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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A body was recovered in the vicinity of a boat accident in the Delaware River , a Coast Guard spokeswoman said Friday . Two passengers -- a 16-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man -- went missing in that area after a tour boat collided with a barge on the Delaware River in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania on Wednesday . The Coast Guard would not say definitively Friday that the body recovered was one of the two victims , waiting for the body to be positively identified by the Philadelphia Medical Examiner . Rescuers saved 35 people who were on the `` Duck '' boat at the time of the crash . The tour boat had a clean record , said the president of Ride the Ducks , who traveled to Philadelphia from the company 's headquarters in Norcross , Georgia . `` I can tell you this boat has been inspected frequently . Twice daily . We 've never had a problem with this boat , '' said Chris Herschend . The company voluntarily shut down its nationwide operations , including Stone Mountain Park , Georgia ; Branson , Missouri ; and San Francisco , California . `` What we hope to learn -LSB- is how -RSB- to prevent this from ever happening again , '' Herschend said . Officials said people reacted quickly after the collision . `` The immediate response was amazing , '' said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Todd Gaitlin . `` The private citizens helped -LSB- rescuers -RSB- get people out of the water . '' Police and Coast Guard vessels searched the river Thursday . Lt. Frank Vanore of the Philadelphia Police Department told reporters Wednesday that the boat had `` mechanical trouble '' and the engine shut down after a fire on board . While the boat was in the river and waiting for help , it was hit by a barge , he said . The boat overturned and passengers were spilled into the river . National Transportation Safety Board officials will interview crew members on Friday , NTSB spokesman Robert Sumwalt said in Philadelphia Thursday afternoon . The investigation will include reviews from cameras along the river , training and navigation methods and safety equipment . `` We want to find out what happened and issue safety regulations so that this does not happen again , '' said Sumwalt , who is vice chairman of the NTSB . Alcohol tests on crew members came back negative , Sumwalt said . Drug tests will take longer to analyze . The 10 investigators will also look at allegations that similar boats have previously overheated or had mechanical problems . Herschend said the company is investigating and assisting fire and police officials . `` I believe this was an accident . '' He said he could not speculate on whether there was a fire onboard or how the boat 's captain communicated during the incident . But he said he believes the unidentified captain followed all procedures . He was unsure how long the boat was dead in the water before the collision . Asked by reporters Thursday whether the barge was at fault , Herschend said , `` I do n't want to speculate . For me it is not to assign blame . '' He said the 10-year-old craft had portable flotation devices . Herschend said the company is checking on whether the captain told people to jump off the boat moments before impact . `` It is my expectation for the captain that he followed our emergency procedures to the letter , '' he said . `` Our first priority is the people on board , '' Herschend said . `` Then we are going to work on making sure this never happens again . '' The missing people are believed to be from outside the United States , he said . Searchers located the boat in about 50 feet of murky water , but it was too dangerous to send divers down , said William Blackburn , deputy commissioner of the Philadelphia police . The boat is upright on the bottom of the river , Blackburn said . The `` Duck '' boats are amphibious military vehicles designed in the 1940s . The NTSB will also conduct a 72-hour history to determine the mental and emotional state of the crew of boat vessels , Sumwalt said . Eleven passengers were hospitalized . Nine were released by Thursday morning . One passenger suffered a broken jaw , Gaitlin said . The company , Ride the Ducks , is owned by Herschend Family Entertainment . The company 's website posted this message Thursday : `` Our thoughts and prayers are with our Philadelphia tour guests , crew members and their families . We are attending to their needs first . In the interim , we have voluntarily suspended our Ride The Ducks operations nationwide . If you already have a reservation , you can receive a full refund or reschedule for a future date . We will resume operations shortly . '' CNN 's Sarah Hoye and Cassie Spodak contributed to this report .
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NEW : A body was recovered Friday . NTSB will interview boat 's crew on Friday . Tour boat company shuts down operations at other U.S. locations . Vessel had clean record , company said .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- To his congregants , he lived the humble existence of a pastor . But a high-flying Connecticut priest was charged this week with first-degree larceny in the theft of almost $ 1.3 million from his church 's coffers to fund a lavish double life that included swanky hotels and male escorts , said Capt. Chris Corbett of the Waterbury Police Department in Connecticut . Father Kevin Gray , 64 , a former pastor at Sacred Heart Church in Waterbury , allegedly embezzled money from the church over the course of seven years . He used it to pay for fancy restaurants , clothing , vacations , hotels , a New York City apartment and a male companion 's tuition at Harvard University , according to an affidavit obtained by CNN affiliate WTIC and filed with the Connecticut Superior Court . The affidavit says that between June 2003 and March 2010 , Gray spent about $ 205,000 at high-end restaurants , $ 132,000 in hotel stays and $ 85,000 at clothing stores . While in New York City , he frequented the Waldorf Astoria , Omni Berkshire , and the W Hotel Times Square , among other posh hotels , the affidavit states . He also allegedly shopped at high-end retailers including Barneys , Armani and Saks Fifth Avenue . Along with expensive taste , Gray allegedly kept company with a number of male escorts , and allowed some to have credit cards in their name on his account . One escort , Islagar Labrada , allegedly charged more than $ 49,000 to the account . `` Some items Mr. Labrada charged included a stay at the Sheraton in Buena Vista , Florida , storage facilities , computers , computer software , cell phones , anti-aging creams , artwork , Louis Vuitton stores , a home alarm system and bicycles , '' the affidavit reads . `` Mr Labrada also charged $ 8,864.69 to Crunch Fitness Gym for membership fees . '' Another man , Weirui Zhong , who told police he met Gray in Central Park in 2005 , said Gray paid for his rented apartment in New York , a piano , dogs and Harvard University tuition since 2008 , according to the affidavit . Zhong told authorities that when he pressed Gray about why he was always paying him with checks from Sacred Heart Church , Gray told him that he won big cases as an attorney , and that he put all his live savings into the church account . He also lied to Zhong and his parishioners that he was suffering from cancer , the affidavit says . `` Gray became very bitter with the church starting in 2001 when he was transferred to a parish in New Hartford while his mother was dying in New Haven , '' according to the affidavit . `` Mr. Gray stated that when he started in 2003 , he began taking the money because he felt the Church owed it to him . '' His official salary over those seven years totaled just over $ 184,000 , or almost $ 27,000 a year . According to the affidavit , Gray scammed an additional $ 221,000 in 2005 by signing an agreement with Wireless Capital Partners , a communications company based in Los Angeles , California , to allow a wireless antenna to be placed in the church , though doing so was strictly prohibited . Gray 's scheme came to light after a routine audit of the church 's finances by the Archdiocese of Hartford found numerous accounting discrepancies . `` At the financial level , the Archdiocese continues to work with the parish to improve its financial controls and to address issues arising from the situation such as insurance coverage and outstanding indebtedness , '' the Archdiocese said in a statement . `` At the spiritual level , we continue to pray for healing and consolation for the parish family as it moves forward , and for guidance and reconciliation for Father Gray . ''
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Connecticut priest charged in stealing almost $ 1.3 million from church . Father Kevin Gray allegedly funded a lavish double life . It included swanky hotels and male escorts , police said . It happened between June 2003 and March 2010 .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two-time NBA MVP LeBron James says the Cleveland Cavaliers -- his only club in his seven pro seasons -- will have an `` edge '' when they try to keep the likely free-agent-to-be from leaving this summer . In an interview scheduled to air on CNN Friday night , Larry King asked James whether the Cavaliers have an edge to retain the Ohio native . `` Absolutely , '' James said . `` Because ... this city , these fans , I mean , have given me a lot in these seven years . And , you know , for me , it 's comfortable . `` So , I 've got a lot of memories here . And so it does have an edge . '' James ' potential freedom -- he can opt out of the last year of his contract and become a free agent on July 1 -- is one of the most talked about issues in the world of sports this year . Sports Illustrated 's website has a `` LeBron James Watch '' blog , ESPN.com has a `` LeBron Tracker '' page devoted to his next move , and the Cleveland Plain Dealer 's site has a `` LeBron-O-Meter '' that swings with each stay-or-go rumor . Full transcript of Lebron James interview . Even President Obama has weighed in , telling TNT 's Marv Albert last month that James would fit in with the club that Obama pulls for , the Chicago Bulls . And the New York Daily News reported last month that Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he thinks James would love living in New York , should he choose the Knicks or the Nets . James headlines a list of marquee names who also are free-agents-to-be or likely free agents this summer , including Miami 's Dwyane Wade , Toronto 's Chris Bosh , Phoenix 's Amare Stoudamire , Dallas ' Dirk Nowitzki and Atlanta 's Joe Johnson . King asked James about reports that he , Wade , Bosh , Johnson and others were planning to talk to each other before they settled on where to go . `` I do n't know to that extent , but it will be fun , '' James said . `` It will be fun to get all the free agents together and figure out a way how we can make the league better . '' The Cavaliers drafted James , 25 , out of high school in 2003 . He grew up in the nearby Akron , Ohio , area . James , a six-time NBA all-star , was named the league 's MVP for the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 seasons . He 's averaged 27.8 points per game , and he has helped the Cavaliers to five playoff appearances and one trip to the NBA finals . But he 's still seeking his first NBA title , and the Cavaliers were bounced from the second round of this year 's playoffs by the Boston Celtics . He told King his goal is to be with a team that can win more than one NBA championship . `` I understand that me going down as one of the greats will not happen until I win a championship , '' he said . `` I 'm going to do what 's best for me and my family . '' The interview is scheduled to be shown on CNN 's `` Larry King Live '' at 9 p.m. ET Friday .
