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KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- International troops in Afghanistan endured another deadly attack Tuesday, a day after 10 NATO-led troops were killed in that country. The body of a U.S. soldier killed in Afghanistan arrives in the United States on Monday. A U.S. coalition service member "died as a result of injuries" on Tuesday afternoon in a roadside bombing attack on a convoy in western Afghanistan, the U.S. military said. This follows 10 NATO-led deaths on Monday, the highest single-day total in Afghanistan in nearly a year, according to NATO and U.S.-led coalition numbers. Seven Americans, two Canadians and one Briton died in four separate incidents Monday. On August 18, 2008, 10 French soldiers were killed when about 100 insurgents attacked a patrol in Kabul Province, and a British soldier was killed in southern Afghanistan when insurgents attacked a patrol with a roadside bomb. A month before that, 10 American troops were killed in two separate incidents on July 13, 2008. The latest deaths came as U.S. troops cranked up their fight against the Taliban, a push that includes a major Marine-led offensive against the militants in the southern province of Helmand. Roadside bombs Monday killed four Americans in the northern province of Kunduz and two in southern Afghanistan, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said. A seventh American died in an insurgent attack in eastern Afghanistan, ISAF confirmed. Two Canadian air crew members and a British soldier were killed when a helicopter crashed during takeoff in Zabul province, the Canadian and British defense ministries said.
U.S. soldier killed in roadside bombing on a convoy in western Afghanistan . Follows deaths of 7 Americans, 2 Canadians, 1 Briton in separate incidents . Latest deaths come as U.S. forces ratchet up fight against Taliban .
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SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- Donating to charity itself is a relatively new phenomenon in a society that traditionally values family units. President Lee Myung-Bak is criticized by opposition parties who say he supports policies that favor the rich. So the announcement that South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak will be donating $26 million, the bulk of his wealth, to charity, is considered highly unusual. The president's office said the money will be used to set up a new youth scholarship program. "My fortune, which I accumulated through hard work during my life, is very precious to me," said Lee in a statement. "I have long thought that it would be good if my wealth was spent for society in a valuable way." Lee, who came to office last February, promised to donate his personal wealth to society in late 2007 when he was accused of amassing his fortune through illegal means. He was since been cleared of all charges. But he is now facing criticism from opposition parties who say he supports policies that favor the rich. Lee is a former CEO of Hyundai Construction and the Seoul mayor. But he emphasizes his impoverished beginnings, as a poor young man who had to earn his college tuition cleaning streets. "Looking back, I realize that all of those who helped me were poor," said Lee in the statement. "I know that the best way for me to pay back such kindness is to give back to society what I earned." Analysts say this move will hopefully encourage many others to follow.
President Lee Myung-Bak to donate $26 million, the bulk of his wealth, to charity . President's office says money will be used to set up youth scholarship program . Lee promised to donate wealth in 2007 when accused of illegally amassing fortune . He was since been cleared of all charges .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A birthday "cake" made of ice, beets, apples and pears? It might not sound appetizing, but it was a special treat Thursday for Tai Shan, the Smithsonian National Zoo's giant panda. Giant panda Tai Shan digs into his special birthday cake of ice, beets, apples and pears. A huge group of fans watched as the popular panda celebrated his fourth birthday with the three-tier cake. They cheered him on as he inched closer to the treat, and one woman yelled "Atta boy Tai Shan!" when he finally started eating the apple pieces on the cake's lowest tier. She cheered the panda on for eating his "cake" the same way a mom might cheer on her son at a soccer game or dad might cheer his daughter playing basketball. Zoo curator Lisa Stevens said people react that way because of how pandas resemble children. "They share many features of infants and toddlers. They have high foreheads, big eye spots, and they can sit up straight and grip and eat their food," Stevens said. Pandas are also known to give hope to the downtrodden, according to one loyal Tai Shan fan who called herself "Sandy." During her battle against a medical condition that caused her to be unable to walk, she said that frequent visits to the zoo to see Tai Shan gave her the strength she needed to persevere through the pain. "I could barely stand an hour to see him, now I could stand all day to watch him. I pushed myself for him ... he's done so much for me and for people all over the world," she said. Tai Shan was born at the zoo and has had his entire life documented on a Web cam for the whole world to see. Fans may have little time left to enjoy Tai Shan, as the zoo's contract with the China Wildlife Conservation Association to keep him is set to expire later this year. The zoo is negotiating with the conservation association to keep Tai Shan a few months longer.
Tai Shan was born at the Smithsonian National Zoo . Birthday boy gets a special cake made of ice, beets, apples and pears . Zoo curator says pandas are popular because they resemble young children . Though born in U.S., Tai Shan due to be sent to China later this year .
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(CNN) -- Police in Allendale, South Carolina, are investigating whether a funeral home fit a 6-foot, 5-inch man into his coffin by severing his legs. The wife of James Hines reportedly said the funeral home told her that her husband's coffin was long enough. A former Cave Funeral Services employee has alleged since James Hines' death from skin cancer in 2004 that Hines was too tall for his coffin and that the funeral home took extreme measures to make him fit, Allendale County Coroner Hayzen Black told CNN. Officials exhumed Hines' body Tuesday, Black said, and a fair amount of "undesirable evidence" was found, although he could not comment further. The coroner's office handed the case over to law enforcement officials for a criminal investigation, he said. Allendale Police Detective Donnie Hutto told CNN affiliate WJBF-TV that he could not comment on the condition of the body. A Cave Funeral Services employee had no comment when asked about the matter. But Ruth Hines, widow of the dead man, told WJBF that the allegations and exhumation of Hines' body are difficult for her. "I'm just going through quite a bit," she said. "It's like starting all over again, and it's left me with hurt and numbness." "According to the measurements on the casket, and the funeral director, we asked him, 'Was this suitable for his length?' and he said, 'Yes that will be perfect,'" Ruth Hines said. Hines told WJBF that her family has used Cave Funeral Services for a number of years, and she isn't sure what the family will do in the future if the allegations are true.
At 6'5'', former employee says James Hines was too tall for coffin after death in 2004 . Employee told authorities that funeral home took extreme measures to make him fit . Officials exhume body Tuesday, find "undesirable evidence," county coroner says . Cave Funeral Services employee would not comment .
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(CNN) -- John Daly dazzled the galleries at the Italian Open with his garish clothing but stayed in contention for the title after a second successive 69 in Turin. Daly rolls a putt during his second round of 69 at the Italian Open. Sporting a lime green top with a pair of psychedelic trousers, Daly was looking to improve on his tie for 31st in the Spanish Open. The two-time major champion is playing on the European Tour after being handed a six-month ban in the United States after a series of lurid headlines. But clearly showing the benefits of losing 20kg after having a gastric band fitted, Daly has shown glimpses of his best form. "Yesterday could have been really low, but today could have been really high," he told the official European Tour Web site www.europeantour.com. "I didn't hit it that great and one-putted the first five greens." Daly was partnering home hope and 2007 champion Francesco Molinari and while struggled early on, the Italian packed an eagle and two birdies into his first four holes to go joint leader. But he then slipped back to five-under as he matched Daly with a 69. Daniel Vancsik of Argentina was setting the pace on the second day after carding a six-under 65 for a halfway total of nine-under 133. Daly, who had not played for four months before teeing up in Spain, will look to continue his improved form in lucrative upcoming events. It was confirmed on Friday that he is to extend his stay by playing in the European Open at the London Club from May 28-31. It will be a first appearance in the tournament by the "Wild Thing" who is promoting a new range of clothing to match his more slimline figure.
John Daly cards second straight 69 in Turin to be handily-placed in Italian Open . 43-year-old American is playing a series of events on the European Tour . "Wild Thing" has also made his mark with his colorful golf clothing .
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MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- Arrest warrants have been issued for another nine people associated with a fire at a day-care center in northwestern Mexico in June that killed 48 children, the state-run Notimex news agency said Saturday. Two girls lay flowers during a funeral of one of the 48 children who died in the day-care fire. The warrants are for the owners and legal representatives of the ABC day-care center in the city of Hermosillo in Sonora state, which burned down June 5, Notimex said. Officials have determined that the fire started at an air-conditioning unit at a government-owned warehouse in the same building as the day-care center. Fourteen children remain hospitalized, Notimex reported earlier. The latest arrest warrants are the third group to be issued since the fire. On Wednesday, the Mexican federal attorney general's office ordered the arrest of nine public officials from the Mexican Institute of Social Security, which owned the day-care center, as well as private individuals connected to the facility. Two weeks earlier, Mexican officials announced they had ordered the arrests of 14 people who worked at the warehouse. Parents of the dead children and others have held demonstrations in Hermosillo and Mexico City to protest what they see as foot-dragging by authorities in punishing the responsible parties.
Arrest warrants issued for nine people in connection with Mexico day-care fire . Forty-eight children died in fire; 14 remain hospitalized . Fire started in air-conditioning unit in building, officials say .
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(CNN) -- A multiagency search is under way for the killers of two U.S. citizens in northern Mexico, according to Chihuahua state officials. A girl stands at the coffin of Mormon church leader Benjamin LeBaron in Chihuahua State. Benjamin LeBaron, 32, and his brother-in-law, Luis Widmar, in his mid-30s, were beaten and shot to death after armed men stormed into their home in Galeana on Tuesday morning. The killers have yet to be identified, but the case seems to be connected to local drug lords, said Arturo Sandoval, a spokesman for the Chihuahua state attorney general's office. Sandoval said a note was found on LeBaron's body, but he could not confirm the contents. Local media reported that the note indicated the slayings were in retribution for the capture of 25 drug suspects in a nearby town. LeBaron's younger brother, Eric, was kidnapped in May and returned unharmed after a week. The incident prompted LeBaron to become a nationally recognized anti-crime activist who moved the local community to take a stand. "There are no leaders here, or we are all leaders," LeBaron's brother, Julian LeBaron, told CNN television affiliate KINT in El Paso, Texas. "If they kill my brother another three will take his place, and if they kill us, another hundred will take their place. We are not giving up. No way." The LeBaron brothers belonged to the "Community of LeBaron" in the Municipality of Galeana, a township founded by ex-communicated Mormons.
Benjamin LeBaron and his brother-in-law are shot dead in their home . The killers have yet to be identified, but the case seems tied to local drug lords . Local media: Slayings retribution for capture of drug suspects in town nearby . LeBaron was a nationally recognized anti-crime activist .
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NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- A portion of a partially built bridge for New Delhi's metro rail network collapsed Sunday, killing five people and injuring 15, authorities said. A crane clears away wreckage from a collapsed carriageway on Sunday in New Delhi, India. The crash occurred when a metal beam supporting pillars gave way, Delhi Metro Rail Corp. spokesman Anuj Dayal told CNN. Concrete slabs came crashing down, burying workers beneath, officials said. The dead included one site engineer, said Mohammad Akhlaque, police sub-inspector. The man in charge of building the Metro system offered to quit the project Sunday. "I take full moral responsibility for this accident. And having taken this moral responsibility, I have decided to resign as the managing director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation," Elattuvalapil Sreedharan told a news conference. Sreedharan, 77, however, noted that Sunday's crash would set the metro project back by three months. New Delhi launched its metro system six years ago, a project that cut through India's bureaucratic red-tape that usually holds back big infrastructure programs. Construction on new lines has been proceeding at a frenzied pace as the city gets ready to host the Commonwealth Games in 2010. Hailed as a relief in India's traffic-congested capital, the metro has a tarnished safety record. Part of a another bridge being built to extend the rail system collapsed last October, pinning a bus underneath and killing its driver.
Five killed, 15 injured when partially built bridge collapses in New Delhi . Bridge was being built for city's metro rail network . Collapse occurred when a metal beam supporting pillars gave way, official says .
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(CNN) -- A national poll of people who watched the vice presidential debate Thursday night suggests that Democratic Sen. Joe Biden won, but also says Republican Gov. Sarah Palin exceeded expectations. Poll respondents give Sen. Joe Biden the edge over Gov. Sarah Palin in ability to express views. The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. said 51 percent of those polled thought Biden did the best job, while 36 percent thought Palin did the best job. But respondents said the folksy Palin was more likable, scoring 54 percent to Biden's 36 percent. Seventy percent said Biden was more of a typical politician. Both candidates exceeded expectations -- 84 percent of the people polled said Palin did a better job than they expected, while 64 percent said Biden also exceeded expectations. How Palin would perform had been a major issue for the Alaska governor, who had some well-publicized fumbles during interviews with CBS' Katie Couric leading up to the debate. Respondents thought Biden was better at expressing his views, giving him 52 percent to Palin's 36 percent.iReport.com: Tell us who you think did best . On the question of the candidates' qualifications to assume the presidency, 87 percent of those polled said Biden is qualified and 42 percent said Palin is qualified. The candidates sparred over which team would be the better agent of change, and Biden came out on top of that debate, with 53 percent of those polled giving the nod to the Delaware senator while 42 percent said Palin was more likely to bring change. Respondents overwhelmingly said moderator Gwen Ifill was fair during the vice presidential debate, repudiating critics who said that Ifill, of PBS, would be biased because she is writing a book that includes Biden's running mate, Sen. Barack Obama. Ninety-five percent of those polled said Ifill was fair. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. Obama was selected as a winner over Republican Sen. John McCain in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll on the September 26 presidential debate.
51 percent say Democratic Sen. Joe Biden wins vice presidential debate . Republican Gov. Sarah Palin exceeds expectations, 84 percent say . Palin beats Biden on likability, 54-36 . 87 percent say Biden is qualified for job, 42 percent say Palin is .
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(CNN) -- Two Italians, a Dane, a German, a Frenchman and a Brit walk into a space station... or will, in 2013, if all goes according to European Space Agency plans. Europe's six new astronauts hope to join their American counterparts on the Internation Space Station. The six new astronauts named Wednesday were chosen from more than 8,400 candidates, and are the first new ESA astronauts since 1992, the space agency said in a statement. They include two military test pilots, one fighter pilot and one commercial pilot, plus an engineer and a physicist. "This is a very important day for human spaceflight in Europe," said Simonetta Di Pippo, Director of Human Spaceflight at ESA. "These young men and women are the next generation of European space explorers. They have a fantastic career ahead, which will put them right on top of one of the ultimate challenges of our time: going back to the Moon and beyond as part of the global exploration effort." Humans have not walked on the moon since 1972, just over three years after the first manned mission to Earth's nearest neighbor. The six will begin space training in Germany, with an eye to being ready for future missions to the International Space Station and beyond in four years. They are: Samantha Cristoforetti of Italy, a fighter pilot with degrees in engineering and aeronautical sciences; Alexander Gerst, a German researcher with degrees in physics and earth science; Andreas Mogensen, a Danish engineer with the private space firm HE Space Operations; Luca Parmitano of Italy, an Air Force pilot with a degree in aeronautical sciences; Timothy Peake, an English test pilot with the British military; and Frenchman Thomas Pesquet, an Air France pilot who previously worked as an engineer at the French space agency.
2 Italians, a Dane, a German, a Frenchman and Briton make astronaut list . Six new astronauts named Wednesday chosen from 8,400 candidates . Group will undergo four years of training in Germany .
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(CNN) -- Brooke Shields is upset with a tabloid reporter over an incident involving the actress' elderly mother. Brooke Shields moved her mother to a different residence after last week's incident, Shields' lawyer says. Shields accused a reporter and photographer from the National Enquirer of taking her 75-year-old mother -- Teri Shields, who suffers from dementia -- out of a New Jersey nursing home last week, People magazine reported. It was "reprehensible and disgusting," Shields told People. The reporter, "looking for a tabloid story," signed her mother out of a senior living facility in Old Tappan, New Jersey, by falsely claiming to be her friend, Shields said. Watch why Shields is upset » . The National Enquirer said the reporter has known Teri Shields for a decade. "Teri asked the reporter to take her out to lunch and run some errands," the tabloid said. "The freelance reporter then got permission from the facility to do so. ... At no point did the facility, which had given its permission for the outing, contend that there had been any wrongdoing." Old Tappan police told People they are investigating. Brooke Shields' lawyer, Gerald Lefcourt, said the actress has not filed charges, but was exploring her options. Shields moved her mother to another facility, Lefcourt said. CNN's Marc Balinsky contributed to this report.
Reporter takes Brooke Shields' mom out of nursing home, People magazine reports . Reporter, with National Enquirer, claims to have known Teri Shields for years . Teri Shields, 75, asked reporter to take her to lunch, National Enquirer says . Police in New Jersey community investigating, People reports .
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(CNN) -- Brazilian authorities detained the wife of former world boxing champion Arturo Gatti as a suspect in his killing, according to local reports. Arturo Gatti pictured during the final fight of his career, a knockout defeat by Alfonso Gomez in 2007. Gatti was found dead Saturday in a hotel in Brazil, where he was taking a vacation with his wife, Amanda Carina Barbosa Rodrigues, and their young child. The 37-year-old Canadian, who was born in Italy and made his name as a fighter based in New Jersey, was staying in the northeast seaside resort of Porto de Galihnas. Rodrigues, 23, was being held in a police station in the city of Recife in connection with the killing, a police official in Porto de Galihnas told CNN. Police official Osmar Silva Santiago confirmed local reports that Gatti's body was found Saturday morning in his hotel room with strangulation marks. "This crime is being investigated by our homicide experts and we hope to have more answers tomorrow," Santiago said. Police recovered a blood-stained purse strap from the scene, according to media reports. Rodrigues became a suspect because of inconsistencies during her interrogation, local reports quoted homicide task force chief Josedith Ferreira as saying. Gatti made his name in a series of three fights against "Irish" Micky Ward, losing the first but triumphing in the other two. He held the IBF super-featherweight and WBC light-welterweight titles, and he also won the WBC junior welterweight belt but lost it to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2005. Gatti retired in 2007 after suffering a knockout defeat by Alfonso Gomez in his comeback, ending with a record of 40 wins and nine losses. He grew up in Montreal, Quebec, after leaving Italy at an early age, and returned to the city following his retirement. According to Gatti's official Web site, the Italian-born pugilist won "Fight of the Year" for three consecutive years. CNN's Helena de Moura contributed to this report.
