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(CNN) -- Houston, Texas, had a record high temperature Wednesday as a heat wave continues to grip the nation's midsection, the National Weather Service said Thursday. A woman tries to beat Houston's record heat by lying on a bench in the shade. The city sweltered with a high temperature of 104 degrees Wednesday, a record high for June 24, forecasters said. The previous record high for the date was 99 degrees, set in 1980. The previous record high measured for the month of June in Houston was 103 degrees, set on June 30, 1980, and June 18, 1934. Heat indices, a combination of temperature and humidity, are breaking the 110-degree mark in many cities. Forecasters predicted a high near 100 for Houston on Thursday, but the temperature could rise into the triple digits in outlying areas, said CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf. The weather service posted heat advisories for Houston; Dallas, Texas; and New Orleans, Louisiana, indicating that temperatures in those cities will feel like 100 to 105 degrees because of high humidity. In the Houston community of Bayland Park, the elderly were taking advantage of the air-conditioned Community Center. "I don't like hot weather. I never have and never will," Teet Charloton told CNN affiliate KPRC-TV in Houston. "But we have to have it. I go from the car to the house or come in here and go back the same way. I don't do much shopping, that's for sure." Betty Dante added, "It is very hot outside. ... I think as you get older, you feel the heat more." In southwest Houston, Leticia Alvarado is profiting from the heat. The unemployed Houstonian has been running along the median on Hillcroft Street at Bellaire Boulevard for seven weeks. She is selling water for $1 a bottle. "It's hot, too hot," she told the station. Other cities also were sweltering. New Iberia, Louisiana, had a temperature Wednesday of 102, which broke the record of 97 in 2005. An excessive heat warning was issued for St. Louis, Missouri, on Thursday through 7 p.m. CT Saturday. Forecasters predicted a high near 96. Cloud cover was expected to make temperatures there a little cooler Thursday, but the weather service warned, "A hot and humid air mass remains over the area which will continue to control weather over the region through Saturday." Afternoon and early evening heat index readings of 100 to 110 were expected in the Missouri city every day through Saturday. Young children, the elderly and people with chronic sicknesses were advised to stay inside if possible. The heat wave that began last week was being fed by a high pressure system north of Texas Air quality alerts were posted for several cities, indicating pollutants exceed accepted standards. A red alert was issued for Houston, the third most severe alert that indicates unhealthy air quality.

NEW: Heat advisories for Houston, Dallas and New Orleans . Houston swelters at 104 degrees Wednesday . Temperature surpasses record high for that date set in 1980 . Forecasters expect no end in sight to scorching weather in U.S. midsection .

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

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

(CNN) -- Hundreds of U.S. and Afghan soldiers have embarked on a major operation against militants in the eastern Afghan region of Tora Bora, near the border with Pakistan, officials have told CNN. File photo of the remote mountain Tora Bora region on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Air and ground strikes under way in the remote mountain region are aimed at large numbers of militant fighters. The troops are targeting "hundreds of hardened al Qaeda and Taliban in dug-in positions," said officials familiar with the intelligence. The operation started two days ago in the region, where al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was once thought to be hiding. The Bush administration has been criticized for not sending enough ground forces to Tora Bora in December 2001 to capture the militant after the invasion that toppled the Taliban. "U.S. and Afghan forces engaged al Qaeda and other violent extremist fighters in eastern Afghanistan during a combined arms assault using precision munitions. There have been no substantiated reports of civilian casualties in this engagement," said Capt. Vanessa R. Bowman, a U.S. Army spokeswoman. "The targets were carefully chosen to pinpoint enemy positions and eliminate the likelihood of harming innocent civilians," she said. "This region has provided an ideal environment to conceal enemy support bases and training sites, as well as plan and launch attacks aimed at terrorizing innocent civilians, both inside and outside the region." Also Wednesday, a manager at a private British security firm in Afghanistan was shot and killed in the capital Kabul, a spokesman for the company said. "We did lose a manager today in Kabul to unknown assailants," Christopher Beese, spokesman for ArmorGroup International, said Wednesday. He said next of kin have been notified and an inquiry into the incident has begun. The name of the man, a British national, was not released. "It's bad news. He was a very well-respected man," Beese said, noting that the victim had experience in Afghanistan going back to the early 1980s. Beese -- who said the man's role was to run the administration of the 1,200-person-strong security presence in the country -- described the man as a "logistics manager" and "all things to all people." The firm, which has been operating in Afghanistan since 2002, mostly provides diplomatic protection and has contracts with the British and American governments. The man recruited and trained Afghan guards and was the most senior administrator at the company's Kabul base, Camp Anjuman, the company said. E-mail to a friend CNN's Joe Sterling contributed to this report.

Hundreds of U.S. and Afghan soldiers embark on major operation in Tora Bora . They are using air, ground strikes to target al Qaeda, Taliban . Osama bin Laden was once thought to be hiding in remote mountain region . U.S. Army: No substantiated reports of civilian casualties .

(CNN) -- Hurricane Paloma continued to intensify Friday night as the Category 3 storm pounded Grand Cayman island with strong winds and heavy rain. As of 10 p.m. ET Friday, Paloma was moving northeast through the Cayman Islands. The National Hurricane Center said additional strengthening of the storm could occur through Saturday night as Paloma turned northeast and headed toward Cuba. A hurricane warning was in effect Friday throughout the Cayman islands, with residents being told that "preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion," the center said. A hurricane warning means that hurricane conditions are expected within 24 hours. Cuban officials also issued a hurricane warning for the provinces of Sancti Spiritus, Ciego de Avila, Camaguey and Las Tunas, the Miami, Florida-based hurricane center said in an advisory. As of 10 p.m. ET, Paloma's winds were near 115 mph (185 kph) with higher gusts. Paloma is forecast to approach Cuba as a Category 2 storm after weakening late Saturday, according to the hurricane center. Watch rainstorms beat the Cayman Islands » Friday evening, the center of Paloma was about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Grand Cayman Island and about 275 miles (443 kilometers) southwest of Camaguey, Cuba. It was moving northeast at about 7 mph and was expected to pass near Grand Cayman Friday night and approach the coast of central Cuba late Saturday, the hurricane center said. The storm's projected path would steer it away from the U.S. mainland and into the Atlantic. See where the hurricane could be headed » J.B. Webb, a manager at a radio station on Grand Cayman, said Friday evening that some residents had gone to shelters and others were shutting themselves in downtown businesses rebuilt to withstand a Category 5 hurricane. He said the local government had advised people to be off the roads by 11 a.m. The storm is expected to produce rainfall accumulations of 5 to 10 inches over the Caymans and central and eastern Cuba, with isolated maximum totals of 15 inches possible. Flash floods and mudslides are possible, forecasters said. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center, and tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 120 miles, the hurricane center said. iReport.com: Are you in Paloma's path? Forecasters predicted storm-surge flooding of 5 to 7 feet above normal tide levels, accompanied by dangerous battering waves, near the center of Paloma in the Cayman Islands. Near where Paloma is expected to make landfall, along Cuba's southern coast, storm surge flooding of 8 to 12 feet is forecast, the hurricane center said. Cuban television was broadcasting advisories to viewers, telling them not to cross swollen rivers, to avoid fallen cables and to evacuate if told to do so by Civil Defense officials. In Las Tunas, students in boarding schools were sent home, because the schools will be used as shelters. Evacuations were under way in some coastal areas prone to flooding. Rice and cereal was being shipped to other parts of the country to keep it from spoiling, and no tourists were being allowed to enter many areas. CNN's Morgan Neill and Rory Suchet contributed to this report.

NEW: Cayman Island residents flee homes for shelters, fortified buildings . Paloma has 115-mph winds; storm-surge flooding expected in Caymans . Evacuations under way in parts of Cuba; safety advisories issued . Projected path would steer hurricane away from U.S. mainland .

(CNN) -- Husbands are allowed to slap their wives if they spend lavishly, a Saudi judge said recently during a seminar on domestic violence, Saudi media reported Sunday. It is OK to slap Saudi women who spend too much, a judge has told an audience. Arab News, a Saudi English-language daily newspaper based in Riyadh, reported that Judge Hamad Al-Razine said that "if a person gives SR 1,200 [$320] to his wife and she spends 900 riyals [$240] to purchase an abaya [the black cover that women in Saudi Arabia must wear] from a brand shop and if her husband slaps her on the face as a reaction to her action, she deserves that punishment." Women in the audience immediately and loudly protested Al-Razine's statement, and were shocked to learn the remarks came from a judge, the newspaper reported. Arab News reported that Al-Razine made his remark as he was attempting to explain why incidents of domestic violence had increased in Saudi Arabia. He said that women and men shared responsibility, but added that "nobody puts even a fraction of blame" on women, the newspaper said. Al-Razine "also pointed out that women's indecent behavior and use of offensive words against their husbands were some of the reasons for domestic violence in the country," it added. Domestic violence, which used to be a taboo subject in the conservative kingdom, has become a hot topic in recent years. Groups like the National Family Safety Program have campaigned to educate the public about the problem and help prevent domestic abuse. Saudi women's rights activist Wajeha Al-Huwaider told CNN that Saudi women routinely face such attitudes. "This is how men in Saudi Arabia see women," she said in a telephone interview from the Saudi city of Dahran. "It's not something they read in a book or learned from a friend. They've been raised to see women this way, that they're less than a person." Al-Huwaider added that "I'm not surprised to see a judge or a religious man saying that - they've been raised in the same culture - a culture that tells them it's ok to raise your hand to a woman that this works." Another Saudi judge, in the city of Onaiza, was the source of a separate recent controversy: he twice denied a request from the mother of an 8-year-old girl that the girl be granted a divorce from her 47-year-old husband. Last month, after human-groups condemned the union, the girl was granted the divorce.

Husbands allowed to slap their wives if they spend lavishly, Saudi judge says . Women in the audience immediately and loudly protested his speech . Newspaper reports judge was trying to explain increase in domestic violence .

(CNN) -- I spent a restless night, worrying that another man-made disaster might devastate my beloved hometown, New Orleans, just as its post-Katrina motto "Recover, Rebuild, Rebirth" was becoming real. The oil spill couldn't come at a worse time. Everybody was so up, waiting for the inauguration of our newly elected Mayor Mitch Landrieu. The BP oil spill threatens New Orleans and the entire Gulf Coast in a way that's more insidious than Hurricane Katrina. After all, the failure of the levees and the response from the previous administration, widely criticized for incompetence and indifference, followed an act of nature: the destruction, immediate; the impact, obvious; and the pain and suffering, visible to all. The BP disaster has only one cause: human greed, and the almost inevitable result, negligence. The immediate tragedy was that 11 people died. But the destruction that will result from BP's "crude river" will be long-term and the impact far from obvious. The "crude river" will spawn streams of suffering: economic, environmental and emotional. So as the "Big Muddy" fights the "Big Cruddy," how do we assess the players? And what actions should be taken against rigged disasters, both once and future? First, we must hold BP accountable and responsible. Was it an accident? Only if we define "accident" as negligence. The failure of the "shear ram," the set of steel blades intended to slash through a pipe at the top of a well and close off the flow of crude, should not have surprised BP or the corporations that work for it. Eight years ago, the Minerals Management Service found that 50 percent of the shear rams tested failed. So calling the failure of the "last resort device" an accident is like calling the damage caused by a drunken driver an accident. Failure to take the proper precautions is not an accident; it's negligence. BP has rightly accepted responsibility. We may grant the company a skeptical benefit of the doubt regarding its willingness to pay for the cleanup and the damages. We should, however, monitor its PR-to-payout ratio. But we should not lose sight of the role of companies like Halliburton, under investigation because it was responsible for the cement seal that apparently leaked; Cameron International, which supplied the rig's blowout prevention system; or Transocean, which manufactured the rig. As the federal government begins its investigation, it should ask not only who was negligent, but why. To what extent did profit preclude prudence? Since BP can't contain the spill -- rather, the river, which is what it really is -- government at all levels must do what it's supposed to do, and do it right. For example, officials should carry out Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser's plan to deploy local fishermen with booms on movable platforms in the Gulf, ready to "draw a line in the sand," depending on how the oil moves. Gov. Bobby Jindal has approved. Already the response from the Obama administration exceeds that of the federal response to Katrina, and the oil hasn't yet begun to cause the catastrophic damage we all fear. The morning after the explosion, Deputy Secretary of the Interior David J. Hayes was sent to the Gulf. The morning after the explosion, Deputy Secretary of the Interior David J. Hayes was sent to the Gulf. President Obama began monitoring the situation, staying in contact with the governors of the five Gulf states, making sure every available resource be at their disposal and ordering a coordinated Cabinet-level response. Here are a few authorizations the president has made, before his personal visit. • The U.S. Coast Guard; the Departments of Homeland Security, Commerce and Interior; and the Environmental Protection Agency immediately began directing and overseeing BP's response. • The Navy is using advanced technology and working with the Coast Guard to contain and disperse the oil. • The Departments of Homeland Security and Interior will be investigating the cause and inspecting all platforms and

Donna Brazile: Oil spill comes as her hometown of New Orleans is on the mend . Brazile: Greed, negligence caused BP oil spill, death toll; suffering to be long-term . 50 percent of "last resort devices" that didn't work this time failed in 2002 tests . Besides BP, she writes, companies behind failed device must come under scrutiny .

(CNN) -- Iceland's voters overwhelmingly rejected a deal to pay billions of dollars it owes to the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday. With around 90 percent of votes counted, just over 93 percent said no and just under 2 percent said yes. Not enough votes remain to be counted to change the result. Some 62.5 percent of Iceland's roughly 200,000 register voters cast ballots, the ministry said. The referendum was on a law about repaying the Netherlands and UK, which helped savers in their own countries who lost money in a failed Icelandic Internet bank. The British and Dutch governments came up with more than $5 billion for bailing out people who lost money in Icesave -- an online retail bank branch of Landsbanki. That Icelandic bank failed in October 2008, along with two other banks in the country. Under a European Union directive, Iceland now owes compensation to Britain and the Netherlands. The Icelandic government has said it will honor its international obligations. Iceland's parliament passed a bill authorizing a state guarantee for repayment of the funds, but President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson declined to sign it in January. He cited public disapproval, and in particular, an Internet petition signed by up to one-quarter of the electorate, as a reason for not signing the bill. He said there needed to be a national consensus in addressing the issue. That prompted Saturday's national referendum on the law. The Icelandic public widely disapproved of the deal, the government said in a fact sheet on the deal. "There is widespread frustration over the claim on ordinary citizens in Iceland to pay the price for the irresponsible behavior of reckless bankers," it said. Magnus Arni Skulason, who campaigned against the bill, called the terms of the loan repayment unacceptable. "Of course we feel empathy for those people that lost money," he said Saturday while voting was going on. "We just want to get a more reasonable agreement," he told CNN. It is not clear what happens now that voters have said no to the loan guarantees. The International Monetary Fund loaned Iceland $2.1 billion in November, and said repaying the money to the British and Dutch governments was a requirement of the loan. Iceland has begun moves toward applying for European Union membership, which Britain and the Netherlands could block. Britain spent £2.3 billion ($3.69 billion) last year to cover the losses that British savers incurred when Icelandic banks collapsed. The Dutch government spent €1.3 billion ($1.87 billion) to cover bank losses in the country. The Icelandic government said it has "clearly stated its intention to honor its international obligations and remains fully committed to implementing the bilateral loan agreements with the UK and the Netherlands."

UK, Dutch governments bailed out their savers hit by collapse of Icelandic banks . Under an EU directive, Iceland owes compensation to the UK, the Netherlands . Some Icelanders say that the current repayment terms are unacceptable . With around 90 percent of votes counted, just over 93 percent said no to deal .

(CNN) -- Illness forced Whitney Houston to postpone the first four shows of the European leg of her "Nothing But Love" comeback tour, her publicist said Wednesday. "Doctors visited Whitney late last night in Paris and confirmed that she was suffering from an upper respiratory infection," a statement issued Wednesday said. "Upon medical advice Whitney has been advised that she cannot perform to allow her time to recover." It was announced Monday that Houston would miss Tuesday's show in Paris because of the illness, but now doctors have advised her to cancel her first three United Kingdom performances, the publicist said. "Only last month Whitney had said how excited she was to be performing again in the U.K. after her eleven year absence and was looking forward to performing new songs as well as crowd favorites," the statement said. Her two Manchester, England shows have been moved from Thursday and Friday to the end of her tour on June 17 and 18, the publicist said. The Glasgow, Scotland concert has been shifted from this Sunday to May 1, he said. The tour is expected to resume next Tuesday in Birmingham, England. Houston just completed a tour of Asia and Australia.

Illness forces Whitney Houston to postpone first four shows of European tour . Doctors says Houston is suffering from an upper respiratory infection . Glasgow, Scotland concert has been shifted from this Sunday to May 1 .

(CNN) -- In a Nairobi slum, more than one in four children under 5 will die, but in a wealthier part of the Kenyan capital, the mortality rate is one in almost 67, according to a World Health Organization report released Tuesday. A woman lies next to her sick child at a medical center in Sheshemene, Ethiopia, in July. The World Health Report 2008 aims to spotlight disparities in health care across the globe, and as the Nairobi example illustrates, the differences exist not only between the First and Third Worlds -- they can occur just across town. WHO roundly criticizes the organization, finance and delivery of health care and calls advances in the field "deeply and unacceptably unequal, with many disadvantaged populations increasingly lagging behind or even losing ground." The report says that a citizen of a wealthy nation can live up to 40 years longer than someone in a poor country, and of the 136 million women who will give birth this year, about 58 million (43 percent) will receive no medical assistance during childbirth or the postpartum period. UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman said the sharp inequities in the cost and access to health care often speak to larger societal ills. "High maternal, infant and under-five mortality often indicates lack of access to basic services such as clean water and sanitation, immunizations and proper nutrition," she said in a statement. WHO Director-General Margaret Chan insists the dilemma is not just a matter of haves versus have-nots. "A world that is greatly out of balance in matters of health is neither stable nor secure," she said in a statement from Almaty, Kazakhstan, where the report was released. The difference in annual government expenditures on health care is more canyon than gap, according to the report. While the wealthiest nations dole out as much as $6,000 per person each year, some countries are unable or unwilling to spend more than $20 per person. However, while calling for wide-ranging reforms in the delivery of primary health care, the report notes that it isn't always a matter of government expenditures. Tajikistan and Sierra Leone both spend less than $100 per person on health care. But while the health-adjusted life expectancy in Sierra Leone is under 30 years of age, Tajikistan's is almost 70 -- a figure comparable to the United States, which spends more than $2,500 a person on health care. "When countries at the same level of economic development are compared, those where health care is organized around the tenets of primary health care produce a higher level of health for the same investment," the report says. WHO defines primary health care as being "universally accessible to individuals and families in the community by means acceptable to them, through their full participation and at a cost that the community and country can afford." The organization's report -- titled "Primary Health Care -- Now More Than Ever" -- calls for a move toward universal coverage to reverse a trend over the last 30 years in which disparities in the levels of health care have actually widened. Universal coverage, the report says, would lower the risks of disease outbreaks for everyone, not just the impoverished. Currently, the most common means of paying for health care is out of pocket, which WHO says is the "most inequitable method for financing health care services." The report says more than 100 million people fall into poverty in a given year because of health care bills. Another problem, the report says, is that doctors tend not to focus on prevention. "Rather than improving their response capacity and anticipating new challenges, health systems seem to be drifting from one short-term priority to another, increasingly fragmented and without a clear sense of direction," according to the report. But the report also handed out accolades, most notably to Iran and Cuba. WHO applauded the Islamic Republic's 17,000 "health houses," which serve about 1,500 people each. The report credited the centers with boosting Iranians' life expectancy from 63 to 71 years between 1990

Health care disparities make world "neither stable nor secure," WHO director says . Report: 43 percent of women giving birth this year will do so without medical help . Tajikistan, Sierra Leone have 40-year gap in life expectancy despite expenditures . Report applauds Iran, Cuba for finding ways to improve health care .

(CNN) -- In a major upset, Evan Lysacek of the United States edged out defending gold medalist Russian Evgeni Plushenko to win the men's figure skating gold medal. It was the first time since the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary -- where Brian Boitano won for the United States -- that any nation other than Russia has won the men's gold medal in the event. In a first for Japan on the men's podium, Daisuke Takahashi of Japan took the bronze. Lysacek, who placed fourth at the Turin Games in 2006, won after the free skate program with a total score of 257.67, which bettered Plushenko's score of 256.36. Takahashi's score of 247.23 came just a little more than half a point better than fourth place finisher Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland. Lysacek's triumph brought to six the number of golds and 18 the number of total medals the United States has, the most of any nation so far. Earlier, Lindsey Vonn crashed out in the slalom section, opening the door for Maria Riesch of Germany to take the gold medal in the super-combined at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. The poster girl of the Winter Games led after the downhill section of the two-discipline event, but chasing down Riesch's combined target time of two minutes 10.08 seconds came unstuck halfway down her slalom run at Whistler Creekside. Vonn's teammate Julia Mancuso added to her silver in the downhill behind Vonn 24 hours previously with another second-placed finish, but over a second behind Riesch. Sweden's Anja Paerson, who suffered a crashing fall in the downhill on Wednesday, was rewarded for her brave decision to compete with a bronze medal after a fine slalom run. Vonn's downhill time of one minute 24.16 seconds left her 0.33 seconds clear of her great friend Riesch, with Mancuso of the United States in third place, and she seemingly had a second gold in two days firmly in her grasp. But the 25-year-old from Minnesota admitted after the downhill section that the shin injury which troubled her in the build-up to the Games was a problem and may present difficulties as she bids for gold in three other disciplines. "It's not good. It's really hurting and I'm just struggling with it," Vonn said. "But there's nothing really I can do. I just have to try to do therapy and try to tough it out today and then tomorrow will be a good day off." Riesch, who was a disappointing eighth on her Olympic debut in the downhill, looked much more assured in her second event and was always set to be the major challenger to Vonn as she has been throughout the World Cup season. Hosts Canada gained their third gold of the Games as Christine Nesbitt powered to victory in the women's 1,000 speed skating event at the Richmond Oval. Nesbitt had just 0.02 seconds in hand over Annette Gerritsen of the Netherlands with another Dutch skater Laurine Van Riessen taking bronze. In other early action on day seven, Norway's Tora Berger upset the favorites to claim her country's 100th gold in the Winter Olympics with victory in the women's 15k individual biathlon. Berger missed just one shot to beat Kazakhstan's Elena Khrustaleva by 20.7 seconds. And the 101st gold was not long coming in the later men's 20km individual event as Emile Hegle Svendsen claimed victory ahead of legendary compatriot Ole Einar Bjoerndalen, who was winning his 10th Olympic medal, including five golds. Bjoerndalen tied for silver with Belarus competitor Sergey Novikov, 9.5 seconds behind Svendsen. In women's snowboarding, the half-pipe crown went to Torah Bright of Australia ahead of American pair Hanna Teter and Kelly Clark after a thrilling competition which set new standards.

NEW: American Evan Lysacek breaks Russia's five Winter Olympic Game-streak . Lindsey Vonn fails in her bid to win second gold of Winter Games in super-combined event . Vonn said after her downhill run that she was being troubled by a shin injury . Christine Nesbitt wins Canada's third gold of Games by claiming 1,000m speed skating crown .

(CNN) -- In a messy drug bust this week, investigators uncovered more than 700 pounds of marijuana stuffed in a septic tank truck full of human waste, Arizona police said Friday. And the search of the truck was as awful as it sounds. "Yeah, that really does suck," Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman Bart Graves told CNN. "It's a long way to go to make a bust." Hidden in the holding tank of the truck were 743 pounds of pot, worth about $409,000 on the street, police said in a news release. An officer pulled over the septic tank truck Wednesday after a check of the license showed it was invalid, police said. The truck was headed northbound on I-19 and stopped about 35 miles south of Tucson, Arizona. Police patrolling the area tend to be more vigilant, Graves said, because the interstate -- which leads directly to Mexico -- is a major thoroughfare for drug and human trafficking. After the stop, the officer discovered that the commercial vehicle markings on the truck were also invalid. A subsequent search revealed the bales of marijuana in red and orange packages amid the waste. "It just shows how desperate these drug cartels are," Graves said. "They'll go to any lengths to conceal their product. We've seen it concealed [among] watermelons, bell peppers. This is the first time we've seen it concealed in human waste." Police arrested the driver, Leonard Salcido, 24, of Tucson, and charged him with possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale and transportation of marijuana, police said. The bust was not the largest for Arizona police. In 2008, police found more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana in a fake UPS truck, Graves said. Wednesday's smelly pot was just one major bust this week. On Thursday, police confiscated $681,000 worth of methamphetamine concealed in the false floor of a vehicle. The driver was stopped for speeding on I-17 near Camp Verde, Arizona, police said. The officer asked to search the vehicle and found 15 pounds of meth, police said.

Police stopped truck on interstate, about 35 miles south of Tucson, Arizona . That much pot would be worth more than $400,000 on the street, police say . I-19, which runs directly into Mexico, is a major thoroughfare for drug and human trafficking . Drug cartels will "go to any length to conceal their product," police spokesman says .

(CNN) -- In death as in life, Michael Jackson continues to light up the Internet. Millions worldwide watched online coverage of Michael Jackson's funeral service in Los Angeles. Millions of people around the world watched coverage of Jackson's memorial service on the Web, although the event appeared to fall well short of online viewership records. Global Web traffic was at least 19 percent above normal, and as high as 33 percent above normal, during most of the star-studded memorial at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles, California, according to Akamai Technologies, a Massachusetts-based firm that monitors Internet traffic. CNN.com reported 9.7 million live video streams Tuesday between 12 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET -- which included the entire memorial service -- according to CNN spokeswoman Jennifer Martin. The news site's all-time viewership record for a full day, almost 27 million video streams, was set on President Obama's inauguration day in January. During that period Tuesday, CNN.com also attracted 81 million page views, 11.8 unique visitors and a peak of 781,000 concurrent live video streams, according to internal data. Jackson's startling June 25 death nearly brought the Web to a standstill, with several sites buckling under the sheer weight of traffic. The Internet appeared to fare better during Tuesday's memorial service, however. "So far we are seeing some slowdowns ... [but] overall the Internet is performing OK," said Dan Berkowitz, spokesman for Keynote Systems, a mobile and Internet monitoring firm based in San Mateo, California, midway through the Staples Center event. Keynote monitors the 40 most popular news Web sites from major cities around the United States. CNN.com partnered with Facebook, the social-networking site, to let friends and family share commentary while watching Jackson's memorial service live online. As of 1:30 p.m. ET, shortly before the memorial service began, the partnership was yielding about 6,000 status updates per minute, said a Facebook spokeswoman. CNN.com and Facebook entered into a similar collaboration during Obama's inauguration, although Facebook saw twice as many status updates during that event. With many North Americans at work during Jackson's memorial service, online traffic had been expected to reach near-record levels. "This event will almost certainly shatter records for the biggest single live stream ever, and could be one of the biggest worldwide media events in history," wrote blogger Ben Parr on Mashable, the social media news site. Other Web sites, including CBSNews.com, ABCNews.com, FoxNews.com and Hulu.com, also hosted live streaming coverage of the service. The 10 most popular topics on Twitter Tuesday afternoon were all connected to Jackson's memorial. Google Trends rated the Jackson memorial's online popularity as "volcanic," while on Web-traffic monitoring site Alexa, most of its hottest stories Tuesday were Jackson-related. But early numbers suggested that Internet traffic Tuesday may have lagged behind other recent news events. Akamai recorded a peak of 3.9 million global Internet visitors per minute shortly after noon ET -- less than half the number of users who went online the evening of November 4, 2008, to follow presidential election returns. "It may be impossible to say for sure how many people watched once all is said and done, because there's still no comprehensive way to measure Web viewing," said Toni Fitzgerald, managing editor of Media Life, in an e-mail interview with CNN. Long before the memorial service began about 1:40 p.m. ET, many Web sites braced themselves for an onslaught of traffic. During the sign-up period for the memorial ticket lottery, the Staples Center Web site took down all non-essential materials to ensure that it coped. Jackson family spokesman Ken Sunshine said the computer servers hosting the registration site counted 500 million "hits" -- 120,000 a second -- in the first 90 minutes on Friday. About 17,500 fans were randomly selected to watch the memorial live at the Staples Center -- only a small fraction of the 1.6 million fans who applied for tickets. Watch panelists discuss Jackson's legacy » CNN's Stephanie Busari and Linnie Rawlinson contributed to this story

NEW: Web viewership of Michael Jackson's memorial fell short of online records . NEW: Global Web traffic was at least 19 percent above normal during service . NEW: Views of live video on CNN.com trailed President Obama's inauguration . Web sites braced themselves Tuesday for heavy traffic .