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LeBron James : `` I 've got a lot of memories here . And so -LSB- Cleveland -RSB- does have an edge '' James eligible to opt out of his contract with the Cavaliers this summer . Two-time NBA MVP headlines list of likely 2010 free agents . James says he wants to be with a team that can win more than one championship .
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-LRB- OPRAH.com -RRB- -- Chris Rock is an Emmy-winning comedian , devoted husband and loving father -- but it 's time to get to know a new side of this funnyman . Meet Chris Rock , hair expert . It 's a detour he took after an innocent carpool ride left Rock with an idea he just could n't shake . `` I was with my daughter one day , and we 're in the car and she 's with one of her friends in the back seat , a little white friend , '' he says . `` She was just kind of raving about her friend 's hair a little too much for my comfort -LSB- saying -RSB- : ` You 've got great hair . Oh , your hair 's so good . ' '' Not wanting to make her comments a big deal , Rock says he tried to play his them off . '' -LSB- I said -RSB- : `` Oh , baby , your hair 's beautiful . Come on , ' '' he says . `` If I would have really reacted , then she would have a complex about her hair . '' Still , Rock could n't let it go . `` It sparked something in me , '' he says . Oprah.com : Oprah 's hair throughout the years ! What Rock discovered is a $ 9 billion industry that affects the daily activities , wallets , self-esteem -- and even the sex lives -- of black women . Because women spend so much time and money on their hair , Rock says men are forced to adopt a hands-off policy . `` You can not touch a black woman 's hair . You are conditioned not to even go there , '' he says . `` When I was a dating guy , I dated women from different races . Anytime I was with an Asian or a Puerto Rican girl or a white girl , my hands would constantly be in their hair . Like my hands were thirsty . '' One of the first lessons Rock learned on this journey was that women do their hair for one another . `` They say it 's for the men , but it 's really for the women . Because guys do n't care , '' he says . `` There 's no point in the history of the world where men were not sleeping with the women in front of them . We take what we can get . '' Actress Nia Long , who Rock interviews in the film , agrees . `` There 's always this sort of pressure within the black community like , if you have good hair , you 're prettier or better than the brown-skinned girl that wears the Afro or the dreads or the natural hairstyle , '' she says . Oprah.com : Oprah 's stylist reveals his hair secrets . Rock found the biggest moneymaker in the hair business to be weaves . Black women can spend six to eight hours getting their hair braided into tiny sections . Stylists then delicately attach tracks of hair -- which can be simple extensions or full wigs -- to the braids . `` If you 've got a weave , your scalp 's like a beat up highway , '' Rock jokes . Women who wear weaves stop by the salon for regular washes , conditioning and tightening , but the real expense lies with the hair itself . Rock says he was shocked to learn that regular women spend thousands of dollars on weaves -- and even put them on layaway . `` Janet Jackson spends $ 5,000 to go to the Grammys on her hair . I did n't know Kiki was spending $ 5,000 to go to AT&T and answer the phone , '' he says . `` That was disturbing . '' Rock discovered the hottest hair on the market is found in India , where human hair is the number two export behind software . `` This is some of the worst poverty in the world , '' he says . `` I do n't think -LSB- people -RSB- know they 're walking around with $ 1,000 on their head . '' While in India , Rock witnessed a tonsuring ceremony at the Venkateswara Temple . Every year , more than 10 million people cut their hair off as an offering to the Hindu gods . `` In India , hair is considered a vanity , and removing hair is considered an act of self-sacrifice , '' he says . `` These people have no idea where their hair is going or how much it 's worth . The money made at this temple is second only to the Vatican . The hair collected here is auctioned off to exporters who distribute it around the planet . '' Another staple of the industry is relaxers -- also called `` creamy crack '' by some . While women of other races use perms to add curl , black women use them to straighten their hair . `` You name a black woman , any black woman , '' Rock says . `` They 've either had their hair relaxed , or they 're having their hair relaxed right now . '' The active ingredient in relaxer is a substance called sodium hydroxide . The chemical is so strong it can burn a woman 's hair off -- which is why Rock is urging parents to stop the relaxing addiction now . `` This kiddie perm has to stop , okay ? They should n't have to worry about that till they 're in their teens , '' he says . `` Putting those chemicals in that child 's hair is just not cool . '' Rock says he tells his own daughters they 're beautiful every moment he can -- and has only one answer when it comes to questions of having good hair . `` Whatever makes you happy is good hair , '' he says . `` Do your hair for you , and you will be happy . '' Oprah.com : Find the right look for you -- risk free ! From The Oprah Winfrey Show '' © 2009 . Subscribe to O , The Oprah Magazine for up to 75 % off the newsstand price . That 's like getting 18 issues FREE . Subscribe now ! TM & © 2010 Harpo Productions , Inc. . All Rights Reserved .
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Chris Rock investigated the black hair industry after daughter admired white hair . Says black hair care industry pulls in some $ 9 million a year . Biggest moneymaker is hair weaves -- up to $ 5,000 , says Rock . He says hair straightening chemicals are too harsh for young children .
