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(CNN)"We cannot kill our way out of this war," State Department spokesperson Marie Harf said on Tuesday. "We need in the medium to longer term to go after the root causes that leads people to join these groups, whether it's lack of opportunity for jobs ..." Since then, Harf has been attacked by conservatives, particularly for her jobs remarks. But she's right in her assessment. And, I would suggest, she should have gone further: There's reason to think that bombing is exactly what ISIS wants us to do. Why else would they be goading us into it? It's called "terrorism" for a reason. The goal is to cause terror, to scare people into acting -- or overreacting. The most recent ISIS propaganda video was produced in English for a reason. It seems they want the West to react and take the bait. And we are obliging. Months ago, a war-weary United States was suddenly whipped back into a pro-military-action frenzy. Why? Writing in Mother Jones, Kevin Drum, explained: "All it took was a carefully stagecrafted beheading video and the usual gang of conservative jingoists to exploit it." Longtime defense analyst Kenneth Brower made a similar point: "A YouTube video of a beheading forces the U.S. president to go to 'war' in order to avoid being called weak by his domestic political opposition. That's not leadership! Worse, the so-called hawks push for deeper involvement irrespective of military reality. They live in a fantasy world of U.S. military exceptionalism." ISIS then beheaded a British journalist, so the British stepped up its military support in the campaign against ISIS. Then ISIS goaded Jordan with a video of the hideous immolation of a Jordanian pilot. Jordan responded with bombs. Now ISIS has just goaded Egypt with a mass execution ... and Egypt has, predictably, responded. Anyone who doesn't see a pattern here isn't looking. Yes, the violent terrorism of ISIS is medieval and inhumane. That doesn't mean it can't also be rational. And this is where the assessment of Harf and the Obama administration -- and Republicans calling for even further military action -- falls short of the mark. Not only can we not kill our way out of this war, but killing may exacerbate the situation. Why would ISIS goad the world to attack it? To be legitimized as a forceful threat, while at the same time provoking actions that lead to more civilian casualties when nations strike back. This provokes more rage at the West and its regional allies, drawing more martyrs and sympathizers to the terrorist cause. And we are playing into ISIS' hands: In Syria, ISIS had to put up giant screens to show its beheading videos. But in the West, mainstream media is doing it for them, covering ISIS propaganda as 24/7 fear- mongering under the banner of news. Effective counterterrorism strategy begins with not doing what the terrorists want us to do. But right now, we are the dog being wagged by the tail of ISIS. After all, while the capacity to commit terrorism likely involves some psychosis, terrorists don't just spontaneously spring from the ground like demonic daisies. In 2006, the National Intelligence Estimate compiled by America's top counterterrorism agencies found that the war in Iraq had, according to a Washington Post article, "become a primary recruitment vehicle for violent Islamic extremists, motivating a new generation of potential terrorists around the world whose numbers may be increasing faster than the United States and its allies can reduce the threat." ISIS and its ilk want to concoct an existential war between their brand of fundamentalist Islam and the rest of the globe. The leadership of ISIS may do abhorrent things because of a crazy adherence to an apocalyptic interpretation of Islam, as Graeme Wood has just written in The Atlantic. But they don't just slaughter people, they produce hi-definition, theatrically staged, English-language videos of the slaughter, as well as a propaganda magazine in English. America's homeland, thankfully, has not been the direct target of ISIS violence, but we have been the target of this propaganda. It's working. Recruits are flocking to ISIS. This is not to say there's no military solution to ISIS, though many experts such as Brower certainly doubt that such tactics will work. It may ultimately be smarter to push a political solution, such as the division of Iraq and the region into new sectarian-based states, as has been proposed in the past. Whatever the solution, what is clear is that the values and vision of America and our allies in the region should be proactively driving the agenda rather than a reactionary furor whipped up at the whim of ISIS. We have to stop broadcasting their propaganda. We have to stop responding with bombs every time they provoke us with videotaped slayings. We have to stop being weak and fearful in the face of ISIS' threats. Otherwise, no matter how much territory we bomb, ISIS will keep winning. In fact, if you think the only way to defeat them is with bombing, they've already won.

Sally Kohn: Overreacting to ISIS' atrocities is what the terrorists want to aid them in recruiting . She says the West will not win against ISIS this way; it will only make the situation worse .

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(CNN) -- Investigators probably will have to use dental records to identify some of the eight people who were killed in a wreck involving a church bus and two other vehicles in eastern Tennessee, a Tennessee Highway Patrol official said Thursday. Some of the bodies in Wednesday's crash were burned or otherwise made unrecognizable, hindering authorities' ability to notify all of the victims' families about the deaths, highway patrol Sgt. Bill Miller said. "The crash is so horrific ... it's probably the worst that I have seen in my career ... and I've worked in several, several counties in my" 17 years on the job, Miller said. More from CNN affiliate WBIR . The bus, owned by a North Carolina church, was carrying a group of seniors on their way back home from a religious conference when one of its tires malfunctioned, sending the bus across a median on Interstate 40 and crashing into an SUV and a tractor-trailer, authorities said. Church bus was carrying seniors home from a jubilee . Eight people were killed: Six on the eastbound bus; one of three occupants of the SUV, and the tractor-trailer driver, the Tennessee Highway Patrol said. Two of the 14 other people who were hospitalized after the wreck had been released by Thursday morning, said Travis Brickey, a representative of the University of Tennessee Medical Center. Two people were in critical condition; seven were in serious condition, and three were in stable condition, Brickey said. None of the victims' names was released. The church group -- about 18 people including the driver, Miller said -- was returning to the Front Street Baptist Church in Statesville, North Carolina, after attending the 17th annual Fall Jubilee conference in Gatlinburg. Indiana bus crash kills pastor, pregnant wife, chaperone on teen trip . The group of senior citizens was called "Young at Heart," said Rick Cruz, the church's pastor. Twelve of the hospitalized victims -- including the two in critical condition -- are church members, Cruz said Thursday morning. "It's been a very long night for all of us here," Cruz told reporters. "We are thankful for all the prayers and support that we've been receiving." More from CNN affiliate WHNS . The wreck happened about 2 p.m. Wednesday in Jefferson County, about 40 miles east of Knoxville, the Tennessee Department of Safety said. Miller said it wasn't clear exactly what happened to the bus tire, other than it malfunctioned or failed in some way. The bus swerved across a grassy median and struck the SUV before hitting the tractor-trailer, he said. The bus came to rest on its side, pinning some of its occupants, he said. More from CNN affiliate WATE . Video from the site showed smoke rising from the tractor-trailer. Some people walked out of the bus on their own, but emergency personnel had to extricate others, Miller said. "This was such a horrific crash that determining if seat belts were used or not ... may be extremely difficult to impossible to determine," he said. Miller said it's too early to know whether charges will be filed in connection with the wreck. More from CNN affiliate WVLT . Girls injured when school bus overturns in Kansas . Six dead after bus, train collide in Ottawa . CNN's Andrew Spencer and Rich Phillips contributed to this report.

NEW: Two of the 14 people hospitalized have been released . Eight killed, 14 others injured in three-vehicle wreck on I-40 . North Carolina church bus carried seniors returning from Tennessee jubilee . Police: Tire failed and bus crossed the median, striking an SUV and a tractor-trailer .

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(CNN) -- The 54 men and 14 boys rescued after being found chained this week at an Islamic religious school in Pakistan have been reunited with their families or placed in shelters, authorities said. The group was discovered in an underground room with heavy chains linking them together. The school, Al-Arabiya Aloom Jamia Masjid Zikirya, which also was a drug rehab clinic, is in Sohrab Goth, a suburb of Gadap in Karachi. All 14 boys were returned to their families, senior police official Ahsanullah Marwat told CNN. Of the adults, 47 had been released to their families, and seven were handed over to a shelter for the homeless, he said. Three people who worked at the facility were arrested, but the four men who ran the place were still at large, Marwat said. Officials said the facility was part madrassa and part drug-rehab facility, and the captives were chained at night apparently to prevent their escape. "The operation was successful, and we plan on continuing our work to ensure that places like this are shut down," Marwat said. Many of the captives told police their families sent them there because they were recovering drug addicts. During the day, they worked and did religious studies. But the future of the rescued children was unclear. One woman told a local television station that she was willing to pay the police to keep her troublesome child. She said she would rather have the facility remain open, regardless of how it treated the children. Many others, however, said they were in shock and disbelief over the allegations. One man complained he was deep in debt after paying the school a large amount of money to board his son.

Captive boys and men were rescued from an Islamic religious school in Pakistan . They were reunited with their families this week . The facility was a school and drug rehab clinic . Authorities say they're searching for the owners; three others arrested at the facility .

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After a weekend of intense investigation, authorities are piecing together more details about Friday's fatal shooting at Los Angeles International Airport, including the suspect's behavior earlier in the week and a warning from his family that may have come minutes too late. Officers sent to check on Paul Ciancia's welfare arrived at his apartment less than an hour after the shooting started, police said Monday. Here is a rundown to get you up to speed: . The suspect . Ciancia, 23, of Los Angeles, is charged with murder of a federal officer and commission of violence in an international airport. He was shot by officers Friday and was in critical condition at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center on Sunday. A source said Ciancia was unable to speak to investigators. Clues about a motive . Attorney General Eric Holder said Monday that more investigation is necessary to uncover a motive for the attack. But a note found on Ciancia indicated that he wanted to kill Transportation Security Administration employees to "instill fear" in what the suspect called the agents' "traitorous minds," FBI Special Agent in Charge David Bowdich said. According to someone who knew Ciancia and his three roommates well, Ciancia began asking for a ride to the airport days before the shooting. He claimed he needed to fly to New Jersey to help his sick father, but he never said what day he needed to leave, the source said. On Friday, Ciancia burst into a roommate's room and demanded a ride to the airport immediately, said the source, who spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity. The roommate obliged. Investigators don't think the roommate had any idea of Ciancia's plans. The near-save . Around the same time, Ciancia was sending text messages to family members in Pennsville, New Jersey. One suggested that something bad would happen. Although Ciancia has no known history of mental illness, he said in the texts that he was unhappy, and the messages were alarming enough that Ciancia's father decided to call police. "I felt that it was pretty serious. It sounded as if Paul Ciancia in California was thinking about harming himself, so obviously I knew I needed to make a phone call to the LAPD," Pennsville Police Chief Allen Cummings told CNN's Jake Tapper on Monday. Cummings spoke with a lieutenant there, who told him the department was in the middle of responding to a shooting at LAX. "At this point, we weren't connecting the dots," he said. They did later when a reporter called the police chief, asking him to comment on the shooting. Los Angeles Police Department Cmdr. Andy Smith says police were first called to check on Ciancia at 10:06 a.m. Officers arrived at his apartment six minutes later, according to Smith. Ciancia was already gone. The timeline provided Monday by police differed from that offered earlier by Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. He said police had arrived at Ciancia's apartment about 45 minutes after the suspect had left for the airport. According to the LAPD account, they arrived 52 minutes after the shooting, which began about 9:20 a.m., according to police. It was not immediately clear when Ciancia left for the airport. The attack . About 9:20 a.m. Friday, Ciancia walked up to a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint in Terminal 3. He pulled a .223-caliber assault rifle from a bag and shot TSA officer Gerardo Hernandez "at point-blank range," according to a court document filed by an FBI agent. Ciancia then went up an escalator but returned to shoot Hernandez again, apparently after seeing him move. He continued walking and shooting. Witnesses said he went from person to person, asking, "Are you TSA?" "I just shook my head," traveler Leon Saryan told CNN's Anderson Cooper. "And he kept going." Chaos and terror inside LAX Terminal 3 . The victims . Hernandez, 39, was the first TSA officer to die in the line of duty since the agency was created in 2001. "He took pride in his duty for the American public and for the TSA mission," said his wife, Ana Hernandez. The couple, who married in 1998, have two children. Two other TSA officers -- James Speer, 54, and Tony Grigsby, 36 -- were wounded but were released from the hospital. Grigsby, who was shot in the foot, told reporters Monday he was injured while helping an elderly man move to a safe area. "I turned around and there was a gunman," he said. "Shot me twice." A traveler who was shot in the leg, 29-year-old Brian Ludmer of Lake Forest, Illinois, was in fair condition Sunday. The police response . TSA officers are unarmed. So it was airport police officers who eventually shot Ciancia multiple times in the chest, also striking him in the face and neck. Airport Police Chief Patrick Gannon said the FBI told him that his officers were 60 seconds behind Ciancia. He praised their response, even though he acknowledged that he had moved his officers away from positions inside the checkpoints during the past year. "The threat ... at the airport does not exist behind security at that podium; the threat exists from the curbline on," Gannon said. "So ... we have our people stationed throughout the airport." Holder said Monday that the investigation will include a review of security measures at LAX and other airports. "The responsibility for protecting airport security is not a TSA function but something that I think we need to certainly examine, given what happened in Los Angeles," he said. Travel delays . The incident forced authorities to shut down parts of the airport, evacuate travelers and put a temporary hold on some departures and landings. More than 167,050 airline passengers were affected by the incident Friday as a result of cancellations, delays or diversions to other airports, according to LAX. One airline, JetBlue, temporarily moved its operations to Long Beach Airport. On Saturday, an additional 40 flights were affected, including 30 that were canceled, involving about 4,000 passengers, according to Los Angeles International Airport. According to FlightAware, a flight tracking website, airlines canceled 236 flights into or out of LAX after the incident Friday morning and 27 more Saturday. An additional 919 flights were delayed over the two days, FlightAware said. Some of those cancellations and delays may have been caused by problems other than the shooting, however. The airport was operating normally Monday morning. Suspect's family responds . Ciancia's family, in a statement read Monday afternoon by attorney John Jordan in New Jersey, said they were "shocked and numbed by the tragic events of last Friday." "It is most important for us as a family to express our deep and sincere sympathy to the Hernandez family," the Ciancia family said. "(By) all accounts, Officer Hernandez was an exemplary member of the law enforcement community and a good family man. Our hearts go out to his family and many others who grieve his passing. "We wish to convey, too, our hopes that those who were wounded during this incident will experience quick and full recoveries. We also regret the inconvenience experienced by thousands of travelers as well as the administration and the employees of the Los Angeles airport." The Ciancia family said they would "continue to love and care for" Paul. "We will support him during the difficult times ahead. While we do not mean to minimize the grief and distress experienced by many other families, we hope that the public will understand that this is a very difficult time for our family, too," the family said. What's next? If convicted, Ciancia could face the death penalty or life in prison without parole. The U.S. attorney general would decide whether to pursue a death sentence. TSA Administrator John Pistole said the shooting has prompted a review of security protocol with partner agencies. McCaul said better coordination with local law enforcement could improve security at checkpoints. But the congressman acknowledged that "it's very difficult to stop these types of attacks." "It's almost like an open shopping mall," he said. Opinion: Don't arm the TSA .

An injured officer says he was shot while trying to help an elderly man move to safety . LAPD provides timeline for welfare check at suspect's home . Suspect Paul Ciancia, 23, is in critical condition and could face the death penalty . Police responded to family concern, arrived at Ciancia's apartment shortly after he left .

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New Haven, Connecticut (CNN) -- A judge in New Haven sentenced a 31-year-old man to death Friday for his role in a deadly home invasion that killed a woman and her two daughters in 2007. Jurors convicted Joshua Komisarjevsky in October on six capital felony charges. The 12-member jury had recommended death by lethal injection on each of the counts. "The task of sentencing another human being to death is the most sober and somber experience a judge can have," said Superior Court Judge Jon Blue. Komisarjevsky responded Friday, saying that he "came into this trial angry and defiant." It's a "surreal experience to be condemned to die," he said. "Our apathetic pursuits trampled the innocent." He said, "I did not rape. I did not pour that gas or light that fire." "I will never find peace again and my soul is torn," Komisarjevsky added. The family of his victims left the courtroom before Komisarjevsky spoke. Richard Hawke, in a victim's statement prior to the sentencing, said the killings of his daughter and granddaughters had left him "half-past dead." "They offered to give you everything you asked for, you didn't have to take their lives," he told Komisarjevsky. "You will from now on be known as a prison number in the book of death. You are now in God's hands." The man convicted of being Komisarjevsky's accomplice, Steven Hayes, was sentenced to death in 2010. Juries convicted the pair on charges that they beat and tied up Dr. William Petit Jr., raped and strangled his wife, molested one of their daughters and set the house on fire before trying to flee. Petit is the sole survivor of the attack that killed his wife and two daughters. "I lost my family and my home," said Petit. "My wife, my friend, my partner. I miss our late night chats and our partnership in raising the girls." Before assaulting and killing Jennifer Hawke-Petit, Hayes forced her to go to a bank and withdraw $15,000 from an account after finding evidence that the account held between $20,000 and $30,000, authorities said. The two daughters, who were both tied to their beds, died of smoke inhalation, while William Petit managed to escape from the basement, where he had been held. Hayes had been charged with third-degree burglary in 2003 and sentenced to five years in prison. He was released three years later to a halfway house, where he met Komisarjevsky. Komisarjevsky's attorneys had asked for leniency, arguing that he had no prior history of violence, was abused as a child and had been committed to a mental hospital for depression.

A judge sentences Joshua Komisarjevsky to death . The 12-member jury voted for death by lethal injection on each of the six counts . Another man also has been sentenced to death in the case . A jury convicted Komisarjevsky in October on six felony charges .

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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Dressed head to toe in black, designer Isaac Mizrahi is wearing an outfit that seems to contradict his personality -- and his usual fashion flair. Isaac Mizrahi has earned four awards from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. "I always start with color when I'm designing things. Always. If the color is right, I feel better," he touts on his Web site. But Mizrahi has an explanation for his less than colorful attire on a recent visit to CNN Center in Atlanta. "We have this very quick trip, and we have to go right back and there's no time to pack and we can't check luggage ... so I focused it to black, gray and white." It's just one more style tip you can pick up from Mizrahi's new book "How to Have Style" (Gotham). Despite the slightly audacious title, Mizrahi, who has won four awards from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, has earned the right to tell women how to dress. For five years, the New York fashion designer has been selling low-priced clothing and home furnishings at Target. But with his new book comes a new job -- as the creative director of Liz Claiborne. CNN talked to Mizrahi about his love for theater, the most common fashion mistakes and why bad flowers are never OK. The following is an edited version of that interview: . CNN: You started in acting at the High School of the Performing Arts. How do you combine that love and your love for design? Isaac Mizrahi: Well, you know what, I think it's all theater. I think that fashion is a form of entertainment. And I think that these days, as a fashion designer, it's almost like you represent a political party or something. Like women say, "Oh, that's a brand name I associate with because I've worn it before. I love it. It seems to fulfill who I am really easily." Whatever it is, she knows that it just makes her life really easy so she associates with it, you know? And in the end, I am like this personality that represents that. Watch Mizrahi talk about his new book » . But more than that, I have designs [in] the entertainment business. There's a movie called "Unzipped" about me that was a really successful movie. I had two TV series. I design costumes constantly for theater and ballet and opera. So to me it's all one big world. It's seamless to me. CNN: What's your daily schedule like? It has to be crazy with all that you do. Mizrahi: It changes every day, and I really like that. There's a base to it. I wake up, I go swimming every day, and I eat the same breakfast almost every single day. But when I get to work is when it changes up. Some days I work in the showroom; some days I work in the design room; some days I actually work in my own private studio, where I just do sketches and sketches and sketches. Other days I work in the TV studio taping segments and my Web show. I don't really love travel. I feel like it really disrupts what I love doing most, which is this creation, you know what I mean? When I finally let myself enjoy it, I can enjoy traveling. But it takes a great agony for me to separate from New York City and my studios and the people that I work with. CNN: Say you're walking down the street. What's the most common style error that you see in people? Mizrahi: I see a lot, a lot, a lot of bad hair. I would say that's the most common style error I see is bad hair. You know people have excuses for bad shoes -- because you know some people have back problems, it is the street and they're walking and walking and walking -- but I do think that people have no excuse for bad hair. Because you know what? There's a hat, if your hair is really that bad that day. But I always think that women should be encouraged to spend a lot of money on their hair. It's like you should spend your most money ... on your hair. You'd think I had a chain of hair salons, but I don't. [Laughter]. CNN: What about in home furnishing? You do a line for Target that's ending this year. What's the most common mistake people make there? Mizrahi: You know what it is with people? I think people get lazy when it comes to being at home -- they leave things around. I like to think about cabinets. I like to put things away as much as possible. It's like salt shakers on the table? No. You put the salt shakers in a cabinet, and the table looks so much better when it's plain. You know what I mean? And people just think that bad flowers are better than nothing, but I disagree with that. I think that nothing is way better than bad flowers. You either have gorgeous, gorgeous flowers, or you have no flowers. Like at a dinner party, I prefer no flowers usually to the flowers that people have on the table. That's awful, but it's true. CNN: How has your personal style evolved over time? Mizrahi: It's gotten a lot quieter, my personal style. I used to dress, dress, dress, dress, dress, and I don't know, I dress in a very particular way now and it's almost like clockwork. And every once in a while I break out and do something crazy. CNN: Can you describe your personality for me, and how it affects your style? Mizrahi: I don't know. It's very hard to describe one's personality. I can't say about my personality, but I like to think that I'm very exposed to what's going on out there in the world culturally, and that's what influences my design. It's kind of like here's the 360 degrees of what's going on [in] the world culturally, you know? Socioeconomically, culturally, and here's my response to it. Here's what the clothes look like; here's what you should be wearing. And it's kind of like a wonderful edge, you're standing, and yet there's room enough in there for your own interpretation or to move in one direction or another. Oh! Here's a good description of my personality: claustrophobic. I am very claustrophobic. I don't like to commit to one thing necessarily, but when I do commit to it, it's whole and complete.

Designer Isaac Mizrahi moving from Target to creative director at Liz Claiborne . Mizrahi says he believes "bad hair" is the most common style mistake Designer says he prefers no flowers to "bad" ones . Mizrahi admits he has a "claustrophobic" personality .

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Two car bombs targeting Christians killed at least 38 people in southern Baghdad on Christmas. In Afghanistan, two rounds of "indirect fire" hit the U.S. Embassy compound in Kabul, but no one was hurt. The incidents highlight the security challenges with which both Iraq and Afghanistan are grappling. Both countries have had a heavy U.S. military presence until recently. The departure of U.S. forces from Iraq has done little to curb the near-daily cycle of violence. In Afghanistan, U.S. and Afghan officials are working on an important security pact to outline the future of American troops in Afghanistan. 18 dead in Christmas Day attacks near Iraq churches . Iraq attacks . In Iraq, a car bomb exploded outside a church in southern Baghdad just as worshipers were leaving a Christmas Day service, killing many. In another attack Wednesday, a car bomb went off at an outdoor market where many Christians shop, police said. Altogether, at least 38 people were killed and some 70 others were wounded, the Interior Ministry said. The bomb outside the church killed 27 and wounded 56. The market attack left 11 dead and 14 wounded. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad condemned the attacks -- in the Dora area of Baghdad -- targeting "Christians celebrating Christmas." "The Christian community in Iraq has suffered deliberate and senseless targeting by terrorists for many years, as have many other innocent Iraqis. The United States abhors all such attacks and is committed to its partnership with the Government of Iraq to combat the scourge of terrorism," according to a statement released by the embassy. Iraq has experienced an uptick in sectarian violence this year as tensions simmer between the disaffected minority Sunni community and the Shiites, who dominate the government. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom notes that many people in small religious minority communities in Iraq, including Christians, have fled the country over the last decade and those that remain are "particularly vulnerable," facing "discrimination, marginalization, and neglect." Sectarian warfare, especially between Sunnis and Shiites, raged during the Iraq War. Half or more of the pre-2003 Iraqi Christian community is thought to have left Iraq, the commission said in its 2013 annual report. In 2003, there were thought to be 800,000 to 1.4 million Chaldean Catholics, Assyrian Orthodox, Assyrian Church of the East members, Syriac Catholics and Orthodox, Armenian Catholics and Orthodox, Protestants and evangelicals in the country, the group said. Now, according to community leaders, the estimated number of Christians stands at around 500,000, the report said. Afghanistan attack . Two rounds of "indirect fire" hit the U.S. Embassy compound in Kabul, the embassy said. No one was injured. "At approximately 6:40 local time in Kabul, approximately two rounds of indirect fire impacted the U.S. Embassy compound. All Americans are accounted for and no injuries were sustained," the embassy said in a statement Wednesday. "The Embassy continues to investigate the attack." The embassy did not elaborate on what kind of rounds were fired, or where in the compound they landed. A claim of responsibility was posted on the Taliban's official website. The group said it fired missiles at the U.S. Embassy and the main base of NATO, which leads the military coalition known as the International Security Assistance Force. The incident comes at a pivotal time in U.S.-Afghan relations. The two countries are working on an important security pact. The deal will lay out the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan after 2014 when the NATO-led force of some 80,000 troops is scheduled to leave. This month, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was in Afghanistan and said the security pact will be agreed upon despite a failure so far to forge a deal.

U.S. Embassy condemns "senseless targeting" of Christians and other Iraqis . In Iraq, a car bomb explodes outside a church after Christmas services; another targets market . Taliban claim responsibility for the embassy attack in Kabul, Afghanistan . Many Christians have fled Iraq over the past decade, report says .

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(CNN) -- Two of Turkey's main political parties are pushing for a constitutional amendment to lift bans on headscarves at public universities, a move that has caused concern among Turkey's secular population. The lifting of the ban on headscarves has caused concern among Turkey's secular population. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan initiated the move, saying it would create equality in Turkey's higher education. The constitutional commission will discuss the proposal -- submitted by the AKP and MHP parties -- in the coming days before sending it to the floor for a vote. If approved, it would need President Abdullah Gul's approval, which is expected. Under the proposal, veils, burqas or chaddors -- all of which cover a woman's face -- would not be allowed. Bans on headcoverings were imposed in the early 1980s by Turkey's universities because they were seen as political symbols and conflicted with Turkey's secular governing system. The proposal to change Turkey's constitution sent chills through Turkey's secular population. Women's groups went to parliament Tuesday to voice their rejection. "This is a direct threat to the republic and its foundations," said Deniz Baykal, leader of Turkey's main secular party, CHP. Another CHP lawmaker said she fears that if the proposal is enacted, parents will feel pressure to have their daughters wear headscarves, even in elementary school. Mustafa Akaydin, head of Turkey's Higher Education Commission, is against the proposal. He said that allowing headscarves would be a rejection of Turkey's secular system of government. "It is an attempt to create a counterrevolution," Akaydin said. "It will be a breaking point." He said a majority of female high school students at one school were wearing headscarves during last weekend's entry exams -- a rarity in Turkish schools. The Higher Education Commission will meet Friday in Ankara to discuss the proposed changes. E-mail to a friend .

Turkey's ruling party agrees to lift ban on head scarves in universities . Ban introduced after military coup in 1980 as seen as a sign of religion . Turkey is a secular nation but its population is mainly Muslim . Proposal has brought protests among the secular population .

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(CNN) -- Just when cruise lines thought they might be headed for calmer waters ... At least 162 passengers and 11 crew members have reported being ill on board Princess Cruises' Caribbean Princess, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The institute said health officers would board the ship in Houston to investigate the gastrointestinal illness, which is causing vomiting and diarrhea. The news follows reports of sickness this week on another cruise ship, this one from the Royal Caribbean line. Nearly 700 crew and passengers fell ill aboard the Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas, the highest number of sick people reported on any cruise ship in two decades, CDC data show. That ship returned home Wednesday, two days earlier than expected. To compare the cruises, 5.22% of passengers on the Caribbean Princess reported being ill, versus 20.5% on the Explorer of the Seas. The outbreak on board the Caribbean Princess has been confirmed as norovirus, according to Julie Benson, a spokeswoman for Princess Cruises. Are cruise ships floating petri dishes? Noroviruses spread easily and are a common cause of gastroenteritis, which produces vomiting and diarrhea. Norovirus is also suspected on board the Explorer of the Seas, though the cause of the illness there has not been confirmed. Caribbean Princess is expected in Houston early Friday. The seven-day cruise is being cut short by one day. Sick passengers are being asked to stay in their cabins, while staff disinfect public areas such as restrooms and elevators. The decision to cut the trip short was made based on forecasts for heavy fog, not the outbreak, Benson said. CNN first learned of the stricken Princess ship from a Twitter post by the Houston Chronicle. Royal Caribbean cruise ship returns home - with a sickness record . CNN's Miriam Falco contributed to this report.

More than 5% of passengers on the Caribbean Princess report being ill . A spokeswoman says the outbreak has been confirmed as norovirus . Passengers and crew experience vomiting and diarrhea .

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The mayor of the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv underwent emergency surgery after being shot in the back, city officials and police said Monday, amid continuing unrest in the region. The attack on Mayor Gennady Kernes happened around noon local time, the Kharkiv city office official website said. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the shooting. After a two-hour operation, Kernes was out of surgery but in critical condition, the city office said. "The surgery was successful. His life-threatening condition is expected to go on for several days," a statement said. "He was unconscious when brought to the hospital." The online statement also said a bullet casing was found at the scene. Police said an investigation unit was trying to determine the circumstances of the shooting. In a major challenge to Kiev's new leaders, armed rebels have captured towns and government buildings across eastern Ukraine and are holding a team of European monitors hostage. Western nations accuse Moscow of supporting the separatist gunmen who are occupying official buildings in cities across the region. Sanctions . The United States on Monday imposed sanctions against seven Russian government officials and 17 companies linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin in its latest action to punish Moscow for its actions in Ukraine. The White House said the seven Russians, including two from Putin's inner circle, are now subject to a freeze on any assets they hold in the United States and a ban on U.S. travel. In addition, the United States will deny export license applications for any high-technology items that could contribute to Russian military capabilities. The Commerce and State departments will revoke any existing export licenses that meet these conditions, the White House said in a statement. "The sanctions build on the ones that were already in place. We're moving forward with an expanded list of individuals," U.S. President Barack Obama earlier told reporters in Manila, Philippines. The move, Obama said, was to spur Putin to "walk the walk, not just talk the talk" in resolving the crisis in Ukraine. If the latest round of sanctions does not work, the next phase could target economic sectors like banking, Obama said. The European Union also announced Monday that it was imposing sanctions on 15 people who are "responsible for actions which undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine." A list of the people targeted by the latest sanctions will be published Tuesday and will go into effect at the same time, the Council of the European Union said. The sanctions will include asset freezes and travel bans. U.S. and Russian defense secretaries speak . U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel spoke on the phone with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Monday. According to a Pentagon description of their conversation, Shoigu "reiterated his assurance that Russian forces would not invade Ukraine." Hagel, the Pengaton said, called for an end to what he described as "Russia's destabilizing influence inside Ukraine" and "warned that continued aggression would further isolate Russia and result in more diplomatic and economic pressure." The Russian government's description of the call said Shoigu "definitively denied the groundless allegations of the presence of Russian sabotage and military intelligence groups on Ukrainian territory" and criticized what he called "anti-Russian hysteria recently unleashed in the Western press." He also criticized what he said was an "unprecedented" increase in activity of U.S. and NATO troops in Eastern Europe near the Russian border, according to the Russian government's description of the call. Ukrainian soldier killed . A homemade bomb exploded near Ukrainian soldiers who were in the eastern Donetsk region Monday, killing one and injuring another, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said. The death came days after Ukrainian forces said they killed five pro-Russian militants in an operation to clear roadblocks near the city of Slavyansk last week. Police are investigating Monday's blast, the Defense Ministry said. A CNN team covering a pro-Ukraine rally in Donetsk watched violence unfold Monday as pro-Russian separatists wielding batons beat demonstrators who said they wanted to see a united Ukraine. Observer freed . Pro-Russian separatists holding a European military observer team in eastern Ukraine released one of the observers for medical reasons Sunday, shortly after parading them before cameras. At least seven of the inspectors from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe appeared at a news conference staged by Vyacheslav Ponomarev, the self-declared mayor of Slavyansk, who referred to them as "prisoners of war." The freed observer was from Sweden and had been suffering from diabetes, Ponomarev spokeswoman Stella Khorosheva told CNN. Michael Bociurkiw, an OSCE spokesman in Kiev, called it "a welcome development." The monitors were seized Friday outside Slavyansk, one of the flashpoints in the standoff between Ukraine's interim government and pro-Russian factions challenging its authority in the east. They said that although they have diplomatic status, they went along with Sunday's news conference because the mayor asked them to. Germany strongly criticized the group's appearance before the media. The "parading of OSCE observers and Ukrainian security forces as prisoners is abhorrent and a flagrant violation of their human dignity," Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a statement. He added that Russia had a duty to "influence" the separatists so that the other members of the mission could be freed as soon as possible. Putin has repeatedly criticized what he says is Kiev's use of force against Ukrainian civilians.

The European Union announces it's imposing sanctions on 15 people . Defense ministers from the United States and Russia discuss Ukraine . U.S. imposes sanctions against 7 Russians, 17 companies linked to Putin . The mayor of Kharkiv is in critical condition after emergency surgery .

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TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Sony blamed the global economic slowdown, increased competition and an appreciating yen for a 95 percent drop in third-quarter profits, as the company announced its results Thursday. Customers check Sony's Bravia brand LCD TVs at an electronics shop in Tokyo, Japan. Profits for the quarter, which ended December 31, fell from nearly 200 billion yen ($2.2 billion) in 2007 to about 10 billion yen ($110 million) in 2008. Across the company, sales were down 25 percent, but electronics and games sales were especially hard hit. Sales of games, including the company's popular PlayStation series, fell 32 percent over the year. Sales of electronics decreased by nearly 30 percent. The appreciation of the yen also cut into profits. A stronger yen makes Japanese products more expensive or forces companies to lower their profit margins to keep prices the same. Last week, Sony warned that it will close out the fiscal year, which ends March 31, with an operating loss of 260 billion yen ($2.9 billion), its first in 14 years. Watch what lies ahead for Sony » .

Sales were down 25 percent across the company . Electronics and games especially hard hit, with sales falling 30 percent or more . Sony warned last week it will close out fiscal year with operating loss of $2.9 billion .

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(CNN) -- For centuries, Timbuktu has existed in the Western imagination as a byword for the most exotic, far-flung place conceivable. Situated on the southern edge of the Sahara, it acquired a near-mythical status in distant countries for its fabled inaccessibility, and for the accounts of the dazzling material and intellectual wealth to be found there. Intrigued visitors continue to be drawn by the treasures that survive from the city's medieval golden age as an important academic, religious and mercantile center -- its great earthen mosques, and hundreds of thousands of scholarly manuscripts held in public and private collections. The city, today part of present-day Mali and known as the "city of 333 saints" for the Sufi imams, sheiks and scholars buried there, was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988. But there are fears this carefully preserved legacy could be under threat from groups of armed rebels who have overrun the ancient city this month, in the vacuum left by retreating Malian government forces. Irina Bokova, the director general of UNESCO, has called on the groups to respect and protect the city's heritage. "Timbuktu's outstanding earthen architectural wonders that are the great mosques of Djingareyber, Sankore and Sidi Yahia, must be safeguarded," she said. "Along with the site's 16 cemeteries and mausolea, they are essential to the preservation of the identity of the people of Mali and of our universal heritage." Timbuktu, which has a population of about 50,000, is held by at least two rival groups who have been involved in a northern uprising against Mali's government, headquartered in the southern capital of Bamako. One is Ansar Dine, a Salafist Islamist group that seeks to impose Sharia law. The other, the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), has been fighting for an independent homeland for the nomadic Tuareg people in the country's north, and earlier this month unilaterally proclaimed independence for the region they call Azawad. Read also: Rwanda genocide survivors cycle towards London 2012 . Following the overthrow of Libyan President Moammar Gadhafi, many Tuareg who had been fighting for Gadhafi's forces reportedly returned to northern Mali, bringing their weapons with them. Last month, a Tuareg uprising triggered a military coup against Mali's President Amadou Toumani Toure by officers dissatisfied with the government's efforts to put down the insurrection. But in the disorder following the coup, the rebels seized large areas of the north. Martin van Vliet, a researcher at the African Studies Center in Leiden, the Netherlands, said that while Timbuktu was no longer a city of vital economic or military importance, it stood out as an important prize for the rebels due to its symbolic significance. "The group that controls Timbuktu controls the symbolic capital of the entire region, because it's that well-known across the world. If you control that city, it will be known." Historically, Timbuktu's legend began to spread throughout the medieval world when the Emperor of Mali made his pilgrimage to Mecca through Cairo in 1324, and dazzled those he encountered with the gold his party carried. Early in the 16th century, reports of the city on the sand -- then part of the Songhay Empire -- filtered back to Europe through the Moorish diplomat and writer Leo Africanus, adding to the city's near-mythical status as an African El Dorado. Becoming the first European to reach the city subsequently became an obsession for Western explorers, many of whom perished in the desert sands. In 1824, the Geographical Society of Paris even offered a reward for the first European to accomplish the feat. Two years later, however, the person to do so met with disaster. Scottish explorer Gordon Laing survived an attack by Tuareg nomads en route to Timbuktu, only to discover on arrival that its wealth had greatly diminished since its heyday. Laing stayed a month in the city, then was murdered two days after leaving. During its golden age, Timbuktu was a thriving desert trading town at the heart of important trade routes for gold and salt, and a major intellectual and spiritual center, which played a key role in the spread of Islam in Africa. Islamic scholars traveled great distances to study in the city's university, which had 25,000 students during its zenith, and was comprised of three mosques. Read also: Sculpting peace in Mozambique . Constructed from mud bricks and wood in the distinctive Sudano-Sahelian architectural style, the Sankore, Sidi Yahia and Djingarei-ber mosques have been maintained and remain major attractions in the city today. The latter, Timbuktu's oldest, was built in the early 14th century, while the Sankore, during its heyday, was said to have the largest collection of books in Africa since the Library of Alexandria of antiquity. "Timbuktu in the 14th to the 16th century was an important university city where many manuscripts referring to knowledge of astronomy, economy, religion, mathematics, physics, and medicine were produced," said Lazare Eloundou, chief of the Africa unit for UNESCO's World Heritage Center. Comprising the other significant component of Timbuktu's heritage legacy, this immense trove of scholarly manuscripts -- estimated to number in the hundreds of thousands -- remains in the city in state and private collections. For generations, local families have protected the fragile manuscripts, some of which date from the 13th century, from invaders. Fearing that those responsible for the current unrest could loot or destroy the treasures, librarians and curators are making efforts to hide the texts or smuggle them out of the city to safety. While there have been reports that offices of local libraries have been looted by the gunmen, no significant losses of the documents have yet been reported, according to Eloundou. "We are still concerned by what could happen there in case there is a fight -- we're concerned about the risk of damage," said Eloundou. "We also don't know what the reaction of the Islamist groups will be with regard to the manuscripts." He said the city's heritage was vastly important to locals -- as a source of cultural pride, but also of income. Even if the city's treasures survived unscathed, they stood to lose out from the uprising as it could plunge the region into isolation once again. In addition, an estimated 200,000 people have been displaced by the uprising in the wider region. "The fact this part of the country has been taken by the Tuareg rebellion and Islamist groups does not allow any more tourists to visit, and the communities depend a lot on the tourism revenue," he said. "This is really going to affect their lives."

In medieval times, Timbuktu, in present-day Mali, was an important intellectual center . Known for its great mosques and trove of manuscripts, the city has world-heritage status . Islamist and Tuareg rebels have occupied the city in recent weeks . UNESCO fears the important site could be destroyed or looted by rebels .