(CNN) -- In his essay "The Myth of Sisyphus," Albert Camus writes, "Judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the fundamental question of philosophy." It is not a question we like to think about. The default assumption is that life is always worth living, that it is sacred and should be treated as such. When that assumption is challenged, we find ourselves confused, afraid and -- in some cases -- angry. The new HBO film "You Don't Know Jack" probably won't spur serious investigation of the fundamental question. This biopic of Jack Kevorkian, the infamous "Dr. Death," may not add anything new to the physician-assisted suicide argument, but it does remind us of a time not too long ago when we were forced to consider where we stand on the matter. And for many of us, where we stand is anything but firm ground. We believe in choice. We believe in self-determination. In fact, we prize them; we promote them; we preach about them. There aren't a lot of situations in which we're willing to take choice away from people, even if they would benefit from it. My research suggests that Americans hold on tighter to choice than just about anyone else. In one study, my collaborators Simona Botti and Kristina Orfali and I interviewed French and American parents who were coping with a tragic loss. Each couple had recently lost a severely ill baby after life support had been removed. In France, the doctors made the decision to remove life support; in America, the parents had the final say. The outcome was the same for all the parents, so did they have similar reactions? Even up to a year later, the American parents expressed a great deal more negative emotion than the French parents. The French made statements like this: "Noah was here for so little time, but he gave us so much, a new perspective on life." American parents, by contrast, said things like, "I keep thinking to myself, 'What if I had chosen differently?' I feel as though I've played a role in an execution." Although the American parents were more miserable having made the choice themselves, they would not contemplate doing otherwise. When they were asked whether they would have preferred to have the doctor make the decision, they all said no. They felt trapped by choice, and yet they insisted on it. If we can choose to take others off life support, choose to forgo medical treatment for ourselves, choose not to be resuscitated, and if these are choices we passionately defend, why do we balk at the choice of assisted suicide? There is legitimate concern about the potential for abuse, but we're tripped up by more than just the practical problems. We ask, "Doesn't assisted suicide devalue life?" We express what we can't quite articulate by saying that it feels wrong. In an interview with Barbara Walters, as shown in the film, Kevorkian argues that medical practices often seem wrong before they become right. He says that ether wasn't used as an anesthetic for hundreds of years, that patients remained awake during surgery, "because of the foolish notion that there's a God Almighty who wills us to suffer." Whether this is a fact or not, there is truth in it; we want our suffering to have purpose. According to Camus, "Living, naturally, is never easy. You continue making the gestures commanded by existence for many reasons, the first of which is habit. Dying voluntarily implies that you have recognized, even instinctively, the ridiculous character of that habit, the absence of any profound reason for living, the insane character of that daily agitation, and the uselessness of suffering." When we reject assisted suicide, we reject that "recognition." We need the habit of life to have meaning, we need suffering to have meaning, and we certainly need death to have meaning. And we think of choice as a way of making

Sheena Iyengar: Most of us think life is always worth living; assisted suicide challenges that . HBO film "You Don't Know Jack," about Jack Kevorkian, shows people choosing to die . Americans believe in choice and self-determination more than anyone else, Iyengar says . She writes that Americans see choosing to die as devaluing choice and life .

(CNN) -- In order to maintain peace at home, President-elect Barack Obama might want to have some very important talks with his wife and mother-in-law before moving into the White House. President-elect Barack Obama's mother-in-law Marian Robinson joins him on stage on election night. Like some 4 million other multigenerational U.S. households Barack Obama's mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, will join the Obamas at the family's private quarters at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. In about 1.3 million American homes where the parents are head of the household, at least one grandparent lives with the family. Having a grandparent living with a family can be a wonderful and beneficial addition to the family, says psychologist Elaine Ducharme, but only if everyone can navigate the boundaries. The key issues that need to be discussed between grandparents and parents are privacy and the discipline of the children, says the psychologist, who practices in Hartford, Connecticut. Dannee Brown agrees and says having those discussions and setting ground rules ahead of time is better than making it up as you go along because then feelings can get hurt. Brown always knew her parents, Bill and Mary Lou Wade, would one day live with her and says she couldn't have survived without them after she and her husband separated. But disagreements over the disciplining of her two children sparked conflict. "We've had some knock-down, drag-outs about discipline -- especially with my dad," the Fredericksburg, Virginia, woman says, "I finally had to say, 'I'm the mom -- you're not -- don't tell me how to raise my kids.' " On the flip side, Brown's mother would like to be just a grandmother who spoils Noelle and Ethan -- instead of having to play disciplinarian while Brown is working as a nurse-anesthetist. The Wades have a separate apartment in the lower level of Brown's home, but spend winters at their own home in Florida. That gives them all a break from each other. Brown describes it as a "four-month time to really appreciate them" for all the cooking, cleaning and home maintenance her parents do along with the childcare. She and the children miss the grandparents so much during this time that they usually make one trip to Florida so they can spend time with "Nanny and Pop." The 'Aaah, go away!' effect Along with establishing guidelines for everyone's role, Ducharme says both the parents and grandparents need to address privacy issues. "I think privacy is key -- making sure that everybody has a place where they can have some privacy," says Ducharme. Brown says she sometimes wishes she could have a little more privacy in the evenings now that she is working days. She gets home from work and spends the evening with her children and after they go to sleep she looks forward to some time by herself. But sometimes her mother comes upstairs to chat. "That's when I want to say, 'Ahhh, go away!" says Brown. "I don't say that, but I'm thinking it." And even if everyone agrees on a plan ahead of time, it would be wise to expect irritations to pop up every now and then, the therapist says. "Trying to live together is really about problem solving," Ducharme says. She tells her clients if they all focus on finding a solution to the problem and making it a win-win for everyone involved, it takes the emotions and hurt feelings out of the equation. Clearing the air Ducharme suggests holding a family meeting where either party could say he or she is feeling stressed about an issue or someone lacks enough privacy. But watch out for red flags during discussions prior to inviting your mother or mother-in-law to move in. "If you really don't communicate well with this person, and when you try to communicate your feelings and ideas it always ends up in a battle -- then it's probably not a

Michelle Obama's mother is moving into White House with first family . Expert: Parents should discuss discipline styles, privacy with mother-in-law . Mom: Those talks should take place before mother-in-law moves in . Psychologist: Living together successfully is about problem solving .

(CNN) -- In the same way a Christmas playlist is incomplete without a tipsy, eggnog-drinking grandmother having an unfortunate accident with reindeer, the melodrama of certain shows and films improves when a boozy grandmother is written in. The minor role is normally reserved for television, but it makes the jump to movie theaters this year in "The Lovely Bones," Peter Jackson's cerebral thriller based on Alice Sebold's 2002 novel, with Susan Sarandon playing the hard-drinking Grandma Lynn. "She's such a strange grandmother," Sarandon told the Australian press about her first role as a family matriarch. Although Sarandon, 63, said she's old enough to play one, her Grandma Lynn isn't "a granny grandmother." "She's the comic relief in this very deep, very hard movie; she comes in and the movie gets lighter," said movie reviewer Kit Bowen. "She's trying to vacuum while ash is falling from her cigarette." Television critics say it's hard to nail down when this character first made an appearance, but the anti-grandmother role we know today was more than likely inspired by the spirited older women on "Golden Girls," and has since become a television staple. Kelly Bishop played a version of the difficult, drinking grandmother for seven seasons as Emily Gilmore on "Gilmore Girls," and Holland Taylor has taken her vodka neat as Evelyn Harper on "Two and a Half Men" and as Peggy Peabody on "The L Word." The Upper East Side hour-long melodrama "Gossip Girl" has the scheming Celia Rhodes -- whose signature scent is Chanel No. 5 with a top note of gin -- and Jessica Walter has perfected the role as Lucille Bluth on "Arrested Development" and Tabitha Wilson on "90210." "These women, they're not knitting -- they're more interested in mixing their drinks than watching kids," said Entertainment Weekly's pop culture writer Tim Stack. "They're more inclined to offer a witticism or a barb than to give you sweet advice. These ladies aren't cooking -- I don't think they even eat. They drink their lunch. And their dinners. And their breakfasts. ... Maybe they eat the olives." They're the exact opposite of the stereotypical grandmother, said TVGuide.com's senior editor Mickey O'Connor. "They're supposed to be the truth-tellers -- whether it's liquid courage or lowering their inhibitions, I don't know," O'Connor said. "But everyone can relate to having an older relative that embarrasses you to some degree," he added. "Shelley Long just did a drunken grandma on 'Modern Family.' There was a wedding scene where she got drunk, gave a toast and ended up kicking the cake over. It's about the universality of how we deal with our older relatives. If you make them drunk, there's some way to at least codify what embarrasses us about them, or to excuse their outrageous behavior." With O'Connor's own grandparents, though, "it's less often an indication of how much they've had to drink and more often just who they are." Because it's a role that's virtually paint-by-numbers -- drunk grandmothers are nearly always wealthy, white and cruelly witty, with poor parenting skills -- it demands a strong actress who can keep the potentially two-dimensional from falling flat. Case in point for film reviewer Bowen is the difference between the Grandma Lynn in Sebold's novel and Jackson's cinematic version. "I loved the book, but the funny thing is that I don't remember the grandmother," Bowen said. "She definitely is more memorable in the movie, and I'm glad her character is in the movie because it adds another layer to it. "Which, of course, has everything to do with Susan Sarandon," Bowen added. The talent of the women who have taken these minor roles and turned them into iconic characters is what has kept the "drunk grandma" role from veering into cliché

Susan Sarandon plays hard-drinking Grandma Lynn in "The Lovely Bones" Kelly Bishop played drinking grandmother Emily Gilmore on "Gilmore Girls" Expert says these grandmas are "exact opposite of the stereotypical grandmother"

(CNN) -- In the seven weeks since the military-backed bloodless coup in Honduras, several hundred people protesting against the de facto government have been arbitrarily arrested and beaten by government forces, a new Amnesty International report says. The marks of a police truncheon are shown on a student's back after a protest, Amnesty International says. The report, released Wednesday, said the beatings were meant to punish those who opposed the ouster of President Manuel Zelaya in June. It includes testimony from, and photographs of, several people who were baton-whipped and detained by police officers who sometimes wore no visible identification and hid their faces behind bandanas as they broke up demonstrations. "They beat us if we raised our heads; they beat us when they were getting us into the police cars," said a student whom Amnesty International interviewed in late July at the police station where he was being detained. "They said, 'Cry and we'll stop.'" Multiple requests to the government for comment went unanswered. The government has said in the past that the demonstrators were arrested for engaging in violence and provoking authorities. The Honduran political crisis stems from Zelaya's defiant push to hold a referendum that could have led to extending term limits by changing the constitution. The country's congress had outlawed the vote and the supreme court had ruled it illegal. He was ousted in a coup on June 28. The congress named Roberto Micheletti provisional president shortly after the military detained Zelaya and sent him into exile. Micheletti and his supporters deny that a coup took place, calling the action a constitutional transfer of power. The coup resulted in unrest throughout the country, with frequent clashes between police and military on one side and civilian protesters on the other. At least two people were shot to death, Amnesty said. Among several examples, the Amnesty report quotes F.M., a 52-year-old teacher, who said he was demonstrating peacefully when police descended on the rally. "They grabbed me and shouted, 'Why do you (all) support Zelaya's government?' They beat me. I have not been informed as to why I am detained." He showed deep-red imprints on his back, which he said were from a beating with a baton. "Detention and ill treatment of protesters are being employed as a form of punishment for those openly opposing the de facto government and also as a deterrent for those contemplating taking to the streets to peacefully show their discontent with the political turmoil the country is experiencing," said Esther Major, Amnesty's Central America researcher.

President Manuel Zelaya was ousted in a bloodless coup in June . Report: Beatings meant to punish those opposed to ouster of Zelaya . Multiple requests to the government for comment went unanswered .

(CNN) -- In trendy neighborhoods of Tokyo customers are lining up for vitamin injections that promise to improve health and beauty. A Japanese woman receives an intravenous vitamin supplement at the Tenteki Cafe in Tokyo. These intravenous vitamin "drips" are part of the latest quick-fix, health fad catching on in Japan: the IV cafe. Each drip pack contains saline solution and specific vitamins and minerals to target a particular health ailment or beauty concern. "I used to take vitamin supplements, but changed to the IV drip because I feel the effects more quickly," a 20-something woman at the Tenteki 10 Café told CNN. She said she receives specific injections to get better skin, burn fat and boost her energy. There are 10 different varieties to choose from at Tenteki. The "orange" variety touts anti-aging properties, loaded with antioxidants. The "placenta pack" is said to help rejuvenate and ease muscle stiffness. Prices range from $20-$30 per injection, and nurses see about 30-40 people each day. Their most common patients are Japanese businessmen who work in the same office building. "I see a lot of businessmen who say they don't have time to sleep. They can't take a break from working and get the vitamin drip for an extra kick of energy," a Tenteki nurse told CNN. "Blue" is the most requested vitamin pack among these men: a concoction of B1 and vitamin E that claims to offer relief from exhaustion. Registered nurses and doctors administer the drips at Tenteki, but there's no conclusive medical evidence to back up the health claims. Many nutritionists actually caution against using injectable vitamin supplements because the quantities are not regulated. "More is not necessarily better...some vitamins and minerals can be toxic in high doses," particularly the fat-soluble ones which the body stores like Vitamins A, D, E and K, explained Claire Williamson, Nutrition Scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation. In Europe and the United States vitamin shots are popular among celebrities with hectic lifestyles and little time to sleep, particularly vitamin B 12. Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and singer Robbie Williams have both confirmed they've used the shots as part of their diets to maintain stamina during tours. Dermatological injections of Vitamin C are also popular among women hoping to keep their skin looking young. Former supermodel Cindy Crawford has admitted using such injections to keep her skin firm and wrinkle-free. According to Williamson, it does not matter if supplements are injected into the vein or into the skin. "At the end of the day it will go into the blood stream," she said. Most of these nutrients we can get sufficient from foods, nutrients tend to be better absorbed by the body if they are consumed in foods."

Intravenous vitamin boosts are the latest health fad in Japan . Vitamin injections target specific health aliments and beauty concerns . Nutritionists warn of vitamin overdose from high quantities of supplements . Vitamin injections are popular among celebrities and businessmen for fatigue .

(CNN) -- Inside a freezer in a research laboratory at the University of Washington are blood and blood plasma samples from 92 people who suffer from mysterious illnesses, including tremors, memory loss and severe migraine headaches. Terry Williams hugs her two boys -- Jake, left, and Zack -- in 2006, before she says toxic cabin air made her sick. They are mostly pilots and flight attendants who suspect they've been poisoned in their workplace -- on board the aircraft they fly. Clement Furlong, University of Washington professor of medicine and genome sciences, leads a team of scientists who have been collecting the samples for 2 ½ years. Furlong said his team is a few months away from finalizing a blood analysis test that will be able to definitely confirm whether the study participants were indeed poisoned by toxic fumes. Results of Furlong's research could expand recognition of what a select group of researchers believes is a largely unrecognized risk of flying: the chance that poisonous fumes enter the cabin. "There's a danger of inhaling compounds that are coming out of the engine," said Furlong in his laboratory. See a diagram of how the air is circulated » The air we breathe on board a plane is a 50-50 mix of filtered, recirculated air and so-called "bleed air" -- which bleeds off the engines, and then is pressurized and cooled before being sent into the cabin through vents. If an engine oil seal leaks, aviation engineers and scientists say, the bleed air can become contaminated with toxins. In 2002 the National Academies of Sciences' National Research Council reported "contaminant exposures result from the intake of chemical contaminants (e.g., engine lubricating oils, hydraulic fluids, deicing fluids and their degradation products) into the Environmental Control System and then into the cabin." Of particular concern are toxic anti-wear agents in the oil, designed to prolong an engine's life, called tricresyl phosphates. "The engine seals fail and there's very potent toxins that can come on board," said Furlong. Neuropsychologist Sarah Mackenzie Ross of University College London studied 27 British pilots who claimed they had inhaled contaminated air and subsequently had difficulty processing information and slowed reaction times. Her testing confirmed their symptoms. "They did appear to underperform on tasks that required attention, processing speed, reaction time, and what we call executive functioning, which is high-level decision making," said Ross. Former flight attendant Terry Williams believes she is a victim of such a "fume event." She complains of debilitating migraine headaches, tremors, and blind spots in her field of vision. "It's been so constant and just continues to worsen so it's extremely frustrating," said Williams, who is suing Boeing, the owner of McDonnell Douglas, which made the MD-82 aircraft on which she worked. "I'm frustrated that I don't feel any better and it's over two years after the exposure." Boeing told CNN, "It is our belief that air quality on airplanes is healthy and safe." In its response to Williams' suit, the company said: "The potential for bleed air contamination has been known through the aviation industry for many years." But Boeing denies any responsibility for Terry Williams' illness. While Williams' symptoms appear to be quite rare, it appears that fume events occur with regularity. A British study for the House of Lords found fume events in 1 of every 2,000 flights. In the U.S., airlines are required to report "fume events" to the Federal Aviation Administration. There were 108 such reports last year. So why wouldn't more flight attendants, pilots and passengers suffer symptoms? Furlong said a small percentage of people (how small is not known) appear to be highly sensitive to the most toxic chemicals. They may be genetically disposed to a strong reaction, possessing multiple genes of metabolizing proteins in their livers, or temporarily have high enzyme levels (which can be triggered by prescription drugs) that will act on the inhaled chemicals to magnify their toxicity. "If you happen

Results of scientist's research could expand recognition of "bleed air" Bleed air is air that passes through the engines of a plane, then into cabin . Boeing and FAA say air quality on airplanes is as good as in office or home . Flight attendant Terry Williams believes she is a victim of fumes in cabin air .

(CNN) -- Inspectors have found "nothing unusual" in the rest of Southwest Airlines' fleet of 737-300s after a football-sized hole in one of the jets forced an emergency landing, an airline spokeswoman said Tuesday. The breach in the aircraft's fuselage caused a loss of cabin pressure. No passengers were injured. The airline inspected its roughly 200 Boeing 737-300s overnight following the incident that forced Southwest Flight 2294 to make an emergency landing in Charleston, West Virginia. A sudden drop in cabin pressure caused the jet's oxygen masks to deploy, but there were no injuries among the 126 passengers or the five-member crew. Marilee McInnis, a Southwest spokeswoman, said the jets were inspected during non-operational hours overnight, and the cause of the incident remained unknown Tuesday morning. The airline is working closely with the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the matter, she said. Flight 2294 was at 34,000 feet, en route from Nashville, Tennessee, to Baltimore, Maryland, when the incident happened, McInnis said. See map of flight path » "About 45 minutes into the flight, there was a loud pop. No one really knew what it was," passenger Steve Hall told CNN Radio. Watch as passenger describes watching the hole form » The plane landed in Charleston at 5:10 p.m. after the crew reported the sudden drop in cabin pressure, which caused the jet's oxygen masks to deploy. "We were seated about two rows back from the wing, and four rows back you heard this loud rush and your ears popped, and you could tell that part of the inside was trying to pull out," passenger Sheryl Bryant told CNN affiliate WBAL-TV upon arriving in Baltimore aboard a replacement plane. "And it was crazy -- the oxygen masks dropped," she continued. She put her mask on her face, then helped her 4- and 6-year-old children with theirs, she said. Bryant tried to stay calm and reassure her children, she said. Watch Bryant's account of acting brave » "My kids and I, we prayed, and then we said, you know, life will be fine," she said. Bryant praised the flight crew and ground personnel for keeping passengers informed and for giving clear instructions. "We have a tremendous talent represented in the pilots and the flight crew," another passenger, Pastor Alvin Kibble, told WBAL-TV. "I think we need to value them far more than perhaps what we do. It's very easy for us to begin to take things for granted." The damaged aircraft was still parked at Charleston's Yeager Airport on Tuesday, when NTSB officials arrived to inspect the plane, airport spokesman Brian Belcher said. A complete inspection could take one to two days, and investigators are expected to interview the passengers and crew as well, he said. The airline is "doing things" for the affected passengers on Monday's flight, but McInnis would not say whether they would receive refunds. Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident, FAA spokeswoman Holly Baker said. "There is no responsible way to speculate as to a cause at this point," Southwest said in a statement Monday night. "We have safety procedures in place, and they were followed in this instance to get all passengers and crew safely on the ground," the airline said. "Reports we have are that our passengers were calm and that our pilots and flight attendants did a great job getting the aircraft on the ground safely." CNN's Shawn Nottingham and Stephanie Gallman contributed to this report.

NEW: Southwest inspects all its 737-300 aircraft after one develops hole midflight . Passengers describe ordeal, praise professionalism of flight crew . Baltimore-bound Southwest jet makes emergency landing in West Virginia . Football-sized hole in fuselage causes cabin to depressurize, oxygen masks to drop .

(CNN) -- Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho claims Barcelona's "obsession" with winning the Champions League on the ground of their arch-rivals Real Madrid will hinder their chances of beating his side in their semifinal second showdown. Inter hold a 3-1 lead going into Wednesday's match at the Nou Camp and Mourinho could not resist a pre-match swipe at the Catalan giants, who would become the first side to retain the Champions League in its present format. But Mourinho, an acknowledged master in pre-match "mind games", is convinced that the pressure of expectation will work against last season's triple winners. "We have a team of older players, with many over 30, and we hope that we will be able to cope with the atmosphere. It is one thing, though, to follow a dream and it is another to have an obsession," he told gathered reporters. Schalke's Magath set to work a new miracle "For Barca it is an obsession," added Mourinho, who was accompanied by tight security as he returned to the club where he began his coaching career under Bobby Robson. "A dream is more pure than an obsession, an obsession is more about pride. Barca achieved a dream winning the Champions League in Paris and Rome last year but this time it is more about Madrid and playing at the Santiago Bernabeu, this is an obsession." Mourinho, who claimed the Champions League during his spell at Portuguese giants Porto, realizes that Inter are also desperate to triumph in Europe's premier club competition having last won it in 1965. "I can't say for me it is a personal dream as I have won it before but I want to win it for Inter as it is more than 40 years since they got to the final. "If I can help Mr Moratti (the Inter president), if I can help the players and if I can contribute a little bit as coach to achieve this dream then I would be very happy." Inter will be without the suspended Dejan Stankovic but Mourinho indicated that he would likely take a gamble on key midfielder Wesley Sneijder, who has a slight hamstring strain. "We will see if he can play for 90 minutes as there is still a small problem. We have other important games in the league but I am ready to risk him as everything will be decided tomorrow," said Mourinho. Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said his team were merely focused on earning a final clash against Bayern Munich, who beat Lyon 4-0 on aggregate in the first semifinal. "It's a game of football, not a magic night, and we have to be ourselves -- we will go out and try to generate as many chances as we always do," he said. "We don't know if we are capable of turning this around, but we will give everything against a great team to try and get to the final," he added.

Inter Milan hold 3-1 lead ahead of Champs League semifinal 2nd leg against Barcelona . Inter coach Jose Mourinho says Barca are 'obsessed' with winning final at Real Madrid's home ground . Barcelona would become first club to retain Champions League in current format . Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola refuses to be drawn on Mourinho's comments .

(CNN) -- Inter Milan stayed on course for the treble after beating Lazio 2-0 on Sunday to open up a two-point gap over Roma in the Serie A title race. It completed a superb week for Inter, who reached the final of the Champions League with an aggregate win over Barcelona on Wednesday. They also face Roma in the Italian Cup final next Wednesday having leapfrogged the capital side with their latest victory. Lazio, fighting a relegation battle, were no match for Jose Mourinho's high-flyers, who are bidding for a fifth straight league title. Argentine defender Walter Samuel headed in the opener just before halftime from a Wesley Sneijder cross. Inter continued to press after the break and Thiago Motta scored the second from a Maicon corner in the 70th minute. Roma had briefly led Serie A after their 2-1 win at Parma on Sunday with both teams now having two matches left to press their title claims. Earlier, Sampdoria and Palermo both won to stay locked in the battle for the fourth and final Champions League qualifying place. Sampdoria, who lead Palermo by two points, beat already relegated Livorno 2-0 while the Sicilians beat Siena 2-1. The defeat sends Siena down. In other games, Napoli and Juventus booked Europa League places. Napoli won 2-1 away to Chievo while Juve dropped to seventh, but secured their spot with a 1-1 draw at Catania. At the other end of the table, Bologna drew 1-1 with Atalanta to improve their chances of surviving the drop. In the Netherlands, FC Twente sealed the Dutch title with a 2-0 win over NAC Breda to leave them one point ahead of Ajax, who beat NEC Nijmegen 4-0. It is a remarkable triumph for a side managed by former England boss Steve McClaren who could not match the spending power of their Amsterdam rivals. Bryan Ruiz and Miroslav Stoch scored the Twente goals to clinch the championship and a Champions League place.

Inter Milan beat Lazio 2-0 to regain lead in Serie A from Roma . Inter can win the treble after reaching the final of Italian Cup and Champions League . FC Twente seal Dutch title after 2-0 win over NAC Breda .

(CNN) -- Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Wednesday approved the nation's first offshore wind farm, signing off on a project that has bitterly divided Cape Cod over the last nine years. The 130 turbines are to be located several miles from the Massachusetts shore in the iconic waters of Nantucket Sound. The interior secretary said Cape Wind, as the project is known, is the start of a "new energy frontier." "The United States is leading a clean energy revolution that is reshaping our future," Salazar told reporters in Boston. "Cape Wind is an opening of a new chapter in that future, and we are all part of that history." "Cape Wind will be the nation's first offshore wind farm, supplying clean power to homes and businesses in Massachusetts, plus creating good jobs here in America," he said. "This will be the first of many projects up and down the Atlantic coast." "Thank you for this decision," said Gov. Deval Patrick. "With this project, Massachusetts will lead the nation. This day has been a long time coming." The location of the wind farm has stirred heated emotions over the years. Cape Wind became one of the most heavily vetted energy projects in the world. Seventeen state and federal agencies weighed in, reviewing everything from its impact on shipping, aviation and fisheries. Salazar visited the Cape earlier this year. At the time, he pledged to cut through the nine years of regulatory red tape and make a final decision by the end of April. At Wednesday's news conference, the interior secretary said the process took far too long and future offshore projects would follow a "more rational and orderly" process. There is no reason, he said, "why an offshore wind permit should take a decade to review and approve." The most notable opponent of Cape Wind was the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, a champion of green energy who, to the dismay of environmentalists, fought against the wind farm. The Kennedy compound will have a view of the wind turbines. See how the views on the Cape will change Other opponents ranged from billionaire energy giant William Koch to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. American Indians in the region also objected, saying the wind farm would be located on sacred ancestral grounds and disturb important sunrise ceremonies. "I am strongly opposed to the administration's misguided decision to move forward with Cape Wind," Sen. Scott Brown said Wednesday. "While I support the concept of wind power as an alternative source of energy, Nantucket Sound is a national treasure that should be protected from industrialization." In announcing his decision, Salazar said Cape Wind must follow stringent measures during construction, and it must conduct additional marine and archeological assessments of its impact. The company must also explore ways to make the wind turbines less visible from shore. "The smart responsible development of wind potential on Horseshoe Shoal need not conflict with the history and tradition of Nantucket Sound," Salazar said. Greenpeace, the Sierra Club and nearly every major environmental group in the nation supported the project, saying it's necessary in moving the nation forward. Six governors in the region also backed Cape Wind. "Even though we enjoy overwhelming majority support, it's not a popularity contest," Cape Wind CEO Jim Gordon told CNN. "This decision needs to be made on the merits. And the record shows that it is in the public interest." In an editorial today, the Boston Globe said simply: "Make clean energy a reality; approve Cape Wind now." The New York Times earlier this week also endorsed the project. "Offshore wind farms are a common sight in Europe but not here," the Times wrote. "Cape Wind would be this country's first -- sending, finally, a signal to the world about America's resolve to fight global warming and reduce its dependence on foreign oil." The wind farm would bring hundreds of jobs and provide up to 75 percent of the power needed by the Cape and islands of Martha's Vineyard

NEW: Interior Secretary Ken Salazar: Cape Cod wind farm is start of "new energy frontier" Salazar approves nation's first offshore wind farm . Battle over the 130 wind turbines has raged for nine years in Cape Cod . The wind farm will cover about 25 square miles of Nantucket Sound .

(CNN) -- Investigators looking for the source of a salmonella outbreak linked to tomatoes will focus on farms in Mexico and Florida, federal health authorities said Friday. Since April, more than 500 people have contracted the same strain of salmonella, linked to raw tomatoes. The tracebacks "have taken us from point of consumption all the way back to certain farms in Mexico and Florida," said Dr. David Acheson, associate commissioner for foods at the Food and Drug Administration. The agency will send teams of investigators to farms in both locations this weekend as well as to the pathways from those farms in an attempt to determine where the contamination occurred, he said. The tomatoes may not have been contaminated on a farm, he stressed; the contamination could have occurred in a packing shed, warehouse, supplier chain or distribution center. "We are going to all of those places to see if there are any problems that could indicate how or why these tomatoes got contaminated," he said. The reported advance in the investigation came as the toll mounted, with 552 people identified as having contracted the strain of Salmonella Saintpaul since April in 32 states and the District of Columbia. It is one of the biggest outbreaks of tomato-caused illness in history, officials said. See where the cases have been reported » Though the number of reported victims has risen dramatically in recent days, that does not signify a large number of new infections, Acheson said. Instead, he credited improved surveillance and laboratory identification of previously submitted strains for the increased number. The bulk of the new reports were in Texas, which tallied 265 cases, according to Ian Williams, chief of the OutbreakNet Team at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At least 53 of the victims, whose ages range from 1 to 88 years, have been hospitalized. The victims are almost evenly split between males and females. Though no deaths have been officially attributed to the outbreak, a man in his 60s in Texas who had cancer also had the infection, which may have contributed to his death, Williams said. The outbreak began April 10, and the latest case was reported June 10.

FDA: Tomatoes suspected in salmonella outbreak traced to farms in Mexico, Florida . Tomatoes may have been contaminated after leaving the farm . Outbreak stands at 552 cases since April in 32 states, District of Columbia .