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NEW YORK -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In that strange intersection of economics and politics , there is a new fashion : Trillion is the new billion . One trillion $ 1 bills stacked one on top of the other would reach nearly 68,000 miles into the sky . A billion is a thousand million , and a trillion is a thousand billion . To provide some perspective on just how big a trillion dollars is , think about it like this : A trillion dollars is the number 1 followed by 12 zeroes . Or you can think of it this way : One trillion $ 1 bills stacked one on top of the other would reach nearly 68,000 miles -LRB- about 109,400 kilometers -RRB- into the sky , or about a third of the way from the Earth to the moon . Some Republicans are hardly over the moon about the growing size of the proposed economic stimulus plan . Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said this week that Americans have become desensitized to just how much money that is . `` To put a trillion dollars in context , if you spend a million dollars every day since Jesus was born , you still would n't have spent a trillion , '' McConnell said . CNN checked McConnell 's numbers with noted Temple University math professor and author John Allen Paulos . `` A million dollars a day for 2,000 years is only three-quarters of a trillion dollars . It 's a big number no matter how you slice it , '' Paulos said . Here 's another way to look at it . `` A million seconds is about 11 1/2 days . A billion seconds is about 32 years , and a trillion seconds is 32,000 years , '' Paulos said . `` People tend to lump them together , perhaps because they rhyme , but if you think of it in terms of a jail sentence , do you want to go to jail for 11 1/2 days or 32 years or maybe 32,000 years ? So , they 're vastly different , and people generally do n't really have a real visceral grasp of the differences among them . '' Everyone is tossing around the words million , billion and trillion . With the national debt now topping $ 10 trillion , following a $ 700 billion bank rescue and proposed $ 800 billion-plus stimulus package , have we become numb to the numbers ? How much is a trillion ? '' '' ` Number ' itself can be parsed ` number ' or ` numb-er . ' And maybe in this case , the latter is a better pronunciation , '' Paulos said . `` I think to some extent , we have ... evolved in a context where such big numbers were completely foreign . '' Perhaps a better way to get a `` grasp of the numbers , '' Paulos said , is to use them to describe the budgets of government programs . `` The -LSB- Environmental Protection Agency 's -RSB- , for example , annual budget is about $ 7.5 billion . So , a trillion dollars would fund the EPA in present dollars for 130 years -- more than a century . Or the National Science Foundation or National Cancer Institute have budgets of $ 5 -LSB- billion -RSB- or $ 6 billion . You could fund those for almost 200 years , '' he said . Times have certainly changed . Back in 1993 , President Bill Clinton wanted a $ 30 billion jobs and investment package . He did n't get it . Just last year , President George W. Bush signed an emergency economic stimulus of $ 168 billion -- a tally that seems paltry compared with the amount requested today . The economic problem , many say , demands huge spending . Former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker has called it `` the mother of all crises . '' The numbers are big , but so is the United States economy . The gross domestic product , which measures the total value of goods and services produced in a country , is about $ 14 trillion . Still , many wonder if we can afford it . `` So we do have a big economy that may not be as vibrant as it was , but it is still a powerful economic engine . Knock on wood , we 'll see what happens , '' said Paulos . Last week , the House passed an $ 819 billion emergency stimulus , and the Senate version is approaching $ 900 billion . In the end , whatever lawmakers hash out probably wo n't reach $ 1 trillion . But consider this : If all of the financial market interventions , loans , guarantees , bailouts and rescues are approved , they will total more than $ 7 trillion .
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One billion is equal to 1,000 million ; One trillion is equal to 1,000 billion . One trillion stacked dollars would reach nearly 60,000 miles , one-third way to moon . Professor : You could n't spend $ 1 trillion if you spent $ 1M a day since Jesus ' birth . All financial market interventions , loans , bailouts total more than $ 7 trillion .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For a website devoted to exposing secrets , WikiLeaks.org is pretty good at keeping its own . Not much is confirmed about exactly who founded it and runs it , who donates money to allow the five or so full-time people and hundreds of volunteers to keep it going , and where it all happens . Despite such murkiness , WikiLeaks has gained international notoriety since it started posting classified documents and other secret information from a European base in January 2007 . In April , video of a U.S. military helicopter strike in Iraq that killed two Reuters journalists raised questions about the attack , as well as how WikiLeaks got the military tapes . Now , rumors abound that WikiLeaks is poised to post more video of Americans at war , perhaps involving U.S. air strikes in Afghanistan that killed civilians and prompted a military report critical of what happened . The Pentagon has taken notice . In a secret 2008 report leaked to WikiLeaks , the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Center called the website a potential threat to U.S. forces and counterintelligence efforts . `` Recent unauthorized release of DoD -LRB- Department of Defense -RRB- sensitive and classified documents provide FISS -LRB- foreign intelligence and security services -RRB- , foreign terrorist groups , insurgents and other foreign adversaries with potentially actionable information for targeting U.S. forces , '' said the report posted on WikiLeaks . To Julian Assange , the website 's director and only public face , it 's all about providing information necessary for citizens to make decisions that shape their future . `` All the information in a society , all the happenings in a society , is relevant to choosing to support '' a government , political parties and particular leaders , Assange said in an interview posted on WikiLeaks on June 1 . More revealing was an April interview on the U.S. comedy show `` The Colbert Report , '' in which Assange acknowledged to host Stephen Colbert that the goal of posting secret documents was to gain the `` maximum possible political impact . '' For example , Assange told Colbert , he titled the video on the Iraqi helicopter strike that killed the Reuters journalists `` Collateral Murder '' because , he said , that 's what happened . At the same time , Assange said , WikiLeaks always provides to the public all the video or documents available so that viewers can decide for themselves . `` If people have a different opinion , the full material is there for them to analyze and assess , '' Assange told Colbert . WikiLeaks publishes anonymously submitted documents , video and other sensitive materials after vetting them , it says . It claims never to have fallen for a forgery . A scouring of Internet sources found some basic information about the website , including that it was started by a group of activists that included Chinese political dissidents and it survives on donations . Assange , an Australian journalist depicted in media reports as a former computer hacker , described WikiLeaks in a January interview as run by five or so full-time people supported by hundreds of volunteers . His work with WikiLeaks won Amnesty International 's 2009 UK Media Award in the new media category for `` Kenya : The Cry of Blood -- Extra Judicial Killings and Disappearances , '' a suppressed report on police killings by Kenya 's National Commission on Human Rights . In the January interview posted on the Medien-Okonomie-Blog , Assange described an almost covert operation with no headquarters that needs roughly $ 300,000 a year to function as a mostly volunteer organization . `` But there are people who ca n't afford to continue being involved full-time unless they are paid , '' he said , estimating the costs would approach $ 1 million year if that happened . He explained the value that WikiLeaks provides to the mainstream media by publishing otherwise unobtainable information . `` We take the most legally difficult part , which is not the story , but usually the backing documents , '' Assange said in the interview . `` As a result there is less chance of legal action against the publisher . '' For its own legal troubles , Assange said , WikiLeaks relies on lawyers donated by mainstream media outlets including The Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times . The website 's biggest U.S. splash was the April posting of what it said was video from a U.S. helicopter involved in an attack in Baghdad that killed nine people -- including the two Reuters journalists -- and wounded two children . A U.S. Army intelligence analyst was arrested two months later , allegedly for leaking classified military information , the U.S. military said . The website Wired.com identified him as Spc. Bradley Manning , 22 , and said he had leaked the video of the helicopter assault . Wired.com reported that Manning confessed to the leak in a series of online chats with a former computer hacker . He allegedly owned up to leaking other items to WikiLeaks , including the classified Army document assessing the threat level of the website , as well as State Department cables , according to the article . Public airing of the video forced the Pentagon to defend the actions of its troops in a report that concluded the Apache helicopter crews had no way of knowing the journalists -- Namir Noor-Eldeen and Saeed Chmagh -- were among suspected insurgents on the street . Now Assange is described as living on the run , and the Iceland Parliament has passed a proposal intended to make the country a haven for whistle-blowers such as WikiLeaks . CNN 's Richard Greene , Atika Shubert , Atia Abawi and Tom Cohen contributed to this report .
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Rumors abound that WikiLeaks will soon post video footage of air strikes in Afghanistan . In April , website posted video of U.S. helicopter strike in Iraq that killed journalists . Public face of WikiLeaks , Julian Assange , says goal is to help an informed public make better decisions .
