no-one else would touch. Chisora was banned by the World Boxing Council and the British Boxing Board of Control following his bust-up with Haye in Munich in February, while his former world champion opponent escaped punishment only because he had already retired. Their ugly scuffle at a press conference after Chisora's defeat by Vitali Klitschko, which Haye attended, has set the scene for a showdown straight from the pages of the professional wrestling handbook. Their pantomime behavior has only served to rack up the ticket sales to close to 30,000 and secure airtime in 60 countries worldwide. Chisora threatens to shoot Haye . "Chisora's not a nice guy, the fact he bites people in the ring, spits water in peoples' faces, slaps people at weigh-ins, kisses people at weigh-ins. What's to like?" Haye said this week. Boxing commentator Steve Bunce has compared Haye and Chisora's Munich brawl to Lennox Lewis' pre-fight rumble with Mike Tyson a decade ago. Lewis punched Tyson, and in exchange the American bit his leg. This was heralded at the time as the biggest fight ever. Needless to say this won't be the biggest fight ever, but expect passion, expect a feisty encounter between two British heavyweights who have both gone the distance with the Klitschko brothers in the past year and are still holding out for a rematch. Haye has pointed to worldwide attraction to the scuffle in Germany -- 20 million views of a YouTube video showing him brandishing a glass bottle -- as justification for Saturday's fight. Can boxing climb out of the gutter? "People are looking at it. If I'm disappointed in something, I'm not going to keep looking at it," Haye, who lost his WBA title to Wladimir Klitschko last year, told the UK Press Association. "Beating Chisora won't add to my legacy. In 50 years' time when people look back at my career they won't see this fight and think Dereck Chisora was a great fight and look what David did to him. "Chisora doesn't have any titles and has been coming off three losses. It's a fight for the night, simply because I beat him up at a press conference a few months ago." To give some indication of where men's boxing is at, on the same night Britain's Amir Khan will be fighting Danny Garcia in Las Vegas, having been reinstated as WBA welterweight champion after American Lamont Peterson was found guilty of doping following his controversial win when they met in December. WBC champion Garcia's trainer and father has already upped the stakes by insulting Khan's Pakistani heritage. "He's going to see a Pakistani fight on Saturday and knock his son out," Khan responded. It's all in stark contrast to the image that women's boxing will be hoping to portray in the UK capital in the coming weeks, as females get to fight at the Olympics for the first time. There's still some divided opinion as to whether female boxers should be included at the Games, but anyone who watches the athleticism and speed of veteran world titleholders Katie Taylor and Mary Kom will be left in no doubt as to their value to the tournament. "She is without doubt the finest female amateur boxer in the world," Bunce said of Taylor, who has won her 60 kg division at every world championships since 2006. According to one blogger: "Katie Taylor has single-handedly made women's boxing an accepted, if not yet a mainstream sport. Young girls throughout Ireland lace up in clubs each week, inspired by a bona fide hero, and our collective print and broadcast media are enamored with the woman that inspired them." The Irish fighter's father Peter agrees, telling the Gulf news website: "Katie's pioneered the way for female boxing, she's made their path a little bit easier." Going to the Games, or watching from home? Send us your pictures and videos . He's referring to the likes of 17-year-old Claressa Shields, who was the youngest boxer at the U.S. Olympic trials in February and fights with an assuredness beyond her years. Then there's Savannah Marshall, who won Britain's first world title on her 21st birthday in May. "She's winning for fun," says Bunce. Kom, a five-time world champion and mother of twins, has been rated as one of the world's most marketable athletes by SportsPro magazine. "She has the potential to turn her into an Indian sporting legend and a role model for young Indian women," it said. "Despite its huge population, Olympic golds have been thin on the ground for India but Kom, the daughter of a farmer, has had the kind of humble beginnings and a family-oriented appeal that could make her the archetypal national heroine." The name of boxing may have taken quite a battering in recent weeks with the media circus surrounding Haye vs. Chisora, but the women are sure to knock the men out of the limelight when it really matters at the London Games. Just don't expect the (possibly fake) blood and guts you might see this weekend. "Amateur female boxing is more about technique and skill and evading the heavy blows than it is about smashing people up," says Tanya Aldred in British newspaper The Independent. "For that reason, it should appeal to those who admire the discipline of boxing but not the blood and gore."

David Haye and Dereck Chisora will face off this Saturday in London . The fight will take place at Upton Park in front of a crowd of 30,000 . An global audience throughout 60 countries will be tuning in to the controversial bout . Women's boxing debut at Olympics may rectify some of damage done to the sport .

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(Mental Floss) -- When Americans sit down with their families for Thanksgiving dinner, most of us will probably gorge ourselves on the same traditional Thanksgiving menu, with turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and pumpkin pie taking up the most real estate on our plates. Pumpkin pie didn't make an appearance at the First Thanksgiving, though pumpkins were probably served. How did these dishes become the national "what you eat on Thanksgiving" options, though? Are they holdovers from the First Thanksgiving, or did they gradually sneak in? The Pilgrims may not have had turkey . Turkey may not have been on the menu at the 1621 celebration by the Pilgrims of Plymouth that is widely considered the First Thanksgiving (though fans of Virginia's Berkeley Plantation might quibble with the "First" part). There were definitely wild turkeys in the Plymouth area, as colonist William Bradford noted in his journal. However, the best existing account of the Pilgrims' harvest feast comes from colonist Edward Winslow, author of "Mourt's Relation: A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth." Winslow's first-hand account of the First Thanksgiving included no explicit mention of turkey. He does, however, mention the Pilgrims gathering "wild fowl" for the meal, although that could just as likely have meant ducks or geese. So why do we chow down on turkey, then? It helps to know a bit about the history of Thanksgiving. While the idea of giving thanks and celebrating the harvest was popular in certain parts of the country, it was by no means an annual national holiday. Presidents would occasionally declare a Thanksgiving Day celebration, but the holiday hadn't completely caught on nationwide. Many of these early celebrations included turkey; Alexander Hamilton once remarked that, "No citizen of the U.S. shall refrain from turkey on Thanksgiving Day." Mental Floss: Manly ways to prepare turkey . When Bradford's journals were reprinted in 1856 after being lost for a century, they found a receptive audience with advocates who wanted Thanksgiving turned into a national holiday. Since Bradford wrote of how the colonists had hunted wild turkeys during the autumn of 1621 and since turkey is a uniquely American (and scrumptious) bird, it gained traction as the Thanksgiving meal of choice for Americans after Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863. Moreover, there were pragmatic reasons for eating turkey rather than, say, chicken at a feast like Thanksgiving. The birds are large enough that they can feed a table full of hungry family members, and unlike chickens or cows, they didn't serve much utilitarian purpose like laying eggs or making milk. Unlike pork, turkey wasn't so common that it didn't seem like a suitable choice for a special occasion, either. An interesting 2007 piece in Slate discussed these reasons for turkey's prominence, but also made another intriguing point. The publication of "A Christmas Carol" in 1843 may have helped force along the turkey's cause as a holiday delicacy when Scrooge magnanimously sends the Cratchit family a Christmas turkey. Mental Floss: 10 things that deflated the Macy's parade . There was no cranberry sauce, either . While the cranberries the Pilgrims needed were probably easy to come by, making cranberry sauce requires sugar. Sugar was a rare luxury at the time of First Thanksgiving, so while revelers may have eaten cranberries it's unlikely that the feast featured the tasty sauce. What's more, it's not even entirely clear that cranberry sauce had been invented yet. It's not until 1663 that visitors to the area started commenting on a sweet sauce made of boiled cranberries that accompanied meat. There's the same problem with potatoes. Neither sweet potatoes nor white potatoes were available to the colonists in 1621, so the Pilgrims definitely didn't feast on everyone's favorite tubers. But they had plenty of venison . Winslow mentions in his writings that the governor sent out a party of four men to do some fowling for the feast, but the Pilgrims and Wampanoag also enjoyed five deer as part of their feasting. The meat supposedly arrived at the celebration as a gift from the Wampanoag king Massasoit. On top of the venison, other meats probably included lots of fish and shellfish, which were staples of the Pilgrims' diets. So if you want to wolf down a lobster or some oysters in lieu of turkey on Thursday, nobody can fault you for being historically inaccurate. And pumpkin pie didn't cap things off . It may be the flagship dessert at modern Thanksgiving dinners, but pumpkin pie didn't make an appearance at the First Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims probably lacked the butter and flour needed to make a pie crust, and it's not clear that they even had an oven in which they could have baked a pumpkin pie. That doesn't mean pumpkins weren't available for the meal, though; they were probably served after being baked in the coals of a fire or stewed. Pumpkin pie became a popular dish on 17th-century American tables, though, and it might have shown up for Thanksgiving as early as the second celebration of the holiday in 1623. Mental Floss: 10 Thanksgiving traditions . For more mental_floss articles, visit mentalfloss.com . Entire contents of this article copyright, Mental Floss LLC. All rights reserved.

First-hand account of the First Thanksgiving includes no explicit mention of turkey . It's also unlikely that the feast featured cranberry sauce . "A Christmas Carol" may have helped turkeys become a holiday delicacy . Pumpkin pie became a popular dish on 17th-century American tables .

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Los Angeles (CNN) -- "American Idol" creator Simon Fuller filed a lawsuit Wednesday claiming he should be paid for the U.S. version of "The X Factor." Fuller claims a 2005 contract gives him executive producer credit and fees for the show, which was created by former "Idol" judge Simon Cowell. "Mr. Fuller has prudently attempted to settle this matter privately but the other parties have refused to honor the original contract, leaving him no other choice but to pursue legal action," his publicist said in a statement Wednesday. But "X-Factor" and "Idol" producer FremantleMedia and Fox Broadcasting Co., which carries both shows, say Fuller had no role in the new show and is not due any cash. "Mr. Fuller has not been hired, nor performed any duties, on the U.S. version of "The X Factor," the companies said in a joint statement Wednesday. "His suit seeks payment and credit as an executive producer despite his neither having been approved by the required parties, nor hired, as such." The U.S. versions of "Idol" and "X-Factor" are both based on British shows. CNN's Jack Hannah contributed to this report.

Simon Fuller claims he has a 2005 deal for a share in "X-Factor" Former "Idol" judge Simon Cowell created "X-Factor" Fremantle and Fox deny Fuller is owed any cash or credit for the new show .

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(CNN) -- Once upon a time, people thought that swarming creatures such as fish, bees and locusts communicated their movements by "thought transference," or telepathy. Thanks in part to the work of Princeton ecologist Iain Couzin, now we know better. Couzin's lab is using computer-vision technology and even the Xbox's motion-sensing camera, called Kinect, to try to get a grip on how these creatures maintain their individually but also function so gracefully as a collective. "Computer vision has been very important to us. This is where you program a computer to see the world for us," he said in an interview last year at PopTech, a science, technology and big-ideas conference held in Camden, Maine. Among the lab's most surprising discoveries: Locusts in the western Sahara Desert swarm because they're trying to not to be eaten by their cannibalistic buddies. "We just discovered by accident that the locusts were trying to eat each other," he said. "So when it looks like a cooperative swarm, in actual fact it's a selfish, sort of cannibalistic horde. Everyone is trying to eat everyone else and trying to avoid being eaten." Using tools like Kinect, Couzin's team is able to collect a much more detailed data set about how various organisms behave, which in turn makes it easier to figure out what they're doing and why. What's Next: In Mauritania, sunny with a chance of locusts . All this may be interesting enough in the abstract (Couzin said he's been fascinated by swarming organisms since he was a young boy). But it's also a matter of life and death. Locust swarms are blamed for countless deaths in West African countries including Mauritania, which Couzin visited to conduct some of his research. The swarms buzz across the desert, chewing up all of the crops and vegetation in their paths. On Tuesday, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization said in a news release that locust swarms were threatening pastures and crops in Niger and Mali. Research about how and why the locusts swarm could lead scientists to be able to forecast locust swarms just like they would a weather event such as a tornado or hurricane. "Why this is important is that we can now build better predictive models and computational models of where swarms may break out," Couzin said. "So that could be very helpful for control measures." Genetically modified mosquitoes fight dengue fever .

Researcher uses Xbox and computer vision to study swarming behavior . Princeton researcher Iain Couzin long has been fascinated with collective behavior . He studies, among other things, why locusts swarm in West Africa . The UN's agriculture group says swarms are impacting Mali and Niger .

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(EW.com) -- Shortly before the release of 2010′s Will Forte-starring action-comedy "MacGruber," the "Saturday Night Live" star told this writer that he would definitely like to make a sequel. "That is a dream scenario," said the comic. "Just to be working with the same group of people would be awesome. I would love the chance to do that again... in a tropical setting." The chances of anyone ever putting up the dough for "MacGruber 2" seemed subatomically slight after the film garnered some dismal reviews -- EW's Liza Schwarzbaum dismissed it as "90 minutes of talented performers doing and saying dumb, crude stuff in pursuit of an elusive laugh" -- and a mere $4.1 million on its opening weekend. The good-natured Forte essentially admitted that he and director Jorma Taccone had laid a box-office egg last year when my colleague Grady Smith puckishly asked him, in the course of an "Awkward Questions" Q&A, what he had planned for "MacGruber 3." The comedian's reply? "We're definitely gonna make Kristen Wiig's part a little bigger and we're gonna call it 'Bridesmaids 2: MacGruber 3.' And the 'MacGruber 3' will be in very small print." So it comes as a surprise to learn that Forte and Taccone have been discussing a "MacGruber" sequel. Earlier this week the website Screen Crush quoted Taccone as saying that "Every time I hang out with Will, we talk about all our cool ideas for the sequel. We have the idea for it and we have a title, but I won't tell you what it is." Truth be told, the idea of a "MacGruber" sequel is not quite as bizarre as it might at first appear. If the original film didn't make money, it certainly didn't lose that much thanks to its small $10 million budget. And Forte, Taccone, and co-writer John Solomon's unhingedly risqué creation does have its fans. Devin Fraci of the Alamo Drafthouse blog Bada-- Digest actually made "MacGruber" one of his top 10 movies of 2010, hailing Taccone's directorial debut as "exactly the right combination of raunchy, stupid, anarchic and plain weird." And just yesterday, chud.com's Tim Kelly wrote that "No comedy of the last few years is more deserving of a cult following than MacGruber." True, the film has yet to accrue the kind of cult fanbase which has developed around Tommy Wiseau's so-bad-it's-amazing "The Room" -- a movie referenced in "MacGruber" -- but that may be because it's not that bad (for the record, this reporter supports any project in which Val Kilmer plays a character called "Dieter Von Cunth"). The bad news for "MacGruber" fans is that Taccone looks likely to next make an adaptation of comic "The Great Unknown" (and the bad news for Forte's hopes of filming somewhere tropical is that, according to Taccone, a sequel would follow in the footsteps of "Die Hard" by being Christmas-themed). So here's the question: Would you pay money to see "MacGruber 2"? 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.

Will Forte and director Jorma Taccone have been discussing a "MacGruber" sequel . "MacGruber" in 2010 only made a mere $4.1 million on its opening weekend . It certainly didn't lose that much thanks to its small $10 million budget .

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Los Angeles (CNN) -- Acura apologized Wednesday for a casting document that called for an African-American actor who was "not too dark" in the car company's Super Bowl ad. The controversial casting call document, published Wednesday by the celebrity gossip site TMZ, "pulls back the curtain" on the widely known practice of casting based on skin tone in Hollywood, a longtime manager said. TMZ reported that it got the audition posting from "an African-American actor who didn't fit the profile, and who's pissed." The role was for an "African-American Car Dealer" who would appear in a car showroom scene with Jerry Seinfeld. Jay Leno also appeared in the ad. The sheet's "role details" read: "Nice Looking, friendly. Not too dark. Will work with a MAJOR COMEDIAN." Acura spokesman Gary Robinson told CNN that the company did not know about the casting description until the TMZ story was published. "Any of the creative directions didn't come from Acura," Robins said. "They would've come from the casting agency." Cathi Carlton Casting, the agency hired by Acura to choose actors, declined comment. An employee who answered the phone at the agency's Santa Monica, California, office said they would defer to Acura's apology. "We apologize to anyone offended by the language on the casting sheet used in the selection of actors for one of our commercials," Acura said in a statement to CNN. "We sought to cast an African-American in a prominent role in the commercial, and we made our selection based on the fact that he was the most talented actor." Acura said it was "taking appropriate measures to ensure that such language is not used again in association with any work performed on behalf of our brand." Longtime Hollywood manager Roger Neal said he was not shocked that a casting director would choose based on skin tone. "People in the business a long time deal with this every day," he said. But Neal, who has looked at daily casting breakdowns for 31 years, said he was surprised the description was written on a casting document. "I've never seen it in writing before," Neal said. "No one has been bold enough to put it in writing." The publication of the casting sheet "pulls back the curtain" on the casting practice, he said. Neal said he suspects it was an inexperienced casting assistant who wrote the description. Casting agents have told him in the past that his clients were too dark, or "not black enough," Neal said. A euphemism in Hollywood is to tell a rejected actor that the casting director "went a different direction" when their race cost them an acting job, Neal said. SAG-AFTRA, the actors union, "immediately reached out to the casting office when the notice was brought to our attention so we could discuss the specific language used," it said in a statement sent to CNN Wednesday. "Despite the intention behind it, the notice was clearly not as well stated as it could have been and this is an area in which SAG-AFTRA's equal employment opportunities and diversity staff can help," the union said. CNN's Chris Dignam contributed to this report.

Casting sheet calls for an African-American actor, "Nice looking, friendly. Not too dark." Acura points blame at the casting agency . The Super Bowl ad featured comedians Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno . "People in the business a long time deal with this every day," talent manager says .

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(CNN) -- World-record signing Cristiano Ronaldo scored on his debut as Real Madrid kicked off the Spanish football season with a shaky 3-2 victory at home to Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday night. Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after paying off a small chunk of his record transfer fee with a goal on his Real debut. Real's new generation of "Galacticos" were preceded onto the pitch by the world's fastest man Usain Bolt, with the Jamaican sprint star dribbling a ball to the delight of a packed Bernabeu crowd. Coach Manuel Pellegrini fielded seven new signings against a team who stunned Real 2-1 on the opening day last season to foreshadow a season of massive upheaval for the underachieving capital club. The first goal took just 26 minutes in coming as $92 million signing Kaka fed the ball to $50 million capture Karim Benzema, whose shot rebounded off the post and fell welcomingly to Real captain Raul to score. Ronaldo, who cost $130 million when he left Manchester United, then rose highest to meet a free-kick from $50 million midfielder Xavi Alonso but headed over the bar. Deportivo stunned the home crowd in the 30th minute when former Real striker Riki was allowed a free header to equalize in the type of defensive lapse that typified Madrid's performances last season. But while Pellegrini has obvious problems to sort out at the back, where he fielded debutants Ezequiel Garay and Raul Albiol in the absence of the suspended Pepe, he has volumes of attacking resources at the other end of the pitch. His team took the lead again in the 34th minute through Ronaldo, who coolly slotted home from the penalty spot after Raul went down under goalkeeper Daniel Aranzubia's challenge following a clever pass from midfielder Lassana Diarra. However, Real could not hold onto the lead, with veteran Juan Carlos Valeron firing a leveler from the edge of the area just 43 seconds into the second half following a cross by Andres Guardado. Valeron should have made it 3-2 with an even easier chance 12 minutes later, but he sidefooted another pass from Guardado wide of the Real goal. Real continued to pile forward in numbers, peppering the Deportivo goal, but it was the unexpected figure of Diarra who netted the eventual winner in the 60th minute with a low drive from outside the box. Benzema should have doubled the lead soon after following a mistake by Aranzubia, but saw his chip over the keeper rebound off the bar. The Frenchman made way for last season's top scorer Higuain in the 72nd minute, with the Argentine lucky to avoid being booked for a blatant dive in the penalty area. Real's rivals Barcelona start the defense of their title on Monday at home to Sporting Gijon, having already won a trophy this season by beating Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 in the European Super Cup on Friday.

World-record signing Cristiano Ronaldo scores on his debut for Real Madrid . Real kick off the Spanish football season with a 3-2 win at home to Deportivo . Raul scores opening goal and Ronaldo's first-half penalty makes it 2-1 . Juan Carlos Valeron levels for visitors before Lassana Diarra's 60th-minute winner .