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(CNN) -- When Lukas Hartmann, 29, signed up for 23andMe's at-home genetic testing service, there were no surprises in his results. The Berliner learned he would probably die from "a mix of heart attack and prostate cancer," he wrote on a friend's blog, but "nothing special there." Then a few months ago, he received an update from the company. Hartmann's genetic code showed two mutations that are linked to limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, he says the site told him. "Some people with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy lose the ability to walk and suffer from serious disability," his results page read. This can't be true, he thought. It must be an error. Genetic testing can be a powerful tool. It can offer information about your family history, tell you how your body might respond to different drugs and identify your risk factors for disease. It can also be misleading. The Food and Drug Administration on Monday ordered 23andMe to stop sales of its $99 home genetic testing kits, saying the Google-backed company has not proven the validity of its product. The FDA warned that customers who received inaccurate results could suffer from undue mental anguish or undergo unnecessary medical procedures. The government agency has asked 23andMe to revise its marketing strategy to comply with federal regulations. The action triggered outrage among some of 23andMe's supporters. "So GMOs, aspartame, artificial flavors & colors, pink slime ... no problem!" a poster named Laura Ann wrote on the company's Facebook page. "But in no way should we be allowed the right to know our own genetic material as a means for making better decisions about our health." In a statement, 23andMe said it has received the FDA's letter and will be working to address the agency's concerns. There are more than 3 billion letters in our genetic code. Though it's been 10 years since the Human Genome Project was completed, scientists still don't understand what every gene does, and what a mutation might mean for someone's health. It's one of the issues opponents to home genetic testing kits raise most often. If DNA experts don't understand 100% what a gene mutation means, how can we expect consumers to? 5 cool things DNA testing can do . Scientists have identified more than 2,000 single gene disorders, says Rebecca Nagy, president of the National Society of Genetic Counselors. These are disorders that can be diagnosed based on the mutation of a single gene in the body; some examples include Huntington's disease or cystic fibrosis. But conditions such as Type 2 diabetes or Alzheimer's are more complex. Hundreds of genes may contribute to the development of these diseases, Nagy says, and a person's risk is also influenced by his or her environment. Testing for markers of risk scattered across someone's genome is "really only testing for the tip of the iceberg." "That's where it gets a little scary, because if a person has a normal test result on 23andMe, they leave thinking they don't have a risk," she says. "It's not that the science behind (this kind of genetic testing) isn't good. It's that the science behind them isn't complete." The upside of these at-home genetic testing kits -- and 23andMe isn't the only company that sells them -- is that they've generated a lot of buzz about genetics, Nagy says. She says she believes most early adopters of the tests are information-savvy and understand the results aren't set in stone. "I don't think that anyone thinks that this kit replaces formal testing by a doctor," Heather Armstrong posted on 23andMe's Facebook page. "I seriously doubt that a doctor would agree to perform, say, a double mastectomy, based on these results." Joseph Stolarski posted, "If you find something interesting, you then take it to a medical professional for further evaluation. No one is or should rely on it for medical 'diagnosis.' It's just a tool, like personally checking your heart rate with a watch or checking your weight on a scale." But Nagy says she worries about what will happen when the tests become more mainstream. Giving this kind of information to someone unfamiliar with genetic testing's limitations could prove dangerous. Nagy recommends anyone who wants to do genetic testing first talk to a genetic counselor. Counselors have specialized graduate degrees and extensive knowledge of the human genome. They're also trained in explaining test results to laymen. "Our message is to be a smart consumer," Nagy says. "Know what you're doing so that when you get the results back you can really use them to your best benefit." Hartmann did some intense investigating, saying he looked at the raw data 23andMe provided him. He eventually found he did indeed have two mutations, he says, but they weren't on the same gene. He says he submitted his "bug report" to the company and it apologized. In general, Hartmann thinks it's a good thing for every person to have affordable access to his or her genetic data. But he's browsed the community forums on 23andMe.com and has seen how seriously some people take their results -- without fully understanding them. Hartmann says he now believes he will not get limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, although he says there is a risk he could pass the genetic mutations onto his kids. "I can live with that," he wrote. "For quite some time, I hope." Parents push for standardized screening of Jewish genetic diseases . CNN's Dorrine Mendoza and CNNMoney's James O'Toole and Aaron Smith contributed to this report.

FDA has ordered 23andMe to stop sales of its $99 home genetic testing kits . 23andMe supporters took to social media to protest the FDA's decision . Genetic testing can be a powerful tool if used correctly, experts say .

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(CNN) -- Affectionately known in his home city of Madrid as "the wise man of Hortaleza," Luis Aragones left the legacy of helping Spain's ascension to the top of world football. Aragones, whose death at the age of 75 was announced Saturday, coached his national side to the European Championship title in 2008 -- the country's first success at a major tournament in more than 40 years. That breakthrough was continued by his successor Vicente del Bosque, who continued with the "tiki taka" passing style Aragones introduced, as "La Roja" won the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 European crown. "Without a doubt, he marked the road in this final successful phase. I felt a great deal of appreciation towards him," Del Bosque told the national team's official website. "I knew he had some health problems, but I never imagined it would lead to this." "Always with us, Luis," led the website tribute of Atletico Madrid, the club where Aragones played for a decade between 1964-74 and was head coach on four occasions, most recently 2001-03. He guided Atletico to the La Liga title in 1977 and the Spanish Cup on three occasions. "Luis Aragones was a great player and coach, but before all that a great person and a friend," said the team's president Enrique Cerezo. "First and foremost he was Atletico. We want to express on behalf of the whole club our condolences to his family." Aragones' final coaching job was with Turkish side Fenerbahce, which ended in mid-2009, and late last year he announced his retirement from the game -- in which he started out at Getafe in 1957. He was reportedly taken to a Madrid hospital last week with a serious illness, from which he did not recover. Aragones will be buried at a private ceremony on Sunday. Atletico will observe a minute's silence ahead of the home match against Real Sociedad, in which the team will seek to go top of the table above another of his former teams, Barcelona. "I wish to express our sorrow at the loss of one of football's greatest men and one of the most charismatic and likeable managers we remember," Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu said before his side's 3-2 defeat by Valencia -- its first at home in the league since April 2012. "As a club, we had the honor of his services, albeit for a very short time, in the 1987-88 season, when we won the Spanish Cup. "We much appreciate his respect for Barca, its model and our players. Euro 2008, with Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta and so many others, is a great example." Aragones' appreciation of Barca's "tiki taka" style -- started by Johann Cruyff and developed by Pep Guardiola -- was borne out by the number of the players from the Catalan club he selected for the national team. But his heart lay in the nation's capital, where he was on the books of Atletico's big rival Real Madrid from 1958-60 as a player -- though he spent most of that time out on loan to other clubs. "The loss of Luis Aragones saddens all of us who love football," said Real president Florentino Perez. "Today is a day of mourning for this sport, but it should also be a day of recognition for a legendary figure who was vital in giving us a glorious period with our Spanish national team. "He ennobled this sport and all Spanish fans owe him gratitude and respect. His personal and professional career was always characterized by honesty and hard work." The only blot on his international career was an incident in 2004, when he was accused of making a racial comment -- which was caught on television cameras -- about France striker Thierry Henry while he was trying to motivate his players in training ahead of a World Cup qualifying match. Aragones was fined by European football's ruling body UEFA and subsequently apologized to Henry, insisting he had not intended to make a racial insult.

Former Spain national coach Luis Aragones passes away in Madrid on Saturday . The 75-year-old had been suffering with health issues since his retirement last year . He is credited with restoring Spain's fortunes as an international football power . Aragones led "La Roja" to 2008 European title after revitalizing team's style of play .

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

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

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(CNN) -- The worst kept secret in Formula One is finally out -- Fernando Alonso is leaving Ferrari and will be replaced by Sebastian Vettel. Red Bull's four-time world champion has signed a three-year contract with the Scuderia, the oldest team in F1, from 2015. After ending his five-year stint at Ferrari, Alonso remains coy on where he will be driving next season. The double move by two of the sport's high profile world champions is the most significant in the driver market this season. But in the fickle world of F1 there are no guarantees it will work out for either of the ambitious racers. There are still seats to be filled at McLaren, Force India and Toro Rosso. With the curtain about to fall on the 2014 season at Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, hopeful drivers have just one more chance to stake their claim for the remaining seats. Where will Alonso go? Alonso is regarded as the best all-round driver currently racing at the elite level of motorsport, a fact many of his peers are even happily willing to acknowledge. The Spaniard -- a double world champion with Renault in 2005 and 2006 -- is regarded as the key to the F1 driver market. The 33-year-old made it clear he wanted to leave Ferrari, even though he had two years left to run on his contract with the Italian team, but he has yet to confirm where he will go next. A return to McLaren seems most likely, despite his acrimonious departure from the team after just a single season as Lewis Hamilton's teammate in 2007. McLaren is about to embark on a new phase after reigniting its relationship with engine manufacturer Honda. Alonso is expected to lead this new era at McLaren, although the fiercely ambitious driver may first want guarantees that the Honda engine is going to be a success. Keeping the media guessing about his future -- and maybe his future employers too -- seems to have provided Alonso with plenty of sport off track. Speculation in the media has seen Alonso linked with buying the Lotus team, joining forces with German sports car specialists Audi and even ousting Nico Rosberg or Hamilton at Mercedes. Alonso remained typically tight lipped about his future plans when he was questioned by the media at the Abu Dhabi season finale. Has Vettel made the right decision? Vettel has endured his worst season at Red Bull in 2014, failing to win a race compared to three victories for his rookie teammate Daniel Ricciardo. Since his full debut season for Toro Rosso in 2008, the German has won at least one race a year, not to mention winning four straight world championships between 2010 and 2013. The 27-year-old is now hoping to succeed where Alonso failed at Ferrari by adding to his collection of world titles. "The next stage of my Formula One career will be spent with Ferrari and for me that means the dream of a lifetime has come true," Vettel said. "When I was a kid, Michael Schumacher in the red car was my greatest idol and now it's an incredible honor to finally get the chance to drive a Ferrari. "I am extremely motivated to help the team get back to the top. I will put my heart and soul into making it happen." Vettel will partner Kimi Raikkonen -- the last man to win a world title with Ferrari in 2007 -- in 2015 but there are no guarantees the car and its Ferrari engine will be any match for the might of Mercedes. Who will drive for McLaren? McLaren has tried to dampen speculation over just who will be in its cars in 2015 in the build-up to this weekend's season-ending race. "We know you're awaiting news on our driver line-up. We'll announce after December 1 -- you'll hear it here first," the team said on Twitter. Alonso remains the red-hot favorite to take one of the seats but the future of current drivers Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen remains unclear. Button -- the 2009 world champion with Brawn Grand Prix which has since morphed into Mercedes -- has remained sanguine about his future and has even explored the idea of moving to sports car racing. Danish rookie Magnussen is fiercely passionate about staying with McLaren, the team which gave the 22-year-old his F1 debut in 2014. "There is no Plan B," the Dane told CNN when asked if had explored his options if he wasn't retained by the eight-time world champions. Which other teams have seats to fill? Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari, Williams, Lotus and Sauber have all confirmed their driver pairings for 2015. There are still seats on offer at McLaren, Force India and Toro Rosso. Force India has already announced it will retain German Nico Hulkenberg for 2015 but Mexican Sergio Perez has not had his position with the team confirmed. There's also only one seat up for grabs at Toro Rosso, who will blood 17-year-old Max Verstappen as the youngest F1 driver in history next season. Junior Red Bull driver Carlos Sainz Jr is in pole position for the second seat -- and the Spaniard has been named as a test driver for Red Bull at the end of season test in Abu Dhabi -- although Toro Rosso may still retain French racer Jean-Eric Vergne. Sauber announced Swede Marcus Ericsson and Brazilian Felipe Nasr as its 2015 drivers in November much to the chagrin of current driver Adrian Sutil, who believed he had a contract with the team for next season. Ericsson and Nasr are both pay drivers, backed by sponsors who bring an estimated $30m funding to the Swiss team. Grid shrinks to 18 in 2015? The F1 market may be flooded with plenty of eager racers but the number of seats has been squeezed. The financial pressures on the Caterham and Marussia teams, which both went into administration in October, means there are, in theory, only 18 spots on the F1 grid in 2015. After missing the U.S. and Brazil grands prix, Caterham has used crowdfunding to help finance a return in Abu Dhabi. Japan's Kamui Kobayashi retained his drive while the team has also handed Briton and former tester Will Stevens his F1 debut. Both Caterham and Marussia remain on the official entry list for the 2015 season but their future is dependent on a hard winter drumming up funding to stay in the sport. With teams spending a minimum of $70m per season, employing a driver who offers pace, performance and a pot of personal talent is more important than ever for those teams for can't afford super-talents like Alonso.

Sebastian Vettel signs a three-year contract with Ferrari from 2015 . Red Bull's four-time world champion replaces Fernando Alonso . Alonso has still to announce which team he will drive for next season . McLaren says it will not announce its driver line-up until 1 December .

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(CNN) -- Andy Murray's first match since undergoing back surgery in September ended in a straight sets defeat to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi Thursday. The reigning Wimbledon champion went down 7-5 6-3 to the Frenchman, who himself was plagued by injury at the back end of this year. Murray, who has dropped to No.4 in the rankings, lacked sharpness after his layoff and was broken in the 12th game of the opening set to fall behind. The British star has been training at his base in Florida to prepare for the upcoming season and looked set to even the match up when he gained an early break of service in the second set. But Tsonga hit back with two breaks of his own to wrap up victory in 72 minutes at the Zayed Sports City complex. "The courts here are very fast and you have to react quickly," said 26-year-old Murray. "Jo was sharper than me today, he served very well. "It's always good fun here. It's great preparation for the season as you have to play against the best in the world." The organizers of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship have indeed attracted a stellar field with the top two ranked players, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, in the line-up. David Ferrer of Spain won the opening match Thursday as he beat Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland 7-5 6-1 to set up a semifinal clash against compatriot Nadal. Tsonga's win over Murray has earned him a match against Serbia's Djokovic, while Murray will gain much-needed match practice against Wawrinka in the fifth place playoff. Murray, recently voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year back in the UK, became the first British man to win the Wimbledon title in 77 years when he triumphed at the All England Club back in July, but his season took a turn for the worse as he became troubled by a long-standing back problem.

Andy Murray falls to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi . Wimbledon champion Murray loses 7-5 6-3 to the hard-hitting Frenchman . It was Murray's first match since undergoing back surgery in September . David Ferrer defeats Stanislas Wawrinka in straight sets in the other match .

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(CNN) -- South Korea's Red Cross has offered $8.4 million in flood aid to North Korea, the Yonhap news agency said Tuesday. The aid includes medical kits, food and emergency supplies, South Korea Unification Ministry spokesman Chun Hae-sung told reporters. The Red Cross is Seoul's main channel for humanitarian aid to North Korea. The communist nation has not replied to the offer, Chun was quoted as saying. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies blamed a flash flood for displacing more than 23,000 people in a North Korean province bordering China. "The whole city of Sinuiju with its 350,000 residents is without piped drinking water at the moment because the main pumping station was inundated," said Henk Schipper, Red Cross water and sanitation delegate in North Korea. In August, nearly 260,000 people in northeastern China and North Korea fled their homes as heavy rains caused the Yalu River to overflow its banks, state news outlets in those countries reported Sunday. Tensions between North Korea and its southern neighbor have escalated since a May report from Seoul blamed North Korea for the sinking of a South Korean warship in March. The report, whose findings have been endorsed by the United States, alleged that a North Korean sub sank the ship, the Cheonan, with a torpedo, killing 46 sailors. North Korea denies it was responsible for the sinking.

The Red Cross is South Korea's channel for aid to North Korea . The communist nation has not replied to the offer . In August, heavy rains caused rivers to swell over .

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BEIJING, China (CNN) -- The head of China's quality watchdog is reported to have resigned over the tainted baby milk scandal that has killed four children and sickened nearly 53,000 others. The official Xinhua News Agency said Li Changjiang had quit with the approval of China's State Council. Li's agency is responsible for ensuring that China's food supply chain is safe. Monday's resignation came hours after the World Health Organization said the scandal had highlighted flaws in the country's entire food supply chain. The chemical melamine blamed for causing kidney stones and kidney failure has been detected in formula milk powder from 22 dairies across China. The crisis was initially thought to have been confined to baby milk powder, but tests have found melamine in samples of liquid milk taken from China's two largest dairy producers, Mengniu Dairy Group and Yili Industrial Group, as well as Shanghai-based Bright Dairy. WHO China representative Hans Troedsson said on Monday quality issues could occur anywhere from the farm to the retail outlet. He said "it's clearly something that is not acceptable and needs to be rectified and corrected," according to The Associated Press. Troedsson said the WHO was discussing with officials how to strengthen China's food quality system. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has called milk manufacturers "heartless" and promised stricter laws to protect the public. China's Health Ministry said Sunday that about 13,000 children were hospitalized, while another 40,000 had undergone outpatient treatment for illnesses related to suspected melamine-tainted milk products. The scandal has spread beyond the mainland with melamine being found in three Chinese-made dairy products in Singapore. The country's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority said tests on "White Rabbit Creamy Candy" showed that it was contaminated with melamine and it ordered stores to remove the product from shelves. Taiwan announced Monday it was banning the importation of all dairy products from China because of melamine contamination in milk supplies on the mainland, Taiwan's Health Ministry said Monday. And a second child in Hong Kong has been diagnosed with a kidney stones after drinking the tainted milk as worried parents continued to take their children for health checkups, the government said Monday, AP reported. The 4-year-old boy was in hospital in a stable condition, the Hong Kong government said in a statement. A three-year-old girl was sickened by a suspected melamine-tainted milk over the weekend -- the first known illness outside of mainland China. The Chinese premier visited Beijing hospitals and a supermarket Sunday to show his concern for the crisis. "What we need to do now is to ensure that nothing like this happens in the future, not only in dairy products, but in all foods," he said. "Manufacturers and owners of dairy companies should show more morality and social responsibility in these cases. They are heartless, so we have to create strict law and legislation. I'm sorry." Investigators arrested two brothers who sold milk used to produce the contaminated baby milk powder last week. They could face death if convicted, according to China Daily, a state-run newspaper. The raw milk had been watered down and the chemical added to fool quality checks, the newspaper said. Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles and flame retardants. Watch CNN visit the company at the center of the scandal » . But anger has been directed not just at the producers accused of adulterating their milk to increase profits, but also at government regulators, Time magazine reported. "Xinhua was quick to blame the dairy industry for their skewed rules, but what it didn't say was that the government also played a part in that ugly game," the magazine quoted a blogger, identified as sadmoon109, as saying. Health experts say ingesting melamine can lead to kidney stones, urinary tract ulcers, and eye and skin irritation. It also robs infants of much-needed nutrition. Thousands of tons of the tainted milk powder have been recalled. Melamine is the same industrial contaminant from China that poisoned and killed thousands of U.S. dogs and cats last year. The chemical, a byproduct of plastic manufacturing, can be used to mimic high-protein additives. Learn more about the chemical melamine » . A senior dairy analyst said Chinese farmers were cutting corners to cope with rising costs for feed and labor. "Before the melamine incident, I know they could have been adding organic stuff, say animal urine or skin," Chen Lianfang of Beijing Orient Agribusiness Consultant told Time. "Basically, anything that can boost the protein reading." Copyright 2008 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

Head of China's quality watchdog resigns over tainted baby formula scandal . WHO representative said scandal shows up flaws in China's food supply chain . Four infants in China dead, 53,000 reported ill from tainted milk powder .

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Clarksburg, West Virginia (CNN) -- North Central West Virginia Airport boasts quick check-ins, free, accessible parking and a convenient baggage claim. That's not surprising, considering that fewer than 20 people fly out of the facility on any given day. And all three scheduled daily departures to Washington have a stop in Morgantown, West Virginia, only 35 miles away. But the airport offers a special treat as the end of the year approaches -- free sightseeing flights. Thanks to a Federal Aviation Administration program that gives small regional airports millions of dollars if they can reach a certain level of passenger traffic, the Clarksburg, West Virginia, facility tries its best to get 10,000 passengers off the ground by the end of the year. For Suzanne Pierson, that meant she and her grandson Donavan got an "awesome" bird's-eye view of Clarksburg and neighboring Bridgeport, West Virginia, from a chartered Boeing 757 last December. "They were trying to meet the quota, and they were 300 passengers short," said Pierson, who saw an ad placed by the airport advertising the free flights. Since the difference between 10,000 and 9,999 is the difference between $1 million and $150,000 in federal funds, airport managers in Clarksburg and other small towns do whatever they can to get over that number. In Kearney, Nebraska, residents get to take aerial tours of the city's Christmas lights for $15. In Altoona, Pennsylvania, residents got free 10-minute flights to reach the local airfield's goal of 10,000 passengers. Sen. Tom Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican who is a frequent critic of federal spending, said "about 40" airports are believed to offer similar flight programs to reach the threshold, which was set by Congress. Coburn is asking the FAA and the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, to come up with a definitive figure. "The whole purpose for that isn't to say what you're doing is illegal -- it's probably not -- but to have a more cogent policy that truly represents the needs based on enplanements for every airport," Coburn said. He said federal support for small airports like Clarksburg's "should be earned in terms of grant process," not by gaming the system. "We created the incentive to kind of weasel on it so you can get more money, and it's exacerbated now because of the economic downturn," Coburn said. Clarksburg is about 200 miles west of Washington and about 110 miles south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where most area residents catch flights when they travel by air. But airport director Rick Rock said an economic benefit analysis said the facility contributes about $395 million into the local economy, "So I definitely think there's no question that we need this airport." In addition to the $1 million based on passenger traffic, the Clarksburg airport got $30 million to lengthen its runway in 1999 and another $1.6 million from the Obama administration's economic stimulus bill in 2009. Local students get free flights to Washington for school trips as well, Rock said. And the airport just got another $150,000 grant from the FAA to promote itself. Rock said the money is needed to meet FAA mandates for security, runway paving and safety, and he's proud of what the facility has achieved -- particularly for students. "We're trying to introduce aviation to them at a young age, so they can look at it as a career," he said. "A lot of these kids have never had the chance to fly. We've been able to share that opportunity, and the kids love it. It's special." But Coburn said at least five airports have used "creative ways" to keep the money flowing in and has managed to get support for a congressional investigation to find out how airports like North Central West Virginia can get so much money for so few passengers.

North Central West Virginia airport offers free sightseeing flights to boost numbers . Other small airports offer free flights, Christmas light tours to increase passenger traffic . Republican senator wants FAA and Government Accountability Office to investigate .

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ISTANBUL, Turkey (CNN) -- It's a common sight in the traffic-clogged streets of Istanbul, a city that straddles two continents. Workers next to the spot where subway trains will one day emerge from the tunnel. Opening of the tunnel has been delayed by at least four years by the discovery. A taxi driver, enraged by perpetually gridlocked traffic, stepping out of his car and yelling "Maniac!" at the man driving the public bus behind him. For decades Istanbul has been growing at a breakneck speed; its population exceeding -- by some estimates -- 15 million people. Too bad traffic often moves at a snail's pace. Most residents are quick to tell visitors the city's transport system is overwhelmed. "Istanbul is a dynamically changing city, every year increasing in population," says Zeynep Buket, an engineer working with Turkey's transportation ministry. "We are in need of radical systems, and this radical system is a mass transit system." The "radical system" city planners embarked on five years ago involved construction of a new subway tunnel beneath the Bosphorus Strait, the spectacular body of water that cuts this city in two. By the year 2025, engineers predict more than one million people a day will use the tunnel to travel between Istanbul's Asian and European shores. "We will connect two continents, Asia and Europe," said Nusret Ilbay, one of the many engineers working on the $3 billion Marmaray Tunnel Project. He was standing on scaffolding, overlooking a gaping 30-meter deep hole that will one day be a subway station on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. A concrete wall is all that holds back a churning river of sea water. Watch video of the tunnel being constructed . "As you can see, some leakage on the wall face has been observed," Ilbay explained on a tour of the construction site. "In order to overcome these leakages, we have applied chemical grouting." Legend has it, thousands of years ago Jason and the Argonauts narrowly escaped death sailing up the Bosphorus in search of the mythological Golden Fleece. Today, engineers face equally daunting challenges building a tunnel beneath one of the world's busiest shipping channels, at depths of up to 55 meters, in an active earthquake zone. First they dredged a trench on the bottom of the Bosphorus. Then, using divers and undersea cameras, they submerged and buried 11 massive pre-fabricated tunnel segments, almost all of them longer than a football field. To enter the unfinished tunnel, visitors must climb down a steep staircase in a construction tower surrounded by water in the middle of the strait. During the descent, the temperature plummets and humidity rises. Construction workers toil here in the gloom of this 1.4 kilometer long tube on the bottom of the sea, their welding torches spraying showers of sparks in the darkness. One worker claimed that during the lunch break, when the machinery came to a stop, he could hear the sound of oil tanker and cargo ships' engines as they motored past in the waters overhead. As a precaution in the event of a catastrophic flood in the tunnel, engineers constructed an emergency bunker on the bottom of the sea. Stocked with food and water and equipped with a heavy water-proof door, the "emergency room" is supposed to protect survivors for up to 10 days, until they can be rescued. But, in their rush to modernize Istanbul's transport system, city planners ran into an unforeseen obstacle: history. In Yenikapi, a neighborhood of textile factories and seedy hotels where one of the main transit stations for Istanbul's new subway and commuter rail system was to be built, archaeologists discovered the lost Byzantine port of Theodosius. It was originally built at the end of the 4th century AD by Emperor Theodosius I when Istanbul -- then known as Constantinople -- was the capital of the eastern Roman Empire. The port's harbor silted over centuries ago, and eventually disappeared beneath subsequent layers of civilization. Until its rediscovery in 2004, archaeologists said they only knew about the port from ancient books. "This was a big moment of joy and happiness for us, an unexplainable feeling," recalls Professor Zeynep Kiziltan, the acting director of Istanbul's Archaeology Museum. Look at pictures of the excavation » . "At around one meter below sea level, we started finding the remains of ropes. As we continued [digging] a bit more, the remains of a boat surfaced." Since that discovery, armies of hundreds of laborers and archaeologists have been working in a giant pit, three shifts a day, seven days a week. The scale of the excavation is unusual in modern-day archaeology, says Cemal Pulak, an anthropologist from Texas A&M University's nautical archaeology program. Look at a map of the site . "Its mind-boggling ... it really looks like an Indiana Jones-type operation," says Pulak, who has worked as a consultant on the excavation of the lost port. The Yenikapi dig has uncovered an ancient armada: 34 Byzantine ships ranging from dating between the 7th and 11th centuries AD. In one tent, two workers carefully uncover the ancient wooden beams of a 40-meter long merchant vessel. A third man preserves the wood by keeping it moist, sprinkling the relics with water from a hose. Archaeologists have nicknamed this ship "The Titanic," because it is the largest of the Theodosius wrecks. It is believed the vessel once carried wheat from Egypt to Constantinople. Scattered around the ship are shards of pottery, animal bones, and thousand-year-old clamshells. Historians say the new discoveries include the first examples of ships being built using the beginnings of the "skeleton approach" to constructing the vessel's hull. Pulak says that marked a revolutionary change which transformed shipbuilding from "mostly an art form to a science." "The earlier methods of building depended on verbal transference of the method from master shipbuilders to apprentices," he explained. "The development of the latter method ... allowed for the speedy communication of new shipbuilding ideas that could be transmitted on paper. It is the beginning of engineering. Ships could be preconceived and pre-designed." "I think it is one of the unique projects not only for us but for the world," said geologist Yucel Yilmaz. In addition to finding the timbers of thousand-year-old jetties and docks, which still jut up in straight rows at the bottom of the mammoth pit, archaeologists have uncovered the remnants of a pre-historic human settlement. "The first man, about 8,400 years ago, came and started to settle here," Yilmaz said. "There was no Bosphorus [then]. The Bosphorus was a river valley... the people who settled here walked across the Bosphorus." Plans to travel beneath the Bosphorus have been delayed at least four years by the excavation of the Theodosious Port. The postponement has added untold millions of dollars have also been added to the cost of the entire project. In the rush to move forward, the residents of Istanbul have accidentally uncovered a valuable piece of their city's ancient past.

A 1.4 km long subway tunnel is being constructed under Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait . Operation uncovered the lost 4th century AD Byzantine port of Theodosius . Thirty-four 1000-year-old ships have been excavated as well as remains of the port . Discovery has delayed tunnel project by at least four years costing millions of dollars .

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(CNN) -- A Florida exterminator and father of four children adopted from Florida's foster care system has told police that a body found in the pest-control truck he was driving is one of them -- his 10-year-old daughter, authorities said Wednesday. Jorge Barahona, 53, already faces a charge of aggravated child abuse for injuries to the dead girl's twin, Victor, who was also found in the truck, which was parked on the side of I-95 near West Palm Beach, Florida, officials said. According to a probable-cause affidavit filed by the West Palm Beach Police Department, a roadside assistance ranger with the Florida Department of Transportation stopped to check the red Toyota pickup Monday around 5:30 a.m. and found the 10-year-old boy inside next to an open gas can. The boy "appeared to be in respiratory distress and (was) trembling" and his clothing "was soaked with an unknown chemical," the affidavit said. The ranger then found Barahona on the ground beside the truck and called for help. The boy was hospitalized in intensive care with severe burns to his abdomen, upper thighs and buttocks, the affidavit said. While examining the boy, doctors noted he had sustained previous injuries, including a broken collarbone, a broken arm, scarring to his buttocks and lower abdomen, and ligature marks on both wrists, police said. After Barahona and his son were taken to a hospital, a worker decontaminating the truck discovered the body of the girl, wrapped in a plastic bag, the document said. Barahona told police he was distraught over the death of his daughter, and had intended to commit suicide by dousing himself with gasoline and setting himself afire, the affidavit said. Barahona said he didn't go through with his suicide plan because his son was with him, the document added. "Basically, to paraphrase, he was stating that he placed his daughter in a plastic bag being distraught over her death," West Palm Beach Police Spokesman Chase Scott told reporters. "He drove here from South Florida accompanied by his son, Victor. He then pulled off to the side of the road saying that he poured gas on his self, intending to light himself on fire. His son's head was in his lap and he decided, after giving his son some sleeping pills, that he wasn't going to do that." Barahona told police that he doused himself with gasoline and inadvertently got some on the boy, Police Capt. Mary Olsen said. But, she added, the man's story doesn't add up -- there was no gasoline on the boy. Instead, he was covered with another chemical whose composition had yet to be determined. "That's why we're still treating this as a hazmat (hazardous materials case)," she said. Scott said the chemicals were so potent that staff caring for the boy at the hospital became ill as well, he said. Victor, who was transferred Wednesday morning to a specialized burn unit at Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital, has not been able to talk to investigators because he is on a breathing tube, she said. Olsen said police would decide how to charge Barahona further once the autopsy on his daughter determines her cause of death. Asked whether Barahona has expressed remorse, she said, "He feels remorse, but we're not getting consistent statements with what we're seeing in our evidence." She added, "It's a complex case." At a hearing Wednesday in Miami attended by Barahona's wife, Carmen, a judge ordered that the remaining two children in the home be placed in foster care. Florida's Department of Children and Families had opened a child protection investigation within the past few days to look into a complaint involving the Barahona family, and it wasn't the first such complaint, spokesman Mark Riordan said. Reporters in the courtroom Wednesday heard tales of abuse, mainly concerning the twins, from state officials and experts. The caller to the child protection hotline in the latest case reported that the twins were routinely locked in a bathroom for long periods of time and had been bound with tape, the court heard. The story was corroborated by interviews with the other two children in the home, officials said in court. An investigator told the court that she had showed up last Friday night at the family's home but had not seen the children. Instead, she said, she had left the family's house after speaking with Carmen Barahona, planning to return on Monday. Asked why she had not planned to return sooner, she said, "I'm not allowed to do investigations on a weekend." However, a spokesman for the department, John Harrell, said it is the job of investigators to follow through immediately or refer to someone else in the department to follow through when a matter is urgent. CNN's Kim Segal, Shawn Nottingham and John Zarrella contributed to this report .

NEW:Barahona charged with aggravated child abuse . The couple's remaining two children have been placed in foster care, court officials said . The girl's body was in a plastic bag, an affidavit said . Jorge Barahona's son is in intensive care, police say .

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Yangon, Myanmar (CNN) -- When Burmese commuters have an accident they don't dial 911 or any ordinary emergency service. They call the country's version of Marlon Brando, a heartthrob in the 1980s and 90s who turned his back on the film industry to run a fleet of ambulances and bury the nation's dead. A household name in Myanmar, which is also known as Burma, Kyaw Thu has starred in more than 200 films, and even took home a Myanmar Academy Award in 1994 for best actor in "Da-Byi-Thu Ma Shwe Hta." He followed it up with best director for "Amay No Bo" in 2003, but by then his head had already been turned by the story of an old woman left to die alone in hospital. "The doctor warned the patient's family that she was close to death. After that they disappeared. A few days later she passed away -- so this dead body had no owner," Kyaw Thu told CNN at this office on the outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar's largest city. He later found out that the woman's family couldn't afford a funeral service. At the time, it wasn't uncommon; poor families would often sneak out in the dead of night to bury their dead, he said. And so began the Free Funeral Service Society, founded in collaboration with multi-award winning late Burmese writer and director Thukha, which now also provides a free library, education, medical, dental care and disaster relief. From films to funerals . Kyaw Thu's decision to leave the film industry wasn't entirely his own. In 2007, he was arrested and later banned from the film industry after being accused of supporting the Saffron Revolution. That year, the Myanmar military staged a violent crackdown on the largest anti-government demonstrations since 1988. Led by monks, tens of thousands of Burmese marched through the streets to protest plans to cut fuel subsidies. Kyaw Thu doesn't deny that he helped them but says that the society's policy of aiding people "regardless of social status, national and religion" meant that no one was turned away. He says he's on better terms with the current government led by President Thein Sein, who came to power in 2011, ending 50 years of military rule. However, he says not enough is being done to repair the country's patchy public services and protect the country's poor. "We are showing the government what we need to do," he said. He claimed the government is out of touch with what's happening on the ground, as are foreign investors, who he says go straight to the capital Naypyidaw to listen to politicians rather than the people. "I want to make a suggestion: before they go to Naypyidaw they should meet the CSOs and NGOs who are really doing things for Burma so they know what's really happening," he said. "So after they meet with the CSOs and NGOs they'll have information -- they'll know the reality. So they can criticize and they can negotiate and they can discuss with the government and other parties." He says other parties need to do more to deliver on their promises by using their own funding, rather than seeing him as a bank. A country on the mend? Kyaw Thu spoke with CNN as hundreds of delegates arrived in the country for the World Economic Forum on East Asia, two days of talks on how the country can shake off the legacy of its past. As well as basic, if not non-existent, public services, the country is saddled with crumbling buildings, potholed roads, a patchy telecommunications network and an outdated electricity network that only services a quarter of the population of 60 million people. Under the control of military leaders, Myanmar's economy stagnated so much so that in 1990 its per capita GDP growth was at a similar level to that recorded in 1900, according to a recent report from McKinsey & Company. There's much that needs to be fixed, but money is needed. Kyaw Thu's society relies on donations and an army of volunteers -- around 500 a day -- who do everything from carrying caskets to preparing bodies for burial. Trained doctors and nurses man the hospitals and clinics where patients are offered everything from eye surgery to maternity care and blood transfusions. The extent of their work can be seen in hundreds of laminated photos pinned on notice boards, which line the halls of the company's headquarters. One shows a newly married couple -- still in their wedding clothes -- carrying a casket; they came to volunteer straight after the service, he said. Others show shots of aid workers digging wells and bringing supplies to cyclone-hit residents, students sitting learning in class and then, incongruously, a couple of images of mutilated bodies -- all part of a day's work for the society. Message to Burmese people: 'Please be united' Kyaw Thu may be incredibly popular in Myanmar, providing services that in many countries are promised by politicians, but he says he has no plans to enter politics. "No," he said, shaking his head, "I have no ambition to make a political party." He says his motivation is altruism; he doesn't need power, glory or adoration. "When we are giving the aid to the people, we don't expect any kind of benefit or opportunity. When we help, if they're happy, I'm also happy." He supports Nobel laureate and leader of the National League of Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi -- her image hangs on the walls of his office -- but says Burma's people need to drop their unquestioning admiration of Suu Kyi and her father, the late General Aung San, and start following their lead. "People are not following their speech. They are very impressed. They say we love Aung San Suu Kyi, we love General Aung San... but they're not following their policy. They're not implementing what they're saying. This is the problem with Burmese people." Kyaw Thu is dismayed by the outbreaks of ethnic violence around the country that have strained relations between Burmese Buddhists and the minority Muslim population. He said the society has not been allowed to travel west to Rakhine State where Rohingya Muslims are alleged by human rights groups to be suffering systematic abuse amounting to "ethnic cleansing." "They (the government) say it's very dangerous and very difficult. So we have no chance to go to the desperate people," Kyaw Thu said. He said the pace of Myanmar's transformation, from a military state to thriving democracy at peace with ethnic rivalries, depends on the attitudes of ordinary people. Decades of military rule had produced bad attitudes, he said. "If the attitudes of normal citizens change and are good -- within five years it will change," he said. "I want to give the message to all people in Burma: Please be united." Han Thar Nyein contributed to this report.

Award-winning Burmese actor gave up films to operate free funeral services . Kyaw Thu was considered a heartthrob in the 1980s and 1990s . He formed Free Funeral Service Society after hearing the story of a woman abandoned in hospital . Society now provides ambulance, hospital, disaster relief and education services .

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(CNN) -- Somalia's government said Saturday they are investigating the death of a Malaysian cameraman who was shot dead when African Union peacekeepers allegedly fired on his convoy. Noramfaizul Mohd Nor was travelling with a convoy of humanitarian workers when a contingent of Ugandan-nationals with AMISOM opened fire, killing Nor and wounding another journalist, TV-3 reporter Aji Saregar Mazlan, Somalia's transitional government said in a Saturday statement. "The police and the security forces immediately reached the location of the incident and started a full investigation for the shocking action," the government said. Attempts to reach AU representative were not immediately successful Saturday. On Friday, Nor was heading to the outskirts of Mogadishu to cover a Malay-sponsored project to help drought victims on behalf of Malaysia's national news agency Bernama. In an interview with Bernama, Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Nor was a "hero." "He was willing to take the risk to provide extensive coverage of our missions to help others in many parts of the world," he said. Reporters without Borders, an activist organization on behalf of journalist, said Friday that Somalia continued to be one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, often caught in the cross-fir between Islamic Al-Shabaab militia and pro-government forces. "Nor joins the long list of journalists killed in the course of their work in Somalia, Africa's deadliest country for media personnel with 23 killed since 2007," Reporters Without Borders said Friday. "Despite the recent retreat by the Islamist insurgent group Al-Shabaab, the violence and fighting in Mogadishu have not stopped and covering Somalia continues to be extremely dangerous," the organization stated. CNN's David Mckenzie contributed to this report .

Malaysian Prime Minister mourns the loss of national "hero" Cameraman was traveling with a humanitarian convoy to film Malaysia famine project . Somali government said African Union peacekeepers fired on Nor's convoy . Somalia is one of the world's most dangerous places for journalists, activists say .

