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FBI, Department of Homeland Security issue bulletin Thursday . Bulletin says two al Qaeda associates made claim to news agency . "We terminated the most precious American asset," associate says . DHS official says the claim has not been confirmed .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin Thursday citing an alleged claim of responsibility by al Qaeda for former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination, a DHS official told CNN. An Italian news agency says al Qaeda No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahiri began planning Bhutto's killing in October. But such a claim has not appeared on radical Islamist Web sites that regularly post such messages from al Qaeda and other militant groups. The source of the claim was apparently Italian news agency, Adnkronos International (AKI), which said that al Qaeda Afghanistan commander and spokesman Mustafa Abu Al-Yazid had telephoned the agency to make the claim. "We terminated the most precious American asset which vowed to defeat [the] mujahadeen," AKI quoted Al-Yazid as saying. According to AKI, al Qaeda No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahiri set the wheels in motion for the assassination in October. One Islamist Web site repeated the claim, but that Web site is not considered a reliable source for Islamist messages by experts in the field. The DHS official said the claim was "an unconfirmed open source claim of responsibility" and the bulletin was sent out at about 6 p.m. to state and local law enforcement agencies. The official characterized the bulletin as "information sharing." Ross Feinstein, spokesman for Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell, said the U.S. intelligence community is monitoring the situation and trying to figure out who is responsible for the assassination. "We are not in a position to confirm who may be responsible," Feinstein said. Feinstein said that the intelligence community "obviously analyze(s) open source intelligence," but he would not say whether the community believes the claim has any validity. For now, he said, there is "no conclusion" as to who may be responsible. Earlier, DHS spokesman Russ Knocke said Bhutto's assassination had not prompted "any adjustments to our security posture." "Of course, we continue to closely monitor events as they unfold overseas," he said. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Jeanne Meserve contributed to this report.

Democratic senators will hold short "pro forma" sessions over the holiday break . Sessions usually under one minute long . Move prevents President Bush from making recess appointments . Bush refused to withdraw one controversial nominee after Democratic offer .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Senate was called to order for 11 seconds on Wednesday as the last political scuffle of the year between the White House and the Democratic-led Congress played out. Democratic senators will hold short "pro forma" sessions over the holiday break to prevent recess appointments. Nearly all the senators left the Capitol for the Christmas holiday last week, but Democrats are keeping the Senate in session to block President Bush from making any recess appointments -- a constitutional mechanism that allows the president, during congressional recesses, to fill top government posts for up to one year without Senate confirmation. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Virginia, opened and then immediately gaveled the Senate session to a close. He spent 57 seconds in the chamber. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, announced December 19 that he would keep the Senate open with a series of "pro forma" sessions through mid-January. Talks had just broken down with the White House on a deal that would have allowed the president to make dozens of those appointments if he agreed not to appoint one controversial official, Steven Bradbury, as the permanent head of the influential Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department. Bush declined to accept the Democrats' offer, and Reid refused to approve Bradbury because of concerns about his involvement in crafting legal opinions for the administration on interrogation techniques of terrorism suspects. Similar sessions were conducted over the Thanksgiving recess. Webb also did the duty Friday, but he won't be the only senator tasked with presiding over the shortened sessions. Other Democrats -- including Sens. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Ben Cardin of Maryland and Chuck Schumer of New York -- will share the duty. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Ted Barrett and Vandana Kilaru contributed to this report .

150 passengers evacuated from a ship after it struck object in Antarctic waters . Ship, named Explorer, was expected to sink, British coastguards said . Passengers in lifeboats, captain and first officer remain on board .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- More than 150 people have abandoned a sinking cruise liner that collided with an iceberg in Antarctic waters, a Chilean navy captain told CNN. The ship sent out a distress call at around 10 p.m. ET Thursday. Passenger ship Explorer reported problems near the South Shetland Islands, south of Argentina. The area is in a sector of Antarctica claimed by the United Kingdom. Capt. Carlos Munita of the Chilean navy said they received a distress call from the Explorer, saying the vessel had hit an iceberg around 10 p.m. ET Thursday. He added a Norwegian rescue ship had arrived at the scene. Tour companies describe the Explorer as a passenger ship which runs tours between South America and Antarctica. Some 154 people are reported to be on board ship, which carries a Liberian flag, including 100 passengers. However the nationalities of those on board is not yet known. Passengers and crew have been evacuated onto lifeboats, but the captain and the first officer are reported to have stayed on board. "The great majority of people, including all the passengers, have been safely taken off the Explorer and are now being recovered by the first of the vessels to arrive on scene in response to the distress call," Dave Jardine-Smith, head of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's (MCA) search and rescue team in England said. "The passengers and crew from the Explorer have not been in lifeboats very long," Jardine-Smith said. "They should be, hopefully, in good condition. We are told that there are no injuries." Earlier, Mark Clark, a spokesman for the MCA told the Press Association five ships were on their way to help the sinking vessel. "She hit something and is taking on a serious amount of water, that is all we know." The temperature in the area is said to be at around minus 5C, with a sea temperature at around minus 1C, forecasters told the Press Association. Stephen Davenport, senior forecaster with MeteoGroup, said:"It wouldn't take long for hypothermia to set in at that kind of temperature in the sea. "They do get very bad storms down that way, and gale force winds especially, because there is no land in the way," he told PA. Lt. Matt Alex from the US Coast Guard Atlantic Area command center said the boat is owned by Gap Adventures, based in Toronto, Canada. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

Journalist and two doctors were among those killed . Remote-controlled mine went off in southern Somalia . Somali driver also died in the attack . Journalist is the second to die in conflict situation this year .

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(CNN) -- A mine exploded Monday on a road in southern Somalia, killing four people -- three members of the medical humanitarian group Medecins Sans Frontieres and a journalist. Ongoing violence in Somalia has devastated the capital Mogadishu. The incident occurred Monday along a road in Kismayo, the group said. Victor Okumu, 51, a Kenyan doctor; Damien Lehalle, 27, a French logistician; and a Somali driver named Billan were the MSF workers who were killed. Another member of the team was slightly wounded, the group said in a posting on its Web site. "The exact circumstances of this fatal incident are not yet clear," the posting said. Also killed was journalist Hassan Kafi Hared, 36. The remote-controlled mine erupted as he was walking to a news conference in Siyad Village in northern Kismayu, said the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ). He was working for the government-run Somali National News Agency and a Somali Web site called gedonet.com. He is survived by a wife and three children. "This is a targeted attack and we declare that this brutal killing on the journalist and the aid workers is an attack on the society itself," said NUSOJ Secretary General Omar Faruk Osman, in a news release. "We demand that transitional government and the authorities in Kismayu to identify the culprits of this crime and bring them to justice" he said. The medical humanitarian organization said it was evacuating remaining international members of it staff from Kismayu. Hared is the second journalist to be killed this year, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The first, 38-year-old Norwegian reporter Carsten Thomassen, died Jan. 15 in a suicide bomb attack in Kabul. In a written statement, a representative of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said he condemned the killings and "demands a thorough investigation by the authorities." E-mail to a friend .

U.N. says celebrity drug use encourages adolescent substance abuse . Report says leniency towards celebrities hurts criminal justice system . Report finds Britain, Italy, Spain have among highest rates of cocaine use .

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LONDON, England -- Cocaine-abusing celebrities are glamorizing the use of narcotics and encouraging more young people to use illegal substances, the United Nations drug control agency has warned. Model Kate Moss faced allegations of cocaine use in 2005 but was never charged for over the claims. The annual report from the International Narcotics Control Board warns that treating stars "leniently" by allowing them to get away with drug crimes undermines faith in the criminal justice system and has a damaging effect on adolescents. "They get more lenient responses by the judiciary and law enforcement, and that is regrettable," Professor Hamid Ghodse, a member of the INCB, told the UK's Press Association Wednesday. "There should not be any difference between a celebrity who is breaking the law and non-celebrities. "Not only does it give the wrong messages to young people, who are quite impressionable, but the wider public becomes cynical about the responses to drug offenders," Ghodse said. Watch Ghodse explain how celebrity offenders are being given an easy ride » . Last month, acclaimed singer Amy Winehouse was questioned by police after a video emerged which appeared to show her smoking crack. Last fall she was arrested and fined in Norway for possessing marijuana. Winehouse was due to appear in a Norwegian courtroom to contest the drug charges at the end of February. The hearing was postponed indefinitely, PA said, after the court approved a request from Winehouse's lawyer. Watch how celebrity drug scandals affect children » . Supermodel Kate Moss also faced cocaine-snorting allegations in 2005. The Crown Prosecution Service later said she would not be charged over the claims. Despite losing modeling contracts in the wake of the revelations, she later won fresh jobs and remains one of the world's top models. Singer Pete Doherty, the former boyfriend of Moss, also has had a well-publicized drug abuse problem but has so far managed to avoid jail time. Earlier this month he was named by music magazine NME as its Hero of the Year. And Paul McCartney and his late wife Linda were open about their marijuana habit. The former Beatle was arrested for possession in 1980 in Japan. After 10 days in jail, he was released without charges. The report found that Britain, along with Spain and Italy, have some of the highest rates of cocaine abuse in the world. The report also expressed concerns on rising opium production in Afghanistan. E-mail to a friend .

Bus carrying Marine Corps Reserve unit overturned at Alabama military base . 23 Marines have been injured; four critically, the military says . E Company, Anti-Terrorism Battalion, 4th Marine Division, was involved . The accident happened Sunday morning, officials said .

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(CNN) -- A bus carrying members of a Marine Corps Reserve unit overturned at an Alabama military base Sunday, leaving 23 Marines injured, four of them critically, the military said in a news release. A bus overturned Sunday in Alabama, injuring 23 Marines, the military said. The passengers, members of E Company, Anti-Terrorism Battalion, 4th Marine Division, had been taking part in a training exercise at Fort Rucker, an Army post outside Ozark, Alabama. They were departing the range at 9:20 a.m. when the accident occurred. The unit is made up of reservists from Tallahassee, Florida, and Bessemer, Alabama. The injured were from First and Headquarters Platoons out of Bessemer, a Birmingham suburb. By mid-afternoon, 11 of the injured had been released to their unit from the hospital. Pictures of the wreck were provided to the news media by the military. Ozark is about 175 miles south of Birmingham. E-mail to a friend .

Smoking ban in France extended to bars, clubs, restaurants, cafes from Jan 1 . Smoking ban first introduced in February 2007 for public buildings, workplaces . About 13.5 million people in France smoke out of a population of 60 million . Similar bans now exist in Ireland, Italy, Spain, Belgium and Britain .

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PARIS, France (CNN) -- As a look, it is about as quintessentially French as it gets. All the same, from the New Year enjoying a cigarette while you sip on your cafe au lait will become a thing of the past. From January 1 it will be illegal in France to smoke in cafes as well as clubs, casinos and hotels. France is extending its ban on smoking to include bars, discotheques, restaurants, hotels, casinos, as well as its fabled cafes. In a country renowned for its fondness for romance, smoking has never quite shaken off its romantic associations with smoky Left Bank cafes and waifish Parisienne beauties clutching on a Gauloises. In spite of the health dangers, about 13.5 million people smoke out of a population of 60 million with around 26 percent of 15 year olds estimated to smoke, according to 2002 figures from the World Health Organization. A smoking ban was first introduced in France in February this year to cover workplaces, schools, airports and hospitals. The new restrictions will only apply to the inside of premises, meaning smokers are still free to light up on the terraces. Even so, enforcing the ban may prove tricky in a country well known for its cafe culture. To soften the blow, the authorities have agreed to an amnesty over the New Year holiday and will not fully enforce the new arrangements until Wednesday. After that time, any smoker caught will face a fine of €450 ($662), while hotel and bar owners who fail to prevent smokers from lighting up on their premises will be fined €750 ($1,100). France has lagged behind many of its European neighbors in bringing in legislation to curb smoking in public places. Ireland became the first European country to introduce a comprehensive smoking ban in 2004. Since then Italy, Spain, Belgium and Britain have followed suit with similar bans. E-mail to a friend .

Woman, boyfriend arrested after a tip led to search . Police believe child found dead in box is Riley Ann Sawyers, 2 . Body of little girl was found in box that washed ashore last month . Police asked public for help identifying girl they dubbed "Baby Grace"

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(CNN) -- The toddler whose body washed ashore in Texas last month has been tentatively identified as a 2-year-old girl, and her mother and a man identified as her boyfriend were arrested Saturday, the Galveston County Sheriff's office said Sunday. Police believe two-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers may be "Baby Grace." Investigators believe the child they dubbed "Baby Grace" is actually 2-year-old Riley Ann Sawyers, the Galveston County Sheriff's office said Sunday. DNA analysis is still in progress to confirm that identification. The child's mother, Kimberly Dawn Trenor, 19, and a man identified as Royce Clyde Zeigler II, 24, were arrested Saturday on charges of injuring a child and tampering with physical evidence, the sheriff's department said. The couple lives in Spring, Texas, a Houston suburb about 75 miles north of Galveston. Their bonds were set at $350,000 each. The arrests followed searches conducted Saturday after a November 7 tip, the sheriff's department said. Deputies and FBI agents plan to release more information at a news conference Monday, Galveston County Sheriff's Maj. Ray Tuttoilmondo said. The girl's grandmother, Sheryl Sawyers, of Cleveland, Ohio, told CNN affiliate WKYC that Riley Ann has been missing since June. Watch Sawyers family describe their fears before child was identified » . On October 29, a fisherman discovered the body in a blue Sterilite plastic container on an uninhabited island in Galveston's West Bay. Police dubbed the dead girl "Baby Grace," and asked the public for help in identifying her. A medical examiner said the child's skull was fractured, and a forensic dentist estimated her age at 2 to 3 years. In composite sketches, the girl is wearing a pink skirt and matching top -- clothing authorities said she was wearing when she was found. The other sketch, a close-up rendering of the child's face, shows a fair-skinned toddler with long blond hair. "She is more to us than just a case number, more to us than just an unidentified body. She is very much a human being," Tutoilmondo said last month. "She is someone's child, someone's grandchild, someone's cousin, someone's best friend, and to us, that is the most important part about this case." "We have adopted the name of Baby Grace because, there again, that is part of the emotional part of this case for us," he said, holding a tiny sneaker identical to one of those the child was wearing when she was found. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Hank Bishop contributed to this story.

Football pays tribute on the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster . Eight Manchester United players died when plane crashed on take-off . A total of 23 people were killed as Utd returned from cup tie in Belgrade .

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LONDON, England -- Football will pay its tribute to the legend of Manchester United's Busby Babes on Wednesday in moments of remembrance on the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster. A memorial stone recalls the place of the Munich air disaster in Kirchtrudering near Munich. Eight players lost their lives on February 6, 1958, when Flight 609 ZU crashed on the third attempt to take off after re-fuelling in Germany as United returned from knocking Red Star Belgrade out of the European Cup. Sir Matt Busby's side, back-to-back English champions and well positioned for a hat-trick attempt, were arguably on course to become the best United team. The United players killed at Munich were Geoff Bent, aged 25, Roger Byrne(28), Eddie Colman (21), Mark Jones (24), David Pegg (22), Tommy Taylor (26), Liam Whelan (22) and 21-year-old Duncan Edwards who died in hospital 15 days after the crash. They and the other 15 people who lost their lives will be remembered with a commemorative service at Old Trafford while a short ceremony, organised by supporters, will also take place at the memorial site in Kirchtrudering, on the outskirts of Munich. In keeping with tradition, United supporters will also gather under the memorial plaque at Old Trafford where the clock is fixed at the exact time of the final fateful take-off attempt. Later in the day, a minute's silence will take place ahead of England's friendly with Switzerland at Wembley as a further mark of respect. As he bows his head during this week's Munich commemorations, survivor Harry Gregg's mind will understandably flash back to that snow-laden runway, but only briefly. The 75-year-old Ulsterman prefers not to remember the afternoon he lost so many friends among the victims, but instead the days when the dream of the 'Busby babes' was still vibrant and alive. Goalkeeper Gregg, hailed a hero in the wake of the crash after returning to the wreckage to pull out survivors, is adamant those are the times which always burn brightest in his memory. "I was part of something that was a very, very beautiful thing at that time," said Gregg, who cost United a record 23,000 pounds sterling when he joined from Doncaster Rovers two months before the disaster. "I'll always be proud of that. The fact there's going to be a minute's silence after 50 years is a tribute to the people I played with, but one must remember as well there were other people on board that aircraft, a lot more people. "I want the minute's silence to be over and then I want to remember the happy times, that's what I want the world to remember, that's what I want the families to remember." E-mail to a friend .

Queen Elizabeth opens Heathrow Airport's $8.6 billion new Terminal 5 . The new building took more than 15 years to complete following protests . Launch a day after security scare at one of world's busiest international airports . A lone man ran onto a Heathrow runway carrying a backpack on Thursday .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Queen Elizabeth helped launch Heathrow's $8.6 billion new Terminal 5 on Friday as part of the British airport's rejuvenation plan to maintain its status as one of the world's most important transport hubs. A general view of the new Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport prior to its official opening on Friday. The British monarch, who also opened Heathrow's first passenger terminal in 1955, was present under strict security a day after a man carrying a backpack was arrested for running onto a runway at the airport. The first flights from the new terminal are scheduled for March 27. Its opening has come after 15 years of planning and construction by its owners BAA -- and protests by local residents and environmental groups. It is part of a strategy which could lead to passenger numbers almost doubling to 122 million a year, with a sixth terminal and a third runway in the pipeline despite some vociferous opposition. Spanish-owned BAA, which also runs Gatwick and Stansted in Britain, also plans to eventually demolish Terminals 1 and 2 and replace them in a project called Heathrow East. Watch Queen Elizabeth meet airport staff. » . Residents were once told by BAA that there would be no fifth terminal, but the company is planning to forge further ahead despite the concerns of environmental groups. "Terminal 5 stands as a monument to the binge-flying culture this Government has done so much to encourage," Greenpeace transport campaigner Anita Goldsmith told the UK Press Association. "It's part of an obsession with expansion which can only mean more flights, more emissions and more climate change." Richard Dyer of Friends of the Earth added: "If the Government is serious about tackling climate change, the opening of Terminal 5 must mark the end of airport expansion in Britain. "Further expansion of Heathrow would be environmentally irresponsible and isn't necessary for the economy of London." However, business groups welcomed the expansion at Heathrow. "Thriving, growing airports are vital to help maintain Britain's economic competitiveness," Neil Pakey, chairman of the Airport Operators' Association, told PA. "Domestic air links to Heathrow are particularly valuable for the regional economies, and this new terminal will undoubtedly provide them with a much-needed boost. The passage of the current Planning Bill must ensure that this is the last airport which has to endure such an absurdly protracted planning process." See British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh's views on the terminal. » . Visit London chief executive James Bidwell said: "T5 will provide visitors to London and the UK with a spectacular first impression and alleviate the pressure experienced at Heathrow, the world's busiest airport. "The terminal's smoother check-in process and state-of-the-art baggage management system will certainly better the tourist experience and should help improve the airport's international reputation." E-mail to a friend .

Former Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif has his candidacy papers rejected . Had submitted nominations papers for Pakistan's parliamentary election . Returning officer in Lahore upheld ineligibility objections from other candidates .

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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan election officials on Monday disqualified opposition party leader and former former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from participating in January parliamentary elections. Election officials say Nawaz Sharif's previous convictions bar him from standing for reelection. A spokesman for Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League told CNN Monday that Sharif had been barred by the election commission because of a previous criminal conviction. Sharif filed paperwork for his candidacy last week, although he had left open the possibility that he would boycott the election in protest of a state of emergency imposed by President Pervez Musharraf. Sharif, an outspoken critic of Musharraf, who ousted him from power in 1999, had said he wanted to keep all options open. Sharif returned to Pakistan last month, ending seven years in exile in Saudi Arabia. He had first returned in September, but Pakistani authorities deported him within hours of his arrival. Sharif was convicted of terrorism, hijacking and tax evasion after Musharraf seized power in 1999. He was released in 2000 in exchange for agreeing to 10 years of exile in Saudi Arabia. He retained his Pakistani citizenship, but has not been allowed to travel to Pakistan or directly take part in Pakistani politics. Musharraf, who quit as military leader and took office for a third term last week, has pledged to lift the state of emergency by December 16. He was criticized of using the emergency to crack down on political rivals and to purge the judiciary of those likely to block the approval of his reappointment as leader. E-mail to a friend . -- CNN's Zein Basravi contributed to this report.

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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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 .

Multi-million selling writer has "a very rare form of early onset Alzheimer's" Terry Pratchett says work continuing on books, plans to honor commitments . Discworld novels are set in a fantasy universe but satirize modern day life . Received the Order of the British Empire from the Prince of Wales in 1998 .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Fantasy author Terry Pratchett has admitted that he has been diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer's disease -- but says he plans to continue writing his multi-million selling Discworld books. Terry Pratchett, whose books have sold more than 45 million copies worldwide in 33 languages. Pratchett, 59 -- whose books have, according to his Web site, sold more than 45 million copies worldwide in 33 languages -- suffered what he called a "phantom stroke" earlier this year. In a statement titled "an embuggerance" on the Web site of Discworld illustrator Paul Kidby, Pratchett says that he has been diagnosed with what he terms "a very rare form of early onset Alzheimer's." "I would have liked to keep this one quiet for a little while, but because of upcoming conventions and of course the need to keep my publishers informed, it seems to me unfair to withhold the news," says Pratchett, who has a strong following among fans of fantasy fiction. "All other things being equal, I expect to meet most current and, as far as possible, future commitments but will discuss things with the various organisers," he continues. "Frankly, I would prefer it if people kept things cheerful, because I think there's time for at least a few more books yet." Pratchett adds that work is continuing on his next book "Nation" and that the "basic notes are already being laid down for Unseen Academicals." In a P.S. he adds that "I would just like to draw attention to everyone reading the above that this should be interpreted as 'I am not dead'. I will, of course, be dead at some future point, as will everybody else. "I know it's a very human thing to say 'Is there anything I can do', but in this case I would only entertain offers from very high-end experts in brain chemistry." Pratchett's Discworld novels, of which 36 have been published to date, are set in a fantasy universe through which the author satirizes modern-day life. He says in a statement on his own Web site that the series "started out as a parody of all the fantasy that was around in the big boom of the early '80s, then turned into a satire on just about everything, and even I don't know what it is now." Pratchett, who began writing while a provincial newspaper journalist in the 1960s, received the Order of the British Empire "for services to literature" from the Prince of Wales in 1998. E-mail to a friend .

Clinton begins talking about how others have criticized her, gets emotional . She was with mostly female voters in New Hampshire on a campaign stop . "It's not easy," she told them . The New York senator is trailing Sen. Barack Obama in polls .