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Paris (CNN) -- France will start withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, following a timetable similar to the one U.S. President Barack Obama announced, the French president's office said Thursday. "This withdrawal will be done in consultation with our allies and with the Afghan authorities," the statement from Nicolas Sarkozy's office said. All French troops could be out of Afghanistan by 2013, French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet told France Info radio Thursday. Longuet declined to give specifics, citing the "safety of our soldiers and the people they protect. "So we cannot say right now it will happen from such a place or it will be this type of troop because we have no information to give to our adversaries, the Taliban," he said. But he said that NATO had planned on "a complete transition in 2014," and that "what has emerged today is that we will undoubtedly gain a year on this calendar." France has 3,935 troops in Afghanistan, according to the NATO mission there. Obama said Wednesday that the U.S. would withdraw 33,000 U.S. troops by September 2012. That will leave just under 70,000 Americans there. British Prime Minister David Cameron, whose country has the second largest number of foreign troops in Afghanistan, welcomed Obama's announcement. He said the British will keep "force levels in Afghanistan under constant review," adding: "I have already said there will be no UK troops in combat roles in Afghanistan by 2015 and, where conditions on the ground allow, it is right that we bring troops home sooner." CNN's Saskya Vandoorne contributed to this report.

The French move follows a similar one by U.S. President Barack Obama . He is pulling 33,000 troops out, leaving about 70,000 . France could have all troops out by 2013, the defense minister says . David Cameron says the British will have all combat troops out by 2015 .

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Moscow, Russia (CNN) -- A Russian lawmaker is calling for a special investigation into a top intelligence official's alleged release of information on a Russian spy ring in the United States. The deputy chairman of the Russian parliament's security committee wants a special commission to analyze how information on the Russian agent got out, said Alyona Zhukova, a spokeswoman for lawmaker Gennady Gudkov's office. Zhukova said the lawmaker had confirmed a newspaper report identifying a colonel in Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service as the source who tipped off U.S. officials. And the lawmaker sees the information as a significant blow to the image of Russia's intelligence network, she said. The article, published in the respected Russian newspaper Kommersant Thursday, said "the betrayer," known as "Colonel Shcherbakov," fled Russia three days before Russia's president arrived in the U.S. for meetings with President Barack Obama -- just days before ring was broken up. Neither the U.S. State Department nor the Central Intelligence Agency would comment on the report. The paper quotes a source who says the U.S., fearing that the Russian intelligence agency would pull its agents from the U.S., rounded them up and arrested them. In July, 10 Russian agents were handed over by the United States in exchange for four Russian prisoners. The article in Kommersant says Shcherbakov, who was identified only by last name, headed up the branch of the Foreign Intelligence Service that oversees agents working abroad undercover but without diplomatic credentials. "We know who he is and where he is. He betrayed either for the money or he was caught for something. And there's no doubt that there is a Mercader has been sent for him," an unidentified source was quoted as telling Kommersant. Mercader was an assassin sent by Stalin to Mexico to kill Leon Trotsky in 1940. "He doesn't have an enviable fate," the source tells the paper. "He will drag this with him for the rest of his life and every day he will fear vindication." The paper says that Shcherbakov was present in the facility in the U.S. where one of the spies arrested this summer was held. It claims he also took the files on one of those spies with him to the United States. The colonel's son also fled Russia for the United States not long before the spies were arrested, according to the paper. CNN's Arkady Irshenko, Jill Dougherty and Anastasia Anashkina contributed to this report.

A Russian lawmaker wants a commission to analyze how a top official leaked the information . The lawmaker confirms a report naming a top intelligence officer as the U.S. source . The officer gave the U.S. information on the spy ring, and fled Russia, the newspaper says . The newspaper article alleges the colonel's information is what led to the spy ring bust .

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(CNN) -- Be cautious if you plan to Bing Jessica Biel or Google Brad Pitt. A new report says you might get a virus. Actress Jessica Biel tops a list of the "most dangerous" celebrity searches online. The Hollywood actors are among the top 10 celebrity searches online that can lead to computer problems, according to a report released Tuesday by the computer security company McAfee. The company named Biel the "most dangerous celebrity in cyberspace." One in five Internet searches for terms related to "Jessica Biel" leads to a Web page, photo, video or piece of spam that contains a cyber-security threat, the report said. The former "7th Heaven" star and girlfriend of singer Justin Timberlake is followed on the "most dangerous" list by singer Beyonce, actress Jennifer Aniston and football hunk Tom Brady. Singer and reality TV star Jessica Simpson rounds out the top five. Pitt, who topped last year's list, moved down to 10th. The report shows that hackers use pop culture trends to spread viruses and malicious software, said Shane Keats, a research analyst at McAfee. Biel is "very, very popular right now, so it says to me that the cyber criminals really do know who's hot and who's not," Keats said. "They really are smart. They can spot a trend as well as anyone else can -- as well as Paris Hilton can." Risks associated with the searches range from "annoying to devastating," he said. But they don't mean people should be afraid of using the Internet. Keats' advice? Surf Web sites you know and trust. "You really can't go wrong if you stick to the really well-lighted parts of the Internet," he said. "As soon as you go off the big boulevards, you go off map and you have the potential to land in a dark alley." Those "dark alleys" are where fake photos and harmful downloads are most likely to damage a person's computer, he said. Keats acknowledged that computer viruses can come from many places and many types of searches. He said McAfee chose to highlight celebrity searches because they are popular and because they're a good teaching tool -- a way to make cyber security resonate with everyone. McAfee makes anti-virus software that can be used to combat cyber attacks. Reports from computer security companies are often criticized as somewhat promotional. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has information on anti-virus software and tips on how to stay safe online. The company said it surveyed 900 Web sites and 150 ring tones for its analysis. It ranked celebrities based on the percentage of search results that were found to be damaging and on how harmful those sites turned out to be. Biel's publicist did not respond to a CNN request for comment. A news release from McAfee said the company was surprised to find President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama relatively low on the list. They ranked 34th and 39th, respectively. Young Hollywood stars were popular on the list. Miley Cyrus and Lindsay Lohan both were in McAfee's top 15. Only two men -- Brady and Pitt -- made the top 10.

Report says Jessica Biel is the "most dangerous" celebrity to search for online . One in five of the actress' search results could damage computers, report says . Computer security company McAfee compiles the list . Researcher says hackers target pop culture trends .

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Jerusalem (CNN) -- Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are preparing to resume long-stalled direct talks on Wednesday, but news of Israeli plans for more than 1,000 new settlement units on disputed territory has cast their success into doubt. The two sides agreed to return to the negotiating table following intense diplomatic efforts by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on a visit to the region last month. But the news that Israeli authorities have given preliminary approval for new settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem -- considered illegal under international law -- has angered senior Palestinian figures and prompted condemnation from Israel's Western allies. Mark Regev, an Israeli government spokesman, told CNN that the announcement was a "preliminary procedure decision" and that additional decisions would be needed before any construction could start. The issue of Israeli settlement-building in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem derailed the last round of direct talks in 2010. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for the Palestinian presidency, told the official WAFA news agency that Israel's latest settlement plan "aims at obstructing the peace efforts." Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, deplored the failure of the international community to hold Israel accountable for its actions. "I think this whole series of settlement expansion, land confiscation will turn any peace initiative into a mockery, any negotiations become a travesty -- there is no possibility of peace with such actions and plans," she said. "Israel is destroying the negotiations, Israel is destroying any chances of peace, and Israel should be made to bear responsibility for this." 'Undermine trust' UK Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt called on the Israeli authorities Saturday to reverse its decision to advance plans for 1,096 settlement units in the West Bank and approve dozens of new units in East Jerusalem. "Israeli settlements are illegal under international law, undermine trust and threaten the viability of the two-state solution," he said. "We urge both parties to continue to show the bold and decisive leadership needed for these efforts to succeed, and to avoid steps that undermine negotiations." State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Thursday that the United States had been in touch with the Israeli government over the decision and was making its concerns known. "Our position on settlements has not changed. We do not accept the legitimacy of continued settlement activity and oppose any efforts to legitimize settlement outposts," she said. Psaki said she had no indication that the Israeli announcement would impact on the negotiations. Kerry, she added, "has made clear that he believes both of the negotiating teams are at the table in good faith and are committed to working together to make progress." Israel also approved the construction of a 69-unit settlement in East Jerusalem -- which Palestinians consider to be the capital of their future state -- just before Kerry's visit last month. Palestinian chief peace negotiator Saeb Erekat said then that the world must act to stop Israel building more settlements. Letting its government get away with it, he said, takes away any motivation for Israel to work toward peace. The European Union angered Israeli leaders last month when it issued a directive that no EU funding or grants can go to Israeli settlements outside Israel's pre-1967 borders. In January, the United Nations Human Rights Council said Israeli settlements amount to "creeping annexation" of Palestinian territories by Israel and have taken a "heavy toll" on the rights and sovereignty of Palestinians. CNN's Kareem Khadder reported from Jerusalem and Laura Smith-Spark wrote in London.

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators scheduled to meet for peace talks . Israel has given preliminary approval for more than 1,000 new settlement units . The last round of direct talks foundered on the issue of Israeli settlements on disputed land . Palestinian officials say Israel is trying to obstruct the peace talks with its latest move .

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(CNN) -- Arab League members Sunday called for a joint peacekeeping mission in Syria with the United Nations and urged members to support the Syrian opposition as it faces a bloody government crackdown. The moves are aimed at putting additional pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his government, which has unleashed its army on a popular revolt. The proposed peacekeeping mission would oversee the aftermath of a cease-fire, the Cairo-based Arab League announced Sunday. But Syria quickly said it was not on board with the idea. The Arab League suspended Syria's membership in January, and the Syrian government announced that any decision made without it "is not binding." The proposal reflects "the state of hysteria affecting some Arab governments, especially Qatar and Saudi Arabia, after Qatar's failure to pass a U.N. resolution that allows foreign intervention in Syria," according the Syrian government. The league, which suspended Syria in January, said its members have decided to end the previous monitoring mission, which had been in Syria in December and January, to request a joint U.N.- Arab League peacekeeping mission. A communiqué issued after Sunday's meeting called on members to "open channels of communication" with Syrian opposition groups and provide "political and financial support." It urged members to cut diplomatic and economic ties with Damascus "except for those that directly affect Syrian citizens." And it warned, "The use of violence against Syrian civilians with this extreme cruelty, including the targeting of women and children, lies under the jurisdiction of the international criminal law and requires the punishment of its perpetrators." The Local Coordination Committees of Syria, a network of opposition activists, praised the Arab League for "making the decision to improve its performance in its national and humanitarian duty to the Syrian people." "We therefore appeal to brotherly and friendly nations, international organizations and non-governmental organizations around the world to expedite development and relief programs to help Syrians in overcoming the daily oppression and injustice under which they live," the LCC said. "We also call on all Syrian political and activist entities to coordinate their efforts under a consolidated framework to ensure that relief supplies and other assistance are delivered immediately to those who need them." U.N. officials say about 6,000 have been killed since last March, when al-Assad began cracking down on peaceful protests against his government. Syria has consistently blamed "armed terrorist groups" for the violence, and its allies, Russia and China, vetoed a U.N. resolution February 4 that was aimed at bringing an end to the strife. The Arab League said Sunday it would ask the United Nations to consider its initiative "as soon as possible," although the timetable for any action is unknown. And earlier, Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby signaled that he'd had recent communications with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov indicating that Moscow may alter its positions. In a written statement, Elaraby quoted a letter he said was written by Lavrov, stating that an end to "any violence must be the main pillar for any proposal." "We are ready to support an expanded monitoring mission and folding it under the joint care of the Arab League and the United Nations on the basis of an agreement from all involved parties," Elaraby quoted Lavrov. There was no immediate comment from Russia's government about the reported communication or any significant shift in that nation's position. Also Sunday, former Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdul Ilah al-Khatib was named the league's envoy to Syria, Jordan's state news agency Petra reported. He will replace Lt. Gen. Mohammad Ahmad al-Dabi, of Sudan as head of the monitoring mission. Michael O'Hanlon: 3 military options in Syria . The latest maneuvering came as opposition activists reported another day of shelling by Syrian forces around the city of Homs. One opposition activist said government forces are using detained civilians as human shields, placing them on tanks to prevent the opposition Free Syrian Army from fighting back. Residents say shelling rained on the city's Baba Amr neighborhood once again Sunday, for at least the eighth straight day. "My house is dancing. I am almost dead because of the siege," said the opposition activist, named Omar. CNN cannot independently confirm details of the fighting in Syria because the government has severely limited the access of international journalists. But despite denials by Syria, virtually all reports from within the country indicate al-Assad's forces are slaughtering protesters and other civilians en masse. In Damascus, meanwhile, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported that al-Assad has received a copy of a new constitution -- a development it said shows Syria's serious moves toward reform. "When the new constitution is approved, Syria will have passed the most important stage of laying down the constitutional and legal structure ... to take the country to a new era of cooperation with all spectrums of the Syrian people to achieve what we all aspire for in terms of developing our country to draw a brilliant future for next generations," SANA quoted al-Assad. But the LCC said at least 30 more people died Sunday, including a woman and two children. The dead included five in Homs and nine in Daraa, it said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, another opposition activist group, reported different numbers, including 14 dead in Homs. That figure includes a child killed by a sniper in Daraa, three civilians killed in the Baba Amr shelling and a civilian shot dead near the town of Bab Houweid. The observatory also said a member of Syria's army was killed in Daraa and eight were killed in Hama, as were civilians in each city. Syria said Sunday, via SANA, that "martyrs" of two terrorist attacks in Aleppo were buried. How Syria differs from Libya . The situation continues to draw commentary and proposals from prominent figures worldwide.One was al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri who, in a video posted online Saturday, characterized al-Assad "the butcher son of a butcher" and praising the Syrian people for waging "jihad." A U.S. official said "it is not a surprise that Zawahiri would try to appear relevant by releasing this new video," noting that he also tried to do so during Egypt's recent revolution. The official added there is no sense that Syrian opposition leaders favor their nation moving toward "extremism," if al-Assad is ousted. Then on Sunday, from St. Peter's Square in the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI backed "legitimate aspirations" of the Syrian people and called on "everyone, and above all the political authorities in Syria, to favor the paths of dialogue, reconciliation and commitment to peace." The international community has repeatedly failed to convince al-Assad's regime to stop the massacre, so it's unclear what effect the Arab League proposal could have. Saudi Arabia is among the most outspoken nations, with Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal saying Sunday that "the Syrian leadership has chosen chaos." "It is killing its people and destroying the nation only to maintain its authority," he said. "What is happening in Syria leaves no doubt that it is not ethnic or sectarian war or urban warfare. It is a campaign of mass cleansing to punish the Syrian people and enforce the regime's authority without any humanitarian or ethical regards." The Saudis have brought forth a draft resolution that it expected to be considered Monday by U.N. diplomats. It will be submitted to the U.N. General Assembly, where vetoes are not allowed, but resolutions are not legally binding. Russia and China have vetoed previous U.N. Security Council attempts at passing a resolution condemning the Syrian regime. The latest, three-page draft "strongly condemns" the violations of human rights by Syrian authorities. It cites "the use of force against civilians, arbitrary executions, killing and persecution of protesters, human rights defenders and journalists, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, interference with access to medical treatment, torture, sexual violence and ill-treatment, including against children." The text was provided to CNN by a diplomatic source on the condition that it not be posted in full because it could be amended. U.N. officials estimate 6,000 people have died since protests seeking al-Assad's ouster began nearly a year ago. The LCC says the toll has far exceeded 7,000, with nearly 700 killed in the past week -- about two-thirds of them in Homs. CNN's Amir Ahmed, Ben Wedeman, Salma Abdelaziz, Ivan Watson, Joe Sterling, Richard Roth, Josh Levs, Barbara Starr and journalist Mohamed Fadel Fahmy contributed to this report.

NEW: Arab League names Jordanian diplomat as Syrian envoy, Petra reports . Opposition groups praise the Arab League call for support . Syria rejects Arab League, pointing to "hysteria affecting some Arab governments" Government troops keep up bombardment of Homs, activists say .

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Hong Kong (CNN) -- Panasonic halted operations at three factories in China after angry protesters ransacked Japanese businesses over the weekend amid rising tensions over disputed islands in the East China Sea. Violence against Japanese companies was seen in Xi'an, Dongguan, Changsha and Guangzhou, according to local media reports. A Panasonic factory was set on fire and a Toyota dealership in Qingdao were damaged on Saturday, and a Jusco department store was ransacked. In Guangzhou, demonstrators broke into the Garden Hotel and attacked a Japanese restaurant on the second floor, according to the South China Morning Press. Panasonic has suspended work at three plants in China until Tuesday, after factories in Qingdao and Suzhou were damaged by protesters, company officials told CNN. Panasonic also halted operations at a factory in Guangdong province until Tuesday as some local employees staged a strike as protest against Japan's claim to the island chain, called Diaoyu by China and Senkaku by Japan. Background: How remote rock split China, Japan . A Heiwado Co. department store in Changsha was ransacked, as were Japanese supermarkets in several cities, Japan's Kyodo News Service reported. "The Sino-Japanese economic war has officially begun," Chinese economist Wang Fuzhong wrote on Weibo, a Chinese microblogging site. "I hope it won't end in a situation where everyone loses." The Japan tourism industry, which has been struggling after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, is being hit by the dispute, after calls in China for tourists to stop visiting Japan. The head of a hotel at the foot of Mount Fuji told CNN that cancellations from Chinese tourists -- which make up "about 30% to 40%" of his business -- are stacking up. "China is a big market for us, it would be very damaging for us to see a decline of the Chinese tourists," said the man, who gave his surname as Watanabe. A Chinese tour guide on the streets of Ginza shopping district in Tokyo told CNN that in the six years she's worked in Japan this situation "is the worst of her career." "I do not expect much of the tours (from China) coming back from now. Most of tours were cancelled," said the guide, who asked CNN to use her Japanese name Mitsu Matsumoto for fear of reprisals. "I want them (China and Japan) to be friendly again. Otherwise tour agents are going to bankrupt and tour guides like us will be affected badly," Matsumoto said. "I wish the issue will be solved soon." Chinese state media, reporting on the protests, decried the violence. Even hawkish publications, such as Global Times -- which ran an editorial "Discard illusion of friendly ties with Japan" last week -- published an editorial Monday headlined "Violence is never appropriate solution." Meanwhile, an editorial in the China Daily on Monday called on China to impose economic sanctions against Japan. "Taking a cue from the U.S. practice, China can use the security exception clause to reduce the export of some important materials to Japan," the editorial said. On Thursday last week a Chinese official warned that Tokyo's move to "buy" a disputed island chain in the East China Sea would hurt trade between Asia's two largest economies. The battle over ownership of the island chain will "inevitably" have a negative impact on Sino-Japan economic ties, Vice Minister of Commerce Jiang Zengwei said Thursday, state-run Xinhua reported. The islands sit among popular fishing waters and are also believed to be rich in oil resources. Ownership of the chain would allow exclusive commercial rights to the seas surrounding the islands. Despite booming auto sales in China, sales of Japanese car brands are down 2% in China compared to a year ago, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. Meanwhile, sales of car brands from other foreign countries, including Germany, the U.S., South Korea and France, are up 25%, 19%, 12% and 4% respectively. Luo Lei, deputy secretary-general of China Automobile Dealers Association, said earlier this week that Toyota purchases have fallen 15% while Mazda sales are down 6% year over year. Tensions between China and Japan -- the world's second and third largest economies, respectively -- escalated on Friday as Chinese surveillance vessels entered the disputed area to begin patrols and "law enforcement," according to Chinese state-run media. China dispatched the ships after the Japanese government bought several of the islands from a private Japanese owner last week. The Chinese vessels entered Japan's territorial waters despite warnings from the Japanese Coast Guard, said Shinichi Gega, a spokesman for Japan's 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said Tokyo would "take all possible measures to ensure security" of the islands, located between Okinawa and Taiwan. China is Japan's largest trading partner. Nearly 20% of Japanese exports last year were sold to mainland China, compared to 15.3% exported to the U.S., according to figures from the Japan External Trade Organization. Last week, the Japanese government approved the purchase for 2.05 billion yen ($26.2 million) the group of small islands from the Kurihara family, a private Japanese owner, according to Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura. China says its claim to the islands goes back hundreds of years. Japan formally recognized them as Japanese sovereign territory in 1895. The islands were administered by the U.S. occupation force after World War II. But in 1972, Washington returned them to Japan as part of its withdrawal from Okinawa. CNNs Junko Ogura and Yoko Wakatsuki in Tokyo and C.Y. Xu in Beijing contributed to this report .