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BEIJING, China (CNN) -- When Jimmy Wales visited the headquarters of Hudong.com last month, he had one question for its founder: is it possible for Wikipedia to be the number one online encyclopedia in China? Don't call me Jimmy: Pan Haidong, head of Hudong.com, the largest Chinese encyclopedia website. "Absolutely not," was the response of Pan Haidong, head of Hudong.com, the world's largest Chinese encyclopedia website. "Because there is Hudong here in China. Of course we are a copycat of Wikipedia but we have a lot of innovations, and we do a lot of work here in China so it is totally different actually," Pan told CNN. It's been a year since China's government lifted its ban on the Chinese version of U.S.-based Wikipedia yet it remains unclear whether Wikipedia has gained any share of the country's massive Internet readership. Shortly after Wikipedia was launched in China in 2002, the country's Internet censors began to intermittently block access to both Chinese and English versions of the online encyclopedia with the longest ban lasting around three years. In recent months, Wales has held a series of meetings with officials from the State Council Information Office, the government body charged with internet censorship in China, to establish a dialogue between the Wikipedia community and Chinese government. He says they have not discussed why the website was banned. "We have a friendly relationship," Wales told CNN. "But in terms of getting down to the nitty gritty of what happened, I have no idea. It is not really a big concern." What is a big concern for Wales is whether Wikipedia can compete with the country's two homegrown encyclopedia websites that emerged while Wikipedia was blocked: Hudong.com and Baidu Baike, an online knowledge sharing site launched by Baidu, the No. 1 search engine in China. One challenge Wikipedia faces is it lacks the brand recognition in China that is otherwise nearly universal. "I had an English-speaking, college-educated tour guide [in Beijing], and he asked me what I do?" Wales told CNN. "I said, 'I am the founder of Wikipedia.' He had a blank stare. He had no idea what Wikipedia was. This would not happen anywhere else in the world. Everyone knows Wikipedia if they are using the internet." Wales said he is trying to mobilize the local Chinese Wikipedia community to spread more awareness about the online encyclopedia but otherwise has not outlined a specific strategy to beat its more entrenched domestic competitors. "I think I am going to have to come to China a lot and do interviews so people can learn about Wikipedia," said Wales. "Once people come to understand it that will be helpful for our cause." 'No reason for China to use Wikipedia' Yet Wales' star power alone may not be enough to convert China's 300 million internet users into Wikipedians, or volunteers who run the website. "There's, in fact, no reason for China to use Wikipedia, a service based 'out there,'" Baidu's chief scientist William Chang said at a 2008 internet conference in Beijing. "It's very natural for China to make its own products." And it is also very natural for Chinese to use domestic encyclopedia websites that some say are better suited to the online habits and informational demands of the country's exploding population of internet surfers. "We know the market better," said Pan, founder of Hudong.com. "That is why we can get a bigger share of it." Hudong has more than 3 million articles and 1.7 million registered users, according to its website. Baidu Baike has nearly 2 million entries; Chinese Wikipedia has just 280,000 and over 700 thousand members. English Wikipedia has more than 3 million articles and over 10 million volunteers. "We have the largest team here who are more familiar with the wiki concept and wiki operations in China," Pan told CNN. "Of course we are more focused on the wiki community, which means we need to get a lot of people involved to make it grow." Hudong.com utilizes a range of social networking functions to attract Chinese internet users, including chat forums, fan groups, short messaging services and bulletin boards. Nearly 100 million Chinese netizens regularly visit online bulletin boards, according to research from China Internet Network Information Center. The website rewards members through a ranking system where users are upgraded to a higher status on the site based on the points they earn. Members also can win prizes, like laptops and iPods, for high participation on the site. Baidu Baike has a similar model. Wikipedia uses a reputation system to promote its members based on their participation on the website and the quality of the content they contribute. Promotion is subject to peer approval, and the site's volunteer administrators are elected by the community. "The entry barrier is really high on Wikipedia for Chinese users," said Pan. "We don't have a very hierarchical structure to say who is managing this or who is managing that." Instead both Hudong.com and Baidu Baike have a centralized management structure. Paid staff are charged with mobilizing the community to contribute to certain topics as well as filter out content that might offend the Chinese government. Saying 'no' to censorship . Wales has refused to comply with Chinese censorship rules, which means certain pages containing sensitive information on both English and Chinese Wikipedia remain inaccessible. "The question is how comfortable is China about just describing the facts?" said Wales. "In some cases that is not completely clear, so right now there are certain pages that are filtered from Wikipedia. We don't support that but we also can't do anything about it. But it is far better than just blocking the entire site. Far better for China and for us." Since Hudong's and Baidu Baike's business operations are based in China, the companies have little choice but to comply with government policy or face the same fate as Wikipedia. "If there is something that the government doesn't want, we don't talk about it," said Pan. "We just follow the law." Which is why in the long run many Chinese Wikipedians say their website will win. "I don't think they can become a reference book like Wikipedia because they don't have a serious community focusing on improving the quality of content as well as trying to respect neutral point of view," said Isaac Mao, a Chinese Wikipedian and blogger. "They have to follow the hidden rules and you never know what those are." However Pan said Hudong's content, in time, will improve if the Chinese government continues to gradually loosen its grip on the internet. "I have been seeing a lot of improvement," said Pan. "So we should be glad for that, of course." Wales also said Wikipedia's reemergence in China, albeit at times unreliable, is a sign that Beijing's web policy is changing. "We are hopeful," said Wales. "Wikipedia has been open for more than a year, and we are hoping that will continue. We would like for Wikipedia to have as much impact in China as it has in other places around the world." Pan's doesn't believe it will happen. "There is no way," said Pan. "I don't want to be the Jimmy Wales of China. I just want to say that we want to do something good for society. That is our dream actually."

Home-grown online encyclopedias much more popular than Wikipedia in China . Jimmy Wales has refused to tailor Chinese Wikipedia to censorship laws . Incentives like iPods and laptops for Chinese netizens who add/vet entries . "We don't talk about what the government doesn't like," says Pan Haidong .

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(CNN) -- Nine civilians died in an attack on a luxury hotel in the Afghan capital, a government official said Friday. The dead were a mix of Afghans and foreigners, children and adults, according to Gen Mohammad Ayoub Salangi the deputy interior minister. Six people were also injured. The incident began when four teenagers entered the Serena Hotel in central Kabul on Thursday and started shooting randomly, police said. Afghan security forces killed the four gunmen, who police said were all under 18 and were "government opponents." Police said they believe the gunmen entered the hotel by smuggling small pistols in their shoes, then hid in the bathroom for several hours before launching their attack. The hotel also was the site of a shooting, in January 2008, that killed seven people. The Taliban claimed responsibility for that attack. This is latest attack to claim the lives of foreigners in the Afghan capital. Earlier this month, gunmen shot and killed a Swedish journalist in broad daylight. In January, a bomb and gun attack by the Taliban on a restaurant in Kabul killed 21 people, most of them foreigners. Earlier, in eastern Afghanistan, Taliban militants stormed a police station in Jalalabad, and a deadly gunbattle ensued, the country's Interior Ministry said. At least 11 people were killed and 22 were injured at the station, and at least six attackers were killed, according to a doctor at the hospital. This came as the militant group threatened to carry out attacks before next month's presidential election. Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid confirmed the action to CNN. He said fighters will "continue to attack the pro-U.S. Afghan establishment." Canada pulls out of Kabul as NATO winds down Afghan operations . Suicide blast rips through bazaar in northern Afghanistan . Journalists Zahir Shah Sherazi in Peshawar, Pakistan, and Qadir Sediqui in Kabul contributed to this report.

NEW: Foreigners also died in attacks earlier this month and in January . The nine dead are civlians -- a mix of Afghans and foreigners . Four gunmen shot dead by security forces in Kabul hotel attack . Gunmen were all under 18 and considered "government opponents"

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Miami (CNN) -- The 9-year-old girl critically injured when an airplane struck her on a Florida beach last weekend has died, the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday. The girl, Oceana Irizarry, and her father, Ommy Irizarry, 36, of Georgia were struck Sunday afternoon by a plane making an emergency landing, the Federal Aviation Administration said. The father died at the scene, and the girl was rushed to a hospital. Venice Municipal Airport officials reported a plane in distress Sunday afternoon, sheriff's spokeswoman Wendy Rose said. The pilot of a 1972 Piper Cherokee radioed that he would be unable to make it back to the airport and that he was instead going to attempt a landing on Caspersen Beach, just to the south. The pilot, Karl Kokomoor, and his passenger, David Theen, were uninjured. They are from Englewood, Florida. Kokomoor -- the president and CEO of local engineering firm -- is "emotionally distraught and devastated," his pastor, Victor Willis, said Tuesday. "Words cannot express the sorrow I feel," said a statement that was read by Willis. 'Never saw them' Kokomoor said that he was losing altitude fast and had little time to make a decision. He said he aimed for an area on the water's edge that appeared to be remote. "I never saw them," he said. "It was only after I landed and we exited the plane that I realized that there were people on the beach." The investigation into the crash is being conducted by the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board. The death investigation -- which is being conducted by the sheriff's office -- will determine if Kokomoor will face any charges, said Rose. "I send my heartfelt apologies to the Irizarry family for my role in this tragic accident," the statement read. "I will fully cooperate with the FAA and NTSB in their investigations." Family was celebrating wedding anniversary . On the same day he died, Ommy Irizarry posted a love message on Facebook to his wife, as they were celebrating their ninth wedding anniversary. "Thank you for being with me through thick and thin. I love you with all my heart, mi Roma. I am very happy and can't wait to see what the next 100 have in store for us," Irizarry wrote. According to his Facebook page, Irizarry was originally from Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. He was an Army sergeant first class stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia. He was a platoon sergeant assigned to Fort Stewart's Warrior Transition Battalion, the Army said. He twice deployed to Iraq since joining the Army in 2002. "This is a heart-wrenching situation, especially losing loved ones while on vacation to celebrate a family milestone," said Maj. Gen. Mike Murray, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division and Stewart-Hunter. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the Irizarry family." CNN's Kevin Conlon and Javier De Diego contributed to this report .

NEW: Pilot says he never saw victims on the beach . A 9-year-old girl and her father were struck by a plane walking along a Florida beach . The small plane was making an emergency landing when it hit them . The girl's father died at the scene, she died at the hospital .

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(CNN) -- Beset by war and sectarian violence, Iraq has not had a lot to laugh about in recent years. But a trio of old friends from Baghdad have sought to change that, by distilling the jokey banter of their late-night drinking sessions into a controversial talk show. Hosted by Yasser Sami and Walid Monam, and produced by their friend Ghazwan Al-Shawi, the show is called "Akou Fad Wahad" -- "There is this guy" -- the typical setup for one of their anecdotes. The aim behind the production, says Al-Shawi, "was to make people smile." "We wanted to do anything to make miserable and sad people happy," he said. But while it's proved a hit with their predominantly male audience, not everyone appreciates their sense of humor. Sami describes the first episode, broadcast in the summer of 2011, as "very bold." "It got us into a lot of trouble because there was sexual and pornographic innuendos, so it was like a shock for all Iraqis," he laughs. Since then, the show has routinely offended the conservative sectors of Iraqi society with its discussion of taboo topics including relationships and sex. A religious group staged a demonstration outside the show's studio last year, and government censors complained about the content. Read more: Arab female film directors find acclaim . Sami said a gang even turned up at his house, threatening him. "I can't tell you (who) because this means I will give them another chance to come to me again," he laughs. The jokes might not be considered particularly edgy to non-Iraqis -- or even necessarily that funny. A typical gag goes like this: "A stoned guy bought two birds for his mother, one tweeting and the other silent. She asks, 'Son, why is it that only one of them that is tweeting?' 'Mother, the other one is the composer,' he replied." But although the humor may seem mild, Iraq is not yet ready for "Akou Wad Fahad." Sami says the team has had to modify their approach in order to continue broadcasting. "We changed things in the show," he said. "We used to have a female DJ, but we were asked to remove her from the show, and we did." Even in the new Iraq, said Monam, there are still many "red lines" that cannot be crossed in entertainment. "Were it not for the limitations that are imposed on us, it would be a much better show. But we have to live with social taboos," he said. Challenging this, he says, is "impossible," at least for now. But as frustrating as it might be, he and his friends are content to tone down their act, if it means bringing a smile to people's faces.

A trio of old friends from Baghdad have started a controversial talk show . It's proved a hit with their predominantly male audience . But not everyone appreciates the humor, which often involves sexual innuendo . A religious group staged a demonstration outside the show's studio last year .

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(CNN) -- "It's the most wonderful time of the year." That's what Andy Williams sang 50 years ago, and for some, the song rings true. For others, left cold by carols and gift wrap, urgings to "be of good cheer" can be devilishly hard to escape. Hard, that is, if you stick to your holiday routine. But what if you leave it all behind? Plenty of small-group escorted tours are still taking bookings for December, and if you're a solo traveler it's especially easy to snap up an available spot. Whether you're constitutionally immune to the holiday spirit, or just not feeling it this year, a few new faces and jingle-bell-free surroundings are bound to give you a boost. Here's a sampling of tours with open spaces for 2013, as of this writing -- some with last-minute deals for travel in the coming weeks. Around Turkey in 12 days . The real St. Nick hailed from Anatolia, the Asian portion of modern-day Turkey, which is nothing at all like the North Pole. The Christmas Turkey tour drops in on the saint's home town as well as some of the country's biggest draws, including the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, the "fairy chimneys" of Cappadocia and the shores of Gallipoli. From $1,899, not including international airfare, visa, entrance fees, and tips. December 18-29; 1-866-377-6147. Sand, Sea and Souks . Here, where the Sahara meets the Atlantic, you'll trade bargain-hunting in a crowded mall for haggling at a busy souk (marketplace). The Best of Morocco tour visits the exotic cities of Fez and Marrakech, as well as Roman ruins at Volubilis. It will also have you trekking by camel to stay in a Berber desert camp and admiring the ocean in Essaouira. From $1,279, not including international airfare, visa, departure transfer, most lunches and dinners, and tips. December 23-January 6;1-855-444-9110. Rivers and temples . Ready for a change of pace? You'll find it in more ways than one on the Laos & Cambodia Explorer tour floating slowly down the Mekong River. Witness daily life in Laos' Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that blends traditional Lao and colonial French architecture; fly on to Cambodia to tour the legendary Angkor temples. $2,874 with promo code (given on website); does not include international flights, visa, meals other than breakfast, or tips. December 21-January 3; 1-800-663-5132. Mayan Mystique . This tour of the Yucatán Peninsula starts and ends in Cancún, but its focus lies in culture, not cabanas. In addition to exploring Mayan ruins at Uxmal and Chichén Itzá, your agenda includes the museums of Mérida and a once-functioning hacienda. You'll also hit the beaches in Tulúm and Playa del Carmen. From $1,799; does not include international flights, dinners, some lunches, or tips. December 21-30; 1-888-800-4100. Wonders of the West . The American West boasts majestic scenery and remarkable cities. Why choose between these experiences? Instead take a tour that meanders from San Francisco's Coit Tower to the towering sequoias of Yosemite; from the bright lights of Las Vegas to the shimmering sunsets of the Grand Canyon. $2,999; does not include transport to California, most meals, or tips. December 21-January 4; 1-888-800-4100. New Year's on ice . The Harbin Ice Festival in northeast China gives this tour a dazzling, color-saturated twist. After taking in sights like the Great Wall, Beijing's Forbidden City and the terra-cotta warriors of Xi'an, you'll fly to Harbin and ring in 2014 with a view of the festival's gorgeous ice sculptures, illuminated with a rainbow of lights and traditional paper lanterns. The next day, try the ice luge or other amusements at Ice and Snow World, the festival's theme park. From $2,299, not including international airfare, visa, entrance fees and tips. December 23-January 2; 1-866-377-6147. Ski the Tyrol . This Alpine ski and snowboarding getaway run by Topdeck Travel, which specializes in tours for adults under 40, lets you learn some downhill skills or practice those you've got. Get cozy in the Austrian village of Kirchdorf, where the day's outdoor activities end with the tradition of après-ski, also known as nightlife. During Christmas week, day trips to the Christmas markets of Salzburg and Innsbruck are optional at additional cost. $749; does not include international airfare, transfers from airport, ski pass, equipment rental, or meals other than breakfast and two dinners. December 21-28 or December 28-January 4; 1-800-607-1399. Costa Rica on the go . You might not need a New Year's gym membership after this active tropical getaway. Hit the ground -- or rather, rapids -- running with a whitewater rafting trip, followed up by rainforest hikes and kayaking through mangroves. Then enjoy well-earned relaxation in hot springs and mud baths. $2098; does not include international airfare, some meals, or tips. December 28-January 4; 1-800-488-8483. Climb Kilimanjaro . For a truly epic voyage, splurge on the Snows of Kilimanjaro tour, an ascent of the highest peak in Africa. Your first day will be spent acclimatizing in Arusha National Park; from there it's four to six hours of hiking a day, with arrival at the summit timed for sunrise where possible. Though the climb is tough, groups have often included septuagenarians, and tour operators boast a 97% summit success rate. Plus you'll travel in relative comfort with private igloos and porters to carry all but your day pack. $6,495; does not include international flights, some tips or a sleeping bag, which is recommended. December 19-28; 1-800-554-7016. Trekking in Patagonia . Snow-capped mountains, glaciers and sparkling lakes: Patagonia is a breathtaking wilderness at the southern tip of the world. And with some serious hiking involved, this trip may leave you breathless in more ways than one -- it's recommended for the physically fit. Your outdoors time is bookended with stays in Santiago, Chile, and Buenos Aires, and the trip mixes basic camping with hotel stays. $3,863; does not include international airfare, some lunches and dinners, or tips. December 22-31; 1- 800-970-7299. If you could go anywhere this December holiday season, where would you go and why? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Visit the real St. Nick's hometown in Anatolia, Turkey . Trek the national parks of the Western United States . Spend your Christmas holiday hiking up Mount Kilimanjaro . Ring in the New Year at the Harbin Ice Festival in Northeast China .

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(CNN) -- Federal civil rights investigators have found "reasonable cause" to believe that police in Portland, Oregon, use "unnecessary or unreasonable force" with persons who have mental illness, the U.S. Justice Department said. The department's civil rights division and U.S. Attorney's Office in Oregon issued a letter to Portland Mayor Sam Adams stating that local and federal authorities will "continue our collaborative relationship to craft sustainable remedies." In the 42-page letter, federal officials outline remedies that include training and new policies to investigate alleged police misconduct. Investigators found cause to believe that the Portland Police Bureau engages in "a pattern or practice of using excessive force in encounters involving people with actual or perceived mental illness." "We found instances that support a pattern of dangerous uses of force against persons who posed little or no threat and who could not, as a result of their mental illness, comply with officers' commands," said the letter, which was signed by Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez and U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall. "We also found that PPB employs practices that escalate the use of force where there were clear earlier junctures when the force could have been avoided or minimized." One incident in December 2010 involved several officers who used "repeated closed-fist punches and repeated shocking of a subject who was to be placed on a mental health hold," the letter said. Adams, in a posting on his web page, vowed that the city and its Police Bureau would improve quickly, and listed a series of changes: . -- The city will revise its use-of-force policies -- particularly those regarding the use of stun guns -- "to ensure that officers have necessary guidance when encountering someone with mental illness or perceived to have mental illness." -- The police will expand their Mobile Crisis Unit -- composed of an officer and a mental health worker -- "to ensure availability at all times and enhance non-law enforcement capacity to respond to persons in crisis that do not pose a public safety threat." -- The city will establish a mental health desk at its 911 calling center to ensure calls are properly dispatched. -- The city will lead efforts to boost community mental health treatment options, such as establishing a 24-hour secure drop-off and walk-in center, "that will provide police officers more options when assisting persons experiencing a mental health crisis." -- The city will use an early intervention system to identify officers, supervisors and units "for non-punitive corrective action, and to assess gaps in policy, training, supervision and accountability." -- The city will move to speed investigations of complaints about possible officer misconduct. -- A community body composed of representatives of a variety of groups will assess how well the agreement is being implemented, offer recommendations on additional steps, and advise the police chief and Adams on how to improve community relations.

Civil rights investigators say Portland Police engage in a pattern of excessive force . Victims are persons who have or are perceived to have mental illness . Portland mayor vows to institute changes -- quickly .

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(CNN) -- Aid organizations have deployed emergency response teams to Haiti and appealed for donations after the Caribbean nation was was struck by a devastating earthquake described by local officials as a "catastrophe of major proportions." The magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck southern Haiti on Tuesday, knocking down buildings and inflicting a new catastrophe on the western hemisphere's poorest nation. Humanitarian charity Oxfam said Wednesday it was rushing rescue teams to the country from around the region to provide clean water, sanitation, shelter and emergency supplies and called for donations to fund its efforts. Impact Your World: How you can help . "At this stage it is too early to tell the severity of the earthquake in Haiti, but the early signs are not good with communications down across the country," said Jane Cocking, humanitarian director of Oxfam. Kristie van de Wetering, a former Oxfam employee based in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, said the situation in the capital was "very chaotic" with many buildings reduced to rubble. "We can hear people calling for help from every corner. The aftershocks are ongoing and making people very nervous," she said. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said volunteers in Haiti were assisting the injured and supporting hospitals which had been overwhelmed by the disaster. It said it had enough supplies in Haiti for 3,000 families. Experts in disaster response are due to arrive in the country later Wednesday to coordinate international relief efforts, it said. "The most urgent needs at this time are search and rescue, field hospitals, emergency health, water purification, emergency shelter, logistics and telecommunications," the group said in a statement. The quake struck about 15 km (10 miles) southwest of Port-au-Prince shortly before 5 p.m. local time, cutting off communications across much of the country. "Port-au-Prince is devastated, lot of deaths. SOS. SOS...," wrote Louise Ivers, the clinical director of medical charity Partners In Health, in an e-mail to the group's offices in Boston, Massachusetts. She added: "Temporary field hospital ... needs supplies, pain meds, bandages. Please help us." Raymond Joseph, Haiti's ambassador to the U.S., told CNN's Wolf Blitzer by telephone that the country was going throug . "I'm calling on all friends of Haiti and people who are listening to me to please come to our aid," said Raymond Joseph, Haiti's ambassador to the U.S. told CNN's Wolf Blitzer by telephone. "Today as Haiti is going through the worst day in its history I am calling for all others who got help from us in the beginning to help in support," Joseph said. "The only thing I can do now is pray and hope for the best." Singer Wyclef Jean, nephew of ambassador Joseph, stressed the need for help for what is considered among the poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere. "We're going to need immediate aid," Jean told Blitzer on CNN. "We're going to need the United States and the international community to react immediately." He founded Yele Haiti, whose community service programs include food distribution and emergency relief. In Washington U.S. President Barack Obama said the government would "stand ready to assist the people of Haiti." At the Pentagon, the U.S. military said humanitarian aid was being prepared for shipping, but it was not yet clear where or how it would be sent. A U.S. aviation source said the control tower at the Port-au-Prince international airport collapsed, possibly hindering efforts to fly relief supplies into the country. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters that Washington is offering "our full assistance" to Haiti. "And our prayers are with the people who have suffered, their families and their loved ones," she said. The deputy chief of the U.S. mission in Haiti, David Lindwall, told Clinton that he saw "significant damage" from the quake and said U.S. officials there expect "serious loss of life," Crowley said. And Clinton's husband, former U.S. President Bill Clinton -- now the U.N. special envoy for Haiti -- said the world body was "committed to do whatever we can to assist the people of Haiti in their relief, rebuilding and recovery efforts." Haiti's government is backed by a U.N. peacekeeping mission established after the ouster of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 2004. The United States has been heavily involved in Haiti commercially, politically and militarily for most of the last century. U.S. intervention under Clinton restored Aristide to power in 1994 after a 1991 coup, and a U.S. jet hustled him out of the country again in 2004 following a rapidly spreading uprising against his government. With people stripping the trees for fuel and to clear land for agriculture, the mountainous countryside has been heavily deforested. That has led to severe erosion and left Haitians vulnerable to massive landslides when heavy rains fall. Roads in Haiti were unsafe to travel on because of a lack of lighting and because many buildings along transportation routes had collapsed or were not deemed safe, said Ian Rodgers of the relief organization Save the Children. "What I can hear is very distressed people," Rogers said. "There is a lot of distress and wailing of people trying to find loved ones." A representative for the aid group Catholic Relief Services in Haiti described the situation in the nation as "a total disaster," said Robyn Fieser, regional information officer for the group. Haiti's dense population will increase the risk to its people, Jean said. The nation's need for aid will range from water and food to medical and building supplies. "This is the worst devastation that we as Haitian people have faced," he said. Hurricane Gordon killed more than 1,000 people in 1994, while Hurricane Georges killed more than 400 and destroyed the majority of the country's crops in 1998. And in 2004, Hurricane Jeanne killed more than 3,000 people even as it passed north of Haiti, with most of the deaths in the northwestern city of Gonaives. Gonaives was hit heavily again in 2008 when four tropical systems passed through. According to the U.N. Office for the Special Envoy for Haiti, unemployment reaches 70 percent nationally, and 78 percent of Haitians live on less than $2 a day. CNN's Edvige Jean-Francois, Shasta Darlington, Deb Feyerick, Matt Smith, Mike Mount and Pierre Meilhan contributed to this report.

"Temporary field hospital ... needs supplies, pain meds, bandages," doctor writes . U.S. military says humanitarian aid was being prepared for shipping . Haitian ambassador to the United States describes "worst day" in Haitian history . Save the Children: Lack of lighting, collapsed routes render roads unsafe . Catholic Relief Services describes situation as "a total disaster"

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(CNN) -- Be bold! Think big! Barack Obama wants to do just that. An $800 billion economic stimulus plan. Three million jobs. Health care reform. A restructured automobile industry. Obama's popularity with voters will win him influence with political opponents. Obama won the biggest Democratic majority for president in 44 years. His party made big gains in Congress. Democrats now have a majority of nearly 60 percent in both the House and Senate. President Obama's got a mandate. And a majority. What's to stop him? Just this: the U.S. system of government. It is set up to make it difficult to get things done. The Constitution was written 222 years ago by men who didn't trust government. They had just waged a revolution against a king. To the founders of the American republic, strong government meant despotism. So they set up a system with an elaborate separation of powers. The idea was to ensure weak government. The dirty little secret of American government is that it was designed not to work very well. As president after president has discovered, there are innumerable ways opponents can stop measures from getting passed, even if the president's party holds a majority in Congress. The Senate has its own rule that's not in the Constitution requiring a super-majority of 60 Senate votes to control the agenda. A minority of 41 senators can "filibuster'' a measure and prevent it from coming up for a vote. How many votes will Republicans have in the Senate? 41 or 42, depending on the outcome in Minnesota where ballots are still being counted. Presidents often have problems holding their own party together. That's because members of Congress are elected by local constituencies and they are expected to represent local interests. American politicians are independent political entrepreneurs. They are not foot-soldiers of a party. When Bill Clinton first became president, he had a solid Democratic majority in Congress. But he could not get his health care reform plan passed. After an intense advertising campaign by opponents, many Americans were worried that the Clintons were planning a government takeover of the health care system. The Clinton plan failed, and within two years, Democrats lost their majority in Congress. One-party control didn't work any better for George W. Bush. Bush had trouble getting what he wanted -- notably, immigration reform -- from a Republican Congress. Republicans lost their majority in Congress in 2006. But here's another dirty little secret of American government: it often does work. Very well in fact. Under the right conditions, barriers fall away and things get done, sometimes with amazing speed and efficiency. What are the right conditions? An overwhelming sense of public urgency. That sense of urgency certainly existed after 9/11, when Congress quickly passed the Patriot Act. Getting anything big done in American government requires a sense of crisis. That's why politicians in the U.S. are always declaring crises -- a drug crisis, an education crisis, an environmental crisis. Or they're trying to rally the country to fight a war on something -- a war on poverty, a war on crime. If the public urgency is not authentic, however, opponents won't have much trouble stopping things from happening. Obama certainly takes office at a time of crisis, just as Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt did. Like them, he has the opportunity to transform American government. Members of Congress who try to block President Obama's program may find themselves in political trouble. Because there is yet another dirty little secret of American government: the United States is the most populist democracy in the world. Here, the people rule. When the people want something, they will get it, whether it's the death penalty or gun rights or lower taxes. Why doesn't the United States have a metric system or dollar coins like other countries? Because the people won't use them. Obama's popularity is soaring right now. When a president is popular, he has clout. Everyone wants to be on his side, even members of the opposition party. They're in business for themselves, and supporting a popular president is good for business. Standing in his way could drive them out of business. American government is not an efficient, well-oiled machine. It was never designed to be. It has to be lubricated by public pressure. If the people are shouting "Do something!'' -- as they are right now -- then something will happen. Even if it means a lot more spending and a lot more government. The people reserve one key right: they will let the government know, rather quickly, whether or not it's working.

Three secrets behind the way U.S. government works . It was designed to ensure weak government . In times of crisis usual barriers fall away . If voters want something done, it will get done somehow .

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(CNN) -- From personal stories of growing up with gay parents to challenges of what defines a family, the public's comments on same-sex couples having families was supportive and critical, calm and heated -- sometimes all in one conversation thread. In CNN's documentary "Gary and Tony Have a Baby," Soledad O'Brien follows a gay couple in their struggle through the legal and personal obstacles to become parents. We asked readers and viewers what they thought about gay couples having families. "Whether they are gay as a couple, or gay as a single parent -- as long as they love and nourish that child it will make absolutely no difference. Compared to the atrocious things that we read here on CNN about what parents do to their children, being raised by a gay parent will be a blessing," says one reader. "I work in a medical clinic and believe me, the large number of gay people/couples that we see are a helluva lot more 'normal' (and pleasant) than the straight people/couples!" Others said that while they were against same-sex marriage, they saw no reason for sexual orientation to prevent having children through adoption or other means. "My morals and my religion agree that marriage is between a man and a woman," says one reader. "[But] I don't mind gays adopting." Another said: "Marriage is an institution created by God to join a man and a women. That being said, children do need someone to love and if that person is psychologically sound, physically fit and has the wherewithal to create a supportive and loving environment for the child, it would [be] hard for me to say no way." Some said having same-sex parents would harm the child. "Children being raised by gay couples can easily be targeted by bullies," said one reader. "These children will go through a great suffering because they will be confused as to why they don't [have] a daddy or a mommy. It's a shame that the children are being exposed to something that God is against." Another wrote: "If there is a mother and father possibility, [a child] should always go in the favor of the normal mother and father situation. It is the responsibility of those in charge to give them the best chance to survive in a culture that is normally straight. I am not against gays, but I do think there is a reality that one gender of parents is not the norm." Other readers shared their stories of growing up with same-sex parents or being a gay parent themselves. "As a gay single man, it has been my honor to adopt four wonderful children," one reader wrote. "Over the years we have encountered the typical family pressures as everyone else. Our only outward difference is that I am Caucasian and my children are African-American. Two of my four boys are now 18 and 19. Both are headed to college. My younger two are 15 and 16 now. Both successful high school students, happy and well adjusted (well as adjusted as a teenager can be!). ... My kids know about my life and were told when they were young. I have kept no secrets. ... Parenting means being there for your child. It mean participating in their lives. Loving them. Listening to their goals, biting your tongue when necessary and losing your mind when needed." Another said, "My parents love me, that's all that matters. What makes you a better parent then mine? Because you're a Christian? Because you are straight? They love me and that's all that matters. They push me to succeed, and make me the best person I can be. Isn't that what being a parent is, loving you for who you are?"

CNN's "Gary and Tony Have a Baby" followed gay couple's struggle to become parents . Reader: "As long as they love and nourish that child it will make ... no difference" Some argued having same-sex parents would harm a child . Others shared stories of growing up with same-sex parents or being gay parents .

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Washington (CNN)President Barack Obama on Thursday said he wants the people of France to know the United States "stands with you today, stands with you tomorrow" in the wake of this week's terror attacks. He made the remarks during an appearance in Knoxville, Tenn. to announce a new higher education initiative. Obama told the audience in Knoxville "we stand for freedom, and hope, and dignity of all human beings," adding, "that's what Paris stands for." "That spirit will endure forever," he added, "long after terrorism is banished from this world." His comments follow a tumultuous few days for France, where two hostage situations and a shooting at a French satirical paper erupted in two days, resulting in numerous deaths. Obama made a visit to the French Embassy on Thursday to offer his condolences following Wednesday's attack by three gunment on journalists at Charlie Hebdo, which resulted in 12 deaths. The Charlie Hebdo attack: What we know and don't know . He signed a book of condolences for the victims of the attack shortly after returning from a trip to Arizona for a speech previewing his State of the Union address. "On behalf of all Americans, I extend our deepest sympathy and solidarity to the people of France following the terrible terrorist attack in Paris," the President wrote. "As allies across the centuries, we stand united with our French brothers to ensure that justice is done and our way of life is defended. We go forward together knowing that terror is no match for freedom and ideals we stand for -- ideals that light the world. Vive la France!" Obama also met with the French Ambassador, Gérard Araud, who called the visit "a moving and highly significant gesture" in a tweet. "The French are grateful," the ambassador said. Obama on Wednesday vowed to "hunt down" the perpetrators of the "cowardly, evil attacks," and the United States is supporting the French government in its investigation into the attack. On his flight back from Arizona, the President spoke with his national security team about the latest developments.

President Barack Obama says America "stands with" France following the terrorist attacks this week . He offered America's "deepest sympathy and solidarity" to the country . The U.S. government is supporting the French government in its investigation .

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(CNN) -- The label on the package claimed that it contained T-shirts and baby toys. When customs officials in Sydney scanned the parcel, they found five pythons and two venomous tarantulas. But when customs officials in Sydney X-ray scanned the parcel, they found instead five pythons and two venomous tarantulas. On Tuesday, authorities raided the house in Sydney to which the parcel had been addressed. Officials seized evidence but expect to file charges later, the customs agency said. Importing live animals without a permit is illegal in Australia and can yield a 10-year prison sentence and a fine of 110,000 Australian dollars ($92,000 U.S.). The parcel was sent from the United States last week, but officials would not say specifically where it had been mailed from. The snakes were wrapped within white calico bags and the spiders were packed in clear plastic containers, the customs agency said. The creatures were later killed because they posed a quarantine risk, the agency said in a press release. It titled the press release: "Spiders and snakes on a plane."

Customs officials in Australia find pythons and tarantulas in package . The parcel had been sent from the United States . The creatures were later killed because they posed a quarantine risk .

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(CNN) -- Jeff Yeager says the economic downturn is an opportunity for people to simplify their lives and be content with less. More than 40 percent of the average household food budget is spent on eating out, says Jeff Yeager. The author of "The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to True Riches" has some ideas for saving $20,000 to $30,000 a year. The savings don't necessarily require sacrifices, he says, but rather choices that can lead to greater happiness. Yeager talked with Heidi Collins on Tuesday on "CNN Newsroom." A transcript of their conversation follows. Heidi Collins: How did you become a cheapskate, if you will? Jeff Yeager: Well, you know, I'm about 50 years old. I grew up in the Midwest, and back then, spending money was really a last resort. We led sort of a simpler life, and I think, in a lot of ways, happier, Heidi. And that's really what I write about is, maybe there's a silver lining to this economic downturn. Maybe we can simplify our lives, be content with less and actually enjoy life more. Collins: All right. As a fellow Midwesterner, I share your cheapskate thoughts already. Yeager: You are a sister of the cheaphood. I knew it, Heidi. Collins: Well, hey. I do wonder, though, as you've gone through this process, if you will, if you become the ultimate cheapskate, are you noticing now a lot more people kind of joining your club? Yeager: You know, they are. And again, I don't really talk about a life of sacrifice. I talk about a life of choices and how, in many instances, less can be more. Watch Jeff Yeager explain his savings suggestions » . You know, in this economy, we hear a lot of stories about how to get more stuff for 20 percent less. I'm not saying that's unimportant. But maybe we're missing the real point. The secret to the time is being content with less. Collins: OK. Wow. I like the way you talk. All right, so let's get to these five things, because that's what everybody really wants to hear about. Specifically, what they can do. And again, this is in order to save 20,000 to $30,000 a year. Really? Yeager: If these things apply to your family. Collins: OK. Yeager: And they are -- let me say in advance -- these are some fairly radical changes. But, again, it's probably not about sacrifice. It's about changing your life and maybe in the end being happier. Collins: OK. Well, very good. First thing you say, give up your cell phone. Yeager: Give up the cellulite life. I will use myself as a poster child. You know, I have a fairly successful career, a very happy life. I've never owned a cell phone, and nothing awful has ever happened. Collins: Now, wait a minute. I've got to push back for a second, because a lot of people will tell you you can be happier with a cell phone because you're out of the office and you're with your family more, still able to still do business. Yeager: We can debate all that, but 10 or 15 years ago, none of us had it, and nothing awful happened. It seemed to me we were really quite happy. Average cell phone plan costs about $100 a month. There's an interesting article in the recent Christian Science Monitor that shows the actual cost of using a cell phone could be more than $3 a minute by time you factor in unused minutes and so on. Collins: Wow. All right. You say you might not need that second car and certainly not the third? Yeager: Americans own about 2½ cars per family. Can you give up one? The Auto Club says it costs about, on average, $1 a mile to drive a car by the time you factor in the cost of the car, depreciation and so on. So, you could easily be talking about $5,000 to $10,000 savings by sharing the remaining car that you have, using public transportation and so on. Collins: OK. Give up meals prepared outside your home. Quit going out for meals no matter what, if it's just a salad or a fancy fancy dinner? Yeager: More than 40 percent of the average American family household food budget is spent on meals prepared outside the home. You can cut that by 80 percent by cooking those same meals at home and you know, maybe recapture some family time around the dinner table. Collins: Yes, there would be people who would argue with you about that, though, too, because our culture is just so socially oriented to food. Every dinner, every business meeting, every lunch. Yeager: We're too busy to cook because we're too busy earning the money to spend it by dining out. Collins: Yes, yes. All right, you also say quit shopping for new clothes. Yeager: Yes. Here again, it's what's good for your pocketbook and good for the environment. Less than 2 percent of clothes that we throw away in America are worn out. The average family spends about $1,800 on clothing. Certainly most of us have more than enough stuff in our closet that we could go six months, even a year without buying new clothes. Collins: Yes, and then maybe just get it tailored or updated or something. Accessorize, I don't know, right? Yeager: And again, less than 2 percent of the clothes we throw away are worn out. That's a waste of the Earth's resources. Collins: All right. And finally, give up college room and board. You want the kids to live at home forever? Yeager: This is a big one, you know? Back in my day, if you have a child in school, consider having them live at home while they go to school. It's been a huge generational shift. Back in my days, lots of people, including myself, lived at home when we went to college. Therefore, we didn't take out any college student loans. Now, of course, most kids go away to school, take out student loans. When they graduate, what do they do? They move back home with mom and dad! Let's skip the money step!

Author Jeff Yeager says radical changes can lead to big savings . Lose your cell phone and give up second or third car, Yeager says . Families spend more than 40% of budget on eating out, so cook at home, he says . Quit shopping for new clothes, and have kids live at home while at college, he says .

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(CNN) -- We don't know much about the shooting at Los Angeles International Airport just yet, but it has clearly jangled our collective nerves, dredging up the fear and shock and pain of 9/11 -- the wellspring of our modern airport security process -- reminding us that more than a decade later, flying is still a fraught experience. For those of us who were working for United or American, that day in 2001 changed everything. When we finally got back onboard, our workplace now included air marshals, armed pilots, martial arts lessons, tasers, fortified cockpit doors, and a new focus on vigilance, not warmth and customer service. "Welcome aboard" was less a greeting and more an opportunity to size you up. So, reports of today's airport shooting raise new fears about weaknesses in this system. Is it possible that the gunman who shot and killed one TSA officer and injured two of his colleagues may have made it through LAX security with a high-powered rifle? (As of this writing, that is not yet clear.) And is it time to start arming Transportation Security Administration officials? No way. I can understand the urge to react, to grasp at anything that might protect travelers. I too want air travel to be safe; hell, my husband is a pilot. But arming screeners at checkpoints well away from the airfield wouldn't be just another of the many precautions the airlines have taken to avert large-scale terrorism. It would simply be about protecting people from something that is everywhere in America: gun violence -- yes, at airports, and also at schools, at movie theaters, and malls. If you're the kind of person who thinks that every teacher and hall monitor and mall cop and cinema usher should be armed, then you'll probably feel safer if we give guns to TSA officers. And maybe flight attendants and customer service reps and baggage handlers. And probably bus drivers and ballpark ticket takers, and hospital staff. LAX shooting delays flights nationwide . September 11, 2001, still hurts, but most of our public killings have been at the hands of angry or disturbed co-workers, students, neighbors, family members -- not terrorists. Do you really want to start handing out guns to the people you work with? Probably not if you work for an airline where people are often underpaid, overworked, sometimes inhumanely exhausted and locked, perennially, in famously contentious relationships with management. Even before 9/11, it made me nervous that as airline workers, we skipped security entirely, simply hopping off the employee bus and entering a back door, bags and bodies unscreened. I feared that the next air disaster would be caused by a colleague with a bone to pick. Of course, I was wrong, and thankfully employees' bags are now screened, but giving guns to airline and airport workers is still a disquieting idea. I was never a fan of armed pilots, even in the nightmarish days after 9/11. Another flight attendant might have felt reassured but, when I once walked into the cockpit of a 757 to find a pilot with a gun resting on his lap, I was most decidedly rattled. I hadn't met the guy before and had no reason to distrust him, but even the thought of an accident was enough to make me question my safety (turbulence anyone?). And a couple of chilling mishaps -- an inadvertent discharge in the cockpit of a US Airways plane and an incident where a JetBlue pilot lost his gun in an airport -- demonstrate the potential dangers of even a best-case-scenario arming of the nation's nearly 50,000 TSA agents. Chaos, terror unfold inside LAX Terminal 3 . Unquestionably, terrorism is a real concern for airlines, but like it or not, as Americans, we have also have to worry just as much about angry neighbors with guns. To fight our justified fear, some will undoubtedly push for more guns and others for fewer. One thing is for certain -- we will continually be forced to debate this. I only hope that we can find some common ground before the next reminder. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Tiffany Hawk.

