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Washington (CNN) -- The Pentagon is making detailed plans to send about 34,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan in anticipation of President Obama's decision on the future of the eight-year-old war, a defense official said Tuesday. Obama held a lengthy meeting with top advisers Monday night and said Tuesday that he would announce plans for Afghanistan after the Thanksgiving holiday. A Defense Department official with direct knowledge of the process said there has been no final word on the president's decision. But planners have been tasked with preparing to send 34,000 additional American troops into battle with the expectation that is the number Obama is leaning toward approving, the official said. Obama ordered more than 20,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in March. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, reportedly has called for up to 40,000 more to wage a counterinsurgency campaign against the Taliban, the Islamic militia originally ousted by the U.S. invasion in 2001. The president has weighed several options for bolstering the American contingent, ranging from sending a few thousand troops to sending the 40,000 McChrystal requested. McChrystal was among those who took part in Monday's conference with Obama and other top advisers, which broke up at 10 p.m. Vice President Joe Biden, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen and Karl Eikenberry, the U.S. ambassador in Kabul, were among the other senior officials in the meeting. Obama said Tuesday that the deliberations have been "comprehensive and extremely useful." "It's going to be important to recognize that in order for us to succeed there, you've got to have a comprehensive strategy that includes civilian and diplomatic efforts," he said at a news conference Tuesday with visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The military has planning under way to send these units: three U.S. Army brigades, totaling about 15,000 troops; a Marine brigade with about 8,000 troops; a headquarters element of about 7,000; and between 4,000 and 5,000 support troops -- a total of approximately 34,000 troops, according to a defense official with direct knowledge of Pentagon operations. CNN reported last month that this was the preferred option within the Pentagon. The troops would be dispatched throughout Afghanistan but would be focused mainly on the southern and southeastern provinces, where much of the recent fighting has taken place. Currently, brigades from Fort Drum in upstate New York and Fort Campbell in Kentucky are among those that are next in line to deploy. About 68,000 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan, along with about 45,000 from the NATO alliance. Two U.S. military officials said NATO countries would be asked to contribute more troops to fill the gap between the 34,000 the Pentagon expects Obama to send and the 40,000 McChrystal wanted. The request is expected to come during a December 7 meeting at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell would not discuss specific numbers, but he said NATO would be asked for additional help. "Clearly, if the president decides to commit additional forces to Afghanistan, there would be an expectation that our allies would also commit additional forces," Morrell said. U.S.-led troops invaded Afghanistan in response to the al Qaeda terrorist network's September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. The invasion overthrew the Taliban, which had allowed al Qaeda to operate from its territory, but most of the top al Qaeda and Taliban leadership escaped the onslaught. Taliban fighters have since regrouped in the mountainous region along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, battling U.S. and Afghan government forces on one side and Pakistani troops on the other. Al Qaeda's top leaders, Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, remain at large and are suspected to be hiding in the same region. The conflict has claimed the lives of more than 900 Americans and nearly 600 allied troops. A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Tuesday suggests that the U.S public is split over whether more troops should be sent to Afghanistan. Fifty percent of those polled said they would support such a decision, with 49 percent opposed. The poll found that 66 percent of Americans believe the war is going badly, up 11 percentage points

When is the announcement on troop increases expected?

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Washington (CNN) -- The Pentagon is making detailed plans to send about 34,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan in anticipation of President Obama's decision on the future of the eight-year-old war, a defense official said Tuesday. Obama held a lengthy meeting with top advisers Monday night and said Tuesday that he would announce plans for Afghanistan after the Thanksgiving holiday. A Defense Department official with direct knowledge of the process said there has been no final word on the president's decision. But planners have been tasked with preparing to send 34,000 additional American troops into battle with the expectation that is the number Obama is leaning toward approving, the official said. Obama ordered more than 20,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in March. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, reportedly has called for up to 40,000 more to wage a counterinsurgency campaign against the Taliban, the Islamic militia originally ousted by the U.S. invasion in 2001. The president has weighed several options for bolstering the American contingent, ranging from sending a few thousand troops to sending the 40,000 McChrystal requested. McChrystal was among those who took part in Monday's conference with Obama and other top advisers, which broke up at 10 p.m. Vice President Joe Biden, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen and Karl Eikenberry, the U.S. ambassador in Kabul, were among the other senior officials in the meeting. Obama said Tuesday that the deliberations have been "comprehensive and extremely useful." "It's going to be important to recognize that in order for us to succeed there, you've got to have a comprehensive strategy that includes civilian and diplomatic efforts," he said at a news conference Tuesday with visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The military has planning under way to send these units: three U.S. Army brigades, totaling about 15,000 troops; a Marine brigade with about 8,000 troops; a headquarters element of about 7,000; and between 4,000 and 5,000 support troops -- a total of approximately 34,000 troops, according to a defense official with direct knowledge of Pentagon operations. CNN reported last month that this was the preferred option within the Pentagon. The troops would be dispatched throughout Afghanistan but would be focused mainly on the southern and southeastern provinces, where much of the recent fighting has taken place. Currently, brigades from Fort Drum in upstate New York and Fort Campbell in Kentucky are among those that are next in line to deploy. About 68,000 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan, along with about 45,000 from the NATO alliance. Two U.S. military officials said NATO countries would be asked to contribute more troops to fill the gap between the 34,000 the Pentagon expects Obama to send and the 40,000 McChrystal wanted. The request is expected to come during a December 7 meeting at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell would not discuss specific numbers, but he said NATO would be asked for additional help. "Clearly, if the president decides to commit additional forces to Afghanistan, there would be an expectation that our allies would also commit additional forces," Morrell said. U.S.-led troops invaded Afghanistan in response to the al Qaeda terrorist network's September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. The invasion overthrew the Taliban, which had allowed al Qaeda to operate from its territory, but most of the top al Qaeda and Taliban leadership escaped the onslaught. Taliban fighters have since regrouped in the mountainous region along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, battling U.S. and Afghan government forces on one side and Pakistani troops on the other. Al Qaeda's top leaders, Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, remain at large and are suspected to be hiding in the same region. The conflict has claimed the lives of more than 900 Americans and nearly 600 allied troops. A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Tuesday suggests that the U.S public is split over whether more troops should be sent to Afghanistan. Fifty percent of those polled said they would support such a decision, with 49 percent opposed. The poll found that 66 percent of Americans believe the war is going badly, up 11 percentage points

How many more to be sent

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Washington (CNN) -- The Pentagon is making detailed plans to send about 34,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan in anticipation of President Obama's decision on the future of the eight-year-old war, a defense official said Tuesday. Obama held a lengthy meeting with top advisers Monday night and said Tuesday that he would announce plans for Afghanistan after the Thanksgiving holiday. A Defense Department official with direct knowledge of the process said there has been no final word on the president's decision. But planners have been tasked with preparing to send 34,000 additional American troops into battle with the expectation that is the number Obama is leaning toward approving, the official said. Obama ordered more than 20,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in March. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, reportedly has called for up to 40,000 more to wage a counterinsurgency campaign against the Taliban, the Islamic militia originally ousted by the U.S. invasion in 2001. The president has weighed several options for bolstering the American contingent, ranging from sending a few thousand troops to sending the 40,000 McChrystal requested. McChrystal was among those who took part in Monday's conference with Obama and other top advisers, which broke up at 10 p.m. Vice President Joe Biden, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen and Karl Eikenberry, the U.S. ambassador in Kabul, were among the other senior officials in the meeting. Obama said Tuesday that the deliberations have been "comprehensive and extremely useful." "It's going to be important to recognize that in order for us to succeed there, you've got to have a comprehensive strategy that includes civilian and diplomatic efforts," he said at a news conference Tuesday with visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The military has planning under way to send these units: three U.S. Army brigades, totaling about 15,000 troops; a Marine brigade with about 8,000 troops; a headquarters element of about 7,000; and between 4,000 and 5,000 support troops -- a total of approximately 34,000 troops, according to a defense official with direct knowledge of Pentagon operations. CNN reported last month that this was the preferred option within the Pentagon. The troops would be dispatched throughout Afghanistan but would be focused mainly on the southern and southeastern provinces, where much of the recent fighting has taken place. Currently, brigades from Fort Drum in upstate New York and Fort Campbell in Kentucky are among those that are next in line to deploy. About 68,000 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan, along with about 45,000 from the NATO alliance. Two U.S. military officials said NATO countries would be asked to contribute more troops to fill the gap between the 34,000 the Pentagon expects Obama to send and the 40,000 McChrystal wanted. The request is expected to come during a December 7 meeting at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell would not discuss specific numbers, but he said NATO would be asked for additional help. "Clearly, if the president decides to commit additional forces to Afghanistan, there would be an expectation that our allies would also commit additional forces," Morrell said. U.S.-led troops invaded Afghanistan in response to the al Qaeda terrorist network's September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. The invasion overthrew the Taliban, which had allowed al Qaeda to operate from its territory, but most of the top al Qaeda and Taliban leadership escaped the onslaught. Taliban fighters have since regrouped in the mountainous region along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, battling U.S. and Afghan government forces on one side and Pakistani troops on the other. Al Qaeda's top leaders, Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, remain at large and are suspected to be hiding in the same region. The conflict has claimed the lives of more than 900 Americans and nearly 600 allied troops. A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Tuesday suggests that the U.S public is split over whether more troops should be sent to Afghanistan. Fifty percent of those polled said they would support such a decision, with 49 percent opposed. The poll found that 66 percent of Americans believe the war is going badly, up 11 percentage points

What will NATO allies be asked to send?

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Washington (CNN) -- The Pentagon is making detailed plans to send about 34,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan in anticipation of President Obama's decision on the future of the eight-year-old war, a defense official said Tuesday. Obama held a lengthy meeting with top advisers Monday night and said Tuesday that he would announce plans for Afghanistan after the Thanksgiving holiday. A Defense Department official with direct knowledge of the process said there has been no final word on the president's decision. But planners have been tasked with preparing to send 34,000 additional American troops into battle with the expectation that is the number Obama is leaning toward approving, the official said. Obama ordered more than 20,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in March. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, reportedly has called for up to 40,000 more to wage a counterinsurgency campaign against the Taliban, the Islamic militia originally ousted by the U.S. invasion in 2001. The president has weighed several options for bolstering the American contingent, ranging from sending a few thousand troops to sending the 40,000 McChrystal requested. McChrystal was among those who took part in Monday's conference with Obama and other top advisers, which broke up at 10 p.m. Vice President Joe Biden, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen and Karl Eikenberry, the U.S. ambassador in Kabul, were among the other senior officials in the meeting. Obama said Tuesday that the deliberations have been "comprehensive and extremely useful." "It's going to be important to recognize that in order for us to succeed there, you've got to have a comprehensive strategy that includes civilian and diplomatic efforts," he said at a news conference Tuesday with visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The military has planning under way to send these units: three U.S. Army brigades, totaling about 15,000 troops; a Marine brigade with about 8,000 troops; a headquarters element of about 7,000; and between 4,000 and 5,000 support troops -- a total of approximately 34,000 troops, according to a defense official with direct knowledge of Pentagon operations. CNN reported last month that this was the preferred option within the Pentagon. The troops would be dispatched throughout Afghanistan but would be focused mainly on the southern and southeastern provinces, where much of the recent fighting has taken place. Currently, brigades from Fort Drum in upstate New York and Fort Campbell in Kentucky are among those that are next in line to deploy. About 68,000 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan, along with about 45,000 from the NATO alliance. Two U.S. military officials said NATO countries would be asked to contribute more troops to fill the gap between the 34,000 the Pentagon expects Obama to send and the 40,000 McChrystal wanted. The request is expected to come during a December 7 meeting at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell would not discuss specific numbers, but he said NATO would be asked for additional help. "Clearly, if the president decides to commit additional forces to Afghanistan, there would be an expectation that our allies would also commit additional forces," Morrell said. U.S.-led troops invaded Afghanistan in response to the al Qaeda terrorist network's September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. The invasion overthrew the Taliban, which had allowed al Qaeda to operate from its territory, but most of the top al Qaeda and Taliban leadership escaped the onslaught. Taliban fighters have since regrouped in the mountainous region along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, battling U.S. and Afghan government forces on one side and Pakistani troops on the other. Al Qaeda's top leaders, Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, remain at large and are suspected to be hiding in the same region. The conflict has claimed the lives of more than 900 Americans and nearly 600 allied troops. A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Tuesday suggests that the U.S public is split over whether more troops should be sent to Afghanistan. Fifty percent of those polled said they would support such a decision, with 49 percent opposed. The poll found that 66 percent of Americans believe the war is going badly, up 11 percentage points

what did they announce

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BALTIMORE, Maryland (CNN) -- You know you've arrived at Bengies Drive-In Theatre when you first see the giant movie marquee, announcing the features showing that weekend. Each letter has to be placed and adjusted by hand, as it did when the theater first opened. Bengies Drive-In Theatre has been owned by the same family since it opened in 1956. "As far as the operation of the drive-in goes, I'm kind of a die-hard. I try to make it run the way it did, to bring a little bit back of the '50s. ... the integrity and the innocence of that age," says Bengies owner D. Edward Vogel, who claims to have the largest outdoor movie screen in the country at 52 feet by 120 feet. Vogel has spent most of his life trying to maintain the feel and charm of the Baltimore, Maryland, drive-in movie theater that his family opened in 1956. Vogel wants moviegoers to have the same experience as he did when he went to his family's outdoor theater as a child, although he knows that people today have many more entertainment options. "Sometimes I'm actually taken aback with the amount of children that are fascinated with this," says Vogel. "Thinking of what their options are, with modern devices and videos and all that, that they are so taken aback . with what happens here." Vogel started learning, at age 9, the secrets of running a movie theater from his father, Jack Vogel. He has worked tirelessly since to maintain the theater as it was in its glory days. Vogel even operates the same machines that he did as a child; the projection room is filled with the original projectors, which Vogel cleans and cares for each night. And for each movie, threading the film is a complex process far removed from the simplicity of inserting a DVD into the player that we know today. Once threaded, the film spins around as each frame follows an intricate path from the tray, to the projector, until it is shown on the gigantic screen. Watch the drive-in come to life » The scene immediately invokes a feeling of nostalgia, reminding us why they were called "motion pictures" way back when. Yet, Vogel is quick to tell you that keeping the 53-year-old business alive hasn't always been easy. At Bengies, each night is a double feature, so guests can see at least two movies for $8 a person. Vogel estimates that Bengies makes 60 percent of its revenue from ticket sales, and the rest comes from concession purchases. There's a strict "no outside food" policy, and he's open about the fact that the food sales help keep the business open. The waterfront property would be more profitable as condos, he says, and his father planned to build them before Vogel took over the theater in the 1980s. He was only able to avoid closing by cutting costs and staff. "My parents had a union operator in the booth, they had a manager, they had a concessionaire. I am all of those things, so that has changed," Vogel says. Vogel even acts as the host. Known only as "the voice" to his audiences, he starts each night by using the theater's speaker system to welcome everyone to his venue. "When you see the sun setting, and the shadow being cast on that screen, no matter what has happened during that day, good, bad or indifferent, I become a different person when I turn the microphone on." Besides the challenges of being a small business owner, Vogel's efforts to maintain the integrity of the movie-going experience is challenged by another intrusion of this modern world -- light pollution. Between car headlights and brightly lit businesses nearby, a once-dark sky is now polluted with obtrusive light. Bengies asks that drivers turn their headlights off when entering the grounds of the theater. But over the years, it has been the outside light from other businesses that bleeds into the surrounding

How much is the admission per person?

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BALTIMORE, Maryland (CNN) -- You know you've arrived at Bengies Drive-In Theatre when you first see the giant movie marquee, announcing the features showing that weekend. Each letter has to be placed and adjusted by hand, as it did when the theater first opened. Bengies Drive-In Theatre has been owned by the same family since it opened in 1956. "As far as the operation of the drive-in goes, I'm kind of a die-hard. I try to make it run the way it did, to bring a little bit back of the '50s. ... the integrity and the innocence of that age," says Bengies owner D. Edward Vogel, who claims to have the largest outdoor movie screen in the country at 52 feet by 120 feet. Vogel has spent most of his life trying to maintain the feel and charm of the Baltimore, Maryland, drive-in movie theater that his family opened in 1956. Vogel wants moviegoers to have the same experience as he did when he went to his family's outdoor theater as a child, although he knows that people today have many more entertainment options. "Sometimes I'm actually taken aback with the amount of children that are fascinated with this," says Vogel. "Thinking of what their options are, with modern devices and videos and all that, that they are so taken aback . with what happens here." Vogel started learning, at age 9, the secrets of running a movie theater from his father, Jack Vogel. He has worked tirelessly since to maintain the theater as it was in its glory days. Vogel even operates the same machines that he did as a child; the projection room is filled with the original projectors, which Vogel cleans and cares for each night. And for each movie, threading the film is a complex process far removed from the simplicity of inserting a DVD into the player that we know today. Once threaded, the film spins around as each frame follows an intricate path from the tray, to the projector, until it is shown on the gigantic screen. Watch the drive-in come to life » The scene immediately invokes a feeling of nostalgia, reminding us why they were called "motion pictures" way back when. Yet, Vogel is quick to tell you that keeping the 53-year-old business alive hasn't always been easy. At Bengies, each night is a double feature, so guests can see at least two movies for $8 a person. Vogel estimates that Bengies makes 60 percent of its revenue from ticket sales, and the rest comes from concession purchases. There's a strict "no outside food" policy, and he's open about the fact that the food sales help keep the business open. The waterfront property would be more profitable as condos, he says, and his father planned to build them before Vogel took over the theater in the 1980s. He was only able to avoid closing by cutting costs and staff. "My parents had a union operator in the booth, they had a manager, they had a concessionaire. I am all of those things, so that has changed," Vogel says. Vogel even acts as the host. Known only as "the voice" to his audiences, he starts each night by using the theater's speaker system to welcome everyone to his venue. "When you see the sun setting, and the shadow being cast on that screen, no matter what has happened during that day, good, bad or indifferent, I become a different person when I turn the microphone on." Besides the challenges of being a small business owner, Vogel's efforts to maintain the integrity of the movie-going experience is challenged by another intrusion of this modern world -- light pollution. Between car headlights and brightly lit businesses nearby, a once-dark sky is now polluted with obtrusive light. Bengies asks that drivers turn their headlights off when entering the grounds of the theater. But over the years, it has been the outside light from other businesses that bleeds into the surrounding

How much is a double feature?

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BALTIMORE, Maryland (CNN) -- You know you've arrived at Bengies Drive-In Theatre when you first see the giant movie marquee, announcing the features showing that weekend. Each letter has to be placed and adjusted by hand, as it did when the theater first opened. Bengies Drive-In Theatre has been owned by the same family since it opened in 1956. "As far as the operation of the drive-in goes, I'm kind of a die-hard. I try to make it run the way it did, to bring a little bit back of the '50s. ... the integrity and the innocence of that age," says Bengies owner D. Edward Vogel, who claims to have the largest outdoor movie screen in the country at 52 feet by 120 feet. Vogel has spent most of his life trying to maintain the feel and charm of the Baltimore, Maryland, drive-in movie theater that his family opened in 1956. Vogel wants moviegoers to have the same experience as he did when he went to his family's outdoor theater as a child, although he knows that people today have many more entertainment options. "Sometimes I'm actually taken aback with the amount of children that are fascinated with this," says Vogel. "Thinking of what their options are, with modern devices and videos and all that, that they are so taken aback . with what happens here." Vogel started learning, at age 9, the secrets of running a movie theater from his father, Jack Vogel. He has worked tirelessly since to maintain the theater as it was in its glory days. Vogel even operates the same machines that he did as a child; the projection room is filled with the original projectors, which Vogel cleans and cares for each night. And for each movie, threading the film is a complex process far removed from the simplicity of inserting a DVD into the player that we know today. Once threaded, the film spins around as each frame follows an intricate path from the tray, to the projector, until it is shown on the gigantic screen. Watch the drive-in come to life » The scene immediately invokes a feeling of nostalgia, reminding us why they were called "motion pictures" way back when. Yet, Vogel is quick to tell you that keeping the 53-year-old business alive hasn't always been easy. At Bengies, each night is a double feature, so guests can see at least two movies for $8 a person. Vogel estimates that Bengies makes 60 percent of its revenue from ticket sales, and the rest comes from concession purchases. There's a strict "no outside food" policy, and he's open about the fact that the food sales help keep the business open. The waterfront property would be more profitable as condos, he says, and his father planned to build them before Vogel took over the theater in the 1980s. He was only able to avoid closing by cutting costs and staff. "My parents had a union operator in the booth, they had a manager, they had a concessionaire. I am all of those things, so that has changed," Vogel says. Vogel even acts as the host. Known only as "the voice" to his audiences, he starts each night by using the theater's speaker system to welcome everyone to his venue. "When you see the sun setting, and the shadow being cast on that screen, no matter what has happened during that day, good, bad or indifferent, I become a different person when I turn the microphone on." Besides the challenges of being a small business owner, Vogel's efforts to maintain the integrity of the movie-going experience is challenged by another intrusion of this modern world -- light pollution. Between car headlights and brightly lit businesses nearby, a once-dark sky is now polluted with obtrusive light. Bengies asks that drivers turn their headlights off when entering the grounds of the theater. But over the years, it has been the outside light from other businesses that bleeds into the surrounding

what has been a challenge

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BALTIMORE, Maryland (CNN) -- You know you've arrived at Bengies Drive-In Theatre when you first see the giant movie marquee, announcing the features showing that weekend. Each letter has to be placed and adjusted by hand, as it did when the theater first opened. Bengies Drive-In Theatre has been owned by the same family since it opened in 1956. "As far as the operation of the drive-in goes, I'm kind of a die-hard. I try to make it run the way it did, to bring a little bit back of the '50s. ... the integrity and the innocence of that age," says Bengies owner D. Edward Vogel, who claims to have the largest outdoor movie screen in the country at 52 feet by 120 feet. Vogel has spent most of his life trying to maintain the feel and charm of the Baltimore, Maryland, drive-in movie theater that his family opened in 1956. Vogel wants moviegoers to have the same experience as he did when he went to his family's outdoor theater as a child, although he knows that people today have many more entertainment options. "Sometimes I'm actually taken aback with the amount of children that are fascinated with this," says Vogel. "Thinking of what their options are, with modern devices and videos and all that, that they are so taken aback . with what happens here." Vogel started learning, at age 9, the secrets of running a movie theater from his father, Jack Vogel. He has worked tirelessly since to maintain the theater as it was in its glory days. Vogel even operates the same machines that he did as a child; the projection room is filled with the original projectors, which Vogel cleans and cares for each night. And for each movie, threading the film is a complex process far removed from the simplicity of inserting a DVD into the player that we know today. Once threaded, the film spins around as each frame follows an intricate path from the tray, to the projector, until it is shown on the gigantic screen. Watch the drive-in come to life » The scene immediately invokes a feeling of nostalgia, reminding us why they were called "motion pictures" way back when. Yet, Vogel is quick to tell you that keeping the 53-year-old business alive hasn't always been easy. At Bengies, each night is a double feature, so guests can see at least two movies for $8 a person. Vogel estimates that Bengies makes 60 percent of its revenue from ticket sales, and the rest comes from concession purchases. There's a strict "no outside food" policy, and he's open about the fact that the food sales help keep the business open. The waterfront property would be more profitable as condos, he says, and his father planned to build them before Vogel took over the theater in the 1980s. He was only able to avoid closing by cutting costs and staff. "My parents had a union operator in the booth, they had a manager, they had a concessionaire. I am all of those things, so that has changed," Vogel says. Vogel even acts as the host. Known only as "the voice" to his audiences, he starts each night by using the theater's speaker system to welcome everyone to his venue. "When you see the sun setting, and the shadow being cast on that screen, no matter what has happened during that day, good, bad or indifferent, I become a different person when I turn the microphone on." Besides the challenges of being a small business owner, Vogel's efforts to maintain the integrity of the movie-going experience is challenged by another intrusion of this modern world -- light pollution. Between car headlights and brightly lit businesses nearby, a once-dark sky is now polluted with obtrusive light. Bengies asks that drivers turn their headlights off when entering the grounds of the theater. But over the years, it has been the outside light from other businesses that bleeds into the surrounding

What is the owner suprised by?

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BALTIMORE, Maryland (CNN) -- You know you've arrived at Bengies Drive-In Theatre when you first see the giant movie marquee, announcing the features showing that weekend. Each letter has to be placed and adjusted by hand, as it did when the theater first opened. Bengies Drive-In Theatre has been owned by the same family since it opened in 1956. "As far as the operation of the drive-in goes, I'm kind of a die-hard. I try to make it run the way it did, to bring a little bit back of the '50s. ... the integrity and the innocence of that age," says Bengies owner D. Edward Vogel, who claims to have the largest outdoor movie screen in the country at 52 feet by 120 feet. Vogel has spent most of his life trying to maintain the feel and charm of the Baltimore, Maryland, drive-in movie theater that his family opened in 1956. Vogel wants moviegoers to have the same experience as he did when he went to his family's outdoor theater as a child, although he knows that people today have many more entertainment options. "Sometimes I'm actually taken aback with the amount of children that are fascinated with this," says Vogel. "Thinking of what their options are, with modern devices and videos and all that, that they are so taken aback . with what happens here." Vogel started learning, at age 9, the secrets of running a movie theater from his father, Jack Vogel. He has worked tirelessly since to maintain the theater as it was in its glory days. Vogel even operates the same machines that he did as a child; the projection room is filled with the original projectors, which Vogel cleans and cares for each night. And for each movie, threading the film is a complex process far removed from the simplicity of inserting a DVD into the player that we know today. Once threaded, the film spins around as each frame follows an intricate path from the tray, to the projector, until it is shown on the gigantic screen. Watch the drive-in come to life » The scene immediately invokes a feeling of nostalgia, reminding us why they were called "motion pictures" way back when. Yet, Vogel is quick to tell you that keeping the 53-year-old business alive hasn't always been easy. At Bengies, each night is a double feature, so guests can see at least two movies for $8 a person. Vogel estimates that Bengies makes 60 percent of its revenue from ticket sales, and the rest comes from concession purchases. There's a strict "no outside food" policy, and he's open about the fact that the food sales help keep the business open. The waterfront property would be more profitable as condos, he says, and his father planned to build them before Vogel took over the theater in the 1980s. He was only able to avoid closing by cutting costs and staff. "My parents had a union operator in the booth, they had a manager, they had a concessionaire. I am all of those things, so that has changed," Vogel says. Vogel even acts as the host. Known only as "the voice" to his audiences, he starts each night by using the theater's speaker system to welcome everyone to his venue. "When you see the sun setting, and the shadow being cast on that screen, no matter what has happened during that day, good, bad or indifferent, I become a different person when I turn the microphone on." Besides the challenges of being a small business owner, Vogel's efforts to maintain the integrity of the movie-going experience is challenged by another intrusion of this modern world -- light pollution. Between car headlights and brightly lit businesses nearby, a once-dark sky is now polluted with obtrusive light. Bengies asks that drivers turn their headlights off when entering the grounds of the theater. But over the years, it has been the outside light from other businesses that bleeds into the surrounding

what happens each night

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BALTIMORE, Maryland (CNN) -- You know you've arrived at Bengies Drive-In Theatre when you first see the giant movie marquee, announcing the features showing that weekend. Each letter has to be placed and adjusted by hand, as it did when the theater first opened. Bengies Drive-In Theatre has been owned by the same family since it opened in 1956. "As far as the operation of the drive-in goes, I'm kind of a die-hard. I try to make it run the way it did, to bring a little bit back of the '50s. ... the integrity and the innocence of that age," says Bengies owner D. Edward Vogel, who claims to have the largest outdoor movie screen in the country at 52 feet by 120 feet. Vogel has spent most of his life trying to maintain the feel and charm of the Baltimore, Maryland, drive-in movie theater that his family opened in 1956. Vogel wants moviegoers to have the same experience as he did when he went to his family's outdoor theater as a child, although he knows that people today have many more entertainment options. "Sometimes I'm actually taken aback with the amount of children that are fascinated with this," says Vogel. "Thinking of what their options are, with modern devices and videos and all that, that they are so taken aback . with what happens here." Vogel started learning, at age 9, the secrets of running a movie theater from his father, Jack Vogel. He has worked tirelessly since to maintain the theater as it was in its glory days. Vogel even operates the same machines that he did as a child; the projection room is filled with the original projectors, which Vogel cleans and cares for each night. And for each movie, threading the film is a complex process far removed from the simplicity of inserting a DVD into the player that we know today. Once threaded, the film spins around as each frame follows an intricate path from the tray, to the projector, until it is shown on the gigantic screen. Watch the drive-in come to life » The scene immediately invokes a feeling of nostalgia, reminding us why they were called "motion pictures" way back when. Yet, Vogel is quick to tell you that keeping the 53-year-old business alive hasn't always been easy. At Bengies, each night is a double feature, so guests can see at least two movies for $8 a person. Vogel estimates that Bengies makes 60 percent of its revenue from ticket sales, and the rest comes from concession purchases. There's a strict "no outside food" policy, and he's open about the fact that the food sales help keep the business open. The waterfront property would be more profitable as condos, he says, and his father planned to build them before Vogel took over the theater in the 1980s. He was only able to avoid closing by cutting costs and staff. "My parents had a union operator in the booth, they had a manager, they had a concessionaire. I am all of those things, so that has changed," Vogel says. Vogel even acts as the host. Known only as "the voice" to his audiences, he starts each night by using the theater's speaker system to welcome everyone to his venue. "When you see the sun setting, and the shadow being cast on that screen, no matter what has happened during that day, good, bad or indifferent, I become a different person when I turn the microphone on." Besides the challenges of being a small business owner, Vogel's efforts to maintain the integrity of the movie-going experience is challenged by another intrusion of this modern world -- light pollution. Between car headlights and brightly lit businesses nearby, a once-dark sky is now polluted with obtrusive light. Bengies asks that drivers turn their headlights off when entering the grounds of the theater. But over the years, it has been the outside light from other businesses that bleeds into the surrounding

How long has Bengies Drive-In Theatre been around?

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BALTIMORE, Maryland (CNN) -- You know you've arrived at Bengies Drive-In Theatre when you first see the giant movie marquee, announcing the features showing that weekend. Each letter has to be placed and adjusted by hand, as it did when the theater first opened. Bengies Drive-In Theatre has been owned by the same family since it opened in 1956. "As far as the operation of the drive-in goes, I'm kind of a die-hard. I try to make it run the way it did, to bring a little bit back of the '50s. ... the integrity and the innocence of that age," says Bengies owner D. Edward Vogel, who claims to have the largest outdoor movie screen in the country at 52 feet by 120 feet. Vogel has spent most of his life trying to maintain the feel and charm of the Baltimore, Maryland, drive-in movie theater that his family opened in 1956. Vogel wants moviegoers to have the same experience as he did when he went to his family's outdoor theater as a child, although he knows that people today have many more entertainment options. "Sometimes I'm actually taken aback with the amount of children that are fascinated with this," says Vogel. "Thinking of what their options are, with modern devices and videos and all that, that they are so taken aback . with what happens here." Vogel started learning, at age 9, the secrets of running a movie theater from his father, Jack Vogel. He has worked tirelessly since to maintain the theater as it was in its glory days. Vogel even operates the same machines that he did as a child; the projection room is filled with the original projectors, which Vogel cleans and cares for each night. And for each movie, threading the film is a complex process far removed from the simplicity of inserting a DVD into the player that we know today. Once threaded, the film spins around as each frame follows an intricate path from the tray, to the projector, until it is shown on the gigantic screen. Watch the drive-in come to life » The scene immediately invokes a feeling of nostalgia, reminding us why they were called "motion pictures" way back when. Yet, Vogel is quick to tell you that keeping the 53-year-old business alive hasn't always been easy. At Bengies, each night is a double feature, so guests can see at least two movies for $8 a person. Vogel estimates that Bengies makes 60 percent of its revenue from ticket sales, and the rest comes from concession purchases. There's a strict "no outside food" policy, and he's open about the fact that the food sales help keep the business open. The waterfront property would be more profitable as condos, he says, and his father planned to build them before Vogel took over the theater in the 1980s. He was only able to avoid closing by cutting costs and staff. "My parents had a union operator in the booth, they had a manager, they had a concessionaire. I am all of those things, so that has changed," Vogel says. Vogel even acts as the host. Known only as "the voice" to his audiences, he starts each night by using the theater's speaker system to welcome everyone to his venue. "When you see the sun setting, and the shadow being cast on that screen, no matter what has happened during that day, good, bad or indifferent, I become a different person when I turn the microphone on." Besides the challenges of being a small business owner, Vogel's efforts to maintain the integrity of the movie-going experience is challenged by another intrusion of this modern world -- light pollution. Between car headlights and brightly lit businesses nearby, a once-dark sky is now polluted with obtrusive light. Bengies asks that drivers turn their headlights off when entering the grounds of the theater. But over the years, it has been the outside light from other businesses that bleeds into the surrounding

What has been a challenge to the theater owner?