Panasonic halted operations at three factories in China after violent protests . Protesters ransacked Japanese businesses and damaged Japanese vehicles . Panasonic reported two plants were damaged by weekend anti-Japan protesters . Chinese economist: "The Sino-Japanese economic war has officially begun"

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(CNN) -- Four people died and another three were missing Monday after two avalanches in the Swiss Alps, Bern police said. The avalanches occurred at 11:30 a.m. (5:30 a.m. ET) and about noon Sunday in the Diemtigen Valley, 34 miles (55 km) south of Bern, said Thomas Jauch, a spokesman for police in Bern County. In the first incident an avalanche buried one person who was with a party of eight cross-country skiers, Jauch said. A nearby party of 25 skiers joined in the search and a physician, who was a member of a ski rescue team, was dropped into the area by one of two helicopters called in to help. As they were searching for the missing skier, a second avalanche buried 10 to 12 of them, Jauch said. Nine were found alive, one was dead, he said. Three of the survivors died later in hospital, he added. The doctor was among the dead, he said. It was not clear whether the original skier who was buried was among the survivors. "It was not a high-risk day; not a high-risk situation," Jauch said. Search efforts were suspended Monday because of the weather in the mountains. "There could be another avalanche," the police spokesman said.

Avalanches occurred Sunday in the Diemtigen Valley, 34 miles (55 km) south of Bern . In first incident an avalanche buried one person who was with a party of eight cross-country skiers . Second avalanche hit as rescuers searched for victims, burying 10 to 12 of them .

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(CNN) -- The legendary Bjorn Borg fueled his success with a daily diet of steak and potatoes. Hell raising stars of the recent past were not adverse to sinking more than a few beers after a tough match. But the modern tennis star is more likely to be teetotal and to stick to a gluten free diet -- avoiding the red meat and carbs which five-time Wimbledon champion Borg apparently ate every day. Doubles stalwart and ATP Player Council member Eric Butorac should know. He's been on the circuit for nearly a decade and rubs shoulders with the likes of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic both on and off the court. "I think the top players have cut alcohol completely out of their diet and the rest of the players to stay competitive have mostly followed suit," Butorac told CNN's Open Court program. "It's funny because actually our tour sponsor is Corona -- so there are Coronas available wherever we want, in the locker room and in the players' lounge but it's surprising that at the end of the week they are often not even touched. Serious endeavor . "For the most part guys treat their bodies like a temple and take it very seriously." Butorac believes the established "Big Four" of Rafael Nadal, Djokovic, Andy Murray and Federer have permanently raised the bar as regards fitness and diet issues and there is no going back. With the rewards for success so large -- $31 million on offer at the 2014 season opening Australian Open -- any small margins gained can be worth a small fortune. "If you look at the amount of money that can be won at the top of the sport or any major sport so you know that line between No.1 and No.5 in the world is worth millions and millions of dollars so I think you see these guys doing every little thing they can to achieve that," added Butorac. Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash said that the move to a great emphasis on fitness and diet started during his glory years in the 1980s and 90s, but his predecessors were not so careful. "I heard stories that the old Aussie greats used to play hard and drink hard and used to have steak and potatoes," said Cash. "I once asked Bjorn Borg 'what did you eat?' and he said 'every day I had a steak and I had potatoes' and he used to play five sets of practice every day and back it up day in day out with steak and potatoes!" Gluten free . Modern superstars such as Djokovic would not dream of that approach and it was the Serbian who started a trend with his gluten free diet, cutting out wheat and treats such as chocolate. "This particular diet changed my life really in a positive way and affected positively my career and my overall feeling on and off the court," Djokovic said. As he charged to No.1 and went through 2011 with just a handful of defeats, others took notice and followed suit. "Novak really made that popular when he really rose to the top," said Butorac. "I don't know if it's a fad or if it's here to stay but it's definitely a thing that a high percentage of the guys on tour now are gluten free or almost primarily gluten free. "I watch them taking strolls around the breakfast bar in France, bypassing the croissants and the pain au chocolats, all the different tempting things and actually staying away from it. It's pretty impressive to see them do it!" They are helped by the more healthy offerings available at the ATP and WTA's official tournaments and with players on the road for half of the year, maybe more, this is vital. "Players are looking to eat a lot of salads, a lot of fruits, pastas and then white meats, chicken and fish are really popular," Butorac said. Healthy options . "The cuisine can vary tournament to tournament but also normally what the tournaments week in week out provide is some really healthy options that allows us to stay very fit." But with this austere regime -- fat free and alcohol free -- has the sheer joie de vivre gone out of the game? "I believe the fun on the tour has dropped," said American Butorac. "There is very little alcohol consumed as players take their matches and practice very seriously. "But the tour is still a great place to be and there is plenty of fun to be had, though the stories we hear about what it was like 'back in the day,' it isn't even close nowadays." The 1987 Wimbledon champion Cash, who retired in 1997, said in his era there was still a high degree of professionalism but the difference has been advances in sports science. "You know more about nutrition. In my day it was all about carbo loading and I think it's slightly different now, it's not just about having carbohydrates because you need protein for your muscles to recover as well," said the Australian great. Butorac, who is 32, has had to battle to earn a living on the ATP Tour and establish himself as the No.3 American doubles player behind the incredible Byran brothers (Bob and Mike). A recent victory in the doubles at the Malaysian Open with Raven Klaasen was proof he is still a force at the top level and aside from attention to diet, Butorac, like many others, is training smarter. "I have become more attuned to listening to my body, when it needs rest, icing, stretching, massage and addressing minor injuries. Inspiring veterans . "Almost every player on tour is hurt or dealing with some sort of minor injury. However, players have all become great at managing these niggles." Butorac takes inspiration from the likes of Tommy Haas -- "playing some of his best tennis in his mid thirties" -- not to mention the 32-year-old Federer, who is the long-time president of the Players Council. Butorac is a vice president on the 10-member board and the group meet about half a dozen times a year to address issues such as prize money, draw sizes and the tour calendar. Player "burn out" has been a hot topic in recent years, making attention to diet and fitness all the more important with the increased demands placed on them. "Players are taking their health very seriously," said Butorac. "Fitness programs have reached new standards and along with that players' diets have become very healthy. "I haven't seen actual chefs with players yet, but I have seen nutritionists who are getting the food for the player out late at night buying specific products that they want to have in their players' body the next day. Modern trend . "And a physiotherapist is often in charge, making sure you have the protein shakes right after the match and also a specific diet that has probably been pre-arranged by a chef or nutritionist." Tennis is not alone in this obsession with fueling the body with the right stuff. "I think this is a trend in all sports though. I hear Steve Nash is a vegetarian and Kobe (Bryant) takes incredible care of his body," said Butorac. At 39 and 35 years of age respectively, the LA Lakers basketball stars serve as a powerful reminder that careers can be prolonged in the most demanding of sports by taking care what you eat.

Modern tennis players stick to rigorous diet plan . Most have cut out alcohol says doubles star Eric Butorac . Novak Djokovic set trend with gluten free diet . Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal lead the way .

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(CNN) -- Persuading Congress to ban assault weapons will be tough, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Thursday. But it's a fight the outspoken advocate of stricter gun laws says he's determined to win. "Getting rid of assault weapons, that is a tougher sell, and that's what we've really got to work on," Bloomberg said in an interview with CNN's AC360°. "I'm optimistic, but it's tougher." Bloomberg said he's encouraging the roughly 800 mayors who are members of his Mayors Against Illegal Guns organization to start lobbying lawmakers and "explain to them why constituents really want this done." Speaking a day after President Barack Obama announced a list of proposals to reduce gun violence, Bloomberg said the package -- which calls on Congress to reinstate the assault weapons ban, restrict ammunition magazines and expand background checks for gun buyers -- is "reasonably comprehensive." And even though parts of the proposal will face an uphill battle, he said, that doesn't mean it isn't a worthwhile fight. Obama-backed gun bills considered a longshot in Congress . "There are lives involved here. And if you can save one life, isn't that worth trying?" Bloomberg said. "And I always thought that you should address issues when they're on the public's conscience, while they're being covered by the press, and you should try to do a complete job so you don't have to go back again and again and again." Poll: Gun control support wanes . Republicans immediately rejected the Obama proposals as an attack on the constitutional right to bear arms. "Nothing the president is proposing would have stopped the massacre at Sandy Hook," Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, said in a statement. "That's probably true," Bloomberg acknowledged on Thursday. "But that doesn't mean that having fewer guns around isn't a better idea." Under New York's stricter gun laws, he said, the city has seen murder and suicide rates that are lower than the national average. Last week, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told AC360° that the evidence in Chicago tells a different story. A look at U.S. gun laws . "Chicago has very strict gun laws. It is also the deadliest city in America," Gingrich said. Asked Thursday about Gingrich's observation, Bloomberg said gun laws aren't a panacea. "There's no one solution to this," he said. "This is, however, a very important step. Fewer guns means fewer murders. Fewer guns means fewer suicides. Fewer guns means you and your children are safer." Since last month's shooting massacre at a school in Newtown, Connecticut, Bloomberg and his group have been at the forefront of a push for stricter gun laws. Opinion: A father's murder, a plea on gun control . He's said that more than 1 million people have signed a petition backed by the organization to tighten gun control laws in the wake of the Newtown shooting rampage. The group has spent millions on television spots calling for gun control, including an ad that ran nationally this week, featuring family members of victims killed by gun violence repeating the word, "enough." On Thursday, Bloomberg sharply criticized the National Rifle Association for its approach to the gun control debate. After blaming video games for the Newtown shooting rampage, the organization released its own gun-related mobile video game. And on Tuesday night, the NRA released an ad accusing Obama of hypocrisy for being "skeptical" about placing armed guards at schools, when his two daughters are protected by the U.S. Secret Service. That was "bad P.R." and an "outrage," Bloomberg said. "I think it's just a bad strategy," he said, "and they're going to lose this battle." CNN's Mark Preston, Dana Bash, Jessica Yellin and Tom Cohen contributed to this report. Watch Anderson Cooper 360° weeknights 10pm ET. For the latest from AC360° click here.

Getting rid of assault weapons is "what we've really got to work on," Bloomberg says . He says he's encouraging members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns to lobby Congress . Obama's new measures probably wouldn't have prevented the Newtown shooting, he says . Still, the New York mayor says, "fewer guns means you and your children are safer"

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(CNN) -- Three Americans and a Panamanian died when their plane crashed during a mission to monitor drug trafficking in northern Colombia Sunday, U.S. officials said. Two Americans survived the crash near the city of Capurgana, Colombia, and were rescued by Colombian military forces, according to a statement from the U.S. military's Southern Command. The survivors were taken to a hospital in Bogota, it said. "There is no indication the plane was shot down," the U.S. military's statement said. Communications with the DH-8 aircraft, which was contracted by the U.S. government, was lost over the western Caribbean Sea near Panama's border with Colombia, the statement said. The news release did not identify the Americans or reveal what organization they were working for. The Panamanian who died was a member of Panama's Air National Guard, it said. The plane's mission was to "provide detection and monitoring of drug trafficking routes in the coastal region of Central America as part of Operation Martillo," it said. "We express our sympathies to the families of the deceased, and are particularly saddened by the loss of a Panamanian Air National Guardsman," said Gen. John Kelly, commander of the U.S. Southern Command.   "We also want to thank the Colombians for their outstanding rescue and recovery efforts." More than $1 million tossed from a plane in Bolivia .

Two Americans who survived the crash were rescued by Colombian military forces . Officials did not identify the Americans or what organization they worked for . "There is no indication the plane was shot down," the U.S. military said . The mission was to detect and monitor of drug trafficking routes in Central America .

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San Diego (CNN) -- Welcome to America's Finest City where the beaches are pristine, the downtown is spotless, but -- if you believe the accusers -- the mayor is filthy. The San Diego County Sheriff's Department has set up a hotline for women who believe they are victims of sexual harassment by San Diego Mayor Bob Filner. The city attorney's office asked its lawyers, particularly females, as far back as February not to meet with the mayor unless a witness is present. Recently, Filner was restricted from meeting with women alone at city facilities. Every few days, more women come forward to tell their stories. Filner is taking two weeks off in August -- not for vacation, but for intensive therapy to treat what seems to be a behavioral disorder. Secrets that women of San Diego no long keep about its mayor . Is that what they call it these days? In the 1970s, when Filner began his 20-year career as a university history professor -- after which came a stint on the San Diego City Council and another 20 years in Congress -- we might just as easily have said that he was a lech and left it at that. Now we think everything is curable. Take a pill. Go to therapy. Attend meetings. But there might not be a cure for what ails Filner. It has afflicted the 70-year-old for too long. Over the last few weeks, seven women have stepped forward to say that Filner said or did something inappropriate. The accusations range from crude comments to unwanted advances to bullying to the infamous "Filner headlock." Let's say it's not just a friendly hug. In one of the latest developments in this soap opera by the sea, Filner wants the city to cover his legal expenses to fight a lawsuit filed by one of the women, Irene McCormack Jackson, who is a former employee. Jackson was the first woman to accuse Filner publicly of impropriety. Her 11-page lawsuit alleges that Filner asked her to "get naked" and to kiss him. The San Diego City Council is set to discuss Filner's request this week. The council should deny the request and make Filner pay his own legal bills. He obviously has a problem, and he's admitted as much by going to therapy. "Let me be absolutely clear," Filner said in a statement. "The behavior I have engaged in over many years is wrong. My failure to respect women, and the intimidating contact is inexcusable." Filner must have known about his failings, while he was in Congress and before he ran for mayor. He needs to take personal responsibility and pay for his own legal defense. Of course, what Filner really needs to do -- before the list of accusers gets any longer -- is resign. That's what Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California says. During an appearance Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union With Candy Crowley," the senator said that Filner "lacks a moral compass" and that he should make it easier on himself, his city, and fellow Democrats by stepping down. In California Democratic circles, once you've lost Feinstein, it's game over. For a politician, the only thing worse than being caught in a sex scandal is being caught in a sex scandal at the same time as someone else. That all but ensures extra coverage by the media, as the two of you will be paired together in the same paragraph in story after story. Filner has company, a fellow Democrat with whom he served in Congress. New Yorkers are suffering through the "sext-capades" of Anthony Weiner. The supposedly rehabilitated amateur photographer wants to be mayor of New York, but he has fallen to fourth place among Democratic contenders in the polls since admitting he engaged in the same behavior that caused him to resign from Congress in disgrace. As I watch the Weiner drama from afar, I can't help but think that one of the factors hurting his candidacy is that his public relations machine had gone to such great lengths to portray him as "all better" when it turns out he's not. New Yorkers don't like being played for suckers, and now Weiner is experiencing their wrath. Filner should watch and learn. He'll be back from his two-week leave of absence soon enough. Then what? "When I return on August 19," he told reporters, "my focus will be on making sure that I am doing right by the city in terms of being the best mayor that I can be and the best person I must be." Is it really that easy for someone to get rid of a disorder that has plagued him for decades? I don't think so. When he returns to office, Filner might just get into more trouble with women. And if and when that happens, he'll experience the same public backlash that Weiner has. He might not need to resign. A recall effort is already under way. And hell hath no fury like a voter who thinks he's being played for a fool. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ruben Navarrette.

Seven women have come forward to say San Diego mayor was sexually inappropriate . Ruben Navarrette: Mayor Bob Filner is going to therapy, but it's unlikely to cure longtime problem . Filner is being sued and wants city to pay his legal bills, he says, but that's ridiculous . Navarrette: What Filner really needs to do is resign, because problem is not going away .

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(CNN) -- Roger Federer has finally won the only grand slam tournament to elude him after beating Sweden's Robin Soderling in straight sets to claim the French Open title at Roland Garros. Federer is the French Open champion at last after beating Robin Soderling in straight sets at Roland Garros. The Swiss world number two had 13 grand slam successes to his name prior to the event, but none of them had been on the Parisian red clay. However, that changed on Sunday as the 27-year-old cruised to a 6-1 7-6 6-4 victory over 23rd seed Soderling, the man who had caused a sensation by dumping four-time winner Rafael Nadal out of the tournament earlier in the week. The victory moves Federer onto 14 career grand slam titles, level with American Pete Sampras as the most successful grand slam player in men's tennis history. He also moved into a select group made up only of Fred Perry, Don Budge, Rod Laver, Roy Emerson and Andre Agassi as men who have won all four of the grand slam events. "It was probably my greatest ever victory, I was under big pressure. But I did it and it's phenomenal," an emotional Federer told a packed crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier -- before breaking down in tears after being presented with the trophy by American Agassi, the 1999 French Open champion and last player to win all four slams. "I think that now and until the end of my career, I can really play with my mind at peace and no longer hear that I've never won Roland Garros," he added. You say: Is Roger Federer the greatest tennis player in history? Soderling, who beat Nadal and Nikolay Davydenko en route to the final, told the crowd: "I had the two best weeks of my career. Roger is a really worthy winner. To me he is the best player in history so he really deserves to win here at the French as well." The 27-year-old Federer, playing in his 19th grand slam final, could not have wished for a better start under threatening skies, which produced drizzling rain for the majority of the match. The Swiss dropped just one point on his serve in three games, but, in contrast, Soderling's serve was far from convincing and he soon trailed 4-0. Soderling got on the scoreboard in the fifth game but he had already been broken twice by then. In the seventh game, the Swede was facing two set points when a rasping Federer forehand flew past him. Soderling saved the first with an unreturnable serve but on the second, Federer unleashed a whipped backhand for the set. The second set, which did not have a single break of serve, was overshadowed by an incident which saw Federer come face to face with a court invader at the start of the fourth game. How it happened: See the French Open final in photos » . The man, wearing a top bearing the word 'Switzerland' on its chest, came down from high up in the stands and vaulted the barriers to enter the court. He ran up to Federer and brandished in front of the player's face what appeared to be a flag of Spanish team Barcelona. He then attempted to put a cap on the head of Federer, who retreated way behind the service line. Security took their time coming onto the court to aid Federer but when they did, they managed to accost the invader, who by that time had frantically run across the court and leapt the net. Federer at first appeared shaken -- he lost the next game to love -- admittedly on Soderling's serve, but calm was soon restored as the rain started to come down and the set went to a tie-break. Federer played it flawlessly, smashing down four aces from four serves to clinch it in style. He then grabbed the key break in the third set in the very first game. Soderling by that time had got over his early-match jitters but he could not halt Federer's juggernaut of a serve. He only earned his first break point of the match in the fourth game of that set, but the Swiss came up with a fine forehand passing shot to save. Serving for the match, Federer went break point down again to add to the drama. Soderling wasted that with a mis-hit and then netted a return into the net two points later to hand Federer the title.

Roger Federer finally wins French Open title with victory over Robin Soderling . The Swiss world number two beats his Swedish opponent 6-1 7-6 6-4 in Paris . Federer had won 13 grand slam titles prior to event, but never the French Open . The success takes him level with Pete Sampras on 14 career grand slam wins .