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New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- TV 's `` Top Chef '' is now the top chef in the U.S. , and he wants you to eat at his restaurant -- no silver spoon required . Tom Colicchio won the Outstanding Chef Award at Monday night 's James Beard Awards at Avery Fisher Hall in New York . While he 's glad of the nod , he 's well aware that many people think it means his restaurants are now out of their league . Colicchio is the owner of Craft , Craftsteak , the ` Wichcraft sandwich chain , and the recently opened Colicchio & Sons , and host of the `` Top Chef '' program on Bravo . See list of James Beard award winners . He and Beard 's Best Service Award winner , Grant Achatz of Chicago 's Alinea , agree that while fine dining may be pricey -- it 's often roughly the cost of concert or sports tickets -- it 's also a chance to have the experience of a lifetime . And it 's their business to make diners feel welcome . `` Most of the better restaurants out there -- even if they 're high-end -- are usually not snobby and pretentious . It 's the restaurants that are trying to be like that that get it wrong ! The root of dining and hospitality is taking care of people , '' Colicchio told CNN . `` People go to high-end restaurants and expect it to be snobby . They get their hackles up . They see a waiter talking to another waiter , sharing a joke , and think they 're being laughed at . Come on . That 's not the case . '' `` In New York , -LSB- waiters are -RSB- writers , dancers and painters . They do n't have money to go to fine-dining fancy restaurants ! They 're not from some highfalutin ' background and going to look down at you . They 're working-class people -- like everyone in restaurants . '' And while you 'll never leave his restaurants hungry , do n't go expecting to have to loosen your belt too much . But do `` expect to be really taken care of . When food costs more , the restaurant can afford to have more staff on the floor . '' `` Things you need to keep in mind going to an upscale restaurant are that the price you 're paying is not for a lot of food . It 's for high-quality food . It 's a very different dining experience than if you 're going to a chain restaurant where they 're piling it on . '' `` I was reading a book called ` The Zen Guitarist , ' which essentially said that too much food on a plate is wasteful and unappetizing and it 's the role of the chef to deliver the right portion of food . '' Colicchio adds , `` Do a tiny bit of research . Go online and see what they have to offer . If you 're intimidated by the menu , that 's when you really need to use the waiter . '' His most important bit of advice for diners : `` Be nice . It goes a long way . You do n't need to palm a maitre d' with a tip at the door to get a good table . If you walk up and say , ` This is a special occasion -- my wife and I are having our first anniversary , ' they 'll take care of you . '' At Chicago 's Alinea -- which was ranked in 7th place on a recently released list of the world 's top 50 restaurants -- diners will never have to wonder if they 're using the right salad fork -- or any fork at all . Chef Grant Achatz is known for serving highly inventive dishes involving elements like scented air , temperature contrasts and custom-made utensils that sometimes require eating instructions from the wait staff , and he 's well aware that many diners are outside of their comfort zone . `` Because of the nature of the cuisine -- it being challenging because of the manipulations of ingredients and the way it 's presented -- we have to counteract that with very approachable service , '' he told CNN . `` Unlike a lot of four-star restaurants in the past that -LSB- have -RSB- scripts for describing the dishes and everyone has to cut their hair the same -- all the connotations of the snooty French waiter -- we intentionally abandoned . We encourage our staff to let their personality shine through , because that 's real hospitality . It 's about making people feel comfortable and welcome . '' Achatz is aware that he 's likely to encounter skeptics with his unusual approach to dining , but he and his staff are up to the challenge . `` Some people walk through the door , ready to let us take them on a journey . With some people , it takes a course or two to build up that trust -- through the food or the service team letting them know it 's OK to laugh out loud . It 's OK to giggle and smile , '' he said . And diners do . Blogs and websites abound with stories of patrons weeping , moaning and screaming with surprise and delight most nights of the week . His advice to diners : Come with an open mind . And he 'll do his part to help . Said Achatz , `` When we opened nearly five years ago , there was so much hype and buzz and people saying they were worried they were n't going to ` get it . ' We decided to combat that . '' `` The very first bite that everyone had was , literally , peanut butter and jelly . We 're going to give you something everyone had at some point in their life . It does n't look anything like a peanut butter and jelly , but it will taste like one . That 's going to set the tone , and people are going to laugh , and everything is OK after that . In a way we were making fun of ourselves . '' And if the chef and staff can have a ball , so can the customers . Said Achatz , `` Relax . You 're here to have a good time . ''
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James Beard `` Outstanding Chef '' Tom Colicchio : Fine restaurants are n't snobbish . He says do n't expect piles of food , just high-quality food at upscale restaurants . `` Best Service '' winner chef Grant Achatz says cuisine is challenging , not the staff . He says giggles are OK : `` Relax . You 're here to have a good time ''
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FUMICINO , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Under a canopy of elegant Italian pines , the foundations of a mini Roman Coliseum are at once unmistakable and exhilarating . The intricate statue head archeologists unearthed while excavating the site at Fumicino , Italy in early 2009 . The structure at `` Portus , '' the Romans ' ancient Mediterranean port , has remained undiscovered for eighteen centuries until now . University of Southampton archaeologists have just this summer uncovered the remains of an amphitheater , a Roman warehouse and the ruins of an Imperial palace even though archaeologists have been digging at this site since the 19th Century . `` It 's true I think also to say that we have kind of rediscovered it because the great Italian archaeologist Rodolfo Lanciani reported the discovery of a theater in the 1860s but nobody could actually find it , '' says Professor Simon Keay , a leading expert on Roman Archaeology at the University of Southampton . Watch a report on the site 's discovery '' `` There is only one imperial Rome , and Rome only had one imperial port and Portus is that port . In a sense it is trying to give an idea not only of the importance by virtue of that but also because the archaeological potential of it is huge , '' adds Keay . The site is a feast for the eyes in the true Roman sense . Excavations have unearthed priceless treasures apart from the foundations of the amphitheater . See images of the site '' An exquisite white marble head of a statue was found close to the site of the amphitheater . Experts believe it could be a bust of Ulysses or possibly a Greek sailor . Rare and finely carved fragments of columns have also been found . `` When we first started the project , everything you would have seen here was grass , a couple of trees , '' explains Keay . `` We very nearly fell into a hole because we could n't actually see what we were doing . Clearly we have completely exposed this area and because these buildings are so big it is only by uncovering large areas of them that we can actually understand their function and their development , '' says Keay . The site is ironically less than a mile from Rome 's modern transport hub , Fumicino International Airport , and this discovery owes more than a nod to modern technology . Using modern sensors , ground-penetrating radar and probes , researchers complied computer images of what lay beneath . They were dazzled by what modern technology revealed about the ancient past . `` So we then played around with it on the computer screen , we did a virtual reconstruction of it and amphitheater shape grew out of the screen and we knew that we were on to something very special , '' says Keay . The excavations in Fumicino , Italy , just outside Rome , continue in a joint project named `` Portus '' with the University of Southampton , the British School at Rome , The Italian Archaeological Superintendency for Ostia and the University of Cambridge .
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Archeologists are excavating site in Fumicino , Italy , just outside Rome . This summer found remains of amphitheater , warehouse , Imperial palace . Rodolfo Lanciani reported discovery of theater in 1860 but no one could find it . Finely carved fragments , white marble head of a statue also found at site .