NEW: Wife, Amanda Carina Barbosa Rodrigues, detained at Recife police station . NEW: Rodrigues' answers to interrogation reportedly had inconsistencies . NEW: Gatti's body was found Saturday in hotel room with strangulation marks . The former world boxing champion was vacationing with his 23-year-old wife .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Obama will deliver a speech June 4 in Egypt on America's relationship with the Muslim world, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs announced Friday. President Obama will travel to Egypt next month to address U.S. relations with the Muslim world. Egypt is "a country that in many ways represents the heart of the Arab world," Gibbs said. He deflected several questions at his daily briefing about whether Egypt is a wise choice, given President Hosni Mubarak's resistance to making his government more democratic. Obama originally promised to deliver the speech during his first 100 days, but senior administration officials say the date slipped in part because of security and logistical issues. The officials stressed, however, that the Secret Service still has deep security concerns, given the continued tumult in the Mideast. Obama chose Turkey, a more secular state, as the site of his first presidential speech to a Muslim majority nation, on April 6. He told the Turkish legislature in Ankara that the "United States is not and will never be at war with Islam." Obama will follow his visit to Egypt with a trip to the remains of the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany on June 5. He is then scheduled to take part in ceremonies commemorating the 65th anniversary of the World War II Allied landings in Normandy, France. CNN Chief White House Correspondent Ed Henry contributed to this report.
President Obama travels to Egypt, Germany, France in June . He gave historic speech to Turkish parliament in April . Spokesman: Egypt "in many ways represents the heart of the Arab world"
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- It was the annual revving of the engines Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial as thousands of motorcyclists converged on Washington to honor those who have served the country. Members of Rolling Thunder ride into Washington on Sunday. Riders from Rolling Thunder, a group created to bring attention to soldiers listed as POW or MIA, rolled into the nation's capital, greeting crowds of supporters who lined the streets. "It's a great tribute to people that have sacrificed everything, including their life," said rider Mick Smith. He and fellow Vietnam veteran Juan Cruz rode their motorcycles from Pennsylvania. "It's a brotherhood that we have, veterans of the foreign wars," Cruz said. "The camaraderie is so perfect that we don't need anything else. We forget about our problems." Lyn Seidler was among the spectators who lined the motorcycle route in the hot and humid weather to greet the bikers as they passed over the Arlington Memorial Bridge into Washington. "The servicemen made a sacrifice," Seidler said. For her, cheering on Rolling Thunder was a way to help celebrate troops, "and to say thank you," she said. After completing their rides, the bikers gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial. "I'm here today to honor our veterans, our fallen veterans, to help the living by supporting the dead," Cruz said. The Defense Department says there are more than 88,000 soldiers still listed as missing in action from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War combined. -CNN's Lauren Pratapas contributed to this report .
Rolling Thunder created to bring attention to soldiers listed as POW or MIA . "It's a brotherhood that we have, veterans of the foreign wars," rider says . Defense Department: More than 88,000 soldiers listed as missing in action .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- A massive fire engulfed the four-story offices of a major film company in central London on Friday, sending clouds of white smoke over the city skyline, the London fire department said. Streets in London were cordoned off while firefighters tackled the blaze. Two firefighters were taken to the hospital with minor injuries as a result of the blaze in the Future Films building on Dean Street in the city's Soho district, London ambulance services said. The London Fire Brigade dispatched 12 engines and 55 firefighters to battle the fire, which began before 2 p.m. (9 a.m. ET). As a result, an adjacent street -- the W1 -- has been closed to traffic and pedestrians. When reached by CNN, Future Films founder and managing director Stephen Margolis had no comment about the fire. Future Films has been involved in the production of more than 120 films since Margolis created the company in 2000, including "Bend it like Beckham" (2002), "The Importance of Being Earnest" (2002), and "Transsiberian" (2008). CNN's Per Nyberg and Laura Perez Maestro contributed to this report.
Streets sealed off around London blaze . Smoke seen billowing over British capital . Soho a popular nightlife district .
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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq awarded a lucrative oil contract to BP and China National Petroleum Corp., government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said Wednesday, while rejecting other companies' offers for other oil fields. BP and China National Petroleum Corporation have won a lucrative oil contract in Iraq. The joint BP-CNPC bid was for the al-Rumeila oil field, one of the largest in the world. The energy companies are expected to increase production at the oil field by 50 percent, to 285,000 barrels a day, for a service charge of $2 for each additional barrel produced, al-Dabbagh said in a statement. The Iraqi government rejected bids for five other oil fields and a natural gas field because the bidders did not agree to the service charge set by the Ministry of Oil, he said. The Ministry of Oil rejected the idea that the failure to award more than one contract made the much-anticipated auction a flop. Iraq did not say how much the BP-CNPC bid was worth. It runs for 20 years. Oil Minister Hussein Shahrastani chaired the government-sponsored auction for the oil and natural gas field contracts Tuesday, after a day's delay due to a sandstorm. Much of the auction was broadcast live on state television, which Ministry of Oil spokesman Assem Jihad told CNN was a sign of the transparency of the process. He said the government was satisfied with the auction, even though only one contract was awarded, because the contract was for Iraq's largest oil field. Iraq plans to open bidding this year on 10 more oil fields and one natural gas field, all of which are undeveloped, Jihad said. The companies whose bids were rejected Tuesday have been given time to review their offers, he said. Iraq has some of the largest oil reserves in the world, with an estimated 115 billion barrels -- tying Iran for second place, behind Saudi Arabia's 264 billion barrels, according to estimates from the Energy Information Administration in the United States. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh in Baghdad contributed to this report.
Iraq awards lucrative oil contract to BP, China National Petroleum Corporation . The joint BP-CNPC bid was for the giant al-Rumeila oil field . Energy companies expected to increase production at the field by 50 percent .
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MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- Mexican officials said they have identified two suspects in this week's slayings of two Americans in northern Mexico. Mourners carry the coffin of Benjamin LeBaron, 32, on Thursday in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. A security camera at a toll booth near the municipality of Galeana captured images of the suspects, Chihuahua state Attorney General Patricia Gonzalez Rodriguez said Thursday, the state-run Notimex news agency reported. Gonzalez declined to name the suspects, other than to say they belong to a crime organization known as "La Linea" (The Line). The toll booth cameras show four trucks or sport utility vehicles in which 12 suspects were riding, she said. No arrests had been reported by Friday. Benjamin LeBaron, 32, and his brother-in-law, Luis Widmar, who was in his mid-30s, were beaten and shot to death after armed men stormed into their home Tuesday morning in Galeana. Arturo Sandoval, a spokesman for the Chihuahua attorney general's office, said earlier this week that a note was found on LeBaron's body but he could not confirm the contents. Local media reported the note indicated the slayings were in retribution for the capture of 25 drug suspects in a nearby town. LeBaron's younger brother, Eric, was kidnapped in May and returned unharmed a week later. The kidnapping prompted LeBaron to become a nationally recognized anti-crime activist who moved the local community to take a stand. "There are no leaders here, or we are all leaders," LeBaron's brother Julian LeBaron told CNN affiliate KINT-TV in El Paso, Texas, this week. "If they kill my brother, another three will take his place. And if they kill us, another hundred will take their place. We are not giving up. No way." The LeBaron brothers belonged to the "Community of LeBaron" in the municipality of Galeana, a township founded by ex-communicated Mormons. CNN's Mayra Cuevas-Nazario contributed to this report.
Gunmen killed Benjamin LeBaron and brother-in-law this week in northern Mexico . Security camera at toll booth captured images of two suspects, news agency says . No arrests have been reported in the Americans' slayings . Note reportedly found that says killings were retribution for drug arrests .
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NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- A mob killed a Hindu man in the Indian state of Orissa Thursday as another group attacked a church in another part of the state's troubled Kandhamal district, authorities said Friday. Christian activists stage a peace march in Mumbai, India earlier this month. Krishan Kumar, Kandhamal's top administrative official, told CNN the Hindu man was hacked to death at Raikia. Orissa state, which is dominated by tribal people, borders the Bay of Bengal in east-central India, and Kandhamal is located in the center of the state, which has been racked by Hindu-Christian violence. Praveen Kumar, Kandhamal's superintendent of police, said an investigation is under way in both incidents, and did not say whether any suspects were being sought. Twenty-three civilians, excluding police, have died in the Hindu-Christian violence in Kandhamal this month, according to the administrator. "Arrests are continuing," Praveen Kumar said when asked how many people have been held so far in connection with the violence. The latest attacks occurred on a day when India's federal government called upon the state administration to take "effective, focused and firm measures" to control the conflicts. On Thursday, federal Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta asked the Orissa government to ensure effective deployment of paramilitaries in the state. -- CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh contributed to this report.
Orissa state in east-central India has been racked by Hindu-Christian violence . 23 civilians have died in the state's troubled Kandhamal district this month . Latest attacks follow calls for state to take firm measures to control conflict .
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(CNN) -- Two of the biggest stars in the NBA will be team-mates next season after a blockbuster trade which sees Shaquille O'Neal move from the Phoenix Suns to the Cleveland Cavaliers -- the home of league MVP LeBron James. Shaquille O'Neal is hoping his arrival will put a smile on the faces of Cleveland fans. The 37-year-old O'Neal is one of the all-time greats of basketball, winning four NBA championships, three straight with the Los Angeles Lakers and the other with Miami Heat. James is widely recognized as the sport's current superstar, but the 24-year-old has been left frustrated by Cleveland's failure to win the title. He stormed off the court after their loss to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference finals, not even shaking hands with 2008 Olympic teammate Dwight Howard. The trade, which sees Phoenix get center Ben Wallace and guard Sasha Pavlovic, has been talked about since February but finalized on Thursday night. "I was elated about the trade because I get to play with one of the greatest players to ever play the game in LeBron James," O'Neal was quoted on the NBA's official Web site www.nba.com. O'Neal averaged 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds in 75 games for the Suns last season and believes he still has much to offer the NBA. "My numbers are not good enough to retire. Three more years left," O'Neal wrote on his Twitter blog. His career averages are 24.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocked shots, with his peak seasons coming as he led the Lakers to three straight titles from 2000-02. The Lakers traded him to Miami where he spent three seasons, helping them to the NBA Championship three years ago. He has played in Phoenix for the past two years, restricted by injuries in his first season. The Cavs, powered by James, won 66 regular season games and their first eight in the playoffs before coming unstuck against the Magic. They will be hoping that O'Neal will be the final piece in the jigsaw to land the first American sports championship for Cleveland in 45 years.
Shaquille O'Neal is traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Cleveland Cavaliers . 7 foot one inch O'Neal has been named in the NBA's All Star team 15 times . O'Neal, 37, will now pair up with 2009 NBA MVP LeBron James at Cleveland .
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KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- An unopposed former Communist leader was elected Nepal's new prime minister Saturday, ending nearly three weeks of political uncertainty. Madhav Kumar Nepal waves at his supporters at the country's parliament in Kathmandu. Madhav Kumar Nepal of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) was the only person to serve as a candidate for the post after he received backing from more than 20 of the 25 parties in parliament. Nepal, 56, is a former general secretary of the Communist Party, but had resigned after the party made a poor showing last year against another Communist movement. In that vote, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) became the largest party, with 38 percent of the seats in the 601-member constituent assembly which also functions as parliament. Nepal had been general secretary since 1993 and served as the country's deputy prime minister for nine months in 1995. Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the Maoist chairman, resigned as prime minister May 4 after the president overturned the Cabinet's decision to sack the army chief. Nepal became a republic last year. The new government has two important tasks before it: the writing of a new constitution within a year, and integration of 19,600 Maoist combatants into the security forces. Without the support of the former Maoist rebels, these tasks cannot be achieved. The Maoists fought a 10-year insurgency aimed at abolishing the monarchy.
Madhav Kumar Nepal of the Communist Party of Nepal was only candidate . Nepal, 56, is a former general secretary of the Communist Party . Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the Maoist chairman, resigned as prime minister May 4 . Followed president's decision to overturn Cabinet's sacking of army chief .
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(CNN) -- Police are investigating whether or what family issues might have prompted a California man to shoot six of his family members -- killing five -- before committing suicide. His wife was critically wounded. Authorities on Tuesday said Devan Kalathat, 42, shot his family Sunday night at his Santa Clara townhouse, killing two adults and three children. Kalathat killed his 11-year-old son, Akhil Dev; his 4-year-old daughter, Negha Dev; his 35-year-old brother-in-law Ashok Appu Poothemkandi; Poothemkandi's 25-year-old wife, Suchitra Sivaraman; and the couple's 11-month-old daughter, Ahana. Kalathat's 34-year-old wife, who was not identified, sustained multiple gunshot wounds and remains in critical condition, said Lt. Phil Cooke. "Family dynamics and personal relationships may have played a factor," Cooke told reporters Tuesday. He said Kalathat was employed as an engineer and nothing indicated he was facing "layoff or financial crisis." Investigators believe Kalathat used two .45-caliber semi-automatic pistols, both of which he owned. Cooke said Kalathat bought one of the pistols in February and the other nearly two weeks ago -- roughly the same time his wife's brother, Poothemkandi, arrived in California from India with Suchitra Sivaraman and Ahana. Cooke noted that Poothemkandi was an "educated professional" with plans to stay in the Bay Area to work on a project for a high-tech firm. Police were called after a neighbor noticed Kalathat's wounded wife outside the home around 8:30 p.m. (11:30 p.m. ET), Cooke said. When police arrived, other victims were found around the kitchen and dining room in what Cooke described as "a very gruesome scene." The family shooting comes just two months after a Los Angeles father who, after he and his wife were fired from their jobs, killed her and their five young children before turning the gun on himself.
Devan Kalathat, 42, shot six of his family members before turning gun on himself . His wife, in critical condition, is the only survivor of the attack . Police: "Family dynamics and personal relationships may have played a factor" Police say man was not facing job loss or financial problems .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- When Gregg Wenzel died six years ago in Ethiopia, the obituaries said he was a U.S. Foreign Service officer killed by a drunken driver on the streets of Addis Ababa. CIA Director Leon Panetta spoke Monday at a ceremony commemorating fallen CIA officers. Monday the public learned the State Department job was a cover for his real occupation: CIA spy. At a ceremony commemorating those who died in the line of duty, CIA Director Leon Panetta revealed Wenzel's affiliation with the agency and noted Wenzel was a member of the first clandestine service class to graduate after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. "He helped unite the class and kept its spirits high in the toughest moments," Panetta said. Wenzel left his job as an attorney to join the agency. He was 33 years old when the car he was riding in was hit by a drunken driver who to this day remains a fugitive. There are now 90 stars prominently displayed on the memorial wall in the spacious atrium of CIA headquarters, each commemorating an officer, like Wenzel, who died while serving the country. The 90th star was added recently, but as with most of the victims, the person's name and nature of service will remain unknown to the public so as not to compromise secret operations. At the annual memorial service attended by hundreds of employees, retirees and family members, Panetta paid homage to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. "Their patriotism and leadership, courage and decency are models for all of us," said the director, adding, "their work is our work now. And their spirit abides with us." Panetta also announced the beginning of a new tradition. Family members of the fallen officers will receive a replica of the star from the wall. The first star was given to the brothers of Douglas Mackiernan, the first CIA operations officer killed in the line of duty, shot to death in Tibet after fleeing China in 1950.
Gregg Wenzel died six years ago in Ethiopia . Obituaries said he was a U.S. Foreign Service officer killed by a drunken driver . At ceremony for fallen CIA officers, CIA Director revealed Wenzel was a CIA spy .
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MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- Mexican police have arrested a "highly dangerous" U.S. citizen wanted on weapons charges, the Michoacan state attorney's office said. Robert Hamlin Wainwright, 66, was arrested in tMexico at the request of the U.S. Marshal's Office. Robert Hamlin Wainwright, 66, was arrested in the city of Zamora at the request of the U.S. Marshal's Office in Tucson, Arizona, the Mexican authorities said. He faces deportation. A January 27 notice by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Wainwright, who has a prior felony conviction, was being investigated by the Indiana Environmental Task Force when firearms and ammunition were found at his home and business. He was tried and found guilty of firearms violations and was awaiting sentencing when he fled to Mexico, the EPA said. Wainwright, a convicted child molester, also faces charges of discharging a pollutant into Indiana waters. Mexican officials also announced Tuesday the arrest last month of a Canadian citizen on child pornography charges. According to the federal Secretariat of Public Security, Arthur Leland Sayler operated 36 child pornography Web sites in the United States and Mexico. Officials said they confiscated 29 DVDs that could house about 4 million photographs, 25 disc drives, two flash cards, nine floppy disks, 96 CD-ROMS, mobile telephone SIM cards and two Web servers.
Robert Hamlin Wainwright, 66, was wanted on weapons charges . Wainwright, a convicted child molester, also charged with polluting Indiana waters . Arthur Leland Sayler accused of operating 36 child pornography Web sites . Officials say they confiscated 29 DVDs that could hold 4 million photographs .
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(CNN) -- It appears that Kevin Bacon was one degree too close to Bernie Madoff. Kevin Bacon and his wife, Kyra Sedgwick, had investments with Bernie Madoff, Bacon's publicist says. Bacon, the prolific actor, and his wife, fellow screen star Kyra Sedgwick, had investments with Madoff, the financial guru accused of swindling his clients out of $50 billion in a massive Ponzi scheme, Bacon's publicist told CNN Tuesday. Publicist Allen Eichhorn did not say how much the couple lost, declining to address reports that the figure was in the millions. "Let's not speculate," he said. Dreamworks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg and a charity run by director Steven Speilberg mark some of the other Hollywood heavyweights allegedly bilked by Madoff, who remains in his Manhattan home on house arrest after posting $10 million bail. Bacon, whose credits include "Mystic River," "Footloose" and the recent political biopic "Frost/Nixon," has appeared in 64 movies or television programs since 1978, according to the Internet Movie Database. It's a career that spawned the parlor game "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon," in which players attempt to link any other actor to Bacon based on the massive number of co-stars with whom he has worked. Sedgwick stars in TNT's "The Closer," and has screen credits that include "Singles" and "Born on the Fourth of July." TNT is a unit of Time Warner, CNN's parent company. Madoff was charged earlier this month with securities fraud in a scandal that has shaken financial communities around the globe. He is accused of running the $50 billion Ponzi scheme from his investment advisory business -- a scam that could result in huge losses to financial firms, charities and individual investors worldwide.