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PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire (CNN) -- Hillary Clinton became visibly emotional at a New Hampshire campaign event Monday after a friendly question from a voter. Sen. Hillary Clinton's eyes welled with tears as she spoke in New Hampshire Monday. At the close of a Portsmouth campaign stop, Marianne Pernold-Young, 64, asked Clinton: "How do you do it? How do you keep up ... and who does your hair?" Clinton said she had help with her hair on "special days," and that she drew criticism on the days she did not. Then she added: "It's not easy, and I couldn't do it if I just didn't, you know, passionately believe it was the right thing to do. "You know, I have so many opportunities from this country, I just don't want to see us fall backwards," she said, her voice breaking a bit. The audience applauded. "This is very personal for me, it's not just political, it's [that] I see what's happening, we have to reverse it," she said emotionally, adding that some "just put ourselves out there and do this against some pretty difficult odds. "But some of us are right and some of us are wrong. Some of us ready and some of us are not. Some of us know what we will do on day one, and some of us really haven't thought that through enough." "So as tired as I am and I am. And as difficult as it is to try and keep up what I try to do on the road, like occasionally exercise and try to eat right -- it's tough when the easiest food is pizza -- I just believe so strongly in who we are as a nation. So I'm going to do everything I can and make my case and you know the voters get to decide." Watch Clinton become emotional as she's answering a question » . The New York senator is under pressure after some weekend surveys show opponent Barack Obama with a sudden almost double digit lead, with less than a day to go until the New Hampshire primary. At a New Hampshire campaign event, presidential rival John Edwards told reporters he was unaware of Clinton's emotional reaction and would not respond to it. But he did say, "I think what we need in a commander in chief is strength and resolve, and presidential campaigns are a tough business, but being president of the United States is also a very tough business. "And the President of the United States is faced with very, very difficult challenges every single day, difficult judgments every single day." E-mail to a friend .

Lyon beat Valenciennes 2-0 to stay four points clear on top of the French table . Nancy stay second by beating Bordeaux 1-0 . Third-placed Rennes flop to a 1-0 home defeat against struggling Monaco .

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PARIS, France -- Goals from Juninho and Sidney Govou gave Lyon a 2-0 home win over Valenciennes and enabled the six-time champions to stay four points ahead at the top of the French league. Juninho opened the scoring for Lyon five minutes before the break. Brazilian midfielder Juninho nudged in a Karim Benzema cross five minutes before the break and Govou lobbed in the second three minutes from time. Lyon, who are at home to German champions VfB Stuttgart in the Champions League group stage on Wednesday, have 31 points from 13 matches. Second-placed Nancy celebrated their 40th anniversary with a 1-0 win over Girondins Bordeaux. Nancy, who have a game in hand, scored in the 29th minute when midfielder Chris Malonga headed in a cross from Youssouf Hadji. Bordeaux stay fourth with 22 points from 13 games after their first away defeat of the season. Third-placed Stade Rennes slumped to a 1-0 home defeat against Monaco, who had only picked up a point from their six previous league outings. Frederic Piquionne headed home from a Nene corner kick for the visitors two minutes into the second half. Troubled Paris St Germain clinched a 2-1 victory at Racing Strasbourg thanks to a Rodrigo own goal and 20-year-old midfielder Loris Arnaud's effort after 19 minutes. Olympique Marseille were held to an embarrassing goalless draw by Lorient and remain third from bottom. Coach Eric Gerets said:"The public have a right to be unhappy as the level of play in the second half wasn't worthy of Marseille. "Taking the match as a whole you can have a harsh judgement. We made a few chances in the first half but we had a problem constructing moves from the back. "In the second half we should have lost the match with the counter-attacks. "We have to look at ourselves in the mirror, fight and work." E-mail to a friend .

Passengers on female-only buses describe their commutes as more pleasant . Seven complaints of sexual abuse aboard Mexico City buses made last year . Single-sex service is available on four major lines in Mexican capital .

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MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- Buses that carry women only are experiencing a smooth ride with passengers in Mexico's capital. A woman rides on a bus exclusively for female passengers last month in Mexico City. Fans of the new service call their daily commutes more pleasant now that bus rides steer clear of too-close-for-comfort contact with men. "We're not just talking about sexual harassment, about rapes or about incidents of violence," said Ariadna Montiel, director of the Network of Passengers' Transportation for the Government of the Federal District. "But also about touching, staring, which is what generally occurs on public transport." The single-sex service, which started in January, is available on four major lines in the city, and it's expected to expand to another 15. Other plans include replacing male drivers with women. One woman described the service as "excellent," saying it's "more comfortable too because it doesn't make as many stops." Another passenger said she feels more comfortable and safer. Last year, the government received seven complaints of sexual abuse aboard the city's buses, which provide 200 million rides each year, officials said. Authorities said that a single complaint is enough to justify taking such measures. Juan Flores, who has driven buses in Mexico City for 15 years and now steers one for women only, said he even notices a difference. "I feel more tranquil, I work more peacefully and the interior of the bus is cleaner," he said. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Mario Gonzalez contributed to this report.

NEW: Children's mother says Eddie Harrington had threatened the kids before . Harrington was last seen in Columbus, Georgia, March 5 . Police say he was depressed, threatened to kill kids . He took twin girls, 23 months, and boy, 3, from their home .

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(CNN) -- Investigators have found the bodies of three small children and the father who allegedly abducted them from their home in Columbus, Georgia, two weeks ago, the FBI said Wednesday. Eddie Harrington threatened to kill his children before disappearing with them, police say. "It is my sad duty to report that deceased bodies of these children and Eddie Harrington were located this afternoon," said FBI Special Agent Gerald Green. A coroner would confirm the identities, he added. The remains were discovered in a wooded area of Columbus by a person walking nearby, Green said. Watch the FBI say the bodies were in a car » . Eddie Harrington, 28, whom police described as depressed, took the children March 5, police said. Before he left, Harrington sent a letter indicating his intent to kill his twin 23-month-old girls, Aliyah and Agana Battle, and his son, Cedric Harrington, 3, officials said. The day before Wednesday's grisly discovery, the children's mother told CNN's Nancy Grace that Harrington had threatened them before. "He's just told me he'll do anything to keep me at that time, and he said that he was going to take them and ... kill himself and the kids," Agena Battle said. "But then later on, he told me that it was just to prove to me that, you know, what he'll do for me." Battle also described the moment earlier this month when she knew something was wrong. "I got home and I realized that the kids weren't there, and Eddie wasn't there either, and when I looked on the dresser and read the note, that's when I realized that my kids are in trouble," she said. A week ago, a tearful Battle publicly begged her boyfriend not to harm the children. "I am asking the public to please help me. I want my children home where they belong, with me," she said at an FBI news conference. "Please, if you see Eddie, the car or the children, please call 911. Please help me and keep them in your prayers." Watch the mother's tearful plea » . A child abduction alert was issued in Georgia after the children disappeared. "We have great concern for the safety of these children," Green said at the time. It was unclear what sparked Harrington's decision to take the children, authorities said. E-mail to a friend .

Pregnant woman reportedly found husband, other man dead in apartment . Slain students were international Ph.D. candidates . Apartment is on edge of university campus . In text-message alert, campus officials urge students to be careful .

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(CNN) -- Two graduate students were found shot to death Thursday night in an apartment a block off the Louisiana State University campus, officials said. LSU Chancellor Sean O'Keefe briefs reporters on the fatal shootings of two international graduate students. No suspects have been identified in what police are investigating as a double homicide. Neighbors told police three strange men were seen in the area. The bodies of Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma and Kiran Kumar Allam, both Ph.D. candidates from India, were found inside Allam's apartment at the Edward Gay complex near the LSU band's practice field. The complex houses graduate and married students. A task force of LSU campus police and the Baton Rouge Police Department is investigating, university Chancellor Sean O'Keefe said. "If anybody can find them, they can," O'Keefe told reporters Friday. Watch O'Keefe discuss "a tragic situation" » . O'Keefe said campus police responded to a 911 call at 10:37 p.m. and encountered "a very, very tragic scene." Both men had been shot in the head. One was bound with phone cable and the other was lying near the door. The apartment was cluttered and items were strewn about, so it has been difficult to determine whether anything was taken, O'Keefe said. Emergency text messages were sent to students and faculty across the LSU campus late Thursday, but the campus remained open on Friday. O'Keefe said officials decided against a campus lockdown after police determined that the slayings were not part "an escalating pattern." People were warned in the text messages to use caution, but not all of the 8,000 students who had signed up for them received them, O'Keefe said. Officials are looking into what went wrong. The Associated Press reported that Allam's pregnant wife found the bodies and called 911. Although police have indicated they suspect the slayings occurred during a home invasion robbery, O'Keefe told reporters no motive has been determined. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

Michael Vick wrote five-page letter to judge seeking leniency . Former NFL star said he was wrong and promised to make amends . Vick's mom, Atlanta mayor and sports legends also sent letters to judge . Vick sentenced Monday to 23 months in prison in dogfighting case .

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(CNN) -- Disgraced former NFL star Michael Vick declared that "I am not the bad person or the beast I've been made out to be" in a letter to a judge asking for leniency. Michael Vick wrote he was "forever a changed man." "I have been talked about and ridiculed on a day to day basis by people who really don't know Michael Vick the human being. They only knew the football player which is unfair," Vick said in a handwritten letter released this week. U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson sentenced Vick on Monday to serve 23 months in prison for financing a dogfighting ring and helping to kill pit bulls that did not fight aggressively. Vick wrote the judge that he had accepted responsibility for his actions, would pay restitution and never again use "a single dollar that I have earned for anything but to help people." Read letters from Vick, his mom, sports stars » . The former Atlanta Falcons quarterback said he grew up not knowing the severity of the crime of dogfighting and asked Hudson for "a second chance." Other letters supporting Vick were sent by his mother, his seventh-grade teacher and children he had met since becoming a star and one of the NFL's most highly paid players. Brenda Vick Boddie said her son fell victim to friends who took advantage of Vick's inability to "say no." "PLEASE Your HONOR give my baby Michael another chance. [H]e's never been in trouble with the law before, PLEASE! PLEASE! one more chance," she pleaded in her own handwritten letter. Former Falcons teammate Warrick Dunn, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and two sporting legends -- former home-run king Hank Aaron and former two-time boxing heavyweight champion George Foreman -- also wrote letters on Vick's behalf. E-mail to a friend .

Pete Sampras beats world nunber one Roger Federer in exhibition in Macau . Sampras wins 7-6 6-4 but rules out comeback to main ATP tour . Federer had won their two previous exhibition matches on Asian tour .

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MACAU, China -- Pete Sampras rolled back the years to upset current world number one Roger Federer in an exhibition match in Macau on Saturday. Sampras enjoyed the spoils of victory in Macau after two previous defeats to Federer. Federer had one the two previous clashes in an Asian series in straight sets but was handed a 7-6 6-4 defeat in the finale. American ace Sampras downplayed his victory, noting Federer was coming off a long season and that he was helped by his big serve and the fast indoor carpet surface. He had only aimed to win one set during the three-match series. "Let's not get carried away," he said at a news conference. Sampras ruled out a comeback from retirement, telling the audience after the match, "I had my time in the 90s." Federer tried to put on a positive spin on the loss, saying he wasn't embarrassed to lose to his idol, but still showed some disappointment. "It's been tough beating my idol the last two times. I'm happy that he got me at least once," he said, but adding, "I hope we can do it again in the future. I'd like to get him back." The two players have won a combined 26 Grand Slam titles, but Sampras, 36, retired five years ago after winning the U.S. Open in 2002. Federer is coming off another outstanding season in which he won three grand slams and last week's Masters Cup in Shanghai. "I'm sort of surprised. This guy can play tennis, you know," the Swiss player said after his loss Saturday. Federer beat Sampras 6-4 6-3 in Seoul on Tuesday and edged the American 7-6 7-6 in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. In Macau, Federer was never able able to force a break point on the powerful Sampras serve, but had set points at 6-5 and 8-7 in the tiebreak. But Sampras saved both and a run of three points, capped by a forehand winner, gave him the opener. The ninth game of the second second proved vital as a forehand error by Federer gave Sampras a break point which he gratefully took with another fine forehand. Sampras closed out the match as a Federer backhand return sailed long. Federer said he thought Sampras could still beat the world's top five players on a fast surface. Sampras then predicted that Federer could beat his record of most grand slam wins (14) "if not next year, pretty soon." "He's a great, great player. He's got things in his game that I couldn't do," he said. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

Peru's foreign minister sought to downplay the row . Sea border dispute has bubbled anew over past two years . Less serious disputes involve dessert, fruit and a grape liquor .

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SANTIAGO, Chile (Reuters) -- Chile called home its ambassador in Peru on Monday, as a dispute flared over disputed maritime territory between the South American neighbors. They have bickered over the rich Pacific coast fishing waters for years, and Peru published a new map on Sunday that pushes its bid to negotiate a new sea border. Chile's government protested the move and said it was calling home its ambassador in Peru, Cristian Barros, for consultations. "We feel that this type of publication (map) and this position certainly make more difficult a fluid bilateral relationship with the Peruvian government," spokesman Ricardo Lagos Weber said on Monday. "Chile will continue to fully exercise its rights and competencies over Chilean territory," he said. Peruvian President Alan Garcia said in June his country would take Chile to the International Court at The Hague to resolve the case. Peru's foreign minister, Jose Antonio Garcia Belaunde, sought to downplay the row. "It is an absolutely common diplomatic practice in novel situations like this that garner attention that ambassadors are called (back to report)," he said. "The channels of dialogue and communication must be kept open, and the countries must work toward a positive agenda," Garcia Belaunde said. The sea border, set in the 1950s, starts close to the land border and cuts due west across the ocean. But Peru says it was non-binding and rob it of 14,630 square miles (37,900 sq km) of fishing waters. Its proposed border is a southwestern sloping line that follows the diagonal land border into the Pacific Ocean. Analysts say Peru will have its day in court and the Hague is the only venue for the issue to be resolved, unless something happens to escalate the debate. "The only thing that could happen, which would be very worrisome, would be if some autonomous group carried out some kind of act of sovereignty (in those waters) now that Peru officially claims them. That would be a shame," said Ricardo Israel, a political analyst in Chile. Chile defeated Peru in the 1879-1883 War of the Pacific and seized a chunk of mineral-rich territory from its northern neighbor. The two countries have strong economic ties but relations are still rocky. The dispute over their sea border has bubbled anew over the past two years and comes in addition to less serious disputes over the origins of everything from a dessert and a fruit to pisco, a grape liquor. Peru and Chile are the world's top producers of fish meal, a cattle feed, and fishing is one of the engines of Peru's economy. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

President Bush: Measure is "essentially identical" to the proposal he vetoed before . Bill would have expanded the State Children's Health Insurance Program . Bush: Measure "moves our country's health care system in the wrong direction" Program covers 6 million children whose parents don't qualify for Medicaid .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush vetoed an expansion of the federally funded, state-run health insurance program for poor children for a second time Wednesday, telling Congress the bill "moves our country's health care system in the wrong direction." In his veto message, President Bush calls on Congress to extend funding for the current program. In his veto message, Bush said the bill is almost a duplicate of the proposal he spiked in October. "Because the Congress has chosen to send me an essentially identical bill that has the same problems as the flawed bill I previously vetoed, I must veto this legislation, too," he said in a statement released by the White House. The bill would have expanded the State Children's Health Insurance Program by nearly $35 billion over five years, the same as the measure Bush vetoed October 3. Track recent and historical presidential vetoes » . The president had proposed adding $5 billion to the program and said the version he vetoed would have encouraged families to leave the private insurance market for the federally funded, state-run program. Democratic leaders said the new version addressed Republican objections by tightening restrictions on illegal immigrants receiving SCHIP benefits, capping the income levels of families that qualify for the program and preventing adults from receiving benefits. Though the measure had strong bipartisan support, it fell short of the two-thirds majorities needed to override a presidential veto in the House and Senate. House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Democrats were more interested in scoring political points with the veto than in reaching a compromise with Republicans. "We could have resolved the differences in his program in 10 minutes, if the majority had wanted to resolve the differences," Boehner said. "This has become a partisan political game." The program currently covers about 6 million children whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid -- the federal health insurance program for the poor -- but who can't afford private insurance. Democrats wanted to extend the program to another 4 million, paying for it with a 61-cent-per-pack increase in the federal tax on cigarettes. "What a sad day that the president would say that rather than insuring [millions of] children, 'I don't want to raise the cigarette tax,' " said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She called for a January 23 vote on whether to override the veto. Meanwhile, Bush called on Congress to extend funding for the current program to keep the 6 million now covered on the rolls. E-mail to a friend .

Disgruntled ex-employee said teacher let class name teddy "Mohammed" Sources: Sarah Khawad trying to shut down Khartoum's Unity High School . Briton Gillian Gibbons convicted of insulting religion released from jail . Gillian Gibbons taken to British Embassy in Khartoum to await flight home .

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KHARTOUM, Sudan (CNN) -- In an effort to shut down Khartoum's Unity High School, a disgruntled former employee alerted Sudanese officials that a British teacher had allowed her class to name a teddy bear "Mohammed," a British source and Sudanese presidential palace source told Time magazine's Sam Dealey. An undated amateur photo shows Gillian Gibbons, who was jailed for allowing children to name a teddy bear "Mohammed". Gillian Gibbons, 54, was convicted last week of insulting religion and sentenced to 15 days in jail and deportation. Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir pardoned her from her prison sentence on Monday and she later left on a flight for England. The two sources said Sarah Khawad was fired as the school's secretary in November after an employment spat and threatened to shut down the school. The sources said Khawad did not appear to have a vendetta against Gibbons, but hoped that by bringing the teddy bear incident to the education minister's attention, he would close down the school for anti-Islamic teachings. Watch Time magazine's Sam Dealey's report on the pardon » . The private school was shut down after the controversy came to light last week. It is unclear if it will reopen. Although there is no ban in the Quran on images of Allah or the Prophet Mohammed, Islam's founder, some Muslims consider likenesses highly offensive. The sources said they have confirmed the account with Gibbons. Defense attorneys confirmed that it was Khawad who launched the initial complaint against Gibbons, not a parent as originally thought. Khawad also testified at Gibbons' trial. Before approaching Sudan's education minister, the two sources said Khawad tried to enlist two parents, who were also teachers at the school, to join in her protest against the teddy bear's name, but they declined. Gibbons had been working at the school -- popular with wealthy Sudanese and expatriates -- since August, after leaving her position as deputy head teacher at a primary school in Liverpool this summer, said the head of Unity High School, Robert Boulos. She had asked her class of 7-year-olds to come up with a name for the toy as part of a school project, he said. Classmates took turns taking the teddy bear home with them, accompanied by a diary with the bear's name written in the front of it, he said. She was taken into custody on November 25 and tried days later in a Sudanese court. She was cleared of other charges of inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs. Gibbons had initially faced the possibility of 40 lashes and a six-month jail term for insulting Islam. The incident sparked a diplomatic row, with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband calling on his Sudanese counterpart to dismiss the charges. Two British lawmakers, both Muslims, traveled to Khartoum to help secure her release. It also resulted in angry protests in Khartoum, with some calling for the British woman's execution. E-mail to a friend .

NEW: Delta cancelations only related to MD-88, not MD-90s . NEW: 275 Delta flights were canceled Thursday for safety inspections . American Airlines canceled 318 flights Wednesday to inspect MD-80 aircraft . American cancels 132 of its estimated 2,300 flights scheduled for Thursday .

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(CNN) -- Delta Air Lines and American Airlines announced Thursday the cancellations of hundreds of flights so the companies can conduct inspections on bundles of wires in some of their jets. Delta cancellations will affect flights up until early Friday, according to a statement from the airline. The cancellations will affect flights through Friday, according to statements by both companies. A spokeswoman for Delta earlier said 325 flights would be canceled Thursday, but later said 275 flights were cut. "Delta apologizes in advance for any inconvenience this may cause and is working to proactively contact and reaccommodate affected customers. Customers should call ahead to check flight status," a Delta statement said. Wednesday, American Airlines canceled 318 flights, said company spokesman Tim Wagner. The airline canceled 132 of its estimated 2,300 flights scheduled for Thursday, Wagner said, about 6 percent of the daily schedule. The cancellations forced dozens of people to spend the night in the atrium of Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. They slept wherever they could -- on couches, on the floor, some on non-moving baggage carousels. Kelly said the airline rebooked flights and covered the cost of hotel and food for passengers on canceled flights. It was initially believed that Delta's MD-90 planes were part of the inspection but it was determined that the MD-88 planes were the only ones that needed to be inspected, a spokeswoman said. The airline said the checks are voluntary and are expected to be completed by week's end. American Airlines, meanwhile, is examining wiring secured to its MD-80 aircraft. In Atlanta, the cancellations caused grousing among passengers who missed job interviews, connecting flights and the comfort of their beds, CNN affiliate WXIA reported. "They told us 6:45 (p.m.). Then they told us 7:30. Then 8, so on and so forth and they just canceled," passenger Fred Billizon told WXIA. "So they had about 200 people just waiting on flights. And that's not a lot of happy people." This latest round of inspections was prompted by questions raised by the FAA and American safety officials about how a certain bundle of wires is secured to the MD-80 aircraft. The MD-80 is the workhorse of the American fleet. American's Web site says the aircraft accounts for 300 of the airline's fleet of 655 jets. The jet debuted in 1980 from McDonnell-Douglas, which was purchased by rival Boeing in 1997. Boeing discontinued production of the aircraft in 1999. E-mail to a friend .

Four crew members of Seattle-based Alaska Ranger died, Coast Guard says . Others were rescued, but one person is still unaccounted for, spokesman says . Boat was about 120 miles west of Dutch Harbor in remote Aleutian Islands .

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(CNN) -- Four crew members died and one was missing in the frigid waters off Alaska's Aleutian Islands after their fishing vessel sank Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard reported. A crew member of the Alaska Ranger is taken on board the Coast Guard Cutter Munro. The Seattle, Washington-based Alaska Ranger was in 10-foot seas and winds of 30 to 35 miles per hour when it reported water was leaking into its steering gear compartment about 2:50 a.m. Sunday. The trawler had 47 people on board, said Chief Petty Officer Barry Lane, a Coast Guard spokesman. Four of those had been confirmed dead by late morning, Lane said. One person is still unaccounted for, said another Coast Guard spokesman, Lt. Eric Eggen. Watch a report from Lt. Eggen » . The 180-foot processing trawler was about 120 miles west of Dutch Harbor, in the remote Aleutian Islands, when the crew reported being "overwhelmed by water" and abandoned ship, Eggen said. Most of the crew had survival suits to protect them from water that was near-freezing, said Cmdr. Todd Trimpert, a Coast Guard spokesman. No cause of death was immediately known for the four crew members who died, but "certainly, they were in the water a long time," Trimpert said. "Without a survival suit, generally your survival time is less than 30 minutes," he said. The company that owned the ship, The Fishing Company of Alaska Inc., identified the four who did not survive as Captain Eric Peter Jacobsen, Chief Engineer Daniel Cook, Mate David Silveira and Crewman Byron Carrillo. "They were incredibly brave, hard-working men," the company said. "Our hearts are broken." A nearby ship, the Alaska Warrior, rescued 25 crew members while the Coast Guard retrieved the rest of the crew, the company said. "We do not have sufficient information to determine why the vessel foundered," the company said. "We will do everything possible to find out what occurred with the hope that something can be learned that will be of value to the fishing community." Amy Roman, a niece of Daniel Cook, told CNN affiliate KING-TV that her uncle "died how he wanted to. "If you're a fisherman, you want to die out at sea," she said. "If you're a true fisherman, this is how you want to go." Survivors were being taken aboard the Coast Guard cutter Munro. A helicopter and a C-130 transport plane were also taking part in the effort, the Coast Guard reported. The sinking left an unknown amount of diesel fuel on the surface of the Bering Sea, Lane said. The fishing industry is perennially among the most deadly in the United States. In 2005, 48 fishermen died, up from 38 the year before, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That made it the nation's most dangerous occupation for the year, with a fatality rate of 118.4 per 100,000 -- nearly 30 times higher than the rate of the average worker. E-mail to a friend .

