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EDINBURGH, Scotland -- Hibernian have named former striker Mixu Paatelainen as their new manager in succession to John Collins -- who resigned last month in frustration at the lack of funds available to buy new players. Paatelainen was a popular playing figure in the distinctive green of Hibernian. The Finn, who enjoyed two playing spells with the Scottish Premier League club, joins from Finnish side TPS Turku. The 40-year-old, who also played for Dundee United, Aberdeen, St Johnstone and St Mirren in Scotland -- as well as Bolton and Wolverhampton in England, confirmed he is relishing the challenge of his new job. "I am very happy to take up this opportunity," Paatelainen said. "Everyone knows of my great affection for this club and I believe my desire to see teams play exciting, attacking and intelligent football fits well with the club's philosophy. "I will bring energy, hard-work and leadership to the squad. I am also committed to working with players, as individuals and groups, to help them to improve. "If I can help one player improve, the team is better. If I can help all players improve, we are much better." Capped 70 times by Finland, Paatelainen helped Turku finish third in the Veikkausliiga last year. Compensation for his release has been agreed. His two playing stints with Hibernian were from 1998-2001 and 2002-2003, either side of a spell with French side Strasbourg. Paatelainen may know some of the Hibernian players who have come through the youth set-up, having been involved in coaching of the club's youngsters during his second playing spell. Hibernian chairman Rod Petrie said: "We are delighted Mixu has agreed to take up the challenge and opportunity of managing Hibernian. We are convinced that he was the strongest candidate, and he impressed us a great deal during his interview. "He has a clear vision of the type of football he wants to play, has strong ideas on man-management and demonstrates excellent leadership qualities. I am sure he will further enhance his growing reputation." E-mail to a friend .

Scottish club Hibernian appoint Finn Mixu Paatelainen as their new manager . The 40-year-old replaces John Collins, who resigned from his post last month . Paatelainen was a popular figure during two different playing spells with Hibs .

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(CNN) -- A bus carrying high school band students tipped over Saturday on Interstate 94 northwest of Minneapolis, Minnesota, killing one person. The bus that was carrying school band members rests upright after it crashed Saturday in Minnesota. Three people were critically injured, authorities said. A second bus traveling with the one that crashed wasn't affected, according to a report posted on the Web site of the Pelican Rapids School District. The students from Pelican Rapids High School were returning from a band trip to Chicago, Illinois, when the accident happened near Albertville, Minnesota, the Minnesota Highway Patrol said. Forty-eight people, including the driver, were on the westbound bus that tipped over about 6 a.m., the Minnesota Highway Patrol said. Everyone on that bus was taken to hospitals for treatment or evaluation, the school district said. Watch rescuers work at the scene » . Pelican Rapids is in west-central Minnesota. The cause of the accident is being investigated. E-mail to a friend .

Bus carrying high school students tips over on Minnesota interstate . One person killed, three critically injured, authorities say . Two buses from Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, were on way home from Chicago, Illinois .

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(CNN) -- Iceland and Sweden plan to take in about 200 Palestinian refugees from Iraq who have been living in refugee camps along the Iraqi-Syrian border, the U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday. More than two dozen refugees stranded at the Al Waleed refugee camp for the last two years will be headed to Iceland in the next few weeks, the agency said. In addition, 155 Palestinians in the Al Tanf refugee camp have been accepted for resettlement in Sweden, it said. Many Palestinians living in Iraq have gotten caught up in the violence that has engulfed the country since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 and have had to flee their homes. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said that out of the estimated 34,000 Palestinians who lived in Iraq since 2003, about 10,000 to 15,000 remain. The UNHCR says about 2,300 Palestinians "are living in desperate conditions along the Iraq-Syria border." They are, the UNHCR says, "unable to return to Iraq or to cross the borders to neighboring countries." It says the Al Waleed camp has 1,400 people and Al Tanf about 900. "UNHCR has repeatedly called for international support for the Palestinians but with few results. Few Palestinians in the border camps have been accepted for resettlement or offered shelter in third countries; 223 Palestinians left to non-traditional resettlement countries such as Brazil and Chile. "Some urgent medical cases were taken by a few European countries, but this is a very small number out of the 2,300 Palestinians stranded in the desert," the UNHCR said in a statement. It noted that Sudan has made an offer to take in some of those Palestinians, and said "UNHCR and Palestinian representatives are finalizing an operations plan that will enable this to take place." Refugees International recently asked the United States government to intervene and resettle the Palestinians in the United States instead of Sudan, which itself is engulfed in sectarian fighting and whose government has been condemned for atrocities. "The Palestinians being resettled in Sudan is obviously not an ideal or preferred solution," State Department spokesman Kurtis Cooper told CNN last month. "But we accept the judgment of the UNHCR that it is preferable to the Palestinians continuing to be stranded in the border area in extremely dire circumstances."

Some 200 Palestinian refugees from Iraq will go to Iceland, Sweden . 2,300 Palestinians "are living in desperate conditions along the Iraq-Syria border" Plans under way to send some refugees to war-torn Sudan .

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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Police tightened security at airports across Pakistan Thursday after receiving reports of a possible suicide attack at the international airport that serves Islamabad. Pakistan's capital was rocked by a suicide attack on the city's Marriott Hotel at the weekend. Officers emptied the parking lot at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport, on the outskirts of Islamabad, said Parvez George of the country's Civil Aviation Authority. Flights were going out of the airport, but police cleared the terminal building of the large crowds that usually gather to see relatives arrive or depart, George said. Muhammad Asghar of Islamabad Police told CNN that authorities placed the airport on high alert after intelligence reports indicated it was under threat of an attack. The country's capital city is on edge since a deadly blast Saturday night at the Marriott Hotel. The explosion killed more than 50 people, including two U.S. military personnel and the Czech ambassador to Pakistan. The bombing wounded more than 250 and sparked a fire that left the hotel in ruins. On Thursday, the Danish intelligence service said one of its employees, Karsten Krabbe, was among the victims of the blast. Krabbe, a 53-year-old married father of two, was a security adviser at the Danish Embassy in Islamabad, which was targeted by a suicide bomber in June. That attack killed six people and wounded more than 20. "Karsten Krabbe lost his life in a cowardly and ruthless terror attack," the Danish intelligence service said in a statement. Reacting to the Saturday's attack, the U.S. government barred employees from major hotels in several Pakistani cities, the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan said. The Embassy in Islamabad added Lahore on Wednesday to a list of three other cities in which U.S. personnel are no longer allowed to visit or stay in major hotels. The Embassy took the measures because of general security concerns, said spokesman Lou Fintor Thursday. He did not comment on a specific threat. In addition to the hotel restriction, the Embassy temporarily suspended visa and other routine consular services for Thursday and Friday. It said it will make available emergency services for U.S. citizens who need passports or are arrested. And an advisory reminded Americans in Pakistan to avoid crowds and demonstrations and to keep a "low profile." It said Americans should vary times and routes while traveling to avoid setting patterns. And it said a travel warning issued on August 7 still stands: U.S. citizens should defer nonessential travel to Pakistan due to continuing security concerns. -- CNN's Zein Basravi and Reza Sayah, and Journalist Nasir Habib contributed to this report .

Benazir Bhutto International Airport on high alert . Intelligence reports indicated airport was under threat of an attack . Officers combed through the airport compound looking for explosives . Danish intelligence says one of its employees was killed in Marriott hotel attack .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- When the Emperors Club VIP said it was sending Kristen, a call girl it described as a "petite, very pretty brunette, 5 feet 5 inches, and 105 pounds," Client 9 was pleased. Ashley Alexandra Dupre writes on her MySpace page: "I have been broke and homeless." "Great, OK, wonderful," he told the escort service's booking agent, according to a federal affidavit. Client 9, later revealed to be New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, was caught arranging the liaison on a federal wiretap. It was the beginning of the end for him. For the woman at the heart of the prostitution scandal, it was just another step on what she calls an "odyssey" of degrading abuse and high aspirations. Court documents reportedly identified Ashley Youmans -- now known as Ashley Alexandra Dupre -- as Kristen, the high-priced prostitute who met with Spitzer at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington on February 13. Dupre is a 22-year-old would-be singer from New Jersey, the New York Times reported Wednesday. She has not been charged with any crime. Watch a report from Dupre's apartment building » . Dupre made a brief appearance Monday in U.S. Magistrate Court as a witness against four people charged with operating Emperor's Club VIP, the prostitution ring, the Times said. Spitzer announced his resignation Wednesday as governor of New York, two days after reports of his connection to the Emperors Club VIP emerged. Dupre told the Times she's mostly gone without sleep since the case became public. "I just don't want to be thought of as a monster," Dupre told the newspaper. She revealed little else in the interview, but her MySpace page offered some insight into her background. Dupre writes that she left home at 17 to begin "my odyssey to New York." "It was my decision, and I've never looked back," she writes. "Left my hometown. Left a broken family. Left abuse. Left an older brother who had already split. Left and learned what it was like to have everything, and lose it, again and again. "Learned what it was like to wake up one day and have the people you care about most gone. I have been alone. I have abused drugs. I have been broke and homeless. But, I survived, on my own. I am here, in NY because of my music." Watch Kyle Youmans describe his sister as "tough" » . In her profile, Dupre says she moved to Manhattan to pursue her music career. "I am all about my music, and my music is all about me," she writes on her MySpace page. "It flows from what I've been through, what I've seen and how I feel." The page includes a picture of Dupre with the slogan "what destroys me, strengthens me." It also features a song titled "What we want" recorded by Dupre, with lyrics including "I know what you want, you got what I want, I know what you need, can you handle me?" On the MySpace page, Dupre lists singers Etta James, Aretha Franklin and Celine Dion, as well as her brother, as her influences. She also offers some advice for those experiencing hard times. "I made it. I'm still here and I love who I am. If I never went through the hard times, I would not be able to appreciate the good ones," Dupre writes. "Cliché, yes, but I know it's true. I have experienced just how hard it can be. I can honestly tell you to never dwell on the past, but build from it and keep moving forward." Her brother, Kyle Youmans, told CNN he would not comment on the case or how his sister earns money, but he said she is "the best sister you could have." "I'm sticking by my sister, doing everything so she'll be fine," Youmans said. "She'll make it through." The family is "holding together" since the Spitzer scandal became public, he added. Dupre's mother, Carolyn Capalbo, told the Times that she and her daughter were close, adding that "she obviously got involved in something much larger than her." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Allan Chernoff contributed to this report.

New York Times: Court documents identify the woman as Ashley Alexandra Dupre . She has not been charged with any crime . Dupre writes on her MySpace page that she abused drugs and has been homeless . "She'll make it through," her brother says .

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JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Some 43 years after a Beatles concert was -- according to popular belief -- banned by Israel, Paul McCartney has announced he'll perform there in September. Paul McCartney says he's looking forward to playing a concert in Israel next month. The show, which will be held September 25 in Tel Aviv, had been rumored for months. Promoters are saying it will be one of the biggest concerts ever held in Israel, and they hope it will encourage other top stars to come to Israel. A web site offering tickets for the concert put prices at 1,500 shekels and 490 shekels or between $426.86 and $139.44 U.S. dollars. Israelis "will finally get the chance to experience a night of music and history they have been waiting decades for," a news release on McCartney's Web site announced Wednesday. Two plane loads of equipment will be arriving with around 100 McCartney production people. The concert will cost around $10 million to produce and the organizers said they are hoping to make a profit. In the mid-1960s, when the Fab Four from Liverpool, England, ruled the music charts, a concert in Israel was proposed. It never happened. The long-told story maintained that Beatlemania was deemed too potentially injurious to Israel's youth. A more recent theory, however, blamed the ban on a tiff between competing concert promoters. Whatever the reason, Israelis never got to experience The Beatles live. Earlier this year, Israel's ambassador to Britain, Ron Prosor, visited Liverpool and apologized to The Beatles for the "misunderstanding." In a letter Prosor wrote: "There is no doubt that it was a great missed opportunity to prevent people like you, who shaped the minds of the generation, to come to Israel and perform." McCartney and Ringo Starr are the only surviving Beatles. John Lennon was slain by a deranged gunman in 1980; George Harrison died of cancer in 2001. McCartney is billing the Tel Aviv show his "Friendship First" concert. "I've heard so many great things about Tel Aviv and Israel, but hearing is one thing and experiencing it for yourself is another," McCartney said in the news release. "We are planning to have a great time and a great evening. We can't wait to get out there and rock."

Former Beatle Paul McCartney to play in Tel Aviv, Israel, in September . Beatles concert was banned by Israel in mid-1960s . Stories differ as to why Fab Four were banned by Israel .

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(CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama on Sunday tried to paint Sen. John McCain as a candidate who is out of touch with the middle class. Sen. Barack Obama speaks about the economy at a campaign event in Detroit, Michigan, on Sunday. Speaking about Friday's presidential debate, Obama accused McCain of not addressing working families. "We talked about the economy for 40 minutes, and not once did Sen. McCain talk about the struggles that middle class families are facing every day," Obama said at a campaign event in Detroit, Michigan. The economy took the lead in Friday night's presidential debate, as both candidates highlighted their plans to bring the United States out of what some are describing as the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. McCain on Sunday brushed off Obama's latest line of attack, saying he has "bigger things to worry about." "Who does he think I was talking about when I said 'people on Main Street'? Who did he think I was talking about, about the necessity of helping the American taxpayers and income -- and Americans who are out there working and trying to keep their jobs?" he said on ABC's "This Week." "I've got bigger things to worry about than that." The Republican presidential candidate did address "Main Street" in the debate Friday night, saying that "we've got to fix the system" because "Main Street is paying a penalty for the excesses and greed in Washington, D.C., and on Wall Street." Still, Obama's campaign pointed out that McCain didn't specifically say "middle class," during the debate. McCain's campaign said Sunday that during the Michigan event, Obama "ignored his [Obama's] record of opposing middle class tax relief, opposing a competitive tax rate, and opposing a plan to incentivize new battery technology." The campaign said Obama's "talk about the middle class is much different than his record." During the debate, McCain repeatedly said Obama "doesn't understand" key issues the country is facing, but at campaign events this weekend, Obama blasted McCain as the candidate who "doesn't get it." Watch the candidates' plans for the upcoming week » . "The truth is, through 90 minutes of debating, John McCain had a lot to say about me, but he had nothing to say about you. Not once did he say the words 'middle class.' Not once did he talk about working families. I think Sen. McCain just doesn't get it," Obama said Sunday. The Obama-Biden campaign continues that argument in a new ad that will begin airing nationally on Monday. The ad says when it comes to the economy, McCain "doesn't get it." "Number of minutes in debate: 90," the announcer says as the words are typed across a blank screen. "Number of times John McCain mentioned the middle class: Zero." The 30-second spot, "Zero," includes portions of Friday night's debate where Obama suggested McCain has followed President Bush on economic policy. Watch the ad » . A recent CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll found when it comes to the economy, 47 percent of voters questioned said Republicans are more responsible for the current economic problems, while 24 percent said Democrats are more responsible. In response to the latest ad, the McCain campaign blasted Obama's tax policy. "John McCain repeatedly pointed to Sen. Obama's vote in favor of higher taxes on families making just $42,000 a year, and his proposal for $860 billion in lavish new government spending which is a crushing burden on middle class families and the Main Street economy," spokesman Tucker Bounds said in a statement Saturday. "If he was honest, Barack Obama knows he was unable to debate the merits of supporting higher taxes on the middle class, and bloated government spending during a looming economic crisis -- it's simply indefensible." The McCain campaign is referring to a June 5, 2008, vote on a resolution (Senate Concurrent Resolution 70) meant to outline the Senate's budget priorities through 2013, but the measure had no practical effect. According to a CNN review of the resolution, it assumes that most of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts pushed by President Bush will expire in that time, which McCain says amounts to a tax increase. Obama and running mate Sen. Joe Biden voted "yes" on the resolution. McCain did not vote. However, the Democrats offered their own cuts in the 48-page resolution, which called for several tax cuts and breaks, including rolling back the alternative-minimum tax and the so-called "marriage penalty." According to an analysis by the independent Tax Policy Center, the tax plan Obama has proposed during the campaign would increase taxes in 2009 on the wealthiest 20 percent of households, while offering tax cuts for the other 80 percent. CNN's Kristi Keck and Emily Sherman contributed to this report.

Barack Obama criticizes John McCain for not saying "middle class" in debate . McCain says that's what he meant by "Main Street" Obama campaign has new ad saying McCain "doesn't get it" McCain campaign slams Obama on tax policy .

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KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Afghan lawmakers have directly accused Pakistan's intelligence agency of involvement in a string of deadly attacks in Afghanistan, blasting their neighbor as "the largest center for breeding and exporting terrorism." The recent attack by a suicide bomber on the Indian embassy in Kabul killed more than 40 people. A Pakistani official Tuesday bristled at the accusation, saying that Afghan lawmakers were making allegations without proof. "We are not an irresponsible nation and we don't blame our failures on others," said a senior official with Pakistan's Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). "If they want to engage in this kind of game, let them be." The Afghan Cabinet made the scathing indictment in a resolution Monday, saying Afghanistan would boycott a series of meetings with Pakistan unless "bilateral trust" is restored. In recent weeks a wave of attacks carried out by Islamic militants have killed scores of people in Afghanistan, including an assault on a military outpost Sunday that killed nine U.S. soldiers, as well as a suicide attack on the Indian Embassy a week ago that killed 58 people. The two incidents, along with an assassination attempt against Afghan President Hamid Karzai at a military ceremony on April 27, are "indicative of the attempts by the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) to once again occupy Afghanistan and to perish the true right of the people of Afghanistan for national sovereignty," the resolution said. Afghanistan regularly accuses Pakistan's intelligence service -- which once had strong ties with the Taliban -- of orchestrating attacks inside its borders. Pakistan has repeatedly denied involvement, including in the incidents that the resolution cited. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates also said there is no indication that "foreign agents" were responsible for the embassy attack. The senior ISI official said Tuesday that if Afghanistan has proof that Pakistani intelligence agents were involved in the attacks, that proof should be presented and the ISI will act on it. The official said that the Pakistani government could also blame incidents in Pakistan, like recent attacks in Karachi and Hangu, on others. But without proof, he said, it would be irresponsible. Pakistan and Afghanistan have a tumultuous history that dates back several years. During the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s, religious schools in Pakistan helped train fighters who battled the Soviets. After the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 1996 and imposed fundamentalist rule, Pakistan was one of the few countries that recognized the regime diplomatically. It dropped its support after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in Washington and New York. But Afghanistan claims that Pakistan continues to informally support the militants, who operate from havens in Pakistan's lawless tribal regions near the porous 1,500-mile border the two countries share. Adding fresh ammunition to the suspicions, the Rand Corp. -- a U.S. think tank -- released a report last month that said some members of Pakistan's intelligence service and its paramilitary corps were helping insurgents in Afghanistan. The study, funded by the U.S. Defense Department, alleged that members of the two agencies often tipped off militants to the location and movement of coalition forces trying to rout them. It also said personnel within the agencies trained fighters at camps in Pakistan, financed them and helped them cross the border into Afghanistan. The Pakistani military denied and denounced the report, calling it a "smear campaign" designed to "create doubts and suspicion in the minds of (the) target audience." Relations between the two countries are strained to such a point that Karzai has threatened to send troops across the border to take on the militants. "The people of Afghanistan and the international community have come to the reality that Pakistan intelligence institutions and its army have become the largest center for breeding and exporting terrorism and extremism to the world and particularly to Afghanistan," Monday's resolution said.

Afghanistan: Pakistan is "largest center for breeding and exporting terrorism" Attacks carried out by Islamic militants have killed scores of people in Afghanistan . Pakistan intelligence service often accused of orchestrating attacks . Pakistan: Afghan lawmakers making allegations without proof .

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NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- Pirates have hijacked a Thai cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden off the Somali coast, the Kenya Seafarers Association said Thursday. The ship, the MV Thor Star, was hijacked Tuesday with 28 Thai crew members on board, said Andrew Mwangura, a spokesman for the association, which acts on behalf of merchant vessels in the region. The Thai-flagged ship is owned by Bangkok-based Thoresen Thai Agencies. Pirate attacks are frequent in the waters off Somalia, a notoriously unsafe area for unescorted vessels. Earlier this month, Canada announced it was dispatching a warship to the area to protect U.N. aid ships after more than two dozen reported pirate attacks in the waters off Somalia this year.

MV Thor Star, was hijacked Tuesday with 28 Thai crew . Cargo ship hijacked in the Gulf of Aden off the Somali coast . Heavily armed pirates frequently hijack cargo ships off Horn of Africa .

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(CNN) -- Three more members of a polygamous sect led by Warren Jeffs are facing sexual assault charges, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said Tuesday. The latest charges come two months after Warren Jeffs and five followers were indicted in Texas. On Tuesday, a Texas grand jury indicted the three male members of Jeffs' Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints compound outside Eldorado, Abbott said. Each faces one felony count of sexual assault of a child. Two of them also face felony bigamy charges. The identities of the men were not released because they had not been arrested as of Tuesday afternoon. In July, the Schleicher County grand jury indicted Jeffs and four of his Texas FLDS followers on child sexual assault charges. Jeffs was charged with sexually assaulting a child under 17. A fifth follower was charged with failure to report child abuse. The charges stem from a state and federal investigation into the sect's Yearning for Zion Ranch. In April, child welfare workers removed more than 400 children from the compound, citing allegations of physical and sexual abuse. After a court battle, the Texas Supreme Court ordered the children returned in June, saying that the state had no right to remove them and that there was no evidence to show the children faced imminent danger of abuse on the ranch. Jeffs, 52, is the leader and "prophet" of the estimated 10,000-member FLDS, an offshoot of the mainstream Mormon church. The FLDS openly practices polygamy at the YFZ Ranch and in two towns straddling the Utah-Arizona state line: Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona. Jeffs, who is facing a sentence in Utah of up to life in prison and is awaiting trial in Arizona, could face another life sentence in Texas if convicted on the latest charge. In Utah, he was convicted on accomplice to rape charges for his role in the marriage of a sect member to a 14-year-old. He faces similar charges in Arizona. His attorney in Arizona, Michael Piccarreta, has questioned the motives of Texas authorities. He said in July that the state's investigation into Jeffs and his followers is an effort "to cover themselves up on the botched attack on the ranch in Texas."

Three members of a polygamous sect led by Warren Jeffs indicted . Texas attorney general: Members of FLDS facing sexual assault charges . Each faces one felony count of sexual assault of a child . In July, a grand jury indicted six other members of the sect .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- A New York appeals court Thursday overturned terrorism convictions for a Yemeni cleric and his personal assistant, saying they did not receive a fair trial. Sheik Mohammed Ali al-Moayad and Mohammed Mohsen Zayed, were sentenced in 2005 to 75 and 45 years in prison, respectively, after being convicted of conspiring to provide material support and resources to foreign terrorist organizations. They now can have new trials under a different judge. The lawyer for al-Moayad, Robert Boyle, said, "I'm extremely gratified at the court's decision. I believe it is legally and factually correct. I hope my client, who is elderly and not in good health, will be given the opportunity to return to his family in Yemen." The three-judge panel was unanimous in its decision, citing evidentiary errors that likely influenced the outcome of the trial. The judges found that certain pieces of evidence presented by prosecutors were prejudicial and had the effect of denying al-Moayad and Zayed a fair trial. Zayed and al-Moayad were arrested in 2003 in a sting operation that culminated in Germany. The government's case relied largely on secretly videotaped conversations between the defendants and a pair of undercover FBI informants at a Frankfurt hotel in 2003. One of the informants, Mohamed Alanssi, testified that al-Moayad boasted about giving money, weapons and recruits to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The charges were brought in the Eastern District of New York because al-Moayad allegedly collected terrorist funds at the al-Farooq mosque in Brooklyn. Now that the appeals court has vacated the convictions, prosecutors have the option of appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court if they feel there is a constitutional issue. They can retry the case or move to dismiss. Al-Moayad, who is in his 60s, is incarcerated at the Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado, as is Zayed. Boyle said he had called the prison and as of 4 p.m. Thursday was still waiting to speak to his client. CNN's Deborah Feyerick contributed to this report.

Mohammed Ali al-Moayad, aide were convicted of supporting terrorism . Court says prejudicial evidence denied pair a fair trial . Al-Moayad, Zayed may be retried or cases may be dismissed . Witness said al-Moayad boasted about giving money to Osama bin Laden .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The commander for NATO forces in Afghanistan said Wednesday that more military presence is "needed as quickly as possible." U.S. troops are seeing an increased threat in Afghanistan, Gen. David McKiernan says. Gen. David McKiernan said the additional military capability is needed because of "an increased number of fighters" coming into Afghanistan from Pakistan's lawless tribal regions. "It's a significant increase from what we saw this time last year," he said at the Pentagon. "We're facing a tougher threat right now, especially in the east where we have the U.S. division," he said. "And so the additional military capability [is] needed as quickly as possible." He said what's necessary includes "boots on the ground" as well as support such as "helicopters, increased intelligence assets, logistics, transportation and so on." Just over a week ago, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that a Marine battalion will head to Afghanistan in November and an Army brigade in January, but no more forces will be available for deployment to Afghanistan until spring or summer of 2009. The week before Gates' announcement, McKiernan had asked for four more brigades -- three more than the one approved to go in January. Three brigades add up to as many as 12,000 troops. The defense secretary, speaking before the Senate Armed Services Committee last month, expressed caution about adding too many troops in Afghanistan. "I think we need to think about how heavy a military footprint the U.S. ought to have in Afghanistan," he told the committee. Instead, Gates said, there should be a focus on increasing the size of the Afghan army. McKiernan, who took command of NATO's International Security Assistance Force earlier this year, said his request of an additional 3,500 people to train the Afghan army and police is still under review. McKiernan noted that he is "cautiously optimistic" regarding Pakistan's military operations against Taliban and al Qaeda fighters inside its borders. "What we're seeing is Pakistani leadership taking on a deteriorated militant sanctuary in the tribal areas that has deteriorated over last several years," he said. McKiernan said it is "probably too early" to see if Pakistan's military clampdown in its tribal areas has had any effect on stemming militant activity in Afghanistan. "We're watching those very closely to see if there's a cause and effect with the strength of the insurgency on the Afghan side of the border," he said. "But we think that's a positive step that they are taking on those militant sanctuaries."

More foreign fighters entering Afghanistan from Pakistan, general says . "We're facing a tougher threat," so more troops needed "as quickly as possible" U.S. Gen. David McKiernan commands NATO forces in Afghanistan . McKiernan has sought three more brigades of U.S. troops than one promised .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Before heading out for a trio of well-publicized meetings with foreign dignitaries Tuesday, Sarah Palin received a briefing from the director of national security, Adm. Michael McConnell. Gov. Sarah Palin is in New York to meet with leaders from around the world. The appearances with world leaders, taking place on the sidelines of the United Nation's General Assembly meetings in New York, come as the campaign of Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain tries to convince voters that Palin is ready for the world stage. Palin's top foreign policy adviser informed reporters of the meeting at a small briefing after Palin's visits with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. The adviser, Stephen Biegun, formerly a top member of the National Security Council under President Bush, characterized the intelligence briefing as "routine" and said it was the sort of meeting that "is standard for candidates for the vice president and president." Biegun said several officials were present to brief Palin. Although Palin held photo-ops with the leaders, she refused to take questions from any reporters. The Alaska governor initially said that no reporters would be allowed to sit in on her meeting with Karzai. She planned to allow in only photographers and one television crew, but she changed her position after at least five U.S. news networks protested. CNN does not send cameras into candidate events where editorial presence is not allowed. Nonetheless, Biegun said, "these are relationships that she intuitively understands are very important for the next president and vice president of the United States." In those get-togethers, Palin kept the focus primarily on energy issues and the growing influence of Russia, according to Biegun. Palin found Kissinger particularly engrossing; their meeting had been scheduled to last 30 minutes, but the two met for nearly an hour and a half. "In talking to Dr. Kissinger," Biegun said, "she certainly had a lot of questions about how the United States can develop a cooperative relationship with Russia, what are some of the unique challenges to the current state of Russia's political development, and having been in particular, some of the recent developments we've seen with Russia: backsliding democracy, Russia's incursion into Georgia." Asked about her meetings with Karzai and Uribe, Biegun said Palin "liked them very much" and "established a great personal rapport." With Karzai, Palin chatted for half an hour about McCain's desire to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. With Uribe, she listened for about 20 minutes as the president discussed the country's security situation and its handling of guerrillas. According to Biegun, "rather than make specific policy prescriptions, she was largely listening, having an exchange of views, and also very interested in forming a relationship with people she met with today." Biegun is helping prepare Palin for her debate with Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Joseph Biden on October 2 in St. Louis, Missouri. He would not say what specific topics Palin was concentrating on in her study sessions. James Hoge of the Council on Foreign Relations, said the Palin meetings are meant to "show, just as [Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack] Obama did when he went to Germany and gave a speech in Berlin, that she is comfortable on the international scene, that she can hold her own in conversations with foreign leaders. Watch what's on Palin's agenda » . Democrats warn that Palin's carefully scripted photo-ops, some of which will include McCain, could backfire by bringing attention to the holes in her résumé. "The big risk that they run with this strategy of having her meet with these leaders individually is that they end up with three days of stories about how she doesn't have foreign policy experience," said Hilary Rosen, a Democratic strategist and CNN contributor. But Republicans point out that Palin is just following in the footsteps of other national candidates such as Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, former governors who needed to beef up their international policy credentials. "The first thing you do is burnish their foreign policy credentials. You buy them a Rand-McNally, you meet with generals, you get a lot of flags on the stage, and you give a big speech on foreign policy to display you have some command of the world," said Alex Castellanos, a Republican strategist and CNN contributor. As a 44-year-old governor who just got her passport last year, she has had to fend off accusations that she is not up to speed on foreign policy. In a recent interview with ABC, she admitted that she has never met with a head of state. Asked last week for specific skills she could cite to rebut critics who question her grasp of international affairs, she replied, "I am prepared." "I have that confidence. I have that readiness," Palin told voters at a town-hall meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan. "And if you want specifics with specific policies or countries, you can go ahead and ask me. You can play 'stump the candidate' if you want to. But we are ready to serve." McCain stepped in, pointing out that as governor of a state that has plenty of oil and gas, Palin was familiar with energy. She knows it to be "one of our great national security challenges," he said. He also cited her nearly two years as commander of Alaska's National Guard. "I believe she is absolutely, totally qualified to address every challenge as the next vice president of the United States," McCain said. CNN's Peter Hamby and Ed Henry contributed to this report.

Palin meets with world leaders on sidelines of U.N. world summit . Meeting with Kissinger stretches into an hour and a half . Palin debates Sen. Joe Biden next week in St. Louis, Missouri . Palin has had to defend herself against charges she lacks foreign policy experience .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday froze the U.S. assets of eight members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which it has deemed a narco-terrorist organization. The Treasury's action, termed a "designation," also prohibited Americans from conducting business with FARC. "Today's designation exposes eight 'International Commission members' of the FARC," said Adam Szubin, director of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control. "Through their service to the FARC as international representatives and negotiators, these persons provide material support to a narco-terrorist organization." The organization, comprised of Colombian leftist rebels, is best known as FARC, its Spanish acronym. The eight in Tuesday's designation represent the FARC in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Panama, Mexico and Canada, the Treasury Department alleged. "As representatives of the FARC and members of its International Commission, these individuals work abroad to obtain recruits, support and protection for the FARC's acts of terrorism," the department said in a written statement. "Some are also themselves violent criminals." One, Jairo Alfonse Lesmes Bulla, was arrested in August for allegedly plotting the assassinations of some South American officials, Treasury said. Bulla represents FARC in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay, according to the department. Another, Orlay Jurado Palomino, who represents FARC in Venezuela, is wanted in Colombia on charges of kidnapping, rebellion and terrorism, the department said. And Francisco Antonio Cadena Collazos, who represents FARC in Brazil, was arrested in August 2005 at the request of Colombia on charges of rebellion, the Treasury statement said. A fourth, Nubia Calderon de Trujillo, was recently granted asylum by Nicaragua, the department said. The other four are Ovidio Salinas Perez; Jorge Davalos Torres; Efrain Pablo Rejo Freire; and Liliana Lopez Palacios, according to the Treasury statement.

Treasury Department targets members of Colombia rebel group . The group, known as FARC, has been deemed a narco-terrorist organization . Action also prohibits Americans from doing business with FARC .

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(CNN) -- At 51 years of age, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk has come a long way. As part of the Kashubian minority living in the Gdansk Region, he was born to working-class parents -- his father a carpenter and his mother a nurse. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk was elected in November 2007. As a student of History at the University of Gdansk in the late 1970s, a period of growing discontent with the Communist regime in Poland, he became actively involved in the creation of the opposition Students' Solidarity Committee, founded in reaction to the murder of student activist Stanislaw Pyjas by the State Security Service. Despite his anti-communist activities, he successfully finished his studies in 1980 and joined the Independent Solidarity Trade Union movement. When the Communists imposed martial law in 1981 he continued with his underground activities, writing pamphlets about the ideas of liberal economist Friedrich Hayek and the concept of private property. His heroes became former U.S. president Ronald Reagan and British prime minister Margaret Thatcher. With the fall of Communism in 1989, the Solidarity Movement splintered. Lech Walesa, the former Solidarity Leader was elected President, while Tusk went on to co-found the KLD (Liberal and Democratic Congress Party) with other well-known figures. The Party stood for among other things: free market economy, privatization, individual freedom of Polish citizens and Polish accession to the EU. The following year, during the 1991 Parliamentary elections, the KLD won 37 seats in the lower house of the Polish Parliament. Not being able to follow up on their success in the 1993 elections, the KLD merged with the larger Democratic Union Party (UD) to form a new party called Freedom Union (UW). Tusk soon became Deputy Chairman and in the 1997 elections, he was voted into the Senate. In 2001, Tusk formed the Civic Platform Party (PO), winning seats in that year's parliamentary elections and becoming Deputy Speaker in parliament. But the Civic Platform was not able to sustain its success in the 2005 elections. Tusk and his party lost both the presidential and parliamentary elections to Lech Kacczynski's PiS (Law and Justice Party). This setback was not to last as Tusk triumphed over Jaroslaw Kaczynsky's PiS in the October 2007 elections and became prime minister of Poland. Tusk's economic policies are pro-business: less bureaucratic hurdles and state interference making it easier for entrepreneurs to start businesses. He is also trying to woo back more than a million Poles who left the country to work in other European Union countries after it joined the EU in 2004. Tusk is a keen footballer, viewed in his youth as a promising striker. He is married to historian Malgorzata and has two children, Kasia and Michal.

Involved in anti-communist activities as a student in Gdansk . In 1989 Tusk co-founded the KLD (Liberal and Democratic Congress Party) In 1997 he was voted into the Polish Senate . Became prime minister of Poland after 1997 parliamentary election .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- In a column appearing in Newsweek, world affairs expert and author Fareed Zakaria said he thinks it would be best for Republican presidential hopeful John McCain if Gov. Sarah Palin bowed out as his vice presidential running mate. "For him to choose Sarah Palin to be his running mate is fundamentally irresponsible," says Zakaria. Zakaria says McCain did not put the country first in making his V.P. choice, and he says Palin is not qualified to lead the United States. CNN spoke to him about his commentary titled, "Palin is ready? Please." CNN: What did you initially think when Sarah Palin was announced as the Republican vice presidential nominee? Zakaria: I was a bit surprised -- as I think most people were. But I was willing to give her a chance. And I thought her speech at the convention was clever and funny. But once she began answering questions about economics and foreign policy, it became clear that she has simply never thought about these subjects before and is dangerously ignorant and unprepared for the job of vice president, let alone president. Watch Zakaria slam Sarah Palin » . CNN: You don't think she is qualified? Zakaria: No. Gov. Palin has been given a set of talking points by campaign advisers, simple ideological mantras that she repeats and repeats as long as she can. But if forced off those rehearsed lines, what she has to say is often, quite frankly -- nonsense. Just listen to her response to Katie Couric's question about the bailout. It's gibberish -- an emptying out of catchphrases about economics that have nothing to do with the question or the topic. It's scary to think that this person could be running the country. Here is their exchange: . Katie Couric: Why isn't it better, Gov. Palin, to spend $700 billion helping middle-class families who are struggling with health care, housing, gas and groceries; allow them to spend more and put more money into the economy instead of helping these big financial institutions that played a role in creating this mess? Gov. Sarah Palin: That's why I say I, like every American I'm speaking with, we're ill about this position that we have been put in where it is the taxpayers looking to bail out. But ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health-care reform that is needed to help shore up our economy, helping the -- it's got to be all about job creation, too, shoring up our economy and putting it back on the right track. So health-care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions and tax relief for Americans. And trade, we've got to see trade as opportunity, not as a competitive, scary thing. But one in five jobs being created in the trade sector today, we've got to look at that as more opportunity. All those things under the umbrella of job creation. This bailout is a part of that. CNN: But Dan Quayle wasn't very qualified and that didn't seem to matter, did it? Zakaria: This is way beyond Dan Quayle. Quayle was a lightweight who was prone to scramble his words, or say things that sounded weird, but you almost always knew what he meant. One of his most famous miscues was to the United Negro College Fund when he said, "What a terrible thing to have lost one's mind. Or not to have a mind at all." Now he was trying to play off a famous ad that the group used to run, "A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste." And he screwed it up in a funny way. But read Gov. Palin's answers and it does appear that she doesn't have any understanding about the topic under discussion. CNN: But she has a lot of supporters. Zakaria: Look, I'm not saying that she is not a feisty, charismatic politician who has done some good things in Alaska. It is just we are talking about a person who should be ready to lead the United States at a moment's notice. She has never spent a day thinking about any important national or international issue, and this is a hell of a time to start. CNN: Does it make you concerned about Sen. McCain as a president? Zakaria: Yes, and I say this with sadness because I greatly admire John McCain, a man of intelligence, honor and enormous personal and political courage. However, for him to choose Sara Palin to be his running mate is fundamentally irresponsible. He did not put the country first with this decision. Whether it is appropriate or not, considering Sen. McCain's age most people expected to have a vice presidential candidate who would be ready to step in at a moment's notice. The actuarial odds of that happening are significant, something like a one-in-five chance.

Fareed Zakaria says John McCain did not put country first with his choice . Palin should bow out saying she wants "to spend more time with her family," he says . Zakaria: This is "hell of a time" for Palin to start thinking about national, global issues .