Tiffany Hawk: 9/11 left a legacy of security measures by airlines and airports . Friday's shooting at LAX raises new security concerns, she says . Hawk: Violence in schools, malls and cinemas is more prevalent than terrorism . Arming airline workers -- often underpaid and over-stressed -- is a bad idea, she says .

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(CNN) -- Having established itself as Apple's top tablet competitor by going smaller and cheaper, Amazon will now go head to head with the category-defining iPad on its own turf. Even as Google's new Nexus 7 challenges the Kindle Fire for dominance in the small-tablet category, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on Thursday introduced a new, 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD. That pits the new device, which will ship in late November, against a device with which Apple has, thus far, squashed all direct competition. No tablet that has tried to match the iPad feature-for-feature has gained more than a token foothold in the market. So, how do the latest version of the iPad and the Kindle Fire HD stack up? Because only a few people have gotten their hands on the new device, some questions can't be answered yet. But here's a look at what we do know so far: . Price . The Fire comes out way ahead on this one, as is to be expected from Amazon, which has targeted customers looking for the basic features of a tablet but not willing to pay Apple's heftier price tag. For $499, the cost of the lowest-end iPad (the 16GB, WiFi-only model), a buyer can get a 32GB version of the Fire HD with a 4G LTE connection on an upgraded cellular network. The 16GB version of the Fire comes in at $299, or $200 less than the comparable iPad. Size . While Amazon obviously closed the gap significantly, the iPad still has a bigger screen than the Fire. Apple's iPad screen measures 9.7 inches diagonally, while the Fire is at 8.9 inches. That's less than the difference between the screen sizes on the iPhone 4S and the larger Samsung Galaxy S III smartphones. (There's speculation the iPhone 5 will have a larger screen). But competition between Apple and Amazon could heat up on another front if rumors that Apple plans to release an "iPad Mini" turn out to be true. Display . Both tablets feature high-definition screens, although the details vary. The iPad's "retina display" featured a total of 3.1 million pixels, with a resolution of 2,048 by 1,536. By contrast, the Fire HD measures 1,920 x 1,200 pixels, with custom features designed to reduce glare and improve color saturation. Both Apple and Amazon boast that the resolution on their tablet is so sharp that it's impossible for the human eye to discern individual pixels. Data plans . Until now, the Kindle Fire has been a WiFi-only device, and some of its new models remain that way. But Bezos announced that the top-end version of the Fire HD is available in 4G. The plan is offered at an attractive price of $50 a year. But that price gets you 250 MB of data per month -- not a lot for a device designed in large part to stream movies and other media. It was unclear Thursday what the charges will be for going over the allotted data. The $50 is well under what AT&T and Verizon charge for a year of data on the iPad. When the first iPad launched, AT&T offered data plans starting at $15 per month, or $180 per year, for 250 megabytes of data. Currently, Verizon offers a variety of plans, from 1GB of data per month for $20 (or $240 per year) all the way up to a massive 8GB per month for $80 ($960). AT&T offers a 250MB per month plan (the same as the Fire) for $15, or $180 per year. For $5 more, customers can get up to 2GB per month. There are obviously lots of permutations of plans customers can seek out for iPads, based on carrier and special offers. It's safe to say Amazon's is going to be less expensive, although it offers a minimal amount of data. Apps . It's hard to compete with Apple's App Store. There are more than 225,000 apps designed specifically for the iPad. Many work to take advantage of its display and screen size. Add the more than a half-million apps that run on mobile devices and you've got a lot from which to choose. Amazon, of course, likes to play up the movies and books that make up its universe of content (and the sale of which make Kindle prices possible). Bezos lumped together more than 22 million movies, TV shows, songs, apps, games, books, audiobooks and magazines available from Amazon's store. He showcased a few, nice-looking new apps. But while the Kindle Fire runs a modified version of Google's Android operating system, it only runs apps available from Amazon. That cuts the number available down to several thousand -- more than enough for many users, but nowhere near what the iPad offers.

Amazon's Kindle Fire HD goes head-to-head with the iPad . The Fire wins on price, coming in $200 less than Apple's cheapest tablet . But there are 225,000 apps designed for the iPad, a dominating number . Both tablets offer high-definition displays .

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(CNN) -- Rock singer Sammy Hagar, a little older since his Van Halen days but still featuring bountiful blond curls, touted single moms, family and sex Monday night on the premiere of HLN's "Dr. Drew." But for Van Halen fans, Hagar's memories of the band and how he would like to regain a friendship with Eddie Van Halen may have been the biggest draw. "The greatest part of my musical career was being in Van Halen," said Hagar, who described to Dr. Drew Pinsky the alcoholism in his father and former bandmates. One of the band members, Hagar said, went into rehab and got clean, but "Eddie keeps falling down and would be in denial." Hagar, 63, claims Eddie Van Halen, who he says is doing better these days, is perhaps jealous of his success since leaving the band, a power hard rock mainstay of the 1980s and 1990s. "They threw me out of the band, and they haven't done anything since 18 years later," said Hagar, author of a bestseller "Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock." "He's got the biggest heart in the world," Hagar said of Eddie Van Halen. In other comments, Hagar: . -- Recalled dreaming as a young man about an alien encounter, with blue beings and beams of light. "You can call me crazy all you want. Anyone who says we are the only life in this whole vast universe, they are crazy." -- Admitted to many sexual consorts during his days on the road and between marriages. Now, "I chase my wife around the house." -- Talked about being raised by a single mother in an abusive marriage. "My mother made me feel love." -- He also spoke about his father who he said died in the back of a police car."Because of my father I am very sensitive to it," Hagar said of alcoholism. -- Touted old-fashioned hard work. "I was willing to work my butt off for anything I could achieve," Hagar said. "I came from nothing." Pinsky, who has been a physician for 30 years, opened the show with an answer to critics who say he can't diagnose at a distance. "I have studied thousands of cases ... It's what I do." He said his work includes family issues, sex, addiction and other aspects of the "human experience. Why we do what we do."

"Dr. Drew" debuts on HLN . Former Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar among the guests . Hagar talks about tough childhood and aliens .

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Washington (CNN) -- Naif Al-Mutawa anticipated a struggle when he launched an Islam-inspired comic book series that he hoped would become a symbol of tolerance. He worried about the comics being banned in Saudi Arabia - which wound up happening, briefly -- and he expected to be challenged by conservatives in Islam, since Al-Mutawa wanted to buck the trend of Islamic culture being directly tied to the Koran. But it wasn't an Islamic cleric that stalled the series, called "The 99," after the 99 attributes of Allah, which the superheroes are supposed to embody. It is the American market, and the voices of Islam's Western critics, that have caused the most problems for "The 99," says Al-Mutawa, who is the focus of a PBS documentary airing next week. In 2010, President Barack Obama called the comic books, which debuted in 2006, "the most innovative response" to America's expanding dialogue with the Muslim world, which Obama has encouraged. The series features 99 superheroes from across the globe who team up to combat villains and who embody what Al-Mutawa calls basic human values like trust and generosity. But Al-Mutawa, a Kuwaiti-born clinical psychologist and graduate of Columbia Business School, says a vocal minority have raised surprising questions about American tolerance of Islam. The idea for "The 99" started during a conversation in a London cab between Al-Mutawa and his sister. It took off, although slowly, after Al-Mutawa raised $7 million from 54 investors across four continents. The first issue was released during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in 2006. The comic book was quickly banned in Saudi Arabia and Al-Mutawa received threats of fatwas against him and his project from clerics. But Saudi Arabia eventually lifted the ban and the television adaptation of "The 99" will be aired there this year. Al-Mutawa and his team have now raised more than $40 million in venture capital for the project. But when word leaked that The Hub, a Discovery Channel cable and satellite television venture, purchased the series and planned to air it in the United States, the response from conservative bloggers and authors was swift. Pamela Geller, founder of the Atlas Shrugs blog, called the series, part of the "ongoing onslaught of cultural jihad," and created a counter-comic strip that made the 19 hijackers behind the September 11, 2001 attacks the superheroes. New York Post columnist Andrea Peyser, meanwhile, urged readers to "Hide your face and grab the kids. Coming soon to a TV in your child's bedroom is a posse of righteous, Sharia-compliant Muslim superheroes - including one who fights crime hidden head-to-toe by a burqa." According to Al-Mutawa, the criticism spooked The Hub. "All of a sudden we couldn't get an air date and I was asked to be patient and we have been," Al-Mutawa said. "But it has been a year and the actual push-back died down." A spokesperson for The Hub told CNN that "'The 99' is one of the many shows we have on the possible schedule, but at this time, no decisions have been made about scheduling." Al-Mutawa isn't shy about responding to the criticism his comics have received in the U.S. "There is nothing different from them and the extremists in my country," he says. "They are just as bad. They are just intellectual terrorists." Geller, author of the book "Stop the Islamization of America," called Al-Mutawa's statement "ridiculous victimhood rhetoric." "He is the one mainstreaming oppression and discrimination," Geller says. "I work for equality of rights for all people. So which one of us is the intellectual terrorist?" Geller also takes issue with Al-Mutawa's assertion that "The 99" exemplifies "moderation" and "toleration," pointing to a "burqa-wearing superhero." But Al-Mutawa says criticisms of burqas are evidence that, "for some people anything to do with Islam is bad." "How cliché is it that characters created to promote tolerance are getting shot down by extremists," he says. Al-Mutawa's frustrations are chronicled in the new documentary "Wham! Bam! Islam!," which will air on PBS on October 13 as part of the Independent Lens series. The film's director, Isaac Solotaroff, began shooting before the comic was released. He said that one of the most surprising aspects of the story is how "a very small group of people who scream very loud, have a disproportionate share of the public discourse when it comes to culture." Echoing Al-Mutawa, Solotaroff calls it a case of the tail wagging the dog. He says that initial concerns of censorship in the Middle East began to change as the project progressed. "We were waiting for a fatwa from a cleric in Saudi Arabia, Solotaroff says," when it ended up being the U.S. market that has been resistant to "The 99." "Realizing that The 99 will not survive if focused solely on the Middle East, Al-Mutawa must now target an international and predominantly non-Muslim market," reads the website for "Wham! Bam! Islam!" Citing The Hub holdup, Solotaroff says the project is now stuck in the most important market" for "The 99." Al-Mutawa is also trying to gain distribution for his TV series in France and other countries, but his main focus remains the United States. "One way or the other," he says, "'The 99' will get on air in the U.S."

Creator of Islam-inspired comic series hoped would become a symbol of tolerance . Naif Al-Mutawa says he expected outcry from conservatives within Islam . When a TV series in Middle East was financed, he sought to get it aired in U.S. Conservative bloggers in the U.S. spooked TV deal, Al-Mutawa says .

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(CNN) -- A second Massachusetts compounding pharmacy surrendered its license after state inspectors found "significant" issues that could affect sterility, state health officials said. The pharmacy, Infusion Resource, was also found to have a center for giving intravenous medications to patients in violation of state regulations, which require a clinic license, Dr. Madeleine Biondolillo, director of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bureau of Healthcare Safety and Quality, said Sunday. The state Board of Pharmacy immediately issued a cease and desist notice to Infusion Resource after the October 23 inspection revealed the violations, she said. Over the weekend, the Department of Public Health "secured the voluntary surrender of Infusion's pharmacy license." The company, which compounds antibiotic and nutritional IV medications for home use, said in a statement it has since recalled all compounded products dispensed in the past month, effecting 38 patients. "No issues were cited related to the integrity of our products nor to the quality of our compounding practices," said Bernard Lambrese, Infusion Resource CEO, in a statement. "It is correct that Infusion Resource does not have a clinic license from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The space in our facility is intended for patient education, validation of patient and caregiver skills, medication counseling, medication education, teaching and training." What is a compounding pharmacy? Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said last week the state would immediately begin unannounced inspections of all Massachusetts pharmacies and require that they submit annual reports detailing what they produce and distribute. That announcement came in the wake of the fungal meningitis outbreak that has caused 25 deaths and 354 illnesses, linked to the Massachusetts-based New England Compounding Center. Seven of those illnesses are peripheral joint infections that specifically affect a joint such as a knee, hip, shoulder or elbow. Infusion Resource is not linked to the outbreak. The incident began unfolding September 24, when the department was notified about a cluster of six rare fungal meningitis cases in Tennessee. The patients shared several risk factors, including having received an epidural injection of a steroid -- methylprednisolone acetate -- that had been compounded at the NECC in Framingham. The department soon learned that the suspect product had been distributed to more than 14,000 patients in 23 states. FDA: Drug maker had internal warnings months before meningitis outbreak . The Department of Public Health has asked two other companies -- Ameridose and Alaunus Pharmaceutical -- to cease all pharmacy operations based on their shared ownership and leadership with NECC. "NECC's transparency in dealing with the board since inception in 1998 demonstrates its good faith intention to operate in compliance with the requirements of its license," said Paul Cirel, a Boston-based lawyer representing the compounder, in a statement last week. "Furthermore, the company's intention and best efforts at compliance are equally applicable in every other state in which it has been licensed."

Investigators found "significant" issues in an inspection of Infusion Resource . The company surrendered its pharmacy license over the weekend . It has recalled all compounded products dispensed in the past month . The inspections are conducted in the wake of a multistate meningitis outbreak .

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(CNN) -- Barcelona beat Real Madrid 3-2 at the Camp Nou on Wednesday to claim the Spanish Super Cup in an ill-tempered El Clasico clash. Lionel Messi's volley two minutes from time secured a 5-4 aggregate triumph for Josep Guardiola's side, after French striker Karim Benzema's goal in the 82nd minute looked to have forced the Spanish season's traditional curtain-raiser into extra-time. Tempers flared in injury time when Brazilian full-back Marcelo's dismissal for a lunging tackle on Barca debutant Cesc Fabregas sparked a mass brawl between the two sets of players. Barca's Spain striker David Villa and Real's Germany playmaker Mesut Ozil were red-carded for their involvement in the melee, despite both players having already been substituted. Real coach Jose Mourinho also became involved when he was seen to poke the eye of Guardiola's assistant Tito Vilanova. Recent matches between the two teams have seen similar scenes, with five clashes between the archrivals last season resulting in five red cards. Having drawn Sunday's first leg 2-2 at the Bernabeu, European champions Barca went ahead in the tie when Andres Iniesta latched onto a through ball from FIFA Ballon d'Or winner Messi and clipped a finish over Iker Casillas in the Real goal. Copa del Rey winners Real equalized five minutes later, when Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo prodded Benzema's low cross into the back of the net. Barca regained the lead on the brink of half-time, when Messi found the net following a neat back-heel from center-back Gerard Pique. Benzema scored a second equalizer for Real before Messi's late strike stole glory for Barca, but Mourinho was happy with what he saw from his charges. "Real Madrid gave a spectacular performance from the first to the last minute," Mourinho told the nine-time European champion's web site. "I just say what I think. We came here to play. Former Inter coach Mourinho stopped short of criticizing the referee for sending off two of his players, but the 48-year-old did appear to suggest Barca's players had made the most of the fouls which were committed. "The referee must punish what he deems punishable," he said. "Pepe and Marcelo played a great game, one for the entire 90 minutes and the other for 45. Pepe saw a booking for a minor tackle and Marcelo gave a great performance. "I'm not going to say we're happy because we didn't win the Spanish Super Cup; that would be hypocritical of me. We intend to play like men and not fall on the ground at the slightest touch." Guardiola has now won 11 major honors since becoming Barca coach in 2008 and the former club captain was delighted with his team's performance. "What will stay with me is the inhuman effort of the players," he said. "They responded like the players they are: eternal, mythical, unrepeatable, honest, who like to train and play football. "Truthfully, seeing the way they responded, it's a privilege and honor to be their manager."

Barcelona have won the Spanish Super Cup after a 5-4 aggregate win over Real Madrid . The Super Cup is the traditional curtain-raiser to the Spanish football season . The match at the Camp Nou was overshadowed by trouble between the players . Real Madrid's Marcelo and Mesut Ozil and Barcelona's David Villa all sent off . Real coach Jose Mourinho was seen to poke the eye of Barca assistant Tito Vilanova .

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(CNN) -- The inaugural addresses of the presidents are, for the most part, a wasteland of howling rhetoric and dried-out inspiration. History has little noted, nor has it long remembered, more than a handful of them. Lincoln's two inaugural addresses stand (of course) as the great exception. Franklin Roosevelt's addresses in 1933 and 1937 remain alive, as does the sonorous rhetoric of John F. Kennedy's address in 1961. We continue to quote a single sentence from Thomas Jefferson's first inaugural, a sentence from Ronald Reagan's first and a two-word phrase from Lyndon Johnson's. After that ... After that, you get a lot of this: . "Liberty -- liberty within the law -- and civilization are inseparable, and though both were threatened, we find them now secure; and there comes to Americans the profound assurance that our representative government is the highest expression and surest guaranty of both." Who said that? It could have been any one of 20 presidents. (In this case, the speaker happens to be Warren G. Harding.) Writing a great inaugural speech must be very hard, since even many strong and important presidents failed to do it. Theodore Roosevelt failed. Dwight Eisenhower failed. Barack Obama failed the first time, and since second inaugural addresses are almost always even worse than firsts, it seems almost certain he'll fail again on Monday. Why do inaugural addresses fail? They fail for two reasons: One subject to the speaker's control; the other, not. They fail, first, because the grandeur of the occasion inspires new presidents and their teams to overblown rhetoric, even as their political advisers steer them away from too specific commitments. Grand language wrapped around a thin message produces only vapid blather. Consider, for example, this passage from Obama's first inaugural address: . "On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics. We remain a young nation. But in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history ...." Unfortunately for Obama, those words were false as description and therefore inaccurate as prediction. You might say that the line "we come to proclaim an end to ... false promises" was itself a false promise. Good writing can never come from bad thinking. Zelizer: Learning from Lincoln, Wilson, FDR . But there's another source of failure, one not so easily corrected. Inaugural addresses can fail even when the ideas are clear, even when the writing is fine, if the addresses make commitments that the ensuing presidency cannot deliver. Listen to this inspiring passage: . "The elevation of the negro race from slavery to the full rights of citizenship is the most important political change we have known since the adoption of the Constitution of 1787. No thoughtful man can fail to appreciate its beneficent effect upon our institutions and people. It has freed us from the perpetual danger of war and dissolution. It has added immensely to the moral and industrial forces of our people. It has liberated the master as well as the slave from a relation which wronged and enfeebled both. "It has surrendered to their own guardianship the manhood of more than 5,000,000 people, and has opened to each one of them a career of freedom and usefulness. It has given new inspiration to the power of self-help in both races by making labor more honorable to the one and more necessary to the other. The influence of this force will grow greater and bear richer fruit with the coming years." "No doubt this great change has caused serious disturbance to our Southern communities. This is to be deplored, though it was perhaps unavoidable. But those who resisted the change should remember that under our institutions there was no middle ground for the negro race between slavery and equal citizenship." Those were the words of James A. Garfield. Between Lincoln and Lyndon Johnson, no president expressed a stronger personal commitment to equal rights for black Americans than Garfield in 1881. Yet this commitment is remembered today only by historians. Garfield was assassinated in September 1881, serving barely six months in office. Even had Garfield served a full term, his efforts would almost certainly have failed. Federal enforcement of the voting rights of Southern blacks; federal funding of equal education for black children -- to become reality, these aspirations of Garfield's required support from courts, Congress and public opinion. None would have been forthcoming. Garfield's aspirations were doomed to fail by forces of opposition too strong for him to overcome. Garfield's noble summons went unheeded at the time and therefore inspires little interest now. An inaugural address is a plan for what is to come. Even a good president can deliver a bad speech. In fact, they usually do. But however beautifully written, a speech can only be made great by the presidency that follows. An inaugural address is a plan, and the test of a plan is the result. A speech can fail all by itself. Its ideas can be weak, its language can be foggy. But even if the ideas are clear and the words crisp, an inaugural address can be deemed "great" only if it is followed by actions that make good on its lofty words. This is why we still remember the mighty words of Lincoln and FDR and why we forget almost all the others. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of David Frum.

David Frum: Most inaugural speeches are full of rhetoric, lack real inspiration . He says they tend to promise great things but are vague on specific commitments . There are noble speeches that get undermined by lack of accomplishment, Frum says . Frum: We remember great speeches of Lincoln, FDR because of their great deeds .

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Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- At least 28 people are dead and at least 218 others were wounded Wednesday after three blasts during a Shiite procession here, authorities in Pakistan said. Khalid Ranjha, a Lahore government official, said two of the dead are children and two others are women, and seven of those injured are in critical condition. The three explosions occurred within a radius of about 600 meters (2,000 feet). All three blasts were the work of suicide bombers, said Nayab Haider, a spokesman for the Lahore police. Police tried to stop the first suicide bomber as the procession was ending, but he blew himself up as the police officer caught up with him in the crowd, Haider said. Three or four minutes later, the second blast erupted. It was followed 25 minutes later by yet a third suicide bomber. Police have found two heads and one body separately, said Haider, who said authorities had assigned 2,500 police officers to the procession after receiving a warning that it might be attacked. Khusro Pervez, a senior government official, said the incidents took place around the time of the daily breaking of the Ramadan fast, and security may have been lax. "At the end of the procession, security should have been more vigilant," Pervez said. "The incident happened because of security breach." Pakistan is a largely Sunni Muslim nation, and the attack on Shiite Muslims conjures thoughts of the long-standing tensions between the two groups in the Middle East and Asia. Paramilitary forces have been deployed to the streets to bring order. Local TV channels showed pictures of angry people burning vehicles, beating police and trying to break into a police station. CNN's Samson Desta contributed to this story.

Three blasts strike a Shiite procession in 30-minute span . 218 people are wounded, with 7 in critical condition, officials say . 2,500 police officers were assigned to procession after attack warning .

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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- It was an image that got the nation talking: Two giggling young women in oversized sunglasses robbing a bank. The "Barbie Bandits" helped their hometown earn the dubious distinction as the nation's bank robbery capital. Here one of the so-called "Barbie Bandits" is captured on surveillance video at a surburban Atlanta bank. Atlanta's FBI field division topped Los Angeles in reporting the most bank heists, with 350 for the 12 months ending September 30, 2007, according to the FBI, which annually names areas most prone to bank robberies. The Los Angeles area was No. 2 with 338 heists, followed by Philadelphia with 316. Just Thursday, two suspects overpowered a security guard at an Atlanta, Georgia, bank, took his gun, robbed the bank and fled with money in hand, police said. Eventually, police shot one of the suspects in an exchange of gunfire. Two more armed bank robberies took place in metro Atlanta Friday. The FBI says violent crime is up across the nation, especially in major metro areas like Atlanta. So it's no surprise Atlanta has become a prime target for bank robberies, FBI spokesman Stephen Emmett told CNN. Watch Hotlanta or Heistlanta? » . "This goes hand in hand with those figures," Emmett said. Atlanta's rapid growth over the last decade has also been a factor. A recent Atlanta Business Chronicle article reported that metro Atlanta has 26 more banks than in all of North Carolina -- roughly one bank for every 3,500 people in the region. See photos of bank heists in metro Atlanta » . "We would attribute a lot of that [bank robberies] to the growth and the fact that the banking industry has matched that growth with an increase in bank branches throughout the area," Emmett said. Atlanta's rise in bank heists comes just as Los Angeles has aggressively countered once out-of-control bank robberies. Los Angeles has gone from more than 500 bank robberies in the mid-2000s to this year's 338, the FBI stats show. According to the FBI, its Atlanta field division reported 350 bank robberies in the last year -- the most notorious of which were the "Barbie Bandits" and "Grandpa Bandit" robberies. The FBI says 122 of the heists were armed robberies, or robberies where a weapon was visibly used. Emmett said many more of the robberies were what law enforcement officers classify as "note jobs" -- where a robber gestures as if he or she has a gun on them in a demand note handed over to the teller. Also factored into the total number of robberies were ATM heists and a record nine armored car robberies. Those armored car robberies are particularly disturbing to Emmett. "Anyone that would confront an armored car courier knowing that he's already armed and in somewhat of a defensive posture, that mindset is very troubling for law enforcement," he said. While Emmett said there is no "typical" bank robber, he said he has seen some trends, most notably that they are often people battling drug addictions. He also said bank robbers are often repeat offenders. Two recent high-profile cases in Atlanta seem to confirm that. Two women dubbed the "Barbie Bandits" were arrested after working with a bank employee to rob a Bank of America in the Atlanta suburb of Acworth. They both later admitted to police to having drug addiction problems. Recently apprehended 69-year-old Bobby Joe Phillips, dubbed the "Grandpa Bandit," is suspected to have robbed seven banks in Tennessee and the Atlanta area and had a criminal history. Emmett says typically very little money is taken in a bank heist. Joe Brannen, president of the Georgia Bankers Association, agrees, saying "the average is $2,000 to $3,000. It's not as big a payoff as most people think it is." With the holidays in full swing, authorities are steeling themselves for a spate of bank robberies with robbers looking for quick holiday cash. "I would make the assumption that a large part of it is the increased [financial] pressures this time of year," said Brannen. The FBI advises banks to be extra vigilant this time of year and to keep a close eye on jittery individuals donning gloves, hats and sunglasses. But Brannen says profiling people like that can be problematic. "We've chosen not to go there. Here in Atlanta, lots of people wear head coverings for religious purposes. This is a free and open society," he said. He said customers want to come into a bank unimpeded -- that 99.9 percent are just customers, not bank robbers. Brannen says banks do all they can to balance convenience for their customers and the bank's need for security. "There is no good, magic solution." he says. Emmett said as long as metro Atlanta continues to grow, so will the number of bank robberies. "This is something that is part of growth. We have more banks. We have more people. We're a big city now." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Rusty Dornin contributed to this report.

Atlanta surpasses LA, Philadelphia as city with most bank heists . FBI says it's the result of rising violent crime and increased number of banks . FBI: Expect more bank robberies around holidays . Bank official says most robbers get away with just $2,000 to $3,000 .

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Washington (CNN) -- When the Obama administration unveils its National Security Strategy Thursday, it will be the first time a president explicitly recognizes the threat posed to the country by radicalized individuals at home. "For the first time since 9/11, the NSS integrates homeland security and national security," according to highlights of the plan given to CNN by a senior administration official said. The security strategy acts as a blueprint for how the White House intends to protect Americans. In the past, it has focused mostly on international threats. But National Security Adviser John Brennan explained Wednesday that a spate of terror-related plots in the United States recently prompted the Obama administration to include homegrown terrorism in the document. "Such a strategy must begin with the recognition that a clear-eyed understanding of our strategic environment -- the world as it is today -- is necessary to shape the world that we seek," according to a summary of the plan. "Currently, the United States is focused on completing a responsible transition in Iraq, succeeding in Afghanistan, and defeating al Qaeda and its terrorist affiliates, while moving our economy from deep recession to enduring recovery. Even as we confront these crises, our national strategy must take a longer view. We must adapt and lead in a rapidly changing, interconnected world in which interests of nations and peoples are increasingly shared." Homegrown terrorism represents a new phase of the terrorist threat, officials said. Earlier this month, Pakistani-American Faisal Shahzad was charged with trying to detonate a car bomb in New York's bustling district of Times Square. U.S. Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan is suspected of fatally shooting 13 people at Fort Hood in November. Colorado resident Najibullah Zazi, an Afghan national, pleaded guilty in February for conspiring to detonate explosives in the New York subway system. David Headley, an American citizen from Chicago, Illinois, is accused of providing surveillance in the Mumbai, India, terrorist attacks that killed 160 people. "We've seen an increasing number of individuals here in the United States become captivated by extremist ideology or causes," Brennan said. "We have seen individuals, including U.S. citizens armed with their U.S. passports, travel easily to extremist safe havens, return to America, their deadly plans disrupted by coordinated intelligence and law enforcement." Brennan, who made his comments at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said that as the United States has strengthened its defenses against massive attacks like 9/11, al Qaeda has shown itself to be a "resilient, resourceful and determined enemy." Brennan said al Qaeda is recruiting individuals with little training, attempting relatively unsophisticated attacks and seeking people living in the United States to launch such attacks. "They are seeking foot soldiers who might slip through our defense," Brennan said. "As our enemy adapts and evolves their tactics, so must we constantly adapt and evolve ours." Brennan did not provide any specific details about the president's strategy for combating al Qaeda and its affiliates, but said it "will require a broad, sustained and integrated campaign that harnesses every tool of American power, military and civilian, kinetic and diplomatic." The strategy is built around protecting "four enduring U.S. national interests -- security, prosperity, values, and international order." In order to achieve this, it must strengthen U.S. institutions, values, and infrastructure -- such as education, energy, science and technology, and health care. It calls for strong diplomatic efforts internationally and galvanizing "collective action to address the share global challenges of our time." "Engagement begins with our friends and allies -- active partners in advancing common interests. We will continue to deepen our partnerships with increasingly active centers of influence -- cooperating when we can, and differing when we must. "With adversarial regimes, engagement provides us a means of testing intentions, giving governments the opportunity to change course, and mobilizing international coalitions." The strategy calls for updating "all of the tools of American power, and work with our allies and partners to do the same." "These tools include those in the fields of defense, diplomatic, development, homeland security, the rule of law, intelligence, and strategic communications, as well as support the participation of the American people and private sector. We are working to strengthen each of these tools, but also to integrate them through coordinated planning and capacity building in key areas," the strategy said.

Homegrown terrorism included after spate of terror-related plots . Strategy acts as blueprint for how White House plans to protect Americans . Strategy will require "broad," "sustained" campaign against terror groups .

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(CNN) -- Pamela Anderson is set to bring a little Hollywood glamor to motorsport after becoming part owner of a sports car racing team. The former Baywatch star has linked up with the Race Alliance team, which is competing in the inaugural FIA GT Series. The Playboy pin-up ventured into motorsport in March 2012 when her and occasional racing driver Markus Fux fronted the Downforce1 European Le Mans teams. Following the failure of that venture Fux and Anderson have teamed up with the Race Alliance team for the final three races of the GT Series' 2013 season. "We want to make Race Alliance a recognizable name and have looked for the best drivers possible," a spokesman for the team told Autosport.com. "The plan is to contest the full FIA GT Series next year, as well as the Nurburgring 24 Hours, and then look to NASCAR after that." In Vitantonio Liuzzi and Mathias Lauda the Austrian team boasts two drivers of considerable pedigree. F1 Inforgraphic: Deals on wheels . Liuzzi spent six years in Formula One, including one season with Red Bull, while his teammate Lauda is the son of Austria's triple F1 world champion Niki Lauda. Liuzzi and Lauda will be behind the wheel of a Ferrari 458 Italia when the team debuts in Slovakia this weekend. Three dates remain on the GT Series' 2013 calendar, with Spain and Azerbaijan hosting races after Slovakia. Competing against Anderson's team will be one led by rally driving legend Sebastian Loeb. The Frenchman won a record nine World Rally Championships in a row between 2004 and 2012 and now heads the Sebastian Loeb Racing team.

Pamela Anderson becomes joint owner of a racing team . Former Baywatch star is fronting the Race Alliance FIA GT Series team . Vitantonio Liuzzi and Mathias Lauda drive for the team . Nine-time rally world champion Sebastian Loeb runs a competing team .

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Britain's Prince Harry turned 25 Tuesday in the knowledge that he is now entitled to part of the multi-million dollar inheritance left to him by his late mother. Prince Harry is currently training to become a helicopter pilot with the British Army. Harry was just 12 years old when Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997. His mother left an estate worth £21 million ($35 million), but more than £8 million ($13.31 million) was paid in inheritance tax, leaving around £13 million ($21.6 million) to be shared between Harry and his brother William, who is second in line to the throne, the British Press Association reported. Much of that money is thought to have been invested but it is not known if the economic downturn has affected the amount. Both princes are prevented from spending the lump sum of their inheritance until they turn 30. But Harry will pocket all income generated by his portion of the estate -- around £300,000 ($500,000) a year. Watch more about Prince Harry's birthday windfall » . Prince Harry joined the British Army in 2006 and served in Afghanistan for more than two months from the end of 2007 to early 2008, before being withdrawn after news of his secret deployment leaked out to the media. There had been fears that Harry, who is third in line to the throne, could become a target for Taliban militants. According to British media reports, the prince's deployment was subject to a news blackout deal struck between the Ministry of Defence and newspapers and broadcasters in the UK and abroad. He received a promotion to the rank of lieutenant in April last year and is now training to become a helicopter pilot with the British Army's Air Corps. The young royal has also created a few negative headlines, particularly in Britain's tabloid press, in recent years. In February this year, he was formally disciplined by his Army superiors after videos surfaced showing him using offensive language -- referring to a fellow soldier as a "Paki" and another as looking "like a raghead." A spokesman for the prince told CNN: "Prince Harry has apologized for his comments and has been subjected to normal Army disciplinary procedures. The matter is now closed." In a well-publicized gaffe in 2005, Harry apologized after he was photographed wearing a Nazi uniform at a party. "It was a very stupid thing to do and I've learned my lesson, simple as that really," he said in an interview marking his 21st birthday. "I'd like to put it in the past now. What's done is done. I regret it."

Harry was 12 when his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed . His mother left an estate worth £21 million ($35 million) Harry will pocket interest from his portion -- around $500,000 a year .

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(CNN) -- The flight data and cockpit voice recorders from JetBlue Flight 191, which made an emergency landing this week, have been retrieved and will be analyzed, officials said Thursday. The National Transportation Safety Board will download the data Friday, said spokeswoman Kelly Nantel. Information gleaned from them will be given to the FBI, she said. Investigators are looking into the apparent midair meltdown of the captain, Clayton Osbon, whose remarks and erratic behavior Tuesday led the co-pilot to lock him out of the cockpit. Crew and passengers subdued Osbon as he screamed and banged on the door so hard the first officer thought Osbon would come through, according to a federal criminal complaint filed Wednesday against Osbon. The complaint says Osbon began making remarks during the flight that concerned the first officer, who is his co-pilot. "Osbon yelled over the radio to air traffic control and instructed them to be quiet. Osbon turned off the radios in the aircraft, dimmed his monitors and sternly admonished the FO (first officer) for trying to talk on the radio," the U.S. attorney's office in the Northern District of Texas said in a written statement. "When Osbon said 'we need to take a leap of faith,' the FO stated that he became very worried. Osbon told the FO that 'we're not going to Vegas,' and began giving what the FO described as a sermon." It was not immediately known whether the alleged remarks are audible on the voice recorder. But federal regulations state that planes manufactured since 1991 must record cockpit chatter on microphones. The JetBlue plane was new and would be subject to the rule. The cockpit voice recorder captures two hours of data and the flight data recorder, which measures the plane's speed and altitude, contains 25 hours. About 3½ hours into the planned five-hour flight from New York's Kennedy International Airport to Las Vegas, the pilot left the cockpit to use the lavatory, but he failed to follow security protocol, alarming the crew, according to an affidavit filed in support of an arrest warrant. He then banged on the lavatory door and told the female passenger inside that he needed to go to the bathroom. By that time, the first officer had summoned another JetBlue pilot who had been traveling as a passenger to enter the cockpit and the two locked themselves inside, the affidavit states. From the cabin, Osbon tried to enter his security code to gain access to the cockpit "and he banged on the door hard enough that the FO thought he was coming through the door," according to the affidavit. But the door held and, over the PA, the first officer ordered passengers to restrain Osbon. Several did just that, subduing the pilot in the forward galley. Osbon, who was been charged with interfering with a flight crew, has not made a public statement. He has been suspended pending an investigation and is receiving medical treatment, the airline said Wednesday. A court official said Osbon was still under care Thursday. JetBlue has repeatedly praised the first officer, along with an off-duty captain who stepped in to assist and other crew members. Some passengers have referred to the first officer as a hero. But his mother said on Thursday that he would reject the label. "Knowing my son, he would think that he's not a hero. He just did what he was paid to do," Jean Beatrice Dowd said of Jason Dowd. "That's just his job, and he loves his job. He's just a quiet man." He called his parents the night of the incident, his mother said. "He was pretty shaken up, and he couldn't say much." The incident took place on a significant date for the family -- the 10th anniversary of the death of Jason Dowd's older sister, who died of cancer, Jean Dowd said. "I know he was thinking of her, too, at the time this was all going on," Dowd said. The incident "has been earthshaking for us, too," she said. "To lose him would have been terrible for us." Jason Dowd, 41, who is married and has two young children, has not made a public statement. He was in New York, speaking with officials about the incident, his mother said. After the incident, the flight made the emergency landing in Amarillo, Texas. Osbon's stepmother said Thursday she has flown with him several times. "He loved to fly, a love which he got from his dad," Judy Osbon said in a statement. "He also took his piloting very seriously and was very good at it. I've only known Clayton to be a cheerful, conscientious and caring person." Her stepson was upbeat the last time they spoke, she said. Osbon's father, Ronald, who was a pilot, and a passenger were killed in a 1995 airplane crash in Florida, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The pilot radioed he was losing power on both engines and was out of gas. The aircraft crashed near Daytona Beach Regional Airport. CNN's Aaron Cooper, Mike M. Ahlers and Carol Cratty contributed to this report.

Investigators are looking into the apparent midair meltdown of flight's captain . Data and voice recorders given to NTSB . Federal regulations: Recorders must tape conversations on planes made since 1991 . The co-pilot's mother says he would not consider himself a hero .