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(CNN) -- There's a great dive bar in my neighborhood called Jack's where they oven-bake the chicken wings. And they're absolutely amazing. I'm not saying I've had semi-inappropriate fantasies about them. But I'm also not denying it. Yes. Things continue to be weird at home. But it's worth noting that, despite my undying love for these wings, I'm actually a complete coward when it comes to sauce. I always get teriyaki. Spicy foods have never really been my thing. Unlike some of my friends who, in a pinch, would happily use Texas Pete for contact lens solution. So, I could only sit in horror as I read a trending story from England this week about the first person to finish the "world's hottest curry." And, sadly, we can only assume this brave hero also sat in horror several hours later when he realized that the world's hottest curry wanted out. "Strong men ... also cry." Nevertheless, Dr. Ian Rothwell proudly became the first of more than 300 people to conquer Bindi restaurant's famous dish, "The Widower." A name that, apparently, had a slightly more menacing ring to it than "The Care Bear." Bindi restaurant, in the English East Midlands town of Grantham, has been serving the Widower since 2010. The recipe, which is openly shared online, has become a popular Web search as curry enthusiasts around the world clamor for new and interesting ways to make one of the most delicious and wonderful foods on the planet completely inedible. Specifically, the main driving force behind the Widower's heat is 20 Infinity chilis, which were developed by a Grantham man named Nick Woods who grew the record-breaking strain completely by accident. Bindi restaurant's managing director and executive chef, Muhammed Karim, took those accidental chilis, combined them with other peppers and extracts, and created what he believes is the world's hottest curry. I'll never know because I still value the functioning ability of my esophagus. It's where pudding goes. Amazingly, just cooking the storied dish requires gloves, goggles and a gas mask. Which, generally speaking, is a sure sign that whatever you're doing in the kitchen is less safe than, say, heating up a Lean Pocket. Cooking meth is less safe than heating up a Lean Pocket. I rest my case. And so, hundreds of people have tried to finish off the Widower. But up until just the other day, nobody had ever made it to the end. And only a few have lasted past four or five mouthfuls, most opting instead to vomit, cry and rethink their overall purpose in life. "I should buy a boat." Though Rothwell amazingly finished the entire dish in just over an hour, it wasn't easy. In fact, it was probably downright reckless. Armed only with a bottle of beer, he bravely made it halfway through the meal before excusing himself for a short walk. Not so much because it was a particularly nice day but because he actually began hallucinating. About 10 minutes later, his wife found him wandering up Grantham High Street, presumably having a rather nefarious conversation with own hand. "Agreed. We shall light stuff on fire." Eventually, with tears running from his eyes, Rothwell downed the very last bite of the world's hottest curry. Or so the restaurant still claims. It's all rather unofficial. However, what is official is the actual hottest chili pepper. According to Guinness World Records, that honor was most recently set in March 2011 by the Trinidad Scorpion "Butch T" pepper from Australia. I Googled this thing, and it looks pretty damn mean. If ever there was a fruit capable of having sex with your sister and kicking your dog, it's the Trinidad Scorpion. The previously mentioned Infinity chili -- used in the Widower -- earned the highly coveted record a year earlier in March 2010 but was ousted only a few months later by the Naga Viper chili, also grown in the UK. They remain third and second, respectively. So, that's the story of the man who conquered the world's hottest curry. Surely, everybody knows someone right now who would gladly accept the challenge. And they would all likely fail. For it takes a true warrior to step up and face the Widower. Or you can just be sensible and have something else. Strong men ... also eat teriyaki.

"Apparently This Matters" is CNN Tech's weekly, offbeat look at what's trending online . This week, Jarrett considers a story about the world's hottest curry . "The Widower" is considered the hottest plate of curry anywhere . A man finished it for the first time -- and hallucinated .

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(CNN) -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Friday ordered U.S. nuclear power plants to begin implementing safety recommendations made in an effort to prevent a crisis from occurring as it did in Japan after last year's devastating earthquake and tsunami. Among the recommendations, plants must install improvements to protect safety equipment and devices to monitor water levels in spent fuel pools. A third order applies only to plants with boiling-water reactors that have so-called Mark I or Mark II containment structures. Mark I containment housing is the same design that was used at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, where three reactors melted down after the station was struck by the tsunami that followed Japan's historic earthquake in March 2011. The disaster resulted in the widespread release of radioactive contamination that forced more than 100,000 people from their homes. The disaster occurred when a 15-meter (49-foot) tsunami inundated the coastal plant, knocking out the cooling systems for the three operating reactors and their associated spent fuel pools, causing the reactors to overheat and hydrogen gas explosions that blew apart the building housing reactors No. 1 and 3. Another hydrogen blast is believed to have damaged the inside of the No. 2 reactor, while engineers were struggling to manage an estimated 100,000 tons of highly contaminated water that was used to cool the reactors during the emergency. "These reactors must improve venting systems that help prevent or mitigate core damage in the event of a serious accident," the NRC said in a news release announcing the orders for U.S. plants. In addition to the changes in safety procedures, the NRC is also seeking information from every operating U.S. nuclear power plant regarding risks caused by earthquakes and flooding and the plants' emergency procedures in the event of prolonged power loss. The plants have until the end of 2016 to fully comply with the safety orders, according to the NRC.

Plants have until 2016 to comply with orders . The recommendations were made after last year's disaster in Japan . One order involves plants with structures similar to that of Fukushima Daiichi .

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(CNN) -- Spain's Dani Pedrosa continued his hot streak by claiming pole for the Italian MotoGP Saturday on his Repsol Honda. Pedrosa, who won last weekend's German round of the championship, clocked one minute 47.284 seconds on the Mugello circuit to edge out compatriot Jorge Lorenzo on his Yamaha. It was the 26-year-old Pedrosa's 21st pole in MotoGP and he benefited from a mechanical problem with Lorenzo's bike at the end of the session. On his last flying lap, Lorenzo came to a halt and had to settle for second quickest. "I had engine problems in the final corners and I had to stop," said Lorenzo, who leads Pedrosa by 26 points in the title standings. "We have to correct this problem before tomorrow," he told the official MotoGP website. Reigning champion Casey Stoner, who crashed out in Germany on the last lap when in second place, could only manage fifth place behind teammate Pedrosa. It left the way clear for Hector Barbera of Spain on his Ducati to take third on the grid and start on the front row Sunday with Pedrosa and Lorenzo. Nicky Hayden of the United States was fourth fastest, outqualfying his Ducati teammate Valentino Rossi, who was only 10th best. Pedrosa was delighted with his performance, but warned that he faced tough opposition from Lorenzo in particular on race day. "I'm quite happy with the set up of my bike, we've had better grip today and I'm pretty confident. "But we have to keep very focused and push at the maximum because Lorenzo has an incredible pace."

Dani Pedrosa of Spain on pole for Italian MotoGP . Fastest time of one minute 47.284 seconds at Mugello . Championship leader Jorge Lorenzo second fastest . Defending title holder Casey Stoner fifth best .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The case against a Marine accused of murder in a 2005 incident involving the killings of Iraqi civilians in Haditha "is simply not strong enough to prove against a reasonable doubt," the investigating officer said Thursday. The investigating officer has recommended that Sgt. Frank Wuterich not be tried for murder. Lt. Col. Paul Ware recommended that Sgt. Frank Wuterich face trial for lesser charges of negligent homicide. The case involved allegations that Marines killed up to two dozen Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha, Iraq, in November 2005. Ware said the evidence indicated Wuterich "failed to exercise due care in his own actions in supervising his Marines." "When a Marine fails to exercise due care in a combat environment resulting in the death of innocents, the charge of negligent homicide, not murder, is the appropriate offense," he said in a statement. The recommendation goes to Lt. Gen. James Mattis, the commanding general overseeing the case, who will make the final decision. If the recommendation is accepted, it could mean that no one in the Haditha case will be tried for murder. Four enlisted Marines were initially accused in the case, and charges against two have been dropped. Murder charges remain against Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum, although Ware has recommended dropping all charges against him. Ware said the evidence is too weak for a court martial. Four officers were later accused of failing to investigate and report the deaths properly. Charges against two of them have been dropped. Haditha, along the Euphrates River, was the target of previous Marine campaigns aimed at rooting out insurgents. Wuterich was leading a patrol through the city on November 19, 2005, when the unit was hit by a roadside bomb that killed one of its members. Twenty-four civilians were killed in what a human rights group and military prosecutors said was a house-to-house rampage by Marines after the bomb exploded. The military began investigating the killings in March 2006, and charges were brought the following December. A statement from the Marine Corps originally blamed the civilian deaths on the roadside bomb, triggering a parallel investigation into how commanders handled the incident. Arrest made in terrorist financing case . Earlier Thursday, the U.S. military announced the arrest of a man who smuggled $100 million into Iraq during the past few months to finance terrorist operations. The unidentified man, arrested Tuesday near Baghdad, allegedly employs 40 to 50 extremists at $3,000 per job for al Qaeda in Iraq bomb attacks against coalition forces, using money from supporters outside Iraq, the military said. "The extremist financier is suspected of traveling to foreign countries to acquire financial support for terrorist activities and is suspected of supplying more than $50,000 to al Qaeda each month," the military said. The suspect, captured during a coalition raid in Kindi, operates a network of financing cells across Iraq, the military said. "He is believed to have received $100 million this summer from terrorist supporters who cross the Iraq border illegally or fly into Iraq from Italy, Syria and Egypt," the military said. The $100 million figure is based on intelligence report estimates over several months, a spokesman for Multi-National Corps-Iraq said. The man is also accused of purchasing some of the explosives and weapons used in the 2006 attack on Samarra's al-Askariya mosque, also known as the Golden Mosque, and a second attack on it in 2007. The attacks heightened sectarian tensions between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. During a separate operation in Radwaniya on Tuesday, Iraqi forces detained a suspected al Qaeda in Iraq platoon leader who commands 15 men in attacks on Iraqi and coalition forces with roadside bombs and direct assaults, the military said. Meanwhile, an Iraqi Ministry of Information spokesman said Thursday that Iraq has entered into a "substantial" deal with China to purchase weapons and light military equipment for its police forces, because the Asian nation promised the fastest delivery. Brig. Gen. Abdul Kareem Khalaf told CNN he was unable to confirm that his country was spending $100 million for the items, a number reported in Thursday's editions of The Washington Post, which quoted Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. Khalaf said there have been delivery delays from other countries, including the United States, and adequately arming police forces is a priority in Iraq's goal to provide its own security. In the United States, there are several layers of review before military equipment sales are approved. Khalaf said the deal was made last June during a visit to China by Talabani and Minister of Interior Jawad al-Bolani, whose department is in charge of policing and border control. Other developments: . CNN's Jamie McIntyre, Saad Abedine and Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report.

If advice accepted, it could mean no one in Haditha case will be tried for murder . Iraq to buy weapons from China; $100 million worth, Washington Post says . Pentagon: Detainee financed terror operations across country . Financier allegedly paid $3,000 per roadside bomb operation .

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(CNN) -- The Bangladeshi military has revised the number of army officers missing after last week's bloody uprising, from 72 down to six. Bangladeshi soldiers carry a coffin during a funeral Monday for victims of last week's mutiny. The earlier number was based on "assumptions," said Lt. Gen. Sina Ibn Jamali, the army chief of general staff. "The numbers we are giving now are grounded in facts," Jamali told reporters Sunday night. Authorities said confusion arose because no one knew for sure how many officers were inside the Bangladesh Rifles headquarters when paramilitary troops, or jawans, staged a bloody revolt and took dozens of them hostage Wednesday. Search crews have recovered 73 bodies from a river, sewers and three mass graves inside the Rifles compound in the Pilkhana area of the capital, Dhaka. Of those bodies, 53 were confirmed as those of army officers. Meanwhile, an army investigation into the 35-hour rebellion began Monday. The police have filed murder charges against more than 1,000 Rifles, and soldiers were out in full force throughout Bangladesh looking for them. The 65,000-strong Rifles is a border security force -- distinct from the army, but whose commanders are career army officers. The jawans had complained for years that their army superiors dismissed their appeals for more pay, subsidized food and the opportunity to participate in U.N. peacekeeping operations, which pay far more than what they make at home. The two-day standoff ended after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina promised the jawans amnesty if they laid down their arms. She has backtracked since, saying the government will not show mercy to those who killed, looted or committed arson.

Number of army officers missing after mutiny is six, down from earlier estimate of 72 . Confusion arose because no one was certain how many officers were involved . Murder charges filed against more than 1,000 members of Bangladesh Rifles .

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(CNN) -- AC Milan are all but through to the quarterfinals of the Champions League after thrashing Arsenal 4-0 at the San Siro on Wednesday. Brazilian striker Robinho scored twice as the Serie A champions dominated the first leg of the last-16 tie with the north London club. Kevin Prince Boateng put Milan ahead in the 15th minute with a sumptuous half-volley after chesting down a chipped pass from Alberto Nocerino. The Ghana midfielder's strike flew in off the underside of the bar leaving Wojciech Szczesny with no chance. Robinho doubled the lead seven minutes before the break heading home a cut-back from Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Despite the arrival of Thierry Henry in the second half (his last appearance for the Gunners before he returns to the New York Red Bulls) things quickly went from bad to worse. In the 49th minute, Ibrahimovic and Robinho combined again on the edge of Arsenal's penalty area before a slip by Thomas Vermaelen gifted the Brazilian a free shot which he put past Szczesny with ease. Robine Van Persie forced a fine save from Christian Abbiati in the 65th minute but it was a rare chance for the Dutch striker on a miserable night for Arsene Wenger's team. Ibrahimovic completed the rout converting from the penalty spot after he was brought down by Johan Djourou 12 minutes from the end. "We were never in the game, we were very poor both offensively and defensively," Wenger said, AFP reported. "It was shocking to see how we were beaten everywhere, it was the worst performance in Europe by far. There was not one moment during the 90 when we were really in the game," he added, AFP reported. The return leg at the Emirates Stadium will be played on March 6. Opinion: Suarez saga harming Liverpool's global brand . In the other Champions League match played Wednesday, Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg came from behind to beat Portugal's Benfica 3-2 in the first leg of their last-16 tie. Roman Shirokov scored twice while substitute Sergei Semak got the other. Benfica's goals came from defender Maxi Pereira and Paraguayan striker Oscar Cardozo, both after errors by goalkeeper Yury Zhevnov. Benfica took the lead in the 20th minute courtesy of a goal from Maxi Pereira before Zenit leveled the scores seven minutes later when Shirokov struck a sweet volley to score his first of the night. Semak put Zenit in front in the 71st minute before Oscar Cardozo equalized three minutes from the end. But Zenit responded immediately as Shirokov pounced on a defensive mistake to tap home the winner with two minutes remaining. "My players showed really good skill. They showed a lot of heart to win the match in such a grave situation. However they did exactly what we decided to do ahead of the match. We won deservedly tonight," Zenit manager Luciano Spalletti said, AFP reported. Meanwhile in Serie A, Juventus missed out on the chance to go top after being held to a 0-0 draw at Parma. Juve's 10th draw of the league season (and their sixth on the road) means that AC Milan still head the league table but only by one point. The Rossoneri have also played one extra game. The result lifts Parma to 12th place with 28 points. In Serie A's other match Wednesday Guido Marilungo scored the winner for Atalanta in a 1-0 win over Genoa. The strike 12 minutes from the end lifts Atalanta to 13th with 27 points. Genoa remain in 10th with 30 points.

AC Milan demolish Arsenal 4-0 at the San Siro to almost guarantee place in last eight . Zenit St Petersburg beat Benfica 3-2 in first leg of last 16 encounter . Juventus drop points on the road in Serie A to stay in second behind AC Milan .

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(RollingStone.com) -- When assessing the lowest moments of George W. Bush's presidency, outside observers might have gone with, oh, Abu Ghraib, or that time when he realized he was going to have to bail out the US financial system, or when his approval rating dropped to 22 percent on his way out the door. But in his new memoir, "Decision Points," George W. Bush himself writes that the "worst moment" of his presidency -- his "all-time low" -- was when Kanye West declared during a Hurricane Katrina celebrity telethon that "George Bush does not like black people." Now West has responded to that verdict. On the one hand, he seems uncertain his line deserves the place in history that Bush has just given him. But he also sees where Bush is coming from. The whole back-and-forth started when Bush's claim drew the attention of Matt Lauer, who sat down with Bush for an interview that will air the day before the book's November 9 debut. And that in turn led to the following exchange, as relayed by Ken Tucker on EW.com: . Lauer quotes from Bush's new book: "Five years later I can barely write those words without feeling disgust." Lauer adds, "You go on: 'I faced a lot of criticism as president. I didn't like hearing people claim that I lied about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction or cut taxes to benefit the rich. But the suggestion that I was racist because of the response to Katrina represented an all-time low.' President Bush responds: "Yeah. I still feel that way as you read those words. I felt 'em when I heard 'em, felt 'em when I wrote 'em, and I felt 'em when I'm listening to 'em. Lauer: "You say you told Laura at the time it was the worst moment of your presidency?" Bush: "Yes. My record was strong, I felt, when it came to race relations and giving people a chance. And it was a disgusting moment." Lauer: "I wonder if some people are going to read that, now that you've written it, and they might give you some heat for that. And the reason is this " Bush [interrupting]: "Don't care." Lauer: "Well, here's the reason. You're not saying that the worst moment in your presidency was watching the misery in Louisiana. You're saying it was when someone insulted you because of that." Bush: "No, and I also make it clear that the misery in Louisiana affected me deeply as well. There's a lot of tough moments in the book. And it was a disgusting moment, pure and simple." For his part, West does not view his diss of then-president as the worst insult he's ever dealt, ranking it below his more gratuitous put down of Taylor Swift at last year's VMAs. During an appearance on Funkmaster Flex's show on New York's Hot 97 on Tuesday night, he said of the Swift incident, "It's an amazing, compelling situation. The situation is bigger to me than the Bush moment. It's bigger than a lot of things." But in a separate interview today -- this one with Houston's 97.9 The Box -- West expressed a sympathetic view of Bush's reaction."Well I definitely can understand the way he feels to be accused of being a racist in any way. Because the same thing happened to me," West told host Devi Dev. "With both situations, it was strictly a lack of compassion that America saw. You know, with him not rushing, not taking the time to rush down to New Orleans. With me, it was the lack of compassion in cutting someone off in their moment. Nonetheless, I think we're all quick to pull a race card in America. And now I'm more open, and the poetic justice that I went through the same thing that he went through, and now I really more connect with him on a humanitarian level, because that next morning, when he felt that, I felt that same thing too." Like Bush, West is coming out of self-imposed exile to mount a comeback effort, with his built around the release of his next album, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy," slated for release on November 22. "I do think I changed a lot" in the months since the Swift incident, he told Dev. "I do think I'm more compassionate, I'm more sensitive to people's emotions. "I needed that time off ... Respect is something hard to earn and easy to lose, and I feel like I'm on that path to getting that all back right now." Bush, no doubt, would like to feel the same way, though it's not clear he sees it necessary to express the same kind of contrition. Copyright © 2010 Rolling Stone.

A newly sympathetic West says he feels Bush's pain . "I'm more sensitive to people's emotions," West says . He continues, "I definitely can understand the way he feels to be accused of being a racist"

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(CNN) -- Dutchman Edgar Davids has lifted the European Champions League trophy, won league titles in Italy and the Netherlands and played in a World Cup semifinal against Brazil in 1998. So why has a soccer star like Davids, who won 74 international caps for the Netherlands between 1994 and 2005, decided to become joint head coach of Barnet, who are currently rock bottom of the lowest tier of professional in England. "I'm happy to explore my possibilities and share my knowledge and experience with Barnet Football Club," the 39-year-old told the London club's official website. "I am very excited about the challenge ahead." Blog: Does international soccer need a shake up? After a playing career which spanned two decades and saw Davids strut his stuff at the San Siro and the Nou Camp, the one-time midfield dynamo will now be pacing the touchline of Barnet's 6,000-capacity Underhill Stadium in north London. In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Davids also hopes to make a playing return for "The Bees" as soon as possible. Barnet would be the third English team Davids -- who was nicknamed "The Pitbull" in recognition of his fiesty playing style -- has turned out for following two years with Tottenham Hotspur between 2005 and 2007 and a brief spell with second-tier Crystal Palace in 2010. A spell in English football's lower reaches is in stark contrast to previous stages of Davids' career, following stints with Ajax, AC Milan, Barcelona and Juventus. "I am delighted to welcome Edgar to our club," said Mark Robson, the current Barnet head coach who will now job share with Davids. "His experience as a player throughout his illustrious career will be a massive benefit to all our players and I look forward to forming a strong partnership with him". Davids is also known for the goggles he sports while playing, a necessity due to him suffering from the eye disease glaucoma. Barnet has spent the majority of its history at the lower end of English football, winning the Conference -- the division immediately below England's top four professional leagues -- on two occasions.

Edgar Davids becomes joint head coach of English club Barnet . London-based Barnet are currently bottom of the Fourth Division . Nicknamed "The Pitbull", Davids has played for AC Milan, Juventus, Barcelona and Inter Milan . Davids also intends to become a member of Barnet's playing squad .