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BALTIMORE, Maryland (CNN) -- You know you've arrived at Bengies Drive-In Theatre when you first see the giant movie marquee, announcing the features showing that weekend. Each letter has to be placed and adjusted by hand, as it did when the theater first opened. Bengies Drive-In Theatre has been owned by the same family since it opened in 1956. "As far as the operation of the drive-in goes, I'm kind of a die-hard. I try to make it run the way it did, to bring a little bit back of the '50s. ... the integrity and the innocence of that age," says Bengies owner D. Edward Vogel, who claims to have the largest outdoor movie screen in the country at 52 feet by 120 feet. Vogel has spent most of his life trying to maintain the feel and charm of the Baltimore, Maryland, drive-in movie theater that his family opened in 1956. Vogel wants moviegoers to have the same experience as he did when he went to his family's outdoor theater as a child, although he knows that people today have many more entertainment options. "Sometimes I'm actually taken aback with the amount of children that are fascinated with this," says Vogel. "Thinking of what their options are, with modern devices and videos and all that, that they are so taken aback . with what happens here." Vogel started learning, at age 9, the secrets of running a movie theater from his father, Jack Vogel. He has worked tirelessly since to maintain the theater as it was in its glory days. Vogel even operates the same machines that he did as a child; the projection room is filled with the original projectors, which Vogel cleans and cares for each night. And for each movie, threading the film is a complex process far removed from the simplicity of inserting a DVD into the player that we know today. Once threaded, the film spins around as each frame follows an intricate path from the tray, to the projector, until it is shown on the gigantic screen. Watch the drive-in come to life » The scene immediately invokes a feeling of nostalgia, reminding us why they were called "motion pictures" way back when. Yet, Vogel is quick to tell you that keeping the 53-year-old business alive hasn't always been easy. At Bengies, each night is a double feature, so guests can see at least two movies for $8 a person. Vogel estimates that Bengies makes 60 percent of its revenue from ticket sales, and the rest comes from concession purchases. There's a strict "no outside food" policy, and he's open about the fact that the food sales help keep the business open. The waterfront property would be more profitable as condos, he says, and his father planned to build them before Vogel took over the theater in the 1980s. He was only able to avoid closing by cutting costs and staff. "My parents had a union operator in the booth, they had a manager, they had a concessionaire. I am all of those things, so that has changed," Vogel says. Vogel even acts as the host. Known only as "the voice" to his audiences, he starts each night by using the theater's speaker system to welcome everyone to his venue. "When you see the sun setting, and the shadow being cast on that screen, no matter what has happened during that day, good, bad or indifferent, I become a different person when I turn the microphone on." Besides the challenges of being a small business owner, Vogel's efforts to maintain the integrity of the movie-going experience is challenged by another intrusion of this modern world -- light pollution. Between car headlights and brightly lit businesses nearby, a once-dark sky is now polluted with obtrusive light. Bengies asks that drivers turn their headlights off when entering the grounds of the theater. But over the years, it has been the outside light from other businesses that bleeds into the surrounding

what hasn't changed much

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BALTIMORE, Maryland (CNN) -- You know you've arrived at Bengies Drive-In Theatre when you first see the giant movie marquee, announcing the features showing that weekend. Each letter has to be placed and adjusted by hand, as it did when the theater first opened. Bengies Drive-In Theatre has been owned by the same family since it opened in 1956. "As far as the operation of the drive-in goes, I'm kind of a die-hard. I try to make it run the way it did, to bring a little bit back of the '50s. ... the integrity and the innocence of that age," says Bengies owner D. Edward Vogel, who claims to have the largest outdoor movie screen in the country at 52 feet by 120 feet. Vogel has spent most of his life trying to maintain the feel and charm of the Baltimore, Maryland, drive-in movie theater that his family opened in 1956. Vogel wants moviegoers to have the same experience as he did when he went to his family's outdoor theater as a child, although he knows that people today have many more entertainment options. "Sometimes I'm actually taken aback with the amount of children that are fascinated with this," says Vogel. "Thinking of what their options are, with modern devices and videos and all that, that they are so taken aback . with what happens here." Vogel started learning, at age 9, the secrets of running a movie theater from his father, Jack Vogel. He has worked tirelessly since to maintain the theater as it was in its glory days. Vogel even operates the same machines that he did as a child; the projection room is filled with the original projectors, which Vogel cleans and cares for each night. And for each movie, threading the film is a complex process far removed from the simplicity of inserting a DVD into the player that we know today. Once threaded, the film spins around as each frame follows an intricate path from the tray, to the projector, until it is shown on the gigantic screen. Watch the drive-in come to life » The scene immediately invokes a feeling of nostalgia, reminding us why they were called "motion pictures" way back when. Yet, Vogel is quick to tell you that keeping the 53-year-old business alive hasn't always been easy. At Bengies, each night is a double feature, so guests can see at least two movies for $8 a person. Vogel estimates that Bengies makes 60 percent of its revenue from ticket sales, and the rest comes from concession purchases. There's a strict "no outside food" policy, and he's open about the fact that the food sales help keep the business open. The waterfront property would be more profitable as condos, he says, and his father planned to build them before Vogel took over the theater in the 1980s. He was only able to avoid closing by cutting costs and staff. "My parents had a union operator in the booth, they had a manager, they had a concessionaire. I am all of those things, so that has changed," Vogel says. Vogel even acts as the host. Known only as "the voice" to his audiences, he starts each night by using the theater's speaker system to welcome everyone to his venue. "When you see the sun setting, and the shadow being cast on that screen, no matter what has happened during that day, good, bad or indifferent, I become a different person when I turn the microphone on." Besides the challenges of being a small business owner, Vogel's efforts to maintain the integrity of the movie-going experience is challenged by another intrusion of this modern world -- light pollution. Between car headlights and brightly lit businesses nearby, a once-dark sky is now polluted with obtrusive light. Bengies asks that drivers turn their headlights off when entering the grounds of the theater. But over the years, it has been the outside light from other businesses that bleeds into the surrounding

Bengies Drive-In Theatre has been running for how many years?

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(This Old House) -- Unless you're a perfect caretaker of your lawn (and, really, who is?), prepare for another round in the turf wars this summer. You'll have to deal with a full frontal assault from the dandelions, of course. And an attack from the crabgrass. But you'll face more stealthy opponents, too: root-chomping grubs and microscopic mildew that turn the grass from green to gray or brown. "If a lawn is neglected, or cared for in a hit-or-miss way, it gets weak," says This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook. "And that's when weeds, insects, or fungal diseases become a major problem." Little wonder that last year almost 50 million homeowners bought products to fight these invaders. But as in most battles, the best defense is a strong offense: doing everything right to cultivate healthy turf. That means giving it up to an inch and a half of water per week; aerating and dethatching annually so water and nutrients can get down to the roots; mowing with a sharp blade to the right height (ask your local garden center what's best where you live); and fertilizing in spring and fall. So promise yourself -- and your turf -- you'll do that this year. In the meantime, here's how to conquer the most common turf problems you're likely to confront this summer. Fungal disease Symptoms: Circular patches of yellow-to-brown grass; or blades with tiny red threads. Culprits: Powdery mildew, brown patch, dollar spot, and fusarium patch; or red thread. These fungal diseases can take hold of stressed turf. Solutions: Though lawns will generally recover from small areas of infection, if a fungus is progressively marching across your yard, look for a fungicide with the active ingredient thiophanate-methyl and follow the directions. For an organic fix, search out a corn-gluten mix that will cure brown patch and weaken most other fungi. Then nurse your lawn back to health by practicing good lawn-care habits: Avoid excessive shade (prune back trees and large shrubs, if necessary) and too many applications of fertilizer, herbicides, or pesticides. Carefully monitor your turf's moisture intake and never water in the evening. Weeds Symptoms: Fast-growing and unruly greenery that quickly overtakes surrounding grass. This Old House: What type of grass is right for your yard Culprits: Crabgrass or broadleaf weeds such as dandelion, purslane, henbit, and chickweed that commonly pop up where soil is compacted and grass hasn't completely taken root. To check for compacted soil, stick a screwdriver into the ground; it should slide in easily. Solutions: The first step is to eradicate any foreign invaders. The best approach is to pull them out by hand using a weeder or a hoe. This will also loosen the soil in affected areas. Or use a liquid herbicide in a hand sprayer to spot-treat an infestation. If weeds are too plentiful to be pulled, check your garden center for a "weed-and-feed" blend of granular fertilizer and herbicide that will kill weeds without harming turf types commonly grown in your area, or look for an organic fertilizer with corn gluten. Be sure to follow the directions on the box exactly, as some formulas must be applied during a dry spell or need a 24-hour breather with no foot traffic. From here on out, mow up to twice a week during the beginning of summer when grass grows swiftly, and raise the mower blade an inch during hot or dry periods. Water well as the summer heats up, and your turf should naturally overtake the weeds. In the fall, open up compacted soil poke holes with a pitchfork over a small yard, or rent a power aerator for large yards and overseed the lawn. You may want to follow up with a pre-emergent herbicide next spring. Insects Symptoms: Brown turf that becomes loose enough to lift like a mat. Culprits: White grubs, a catch-all name for root-chomping

What cures brown patches and weakens most fungi?

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(This Old House) -- Unless you're a perfect caretaker of your lawn (and, really, who is?), prepare for another round in the turf wars this summer. You'll have to deal with a full frontal assault from the dandelions, of course. And an attack from the crabgrass. But you'll face more stealthy opponents, too: root-chomping grubs and microscopic mildew that turn the grass from green to gray or brown. "If a lawn is neglected, or cared for in a hit-or-miss way, it gets weak," says This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook. "And that's when weeds, insects, or fungal diseases become a major problem." Little wonder that last year almost 50 million homeowners bought products to fight these invaders. But as in most battles, the best defense is a strong offense: doing everything right to cultivate healthy turf. That means giving it up to an inch and a half of water per week; aerating and dethatching annually so water and nutrients can get down to the roots; mowing with a sharp blade to the right height (ask your local garden center what's best where you live); and fertilizing in spring and fall. So promise yourself -- and your turf -- you'll do that this year. In the meantime, here's how to conquer the most common turf problems you're likely to confront this summer. Fungal disease Symptoms: Circular patches of yellow-to-brown grass; or blades with tiny red threads. Culprits: Powdery mildew, brown patch, dollar spot, and fusarium patch; or red thread. These fungal diseases can take hold of stressed turf. Solutions: Though lawns will generally recover from small areas of infection, if a fungus is progressively marching across your yard, look for a fungicide with the active ingredient thiophanate-methyl and follow the directions. For an organic fix, search out a corn-gluten mix that will cure brown patch and weaken most other fungi. Then nurse your lawn back to health by practicing good lawn-care habits: Avoid excessive shade (prune back trees and large shrubs, if necessary) and too many applications of fertilizer, herbicides, or pesticides. Carefully monitor your turf's moisture intake and never water in the evening. Weeds Symptoms: Fast-growing and unruly greenery that quickly overtakes surrounding grass. This Old House: What type of grass is right for your yard Culprits: Crabgrass or broadleaf weeds such as dandelion, purslane, henbit, and chickweed that commonly pop up where soil is compacted and grass hasn't completely taken root. To check for compacted soil, stick a screwdriver into the ground; it should slide in easily. Solutions: The first step is to eradicate any foreign invaders. The best approach is to pull them out by hand using a weeder or a hoe. This will also loosen the soil in affected areas. Or use a liquid herbicide in a hand sprayer to spot-treat an infestation. If weeds are too plentiful to be pulled, check your garden center for a "weed-and-feed" blend of granular fertilizer and herbicide that will kill weeds without harming turf types commonly grown in your area, or look for an organic fertilizer with corn gluten. Be sure to follow the directions on the box exactly, as some formulas must be applied during a dry spell or need a 24-hour breather with no foot traffic. From here on out, mow up to twice a week during the beginning of summer when grass grows swiftly, and raise the mower blade an inch during hot or dry periods. Water well as the summer heats up, and your turf should naturally overtake the weeds. In the fall, open up compacted soil poke holes with a pitchfork over a small yard, or rent a power aerator for large yards and overseed the lawn. You may want to follow up with a pre-emergent herbicide next spring. Insects Symptoms: Brown turf that becomes loose enough to lift like a mat. Culprits: White grubs, a catch-all name for root-chomping

what cures brown patches and weakens fungi?

654f972aaab5429cb95c62c21ec25838

(This Old House) -- Unless you're a perfect caretaker of your lawn (and, really, who is?), prepare for another round in the turf wars this summer. You'll have to deal with a full frontal assault from the dandelions, of course. And an attack from the crabgrass. But you'll face more stealthy opponents, too: root-chomping grubs and microscopic mildew that turn the grass from green to gray or brown. "If a lawn is neglected, or cared for in a hit-or-miss way, it gets weak," says This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook. "And that's when weeds, insects, or fungal diseases become a major problem." Little wonder that last year almost 50 million homeowners bought products to fight these invaders. But as in most battles, the best defense is a strong offense: doing everything right to cultivate healthy turf. That means giving it up to an inch and a half of water per week; aerating and dethatching annually so water and nutrients can get down to the roots; mowing with a sharp blade to the right height (ask your local garden center what's best where you live); and fertilizing in spring and fall. So promise yourself -- and your turf -- you'll do that this year. In the meantime, here's how to conquer the most common turf problems you're likely to confront this summer. Fungal disease Symptoms: Circular patches of yellow-to-brown grass; or blades with tiny red threads. Culprits: Powdery mildew, brown patch, dollar spot, and fusarium patch; or red thread. These fungal diseases can take hold of stressed turf. Solutions: Though lawns will generally recover from small areas of infection, if a fungus is progressively marching across your yard, look for a fungicide with the active ingredient thiophanate-methyl and follow the directions. For an organic fix, search out a corn-gluten mix that will cure brown patch and weaken most other fungi. Then nurse your lawn back to health by practicing good lawn-care habits: Avoid excessive shade (prune back trees and large shrubs, if necessary) and too many applications of fertilizer, herbicides, or pesticides. Carefully monitor your turf's moisture intake and never water in the evening. Weeds Symptoms: Fast-growing and unruly greenery that quickly overtakes surrounding grass. This Old House: What type of grass is right for your yard Culprits: Crabgrass or broadleaf weeds such as dandelion, purslane, henbit, and chickweed that commonly pop up where soil is compacted and grass hasn't completely taken root. To check for compacted soil, stick a screwdriver into the ground; it should slide in easily. Solutions: The first step is to eradicate any foreign invaders. The best approach is to pull them out by hand using a weeder or a hoe. This will also loosen the soil in affected areas. Or use a liquid herbicide in a hand sprayer to spot-treat an infestation. If weeds are too plentiful to be pulled, check your garden center for a "weed-and-feed" blend of granular fertilizer and herbicide that will kill weeds without harming turf types commonly grown in your area, or look for an organic fertilizer with corn gluten. Be sure to follow the directions on the box exactly, as some formulas must be applied during a dry spell or need a 24-hour breather with no foot traffic. From here on out, mow up to twice a week during the beginning of summer when grass grows swiftly, and raise the mower blade an inch during hot or dry periods. Water well as the summer heats up, and your turf should naturally overtake the weeds. In the fall, open up compacted soil poke holes with a pitchfork over a small yard, or rent a power aerator for large yards and overseed the lawn. You may want to follow up with a pre-emergent herbicide next spring. Insects Symptoms: Brown turf that becomes loose enough to lift like a mat. Culprits: White grubs, a catch-all name for root-chomping

what does brown patches indicate?

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(CNN) -- To the litany of challenges that confront India's path to a better life, we can now add subdued economic growth as a result of the global financial crisis. A banana vendor stands on a flooded street as he waits for customers in Amritsar, India, on August 13. After three spectacular years of 9 percent-plus annual growth, India will reach just 6.3 percent next year, according to the latest forecast by the International Monetary Fund in early November. The Reserve Bank of India is forecasting a more optimistic 7.5 to 8 percent. While 7.5 percent may still sound a good result, it is barely enough for the economy to keep pace with the 10 million-plus young people who will join the Indian job market in 2009. India's major shortcomings in infrastructure, education, health care and environmental protection are well known, as are the constant problems of corruption, poor governance, rural poverty, communalism, domestic terrorism, child labor, discrimination against women and natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes. But at least in recent years India could point to a strong economy as the platform on which it was making its push for higher living standards, social modernization and economic reform. Since May 2004, when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram took on the reins of government, India's economy has had a charmed run. Strong growth in business sectors such asinformation technology, pharmaceuticals, automotive, financial services and retail have coincided with a better performing agricultural sector, and a housing and consumption boom driven by easier credit. India's young working men and women -- more than half the country's 1.15 billion people are aged 25 or less -- have shown a much greater propensity to spend, compared to their thrifty, risk-averse parents and grandparents. This willingness to go into debt rather than save has seen a massive rise in sales of consumer goods such as mobile phones, flat screen TVs, refrigerators, household utensils, motorcycles and cars. The same goes for spending on services, from tourism to healthcare to self-improvement. Now the halcyon days appear to be over, as the international credit crunch flattens demand everywhere. Already the downturn is seeing job losses in sectors such as aviation, financial services, retailing and export industries, as companies tighten their belts and put expansion plans on hold. The government admits things will get tougher, with Singh telling the nation on October 20 that "we must be prepared for a temporary slowdown in the Indian economy." Earlier that day, the Reserve Bank of India cut its key repurchase (short-term lending) rate by 100 basis points to 8 percent, saying it needed to ease the pressure on India's credit markets and maintain financial stability. It followed that with another cut to 7.5 percent on November 1. RBI Governor Dr. D. Subbarao noted the global downturn could be deeper and the recovery might take longer than earlier expected. "Consequently, the adverse implications through trade and financial channels for emerging economies, including India, have amplified," he said. Economists and analysts have welcomed the central bank's moves, which have included a 350-basis point reduction in the cash reserve ratio -- the amount of money Indian banks must keep on hand -- between July and November. Tushar Poddar, head of Asian economic research at investment bank Goldman Sachs, said the RBI's October 20 action was "well ahead of market expectations" and showed a bias towards growth and financial stability, against inflation. Goldman Sachs had earlier cut its growth outlook for the 2009-10FY to 7 percent and has warned the figure could go lower if the international financial turmoil continues over the next few months. But Poddar believes that India's export drive -- which has seen exports triple since 2003 to about $163 billion in 2007-08FY -- may not suffer too greatly. In a recent study, he found that about two-thirds of India's exports go outside the United States and the European Union (the two trade areas most affected by the downturn) to China, Southeast Asia, West Asia and Africa. While Indian

What are the young population willing to do?

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(CNN) -- To the litany of challenges that confront India's path to a better life, we can now add subdued economic growth as a result of the global financial crisis. A banana vendor stands on a flooded street as he waits for customers in Amritsar, India, on August 13. After three spectacular years of 9 percent-plus annual growth, India will reach just 6.3 percent next year, according to the latest forecast by the International Monetary Fund in early November. The Reserve Bank of India is forecasting a more optimistic 7.5 to 8 percent. While 7.5 percent may still sound a good result, it is barely enough for the economy to keep pace with the 10 million-plus young people who will join the Indian job market in 2009. India's major shortcomings in infrastructure, education, health care and environmental protection are well known, as are the constant problems of corruption, poor governance, rural poverty, communalism, domestic terrorism, child labor, discrimination against women and natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes. But at least in recent years India could point to a strong economy as the platform on which it was making its push for higher living standards, social modernization and economic reform. Since May 2004, when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram took on the reins of government, India's economy has had a charmed run. Strong growth in business sectors such asinformation technology, pharmaceuticals, automotive, financial services and retail have coincided with a better performing agricultural sector, and a housing and consumption boom driven by easier credit. India's young working men and women -- more than half the country's 1.15 billion people are aged 25 or less -- have shown a much greater propensity to spend, compared to their thrifty, risk-averse parents and grandparents. This willingness to go into debt rather than save has seen a massive rise in sales of consumer goods such as mobile phones, flat screen TVs, refrigerators, household utensils, motorcycles and cars. The same goes for spending on services, from tourism to healthcare to self-improvement. Now the halcyon days appear to be over, as the international credit crunch flattens demand everywhere. Already the downturn is seeing job losses in sectors such as aviation, financial services, retailing and export industries, as companies tighten their belts and put expansion plans on hold. The government admits things will get tougher, with Singh telling the nation on October 20 that "we must be prepared for a temporary slowdown in the Indian economy." Earlier that day, the Reserve Bank of India cut its key repurchase (short-term lending) rate by 100 basis points to 8 percent, saying it needed to ease the pressure on India's credit markets and maintain financial stability. It followed that with another cut to 7.5 percent on November 1. RBI Governor Dr. D. Subbarao noted the global downturn could be deeper and the recovery might take longer than earlier expected. "Consequently, the adverse implications through trade and financial channels for emerging economies, including India, have amplified," he said. Economists and analysts have welcomed the central bank's moves, which have included a 350-basis point reduction in the cash reserve ratio -- the amount of money Indian banks must keep on hand -- between July and November. Tushar Poddar, head of Asian economic research at investment bank Goldman Sachs, said the RBI's October 20 action was "well ahead of market expectations" and showed a bias towards growth and financial stability, against inflation. Goldman Sachs had earlier cut its growth outlook for the 2009-10FY to 7 percent and has warned the figure could go lower if the international financial turmoil continues over the next few months. But Poddar believes that India's export drive -- which has seen exports triple since 2003 to about $163 billion in 2007-08FY -- may not suffer too greatly. In a recent study, he found that about two-thirds of India's exports go outside the United States and the European Union (the two trade areas most affected by the downturn) to China, Southeast Asia, West Asia and Africa. While Indian

What do economists predict will slow in 2009?

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

What did one aircraft develop midflight?

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

What developed midflight?

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

What size was the hole?

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

where is the emergency landing?

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

Where was the jet bound?

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

Where was the jet bound to when it made an emergency landing in West Virgina?

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

who is praised?

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(CNN) -- Scotland's Susan Boyle gives new meaning to the term "overnight sensation." The "Britain's Got Talent" contestant was expected to be something of a joke when she first sauntered on stage, but she absolutely wowed the audience, the judges -- and then the world via the Internet -- with her stunning rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream." Along with Simon Cowell and Piers Morgan, Amanda Holden is a judge on "Britain's Got Talent." But like others who stumble upon sudden fame, she found the pressure and scrutiny to be overwhelming. "Talent" judge Amanda Holden and Dr. Drew Pinsky of VH1's "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew" joined CNN's Larry King Tuesday night to discuss Boyle's hospitalization for stress and the toll the spotlight and media criticism might have taken on her mental health. They also discussed whether Boyle will develop the emotional stamina for a high-pressure singing career. The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity: Larry King: What do we know right now? Amanda Holden: Basically, we've spoken to Susan's brother. He, in fact, spoke on [CBS' "The Early Show"] this morning to say that his sister was very keen to come home as soon as she possibly could and that she was resting up in a clinic in London and that she was very much looking forward to coming out and seeing what was available to her when she felt better. King: Is the show, Amanda, paying for the hospital bills and are they taking care of her? Holden: I have no idea if they're paying the hospital bills. I would imagine that they are. We're a very loyal show. We love Susan very much. In fact, all the contestants that appear on our show are extraordinarily well looked after. King: Your fellow judge, Piers Morgan, has said that there was talk of taking her off the show because of all the pressures on her. Were you involved? Were there any discussions like that? Holden: I wasn't involved in any discussions like that. And I think Piers has a slightly closer relationship with her. ... The only thing I'm worried about with Susan Boyle is that she seems to have a crush on Piers Morgan. ... I think that Piers kind of reassured her during the final that she was doing well and that she mustn't pay any kind of attention to the press and all the other stuff that was going King: Despite all the tumult, there's no disputing that Susan sang her heart out during the finale of the competition. I know the dance troupe [Diversity] was terrific. But, frankly, why didn't she win? Holden: Honestly, I can't criticize the decision because it was the British public that voted in the end. I have no real idea, to be honest. I wonder whether it could be that Diversity was utterly fantastic on the show that night. They decimated the show. They really, really were amazing. And I just wonder whether maybe younger people voted and were quicker on the texts than the kind of people that were voting for Susan. But as I keep saying, if Susan is a loser, then surely she is the biggest and best loser that we have in the world. And coming second is no bad thing. Watch Amanda Holden discuss Susan Boyle » King: She came in, though, [as] a small-town amateur singer, [with] learning disabilities due to suffering oxygen deprivation at birth. Some say the program exploited her and her vulnerabilities. Do you agree? Holden: I couldn't disagree more. You know, she's a grown woman who applied to come on a talent show. She enjoyed every second of every moment that I met her or saw her behind the scenes. She was very excited. She was very proud to be taking part in the show. I think the downturn in press in our country [Britain], I think, maybe stressed her out a

What did doctor say about contestants?

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(CNN) -- Scotland's Susan Boyle gives new meaning to the term "overnight sensation." The "Britain's Got Talent" contestant was expected to be something of a joke when she first sauntered on stage, but she absolutely wowed the audience, the judges -- and then the world via the Internet -- with her stunning rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream." Along with Simon Cowell and Piers Morgan, Amanda Holden is a judge on "Britain's Got Talent." But like others who stumble upon sudden fame, she found the pressure and scrutiny to be overwhelming. "Talent" judge Amanda Holden and Dr. Drew Pinsky of VH1's "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew" joined CNN's Larry King Tuesday night to discuss Boyle's hospitalization for stress and the toll the spotlight and media criticism might have taken on her mental health. They also discussed whether Boyle will develop the emotional stamina for a high-pressure singing career. The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity: Larry King: What do we know right now? Amanda Holden: Basically, we've spoken to Susan's brother. He, in fact, spoke on [CBS' "The Early Show"] this morning to say that his sister was very keen to come home as soon as she possibly could and that she was resting up in a clinic in London and that she was very much looking forward to coming out and seeing what was available to her when she felt better. King: Is the show, Amanda, paying for the hospital bills and are they taking care of her? Holden: I have no idea if they're paying the hospital bills. I would imagine that they are. We're a very loyal show. We love Susan very much. In fact, all the contestants that appear on our show are extraordinarily well looked after. King: Your fellow judge, Piers Morgan, has said that there was talk of taking her off the show because of all the pressures on her. Were you involved? Were there any discussions like that? Holden: I wasn't involved in any discussions like that. And I think Piers has a slightly closer relationship with her. ... The only thing I'm worried about with Susan Boyle is that she seems to have a crush on Piers Morgan. ... I think that Piers kind of reassured her during the final that she was doing well and that she mustn't pay any kind of attention to the press and all the other stuff that was going King: Despite all the tumult, there's no disputing that Susan sang her heart out during the finale of the competition. I know the dance troupe [Diversity] was terrific. But, frankly, why didn't she win? Holden: Honestly, I can't criticize the decision because it was the British public that voted in the end. I have no real idea, to be honest. I wonder whether it could be that Diversity was utterly fantastic on the show that night. They decimated the show. They really, really were amazing. And I just wonder whether maybe younger people voted and were quicker on the texts than the kind of people that were voting for Susan. But as I keep saying, if Susan is a loser, then surely she is the biggest and best loser that we have in the world. And coming second is no bad thing. Watch Amanda Holden discuss Susan Boyle » King: She came in, though, [as] a small-town amateur singer, [with] learning disabilities due to suffering oxygen deprivation at birth. Some say the program exploited her and her vulnerabilities. Do you agree? Holden: I couldn't disagree more. You know, she's a grown woman who applied to come on a talent show. She enjoyed every second of every moment that I met her or saw her behind the scenes. She was very excited. She was very proud to be taking part in the show. I think the downturn in press in our country [Britain], I think, maybe stressed her out a

What stressed out Boyle?

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(CNN) -- Scotland's Susan Boyle gives new meaning to the term "overnight sensation." The "Britain's Got Talent" contestant was expected to be something of a joke when she first sauntered on stage, but she absolutely wowed the audience, the judges -- and then the world via the Internet -- with her stunning rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream." Along with Simon Cowell and Piers Morgan, Amanda Holden is a judge on "Britain's Got Talent." But like others who stumble upon sudden fame, she found the pressure and scrutiny to be overwhelming. "Talent" judge Amanda Holden and Dr. Drew Pinsky of VH1's "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew" joined CNN's Larry King Tuesday night to discuss Boyle's hospitalization for stress and the toll the spotlight and media criticism might have taken on her mental health. They also discussed whether Boyle will develop the emotional stamina for a high-pressure singing career. The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity: Larry King: What do we know right now? Amanda Holden: Basically, we've spoken to Susan's brother. He, in fact, spoke on [CBS' "The Early Show"] this morning to say that his sister was very keen to come home as soon as she possibly could and that she was resting up in a clinic in London and that she was very much looking forward to coming out and seeing what was available to her when she felt better. King: Is the show, Amanda, paying for the hospital bills and are they taking care of her? Holden: I have no idea if they're paying the hospital bills. I would imagine that they are. We're a very loyal show. We love Susan very much. In fact, all the contestants that appear on our show are extraordinarily well looked after. King: Your fellow judge, Piers Morgan, has said that there was talk of taking her off the show because of all the pressures on her. Were you involved? Were there any discussions like that? Holden: I wasn't involved in any discussions like that. And I think Piers has a slightly closer relationship with her. ... The only thing I'm worried about with Susan Boyle is that she seems to have a crush on Piers Morgan. ... I think that Piers kind of reassured her during the final that she was doing well and that she mustn't pay any kind of attention to the press and all the other stuff that was going King: Despite all the tumult, there's no disputing that Susan sang her heart out during the finale of the competition. I know the dance troupe [Diversity] was terrific. But, frankly, why didn't she win? Holden: Honestly, I can't criticize the decision because it was the British public that voted in the end. I have no real idea, to be honest. I wonder whether it could be that Diversity was utterly fantastic on the show that night. They decimated the show. They really, really were amazing. And I just wonder whether maybe younger people voted and were quicker on the texts than the kind of people that were voting for Susan. But as I keep saying, if Susan is a loser, then surely she is the biggest and best loser that we have in the world. And coming second is no bad thing. Watch Amanda Holden discuss Susan Boyle » King: She came in, though, [as] a small-town amateur singer, [with] learning disabilities due to suffering oxygen deprivation at birth. Some say the program exploited her and her vulnerabilities. Do you agree? Holden: I couldn't disagree more. You know, she's a grown woman who applied to come on a talent show. She enjoyed every second of every moment that I met her or saw her behind the scenes. She was very excited. She was very proud to be taking part in the show. I think the downturn in press in our country [Britain], I think, maybe stressed her out a

Who was nervous before the final?

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(CNN) -- Scotland's Susan Boyle gives new meaning to the term "overnight sensation." The "Britain's Got Talent" contestant was expected to be something of a joke when she first sauntered on stage, but she absolutely wowed the audience, the judges -- and then the world via the Internet -- with her stunning rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream." Along with Simon Cowell and Piers Morgan, Amanda Holden is a judge on "Britain's Got Talent." But like others who stumble upon sudden fame, she found the pressure and scrutiny to be overwhelming. "Talent" judge Amanda Holden and Dr. Drew Pinsky of VH1's "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew" joined CNN's Larry King Tuesday night to discuss Boyle's hospitalization for stress and the toll the spotlight and media criticism might have taken on her mental health. They also discussed whether Boyle will develop the emotional stamina for a high-pressure singing career. The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity: Larry King: What do we know right now? Amanda Holden: Basically, we've spoken to Susan's brother. He, in fact, spoke on [CBS' "The Early Show"] this morning to say that his sister was very keen to come home as soon as she possibly could and that she was resting up in a clinic in London and that she was very much looking forward to coming out and seeing what was available to her when she felt better. King: Is the show, Amanda, paying for the hospital bills and are they taking care of her? Holden: I have no idea if they're paying the hospital bills. I would imagine that they are. We're a very loyal show. We love Susan very much. In fact, all the contestants that appear on our show are extraordinarily well looked after. King: Your fellow judge, Piers Morgan, has said that there was talk of taking her off the show because of all the pressures on her. Were you involved? Were there any discussions like that? Holden: I wasn't involved in any discussions like that. And I think Piers has a slightly closer relationship with her. ... The only thing I'm worried about with Susan Boyle is that she seems to have a crush on Piers Morgan. ... I think that Piers kind of reassured her during the final that she was doing well and that she mustn't pay any kind of attention to the press and all the other stuff that was going King: Despite all the tumult, there's no disputing that Susan sang her heart out during the finale of the competition. I know the dance troupe [Diversity] was terrific. But, frankly, why didn't she win? Holden: Honestly, I can't criticize the decision because it was the British public that voted in the end. I have no real idea, to be honest. I wonder whether it could be that Diversity was utterly fantastic on the show that night. They decimated the show. They really, really were amazing. And I just wonder whether maybe younger people voted and were quicker on the texts than the kind of people that were voting for Susan. But as I keep saying, if Susan is a loser, then surely she is the biggest and best loser that we have in the world. And coming second is no bad thing. Watch Amanda Holden discuss Susan Boyle » King: She came in, though, [as] a small-town amateur singer, [with] learning disabilities due to suffering oxygen deprivation at birth. Some say the program exploited her and her vulnerabilities. Do you agree? Holden: I couldn't disagree more. You know, she's a grown woman who applied to come on a talent show. She enjoyed every second of every moment that I met her or saw her behind the scenes. She was very excited. She was very proud to be taking part in the show. I think the downturn in press in our country [Britain], I think, maybe stressed her out a

Who is Boyle??