(CNN) -- Iran's supreme leader blamed enemies and outsiders on Monday for the turmoil that followed last month's presidential elections, according to an Iranian news agency. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused the West on Monday of meddling in Iran's affairs. To a gathering in Tehran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Western governments of having "clearly meddled in the internal affairs of Iran" and the American and European media of depicting Iranians "as rioters," according to Fars News Agency. He warned that meddling from presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers would hurt those nations' relations with Iran, according to Fars. He said Iranians would see through the "lies" of Western governments and "know that your objective is to create doubt amongst them and propagate hate against the system of the Islamic Republic." While "disappointment and sorrow" from voters when their candidate lost the June 12 election was "natural," Khamenei said, he condemned involvement by "outsiders" in the civil unrest that gripped the country after the balloting. Government results showed that incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad won in a landslide over his nearest rival, Mir Hossein Moussavi. Widespread street protests followed, during which at least 20 demonstrators died and more than 1,000 were arrested, according to Iranian state-run media. The numbers of casualties and arrests could not be independently verified by CNN because the Iranian government has banned international journalists. The crackdown on the media followed widespread dissemination of video of the mass protests. Khamenei described American and European media coverage of the protests as "disrespectful to the people of Iran." Despite any internal differences, Iranians would come together against their "enemy," he said, referring to outsiders. "When it comes to confronting the enemy, even with various differences and viewpoints, [Iranians] will become united and be as one punch against them," he said.

Ayatollah says West "clearly meddled in the internal affairs of Iran" Disappointment in lost election "natural," but outsiders stoked civil unrest, he says . Supreme leader referring to media coverage of protests after presidential election . Number of protesters killed, injured unknown because of Iranian media crackdown .

(CNN) -- Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was once a student revolutionary himself, perhaps not much different from the thousands of protesters who this week have taken to the streets in Iran. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei became a political activist while a religious scholar studying under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini Khamenei became a political activist while a religious scholar studying under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, among others, according to his biography on his official Web site. He was part of a circle of clerics who opposed the rule of the shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, and was jailed by the shah's secret police, the Savak, at least six times in the 1960s and 1970s. He says he was tortured in prison before being exiled in 1976, three years before the revolution that deposed the shah. Khomeini was in exile in Paris, France, when the shah fled Iran in 1979. He appointed Khamenei to represent him on an Islamic Revolutionary Council, alongside other key figures such as Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. The appointment may have been a career-making moment for Khamenei, who was a fairly low-level scholar at the time, said Iran analyst Shireen Hunter, a visiting scholar at Georgetown University in Washington. Learn more about Iran's recent history "He is not qualified to be an ayatollah," or top-ranking Islamic scholar, she said, saying he had picked up the title by dint of succeeding Khomeini as supreme leader, "like an honorary doctorate." Khamenei, now 70, was briefly minister of defense and head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards in the early 1980s before becoming president, a post he held from 1982 to 1990. In power, he clashed ideologically with Rafsanjani, favoring a more left-wing politics than Rafsanjani, who came from a more bourgeois background than the poor Khamenei. He also locked horns with the man who was prime minister when he was president -- Mir Hossein Moussavi, now the most prominent opposition leader. The two had similar anti-American, left-wing politics but struggled over power in what Hunter called "the two-headed monster" that was then the Iranian political structure. "There were turf battles between the president and the prime minister," she said. Khomeini died in 1989, and Khamenei was appointed the next supreme leader. The post of prime minister was abolished. Rafsanjani seems to have been a "kingmaker" in the elevation of Khamenei to the top job, Hunter said, perhaps thinking he would be the power behind the throne. But with time, Khamenei has become his own man, she said. Rafsanjani was president in the 1990s, but lost a comeback attempt in 2005 -- defeated by current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. As supreme leader, Khamenei is the ultimate arbiter of policy in Iran. He appoints the Guardian Council, the country's election authority. He also appoints key posts in the intelligence services and the armed forces, including the powerful Revolutionary Guard. Additionally, he confirms the president's election. In theory, the supreme leader is appointed by a body of clerics whom voters elect. But in practice, this body -- the Assembly of Experts -- has answered to the supreme leader. Khamenei's authority has been challenged at times. Nearly half the members of Iran's parliament criticized him openly in 2004 for ordering general elections to go ahead despite a widespread belief that they would not be free or fair. The elections took place as scheduled. Khamenei supports the country's controversial nuclear program, and when President Obama reached out directly to the people of Iran with a video message, it was Khamenei who responded. Khamenei said in March he saw no change in U.S. policy toward Iran despite Obama's promise of a "new beginning." He said a change in rhetoric was not enough, and Washington must practice what it preaches, according to the English-language Press TV channel in Iran. He hailed the disputed Iranian presidential election as "a miracle" for the record turnout, but that very public enthusiasm for the election may signal a shift that Khamenei failed to anticipate

Post on Islamic Revolutionary Council may have been career-making . Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was minister of defense, head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards . Mir Hossein Moussavi was prime minister when Khamenei was president .

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

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

(CNN) -- Israeli soldiers routinely and intentionally put children in harm's way during their 22-day offensive against the Palestinians in Gaza, according to a United Nations report made public Monday. On March 6, a Palestinian boy sits on the rubble of a building destroyed during Israel's 22-day Gaza offensive. The report said a working group had documented and verified reports of violations "too numerous to list." For example, on January 15, in a town southwest of Gaza City, Israel Defense Forces soldiers ordered an 11-year-old boy to open Palestinians' packages, presumably so that the soldiers would not be hurt if they turned out to contain explosives, the 43-page report said. They then forced the boy to walk in front of them in the town, it said. When the soldiers came under fire, "the boy remained in front of the group," the report said. It said the boy was later released. Also cited were "credible reports" that accused Hamas, the militant Palestinian group that runs Gaza, of using human shields and placing civilians at risk. But it singled out the Israelis for more sweeping criticism. A spokesman for the Israeli prime minister called the report another example of the "one-sided and unfair" attitude of the U.N. Human Rights Council, which requested it. The report cited two alleged incidents from January 3. In one, it said, after a tank round struck near a house, a father and his two sons -- both younger than 11 -- emerged to look at the damage. "As they exited their home, IDF soldiers shot and killed them (at the entrance to their house), with the daughter witnessing," the report said. In the second, it said, "Israeli soldiers entered a family house in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City. Standing at the doorstep, they asked the male head of the household to come out and shot him dead, without warning, while he was holding his ID, hands raised up in the air, and then started to fire indiscriminately and without warning into the room where the rest of the family was huddled together. "The eldest son was shouting in vain the word 'Children' in Hebrew to warn the soldiers. The shooting did not stop until everyone was lying on the floor. The mother and four of the brothers, aged 2-12 years, had been wounded, one of them, aged 4, fatally." The alleged instances occurred during Operation Cast Lead, which was launched December 27 to halt rocket attacks into southern Israel from Gaza and ended January 17 with a cease-fire. The U.N. report called the response by Israel disproportionate. Of the 1,453 people estimated killed in the conflict, 1,440 were Palestinian, including 431 children and 114 women, the report said. The 13 Israelis killed included three civilians and six soldiers killed by Hamas, and four soldiers killed by friendly fire, it said. The report said the Israeli operation resulted in "a dramatic deterioration of the living conditions of the civilian population." It cited "targeted and indiscriminate" attacks on hospitals and clinics, water and sewage treatment facilities, government buildings, utilities and farming and said the offensive "intensified the already catastrophic humanitarian situation of the Palestinian people." It said Israeli strikes damaged more than 200 schools and left more than 70,000 people homeless. "There are strong and credible reports of war crimes and other violations of international norms," it said, adding that many observers have said war crimes investigations should be undertaken. "The alternative is de facto impunity," it said. It called for the end of Israel's blockade of Gaza and the free passage into the territory of food, medicine, fuel and construction supplies. Mark Regev, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, called the report "another example of the one-sided and unfair attitude of the rapporteur of the Human Rights Council, a council that has been criticized by current and previous secretaries-general for its unbalanced attitudes toward Israel." He

Israel: U.N. Human Rights Council has "one-sided and unfair" attitude . Report says Israeli soldiers intentionally put children in harm's way during offensive . U.N. report also said there was credible evidence Hamas used human shields . Report called the Israeli response to Hamas rocket attacks disproportionate .

(CNN) -- It appears that Kevin Bacon was one degree too close to Bernie Madoff. Kevin Bacon and his wife, Kyra Sedgwick, had investments with Bernie Madoff, Bacon's publicist says. Bacon, the prolific actor, and his wife, fellow screen star Kyra Sedgwick, had investments with Madoff, the financial guru accused of swindling his clients out of $50 billion in a massive Ponzi scheme, Bacon's publicist told CNN Tuesday. Publicist Allen Eichhorn did not say how much the couple lost, declining to address reports that the figure was in the millions. "Let's not speculate," he said. Dreamworks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg and a charity run by director Steven Speilberg mark some of the other Hollywood heavyweights allegedly bilked by Madoff, who remains in his Manhattan home on house arrest after posting $10 million bail. Bacon, whose credits include "Mystic River," "Footloose" and the recent political biopic "Frost/Nixon," has appeared in 64 movies or television programs since 1978, according to the Internet Movie Database. It's a career that spawned the parlor game "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon," in which players attempt to link any other actor to Bacon based on the massive number of co-stars with whom he has worked. Sedgwick stars in TNT's "The Closer," and has screen credits that include "Singles" and "Born on the Fourth of July." TNT is a unit of Time Warner, CNN's parent company. Madoff was charged earlier this month with securities fraud in a scandal that has shaken financial communities around the globe. He is accused of running the $50 billion Ponzi scheme from his investment advisory business -- a scam that could result in huge losses to financial firms, charities and individual investors worldwide.

Bernard Madoff is accused of operating a $50 billion Ponzi scheme . Actor Kevin Bacon and former Gov. Eliot Spitzer are among alleged victims . Madoff is a Wall Street adviser and former Nasdaq chairman .

(CNN) -- It is a boarding pass unlike any other. It's a memory of a day that nearly was his last on earth. US Airways passenger Barry Leonard now has the other half of his boarding pass from the fateful flight. When a FedEx package arrived at Barry Leonard's home recently, he had no idea it contained items from his flight that ended up in the Hudson River. Leonard was seated at the front of US Airways Flight 1549, and when pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger amazingly landed the plane in the river, Leonard left everything he had behind and dove into the frigid water. He thought all he had left from that January day were the clothes he had on, including a pair of jeans he still wears. But recently the package with most of his left-behind belongings showed up at his Charlotte, North Carolina, home. "Everything from the Wall Street Journal of that day to my W-2 form that I didn't even realize was in this package," he says. "You know my briefcase that I'd had for decades, it was all of those things." Watch as Leonard brings out the items recovered from the water » As he showed CNN the contents he discovered another item -- a memorable slip of paper. "This is actually the other part of my boarding pass from January 15. As you can see here January 15, flight 1549 and my seat number 1C," he says. To help return personal items to its passengers, US Airways hired Global-BMS, a Texas-based company that recovers and restores items from large disasters. Global-BMS sorted through nearly 30,000 items from the flight, cleaning them in a slow, tedious process that often involved freeze-drying items to preserve them while they waited to be processed. "Passengers' emotional ties to their possessions because of a traumatic incident like this, it's highly emotional. So we just want to make it available," Mark Rocco, a senior vice president of Global-BMS, tells CNN. Some of the items that were returned to the 150 travelers were unusable after being submerged, especially electronic items like headphones and music players. But for a lot of folks, personal effects show a little damage but are still good. Vicki Barnhardt tried on her running shoes, and though they were a little tight at first, she wears them now when she goes jogging in Huntersville, North Carolina. She tells CNN that she evacuated the plane only with her cellphone, leaving behind her purse, her wallet, driver's license, some flash drives and other items. She got most of her possessions from the plane back -- a coat, a pair of gloves and her cash are still missing -- and the items in the boxes seem in pretty good shape. The flash drives still work, though you can see some "corrosion" on them. She also got back a three-ring binder, and all her notes are still readable. Maryann Bruce found her diamonds in the parcel that was returned to her in Cornelius, North Carolina. It brought back memories of the landing in the river and made her thankful to be alive. "I just focused on wow, you know, I got all this stuff back," she says. "I can't believe I got all this stuff back, and I'm here to get the stuff back, versus the alternative where they would've been giving it to my loved ones. I didn't relive the anguish; I relived the 'Wow, I'm here to get it.' "

US Airways Flight 1549 landed in the Hudson River on January 15 . Passengers scrambled to save their lives, leaving behind personal belongings . Texas company has recovered, restored and returned most of the 30,000 items . Some items, like one woman's four flash drives, are still in good shape .

(CNN) -- It is possible more U.S. troops could be added in Afghanistan if the new U.S. commander there needs them, but Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he does not expect a significant increase. U.S. Marines sweep for bombs in Afghanistan this week. During a visit to troops at Fort Drum, New York, on Thursday, Gates said he is waiting to hear what Gen. Stanley McChrystal recommends after he completes a review of operations in Afghanistan. McChrystal is expected to complete a classified report for Gates by the end of this month, assessing where the war stands, and what needs to be done. He will tell Gates whether he needs more U.S. troops to fight the escalating conflict, according to a senior U.S. military official. Gates asked McChrystal to "state his requirements for resources," said the official -- who did not want to be identified because the report is not completed. The review is also expected to recommend that the number of Afghan troops be increased beyond the goal of 134,000, other military sources said. During a speech and question-and-answer session with troops at Fort Drum, Gates acknowledged he would consider a recommendation to boost U.S. troops beyond the level of 68,000 already approved. "We'll see what Gen. McChrystal recommends," he said. "But I think there will not be a significant increase in troop levels in Afghanistan beyond the 68,000, at least probably through the end of the year. Maybe some increase, but not a lot." Gates has made clear in the past he is reluctant to approve additional major increases in troop levels, preferring to keep the U.S. at a lower profile in the nation. About 57,000 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan, with the other 11,000 to arrive by the end of this year. Gates has said he wants to see if that level of troops would be sufficient. Gates' press secretary, Geoff Morrell, told CNN the Fort Drum comments "are not necessarily a foreshadowing of what's to come." He said Gates "doesn't want to impose an artificial troop cap on the commander," but does want to see if the strategy can be carried out with the approved troop levels.

Defense secretary would consider it if U.S. commander says he needs more . Gen. Stanley McChrystal preparing review of operation for Gates . Still, Secretary Gates said, any amount over 68,000 approved would not be much . Wants low U.S. profile in Afghanistan, chance to see if 68,000 is enough .

(CNN) -- It's a trip that would make Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher blush. On Friday, the Carnival cruise ship Elation, sponsored by the world's largest nonprofit singles travel group, will make history by hosting the world's first International Cougar Cruise, and we don't mean the animal. Defined by the Urban Dictionary, a cougar is "an older woman who frequents clubs in order to score with a much younger man." It can be anyone from "an overly surgically altered wind tunnel victim, to an absolute sad and bloated old horn-meister." "A cougar is generally known as a woman over 40 who likes to date younger men, but theoretically any woman who dates younger men is a cougar," said Rich Gosse, who came up with the cougar cruise idea. The ship, which sets sail from San Diego, California, to Ensenada, Mexico, for three nights, is booked for 300 guests and even has a waiting list. The ship has three swimming pools, a seven-deck-high atrium, bar and grill, a Moroccan-inspired Casablanca Casino and a lounge that features stage shows, according to Ann Thomas, owner of the Singles Travel Company and organizer of the Cougar Cruise. After making port in Ensenada, the cruise offers extracurricular activities like horseback riding, ATVing and other outdoor excursions. "There's at least four or five options a day for people to get together on the cruise. We're doing lots of activities; dancing, dining, Jacuzzi parties, karaoke for two hours. And starting at $125 a ticket, it's a great price," Thomas said. "I've had to hire two more people part-time just to pick up the phones," she said. "I've never seen a response quite like this." Thomas admits that she was hesitant to sign on to the idea but is glad she did. "We have people flying in from Italy and Denmark. My associates have been booking from France, Canada. It's fascinating," Thomas said. Gosse, who has been hosting singles events for more than 30 years, said he got the idea after hosting a cougar convention in Palo Alto, California. "We had to turn away hundreds of people," Gosse said. "Then we did one in Beverly Hills and had a massive crowd down there, so I thought, maybe we should do a cougar cruise. I didn't think anyone would want to go. Needless to say, the phone is ringing off the hook." These cougars may as well be an endangered species compared with those hunting them on this cruise. "The basic problem is, we have is too many cubs," Gosse said. "We usually have too many women and not enough guys, but there's been a paradigm shift in recent years, so now the cubs are more excited about it than the cougars." A "cub" is someone in their 20s or early 30s who likes to date older women, according to Gosse. For years, he says, it's been socially acceptable for older men to date younger women. But in recent years, a phenomenon sparked by celebrities like Kutcher, baseball player Alex Rodriguez (who is said to have dated pop star Madonna) and others has led a new generation of younger men on the prowl for more experienced partners. There is even an ABC sitcom called "Cougar Town" that glamorizes the sexual escapades of a 40-something divorcee on a search for self-discovery by dating younger men. "Tim Robbins [and] Susan Sarandon was the first high-profile cougar-cub relationship," Gosse said of the actors, who have been together since the late 1980s. "Now we're seeing a paradigm shift where these younger guys are actively looking for older women." "If you look at the demographics, the only logical way for people to get their needs met is for younger men to date older women," he said. According to the U.S. Census Bureau,

Cruise for women who date younger men sets sail on Carnival cruise ship Elation . The event is fully booked at 300 travelers, organizers say . Cruise is one of many symbols of burgeoning "cougar" movement .

(CNN) -- It's interesting how many people have swallowed the BP public relations' bait to call the explosion from Deepwater Horizon oil rig the Gulf oil spill. We need to call it what it is: the BP oil spill. The federal government needs to take control and take punitive action against BP and any negligent government regulators immediately. As a concerned citizen, preparedness speaker and author, and former commander of federal troops in disaster response, I watched with interest as BP brought out its big PR guns to protect its brand and its platoon of expert engineers, paid by BP to talk about how it happened and how they intended to fix it. BP's reaction was much like Toyota's when it was confronted with safety issues. It, too, focused on PR to protect its brand, versus telling the truth, and sent out its engineers to talk about the problem and the fix. The U.S. Coast Guard was the first responder. The Coast Guard's priority always is to save lives. They spent days looking for the 11 missing men. Meanwhile, BP took advantage of this time to make itself the authoritative voice in the news about the spill and blame other companies. The U.S. government response was based on laws and rules that were created after the Exxon Valdez oil spill. After Valdez, the law changed to make the offending company responsible for the cleanup. A fund was created that all oil companies contributed to. If there was an emergency oil spill, a company could draw up to $75 million from this fund to fix the problem. But the fund was meant to help small wildcat operations, not huge conglomerates like BP. Sticking to that regulation was part of the problem. The No. 1 rule when dealing with disaster is to figure out which rules you need to break. Rules are designed for when everything is working. A democracy is based on trust. BP has proved it can't be trusted. iReporters share views on oil spill response The government needs to change the game and make this a punitive effort. The government has been too friendly to oil companies. The government should immediately freeze BP's assets and start to charge the corporation -- say $100 million -- each day the oil flows. The money could be held in a fund that U.S. government draws on to take care of the people along the Gulf Coast and pay the states for doing the cleanup. Next, BP and the government bureaucrats who broke a law and put the public at risk need to go to jail. I remember when we were evacuating New Orleans on Saturday following Katrina. We pushed the survivors to the airport and a major called and said the pilots refused to fly the plane without a manifest and there was trouble with weapons scanners. I told him to direct everyone to put the people on the planes as fast as possible, and we would to do the manifest en route or on landing. As a result, we flew 16,000 people out of NOLA airport in less than seven hours. The priorities of the response to the spill must be to stop the flow of oil, prevent the oil from getting into the shoreline as much as possible, mitigate the effects of the oil in the ocean, and take care of the people who have lost their source of employment, such as fishermen and those in the tourist industry. BP's job is to focus on stopping the flow of oil. The government needs to provide more military "command and control" of the situation. As BP works to stop the gusher, the government must address the problem of the oil coming ashore and take care of the people affected, possibly retraining them in other jobs. The government could do this by using the Stafford Act to fund the states so they can protect their shoreline and clean up the oil. Then, the long-term effects of the spill must be mitigated. The people of the Gulf Coast, particularly South Louisiana, are still recovering from Katrina. They've been through hurricanes Rita, Gustav and Ike. They know hurricane season is right around

Gen. Russel Honoré: This disaster is the BP oil spill, not the Gulf oil spill . BP should be fined, he says, even $100 million, each day the oil is gushing . Money from fines should be used to help Gulf Coast and its people recover, Honoré says . General believes BP and negligent government regulators should face jail time .

(CNN) -- James Dobson, the influential evangelical leader of the Christian ministry Focus on the Family, has stepped down as board chairman, he announced Friday. James Dobson is expected to stay in his public role as an advocate for socially conservative issues. During a meeting with employees, Dobson, 72, said the move means he will no longer be involved with the administrative side of the organization, according to spokesman Gary Schneeberger. But Dobson's public role isn't expected to change. He'll still appear on his daily radio broadcast and as an advocate for socially conservative issues, Schneeberger said. "There won't be a whole lot of difference," the spokesman said. "You'll still hear him on the radio. You'll still see him on the networks like CNN with Larry King. "He said to the staff today, 'I've got more to say -- I'm not ready to stop fighting for the things I've fought for for the past 32 years.' " Founded in 1977, Focus on the Family is a nonprofit organization devoted to what it considers Christian family values, with Dobson's daily program geared largely toward advice on parenting from a religious perspective. But in recent years the ministry, like Dobson himself, has become more active in promoting social and political views. Last year, Dobson caused a huge political stir when he announced he "cannot and will not" vote for Republican nominee Sen. John McCain. He later changed his tune, after McCain's pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, calling her selection "one of the most exciting days of my life," on the syndicated Dennis Prager Show. Dobson has gained widespread attention again with his criticisms of a 2006 speech by now-President Barack Obama on his religious views. He accused Obama of "deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own worldview, his own confused theology." That led to a backlash. A group of ministers started an online petition, James Dobson Doesn't Speak for Me, that drew more than 12,000 signatures. Kirbyjon Caldwell, pastor of Houston, Texas' Windsor Village United Methodist Church, led that effort. "Dr. Dobson has made a tremendous contribution to the spiritual and social fiber of this country. I've always said that and will continue to say it although, obviously, we have not always agreed," Caldwell said Friday. "The fabric of the evangelical community here in America is very strong. One or two disagreements here and there are surely not going to cause the community to tear apart at the fringes." Dobson has spoken out loudly against abortion rights and gay marriage and even weighed in on the Harry Potter fantasy series, with a statement on the group's Web site denouncing the books' "trend toward witchcraft and New Age ideology." "He built his media empire around, sort of, parenting and family issues and he has since used his audience and his media presence to push a political agenda," said Peter Montgomery, a senior fellow with the liberal People for the American Way, which advocates, among other things, for the separation of church and state. "In the last several election cycles, he's constantly complained that the Republican Party isn't far enough to the right and sort of has a habit of saying he's going to take his followers and walk if they don't do more to push his agenda," Montgomery said. Focus on the Family says its broadcasts reach more than 220 million people in 155 countries. Its newsletter, in which Dobson will continue to write, goes to 1.6 million people. Dobson's announcement that he and his wife, National Day of Prayer Chairwoman Shirley Dobson, are stepping down from the board of directors comes six years after he resigned as the ministry's executive director. "One of the common errors of founder-presidents is to hold the reins of leadership too long, thereby preventing the next generation from being prepared for executive authority ...," Dobson said in a written release. "Though letting

NEW: "He's still a rock star among conservative religious activists," scholar says . NEW: Dobson has spoken out against abortion rights, gay marriage, Harry Potter . Dobson, 72, tells employees he won't be involved with ministry's administration . Dobson still expected to remain in public role, be conservative advocate .

(CNN) -- John Daly dazzled the galleries at the Italian Open with his garish clothing but stayed in contention for the title after a second successive 69 in Turin. Daly rolls a putt during his second round of 69 at the Italian Open. Sporting a lime green top with a pair of psychedelic trousers, Daly was looking to improve on his tie for 31st in the Spanish Open. The two-time major champion is playing on the European Tour after being handed a six-month ban in the United States after a series of lurid headlines. But clearly showing the benefits of losing 20kg after having a gastric band fitted, Daly has shown glimpses of his best form. "Yesterday could have been really low, but today could have been really high," he told the official European Tour Web site www.europeantour.com. "I didn't hit it that great and one-putted the first five greens." Daly was partnering home hope and 2007 champion Francesco Molinari and while struggled early on, the Italian packed an eagle and two birdies into his first four holes to go joint leader. But he then slipped back to five-under as he matched Daly with a 69. Daniel Vancsik of Argentina was setting the pace on the second day after carding a six-under 65 for a halfway total of nine-under 133. Daly, who had not played for four months before teeing up in Spain, will look to continue his improved form in lucrative upcoming events. It was confirmed on Friday that he is to extend his stay by playing in the European Open at the London Club from May 28-31. It will be a first appearance in the tournament by the "Wild Thing" who is promoting a new range of clothing to match his more slimline figure.

John Daly cards second straight 69 in Turin to be handily-placed in Italian Open . 43-year-old American is playing a series of events on the European Tour . "Wild Thing" has also made his mark with his colorful golf clothing .

(CNN) -- Jordan Belfi has a great job: He plays Adam Davies on the HBO show "Entourage," a comedy series that takes a look at the life of a young actor, Vincent Chase, and the old friends who surround him in Hollywood. Jordan Belfi arrives at the premiere of "Entourage" season six in Los Angeles, California. Davies is one of the few characters on the show who has the ability to shake one of the central figures: the unshakeable agent Ari Gold. Belfi has been around since the early days of "Entourage" and remembers the humble beginnings of his character's career as an agent under Gold's direction. Since that first season, Davies has risen to become Ari's chief rival on the show. Belfi believes conveying the tension between him and Ari is easy, based on the great material he's given. "It's a testament to the writing by Doug Ellin, the creator of the show. It's just on the page," Belfi said. "When you get setups and writing and dialogue and scenes that good, it makes your job that much easier." CNN talked to Belfi, who's also in the movie "Surrogates" (opening Friday), about his experiences on the show and his inspiration for the role. The following is an edited version of the interview. CNN: A lot of fans really missed that rivalry between you and Ari Gold. Talk a little about how you and Jeremy Piven kind of prepare for that and try to make that real on screen. Belfi: Adam Davies has become ... one of the few characters on the show that really knows how to get under Ari's skin and push his buttons. Ari is an entertaining character, and it's fun to watch him go after things, but people really enjoy kind of when Ari's off balance. That interplay, that back and forth, particularly the sort of thing that's happening now [on the show], the constantly one-upping each other, is just really fun to watch. It's entertaining. And I get that response from a lot of the fans of the show. They love Adam Davies for that reason because he just knows how to do it. Jeremy ... [is] an actor with so much power and force and impact that you're sort of forced to up your game. You're really present in the moment. And when you're there and you're really going back and forth, that's when the sparks really fly. CNN: Talk little bit about the inspiration you draw from to play Adam Davies. Belfi: I started way back on season one in the beginning of the show. And back then, Adam Davies was still in his cubicle. So a lot of the inspiration came from meetings I had when I was starting out -- you know, behavior I experienced from agents and other industry people when I was starting out. I was in a not-too-dissimilar position. ... And I think that's what people really respond to. There's an absolute foundation of truth -- almost scary truth -- to the things Adam says, the things Ari does, all that kind of stuff. And it's why it's such a visceral experience for people in the industry and fun for people that happen not to be in the industry. CNN: What are your thoughts on Adam Davies as a person? Belfi: What gives Ari a little bit of his soul, his heart, is that we have all these scenes with his wife and his family, and you really get to see him as a dad. ... [But] we haven't gotten to see any of the personal life of Adam Davies. So I don't know if there's anything yet to kind of balance out those ruthless qualities he has. But I think he's the kind of agent that I'd certainly like to have if you're that actor trying to go after that job. You want that agent who's going to beg, borrow and steal

Jordan Belfi plays acting agent Adam Davies on the HBO show "Entourage" Belfi has played Ari Gold's nemesis on the show since the first season . "I think he's the kind of agent that I'd certainly like to have," Belfi says of Davies . A little something about coming story lines: Belfi says Adam might get Lloyd .