3 Michigan residents and an Ohio resident named in conspiracy, arson counts . They are said to have set fire to an agriculture research building at Michigan State . Fire nine years ago caused $1 million in damage and loss of research records . Michigan State Police chief called fire 'a significant act of domestic terrorism'

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Four people said to have acted on behalf of the Earth Liberation Front have been indicted on a charge of setting fire to an agriculture research building on the Michigan State University campus more than eight years ago, authorities announced Tuesday. Three Detroit, Michigan, residents and a Cincinnati, Ohio, resident were named in conspiracy and arson counts for a fire at a campus facility that housed federally funded plant genetic research. Officials said the December 31,1999, fire on the East Lansing campus caused more than $1 million in damage to facilities and the loss of research records. They also are accused of setting fire the next day to commercial logging equipment near Mesick, Michigan, in order to sabotage lumbering activity. "This investigation has been ongoing for almost a decade, and it should be a reminder to all that the FBI does not allow the passage of time to thwart our ability to apply our full resources to a case," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Andrew Arena. Michigan State Police Chief James Dunlap called the case "a significant act of domestic terrorism." "This was more than an attack on a building and the destruction of valuable property," MSU President Lou Anna Simon said. "It was an assault on the core value of free and open inquiry at a research university." Officials said those named in the indictment are Marie Mason, 46, of Cincinnati; and Frank Ambrose, 33, Aren Burthwick, 27, and Stephanie Fultz, 27, all of Detroit. E-mail to a friend .

Four wheels of A380 superjumbo roll onto grass at Singapore airport . Truck being used to push the plane experienced "some kind of failure" No-one injured in the incident; passengers transferred to other flights . Singapore Airlines was first carrier in the world to operate the A380 .

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(CNN) -- An A380 superjumbo bound for Sydney came loose from a tow truck and partially rolled onto grass at Singapore airport. Singapore Airlines was the first carrier in the world to operate the double-decker aircraft. No-one was injured in the incident involving the world's biggest airliner, a Singapore Airlines spokesman said, but passengers were taken off so the plane could be repositioned and inspected for any damage. A truck being used to push back the plane in preparation for the flight "experienced some form of failure" causing it disconnect from the aircraft, a Singapore Airlines spokesman said. "As a consequence of the failure on the truck, the aircraft ... came into contact with the grass verge off the airport tarmac. The aircraft was not under its own power at the time," he said. "It is too early at this time to know the cause of the incident but Singapore Airlines will investigate this quickly, and is filing reports with the appropriate Singapore authorities," the spokesman said. An airline spokesman told CNN's Richard Quest that four wheels had ended up on the grass. All four tires had now been replaced. "As far as Singapore Airlilnes is concerned, the plane is ready to fly again," Quest said. The airline made arrangements for as many customers as possible to continue on their journey from Changi Airport to Sydney aboard a Boeing 747-400. Most passengers departed for Sydney on a new flight early Friday morning, while some others flew to alternate destinations such as Melbourne and Brisbane on existing flights. "The remaining customers, about 10 of them, have left, or will be leaving, for Sydney today," the spokesman said. Singapore Airlines received its first A380 in October last year to become the first carrier in the world to operate the double-decker aircraft, which it is currently using for the Singapore-Sydney route. Changi Airport, which is home to the Singapore Airlines A380 fleet, has declared itself ready to handle the plane. It widened and lengthened existing runways and widened runway shoulders to allow the plane to maneuver. Airports around the world have had to make changes to accommodate the A380, such as enlarging runways and gates and bringing in vehicles which can tow the plane and lift high enough to reach its upper decks. E-mail to a friend .

Secret court ruling prompted push for updating the program . President Bush had urged the House to pass the bill without delay . Measure expands government's power to eavesdrop on foreign suspects .

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The Democratic-led Congress yielded to President Bush on Saturday and approved legislation to temporarily expand government's power to conduct electronic surveillance without a court order in tracking foreign suspects. President Bush demanded Congress expand his surveillance authority before leaving for vacation. Civil liberties groups charged the measure would create a broad net that would sweep up law-abiding U.S. citizens. But the House of Representatives gave its concurrence to the bill, 227-183, a day after it won Senate approval, 60-28. The action came amid warnings of possible attacks on the United States. "After months of prodding by House Republicans, Congress has finally closed the terrorist loophole in our surveillance law -- and America will be the safer for it," declared House Minority Leader John Boehner, an Ohio Republican. "We think it is not the bill that ought to pass," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. But he conceded he and fellow Democrats were unable to stop the measure in this national security showdown with the White House. "Protecting America is our most solemn obligation," Bush said earlier in the day in urging Congress to send him the bill so he could sign it into law. Watch Kelli Arena's report on what some call an intelligence gap » . The measure would authorize the National Security Agency to intercept without a court order communications between people in the United States and foreign targets overseas. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Bolivian Congress decides to let people vote on new constitution on May 4 . Proposed constitution would strengthen Bolivia's indigenous majority . Bolivian President Evo Morales is set to sign the legislation . Opposition lawmakers with "reduced presence" in Congress decry move as "illegal"

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(CNN) -- Bolivian President Evo Morales plans to sign legislation Friday scheduling a May 4 referendum on a new constitution, the Bolivian Information Agency reported. Bolivians celebrate Thursday in La Paz after Congress decides to call for a referendum on a new constitution. The move comes after the Bolivian Congress decided Thursday in a raucous session to let people nationwide vote on the controversial plans. The proposed constitution would strengthen the country's indigenous majority but has faced fierce opposition from nonindigenous Bolivians, including those in four provinces whose governors have declared autonomy. Hundreds jammed streets Thursday outside the congressional building in La Paz to prevent opposition legislators from entering. Video footage broadcast on CNN en Español showed people pushing, shoving and hitting others. Watch as the crowds block the opposition » . Congress made its decision to hold a referendum "with a reduced presence of opposition lawmakers," the Bolivian news agency said. Opposition legislators decried the move as "illegal," the agency said, but supporters of Morales welcomed it. "Now it is the Bolivian people who will decide with their vote whether to approve or reject the new constitution," said Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera, according to the Bolivian Information Agency. E-mail to a friend .

Air Force says 2 pilots in good condition after ejecting from plane . Emergency responders on scene of crash at Andersen Air Force Base . Crash is the second in three days involving an Air Force craft .

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(CNN) -- A B-2 stealth bomber crashed early Saturday morning local time in Guam, according to the Air Force. A B-2 stealth bomber taxis at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, in a 2005 photo. Two pilots who were aboard during the crash, at Andersen Air Force Base, ejected from the bomber and were in good condition afterward, according to an Air Force statement. The pilots were from the 509th Bomb Wing. The military didn't release their names. Emergency responders were on the scene of the crash. A board of officers will investigate its cause. The crash is the second in three days of an Air Force craft. Watch smoke rise from crash site . An Air Force fighter pilot was killed Wednesday after two F-15C jets collided during a training exercise over the Gulf of Mexico. The planes were from the 33rd Fighter Wing, a combat-flying unit out of Eglin Air Force Base near Pensacola, Florida. E-mail to a friend .

Chinese couple try to name baby "@" Father claims character translates as "love him" Officials have not revealed if the name has been allowed .

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BEIJING, China (Reuters) -- A Chinese couple tried to name their baby "@," claiming the character used in e-mail addresses echoed their love for the child, an official trying to whip the national language into line said on Thursday. The unusual name stands out especially in Chinese, which has no alphabet and instead uses tens of thousands of multi-stroke characters to represent words. "The whole world uses it to write e-mail, and translated into Chinese it means 'love him'," the father explained, according to the deputy chief of the State Language Commission Li Yuming. While the "@" symbol is familiar to Chinese e-mail users, they often use the English word "at" to sound it out -- which with a drawn out "T" sounds something like "ai ta," or "love him," to Mandarin speakers. Li told a news conference on the state of the language that the name was an extreme example of people's increasingly adventurous approach to Chinese, as commercialisation and the Internet break down conventions. Another couple tried to give their child a name that rendered into English sounds like "King Osrina." Li did not say if officials accepted the "@" name. But earlier this year the government announced a ban on names using Arabic numerals, foreign languages and symbols that do not belong to Chinese minority languages. Sixty million Chinese faced the problem that their names use ancient characters so obscure that computers cannot recognize them and even fluent speakers were left scratching their heads, said Li, according to a transcript of the briefing on the government Web site (www.gov.cn). One of them was the former Premier Zhu Rongji, whose name had a rare "rong" character that gave newspaper editors headaches. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Claims that one woman died from cancer, another from fasting in cult's cave . Russian cult leader told followers world would end in May . Sect members threatened to commit suicide if authorities tried to intervene .

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MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- A cult member who spent several months holed up in a cave with dozens of other people anticipating the end of the world claimed Wednesday that two women died and were buried inside. An above-ground kitchen used by the doomsday cult in the Penza region during the summer. The former cave-dweller, Vitaly Nedogon, relayed his claims to Russian TV journalists, according to Anton Sharonov, a spokesman for the administration of Penza, a region southeast of Moscow. The official said Nedogon did not report the information to police or authorities. Once the rest of the apocalyptic sect leaves the cave, investigators will move in to try to confirm Nedogon's report, Sharonov said. Nedogon and others left the cave, said to be near the village of Nikolskoye, about 700 kilometers (435 miles) from the Russian capital, about a week ago, after part of its ceiling collapsed. He claimed two women died at different times during the cult's seclusion, which began in November 2007. One woman died of cancer and the other from excessive fasting, he told the media. "However," Sharonov told the Russian news agency Interfax, "the Penza regional administration is of the view that these deaths must be proven legally, which is possible only if all the people leave the cave so that investigative officials can examine it." Sharonov said those who remain in the cave told Penza officials during negotiations that they would come out by the Russian Orthodox Easter, on April 27. He said officials believe 11 people are left in the cave, but only nine will be alive if Nedogon's report is true. According to Interfax, Penza Deputy Governor Oleg Melnichenko, who is leading the local effort to resolve the situation, said he was unaware of any deaths in the cave. The cave ordeal began when Kuznetsov, the group's leader, told his followers to hide themselves to await the end of the world, which he predicted would take place in May. They had threatened to commit mass suicide if authorities tried to intervene. Thirty-five sect members are believed to have entered the cave initially, Interfax said. E-mail to a friend . From CNN's Maxim Tkachenko in Moscow.

Second-placed Ajax held 2-2 at home by Vitesse Arnhem in Dutch Eredivisie . The Amsterdam side now trail league leaders PSV Eindhoven by five points . PSV defeated Excelsior 2-0 on Saturday to open up six-point gap at top .

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AMSTERDAM, Holland -- Ajax lost ground on Dutch league leaders PSV Eindhoven after being held to a 2-2 draw at Vitesse Arnhem on Sunday. Ajax's Leonardo, front in blue, duels for the ball with Sebastien Sansoni and Abubakari Yakubu of Vitesse. The Amsterdam side led 2-1 with two goals in four minutes just after half-time from Urby Emanuelson and Luis Suarez following Mads Junker's early opener, but Harrie Gommans rescued a draw. Ajax are now five points adrift of PSV, who beat Excelsior 2-1 on Saturday, with Heerenveen, Feyenoord and Groningen just one point further back. Feyenoord were held 1-1 at home by Groningen on Sunday, with Marcus Berg putting the visitors on course for a 13th win of the season until an own goal by Mark-Jan Fledderus on the stroke of half-time gave the Rotterdam side a point. At the other end of the table, Heracles registered their first away win of the season with a 5-0 thumping of fellow strugglers Venlo. Relegation-threatened Sparta Rotterdam and NEC Nijmegen both picked up vital victories. Sparta won 2-1 at sixth-placed Twente Enschede as goals from Yuri Rose and Charles Dissels on 28 and 51 minutes kept the visitors above of second-bottom Nijmegen on goal difference. NEC won 2-0 at home to ninth-placed Utrecht, the club's first victory since early November, as Jhonny van Beukering and Brett Holman netted in the second half. E-mail to a friend .

Coca-Cola was invented in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1886, by a U.S. pharmacist . Today it is the largest beverage company in the world . The company has operations in over 200 countries, employs 55,000 people .

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(CNN) -- Coca Cola was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 8, 1886. Dr. John Stith Pemberton, a local pharmacist, produced the syrup for Coca-Cola. It was put on sale at the nearby Jacobs' Pharmacy for five cents a glass as a soda fountain drink. An international organization, The Coca-Cola Company's first soda fountain sales to Canada and Mexico were recorded in 1897. Its first international bottler -- in Panama -- was established in 1906. The company entered China in 1927 and its 100th country -- Sierra Leone -- in 1957. Today, The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company with the most extensive distribution system in the world, operating in more than 200 countries across the world. The company currently has over 400 different brands under its control, and is one of the most recognizable names in the commercial world. The Coca-Cola Company, including the bottling entities it owns, employs approximately 71,000 people. More than 58,000 of those employees work for the company outside of the U.S. They are the largest private-sector employer across all of Africa. And in South Africa, for every one job created by the Coca-Cola system, 16 jobs are created in the informal retail sector. The company was placed in the top 25 places to work by Essence magazine and was named Wal-Mart's International Supplier of the Year in 2006. E-mail to a friend .

Billy Ray Hines is believed to have fired into a crowd, police say . Eight people, including five children, were shot, authorities say . Shooting happened Wednesday near a middle school, but not on school grounds . Hines will face 10 counts of attempted murder, police say .

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A 24-year-old gang member was arrested Thursday in connection with a shooting at a Los Angeles bus stop in which eight people were wounded, city officials said. Bystanders express shock after a shooting at a bus stop in Los Angeles Wednesday. Billy Ray Hines is believed to have fired into a crowd of people at the bus stop. Hines was apprehended Thursday afternoon as he was walking down the street, about a half-mile from the scene of the shooting, Police Chief William Bratton told reporters. Hines will face 10 counts of attempted murder -- one for each of the eight victims, and two more for what authorities believe to be his two intended victims, who were still being sought Thursday, Bratton said. Authorities are also seeking the gun used in the incident, he said. The shootings took place Wednesday afternoon at the intersection of Central and Vernon avenues, in an area where police are concerned about gang violence. Five of the victims were children. An 11-year-old girl was shot in the chest, and another girl, age 11, was shot in the right arm. Three boys were wounded -- ages 10, 12 and 14. One was shot in the leg, one in the buttocks and the third in the ankle, police said. One man was wounded in the leg and another in the ankle, and a woman was shot in the face. "While no one died yesterday, the bullets unleashed shot through the core of the entire community," Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said in announcing the arrest Thursday. "The decent people of this community responded with force." Watch mayor, authorities discuss arrest of gunman » . Witnesses came forward after the incident to identify the gunman as Hines, Bratton said. The shooting was believed to stem from a dispute between the gunman and the two intended victims, he said. E-mail to a friend .

Soyuz capsule lands hundreds of kilometers off-target . Capsule was carrying South Korea's first astronaut . Landing is second time Soyuz capsule has gone awry .

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MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Russian space officials say the crew of the Soyuz space ship is resting after a rough ride back to Earth. A South Korean bioengineer was one of three people on board the Soyuz capsule. The craft carrying South Korea's first astronaut landed in northern Kazakhstan on Saturday, 260 miles (418 kilometers) off its mark, they said. Mission Control spokesman Valery Lyndin said the condition of the crew -- South Korean bioengineer Yi So-yeon, American astronaut Peggy Whitson and Russian flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko -- was satisfactory, though the three had been subjected to severe G-forces during the re-entry. Search helicopters took 25 minutes to find the capsule and determine that the crew was unharmed. Officials said the craft followed a very steep trajectory that subjects the crew to gravitational forces of up to 10 times those on Earth. Interfax reported that the spacecraft's landing was rough. This is not the first time a spacecraft veered from its planned trajectory during landing. In October, the Soyuz capsule landed 70 kilometers from the planned area because of a damaged control cable. The capsule was carrying two Russian cosmonauts and the first Malaysian astronaut. E-mail to a friend .

Police said man lost his balance on an escalator as fans left the stadium . He died about 25 minutes later at Booth Memorial Hospital . Police are investigating the death as an accident .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- The daughter of a man who died after falling four stories at Shea Stadium said her father was not sliding down the escalator when the accident happened, as police reported. A statement from the New York Police Department on Tuesday said witnesses saw 36-year-old Antonio Nararainsami of Brooklyn sitting on the banister of the escalator when he lost his balance and fell. Nararainsami's daughter, Emily, told CNN affiliate WABC on Tuesday that her father was walking down the escalator, not sliding on its banister, as fans left the stadium after the New York Mets-Washington Nationals game. She said she and another relative saw what happened. "He wasn't moving or nothing; he was just walking down. I guess he tried to say something to us or something, and I guess he just lost his balance and flipped over," she said. Nararainsami died at Booth Memorial Hospital about 25 minutes after the 10 p.m. incident. Police are investigating the death as an accident. E-mail to a friend .

Roger Bergendorff is charged with possession of toxin, firearms . He was hospitalized for ricin exposure after it was found in hotel room . His cousin is charged with failing to report production and possession .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A man at the center of a mysterious case of exposure to the deadly biological agent ricin has been arrested, FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said Wednesday. Ricin was found in a room in this Las Vegas, Nevada, extended-stay hotel in February, police say. Roger Bergendorff was taken into custody Wednesday morning in Las Vegas, Nevada, Kolko said. Bergendorff, 57, was hospitalized with what was diagnosed as ricin exposure after the agent was discovered in his hotel room off the Las Vegas Strip. Tests conducted by the FBI determined that the substance contained 2.9 percent active ricin. Its preparation was characterized as "crude," according to the U.S. attorney's office in Las Vegas. According to a press release from the Department of Justice office, a search of Bergendorff's hotel room turned up "an 'Anarchist's Cookbook,' a collection of instructions on poisons and other dangerous recipes, including instructions on the preparation of ricin," two semiautomatic pistols, a rifle and a pistol with a silencer. "FBI searches of Salt Lake City [Utah] storage units rented by Von Bergendorff resulted in the discovery of castor beans, various chemicals used in the production of ricin, a respirator, filters, painter's mask, laboratory glassware, syringes and a notebook on ricin production," the Justice Department release said. Bergendorff is charged with possession of a biological toxin, possession of unregistered firearms and possession of firearms not identified by serial number, according to the U.S. attorney's office. If convicted of all charges, he would face a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $750,000. Bergendorff is scheduled for an initial court appearance at 3 p.m. Wednesday. It is illegal under federal law to possess a biological agent and toxin unless it is used for bona fide research or other peaceful purpose, U.S. Attorney Gregory Bower said in a written statement. Bergendorff's cousin, Thomas Tholen of Riverton, Utah, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City this month, accused of failing to report production and possession of ricin. Ricin is a poison that can be made from the waste of castor bean processing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can come in the form of a mist or pellet and can be dissolved in water or weak acid, the agency said. Bergendorff was hospitalized February 14 in Las Vegas after he complained of difficulty breathing. He slipped into a coma and awoke March 14. Bergendorff, 57, is an artist who neighbors said had lived in his cousin's basement before moving to Las Vegas. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Kevin Bohn, Karan Olson and Carol Cratty contributed to this report.

Author tells paper he got data for Colombia guidebook "from a chick I was dating" Author's works include guides on Brazil, Venezuela, Chile, paper reports . Lonely Planet tells paper it wants to ensure "this type of thing never happens again" "Urgent" review of author's books reveals no inaccuracies, publisher tells paper .

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(CNN) -- A Lonely Planet author says he plagiarized or made up portions of the popular travel guidebooks and dealt drugs to supplement poor pay, an Australian newspaper reported Sunday. Lonely Planet publishes more than 500 titles and employs 300 authors, according to its Web site. Thomas Kohnstamm, who has written a book on his misadventures, also said he didn't travel to Colombia to write the guidebook on the country because "they didn't pay me enough," The Daily Telegraph reported. "I wrote the book in San Francisco [California]," he is quoted as saying in the Telegraph. "I got the information from a chick I was dating -- an intern in the Colombian Consulate." The 32-year-old Seattle, Washington, native also claims he accepted free travel, which is a violation of the company's policy. Kohnstamm has worked on more than a dozen books for Lonely Planet, including its titles on Brazil, Colombia, the Caribbean, Venezuela, Chile and South America. An e-mail from Lonely Planet said Kohnstamm's book were being reviewed, the newspaper reported. "If we find that the content has been compromised, we'll take urgent steps to fix it. Once we've got things right for travelers as quickly as we can, we'll look at what we do and how we do it to ensure as best we can that this type of thing never happens again," the e-mail said, according to the newspaper. The book's publisher, Piers Pickard, told the paper that an "urgent" review of Kohnstamm's books did not reveal any inaccuracies. The Lonely Planet series publishes 500 titles, updated every two to four years, and employs 300 authors, according to the company's Web site. It sells more than 6 million guides a year, the newspaper reported. Kohnstamm's book, "Do Travel Writers Go to Hell?: A Swashbuckling Tale of High Adventures, Questionable Ethics and Professional Hedonism," is set for release next week. On his MySpace page, Kohnstamm says the book "is about the decision to abandon Manhattan to try to make it as a travel writer and the good, the bad and the really surreal that I experienced on the road." E-mail to a friend .

Anthropologist reconstructs Neanderthal vocal tracts to simulate their voice . Result sounds like a part croaking frog or a human burping . Plan is to eventually simulate an entire Neanderthal sentence .

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(CNN) -- It's been 30,000 years since Neanderthals walked the earth, but now we can hear what they sounded like, according to a Florida anthropologist. Neanderthal man apparently sounded like a frog croaking or a human burping when talking. Robert McCarthy of Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton reconstructed Neanderthal vocal tracts to simulate their voice with a computer synthesizer. The result is a single syllable that sounds strange and unremarkable: part croaking frog, part burping human. But McCarthy says that's because Neanderthals lacked the "quantal vowels" modern humans use. "They would have spoken a bit differently," McCarthy said at the annual meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists in Ohio this month. "They wouldn't have been able to produce these quantal vowels that form the basis of spoken language." New Scientist magazine discussed McCarthy's findings and linked to his vocal simulation on its Web site. Listen to Neanderthal man speak . McCarthy used 50,000-year-old fossils from France to make his reconstruction, New Scientist said. He plans to simulate an entire Neanderthal sentence, the magazine reported. To reconstruct the vocal tracts, McCarthy teamed with linguist Phil Lieberman, who worked in the 1970s to deduce the dimensions of a Neanderthal larynx based on its skull. E-mail to a friend .

No date set for the court-martial . U.S. military charges Marine after girl dropped charges in February . Most of U.S. troops in Japan are stationed in Okinawa .