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JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni declared victory Thursday in an election to lead the ruling Kadima Party, putting her on a path that could make her Israel's first female prime minister in 34 years. Kadima candidate Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is the chief Israeli negotiator with the Palestinian Authority. Livni won with 43.1 percent of the vote, claiming a 431-vote margin of victory over Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, the Kadima Party said. Mofaz announced Thursday he will take a "time out" from politics and will resign his seat in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. But he indicated he does not intend his departure from front-line politics to be permanent. Livni's election marks a stunning rise for the 50-year-old, who entered the Knesset less than 10 years ago. "It's a leap of faith for the people," analyst Avi Shavit said. "They decided to trust a candidate they don't know much about." She may owe her victory over Mofaz, a former general, to her reputation for clean hands in a party losing its leader to allegations of graft. "Kadima members are more concerned about the corruption threat inside Israel than the security threat from Hamas and Iran," Israeli columnist Gil Hoffman said. As new leader of the ruling party, Livni will try to form a coalition government and become prime minister after the departure of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who has been dogged by allegations of corruption. Olmert plans to inform the Cabinet on Sunday that he will resign, said Mark Regev, his spokesman. He has congratulated Livni and pledged to help make a smooth transition, according to Regev. Livni told reporters Thursday that she intends "to bring together Kadima factions and to go on this new path together." Watch Livni at the ballot box » . Her slim margin of victory stood in contrast to exit polls that had shown her with a commanding lead over Mofaz and other rivals. Mofaz telephoned Livni to congratulate her on the victory, according to Israel Radio. Livni said she hoped to ensure stability in Israel's government. "We need to face complicated threats. We need to face security threats. We need to move forward, and there is economic instability," she said. Livni has about 42 days to form a coalition government. If she fails, there could be early elections that could see another party leader elected as Olmert's successor to the prime minister post. There are many possible scenarios that could take place in the following months. Ehud Barak -- leader of the Labor Party, which holds the most parliamentary seats among Kadima's coalition partners -- could pull out of the coalition. That could force early elections, or force the government to take on new coalition partners who could restrict Livni's ability to negotiate with the Palestinians. If elections are called, Barak, a former prime minister, could vie for the top spot -- but polls show he may not have enough support. Some observers think that former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, head of the opposition Likud Party, could steal the show in the end. Whoever succeeds Olmert as prime minister will be handed a set of daunting challenges, including determining the fate of Israel's talks with the Palestinians, its fledgling indirect talks with Syria and its tough talk on Iran's nuclear aspirations. Livni, who is more widely known outside Israel than her main challenger, is the chief Israeli negotiator with the Palestinian Authority as the two sides work toward a peace deal. She refuses to be tied to the Bush administration's vision of a peace deal by the end of this year. "We want to reach an agreement which at the end of the agreement we can find the words 'end of conflict,'" she said. "And in doing so, it takes time." To her supporters, she is squeaky-clean and a welcome change to Olmert, whose resignation comes amid mounting corruption charges. "She's very honest, very sincere and I hope she's going to do whatever she says," one of her supporters said. "We have to give her a chance and I'm willing to do it." CNN's Paula Hancocks and Michal Zippori contributed to this report.

NEW: Runner-up, Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, resigning from Knesset . Livni claims victory in vote for leadership of ruling Kadima party . Win could make her Israel's first female prime minister in 34 years . Livni beat Mofaz by a narrow margin .

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(CNN) -- Tokyo may not be traditionally beautiful and it has few historic sights, but it is undeniably spectacular. You'll want to walk around the city, feeding off the incredible energy, rubbernecking at the skyscrapers and marveling at the sheer "Tokyoness" of it all. Get to Tsukiji fish market by 5 a.m. for an unforgettable experience. Ginza is the most stylish stretch of the city-- all flagship stores and pricey restaurants. It's a great place to window shop and tech-heads shouldn't miss the Sony Building, where they can get excited over the latest gadgets and marvel at a whole floor devoted to the PlayStation. For something more traditional, visit the Kabukiza Theatre. The ornate theater only dates back to 1949, but Kabuki plays have been around for at least 400 years. There are two performances a day and shows can last up to five hours, but you can buy tickets for a single act. Down by the Sumida River the Tsukiji fish market is an absolute must see -- unfortunately, you absolutely must see it at around 5 a.m. The early morning auction sees a rowdy crowd of restaurateurs battling to outbid each other for the best of the day's catch. Visitors aren't officially allowed, but as long as you don't get in the way and don't take any flash photos, your presence will be tolerated. Shibuya is the futuristic Tokyo that's inspired countless sci-fi films. The intersection in front of Shibuya Station is a sprawl of gleaming office blocks adorned with illuminated billboards and surrounded by relentless surging crowds. In the north of Shibuya, the Meiji Shrine Inner Gardens contain some 125,000 trees and shrubs, providing a suitably peaceful setting for the Shinto Meiji-jingu Shrine. Like Shibuya, Shinjuku is a bustling entertainment hub and virtually a city in itself. A world away from the bright lights of Nishi Shinjuku, and the red lights of Kabukicho, Golden Gai is an atmospheric ghetto of alleyways crammed with ramshackle bars, evoking a bygone Tokyo of the 1960s. Traditionally Tokyo's straight-laced business district, Marunouchi has recently developed into one of the city's most exciting areas, with swanky department stores, upmarket restaurants and sophisticated bars. You can find all of those inside the vast Shin-Marunouchi building. The glass and steel Tokyo International Forum is a glittering post-modern masterpiece that functions as a convention center and art gallery, housing various shops and eateries. Nearby, the Imperial Palace East Gardens are an immaculate oasis in the historic and geographical heart of the city. The gardens are open all year but the Imperial Palace itself is only open to the public on 2 January and 23 December, the Emperor's Birthday. If the streets of Tokyo aren't enough of an adrenaline rush, head to the Suidobashi area of Kanda, where Korakuen Amusement Park and La Qua boast high-octane thrill rides. La Qua's Thunder Dolphin is an unbelievable roller coaster that loops among rooftops and takes a short cut through the center of a Ferris wheel. For thrills of a more sophisticated nature, the Mori Art Museum on the 53rd floor of the Roppongi Hills Mori Tower combines contemporary art with fantastic views, while Ueno Park is home to Tokyo National Museum and the National Museum of Western Art, both highly recommended. Where to stay | What to see | Where to be seen | Where to eat | Where to shop . ...................... Do you agree with our Tokyo picks? Send us your comments and suggestions in the "Sound Off" box below and we'll print the best.

Stylish Ginza is the place to go for flagship stores and quality restaurants . Get yourself to the Tsukiji fish market for 5 a.m. to see it in full swing . The Meiji Shrine Inner Gardens provide a beautiful setting for the Shrine itself . Mori Art Museum is a winning combination of modern art and stunning views .

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MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- The Somali government has asked Russia to intervene against pirates who have seized a Ukrainian cargo ship, the Somali ambassador to Russia said Wednesday. The U.S. Navy released this observance photo of the MV Faina, which is loaded with weapons and tanks. But the Russian navy issued a statement later in the day saying it had no intention of using force against the pirates, the Russian news agency Interfax reported. "The questions of freeing the ships and crew are being dealt with in line with the corresponding international practices," Interfax quoted Navy spokesman Igor Dygalo as saying. "For understandable reasons, the use of force would be an extreme measure because it could threaten the life of the international crew of the ship." The pirates took over the MV Faina last week off the coast of Somalia and are demanding a $20 million ransom for the ship's cargo of 33 Soviet-made T-72 tanks, tank artillery shells, grenade launchers and small arms. The ship is anchored within Somalia's 12-mile territorial limit. "The government and the president of Somalia are allowing the Russian naval ships to enter our waters, and fight against pirates both in the sea and on the land, that is, if they would have to chase them," Amb. Mohamed Handule said at a news conference in Moscow. "We think that this issue of piracy has exceeded all limits. It is very dangerous that pirates are now laying their hands on arms -- not just for Somalia, not only for the navigating, but for the entire region in general," he added. "Right now, pirates are controlling the sea in this area, but just imagine if they get control of the land too." The announcement raised concern among some officials monitoring the situation. Watch Russian warships move to confront pirates » . "We may have bad news," said Andrew Mwangura of the Kenya Seafarers Association. Mwangura said some of the Ukrainian crew's family members are concerned for their loved ones' safety and have called him to see if he can communicate with the pirates. He urged negotiations to continue. "For the safety of the crew members," Mwangura said, "let the ship owners talk with the pirates." Watch Mwangura talk about the rise in pirating » . A Russian navy ship sailing toward the Faina is in the Atlantic Ocean and "still has a bit of water to get here," said U.S. Navy Lt. Stephanie Murdock, who is stationed in nearby Bahrain. "There is no estimated time of arrival yet." The U.S. Navy has several ships in the area monitoring the situation. "There have been no changes today," Murdock said. The Navy has not communicated with the Russian ship but will work out coordination when it arrives, Murdock said. The Russian ship Neustrashimy is headed to the region solely to protect Russian shipping, according to the Russian navy spokesman. "The navy command has been stressing that the Neustrashimy, from the Baltic Sea Fleet, has been given the task of arriving in the area of Somalia and guaranteeing for a certain time the safe seafaring of Russian ships in the area with a high risk of pirate attacks. The essence of the mission is to prevent the seizure of Russian ships by pirates," Dygalo said. Handule, the Nigerian ambassador, seemed to criticize the United States for not taking action. "Ships of more than 10 countries are now close to our shores, but we are not satisfied with the results of their activities," he said. Citing U.N. Security Council Resolution 1816, Handule said, "We are inviting all countries, all states who have possibility to support Somalia to fight against ... pirates. We are especially inviting Russia and giving special status to Russian warships to fight, to help Somalia." The latest developments came two days after three pirates were killed when they started shooting at each other, according to Mwangura, the Kenya maritime official. The shootout centered on a disagreement between moderate and radical pirates aboard the ship, Mwangura said. The moderates wanted to surrender, but the radicals did not. The pirates hijacked the ship off the coast of Somalia September 25. The Faina had been headed to the Kenyan port of Mombasa after departing from Nikolayev, Ukraine, and was seized not far from its destination. The Faina is owned and operated by Kaalbye Shipping Ukraine, and its crew includes citizens of Ukraine, Russia and Latvia, the Navy said. Abdi Salan Khalif, commissioner of the coastal town of Harardhere, told CNN the pirates told a group of town elders that one crew member had died of high blood pressure problems. Attacks by pirates have increased dramatically in the waters off Somalia's northern coast in the past year, prompting the U.S. and other coalition warships to widen their patrols in the region. Three ships were hijacked on August 21 in that area, the "worst number of attacks" in a single day in many years, Capt. Pottengal Mukudan of the International Maritime Bureau told CNN. After the spate of attacks, the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain announced that it would begin patrolling a newly established shipping corridor in the Gulf of Aden in an attempt to protect international shipping. Canada also sent a warship through the end of September. The International Maritime Bureau said in April that 49 pirate attacks on ships were reported in the first three months of 2008, compared with 41 for the same period last year. It recorded 263 pirates attacks last year, up from 239 the year before and the first increase in three years.

NEW: Somalia wants Russian warships to intervene; Russia rules out using force . Pirates captured Ukrainian MV Faina, loaded with weapons, off Somalia's coast . Officials fear weapons will get into terrorists' hands . Ships from 10 countries, including U.S., in region; Somalia fed up with inaction .

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(CNN) -- It used to be called "the love that dare not speak its name" -- particularly in Hollywood, where the revelation of homosexuality was believed to be a career-killer. Clay Aiken recently announced he was gay on the cover of People magazine. Now, out gays and lesbians are as casually visible as the cover of People magazine, which has recently run stories on Ellen DeGeneres' wedding to Portia de Rossi and Clay Aiken's decision to discuss his sexuality. So, in a time when self-declared bisexual Tila Tequila can have a highly rated MTV show on looking for a partner of either sex, Lindsay Lohan talks about her relationship with DJ Samantha Ronson and "Star Trek's" George Takei can have a very public wedding with his longtime partner, is coming out still a big deal? Publicist Howard Bragman, author of the forthcoming "Where's My Fifteen Minutes" (Portfolio), says that it is. "Every person that comes out is another barrier coming down," Bragman, who is openly gay, told CNN.com. Acceptance by the mainstream public, he observes, is easier but by no means automatic, particularly when issues such as gay marriage are at stake. "I look at it as a long-term process. The revolution is over -- now it's an evolution." Watch "American Morning's" Lola Ogunnaike look at changing attitudes » . Bragman was around when a performer revealing his or her homosexuality could still shock. He helped guide Dick Sargent when the "Bewitched" star came out of the closet in 1989, and remembers when it was difficult to get support for movies such as "Philadelphia," the 1993 film that won Tom Hanks an Oscar as a lawyer dying of AIDS. Now, he observes, there are gay actors -- "How I Met My Mother's" Neil Patrick Harris may be the most notable -- playing straight roles, something that would have been almost unthinkable even a few years ago, since studios have often been nervous casting known gay performers in straight roles. " 'We'll buy Hanks as a gay man but not the opposite,' " Bragman describes the industry thinking. Indeed, there are now more gay characters in prime-time television than ever. Shows such as "Ugly Betty," "The Office" and "Grey's Anatomy" feature gay or bisexual characters, and this fall, five more will hit the airwaves, bringing the total to 16, according to a study by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). "It's certainly positive that there is such a dramatic increase," GLAAD's president, Neil Giuliano, told CNN. "Number one, it reflects society, and the fact that we are more visible, and it also makes good television. Portrayals are almost more honest and real." Peter Sprigg, vice president of policy for the conservative Family Research Council, doesn't agree. "I'm convinced that for the most part, these characters are placed on television for propaganda purposes, in order to persuade people to be more accepting of homosexual conduct," he told CNN. "In that sense, the result for society is likely to be negative." But Bryan Batt, the gay actor who plays the closeted Salvatore Romano on the Emmy-winning "Mad Men," says that viewers are more accepting of gay characters today, though concerns linger. "Yes, I did think maybe this going to hurt me career-wise [to come out], but I come from Broadway and a lot of theater background. So, you know, no one really cares ... you don't have to be straight to act straight. You don't have to be gay to play gay," he told CNN. Watch Batt talk about the challenges of a gay actor » . But, he adds, "There is, I think, a little bit of homophobia. I do believe that through education and seeing good, honest, positive gay role models, it will just educate. I think we are producing generations now of youth that do not judge people; they don't judge people on their race or their religion or their sexuality." April Woodard, a correspondent for "Inside Edition," told CNN Headline News' "Showbiz Tonight" that rejection may have been on Aiken's mind. The singer, a born-again Christian, had long declined to talk about his sexuality, and with a strong Middle American fan base, may have been afraid of a backlash. "There are definitely going to be some people in the South where he lives that aren't going to agree with it, and some of the Christians are not going to agree with his lifestyle and even having a child out of wedlock," she said. For his part, Aiken -- who recently became the father to a newborn son -- told People that coming out "was the first decision I made as a father. I cannot raise a child to lie or hide things. ... I've never intended to lie to anybody at all. The fans, if they leave, they leave. But if they leave, I don't want them hating me." Bragman believes Aiken will be more successful than ever. "I'm sure, anecdotally, you'll have people not buying the next Aiken album because he's gay, but it will be statistically insignificant. If you're a fan, you're a fan," he said. Aiken and other gay celebrities have generally received support from their colleagues and the public. "Heroes" star Kristen Bell, who is straight, told CNN that "[Aiken] shouldn't really have to acknowledge it." "What surprises and saddens me is that it still is big news," she said. But Bragman observes that the decision to come out remains intensely personal. "It's not a career move -- it's a personal move," he said. "[It's saying,] 'I need to do this for me.' " There are still many performers and industry notables, he says, who threaten to sue if their sexuality is revealed. Others live gay social lives but don't talk about their sexuality -- the so-called "glass closet." And, as Bragman notes, gay stars are generally from the second tier: "There are still no A-list movie stars out of the closet, there are still no superstar athletes," he said. "It's great to see how far we've come," he said. "[And] we all long for the day when it's a nonstory. But we're not there yet."

Stars such as Clay Aiken admitting they're gay not shocking anymore . Gay characters more prominent on TV than ever . Still, challenges remain: privacy, industry concerned about earning power .

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ISTANBUL, Turkey (CNN) -- Turkish authorities have arrested 13 people in connection with blasts that killed 17 people in Istanbul last week, Interior Minister Besir Atalay said Saturday. Video from last week's bombing in Istanbul shows bloodied people being loaded into ambulances. Of those arrested, 10 were sent to judicial court, Atalay said in a televised news conference. He described the attack as the "work of the bloody separatist group," but did not identify a group by name. No one has claimed responsibility for the blasts, which went off within minutes of each other in Istanbul's crowded Gungoren community. About 154 people were wounded, state-run Anadolu news agency reported. Istanbul Gov. Muammer Guler, who called the blasts "an act of terror," said last week that the explosive devices were placed 15 meters (49 feet) from each other. The first was a stun grenade that was detonated to draw attention before the second blast went off, he said. The other, a bomb, had been placed in a trash can. Turkey -- a candidate for European Union membership -- has pushed its anti-terror campaign on multiple fronts. Tensions between Turkey » and Kurdish rebels have risen over the Kurdistan Workers' Party's increasing attacks and Turkey's subsequent crackdown. The rebels, known as the PKK, have waged a decades-long battle for an autonomous Kurdish region in Turkey's southeast. Last month, 86 people -- including former military officials, journalists, politicians and businessmen -- were indicted on charges of being involved with an alleged terror group called Ergenekon, which aims to topple the Turkish government. The arrests and indictments dramatize the sharp and serious political tensions between the country's Islam-rooted ruling party -- the Justice and Development Party, or AKP -- and its outspoken critics from the nation's secularist population.

Attack was conducted by "bloody separatist group," Interior minister says . 2 explosions, minutes apart, hit residential area in Turkey's largest city Sunday . Those arrested were responsible for earlier bombing June 15, says minister .

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(CNN) -- The recent snowstorm in China, which has stranded hundreds of thousands of people across the country and killed dozens, is related to the La Nina phenomenon, according to a Chinese weather expert . Suzhou, China, is blanketed by the most snow the city has had in 25 years, according to I-Reporter Susan Arthur. La Nina is the opposite of El Nino, which follows El Nino and occurs every few years. During La Nina, sea temperatures over eastern equatorial Pacific are lower than normal. La Nina enhances Arctic weather systems and causes a cold winter in Asia, including in China. As warm and moisture air from the south meets cold air in the north under freezing temperatures, snow forms. "The warm air is very active this year," said Li Weijing, deputy director-general of the National Climate Center of China. As a result, persistent snowstorms occur in central and western China, paralyzing the transport and electricity systems. The current storm, which hit just ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday -- China's busiest shopping season -- has shut much of the nation down. China's transportation system and power grid have been paralyzed this week. The storm also has cost the nation's economy $4.5 billion, according to figures released Wednesday by the Civil Affairs Ministry. Watch how Nanjing is coping with the unusual weather » . The winter precipitation had caused at least 49 deaths due to collapsed roofs and treacherous travel conditions, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and local officials said. More than 177 million Chinese were expected to travel by train, and 22 million more by plane, for the February 7 Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival. China uses a color system for its snowstorm warning: . The current once-in-50-years snowstorm calls for the red warning, the first time such a warning has been issued since the system launches. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Clarence Fong contributed to this report. Copyright 2008 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

"The warm air is very active this year", said Li. Current snowstorm calls for the first-ever, most severe red warning . Hundreds of thousands of people have been stranded, dozens killed .

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(Mental Floss) -- Over the centuries, people have had some very good reasons to dress up like a member of the opposite sex. After record-setting Olympics athlete Stella Walsh died in 1980, it was revealed that she had indeed been a man. And I'm not talking about people who live this way out of personal preference, or those who dress up for theater and entertainment. Here are just five examples. 1. Cross-dressing to join the army . Until recently, women have rarely been allowed to serve as soldiers. So what was a gal to do if she wanted to serve her country? Naturally, disguise herself as a man and join the troops. At least 400 Civil War soldiers were women in drag. These included Union Army soldier "Frank Thompson" (also known as Sarah Edmonds), whose small frame and feminine mannerisms (rather than causing suspicion) made her an ideal spy, as she could spy on the Confederates disguised as... a woman! She wasn't the first woman to don a male disguise and join the army, though. During the Revolutionary War, women fought as men on both sides. Hannah Snell, for example, joined the British army to find her husband, who had walked out on her to enlist. Once her true sex was discovered (thanks to a pesky groin injury), she became a national celebrity in Britain, and made a post-war career of performing in bars as the "Female Warrior." Mental Floss: The Confederacy's plan to conquer Latin America . 2. Cross-dressing to keep a royal family together . With all the power play that went on in the court, the French royal family would go to great lengths to avoid sibling rivalry. In one of the more extreme cases, Philippe I, Duke of Orleans (1640-1701), was raised as a girl to discourage him from any political or military aspirations. This would make things easier for his brother, the future King Louis XIV. Philippe wore dresses and make-up, enjoyed traditionally feminine pursuits, and was even encouraged towards homosexuality. A girly man he might have been, but he married twice and even had a mistress. When necessary, he could even lead an army into battle. (This is the nation, after all, that gave us that famous cross-dresser Joan of Arc.) A brave commander, he would go into battle wearing high heels, plenty of jewelry and a long, perfumed wig. One of his wives claimed that Philippe's biggest fear when going into battle was not bullets, but the possibility of looking a mess. He avoided gunpowder (with the black smoke stains) and didn't wear a hat, to avoid ruining his hair. Mental Floss: 11 weird & wonderful wedding rings . 3. Cross-dressing to win Olympic glory . Dressing in drag has been part of the Olympics (on and off) since ancient times, when women were banned from the bulk of the Games. The Greek historian Pausanias of Damascus said that if a spectator was uncovered as a woman in male disguise, she was duly escorted off the premises... and thrown off a cliff. In later Games, the athletes started performing naked, and the crowd was also ordered to disrobe. It has been suggested that this was to ensure that they were all men. In the modern Olympics, there has been less disrobing -- and not much cross-dressing, either. Gender tests have been normal procedure since 1966 (for athletes, not spectators), so they couldn't really get away with it. Before that time, one of the strangest -- and most controversial -- cases was Polish sprinter Stanislawa Walasiewicz (aka Stella Walsh), who set 11 world records in her career, winning the 100-meter Olympic finals in 1932 with what one official described as "long man-like strides." After she died in 1980, however, it was revealed that she had indeed been a man. So had he deliberately set out to fool everyone all that time? Perhaps not. Walasiewicz had a condition known as "mosaicism," which gave her male chromosomes. Did they give her an unfair advantage? It is difficult to say. However, if she tried out for the Olympics today, she would not be allowed to compete as a woman. Mental Floss: 13 medal-worthy Olympic stories . 4. Cross-dressing to commit espionage . There have been many instances of cross-dressing spies (including Sarah Edmonds, mentioned above), but one of the most impressive deceptions in history was carried out by Shi Pei-Pu, a singer with the Beijing Opera (in which, traditionally, all roles are played by men). In 1964 he disguised himself as a woman to seduce Bernard Boursicot, an attache in the French Foreign Service. Their affair lasted 20 years (on and off), during which Boursicot passed several official documents to Shi, believing that "her" safety was at risk if he didn't participate. After they were separated in 1965, Shi came back into Boursicot's life by claiming to be pregnant, and even revealed a baby boy. They later lived as a family. The happy couple was eventually arrested for espionage in 1983, and Shi's secret was revealed, Crying Game style, to the stunned Boursicot. But how did they have this romance for so long without Bousicot knowing the truth? Officially, they rarely made love, and always did it hurriedly and in darkness -- something that Boursicot always ascribed to Shi's demure Chinese upbringing. One theory, however, is that he always knew the truth, but played dumb to conceal his homosexuality. (He later came out.) The affair was the basis for the play "M. Butterfly." It was filmed in 1993, starring Jeremy Irons and former Beijing Opera player John Lone (better known for the title role in the film "The Last Emperor"). 5. Cross-dressing to get rowdy . Hindu women in India have traditionally lived inhibited lives, tending the home for their families. But on one night each year, in the city of Jodhpur, they come to life at the so-called "Festival of Fun." Dressed as noblemen, complete with turbans and large fake mustaches, they walk the streets in gangs, brandishing sticks, beating any males who are foolish enough to be out there. The festival celebrates an ancient domestic dispute between the Hindu god Shiva and his wife Ganwar. While the women sing devotional songs asking the goddess to return to her husband, they also take this as their only opportunity to do what they long to do all year: behave like men. Their husbands, respecting the tradition, let them go wild. It sounds like fun (as long as you're not a clueless male who forgot to stay at home that night), but one thing concerns me: if a woman's disguise is especially good, does she risk being mistaken for a man and beaten up by her friends? For more mental_floss articles, visit mentalfloss.com . Entire contents of this article copyright, Mental Floss LLC. All rights reserved.

Cross-dressers have: Spied, joined armies, won Olympic medals, been royalty . At least 400 U.S. Civil War soldiers were women in drag . Spy disguised himself as woman to seduce attache in French Foreign Service . Hindu women in Jodhpur, India, "go wild," dressing as men once each year .

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COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- A Sri Lankan government minister narrowly escaped injury Thursday when a suicide bomber in a car detonated explosives, police said. File image of Maithripala Sirisena taken in May, 2007. Two of the minister's bodyguards were hurt in the blast, which occurred in a southern suburb of the capital city, Colombo. The minister, Maithripala Sirisena, heads the agriculture department. He is also the secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, a partner in the ruling coalition. Authorities blamed the attack on Tamil Tigers rebels. The fighting in Sri Lanka pits government forces in a country dominated by the Sinhalese ethnic group against rebels from the Tamil minority. The rebels, formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, are fighting for the creation of an independent nation, citing discrimination by the Sinhalese. On Monday, a suicide bombing blamed on rebels killed at least 27 people, including a prominent politician and his wife. Another 60 were wounded. That bombing took place in Anuradhapura, the capital of Sri Lanka's North Central province.

Minister's bodyguards hurt in blast in southern suburb of Colombo . Maithripala Sirisena heads the agriculture department . Authorities blamed the attack on Tamil Tigers rebels .

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KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Fighting raged in Afghanistan over the weekend, with a suicide bombing slaying six people, a NATO-led soldier and an Afghan police officer dying in an "altercation," and troops killing several insurgents in battles, authorities said. Fighting between the Taliban and NATO forces continues to rage in Afghanistan. The suicide bombing on Sunday killed six people in a bazaar in Spin Boldak, located in Kandahar province, NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said on Monday. Along with the deaths, at least 17 people were wounded, and ISAF condemned the assault. Four of those killed were Afghan border police officers, ISAF said. The location is in southern Afghanistan. The ISAF soldier and an Afghan police officer were killed after seven people were apprehended in connection with a roadside bombing in Paktia province on Sunday that targeted an Afghan National Police and ISAF patrol. The location is in eastern Afghanistan. "The detained civilians were then transferred to the ANP station at the Jaji District Center. While at the district center, there was an altercation during which an ANP officer and one ISAF soldier were killed," ISAF said in a Monday news release. The U.S.-led coalition on Monday reported fighting between U.S. and Afghan troops and insurgents over the last two days -- Sunday in Kandahar province and Saturday in Helmand province. "Several insurgents" were reported killed in both incidents. Two insurgents died in fighting on Friday in another southern region -- Zabul province, the coalition said on Monday.

Militants kill eight people and injure at least 17 in latest attacks . Insurgents killed a coalition soldier in eastern Afghanistan . Soldier's name and nationality held until family members could be notified .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Britain's Prince William has helped the U.S. Coast Guard bust a drug smuggling boat carrying cocaine worth a minimum of $80 million. Prince William has helped bust a speed boat smuggling $80 million worth of cocaine. William, who is serving in the Royal Navy, helped make the bust last weekend when he spotted a speedboat found to be carrying nearly a ton of cocaine in the Atlantic Ocean, Britain's Ministry of Defense said Wednesday. William, 26, was one of the crew members aboard a helicopter attached to the frigate HMS Iron Duke who spotted the ocean-going speedboat hundreds of miles northeast of Barbados, the defense ministry said . The 50-foot-long power boat raised suspicions because it was a small vessel far out to sea and resembled a "go-fast" boat commonly used for drug smuggling, the ministry said. The boat's location suggested it was en route to Europe or North Africa, it said. The chopper's crew informed the ship's captain about the boat, and U.S. Coast Guard personnel who were on the frigate then boarded the boat. They found 45 bales of cocaine weighing a total of 900 kilograms (just under a ton), the defense ministry said. The cocaine has a minimum street value of $80 million, the ministry said. The bust went smoothly with no violence, defense officials said. Navy crew detained the five men on the boat, which was in poor condition and later sank. William is in the middle of a two-month attachment with the Royal Navy as part of his continued experience with various branches of the military. The prince, who is called sub lieutenant Wales in the navy, is also expected to spend time aboard a mine hunter and submarine during his attachment, which ends August 1. William's vessel, the Iron Duke, is a patrol boat which supports overseas British territories in the event of a hurricane and carries out counter-narcotic operations. William completed a four-month attachment with the Royal Air Force earlier this year and received his pilot's wings on graduation in April. He learned to fly three different aircraft during the attachment and is known as Flying Officer Wales within the RAF. William is already a second lieutenant in the British Army, where he serves in the Blues and Royals regiment of the Household Cavalry. The attachments are designed to give the prince, who as king will be the head of the armed forces, experience with the military.

Prince William has helped the U.S. Coast Guard bust a drug smuggling boat . Boat carrying cocaine with a street value of at least $80m, officials say . Prince William helped spot the boat hundreds of miles northeast of Barbados .

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Editor's note: Bryan Batt, who plays the closeted art director Salvatore Romano in the Emmy award-winning cable TV series "Mad Men," has acted in nine Broadway and nine Off-Broadway productions, such as "Sunset Boulevard," "Beauty and the Beast," "Jeffrey" and "Starlight Express." Batt, who is 45, has been acting for 23 years. He spoke to CNN.com about being an openly gay actor. "We have to work toward acceptance on all levels," says actor Bryan Batt, who is openly gay. (CNN) -- There was once a time when the revelation of one's homosexuality in Hollywood was thought to be a career-killer. Now, out gays and lesbians such as TV host Ellen DeGeneres and pop singer Clay Aiken are featured on the cover of People magazine. There are also more gay characters on prime-time television shows than ever before. But even with greater acceptance by the mainstream public, is coming out still a big deal? To shed light on the issue, CNN recently spoke to Bryan Batt, 45, about his experience as an openly gay actor in Hollywood. CNN: Has being openly gay affected your career? Batt: I came from the stage; much of my experience has been on the Broadway and Off-Broadway stage. Being gay never really posed a problem. In the Broadway community, it's always been a little more accepted. There's something different with film acting and TV acting. You're in someone's home -- it's more intimate. When I look at someone, I really don't care about whom they're sleeping with or what they're doing. I'm thinking they either have talent or no talent. But people are really obsessed with wanting to know about the ins and outs of people's private lives. It's still like high school. Batt plays both straight, gay roles » . CNN: When did you come out? Batt: My real Broadway break was in "Starlight Express." At that time, I was toying with [coming out]. It's harder to live a lie than to try to hide your natural instincts and your natural longings just to conform to what other people think you should be. I've heard of people doing it in Hollywood. It's a very sad and difficult choice. I think it's a personal journey, and I think people on their own time will figure it out. Clay Aiken is still really very, very young; he has to deal with his own issues. Thank God, when it was my time, no one was pushing me; no one was trying to force me. It was on my own terms intimately with my mother and brother. It went wonderfully. My mother said, "No matter what, you're my son. I'm going to love you." Not one of my family or friends turned their back on me. I was fortunate, but it was still a very difficult thing to do, and I was fearful. Afterwards, it was like the heaviest weight was taken off my back; all those years worrying for nothing. But not everyone is as lucky; some people are shunned and kicked out of their homes and families, which is criminal. Just this year, I was asked to host a fundraiser for The Point Foundation, a wonderful group that provides full college scholarships to gay and lesbian students of merit who have suffered such treatment by their families and cannot afford tuition and the necessary funds for higher education -- an inspiring organization. I only told my mother and my brother after I was cast in "Jeffrey," a play by Paul Rudnick that was the first AIDS comedy. I said to myself, if I get this, I've just got to sit down and talk with my family. My partner and I have been together 19 years, and that was the same time he told his parents. A good parent knows; they love and accept. What most good parents want for their children is for their child to be happy and healthy and be good contributing members of society. CNN: Are there barriers to what openly gay actors can do today? Batt: It's just like any prejudice, once you let go of any prejudice they all have to go. They're not based on facts, just on stereotypes. I really think yes, there might be some homophobia in Hollywood, but it's based on what will sell. Hollywood is a huge industry, a multibillion-dollar business. If actors who are gay will get ratings and will sell, they will get cast. There are always going to be people who look at people who are different and who disapprove [of them] either through fear or through ignorance. We have to work toward acceptance on all levels. How long ago were the civil rights movement and the women's movement? And, still today, women don't make the same amount of money as men do for doing the same job. CNN: What's your view of the character you play, Salvatore Romano, in "Mad Men"? Batt: The character basically is clearly gay to a 2007 audience, but no one in the world of 1960 is suspicious whatsoever. What a great role to play. This season, I'm married. I get stopped all the time on the street, and I get asked, "When is your character coming out?" What is he coming out to in 1962? I asked to get married this season. I thanked [series creator] Matthew Weiner, and he said, "You asked." It provides another wonderful level to the character. That is what happened then and unfortunately still happens today. [In a recent episode, the "Gold Violin,"] the scene with my wife, it was just so poignant and painful, someone said to me that what she loved about the episode was that we clearly did love each other. We were like the gold violin, we were beautiful but we just didn't make music . CNN: What would you like to see Hollywood do? Batt: Continue to reward good work and put positive role models out there. The one thing about "Brokeback Mountain" -- it was a beautifully filmed and acted film depicting a tortured relationship. The reason I thought the movie was so great is people walked away thinking, "Why couldn't they just be together?" The more positive or interesting the portrayal of gay and lesbian characters, the better. They should show people who are living their good, healthy, responsible, productive lives as role models who just happen to be gay. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the subject.

Actor Bryan Batt, who's openly gay, plays a closeted man in TV series "Mad Men" Homophobia that still exists in Hollywood is based on what will sell, Batt says . He believes positive, interesting portrayals of gays and lesbians are beneficial .

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(CNN) -- Three aid workers have been shot over the last day in Somalia, two of them fatally, Somali media reports said. Somalis prepare Monday to bury murdered Osman Ali Ahmed, the head of the U.N. Development Program. The first fatality was a Somali, Mohamed Mohamud Qeyre. He was the deputy director of the group Daryeel Bulasho Guud (DBG), funded by a German company and affiliated with the group Bread for the World. Qeyre was shot in the Somali capital of Mogadishu Friday night in what appeared to be a targeted attack, the reports said. He was shot by three gunmen outside the facility where aid distribution is coordinated. The gunmen may have been staking out the facility waiting for Qeyre to exit. The head of DBG, in Nairobi, Kenya, said he will suspend all aid operations in Somalia for the time being. The second fatality was a member of the Sodra nongovernmental organization, which is helping with humanitarian efforts in Somalia. Officials said it appears that Ali Baashi was also specifically targeted by gunmen. Earlier this week, the World Food Program said a truck driver carrying its relief supplies was killed -- the fourth WFP driver killed in Somalia this year. Ahmed Saalim was shot when fighting broke out between convoy escorts and militiamen at a checkpoint, the U.N. aid agency said. A growing percentage of the Somali population has become dependent on humanitarian aid. A severe famine swept the nation in 1991-1993, devastating crops, killing up to 280,000 people and displacing up to 2 million, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The situation has been exacerbated by drought, continual armed conflicts in central and southern Somalia and high inflation on food and fuel. Journalist Mohamed Amin contributed to this report.

Three aid workers have been shot over the last day in Somalia, two of them fatally . One victim worked for aid agency, DBG, which has suspended operations . Four World Food Program drivers of relief supplies killed this year . Somalis dependent on humanitarian aid since 1993 famine, ongoing war, drought .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Picture this: you're sat down for the Football World Cup final, or a long-awaited sequel to the "Sex and the City" movie and you're watching all the action unfold in 3-D on your coffee table. The future of television? This image is an impression of what 3D holographic television may look like. It sounds a lot like a wacky dream, but don't be surprised if within our lifetime you find yourself discarding your plasma and LCD sets in exchange for a holographic 3-D television that can put Cristiano Ronaldo in your living room or bring you face-to-face with life-sized versions of your gaming heroes. The reason for renewed optimism in three-dimensional technology is a breakthrough in rewritable and erasable holographic systems made earlier this year by researchers at the University of Arizona. Dr Nasser Peyghambarian, chair of photonics and lasers at the university's Optical Sciences department, told CNN that scientists have broken a barrier by making the first updatable three-dimensional displays with memory. "This is a prerequisite for any type of moving holographic technology. The way it works presently is not suitable for 3-D images," he said. The researchers produced displays that can be erased and rewritten in a matter of minutes. To create television sets the images would need to be changing multiple times each second -- but Peyghambarian is very optimistic this can happen. He said the University of Arizona team, which is now ten-strong, has been working on advancing hologram technology since 1990 -- so this is a major step forward. He believes that much of the difficulty in creating a holographic set has now been overcome. "It took us a while to make that first breakthrough, but as soon as you have the first element of it working the rest often comes more rapidly," he said. "What we are doing now is trying to make the model better. What we showed is just one color, what we are doing now is trying to use three colors. The original display was four inches by four inches and now we're going for something at least as big as a computer screen." There are no more great barriers to overcome now, he said. The breakthrough has made some long-time researchers of the technology believe that it could now come to fruition. Tung H. Jeong, a retired physics professor at Lake Forest College outside Chicago who had studied holography since the 1960s told NJ.com; "When we start talking about erasable and rewritable holograms, we are moving toward the possibility of holographic TV ... It has now been shown that physically, it's possible." And what might these holographic televisions look like? According to Peyghambarian, they could be constructed as a screen on the wall (like flat panel displays) that shows 3-D images, with all the image writing lasers behind the wall; or it could be like a horizontal panel on a table with holographic writing apparatus underneath. So, if this project is realized, you really could have a football match on your coffee table, or horror-movie villains jumping out of your wall. Peyghambarian is also optimistic that the technology could reach the market within five to ten years. He said progress towards a final product should be made much more quickly now that a rewriting method had been found. However, it is fair to say not everyone is as positive about this prospect as Peyghambarian. Justin Lawrence, a lecturer in Electronic Engineering at Bangor University in Wales, told CNN that small steps are being made on technology like 3-D holograms, but, he can't see it being ready for the market in the next ten years. "It's one thing to demonstrate something in a lab but it's another thing to be able to produce it cheaply and efficiently enough to distribute it to the mass market," Lawrence said. Yet, there are reasons to be optimistic that more resources will be channeled into developing this technology more quickly. The Japanese Government is pushing huge financial and technical weight into the development of three-dimensional, virtual-reality television, and the country's Communications Ministry is aiming at having such technology available by 2020. Peyghambarian said there are no major sponsors of the technology at present, but as the breakthroughs continued, he hopes that will change. Even if no major electronics company commit themselves, there is hope that backers could come from outside of the consumer electronics industry, he said. "It could have some other applications. In training it's useful to show people three-dimensional displays. Also it would be good to show things in 3-D for defense command and control and for surgery," he said.