(CNN) -- Josef Fritzl, the Austrian accused of keeping his daughter in a cellar for decades and fathering her seven children, will plead guilty to rape and incest when his trial opens Monday, Fritzl's lawyer told CNN. Josef Fritzl is expected to plead guilty to rape and incest on Monday, his lawyer tells CNN. However, Fritzl will deny other charge he faces: murder, enslavement and assault, attorney Rudolph Mayer said Sunday. The 73-year-old expects to spend the rest of his life in prison, Mayer added. Fritzl faces six charges in a closed-door trial. The trial is scheduled to last five days, but Mayer said it could be shorter. Fritzl was charged in November with incest and the repeated rape of his daughter, Elisabeth, over a 24-year period. But he was also charged with the murder of one of the children he fathered with her, an infant who died soon after birth. State Prosecutor Gerhard Sedlacek said Michael Fritzl died from lack of medical care. In all, Fritzl is charged with: murder, involvement in slave trade (slavery), rape, incest, assault and deprivation of liberty, Sedlacek's office said. If convicted, he could face life in prison. Austria does not have the death penalty. "This man obviously led a double life for 24 years. He had a wife and had seven kids with her. And then he had another family with his daughter, fathered another seven children with her," said Franz Polzer, a police officer in Amstetten, the town where Fritzl lived, at the time of his arrest. The case first came to light in April 2008 when Elisabeth's daughter, Kerstin, became seriously ill with convulsions. Elisabeth persuaded her father to allow Kerstin, then 19, to be taken to a hospital for treatment. Hospital staff became suspicious of the case and alerted police, who discovered the family members in the cellar. Fritzl confessed to police that he raped his daughter, kept her and their children in captivity and burned the body of the dead infant in an oven in the house. Elisabeth told police the infant was one of twins who died a few days after birth. When Elisabeth gained her freedom, she told police her father began sexually abusing her at age 11. On August 8, 1984, she told police, her father enticed her into the basement, where he drugged her, put her in handcuffs and locked her in a room. Fritzl explained Elisabeth's disappearance in 1984 by saying the girl, who was then 18, had run away from home. He backed up the story with letters he forced Elisabeth to write. Elisabeth Fritzl and all but three of her children lived in the specially designed cellar beneath her father's home in Amstetten, Austria, west of Vienna. The other three children lived upstairs with Fritzl and his wife; Fritzl had left them on his own doorstep, pretending the missing Elisabeth had dropped them off. Under Austrian law, if Fritzl is convicted on several offenses, he will be given the sentence linked to the worst crime. The charges he faces are: • Murder: The infant who died in 1996 died from a lack of medical care, the state prosecutor said. The charge carries a sentence of life in prison. • Involvement in slave trade: From 1984 until 2008, prosecutors allege, Fritzl held his daughter, Elisabeth, captive in a dungeon, abused her sexually and treated her as if she were his personal property -- in a situation similar to slavery. If he is convicted, the sentence could range from 10 to 20 years in prison. • Rape: Between August 30, 1984, and June 30, 1989, Fritzl "regularly sexually abused Elisabeth," according to the prosecutor. The sentence could be from five to 15 years in prison. • Incest: Parallel to the rape charge. It carries a sentence of up to one year. • Withdrawal of liberty: Three of the children Fritzl had with Elisabeth were illegally held captive in a dungeon with no daylight or fresh air

Man accused of keeping daughter in a cellar for decades, fathering her 7 children . Josef Fritzl, whose trial starts Monday, will plead guilty, his lawyer tells CNN . Prosecutors: Fritzl raped his daughter over 24 years, said she had run away . Fritzl also accused of killing one of the children he fathered with daughter .

(CNN) -- Judges in Texas and Florida have dropped military contractor KBR from lawsuits brought by the family of a soldier who was electrocuted in Iraq, the company announced Tuesday. Sgt. Christopher Everett was electrocuted in 2005 at an American base outside Ramadi, in western Iraq. Sgt. Christopher Everett died while using a power washer at an American base outside Ramadi, in western Iraq. His was one of nine electrocution deaths in Iraq blamed on "improper grounding or faulty equipment," according to a Pentagon inspector-general's report released Monday. KBR was one of the contractors Everett's family has sued in connection with his death. But federal courts in Louisiana and Texas have thrown out the family's claims against the Houston, Texas-based company, KBR announced Tuesday. "The dismissal orders affirm that despite repeated criticism and statements made by several public officials on Capitol Hill and related media reports, KBR had no involvement in the factors that led to the tragic death of Sergeant Everett," Andrew D. Farley, the company's senior vice president and general counsel, said in a written statement. KBR's work in Iraq and Afghanistan has come under extensive criticism from members of Congress. The company has defended its performance and argued that it was not to blame for any fatalities. Monday's report from the Pentagon's inspector-general criticized the company in the death of another soldier, Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, who was electrocuted in his shower in his Baghdad quarters. The report found that "multiple systems and organizations failed," leaving Maseth "exposed to unacceptable risk." It concluded that a water pump installed by KBR was not grounded, leading to Maseth's electrocution when it short-circuited, and the company did not report improperly grounded equipment during routine maintenance. But it also found that Maseth's commanders failed to ensure renovations to the palace had been properly done and the Army did not set electrical standards for jobs or contractors. Maseth's family also has sued KBR. The company has had no comment on the inspector-general's findings, but company spokeswoman Heather Browne says it was not responsible for Maseth's death. The building where Maseth was quartered was one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces, and Browne said the building "had not been grounded or bonded by the contractors who built the structure." In addition, she said, KBR had warned the military about the hazard nine months before Maseth's January 2008 death. "Prior to that incident, the military never directed KBR to repair, upgrade or improve the grounding system in the building in which Maseth resided, nor was KBR directed to perform any preventative maintenance at this facility," she said in a statement issued to CNN. But Maseth's mother said she was "pleased" by the finding that KBR installed the water pump blamed for her son's death. "The results are revealing and contrary to what KBR and its president have continuously stated over the past year," Cheryl Harris told CNN.

Sgt. Christopher Everett died using a power washer at U.S. base in western Iraq . Judges in Texas, Florida drop military contractor KBR from family's lawsuits . KBR's electrical work in Iraq, Afghanistan has come under criticism from Congress . Pentagon report criticizes Houston-based contractor in death of another soldier .

(CNN) -- Judging by the hysterical reaction in some quarters, to President Obama's handshake with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, or his bow to Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, you would think that America's national security rested solely on body language not sound policy. The presidential handshake between Barack Obama and Hugo Chavez spurred many comments. But just for the record, let's not forget that President George W. Bush kissed and held hands with the same Abdullah after 9/11, while also looking deep into the soul of Vladimir Putin. And a generation earlier, egged on by British Prime Minister "Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher, President "Tear Down That Wall" Ronald Reagan, decided that indeed Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev was a man he could do business with: the business of ending the Cold War. While Obama has not managed in 100 days to defeat Islamic militants, usher in a Middle East peace treaty or disarm North Korea, on these and other issues he has laid down some important groundwork. Most importantly, the global polls following his first overseas trip show he has begun restoring America's name and reputation, key ingredients to successful policy making. Even before stepping onto foreign soil, Obama began by ordering the infamous Guantanamo Bay detention center closed, thus returning the United States to upholding the very same rule of law it preaches to other nations. He also has stated over and over again that "America does not torture," thus returning the United States to leading on human rights, not cherry-picking them. To those such as former Vice President Dick Cheney who claims this will make America more vulnerable, even some former Bush administration officials now concede that rigorous but patient above-board interrogation has proven to yield better, more reliable intelligence than a rush to the waterboard. Obama has kept a campaign pledge and given a fixed date for ending the unpopular U.S. war in Iraq. "Let me say this as plainly as I can: By August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end," he announced. Yet the perils are clear. Hundreds of Iraqi civilians have been killed in Baghdad and other cities in a surge of sectarian violence since January. The Obama administration and U.S. military leaders are playing it down, blaming the suicide bombings on a few militant cells. That brings back memories of Cheney and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld blaming a "handful of dead-enders" as the original insurgency was getting into full swing. Much work still needs to be done to stabilize Iraq militarily and politically. Drawing down in Iraq means surging in Afghanistan, which along with Pakistan is still viewed as the central front on terror. "If the Afghanistan government falls to the Taliban or allows al-Qaeda to go unchallenged," Obama said in March, "that country will again be a base for terrorists." So he has ordered 21,000 new U.S. troops there by summer. But for all the talk of more boots on the ground, negotiating with moderate Taliban and beefing up Afghan security forces, danger will persist unless the Afghan people see more of a peace dividend. As Obama himself recognizes, "There will be no lasting peace unless we expand spheres of opportunity for the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan." Watch highlights from Obama's first 100 days » Dire poverty still stalks the land and people desperate to feed their families will lay an IED for cash if they cannot farm or find a decent paying job. Although the Taliban had less than 8 percent support in Afghanistan at the end of 2007, according to an ABC poll, Afghan public opinion is turning against the U.S.-led coalition partly because of the rising number of civilian casualties as the U.S. military hunts down terrorists with airstrikes. The same is happening in Pakistan. When unmanned drones and other airstrikes target militants but cost many civilian lives, it turns people against the United States. One month ago, President Obama unveiled an Afghan-Pakistan strategy for stabilizing the region, and yet things have gotten so much worse in the weeks since that now he, British officials and other world leaders openly fear the Talibanization of nuclear-armed

Obama has laid important groundwork in key areas, Amanpour says . President has acted on some campaign promises, but outcome still uncertain . Next 100 days will see key meetings at White House, summits abroad . Body language has caused chatter, but Nixon went to China, reminds Amanpour .

(CNN) -- Jurors started to deliberate Friday after prosecutors and defense attorneys made closing arguments in the murder trial of an anti-abortion activist charged with killing a doctor who performed late-term abortion procedures. Scott Roeder is charged with murder in the death of Dr. George Tiller, who was shot to death May 31 in his church in Wichita, Kansas. Prosecutor Ann Swegle urged jurors to convict Roeder, reminding the jury of the defendant's testimony Thursday. "His testimony was delivered very matter-of-factly, but its contents were chillingly horrific," she said. "He carried out a planned assassination, and there can be no other verdict in this case ... other than guilty." Kim T. Park, chief deputy district attorney, told the jurors that Roeder's actions were unjustified and cowardly. "Scott Roeder is not justified," she said. "He is only and simply guilty of the crimes he is charged with." Mark Rudy, a defense attorney for Roeder, told jurors that Roeder believed he had to act. "Scott thought that the babies kept on dying," he said. "Scott formed a belief that he had to stop George Tiller from killing more babies." He admitted that Roeder killed Tiller but said only the jurors can decide if Roeder "murdered" Tiller. He said he was not asking jurors "to check your common sense at the door" and urged them to "represent our little part of the nation well." "No defendant should ever be convicted based on his convictions," Rudy said. Roeder testified Thursday that he shot and killed Tiller and did not regret it. "There was nothing being done, and the legal process had been exhausted, and these babies were dying every day," Roeder said. "I felt that if someone did not do something, he was going to continue." Tiller ran a women's clinic at which he performed abortions. Sedgwick County District Judge Warren Wilbert ruled after the end of testimony Thursday that the jury could not consider a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter against Roeder as the defense wanted. In making the ruling, Wilbert noted that Roeder had been talking about killing Tiller for 10 years, CNN affiliate WDAF reported. Several of Tiller's family members broke into tears as Roeder recounted the shooting. Roeder said he didn't regret what he did and felt "a sense of relief" when he learned that Tiller's clinic was shut down after his death. Roeder calmly testified that he thought about different ways to kill the doctor -- driving a car into his, perhaps, or shooting him with a rifle. He also considered cutting Tiller's hands off with a sword, but decided that would not be effective, as Tiller would still be able to train others. Tiller, 67, was one of the few U.S. doctors who performed late-term abortion procedures. He had already survived one attempt on his life before he was killed. He decided to kill Tiller at his church, he said, because "I felt that actually if he was to be stopped, that was probably the only place he could have been stopped. ... It was the only window of opportunity I saw." Roeder said he visited the church four or five times before Tiller's death. The week before the shooting, on May 24, he carried a .22-caliber handgun with him, he testified, but Tiller did not attend church that day. On May 31, though, the doctor was there, and "I did what I thought was needed to be done to protect the children," Roeder said. "I shot him." "The lives of those children were in imminent danger if someone did not stop George Tiller," he said. The defense had sought to have former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline and current Deputy Attorney General Barry Disney testify, but the judge did not allow it. Kline unsuccessfully attempted to prosecute Tiller in 2006, and Disney charged Tiller with 19 misdemeanor counts, but a jury acquitted him. Wilbert

Scott Roeder accused of killing Dr. George Tiller at church in May 2009 . Tiller ran a women's clinic where he performed abortions in Wichita, Kansas . Roeder testified he thought of various ways to kill Tiller . Defense attorney told jurors Roeder believed he had to act.

(CNN) -- Just over a year ago, a U.S. staff sergeant in Iraq decided to practice his shooting skills. His target: the Quran, Islam's holiest book. Pvt. Nicole Wright, 20, learns cultural awareness by watching an interactive DVD. The military issued a formal apology, promptly dismissed the soldier from his regiment and reassigned him to stateside duty. But news of the shooting had already made its way onto YouTube, and a firestorm of outrage was ignited across the Islamic world. Protests turned deadly in Afghanistan. Back at the Army's Intelligence and Cultural Awareness Center at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, commanders knew they had a problem. In the 21st century, the Army was sending younger soldiers into an arena they had little cultural experience in, and at the same time, new social networking sites were poised to broadcast their mistakes to the world. Maj. Gen. John Custer, the leading officer at Fort Huachuca, knew that the Army not only needed trained linguists, but it also needed a new language of its own. "The advent of social networking has changed the world. The soldiers who I see coming from basic to the intel center, what is the first question they ask? 'Are you Wi-Fi?'," he said. Today, a third of the men and women the Army has deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan are between the ages of 20 and 24, and Custer believes the military has now entered the age of the "strategic private" -- a young soldier reared on video games. And because of social networking, that private is now armed with the ability to severely cripple a mission and spark the kinds of reactions that the world saw after the Quran shooting. So Custer decided his young recruits needed some extra training in cultural awareness. For help, he turned to a group of former military men who also saw an opportunity to engage today's Iraq-bound soldiers. Russ Phelps spent a career in the Navy before starting a Denver, Colorado-based company called InVism, which combines live-action video and virtual-reality technology to create simulators that become learning tools for the military and other clients. "I was watching the rise of the gaming world, and the impact and the power it was having over how people were interacting with information, and I thought there is something here," Phelps said. So Phelps, a trained Arabic linguist, worked with two other companies, Combat Film Productions and Quest Pictures, to help him create realistic, movie-like combat scenarios. Hollywood veterans shot the scenarios on an elaborate set in Southern California, adding real footage from Iraq whenever possible. The result: an immersive cultural simulation program that is part video game, part blockbuster Hollywood movie. Soldiers use computers to train on an interactive DVD that plunges them into a series of scenarios and presents them with choices, such as whether to accept a cooler full of drinks from an Iraqi youth. At the end of each scenario, the recruit clicks on his or her choice, then discovers whether it was the right one. (Hint: That cooler could contain a bomb.) In this way, the DVD becomes an immersive learning tool that trains soldiers in a way that lectures and textbooks cannot. Ken Robinson, an Army Ranger turned Hollywood guru, is the project's executive producer. He's convinced that by grabbing soldiers' attention with stunning graphics and compelling characters, and then engaging them in the decision-making process, the project will deliver the ultimate payoff. "They're gonna live," he told CNN. "They're gonna make choices on the battlefield that will prevent their first choice from being to use their weapon. They're gonna use their mind." Robinson believes the simulator program is more effective then a traditional video game because soldiers relate more to human characters than virtual avatars. "Nobody cares about an avatar that gets killed. You just get another avatar," he said. "It's a 'band of brothers' mentality," agreed

The U.S. Army is using interactive videos for soldiers' cultural sensitivity training . The videos help recruits understand and adapt to Iraq and Afghanistan . Soldiers watch DVDs that plunge them into a series of wartime scenarios . Recruits face choices, click on options, then find out how they scored .

(CNN) -- Just what is it that separates a champion athlete from the also-rans? Natural talent, hard work and determination are all essential, but athletes and coaches are becoming increasingly aware of the crucial role diet plays in sporting success. Olympic athletes are fueled by high-carb diets. Dr Samantha Stear is national lead for performance nutrition at the English Institute of Sport (EIS) and helped make the Beijing Olympics Britain's most successful games for a century. "A good diet isn't going to turn a mediocre athlete into a champion, but a champion eating a bad diet may just miss out," she told CNN. Training is the key to improving athletic performance, and the right diet is the key to sustaining a punishing training regime. Your body uses glycogen stored in the muscles to provide the energy needed for exercise, and the body makes that glycogen by breaking down the carbohydrates you eat. So carbohydrates are the vital fuel needed for training, and the more training an athlete does, the more fuel they need. Sprinters will often train for just an hour a day, whereas an endurance athlete will train for three hours or more. To sustain that level of training, sprinters need to eat around 5g of carbs per kg of body weight every day, whereas endurance athletes need at least 7g per kg. For Jamaican sprint sensation Usain Bolt, that means consuming some 450g of carbs a day, whereas, while Ethiopian distance demon Haile Gebrselassie would need at least 380g. Despite doing less training, Bolt would have to eat more carbs simply because he weighs more. So what's the fuel of choice for these elite athletes? "In general, endurance athletes are better about getting a variety of carbs, just because they have to eat so many they get bored. They're good at mixing up pasta, rice and potatoes," says Stear. Because "strength-and-speed" athletes do less training than endurance athletes, they have to watch their weight. Stear says sprinters often favor low glycemic-index carbs to help them keep their weight in check. What is the glycemic index? Carb consumption becomes crucial when athletes are training more than once a day. Stear says it's essential that athletes refuel between training sessions, otherwise they risk fatigue, which can weaken their immune system and make injury more likely. She also stresses the importance of refueling immediately after training, when the body restocks glycogen at a higher rate. When it comes to this kind of rapid refueling, athletes load up on high glycemic-index carbs, which the body can better convert to glycogen -- and then to energy. But man cannot live by bread alone. Protein is needed for building and repairing muscle and is essential in the diet of athletes and non-athletes alike. Surprisingly, the protein recommendations for elite athletes are much the same as for regular folks. A confirmed couch potato needs about 0.75g of protein per kg of body weight per day, while someone doing regular activity -- about an hour of a day -- needs some 1.2g/kg. Endurance athletes need about 1.3g/kg and strength and speed athletes, with their extra muscle volume, need about 1.5g/kg. Even once the competition has begun, nutrition has a role in keeping the body working at its best. In endurance events, from distance running to tennis, the main danger for an athlete is dehydration. "In a marathon the runners need to refuel and rehydrate and one of the best ways of doing that is with a sports drink. They provide carbs for fuel and there's salt in there to help with electrolyte loss and help with the absorption of the water," says Stear. As well as eating the right food, athletes use a host of ergogenic aids to maximize performance. For example, some athletes use buffers such as sodium bicarbonate and sodium citrate to neutralize the lactic acid that builds up in the blood during exercise, fending off fatigue, while others choose to have a caffeine boost on race day. Stear says the

The right diet can be the difference between a gold and silver medal . Carbohydrate intake is the key to sustaining a punishing training regime . A sprinter like Usain Bolt needs to eat 450g of carbohydrates each day . Rehydration with sports drinks is essential during endurance events .

(CNN) -- Juventus have sacked coach Ciro Ferrara after a string of poor results and have installed Alberto Zaccheroni in the hot seat until the end of the season. Ferrara's position has been threatened after a dismal run which has seen them slip out of contention in the Serie A title race as well as being eliminated from the Champions League at the group stages. Thursday's 2-1 Coppa Italia defeat to Italian champions Inter Milan proved the final straw and the club released a statement to confirm his departure and Zaccheroni's arrival. "Zaccheroni will take over the team immediately and will guide this afternoon's training session in Vinovo before being officially unveiled to the media," it read. Ferrara joined Juve late last season and steered the Turin powerhouses to second place in Serie A behind Inter. But his first full campaign in charge proved challenging after a promising start to the season. The Bianconeri have lost five of their last six games in Serie A and have slumped to sixth in the standings, four points behind Napoli, who hold the last Champions League qualifying spot. Zaccheroni will hope to get them on track with his first game against Lazio on Sunday. The 56-year-old has coached at a number of leading Serie A clubs and helped AC Milan to the 1999 Italian title, but it is his first job since being sacked by Torino in February 2007. Ferrara, a former Italy international and Juventus defender, was given the reins despite his lack of experience, succeeding current Roma coach Claudio Ranieri, who was fired. Zaccheroni's appointment ends, for now, media speculation that Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez would take charge at Juve, but the short-term nature of his contract until June raises questions about the permanence of his stay. Benitez acknowledged the speculation in his weekly press conference on Friday. "I am focused on preparing my team for the game against Bolton. I know they (Juventus) were interested, that is part of the game now in football, but I am not ready to talk too much because I don't want to lose my focus. "When you are a manager and you have clubs asking (for you), you have to be proud because they are a top side in Europe, but I am really happy here and want to do my job as best I can."

Juventus sack coach Ciro Ferrara after a string of poor results in Serie A and Europe . Ferrari replaced by former Milan coach Alberto Zaccheroni until the end of the season . Juventus have slipped to sixth in Serie A after losing five of their last six games . Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has also been linked to the Turin giants .

(CNN) -- Kuwait's leader dissolved parliament on Wednesday and called for early elections, after the Cabinet resigned this week following a power struggle with the government. Kuwait's emir has dissolved parliament following conflict between the Cabinet and govenrment. The emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, said he was forced to dissolve parliament to safeguard Kuwait's national unity, citing the fragile political situation in the region and his primary concern for internal security and stability. New elections have been set for May 17, according to Kuwait's state-run news agency, KUNA. According to Kuwait's constitution, elections must be held within 60 days of dissolving parliament. Kuwait's parliament, made up mostly of opposition politicians, has been locked in a feud with the government which it accuses of corruption and abuse of power. Parliament has continuously called for some government members to be investigated, which is what prompted the Cabinet to resign this week. Al-Sabah said he tried to get lawmakers and government ministers to reconcile their differences, but they only inflamed the situation through their statements to the media. E-mail to a friend CNN Senior Arab Affairs Editor Octavia Nasr contributed to this report

Kuwait's leader dissolves parliament and calls for early elections after conflict . Cabinet resigned earlier this week after a power struggle with the government . The emir said he was forced to act to safeguard Kuwait's national unity . New elections have been set for May 17 according to state-run news agency .

(CNN) -- Lance Armstrong and 2007 champion Alberto Contador will head a strong Astana team for next month's Tour de France. Armstrong (left) will be backed by a strong Astana squad in Tour de France. Armstrong is bidding for an unprecedented eighth victory in cycling's most prestigious race while his teammate Contador will start as favorite for the yellow jersey. The Kazakh-backed squad will have strong support riders with Andreas Kloeden, Levi Leipheimer, Yaroslav Popovych and Haimar Zulbedia also named in the tea, Kloeden and Leipheimer have both been podium finishers in the Tour de France while the team is packed full of good performers for the key mountain stages. The remaining three riders to make up the squad of nine will be picked from Jani Brajkovic, Chris Horner, Benjamin Noval, Dmitriy Muravyev, Sergio Paulinho, Gregory Rast and Tomas Vaitkus. "The complete 2009 Tour roster will be chosen based on the strongest team from both a sportive and team-spirit criteria," Astana's team chief Johan Bruyneel told Press Association Sport. Astana have also settled doubts over outstanding debts run up by the team which left their participation in the Tour in doubt with the Kazakh government putting up guarantees that riders would be paid. The team is returning to the Tour after a two-year absence, having been barred from the 2008 because of doping misdemeanors by former squad members. It left Contador to win the Giro d'Italia and Tour of Spain and he will be bidding for a second Tour triumph when racing gets underway in Monaco on July 4. Armstrong returned to the peloton earlier this year after a three-year absence and finished 12th in the Giro d'Italia, his preparation hampered by breaking his collarbone at a minor stage race in Spain in March. In other Tour de France news, organizers have barred former world champion Tom Boonen from competing in this year's race. The Belgian, who won Parix-Roubaix for the third time this year, tested positive for cocaine in April. His Quick Step team said on Friday that they would consider legal action to challenge the decision.

Lance Armstrong is named in a strong Astana squad for the Tour de France . Armstrong will be bidding for an eighth victory in cycling's most famous race . 2007 Tour de France champion Alberto Contador will start as the race favorite . Belgian rider Tom Boonen not welcome on the Tour after positive for cocaine .

(CNN) -- Late last month, Michelle Russell somberly walked on a Maui beach in Hawaii to mark her daughter Sarah Skiba's 20th birthday. Sarah Skiba visited her father, Paul Skiba, every other weekend. For Russell, who last saw Sarah more than a decade ago, when she was just 9 years old, some images will never fade with the passage of time. Russell especially recalls the cold Friday morning in February 1999 when she dropped Sarah off at a bus stop in Westminster, Colorado, for her ride to school. "She loved to go to school," Russell said, remembering that Sarah ran for the bus and slipped on ice. "She skinned her wrist at the bottom of her hand, and she was crying," Russell said. "I had a first aid kit and gave her a Band-Aid." After school that day, Sarah's father, Paul Skiba, met Sarah to spend the weekend together, a visitation arrangement in place since Russell and Skiba divorced several years earlier. "Her father picked her up at 3:30 p.m.," Russell said. "She visited her father every other weekend." On Sunday, Sarah joined her father -- who owned a moving company -- and his employee Lorenzo Chivers as they went to a moving job. Watch a report about the case » "We know they had two moving jobs that day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon," said Thornton Police Department Sgt. Pat Long, the original investigator on the case. The second job was for a man who lived in Morrison, Colorado. The girl, her father and Chivers left Morrison between 5 and 5:30 p.m. to return the moving truck to the Westminster parking lot where Skiba stored his vehicles, Long says. On the way, a 12-year-old relative of Paul Skiba's girlfriend, Theresa Donovan, received a call from Sarah. The girl said they were on their way to return the truck and would then come home. But Sarah and her father never made it back to the house he and Donovan shared. Michelle Russell later called police, who initially thought it was a parental abduction, even though Chivers was also missing. "It was almost three weeks after that that I became involved," Long said. "I think we lost some key evidence during the initial time that passed at the scene." Paul Skiba's family and friends went to his truck storage lot one week after the girl and the two men went missing and grew suspicious when they found what they believed were two bullet holes in the exteriors of Skiba's moving trucks, Long said. They also noticed that Skiba's only functioning truck was not parked quite the way he would have done it himself. "Paul was adamant that the moving truck always be parked in a certain position, and the way it was found was pulled nose-in and not back-in," Long said. "Everyone knows he was anal about the way that truck was parked." Suspected ambush Long said he thinks there was an attempt to disguise the scene to make it appear that the victims had come back to the lot and left. Investigators from the Thornton Police Department CSI, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Westminster Police Department confirmed that bullets had, in fact, pierced Skiba's trucks. They also identified blood spatter on the two trucks and blood inside the cab of the truck used in the move. Hair attached to a piece of scalp was found on the hood of Skiba's moving truck, and additional hair was on the truck's fender. DNA tests revealed that blood on the ground belonged to Paul and Sarah Skiba. The piece of scalp belonged to Paul. The hair was Sarah's. "The pool of blood on the ground looked like motor oil that had spilled," Long said. Authorities believe that the three were ambushed and killed when they returned the truck to the lot. Police think their bodies were put in the back of Skiba's moving

Sarah Skiba and father went missing in 1999, along with employee Lorenzo Chivers . DNA tests show pool of blood on the ground belonged to Sarah and her father . Police have interviewed as many as 80 people, but no arrests have been made . "Someone took her away from me unjustly," Sarah's mother says .

(CNN) -- Launch of the space shuttle Discovery has been delayed at least a week, NASA has announced. Discovery moves atop the crawler transporter in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 14. The shuttle will now lift off no earlier than February 19 because of concern over a valve in the main engine. A decision on the launch date will be made February 12, after more analysis and testing of the part. NASA said Tuesday night: "The valve is one of three that channels gaseous hydrogen from the engines to the external fuel tank. One of these valves in shuttle Endeavour was found to be damaged after its mission in November. As a precaution, Discovery's valves were removed, inspected and reinstalled." This will be the shuttle's 28th mission to the international space station. The mission will deliver the final set of solar arrays needed to complete the station's complement of electricity-generating solar panels. They will help support the station's expanded crew of six in 2009. "More crew means that we'll have to run more life support equipment, more crew support equipment -- toilet facilities, water processing equipment and all of that stuff," Kwatsi Alibaruho, the lead space station flight director for the mission, said on NASA's Web site. "We'll have to run more of all of that, so we need additional power." The expanded capacity will mean more hands to perform science experiments. The mission also will include four spacewalks.

Discovery will lift off no earlier than February 19, NASA says . Space agency concerned about a valve in the main engine . This will be the shuttle's 28th mission to the international space station . The mission will deliver the final set of solar arrays for the station .

(CNN) -- LeBron James has been named the NBA's Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row after claiming 116 of a possible 123 first place votes. It gave him a landslide win over the runner-up, Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who had just four first place votes, with Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers in third. The media panel, who decide the prestigious award, had no hesitation in opting for James, whose outstanding play has lifted the Cleveland Cavaliers into the second second round of the playoffs. They beat Boston Celtics in game one of the best-of-seven series with game two on Monday. "To be MVP is definitely an honor. It's a humbling experience," James told the NBA official Web site. "To receive that while you are trying to win a championship, you have to balance it out. I've been able to do that so far." Orlando center Dwight Howard was fourth overall. James, who is determined to finally land the NBA championship with the Cavs after a series of near-misses, has averaged just shy of 30 points per game, with 7.3 rebounds and 8.6 assists this season. It helped Cleveland to a league-best 61 wins in the regular season and left him a near-certainty for the MVP honor. He is only the 10th player to win it twice in consecutive seasons, joining greats such as Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and Magic Johnson. "I'm just trying to do my job," James said. "Hopefully I can add onto that championship list of names and pass it on to someone when I'm done."

LeBron James named NBA Most Valuable Player for second year in a row . Cleveland Cavs star gains 116 out of a possible 123 first place votes . James is determined to bring the NBA Championship to Cleveland .