Bernard Madoff is accused of operating a $50 billion Ponzi scheme . Actor Kevin Bacon and former Gov. Eliot Spitzer are among alleged victims . Madoff is a Wall Street adviser and former Nasdaq chairman .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to give the Treasury Department the power to ban future "unreasonable and excessive" compensation at companies receiving federal bailout money. The bill would give Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner greater say on executive compensation. The Pay for Performance Act of 2009, which passed by a vote of 247-171, would empower Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to define what constitutes reasonable compensation, as well as to ban bonuses not based on performance standards. Geithner's guidelines would apply to companies receiving assistance from the government's Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP. Democrats provided heavy support for the bill, with only eight from that party voting against the measure. Republicans, who are in the minority in the House, were mostly opposed, with only 10 crossing party lines to support it. Two weeks ago, the House passed legislation taxing individuals on any bonuses received in 2009 from companies getting $5 billion or more in money from the TARP. Bonuses for people with incomes over $250,000 would be taxed at a 90 percent rate, but the measure has failed to clear the Senate. Watch Rep. Barney Frank spar with CNN's Lou Dobbs over bonus bill » . Public outrage followed the recent revelation that insurer AIG paid $165 million in bonuses even as it received at least $170 billion of taxpayer money in federal bailouts, plus an $85 billion loan from the Federal Reserve.
NEW: House passes Pay for Performance Act by 237-171 vote . Bill would allow Geithner to define what constitutes reasonable compensation . It would apply only to companies receiving federal bailout money .
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MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- Another child has died from last week's fire at a day care center in northwestern Mexico, bringing the death toll to 45, the state-run Notimex news agency said. A crib and baby seats sit outside the scene of a deadly day care center fire in Mexico. The child died Friday in a hospital in the city of Guadalajara, Notimex said. The news agency did not provide any additional information. A fire raged through the ABC day care center on June 5 in the city of Hermosillo in Sonora state. Officials said an air-conditioning unit in a government-run warehouse in the same building as the day care center caused the blaze. In another development Friday, three officials from the Mexican Institute of Social Security were fired, Notimex reported. The social security institute oversaw the ABC day care facility. Earlier, the Institute of Social Security removed its Sonora director, Arturo Leyva Lizarraga. Leyva Lizarraga was "separated" from the agency Wednesday to "facilitate the investigative process," according to Notimex. The same wording was used in announcing Friday's firings. Earlier in the week, two other people who ran the center resigned from the government jobs they held. Also Friday, Mexican Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora said officials had found safety irregularities at the day care center in 2005, Notimex said. He declined to detail those irregularities but said authorities are investigating if anything was done about them. Any negligent officials will be punished once the investigation is completed, Medina said.
NEW: Three officials from supervisory agency dismissed . Death toll in Mexico day care center fire rises to 45, officials say . Fire tore through building in Sonora state on June 5 . Fire started in air-conditioning unit in adjacent warehouse, officials say .
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(CNN) -- Officials said a British Airways jet had to be evacuated Friday at a Phoenix, Arizona, airport after smoke was reported in the cabin. British Airways Flight 288, headed to London's Heathrow Airport, had departed the gate for the runway, but returned after passengers detected odors strong enough to cause alarm, said Capt. Shelly Jamison, spokeswoman of the Phoenix Fire Department. The Boeing 747-400 was next to the terminal when emergency chutes flew open for the 298 passengers to evacuate, officials said. About 100 firefighters and emergency medical personnel were dispatched to Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport about 8 p.m. (11 p.m. ET), she said. Jamison said about 15 people suffered injuries, mainly cuts and bruises. She also said a person experiencing shoulder pain was taken to a local hospital. Firefighters used a thermal imaging camera, but could not determine a source of a fire, Jamison said. Jamison said the smoke may have been caused by electrical problems. The airlines' engineering staff was examining the aircraft and the staff in Phoenix was assisting stranded passengers with hotel rooms, British Airways spokesman Richard Goodfellow said.
London-bound plane was evacuated Friday after smoke reported in cabin . Passengers, crew used emergency chutes to leave plane . Officials still trying to determine what caused smoke on plane .
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(CNN) -- Kids dig in the sand at the beach all the time, but the fun nearly turned fatal for an 11-year-old Pennsylvania boy this week. The 11-year-old was given CPR and revived before being taken to a local hospital. The boy was digging a tunnel with friends on a beach in Ocean City, Maryland, on Tuesday when part of it collapsed on top of him, authorities said. Lifeguards rushed to pull him out, but it first appeared that they were too late. The boy was not breathing, and he had no pulse, Beach Patrol Capt. Butch Arbin told CNN on Wednesday. But rescue crews revived the boy by performing CPR, said Arbin, who was at the scene. There was a lot of emotion on the beach when the boy's pulse came back, he said. "He basically went from dead to life," Arbin said, adding that the boy's mother called the rescue a "miracle." As he was being rolled into an ambulance on a stretcher, the boy -- perhaps not realizing the trauma he had just survived -- complained to his mother that he had sand in his eyes, Arbin said. The child, whose family did not want to be identified, was initially taken to Atlantic General Hospital and later flown to the A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children in Delaware, he said. He's recovering there and probably will be released later Wednesday, Arbin said.
Boy, 11, was digging a tunnel with friends on a beach in Ocean City, Maryland . Lifeguards rushed to help; boy had no pulse and wasn't breathing . Beach Patrol captain: "He basically went from dead to life" Boy recovering in hospital, expected to be released later Wednesday .
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JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- An Indonesian military transport plane crashed into a residential area in East Java early Wednesday, killing 98 people, military officials said. Soldiers search for victims at the plane's crash site in East Java Wednesday. The death toll might rise, because the Air Force said 112 people were thought to be aboard when the Hercules transport plane crashed about 6:30 a.m. The crash destroyed four homes and killed two people who lived in at least one of the homes, said Suwardi, the village leader of Karas in East Java. The plane had a crew of 14 people and was carrying an additional 98 passengers, Major Gen. Suwarno said. Watch the latest on the crash » . At least 15 people from the flight had been rescued, according to Bambang Sulistyo, an Indonesian air force spokesman. Wahyu Nuryanto, a staff member at the Iswahyudi hospital in nearby Madiun, told local media that 19 people were brought to the hospital -- several with serious injuries, including multiple fractures. The 19 included air force personnel, family members of air force personnel, and civilians, Nuryanto said. Rescue crews Wednesday were evacuating the crash area where local media showed plumes of smoke billowing from a rice field and rescuers scrambling to move victims on makeshift stretchers. The crash comes a day after another Indonesian Hercules transport plane crashed on a runway after touching down early. No one was killed in that crash in Papua province.
NEW: Death toll climbs . At least 15 people from the flight rescued, says major general . The crash destroys four homes and kills two residents, says Karas village leader . Indonesian military transport plane crashed into residential area in East Java .
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- When emergency crews scramble to a celebrity's home and it turns out to be a false alarm, journalists don't usually write about it. Cher made the most of a false alarm, offering admiration for emergency personnel who came to her house. When the celebrity is Cher and her publicist issues an entertaining response to a reporter's call, some entertainment writers can't resist. The electronic call for help sounded at Cher's Malibu, California, home at 11:16 a.m. Thursday, spurring a flurry of activity. Ambulances and fire trucks rushed to the singer's residence, sending journalists to their address books for Cher's contact information. Her publicist, Liz Rosenberg, quickly responded to CNN's questions with this e-mailed explanation: . "Just spoke to Cher who confirmed it was a false alarm but said she never saw so many cute firemen and paramedics in her life," said Rosenberg's response. "She added there was an especially gorgeous black-haired ambulance driver that she is really sorry she didn't get to meet. Maybe there'll be another false alarm ..." We will keep you updated.
Security crews at Cher's house set off false alarm . Emergency vehicles zoomed over, though for naught . Cheeky comment from Cher's publicist: "Many cute firemen and paramedics"
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Fight police misconduct with a cell phone, the NAACP says. The century-old civil rights organization has launched an online reporting system that lets users upload cell phone images of alleged police abuses. The Rapid Report System also lets users send text messages and e-mails about alleged misconduct. "We know that most of police officers around the nation are excellent public servants. But the few who violate people's rights are often not held accountable," said Benjamin Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP. "Research has shown that there are many barriers to reporting incidents of police misconduct, including intimidation at police departments and a lack of trust in the integrity of the system, among other reasons. This breakdown leads to an absence of public safety and a deterioration of the quality of life in many communities of color." The NAACP unveiled the online system Monday at its national convention in New York City. Users can post images from their cell phones or online. Cell phone footage has repeatedly helped spotlight alleged police misconduct in recent years. The fatal shooting of an unarmed man in Oakland, California, on New Year's Day made headlines and spread across the Internet partly because of cell phone video. The killing sparked large protests in Oakland and led to a murder charge against the transit officer.
NAACP unveils new program to allow people to report alleged police misconduct . Texts, e-mails can also be sent to document alleged police misdeeds . Unarmed California man's shooting captured on phone garnered national attention .
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(CNN) -- "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" hit thousands of theater screens across the country at midnight Wednesday. Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter develop a romance in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." Since then, fans have been buzzing about some of the film's most impressive scenes -- including one called "I killed Sirius Black." In the scene, Potter is confronted by Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange, who is creating mischief for both the boy wizard and his latest crush, Ginny Weasley. (Death Eaters are followers of the series villain, Voldemort.) Exhilarating for some, but frustrating for others, this particular scene from the franchise's sixth installment is a cinematic creation, as it never occurs in the J.K. Rowling novel. Watch the excitement of "Potter's" scene » . That aside, it includes pyrotechnic explosions, blazing fires, a massive chase sequence and the use of dark arts -- the Harry Potter version of black magic. In this week's "The Scene," actors Daniel Radcliffe, who plays Harry Potter; Bonnie Wright, who stars as Ginny Weasley; and director David Yates comment on the action.
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" came out Wednesday . Film has key scene involving Harry and Bellatrix Lestrange . Scene is not in J.K. Rowling's book, but a cinematic creation .
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(CNN) -- Singer-actress Mandy Moore and rocker Ryan Adams were married this week in Savannah, Georgia, Moore's publicist told CNN on Wednesday. Mandy Moore first found recording success in 1999 with her single "Candy" and is now a well-known actress. The wedding took place Tuesday, said Jillian Fowkes, who gave no further details about the nuptials. Rumors first surfaced almost a year ago that Moore, 24, and Adams, 34, were dating, as paparazzi photos surfaced of the couple out together in Los Angeles, California. Moore's first success as a recording artist came in 1999 with her debut album, "So Real," which went platinum with the help of her top-10 single "Candy." Adams is known for producing rock music with a country influence. He is best known for his song "New York, New York", which appeared on his 2001 release "Gold." Adams is also an author and has produced music for Jesse Malin and Willie Nelson. He recently announced that he was leaving his band, The Cardinals, because of inner ear troubles affecting his balance and hearing. Adams has fronted The Cardinals since 2004.
Mandy Moore and Ryan Adams married quietly in Savannah, Georgia . Couple was first spotted together by paparazzi almost a year ago . He recently announced he is leaving The Cardinals .
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(CNN) -- A second person has died during construction for Madonna's upcoming concerts in Marseilles, France, authorities said Friday. Firefighters leave the Stade Velodrome stadium in Marseille after the accident on Thursday. The second fatality was a 32-year-old British citizen, the British Foreign Office and a high-ranking police official said. It was not clear whether the person was a man or woman, but the next of kin had been informed, the Foreign Office said. A 53-year-old French man was killed Thursday when a crane collapsed at the venue, a fire department spokesman in the southern French city said. A third person was in critical condition, said Alexandre Lanzalavi, a spokesman for Marseille Hospital. Two other people were in hospital and required surgery, and seven others were treated and released, Lanzalavi said. Madonna said Thursday that she was "devastated" to hear about the death. "My prayers go out to those who were injured and their families, along with my deepest sympathy to all those affected by this heartbreaking news," Madonna said in a statement issued by her representative, Liz Rosenberg. At least one Madonna show had been canceled, Rosenberg told CNN. The accident happened when a crane collapsed while lifting a large metallic truss -- a structure from which lights hang -- into place, Lt. Thierry Delorme of the French Navy told CNN. In Marseille, the fire department is a part of the Navy. An investigation has been launched into the cause of the collapse, he said. Some 27 fire engines and 80 firefighters responded to the emergency when the accident occurred about 5:15 p.m. (11:15 a.m. ET). Madonna was to play the first of five concerts for her "Sticky and Sweet" tour at the 60,000-seat Stade Velodrome on Sunday. The singer was in Udine, Italy, when she heard the news, Rosenberg said. Flora Genoux in Paris, France, contributed to this story for CNN.
Two people killed when stage being built for Madonna concert collapses . Accident happened Thursday afternoon in southern French city of Marseille . Madonna was due to play first of five concerts in city Sunday .
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(CNN) -- The eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, in a rare television interview Tuesday, shed some light on who might eventually take over leadership of the country. Kim Jong Nam, 35, in southern China's casino haven of Macau on January 30, 2007 . Kim Jong Nam told TV Asahi in Macau that he does not care about politics or succeeding his father. "Personally, I am not interested in this issue (succession)," he said in an interview with the Japanese television network. "Sorry, I am not interested in the politics." The rules governing transfer of power in the secretive communist nation are unclear. Kim Jong Il rules without challenge and has built a cult of personality around himself and his family. He is widely reported to have suffered a stroke in August and has been absent from many public functions in recent months. In April, he named his son Kim Jong Un and brother-in-law, Jang Song Thaek, to the country's powerful National Defense Commission, suggesting his third son may be his heir. "I hear that news in the media," Kim Jong Nam said. "I think it's true ... however, it is my father's decision. So once he decides, we have to support him." iReport.com: How should the U.S. approach North Korea? There has been speculation that Kim Jong Nam would defect from North Korea and that a purge of his supporters was under way. He told Asahi he saw no reason for leaving his homeland.
Kim Jong Nam tells TV Asahi he has no interest in leading North Korea . Kim Jong Nam is eldest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il . Rules of succession in secretive communist state unclear . Kim Jong Il widely reported to have suffered stroke last year .
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ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI had surgery on his right wrist Friday after he broke it in a fall, the Vatican said. Pope Benedict XVI arrives at a resort in northern Italy's Val d'Aosta region Monday. He broke his wrist Thursday. The pope left the hospital Friday afternoon and was returning to his summer home in Italy's Val d'Aosta region, spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told CNN. Doctors administered local anesthesia and put the pope's wrist in a cast, Lombardi said, adding the procedure was minor. "There is no particular reason to cause alarm," Lombardi said. The pope, 82, fell Thursday night in his room in Val d'Aosta, a mountainous region of northwestern Italy, the Vatican said. The pope arrived there Monday. The pope "tripped or slipped in his room," Lombardi said. "It was dark, in the middle of the night. It was not due to dizziness. The fact that the Holy Father waited to go to the hospital shows that it was not serious." He was taken to the hospital in the region's central town of Aosta on Friday morning after celebrating his daily private Mass, the Vatican said. Benedict's schedule for the coming days must still be confirmed, but Lombardi said he believed the pope will be able to hold his weekly Sunday Angelus from his summer home this weekend. CNN's Hada Messia contributed to this report.
Pope Benedict XVI briefly hospitalized after breaking wrist in fall . The pope, 82, fell Thursday night in his room at mountain retreat . He went to hospital Friday after celebrating his daily private Mass .
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Fight police misconduct with a cell phone, the NAACP says. The century-old civil rights organization has launched an online reporting system that lets users upload cell phone images of alleged police abuses. The Rapid Report System also lets users send text messages and e-mails about alleged misconduct. "We know that most of police officers around the nation are excellent public servants. But the few who violate people's rights are often not held accountable," said Benjamin Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP. "Research has shown that there are many barriers to reporting incidents of police misconduct, including intimidation at police departments and a lack of trust in the integrity of the system, among other reasons. This breakdown leads to an absence of public safety and a deterioration of the quality of life in many communities of color." The NAACP unveiled the online system Monday at its national convention in New York City. Users can post images from their cell phones or online. Cell phone footage has repeatedly helped spotlight alleged police misconduct in recent years. The fatal shooting of an unarmed man in Oakland, California, on New Year's Day made headlines and spread across the Internet partly because of cell phone video. The killing sparked large protests in Oakland and led to a murder charge against the transit officer.
NAACP unveils new program to allow people to report alleged police misconduct . Texts, e-mails can also be sent to document alleged police misdeeds . Unarmed California man's shooting captured on phone garnered national attention .
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(CNN) -- Chinese authorities were explicit: Tear down the nation's first sex-themed amusement park before it gets going full steam. Visitors catch a glimpse of Love Land, billed as China's first-ever sex theme park, in southwest China. Love Land had not opened its doors yet, but authorities in the city of Chongqing -- a sprawling metropolis on the banks of the Yangtze River -- got all hot and bothered over the park's plans to display naked human sculptures, giant replica genitals and a photo gallery on the history of sex, the state-run China Daily reported. Lu Xiaoqing, park manager, told the newspaper he got the idea for building Love Land after a visit to a sex park in Jeju, a popular destination in South Korea. Love Land would include sex-technique workshops and sex education to help adults "enjoy a harmonious sex life," Lu said. "Sex is a taboo subject in China, but people really need to have more access to information about it," he told the newspaper. "We are building the park for the good of the public." Whatever Lu's intentions, the newspaper said Chinese officials saw it another way: "vulgar, ill-minded and misleading." The park was to open in October but was demolished over the weekend -- thongs, replicas of derrieres and all. Reactions posted on the Internet were varied, according to the China Daily. Some thought sex was best left behind closed doors, while others argued that a real need for sex education existed in China. "Sex is a matter of privacy. It is not for publicity," said Xia Xueluan, a sociology professor at Beijing University. The officials in Chongquing apparently agreed.