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Rhode Island resident Lisa Kondvar remembers her mother as a beautiful, small and vivacious blonde. So she was shocked to see the body of a tall brunette woman lying in the open casket at her mother's wake in New Jersey on December 9. Right away, the tears and the crying stopped. Kondvar and her family immediately closed the casket and left the room, she said. "It wasn't mom," Kondvar said. "They sent us the wrong body." Her mother, Margaret Porkka, was vacationing in St. Maarten on the family's annual Thanksgiving trip when Porkka suddenly died after feeling light-headed. Porkka, 82, was pronounced dead at St. Maarten Medical Center on November 29, the morning after Thanksgiving. Other than a pacemaker and a right hip replacement, Kondvar said, her mother was in good health and very active. "It didn't make sense. She was full of life," Kondvar said. "My mother was a picture of health. She ran circles around me." Kondvar said her family was told their mother's body had been taken to Emerald Funeral Home in St. Maarten, where the funeral director denied their request to see their mother and demanded a $7,000 wire-transfer-only fee to send the body back to the United States. "That gave me a red flag," Kondvar told CNN. "When I hear 'wire transfer,' I get cautious." Eager to get their mother's body back on American soil and not knowing of any alternative, the family wired the money and left their mother's passport, necessary information for the death certificate, and a set of clothes for the funeral services. The body that arrived in a casket at the New Jersey funeral home on December 6 was not her mother, Kondvar said. But the body was dressed in Porkka's clothing and was accompanied by her passport and death certificate. The casket also had a small, red-velvet pouch containing jewelry and items that Kondvar said did not belong to her mother. "There was a medical bracelet that said 'angina.' My mother didn't have angina," she told CNN. Now, Kondvar and her family want answers, and they want their mother back, she said. "It pains me that she's gone, and it's even worse because I don't have her and I want to hold her one more time, and I can't do that," Kondvar said. Repeated calls to St. Maarten Medical Center and Emerald Funeral Home over the weekend were not returned. Kondvar said she hasn't heard from the hospital or the funeral home since leaving St. Maarten. Kondvar, who is a nurse, said she contacted U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, for help. Reed, a personal friend of Kondvar, has been in touch with the U.S. consulate in St. Maarten and is closely monitoring the situation, according to Reed's spokesman, Chip Unruh. According to Kondvar, Emerald Funeral Home in St. Maarten was supposed to notify the U.S. consulate of Porkka's death so the office could arrange for the body to be accompanied back to America. That never happened, Kondvar said. As if the situation weren't already complicated, there's reason to believe that somehow her mother's body was mistakenly sent to a family in Canada and cremated, Kondvar told CNN. "If it is mom up in Canada, we want her back. We certainly don't hold anything against this family because they're in grief," she said. "I can't even imagine what they're going through." Unruh said Reed has expedited a DNA test to determine whether the body that was sent to Canada is in fact Kondvar's mother. "It's a nightmare," Unruh said. The government of St. Maarten issued a statement on its website explaining some of what happened. Two women, one Canadian and one American, died on November 29 and were taken to the same funeral home, it said. The government honored the families' requests to send the bodies to their respective homes, and the deceased women were flown to the United States on the same airline. "Upon collection of the deceased the next of kin of both deceased persons claimed that this was not the body of their respective relatives and have lodged a complaint with the local law enforcement authorities. The body that was flown to Canada has since been cremated," the government website said. DNA analyses "will be carried out in order to verify conclusively the identity of both bodies. As soon as there is more information available it will be made available through the representatives of the respective Governments, the families of the deceased and the respective media outlets," the government statement said. As Porkka's family awaits the test results, Kondvar said she has a terrible, gut feeling the body in Canada is not her mother's. "If it's not her, I don't know where that leaves us," she said. Kondvar told CNN the St. Maarten government is performing an internal investigation into what went wrong. But Kondvar is wary. She's been in touch with the State Department and wants to hire an international attorney to lead her own investigation. "I want an outside investigation. I don't trust that government. They've hurt my family," she said. Kondvar, a resident of Warwick, said she's not sure whether she will ever return to St. Maarten, although she has fond memories of the island and the residents from her family vacations. "(My mother) loved St. Maarten. That's why it brings me some kind of peace, is that she died in paradise," Kondvar said.

Margaret Porkka, 82, died during a family vacation in St. Maarten . Her daughter, Lisa Kondvar, arranged to have her body transferred to New Jersey . At the wake, the family discovered the wrong body had been sent . Kondvar is now seeking answers about what happened to her mother's remains .

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London (CNN) -- London's Heathrow Airport is "fully operational" and returning to normal after an emergency landing Friday forced the closing of both runways, the airport said -- but many travelers are likely to suffer delays anyway. British Airways has canceled all its inbound and outbound short-haul flights until 4 p.m. (11 a.m. ET) as a result of the incident. And Heathrow Airport has warned of disruption to travel that could last all day. So far, 23 planes have been diverted to other airports and 19 flights canceled, some arrivals and some departures, a spokeswoman said Friday morning. The airport is working to return to normal service as soon as possible, she said, but passengers are advised to check with their airlines. A British Airways plane bound for Oslo was forced to make the emergency landing "due to a technical fault," the airline said. Flight BA762 turned back less than half an hour after taking off for the Norwegian capital, it said. The Airbus A319 aircraft was carrying 75 passengers and five crew members, the airline said. The passengers were evacuated from the plane on emergency slides. "Airline colleagues are now caring for customers in the airport terminal," said British Airways. London Ambulance Service treated three patients for minor injuries after the emergency landing, it said on Twitter. British Airways said it would be carrying out a full investigation into the incident, alongside the Air Accident Investigation Branch, part of the UK Department for Transport. The slides were deployed on the left side of the aircraft, indicating that the problem was with the right engine, said CNN's Richard Quest. Planes can fly safely even if only one engine is operational, he said. London Fire Brigade said one of its crews helped the airport fire service put out an aircraft fire. "We believe the fire is now out," it said via Twitter. Heathrow, which is a major international hub, was ranked the third busiest airport in the world in 2012 after Atlanta and Beijing, according to Airports Council International. Monday is a holiday in the United Kingdom, so many people will be taking flights Friday to take advantage of the long weekend. Holidaymaker Aileen Wilson was one of many travelers whose flight was grounded by the incident. "We've just been sitting, waiting in a plane meant to take off" this morning, she told CNN iReport. "At first we were told ongoing incident and then emergency landing. We (are) still waiting to take off (and) not allowed out of plane!" Instagram user Shazia Shaikh took a photograph from the office where she works at Heathrow Airport of emergency vehicles surrounding a plane. "Runways closed (and) lots of smoke," she told CNN iReport. "The rain doesn't help. Emergency vehicles were quick to the aircraft I'm told." On average, 190,000 passengers travel through the airport each day, half arriving and half departing, according to Heathrow's website. CNN's Claudia Rebaza, Richard Allen Greene, Sarah Brown and Dominique Van Heerden contributed to this report.

NEW: British Airways cancels all its short-haul flights through Heathrow until 4 p.m. Heathrow: The airport is "fully operational" and returning to normal after runway closures . British Airways says a plane bound for Oslo had to turn back because of a technical fault . The Airbus A319 aircraft was carrying 75 passengers; 3 were treated for minor injuries .

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Washington (CNN) -- House Democrats are bracing for a rough election night next Tuesday, and top leaders are making a major push for rank and file members to open their wallets to help save those vulnerable Democrats who are in danger of losing their seats. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Rep Steve Israel, D-New York, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, held a conference call Tuesday afternoon with House Democrats and told them it was time to pony up -- and gave them a Friday deadline. According to a source on the call, a dozen House members and two Democratic candidates pledged almost $500,000 during the session. Several Democratic sources told CNN that members are expecting Republicans to pick up some seats, but they still believe that many House Democrats in competitive districts are positioned to survive if they get support. The DCCC has invested heavily in field operations with 950 staff in 40 districts. But the surge of outside money from GOP groups on new television and radio spots, combined with contributions from several wealthy GOP candidates, has Democrats concerned. In a memo circulated to House Democrats, the DCCC chairman argued that the uptick in GOP spending by outside groups was something the committee was prepared to counter. Israel wrote that despite the effort by Republicans and their allies, "not a single Democratic incumbent is out of contention. This is a stark contrast from 2010, where many incumbents were already down and out despite our best efforts." But Israel also said, "This climate is incredibly challenging and only getting harder." So, with seven days left before the midterms, the leaders stepped up the pressure on members to give now. The DCCC has consistently out-raised its GOP counterpart over the course of the 2014 election cycle. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, House Democrats have raised over $172 million for the midterms, while House Republicans have raised about $131 million. For Democrats, much of the money has been brought in by top leaders like Pelosi, Israel and Rep Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 House Democrat. The purpose of the call on Tuesday was to make it clear that they expect others, especially those who were given plum committee posts by their leaders, to lend a hand. There are always members in both parties who sit on money in their campaign accounts at the end of an election cycle. Some of these members might be considering a bid for the Senate or governor, or may be reluctant to share the cash with their colleagues. But the ones who spent hours hosting fundraisers and trekking over to the Democratic headquarters to dial donors for dollars are frustrated with colleagues who don't reach their targets and don't seem to suffer major repercussions. According to a DCCC dues sheet obtained by CNN, about 90% of House Democrats have contributed to the campaign committee, but 77 -- less than half of the House Democratic caucus -- have paid the full amount of dues for the 2014 midterms. Leaders were expected to raise between $450,000 and $800,000 for this cycle, and data from the DCCC shows 37 House Democrats exceeded their goals. Democrats on key committees overseeing banks, telecommunications companies, and other industries who donate to campaigns are also expected to raise significant money -- between $200,000 and $500,000 per election cycle, depending on their committee and seniority. But the 2013-2014 dues sheet shows many of those committee leaders fell short on their fundraising goals. For example, Michigan Rep Sander Levin, who is the top Democrat on the tax writing committee, gave $525,000 -- more than his assigned $500,000. But California Democratic Rep Henry Waxman, who is the most senior Democrat on the Energy and Commerce panel, and a close ally of Pelosi's, has sent in $10,000 of his $500,000 in dues. Waxman's office did not respond to an inquiry from CNN. Internal tallies of members' campaign contributions are regularly shared among House Democrats. Making sure fellow Democrats see the spreadsheets that show who is paying up and who isn't is a tool leaders hope will shame those who haven't given significant amounts yet to write checks. But it's also a list leaders keep in mind when they decide who gets to keep slots on powerful committees in the next Congress.

Democratic leaders seek campaign donations from rank and file representatives . As midterm vote nears, Democrats want final push for incumbents in tight races . Representatives are asked to give their extra funds to help in those races .

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San Angelo, Texas (CNN) -- The Texas jury that found polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs guilty Thursday of sexual assault will deliberate again to determine his punishment. Jeffs, who represented himself after firing his defense team, remained stoic as the verdict was read. Jurors will decide his fate after hearing additional witness testimony in the penalty phase of the trial, which began Thursday evening and will continue Friday. The sect leader faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for his conviction of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old and a 15-year-old who were his "spiritual wives." The jury convicted him of two counts of sexual assault on a child -- charges that stemmed from a 2008 raid on a ranch his church operates near Eldorado, Texas. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott hailed the verdict and said prosecutors were seeking a life sentence for Jeffs. "Here in the state of Texas, juries render tough, swift justice against anyone who would sexually assault a child," he said. Before the verdict, witnesses showed jurors DNA evidence they said showed Jeffs conceived a baby with a 15-year-old child. And prosecutors presented an audio recording that they alleged documents Jeffs' sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl in the presence of three other "wives." Abbott said attorneys were presenting new, "repulsive" evidence about the sect leader during the trial's penalty phase. "I think it will confirm in (jurors') minds why they convicted the man and why they want to put him behind bars for a long time," he said. Court adjourned about two hours after jurors reached a verdict Thursday. The trial was scheduled to continue at 10 a.m. Friday (11 a.m. ET). Jurors deliberated for three hours and 45 minutes, starting Thursday afternoon. They sent out two notes during deliberations, requesting a CD player to listen to audio recordings and asking for the transcript of testimony from a witness. Jeffs stood silently for most of his 30-minute closing argument Thursday -- the latest dramatic twist in a trial that included frequent objections and sermonlike speeches about religious freedom. Jeffs stared at the table in front of him for most of his allotted block of time during closing arguments, as Judge Barbara Walther counted down. He looked up at the jury when he reached the 20-minute mark, staring at each member. The jurors stared back. Five minutes later, Jeffs mumbled, "I am at peace." The leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spoke so quietly that people in the courtroom strained to hear him. Prosecutor Eric Nichols warned jurors not to be swayed by Jeffs' frequent invocations of religious freedom as a defense. The case, he said, has nothing to do with an attack on religion. Instead, it is about Jeffs and his actions, Nichols argued. He showed pictures of Jeffs' alleged victims as he summed up his argument. Jeffs began the hearing on Thursday -- the fifth day of his trial -- by asking for what he called constitutional protection because he represents a religious organization. The judge immediately denied his request. The sect leader then questioned witness J.D. Roundy, a sect member who also had taken the stand for four hours the day before. He did not call additional witnesses to the stand. On Wednesday, Texas prosecutors rested their case after playing a key piece of evidence for jurors: a 20-minute audio tape that began and ended with a man saying prayer. Prosecutors alleged that the recording documents Jeffs' sexual assault of a then-12-year-old girl in the presence of three other "wives." The girl had grown up in Jeffs' Yearning for Zion ranch, clearing cactus and attending a Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints school where Jeffs was principal, authorities said. Prosecutors showed the jury a photo of her with her arms around Jeffs, and a marriage certificate which listed the girl's age as 12 at the time. On Tuesday, the jury heard audio recordings that prosecutors said showed Jeffs instructing a 14-year-old and his other young "wives" on how to sexually please him in order to win God's favor. Prosecutors said the 14-year-old was Jeffs' "spiritual wife" and conceived a child with Jeffs when she was 15. Jeffs' trial started last week. He made no plea during his arraignment and remained silent for more than a day of the trial proceedings. But on Friday, he began repeatedly objecting -- at one point delivering an hourlong speech about his religious freedom "being trampled upon." Jeffs could be sentenced to five years to life in prison on the charge of aggravated sexual assault regarding the alleged 12-year-old. For the other count, he would face a sentence of two to 20 years. Jeffs' breakaway sect is believed to have about 10,000 followers. Their practice of polygamy, which the mainstream Mormon Church renounced more than a century ago, is part of the sect's doctrine. The Texas legal proceedings began after about 400 children were taken from the sect's Yearning for Zion ranch in 2008. Jeffs was also charged with bigamy after the raid and is expected to be tried on that charge later. Child protection officials said they found a "pervasive pattern" of sexual abuse on the ranch through forced marriages between underage girls and older men. But the Texas Supreme Court ruled the state had no right to remove the children. The court also said the state lacked evidence to show that the children faced imminent danger of abuse. Most of the children were returned to their families, although some men at the ranch were charged with sexual abuse. Jeffs was on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list when he was arrested five years ago during a routine 2006 traffic stop in Las Vegas. He was convicted in Utah on two counts of being an accomplice to rape for using his religious influence over his followers to coerce a 14-year-old girl into marrying her 19-year-old cousin. Afterward, he was sentenced to two consecutive prison terms of five years to life. But in July 2010, the Utah Supreme Court overturned his convictions, ruling that the jury instructions were erroneous. Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said last week Utah is prepared to retry Jeffs, depending on the outcome of the Texas case. In Session's Christi Paul, Jim Kyle, Grace Wong and Keith Lovely Jr. contributed to this report.

NEW: The penalty phase of the trial will continue Friday . The Texas attorney general says prosecutors are seeking a life sentence . "I am at peace," Warren Jeffs mumbles during closing arguments . Prosecutors: recording played for jurors documents sexual assault of a child .

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The Western Australian government caught 172 sharks, and killed 50 of the largest animals, as part of a culling program that has sparked anger among conservationists. The three-month program, which ended last week, used baited lines attached to floating drums to catch sharks off popular beaches in Western Australia following a spate of fatal shark attacks in waters off the state in recent years. The scheme, which was part of the state's $20 million shark mitigation policy, allowed for tiger, bull and great white sharks measuring longer than 10 feet (3 meters) hooked on the drum lines to be destroyed. Some 50 tiger sharks longer than 10 feet were killed between January 25 and April 30. The largest one, which measured 14.8 feet (4.5 meters), was caught in February off Perth's Floreat beach. Not the right culprits? But none of the creatures captured were great white sharks, the species believed to be responsible for most of the recent fatal attacks in Western Australia, which have left seven people dead in the past three years. Under the program, another 14 sharks measuring less than 10 feet died on the drum line and four more were destroyed because they were too weak to survive, according to the government's figures published Wednesday. Western Australia's Fisheries Minister Ken Baston hailed the shark mitigation policy a success, saying it was restoring confidence among beachgoers and contributing to research about shark behavior. "The human toll from shark attacks in recent years has been too high," Baston said in a statement released to the media. "While of course we will never know if any of the sharks caught would have harmed a person, this government will always place greatest value on human life," the minister said. Conservationist's nightmare . But the scheme has been criticized by environmentalists who say the sea predators should remain protected species. "Of the 172 sharks that were caught on the drum line, the majority were tiger sharks which haven't been involved in shark fatalities for decades in Western Australia," Sea Shepherd shark campaigner Natalie Banks told CNN. More than 70% of the creatures caught on the drum line weren't large enough to be considered a threat or were other animals, like stingrays, Banks said. While monitoring the government program, Sea Shepherd found that sharks released alive were in a "state of shock" known as tonic immobility and sank to the ocean floor, she said. Hi-tech initiative . As part of its shark research and protection policy, the Western Australian Department of Fisheries is working on a satellite-linked shark tagging program that allows beach safety authorities to know, through near real-time alerts, if a tagged shark is in the vicinity. Under the three-month cull scheme, 90 sharks were tagged before being released alive. Other animals caught on the line were freed, including seven stingrays and a north-west blowfish. Beach closures due to shark sightings were also down this year, according to government figures. There were 93 closures in 2013-14, compared to 131 the previous season. The Western Australian government is seeking approval to extend the program for three more years. Human remains found in search for woman 'taken' by shark in Australia . Shrimper catches rare goblin shark .

Some 50 large sharks killed under culling scheme in Australia's largest state . Western Australia government says the program helps improve beach safety and adds to scientific research . According to conservationists, there is no evidence the policy has been successful . The Western Australia government wants to extend the program for three more years .

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(CNN)If Usain Bolt ever takes up figure skating, he will know how Kauto Star feels. The 14-year-old racehorse, one of the greatest steeplechasers of all time and a two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, made his dressage debut at London's Olympia Horse Show on Tuesday. Dressage, which involves horse and rider working together to produce a complex "dance" routine marked by judges, is how Kauto Star has been spending retirement since his last National Hunt race in 2012. Laura Collett, a leading British event rider, has been helping the horse to learn the intricacies of a sport that rewards precision and poise above power and pace. "He's changed shape a lot since we got him," Collett told Horse and Hound magazine in the build-up to Kauto Star's demonstration dressage test at Olympia. "He hadn't done any flat work at all. But he's got a brilliant temperament and he's very willing. He got the hang of it very easily. "He needed to soften his whole body -- he was just used to going in a straight line. So he's done a lot of gymnastic exercises and things to supple him up. "He tries really hard. When you've taught him something once, he remembers it. The hardest thing for him was the canter -- he only really knew about going fast." Having spent a career streaking past thousands of spectators lining a racecourse, Kauto Star appeared a little unprepared for an indoor arena crowd as he took his first, dainty dressage steps at Olympia. "It's the crowds being up high and so close, it's quite intimidating," Collett told the BBC afterwards. "He didn't show himself off to the best of his ability -- he got a bit of stage fright and shut down. "Most horses who come into an arena like this have been doing it for eight or 10 years, and build up gradually. He's been thrown in at the deep end." Kauto Star is not in contention for Rio 2016. Britain has one of the world's leading dressage teams and no matter his racing pedigree, there simply isn't the time to bring him up to the required standard. Instead, dressage is seen as a way to offer the horse an interesting retirement -- although that wasn't met with universal approval when the decision was made, two years ago. Owner Clive Smith sent Kauto Star to Collett's Wiltshire yard in December 2012, against the wishes of the horse's longtime trainer, Paul Nicholls. The dispute over the horse's future brought to an end a partnership responsible for almost a dozen major victories on the racecourse, a career bettered only by 1960s legends Arkle and Flyingbolt. Now, by contrast, Collett says there is "no pressure" on Kauto Star to perform to any standard in his new sport. "The main thing is the horse is happy and relaxed," she said this week, "and he has a varied lifestyle."

Steeplechasing great Kauto Star shows off some moves in his new sport, dressage . Two-time Cheltenham Gold Cup winner has been learning dressage since late 2012 . Dressage debut comes in a demonstration at the Olympia Horse Show in London . No plans for Kauto Star to add an Olympics appearance to his many racing honours .

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Well, it seems the U.S. Navy finally got the memo: DON'T USE ALL CAPS! IT'S RUDE! The Navy is switching to a new messaging system that's cheaper and more efficient. And oh yeah, one that does away with a century-old practice: communications using all uppercase letters. "Lowercase messages are here to stay; they provide a more readable format," a Navy news release said, citing James McCarty, the naval messaging program manager at U.S. Fleet Cyber Command. The all-caps were a vestige of a bygone era. Back in the 1850s, the teletype machines that the military used were made up of three rows of keys -- none of them lowercase letters. Word of the change went out to all naval commands in April. But it didn't reach the rest of us until the news release this week. In it, the Navy said it is ditching its in-house Defense Message System in favor of e-mail. One with a very apt acronym: NICE (Navy Interface for Command Email). The switch will save the Navy $20 million a year. And it gets them caught up with current Internet protocol. ALL CAPS READS LIKE YOU'RE BEING SHOUTED AT. Old sea dogs may feel differently. But they have a couple of months to adjust. The system won't fully be in place until next year. Once it is, naval officers will no longer feel like they're being barked at. Except, of course, in person by their superiors.

The move will save the Navy more than $20 million a year . Using all caps is like shouting in current Internet protocol . The Navy has been using all caps since the 1850s .

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(CNN) -- Lionel Messi will captain Argentina for the first time as they take on Venezuela in a friendly in cricket-mad India Friday. Messi has been handed the responsibility by new Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella after their disappointing Copa America campaign. They went out in the quarterfinals to eventual winners Uruguay, costing then coach Sergio Batista his job. "He is the captain from now on," Sabella told gathered reporters Wednesday ahead of the match in the 120,000 capacity Salt Lake stadium in Kolkata. "We are looking to build a couple of options, looking for one or two players to build up a combination with him." The arrival of World Footballer of the Year Messi in India has been greeted with much excitement and a big crowd gathered at Kolkata airport as he flew in. Barcelona star Messi and his teammates will be looking for a morale-boosting win over their South American rivals in the biggest football match over played in India. They will then go to Bangladesh for a friendly against Nigeria's Super Eagles on September 6 as they prepare for 2014 World Cup qualifiers which begin in October. "Winning will give us confidence. This is the beginning of a long trip ahead and we hope it finishes with qualification to the World Cup," added Sabella. Friday's match will be played on an artificial pitch in a cricket stadium adapted for football.

Lionel Messi to captain Argentina in friendly against Venezuela . Match is taking place at the cricket stadium in Kolkata in India . Argentina went out of the Copa America at the quarterfinal stage .

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New York (CNN) -- Decades ago, when the Department of Defense was creating the predecessor to today's Internet, one of the main goals was to create a communications system that could endure catastrophic disasters. The Internet was designed to have no central point of failure, allowing anyone to run his or her own communications channel. This was a system that could withstand a nuclear attack. Today, the services built on top of that network have done a great job in enabling communications, perhaps none more dramatically than Twitter. During the days since the Haiti earthquake, the popular social networking and microblogging service has been used for rescue efforts and for fundraising to help stabilize and rebuild the country. So it was big news when Twitter was offline for 90 minutes Wednesday morning. Technology pundits promptly began hand-wringing -- the weaknesses of having a single point of failure to critical communications had been revealed again! Could we trust Twitter? Did this mean the Web couldn't help us fulfill our most basic obligations to those in need? Not at all. There's no reason that organizations or individuals who want to use the Web to relay critical information have to rely on Twitter or Facebook or Google or any other giant of the technology industry in the first place. We've just forgotten a bit about how the Internet was supposed to work. Rescue organizations and charities should simply be able to use the Web sites they already have to deliver those messages. And wasn't that the promise of the Web in the first place? Weren't we going to stop relying on individual companies as gatekeepers for communication? When blogs took off a few years ago, wasn't it with the promise that we'd all be able to share our voices without having to ask any company for permission? Why did we give that up? Maybe it's because they made it look so easy. Twitter has done an impressive job of growing to handle its enormous number of users, while keeping its service simple. The company has even shown a reassuring sensitivity to the civic and social obligations that come from running such a popular communication service. Companies such as Facebook and Google have stepped up, too. Their hearts appear to be in the right place, and they're doing real work to help people communicate. But the Web is bigger than any one site or any one social network. In my own work, I run a nonprofit that strives to connect government policymakers to the expertise of ordinary people using the Web. We'll naturally make great use of Twitter and Facebook and all the other services, but it'd be unforgivable to pick only one of them as a platform for civic engagement. Telling people the only way to talk to the White House is on Facebook is like saying you can only call your senator by using a particular phone company. And that's the key lesson to learn from Twitter being down while people are depending on it for communication: Some needs are too important to put in the hands of any single company. Communicating in real time about emergency information is clearly one of them. Fortunately there's good news. Smart inventors have already made cutting-edge technologies that let any site deliver messages with the same immediacy as Twitter or Facebook. Now the challenge is reminding all of the social institutions, media organizations and government agencies that they need to use their own communications infrastructure just as much as they participate in services such as Twitter and Facebook. The reality is social networks come and go. Ten years ago, otherwise-sensible companies were paying millions of dollars to America Online to buy "AOL keywords." These were shortcuts to parts of the AOL service, which dominated U.S. Internet access at the time. In fact, many of us have allowed companies to become intermediaries to all our communications, whether it was AOL 10 years ago or Facebook today. But we don't need to ask gateways for permission to publish. We can run our own Web sites, at our own Web addresses and keep control over how we communicate. Think how ludicrous it would seem for someone to decide, say, to offer emergency services as an AOL keyword called "911" instead of having people just dial their phones? That sounds absurd, but you can see advertisements today that essentially say "Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/AcmeWidgets!" Now, Facebook probably won't fade away entirely, like early networks such as Friendster. But those Facebook addresses are just like AOL keywords 10 years earlier. And it is conceivable that the organizations and companies who communicate on Facebook today may want to become more independent. Whether due to emergency or just the everyday requirements of doing business, they ultimately will stop depending on a single point of contact for their communications. This is, after all, how the Web was designed to work. We already see governments and civic organizations using the Web as effectively as the best corporations and media. In the United States, we have a White House that's got an iPhone application and a State Department that's asking us to define democracy by responding on Twitter. Judging by how much technology has affected society already, those first experiments will soon evolve into full-fledged platforms for citizen participation and charitable action. And let's hope they won't have to worry if any one Web site goes down. Because we'll have a web of independent but connected communications systems, just as the Internet was always designed to be. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Anil Dash.

Anil Dash says Internet was designed to endure disasters, free up communication . Dash: If Web's goal is decentralization, why was Twitter crash so disabling for many? Dash reminds us that social networks come and go; remember when AOL ruled? Web users should take charge of their own communication efforts, Dash urges .

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(CNN) -- The International Atomic Energy Agency issued a critical report Tuesday saying that it has "serious concerns" about Iran's nuclear program and has obtained "credible" information that the Islamic republic may be developing nuclear weapons. The IAEA report, the most detailed to date on the Iranian program's military scope, found no evidence that Iran has made a strategic decision to actually build a bomb. But its nuclear program is more ambitious and structured, and more progress has been made than previously known. "The agency has serious concerns regarding possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program," the report said. "After assessing carefully and critically the extensive information available to it, the agency finds the information to be, overall, credible. The information indicates that Iran has carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device." U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the report had just arrived and refrained from commenting on details at an afternoon briefing. But a senior U.S. official called the report "a big deal." "The report is very comprehensive, credible, quite damning, and alarming," the official said. Read the IAEA report here . Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad slammed the report as a fabrication of facts aimed at satisfying U.S. allegations about Iran's nuclear program. Ahmadinejad essentially called Yukiya Amano, the director general of the IAEA, a U.S. puppet and said the United Nations agency has no jurisdiction in Iran. "The Americans have fabricated a stack of papers and he keeps speaking about them," he said on state-run Press TV. "Why don't you do a report on the U.S. nuclear program and its allies? Present a report on the thousands of U.S. military bases where Washington has nuclear arms that threaten global security." The IAEA had released another report on Iran in September but this one was highly anticipated because of the military aspect. Since 2002, the IAEA has regularly received new information pertaining to the development of a nuclear payload for a missile, the report said. It said Iran has made "efforts, some successful, to procure nuclear related and dual use equipment and materials by military related individuals and entities" and has acquired nuclear weapons information from "a clandestine nuclear supply network." It has also worked on mastering the design of a nuclear weapon and tested components, the report said. The IAEA said the some of the activities have both civilian and military applications, but others are specific to nuclear weapons. Iran has repeatedly insisted its nuclear program is for peaceful, civilian energy purposes only. According to the IAEA report, Iran is believed to have continued weapons research and technology development after 2003, when the intelligence community thought Iran had stopped. Instead of halting, it seems Iran took a temporary hiatus at the time, although the program progressed at a more modest pace since then, the report said. After the report's release, top Republicans in Congress called on President Barack Obama's administration to ratchet up economic sanctions against Iran. Rep. Mike Rogers, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, raised the fear that Israel would attack Iranian nuclear facilities without further steps by the United States and its allies. Rogers, R-Michigan, said new sanctions should cut off the supply of refined fuel to Iran and target its central bank, which he said is being used to finance Tehran's nuclear program. "If we talk about it for a long time, if we're not really leading on it, I will tell you we leave this option to the Israelis," he told CNN's "John King USA." And in a written statement, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen called on Congress to pass two bills targeting Iran's energy sector. The Florida Republican leads the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which recently sent legislation to the House floor to do just that. "If fully implemented, they have the potential to cripple the regime's ability to continue its nuclear program," she said. "If the Iranian regime acquires nuclear weapons capabilities, the U.S., Israel and our other allies in the region and around the world will face an unimaginable threat to our security. The clock is ticking." Previous IAEA reports have cited concerns by the organization that Iran has been seeking to develop nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles to deliver them. Word of the latest report drew strong comments in Israel, where talks of how to deal with Iran have recently hit fever pitch. Israel considers Iran its arch-nemesis for its repeated innuendos about the destruction of the Jewish state. Ahead of the report's release, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned that his nation would consider every option in countering Iran's bomb-making capabilities. "Israel does not want a confrontation, but if it happens, the state of Israel will not be destroyed and there will not be 10,000 dead and not even 500 dead in any possible scenario," Barak said Tuesday on Israel Radio. Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi said Iranian armed forces were in "full combat readiness and will give a crushing response to those daring to attack the country," IRNA said. The United States, Vahidi said, was trying to "promote Iranophobia" in a bid to attain its "sinister goals." Western powers have long suspected that Iran's nuclear program is geared toward weapons development. The United States is looking to increase the heat on Iran, including a possible strengthening of existing sanctions on Iran's financial and banking sectors and additional political pressure -- all of which could be applied by the United States alone or in coordination with other allies. The United States also hopes international organizations, such as the United Nations, will take steps to further isolate Iran diplomatically. Officials said that one of several options being considered is sanctioning the Central Bank of Iran, although the United States is mindful of the impact such a move could have on oil prices during a time of global economic turmoil. U.S. officials said the Obama administration will use the report to lobby the international community to slap new economic sanctions against Iran. Obama said he discussed the upcoming report with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Cannes, France, during a meeting of the G-20 industrialized nations. The U.S. president said the two leaders "agreed on the need to maintain the unprecedented international pressure on Iran to meet its obligations." CNN's Elise Labott, Jill Dougherty and Moni Basu contributed to this report.

NEW: GOP members of Congress urge White House to ratchet up economic sanctions . NEW: Sanctions should target refined fuel supply, Iran's central bank, Rep. Mike Rogers says . A nuclear watchdog report expresses serious concern over Iran's nuclear program . Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dismisses the report as fabrication .

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(CNN) -- South African golf was handed another boost on Tuesday when the country was awarded the right to host one of the lucrative World Golf Championships events for the next five years. The news comes after Charl Schwartzel joined 2010 British Open winner Louis Oosthuizen as a reigning major champion with his dramatic victory at the Masters on Sunday. "This is, without doubt, the most significant milestone in the history of professional golf in South Africa," Sunshine Tour commissioner Gareth Tindall said on his return from Augusta following meetings with the U.S. PGA Tour and the International Federation of PGA Tours. "It is something that we have been working on for a long time, and the unanimous support that we have received from the other professional tours around the world confirms the major standing of our players and the Sunshine Tour in world golf. "What is even more significant is that we have the commitment that we will host this World Golf Championships event for a period of five years. That has enormously positive implications for the game and for our country as a whole." Can McIlroy conquer the mental minefield? It will be known as the "Tournament of Hope" and will try to build awareness of poverty and HIV/AIDS in Africa. The three of the four WGC events held in the U.S. have prize money higher than the season's four major tournaments, while the HSBC Champions in China is comparable. The date and venue for South Africa's first staging next year have yet to be announced, but it will feature the top 70 players in the world. Meanwhile, this year's South African Open has been moved back a week to ensure the tournament will not clash with the President's Cup in Australia due to be held from November 17-20, with several players from the country expected to feature in the International team to take on the United States. The Alfred Dunhill Championship will be played during the week of the Melbourne event.

Sunshine Tour lands deal to stage WGC event for five years from 2012 . It will be known as "Tournament of Hope" and build awareness of poverty and HIV/AIDS . Tournament will feature top 70 players in world, but dates and venue yet to be set . Agreement comes after talks in Augusta, where Charl Schwartzel won the Masters .

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(CNN) -- In a place accustomed to tough stretches, this has been a particularly tough few days at the White House. After emerging from the showdown over the Republican-led government shutdown relatively unscathed, the Obama administration finds itself under assault on three fronts: problems surrounding Obamacare, the revelations of the U.S. spying on allies, and the 2012 attack on the U.S diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, the latter for which a senator has threatened to hold up all of the Obama administration's nominations. The controversies are sure to fuel continued Republican attacks on President Barack Obama and his Democratic allies as the nation gears up for midterm elections next year, and the White House has portrayed the attacks as so much partisan chatter. But to CNN senior political analyst David Gergen, they reflect the relative inexperience of the Obama White House. "This is an administration that has been very, very good at its politics, but has never been very good at execution of policies from Day One," he said Monday. "It's an administration which has some really smart people in it, and a lot of younger people. It doesn't have very many heavyweights." The worst part for Obama may be figuring out what to do about it all -- not just the various individual fires, but more generally how to "take control of his own government," CNN chief political analyst Gloria Borger said. If you're the President, how do you make sure that subordinates aren't withholding information you should know? How do you strike the right balance, and explain it clearly, on things such as gathering intelligence versus maximizing privacy and protecting key relationships? And how do you make sure those tied to your administration avoid big missteps that could come back to bite you? "Four out of five Americans have little or no trust in their government to do anything right," Borger writes in an analysis. "And now Obama probably feels the same way." Does Obama still have faith in government? Here are the latest details on the issues causing the administration the most heartache today: . Obamacare . Another week, another congressional hearing on the problem-plagued rollout of Obama's health insurance program. This time, Marilyn Tavenner, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services -- which is in charge of the Obamacare website -- became the first administration official to formally apologize to Americans for the troublesome start. She offered the apology Tuesday in an appearance before the House Ways and Means Committee. "We know that consumers are eager to purchase this coverage, and to the millions of Americans who have attempted to use Healthcare.gov to shop and enroll in health care coverage, I want to apologize to you that the website has not worked as well as it should," she told lawmakers. Obamacare website administrator apologizes . The website, which would-be applicants have found difficult to use, at best, embarrassingly crashed over the weekend, leaving consumers completely locked out. Then, the White House found itself on the defensive over revelations that, despite claims to the contrary by the Obama administration, some who have purchased insurance on the open market will lose their coverage and have to buy new policies. An insurance industry source told CNN Monday that the vast majority of Americans who have purchased coverage on the individual market will find their policies changed or even canceled under Obamacare rules. It's been known for some time that some of the policies would have to change -- the Department of Health and Human Services said in 2010 as part of a federal regulation that up to two thirds of individual policies wouldn't meet regulations allowing them to continue under what's called "grandfathered" status. That refers to plans allowed to continue even though they don't provide all the rights and protections of those offered under Obamacare. White House spokesman Jay Carney argued Monday the administration has always said some health care plans would not meet new Obamacare requirements. "There are existing health care plans on the individual market that don't meet those minimum standards and therefore do not qualify for the Affordable Care Act," he said. "There are some that can be grandfathered if people want to keep insurance that's substandard." And those who lose coverage will be able to buy more comprehensive coverage on the health insurance exchanges -- some of them at a subsidized price, he said. But the reality that so many plans will disappear or have to change seems to fly in the face of what Obama said so often in selling the plan to voters. "If you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan," the president said in 2009, and frequently since. It also offered Republicans ammunition to renew their attacks on the plan. "The larger problem is how Obamacare is hurting people out there," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday. "It is about college graduates and middle-class families getting hit with massive premium increases they can't afford." NSA spying . After months of seemingly endless leaks about U.S. surveillance programs, the pressure on the administration rose to new levels in recent days with revelations published by the German news magazine Der Spiegel that the United States was collecting the communications of allied leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Obamacare and NSA spying: What did Obama know, and when did he find out? German leaders respond angrily to the news, with Merkel demanding a stop to the practice and proclaiming that her country's confidence in the United States had been "shaken." But it was comments by the administration claiming that Obama did not know of the practice until recently that drew the sharpest criticism -- from both the right and the left. Rep. Peter King, the Republican chairman of the House Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, was incredulous that the president didn't know what was going on. "He certainly should have known, if he didn't," the former chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room." "I think that's almost more of a serious issue that something like that at that level would be conducted without him knowing it." Rep. King on NSA spying: If Obama didn't know, he should have . And Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, said not knowing about the program was a "big problem" for both Obama and the Senate Intelligence Committee, which she chairs. "As far as I'm concerned, Congress needs to know exactly what our intelligence community is doing," her statement said. "To that end, the committee will initiate a major review into all intelligence collection programs." Benghazi . Longstanding Republican criticism of the administration's handling of the attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, which left the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans dead, resurfaced this week with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, threatening to hold up administration nominations over the issue. Senators are expected soon to review Obama's nominations for several high-profile judicial appointments and other nominations. Senate rules allow a single senator to at least temporarily hold up presidential nominations, and Graham says he will do so until the administration makes survivors of the attack available for congressional testimony. "I'm going to block every appointment in the United States Senate until the survivors are being made available to Congress," he said. "I'm tired of hearing from people on TV and reading about stuff in books. We need to get to the bottom of this." The White House said Monday that Graham and other Republicans are using Benghazi for political purposes, "and we find that unfortunate." CNN's Ted Barrett, Catherine E. Shoichet, Jake Tapper, Jim Sciutto, Elise Labott, Brooke Baldwin and Jim Acosta contributed to this report.

The White House is on the defensive over claims some could lose health coverage . The administration is also facing criticism over spying allegations . Benghazi is also resurfacing as senator threatens to delay nominations . The controversies are sure to fuel partisan rancor as midterm campaigns ramp up .

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Tokyo (CNN) -- Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is investigating a report that workers at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were told to use lead covers in order to hide unsafe radiation levels, an official said. The alleged incident happened December 1, nine months after a major earthquake and tsunami ravaged northern Japan and damaged the plant. "We'll firmly deal with the matter once the practice is confirmed to constitute a violation of any law," said the ministry official, who could not be named in line with policy. An official with the plant's operator, TEPCO, said the company received a report of the alleged incident Thursday from subcontractor Tokyo Energy & Systems. The report said a second subcontractor, Build-Up, created the lead covers and ordered workers to use them over their dosimeters, pocket-size devices used to detect high radiation levels. The TEPCO official could also not be named in line with policy. Tokyo Energy & Systems said in its report that the workers never used the covers, the TEPCO official said. Japan's Asahi Shimbun newspaper, however, reported Saturday that while some workers refused the orders to use the lead covers, nine others did use them for several hours. The newspaper's report cited plant workers, who described the lead covers as fitting snugly over the dosimeters inside the breast pockets of the workers' protection suits. TEPCO told CNN it ordered Tokyo Energy & Systems Inc. to conduct an investigation and is awaiting a reply. CNN's Junko Ogura contributed to this report.

The incident allegedly happened at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant . The government and plant operator investigating the report . Report: Workers were told to covers devices used to detect radiation levels .

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(CNN) -- Scratch Christian Bale off the list of actors supposed to play Steve Jobs. Bale was rumored to be the finalist to play the Apple co-founder in the Aaron Sorkin-written film biography but decided he wasn't right for the part, said The Hollywood Reporter. The Jobs biopic has been in the works since at least 2012, when Sony announced that Sorkin would write a film based on Walter Isaacson's best-selling biography. Bale is the second notable performer to turn down the Jobs role. Leonardo DiCaprio was also pegged for the film. The Hollywood Reporter noted that neither Bale nor DiCaprio had begun negotiations. According to Variety, Seth Rogen is being talked about for the part of Steve Wozniak, Jobs' Apple co-founder. The film is to be directed by Danny Boyle, who won an Oscar for "Slumdog Millionaire." Filming was scheduled to begin this winter.

Hollywood Reporter: Christian Bale declines role of Steve Jobs . Film about Apple co-founder's life has been in works for two years . Movie is written by Aaron Sorkin, to be directed by Danny Boyle .