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(CNN) -- Haiti's orphanages have become targets for people desperate for food, water and medical supplies in the aftermath of the devastating magnitude 7.0 earthquake. On Wednesday night, Maison de Lumiere, an orphanage caring for 50 orphans, came under attack from a group of 20 armed men, aid workers told the Joint Council on International Children's Services. A neighboring orphanage sheltering about 135 children has been robbed several times over the past few days, they said. Meanwhile, aid workers said a third orphanage caring for 17 orphans reported that townspeople are trespassing and tapping into the water supply that is reserved for the children. "It was calm at first, but the situation is getting more desperate," said David Beck, pastor at Child Hope International, the nonprofit that oversees Maison de Lumiere. No shots were fired in the attack on the orphanage, and security guards were able to drive off the marauders, he said. But one orphanage worker was hit in the head with a rock, he said. "If people think you have food, then they will come after it," Beck said. The orphanage is rationing what food and water it does have, he said. Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere, and experienced high rates of poverty and disease even before the quake. The quake has made the situation far more desperate. Looting is becoming a big concern for the orphanages as fear and frustration mount and help is slow to arrive, said Tom DiFilipo of the Joint Council on International Children's Services, a U.S.-based advocacy group for children in need of families. To protect the children, some orphanages are on lock-down, according to volunteers working with the relief agencies. "When bringing in supplies to an orphanage, you can only bring in a day or two day's worth," said DiFilipo. "If you bring more than that, the locals come in." This week's raids are included on a growing list of difficulties facing orphanages that is being compiled by the Joint Council on International Children's Services. DiFilipo said he expects the challenges of food, medical aid and security to continue affecting the orphanages for weeks. For every Haitian orphan brought to safety in the United States and elsewhere, thousands more are left behind to face the primitive conditions resulting from last week's earthquake. There is no accurate count of how many orphanages have experienced looting and other attacks. Since the quake, the Joint Council on International Children's Services has received dozens of phone calls, text messages and e-mails from orphanages reporting problems ranging from food shortages to security threats. The agency is in touch with about 50 orphanages in Haiti and the reports are updated daily. The group is also working with members of Congress, the Red Cross and other aid agencies to relay the messages. Before the quake, Haiti had 380,000 orphans, according to UNICEF. It is still too early to determine how many children were orphaned by the quake. The people of Haiti have grown desperate for food, water and assistance since the quake decimated the capital last week, toppling buildings, cutting power, contaminating water supplies and ravaging roads. The conditions for children in Haiti are bleak, aid officials said. Orphans are sleeping outside or in makeshift tents. Facilities are running low on food, water and medical supplies. Some orphanages have already reported deaths. Ruuska Village, an orphanage in the Bon Repos section of Port-au-Prince, was looted several times during the first few days after the quake, said volunteer Cherie Shropshire. Security was inadequate after 80 percent of the building was damaged, she said. The locks were broken and people stole food, clothes and supplies, but the orphanage was able to keep its generator protected, Shropshire said. "Another aftershock that woke us so roughly on Wednesday morning and a wall tumbling down on our heads, children starving, the orphanage being looted as the frustration continues to grow regarding the delay in distributing supplies, children dying from sickness. ...," wrote an American adoption service provider in Haiti in a blog run by the Joint Council on International Children's Services. Reporting crimes to police is nearly impossible for officials at the damaged orphanages. Many Haitian police officers were injured or killed in the earthquake. Help from private security officers also is hindered by unreliable communication and poor transportation. Security needs to be made a higher priority, said Daniel Kaniewski, deputy director of George Washington University's Homeland Security Policy Institute. On Tuesday, the United Nations Security Council approved a proposal to send an additional 2,000 soldiers and 1,500 police officers to Haiti. "Providing security resources is as equally important as providing all of the other kinds of aid in the country," Kaniewski said. "Without security, you won't be able to effectively distribute to the most needed areas in Haiti." At Maison de Lumiere, where looters raided on Wednesday night, Beck sees both sides of the story. "On one hand, the people around the orphanage have been incredibly gracious and mutually supportive since the earthquake," he said. "On the other hand, last night's attack reminds us that there are a few aggressive people whose growing desperation can drive them to attempt to take others' food and water by force."

20 men attacked Maison de Lumiere, an orphanage in Port-au-Prince, aid workers say . A U.S. advocacy organization is tracking attacks on Haiti's orphanages . Getting food, medical supplies and security top challenges faced by orphanages . "If people think you have food then they will come after it," one official says .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Libya will pay hundreds of millions of dollars to victims of terrorist attacks involving Americans in an agreement signed and finalized Thursday, the U.S. State Department said. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Welch, left, and Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmad Fitouri sign the deal. Assistant Secretary of State David Welch signed the deal in Tripoli, Libya, on Thursday. If implemented, the deal will end Libya's legal liability in numerous lawsuits from families of victims of what the United States considers Libyan terrorist acts. It also paves the way for stronger ties between the two nations and increased U.S. involvement in the oil-rich nation. "This resolves the last major historical issue that has stood in the way of a more normal relationship between our two countries," Welch said. The deal had hinged on congressional approval. Last month, just before leaving for summer recess, Congress unanimously adopted the Libyan Claims Resolution Act, sponsored by Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg, D-New Jersey. The legislation cleared the way to end the feud with Libya over terrorist attacks and creates a fund for victim payments. "The Libyans didn't believe that Congress would ever be helpful, and Congress didn't think Libya would ever do it," Welch said Thursday. "We found a diplomatic way to accommodate both sides by turning suspicion into an asset." Under the new law, Congress gives the Bush administration the authority to restore sovereign immunity for Libya only when the United States receives the agreed-upon money to pay American claimants in the fund and the secretary of state certifies it. See a timeline of events following the Pan Am attack » . Once the money is received into the fund, Libya would be exempted from legislation passed this year enabling terrorism victims to be compensated from frozen assets of governments blamed for attacks. The 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killed 270 people, including 189 Americans. The 1986 La Belle disco bombing in Berlin, Germany, killed two American servicemen and injured 79 Americans. Libya has paid 268 families involved in the Pan Am bombing $8 million each of a $10 million settlement. It was withholding the remaining $2 million owed to each family over a dispute regarding U.S. obligations to Tripoli. Under the deal, Libya would pay more than $500 million to settle remaining claims from the Lockerbie case and more than $280 million for victims of the La Belle disco, according to Jim Kreindler, the lead attorney for the Pan Am families. It would also set aside funds to compensate victims of several other incidents blamed on Libya but for which Libya hasn't accepted responsibility. The total settlement could exceed $1 billion. The pact, supported by the victims' families, closes the book on a contentious period in U.S.-Libyan relations. Ties between the two countries began to improve in 2003, when Libya gave up its weapons of mass destruction program and began compensating Lockerbie victims. But lingering lawsuits prevented the two countries from fully normalizing ties. A joint U.S.-Libya statement issued Thursday in Tripoli said "both parties welcomed the establishment of a process to provide fair compensation for their respective nationals, and thereby turn their focus to the future of their bilateral relationship." This spring, Libya made a proposal to the Bush administration that held some promise in settling the dispute, Welch said. Over the next several months, he and State Department lawyers held closed-door negotiating sessions with the Libyan delegation in London, England; Paris, France; Berlin; and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where he finally secured a tentative agreement in late July. The afternoon he came back from Abu Dhabi, Welch met with Lautenberg and urged passage of the legislation. Welch said Libya would expect an end to the claims and put the longstanding dispute with Libya to rest, despite the lingering mistrust of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. "This could not have worked without a great deal of honesty on everyone's part," Welch said. On Thursday, Lautenberg issued a statement expressing satisfaction with the agreement. "For too many years, Libya has refused to accept responsibility for its horrific acts of terror against American victims," he said. "The signing of this agreement means these victims and their families can get the long overdue justice they deserve. Today's agreement is a critical development in moving Libya forward on its path toward diplomatic respect," he said. The State Department said the "agreement is being pursued on a purely humanitarian basis and does not constitute an admission of fault by either party." Senior State Department officials said the formula was designed to respect Libyan sensitivities about compensating victims for incidents for which it hasn't taken responsibility . But it also allows Libya to settle outstanding claims for U.S. air strikes on Tripoli in 1986, in which Libya claims more than 40 of its citizens were killed, including Gadhafi's adopted daughter. Donations to settle Libyan claims would be placed in the "voluntary" fund, from which each country involved in the claims draws the money to pay its citizens. Welch said no U.S. taxpayer money would be used to compensate Libya but said he was "optimistic" donations to settle Libyan claims would be made. Other senior U.S. officials said American companies eager to do business in Libya could possibly make a contribution. The deal is to be followed by a U.S. upgrading of relations with Libya, including the confirmation of a U.S. ambassador and possible American aid. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to visit Libya before the end of the year.

Deal ends Libya's liability in lawsuits from families of victims of terrorist acts . Libya to pay more than $700 million to settle Lockerbie, La Belle disco cases . Libya will be exempt from law allowing terror victims to be paid with frozen assets .

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(CNN) -- The United States has created a "zone of impunity" by rarely investigating private contractors involved in the unlawful killing of civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq, a U.N. human rights envoy said. Civil rights activists protest the use of unmanned U.S. drones in Pakistan. The U.S. government should track the number of civilians killed in its military operations abroad and limit collateral damage from unmanned drone attacks, Special Investigator Philip Alston said in a stinging report submitted Wednesday to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland. "The government has failed to effectively investigate and punish lower-ranking soldiers for such deaths, and has not held senior officers responsible," Alston said. "Worse, it has effectively created a zone of impunity for private contractors and civilian intelligence agents by only rarely investigating and prosecuting them." Alston recommended that the United States establish a national commission to independently look into the policies and practices that are leading to the deaths. He also urged that an independent special prosecutor be charged with pursuing criminal allegations against government officials accused of wrongdoing. "First, the government has failed to track and make public the number of civilian casualties, or the conditions under which deaths occurred," he said. "Second, the military justice system fails to provide ordinary people, including U.S. citizens and families of Iraqi and Afghan victims, basic information on the status of investigations into civilian casualties or prosecutions resulting therefrom." Alston called the United States' reliance on pilotless missile-carrying aircraft "increasingly common" and "deeply troubling." U.S. forces operating in Afghanistan have used drones to attack militant targets in Pakistan. Pakistan has said the attacks have claimed hundreds of civilian lives. Mark Cassayre, the American representative to the U.N. Human Rights Council, said U.S. military and intelligence operations during armed conflict did not fall within the special investigator's mandate. Alston is the special investigator on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. "We wish to be clear that the prosecution of private contractors who commit crimes is an important priority of the Department of Justice, and despite the difficulty of these cases, the United States continues to attempt to bring private contractor cases to justice," Cassayre said.

U.N. envoy rips U.S. over investigation into drone attacks overseas . Private contractors protected by "zone of impunity," envoy says . Pakistan claims drone attacks have killed hundreds .

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(CNN) -- Claudio Ranieri has resigned as AS Roma coach following the Italian Serie A side blew a three-goal lead to lose 4-3 at Genoa on Sunday. The result marked a fourth consecutive defeat for the Rome-based club, who also lost to Ukrainian team Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League earlier this week. After much speculation about Ranieri's future, AFP reported that the 59-year-old had told Italian news agency Ansa that he had quit. "I've always thought about the good of Roma and after a game such as today's I believe it's right to give a signal. After the final whistle I went into the changing rooms to thank the team and I decided to hand in my resignation," the Italian reportedly said. The day had started brightly for Ranieri as he saw his team go 3-0 up within 51 minutes thanks to goals from Philippe Mexes, Nicolas Burdisso and skipper Francesco Totti. But things soon took a turn for the worst as Genoa staged a remarkable comeback scoring four goals in in 35 minutes to seal Ranieri's fate. The former Chelsea boss, who had been in charge at Roma since 2009, leaves the side in eighth place in Serie A, trailing league leaders AC Milan by 13 points and city rivals Lazio by four. Roma's president Rosella Sensi says that the club will make a decision on the coaching situation on Monday, according to AFP. "We will act on what he's said," she said. Meanwhile, a late goal from substitute Alexandre Pato ensured AC Milan maintained their lead at the top of the Italian league with a 2-1 win at 10-man Chievo Verona. Brazil striker Robinho gave Massimiliano Allegri's side the lead after 25 minutes, before Switzerland's Gelson Fernandes equalized for mid-table Chievo when play resumed in the second half. Brazil's Pato then came off the bench to score the winner, just before Chievo's Slovenian defender Bostjan Cesar was given a red card for a second-bookable offence with six minutes left to play. Defending champions Inter had moved within two points of the league leaders on Saturday following victory over Cagliari, but Milan's triumph means they now have five-point cushion over their third-placed city rivals. Napoli reclaimed second place with a 1-0 win at home to Catania, the club's fourth league victory in five matches. Colombia international Juan Camilo Zuniga scored the only goal in the 25th minute to put Napoli three points off the lead, while Catania are the same distance from the relegation zone. Fourth-placed Lazio beat bottom-of-the-table Bari 1-0 at home at Rome's Stadio Olimpico thanks to an early goal from Brazilian midfielder Hernanes. Lecce kept their hopes of survival alive with a 2-0 win at home over Champions League qualification contenders Juventus, who had goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was sent off for a deliberate handball after just 12 minutes. Djamel Mesbah scored for Lecce in the first half before Andrea Bertolacci doubled the lead early in the second. Parma came from behind to salvage a 2-2 draw at home to second-from-bottom Cesena thanks to a penalty from Hernan Crespo and a late strike from substitute Rafaelle Palladino. Fifth-placed Udinese's Champions League ambitions suffered a setback as they had to settle for a 0-0 draw at home with lowly Brescia, while the game between Fiorentina and Sampdoria also finished in stalemate.

Claudio Ranieri quits AS Roma coach after Sunday's Serie A defeat at Genoa . After leading 3-0, the capital club lose 4-3 to record fourth consecutive loss . AC Milan stay top of league table, three points clear, with 2-1 win at Chievo Verona . Napoli reclaim second place from Inter Milan, fourth-placed Lazio also win .

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(CNN) -- War-torn Somalia moved a step closer to stability this September after picking its first president elected on home soil in decades. Political newcomer Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, an academic and activist who has also worked for the United Nations and other organizations, was sworn in the capital Mogadishu after defeating incumbent president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. The milestone vote was hailed by the international community as a sign of improving security in a nation plunged into chaos after years of vicious civil hostilities. Despite the move toward a more permanent government, the new president faces an uphill battle to rebuild the country and restore its shattered economy and crumbling infrastructure. Even though insurgents have fled Mogadishu and guns have fallen silent, portions of Somalia still remain lawless as large parts of the country are under the control of militants, such as the al Qaeda-linked group Al Shabaab. Distinguished Somali professor Ahmed Ismail Samatar, who also ran for president in the recent elections and is now a member of the new parliament, says the country's new leader is facing "heavy challenges that need to be lifted." "He [Mohamud] cares about the country," says Samatar, leader of the HiilQaran political party. "And [there is] the possibility that his leadership will then bring a shift in gear and therefore moving towards that future that needs to be born." Read related: Somali women defy danger to write history . Somalia may have been brought to its knees by decades of war but in the 1960s, after it threw off the chains of colonialism to gain its independence, it was a model of democracy, says Samatar. "It's the first place in the continent, in sub-Saharan Africa, in which the head of the state will be defeated in parliamentary transparent elections and he will hand the keys ... to the victor and tell the nation that democracy is a precious thing. This is in 1967 -- the first sub-Saharan African head of state to be defeated in an election and then hand peacefully the order of the state and the institutions to the new president." Somalia was formed through the union of newly independent territories British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland in 1960. Aden Abdullah Osman Daar was Somalia's president until the 1967 election when Abdirashid Ali Shermarke became the country's second leader. But in 1969 he was assassinated; a military coup immediately followed and that regime ruled for more than 20 years. In January 1991, dictator Maxamed Siyaad Barre was overthrown in a civil war waged by clan-based guerrillas and warfare continues to this day. "No African country has lost so much since the coming of independence in the continent in the 1960s," says Samatar. Read related: Fertile territory for Al-Shabaab in chaos of Somalia . Samatar is the founding dean of the Institute for Global Citizenship at Macalester College, in Minnesota -- the state that's estimated to have the largest Somali population in the United States. His topics range from globalization and the world's political economy to African issues, specifically those of his home country. After running for president, he has now returned to Macalaster College -- but as a member of Somalia's parliament he continues to remain engaged in the rebuilding of the country. "I am driven because after 30 years of studying I have seen enough of the truth in front of me through scholarship," he says. "What ails Somali people and how they might overcome those problems." Samatar says that 15 years ago, it was hard to envision a bright future for Somalia. "Today, though, it's a different story," he adds. "There are blades of hope growing among these cobblestones of difficult history," he explains, noting that Somalis are now exhausted by the ongoing war and civil strife. "They are absolutely tired of a particular kind of religious Islamist militancy that wants to destroy the culture; they are tired of warlords who hijack particular opportunities for their own self interests ... and destroy what it's in place. "So that exhaustion brings a certain kind of yearning for a new time and that's hope. They have had enough of this and they want something different."

In September, Somalia established its first stable central government in decades. Professor Ahmed Ismail Samatar says the new president is facing "heavy challenges" Samatar is a professor at Macalester College in Minnesota, U.S. He ran for president in the recent Somali elections and is now a member of parliament .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Some Democrats appear to be wavering on a highly contentious House resolution labeling Turkey's treatment of Armenians in World War I as genocide. A KC-135 tanker lands at Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey in 2003. Turkey, a longtime U.S. ally and NATO partner, was incensed by the resolution calling the killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks genocide and threatened to block access to Incirlik Air Base after the resolution passed a House committee vote. The base, in southern Turkey near Syria, is a major resupply center for U.S. operations in Iraq and elsewhere in the Mideast and Asia. The Pentagon is preparing to set up new supply routes for troops in Iraq if Turkey cuts off U.S. access to the strategically important Incirlik, military officials said Tuesday. Ankara acknowledges the killings of Armenians during World War I but vehemently objects to the "genocide" label. The House Foreign Affairs Committee last week adopted the nonbinding resolution. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would bring the measure to a vote of the full House sometime next month. But the Bush administration urged Congress to drop the issue, and some leading Democrats urged Pelosi not to bring it to the floor. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer signaled Tuesday that the vote might be put off. "I said I thought we would bring this up prior to us leaving here," said Hoyer of Maryland. "I have not changed on that, although I would be less than candid to say that there are a number of people who are revisiting their own positions. We will have to determine where everybody is." Democratic Rep. Ike Skelton, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, announced his opposition to the resolution last week. And Democratic Reps. Alcee Hastings of Florida and John Tanner of Tennessee, both members of the U.S. House delegation to NATO, urged Pelosi to reconsider in a letter released Tuesday. "More than half of the cargo flown into Iraq and Afghanistan comes through Incirlik Air Base, and this base would be a key component of any plans for redeployment of our troops in the future," they wrote. Lt. Gen. Carter Ham, the director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Pentagon planners are looking at "a broad range of options" to keep food, fuel and ammunition flowing to U.S. troops in Iraq if Turkey blocks Incirlik. "We're confident that we'll find ways to do that," Ham told reporters at the Pentagon. "There's likely to be some increased cost and some other implications for that, and obviously we'd prefer to maintain the access that we have." Defense Secretary Robert Gates echoed lawmakers' concerns last week. "About 70 percent of all air cargo going into Iraq goes through Turkey. ... About a third of the fuel that they consume goes through Turkey or comes from Turkey," Gates said. He also said that 95 percent of the Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protective vehicles, or MRAPs, being deployed in Iraq are flown through Turkey. The vehicles are built to withstand roadside bombs. See Incirlik's key location » . The U.S. military issued a "warning order" a few days ago to ensure that alternative air crews, planes, fuel and routes are lined up if Turkey stops or restricts U.S. access to Incirlik, a source said. Jordan and Kuwait are among the alternatives the United States is considering. Some fear pursuit of the resolution would also embolden the Turks to attack Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq which could further complicate Iraqi stability, U.S. officials said. Incirlik offers 10,000- and 9,000-foot runways and 57 hardened aircraft shelters, according Globalsecurity.org, a source of background information about military issues. Globalsecurity said Incirlik has become a hub for cargo shipments to Iraq, taking over for Rhein-Main Air Base in Germany because it is closer to Iraq, reducing the strain on troops and aircraft. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Barbara Starr and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report.

NEW: Majority Leader says a number of Dems are "revisiting their own positions" Turkey is upset about World War I "genocide" resolution in Congress . House resolution calls killing of Armenians "genocide" Incirlik Air Base is key point for U.S. military supply of Iraq mission .