Love Land was to display giant replica genitals and photo gallery on history of sex . The park was to include sex-technique workshops and sex education . Reactions posted on the Internet were varied, according to the China Daily .
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(CNN) -- "A gruesome scene" is how one investigator described the aftermath of five killings in Tennessee. A sixth body was found in Alabama. Police gather outside one of the scenes of mutliple slayings in Fayetteville, Tennessee, on Saturday. Kristin Helm of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation told CNN on Saturday that authorities have Jacob Shafer in custody in connection with the deaths. She added that authorities are not looking for additional suspects. Huntsville, Alabama, Police Sgt. Mickey Allen said Tennessee authorities told him a man confessed to a slaying in Huntsville, Alabama, and to five other killings in Fayetteville, Tennessee. Allen didn't identify the man. Shafer has been questioned by the TBI and is expected to face murder charges, Helm said. Sheriff Murray Blackwelder, who held an afternoon news conference, called the slayings "one of the worst crimes Lincoln County has ever seen." He didn't describe how the Lincoln County, Tennessee, victims died. Dr. Bruce Levy, medical examiner for Tennessee, was working to identify the bodies found in that state, Helm said. Fayetteville police responded to a call to South Lincoln Road about 10 a.m. (11 a.m. ET), Blackwelder said. Police found three crime scenes and five bodies on that street, he said. The five victims, some of whom were related, were found in two homes, Helm said. Investigators think the killings occurred either Friday night or early Saturday, she said. The sixth body was found at a business in Huntsville, Sheriff Allen said. He said he is unsure of the connection between the crime scenes in Tennessee and Alabama. Huntsville is about 30 miles from Fayetteville. "We have no clue yet as to what unfolded there and how it relates to here," Allen said. CNN's Mayra Cuevas-Nazario contributed to this report.
NEW: Man taken in custody by Tennessee authorities in six slayings . NEW: Suspect identified as Jacob Lee Shafer, who faces murder charges, TBI says . NEW: Authorities say an undientified man has confessed to the killings . Five bodies were found at two homes in Tennessee; one victim in Alabama .
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- "Guiding Light" will go dark in September after 72 years and 16,000 episodes, CBS announced Wednesday. Gina Tognoni is one of many performers who have appeared on "Guiding Light" over the years. The daytime soap opera's declining viewership led to the decision, according to a CBS spokeswoman. The show, which the Guinness Book of World Records lists as the longest-running television drama, first aired on NBC radio in 1937 as a 15-minute serial, the spokeswoman said. It moved to television on the CBS network in 1952. The last episode is set to air on September 18, she said. The show is produced in New York.
"Guiding Light" originally was radio serial on NBC, debuted in 1937 . Show moved to CBS, which put it on TV in 1952 . Last episode of show to air September 18 .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Despite a bleak economic environment featuring wide-ranging layoffs and rising unemployment, the nation's premier law enforcement agency is touting "one of the largest hiring blitzes in our 100-year history." The FBI is about to embark on its biggest hiring spree since immediately after the September 11, 2001. The FBI posted openings for 850 special agents and more than 2,100 professional support personnel. Officials say it's the largest FBI job posting since immediately after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The FBI's unexpectedly large number of job openings results more from attrition and a wave of retirements than from growing government appropriations, Bureau officials told CNN. The FBI routinely advertises openings for individuals with critical skills in computer science and language fluency. But John Raucci, assistant director of the FBI's Human Resources Division, says current needs are much more wide-ranging. "We're also looking for professionals in a wide variety of fields who have a deep desire to help protect our nation from terrorists, spies and others who wish us harm," Raucci said. The lengthy list of openings includes positions in finance and accounting, security, intelligence analysis, training and education, nursing and counseling, physical surveillance, electrical engineering, physical and social sciences, and auto mechanics. Procedures for applying and a full listing of available positions are posted on the Web site fbijobs.gov. "This is a great time to apply for a great job in the FBI," said the bureau's chief spokesman, Richard Kolko. Officials note at least a few jobs are currently available in every one of the FBI's 56 field offices across the nation. The FBI lists openings throughout the year, but seldom has anything close to the current number of available positions. The present job postings expire on January 16, but a new, possibly smaller set of openings will be posted shortly thereafter, the agency said.
FBI goes on biggest hiring blitz since 9/11 . Postings on www.fbijobs.gov seek 850 agents, 2,100 support staffers . Retirements, attrition responsible for openings, FBI says .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Director of National Intelligence is replacing the agency's inspector general just days after the public release of a blistering report critical of the DNI's office. DNI head Dennis Blair announced Friday Justice Department official Roslyn Mazer will replace Inspector General Edward McGuire as the DNI's internal watchdog. The inspector general's role is to examine the operations of the office and investigate any allegations of waste, fraud or misconduct. Earlier this week, Maguire testified before Congress about his report on the state of the DNI's office, outlining rampant communication problems, continuing turf battles within the intelligence community and financial mismanagement. All of those problems were supposed to be addressed when the position of DNI was created by Congress in 2004 to look at the intelligence failures associated with the 9/11 terrorism attacks and the claims of Iraq possessing weapons of mass destruction. The classified inspector general report was completed in November 2008, but was not made public until this week. DNI spokeswoman Wendy Morigi said Maguire's departure has nothing to do with his report. She claimed Blair, who assumed his position two months ago, wanted to bring his own leadership team. "The director appreciates the efforts and work of the previous inspector general and will continue to build on some of the suggested reforms," Morigi said.
Inspector General Edward McGuire is being replaced as DNI's internal watchdog . Maguire's departure comes after blistering report critical of DNI . Report details turf battles within intelligence community, financial mismanagement .
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ROME, Italy (CNN) -- Pope Benedict XVI preached and greeted well-wishers Sunday, three days after breaking his wrist in a fall. The pope celebrates mass with his broken wrist in plaster. He held the text of his speech in his uninjured left hand, then circulated among the crowd who came to hear him in Romano Canavese, pictures from the northern Italian town showed. The 82-year-old pope had surgery on his right wrist after he fell Thursday night, spokesman Father Federico Lombardi told CNN on Friday. The pope is "learning" to live with his cast, Lombardi told Vatican Radio. The most painful aspect of the incident for Benedict is having to give up writing by hand, which he had intended to do frequently during his annual vacation Italy's Val d'Aosta region, Lombardi told the official Vatican station. "I know that here, too, in the Ivera region, many families are facing economic hard times due to a lack of work," he said, referring to the now-defunct Olivetti typewriter manufacturer in the region. "Dear friend, do not be discouraged," he added, according to Agence-France Presse. "Providence always helps those who do the right thing and seek justice; it also helps those who think not only of themselves, but also think of those in worse situations than their own."
Pope preaches and greeted well-wishers, three days after breaking his wrist . Benedict XVI had surgery on his right wrist after he fell Thursday night . Most painful aspect for pope is having to stop writing by hand, spokesman says .
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(CNN) -- A North Carolina man is accused of arranging to have his wife raped through personal ads on the Web site Craigslist, police said Wednesday. The 25-year-old man, of Kannapolis, North Carolina, was arrested in connection with the incident that occurred at his home early Sunday, police said in a statement. Police responded to the home at about 2:45 a.m. after receiving a 911 call indicating a male armed with a knife appeared in the couple's bedroom and sexually assaulted the man's wife, authorities said. The man was present at the time of the assault, and two young children were in the home, but were unharmed and unaware of the incident, the police statement said. "During the investigation, investigators interviewed the victim and her husband," the statement said. "Investigators became suspicious when they noticed there was no sign of forced entry to the home. Investigators also developed information that led them to note specific inconsistencies in the initial statement provided by [the man]." But on Tuesday, police found that the man "had responded to at least two personal ads on Craigslist.com in an effort to arrange for someone to come to his home and have sex with his wife using some type of scare tactic." "Investigators believe [he] arranged this incident without the knowledge or consent of the victim," the police statement said. The woman was taken to a hospital after the assault, where she underwent a forensic examination and was interviewed, police said. She suffered no serious physical injuries and was released shortly afterward. Police did not release the identity of the victim. CNN is not naming the victim's husband in an effort to avoid identifying her. The incident remains under investigation, police said. The man faces charges including first-degree rape, two counts of first-degree sexual offense and one count of attempted first-degree sexual offense, according to the police statement. Kannapolis is about 26 miles northeast of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Police: Man arranged wife's rape through ads on Craigslist.com . Male appeared in bedroom and sexually assaulted man's wife Sunday, police say . Attacker was armed; husband was in bedroom at the time, police say . Husband charged with rape, sexual offense .
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(CNN) -- No drawn butter will ever touch Fiona's tail. She's an extremely rare, seven-year-old "yellow" lobster. Fiona's colorful hue makes her a one-in-30 million rarity. Fiona belongs to Nathan Nickerson, the owner of Arnold's Lobster and Clam Bar in Eastham, Massachusetts, who has been in the restaurant business for 32 years. The special lobster was caught off the coast of eastern Canada last week by a friend of Nickerson. "In 57 years in Cape Cod, I have never seen a yellow lobster and I doubt that I will ever see one again," he said Thursday. Experts say Fiona's colorful appearance makes her one in 30 million. Fiona's not really yellow, but more of a bright orange, She's not quite the red color your typical lobster looks after it's been cooked. Nickerson has plans for his new ocean-dwelling friend, but it has nothing to do with the boiling pot. He said he'll keep the 1.75-pound crustacean in a viewing tank at his restaurant, hoping to draw in a few extra customers. CNN's Samuel Gardner contributed to this story.
Rare "yellow" lobster making waves at Massachusetts restaurant . Fiona was caught off coast of eastern Canada, given to restaurant owner . Her colorful appearance makes her 1 in 30 million rarity . Owner has no cooking plans for Fiona .
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MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- One man was gored in the abdomen and another suffered facial injuries on the third day of the annual running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, a hospital doctor told Spanish state television Wednesday. A fighting bull leaps over a fallen runner at the Mercaderes curve during the running of the bulls. A 22-year-old Californian, who was gored, was taken to a hospital and was "stable and conscious," said the doctor, Ignacio Yurss, medical director of Hospital de Navarra. The patient's name was not released. The man who suffered facial injuries comes from Greece and was injured in the nose, Yurss added. The latest injuries bring to 20 the number of runners who have been hurt in the first three days of the running. Watch the running of the bulls in Pamplona » . Two of those were due to bull gorings -- the Californian gored Wednesday and a Spaniard gored Tuesday. The other 18 injuries resulted from falls or collisions, the regional government of Navarra reported. Ten of the injured are Spanish. The other 10 include three Americans and one each from England, Australia, New Zealand, Greece, South Africa, South Korea, and Romania, the Navarra government said. Many of the 20 have already been released from the hospital. The running of the bulls in Pamplona started 400 years ago and became popular worldwide after Ernest Hemingway wrote about it in the 1920s. The running is held for eight consecutive days, July 7 to 14, as six bulls and a pack of tame steers run from the corrals through Pamplona's old town to the bull ring, where the bulls will die later in the day in a bullfight. A total of 13 people have been killed in the runs since 1924, when record-keeping began. The last was a 22-year-old American gored to death in 1995. The runs begin off at 8 a.m. (2 a.m. ET) each day, with a few thousand runners participating daily, although crowds swell at the weekend.
One man gored in the abdomen, another facially injured at Pamplona bull run . Californian and Greek hospitalized following event, now more than 400 years old . Latest injuries happened on the third of eight scheduled runs in the Spanish city . NEW: Twenty people injured so far this year; last fatality was an American in 1995 .
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(CNN) -- A close aide to Pakistan's Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud said he is breaking ties with him and confirmed reports that Mehsud was behind the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in December 2007 at a campaign rally. Qari Turkestan Bhitaini, a self-proclaimed right-hand man of Mehsud, said Mehsud was behind the December 27, 2007, assassination of Bhutto, Pakistan's Express TV reported. Bhitaini said he is breaking ties with Mehsud because he blames the Taliban chief for killing scores of innocent Muslims in recent attacks in Lahore. The Pakistani government and CIA officials have said in the past that Mehsud was responsible for Bhutto's death. Bhutto, 54, was heading the opposition to then-President Pervez Musharraf when she was assassinated during a campaign rally in Rawalpindi ahead of parliamentary elections. The Pakistani government, who has struggled to control terrorism, is waging a military offensive against the Taliban in the country's North West Frontier Province.
Report: Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud responsible for Benazir Bhutto's slaying . Mehsud's former aide makes allegations, blames him for killing Muslims . Bhutto was assassinated in December 2007 at campaign rally .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday that another stimulus package might be needed to help the ailing economy. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with economists and other Democrats on Tuesday to discuss the stimulus. Pelosi, whose comments followed a meeting with several economists, said the measures already taken by the Obama administration are helping to restore confidence in the shaky financial markets. But "we have to keep the door open and see how this goes," the California Democrat added. House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey of Wisconsin said on Tuesday night he's already instructed his staff to start drafting a second stimulus proposal. Obey said his staff is preparing the outline of a stimulus bill but he cautioned there is no timeline to move on it. One of the economists in the meeting with Pelosi and other Democrats, Mark Zandi with Moody's Economy.com, said more taxpayer money would likely be needed to bolster the economy. Another economist, Allen Sinai, chief global economist at Decision Economics Inc., urged patience. But he questioned President Obama's prediction that the $800 billion stimulus package enacted last month would create or save as many as 3 million to 4 million jobs. "Initially ... the jobs created may be a little disappointing," Sinai said. Sinai said his analysis showed that about 2.5 million jobs would be saved or created over the next two years and he said it is more realistic to project 3 million jobs over a longer period of three years. The most recent prediction from the Congressional Budget Office, released last week, estimates the recovery package will create or save from 1.2 million jobs to 3.6 million jobs.
"We have to keep the door open and see how this goes," the House Speaker says . House Appropriations Committee chairman's staff is preparing second proposal . More taxpayer money will likely be needed to bolster economy, economist says . Economist questions whether current stimulus will save or create 4 million jobs .
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(CNN) -- The House of Representatives voted Friday to impeach a federal judge convicted of obstruction of justice while in office. Judge Samuel Kent was the first federal judge to be charged with sexual crimes while in office. U.S. District Judge Samuel B. Kent of Texas pleaded guilty in February, admitting he lied to investigators about nonconsensual sexual contact with two employees in his courthouse. As part of a plea agreement, other counts alleging sexual misconduct were dropped. Kent was the first federal judge to be charged with sexual crimes while in office. He has submitted his resignation, but made it effective June 1, 2010, meaning he would be paid for a year while in prison. That drew a heated response among some members of Congress, and a House Judiciary Committee task force unanimously approved four articles of impeachment against Kent on the grounds of sexual assault, obstruction of justice and providing false statements to federal investigators. Before the House vote, Judiciary Committee member Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Virginia, said to House members that Kent collecting a salary of about $174,000 while in prison constituted "an attempt to extort hundreds of thousands of dollars from the American people." There were no dissenting votes. The decision on whether to convict Kent will be made by the Senate. A conviction would mean he would lose his seat on the federal bench and his pension. Kent, who turns 60 this month, was sentenced in May to 33 months in prison and began serving the sentence Monday. He was ordered to undergo treatment for alcoholism while in prison. An attempt to reach Kent's attorney for comment was unsuccessful Friday afternoon. President George H.W. Bush nominated Kent, who took his seat on the bench of the Southern District of Texas on October 1, 1990. Kent is the 14th federal judge to be impeached by the House. The last impeachment -- on charges of lying to a federal grand jury -- was of Mississippi Judge Walter Nixon in 1989.
Samuel Kent says he lied about nonconsensual sexual contact with 2 employees . Kent submits resignation effective June 2010, which allowed him to collect salary . To keep Kent from being paid while in jail, House panel votes to impeach . Decision on whether he'll lose his seat on the bench and pension rests with Senate .
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Commuters on the New York-New Jersey Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) rail system will have added security screening Wednesday as part of a month-long pilot program, according to a news release from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Riders of the New York-New Jersey PATH trains will see a new security system in place on Wednesday. The screening system is called the Passive Millimeter Wave. It can detect threats, including explosive devices, hidden under clothing, the Port Authority explained in the news release. The Transportation Security Administration and the Port Authority stress that there is no current threat to the mass transit system, nor do they anticipate delays for commuters from the new technology, which has already been tested at several other transit locations. The Passive Millimeter Wave "detects threats by analyzing the energy generated by the human body," according to TSA spokesperson Lara Uselding. The camera-like device displays an image for operators, and "an indicator produces a strength bar from green to red that indicates the presence/absence of anomalies that could have security implications, including the possible presence of explosives," according to the TSA Web site. The TSA and the Port Authority emphasize that the device is non-invasive and completely safe. The Port Authority's news release explains that all PATH passengers are subject to the pilot security screening, and passengers who do not want take part must leave the station. The TSA has partnered with agencies in various cities in the past to test out the same security screening system, including in 2007 at Washington's Union Station and on New York's Staten Island Ferry. The TSA has also tested the system at several U.S. airports including Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota; Denver, Colorado; and Boston, Massachusetts.
PATH riders to have new security starting Wednesday; part of a month-long program . System called Passive Millimeter Wave; it detects hidden explosives under clothing . Don't want to be screened? Then leave station, says Port Authority . System previously tested at Staten Island Ferry, several U.S. airports .