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(CNN) -- U.N. gunships battled rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday, according to U.N. spokesman Michele Bonnardeaux. U.N. vehicles on Monday pass between lines of civilians fleeing fighting north of Goma, Congo. U.N. helicopter gunships, supporting national army forces on the ground, fired on rebels from the Congress for the Defense of the People in an effort to halt their advance on the village of Kibumba. CNDP is the French acronym for National Congress for the Defense of the People, a Congolese rebel group under renegade general Laurent Nkunda. The village of Kibumba is the location of a U.N.-administered internally displaced peoples camp, just 12 ½ miles (20 kilometers) north of the provincial capital, Goma, Bonnardeaux said. Renewed fighting erupted Sunday when the CNDP seized a major military camp and gorilla park, according to U.N. and park officials. The U.N. brokered peace accord in the area in January. On Monday, thousands fleeing Kibumba spurred violent demonstrations in front of the U.N. compound in Goma. The group was angry that a 17,000-person U.N. security force has been unable to protect them from renewed bouts of violence in the country, a U.N. spokesman told CNN. A U.N. spokesman said the U.N.'s mission in Congo was "under attack" on Monday. A mission staff member inside the U.N. compound, who did not want to give his name for security reasons, said U.N. security forces had returned fire in an attempt to disperse angry crowds near the U.N. compound. Gunshots could be heard as he spoke on the phone. He said the attack had resulted in several deaths. U.N. officials confirmed one dead in Goma as a result of Monday's demonstrations. The assault died down later in the day, a U.N. spokesman said, but people continued to pelt the building. It was unclear who was attacking, but the staff member told CNN the people were from a village that had been taken over by the CNDP, a Congolese renegade group led by Gen. Laurent Nkunda that seized a major military camp and gorilla park in a renewed bout of heavy fighting Sunday. Thousands of civilians were reportedly fleeing the fighting. Pictures from the region showed long lines of people walking along roads carrying their belongings. Watch how refugees line roads to get away » Soldiers who abandoned the military camp were retreating in vehicles on a main road outside of Goma on Monday, angrily honking their horns at civilians who got in their way, The Associated Press reported. Bertrand Bisimwa, a spokesman for the rebels, told the AP that rebel fighters had moved to within 7 miles (11 kilometers) of Goma. The latest fighting comes after the collapse on Sunday of a tenuous week-old U.N.-brokered cease-fire between rebels and government forces. According to U.N. spokesman Nick Birnback, thousands of displaced civilians in the city of Goma were throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails, angry that a 17,000-person U.N. security force has been unable to protect them from the violence. "The situation in Goma is very volatile," he said. "But MONUC is taking all available measures to stabilize the situation." Watch more about the fighting » The U.N. mission -- known by its French acronym, MONUC -- is in Goma, which is along Congo's border with Rwanda. Although the civil war in Congo -- once known as Zaire -- officially ended in 2003, recent fighting in eastern Congo between government forces and CNDP rebels under has caused tens of thousands to flee their homes, according to U.N. spokesman Michele Bonnardeaux. Watch ranger describe the violence » The conflict and humanitarian crisis in Congo have taken the lives of 5.4 million people since 1998, and 45,000 people die there every month, according to an International Rescue Committee report in January. A senior U.S. State Department official said the United States is pushing hard for cooperation among Rwanda, Uganda and Congo over the situation in eastern Congo. The official said all countries, especially Congo and Rwanda, "need to work together" to rein in "militia groups and other negative forces." Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer will travel to Congo and Rwanda to urge both governments

What site was pelted by protesters?

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(CNN) -- U.N. gunships battled rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday, according to U.N. spokesman Michele Bonnardeaux. U.N. vehicles on Monday pass between lines of civilians fleeing fighting north of Goma, Congo. U.N. helicopter gunships, supporting national army forces on the ground, fired on rebels from the Congress for the Defense of the People in an effort to halt their advance on the village of Kibumba. CNDP is the French acronym for National Congress for the Defense of the People, a Congolese rebel group under renegade general Laurent Nkunda. The village of Kibumba is the location of a U.N.-administered internally displaced peoples camp, just 12 ½ miles (20 kilometers) north of the provincial capital, Goma, Bonnardeaux said. Renewed fighting erupted Sunday when the CNDP seized a major military camp and gorilla park, according to U.N. and park officials. The U.N. brokered peace accord in the area in January. On Monday, thousands fleeing Kibumba spurred violent demonstrations in front of the U.N. compound in Goma. The group was angry that a 17,000-person U.N. security force has been unable to protect them from renewed bouts of violence in the country, a U.N. spokesman told CNN. A U.N. spokesman said the U.N.'s mission in Congo was "under attack" on Monday. A mission staff member inside the U.N. compound, who did not want to give his name for security reasons, said U.N. security forces had returned fire in an attempt to disperse angry crowds near the U.N. compound. Gunshots could be heard as he spoke on the phone. He said the attack had resulted in several deaths. U.N. officials confirmed one dead in Goma as a result of Monday's demonstrations. The assault died down later in the day, a U.N. spokesman said, but people continued to pelt the building. It was unclear who was attacking, but the staff member told CNN the people were from a village that had been taken over by the CNDP, a Congolese renegade group led by Gen. Laurent Nkunda that seized a major military camp and gorilla park in a renewed bout of heavy fighting Sunday. Thousands of civilians were reportedly fleeing the fighting. Pictures from the region showed long lines of people walking along roads carrying their belongings. Watch how refugees line roads to get away » Soldiers who abandoned the military camp were retreating in vehicles on a main road outside of Goma on Monday, angrily honking their horns at civilians who got in their way, The Associated Press reported. Bertrand Bisimwa, a spokesman for the rebels, told the AP that rebel fighters had moved to within 7 miles (11 kilometers) of Goma. The latest fighting comes after the collapse on Sunday of a tenuous week-old U.N.-brokered cease-fire between rebels and government forces. According to U.N. spokesman Nick Birnback, thousands of displaced civilians in the city of Goma were throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails, angry that a 17,000-person U.N. security force has been unable to protect them from the violence. "The situation in Goma is very volatile," he said. "But MONUC is taking all available measures to stabilize the situation." Watch more about the fighting » The U.N. mission -- known by its French acronym, MONUC -- is in Goma, which is along Congo's border with Rwanda. Although the civil war in Congo -- once known as Zaire -- officially ended in 2003, recent fighting in eastern Congo between government forces and CNDP rebels under has caused tens of thousands to flee their homes, according to U.N. spokesman Michele Bonnardeaux. Watch ranger describe the violence » The conflict and humanitarian crisis in Congo have taken the lives of 5.4 million people since 1998, and 45,000 people die there every month, according to an International Rescue Committee report in January. A senior U.S. State Department official said the United States is pushing hard for cooperation among Rwanda, Uganda and Congo over the situation in eastern Congo. The official said all countries, especially Congo and Rwanda, "need to work together" to rein in "militia groups and other negative forces." Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer will travel to Congo and Rwanda to urge both governments

What did the protesters use as weapons?

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(CNN) -- U.N. gunships battled rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday, according to U.N. spokesman Michele Bonnardeaux. U.N. vehicles on Monday pass between lines of civilians fleeing fighting north of Goma, Congo. U.N. helicopter gunships, supporting national army forces on the ground, fired on rebels from the Congress for the Defense of the People in an effort to halt their advance on the village of Kibumba. CNDP is the French acronym for National Congress for the Defense of the People, a Congolese rebel group under renegade general Laurent Nkunda. The village of Kibumba is the location of a U.N.-administered internally displaced peoples camp, just 12 ½ miles (20 kilometers) north of the provincial capital, Goma, Bonnardeaux said. Renewed fighting erupted Sunday when the CNDP seized a major military camp and gorilla park, according to U.N. and park officials. The U.N. brokered peace accord in the area in January. On Monday, thousands fleeing Kibumba spurred violent demonstrations in front of the U.N. compound in Goma. The group was angry that a 17,000-person U.N. security force has been unable to protect them from renewed bouts of violence in the country, a U.N. spokesman told CNN. A U.N. spokesman said the U.N.'s mission in Congo was "under attack" on Monday. A mission staff member inside the U.N. compound, who did not want to give his name for security reasons, said U.N. security forces had returned fire in an attempt to disperse angry crowds near the U.N. compound. Gunshots could be heard as he spoke on the phone. He said the attack had resulted in several deaths. U.N. officials confirmed one dead in Goma as a result of Monday's demonstrations. The assault died down later in the day, a U.N. spokesman said, but people continued to pelt the building. It was unclear who was attacking, but the staff member told CNN the people were from a village that had been taken over by the CNDP, a Congolese renegade group led by Gen. Laurent Nkunda that seized a major military camp and gorilla park in a renewed bout of heavy fighting Sunday. Thousands of civilians were reportedly fleeing the fighting. Pictures from the region showed long lines of people walking along roads carrying their belongings. Watch how refugees line roads to get away » Soldiers who abandoned the military camp were retreating in vehicles on a main road outside of Goma on Monday, angrily honking their horns at civilians who got in their way, The Associated Press reported. Bertrand Bisimwa, a spokesman for the rebels, told the AP that rebel fighters had moved to within 7 miles (11 kilometers) of Goma. The latest fighting comes after the collapse on Sunday of a tenuous week-old U.N.-brokered cease-fire between rebels and government forces. According to U.N. spokesman Nick Birnback, thousands of displaced civilians in the city of Goma were throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails, angry that a 17,000-person U.N. security force has been unable to protect them from the violence. "The situation in Goma is very volatile," he said. "But MONUC is taking all available measures to stabilize the situation." Watch more about the fighting » The U.N. mission -- known by its French acronym, MONUC -- is in Goma, which is along Congo's border with Rwanda. Although the civil war in Congo -- once known as Zaire -- officially ended in 2003, recent fighting in eastern Congo between government forces and CNDP rebels under has caused tens of thousands to flee their homes, according to U.N. spokesman Michele Bonnardeaux. Watch ranger describe the violence » The conflict and humanitarian crisis in Congo have taken the lives of 5.4 million people since 1998, and 45,000 people die there every month, according to an International Rescue Committee report in January. A senior U.S. State Department official said the United States is pushing hard for cooperation among Rwanda, Uganda and Congo over the situation in eastern Congo. The official said all countries, especially Congo and Rwanda, "need to work together" to rein in "militia groups and other negative forces." Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer will travel to Congo and Rwanda to urge both governments

What did the protestors attack the HQ with?

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(CNN) -- U.N. gunships battled rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday, according to U.N. spokesman Michele Bonnardeaux. U.N. vehicles on Monday pass between lines of civilians fleeing fighting north of Goma, Congo. U.N. helicopter gunships, supporting national army forces on the ground, fired on rebels from the Congress for the Defense of the People in an effort to halt their advance on the village of Kibumba. CNDP is the French acronym for National Congress for the Defense of the People, a Congolese rebel group under renegade general Laurent Nkunda. The village of Kibumba is the location of a U.N.-administered internally displaced peoples camp, just 12 ½ miles (20 kilometers) north of the provincial capital, Goma, Bonnardeaux said. Renewed fighting erupted Sunday when the CNDP seized a major military camp and gorilla park, according to U.N. and park officials. The U.N. brokered peace accord in the area in January. On Monday, thousands fleeing Kibumba spurred violent demonstrations in front of the U.N. compound in Goma. The group was angry that a 17,000-person U.N. security force has been unable to protect them from renewed bouts of violence in the country, a U.N. spokesman told CNN. A U.N. spokesman said the U.N.'s mission in Congo was "under attack" on Monday. A mission staff member inside the U.N. compound, who did not want to give his name for security reasons, said U.N. security forces had returned fire in an attempt to disperse angry crowds near the U.N. compound. Gunshots could be heard as he spoke on the phone. He said the attack had resulted in several deaths. U.N. officials confirmed one dead in Goma as a result of Monday's demonstrations. The assault died down later in the day, a U.N. spokesman said, but people continued to pelt the building. It was unclear who was attacking, but the staff member told CNN the people were from a village that had been taken over by the CNDP, a Congolese renegade group led by Gen. Laurent Nkunda that seized a major military camp and gorilla park in a renewed bout of heavy fighting Sunday. Thousands of civilians were reportedly fleeing the fighting. Pictures from the region showed long lines of people walking along roads carrying their belongings. Watch how refugees line roads to get away » Soldiers who abandoned the military camp were retreating in vehicles on a main road outside of Goma on Monday, angrily honking their horns at civilians who got in their way, The Associated Press reported. Bertrand Bisimwa, a spokesman for the rebels, told the AP that rebel fighters had moved to within 7 miles (11 kilometers) of Goma. The latest fighting comes after the collapse on Sunday of a tenuous week-old U.N.-brokered cease-fire between rebels and government forces. According to U.N. spokesman Nick Birnback, thousands of displaced civilians in the city of Goma were throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails, angry that a 17,000-person U.N. security force has been unable to protect them from the violence. "The situation in Goma is very volatile," he said. "But MONUC is taking all available measures to stabilize the situation." Watch more about the fighting » The U.N. mission -- known by its French acronym, MONUC -- is in Goma, which is along Congo's border with Rwanda. Although the civil war in Congo -- once known as Zaire -- officially ended in 2003, recent fighting in eastern Congo between government forces and CNDP rebels under has caused tens of thousands to flee their homes, according to U.N. spokesman Michele Bonnardeaux. Watch ranger describe the violence » The conflict and humanitarian crisis in Congo have taken the lives of 5.4 million people since 1998, and 45,000 people die there every month, according to an International Rescue Committee report in January. A senior U.S. State Department official said the United States is pushing hard for cooperation among Rwanda, Uganda and Congo over the situation in eastern Congo. The official said all countries, especially Congo and Rwanda, "need to work together" to rein in "militia groups and other negative forces." Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer will travel to Congo and Rwanda to urge both governments

Where did helicopters attack rebels?

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(CNN) -- U.N. gunships battled rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday, according to U.N. spokesman Michele Bonnardeaux. U.N. vehicles on Monday pass between lines of civilians fleeing fighting north of Goma, Congo. U.N. helicopter gunships, supporting national army forces on the ground, fired on rebels from the Congress for the Defense of the People in an effort to halt their advance on the village of Kibumba. CNDP is the French acronym for National Congress for the Defense of the People, a Congolese rebel group under renegade general Laurent Nkunda. The village of Kibumba is the location of a U.N.-administered internally displaced peoples camp, just 12 ½ miles (20 kilometers) north of the provincial capital, Goma, Bonnardeaux said. Renewed fighting erupted Sunday when the CNDP seized a major military camp and gorilla park, according to U.N. and park officials. The U.N. brokered peace accord in the area in January. On Monday, thousands fleeing Kibumba spurred violent demonstrations in front of the U.N. compound in Goma. The group was angry that a 17,000-person U.N. security force has been unable to protect them from renewed bouts of violence in the country, a U.N. spokesman told CNN. A U.N. spokesman said the U.N.'s mission in Congo was "under attack" on Monday. A mission staff member inside the U.N. compound, who did not want to give his name for security reasons, said U.N. security forces had returned fire in an attempt to disperse angry crowds near the U.N. compound. Gunshots could be heard as he spoke on the phone. He said the attack had resulted in several deaths. U.N. officials confirmed one dead in Goma as a result of Monday's demonstrations. The assault died down later in the day, a U.N. spokesman said, but people continued to pelt the building. It was unclear who was attacking, but the staff member told CNN the people were from a village that had been taken over by the CNDP, a Congolese renegade group led by Gen. Laurent Nkunda that seized a major military camp and gorilla park in a renewed bout of heavy fighting Sunday. Thousands of civilians were reportedly fleeing the fighting. Pictures from the region showed long lines of people walking along roads carrying their belongings. Watch how refugees line roads to get away » Soldiers who abandoned the military camp were retreating in vehicles on a main road outside of Goma on Monday, angrily honking their horns at civilians who got in their way, The Associated Press reported. Bertrand Bisimwa, a spokesman for the rebels, told the AP that rebel fighters had moved to within 7 miles (11 kilometers) of Goma. The latest fighting comes after the collapse on Sunday of a tenuous week-old U.N.-brokered cease-fire between rebels and government forces. According to U.N. spokesman Nick Birnback, thousands of displaced civilians in the city of Goma were throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails, angry that a 17,000-person U.N. security force has been unable to protect them from the violence. "The situation in Goma is very volatile," he said. "But MONUC is taking all available measures to stabilize the situation." Watch more about the fighting » The U.N. mission -- known by its French acronym, MONUC -- is in Goma, which is along Congo's border with Rwanda. Although the civil war in Congo -- once known as Zaire -- officially ended in 2003, recent fighting in eastern Congo between government forces and CNDP rebels under has caused tens of thousands to flee their homes, according to U.N. spokesman Michele Bonnardeaux. Watch ranger describe the violence » The conflict and humanitarian crisis in Congo have taken the lives of 5.4 million people since 1998, and 45,000 people die there every month, according to an International Rescue Committee report in January. A senior U.S. State Department official said the United States is pushing hard for cooperation among Rwanda, Uganda and Congo over the situation in eastern Congo. The official said all countries, especially Congo and Rwanda, "need to work together" to rein in "militia groups and other negative forces." Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer will travel to Congo and Rwanda to urge both governments

Where did UN helicopters attack rebels?

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(CNN) -- U.N. gunships battled rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday, according to U.N. spokesman Michele Bonnardeaux. U.N. vehicles on Monday pass between lines of civilians fleeing fighting north of Goma, Congo. U.N. helicopter gunships, supporting national army forces on the ground, fired on rebels from the Congress for the Defense of the People in an effort to halt their advance on the village of Kibumba. CNDP is the French acronym for National Congress for the Defense of the People, a Congolese rebel group under renegade general Laurent Nkunda. The village of Kibumba is the location of a U.N.-administered internally displaced peoples camp, just 12 ½ miles (20 kilometers) north of the provincial capital, Goma, Bonnardeaux said. Renewed fighting erupted Sunday when the CNDP seized a major military camp and gorilla park, according to U.N. and park officials. The U.N. brokered peace accord in the area in January. On Monday, thousands fleeing Kibumba spurred violent demonstrations in front of the U.N. compound in Goma. The group was angry that a 17,000-person U.N. security force has been unable to protect them from renewed bouts of violence in the country, a U.N. spokesman told CNN. A U.N. spokesman said the U.N.'s mission in Congo was "under attack" on Monday. A mission staff member inside the U.N. compound, who did not want to give his name for security reasons, said U.N. security forces had returned fire in an attempt to disperse angry crowds near the U.N. compound. Gunshots could be heard as he spoke on the phone. He said the attack had resulted in several deaths. U.N. officials confirmed one dead in Goma as a result of Monday's demonstrations. The assault died down later in the day, a U.N. spokesman said, but people continued to pelt the building. It was unclear who was attacking, but the staff member told CNN the people were from a village that had been taken over by the CNDP, a Congolese renegade group led by Gen. Laurent Nkunda that seized a major military camp and gorilla park in a renewed bout of heavy fighting Sunday. Thousands of civilians were reportedly fleeing the fighting. Pictures from the region showed long lines of people walking along roads carrying their belongings. Watch how refugees line roads to get away » Soldiers who abandoned the military camp were retreating in vehicles on a main road outside of Goma on Monday, angrily honking their horns at civilians who got in their way, The Associated Press reported. Bertrand Bisimwa, a spokesman for the rebels, told the AP that rebel fighters had moved to within 7 miles (11 kilometers) of Goma. The latest fighting comes after the collapse on Sunday of a tenuous week-old U.N.-brokered cease-fire between rebels and government forces. According to U.N. spokesman Nick Birnback, thousands of displaced civilians in the city of Goma were throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails, angry that a 17,000-person U.N. security force has been unable to protect them from the violence. "The situation in Goma is very volatile," he said. "But MONUC is taking all available measures to stabilize the situation." Watch more about the fighting » The U.N. mission -- known by its French acronym, MONUC -- is in Goma, which is along Congo's border with Rwanda. Although the civil war in Congo -- once known as Zaire -- officially ended in 2003, recent fighting in eastern Congo between government forces and CNDP rebels under has caused tens of thousands to flee their homes, according to U.N. spokesman Michele Bonnardeaux. Watch ranger describe the violence » The conflict and humanitarian crisis in Congo have taken the lives of 5.4 million people since 1998, and 45,000 people die there every month, according to an International Rescue Committee report in January. A senior U.S. State Department official said the United States is pushing hard for cooperation among Rwanda, Uganda and Congo over the situation in eastern Congo. The official said all countries, especially Congo and Rwanda, "need to work together" to rein in "militia groups and other negative forces." Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer will travel to Congo and Rwanda to urge both governments

What did protesters attack?

4c0c7be252124479b394bbfddb0c1ac4

(CNN) -- U.N. gunships battled rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday, according to U.N. spokesman Michele Bonnardeaux. U.N. vehicles on Monday pass between lines of civilians fleeing fighting north of Goma, Congo. U.N. helicopter gunships, supporting national army forces on the ground, fired on rebels from the Congress for the Defense of the People in an effort to halt their advance on the village of Kibumba. CNDP is the French acronym for National Congress for the Defense of the People, a Congolese rebel group under renegade general Laurent Nkunda. The village of Kibumba is the location of a U.N.-administered internally displaced peoples camp, just 12 ½ miles (20 kilometers) north of the provincial capital, Goma, Bonnardeaux said. Renewed fighting erupted Sunday when the CNDP seized a major military camp and gorilla park, according to U.N. and park officials. The U.N. brokered peace accord in the area in January. On Monday, thousands fleeing Kibumba spurred violent demonstrations in front of the U.N. compound in Goma. The group was angry that a 17,000-person U.N. security force has been unable to protect them from renewed bouts of violence in the country, a U.N. spokesman told CNN. A U.N. spokesman said the U.N.'s mission in Congo was "under attack" on Monday. A mission staff member inside the U.N. compound, who did not want to give his name for security reasons, said U.N. security forces had returned fire in an attempt to disperse angry crowds near the U.N. compound. Gunshots could be heard as he spoke on the phone. He said the attack had resulted in several deaths. U.N. officials confirmed one dead in Goma as a result of Monday's demonstrations. The assault died down later in the day, a U.N. spokesman said, but people continued to pelt the building. It was unclear who was attacking, but the staff member told CNN the people were from a village that had been taken over by the CNDP, a Congolese renegade group led by Gen. Laurent Nkunda that seized a major military camp and gorilla park in a renewed bout of heavy fighting Sunday. Thousands of civilians were reportedly fleeing the fighting. Pictures from the region showed long lines of people walking along roads carrying their belongings. Watch how refugees line roads to get away » Soldiers who abandoned the military camp were retreating in vehicles on a main road outside of Goma on Monday, angrily honking their horns at civilians who got in their way, The Associated Press reported. Bertrand Bisimwa, a spokesman for the rebels, told the AP that rebel fighters had moved to within 7 miles (11 kilometers) of Goma. The latest fighting comes after the collapse on Sunday of a tenuous week-old U.N.-brokered cease-fire between rebels and government forces. According to U.N. spokesman Nick Birnback, thousands of displaced civilians in the city of Goma were throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails, angry that a 17,000-person U.N. security force has been unable to protect them from the violence. "The situation in Goma is very volatile," he said. "But MONUC is taking all available measures to stabilize the situation." Watch more about the fighting » The U.N. mission -- known by its French acronym, MONUC -- is in Goma, which is along Congo's border with Rwanda. Although the civil war in Congo -- once known as Zaire -- officially ended in 2003, recent fighting in eastern Congo between government forces and CNDP rebels under has caused tens of thousands to flee their homes, according to U.N. spokesman Michele Bonnardeaux. Watch ranger describe the violence » The conflict and humanitarian crisis in Congo have taken the lives of 5.4 million people since 1998, and 45,000 people die there every month, according to an International Rescue Committee report in January. A senior U.S. State Department official said the United States is pushing hard for cooperation among Rwanda, Uganda and Congo over the situation in eastern Congo. The official said all countries, especially Congo and Rwanda, "need to work together" to rein in "militia groups and other negative forces." Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer will travel to Congo and Rwanda to urge both governments

How many deaths resulted from the attack?

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(CNN) -- U.N. gunships battled rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday, according to U.N. spokesman Michele Bonnardeaux. U.N. vehicles on Monday pass between lines of civilians fleeing fighting north of Goma, Congo. U.N. helicopter gunships, supporting national army forces on the ground, fired on rebels from the Congress for the Defense of the People in an effort to halt their advance on the village of Kibumba. CNDP is the French acronym for National Congress for the Defense of the People, a Congolese rebel group under renegade general Laurent Nkunda. The village of Kibumba is the location of a U.N.-administered internally displaced peoples camp, just 12 ½ miles (20 kilometers) north of the provincial capital, Goma, Bonnardeaux said. Renewed fighting erupted Sunday when the CNDP seized a major military camp and gorilla park, according to U.N. and park officials. The U.N. brokered peace accord in the area in January. On Monday, thousands fleeing Kibumba spurred violent demonstrations in front of the U.N. compound in Goma. The group was angry that a 17,000-person U.N. security force has been unable to protect them from renewed bouts of violence in the country, a U.N. spokesman told CNN. A U.N. spokesman said the U.N.'s mission in Congo was "under attack" on Monday. A mission staff member inside the U.N. compound, who did not want to give his name for security reasons, said U.N. security forces had returned fire in an attempt to disperse angry crowds near the U.N. compound. Gunshots could be heard as he spoke on the phone. He said the attack had resulted in several deaths. U.N. officials confirmed one dead in Goma as a result of Monday's demonstrations. The assault died down later in the day, a U.N. spokesman said, but people continued to pelt the building. It was unclear who was attacking, but the staff member told CNN the people were from a village that had been taken over by the CNDP, a Congolese renegade group led by Gen. Laurent Nkunda that seized a major military camp and gorilla park in a renewed bout of heavy fighting Sunday. Thousands of civilians were reportedly fleeing the fighting. Pictures from the region showed long lines of people walking along roads carrying their belongings. Watch how refugees line roads to get away » Soldiers who abandoned the military camp were retreating in vehicles on a main road outside of Goma on Monday, angrily honking their horns at civilians who got in their way, The Associated Press reported. Bertrand Bisimwa, a spokesman for the rebels, told the AP that rebel fighters had moved to within 7 miles (11 kilometers) of Goma. The latest fighting comes after the collapse on Sunday of a tenuous week-old U.N.-brokered cease-fire between rebels and government forces. According to U.N. spokesman Nick Birnback, thousands of displaced civilians in the city of Goma were throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails, angry that a 17,000-person U.N. security force has been unable to protect them from the violence. "The situation in Goma is very volatile," he said. "But MONUC is taking all available measures to stabilize the situation." Watch more about the fighting » The U.N. mission -- known by its French acronym, MONUC -- is in Goma, which is along Congo's border with Rwanda. Although the civil war in Congo -- once known as Zaire -- officially ended in 2003, recent fighting in eastern Congo between government forces and CNDP rebels under has caused tens of thousands to flee their homes, according to U.N. spokesman Michele Bonnardeaux. Watch ranger describe the violence » The conflict and humanitarian crisis in Congo have taken the lives of 5.4 million people since 1998, and 45,000 people die there every month, according to an International Rescue Committee report in January. A senior U.S. State Department official said the United States is pushing hard for cooperation among Rwanda, Uganda and Congo over the situation in eastern Congo. The official said all countries, especially Congo and Rwanda, "need to work together" to rein in "militia groups and other negative forces." Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer will travel to Congo and Rwanda to urge both governments

Where did the U.N. Helicopters attack?

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(CNN) -- Commentators who have watched the conflict in Northern Ireland play out for decades call the peace process a miracle. Various leaders negotiated for years to bring an end to Northern Ireland's "troubles." Culminating in a power sharing deal between Ulster's unionists, led by Ian Paisley, and Sinn Fein, the political arm of the IRA (nationalists), led by Gerry Adams, the road to peace has been a torturous one characterized by violence, set-backs and numerous false starts. Only recently the Ulster Defence Association, Northern Ireland's largest loyalist group, said it will cease to be an armed paramilitary group, starting at midnight on November 11, saying the "war is over." "All weaponry will be put beyond use," Colin Halliday of the Ulster Political Research Group, which is linked to the group, said in a speech in Belfast aired by RTE, Ireland's state-owned broadcaster. "The struggle to maintain the union is on a new and more complex battlefield." The Irish Republican Army (IRA) disarmed two years ago, helping to restore the province's government in Belfast. Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said the most recent moves of groups to disarm was "significant and hopefully signals a further step toward the ending of all paramilitarism in Northern Ireland." For those that have lived through the turmoil in Northern Ireland, peace achieved though diplomacy must have seemed like an unrealistic goal. After all, each attack by loyalists usually resulted in retaliation by nationalists -- making the dispute bitter and intractable. But diplomacy has worked in bringing peace to Northern Ireland. Credit for developing a framework for the peace process stretches back to former British Prime Minster John Major's rule in the 1990s and efforts by Ireland's Ahern. But it was Major's successor, Tony Blair, who was unrelenting in his quest for peace by making it a major priority of his government. Blair came to Northern Ireland 37 times as Prime Minister, traveling there more often than any of his predecessors as well as hosting many meetings at 10 Downing Street and discussing the peace process while at many international summits. According to the Belfast Telegraph: "When he (Blair) said on that first day he had come to seek 'a lasting and fair political settlement' it turned out he wasn't spouting platitudes on a stump." Journalist James Button, who covered the peace process talks, says: "Blair played a clever hand. He saw the hardliners had to be involved. "Critically he judged that the process had to tilt ever so slightly towards the republicans to prevent a split in their ranks and the resumption of violence by radicals -- which had happened whenever the republican leadership had inclined to moderation before." Button says Downing Street had a bicycle theory around peace talks: "They had to keep going forward otherwise they would fall over." It was Blair's diplomacy that wooed the previously immovable Paisley. Irish political scientist Lord Bew told the Guardian the alliance with Paisley was Blair's "last great romance... Once again when we thought the old maestro was fading, his capacity to seduce, politically speaking, is phenomenal." But as Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein told CNN, the conflict was primarily a local one that needed to be solved by local people: "The people who have to be the brokers are the people who live in the areas of conflict. "They're the people who ought to be the brokers but everybody else from the outside has to enhance the conditions so that those leaders or factions can actually broker not just an agreement, but implement an agreement. "The Good Friday Agreement -- and [former U.S.] Senator [George] Mitchell said this at the time, when we got the agreement -- "That's the easy bit. Implementing it is going to be the difficult bit." Mitchell worked with the various participants to reach an agreement. The long road to peace The "troubles" have been a centuries-old dispute between England and Ireland over who controls Northern Ireland. In 1609

Who will share power?

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(CNN) -- Commentators who have watched the conflict in Northern Ireland play out for decades call the peace process a miracle. Various leaders negotiated for years to bring an end to Northern Ireland's "troubles." Culminating in a power sharing deal between Ulster's unionists, led by Ian Paisley, and Sinn Fein, the political arm of the IRA (nationalists), led by Gerry Adams, the road to peace has been a torturous one characterized by violence, set-backs and numerous false starts. Only recently the Ulster Defence Association, Northern Ireland's largest loyalist group, said it will cease to be an armed paramilitary group, starting at midnight on November 11, saying the "war is over." "All weaponry will be put beyond use," Colin Halliday of the Ulster Political Research Group, which is linked to the group, said in a speech in Belfast aired by RTE, Ireland's state-owned broadcaster. "The struggle to maintain the union is on a new and more complex battlefield." The Irish Republican Army (IRA) disarmed two years ago, helping to restore the province's government in Belfast. Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said the most recent moves of groups to disarm was "significant and hopefully signals a further step toward the ending of all paramilitarism in Northern Ireland." For those that have lived through the turmoil in Northern Ireland, peace achieved though diplomacy must have seemed like an unrealistic goal. After all, each attack by loyalists usually resulted in retaliation by nationalists -- making the dispute bitter and intractable. But diplomacy has worked in bringing peace to Northern Ireland. Credit for developing a framework for the peace process stretches back to former British Prime Minster John Major's rule in the 1990s and efforts by Ireland's Ahern. But it was Major's successor, Tony Blair, who was unrelenting in his quest for peace by making it a major priority of his government. Blair came to Northern Ireland 37 times as Prime Minister, traveling there more often than any of his predecessors as well as hosting many meetings at 10 Downing Street and discussing the peace process while at many international summits. According to the Belfast Telegraph: "When he (Blair) said on that first day he had come to seek 'a lasting and fair political settlement' it turned out he wasn't spouting platitudes on a stump." Journalist James Button, who covered the peace process talks, says: "Blair played a clever hand. He saw the hardliners had to be involved. "Critically he judged that the process had to tilt ever so slightly towards the republicans to prevent a split in their ranks and the resumption of violence by radicals -- which had happened whenever the republican leadership had inclined to moderation before." Button says Downing Street had a bicycle theory around peace talks: "They had to keep going forward otherwise they would fall over." It was Blair's diplomacy that wooed the previously immovable Paisley. Irish political scientist Lord Bew told the Guardian the alliance with Paisley was Blair's "last great romance... Once again when we thought the old maestro was fading, his capacity to seduce, politically speaking, is phenomenal." But as Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein told CNN, the conflict was primarily a local one that needed to be solved by local people: "The people who have to be the brokers are the people who live in the areas of conflict. "They're the people who ought to be the brokers but everybody else from the outside has to enhance the conditions so that those leaders or factions can actually broker not just an agreement, but implement an agreement. "The Good Friday Agreement -- and [former U.S.] Senator [George] Mitchell said this at the time, when we got the agreement -- "That's the easy bit. Implementing it is going to be the difficult bit." Mitchell worked with the various participants to reach an agreement. The long road to peace The "troubles" have been a centuries-old dispute between England and Ireland over who controls Northern Ireland. In 1609

What has been termed miraculous?