Researchers have created the first rewritable and erasable holographic images . Holographic televisions could come out of the wall or up from a table . The 3-D hologram technology could have uses in surgery or in the military .

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Editor's note: Bryan Batt, who plays the closeted art director Salvatore Romano in the Emmy award-winning cable TV series "Mad Men," has acted in nine Broadway and nine Off-Broadway productions, such as "Sunset Boulevard," "Beauty and the Beast," "Jeffrey" and "Starlight Express." Batt, who is 45, has been acting for 23 years. He spoke to CNN.com about being an openly gay actor. "We have to work toward acceptance on all levels," says actor Bryan Batt, who is openly gay. (CNN) -- There was once a time when the revelation of one's homosexuality in Hollywood was thought to be a career-killer. Now, out gays and lesbians such as TV host Ellen DeGeneres and pop singer Clay Aiken are featured on the cover of People magazine. There are also more gay characters on prime-time television shows than ever before. But even with greater acceptance by the mainstream public, is coming out still a big deal? To shed light on the issue, CNN recently spoke to Bryan Batt, 45, about his experience as an openly gay actor in Hollywood. CNN: Has being openly gay affected your career? Batt: I came from the stage; much of my experience has been on the Broadway and Off-Broadway stage. Being gay never really posed a problem. In the Broadway community, it's always been a little more accepted. There's something different with film acting and TV acting. You're in someone's home -- it's more intimate. When I look at someone, I really don't care about whom they're sleeping with or what they're doing. I'm thinking they either have talent or no talent. But people are really obsessed with wanting to know about the ins and outs of people's private lives. It's still like high school. Batt plays both straight, gay roles » . CNN: When did you come out? Batt: My real Broadway break was in "Starlight Express." At that time, I was toying with [coming out]. It's harder to live a lie than to try to hide your natural instincts and your natural longings just to conform to what other people think you should be. I've heard of people doing it in Hollywood. It's a very sad and difficult choice. I think it's a personal journey, and I think people on their own time will figure it out. Clay Aiken is still really very, very young; he has to deal with his own issues. Thank God, when it was my time, no one was pushing me; no one was trying to force me. It was on my own terms intimately with my mother and brother. It went wonderfully. My mother said, "No matter what, you're my son. I'm going to love you." Not one of my family or friends turned their back on me. I was fortunate, but it was still a very difficult thing to do, and I was fearful. Afterwards, it was like the heaviest weight was taken off my back; all those years worrying for nothing. But not everyone is as lucky; some people are shunned and kicked out of their homes and families, which is criminal. Just this year, I was asked to host a fundraiser for The Point Foundation, a wonderful group that provides full college scholarships to gay and lesbian students of merit who have suffered such treatment by their families and cannot afford tuition and the necessary funds for higher education -- an inspiring organization. I only told my mother and my brother after I was cast in "Jeffrey," a play by Paul Rudnick that was the first AIDS comedy. I said to myself, if I get this, I've just got to sit down and talk with my family. My partner and I have been together 19 years, and that was the same time he told his parents. A good parent knows; they love and accept. What most good parents want for their children is for their child to be happy and healthy and be good contributing members of society. CNN: Are there barriers to what openly gay actors can do today? Batt: It's just like any prejudice, once you let go of any prejudice they all have to go. They're not based on facts, just on stereotypes. I really think yes, there might be some homophobia in Hollywood, but it's based on what will sell. Hollywood is a huge industry, a multibillion-dollar business. If actors who are gay will get ratings and will sell, they will get cast. There are always going to be people who look at people who are different and who disapprove [of them] either through fear or through ignorance. We have to work toward acceptance on all levels. How long ago were the civil rights movement and the women's movement? And, still today, women don't make the same amount of money as men do for doing the same job. CNN: What's your view of the character you play, Salvatore Romano, in "Mad Men"? Batt: The character basically is clearly gay to a 2007 audience, but no one in the world of 1960 is suspicious whatsoever. What a great role to play. This season, I'm married. I get stopped all the time on the street, and I get asked, "When is your character coming out?" What is he coming out to in 1962? I asked to get married this season. I thanked [series creator] Matthew Weiner, and he said, "You asked." It provides another wonderful level to the character. That is what happened then and unfortunately still happens today. [In a recent episode, the "Gold Violin,"] the scene with my wife, it was just so poignant and painful, someone said to me that what she loved about the episode was that we clearly did love each other. We were like the gold violin, we were beautiful but we just didn't make music . CNN: What would you like to see Hollywood do? Batt: Continue to reward good work and put positive role models out there. The one thing about "Brokeback Mountain" -- it was a beautifully filmed and acted film depicting a tortured relationship. The reason I thought the movie was so great is people walked away thinking, "Why couldn't they just be together?" The more positive or interesting the portrayal of gay and lesbian characters, the better. They should show people who are living their good, healthy, responsible, productive lives as role models who just happen to be gay. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the subject.

Actor Bryan Batt, who's openly gay, plays a closeted man in TV series "Mad Men" Homophobia that still exists in Hollywood is based on what will sell, Batt says . He believes positive, interesting portrayals of gays and lesbians are beneficial .

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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- JPMorgan Chase & Co. said Sunday that it is buying troubled Wall Street firm Bear Stearns, amid deepening fears that Bear's demise could have sent shockwaves across already shaky financial markets. The deal to buy Bear Stearns is worth an estimated $236 million. The deal values Bear Stearns at $236 million, or just $2 a share. Shares had closed at $30 on Friday, down 47 percent that day. "Effective immediately, JPMorgan Chase is guaranteeing the trading obligations of Bear Stearns and its subsidiaries and is providing management oversight for its operations," said a statement released Sunday by JPMorgan. Shareholders must approve the deal, which is expected to close by the end of June. JPMorgan is taking immediate responsibility for Bear's trading obligations and assuming "management oversight" of the firm's operations. The deal has already been approved by the Federal Reserve and other regulators, according to the statement. The Fed is providing special emergency financing for up to $30 billion in Bear Stearns assets. "JPMorgan stands behind Bear Stearns," said Jamie Dimon, chairman and chief executive of JPMorgan. "Bear Stearns clients and counterparties should feel secure that JPMorgan is guaranteeing ... risk," he continued. The fast-track deal is expected to close by the end of June, the statement said. Bear Stearns was on the brink of financial collapse Friday when JPMorgan and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said they would provide the brokerage a short-term loan. Bear was dealing with a classic "run on the bank." The firm's short-term creditors refused to lend the firm any more money and simultaneously demanded repayment of outstanding debt. The one-two punch overwhelmed Bear's cash position. With the global credit crisis worsening, the Fed -- along with officials from the Treasury Department and other government agencies -- took the dramatic action to prevent the investment bank from going under and igniting widespread panic through the financial markets. Watch a discussion on the impact on global markets » . Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on Sunday that talks about how to rescue Bear had continued throughout the weekend. He defended the Fed's bailout on Friday as "the right decision" and said the Bush administration was ready to take other actions to bring stability to the financial markets. He would not say what might have happened had the government failed to step in. "I'm not going to speculate about what-ifs," he said. "I'm just going to say our clear priority right now -- our number one priority, everything we're doing in the economic arena -- is to minimize instability, minimize spillover into the real economy." Bear Stearns has approximately 14,000 employees worldwide. The deal marks an inglorious chapter for 85-year-old Bear Stearns, a storied Wall Street firm the unraveling of which has been fast and furious. Rumors that Bear Stearns was on the verge of collapse started buzzing around Wall Street trading desks last Monday. Chief Executive Alan Schwartz -- who took over as CEO in early January from longtime chief Jimmy Cayne -- appeared on television on Wednesday afternoon to reassure the markets that the firm was stable. But by Thursday night, Bear was in a severe crunch. Some firms that trade with it effectively stopped offering it credit because they feared that Bear was running short of short-term funding, or liquidity. "The past week has been an incredibly difficult time for Bear Stearns," said Alan Schwartz, president and CEO of Bear Stearns. "This transaction represents the best outcome for all of our constituencies based upon the current circumstances." White House spokesman Tony Fratto told CNN on Sunday that Paulson has briefed U.S. President George W. Bush on the Federal Reserve's role in helping to facilitate the purchase. "We appreciate the actions taken by the Federal Reserve this evening," said Fratto. "Secretary Paulson and Chairman Bernanke are actively engaged in addressing issues affecting our financial markets. Secretary Paulson has kept the President briefed on recent developments." Shares of Bear Stearns opened last week at $69.75 and traded as high as $159 last year. E-mail to a friend .

Acquisition values Bear Stearns shares at $2; shares closed Friday at $30 . U.S. Fed providing financing for up to $30 billion in Bear Stearns assets . Bear Stearns was facing "run on the bank" on Friday . Deal, if approved by shareholders, will close in June .

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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (CNN) -- Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin abused her power as Alaska's governor and violated state ethics law by trying to get her ex-brother-in-law fired from the state police, a state investigator's report concluded Friday. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is under investigation for the firing of her public safety commissioner. "Gov. Palin knowingly permitted a situation to continue where impermissible pressure was placed on several subordinates in order to advance a personal agenda," the report states. Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan's refusal to fire State Trooper Mike Wooten from the state police force was "likely a contributing factor" to Monegan's July dismissal, but Palin had the authority as governor to fire him, the report by former Anchorage prosecutor Stephen Branchflower states. The investigator's report states Palin's efforts to get Wooten fired broke a state ethics law that bars public officials from pursuing personal interest through official action. Watch what led to investigation » . The lawyers representing both Sarah and Todd Palin issued a three-page attack on the investigative report, including the contention that Ethics Act violations can only involve financial motives and financial "potential gain, or the avoidance of a potential loss." "Here, there is no accusation, no finding and no facts that money or financial gain to the Governor was involved in the decision to replace Monegan," the lawyers said. Any abuse of power, they said, was on the part of the Legislative Council members, not the Palins. "Sen. French and Sen. Green may have abused their government power by using public money to pursue a personal vendetta against the Governor, and then agreeing to pursue the PSEA attack against an administration that would not cave in to outrageous union demands." "Put bluntly, Branchflower completely misapplied the Ethics Act and has instead sought to create a headline to smear the Governor," the lawyers wrote. Monegan has said he was fired in July after refusing pressure to sack Wooten, who had gone through an acrimonious divorce and custody battle with Palin's sister. View a timeline of the investigation » . Monegan said he was "relieved" by the findings. "I believed and had the opinion that I was terminated because I did not fire Wooten," he told CNN. "Now these findings say that that's what happened, so I feel relieved." Palin and her husband, Todd, have consistently denied wrongdoing, describing Wooten as a "rogue trooper" who had threatened their family -- allegations Branchflower discounted. "I conclude that such claims of fear were not bona fide and were offered to provide cover for the Palins' real motivation: to get Trooper Wooten fired for personal family reasons," Branchflower wrote. The Branchflower report states Todd Palin used his wife's office and its resources to press for Wooten's removal, and the governor "failed to act" to stop it. But because Todd Palin is not a state employee, the report makes no finding regarding his conduct. The bipartisan Legislative Council, which commissioned the investigation after Monegan was fired, unanimously adopted the 263-page public report after a marathon executive session Friday. About 1,000 more pages of documents compiled during the inquiry will remain confidential because they involve private personnel matters, according to the council's chairman, state Sen. Kim Elton. "I believe that these findings may help people come to a conclusion on how they should vote" in the presidential election, Elton said. McCain-Palin campaign spokeswoman Meg Stapleton said Palin would cooperate with the Personnel Board investigation. The Palins' lawyer has said an investigator named by that board wants to question them in late October. Stapleton called the investigation "a partisan-led inquiry" run by supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, but hailed its finding that Monegan's firing broke no law. "Gov. Palin was cleared of the allegation of an improper firing, which is what this investigation was approved to look into," she said. Stapleton went on to say that the Legislature exceeded its mandate in finding an ethics violation. "Lacking evidence to support the original Monegan allegation, the Legislative Council seriously overreached, making a tortured argument to find fault without basis in law or fact." Rep. John Coghill, a Republican who criticized the handling of the investigation, said it was "well-done professionally." He said Palin "bumped right against the edges" of the state's ethics laws but that he would give "the benefit of the doubt to the governor, though, at this point." Palin originally agreed to cooperate with the Legislative Council inquiry, and disclosed in August that her advisers had contacted Department of Public Safety officials nearly two dozen times regarding her ex-brother-in-law. But once she became Sen. John McCain's running mate, her advisers began painting the investigation as a weapon of Democratic partisans. Ahead of Friday's hearing, Palin supporters wearing clown costumes and carrying balloons denounced the probe as a "kangaroo court" and a "three-ring circus" led by supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. The state senator managing the probe, Sen. Hollis French, fueled those complaints with a September 2 interview in which he warned the inquiry could yield an "October Surprise" for the GOP. But Palin's lawyers already had begun pushing for the state Personnel Board to launch its own investigation, calling it the proper legal venue for the matter. "The report speaks for itself," French told CNN Friday night. CNN's Tracy Sabo contributed to this report.

NEW: Report: Palin violated state ethics law . NEW: McCain campaign denounces affair as "partisan-led inquiry" Legislative panel investigating July dismissal of public safety commissioner .

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LONDON, England -- Lewis Hamilton has escaped punishment after allegations of erratic driving behind the safety car in the Japanese Grand Prix last weekend. Vettel ran into the back of Webber when they were racing behind Hamilton. The FIA ruled that Hamilton would suffer no penalty after inquiring into the accident when Sebastian Vettel crashed into Mark Webber in Fuji. Vettel's original 10-place penalty on the Chinese Grand Prix starting grid was replaced with a reprimand. The stewards studied film of the incident, including amateur video footage, before announcing their verdict. They said: "Having heard the explanation of all concerned and viewed both the original film of the incident which was available to stewards at Fuji as well as the new film, what has become apparent is the view clearly expressed by all drivers and team managers alike that the conditions at Fuji were exceptionally bad and worse than those experienced when the race starts behind the safety car. "Because of those views, the stewards accept that it may be inappropriate to impose the penalty normally applied for an offence such as this. "In the circumstances the stewards will reduce the penalty imposed on Vettel to a reprimand. "The involvement of Lewis Hamilton in this incident has also been considered in the light of evidence given by him, his team manager and in particular all other parties present and no penalty is imposed upon him." The 22-year-old British rookie, who drives for McLaren-Mercedes, leads the race for the world championship by 12 points, with two rounds left, and there had been speculation that he might lose some of those points if the FIA found him culpable. Hamilton had strengthened his title bid with a superb victory at Fuji in appalling conditions which twice saw the safety car deployed. As the field trailed behind the safety car on the second occasion, Toro Rosso's Sebastien Vettel drove into the back of Red Bull's Mark Webber, causing them both to retire. The drivers, who were lying in second and third places behind Hamilton a the time of the accident, both criticized Hamilton for driving erratically and slowing up and down. The incident was missed by television cameras but footage, taken from the grandstand, was shown on the YouTube Web site. It appeared to show Hamilton pulling over to the right-hand side of the track and slowing down markedly, in turn forcing Webber to slow down, which caught Vettel on the hop. Webber said: "It definitely contributed to Sebastian hitting me up the back because he (Hamilton) wasn't doing what he was supposed to be doing, clearly. "He spoke in the drivers' meeting about how good a job he was going to do and he did the opposite. Still, we know for next time," added the Australian. Webber stressed, however, that he had not complained to the stewards about the incident. On Friday he issued a statement saying: " I would just like to make it clear that, although I criticized Hamilton's driving in yesterday's FIA Press Conference, at no time have I made any official complaint about anyone's driving following Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix." Hamilton, speaking at practice for the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, had protested his innocence before the verdict was announced. "I had a good weekend, I didn't put a foot wrong. I didn't do anything to put anyone else in danger," he said. "I've come away to China and all of a sudden I'm going to be punished for something. "I just think it's a real shame for the sport. Formula One's supposed to be about hard, fair competition. That's what I've tried to do this year, just be fair. "There's been some real strange situations this year where I'm made to look the bad person and, by the looks of it, this weekend be given a penalty. "If this is the way it's going to keep going, it's not somewhere I really want to be." E-mail to a friend .

Lewis Hamilton is cleared of erratic driving in the Japanese GP . The FIA probed a crash between Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber . Hamilton had been ahead behind the safety car .

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(CNN) -- Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari has won the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced Friday. Former Finland President Martii Ahtisaari twice worked to find a solution in Kosovo. "Ahtisaari is an outstanding international mediator," said Ole Danbolt Mjoes, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. "Through his untiring efforts and good results, he has shown what role mediation of various kinds can play in the resolution of international conflicts." The committee cited Ahtisaari's "significant" part in establishing Namibia's independence and his "central" role in solving the question of the Indonesian province of Aceh in 2005. Watch as Finland celebrates the announcement » . Ahtisaari twice worked to find a solution in Kosovo -- first in 1999 and again between 2005 and 2007. He also worked with others this year to find a peaceful solution to the problems in Iraq, the committee said. Ahtisaari and his group, Crisis Management Initiative, also contributed to resolving other conflicts in Northern Ireland, Central Asia, and the Horn of Africa, the committee said. "The Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to express the hope that others may be inspired by his efforts and his achievements," Mjoes said. The committee awards the peace prize annually according to guidelines laid down in the will of its founder, Alfred Nobel. He specified the prize should go to whoever "shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses." The prestigious prize includes a medal, a personal diploma, and 10 million Swedish crowns ($1.4 million) in prize money. Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore shared last year's prize with the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change. The committee plans to award the prize to Ahtisaari on December 10 at Oslo City Hall in Norway. The peace prize is one of five Nobel prizes awarded annually. The others -- for physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, and literature -- were announced this week and will be awarded in Stockholm, Sweden later this year.

Committee cited Ahtisaari's "significant" part in Namibia's independence . Worked with others this year to find a peaceful solution in Iraq . Helped broker a deal in troubled Indonesian province of Aceh in 2005 . Ahtisaari left office in March 2001 .

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(CNN) -- A strong earthquake measuring 6.1 in magnitude struck southern Iran on Wednesday, according to a report from the U.S. Geological Survey. The citadel at the city of Bam, Iran in 2005, hit by a quake in 2003 when 30,000 people died. The quake demolished nearly 200 villages in Iran's Hormozgan Province, according to Iran's Press TV, citing the head of the provincial disaster management headquarters, Yasser Hazbavi. At least six people were killed and 46 others were injured, Hazbavi told Press TV. People panicked and fled buildings when the temblor struck in the quake-prone region around 3:30 p.m. Iranian time (1100 GMT), Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported. It also knocked out power to the region. See map of quake's epicenter » . The epicenter was located 35 miles (55 km) west-southwest of Bandar e-Abbas, Iran -- just across the narrow Strait of Hormuz from the United Arab Emirates -- according to USGS. Mehdi Rezapoor, head of the Iranian Seismological Center, said it was "a medium-sized quake." Speaking on Press TV, Rezapoor had no details on damage, but said that based on the quake's strength, "I don't think it was very extensive." The quake shook nearby Dubai, where CNN staff members said they felt the building they were in shake for about 15 to 20 seconds. "From my office window at the Dubai Media City where all foreign media are located, I can see that a lot of offices have evacuated buildings," CNN Dubai Bureau Chief Samson Desta said. "I can see up to perhaps 200 people who have taken refuge out in the streets, causing somewhat of a traffic jam." There was no evidence of any damage in Dubai, where there are a lot of high-rise buildings. Iran lies on a series of seismic fault lines and has experienced devastating earthquakes -- most notably in December 2003 when a 6.6 magnitude quake devastated the ancient city of Bam in southeast Iran, killing at least 30,000 people.

Strong quake measuring 6.1 in magnitude strikes southern Iran . Epicenter located about 55 km west-southwest of Bandar e-Abbas, Iran . NEW: Quake destroys nearly 200 villages, according to Iran's Press TV . NEW: Head of provincial disaster management: At least 6 dead, 46 others injured .

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(CNN) -- The Wiggles have been officially wiggling for 17 years now, entertaining children with music, television, videos and films that have become modern classics. The Wiggles have been entertaining children with colorful, clean-cut songs since 1991. In Australia, their annual end of year national tour sells over 120,000 tickets, while their U.S. fans include John Travolta, Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, John Fogarty, Shaquille O'Neal, Chris Rock, Courtney Cox-Arquette and Cate Blanchett. And since 2003, in addition to their native English, they also wiggle in Mandarin and Spanish, reaching out to the Taiwanese and Latin American public, respectively. Anthony Field, Murray Cook and Greg Page met at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, where they were studying early childhood education and writing children's songs. Together with fellow musician Jeff Fatt, who played with Anthony in the popular 1980s band The Cockroaches, they formed The Wiggles and released a self-titled album on ABC Music in 1991. Fifteen years and 27 DVD releases later, they had been awarded with 17 Gold, 12 Platinum, 3 Double Platinum and 10 Multi Platinum Awards for sales of over 17 million DVDs and 4 million CDs worldwide. They have also been awarded with Highest Selling Children's Video Sales in 1995, 1996, 1998 and 1999 at the ADSDA Awards. The Wiggles made their U.S. debut at the famous Wall Mart in June 1999, while performing in shopping mall parking lots. In 2003 they performed 12 sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City and performed to over 250,000 people in November 2005. That year also initiated a series of amusement-park openings, from Wiggles World at Dream World on the Gold Coast of Australia, to a second Wiggly Play Centre to be launched in Dallas, Texas, USA.

Anthony Field, Murray Cook and Greg Page studied early childhood education . Entertain children with music and visuals in English, Mandarin and Spanish . U.S. fans include John Travolta, Sarah Jessica Parker, Chris Rock, Cate Blanchett .

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(CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama's reference to "lipstick on a pig" has Republicans demanding an apology and Democrats accusing Sen. John McCain of a "pathetic attempt" to play the gender card. Barack Obama used the "lipstick" line at a campaign event in Lebanon, Virginia, on Tuesday. McCain's campaign said Obama's remarks were offensive and a slap at Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin -- despite the fact that the Arizona senator himself used the phrase last year to describe a policy proposal of Hillary Clinton's. Obama shot back Wednesday and accused the McCain campaign of engaging in "lies" and "swift boat politics." "I don't care what they say about me. But I love this country too much to let them take over another election with lies and phony outrage and swift boat politics," he said in Norfolk, Virginia. "Enough is enough." Watch Obama deliver his harsh words » . The phrase "swift boat" comes from the 2004 presidential election, when the group "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" launched an attack ad campaign against Democratic candidate John Kerry. Read more about what Obama said . Obama made his controversial "lipstick" remarks at a Virginia campaign stop late Tuesday afternoon. Watch what happens with politics and lipstick collide » . "John McCain says he's about change too, and so I guess his whole angle is, 'Watch out George Bush -- except for economic policy, health care policy, tax policy, education policy, foreign policy and Karl Rove-style politics -- we're really going to shake things up in Washington,'" he said. "That's not change. That's just calling something the same thing something different. You know you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig. You know you can wrap an old fish in a piece of paper called change, it's still going to stink after eight years. We've had enough of the same old thing." Watch how tensions are rising on the trail » . The crowd erupted in applause when Obama delivered the line. The Illinois senator then praised both McCain's "compelling story" and Palin's "interesting story," and said his "hat goes off" to anyone who's looking after five kids -- "I've got two and they tire Michelle and me out. ... "That's why John McCain's campaign manager [Rick Davis] said this campaign isn't going to be about issues, this campaign is going to be about personalities." Within minutes, the McCain campaign announced a conference call focused on the remark, which they said was a deliberate reference to Palin's line: "You know the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick." Palin used the line in the opening remarks of her convention speech, and she frequently uses it on the campaign trail. In Iowa last October, McCain drew comparisons between Hillary Clinton's current health care plan and the one she championed in 1993: "I think they put some lipstick on the pig, but it's still a pig." He used roughly the same line in May, after effectively claiming the Republican nomination. McCain spokesman Brian Rogers told CNN the campaign saw a "big difference" between the two references: "McCain was referring to a policy proposal. Obama was referring to [Alaska] Gov. Sarah Palin. It's obviously disrespectful and offensive. ... "Who has been talking about lipstick lately? It was obvious. The crowd went crazy because of it." It wasn't the first time Obama used the line. In a phone interview with The Washington Post last September, he used it in reference to the situation in Iraq. "I think that both Gen. [David] Petraeus and Ambassador [Ryan] Crocker are capable people who have been given an impossible assignment," Obama told the Post. "George Bush has given a mission to Gen. Petraeus, and he has done his best to try to figure out how to put lipstick on a pig." Other politicians have also used the phrase in recent years, including Vice President Dick Cheney, Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington state, Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Rep. John Mica of Florida and Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado, among others. Torie Clarke, a former McCain adviser, even wrote a book called, "Lipstick on a Pig: Winning In the No-Spin Era by Someone Who Knows the Game." Still, the McCain campaign says Obama's use was intentional, and they want an apology. "Barack Obama's comments today are offensive and disgraceful. He owes Gov. Palin an apology," said Maria Comella, a McCain-Palin spokeswoman. Obama's campaign said "enough is enough" and accused McCain of running a "dishonorable campaign." "The McCain campaign's attack tonight is a pathetic attempt to play the gender card about the use of a common analogy -- the same analogy that Sen. McCain himself used about Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's health care plan just last year," said Obama campaign senior adviser Anita Dunn. "This phony lecture on gender sensitivity is the height of cynicism and lays bare the increasingly dishonorable campaign John McCain has chosen to run." McCain ally Mike Huckabee took Obama's side on the issue, saying he didn't think it was a swipe at Palin. "It's an old expression, and I'm going to have to cut Obama some slack on that one. I do not think he was referring to Sarah Palin; he didn't reference her. If you take the two sound bites together, it may sound like it," he said on Fox's "Hannity and Colmes." "But I've been a guy at the podium many times, and you say something that's maybe a part of an old joke and then somebody ties it in. So, I'm going to have to cut him slack." But McCain's campaign is not about to let the issue go. They released a Web ad Wednesday that plays Obama's lipstick comments, then asks, "Ready to lead? No. Ready to smear? Yes." CNN's Rebecca Sinderbrand, Sasha Johnson and Chris Welch contributed to this report.

NEW: Barack Obama slams Republicans for "lies" and "swift boat politics" Obama said Tuesday "You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig" McCain camp says line was an attack on Palin; Obama camp says it was not . Many politicians have used the line; former McCain adviser used it in her book title .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- CNN's Lou Dobbs is no fan of the $700 billion bailout plan that went down to defeat in the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday. He spoke with Kiran Chetry of CNN's "American Morning" on Tuesday about how he thinks there are better ways to solve the financial problems plaguing the U.S. economy. Lou Dobbs: Americans "don't want to hear this nonsense about $700 billion to bail out financial institutions." Kiran Chetry, CNN anchor: CNN's Lou Dobbs joins us this morning from Suffolk, New Jersey. You expressed delight I guess you could say, at the fact that it did go down yesterday in defeat. We saw the largest point-drop on Wall Street ever. What happens now? Lou Dobbs, CNN host of "Lou Dobbs Tonight": Well, what happens now is that it sounds like the same fools who brought you this effort are going to try again. Henry Paulson saying he's going to come right back, suggests he's not learning. And he's not paying attention to the Congress. These Congress people are all at home in their home districts, nearly every one of them and they're hearing an earful. The American people don't want to hear this nonsense about $700 billion to bail out financial institutions. Frankly, Kiran, they don't need it. Economist after economist, with whom I've spoken, CEOs, they acknowledge that there are far better ways to deal with the issues confronting our financial system than this bailout. And it's absolutely obscenely irresponsible of House Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi, Treasury Secretary [Henry] Paulson, President Bush, Sen. Harry Reid, the leader of the Senate; for these people to be clucking about like hysterical -- so hysterically. It really must stop. And to hear there -- go ahead. Chetry: I was just going to ask you -- . Dobbs: Go ahead. Chetry: You say that there's other ways around this. One of the things that everyone keeps talking about is the fact that credit markets are frozen and there has to be some way to free that up so that everyday business from Wall Street to Main Street can continue. Do you buy that? Dobbs: No, not at all. And neither do most of the CEOs and economists with whom I'm speaking certainly. The real issue, they say, is liquidity. The Fed has injected more than half a billion dollars in liquidity into this banking system. Watch Lou Dobbs and economists discuss bailout effort » . What we are watching are business -- quote, unquote -- leaders who won't surface and put their faces before the American public who are hysterical. Absolutely hysterical. These are not leaders of moment. They are not leaders of great character or vision. Only Warren Buffett has had the courage to step forward. And that's after he puts $5 billion into Goldman Sachs. To watch our political leaders, they have no idea in the world, Kiran, what they're doing. Literally. And the arrogance with which this administration asks for, not only money, almost $1 trillion, and surely more in the months ahead. But the absolute power for Treasury Secretary Paulson. Give me a break. The American people want this stopped. Those Congressmen and women at home right now, in their districts, are getting an earful because this is an absurdity and it has to end. Chetry: So in one way, you're knocking Congress. But on the other way you're saying that, I guess the system works in that the brakes were pulled. Whether or not you agree with the reasons why it didn't go through. So, weren't they doing their job and showing leadership? Dobbs: Let me be clear, Kiran. I'm saying leadership -- I'm saying the Democratic leadership of this Congress was absolutely in the same situation as this president. They don't know what they're talking about. They're trying to ram this thing down the people's throats and Congress. And those House Republicans and House Democrats who voted against this bailout deserve a great, great expression of thanks from the American people. Absolutely. Chetry: What do you think if you were up there making decisions? What do you think we need to do? Dobbs: Well, the first thing we need to do is return to a traditional role of regulation. ... The problem here is not simply the housing market. ... But $700 billion and nothing in that bill deals with the foreclosure crisis, if you can imagine that. That's arrogance. That's stupidity. That is your leadership in Washington, D.C. Democratic leadership in Congress and Republican leadership in the White House. So that's an absurdity. The first thing that has to be dealt with is mitigating the foreclosure crisis, period. Secondly, in terms of instilling confidence in the banking system and in our credit markets, the first thing to do is to deal with those institutions that are wildly out of balance, whose balance sheets, frankly, are a joke. And the regulators who should have been tending to them over the years are also a joke. It's time to end the joke. That means aggressive regulation. It means aggressive intervention on an institution-by-institution basis. Chetry: All right. Well, they're going to take this up again today, or throughout the week as they try to figure out what the best course of action is. Maybe they should listen to you a little bit more. Dobbs: They'll be back Thursday. Chetry: Right. Dobbs: They'll be back Thursday to try this nonsense all over again, Kiran.

"Same fools" who brought you this effort are going to try again, Dobbs says . House Republicans, Democrats who voted against bailout deserve thanks, he says . Far better ways to deal with financial problems than this bailout, Dobbs says . Dobbs: First thing that should be addressed is mitigating foreclosure crisis .

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(LifeWire) -- After his father was diagnosed with dementia in 1996, Anthony Lazzara Jr. faced a difficult decision: He and his wife, Gail, either could place his father, Anthony Lazzara Sr., in a facility, or they could care for him themselves. Anthony Lazzara Jr. (right) and his wife, Gail (left), cared for Anthony Lazzara Sr. at home for eight years. Unable to afford a care facility, the Lazzaras brought him home. So began eight long years of caring for the World War II veteran and onetime truck driver as he slowly declined -- a burden borne largely by Gail, 56. She fed him, bathed him and changed his diapers on a daily basis while her husband, a truck driver, was on the road. Slowly, she says, her marriage began to crumble. "I couldn't take my frustration out on my father-in-law," she says. Instead, she took it out on her husband. "We almost ended up divorcing over the whole deal," says Anthony Jr., 56. Gail concedes she considered leaving, "but I couldn't walk away from my father-in-law." Two years ago, the Lazzaras finally threw in the towel. A bed became available at a local Veterans Affairs facility, and the elder Lazzara was admitted. He remained there until April 2008, when he died at age 95. A difficult labor of love . As the Lazzaras can attest, the stress of caring for an elderly parent can overwhelm a relationship. Chauffeuring loved ones to appointments, handling their shopping, assuming their financial burden, even just living under the same roof can test even the most committed couples. In 2004, the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP reported that over 44 million Americans care for an adult family member or friend. Almost 80 percent of these are caring for someone older than 50. Although caring for a parent in their twilight years can be rewarding, it can also be a trial, says Beth Witrogen, the Pulitzer Prize-nominated author of "Caregiving: The Spiritual Journey of Love, Loss and Renewal." "Caregiving brings out the best and worst in us all," she says. Al Levi, 39, a Brooklyn, New York, occupational therapist, has experienced that kind of strain in his marriage. Levi says he has been at odds with his wife since his father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's two years ago. "I felt like my wife wasn't taking this seriously enough, and that if it would have been her parents, it would have been more important," he says. For a while, the Levis cared for Al's father at home, but eventually it got to be more than they could handle. Levi placed his father in a nursing home this past summer. But he says the ordeal has continued to strain his marriage. "It's complicated," he says. 'Your best is good enough' Often, couples will harbor unreasonable expectations of what they can or should do -- together or individually -- to care for an aging parent. "You have to accept that your best is good enough," Witrogen says. "It may not be pretty, but you will get the job done." It's also crucial that couples communicate clearly and effectively, Witrogen says. Too often, one partner will fixate on solving the problem while neglecting to listen to the other's needs. In the Lazzaras' case, Anthony Jr. says he would search for care facilities for his father from time to time, but Gail was still left to shoulder most of the daily duties of care -- something her husband still feels guilty about. With their three children grown, "it was her time to have and here she was taking care of my dad," Anthony Jr. laments. It wasn't until the Lazzaras finally found room for Anthony Sr. at the VA facility that they finally found some relief. "We knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel," Anthony Jr. says. Balancing your needs . Although finding a balance between caring for an aging parent and maintaining a healthy marriage can be tremendously challenging, it can be done, experts say. Part of that solution is ensuring the aging parent gets proper care, says Leah Siskin, senior psychologist at Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, New York. "When the psychological needs of the care recipient are addressed, this can no doubt have a positive effect on the marital relationship of the caregivers," she says. It's also important that couples care for one another. Giuseppe Manca, a 58-year-old holistic healer in Manhattan, grew frustrated that he couldn't take a vacation with his wife for fear of leaving his live-in mother-in-law alone, even though she was in good health. So the couple decided to take weekend trips, making sure neighbors and loved ones were on standby in case of an emergency. The Lazzaras didn't have the luxury of traveling while Anthony Sr. was still alive. Although they say their marriage has stabilized since his passing -- Gail has been able to devote more time to her job coordinating a local volleyball league -- they admit that it could have crumbled. "We nearly crashed and burned," Anthony Jr. says. How to cope . Author Witrogen offers the following tips for coping when a couple's "for better or worse" turns to the latter in caring for an elderly parent: . • Talk it out. Bring in a third party such as an attorney to provide objective perspective. Those short on money can invite clergy or a neighbor. • Make time for yourself -- and each other. It takes willingness, intention and time management, Witrogen says. "Get out your day planners and schedule the time in. I suggest that couples schedule 'play dates,' even if for an hour." • Don't neglect your health. Sleeping enough, eating right and exercising displaces stress from your partner. • Set caregiving goals. "Write down objectively what needs to be done," Witrogen says. Divide the duties equitably. LifeWire provides original and syndicated content to Web publishers. Ron Dicker, a Brooklyn-based journalist, frequently writes about relationship topics. He previously covered sports for the New York Times.

The stress of caring for an elderly parent can overwhelm a relationship . Couples may have unreasonable expectations of what they can or should do . More than 44 million Americans care for an adult family member or friend . Almost 80 percent of these are caring for someone older than 50 .

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WAXAHATCHIE, Texas (CNN) -- Julie Quiroz clutches her teddy bear crying. "Mommy," she says softly, as her mother wraps her arms around her and rubs her back. One of her brothers tries to console her. "You're going to come back," he says. Julie Quiroz, a 13-year-old U.S. citizen, went back to Mexico when her mom was deported. The 13-year-old Quiroz begins to walk away to catch an airplane from Mexico to the United States. Within moments, she rushes back to her mother's arms. "Mommy," she says again, tears streaming down her face. Quiroz is one of an estimated 3 million American children who have at least one parent who entered the United States illegally, according to the Urban Institute, which researches and evaluates U.S. social and economic issues. In Quiroz's case, she was born in Washington state, lived there her entire life and went to school there. But her mother, Ana Reyes, entered the United States illegally before Quiroz was born and U.S. immigration officials caught up with her last year on her birthday. Watch how deportation separates family » . "I was there when they handcuffed her," Quiroz says. "I was there when they took her down." Two of her brothers, who had come with their mother to the United States when they were young children, also were taken into custody. It was the start of a downward spiral for Quiroz. When her mother and brothers were deported, Quiroz and her 6-year-old, American-born sister had no choice but to return to Mexico City with them. Her seventh-grade year was spent in a classroom where she didn't understand the language. "I never belonged there," she says. "I'd just come home, sit down, cry. I'd say, 'Mom, I can't do it.' ... I can't read or write Spanish." She adds, "I felt like there were no dreams for me." Stories like these are becoming more common, immigration analysts say, with American children caught in the middle of their mother or father's illegal status. A report last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association said these children face "increasing risk of family separation, economic hardship and psychological trauma." "It's really hard to imagine something that can be more traumatic than to be forcibly separated from their caregiver. That's the enforcement climate that we're operating in now," says Miriam Calderon, the associate director for education and children's policy at the National Council of La Raza, the largest Hispanic advocacy group in the United States. Calderon says the nation needs to enforce immigration laws, but currently there is a lack of a "consistent and comprehensive standard to ensure that children will be protected" when undocumented parents are taken into custody. "Until a major immigration reform is enacted, the country will continue to cope with challenges resulting from the presence of roughly 12 million undocumented immigrants in our workforce and in our communities," said Janet Murguia, the president of NCLR, before Congress in May. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says it's simply enforcing the laws on the books. "ICE agents and officers are sworn to uphold all of our nation's immigration and customs laws," ICE press secretary Kelly Nantel said in a written statement. "We cannot pick and choose the laws we enforce. Parents make decisions that affect their families everyday. "There are known consequences for violating our nation's immigration laws. It's unfortunate that parents choose to place their children in these difficult situations." For Quiroz, her journey from America to Mexico City took an unexpected turn when her plight caught the attention of Joe Kennard, a land developer and Christian philanthropist. Kennard reached out to Quiroz's mother and told her the teen could live with his family in Texas and enroll in school there. "You can make all the arguments that [the mother] deserved what she got because she was an adult, she made the choice, she was here illegally," Kennard says. "But why [punish] the children? They're innocent and they're born here and they're U.S. citizens." His group, Organization to Help Citizen Children, works with churches along the U.S.-Mexico border to provide support for children whose mother or father is deported to Mexico. Kennard hired a private tutor to get Quiroz up to speed for missing a year of schooling. "She's conflicted because she knows that she's got to get an education and this is the only way to do it. But she also feels the love for her mother and that's the torture." Quiroz's mother then made the incredibly painful decision to implore her daughter to go to Texas, an unbearable decision for the teen to leave her family for her country and her future. Her older brother, Carlos Quiroz, was about 3 years old when his mom took him to the United States last decade. He misses his sister, but knows he can't return. "I have to accept that ... and try to make it work," he says. Watch why Carlos Quiroz feels like an American » . He's working to get a job and hopes to enter college in Mexico. But his mind is still in the land he grew up in. "I don't feel like I belong here. I feel like I was taken out of somewhere where I belonged," he says. "My whole life is over there." His sister is now living in Texas, adjusting to eighth grade and all the changes around her. When she's alone, she says it still hurts. "I want to be in my mom's arms," she says, choking back tears. The dream that keeps her going? She's determined to become a lawyer to fight for kids who are forced to endure painful separations. "My mom only came here to make a better life," she says. "I want to be a lawyer to help people in the same situation as me." CNN's Gregg Canes and Traci Tamura contributed to this report.