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NAIROBI, Kenya (Reuters) -- The skull of a female Homo erectus -- the first-ever discovery -- suggests the upright ancestors of humans may have been physiologically closer to modern gorillas and chimpanzees. Frederick Kyalo Manthi holds the Homo erectus complete skull he discovered in 2000 near lake Turkana in Kenya. Homo erectus, long viewed as a crucial evolutionary link between modern humans and their tree-dwelling ancestors, may have been more ape-like than previously thought, scientists said Thursday. Unveiling newfound fossils, a team of Kenyan scientists said they were surprised to find that early female hominids were much smaller than males. Gorillas and chimpanzees also exhibit big differences in size between males and females. The fossils, an ancient skull and a jawbone from two early branches of the human family tree -- Homo erectus and Homo habilis, were revealed at Kenya's National Museum. Both fossils were found in 2000 east of Lake Turkana. But the Homo erectus skull, dating back 1.55 million years, was slightly older than the Homo habilis jawbone, which was found to be 1.44 million years old, the scientists said. "Prior to the discovery of the new specimens, scientists did not know that Homo erectus males were far larger than the females," said Dr Emma Mbua, one of the team. "This sexual dimorphism [two forms of the same species] is considered a primitive character because it occurs in other apes," she said, standing in front of the bones at the museum. She said this could also mean the sexual behavior of Homo erectus was more like that of apes, where individuals, especially males, mate with several partners, sometimes in a few hours, than that of its more monogamous human successors. The fossils, discovered in east Africa's Rift Valley, regarded as the "cradle of humankind", challenge the idea that human prototypes evolved one after the other in a linear fashion from Homo habilis to Homo erectus, ending with modern humans. This means they must have co-existed in different habitats at the same time, the scientists added. "They were kind of sisters, if you like," said Frederick Manthi, the scientist who discovered the fossils. "Homo habilis never gave rise to Homo erectus. These discoveries have completely changed the story." The research, first published in the journal Nature, was conducted by nine scientists including well-known paleontologist Maeve Leakey and her daughter Louise Leakey. The scientists think both Homo erectus and Homo habilis must have evolved from a common ancestor 2-3 million years ago. The most famous such ancestor is Ethiopia's "Lucy," a fossil more than 3 million years old that set off this week for a tour of museums in the United States. The basic evolutionary story -- that all humans came "out of Africa" after evolving from apes in the Rift Valley around 5 million years ago -- remains unchanged and may even be strengthened, the scientists said. "The more fossils we find in Kenya, the more we justify the story that east Africa is the cradle of mankind," Manthi said. "These hominids tell us there was a large diversity within this species, which strengthens that convention." The researchers said Homo habilis was largely a herbivore, likely to have foraged for fruits in greener, more heavily forested areas than Homo erectus, who is thought to have been a hunter who thrived in east Africa's open savannah. Manthi said the team would have to find more fossils to confirm the findings. "The story of human evolution has not yet been [told]," said Kenya Museum director Farah Idle. "There are many missing links. The more discoveries you make, the more questions you raise." E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Scientists: Skull of female Homo erectus is more ape-like . Newly discovered fossils show female hominids were much smaller than males . Fossils from Homo erectus, Homo habilis were found in east Africa's Rift Valley .

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(CNN) -- FACETIME: Saddek Omar Elkaber, Libyan Central Bank Governor . Libya's stock market is back in business after the revolution forced it to shut one year ago. Restarting the economy, attracting foreign investment and stabilizing the banking sector is a major task for the country's central bank. MME met with the central bank governor, Saddek Omar Elkaber in Tripoli and asked him about the road ahead. IN FOCUS: Egypt lost art . As Egypt tries to move forward after a revolution, the country is still trying to recover its ancient history. Numerous historical artifacts held in government storehouses were stolen after the January 25th revolution. MME follows the Egyptian investigation looking at securing the lost artifacts. Marketplace Middle East airs weekly at the following times (all GMT): . Thursdays: 1545, . Fridays: 0845, . Saturdays: 0615, . Sundays: 0515,1545 .

Libya's stock market is now back in business and the central bank is facing multiple challenges . MME met with the governor of the Libyan central bank and asked him his plans to restore economic stability . Plus, investigations in Egypt to secure historical artifacts lost during the revolution .

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(CNN Student News) -- March 11, 2011 . Download PDF maps related to today's show: . • Washington, D.C. • Wisconsin • Boston, Massachusetts . Transcript . THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED. NATISHA LANCE, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Fridays are always awesome here on CNN Student News. And we thank you for spending part of your Friday with us. Hi, everyone. I'm Natisha Lance, sitting in today for Carl Azuz. First Up: Congressional Hearings . LANCE: First up, we're talking about hearings on Capitol Hill that caused controversy even before they started. The House Homeland Security Committee is holding these hearings to look into the radicalization of American Muslims. Basically, the idea that a group like al Qaeda could recruit U.S. Muslims and turn them into terrorists. Some critics called the hearings an unfair attack on loyal Americans. But Representative Peter King, who's the chairman of the committee, says that the goal is not to condemn Islam as a religion or American Muslims as a group. But he says the hearings are designed to limit the threat of terrorism. And he also believes they're important to America's safety. REP. PETER KING, (R) NEW YORK: Let me make it clear today, that I remain convinced that these hearings must go forward and they will. To back down would be a craven surrender to political correctness and an abdication of what I believe to be the main responsibility of this committee: to protect America from a terrorist attack. LANCE: One of the people who testified during yesterday's hearings was Representative Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress. He acknowledged that some Muslims are responsible for violent actions. But he said you can't blame an entire community for the evil of some individuals. He got especially emotional talking about a Muslim paramedic and police cadet who died trying to help others during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. REP. KEITH ELLISON, (D) MINNESOTA: Mohammed Salman Hamdani was a fellow American who gave his life for other Americans. His life should not be identified as just as a member of an ethnic group or just a member of a religion, but as an American who gave everything for his fellow Americans. Bullying Prevention . LANCE: Bullying has been a big topic in the news recently. And yesterday, President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama hosted the first ever White House Conference on Bullying Prevention. Parents and students got together to talk about the effects of bullying and how to stop it in school and online. Ed Henry, our senior White House correspondent, has more on that event. (BEGIN VIDEO) ED HENRY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Obama using this first-ever White House anti-bullying summit as a forum to try to bring attention to this very, very difficult issue and say, look, for too long there have been students all around the country who have just accepted it, that they were going to get picked on, that they were going to be bullied, be the subject of assaults and violence and that it was sort of a rite of passage for kids. The president says that given all these tragic incidents where some kids have committed suicide over bullying, he says it's time for all of this to end, for schools to have higher standards. And he and the first lady have used various social media tools like Facebook to bring that message directly to students, to report some of these bullying incidents, for example. The president used his forum at the White House to say that even he as a kid was bullied. U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: As adults, we all remember what it was like to see kids picked on in the hallways or in the schoolyard. And I have to say, with big ears and the name that I have, I wasn't immune. I didn't emerge unscathed. But because it's something that happens a lot, and it's something that's always been around, sometimes we've turned a blind eye to the problem. We've said, "Kids will be kids." And so, sometimes we overlook the real damage that bullying can do, especially when young people face harassment day after day, week after week. HENRY: So the bottom line is, the key moving forward is going to be, will there actually be some action to back up some of the talk at this summit. Ed Henry, CNN, the White House. (END VIDEO) Wisconsin Showdown . LANCE: The showdown in Wisconsin may be over. The anger is not. This started with Republican Governor Scott Walker's budget proposal that would limit negotiating rights for workers' unions. Fourteen Democratic state Senators fled the state so that there wouldn't be enough people there to pass the bill. On Wednesday, Republicans took out all the parts of the bill that had to do with the budget. Voting on non-budget bills requires less people, so the reduced negotiating rights passed. Protesters at the capitol yesterday started pounding on the windows. That forced police to put the building in lockdown! They closed the capitol and forcibly removed anyone inside who wouldn't leave. One entrance was re-opened later in the day. Shoutout . THOMAS ANDRES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Today's first Shoutout goes out to Mr. Govern's social studies classes at Riceville Community High School in Riceville, Iowa! What is the smallest type of bird? If you think you know it, shout it out! Is it the: A) Finch, B) Sparrow, C) Egret or D) Hummingbird? You've got three seconds -- GO! Hummingbirds are the smallest; even the largest variety is only about 8 inches long. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout! "Hummingbird" Drones . LANCE: Imagine if the military had a vehicle that was as small as a hummingbird. Definitely wouldn't be able to fit a pilot in there. But that's actually the point. We're talking about drones, aircraft that someone flies by remote control. The U.S. military has used drones for years. Chris Lawrence is going to show us one right now that could bring big changes to the battlefield. (BEGIN VIDEO) CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Imagine a drone as small as a hummingbird; same shape, same sound. Wait, don't imagine. It's here in this California lab. MATT KEENNON, AEROVIRONMENT PROJECT MANAGER: It looks more or less like an indigenous small bird, and it can fly through small clearings and through trees and seeing inside. LAWRENCE: AeroVironment's Matt Keennon says this is how the bird sees us from above. Right now, the hummingbird can only fly a little bit longer than 10 minutes. But at that size, imagine what it could do in 10 hours. The Defense Department has spent $4 million with that dream in mind: American troops armed with an unmanned vehicle that blends into the other birds or insects in a given country. KEENNON: The operator hovers the aircraft around until it finds an opening. LAWRENCE: Perhaps even buzz into a room, drop a payload and leave. But most unmanned vehicles, the hummingbird included, still depend on man to control their cameras or movements. LT. GEN. DAVID DEPTULA, U.S. AIR FORCE (RETIRED): But that's a vulnerability. That can be interrupted. That can be hacked. LAWRENCE: Retired General David Deptula says future enemies will cut the operator's connection unless drones become more autonomous. He says sure, drones have worked in Iraq and Afghanistan, because there's very few missiles to shoot them down. DEPTULA: But if you fly these same vehicles where there is an air defense, those MQ-1 Predators and MQ-9 Reapers would be falling from the sky like rain. LAWRENCE: Compared to other drones, the hummingbird has a six-inch wing span and weighs less than a AA battery. But the designer needs to add intelligence to its small size. KEENNON: It could be much more useful if the aircraft could keep itself safe. LAWRENCE: If so, the military has designs beyond battle. It envisions the bird helping to find victims, weaving through crevices created by an earthquake. (END VIDEO) Shoutout Extra Credit . TOMEKA JONES, CNN STUDENT NEWS: Time for a Shoutout Extra Credit! Under which president did the start of Daylight Saving Time in the U.S. move from April to March? You know what to do! Was it: A) George W. Bush, B) Bill Clinton, C) Ronald Reagan or D) Jimmy Carter? Rewind the clock to three seconds -- and GO! The shift happened in 2007 under President George W. Bush. That's your answer and that's your Shoutout Extra Credit! Wakeup Calls . LANCE: That Daylight Saving shift comes this weekend. You might be losing an hour of sleep. But if you think that gives you an excuse to be late to school on Monday, school officials in Boston, Massachusetts are ready to give you a wake-up call! Some of the city's students who are late to class on a regular basis will hear the phone ring at 6:15 a.m. Might be your principal, might be a celebrity. But the message is simple: get up and get to school! The district says the goal is to keep students from falling too far behind. Some parents are okay with the wake-up calls. But others say the schools are overstepping their bounds. Blog Promo . LANCE: So, whose responsibility is it? That's what we're asking on our blog. When it comes to making sure you're on time for school, is it on you, your parents, your teachers and principals? Share your opinions on our blog at CNNStudentNews.com! Before We Go . LANCE: And finally, if leg of lamb sounds good to you, you're gonna love today's Before We Go segment. 'Cause we have 20! Five baby lambs, born on a farm in Canada. The owner says it's pretty rare. Sheep usually give birth to single lambs, maybe twins or even triplets. In fact, these little guys' mom has had triplets twice before. But quintuplets don't come along too often. We were hoping to get a reaction from the mama sheep, but she didn't seem too talkative. Goodbye . LANCE: I guess she was just being sheepish. Hopefully, this isn't a hoax, because we'd hate for someone to pull the wool over our eyes. Ewe had to know that one was coming. Remember to set your clocks ahead this weekend. For CNN Student News, I'm Natisha Lance.

Hear how some congressional hearings caused controversy before they started . Find out how President Obama addressed bullying at a White House conference . Consider the potential applications for a drone the size of a hummingbird . Use the weekly Newsquiz to test your knowledge of stories you saw on CNN Student News .

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Canton, Massachusetts (CNN) -- A Massachusetts judge on Thursday unsealed testimony by Mitt Romney in a lawsuit linked to a colleague's contentious divorce battle more than 20 years ago. The Boston Globe, with the support of attorney Gloria Allred, sought to make public the testimony Romney gave in the lawsuit that followed the divorce between Tom Stemberg, a co-founder of business supply chain Staples, and Maureen Stemberg Sullivan. While heading Boston private equity firm Bain Capital, Romney worked closely in the 1980s with Stemberg in the development of Staples. Stemberg spoke at the Republican National Convention in August that nominated Romney for president. A Massachusetts state court judge, Jennifer Ulwick, granted the Boston Globe's request for the testimony, but refused to lift a gag order that prevents Stemberg Sullivan from talking about her dealings and interactions with Romney. Lawyers for Stemberg and Romney told Thursday's hearing they had no objection to releasing the Romney testimony to the Boston Globe. Ulwick said the Romney testimony was being released to the newspaper without restrictions. Allred announced after the hearing she would provide copies of the Romney transcripts to other media outlets. The Boston Globe petitioned the court on October 15 to release Romney's testimony in the lawsuit filed in 1990, but Ulwick said at an initial hearing on Wednesday that she believed the documents had been destroyed. However, Allred and Stemberg Sullivan urged the court to agree to the newspaper's request and, in a surprise move, provided two volumes of Romney's testimony to the court. Stemberg's attorney also admitted to having additional transcripts from the decades-old case. Allred revealed Thursday that her office discovered a third volume of testimony overnight and was additionally seeking to amend the original gag order in the divorce proceedings that date back to 1989. "My client has been denied her First Amendment right," Allred said. "She apparently is the only person the United States of America, maybe even the world, who cannot speak about Governor Romney." Ulwick refused to rule on the request to modify or lift the gag order, saying the only motion before the court was the newspaper's request for the testimony. Allred indicated she would file a separate motion seeking to amend the gag order. Boston Globe editor Martin Baron said the newspaper only wanted to obtain the transcript of a presidential candidate's testimony. "We wanted to read it to see what was there, following standard practice in covering a major election, and we are pleased that the court recognized the great public interest in Governor Romney's testimony," Baron said in a statement that was reported by the Globe. CNN's Ashley Killough and Tom Cohen contributed to this report.

The Boston Globe sought Mitt Romney's testimony related to a colleague's divorce . The divorce involved Staples co-founder Tom Stemberg, who worked with Romney . A gag order on Stemberg's ex-wife remains in place . The divorce and ensuing lawsuit happened more than 20 years ago .

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(Mashable) -- Yesterday, Tweetie 2 for iPhone disappeared from the App Store. Its replacement, simply titled Twitter, is now available. This comes a little more than a month after Twitter acquired Tweetie from its creator, Loren Brichter. In addition to being free, the app now carries the distinction of being "version 3.0." If you were expecting a big update and iPad support alongside the new name, brace yourselves; Tweetie -- er -- Twitter has remained relatively unchanged from its prior release. That's not a bad thing; as we reported in our original reviews of Tweetie 2 and Tweetie 2.1, Tweetie is one of the best Twitter experiences for any platform and, in our opinion, was the winning app on the iPhone by a wide margin. That said, check out some of the new features and tweaks that you can find in the newly rebranded app: . • You can use Twitter without an account. Spy on your friends without having to actually use Twitter. • You can sign up for a Twitter account within the app itself, complete with Suggested User List. • The "More" tab has been reorganized and popular actions have been moved to the main action bar. • Search results include Top Tweets. In acquiring Tweetie, Twitter raised the ire of its developer community, who worried about what this means for their own applications now and in the future. Twitter has argued that it needs to have an official client to improve basic user experience. Earlier this month, Twitter for Android was released and RIM launched its own Twitter application for the BlackBerry. This means that the three hottest smartphone platforms all have official Twitter clients. If you never used Tweetie, we highly recommend downloading Twitter for iPhone. It's just a great application and now that it's free, there's really no excuse not to give it a try. What is your favorite Twitter client for the iPhone? Let us know in the comments below. © 2010 MASHABLE.com. All rights reserved.

The app comes a little more than a month after Twitter acquired Tweetie . Tweetie/Twitter is one of the best Twitter experiences for any platform . In addition to being free, the app now carries the distinction of being "version 3.0"

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(CNN) -- Influential British rock band The Stone Roses announced on Tuesday they will reform for several concerts next year after a 15-year hiatus. The big question is: Will they be any good? I've certainly got high hopes for the reunion shows. One thing the Manchester band -- noted for their mix of psychedelic rock and dance rhythms -- always prided themselves on was their ability as musicians and John, Reni and Mani were a very tight unit live. Those three in particular will want to make sure the gigs are as tight and musically stunning as possible, not only for their own reputations, but to improve The Stone Roses' legacy. Those of us who saw them at Reading 1996 (without Squire and Reni, who had left by then) were horrified by the extremely poor show the band called The Stone Roses put on. I couldn't stand it and had to leave early. Watch The Stone Roses' press conference . These shows will have to be good to erase that stain. There's always a bit of a question about Ian Brown's tuning, but that's almost part of his charm as a frontman. He's good on vibes. The issue of whether it's right for old bands to attempt to recreate their glory days depends on the context. Bands who have reached their peak fade away and then comeback tend to do themselves no favors. But when there is unfinished business -- for example when Blur fell out with Graham Coxon in 2000 it didn't feel like a fitting end for such a seminal band -- reunions give the fans what they want: a chance to see a band one more time and a better end to their relationship with that group. Watch the band in their heyday . When the fans aren't interested, or bothered, then you know it's just for the money and it's just sad. I think The Stone Roses had a lot of unfinished business. In an era where music is consumed so quickly, the return of older bands does give fans a chance to experience something a bit more substantial and emotionally satisfying than contemporary acts; it's harder to have that kind of relationship with a band who are old hat after just one single. However it does make it harder for bands to progress their careers, if reformed acts are soaking up a lot of the live market for example. For example very few new bands who emerged in the last 10 years have been trusted to headline a major summer festival, organizers will not take a gamble on new talent, if there's a sure-thing reunion lurking around. It's a tough balance, but it's reflective of most people's record collections -- a mix of old and new music. So we'll have to see if there is an artistic justification for a resurrected Stone Roses. Blur in 2009 in particular felt justified, not only because we got to see how a artistically mature Damon Albarn and Coxon would perform together live -- rather than going mental as they did a bit in the early days -- but they also recorded the single "Fools Day" which was a welcome addition to the Blur catalog, and their Glastonbury performance was one of their greatest in that festival's already esteemed history.

Influential British rock band The Stone Roses to reform after 15-year hiatus . Music writer says group will want gigs to improve The Stone Roses' legacy . Paul Stokes says older groups allow fans to experience better quality music . But he says reformed acts are in danger of soaking up much of the live market .

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(CNN) -- Ski star Lindsey Vonn is set for a long spell on the sidelines, but the American should be back on the slopes in time to compete at the 2015 World Championships. Last week it was confirmed Vonn, the reigning Olympic and World Cup downhill champion, would miss the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi after failing to make a full recovery from a knee injury first sustained in February 2013. She re-injured the same knee in Val d'Isere, France in December. Vonn underwent surgery on ligaments in her right knee on Wednesday, with doctors confident that she will be fit to compete in Vail, Colorado. "Lindsey Vonn underwent successful ACL reconstruction surgery yesterday," read a statement from Vonn's publicist. "Dr. Jim Andrews performed the procedure and expects her to make a full recovery in time for next year's World Championships in Vail, Colorado." Dr. Andrews has an impressive sporting pedigree, having previously worked with American football stars Tom Brady and Brett Favre. He also consulted with Albert Pujols of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim when he underwent shoulder surgery. Vonn posted a picture of her with her dog Leo on her official Facebook page on Wednesday, confirming that surgery had gone well. "Surgery was successful!" said the 29-year-old. "Resting with loved ones and of course my cuddle buddy Leo. "So thankful to have such great people helping me. Will update more later." Although she won't be at Russia's first Winter Olympics, Vonn -- who is dating golf's world No. 1 Tiger Woods -- will be watching on TV and cheering on her compatriots. "On a positive note, this means there will be an additional spot so that one of my teammates can go for gold," said Vonn after it was confirmed she will miss the Games. "Thank you all so much for all of the love and support. I will be cheering for all of the Olympians and especially Team USA!"

Lindsey Vonn undergoes successful surgery on damaged ligaments in her right knee . Surgeon says Vonn should return in time for 2015 World Championships . Last week it was announced Vonn would miss the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi .

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Oxford, England (CNN) -- Singer-songwriter Annie Lennox proudly wears an "HIV Positive" black T-shirt, proclaiming her solidarity with the disease's victims, even though her status is HIV negative. "I constantly want to bring attention to the issue," says Lennox. "This is my way of campaigning visually." At the TED Global conference last month in Oxford, England, Lennox made clear in a talk and an interview with CNN.com that she is seriously committed to combating the spread of the disease. She was inspired by Nelson Mandela's statement of support in 2003 for the effort to fight the virus by the 46664 Foundation, named after Mandela's number in prison. South Africa was losing 1,000 people a day to AIDS, many of them women and children. Mandela compared the death toll to genocide. "I'm a woman, and I'm a mother, I told myself that this is something that I have to talk about," Lennox said. In her talk at the conference attended by about 700 people, she told the story of a seven-year-old girl in South Africa suffering from the disease and weighing about what a one-year-old child weighs. After the girl was treated and put on a special diet by doctors, she recovered, looking like a child her age. "The hair on my arms is standing," Lennox, said as she showed before and after photos of the girl. "Isn't it extraordinary?" An ambassador for U.N. AIDS, she said the organization is committed to ending mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2015. TED is a nonprofit organization that hosts conferences and makes talks available on its site, http://www.ted.com/. [CNN and TED have a partnership in which TEDTalks are published Tuesdays on CNN.com.] . The Scottish pop music artist gained fame performing with Dave Stewart as the Eurythmics and has gone on to a successful solo career and many music awards. In 2007, Lennox organized a group of 23 female performers to make "Sing" as a benefit recording for the fight against HIV/AIDS. It has raised more than 100,000 pounds (about $159,000 U.S. dollars). Lennox was honored with the Services to Humanity Award in 2008 by the British Red Cross. Lennox sees people in developed Western countries living in a bubble of great privilege where they have a responsibility to help those who are not as fortunate. She says she aims to use her skills and influence to help make that happen. Ultimately, Lennox says, the fight against HIV/AIDS is not about charity but about securing human rights.

Annie Lennox: I wear "HIV Positive" T-shirt to show my support for fighting the virus . She says she became committed to the cause after hearing Nelson Mandela speak about it . Lennox says the goal is to end mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2015.

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Los Angeles (CNN) -- In the final two hours of a dramatic standoff with rogue ex-Los Angeles police officer Christopher Dorner, San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies did not fire a single gunshot during their raid of a compound where he barricaded himself after killing one deputy and seriously wounding another, according to dispatch logs. When the SWAT team arrived on February 12, a robot-controlled tractor tore down blood-spattered walls of the vacated home near Big Bear, offering tactical teams a clean view inside the cabin, logs show. The redacted transcripts detail the chase that began after a 911 call from a Big Bear couple whom Dorner had held hostage at gunpoint and hogtied before fleeing their condo that Tuesday afternoon. The manhunt ended in Dorner's death from a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound. The printed text of dispatch logs began at 12:23 p.m. PT with a frantic cell-phone call to authorities from Karen Reynolds and her husband, Jim, who reported being "tied up by Chris Dorner," who had fled in their vehicle 15 to 30 minutes earlier. According to the logs, about one hour later, the first exchange of gunfire with Dorner occurred when he was spotted by California Fish and Wildlife officers as he attempted to flee the mountain in another stolen vehicle. Women wounded in manhunt to get $4.2 million . When officers identified Dorner's abandoned vehicle and traced him to a vacation cabin, a barrage of gunfire erupted, and hundreds of rounds were exchanged, authorities said. As the gun battle intensified, officers requested an armored vehicle and air support to protect and rescue two officers wounded in the shootout, logs showed. The wounded officers, sheriff's Detective Jeremiah MacKay and Deputy Alex Collins, were loaded into the flatbed of a pickup truck and later airlifted to area hospitals, where MacKay was pronounced dead. Collins was seriously wounded. At 4:05 p.m. PT, police reported green smoke inside the cabin, allegedly set off by Dorner. Five minutes later, a sheriff's tactical unit fired gas canisters into the cabin after Dorner refused to respond to commands to surrender, logs showed. At 4:20 p.m. PT, police dispatch logs reported the sound of a single gunshot from inside the residence. Authorities later said that shot sounded different from the many others than had come from inside the house. Couple recounts being under protection during Dorner killing spree . Moments later, the entire cabin was engulfed in flames, setting off hundreds of rounds of live ammunition purportedly left behind by Dorner. It would take several hours for authorities to safely enter the compound, where they found Dorner's body in the basement. A preliminary examination concluded that his death was the result of a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound. In the days after the incident, authorities defended their tactical strategy of firing gas "burners" into the cabin, stating that SWAT team officers had issued several unanswered commands for Dorner to surrender. The dispatch logs were released in response to a request from media organizations, including CNN. During the unprecedented manhunt that went as far as Tijuana, Mexico, the search for Dorner turned to Big Bear after his burning truck was found deserted on a local forest road. In his manifesto posted on Facebook, Dorner allegedly threatened "unconventional and asymmetrical warfare" against police. The manifesto was discovered three days after the slaying of an Irvine couple, Monica Quan and her fiancé, Keith Lawrence. Quan was the daughter of a retired Los Angeles police captain whom Dorner allegedly blamed in part for his firing in 2009. While attempting to elude authorities, Dorner killed Riverside police Officer Michael Crain during an ambush and wounded three others. At the height of the search for Dorner, more than 200 officers scoured Big Bear Mountain, cabin by cabin.

San Bernardino County deputies didn't fire guns in last 2 hours of Dorner manhunt . Rogue ex-Los Angeles police officer refused to surrender, police logs show . Green smoke, allegedly set off by Dorner, was seen inside the Big Bear cabin, logs show .

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Washington (CNN) -- The House voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to repeal the antitrust exemption currently granted to health insurance companies. The vote was 406-19 to repeal the exemption, which has been in place since the end of World War II. The 19 who voted against the repeal are Republicans. Liberal Democrats have said a repeal would help inject competition into the health care industry while reducing consumer costs. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters Tuesday that President Obama strongly supports the repeal. "At its core, health reform is all about ensuring that American families and businesses have more choices, benefit from more competition and have greater control over their own health care," Gibbs said. Read the bill . "Repealing this exemption is an important part of that effort. Gibbs said the president is not seeking repeal of the exemption in lieu of broader changes to the insurance market. "This is a complementary step along the way," he said. The debate in the House on Wednesday included a colorful moment between Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-New York, and Republicans. "You guys have chutzpah," Weiner told Republicans during the debate. "The Republican Party is a wholly owned subsidiary of the insurance industry," he said, drawing the objections of Republicans, who asked that his words be stricken from the record. Weiner then asked for unanimous consent to replace his words and said, "Every single Republican I have ever met in my entire life is a wholly owned subsidiary of the insurance industry." The Republicans objected again, prompting Weiner to rescind his words. The House version of the health care bill passed last year would have removed the antitrust exemption, while the Senate's version would not. Advocates of an exemption repeal say the exemption has allowed health insurance companies to essentially divide the country into geographic zones. They argue the companies benefit from what amounts to local monopolies. Industry defenders, in turn, point out that insurers are still subject to state regulations. They say the impact of an exemption repeal is overblown. CNN Fact Check: Would exemption repeal lower premiums? Administration officials and their allies in Congress have taken an increasingly tough stance against the unpopular insurance industry. Among other things, Obama's latest proposal for health care reform would give the federal government new authority to block excessive rate increases by health insurers. Specifically, Obama's plan calls for the secretary of health and human services to work with a seven-member board made up of doctors, economists and consumer and insurance representatives to review premium increases. The board, to be known as the Health Insurance Rate Authority, would provide an annual report to recommend to states whether certain rate increases should be approved, although the secretary could overrule state insurance regulators.

House votes 406-19 to repeal exemption in place since end of World War II . Proponents say repeal will help inject competition into health care industry . They also say it will lower consumer costs . Opponents of bill say it will have little effect .

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(Financial Times) -- Nasdaq OMX's chief executive admitted he was "embarrassed" by the delay in the opening trade of Facebook's initial public offering and revealed that the exchange was in talks with regulators over potentially millions of dollars of customer claims. Bob Greifeld said on Sunday that the 20-minute delay in trading of Facebook's $16bn offering on Friday had been caused by a millisecond systems blip due to the largest IPO auction "in the history of mankind". The exchange has found itself in the spotlight after Facebook failed to deliver a first-day "pop" to investors, instead almost falling below its issuing price of $38. The shares, having risen briefly, quickly fell away to close the day with a gain of just 0.6 per cent, at $38.23. As a result of the trading delay, Nasdaq was left with a position in Facebook shares that it had to liquidate, according to its own rules, generating $10m for the group. It plans to use that money to resolve disputes related to 30m shares that may have been the subject of improper trades, and has requested approval from the US Securities and Exchange Commission to do so, said Mr Greifeld. The SEC said on Friday it would "review" the incident. The glitch, coming just weeks after BATS Global Markets was forced to withdraw its IPO after technical problems, highlighted the fragile nature of modern equity markets, in which exchanges must handle many thousands of messages a second transmitted by high-frequency traders. Mr Greifeld defended Nasdaq's performance, citing its role in Facebook's trading over the whole of the session, which saw more than 580m shares change hands, the largest ever number for an IPO. "These problems are real and we have to improve from the performance we had on Friday," Mr Greifeld said. "We stand humbly embarrassed by that. But the rest of the day ... the system performed well." Nasdaq has now laid out the details of the glitch. In spite of testing 1bn in trading volumes under 100 scenarios, the exchange was caught by surprise when cancellations of trades kept interrupting the computer system's attempt to complete the auction and produce an initial price for Facebook's opening. Nasdaq says it designed its "IPO cross", the process of calculating the opening price, in such a way that would allow continuous trading through an auction at the behest of its customers and has used the system in previous IPOs. But in processing the huge volume of Facebook trades, it added two milliseconds to the time it took to produce an opening price. In that extra two milliseconds, orders to cancel the trades kept interrupting the auction process, or as Mr Greifeld put it, "fitting in between the raindrops". Mr Greifeld said: "On a real time basis with the pressure of the world upon us ... we intercepted this cross in a loop." He said there was no discussion at any point of cancelling the IPO. Facebook and Morgan Stanley declined to comment on Nasdaq's description of the events of the day. As a result of the glitch the exchange decided to print the opening trade manually but was then forced to delay the process of confirming individual trades. The mechanism has now been altered to prevent continuous quoting during IPO auctions, Mr Greifeld said. "We had a poor design for the Facebook opening cross IPO. We recognise the design has relative merit for investors where we give them maximum optionality, but it didn't' work in this scenario." Nasdaq has identified trading orders for some 30m shares that came in between 11.11am and 11.30am, when trading actually began. It estimates that 50 per cent of those may have been orders not executed at the IPO price, as traders may have expected them to be. But it is still investigating to determine how many grievances are legitimate. Mr Greifeld said Nasdaq was "working very hard with customers to make sure about the accommodations we give to respective customers". Eric Noll, executive vice-president at Nasdaq, said there were no other "systematic" technical problems. Nasdaq's board of directors had been informed over the weekend of Friday's events, Mr Greifeld said. When asked if he thought his job was safe, he said: "I certainly hope so. I obviously serve at the pleasure of the board." The exchange group had pushed hard to win the Facebook IPO from its rival New York Stock Exchange, as it seeks supremacy in listings for internet companies that make up one of the few vibrant sectors of the new issue market. Mr Greifeld responded directly to arguments that Nasdaq's delay played a role in Facebook's stock failing to "pop". Some market participants have said the delayed confirmations caused confusion and prevented some buyers stepping in to the market to support Facebook's stock price. "You want to look at whether your position is moving up or down. Without that, there was a lot of pressure to liquidate," said one trader at a market-making firm. However, Mr Greifeld said that the record did not support that theory, noting that after the delayed trades were made live at 1.50pm, traders did not buy at the $42.05 level that was the initial print. "That would lead a reasonable person to conclude [the opening cross print delay] didn't have any impact on the stock price," he said. © The Financial Times Limited 2012 .

Nasdaq OMX's chief executive admitted he was "embarrassed" by the delay in the opening trade . 20-minute delay in Facebook trading had been caused by a millisecond systems blip .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, recovering from pancreatic cancer surgery, plans to be back on the bench when the Supreme Court resumes oral arguments in 17 days. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg also had surgery for colorectal cancer in September 1999. Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said Friday that the 75-year-old justice is expected to be on hand for the next public session February 23, when the court will hear appeals in two cases. Ginsburg remains hospitalized at New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center a day after undergoing surgery for the disease. Sources close to Ginsburg say that she continues to do well after surgery and that doctors and family remain cautiously optimistic. Those sources said she was resting comfortably and speaking with her staff about the court's upcoming caseload. Watch friends talk about Ginsburg's resilience » . The justice could be released from the hospital next week. A court statement Thursday said she will probably remain in the hospital for seven to 10 days, according to her attending surgeon, Dr. Murray Brennan. "Justice Ginsburg had no symptoms prior to the incidental discovery of the lesion during a routine annual check-up in late January at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland," the court said. The justices are on a month-long recess but return for a closed door conference February 20. There is no word on whether Ginsburg will attend that meeting, among just the nine members of the court, to go over pending appeals. President Obama was hoping to speak with Ginsburg by phone later Friday, said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. Ginsburg underwent surgery for colorectal cancer in September 1999. Court sources said she continued to work on pending cases while in her hospital bed and her subsequent recovery. Less than a month later, she appeared in public to give a speech and said, "I am still mending but have progressed steadily." She never missed a day on the bench. The Brooklyn, New York, native has been on the federal bench since 1980, the past 15 on the high court, where she is the he only female justice.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg expects to return to the bench by February 23 . The only woman on the Supreme Court is hospitalized with pancreatic cancer . It is her second bout with cancer . She was treated for colon cancer in 1999-2000 .

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London (CNN) -- Singer Charlotte Church on Monday blasted the News of the World tabloid for its decision to publish a lurid story about her father having an affair while her mother was getting treatment for mental illness. "They knew how vulnerable she was and still printed a story like that, which is just horrific," she said. The former child star also spoke of her anger at finding out her phone may have been hacked by a private investigator working for the Rupert Murdoch tabloid. The investigator, Glenn Mulcaire, had details of her phone and those of her parents, friends and former boyfriends, Church said police had told her. She was testifying before a wide-ranging British government-backed inquiry into press ethics and practices in the country. Sparked by the revelation that News of the World tabloid hacked into the voice mail of a murdered 13-year-old girl in search of stories, the Leveson Inquiry has been hearing from high-profile figures for more than a week. Church described how upset she was at the leak of the news of her daughter's birth, the rifts it caused with her family and friends when she accused them of revealing the details, and her later guilt at realizing the source was probably hacking, not leaks from those close to her. And she said falsehoods published in the press were particularly damaging because readers believe there are rules to prevent that from happening, "So if they see it in print, it must be true -- and that's not the case." Former Tony Blair spokesman Alastair Campbell is due to testify later this week, but a written copy of his opening statement appears to have leaked online. Paul Staines, who blogs as Guido Fawkes, posted what he said was a copy of Campbell's testimony in which he speculates about the possibility that the Daily Mirror found out though phone hacking that Tony Blair's wife was pregnant. "I think it is at least possible that this is how the stories got out," Campbell says in the statement published by Staines. Campbell said on Twitter Sunday he was "genuinely shocked someone has seen fit to leak my statement to Leveson." The Daily Mirror is not a Murdoch paper. Piers Morgan was editor of the paper at the time of Cherie Blair's pregnancy, and he now hosts the show "Piers Morgan Tonight" on CNN. Morgan, who has vigorously denied ordering phone hacking, is due to testify before the Leveson Inquiry at a later date yet to be determined. Celebrities who have already testified before the inquiry include "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling and "G.I. Joe" actress Sienna Miller, who both complained of being hounded by paparazzi. Actor Hugh Grant also appeared before the panel, and he implied that police leaked information to the tabloid press. He also accused the Mail on Sunday of hacking. Police investigating phone hacking by journalists say that about 5,800 people, including celebrities, crime victims, politicians and members of the royal family, were targets of the practice by journalists in search of stories. It involves illegally eavesdropping on voice mail by entering a PIN to access messages remotely.

NEW: People believe rules prevent falsehoods from being printed, Charlotte Church says . Charlotte Church says a private investigator had her phone details . Former Tony Blair spokesman Alastair Campbell is due to testify later this week . Police say 5,800 people were targets of journalists looking for stories .

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Salt Lake City, Utah (CNN) -- When Wanda Barzee shared her story of an abusive marriage in a church-sponsored counseling session in 1985, Brian David Mitchell took her hand to comfort her. "And we've held hands ever since," Mitchell's wife testified Thursday. Barzee, 65, scanned the room, bit her lip, and breathed heavily as she waited for her testimony to begin. When she raised her right hand to take the witness oath, the heavy chain of her shackles appeared. Barzee struck a deal with state and federal prosecutors last year and is serving a 15-year prison sentence for her involvement in the 2002 abduction of Elizabeth Smart. In spite of Barzee's agreement to testify, prosecutors in Mitchell's federal trial did not call her to the stand, and she instead began her testimony for the defense Thursday afternoon in a Salt Lake City courtroom. In a flat voice and sometimes rambling, Barzee recounted the start of her relationship with Mitchell; a journey that eventually led her to the mountainside camp where she watched over a tethered teenage girl her husband said was his chosen bride. "I was married to my first husband for 20 years, raising six children, and it was a very abusive situation. And I never healed from that situation," Barzee said of her first marriage. "Brian was so supportive of me, he became my best friend," she said. "He said he was abused, also." "We were both going through a divorce, so normally it wasn't approved by the church that we date," Barzee continued, but she said they received rare consent from leaders at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to pursue the relationship. The two wed nine months later, on the day Mitchell's divorce became final. The first year of marriage, she said, was "hellish," with a volatile and possessive Mitchell often storming off from their apartment in fits of anger. He told her he was "consumed by fear and doubt," and sometimes simply screamed into a pillow for long periods. She struggled through, because of a bishop's blessing that said Satan would do everything in his power to separate the two, but that the Lord would give Barzee the strength to fight back. Religious counsel and Bible readings gave her the remedy: "I started to be more silent, and I learned to be submissive and obedient." Also called to testify Thursday was Tim Mitchell, Brian Mitchell's younger brother by six years, who described the defendant as an intelligent and resourceful big brother who built model airplanes, devised flying rockets, and endeavored to build a roller coaster in the family's back yard. Once, Tim Mitchell recalled, Brian constructed a hot-air balloon from cloth and sent it flying; it landed squarely on top of their home and set the roof on fire. As Brian grew, he struggled with failed relationships, smoked marijuana and drank. That changed one night when the brothers discussed their religious beliefs by a campfire, and the younger one professed his devotion to the Mormon faith. "He became a little bit tearful and said, 'I think what you're saying is true' and 'I kind of lost my way.' I remember he had a pack of cigarettes and he tossed them in fire and said he wanted to change his life, too." For a time, Brian did change, said Tim Mitchell, though his relationships with family members were often strained and laced with suspicion. Then, Barzee entered his life. "All of a sudden we heard he doesn't have a job anymore, and he's moved up to Idaho, and he's living in a trailer up there." After a chance encounter in a Salt Lake City grocery store sometime later, Brian explained he and Barzee were wandering the country, ministering to the homeless. Tim Mitchell expressed his concerns: "I said, 'I think you're going off on the wrong way, I think you're drifting away from the church. I think maybe you've been deceived by a false spirit.'" Their contact was limited after that, until it ceased entirely about five years before the kidnapping of Smart. The brothers encountered each other at their mother's house, and Brian asked to be called "Daveed." His younger brother refused. "I just kept calling him Brian." "I started feeling that this is really starting to look like a mental illness and I sent a letter encouraging him to get some help," said Tim Mitchell, who works as a mental health counselor. Defense attorneys are mounting an insanity defense for Brian Mitchell, 57, hoping to prove that mental illness clouded his mind to such a degree that he did not understand that his actions were wrong when he abducted and held Smart. Their case has so far consisted of family members and friends of the defendant, and could include Mitchell himself. Barzee will continue her direct examination Friday morning.

Wanda Barzee testifies for the defense in the trial of Brian David Mitchell . Mitchell faces federal charges in the 2002 abduction of Elizabeth Smart . Barzee testifies of a "hellish" first year of marriage to Mitchell . Religious counsel, Bible readings taught her to be more submissive, she says .