(CNN) -- Liberia's president has declared a state of emergency after hordes of ravenous caterpillars infested the country. The African armyworm caterpillar is chewing its way through Liberia's food crops. Tens of millions of the worm-like larvae have appeared in the northern part of the country, where they are destroying green crops like cabbage and collard greens and contaminating the water supply, Liberian Information Minister Laurance Bropleh told CNN Wednesday from the capital of Monrovia. "I am not aware that they have been here before, ever, and certainly not in this great number," Bropleh told CNN. "That is why it was so overwhelming initially when we first discovered it." The state of emergency covers the three northern Liberian counties of Bong, Lofa, and Gbarpolu, Liberian officials said. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf told legislators Monday that 350,000 people in 62 communities in those three counties may have been affected. There are also indications the bugs have spread to neighboring Guinea, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast, Bropleh said. "This is indeed a crisis," the president said Monday. Johnson Sirleaf said she appointed a task force, including members of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), to identify the species and commence spraying. Investigators suspect the caterpillars are African armyworms, the FAO said. The infestation is "quite alarming," said Winfred Hammond, the FAO representative in Liberia. Hammond said the caterpillars started showing up sometime during the week of January 12 but spread quickly. In just a week, he said, the caterpillars had spread to 50 villages. The pests multiply rapidly and adult moths are able to fly long distances at night, the FAO said. Worsening the situation, the area's water supply has been contaminated by the huge volume of feces dropped by the caterpillars, the FAO said. "The plague is being described as Liberia's worst in 30 years," the FAO said. "The last African armyworm outbreak in the sub-region occurred in Ghana in 2006."

Liberia declares emergency after hordes of ravenous caterpillars infest country . Tens of millions of the worm-like larvae have appeared in northern areas . Up to 350,000 people in 62 communities may have been affected .

(CNN) -- Like most stories that end up with a man mowing his friend's lawn in a dress, it started out innocently enough. Craig Harrell takes a quick break for the camera while fulfilling his end of the bargain. Not long after Robert Klein began working on his man cave, his friend Craig Harrell paid Klein a compliment. He noticed Klein was looking trimmer since they'd last met. As Klein continued to slim down, they made a bet: Whoever could get down to 200 pounds first would be the winner, and the loser would have to mow the winner's yard -- in a dress. Klein started building his man cave in Pasadena, Maryland, so he could have the bar of his dreams and a home theater. He worked on his basement for more than a year and ended up losing 65 pounds in the process -- more than enough to win his bet with Harrell. CNN.com and iReport.com got an overwhelming response when we asked readers to send in photos and stories of their man caves: spaces that foster men's hobbies, decorating skills and technological needs. Some of their stories were so outrageous that we decided to profile a few of them. Klein's man cave, however, was the only one to combine dramatic weight loss and cross-dressing, so we had to give him a call to find out more. Klein said his friends wanted to talk about two things while he was building his man cave: how his amazing bar was coming along and how they thought Harrell would lose the bet. The bet was popular with everyone Klein and Harrell knew. Their wives even started a dress committee, to make sure the loser was appropriately attired, and their kids delighted in the prospect of seeing Dad in a dress. To lose weight, Klein said Harrell played golf and cut out chips, while he adopted a balanced, calorie-restricted diet, and spent at least six hours a day on the man cave, which took most of his free time. Klein did all the electric wiring himself, worked on the framing and put three coats of paint on all the walls and ceilings. He attributes his weight loss success to replacing TV-watching with hard work. "I lost at least 10 pounds on the painting alone," he said. "My neck was sore for weeks." Klein knew he couldn't build the kind of man cave he wanted all by himself, so he contracted out some of the big jobs, like cutting a hole in the foundation to add 6-foot-tall French doors to the side of the house in place of a window well, and finding someone to do the woodwork on a custom bar he designed. Although he started out with a carefully planned budget, Klein quickly found he needed to spend more money to make his dreams a reality. The hardest part, he said, was finding someone who could build his bar for a price he could afford. After some disheartening estimates (one was $65,000), Klein found Lyle Delfosse, a local furniture maker who had built libraries in the Watergate Hotel in Washington D.C., and constructed a chair for a U.S. Supreme Court justice over his long career. Now 76 and retired, Delfosse told Klein, "I can build anything out of wood." Klein said Delfosse was true to his word, and they didn't go over the initial estimate of $19,000, although he said Delfosse told him "if he had it to do all over again, he'd have charged double." Klein calls the bar "magnificent," and said that when people come over to see it, they feel underdressed. Convinced he'd saved money by doing a lot of the work himself, Klein splurged on a new sprinkler system. The bet he'd made earlier in the year was on his mind, and he wanted to ensure that the grass in his front yard would be nice and green once the weigh-in arrived. At the height of summer, Klein's man cave was finished, and he decided it was time to step on the scales

Man builds man cave, loses 65 pounds in the process . Of all the man cave tales submitted to iReport.com, this is first to include a dress . Bar of man's dreams is "magnificent" Dress committee sews two dresses together to fit the loser of the bet .

(CNN) -- Like thousands of other Iranian women, Parisa took to Tehran's streets this week, her heart brimming with hope. "Change," said the placards around her. Iranian women demonstrate Thursday in the streets of Tehran, the capital city. The young Iranian woman eyed the crowd and pondered the possibility that the rest of her life might be different from her mother's. She could see glimmers of a future free from discrimination -- and all the symbols of it, including the head-covering the government requires her to wear every day. Women, regarded as second-class citizens under Iranian law, have been noticeably front and center of the massive demonstrations that have unfolded since the presidential election a week ago. Iranians are protesting what they consider a fraudulent vote count favoring hardline incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but for many women like Parisa, the demonstrations are just as much about taking Iran one step closer to democracy. "Women have become primary agents of change in Iran," said Nayereh Tohidi, chairwoman of the Gender and Women's Studies Department at California State University, Northridge. The remarkable images show women with uncovered heads who are unafraid to speak their minds and crowds that are not segregated -- both the opposite of the norm in Iran, Tohidi said. She said a long-brewing women's movement may finally be manifesting itself on the streets and empowering women like Parisa. "This regime is against all humanity, more specifically against all women," said Parisa, whom CNN is not fully identifying for security reasons. "I see lots of girls and women in these demonstrations," she said. "They are all angry, ready to explode, scream out and let the world hear their voice. I want the world to know that as a woman in this country, I have no freedom." Though 63 percent of all Iranian college students are women, the law of the land does not see men and women as equal. In cases of divorce, child custody, inheritance and crime, women do not have the same legal rights as men. In the past four years, Ahmadinejad has made it easier for men to practice polygamy and harder for women to access public sector jobs, according to CNN's Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour. Amanpour, who has reported extensively from Iran, describes Iranian women as "very strong." In 1997, it was women who came out along with young people to put reformist candidate Mohammed Khatami into the presidency, Amanpour said. Increasingly, women's voices are gaining power as their numbers rise and their demands grow louder. Even the granddaughter of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the architect of the Islamic republic, voiced frustration at the way women are treated. "Women are just living things," Zahra Eshraghi told Amanpour. "A woman is there to fill her husband's stomach and raise children." For the first time, women were allowed to register for the presidential race, though none, including Eshraghi, were deemed fit to run by the religious body that vets candidates. But women's issues surfaced in the campaign. That was partly the result of a women's movement comprised of educated, urban, middle-class women that has grown in recent years with the addition of more conservative and poorer women, said Tohidi, a longtime observer of women's rights in Iran. Ironically, traditional women first gained voice under the clerics. "Khomeini needed their votes, so he encouraged them to be publicly active," Tohidi said. The middle-class women who enjoyed certain freedoms in prerevolutionary days refused to turn back, while a new generation of conservatives were awakened to feminism. In 2003, lawyer and women's rights activist Shirin Ebadi won the Nobel Peace Prize, providing a "big boost" for Iranian women, Tohidi said. At the same time, private organizations and charities that deal with women's issues blossomed under the presidency of reformist Mohammed Khatami, growing by as much as 700 percent, Tohidi said. Marriage age increased as more women opted to marry for love, instead

Women have been strikingly noticeable in street demonstrations . Many hope the protests will lead to changes in gender discriminatory laws . Iranian women have been slowly building a movement for greater rights .

(CNN) -- Lionel Messi has replaced David Beckham as the best-paid player in world football, according to France Football magazine's annual "rich list". Beckham has topped the list for the last two years, but World Player of the Year Messi is now the highest earner. The Barcelona star has estimated annual earnings of €33 million ($44.1m) with Beckham left trailing on €30.4 million ($40.64m). Beckham suffered World Cup heartbreak when rupturing his Achilles tendon while on loan at AC Milan from Los Angeles Galaxy, dashing his hopes of appearing in the finals for the fourth time with England. Blog: Is Messi better than Maradona ? He has suffered a slight drop in income compared to 2009, partly due to the falling value of the dollar, but Beckham has been in the top two of the list for the past nine years to show his enduring appeal. Messi, in outstanding form for reigning Spanish and European champions with successive La Liga hat-tricks, boosted his earnings through bonuses as Barcelona did the treble last year under Pep Guardiola. According to France Football, Messi's annual wage is made up of a €10 million ($13.36m) basic salary, €4 million ($5.36m) in bonuses and €19 million ($25.4m) from endorsements and sponsorships, which include Adidas, Pepsi Cola and Gillette. Messi's predecessor as World Player of the Year, Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo is a close third in the list on €30 million ($40.08m) but there is a big gap to the fourth-placed player, Ronaldo's teammate Kaka on €18.8 million ($25.11m). Thierry Henry, Ronaldinho, Carlos Tevez, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Frank Lampard and Samuel Eto'o make up the rest of the top 10. Inter Milan's Jose Mourinho tops the manager's rich list with €13 million ($17.36 m) ahead of Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini on €12 million ($16.02m).

Lionel Messi tops annual list of world's best-piad footballers . Messi relegates David Beckham to second place with $44.1 million earnings . Inter Milan chief Jose Mourinho is richest manager in annual survey by France Football .

(CNN) -- Lionel Messi netted a double as Barcelona moved ever closer to retaining the Spanish league title with a 4-1 win over Tenerife at the Nou Camp on Tuesday night. The strikes were the 30th and 31st for the La Liga top scorer and the victory puts the pressure on arch-rivals Real Madrid for their tricky trip to Real Mallorca on Wednesday. It left Barcelona four points clear of Real, who must win their game in hand to keep their own title hopes alive. Argentina ace Messi put Barcelona ahead after 17 minutes and added a second in the final minute to seal victory against relegation-threatened Tenerife, who stunned the champions by equalizing just before half-time through Roman Martinez. It followed a mistake by home captain Carles Puyol, but Barca upped the pace after the break with goals from Bojan Krkic just after the hour mark and substitute Pedro Rodriguez giving them a comfortable cushion. Messi's late goal gave the scoreline a flattering look in a match played in driving rain, as Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes conceded. "It was a difficult night due to the weather and the fixture list is already taking its toll but we gave our all," Valdes told AFP. "It is a very competitive league and we have won our game and now we just have to wait." Barcelona will be hoping Mallorca can come up trumps with their strong home record because they face a tough trip to Champions League hopefuls Sevilla on Saturday. Meanwhile in other action on Tuesday, Valencia clinched their place in the Champions League qualifying round, by clinching third spot, with a 3-1 home win over bottom club Xerez. Spanish international Juan Mata equalized a first half goal for Xerez with a superb free kick then added a second after the break. Mata then set up David Silva for Valencia's third.

Lionel Messi scores 30th and 31st league goals of the season for Barcelona . 4-1 win over Tenerife boosts Barca's chances of retaining La Liga title . Real Madrid must win at Real Mallorca on Wednesday night to keep their hopes alive .

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

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

(CNN) -- Loretta Chaisson Lewis, 28, was the first to die. She was reported missing on May 17, 2005. Three days later, fishermen found her body floating in a canal off Highway 26 in Jennings, Louisiana. Victims, clockwise: Laconia Brown, 23, Whitnei Dubois, 26, Brittney Gary, 17 and Necole Guillory, 26. Her father, Thomas Lewis, recently posted a plea on a Web site established in September by the Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff's Office to draw attention to the killing of his daughter and the deaths of seven other women in the area. Police say the slayings may be linked. "We love and miss her," the father's message said. "She was a loving mother, wife and daughter. If you have any information about her death, please let someone know." There have been eight killings in four years in a small town that averages one homicide a year. The victims' bodies were dumped on the outskirts of Jennings -- population 10,546 -- west of Lafayette, Louisiana. Townspeople are perplexed. They're asking themselves, "Is there a serial killer among us?" That seems likely, authorities say. "Based on an analysis of the investigation thus far, we believe the homicides may be linked to a common offender," Sheriff Ricky Edwards said in a recent news release. The victims ranged in age from 17 to 30 and had similar lifestyles. They were drug abusers who in some cases resorted to prostitution, "trading sex for drugs," Edwards said. The throats of two of the victims were slit and the others died "from some sort of asphyxiation, according to the coroner's office," he said. The bodies of all but two of the victims were either nude or partially nude, the sheriff said, but the coroner's office has not determined whether any were sexually assaulted. One month after Lewis' death, the body of Ernestine Patterson, 30, was found in a drainage canal. Two young women were killed in 2007, Kristen Lopez, 21, and Whitnei Dubois, 26. Mike Dubois, Whitnei's brother, criticized the slow pace of the investigation. "How can there not be anything?" he asked. "I want justice, not just for my family, but for the families of all the girls. We live in fear that someone else is going to get killed." But Edwards said his department and investigators from the neighboring parishes of Acadia and Calcasieu, the state attorney general's office, the Louisiana State Police and the FBI are doing everything they can. "This investigation is intense," he said. "We are following up on all leads. I assure you that we are working tirelessly to solve these murders." In 2008, the bodies of three women were found: Laconia "Muggy" Brown, 23; Brittney Gary, the youngest victim at age 17; and Crystal Shay Zeno, 24. Zeno's mother, Sarah Benoit, posted this message on the Sheriff Department's Web site: "How beautiful you are. Your smile is forever a reminder of how special you are. It has almost been a year, but it seems like yesterday that you were taken from us. If anyone has any information on my daughter's death, please come forward. Without closure, not knowing who could have done this is very frightening. I pray every day that God will give the task force what they need to solve these cases." In the most recent case, the body of Necole Guillory, 26, was found in Acadia Parish, off Interstate 10, in August. Edwards believes this represented a change in the killer's modus operandi. The bodies of all the previous victims were left on the side of smaller, rural roads. "It's likely whoever's responsible changed behavior because of increased attention in the public and the media," he said. Investigators think the offender has significant ties to Jefferson Davis Parish and is known to its residents, because he

Eight women have been slain in Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana, since 2005 . Police believe a serial killer may be at work . Sheriff Ricky Edwards launched a Web site on the case last month .

(CNN) -- Los Alamos National Laboratory announced Wednesday it is notifying nearly 2,000 current and former employees and visitors that they may have been exposed to beryllium in the lab and may be at risk of disease. Officials are trying to determine the source of beryllium found at Los Alamos National Laboratory. "Letters went out to all of them today," said Kevin Roark, a spokesman for the New Mexico laboratory. Concern over possible exposure to the hard, gray metal, which is purified for use in nuclear weapons and reactors and also used in bicycle frames and golf clubs, was first raised last November, when a box containing beryllium was received at the laboratory's short-term storage facility, he said. "The package appeared to have damage or degradation of the packing materials, which prompted us to test the area for additional contamination," he said. Surface contamination was found, but it turned out that the box was not the source, Roark said, adding that the source has not been determined. Since the contaminated area had not been tested for the presence of beryllium since 2001, everyone who has entered the restricted-access area since then is being alerted, he said. "It's just one building at one technical area," Roark said, noting that the laboratory covers 36 square miles and has nearly 10,000 employees. Beryllium is hazardous only when its fine, particulate form is inhaled, he said. It was found on surfaces, not in the air, he said. Find out more about beryllium » Roark said the alert was sent because "we think it's the responsible, prudent thing to do to let people know we discovered this contamination and to answer their questions if they have any concern about potential for exposure." There are no reports of sickness and "we don't expect anyone to be ill," he said. The laboratory said about 240 employees and 1,650 visitors were potentially at risk because they visited the contaminated areas. About 2 percent of the exposed employees could become sensitized, a smaller percentage of whom could develop chronic beryllium disease, Roark said. Inhalation of powdered beryllium can result in chronic beryllium disease, which can impair lung function in people who are susceptible. The risk to the visitors would be "extremely low" because of the activities they performed and their short exposure time, Roark said. An operator will be available at the laboratory at 505-665-7233 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mountain Time, Monday through Friday.

Los Alamos lab visitors, employees may have been exposure to beryllium . Spokesman: Risk to visitors "extremely low" due to short exposure time . Beryllium is purified for use in nuclear weapons; also used in bike frames, golf clubs . Inhalation of powdered beryllium can impair lung function .

(CNN) -- Manchester United are given more injury-time at the end of matches to equalize or score winning goals than their English Premier League rivals, a study has revealed. Owen's 96th minute winner at Old Trafford left Manchester City livid. As the row over the near seven minutes of added time accorded to United to win the Manchester derby with a last-gasp Michael Owen goal continues, the Guardian newspaper probed the official injury-time statistics. They looked at league matches at United's Old Trafford ground since the start of the 2006-07 season and revealed that, on average, there has been over a minute of extra time added by referees when the English champions do not have the lead. This is compared to when they are in front, but United have a reputation for scoring late goals on their ways to claiming three straight Premier League crowns. In 48 games when Alex Ferguson's men were in front, the average amount of stoppage time was 191.35 seconds. In 12 matches when United were drawing or losing there was an average of 257.17 seconds. In mitigation, the study revealed that the average stoppage time added at Old Trafford is below that at the home grounds of top four rivals Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea. United's is 205 seconds, compared to Liverpool's 210 seconds, 224 seconds for Arsenal and Chelsea's 229 seconds. But it is the disparity between the time added on when United are winning or losing which appears to assert the popular assertion that referees allow the match to continue until the Red Devils either equalizer or score the winner. Manchester City manager Mark Hughes raged over the extra time in the 4-3 thriller on Sunday, speaking of feeling "robbed" as Owen slotted home his winner. The 2007-08 season shows the greatest difference, with an average of 178.29 second added when United were winning, with official stats from Opta showing 254.5 seconds added when they were not. The trend has continued in the first three United home games of the season. In the two matches United have led they have played an average 304 seconds of injury time. On Sunday, referee Martin Atkinson allowed the game to go on for another 415 seconds, despite his fourth official initially indicating 240 seconds should be added.

Official statistics show referee add more time when Man Utd trailing at home . Study conducted over the last three seasons shows disparity of over a minute . Man City manager Mark Hughes furious over amount of added time in 4-3 loss .

(CNN) -- Manchester United came a goal behind and shrugged off the early loss of Michael Owen to injury to beat German champions Wolfsburg 2-1 for their second victory in Champions League Group B. Giggis is congratulated by teammates after scoring his 150th goal for United. Owen, looking to impress watching England manager Fabio Capello, survived for just 20 minutes at Old Trafford before going off with a groin strain. His replacement Dimitar Berbatov proved highly effective but the enterprising visitors went ahead through a Edin Dzeko header in the 56th minute. Ryan Giggs equalized just three minutes later with his 150th goal for the Red Devils, his deflected shot finding its way home. The evergreen Giggs then set up Michael Carrick for the 76th minute winner as he curled home his shot from the edge of the penalty area. United manager Alex Ferguson paid his own compliment to the Welsh wizard as he reflected on a hard-fought home victory. "He's unbelievable, all the infinitives, all the praise over the years, I don't know if you can add to it. He's a marvellous player." Ferguson also revealed that Owen would be out for between two to three weeks with his latest injury. The three points leave United top of the group with two wins from two games after their eighth victory in a row in all competitions. In the other Group B action on Wednesday, CSKA Moscow bounced back from their 2-1 defeat to Wolfsburg in the first round of matches to see off Turkish champions Besiktas 2-1. Midfielders Alan Dzagoev and Milos Krasic scored for the hosts either side of half time, with Besiktas, beaten in their first two games, pulling a goal back thorugh Ismail Koybasi. In Group A, the heavyweight clash between Bayern Munich and Juventus ended in a goalless draw. Munich had several chances in their home Allianz Arena, but failed to convert them although they do top the group with four points. French champions Bordeaux are in second place on three points after a 1-0 home win over Israeli counterparts Maccabi Haifa. Having drawn with Juventus in their group opener, Laurent Blanc's men had wait until the 83rd minute for a vital breakthrough as Michael Ciani headed home from Gregory Sertic's corner. Juventus are third in the group after two draws, with Maccabi bottom after drawing blank.

Manchester United beat VfL Wolfsburg 2-1 in Champions League Group B . Michael Carrick scores winner after Ryan Giggs equalizes for Red Devils . Bayern and Juventus draw 0-0 in Group A clash in Munich .

(CNN) -- Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson hailed his side's rollercoaster 4-3 victory over neighbors Manchester City at Old Trafford as the "best derby of all time." Ferguson and substitute Gary Neville celebrate Owen's late winner. Ferguson made the claim while ruing his side's sloppy defensive play which allowed City to claim three equalizing goals before Michael Owen's clinical winner deep into injury time on Sunday. "It could have been an embarrassment, 6-0 or 7-0, if we defended our proper way," claimed the legendary Scot. "We could have won by a big score but by making mistakes, which was the essence of the game, we probably were in the best derby game of all time. "What do you choose? Win the best derby game of all time or win 6-0? I'd probably pick 6-0." Was this the greatest derby ever? The build-up to the match had been marked by a war of words between Ferguson and City manager Mark Hughes, who has been handed a massive transfer budget by his side's Abu Dhabi owners. Ferguson had branded them "cocky" and did little to dampen down the rivalry with his post match comments. Blog:Should referees also keep time? "Sometimes you have a noisy neighbor. You cannot do anything about that. They will always be noisy," he said. "You just have to get on with your life, put your television on and turn it up a bit louder. "Today the players showed their form. That is the best answer of all." By contrast, City manager Mark Hughes was furious with referee Martin Atkinson for the amount of added time played, with Owen scoring in the 96th minute. "We need an explanation because I don't know why the referee has added that amount of time on," said Hughes. "We just feel a little bit aggrieved that they were given that time." It was a heartbreaking finale for his team with Bellamy's magnificent second goal after a mistake by Rio Ferdinand appearing to give his up and coming side a share of the spoils. "We're disappointed, we put in a hell of a shift today," said Hughes. "Craig Bellamy scored two magnificent goals. He didn't deserve to be on the losing side," added Hughes. Ferguson, who has used free transfer signing Owen sparingly this season, said the England striker showed his true quality. "His positional play, first touch and finish were absolutely superb. World class." The victory took United to second place in the English Premier League behind pacesetting Chelsea with City suffering their first defeat of the season.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson hails 'best derby of all time' United beat rivals Manchester City 4-2 with Michael Owen injury time winner . City manager Mark Hughes furious about amount of extra time added .

(CNN) -- Manchester United went five points clear at the top of the Premier League as goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar set a new English record for minutes in not conceding a goal in the 1-0 victory over Everton. Van der Sar was left to celebrate a United win and a new goalkeeping record. Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed the winning goal with a 44th minute penalty but once again it was United's rock-solid defense and keeper that made sure of the vital three points. Everton's failure to score by the 73rd minute at Old Trafford left van der Sar unbeaten for 1,104 minutes. The Dutch international was breaking the previous record set by Reading's Steve Death 30 years ago. He had taken Petr Cech's Premier League record in the 5-0 win at West Bromwich Albion last week and has now had 12 straight clean sheets. With title rivals Chelsea and Liverpool playing each other on Sunday and Aston Villa being held 0-0 at home by Wigan, the record was the icing on the cake for Alex Ferguson's defending champions. World footballer of the year Ronaldo had hit the post in the first half before converting from the spot after Michael Carrick was tripped by Mikel Arteta. In truth, Everton, missing three strikers through injury, rarely troubled van der Sar with most of the action at the other end. Carrick had appeals for a second penalty turned down after appearing to be brought down by Joleon Lescott, but referee Mark Halsey ignored his pleas. Carlos Tevez shot wide from Park ji-Sung's right wing cross and Tim Howard later had to save smartly from a deflected free kick from the Argentine star. United manager Alex Ferguson was delighted with yet another clean sheet and the three points. "It's a fantastic performance from the boys. I couldn't believe it when I read that the last goal we conceded was against Arsenal in October," he told Setanta Sports. "Van der Sar brings calmness and assurance. Over the last 12 games we have changed the back four I don't know how many times so you have to give great credit to them."

Record breaker Edwin van der Sar has now kept 12 clean sheets for United . 1-0 win over sixth-placed Everton sees United go five points clear in Premier League . Closest rivals Chelsea and Liverpool play each other in title showdown on Sunday .

(CNN) -- Manny Pacquiao returned home to a hero's welcome in his native Philippines on Friday after wresting the WBO welterweight title from Miguel Cotto on a 12th round technical knockout in Las Vegas. 'Pacman' has a fanatical following in the Philippines which has been further enhanced by his record breaking victory as he claimed his sixth world title at a different weight by beating Cotto on Saturday night. "Welcome home, the world's bext boxer of all time," read a banner as thousands of fans greeted the 30-year-old. Following his hard-fought victory over Puerto Rican Cotto, all the talk is of a cash-rich superfight with American Floyd Mayweather Jr. next year. Leading promoter Bob Arum said he is ready to put the pay-per-view extravaganza at the 147-pound welterweight class, with Las Vegas the preferred venue. Pacquiao played down the possibility as he talked to reporters on his return. "We are not forcing a fight with him. It is right that he is the one challenging me, because my fights score more on pay-per-view," he said. Pacquiao has greatly enhanced his reputation with successive wins over Oscar de la Hoya, Britain's Ricky Hatton and Cotto. Mayweather returned to the ring with a comfortable win over Juan Manuel Marquez and has the reputation for grossing massive receipts from his pay-per-view appearances. For the moment, Pacquiao will spend time at home with his wife, Jinkee, and three children and is also set to pursue his ambition to enter Filippino politics, standing for a congressional seat in his home island of Mindanao.

Manny Pacquiao returns home to Philippines after Las Vegas triumph . Pacman won world title at sixth different weight after beating Miguel Cotto . Cash-rich fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the offing in the United States .

(CNN) -- Manny Pacquiao's two-round demolition of Ricky Hatton has set up the prospect of the biggest money-spinning fight in the history of boxing. Pacquiao lands a solid right to Hatton on his way to a comprehensive victory. The Filipino knocked out the plucky but outclassed Briton in Las Vegas on Saturday night -- earning him by a conservative estimate at least $2 million dollars per minute. Hatton, who could well now hang up his gloves, will pocket more than $8 million as a consolation. Pacquiao's all-action style is popular with boxing followers and in his native Philippines the theaters which screened his fight live with Hatton were sold out well in advance with a ferocious demand for tickets. But the really big money lies in the Pay Per View (PPV) revenues generated by the U.S. Home Box Office (HBO) network. USA Today reported Monday that early indications from cable companies were that the scheduled 12-round light-welterweight bout could get as many as two million buys. Co-promoter Bob Arum was delighted with the figures especially as initial estimates were suggesting about one million boxing fans would shell out their cash. "We know based on those early numbers and based on experience the event will perform extremely well. If I had to guess, anywhere between 1.6 million and two million homes, which is a home run," he said. The record for a PPV event is the 2.4 million buys for 'Golden Boy' Oscar De La Hoya's May 2007 fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr., which generated a staggering $134 million in revenue. Mayweather, who also beat Hatton in another 'superfight' at the back end of 2007, astutely chose Saturday night in Vegas to announce he was coming out of retirement. Mayweather, nicknamed 'money' because of the enormous revenues he generates, will face Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18 in his return to the ring. But the talk of the boxing world is an eventual match up against Pacquiao with the notional pound for pound title at stake as well as a massive pay day. "If Mayweather wants a piece of the 'little Filipino', just be my guest," Arum said before the dust had barely settled on the Hatton fight. With the flamboyant De La Hoya retired after being handed a painful beating by Pacquiao at the back end of 2008, the mantle of PPV king is set to fall to one of the two men who ended his ring career. Despite the global recession, the appetite for top prize fighting remains strong, but it is the more flamboyant characters who draw the biggest audiences. Last November's HBO clash between former pound for pound champion Roy Jones Jr. and the brilliant undefeated Welsh world champion Joe Calzaghe drew less than 250,000 buys. The only potential obstacle to a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout, the dangerous Marquez aside, is the relative sizes of the two men. Mayweather is a natural welterweight and would want a fight at 147 pounds, with Pacquiao, who started his remarkable career at light-flyweight, wanting the match at a lower weight. But big business and money is set to talk and many predict the showdown will come late this year, almost certainly in Las Vegas.

Manny Pacquiao set to make a fortune after beating Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas . Filipino boxer proves a massive draw among Pay Per View fans in U.S. Showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr. looms as American comes out of retirement .