3 million U.S. citizen children are believed to have one undocumented parent . Julie Quiroz, 13, was born in the U.S. but had to return to Mexico with her mom . "I never belonged there ... I'd just come home, sit down, cry," she says . Thanks to a philanthropist, Quiroz was able to come back to study; but without mother .

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(AOL Autos) -- Have you ever wondered what your neighbors are carrying around in their car's trunk or SUV's cargo hold? I decided to find out -- by asking 100 strangers in a department store parking lot. Strollers, playpens, toys and diapers take up a lot of space, but a lot of parents still had organized trunks. The mission . To uncover the secret contents of the average American trunk and cargo hold. The stakeout . I spent two weekend afternoons at the Empire Center in Burbank, California, with my camera and notebook, approaching shoppers as they arrived or departed. I identified myself as a reporter for AOL Autos, and asked if I could see what they had in their trunk, and maybe take a picture. I hoped that I'd be able to see a trend in trunks. AOL Autos: Small cars with room in the trunk . The raw data My decidedly unscientific study yielded some interesting results. First of all, I discovered that even in a big city (Burbank is a suburb of Los Angeles), people are exceedingly nice if you are respectful and forthright. About 80% of the people I approached were kind, open and helpful, and gladly opened their trunks for a glance. The 20% who refused were either in a rush, guarded or shy -- but they were still remarkably polite. The second surprising thing was that the vast majority of trunks and cargo holds were clean and uncluttered. I really expected to discover overstuffed trunks, full of cast-off items and flea market finds. But even the most fully-used storage areas were tidy and organized. AOL Autos: Used fuel-efficient crossovers . Not surprisingly, people with small children tended to have the most crowded trunks and cargo holds. Strollers, playpens, toys and diapers take up a lot of space, but most families have discovered that clean, organized trunks make getting to your kids' supplies much easier and more efficient. AOL Autos: Best new cars for 2009 . Another trend I noticed was that athletic folks tend to use their car's trunk as a portable gym locker. I saw a lot of gym bags, sports equipment and sneakers. On a hot day, this was a bit of a mixed blessing; baked sneakers have a decidedly pungent odor. No one seemed to have a good solution to this problem. I would put a cabin air freshener, like the Little Tree, in my trunk if I regularly carried my tennis shoes. AOL Autos: Celebrity cars you can afford . For the non-athletic, the most common item I saw was the collapsible chair. One family had an entire beach setup in their trunk: four collapsible chairs, a beach blanket, a sun umbrella and an empty cooler, all neatly tucked against the back wall. They said that they always wanted to be ready for a beach day, should the opportunity arise. Some people were extremely proud of their trunks. One woman bragged that her brother taught her how to organize her tools, and that she had taken the organization to the next level. She had multiple storage boxes in her neat, clean trunk, each with a different set of useful items. AOL Autos: Most fun cars for under $20,000 . A few families were downright sheepish about the state of their cargo holds. They apologized in advance before opening the trunk, and said that they were in the middle of a project that had foiled their attempts at organization and cleanliness. I have to take them at their word; I'm not making a return trip to that hot parking lot to follow up. The conclusion . After two days pounding the asphalt, I'm pleased to report that I actually uncovered some useful information and some fun trivia. There are good reasons for keeping your trunk as empty as possible: . 1. Less junk in the trunk equals less weight, and less weight can mean greater fuel efficiency. 2. Under certain circumstances, shifting content in your trunk can adversely affect handling. 3. An empty trunk provides space for that roadside find or warehouse store bargain. How else are you going to get that pallet of pickled asparagus spears back to your garage? Here are a few tips that I picked up from the best (and worst) of trunks: . 1. Use boxes or containers in your trunk to keep your emergency kit organized and all together. 2. Purge non-essential items from your trunk on a regular basis. 3. Vacuum your cargo space whenever you wash your car so that whatever you put in your trunk doesn't get dirty and dusty. 4. Keep a few reusable shopping bags in your trunk so that you always have them when you get to the store. 5. Be sure to carry a few essential tools -- screwdrivers, wrench, tire-changing tools, a rubber mallet, etc. -- for emergency repair. 6. A cargo net or bungee cords will help keep your boxes and other items from rolling around in the trunk during hard cornering. Last, but not least, here's a list of the oddest items that I saw in any trunk: . •. A machete, an axe and a hammer, wrapped in a colorful sheet (I didn't ask any questions). • A pair of old-school quad roller skates. • An ice scraper (odd because the temperature was 97 degrees in the shade) -- and we never get frost in Southern California. • A tube of Butt Paste -- a highly useful concoction that combats diaper rash. • Nothing. I can guarantee that this is the one thing you'll never find in my trunk.

Reporter tries to uncover secret contents of average American trunk . Unscientific study finds vast majority of trunks are clean and uncluttered . Athletic folks tend to use their car's trunk as a smelly, portable gym locker . One trunk includes machete, axe and hammer wrapped in sheet .

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(CNN) -- Doctors at the Technical University of Munich have conducted the world's first double-arm transplant on a 54-year-old farmer who had lost both his arms in an accident, officials said. After transplant surgery, this farmer has new arms. His condition "is very good under the circumstances." The operation was conducted at the university's "Klinikum rechts der Isar" last week, the clinic said in a statement Friday, following several years of preparatory work. The man's condition "is very good under the circumstances," the statement said. "Now it is a matter of avoiding future wound healing disorders, infections, strong side-effects caused by the drugs and in particular any rejective reaction." A team of 40 people participated in the transplant surgery, conducted July 25 and 26. The donor matched the host in sex, age, skin color, size and blood group, the statement said. The transplant subject had lost both his arms at the upper arm level six years ago, and two attempts with artificial limbs had been unsuccessful.

Technical University of Munich doctors transplant arms on 54-year-old farmer . Farmer had lost both his arms in an accident six years ago . 40 people conduct operation; several years spent preparing for the surgery . Donor matched the patient in sex, age, skin color, size and blood group .

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Editor's Note: Join Roland S. Martin for his weekly sound-off segment on CNN.com Live at 11:10 a.m. Wednesday. If you're passionate about politics, he wants to hear from you. A nationally syndicated columnist and Chicago-based radio host, he is the author of "Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith" and "Speak, Brother! A Black Man's View of America." Please visit his Web site. Roland Martin says Americans need to rise above issues of race, age and gender when they vote. (CNN) -- One of the most intriguing conversations I had at either the Democratic or Republican convention was with a white labor leader from Ohio. I can't remember his name, but he made it clear that he is going all around the Rust Belt state looking his white union brothers and sisters in the eye and essentially shaming them into supporting Sen. Barack Obama for president. No, he's not saying vote for the black man for president because he's black. He said he's telling them that it's shameful that as Democrats, they agree with him on various political issues, but because of his skin color, they are refusing to cast ballots for him. "We have gone to our black brothers and sisters for years to support our [white] candidates, and it's wrong for us to stand here and not support one of their own, even though we're Democrats," he barked. There is nothing more in-your-face than to hear someone speak truthfully to the inherent racism that is at play in this election. For all the talk about inclusion and the historic nature of this campaign, the true tribal feelings of so many people will come into play, whether we want to admit it or not. We are seeing remarkable bias playing strongly in this election. Exit-polling data in the primaries showed some evidence of bias when it came to age, race and gender, but the great concern is whether people are as honest in talking to pollsters as they are in the voting booth. Because Sen. John McCain is 72 and would be the oldest person to be sworn in as president, there is a lot of dialogue about how old this white guy is, and how wrong it is that he's running. Age questions also have been raised about the 47-year-old black guy from Chicago and whether he is too young and inexperienced to lead. While there is a lot of talk and excitement surrounding Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin being named as the first woman on a Republican ticket, and what that may mean in terms of widespread female support coming the way of McCain-Palin, there are some voices who refuse to vote for a woman. We've also seen a number of prominent women -- including Washington Post columnist Sally Quinn and radio talk show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger -- who have questioned whether the 44-year-old white mother of five children should be vice president, considering she has five children, including a special needs child. It's wonderful to talk about the economy, immigration, the war in Iraq, health care and education, but we can't be naïve to the reality that when voters go into that voting booth, they will, as one person told me during an interview, "vote with their tribe." That was one of the arguments we heard during the Democratic primaries when Obama enjoyed overwhelming support from African-Americans -- to the tune of 90-plus percent -- while Sen. Hillary Clinton had major female support, largely white, in the range of 65 to 70 percent. So what do we do when it comes to our tendency to follow group identification? 1. Stop dancing around the topic. When you watch TV and hear folks talk about Wal-Mart moms or small, rural towns, they are talking about white Americans. These catch phrases never include African-Americans or Hispanics . 2. Confront bias where it is. Ask your friends, neighbors, co-workers and church members who they are voting for. When they give you the "I really can't put my finger on it" line, then press them. Hard. You know the real answer, so don't beat around the bush. The best folks to challenge Americans on their hang-ups regarding age, race and gender aren't the AARP, NAACP or NOW. It's Y-O-U. Don't give in to the "That's the way I was raised" mantra. When someone suggests that flags and faith show that a candidate isn't one of us, drill down. 3. Accept the fact that some people will not change. We all think that we have been gifted to the degree that our sane and logical arguments can get folks off their biased stumps. Some people just won't give in. Fine, move on. The goal is to rid our society of as much bias as possible. If someone is so hard-headed, then you have to go on to the next person and try to change them. It's critical that we be as honest as possible about the impact of race, age and gender in campaigns. A lot of people love to toss around the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s quote that he hoped one day people would be judged by "the content of their character." But it's still a reality that skin tone, gender and our birth date means more than character to a lot of Americans. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer.

Roland Martin says people talk about issues but conceal their biases . Martin: Race, age, gender issues affect support for Obama, McCain, Palin . Americans need to be open about how "tribal" concerns influence them, he says . Martin: Let's stop dancing around the topics of race, age and gender .

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BANGALORE, India (CNN) -- Two-year-old Lakshmi Tatma, an Indian toddler born with four arms and four legs, made her first public appearance Tuesday, a week after surgeons in India successfully removed her additional limbs. Doctors said Lakshmi was recovering well as she appeared Tuesday at a news conference. Lakshmi, wearing a plaster cast on her legs to keep her feet up and her legs together to help her wounds heal, was carried into a news conference Tuesday as her doctors announced she was being released from intensive care. "She is coping very well," lead surgeon Dr. Sharan Patil said. "She is being carried around by her mother and her father." Several of her doctors, all of them smiling, described her recovery over the past week "very steady and good progress," one saying she is "out of the woods" as far as serious medical issues are concerned. Watch the recovering little girl meet the media » . The operation a week ago lasted 27 hours and involved a team of some 30 surgeons, all specialists in pediatrics, neurosurgery, orthopedics, and plastic surgery, working in eight-hour shifts. Lakshmi's extra limbs were part of a conjoined twin which stopped developing in the womb. It had a torso and limbs but no head, and was joined to Lakshmi at the pelvis. Doctors said that without the surgery, Lakshmi would have been unlikely to survive beyond early adolescence. The surgery involved the removal of the extra limbs and the repositioning of Lakshmi's organs. When Lakshmi was born into her poor, rural Indian family, villagers in the remote settlement of Rampur Kodar Katti in the northern state of Bihar believed she was sacred. As news of her birth spread, locals queued for a blessing from the baby. Her parents, Shambhu and Poonam Tatma, named the girl after the Hindu goddess of wealth who has four arms. However, they were forced to keep her in hiding after they were approached by men offering money in exchange for putting their daughter in a circus. The couple, who earn just $1 a day as casual laborers, wanted her to have the operation but were unable to pay for the rare procedure, which had never before been performed in India. After Patil visited the girl in her village from Narayana Health City hospital in Bangalore, the hospital's foundation agreed to fund the $200,000 operation. Planning for the surgery took a month, Patil said, and Lakshmi spent that month in the hospital. Many villagers, however, remained opposed to surgery and were planning to erect a temple to Lakshmi, whom they still revere as sacred. E-mail to a friend .

Girl born with eight limbs makes first public appearance since surgery . Surgeons say Lakshmi Tatma, two, "coping very well," making good progress . Lakshmi released from intensive care Tuesday; appears at press conference . Operation lasted 27 hours and involved 30 surgeons working eight-hour shifts .

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CHARLESTON, South Carolina (CNN) -- Tropical storm Cristobal was forecast to move "parallel and very close" to the North Carolina coast Sunday morning, but the storm is not expected to make landfall along the eastern U.S. shores. Satellite image taken at 1:15 p.m. Saturday shows Tropical Storm Cristobal off the coast of the Carolinas. At 11 p.m. ET Saturday, the center of the storm was about 45 miles southeast of Cape Fear, North Carolina, and about 170 miles southwest of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The National Hurricane Center said Cristobal was moving northeast at about 6 mph, with maximum sustained winds of about 45 mph and some higher gusts. "The center of the tropical storm is expected to move parallel and very close to the coast of North Carolina for the next day or so," the NHC said. It is expected to dump between three and five inches of rain along the Carolina coast this weekend, it said. The storm had not strengthened beyond the 45 mph top winds measured earlier on Saturday, according to the NHC. A discussion posted online by NHC forecasters called Cristobal "convectively challenged" and predicted the storm would "become absorbed ahead of an approaching cold front" by late Monday. Although the center of the storm was forecast to remain off the coast through the weekend, tropical storm warnings were in effect from the South Santee River in South Carolina to the North Carolina-Virginia state line, including Pamlico Sound. Flood advisories were posted for coastal counties, and Wilmington, North Carolina, received 2½ inches of rain Saturday, said Stephen Keebler, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service there. Cristobal's winds were not expected to be a problem, Keebler said. "It's some rain and a little bit of relief for the coastal areas and a lot of excitement, but that's about it," he said. The rain bands were weakening as they spun farther inland, providing little relief for parched areas near Interstate 95 in North Carolina, he said. Forecasters predicted up to 5 inches of rain along the North Carolina coast, with heavier amounts in some areas. Eastern North Carolina is under a moderate drought, and areas along South Carolina's northern coast are considered abnormally dry, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Officials have blamed the persistent drought for a massive wildfire that has burned more than 40,000 acres in eastern North Carolina since it began June 1 with a lightning strike. As Cristobal lurked offshore, the storm was keeping many boaters off the waters -- and surfers in the waves. On North Carolina's Outer Banks, surfers reveled in the waves as the storm churned offshore well to the south. Bradley Rose, a surf instructor at SandBarz in Carolina Beach, North Carolina, said the waves were a bit choppy. "It looks pretty fun out there," Rose said. At the By the Sea Motel in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, out-of-state vacationers took to the beach, trying to photograph the outer rain bands of Cristobal, hotel manager Charlie Peterson said. Intermittent rain showers during the afternoon were not enough to chase them away, and there were even brief moments of sunshine. "They've got their cameras set, and they think there is going to be lightning over the water and all," he said. "They have never seen this." Elsewhere Saturday, Hurricane Fausto strengthened far off Mexico's Pacific coast, while Hurricane Bertha, located east of Cape Race, Newfoundland, was downgraded to tropical storm status. Neither of those storms currently threatens land. Bertha had blustered across Bermuda this week, knocking out electricity to thousands there.

Tropical Storm Cristobal "very close" to North Carolina coast . Storm expected to dump three to five inches of rain along coast . Cristobal evolved Saturday from a tropical depression on Friday .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Michelle Rhee says she runs at 100 miles per hour. As the chancellor of one of the nation's lowest-performing school districts, she says she has no choice -- too much bureaucracy to cut through, too many problems to fix after decades of neglect. Michelle Rhee says a sense of urgency has been missing for years in the District of Columbia's schools. Rhee closed 23 schools in her first year as the head of the District of Columbia's public schools, fired 36 principals and cut 15 percent -- about 121 jobs -- from the central office staff. And she's making no apologies. "I think it's that sense of urgency that has been lacking for far too long in our public schools," Rhee told CNN as she began her second year on the job in late August. "We are always going to put the best interests of kids above the rights, privileges and priorities of adults." Watch fighting for "radical changes" » . Rhee said "radical" changes are needed because only 12 percent of the District's eighth graders are proficient in reading and just 8 percent are proficient in math, but was quick to add that they're already seeing improvement. She highlighted gains in elementary reading and secondary level math and reading in the past year that outstripped all of the four prior years put together. An annual report card by Education Week, a newspaper that follows the nation's education system, earlier this year ranked the District's school system last, giving it a D+ overall and an F for student achievement in kindergarten through 12th grade. Those grades were based on data prior to Rhee's arrival. "We need to see radical changes because the outcomes for kids that are happening right now are robbing them of their futures," said Rhee, a Democrat who supports President Bush's landmark education law known as No Child Left Behind. Watch Rhee describe telling employee: "You need to find another job" » . "We have scores of kids in this city who don't have the advocates that they need in their lives who are able to maneuver and jockey through the public school system. And we can't allow those children to languish in classrooms where teachers are not performing." Her plan is ambitious: To completely transform the District's system within eight years for its 50,000 children. The plan focuses on top-down accountability, quantitative results like standardized test scores and, ultimately, working to close what she describes as "the achievement gap between wealthy white kids and poor minority kids." "I think it's absolutely possible within an eight-year period," she said. Watch D.C. schools need "urgency" » . Rhee, who is Korean-American, is operating in a largely African-American district. It is a district where 57 percent of the students qualify for the free or reduced lunch program. Rhee said when she first arrived on the job in 2007 she first heard whispers of: "She's not from D.C., she's not African-American: Is she going to be able to relate to students and their families?" "I think that all dissipated quite quickly after I started getting out into the community and talking to people," said Rhee, a 38-year-old mother of two children attending local public schools. "I think one of the things that comes across very clearly is the fact that I'm very passionate about this work. I'm very focused on it." But her plan to turn the failing school district on its head has met protest every step of the way, even from teachers. "I think the people who view her aggressive actions as a positive thing, I think they are missing the boat because if it results in more chaos and more dysfunction, it's not the solution that we need," said Kerry Sylvia, a teacher at Cardozo Senior High School in her ninth year. Sylvia says the District has seen far too many superintendents over the years and fears Rhee is just another in the long list of those who come in touting their reforms and then leave. She does offer praise for Rhee holding teachers and administrators accountable for their lack of performance. However, she doesn't always care for Rhee's style, saying Rhee makes it seem like "there's a lot of lazy teachers." "She's pitting adults against children. She couches things in terms of 'I'm not here to keep jobs for adults. I'm not here to keep people's paychecks. I am here for the children,' " Sylvia said. "Well, guess what? I'm here for the children too." Before taking on her current role, Rhee founded The New Teacher Project, a non-profit organization that recruits quality teachers to high-poverty schools. Rhee holds a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University. One of the most controversial programs Rhee has introduced is a joint venture between D.C. schools and Harvard that pays middle school students cash -- up to $100 a month -- for good behavior and attendance. Rhee says such pilot programs have worked in other cities. She says the District's students have far too many bad incentives on the streets, from hustling to drug dealing, and need something to keep them focused. "We're preparing them to understand that if you do the right thing, then good things will happen to you," Rhee said. Some in the District are skeptical, including Clarence Cherry, a fourth-generation Washingtonian and father of five. He calls the cash and Rhee's overall direction misguided and reckless. "It's a very dangerous game that she's playing with," he said. But Cherry added, "I want to give her an opportunity to prove to me as a parent that she genuinely ... is here for the kids." Others are fervent supporters of the new superintendent. Dr. Waheedah Shakoor, another teacher at Cardozo, has been in the District since 1979. He says he's been stunned at the amount of change that's happened in just one year under Rhee, from freshly painted walls to improved athletic facilities. "Things that we've been asking for for many, many years have come to fruition within just the last 12 months," Shakoor said. Rhee is an appointee of Mayor Adrian Fenty, who has backed her every move. "I had the highest expectations of Michelle Rhee when she came into the job. She has exceeded every expectation," Fenty said. "When you have a system that's been as underperforming as the District of Columbia public schools, you need to shake things up." Rhee says she'll continue to shake things, working at break-neck speed to improve the education and opportunity for her students and urban students across the country as fast as she can.

D.C. schools chief Michelle Rhee closed 23 schools, fired 36 principals in first year . "We are always going to put the best interests of kids above the rights ... of adults" Critic says Rhee has created "more chaos and more dysfunction" Mayor backs his appointee, says when schools fail, "you need to shake things up"

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JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israeli police divers found a suitcase Thursday containing human remains that are believed to be the body of a missing 4-year-old girl, an Israeli police spokesman said. French-Israeli girl Rose poses for a photograph with her mother, Marie Pizem. The suitcase was pulled out of the Yarkon River in Tel Aviv, where police have been searching for Rose Pizem, Mickey Rosenfeld said. Two weeks ago, the girl's grandfather Roni Ron, 45, told police he stuffed her body in a suitcase and dumped it in the Yarkon River. The remains will be tested to confirm the identification of the body, and the tests could be completed within 24 hours, Rosenfeld said. "The body was found in a very bad, severe condition, as you can imagine after being in the water for weeks," Rosenfeld said, explaining why the tests could not be completed sooner. Ron initially told police he accidentally killed Rose when he slapped her in a fit of rage but then changed his account. Police transcripts quote Ron as saying, "I parked the car on the sidewalk. I opened the trunk, pulled out the suitcase and when I reached the banks of the river, I threw it. She's finished. I finished her. I saw the water seeping in and the suitcase slowly sinking." The family drama centers on Rose's mother, Marie-Charlotte Renault-Pizam, 23, and Ron -- her estranged husband's father -- with whom authorities say she has had two more daughters. Rose's father lives in France. Both the mother and grandfather are in custody. Renault-Pizam has denied any role in her daughter's disappearance. She told police she thought Ron sent Rose to an institution in France, although police, without elaborating, have said they have a telephone conversation that shows she knew the child's fate. Rose's great-grandmother, Vivienne Yaakov, reported the girl missing in late July, saying she had not seen her great-grandchild for about two months. Rose and her mother had been staying with Yaakov, who told police that Ron had taken the child and she never returned. Police searched Ron's apartment in mid-August and arrested him. The investigation has uncovered a twisted family love triangle that may have contributed to the girl's murder. The British media call the case Israel's Madeleine McCann, a reference to the 3-year-old child who disappeared May 3, 2007, while on vacation with her British family at the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz. She has never been found. Rose was born in France in 2003. Her mother moved to Israel after a custody battle with Rose's father, Benjamin Pizem. Renault-Pizam had fallen in love with Ron on a previous trip to Israel with her father-in-law. Israel's minister of interior security, Avi Dichter, said everything would be done to find Rose and give her a proper burial. "There is no doubt that as a society, Israel was not there for the child when she was in need of help," Dichter said. Benjamin Pizem told Israel's Haaretz newspaper that he still hopes Rose is alive. He described his father, from whom he is estranged, as manipulative and said more details may be uncovered. "When I see him in videos, I see in his face, even if it's quite a neutral one, he has an expression that says, 'You don't know everything, and I'm manipulating all of you.' That's the reason why we think there's hope Rose is still alive."

Israeli police divers on find suitcase with human remains inside . Body believed to be that of missing 4-year-old girl . Disappearance of Rose Pizam likened to that of Madeleine McCann .

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BOGOTA, Colombia (CNN) -- Colombian President Alvaro Uribe admitted Wednesday that the symbol of the neutral Red Cross organization was used in a hostage rescue mission that freed 15 people from leftist rebels two weeks ago. What seems to be part of a red cross is seen on a bib worn by a man involved in the rescue in this official image. Uribe made the admission after CNN reported on unpublished photographs and videos that clearly showed a man wearing a Red Cross bib. Wrongly using the Red Cross logo is prohibited by the Geneva Conventions. The man was a member of the Colombian military intelligence team involved in the daring rescue, Uribe said in an address carried on national TV and radio. The president said that as the constitutional head of the armed forces, he takes full political responsibility for what he described as a slip-up. "This officer, upon confessing his mistake to his superiors, said when the [rescue] helicopter was about to land ... he saw so many guerrillas that he went into a state of angst," Uribe said. "He feared for his life and put on the Red Cross bib over his jacket." However, the confidential military source who showed CNN the photographs that included the man wearing the bib said they were taken moments before the mission took off. Uribe said he was sorry for the mistake and has apologized to ICRC officials. There will be no official sanction against the man wearing the bib, he indicated. Such a use of the Red Cross emblem could constitute a "war crime" under the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law and could endanger humanitarian workers in the future, according to international legal expert Mark Ellis, executive director of the International Bar Association. The ICRC mission in Bogota said in a written statement that it "noted" Uribe's announcement. The ICRC mission in Bogota said in a written statement: "As guardian of international humanitarian law, the ICRC reminds that the use of the Red Cross emblem is specifically regulated by the Geneva Conventions and its additional protocols. "The Red Cross emblem has to be respected in all circumstances and cannot be used in an abusive manner. "The ICRC as neutral and impartial must have the confidence of all the sides in the conflict in order to carry out its humanitarian work." Colombian military intelligence used the Red Cross emblem in a rescue operation in which leftist guerrillas were duped into handing over 15 hostages, including former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt. Photographs of the Colombian military intelligence-led team that spearheaded the rescue, shown to CNN by a confidential military source, show one man wearing a bib with the Red Cross symbol. The military source said the three photos were taken moments before the mission took off to persuade the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels to release the hostages to a supposed international aid group for transport to another rebel area. Ellis said the conventions were "very strict" regarding use of the symbol because of what it represented: impartiality, neutrality. Watch possible misuse of emblem » . "If you use the emblem in a deceitful way, generally the conventions say it would be a breach. [Based on the information as explained to me,] the way that the images show the Red Cross emblem being used could be distinguished as a war crime, " Ellis added. The unpublished video and photos of the mission, hailed internationally as a daring success, were shown to CNN by a military source looking to sell the material. CNN declined to buy the material at the price being asked; it was therefore unable to verify the authenticity of the images. Uribe and his top generals had categorically denied that international humanitarian symbols were used in the July 2 rescue mission that freed the prized hostages. The hostages had endured years of harsh captivity and deprivation in jungle camps since being captured or kidnapped. Some were held for as long as 10 years. The rescue ruse also included bogus communications, sent electronically and by human couriers, to convince FARC rebels that superiors were ordering them to hand over hostages to the group posing as aid workers for transfer to another rebel camp. Misuse of the Red Cross emblem is governed by articles 37, 38 and 85 of Additional Protocol One to the Geneva Conventions, the international rules of war. The articles prohibit "feigning of protected status by the use of ... emblems" of neutral parties and say that such misuses are considered breaches of international humanitarian law that qualify as a "war crime." Colombia signed the Geneva Conventions in 1949. That prohibition was put in place to protect the neutrality of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations in an armed conflict and to guarantee their access to all sides. Use of those emblems by one side of a conflict, for example, could endanger aid workers because those on another side might no longer trust that symbols they see really represent those humanitarian organizations. Among the photos shown to CNN are some bearing a date stamp of July 2, taken at an unidentified landing site in the jungle alongside a farm house. In one of those photographs, about 15 members of a Colombian military intelligence-led team pose for a photo alongside a helicopter. One of the members, dressed in a dark red T-shirt or polo shirt, khaki cargo pants and a black-and-white Arab-style scarf, also wears a bib of the type worn by Red Cross workers. The bib bears the Red Cross symbol in the center of two black circles on a white background. In the space between the two black circles appear in capital letters the French words "Comite International Geneve" (International Committee Geneva). The same man is standing in the doorway of the helicopter, a Russian-made MI-17 painted white and orange, in another photo. In a third photo, he is pictured walking near the helicopter still wearing the bib. The same man pictured in the photos can be seen fleetingly in a heavily edited video of the rescue mission issued to the media by the Defense Ministry two days after the hostages were freed. In one frame, part of what appears to be the Red Cross bib is visible as the man wearing it stands in a jungle clearing alongside guerrilla commanders Gerardo Antonio Aguilar, alias Cesar, and Alexander Farfan, known as Enrique Gafas, who were captured in the operation. The red blur of a Red Cross can be seen and part of the two black circles of the emblem and the capital letters "EVE". Those are also the last three letters of word Geneve (Geneva), which appears on the official ICRC emblem and bib. In two other frames of the officially released video, the same man, dressed in the same clothes as in the pre-departure photos, can be seen still wearing the predominantly white bib tied at the sides. In those shots the ICRC logo is not visible. The unpublished video also reveals an emblem that bears the Spanish words "Mision Internacional Humanitaria" (International Humanitarian Mission) and a stylized red bird made up of wavy red lines above two curved branches of blue leaves. In the 3½-minute video of the operation issued by the military, emblems pasted on the side of the rescue helicopter cannot be seen. But in the unpublished video and photos shown to CNN, emblems measuring about one square meter (one square yard) are pasted onto the outside of the chopper. The same emblem appears on the Web site for Mision Internacional Humanitaria, which describes itself as a non-governmental organization based in Barcelona, Spain, that "works to improve the processes of development to guarantee equality of opportunity for individuals and peoples." Although the site says the group is registered with the Spanish Interior Ministry and the regional Department of Justice, the site is littered with misspellings, and the telephone number that's listed is 000000000. CNN was unable to contact the group to verify its existence. The group's Web site could not be accessed early Tuesday. Additional video clips show how the emblems on the side of the helicopter were stripped off and burned once the rescue mission had been completed. The fate of the bib is not clear from the clips.

NEW: . President Alvaro Uribe says one Red Cross symbol was used in hostage rescue . Photos from military source show man wearing bib with Red Cross logo . Such misuse of symbol could be violation of Geneva Conventions .

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(Travel + Leisure) -- It's no surprise: Americans are super-opinionated, especially about the cities they live in and the places they visit. In fact, their feelings are so strong that in the 2008 America's Favorite Cities survey -- conducted by travelandleisure.com and CNN Headline News -- Americans voted more than 600,000 times on 45 characteristics of 25 cities, weighing in on things like shopping, food, culture and nightlife, as well as cleanliness and affordability. New Orleans earned No. 1 rankings for fine dining and live music. In 2007, there was a lot of cheering from cities that clinched the No. 1 spots, like Chicago, Illinois, (dining) and Austin, Texas, (best singles scene). But we also saw a lot of upsets -- upset people, that is. After all, someone had to come in last. Unfortunately for the proud people of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, America voted them dead last in the category of attractive people. And Los Angeles, California, took the prize for least friendly city, a category that most expected New York City to sweep. Notable changes . For the winners in each category, 2008 brought some surprises. New Orleans, Louisiana, elbowed New York aside as the best city for fine dining. Las Vegas, Nevada, took the No. 1 spot for best singles scene as former No. 1 Austin tumbled to No. 5. In the cleanliness category, Portland, Oregon, swept Minneapolis, Minnesota, out of first place this year. See all the America's Favorite Cities results -- and play the new AFC game, What's YOUR Fave? But other cities maintained their dominant positions. New York held its No. 1 ranking as the country's best spot for people-watching, while Charleston, South Carolina, was once again voted America's friendliest city. Find your vacation . There's plenty more to explore beyond the rankings. If you're in the market for a great destination, the Vacation Finder at travelandleisure.com can help you find the perfect city for your interests. Austin and New Orleans, for example, are rollicking destinations for live music, cheap ethnic food and vintage shopping. If something more high-minded is your style, check out Washington D.C. (No. 1 for museums) or New York (No. 1 for classical music). Travelers seeking the sophistication of cities paired with the exhilaration of the outdoors should head to Honolulu, Hawaii, (No. 1 for active/adventure vacations), Portland (No. 1 for public parks and access to outdoors), or Denver, Colorado, (No. 1 for athletic/active citizens). If you're planning a trip with the kids, Orlando, Florida, is still on top, but alternatives like San Diego, California, and Washington D.C. still rate high with travelers. Seekers of romantic getaways should try their luck in Honolulu, Charleston or San Francisco, California, which hold their own particular charms. And what happened at the bottom of the scale? Did Philadelphia rally voters and push themselves up the attractiveness scale? Did Angelenos take the criticism about being the least-friendly city to heart and begin using a kinder, gentler salute to fellow drivers on the freeway? Read on to find out. Here are the top three cities » in some of the categories, as voted by visitors. Visit travelandleisure.com for the full results, best and worst, for each city and category, as ranked by residents and by visitors. 'What's YOUR Fave?' You've voted on your favorite cities' characteristics, but what's America's Favorite City overall? Tell us! Vote for America's best in our new bracket game, What's YOUR Fave? Go to travelandleisure.com/afc and each week for the next four weeks, we'll pit cities head-to-head. Your vote decides whether they move on to the next round or get eliminated!

New Orleans elbowed New York aside as the best city for fine dining . Portland, Oregon, swept Minneapolis out of first place for cleanliness . New York held its No. 1 ranking as the country's best spot for people-watching .

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(CNN) -- Residents living in single-family homes in some parts of coastal Texas face "certain death" if they do not heed orders to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Ike's arrival, the National Weather Service said Thursday night. Texans sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic Thursday on a highway from Galveston County into Houston. The unusually strong wording came in a weather advisory regarding storm surge along the shoreline of Galveston Bay, which could see maximum water levels of 15 to 22 feet, the agency said. "All neighborhoods ... and possibly entire coastal communities ... will be inundated during the period of peak storm tide," the advisory said. "Persons not heeding evacuation orders in single-family one- or two-story homes will face certain death." The maximum water level forecasts in nearby areas, including the shoreline of Matagorda Bay and the Gulf-facing coastline from Sargent to High Island, ranged from 5 to 8 feet. But authorities warned that tide levels could begin rising Friday morning along the upper Texas coast and along the shorelines of the bays. The advisory summoned memories of the language used to describe 2005's Hurricane Katrina, which devastated parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast. "Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks ... if not longer," an advisory issued at the time said. "The vast majority of native trees will be snapped or uprooted. Only the heartiest will remain standing." The Ike advisory follows comes on the heels of similarly urgent messages earlier Thursday from federal authorities, who warned of a "massive storm" that could affect roughly 40 percent of the U.S. Gulf Coast. "Do not take this storm lightly," Michael Chertoff, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said Thursday afternoon. "This is not a storm to gamble with. It is large; it is powerful; it carries a lot of water." Chertoff and representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency said their efforts were focused on evacuations as Ike moved northwest at 12 mph across the central Gulf of Mexico with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph. Track the storm » . Chertoff also urged people not to succumb to "hurricane fatigue," referring to concerns that authorities were overestimating Ike's potential impact. "Unless you're fatigued with living, I suggest you want to take seriously a storm of this size and scale," he said Thursday. Houston Mayor Bill White said he's heard that people who live in areas under a mandatory evacuation order say they plan to stay in their homes. He strongly urged against it. "If you think you want to ride something out, and people are talking about a 20-foot wall of water coming at you, then you better think again," White said. At 5 p.m. Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said a hurricane warning was in effect between Morgan City, Louisiana, and Baffin Bay, Texas. A warning means hurricane conditions are likely within 24 hours. Ike's forecast track was through Galveston and the Houston metro area as a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph. Currently a Category 2 storm about 700 miles across, Ike could make landfall near Galveston Island as early as Saturday morning. Watch CNN meteorologists track Hurricane Ike » . At 11 p.m. ET, the National Hurricane Center said hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 115 miles from Ike's center, and tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 275 miles. The storm was centered 445 miles east-southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas, and about 340 miles east-southeast of Galveston, and was moving west-northwest at near 10 mph. Watch: National Hurricane center predicts Ike's path » . Roughly 3.5 million people live in the hurricane's potential impact zone, FEMA Administrator David Paulison said Thursday. In Galveston, Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas told the island's 60,000 people that they should leave. By 7:30 ET, the city had finished evacuating to Austin thousands of residents who needed assistance leaving because of age, disability or lack of reliable transportation. Mandatory evacuations remained in effect for low-lying coastal areas northeast and southwest of Galveston, in Chambers, Matagorda and Brazoria counties. Some Brazoria County residents said they didn't want to leave but realized it was in their best interest to do so. "You don't have a choice when you have kids," Deborah Davis of Freeport told CNN affiliate KPRC-TV in Houston. Farther inland, about 100,000 residents in low-lying areas surrounding Houston began evacuating Thursday afternoon as Ike headed for the Texas coast, officials said. Watch Gov. Rick Perry warn residents of Ike's potential » . But the remaining 4 million residents were told they could stay home, even as government offices and schools prepared to close Friday in Houston in anticipation of the hurricane. "We are only evacuating areas subject to a storm surge," said Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, the county's chief executive officer. "Yes, we know you will lose electricity. But you're not in danger of losing your life, so stay put." Ships in port were told to leave, said Port of Houston spokeswoman Linda Whitlock. The area's two major airports, George Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby, also halted all commercial flights. More than 1,300 inmates from the Texas Correctional Institutions Division's Stevenson Unit in Cuero were being evacuated to facilities in Beeville and Kenedy, Perry's office said, and 597 were transferred from the substance abuse Glossbrenner Unit in San Diego, in south Texas, to Dilley. CNN's Mike Mount contributed to this report.

Life-threatening floods expected in parts of coastal Texas, agency says . Hurricane Ike could make landfall near Galveston Island as early as Saturday . About 100,000 evacuated from Houston; 4 million more told to stay . All of Galveston Island ordered to evacuate; special needs evacuations completed .