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-LRB- Mother Nature Network -RRB- -- If you 've been keeping tabs on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico , you 've probably been wondering how exactly you can help . Well , for those of you with furry , four-legged flatmates , it can be as easy as sweeping the floors and collecting all that errant fur and hair . So how exactly can hoarding pet fur help with cleaning up one of the worst environmental disasters in recent memory ? Enter Matter of Trust , a San Francisco-based nonprofit that 's been accepting donations of non-filthy pet fur and human hair since 1998 to craft oil-absorbing hairmats -- described as `` flat square dreadlocks '' -- and hair-stuffed containment booms made from recycled pantyhose . These hairy contraptions are effective at soaking-up oil and they do n't require any new resources ... just stuff you 'd normally trash -LRB- or compost -RRB- unless you 're into , umm , stockpiling fur . I must say , sending along fur to Matter of Trust via Excess Access is an eco-ideal spring cleaning mission for folks with critters around the house . In addition to pet owners , groomers and salon owners can get involved too by sending in bulk shipments of hair/fur . In fact , as of Tuesday , 400,000 pounds of hair was en route to the Gulf Coast . Mother Nature Network : How to treat cats with allergies . Alabama hairdresser Phil McCrory came up with the hairy idea while watching news reports on the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill , according to the Matter of Trust website . As a hair professional , he knows how hair is attracted to oil -- and why humans need to shampoo their hair regularly . The oil clings to the hair but is not absorbed by it . That makes hair a good , natural cleaning aide . Matter of Trust says they 've opened more than a dozen warehouses in Alabama , Mississippi , Louisiana and Florida where the hair is shipped . Hundreds of volunteers stuff the hair and fur into nylons which are then tied together to form tubes or booms . The booms are used to surround , contain and aid cleanup of the oil spill . What is needed , how to send it : . • Clean hair from human heads -- can be straight , curly , dyed , permed , straightened • Every type of fur , horse hair , wool waste and feather is fine • Make certain there is no garbage -- metal or paper -- in with the hair/fur • Washed nylon stocking -LRB- even with runs -RRB- • Place in separate plastic garbage bag , put inside of separate boxes labeled debris-free hair/fur or nylons • Check with Matter of Trust website to find out where to ship the boxes . © Copyright 2010 Mother Nature Network .
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Your hair and pet 's fur is needed to help clean Gulf oil spill . The hair and fur is stuffed into nylon stockings which become booms . The oil clings to the hair booms and mats which are then removed from water . Matter of Trust is coordinating collections and volunteers to build booms .
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Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama has tapped a former Army general to lead the Transportation Security Administration , sources have told CNN . Obama plans to nominate Robert A. Harding , a retired major general with 33 years in the Army , to become the TSA administrator , sources said . Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will announce the nomination Monday with Harding by her side , according to one administration official . `` The TSA administrator is the most important unfilled post in the Obama administration , '' one administration official said . `` Mr. Harding has the experience and perspective to make a real difference in carrying out the mission of the agency . '' `` If there was ever a nominee that warranted expedited , but detailed , consideration in the Senate , this is it , '' the official said . In September , Obama nominated Erroll Southers , a Los Angeles airport police department official , to head the agency . But Republican Sen. Jim DeMint , R-South Carolina , spearheaded GOP efforts to block the nomination based on concerns Southers would unionize airport screeners . Southers withdrew his nomination in January after lawmakers questioned his changing explanation about a personnel action taken against him decades ago . Harding would be the TSA 's first African-American administrator . Southers also is black . Harding has served as CEO of Harding Security Associates , a defense and intelligence government contractor that he founded in 2003 and sold in July 2009 . From 1996 to 2000 , Harding was director for operations at the Defense Intelligence Agency , where he was the Defense Department 's senior human intelligence officer . Before that , he was director for intelligence for the Army 's Southern Command . The TSA was created in the months after the Sept. 11 , 2001 , attacks and soon took over security at the nation 's airports , including screening commercial airline passengers and luggage . CNN 's Jeanne Meserve and Mike Ahlers contributed to this report .
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Nomination of Robert A. Harding to be announced Monday , sources say . Harding `` has the experience ... to make a real difference , '' administration official says . Harding , who served 33 years in Army , would be the TSA 's first African-American administrator . He once was Defense Department 's senior human intelligence officer .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- University of Tennessee head football coach Derek Dooley dismissed one player and suspended two others Friday following a bar fight that sent an off-duty Knoxville police officer who tried to intervene to the hospital . Dooley booted Darren Myles of Atlanta , who is accused of assaulting a University of Tennessee officer who rushed to the scene where the Knoxville officer was knocked unconscious . Dooley also indefinitely suspended Marlon Walls , a defensive tackle from Olive Branch , Mississippi , and linebacker Greg King of Memphis , Tennessee . Their role in the incident was not known late Friday . `` It is a privilege , not a right , to be a member of the University of Tennessee football team , '' Dooley said in a statement . `` The most important responsibility of that privilege is to properly represent this institution and our supporters on and off the field . `` I am disappointed and in many ways embarrassed by the poor judgment displayed on many fronts by several members of our football team last night , '' Dooley said . Several people , including other UT football players , were being questioned by police and at least one -- Darick Rogers , a highly sought-after high school football recruit from Calhoun , Georgia -- has been charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest , police spokesman Darrell DeBusk said . The fight broke out at Bar Knoxville -- a popular destination for University of Tennessee athletes -- shortly before 2 a.m. Friday , DeBusk said . Robert Capouellez , a Knoxville police officer , was lying on the ground unconscious when emergency officials arrived on the scene , DeBusk said . Capouellez is reported in stable condition , officials said . Gary Russell , who was assaulted by several people inside the bar and also was transported to University Medical Center with multiple injuries , has been discharged , a hospital official told CNN . The bar 's co-owner , Sandy Morton , told CNN affiliate WBIR some 10 football players `` just started randomly beating up a customer . '' `` It was total chaos , '' Morton said . Witnesses told police the fight started inside , but bar employees pushed those involved outside onto the sidewalk . That 's when Capouellez intervened . According to witnesses , the officer was hit in the head and kicked several times while lying unconscious on the ground . A total of six individuals -- who DeBusk said appear to be associated with the University 's football program -- have been identified as potential suspects . They were located and detained for questioning , he said , and police want to question three or four others who may have been involved in the fight . Officer Brian Greenlee of UT Police rushed to the scene and ordered the group to stop . According to an affidavit , Greenlee made contact with Myles , a defensive back . Myles fled , was ordered to stop and struck Greenlee 's left eye with his elbow when the officer tried to place a restraint hold on him , according to the police report . Myles ran off and was later found hiding in bushes , police said . Myles was arrested and faces simple assault , resisting a stop and fleeing/evading arrest charges , the UT Police report said . Greenlee did not require medical treatment , said Amy Blakely , assistant director of Media and Internal Relations . The case was brought by UT Police because its officer was assaulted , she said . Myles was released later Friday on a $ 1,000 bond and Rogers was released on a $ 1,000 bond , according to CNN affiliate WATE . `` We always give VIP status to the football players , '' said Morton . `` It wo n't be happening anymore . '' `` Although we are still gathering all the facts and some legal proceedings will follow , we have taken some initial levels of discipline resulting from my conversations with the student-athletes who were present , '' Dooley said in the statement . Dooley also answered questions at an evening press conference , including one about Myles ' dismissal . `` It hurts our team , '' said Dooley , according to CNN affiliate WBIR . `` A lot of people get hurt when you do things that are n't right . It 's not just Darren who 's hurt . I had to sit there and watch his mother cry , who 's hurt . And his family is hurt , I know his father is hurt . And I know his home town is probably disappointed . '' CNN 's Cheryl Castro and David Close contributed to this report .
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NEW : University of Tennessee football coach dismisses one player , suspends two . Off-duty police officer who tried to intervene in a bar fight in stable condition . Police : Members of the University of Tennessee football team are suspects in the fight . Star recruit Darick Rogers is charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest .