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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A one-of-a-kind bicycle belonging to U.S. cycling legend Lance Armstrong was stolen from a team truck in California just hours after he rode it Saturday on the first day of a nine-day race. Lance Armstrong's bike was stolen after he competed in the first day of the Amgen Tour of California. Cancer survivor and seven-time Tour de France champion Armstrong is racing in the Amgen Tour of California this week as he attempts another comeback after retiring from the sport in 2005. Armstrong's first comeback came in 1998, two years after he was diagnosed with advanced testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain. Doctors gave him a less than 50 percent chance of survival. Armstrong announced the bike theft on his Twitter account Sunday morning and posted a photograph. "There is only one like it in the world therefore hard to pawn it off. Reward being offered," he wrote. The bicycle that was stolen is not the one Armstrong rides every day during the race. The stolen bike is used only for time trials, a race in which cyclists ride individually at staggered intervals over a set distance and try to get the best time. The thieves took four bicycles from a truck Armstrong's Astana team had parked behind a hotel in Sacramento. The other three bicycles belonged to team members Janez Brajkovic, Steve Morabito and Yaroslav Popovych, Astana said. Armstrong, 37, won the Tour de France, considered the premier bicycle race in the world, a record seven times from 1999-2005. The 750-mile Amgen Tour of California ends Sunday. It is the second major race in which Armstrong has participated since announcing his comeback in September. He raced last month in the Tour Down Under in Australia, finishing 29th. Armstrong said he is aiming for another Tour de France victory this summer and was not expected to contend in the Australian race, which he used to gauge his fitness level after more than three years out of the saddle.
One-of-a-kind bicycle taken from team truck in California . Armstrong posted announcement of theft on Twitter account . Champion cyclist aiming for comeback with participation in Amgen Tour .
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(CNN) -- Cycling legend Lance Armstrong -- a survivor of testicular cancer -- and girlfriend Anna Hansen are expecting a baby, CNN learned on Tuesday through his charitable organization. Cyclist Lance Armstrong has announced he will come out of retirement and race once again in the Tour de France. The baby is due in June. Armstrong was diagnosed in 1996 with testicular cancer that had spread to his brain, lungs and abdomen. He underwent treatment for the disease and was able to return to cycling, eventually winning seven consecutive Tour de France's. The harsh chemotherapy left him unable to have children, although he and then-wife Kristin Richards had three children using sperm the cyclist had donated before the treatment. Armstrong and Hansen, however, are expecting without the use of any artificial fertilization process. "This is a hopeful thing for testicular cancer survivors," CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta said. "It means his body healed from the chemotherapy and surgery." Armstrong retired from cycling after his seventh Tour de France win in 2005, and focused his energy on the Lance Armstrong Foundation (livestrong.org), which supports people affected by cancer. Armstrong founded the organization in 1997. The 37-year-old Texan announced in September that he was launching a comeback with the goal of winning the Tour de France in 2009. "After talking with my children, my family and my closest friends, I have decided to return to professional cycling in order to raise awareness of the global cancer burden," he wrote on LiveStrong's Web site. He is training for several races leading up to the Tour de France, including Australia's Tour Down Under and the Giro d'Italia.
Seven-times Tour de France winner Armstrong is a survivor of testicular cancer . The 37-year-old Texan already has three children from his marriage . "This is a hopeful thing for all testicular cancer survivors," says Sanjay Gupta .
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(CNN) -- An Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper was suspended Wednesday for five days without pay following a highly publicized scuffle with a paramedic in Okfuskee County in May, according to the Highway Patrol. This is an image from a video that captured an Oklahoma trooper's scuffle with a paramedic in May. The incident, which was caught on dash-camera and cell-phone video, showed Trooper Daniel Martin pulling over a Creek Nation ambulance for a traffic-stop violation. During the incident, Martin is heard repeatedly using profanity and twice getting into a scuffle with one of the paramedics. Both paramedics and family members of the patient in the ambulance informed Martin several times by there was a patient inside, but he did not allow the paramedics to continue to the hospital while the video continued. In a news conference Wednesday, Oklahoma Highway Patrol Captain Chris West said Martin "failed to recognize that it would have been more reasonable and appropriate to immediately allow the ambulance to continue to the hospital once he understood there was a patient onboard the ambulance." Watch the confrontation » . West also said Martin had "probable cause to make the traffic stop and justification to arrest the paramedic for obstructing a police officer" but that the incident "resulted in conduct unbecoming an officer." Martin's attorney, Gary James of Oklahoma City, did not immediately return a phone call from CNN. In a disciplinary letter sent to Martin, Oklahoma Public Safety Department Commissioner Kevin Ward, concluded that the "disregard for the welfare of the patient [justified] severe discipline." Martin will also be required to take an anger assessment, West said. The trooper had no previous discipline action in his record, according to West. On Tuesday, the paramedic involved in the scuffle, Maurice White, filed a lawsuit against Martin in federal court claiming his civil rights were violated. CNN's Mayra Cuevas-Nazario contributed to this report.
May incident was caught on dash-camera and cell-phone video . Trooper Daniel Martin shown pulling over a Creek Nation ambulance . During incident, Martin heard using profanity and getting physical with paramedic . Martin continued to hold up ambulance despite being informed of patient inside .
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(CNN) -- Finnish prosecutors will file genocide charges against a Rwandan man in the killings of 15 people during Rwanda's ethnic cleansing bloodbath in 1994, authorities said Monday. The case is the first genocide trial in Finland's history. Accused of complicity in the killings, the unidentified man would face life imprisonment if convicted. "It is obvious, according to the pre-trial investigation, that the man has committed a crime of genocide in the municipality of Nyakizu in April and May 1994 with intent to destroy the Rwandan Tutsis partly or totally," Finland's prosecutor-general said in a statement. The man, a 58-year-old Hutu, has denied the charges. Stoked by the assassination of then-Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, extremist militias made up of ethnic Hutus slaughtered ethnic Tutsis across Rwanda, beginning in April 1994. Within 100 days, an estimated 800,000 people were killed. The genocide ended when Tutsi-led militias backing Rwandan President Paul Kagame ousted the Hutu government supporting the massacre. The Rwandan man was living in Porvoo, about 50 km (31 miles) east of the Finnish capital of Helsinki, when he was arrested. Prosecutors said they interviewed nearly 100 witnesses abroad before proceeding with charges against the man.
The case is the first genocide trial in Finland's history . The 58-year-old Hutu man living in Finland when he was arrested . Estimated 800,000 ethnic Tutsis slaughtered in 1994 by Hutu-led militias .
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SEATTLE, Washington (CNN) -- A man at a Fort Lewis army post on Wednesday fatally shot a woman before turning the gun on himself, military authorities said. The shootings on Wednesday occurred outside the main post exchange at Fort Lewis in Washington state. The man, who was hospitalized earlier in the day, was pronounced dead late Wednesday, Fort Lewis spokesman Joe Kubistek said. The man shot the woman and then shot himself in the head, said Maj. Mike Garcia. He said the shootings occurred outside the main post exchange, as retail stores at military installations are called. Garcia said the 59-year-old shooter was a retired soldier. The woman he shot, Garcia said, was a civilian who worked as a vendor in the store. Neither was identified. Kathy Johnson had taken her elderly mother to shop at the store when shots rang out. "I heard five to six shots and hit the floor," Johnson said, "I was hiding under a clothing rack and people were yelling that we were being taken hostage." Eventually, Johnson said, customers were told over the store intercom that it was safe to leave the store. Outside military police had surrounded the store and were posted on nearby rooftops, she said, . It was not immediately clear what the relationship between the man and woman was, Garcia said. He said since the shooting took place on a federal installation, the FBI would lead the investigation into the shootings. CNN's Patrick Oppmann contributed to this report.
Alleged shooter is a 59-year-old retired soldier, Fort Lewis spokesman says . Slain woman was a civilian who worked as a vendor at the post, spokesman says . "I heard five to six shots and hit the floor," witness says . FBI will lead probe into shootings on the federal facility, spokesman says .
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(CNN) -- A California man convicted of the 2006 arson murders of five U.S. Forest Service firefighters was sentenced to death Friday. Raymond Lee Oyler was sentenced Friday to die for the arson murders of five firefighters. Raymond Lee Oyler, 38, of Beaumont was convicted in March of five counts of first-degree murder. The convictions included two special circumstances: that the murders were committed during an arson and that multiple murders were committed. Oyler also was convicted of 11 counts of arson and 10 counts of use of an incendiary device in those arsons. The imposition of the death penalty by a judge was a formality. A jury earlier recommended capital punishment for Oyler. Watch as Oyler's sentence is read » . Firefighters Mark Loutzenhiser, 44; Jess McLean, 27; Jason McKay, 27; and Daniel Hoover-Najera, 20, died October 26, 2006, during the Esperanza fire outside Los Angeles. Fueled by Santa Ana winds, the wildfire enveloped their engine. The fifth firefighter, Pablo Cerda, 23, died October 31, 2006, at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, where he had been taken after suffering burns over 90 percent of his body. Days before being charged in Esperanza fire, Oyler had been arrested and charged with two counts of arson in a June 2006 fire in the Banning Pass area. The 41,173-acre Esperanza fire destroyed 34 homes and 20 outbuildings, mainly in the Twin Pines and Poppet Flats areas, which had been under mandatory evacuations. The firefighters died trying to protect a partially built house in Twin Pines, a rural mountain community. CNN's Lynn Lamanivong contributed to this report.
Raymond Oyler formally handed death sentence for five firefighter deaths . Jury convicted Oyler of five counts of first-degree murder, 11 counts of arson . 2006 fire outside Los Angeles, California, killed the five firefighters . Esperanza fire destroyed 34 homes in Twin Pines area outside Los Angeles .
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PARIS, France (CNN) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy became faint while jogging late Sunday morning and was taken to a hospital, the presidential office said. French President Nicolas Sarkozy is often seen jogging with bodyguards. He did not lose consciousness, and initial tests showed nothing abnormal, said a statement released by the president's office. His heart will be monitored until Monday morning, which is standard procedure in such cases, the statement said. In the meantime, according to the statement, he is resting and keeping in touch with his advisers. Sarkozy, 54, had been jogging with bodyguards for about 45 minutes near the Elysee Palace, the official residence of the president, when he fell ill, the statement said. After being seen by the Elysee doctor, Sarkozy was taken by helicopter to the military hospital Val-de-Grace. Watch more on Sarkozy's trip to hospital » . No further announcement was expected until morning, the statement said. Sarkozy exercises regularly and is an avid jogger. Earlier this month, he was photographed jogging through Central Park in New York during his trip to the United States. CNN's Jim Bittermann contributed to this report.
NEW: Sarkozy resting, talking with advisers at hospital, president's office says . NEW: Initial tests show nothing abnormal, according to president's office . French President taken to hospital after becoming faint while jogging . Sarkozy is an avid jogger .
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(CNN) -- World champions South Africa held off a second-half rally from New Zealand to win their Tri-Nations opener 28-19 in Bloemfontein on Saturday. Morne Steyn goes on a run for the Springboks in their Tri Nations win. The All Blacks were trailing 17-3 early in the second half and got within four points before the Springboks sealed victory when Jaque Fourie went over eight minutes from time. All Blacks took the lead through Stephen Donald's early penalty, but South Africa hit back with 17 points without answer. Frans Steyn and Ruan Pienaar kicked penalties before the latter went over for the first try. Pienaar missed the conversion and carrying a slight injury passed the kicking duties back to Steyn who made a penalty to put them 14-3 up. Morne Steyn took over the kicking in the second half and he was successful with his first attempt to make it 17-3. The All Blacks then burst into action as Conrad Smith ran through for a superb try which was converted by Donald who then landed a penalty. Steyne and Donald shared penalties before Piri Weepu's wayward pass was recovered by the Springboks and Fourie went over to punish the error. The conversion was missed to complete a day of wayward kicking by the home side, but after a penalty by Donald, Steyn made no mistake the next time, with his kick three minutes from time finally ending the All Black challenge. South Africa go into the Tri-Nations off the back of a thrilling 2-1 series victory over the British and Irish Lions.
South Africa beat New Zealand 28-19 in Tri-Nations opener in Bloemfontein . Jaque Fourie and Ruan Pienaar crossed for tries for the Springboks . All Blacks hit back from 17-3 down to set up thrilling finale .
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KUALA LAMPUR, Malaysia (CNN) -- Malaysia will swear in a new prime minister Friday -- one tasked with reuniting a multi-racial nation and shoring up an economy in dire straits. Outgoing Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, facing, hugs his successor, Najib Razak last week. Until now, Najib Razak had served as the Southeast Asian country's deputy prime minister. He succeeds Abdullah Badawi who turned in his resignation after five years as leader. Both are part of Malaysia's ruling party, the National Front Coalition, which has ruled the country since it gained independence from Britain in 1957. But last year, a loose coalition of opposition parties won 82 of 222 parliamentary seats in elections. It was only the second time in the country's history that the ruling party failed to gain the two-thirds majority needed to amend the constitution. The election upset led to calls for Abdullah to step down. Various challenges await Najib: . In recent months, the country has seen riots with the country's ethnic Chinese and Indian communities who accuse the government of passing laws that favor the Malay majority. Najib has said he will do more to address their concerns. The country, like other nations around the world, has been severely affected by the global economic downturn. Critics are demanding Malaysia diversify its technology-heavy economy. Last month, Najib unveiled a multi-billion dollar stimulus plan for new spending, according to published reports. Najib also brings with him a whiff of controversy. Two former bodyguards are facing charges in connection the murder of a Mongolian model. He has denied all links to the killing.
Najib Razak to become new prime minister for Malaysia on Friday . Abdullah Badawi to step down from PM post . Ruling party has failed to secure majority needed to amend constitution .
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(CNN) -- A single-engine plane crashed Saturday outside a bank in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, seriously injuring the five people on board, authorities said. A damaged airplane lies on the ground Saturday next to a busy road in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The pilot reported engine problems shortly after leaving the city's Wiley Post Airport, about a mile away from the crash site, at midmorning, said Lynn Lunsford, spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration. The plane hit two trees as it came down, and video showed the damaged Beechcraft Bonanza resting on the grass near a busy thoroughfare in the northwest section of the city. Fire Department Deputy Chief Cecil Clay said the two men and three women on the plane were taken to hospitals. Lunsford said they suffered multiple injuries. Watch footage of the plane at the crash site » . The plane was headed to Enid, Oklahoma, about 100 miles north of Oklahoma City. The pilot tried to return to Wiley Post Airport after he recognized the engine trouble, Lunsford said. "I heard what I thought was a Dumpster being unloaded in the complex," said Shaddy Ahmad, who manages the U-Haul business across the street from the bank. He said emergency responders used special equipment to extricate the people from the plane, the top of which was peeled back. "They were very lucky because this is a high-traffic area," Ahmad said. "You have the expressway, the bank and stores in the area. They were blessed to land how they did."
Single-engine Beechcraft makes hard landing near busy road . Plane developed engine problems shortly after takeoff, FAA official says . Fliers were headed for Enid, Oklahoma, about 100 miles north .
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(CNN) -- An unusual exhibition is confusing and amusing tourists and locals in central Copenhagen this month. Strange signs from around the world can be seen in Copenhagen, Denmark. "Signspotting" is a collection of more than 100 signs found by travelers around the world and recreated by travel writer Doug Lansky. "I wanted it to look as if we'd stolen the sign or someone with a professional camera had taken a really good picture of it," he told CNN. See pictures from Signspotting in Copenhagen. » . Lansky started his collection almost 17 years ago, encouraged by friends who found his photos of strange signs more compelling than his treasured holiday snaps. As a travel columnist for the Chicago Tribune, he set about collecting photos of as many bizarre signs as he could. Interest in the project became so big that he eventually used them to replace the column itself. Signspotting Weekly was taken up by six papers, and before he knew it people began to send him pictures of signs they'd seen, eventually enough to fill a floor-to-ceiling cabinet. The photos filled two volumes of Signspotting books for Lonely Planet. Lansky chose the best for the first exhibition in Stockholm last year. "I felt bad I hadn't seen them. I knew I wasn't going to go around the world to track it down so I thought I'd do it this way," he said. Creating the exhibition took hours of painstaking work to digitally enlarge the photos so they looked like the real thing. "When most of these people sent these signs in they were on a postcard-sized photo and the actual sign was about the size of a postage stamp. To blow them up to this size was tricky," he said. The photos were then mounted onto real signs on metal poles standing in concrete bases. The free exhibition opened in Copenhagen, Denmark last week and will move to Arhus, Denmark on July 1st. Lansky is currently building a second exhibition for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.
Doug Lansky has been collecting photos of amusing signs for 17 years . The "Signspotting" street exhibition opened in Copenhagen last week . Reproducing the life-sized signs from tiny photographs is a painstaking task . Each sign was digitally enlarged and mounted on metal poles .
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(CNN) -- A surrogate mother gave birth to twin girls for Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, a publicist for the couple said. Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick are the new parents of twin daughters. "The babies are doing beautifully, and the entire family is over the moon," the publicist said, adding that the girls were born Monday afternoon. The couple, married for 12 years, revealed in April that they were expecting twins "with the generous help of a surrogate." It was not said whether the surrogate was the genetic mother of the twins or whether embryos from Parker, 44, had been transferred to her. "Marion Loretta Elwell Broderick weighed five pounds, 11 ounces and Tabitha Hodge Broderick weighed six pounds," the publicist said. "Both Hodge and Elwell are family names on Parker's side." Parker is best known for the popular television series and movie "Sex and the City," while Broderick gained fame as the main character in the movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." They have a son, James Wilkie, 6. He was named after Broderick's father, actor James Broderick.
Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick have twin daughters . The babies were born via a surrogate . Married for 12 years, the couple are also the parents of a 6-year-old boy .
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(CNN) -- Rescuers have saved more than 50 whales and five dolphins that stranded themselves on a beach in Tasmania, officials said Monday. More than 190 whales washed ashore on King island. The 54 pilot whales were among a group of 192 that beached themselves a day earlier on King island, which lies between Tasmania and the southeastern tip of Australia. Tasmania's Parks and Wildlife Service said the whales had been put back to sea at high tide. The rest perished. "This means all the surviving whales have now been refloated," it said in a statement. Parks and Wildlife Service spokesman Chris Arthur said it was not unusual for whales and dolphins to strand together. Watch rescuers haul creatures back out to sea » . In November 2004, a group of 97 long-finned whales and bottle nosed dolphins beached at Sea Elephant Bay in King Island. All the animals died. Over 90 percent of Australia's mass whale strandings occur in Tasmania, according to the Parks and Wildlife Service. "This last summer has been a particularly demanding one, not only for the specialist Parks and Wildlife Service officers... but also the volunteers and local communities who have worked together at four major strandings this summer," Arthur said.