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TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- The U.S. military in Japan has charged a Marine with rape and other violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice in the alleged sexual assault of 14-year old girl in Okinawa. A civic group member protests against Hadnott near the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo on February 13. Staff Sgt. Tyrone Luther Hadnott, 38, has been charged with the rape of a child under 16, abusive sexual contact with a child, making a false official statement, adultery and kidnapping, the Marines said Friday. No dates for the court-martial have been set. In February, Japanese authorities released Hadnott after the girl dropped the allegations against him, but the Marine Corps conducted its own investigation to see if Hadnott violated codes of military justice. It held him at a Marine facility. The rape accusation against Hadnott stirred memories of a brutal rape more than a decade ago and triggered outrage across Japan. Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda deplored as "unforgivable" the allegations against Hadnott. The incident also led to tight restrictions, for a time, for American troops and their families at the U.S. base on Okinawa. The U.S. military in Japan also formed a sexual assault prevention task force after the incident. More than 40,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Japan, most of them on Okinawa. The troops were placed there under a security alliance after Japan was defeated in World War II and was renounced its right to a military. The U.S. military presence has at times bred resentment among some Japanese, who have long complained about crime, noise and accidents. Anti-American sentiments boiled over in 1995 after three American servicemen kidnapped and gang-raped a 12-year-old Okinawan schoolgirl. Two years ago, a U.S. civilian military employee was jailed for nine years for raping two women. E-mail to a friend .

NEW: 2 U.S. soldiers killed by roadside bomb in Baghdad on Monday, U.S. says . NEW: Other roadside bombs in Baghdad kill one police officer, injure four people . Death toll rises to 40 in explosion in Karbala, official says; 65 injured . Explosion was near holy shrine for Shiite Muslims, burial spot of Hussein bin Ali .

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KARBALA, Iraq (CNN) -- A female suicide bomber apparently targeting Shiite worshippers killed at least 40 people and wounded at least 65 in Karbala on Monday, according to an Interior Ministry official. Iraqi security forces gather around the site of a car bomb explosion in Baghdad on Monday. The incident occurred one-half mile from the Imam Hussein shrine of Karbala. Karbala is a Shiite holy city, and the Imam Hussein shrine is one of Shiite Islam's holiest locations. The shrine marks the burial spot of Hussein bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, who was killed in battle nearby in 680. No more information was immediately available about the blast southwest of the capital city, Baghdad. Earlier Monday, in Baghdad, a roadside bomb exploded near an Iraqi police patrol, killing one officer and wounding another, the Interior Ministry told CNN. A short time later, another roadside bomb exploded near an Iraqi police patrol on Palestine Street in eastern Baghdad, wounding four bystanders, a ministry official said. The first attack took place about 8:30 a.m. in the upscale Mansour neighborhood, where law enforcement officials have come under frequent attacks in recent weeks. Also Monday, two American soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb north of Baghdad, officials said. The incident occurred about 12:20 p.m. as the soldiers were "conducting a route-clearance combat operation north of Baghdad," according to a news release. The names of the soldiers were not immediately released. Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney arrived in the Iraqi capital Monday on an unannounced visit. Cheney told reporters that the five years in Iraq since the war's start has been "well worth the effort." He said he met with top Iraqi officials. He appeared at a news conference with Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to the country. Cheney began a trip to the Middle East on Sunday with an official itinerary that listed stops in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Israel and the West Bank, according to the White House. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.

Javier Zanetti scores a late goal to earn Inter Milan a 1-1 draw against Roma . The result keeps Inter nine points clear and retains their unbeaten league run . AC Milan slipped to fifth position as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Catania .

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ROME, Italy -- Captain Javier Zanetti saved Inter Milan's unbeaten Serie A record as he rifled home a stunning late volley to earn a 1-1 draw against second-placed Roma at the San Siro on Wednesday. Zanetti celebrates his late strike as Inter retained their unbeaten Serie A record with a 1-1 draw against Roma. Roma captain Francesco Totti had given the visitors a deserved first-half leadbut Zanetti's strike two minutes from time maintained Inter's nine-point lead at the top. Roma needed to win to breathe new life into the title race but they were dealt a cruel blow as French defender Philippe Mexes was sent-off late on for two bookings in quick succession. Inter capitalised and they have now lost only once in their last 65 league matches. The home side had the first clear-cut chance of the match and were within centimeters of taking the lead when Hernan Crespo met a cross from Patrick Vieira with an acrobatic volley, but saw his effort cannon back off the post. The defending champions were made to pay for that miss on 38 minutes as the visitors orchestrated a sublime goal. Neat footwork from Macedonia international Mirko Vucinic released Max Tonetto down the left and his pin-point cross was flicked home at the near post by Totti from six meters out as he stole in front of defender Cristian Chivu. Inter center-back Nicolas Burdisso should have restored parity in first-half stoppage time but his header from Luis Figo's corner flew over the bar. Figo himself had a great chance on 54 minutes but after having time to set himself up for an attempted volley, he skewed his effort so badly that it did not even go out of play. After Mexes' dismissal 10 from time, Inter laid siege to Roma's goal. Goalkeeper Doni had to be alert to tip over Crespo's header three minutes from time but he could do nothing about Zanetti's volley a minute later. Meanwhile, AC Milan slipped to fifth place as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Catania. Brazilian teenager Pato gave them the lead early in the second half with a skimming long-range shot but substitute Gionathan Spinesi's header earnt the Sicilians a point. Fiorentina are up to fourth after they defeated Livorno 1-0 at home thanks to a goal from Senegal forward Ndiaye Papa Waigo. E-mail to a friend .

Rangers remain four points clear in Scotland after a superb 4-0 win at Hearts . Jean-Claude Darcheville and Nacho Novo both net twice for the league leaders . Celtic remain second in the table following 2-1 victory against Inverness Caley .

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GLASGOW, Scotland -- Jean-Claude Darcheville and Nacho Novo both scored twice to fire leaders Rangers to a 4-0 win at Hearts, their 10th consecutive Scottish Premier League victory. Jean-Claude Darcheville scored two first-half goals as Rangers cruised to a 4-0 victory at Hearts. Hearts found themselves ripped apart by a rampant Rangers side, who sent out a clear message to rivals Celtic by maintaining their four-point advantage at the summit. Darcheville claimed the opener after 25 minutes, cutting inside from the left and squeezing his shot inside the far post from a tight angle. The same player added a second two minutes before the break, scoring from close range after a Barry Ferguson corner was not cleared. Darcheville was withdrawn for Novo at the interval, but if Hearts thought the departure of the Frenchman meant some much-needed respite, they were sadly mistaken. Novo was on the pitch for seven minutes when he helped himself to a goal of his own. Charlie Adam set up the shot with a low ball across goal and all that was required from the striker was to bundle home from close range. The same two players combined again to supply Rangers with their fourth goal with 69 minutes gone. Adam was again the provider and this time Novo produced a cheeky back-heel finish from five meters. Meanwhile, goals by Scott McDonald and Georgios Samaras gave Celtic a hard-fought 2-1 win at home to Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Australian international McDonald's 25th goal of the season right on the interval gave the champions the lead and his Greek team-mate bulleted an Aiden McGeady cross past goalkeeper Michael Fraser on the hour mark. But the final minutes were needlessly fraught for Celtic after Caley striker Marius Niculae took advantage of Scott Brown's misplaced pass to pull a goal back in the 70th minute. E-mail to a friend .

NEW: Searcher says plane "practically pulverized" in Venezuela mountains . Plane with 46 people on board crashes in the Andes Mountains . Aircraft was flying from Merida to airport near Caracas . There were no survivors, official says .

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(CNN) -- Rescue teams on Friday found the wreckage of a plane that crashed Thursday night in the mountains of Venezuela, but none of the 46 people aboard survived, a searcher said. "The impact was direct. The aircraft is practically pulverized," firefighter Jhonny Paz told Globovision, a privately owned Venezuelan television station. "There are no survivors." There was no word on the cause of the crash. Witnesses saw the Santa Barbara Airlines plane go down, according to Antonio Rivero, Venezuela's national director of civil protection. Harsh weather and rough terrain in the Andes Mountains likely will make the job of emergency workers difficult, Rivero said on a state-run television station. The plane went missing while flying from Merida to the international airport near Caracas, an official said. The pilot did not check in with controllers 20 minutes into the flight, as scheduled, suggesting the plane encountered problems shortly after takeoff. Nelson Marquez, chief of civil defense for Merida, said the plane was carrying 43 passengers and three crew members. Media reports said the Santa Barbara Airlines plane was supposed to land about 7 p.m. local time Thursday. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Guillermo Arduino and Adrian Criscaut contributed to this report.

Police: Man stopped at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport dressed as a priest . Initially refused to be searched, saying that he was a religious person . Found to have $155,000 worth of cocaine strapped to his legs under his vestments . Officers trying to establish whether the man, on flight from Peru, is a priest .

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(CNN) -- A man dressed as a priest caught at Amsterdam's airport with three kilos of cocaine under his vestments claimed to police that his packages contained "holy sand", Dutch police said. Security officials conducting a normal security check at Schiphol airport last year. Police stopped the man at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport as he was transiting on a flight from South America, Robert Van Aapel, a spokesman for the Dutch Royal Military Police told CNN by phone Saturday. "He refused to be searched saying that he was a religious person and it was not allowed," Van Aapel said. "However, this is normal procedure so our officers insisted. They asked him again and after the second time they carried out the search and discovered the man had packs strapped to his legs below his priest's clothes. He told us they contained holy sand," he said. He said the man, who is aged around 40 and a Bolivian national, was arrested Thursday after arriving in to the airport on a flight from Lima, Peru. He was attempting to transit on a flight to Milan when he was apprehended with the cocaine, worth around €105,000 ($155,000). The Bolivian appeared in court Friday on charges of drug smuggling, Van Aapel said. Dutch police are trying to establish if the man is a real priest after he claimed to be a senior member of the clergy in the Bolivian capital La Paz, he added. E-mail to a friend .

Two anti-whaling activists handed over to Australian government officials . Japan contacting Australia to help secure release of activists, reports say . Sea Shepherd Conservation Society says ship's crew kidnapped 2 of its members . The activists boarded the Japanese whaling vessel to deliver a letter .

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(CNN) -- Two anti-whaling activists who were seized by a Japanese whaling vessel two days ago have been handed over to Australian government officials on a ship in the Antarctic, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Thursday. Australian citizen Benjamin Potts and British citizen Giles Lane, both members of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, jumped on board the Yushin Maru No. 2 Tuesday to deliver a letter saying the vessel was violating international law and Australian law by killing whales. The anti-whaling group accused the crew of the Japanese vessel of kidnapping the men based on a video that showed Potts and Lane tied to the ship's railing. In the video, Japanese fishermen pace back and forth in front of them. Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith Wednesday did not answer questions about whether the men would be charged for their actions, stressing instead that the immediate priority was to retrieve them. "I'm not going to give a running commentary on who's done what to whom and the various allegations and counter allegation," he said. Smith said the Japanese government -- which formally approached Australia to assist in the transfer -- did not lay out any conditions for the transfer, in which the men were brought on board the Australian ship, the Oceanic Viking. Watch the anti-whaling activists board the Japanese vessel » . Capt. Paul Watson, founder of Sea Shepherd, had said earlier that the men were seized by the Japanese crew and assaulted. Watch Watson describe the incident » . Sea Shepherd claims Japan's Institute for Cetacean Research, which is backing the operations, had said it would release the two activists if Sea Shepherd agrees to stop interfering in its whaling operations. The group says it will not agree to that demand. The Japanese Fisheries Agency said Thursday it would readily hand over the two men. But the agency charged that the Sea Shepherd members were the terrorists. At a news conference earlier, the agency released pictures of broken bottles they claim group members threw at the ship. They also released a photo of the two activists relaxing and drinking tea aboard the Yushin Maru. "For some time, for 10, 15 minutes, I understand, they were tied to a GPS mast," Tomohiko Taniguchi of Japan's Foreign Ministry told CNN. "The Japanese crew members feared that two crew members from Sea Shepherd might do something violent." He said Potts and Lane boarded the vessel without permission. Watson said the two boarded only after attempts to contact the ship by radio were unsuccessful. Japan has been hunting whales in the Antarctic and apparently plans to kill as many as 1,000 this winter. The killings are allowed under international law because their main purpose is scientific. "We regard them as poachers," Watson said. E-mail to a friend . CNN Correspondent Kyung Lah contributed to this report.

Courtney Larrell Lockhart, 23, charged with three counts of capital murder . Auburn University student Lauren Burk found shot Tuesday, died at hospital . Burk's car found minutes later engulfed in flames in campus parking lot .

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(CNN) -- Police have arrested a man in the killing of Auburn University freshman Lauren Burk, who died this week, according to the Auburn, Alabama, assistant police chief. Courtney Larrell Lockhart, 23, of Smiths, Alabama, is charged with capital murder during a kidnapping, capital murder during a robbery, and capital murder during an attempted rape, Tommy Dawson said Saturday. The Phenix City Police Department took Lockhart into custody on Friday, police said. Phenix City is about 35 miles southeast of Auburn. Burk, 18, from Marietta, Georgia, was found shot on North College Street, a few miles north of campus, on Tuesday night. She died later at a hospital. Minutes after police responded to the call reporting an injured person and found Burk, they found a car -- which turned out to be Burk's -- on fire in a campus parking lot. Dawson told reporters Friday that authorities think gasoline or another accelerant was used to ignite Burk's car, and police were investigating whether a gas can found in downtown Auburn was connected. Police want to investigate every possible lead, Dawson said. Authorities were still on patrol in the east Alabama campus, he said. The university's Web site said a campus-wide memorial service will be held Monday. The site carried a message from Burk's father, James, which said: "The Burk family was so proud to have Lauren as an Auburn University student. We want to extend our deepest gratitude and appreciation for Auburn University, the city of Auburn and the Auburn Police Department. We feel very close to your community. We appreciate what everyone is doing for us and Lauren." Also on Friday, police released pictures of a 2001 Honda Civic similar to Burk's car. Authorities asked anyone who thinks they might have seen the car on Tuesday to contact them. Police are continuing to interview people, Dawson said. A student at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill -- Eve Carson, 22, of Athens, Georgia -- was also shot to death this week, on early Wednesday. Authorities in Chapel Hill said Friday they had been in contact with Auburn police but did not believe the two cases were connected. Watch CNN's Nancy Grace discuss the two killings of college women from Georgia » . Burk's family, in a statement read Friday to reporters by family friend Kathy Singleton, expressed their gratitude for the thoughts and prayers offered, but asked for privacy "so that they may grieve for their loss as well as celebrate Lauren's life." Those wishing to honor Burk could do so by donating to her favorite charities, Singleton said -- The Invisible Child and the American Kidney Foundation. Donations can be made at any Wachovia Bank to the Lauren Burk Memorial Fund. E-mail to a friend .

"Desperate Housewives" actress Eva Longoria Parker gives peek into closet . Says she has Christian Louboutin espadrille wedges in every color. Her most-expensive item is a hot-pink crocodile Hermès Birkin bag .

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(InStyle.com) -- How many closets does it take to make a "Desperate Housewife" happy? Just one, if it's anything like Parker's. We got a guided tour--and learned a lot more about the fashion-savvy star than her taste in shoes. "I love my new name. In Texas people are formal, so now it's 'Mrs. Parker.' I feel old! But I love it." Best dress . A "gorgeous 1950s-style cocktail dress by Gustavo Cadile is my absolute favorite. It's fun, but classic too," says Parker. Treasured keepsake . A clutch that belonged to her aunt: "She was the glue of our family. It's so beautiful and so impractical -- nothing fits in it." Watch what else is in her closet » . First Christmas gift from Tony Parker . A necklace designed by Monique Lhuillier. "It's his Spurs number. I love it." Loves, but doesn't know what to do with . A "quirky lip-shaped purse by Judith Leiber. I can't figure out how to wear it!" Fashion faux pas . "One time, my mom and aunt Didi were helping me clean out my closet. Aunt Didi had taken off her jacket. I grabbed it and was like, 'What is this? Who would give me this ugly thing?' And she was like, 'That's mine!' " Go-to outfit . "A thermal top, a scarf, and I'm not just saying this because she's my friend, but I love my Victoria Beckham DVB jeans. She sent me three pairs--they're perfect." First splurge . "I'd always wanted Uggs, but I always had the impostors--the Muggs, the Thuggs, the everything but. I still wear [them]." Owns in multiples . "Christian Louboutin espadrille wedges. They're so high! I have them in every color. I've sprained my ankle walking on the cobblestones in Paris wearing them. They're a beautiful pain." Cool freebie . "Richard Tyler mules. I did a photo shoot and they said I could keep them. I simply could not believe someone would give me a $300 pair of shoes. I was fascinated!" Most expensive item . "My hot-pink crocodile Hermès Birkin bag. Robert Verdi, my stylist, told me, 'Wear it with everything--even to bed. This is going to be handed down in your will.' " E-mail to a friend . Get a FREE TRIAL issue of InStyle - CLICK HERE! Copyright © 2007 Time Inc. All rights reserved.

NEW: Tornado watch in effect for parts of northwestern Alabama . Law enforcement official reports tornado damage in Tupelo, Mississippi . Storm damages trees, power lines, overturns 18-wheeler on U.S. 45 . No injuries reported in Mississippi town .

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(CNN) -- A tornado swept through parts of Tupelo, Mississippi, on Thursday, damaging trees, power lines and overturning a 18-wheel truck, a law enforcement official said. iReporter Graham Hancock saw damage Thursday at the Tupelo Furniture Market in Tupelo, Mississippi. "Just a little earlier this morning, we began to get reports of damage starting from the west side of Tupelo," said Chief Deputy John Hall of the Lee County Sheriff's Department. Hall said the storm moved north across the city to the Mall at Barnes Crossing. Nearby on U.S. 45, an 18-wheel truck was overturned, he said. There were no reports of injuries, and Hall said authorities were assessing damages. Watch as a Tupelo resident describes the storm » . Jeff Snyder, general manager for the Mall at Barnes Crossing, said the shopping center sustained "minor property damage." Terry Anderson, executive director of Tupelo Regional Airport, said the facility had minor damage, including some broken windows. He said the airport was closed for about 10 minutes while the taxiway and runway were cleared. No flights were delayed, he said, and the airport is "up and running." Mark Waddle, who works at the airport, said he saw the storm form. "It was real small at first," said Waddle, an employee at the airport's Budget Car Rental counter. "All the clouds were twirling around." Waddle said he watched as the tornado touched down near the airport. "It looked like it hit some kind of transformer because the whole sky lit up blue," he said. "Then it kind of blew through the Tupelo airport. ... It was blowing so hard the trees were touching the ground." Waddle said he was not aware of any significant damage to the airport apart from overturned trash cans and debris in tree branches. "All of the people and all the vehicles and everything are fine up here at the airport," he said. Bobbye Jones, who works at the Mississippi Department of Transportation in Tupelo, said the roof blew off the lab at the agency. She said fallen tree branches also had damaged vehicles outside her office. "Everything just got real dark," Jones said. . A tornado watch, which denotes favorable conditions for tornadoes, is in effect until late Thursday afternoon for parts of northwestern Alabama.

Last year, Saudi Arabia brought in around $200 billion from oil . The huge profits are fueling growth but inflation is at a 30 year high . Food and water costs have rocketed by 16 percent . The Saudi government is looking at remedies like a minimum wage .

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(CNN) -- One thing Saudi people should not have to worry about is money. Oil money is paying for Saudi Arabia's growth but it is also the main cause of rising prices . The kingdom is awash in cash which keeps pouring into the world's largest oil producer as prices rise. Last year alone, Saudi is estimated to have raked in about $200 billion from oil. It is this influx of money which is paying for Saudi Arabia's economic growth -- but it is also the main cause of rising prices across the country. "There is no free lunch. If you want to grow at that base, you have to swallow a price every once in a while in the form of high inflation," said Abdulrahman Al Harithi, CEO of investment bank, MENA Financial Group. Saudi people are certainly paying the price. Inflation is currently running at 9.6 percent -- a 30-year high. At the beginning of the year, rental costs went up nearly 17 percent. In March, the cost of fuel and water increased almost 16 percent and other everyday staples also saw double digit gains. The kingdom's business community is also concerned about the adverse effects of inflation. A recent survey of Saudi Arabia's business confidence by financial services company, SABB, found that while confidence remains robust, over half of respondents were concerned that inflation would lead to rising business costs. Prices in the kingdom will continue their upward trend, according to the analysts at SABB. What's more, there is not much the Saudi government can do to combat it. The riyal, like many other Gulf currencies, is pegged to the U.S. dollar and while the Gulf is booming, the U.S. is heading towards recession. As the economic fortunes of the two countries continue to diverge it is hard to see what can be done to combat inflation. The main problem is that whenever the U.S. Federal Reserve cuts interest rates, like it did this week, the kingdom must follow suit. In a booming economy like Saudi's, low interest rates push prices through the roof. The government is studying whether remedies like a minimum wage could ease the pain but some in the kingdom, like Al Harithi, say there is no quick solution. "Honestly, I don't' think there is an answer for such a question. I don't think there is a magical formula that could fix this issue," he told CNN. E-mail to a friend .

Amateur video of the moment the Lufthansa flight scraped its wing . Strong winds blamed for the near miss at Hamburg airport . The plane recovered and landed safely the second time around .

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(CNN) -- Battling blustery weather, a Lufthansa Airlines flight scraped its wing on the ground during a landing attempt in Hamburg, Germany, over the weekend. Internet footage of the Lufthansa A320 as it attempts a landing Saturday at Hamburg, Germany. The plane recovered and landed safely the second time around, the spokesman said. Dramatic amateur video of the incident that appeared on the Internet showed the Airbus A320 teetering as it tried to land during the brutal winter storm on Saturday. As it nears the tarmac, one wing visible scrapes the ground. Watch the plane try to land as a passenger describes experience » . "As we were about to touch down, a gust of wind pressed the left wing towards the ground," a Lufthansa pilot identified only as Oliver A. said in a statement. "We pulled up immediately. A maneuver we practice in training very often." The airline said the pilot has been flying for Lufthansa for 17 years. Watch as plane avoids crash » Airline spokesman Wolfgang Weber said the left winglet, a fin at the end of the wing scraped the ground after a gust of wind tipped the plane. Damage to the plane was minimal and not structural. He said the plane is already back in service. • Were you on board? Send us an iReport E-mail to a friend .

Officials: 1:30 p.m. explosion kills grandfather, severely injures grandchild . It's unclear what caused the blast, authorities say . Investigator: 64-year-old Richard Leith died at hospital . Neighbor says he saw a woman running down street with a little girl after blast .

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(CNN) -- An explosion destroyed a home in suburban Pittsburgh on Wednesday, killing an elderly man and severely injuring his grandchild, authorities said. A house exploded Wednesday, killng one person and injuring a second, in the Pennsylvania borough of Plum. The explosion was reported about 1:30 p.m. on Mardi Gras Drive in Plum Borough, about 15 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Several neighboring homes were damaged, fire officials said. Richard Leith, 64, was babysitting his grandchild in the home, according to John J. Smith, an investigator with the Allegheny County medical examiner's office. Both were transported to local hospitals, though Leith died later in the afternoon. The condition of the child, who was treated at Children's Hospital, was unknown, Smith said. Leith's autopsy would be conducted on Thursday, he added. It is unclear what caused the explosion. Dave Heiser, a neighbor, told CNN that he was home when he heard the explosion. "I thought my house blew up. My windows were blown out. I went outside and debris was falling from the sky," he said. Watch the neighbor describe hearing the blast » . He said he ran three houses down and saw a woman running with a little girl and screaming. "The little girl was apparently in the house when the explosion happened and was blown outside," Heiser said. "That house was leveled to the ground. There is nothing left." Several families who were displaced by the explosion were directed to Red Cross officials to make arrangements for shelter Wednesday night, authorities said. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Ninette Sosa contributed to this report.