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- An Ohio death row inmate who says he is too overweight to be executed took his plea to the Supreme Court on Friday. Richard Cooey, 41, and an accomplice were convicted of the 1986 murders of two college students. Richard Cooey is scheduled to die by lethal injection Tuesday and has exhausted most of his state and federal appeals. Gov. Ted Strickland earlier Friday denied the 41-year-old prisoner's clemency petition. Cooey murdered two college students in 1986. The justices were expected to decide whether he should receive a stay of execution, and whether to address the larger constitutional claims over when a convicted person is medically unfit for capital punishment. His lawyers have argued that the inmate-- at 5-foot-7 and 267 pounds -- is "morbidly obese," and has gained about 70 pounds since his incarceration at age 19. Prison food and confinement in his cell for 23 hours a day, limiting his opportunities for exercise, contributed to his weight problem, his legal team said in recent court filings. Cooey also says regular medication he takes for migraines will weaken the effectiveness of an anesthetic used in the a three-drug cocktail administered during execution. He says his veins are weakened because of his health issues, and the lethal drugs would amount to cruel and unusual punishment. In 2003, one day before Cooey was scheduled to die, a judge stopped his execution on issues unrelated to his health claims. A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that Cooey waited too long to raise the medical issues, saying he "knew of and could have filed suit over vein access prior to July 2005." Cooey and a then-17-year-old accomplice were convicted of the brutal murders of Wendy Offredo and Dawn McCreery, students at the University of Akron. The men had been tossing concrete slabs onto Interstate 77, and one of them struck Offredo's car. Pretending to rescue the women, Cooey and Clinton Dickens took them to a remote field, according to prosecutors. There, the students were subjected to 3½ hours of rape, torture, stabbings and fatal bludgeonings. Cooey had carved an "X" into the stomachs of both women, prosecutors said. Each man blamed the other for delivering the fatal blows, but both were convicted of murder. Dickens received a life sentence because of his age. Cooey tried to escape from death row in 2005, when corrections officials said he constructed a ladder from magazines and bedsheets in an effort to scale the barrier around an outdoor recreation area. At an August clemency hearing, Jon Offredo, brother of one of the victims, said, "Our family has never gotten an apology from Richard Cooey. We've gotten blatant lies and excuses. Is an apology too much to ask? How could he commit such a heinous act and not feel regret?" But Cooey's lawyer, Dana Cole, said his client is sorry for his crimes. The high court has not offered clear guidelines on what medical standards need to be met before an inmate is eligible for death. But in a case five years ago, the justices allowed inmates to at least make a claim that their specific physical or medical issues could be cause to block an execution. The high court had sided with a convicted Alabama killer who claimed his veins were so damaged from years of drug abuse that executioners might have to cut deeply into his flesh to administer the deadly drugs. Writing for the unanimous court, then-Justice Sandra Day O'Connor said the court was not going to "open the floodgates to all manner of method-of-execution challenges," as Alabama feared. "Our holding is extremely limited." That inmate is still on death row. Richard Dieter of the Death Penalty Information Center, a data-resource group that opposes capital punishment, said the Supreme Court indicated that "how you're going to be executed is a civil rights matter, the same as if you were discriminated [against] on the basis of race or gender or something like that." A Washington state killer was given a reprieve in 1994 after claiming he was too obese to hang. Mitchell Rupe at one time was more than 425 pounds, but weight-loss surgery in prison had reduced that to 275 pounds over the years. Subsequent legal efforts to execute him failed. He died in prison two years ago from a long illness. The Ohio case is Cooey v. Strickland.

Richard Cooey, set to die Tuesday, has exhausted most state, federal appeals . Justices are expected to decide whether he should receive stay of execution . They could also address constitutional claims about medical fitness for execution . Cooey: Drug interaction, weakened veins would make punishment cruel, unusual .

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(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 .

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MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- A tropical storm watch was issued Friday for Bermuda as Hurricane Bertha moved closer to the Atlantic island, causing swells and high turf on its beaches. A satellite picture from 5:45 a.m. ET Friday shows Hurricane Bertha over the Atlantic. As of 8 p.m. ET Friday, the center of Bertha was about 250 miles (402 km) southeast of Bermuda. The Category 1 storm was moving north-northwest at near 5 mph (8 km/h). The National Hurricane Center said a gradual turn toward the north is expected Friday night and Saturday, followed by a continued slow motion toward the north or north-northeast on Sunday. "On this track, the center of Bertha is expected to slowly pass to the southeast and east of Bermuda during the next couple of days," the agency said in an advisory. Bertha's maximum sustained winds are at near 90 mph (145 km/hr), with higher gusts, the hurricane center said. See Bertha's path » . The Bermuda Weather Service issued a tropical storm watch for the island around midday, meaning tropical storm conditions are possible in the area, the hurricane center said. The center advised those on the island, a self-governing British colony, to monitor Bertha's progress closely. Bertha's intensity has fluctuated. At its peak Monday, it was a major Category 3 hurricane with top winds of 120 mph (193 km/h). Its wind speed dropped to 75 mph (121 km/h), barely hurricane strength, before picking up once again and reaching Category 2 intensity late Wednesday, with top sustained winds of 105 mph (169 km/h). See how hurricanes are classified » . The storm formed July 3 off Africa near the southern Cape Verde Islands. It strengthened into a hurricane Monday. The first tropical storm of the season, Arthur, formed May 31 near the coast of Belize and dumped heavy rain on Central America and southern Mexico.

NEW: Bermuda Weather Service issues tropical storm watch . NEW: Hurricane Bertha's fringes expected to reach Bermuda on Saturday . The Category 1 hurricane is causing large swells, high surf on Bermuda beaches .

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NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- Police in India have charged 63 people with murder in the beating death of a company boss who fired them. Labor minister Oscar Fernandes was criticized for saying Chaudhary's death was warning to management. The 63 were among 137 people police had rounded up by Wednesday -- two days after a mob of fired employees attacked L.K. Chaudhary, the chief executive of an Italian car parts manufacturing company. The others were charged with disturbing the peace in the Monday incident in Noida, located in the outskirts of the capital New Delhi. More arrests are likely, said R. K. Chaturvedi, the senior superintendent of police in Noida. The former employees of Graziano Transmissioni had gone to meet with company management over their reinstatement, said Noida police Inspector Manoj Pathak. The meeting turned violent, and the mob attacked Chaudhary with iron rods, Pathak said. On Tuesday, India's labor minister, Oscar Fernandes, drew sharp criticism after he said Chaudhary's death should serve as a warning to management, according to CNN's sister network in India, CNN-IBN. "The workers should be dealt (with) with compassion and should not be pushed so hard that they resort to whatever that had happened in Nodia" CNN-IBN quoted Fernandes as telling reporters. The minister later apologized, telling CNN his comments had been taken out of context. He said the murder of the boss could never be justified. The Italian Embassy said the company had, for several months, been facing "violent forms of protest by self-proclaimed workers' representatives." "The situation had been repeatedly brought to the attention of the competent Indian authorities, both at central and local level," it said in a statement. Business groups condemned the killing with the Confederation of Indian Industry calling it "tragic, unwanted and gory." "Such instances of industrial violence cannot be a solution to any problem and must not be tolerated," said Salil Singh, chairman of the group that promotes industrial growth. Meanwhile, authorities sought to appease businesses that police were aggressively investigating the case. "The legal course will be followed and all culprits brought to book," Commerce Minister Kamal Nath said. "This stray tragic occurrence would not be allowed to mar India's position as an investment-friendly destination." CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh contributed to this report.

Police in India charge 63 people with murdering company boss who fired them . Mob of fired employees attacked chief executive of Italian car parts company . India's labor minister apologizes for saying death is warning to management .

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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Terrorism, a slow economy and rising gas prices are issues that can keep American voters awake at night. Undecided voters gathered at Emory University, where Dr. Drew Westen studies how brains react to messages. Political strategists know that the most successful candidates are masters at capitalizing on fears such as these, and that can make a huge difference at the polls. In 1964, Lyndon Johnson was running for president against conservative Barry Goldwater when his campaign unleashed the "daisy ad." It showed a little girl counting as she plucked a daisy, charmingly mixing up her numbers. Then a baritone voice takes over, counting down to an overwhelming nuclear explosion. It's followed with a warning that the stakes are too high not to vote for Johnson. The ad, which ran only once, was so chilling and effective, analysts say, it helped Johnson win the presidency by one of the widest margins in U.S. history. CNN recently gathered eight undecided voters to see how they would respond to attack ads and how the ads might affect their choices. They met at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where psychologist Drew Westen studies how brains react to candidates' messages. Westen, who wrote "The Political Brain," said fear-based attack ads are effective because they tap into a voter's subconscious. "Those kinds of gut-level reactions tell us things like, 'I don't feel like this person is telling us the truth,' " Westen said. "Unless someone is a really good con man, those reactions are extremely helpful. The conscious brain processes only a tiny percent of information." Westen and his business partner, Joel Weinberger, have created software, through their company ThinkScan, that looks into a voter's subconscious. The software does this by measuring people's reaction time to certain words after they watch attack ads. The undecided voters in CNN's group watched the ads and were then asked to identify the color of words such as "weak," "inexperienced" and "terrorist." If they hesitated, even for one-thousandth of a second, before they clicked on the color that corresponded with the word, Weinberger said, it meant the word had an impact. "If the word is on their mind, if the word was activated, it will slow them down," Weinberger said. Westen predicted that the undecided voters would say they didn't like the ads and that the ads had no impact on them. He was right. The group watched Hillary Clinton's "3 a.m." campaign ad, which was intended to make voters question Barack Obama's experience. Viewers said that the ad was fear-mongering and that it did not make them think Clinton was a stronger leader than Obama. But the data, Westen said, showed that their brains reacted differently. Voters had the greatest hesitation with words like "weak" and "lightweight" during the color test. Westen said this meant the ad made them question Obama's readiness. "The purpose, too, is to make him seem scary, dangerous. 'You need to be afraid of this guy as president,' " Westen said. "That message unconsciously got through." The undecided voters also watched an ad attacking John McCain for saying the U.S. could be in Iraq for the next 100 years. After watching the ad, the group gave it a thumbs-down. But researchers said the data showed that it left them feeling McCain has poor judgment and is too close to President Bush. The results were identical when the same test was given to a much larger group of 100 voters. This happens because the ads trigger a response in the part of the brain called the amygdala, which experiences emotions such as fear. When it is aroused, it overrides logic, according to Westen. Despite the ability of attack ads to affect voters' subconscious thinking, Westen cautions that fear-based ads are risky because they can backfire. What advice does Westen have for presidential hopefuls? "They should make voters feel inspired by them and worried about their opponent at the same time," Westen said. "It works."

Fear-based attack ads are sometimes used by candidates to influence voters . CNN gathered eight undecided voters to measure the impact of attack ads . Psychologist Drew Westen says fear-based ads appeal to voters' subconscious .

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(CNN) -- Residents of a western Pennsylvania neighborhood can return home Sunday after a chemical leak forced them to evacuate the night before. Hundreds of residents were forced to flee Saturday after a chemical leak in Petrolia, Pennsylvania. Authorities surveyed the neighborhood in Petrolia and determined that no traces of the toxic chemical remained, said Freda Tarbell, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. A leak at the Indspec Chemical Corp. plant in Petrolia on Saturday formed a cloud affecting at least 2,000 residents -- some of whom fled their homes. Others huddled indoors with their windows shut, authorities said. Three people were taken to hospitals, but officials could not immediately say why. Watch why residents were asked to evacuate » . It was not immediately clear how many people were injured, though plant manager Dave Dorko said all employees and inspectors at the plant were safe and accounted for. Tarbell described the chemical as fuming sulfuric acid, which is also known as oleum. The plant uses the chemical during its production process, she said. The plant produces a chemical called Resorcinol -- essentially a strong glue used in the tire industry. The leak affected between 2,000 and 2,500 residents, Tarbell said. Some stayed the night with friends and relatives and some sought refuge in shelters. Others opted to stay indoors and "shut their windows and doors to make sure the acid cloud was not entering their home," she said. Ed Schrecengost, a former Indspec employee, said firefighters showed up at his son's wedding reception, urging the guests to leave. "It's about as dangerous as you can get," Schrecengost told CNN affiliate WPXI. "It's a very fuming acid. A quart bottle of this material could fill a household in two seconds." Dorko said the leak was caused by an overflow from a tank. The material, he said, evaporates easily, creating a toxic cloud. CNN's Saeed Ahmed and Janet DiGiacomo contributed to this report.

NEW: Environmental official says area surveyed, no traces of chemical remain . Toxic cloud forms Saturday after chemical leak at Pennsylvania plant . Three residents taken to hospital; extent of injuries not known .

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(CNN) -- Sarah Palin: politician and mother. iReporters weigh in on the difficulty of balancing those two roles. iReporter Christina Walker says its very challenging to balance work and caring for her 1-year-old child. Since Sen. John McCain named Alaska Go. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential pick, she has been closely scrutinized by both the public and the media. Palin has served as governor of Alaska for almost two years. She also has five children, including a 4-month-old son with Down Syndrome and a 17-year-old daughter who is 5-months pregnant. Her choice to run as the Republican vice presidential nominee has drawn both praise and criticism from the left and right alike. Now iReporters are asking: Was it the right decision? Some feel that Palin's choice to run shows poor judgment. "I think she made the wrong call. It's not her time," said Andy Stably of Salem, New Hampshire. "Given her personal situation and her special circumstances, it does seem more important than the nomination she's accepting. I don't think that should be blanket statement for all moms. But the job she's about to interview for is the job of jobs, and it's going to require her to sacrifice what she has at home." Stably has children of his own, and his wife works full-time. He says this experience has helped shape his views on Palin: "Doesn't everyone, male or female, think about the impact a job offer would have on their personal life before accepting the offer?" "It's not a sexist thing," said Jeanette Lee, who is raising a 15-month-old baby of her own. "If my family was having these sorts of issues, I wouldn't be putting them in the spotlight and making them go through this publicly. For her to walk away from her baby with special needs just shows her character. I feel like she should pay more attention to her whole family." "If her children were older, it wouldn't be an issue," Lee added. Others feel Palin's family situation would have a negative impact on her effectiveness as vice president. "I want my president to be my president. It is a difficult, sometimes thankless, and emotionally devastating job that requires 100 percent resolve at all times," said Carlton Madden, from West Monroe, Louisiana. "I think she has a lot on her plate ... I have no problem with a woman being president, but I'm going to hold her to the same standards I'd hold a man. If [Obama] had a pregnant teen daughter and a child with special needs, I'd have serious reservations about his ability to make a split-second decision, too." Christina Walker, of Austin, Texas, who has a 1-year-old daughter, says her experience as a mom has led her to the same conclusion. "I opted to change my career path so I could spend more time with my child, and I'm trying to manage both the career and the child," she said. "It's very challenging, and I'm not in nearly the type of stressful role that she would be in." But some think Palin's experience as a mom would only make her a better vice president. Carolyn Jasper of Shreveport, Louisiana, says Palin's experience as a mother makes her a better candidate because she knows what it's like to balance life and work and can understand the lives of "regular" Americans. "I can tell you one thing about being a mom. You learn real quick how to work through all of life's huge problems and bring them down to a manageable size," said Jasper, who has three children of her own. "I do think she'll be more capable of understanding what the regular American people need from their government because she is a mom and a family person." So is there a double standard at work? Some iReporters think so. "Why aren't we questioning how Obama can raise his kids?" asked Shawn Strode of Orlando, Florida. "Mind you, having a Down Syndrome child is going to be more challenging, but are we assuming the dad can't step in and be a parent? We automatically assume that first ladies can be great parents and that it won't take away from the father being the president. I don't think it will affect her job that much." "I'm a little tired of hearing about Bristol and her pregnancy," said Katy Brown, a freshman at Kent State University in Ohio. "This has nothing to do with the campaign. It has nothing to do with how well Sarah Palin will lead the country. ...This just shows that they're a normal family." Lisa Stiles, of Richmond, Virginia, has been involved in grassroots campaigning for nuclear energy throughout her career and says Palin inspired her to consider running for office in the future. She thinks this discussion would never have come up if Palin was a man. "Are people forgetting that she has a husband?" Stiles asked. "I would think people would be applauding the fact that such a reversal of traditional gender roles is possible." And Jordan Saver of Athens, Georgia, believes there is a different kind of sexism going on in the race: "We're giving [Palin] credit for being a mother and a politician, but Barack Obama doesn't get credit for being a father and a politician," he said. "It's reverse discrimination. But if they mentioned it, it would be seen as sexist." "It's the wrong conversation to be having," added Kathryn Ova of New York City, who describes herself as a "die-hard feminist." "Our overall belief system of putting work ahead of family for both men and women is kind of dominating right now. It's coming up because she's a woman, but putting work ahead of family is a major issue regardless of gender."

iReporters weigh in on Sarah Palin's roles of politician and mother . Some say she can't be both a good mother and a good vice president . Others say Palin is being held to an unfair standard as a woman . iReport.com: Is there a double-standard?

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Editor's note: Glenn Beck is on CNN Headline News nightly at 7 and 9 ET and also is host of a conservative national radio talk show. Glenn Beck has some lines McCain can use in tonight's speech to articulate his vision for change . NEW YORK (CNN) -- Campaigns are ugly. Watching the way politicians act makes you long for the respect and self-control of the Sopranos. Throughout, there are legitimate attacks and outright lies. Every once in a while, I get a call on my radio show from someone telling me that Barack Obama is secretly a Muslim, who admitted it in an interview with George Stephanopoulos, and has a fake birth certificate. No, no, and no. As I tell them, there are legitimate reasons not to vote for Barack Obama, no need to make them up. But the newest target is Sarah Palin. Let's take a quick look at just a fraction of what she has faced in her first few days as John McCain's choice for vice president. iReport.com: Do you think Palin is being treated unfairly? "Sarah Palin believes God told her to go to war with Iraq!" There has been some hard-core journalistic malpractice on this one. The Associated Press ran this headline about a speech she gave at her church: "Palin: Iraq war 'a task that is from God'" In the story, they omit the first part of the sentence they're quoting along with the entire previous sentence for good measure. Here are her actual words: "Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending them out on a task that is from God. That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God's plan." Palin is clearly praying that we're doing the right thing in Iraq, something sensible for an introspective woman of faith concerned about the lives of our troops to do. She's not saying that she just received a text message from heaven's BlackBerry ordering her to launch missiles. Sorry to disappoint you. And for those of you who think politicians asking God for guidance is offensive, might I remind you of this famous politician's prayer: . "Give me the wisdom to do what is right and just. And make me an instrument of your will." --Barack Obama . "She has no experience!" It's fair to assume that Barack Obama believed he was qualified to be in the White House when he announced he was running for president. At that point, he had been a U.S. Senator for 767 days. When Sarah Palin was announced as a vice presidential candidate, she had been the governor of Alaska for 634 days. While I'm sure those extra 133 days were filled with personal discovery, I can't imagine anyone seriously trying to make the case that Obama is experienced and Palin isn't. Unless, of course, you're Matt Damon, who said a Palin presidency would be a really "scary thing" because she has been "governor of Alaska for...for less than two years!" (Damon originally expressed his presidential preference for Obama in December 2006, when he had been a senator for less than two years.) More importantly, Palin's career has been filled with executive experience. She's the only one of the four in this race who has run a business, town, and/or state (a state that gives her crucial energy experience in the middle of an energy crisis). When Obama's campaign complains that Palin would be one heartbeat away from the presidency, they should consider that their candidate would be zero heartbeats away. "But Obama is running a huge campaign -- Palin was just a small town mayor!" Believe it or not, this one was actually trotted out by Obama himself. "My understanding is, is that Gov. Palin's town of Wasilla has, I think, 50 employees. We've got 2,500 in this campaign. I think the budget is maybe $12 million a year. We have a budget of about three times that just for the month." Apparently, Barack missed that she's become the governor of Alaska in the interim. Why would he compare his current duties with her former duties? Well, since he announced his candidacy, Barack Obama has raised about $22 million a month. That's a large organization for sure, unless you are directly comparing it to Sarah Palin, who is handling state revenues that are about 61 times as large, or more than $1.3 billion per month. "Palin only supports abstinence to be taught in sex-ed!" This claim is usually followed by a super classy comment about her daughter and the use of contraception, but the premise is false. Palin hasn't said she doesn't want condoms discussed in sex-ed, calling their discussion "relatively benign." "I'm pro-contraception, and I think kids who may not hear about it at home should hear about it in other avenues. So I am not anti-contraception. But, yeah, abstinence is another alternative that should be discussed with kids. I don't have a problem with that," Palin said. Hers is hardly an extreme point of view in America today. "If she cares about children with special needs, then why did she cut spending on them by 62 percent?" Actually, Palin almost tripled their funding in only three years from $26,900 per student to $73,840 per student. Incidentally, the amount of government money you spend on a specific group doesn't equal the amount you care for that group, but that's another story for another column. All of these represent just a small percentage of the bizarre collection of claims being thrown at Palin by her opponents and some in the media -- who are desperately hoping something will stick. I leave you with my favorite so far: The Internet rumors that she harbors racism against Eskimos. If true, she sure has a strange way of expressing it -- her husband, Todd, is half Yupik Inuit Eskimo. To balance that out, she must really love his other half. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer.

Glenn Beck: Many of the things you've heard about Sarah Palin aren't true . Beck: She didn't say the Iraq war is a task from God . Palin has substantial executive experience in several jobs, Beck says. Beck: She doesn't oppose teaching contraception in sex-ed classes .

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(CNN) -- Ambitious plans to build a revolutionary 420-meter shape-shifting skyscraper in Dubai have been unveiled by architects. The 80-story Dynamic Tower, described as the "world's first building in motion," will also be the first skyscraper constructed from prefabricated units, according to a press statement released by New York-based architect David Fisher's Dynamic Group. Each floor would be capable of rotating independently, powered by wind turbines fitted between each floor. "You can adjust the shape the way you like every given moment," Fisher said. "It's not a piece of architecture somebody designed today and that's it. It remains forever. It's designed by life, shaped by time." Watch how the tower would spin and twist » . Apartments will sell for about $3,000 per square foot, making each unit range in price from about $4 million to $40 million. Work on the tower is to be completed by 2010, according to Dynamic's Web site. Fisher said that plans to build a second rotating skyscraper in Moscow were at an advanced stage and that the group intended to build a third tower in New York. He said developers and public officials in Canada, Europe and South Korea had also expressed interest in the project. But some have expressed skepticism. Fisher has never built a skyscraper before. He says he has teamed up with reputable architects and engineers in the United Kingdom and India. Although he has received a development license for construction in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, he has not disclosed the site of the building. The Moscow mayor's office said that it was looking into the project and that a decision had not been made. Fisher has called prefabricated construction techniques the "future of architecture" and says they will radically transform 4,000-year-old "brick-on-brick" building methods. By using preconstructed parts, Fisher said each story could be built in just seven days, resulting in environmentally cleaner building methods. He said that just 600 people on an assembly site and 80 technicians on the construction site would be needed to build the tower, compared with about 2,000 workers for a traditional project of a comparable scale. "It is unbelievable that real estate and construction, which is the leading sector of the world economy, is also the most primitive," Fisher is quoted as saying on Dynamic's Web site. "Most workers throughout the world still regularly use trowels that was first used by the Egyptians and then by the Romans. Buildings should not be different than any other product, and from now on they will be manufactured in a production facility." Dubai is experiencing a construction boom, with the Burj tower set to claim the title of the world's tallest building when it is completed in 2009. It is already home to the world's largest mall, and despite being in the Middle East, it boasts the largest indoor snow park in the world.

Plans for revolutionary 420-meter rotating skyscraper in Dubai unveiled . 80-story Dynamic Tower has been designed by architect David Fisher . Advanced plans to build second tower in Moscow . Tower will be built from prefabricated units; due to be completed by 2010 .

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HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Robert Mugabe's political rivals Saturday accused the Zimbabwean president of "ambush" in allocating key ministries to his own party in defiance of a power-sharing agreement aimed at ending political turmoil in the country. The opposition MDC accuses Mugabe of "ambush." Zimbabwe's state-run Herald newspaper reported that ministries inlcuding defense, justice, and media, were being placed in the hands of Mugabe's ZANU-PF. Party spokesman Bright Matonga said the move had cross-party support but the Movement for Democratic Change's Nelson Chamisa decried the move is an "ambush" that puts the power-sharing deal in jeopardy. Under the deal reached last month, Mugabe stays in office but shares power with MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who became vice president. Arthur Mutambara, who leads a splinter MDC faction, became deputy vice president. "The MDC dismisses ZANU-PF's unilaterally gazetted wish list of ministries, which is a betrayal of the wishes, expectations and aspirations of the majority of Zimbabweans," the MDC said in a statement. "It is a giant act of madness which puts the whole deal into jeopardy." The plan outlined in The Herald would give 14 government ministries to ZANU-PF and 13 to the MDC. Three ministries would go to Mutambara's faction. Among the ministries reportedly allocated to ZANU-PF are defense, home affairs, foreign affairs, justice and legal affairs, and media and information. Ministries given to Tsvangirai's MDC would include constitutional and parliamentary affairs, economic planning, health, labor, and sport, arts and culture, the paper said. Mutambara would oversee education, industry and commerce, and regional integration and international cooperation. The ministry of finance, the paper said, remains in dispute. The MDC accused the ZANU-PF of trying to undermine the work of former South African President Thabo Mbeki, who helped broker a deal to end months of violence following a disputed election. The paper said Mbeki was due to to go Zimbabwe to resolve the question of the finance ministry. Mbeki mediated the power-sharing talks that aimed to resolve the disputed March election. Tsvangirai won the most votes in March but not enough to avoid a runoff, according to the government's official count. Tsvangirai withdrew from the June 27 runoff days before the vote, saying Mugabe's supporters had waged a campaign of violence and intimidation against opposition supporters.

MDC decries Mugabe move to allocate key ministries to his ZANU-PF party . Defense, justice, and media given to party, report says . MDC says move violates power-sharing agreement .

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(CNN) -- Seven years after devastating terrorist attacks brought death to New York's World Trade Centers, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field, the first permanent, on-site memorial is being dedicated Thursday at the Pentagon. An artist's rendering shows the New York 9/11 memorial, with the museum entry pavilion between two pools. Official memorials at the other two sites are still years away. In New York, construction has begun on a complex that will include a memorial with a tree-shaded plaza and reflecting pools, and an underground museum with an entry pavilion. It's part of a bigger project, including new office towers and a transportation hub, whose target date has been repeatedly delayed. The goal is to open the memorial to the public by the 10th anniversary of the attacks, in 2011, and the museum by the year after. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg stressed the importance of those dates and called progress "frustratingly slow" in an opinion piece published Wednesday in the Wall Street Journal. "The memorial must be completed by the 10th anniversary," Bloomberg wrote. "No more excuses, no more delays." Watch and listen to Thursday's memorial services » . However, on CNN's "American Morning" Thursday, Bloomberg said quality is more important than speed of construction. "We want to make sure what we build is the right thing, that 100 years from now people will look back and say, 'They built it well and built the right thing,'" Bloomberg said. "Nobody's going to remember if it took five years or 10 years. I'd like it to go faster. I've recommended we reduce the level of bureaucracy, but that's not our number one priority." Federal, state and local governments, as well as several agencies and private developers are involved in the planning and construction. "It's a complex site, and there was an extensive public process involved in determining the plans for the site," Lynn Rasic of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum said Wednesday. "And I think what's important now is that we look forward and do everything possible to meet the 10th anniversary date." iReport: How are you observing 9/11? The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns the trade center site, says it's on board as far as the date for opening the memorial. Completion dates for the museum and pavilion are part of a review to be finished by September 30, Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman said. "We don't want to put any more false hopes, false dates out there in the public domain that can't be met. That's why they want to make sure this thing is a thorough review and we have realistic and achievable dates that we come out with," he said. Coleman said the Port Authority hasn't felt pressure from families of September 11 victims to speed up the process. "What we're hearing from family members is that they want to see it done right, rather than rushed," he said. The memorial will feature two huge reflecting pools, with waterfalls flowing down their sides, where the iconic twin towers stood, according to the memorial's Web site. Engraved around the pools will be the names of those who died in the September 11 attacks as well as the victims of a 1993 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Watch and listen to sights and sounds from 9/11 » . The steel and glass entry pavilion will include two large steel columns salvaged from the twin towers. As visitors descend underground into the museum, they'll see the slurry wall, the bedrock that held back the Hudson River when the towers collapsed. The Pennsylvania memorial is also scheduled to be completed by the 10th anniversary of the attacks. It will center on the site where United Flight 93 crashed after passengers apparently wrested control of the plane from the hijackers. A plaza will surround the crash site, known as Sacred Ground. Plans call for a Tower of Voices, with 40 windchimes representing the 40 passengers and crew members who died. The Pentagon memorial, opening Thursday, includes a bench, a tree and a pool for each of the 184 people killed there when another hijacked airliner crashed into the building. Watch a victim's family tour Pentagon memorial » . The areas are arranged in order of the victims' ages, ranging from the youngest, 3-year-old Dana Falkenberg, to the oldest, John D. Yamnicky, 71, according to a Defense Department Web site. "When we learned that there were five children who lost their lives that day, that's really what sparked the idea," designer Keith Kaseman said. To read the name of a person killed in the Pentagon, a visitor must look toward the building; if the victim was on board the airplane, the name can be seen by looking up. After dedication ceremonies, the memorial opens to the public at 7 p.m. ET. "This place is really all about the visitor's thoughts, your interpretation," Kaseman said.

World Trade Center memorial plaza scheduled to open in 2011, museum in 2012 . Memorial at Pennsylvania plane crash site also due to open in 2011 . Pentagon memorial including benches, trees, pools is dedicated Thursday . Watch 9/11 memorials in New York and Washington on CNN.com Live .

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SAN FRANCISCO, California (CNN) -- A wildfire threatened to decimate historic Angel Island, the largest in the San Francisco Bay, and a Marin County fire official warned it could take up to four days contain the blaze. At 9:15 p.m. Sunday the fire was burning only on the southeast side of the island. The fire, which began about 9 p.m. Sunday, had consumed about 250 acres of vegetation near the top of Mount Livermore's 788-foot peak, Battalion Chief Mike Giannini said Monday. iReporter Bob Austrian, 45, of Tiburon, said he could see the blaze from his home about 4 or 5 miles from the island. He noticed the blaze at 9:15 p.m. Sunday. It "started as a little red glow" on the southeast side of the island and worked its way over the top and around the side of Mount Livermore, he said early Monday morning. Watch the island burn » . "It's still ripping right now," Austrian said at 5 a.m., noting that the blaze posed "quite a spectacle" with the town of Belvedere in the foreground and the Bay Bridge that connects Oakland and San Francisco serving as a backdrop. Fire crews and equipment were being ferried to the island to battle the blaze, Giannini said. About 200 firefighters were already involved in the effort or en route, he said. None of the blaze is contained, and Giannini said he expects the firefighting effort to last for three to four more days. Austrian, who has visited the island at least a dozen times, said he's concerned that firefighters won't be able to douse the blaze. The island is mostly vegetation with a few historic buildings, foot trails and access roads. iReport.com: See, share images of the blaze . Even with the necessary manpower and firefighting resources, he said, it will be difficult to reach the actual blaze. "It's just the saddest thing because there's no way to stop it," Austrian said. Fire officials said earlier that all of the park workers and campers on the island were safe. Angel Island -- a hilly grass- and forest-covered island -- is the largest in San Francisco Bay. The island was used as a quarantine station for immigrants suspected of carrying diseases starting in the late 19th century. It's now a place for hiking, biking, camping and boating.

Blaze not contained, firefighting efforts could last four days, official says . iReporter: "It's just the saddest thing because there's no way to stop it" Blaze burning vegetation near the top of Mount Livermore's 788-foot peak . All park workers, campers are safe, fire official says .

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HOUSTON, Texas (CNN) -- Even with Hurricane Ike more than 100 miles away, authorities began rescue efforts Friday, picking up more than 120 people stranded by rising seas along the southeast Texas coast. The U.S. Coast Guard rescues a person trapped in a car on Friday as Hurricane Ike hits Texas. Most of the rescues occurred in Galveston County, where rising water and other effects of the storm began hours before expected landfall early Saturday. Stranded residents have been airlifted from Crystal Beach, Bolivar Peninsula and other communities in the Galveston area. Many of those rescued were motorists stranded on flooded roads. In Surfside Beach, police waded through chest-high rushing water to rescue five people trapped in their homes. One man refused to leave, said Surfside Beach police Chief Randy Smith. Watch rescuers save a motorist from floods » . "Some of them took convincing, some of them didn't," he said. Police also rescued another five people who waded out to meet the officers. About half of those rescues were done by helicopters out of several bases along the coast, said Coast Guard Petty Officer David Schulein. Three HH-65C helicopters from Coast Guard Air Station Houston rescued more than 20 people and were continuing to fly round-the-clock rescue missions until weather grounds them, said Petty Officer Renee Aiello, a station spokeswoman. The Coast Guard helicopters from Air Station Houston could make their last flights Friday afternoon as rain starts to move in, Aiello said. Watch Ike begin to spill water into Texas » . "We'll be out as long as the weather permits us," she said. "We're still working." Some 37,000 people may need to be rescued after Hurricane Ike strikes, a U.S. military official said Friday. Texas already has asked for help, and the active-duty military has 42 search-and-rescue helicopters on standby, the official said. iReport.com: Commander briefs Coast Guard crews . Meanwhile, the Coast Guard and Air Force were unable to rescue 22 people aboard a freighter adrift in the Gulf of Mexico because of weather, the two military branches said Friday. "Weather on scene deteriorated to a point that made the rescue impossible," the Coast Guard said in a statement issued Friday. First Lt. Lauren Johnson, an Air Force spokeswoman, confirmed the report. Aircraft were used in the effort, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Coast Guard said. Coast Guard officials had said earlier they thought the best way to help the 584-foot freighter might be to let the storm push it to shallow water where it can drop anchor. Watch the captain of the freighter talk with CNN » . The freighter had been headed south from Port Arthur, Texas, and is loaded with petroleum coke -- a petroleum byproduct. The Coast Guard said in a news release it received a distress call around 4 a.m. from the Antalina, a Cypriot-flagged freighter. It said the vessel had "lost main propulsion 90 miles southeast of Galveston" and was unable to steer. Coast Guard Capt. Bill Diehl said the freighter had been "in the direct line of the path of the storm and lost its engines." He said the Coast Guard is keeping radio communications with the freighter, and its news release said the Coast Guard is in hourly contact with the crew. There had been warnings for residents to evacuate beforehand, and Chief Petty Officer Michael O'Berry, interviewed by CNN, was asked why they didn't get out in time. Watch last-minute evacuees explain their change of heart » . He said he thinks the residents "didn't understand, I guess, the strength of the storm. As it came about, they realized it's a lot stronger than they may have anticipated." CNN's Mike Ahlers, Jeanne Meserve and Barbara Starr contributed to this report.

NEW: Coast Guard helicopters airlift stranded residents from Galveston area . NEW: Many of those rescued were motorists stranded on flooded roads . Coast Guard, Air Force unable to rescue 22 people stranded on freighter . Active-duty military has 42 search-and-rescue helicopters on standby .

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(CNN) -- When Sen. John McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, announced that her 17-year-old unmarried daughter was pregnant, the news prompted a big response from the iReport.com community. iReporter Darla Jones, who had a child at a young age, said she sympathizes with the Palin family. Palin revealed Monday that her daughter Bristol is pregnant and plans to marry the father. The announcement followed Internet rumors that Sarah Palin's 4-month-old baby was actually Bristol's. iReport.com users posted dozens of stories and hundreds of comments in response to the news. Many iReporters said that the issue is a personal matter, while others believed that the pregnancy deserves public attention. Republican presidential candidate McCain was aware of Bristol's pregnancy before he chose Palin as his running mate, a top adviser to the Arizona senator said. Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama said that families should be off-limits in presidential campaigns after learning of the news. "Let me be as clear as possible," Obama said. "I think people's families are off-limits, and people's children are especially off-limits." iReporter Darla Jones of Roseburg, Oregon, who supports McCain, agrees that the media and public should leave Bristol and the Palin family alone. iReport.com: Were you married at a young age? "I had a daughter very young," Jones wrote on iReport.com, explaining that being a young mother made it difficult to get jobs and complete her education. "This should not affect the presidency in any way." Sabrina Lee also had a child at a young age, but believes that the news of Bristol Palin's pregnancy merits attention. "Personally, I have a right to know anything and everything about the next president and vice president," she wrote on iReport.com. "I want to know the truth," Lee said. "I feel as a voter I have the right to know everything about each nominee. This is just my opinion, but it's also my vote and it's precious." The Laveen, Arizona, resident said that she plans to vote for Obama. Although Lee said she was previously undecided, she decided to vote for Obama after McCain announced his running mate. "Family values are a Republican platform," she said, describing the news of Bristol's pregnancy as "a travesty." Alicia Summers of El Mirage, Arizona, agrees that the vice presidential candidate and her family deserve scrutiny. "Did Palin really think she could come into a race at the 23rd hour and not be subjected to questions?" she asked. iReport.com: See, share your thoughts on Sarah Palin . Summers, an Obama supporter, noted, "the press only has two months to find out info about you that they took years to get on everyone else." She suggested that Palin drop out of the race out of respect for the privacy of her family. Graduate student Kristine Phillips also believes that Palin should withdraw. "An unmarried 17-year-old pregnant daughter is not consistent with conservative principles," she wrote on iReport.com. Phillips, who describes herself as politically moderate, said conservatives' support of Palin is "absolutely hypocritical." "While I understand that Palin's role as a mother may or may not be debated here for the political sphere, this situation does call into question some of her policies during her role as governor and her character as a person," Phillips said. iReport.com: Read more from Phillips . Mark Swiger of Jonesboro, Georgia, urged iReporters to "be professional and ethical by not bringing Sarah Palin's teenage daughter into politics." Swiger cited Obama and senior McCain adviser Steve Schmidt, who both asked the media and public to leave politicians' children out of the spotlight. Swiger, who is leaning toward McCain, said he usually votes based on moral issues. He believes that Bristol's pregnancy should have no bearing on her mother's political career. "This is a moral line of decency that must not be crossed by Democrats, Republicans or human beings," he said.

iReporters react to news that Gov. Sarah Palin's daughter is pregnant . Sabrina Lee questions McCain's judgment in picking Palin . Darla Jones sympathizes with the Palin family . iReport.com: Share your thoughts on McCain's running mate .