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Colombo , Sri Lanka -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Sri Lankan Cabinet minister on a `` fast unto death '' to protest a U.N. human rights panel announced Friday that he had resigned his post as his supporters marched in Colombo carrying placards condemning the world body . Crowds carrying portraits of former minister Wimal Weerawansa marched to the Russian Embassy to seek Moscow 's help in stopping the United Nations from probing alleged war crimes . They handed a memorandum to that effect to an embassy official . Police said the about 200 people carried placards condemning the U.N. move and shouting slogans against Secretary General Ban Ki-moon . Organizers said a similar request will be made to the Chinese Embassy . Meanwhile , several nations expressed dismay at the blockade of the U.N. compound and Weerawansa 's leading role . `` Peaceful protest is part of any democracy , but blocking access to the United Nations -- of which Sri Lanka itself is a member -- as well as intimidating and harassing U.N. personnel is a breach of international norms and harmful to Sri Lanka 's reputation in the world , '' said a statement from the United States , Germany , France , Italy , Britain , Switzerland , the Netherlands , Romania , Norway and the European Union . `` We call upon the government of Sri Lanka to take all appropriate steps to ensure the safety and security of U.N. personnel and premises , '' it said . Weerawansa continued his fast for a second day , rejecting warnings from a doctor to drink water or risk affecting his kidneys . He said he would go without food until Ban dissolves a three-member panel that is looking into human rights abuses in the final stages of a decades-long war that ended in 2009 between the government and the Tamil Tiger rebels . The United Nations has been concerned about accountability issues related to the rebels ' defeat , including alleged war crimes by troops and rebels -- allegations that both parties deny . `` Ban 's move is intended to bring President Mahinda Rajapaksa before a war crimes tribunal . We will not allow that to happen , '' Weerawansa told a news conference earlier in the week . Weerawansa 's Cabinet colleagues visited him at a special tent outside the U.N. compound in Colombo . He lay on a mattress on a specially-constructed dais protected by plain-clothed security . Visits by ministers signalled government backing for Weerawansa 's protest against the United Nations . Meanwhile , the United Nations office continued to function with limited staff . External affairs minister , G.L. Peiris , defended the protest in Parliament . He said it `` is in conformity with the law '' and added that the government has no right to suppress peaceful demonstrations who are entitled to democratic rights .
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Ex-minister protests a U.N. panel that addresses human rights violations . Accuses the panel of seeking to bring Sri Lankan president before a war crimes tribunal . Crowds march through Colombo carrying placards condemning the U. N. move . Several nations dismayed at blockade .
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London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Britain 's foreign office yanked Friday a blog posted by its ambassador to Lebanon that mourned the death of an `` admired '' Shiite cleric once considered Hezbollah 's spiritual leader . Frances Guy wrote that she left the presence of Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah , who died Sunday , feeling a better person . `` Lebanon is a lesser place the day after , but his absence will be felt well beyond Lebanon 's shores , '' she said . `` The world needs more men like him , willing to reach out across faiths . '' The comments about Fadlallah , once closely associated with Hezbollah , ruffled diplomatic feathers . Israel , especially , was not happy . In a statement Friday , Britain 's foreign office said the ambassador `` expressed a personal view '' on Fadlallah and did not reflect an official government position . The blog , it said , was taken down . `` While we welcomed his progressive views on women 's rights and interfaith dialogue , we also had profound disagreements -- especially over his statements advocating attacks on Israel , '' the statement said . Guy , who has been British ambassador to Lebanon since 2006 , explained her views in a new blog posted Friday . `` The problem with diplomatic blogging is that you risk being anodyne or controversial , '' she wrote . '' Clearly in the last few days I have been the latter . This was not my intent . My comments on the late Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah have now been removed because they were leading to confusion about British policy . `` I would like to be clear . I have no truck with terrorism wherever it is committed in whoever 's name . The British government has been clear that it condemns terrorist activity carried out by Hezbollah . I share that view . '' The U.S. State Department classifies the Lebanon-based Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organization . So does Britain . When the group formed in the early 1980s , Fadlallah was considered its spiritual leader . But he always insisted he had nothing to do with its operations . In later years , Sheikh Fadlallah mellowed in some of his views , and spoke out in favor of interfaith dialogue . But his views on Israel did not soften . In a letter penned to President Obama last year , Fadlallah said : . `` The size of support and cover-up provided by your country for the Zionist entity has become known . This entity was established on the land whose people were uprooted by the power of iron and fire . The subsequent American policies have contributed to the loss of the Palestinian cause , despite the ratification of many Security Council resolutions . '' Fadlallah died Sunday and thousands of mourners filled the streets of Beirut , Lebanon , to pay tribute . Guy said Friday that she understood her words had offended people . `` The blog was my personal attempt to offer some reflections of a figure who , while controversial , was also highly influential in Lebanon 's history and who offered spiritual guidance to many Muslims in need , '' she wrote . `` I recognize that some of my words have upset people . This was certainly not my intention . I am sorry that an attempt to acknowledge the spiritual significance to many of Sheikh Fadlallah and the views that he held in the latter part of his life , has served only to further entrench divisions in this complex part of the world . '' Earlier this week , CNN 's senior Middle East editor , Octavia Nasr , left the network after a controversial posting on Twitter about Fadlallah . `` Sad to hear of the passing of Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah . One of Hezbollah 's giants I respect a lot , '' Nasr tweeted last Sunday . Nasr , who is Lebanese , later addressed the issue in a blog posted on CNN.com : . `` Reaction to my tweet was immediate , overwhelming and a provides a good lesson on why 140 characters should not be used to comment on controversial or sensitive issues , especially those dealing with the Middle East . '' `` It was an error of judgment for me to write such a simplistic comment , '' she wrote . Nasr 's Twitter post `` created a wide reaction , '' said Parisa Khosravi , senior vice president of international news gathering for CNN Worldwide . `` We believe that her credibility in her position as senior editor for Middle Eastern affairs has been compromised going forward , '' she said , and as a result CNN had `` decided she will be leaving the company . ''
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Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah , once considered Hezbollah 's spiritual leader , died Sunday . Frances Guy wrote on blog that she left the presence of Fadlallah feeling a better person . `` The world needs more men like him , willing to reach out across faiths , '' Guy posted . British foreign office yanked blog post ; said Guy was expressing personal views .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man convicted in the execution-style killings of three students in New Jersey nearly three years ago was sentenced Thursday to three consecutive life sentences , the Essex County prosecutor 's office said . Rodolfo Godinez was the first person to stand trial in connection with the Newark murders . He got a 20-year sentence in addition to the life sentences . Under New Jersey laws , Godinez would become eligible for parole after serving 216 years in prison , the prosecutor 's office said . One side of the courtroom was filled with victims ' relatives and 10 gave statements asking New Jersey Superior Court Judge Michael Ravin to hand down the maximum sentence . The lone-survivor of the attack , Natasha Aeriel , spoke last , according to Romesh Sukhdeo , assistant county prosecutor . `` She spoke today , and clearly at this point she was angry ... she said some harsh words toward the defendant but that 's to be expected since her brother and two best friends were killed , '' Sukhdeo said . A jury convicted Godinez , 26 , on all 17 counts including murder , felony murder , attempted murder and robbery after just four hours of deliberations , according to Sukhdeo . Godinez was charged along with five other defendants currently awaiting trial in the August 4 , 2007 , murders of Terrance Aeriel , Dashon Harvey , and Iofemi Hightower behind the Mt. Vernon Elementary School . They were made to kneel against a wall before they were shot execution-style in the head . Aeriel 's sister , Natasha , was also shot in the head , but survived the attack and later testified as the prosecution 's main witness , according to Sukhdeo . All of the victims were either students or about to be enrolled at Delaware State University . During the 22-day trial , the prosecution argued that Godinez was involved in gang recruiting and characterized him as the ringleader of the group of defendants who used a handgun and a machete to attack four friends who had gathered to socialize behind a school . `` These kids were n't into drugs , they were minding their own business and these guys came up to them , robbed them , sexually assaulted one woman and then executed them , '' Sukhdeo said . Godinez maintains his innocence , but admitted to be a member of the MS-13 gang and present at the school on the night of the triple homicides . However , he said he did n't participate in the crimes , according to his attorney Roy Greenman , who said he is planning to file an appeal . Ballistic evidence , information from Aerial and a fingerprint lifted from a beer bottle at the scene led to the major break in the case that outraged the city . By the time the attacks took place , the city had already recorded 60 killings that year . The city 's reaction to the murders helped Newark 's police department implement policing tactics and technologies , including wireless camera surveillance and audio gunshot detection systems . `` Community organizations got together and through local foundations were able to raise money ... and that has enhanced our ability to create public safety in this city in a big way , '' said Garry McCarthy , Newark police director .