Madeleine McCann possibly seen at roadside restaurant near Montpellier . AP: Police say girl on surveillance tape is not Madeleine . Man takes girl from restaurant after Madeleine's name called, spokesman says . McCann has been missing since May 3; her parents named official suspects .

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(CNN) -- A Dutch tourist says she recently spotted missing 4-year-old Madeleine McCann at a French restaurant near Montpellier, McCann family spokesman Clarence Mitchell said Wednesday. A handout photo, released September 16, 2007, of missing child Madeleine McCann. The tourist said she recognized Madeleine from the many media reports about the child's May 3 disappearance and may have even seen the well-publicized defect in the little girl's eye, Mitchell said. "She and a friend saw a child that they immediately took to be Madeleine," said Mitchell. "They actually called out her name. "A man who was with the child scooped the child up and took her out of the cafe before the girls could take a photograph with their mobile phones," he said. Mitchell said there is a surveillance tape of the girl in the L'Arche restaurant and Madeleine's parents are hoping to be able to use it to determine if it is their missing daughter. Mitchell explains how the sighting came about » . But The Associated Press, quoting an unnamed police official, is reporting that investigators have determined it was not the missing child. Police watched the closed-circuit video footage, and despite the child looking like Madeleine, it was not her, said the official, who did not want his name published because he is not authorized to speak to media about the case. Madeleine disappeared May 3, days before her fourth birthday. Her parents, who were vacationing with her in Portugal, have said she disappeared from their room at a resort while they dined in a nearby restaurant. Despite a global search and the attention of celebrities like Virgin Chairman Richard Branson, author J.K. Rowling and soccer star David Beckham, there have been no major breaks in the case. Portuguese investigators in September named the McCanns official suspects in their daughter's disappearance. The McCanns deny involvement, saying they believe Madeleine may have been abducted by pedophiles and taken to North Africa. A few months ago, there was a reported sighting of Madeleine in Belgium, but nothing came of that report. Last year, excitement grew when a video surfaced of a Moroccan woman carrying a child on her back who looked very similar to Madeleine. Authorities determined that it was the woman's child. E-mail to a friend .

NEW: President Daniel Ortega said move "in solidarity" with Ecuador . On Saturday, Colombia's military attacked a rebel camp in Ecuador . U.S. official: Small chance Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador will fight .

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(CNN) -- Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega said Thursday that the nation is breaking relations with Colombia "in solidarity with the Ecuadoran people." Nicaragua President Daniel Ortega said the nation is breaking diplomatic relations with Colombia. The move comes after the Organization of American States passed a resolution Wednesday in hopes of easing tensions stemming from an attack by Colombian military on a rebel camp in neighboring Ecuador on Saturday. Since that attack, Ecuador has broken off relations with Colombia, and Venezuela says it has moved troops to its border with Colombia. Ortega made his televised remarks in Managua, where he was flanked by Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa. Colombian forces killed at least 17 members of the leftist group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia on Saturday. FARC is estimated to be holding at least 700 hostages in the jungles of Colombia and has been accused by the United States of being a terrorist organization. "This rupture of relations isn't with the people of Colombia," Ortega said. "We are breaking with the terrorist policies that the government of [Colombian President] Alvaro Uribe is practicing." In its resolution, the OAS called the attack "a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ecuador and of principles of international law." It ordered a commission, headed by OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza and composed of four ambassadors designated by him, to visit both countries to investigate the matter, "and to propose formulas for bringing the two nations closer together." Colombian officials have apologized for taking their attack against the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia into Ecuador but said it was necessary to counter a threat to their national security. Colombian officials also said they discovered evidence after the attack that Ecuadoran and Venezuelan government officials were collaborating with the group -- namely that Chavez allegedly gave $300 million to the rebels and that a senior Ecuadoran official met with them. "[They] are making things up and there's no limit to what they'll make up," Chavez said at a news conference on Wednesday. Correa has said his country would only be satisfied when the OAS issues a "clear condemnation" against Colombia for the raid. OAS foreign ministers are to meet March 17 in Washington "to examine the facts and make the pertinent recommendations," the resolution concluded. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday that he saw little chance of war erupting between Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. Learn more about the countries » . Gates added that the United States would not need to assist its Colombian allies should armed conflict break out. "My personal view is that there is relatively little likelihood of a military conflict between them, and my further impression is that the Colombians can take care of themselves," he said at the Pentagon. E-mail to a friend .

Police dogs in Duesseldorf, Germany are now wearing protective shoes . Glass shards left by beer drinkers in the city center are the reason . Duesseldorf police force has 20 German and Belgian Shepherds . Dogs shoes cost €60 ($89) and are also worn by dogs who walk on ice in Alaska .

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(CNN) -- They're big, strong, and fierce -- and they wear little blue booties. The police dogs in Duesseldorf, Germany are now patrolling the pavement in protective shoes that their police-officer handlers strap onto their paws. The reason? Too many glass shards left by beer drinkers in the city center, said Andre Hartwich, a spokesman for police in Duesseldorf. "We wondered how can we protect our dogs' feet against glass," said Hartwich. "We looked on the Internet and found these shoes." Beer drinkers along the Rhine River and in the city's Altstadt, or Old Town, often discard beer bottles on pebbled walkways. Broken glass poses a problem for the police force's 20 German Shepherds and Belgian Shepherds, Hartwich said. In addition, hooligans and vandals leave behind glass shards around New Year's Eve and during the city's famous Carnival celebrations. So what's a dog to do? Their handlers shelled out 60 euros -- $89 -- for shoes that are also worn by dogs who walk on ice in Alaska. Dogs need a month of training to get used to wearing the shoes, Hartwich said. "We have to condition the dogs to the shoes," he said. E-mail to a friend .

Red Cross says it became aware of the relationship 10 days ago . Relationship allegedly involves a subordinate female Red Cross employee . Board "concluded that the situation reflected poor judgment on Mr. Everson's part" Everson: I "deeply regret it is impossible for me to continue"

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(CNN) -- Red Cross President and CEO Mark W. Everson has stepped down after revelations he was "engaged in a personal relationship with a subordinate employee," the organization announced Tuesday. Mark W. Everson says he is leaving his post, effective immediately, for "personal and family reasons." The Red Cross Board of Governors asked for and received Everson's resignation after it "concluded that the situation reflected poor judgment on Mr. Everson's part and diminished his ability to lead the organization in the future," the Red Cross said in a statement on its Web site. Everson, 53, said in a written statement that he was leaving the $500,000-per-year job "for personal and family reasons, and deeply regret it is impossible for me to continue in a job so recently undertaken." Everson -- who is married and has two children -- joined the Red Cross as president and CEO last May. The organization became aware of Everson's relationship with a female Red Cross employee 10 days ago, Chief Public Affairs Officer Suzy C. DeFrancis told CNN in a telephone interview. "I think the board acted very quickly," she said, adding that the woman remains in her job. About Everson, DeFrancis said, "We're grateful for his service." The board of governors on Tuesday appointed Mary S. Elcano, general counsel and five-year Red Cross employee, as interim president and CEO. Everson had worked in the Bush administration from August 2001 -- including serving as commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service -- until he was hired by the Red Cross. "This is flabbergasting, that's all I can say. It's completely contrary to his public persona that he evidenced while he was at the IRS," said Suzanne Ross McDowell, a Washington-based attorney who served on an advisory committee to the IRS division that deals with tax-exempt organizations. "From the standpoint of exempt organizations on the non-profit sector, it's just another news story that we would rather not see," she said. "It's got nothing to do with the Red Cross," said Ira Milstein, a New York lawyer specializing in corporate governance who has worked with the organization and was impressed with Everson. "He was a team player and a good leader. To have him fall off a cliff like this is just sad." A search committee has been formed to begin the process of finding Everson's permanent replacement, the organization said. The job has been a challenging one. Marsha J. Evans resigned as president in 2005, after the Red Cross response to Hurricane Katrina came under fire. Four years earlier, Bernadine Healy quit the post after the organization was criticized for mishandling donations intended for victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks and collecting vast quantities of blood that was not needed and ultimately thrown out. Healy told reporters she "had no choice" about her resignation. Meanwhile, DeFrancis acknowledged Tuesday that, 14 years after a court ordered the agency to improve its collection of blood, it has yet to meet federal safety and quality-control requirements. E-mail to a friend .

Barcelona are ready to let Brazilian international Ronaldinho leave the club . Club president Joan Laporta says that Ronaldinho needs new challenges . Barcelona have already replaced coach Frank Rijkaard with Pep Guardiola .

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BARCELONA, Spain -- Barcelona are ready for twice world player of the year Ronaldinho to move on, said club president Joan Laporta. Ronaldinho is expected to leave Barcelona this summer after struggling for form last season. Laporta told the Catalan TV3 station that the Brazilian midfielder, who struggled with injuries and poor form last season, needed new challenges in his career. "When the wheel turns, it's normal that the key figures leave," Laporta said. "I would like Ronaldinho to be given a great send-off so that he is remembered for all he has given us and that if he didn't do any more it was because the circumstances wouldn't allow it. "Last year, we thought that it might be the year to sell him, but given his enthusiasm and the appreciation that a club like Barcelona needs to have, we decided to let him stay on. Things haven't turned out the way he wanted them to." Laporta recognized that it might not be easy to sell Ronaldinho, who suffered a series of injury and fitness problems this season and made the starting line-up in only 13 of 38 league matches. Ronaldinho last played for Barcelona in the 2-1 loss at home to Villarreal on March 9, has suffered muscle pain in his right leg been out of action ever since. AC Milan showed an interest in signing him and his brother Robert De Assis said personal terms had been agreed. But the clubs failed to reach agreement over a transfer fee. After a second successive season without a trophy Barcelona announced on May 7 that Rijkaard would leave at the end of the season and be replaced by former player Josep Guardiola. "We decided that if Frank did not continue then we would choose Guardiola because Pep possessed the necessary humility," said Laporta. "We didn't think about coaches like Mourinho or (Rafa) Benitez, who are both great coaches, but aren't right for Barcelona. So we told Rijkaard that when he left Guardiola would take his place." Barca's arch-rivals Real Madrid, who lifted another Spanish title this season, have signed their first newcomer for the next campaign by paying a reported 10 million euros ($15.5 million) for Argentine defender Ezequiel Garay from Racing Santander. Marca newspaper said the 21-year-old Argentine had signed a six-year contract. Meanwhile, reports that Real could be making a move for Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo were dismissed by coach Bernd Schuster. "I prefer to spend my time talking about things that have some bearing to reality," he told a press conference. Marca had reported that Real were still interested in buying Ronaldo who has put off all talk of his future until after the Champions League final.

Eight quickfire explosions kill at least 60 people in northwest Indian city . Bombs explode within 12 minutes of each other, 150 people also wounded . Explosions within a small radius in Jaipur's old city, popular with tourists . Motorcycles appear to have been used in the attacks, state minister says .

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DELHI, India (CNN) -- India is on high alert after a series of near-simultaneous explosions killed at least 60 people and wounded 150 others in a top tourist spot, government and local officials told CNN-IBN. An injured man rests at Swai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur. Bicycles and rickshaws were strewn about the streets, with pools of blood nearby, in the northwestern city of Jaipur. Motorcycles, pieces of which were found at nearly every bomb site, appear to have been used in the attacks, said Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Indian government officials -- including Minister of State for Home Affairs Shriprakash Jaiswal -- were quick to label it a terrorist attack. The eight explosions started at about 7:30 p.m. (1400 GMT) and detonated within 12 minutes of each other, police said. The bombs exploded within about 500 meters (0.3 mile) of each other in Jaipur's old city, which is frequented by tourists. See the aftermath of the explosions. » . An ninth bomb was defused, according to H.G. Raghavendra, a Jaipur city official. He described all the bombs as "medium intensity." "There is no reason to panic," he told CNN-IBN. "Everything is under control." One blast struck near Hanuman Temple, which was crowded with Hindus worshipping Hanuman, the religion's monkey god. Another struck near a market area inside Jaipur's walled city where tourists and locals frequent restaurants and shops. Jaipur, known as the "pink city," is about 260 kilometers (160 miles) southwest of India's capital, New Delhi. Many of the casualties were taken to SMS Hospital, the largest government hospital in Jaipur. People gathered outside the hospital to hear news about friends and relatives; the hospital issued an urgent appeal for blood donations. The state of Rajasthan, where Jaipur is located, was placed on alert, local officials said. Delhi police officials said they too were on high alert after the blasts and were receiving regular updates from Jaipur on developments in the investigation. The Deputy Chief Minister for the state of Maharashtra, R.R. Patil, said the entire state was also on high alert. Mumbai is in the state of Maharashtra. The attack was immediately condemned by the United States. U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the attacks were "quite clearly an act intended to take innocent lives." He told reporters at his daily briefing that Washington was still collecting information, and could not "offer insight into who may be responsible." According to the U.S. State Department, India ranks among the countries where terrorism is most common. "The conflict in Jammu and Kashmir, attacks by extreme leftist Naxalites and Maoists in eastern and central India, assaults by ethno-linguistic nationalists in the northeastern states, and terrorist strikes nationwide by Islamic extremists took more than 2,300 lives this year," the agency said. It said India's counterterrorism efforts "are hampered by outdated and overburdened law enforcement and legal systems," and described the country's court system as "slow, laborious, and prone to corruption."

Forbes crowns American investor Warren Buffett as world's richest person . After 13 years on top, Microsoft's Bill Gates drops to number three position . Russia replaces Germany as No. 2 country with 87 billionaires . Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg may be youngest self-made billionaire in history .

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(CNN) -- Forbes' list of the world's wealthy has named Warren Buffett the richest person on the planet, surpassing his friend and philanthropic partner Bill Gates who had held the title for 13 consecutive years. American investor Warren Buffett has been named world's richest person. The American investor and philanthropist is worth an estimated $62 billion, up $10 billion from a year ago thanks to surging prices of Berkshire Hathaway stock, according to Forbes magazine's annual ranking of the world's billionaires. Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, is now ranked as the world's third richest person. At $58 billion, his net worth is up $2 billion from a year ago. Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim Helu was named the world's second richest man, with a net worth of around $60 billion, up $11 billion since last March. For the first time, Forbes' rich list named more than 1,000 billionaires from around the world, with 226 newcomers. The total net worth of the group is $4.4 trillion, up $900 billion from 2007. Watch who's up and who's down » . This year's survey finds an increasing number of the world's richest coming from emerging markets, including China, India and Russia. Two years ago, 10 of the top 20 billionaires were from the United States. This year, there are only four. India is now home to four of the 10 richest people in the world, the highest number for a single country. But the United States still holds the top spot as the country with the most billionaires -- Americans account for 42 percent of the world's billionaires and 37 percent of the total wealth, according to Forbes. With 87 billionaires, Russia is now in second place, overtaking Germany, with 59 billionaires, which had held that position for six years. It is also a record-breaking year for young billionaires, with Forbes listing 50 billionaires under the age of 40. Check out the youngest billionaires » . Over half of them are self-starters, including Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, and India's Sameer Gehlaut, who started online brokerage Indiabulls. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, age 23, was called "quite possibly the world's youngest self-made billionaire ever." E-mail to a friend .

Man died after Canadian police shot him at Vancouver Airport on October 14 . Polish immigrant became agitated after being left waiting at airport for 10 hours . Flight was first time he had been on a plane; he spoke no English . Incident, captured on video by a bystander, is being investigated by authorities .

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(CNN) -- A video showing the last moments of a Polish immigrant, who died after Canadian police shot him with a stun gun at Vancouver International Airport, has been made public. This image from video shows an agitated Robert Dziekanski, left, before police used a stun gun on him. Robert Dziekanski, 40, was traveling to join his mother, who lives in British Columbia, when he ended up spending about 10 hours in the airport's arrivals area, The Canadian Press said. The video shows Dziekanski, who had never flown before, becoming agitated. It then shows Mounties purportedly shocking Robert Dziekanski with a Taser device after confronting him. Dziekanski did not speak English. The recording was captured by bystander Paul Pritchard on October 14 and was in police hands until he threatened legal action and it was returned to him last week, The Canadian Press reported. Watch as police stun man with Taser » . "Probably the most disturbing part is one of the officers uses his leg and his knee to pin his neck and his head to the ground," Pritchard told CBC News. The dead man's mother, Zofia Cisowski, told CBC News that Tasers should not be used by police. "They should do something because that is a killer, a people killer." The incident is being investigated by police, Canada's national police complaints commission and by the coroner, CBC News reported. E-mail to a friend .

NEW: Sen. Clinton raised $20 million in March, campaign sources say . Clinton camp says her tax returns will be released soon . More than 442,000 donors contribute to Sen. Barack Obama's, campaign says . Number is below record $55 million Obama raised in February .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama raised more than $40 million from more than 442,000 donors in March, his presidential campaign announced Thursday. Sen. Barack Obama greets campaign volunteers during a stop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Wednesday. More than 218,000 of the donors were giving for the first time, the campaign said. The figures are estimates, a campaign spokesman said. "We're still calculating." Sources in Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign said the New York senator raised $20 million in March. Impressive as the $40 million figure is, it is well below the $55 million Obama raised in February. Clinton, Obama's rival for the Democratic nomination, raised about $35 million in February. Political analysts say this kind of fundraising power catches the attention of voters. "They add to the so-called 'bandwagon effect' -- the sense that Obama is building, that he's going to be the nominee," said Stu Rothenberg of the Rothenberg Political Report. With its March totals, the Obama campaign has raised approximately $234 million, which surpasses the Democratic record of $215 million that 2004 nominee Sen. John Kerry raised in that presidential primary season. Obama is $25 million shy of President Bush's presidential primary fundraising record of $259 million, set in his uncontested campaign in 2004. Obama raised $194 million through the end of February. Official fundraising tallies for March are due to the Federal Election Commission by April 20. Clinton raised $156 million through the end of February. The Clinton campaign said Thursday morning it would not release March figures until required to file its FEC report, two days before the critical Pennsylvania primary April 22. But later, campaign sources provided the figures, which show March to be Clinton's second-highest fund-raising month for the campaign. A Clinton spokesman downplayed the importance of Obama's fundraising total. "We knew that he was going to out-raise us. He has out-raised us for the last several months," Howard Wolfson said after Obama's figures were released. "We will have the resources that we need to compete and be successful in the upcoming primary states." Wolfson also said he expected Clinton's tax returns to be released soon. Clinton pledged March 25 she would release her returns within a week. Sen. John McCain, the expected Republican nominee, raised $11 million in February. He has not announced his March total. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Rebecca Sinderbrand and Rob Yoon contributed to this report.

NEW: Sen. Barack Obama will bring the country together, Sen. John Kerry says . Kerry was the Democratic presidential candidate in 2004 . John Edwards, also running for the '08 Democratic bid, was Kerry's running mate . Obama picked up key endorsements from unions in Nevada this week .

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CHARLESTON, South Carolina (CNN) -- Sen. John Kerry on Thursday endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, saying the senator from Illinois is a "candidate to bring change to our country." "Barack Obama isn't just going to break the mold," said Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate four years ago. "Together, we are going to shatter it into a million pieces." The senator from Massachusetts made the announcement in front of an enthusiastic crowd in Charleston, South Carolina, 16 days ahead of the state's Democratic primary. Kerry said he was stirred by the way Obama "eloquently reminded us of the fact that our true genius is faith in simple dreams and insistence on small miracles." Watch Kerry explain why he's picking Obama » . The endorsement could be seen as a blow to former Sen. John Edwards, who was Kerry's running mate in the 2004 election. Edwards also is vying for the Democratic presidential nomination this year. The endorsement shouldn't come as a surprise to Edwards, who was publicly critical of Kerry's campaign after the earlier election. Following news of the endorsement, Edwards released a statement saying he respects Kerry's decision. "When we were running against each other and on the same ticket, John and I agreed on many issues," Edwards said. "I continue to believe that this election is about the future, not the past, and that the country needs a president who will fight aggressively to end the status quo and change the Washington system and to give voice to all of those whose voices are ignored in the corridors of power." Kerry made an oblique reference to the other candidates in the race "with whom I have worked and who I respect" in his speech Thursday. "They are terrific public servants, and each of them could be president tomorrow, and each would fight to take this country in the right direction, but I believe that more than anyone else, Barack Obama can help our country turn the page and get America moving by uniting and ending the division that we have faced," he said. A source suggested senator's support for Obama will be a big boost because Kerry "remains one of the most popular figures in the Democratic Party and [has] an e-mail list with millions of addresses." In an e-mail sent to the JohnKerry.com community Thursday, the former presidential candidate said the next president of the United States "can be, should be, and will be Barack Obama." A Kerry spokesman said Obama will be sending out a note to Kerry's e-mail list, which was created during the 2004 run and numbers 3 million. Obama on Wednesday picked up endorsements from two key unions in Nevada, which holds its caucuses January 19. Atlanta, Georgia, Mayor Shirley Franklin recently announced her endorsement of Obama, and sources said Thursday that Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota also would back the senator from Illinois. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Candy Crowley and Mark Preston contributed to this report.

Bryant Purvis, 19, is facing misdemeanor assault charges, police say . Fight involving Jena 6 teen does not appear to be racially motivated, official says . Purvis allegedly choked a teen who he thought flattened friend's car tires . Teen, whose bond is $1,000, is still awaiting trial in the Jena 6 case .

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(CNN) -- A member of the group dubbed the "Jena 6" is facing misdemeanor assault charges after a fight at his Texas high school Wednesday, police said Thursday. Bryant Purvis was arrested after a fight Wednesday at his Texas high school, police said. Bryant Purvis, 19, was arrested after the incident at Hebron High School in Carrollton, Texas. Carrollton police Sgt. John Singleton told CNN the altercation does not appear to be racially motivated. School officials contacted police about the fight Wednesday morning. An 18-year-old student told authorities two males approached him and asked if he had flattened the tires of "their homeboy's" car, according to an affidavit supporting the arrest warrant. The student said he didn't, but the two told him they didn't believe him and walked away. Purvis, he said, approached him from behind immediately afterward, then grabbed him with one hand and began to choke him. "Purvis continued to choke [the student] and told him, 'Don't you ever mess with my car again,'" the affidavit said. "Purvis then pushed his head into the seating area of the bench," causing the student to strike his left eye, then walked away. The affidavit said that in a written statement, Purvis wrote, "I walked over to him and grabbed him by his neck, then told him not to mess with my car anymore, then I left." Police reported the student had marks on his neck and bruising on his eye. A municipal judge set Purvis' bond at $1,000, and he was transferred to the Denton County Detention Facility, Singleton said. Purvis is one of six former students in Jena, Louisiana, accused of being involved in the beating of a white student. He initially was charged with second-degree attempted murder and conspiracy, but charges against him were reduced in November to second-degree aggravated battery. He is awaiting trial in that case. Civil rights leaders Martin Luther King III and Al Sharpton led more than 15,000 marchers to Jena -- a town of about 3,000 -- in September to protest how authorities handled the cases against Purvis and the five others accused in the December 2006 beating of fellow student Justin Barker. After his arraignment in November, Purvis told reporters he had moved to another town to complete high school. E-mail to a friend .