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(CNN) -- Commentators who have watched the conflict in Northern Ireland play out for decades call the peace process a miracle. Various leaders negotiated for years to bring an end to Northern Ireland's "troubles." Culminating in a power sharing deal between Ulster's unionists, led by Ian Paisley, and Sinn Fein, the political arm of the IRA (nationalists), led by Gerry Adams, the road to peace has been a torturous one characterized by violence, set-backs and numerous false starts. Only recently the Ulster Defence Association, Northern Ireland's largest loyalist group, said it will cease to be an armed paramilitary group, starting at midnight on November 11, saying the "war is over." "All weaponry will be put beyond use," Colin Halliday of the Ulster Political Research Group, which is linked to the group, said in a speech in Belfast aired by RTE, Ireland's state-owned broadcaster. "The struggle to maintain the union is on a new and more complex battlefield." The Irish Republican Army (IRA) disarmed two years ago, helping to restore the province's government in Belfast. Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said the most recent moves of groups to disarm was "significant and hopefully signals a further step toward the ending of all paramilitarism in Northern Ireland." For those that have lived through the turmoil in Northern Ireland, peace achieved though diplomacy must have seemed like an unrealistic goal. After all, each attack by loyalists usually resulted in retaliation by nationalists -- making the dispute bitter and intractable. But diplomacy has worked in bringing peace to Northern Ireland. Credit for developing a framework for the peace process stretches back to former British Prime Minster John Major's rule in the 1990s and efforts by Ireland's Ahern. But it was Major's successor, Tony Blair, who was unrelenting in his quest for peace by making it a major priority of his government. Blair came to Northern Ireland 37 times as Prime Minister, traveling there more often than any of his predecessors as well as hosting many meetings at 10 Downing Street and discussing the peace process while at many international summits. According to the Belfast Telegraph: "When he (Blair) said on that first day he had come to seek 'a lasting and fair political settlement' it turned out he wasn't spouting platitudes on a stump." Journalist James Button, who covered the peace process talks, says: "Blair played a clever hand. He saw the hardliners had to be involved. "Critically he judged that the process had to tilt ever so slightly towards the republicans to prevent a split in their ranks and the resumption of violence by radicals -- which had happened whenever the republican leadership had inclined to moderation before." Button says Downing Street had a bicycle theory around peace talks: "They had to keep going forward otherwise they would fall over." It was Blair's diplomacy that wooed the previously immovable Paisley. Irish political scientist Lord Bew told the Guardian the alliance with Paisley was Blair's "last great romance... Once again when we thought the old maestro was fading, his capacity to seduce, politically speaking, is phenomenal." But as Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein told CNN, the conflict was primarily a local one that needed to be solved by local people: "The people who have to be the brokers are the people who live in the areas of conflict. "They're the people who ought to be the brokers but everybody else from the outside has to enhance the conditions so that those leaders or factions can actually broker not just an agreement, but implement an agreement. "The Good Friday Agreement -- and [former U.S.] Senator [George] Mitchell said this at the time, when we got the agreement -- "That's the easy bit. Implementing it is going to be the difficult bit." Mitchell worked with the various participants to reach an agreement. The long road to peace The "troubles" have been a centuries-old dispute between England and Ireland over who controls Northern Ireland. In 1609

Where is the peace process happening?

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(CNN) -- Commentators who have watched the conflict in Northern Ireland play out for decades call the peace process a miracle. Various leaders negotiated for years to bring an end to Northern Ireland's "troubles." Culminating in a power sharing deal between Ulster's unionists, led by Ian Paisley, and Sinn Fein, the political arm of the IRA (nationalists), led by Gerry Adams, the road to peace has been a torturous one characterized by violence, set-backs and numerous false starts. Only recently the Ulster Defence Association, Northern Ireland's largest loyalist group, said it will cease to be an armed paramilitary group, starting at midnight on November 11, saying the "war is over." "All weaponry will be put beyond use," Colin Halliday of the Ulster Political Research Group, which is linked to the group, said in a speech in Belfast aired by RTE, Ireland's state-owned broadcaster. "The struggle to maintain the union is on a new and more complex battlefield." The Irish Republican Army (IRA) disarmed two years ago, helping to restore the province's government in Belfast. Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said the most recent moves of groups to disarm was "significant and hopefully signals a further step toward the ending of all paramilitarism in Northern Ireland." For those that have lived through the turmoil in Northern Ireland, peace achieved though diplomacy must have seemed like an unrealistic goal. After all, each attack by loyalists usually resulted in retaliation by nationalists -- making the dispute bitter and intractable. But diplomacy has worked in bringing peace to Northern Ireland. Credit for developing a framework for the peace process stretches back to former British Prime Minster John Major's rule in the 1990s and efforts by Ireland's Ahern. But it was Major's successor, Tony Blair, who was unrelenting in his quest for peace by making it a major priority of his government. Blair came to Northern Ireland 37 times as Prime Minister, traveling there more often than any of his predecessors as well as hosting many meetings at 10 Downing Street and discussing the peace process while at many international summits. According to the Belfast Telegraph: "When he (Blair) said on that first day he had come to seek 'a lasting and fair political settlement' it turned out he wasn't spouting platitudes on a stump." Journalist James Button, who covered the peace process talks, says: "Blair played a clever hand. He saw the hardliners had to be involved. "Critically he judged that the process had to tilt ever so slightly towards the republicans to prevent a split in their ranks and the resumption of violence by radicals -- which had happened whenever the republican leadership had inclined to moderation before." Button says Downing Street had a bicycle theory around peace talks: "They had to keep going forward otherwise they would fall over." It was Blair's diplomacy that wooed the previously immovable Paisley. Irish political scientist Lord Bew told the Guardian the alliance with Paisley was Blair's "last great romance... Once again when we thought the old maestro was fading, his capacity to seduce, politically speaking, is phenomenal." But as Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein told CNN, the conflict was primarily a local one that needed to be solved by local people: "The people who have to be the brokers are the people who live in the areas of conflict. "They're the people who ought to be the brokers but everybody else from the outside has to enhance the conditions so that those leaders or factions can actually broker not just an agreement, but implement an agreement. "The Good Friday Agreement -- and [former U.S.] Senator [George] Mitchell said this at the time, when we got the agreement -- "That's the easy bit. Implementing it is going to be the difficult bit." Mitchell worked with the various participants to reach an agreement. The long road to peace The "troubles" have been a centuries-old dispute between England and Ireland over who controls Northern Ireland. In 1609

What did the commentators call the peace process?

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(CNN) -- Commentators who have watched the conflict in Northern Ireland play out for decades call the peace process a miracle. Various leaders negotiated for years to bring an end to Northern Ireland's "troubles." Culminating in a power sharing deal between Ulster's unionists, led by Ian Paisley, and Sinn Fein, the political arm of the IRA (nationalists), led by Gerry Adams, the road to peace has been a torturous one characterized by violence, set-backs and numerous false starts. Only recently the Ulster Defence Association, Northern Ireland's largest loyalist group, said it will cease to be an armed paramilitary group, starting at midnight on November 11, saying the "war is over." "All weaponry will be put beyond use," Colin Halliday of the Ulster Political Research Group, which is linked to the group, said in a speech in Belfast aired by RTE, Ireland's state-owned broadcaster. "The struggle to maintain the union is on a new and more complex battlefield." The Irish Republican Army (IRA) disarmed two years ago, helping to restore the province's government in Belfast. Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said the most recent moves of groups to disarm was "significant and hopefully signals a further step toward the ending of all paramilitarism in Northern Ireland." For those that have lived through the turmoil in Northern Ireland, peace achieved though diplomacy must have seemed like an unrealistic goal. After all, each attack by loyalists usually resulted in retaliation by nationalists -- making the dispute bitter and intractable. But diplomacy has worked in bringing peace to Northern Ireland. Credit for developing a framework for the peace process stretches back to former British Prime Minster John Major's rule in the 1990s and efforts by Ireland's Ahern. But it was Major's successor, Tony Blair, who was unrelenting in his quest for peace by making it a major priority of his government. Blair came to Northern Ireland 37 times as Prime Minister, traveling there more often than any of his predecessors as well as hosting many meetings at 10 Downing Street and discussing the peace process while at many international summits. According to the Belfast Telegraph: "When he (Blair) said on that first day he had come to seek 'a lasting and fair political settlement' it turned out he wasn't spouting platitudes on a stump." Journalist James Button, who covered the peace process talks, says: "Blair played a clever hand. He saw the hardliners had to be involved. "Critically he judged that the process had to tilt ever so slightly towards the republicans to prevent a split in their ranks and the resumption of violence by radicals -- which had happened whenever the republican leadership had inclined to moderation before." Button says Downing Street had a bicycle theory around peace talks: "They had to keep going forward otherwise they would fall over." It was Blair's diplomacy that wooed the previously immovable Paisley. Irish political scientist Lord Bew told the Guardian the alliance with Paisley was Blair's "last great romance... Once again when we thought the old maestro was fading, his capacity to seduce, politically speaking, is phenomenal." But as Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein told CNN, the conflict was primarily a local one that needed to be solved by local people: "The people who have to be the brokers are the people who live in the areas of conflict. "They're the people who ought to be the brokers but everybody else from the outside has to enhance the conditions so that those leaders or factions can actually broker not just an agreement, but implement an agreement. "The Good Friday Agreement -- and [former U.S.] Senator [George] Mitchell said this at the time, when we got the agreement -- "That's the easy bit. Implementing it is going to be the difficult bit." Mitchell worked with the various participants to reach an agreement. The long road to peace The "troubles" have been a centuries-old dispute between England and Ireland over who controls Northern Ireland. In 1609

The power sharing deal is between who and who?

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(CNN) -- Commentators who have watched the conflict in Northern Ireland play out for decades call the peace process a miracle. Various leaders negotiated for years to bring an end to Northern Ireland's "troubles." Culminating in a power sharing deal between Ulster's unionists, led by Ian Paisley, and Sinn Fein, the political arm of the IRA (nationalists), led by Gerry Adams, the road to peace has been a torturous one characterized by violence, set-backs and numerous false starts. Only recently the Ulster Defence Association, Northern Ireland's largest loyalist group, said it will cease to be an armed paramilitary group, starting at midnight on November 11, saying the "war is over." "All weaponry will be put beyond use," Colin Halliday of the Ulster Political Research Group, which is linked to the group, said in a speech in Belfast aired by RTE, Ireland's state-owned broadcaster. "The struggle to maintain the union is on a new and more complex battlefield." The Irish Republican Army (IRA) disarmed two years ago, helping to restore the province's government in Belfast. Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said the most recent moves of groups to disarm was "significant and hopefully signals a further step toward the ending of all paramilitarism in Northern Ireland." For those that have lived through the turmoil in Northern Ireland, peace achieved though diplomacy must have seemed like an unrealistic goal. After all, each attack by loyalists usually resulted in retaliation by nationalists -- making the dispute bitter and intractable. But diplomacy has worked in bringing peace to Northern Ireland. Credit for developing a framework for the peace process stretches back to former British Prime Minster John Major's rule in the 1990s and efforts by Ireland's Ahern. But it was Major's successor, Tony Blair, who was unrelenting in his quest for peace by making it a major priority of his government. Blair came to Northern Ireland 37 times as Prime Minister, traveling there more often than any of his predecessors as well as hosting many meetings at 10 Downing Street and discussing the peace process while at many international summits. According to the Belfast Telegraph: "When he (Blair) said on that first day he had come to seek 'a lasting and fair political settlement' it turned out he wasn't spouting platitudes on a stump." Journalist James Button, who covered the peace process talks, says: "Blair played a clever hand. He saw the hardliners had to be involved. "Critically he judged that the process had to tilt ever so slightly towards the republicans to prevent a split in their ranks and the resumption of violence by radicals -- which had happened whenever the republican leadership had inclined to moderation before." Button says Downing Street had a bicycle theory around peace talks: "They had to keep going forward otherwise they would fall over." It was Blair's diplomacy that wooed the previously immovable Paisley. Irish political scientist Lord Bew told the Guardian the alliance with Paisley was Blair's "last great romance... Once again when we thought the old maestro was fading, his capacity to seduce, politically speaking, is phenomenal." But as Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein told CNN, the conflict was primarily a local one that needed to be solved by local people: "The people who have to be the brokers are the people who live in the areas of conflict. "They're the people who ought to be the brokers but everybody else from the outside has to enhance the conditions so that those leaders or factions can actually broker not just an agreement, but implement an agreement. "The Good Friday Agreement -- and [former U.S.] Senator [George] Mitchell said this at the time, when we got the agreement -- "That's the easy bit. Implementing it is going to be the difficult bit." Mitchell worked with the various participants to reach an agreement. The long road to peace The "troubles" have been a centuries-old dispute between England and Ireland over who controls Northern Ireland. In 1609

What region does the peace process involve?

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(CNN) -- Commentators who have watched the conflict in Northern Ireland play out for decades call the peace process a miracle. Various leaders negotiated for years to bring an end to Northern Ireland's "troubles." Culminating in a power sharing deal between Ulster's unionists, led by Ian Paisley, and Sinn Fein, the political arm of the IRA (nationalists), led by Gerry Adams, the road to peace has been a torturous one characterized by violence, set-backs and numerous false starts. Only recently the Ulster Defence Association, Northern Ireland's largest loyalist group, said it will cease to be an armed paramilitary group, starting at midnight on November 11, saying the "war is over." "All weaponry will be put beyond use," Colin Halliday of the Ulster Political Research Group, which is linked to the group, said in a speech in Belfast aired by RTE, Ireland's state-owned broadcaster. "The struggle to maintain the union is on a new and more complex battlefield." The Irish Republican Army (IRA) disarmed two years ago, helping to restore the province's government in Belfast. Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern said the most recent moves of groups to disarm was "significant and hopefully signals a further step toward the ending of all paramilitarism in Northern Ireland." For those that have lived through the turmoil in Northern Ireland, peace achieved though diplomacy must have seemed like an unrealistic goal. After all, each attack by loyalists usually resulted in retaliation by nationalists -- making the dispute bitter and intractable. But diplomacy has worked in bringing peace to Northern Ireland. Credit for developing a framework for the peace process stretches back to former British Prime Minster John Major's rule in the 1990s and efforts by Ireland's Ahern. But it was Major's successor, Tony Blair, who was unrelenting in his quest for peace by making it a major priority of his government. Blair came to Northern Ireland 37 times as Prime Minister, traveling there more often than any of his predecessors as well as hosting many meetings at 10 Downing Street and discussing the peace process while at many international summits. According to the Belfast Telegraph: "When he (Blair) said on that first day he had come to seek 'a lasting and fair political settlement' it turned out he wasn't spouting platitudes on a stump." Journalist James Button, who covered the peace process talks, says: "Blair played a clever hand. He saw the hardliners had to be involved. "Critically he judged that the process had to tilt ever so slightly towards the republicans to prevent a split in their ranks and the resumption of violence by radicals -- which had happened whenever the republican leadership had inclined to moderation before." Button says Downing Street had a bicycle theory around peace talks: "They had to keep going forward otherwise they would fall over." It was Blair's diplomacy that wooed the previously immovable Paisley. Irish political scientist Lord Bew told the Guardian the alliance with Paisley was Blair's "last great romance... Once again when we thought the old maestro was fading, his capacity to seduce, politically speaking, is phenomenal." But as Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein told CNN, the conflict was primarily a local one that needed to be solved by local people: "The people who have to be the brokers are the people who live in the areas of conflict. "They're the people who ought to be the brokers but everybody else from the outside has to enhance the conditions so that those leaders or factions can actually broker not just an agreement, but implement an agreement. "The Good Friday Agreement -- and [former U.S.] Senator [George] Mitchell said this at the time, when we got the agreement -- "That's the easy bit. Implementing it is going to be the difficult bit." Mitchell worked with the various participants to reach an agreement. The long road to peace The "troubles" have been a centuries-old dispute between England and Ireland over who controls Northern Ireland. In 1609

What have some commentators called the peace process?

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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Shoes tell a lot about a person. If you stumbled into my closet, you would probably think I was a security guard, a construction worker or a Nurse Ratched wannabe. My taste in shoes tends to be boxy, low-heeled and sturdy. If the equipment isn't cleaned properly, you could be at risk for infection when you get a pedicure. So it probably doesn't surprise you to learn that when it comes to pedicures, I am hardly a nail salon enabler. Unfortunately, in some sort of twisted cosmic comedy, both my teen and my tween daughters are pedicure addicts. To pedicure addicts, there is nothing better than being seated in those massive padded massage chairs, chin deep in fashion magazines, while some woman bathes, chisels, files and paints their toes. And up until now, the only thing I worried about was how much the extra flower motif on her big toe was going to cost me. Now, I have plenty of other stuff to worry about. Dr. Dina Tsentserensky, a podiatrist in New York, made it clear. "I definitely see patients that have had problems as a result of getting a pedicure," she said. "I guess the most common is fungal nails." Fungal nails!!! I really don't want to pay for that. The National Institutes of Health, unfortunately, describes fungal nail in less-than-clear terms: Fungal nail infection is an infection of the nails by a fungus. Prescription treatments are only about 50 percent effective, and most of these infections usually require the loss of the infected nail itself, the NIH Web site says. Cuts, scrapes and some other infections are also common results of seemingly soothing foot romps. Tsentserensky thinks it's nothing new. "I think it's a chronic problem that has been going on for a while," she said. "People just maybe chose to ignore it or don't pay attention as much as they should." Anyone who did pay attention could have known about some of those risks eight years ago. That's when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported finding a nasty infection that hit more than 100 pedicure patients. The culprit: a less-than-sterile footbath screen. The result: an infection called mycobacterium fortuitum. That mouthful of a malady left these customers, most of them women, with prolonged boils on their lower legs and some long-term scars. Although that report prompted nail salons to clean the screens on those foot baths more often, it doesn't mean that in the land of pedicure pampering, you can just relax and enjoy the polishing. Tsentserensky's chief advice is to be on high cleanliness alert. "I tell patients to make sure that the bathtubs are being cleaned properly, that they are using enough time in between so the disinfectant has time to work," she said. And the magic timeframe, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, is about 10 minutes between clients. The EPA also stresses that to ensure the safest conditions, the tubs need to be cleaned with an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant, which means the bottle itself will have a EPA registration number listed somewhere on the label. But it's not just the tubs that need to be clean. So do those instruments. "Make sure that instruments are getting sterilized properly," Tsentserensky cautions, "that they are using a sterilizer or an autoclave to properly sanitize the instruments or using the liquids for the proper periods of time." Timing is also important, but that's a condition that's on your side. Don't get a pedicure right after you've shaved your legs, had laser hair removal or have any cuts or bites on your legs. Any opening in the skin is an invitation that you might not want to be extending. And finally, make sure you can communicate with your nail technician to ensure he or she is taking the proper precautions to make your pedicure a stress-free experience and, more important, to

What type of hospital disinfectant do tubs need to be cleaned with?

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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Shoes tell a lot about a person. If you stumbled into my closet, you would probably think I was a security guard, a construction worker or a Nurse Ratched wannabe. My taste in shoes tends to be boxy, low-heeled and sturdy. If the equipment isn't cleaned properly, you could be at risk for infection when you get a pedicure. So it probably doesn't surprise you to learn that when it comes to pedicures, I am hardly a nail salon enabler. Unfortunately, in some sort of twisted cosmic comedy, both my teen and my tween daughters are pedicure addicts. To pedicure addicts, there is nothing better than being seated in those massive padded massage chairs, chin deep in fashion magazines, while some woman bathes, chisels, files and paints their toes. And up until now, the only thing I worried about was how much the extra flower motif on her big toe was going to cost me. Now, I have plenty of other stuff to worry about. Dr. Dina Tsentserensky, a podiatrist in New York, made it clear. "I definitely see patients that have had problems as a result of getting a pedicure," she said. "I guess the most common is fungal nails." Fungal nails!!! I really don't want to pay for that. The National Institutes of Health, unfortunately, describes fungal nail in less-than-clear terms: Fungal nail infection is an infection of the nails by a fungus. Prescription treatments are only about 50 percent effective, and most of these infections usually require the loss of the infected nail itself, the NIH Web site says. Cuts, scrapes and some other infections are also common results of seemingly soothing foot romps. Tsentserensky thinks it's nothing new. "I think it's a chronic problem that has been going on for a while," she said. "People just maybe chose to ignore it or don't pay attention as much as they should." Anyone who did pay attention could have known about some of those risks eight years ago. That's when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported finding a nasty infection that hit more than 100 pedicure patients. The culprit: a less-than-sterile footbath screen. The result: an infection called mycobacterium fortuitum. That mouthful of a malady left these customers, most of them women, with prolonged boils on their lower legs and some long-term scars. Although that report prompted nail salons to clean the screens on those foot baths more often, it doesn't mean that in the land of pedicure pampering, you can just relax and enjoy the polishing. Tsentserensky's chief advice is to be on high cleanliness alert. "I tell patients to make sure that the bathtubs are being cleaned properly, that they are using enough time in between so the disinfectant has time to work," she said. And the magic timeframe, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, is about 10 minutes between clients. The EPA also stresses that to ensure the safest conditions, the tubs need to be cleaned with an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant, which means the bottle itself will have a EPA registration number listed somewhere on the label. But it's not just the tubs that need to be clean. So do those instruments. "Make sure that instruments are getting sterilized properly," Tsentserensky cautions, "that they are using a sterilizer or an autoclave to properly sanitize the instruments or using the liquids for the proper periods of time." Timing is also important, but that's a condition that's on your side. Don't get a pedicure right after you've shaved your legs, had laser hair removal or have any cuts or bites on your legs. Any opening in the skin is an invitation that you might not want to be extending. And finally, make sure you can communicate with your nail technician to ensure he or she is taking the proper precautions to make your pedicure a stress-free experience and, more important, to

What can occur with pedicures?

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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Shoes tell a lot about a person. If you stumbled into my closet, you would probably think I was a security guard, a construction worker or a Nurse Ratched wannabe. My taste in shoes tends to be boxy, low-heeled and sturdy. If the equipment isn't cleaned properly, you could be at risk for infection when you get a pedicure. So it probably doesn't surprise you to learn that when it comes to pedicures, I am hardly a nail salon enabler. Unfortunately, in some sort of twisted cosmic comedy, both my teen and my tween daughters are pedicure addicts. To pedicure addicts, there is nothing better than being seated in those massive padded massage chairs, chin deep in fashion magazines, while some woman bathes, chisels, files and paints their toes. And up until now, the only thing I worried about was how much the extra flower motif on her big toe was going to cost me. Now, I have plenty of other stuff to worry about. Dr. Dina Tsentserensky, a podiatrist in New York, made it clear. "I definitely see patients that have had problems as a result of getting a pedicure," she said. "I guess the most common is fungal nails." Fungal nails!!! I really don't want to pay for that. The National Institutes of Health, unfortunately, describes fungal nail in less-than-clear terms: Fungal nail infection is an infection of the nails by a fungus. Prescription treatments are only about 50 percent effective, and most of these infections usually require the loss of the infected nail itself, the NIH Web site says. Cuts, scrapes and some other infections are also common results of seemingly soothing foot romps. Tsentserensky thinks it's nothing new. "I think it's a chronic problem that has been going on for a while," she said. "People just maybe chose to ignore it or don't pay attention as much as they should." Anyone who did pay attention could have known about some of those risks eight years ago. That's when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported finding a nasty infection that hit more than 100 pedicure patients. The culprit: a less-than-sterile footbath screen. The result: an infection called mycobacterium fortuitum. That mouthful of a malady left these customers, most of them women, with prolonged boils on their lower legs and some long-term scars. Although that report prompted nail salons to clean the screens on those foot baths more often, it doesn't mean that in the land of pedicure pampering, you can just relax and enjoy the polishing. Tsentserensky's chief advice is to be on high cleanliness alert. "I tell patients to make sure that the bathtubs are being cleaned properly, that they are using enough time in between so the disinfectant has time to work," she said. And the magic timeframe, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, is about 10 minutes between clients. The EPA also stresses that to ensure the safest conditions, the tubs need to be cleaned with an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant, which means the bottle itself will have a EPA registration number listed somewhere on the label. But it's not just the tubs that need to be clean. So do those instruments. "Make sure that instruments are getting sterilized properly," Tsentserensky cautions, "that they are using a sterilizer or an autoclave to properly sanitize the instruments or using the liquids for the proper periods of time." Timing is also important, but that's a condition that's on your side. Don't get a pedicure right after you've shaved your legs, had laser hair removal or have any cuts or bites on your legs. Any opening in the skin is an invitation that you might not want to be extending. And finally, make sure you can communicate with your nail technician to ensure he or she is taking the proper precautions to make your pedicure a stress-free experience and, more important, to

Should instruments used for pedicures did sterilized?

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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Shoes tell a lot about a person. If you stumbled into my closet, you would probably think I was a security guard, a construction worker or a Nurse Ratched wannabe. My taste in shoes tends to be boxy, low-heeled and sturdy. If the equipment isn't cleaned properly, you could be at risk for infection when you get a pedicure. So it probably doesn't surprise you to learn that when it comes to pedicures, I am hardly a nail salon enabler. Unfortunately, in some sort of twisted cosmic comedy, both my teen and my tween daughters are pedicure addicts. To pedicure addicts, there is nothing better than being seated in those massive padded massage chairs, chin deep in fashion magazines, while some woman bathes, chisels, files and paints their toes. And up until now, the only thing I worried about was how much the extra flower motif on her big toe was going to cost me. Now, I have plenty of other stuff to worry about. Dr. Dina Tsentserensky, a podiatrist in New York, made it clear. "I definitely see patients that have had problems as a result of getting a pedicure," she said. "I guess the most common is fungal nails." Fungal nails!!! I really don't want to pay for that. The National Institutes of Health, unfortunately, describes fungal nail in less-than-clear terms: Fungal nail infection is an infection of the nails by a fungus. Prescription treatments are only about 50 percent effective, and most of these infections usually require the loss of the infected nail itself, the NIH Web site says. Cuts, scrapes and some other infections are also common results of seemingly soothing foot romps. Tsentserensky thinks it's nothing new. "I think it's a chronic problem that has been going on for a while," she said. "People just maybe chose to ignore it or don't pay attention as much as they should." Anyone who did pay attention could have known about some of those risks eight years ago. That's when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported finding a nasty infection that hit more than 100 pedicure patients. The culprit: a less-than-sterile footbath screen. The result: an infection called mycobacterium fortuitum. That mouthful of a malady left these customers, most of them women, with prolonged boils on their lower legs and some long-term scars. Although that report prompted nail salons to clean the screens on those foot baths more often, it doesn't mean that in the land of pedicure pampering, you can just relax and enjoy the polishing. Tsentserensky's chief advice is to be on high cleanliness alert. "I tell patients to make sure that the bathtubs are being cleaned properly, that they are using enough time in between so the disinfectant has time to work," she said. And the magic timeframe, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, is about 10 minutes between clients. The EPA also stresses that to ensure the safest conditions, the tubs need to be cleaned with an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant, which means the bottle itself will have a EPA registration number listed somewhere on the label. But it's not just the tubs that need to be clean. So do those instruments. "Make sure that instruments are getting sterilized properly," Tsentserensky cautions, "that they are using a sterilizer or an autoclave to properly sanitize the instruments or using the liquids for the proper periods of time." Timing is also important, but that's a condition that's on your side. Don't get a pedicure right after you've shaved your legs, had laser hair removal or have any cuts or bites on your legs. Any opening in the skin is an invitation that you might not want to be extending. And finally, make sure you can communicate with your nail technician to ensure he or she is taking the proper precautions to make your pedicure a stress-free experience and, more important, to

what chemicals are used

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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Shoes tell a lot about a person. If you stumbled into my closet, you would probably think I was a security guard, a construction worker or a Nurse Ratched wannabe. My taste in shoes tends to be boxy, low-heeled and sturdy. If the equipment isn't cleaned properly, you could be at risk for infection when you get a pedicure. So it probably doesn't surprise you to learn that when it comes to pedicures, I am hardly a nail salon enabler. Unfortunately, in some sort of twisted cosmic comedy, both my teen and my tween daughters are pedicure addicts. To pedicure addicts, there is nothing better than being seated in those massive padded massage chairs, chin deep in fashion magazines, while some woman bathes, chisels, files and paints their toes. And up until now, the only thing I worried about was how much the extra flower motif on her big toe was going to cost me. Now, I have plenty of other stuff to worry about. Dr. Dina Tsentserensky, a podiatrist in New York, made it clear. "I definitely see patients that have had problems as a result of getting a pedicure," she said. "I guess the most common is fungal nails." Fungal nails!!! I really don't want to pay for that. The National Institutes of Health, unfortunately, describes fungal nail in less-than-clear terms: Fungal nail infection is an infection of the nails by a fungus. Prescription treatments are only about 50 percent effective, and most of these infections usually require the loss of the infected nail itself, the NIH Web site says. Cuts, scrapes and some other infections are also common results of seemingly soothing foot romps. Tsentserensky thinks it's nothing new. "I think it's a chronic problem that has been going on for a while," she said. "People just maybe chose to ignore it or don't pay attention as much as they should." Anyone who did pay attention could have known about some of those risks eight years ago. That's when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported finding a nasty infection that hit more than 100 pedicure patients. The culprit: a less-than-sterile footbath screen. The result: an infection called mycobacterium fortuitum. That mouthful of a malady left these customers, most of them women, with prolonged boils on their lower legs and some long-term scars. Although that report prompted nail salons to clean the screens on those foot baths more often, it doesn't mean that in the land of pedicure pampering, you can just relax and enjoy the polishing. Tsentserensky's chief advice is to be on high cleanliness alert. "I tell patients to make sure that the bathtubs are being cleaned properly, that they are using enough time in between so the disinfectant has time to work," she said. And the magic timeframe, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, is about 10 minutes between clients. The EPA also stresses that to ensure the safest conditions, the tubs need to be cleaned with an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant, which means the bottle itself will have a EPA registration number listed somewhere on the label. But it's not just the tubs that need to be clean. So do those instruments. "Make sure that instruments are getting sterilized properly," Tsentserensky cautions, "that they are using a sterilizer or an autoclave to properly sanitize the instruments or using the liquids for the proper periods of time." Timing is also important, but that's a condition that's on your side. Don't get a pedicure right after you've shaved your legs, had laser hair removal or have any cuts or bites on your legs. Any opening in the skin is an invitation that you might not want to be extending. And finally, make sure you can communicate with your nail technician to ensure he or she is taking the proper precautions to make your pedicure a stress-free experience and, more important, to

What are some preventative measures?

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(CNN) -- A 23-year-old Mexican beauty queen and seven men were taken into custody late Monday after being found in vehicles containing weapons and cash in central Mexico, police said Tuesday. Laura Zuniga and seven men were found in vehicles with guns and $50,000, Mexican police say. Laura Zuniga and the men were traveling in two vehicles that contained AR-15 assault rifles, handguns, cartridges and $50,000 in cash, said Luis Carlos Najera Gutierrez de Velazco, secretary of public security for the state of Jalisco. The eight were stopped in Zapopan, outside Guadalajara, and will face arms charges and an investigation by a federal organized crime team, Najera said. Police, who had received a tip that a group of armed men were in a home, "detected" the vehicles as they were traveling to investigate the call, Najera said. One of the men in the vehicles was 29-year-old Angel Orlando Garcia Urquiza, who is Zuniga's boyfriend and the brother of "one of the greatest capos of narcotraffic," Najera said. Najera said Urquiza's brother, Ricardo Garcia Urquiza, is a member of the Juarez cartel and already was in police custody. All eight were filed before the news media Tuesday. Zuniga, wearing blue jeans and a gray sweater, raised her handcuffed wrists to cover her face in a police picture. Zuniga is from Culiacan in the state of Sinaloa, a center of drug activity. In July, she won the title Nuestra Belleza Sinaloa. That gave her the right to compete two months later in the national Nuestra Belleza Mexico in Monterrey, where she won "The Election of the Queens," one of five special recognitions, and came in third overall. In October, she won the title "Hispanoamerican Queen 2008" in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. According to the Nuestra Belleza Mexico Web site, she is to represent Mexico in next year's Miss International contest.

who was found with $50,000?