54 pilot whales among a group of 192 that beached themselves . King Island off Tasmania is a hotspot for whale beachings . Experts say it is not uncommon for whales and dolphins to beach together .
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(CNN) -- Former Real Madrid and Monaco striker Fernando Morientes has returned to French football after joining Marseille on a free transfer . Morientes has joined Marseille after enduring a disappointing spell with Primera Liga side Valencia. The 33-year-old, who was released by cash-strapped Primera Liga side Valencia at the end of last season, links-up again with Marseille coach Didier Deschamp, who brought the forward to Monaco in a loan spell in 2003/04. During that time, Morientes built up a great relationship with Deschamps as the principality club reached the final of the Champions League, losing 3-0 to Porto. Top 20 summer transfer targets . Morientes has also played for Albacete, Real Zaragoza and Liverpool. He left Liverpool in 2006 to join Valencia but made only 19 league appearances for Los Che last season, scoring one goal. Deschamps has been busy in the summer transfer market as he prepares his side for life in the Champions League following their second-placed Ligue One finish to Bordeaux last season. Moreintes is Deschamps' eighth summer recruit after Lucho Gonzalez, Stephane Mbia, Souleymane Diawara, Edouard Cisse, Cyril Rool, Elinton Andrade and Charley Fomen. Morientes has not trained since being released by Valencia but the former Spanish international striker believes he will be fully fit in time for the new season. "I have stopped for two months but I hope to be good in two weeks, fit in quickly and bring my qualities," Morientes told a news conference. "At 33-years-old I have a lot of experience, I can bring a lot on the pitch and in the dressing room."
Striker Fernando Morientes has completed his free transfer move to Marseille . Former Spanish international was released by Valencia at end of last season . Morientes links-up again with Didier Deschamps, who was his Monaco coach .
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(CNN) -- Saudi Arabia has had its first death from swine flu, its Ministry of Health said Monday, bracing for more. The patient -- a 30-year-old man who lived in the country's Eastern Province -- was admitted to a hospital in the city of Dammam on Wednesday with a high fever, cough and shortness of breath. He died Saturday. Saudi Arabia has diagnosed more than 230 cases of the H1N1 virus this year. In the past few weeks, a debate about the virus has erupted in the Middle East. Of particular concern is how to keep it from spreading among the millions of visitors expected in Saudi Arabia during this year's Hajj -- a pilgrimage required of Muslims at least once in their lives. On Wednesday, Arab health ministers held an emergency summit in Cairo, Egypt, to discuss the issue. Guidelines were issued, banning various groups from participating in this year's Hajj -- children under 12, adults over 65 and people with chronic diseases. Saudi Arabia recommended that pregnant women stay home as well. At the close of the meeting, Saudi Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah told CNN that, in all, Saudi Arabia had issued 15 recommendations to help ensure the safety and health of pilgrims participating in the Hajj. "The most important of those is, first of all, that they should take the seasonal flu vaccine two weeks prior to Hajj," Al-Rabeeah said. Even with the guidelines in place, World Health Organization spokesman Dr. Ebrahim el Khordany acknowledged that it won't be easy keeping potential pilgrims away. El Khordany told CNN, "It was discussed in detail how it's going to be worked out between the country and Saudi Arabia to find out the best way to do it and, of course, to make sure that people don't try to use their connections to get their visas or to get to go to Saudi, because people are really very keen to go to the pilgrimage." The Saudi government has also said it will set up quarantine centers at airports as another preventative measure.
30-year-old man dies in hospital after suffering high fever, cough, shortness of breath . Saudi Arabia has diagnosed more than 230 cases of the H1N1 virus this year . Concern in Saudi over possible impact of virus on Hajj later this year . Saudi government says it will set up quarantine centers at airports .
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- A rarely seen portrait of Michael Jackson is on display inside a Harlem luxury car dealership. Macky Dancy, a partner at Dancy-Power Automotive, said the oil painting titled "The Book" is believed to be the only portrait for which Jackson sat. The oil painting titled "The Book" is on display at Dancy-Power Automotive in Harlem, New York. A different portrait of the entertainer was among items auctioned from his Neverland Ranch in April. It is not clear whether Jackson sat for that painting. The painting on display in Harlem belongs to Marty Abrams, a friend and customer of the owners of the high-profile dealership. The 40-inch by 50-inch portrait, by Australian painter Brett Livingstone-Strong, sold for $2.1 million in 1990. Abrams acquired it as part of an unrelated business deal in 1992 and had it stored. The painting shows Jackson sitting in Renaissance-era clothes and holding a book. Jackson sat for the portrait because he was a friend of Livingstone-Strong's. The painting was unveiled at the Dancy-Power Automotive Group showroom on Thursday but was removed Friday because of crowd concerns. It returned to the showroom floor Monday morning. Dancy said the painting's owner chose the showroom because it's near the Apollo Theater in Harlem, where the Jackson 5 won their first taste of fame by winning Amateur Night in 1967. He said Abrams hopes the painting in some way can raise money for charities in the Harlem neighborhood. Dancy said Abrams is not necessarily interested in selling the portrait. When news broke about the resurfacing of the painting, Dancy said, he received a phone call from representatives of Livingstone-Strong, the artist. Now, Dancy said, "We are in the middle of possibly putting together the artist with the painting again. Maybe for some auctions or charitable shows or something of the sort." The showroom features Rolls-Royces, Ferraris and other pricey cars and is famous for its celebrity clientele.
Oil painting said to be the only portrait for which Michael Jackson sat . Painting is displayed at Harlem-based automotive showroom . It shows Jackson in Renaissance-era clothes, holding a book . Partner: Painting's owner chose showroom because it's near Apollo Theater .
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(CNN) -- Officials recommended that more than 70,000 residents of the East Texas town of Bryan evacuate Thursday after a fertilizer warehouse caught fire, sending thick clouds of orange, toxic smoke into the air. City officials say they are worried the burning fertilizer could irritate skin and lungs. Another 10,000 residents of surrounding Brazos County were also included in the evacuation recommendation, officials said. City Manager David Watkins said 10 people were taken to a hospital with respiratory problems. Residue from the burning fertilizer ammonium nitrate can irritate skin and lungs. Smoke from the smoldering El Dorado Chemical Co. warehouse could be seen for miles. Watkins said he expected the fire to burn well into the evening, and that firefighters were not trying to extinguish the blaze, but were simply trying to keep it from spreading. Classes at nearby Texas A&M University were canceled, and the school opened Reed Arena, which can hold 12,000 people, for use as a shelter. "We are prepared to do what it takes. We are bracing to possibly keep guests overnight," spokeswoman Sherylon Carroll said.
NEW: 10 taken to hospital with respiratory problems, city manager says . Fertilizer warehouse catches fire in Bryan, Texas . Authorities recommend evacuation for tens of thousands . Texas A&M cancels classes, opens arena for shelter .
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(CNN) -- One of Africa's brightest young writers, 31-year-old Chimamanda Adichie has already been recognised for her talent; her debut novel was shortlisted for the Orange Fiction Prize in 2004. The Nigerian novelist talks to CNN about her craft, her country and identity.
31-year-old novelist grew up in Nigeria and studied in U.S. First novel was shortlisted for Orange Fiction prize; has won other literary awards . Latest work is collection of short stories about the Nigerian immigrant experience .
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(CNN) -- For most people, Post-it Notes are disposable, ordinary office papers used for note-taking and reminders. But for 19-year-old David Alvarez of Leavenworth, Washington, they were the perfect medium for a 10-foot-tall mosaic depicting Ray Charles. David Alvarez, right, made this 10-foot-tall mosaic of Ray Charles using Post-it Notes. Using more than 2,000 of those ubiquitous brightly-colored sticky scraps, Alvarez composed a three-dimensional representation of the famous musician. The piece has just gone on display at Wenatchee Valley College in Wenatchee, Washington, where Alvarez is in his second year of studies. "It's something so simple. You can still see the flaps sticking out on some of them," he said. "Naturally the Post-it Note just sort of flaps out." While learning new techniques in Adobe Photoshop in a class, he experimented with taking a photograph of Ray Charles and making it look like a mosaic on the computer screen. He then translated this idea into the Post-it work. He spent three months constructing the mosaic, sometimes sacrificing schoolwork for his art. At least one of his papers for his summer English courses suffered, but he persevered so that he could participate in an art show July 28 at the Stanley Civic Center in Wenatchee. Originally, the Post-it Notes stayed in this unique format only by virtue of their manufactured stickiness, which does not hold up as well as glue, Alvarez found. When he displayed his work at the show, he monitored the project for 14 hours, continuously replacing notes that were falling off. The aspiring art teacher now uses glue to hold the notes in place. For his next project, he is considering a mosaic using 4-inch x 4-inch notes, up from the 3-inch x 3-inch size used in the Ray Charles piece. "Part of me wants to, part of me doesn't," he said. "It was so hard to align. It took a lot of time and patience." E-mail to a friend .
David Alvarez makes mosaic with more than 2,000 Post-it Notes . Mosaic on display at Wenatchee Valley College, Washington . Artist wants to teach art .
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(CNN) -- Piracy is expected to pick up in the high seas off Somalia after a lull caused by monsoon season, maritime officials warned Monday. Suspected Somali pirates sit behind bars during the first hearing in their trial at Aden port court on July 15. The Combined Maritime Forces urged crews to take up safety measures, including using recognized transit corridors in the Gulf of Aden and reporting to the European Union's security center before transit. "The prior preparation and vigilance of merchant mariners at all times of day and night is more important now than ever," said Rear Admiral Caner Bener of the Combined Task Force. International forces made up of more than 30 ships and aircraft from 16 nations will continue patrolling the waters to help fight pirates, according to officials. "While our ability to deter and disrupt attacks has improved over time, we are constantly adapting the way we do our business as the pirates adapt and modify their tactics," Bener said. The waters off Somalia are rife with pirate activity, despite increased measures by military forces and shipping companies to ward off attacks. Heavily armed pirates have struck the busy Indian Ocean shipping lanes and the Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean. They have captured dozens of vessels and hundreds of hostages, making off with millions of dollars in ransom. It was unclear whether a ransom was paid. The Gulf of Aden, off northern Somalia, has the highest risk of piracy in the world.
Earlier this month Somali pirates release German ship held since May . Its crew was unharmed, NATO says . Gulf of Aden, off northern Somalia, has the highest risk of piracy in the world .
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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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(Entertainment Weekly) -- Jaden Smith is getting a small taste of what it's like to walk in dad Will's action-blockbuster shoes. Keanu Reeves stars in the remake of the 1951 sci-fi flick "The Day the Earth Stood Still." As expected, the remake of the 1951 sci-fi flick starring Keanu Reeves easily replaced "Four Christmases" atop the box office leader board with an opening weekend gross of $31 million, according to Sunday's estimates. Despite mediocre reviews, the film held fairly steady throughout the weekend, falling slightly shy of our $36 million estimate. The Vince Vaughn-Reese Witherspoon yuletide comedy came in second with $13.3 million, bringing its three-week total to just under $88 million, while "Twilight" faded to the third spot during its fourth week with just over $8 million. The teen vampire romance managed to reach one milestone, however, grossing a total of $150 million -- the amount director Catherine Hardwicke surmised the movie would have to suck in for sequel "New Moon" to get the go ahead. Obviously, Summit executives saw the writing on the wall weeks ago and have hired Chris Weitz ("About a Boy," "American Pie") to direct next fall's follow-up. Rounding out the top five are Disney's doggie flick "Bolt" with $7.5 million and Baz Luhrmann's underperforming "Australia" with $4.3 million. The weekend's other new major release -- "Nothing Like the Holidays," starring John Leguizamo and Debra Messing -- got coal in its stocking with a measly $3.5 million during its first weekend. Also of note is the Clint Eastwood-starring "Gran Torino" (rumored to be the actor-director's last turn in front of the camera). Although it opened in only six theaters (three in New York, three in L.A.), the film scored the best per screen average, $47,333, with a gross of only $284,000. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . Copyright 2009 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.
"The Day the Earth Stood Still" debuted with a weekend gross of $31 million . The yuletide comedy "Four Christmases" slipped to second with $13.3 million . Teen vampire romance "Twilight" reached a gross total of $150 million .
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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq's former trade minister, who resigned this month amid accusations of corruption, was arrested by security forces as he was trying to leave the country, officials confirmed to CNN. Abdul Falah al-Sudani resigned as Iraq's trade minister under allegations of corruption. Abdul Falah al-Sudani was aboard a flight to Dubai from Baghdad International Airport when police contacted the pilot and told him to fly back to the airport, Sabah al-Saedi, chairman of Iraq's parliamentary integrity committee told CNN. Al-Sudani -- arrested on a warrant issued in Samawa on Saturday -- was seized after the plane landed, al-Saedi said. Lawmakers and government officials have raised questions with al-Sudani about Trade Ministry issues: the importation of goods intended for distribution in government food rations but rejected as unsuitable for human consumption; missing shipments of food; a missing $39 million; and obstruction of justice. Al-Sudani acknowledged that his ministry has had problems with corruption but denied he was personally involved. Al-Saedi said al-Sudani didn't know that a warrant would be issued, but he was well-aware of the corruption accusations against him and had been told by lawmakers and officials not to leave Iraq.
Ex-trade minister Abdul Falah al-Sudani resigned in corruption scandal . Al-Sudani arrested after authorities tell pilot to return plane to Baghdad . Former official denies involvement in ministry's corruption problems .
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(CNN) -- Pirates hijacked a British-owned bulk carrier Saturday in the Indian Ocean, but NATO forces stopped an attack on another vessel in the Gulf of Aden hours earlier, NATO maritime authorities said. 11 pirates are arrested by Yemeni security forces in an operation last month. The UK cargo ship, the MV Ariana, was carrying 35,000 tons of soya about 250 nautical miles (287 miles) northwest of the Seychelles when it was seized around dawn. The crew members are Ukrainians and they are not believed to harmed, NATO said. It is unclear how many crew members were aboard the vessel and how it came to be attacked. NATO said it was unaware of ransom demands or any threats against those aboard. NATO said a European Union Protection Aircraft has been deployed to monitor and track the MV Ariana, which is making its way toward Somalia -- the epicenter of the pirate industry. The Seychelles is a republic consisting of a group of islands off East Africa. On Friday evening, a NATO operation conducted by a Portuguese warship disrupted a pirate attack on a Bahamas oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden. The tanker, the MV Kition, broadcast an emergency alert when a pirate-filled skiff approached. NRP Corte-Real, the closest NATO ship, and its helicopter responded and intercepted the pirates. Portuguese Navy special forces boarded a pirate mother-ship. They found and destroyed four AK-47s, a rocket-propelled grenade and four explosives. They seized 19 suspected Somali pirates but released them after consulting with Portuguese national authorities. Piracy has been soaring off the coast of eastern Africa -- particularly Somalia, which has not had an effective government since 1991. Somali pirates have defied foreign navies patrolling the waters and have collected large ransoms from shipping companies. Ransoms started out in the tens of thousands of dollars and have since climbed into the millions. Journalist Ashleigh Nghiem contributed to this report.
Pirates hijack British-owned bulk carrier in Indian Ocean . NATO forces stop attack on another vessel in Gulf of Aden hours earlier . Piracy is a major problem in the waters off Somalia . Somalia has not had a stable government in place since 1991 .
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(CNN) -- Barcelona midfielder Alexander Hleb has turned down a move to Inter Milan in favor of returning to Bundesliga club Stuttgart on loan for the season. Alexander Hleb is presented to the media after completing his loan move to former club Stuttgart. Hleb had been expected to be part of the swap deal that saw Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Samuel Eto'o switch clubs earlier this week. But the 28-year-old Belarus international has opted against joining Cameroon striker Eto'o at the San Siro due to the limited prospects of regular football under Jose Mourinho, and instead decided to return to Germany. Hleb left Stuttgart four years ago to move to English Premier League side Arsenal, where he spent three seasons -- including reaching the Champions League final in 2006, which the Gunners lost to Barcelona. Top 20 summer transfer targets . Hleb eventually ended up moving to the Nou Camp last summer, but struggled to claim a place in the side and was omitted from the 18-man squad that beat Manchester United in this year's Champions League final. Hleb told Stuttgart's official Web site he had moved to Markus Babbel's side because of their prospects for the coming season. "I have opted for Stuttgart because the team has great potential and I am convinced that we can achieve a lot together," the 28-year-old said. Stuttgart general manager Horst Heldt added: "We have signed a world class player with Alexander Hleb. He will increase the quality of our squad even further." Stuttgart had seen moves for both Real Madrid's Klaas Jan Huntelaar and Vagner Love of CSKA Moscow break down in recent weeks.
Barcelona midfielder Alexander Hleb has turned down a switch to Inter Milan . Hleb had been expected to be part of the Ibrahimovic and Eto'o swap transfer . However, he has chosen to rejoin former club Stuttgart in a one-year loan deal .
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(CNN) -- Two snowmobilers died Wednesday in an avalanche on Logan Peak north of Salt Lake City, Utah, a sheriff's department official said. Two people died after being trapped on Utah's Logan Peak during an avalanche. Lt. Matt Bilodeau of the Cache County Sheriff's Office told CNN that someone using a satellite phone called at 10:30 a.m. (12:30 p.m. ET) and told authorities about the incident. "Two people were trapped," he said. "They have both been recovered." The body of only one of them, a male, had been taken down the mountain, he said. Logan Peak's summit is at an altitude of 9,710 feet. Though the area is not off limits to snowmobilers, they had been warned of the danger after a recent snowstorm. "The media's been putting that in the paper, on the radio and on TV," Bilodeau said. "We are still in extreme avalanche danger," he said, and he urged snowmobilers to "take into account they need to stay in probably the areas that have less of a slope to them." CNN's Scott Spoerry, who grew up in the area, said a recent avalanche knocked out the water supply for the city of Logan's 47,000 residents. "Every year, there's a few avalanches," he said. The area is also popular during the summer, when hang gliders launch themselves from the peak.
Sheriff's Office says two people had been trapped in avalanche . Call about avalanche came in at 12:30 p.m. ET . Sheriff's Office says people had been warned of danger after recent storm . Body of one victim has been brought down from Logan Peak .