Nigerian rebels write to U.S. President George W. Bush, say they attacked oil pipelines . Appeal for former U.S. President Carter, actor George Clooney to help mediate . Group say they attacked two pipelines believed owned by Chevron Corp., Shell oil. Adds that their aim was "the crippling of the Nigerian oil export industry"

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LAGOS, Nigeria (CNN) -- A group of Nigerian rebels who wrote a letter to U.S. President George W. Bush, stating that they attacked two oil pipelines Monday, have asked for former President Jimmy Carter and actor George Clooney to help solve issues in the oil-rich Niger-delta. Military policemen patrol the creeks of the Omadino community in Warri South district of the Niger Delta. In a letter written by a group called Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, or MEND, the group said they attacked two pipelines they believed are owned by Chevron Corp. and Shell oil. A spokesman for Royal Dutch Shell said its pipeline was damaged last week. The attack will temporarily cut shipments by 169,000 barrels a day as workers try to repair the damage, the spokesman said. The pipeline is owned jointly by Shell and Nigerian, French and Italian oil companies, the spokesman said. Chevron spokesman Kurt Glaubitz told CNN that "No Chevron pipelines have been vandalized in Nigeria." There was no immediate comment from the Nigerian government. In the letter the group called themselves "commandos" and stated that their aim was "the crippling of the Nigerian oil export industry." Watch how Nigeria attacks help hike gas prices » . "Today's attack was prompted by the continuous injustice in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria where the root issues have not been addressed by the illegal and insincere government," the letter stated. The letter stated that two other letters had been sent to Bush and also actor George Clooney, and the group also asked for President Jimmy Carter to help. Clooney is one of the United Nations' Messengers of Peace, and has campaigned for an end to the long-standing conflict in Darfur, as well as further humanitarian relief efforts in the region. Carter is currently in the Middle East, where he has met with the exiled militant Hamas leader Khalid Meshaal, on what he calls a "study mission" to support peace, democracy, and human rights in the region. "MEND is prepared for talks and will prefer Ex President Jimmy Carter to mediate. Mr. Carter is not in denial as the rest of you who brand freedom fighters as terrorists," the letter stated. "The ripple effect of this attack will touch your economy and people one way or the other and hope we now have your attention." The organization also said they attack was in response to one of the arrest of one of their members, Henry Okah, who was arrested last year and according to local reports, is charged with treason. Since late 2005, MEND militants have carried out numerous attacks on Nigeria's oil sector and abducted dozens of foreign workers, releasing nearly all of them unharmed. In the past the organization has said it had ratcheted up its attacks to redress what it says is the unequal distribution of the nation's oil wealth. E-mail to a friend .

Six young Italians found shot in the head in western German city of Duisburg . Five were dead when authorities arrived, one died later . The victims were between 16 and 39 years old, police say . Police believe the killings may be linked to organized crime in Italy .

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BERLIN, Germany (CNN) -- Six Italian men were shot dead in the German city of Duisburg on Wednesday in an execution-style killing linked to a mafia feud. Police remove a body from the scene. Italian Interior Minister Giuliano Amato said the shootings appeared to be linked to a feud between two mafia clans in the southern region of Calabria, home to the 'Ndrangheta organized crime group. Here are some key facts about the group: . ORIGINS: . -- The Calabrian "Honored Society", known as "'Ndrangheta", in the Calabria region of south Italy is the equivalent of the Sicilian Mafia. -- 'Ndrangheta began as a defense network for impoverished rural peasants against aristocratic landlords. Members emigrated to Canada and the United States, and were discovered running an intimidation scheme in Pennsylvania mining towns in 1906. HOW DOES IT WORK? -- They are known as "The Honored Society", Fibbia or Calabrian mafia. Instead of the pyramid structure of bosses used by other mafia, The 'Ndrangheta" uses families based on blood relationships, inter-marriages, or being a Godfather. Each group is named after their village, or after the family leader. TWENTIETH CENTURY EXPANSION: . -- When Calabria began the process of industrialization and urbanization in the late 20th century, the 'Ndrangheta became interested in drug trafficking, weapons sales and public works and construction. THE PRESENT: . -- In 2004, authorities uncovered an international drugs trafficking network involving gangs in South America, Australia, and Europe. Drugs from Colombia were destined for countries such as Greece and Bulgaria. -- Italian officials estimated at the time that 80 percent of Europe's cocaine had arrived from Colombia via Gioia Tauro's docks in Reggio Calabria. -- Italian anti-organized crime agencies have estimated that the 'NDrangheta earns about $30 billion annually, mostly from illegal drugs, but also from ostensibly legal businesses such as construction, restaurants and supermarkets. -- There are believed to be about 100 'Ndrangheta families in Calabria, who have become more successful than their Sicilian counterparts because their family ties are closer. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Police in Panama City Beach, Florida, looking for hotel security guard Shawn Wuertly . He's suspected of raping teen staying at hotel, tossing her from 6th-floor balcony . Victim remains hospitalized; injuries not life-threatening, police say . Wuertly was questioned by police earlier, released for lack of evidence .

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(CNN) -- Panama City Beach, Florida, police are looking for a hotel security guard accused of raping an Alabama student and throwing her off a sixth-floor hotel balcony, a police spokesman told CNN. Police released this photo of Shawn Wuertly, who worked as a hotel security guard in Panama City Beach, Florida. The 18-year-old woman from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, remains hospitalized, but her injuries are not life-threatening, Lt. Dave Humphreys said. The incident happened early Monday at the Sandpiper Beacon Beach Resort in Panama City Beach during spring break. Police have issued an arrest warrant for Shawn Wuertly, 29, who worked as a security guard at the resort, Humphreys said. He is wanted for attempted felony murder, sexual battery and false imprisonment. Wuertly had been questioned by police regarding the attack, but they lacked the evidence to hold him, the spokesman said. The police investigation has found that the suspect had seen the girl "several times" at the hotel and had "taken a liking to her at some point," Humphreys said. Around 1 a.m. on Monday, the suspect grabbed the woman and pulled her into an unoccupied room on the sixth floor, using his key to get in, Humphreys said. She said he sexually assaulted her and, after a brief altercation, threw her over the balcony, the police spokesman said. She hit two smaller roofs on her way down, which likely saved her from more serious injuries, before she came to rest in a second floor stairwell, Humphreys said. After his initial questioning, Wuertly told police he was leaving for Tennessee and would return on Wednesday. Wuertly has an outstanding arrest warrant, something that police did not discover until after he was released. "Obviously no one checked his warrants because he has an outstanding warrant in Indiana," Humphrey said, noting that police are "not happy and will address that." CNN's calls to the hotel's manager regarding Wuertly's outstanding warrant were not returned. E-mail to a friend .

Super Cup winners AC Milan are held to a 1-1 home draw by Fiorentina . Brazilian Kaka gave Milan the lead with a penalty after a foul on Ambrosini . Adrian Mutu equalised for Fiorentina with a header from Santana's cross .

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MILAN, Italy -- European Super Cup winners Milan were brought back down to earth at the San Siro on Monday, as Fiorentina held them to a 1-1 draw in Serie A. Kaka (right) wheels away in celebration after scoring his penalty against Fiorentina. Fiorentina striker Adrian Mutu earned the visitors a point with a 56th-minute header after Milan playmaker Kaka had scored from the penalty spot in the 27th minute. Milan, who beat Genoa 3-0 in their opening league game, join Fiorentina as one of seven teams with four points in the league table. Mutu scored against the run of play from Mario Alberto Santana's cross. Earlier, Fiorentina defender Dario Dainelli had conceded a penalty when he tripped Massimo Ambrosini in the area. Filippo Inzaghi wasted a golden chance to win the match in the 71st minute when Kaka slid the ball across the front of Fiorentina's goal. However, the Italy forward somehow managed to miss the ball and an open net. Fiorentina could have won it late on but midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanovic hit the post. "I am always angry when we don't get the maximum points, but in this case we did everything we possibly could," said Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti. "We tried to win and ran quite a few risks, but so soon after our last game it was understandable we had some difficulties." E-mail to a friend .

NEW: Attorney says inmate was shocked, relieved, somber . NEW: Victim's family too devastated to address parole board . Samuel David Crowe's death sentence was changed to life in prison Thursday . Crowe admitted killing a store clerk in 1988 in Georgia .

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(CNN) -- Two hours before his scheduled execution Thursday, the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles commuted the death sentence of Samuel David Crowe, his lawyer said. Samuel David Crowe's death sentence was changed to life in prison by Georgia authorities, his attorney says. Crowe was convicted in 1988 of murdering Joseph V. Pala, the retail manager at Wicks Lumber Company in Douglas County. Crowe admitted to the crime. The board's ruling means Crowe's sentence will be changed to life without the possibility of parole. The board did not give a reason for its decision. When attorney Ann Fort called Crowe with the news, he was quiet. "He was really shocked and relieved but very somber about it. He takes very seriously the deep harm that he caused when he committed this crime," she said. Crowe had a cocaine habit that his attorney says he kicked in prison. He spent his time behind bars counseling other inmates, teaching some of them to read and writing to people outside of prison who had drug habits. "He didn't want them to go down the path he did," Fort said. As for the Pala family, they are devastated. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Pala's widow, Fran Pala, and his daughter, Lisa Pala-Hansen, were too upset to address the parole board. A representative spoke to the board on their behalf, the newspaper said. Crowe had been scheduled to be executed by injection at 7 p.m. ET Thursday at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson, 45 minutes south of Atlanta. He would have been the 19th inmate in Georgia executed by injection. William Earl Lynd was executed by injection the first week in May. He was the first inmate to die in the state since September, when the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to consider whether the three-drug combination represented cruel and unusual punishment. Lynd was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend in 1988. The U.S. Supreme Court had effectively halted all executions in the country last September, when it agreed to consider whether the three-drug combination used by most states violated the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Death penalty opponents have argued that if inmates are not given enough anesthetic, they could be conscious enough to suffer excruciating pain without being able to express it because of the paralyzer. Their claims are supported by medical studies. Of the 24 death sentences the Georgia board has considered, Crowe's is the third it has commuted. Also this week, Mississippi executed murderer Earl Wesley Berry by lethal injection. Berry confessed to abducting Mary Bounds in 1987, beating her to death and then dumping her body in a rural road. The courts rejected Berry's attorneys' arguments that he should be spared because he was mentally retarded. CNN's Ashley Fantz contributed to this report.

German foreign minister says woman was released after 155 days . Germany will continue efforts to free her adult son, who remains in captivity . In video, militants had demanded that German troops leave Afghanistan .

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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A German woman held hostage in Iraq since February has been freed, but her son was still being held, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Wednesday. An image taken from a video issued in April shows Hannelore Marianne Krause and her son Sinan. The woman, Hannelore Marianne Krause, was taken to Germany's embassy in Baghdad after being taken captive with her adult son 155 days earlier. Steinmeier said he was "very relieved" Krause was released on Tuesday, yet there still remains "a great deal of uncertainty" about her son, who "remains in captivity." "Rest assured we will do everything in our power to reach her son, Sinan," the foreign minister said. In early March, Iraqi militants holding Krause and her son hostage demanded that Germany withdraw its troops from Afghanistan to ensure their safety. As part of NATO's Afghanistan force, Germany sent about 3,000 troops in the relatively peaceful northern part of the country. German troops also help train Iraqi soldiers and police, but not in Iraq. The Arrows of Righteousness group posted video clips on the Internet, threatening to kill the two in 10 days if Berlin did not comply. CNN could not independently confirm the authenticity of the video. In it, the woman identified as Krause urged German Chancellor Angela Merkel to heed the demands. A passport with Krause's name was shown in the video. While sitting next to her son, Krause tells Merkel, "These people want to kill my son in front of my eyes, and then they'll kill me, if the German troops did not withdraw out of Afghanistan." She and her son clutch each other and cry as they speak while three militants, two armed with large assault rifles, stand behind the pair. "They are not joking, and they'll kill us. I am very tired. Please help me. Take any decision or we will be killed." Reading a prepared statement, one of the militants says, "We have warned you. Otherwise you will not see their bodies." "Muslims are all one nation, and have one religion. It is not acceptable that Germany leads the coalition troops in Afghanistan, and attacks the secured villages and claim it is not fighting in Iraq." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Diana Magnay contributed to this report.

Chilean judge orders prosecution of 98 former Pinochet soldiers, agents . Order is related to investigation of 60 people who disappeared in 1970s . Hundreds were killed or disappeared during Augusto Pinochet's rule . Suspects are expected to appear in court in Chile on Tuesday .

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SANTIAGO, Chile (CNN) -- Nearly 100 former Chilean soldiers and secret police will be prosecuted on charges they tried to cover up the disappearance and deaths of 119 people during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, a judge ordered Monday. Former Chilean President Augusto Pinochet, pictured in 2000. The disappearances occurred between 1974 and 1975, during what was known as "Operation Colombo," which targeted Pinochet's opponents. Chile's military government published information outside the country to make it seem that the victims had died fighting guerrillas. Chilean magistrate Victor Montiglio based his order on an investigation that says 60 victims were illegally arrested by the Office of National Intelligence (DINA) and kept in detention centers before they disappeared. DINA's former director, retired Gen. Manuel Contreras, has already been sentenced to 250 years in prison in other cases involving human rights violations. He found out about Montiglio's ruling in his prison cell. Minister of Justice Carlos Maldonado said the former soldiers will be taken to military compounds after they appear before Montiglio on Tuesday. The civilian suspects will be jailed in the Santiago Uno and Punta Peuco penal facilities, which are outside Santiago, he said. A U.S. backed-coup toppled democratically elected President Salvador Allende in 1973, after which Pinochet took power. In March 2008, a court in Chile sentenced 24 former police officers for their roles in kidnappings, torture and murders that happened just after the coup, Chile's Judicial Authority said. Thousands of Chileans were victims of the national crime wave. Pinochet, whose reign lasted from 1973 to 1990, was widely blamed for encouraging subordinates to kidnap, torture and kill people with suspected leftist ties, such as journalists and union members. Years after he left power, courts indicted Pinochet in two human rights cases, but judges threw out the charges on the grounds that he was too ill to stand trial. Pinochet died in 2006. CNN's Alberto Pando contributed to this report.

Valentino Rossi claims pole position for Sunday's Italian MotoGP in Mugello . A lap of one minute 48.130 seconds enough to give Rossi first pole of season . Yamaha rider Rossi three points ahead of Honda's Dani Pedrosa in standings .

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MUGELLO, Italy -- Italian Valentino Rossi's resurgence continued on Saturday, as the five-time MotoGP champion took pole position at his home race in Mugello. Rossi gives the thumbs up after taking his first pole position of the season at his home race in Mugello. The 29-year-old has struggled since winning his last title in 2005 but is back at the head of the field this season on his Fiat Yamaha and has won the last two races. A lap of one minute 48.130 seconds was enough to see him take his first pole position of the season ahead of Dani Pedrosa in second and fellow-Italian Loris Capirossi in third -- the 50th pole of his career and 40th in MotoGP. "For sure we will try to keep this winning streak going. I was quite worried after practice because we had some problems but the team modified the bike and it is faster now," said Rossi. "My last pole position was a long, long time ago -- I can't even remember when it was, so I am very happy. Loris is behind me and with two Italians on the front row the crowd will be very special here." Rossi is three points ahead of Repsol Honda rider Pedrosa and his team-mate Jorge Lorenzo going into Sunday's race with reigning champion Casey Stoner a further 28 points back on his Marlboro Ducati. Rossi's time bettered the previous record pole time by Spaniard Sete Gibernau by more than 0.8 seconds, and that marker was posted two years ago on a more powerful bike. In fact, the top seven finishers all beat Gibernau's lap, achieved on a 990cc bike as opposed to the 800cc versions of today.

Sharon Stone had suggested that deadly earthquake might be karma . Actress issues statement "to set the record straight" regarding remark . Stone says comments were product of "news sensationalism"

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(CNN) -- Actress Sharon Stone said in a statement Saturday that she "could not be more regretful" of her comments this month regarding the earthquake in China, in which she suggested that the quake was an act of "karma." Sharon Stone made the controversial remarks before she hosted a charity auction at the Cannes Film Festival. "Yes, I misspoke," said the statement released by Stone's publicist and entitled "In my own words by Sharon Stone." "I could not be more regretful of that mistake. It was unintentional. I apologize. Those words were never meant to be hurtful to anyone," Stone said. "They were an accident of my distraction and a product of news sensationalism." Stone said Saturday that she was issuing the statement to set the record straight about the comments she made to a reporter at the Cannes Film Festival. The statement drew fire from citizens and government officials. "There have been numerous reports about what I said in Cannes. I would like to set the record straight about what I feel in my heart and end all of the understandings," she said. "They're not being nice to the Dalai Lama, who is a friend of mine," Stone said on camera at the time, discussing the Chinese. "And then all of this earthquake and all this happened and I thought, is that karma? When you're not nice, that bad things happen to you?" Qin Gang, spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry, said Stone "should do more to promote understanding and friendship between nations." French fashion house Christian Dior said it would drop Stone from its advertisements in China after her May 22 remarks. "We absolutely disagree with her hasty comments, and we are also deeply sorry about them," Dior said in a statement from its Shanghai, China, headquarters. But Stone said she was "deeply saddened by the pain that this whole situation has caused the victims of the devastating earthquake in China." As of Friday, the death toll from the May 12 magnitude-7.9 quake stood at 68,858, with another 18,618 missing.

Three-time defending champion Rafael Nadal into last 16 of the French Open . Spanish world No. 2 crushes Finnish 26th seed Jarkko Nieminen 6-1 6-3 6-1 . Second seed next faces Fernando Verdasco who beat Mikhail Youzhny . Third seed Novak Djokovic later joins Nadal in the fourth round at Roland Garros . Nicolas Almagro of Spain puts out 10th seed Andy Murray of Britain .

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(CNN) -- Three-time defending champion Rafael Nadal made light work of his heavy schedule and a recurring foot problem to reach the last 16 of the French Open on Friday. Rafael Nadal inspects his blistered foot during his third-round victory against Jarko Nieminen. The world No. 2 crushed Finnish 26th seed Jarkko Nieminen 6-1 6-3 6-1 in his fourth successive day of action on the Paris clay, following frustration this week with bad weather. He will play fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco after his 7-6 5-7 7-6 6-1 win over 15th seed Mikhail Youzhny of Russia. Third seed Novak Djokovic was also untroubled in a later third round match to see off Wayne Odesnik of the United States 7-5 6-4 6-2. Nadal will be hoping for some time to let his blistered foot recover, needing treatment during the match against Nieminen for a problem that saw him beaten in the second round of the Rome Masters earlier in the claycourt season. He is bidding to become the second man after the legendary Bjorn Borg to win four successive titles at Roland Garros, but has already vented his anger at the ATP Tour for scheduling four top-level clay events in as many weeks. Watch Nadal talk about his tournament hopes » . Nadal showed little signs of tiredness as he cruised past Nieminen in less than two hours to extend his winning record at the tournament to 24 matches. His opening victory against Brazil's Thomaz Bellucci took two days due to torrential rain, then on Thursday he saw off another qualifier in straight sets when he beat Frenchman Nicolas Devilder. In other third round action on Friday, Spain's Nicolas Almagro again showed his clay court pedigree with a 6-3 6-7 6-3 7-5 win over Britain's 10th seed Andy Murray. Almagro, who has won two titles on clay this season, was made to work hard by Murray, but recovered from a 3-1 deficit in the third set to win seven games in row and take command. He will now play 145th-ranked Frenchman Jeremy Chardy who ended the run of 30th seed Dmitry Tursunov of Russia in straight sets. Latvia's Ernests Gulbis continued his fine run as he defeated Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador 6-3 7-5 6-2 to set up a clash with home hope Michael Llodra who beat Italy's Simone Bolelli in straight sets. In second-round action, France's Florent Serra completed a hard-fought 6-4 6-3 6-7 7-6 win over Victor Hanescu of Romania and will next face American Bobby Ginepri.

Seven players have been cut from the England squad for friendly in Trinidad . The seven players had all appeared in the Champions League final last week . However, Manchester United central defender Rio Ferdinand will be playing .

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(CNN) -- Seven players involved in last week's Champions League final have been excused from England's trip to Trinidad and Tobago for their friendly international on Sunday. Only Jermaine Defoe (second right) of the England players congratulating John Terry will travel to Trinidad. Coach Fabio Capello confirmed that of the men involved in Moscow last week, only Manchester United central defender Rio Ferdinand, who has links with the Caribbean, and Chelsea full-back Wayne Bridge, who did not get onto the pitch at the Luzhniki Stadium, will be part of his 22-man squad for the final game of the season. Chelsea's John Terry, who opened the scoring in Wednesday's 2-0 win over the United States at Wembley, is one of those given a holiday along with Wayne Rooney, Wes Brown, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Owen Hargreaves. England squad: . Goalkeepers: David James (Portsmouth), Joe Hart (Manchester City), Joe Lewis (Peterborough). Defenders: Wayne Bridge (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth), Stephen Warnock (Blackburn), David Wheater (Middlesbrough), Jonathan Woodgate (Tottenham). Midfielders: Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), David Beckham (LA Galaxy), David Bentley (Blackburn), Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham). Forwards: Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Ashley Young (Aston Villa), Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa), Dean Ashton (West Ham), Peter Crouch (Liverpool), Jermain Defoe (Portsmouth).

Roger Von Bergendorff indicted on ricin possession charges . Bergendorff had been hospitalized with suspected ricin poisoning . Authorities found ricin, guns in Bergendorff's Nevada hotel room . Thomas Tholen, Bergendorff's cousin, also faces charges .

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(CNN) -- A federal grand jury indicted a man arrested last week in connection with a mysterious case of exposure to the deadly biological agent ricin, prosecutors said. Authorities found ricin, weapons and an anarchist manual in Roger Von Bergendorff's Nevada hotel room. Roger Von Bergendorff, 57, was indicted on charges of possession of a biological toxin, possession of unregistered firearms and possession of firearms not identified by serial number, said Natalie Collins, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Las Vegas, Nevada. Bergendorff was hospitalized for two months with suspected ricin poisoning, and was discharged before his arrest. His initial court appearance was last week, Collins said, and he did not enter a plea. An arraignment is scheduled for May 2. Bergendorff was hospitalized in February complaining of breathing difficulties. Two weeks later, Thomas Tholen, a cousin who went to Bergendorff's Las Vegas hotel room to recover his belongings, discovered what turned out to be ricin. Authorities also said a search of the room found four guns, the book "Anarchist's Cookbook," a collection of instructions on poisons and other dangerous recipes and castor beans, syringes and beakers. Ricin is extracted from ground-up castor beans. Tholen was charged earlier in April with failing to report the commission of a crime. A federal grand jury indicted him for allegedly concealing the knowledge that production and possession of a biological agent -- a felony -- was being committed. Bergendorff previously lived in Tholen's home in Riverton, Utah, just south of Salt Lake City. After the ricin was discovered, the FBI searched that home as well as storage units Bergendorff used in Utah. Authorities said FBI agents searching the storage units found castor beans, chemicals used in the production of ricin, a respirator, filters, laboratory glassware, syringes and a notebook on ricin production. If convicted as charged, Bergendorff would face a sentence of up to 30 years in prison. E-mail to a friend .