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(CNN) -- A 23-year-old Mexican beauty queen and seven men were taken into custody late Monday after being found in vehicles containing weapons and cash in central Mexico, police said Tuesday. Laura Zuniga and seven men were found in vehicles with guns and $50,000, Mexican police say. Laura Zuniga and the men were traveling in two vehicles that contained AR-15 assault rifles, handguns, cartridges and $50,000 in cash, said Luis Carlos Najera Gutierrez de Velazco, secretary of public security for the state of Jalisco. The eight were stopped in Zapopan, outside Guadalajara, and will face arms charges and an investigation by a federal organized crime team, Najera said. Police, who had received a tip that a group of armed men were in a home, "detected" the vehicles as they were traveling to investigate the call, Najera said. One of the men in the vehicles was 29-year-old Angel Orlando Garcia Urquiza, who is Zuniga's boyfriend and the brother of "one of the greatest capos of narcotraffic," Najera said. Najera said Urquiza's brother, Ricardo Garcia Urquiza, is a member of the Juarez cartel and already was in police custody. All eight were filed before the news media Tuesday. Zuniga, wearing blue jeans and a gray sweater, raised her handcuffed wrists to cover her face in a police picture. Zuniga is from Culiacan in the state of Sinaloa, a center of drug activity. In July, she won the title Nuestra Belleza Sinaloa. That gave her the right to compete two months later in the national Nuestra Belleza Mexico in Monterrey, where she won "The Election of the Queens," one of five special recognitions, and came in third overall. In October, she won the title "Hispanoamerican Queen 2008" in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. According to the Nuestra Belleza Mexico Web site, she is to represent Mexico in next year's Miss International contest.

who won state beauty contest?

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(CNN) -- A 23-year-old Mexican beauty queen and seven men were taken into custody late Monday after being found in vehicles containing weapons and cash in central Mexico, police said Tuesday. Laura Zuniga and seven men were found in vehicles with guns and $50,000, Mexican police say. Laura Zuniga and the men were traveling in two vehicles that contained AR-15 assault rifles, handguns, cartridges and $50,000 in cash, said Luis Carlos Najera Gutierrez de Velazco, secretary of public security for the state of Jalisco. The eight were stopped in Zapopan, outside Guadalajara, and will face arms charges and an investigation by a federal organized crime team, Najera said. Police, who had received a tip that a group of armed men were in a home, "detected" the vehicles as they were traveling to investigate the call, Najera said. One of the men in the vehicles was 29-year-old Angel Orlando Garcia Urquiza, who is Zuniga's boyfriend and the brother of "one of the greatest capos of narcotraffic," Najera said. Najera said Urquiza's brother, Ricardo Garcia Urquiza, is a member of the Juarez cartel and already was in police custody. All eight were filed before the news media Tuesday. Zuniga, wearing blue jeans and a gray sweater, raised her handcuffed wrists to cover her face in a police picture. Zuniga is from Culiacan in the state of Sinaloa, a center of drug activity. In July, she won the title Nuestra Belleza Sinaloa. That gave her the right to compete two months later in the national Nuestra Belleza Mexico in Monterrey, where she won "The Election of the Queens," one of five special recognitions, and came in third overall. In October, she won the title "Hispanoamerican Queen 2008" in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. According to the Nuestra Belleza Mexico Web site, she is to represent Mexico in next year's Miss International contest.

How much money was saved?

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(CNN) -- A 23-year-old Mexican beauty queen and seven men were taken into custody late Monday after being found in vehicles containing weapons and cash in central Mexico, police said Tuesday. Laura Zuniga and seven men were found in vehicles with guns and $50,000, Mexican police say. Laura Zuniga and the men were traveling in two vehicles that contained AR-15 assault rifles, handguns, cartridges and $50,000 in cash, said Luis Carlos Najera Gutierrez de Velazco, secretary of public security for the state of Jalisco. The eight were stopped in Zapopan, outside Guadalajara, and will face arms charges and an investigation by a federal organized crime team, Najera said. Police, who had received a tip that a group of armed men were in a home, "detected" the vehicles as they were traveling to investigate the call, Najera said. One of the men in the vehicles was 29-year-old Angel Orlando Garcia Urquiza, who is Zuniga's boyfriend and the brother of "one of the greatest capos of narcotraffic," Najera said. Najera said Urquiza's brother, Ricardo Garcia Urquiza, is a member of the Juarez cartel and already was in police custody. All eight were filed before the news media Tuesday. Zuniga, wearing blue jeans and a gray sweater, raised her handcuffed wrists to cover her face in a police picture. Zuniga is from Culiacan in the state of Sinaloa, a center of drug activity. In July, she won the title Nuestra Belleza Sinaloa. That gave her the right to compete two months later in the national Nuestra Belleza Mexico in Monterrey, where she won "The Election of the Queens," one of five special recognitions, and came in third overall. In October, she won the title "Hispanoamerican Queen 2008" in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. According to the Nuestra Belleza Mexico Web site, she is to represent Mexico in next year's Miss International contest.

according to whom seven men face charges?

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(CNN) -- A 23-year-old Mexican beauty queen and seven men were taken into custody late Monday after being found in vehicles containing weapons and cash in central Mexico, police said Tuesday. Laura Zuniga and seven men were found in vehicles with guns and $50,000, Mexican police say. Laura Zuniga and the men were traveling in two vehicles that contained AR-15 assault rifles, handguns, cartridges and $50,000 in cash, said Luis Carlos Najera Gutierrez de Velazco, secretary of public security for the state of Jalisco. The eight were stopped in Zapopan, outside Guadalajara, and will face arms charges and an investigation by a federal organized crime team, Najera said. Police, who had received a tip that a group of armed men were in a home, "detected" the vehicles as they were traveling to investigate the call, Najera said. One of the men in the vehicles was 29-year-old Angel Orlando Garcia Urquiza, who is Zuniga's boyfriend and the brother of "one of the greatest capos of narcotraffic," Najera said. Najera said Urquiza's brother, Ricardo Garcia Urquiza, is a member of the Juarez cartel and already was in police custody. All eight were filed before the news media Tuesday. Zuniga, wearing blue jeans and a gray sweater, raised her handcuffed wrists to cover her face in a police picture. Zuniga is from Culiacan in the state of Sinaloa, a center of drug activity. In July, she won the title Nuestra Belleza Sinaloa. That gave her the right to compete two months later in the national Nuestra Belleza Mexico in Monterrey, where she won "The Election of the Queens," one of five special recognitions, and came in third overall. In October, she won the title "Hispanoamerican Queen 2008" in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. According to the Nuestra Belleza Mexico Web site, she is to represent Mexico in next year's Miss International contest.

What did the police do?

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(CNN) -- A 23-year-old Mexican beauty queen and seven men were taken into custody late Monday after being found in vehicles containing weapons and cash in central Mexico, police said Tuesday. Laura Zuniga and seven men were found in vehicles with guns and $50,000, Mexican police say. Laura Zuniga and the men were traveling in two vehicles that contained AR-15 assault rifles, handguns, cartridges and $50,000 in cash, said Luis Carlos Najera Gutierrez de Velazco, secretary of public security for the state of Jalisco. The eight were stopped in Zapopan, outside Guadalajara, and will face arms charges and an investigation by a federal organized crime team, Najera said. Police, who had received a tip that a group of armed men were in a home, "detected" the vehicles as they were traveling to investigate the call, Najera said. One of the men in the vehicles was 29-year-old Angel Orlando Garcia Urquiza, who is Zuniga's boyfriend and the brother of "one of the greatest capos of narcotraffic," Najera said. Najera said Urquiza's brother, Ricardo Garcia Urquiza, is a member of the Juarez cartel and already was in police custody. All eight were filed before the news media Tuesday. Zuniga, wearing blue jeans and a gray sweater, raised her handcuffed wrists to cover her face in a police picture. Zuniga is from Culiacan in the state of Sinaloa, a center of drug activity. In July, she won the title Nuestra Belleza Sinaloa. That gave her the right to compete two months later in the national Nuestra Belleza Mexico in Monterrey, where she won "The Election of the Queens," one of five special recognitions, and came in third overall. In October, she won the title "Hispanoamerican Queen 2008" in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. According to the Nuestra Belleza Mexico Web site, she is to represent Mexico in next year's Miss International contest.

What did she win?

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(CNN) -- A 23-year-old Mexican beauty queen and seven men were taken into custody late Monday after being found in vehicles containing weapons and cash in central Mexico, police said Tuesday. Laura Zuniga and seven men were found in vehicles with guns and $50,000, Mexican police say. Laura Zuniga and the men were traveling in two vehicles that contained AR-15 assault rifles, handguns, cartridges and $50,000 in cash, said Luis Carlos Najera Gutierrez de Velazco, secretary of public security for the state of Jalisco. The eight were stopped in Zapopan, outside Guadalajara, and will face arms charges and an investigation by a federal organized crime team, Najera said. Police, who had received a tip that a group of armed men were in a home, "detected" the vehicles as they were traveling to investigate the call, Najera said. One of the men in the vehicles was 29-year-old Angel Orlando Garcia Urquiza, who is Zuniga's boyfriend and the brother of "one of the greatest capos of narcotraffic," Najera said. Najera said Urquiza's brother, Ricardo Garcia Urquiza, is a member of the Juarez cartel and already was in police custody. All eight were filed before the news media Tuesday. Zuniga, wearing blue jeans and a gray sweater, raised her handcuffed wrists to cover her face in a police picture. Zuniga is from Culiacan in the state of Sinaloa, a center of drug activity. In July, she won the title Nuestra Belleza Sinaloa. That gave her the right to compete two months later in the national Nuestra Belleza Mexico in Monterrey, where she won "The Election of the Queens," one of five special recognitions, and came in third overall. In October, she won the title "Hispanoamerican Queen 2008" in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. According to the Nuestra Belleza Mexico Web site, she is to represent Mexico in next year's Miss International contest.

What title was she given in October?

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(CNN) -- Somalia said a senior al Qaeda operative tied to several attacks in East Africa was killed Monday in a U.S. strike in southern Somalia. Saleh ali Saleh Nabhan, pictured on the FBI's Web site, reportedly was tied to al Qaeda's East Africa operations. Intelligence sources have confirmed to the Somali government that Saleh ali Saleh Nabhan was killed, Information Minister Dahir Mohamud Gelle said Tuesday. "We welcome that attack because those people targeted were murderers, and they are unwanted and unwelcome in Somalia," Gelle said. Nabhan's death will have "a major impact" on al Qaeda's operations in the Horn of Africa, according to one regional analyst. U.S. special operations forces used a helicopter to fire on a car Monday in southern Somalia, killing several people, including one they believed was Nabhan, U.S. officials told CNN earlier. Nabhan, 30, was born in Kenya and had been tied to attacks that included the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, according to the sources. More than 200 were killed, and 4,000 wounded in those attacks, most of them Kenyans. The United States targeted Nabhan in an airstrike in southern Somalia near the Kenyan border in March 2008, U.S. officials said at the time. In February 2006, the FBI announced that Nabhan was wanted for questioning in connection with the 2002 suicide bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel and the unsuccessful attack on an Israeli charter jet in Mombasa, Kenya. Ten Kenyans and three Israelis -- including two children -- were killed when three suicide bombers detonated a car bomb outside Mombasa's Paradise Hotel in November 2002. The bombing took place within minutes of an unsuccessful missile attack on an Israeli charter jet, which was taking off with 261 passengers and 10 crew members. President Obama signed off on Monday's operation, a senior U.S. official said. The United States had been monitoring the situation for days and had intelligence that Nabhan was in the area, the U.S. officials said. The officials who talked to CNN are familiar with the latest information on Monday's strike but did not want to be identified because they were not authorized to talk to the media. The U.S. helicopter flew from a U.S. Navy warship offshore, while the ship kept watch on the operation, one of the sources said. The warship was ready to rescue the American troops if they got into trouble. Farmers in the southeastern town of Barawe, Somalia, said they witnessed the assault. They said helicopters attacked a car and its occupants and that at least two people died. The witnesses said some helicopters landed and that some of the injured or dead were pulled into at least one helicopter. A U.S. official said the troops landed to take away the body believed to be that of Nabhan for positive identification. Nabhan is believed to be an associate of al Qaeda member Harun Fazul, who was indicted in the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies. The U.S. military has long sought Nabhan because he is believed to be deeply involved in al Qaeda's East African operations, a senior U.S. official said last year. "He was certainly one of the leading al Qaeda figures in East Africa," said Rashid Abdi, a Somalia analyst for the International Crisis Group, an independent advisory and analysis organization. Nabhan "has been living in the shadows" in Somalia and not much is known about his recent activity, Abdi said. "The fact that he is now out of the picture will have a bigger impact on al Qaeda than on Al-Shabaab," he said, referring to the Islamist militia in Somalia that has ties to al Qaeda. "He is a man with an important organizational memory, and if a key figure like him is killed, it always has a major impact." Al-Shabaab is waging a bloody battle against Somalia's transitional government and is on the U.S. list of terrorist organizations because of its al Qaeda ties. There are growing concerns that Somalia could be the next base for al Qaeda as U.S. forces pound their positions in Afghanistan and Pakistan. CIA Director Leon

What did US special forces do?

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(CNN) -- Somalia said a senior al Qaeda operative tied to several attacks in East Africa was killed Monday in a U.S. strike in southern Somalia. Saleh ali Saleh Nabhan, pictured on the FBI's Web site, reportedly was tied to al Qaeda's East Africa operations. Intelligence sources have confirmed to the Somali government that Saleh ali Saleh Nabhan was killed, Information Minister Dahir Mohamud Gelle said Tuesday. "We welcome that attack because those people targeted were murderers, and they are unwanted and unwelcome in Somalia," Gelle said. Nabhan's death will have "a major impact" on al Qaeda's operations in the Horn of Africa, according to one regional analyst. U.S. special operations forces used a helicopter to fire on a car Monday in southern Somalia, killing several people, including one they believed was Nabhan, U.S. officials told CNN earlier. Nabhan, 30, was born in Kenya and had been tied to attacks that included the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, according to the sources. More than 200 were killed, and 4,000 wounded in those attacks, most of them Kenyans. The United States targeted Nabhan in an airstrike in southern Somalia near the Kenyan border in March 2008, U.S. officials said at the time. In February 2006, the FBI announced that Nabhan was wanted for questioning in connection with the 2002 suicide bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel and the unsuccessful attack on an Israeli charter jet in Mombasa, Kenya. Ten Kenyans and three Israelis -- including two children -- were killed when three suicide bombers detonated a car bomb outside Mombasa's Paradise Hotel in November 2002. The bombing took place within minutes of an unsuccessful missile attack on an Israeli charter jet, which was taking off with 261 passengers and 10 crew members. President Obama signed off on Monday's operation, a senior U.S. official said. The United States had been monitoring the situation for days and had intelligence that Nabhan was in the area, the U.S. officials said. The officials who talked to CNN are familiar with the latest information on Monday's strike but did not want to be identified because they were not authorized to talk to the media. The U.S. helicopter flew from a U.S. Navy warship offshore, while the ship kept watch on the operation, one of the sources said. The warship was ready to rescue the American troops if they got into trouble. Farmers in the southeastern town of Barawe, Somalia, said they witnessed the assault. They said helicopters attacked a car and its occupants and that at least two people died. The witnesses said some helicopters landed and that some of the injured or dead were pulled into at least one helicopter. A U.S. official said the troops landed to take away the body believed to be that of Nabhan for positive identification. Nabhan is believed to be an associate of al Qaeda member Harun Fazul, who was indicted in the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies. The U.S. military has long sought Nabhan because he is believed to be deeply involved in al Qaeda's East African operations, a senior U.S. official said last year. "He was certainly one of the leading al Qaeda figures in East Africa," said Rashid Abdi, a Somalia analyst for the International Crisis Group, an independent advisory and analysis organization. Nabhan "has been living in the shadows" in Somalia and not much is known about his recent activity, Abdi said. "The fact that he is now out of the picture will have a bigger impact on al Qaeda than on Al-Shabaab," he said, referring to the Islamist militia in Somalia that has ties to al Qaeda. "He is a man with an important organizational memory, and if a key figure like him is killed, it always has a major impact." Al-Shabaab is waging a bloody battle against Somalia's transitional government and is on the U.S. list of terrorist organizations because of its al Qaeda ties. There are growing concerns that Somalia could be the next base for al Qaeda as U.S. forces pound their positions in Afghanistan and Pakistan. CIA Director Leon

What does analyst call operative?

9e9bf8b711a6459c8ca9249a3d24a740

(CNN) -- Somalia said a senior al Qaeda operative tied to several attacks in East Africa was killed Monday in a U.S. strike in southern Somalia. Saleh ali Saleh Nabhan, pictured on the FBI's Web site, reportedly was tied to al Qaeda's East Africa operations. Intelligence sources have confirmed to the Somali government that Saleh ali Saleh Nabhan was killed, Information Minister Dahir Mohamud Gelle said Tuesday. "We welcome that attack because those people targeted were murderers, and they are unwanted and unwelcome in Somalia," Gelle said. Nabhan's death will have "a major impact" on al Qaeda's operations in the Horn of Africa, according to one regional analyst. U.S. special operations forces used a helicopter to fire on a car Monday in southern Somalia, killing several people, including one they believed was Nabhan, U.S. officials told CNN earlier. Nabhan, 30, was born in Kenya and had been tied to attacks that included the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, according to the sources. More than 200 were killed, and 4,000 wounded in those attacks, most of them Kenyans. The United States targeted Nabhan in an airstrike in southern Somalia near the Kenyan border in March 2008, U.S. officials said at the time. In February 2006, the FBI announced that Nabhan was wanted for questioning in connection with the 2002 suicide bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel and the unsuccessful attack on an Israeli charter jet in Mombasa, Kenya. Ten Kenyans and three Israelis -- including two children -- were killed when three suicide bombers detonated a car bomb outside Mombasa's Paradise Hotel in November 2002. The bombing took place within minutes of an unsuccessful missile attack on an Israeli charter jet, which was taking off with 261 passengers and 10 crew members. President Obama signed off on Monday's operation, a senior U.S. official said. The United States had been monitoring the situation for days and had intelligence that Nabhan was in the area, the U.S. officials said. The officials who talked to CNN are familiar with the latest information on Monday's strike but did not want to be identified because they were not authorized to talk to the media. The U.S. helicopter flew from a U.S. Navy warship offshore, while the ship kept watch on the operation, one of the sources said. The warship was ready to rescue the American troops if they got into trouble. Farmers in the southeastern town of Barawe, Somalia, said they witnessed the assault. They said helicopters attacked a car and its occupants and that at least two people died. The witnesses said some helicopters landed and that some of the injured or dead were pulled into at least one helicopter. A U.S. official said the troops landed to take away the body believed to be that of Nabhan for positive identification. Nabhan is believed to be an associate of al Qaeda member Harun Fazul, who was indicted in the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies. The U.S. military has long sought Nabhan because he is believed to be deeply involved in al Qaeda's East African operations, a senior U.S. official said last year. "He was certainly one of the leading al Qaeda figures in East Africa," said Rashid Abdi, a Somalia analyst for the International Crisis Group, an independent advisory and analysis organization. Nabhan "has been living in the shadows" in Somalia and not much is known about his recent activity, Abdi said. "The fact that he is now out of the picture will have a bigger impact on al Qaeda than on Al-Shabaab," he said, referring to the Islamist militia in Somalia that has ties to al Qaeda. "He is a man with an important organizational memory, and if a key figure like him is killed, it always has a major impact." Al-Shabaab is waging a bloody battle against Somalia's transitional government and is on the U.S. list of terrorist organizations because of its al Qaeda ties. There are growing concerns that Somalia could be the next base for al Qaeda as U.S. forces pound their positions in Afghanistan and Pakistan. CIA Director Leon

What has happened to Saleh ali Saleh Nabhan?

3b591766f2444ce080c7e53d927cefc6

(CNN) -- Somalia said a senior al Qaeda operative tied to several attacks in East Africa was killed Monday in a U.S. strike in southern Somalia. Saleh ali Saleh Nabhan, pictured on the FBI's Web site, reportedly was tied to al Qaeda's East Africa operations. Intelligence sources have confirmed to the Somali government that Saleh ali Saleh Nabhan was killed, Information Minister Dahir Mohamud Gelle said Tuesday. "We welcome that attack because those people targeted were murderers, and they are unwanted and unwelcome in Somalia," Gelle said. Nabhan's death will have "a major impact" on al Qaeda's operations in the Horn of Africa, according to one regional analyst. U.S. special operations forces used a helicopter to fire on a car Monday in southern Somalia, killing several people, including one they believed was Nabhan, U.S. officials told CNN earlier. Nabhan, 30, was born in Kenya and had been tied to attacks that included the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, according to the sources. More than 200 were killed, and 4,000 wounded in those attacks, most of them Kenyans. The United States targeted Nabhan in an airstrike in southern Somalia near the Kenyan border in March 2008, U.S. officials said at the time. In February 2006, the FBI announced that Nabhan was wanted for questioning in connection with the 2002 suicide bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel and the unsuccessful attack on an Israeli charter jet in Mombasa, Kenya. Ten Kenyans and three Israelis -- including two children -- were killed when three suicide bombers detonated a car bomb outside Mombasa's Paradise Hotel in November 2002. The bombing took place within minutes of an unsuccessful missile attack on an Israeli charter jet, which was taking off with 261 passengers and 10 crew members. President Obama signed off on Monday's operation, a senior U.S. official said. The United States had been monitoring the situation for days and had intelligence that Nabhan was in the area, the U.S. officials said. The officials who talked to CNN are familiar with the latest information on Monday's strike but did not want to be identified because they were not authorized to talk to the media. The U.S. helicopter flew from a U.S. Navy warship offshore, while the ship kept watch on the operation, one of the sources said. The warship was ready to rescue the American troops if they got into trouble. Farmers in the southeastern town of Barawe, Somalia, said they witnessed the assault. They said helicopters attacked a car and its occupants and that at least two people died. The witnesses said some helicopters landed and that some of the injured or dead were pulled into at least one helicopter. A U.S. official said the troops landed to take away the body believed to be that of Nabhan for positive identification. Nabhan is believed to be an associate of al Qaeda member Harun Fazul, who was indicted in the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies. The U.S. military has long sought Nabhan because he is believed to be deeply involved in al Qaeda's East African operations, a senior U.S. official said last year. "He was certainly one of the leading al Qaeda figures in East Africa," said Rashid Abdi, a Somalia analyst for the International Crisis Group, an independent advisory and analysis organization. Nabhan "has been living in the shadows" in Somalia and not much is known about his recent activity, Abdi said. "The fact that he is now out of the picture will have a bigger impact on al Qaeda than on Al-Shabaab," he said, referring to the Islamist militia in Somalia that has ties to al Qaeda. "He is a man with an important organizational memory, and if a key figure like him is killed, it always has a major impact." Al-Shabaab is waging a bloody battle against Somalia's transitional government and is on the U.S. list of terrorist organizations because of its al Qaeda ties. There are growing concerns that Somalia could be the next base for al Qaeda as U.S. forces pound their positions in Afghanistan and Pakistan. CIA Director Leon

What do US officials say has happened?

02e6ed8485bb47cab77aa43984605e5a

(CNN) -- Somalia said a senior al Qaeda operative tied to several attacks in East Africa was killed Monday in a U.S. strike in southern Somalia. Saleh ali Saleh Nabhan, pictured on the FBI's Web site, reportedly was tied to al Qaeda's East Africa operations. Intelligence sources have confirmed to the Somali government that Saleh ali Saleh Nabhan was killed, Information Minister Dahir Mohamud Gelle said Tuesday. "We welcome that attack because those people targeted were murderers, and they are unwanted and unwelcome in Somalia," Gelle said. Nabhan's death will have "a major impact" on al Qaeda's operations in the Horn of Africa, according to one regional analyst. U.S. special operations forces used a helicopter to fire on a car Monday in southern Somalia, killing several people, including one they believed was Nabhan, U.S. officials told CNN earlier. Nabhan, 30, was born in Kenya and had been tied to attacks that included the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, according to the sources. More than 200 were killed, and 4,000 wounded in those attacks, most of them Kenyans. The United States targeted Nabhan in an airstrike in southern Somalia near the Kenyan border in March 2008, U.S. officials said at the time. In February 2006, the FBI announced that Nabhan was wanted for questioning in connection with the 2002 suicide bombing of an Israeli-owned hotel and the unsuccessful attack on an Israeli charter jet in Mombasa, Kenya. Ten Kenyans and three Israelis -- including two children -- were killed when three suicide bombers detonated a car bomb outside Mombasa's Paradise Hotel in November 2002. The bombing took place within minutes of an unsuccessful missile attack on an Israeli charter jet, which was taking off with 261 passengers and 10 crew members. President Obama signed off on Monday's operation, a senior U.S. official said. The United States had been monitoring the situation for days and had intelligence that Nabhan was in the area, the U.S. officials said. The officials who talked to CNN are familiar with the latest information on Monday's strike but did not want to be identified because they were not authorized to talk to the media. The U.S. helicopter flew from a U.S. Navy warship offshore, while the ship kept watch on the operation, one of the sources said. The warship was ready to rescue the American troops if they got into trouble. Farmers in the southeastern town of Barawe, Somalia, said they witnessed the assault. They said helicopters attacked a car and its occupants and that at least two people died. The witnesses said some helicopters landed and that some of the injured or dead were pulled into at least one helicopter. A U.S. official said the troops landed to take away the body believed to be that of Nabhan for positive identification. Nabhan is believed to be an associate of al Qaeda member Harun Fazul, who was indicted in the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies. The U.S. military has long sought Nabhan because he is believed to be deeply involved in al Qaeda's East African operations, a senior U.S. official said last year. "He was certainly one of the leading al Qaeda figures in East Africa," said Rashid Abdi, a Somalia analyst for the International Crisis Group, an independent advisory and analysis organization. Nabhan "has been living in the shadows" in Somalia and not much is known about his recent activity, Abdi said. "The fact that he is now out of the picture will have a bigger impact on al Qaeda than on Al-Shabaab," he said, referring to the Islamist militia in Somalia that has ties to al Qaeda. "He is a man with an important organizational memory, and if a key figure like him is killed, it always has a major impact." Al-Shabaab is waging a bloody battle against Somalia's transitional government and is on the U.S. list of terrorist organizations because of its al Qaeda ties. There are growing concerns that Somalia could be the next base for al Qaeda as U.S. forces pound their positions in Afghanistan and Pakistan. CIA Director Leon

When were the US embassies bombed in Kenya and Tanzania?

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Paris (CNN) -- Flamboyant fashion designer John Galliano went on trial Wednesday, accused of making anti-Semitic comments against at least three people in a Paris cafe. Galliano, who was fired by fashion giant Christian Dior in March after video surfaced showing him praising Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, testified Wednesday that drugs were to blame. Judge Anne-Marie Sauteraud read out a list of the abuse Galliano is accused of hurling at Geraldine Bloch and Philippe Virgitti, including obscenities mixed with remarks about their ethnic backgrounds. "He said 'dirty whore' at least a thousand times," the judge said. Galliano said on the witness stand that he had no memory of making the comments. Asked to explain his "lack of memory," he said: "I have an addiction. I am currently undergoing treatment." Galliano's attorney said before the trial began the designer "was a sick person, who was suffering from addiction and this is something we are demonstrating through medical evidence, expert reports." "We must not judge a man who for 30 years has been dedicated to diversity, who has been a loving person for all races, cultures and religions ... based on 40 minutes where he was sick through alcohol and medication," Aurelien Hamelle said. Galliano testified that he suffered from an increasing workload and no time to mourn after the 2007 death of his alter ego at Dior, designer Steven Robinson. "With his death, I found I had no protection," Galliano said. His body became dependent on drugs, he said. "I was taking sleeping pills during the day," he testified. "I've only just discovered since rehab what a lethal mix I was taking." Bloch testified Wednesday that she encountered Galliano on a crowded cafe terrace, which led to an angry exchange. "I don't remember his exact wording; there were different phrases," Bloch told the court. "It's true that I was angry. I insulted him, too." Virgitti testified the confrontation, which he called "just an argument in a bar," began when Galliano sat down next to his party at the cafe. "He started speaking to us very quickly after arriving," Virgitti said. "He told Geraldine to speak less as she was disturbing him. We didn't know what to do. The situation got worse. He started touching her hair, saying she had no hair. I told him, 'Don't touch her.' " He acknowledged during his testimony that while Galliano "said things he shouldn't have," the incident "has been so overly played out in the media." Galliano faces a six-month jail term and a fine of 22,500 euros ($32,410) if he is convicted, according to prosecutors. A verdict in the case did not come Wednesday. Galliano will be judged in one trial over two separate incidents, one in October and one in February. After the second incident, Galliano was taken to a police station where a test revealed he had a high level of alcohol in his blood, authorities said at the time. He was later released. The video is from yet another incident. He is not being tried for the incident because the couple involved chose not to press charges. "I love Hitler," Galliano said in a video obtained by Britain's Sun newspaper. "Your mother, your forefathers would be f---ing gassed and f---ing dead." Christian Dior condemned his "deeply offensive statements and conduct." French law prohibits the incitement of racial discrimination, hatred or violence based on a person's origin or their membership -- or nonmembership -- in an ethic, national, racial or religious group. Galliano apologized after the video was released. "I only have myself to blame and I know that I must face up to my own failures and that I must work hard to gain people's understanding and compassion," Galliano said in a statement. "Anti-Semitism and racism have

who is john galliano

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Paris (CNN) -- Flamboyant fashion designer John Galliano went on trial Wednesday, accused of making anti-Semitic comments against at least three people in a Paris cafe. Galliano, who was fired by fashion giant Christian Dior in March after video surfaced showing him praising Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, testified Wednesday that drugs were to blame. Judge Anne-Marie Sauteraud read out a list of the abuse Galliano is accused of hurling at Geraldine Bloch and Philippe Virgitti, including obscenities mixed with remarks about their ethnic backgrounds. "He said 'dirty whore' at least a thousand times," the judge said. Galliano said on the witness stand that he had no memory of making the comments. Asked to explain his "lack of memory," he said: "I have an addiction. I am currently undergoing treatment." Galliano's attorney said before the trial began the designer "was a sick person, who was suffering from addiction and this is something we are demonstrating through medical evidence, expert reports." "We must not judge a man who for 30 years has been dedicated to diversity, who has been a loving person for all races, cultures and religions ... based on 40 minutes where he was sick through alcohol and medication," Aurelien Hamelle said. Galliano testified that he suffered from an increasing workload and no time to mourn after the 2007 death of his alter ego at Dior, designer Steven Robinson. "With his death, I found I had no protection," Galliano said. His body became dependent on drugs, he said. "I was taking sleeping pills during the day," he testified. "I've only just discovered since rehab what a lethal mix I was taking." Bloch testified Wednesday that she encountered Galliano on a crowded cafe terrace, which led to an angry exchange. "I don't remember his exact wording; there were different phrases," Bloch told the court. "It's true that I was angry. I insulted him, too." Virgitti testified the confrontation, which he called "just an argument in a bar," began when Galliano sat down next to his party at the cafe. "He started speaking to us very quickly after arriving," Virgitti said. "He told Geraldine to speak less as she was disturbing him. We didn't know what to do. The situation got worse. He started touching her hair, saying she had no hair. I told him, 'Don't touch her.' " He acknowledged during his testimony that while Galliano "said things he shouldn't have," the incident "has been so overly played out in the media." Galliano faces a six-month jail term and a fine of 22,500 euros ($32,410) if he is convicted, according to prosecutors. A verdict in the case did not come Wednesday. Galliano will be judged in one trial over two separate incidents, one in October and one in February. After the second incident, Galliano was taken to a police station where a test revealed he had a high level of alcohol in his blood, authorities said at the time. He was later released. The video is from yet another incident. He is not being tried for the incident because the couple involved chose not to press charges. "I love Hitler," Galliano said in a video obtained by Britain's Sun newspaper. "Your mother, your forefathers would be f---ing gassed and f---ing dead." Christian Dior condemned his "deeply offensive statements and conduct." French law prohibits the incitement of racial discrimination, hatred or violence based on a person's origin or their membership -- or nonmembership -- in an ethic, national, racial or religious group. Galliano apologized after the video was released. "I only have myself to blame and I know that I must face up to my own failures and that I must work hard to gain people's understanding and compassion," Galliano said in a statement. "Anti-Semitism and racism have

What does Galliano say he can't recall?