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(CNN) -- The melting glacial ice in places like the Alps, Greenland and the Himalayas is a dramatic visual document of how our planet's climate is changing. For U.S.-based environmental photographer James Balog, it is a vision he has spent more than six years trying to record and preserve. After an assignment for National Geographic in Iceland in 2005, he was shocked by the changes taking place and wanted to find a way to capture what was going on, in the Arctic and glaciers elsewhere around the world. The result has been a new documentary film, "Chasing Ice," based on 36 time-lapse cameras looking at 16 different glaciers in locations in Alaska, Bolivia, Canada, France, Greenland, Iceland, Nepal, the Rocky Mountains and Switzerland. Each camera has been taking a photograph every half-an-hour during daylight, producing almost one million pictures in total. Balog says putting the documentary together has changed his initial skepticism about climate change. "What we've seen has been a complete shock. I never really expected to see this magnitude of change. Every time we open the backs of these cameras it's like 'wow, is that what's just happened.'" At one point in the film, Balog is shown looking at the memory card he has just removed from a camera and saying: "This is a memory of a landscape. A landscape that is now gone and will never be seen again in the history of civilization." Watch: CNN special 'Secrets in the Ice' Of all the places he has filmed, it is the Arctic that has attracted most attention in recent years. In September this year, the ice cap fell to its lowest extent on record. It grows each winter but is retreating further and further every summer, according to data collected by the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center. The summer ice extent has declined by 13% each decade since the ice was first monitored in 1979. Climate scientists have previously predicted the Arctic could lose almost all of its ice cover in the summer months by 2100. However, the recent accelerated ice losses have led some to believe that date could come much sooner. While accepting that glacial ice melting has happened many times before in human history, Balog says what he is documenting now can no longer be considered a natural process. "What we're seeing is a much more accelerated rate of change, especially in the past 40 years or so and that has clearly been traced by scientists to the impact of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide emissions into the atmosphere." "In the past 100 years, the atmosphere has accumulated 40% more carbon dioxide in it than had been seen in the peak over the past one million years. "So, in the past one million years the peak of carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere has been 280-290 parts per million (ppm). We're now at 395 ppm and adding more every year. It's gone beyond natural and is affecting the entire world," he says. Balog, who lives in the Rocky Mountains near Boulder, Colorado, believes the economic and technological solutions to mitigate the impact of climate change already exist. "What we need is a greater political and public understanding of the immediacy and reality of these changes. I believe that this film can help shift public perceptions by telling people a story that is real and happening now," he says.

New documentary captures glacial ice retreating at sixteen different locations around the world . "Chasing Ice," by U.S. photographer James Balog, recorded glacier melt since 2007 . Balog's cameras have captured nearly one million images for the project . Balog hopes film will "shift public perceptions by telling people a story that is real and happening now"

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(CNN) -- So we thought Asian kids did great in school. Think again. A new study suggests that women and minorities are less likely to receive early support from potential academic mentors. Researchers from Wharton, Columbia and NYU ran an interesting field experiment: Pretending to be students, they e-mailed more than 6500 professors at top U.S. universities admiring each professor's work and asking to meet. The e-mails were all identical except for the senders' names. Names that one can associate with a gender or race -- like Brad Anderson, Meredith Roberts, LaToya Brown, Juanita Martinez, Deepak Patel, Sonali Desai, Chang Wong, and Mei Chen -- were used. The researchers found that faculty were most likely to respond to e-mails from white males. But more surprising was the high level of racial bias against Asians and Indians -- professors were likeliest to ignore e-mails from these students. One of the researchers noted, "We see tremendous bias against Asian students and that's not something we expected. ... A lot of people think of Asians as a model minority group. We expect them to be treated quite well in academia." The study highlights the pernicious nature of the "model minority" stereotype of Asians, and the fact that Asians are still viewed as the most foreign "other" in our American culture -- perhaps the biggest outsiders in the politics of "not like us." A common refrain I hear from well-meaning friends and colleagues is: "What's so bad about the Asian stereotype? Seems to me Asians have done all right." I get it. As a woman of color, I'm keenly aware that on the spectrum of bias, there are plenty of worse things to be called than good at school. It doesn't sound so terrible to be thought of as hardworking or quiet when there are so many more obviously sinister racial myths out there to bust. But the flip side of the model minority myth is an assumption that Asians do just fine and don't need any mentoring or help in the academic or professional world. Whether due to bias or mere lack of interest, the professors in the study treated Asian and Indian students differently despite their reputation for academic achievement. And this lack of mentorship while in school may lead to an achievement gap in the workplace. There's still a huge disparity between the percentage of Asians graduating at the top of their class from the best schools in the country and the percentage of Asians who go on to achieve top leadership positions in their chosen fields. Disturbingly, I have heard thoughtful colleagues wonder aloud whether the underrepresentation of Asians in senior leadership roles is due to systemic, external factors that should be addressed with reform in the workplace, or whether it's Asians who are responsible for taking themselves out of the C-suite pipeline because "they're just happy being the worker bees." Is there any truth to the perceptions that Asians are passive, lack leadership skills and assertiveness, are unwilling to take initiative or risk, and even unable to have fun or a decent sense of humor? Some people definitely think so. I'm not the only American of Asian descent who has been told, in the form of a compliment, that I'm surprisingly outgoing, funny, or sociable -- for an Asian. I still get friendly compliments on my "very good English." And at one of my very first legal job interviews, one judge put it succinctly: "I've always thought your people were very bright." It's the very benignity of these model minority stereotypes that render them so persistent and difficult to eradicate. So, what can we do about it? We can start by improving mentor and sponsor programs. Mentors and mentees are too often arbitrarily paired in the corporate world. Employers should consider the real affinities that may actually exist within their workforce and offer employees the tools, training and access to identify, cultivate and maintain their own meaningful mentor and sponsor relationships. At one law job early in my career, I was assigned to a "mentor" who himself had only been at the firm a few weeks. Why? He was from Seoul. I'm from California and grew up in D.C. And I'm not even Korean-American. Meanwhile, I went to a college that graduates about 400 students a year, and a white male senior partner whose office was down the hall had gone to this same small college, yet no one at the firm had stopped to think that perhaps I might have something in common with him. Sure, it's also incumbent on people to take initiative and simply walk down the hall and introduce themselves to potential mentors. But it would be incredibly helpful and transformative for the gatekeepers -- in academia, the corporate world, public service, media, entertainment and the arts, whatever path talented young people might choose -- to recognize the subtle, unconscious biases that sometimes prevent Asians from achieving their true potential. Maybe then Asians in America can be recognized for bringing more to the table than just being good at school. Q & A with author Helen Wan about 'The Partner Track'

A Wharton study shows high level of racial bias against Asians and Indians . Helen Wan: The "model minority" stereotype of Asians is pernicious . She says even though Asians do well in school, in the workplace they fall behind . Wan: One way to help Asians is to improve mentor and sponsor programs .

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(CNN) -- San Francisco's new sheriff is facing misdemeanor charges over an alleged domestic abuse incident on New Year's Eve, authorities said. Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, who was sworn in Monday, said Friday he will not resign. "We are cooperating with law enforcement and the district attorney's office and will, of course, continue to do so," he told reporters. The charges were announced by San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, who also took office Monday. Mirkarimi is accused of domestic violence with battery, child endangerment and dissuading a witness. Gascon said there were a series of text messages between the sheriff and his wife, Eliana Lopez, the alleged victim, about the incident. Lopez, standing next to her husband, called the charges "unbelievable" and said the couple would fight them. "I don't have any complaint against my husband," Lopez said. "We are together. ... this is completely wrong." Mirkarimi was booked and released on bail, San Francisco police said. Mayor Edwin M. Lee called the charges "extremely serious and troubling." "As elected officials, our primary responsibility and focus must always be to fulfill our duties to the people of San Francisco," Lee said in a statement. He said he would review options under the city charter, but "ensure that we do not take steps that undermine the integrity of the criminal justice proceedings under way."

Sheriff's wife says couple will fight allegations . Mayor calls charges "extremely serious and troubling" Ross Mirkarimi is accused of domestic violence .

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Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama has approved the use of armed Predator drones in Libya, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday. Gates suggested that the unmanned Predator missions may have already begun. He said he believed that the first flights were launched Thursday but were called back due to poor weather. "The president has said that where we have some unique capabilities, he is willing to use those," Gates said. "And I think that today may in fact have been their first mission." Gates said the Predator drones offer a "modest contribution" to NATO efforts to support rebels fighting embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's forces there, though Gadhafi is not a specific target. Unmanned aerial vehicles offer more precise targeting, because their low-flying capability allows for better visibility, "particularly on targets now that have started to dig themselves into defensive positions," Gates said. He said the drones are needed for humanitarian reasons, and they have capabilities that larger aircraft such as A-10s and C-130s cannot provide. Vice Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. James Cartwright said the added precision is necessary because forces loyal to Gadhafi "nestle up in crowded areas" to maximize civilian casualties. "It's very difficult to identify friend from foe," Cartwright said, noting that the drones facilitate identification of individuals on the ground. Remote Predator operators are now permitted to strike Gadhafi's defense missions, including air defense, missile and radar sites. Predator strikes are also authorized for civilian protection and can hit Gadhafi's troops, military installations and equipment in the field. The U.S. employed the use of unmanned drones early in the NATO campaign, but they were intended for surveillance only and not authorized to fire.

NEW: "I think that today may in fact have been their first mission," Robert Gates says . NEW: Vice Joint Chiefs chair says drones help distinguish "friend from foe" NEW: Gadhafi loyalists "nestle up in crowded areas," Gen. James Cartwright says . NEW: Air defense, missile and radar sites, as well as troops, are authorized targets .

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Fancy a stroll around the observation deck of the tallest building in the world? Normally, doing so would involve a flight to Dubai, an expensive hotel room and a struggle through traffic under blazing sunshine. But now you can take it all in from the comfort of your own living room. Google has launched a new project capturing a 360-degree view of the iconic Burj Khalifa in Dubai -- a building so enormous it is sometimes referred to as the "vertical city." The images taken by Google allow users to navigate through the building, using Street View technology, which the company generally uses to map cities. Users can explore the structure from the opulent basement entrance hall to the highest occupied apartment in the world on the building's 163rd floor. To compile the images, Google's photographers used state of the art equipment and battled 40 mph winds at the top of the building's spire, 828 meters (2,716 feet) above ground level. The pictures will be the first time Street View has been used in the Middle East, and the first collection of images to feature a skyscraper. The Burj Khalifa is the tallest man-made structure in the world. Modeled on principles of classical Islamic architecture. The building took six years and more than 22 million man-hours to erect. The edifice's massive foundations required over 58,900 cubic yards of concrete, weighing more than 110,000 tonnes. Close to 26,000 glass panels, each individually hand-cut, were used in the exterior cladding -- equivalent to 17 soccer fields of material. Google's Street View technology had to be specially adapted to document buildings such as this. The 360 degree cameras are mounted on a backpack which can be carried by a single operator. Other landmarks and natural wonders like the Eiffel Tower and Grand Canyon have also been captured by the technology.

Google captures world's tallest building Burj Khalifa with Street View . Users can see images from the basement up to the 163rd floor . It is the first time Street View has been used in the Middle East .

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Super Bowl XLVIII started out bad for the Denver Broncos. The Seattle Seahawks made sure it got worse. Seattle romped 43-8 by playing a suffocating defense and taking advantage of four Denver turnovers, including two interceptions thrown by quarterback Peyton Manning, the NFL's most valuable player for the season. The game pitted pro football's best offense, Denver, against the best defense, Seattle, but the drama disappeared early at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. On the first play from scrimmage, a bad snap went sailing past Manning and landed in the end zone for a safety, giving Seattle a 2-0 lead without running a play. Denver didn't score until the third quarter, when the game was out of reach. Seattle's defense was so strong that Denver managed only 27 yards rushing, compared with 135 for Seattle. Manning went 34 for 49 to gain 279 yards in the air, but most passes were for short yardage with his receivers quickly taken down. His counterpart, Russell Wilson of Seattle, went 18 for 26 to gain 206 yards and score two touchdowns. Fittingly, a Seattle defensive player, linebacker Malcolm Smith, was named the game's most valuable player. Seattle won its first Super Bowl in franchise history. Manning was thwarted in his quest for a second Super Bowl ring. After the safety, Seattle kicked two field goals, and Marshawn Lynch scored on a 1-yard run for a touchdown. The Seahawks' Smith intercepted Manning's second interception and returned it for another touchdown. The second half started out bad for Denver, with Seattle's Percy Harvin running the opening kickoff back for a touchdown. Jermaine Kearse caught a 23-yeard pass from Russell Wilson with 2:58 left in the third quarter for another touchdown. Wilson threw his second scoring strike to Doug Baldwin with 11:45 left in the fourth. Just before the third quarter ended, Denver got onto the scoreboard when Manning threw a 14-yard pass to Demaryius Thomas. Denver went for a two-point PAT to make the score 36-8. Denver, led by the 37-year-old Manning, has the NFL's best offense, statistically, but never got moving Sunday. Richard Sherman, the Seattle defense player who mocked San Francisco after winning the NFC championship, was never really challenged. He left with an injury in the fourth quarter. Balmy conditions on Game Day . Though the game didn't experience the blackout that hit last year's Super Bowl, fans in Los Angeles had their own visual blackout. Some fans lost cable service for a period and missed part of the second half and the halftime show, starring Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Time Warner cable said in a tweet that the issue was resolved before the end of the game. A man was shot several times during a Super Bowl party at a residence in Denver, police said. The man was found outside the home, but police spokesman Sonny Jackson did not have additional information, such as what led to the shooting. The man was taken to a hospital in critical condition, and authorities do not have a suspect or a suspect description. The experts' picks . History of the Super Bowl: By the numbers . The secrets of the Super Bowl flyover .

Seattle dominates and takes advantage of Denver's mistakes . League MVP Peyton Manning throws two interceptions . This was the first Super Bowl victory in Seattle's franchise history . No Seattle player has previously played in a Super Bowl .

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(CNN) -- All five remaining inmates held in the Mississippi pardons controversy have now been released from prison. Mississippi's Supreme Court last week upheld the controversial pardons of more than 200 convicts that former Gov. Haley Barbour granted on his way out of office, rejecting a challenge by the state's attorney general. In a 77-page, 6-3 ruling Thursday afternoon, the court found the pardons "may not be set aside or voided by the judicial branch." Attorney General Jim Hood argued that no proper notice had been posted in newspapers, but the court found the final decision rested "solely with the governor." "We are mindful that the victims and their families are entitled to be interested in the subject matter of this case, and they are undoubtedly -- and understandably -- concerned with its outcome," Justice Jess Dickinson wrote for the majority. But in the cases before them, it was up to the governor to " decide whether the Constitution's publication requirement was met." In a statement after the court ruling, Barbour said it "reaffirmed more than a century of settled law in our state," but acknowledged that his decision has been difficult for many of the inmates' victims. But in a dissenting opinion, Justice Michael Randolph called the decision "a stunning victory for some lawless convicted felons, and an immeasurable loss for the law-abiding citizens of our state." Hood argued that the state Constitution required that for a pardon to be valid, notices be filed, each day, for 30 days in newspapers where their crimes were committed. But during a February Supreme Court hearing, Barbour's lawyers argued that previous state court rulings had found the 30-day notice rule was "an unconstitutional encroachment" on the governor's power. Thursday's ruling is the final word on the case, but Hood said he would seek to get the notice requirement restored to the state charter. "We do respect the decision of the Court, but feel deeply for how it must weigh on the victims and their families. It is these victims and family members who have lost today and the criminals who have won," he said in a statement, echoing Randolph's dissent. Among the 214 inmates Barbour pardoned before he left office in January were four convicted murderers who had worked as "trusties" at the governor's mansion. Critics argued that the governor failed to consider the families of their victims before freeing them. All four and an armed robber also pardoned by Barbour had remained free while the issue worked its way through the courts, and were freed under Thursday's decision. Five other inmates who had remained behind bars awaiting a ruling have been released. Barbour has defended his pardons and said the former inmates had been rehabilitated. CNN's Martin Savidge and Joe Sutton contributed to this report.

Attorney General says no proper notice was posted in newspapers before pardons . Mississippi's Supreme Court upholds the controversial pardons . Governor says it was a difficult decision . He acknowledges his decision has been difficult for inmates' victims .

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(CNN) -- London's Metropolitan Police have praised the good behavior of Scotland fans during Sunday's match against Brazil, despite claims by Brazilian striker Neymar that a banana was thrown at him as a form of racist abuse. Santos striker Neymar, 19, scored both goals in Brazil's 2-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium, the home of English Premier League side Arsenal. But the Brazilian attacker later revealed that he was subjected to racist taunts from Scottish spectators, which culminated in the banana-throwing incident. However, the police confirmed they had received no complaints about any form of racism being displayed during the match on Monday. Will Neymar win 2014 World Cup for Brazil? Match commander, Chief Inspector Mark Shearan, issued an official press release which read: "The Scottish supporters who travelled down to the game in their numbers were friendly and good-natured, colourful and supportive of their team. "There were six arrests at the match -- of which only two were definitely Scottish supporters and were drink-related. This figure must be the seen in the context of a 53,000 strong crowd." After his two-goal winning performance, Neymar had earlier claimed to Brazilian media that he had been the subject of racist abuse: "This atmosphere of racism is totally sad. "They were jeering me a lot, even when I was about to kick the penalty the entire stadium was jeering. "We leave our country to play here and something like this happens. It's sad. I would rather not even talk about it, to keep the subject from escalating." Neymar's teammate Lucas Leiva, who plays in England for Liverpool and removed the banana from the pitch, added: "There is no more space for racism in the world. "Europe is where it happens the most. That has to change, everybody is equal today and it's a matter of respect." The Scottish Football Association (SFA), in a statement on their official website, denied the claims from Neymar. "There was no evidence of such instances but the Scotland supporters have confirmed they booed the player for perceived unsporting behaviour during the match. "The tens of thousands of Scotland fans who travelled to London were, in fact, commended for creating a carnival atmosphere not just inside the stadium but across the city throughout the weekend. "The Scottish FA has contacted the Brazilian Football Federation and the match organisers, Kentaro, to inform them of our information and of our supporters' unhappiness at the unfounded accusations," the statement read.

London Police praise behavior of Scotland fans during the match against Brazil . Police reveal they have received no racism complaints from Sunday's game . Two-goal striker Neymar told media that a banana was thrown at him during game .

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He says it's his last fight. And it's been his hardest. After 43 years in Congress, New York Rep. Charlie Rangel said the campaign for his 23rd term is his final one. The 84-year-old "Lion of Harlem" wants two more years in Washington, but on Tuesday, voters will decide if his time is up. He's a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and the former chair of the powerful Ways and Means Committee. But the legend of Harlem politics is on shaky ground. Rangel running for 23rd term in the House . Rangel says he's ready this time . He's been bruised before. In the 2012 Democratic primary, victory came by a thin margin. Rangel beat state Sen. Adriano Espaillat by fewer than 1,100 votes. The congressman said he didn't put up much of a fight. "I didn't have a campaign last time. When he told me he was running I was in the hospital in Columbia Presbyterian with a viral infection in my spine." This time, Rangel said he's ready. "Well, I don't have a walker. I don't have a spinal injury." Rangel has also had more time to recover from a humiliating censure in 2010 from the U.S. House of Representatives following a series of ethics violations. 2014 midterms: What's at stake . Gearing up for Round 2 . Since 2012, Espaillat has been gearing up for Round 2. This time, the underdog said he's counting on an upset and making comparisons to one of the biggest ones ever in boxing: . "Sonny Liston was a big, bad bear when he got into the ring, but (Muhammad) Ali was faster, smarter than him," Espaillat said. "He was able to draw circles around him, and he shook up the world and he changed boxing." If voters want a change now, it may be a measure of how much the district has changed since Rangel went to Washington in 1971. Harlem's rich African-American history now seems distant . Neal Schumacher knows the streets of Harlem as well as anyone. He gives walking tours, and he often points out the fact that the neighborhood is, "...not the Harlem that I grew up in, but a Harlem I embrace." A falling crime rate has accelerated real estate development in the neighborhood, but affordable housing remains among the most pressing issues for many with roots in the community. "People are concerned about gentrification, about rising housing costs, about some of the mom and pop shops closing. About being able to afford to live in the community where you are now," said Schumacher. Harlem has long been known for its rich African-American history. But to Harlem historian Jacob Morris, that past feels more distant today. "In the 20th century Harlem was incontrovertibly...the cultural capital of Black America. ...Is it still? I would say now it's the custodian of that great history." Both say racial and ethnic politics not part of race . Today, the demographics are different. So is the district itself. Part of the Bronx was added to Harlem's district before the 2012 primary. The 13th Congressional District now has a Hispanic majority. If elected, Espaillat would become the country's first Dominican-American congressman. Both candidates insist that racial and ethnic politics shouldn't determine the outcome of the race. "We never had a political battle in my congressional district in 43 years based on where you were born or what religion you have," Rangel said while campaigning Saturday. 2014 midterms: Complete coverage . Turnout could be key . According to a NY1/Siena College poll released the week before the primary, the vast majority of voters said the race or ethnicity of the candidates makes no difference to them, . The same poll shows Rangel has a 70-point lead with blacks and a 5-point lead with whites, while Espaillat has a 24-point lead with Latinos. Overall, the poll gives Rangel a 13-point lead (47%-34%) against Espaillat. Insiders suggest the race is tighter than that and too tough to predict. A key factor: turnout is expected to be low. Both campaigns will have to battle to get voters to the polls on Tuesday. The congressional race is the only item on the ballot.

Rep. Charlie Rangel is running for 23rd term in the House . Challenger is same one who came within 1,100 votes of unseating Rangel in 2012 . Challenger state Sen. Adriano Espaillat predicts an upset on Tuesday . Rangel was first elected to seat in 1971 but district has changed recently .

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(CNN) -- Investigators now say that, according to automated electronic connections attempts by the ACARS data reporting system of Malaysia Flight 370, the airplane flew far to the west, in an entirely different direction than it should have been heading as per its original flight-planned route, which was to the north. The 90-degree turn to the west might have been purely random if entered by a nonpilot or inexpert pilot who knew simply how to turn a single knob (called the heading bug) that could command the autopilot to make a turn to a new heading (or direction). There is strong evidence that this is not what happened. Investigators now believe, according to news reports, that after its transponder and ACARS radio were turned off, turns were initiated at GPS waypoints. These waypoints are essentially virtual checkpoints in the sky, defining markers charted by airspace regulators that create pathways in the air that airplanes follow to keep safely separated from each other. The waypoints are defined by an exact latitude and longitude and can be located by a number of the airplane's various navigators, including GPS. If the reports of the flight path are true, it is not a route that could happen by accident. There are two ways the 777-200 could have flown on this path. After passing one waypoint, it could have been directed to fly to the next waypoint by a pilot turning the heading knob toward that exact place, a process that would require some piloting expertise. This would be very unusual, and a novice or pilot without much flying experience on this plane would not know to make these kinds of inputs or have any conceivable reason to do so. The almost certain explanation would be that these waypoints were programmed into the flight management system of the 777-200, a task that would have been beyond the abilities of anyone but a professional pilot. The autopilot follows the course put into the flight management system by the pilots. That is, when the autopilot is not being manually controlled instead. The manual control part is easy. You turn a knob and the airplane goes where you ask it to. The flight management system part is very complicated. I am a commercial pilot, and I have done some training on the Boeing 777. Even after a few hours of professional instruction I would have been unable to program the flight management system to command the autopilot to fly the flight plan that Flight 370 reportedly flew. This leaves us with one of two possible conclusions. Either the flight was commandeered by a group with at least one professionally trained pilot among them or one of the pilots in control programmed the new off-route flight plan into the flight management system. The latter would be far more likely. When terrorists hijacked the airplanes that were flown into the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon, they flew the airplanes by hand and those hijackers had trained for months with that exact mission in mind. In the case of Flight 370, it would almost certainly have remained on autopilot, which would have dutifully followed the flight plan in the flight management system. That flight plan was quite possibly entered for some mysterious reason by a trained pilot. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Robert Goyer.

Robert Goyer: New clues suggest that Flight 370 didn't change course randomly . Goyer: Only a professional pilot can program specific route pathways . He believes that whoever altered the flight path was someone with expertise .

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When exactly did once-lowly kale become an international locavore staple? Not sure, but let's call it 2011, when Gwyneth Paltow made kale chips on TV with Ellen DeGeneres. What's that got to do with a list of great veg eateries around the world? We're not sure -- we just know that, like the rest of the world, we've been spending more time lately eating plants we'd never heard of when we were kids and seeking out an evolving supply of incredible vegetarian options while traveling. From the world's only city with an all-vegan strip mall to those with large Hindu and Buddhist populations and a huge variety of options, the following vegetarian-friendly destinations have imaginative restaurants with cult-like followings. Some of the cities on this list are obvious choices, while others, like Glasgow, Scotland, have only recently forayed in any significant way into vegetarian cuisine. Here are our top 10 choices for herbivores who travel. Portland, Oregon . From vegetarian/vegan-friendly bed-and-breakfasts to the world's only all-vegan strip mall, compassionate choices rule many establishments in this city. We recommend: Natural Selection, the brainchild of California Culinary Academy graduate Aaron Woo. With European-style decor and fare derived from France, Italy and Spain, this excellent restaurant serves dishes such as chard and mushroom gnocchi and caramelized cauliflower with polenta, using local vegetables and fruits at their seasonal peak. The menu changes weekly. Natural Selection, 3033 N.E. Alberta St., Portland, Oregon; +1 503 288 5883 . New York . The chance of blindly stumbling into a vegetarian restaurant is probably higher in New York than in any other U.S. city. While there's seemingly no end of diversity, from raw restaurants like Pure Food & Wine to farm-to-table Candle Cafe, our latest favorite is the amazingly creative Dirt Candy. Yes, there's a wait to get a reservation -- the restaurant has only nine tables -- but we love the thoughtful, complex dishes and emphasis on a star ingredient per dish. Dirt Candy, 430 E. Ninth St., New York; +1 212 228 7732 . Chennai, India . As the ancient birthplace of vegetarianism, South India is largely vegetarian. The states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu offer extremely spicy rice-based dishes and curries, while tiffin items like dosas, tamarind and lemon rice are common. Vegetarian thalis (platters with a few curries, rice dishes and breads) cost less than a Starbucks latte. We recommend: Madras restaurant for delicious South Indian home-style cooking. Madras, Raintree Hotels, 636 Anna Salai, Teynampet, Chennai, India; +91 44 4393 9999 . Chiang Mai, Thailand . Thanks to a large Buddhist population, Chiang Mai has more than 80 vegetarian restaurants. Even those that aren't vegetarian-specific offer meatless tom yum soup, pad thai, salads and coconut-milk based curries. We recommend: Pun Pun, which sources organic vegetables from its own farm. Curries are served on banana leaves. Pun Pun has two locations in the city: Wat Suan Dok temple or Suthep Road near Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand; +66 81 470 1461 . Glasgow, Scotland . It may come as a surprise to many that PETA named Glasgow the best city for vegans in the United Kingdom in 2013. The growing number of vegan restaurants is part of the city's effort to improve the health of its residents and the result of its vibrant youth culture. We recommend: Mono Cafe Bar in the Merchant City area. The bar brews its own beer and offers a home-style meatless menu including refried bean burritos. Music from folk singers, songwriters and the operatic crowd is a plus. Mono Cafe Bar,12 Kings Court, Glasgow, Scotland; +44 141 553 2400 . London . PETA ranked London the most vegetarian-friendly city in the world in 2009. It's still a top site for meat-free eaters. With more than 130 vegetarian-centric restaurants, spicy vegetarian curry houses are as plentiful as pubs offering fish and chips. Nowadays, even pubs are serving meatless cuisine and raw food -- notable newcomer Redemption is an example. We recommend: Arguably London's most well known vegetarian restaurant, Food for Thought in Covent Garden serves everything from Mexican to Indian dishes, cheese and dill scones to quiches. The carefully chosen menu is inexpensive and satisfying. Food for Thought, 31 Neal St., Covent Garden, London; +44 20 7836 0239 . Seoul, South Korea . While it's best to double check with the server if there's any meat in the bibimbap, vegetarian dishes are common on Korean menus. There's kimchi, of course, and a wide variety of veggie pancakes and side dishes, good news for any vegetarian visitor who may get dragged to a barbecue restaurant. We recommend: Traditional Korean vegetarian restaurant Hangwachae in Seoul serves house-made condiments from chili paste to soy bean paste. Even the rice is made with 20 different Asian herbs. Hangwachae, Gwanhun-dong Jongno-gu, Seoul 30-9, Cheong-A Building, B/1; +82 2 720 2802 . Vancouver, British Columbia . In the last year or so, Vancouver has seen notable restaurants including the Heirloom, The Parker and The Acorn open to meet rising vegetarian demand. We recommend: The Acorn, which received a Top Ten Best New Restaurants mention in En Route Magazine, the first vegetarian restaurant ever to snag the honor. Vegetarians, vegans, gluten-free and raw junkies can sample a seasonal menu created with fruits and legumes from apples to Hen of the Woods. The artfully composed dishes look like they belong in a museum. The Acorn, 3995 Main St., Vancouver, British Columbia; +1 604 566 9001 . Jordan . It's so easy to find vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Jordan where mezze dishes such as tabouleh, hummus, falafel and gourmet Arabic flatbreads abound. From Beit Sitti (it means "my grandmother's kitchen" in Arabic), located in the heart of Amman, to Petra's Kitchen, there are good options at nearly every bend of the country. We recommend: Feynan, an ecolodge in the heart of the mountainous Dana Biosphere Reserve. In a candle-lit environment, visitors feast on flat breads baked by Bedouins, vegetarian stews, hibiscus juices, falafel, hummus and sticky knafeh for dessert. Feynan, Dana Biosphere Reserve (western edge), off Dead Sea-Aqaba Highway, Ma'an, Jordan; +962 6 464 5580 . Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia . A melting pot of cultures from China to India, Kuala Lumpur has more than 86 vegetarian-specific restaurants according to online healthy eating guide HappyCow. Chinese, Malay and Indian cuisines are common. We recommend: The inexpensive Gopala Vegetarian Restaurant, which features a potpourri of cultural cuisines from Thai to Indian. The vegetarian satay and vegetarian fried rice earn raves. Gopala Vegetarian Restaurant, No. 59, Jalan Thambipillai, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; +60 3 2274 1959 .

We picked our favorite vegetarian restaurant in vegetarian-friendly cities . Cities with large Hindu and Buddhist populations tend to have more variety . Even Glasgow, Scotland, renowned for unhealthy dietary habits, is getting in on the veggie act .

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(CNN) -- Comprehensive immigration reform. Suddenly the phrase is on everyone's lips. From President Barack Obama to rising Republican star Sen. Marco Rubio to right-wing television hosts Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly. As if by magic, everybody's for it after six years of ducking and using reform as a political wedge issue -- everybody wants to get it done. But what exactly is it? What kinds of changes will it entail, and what will they mean for America? After more than 10 years of on-and-off debate in Washington, the most important piece of the puzzle is still rarely discussed and poorly understood. Obama often talks about reform without even mentioning it. It never came up on the campaign trail. It's not what brought Latinos out to vote in record numbers. And although it's likely to be included in the framework for reform expected to be released Monday by a bipartisan group of Senators, the concept gets very little attention from the media, English- or Spanish-language. iReport: Under deportation, above fear . What's the most important piece of comprehensive immigration reform you never heard of? It's fixing the legal system so it works for the future -- for immigrants and the U.S. economy. Many Americans think reform is about the 11 million unauthorized immigrants already living in the United States. Many have been here for years and have put down roots. We're not going to deport them -- not even the harshest restrictionists think that's practical. Nor are most likely to go "home" voluntarily, no matter how difficult we make their lives with tough enforcement. For the overwhelming majority, America is home by now. And they are sure to be the most contentious issue when the immigration debate resumes in months to come. News: Possible compromise on immigration reform takes shape . But most contentious is not the same as most important. We all must ask: What created this problem in the first place? Exactly what is it about the broken immigration system that produced this vast underground world of workers and families -- a population the size of Ohio? The root cause: For less-skilled foreigners who want to come to work legally in the United States, there is no "line" -- no available visas. The two existing programs for low-skilled temporary workers are for seasonal labor only: farmhands, landscaping crews, summer and winter resort workers. And there are virtually no permanent visas to be had for unskilled workers. There simply is no avenue for an uneducated Mexican unless he has family members living legally in the U.S. who can sponsor him for a family visa. Many, if not most, of the 11 million already here would have preferred to enter the country legally if that were possible. But they and others like them have no lawful option. This wouldn't be a problem if we didn't need immigrant workers. But we do. And we're going to need them increasingly as the economy recovers. This isn't because American workers are somehow lacking or inadequate. On the contrary, for the most part, it's because Americans are doing better than in decades past. We're becoming better educated and aspiring to the kinds of jobs for which our better educations prepare us. News: GOP needs to back immigration overhaul, lawmakers say . In 1960, half of the native-born men in the labor force were high school dropouts happy to do physically demanding, low-skilled work. Today, less than 10% of the native-born men in the labor force are high school dropouts. And meanwhile, far from shrinking, the demand for low-skilled labor is growing over time. In 1955, for example, 25 cents of every dollar spent on food was spent in a restaurant. Today, the figure is nearly 50 cents. And one of the fastest-growing occupations in America is home health aide. But very few Americans with high school diplomas aspire to careers as busboys or home health aides. And they shouldn't -- their educations equip them to do more productive work, making better wages and contributing more to the economy. No, we don't need as many immigrant workers in a down economy -- and far fewer want to come to the U.S. when jobs are scarce. But we still need some, and they need a legal way to get here. And whatever program we create needs to be flexible, growing in good times to accommodate rising labor needs and shrinking back in down times when demand subsides. Don't get me wrong: The goal of reform is not to increase the overall number of unskilled immigrants entering the country. What's needed is to end illegal immigration by creating ways for needed workers to come legally -- creating worker visas and establishing a system that allows employers who can't find enough willing and able Americans to connect easily and quickly with lawful immigrants. This is not just an economic imperative. Without it, there can be no successful immigration law enforcement. Even the best, most effective enforcement is no match for the dynamism of the U.S. economy. As long as there are jobs available, foreigners will want to come to work here. And if we want to prevent them from coming illegally, we need to create lawful alternatives. Finding a solution for the 11 million unauthorized immigrants already in the country addresses the mistakes of the past but fixes nothing going forward. Unless we create ways for the immigrants of the future to enter legally, we're going to find ourselves in exactly the same predicament a decade or two down the road -- wondering what to do about 10 or 20 million unauthorized immigrants living among us but beyond the rule of law. The only way to prevent this: a legal immigration system that works. Now if only Obama would mention it. Then we'd have some hope of getting somewhere as the debate resumes. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Tamar Jacoby .

Tamar Jacoby: Immigration reform in air, but focus tends to be on the undocumented . She says for real reform, discussion must be on providing unskilled worker visas . She says there's no way to "get in line" if no visas are available . Jacoby: In dynamic economy, entry will always outpace enforcement .

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(CNN) -- Hating the Internal Revenue Service is an American pastime that transcends political affiliation. This past May, disgust for the IRS reached an all-time high when Lois Lerner, director of the IRS's Exempt Organizations unit, disclosed the agency had improperly targeted social welfare organizations seeking special status under section 501(c)(4) of the tax code based on their political ideology. This revelation resulted in more than three months (and counting) of congressional hearings and investigations. Read the IRS inspector general's report on targeting . But in typical Washington fashion, the manufactured congressional outrage and grandstanding has served to do little more than obfuscate the real scandal at the IRS: that the agency allows social welfare organizations to manipulate federal tax law by spending hundreds of millions of dollars on political ads. Anyone who watched television in the lead-up to the 2010 and 2012 elections undoubtedly noticed the slew of vitriolic, misleading campaign ads. Some of these ads were sponsored by federal candidates, but many more were produced by groups with innocuous sounding names -- such as Crossroads GPS or the American Action Network -- but massive bank accounts. Crossroads GPS, for example, a nonprofit organization cofounded by former George W. Bush administration official Karl Rove, spent more than $70 million on the 2012 election. Like the groups targeted by the IRS, Crossroads GPS is a section 501(c)(4) organization, which affords certain tax benefits and -- most importantly -- the ability to keep the names of donors secret. Federal law requires these groups to operate "exclusively for purposes beneficial to the community as a whole." IRS regulations, however, create a loophole in the law by allowing groups "primarily" engaged in these types of activities to benefit from this tax status. Many 501(c)(4) groups have interpreted this regulation to mean they can spend up to 49% of their funds on political activities -- mostly negative, deceptive political ads. Adding to the confusion, the IRS has said there is no specific percentage the agency uses to gauge whether a group has engaged "primarily" in social welfare activities, but rather that it considers all facts and circumstances. What does that mean exactly? No one knows. When directly confronted about the problem and the agency's record of inaction, the IRS has said only that it is "aware" of the issue. But the IRS has been aware of and has chosen to ignore this problem for more than 50 years. If the agency had revised its regulations at any point in the past as my organization and others requested, the agency might have avoided the quagmire in which it is drowning. Frustrated with the IRS's inaction, in May CREW filed a lawsuit against the IRS for flouting the law barring 501(c)(4) organizations from engaging in political activity. The case is pending in District of Columbia district court. Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, and other public interest groups filed a similar lawsuit last month. Because social welfare organizations are not required to disclose their donors, 501(c)(4) groups have become the de facto vehicle for millionaires, billionaires, and even corporations who want to remain anonymous while influencing our elections. As a result, politically active nonprofit groups spent more than $300 million on the 2012 election. Americans should not only be outraged that our elections are being flooded with anonymous cash, but because of the nonprofit status of these groups, taxpayers are subsidizing their activity. With more and more groups seeking to participate in federal elections using money raised from donors who want to remain anonymous, applications to the IRS for 501(c)(4) status more than doubled between 2010 and 2012. To manage the deluge, Lerner said the agency relied on code words and other shortcuts to single groups out for extra review. While the scrutiny of tea party groups has received the most attention, the IRS "Be on the Look Out" (BOLO) list also included the words "progressive," "occupy," and "Israel." Flagging any group for further screening because their applications included specific words or phrases was wrong. The impact, however, of such misguided actions on our democracy was negligible, particularly compared to that wrought by the IRS's failure to stop hundreds of millions of dollars from flooding our electoral system to influence our votes. For all of the abuse heaped upon the IRS and for all the concern about the BOLO list, the same thing could happen again if the disparity between the language of the statute and regulation is not addressed. Agents processing applications of groups seeking social welfare status in the future will remain as confused about the standards as those whose decisions have been questioned this year. Nevertheless, Congress has shown no appetite to pass legislation clarifying the requirements for these nonprofit groups. As the 2014 election cycle gets under way, the super rich and corporations with deep coffers will continue to buy our elections, and Congress will continue to spend time and resources on a never-ending cycle of investigations into a problem with a fairly easy solution: as Congress intended when it first passed the law, prohibit 501(c)(4) organizations from spending money on anything other than social welfare activities. As long as members of Congress do nothing other than one-up each other's disdain for the IRS, nothing will change. And that really is a scandal. Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Melanie Sloan. Got a story idea or tip for CNN's investigations team? Go to cnn.com/investigate or click here to submit. Watch Erin Burnett weekdays 7pm ET. For the latest from Erin Burnett click here.

Lois Lerner sparked scandal by revealing the IRS targeted social welfare organizations . Author: IRS allows some of these groups to spend hundreds of millions on political ads . The IRS has ignored this problem for more than 50 years, says author Melanie Sloan. Sloan: Until Congress does more than express its disdain for the IRS, nothing will change .