(CNN) -- Mano Menezes has been entrusted to lead Brazil into the next World Cup on home soil in 2014 after being named as the replacement for sacked coach Dunga. The 48-year-old has no experience outside of his native Brazil where he has enjoyed success with Gremo and his current club Corinthians. "I have the honor to inform you that I was approached by the Brazilian Football Confederation to take over the post of national team coach," AFP reported Menezes at a media conference in Sao Paulo. "I have come here to officially confirm that I have accepted the offer." The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said Menezes had been on a three-man shortlist to succeed Dunga and his chances greatly improved after Fluminense refused to release Muricy Ramalho from his contract. The new man in charge was then contacted by Ricardo Teixeira, the head of the CBF. "Menezes was already on a three-man shortlist, drawn up during the World Cup in South Africa," said a statement on the official CBF website. "And his name was confirmed following talks with Texeira during which he approved the renewal project decided by the CBF pertaining to the 2014 World Cup that Brazil will host," it added. Reports in Brazil said the third name on the CBF shortlist was former coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who led Brazil to their 2002 World Cup triumph. Former Portugal and Chelsea coach Scolari will remain at Brazilian club side Palmeiras. Menezes will be officially unveiled on Monday before naming his squad for a friendly against the United States on August 10. Dunga was sacked after Brazil were sent crashing out of the quarterfinals of the World Cup by the Netherlands. They had gone into the finals as South American champions and the world's top-ranked team, but after taking the lead against the Dutch slipped to a disappointing 2-1 defeat.

Mano Menezes is the new coach of Brazil in succession to sacked Dunga . Menezes emerged from a three-strong shortlist revealed Brazilian Football Confederation . Dunga was sacked after World Cup quarterfinal exit to the Dutch .

(CNN) -- Maoist insurgents killed a dozen soldiers and two civilians during an ambush in southeastern Peru, the military said Friday. The military blamed "narco-terrorists" of the Shining Path for the attack Thursday night in Tayacaja province as the soldiers were returning by truck to their counterterrorism base in Cochabamba Grande. The region is where most of the country's coca leaf and cocaine are produced. "At the height of the place named Sajona Curve, terrorists detonated an explosive charge under a civilian truck carrying villagers, and immediately fired with long-range weapons on all vehicles," the military said in a statement. "The military reacted immediately, engaging in a clash that lasted several hours," the statement said. "This unfortunate act shows that the narco-terrorist organization Sendero Luminoso [Shining Path] is continuing in its bloodthirsty actions ... without discriminating among women and children." The Shining Path and the smaller Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement are blamed for the deaths of thousands of Peruvians. The rebels have been targets of a fierce government crackdown in the mountainous region of Peru.

Ambush kills 12 soldiers and two civilians in southeastern Peru . Peru's military blames "narco-terrorists" of the Shining Path for attack . Rebels have been targets of a fierce government crackdown .

(CNN) -- Maria Sharapova stepped up her comeback after injury to claim the scalp of 11th seed Nadia Pedrova to reach the third round of the French Open in Paris on Wednesday. Sealed with a kiss. Sharapova celebrates her victory over Petrova. The former world number one had come into the second grand slam of the season with only two matches in a minor tournament in Poland under her belt, but surprised her fellow Russian with a 6-2 1-6 8-6 victory. Still playing with tape on her troublesome right shoulder, Sharapova showed no ill effects as she won five straight games to take the first set. Petrova hit back in style to force a decider and took the lead with an early break. But Sharapova hit back in the eighth game to level and held her own service under pressure in the next two games. Petrova finally wilted as she served at 6-7, giving Sharapova match point with a double fault and then hitting wide on a forehand after two hours 12 minutes. Sharapova will now face qualifier Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan for a place in the last 16. She had shoulder surgery in August last year and missed both the U.S. Open and Australian Open as fears for her future in the game grew. She made a brief comeback by playing doubles in Miami in March before a return to singles action at the Warsaw Open where she reached the quarterfinals before losing to Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine. Meanwhile, defending champion Ana Ivanovic showed a welcome return to form by sweeping into the last 32 with a 6-1 6-2 victory over Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn. The 21-year-old Serbian has slipped down the world rankings since lifting the title at the Stade Roland Garros, but is making a strong defense on her favored clay. World number one Dinara Safina also impressed with a 6-1 6-1 win over fellow Russian Vitalia Diatchenko. She has dropped just two games in reaching the third round as she bids to back up her ranking with a first grand slam title.

Maria Sharapova beats 11th seed Nadia Petrova at French Open in Paris . Former world number one Sharapova is returning after a shoulder injury . Ana Ivanovic and Dinara Safina also go through in straight sets .

(CNN) -- Mary Travers of 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, has died, according to her publicist. She was 72. Mary Travers performs at the 2004 Democratic Convention in Boston, Massachusetts. Travers died from side effects of treatment from a bone-marrow transplant after battling leukemia, publicist Heather Lylis said. The singer was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in November 1936 and grew up in New York's Greenwich Village. As a teenager, she performed in a Broadway review, but stepped on to the folk music scene in the 1950s. She emerged as an iconic folk singer while performing with Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey. Peter, Paul and Mary came together while singing "Mary Had a Little Lamb" in Stookey's New York City apartment. They went on to play gigs at coffee houses and later on the radio. "As a performer, her charisma was a barely contained nervous energy -- occasionally (and then only privately) revealed as stage fright," Stookey said. Their music reflected the 1960s and the 1970s, a time of turmoil as the civil rights and anti-war movements moved into full swing. Travers applied her recognition to rally behind those progressive movements. In 1963, the trio performed its hit song "If I Had a Hammer" at the Washington march where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famed "I Have a Dream Speech," her publicist said. "We've learned that it will take more than one generation to bring about change," Travers once said. "The fight for civil rights has developed into a broader concern for human rights, and that encompasses a great many people and countries. Those of us who live in a democracy have a responsibility to be the voice for those whose voices are stilled." Travers advocated against U.S. government moves in Central America in the 1980s. She went on a mission to El Salvador and later spoke out against the country's regime. She also opposed American funding of a militant group in Nicaragua set on overthrowing an elected government there, according to her publicist. Peter, Paul and Mary recorded hits still recognized now, including "Leaving on a Jet Plane," "Puff the Magic Dragon" and "Where Have All the Flowers Gone." They performed together for nearly 50 years, winning five Grammys and releasing 13 Top 40 hits, six of them in the Top 10 charts. Their debut album, "Peter, Paul and Mary" was on the Top 10 chart for 10 months. Travers also recorded four solo albums in the 1970s. "Her talent was huge ... Mary was the difference maker," said Joe Smith, former head of Warner Brothers Records. "Super bright, super talented, and a pleasure to know and work with." Their last performance was in New Brunswick, New Jersey, on May 20. Those closest to Travers say she valued her friendships. "Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of my relationship with Mary Travers over the last almost 50 years is how open and honest we were with each other, and I include Noel Paul Stookey in this equation," Yarrow said in a statement. "Such honesty comes with a price, but when you get past the hurt and shock of realizing that you're faulted and frequently wrong, you also realize that you are really loved and respected for who you are, and you become a better person." She is survived by her husband, Ethan Robbins; her daughters Alicia and Erika; her sister, Ann Gordon; and her granddaughters Wylie and Virginia.

Mary Travers was a member of the 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary . The trio sang "If I Had a Hammer" and "Puff the Magic Dragon" She died from side effects of treatment from a bone-marrow transplant .

(CNN) -- Mauricio Funes was inaugurated Monday as El Salvador's president, promising to work for the nation's poor and disadvantaged. El Salvador's new president, Mauricio Funes, takes power Monday after his inauguration in San Salvador. Funes, elected March 15, is a member of a political party that waged guerrilla war against the government 17 years ago. He is El Salvador's first leftist president. "The Salvadoran public asked for a change, and that change begins now," Funes said in an inauguration speech before an audience that included Latin American leaders and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Funes, a member of the FMLN party, won a narrow victory over the ARENA party's Rodrigo Avila. Funes' victory ended a 20-year hold on the presidency by the right-leaning ARENA. With Funes' win, El Salvador joined other Latin American countries that have elected leftist leaders in recent years -- Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Argentina, Honduras, Guatemala, Ecuador and Brazil. The FMLN, which is the Spanish acronym for the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front, was formed in 1980 as an umbrella group for five leftist guerilla organizations fighting a U.S.-backed military dictatorship. The guerrillas and the government signed a peace pact in 1992, and the FMLN became a legitimate political party. By some estimates, 75,000 Salvadorans died during the war. The new president will find "a country that still retains a lot of bitterness, a lot of division," Peter Hakim, president of the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue policy institute, said before the election. "This country is completely divided," ARENA party official Adolfo Torres said on CNN affiliate TCS TV on election night. Funes acknowledged that division Monday, promising to "create a country without hate and without resentment." He also seemed to acknowledge the difficulties ahead, saying, "We don't have the right to make mistakes." Despite a dire economy, Funes promised an ambitious social program that would include construction of 11,000 homes, scholarships for children ages 6 to 18 and improvement in delivery of water, electricity and sanitary services to 32 poor municipalities. He may be hard-pressed to follow through, some analysts said. "Once Funes assumes office on 1 June, his government will face major challenges to boost the economy, cut government expenditures to trim the fiscal deficit and maintain support to the poor, who are being hit hardest by the economic downturn," analyst Heather Berkman wrote in a report last week for the Eurasia Group consulting firm. "Cutting expenditures and reducing the deficit will be the most important challenges," Berkman wrote, adding that to "do this, the Funes administration plans to cut government spending and eliminate redundant presidential commissions; retarget propane subsidies (and perhaps eventually eliminate them); and propose a number of new taxes on alcoholic beverages, tobacco and new vehicles." Funes campaigned on a platform of fiscal reform that aims to increase the government's tax take incrementally, Berkman said. Funes did not offer any details Monday, speaking instead in general terms of the El Salvador he would like to see under his five-year administration. He will not, Funes said, "govern for a few or be complacent to corruption." Funes, a former freelance journalist for CNN en Español, noted in particular that his administration will fight organized crime and narcotraffickers. "In this government," he said, "those who have merit will be compensated and those who are guilty will be punished."

Mauricio Funes is inaugurated as El Salvador's president . Funes of the FMLN party is El Salvador's first leftist president . Funes' political party waged guerrilla war against government till early '90s . Secretary of State Hillary Clinton among dignitaries at inauguration .

(CNN) -- Members of the international community have reacted to the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president of Iran and the oppostion protests which have accompanied the result. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad pictured at a rally held in Tehran Sunday to celebrate his re-election as Iranian president. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement Saturday: "We are monitoring the situation as it unfolds in Iran but we, like the rest of the world, are waiting and watching to see what the Iranian people decide. "The United States has refrained from commenting on the election in Iran. We obviously hope that the outcome reflects the genuine will and desire of the Iranian people." White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Saturday the administration was "impressed by the vigorous debate and enthusiasm that this election generated, particularly among young Iranians." U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, commenting on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday, said: "I have doubts, but withhold comment." He added that the Iranian government had suppressed crowds and limited free speech, which raised questions. He also said that the strong showing by Ahmadinejad was "unlikely," based on pre-election analysis. Gallery: Emotions run high after election » Israel's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Liberman said in a statement that "the problem which Iran poses for the international community is not personal in nature, but derives from its policy. "In any case, in light of Tehran's ongoing policy, and even more so after Ahmadinejad's re-election, the international community must continue to act uncompromisingly to prevent the nuclearization of Iran, and to halt its activity in support of terror organizations and undermining stability in the Middle East. In a statement Saturday the EU Presidency said it was "concerned about alleged irregularities during the election process and post-electional violence that broke out immediately after the release of the official election results on 13 June 2009. "The Presidency hopes that outcome of the Presidential elections will bring the opportunity to resume the dialogue on nuclear issue and clear up Iranian position in this regard. The Presidency expects the new Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran will take its responsibility towards international community and respect its international obligations." UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Saturday that the UK government had "followed carefully, and admired, the passion and debate during the Iranian election campaign. "We have also heard the concerns about the counting of ballots expressed by two of the candidates. This is a matter for the Iranian authorities to address. We will continue to follow developments. Our priority is that Iran engages with the concerns of the world community, above all on the issue of nuclear proliferation." Fawzi Barhoum, spokesman for Hamas, the militant Palestinian movement backed by Iran, welcomed the results. He urged the world to respect Iranian democracy and accept the results of the elections. The office of Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in a statement Sunday that he had congratulated Ahmadinejad on his victory. It added that Karzai believed "relations between the two Muslim nations of Afghanistan and Iran expanded during Mr. Ahmadinejad's first term and hoped that these relations get stronger during his second term." German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told ARD Sunday that the Iranian ambassador in Berlin would be summoned to explain the treatment of protesters against the result. "I have already prompted Iran, together with European colleagues today, to quickly shed light on what has happened there -- if one can take the announced election results there seriously or not," he added. Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan have offered their congratulations to Ahmadinejad, the official Anatolian Agency reported Monday. It said that they "called Ahmadinejad on the phone and congratulated him for his success in the election." Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon told reporters in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, Saturday, that Canada was "deeply concerned" about allegations of voting irregularities. "We're troubled by reports of intimidation of opposition candidates' offices by security forces. We

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden: Questions need to be asked about vote . UK: We admire passion of the election, Iran needs to address fears about fairness . EU Presidency: Hopes outcome sees opportunity for dialogue on nuclear issue . Turkish media: President, prime minister have offered congratulations .

(CNN) -- Michael Jackson's personal chef Kai Chase says June 25 was shaping up as another typical day in the superstar's usually peaceful and orderly home until an urgent plea from Jackson's personal doctor sent panic sweeping through the household. Michael Jackson's personal chef Kai Chase appeared on CNN's "Larry King Live" Thursday night. In an interview with CNN's Larry King that aired Thursday night, Chase described the chaotic events that fateful day and what life was like inside the Jackson family before the singer's shocking death. Chase said she was downstairs preparing lunch for Jackson -- being sure to wrap it in Saran wrap because the singer liked his meals served room-service style -- when Dr. Conrad Murray called out for her. Murray is the central focus of a federal investigation into the singer's death, a law enforcement official told CNN on Wednesday. Around noon or a little after, Chase said, "Dr. Murray comes down the stairs. There was a stairwell that leads into the kitchen. And he's screaming: Hurry! Go get Prince. Call security. Get Prince." Chase said she quickly got Jackson's oldest son. "Within minutes, the paramedics are there. And the security is running upstairs, skipping stairs and all of a sudden we're all, you know, panicked," Chase told King. "So the energy in the house had just kind of changed from that happy kind of day that we were having and preparing lunch and having a good time to just kind of eerie." Watch Chase's interview with Larry King » Chase said Jackson's daughter, Paris, started crying and calling out for her father as people in the home came to realize how serious the medical situation was. "We started crying and we all come together in unity in a circle and we started holding hands. And we started praying," Chase said. The chef said she was not allowed into the upstairs quarters of the home, but she had seen Michael Jackson downstairs on Wednesday, June 24. Nothing she saw the day before cause her alarm. "He ate lunch with his children at the dinner table. And then I packed ... his dinner for him to go to his rehearsal. He seemed like he was just, you know, tired," Chase said. She attributed the way he felt to his long rehearsals. Chase said Jackson did complain once about his demanding schedule. "The third day I was there, when I came back, he had told me, 'You know, they're killing me. They're killing me because I'm working too much. I'm rehearsing too much.' " Between 1 and 1:30 p.m. June 25, Chase said security asked her to leave the home, and she never saw Michael Jackson being transported to the hospital. She didn't learn of Jackson's death until later that day on the radio. Chase said that Murray was in the house often in June and she attributed the doctor's frequent presence to Jackson's rigorous rehearsal schedule for an upcoming series of concerts in London, England. Search warrants filed Thursday in court in Clark County, Nevada, and carried out at Murray's offices imply that investigators looking into his death believe the singer was a drug addict. In his interview with Chase, King pressed for details of evidence of drug use by Jackson: King: Did you notice oxygen tanks, because if it was Diprivan and they have to measure ... your blood pressure? They also need oxygen tanks if you're giving that drug. Did you notice them? Chase: I saw the oxygen tanks, yes. King: Where were they? Chase: I would see Dr. Murray carrying the oxygen tanks down in the mornings. King: On that morning or other mornings? Chase: No. I didn't see him that morning. I saw him in the afternoon, but other mornings. King: He would carry them down? Chase: Carry them down. King: They were portable oxygen tanks?

Kai Chase served as Michael Jackson's personal chef, said he ate well . She says she and Jackson children held hands, cried, prayed during health crisis . Chase says she saw Dr. Conrad Murray bring oxygen tanks into Jackson household . Life in the Jackson household was orderly and loving, the chef observes .

(CNN) -- Mirror, mirror on the wall -- tell me my body faults, one and all. That's what a lot of women ask their mirrors to tell them, at least until they get a boyfriend or a husband they can torture with the dreaded question, "Does this dress (or blouse, pair of pants, skirt, etc.) make me look fat?" But even when women get the answer to that no-win question, what can they do? How do you disguise those thunder-thighs or flappy arms or muffin-top middles? You might want to choose between high-fat and no-fat clothes. That's right -- no-fat clothes. They're the outfits that can take 10 pounds off your problem area, according to Charla Krupp, who wrote "How to Never Look Fat Again." Her mantra is: "It's not you, it's your clothes." "All women know the language of food," says Krupp, so she describes how to look your best in food terms. But not the old-fashioned terms of body shapes being either apple or pear, because women's "body issues can range from a wide face all the way down to cankles." It's not just a matter of vanity; the author cites research finding that fat can keep people from getting hired. The ingredients to her "never looking fat system" are: fabric, fit, styles and colors. High-fat clothes come in shiny metallic or sequin outfits in bright or neon colors that either fit too loose or too tight. Low-fat clothes come in darker hues of silk or cotton or wool gabardine and fit perfectly. "I didn't want to sugar-coat anything," says Krupp. She doesn't. She gives information not even your most blunt best friend would tell you about what will make you look your best or your worst. There also is a Don't You Dare section in every chapter. Krupp goes so far as to tell how the part in your hair or your eyewear choice can help you see a beautiful woman or Humpty-Dumpty in the mirror. But there is hope. She says even women size 16 or 18 can look their best if they make the right choices. Those begin with what's under the outfits. "You need good supportive shapewear. It will slim you down," she says, adding a good one will have a high waist, right under the bra band, and will go down to whatever your problem area is. To smooth out the dreaded back fat that can ruin your appearance, she suggests wearing a control camisole over your bra to "compress and flatten" the roll that could follow you everywhere. She also advises to not fall head over heels in love with a trend that is bad for you. "I do see a lot of women walking around and I wonder, how did she go out of the house in the morning looking at that?" says Krupp. "They fall in love with a fashion trend even if it doesn't work for them. ... 'I know this is going to make me look fat, but I don't care.' " Krupp says the wrong trend can be brutal for a woman. "Transparency is big now, but if you have fat, you don't want the world to see that -- you want to cover it up." She says the celebrities that always look good in their clothes are Sandra Bullock and Demi Moore. But she notes that even if you're rich and famous and in great shape, you don't always make the best choices, even if you have a paid stylist to help. She noted two such fashion mistakes from the recent Academy Awards. Jennifer Lopez's gown with a big bustle and train was a bad, or "high-fat," choice for a woman with a wide backside. And she said Charlize Theron's Dior Haute Couture dress of amethyst and lilac with rosettes on her bust was just a

Charla Krupp's newest book explains "How to Never Look Fat Again" She breaks clothing choices down into high-fat and low-fat options . Ten chapters are devoted to body issues and how to cover them . LIsts include butt-friendly guide to skirts, shoes and boots to avoid .

(CNN) -- More U.S. troops have died in Afghanistan this year than in any year since the U.S. invaded the country following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Soldiers at a U.S. base in Afghanistan on Thursday honor the victims of September 11, 2001. According to numbers CNN has compiled from military statements, 112 American troops have died in Afghanistan in 2008, compared with 111 in all of 2007. The death toll has sparked concern among the U.S. military and its allies. Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a congressional committee Wednesday that the U.S. is "running out of time" to win the war in Afghanistan. Mullen said the U.S. needs better nation-building initiatives and a stronger cross-border strategy with Pakistan to ensure victory over Islamic militants in the poor Asian country. "We can't kill our way to victory, and no armed force anywhere, no matter how good, can deliver these keys alone. It requires teamwork and cooperation," Mullen told the House Armed Services Committee. In addition to those killed in Afghanistan, the military also includes troops who died outside the country if they were part of Operation Enduring Freedom, the war launched nearly seven years ago in and around Afghanistan. The broader count includes two Americans who died in Djibouti in 2008. The 2007 count includes two Americans who died in Ethiopia, two in the Philippines, one in Mali, one in Pakistan and one at sea near the Horn of Africa. According to CNN numbers, 585 Americans have died in the course of Operation Enduring Freedom, 506 of them in Afghanistan. The numbers include hostile and nonhostile incidents. Both the U.S.-led coalition and the NATO command announced three more deaths Thursday -- a British soldier in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday and two others in eastern Afghanistan on Thursday. The nationalities of the latter two have not been disclosed. The British death brings the country's toll to 118. Other countries, including Canada, Germany, France and Spain, also have lost troops in Afghanistan.

CNN numbers: 112 Americans killed this year, compared with 111 last year . Operation Enduring Freedom has killed 585 Americans since 2001 . Numbers include those who died outside Afghanistan as part of Enduring Freedom .

(CNN) -- More than 100 police officers and others were searching Friday in a southeastern Louisiana parish for a murder suspect who escaped from jail with three other inmates, a law enforcement official said. Timothy Murray, 29, who is charged with murder, remains at large, authorities in Louisiana say. Searchers are still focusing inside St. Tammany Parish, on the northern shore of Lake Pontchartrain, 30 miles north of New Orleans, said Capt. George Bonnett of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office. At large is Timothy Murray, 29, who is charged with murder, Bonnett said. Authorities believe Murray may have been injured during the escape, but Bonnett wouldn't elaborate. The inmates escaped about 9 p.m. Thursday from the St. Tammany Parish Jail in Covington, Bonnett said. As many as 250 sheriff's deputies, Covington police officers, Louisiana State police and corrections officials were involved in the search overnight, using dogs, two helicopters and thermal-imaging equipment loaned from Livingston Parish, Bonnett said. The other three men were found about 1:30 a.m. Friday in a wooded area about a mile from the jail, he said. Three of the inmates were awaiting trial; one already had been convicted, Bonnett said. The captured inmates were Gary Slaydon, 27; Eric Buras, 30, and Jason Gainey, 27. Slaydon is charged with attempted murder. Buras is a murder suspect and Gainey has been convicted of murder, Bonnett said. He said the escape was not discovered until a resident and Covington police reported seeing what appeared to be inmates in jail uniforms walking down a street. About the time those calls came in, jailers were doing a routine head count and found the four men missing, Bonnett said. He said the means of escape was under investigation, but it has been determined that their escape wasn't due to human error. He repeated what St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain said early Friday: "Four inmates were able to defeat the structure of the maximum security area of our jail." Deputies have canvassed neighborhoods, going door to door to warn residents that an inmate is still at large.

Four inmates escape from jail in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana . Three found in area near jail north of New Orleans, official says . Man charged with murder remains at large, official says . Deputies canvassing neighborhoods in hunt for escapee .

(CNN) -- More than 2,000 students in Southern California laid 65 miles of pennies on a speedway track Thursday in an attempt to set a world record and help schools in the area. Mason Gonzalez is ready with pennies. Dodgers tickets were prizes for collecting the most pennies. THINK (Teaching, Helping, Inspiring & Nurturing Kids) Together didn't meet its original goal of laying out 100 miles of pennies at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, but group spokeswoman Nadia Flores said the group is happy with the results. "We raised twice what we were able to lay down," she said. "I think the energy and the vibe from having so many kids and volunteers present made it really fun." Flores said the group ran out of time in its attempt to get all 100 miles laid out, but she added that they're confident they have the record anyway. Guinness World Records, which would certify the record, said Thursday it had not yet received documentation from the group. The current record for pennies laid out is 40 miles. The money -- about $84,500 -- will go to the nonprofit program that provides free after-school care for students at more than 200 elementary and middle schools in at-risk communities in four California counties -- Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino. Flores said the idea for "Miles of Change" came after group members saw students at a school in Kansas make a 40-mile chain of pennies in July 2008 to set the world record. Flores said her group, based in Santa Ana, California, wanted a program that would unite the counties involved -- and set a record. The pennies were collected by 35,000 students in the after-school program and were laid in loops around the two-mile track in Fontana, California. Flores said every penny must be touching the next penny in order to qualify for the Guinness world record. Documentation will include aerial photos, she said. Each student took home tubes to collect the pennies. Students who collected the most got tickets to future Los Angeles Dodgers games, Flores said. The effort also is meant to honor Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday and the 100th anniversary of the introduction of the Lincoln penny.

Southern California students want to break 40-mile world record set in Kansas . $84,500 collected will go to program that provides free after-school care . More than 2,000 kids lay out loops at speedway track . Guinness World Records will verify if record was set .

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

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

(CNN) -- Mother Nature provided a little bit of everything in several parts of the country on Saturday. Vehicles jam a buckled road in Mobile, Alabama, on Saturday after heavy rains. Heavy winds wreaked havoc on a shopping center in central Tennessee, blowing out windows and damaging the roof, Murfreesboro police spokesman Kyle Evans told CNN Radio. Glass storefronts at the Jackson Heights Shopping Center were blown out 100 to 150 yards into the parking lot, Evans said. Evans said three people were treated for minor injuries from flying glass and metal. Residents in northwest Murfreesboro lost power Saturday night and police warned residents to stay indoors until traffic caused by the incident cleared up. Elsewhere, a blizzard dumped more than 2 feet of snow in parts of the Plains on Saturday. The blizzard cut power, stranding drivers and prompting governors in Kansas and Oklahoma to issue disaster declarations. The heaviest snow and ice accumulated in south central and southwest Kansas. In Pratt County, 28 inches of snow fell, with snowdrifts reported up to 6 feet deep. At least nine other counties reported 2 feet of snow, the Kansas Adjutant General's office said. About 17,000 customers in Kansas lost electricity, more than half of those in Sedgwick County. The storm left some travelers stranded and in need of last-minute hotel accommodations, according to the front desk manager at the Econolodge in McPherson. "We have two honeymoon suites open, but other than that we're fully booked. We normally have 84 rooms," iReporter Sally Kelley said. The housekeepers who made it to work were all outside shoveling, but they struggled to keep up with the snow as it continued falling Saturday afternoon. "We haven't had people getting mad at us. The people have been great but I think they're really frustrated." The state Adjutant General's office said whiteout conditions and blowing snow made driving hazardous. The Kansas Department of Transportation shut down several roads in the western and south central part of the state. National Guard Humvees were used to move medical personnel and patients to a hospital in Seward County. In Oklahoma, where more than a foot of snow fell, Gov. Brad Henry declared a state of emergency in 50 counties. The state Department of Transportation had several roads blocked in the state and others remained impassable. "The only people who can get out of their driveways have 4-wheel drive," said iReporter Mark Rennie of Alva, Oklahoma. Meanwhile, rain along the Gulf Coast battered areas around Mobile, Alabama, and Biloxi, Mississippi. Watch how the rain is blocking roads in Mobile, Alabama » Mobile County Emergency Management Director Walter Dickerson said 4 to 6 inches of rain fell on already saturated ground. Fifteen to 20 roads around Mobile were closed, and several people had to be rescued after flash flooding trapped their cars. In Mobile, heavy rains caused a section of roadway to collapse. Three cars ended up in a large sinkhole, including one vehicle that landed on top of another. No serious injuries were reported. Dickerson said a temporary shelter may be opened for residents displaced by the high waters. In nearby Baldwin County, Alabama, an apartment complex was evacuated and some main roads were closed. The main roadway leading into Biloxi, the Interstate 10 loop, was closed for several hours early Saturday before waters receded and allowed traffic to resume. But more than a dozen other roads around Harrison County remained blocked. Roads were also impassable in some parts of the Florida Panhandle. Officials in the Atlanta, Georgia, metro area, which was under flood watches and warnings, were keeping an eye on surging rivers and creeks.

Strong winds damage Tennessee shopping center . Blizzard drops more than 2 feet of snow, strands travelers in Kansas, Oklahoma . Mobile, Alabama, and Biloxi, Mississippi, regions hardest hit by rain .

(CNN) -- Mount Redoubt volcano in southern Alaska erupted four times on Friday, shooting ash as high as 51,000 feet, scientists said. A series of eruptions has been rattling Alaska's Mount Redoubt volcano since Sunday. The latest eruption took place at 8:30 p.m. (12:30 a.m. Saturday ET), according to the National Weather Service. That eruption followed three other ones earlier Friday. The eruptions are the latest in a series that began Sunday. The Alaska Volcano Observatory said the alert level remains at its highest possible designation -- red -- indicating that an eruption is under way or imminent and that the eruption will produce a "significant emission of volcanic ash into the atmosphere." The weather service said the ash is drifting north and northeast. However, only "very light" amounts are expected to fall Friday in the Anchorage area, about 100 miles east-northeast of the volcano. Alaska Airlines limited flights to and from Anchorage on Friday, according to the airline's Web site. It canceled all its Thursday flights to and from Anchorage after an eruption earlier in the day sent an ash cloud 65,000 feet high.

NEW: Four eruptions jolt Alaska's Mount Redoubt on Friday . Alert level remains at highest possible designation . Mount Redoubt has been erupting since Sunday . Alaska Airlines limits Friday flights to and from Anchorage .