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Paris (CNN) -- Flamboyant fashion designer John Galliano went on trial Wednesday, accused of making anti-Semitic comments against at least three people in a Paris cafe. Galliano, who was fired by fashion giant Christian Dior in March after video surfaced showing him praising Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, testified Wednesday that drugs were to blame. Judge Anne-Marie Sauteraud read out a list of the abuse Galliano is accused of hurling at Geraldine Bloch and Philippe Virgitti, including obscenities mixed with remarks about their ethnic backgrounds. "He said 'dirty whore' at least a thousand times," the judge said. Galliano said on the witness stand that he had no memory of making the comments. Asked to explain his "lack of memory," he said: "I have an addiction. I am currently undergoing treatment." Galliano's attorney said before the trial began the designer "was a sick person, who was suffering from addiction and this is something we are demonstrating through medical evidence, expert reports." "We must not judge a man who for 30 years has been dedicated to diversity, who has been a loving person for all races, cultures and religions ... based on 40 minutes where he was sick through alcohol and medication," Aurelien Hamelle said. Galliano testified that he suffered from an increasing workload and no time to mourn after the 2007 death of his alter ego at Dior, designer Steven Robinson. "With his death, I found I had no protection," Galliano said. His body became dependent on drugs, he said. "I was taking sleeping pills during the day," he testified. "I've only just discovered since rehab what a lethal mix I was taking." Bloch testified Wednesday that she encountered Galliano on a crowded cafe terrace, which led to an angry exchange. "I don't remember his exact wording; there were different phrases," Bloch told the court. "It's true that I was angry. I insulted him, too." Virgitti testified the confrontation, which he called "just an argument in a bar," began when Galliano sat down next to his party at the cafe. "He started speaking to us very quickly after arriving," Virgitti said. "He told Geraldine to speak less as she was disturbing him. We didn't know what to do. The situation got worse. He started touching her hair, saying she had no hair. I told him, 'Don't touch her.' " He acknowledged during his testimony that while Galliano "said things he shouldn't have," the incident "has been so overly played out in the media." Galliano faces a six-month jail term and a fine of 22,500 euros ($32,410) if he is convicted, according to prosecutors. A verdict in the case did not come Wednesday. Galliano will be judged in one trial over two separate incidents, one in October and one in February. After the second incident, Galliano was taken to a police station where a test revealed he had a high level of alcohol in his blood, authorities said at the time. He was later released. The video is from yet another incident. He is not being tried for the incident because the couple involved chose not to press charges. "I love Hitler," Galliano said in a video obtained by Britain's Sun newspaper. "Your mother, your forefathers would be f---ing gassed and f---ing dead." Christian Dior condemned his "deeply offensive statements and conduct." French law prohibits the incitement of racial discrimination, hatred or violence based on a person's origin or their membership -- or nonmembership -- in an ethic, national, racial or religious group. Galliano apologized after the video was released. "I only have myself to blame and I know that I must face up to my own failures and that I must work hard to gain people's understanding and compassion," Galliano said in a statement. "Anti-Semitism and racism have

What does Galliano face if he is convicted?

93f44793a7464104a333b21179058ee8

Paris (CNN) -- Flamboyant fashion designer John Galliano went on trial Wednesday, accused of making anti-Semitic comments against at least three people in a Paris cafe. Galliano, who was fired by fashion giant Christian Dior in March after video surfaced showing him praising Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, testified Wednesday that drugs were to blame. Judge Anne-Marie Sauteraud read out a list of the abuse Galliano is accused of hurling at Geraldine Bloch and Philippe Virgitti, including obscenities mixed with remarks about their ethnic backgrounds. "He said 'dirty whore' at least a thousand times," the judge said. Galliano said on the witness stand that he had no memory of making the comments. Asked to explain his "lack of memory," he said: "I have an addiction. I am currently undergoing treatment." Galliano's attorney said before the trial began the designer "was a sick person, who was suffering from addiction and this is something we are demonstrating through medical evidence, expert reports." "We must not judge a man who for 30 years has been dedicated to diversity, who has been a loving person for all races, cultures and religions ... based on 40 minutes where he was sick through alcohol and medication," Aurelien Hamelle said. Galliano testified that he suffered from an increasing workload and no time to mourn after the 2007 death of his alter ego at Dior, designer Steven Robinson. "With his death, I found I had no protection," Galliano said. His body became dependent on drugs, he said. "I was taking sleeping pills during the day," he testified. "I've only just discovered since rehab what a lethal mix I was taking." Bloch testified Wednesday that she encountered Galliano on a crowded cafe terrace, which led to an angry exchange. "I don't remember his exact wording; there were different phrases," Bloch told the court. "It's true that I was angry. I insulted him, too." Virgitti testified the confrontation, which he called "just an argument in a bar," began when Galliano sat down next to his party at the cafe. "He started speaking to us very quickly after arriving," Virgitti said. "He told Geraldine to speak less as she was disturbing him. We didn't know what to do. The situation got worse. He started touching her hair, saying she had no hair. I told him, 'Don't touch her.' " He acknowledged during his testimony that while Galliano "said things he shouldn't have," the incident "has been so overly played out in the media." Galliano faces a six-month jail term and a fine of 22,500 euros ($32,410) if he is convicted, according to prosecutors. A verdict in the case did not come Wednesday. Galliano will be judged in one trial over two separate incidents, one in October and one in February. After the second incident, Galliano was taken to a police station where a test revealed he had a high level of alcohol in his blood, authorities said at the time. He was later released. The video is from yet another incident. He is not being tried for the incident because the couple involved chose not to press charges. "I love Hitler," Galliano said in a video obtained by Britain's Sun newspaper. "Your mother, your forefathers would be f---ing gassed and f---ing dead." Christian Dior condemned his "deeply offensive statements and conduct." French law prohibits the incitement of racial discrimination, hatred or violence based on a person's origin or their membership -- or nonmembership -- in an ethic, national, racial or religious group. Galliano apologized after the video was released. "I only have myself to blame and I know that I must face up to my own failures and that I must work hard to gain people's understanding and compassion," Galliano said in a statement. "Anti-Semitism and racism have

who have fine of 22,500 euros

049155c1f6954286b7a1c72a3347c722

Paris (CNN) -- Flamboyant fashion designer John Galliano went on trial Wednesday, accused of making anti-Semitic comments against at least three people in a Paris cafe. Galliano, who was fired by fashion giant Christian Dior in March after video surfaced showing him praising Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, testified Wednesday that drugs were to blame. Judge Anne-Marie Sauteraud read out a list of the abuse Galliano is accused of hurling at Geraldine Bloch and Philippe Virgitti, including obscenities mixed with remarks about their ethnic backgrounds. "He said 'dirty whore' at least a thousand times," the judge said. Galliano said on the witness stand that he had no memory of making the comments. Asked to explain his "lack of memory," he said: "I have an addiction. I am currently undergoing treatment." Galliano's attorney said before the trial began the designer "was a sick person, who was suffering from addiction and this is something we are demonstrating through medical evidence, expert reports." "We must not judge a man who for 30 years has been dedicated to diversity, who has been a loving person for all races, cultures and religions ... based on 40 minutes where he was sick through alcohol and medication," Aurelien Hamelle said. Galliano testified that he suffered from an increasing workload and no time to mourn after the 2007 death of his alter ego at Dior, designer Steven Robinson. "With his death, I found I had no protection," Galliano said. His body became dependent on drugs, he said. "I was taking sleeping pills during the day," he testified. "I've only just discovered since rehab what a lethal mix I was taking." Bloch testified Wednesday that she encountered Galliano on a crowded cafe terrace, which led to an angry exchange. "I don't remember his exact wording; there were different phrases," Bloch told the court. "It's true that I was angry. I insulted him, too." Virgitti testified the confrontation, which he called "just an argument in a bar," began when Galliano sat down next to his party at the cafe. "He started speaking to us very quickly after arriving," Virgitti said. "He told Geraldine to speak less as she was disturbing him. We didn't know what to do. The situation got worse. He started touching her hair, saying she had no hair. I told him, 'Don't touch her.' " He acknowledged during his testimony that while Galliano "said things he shouldn't have," the incident "has been so overly played out in the media." Galliano faces a six-month jail term and a fine of 22,500 euros ($32,410) if he is convicted, according to prosecutors. A verdict in the case did not come Wednesday. Galliano will be judged in one trial over two separate incidents, one in October and one in February. After the second incident, Galliano was taken to a police station where a test revealed he had a high level of alcohol in his blood, authorities said at the time. He was later released. The video is from yet another incident. He is not being tried for the incident because the couple involved chose not to press charges. "I love Hitler," Galliano said in a video obtained by Britain's Sun newspaper. "Your mother, your forefathers would be f---ing gassed and f---ing dead." Christian Dior condemned his "deeply offensive statements and conduct." French law prohibits the incitement of racial discrimination, hatred or violence based on a person's origin or their membership -- or nonmembership -- in an ethic, national, racial or religious group. Galliano apologized after the video was released. "I only have myself to blame and I know that I must face up to my own failures and that I must work hard to gain people's understanding and compassion," Galliano said in a statement. "Anti-Semitism and racism have

who testifies he was taking "a lethal mix" of sleeping pills?

83de126a494548eca52140eaccf472c4

Paris (CNN) -- Flamboyant fashion designer John Galliano went on trial Wednesday, accused of making anti-Semitic comments against at least three people in a Paris cafe. Galliano, who was fired by fashion giant Christian Dior in March after video surfaced showing him praising Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, testified Wednesday that drugs were to blame. Judge Anne-Marie Sauteraud read out a list of the abuse Galliano is accused of hurling at Geraldine Bloch and Philippe Virgitti, including obscenities mixed with remarks about their ethnic backgrounds. "He said 'dirty whore' at least a thousand times," the judge said. Galliano said on the witness stand that he had no memory of making the comments. Asked to explain his "lack of memory," he said: "I have an addiction. I am currently undergoing treatment." Galliano's attorney said before the trial began the designer "was a sick person, who was suffering from addiction and this is something we are demonstrating through medical evidence, expert reports." "We must not judge a man who for 30 years has been dedicated to diversity, who has been a loving person for all races, cultures and religions ... based on 40 minutes where he was sick through alcohol and medication," Aurelien Hamelle said. Galliano testified that he suffered from an increasing workload and no time to mourn after the 2007 death of his alter ego at Dior, designer Steven Robinson. "With his death, I found I had no protection," Galliano said. His body became dependent on drugs, he said. "I was taking sleeping pills during the day," he testified. "I've only just discovered since rehab what a lethal mix I was taking." Bloch testified Wednesday that she encountered Galliano on a crowded cafe terrace, which led to an angry exchange. "I don't remember his exact wording; there were different phrases," Bloch told the court. "It's true that I was angry. I insulted him, too." Virgitti testified the confrontation, which he called "just an argument in a bar," began when Galliano sat down next to his party at the cafe. "He started speaking to us very quickly after arriving," Virgitti said. "He told Geraldine to speak less as she was disturbing him. We didn't know what to do. The situation got worse. He started touching her hair, saying she had no hair. I told him, 'Don't touch her.' " He acknowledged during his testimony that while Galliano "said things he shouldn't have," the incident "has been so overly played out in the media." Galliano faces a six-month jail term and a fine of 22,500 euros ($32,410) if he is convicted, according to prosecutors. A verdict in the case did not come Wednesday. Galliano will be judged in one trial over two separate incidents, one in October and one in February. After the second incident, Galliano was taken to a police station where a test revealed he had a high level of alcohol in his blood, authorities said at the time. He was later released. The video is from yet another incident. He is not being tried for the incident because the couple involved chose not to press charges. "I love Hitler," Galliano said in a video obtained by Britain's Sun newspaper. "Your mother, your forefathers would be f---ing gassed and f---ing dead." Christian Dior condemned his "deeply offensive statements and conduct." French law prohibits the incitement of racial discrimination, hatred or violence based on a person's origin or their membership -- or nonmembership -- in an ethic, national, racial or religious group. Galliano apologized after the video was released. "I only have myself to blame and I know that I must face up to my own failures and that I must work hard to gain people's understanding and compassion," Galliano said in a statement. "Anti-Semitism and racism have

what galliano says

dcb98fa1988744a18c4cb4a4bcb47d88

Paris (CNN) -- Flamboyant fashion designer John Galliano went on trial Wednesday, accused of making anti-Semitic comments against at least three people in a Paris cafe. Galliano, who was fired by fashion giant Christian Dior in March after video surfaced showing him praising Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, testified Wednesday that drugs were to blame. Judge Anne-Marie Sauteraud read out a list of the abuse Galliano is accused of hurling at Geraldine Bloch and Philippe Virgitti, including obscenities mixed with remarks about their ethnic backgrounds. "He said 'dirty whore' at least a thousand times," the judge said. Galliano said on the witness stand that he had no memory of making the comments. Asked to explain his "lack of memory," he said: "I have an addiction. I am currently undergoing treatment." Galliano's attorney said before the trial began the designer "was a sick person, who was suffering from addiction and this is something we are demonstrating through medical evidence, expert reports." "We must not judge a man who for 30 years has been dedicated to diversity, who has been a loving person for all races, cultures and religions ... based on 40 minutes where he was sick through alcohol and medication," Aurelien Hamelle said. Galliano testified that he suffered from an increasing workload and no time to mourn after the 2007 death of his alter ego at Dior, designer Steven Robinson. "With his death, I found I had no protection," Galliano said. His body became dependent on drugs, he said. "I was taking sleeping pills during the day," he testified. "I've only just discovered since rehab what a lethal mix I was taking." Bloch testified Wednesday that she encountered Galliano on a crowded cafe terrace, which led to an angry exchange. "I don't remember his exact wording; there were different phrases," Bloch told the court. "It's true that I was angry. I insulted him, too." Virgitti testified the confrontation, which he called "just an argument in a bar," began when Galliano sat down next to his party at the cafe. "He started speaking to us very quickly after arriving," Virgitti said. "He told Geraldine to speak less as she was disturbing him. We didn't know what to do. The situation got worse. He started touching her hair, saying she had no hair. I told him, 'Don't touch her.' " He acknowledged during his testimony that while Galliano "said things he shouldn't have," the incident "has been so overly played out in the media." Galliano faces a six-month jail term and a fine of 22,500 euros ($32,410) if he is convicted, according to prosecutors. A verdict in the case did not come Wednesday. Galliano will be judged in one trial over two separate incidents, one in October and one in February. After the second incident, Galliano was taken to a police station where a test revealed he had a high level of alcohol in his blood, authorities said at the time. He was later released. The video is from yet another incident. He is not being tried for the incident because the couple involved chose not to press charges. "I love Hitler," Galliano said in a video obtained by Britain's Sun newspaper. "Your mother, your forefathers would be f---ing gassed and f---ing dead." Christian Dior condemned his "deeply offensive statements and conduct." French law prohibits the incitement of racial discrimination, hatred or violence based on a person's origin or their membership -- or nonmembership -- in an ethic, national, racial or religious group. Galliano apologized after the video was released. "I only have myself to blame and I know that I must face up to my own failures and that I must work hard to gain people's understanding and compassion," Galliano said in a statement. "Anti-Semitism and racism have

What did John Galliano testify he was taking?

1efdbf02fcef4a80bb01ba6a38433d5b

Paris (CNN) -- Flamboyant fashion designer John Galliano went on trial Wednesday, accused of making anti-Semitic comments against at least three people in a Paris cafe. Galliano, who was fired by fashion giant Christian Dior in March after video surfaced showing him praising Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, testified Wednesday that drugs were to blame. Judge Anne-Marie Sauteraud read out a list of the abuse Galliano is accused of hurling at Geraldine Bloch and Philippe Virgitti, including obscenities mixed with remarks about their ethnic backgrounds. "He said 'dirty whore' at least a thousand times," the judge said. Galliano said on the witness stand that he had no memory of making the comments. Asked to explain his "lack of memory," he said: "I have an addiction. I am currently undergoing treatment." Galliano's attorney said before the trial began the designer "was a sick person, who was suffering from addiction and this is something we are demonstrating through medical evidence, expert reports." "We must not judge a man who for 30 years has been dedicated to diversity, who has been a loving person for all races, cultures and religions ... based on 40 minutes where he was sick through alcohol and medication," Aurelien Hamelle said. Galliano testified that he suffered from an increasing workload and no time to mourn after the 2007 death of his alter ego at Dior, designer Steven Robinson. "With his death, I found I had no protection," Galliano said. His body became dependent on drugs, he said. "I was taking sleeping pills during the day," he testified. "I've only just discovered since rehab what a lethal mix I was taking." Bloch testified Wednesday that she encountered Galliano on a crowded cafe terrace, which led to an angry exchange. "I don't remember his exact wording; there were different phrases," Bloch told the court. "It's true that I was angry. I insulted him, too." Virgitti testified the confrontation, which he called "just an argument in a bar," began when Galliano sat down next to his party at the cafe. "He started speaking to us very quickly after arriving," Virgitti said. "He told Geraldine to speak less as she was disturbing him. We didn't know what to do. The situation got worse. He started touching her hair, saying she had no hair. I told him, 'Don't touch her.' " He acknowledged during his testimony that while Galliano "said things he shouldn't have," the incident "has been so overly played out in the media." Galliano faces a six-month jail term and a fine of 22,500 euros ($32,410) if he is convicted, according to prosecutors. A verdict in the case did not come Wednesday. Galliano will be judged in one trial over two separate incidents, one in October and one in February. After the second incident, Galliano was taken to a police station where a test revealed he had a high level of alcohol in his blood, authorities said at the time. He was later released. The video is from yet another incident. He is not being tried for the incident because the couple involved chose not to press charges. "I love Hitler," Galliano said in a video obtained by Britain's Sun newspaper. "Your mother, your forefathers would be f---ing gassed and f---ing dead." Christian Dior condemned his "deeply offensive statements and conduct." French law prohibits the incitement of racial discrimination, hatred or violence based on a person's origin or their membership -- or nonmembership -- in an ethic, national, racial or religious group. Galliano apologized after the video was released. "I only have myself to blame and I know that I must face up to my own failures and that I must work hard to gain people's understanding and compassion," Galliano said in a statement. "Anti-Semitism and racism have

how much fine will be charged?

1e521d6855684b199e7e8ec36979e129

Paris (CNN) -- Flamboyant fashion designer John Galliano went on trial Wednesday, accused of making anti-Semitic comments against at least three people in a Paris cafe. Galliano, who was fired by fashion giant Christian Dior in March after video surfaced showing him praising Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, testified Wednesday that drugs were to blame. Judge Anne-Marie Sauteraud read out a list of the abuse Galliano is accused of hurling at Geraldine Bloch and Philippe Virgitti, including obscenities mixed with remarks about their ethnic backgrounds. "He said 'dirty whore' at least a thousand times," the judge said. Galliano said on the witness stand that he had no memory of making the comments. Asked to explain his "lack of memory," he said: "I have an addiction. I am currently undergoing treatment." Galliano's attorney said before the trial began the designer "was a sick person, who was suffering from addiction and this is something we are demonstrating through medical evidence, expert reports." "We must not judge a man who for 30 years has been dedicated to diversity, who has been a loving person for all races, cultures and religions ... based on 40 minutes where he was sick through alcohol and medication," Aurelien Hamelle said. Galliano testified that he suffered from an increasing workload and no time to mourn after the 2007 death of his alter ego at Dior, designer Steven Robinson. "With his death, I found I had no protection," Galliano said. His body became dependent on drugs, he said. "I was taking sleeping pills during the day," he testified. "I've only just discovered since rehab what a lethal mix I was taking." Bloch testified Wednesday that she encountered Galliano on a crowded cafe terrace, which led to an angry exchange. "I don't remember his exact wording; there were different phrases," Bloch told the court. "It's true that I was angry. I insulted him, too." Virgitti testified the confrontation, which he called "just an argument in a bar," began when Galliano sat down next to his party at the cafe. "He started speaking to us very quickly after arriving," Virgitti said. "He told Geraldine to speak less as she was disturbing him. We didn't know what to do. The situation got worse. He started touching her hair, saying she had no hair. I told him, 'Don't touch her.' " He acknowledged during his testimony that while Galliano "said things he shouldn't have," the incident "has been so overly played out in the media." Galliano faces a six-month jail term and a fine of 22,500 euros ($32,410) if he is convicted, according to prosecutors. A verdict in the case did not come Wednesday. Galliano will be judged in one trial over two separate incidents, one in October and one in February. After the second incident, Galliano was taken to a police station where a test revealed he had a high level of alcohol in his blood, authorities said at the time. He was later released. The video is from yet another incident. He is not being tried for the incident because the couple involved chose not to press charges. "I love Hitler," Galliano said in a video obtained by Britain's Sun newspaper. "Your mother, your forefathers would be f---ing gassed and f---ing dead." Christian Dior condemned his "deeply offensive statements and conduct." French law prohibits the incitement of racial discrimination, hatred or violence based on a person's origin or their membership -- or nonmembership -- in an ethic, national, racial or religious group. Galliano apologized after the video was released. "I only have myself to blame and I know that I must face up to my own failures and that I must work hard to gain people's understanding and compassion," Galliano said in a statement. "Anti-Semitism and racism have

how many months galliano will face jail?

b19b15016ae8426cae430fd393a54b5c

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Sean Kingston was talking about his hit song "Fire Burning" when his cell phone suddenly started to ring. The device blasted a familiar tune. Sean Kingston has one of the summer's hottest hits with "Fire Burning." She's fire burning, fire burning on the dance floor. Wait a minute. His own song is his ringtone? "I've got to support it, man," said Kingston, 19, with a cheeky smile. "It goes right back in my pocket, but hey." There had better be plenty of room in those pockets. "Fire Burning" is shaping up to be one of the summer's hottest tracks, with more than a million downloads sold, and is the second best-selling song on iTunes this week. For mainstream radio listeners and nightclub goers, the reggae-trance track is inescapable. Even for Kingston. Watch how Kingston sets the dance floor ablaze » "Three days ago I was in an elevator," he said. "A lady came in and she had her iPod and she was playing my song. She didn't know who she was standing next to. That was kind of funny." But hearing his music in public doesn't mean he's allowed to get too cocky, he said. "It actually motivates me to make even more music, because that's kind of big. Coming from where I'm from -- coming from nothing -- it's just amazing to hear people react to my music like they do." The Miami-born artist, whose real name is Kisean Anderson -- he changed his name to Kingston to reflect his Jamaican heritage -- got a taste for the big time in 2007 when his debut song "Beautiful Girls" became a No. 1 hit in the United States. His sophomore album, called "Tomorrow," comes out September 22. Kingston just wrapped filming in Los Angeles for the music video for its second single, "Face Drop." Kingston dropped by CNN to share his thoughts on his abilities on the dance floor and the leading ladies of pop. The following is an edited version of the interview. CNN: How much time do you actually spend on the dance floor? Sean Kingston: I spend a lot of time on the dance floor, [though] ... I'm more the type of dude to sit back and pose and act cool. But I had to make a song for it because there's a lot of stuff that's going on in the world today ... people want to dance. People want to let loose and "Fire Burning" is a song that you can do that to. CNN: You were born in Miami. You grew up in Kingston. Then you moved to L.A. Where do you feel most at home? Sean Kingston: I feel really at home, I can't even lie, in Miami. Because it's just like I know a lot of people, my friends that are there. That's where I started doing music when I was in Miami. CNN: Why call your sophomore album "Tomorrow"? Kingston: Because I feel like it's so futuristic. I felt like my last album was yesterday. Nobody's going to be able to expect what Sean Kingston is bringing on this new album. CNN: The first track that came off the new album was a collaboration with Lil' Wayne. It didn't take off like your previous hits. Why do you think that is? Kingston: We never sent it to radio. That record got leaked. It got leaked from the Internet and we just kept it going. But it never really got that push from the label. But I mean it did good. I mean 4 million plays on YouTube, 3 million on MySpace. Sometimes you've got to give free music to get people to pay attention and to build a buzz. So I basically gave my fans free music. CNN: You collaborate with punk-pop band Good Charlotte on

When is Kingston's album due?

0b74eb1093d249ee853b13efb1c719aa

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Sean Kingston was talking about his hit song "Fire Burning" when his cell phone suddenly started to ring. The device blasted a familiar tune. Sean Kingston has one of the summer's hottest hits with "Fire Burning." She's fire burning, fire burning on the dance floor. Wait a minute. His own song is his ringtone? "I've got to support it, man," said Kingston, 19, with a cheeky smile. "It goes right back in my pocket, but hey." There had better be plenty of room in those pockets. "Fire Burning" is shaping up to be one of the summer's hottest tracks, with more than a million downloads sold, and is the second best-selling song on iTunes this week. For mainstream radio listeners and nightclub goers, the reggae-trance track is inescapable. Even for Kingston. Watch how Kingston sets the dance floor ablaze » "Three days ago I was in an elevator," he said. "A lady came in and she had her iPod and she was playing my song. She didn't know who she was standing next to. That was kind of funny." But hearing his music in public doesn't mean he's allowed to get too cocky, he said. "It actually motivates me to make even more music, because that's kind of big. Coming from where I'm from -- coming from nothing -- it's just amazing to hear people react to my music like they do." The Miami-born artist, whose real name is Kisean Anderson -- he changed his name to Kingston to reflect his Jamaican heritage -- got a taste for the big time in 2007 when his debut song "Beautiful Girls" became a No. 1 hit in the United States. His sophomore album, called "Tomorrow," comes out September 22. Kingston just wrapped filming in Los Angeles for the music video for its second single, "Face Drop." Kingston dropped by CNN to share his thoughts on his abilities on the dance floor and the leading ladies of pop. The following is an edited version of the interview. CNN: How much time do you actually spend on the dance floor? Sean Kingston: I spend a lot of time on the dance floor, [though] ... I'm more the type of dude to sit back and pose and act cool. But I had to make a song for it because there's a lot of stuff that's going on in the world today ... people want to dance. People want to let loose and "Fire Burning" is a song that you can do that to. CNN: You were born in Miami. You grew up in Kingston. Then you moved to L.A. Where do you feel most at home? Sean Kingston: I feel really at home, I can't even lie, in Miami. Because it's just like I know a lot of people, my friends that are there. That's where I started doing music when I was in Miami. CNN: Why call your sophomore album "Tomorrow"? Kingston: Because I feel like it's so futuristic. I felt like my last album was yesterday. Nobody's going to be able to expect what Sean Kingston is bringing on this new album. CNN: The first track that came off the new album was a collaboration with Lil' Wayne. It didn't take off like your previous hits. Why do you think that is? Kingston: We never sent it to radio. That record got leaked. It got leaked from the Internet and we just kept it going. But it never really got that push from the label. But I mean it did good. I mean 4 million plays on YouTube, 3 million on MySpace. Sometimes you've got to give free music to get people to pay attention and to build a buzz. So I basically gave my fans free music. CNN: You collaborate with punk-pop band Good Charlotte on

Which album is due in September?

9fee51b758ff42c8ae0c9245af844000

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Sean Kingston was talking about his hit song "Fire Burning" when his cell phone suddenly started to ring. The device blasted a familiar tune. Sean Kingston has one of the summer's hottest hits with "Fire Burning." She's fire burning, fire burning on the dance floor. Wait a minute. His own song is his ringtone? "I've got to support it, man," said Kingston, 19, with a cheeky smile. "It goes right back in my pocket, but hey." There had better be plenty of room in those pockets. "Fire Burning" is shaping up to be one of the summer's hottest tracks, with more than a million downloads sold, and is the second best-selling song on iTunes this week. For mainstream radio listeners and nightclub goers, the reggae-trance track is inescapable. Even for Kingston. Watch how Kingston sets the dance floor ablaze » "Three days ago I was in an elevator," he said. "A lady came in and she had her iPod and she was playing my song. She didn't know who she was standing next to. That was kind of funny." But hearing his music in public doesn't mean he's allowed to get too cocky, he said. "It actually motivates me to make even more music, because that's kind of big. Coming from where I'm from -- coming from nothing -- it's just amazing to hear people react to my music like they do." The Miami-born artist, whose real name is Kisean Anderson -- he changed his name to Kingston to reflect his Jamaican heritage -- got a taste for the big time in 2007 when his debut song "Beautiful Girls" became a No. 1 hit in the United States. His sophomore album, called "Tomorrow," comes out September 22. Kingston just wrapped filming in Los Angeles for the music video for its second single, "Face Drop." Kingston dropped by CNN to share his thoughts on his abilities on the dance floor and the leading ladies of pop. The following is an edited version of the interview. CNN: How much time do you actually spend on the dance floor? Sean Kingston: I spend a lot of time on the dance floor, [though] ... I'm more the type of dude to sit back and pose and act cool. But I had to make a song for it because there's a lot of stuff that's going on in the world today ... people want to dance. People want to let loose and "Fire Burning" is a song that you can do that to. CNN: You were born in Miami. You grew up in Kingston. Then you moved to L.A. Where do you feel most at home? Sean Kingston: I feel really at home, I can't even lie, in Miami. Because it's just like I know a lot of people, my friends that are there. That's where I started doing music when I was in Miami. CNN: Why call your sophomore album "Tomorrow"? Kingston: Because I feel like it's so futuristic. I felt like my last album was yesterday. Nobody's going to be able to expect what Sean Kingston is bringing on this new album. CNN: The first track that came off the new album was a collaboration with Lil' Wayne. It didn't take off like your previous hits. Why do you think that is? Kingston: We never sent it to radio. That record got leaked. It got leaked from the Internet and we just kept it going. But it never really got that push from the label. But I mean it did good. I mean 4 million plays on YouTube, 3 million on MySpace. Sometimes you've got to give free music to get people to pay attention and to build a buzz. So I basically gave my fans free music. CNN: You collaborate with punk-pop band Good Charlotte on

What is the title of one of Sean Kingston's hits?

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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Sean Kingston was talking about his hit song "Fire Burning" when his cell phone suddenly started to ring. The device blasted a familiar tune. Sean Kingston has one of the summer's hottest hits with "Fire Burning." She's fire burning, fire burning on the dance floor. Wait a minute. His own song is his ringtone? "I've got to support it, man," said Kingston, 19, with a cheeky smile. "It goes right back in my pocket, but hey." There had better be plenty of room in those pockets. "Fire Burning" is shaping up to be one of the summer's hottest tracks, with more than a million downloads sold, and is the second best-selling song on iTunes this week. For mainstream radio listeners and nightclub goers, the reggae-trance track is inescapable. Even for Kingston. Watch how Kingston sets the dance floor ablaze » "Three days ago I was in an elevator," he said. "A lady came in and she had her iPod and she was playing my song. She didn't know who she was standing next to. That was kind of funny." But hearing his music in public doesn't mean he's allowed to get too cocky, he said. "It actually motivates me to make even more music, because that's kind of big. Coming from where I'm from -- coming from nothing -- it's just amazing to hear people react to my music like they do." The Miami-born artist, whose real name is Kisean Anderson -- he changed his name to Kingston to reflect his Jamaican heritage -- got a taste for the big time in 2007 when his debut song "Beautiful Girls" became a No. 1 hit in the United States. His sophomore album, called "Tomorrow," comes out September 22. Kingston just wrapped filming in Los Angeles for the music video for its second single, "Face Drop." Kingston dropped by CNN to share his thoughts on his abilities on the dance floor and the leading ladies of pop. The following is an edited version of the interview. CNN: How much time do you actually spend on the dance floor? Sean Kingston: I spend a lot of time on the dance floor, [though] ... I'm more the type of dude to sit back and pose and act cool. But I had to make a song for it because there's a lot of stuff that's going on in the world today ... people want to dance. People want to let loose and "Fire Burning" is a song that you can do that to. CNN: You were born in Miami. You grew up in Kingston. Then you moved to L.A. Where do you feel most at home? Sean Kingston: I feel really at home, I can't even lie, in Miami. Because it's just like I know a lot of people, my friends that are there. That's where I started doing music when I was in Miami. CNN: Why call your sophomore album "Tomorrow"? Kingston: Because I feel like it's so futuristic. I felt like my last album was yesterday. Nobody's going to be able to expect what Sean Kingston is bringing on this new album. CNN: The first track that came off the new album was a collaboration with Lil' Wayne. It didn't take off like your previous hits. Why do you think that is? Kingston: We never sent it to radio. That record got leaked. It got leaked from the Internet and we just kept it going. But it never really got that push from the label. But I mean it did good. I mean 4 million plays on YouTube, 3 million on MySpace. Sometimes you've got to give free music to get people to pay attention and to build a buzz. So I basically gave my fans free music. CNN: You collaborate with punk-pop band Good Charlotte on

When is his new album going to be released?

d57792ea25524f2bbb953d413b4b14d4

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Sean Kingston was talking about his hit song "Fire Burning" when his cell phone suddenly started to ring. The device blasted a familiar tune. Sean Kingston has one of the summer's hottest hits with "Fire Burning." She's fire burning, fire burning on the dance floor. Wait a minute. His own song is his ringtone? "I've got to support it, man," said Kingston, 19, with a cheeky smile. "It goes right back in my pocket, but hey." There had better be plenty of room in those pockets. "Fire Burning" is shaping up to be one of the summer's hottest tracks, with more than a million downloads sold, and is the second best-selling song on iTunes this week. For mainstream radio listeners and nightclub goers, the reggae-trance track is inescapable. Even for Kingston. Watch how Kingston sets the dance floor ablaze » "Three days ago I was in an elevator," he said. "A lady came in and she had her iPod and she was playing my song. She didn't know who she was standing next to. That was kind of funny." But hearing his music in public doesn't mean he's allowed to get too cocky, he said. "It actually motivates me to make even more music, because that's kind of big. Coming from where I'm from -- coming from nothing -- it's just amazing to hear people react to my music like they do." The Miami-born artist, whose real name is Kisean Anderson -- he changed his name to Kingston to reflect his Jamaican heritage -- got a taste for the big time in 2007 when his debut song "Beautiful Girls" became a No. 1 hit in the United States. His sophomore album, called "Tomorrow," comes out September 22. Kingston just wrapped filming in Los Angeles for the music video for its second single, "Face Drop." Kingston dropped by CNN to share his thoughts on his abilities on the dance floor and the leading ladies of pop. The following is an edited version of the interview. CNN: How much time do you actually spend on the dance floor? Sean Kingston: I spend a lot of time on the dance floor, [though] ... I'm more the type of dude to sit back and pose and act cool. But I had to make a song for it because there's a lot of stuff that's going on in the world today ... people want to dance. People want to let loose and "Fire Burning" is a song that you can do that to. CNN: You were born in Miami. You grew up in Kingston. Then you moved to L.A. Where do you feel most at home? Sean Kingston: I feel really at home, I can't even lie, in Miami. Because it's just like I know a lot of people, my friends that are there. That's where I started doing music when I was in Miami. CNN: Why call your sophomore album "Tomorrow"? Kingston: Because I feel like it's so futuristic. I felt like my last album was yesterday. Nobody's going to be able to expect what Sean Kingston is bringing on this new album. CNN: The first track that came off the new album was a collaboration with Lil' Wayne. It didn't take off like your previous hits. Why do you think that is? Kingston: We never sent it to radio. That record got leaked. It got leaked from the Internet and we just kept it going. But it never really got that push from the label. But I mean it did good. I mean 4 million plays on YouTube, 3 million on MySpace. Sometimes you've got to give free music to get people to pay attention and to build a buzz. So I basically gave my fans free music. CNN: You collaborate with punk-pop band Good Charlotte on

Which was one of top hits of summer?