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Los Angeles fire officials say they're worried that nighttime winds could push two major wildfires, which already are blamed in two deaths, closer to pricey neighborhoods on the Pacific coast. Fire draws near homes in the Los Angeles-area community of Porter Ranch, California, on Monday. "We are concerned about what will happen tonight when the winds pick up," Los Angeles Fire Chief Douglas Barry said Monday. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Monday declared a state of emergency Monday in Los Angeles and Ventura counties because of the fires. Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman, whose district covers the area where the fire is burning, called on President Bush to issue a federal disaster declaration for the area. At least two people have died because of the blazes, which have burned 8,000 acres in the hills and mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, fire and police officials said. One was identified as a man who died in a makeshift wood-and-cardboard shelter and appeared to be homeless. A dog's body also was found. The other victim was killed in a collision of motorists who were trying to exit a freeway that was closed because of one of the wildfires, a fire official said. No identity or age was available for either victim. "Winds are causing fire conditions to change by the hour," Schwarzenegger said in a statement released Monday. "Several thousand acres have already burned with minimal containment and more acres are threatened." iReport.com: Are wildfires affecting you? Residents downwind were warned to remain alert into the night. "It can go from here to the ocean in a matter of two to three hours," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, The Associated Press reported. Barry said investigators have not determined a cause for either blaze. Fire officials warned that strong winds, predicted to reach more than 60 mph after 11 p.m., could send fire roaring south down the Pacific coast near Highway 101. Officials have shut two freeways north of Los Angeles and authorities dispatched water-dropping helicopters and more than 200 fire engines as the blaze "started to push toward the city," said John Tripp of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. About 350 police officers are on the scene, patrolling evacuated neighborhoods and warning residents ahead of the flames. Officials shut down part of Interstate 210, also known as the Foothill Freeway, and any residents north of the freeway were under a mandatory evacuation order. The fire jumped the interstate in one spot and headed toward the Lake View Terrace area. A portion of State Route 118, known as the Ronald Reagan Freeway, also was closed. The larger of the two fires has charred more than 3,500 acres in the Angeles National Forest, officials said. See video of the Angeles National Forest fire » . That fire destroyed several structures, including about 30 mobile homes in the Lopez Canyon area, said Los Angeles County fire inspector Sam Padilla. The mobile homes had been evacuated Sunday. The other fire, burning nearby, is expected to expand as the winds push the flames away from the center. In San Diego County, a wildfire that began on an explosives training range at Camp Pendleton had grown to more than 1,500 acres by nightfall and forced the evacuation of 1,400 homes, The AP reported. In northern California, a wildfire that started Sunday on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay had spread across 250 acres as of Monday morning but hadn't damaged any buildings in the historic state park, a Marin County fire official said. See video of the Angel Island fire » .

NEW: California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Monday declares a state of emergency . NEW: Officials warn fire could possibly reach ocean in matter of hours . Winds could push fires to pricey neighborhoods near coast, officials say . Two deaths are connected to fires in Los Angeles, Ventura counties, officials say .

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Krishna Rajarman's classmates and friends remembered him Tuesday as a mentor and scholar who preferred to go home on weekends to spend time with his younger brothers than party on campus. Krishna Rajarman, a Fulbright Scholar and honors student, was a junior at UCLA. "We asked him, 'Why not stay a weekend because we might do something fun?' " said Ashwin Bhongir, Krishna's roommate and childhood friend. "He said, 'I want to be here for my brothers. I like to spend time with my brothers, it's important.'" Krishna, a 19-year-old junior at UCLA, a Fulbright Scholar and an honors student, was found Monday fatally shot at his parents' home in suburban Los Angeles. Police said his father killed the teen, his two younger brothers, ages 7 and 12, his grandmother and mother. Karthik Rajaram, a 45-year-old unemployed financial services expert, then killed himself, police said. The six bodies were discovered in their neatly tended home in an upscale suburb 20 minutes outside Los Angeles on Monday. A neighbor called police to report that the wife had failed to pick her up to take her to her job. Inside the house, police also found letters from the father explaining that mounting financial pressure had led him to kill. Fraternity member Vim Mahadev remembered Krishna as a devoted L.A. Lakers fan who occasionally mentioned family problems, but nothing unusual. "Nothing ever came up serious," said Mahadev. "It was mostly his dad, about financial problems. But most of the time it was how he was his hero because he was intelligent and he always knew the right decisions to make. "It's just so ironic." Krishna's friends Bhongir and Nahel Patel grew up around the Rajaram family and told CNN they never saw signs of family turmoil during their teenage years. "I knew his family very well, and every time I went there, it was one of the most welcoming homes I've ever been to," said Bhongir. "It was always a fun loving place to be." "He was one of the most promising friends that I ever knew, he was literally the smartest person I've ever known," said Bhongir. "He was going to make it." Bhongir and Nahel, both business economic majors at UCLA, said Krishna's father was a role model to them. Krishna had wanted to follow his father's footsteps in studies and career. The father received his MBA from UCLA in 1987, according to UCLA spokesman Phil Hampton. Police said he went on to work in a financial holding company and for major accounting firms, such as Price Waterhouse. As a freshman, Krishna joined the campus co-ed fraternity Delta Phi Beta, organized by South Asian students. Fraternity member Natasha Parikh said she was one of Krishna's closest friends. "I just talked to him on Wednesday, and he was so excited about the new recruits we were having," she said. "He was so excited about this year, and it's so painful that he can't be here to experience the rest of our time at UCLA." "He really didn't talk about his personal life; I always saw him as a happy guy who never once said he was going through any major difficulty, so this has come as a complete shock."

Krishna Rajarman went home on weekends to be with family rather than party . Friends say he was committed to mentoring his two younger siblings . Police: Teen's father, jobless and in financial trouble, killed him and his family . Friend describes Krishna: "He was literally the smartest person I've ever known"

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(OPRAH.com) -- Oprah has always said that mothers have the most difficult job on earth, and actress Jenny McCarthy is one mom who has never backed down from a challenge. Doctors removed Monica's uterus, ovaries, gallbladder and part of her colon, along with her legs and arms. Jenny has been an outspoken advocate for parents of children with autism since her son was diagnosed with the disease two and a half years ago. In her new book, "Mother Warriors," Jenny tells the story of other moms fighting for their special-needs kids. So when Oprah heard about Monica, another mom fighting for her children, she thought Jenny would be just the person to get this mother warrior's story. After going through a painful divorce, Monica met Tony when she least expected it. Monica already had a 9-year-old daughter, but soon after she and Tony got engaged, they were thrilled to be expecting another bundle of joy. In August 2007, she had a C-section, and though she worried about complications, Monica delivered a healthy baby girl. But hours after Sofia was born, Monica began running a fever. No one was concerned at first -- Monica figured it was just hormones -- but three days later the fever hadn't broken, and Monica's abdomen was swollen and painful. iReport.com: What do you think about this story? Sound off on video . The doctors at Monica's hospital thought she might be infected with a deadly strain of bacteria. They flew her to a hospital in Boston where she was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis, also known as flesh-eating bacteria. Defying the odds, Monica survived, but many of her organs didn't. The doctors removed Monica's uterus, ovaries, gallbladder and part of her colon that same day. Within four weeks, Monica's infection had restricted the blood flow to her arms and legs. Her nurses cleaned her limbs every day, and she knew they were trying to keep her from seeing the damage. But Monica wanted to face the disease head on. "I needed to know what I was up against. I didn't want to be shielded anymore," Monica says. Eventually, doctors told Monica they had to amputate both arms and both legs. The surgery sounded scary, but Monica was determined to put it behind her and get back to her daughters. "I was frightened at first, but when they told me [my arms and legs] had to be amputated, it was: 'Do it. I've got to go home,'" Monica says. "[I thought,] 'I have a life to live and it's not here, and until you amputate, I can't move forward.'" After her amputation, Monica spent two months in the hospital, where she underwent a total of 37 surgeries. As Monica grew stronger, Tony realized there was no reason to postpone their wedding any longer -- they got married in the hospital chapel in October, 2007. Monica spent the next two months going through grueling rehabilitation. "She's a fighter," Tony says. "If they told her two hours of physical therapy a day, she'd ask to double it up to four. She wanted to come home as soon as possible. They didn't think she'd ever walk again, but she made it happen." Right before Christmas, Monica got what she'd been waiting for. She was given the okay to go home to her husband and two daughters. A year later, Jenny visited Monica and her family at their home outside Boston, Massachusetts. "I had a big aha! moment after spending six hours with her. Monica accepted what is. She looked down and said: 'Okay, this is the situation. I can't change this, so I might as well surrender to it,'" Jenny says. "When she does that, she is able to move forward in peace." Oprah.com: Jenny McCarthy answers parenting questions . Nurses and doctors say they expected a "why me?" breakdown from Monica while she was in the hospital, but it never happened. "I did have moments of 'If God just left me one arm or one leg, life would be a little bit easier,' but that's not the way it went," Monica says. "You make do with what you have. I could still love my girls. The bottom line was I am still here." Monica's not the only warrior in this family. Jenny calls Tony a daddy warrior because he always stood by Monica and their family. "I actually considered not marrying him because I wasn't the person he agreed to marry," Monica says. "But then I realized he loves me. He's here, and he's my heart. I'm still a woman, and I still have a heart and a mind, regardless of whether I have arms or legs." Tony says that there was never even a moment when he considered leaving Monica. "She was the same person inside, so nothing had changed," he says. "At one point, they went to bring in a preacher to give her last rights, and I turned him away and said: 'No, she's got a lot to fight for. She's not going anywhere, she'll be here for our family.' And she was. She is." Monica's family has been there for her too. When 9-year-old Madalyn found out about the surgeries, she took the news well. "She'd been watching 'Dancing with the Stars,' and Heather Mills was on," Monica says. "I told her, 'Well, I won't be doing back flips.' But she was excited and said, 'You can be bionic mom.'" At Monica's house, she and Jenny had a mom-to-mom chat about the issues that mother warriors face. "Within the autism community, one of the things that we, as mothers, miss so much is being able to caress our children, because they don't want to be touched," Jenny says. "Do you experience that?" Monica says she has similar moments of sadness. "For a while, I really couldn't lift Sofia up," she says. "I could hug Madalyn and have her hug me back, so that was good, but I miss being able to braid her hair, paint her fingernails, toenails -- the things that moms and daughters do." All mothers face frustrations, but Monica's come with tasks that used to be simple. "I get frustrated about not being to do everything that I used to do," she says. "Everything is different -- things as simple as picking up a pen or signing a paper for Madalyn at school." Monica hasn't let any of these obstacles stop her from living her life to the fullest. She does everything a mom would do, including paying the bills, which can take her up to three hours. "It's the ultimate practice in patience," Jenny says. Oprah.com: Meet more inspirational moms! "What good are you to your children if you're miserable? What are you teaching them? That you give up? That's not what I want to teach my kids," Monica says. "I want my girls to know that their mother's a fighter." Monica's been adjusting to her new life for a little over a year, and she says her strength comes from her support system -- from family and friends to people at the hospital and rehab facility. There are more surgeries to come, she says, but she's taking it one day at a time. "I've come to the realization that things are as they are, and you have to move forward. Life goes on," she says. "There's no sense dwelling on it -- that just hurts too much and you don't live your life the way you want to. And with a wonderful husband and two great girls, life is fun." From "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "Actress Jenny McCarthy: Warrior Moms" Subscribe to O, The Oprah Magazine for up to 75% off the newsstand price. That's like getting 18 issues FREE. Subscribe now! TM & © 2008 Harpo Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Monica was diagnosed with deadly, flesh-eating bacteria after C-section . Doctors amputated Monica's limbs, did 37 surgeries . "She's a fighter," husband says of Monica's strength and determination . Monica now does everyday things for her two girls no matter how long they take .

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Los Angeles fire officials say they're worried that nighttime winds could push two major wildfires, which already are blamed in two deaths, closer to pricey neighborhoods on the Pacific coast. Fire draws near homes in the Los Angeles-area community of Porter Ranch, California, on Monday. "We are concerned about what will happen tonight when the winds pick up," Los Angeles Fire Chief Douglas Barry said Monday. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Monday declared a state of emergency Monday in Los Angeles and Ventura counties because of the fires. Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman, whose district covers the area where the fire is burning, called on President Bush to issue a federal disaster declaration for the area. At least two people have died because of the blazes, which have burned 8,000 acres in the hills and mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, fire and police officials said. One was identified as a man who died in a makeshift wood-and-cardboard shelter and appeared to be homeless. A dog's body also was found. The other victim was killed in a collision of motorists who were trying to exit a freeway that was closed because of one of the wildfires, a fire official said. No identity or age was available for either victim. "Winds are causing fire conditions to change by the hour," Schwarzenegger said in a statement released Monday. "Several thousand acres have already burned with minimal containment and more acres are threatened." iReport.com: Are wildfires affecting you? Residents downwind were warned to remain alert into the night. "It can go from here to the ocean in a matter of two to three hours," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, The Associated Press reported. Barry said investigators have not determined a cause for either blaze. Fire officials warned that strong winds, predicted to reach more than 60 mph after 11 p.m., could send fire roaring south down the Pacific coast near Highway 101. Officials have shut two freeways north of Los Angeles and authorities dispatched water-dropping helicopters and more than 200 fire engines as the blaze "started to push toward the city," said John Tripp of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. About 350 police officers are on the scene, patrolling evacuated neighborhoods and warning residents ahead of the flames. Officials shut down part of Interstate 210, also known as the Foothill Freeway, and any residents north of the freeway were under a mandatory evacuation order. The fire jumped the interstate in one spot and headed toward the Lake View Terrace area. A portion of State Route 118, known as the Ronald Reagan Freeway, also was closed. The larger of the two fires has charred more than 3,500 acres in the Angeles National Forest, officials said. See video of the Angeles National Forest fire » . That fire destroyed several structures, including about 30 mobile homes in the Lopez Canyon area, said Los Angeles County fire inspector Sam Padilla. The mobile homes had been evacuated Sunday. The other fire, burning nearby, is expected to expand as the winds push the flames away from the center. In San Diego County, a wildfire that began on an explosives training range at Camp Pendleton had grown to more than 1,500 acres by nightfall and forced the evacuation of 1,400 homes, The AP reported. In northern California, a wildfire that started Sunday on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay had spread across 250 acres as of Monday morning but hadn't damaged any buildings in the historic state park, a Marin County fire official said. See video of the Angel Island fire » .

NEW: California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Monday declares a state of emergency . NEW: Officials warn fire could possibly reach ocean in matter of hours . Winds could push fires to pricey neighborhoods near coast, officials say . Two deaths are connected to fires in Los Angeles, Ventura counties, officials say .

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(CNN) -- A tugboat on Saturday reached a disabled freighter carrying 22 people, hours after the ship rode out Hurricane Ike without power, Coast Guard spokesman Mike O'Berry said. O'Berry said the tugboat Rotterdam arrived shortly before 2 p.m. (3 p.m. ET). Repairs will be made aboard the Antalina, which has a broken fuel pump, while at sea, O'Berry said. The tugboat will then tow the ship to Port Arthur, Texas, where it will undergo additional repairs and eventually offload more of its cargo -- petroleum coke, a petroleum byproduct -- O'Berry said. The crew members aboard the Antalina, a Cypriot-flagged freighter, are all in good health, said Coast Guard Cmdr. Ron Labrec. The freighter suffered no major damage from the storm, said Darrell Wilson, a spokesman for the company that manages the ship. Aircraft from the Coast Guard and Air Force were sent Friday afternoon to try to rescue the crew of the freighter, which is loaded with petroleum coke, a petroleum byproduct. But high winds forced the military to abort the rescue, O'Berry said. The Coast Guard then instructed the freighter to contact it each hour. It also told told the crew to turn on the ship's emergency radio beacon so its position could be monitored, O'Berry said. Watch the Coast Guard conduct a rescue operation » . Onshore as well, rescuers found it too dangerous to respond to calls for help. In Liverpool, Texas, south of Houston, a family called for help around 1 a.m. Saturday when a tree crashed into their house, but authorities concluded that strong winds made it too dangerous to respond, said Doc Adams, Brazoria County's emergency management coordinator. "You want to take care of people, and when you can't, it's tough," Adams said. "Unfortunately, someone has to make the decision about whether the risk is worth the benefit. Are you willing to risk three or four lives to save one? It's not easy." Adams said he didn't know if anyone in the house was hurt. "As far as I know, they're still there in the house with a tree over it," he said at about 3:40 a.m. The stranded freighter had been headed south through the Gulf of Mexico from Port Arthur, Texas, but "lost main propulsion 90 miles southeast of Galveston" and was unable to steer, the Coast Guard said. The Coast Guard received a distress call from the vessel at 4 a.m. Friday. The Antalina was "basically adrift, at the mercy of the wind and sea currents," Coast Guard Petty Officer Tom Atkeson said at the time. "We are in hell," one of the men aboard the freighter told CNN on Friday before the rescue was called off. The man said the winds around the ship were strong but that the freighter still had power. On Friday before the storm hit, authorities picked up more than 120 people stranded by rising seas along the southeast Texas coast. Most of the rescues occurred in Galveston County, where rising water and other effects of the storm began hours before landfall early Saturday. Stranded residents were airlifted from Crystal Beach, Bolivar Peninsula and other communities in the Galveston area. Many of those rescued were motorists stranded on flooded roads. In Surfside Beach, police waded through chest-high rushing water to rescue five people trapped in their homes. One man refused to leave, said Surfside Beach police Chief Randy Smith. "Some of them took convincing, some of them didn't," Smith said. Police also rescued five other people who waded out to meet the officers. About half of those rescues were done by helicopters out of bases along the coast, said Coast Guard Petty Officer David Schulein. Three HH-65C helicopters from Coast Guard Air Station Houston rescued more than 20 people and continued to fly rescue missions until weather grounded them Friday evening, said Petty Officer Renee Aiello, a station spokeswoman. Some 37,000 people may need to be rescued in the aftermath of the hurricane, a U.S. military official estimated Friday. Texas already has asked for help, and the active-duty military has 42 search-and-rescue helicopters on standby, the official said.

NEW: Tugboat reaches stranded freighter . Ship's crew of 22 endures night without power in Gulf of Mexico . Coast Guard, Air Force had to abandon rescue because of poor conditions . Authorities onshore find it too dangerous to respond to calls for help .

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(CNN) -- Saudi Arabia could have helped the United States prevent al Qaeda's 2001 attacks on New York and Washington if American officials had consulted Saudi authorities in a "credible" way, the kingdom's former ambassador said in a documentary aired Thursday. The comments by Prince Bandar bin Sultan are similar to the remarks this week by Saudi King Abdullah that suggested Britain could have prevented the July 2005 train bombings in London if it had heeded warnings from Riyadh. Speaking to the Arabic satellite network Al-Arabiya on Thursday, Bandar -- now Abdullah's national security adviser -- said Saudi intelligence was "actively following" most of the September 11, 2001, plotters "with precision." "If U.S. security authorities had engaged their Saudi counterparts in a serious and credible manner, in my opinion, we would have avoided what happened," he said. Watch Bandar's comments » . Bandar was the Saudi ambassador to Washington for nearly 22 years before he was replaced in 2005. A knowledgeable U.S. official told CNN that Bandar's comments should be taken "with a grain of salt." On Monday, Abdullah told the BBC that Saudi Arabia had sent warnings to British authorities before the London subway bombings that killed 52 people -- the city's bloodiest day since World War II. "We have sent information to Great Britain before the terrorist attacks in Britain," Abdullah said. "But unfortunately, no action was taken, and it may have been able to avert the tragedy." The September 11 attacks killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. All but four of the suicide hijackers who carried out the plot were Saudi nationals, and after the attacks, the kingdom was widely criticized for having tolerated Islamic militancy. The Saudis have called the criticism unfair, pointing out that al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden's original grievance was against the country's ruling family, which invited U.S. troops into the kingdom after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. A string of attacks on Western compounds, oil installations and Saudi institutions between 2003 and 2006 were blamed on al Qaeda's followers. And Saudi officials say that since 9/11, they have taken steps to ensure charitable donations do not fall into the hands of al Qaeda. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Pam Benson contributed to this report.

Prince Bandar bin Sultan: U.S. did not engage Saudis in serious, credible way . All but four of September 11 hijackers were Saudi nationals . U.S. official: Bandar's comments should be taken "with a grain of salt" Bandar was the Saudi ambassador to Washington for nearly 22 years .

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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. military announced Wednesday that coalition forces recently killed al Qaeda in Iraq's "charismatic" senior leader in northern Iraq. Abu Qaswarah was second only to Abu Ayyub al-Masri (pictured) in al Qaeda in Iraq leadership. Abu Qaswarah, also known as Abu Sara, was killed during an operation in Mosul on October 5, the military said. The Moroccan native was second-in-command to al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri, according to the military. He had "historic ties" to al-Masri's predecessor, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and senior al Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the military said. Abu Qaswarah -- who became AQI's senior leader in northern Iraq in June 2007 -- was the target of the military raid in Mosul earlier this month, the military said. Coalition forces tracked him down inside a building in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, which "served as a key command and control location for AQI," according to the military. "Upon entering the building, forces were immediately fired upon," the military said. "Coalition forces returned fire in self-defense, leading to the death of five terrorists. It was later determined that one of the five was positively identified as Abu Qaswarah." The U.S. military described Abu Qaswarah as a "charismatic" leader who rallied al Qaeda in Iraq's northern network after "major setbacks to the terrorist organization across Iraq." Groups comprised mainly of former Sunni insurgents -- known as Awakening Councils or "Sons of Iraq" -- have turned against al Qaeda in Iraq, helping to diminish its presence in several parts of the country. The U.S. military credits them with playing a key role in bringing about the nationwide drop in violence that coincided with the "surge" of U.S. forces. Abu Qaswarah -- who trained with al Qaeda in Afghanistan -- helped bring foreign terrorists into northern Iraq, where they carried out a spate of suicide attacks, according to the military. He also organized and led AQI's attacks in Mosul, including the "failed attempt to destroy the Mosul Civic Center during the holy month of Ramadan," which took place in September, the military said. That attack, the military said, "could have killed hundreds of innocent Iraqis." The military said Abu Qaswarah's death "will significantly degrade AQI operations in Mosul and northern Iraq, leaving the network without a leader to oversee and coordinate its operations in the region."

Abu Qaswarah killed during an operation in Mosul on October 5 . He was second-in-command to al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri . Coalition forces tracked him down inside a building in the northern Iraqi city . U.S. military described Abu Qaswarah as a "charismatic" leader .

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- A court in Dubai has sentenced two Britons to three months in prison for having sex on a public beach in the Muslim country. File image of one of the co-accused -- Vince Acors -- arriving at court in Dubai in September. After they complete their sentence, the pair will be deported. They also have to pay a 1,000 dirhams ($367) fine for public indecency. Police charged Michelle Palmer, 36, and Vincent Acors, 34, with illicit relations, public indecency and public intoxication after their arrest at a beach shortly after midnight on July 5. Both denied that they had intercourse. "The public (prosecutor) failed to produce corroborative evidence against my clients concerning having consensual sex and committing indecent gestures in public," said the pair's lawyer, Hasan Mattar. He said the pair will appeal the verdict. Watch how case stirs up Dubai's bar scene » . The United Arab Emirates (UAE) -- where Dubai is located -- is home to thousands of expatriates and is among the most moderate Gulf states. Still, the oil-rich Gulf kingdom adheres to certain Islamic rules. More than a million British visitors traveled to the UAE in 2006, and more than 100,000 British nationals live there, according to the British Foreign Office. The country is in the midst of a building boom to position itself as one of the world's premier tourist destinations. It is already home to the world's largest mall, the world's largest tower, and -- despite being in the Middle East -- boasts the largest indoor snow park in the world. -- CNN's Caroline Faraj contributed to this report .

The two Britons will be deported after they complete their sentence . The pair were arrested at a Dubai beach shortly after midnight on July 5 . They were charged with with illicit relations, public indecency, public intoxication . Although a relatively moderate Gulf state, Dubai adheres to certain Islamic rules .

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(CNN) -- A Saudi Arabian blogger detained in December, ostensibly because he supported reform advocates accused by the Saudi government of backing terrorism, has been released, a fellow blogger posted Saturday. Web sites like this one pushed for Fouad al-Farhan's release. Ahmed al-Omran said on his blog, saudijeans.org, and later told CNN that he was awakened by a text message from the wife of Fouad al-Farhan, saying he had been released and was at home with his family. "That's great news, and this is just how I wanted to start my morning," al-Omran wrote. He said he later spoke with al-Farhan for several minutes on the telephone. "He sounded fine; he seems to be in good spirits," al-Omran said. "He said he would have more to talk about later but not at this point. He said now he'd like to take some time to spend with his family, with his children that he hasn't seen for so long." Watch al-Omran describe his conversation with al-Farhan » . A Web site set up to call for al-Farhan's release said, "Fouad is free. He is back home in Jeddah after 137 days in custody." The Saudi Interior Ministry said it had no immediate comment on the reports. In January, a ministry spokesman said al-Farhan was arrested December 10 "because he violated the regulations of the kingdom." But in an e-mail posted on al-Farhan's Web site after his arrest, he told friends that he faced arrest for supporting 10 reform advocates the Saudi government accused of backing terrorism. In the e-mail, al-Farhan said a senior Interior Ministry official promised that he would remain in custody for three days at most if he agreed to sign a letter of apology. "I'm not sure if I'm ready to do that," he wrote. "An apology for what? Apologizing because I said the government is [a] liar when they accused those guys of supporting terrorism?" Al-Farhan, who blogs at alfarhan.org, is one of the few Saudi Web commentators to use his own name, according to the U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists. In January, the Bush administration expressed its concerns to the Saudi government regarding al-Farhan's detention at "a relatively senior level," U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. "The U.S. stands for freedom of expression," McCormack said at the time. "Wherever people are seeking to express themselves, via the Internet or via other areas, whether in Saudi Arabia or elsewhere in the world, we stand with that freedom of expression, and that was our message to the Saudi government." The American Islamic Congress, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization, launched an online letter-writing campaign aimed at freeing al-Farhan, whom it called "the godfather of Saudi blogging." "All he did was express his opinions in a very obvious way, and he didn't threaten anyone," al-Omran said. "He was advocating against violence and terrorism." Al-Omran said al-Farhan had stopped blogging for a few months in late 2006, after the Interior Ministry ordered him to take down a blog he was operating, but he began again at a new site. He said al-Farhan told him he was treated well in jail. He also called al-Farhan's release a turning point for the blogging community in Saudi Arabia. "It showed the community of bloggers in Saudi Arabia can come together and support this cause -- support his freedom of speech -- even those who didn't agree with some of the things he wrote," he said. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom contributed to this report.

NEW: Friend says blogger "in good spirits" and spending time with family . Fouad al-Farhan detained in December by Saudi government for his blog . Al-Farhan was held because he supported reform advocates, a blog says . Saudi government accused him of supporting terrorism through his blog .

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HONOLULU, Hawaii (CNN) -- Bobby Maxwell kept a close eye on the oil industry for more than 20 years as a government auditor. But he said the federal agency he worked for is now a "cult of corruption" -- a claim backed up by a recent government report. Bobby Maxwell, a long-time auditor of the oil industry, says his former agency is corrupt "top to bottom." "I believe the management we were under was showing favoritism to the oil industry," Maxwell told CNN. Maxwell is referring to a tiny agency within the Department of the Interior called the Minerals Management Service, which manages the nation's natural gas, oil and other mineral resources on federal lands. A report, conducted by the Interior Department's inspector general and released earlier this month, found that employees at the agency received improper gifts from energy industry officials and engaged with them in illegal drug use and inappropriate sexual relations. It looked at activities at the agency from 2003 through 2006. Maxwell said the report doesn't surprise him. The agency, he said, is corrupt "top to bottom." Watch a failure to "protect America's interests" » . "It sounds like they forgot they work for the government," he said. "It's disgusting. ... There's no excuse for that. Those people should not be working in those positions at all. "They crossed a lot of lines that should never have been crossed," he said. "They lost all objectivity." Maxwell was in charge of keeping track of the millions in royalty payments owed taxpayers by oil and gas companies who explored and found oil on U.S. government lands. He estimates he and his team were responsible for saving the government close to $500 million in royalties, either underpaid or somehow skipped by oil and gas companies, over the years. He received the Interior Department's highest award in 2003 for his work. But not long afterward, his job was killed. He believes it was retribution for his cracking down on Big Oil and blowing the whistle on what he believes was a "cult of corruption" within the agency. The Interior Department denies that, saying his job was reorganized as part of routine restructuring. Just before he lost his job, he said, one of his superiors in Washington ordered him not to investigate why Shell Oil had raised its oil transportation costs. Maxwell said it jumped from 90 cents to $3 a barrel without adequate explanation. The government paid Shell to transport oil from offshore platforms. When asked why a government worker would tell an auditor not to investigate, he said: "I believe it started from the top down," he said. Shell Oil told CNN it "pays the same rate any shipper does" and that it has "never engaged in fraudulent transactions or entered into sham contracts as Mr. Maxwell alleges." Maxwell, a registered independent, said the shift in attitude at the agency began about seven or eight years ago, about the time the Bush administration came into power. He said he was discouraged from aggressively auditing oil companies. "Laws and regulations were not applied, also not enforced," he said. The inspector general's 27-page summary says that nearly a third of the roughly 60 people in Maxwell's former office received gifts and gratuities from oil industry executives. Two received improper, if not illegal, gifts at least 135 times, the report says. It goes on to describe a wild atmosphere in which some staff members admitted using cocaine and marijuana. In addition, two female workers at the Minerals Management Service were known as the "MMS chicks" and both told investigators they had sex with oil industry officials they were supposed to be auditing. One e-mail from a pipeline company representative invited government workers to a tailgating party: "Have you and the girls meet at my place at 6 a.m. for bubble baths and final prep ... Just kidding." Inspector General Earl Devaney said in a letter to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne accompanying the report that it details "a textbook example of improperly receiving gifts from prohibited sources." Maxwell is now retired from the government and teaches at the University of Hawaii. He said it was just a matter of time until the agency's behavior was exposed. He feels vindicated now in the wake of the inspector general's report, but is still disgusted by what he was happening at the Minerals Management Service. "Their job is to protect United States taxpayers' interest. It's like they completely forgot that, like they just became part of the oil companies," he said. The Interior Department said it could not comment on Maxwell's specific allegations or removal, saying his former supervisor no longer works for the Interior Department either. Kempthorne said he was "outraged" by the disclosures in the inspector general's report and that the actions "of a few has cast a shadow on the entire agency." But the department said there is no evidence taxpayers lost money as a result of unethical behavior between government workers and the oil and gas industry. Maxwell doubts that. The former auditor said he'd love to put all the government royalty records under his magnifying glass. "I think the government should be transparent. We are for the people, by the people. This is the government. We're here to serve," he said. Maxwell has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the Kerr-McGee Corp., an energy company involved in oil and gas exploration. In it, he claims the company defrauded taxpayers out of millions in oil royalty payments. The company denies the accusation. If Maxwell wins, the government would receive about $40 million in additonal revenue and Maxwell would be entitled to about a third of that.

Whistleblower said oil regulators in bed with oil industry: "It's disgusting" Department of Interior said it can't comment on Bobby Maxwell's specific claims . Maxwell was auditor for 20-plus years, said he lost job due to scrutiny of oil giants . Recent report found the agency Maxwell worked for took improper gifts from oil reps .

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ARLINGTON, Virginia (CNN) -- A suburban Washington man was bitten Monday by a rattlesnake that found its way into his luggage, a fire department spokesman said. An Eastern diamondback rattlesnake appears in a photo from the U.S. Geological Survey. "He felt a sharp pain, brought his hand out and saw the bite," said Benjamin Barksdale, assistant chief and chief fire marshal of the Arlington County, Virginia, Fire Department. Andrew Bacas zipped his bag shut and called 911 at about 9:30 a.m. ET, the official said. "He was conscious and alert but a little anxious," Barksdale said of the victim. The bite from the young Eastern diamond rattlesnake was not life-threatening, and the man is being treated at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, he said. "We took the bag outside and used a [carbon dioxide] fire extinguisher to freeze the snake," killing it, Barksdale said. Bacas, a high school rowing coach, had been on a six-day trip to Summerton, South Carolina, with about 80 students, said Mike Krulfeld, director of student activities at Yorktown High School in Arlington. Krulfeld said he did not think the incident was a student prank. "It's been rare to find a coach who is as well-liked and highly regarded as Andy. I would find it hard to believe they would do anything even in the name of a prank that would cause harm to him," Krulfeld said. The Web site of the school's crew team warned members to take precautions unpacking from the trip, adding, "It's advisable to open bags and unpack outdoors." "It got into his bag somehow at the location where they were staying," said Kay Speerstra, executive director of the Animal Welfare League of Arlington. "Nobody noticed it until he was unpacking, and then he definitely noticed it." Speerstra said the snake was about 10 inches long and appeared to be a juvenile. E-mail to a friend .

NEW: High school rowing coach had been on trip with students to South Carolina . A 10-inch-long diamondback rattlesnake killed by blast from fire extinguisher . Victim treated at hospital; bite reportedly not life-threatening .

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(CNN) -- U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said golden parachute payments would be banned and the salary deals of bankers "clawed back" as part of the government's $250 billion bailout of the financial sector. U.S. President George W. Bush announces his government's bank bailout plan. Meanwhile, U.S. President George W. Bush on Tuesday of a $250 billion bailout plan to help stabilize the financial system. In Washington, Bush said the Treasury would buy into banks in return for shares using authority granted in the country's $700 billion bailout bill. However, Paulson stressed taxpayers would get a return on their money and banking excesses would be brought to an end. "Institutions that sell shares to the government will accept restrictions on executive compensation, including a clawback provision and a ban on golden parachutes during the period that Treasury holds equity issued through this program," he said. The world's sharemarkets climbed again after European governments Monday announced bank bailouts worth more than $1 trillion and in anticipation of the U.S. bailout. Watch market prices . The Dow Jones industrial average surged 363 points in early trading after Bush and Paulson spoke before dropping back and eventually closing down by 76 points, or 0.82 percent. Bush said the measures taken in Europe were right, and had brought stability to the system. Watch the European Central Bank chief's assessment » . "This new capital will help struggling banks to fill the hole filled by crisis during the time we are in," Bush said. "This is a short-term measure to insure the viability of America's banking system." Watch Bush announce the plan » . He also announced that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) would "temporarily guarantee most new debt" issued by banks. "This will address one of the central problems plaguing our financial system -- banks have been unable to borrow money and that has constricted their ability to lend to consumer and businesses," Bush said. "When money flows freely between banks, it will make it easy for Americans to borrow money for homes and cars." The government, through the FDIC, would also immediately and temporarily insure non-interest-bearing transaction accounts which were used mainly by small businesses "to cover day-to-day operations." "By insuring every dollar in these accounts, we will give small business owners piece of mind and bring greater stability to the banking system," Bush said. Governments have rushed to pump capital into banks after a series of large failures left the financial system teetering on the edge of insolvency. Banks have stopped lending to each other and customers for fear they will not be able to recoup debts and over concerns that many institutions are still hiding massive sub-prime mortgage losses. Watch Nobel prize winner praise UK plan » . Paulson said the government would get preference shares in return for its investment. "Nine large financial institutions have already agreed to participate in this program. They have agreed to sell preferred shares to the US government, on the same terms that will be available to a broad array of small and medium-sized banks." Watch more on the bailout funding » . According to reports banking giants Citigroup, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch would be among those to receive funding. Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke said: "I strongly believe that the application of these tools, together with the underlying vitality and resilience of the American economy, will help to restore confidence to our financial system and place our economy back on a path to vigorous, healthy growth." Markets in Europe saw big early gains drop back in afternoon trading. However, London's FTSE, the Paris CAC 40 and Frankfurt's DAX closed between 2.7 and 3.3 percent higher. Across the Middle East markets were up between 6.5 and 11 percent. Earlier, Japan's Nikkei 225 posted a record 14.15 percent gain. South Korea's KOSPI index gained 6.1 percent and Australia's All Ordinaries picked up more than 4 percent. Watch the Nikkei Index bounce back » . Jesper Koll, of Tantallon Capital Research in Tokyo, said: "The system is starting to work. We can see that credit markets are starting to stabilize." Meanwhile Iceland's stock exchange reopened Tuesday for the first time since trading was suspended last Wednesday, with a value 76 percent lower than at its close value last week. Icelandic officials cautioned, however, that the new value reflected the absence of the three big banks that were nationalized last week and which represented 80 percent of Iceland's stock market. Taking that into account, exchange spokeswoman Kristen Johannsdottir said the market was down only 2 percent in early trading.

U.S. President George W. Bush announces $250 billion bailout . Henry Paulson: Golden parachute payments and excesses will end . Japan's Nikkei closes Tuesday up 14 percent, a one-day record .