(CNN) -- Mount Redoubt volcano in southern Alaska has erupted again, shooting ash as high as 45,000 feet in the air on Saturday, experts said. A series of eruptions has been rattling Alaska's Mount Redoubt volcano since Sunday. The eruption occurred at about 1:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. ET), the U.S. Geological Survey told CNN. Some of the ash fell around Anchorage, resulting in the airport to close, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The volcano erupted three times Friday, at times shooting ash as high as 51,000 feet. The eruptions are the latest in a series that began March 22. The Alaska Volcano Observatory has set the alert level at its highest possible designation -- red -- indicating that an eruption is under way or imminent and that the eruption will produce a "significant emission of volcanic ash into the atmosphere." Friday's volcano activity prompted Alaska Airlines to limit flights to and from Anchorage, according to the airline's Web site. It canceled all its Thursday flights to and from Anchorage after an eruption earlier in the day sent an ash cloud 65,000 feet high. The eruptions are the latest in a series that began Sunday.

NEW: Mount Redoubt volcano in southern Alaska erupted again on Saturday . NEW: Eruption sent ash as high as 45,000 feet in the air, experts said . NEW: FAA says ash falling around Anchorage resulted in closure of the airport . Mount Redoubt has been erupting since March 22 .

(CNN) -- Movie director John Landis is suing Michael Jackson, accusing the reclusive entertainer of fraud in his handling of profits from the iconic "Thriller" video the two made together more than 25 years ago. "King of Pop" Michael Jackson, seen in 2005, made the "Thriller" video with John Landis more than 25 years ago. Landis claimed his 1983 contract with Jackson gave him 50 percent of net profits from the 14-minute video and the documentary about the making of it, both works that he directed and co-wrote with Jackson, court documents say. Jackson "wrongfully refused to pay or account for such profits," the suit, filed against the singer and Optimum Productions, says. The suit characterizes Optimum as "a defunct corporation" Jackson has used as an alter ego. The suit accuses Jackson of "concealing the extent of net profits" by not giving an annual accounting for at least the past four years, and maintains that Jackson is "guilty of fraudulent, malicious and oppressive conduct." Jackson's lawyers have not responded to the suit, which was filed on January 21. The video was based on Jackson's 1982 album by the same name, one of the top-selling of all time. Landis, best known as director of "Animal House" and "An American Werewolf in London," made the song into a short horror movie, complete with Vincent Price adding narration. Word of the suit comes just after an announcement that Jackson has signed a deal to take the dancing zombie story to the Broadway stage. The Nederlander Organization, a Broadway production company, announced Tuesday that it had signed a contract with Jackson to produce "Thriller" on stage. The show, which Jackson is to be involved with, also is to include music from other Jackson albums, the company said. The court has set May 11 as the date for lawyers to hold a conference with a judge concerning the lawsuit.

Director John Landis, Michael Jackson made "Thriller" video 25 years ago . Landis claims 1983 contract gives him 50 percent of net profits from video . Jackson "wrongfully refused to pay or account for such profits," suit says . Jackson's lawyers have not responded .

(CNN) -- Murder and rape charges will be filed against a North Carolina man in the death of 5-year-old Shaniya Davis, police said Thursday. Mario Andrette McNeill had already been charged with kidnapping the Fayetteville, North Carolina, girl. She was reported missing last week, and her body was found Monday beside a road near Sanford, about 30 miles northwest of Fayetteville. Preliminary autopsy results indicate the child was asphyxiated, Fayetteville Police Chief Tom Bergamine told reporters Thursday, but testing is still being completed and a final report has not been issued. McNeill will be charged with first-degree murder and rape of a child, Bergamine said. The new arrest warrants were being served Thursday night. The girl's mother, Antoinette Nicole Davis, has been charged with human trafficking and other offenses. Police have said they believe Davis was prostituting the child. According to police, surveillance video taken November 10 from a hotel in Sanford, North Carolina, shows Shaniya in the company of McNeill. Authorities had said Wednesday they would need to determine where Shaniya was killed before filing additional charges. Fayetteville is in Cumberland County, while Sanford is in Lee County. Bergamine said Thursday jurisdiction in the case would remain in Cumberland County. "We started it from the beginning and wanted to finish it out," he said. Police still are not sure exactly where Shaniya was killed, Bergamine said. Police earlier had said they believe the child was alive when she left the hotel. "Current charges on Ms. Davis are standing as they are right now," Bergamine said. But he told reporters the investigation was ongoing. He and other officers spoke about the emotional toll the investigation has taken on them. Grief counseling has been under way for officers at the department, he said. "It's been a tough case," said Fayetteville Police Capt. Charles Kimball, the toughest in his 14 years, he said. "Our mission was to find Shaniya and we did it." "This case here has reached out and touched all of us," Bergamine said. Shaniya's father, Bradley Lockhart, made a tearful appeal before reporters Tuesday afternoon, asking that "everybody makes it a point not to ignore, to look past a situation where a person, a child, or anybody might be in danger ... so that we don't have another tragedy like Shaniya." The girl went to her mother's last month, he said. CNN's Gabriel Falcon contributed to this report.

Mario Andrette McNeill will be charged with murder, rape, police say . Shaniya Davis' mother also has been charged in North Carolina case . The girl's body was found about 30 miles from where she was reported missing .

(CNN) -- Nadya Suleman, the single mother of newborn octuplets, is using the Internet to help support her family of 14 children. She's started a Web site seeking donations. Nadya Suleman, a single mother of 14 children, has set up a Web site asking for donations. The Web site features pictures of a rainbow, child's blocks and all eight of Suleman's newborns. Also prominently displayed on the Web site is a prompt for visitors to make a donation, noting that the "proud mother of 14" accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and PayPal. Suleman, 33, had the octuplets through fertility treatments, despite already having six young children and no clear source of income. In recent television interviews, Suleman has rejected suggestions that she might not be able to care adequately for all 14 of her children. "I'm providing myself to my children," Nadya Suleman told NBC in her first interview. "I'm loving them unconditionally, accepting them unconditionally, everything I do. I'll stop my life for them and be present with them and hold them and be with them. And how many parents do that?" Watch report on who is paying the bills for the octuplets » Suleman said she plans to go back to college to pursue a degree in counseling, NBC reported. She also said all 14 children have the same biological father, a sperm donor whom she described as a friend. Joann Killeen, a spokeswoman for Suleman, has told CNN that she is being deluged with media offers, but disputed any suggestions that Suleman may have had a monetary incentive for having so many children. Killeen, told CNN's "Larry King Live" that Suleman "has no plans on being a welfare mom and really wants to look at every opportunity that she can to make sure she can provide financially for the 14 children she's responsible for now." Suleman's publicist did say that Suleman gets $490 every month in food stamps.

Nadya Suleman has created Web site to solicit donations to help support 14 kids . Suleman, a mother of six, recently had octuplets . Suleman has rejected notions that she would not be able to care for children .

(CNN) -- Nazi war crimes suspect John Demjanjuk was granted an emergency stay late Tuesday to block what appeared to be his imminent deportation to Germany. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents remove John Demjanjuk from his home Tuesday. The ruling, handed down by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, came less than two hours after federal immigration officials took Demjanjuk into custody at his home near Cleveland, Ohio. Demjanjuk, 89, is wanted by German authorities for his alleged involvement during World War II in killings at Sobibor, a Nazi death camp in Poland. The Justice Department would not immediately comment on the stay, saying officials needed to review the order. The last-minute legal maneuvering leading to the order was the latest chapter in one of the longest-running pursuits of an alleged Holocaust perpetrator in history. The deportation of Demjanjuk, who had been transported to an Ohio detention facility when the stay was issued, would set the stage for what would likely prove to be an extraordinary German war crimes trial. "Upon due consideration of the motion for a stay and the opposition by the attorney general, we conclude that a stay of removal is warranted," the circuit court wrote. Representatives of Attorney General Eric Holder argued in response to an emergency motion filed by Demjanjuk's attorney that the circuit court does not have jurisdiction over the case. But the court acted anyway. "Because it is our understanding that the government may remove the petitioner later today, we are compelled to rule on the motion for a stay prior to addressing the jurisdictional concerns raised by the government," the court said. On Friday, a federal immigration board rejected an emergency appeal for a stay of Demjanjuk's deportation. His attorney, John Broadley, had argued that deporting him would constitute torture because of his health problems. Broadley has said Demjanjuk suffers from pre-leukemia, kidney problems, spinal problems and "a couple of types of gout." When Broadley filed another appeal with the 6th Circuit Court, Justice Department officials said they believe that his chances of getting the board's ruling overturned are slim. "Looking at what's going on in Cleveland ... is truly appalling," Broadley said shortly after Demjanjuk was taken into custody. "You have an 89-year-old man with various physical ailments, and you have eight guys from [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] trying to stuff him into a wheelchair to send him to Germany. This looks like something taking place in Germany and not in the United States." Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Simon Wiesenthal Center found irony in Broadley's argument for his client. "He wants to plead the sense of fairness that he regularly denied all of the victims at Sobibor," Hier said. He called Demjanjuk's comparison of his planned deportation to torture "preposterous coming from a person that served the [Nazi organization] S.S. in a death camp. It is a preposterous argument and insulting to the survivors of the Holocaust." Hier said that 250,000 Jews were killed at the camp and that none of the guards who worked there was blameless. "You were there for one job: kill the Jews," he said. "And that's what they did full-time." He called the evidence against Demjanjuk "overwhelming." German authorities issued an arrest warrant for Demjanjuk on March 10, accusing him of being an accessory to 29,000 counts of murder as a guard at Sobibor from March to September 1943. The warrant was issued after the authorities concluded that an identification card provided by the U.S. Office of Special Investigations was genuine. Demjanjuk, a retired auto worker, has been fighting charges of Nazi war crimes for more than two decades. He was previously extradited from the United States to Israel, where he was convicted in 1986 of being "Ivan the Terrible," a guard at the notorious Treblinka extermination camp. The conviction was overturned by Israeli courts on appeal, and he returned to the United States. The United States filed new charges against him in 1999, again alleging that he had been

Attorney general's representatives said court has no jurisdiction . Immigration agents picked up John Demjanjuk at home near Cleveland, Ohio . Demjanjuk, 89, has been fighting charges of Nazi war crimes for 20-plus years . German authorities accuse Demjanjuk of involvement in killings at Nazi death camp .

(CNN) -- New Zealand maxi Alfa Romeo took advantage of a break in light weather conditions to steal a march on its rivals in the annual Sydney-Hobart yacht race off the south-east coast of Australia on Sunday. Skipper Neville Crichton's 100-foot vessel has led since leaving Sydney Heads, and moved more than 10 nautical miles ahead at the halfway stage in the evening. Second-placed British entry ICAP Leopard and Australia's four-time line honors winner Wild Oats failed to catch an early breeze, giving Crichton the edge with more patchy weather predicted ahead in the 628 nautical mile event. Leopard skipper Mike Slade told the race's official Web site that Alfa Romeo made a break at around 9 a.m. near Gabo Island after hours of frustratingly light winds. "We were all just splashing about, there was no breeze whatsoever, and it's always the case that someone will get that little extra puff," Slade said. "Alfa Romeo was in the right place to get it. We didn't get it, Wild Oats XI didn't get it, and Alfa put 10 miles on us both very quickly." Wild Oats set the race record of one day, 18 hours and 40 minutes in 2005, but that mark is almost certain to still be standing at the end of the 65th staging of the event, with the winner expected to cross the line on arrival at the island state of Tasmania on Monday night. "We were unfortunate to get into a hole. We could see Alfa when she got her nose into the new breeze," skipper Mark Richards told rolexsydneyhobart.com. "These things happen. There is always an element of luck, and things went his way. It's one of those frustrating things -- a role reversal of 2005." However, with conditions uncertain there is still a chance that 2002 winner Crichton could yet be denied a first victory in a yacht that was launched in 2005 and has 143 line honors triumphs to date. "The big guys will have some running in Bass Strait, but there are still a lot of potholes between that and the finish," yachting forecaster Roger Badham told the Web site. "Anyone of the three could finish first." Noel Cornish's Sydney 47 St Jude is a surprise leader in the handicap standings, while the Sydney 38 Mondo became the fifth entry to retire and leave the fleet reduced to 95. The race, first held in 1945, has been hit by severe weather conditions in recent years. In 1998, six competitors died and several boats were lost during a fierce storm on the first night. Two years ago the fleet was also hit by similar conditions, and eight yachtsman had to abandon a sinking craft.

New Zealand maxi Alfa Romeo extends lead in Sydney-Hobart yacht race on Sunday . Skipper Neville Crichton takes advantage of a break in light weather conditions in morning . Second-placed ICAP Leopard and Wild Oats XI fail to catch breeze in 628 nautical mile event . Australian record-holder Wild Oats bidding for fifth straight line honors victory .

(CNN) -- New Zealand warmed up for their Tri-Nations decider against Australia with a 101-14 rout of Samoa in a one-off rugby union Test on Wednesday in New Plymouth, running in 15 tries. Conrad Smith touches down for one of his two tries in the All Blacks win. Fullback Mils Muliaina scored three tries in the first half, center Conrad Smith and winger Richard Kahui touched down twice and nine other players added their names to the New Zealand scoresheet as the All Blacks beat a weakened Samoan team by a record margin. New Zealand led 47-7, seven tries to one, at halftime and added eight tries, including a penalty try, in the second spell to surpass their highest score against Samoa. The All Blacks had a 26-0 lead after 16 minutes and set their record score against Samoa -- surpassing the 71-13 in 1999 -- despite being held scoreless for periods of 18 minutes in the first half and 10 minutes in the second. It was the fifth time New Zealand had reached 100 points in a match, with the All Blacks' record being the 145-17 win over Japan at the 1995 World Cup. Samoa was forced to pick a severely under-strength side because many of its leading and most-experienced players are involved with European club sides. Most of the players who took the field Wednesday were young and Samoa-based and playing against the All Blacks for the first time. Although outgunned by an All Blacks team which overwhelmingly controlled territory and possession, Samoa played with great spirit and scored a try in each half. Flyhalf Uale Mai scored and converted his own try after 28 minutes and flanker Alafoti Faosiliva touched down off a break by Uale Mai four minutes before fulltime. "What can you say? 100 points," Samoa captain Filipo Levi said. "It shows the All Blacks are on fire at the moment. They've showed in the Tri-Nations competition that they're a very consistent team. "For some of our boys it was a big step up from playing club rugby in Samoa but, having said that, it was a big learning curve." Flyhalf Daniel Carter converted six of the All Blacks' first-half tries, surpassing 2,000 points in first-class rugby, and his replacement Stephen Donald scored his first Test try and converted seven of New Zealand's eight second-half tries. The match was scheduled to help the All Blacks bridge the three-week gap between their most recent Tri-Nations clash with South Africa and their next, against Australia, at Brisbane on September 13. The Brisbane match will decide the outcome of the Tri-Nations tournament.

New Zealand rout Samao 101-14 in rugby union Test in New Plymouth . All Blacks run in 15 tries as they warm up for Tri-Nations decider against Australia . Flyhalf Dan Carter passes 2,000 first class points during match .

(CNN) -- North Korea qualified for the 2010 World Cup finals for the first time since 1966 by battling to a 0-0 draw away to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday night. North Korea have qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1966. The point captured in searing temperatures in Riyadh, saw the Koreans edge into second place in Asian qualifying Group 2 to finish ahead of Saudi Arabia on goal difference and seal their place in the finals. It means both group winners South Korea, who co-hosted the World Cup with Japan in 2002, and neighbors North Korea will play in the 2010 showpiece in South Africa. North Korea coach Kim Yong-Jun Kim had nothing but praise for his players after the final whistle. "We focused on the defending as we had come under a lot of pressure from the Saudis and I think our preparation for the game was one factor that earned the victory tonight," the North Korean boss told FIFA's official Web site. "We monitored the Saudi team from the beginning of our campaign and I noticed that they have a problem in finding good strikers. We battled to qualify for the World Cup finals and I would like to thank my players for the great performance that they showed during the whole match," added Kim. "It was so hot in Saudi Arabia and as you know the journey from Korea was long but our belief in the ability of the players snatched the ticket to South Africa," Kim stated. The booking of North Korea's ticket to the finale will see the reclusive nation compete against the world's best despite growing international political concern regarding Pyongyang's testing of a nuclear bomb recently. Their form in the tournament is one of upsetting the odds after they Italy 43 years ago en route to the quarter-finals. The home draw sees Saudi Arabia finish in third place to go into the playoffs where they will face Bahrain. The winners will play New Zealand for a place in the finals, while Iran miss out after finishing fourth in Group 2. Earlier on Wednesday, they were denied a victory in Seoul as Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-Sung scored a late equalizer to give South Korea a 1-1 draw. Iran took the lead from an own goal early in the second half against the group winners, but Park popped up to score a brilliant 81st minute goal as he beat several men before firing home. In Group 1, Tim Cahill scored twice as Australia came from behind to beat Japan 2-1 to clinch top spot in the section. The result was academic as both teams had already sealed automatic qualification for the World Cup finals in South Africa. Japan went ahead in front of a big crowd of nearly 70,000 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) as Marcus Tulio Tanaka headed home a Kengo Nakamura corner in the 40th minute. But the Socceroos, who went through qualifying unbeaten, hit back in the second half. Everton's attacking midfielder Cahill again worked his scoring magic to secure the victory. He was on target in the 59th and 76th minutes to take his tally to 16 in 33 internationals. "This is a step forward for us, it's great to finish top of the group," Cahill told FIFA.com after the win, while captain Lucas Neill paid tribute to their opponents. "They really played the game with intensity and they were running us ragged for a bit and we couldn't get ourselves in the game," Neill said. Bahrain later clinched third spot in the group and their playoff spot with a 1-0 win over Uzbekistan. A 74th minute goal from Mahmood Abdulrahman from a free kick gave his side a crucial three points.

North Korea qualify from Group 2 with 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia . Australia top Group 1 of Asian qualifying with 2-1 win over Japan . Bahrain clinch playoff spot from Group 1 with 1-0 win over Uzbekistan .

(CNN) -- North Korea said Saturday any sanctions or pressure applied against it following its rocket launch earlier this month will be considered a "declaration of war." A North Korean soldier looks into South Korea from the demilitarized zone on April 9. In an announcement on state-run television, the country said it was ready to step up efforts to develop nuclear weapons and poised for a military response to any moves against it. "The revolutionary armed forces of the DPRK are always keeping themselves fully ready to go into action any moment to mercilessly punish anyone who encroaches upon the sovereignty and dignity of the DPRK even a bit," it said. On Monday the United Nations condemned North Korea -- which refers to itself as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or DPRK -- for launching a rocket. The United States called the launch a "provocative act" that violated a 2006 Security Council resolution prohibiting Pyongyang from conducting ballistic missile launches. Pyongyang insists the April 5 launch was a successful mission to place a communications satellite into orbit. The United States says the rocket's payload did not reach orbit. The U.N. statement says the rocket launch was "in contravention" to a 2006 Security Council resolution that demanded that North Korea not launch any ballistic missiles. The 15-member council also voted unanimously for a statement by the council's president demanding the country make no more launches. "The Korean People's Army will consider sanctions to be applied against the DPRK under various names over its satellite launch or any pressure to be put upon it through 'total participation' in the PSI (Proliferation Security Initiative) as a declaration of undisguised confrontation and a declaration of a war against the DPRK," the announcement on state TV said. "Now that the group officially declared confrontation and war against the DPRK, its revolutionary armed forces will opt for increasing the nation's defense capability including nuclear deterrent in every way, without being bound to the agreement adopted at the six-party talks," it continued, apparently referring to the Security Council. Referring to South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, the statement added, "The Lee group of traitors should never forget that Seoul is just 50 kilometers (31 miles) away from the Military Demarcation Line." That line was established by the 1953 Armistice Agreement between the two Koreas -- which are still technically at war. A Friday report North Korea's official KCNA news agency, seemed to blame the "war hysteria" on the United States and South Korea after the two countries carried out a combined air force operation in South Korea. The "'South Korea-U.S. military alliance' oft-repeated by them is, in essence, nothing but a 'war alliance' and 'alliance for aggression' aimed at invading the DPRK," the report said. "When a nuclear war will break out due to the war chariot of the 'South Korea-U.S. military alliance' is a matter of time," it said. "The U.S. and South Korean warmongers would be well advised to stop acting rashly, properly understanding who their rival is."

North Korea says sanctions applied against it will be "declaration of war" Pyongyang ready to "mercilessly punish anyone" who applies pressure . U.N. has condemned North Korean rocket launch .

(CNN) -- North Korea says it will attack the Japanese military and "major targets," if Japan shoots down a rocket Pyongyang plans to launch in the coming days, North Korea's state-run news service, KCNA, reported Thursday. Japan recently deployed its missile defense system in anticipation of North Korea's planned rocket launch. "If Japan recklessly 'intercepts' [North Korea's] satellite for peaceful purposes, the [Korean People's Army] will mercilessly deal deadly blows not only at the already deployed intercepting means but at major targets," KCNA reported. Japan recently mobilized its missile defense system in response to the planned North Korean launch, Japanese officials said. The move, noteworthy for a country with a pacifist constitution, is aimed at shooting down any debris from the launch that might fall into Japanese territory. U.S. Navy ships capable of shooting down ballistic missiles have also been moved to the Sea of Japan, a Navy spokesman said. The threat of retaliation comes as North Korea has begun fueling its long-range rocket, according to a senior U.S. military official familiar with the latest U.S. intelligence on the matter. The fueling signals that the country could be in the final stages of what North Korea has said will be the launch of a satellite into space as early as this weekend, the senior U.S. military official said Wednesday. Other U.S. military officials said the top portion of the rocket was put on very recently, but satellite imagery shows a shroud over the stage preventing a direct view of what the stage looks like. The officials said the satellite payload appears to have a "bulbous" cover, which could indicate there is a satellite loaded on it. Such a cover protects a satellite from damage in flight. While the sources did not know for sure what the payload is, they did say there is no reason to doubt it is a satellite as indicated by North Korea. Pyongyang has said it will conduct the launch sometime between April 4 and April 8. It's a launch that may violate a 2006 United Nations Security Council resolution. Resolution 1718 "[d]emands" that North Korea "not conduct any further nuclear test or launch of a ballistic missile." "It raises questions about their compliance with the Security Council Resolution 1718," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said last week. "And if they persist and go forward, we will take it up in appropriate channels." Pentagon officials worry less about the payload and more about the launch itself, saying any kind of launch will give the North Koreans valuable information about improving their ballistic missile program. "I don't know anyone at a senior level in the American government who does not believe this technology is intended as a mask for the development of an intercontinental ballistic missile," U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Sunday. Defense analysts say the same rocket could be used to push a satellite into space or deliver a nuclear warhead. Gates noted that while the United States believes it is North Korea's "long-term intent" to add a nuclear warhead to any such rocket, he "personally would be skeptical that they have the ability right now to do that." Gates said that the U.S. military could shoot down "an aberrant missile, one that was headed for Hawaii ... or something like that, we might consider it, but I don't think we have any plans to (do) anything like that at this point." He does not believe North Korea currently has the technology to reach Alaska or Pacific coast. CNN Senior Pentagon Producer Mike Mount contributed to this story.

N. Korea says it will attack Japanese military, "major targets," if it shoots down rocket . Japan recently mobilized its missile defense system in response to planned launch . N. Korea said it would conduct launch between April 4 and April 8 . Sources say "bulbous" shroud atop rocket could indicate satellite aboard .

(CNN) -- Not content to sit quietly at home eating their tofu cutlets, more and more vegetarians, it seems, are taking action, trying to get the carnivorous masses to change their ways. Of course, the meat-free have been trying to win people over to their cause since the time of Pythagoras. But lately, activists are trying more in-your-face tactics. For Lierre Keith, author of "The Vegetarian Myth," the "in-your-face" part is quite literal. A former vegetarian who has publicly recanted, she was lecturing in San Francisco, California, last week, when three masked assailants shouted "Go vegan!" and lobbed chili pepper-laced pies at her. Even in hard-core vegan circles -- which exclude using animal-based products for food, clothing, medicine or any other purpose -- such borderline-violent exploits are controversial. More common is the approach of folks like newly converted talk show host Ellen Degeneres, who has been sharing recipes for vegan nachos along with her philosophy. Still, recipes only go so far. And, more to the point, they don't get as much media attention. For many vegan and vegetarian activists, getting coverage is an art. PETA If you've ever read about a particularly outrageous pro-vegetarian campaign, there's a good chance that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals was behind it. The folks at PETA seem to be firm believers in the idea that "all media attention is good media attention," and the more shocking or ridiculous the stunt, the more media outlets will pick up the story. PETA was laughed at when it tried to rebrand fish as "sea kittens," in hopes that the more cuddly name would make seafood a less appealing mealtime choice. It was criticized for the suggestion that recently deceased Oscar G. Mayer should be buried with his company's hot dog-shaped Wienermobile. After British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay cooked up horse meat on his show, PETA UK dumped a ton of manure outside his London restaurant. Plenty of ecological activists cringe at these kinds of prankish maneuvers, but they do get noticed. And that, apparently, is the point. Why else would PETA organize an army of zombies to protest outside of KFC restaurants? Not content to oppose meat-eating in the real world, PETA also took a swipe at virtual carnivorousness: In response to the Nintendo DS game "Cooking Mama," the group released its own bloody version. And, as anyone who's seen its anti-fur posters knows, PETA is well aware that sex sells. The group got the granddaughter of Argentinean revolutionary Che Guevara to pose wearing nothing but a bandolier filled with carrots. Last, year PETA proposed a too-racy-for-TV "vegetarians have better sex" Super Bowl commercial, guaranteeing plenty of coverage when -- surprise! -- NBC rejected the ad. PETA also brings its soft-core approach to the streets with its "Lettuce Ladies" campaign: young models, clad in a few strategically placed leaves, handing out veggie hot dogs. The group has enlisted Pamela Anderson and Elizabeth Berkley to pose for the Lettuce Ladies Web site (find it yourself) -- probably the best thing that's happened to their careers in years. Is there tofu wresting? Yes, there is tofu wrestling. Casa Diablo PETA is not alone in combining feminine pulchritude and an anti-meat agenda. A couple of years back, Portland, Oregon, resident Johnny Diablo got a bunch of media attention when he opened Casa Diablo, the world's first vegan strip club. Serving veggie burgers with a side of nudity (or maybe the other way around) might seem to be just a publicity stunt. (The fact that Diablo tried to put the club up for sale shortly after opening would seem to suggest that.) But Mr. Diablo is an earnest vegan himself, and he's apparently retained ownership of Casa Diablo, though reviews -- of both the cuisine and the more fleshy attractions -- are decidedly mixed

For many vegan and vegetarian activists, getting media attention is an art . PETA seems to firmly believe that "all media attention is good media attention" Manure dumping, zombies, vegan strip club have been used to further the anti-meat cause .

(CNN) -- Numerous wildfires were roaring Thursday through parts of Oklahoma and Texas, engulfing one town and searing neighborhoods in others, including one in Oklahoma City. Hurricane-force winds continued to kick the flames even higher. Firefighters in Bowie, Texas, try to get a grass fire under control. Bowie is about 70 miles northwest of Fort Worth. The fires had engulfed so many miles of turf, and flying embers had sparked in so many different places, that hours after the first blazes were reported Thursday morning, safety officials still weren't sure how many fires they were facing. In Texas, the 100-person town of Stoneburg was "burned over," by a 25,000-acre fire said Texas Forest Service spokeswoman Misty Wilburn. The town, northwest of Dallas near the Oklahoma state line, had been evacuated, she said. Seventy-five to 100 homes had been destroyed in Oklahoma, and 13 people were confirmed injured -- two of them critically, according to emergency officials. Watch homes in Oklahoma burn » Wilburn said Texas authorities were working at least nine major fires Thursday evening, seven in the west of the state and two in the north. "Everything we have is committed to fires," she said. "Everyone is maxed out." Feeding the flames were strong winds that were gusting as high as 76 mph, the strength of a Category 1 hurricane, and grounding many emergency aircraft that can't fly safely in those conditions. On the southwest side of Oklahoma City, fires had engulfed eight homes, and were believed to be destroying many more. In Choctaw, Oklahoma, dozens of homes had been destroyed, and the high school was on the verge of burning, police dispatcher Silva Schneider said just before 8 p.m. Aerial video footage of the central Oklahoma city of about 9,000 people showed row after row of houses in several different neighborhoods engulfed in flames. The Oklahoma towns of Velma, Sparks, Wellston, Healdton and Midwest City, a suburb of Oklahoma City, had all been ordered into mandatory evacuations because of the fires, which officials say are finding plenty of easy fuel because of dry conditions throughout the Southwest. "It's a bad day in Oklahoma," said Albert Ashwood, director of the state's emergency management department. Grass fires were being reported west of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, with the smell of smoke already wafting through the cities. Ashwood said weather experts fear that heavy winds as night falls could drive the wildfires into more heavily populated areas. A spokesman for the Texas Forest Service said fires in the state were burning in numerous counties in areas near Fort Worth, Wichita Falls and Amarillo. Watch video of wildfires in Bowie, Texas » He said there were so many blazes that firefighters were having to ignore some of them, and that winds were so high that most fire-fighting aircraft were unable to fly. The National Weather Service had categorized much of Texas and Oklahoma an "extremely critical fire weather area" Thursday because of the dry conditions and winds. Large portions of western and central Texas and western Oklahoma are in a drought, according to the service. A firefighter who was working near Lindsey, Oklahoma, was in critical condition with third-degree burns over 35 percent of his body, according to a hospital spokeswoman. A motorist in Oklahoma also was hospitalized after driving into an area with heavy smoke, authorities said. iReport.com: Are wildfires affecting you? While the blazes seemed overwhelming in spots, firefighters were making some progress on some fronts. In Breckenridge, Texas, a fire that started in an old landfill and burned several hundred acres had been contained just north of the city limits, according to fire officials. But even as that blaze came under control, the fire department received reports of another fire. Wilburn said that as nightfall approached, Texas had been able to get some firefighting aircraft in the air and that five of the fires were at least partially contained. CNN's Hank Bishop and Aaron Cooper contributed to this report.