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Rodolfo Godinez eligible for parole after 216 years . Jury convicts Godinez on all 17 counts including murder , felony murder . Godinez was charged along with five other defendants .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Obama administration 's rush to sweep the recent Russian spy scandal off the table as quickly as possible with this swap is a bad move on several counts . It is understandable and correct that President Barack Obama values the overall U.S.-Russian relationship above the question of whether a few Russian spies spend years in jail . The `` reset '' campaign was an excellent idea ; too bad no one in our Department of State knew how to correctly spell the word in Russian when Secretary Hillary Clinton presented the `` button '' to the Russian Foreign Minister . However , there is a line between seeking a mutually beneficial relationship and delusional pandering . The history of U.S.-Russian relations shows that dealing respectfully but firmly is what works best . Most importantly , Moscow only agrees to anything that it perceives to be at least 50 percent in its self-interest , not because we 've been nice guys . The only thing releasing all of these deep-cover Russian intelligence officers within a matter of days is going to teach Prime Minister Vladimir Putin , an old KGB officer , is that Obama is a pushover -- overly focused on making sure not to offend Russia . Aside from sending the wrong political message , the quick swap also tells the leadership of the Russian government and the SVR , its intelligence service , that there is really no downside to being caught carrying out espionage in America . Any intelligence service in the world , including Russia 's , when deciding whether to carry out a particular espionage operation looks at the `` risk factor . '' What will be the blow back if this becomes known ? Running `` illegals '' -- that is , Russians posing as citizens from a third country and who have no overt connection to the Russian embassy or consulates in America -- would usually be considered a high-risk operation by Moscow because those Russian citizens do n't have diplomatic immunity if caught . It 's bad press and it 's bad for morale within the SVR if one , much less 11 , of your deep cover officers get caught and are facing decades in prison . But Obama has now just told the SVR , `` Hey , there is no penalty for spying in America . If we catch you , we 'll just let you go so as not to damage ` big picture ' relations . '' We did show Russia certain appropriate courtesies in these arrests , which would have indicated we did n't want to harm our political relationship with Russia . We waited until Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had made his visit to America . We waited until after the G20 meetings in Canada . We have n't even publicly named or expelled the Russian diplomats who were apparently observed being involved in the communications with these illegals . -LRB- Hopefully , the Department of State has at least told the Russian ambassador that certain of his diplomats should quietly leave America . -RRB- And speaking of morale , what message does this send to the hundreds of FBI special agents who spent thousands of hours working these cases ? According to various press accounts , the number of Russian intelligence officers in America and Western Europe has already returned to Cold War levels . Obama has now told the Russians , there is n't even a problem if we catch you . Try anything you want . Normally , when any intelligence service has a major flap as this was , it would order an immediate stand down of other operations in that country for perhaps several months while it tried to figure out what had gone wrong . By immediately sending these SVR officers back to Moscow , they will be available to assist in that investigation . Not knowing what all they were involved in -- it was certainly more than `` penetrating the local PTA '' -- I do n't necessarily advocate having kept these people in prison for decades , but a year or two in prison before offering a swap would have sent a strong message to Putin and the SVR . And if the press accounts are accurate , getting four people out of Russian jails in return for these 10 does n't seem like much of a bargain either . -LRB- An 11th suspect detained in Cyprus remains on the loose after being released on bail . -RRB- . Obama is no doubt an intelligent fellow , but he certainly did n't get very good advice from his intelligence community or Russian experts about how to handle this spy caper . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Gene Coyle .
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Ex-CIA Russian expert says the quick spy swap will be seen as sign of U.S. weakness . He says it sends the message that there 's no risk for Russia to spy on the U.S. Coyle : U.S. is right to try to maintain good relations with Moscow . Alleged spies should have spent more time behind bars , he says .
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[[1361, 1445]]
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- LeBron James is a grown man who made a grownup decision to take his massive basketball-playing ability from Cleveland to Miami in a desire to get the one thing every true baller desires : the opportunity to call yourself a champion . Forget all the nonsense about him `` owing '' his hometown and how his legacy could have been cemented had he stayed in the Midwest and continued to try to win a title in Cleveland . LeBron had the absolute right to pick up his things and go where he thought it was best to win , and he did it . Enough with all of this ridiculous chatter that he 's a selfish , spoiled basketball prodigy . LeBron was an employee of the Cleveland Cavaliers . He had no ownership stake and no control . Everyone talks about what his presence meant to the Cleveland economy . Did he own any of those businesses ? No . But he made them , and the Cavaliers , richer by his play . There is undoubtedly a tradeoff , because being a star athlete is a two-way street . You become richer by virtue of folks coming to see you play , and the league , team , marketers and surrounding businesses get to piggyback off of your success . LeBron gave them a solid seven seasons , and everyone enjoyed the ride . Say thank you for the LeBron gravy train , and now , like any smart business owner , you need to figure out your next revenue stream . Now , let 's deal with the fans . I read with fascination about how LeBron `` owed '' the fans . Really ? What exactly did he owe them ? We need to stop with this belief that fans in a city `` own '' a particular player . We get to sit back and enjoy the skills of these modern-day gladiators in our gleaming new Colosseums , while they bust their butts , play injured and have to take all of the criticism when things go bad . As fans , we justify it all by saying , `` Well , he 's getting millions to play , so he should shut up . '' We need to grow up and realize that once his playing days are over , we will say , `` Thanks , LeBron , now move over so we can worship the next stud . '' In fact , when a particular athlete has overstayed their welcome , the fans are the loudest in telling him to leave the court . To me , there is a huge difference between a player like LeBron James and Albert Haynesworth of the Washington Redskins . Albert has pocketed nearly $ 40 million and has refused to show up at training sessions with Washington because he does n't like the defensive scheme . That is dumb . LeBron showed up and did his part , and when his contract was up , he exercised his free will to do as he pleased and shop his talents . He did what every single American wants : to go to a new job where the desires you always wanted can be fulfilled . So how is that wrong ? No one -- athlete , stockbroker , Wal-Mart greeter , grocery store clerk , secretary , journalist -- wants to be treated like they are a piece of property . We all desire the freedom that comes with making our own choice as to where we want to work and achieve the goals in life that we all set . I can identify with that . In 1993 , I decided to leave the Austin American-Statesman , where I was the county government reporter . The then-city editor sat across from me and said , `` I felt like it was a punch in the gut when told you were leaving . '' He had an indignant , paternalistic tone that I found offensive . See , I was making $ 24,000 . When the Houston Chronicle pursued me for a job a few months earlier that would be around $ 27,000 , I was told I was talking myself out of a job in Austin . So when the Fort Worth Star-Telegram offered me a gig at $ 32,000 , I did n't even bother seeing whether Austin wanted to counter . The new job allowed me to go to a bigger market and have the upward mobility I desired , so I took the job . So I told the city editor , `` Look , you did n't take some kid off the street , teach him how to talk , write and dress . You paid me for a service , and I delivered . Now I 'm choosing to take my skills elsewhere . '' I then got up and left the meeting . It was offensive to me that my bosses at the paper felt like I was being an ungrateful employee . I wanted to do more with my talents , and I refused to allow someone to make me feel bad about my decision . It 's my life , my career , my choice . So how is that bad ? Now I get folks who did n't like LeBron having a one-hour special to announce his decision . But we are all used to the hype in sports . Do we really need a six-hour pregame show for the Super Bowl ? Ca n't we play the NBA All-Star Game without all of the side attractions ? Would boxing be boxing without