678c3f02805c4c66975287782097d61c

(CNN) -- The recession means competition in pro football this year isn't restricted to the gridiron. The National Football League and its 32 teams also are battling for the consumer's discretionary spending dollars. Less-established NFL teams, such as the Jacksonville Jaguars, face special challenges in the recession. And just like on the playing field, some teams are having an easier time scoring an economic touchdown than others. "Overall ticket sales are very positive but difficult in these challenging times," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement. He did not provide overall ticket sales numbers for the current season. The league is coming off a year that saw overall attendance drop slightly, 0.7 percent, from 2007 amid the start of the economic slowdown. Bill Prescott, a Jacksonville Jaguars vice president and the team's chief financial officer, said the team started to see the impact of the recession last year, when single-game ticket sales and concession revenue dropped as the season progressed. Heading into this season, he said, sales are off even more than the team expected -- new ticket sales are down 75 percent from last year and season ticket renewals are down 10 percent. No Jaguar games are sold out, despite a recent survey by The Media Audit that found 76 percent of adults in Jacksonville, Florida, regularly follow the Jaguars -- the fifth-best percentage of any NFL market. "The economy is having that impact on us," Prescott said. "As a very small market, I think we're feeling it more than some of the other teams in the league." The Minnesota Vikings also have yet to sell out any of their games, though the team expects that could change with the recent high-profile signing of quarterback Brett Favre. Within a day of Favre's signing, the Vikings had sold an additional 3,000 season tickets and 10,000 single-game tickets. "The economy's affecting all professional sports teams," said Steve LaCroix, the Vikings' vice president of sales and marketing. "We're not only competing for people's time and money, but trying to keep the fans in the stadium on game day as opposed to watching on TV." LaCroix said there weren't a large number of cancellations in season ticket holder accounts. However, some fans did trim down the number of seats in their respective accounts. LaCroix added some are coming back on board as the season approaches. The Cincinnati Bengals are getting nationwide exposure through the HBO reality series "Hard Knocks," which chronicles the team's training camp and preparation for the upcoming season. However, the Bengals' streak of 44 straight sellouts, a franchise record, is at risk, according to spokesman Jim Brennan. The Bengals' September 13 home opener against Denver is not sold out yet. Some teams, however, are more than holding their own as far as ticket sales go despite the nation's fiscal woes. The Denver Broncos are sold out for the 40th straight year -- dating back to the first game of the 1970 season, according to spokesman Jim Saccomano. And Chicago Bears spokesman Scott Hagel says the team is sold out for the 25th straight season. He adds the season ticket renewal rate is well over 90 percent, on par with the prior decade. According to league spokesman McCarthy, 24 of the NFL's 32 teams did not raise ticket prices from last year. One of the teams that did is the Indianapolis Colts, which bumped up the cost of 10 percent of its season ticket holder seats, according to team spokesman Craig Kelley. All games are sold out. Two factors working in the Colts' favor -- they have a new stadium that opened last season and the team has been a perennial contender for the past decade. In order to try and offset the impact the economy has on the game, McCarthy said teams have created more options and flexibility for fans in order to help them afford tickets. Among those options are half-season ticket plans, such as the ones offered by the Jaguars and the New York Jets. "We knew some season ticket

For whom were ticket sales off more than expected?

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(CNN) -- The recession means competition in pro football this year isn't restricted to the gridiron. The National Football League and its 32 teams also are battling for the consumer's discretionary spending dollars. Less-established NFL teams, such as the Jacksonville Jaguars, face special challenges in the recession. And just like on the playing field, some teams are having an easier time scoring an economic touchdown than others. "Overall ticket sales are very positive but difficult in these challenging times," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement. He did not provide overall ticket sales numbers for the current season. The league is coming off a year that saw overall attendance drop slightly, 0.7 percent, from 2007 amid the start of the economic slowdown. Bill Prescott, a Jacksonville Jaguars vice president and the team's chief financial officer, said the team started to see the impact of the recession last year, when single-game ticket sales and concession revenue dropped as the season progressed. Heading into this season, he said, sales are off even more than the team expected -- new ticket sales are down 75 percent from last year and season ticket renewals are down 10 percent. No Jaguar games are sold out, despite a recent survey by The Media Audit that found 76 percent of adults in Jacksonville, Florida, regularly follow the Jaguars -- the fifth-best percentage of any NFL market. "The economy is having that impact on us," Prescott said. "As a very small market, I think we're feeling it more than some of the other teams in the league." The Minnesota Vikings also have yet to sell out any of their games, though the team expects that could change with the recent high-profile signing of quarterback Brett Favre. Within a day of Favre's signing, the Vikings had sold an additional 3,000 season tickets and 10,000 single-game tickets. "The economy's affecting all professional sports teams," said Steve LaCroix, the Vikings' vice president of sales and marketing. "We're not only competing for people's time and money, but trying to keep the fans in the stadium on game day as opposed to watching on TV." LaCroix said there weren't a large number of cancellations in season ticket holder accounts. However, some fans did trim down the number of seats in their respective accounts. LaCroix added some are coming back on board as the season approaches. The Cincinnati Bengals are getting nationwide exposure through the HBO reality series "Hard Knocks," which chronicles the team's training camp and preparation for the upcoming season. However, the Bengals' streak of 44 straight sellouts, a franchise record, is at risk, according to spokesman Jim Brennan. The Bengals' September 13 home opener against Denver is not sold out yet. Some teams, however, are more than holding their own as far as ticket sales go despite the nation's fiscal woes. The Denver Broncos are sold out for the 40th straight year -- dating back to the first game of the 1970 season, according to spokesman Jim Saccomano. And Chicago Bears spokesman Scott Hagel says the team is sold out for the 25th straight season. He adds the season ticket renewal rate is well over 90 percent, on par with the prior decade. According to league spokesman McCarthy, 24 of the NFL's 32 teams did not raise ticket prices from last year. One of the teams that did is the Indianapolis Colts, which bumped up the cost of 10 percent of its season ticket holder seats, according to team spokesman Craig Kelley. All games are sold out. Two factors working in the Colts' favor -- they have a new stadium that opened last season and the team has been a perennial contender for the past decade. In order to try and offset the impact the economy has on the game, McCarthy said teams have created more options and flexibility for fans in order to help them afford tickets. Among those options are half-season ticket plans, such as the ones offered by the Jaguars and the New York Jets. "We knew some season ticket

Who is also looking to score more sales?

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(CNN) -- The recession means competition in pro football this year isn't restricted to the gridiron. The National Football League and its 32 teams also are battling for the consumer's discretionary spending dollars. Less-established NFL teams, such as the Jacksonville Jaguars, face special challenges in the recession. And just like on the playing field, some teams are having an easier time scoring an economic touchdown than others. "Overall ticket sales are very positive but difficult in these challenging times," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement. He did not provide overall ticket sales numbers for the current season. The league is coming off a year that saw overall attendance drop slightly, 0.7 percent, from 2007 amid the start of the economic slowdown. Bill Prescott, a Jacksonville Jaguars vice president and the team's chief financial officer, said the team started to see the impact of the recession last year, when single-game ticket sales and concession revenue dropped as the season progressed. Heading into this season, he said, sales are off even more than the team expected -- new ticket sales are down 75 percent from last year and season ticket renewals are down 10 percent. No Jaguar games are sold out, despite a recent survey by The Media Audit that found 76 percent of adults in Jacksonville, Florida, regularly follow the Jaguars -- the fifth-best percentage of any NFL market. "The economy is having that impact on us," Prescott said. "As a very small market, I think we're feeling it more than some of the other teams in the league." The Minnesota Vikings also have yet to sell out any of their games, though the team expects that could change with the recent high-profile signing of quarterback Brett Favre. Within a day of Favre's signing, the Vikings had sold an additional 3,000 season tickets and 10,000 single-game tickets. "The economy's affecting all professional sports teams," said Steve LaCroix, the Vikings' vice president of sales and marketing. "We're not only competing for people's time and money, but trying to keep the fans in the stadium on game day as opposed to watching on TV." LaCroix said there weren't a large number of cancellations in season ticket holder accounts. However, some fans did trim down the number of seats in their respective accounts. LaCroix added some are coming back on board as the season approaches. The Cincinnati Bengals are getting nationwide exposure through the HBO reality series "Hard Knocks," which chronicles the team's training camp and preparation for the upcoming season. However, the Bengals' streak of 44 straight sellouts, a franchise record, is at risk, according to spokesman Jim Brennan. The Bengals' September 13 home opener against Denver is not sold out yet. Some teams, however, are more than holding their own as far as ticket sales go despite the nation's fiscal woes. The Denver Broncos are sold out for the 40th straight year -- dating back to the first game of the 1970 season, according to spokesman Jim Saccomano. And Chicago Bears spokesman Scott Hagel says the team is sold out for the 25th straight season. He adds the season ticket renewal rate is well over 90 percent, on par with the prior decade. According to league spokesman McCarthy, 24 of the NFL's 32 teams did not raise ticket prices from last year. One of the teams that did is the Indianapolis Colts, which bumped up the cost of 10 percent of its season ticket holder seats, according to team spokesman Craig Kelley. All games are sold out. Two factors working in the Colts' favor -- they have a new stadium that opened last season and the team has been a perennial contender for the past decade. In order to try and offset the impact the economy has on the game, McCarthy said teams have created more options and flexibility for fans in order to help them afford tickets. Among those options are half-season ticket plans, such as the ones offered by the Jaguars and the New York Jets. "We knew some season ticket

Ticket sales were off more than expected for which team?

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Department of Homeland Security will investigate a Halloween costume party hosted by a top immigration official and attended by a man dressed in a striped prison outfit, dreadlocks and darkened skin make-up, a costume some say is offensive, the department's secretary said. Julie Myers, head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, called the man's costume "offensive." Julie Myers, head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and host of the fundraising party, was on a three-judge panel that originally praised the prisoner costume for "originality." Myers later apologized for "a few of the costumes," calling them "inappropriate and offensive." She said she and other senior managers "deeply regret that this happened." A department photographer photographed Myers with the man, but the images were deleted after the costume were deemed offensive, ICE spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said. Between 50 and 75 people attended the party, which was a fundraiser for the Combined Federal Campaign, a federal government collection of charities. Nantel said one employee, whom she declined to identify, was wearing a black-and-white striped prison outfit, dreadlocks and a skin "bronzer" intended "to make him look African-American." But, she said, it was not immediately apparent that he was wearing the make-up. "Most people in the room didn't realize he was wearing make-up at all," she said. "It was unintentioned. The employee did not mean to offend although there were some employees that were rightfully offended by it," Nantel said. Myers and the other judges "noted his costume for originality." "There were a couple of people who were offended," Nantel said. "When it was confirmed through a conversation with the employee that he was wearing make-up," Nantel said, the employee was counseled and Myers sent out a note to employees apologizing. In a November 2 email to ICE employees, Myers wrote, "It is now clear that, however unintended, a few of the costumes were inappropriate and offensive. While we were all thrilled to be a part of the CFC fundraising effort, I and the senior management at ICE deeply regret that this happened." She reminded all employees to be compliant with the department's diversity training requirement. Myers has served as head of ICE since January of 2006 but is still awaiting Senate confirmation. An ICE congressional liaison said ICE officials briefed congressional staffers about the costume party this week as a courtesy. But at least one congressional staffer said they approached ICE after receiving an anonymous fax about the incident. Myers called House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi, about the incident and is expected to meet with him before the end of the week, a Thompson spokeswoman told CNN. Myers also contacted the National Association of African-Americans in the Department of Homeland Security. In a letter to NAADHS members, the group's vice president, Sjon Shavers, said the group "appreciates (Myers) reaching out to us so quickly in order to keep us apprised of the matter and we commend her on moving so swiftly toward appropriate corrective action." As head of ICE, Myers heads the law enforcement agency charged with enforcing immigration law inside the United States. It is the second largest investigative agency in the federal government, with more than 15,000 employees, including 6,000 investigators. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff "supports the actions that Assistant Secretary Myers has taken," DHS spokeswoman Laura Keehner said. "We do not tolerate inappropriate behavior at DHS." "The Secretary has asked for an inquiry into the facts surrounding the incident. Once the facts have been determined, we will take all necessary and appropriate actions," Keehner said. E-mail to a friend

What costume offended some people at the party?

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Department of Homeland Security will investigate a Halloween costume party hosted by a top immigration official and attended by a man dressed in a striped prison outfit, dreadlocks and darkened skin make-up, a costume some say is offensive, the department's secretary said. Julie Myers, head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, called the man's costume "offensive." Julie Myers, head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and host of the fundraising party, was on a three-judge panel that originally praised the prisoner costume for "originality." Myers later apologized for "a few of the costumes," calling them "inappropriate and offensive." She said she and other senior managers "deeply regret that this happened." A department photographer photographed Myers with the man, but the images were deleted after the costume were deemed offensive, ICE spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said. Between 50 and 75 people attended the party, which was a fundraiser for the Combined Federal Campaign, a federal government collection of charities. Nantel said one employee, whom she declined to identify, was wearing a black-and-white striped prison outfit, dreadlocks and a skin "bronzer" intended "to make him look African-American." But, she said, it was not immediately apparent that he was wearing the make-up. "Most people in the room didn't realize he was wearing make-up at all," she said. "It was unintentioned. The employee did not mean to offend although there were some employees that were rightfully offended by it," Nantel said. Myers and the other judges "noted his costume for originality." "There were a couple of people who were offended," Nantel said. "When it was confirmed through a conversation with the employee that he was wearing make-up," Nantel said, the employee was counseled and Myers sent out a note to employees apologizing. In a November 2 email to ICE employees, Myers wrote, "It is now clear that, however unintended, a few of the costumes were inappropriate and offensive. While we were all thrilled to be a part of the CFC fundraising effort, I and the senior management at ICE deeply regret that this happened." She reminded all employees to be compliant with the department's diversity training requirement. Myers has served as head of ICE since January of 2006 but is still awaiting Senate confirmation. An ICE congressional liaison said ICE officials briefed congressional staffers about the costume party this week as a courtesy. But at least one congressional staffer said they approached ICE after receiving an anonymous fax about the incident. Myers called House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi, about the incident and is expected to meet with him before the end of the week, a Thompson spokeswoman told CNN. Myers also contacted the National Association of African-Americans in the Department of Homeland Security. In a letter to NAADHS members, the group's vice president, Sjon Shavers, said the group "appreciates (Myers) reaching out to us so quickly in order to keep us apprised of the matter and we commend her on moving so swiftly toward appropriate corrective action." As head of ICE, Myers heads the law enforcement agency charged with enforcing immigration law inside the United States. It is the second largest investigative agency in the federal government, with more than 15,000 employees, including 6,000 investigators. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff "supports the actions that Assistant Secretary Myers has taken," DHS spokeswoman Laura Keehner said. "We do not tolerate inappropriate behavior at DHS." "The Secretary has asked for an inquiry into the facts surrounding the incident. Once the facts have been determined, we will take all necessary and appropriate actions," Keehner said. E-mail to a friend

whos party was it?

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Department of Homeland Security will investigate a Halloween costume party hosted by a top immigration official and attended by a man dressed in a striped prison outfit, dreadlocks and darkened skin make-up, a costume some say is offensive, the department's secretary said. Julie Myers, head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, called the man's costume "offensive." Julie Myers, head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and host of the fundraising party, was on a three-judge panel that originally praised the prisoner costume for "originality." Myers later apologized for "a few of the costumes," calling them "inappropriate and offensive." She said she and other senior managers "deeply regret that this happened." A department photographer photographed Myers with the man, but the images were deleted after the costume were deemed offensive, ICE spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said. Between 50 and 75 people attended the party, which was a fundraiser for the Combined Federal Campaign, a federal government collection of charities. Nantel said one employee, whom she declined to identify, was wearing a black-and-white striped prison outfit, dreadlocks and a skin "bronzer" intended "to make him look African-American." But, she said, it was not immediately apparent that he was wearing the make-up. "Most people in the room didn't realize he was wearing make-up at all," she said. "It was unintentioned. The employee did not mean to offend although there were some employees that were rightfully offended by it," Nantel said. Myers and the other judges "noted his costume for originality." "There were a couple of people who were offended," Nantel said. "When it was confirmed through a conversation with the employee that he was wearing make-up," Nantel said, the employee was counseled and Myers sent out a note to employees apologizing. In a November 2 email to ICE employees, Myers wrote, "It is now clear that, however unintended, a few of the costumes were inappropriate and offensive. While we were all thrilled to be a part of the CFC fundraising effort, I and the senior management at ICE deeply regret that this happened." She reminded all employees to be compliant with the department's diversity training requirement. Myers has served as head of ICE since January of 2006 but is still awaiting Senate confirmation. An ICE congressional liaison said ICE officials briefed congressional staffers about the costume party this week as a courtesy. But at least one congressional staffer said they approached ICE after receiving an anonymous fax about the incident. Myers called House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi, about the incident and is expected to meet with him before the end of the week, a Thompson spokeswoman told CNN. Myers also contacted the National Association of African-Americans in the Department of Homeland Security. In a letter to NAADHS members, the group's vice president, Sjon Shavers, said the group "appreciates (Myers) reaching out to us so quickly in order to keep us apprised of the matter and we commend her on moving so swiftly toward appropriate corrective action." As head of ICE, Myers heads the law enforcement agency charged with enforcing immigration law inside the United States. It is the second largest investigative agency in the federal government, with more than 15,000 employees, including 6,000 investigators. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff "supports the actions that Assistant Secretary Myers has taken," DHS spokeswoman Laura Keehner said. "We do not tolerate inappropriate behavior at DHS." "The Secretary has asked for an inquiry into the facts surrounding the incident. Once the facts have been determined, we will take all necessary and appropriate actions," Keehner said. E-mail to a friend

What is Myers' vocation?

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Department of Homeland Security will investigate a Halloween costume party hosted by a top immigration official and attended by a man dressed in a striped prison outfit, dreadlocks and darkened skin make-up, a costume some say is offensive, the department's secretary said. Julie Myers, head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, called the man's costume "offensive." Julie Myers, head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and host of the fundraising party, was on a three-judge panel that originally praised the prisoner costume for "originality." Myers later apologized for "a few of the costumes," calling them "inappropriate and offensive." She said she and other senior managers "deeply regret that this happened." A department photographer photographed Myers with the man, but the images were deleted after the costume were deemed offensive, ICE spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said. Between 50 and 75 people attended the party, which was a fundraiser for the Combined Federal Campaign, a federal government collection of charities. Nantel said one employee, whom she declined to identify, was wearing a black-and-white striped prison outfit, dreadlocks and a skin "bronzer" intended "to make him look African-American." But, she said, it was not immediately apparent that he was wearing the make-up. "Most people in the room didn't realize he was wearing make-up at all," she said. "It was unintentioned. The employee did not mean to offend although there were some employees that were rightfully offended by it," Nantel said. Myers and the other judges "noted his costume for originality." "There were a couple of people who were offended," Nantel said. "When it was confirmed through a conversation with the employee that he was wearing make-up," Nantel said, the employee was counseled and Myers sent out a note to employees apologizing. In a November 2 email to ICE employees, Myers wrote, "It is now clear that, however unintended, a few of the costumes were inappropriate and offensive. While we were all thrilled to be a part of the CFC fundraising effort, I and the senior management at ICE deeply regret that this happened." She reminded all employees to be compliant with the department's diversity training requirement. Myers has served as head of ICE since January of 2006 but is still awaiting Senate confirmation. An ICE congressional liaison said ICE officials briefed congressional staffers about the costume party this week as a courtesy. But at least one congressional staffer said they approached ICE after receiving an anonymous fax about the incident. Myers called House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi, about the incident and is expected to meet with him before the end of the week, a Thompson spokeswoman told CNN. Myers also contacted the National Association of African-Americans in the Department of Homeland Security. In a letter to NAADHS members, the group's vice president, Sjon Shavers, said the group "appreciates (Myers) reaching out to us so quickly in order to keep us apprised of the matter and we commend her on moving so swiftly toward appropriate corrective action." As head of ICE, Myers heads the law enforcement agency charged with enforcing immigration law inside the United States. It is the second largest investigative agency in the federal government, with more than 15,000 employees, including 6,000 investigators. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff "supports the actions that Assistant Secretary Myers has taken," DHS spokeswoman Laura Keehner said. "We do not tolerate inappropriate behavior at DHS." "The Secretary has asked for an inquiry into the facts surrounding the incident. Once the facts have been determined, we will take all necessary and appropriate actions," Keehner said. E-mail to a friend

Who praised the man's costume originally?

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Department of Homeland Security will investigate a Halloween costume party hosted by a top immigration official and attended by a man dressed in a striped prison outfit, dreadlocks and darkened skin make-up, a costume some say is offensive, the department's secretary said. Julie Myers, head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, called the man's costume "offensive." Julie Myers, head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and host of the fundraising party, was on a three-judge panel that originally praised the prisoner costume for "originality." Myers later apologized for "a few of the costumes," calling them "inappropriate and offensive." She said she and other senior managers "deeply regret that this happened." A department photographer photographed Myers with the man, but the images were deleted after the costume were deemed offensive, ICE spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said. Between 50 and 75 people attended the party, which was a fundraiser for the Combined Federal Campaign, a federal government collection of charities. Nantel said one employee, whom she declined to identify, was wearing a black-and-white striped prison outfit, dreadlocks and a skin "bronzer" intended "to make him look African-American." But, she said, it was not immediately apparent that he was wearing the make-up. "Most people in the room didn't realize he was wearing make-up at all," she said. "It was unintentioned. The employee did not mean to offend although there were some employees that were rightfully offended by it," Nantel said. Myers and the other judges "noted his costume for originality." "There were a couple of people who were offended," Nantel said. "When it was confirmed through a conversation with the employee that he was wearing make-up," Nantel said, the employee was counseled and Myers sent out a note to employees apologizing. In a November 2 email to ICE employees, Myers wrote, "It is now clear that, however unintended, a few of the costumes were inappropriate and offensive. While we were all thrilled to be a part of the CFC fundraising effort, I and the senior management at ICE deeply regret that this happened." She reminded all employees to be compliant with the department's diversity training requirement. Myers has served as head of ICE since January of 2006 but is still awaiting Senate confirmation. An ICE congressional liaison said ICE officials briefed congressional staffers about the costume party this week as a courtesy. But at least one congressional staffer said they approached ICE after receiving an anonymous fax about the incident. Myers called House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi, about the incident and is expected to meet with him before the end of the week, a Thompson spokeswoman told CNN. Myers also contacted the National Association of African-Americans in the Department of Homeland Security. In a letter to NAADHS members, the group's vice president, Sjon Shavers, said the group "appreciates (Myers) reaching out to us so quickly in order to keep us apprised of the matter and we commend her on moving so swiftly toward appropriate corrective action." As head of ICE, Myers heads the law enforcement agency charged with enforcing immigration law inside the United States. It is the second largest investigative agency in the federal government, with more than 15,000 employees, including 6,000 investigators. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff "supports the actions that Assistant Secretary Myers has taken," DHS spokeswoman Laura Keehner said. "We do not tolerate inappropriate behavior at DHS." "The Secretary has asked for an inquiry into the facts surrounding the incident. Once the facts have been determined, we will take all necessary and appropriate actions," Keehner said. E-mail to a friend

Who was the party host?

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Department of Homeland Security will investigate a Halloween costume party hosted by a top immigration official and attended by a man dressed in a striped prison outfit, dreadlocks and darkened skin make-up, a costume some say is offensive, the department's secretary said. Julie Myers, head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, called the man's costume "offensive." Julie Myers, head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and host of the fundraising party, was on a three-judge panel that originally praised the prisoner costume for "originality." Myers later apologized for "a few of the costumes," calling them "inappropriate and offensive." She said she and other senior managers "deeply regret that this happened." A department photographer photographed Myers with the man, but the images were deleted after the costume were deemed offensive, ICE spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said. Between 50 and 75 people attended the party, which was a fundraiser for the Combined Federal Campaign, a federal government collection of charities. Nantel said one employee, whom she declined to identify, was wearing a black-and-white striped prison outfit, dreadlocks and a skin "bronzer" intended "to make him look African-American." But, she said, it was not immediately apparent that he was wearing the make-up. "Most people in the room didn't realize he was wearing make-up at all," she said. "It was unintentioned. The employee did not mean to offend although there were some employees that were rightfully offended by it," Nantel said. Myers and the other judges "noted his costume for originality." "There were a couple of people who were offended," Nantel said. "When it was confirmed through a conversation with the employee that he was wearing make-up," Nantel said, the employee was counseled and Myers sent out a note to employees apologizing. In a November 2 email to ICE employees, Myers wrote, "It is now clear that, however unintended, a few of the costumes were inappropriate and offensive. While we were all thrilled to be a part of the CFC fundraising effort, I and the senior management at ICE deeply regret that this happened." She reminded all employees to be compliant with the department's diversity training requirement. Myers has served as head of ICE since January of 2006 but is still awaiting Senate confirmation. An ICE congressional liaison said ICE officials briefed congressional staffers about the costume party this week as a courtesy. But at least one congressional staffer said they approached ICE after receiving an anonymous fax about the incident. Myers called House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi, about the incident and is expected to meet with him before the end of the week, a Thompson spokeswoman told CNN. Myers also contacted the National Association of African-Americans in the Department of Homeland Security. In a letter to NAADHS members, the group's vice president, Sjon Shavers, said the group "appreciates (Myers) reaching out to us so quickly in order to keep us apprised of the matter and we commend her on moving so swiftly toward appropriate corrective action." As head of ICE, Myers heads the law enforcement agency charged with enforcing immigration law inside the United States. It is the second largest investigative agency in the federal government, with more than 15,000 employees, including 6,000 investigators. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff "supports the actions that Assistant Secretary Myers has taken," DHS spokeswoman Laura Keehner said. "We do not tolerate inappropriate behavior at DHS." "The Secretary has asked for an inquiry into the facts surrounding the incident. Once the facts have been determined, we will take all necessary and appropriate actions," Keehner said. E-mail to a friend

Who was the party's host?

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered its inspectors to make sure regional airlines' training programs are in line with federal regulations, authorities announced Tuesday. Regional airline Colgan Air's Flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo, New York, on February 12. "It's clear to us in looking at the February Colgan Air crash in Buffalo that there are things we should be doing now," FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said. "My goal is to make sure that the entire industry -- from large commercial carriers to smaller, regional operators -- is meeting our safety standard." Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo, New York, on February 12, killing all 49 passengers and crew members aboard. One person on the ground was also killed. Federal investigators held hearings on Capitol Hill last month on the cause of the crash but have not concluded their inquiry. Several shortcomings of the crew came to light during the National Transportation and Safety Board hearings when it was revealed that Colgan Air Capt. Marvin Renslow failed to reveal two pilot exam failures in his job application. Testimony at the hearings also revealed that fatigue apparently contributed to the failure of Renslow and First Officer Rebecca Shaw to save the plane as it approached Buffalo Niagara International Airport. USA Today newspaper reviewed the safety board's accident reports over the past 10 years and found that in nearly every serious accident involving a regional airline during that time, at least one of the pilots had failed multiple skill tests. "In eight of the nine accidents during that time, which killed 137 people, pilots had a history of failing two or more 'check rides,' tests by federal or airline inspectors of pilots' ability to fly and respond to emergencies," USA Today reported Sunday. "In the lone case in which pilots didn't have multiple failures since becoming licensed, the co-pilot was fired after the nonfatal crash for falsifying his job application." In addition to reviewing regional airlines' training programs, Babbitt and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood have called on representatives from major air carriers, their regional partners, aviation industry groups and labor to participate in a "call to action" in Washington on Monday, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation news release. The review will address pilot training, cockpit discipline and other flight safety issues, the release said.

Will FAA examine training at regional airlines?

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered its inspectors to make sure regional airlines' training programs are in line with federal regulations, authorities announced Tuesday. Regional airline Colgan Air's Flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo, New York, on February 12. "It's clear to us in looking at the February Colgan Air crash in Buffalo that there are things we should be doing now," FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said. "My goal is to make sure that the entire industry -- from large commercial carriers to smaller, regional operators -- is meeting our safety standard." Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo, New York, on February 12, killing all 49 passengers and crew members aboard. One person on the ground was also killed. Federal investigators held hearings on Capitol Hill last month on the cause of the crash but have not concluded their inquiry. Several shortcomings of the crew came to light during the National Transportation and Safety Board hearings when it was revealed that Colgan Air Capt. Marvin Renslow failed to reveal two pilot exam failures in his job application. Testimony at the hearings also revealed that fatigue apparently contributed to the failure of Renslow and First Officer Rebecca Shaw to save the plane as it approached Buffalo Niagara International Airport. USA Today newspaper reviewed the safety board's accident reports over the past 10 years and found that in nearly every serious accident involving a regional airline during that time, at least one of the pilots had failed multiple skill tests. "In eight of the nine accidents during that time, which killed 137 people, pilots had a history of failing two or more 'check rides,' tests by federal or airline inspectors of pilots' ability to fly and respond to emergencies," USA Today reported Sunday. "In the lone case in which pilots didn't have multiple failures since becoming licensed, the co-pilot was fired after the nonfatal crash for falsifying his job application." In addition to reviewing regional airlines' training programs, Babbitt and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood have called on representatives from major air carriers, their regional partners, aviation industry groups and labor to participate in a "call to action" in Washington on Monday, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation news release. The review will address pilot training, cockpit discipline and other flight safety issues, the release said.

How many pilot test failures did USA Today find in regional airline crashes?