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Why do their cheap meatballs taste so good? Why are bookshelves named Billy? Why can't store layouts be normal? These questions, and more, will no doubt be posed by the visitors who head to the new IKEA Museum opening next year. Of course, we might need to hammer together our own answers, having wound our way through thousands of irrelevant facts first. But perhaps a DIY museum experience will be even more satisfying once completed. The furniture company that changed the affordability of design has filed to build a museum on the site of its first store in Sweden. Tentatively scheduled to open in fall 2015, the museum will take up 7,000 square meters on the site of the recently relocated IKEA store in Almhult, also the site of IKEA'S first store opened by founder Ingvar Kamprad in 1958. IKEA town . Almhult is known as "IKEA Town" for being the birthplace of IKEA, which still maintains a strong corporate presence in the city. While the then-17-year-old Kamprad had already registered IKEA as a business in 1943, selling products ranging from nylon stockings to cigarette lighters, the Almhult site was the first brick-and-mortar store as well as the company's first furniture showroom. READ: The hotel room you can pack and and bring with you . A small exhibition of IKEA's history, titled "IKEA through the ages," is already in place at the basement of the corporate culture center in Älmhult, but company reps are hoping that the new museum will be a much bigger tourist draw. "In the IKEA Museum we plan to tell the IKEA story, focusing on range, business and people development over time," said Michele Acuna, managing director for IKEA Tillsammans, the corporate culture center. "We also plan to have a museum shop and food services for our visitors," said Acuna, adding that the museum is expected to draw "roughly 200,000 visitors annually when it is in full steam." Would you pay a visit to the IKEA Museum in Sweden? Let us know in the comments. MORE: Inside the world's biggest furniture fair .

IKEA Museum will be on site of first store in Älmhult, Sweden . The 7,000-square-meter museum will also have a museum shop and food for visitors . Museum expected to draw 200,000 visitors per year .

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(CNN) -- "These types of patients have such disfigurement beforehand they can't eat, they can't breathe properly. It's about functionality," says Dr. Richard Luskin, CEO of the New England Organ Bank. Luskin is referring to the small group of people worldwide who are on waiting lists in hope of a new face, and in the United States at least, they may now have one donated to them more readily. Last month the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS), a non-profit organization managing the U.S. organ transplant system, approved the first national policies for the transplantation of limbs, faces and other structures collectively known as "vascularized composite allografts" (VCAs) -- which should make it easier to find donors. As of April 2014, there had been 28 face transplants across the world. Animal attacks, severe burns and gunshot wounds had left these recipients scarred for life, literally, in the one place their scars cannot be hidden -- their face. "Anyone with this disfigurement would argue they're not living, they're surviving," says Luskin. Face transplant recipients: New findings . A growing field . The first face transplant was performed in France in 2005 on Isabelle Dinoire, whose mouth, nose and chin had been chewed away by her dog. Since then the field has grown and transplants involving varying combinations of facial parts have been performed in six other countries, including the United States. As the procedures improve and their safety grows, donor registries and collaborating hospitals will increasingly be asking the question: Would you like to donate your face? Or in the case of the UNOS approval, asking family members of potential donors the sensitive question of whether they will donate the face of their loved one. The UNOS approval will initially be in place temporarily for 15 months to enable public comment, but families of donors will receive extra guidance when it comes to making the decision. "Face transplants remain unique and require very specific criteria such as hairlines and ethnic components," explains a UNOS spokesperson. "Therefore consent should be distinct and individual." "(This) will broaden the donor pool for wait-listed patients across a number of regional and national organ procurement organizations," explains Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez, professor of reconstructive plastic surgery at NYU Langone Medical Center. "A major component for a successful procedure is patient selection on both the recipient and donor," he adds. "The likeliness of a perfect match can be very challenging." But this once-experimental procedure is becoming more widespread and accepted. Richard Norris, from Virginia, received a new face in March 2012 and last month his face was featured on the cover of the U.S. edition of men's magazine GQ. Norris lost most of his facial features after a gun blast, and lost abilities such as his sense of smell. But after surgery at the hands of Rodriguez and his team he can live his life once again. Face transplant patients: Where are they now? Risk of rejection . However, as this mode of surgery becomes a norm, the side effects and risks that come with the life-changing operation are still a concern and a question of ethics. Like any other transplant, there is a risk of the new organ being rejected by the patient's immune system and recipients have to take immunosuppressive drugs for the rest of their lives, putting them at risk of infections and cancer. But unlike many other transplants, replacing a face is not a matter of life and death. The surgery is classed by some as life-changing, not life-saving, which raises questions as to whether this risk is justified. "For heart transplant patients they need a transplant or they will die. These (face transplant) patients are not in organ failure but are having to take anti-rejection medication and have lifelong repression," explains Dr. Maria Siemionow, from the University of Illinois, who performed a near-total face transplant in 2008 on American Connie Culp, who was shot in the face by her husband. But Siemionow is working to solve this problem. "We need new therapies which will be less harmful," she says. The Polish surgeon is developing chimeric cells, which bring together the cells from a donor and the recipient during transplantation. "We are fusing together cells from the bone marrow of donors and recipients so these cells will be recognized by the recipient's immune systems as their own," she explains. Not an easy task. By combining the two cells and delivering them into patients receiving a transplant, their immune system will learn to recognize the donor's cells, which are present throughout their new face, making their immune cells less likely to attack the face. "If the (immune system) can recognize more cells as 'self' the patient will need less anti-rejection drugs," says Siemionow, whose experimental therapy is hoped to enter clinical trials in a few years and when it does, may make face transplants more acceptable to critics. "Immunosupression is the main ethical concern and new therapies are crucial for the future of this field," she says. Luskin feels the benefits of a new face counter ethical doubts. "There is no ethical issue," he concludes. "I saw a patient walking down a crowded hospital hall a few years after surgery and no-one noticed them. He looked like a normal guy. To me, that's the point of these surgeries."

The first face transplant was performed in France in 2005 . U.S. has approved policies that will make it easier to find donors . Scientists are developing techniques that will reduce risk of transplant rejection .

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Call them drones; call them toy airplanes with digital cameras dropped into their girths. Either way, South Korean defense officials said on Friday they were sure that they came from North Korea and that they were up to no good. Three diminutive single-engine unmanned propeller planes that look like they could have come from a hobby shop were found on the ground in March and April in parts of the South near the border with the northern Communist regime. Though the low-tech buzzers don't seem to represent a major danger, they come in the shadow of North Korean missile launches and the impending countdown to the test of a nuclear device. And they made it through South Korean air defenses. Ministry of National Defense officials in Seoul immediately suspected that the sky-blue colored fliers belonged to Pyongyang. They formed an investigation team with the United States in mid-April to analyze the "travel log file" and photos taken by the drones and announced the results on Friday. Scientists found a "smoking gun that all three were sent from North Korea and are programmed to return to North Korea," South Korean defense spokesman Kim Min-soek said. Photos the drones took along on their journey corroborate their flight path, he said. Precarious cargo . Had the mechanical carrier pigeons made it back home, they would have delivered precarious cargo, but it would have been far from precious. Japanese-made digital cameras, which look like they could be of the consumer variety, were inserted into the bellies of the drones and had taken aerial photos of the South from around the border region. All three were programmed to fly over military facilities, and two of them had images of targets of military interest -- strategically important islands near the demilitarized zone, and the Blue House, residence and office of South Korea's President Park Geun-hye. Images from the third drone were not available to South Korean investigators. A wild ginseng digger had stumbled upon the plane and had deleted its memory card so he could use it himself, the Korea Times reported. The planes were not capable of transmitting images back to North Korea in real time, and the photos themselves were no better than what one might see on a service akin to Google Earth, Kim said in a previous briefing. Limited capabilities . There is little danger the drones could have made it far into South Korea. The type of drone is not used for long-range missions, a defense analyst said. Instead they're better suited to see what the enemy is up to on the other side of a hill or wall. "It has quite a small range, it doesn't have very long endurance so it would only be up there for a few hours. You would use those to see what the other guys are doing in a battlefield environment," said James Hardy, the Asia Pacific editor of IHS Jane's Defence Weekly magazine. "They're very much closely built off a remote-controlled aircraft that you can buy in a toy store. They're just a militarized version of that," Hardy said. The Korean drones are nowhere near as sophisticated as those used by the United States in Pakistan, Yemen and Afghanistan, he said. They would also not make much of a weapon, if someone decided to stuff explosives into them, Kim has said. "Even if they are to be used for future attacks, (they) can only carry 2-3 kilograms of TNT and cannot cause huge damage." North Korea has flaunted similar, larger UAVs at military parades in recent years, and some of them have been spiked with explosives, Hardy said. Video footage shows North Korean exercises using them as missiles, but it's an expensive way to build a bomb, he said. And it could only take out a single vehicle or ship. 'Tis the season . Spring is traditionally a time of high tensions between Pyongyang on the one side and Seoul and Washington on the other. Annual U.S.-South Korean joint military drills, that ended on April 7, drew criticism from North Korea, which views the exercises as "dress rehearsals for invasion," according to analyst James Person from the Woodrow Wilson Center. In March, Pyongyang fired two mid-range ballistics missiles off its eastern coast, in an apparent response to the drills. Days later, the two sides fired hundreds of shells across the Northern Limit Line, their disputed maritime border. The shells were shot into the sea, not at hard targets. North Korea also warned it was preparing to test another nuclear device. "It's all good stuff because it allows the North Koreans to do something provocative and slightly annoying which might embarrass South Koreans, but it's not provocative enough to create a proper military response," Hardy said. Slipping through . The drones would fit well into that category, since they slipped through South Korean air defenses. They are made of polycarbonate, which is difficult to detect with radar, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency. They fly at an average speed of about 110 km per hour (68 mph) at an altitude of 1.3 km (.8 miles). They were launched in North Korea from three locations, South Korea's defense ministry said: Near the Kaesong area, 27 kilometers southeast of Haeju and 17 kilometers from Pyonggak. South Korea's defense ministry called the intrusion by the drones a violation of the truce that ended the bloody conflict between North and South Korea in 1953. Kim said Seoul will send a warning via the United Nations to Pyongyang and tighten air defenses as a response to the drones.

Three diminutive single-engine unmanned propeller planes were found in March and April . They look like hobby shop model airplanes with consumer cameras shoved into them . They don't have strong military or spy capabilities, but they made it through air defenses . Spring is typically a time of high provocations between North and South Korea .

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(CNN) -- Move over, Emma. There's a new queen in town. Isabella dethroned Emma as the top name for girls born last year, according to the Social Security Administration's annual list of most popular baby names, released Saturday. Jacob, on the other hand, held on as the most popular boy's name for the 11th year in a row. The Social Security Administration started compiling name lists in 1997. And as in years past, the influence of pop culture is reflected in the names picked for newborns. The boy's name that rocketed up the list the fastest is Cullen -- the name of the lead character in the popular "Twilight" book series. Cullen's girlfriend in the books is Bella, short for Isabella. On the girls' side, the fastest riser is Maliyah, an altered version of the name of President Obama's daughter Malia -- which also is among the top 10 fast risers. But parents are equally quick to drop celebrity-inspired names once they think the popularity is passe. Among the biggest drops last year were Mylee and Miley, as in singer Miley Cyrus. Also on the outs: Lindsay and Jonas (think actress Lindsay Lohan and the band Jonas Brothers). Meanwhile, Barack continued to move up the list. Sixty-nine Baracks were born in 2009, the agency said. As always, religious names retained their popularity -- even if some were somewhat unconventional. Among the popular names are Nevaeh (heaven spelled backward) for girls, and Messiah for boys. The 10 most popular girls' names, in order, are: Isabella, Emma, Olivia, Sophia, Ava, Emily, Madison, Abigail, Chloe and Mia. The 10 most popular boys' name, also in order, are: Jacob, Ethan, Michael, Alexander, William, Joshua, Daniel, Jayden, Noah and Anthony.

Isabella has replaced Emma as the most popular name for newborn girls in U.S. Jacob remains most popular name for baby boys for the 11th year in a row . Cullen became popular, inspired by the character is the "Twilight" series . Lindsey and Jonas are on the outs .

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

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

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(CNN) -- In September 1985 a devastating earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter Scale smashed into Mexico City killing 10,000 people and leaving parts of the city in ruins. Since then, the populous Latin American nation of 122 million has invested in one of the most advanced seismic warning systems anywhere in the world. The SASMEX facility came online in 1991 and reacts to data gathered by sensors placed near major fault lines along Mexico's Pacific coast. Receivers dotted around five major cities, including Mexico City and Acapulco, will sound the alarm if they detect an earthquake. It's a system that can buy vital seconds for residents to brace themselves before the tremors begin. But not everyone has access to a SASMEX receiver -- there are 100,000 in operation but at a cost of roughly $330 apiece, they are a luxury the majority of Mexicans can't afford. Most receivers are stationed in the likes of public buildings, hospitals, schools and subway stations. With roughly 21 million people living both formally and informally in and around Mexico City alone, that means many will not be aware the alarm is sounding until the ground begins shaking. $50 alarm . According to local tech entrepreneur, Andres Meira, such vital services should be far more widely available. Meira is no passive observer in this debate. He moved to Mexico City after working in Haiti and witnessing the devastation caused by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck the Caribbean island in 2010 killing more than 230,000 people. It's an experience that had a profound and lasting effect on him. "Until you live in one of these places you don't really understand the primitive fear of earthquakes," he said. "There are times when you can't sleep and sometimes you wake up in the middle of the night and make sure things aren't moving." Now, after combining with local engineers and tech investors based in Silicon Valley, Meira believes he may have a solution that will bring the SASMEX signal to the masses. It's called the Grillo (the Spanish word for cricket) early warning system. The compact device -- a cube about the size of an alarm clock -- taps into the special frequencies that SASMEX operates on and relays that information to its users. When seismic activity is detected, the Grillo sounds a loud, flashing alarm. At a cost of just $50, it also undercuts the price of the receivers used primarily in public buildings by around 85%. "This is the most affordable and the most direct way for the Mexican public to connect to the early warning system," Meira says of the product, which also became Mexico's most successful ever Kickstarter campaign. Mexico City's geographic location and geological makeup put it at particular risk from seismic activity. There have been a handful of relatively small quakes in 2014 already. Meira also hopes versions of the Grillo system could be introduced elsewhere in the world where earthquakes are a real risk -- like in Nepal, India, the West Coast of the U.S. and along much of the Pacific Coast of South America. Missing education? But others point to the difficulty of introducing a mass warning system without first educating citizens on what to do when receiving a direct alert. Speaking to McClatchyDC.com earlier this year, Arturo Iglesias Mendoza, director of the Institute of Geophysics at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, pondered what would happen if 5,000 of 60,000 people in a football stadium received an alert of an imminent earthquake? "People should know that the safest thing to do is to stay in the stadium," he said. On top of that, the $50 price is still a considerable investment for many residents of a country where the average wage remains under $5 a day. Then there is the fact that only a handful of early warning systems like SASMEX exist anywhere in the world. This means that Grillo will unlikely have government sourced data and advanced sensor system set up near major fault lines to tap into in many other locations. Meira and his colleagues have anticipated such difficulties. He speaks of the next stage of the Grillo project which will see hundreds of specially developed sensors placed all over Mexico, feeding into an algorithm that will provide early-warning alerts to apps and smartphones. Warning app . Known as Grillo Active, the tiny orange devices contain a sensitive movement detector, microprocessor and a WiFi module to transmit a signal. Grillo are currently in talks with a major convenience store chain to locate the devices at between 500 and 1,000 of their stores around Mexico. Such a wide spread will ensure more reliable and faster alerts. "The real test of a good infrastructure is the density of sensors," Meira said. "This is our plan in Mexico." Given that the devices can be produced cheaply and located anywhere with an internet connection, the potential for Grillo to be used in a variety of vulnerable areas around the world is very real. Japan remains the only nation in the world where the entire country is hooked up to an early warning facility. And that system, which consists of 1,000 GPS sensors. For now, however, this fledgling group's focus remains on Mexico. The first small batch of Grillo boxes produced have been sold, although they haven't yet seen any action in the field. Mexico's last earthquake was recorded about six months ago, when the device was still in the prototype phase. Meira hopes that the acid test doesn't come too soon, but he expects a solid performance from his invention when it does. "The science is all there," he said. "We have tested it out in two earthquakes and they worked just fine. One was a seven pointer (on the Richter scale) and it worked perfectly." Now, they await the next earthquake.

Grillo is a device that aims to bring a low-cost earthquake warning system to the masses in Mexico . A number of major fault lines are situated along Mexico's Pacific Coast . Some say a widespread program of public education is required so people know what to do when seismic activity occurs .

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(CNN) -- Bayern Munich's record winning start to the Bundesliga season came to an abrupt end Sunday as they were stunned 2-1 at home by Bayer Leverkusen. Going into the match at the Allianz Arena, Bayern had racked up eight straight wins, but a late own goal by their German international defender Jerome Boateng saw them slip to defeat. They still have a four-point lead at the top from Schalke, while Leverkusen have moved up to fifth. The visitors took the lead when Andre Schuerrle left striker Stefan Kiessling with a close range tap-in after 42 minutes. Bayern drew level with 13 minutes remaining as striker Mario Mandzukic headed home, but Leverkusen were to enjoy their first win in Munich since 1989. Boateng's attempted to head away a shot but it just flew past goalkeeper Manuel Neuer on 86 minutes. In other action, Eintracht Frankfurt missed the chance to move back above Schalke when they lost 2-1 at Stuttgart. Snow can't stop Dortmund victory . Vedad Ibisevic scored Stuttgart's winner for the second straight week. Alexander Meier had leveled for Frankfurt after Christian Gentner's sixth-minute opener for the home side . Borussia Moenchengladbach came from two down to score three late goals in a 3-2 win at Hanover. In Serie A, champions Juventus maintained their lead at the top with a controversial 1-0 win at Catania, who finished with 10 men. Chilean star Arturo Vidal put Juve ahead after 57 minutes before Catania defender Giovanni Marchese was sent off mid-way through the second half. But the real arguments came in the first half as Catania thought they had gone ahead when Argentine striker Ruben Bergessio tapped home a rebound. The referee ruled it out to the fury of the home side and their president Antonino Pulvirenti, who was sent from the bench for dissent. Inter Milan kept up their pursuit of the Old Lady with their fifth straight win, 3-2 at Bologna to stay four points behind. Andrea Ranocchia and Diego Milito put Inter 2-0 ahead before Nicolo Cherubin hit back for the home side. Esteban Cambiasso's first goal of the season sealed three points for the Nerazzurri. In La Liga, Atletico Madrid drew level on points with Barcelona at the top as man of the moment Radamel Falcao scored his 10th league goal of the season in their 3-1 win over Osasuna. Joao Miranda and Raul Garcia put Atletico 2-0 ahead in the Vincente Calderon Stadium before Roland Lamah pulled one back for Osasuna, who stay bottom of the table. Falcao sealed the three points 17 minutes from time. In the late match, reigning champions Real Madrid won 5-0 in Mallorca with Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain both scoring twice. But they remained eight points adrift of the leading pair in fourth place.

Bayern Munich beaten 2-1 at home by Bayer Leverkusen . First defeat in Bundesliga after eight straight wins . Juventus stay top in Italy after 1-0 victory at Catania . Atletico Madrid draw level on points with Barcelona in Spain .

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Washington (CNN) -- In one ill-fated fundraiser, Mitt Romney managed to offend Palestinians, Latinos and some of the same people he's counting on for support if he wants to unseat President Barack Obama. It isn't the first time Romney's oratory fumbles have put his campaign on its heels, handed opponents material to push the stereotype of him as an out-of-touch businessman and provoked members of the party's conservative base to question his worthiness as their standard-bearer. "Everybody has the same reaction: 'dumb, dumb, dumb,'" said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, adding that Romney's gaffes reinforce a sitcom-like caricature of the candidate. Opinion: What's wrong with Romney . After the tape, recorded during a May 17 private fundraiser at the home of Sun Capital executive Marc Leder, made the rounds on Monday, Romney convened a hastily scheduled news conference Monday night in which he said his comments were "off the cuff" and "not elegantly stated." However, he defended the main message of his remarks, saying he that while he could have made them "more clearly," he said he was trying to point out the differences between his and Obama's campaigns. Democratic pundits gloated and were content to let Romney's words speak for themselves. "I mean, I don't think Democrats had much to say at all. I mean, there wasn't much left to say," Democratic strategist Richard Socarides said on CNN's "Early Start." "Look, I mean, I think that, you know, big picture, this is a -- was a devastating moment for Governor Romney, potentially fatal, as people start to focus on this campaign." Narratives at work . Another Democratic strategist said that Romney's comments played into the two narratives that they have pushed: "First, that he doesn't care about the middle class. Well, thanks for the help, Mitt," Paul Begala, a CNN contributor and a senior adviser in the leading pro-Obama super PAC Priorities USA, said on CNN's "AC360." "On the second front ... in order to give big tax cuts for the rich, Mitt Romney is going to have to raise taxes on the middle class. Well, when you're claiming to wealthy people that 47 percent of Americans don't pay federal income tax, I think a lot of those people, retirees, working class folks are going to listen to that and think, 'Gee, I guess the Democrats are right. I guess he does want to raise the taxes on the middle class in order to help the rich.'" Republican strategist Margaret Hoover, who served in the Bush White House, said the comments would wound Romney but it wouldn't be a fatal one. Video threatens Romney campaign . "You can understand while he tripped over his words, it probably wasn't characterized the best way. I think we can all agree with that," she said on "Early Start." "You can understand what he was trying to say. Do we have a systemic problem in this country when you have almost 50 percent of people not paying any federal income taxes? And he's running on a platform that would fundamentally change the tax code so that you lower the base, broaden the base and lower tax rates across the board." Reaction from other conservatives was mixed. While some some applauded Romney's comments, others saw them as reinforcing why they questioned his legitimacy. CNN contributor and conservative blogger Erick Erickson tweeted: "Dammit! I'm just now seeing these Romney secret videos. We need that guy on the campaign trail!" Others, such as New York Times columnist, David Brooks, wrote "Romney's comment is a country-club fantasy. It's what self-satisfied millionaires say to each other. It reinforces every negative view people have about Romney." And conservative commentator Bill Kristol, a frequent critic of Romney, called the remarks "stupid and arrogant." "It's worth recalling that a good chunk of the 47 percent who don't pay income taxes are Romney supporters — especially of course seniors (who might well "believe they are entitled to heath care," a position Romney agrees with), as well as many lower-income Americans (including men and women serving in the military) who think conservative policies are better for the country even if they're not getting a tax cut under the Romney plan. So Romney seems to have contempt not just for the Democrats who oppose him, but for tens of millions who intend to vote for him," Kristol posted on The Weekly Standard on Tuesday. Romney campaign responds . A Romney adviser tried to put the comments in context: . "What he's saying is there are people out there who don't pay taxes, unfortunately," Bay Buchanan, a senior adviser, said on CNN's "Starting Point" on Tuesday. "They're in a position where they're dependent on government, and those individuals are -- those Americans are voting for Barack Obama. They're in his backyard. And so those are people that I'm not going to be able to reach with my 20 percent tax cut or my cuts in spending because they would be concerned. It's not going to impact them getting a 20 percent tax cut. They don't pay taxes." Romney's comments were recorded by a hidden camera and posted Monday afternoon on the left-leaning news websites Mother Jones and The Huffington Post. Romney argued nearly half of Americans will vote for Obama because they rely on government support. Adding to his argument about entitlement, Romney said his "job is not to worry about those people." He also joked about wishing he had Latino heritage and talks about a Chinese factory his former firm purchased. A clip released Tuesday morning showed Romney questioning the prospect of ever reaching peace between Israelis and Palestinians, calling a path to a solution in the region "almost unthinkable to accomplish." "I'm torn by two perspectives in this regard," Romney is shown saying in a clip that only shows only the candidate speaking and does not include any questions that may have prompted his remarks. "One is the one which I've had for some time, which is that the Palestinians have no interest whatsoever in establishing peace, and that the pathway to peace is almost unthinkable to accomplish." Opinion: How Romney really feels about the GOP . With two weeks until the first presidential debate and less than two months before the election, the timing couldn't be worse, political experts say. The Romney campaign had banked on its convention last month to make a favorable introduction of Romney to the electorate, a large part of it just beginning to pay attention to the election. But a CNN/ORC International poll conducted after the convention showed Romney gained only a 1% rise in the polls while Obama gained three to four times that much following the Democrats' convention. Romney's acceptance speech was largely overshadowed by a rambling, off-the-cuff monologue by actor Clint Eastwood, which preceded it. Last week, Romney was criticized by Democrats and Republicans alike for an aggressive and politically charged response to violent attacks on U.S. embassies in Egypt and Libya. After the attacks, Romney in a statement said, "It's disgraceful that the Obama administration's first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks." Series of gaffes . Over the weekend, Politico posted a story that detailed tensions within Romney's campaign and on Monday the campaign launched a new effort to inject energy and fresh policy details with a series of speeches and advertising. "There's been a bit of bad luck involved in some of it," said John Geer, chairman of Vanderbilt University's political science department. "It's not a surprise that these blunt remarks are going to be made in front of this type of audience. Here's a guy who's trying to work on his image about caring and this doesn't help him at all." Romney has been plagued by a series of gaffes during his presidential run. He joked with unemployed workers in Florida in June 2011 that he, too, was also unemployed. In January of this year, he told a crowd of supporters that he likes "being able to fire people" in a talk about insurance companies. He went on to say that if someone didn't provide adequate services, he liked to be able to find someone else who would. But critics took the first part of the quote used it to paint him as a venture capitalist focused only on a company's bottom line. Controversial video shows candid Romney . In a February interview, Romney told CNN that he is "not concerned about the very poor," citing the safety net in place by the American government and said that his primary focus is the middle class. But it was the first part of the sentence that critics pounced on as evidence of Romney's elitism, while conservatives said the safety net he talked about only encouraged a welfare state. Later that month, at a campaign stop at the Daytona 500 NASCAR race, Romney told a reporter that while he might not follow the sport as closely as the most ardent fans, "I have some great friends who are NASCAR team owners." And at an event in Detroit, he tried to prove he was behind the American automotive industry by saying that he drove a Ford Mustang and a Chevrolet pickup and that his wife, Ann, "drives a couple of Cadillacs." Defenders sought to defuse the controversy by pointing to Obama's comments during the 2008 Democratic primaries about "bitter" people who "cling to guns or religion." But those comments came long before the general election and did little to harm him with voters. Romney's comments will serve as a distraction in coming days but there's still opportunities for him to get back on track with a weak economy and high jobless rate. "He's a tough campaigner Romney. ... I don't think one should rule him out," Geer said. "The fundamentals are still a problem for Obama." iReport: Weigh in about Romney . I'm the 47% but - You're WRONG Mitt Romney! 4,000 millionaires in Romney's '47%' Jim Acosta, Peter Hamby, Ashley Killough, Kevin Liptak, Jeanne Sahadi and Rachel Streitfeld contributed to this report.

GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney's verbal gaffes have once again stymied his campaign's ability to control the narrative . Democrats were gleeful, while Republicans left scrambling after Romney's comments . Less than two months before the election, Romney's challenge is to steer clear of speaking slip ups; hammer Obama on the economy .

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(CNN) -- So many visitors to Turkey see little more than the beautiful but crowded Mediterranean coast or the great mosques and palaces of Istanbul. But the country is huge, and there are many more attractions away from the tourist hotspots. Relics of vanished civilizations, a vast inland sea with a water-loving cat and a Biblical mountain with views deep into Iran and Armenia are just some of the reasons to go. 1. See it all from a train . For people who like intrepid journeys but like them even more when they're sitting or lying down, the Turkish rail system is heaven. From February 2014, if all goes to plan, you'll be able to whiz between Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey's capital, on a new high speed train. East of Ankara the pace slows. The Dogu Expresi (Eastern Express) leaves nightly at 6 p.m. and takes just more than 24 hours to trundle from Ankara to Kars, almost 1,500 kilometers away in the remote northeast. It stops at the cities of Kayseri, Sivas and Erzurum, passes through the rolling fields of Anatolia and ends among snow-topped eastern mountains. The two-berth cabins have a mini-fridge stocked with mineral water and soft drinks, and washbasins with hot and cold running water. A porter makes your bed and brings drinks and snacks during the day, and there's a dining car. You can book online at Turkish State Railways, or by phone (+90 0216 337 8724), but the English version of the site is clunky -- it's easier to book through a travel agent or buy tickets at a station. Tickets cost $45 in a one-berth cabin on the Ankara-Kars route. 2. Hunt rare ruins . It sometimes feels that you can't walk more than a few paces in Turkey without stubbing your toe on some millennia-old relic. Some sites -- such as ever-popular Ephesus -- are packed with visitors almost all year round. But remarkably few people visit the equally spectacular Aphrodisias, where you can wander around a square kilometer of ruined temples and theaters with only tortoises for company. The site reached its zenith around 2,000 years ago, when it was famed for its sculptors. You can see some of their work in the excellent on-site museum. Aphrodisias is around 160 kilometers from the coastal resorts of Bodrum, Marmaris or Kusadasi. The easiest way to get there is by car, and car rental is available at all resorts and at Dalaman Airport. Ancient Aphrodisias, Geyre Bedesi, Karcasu; +90 256 448 8003; open (site and museum) April-October, daily 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; November-March, daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; admission TL10 ($4.50) 3. Sail an inland sea . Up to 400 meters deep and almost 120 kilometers across, Lake Van is a true inland sea. With no outlet, its waters are saturated with mineral salts that turn the shallows milky blue. In its depths, colonies of extremophile bacteria form weird, 40-meter-high towers. Only one kind of fish -- pearl mullet or inci kefali -- has adapted to live in its hyper-alkaline waters. Van is also famous for a breed of water-loving and often odd-eyed cat, and is rumored to have its own monster. You can swim in the shallows, where it's almost impossible to sink beneath the surface. More than a thousand years ago, the lake was part of the kingdom of Armenia. The ancient Armenian Surb Kach (Holy Cross) church on Akdamar Island, three kilometers from thev lake shore, has remarkable frescoes and carvings, which have recently been restored. It can be visited by a combination of dolmus and small boat from Gevas, about 50 kilometers from Van. Grand Deniz Turizm, Van-Tatvan Highway, 40 kilometers from GevaÅŸ and Van (+90 432 612 4038), offers boat trips to Akdamar and other islands in the lake. 4. Cycle among mountains . Turkey has thousands of miles of mountain and forest trails. Some of the most spectacular cycling country is in the Kackar mountain range and the valley of the River Coruh, where you can also go whitewater rafting. With several peaks rising well above 3,000 meters (the highest, Kackardagi, is 3,932 meters high), these mountains are snow-covered much of the year. In summer -- the best time to visit is June to August -- they're cooler than better known cycling spots closer to the Med. For a really big adventure, you can follow mountain roads all the way down to the Black Sea coast and fly back to Istanbul or Ankara from Trabzon. You can fly to Erzurum from Istanbul or Ankara, or take the train (see above). The Coruh Valley is around 120 kilometers north of Erzurum and more than a thousand kilometers east of Istanbul. 5. Follow an epic walking trail . The Lycian Way feels like a path trodden by the ancients but in fact this walking route stretching from the Aegean coast to the Mediterranean was pioneered in 2000 by an Antalya-based expat, Kate Clow. For most of its length, it parallels the Lycian coast, but it soars to 1,800 meters above sea level at its highest point, the shoulder of Tahtali Dag (Mt Tahtali). The best place to start (or finish) is the small resort of Olu Deniz -- there are village guesthouses and campsites along the way. You need at least four weeks to walk the entire 509-kilometer distance, but public transport is plentiful -- so you can walk for a week, or even just for a day or two. Several airlines fly to both Dalaman (about 50 kilometers from Olu Deniz) and Antalya from Istanbul and direct from European airports. Best times to go are April-May and October. More information at Lycianway.com or Cultureroutesinturkey.com . 6. Climb Mt. Ararat . Noah's Ark is said to have come to rest on top of Turkey's highest mountain, the 5,137-meter Agri Dagi (Mt. Ararat). Some believe it's still there. From the summit of Ararat, you can see a vast swath of Turkey and deep into Iran and Armenia. Ararat is a hard slog, requiring some technical mountain skills. The terrain is rugged, and climbers must contend with extremes of heat and cold -- the highest summit is snow-covered all year, and summer temperatures at the foot of the mountain can reach more than 30 C. It's essential to go with a trustworthy specialist company, avoiding amateur local guides who claim to know the mountain but lack skills needed for a safe trip. Getting to the top and back takes at least five days, using mules to carry tents and supplies. The ascent starts from the the city of Dogubayazit, about 1,500 kilometers east of Istanbul. Nearest major airports are at Erzurum and Van, both around 4-5 hours' drive. Turkish Mountaineering Federation, Hani A Blok Kat 4, 06050 Ulus, Ankara; +90 312310 1578 . Getting around . Travel in Turkey is affordable and efficient. If you mix and match road, rail and air transport, there's no part of the country you can't reach. Every town has its otogar (bus station), from which air-conditioned, long-distance coaches zoom to all points of the compass. On board, you can expect free tea, soft drinks, water, snacks and a squirt of eau de cologne from smartly dressed stewards. You can buy tickets in advance, but you should shop around for the best fare, because several lines compete on each route. For shorter journeys, you can pile into a dolmus. These minibuses run on fixed routes, but not at fixed times -- they leave when they're full. Turkish Airlines (+ 90 212 444 0849) flies to Istanbul and Ankara from major cities worldwide, with connections to Antalya, Dalaman, Erzurum, Trabzon and Van from Istanbul and Ankara. Other internal airlines with extensive domestic networks include Atlasjet (+90 850 222 0000) which flies to Antalya, Erzurum and Trabzon from Istanbul; Onur Air (+90 850 210 6687) flies to Antalya, Dalaman, Erzurum and Trabzon from Istanbul; Pegasus (+90 850 250 0737) flies to Erzurum and Van from Istanbul and Ankara. GoTurkey.com is the official Turkish national tourist office site.

Turkey is huge yet most visitors stick to a tiny part of it . Ancient ruins abound -- some of the best are weirdly under-visited . There's an inland sea with a water-loving, odd-eyed cat . And a mountain where Noah's Ark got stuck -- apparently .

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(CNN) -- As the world knows, peace can sometimes be fleeting. One-time basketball bad boy Ron Artest, who changed his name to Metta World Peace and said it was meaningful and inspirational, was ejected Sunday from the Los Angeles Lakers-Oklahoma City Thunder game for hitting James Harden in the head with his elbow. After scoring against the Thunder in the second quarter, World Peace was cheering his own shot when he hit the Oklahoma City guard in the back of the head, knocking him down. Watch the NBA.com video of the hit . Harden was on the floor for several minutes, and did not return to the game after being diagnosed with a concussion, according to the Thunder. World Peace was ejected from the game and faces possible suspension. The Lakers won 114-106 over the Thunder in double overtime. "During that play I just dunked on (Kevin Durant) and (Serge) Ibaka, and I got really emotional and excited. It was unfortunate that James had to get hit with an unintentional elbow," World Peace told reporters after the game. "I hope he's OK. The Thunder, they're playing for a championship this year, so I hope that he's OK and I apologize to the Thunder and to James Harden," he said. Hours later, World Peace tweeted that he watched the replay again: "Oooo .. My celebration of the dunk really was too much ... Didn't even see James ... Omg... Looks bad." Harden told ABC's Lisa Salters he had "a little bit of a headache." On Monday, the Thunder said Harden was undergoing testing. "Harden participated in a series of limited activities per NBA guidelines, but has additional steps that must be taken under the league-mandated concussion policy before he can make his return to the court," the team statement said. "He will be re-evaluated tomorrow and is currently listed as day-to-day." World Peace's act was called "disgraceful" by game commentators, and sports analysts said the behavior was reminiscent of the ball player they once knew as Ron Artest. "He has gone to such lengths to rehabilitate his image, and to revert back to this? He lost control," said Michael Wilbon, an ESPN analyst. Sports fans were baffled, some even amused, when World Peace announced last year that he planned to legally change his name from Ron Artest. "Ron Artest has contemplated the name change for years and always knew that he wanted his last name to be World Peace. But it took many years of research and soul searching to find a first name that was both personally meaningful and inspirational," his publicist said at the time. Back when World Peace was still Artest and playing for the Indiana Pacers, he made headlines in 2004 for his role in a brawl between players and fans at a Pacers-Pistons game after somebody threw a drink on him. The NBA suspended Artest for 86 games. Fast forward to September 2011, when Artest announced the name change. Even before it was finalized by the court, World Peace was working on making the world a more peaceful place. In 2011, he raffled off his 2010 NBA Championship ring to help mentally ill youths. For his work with the youth, he was given the NBA's citizenship award for philanthropic work. A star turn on "Dancing With the Stars" garnered the basketball player a new legion of fans. But in the world, peace sometimes comes with a price: The NBA is now reviewing World Peace's less than peaceable actions.

NEW: The Oklahoma City Thunder says James Harden is undergoing testing . World Peace of the Los Angeles Lakers knocks down Thunder's Harden . World Peace, formerly known as Ron Artest, is ejected from the Lakers-Thunder game . Harden tells ABC he has "a little bit of a headache"

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(CNN) -- Over the past few weeks almost a third of all Americans headed back to classrooms -- from early learning centers to universities, as students and as teachers -- accompanied by the usual seasonal mix of joys and jitters. Or perhaps not. Lately it seems we've been inundated with bad news: The nation's report card is crummy; schools are broke and failing; graduates can't find jobs. And with competition for resources putting increased pressure on standardized test scores, cheating scandals have become practically ho-hum. Among all these headlines resides a more quietly sobering fact: This year's high school graduates will be the first educated entirely under the No Child Left Behind Act. In other words, a whole generation of kids who've grown up with an emphasis on multiple choice testing, who've been taught that knowing the one right answer is more important than the process of inquiry, who've learned that admitting "I don't know" is a crime. But the problem isn't simply with a narrowly conceived educational policy. Pressure to know the right answer (or, more precisely, to appear to know) isn't limited to the classroom. It's pervasive throughout our culture -- a reality at once daunting and hopeful. Daunting because it means real reform will require more widespread change. Hopeful because it means there's something every one of us can do about it. Maybe even starting today. I'm talking about breaking the habit of faking knowledge in order to save face. For most of us, the fear of not knowing -- of looking dumb -- gets ingrained when we're small and reinforced throughout life in ways both subtle and overt. For every time someone reassured us, "There's no such thing as a stupid question," weren't there ample experiences -- on the playground, at the dinner table, and yes, in the classroom -- that convinced us otherwise? Anyone who's ever been reprimanded or ridiculed for revealing ignorance knows all too well: The taste of shame is bitter and lingering. We'll go to great lengths to avoid it, often without deliberate thought. How many times have I found myself nodding in feigned recognition when someone makes reference to a person or book they assume I know? How many times have I been guilty of unwittingly inflicting similar discomfort on others? In some walks of life, presenting a knowing demeanor is practically a job requirement. One financial adviser recalls how, early in his career, he was so anxious to impress upon his clients that he knew was he was doing, he'd use meetings to "information dump" -- only subsequently learning that they'd been too embarrassed to speak up and confess they had no idea what he was talking about. A surgeon tells about the time when, as a new intern, afraid to admit unfamiliarity with a procedure and ask questions, she plunged in confidently -- and made an incision four times longer than the patient had been told the scar would be. Politicians routinely face shame if they confess to not knowing. Remember Rick Perry's memory lapse during the 2011 Republican primary debate? It seems we'll forgive our elected officials just about any breach of ethics, but let them admit to anything less than invulnerable certainty and they can kiss our vote goodbye. For the past several years, I've made a conscious effort to be candid about the limits of my own knowledge. As a college teacher, I've discussed this intention explicitly with students and colleagues. Guess what? I'm mortified to report: Despite my public resolution to practice this most essential form of academic integrity, I still catch myself engaging in a kind of knee-jerk, face-saving, passive dissimulation on a semi-regular basis. Based on what I hear from others, I'm not alone. Such behavior is apparently endemic. So what are we to do? For starters, talk about it. Own up to instances when we faked knowledge. Initiate conversations about what makes us more or less susceptible to this behavior. You're likely to hear some funny stories, and the experience of shared vulnerability is humanizing and makes for closer connections. Best of all, it creates an environment in which all stand to grow. My friend Lori, during her years as a high school history teacher, constantly encouraged her students to play in the wide-open spaces of uncertainty. One way she did this was by sharing her own gaps in knowledge. She'd model not just her comfort with not having figured everything out, but her delight in it. This, she seemed to convey, was where real intellectual pleasure lay: in the adventure of exploring the unknown. Often she'd assign Shakespeare as a way of getting students to think about power and status. She'd have them read one of the plays, then ask: "Who's more powerful in this scene?" Her students, anxious to deliver the "right" answer, would demand clarification. "What do you mean? Powerful how?" Lori would shrug and unfurl her fingers: Nothing up my sleeves. This isn't a trick. If her students protested, she'd say simply, "That's all I know." And so they'd be forced to grapple not only with the answer to her question, but with the meaning of her question, with the definition of power in the first place, which she, the authority figure, had just handed over to them: You guys figure it out. You decide. In this way, they were learning about history and drama but also about shifts in power, and who may wield it, and how classrooms can work and how societies can work, and about the very nature of "right" answers as opposed to the illimitable richness of interrogating the questions. This is what excites me when I think of heading back to school this fall: the prospect of bringing such generous, generative energy into the classroom. Perhaps filling in the ovals with number two pencils is important for helping us understand how far we are from achieving equity in schools across the nation. That is a vital project, deserving urgent attention. But we won't ever achieve equity -- let alone excellence -- if we don't also work to make our schools places where we all feel safe saying "I don't know." The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Leah Hager Cohen.