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe likens U.S. diplomat to prostitute . Mugabe warns U.S. and Britain to keep out of Zimbabwe . Morgan Tsvangirai attends funeral and accuses Mugabe supporters of murder .

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(CNN) -- Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has warned against outside influences in next month's run-off election, likening one American diplomat to a "prostitute" and threatening to oust another from his country. Robert Mugabe tries to stir voters with a blistering speech criticizing the U.S. and Britain. "Zimbabwe cannot be British, it cannot be American. Yes, it is African," said Mugabe, whose speech Sunday was quoted Monday in The Herald, the state-run newspaper. "You saw the joy that the British had, that the Americans had, and saw them here through their representatives celebrating and acting as if we Zimbabwe are either an extension of Britain or ... America. You saw that little American girl [U. S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer] trotting around the globe like a prostitute..." Mugabe went on to say that U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe James McGee would be expelled from the country if he "persisted in meddling in Zimbabwe's electoral process," the newspaper reported. The fallout from Zimbabwe's stalled election has brought international criticism, with Frazer taking the most emphatic stance. In April, Frazer accused Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe for nearly three decades, of "trying to steal the election" and "intimidating the population and election officials as well." The first election was March 29. An announcement of the winner of the presidential election was delayed for weeks as opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai claimed he had won. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, after a long delay, ruled that neither candidate had won the required majority of votes, and scheduled a runoff election for June 27. Since the March balloting, there have been numerous reports from Tsvangirai's party and church groups about kidnappings, torture and other violence, including the deaths of opposition party members. They say the violence targets opponents of Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party. At about the same time Sunday that Mugabe was giving his campaign speech, Tsvangirai was speaking at a funeral. Tsvangirai spoke harshly as he stood near the casket of a man he claimed was killed by Mugabe's supporters. Watch Tsvangirai address mourners » . "This is a clear testimony of the callousness of this regime," said Tsvangirai to a funeral procession of hundreds gathered outside the capital city of Harare. "They can kill us. They can maim us. But we are going on the 27th of June, our hearts dripping with blood, to vote him out of office." Mugabe denies his supporters were responsible for election-related violence.

Serie A champions Inter Milan confirm dismissal of coach Roberto Mancini . Mancini allegedly fired for comments made after defeat to Liverpool in March . Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho favorite to take over at the San Siro .

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(CNN) -- Serie A champions Inter Milan have confirmed the dismissal of coach Roberto Mancini, opening the way for former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho to replace him. Mancini guided Inter Milan to the Italian league title for three successive seasons. Ironically, the 43-year-old Mancini, who guided Inter to three successive Italian league titles, is now the favorite to take Mourinho's former job at Stamford Bridge. Inter -- who won the first of their three titles in 2006 because those above them were demoted or deducted points over the matchfixing scandal -- released a statement about the sacking. "Inter Milan have informed Roberto Mancini that he has been relieved of his role as coach, especially because of his comments that he was not going to stay after the end of the season following the Champions League tie against Liverpool on March 11," read their statement. Mancini, however, rescinded those comments the following day declaring that he had made them in the heat of the moment following Inter's elimination from the competition, losing 3-0 on aggregate. Inter's reasons for sacking Mancini appear less credible after club president Massimo Moratti announced that the coach had changed his mind about leaving at the end of the season. "I've had a talk with Mancini, who confirmed to me that he wanted to stay at Inter next year to see out his contract. He wants to win the Champions League for us next season," Moratti said on March 12. "Mancini's words surprised me, I didn't expect it and even less so I believe the people close to him." Mourinho, nicknamed 'The Special One' for guiding Porto to the Champions League in 2004 and then Chelsea to two Premier League titles, would not come cheap, but the exit of Mancini has cost Inter dear too as his contract, which runs till 2012, will leave him 24 million euros richer as compensation. However, Mancini was unable to make Inter into viable Champions League contenders despite the three Serie A titles. Mancini is the ninth coaching casualty under Moratti, following Ottavio Bianchi, Roy Hodgson, Luigi Simoni, Mircea Lucescu, Marcello Lippi, Marco Tardelli, Hector Cuper and Alberto Zaccheroni.

The Gerolsteiner company is ending its sponsorship of the Pro Tour team . They have been team sponsors since 1998 and their contract ends next year . Stefan Schumacher and Davide Rebellin are leading team members . T-Mobile have fired Lorenzo Bernucci after a positive dope test .

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GEROLSTEIN, Germany -- Mineral water company Gerolsteiner have decided to drop their sponsorship of the German ProTour cycling team, which expires at the end of the 2008 season. German rider Stefan Schumacher is a member of the Gerolsteiner team. Gerolsteiner, who have been team sponsors since 1998, said there was a change in marketing strategy. Gerolsteiner has invested around $12 million annually in the team, which includes riders Stefan Schumacher, Fabian Wegmann, Markus Fothen and Robert Foerster. Gerolsteiner said on Tuesday they were no longer reaching their targeted audience through cycling because it was changing from being solely a producer of mineral water to a supplier of nonalcoholic drinks. Gerolsteiner team chief Hans-Michael Holczer was deeply upset by the news. "There were tears in my eyes," said Holczer. The German Cycling Federation (BDR) said they would help the team to find a new sponsor. "It is not an entirely unexpected decision. After such a long collaboration, you notice changes in your partner," said Holczer, who will begin the hunt for a new sponsor. "We have one of the best teams on the market with a national and international reputation." The T-Mobile cycling team has fired rider Lorenzo Bernucci after his positive doping test at the Tour of Germany last month. Bernucci violated the team's code of conduct and was removed from T-Mobile's roster at the Spanish Vuelta, the team said on Tuesday. He tested positive for a non-amphetamine appetite suppressant. Bernucci is licensed by the Monaco cycling federation, which will be responsible for further investigation and possible additional sanctions, T-Mobile said. He tested positive on August 15 for the substance sibutramine, an appetite suppressant sold under various brand names, such as Reductil and Ectiva. The world governing body of cycling, UCI, informed T-Mobile of Bernucci's positive test. Bernucci told team management that he had been using Ectiva for four years and had purchased it over the counter at a pharmacy in Italy, not knowing it been added to the list of prohibited substances by the World Anti-Doping Agency, T-Mobile said. According to UCI rules, a first violation for sibutramine -- if it is determined that it was not intended as a performance enhancer -- can result in anything between a warning and a one-year suspension. "We do not know if this was an attempt at performance enhancement or just poor judgment," T-Mobile team chief Bob Stapleton said. "But we know it is unacceptable that riders take any medication without the approval of the team doctor. It's a clear violation of our code of conduct and we act now on that basis." E-mail to a friend .

Nations hoping for deal in which Libya would compensate terrorism victims . Eights acts would be covered in possible agreement . Libya has tried to normalize relations with U.S. by renouncing terrorism . U.S. oil companies want to explore and develop Libya's oil fields .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Negotiations between the United States and Libya that could result in compensation for past acts of state-sponsored terrorism by Libya are under way, a senior State Department official said Friday. The wreckage of Pan Am 103 in Lockerbie, Scotland; the bombing killed 270 people in 1989. U.S. and Libyan officials met Wednesday and Thursday, the official said. The nations hope to hammer out a deal in which Libya would "resolve all outstanding claims in good faith" and offer "fair compensation" to victims and their families, he said. "We are just at the beginning of this process. The goal is to get something that is fair and comprehensive," the official said. The official said that any agreement would cover about eight acts, including the 1989 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 259 passengers and 11 people on the ground; and the 1986 bombing of the La Belle disco in Berlin, Germany, that killed two people and injured at least 120, including 40 Americans. Outstanding terrorism claims have been a problem for Libya in its attempts to normalize relations with the United States and to begin development of its oil resources. Libya has expressed disappointment that it has failed to reap any political and economic benefits promised by the U.S. government and others after Libya renounced terrorism and stopped development of weapons of mass destruction. And some of the largest U.S. oil companies are eager to begin exploration and development of Libya oil fields, among the 10 largest in the world. The new negotiations and development of an agreement would ideally fulfill all outstanding lawsuits against Libya and allow investment to move forward. A joint U.S.-Libyan statement said, "Both parties affirm their desire to work together to resolve all outstanding claims in good faith and expeditiously in the establishment of a fair compensation mechanism."

"We condemn and denounce the criminal act," Shiite imam says in Friday sermon . Sunni imam calls soldier "silly-minded American" who embarrassed leader . American staff sergeant had used a Quran for target practice in Iraq . Friday prayers most significant event of the week for Muslims .

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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Imams delivering their Friday sermons in Iraq are denouncing the shooting of a Quran, the holy book of Islam, by a U.S. soldier. Col. Ted Martin kisses a copy of the Quran before presenting it to tribal leaders Saturday. "If we were strongly united from the beginning, that silly-minded American soldier wouldn't have used the Quran as a target," said Sheikh Ahmed Abdul-Ghafour al-Samarie, delivering a sermon at Um al-Qura Sunni Mosque in Baghdad. The U.S. military and President Bush have apologized, but it did not stem the violent protests in Afghanistan and calls from both Sunni and Shiite Iraqis for the soldier to be severely punished. Muslims around the world were angered when it came to light last week that an American staff sergeant -- a sniper section leader -- had used a Quran for target practice in Iraq. Imams at mosques in the largely Sunni cities of Falluja and Mosul, and in Baghdad, condemned the act. The Baghdad mosque prayer was broadcast live on state TV. "This soldier put the head of his state in embarrassment that he had to apologize to the prime minister. We call upon this soldier to be punished. This act, we reject and we stand against it," al-Samarie said. He said if a similar incident happened again, "the world will turn upside down and things will not go back to how they were." Watch residents of Baghdad protest » . Sayyed Muhanned al-Mossawi, a Shiite imam at al-Hakma mosque, said: "We condemn and denounce the criminal act by the American soldier in Radhwaniya in tearing the Holy Quran and using it as a shooting target." Friday's prayer service is the most important Muslim event of the week. The U.S. commander in Baghdad issued a formal apology Saturday and read a letter of apology from the shooter. Watch the U.S. military formally apologize » . The sergeant has been relieved of duty as a section leader, officially reprimanded by his commanding general, dismissed from his regiment and reassigned to the United States, the U.S. military said. Iraq's most powerful Sunni Arab party, the Iraqi Islamic Party, has demanded the "severest of punishments" for the American soldier. CNN's Mohammed Tawfeeq and Saad Abedine contributed to this report.

Indonesian businessman circles soccer field eight times, dumping bags of cash . Men snatch bills from youngsters; one man stuffs blue cap with money . Businessman wanted to pull stunt over Jakarta, but police feared chaos . Author once rode on horseback through Jakarta, dressed as war hero .

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JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- An Indonesian businessman known for publicity stunts dropped 100 million rupiah, or about $10,700, from an aircraft Sunday to promote his new book. Bank notes are dropped from a small airplane Sunday to promote Tung Desem Waringin's new book. Tung Desem Waringin circled eight times over a soccer field in the city of Serang, about 40 miles west of Jakarta, emptying bag after black bag of cash. Below, men snatched bills from the hands of young ones. Giddy schoolchildren jumped up and down in excitement, holding up notes they picked up. One man held a blue cap that he had stuffed with money. Another sat in a corner of the field, massaging his feet after a madcap dash for cash. Watch Waringin make it rain » . The stunt was to promote Tung's book "Marketing Revolution," said Fajar Ramdani, the media coordinator for the event. Tung initially wanted to pull the stunt over the capital of Jakarta, but police, fearing large crowds and potential chaos, did not grant him permission, local media reported. Three years ago, the 42-year-old motivational speaker rode a horse along Jakarta's main streets dressed as one of the country's most celebrated war heroes to launch his first book. The book went on to become a best-seller. Millions of people in Indonesia live on fewer than $2 a day. The publicity stunt was expected to generate a tremendous response because the country is grappling with rising food and fuel prices. CNN's Kathy Quiano contributed to this report.

Sen. Hillary Clinton booed when she criticizes Sen. Barack Obama at debate . Clinton, Sen. Chris Dodd slam Obama's stance on Pakistan . Obama: U.S. should go into Pakistan if intelligence warrants it . Debate sponsored by AFL-CIO drew thousands of labor activists .

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CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- At a debate in front of thousands of labor union activists Tuesday, Sen. Barack Obama's Democratic presidential rivals blasted him for his remarks about Pakistan. Last Wednesday, the Illinois senator said that if it were necessary to root out terrorists, he would send U.S. forces into Pakistan without the country's approval. "You can think big, but remember, you shouldn't always say everything you think if you're running for president, because it has consequences around the world," Sen. Hillary Clinton said during a 90-minute Democratic presidential forum in Chicago sponsored by the AFL-CIO. Chicago is Obama's hometown, and Clinton's statement drew boos. The New York senator responded, "We don't need that right now." Despite the frosty reception, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd joined Clinton in criticizing Obama. He said Obama's stance could undermine Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, the country's military ruler, who has been a U.S. ally in the fight against al Qaeda. "While General Musharraf is no Thomas Jefferson, he may be the only thing that stands between us and having an Islamic fundamentalist state in that country," Dodd said. "So while I would like to see him change, the reality is, if we lose him, then what we face is an alternative that could be a lot worse for our country." Obama jumped into the fray. "I find it amusing that those who helped to authorize and engineer the biggest foreign policy disaster in our generation are now criticizing me for making sure that we are on the right battlefield and not the wrong battlefield in the war against terrorism," he said. "If we have actionable intelligence on al Qaeda operatives, including [Osama] bin Laden, and President Musharraf cannot act, then we should," Obama said. "That's just common sense." He also said Americans had the right to participate in the debate over such a key aspect of American foreign policy. But Clinton countered by saying that while U.S. forces might have to pursue action inside Pakistan "on the basis of actionable intelligence," it was "a very big mistake to telegraph that and to destabilize the Musharraf regime, which is fighting for its life against the Islamist extremists who are in bed with al Qaeda and the Taliban." "Remember, Pakistan has nuclear weapons. The last thing we want is to have al Qaeda-like followers in charge of Pakistan and having access to nuclear weapons." Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware responded later in the debate, noting that the strategy Obama outlined was already U.S. policy. "Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts," Biden said. "It's already the policy of the United States -- has been for four years -- that there's actionable intelligence, we would go into Pakistan." E-mail to a friend .

Suspected Islamic rebels fire at a plane carrying Somalia's transitional president . Plane attacked as about to take off from Mogadishu, no injuries reported . Attack is the second assassination attempt on Ahmed after car bomb in 2006 . Somalia in chaos since 1991, when warlords deposed dictator Mohamed Siad Barre .

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(CNN) -- Suspected Islamic insurgents fired mortar rounds at a plane carrying Somalia's transitional president, but no one -- including Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed -- was harmed, a presidential spokesman said. Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, pictured late last month during a visit to France. The attack happened while the plane was about to take off from Mogadishu's airport Sunday around 11 a.m. local time, spokesman Hussien Mohammed Huubsireb said. "Al-Shaabab has actually tried to harm to president, but thank God nobody was hurt," Huubsireb said. Al-Shaabab is an Islamic militia that is trying to seize control of Somalia. It is a splinter group of the Islamic Courts Union, which ousted Somalia's transitional government in 2006. The ICU was deposed in December of that year following Ethiopia's military invasion. Bloody battles between Al-Shaabab and the Ethiopian-backed government forces in Mogadishu have forced residents to flee the capital. More than 40,000 displaced civilians have taken shelter in dozens of makeshift settlements west of Mogadishu, described by the United Nations as "precarious conditions." Sunday's mortar attack is the second assassination attempt on Ahmed. The president survived a car bombing in September 2006 outside Somalia's parliament in Baidoa that killed at least eight others. Somalia's Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi has been more frequently targeted by the Islamic insurgents seeking to destabilize the government. Somalia has been mired in chaos since 1991, when warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and sparked brutal clan infighting. Somalia's current transitional government is trying to maintain control of the capital, with the help of the better-equipped Ethiopian forces. But the presence of the Ethiopians has united various Islamic militant groups in Somalia, including Al-Shaabab, who are trying to oust the Ethiopian forces and gain control of Mogadishu. The United States classified Al-Shaabab as a terrorist organization in March, partly because of what Washington says is the group's close ties to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda militant group.

A hacker could disrupt Tennessee Valley Authority system, causing blackouts . TVA supplies power to almost 9 million Americans . Congress was told 75 percent of utilities fixed problems to combat attacks . Representative: no clear picture of how vulnerable utilities are to cyber attacks .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The nation's largest publicly owned utility company may be vulnerable to cyber attacks, according to a new report. In 2007 President Bush visited the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority. The Tennessee Valley Authority, which supplies power to almost 9 million Americans, "has not fully implemented appropriate security practices to protect the control systems used to operate its critical infrastructures," leaving them "vulnerable to disruption," the Government Accountability Office found. Simply put, that means a skilled hacker could disrupt the system and cause a blackout. Rep. James Langevin, a Rhode Island Democrat, fears the problem is much larger than just the TVA. "If they are not secure, I don't have a great deal of confidence that the rest of our critical infrastructure on the electric grid is secure," he said. The TVA operates 52 nuclear, hydroelectric and fossil-fuel facilities in the southeastern United States. Among the government watchdog agency findings: . • The TVA's firewalls have been bypassed or are inadequately configured . • Passwords are not effective . • Servers and work stations lack key patches and effective virus protection . • Intrusion-detection systems are not adequate . • Some locations lack enough physical security around control systems. The GAO recommends 73 steps to correct the problems in its report to Congress. In September, CNN first aired dramatic footage of a government experiment demonstrating that a cyber attack could destroy electrical equipment. The experiment, dubbed "Aurora," caused a generator to fall apart and grind to a halt after a computer attack on its control system. The test was conducted by scientists at the Idaho National Laboratory. In October, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. told Congress that 75 percent of utilities had taken steps to mitigate the Aurora vulnerability, but Langevin said it now appears that Congress was misled. A congressional audit of the electric reliability corporation's claim cast doubt on the assertion that most utilities were taking steps to fix the problem. "It appears that they just made those numbers up," Langevin said. "It is not acceptable. It is outrageous." He said the result is there is now no clear picture of how vulnerable utilities are to cyber attacks. The electric reliability corporation -- a nongovernmental group that oversees the power system and comprises members of the industry and some consumers -- told CNN it regrets the confusion. Experts told CNN that Cooper Industries is the only manufacturer of hardware that can close the Aurora vulnerability. The company estimated it would need to sell about 10,000 devices to fix the problem nationwide. It has sold just over 100, it told CNN. Langevin said the federal government may need new powers to require utilities to take corrective actions to close cyber security gaps, and he will press to give those powers to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The congressman is chairing an Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology subcommittee hearing Wednesday afternoon. Representatives of the TVA, the GAO, the federal commission and the electric reliability corporation are to appear before the subcommittee.

NEW: Woman suffered brain injury, multiple skull fractures, medical examiner rules . Spotted eagle ray leaps from water, strikes woman on boat, officials say . Victim was 55-year-old woman from Michigan . Spotted eagle ray weighed 75 to 80 pounds, official says .

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MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- A woman who died after she was hit by a spotted eagle ray leaping from the water off the Florida Keys suffered "multiple skull fractures and direct brain injury," a medical examiner said Friday. The dead spotted eagle ray lies on the deck of a boat in Florida. Judy Kay Zagorski, 55, of Pigeon, Michigan, died Thursday of "blunt force craniocerebral trauma" after the ray hit her when she was in a boat, Monroe County medical examiner Michael Hunter determined. He gave no indication in the preliminary report whether the blow from the ray itself or her head hitting the deck, or both, killed her. "It's just as freakish of an accident as I have heard," said Jorge Pino of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. "The chances of this occurring are so remote that most of us are completely astonished that this happened." Zagorski was on the boat with her father and other family members and friends. She was seated or standing in the front of the vessel as it was traveling about 25 mph out of a channel, Pino said. "The ray just actually popped up in front of the vessel," he said. "The father had not even a second to react. It was too late. It happened instantly and the woman fell backwards and, unfortunately, died as a result of the collision." The accident happened off the coast of Marathon Key, about 2½ hours' drive south of Miami. Zagorski was taken to the Fishermen's Hospital in Marathon, where she was pronounced dead. Watch marine officers work around dead ray on boat » . Pino said he had seen rays leap into the air, but added, "it's very rare for them to collide with objects." Watch experts explain why eagle rays leap » . The spotted-eagle ray weighed about 75 to 80 pounds and had a 6-foot wingspan, Pino said. Watch officials investigate eagle ray collision » . Florida Fish and Wildlife said eagle rays "are not an aggressive species, but they do tend to leap from the water." Spotted eagle rays can have a wingspan of up to 10 feet and can weigh 500 pounds, it said. Learn more about eagle rays » . Television personality Steve Irwin was killed when a ray's barb pierced his heart in September 2006. A month later, an 81-year-old Florida man, James Bertakis, survived after a ray leaped from the water and stung him in the heart, according to the Orlando Sentinel. He spent five weeks on a ventilator and his recovery took several months, his sons told the Detroit Free Press in his former home state of Michigan. E-mail to a friend .

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating US Airways flight . Plane was en route from Orlando, Florida, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania . Wing panel struck several windows, cracking the outer pane of one . Plane landed in Philadelphia about 30 minutes after the incident with no injuries .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday that it is investigating an incident in which a panel separated from the wing of a Boeing 757 while it was in flight last week. iReporter and Flight 1250 passenger Paul Shepherd took this photo of the damage through the aircraft's window. The incident occurred Saturday on US Airways Flight 1250 from Orlando, Florida, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the NTSB said in a statement. The separation occurred over Maryland. The aircraft landed in Philadelphia about 30 minutes later, and none of the 174 passengers or six crew members aboard was injured. The panel, on the trailing edge of the upper side of the left wing, broke loose and struck several windows toward the rear of the aircraft, causing the outer pane of one window to crack, the agency said. Pressurization of the cabin was not compromised. The wing panel has not been located. NTSB investigators are using a computer program to pinpoint the area where it might be and will notify local authorities that an aircraft part may be there, the statement said. The plane's cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder have arrived at the NTSB laboratory in Washington, the agency said, and are being evaluated. E-mail to a friend .

Arrests tied to three bombings in April, police tell Xinhua . China says suspects confessed; CNN could not confirm . Lhasa, Tibet was site of deadly unrest in March .