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NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- Two U.S. filmmakers were injured Saturday when their small plane crashed into a three-story residential building in downtown Nairobi. People gather around the wreckage of a plane that struck a building in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Saturday. Dan Parris, 25, and Rob Lehr, 26, both from St. Louis, Missouri, were shooting an independent documentary on poverty in Africa. Both men were hospitalized and expected to survive, according to David Peterka, who was part of the film crew, but was not aboard the plane. He said that all four aboard the plane were Americans. A flight engineer, whose name was not released, was critically injured and was in a coma, Peterka said. The pilot, whose name has not yet been released, was killed in the crash. The crew had been in the east African nation for four days and was shooting video of Kibera, one of the largest slums in Africa. The plane was headed to nearby Wilson Airport, where most light aircraft land in the Kenyan capital. "The pilot had warned that he was going to hover and go slow," Peterka said. "They were surprised when they went to about 50 feet off the ground --- and then they hit electrical lines and the plane flipped into the building." Just before the plane crashed, the listening devices went off and they could not communicate with the pilot, Peterka said. Peterka said Lehr, who was ejected because the doors were open for filming, ran back in to rescue the others. Parris crawled out and Lehr, with the help of bystanders, pulled the pilot and the engineer out as the plane burst into flames, Peterka said. "Local residents were using water, dirt to put the fire out" before the fire department arrived, Peterka said. "Before the plane crashed, witnesses said it was flying unusually low," said Francis Mwaka, a Kenyan federal communications official. The four-seater plane was owned by African Inland Missions company. No one on the ground was injured, Mwaka said. The crash is under investigation. CNN's Ben Brumfield contributed to this story.
Pilot killed, three passengers injured when plane crashes into building . Two victims were U.S. filmmakers shooting documentary on African poverty . Dan Parris, Rob Lehr were taken to hospital, expected to survive . Witnesses say plane was "flying unusually low" before crash .
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NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- "Slumdog Millionaire" leaves audiences uplifted. But that is hardly how one of its child stars felt on Thursday. Indian authorities demolished the home of "Slumdog Millionaire" child actor Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail. Despite the hit movie's mega-millions in box-office receipts, Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail's life changed little after he returned home to Mumbai, India's, Garib Nagar, or city of the poor. On Thursday, even the roof over the real-life slum dweller's head was taken away as Indian authorities tore down the shanty where Ismail's family lived. Authorities said the home and about 20 others around it were illegally built. Senior Inspector Rahim Sheikh told CNN that the shanties were brought down as part of a municipal drive to clear encroachments on public land. Bulldozers leveled the slum built on a municipal garden, said Sheikh, who is in charge of the locality in Mumbai where Ismail lived. The little boy sat among twisted corrugated metal and other debris, surrounded by filth and squalor. Memories of Hollywood's glitz and glitter were distant as tears streamed down his face. He said his family was given no notice of the demolition and did not have time to remove their belongings. But, they said, they plan to return and rebuild. Watch 'Slumdog' actor's home razed. » . "Slumdog Millionaire" is the story of Jamal, an impoverished, uneducated teen who competes on an Indian game show. Ismail, who played a young Jamal's brother, Salim, traveled to Los Angeles, California, in February for this year's Academy Awards, where the movie won eight Oscars, including best picture. CNN's Sara Sidner contributed to this story.
Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail's home is in Garib Nagar, or city of the poor . Indian authorities say the home, 20 others, were illegally built . Family says they got no notice, plan to rebuild .
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PARIS, France (CNN) -- French Internet users who download files illegally could have their service cut off under a new law enacted by the French government. French filmmaker Luc Besson attended the vote passing the new law into action. The "three strikes and you're out" law will see violators getting up to two warnings before their Internet service providers could be allowed to cut service for as long as a year. The tough new legislation sailed through the French Senate this week, even as opponents promised to continue to fight it in the courts. The law sets up a special government anti-piracy agency to monitor "internauts," as French Internet users are called. It will ensure users are paying for movies and music that they download. While there are countries with stricter penalties such as jail time, in France opponents of the law are angry that the new government agency will be outside the judicial process. That means it can disconnect Internet service without oversight. Opponents of the law worry the government agency could be packed with over zealous enforcers who will side with filmmakers and the recording industry, or even invade the privacy of Internet users. The legislation has split France's political opposition, which protested against the new law. The political left -- traditionally supported by performers and artists -- found that on this issue the creative types were on the government's side, seeing the legislation as a way to protect the intellectual rights that are the foundation of their livelihood. Though the new law still faces a court test and may not be compatible with European legislation, the government plans to have the agency up and running by next year.
French Internet users downloading files illegally could have their service cut off . New law enacted by French government could see users banned for year . Special government anti-piracy agency to monitor violations .
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(CNN) -- Cleanup efforts unfolded Monday in Pakistan's largest city, Karachi, after torrential monsoon rain over the weekend killed dozens, cut power to 15 million and broke a 32-year record. Pakistanis push a stranded auto-rickshaw along a flooded street in Karachi on Sunday. Officials combed the city looking for bodies. The health department confirmed 32 deaths and said it received reports of more. "Most of them are either from drowning or they were deaths when the walls or roofs of their houses collapses," said Dr. A.D. Sajnani of the health department. "The entire city is disrupted," said Muhammad Aly Balagamwala, a Karachi businessman. "Most places lost power for 28 to 30 hours, and some are still without power. The rain flooded offices. We lost water. Everything is shut down." Many residents took to the streets to protest the massive power outage in the southern city. They threw rocks at the offices of the power company and burned tires. "I guess there comes a point you just snap and you can't take it anymore," Balagamwala said. "To the credit of the government, a lot of cleanup work has been done since last night." The rain began Friday night, and by Sunday the city had received almost 9 inches (22.9 cm), the most since 1977, said Mayor Syed Mustafa Kamal. Storm drains overflowed, water-logging streets and alleyways. Monsoon rains sweep across the subcontinent from June to September. While they bring much-needed relief to often-parched farmlands, they also leave a trail of landslides, home collapses and floods that sometimes claim dozens of lives.
By Sunday, Karachi had received almost 9 inches (22.9 cm) of rain, mayor says . Last time city received as much rainfall was in 1977, mayor adds . Deaths mostly from drowning, wall or roof collapses, health department official says .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- A fan of English football club Arsenal has been injured after the bus he and other supporters were traveling in was ambushed before the sides' Champions League clash in Rome, Wednesday night. Winners: Arsenal beat Roma 7-6 on penalties after one of their fans was injured before the game. A spokesman from the British Embassy in Rome told CNN the fan was understood to have suffered wounds to the leg -- but it was unsure if he had been stabbed or injured by broken glass. The spokesman said the mini bus, which was not an official tour bus, became lost near the stadium and "ended up at the wrong part of the ground". Roma fans nearby set about attacking the bus, the spokesman said. "They smashed the windows and then one of them managed to get on the bus. This appears to be where the injury occurred," he said. Police were quick to arrive and the bus managed to move on to safety, where the fan was treated for the wound, he said. The visiting side went on to win the tie 7-6 on penalties after Roma won the game 1-0, leaving the two-match tie level 1-1 on aggregate. Arsenal had distributed a booklet to its estimated 3,500 traveling fans warning that they were "at risk" if they traveled alone to the Stadio Olimpico. The booklet warned supporters to stay clear of areas that were known gathering points of Roma's "Ultra" fans -- a group known for creating conflict with rival supporters. Last month ten football fans were shot dead in the south of Nigeria on the way to support their team. The victims were traveling supporters of the Ocean Boys Football Club in Nigeria. Also in February, one fan was killed and at least 40 more injured when violence broke out at football matches across Brazil. In 2007, Manchester United fans were injured after violence in two separate incidents with Roma fans when the teams met in Rome. In 2003 five England fans suffered gunshot wounds during a violent incident in Zurich, Switzerland, before the side played a Euro 2004 qualifier with Liechtenstein.
Fan injured during ambush on bus before Champions League game in Rome . Arsenal bus attacked when it arrives at wrong part of Stadio Olimpico . Windows on bus smashed by Roma fans and one fan enters bus . Arsenal go on to win match 7-6 on penalties after it finishes 1-1 on aggregate .
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KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- International troops in Afghanistan endured another deadly attack Tuesday, a day after 10 NATO-led troops were killed in that country. The body of a U.S. soldier killed in Afghanistan arrives in the United States on Monday. A U.S. coalition service member "died as a result of injuries" on Tuesday afternoon in a roadside bombing attack on a convoy in western Afghanistan, the U.S. military said. This follows 10 NATO-led deaths on Monday, the highest single-day total in Afghanistan in nearly a year, according to NATO and U.S.-led coalition numbers. Seven Americans, two Canadians and one Briton died in four separate incidents Monday. On August 18, 2008, 10 French soldiers were killed when about 100 insurgents attacked a patrol in Kabul Province, and a British soldier was killed in southern Afghanistan when insurgents attacked a patrol with a roadside bomb. A month before that, 10 American troops were killed in two separate incidents on July 13, 2008. The latest deaths came as U.S. troops cranked up their fight against the Taliban, a push that includes a major Marine-led offensive against the militants in the southern province of Helmand. Roadside bombs Monday killed four Americans in the northern province of Kunduz and two in southern Afghanistan, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said. A seventh American died in an insurgent attack in eastern Afghanistan, ISAF confirmed. Two Canadian air crew members and a British soldier were killed when a helicopter crashed during takeoff in Zabul province, the Canadian and British defense ministries said.
U.S. soldier killed in roadside bombing on a convoy in western Afghanistan . Follows deaths of 7 Americans, 2 Canadians, 1 Briton in separate incidents . Latest deaths come as U.S. forces ratchet up fight against Taliban .
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- A 90-year-old Holocaust survivor was found strangled Thursday in his Upper East Side apartment, a spokeswoman for the New York City medical examiner said Friday. Felix Brinkmann dances at a 2008 party marking his 90th birthday. Felix Brinkmann, a native of Latvia, escaped death for a year while he was in the Nazis' Mauthausen, Ebensee and Auschwitz concentration camps. Five times he had been slated for the gas chambers, but each time he used his fluency in German to talk his way out. After the war ended, he was stunned to discover that his wife, who had also been shipped to Auschwitz, was alive and well in Poland. The Brinkmanns immigrated to America, where Felix spent years in the bar and nightclub business, co-founding in 1971 Adam's Apple disco in Manhattan. In recent years, he had served as the real estate manager of a mixed-use building in the Bronx, working "seven days a week, without fail," said his son Rick Brinkman, who spells his last name differently than his father. On Thursday, the building's superintendent grew concerned when Brinkmann did not show up to work. He notified Brinkmann's son and received permission to enter the father's apartment, where he had lived alone since his wife died last year. Brinkmann's body was found lying face down in his bedroom, his hands bound, his body showing blunt-force trauma wounds, police said. Brinkmann's blue 2009 Honda Civic may have been stolen and a safe in his apartment tampered with, police said. A police spokesman said authorities were looking for "a man and a woman" in connection with the homicide. Rick Brinkman speculated that the killing was random in nature. "Anybody who knew him really liked him," the son said. "He was not the kind of guy who had enemies."
Felix Brinkmann, a native of Latvia, was a survivor of three concentration camps . Brinkmann spent years in the nightclub business after he and his wife immigrated . He had lived alone in an Upper East Side apartment since his wife died last year . Police: "Man and a woman" being sought in connection with the homicide .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- An Army staff sergeant will posthumously receive the Medal of Honor after he sacrificed his own life in an effort to save another soldier in Afghanistan, the White House said Friday. By acts of "immeasurable courage," Staff Sgt. Jared Monti earned the Medal of Honor, the White House said. Staff Sgt. Jared Monti will receive the medal, the nation's highest military honor, on September 17 for his actions in combat, the White House said in a statement. His parents, Paul and Janet Monti, "will join the president at the White House to commemorate their son's example of selfless service and sacrifice." Monti, of Raynham, Massachusetts, died June 21, 2006, while deployed with the 10th Mountain Division, according to a Web site set up by family and friends to announce a scholarship in his honor. He was 31 when he died. Monti's reconnaissance team occupied a surveillance position when they were attacked near Gowardesh, Afghanistan, and he was killed by enemy fire, the Web site says. The White House statement said Monti "displayed immeasurable courage and uncommon valor -- eventually sacrificing his own life in an effort to save his comrade," but did not provide details of his actions. Monti's military decorations already included the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, five Army Commendation Medals, four Army Achievement Medals, three Good Conduct Medals and three National Defense Service Medals, the White House statement said. He is survived by his parents, his sister and brother and a niece. Monti was posthumously promoted to sergeant first class. The Medal of Honor is awarded to U.S. soldiers who distinguish themselves with "gallantry above and beyond the call of duty," the White House said. "The meritorious conduct must involve great personal bravery or self-sacrifice so conspicuous as to clearly distinguish the individual above his or her comrades and must have involved risk of life."
White House: President will present medal to soldier's parents in September . Staff Sgt. Jared Monti showed "immeasurable courage" in Afghanistan . White House says Monti gave his life for comrade in combat, but no other details . Much-decorated soldier was posthumously promoted to sergeant first class.
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(CNN) -- Three members of a U.S. Navy helicopter crew were killed after their helicopter went down in the waters off San Diego, California, a Navy spokeswoman said Wednesday. Rescuers are still searching for the two remaining crew members from the helicopter, which went down late Tuesday night, U.S. Navy spokeswoman Karin Burzynski said. No further details concerning the deaths were immediately available. Burzynski said the helicopter was operating from the USS Nimitz. The Navy received word that the helicopter went down around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, she said. It crashed about 20 miles off the Mexican coast, the Navy said. Coast Guard spokesman Henry Dunphy told CNN earlier that Coast Guard helicopters and boats, as well as vessels from other agencies, were helping in the search.
NEW: Rescuers still searching for two people missing from Tuesday night crash . Coast Guard using helicopters and boats to search ocean for crew . Copter was doing training off coast of Mexico, near San Diego, when it crashed .
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(CNN) -- The United States successfully tested a sea-based component of its missile defense shield Thursday evening, intercepting a ballistic missile with a dummy warhead over the Pacific Ocean, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said. A dummy missile is launched from a ship during a 2008 test of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Program. The exercise was the 19th successful test in 23 attempts of the system -- known as the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Program -- since 2002. A target missile was fired from Hawaii about 5:40 p.m. (11:40 p.m. ET) and was tracked by Navy ships hundreds of miles away. The USS Hopper, one of three Navy ships tracking the launch, fired an interceptor missile, which struck the target about 100 miles above the Earth. The process -- from launch to shoot-down -- took less than five minutes, according to the U.S. military. The United States plans to use the sea-based system on Navy Aegis-class ships to protect against incoming short- to medium-range missiles fired from hostile countries. Eighty-six of the ships eventually will have the capability. Another part of the missile defense protection -- ground-based midcourse defense -- is designed to strike at long-range missiles. Both the sea-based and ground-based systems are part of the Pentagon's "layered" missile defense plan. Much of the missile defense program is still under development, including lasers fired from a plane that the military hopes would destroy an enemy missile during launch. Other parts of the missile defense would fire short-range missiles at incoming warheads that are close to hitting their targets. Over the past seven years, the U.S. military has spent billions of dollars on the missile defense program. Pentagon officials have said that each missile defense test costs about $85 million.
Ship-based system shoots down dummy missile from hundreds of miles away . Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense has 19 successful tests in 23 tries, agency says . More than 80 U.S. Navy ships eventually will be equipped with system .
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(CNN) -- Brazil have returned to the top of the FIFA world rankings after a two-year absence, following their Confederations Cup final victory over the United States in South Africa on Sunday -- FIFA.com have reported. The Brazilian national side top the FIFA world rankings again after an absence of two years. Dunga's side came from behind to defeat the United States 3-2, a result which sees them replace Spain after the European champions were beaten in the semifinals to finish third in the Confederations Cup. Other changes in the top 10 see the Netherlands slip down a place into third while world champions Italy remain in fourth despite failing to make it past the first round in South Africa. Of the other countries that took part in the Confederations Cup, the United States are up two places to 12th, Egypt are up two to 38th and hosts South Africa are also up two to 70th. Meanwhile, disappointing performances from Iraq (94th, down 17) and New Zealand (100th, down 18) caused them to lose ground. In other news, Algeria (47th, up 19) and Tunisia (49th, up two) have climbed into the top 50 at the expense of Burkina Faso (51st, down one) and Finland (52nd, down three). Latest FIFA world rankings: . 1. Brazil 1672 points (+4 places) 2. Spain 1590 (-1) 3. The Netherlands 1379 (-1) 4. Italy 1229 (0) 5. Germany 1207 (-2) 6. Russia 1161 (+3) 7. England 1135 (-1) 8. Argentina 1091 (-1) 9. France 1082 (+1) 10. Croatia 1031 (-2)
Brazil are back at the top of the FIFA world rankings after a two-year absence . Dunga's side return to head of the list after winning recent Confederations Cup . European champions Spain drop to second position after their semifinal defeat .
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MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- The Mexican navy said Wednesday that it rescued five Ecuadorians who had been adrift without supplies in a fishing boat for more than two weeks off the coast of the southern state of Chiapas. Mexican medical personel examine two of five Ecuadorians rescued at sea. Mexican authorities initiated the rescue, which occurred Tuesday, after the U.S. Coast Guard alerted them that sailors aboard a fishing boat located 45 nautical miles (83 km) southeast of Port Chiapas had signaled to a passing plane that they needed help. The Mexican navy dispatched a helicopter, which located the 15-meter-long (49-foot-long) vessel and carried out the rescue by air, the navy said in a news release. The five aboard identified themselves as Jaime Arturo Alaba Chavez, the 35-year-old captain; Víctor Hugo Alaba Chavez, the 32-year-old cook; Edison Prado Alaba, a 27-year-old sailor; Carlos Cheme Vazquez, a 37-year-old sailor; and Raul Contreras Vera, a 64-year-old machinist. The sailors were taken to the Naval Sanatorium of Puerto Chiapas, where doctors determined they were dehydrated. They said they had departed Costa Rica's on May 6 but, five days later, their motor stopped working and, unable to repair it, they had been adrift and without food since. A naval patrol boat towed the boat to Puerto Chiapas, arriving there Wednesday morning. It will be inspected to rule out the possibility that it may have been used for illicit activities, the navy said.