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(CNN) -- President Bush is "a disgrace, frankly," film director Oliver Stone said Wednesday, two days before the release of his biopic on the 43rd U.S. president. Director Oliver Stone says he believes the timing was right for his upcoming film, "W." Stone, who has endorsed Democratic Sen. Barack Obama for president, seems to thrive on controversy, and his latest foray into filmmaking, "W.," will likely hold true to form. In an interview with CNN's Kiran Chetry, Stone discussed the rationale behind the release date, his troubles securing financing for the film, and why he thinks President Bush's relationship with his father, President George H.W. Bush, played a role in the decision to invade Iraq. Kiran Chetry: We had a chance to see the screening of this movie and I want to ask you a little bit about the timing. This is coming out three weeks before our 2008 presidential election. Why did you want to it come out now? Oliver Stone: Those events are beyond my control. We made the movie as fast as we could starting last May. If I couldn't have completed it, it would have come out in January perhaps for the inauguration. It's not about this election. It's about the last eight years with one man, George W. Bush. It's his story, how he became the man that he is, how we elected him -- basically, if you start to think about it, where we are now as a country. Watch Stone discuss why he finds Bush "fascinating" » . Chetry: Is it an anti-war movie? Stone: Of course it's an anti-war movie, because I happen to be an anti-war person. That's not to say I'm a pacifist. I believe you fight for the right reasons. This man has us in three wars right now -- Iraq, Afghanistan, and basically, the war on terror. We have a foreign policy which is a very preventive one, a pre-emptive one. It's a Bush doctrine. It's a very dangerous place. Whoever wins the election, Obama or McCain, I think is going to live in the shadow of the events of these last eight years. This man ... will be around, his influence will be felt for 20 years, 40 years. Chetry: What did you want viewers of your movie to come away with? Stone: ... I can't control that. We made the movie to make people think, to make themselves feel, to walk in the shoes of George Bush and to understand him. This is not a job done with malice. This is a fair portrait of the man. I think it's empathetic. You care for him and your feelings for him. An activist said, "I never thought I could feel something for George Bush. I came out of this movie feeling compassionate for him, and even more important, feeling compassion for our country and where we are now." Chetry: You had trouble getting financing because people felt it was too, I guess, sympathetic for the president. Stone: Not for that reason. No, I think that the issues that we had with the American corporations were essentially that it was an inconvenient subject. They thought, he's gone from office, and they don't want to know, and he's controversial, and blah, blah, blah. These are corporations -- large corporations. They're not going to take risks like this. So, the movie business you've got to make movies with risks, and unfortunately, America's moving away from that in all forms, not just movies. Chetry: It's very interesting. You had a soliloquy, a great monologue, by the character playing Vice President Dick Cheney ... about the rationale for Iraq. It was very detailed and it's safe to say you didn't have Dick Cheney's cooperation. Where did you compile some of these scenes, some of these dialogues from those scenes? Stone: [Writer] Stanley Weiser and myself did a lot of research. There's not much known about the first [George W.] Bush administration, the first few years. It's coming out gradually from ["Price of Loyalty" author Ron] Suskind and ["The Bush Tragedy" author Jacob] Weisburg, and it's coming out gradually. We're finding out about oil and the secret meeting. It is supposition. There are geopolitics involved. There are other issues at stake. We're trying to do justice. We allowed Cheney to speak for himself and [former Defense Secretary Donald] Rumsfeld to speak for himself. And [former Secretary of State Colin] Powell, by the way, is the guy that argues with Cheney in that scene. iReport.com: Will you see 'W.'? Chetry: You say President Bush changed the world. Is it something you believe is permanent? Stone: Put it this way: We have practically an $800 billion Pentagon budget every year. That's a huge amount -- the amount of the bailout right there. Are we going to be in a state of reaction in force for everything that happens? Is it an us-versus-them foreign policy? Of course, I'm very concerned about the Constitution and about the stripping of liberties, torture, Guantanamo. Do you want the whole list? This guy ... he's a disgrace, frankly. And his legacy is going to be a hard one to live down. But I hope we take steps in the positive direction. And I am an optimist. Chetry: Variety's review said Oliver Stone's "W." feels like a rough draft, that it may behoove to make in 10 or 15 years. They say it lacks an ending because we don't have time as perspective. Did we need some more time? Stone: I think the film is quite satisfying in that it shows you the marks for Iraq. It ends at the moment he goes to war. We know how things turn out. It's not a film about those eight years. It's a film about the character of a man. There's a first act when he's in his 20s, a second act in his 40s and the third act when he's in his mid-50s. It's a character study and we get to the place at which we know the way he's going to behave. It's a father-son story because a lot of his actions are motivated by, let's call it, rivalry to be stronger than his father. And that's part of the reason he goes to Iraq.

Director insists "W." presents "a fair portrait of the man," is empathetic . Bush's "rivalry to be stronger than his father" helped prompt Iraq war, Stone says . Stone says he is anti-war, has concerns about torture, "stripping of liberties" "W.," a biopic of President Bush, hits theaters Friday .

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(CNN) -- When news breaks, D.L. Hughley will be ready to mock it. D.L. Hughley starred in "The Hughleys" and "The Original Kings of Comedy." CNN announced Wednesday that it will premiere a new, "unconventional" weekend show hosted by comedian D.L. Hughley. "D.L. Hughley Breaks the News," as the show is currently titled, will feature Hughley's humorous take on the week's events. It will also include interviews with newsmakers and reporters, according to the network. "D.L. Hughley Breaks the News" is scheduled to debut Saturday, October 25. "I am very excited for the opportunity to work with the network that I have watched for a very long time, and that to a large extent, has shaped my comedic view," Hughley said in a press release. "CNN offers the perfect blend of news and information on a local, national and international level. What more can a comedian ask for?" "D.L. is a news junkie who is bursting with things to say about what is going on in the world -- most of them funny, all of them thoughtful, none of them predictable," said Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S. "When you watch as much news as our audience does, there comes a time you just want to stop and laugh -- and that time will be Saturday nights at 10 on CNN." The show will resemble the late-night talk shows of Jay Leno and David Letterman more than Jon Stewart's "Daily Show," according to Hughley. Hughley is known for his acting and his standup performances. The comedian spent four seasons on his own sitcom, "The Hughleys," and was one of the stars of Aaron "West Wing" Sorkin's series, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." The performer was also one of the "Original Kings of Comedy," along with Bernie Mac, Steve Harvey and Cedric the Entertainer. CNN and CNN.com are units of Time Warner.

"D.L. Hughley Breaks the News" premieres on CNN October 25 . Comedian Hughley known for "The Hughleys," "Studio 60" Show to feature interviews, comedic takes on the news .

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WHEATON, Illinois (AP) -- A gunman who took a dozen hostages in a suburban Chicago bank after wresting a gun from a police officer Friday died after shooting himself in the head, police said. Hostages were released Friday after a gunman killed himself in suburban Chicago, police say. The standoff began around 1:30 p.m., after a Wheaton police officer responded to a call of a hit-and-run accident near the bank. When the officer arrived, the suspect grabbed the officer from behind, held a knife to his throat and demanded his gun, Deputy Chief Thomas Meloni said. During an ensuing struggle, the officer was cut on a forearm and the suspect was able to take the gun and run the lobby of the Wheaton Bank & Trust, where he ordered everyone to the floor, Meloni said. Police in Wheaton, about 20 miles west of Chicago, did not immediately release the gunman's identity. As officers evacuated nearby businesses and homes and shut down streets and rail service, hostage negotiators talked to the gunman by phone. They were able to persuade him to release 10 hostages, leaving two behind, Meloni said. "At one point the suspect began to close the blinds from inside the bank and he disconnected the phone contact with the hostage negotiators," Meloni said. Shortly afterward, about 4:15 p.m., officers heard a single gunshot and they rushed in, Meloni said. He said the man was dead of a single gunshot wound to the head. A spokeswoman for Central DuPage Hospital, Amy Steinbruecker, said the hospital treated and released the police officer who scuffled with the suspect for minor injuries. Television footage showed dozens of people running from the four-story bank building, which includes other businesses, with their hands above their heads. "We locked our office door, turned off the lights, drew the blinds," said Donna Price, 52, of McHenry, who works in the office building. "Then we heard a knock on the door and it was a SWAT guy. He told us to get out right now. "I said, 'Let me get my purse.' He said, 'No, now."' Price said police held people in a stairwell of the building before ordering them out. "We all had to put our hands up on the back of our heads and run," Price said from a convenience store across the street where more than 100 people were crowded.

Gunman took a dozen hostages in a suburban Chicago bank Friday . Police: Suspect held knife to officer's throat and demanded his gun . Suspect was found with a bullet wound to his head, officials said .

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(CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama cautioned supporters Thursday against becoming complacent during the final days leading up to the election, noting he lost the New Hampshire primary despite a lead in the polls. After debating Sen. John McCain, Sen. Barack Obama says there's still plenty of campaigning to be done. "For those of you who are feeling giddy or cocky and think this is all set, I just [have] two words for you: New Hampshire," the Democratic presidential nominee said during a fundraiser breakfast in New York. "You know I've been in these positions before where we were favored and the press starts getting carried away and we end up getting spanked. And so that's another good lesson that Hillary Clinton taught me." About 10 hours after debating Sen. John McCain, Obama urged top campaign contributors at the Metropolitan Club in Manhattan to not be overconfident, despite leading in a number of national polls. A CNN Poll of Polls calculated Wednesday showed him leading 51 percent to 42 percent. "We've got 19 days," Obama said. "We're going to have to work absolutely as hard as we've ever worked in our lives in order to just to get to the start of what is going to be a very difficult and very challenging but ultimately a very fulfilling four years where we can get this country back on track." Watch more of Obama's comments » . Hours later, Obama spoke to a crowd in Londonderry, New Hampshire, lashing out at McCain's debate tactics. "Well, New Hampshire, last night we had a debate. I think you saw a bit of the McCain attack strategy in action," he said. "But here's what Sen. McCain doesn't seem to understand: With the economy in turmoil and the American dream at risk, the American people don't want to hear politicians attack each other -- you want to hear about how we're going to attack the challenges facing middle-class families each and every day." Obama urged McCain to "debate our genuine differences on the issues that matter" rather than making the Arizona senator's campaign "all about me." "The truth is, this campaign is about you. It's about your jobs. It's about your health care. It's about your retirement. It's about your children's future," he added. Watch Obama discuss the economy » . McCain, speaking at an event in Downington, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, touched on his debate performance. "We had a good debate last night. It was a lot of fun. ... I thought I did pretty well," he said to loud cheers. McCain reiterated his position for taking America forward as economists say a recession is all but inevitable. "We can't spend the next four years waiting for our luck to change ... I'll take us in a new direction," he said. "Our troubles are getting worse, our enemies watch and we have to fight, and that's what I'll do for you ... I'm not afraid of the fight, I'm ready for it." McCain also urged voters there to help him win Pennsylvania -- a state where a CNN Poll of Polls shows Obama leading his counterpart 50 percent to 40 percent. "I need your vote. We will carry Pennsylvania. ... We need your help. ... It's a close race, my friends," he said. McCain also responded to Obama's assertions that his crowds are unruly and use dangerous language to describe the Illinois senator. "I cannot tell you about how proud I am of you," he said. It was a line that he used in Wednesday night's debate. iReport.com: Obama survived knock-out punch . Obama and McCain are scheduled to speak Thursday night at the Alfred E. Smith dinner, a political tradition that dates back to 1945. It honors the first Catholic ever nominated for president and was begun by Francis J. Spellman, the archbishop of New York's Roman Catholic Archdiocese at the time. The Republican presidential nominee will also appear on the "Late Show with David Letterman," after canceling an earlier appearance, which left the host fuming. Also Thursday, McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, sounded a note of triumph about Wednesday's presidential debate while campaigning in Bangor, Maine. "They [Obama and Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden] look to the past because they'd rather run against the current administration, it sounds like, and that strategy though, thankfully, it's really starting to wear very very thin," Palin said. "As John McCain reminded Barack Obama last night, if he wanted to run against George Bush, he had his chance four years ago. This year, the name on the ballot is John McCain -- and America knows that John McCain is his own man, he is the maverick." Though Maine has trended Democratic for nearly two decades, the McCain campaign is making a push in the state's rural 2nd Congressional District, which is allotted one electoral vote independent of how the state votes at large. Despite the McCain camp's efforts, the Republican National Committee has stopped running advertisements in the state. Palin later traveled to Elon, North Carolina. At an afternoon rally at Elon University, near Greensboro, Palin pressed the audience to stand firm against accusations of negative campaigning, and told them to pay "close attention" to Obama's record. "It's not mean-spirited and it's not negative campaigning when you call someone out on their record," she said. "So don't let anyone, don't let them make you believe that you're being negative or mean-spirited or unpatriotic or unfair when you are asking about somebody's record, OK?" After the rally, Palin continued on to a fundraiser at a home in Greensboro. Biden is traveling to Los Angeles, California, taping appearances on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and the "Ellen Degeneres Show." CNN political producer Ed Hornick contributed to this report.

NEW: Palin in North Carolina: Pay "close attention" to Obama's record . Obama to New Hampshire crowd: McCain has become "all about me" McCain says "I thought I did pretty well" in Wednesday's debate . Obama: I was ahead in New Hampshire, and we wound up "getting spanked"

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Editor's note: Glenn Beck is on CNN Headline News nightly at 7 and 9 ET and also is host of a conservative national radio talk show. Glenn Beck says Wall Street's troubles began with a wild craze for subprime mortages. NEW YORK (CNN) -- "Greed is good." At least, that's what Michael Douglas' character Gordon Gekko claimed in the movie Wall Street. But, just like Gekko, the modern-day companies that followed that motto now find themselves wondering how everything could collapse so fast. You know the names by now: Countrywide Financial, Bear Stearns, IndyMac, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers, AIG. And that's not even counting companies like Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, and Goldman Sachs that, while still in existence, have lost untold billions in market value and have laid off thousands of employees. Maybe greed isn't so good after all. Lehman was founded in 1844 when Henry Lehman, a German immigrant, opened a small shop in Montgomery, Alabama. His brothers joined him six years later and, by 1858 they were busy turning cotton provided by local farmers into a cash crop -- a business that didn't have anything to do with helping low-income families afford 27-bedroom McMansions. More than 150 years later, after surviving the Great Depression, Black Monday, the savings and loan crisis and the dot-com bust, Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy protection. They had gone 14 years as a public company without ever reporting a single quarterly loss. Now they will never again post a profit. Bear Stearns' story is eerily similar. Founded in 1923. Survived every crisis. Never posted a quarterly loss until last year. Gone without a trace. So how did 235 years of rock-solid American finance disappear virtually overnight? Well, it's not as complicated as you think. If you replace all of the acronyms invented by the brainiacs on Wall Street with references to things that Main Street understands, it becomes a lot easier to see how it all happened. Here's a quick story I invented that does just that. (Note to any Wall Street executives who might be reading this: I know this simple little story isn't perfect, but let's remember that you're the ones who tried to make everything complicated and I'm the one who still has a job.) It's just before Christmas,1996, and as you watch overeager parents trample each other to buy Tickle Me Elmo dolls for their kids, you see an opportunity. "This isn't a Tickle Me Elmo bubble," you think to yourself, "this is a long-term trend. Every person in America will soon own a Tickle Me Elmo, maybe even two. It's the American dream." You approach your local banker about a loan and, naturally, he loves your idea. In fact, he loves it so much that for every $1 you have in your account, he's willing to lend you $34. Great deal, you think, as you max out your credit line and buy as many Tickle Me Elmos as you possibly can. Sales are easy at first. People are lining up to buy your dolls and the prices are going far higher than you ever thought. The only person happier than you is your banker. But the following year something unexpected happens: Kids stop asking for Tickle Me Elmos. You try to cut the price, but no buyers show up. You cut the price more, but your store remains empty. Panic sets in. You're pretty sure that this downturn is just temporary (after all, who wouldn't want a Tickle Me Elmo?) but you're quickly running out of cash. Your only option is to buy time and hope that Tickle Me Elmos start flying off your shelves again. You visit every bank in town and, using your piles of Tickle Me Elmo dolls as collateral (which, of course, you purchased with money you didn't have) you get as much new capital as possible. Soon that money is also gone. Even your friends and family refuse to give you any more loans. At the end of your rope, you go to your town council, which gives you a "bridge loan" to get you through the next few months (something that makes your Furby-selling competitors extremely upset). Unfortunately, no matter how much you borrow, there's still one nagging little problem: No one wants to buy your stupid Tickle Me Elmo dolls anymore. The longer you wait, the less they're worth. You sell some for pennies on the dollar, but pretty soon you can't even do that. Then things get even worse: News breaks that China is poisoning some Tickle Me Elmos before shipping them to the United States. Now your dolls are not just out of favor, they're toxic. You literally can't even give them away. Soon the rest of your money dries up, as do the people who are willing to lend you any more of it. Now you're out of cash; out of a job, and, if not for the pile of poisonous Tickle Me Elmo dolls in your basement, completely alone -- which sounds kind of like the CEOs of Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns. Believe it or not, this ridiculous story may be far from reality, but it's not that far off from describing what these financial and mortgage companies did to themselves. Just replace the Tickle Me Elmo references with the once popular, then discounted, now completely toxic subprime mortgages and you're pretty much there. When you cut through all the noise about "bridge loans" and "discount windows," what you're left with is the fact that too many companies still own way too many Tickle Me Elmos that no one wants to buy. Giving those companies more money doesn't solve anything, it just buys time. Unless and until the underlying problem is fixed, no real turnaround can happen. But we all know that investors (and elected leaders worried about their careers this November) aren't all that patient. That's why the new chorus you're likely to soon hear will be from people arguing that the only way out of this mess is for the federal government to step in and purchase all of the toxic mortgages themselves. That would allow the companies with eyes bigger than their balance sheets to start over, with barely any repercussions whatsoever and without ever taking responsibility for their mistakes. Come to think of it, maybe greed isn't so bad after all. Would the government actually consider that idea? They already are. In fact, the only thing stopping politicians from "rewarding" us with a new government agency that will put billions more of our tax dollars at stake is, ironically enough, the election of new politicians. Disclaimer: Tickle Me Elmo is still an extremely popular, non-toxic product and, to the best of my knowledge, is not responsible for the credit crisis. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer.

Glenn Beck: Hundreds of years of Wall Street history vanished this week . Major companies collapsed due to the subprime mortgage fiasco, he says . Beck: Firms still own too many toxic mortgages they can't sell . A new government agency could form to buy up mortgages, Beck says .

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Editor's note: Fareed Zakaria is a foreign affairs analyst who is the host of "Fareed Zakaria: GPS" on CNN at 1 p.m. ET Sundays. "America will have to fight to attract capital and investment like every other nation," says Fareed Zakaria. NEW YORK (CNN) -- The crisis in global financial markets will top the agenda as finance ministers from the world's top industrialized nations and central bank governors meet in Washington. In an effort to breathe some life into economies around the world, the Federal Reserve, in tandem with five other central banks, lowered its key lending rate to 1.5 percent from 2 percent. However, the global financial crisis has sunk its teeth in to the point that analysts say the $700 billion bailout plan and coordinated rate cut were merely steps in the right direction, and it will take much more to really get credit moving. CNN spoke to world affairs expert Fareed Zakaria about the most recent developments. CNN: Is the economy as bad as everyone is saying? Zakaria: What is happening now is a deep, wrenching financial crisis unlike any we've seen since the 1930s. It's contributing to a broad slowdown of the American economy. The pain is spreading across the world. It's ugly. But the history of capitalism is filled with credit crises, panics, financial meltdowns and recessions. It doesn't mean the end of capitalism. CNN: Then why can't we just let the free markets resolve the current economic problems without the federal government getting involved? Zakaria: We just can't accept the downswings that used to be routine for Western countries in the 19th century, when we saw much less intervention by the government. Can you imagine the political fallout from 20 percent unemployment or 5 percent growth rates? The government must experiment with massive interventions in the market to ensure credit starts flowing smoothly again. These interventions have become part and parcel of modern capitalism. CNN: So what should the government do? Zakaria: That is the real question: How to regulate the markets so you get the maximum innovation and growth, but temper their wilder movements? The government will have to do this by trial and error. No one knows in theory what the perfect system would look like. In the short run, whatever it takes, including buying up mortgages, debt, equities. Clearly, America's financial system needs new, different and better regulations for the 21st century, and this crisis should help produce those. CNN: What does it mean for the United States? Zakaria: People around the world once saw the United States as the most modern, sophisticated and productive economy in the world. Now they wonder, was this all a house of cards? They listened to American policymakers with respect, even awe. Today, they wonder if these officials know what they are doing. This loss of credibility will have hard consequences. For decades, the United States has attracted massive amounts of capital -- 80 percent of the surplus savings of the world -- which has allowed it to live beyond its means. That era is drawing to a close. America will have to fight to attract capital and investment like every other nation. CNN: What can we do? Zakaria: We need to wake up and get serious about our challenges. We must address all these issues, and fast -- restore confidence, reform the system, return the country to fiscal sanity. We have the opportunity to remain the pivotal player in a richer, more dynamic, more exciting world. But we have to take a substantial shift in our approach.

Zakaria: Credit crises, financial meltdowns, recessions aren't end of capitalism . Government must try massive market interventions to get credit to flow, he says . Zakaria: America's financial system needs new, different and better regulations . We must quickly restore confidence, reform system, return fiscal sanity, he says .

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Editor's note: Join Roland S. Martin for his weekly sound-off segment on CNN.com Live at 11:10 a.m. ET Thursday. If you're passionate about politics, he wants to hear from you. A nationally syndicated columnist and Chicago-based radio host, Martin has said he will vote for Barack Obama in November. He is the author of "Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith" and "Speak, Brother! A Black Man's View of America." Visit his Web site for more information. Roland Martin says Gov. Sarah Palin talks tough but ducks a lot of difficult questions. (CNN) -- Do you know what was so great about Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan? They were three of the biggest trash talkers in the history of the NBA, but they had the game to back it up. Somebody should tell that to Gov. Sarah Palin. Sen. John McCain's vice presidential running mate has been running around the country, firing up her -- yes, her, and not necessarily McCain's -- loyal supporters by blasting Sen. Barack Obama for "palling around with terrorists" and demanding that the American people know exactly when he learned of the past of 1960s radical William Ayers. She has stoked the crowds by saying, "This is not a man who sees America the way that you and I see America." We all know what that is designed to do: Portray Obama as a foreigner who isn't as American as she. Or you. Or Joe Six-pack, the hockey mom, soccer mom, Wal-Mart mom, NASCAR dad and the other coded words she uses regularly. But what is truly pathetic is that Palin talks tough, but is really scared of facing her own issues. Since she is good at proclaiming that the American people need to know who Barack Obama is -- an attempt to paint him as a shady figure who might occupy the White House -- the American people deserve to hear Palin answer if her husband, Todd, a former member of the Alaska Independence Party, agreed with its founder, who wanted to secede from the union. Is there anything more anti-American than wanting to sever ties with the country? Send Roland Martin your questions and listen to his program on CNNRadio and CNN.com Live, Thursday at noon ET. It's critical that Palin answer questions about whether she disagrees with John McCain's criticism of the Bush administration's decision to remove North Korea from the terrorist nation list. She spoke in favor of it. McCain didn't. Are they on the same page or not? The American people deserve to hear from Palin as to why she didn't say a word to rebuke the hateful, pathetic and degrading comments made at rallies featuring her, such as when someone in the crowd called Obama a terrorist, someone else shouted, "Off with his head" and others suggested he is a traitor. Lastly, don't you think the self-described maverick needs to own up to what really happened with the firing of the commissioner in Alaska? She was declared by a special investigator to have been within her rights in firing the commissioner, but she was blasted for abuse of power and violating the state's ethics act. So what did she say in a conference call with Alaska reporters -- who were not allowed by the McCain camp to ask follow-up questions? That she was cleared of all wrongdoing, legally and ethically. That's right. She repeated over and over and over an absolute lie, and we are supposed to say, "Hey, it's all fine. She winks at us. We love her hockey mom schtick. Don't worry about that abuse of power thing." Well, after having to deal with Vice President Dick Cheney being accused of beating the drum for war by berating and pushing our intelligence apparatus to match his political views on Iraq, don't you think we should really care about someone who has been accused in a report, authorized by Democrats and Republicans, of using their power and influence to get their way? Sure, her supporters will say she's talked to the "media." She was questioned by Laura Ingraham, Rush Limbaugh and that self-described journalist -- yes, he really called himself that -- Fox's Sean Hannity. Palin has done interviews with ABC's Charlie Gibson and CBS's Katie Couric, and local TV folks. But why is she so scared of NBC's Brian Williams? And why is she so fearful of CNN? Does she somehow think that our big guns like Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper and Campbell Brown are just too tough in asking questions? My goodness, Tina Fey has actually done more interviews about playing Sarah Palin than Sarah Palin has done about being Sarah Palin! Hmmm. McCain, Sen. Joe Biden, Barack and Michelle Obama, Sen. Hillary Clinton, Cindy McCain and even McCain's 95-year-old momma and Palin's daddy have all done interviews with CNN, sharing their thoughts on the campaign. But Palin? Not a whisper. It's clear that Palin really isn't a true frontier woman. See, when you tote a gun, carry a big stick and spit fire, you aren't afraid to take on all comers. So, Sarah, if you want to talk big on the campaign trail to those audiences that don't talk back, go right ahead. But if you truly are the maverick politician you say you are, come on and talk to us soft, coddled, elitist journalists. Surely we aren't as tough as the moose you like to take down with your Second Amendment-protected hunting rifle. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer.

Roland Martin: Gov. Palin talks tough on the campaign trail . Martin: Palin has ducked questions about many difficult issues . Palin has given only a limited number of interviews, Martin says . Palin hasn't been forthcoming on the Alaska ethics investigation, he says .

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Global markets were reeling Monday after a historic day on Wall Street that saw two famous names become the latest victims of the credit crunch. The leading U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy and brokerage Merrill Lynch was the subject of a $50 billion buyout by Bank of America. The fate of other big name financial institutions remained in doubt and stock prices plunged in Asia, Europe and the United States. In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 504 points down, or about 4.4 percent. The Nasdaq composite lost 3.6 percent, its worst single-session percentage decline since March 24, 2003. It left the tech-fueled average at its lowest point since March 17 of this year. In Europe, FTSE index in London declined 3.92 percent while the Paris CAC 40 was down 3.78 percent. It was the worst day for the index since the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001. Major Asian indexes were closed but India's Sensex fell 5.4 percent, Taiwan's benchmark dropped 4.1, Australia's key index dropped 2 percent and Singapore fell 2.9. Check markets . The turmoil at Merrill Lynch and Lehman is bound to mean job losses in the already hard-hit financial services industry, but so far neither company has indicated how many will be cut. "This crisis is clearly deeper than anybody had imagined only a short time ago," Peter Stein, an associate editor at the Wall Street Journal in Asia, told CNN. The chaos followed a roller-coaster weekend for a Wall Street already concussed by woes at other major financial firms and mortgage-financing titans Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Sound off: What do you think? At one point the U.S. Federal Reserve was forced to step in, announcing plans to loosen lending restrictions to the banking industry in an effort to calm markets, while a consortium of 10 leading domestic and foreign banks agreed a $70 billion fund to lend to troubled financial firms. U.S. President George W. Bush said Monday he is confident that the markets are resilient and can deal with the latest financial blows. "We are working to reduce disruptions and minimize the impact these financial market developments on the broader economy." Watch what went wrong » . He added: "In the short run, adjustments in the financial markets can be painful for people worried about their investments and for employees of the firms." U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said eight years of Bush "brought us the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression." His Republican rival said John McCain said he was happy the federal government decided not to use taxpayer dollars to bail out Lehman Brothers. In an effort to calm market jitters, the European Central Bank on Monday said it has pumped $42.6 billion into money markets. The Bank of England in London also took steps, offering nearly $9 billion in a three-day auction. In another development, American International Group, the world's largest insurer, was reportedly struggling to secure billions of dollars in capital after months of seeing its share values slide. Police cordoned off Lehman's headquarters in New York on Sunday as staff, some in suits, others in casual clothes, left the building with cardboard boxes while tourists and onlookers gathered to watch the spectacle. The 158-year-old bank, which has weathered previous financial upheavals and saw its offices destroyed in the September 11 World Trade Center attacks, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which grants protection while it works out a plan to pay back creditors. The collapse of Lehman came after shares declined 94 percent in the space of a year, prompting speculation over its fate. It took a turn for the worse Sunday when Bank of America and British bank Barclays, both viewed as potential "white knights," pulled out of deal talks, sources told CNNMoney.com. Both Lehmans and Merrill have been caught with huge exposures to unsecured mortgages, the bad debts at the heart of the so-called credit crunch that has devalued the U.S. housing market and sent financial shockwaves worldwide. Analysis: Different rules for different names » . Lehman's collapse and the sale of Merrill reduces the number of independent firms on Wall Street to two -- Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs -- following the sale of Bear Stearns to JP Morgan at a bargain price earlier this year. "Acquiring one of the premier wealth management, capital markets and advisory companies is a great opportunity for our shareholders," Bank of American Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ken Lewis said in a statement Monday. "Together our companies are more valuable because of the synergies in our businesses." Like Lehman, Merrill Lynch has been suffering from bad real estate bets, and its stock price lost 27 percent last week -- shares are down 65 percent this year. Watch why Bank of America thinks Merrill is the opportunity of a lifetime » . Merrill, known for with its famous bull logo, has been an icon of Wall Street and investing. But billions of dollars in losses in the last year due to fallout in the U.S. mortgage market proved too much for the 94-year old firm. David Ellis of CNNMoney.com contributed to this report .

U.S. investment banking giant Lehman Brothers to file for bankruptcy . Merrill Lynch agrees to be taken over by Bank of America . Job losses certain but numbers not yet known . NEW: Dow Jones suffered worst day since 9/11; Asia, Europe markets tumbled .

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Editor's Note: David Hawkins is Director of Public Policy and Research for the National Association for College Admission Counseling, a nonprofit organization that represents more than 11,000 high school counselors and college admission officers from across the country. He was the author of a report last month by the organization's commission on the use of standardized tests. David Hawkins says test scores shouldn't be used to rank college quality . ARLINGTON, Virginia (CNN) -- A recent controversy at Baylor University has brought new attention to the widespread misuse of standardized college admission tests to rank the quality of America's colleges and universities. The SAT and ACT have achieved nearly iconic status in America and throughout the world. As the late author and scholar Stephen Jay Gould noted, the tests are viewed by many as "abstruse and mysterious," with powerful effects on public policy, social mobility, and even individual identity. Misuse of test scores as college ranking criteria creates undue pressure on admission offices to pursue increasingly high test scores and fuels the tests' disproportionate influence. Last June, Baylor University encouraged its already admitted first-year students to retake the SAT. The reward for students who retook the test was $300 in bookstore credits. Students who increased their score by more than 50 points got a $1,000 merit aid scholarship. If enough students retook the SAT and increased their scores, the gains might be enough to move Baylor up the rankings list. The scarce financial resources allocated for this plan are too badly needed elsewhere, particularly among low-income students in rural and urban areas around the country, to spend on an effort to raise a college's SAT profile. A Baylor spokesman told The Associated Press Thursday that the university "goofed" and would likely end the incentives. It's critical to understand that high SAT and ACT scores alone do not equate to merit. Last month, our organization's Commission on the Use of Standardized Tests in Undergraduate Admission issued a report calling for change in the way everyone involved in college admissions uses the tests. Test misuses feed the public perception that the scores are the most influential factor in college admission. For the past 15 years, National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) research has shown that students' grades in high school, particularly grades in college preparatory courses, are by far the most important consideration in college admission decisions. One of the most pressing problems regarding the SAT and ACT scores is their misuse in the U.S. News and World Report college rankings formula. The SAT and ACT were designed to provide information about a student to colleges and universities and were never meant to be measures of college quality. Accordingly, the commission encouraged U.S. News and World Report to eliminate test scores as a measure of institutional quality. The U.S. News ranking formula includes a "student selectivity" score that constitutes 15 percent of a college's overall rank. SAT or ACT scores of enrollees make up 50 percent of the student selectivity score. In response to the NACAC report, U.S. News and World Report said, "As long as standardized tests play an integral role in the college admissions process, U.S. News will use them as part of our ranking methodology." The situation at Baylor is a reminder of the inflated value assigned to the SAT and ACT in higher education. The fervor surrounding the rankings, as well as the lengths to which colleges go to increase them, are unfortunate distractions in higher education and admissions. The impression students and families get from the rankings is that higher test scores mean higher quality colleges. To borrow a phrase familiar to admission deans, many colleges recruit great students and then graduate great students. Is that because of the institution, or the students? Some credit undoubtedly should go to both. But is a college of lower quality because its students' SAT scores are lower than those of students at another college? Generally speaking, the ability of admission tests to predict success in higher education is much more limited than most people think. Colleges most often determine the utility of admission test scores by assessing how well they predict first-year grades. Colleges are wrong to place so much emphasis on test scores as measurements of their institutional worth when admission offices across the board consider the scores to be one among many indicators of a student's merit. As influential as the rankings have been with students and families, is it any wonder that colleges whose stakeholders often demand higher ranks go to such lengths to influence their position in the rankings? Misuse of test scores has real ramifications for students and families. For every student able to afford test-performance tutoring and fees for taking the test many times, there are many qualified students from under-served backgrounds who become discouraged that they will be unable to compete. For every college that raises its SAT or ACT profile for rankings purposes, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of qualified students who will never apply because artificially inflated test scores signal yet another barrier to higher education. It is critical to re-evaluate the varied uses of admission tests, and protect against their misuse in all forms. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of David Hawkins.

David Hawkins: Admission tests are wrongly used to rank college quality . Hawkins says Baylor University's incentives for test scores are a mistake . Grades are much more important than test scores in admissions decisions, he says . Hawkins: U.S. News should drop SAT and ACT scores in rankings .

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(CNN) -- At 51 years of age, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk has come a long way. As part of the Kashubian minority living in the Gdansk Region, he was born to working-class parents -- his father a carpenter and his mother a nurse. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk was elected in November 2007. As a student of History at the University of Gdansk in the late 1970s, a period of growing discontent with the Communist regime in Poland, he became actively involved in the creation of the opposition Students' Solidarity Committee. This was founded in reaction to the murder of student activist Stanislaw Pyjas by the State Security Service. Despite his anti-communist activities, he successfully finished his studies in 1980 and joined the Independent Solidarity Trade Union movement. When the Communists imposed martial law in 1981 he continued with his underground activities, writing pamphlets about the ideas of liberal economist Friedrich Hayek and the concept of private property. His heroes became former U.S. president Ronald Reagan and British prime minister Margaret Thatcher. With the fall of Communism in 1989, the Solidarity Movement splintered. Lech Walesa, the former Solidarity Leader was elected President, while Tusk went on to co-found the KLD (Liberal and Democratic Congress Party) with other well-known figures. The Party stood for among other things: free market economy, privatization, individual freedom of Polish citizens and Polish accession to the EU. The following year, during the 1991 Parliamentary elections, the KLD won 37 seats in the lower house of the Polish Parliament. Not being able to follow up on their success in the 1993 elections, the KLD merged with the larger Democratic Union Party (UD) to form a new party called Freedom Union (UW). Tusk soon became Deputy Chairman and in the 1997 elections, he was voted into the Senate. In 2001, Tusk formed the Civic Platform Party (PO), winning seats in that year's parliamentary elections and becoming Deputy Speaker in parliament. But the Civic Platform was not able to sustain its success in the 2005 elections. Tusk and his party lost both the presidential and parliamentary elections to Lech Kacczynski's PiS (Law and Justice Party). This setback was not to last as Tusk triumphed over Jaroslaw Kaczynsky's PiS in the October 2007 elections and became prime minister of Poland. Tusk's economic policies are pro-business: less bureaucratic hurdles and state interference making it easier for entrepreneurs to start businesses. He is also trying to woo back more than a million Poles who left the country to work in other European Union countries after it joined the EU in 2004. Tusk is a keen footballer, viewed in his youth as a promising striker. He is married to historian Malgorzata and has two children, Kasia and Michal.

Involved in anti-communist activities as a student in Gdansk . In 1989 Tusk co-founded the KLD (Liberal and Democratic Congress Party) In 1997 he was voted into the Polish Senate . Became prime minister of Poland after 1997 parliamentary election .

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(Coastal Living) -- Barefoot on the sandy shore of Catalina Island, Kim Francis shades her eyes from the sun and peers back to mainland California. "I can't believe we're 22 miles from Los Angeles," she says, grinning. "I may never go back." Paddlers can experience Catalina from the water's surface. Behind her, the rugged terrain of Two Harbors stretches over rolling hills crossed by winding paths. Near the ferry dock, the modest village (a gift shop, an activities booth and one restaurant) buzzes with visitors. They come here to Catalina's west end -- away from Avalon, the island's much larger settlement -- to hike and watch wildlife. Many have their first try at snorkeling and paddling, says kayak guide Jason Clarke. Adjusting his colorful mask and snorkel, Jason plunges from the 45-foot catamaran Garibaldi into Isthmus Cove and encourages a tour group to do the same. "You won't find kelp forests like this just anywhere," Clarke says. "And always cross your fingers for a dolphin." Paddlers can experience Catalina from the water's surface, with tours that visit secluded coves and mysterious caves, all open for exploration. A few strokes of the paddle separate kayakers from pelicans, sea lions and a bison, which watches from land. "If his tail wags, the buffalo is in a good mood," says Rod Jackson, who helps run Hummer tours to see bison. "But never get too close." The bison have been on the island since the 1920s, when they were brought in as film extras. Today, they number nearly 250 and are protected by the Catalina Island Conservancy. "Sometimes we get a rebel," Jackson says, gesturing to a lone bison across from the area's only inn, The Banning House Lodge. Free hiking permits allow visitors to wander the island at will. Adrenaline junkies will want to tackle Boushay Trail, which climbs 1,800 feet to Silver Peak, the highest point west of Two Harbors. Those who make it to the top will be rewarded with sweeping Pacific views. And, like Kim Francis, they may not want to leave. Best of the west end . For comprehensive information about all of the businesses listed, visit visittwoharbors.com. Stay: The Banning House Lodge, a rustic 1910 bed-and-breakfast with 11 rooms, has no TVs, clocks or telephones. Some rooms provide views of Isthmus Cove and Catalina Harbor. (Room 11 has spectacular cove vistas.) Winter rates start at $89; call 310/510-4228. To camp in the area, call 310/510-8368, or to rent a cabin between November and April, call 800/626-0720. Play: Visitor's Center; 310/510-4205. Dive and Recreation Center; 310/510-4272. For charter-fishing day trips to Two Harbors, call Afishinado Charters at 323/447-4669 or visit fishcatalina.com. Dine: The Harbor Reef Restaurant and the Harbor Reef Saloon serve fresh seafood entrées, steaks and unique cocktails. We recommend the signature Two Harbors "Buffalo Milk" -- a sweet (and strong) concoction of liqueurs, vodka and whipped cream; 310/510-4215. E-mail to a friend . Enter to win a monthly Room Makeover Giveaway from MyHomeIdeas.com . Copyright © Coastal Living, 2008 .

Two Harbors, on Catalina's west end, is much quieter than Avalon . Paddling tours visit secluded coves and mysterious caves . Free hiking permits allow visitors to wander the island at will .