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BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Police in Tibet have arrested 16 Buddhist monks and are seeking three more for their alleged involvement in one bombing and two attempted bombings, authorities in Tibet told state-run media. Chinese People's Liberation Army soldiers are shown in the streets of Lhasa, Tibet, on March 14. All three cases occurred in Tibet's Mangkam county during the first half of April, according to the Tibet Autonomous Regional Department of Public Security. The suspects confessed, police said, saying they had listened to foreign radio and were following separatist propaganda from the Dalai Lama, China's Xinhua news agency reported. CNN could not confirm whether the suspects confessed. The Dalai Lama has said he does not advocate violence or a separate and independent Tibet. He has said he wants a genuine autonomy that preserves the cultural heritage of Tibet. Beijing blames the Dalai Lama and his followers for violence that erupted March 14 amid anti-Chinese demonstrations in Tibet. Some protesters advocated independence from China while others demonstrated against the growing influence of ethnic Han Chinese in Tibet and other regions of China with ethnic Tibetan populations. The Chinese authorities cracked down on the protests, which began peacefully on the 49th anniversary of a failed Tibetan uprising. Widespread violence broke out across China's Tibetan region, especially in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, following a week of protests by hundreds of Buddhist monks. "Real Buddhists should learn Buddhist scriptures by heart, love their country and their religion, abide by the law, and bring happiness to people," said Dainzin Chilai, vice-chairman of the China Buddhist Association and vice-chairman of the People's Political Consultative Conference of Tibet Autonomous Region. "They should not involve themselves in cruel killing and sabotage." Both groups Chilai represents are affiliated with the Chinese government. The unrest resulted in the deaths of at least 18 civilians and one police officer, according to government figures. It also injured 382 civilians and 241 police officers and led to the looting of businesses and home and the burning of shops and vehicles. Tibet's self-proclaimed government-in-exile put the death toll from the protests at 140. At the time of the unrest, roughly 1,000 people hurled rocks and concrete at security forces, demolishing military trucks and pushing back riot police, a witness told CNN, and Tibetans seemed to be targeting shops and vehicles owned by Han Chinese, the predominant ethnic group in China.

Workers using heating tools started Sunday's fire, an official told CNN . The blaze destroyed movie sets and a King Kong exhibit . 10 firefighters were injured .

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Workers using blowtorches accidentally started a weekend fire at Universal Studios, Los Angeles County spokeswoman Judy Hammond told CNN Monday. The fire burns buildings and movie sets at Universal Studios on Sunday. The fast-moving, early morning blaze destroyed several movie sets and the King Kong exhibit. It also damaged a video vault but copies of reels and videos are kept at another location, said Ron Meyer, chief operating officer of Universal Studios. "Fortunately, nothing irreplaceable was lost," he said. "The video library was affected and damaged, but our main vault of our motion picture negatives was not." While firefighters were battling the blaze Sunday, a pressurized cylinder exploded at Universal Studios on Sunday, injuring two firefighters, officials said. Eight other firefighters were injured during much of Sunday as they fought back enormous flames. Universal Studios officials resumed normal business hours Monday, including the studio tour. The fire destroyed an area called New York street, which includes movie set-style buildings designed to look like the cityscape of New York City. Hours after the blaze was reported, the roughly two-block area appeared charred and resembled a "disaster movie," said Los Angeles Councilman Tom LaBonge. LaBonge said he could see the smoke from his Silver Lake home Sunday morning. "It looked like a bomb had exploded," he said. The fire began around 4:45 a.m. and was contained initially by 9 a.m. Throughout the morning, large plumes of black smoke rose as the fire burned the vault containing hundreds of videos, said Meyer. The set of "The Changeling," a film recently directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Angelina Jolie, was "completely destroyed," Meyer said. Another area called "Courthouse Square" also was destroyed, he said. Numerous movies have been shot in that area, including several scenes of the 1985 hit "Back to the Future."

Gold cup stashed under bed for years is $100,000 ancient Persian artifact . Small urn went under the hammer at auction in southern England Thursday . Artifact acquired by junk dealer, grandfather of current owner, in the 1930s or 1940s . Experts say it is believed to date from the third or fourth century B.C.

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DORCHESTER, England (CNN) -- Englishman John Webber thought nothing of the small, shiny cup, passed down from his junk dealer grandfather and stashed under a bed for years, until appraisers said it was an ancient Persian artifact. The ancient Persian gold cup, thought to date from the third or fourth century B.C., fetched $100,000 at auction. The 5½-inch gold cup, which experts have dated to the third or fourth century B.C., fetched $100,000 at an auction in Dorchester, southern England, Thursday. The identity of the winning bidder wasn't immediately known. The relic features the double faced ancient Roman god Janus, the god of gates and doors who always looked to both the future and past and is often associated with beginnings and endings. The cup has two faces with braided hair and entwined snake ornaments at the forehead. Webber's grandfather, William Sparks, was a rag and bone man, the British term for a junk dealer, Duke's said, who established the iron merchants Sparks and Son in Taunton, Somerset, in southwestern England, in the 1930s. Sparks acquired the cup along with two other pieces, also up for auction, in the 1930s or 1940s, the spokeswoman said. Watch CNN report on the auction » . Before he died, Sparks gave the items to Webber, who didn't realize their value, the spokeswoman said. "Because he mainly dealt in brass and bronze, I thought that was what it was made from," Webber told the Bournemouth News and Picture Service. "I put it in a box and forgot about it. Then last year I moved house and took it out to have a look, and I realized it wasn't bronze or brass. "I sent it to the British Museum, and the experts there hadn't seen anything like it before and recommended I had it tested at a laboratory. So I paid quite a bit of money for it to be examined by a lab the museum recommended. And they found the gold dated from the third of fourth century B.C." Webber, who is in his 70s, said he remembers the cup from when he was a small boy. "It's been quite exciting finding out what it was," he told the agency. Webber brought the items to Duke's at the start of the year for potential sale, because he wanted to "realize some money," the auction house spokeswoman said. A spokeswoman for Duke's Auction House, which is selling the cup, said the cup is believed to be from the Archaemenid empire in ancient Persia. The other two items are a second century B.C. round gold mount with a figure, probably of ancient Greek hero Ajax, who besieged Troy, and a decorated gold spoon with an image of a Roman emperor. "He had a good eye for quality over the years," said the spokeswoman, who asked not to be named, "and anything interesting he'd put aside." Scientists analyzed trace elements of a gold sample taken from the cup to determine its age, and analysts from Oxford University concluded that they are consistent with Archaemenid gold and goldsmithing, Duke's said.

Hyundai Chairman Chung Mong-koo has escaped prison for embezzling . South Korean court ruled instead to impose a suspended five year sentence . In February, the 68-year-old executive was sentenced to three years in prison . Chung was accused of placing firm's money in fund to earn government favors .

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SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- Hyundai Chairman Chung Mong-koo escaped a prison sentence for embezzlement after a South Korean court ruled Thursday to instead impose a suspended five year sentence, according to a company spokesman. Hyundai Motor chairman Chung Mong-Koo, center, leaves the High Court after his trial in Seoul in June. In February, the 68-year-old executive was sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted of embezzling money from the South Korean conglomerate. He appealed that verdict and on Thursday the company said Chung will now only be required to undertake community service. Chung was accused of funneling $106 million in company money into a slush fund to seek favors from the government and with breach of trust for incurring more than $300 million in damages to the company. Hyundai is the world's sixth-largest automaker and a pillar of South Korea's economy. Chung spent two months in jail after his arrest last April before being released on $1 million bail. He admitted using affiliated companies to set up slush funds, but said he knew no details of the arrangements. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Eunice Yoon contributed to this report.

Robert West was inspired by family history to paint trains . Artist's grandfather was a Pullman train porter . "Visual historian" does a lot of research before painting .

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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Artist Robert West is proud of his connection to the Pullman Company. His grandfather, Allen Parrish, was a Pullman Porter and helped inspire some of his train paintings. Robert West paints his latest project in his Atlanta, Georgia, studio. "When I was growing up, we would often take grandfather to work at the train station. I became impressed and mesmerized with trains through this experience. This passion ultimately led me to become a full-time railroad illustrator," West said. The Pullman Company was one of the largest employers of African-Americans in the 1920s and '30s. It hired them as porters in railroad sleeping cars to assist railroad passengers and make up beds. These jobs were once highly regarded in the black community because they offered the opportunity to travel and better pay and security than most jobs open to blacks at the time. West says trains have an important place in African-American history -- from symbolism in Negro spirituals to a real conveyance for the mass migration of blacks moving to the North in the 1930s, '40s and '50s. "Trains have so long symbolized hope, freedom and power -- what better metaphor could there be to represent our struggle and our assimilation into mainstream American life," West said. Many of West's paintings depict historical scenes with the now defunct Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, because that's where his grandfather worked for many years. Watch award-winning artist on trains and history » . West paints other trains, including the Steam, Gas turbine, Electric, as well as first through sixth Generation Diesel Electric Locomotives. He wears a conductor's hat as he works. "I think it's important that all the cultures in the United States look back at our history by way of the railroads," West said. "It was through our contributions to the railroads, that also pushed us forward as a nation and as a human race." West has been drawing and painting trains since the age of 2. In 1973, he decided to make railroad illustrating a profession. Through the years his work has won several awards in shows of national and regional scope. "I'm probably more of a visual historian more than anything else, because I conduct weeks, months, sometimes years of research prior to doing a painting," he said. West has painted more than 500 original works, which have sold across the United States and around the world. Train enthusiasts are his largest market. "When one looks at my paintings, I like for them to not only feel a sense of joy, but to feel good about times when times were happier, kinder, and gentler," he said. E-mail to a friend .

Two men arrested in Spanish enclave of Melilla, near Morocco . One accused of involvement in bombing that killed 33 in Casablanca . The other is believed to have been trying to buy arms . Arrest warrants were issued after Morocco broke up terror network last February .

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MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- Spanish police Tuesday arrested two Moroccan men suspected of having links to Islamic terrorism, Spain's Ministry of Interior said, including one man wanted in connection with attacks in Casablanca in 2003. Mohamed El Bay is thought to have been trying to buy weapons and explosives. The arrests were made in Melilla, a Spanish enclave of about 68,000 people on Morocco's Mediterranean coast, with Spanish Civil Guards acting on international arrests warrants issued by Morocco, the ministry said in a written statement. Moroccan authorities have linked one of the suspects, Ali Aarass, to the Casablanca bombings in May 2003 that killed 33 bystanders and 12 suicide bombers. He is suspected of Islamic extremist activities during the past 16 years, the Spanish statement said. The other man, Mohamed El Bay, is wanted for alleged involvement with a terrorist network that Moroccan police broke up last February, when they arrested 30 people suspected of plotting attacks against Moroccan government targets, it said. Moroccan police seized numerous weapons in the February raids and later contacted European police for help in locating other suspects in the group. Morocco authorities believe El Bay may have been in charge of contacting Central European arms smugglers to get weapons and explosives for the alleged plot in Morocco, the Spanish statement said. Spanish police searched the homes of both suspects in Melilla and seized documentation, it said. Spain has arrested more than 300 suspected Islamic extremists since the Madrid train bombings of 2004 that killed 191 people, although not all of the suspects remain in jail. E-mail to a friend .

Iranian teenager loses appeal to remain in the Netherlands . 19-year-old had sought asylum in UK but is to be sent home . Mehdi Kazemi says he will face persecution in his homeland .

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(CNN) -- The Netherlands has rejected an asylum plea by a gay Iranian teenager trying to escape possible persecution in his homeland. Mehdi Kazemi believes he will face persecution if he is made to return to Iran. Mehdi Kazemi, 19, had originally sought asylum in Britain, where he was taking classes on a student visa, because, he said, his boyfriend had been executed in Iran after saying he and Kazemi had been in a gay relationship. Britain's Home Office rejected his request, prompting Kazemi to flee to Netherlands. Tuesday's decision by the Council of State -- the highest administrative court in the Netherlands --means Kazemi could face deportation to Britain, which he fears will send him back to Iran. Council spokeswoman Daniela Tempelman said the council decided it must comply with the Dublin Regulation and return Kazemi to Britain. Watch how teenager has lost his right to remain. » . Under the Dublin Regulation, European Union member nations agree that an application for asylum submitted in any EU country would be handled by that country alone. The regulation seeks to ensures that an asylum seeker is not redirected from nation to nation simply because none will take responsibility. Kazemi's initial appeal for asylum in the Netherlands, made in October, was rejected. He then appealed unsuccessfully to a regional court in December. His last appeal was to the Council of State in January. Tempelman said that in order for the Dutch court to consider Kazemi's asylum application, he needed to prove that Britain did not handle his asylum application properly, but he wasn't able to prove any wrongdoing on the part of the British government. Kazemi now has exhausted his chances for appeal in the Netherlands and, according to Tempelman, could be returned to Britain on a short notice. The British government about six months ago accepted the Dutch request to take him back. Kazemi's lawyer will have the option of taking his case to the European Court of Human Rights to request an "interim measure" that could allow Kazemi to stay in Europe until further notice. "If anybody signs his deportation papers and says, look, he's got to be deported to Iran, that means they have signed his death sentence," said Kazemi's uncle Saeed, who asked CNN to withhold his last name over safety concerns. Gay rights activists in Europe and Iran are also researching Kazemi's case. "When Britain is prepared to send a young man back to possible execution, that is inhumanity on a monumental scale," said Peter Tatchell, an activist for gay campaign group OutRage. "And I hang my head in shame, as a British citizen." In a written statement, Britain's Home Office said that even though homosexuality is illegal in Iran and homosexuals do experience discrimination, it does not believe that homosexuals are routinely persecuted purely on the basis of their sexuality. E-mail to a friend .

Jurors see video evidence in the trial of three men charged with conspiracy . One video shows explosion seconds after train leaves Liverpool Street Station . Videos also show three of four suspects in London transport bombings .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Videos of the chaos and horrified reactions after the July 7, 2005, London transit bombings were shown to jurors Thursday in the trial of three men charged with conspiracy in the case. Smoke and dust fill the platform area at Liverpool Street Station on July 7, 2005, after a bomb exploded. One of the videos shows the explosion of a train seconds after it leaves the Liverpool Street Station heading for Aldgate East. As dust and smoke fill the tunnel, people on the platform rush away, and police head toward the blast. Another shows bystanders running and ducking for cover after one of the bombers detonated his rucksack on the No. 30 bus. Riders on a nearby bus jump from their seats. Four bombs were detonated on underground trains at Liverpool Street, Russell Square and Edgware Road, and on a double-decker bus at Tavistock Square. Fifty-two people and the four bombers were killed, and at least 900 people were injured. Watch commuters flee as the bombs explode » . Links to the edited videos were posted on the Web site of London's Metropolitan Police, and were played in Kingston Crown Court where Mohammed Shakil, 31, Waheed Ali, 24, and Sadeer Saleem, 27, are accused of aiding the bombers . A series of videos show three of the bombers -- Siddique Khan, Shehzad Tanweer and Jermaine Lindsay -- practicing their moves in various locations on June 28, 2005. The fourth bomber was Hasib Hussain. One video shows Tanweer and Khan meeting Lindsay outside Luton Station, where the three linger near the ticket counter and one of them stands in line. Security cameras also captured images of the three men at other blast locations. Two weeks after the July bombings, an attempted second wave of bombings struck other trains and a bus, but the devices failed to explode properly. More than a dozen people were arrested afterward. Metropolitan Police said some clips were not released, to protect the identities of members of the public. E-mail to a friend .

Illinois political power broker Tony Rezko convicted in corruption case . Rezko was accused of demanding kickbacks for state business contracts . Rezko made contributions to Obama campaign, sold him land .

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CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- Political powerbroker Tony Rezko, whose links to presidential contender Barack Obama dropped him into the national spotlight this year, was convicted of money laundering, fraud and bribery charges by a federal jury Wednesday. Tony Rezko, left, leaves federal court with his family Tuesday during deliberations in his corruption trial. Rezko -- who has contributed thousands to the campaigns of the Illinois senator and other Democrats -- was accused of demanding kickbacks from companies seeking Illinois state business. He was convicted of 16 of 24 charges, including 12 counts of wire and mail fraud, two counts of aiding and abetting bribery and two counts of money laundering. He was acquitted of attempted extortion. Testimony at Rezko's trial in federal court brought up ties between Obama and Rezko, with a witness putting Obama at Rezko's house for a party where the guest of honor was Iraqi-British businessman Nadhmi Auchi. Obama has said he doesn't recall ever meeting Auchi, who was convicted of fraud in France. Amid the controversy, Obama acknowledged he had accepted contributions from Rezko and bought a strip of land from Rezko, a Chicago real-estate developer. Obama, who has not been accused of wrongdoing in the case, has vowed to give up the contributions, and called the purchase a mistake. He has already donated to charity at least $80,000 in campaign contributions linked to Rezko. Obama won enough delegates Tuesday to clinch the Democratic Party's nomination for president.

Cyclist's Olympic record: 1 gold medal, 2 silver medals, 1 bronze medal . Cyclist was born October 31, 1958, in Annency, France . By 1988 Longo-Ciprelli was a three-time road race world champion .

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(CNN) -- Jeannie Longo-Ciprelli would be remembered as the greatest female cyclist of her generation even if she had never been an Olympic champion. Longo-Ciprelli: Fourth time lucky in Atlanta in 1996. For much of her career, the Olympic gold was the one honor to elude the French rider. Misfortune, it seemed, was to be her fate every four years, regardless of how many world championships she won in between. In 1984 the first women's Olympic road race coincided with Longo-Ciprelli's rise to dominance in the sport. Well-placed going into the final lap, she appeared set to challenge in the sprint, only to be knocked off in a collision. By 1988, Longo-Ciprelli was a three-time road race world champion, as well as a double winner of the women's Tour de France, and the clear favorite for gold in Seoul. But a broken hip a month before the Games derailed her preparations. Although she recovered enough to ride the road race, she could manage just 21st place. Tactical error More disappointment followed in Barcelona in 1992 as Longo-Ciprelli paid the price for a tactical error. With three kilometers to go, she raced away from the peloton and crossed the line in celebration. But she had failed to realize that Kathy Watt, an unheralded Australian, had slipped away from the lead group apparently unnoticed with a lap to go, and finished 20 seconds further in front. Four years later, in Atlanta, Longo-Ciprelli, finally cracked her Olympic jinx. At 37, Longo-Ciprelli was no longer the dominant presence she had once been, but she still possessed the ability to raise her performance for the biggest races, as she had proven by winning her fourth road race world title in 1995. Her preparations were typically unorthodox -- while her rivals were acclimatizing to the Atlanta heat, Longo-Ciprelli trained alone in the mountains of Colorado, arriving just two days before the race. The race itself was run in a sudden downpour, which sent many riders crashing and skidding and had the rest struggling to stay on their bikes. Unruffled, Longo-Ciprelli broke clear with two other riders and then launched her gold-winning solo attack 11 kilometers from the finish. Longo-Ciprelli was back for her fifth and final Olympics in Sydney in 2000 at the age of 41, this time claiming bronze in the time trial -- and event in which she had also won silver in 1996. E-mail to a friend .

Law enforcement source says federal drug officers are looking into death . Ledger died of an accidental overdose January 22 . Source: Investigators trying to determine if drugs were prescribed legally . DEA is looking at two doctors -- one in California and one in Texas .

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(CNN) -- Federal drug investigators have taken over the inquiry into the January 22 death of actor Heath Ledger in a New York apartment, a law enforcement source told CNN Thursday. Actor Heath Ledger, 28, died January 22 at an apartment in Lower Manhattan. Ledger, 28, an Oscar-nominated Australian actor, died of an accidental overdose of six types of medication, according to the New York City medical examiner's office. The medical examiner's office said Ledger "died as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine." Oxycodone and hydrocodone are pain medications; diazepam -- also known as Valium -- is used to treat anxiety; temazepam is a sedative used to induce sleep; alprazolam -- known by the trade name Xanax -- is an anti-anxiety agent. Doxylamine, an antihistamine, can be obtained over the counter as a sleep aid. The law enforcement source said the federal drug investigators are trying to determine if the drugs were prescribed legally, and are looking at two doctors -- one based in California and another in Texas. Ledger's first American film was the teen comedy "10 Things I Hate About You" in 1999. He passed up several scripts before taking a role in the Revolutionary War drama "The Patriot" in 2000 and "A Knight's Tale" in 2001. He also played a supporting role in "Monster's Ball." But Ledger was perhaps best known for his portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in "Brokeback Mountain," Ang Lee's film about two cowboys who had a secret romantic relationship. The role earned Ledger a best actor Oscar nomination. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Brian Vitagliano contributed to this report.

NEW: Four of the eight injured children came from same family, hospital says . One child in critical condition, three in serious condition with burn injuries . About 200 firefighters were at the scene in Harlem . Residents say some sort of restaurant was being operated in bottom of building .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Twenty-four people, including eight children, were injured in an apparent gas explosion at a Harlem apartment building, the New York Fire Department said. The explosion blew out some of the windows in the five-story building. John Rodgers, a spokesman for New York-Presbyterian Hospital, said Sunday that four of the eight children were from the same family. The conditions of all those injured were not immediately known. One child was in critical condition and the three others were in serious condition, New York Fire Department Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said. All four had burn injuries. One of the injured is an infant. A firefighter was also injured, but was in stable condition Saturday evening. He apparently was struck by falling debris, Scoppetta said. About 200 firefighters responded to the scene of the blast on West 119th Street in Harlem. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg visited the five-floor building after the explosion. The 4 p.m. ET blast blew some of the building's windows out, according to firefighters. Watch rescue workers tend to injured » Although the blast was still under investigation, Scoppetta said the cause appeared to be a gas leak. New York police said the blast was at the rear of the structure. Residents who assisted in pulling the injured out of the building said some kind of restaurant was being operated on the bottom floor of the building. Scoppetta refused comment on those reports, citing the ongoing investigation. An emergency room worker at Harlem Hospital Center said the facility received five to six people from the explosion about 4:30 p.m., but would not provide an update on their conditions. The building, which has 20 apartments, was evacuated, as were apartment buildings on both sides, Scoppetta said. Building inspectors will examine them to determine their structural integrity. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Caleb Silver, Jim Acosta and Richard Davis contributed to this report.

Accident-plagued low-cost carrier Adam Air will no longer be allowed to fly . Indonesian government will revoke airline's license on Wednesday . The airline "failed to implement quality standards for its aircraft" It has had more than one major accident in last year, one killing 102 people on board .

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JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- Indonesia has temporarily grounded all Adam Air flights starting Wednesday because it says the discount airliner "failed to implement quality standards for its aircraft." Officers examine an Adam Air plane which halted suddenly in the middle of the runway in Surabaya in February 2007. "The operational specification of Adam Air will be revoked. In effect, Adam Air will not be allowed to operate any airplanes effective 12 a.m. Wednesday, 18 March 2008," according to a statement from Indonesia's civil aviation chief, Budhi Muliawan Suyitno. A year ago, a Garuda Airlines plane overshot the runway in Jakarta, careened into a rice patty field and burst into flames, killing more than 20 people on board. On January 1, 2007, Adam Air Flight 574 crashed, killing all 102 people on board. A day after the crash, there were reports that 12 survivors had been found. But those 12 survivors, it turned out later, were from an Indonesian ferry that sank four days earlier. For more than a week after the Adam Air flight disappeared off the radar screens, Indonesian authorities scoured the mountainous terrain of western Sulawesi province and the Java Sea for any sign of the missing aircraft, but found nothing. The suspension will last for three months, according to Bambang Ervan, a spokesman for Indonesia's Air Transport Directorate. Adam Air's permit was revoked because it "failed to implement quality standards for its aircraft, including pilot training and supervision in accordance with standard operational procedures," Ervan said. The directorate sent a letter to Adam Air regarding its decision, but has not received a reply. Adam Air CEO Adam Suherman told CNN the airline is not surprised by the Air Transport Office's announcement. He said the airline had to suspend its operations Tuesday morning because one of its main investors pulled out, causing the airliner financial problems. Indonesia's aviation authorities recently issued a report outlining a road map to safety, acknowledging that their track record on safety is unacceptable. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration lowered its rating of Indonesia's safety record and the European Union banned all Indonesian airliners. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Kathy Quiano in Jakarta and Arwa Damon contributed to this report .