The Mexican navy said Wednesday that it rescued five Ecuadorians adrift at sea . Men apparently without supplies in a fishing boat for more than two weeks . Men found off the coast of the southern state of Chiapas, Mexico .
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(CNN) -- The father of a Florida girl who has been missing for nearly six months was charged Thursday with burglary with assault, police told CNN. Ronald Cummings was arrested on felony charges of burglary with assault, officials said. Ronald Cummings is being held on $12,500 bond for the felony charges, the Florida Putnam County Sheriff's Office said. There were no other details on his arrest available. Cummings' daughter, Haleigh Cummings, went missing from his home in Satsuma, Florida, on February 9. Cummings has made several public pleas for information about his daughter's disappearance, even begging whoever might be holding her to just return her home. Police have said they think Haleigh was abducted but have provided few details. In March, Cummings married his then-girlfriend Misty Croslin, who was the last person known to have seen the 5-year-old child alive, saying it was what Haleigh would have wanted. Croslin, 17, said she tucked Haleigh and her 4-year-old brother into bed about 8 p.m. the night Haleigh disappeared. Croslin said she went to sleep herself at about 10 p.m. but awoke at 3 a.m. to find Haleigh missing and a back door propped open by bricks. Ronald Cummings called police and reported his daughter missing when he returned from work at dawn. CNN's Maria White and John Couwels contributed to this report.
Ronald Cummings is being held on $12,500 bond . He was charged Thursday with burglary with assault . Daughter Haleigh Cummings went missing from his home on February 9 .
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(CNN) -- German Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich have confirmed Mark van Bommel as their captain for the new season, with Philipp Lahm named as vice-captain. Bayern Munich captain Van Bommel will be hoping to lift more trophies for the Bavarian giants this season. The Dutch midfielder was given the captain's armband by Jurgen Klinsmann last season after Oliver Kahn retired. However, the arrival of Anatoliy Tymoschuk from Zenit St Petersburg seemed to suggest that Van Bommel's place in the Bayern team was no longer guaranteed, but new coach Louis Van Gaal has decided that his compatriot will indeed be one of the first names on his team sheet next season. "We have been observing his behavior on and off the field over the last four weeks and the influence he has on the club and on the squad," explained Van Gaal's assistant Andries Jonker on Bayern's official Web site. Tymoschuk must now fear for his place in the Bayern team after being told he is only second-choice behind Van Bommel. And, since Van Gaal has made it clear that he wanted to choose a captain who will play every week, Tymoschuk may have to spend much of his first season in Bavaria sitting on the substitutes' bench. "He cannot play in his best position in our system," admitted Van Gaal. "That is where Van Bommel plays. He could play on the right, but I have chosen Hamit Altintop for there. Every player is compared to his rivals and the coach makes the decisions." Meanwhile, Bayern's French midfielder Franck Ribery has been declared fit to resume training after a summer spent battling tendonitis in his knee. Ribery missed the pre-season Audi Cup tournament involving Manchester United, AC Milan and Boca Juniors and is not likely to make Saturday's opening Bundesliga home match against Hoffenheim. But the France international, who was Monday called into his country's squad for the World Cup qualifier with the Faroe Isles in Torshavn on August 12, will be ready to train on Wednesday, .
Bayern Munich confirm Mark van Bommel as their captain for the new season . The Dutchman was given armband by Jurgen Klinsmann after Oliver Kahn quit . Franck Ribery declared fit to stary training after battling tendonitis in his knee .
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NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- At least 441 people have died in floods in India from this season's monsoon rains, federal authorities said in their latest report. An Indian child plays in a flooded street in Mumbai earlier this month. Flooding has affected more than 1.5 million people in parts of India, said the disaster management division of the federal home ministry. The country's main weather office has warned of more heavy rain in western and central parts of India. Monsoon rains sweep across the subcontinent from June till September. Though they bring much-needed relief to often-parched farmlands, they also leave a trail of landslides, home collapses and floods that can kill. In neighboring Pakistan, torrential monsoon rains left more than three dozen people dead and broke a 32-year record over the weekend. CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh contributed to this report.
7 die as bus carrying 40 passengers sinks in overflowing canal in eastern India . 7-year-old girl and her mother among the dead . Bus driver ignored warnings from his passengers about flooding in canal .
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NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- India's lower house of parliament elected a woman as its speaker Wednesday, a first in the male-dominated chamber's history. Meira Kumar was nominated by the ruling Congress party. Meira Kumar is also a member of the "untouchable" Dalit class, the lowest rung in the centuries-old caste system in the country. The speaker conducts the proceedings of the house. She will preside over 543 elected members, of which 58 are women. Kumar, 64, was elected to the position unopposed. She was nominated by the ruling Congress party but also had the backing of the alliance led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. Women play a prominent role in the politics of India, the world's largest democracy. The South Asian country of 1.1 billion people has a female president, Pratibha Devisingh Patil. And four of the country's political parties, including the Congress Party, are led by women. Hindus believe there are five main groups of people. The last group is the Dalits. They're considered impure and are often forced to work in menial jobs. They drink from separate wells and use different entry ways to come and go from buildings. Dalits number about 250 million in India, about 25 percent of the population, according to the Colorado, U.S.-based Dalit Freedom Network. India's constitution outlaws caste-based discrimination, and barriers have broken down in large cities. Prejudice, however, persists in some rural areas of the country. CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh contributed to this report.
Meira Kumar a member of the Dalit class -- lowest rung in centuries-old caste system . She will preside over 543 elected members, of which 58 are women . Kumar, 64, was elected to the position unopposed .
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(CNN) -- A former professional football player and his ex-girlfriend have been charged in the killing of her wealthy boyfriend for money, a breakthrough in a cold case dating to 1994. Eric Naposki, a former football player, has been charged in the killing of an ex-lover's boyfriend. Eric Naposki and Nanette Packard McNeal face the possibility of life sentences over the shooting of Bill McLaughlin, according to the Orange County, California, district attorney. Authorities said Packard McNeal persuaded her ex-boyfriend to kill McLaughlin so she could claim a $1 million life insurance policy, inherit $150,000 and get the right to live in his beach house for a year. She gave Naposki a key to McLaughlin's house and information about when he would be home, officials said Wednesday. Naposki shot the victim six times, then went to work at a nearby nightclub where he was a bouncer, according to authorities. Packard McNeal met McLaughlin after she ran a personal ad that said, "I know how to take care of my man if he knows how to take care of me," the district attorney said in a statement. He supported her financially when they were dating and bought her a beach house, authorities said. Packard McNeal has been jailed once for writing checks to herself from McLaughlin's account without his knowledge, including a $250,000 check on the day he was killed. She pleaded guilty to that crime in 1996 and was jailed for a year. The Orange County officials said new evidence prompted the arrests of the two suspects, who were charged with special circumstances murder for financial gain. Packard McNeal is due to appear in court Friday. Naposki was arrested in Connecticut, where he lives. Orange County authorities have asked that he be sent to California to face trial. Naposki, 42, played in the NFL for the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts.
Former player Eric Naposki and Nanette Packard McNeal could face life sentences . DA says Packard McNeal persuaded Naposki to kill her wealthy boyfriend . Motive was money, authorities say: $1 million insurance policy and $150,000 in will . She's due in court Friday; Naposki may be sent to California from Connecticut .
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(CNN) -- An autopsy report issued Friday by Hillsborough County, Florida, cites cocaine as a contributing factor in the death of TV pitchman Billy Mays, who died in June at age 50. The Hillsborough County medical examiner's office said cocaine use contributed to Billy Mays' heart disease. "Mays died from a lethal arrhythmia of the heart caused by hypertensive and arteriosclerotic heart disease," the county said in a statement attributed to Dr. Leszek Chrostowski, the associate medical examiner who conducted the autopsy. "He further concluded that cocaine use caused or contributed to the development of his heart disease, and therefore contributed to his death," it added. The fact that toxicology tests detected only breakdown products of cocaine, not the drug itself, led Chrostowski to conclude that Mays had used cocaine "in the few days prior to death but not immediately prior to death." Cocaine is a stimulant that can raise blood pressure and thicken the wall of the left ventricle of the heart, one of the organ's four main pumping chambers. The autopsy also found low concentrations of ethyl alcohol "consistent with social consumption of a few beverages" as well as the narcotic drugs hydrocodone, oxycodone and tramadol. Mays had prescriptions for the drugs -- which were found in therapeutic or subtherapeutic concentrations -- to ease hip pain. In addition, the tests found evidence of two tranquilizers -- alprazolam (Xanax) and diazepam (Valium) -- which are commonly prescribed for a variety of ailments, including anxiety and insomnia. Both drugs were determined to be in therapeutic or subtherapeutic concentrations. Mays was found dead at his home near Tampa on June 28. Mays, with his booming voice, was famous for fronting products such as OxiClean and Orange Glo in TV commercials.
Cocaine contributed to Billy Mays' death, says autopsy report . Mays died from heart disease; cocaine use played role in illness, report said . Mays died June 28 .
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(CNN) -- A three-day manhunt ended when officials caught a murder suspect who escaped from a southeastern Louisiana jail with three other inmates, a police news release said. Timothy Murray, 29, who is charged with murder, has been recaptured, authorities in Louisiana say. Police found Timothy Murray at about 1 a.m. Sunday in a wooded stretch in the Folsom area of St. Tammany Parish, the release said. Police returned Murray to the St. Tammany Parish Jail in Covington, north of New Orleans, Louisiana. Murray, 29, is charged with murder, said Capt. George Bonnett of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office. Three other escapees were rearrested Friday, Bonnett said. Thursday night's escape by Murray and the three others prompted a massive search using dogs, three helicopters and more than 100 officers, Bonnett said. Bonnett said he could not speak to how long it took to plan the escape, but that "it clearly was a situation where there appeared to be a great amount of planning and forethought." The inmates captured Friday were Gary Slaydon, 27; Eric Buras, 30; and Jason Gainey, 27. Slaydon is charged with attempted murder, and Buras is a murder suspect. Gainey has been convicted of murder. They were found in a wooded area about a mile from the jail, Bonnett said. The men escaped about 9 p.m. Thursday, Bonnett said, and the escape was not discovered until a resident and Covington police reported seeing what appeared to be inmates in jail uniforms walking down a street. About the time those calls came in, jailers were doing a routine head count and found the four men missing, Bonnett said.
Escaped inmate captured in Louisiana after three-day manhunt, police say . Man, 29, is charged with murder, police say . Four men escaped from jail in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, last week . Three found earlier in area near jail north of New Orleans, official says .
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- The crown of the Statue of Liberty will reopen to tourists on July 4. The Statue of Liberty welcomes visitors, immigrants, and returning Americans. The crown was closed after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, for safety and security reasons. The National Park Service closed the attraction amid worries that it would be difficult for visitors to evacuate quickly in the event of an emergency. Visitors must climb a narrow 168-step double-helix spiral staircase to get to the crown. Since the closing, tourists have been able to visit other parts of the statue. iReport.com: Show us your best Statue of Liberty shots . The federal government planned to give "America a special gift" by re-opening the crown, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in May. "We are once again inviting the public to celebrate our great nation and the hope and opportunity it symbolizes by climbing to Lady Liberty's crown for a unique view of New York Harbor, where the forebears of millions of American families first saw the world," he said in a statement. Access to the crown will be limited to 10 people at a time, guided by a National Park Service ranger. "We cannot eliminate all the risk of climbing to the crown, but we are taking steps to make it safer," Salazar said. The measures include raising the handrails on the spiral staircase and stationing rangers throughout the Statue to help visitors. The Statue of Liberty will be open for the next two years, then closed again for "work on a long-term solution that will improve safety and security permanently," according to the U.S. Department of the Interior. A gift from France to the United States, the Statue of Liberty was dedicated in 1886, designated as a National Monument in 1924 and restored for its centennial on July 4, 1986. It stands just across New York Harbor from where the Twin Towers stood.
The Statue of Liberty's crown will reopen to the public on July 4 . The crown has been closed since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks . iReporters shared photos of the statue, which CNN combined in a mosaic . iReport.com: See, share your photos of Lady Liberty .
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(CNN) -- A drunk passenger tried to hijack a Turkish Airlines flight to Russia on Wednesday before he was brought under control, the head of Turkey's civil aviation authority said. The Turkish Airlines passenger jet was en route from Turkey to Russia when the incident took place. The plane landed safely and on time Wednesday afternoon in St. Petersburg. Russian authorities promptly arrested a "slightly intoxicated" passenger from Uzbekistan, Russia's Interfax News Agency reported, citing a national police spokesman. The suspect, in his early 50s, was arrested on suspicion of trying to hijack the plane, Interfax reported. Turkish media initially reported that the plane had been hijacked. When asked about those reports, a Turkish Airlines spokesman said the flight experienced an "urgent situation" as it headed to St. Petersburg, without offering further details. Interfax said the flight was carrying 164 Russian nationals. There have been several attempts to hijack Turkish airlines in recent years. In August 2007, two men hijacked an Istanbul-bound Atlasjet Airlines flight with 136 passengers and crew on board from Cyprus, claiming to have a bomb on board the flight. They forced the crew to make an emergency landing in Antalya. Both hijackers eventually surrendered to Turkish authorities. In April 2007, Turkish authorities detained a man they believed tried to hijack a Turkish airliner, possibly to Iran. The suspect, Mehmed Goksin Gol, was not armed and all 178 passengers and crew aboard the Pegasus Airlines flight were unharmed. The flight was heading from southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir to Istanbul, but landed at Ankara's airport, where the suspect was detained. In October 2006, a Turkish man hijacked a Turkish jetliner with 113 people aboard en route from the Albanian capital Tirana for Istanbul. He forced it to fly to a military airfield in Brindisi, Italy, where the passengers and crew were released unharmed. CNN's Maxim Tkachenko in Moscow and Nicky Robertson in Atlanta contributed to this report .
Incident on flight between Antalya, Turkey and St Petersburg, Russia . Turkish Airlines: Drunk man tried to hijack passenger plane . Officials: Man brought under control, airline experienced "urgent situation" NEW: Interfax: Flight arrives at St. Petersburg, police arrest Uzbek man in his 50s .
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Two additional suspects in the strangulation of an 89-year-old Holocaust survivor were arrested Friday, the Manhattan district attorney's office said. Felix Brinkmann dances at a 2008 birthday party. "He was not the kind of guy who had enemies," his son says. Aljulah Cutts, 27, and his brother Hasib, 30, were taken into custody in Manhattan in connection with the death last week of Guido Felix Brinkmann, the district attorney's office said. A spokeswoman declined to specify what, if any, connection the men are suspected to have had to the victim or to a woman previously arrested in the case. Police also would not say what charges the two might face. The woman, Angela Murray, 30, of the Bronx, was arraigned Sunday on one count of murder in the second degree and three counts of robbery in the case. Brinkmann was found dead in the bedroom of his apartment July 30, his hands tied behind his back, police said. A safe was missing from the apartment, and his car had been stolen. Brinkmann, a native of Latvia, was held in the Mauthausen, Ebensee and Auschwitz camps during World War II. After the war, he and his wife, who also survived Auschwitz, came to America. In 1971, Brinkmann co-founded Adam's Apple disco in Manhattan, and later was the real estate manager of a mixed-use building in the Bronx, according to his son, Rick Brinkman, who uses a different spelling for his last name. Brinkmann's wife died last year. CNN's Jason Kessler and Chris Kokenes contributed to this report.
Man, brother taken into custody in connection with Guido Felix Brinkmann's death . Woman previously arrested in the case was arraigned Sunday . Brinkmann, 89, was found strangled last week in his Manhattan apartment . A safe was missing from the apartment, and Brinkmann's car had been stolen .
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(CNN) -- Sixteen people were wounded and a guru was shot to death in an outbreak of violence between rival Sikhs at an Indian temple in Vienna, Austria, police said. Austrian police secure the area outside a Sikh temple in Vienna where a shooting occured Sunday. Six people were arrested in connection with the incident, which occurred about 1:20 p.m. local time (7:20 a.m. ET) Sunday in Vienna's 15th district, police spokesman Schwaig Hofar told CNN. One armed suspect fired at two gurus, and five other knife-wielding suspects attacked congregants during prayer, Hofar said. One of the gurus, a 57-year-old Sikh preacher, was killed. The number of wounded includes four of the suspects, two of them in serious condition, he said. About 150 people were in the room when the violence took place, he said. Authorities are investigating what triggered the attacks. CNN's David Ariosto contributed to this report.
Police: One suspect fired at two gurus, while five suspects attacked with knives . One of the gurus, a 57-year-old Sikh preacher, was killed . Police: About 150 people were in the room when the violence took place .
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(CNN) -- A tsunami watch issued for five nations after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake in the Indian Ocean was canceled about two hours later. A tsunami watch in effect after an earthquake in the Indian Ocean has been called off. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had issued the watch for India, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia and Bangladesh after the quake, which struck at 1:55 a.m. Tuesday (3:55 p.m. Monday ET). Its epicenter was about 163 miles (262 km) north of Port Blair in India's Andaman Islands, and 225 miles south-southwest of Pathein, Myanmar, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake's focus was about 20 miles below the Earth's surface. In general, earthquakes centered closer to the Earth's surface produce stronger shaking and can cause more damage than those further underground. Watch where the earthquakes hit » . "Sea level readings indicate that a significant tsunami was not generated," the warning center said in a bulletin. "Therefore, the tsunami watch issued by this center is now canceled." According to the geological survey, a 6.4-magnitude quake struck near the south coast of Honshu, Japan, 12 minutes after the Indian Ocean quake. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami advisory following that quake, but said that the expected wave would be under 2 feet. CNN's Augie Martin contributed to this report.
Watch covered India, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia and Bangladesh . It was issued after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake in the Indian Ocean . Quake with 6.4-magnitude occurred near Japan 12 minutes later .
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