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Editor's note: Ruben Navarrette is a nationally syndicated columnist and a member of the editorial board of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Read his column here. Ruben Navarrette asks whether Obama's cool, calm demeanor will be a plus in negotiating with world leaders. SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- Make no mistake, Barack Obama is one cool customer. Now, after the last debate, it seems all but certain that the Iceman cometh to the White House. Radio talk show hosts and rank-and-file Republicans spent the last few weeks pleading with John McCain to take the gloves off and take the fight to Obama. How's that working out, folks? In this week's match-up, Obama snatched the gloves out of McCain's hands and slapped him silly with them. I suppose the hope was that Obama would get rattled and make a mistake. But Obama doesn't get rattled or make many mistakes. I still have no idea what type of president Obama would make. But he's an extraordinary politician. In fact, he may even be better than Bill Clinton who, while he had the IQ and EQ, also had the burden of a legendary red-hot temper. Obviously, it takes a lot to get under Obama's skin. McCain sure tried. Maybe this is the guy we want negotiating with world leaders. Maybe after eight years of George W. Bush stubbornness, on the heels of eight years of Clinton emotiveness, we need to send out for ice. In a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll, 58 percent of those who watched the debate said Obama did the better job and 31 percent said that about McCain. That makes three skins for Obama. In earlier polls, 54 percent of those who watched thought Obama won the second debate, and 51 percent thought he won the first one. This week, McCain turned in his best performance of the debates, and the first 30 minutes -- with McCain bringing up Obama's problematic encounter with the now famous Joe the Plumber; and the quip about how he isn't Bush and how Obama should have run four years ago -- were near flawless for the Republican. iReport.com: Are you Joe the Plumber? Get out your plunger and share your thoughts . McCain put Obama on the defensive, and it showed. If McCain had been that aggressive throughout the first two debates -- firm but not necessary unlikable -- we might be looking at a different race right now. But, over the next hour, Obama regained his stride and eventually dominated the exchange. And, in the end, with his sarcastic crack about school vouchers -- "Because there's not enough vouchers; therefore, we shouldn't do it, even though it's working. I got it." -- McCain was profoundly unlikable. So said the polls. In the CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll, 70 percent of debate watchers found Obama more likable. Only 22 percent said that about McCain. McCain's supporters wanted him to bring up some of the allegedly shady characters from Obama's circle of acquaintances that give some Americans pause and lead them to question the Democrat's values. There are good reasons to have that conversation, and bad ones. A friend and fellow journalist told me Obama's Chicago posse was important because it formed "the political womb where the fetal Obama grew into a politician. ... That tells us who he is and what either he believes himself or is at least willing to tolerate as president." Frankly, that argument makes a lot more sense than what many of the Obama haters are saying about how these "Friends of Barack" prove he is a couple of flag pins short of being a full-blooded American. That's nonsense. For instance, with William Ayers -- the unrepentant domestic terrorist who Obama first claimed was just a guy who lived in his neighborhood but with whom we now know the Illinois senator had a more substantial relationship -- the issue isn't Obama's patriotism but his truthfulness. Still, it was obviously a mistake for McCain to bring up Ayers during the debate. The tactic backfired. In the CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll, 62 percent of debate watchers said Obama's connection to Ayers mattered to them "not much" or "not at all." Only 23 percent said it mattered "a great deal." McCain should leave it to the press to mine the question of whether Obama has been totally honest about his relationship with Ayers -- well, at least those in the press who haven't already sent in requests for tickets to the Barack Obama inaugural ball. As for McCain, he is an American hero who has given his life to public service, and the country is better for it. That record of service need not come to an end. He can still contribute and finish out his term in the Senate. But, unless the political wind changes -- and quickly -- a promotion to the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue doesn't appear to be in the cards. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ruben Navarrette.

Ruben Navarrette: McCain tried to get under Obama's skin with attacks . Obama remained cool and wound up ending strongly in the debate, he says . Navarrette says Ayers attacks backfired even though issue is legitimate . America may need the cool-headedness of Barack Obama, he says .

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(CNN) -- Police have recovered two of the four Impressionist paintings stolen earlier this month in a daring museum heist, police in Zurich, Switzerland said Tuesday. Claude Monet's "Poppies near Vetheuil" has been recovered by Swiss police. The Monet and van Gogh oil paintings were in good condition, police said, and the search continued for the other two -- a Cezanne and a Degas. A parking lot attendant at the Psychiatric University Hospital in Zurich found the paintings Monday afternoon in the back of an unlocked white car, police said. It was not clear how long the car, an Opel Omega with stolen license plates, had been parked on the lot, police said. "The two paintings, worth about 70 million francs($64 million), are in good condition and are still protected by the original glass covering," police said in a statement. Three masked men stole the four paintings in what police called a "spectacular" heist Feb. 11 at the E.G. Buhrle Collection -- among the finest collections of Impressionist and post-Impressionist art in the world. One of the men threatened personnel at the museum's front door with a pistol and forced them to the ground, police said, while the other two men went into an exhibition room and stole four oil paintings by Paul Cezanne, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh. Afterward, the three men loaded the paintings into a white car parked in front of the museum and then drove off, police said. The paintings recovered Monday are Monet's "Poppies near Vetheuil" and van Gogh's "Blossoming Chestnut Branches." Still missing are Degas' "Count Lepic and his Daughters" and Cezanne's "Boy in a Red Vest." The four paintings are worth a total of about $163 million (180 million Swiss francs). A reward of $91,000 (100,00 Swiss francs) has been posted for information leading to the return of the paintings, police said. A Zurich police task force, which includes an art expert, had received tips from around the world, police said. The task force was looking into possible connections with other art thefts inside Switzerland and abroad. The Zurich heist followed the recent theft in Switzerland of two paintings by Pablo Picasso, said Bjoern Quellenberg, a spokesman for the Kunsthaus, another major art museum in Zurich. The director of the Kunsthaus serves on the E.G. Buhrle private art foundation's council, Quellenberg said. In that theft, thieves stole the 1962 "Tete de Cheval" ("Horse's Head") and the 1944 "Verre et Pichet" ("Glass and Pitcher") by Picasso. They were on loan from a German museum and valued at $4.5 million when they were stolen February 6, according to news reports. E-mail to a friend .

Police in Switzerland have recovered two artworks stolen earlier this month . Masterpieces stolen in Zurich art heist were worth $163 million . Haul included pieces by Cezanne, Van Gogh, Degas and Monet . The van Gogh and Monet were found, the Cezanne and Degas remain missing .

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Editor's note: Joseph E. Stiglitz, professor at Columbia University, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2001 for his work on the economics of information and was on the climate change panel that shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2008. Stiglitz, a supporter of Barack Obama, was a member and later chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers during the Clinton administration before joining the World Bank as chief economist and senior vice president. He is the co-author with Linda Bilmes of the "Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Costs of the Iraq Conflict." Economist Joseph Stiglitz says federal regulators and executives helped create the Wall Street crisis. NEW YORK (CNN) -- Many seem taken aback by the depth and severity of the current financial turmoil. I was among several economists who saw it coming and warned about the risks. There is ample blame to be shared; but the purpose of parsing out blame is to figure out how to make a recurrence less likely. President Bush famously said, a little while ago, that the problem is simple: Too many houses were built. Yes, but the answer is too simplistic: Why did that happen? One can say the Fed failed twice, both as a regulator and in the conduct of monetary policy. Its flood of liquidity (money made available to borrow at low interest rates) and lax regulations led to a housing bubble. When the bubble broke, the excessively leveraged loans made on the basis of overvalued assets went sour. For all the new-fangled financial instruments, this was just another one of those financial crises based on excess leverage, or borrowing, and a pyramid scheme. The new "innovations" simply hid the extent of systemic leverage and made the risks less transparent; it is these innovations that have made this collapse so much more dramatic than earlier financial crises. But one needs to push further: Why did the Fed fail? First, key regulators like Alan Greenspan didn't really believe in regulation; when the excesses of the financial system were noted, they called for self-regulation -- an oxymoron. Second, the macro-economy was in bad shape with the collapse of the tech bubble. The tax cut of 2001 was not designed to stimulate the economy but to give a largesse to the wealthy -- the group that had been doing so well over the last quarter-century. The coup d'grace was the Iraq War, which contributed to soaring oil prices. Money that used to be spent on American goods now got diverted abroad. The Fed took seriously its responsibility to keep the economy going. It did this by replacing the tech bubble with a new bubble, a housing bubble. Household savings plummeted to zero, to the lowest level since the Great Depression. It managed to sustain the economy, but the way it did it was shortsighted: America was living on borrowed money and borrowed time. Finally, at the center of blame must be the financial institutions themselves. They -- and even more their executives -- had incentives that were not well aligned with the needs of our economy and our society. They were amply rewarded, presumably for managing risk and allocating capital, which was supposed to improve the efficiency of the economy so much that it justified their generous compensation. But they misallocated capital; they mismanaged risk -- they created risk. They did what their incentive structures were designed to do: focusing on short-term profits and encouraging excessive risk-taking. This is not the first crisis in our financial system, not the first time that those who believe in free and unregulated markets have come running to the government for bail-outs. There is a pattern here, one that suggests deep systemic problems -- and a variety of solutions: . 1. We need first to correct incentives for executives, reducing the scope for conflicts of interest and improving shareholder information about dilution in share value as a result of stock options. We should mitigate the incentives for excessive risk-taking and the short-term focus that has so long prevailed, for instance, by requiring bonuses to be paid on the basis of, say, five-year returns, rather than annual returns. 2. Secondly, we need to create a financial product safety commission, to make sure that products bought and sold by banks, pension funds, etc. are safe for "human consumption." Consenting adults should be given great freedom to do whatever they want, but that does not mean they should gamble with other people's money. Some may worry that this may stifle innovation. But that may be a good thing considering the kind of innovation we had -- attempting to subvert accounting and regulations. What we need is more innovation addressing the needs of ordinary Americans, so they can stay in their homes when economic conditions change. 3. We need to create a financial systems stability commission to take an overview of the entire financial system, recognizing the interrelations among the various parts, and to prevent the excessive systemic leveraging that we have just experienced. 4. We need to impose other regulations to improve the safety and soundness of our financial system, such as "speed bumps" to limit borrowing. Historically, rapid expansion of lending has been responsible for a large fraction of crises and this crisis is no exception. 5. We need better consumer protection laws, including laws that prevent predatory lending. 6. We need better competition laws. The financial institutions have been able to prey on consumers through credit cards partly because of the absence of competition. But even more importantly, we should not be in situations where a firm is "too big to fail." If it is that big, it should be broken up. These reforms will not guarantee that we will not have another crisis. The ingenuity of those in the financial markets is impressive. Eventually, they will figure out how to circumvent whatever regulations are imposed. But these reforms will make another crisis of this kind less likely, and, should it occur, make it less severe than it otherwise would be. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer.

Joseph Stiglitz: Fed pumped too much money, aiding housing bubble . New-fangled instruments hid overuse of borrowing, Stiglitz says . Executives followed short-term interests and magnified risks, he says . Stiglitz: Widespread changes needed to prevent future crises .

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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- U.S. troops or contractors who commit "major and premeditated murders" in Iraq while off-duty and outside U.S. facilities would fall under Iraqi jurisdiction, according to a copy of a draft U.S.-Iraq agreement obtained by CNN. Shiite demonstrators protest a proposed U.S.-Iraqi security pact Saturday in Baghdad. All other crimes -- including murders committed inside U.S. facilities or by on-duty forces -- would fall under American jurisdiction, according to the draft, which would govern U.S. troops' presence in Iraq. The issue of whether U.S. troops would remain immune from Iraqi prosecution has been a sticky one for negotiators crafting the Status of Forces Agreement draft, which Iraqi lawmakers are reviewing. The United States had preferred its troops and contractors retain immunity. The draft also calls for U.S. combat troops to be out of Iraqi cities by July 30, 2009, and out of the country entirely by December 31, 2011. The agreement allows for an earlier withdrawal or an extension of the U.S. forces' stay in Iraq, by agreement of both parties. It also allows the Iraqi government to "request from the United States government to leave certain forces for training and for support purposes for the Iraqi forces." The governments have been trying to get a deal before December 31, when a U.N. mandate authorizing the U.S. troop presence in Iraq expires. Iraq's ruling Shiite parliamentary bloc said Sunday it needs more time before it can approve the draft. The United Iraqi Alliance bloc found several "points" in the draft that "need more time for discussion, dialogue and amendments [to] some of its articles," according to the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq, the most powerful party in the bloc. It was unclear what specific "points" the parliamentary bloc was questioning. Thousands of people marched in central Baghdad on Saturday to protest the draft U.S.-Iraqi security agreement. The political party of Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called for the rally. Watch marchers protest the agreement » . Baghdad had sought the power to arrest and try Americans accused of crimes that are not related to official military operations, plus jurisdiction over troops and contractors who commit grave mistakes in the course of their duties. The United Iraqi Alliance on Sunday night discussed the draft, which was presented by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, whose Dawa Party is also a member of the ruling bloc. Iraq's Political Council for National Security needs to approve the draft before al-Maliki sends it to his cabinet. The council includes the leaders of various political blocs -- including the United Iraqi Alliance -- as well as Iraq's president, prime minister, vice presidents, and speaker of parliament. If the cabinet passes the draft by a two-thirds majority, al-Maliki will submit it to the Iraqi parliament for approval. A senior Bush administration official said last week that the U.S. is examining "contingencies" in case the Iraqi government is unable to sell the status-of-forces deal to the country's various factions. If Iraq does not approve the deal, fallback options include "a new U.N. Security Council resolution legally authorizing the extension of the U.S. footprint" or an "informal agreement between the United States and the Iraqis," the official told CNN last week. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions. Other points covered in the draft agreement include Iraqi ownership of "all the buildings, facilities and structures that cannot be transported and are connected to the ground" and used by American forces. Such facilities will be returned to Iraq when the agreement expires, it says. Further, the agreement requires the United States to immediately return to Iraq any "historic or cultural site" it discovers at facilities it is using. The agreement allows the United States to use whatever defensive systems it deems necessary in areas under its control. Yet it bars "systems of weapons of mass destruction (chemical, nuclear, radiological, biological weapons and waste related to these weapons)." The United States is to transfer control of Iraqi airspace to Iraq when the agreement goes into effect, although Iraq can ask for assistance for airspace control and surveillance. The agreement also covers environmental issues; the comings and goings of troops in and out of Iraq; movement of vehicles, planes and ships; and the movement of equipment in and out of Iraq. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is lobbying Iraqi leaders to pass the draft text of the agreement by the end of the year, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said last week.

NEW: U.S.-Iraq draft: Troops committing murder in Iraq could face Iraqi prosecution . Iraq's ruling United Iraqi Alliance found several "points" needing more discussion . Ruling bloc did not make clear what issues they had regarding troop agreement .

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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Thousands of people marched in central Baghdad on Saturday to protest a proposed U.S.-Iraqi security agreement that would extend the presence of U.S. troops in the country after the end of the year. Thousands staged a mass march through Baghdad, Iraq, on Saturday to protest a planned U.S.-Iraq security deal. The political party of Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called for the rally. At one point, several speakers at a podium addressed the mass of people, urging the Iraqi government to reject the proposal. "End the U.S. occupation of Iraq!" one speaker shouted in English. Hazem al-Araji, a senior al-Sadr aide, told protesters their voices would be heard in America. "Thanks to you, to these voices and the millions of voices, George Bush will hear these millions of calls in his 'Black House' -- in which you shouted out, 'No, no, America!'" he said. Watch protesters wave flags, swarm street » . "This talk and these words are that of the leader, Muqtada al-Sadr: Baghdad is free, free! America, get out. This voice does not reach the Green Zone. We want to hear everyone who is occupied in that area saying Baghdad is free, free, America get out!" al-Araji exclaimed. Protesters clogged several streets in the capital, waving Iraqi flags and kicking up dust. The demonstration, the largest in Baghdad in several months, was largely peaceful. Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said in Washington on Thursday a draft status-of-forces agreement authorizing the U.S. troop presence in Iraq had "been agreed upon by U.S. and Iraqi negotiators" and was being reviewed by the two governments. A U.N. mandate authorizing the U.S. troop presence in Iraq expires December 31, and U.S. officials are examining "contingencies" in case the Iraqi government is unable to sell the status-of-forces deal to the country's various factions, a senior Bush administration official said this week. The same official said negotiations on the pact had finished and the text was final. The official said the "final" draft calls for U.S. troops to be out of Iraqi cities by June 2009 and out of Iraq by the end of 2011 unless the Iraqis ask the United States to stay. The U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions, said negotiators had also "reached a compromise" on the issue of U.S. troops remaining immune from Iraqi law -- an issue that was a major hurdle in the talks. Baghdad has sought the power to arrest and try Americans accused of crimes not related to official military operations, plus jurisdiction over troops and contractors who commit grave mistakes in the course of their duties. The United States has insisted its troops and contractors remain immune from Iraqi law. CNN State Department Producer Elise Labott contributed to this report.

Proposed deal would extend U.S. troop presence in Iraq after end of the year . Thousands of protesters urged Iraqi government to reject the proposal . U.N. mandate authorizing U.S. troops in Iraq expires December 31 .

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DUNN, North Carolina (CNN) -- Barack Obama's campaign announced Sunday the Democratic presidential candidate raised $150 million in donations in September, setting a new high-water mark in campaign fundraising. Barack Obama calls a prospective voter from a headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday. In a campaign video, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said a record 632,000 new donors gave to the campaign, with the average contribution under $100. More than 3 million donors have given so far. The Obama campaign raised $65 million in August. Regardless of the stunning haul, Plouffe told supporters the campaign still needed more money because of "the slime that we're getting from the McCain campaign." Plouffe cited recent attack ads and automated phone calls in battleground states and said the campaign needed to have every resource to "fight back." "Their campaign is going to descend even more into the gutter," he said. Plouffe also said the campaign was expanding its reach to compete "aggressively" in West Virginia. Tightening polls in Georgia and North Dakota meant more money and resources could be sent to those two states in the remaining days, he said. "We can't afford to make any cuts. We have to execute everything we think is required to win," Plouffe said of their battleground strategy. "None of us can look back on the night of November 4 or the morning of November 5 and wished we had done something extra." The McCain campaign accepted $85 million in federal matching funds for the last two months of the campaign. The Obama campaign opted out of the matching funds program and is free to raise and spend as much money as it can. CNN's Paul Steinhauser and Sasha Johnson contributed to this report.

September amount is biggest monthly fundraising total for a presidential campaign . Obama campaign added 632,000 new donors in September . McCain accepted $85 million in federal funds for last two months of campaign .

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(CNN) -- For a world-class shopping experience you should head to glitzy Ginza. As well as flagship fashion outlets, the area boasts one of the city's best department stores, Mitsukoshi (4-6-16 Chuo Dori). The real treat here, as at many Tokyo department stores, is the fantastic basement-level food hall ("depachika"). For the complete Mitsukoshi experience, there's an ever bigger store in Nihombashi. The "Electric Town" of Akihabara is tech-head's heaven. Next door is Matsuya, another big department store, and while you're in the area don't miss the Sony Building (5-3-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku). Your inner games geek won't be able to resist the entire floor devoted to the PlayStation. If you've ever wondered where Tokyo teenagers buy their wacky cyber-goth manga-inspired attire, the answer is Takeshita-Dori, a narrow street in Harajuku. On Sundays the street fills with fashion-conscious teens, dressed to impress. For the less adventurous, but more discerning shopper, Harajuku's main thoroughfare, Omotesando is lined with elegant boutiques, including Louis Vuitton, Prada and Loveless (3-17-11 Minami-Aoyama). Looking unlike any shop you've seen before, Loveless has three floors of hip Japanese clothing and a basement decked out like the dungeon of some deranged medieval aristocrat. Harajuku is also home to six-floor Kiddy Land (6-1-9 Jingu-mae), one of the city's best toy stores, with a huge selection of Hello Kitty products. The area around Shibuya Station is a buzzing epicenter of shopping activity. Among its highlights are Tokyu Hands (Takashimaya Times Square, 5-24-2 Sendagaya), a department store that sells everything you could ever need, and plenty of stuff you had no idea even existed (electrically heated pilllows anyone?). A Bathing Ape (1 - Rise Bld. 13-17 Udagawa-Cho) offers funky T-shirts and trainers in an art gallery-style space, and Mandarake (Shibuya Beam B2 31-2 Udagawacho) is the place to satisfy your manga cravings, should you have any. For more manga, and a glimpse into the future, you'll want to go to Akihabara. Also known as Electric Town, Akihabara is a district of electronics stores clad in illuminated signs. Visit after dark for the full "Blade Runner" experience. Yodobashi Camera sells everything from next generation cell phones to cameras that aren't yet available outside Japan. For something more sedate, Daikanyama is a refined area popular with in-the-know fashionistas, while Jimbocho is the city's used-book quarter. Marunouchi was once a drab business district but is fast becoming the city's hottest shopping area. Shin-Marunouchi (just opposite the Marunouchi exit of Tokyo Stations) is a huge building, with the lowest seven floors devoted to chic shopping. The basement "depachika" is a feast for foodies. Tokyo International Forum (5-1 Marunouchi 3-chome, Chiyoda-ku) is a vast space used for art exhibitions and as a concert hall. It also boasts excellent shopping and hosts a flea market every other Sunday. Where to stay | What to see | Where to be seen | Where to eat | Where to shop . ...................... Do you agree with our Tokyo picks? Send us your comments and suggestions in the "Sound Off" box below and we'll print the best.

Ginza offers world-class shopping - check out the food hall in Mitsukoshi . Takeshita-Dori is where teenagers pick up their "cosplay" costumes . Omotesando is lined with boutiques, including Louis Vuitton and Prada . Akihabara, or "Electric Town," is the place to buy electronics and manga .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Space travel, security threats and increasing passenger numbers are forcing major changes in the way airports are designed. Elegant space: the interior of the proposed Virgin Galactic spaceport in New Mexico . In fact, when discussing the future of the airport it is now appropriate to consider both conventional air travel hubs we are familiar with, as well as the imminent 'spaceports'. The rush of interest in setting up 'space tourism' companies has seen proposed spaceport projects in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, and California, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, Alaska and Wisconsin in the United States. Russia, Australia, Sweden and Portugal have also been rumored as potential spaceport locations. Meanwhile, the air travel industry is continuing to expand operations despite the challenges facing some airlines. And there are some radical new ideas being developed for future air and spaceports. See a picture gallery of futuristic airport and spaceport designs » . The adventurous views of Dave Evans, chief technologist at business solutions company Cisco Systems, highlight the types of changes we could soon see in airports and indeed the new features we may witness in spaceports. Speaking at a FAA/NASA/Industry Airport Planning Workshop in 2006, Evans suggested that pilots of the future could fly without hands and from the comfort of their own home (using brain-machine interfaces, in which the human brain actually exchanges electronic signals with a computer). He also said future airports would have virtual intelligence personnel to perform the jobs of many airport workers; and that people would be able to check-in remotely using a cell phone embedded with a RFID (radio frequency identification) chip. But what will these new airports and spaceports look like? Graeme Johns, who is an architect at British airport design company, The Design Solution, believes airports of the future will continue to expand, with bigger security and commercial areas. Johns, who is involved in projects in London (the new Heathrow T2 terminal), Delhi, Mumbai, Doha, Abu Dhabi and Oman, said many new airports were being more adventurous with designs. "I think there is definitely a move towards more avant-garde designs. People are trying to do things more site-specific rather than keeping to the same old formula. "Definitely in the Middle East they throw everything at it, also in the Far East there are some large developments. They are all vying for transit passages," he said. Johns said one of the biggest challenges was balancing commercial space with operational space. "There's lots of pressure to make larger security areas ... but a big thing for us is trying to move up the commercial side of airports." Future airports would likely include a better range of shops, he said. "We are definitely looking at broadening the offering of shops and bringing in things that haven't traditionally been in airports," John said. If all of this isn't exciting enough for you -- then of course there are spaceports. Internationally renowned design company Foster and Partners won a competition to build Virgin Galactic's spaceport in New Mexico. Company founder Lord Norman Foster said the project was one of the most exciting and futuristic he had been involved in . "This technically complex building will not only provide a dramatic experience for the astronauts and visitors, but will set an ecologically sound model for future spaceport facilities." And what will this magnificent new structure include? A tunneled entrance, a 'super-hangar' for the space-craft, and retaining walls that form an exhibition documenting the history of space exploration alongside the story of the region, are just some of the features. So whether or not you have the money to make the space flight, Virgin Galactic's spaceport is going to be a place well worth visiting.

Airports are likely to see bigger security and commercial areas in future . Foster and Partners is building a spaceport in New Mexico for Virgin Galactic . The Middle East and Far East are creating the most futuristic new airports .

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JOHNSTOWN, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin charged into the culture wars Saturday in Pennsylvania, painting Sen. Barack Obama as a radical on abortion rights. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin speaks at a rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Saturday. The stop comes amid news that Palin violated Alaska ethics law by trying to get her former brother-in-law fired from the state police, a state investigator's report for the bipartisan Legislative Council concluded Friday. Ethics woes aside, Palin focused her attention on abortion -- an issue that rallies the conservative base but some say alienates independent and women voters. "In times like these with wars and financial crisis, I know that it may be easy to forget even as deep and abiding a concern as the right to life, and it seems that our opponent kind of hopes you will forget that," Palin told a crowd in Johnstown. "He hopes that you won't notice how radical, absolutely radical his idea is on this, and his record is, until it's too late." Palin has mostly avoided raising her opposition to abortion rights on the campaign trail since she was tapped as Sen. John McCain's running mate, a fact she readily acknowledged in her remarks. Watch more of Palin's views on abortion » . But Palin said Obama's record on the matter is too extreme to be ignored, and she spent 10 minutes of her 30-minute speech discussing abortion. "A vote for Barack Obama is a vote for activist courts that will continue to smother the open and democratic debate that we deserve and that we need on this issue of life," she said. "Obama is a politician who has long since left behind even the middle ground on the issue of life." Obama opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade and disagreed with Supreme Court ruling to uphold the "Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act." He did not cast a vote on Prohibiting Funds for Groups that Perform Abortions amendment in 2007. Palin opposes abortion in all cases, including rape and incest, except when a mother's life is in danger, and said she believes Roe v. Wade should be overturned and the decision given to the states. McCain voted for the Prohibit Partial Birth Abortion bill in 2003 and "yes" for Prohibiting Funds for Groups that Perform Abortions amendment in 2007. He believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned, and also supports the Supreme Court ruling upholding the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act. Palin also talked about a remark Obama made about sex education while campaigning in Johnstown in March, when he told a voter he didn't want his daughters "punished with a baby" or "punished with an STD" if they were not educated about sex and made a mistake. "So I listened when our opponent defended his unconditional support for unlimited abortions and he said he said that a woman shouldn't have to be 'Punished with a baby,' " Palin said as the audience jeered at Obama. "Ladies and gentlemen, he said that right here in Johnstown. 'Punished with a baby.' It's about time we called him on it." Obama is also in Pennsylvania Saturday -- campaigning in the heavily Democratic city of Philadelphia. During his four-stop swing around the city, Obama acknowledged McCain's efforts to "tone down the rhetoric" on the campaign trail. "I appreciated his reminder that we can disagree while still being respectful of each other. I've said it before, and I'll say it again -- Sen. McCain has served this country with honor, and he deserves our thanks for that," Obama told an early morning crowd assembled in the northern part of the city. Watch more of Obama's comments » . Ever since last weekend, when Palin first accused Obama of "palling around with a terrorist," referring to 1960s radical William Ayers, rowdy crowds have called Obama a liar, terrorist and worse. At an event Friday in Lakeville, Minnesota, McCain referred to Obama as a "decent person" and praised him as a "family man" after two voters expressed fear over Obama being elected. Watch McCain tell voters not to be afraid of Obama » . But the Arizona senator was met by a sea of boos when asking the crowd to be more respectful toward Obama. When the crowd began to boo, McCain told them "No, no. I want everyone to be respectful." Obama later dispensed with polite talk and pivoted to his main campaign trail argument that McCain is out of touch on the economy. "Sen. McCain's campaign manager actually said that Sen. McCain wasn't talking about the market because there's just not much a candidate for president can say -- and they aren't sure what he'd say each day even if he did talk about it," Obama said. "But here's the thing Philadelphia. They can run misleading ads, and pursue the politics of anything goes, they can try to change the subject. They can do that what they want to do because the American people understand what's going on -- but it's not going to work. Not this time." CNN's Peter Hamby, Ed Hornick and Sasha Johnson contributed to this report.

Sarah Palin, Barack Obama both campaign Saturday in Pennsylvania . Palin hammers Obama on the abortion issue in Johnstown . Obama acknowledges McCain's efforts to "tone down the rhetoric"

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BANGKOK, Thailand (CNN) -- A Thai court has found deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra guilty of corruption, and sentenced him in absentia to two years imprisonment. Thaksin Shinawatra lives in self-imposed exile in London. The case stemmed from a Bangkok land deal while Thaksin was in office. He was convicted of violating a law that bans ministers or their wives from conducting business with government agencies. Thaksin, who now lives in the United Kingdom, is unlikely to serve any jail time. He fled from Thailand in August just as he was to appear in court. In the land deal, Thaksin's wife, Pojama, is accused of using her husband's political influence to buy undeveloped land from a government agency for about a third of its estimated value. Watch more about the verdict » . The case is one of several corruption cases against Thaksin and his family that are winding their way through the legal system. The billionaire is accused of abusing the country's system of checks and balances and bending government policy to benefit his family's business. Thaksin has consistently denied that he or his family was involved in any wrongdoing. In August, Thaksin and his wife skipped a court appearance and fled to the United Kingdom rather than testify in the real-estate case. He said he did so because he did not think he would get a fair trial in Thailand. Thaksin, a telecommunications tycoon, once owned the English Premier League Manchester City Football Club but sold his stake this year. His party won two landslide victories before he was deposed in a bloodless military coup in September 2006 after massive anti-government street protests. He returned to Thailand after his allies in the People Power Party won nearly half the seats in the lower house in December's parliamentary elections and formed the ruling coalition. In recent weeks, the country has seen daily demonstrations from anti-government protesters who want PPP leaders purged from the Cabinet. They have laid siege to the Government House -- the seat of the Thai government -- since August 26. The protesters -- led by the People's Alliance for Democracy -- contend that the PPP is trying to amend the constitution so Thaksin does not have to face charges. In September, Thailand's Constitutional Court stripped then-Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej of his position, ruling that he had violated the constitution by appearing as a paid guest on a television cooking show. The PPP responded by picking Thaksin's brother-in-law as Samak's replacement -- further inflaming the protesters. CNN's Dan Rivers contributed to this report.

Ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra convicted of corruption, sentenced to jail . Court rules Thaksin facilitated wife's purchase of Bangkok real estate in 2003 . Thaksin, who lives in exile in UK, unlikely to serve time in jail .

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MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- Eight people were killed and 101 were wounded in two explosions during a celebration of Mexico's independence day Monday night, a Mexican official said Tuesday. Wounded people get help after blasts Monday night during an independence day event in Morelia, Mexico. Two people remained in grave condition, said Roman Armando Luna Escalante, secretary of health in Michoacan state. Eleven of the wounded were children, Luna Escalante said. None of them are gravely injured. The explosions occurred around 11 p.m. near the governor's residence in Morelia, the capital of Michoacan. The second blast happened shortly afterward a few blocks away. Officials would not say if they have any suspects or if any group has claimed responsibility. Some experts pointed to drug cartels or insurgents. "It could be a warning to the federal government, which has put a lot of money and manpower to deal with drugs, which are very powerful there," said Peter Hakim, president of the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington-based think tank on Western Hemisphere affairs. "It could be leftist guerrilla groups that occasionally throw a bomb. "The problem is that this is part of a real wave of violence that is consuming Mexico." Last week the bodies of 24 people, bound and shot execution-style, were found in Atlapulco, a town just south of Mexico City. Those killings Friday came roughly two weeks after tens of thousands of Mexicans marched on the nation's capital, calling for greater government action against the wave of violent crime. Non-governmental groups estimate there have been more than 1,500 killings in Mexico this year linked to organized crime. In late August, Mexican President Felipe Calderon met with the country's 32 governors to develop a plan to battle the rise in violent crime. Calderon, who was born in Morelia, condemned the attacks and said federal officials will redouble efforts to help state authorities investigate. More than 1,500 soldiers and federal police were maintaining order Tuesday, which marks the 198th anniversary of what Mexicans regard as their independence day. Festivities typically start the night before because on September 16, 1810, shortly before dawn, a priest in a village in the state of Guanajuato rang a church bell and called on Mexicans to fight for independence from Spain. The celebration in Morelia on Monday night was one of hundreds nationwide to celebrate that call for independence, which Mexico formally achieved in 1821.

NEW: Death toll rises to eight in two blasts, official says; more than 100 wounded . NEW: Mexican president says federal officials will help investigate . Explosions occurred during independence day celebration in Morelia .

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(CNN) -- Thousands of people turned out Saturday in the southern Austrian city of Klagenfurt for the funeral of politician Joerg Haider, a popular but polarizing figure who led right-wing Austrian politics for decades. Harald Scheucher, mayor of Klagenfurt, speaks in front of the coffin of Joerg Haider Saturday. Among those attending the service at the town's central Neuen Platz square were Austrian President Heinz Fischer and Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer. Haider's widow sat in the front row with her two daughters, all of them dressed in black. "Many people expected things of Joerg Haider that they themselves weren't able to fulfill, and he too expected things of people that he wasn't able to fulfill," Gusenbauer said at the funeral. "Therefore his death, and the end of his life, may be a time to think about whether death's only consolation is that we can now reconcile things that seemed irreconcilable during his lifetime." Haider's coffin was draped in the yellow, red and white flag of the southern state of Carinthia, where he was governor, and topped with red roses. Haider, 58, died last Saturday in a car accident while driving out of Klagenfurt, the state capital. He had just passed another car on a highway when his car hit a concrete post and rolled over several times, police said. His spokesman said this week that Haider was drunk at the time of the crash. Besides being Carinthia's governor, Haider was also head of the right-wing BZO party (Alliance for the Future of Austria), which he founded in 2005 after years with the conservative Freedom Party. Haider came to prominence in 1986, when he became head of the Freedom Party while still in his 30s. A politician who projected youth and style, Haider appealed to many working-class Austrians, promising to cut their taxes and give money to those with children. Some older Austrians responded to his demands for strict law and order. But he drew widespread criticism both at home and abroad for his anti-immigrant stance and remarks considered anti-Semitic, and in 1991 he publicly praised Nazi Germany's employment policy. Asked in 2000 about the statement, Haider told CNN the quote was taken from a long speech and that he never praised the Third Reich. He called the remarks a mistake and publicly denounced Nazism. But Haider continued to draw attention for his controversial remarks. They included an address to veterans of the Waffen S.S., Adolf Hitler's elite soldiers, in which he praised their character. The address created an uproar after it was broadcast on German television. Haider said he had simply been speaking to elderly citizens of Carinthia who included some former Waffen S.S. members. Despite the controversy, Haider said he was not racist: "You will not find any anti-Semitic position in our party program, and you will not find any anti-Semitic speech or statement by me." The policies of the Freedom Party drew international attention during the elections in 1999. Party campaign posters urged voters to stop the flood of immigration and used the term "over-foreignization," the same word used by Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels in 1933 to criticize what he called Jewish influence in Germany. Haider told CNN he favored restricting immigration simply because of Austria's small size, but that he wanted to keep an open border for refugees. It was his family background, Haider said, that kept singling him out for criticism. Haider's parents were activists in the Nazi Party long before Austrian-born Hitler annexed Austria to Germany in 1938. Haider's father, Robert, volunteered for the S.A., the notorious brown shirts who terrorized Jews and others before the war. He then served in the German army. His biographer, Melanie Sully, said Haider felt a strong sense of loyalty to his parents and those in the war generation. "He feels that what they sacrificed after the war in rebuilding Austria in very difficult circumstances needs to be honored and that they weren't all criminals," Sully told CNN in 2000. Under Haider's leadership, the Freedom Party made a strong showing in the 1999 elections, winning 27 percent of the vote and shaking up the traditional two-party system that had ruled Austria since World War II. When the two main parties in that election failed to agree on forming a government together, the Freedom Party was invited to share power. Haider retired as party leader after that but remained governor of Carinthia. When Haider formed the BZO party three years ago, he took with him a number of Freedom Party lawmakers. Haider was credited with helping the BZO make significant gains in last month's general elections alongside the Freedom Party, though Austria's two largest parties, the Social Democrats and the People's Party, came out on top. The vote reflected reflected public dissatisfaction with the two largest parties as well as support for the social populism, anti-European Union and anti-immigrant rhetoric of the BZO and Freedom Party. southern Austrian city of Klagenfurt .

Thousands attend the funeral of right-wing politician Joerg Haider in Austria . Chancellor: Many people expected things of Haider they themselves could not fulfill . Haider died last Saturday in a car accident, spokesman confirms he was drunk . Haider drew support from many but criticized for his praise of some Nazi policies .

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(CNN) -- The discovery of millions of extra ballots proves that President Robert Mugabe intends to rig next week's elections in his favor, Zimbabwe's main opposition party said Sunday. President Robert Mugabe gestures during a pre-election rally in Harare on Saturday. Tendai Biti, secretary general of the Movement for Democratic Change, said that leaked correspondence from the election commission showed it had asked the company that is printing paper ballots to make 9 million. However, the African country has an electorate of 5.7 million registered voters, he said. Also, 600,000 postal paper ballots were requested for soldiers and police officers, Biti said. Postal ballots are usually requested for civil servants serving abroad, and the total number of soldiers and police in Zimbabwe add up to no more than 50,000, he said. "Remember, when they stole this election away from us the last time, they stole it with 350,000 votes," Biti said. "Six hundred thousand is double insurance. They cannot win a free and fair election in this country." The elections are slated for Saturday. Mugabe survived a hotly contested presidential challenge from MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai in 2002 amid widespread accusations of vote rigging. The president's other challenger this time is former Finance Minister Simba Makoni, who recently announced his bid to unseat Mugabe and was promptly booted out of the ruling party. Last week, New York-based Human Rights Watch raised doubts about the elections, saying it was likely to be "deeply flawed." "As the elections near, all indications are that once again the people of Zimbabwe will not be able to freely exercise their civil and political rights and vote for the candidates of their choice," the nongovernmental organization said in a 48-page report. The elections are expected to provide Mugabe with the toughest challenge yet in his nearly 28 years of rule. The report said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission was partisan toward the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front and had neither the expertise nor the resources to run the elections properly. Watch Mugabe threaten to expel companies under British rule. » . That report brought derision from a Zimbabwean official. "What qualifies them to do what they're doing -- policing the world and Africa in particular?" asked Wilbert Gwashavanhu, political consul at Zimbabwe's embassy in Washington. "Why don't they go to America and oversee how America holds its own elections?" he said. "Come on, give me a break! You can't judge the elections before they are held." No matter the final outcome of the election, the international community may never find out whether the vote proved to be free and fair. Independent news organizations are banned from Zimbabwe, and there are no credible monitors in place. Since 1980, the 84-year-old Mugabe has been the country's only ruler. But his odds of winning this time may be handicapped by Zimbabwe's dire economic situation. The rate of inflation reported in January was 100,000 percent, and food and fuel are in short supply, the Human Rights Watch document said. With more than three in four Zimbabweans unemployed, few could afford such food and fuel anyway. The country's downward economic spiral began in 2000, when Mugabe sanctioned the violent seizure of commercial farms, turning some of the land over to insiders and cronies. For his part, Mugabe remains defiant, blaming his country's economic woes on the West. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Saeed Ahmed contributed to this report.

Zimbabwe's main opposition party says millions of extra ballot papers printed . Movement for Democratic Change secretary suspects elections will be rigged . President Robert Mugabe expected to face toughest challenge yet Saturday . Mugabe, 84, has ruled the African country for nearly 28 years .

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