NEW: In Texas, the 100-person town of Stoneburg has been "burned over" NEW: In Oklahoma,13 people are confirmed injured, two of them critically . Whole neighborhoods of Oklahoma City have been seared . Texas, Oklahoma officials say fires multiplying so fast they've lost count .

(CNN) -- Officials warned Wednesday that the bridge linking the California cities of San Francisco and Oakland will likely remain closed Thursday morning, promising more delays for Bay Area commuters. That work is intended to dampen vibration on the structure. Vibration may have played a role in causing pieces of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge to fall Tuesday night from the span onto the roadway, resulting in its closure. The 73-year-old bridge spans the San Francisco Bay and carries an average 280,000 vehicles daily, according to the state's Transportation Department. "Right now, we do not have a time when the bridge will potentially open," said Bart Ney, a spokesman for California Department of Transportation. "The work has to be completed first." Once the new steel is in place and the rods have been made tense, at least three hours of testing will be carried out before the bridge will reopen to vehicular traffic, Ney said, refusing to speculate on when that might occur. "The first thing that I would say to motorists is that you need to be at this point planning other routes over the next day or so," he said. The Federal Highway Administration and the Seismic Peer Review Board are scrutinizing the repair plans, he said. Wednesday's commute was a horror show for many. "My wife actually drives over to the peninsula; she says it's taken her two hours to get to work so far and she's not there yet," commuter Seth Carp told CNN affiliate KTVU as he prepared to board a Bay Area Rapid Transit train. "I tried to take the Golden Gate Bridge," said a woman who identified herself only as Yemi. "It was a big mistake." She gave up and wound up taking BART. "It was back-to-back bumper, there were rows of cars everywhere," said Christina Chou, who lives in Foster City near the San Mateo Bridge, which served as an alternate route for many. "It was just horrible." Ridership increased on ferries, too, with some people finding a silver lining to the snafu. "I have been looking for an opportunity to go across the bay in the ferry," said Jack Pierce of Oakland. "I'm sorry the cable parted, but I am glad to get the opportunity." Ney said wind gusts of up to 50 mph slowed repair efforts on Tuesday, but the winds had diminished by Wednesday evening. Winds increased vibration by the rods that were fatigued and ultimately failed, he said. "It was a contributing factor, but not necessarily the only factor, and we are analyzing what the factors are right now," he said. Travelers flocked to BART, which ran longer trains and extra trains. The rail line was on track to exceed its peak ridership of 405,000 in a single day, said BART spokesman Linton Johnson. Were you there? Send photos and video "We have called in extra personnel to help us make sure we operate with every available train car we have in order to provide as much capacity as possible," said BART's assistant general manager of operations, Paul Oversier. Amtrak was running a shuttle between the San Francisco and Martinez stations for Coast Starlight and California Zephyr passengers. The pieces that fell -- a cross beam and tie rods -- came from the same section that was repaired in September over Labor Day weekend, when crews worked almost around the clock to fix a crack in the span. A 50-foot section of the bridge collapsed in 1989 during the Loma Prieta earthquake, killing one person and prompting efforts to make it quake-tolerant. The whole Bay Bridge is slated to be replaced in 2013, said Patrick Siegman, a transportation planner at Nelson Nygaard Consulting Associates, a national transportation planning firm based in San Francisco. The bridge is "really showing its age," he said. "It's kind of a race against time to finish the new bridge before the next quake hits."

San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge closes after parts of it fall to roadway . Repair work ongoing, but there's no word when bridge will reopen . Travelers flock to public transit, including trains and ferries . Repairs aim to stop vibration, which may have caused the problem .

(CNN) -- Oguchi Onyewu, who made his AC Milan debut in a 2-1 friendly defeat to Mexico's Club America, is the first player from the United States to be signed by the Serie A giants and is a rising talent in world football. Oguchi Onyewu has cut a commanding figure at the center of defense for the U.S. national team. The "Rossoneri" have put their faith in a 27-year-old defender, who has become a lynchpin of his national team in recent times -- but how did the stopper climb the ladder of success? The imposing Onweyu, who stands 1.93 meters tall and tips the scales at 95 kilograms, was born in Washington D.C., one of a family of five to Nigerian-born parents. While at high school in Maryland, he showed immediate promise and was selected for a soccer academy run by International Management Group (IMG). After graduation, Onyewu spent two years in collegiate soccer at Clemson University before taking his chance in Europe. CNN's Patrick Snell interviews Onyewu. » He was originally at Metz in France before being loaned out to La Louviere in the Belgium league and finally to Standard Liege where he has spent the majority of his professional career. Because of his strong performances with Standard, Onyewu was constantly linked with a number of leading European clubs, but finally had his chance when sent out on loan to Newcastle United in the English Premier League. Joining for the back end of the 2006-07 season, he formed an uncertain partnership with Titus Bramble in the center of defense, which, combined with the arrival of new manager Sam Allardyce, was to cost him his place. Newcastle decided not to make his loan move permanent and Onyewu returned to Standard to help them win successive Belgian league titles. He was involved in a controversial incident at the end of the current season during the championship playoff against Anderlecht. Onyewu claimed Anderlecht defender Jelle Van Damme called him a "dirty ape" and persisted despite being reported to the referee. The Times of London reported on June 2 that Onyewu had taken legal action in a Brussels court over the alleged slur, hoping it will help eradicate such incidents in the future. His lawyer Jean-Louis Dupont said Onyewu felt compelled to take it further. "He was convinced it was his duty to lodge the complaint," Dupont said. "It is not a question whether Van Damme is racist. The issue is that these slurs are still used on the pitch, and are being used because they know it hurts." Onyewu made his debut for the U.S. national team in 2004 and played all three games for the side before their exit from the 2006 World Cup. But it was his performances in the recent Confederations Cup in South Africa which showed his qualities to the full. After the U.S. beat Egypt 3-0 to reach the semifinals, Onyewu was outstanding again in the shock 2-0 defeat of world number one-rated Spain to reach the final. The U.S. went on to lose the final 3-2 to Brazil, but Onyewu had again sparked renewed interest, including Milan, who had tracked him since 2004. He signed a three-year deal earlier this month with the seven-time European champions, who are in a rebuilding process after the retirement of club legend Paulo Maldini and departure of Kaka to Real Madrid. Onyewu is the second U.S. international to play in Serie A. Former national captain Alexi Lalas played for Padova in the 1990s.

Oguchi Onyewu is the first U.S.-born player to be signed by AC Milan . Onweyu was a star performer for the U.S. team in 2009 Confederations Cup . The 27-year-old has Nigerian parents and went to Clemson University .

(CNN) -- On Monday's night edition of "Larry King Live," guest host Ali Velshi talked with TV cooking host Rachael Ray. Rachael Ray visits "Larry King Live" on Monday night to give tips on stretching a family's food dollar to the max. CNN's chief business correspondent asked Ray how you can make your meal-time dollars stretch in these tough economic times without sacrificing nutrition or taste. The following transcript has been edited for brevity and clarity: Ali Velshi: How do we keep from packing on the recession pounds? Tonight, help is on the way. Joining me in New York is Rachael Ray, host of "The Rachael Ray Show." ... We're all kind of stressed right now. We're trying to sort of do more with less and certainly eating in a hurry. You've got some great advice on that. Ray: We need to go back to the way our grandparents prepared food. Instead of buying pieces of chicken, buy a whole chicken. You make that on Sunday, take the leftovers, roll that into fajitas, soups, stews, make your own stock. You've got to start thinking in bigger increments. ... Stock up on lean meats and proteins, on veggies that you know your family likes and turn yourself into your own frozen food factory. Every time that chicken breast goes on sale, stock up. Go home, put it in individual storage bags, pound it out nice and thin. It's a quick defrost. Watch Rachael Ray's appearance on "Larry King Live" » Velshi: All right. So you freeze; I like that. You make yourself into your own frozen food factory. Ray: Even with vegetables. ... You know, if broccoli is on a great price this week, buy a ton of it, go home, blanch it a little bit of salted water, cold shock it, put it in a plastic food storage bag, done. Velshi: What's the better deal: Buying your vegetables canned, buying them fresh? Ray: Buying them at a local food market. You know, whether you're in a big city or a small town, farmers markets are your best bargain. You can buy direct from the small producer. And, you know, it's a great way to not only get organic, but get a great price on it. Velshi: Let's talk about takeout food. Parents are trying to save time and money. In many cases, that leads us to fast food, because it's cheap and fast. ... Ray: The food that we can get most readily and at the best bargain isn't good for us. It's processed. I mean all things in moderation. Everybody can have a burger once in a while. Velshi: What do you recommend to our viewers [for fast food]? Ray: Hey, I love a veggie sub at Subway. You know, I think that there is affordable fast food. If you're on the go, fine. Everybody needs to pick up a salad or a burger once in a while. There are healthy choices there. .... If the kids really love fries, tell them they can have a few as long as they eat the veggies, too. And, there are a lot of great strategies you can take with kids in getting them to eat healthier -- little things like switching to whole wheat macaroni, whole wheat pastas. Velshi: It sounds like it's a lot like dealing with the rest of your financial life -- if there's a little bit of planning ahead of time, you can actually save a lot of money. Ray: Absolutely. I think you've got to go into the store armed with a good attitude ... and with coupons. And another really simple thing: When you go grocery shopping, do not look at the price on the product. Look at the unit price. Right there on the shelf, it will tell you the price per ounce or unit of measurement. And

Rachael Ray says we need to go back to way our grandparents prepared food . Plan ahead, make large meals and freeze leftovers for later incarnations, Ray says . Another Ray tip: clip coupons before you head to grocery and buy in bulk . Ray says eat fast food in moderation, pick healthy items such as veggies, salads .

(CNN) -- One Australian soldier, three civilians and Taliban militants were killed early Friday during heavy fighting in southern Afghanistan, according to information from Australian and NATO officials. Four Australian troops have now died in the conflict in Afghanistan. The incident occurred in Tarin Kowt in Uruzgan province, where Taliban militants killed an Australian commando, the Australian Defence Ministry said. The 26-year-old commando -- Pvt. Luke Worsley of Sydney -- served with the Special Operations Task Group. This is the fourth Australian troop to die in the Afghan conflict. "The action in which Private Worsley died only concluded in the last few hours and was characterized by heavy, close quarter fighting. The SOTG was conducting an operation to clear an identified Taliban bomb making facility in Uruzgan province, when the soldier was hit by small arms fire," Chief of the Defence Force Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston said. NATO's International Security Assistance Force said "a significant number of Taliban insurgents were killed or captured as part of the operation. Taliban insurgents initiated the firefight which lasted several hours." Gen. Carlos Branco, ISAF spokesman, said it is not known how the civilians, two women and a child, died. "However, we do know that the insurgents fired upon ISAF soldiers from the compound in which the Afghan civilians (two women and one child) were found after the fight. ISAF makes all effort to prevent losses of innocent civilian lives." E-mail to a friend

Taliban militants kill Australian commando in southern Afghanistan . He was shot during operation to clear Taliban bomb making facility in Uruzgan . This is the fourth Australian soldier to die in the conflict in Afghanistan . Several militants killed and a coalition troop injured in other fighting in southeast .

(CNN) -- One FAA safety inspector was killed and another injured Tuesday when a helicopter they were on crashed into an apparently unoccupied house in Jackson, Mississippi, authorities said. The Robinson R44 helicopter that crashed is similar to the one pictured here. The Robinson R44 helicopter crashed into the duplex-style house about half a mile east of Hawkins Field airport, according to Kathleen Bergen of the Federal Aviation Administration. The two people on the aircraft were from the agency's Flight Standards District Office in Jackson, Bergen said. Names of the two were not released. Both victims were taken to the Mississippi Medical Center where one of them died shortly after arriving, according to medical center spokesman Jack Masurak. Lee Vance, Jackson assistant police chief, said the rear roof of the house sustained most of the damage from the crash, and no one answered the door when emergency personnel arrived, leading him to believe the house was unoccupied at the time. The helicopter, which was registered to a local company and operated out of the airport, was demolished in the crash, authorities said. No further details about the crash were available.

Both victims taken to Mississippi Medical Center where one died, say officials . Rear of house sustained most of the damage from the crash, say police . Helicopter registered to a local company, demolished in crash, authorities said .

(CNN) -- One of eight people killed in a southeast Georgia mobile home last month recently had been awarded $25,000 in a civil lawsuit, officials said. Guy Heinze Jr. faces eight counts of first-degree murder in last month's killings in a Georgia mobile home. Guy Heinze Sr., 46, was granted the award by the McIntosh County, Georgia, Magistrate Court in a suit over a mobile home that he owned, court officials said. He had not received the money as the ruling was under appeal. Heinze was found dead August 29 in his Brunswick mobile home along with six others. An eighth person died later at a hospital. Police said all of the victims died from "blunt force trauma," but they did not provide any further details. Heinze's son, Guy Heinze Jr., 22, faces eight counts of first-degree murder in the deaths. Police suspect he acted alone, according to a statement from the Glynn County Police Department. The younger Heinze has made his initial court appearance via closed-circuit television from the Glynn County Detention Center, his attorney, Ron Harrison, said Tuesday. His preliminary hearing likely will come next week, Harrison said. The elder Heinze told relatives about the award days before his death, family members said. Court officials said the ruling was issued August 11, and an appeal was filed six days later. Harrison said he was aware of the award in the lawsuit but would not comment on it. Police also are aware of it, Glynn County Police Chief Matt Doering said, but he declined comment on whether it is being explored as a possible motive in the slayings. Watch hints of a possible motive » Harrison said he last saw his client on Friday, as he was not required to appear with him to hear the charges read. The younger Heinze "continues to deny any involvement in the murders and urges anyone with information to contact authorities," he said Tuesday. He described his client as "not good, disappointed, upset, angry." Heinze called 911 to report the slayings, telling the dispatcher, "My whole family is dead." He was arrested just afterward and initially was charged with tampering with evidence and making false statements to a police officer as well as facing drug charges. Hear the 911 call » An arrest warrant said he provided police "with false and misleading information about his whereabouts and involvement in the circumstances leading to him calling 911 to report the deaths of his family members" and that he removed a shotgun from the mobile home and hid it in his car. He was arrested on the murder charges hours after being freed from jail on the initial charges. Family members said he was on his way to attend the visitation for the victims but was arrested before arriving. A police chaplain called relatives to tell them of the arrest, family members said. Police have not released the cause of death for any of the victims. Heinze told dispatchers in his 911 call they appeared to have been beaten to death. Funerals were held Saturday for seven of the eight victims. Besides the elder Heinze, they were Brenda Gail Falagan, 49; Russell D. Toler Sr., 44; Russell D. Toler Jr., 20; Chrissy Toler, 22; Michael Toler, 19; and Michelle Toler, 15. The funeral for the eighth victim, Joseph L. West, 30, is to be held mid-month. A ninth victim, a 3-year-old, was on life support at a Savannah, Georgia, hospital as of Saturday, her grandmother said. Guy Heinze Sr.'s father, William Heinze, told CNN affiliate WJXT-TV in Jacksonville, Florida, at the funerals that he doubted his grandson was responsible for the deaths. "We want to know what really happened," he said. "The police may think they know what happened, but we want to really know the truth." Brunswick is about 300 miles southeast of Atlanta on Georgia's Atlantic coast. CNN's Ashley Hayes, Sean Callebs and Chris You

NEW: Police said all of the victims died from "blunt force trauma" The $25,000 award from suit was under appeal . Warrant lists eight counts of first-degree murder for Guy Heinze Jr. Heinze is the son of the man who won the lawsuit .

(CNN) -- Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari denied his nation was involved in last week's deadly attacks on Mumbai, India, and told CNN on Tuesday he's seen no evidence that a suspect in custody is a Pakistani national as Indian officials claim. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari says he believes the Mumbai attackers were "stateless actors." "I think these are stateless actors who have been operating all throughout the region," Zardari said on CNN's "Larry King Live" in an interview set to air Tuesday night. "The gunmen plus the planners, whoever they are, [are] stateless actors who have been holding hostage the whole world." At least 179 people were killed when a band of gunmen attacked 10 targets in Mumbai on Wednesday night, triggering three days of battles with police and Indian troops in the heart of the city -- the hub of India's financial and entertainment industries. Most of the deaths occurred at the city's top two hotels: the Oberoi and the Taj Mahal. Watch Zardari blame "stateless actors" » Indian officials have publicly blamed Pakistani militants for the attacks, and called on Pakistan to hand over a group of wanted militant leaders suspected of plotting them. On Tuesday, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi proposed a joint investigation into the attacks and said, "This is not the time to point fingers." Zardari confirmed he is willing to have Pakistani security officials participate with India in a joint investigation. "The state of Pakistan is in no way responsible," Zardari told King. "... Even the White House and the American CIA have said that today. The state of Pakistan is, of course, not involved. We're part of the victims, Larry. I'm a victim. The state of Pakistan is a victim. We are the victims of this war, and I am sorry for the Indians, and I feel sorry for them." Indian officials have said that the only suspected attacker in custody has told police he is a Pakistani national. Indian intelligence sources have told CNN's sister network, CNN-IBN, that police believe all the attackers were Pakistanis. Indian police say nine of the 10 attackers were killed by Indian forces. Asked about the suspect in custody, Zardari said: "We have not been given any tangible proof to say that he is definitely a Pakistani. I very much doubt it, Larry, that he is a Pakistani." He said Pakistan is looking into the allegation, but added, "Like I said, these are stateless individuals. ... We've had incidents the past two days in Karachi where we've lost more than 40 to 45 people, hundreds injured. These are stateless actors who are moving throughout this region." India summoned Pakistan's high commissioner, the top-ranking Pakistani diplomat in New Delhi, to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's office Monday to inform him that last week's massacre in Mumbai "was carried out by elements from Pakistan." It renewed a demand that Pakistan hand over a group of militant leaders whose extradition it has sought since a 2001 attack on India's Parliament that brought the South Asian nuclear rivals to the brink of war. "The government expects that strong action would be taken against those elements, whosoever they may be, responsible for this outrage," a statement from India's Foreign Ministry said. "It was conveyed to the Pakistan high commissioner that Pakistan's actions needed to match the sentiments expressed by its leadership that it wishes to have a qualitatively new relationship with India." The list reportedly includes Hafiz Mohammed, the head of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, a now-banned Islamic militant group that denied last week that it was involved in the Mumbai attack. The group is blamed for the 2001 attack on India's Parliament. "I am definitely going to look into all the possibility of any proof that is given to us," Zardari said. "At the moment, these are just names of individuals. No proof, no investigation, nothing has been brought forward." If

Pakistani President Zardari: "Stateless actors" behind attacks in Mumbai, India . Indian intelligence sources tell CNN-IBN they believe attackers were Pakistani . Zardari says he doubts suspect in custody is Pakistani . He says he's willing to have Pakistan participate in a joint investigation with India .

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

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

(CNN) -- Panathinaikos sacked Dutch coach Henk Ten Cate on Tuesday after the Greek side lost the league leadership to arch rivals Olympiakos. Ten Cate took over at the Athens-based side last season as Panathinaikos looked to end the dominance of Olympiakos, who have won every Greek championship bar one since 1997. They led the standings until a 2-0 defeat to Olympiakos saw the champions move one point clear of Panathinaikos after 13 games. Panathinaikos are also still in the Europa League and Greek Cup, but this did not prove enough to save Ten Cate, who will be replaced by Nikos Nioplias, the coach of the Greece under-21 team. Ten Cate, who was assistant manager at English Premier League side Chelsea, told the official Panathinaikos Web site that it had been an "honor" to be in charge. "I have laid the groundwork for this team. I respect the fact that some people may not be happy with the general picture, but my assistants and I have given everything to succeed." The 54-year-old was assistant at Chelsea under Avram Grant and was previously number two at Barcelona to Frank Rijkaard. Panathinaikos was his first managerial position and he took them to the last 16 of last season's Champions League, but could not dislodge Olympiakos in the Greek title race. He was on a two-year contract, which still had six months to run on his departure. The 45-year-old Nioplias, was bullish in his official statement on taking charge. "My aim is to achieve with the team as a coach what I have achieved as a player -- win titles." He has an excellent record with the Greek age group teams, taking the under-19 team to the final of the European championship and leading the under-21 squad to the top of their European championship group. On other managerial news, Sinisa Mihajlovic has taken charge of Catania after the Serie A side dispensed with Gianluca Atzori on Monday. Former Bologna coach Mihajlovic has signed a two-year deal with Catania, who are second bottom of the Italian standings.

Coach Henk Ten Cate sacked by Greek giants Panathinaikos . Panathinaikos second in Greek league to arch rivals Olympiakos . Ten Cate was formerly assistant coach at Chelsea and Barcelona . Catania appoint Sinisia Mihajlovic as coach in place of Gianluca Atzori .

(CNN) -- Paolo Maldini and Luis Figo brought down the curtain on their remarkable careers as their Milan clubs both scored victories on the final day of the Serie A season. Maldini was given a special presentation as he made his 902nd and final appearance for Milan. The 40-year-old Maldini was playing his 902nd game for Milan who won 2-0 at Fiorentina while Portuguese international Figo helped champions Inter to a 4-3 home win over Atalanta. Milan's victory helped them secure the third Champions League place in Italy and automatic qualification to the group stages. Juventus, who beat Lazio 2-0 with Vincenzo Iaquinta scoring twice, finished level on points with Milan, while Fiorentina will go into the Champions League final qualifying round after finishing fourth. Inter had clinched the title two weeks ago, with a Zlatan Ibrahimovic double making sure that they would round off their season in style, the Swede finishing Serie A's top scorer with 25 goals. Figo has been with Inter since 2005 and has helped the club to four straight league titles to become a firm favorite with the fans who gave him a rousing farewell. Former Italian international defender Maldini was completing an incredible 24 seasons at Milan. Inter finished top with 84 points with Milan and Juventus on 74, with Fiorentina fourth with 68. In the relegation dogfight, Torino joined Reggina and Lecce in making the drop from Serie A as they lost 3-2 at AS Roma. Bologna beat Catania 3-1 to finish in the 17th place with 37 points, while Torino ended on 34. Bari, Parma and the winner of the promotion playoff will be the newcomers in Serie A next season.

Paolo Maldini plays 902nd and final match for AC Milan in 2-0 win over Fiorentina . Luis Figo ends his career as champions Inter Milan beat Atalanta 4-2 . Torino relegated to Serie B with 3-2 defeat to AS Roma .

(CNN) -- Parts of the Texas town of Wheeler were evacuated Saturday as strong, shifting winds fanned wildfires that had already destroyed three buildings, law enforcement officials said. Wildfires in the Texas panhandle are being fed by sustained winds of about 40 mph. Two homes and one business had been burned down by a fire that had grown to engulf about 8,000 acres by Saturday night, said Lewis Kearney, a spokesman for Texas emergency services. Another 12 homes had been damaged, and 300 homes and 60 business were threatened, according to a report from state emergency officials. The heavy winds -- sustained at about 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph -- were making it hard for helicopters and other firefighting vehicles to battle the blaze, Kearney said. Further complicating matters were three other smaller fires, about 100 acres each, elsewhere in the state that had already stretched emergency resources. There were no immediate reports of injuries in the Wheeler fire. About 200 residents of the town of about 1,400 people on the eastern edge of the Texas panhandle were evacuated Saturday, state officials reported. The fire was believed to have started at about 4 p.m. ET Saturday, according to the state report.

NEW: Wind-driven fire had grown to 8,000 acres Saturday night . Two homes and one business destroyed, hundreds threatened in Wheeler . Wind gusts up to 60 mph hampered helicopters and other firefighting vehicles .

(CNN) -- People who go to Daytona Beach, Florida, by car this weekend will probably wish they hadn't -- they'll definitely stand out in a crowd. Bobby Mitchell, left, and Sheila Justin enjoy Bike Week in Daytona Beach, Florida. The city is being taken over by half a million motorcycle enthusiasts enjoying Bike Week, which began Friday and will end Sunday. The economy may be in a recession, but bikers aren't passing up the chance to soak up some sun and rev up their engines for a few days in Florida for the biggest motorcycle event in the country. "Every indication we've had so far is that this year's going to be a good one," said Kevin Kilian, senior vice president of the Daytona Beach/Halifax Area Chamber of Commerce. The chamber is the managing arm of the city's involvement in Bike Week, a 10-day event that Kilian said takes an entire year to prepare for. Events like Bike Week and its little brother, Biketoberfest, are what keep Daytona Beach running, Kilian said. With 8.5 million visitors each year, special events bring in about $1.3 billion. The two biker events alone generate $650 million of that, he said. The festival didn't always pack in a half-million people, though. In 1988, said Paul Crow, the Daytona Beach police chief at the time, the event had morphed into something very different from what it was when it started. He said he had to battle what he called "the 1 percent problem" -- the small group of gangs whose viciousness and threats against outsiders had allowed them to take over Bike Week. He decided he wouldn't have any more of their troublemaking, Crow said, so he created a task force that evolved into the office of special investigations for the Daytona Beach Police. Its specific purpose was to deal with the problem. Today, Bike Week has been restored as family-friendly event. The event has even drawn in other nearby Central Florida communities -- including Ormond Beach in the north and Port Orange and New Smyrna in the south -- giving bikers more events to attend and places to go. Bike Week caters to a wide demographic of people. "These are people with a lot of disposable income," Kilian said. "They can afford a $30,000 toy." Factors like the economy and this year's long hard winter probably got people more excited about Bike Week because it's a chance to get away, he said. "Everybody needs a break." Ken Logan, 50, a radio producer from Orlando, Florida, has been going to Bike Week for four years. He said he goes to "keep updated on motorcycle stuff as far as styles, what's done to them, meet people who enjoy bikes, to get patches and all the toy stuff, so to speak, and enjoy other people who enjoy the same thing." The ride from Orlando is only 35 minutes, and he said that's half the fun. "Everybody should go -- whether you have a bike or not -- at least once, just to take it in and see what it's about," Logan said. Bobby Mitchell, 52, also a radio producer in Orlando, grew up in Daytona Beach and has been going to Bike Week his entire life. He said it's been more fun in recent years, though. "It's more fun when you actually have a motorcycle," he said. "You get out there and ride alongside people. You're part of the roar, the noise." Not only is Bike Week becoming more family-friendly, but it's more diverse as well, with more women participants, said Kathleen Tolleson, president and CEO of Roar Motorcycles. There's even a "sisterhood bikeride" in which 35 to 50 women ride together. Daytona Beach-based Roar Motorcycles specifically markets accessories and motorcycles for women. This year, Tolleson said, the company is unveiling a new motorcycle designed by women and made

Bike Week in Daytona Beach, Florida, began Friday and ends Sunday . Bike Week caters to a wide demographic of people . Bike Week and Biketoberfest generate $650 million, official says .

(CNN) -- Peruvian President Alan Garcia left Singapore on the eve of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit after reports surfaced that an air force officer was accused of spying for the Chilean government, Peru's foreign minister said Saturday. "We do consider, from the information that have received, that we need an explanation and sanctions to those involved," Foreign Minister Jose Antonio García Belaunde told CNN en Espanol Saturday. He added that he does "not have all the elements of the story here in Singapore," but confirmed that the suspect is "under arrest and in the hands of the judicial power in Peru." Garcia and his Chilean counterpart Michelle Bachelet had planned to attend a workshop Saturday with other world leaders, but the Peruvian leader canceled his agenda to return to Lima. However, there were no plans for a bilateral meeting between leaders from both countries, Belaunde said, dismissing reports that there had been such a session scheduled for Sunday. Belaunde said he has spoken to Chilean Foreign Minister Mariano Fernandez Amunategui about the case, but that his counterpart would not have information until he returns to Santiago. Meanwhile, a Chilean spokeswoman dismissed the espionage allegations. "Chile does not spy," Carolina Toha, spokeswoman for Chile's Interior Ministry. "Chile takes international relations as a serious matter." APEC's 21 member nations -- ranging from Thailand to United States, Chile to China -- represent more than half of the world's economic output. The forum sees its goal as "facilitating economic growth, cooperation, trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region." Chile and Peru have a history of animosity, having fought in the War of the Pacific from 1879 to 1883. Hard feelings linger to this day. The two nations nearly came to war in 1975 when left-wing Peruvian leader Juan Velasco, who was backed by Cuba, wanted to invade Chile, which was led by right-wing Gen. Augusto Pinochet. The invasion was called off and Velasco was deposed in a coup a short while later. Tensions rose again when Peru discovered a Chilean spy mission, but war was averted. More recently, tensions between the two South American nations flared in December after the revelation that Peru's top army general said at a party that Chileans in neighboring Peru would be sent back in coffins or body bags. At the time, Peruvian Defense Minister Antero Flores-Araoz said relations between the two nations will be repaired, calling the incident involving Peruvian Gen. Edwin Donayre "a bump in the road." Bachelet had made similar assertions. Also last year, the World Court agreed to look at an issue concerning Peruvian claims to a disputed maritime area.

President Alan Garcia left Singapore on the eve of the APEC summit . Air force officer was accused of spying for Chile, Peru's foreign minister said . A suspect is "in the hands of the judicial power in Peru," foreign minister said . Chilean spokeswoman dismissed espionage allegations: "Chile does not spy"