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered its inspectors to make sure regional airlines' training programs are in line with federal regulations, authorities announced Tuesday. Regional airline Colgan Air's Flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo, New York, on February 12. "It's clear to us in looking at the February Colgan Air crash in Buffalo that there are things we should be doing now," FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said. "My goal is to make sure that the entire industry -- from large commercial carriers to smaller, regional operators -- is meeting our safety standard." Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo, New York, on February 12, killing all 49 passengers and crew members aboard. One person on the ground was also killed. Federal investigators held hearings on Capitol Hill last month on the cause of the crash but have not concluded their inquiry. Several shortcomings of the crew came to light during the National Transportation and Safety Board hearings when it was revealed that Colgan Air Capt. Marvin Renslow failed to reveal two pilot exam failures in his job application. Testimony at the hearings also revealed that fatigue apparently contributed to the failure of Renslow and First Officer Rebecca Shaw to save the plane as it approached Buffalo Niagara International Airport. USA Today newspaper reviewed the safety board's accident reports over the past 10 years and found that in nearly every serious accident involving a regional airline during that time, at least one of the pilots had failed multiple skill tests. "In eight of the nine accidents during that time, which killed 137 people, pilots had a history of failing two or more 'check rides,' tests by federal or airline inspectors of pilots' ability to fly and respond to emergencies," USA Today reported Sunday. "In the lone case in which pilots didn't have multiple failures since becoming licensed, the co-pilot was fired after the nonfatal crash for falsifying his job application." In addition to reviewing regional airlines' training programs, Babbitt and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood have called on representatives from major air carriers, their regional partners, aviation industry groups and labor to participate in a "call to action" in Washington on Monday, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation news release. The review will address pilot training, cockpit discipline and other flight safety issues, the release said.

who investigated the fatal crash?

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered its inspectors to make sure regional airlines' training programs are in line with federal regulations, authorities announced Tuesday. Regional airline Colgan Air's Flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo, New York, on February 12. "It's clear to us in looking at the February Colgan Air crash in Buffalo that there are things we should be doing now," FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said. "My goal is to make sure that the entire industry -- from large commercial carriers to smaller, regional operators -- is meeting our safety standard." Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo, New York, on February 12, killing all 49 passengers and crew members aboard. One person on the ground was also killed. Federal investigators held hearings on Capitol Hill last month on the cause of the crash but have not concluded their inquiry. Several shortcomings of the crew came to light during the National Transportation and Safety Board hearings when it was revealed that Colgan Air Capt. Marvin Renslow failed to reveal two pilot exam failures in his job application. Testimony at the hearings also revealed that fatigue apparently contributed to the failure of Renslow and First Officer Rebecca Shaw to save the plane as it approached Buffalo Niagara International Airport. USA Today newspaper reviewed the safety board's accident reports over the past 10 years and found that in nearly every serious accident involving a regional airline during that time, at least one of the pilots had failed multiple skill tests. "In eight of the nine accidents during that time, which killed 137 people, pilots had a history of failing two or more 'check rides,' tests by federal or airline inspectors of pilots' ability to fly and respond to emergencies," USA Today reported Sunday. "In the lone case in which pilots didn't have multiple failures since becoming licensed, the co-pilot was fired after the nonfatal crash for falsifying his job application." In addition to reviewing regional airlines' training programs, Babbitt and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood have called on representatives from major air carriers, their regional partners, aviation industry groups and labor to participate in a "call to action" in Washington on Monday, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation news release. The review will address pilot training, cockpit discipline and other flight safety issues, the release said.

Where did the fatal crash occur that the NTSB is currently investigating?

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered its inspectors to make sure regional airlines' training programs are in line with federal regulations, authorities announced Tuesday. Regional airline Colgan Air's Flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo, New York, on February 12. "It's clear to us in looking at the February Colgan Air crash in Buffalo that there are things we should be doing now," FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said. "My goal is to make sure that the entire industry -- from large commercial carriers to smaller, regional operators -- is meeting our safety standard." Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo, New York, on February 12, killing all 49 passengers and crew members aboard. One person on the ground was also killed. Federal investigators held hearings on Capitol Hill last month on the cause of the crash but have not concluded their inquiry. Several shortcomings of the crew came to light during the National Transportation and Safety Board hearings when it was revealed that Colgan Air Capt. Marvin Renslow failed to reveal two pilot exam failures in his job application. Testimony at the hearings also revealed that fatigue apparently contributed to the failure of Renslow and First Officer Rebecca Shaw to save the plane as it approached Buffalo Niagara International Airport. USA Today newspaper reviewed the safety board's accident reports over the past 10 years and found that in nearly every serious accident involving a regional airline during that time, at least one of the pilots had failed multiple skill tests. "In eight of the nine accidents during that time, which killed 137 people, pilots had a history of failing two or more 'check rides,' tests by federal or airline inspectors of pilots' ability to fly and respond to emergencies," USA Today reported Sunday. "In the lone case in which pilots didn't have multiple failures since becoming licensed, the co-pilot was fired after the nonfatal crash for falsifying his job application." In addition to reviewing regional airlines' training programs, Babbitt and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood have called on representatives from major air carriers, their regional partners, aviation industry groups and labor to participate in a "call to action" in Washington on Monday, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation news release. The review will address pilot training, cockpit discipline and other flight safety issues, the release said.

who's inquiry found pilot test failures?

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered its inspectors to make sure regional airlines' training programs are in line with federal regulations, authorities announced Tuesday. Regional airline Colgan Air's Flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo, New York, on February 12. "It's clear to us in looking at the February Colgan Air crash in Buffalo that there are things we should be doing now," FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said. "My goal is to make sure that the entire industry -- from large commercial carriers to smaller, regional operators -- is meeting our safety standard." Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed near Buffalo, New York, on February 12, killing all 49 passengers and crew members aboard. One person on the ground was also killed. Federal investigators held hearings on Capitol Hill last month on the cause of the crash but have not concluded their inquiry. Several shortcomings of the crew came to light during the National Transportation and Safety Board hearings when it was revealed that Colgan Air Capt. Marvin Renslow failed to reveal two pilot exam failures in his job application. Testimony at the hearings also revealed that fatigue apparently contributed to the failure of Renslow and First Officer Rebecca Shaw to save the plane as it approached Buffalo Niagara International Airport. USA Today newspaper reviewed the safety board's accident reports over the past 10 years and found that in nearly every serious accident involving a regional airline during that time, at least one of the pilots had failed multiple skill tests. "In eight of the nine accidents during that time, which killed 137 people, pilots had a history of failing two or more 'check rides,' tests by federal or airline inspectors of pilots' ability to fly and respond to emergencies," USA Today reported Sunday. "In the lone case in which pilots didn't have multiple failures since becoming licensed, the co-pilot was fired after the nonfatal crash for falsifying his job application." In addition to reviewing regional airlines' training programs, Babbitt and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood have called on representatives from major air carriers, their regional partners, aviation industry groups and labor to participate in a "call to action" in Washington on Monday, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation news release. The review will address pilot training, cockpit discipline and other flight safety issues, the release said.

What is the FAA examining?

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(CNN) -- Search crews have recovered the bodies of the flight captain and a steward from the Air France flight that crashed off the coast of Brazil. A Brazilian diver floats on wreckage of Flight 447 earlier this month. The search for more debris continues. The two flight members are among the victims that have been identified, Air France said in a statement Thursday. About a dozen victims have been identified among roughly 50 bodies recovered from the crash of Flight 447, which killed 228 people on June 1, authorities in Brazil said this week. Crews continue to search for bodies, wreckage and flight-data recorders that apparently rest deep on the ocean floor. Data from the recorders may be crucial in helping investigators determine what caused the plane to crash. Watch more wreckage recovered from crash » Autopsies conducted on some of the 50 bodies found so far show they suffered broken bones, including arms, legs and hips, Brazilian authorities have told French investigators, according to Paul-Louis Arslanian, head of the French accident investigation board. Such injuries suggest that the plane broke apart in midair, experts have said. Asked about that theory, Air France Chief Executive Pierre-Henri Gourgeon told France's RTL radio this week that he would not go that far. "What I know is that the investigators would like to know the causes of death," Gourgeon said. "That knowledge of causes of death will better clarify what exactly happened. Were the victims killed before the impact, or during impact?" Searchers have found dozens of pieces of debris in the water and think they know the general location of the wreck, but Arslanian said this week that there is a chance the entire aircraft may never be found. Air France plans to pay relatives of the victims an initial compensation equivalent to about $24,500, or 17,500 euros, for each victim, Gourgeon has said. The airliner said this week that it has been in touch with about 1,800 relatives of the people who died when the Airbus A330 crashed, but that it has been difficult tracing the relatives of all 228 victims. "The modern world is different and we often have only a cell phone, and as you can imagine, this cell phone is unfortunately in the aircraft," Gourgeon said. "So we probably (will put in) more hours to access all the relatives." The company is also providing families with counseling, he said. The were 32 different nationalities present on Flight 447.

How many people were killed in the crash?

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(CNN) -- Search crews have recovered the bodies of the flight captain and a steward from the Air France flight that crashed off the coast of Brazil. A Brazilian diver floats on wreckage of Flight 447 earlier this month. The search for more debris continues. The two flight members are among the victims that have been identified, Air France said in a statement Thursday. About a dozen victims have been identified among roughly 50 bodies recovered from the crash of Flight 447, which killed 228 people on June 1, authorities in Brazil said this week. Crews continue to search for bodies, wreckage and flight-data recorders that apparently rest deep on the ocean floor. Data from the recorders may be crucial in helping investigators determine what caused the plane to crash. Watch more wreckage recovered from crash » Autopsies conducted on some of the 50 bodies found so far show they suffered broken bones, including arms, legs and hips, Brazilian authorities have told French investigators, according to Paul-Louis Arslanian, head of the French accident investigation board. Such injuries suggest that the plane broke apart in midair, experts have said. Asked about that theory, Air France Chief Executive Pierre-Henri Gourgeon told France's RTL radio this week that he would not go that far. "What I know is that the investigators would like to know the causes of death," Gourgeon said. "That knowledge of causes of death will better clarify what exactly happened. Were the victims killed before the impact, or during impact?" Searchers have found dozens of pieces of debris in the water and think they know the general location of the wreck, but Arslanian said this week that there is a chance the entire aircraft may never be found. Air France plans to pay relatives of the victims an initial compensation equivalent to about $24,500, or 17,500 euros, for each victim, Gourgeon has said. The airliner said this week that it has been in touch with about 1,800 relatives of the people who died when the Airbus A330 crashed, but that it has been difficult tracing the relatives of all 228 victims. "The modern world is different and we often have only a cell phone, and as you can imagine, this cell phone is unfortunately in the aircraft," Gourgeon said. "So we probably (will put in) more hours to access all the relatives." The company is also providing families with counseling, he said. The were 32 different nationalities present on Flight 447.

How many people were on flight 447?

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(CNN) -- Search crews have recovered the bodies of the flight captain and a steward from the Air France flight that crashed off the coast of Brazil. A Brazilian diver floats on wreckage of Flight 447 earlier this month. The search for more debris continues. The two flight members are among the victims that have been identified, Air France said in a statement Thursday. About a dozen victims have been identified among roughly 50 bodies recovered from the crash of Flight 447, which killed 228 people on June 1, authorities in Brazil said this week. Crews continue to search for bodies, wreckage and flight-data recorders that apparently rest deep on the ocean floor. Data from the recorders may be crucial in helping investigators determine what caused the plane to crash. Watch more wreckage recovered from crash » Autopsies conducted on some of the 50 bodies found so far show they suffered broken bones, including arms, legs and hips, Brazilian authorities have told French investigators, according to Paul-Louis Arslanian, head of the French accident investigation board. Such injuries suggest that the plane broke apart in midair, experts have said. Asked about that theory, Air France Chief Executive Pierre-Henri Gourgeon told France's RTL radio this week that he would not go that far. "What I know is that the investigators would like to know the causes of death," Gourgeon said. "That knowledge of causes of death will better clarify what exactly happened. Were the victims killed before the impact, or during impact?" Searchers have found dozens of pieces of debris in the water and think they know the general location of the wreck, but Arslanian said this week that there is a chance the entire aircraft may never be found. Air France plans to pay relatives of the victims an initial compensation equivalent to about $24,500, or 17,500 euros, for each victim, Gourgeon has said. The airliner said this week that it has been in touch with about 1,800 relatives of the people who died when the Airbus A330 crashed, but that it has been difficult tracing the relatives of all 228 victims. "The modern world is different and we often have only a cell phone, and as you can imagine, this cell phone is unfortunately in the aircraft," Gourgeon said. "So we probably (will put in) more hours to access all the relatives." The company is also providing families with counseling, he said. The were 32 different nationalities present on Flight 447.

Who did the search crew recover?

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(CNN) -- Search crews have recovered the bodies of the flight captain and a steward from the Air France flight that crashed off the coast of Brazil. A Brazilian diver floats on wreckage of Flight 447 earlier this month. The search for more debris continues. The two flight members are among the victims that have been identified, Air France said in a statement Thursday. About a dozen victims have been identified among roughly 50 bodies recovered from the crash of Flight 447, which killed 228 people on June 1, authorities in Brazil said this week. Crews continue to search for bodies, wreckage and flight-data recorders that apparently rest deep on the ocean floor. Data from the recorders may be crucial in helping investigators determine what caused the plane to crash. Watch more wreckage recovered from crash » Autopsies conducted on some of the 50 bodies found so far show they suffered broken bones, including arms, legs and hips, Brazilian authorities have told French investigators, according to Paul-Louis Arslanian, head of the French accident investigation board. Such injuries suggest that the plane broke apart in midair, experts have said. Asked about that theory, Air France Chief Executive Pierre-Henri Gourgeon told France's RTL radio this week that he would not go that far. "What I know is that the investigators would like to know the causes of death," Gourgeon said. "That knowledge of causes of death will better clarify what exactly happened. Were the victims killed before the impact, or during impact?" Searchers have found dozens of pieces of debris in the water and think they know the general location of the wreck, but Arslanian said this week that there is a chance the entire aircraft may never be found. Air France plans to pay relatives of the victims an initial compensation equivalent to about $24,500, or 17,500 euros, for each victim, Gourgeon has said. The airliner said this week that it has been in touch with about 1,800 relatives of the people who died when the Airbus A330 crashed, but that it has been difficult tracing the relatives of all 228 victims. "The modern world is different and we often have only a cell phone, and as you can imagine, this cell phone is unfortunately in the aircraft," Gourgeon said. "So we probably (will put in) more hours to access all the relatives." The company is also providing families with counseling, he said. The were 32 different nationalities present on Flight 447.

search crews recover whose bodies?

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'SINDH KALAY', England (CNN) -- The aroma of freshly baking flatbread wafts through the air as a unit of British soldiers position themselves for a quick patrol around the village of Sindh Kalay. A British soldier on patrol in the mock Afghan village of Sindh Kalay. Market vendors hawk grapes and melons, as a group of village elders sit smoking water pipes and suspicious-looking men lurk beside battered motorcycles. What should the soldiers do? Conduct a weapons search? Approach the village elders first? In the complex political and cultural terrain of Afghanistan, what is the best course of action? Except this is not Afghanistan. It's Norfolk, England. Instead of the Hindu Kush mountains, it is the green ladscape and tidy farmhouses of the English countryside that stretch out behind them. Welcome to the British Army's state-of-the art training ground. It cost more than $20 million to build and every British soldier serving in Afghanistan will do his or her training here. "I think it's the closest thing you are going to get short of being in Afghanistan itself," says Col. David Colthup of the 2nd Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment. His troops have already served one tour of duty in Afghanistan's Helmand province and are training for another. British troops serving in Helmand province are tasked with mentoring and training Afghan security forces. Not an easy job in a Taliban stronghold and Afghanistan's center of opium production. "Ultimately, a soldier joins the army and trains to fight. That's what a soldier trains to do. But today, it's a much, much more complex environment," explains Colthup. "The business of being able to interact either through an interpreter or through Afghan security forces, whether they are police or army. And to understand how the people operate and how we can interact better with them. Because ultimately, that's what it's about," he says. The most distinctive features of Sindh Kalay are the high three-meter walls that make up the village compound, creating narrow alleyways difficult for troops to patrol. The village is staffed with Afghan asylum-seekers, many of whom have fled the Taliban. They play the roles of market vendors, village elders and sometimes Afghan security forces. Several Afghan women are also on hand, useful for training British soldiers on the religious and cultural sensitivities of entering an Afghan home. Watch British troops training in mock Afghan village » The Taliban insurgents are played by Nepalese Ghurkha soldiers authorized to handle weapons. They play their roles silently, unable to partake in the Pashtun banter among the Afghans. Fazel Beria is also an asylum-seeker from Afghanistan. He is responsible for recruiting and for creating the sights and smells of Sindh Kalay and is easily identifiable as the only Afghan in the market in Western clothes. He beams with pride walking down the bazaar and clearly relishes his role in training the British Army. "Everything with the culture comes up with the issue of hearts and minds," he explains. "If you want to win that, you need to know about their culture. You need to respect their culture, their religion and their way of life." He gives high marks to the soldiers training so far. After each exercise, the Afghan actors talk directly to the soldiers about what went wrong and what went right. Sometimes, it's the little things that count. "Yes, there have been quite a lot of surprises," Beria says. Like Afghan will sit cross legged for hours. "The British soldier cannot do that," he laughs. "The Afghan will be sitting very comfortable and the British soldier is not. So, they have to get used to it." See photos of British troops on patrol in Sindh Kalay -- and for real in Afghanistan » Previously, the army trained on farmhouses and in urban neighborhoods that resembled Northern Ireland more than Afghanistan. But Sindh Kalay does more than mimic the physical reality of Afghanistan. It also mirrors the changing tactics on the ground. Troops are grilled in

What does the village feature?

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'SINDH KALAY', England (CNN) -- The aroma of freshly baking flatbread wafts through the air as a unit of British soldiers position themselves for a quick patrol around the village of Sindh Kalay. A British soldier on patrol in the mock Afghan village of Sindh Kalay. Market vendors hawk grapes and melons, as a group of village elders sit smoking water pipes and suspicious-looking men lurk beside battered motorcycles. What should the soldiers do? Conduct a weapons search? Approach the village elders first? In the complex political and cultural terrain of Afghanistan, what is the best course of action? Except this is not Afghanistan. It's Norfolk, England. Instead of the Hindu Kush mountains, it is the green ladscape and tidy farmhouses of the English countryside that stretch out behind them. Welcome to the British Army's state-of-the art training ground. It cost more than $20 million to build and every British soldier serving in Afghanistan will do his or her training here. "I think it's the closest thing you are going to get short of being in Afghanistan itself," says Col. David Colthup of the 2nd Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment. His troops have already served one tour of duty in Afghanistan's Helmand province and are training for another. British troops serving in Helmand province are tasked with mentoring and training Afghan security forces. Not an easy job in a Taliban stronghold and Afghanistan's center of opium production. "Ultimately, a soldier joins the army and trains to fight. That's what a soldier trains to do. But today, it's a much, much more complex environment," explains Colthup. "The business of being able to interact either through an interpreter or through Afghan security forces, whether they are police or army. And to understand how the people operate and how we can interact better with them. Because ultimately, that's what it's about," he says. The most distinctive features of Sindh Kalay are the high three-meter walls that make up the village compound, creating narrow alleyways difficult for troops to patrol. The village is staffed with Afghan asylum-seekers, many of whom have fled the Taliban. They play the roles of market vendors, village elders and sometimes Afghan security forces. Several Afghan women are also on hand, useful for training British soldiers on the religious and cultural sensitivities of entering an Afghan home. Watch British troops training in mock Afghan village » The Taliban insurgents are played by Nepalese Ghurkha soldiers authorized to handle weapons. They play their roles silently, unable to partake in the Pashtun banter among the Afghans. Fazel Beria is also an asylum-seeker from Afghanistan. He is responsible for recruiting and for creating the sights and smells of Sindh Kalay and is easily identifiable as the only Afghan in the market in Western clothes. He beams with pride walking down the bazaar and clearly relishes his role in training the British Army. "Everything with the culture comes up with the issue of hearts and minds," he explains. "If you want to win that, you need to know about their culture. You need to respect their culture, their religion and their way of life." He gives high marks to the soldiers training so far. After each exercise, the Afghan actors talk directly to the soldiers about what went wrong and what went right. Sometimes, it's the little things that count. "Yes, there have been quite a lot of surprises," Beria says. Like Afghan will sit cross legged for hours. "The British soldier cannot do that," he laughs. "The Afghan will be sitting very comfortable and the British soldier is not. So, they have to get used to it." See photos of British troops on patrol in Sindh Kalay -- and for real in Afghanistan » Previously, the army trained on farmhouses and in urban neighborhoods that resembled Northern Ireland more than Afghanistan. But Sindh Kalay does more than mimic the physical reality of Afghanistan. It also mirrors the changing tactics on the ground. Troops are grilled in

Who plays Taliban militants during mock Afghan village?

63dbe7355d184c8b85fd7e064de6b539

'SINDH KALAY', England (CNN) -- The aroma of freshly baking flatbread wafts through the air as a unit of British soldiers position themselves for a quick patrol around the village of Sindh Kalay. A British soldier on patrol in the mock Afghan village of Sindh Kalay. Market vendors hawk grapes and melons, as a group of village elders sit smoking water pipes and suspicious-looking men lurk beside battered motorcycles. What should the soldiers do? Conduct a weapons search? Approach the village elders first? In the complex political and cultural terrain of Afghanistan, what is the best course of action? Except this is not Afghanistan. It's Norfolk, England. Instead of the Hindu Kush mountains, it is the green ladscape and tidy farmhouses of the English countryside that stretch out behind them. Welcome to the British Army's state-of-the art training ground. It cost more than $20 million to build and every British soldier serving in Afghanistan will do his or her training here. "I think it's the closest thing you are going to get short of being in Afghanistan itself," says Col. David Colthup of the 2nd Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment. His troops have already served one tour of duty in Afghanistan's Helmand province and are training for another. British troops serving in Helmand province are tasked with mentoring and training Afghan security forces. Not an easy job in a Taliban stronghold and Afghanistan's center of opium production. "Ultimately, a soldier joins the army and trains to fight. That's what a soldier trains to do. But today, it's a much, much more complex environment," explains Colthup. "The business of being able to interact either through an interpreter or through Afghan security forces, whether they are police or army. And to understand how the people operate and how we can interact better with them. Because ultimately, that's what it's about," he says. The most distinctive features of Sindh Kalay are the high three-meter walls that make up the village compound, creating narrow alleyways difficult for troops to patrol. The village is staffed with Afghan asylum-seekers, many of whom have fled the Taliban. They play the roles of market vendors, village elders and sometimes Afghan security forces. Several Afghan women are also on hand, useful for training British soldiers on the religious and cultural sensitivities of entering an Afghan home. Watch British troops training in mock Afghan village » The Taliban insurgents are played by Nepalese Ghurkha soldiers authorized to handle weapons. They play their roles silently, unable to partake in the Pashtun banter among the Afghans. Fazel Beria is also an asylum-seeker from Afghanistan. He is responsible for recruiting and for creating the sights and smells of Sindh Kalay and is easily identifiable as the only Afghan in the market in Western clothes. He beams with pride walking down the bazaar and clearly relishes his role in training the British Army. "Everything with the culture comes up with the issue of hearts and minds," he explains. "If you want to win that, you need to know about their culture. You need to respect their culture, their religion and their way of life." He gives high marks to the soldiers training so far. After each exercise, the Afghan actors talk directly to the soldiers about what went wrong and what went right. Sometimes, it's the little things that count. "Yes, there have been quite a lot of surprises," Beria says. Like Afghan will sit cross legged for hours. "The British soldier cannot do that," he laughs. "The Afghan will be sitting very comfortable and the British soldier is not. So, they have to get used to it." See photos of British troops on patrol in Sindh Kalay -- and for real in Afghanistan » Previously, the army trained on farmhouses and in urban neighborhoods that resembled Northern Ireland more than Afghanistan. But Sindh Kalay does more than mimic the physical reality of Afghanistan. It also mirrors the changing tactics on the ground. Troops are grilled in

What does the village train the soldiers to do?

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'SINDH KALAY', England (CNN) -- The aroma of freshly baking flatbread wafts through the air as a unit of British soldiers position themselves for a quick patrol around the village of Sindh Kalay. A British soldier on patrol in the mock Afghan village of Sindh Kalay. Market vendors hawk grapes and melons, as a group of village elders sit smoking water pipes and suspicious-looking men lurk beside battered motorcycles. What should the soldiers do? Conduct a weapons search? Approach the village elders first? In the complex political and cultural terrain of Afghanistan, what is the best course of action? Except this is not Afghanistan. It's Norfolk, England. Instead of the Hindu Kush mountains, it is the green ladscape and tidy farmhouses of the English countryside that stretch out behind them. Welcome to the British Army's state-of-the art training ground. It cost more than $20 million to build and every British soldier serving in Afghanistan will do his or her training here. "I think it's the closest thing you are going to get short of being in Afghanistan itself," says Col. David Colthup of the 2nd Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment. His troops have already served one tour of duty in Afghanistan's Helmand province and are training for another. British troops serving in Helmand province are tasked with mentoring and training Afghan security forces. Not an easy job in a Taliban stronghold and Afghanistan's center of opium production. "Ultimately, a soldier joins the army and trains to fight. That's what a soldier trains to do. But today, it's a much, much more complex environment," explains Colthup. "The business of being able to interact either through an interpreter or through Afghan security forces, whether they are police or army. And to understand how the people operate and how we can interact better with them. Because ultimately, that's what it's about," he says. The most distinctive features of Sindh Kalay are the high three-meter walls that make up the village compound, creating narrow alleyways difficult for troops to patrol. The village is staffed with Afghan asylum-seekers, many of whom have fled the Taliban. They play the roles of market vendors, village elders and sometimes Afghan security forces. Several Afghan women are also on hand, useful for training British soldiers on the religious and cultural sensitivities of entering an Afghan home. Watch British troops training in mock Afghan village » The Taliban insurgents are played by Nepalese Ghurkha soldiers authorized to handle weapons. They play their roles silently, unable to partake in the Pashtun banter among the Afghans. Fazel Beria is also an asylum-seeker from Afghanistan. He is responsible for recruiting and for creating the sights and smells of Sindh Kalay and is easily identifiable as the only Afghan in the market in Western clothes. He beams with pride walking down the bazaar and clearly relishes his role in training the British Army. "Everything with the culture comes up with the issue of hearts and minds," he explains. "If you want to win that, you need to know about their culture. You need to respect their culture, their religion and their way of life." He gives high marks to the soldiers training so far. After each exercise, the Afghan actors talk directly to the soldiers about what went wrong and what went right. Sometimes, it's the little things that count. "Yes, there have been quite a lot of surprises," Beria says. Like Afghan will sit cross legged for hours. "The British soldier cannot do that," he laughs. "The Afghan will be sitting very comfortable and the British soldier is not. So, they have to get used to it." See photos of British troops on patrol in Sindh Kalay -- and for real in Afghanistan » Previously, the army trained on farmhouses and in urban neighborhoods that resembled Northern Ireland more than Afghanistan. But Sindh Kalay does more than mimic the physical reality of Afghanistan. It also mirrors the changing tactics on the ground. Troops are grilled in

Who plays the role of "Taliban militants"?

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'SINDH KALAY', England (CNN) -- The aroma of freshly baking flatbread wafts through the air as a unit of British soldiers position themselves for a quick patrol around the village of Sindh Kalay. A British soldier on patrol in the mock Afghan village of Sindh Kalay. Market vendors hawk grapes and melons, as a group of village elders sit smoking water pipes and suspicious-looking men lurk beside battered motorcycles. What should the soldiers do? Conduct a weapons search? Approach the village elders first? In the complex political and cultural terrain of Afghanistan, what is the best course of action? Except this is not Afghanistan. It's Norfolk, England. Instead of the Hindu Kush mountains, it is the green ladscape and tidy farmhouses of the English countryside that stretch out behind them. Welcome to the British Army's state-of-the art training ground. It cost more than $20 million to build and every British soldier serving in Afghanistan will do his or her training here. "I think it's the closest thing you are going to get short of being in Afghanistan itself," says Col. David Colthup of the 2nd Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment. His troops have already served one tour of duty in Afghanistan's Helmand province and are training for another. British troops serving in Helmand province are tasked with mentoring and training Afghan security forces. Not an easy job in a Taliban stronghold and Afghanistan's center of opium production. "Ultimately, a soldier joins the army and trains to fight. That's what a soldier trains to do. But today, it's a much, much more complex environment," explains Colthup. "The business of being able to interact either through an interpreter or through Afghan security forces, whether they are police or army. And to understand how the people operate and how we can interact better with them. Because ultimately, that's what it's about," he says. The most distinctive features of Sindh Kalay are the high three-meter walls that make up the village compound, creating narrow alleyways difficult for troops to patrol. The village is staffed with Afghan asylum-seekers, many of whom have fled the Taliban. They play the roles of market vendors, village elders and sometimes Afghan security forces. Several Afghan women are also on hand, useful for training British soldiers on the religious and cultural sensitivities of entering an Afghan home. Watch British troops training in mock Afghan village » The Taliban insurgents are played by Nepalese Ghurkha soldiers authorized to handle weapons. They play their roles silently, unable to partake in the Pashtun banter among the Afghans. Fazel Beria is also an asylum-seeker from Afghanistan. He is responsible for recruiting and for creating the sights and smells of Sindh Kalay and is easily identifiable as the only Afghan in the market in Western clothes. He beams with pride walking down the bazaar and clearly relishes his role in training the British Army. "Everything with the culture comes up with the issue of hearts and minds," he explains. "If you want to win that, you need to know about their culture. You need to respect their culture, their religion and their way of life." He gives high marks to the soldiers training so far. After each exercise, the Afghan actors talk directly to the soldiers about what went wrong and what went right. Sometimes, it's the little things that count. "Yes, there have been quite a lot of surprises," Beria says. Like Afghan will sit cross legged for hours. "The British soldier cannot do that," he laughs. "The Afghan will be sitting very comfortable and the British soldier is not. So, they have to get used to it." See photos of British troops on patrol in Sindh Kalay -- and for real in Afghanistan » Previously, the army trained on farmhouses and in urban neighborhoods that resembled Northern Ireland more than Afghanistan. But Sindh Kalay does more than mimic the physical reality of Afghanistan. It also mirrors the changing tactics on the ground. Troops are grilled in

What do the mock Afghan villages contain?

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'SINDH KALAY', England (CNN) -- The aroma of freshly baking flatbread wafts through the air as a unit of British soldiers position themselves for a quick patrol around the village of Sindh Kalay. A British soldier on patrol in the mock Afghan village of Sindh Kalay. Market vendors hawk grapes and melons, as a group of village elders sit smoking water pipes and suspicious-looking men lurk beside battered motorcycles. What should the soldiers do? Conduct a weapons search? Approach the village elders first? In the complex political and cultural terrain of Afghanistan, what is the best course of action? Except this is not Afghanistan. It's Norfolk, England. Instead of the Hindu Kush mountains, it is the green ladscape and tidy farmhouses of the English countryside that stretch out behind them. Welcome to the British Army's state-of-the art training ground. It cost more than $20 million to build and every British soldier serving in Afghanistan will do his or her training here. "I think it's the closest thing you are going to get short of being in Afghanistan itself," says Col. David Colthup of the 2nd Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment. His troops have already served one tour of duty in Afghanistan's Helmand province and are training for another. British troops serving in Helmand province are tasked with mentoring and training Afghan security forces. Not an easy job in a Taliban stronghold and Afghanistan's center of opium production. "Ultimately, a soldier joins the army and trains to fight. That's what a soldier trains to do. But today, it's a much, much more complex environment," explains Colthup. "The business of being able to interact either through an interpreter or through Afghan security forces, whether they are police or army. And to understand how the people operate and how we can interact better with them. Because ultimately, that's what it's about," he says. The most distinctive features of Sindh Kalay are the high three-meter walls that make up the village compound, creating narrow alleyways difficult for troops to patrol. The village is staffed with Afghan asylum-seekers, many of whom have fled the Taliban. They play the roles of market vendors, village elders and sometimes Afghan security forces. Several Afghan women are also on hand, useful for training British soldiers on the religious and cultural sensitivities of entering an Afghan home. Watch British troops training in mock Afghan village » The Taliban insurgents are played by Nepalese Ghurkha soldiers authorized to handle weapons. They play their roles silently, unable to partake in the Pashtun banter among the Afghans. Fazel Beria is also an asylum-seeker from Afghanistan. He is responsible for recruiting and for creating the sights and smells of Sindh Kalay and is easily identifiable as the only Afghan in the market in Western clothes. He beams with pride walking down the bazaar and clearly relishes his role in training the British Army. "Everything with the culture comes up with the issue of hearts and minds," he explains. "If you want to win that, you need to know about their culture. You need to respect their culture, their religion and their way of life." He gives high marks to the soldiers training so far. After each exercise, the Afghan actors talk directly to the soldiers about what went wrong and what went right. Sometimes, it's the little things that count. "Yes, there have been quite a lot of surprises," Beria says. Like Afghan will sit cross legged for hours. "The British soldier cannot do that," he laughs. "The Afghan will be sitting very comfortable and the British soldier is not. So, they have to get used to it." See photos of British troops on patrol in Sindh Kalay -- and for real in Afghanistan » Previously, the army trained on farmhouses and in urban neighborhoods that resembled Northern Ireland more than Afghanistan. But Sindh Kalay does more than mimic the physical reality of Afghanistan. It also mirrors the changing tactics on the ground. Troops are grilled in

What did British soldiers do before being deployed to Afghanistan?

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