This year's high school grads will have been entirely taught under No Child Left Behind . Leah Cohen: There's too much emphasis on memorizing the right answer rather than encouraging inquiry . She says people are deathly afraid of admitting that they don't know something . Cohen: Our fear of ignorance keeps us from learning as much as we should .

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(CNN)Japan's Shimanami Kaido might be an expressway, but it was designed with the cyclist in mind. A spectacular 60-kilometer road-and-bridge network connecting Japan's main island of Honshu with Shikoku (the nation's fourth largest island), it spans six smaller islands in the process and features bike and pedestrian lanes for its entire length. The sublime scenery of the Shimanami Kaido (Island-Wave-Sea Route) runs from Onomichi in Hiroshima Prefecture down to Imabari in Ehime Prefecture. Whichever way you travel, the views of the Seto Inland Sea National Park are sublime. Cycling gives you the freedom to stop for a photo halfway across a bridge or detour to investigate lighthouses, shrines and natural wonders most automobile travelers zip past. With 14 cycle rental terminals along the way, you can go at your own pace, spend a night at a campsite or inn or just hand your bike in at the nearest rental terminal and hop on a bus. Some terminals even have electric bicycles for hire. Experienced cyclists will be able to complete the entire route -- there are a few challenging spots -- in a few hours. Here's a look at some of the highlights. Starting point: Onomichi . As of March, Onomichi is home to Japan's first hotel designed exclusively for cyclists: Hotel Cycle in the Onomichi U2 building, just five minutes' walk from the JR station. Manager Katsunori Takahashi is huge cycling enthusiast, and it shows. You can park your bike in your room, and there's even a cycle-through restaurant. Taiwanese bike manufacturer Giant has a store in U2 catering to cyclists: bikes, accessories, repairs. U2's Shima Shop sells local produce such as lemon comfiture and dried debera (five-spot flounder), an Onomichi delicacy. As for Onomichi itself, the town was built on a hillside overlooking the sea, so the best way to see it before you head onto the Shimanami Kaido is to catch the ropeway to the top of Senkoji Hill and enjoy the panorama. The walk down the Path of Literature is pleasant -- it winds past past boulders engraved with works by famous writers who've stayed in Onomichi over the centuries. You'll see the splendid Senkoji Temple, which dates from 806 AD, one of the oldest temples in Japan. A stamina boost comes in the form of Onomichi's legendary ramen. Tsutafuji is one of the most popular ramen shops in town. It's a mom and pop waterfront bar near the JR station that's been open more than 50 years. There are just 10 stools inside, so you may have wait a while. Once inside, you'll get a bowlful of noodles topped with pork in a pork-bone-and-fish broth. 'Orchard of Japan' After a day in Onomichi, it's time to roll. As soon as you've crossed Onomichi Strait and reached Mukaishima Island, you'll find yourself in a serene realm of citrus groves, set in the folds of forest-clad mountains. Citrus is big business here. The town of Setoda is Japan's number one producer of lemons, while Ehime Prefecture is known as the Orchard of Japan. There are tangerines, oranges and hybrid fruits unique to these islands, such as anseikan (a cannonball-sized grapefruit). Citrus-related products abound: cakes, jams, honey, sauces, juices. World's longest suspension bridge . As you breeze across the routes magnificent bridges (seven of them), a labyrinth of misty islands unfolds below. There are inhabited islands, desert islands and islands that are no more than a rock with a lone pine tree clinging to it. A procession of trawlers, tugs and speedboats glides in and out the channels. As for those bridges, their exquisite state of the art forms make them an attraction in their own right. Tatara is one of the world's longest cable-stayed bridges -- its elegant 220-meter-high steel towers represent the folded wings of a crane. At 4,045 meters long, Kurushima Bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the world. Temples, fusion food, stunning sea . Deep in the heart of rural Japan, there's a rich amount of art and culture to enjoy. Kosanji Temple on Ikuchijima Island is a must-visit. Built in 1936 by Buddhist priest Koso Kosanji in memory of his mother, this wonderland of temples, pagodas and natural beauty took more than 30 years to complete. Each building is modeled on famous temple buildings in Kyoto, Nikko and elsewhere, so visiting is like taking a stroll through Japanese history. For the perfect ending to a trip (should you choose to loop back the way you came) you can't go wrong with the Bella Vista Hotel in the hills outside Onomichi. The rooms are huge and offer views over the supreme serenity of the island-dotted sea. There's exquisite fusion in the hotel's Italian restaurant (blowfish and tagliarini). The hotel spa is open to the elements on one side, allowing fresh ocean breezes to cool your skin as you boil to a jelly while watching Jupiter rise over the Seto Sea. Travel info . Shinkansen bullet trains depart Tokyo regularly for Shin-Onomichi station -- the trip takes about 4.5 hours. Domestic flights between Tokyo and Hiroshima take about an hour and 20 minutes. Bicycles can be rented for 500 yen a day (children 300 yen). Tolls totaling 500 yen (about $5) are required for all bridge crossings. By car, the tolls are about 4,000 yen one way. A free shuttle bus to the Bella Vista Hotel runs from Onomichi JR station. The Tourist Office in the station can arrange it for you. Steve John Powell is a Hiroshima-based travel writer who has contributed to the Japan Times, CNN Travel and the South China Morning Post. Originally published May 2014. Updated April 3, 2015. CNN Travel's series often carries sponsorship originating from the countries and regions we profile. However CNN retains full editorial control over all of its reports. Read the policy.

Japan's Shimanami Kaido is a spectacular 60-kilometer road and bridge network . The whole route has cycle lanes and offers views of the Seto Inland Sea National Park . Cyclists cross the 4,045-meter Kurushima Bridge, the world's longest suspension bridge .

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(CNN) -- Sometimes it takes just one. One person-- one idea -- to ignite a movement that changes lives. Helping the millions of people who've fled the war in Syria may seem a challenge far too big for small relief efforts. The U.N. calls it the worst humanitarian crisis in a generation. The needs are staggering. And yet, for some people, it's just not an option to do nothing. I AM NOT A TOURIST . Tanya Khalil says she refuses to be a neutral observer. Her country, Lebanon, is taking in more Syrian refugees than any other -- nearly 1 million at last official count -- despite its tiny size. The university student says it's impossible to walk the streets of Beirut without seeing reminders of the suffering -- some refugees searching for food, others sleeping on sidewalks. "We cannot think somebody else will take care of it," Khalil says. "We are that somebody. Each and every one of us is that somebody and it is our duty towards one another to be caring and compassionate souls." Khalil started a group called I AM NOT A TOURIST. The name was meant as a wake-up call to her fellow Lebanese -- that the Syrian crisis was now on their doorstep and they could no longer act like bystanders. She couldn't stand the thought of Syrian refugees shivering in brutally cold temperatures while she and her friends were sleeping in their warm beds. They began collecting winter clothing and blankets for refugees in Akkar and the Bekaa Valley in north Lebanon. Khalil estimates 4,500 people donated items, filling 25 huge trucks. "We ended up with more than 10,200 'bags of love,' " she says. Unlike other host countries, Lebanon has no formal refugee camps. Refugees there are scattered across some 1,600 locations, complicating aid distribution. Khalil partnered with established NGOs to help with logistics: Sawa for Syria and War Child Holland. The United Nations estimates nearly 2.5 million Syrians are seeking shelter in Lebanon and in other neighboring states, but that accounts for only registered refugees. The true number could be much higher. And the crisis is only getting worse, as thousands of Syrians flee across the border each day. Sweaters for Syria . Ranya Alkadamani was half a world away when she felt compelled to help. It all started with a conversation with her brother. An Australian citizen living in Perth, Alkadamani has Syrian parents and family in Beirut. Her brother was heading to Beirut and asked if she had any old sweaters that he could take for a U.N. relief effort. She said sure -- and then realized she could do something even bigger. She sent an e-mail to work colleagues, asking if they had any sweaters to contribute. The note touched her boss, who called her and said he wanted to help start a campaign and that he would pay for shipping the sweaters. It became known as Sweaters for Syria. Alkadamani says she was overwhelmed by the response. She was worried that they wouldn't receive enough donations to fill even one container, but "in two weeks, we pretty much filled the Salvation Army's warehouse with 1,000 bags." The campaign inspired people across Perth. One 6-year-old boy is said to have collected 600 sweaters on his own. "When people know there's something tangible that they can do to make a difference, they'll do it," Alkadamani says. She cried when she saw all the bags piled up in the warehouse -- 100,000 sweaters in all. "Everyone was so generous and they cared as much as I did, and they're not even Syrian," she says. "That was overwhelming." The bags were delivered to the UNHCR for distribution in Turkey and Jordan. Alkadamani visited Jordan this month, helping to hand out sweaters to refugees who were crossing the border. She also visited Zaatari, a sprawling camp in the desert now home to nearly 125,000 refugees. That effectively makes it one of the largest cities in Jordan, and one of the largest refugee camps in the world. Life is harsh there, a far cry from the comforts of home refugees left in Syria. The war doesn't discriminate -- people from all walks of life have been forced to leave behind virtually everything they own. Alkadamani says she wants the world to understand that "the people in those camps are just like you and me." Khalil also stresses that point. She says Syrian refugees are just normal people -- from doctors to pharmacists to teachers -- with normal lives before the war tore their world apart. You can do something too . Major aid agencies like UNHCR are overwhelmed with the sheer scale of this crisis, so grassroots efforts can play an important role in filling the gaps. Aid organizations also encourage groups to raise cash donations, as they provide the flexibility to meet particular needs by trained relief workers. In all of these ways, individual efforts can make a difference in the face of enormous suffering. It starts with a simple idea -- and the willingness to act. You too can make an impact for Syrian refugees go to CNN.com/impact for large and small ways to help.

Small, grassroots relief efforts help Syrian refugees survive a harsh winter. The Lebanese group "I AM NOT A TOURIST" collected thousands of "bags of love" in Beirut. Australians united to collect 100,000 "Sweaters for Syria" in Perth. You can make an impact for Syrian refugees. Go to CNN.com/impact for large and small ways to help.

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Britain's Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, is going back to work, taking on a new role as an air ambulance pilot. The duke will start training in September, a year after leaving the Royal Air Force, where he flew search and rescue helicopters. He will have his first air ambulance shift in spring 2015. It's the first time a royal who's in direct line to the throne has taken a civilian job. The East Anglian Air Ambulance is operated by a private company, Bond Air Services, but the Duke will donate his salary to charity. He'll be based near his country home on the Queen's Sandringham Estate, which should allow him to remain a hands-on dad to his one-year-old heir Prince George. A palace spokesman said Prince William was "hugely excited and motivated" by his new job. "The Duke sees this as a true form of public service, helping people in their most difficult times," the spokesman said. "He regards his work with the RAF search and rescue force as having been an exceptional privilege and the Duke wanted to make his own contribution to the outstanding work of the air ambulance service." The high-profile royal would have had to weigh up the risks of taking on a civilian, as opposed to military, role. Public interest could affect not only his work, but potentially also that of medics and patients on board his aircraft. There is the heightened possibility of phone footage emerging of his rescues which could compromise privacy and security. There's also the risk of additional hoax calls. These were not a major issues whilst Prince William was a military search and rescue pilot because he was working in a remote part of west Wales and over water. The two air ambulances in East Anglia are the most widely used in the UK and operate in a built-up area. Their usual landing spots include school playing fields; residential gardens; car parks; beaches and any open space deemed possible by the pilot. William is currently on what officials have described as a "transitional year," focusing on his royal duties and charitable work. He always planned to return to work and was keen that it would involve flying. Most air ambulance pilots have a military background like the Duke, who joined a squadron based at RAF Valley after qualifying as a search and rescue pilot in 2010. He undertook 156 search and rescue operations, resulting in 149 people being rescued. He is highly skilled. Andrew Egerton Smith, chairman of the East Anglian Air Ambulance said: "Having the Duke of Cambridge as one of our pilots is marvelous news as he brings much experience to the charity after his successful career as a search and rescue pilot. We have an outstanding track record of attending people in their hour of need which is recognized and generously supported by our local communities." William will spend the autumn and winter in training with the East Anglian Air Ambulance and, once qualified, will start co-piloting in the spring of next year. He will work from Cambridge and Norwich Airports doing both day and night shifts. The Duke is then expected to progress to the position of helicopter commander. The palace said the pilot role would be the Duke's "primary occupation." Its statement added: "But his roster will take into account the duties and responsibilities he will continue to undertake on behalf of The Queen, both in the United Kingdom and overseas. The Duke will also continue his work with his patronages and with the Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry." The Duke has always been keen on a role beyond his royal duties whilst he is still second in line to the throne. This job will allow him to balance both positions whilst having his young family close-by. The Cambridges' country house, Anmer Hall, is being renovated and is set in idyllic rural surroundings which affords the family more privacy than their official residence at Kensington Palace, London, which is constantly monitored by photographers.

Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, has taken on a new role as an air ambulance pilot . The duke previously worked as as a search and rescue pilot for the Royal Air Force . Prince William is the first royal in direct line to the British throne to have taken a civilian job . He will be based near his country home on the Queen's Sandringham Estate .

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(CNN) -- President Abraham Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd, needed a baby-sitter. It was April 18, 1864, and the Lincolns had planned to go to a fair in Baltimore, returning the next day. They needed someone to watch their 11-year-old son, Tad. A newly published letter from Mrs. Lincoln requesting a sitter gives rare insight into the family's life inside the Lincoln White House, showing one way the family had to juggle their busy schedules, just like everyone else. The letter is being offered for sale by the Raab Collection, a dealer in historical documents, valued at $15,000. It's not long -- just one line -- but the signed letter is in the first lady's hand. "Hon. Mr. Harrington, We would like to have the services of Charles from today, at 2 P.M. until tomorrow at 11 A.M. Very Resp. Mrs. Lincoln." "Charles" was Charles Forbes, a Treasury Department employee who was detailed to the Lincolns and often served as the president's valet, footman, messenger or attendant, according to the Raab Collection. George Harrington was assistant secretary of the Treasury and Forbes' boss and handled personal financial matters for the Lincolns. "Children in the White House have always held a great fascination with the American people," said Nathan Raab, vice president of the Raab Collection. "It shows the president and first lady at their most personal, their most human." Mary Todd Lincoln ended up not going to the Baltimore event, likely too burdened with preparations for a reception the next night, the final White House reception of the season, Raab says. Forbes' close family relationship soured a year later when President Lincoln was assassinated. Forbes was seated outside the president's box at Ford's Theatre and was the one who allowed the assassin, John Wilkes Booth, to enter. Forbes and the president's guard then left for a drink, leaving Lincoln unattended, Raab says. Mary Todd Lincoln ended up blaming Forbes for her husband's death. "Lincoln," a film about the 16th president and his battle to end slavery, is up for 12 Academy Awards this year, including best picture. The ceremony is scheduled to be broadcast Sunday night.

Mary Todd Lincoln requests a baby-sitter in the 1864 letter . She needed someone to watch their 11-year-old son, Tad . The letter is being offered for sale, valued at $15,000 .

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Port-Au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) -- Haiti's economy is getting a boost thanks to a venture with one of Korea's largest companies that promises to bring 20,000 garment industry jobs to a new industrial park in the north of the country. Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive were joined by members of the Interim Haitian Recovery Commission, the Inter-American Development Bank, Haitian business leaders and the chairman of Sae-A Trading Co. Ltd. at the Haiti Apparel Center in Port-au-Prince as they signed an agreement to build the North Industrial Park. It's part of an effort to rebuild the Haitian economy that began even before the earthquake struck one year ago. "This will inspire people all over Latin America, the Caribbean, the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia who have thought seriously about investing in Haiti and not come through," said Clinton. "What we need is a commitment to be competitive in getting investment and putting people to work, and then we need to build the institutions that will allow the people to flower. That is our commitment." Smiling, Bellerive said that looking back over the past year, "This is the best day of my life today." The project is expected to generate $500 million in wages and benefits over 10 years and result in Haiti's first textile mill, according to its backers. Investment in the industrial park will also include the construction of at least 5,000 homes. The United States will oversee the construction of a power grid that will provide electricity to the park and the surrounding area. The garment industry had been the prime source of Haitian exports before the earthquake and it remains so today. About 28,000 people currently work in Haiti's garment sector, manufacturing products for Gap, JCPenney, Wal-Mart, New Balance and other well-known brands. Georges Sassine owns a garment plant in Port-au-Prince that employs 530 people. He believes the garment industry holds the key to growing Haiti's economy and making the country self-sufficient. "Today, this industry represents over 50% of our earned foreign currency earnings. It also represents over 50% of the total commercial exports of Haiti," he said. Sassine didn't have a problem retaining buyers after the earthquake. "We shipped our first container 10 days after the quake. We were ready to do business." At the time, he had to ship his goods over land to the Dominican Republic before delivering them to buyers. Today, he is able to ship goods from a reopened port in the capital, Port-au-Prince.

The project began even before the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti . Clinton says it will inspire more investment in Haiti . The plans include a textile mill and 5,000 homes .

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(CNN) -- Crews in Southern California struggled to get the upper hand on a fast-moving wildfire in Santa Barbara County early Tuesday. Known as the White Fire, the blaze had already charred some 1,000 acres after getting its start Monday afternoon, U.S. Forest Service spokesman Andrew Madsen said. The flames were 5% contained. The Forest Service expects to have 700 personnel in place Tuesday morning. The Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department evacuated up to 6,000 people from the popular White Rock Campground at the end of the busy Memorial Day weekend as the wildfire advanced, public information officer Kelly Hoover said. Although the fire caused minor damage to a ranger station, it quickly moved deeper into Los Padres National Forest, away from homes and structures, according to Madsen. No injuries or fatalities have been reported. Santa Barbara is located about 85 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

The White Fire covers 1,000 acres and is 5% contained . Up to 6,000 people were evacuated from a popular camping area . The wildfire is moving away from homes and structures, authorities say .

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Yangon, Myanmar (CNN) -- The Australian editor of a Myanmar newspaper was ordered to remain in jail after a court hearing in Yangon Thursday. Officials revealed at the hearing that Ross Dunkley, the editor of the Myanmar Times, faces charges related to torturing and drugging a woman. Dunkley was arrested in early February. At the time, authorities said he faced immigration charges. At the hearing Thursday, authorities added the drug and torture charges stating that Myanmar law dictates that any foreigner who faces criminal charges always faces additional immigration charges. The woman making the allegations against Dunkley was at the hearing, and said the editor gave her a drug on two occasions that hampered her memory. On the second time, the woman said she jumped out of Dunkley's car to escape. Dunkley denied all charges and requested to be released on bond, which was denied. But in a strange twist, the woman told the judge that she wanted to drop her allegations and withdraw the case. "The woman who had made allegations of physical assault against Mr. Dunkley told the court that she wanted to withdraw her complaint," David Armstrong, chairman of Post Media Ltd. and a friend of Dunkley's who is serving as his spokesman, said in a statement. "She admitted that she made allegations during the hearing that she had not made in her initial police interview." A judge asked her to consider her request and scheduled another hearing for March 3. Officials from the Australian Embassy in Myanmar attended the hearing, Armstrong said. Myanmar Times is one of a few newspapers owned and run by a foreigner in the nation. Dunkley's arrest comes amid a business dispute with the paper's local partner. "I cannot say for sure that the cause behind Ross' arrest was driven by business dispute because I was not with him in Myanmar," said Armstrong. "But what I can say, all the troubles came to Ross at an odd timing as there was a business negotiation with his local partner going on."

Ross Dunkley was arrested in early February . The woman claims she was drugged on two occasions . She later withdraws her accusations .

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(CNN)In the gentle yet fiercely warm surrounds of the southern Ugandan countryside, Mwanja Banuli looks on as farmhands fill his truck with sugar cane. Packing this rough, woody crop is heavy going and making sure every inch of space is utilized is key. Transport costs money, after all, and this humble sugar farmer has lots of costs to consider. "There are many challenges in this business," Banuli says. "Rent for our land costs about $300 and then you need to pay people to clear the land. "You have to hire a tractor for ploughing and tilling the land. When you add up all these expenses, it's a big investment." Searching for Sugarman . In Uganda, sugar is big business. This particular batch is headed for Kakira Sugar Limited -- one of the country's oldest and largest factories. Kakira was founded by Muljibai Madhvani, an immigrant from the Indian subcontinent in the late 1920s. It's a company still going strong to this day. "What you see in the background is the first mill that was installed in 1930 to crush only 150 tons of cane," explains Kenneth Barungi, assistant general manager of Kakira at the site of the company's nearby factory. "(Kakira) started expanding every 10 years, every 20 years, modernizing, acquiring more land, introducing irrigation, expanding the crushing capacity. By (the 1970s) they were producing about 83,000 tons of sugar." "That was about 50% of all the sugar produced in Uganda. At that time they (Kakira) contributed to about 53% of the national GDP... just because of manufacturing and industry," he added. Dawn of dictatorship . It was at this time, however, that history intervened in the shape of one of the 20th century's most brutal rulers. After a military coup in 1971, army commander Idi Amin Dada seized power. The former heavyweight boxer made himself Uganda's president and a brutal dictatorship followed. The often erratic Amin praised Hitler and said the German dictator "was right to burn six million Jews." He even bizarrely offered to be king of Scotland if asked. Within a year he had expelled the country's Asian population, numbering around 35,000. After almost 50 years, the Madhvanis were no longer welcome in Uganda. Those who stayed, did so at their own risk. "When Idi Amin told every Asian to leave, they all left the country and went mainly to the UK," Barungi continued, adding that he believes this when Uganda began to economically fall apart. "All industries collapsed, all international trade collapsed. There was no longer available foreign exchange to import machinery. Even if you imported the machinery you didn't have technical expertise here to run such industries." "Within a few years Kakira Sugar Industries had collapsed, but so had infrastructure in Uganda. Social services, everything had collapsed." A new start . After Idi Amin was deposed in 1979, however, some of the ejected population slowly started coming back to Uganda. Among the returnees were the Madhvanis. The country they left behind, however, was a very different place. "The factory was a skeleton," Barungi said. "There was no longer a sugar plantation, the houses were occupied by anybody. There was no business to run so it (the plantation) was just an empty shell." The Madhvanis quickly borrowed money from the World Bank and the African Development Bank and set about rebuilding their business. It has grown rapidly over the last 25 years and now produces 18,000 tons of sugar (a year), Barungi said. But the effects of the macabre, harrowing events of recent history still linger. A sweeter deal? Some reports suggest some black Ugandan workers resented how certain sections of the Indian mercantile class treated them. These days, however, Kakira says it strives to promote a responsible philosophy for how it interacts with its workers. Not only is this the right way to engage with people in its employ, they believe, it also improves productivity and staff mobility. Kakira has built schools and hospitals to cater for their staff and their families while the company has also founded the Kakira Outgrowers Rural Development Fund (KORD), an NGO that provides the likes of workshops, loans and other services for its contractors. Besides nearly 8,000 staff members, Kakira has almost as many contract workers in the shape of farmers, like Mwanja Banuli. They farm the lands neighboring the plantations and are contracted to Kakira, supplying 70% of its sugarcane needs. "To be able to sustain business you want agricultural farmers, plantation workers, you want factory workers and the vision of Muljibhai Mudhvani was to develop human resources," Barungi said. This enlightened approach saw KORD awarded with a best NGO-business partnership award from the Ugandan Manufacturers Association. But it's the positive impact on individual lives that offers the biggest reward for many in the community. "Before KORD I was just useless," said Beatrice Katende, who has received assistance from the body's programs. "I used to work as a casual laborer for other people in the community digging in their gardens to get some income. "When KORD came into existence we learned to farm, to save and how to be self-sufficient." Through offering a hand up to people like Katende, Kakira hope to help themselves as well as provide assistance to other areas of the local economy. "The main vision was to always make sure that there is labor supply always available to work at the factory. The excess can go and work in other industries in the country," Barungi said. More from Marketplace Africa .

Kakira Sugar Limited is one of Uganda's oldest companies . The company was shuttered when its owning Indian family was expelled during the reign of Idi Amin . Today, Kakira is once again employing thousands of people in Uganda .

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(CNN) -- BlackBerry customers slammed by last week's global outage are being offered free apps, not cash, as payback for their troubles. At least a dozen apps, which would cost about $100 on the BlackBerry App World site, will be made available in the next few weeks, according to a statement released Monday by BlackBerry maker Research In Motion. "We truly appreciate and value our relationship with our customers," RIM Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis said in the statement. "We've worked hard to earn their trust over the past 12 years, and we're committed to providing the high standard of reliability they expect, today and in the future." An October 10 failure at a data center caused outages in Europe and elsewhere, RIm said. RIM throttled service to help address the outage, which spread over the next few days to Europe, the Middle East, India, Africa, Latin America and North America. Full service was restored on Thursday, according to the company. The free apps include: . * SIMS 3 . * Bejeweled . * N.O.V.A. * Texas Hold'em Poker 2 . * Bubble Bash 2 . * Photo Editor Ultimate - Ice Cold Apps . * DriveSafe.ly Pro . * Drive Safe.ly Enterprise . * Nobex Radioâ„¢ Premium . * Shazam Encore . * Vlingo Plus: Virtual Assistant . More apps will be added later, according to the statement. The first ones will become available on Wednesday and they'll stay free for the rest of the year. Business customers also will be offered a free month of technical support. The offer seemed to please at least some of BlackBerry's roughly 70 million customers. "Only 1 simple word for this... AMAZING!!!" wrote one visitor to a post on the BlackBery fan site, Crackberry. "I wasn't expecting this at all, but it is welcome." "Trust restored RIM! ... ," wrote another. "This also tells you RIM is very, very serious with surviving. No giving up for them." But response was more measured among less-enthusiastic customers. "What a useless 'compensation'," wrote one commenter on the website for London's Guardian newspaper. "What [if] somebody uses their device for communications (e.g. e-mail) rather than using loads of apps? The value in apps is totally worthless." Many had been hoping to at least be reimbursed for the amount of time their service was out. By comparison, after Sony's PlayStation Network went down this spring, the company offered players free games, a weekend of free video rentals and a free month of PlayStation Plus, a premium subscription service offering exclusive titles, discounts and other perks. That PlayStation outage lasted the better part of a month for some customers.

BlackBerry users being offered free apps after worldwide outage . No cash back or service credit is being offered so far . Some BlackBerry users saw outages between Monday and Thursday of last week . More than $100 in apps will be available between Wednesday and end of the year .

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(CNN) -- The interesting news in the latest CNN/ORC International poll that Bill Clinton is pulling a 66% favorable rating among Americans suggests the 42nd president has the power to help or hurt Barack Obama as the 2012 campaign enters its final five months. The question is: Which has he been doing more of lately? The poll was a reminder that Americans tend to be more forgiving of their presidents over time, no matter how long they served, which party they hailed from or how voters may have felt about a commander in chief at the moment he stepped down. Jimmy Carter (54%), George Herbert Walker Bush (59%) and Clinton, who have been out of office between 31 and 11 years, all earned personal approval ratings north of 50%; only George W. Bush, who stepped down three years ago, is below 50%. But even his rating has improved since he returned to private life. Being an ex-president is almost always good for your approval rating. Photos: Secrets of the Presidents Club, from Truman to Obama . The CNN poll appears at the moment when Clinton has once again been playing an outsize role on the public stage, and many have suggested all sorts of theories and reasons for maneuvering. Some have read in his comments about Mitt Romney (he called his business record "sterling") a desire to undercut Obama or set the table for a run by his wife, Hillary, in 2016. This analysis gained momentum when Clinton told CNBC that economics demanded that the Bush tax cuts should be extended temporarily. That comment led Clinton to apologize. But the evidence doesn't really support a campaign of sabotage. A simpler explanation for Clinton's capering -- and one that better fits Clinton's record -- is that he is a permanent political consultant. And his "candidate" isn't paying close attention to his advice. Clinton is trying to change the debate in the presidential campaign from one about the past to one about the future. Fighting about who did what in the 1980s, Clinton thinks, is a sure loser. Better to focus on who has the better plan going forward. (Remember the chorus of his campaign song? "Don't stop thinking about tomorrow.") So he has taken his approach to the airwaves. It is easy to forget that Clinton has differed with the White House in the past about how to frame a political race. In 2010, working through Vice President Joe Biden, he urged Obama to make the case that the president had done a number of things to improve the lives of Americans in his first two years and suggested the president campaign on his record. But the White House resisted this approach, fearing the stimulus and health care reform were not popular enough to brag about and instead tried to make the Republican agenda the issue. Clinton disagreed but (mostly) kept his mouth shut about it. He doesn't seem willing to bite his tongue now. Photos: Clinton's last days in office . Clinton isn't the first president to meddle in presidential politics after his own presidency ended. So great was his dislike of Dwight Eisenhower that Harry Truman couldn't stay out of the 1952 race and even campaigned against Ike that fall. Richard Nixon made life unpleasant for Gerald Ford in the 1976 Republican primary (and seemed determined to undercut George Bush in 1992, to Clinton's benefit). But Clinton's grudge isn't personal; it's about how best to mount and run a campaign. How much of his personal popularity Clinton will spend to win this argument is unclear, but nearing age 66, as the new poll shows, the former president has time to earn it back.

Bill Clinton is riding high in the opinion polls, with a 66% favorability rating . Michael Duffy says it's a sign that former presidents' popularity increases after White House . He says some have suggested Clinton's comments have been an effort to undermine Obama . Duffy: Clinton is more likely acting as a campaign consultant, urging point of view on Obama .

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HARARE, Zimbabwe (CNN) -- Talks among regional African leaders failed Monday to resolve a long-standing power-sharing dispute between embattled Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. South African former president Thabo Mbeki is shown at talks Monday in Harare. After the meeting a visibly angry Mugabe said talks faltered after Tsvangirai, head of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), presented proposals which differed from recommendations by the 15-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC). "The talks did not go very well. ... MDC have a proposal which is in conflict with the SADC and we opposed it and then the talks broke down," Mugabe said. "We will continue with discussions here at home. We shall continue to exchange ideas and see where the differences are with the SADC proposal." The meeting had drawn the leaders of Mozambique and South Africa, as well as former South African President Thabo Mbeki. In light of the continued stalemate, SADC executive secretary Tomaz Salamao told journalists that South African leader Kgalema Motlanthe, who is leading the SADC, had called for a summit on January 26. The meeting will be held in Botswana or South Africa. Tsvangirai blamed Mugabe for the failure of the talks. "For us as the MDC this is probably the darkest day of our lives," Tsvangirai told reporters as he left the hotel where the 12-hour-long meeting took place. "I am sure the whole nation is waiting anxiously for the resolution of this crisis. We are committed to this deal but subject to (ruling party) ZANU-PF conceding on these issues." Mugabe told the state media that Monday's meeting would be the final one, and that he would form a government without the opposition if no agreement was reached. The MDC has not been able to settle with Mugabe since signing a power sharing deal in September. Tsvangirai accuses Mugabe of keeping the most powerful portfolios in the government for his party. The ministries under contention include home affairs, finance, foreign affairs, local government, information and defense. Both Tsvangirai and Mugabe, along with Arthur Mutambara of a small faction of the MDC, are expected to attend next week's summit, Salamao said. The power-sharing deal is expected to keep Zimbabwe's melting economy from a total collapse. Zimbabwe is experiencing its worst economic and humanitarian crisis, with the highest inflation in the world officially at 231 million percent as of July 2008. Analysts say the inflation is thriving because of an acute shortage of all essentials ranging from fuel, electricity, cash and food. The United Nations estimates that about 5 million people in Zimbabwe need urgent food aid. A cholera epidemic has claimed more than 2,200 lives since its outbreak in August. The ravaging cholera has been made worse by a four-months-long industrial action by doctors and nurses demanding higher pay.

NEW: Talks collapse between President Robert Mugabe, opposition "Darkest day of our lives," says MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai . Mugabe said Monday's meeting is final one; will form government without MDC . Once-prosperous nation facing its worst economic and humanitarian crisis .

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Pro-Russian rebels released dozens of captive Ukrainian troops Sunday as part of a ceasefire deal. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said in a Twitter post that 73 troops were released in Donetsk. But despite the ceasefire, violence continued to flare in the volatile region. As shelling rocked the city throughout the day Sunday, local officials described the situation as "critical." Six civilians died and 15 were injured as the result of shelling, Donetsk's city office said on Monday. Poroshenko spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel over concerns that the ceasefire deal -- brokered earlier this month -- is being violated. They "agreed to make further efforts to settle the situation peacefully," Poroshenko's office said in a statement. In an interview with TV Tsentr pm Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the truce agreed upon in Minsk, Belarus, appeared to be holding generally and that Moscow, at least, is ready to work toward a long-term peace. "Sporadic exchanges of fire occur on both sides, but the process of establishing (a) durable peace is still in progress," he said, according to parts of that interview published by the state-run Itar-Tass news agency. Which Russian companies have been hit?

Shelling kills 6 civilians in Donetsk, city officials say . 73 Ukrainian troops are released by pro-Russian rebels in Donetsk . President Petro Poroshenko talks about ceasefire violations with German leader . As shelling continues, officials in Donetsk describe the situation as "critical"

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(CNN) -- Travel warnings from the U.S. Department of State didn't stop Faith Hentschel, 65, from venturing to Iran this May to visit the rustic sites in ancient Persepolis and the colorful bazaars in Tehran. A photo of Khaju Bridge in Isfahan, Iran, taken by an American traveler. "I had no idea what to expect," said Hentschel, who spent two weeks in Iran after booking the trip through a private tour operator and applying for a visa. "I was stunned with the friendliness of all the Iranian people. That alone makes me want to go back." Iran is still a relatively rare destination for Americans, creating a niche market for only a handful of tour operators across the nation that organize group trips for travelers once or twice a year. And with news of the arrest of three American backpackers, along with the June election riots and government crackdown, Iran may be an even harder sell, some travel companies said. "It really depends on the political climate and the perception of Iran," said Mike McDonnell, who operates the site BestIranTravel.com in San Francisco, California. The site books trips for non-Iranian travelers interested in visiting. His site saw a decline in booking travel to Iran this summer. "It's already really hard to get to Iran in the first place." Officials at the U.S. Department of State say travel warnings have been implemented on Iran since the hostage crisis in 1979, when militants captured 52 American diplomats and staff. The Americans were held for 444 days. Since then, the two countries have had no diplomatic relations. U.S. passports are valid for travel to Iran and visas are required to enter the country, according to the State Department Web site. Going with an organized tour group is the easiest way to attain a visa. Travelers who do visit Iran run the risk of being denied entry, U.S. officials say. In some cases, Iranian officials have prevented American citizens, academics, scientists and journalists from leaving the country, and even detained, interrogated and imprisoned some on unknown or various charges, the Web site said. "It's made well-known that the destination [Iran] could be perilous for American citizens," said Darby Holladay, spokesman at the State Department. Last week, three Americans were detained after crossing into northern Iran during a hiking trip. The two men and one woman, said to be seasoned travelers, began their trip in Turkey and went into Iraq before crossing the unmarked border into Iran. The U.S. State Department and the Australian and British government warn against traveling into the border zones. "Obviously, we are concerned," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday to reporters. "We want this matter brought to a resolution as soon as possible." Mudhafer Mohammed, owner of the Miwan Hotel, told CNN that the hikers said they had come to the area because they heard it was safe. Mohammed said he tried to discourage them from going to Ahmed Awa, a popular tourist destination in the northern Kurdish region of Iraq. "I told them, 'Don't go there because it is unsafe for you because you're American and Ahmed Awa is very close to the Iranian border,' " Mohammed told CNN. It is unclear whether the three wandered into Iran accidentally or intentionally entered the country. Pauline Frommer, creator of the Pauline Frommer's Travel Guides, said it's safer when visiting countries in conflict to use travel companies and tour operators that rely on local accommodations and guides. She warned against staying in big hotel chains, which have been targets in recent terrorist attacks in Indonesia and India. "When it's an iffy destination, it's always a good idea to try and travel under the radar," she said. "You don't want to be a target." Despite worries about safety, demand for visiting Iran has grown in recent years. Last May, travel writer Rick Steves shot a 10-day video of his visit to Iran in a one-hour special that launched on PBS. The project cleared up misconceptions about Iran and sparked Americans' interest in traveling there, travel experts said. At Geographic Expeditions, a luxury travel company that organizes trips to Iran, the number of participants doubled from 25 in 2007 to 50 in 2008. Spiekermann Travel Service, Inc., one of the oldest travel agencies that specializes in Iranian travel, has booked more than 350 tours to the country since it began operating there in 1995. "My path is known," said Ihab Zaki, owner of Spiekermann, which is based in Michigan. He said he began offering tours after he visited the country himself and was awed by its history and art. "We send all our paperwork to local governments and they know we are coming. I don't let my people roam around in the middle of nowhere. It's very safe." But the recent uncertainty in Iran has caused interest to wane. Spiekermann's bi-annual trips to Iran, limited to 14 travelers, usually sell out. But only four have signed up for the fall trip. Far Horizons Archaeological & Cultural Trips, Inc. in San Anselmo, California planned a second trip to Iran for October after their first trip in May sold out. But owner Mary Dell Lucas said the trip maybe be canceled because travelers are withdrawing. "What's happening most recently is scaring people," she said. "Those three Americans made a mistake, but with us, it's very different. We are taking a group, and we are invited." Lucas' firm and other tour companies say they take precautions. Participants are required to abide by Iranian law, which means women must dress conservatively and cover their heads with scarves. A professor and a local guide, who are familiar with the country, accompany the American travelers. Barbara Bailey, a 73-year-old from rural Ohio, went on a two-week vacation to Iran last April with a tour group. Her favorite part of the trip was talking to the Iranian women at the local restaurants. "I went because nobody has really been before, and I know they have a wonderful history," Bailey said. "If you can get past the government, the people there are great." If travelers can't afford to spend between $6,000 and $10,000 on organized excursions of two or three weeks and decide to backpack, they still need to follow the rules, said Jon Dorn, editor in chief of Backpackers Magazine. "If you're going to a place that's not like America, then do your homework on what's appropriate," said Dorn. Backpackers Magazine, an online and print publication specializing in backpacking, hiking and travel, reaches 2.5 million readers in the U.S. Dave Stevenson, who oversees the Web site www.travel-security-and-safety.com, said hikers should be equipped with GPS systems, satellite or cell phones and maps when traveling in border areas, especially in conflict zones. They should also notify relatives back home where they are hiking abroad. "The world is a big place," Stevenson said, "And there are always plenty of places to hike that aren't dangerous or war zones." CNN's Arwa Damon contributed to this report.

Three American hikers were detained last week by Iranian officials . A handful of tour operators provide tours for Americans to visit Iran . A U.S. passport is valid in Iran; visitors need a visa . Travel warnings for Iran have been in place since the 1979 hostage crisis .

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