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Charleston, South Carolina (CNN) -- A fish salesman. A restaurateur. A cigar aficionado. A retired cop. Four voters. Four candidates. No clear choice who to vote for. On the eve of the critical Southern Republican Presidential Debate in Charleston, CNN talked to several undecided voters in South Carolina. All said they were closely following the GOP campaign, yet all were frustrated about the field of candidates. Their indecision, however, makes them valuable targets, coveted by the campaigns in the final hours before the first Southern primary. In the latest CNN/ORC poll of South Carolina voters, while 57% said they had a clear favorite, 38% of those who initially expressed a preference for a candidate said they might change their minds, and another 8% said they were unsure or had no clear choice. Yet, even in the confusion and frustration, these voters do agree on three things. 1) They feel strongly that President Barack Obama has to go. 2) The flurry of TV ads by the candidates and super PACs has had little impact on their decision-making process -- in fact, many say the ads have turned them off. The debates, however, have mattered greatly, they say, providing genuine insight into the candidates. 3) They are truly flummoxed about who to vote for Saturday. Here is a snapshot of four voices of indecision, what their issues are and what it will take to win their vote: . ---------- . Jen Jones, 46, is the manager of a popular barbeque restaurant in Charleston -- Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q, which specializes in spare ribs, beef brisket, mac-n-cheese and Primary Bingo. She came up with the game, where each server has a sheet of paper with names of candidates, networks, politicians and menu items and are encouraged to strike up conversations with customers in order to get them to mention one of the names. Jones is a self-described "political junkie" and former Glenn Beck fan -- "I don't know about him now ... " -- who now identifies herself as a fiscal conservative. Her husband runs a local Cracker Barrel restaurant and is as undecided as she is. But as engaged in the political process as she is -- "I've watched every debate and know all the candidates" -- she is stumped when it comes to who she will vote for Saturday. She said she'll make up her mind after watching the debate Thursday night. "It's really bothering me," she said while passing around muffins made from scratch. "I have always known who I was going to vote for until now. I can't make up my mind." Still, her analysis of the remaining GOP field is not pretty: . Mitt Romney: "He's a Ken doll." Ron Paul: "Lunatic. Wacko. Crazy." Newt Gingrich: "He's smart, but man, is he mean." Rick Santorum: "I like him, but I really don't know a lot about him." So, when pressured, who would she vote for? "I guess, if I had to, it would probably be Gingrich. Newt is the smartest guy on the stage, but he is just so negative. He went on that temper tantrum after Iowa, with all those ads. I just didn't like that." But moments later, she changes her mind: "Santorum. Maybe Santorum. If he ends up winning that Iowa thing (the state GOP just certified the results of the caucus declaring him the winner), then maybe I will go for him." "But then there's Romney ... " --------------- . Ron Manz, 51, is the owner of CharlestonSeafood.com, an online seafood delivery company. He's originally from Pittsburgh but moved to South Carolina a decade ago to start his own business. He was hit hard by the Gulf oil spill in 2010, which decimated the fishing industry for months. But as a staunch conservative, he still supports offshore drilling and opposes excessive government regulation. Manz has been disappointed by the nasty tone of the campaign in his adopted state this week, calling it "too down and dirty, too negative." And he can't stand the millions of dollars spent on "useless" campaign ads and super PAC commercials. "I'm really tired of them," he said. "But I'm tired of the Geico commercials, too." In 2008, he supported John McCain. In 2012, he is leaning toward Romney. But he is still not sold. He also said he would probably make up his mind after Thursday night's debate. "It would take a catastrophic error for me not to go with Mitt," he said hesitantly. "If Mitt doesn't screw up -- say, he has a baby out there or something -- then I'm probably leaning his way. But that all could change after the debate." His take on the lineup of candidates -- "They've all got baggage." Gingrich: "He's just another old fat white guy." Santorum: "I think he wants to punch Newt in the face." Paul: "He's way out there. He frightens me." A self-described tea party supporter, Manz now thinks the movement may have strayed too far since its historic victory in the 2010 midterms. Today, he doubts the tea party has much power in the current bid for the White House. "Their best days are behind them. They've just gotten too extreme." But he is clear and unwavering in his dislike for the current president. "Are you kidding me? Four more years of the same old same old? It would be dreadful for the country." -------------- . Joe Hightower, a retired Charleston County deputy sheriff now living in Goose Creek, counts himself among the firmly undecided. Sitting in a local cigar shop, nursing a half-smoked stogie, Hightower worries out loud about the uninspired field. "I'm stuck," he said, exasperated. "I'm not seeing a real clear choice here. It's either bad, real bad or worse." His take on the GOP field isn't all that generous, either. Gingrich: "He's smart. Sure. But I just don't trust him. He's an egotistical so-and-so." Santorum: "He simply doesn't have the experience. He's just not ready." Paul: "He's a little too extreme for me. Kind of wacko." When asked if he had to make a decision today, he paused, saying reluctantly, "Well, if I had a gun to my head, right now, I guess I'd have to go for Romney. But that's only with a gun to my head." Hightower said he, too, has closely watched the series of debates, and they have been key in his decision process. "You can see who they really are. Under pressure, those debates really bring out their true self." But the TV ads that have saturated South Carolina airwaves? "I don't pay any attention to them, none whatsoever." The one thing, however, that Hightower is clear about is his disappointment in the job Obama has done, although he admits he supported him in 2008. "I just want Obama out," he said bluntly. "I voted for him last time around, but that won't happen again. No way." ---------- . Kim Rittinghouse, 47, the owner of the Kingston Cigar Shop, has two sons in their early 20s. One is a marine biologist. The other is a Marine. "I guess either way, if they do budget cuts, my boys will get cut, too." Nevertheless, she said, she supports the conservatives' efforts to shrink the size of the federal government. "It's just gotten out of control." In 2008, she voted for Obama in the primaries but switched to support McCain in the general election. This year, first she hoped New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie would have run for the nomination -- "I like him. He's bold but has a little finesse" -- then she turned her support to Herman Cain -- "Yeah, I was definitely on the Cain Train." Now, she says, it's a tossup. "You know, I might just listen to what Sarah Palin said. I am almost leaning toward Newt Gingrich, just so we can keep this thing going." Her take on the GOP field? Romney: "I like his business experience." Santorum: "He's a long shot." Paul: "I like his budget cutting, but he is kind of crazy." Gingrich: "He's definitely the smartest one out there, but he has a huge ego." "If you could just pull them all together, you'd have one great candidate!"

Days before the South Carolina primary, many voters don't know what to do . Frustrated with the field, flummoxed by the choices, some will wait and see . Most say Thursday night's CNN debate in Charleston could be deciding factor .

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(CNN) -- A man and a woman have been charged by police in Italy after they were found having sex in a confession box, it was reported Wednesday. The Italian ANSA news agency said the young man and woman were taken into custody by police in the northern city of Cesena following a telephone complaint from a man attending morning Mass in the city's cathedral. Authorities were alerted after a parishoner heard "rustling and groaning" coming from inside the confession box and pulled back the curtains to reveal a goth-rock couple engaged in oral sex, ANSA said. The agency said the pair -- a 31-year-old laborer and a 32-year-old teacher -- defended their conduct saying: "We are atheists and for us, having sex in church is like doing it any other place." However, Bishop Antonio Lanfranchi of Cesena-Sarsina took said the couple's behavior was "an outrage of notable proportions which bespeaks unutterable squalor." He added that a special ceremony would be held to purify the confession box.

Man and woman being caught having sex during morning Mass . Italian couple defended their actions claiming they are atheists . Bishop of Cesena: Couple's behavior was blasphemous and offensive . Mass to be held to restore the cathedral's "purity"

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States has designated a Kurdish militant group in Turkey as a terrorist organization, the State Department said. Turkish President Abdullah Gul, left, speaks to reporters with President Bush earlier this week in Washington. The group, the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, known as TAK, is affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK -- the separatist Kurdish group that has been attacking Turkey from inside northern Iraq. Turkey has responded to the attacks by bombing PKK targets in the predominantly Kurdish area of northern Iraq. The United States, the European Union and Turkey regard the group as a terrorist organization. The United States says TAK is "responsible for multiple terrorist attacks in Turkey, which targeted tourist locations, military sites, and government buildings, resulting in several deaths." The classification of the group as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" subjects the organization and its supporters to financial sanctions. "With this designation, the United States reaffirms its commitment to fight terrorism in cooperation with its NATO ally, Turkey. The United States will continue to work with Turkey, Iraq, and the rest of Europe against the PKK and its support networks and affiliates, such as the TAK. There must be no safe havens for such terrorists," according to a statement from Tom Casey, deputy spokesman of the State Department. The move came after President Bush met Tuesday in Washington with Turkish President Abdullah Gul. The men discussed what Bush called their "common enemy ... the PKK." The PKK has spent two decades fighting for autonomy for Kurds in southeastern Turkey. E-mail to a friend .

U.S. puts Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, or TAK, on list of terrorist groups . TAK is affiliated with Kurdish separatist group PKK . PKK has been attacking Turkey from inside Iraq . Move against TAK comes after Turkish president meets with President Bush .

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(CNN) -- A United Nations court convicted a former governor of Rwanda to life in prison for his role in a 1994 genocide that left about 800,000 dead in the central African country. An estimated 800,000 people -- mainly Tutsis -- were killed in Rwanda in 1994. Tharcisse Renzaho was found guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The verdict, delivered Tuesday, is the third judgment on charges of genocide delivered this year by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). The U.N. court is holding hearings in Arusha, Tanzania, where it is based. Renzaho was governor of the capital, Kigali, and a colonel in the Rwandan Armed Forces in 1994 during the country's genocide, when extremist militias made up of ethnic Hutus slaughtered ethnic Tutsis across Rwanda. It began in April of that year and within 100 days, an estimated 800,000 people were killed. The court found that Renzaho ordered soldiers, police and militias to set up roadblocks to identify Tutsi civilians to be executed. It found he ordered the distribution of weapons to people who then killed Tutsis. Renzaho also supervised a selection process at a refugee site where about 40 Tutsis were abducted and killed, the court found. Renzaho participated in an attack at the Sainte Famille church in which more than 100 Tutsis were killed. People across Rwanda sought refuge in churches all over the country as the genocide unfolded. He also made remarks encouraging the sexual abuse of women, according to the court, and was found criminally liable for the rapes that followed. The genocide ended when Tutsi-led militias backing Rwandan President Paul Kagame ousted the Hutu government supporting the massacre. Renzaho was arrested in September 2002 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. His trial began in January 2007 and closed in September that year after hearing from 53 witnesses, including Renzaho. Throughout the trial, Renzaho maintained his innocence and said he had no association with the militia. Renzaho's lawyer blamed the case on political interference by the Rwandan government. Renzaho has the right to appeal the verdict. The decision is the third judgment on charges of genocide delivered this year by the tribunal. Emmanuel Rukundo, a former military chaplain, was convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity and sentenced to 25 years in prison. The court found Rukundo had a history of contempt for Tutsis and his fellow clergymen, and that he ordered the killings of Tutsi civilians. Callixte Kalimanzira was sentenced to 30 years in prison for genocide and incitement to commit genocide. The court found that Kalimanzira, a senior civil servant who at one point worked with the Interior Ministry, participated in various massacres of Tutsi civilians and actively encouraged other crimes against them. Prosecutors at his trial said he beat some Tutsis to death and called for the elimination of all Tutsis, including pregnant women and their babies.

Tharcisse Renzaho guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes . 3rd genocide judgment this year by International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda . Renzaho governor of Kigali in 1994 during the country's genocide . Court: Renzaho ordered roadblocks to identify Tutsi civilians to be executed .

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Charlotte, North Carolina (CNN) -- Julian Castro is ready for his close-up. The Mayor of San Antonio is already a hot commodity in his home state of Texas and throughout the Southwest. Tonight, when the 37-year-old steps up to the lectern and becomes the first Latino to deliver a keynote speech at the Democratic Convention, the rest of the country will get a chance to see what all the fuss is about. There's a lot to see. I've known Julian for eight years, and I've interviewed him a dozen times. He's one-half of a dynamic duo; his twin brother, Joaquin, a Texas state representative who is a shoo-in to win a new congressional seat in November, will introduce him tonight. Both are graduates of Stanford University and Harvard Law School. Preview Castro's speech . With the news that one brother would introduce another, what was already going to be a big story for the Latino community in America -- 50.5 million strong, 16 percent of the U.S. population on its way to 25 percent a few decades -- just became a huge story. The optics will be out of this world. According to the polls, Obama is still ahead of Romney by more than 30 points with Latino voters. But Obama's Latino support has taken a hit because of his heavy-handed immigration enforcement record. Now, thanks to the Castros, don't be surprised if that support jumps 5 points overnight. The twins' message will be something like this: Thanks to the hard work and sacrifice of our family, we have lived the American Dream. We love our community and our country, and -- if you support this president and this party -- more of these types of stories will be written. Mitt Romney's Latino outreach efforts are about to take a direct hit. I spent the morning of the speech shadowing my friend from one media interview to another, and squeezing in a few questions of my own whenever I could: . -- About what it's like to live a moment like this: . "The enormity of it is really impressive," Castro told me. "This is one of those moments where you know you need to be enjoying it as it's happening, but that's also hard to do because it's moving so fast." -- About what he hopes his 3½-year-old daughter Carina, who accompanied her father to Charlotte and knows only that "Daddy is giving a big speech," takes away from tonight when she reads press clippings years from now: . "What I hope is that one day when she watches it that she understands that her family came here and sacrificed and worked hard to achieve the American Dream," he said. "And that this was the moment, the pinnacle of it. And I hope that she's very proud. And I also hope, like any dad, that she goes further than I did." Live blog: Democratic National Convention . -- About what he hopes his speech will mean to his mother, Rosie, who a generation ago was active in the Raza Unida Party (a third party born in the 1970s out of frustration with both Democrats and Republicans: . "I hope that my mother takes away that all her generation did, the sacrifices she made, the activism that she engaged in with folks of her generation, led us to this moment," Castro said. "This is the wonderful progress that the country has achieved not just for them but for so many Americans, that America has lived up to its highest ideals and our family is one example of that." -- Lastly, about the reaction he's getting from the large contingent of Spanish-language media that is covering the convention, whose audience is more Mexican than Mexican-American, more immigrant than native-born: . "The interviews are always very warm," he said. "You can hear in people's voices a certain pride and aspiration, and of course that feels very good to me. I just want to make sure that I do a great job, and that I don't let people down." There is little chance of that. The Castros don't let people down; they lift people up. Get ready, America. A new generation offers a leader. And a population of people who helped build this remarkable country, and who have repeatedly answered the call to defend it, have finally come into their own. We Mexican-Americans are known for our humility. But is there pride in that? You had better believe it. Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ruben Navarrette Jr.

Julian Castro is the first Latino to deliver a keynote speech at the DNC . Ruben Navarrette: Castro will help Obama gain votes among Latinos . He says Mitt Romney's Latino outreach efforts are about to take a direct hit . Navarrette: Latinos can't be more proud of Castro, who is a rising political star .

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(CNN) -- "I met him (Lance Armstrong) once at a party," Charlie Sheen told Piers Morgan, "and I'm assuming he was in a bad mood, because he wasn't the friendliest guy in the world." The Hollywood veteran spoke candidly to the CNN host about Lance Armstrong, Lindsay Lohan, battles with "Two and a Half Men" executive producer Chuck Lorre, fatherhood, becoming a grandfather, toning down his bad boy ways, and more. "He was rude to you?" asked Morgan. "Yes. I'm sure people have said that about me from time to time; not too often, though, because I'm pretty approachable." Sheen recalled that the encounter occurred about five or six years ago. "I said, 'Mr. Armstrong, I'm sorry to bother you.' I think he was talking to Sheryl Crow. And I said 'I'm Charlie Sheen. I just want to shake your hand.' And he said 'That's nice.'" Morgan asked Sheen what he thought about Armstrong's doping admission, and Sheen opened up about his own struggles with drug use and public image. "The reason I've been forgiven for a lot of my stuff," said Sheen, "is because there's always been a feeling of honesty and the guy that at least was trying to do the right thing." Decades ago, Sheen admitted that he took steroids back in 1988 when he was working on the film "Major League." "They worked. And I stopped," said Sheen, who noted the steroids' adverse affects. "It made me crazy. It made me insane and angry and picking fights in bars, you know. So I get it. But it also gave me, in the final couple of weeks of the shooting, the energy I needed to keep going." Sheen did say that steroids did not allow him to hit a baseball any better. "It may give you extra legs deep in the season, but you still have to have that God-given ability to hit the ball," he said. A self-professed "baseball player at heart," Sheen admitted to Morgan that his dream career would be to play for the Cincinnati Reds. "I don't know that I had the skills to play professionally," admitted Sheen. "I probably would have been riding a bus in Duluth until I was like 35." Sheen has not spoken to Chuck Lorre since he was very publicly fired by the "Two and a Half Men" executive producer. "I think we were in the same hotel lobby one night and missed each other by about 10 minutes," said the actor. "What would you have said if you had bumped into him?" asked Morgan. "I'd have walked right up to him and said 'Hey man, good luck with everything. Sorry about that and see you on campus.'" Sheen replied. 'Anger Management' gets 90-episode renewal . However, Sheen noted that "the fantasy is walking up and dropping him, but that's not who I am. It's not who I am. You know, I'm not a violent guy." "Do you harbor resentment toward him?" asked Morgan. "I just wish that he would acknowledge, at some point, that he had a hand in it. He did put out a statement. The timing was perfect for him, actually, because nothing is organic. It's always a little bit manufactured." Sheen also admitted that there are "parts" of Lorre that he misses. "When I look back at the pilot of 'Two and a Half,' it was an absolute gem. And I almost agreed to do that show based on his enthusiasm and his track record without seeing a script. And what I said to him, 'What are you going to call it?' And when he said, "Two and a Half Men," I knew it was a hit." Sheen's opinion on the show, post his own departure, has changed. "They downloaded their anchor," he said. "They cut off their anchor and they went adrift. And I think you don't realize how important your anchor is until you don't have it, you know." Morgan asked Sheen to elaborate on how he feels about his "Two and a Half Men" replacement, Ashton Kutcher. "He's a terrific young man and he's doing a great job with what they've given him ... he should be really grateful... " Sheen did laud his former co-star Jon Cryer's comedic skills, however, calling the Emmy winning actor "a genius." Sheen also set the record straight on the $100,000 he gave to Lindsay Lohan. The pair were set to work together on "Scary Movie 5" and, according to Sheen, producers gave Lohan $100,000 less than what he thought she was going to be paid, so the actor simply made up the difference. "And was she grateful?" asked Morgan. "Eventually, yes, absolutely. She was. Yes... It wasn't like right off the bat, though." Morgan noted that Lohan similarly underwent a pattern of drug and alcohol abuse not unlike Sheen's. "Can you actually, even you, give somebody like that advice?" asked Morgan. "Or is it, in the end, the look in the mirror and work it out for yourself?" "If she'd asked me questions about some of my own stuff," said Sheen, "I would have gladly given her advice but she didn't. And I found that interesting. Maybe she didn't want to bother me or didn't want to pry." Sheen expanded on the demons associated with fame, drugs and excess. "It's a similar garment that we're all wearing, yes," he said. "I think fame has a lot to do with it and I think excess has a lot to do with it... not so much excess but access -- access to anything with a phone call at any point, day or night, it doesn't matter... It can become a nightmare ... At first ... it's radical and it's everything that you thought it was going to be ... and then it's not. And that turns on a dime. And suddenly there's an emptiness." Sheen, 47, who has largely toned down his hard-partying ways, will become a grandfather this year. His 28-year-old daughter from a previous relationship is due to give birth in September. "I knew it was going to happen eventually," said Sheen, "... but I didn't know it would be this soon and it's none of my business when she chose to do that, you know. So I've just got to be along for the ride and celebrating and just cheering her along and giving her whatever she needs." Sheen had four other children: Two girls with ex-wife Denise Richards and twin boys with ex-wife Brooke Mueller. "I put everybody in my neighborhood, which is my ultimate master plan," said Sheen. "I put Denise and the girls in one house, Brooke and the boys in the other, and we're all behind the same gate." Sheen said his ex-wives get along great and babysit one another's children. "It is pretty civilized," he said. "We just keep everybody paid and they'll be happy." Morgan asked Sheen what bit of advice he would pass along to his two sons. "Lead with the truth," said Sheen. "That's what I've always done. That's what my dad told me." Watch Piers Morgan Live weeknights 9 p.m. ET. For the latest from Piers Morgan click here.

Charlie Sheen: "When I look back at the pilot of 'Two and a Half,' it was an absolute gem" On 'Men' today: "I think you don't realize how important your anchor is until you don't have it" Fame and excess "everything that you thought it was going to be" followed by "emptiness"

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