the wild and crazy news conferences ? Hype and sports go hand-in-hand . That 's why I found the letter written by Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert so pathetic . Here is a man who was enriched by the play of LeBron James ; according to Forbes , the value of the franchise increased by $ 100 million with his on-court performance . Yet instead of being a gracious owner and simply reaffirming his commitment to the fans to put a winning team on the court , Gilbert ripped LeBron to shreds , calling him `` narcissistic '' and his decision to leave a `` cowardly betrayal '' and `` a shameful display of selfishness . '' Gilbert even went on to trash all athletes by saying , `` It 's time for people to hold these athletes accountable for their actions . Is this the way you raise your children ? '' In an interview , Gilbert later said LeBron quit on the team in the playoffs the past two years . Really ? So if he was all of that , Dan , why did you want to re-sign him ? Who wants a quitter on his team ? If LeBron had chosen to stay in Cleveland , rich boy Dan would have been all smiles , slapping his back , getting ready to count the money he could make off of the back of LeBron . So who would have been the real selfish , narcissistic individual , Dan ? Gilbert now says it 's time to speak out against LeBron , yet as long as James made him richer , he would have kept quiet . Sorry , Dan , you 've pimped LeBron long enough . LeBron showed Dan Gilbert that only LeBron owes LeBron an explanation . No owner , CEO or boss has the right to demand that someone stay as an employee . The employee has a right to live their life as they see fit . As the CEO of LeBron James Inc. , he did what 's in the best of interest of him . And as the most important shareholder , is n't that what he 's supposed to do ? I 'm sorry , folks , but the loyalty that used to exist from teams and companies is gone . Some still believe in it , but for many of us , we 're simply a dot on the spreadsheet . Business is cutthroat , and we have to accept that reality . So , King James , go to Miami and do your thing . Grow your corporation to be as big as you want it to be . And never look back at the haters who are mad you chose not to act like a highly paid indentured servant or 21st-century slave , held in place by the invisible shackles dressed up as loyalty to a city , owing the fans and satisfying someone who is clearly an ungrateful owner . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Roland Martin .
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Roland Martin says LeBron James is a grown man who made a grownup decision . He says James does n't owe his former employer or city loyalty . Martin : James acted in his own interest , as he should . Cavaliers owner was wrong to rip James as `` narcissistic , '' Martin says .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Japan 's governing body of sumo wrestling announced it has fired star sumo wrestler ozeki Kotomitsuki in the wake of a gambling scandal that has enveloped the sport , according to news reports . The unprecedented move also was taken against Kotomitsuki 's stable master , Otake . Kotomitsuki becomes the first active `` ozeki , '' the champion rank to which he was promoted in 2007 , to be fired , Kyodo News reported . He was found to have gambled on professional baseball , with money allegedly a source of funding for mobsters . The Japan Sumo Association on Sunday stopped short , however , of expelling them , the most severe sentence which would bar them from receiving retirement allowances , according to Kyodo News . Such a sentence would be decided by a council of high-ranking sumo officials , Kyodo News reported . The Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament , which runs later this month , will go on as planned . The allegations have shaken sumo wrestling , with 63 percent of people responding to a poll saying the summer tournament should be postponed , according to the national Asahi Shimbun newspaper . The scandal also has led to the arrest of a former sumo wrestler and the demotion of a stablemaster-coach of several wrestlers who also allegedly gambled on baseball . The association has sought to repair the damage . The association 's chairman says on the association website that the situation is `` unprecedented and critical . '' He also promises to try to `` regain the fan 's confidence ... as soon as possible . '' Sumo is an ancient sport dating back some 1500 years , according to the Japan Sumo Association 's website .
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Kotomitsuki was found to have gambled on professional baseball . He becomes the first active `` ozeki '' to be fired , Kyodo News reports . A council of high-ranking sumo officials to decide on expulsion , Kyodo News reports . Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament to go on as planned this month .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Parole officers saw and spoke to Jaycee Dugard during visits to the home of the man accused of holding her captive for 18 years , but they never questioned why she was there , California officials disclose in newly released documents . At least three different parole officers spotted Dugard at the home of Phillip Garrido , a convicted rapist who had been under California state supervision since 1999 , according to a June memo from the California attorney general 's office . On at least one occasion , a parole officer spoke to her and one of her daughters , whom investigators say Garrido fathered during her captivity . But those officers `` failed to investigate their identities or their relationship to Garrido , '' the memo states . The document outlines the $ 20 million settlement between Dugard and California authorities , which the state Legislature approved last week . It was drafted to brief state lawmakers on the settlement before their vote , said Christine Gasparac , an attorney general 's office spokeswoman . Gasparac would not provide additional details of the reported contact between Dugard and parole officers . Dugard disappeared in 1991 , at age 11 , and was found in August 2009 at Garrido 's home in Antioch , about 45 miles east of San Francisco . Garrido and his wife , Nancy , have pleaded not guilty to 29 felony counts in the case . Garrido was released on parole in 1988 after serving less than 12 years of a 50-to-life sentence for rape in federal and Nevada prisons . His victim in that case , Katie Callaway Hall , told CNN 's `` Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell '' that the latest revelation was `` unbelievable . '' `` It 's just one more astonishing fact in a long line of errors , '' said Hall , who is now an advocate for rape victims . She said the news `` re-triggers my anger '' because she had gone to federal authorities -- who initially handled his parole -- to warn that he had approached her after his release , and `` I do n't think they believed me . '' Responsibilty for Garrido 's parole was transferred to California authorities in 1999 . A November 2009 investigation found parole officers failed to follow utility wires running from Garrido 's house toward the shed where Dugard was held , did n't check out the presence of a 12-year-old girl during a visit or act on information that indicated Garrido had violated the terms of his release . The June 25 memo concluded that while the state could have successfully defended some of the claims on procedural grounds , the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation `` recognizes that this case has a unique and tragic character . '' `` Obviously , no amount of money could compensate these plaintiffs for what they have endured , '' it reads . But the settlement will provide Dugard and her daughters -- now teenagers -- with `` the financial support that they will need to rebuild their lives . '' The document estimates the family will need as much as $ 7 million alone for decades of counseling . `` First , it is a virtual certainty that Ms. Dugard and her daughters will require counseling for the remainder of their lives , with varying degrees of intensity at different time periods , '' it states . `` Second , neither of Ms. Dugard 's daughters has received any education , and neither is presently equipped to handle the academic or social challenges that school will pose . Ms. Dugard has received no education since her abduction , and all three have expressed their desire to obtain an education . ''
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NEW : `` It 's just one more astonishing fact in a long line of errors '' Parole officers saw and spoke to Jaycee Dugard during visits to Phillip Garrido 's home . Officers `` failed to investigate '' relationships , according to documents . Garrido and his wife are charged in Dugard 's 1991 abduction .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- NFL quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a rural Georgia nightspot early Friday , police said . Police talked to Roethlisberger , 28 , and the 20-year-old woman at the scene immediately after the incident was reported at about 2:30 a.m. Friday morning at Capital City in Milledgeville , Georgia , said Deputy Police Chief Richard Malone . However , Malone said investigators still need to do a follow-up interview with Roethlisberger and witnesses . He added that nobody has been charged in the alleged incident and stopped short of calling the football player a suspect . The woman `` alleged that he is the perpetrator , '' Malone told reporters . He said the woman was part of a group mingling with Roethlisberger 's friends at the restaurant and that the groups had gone to other bars and restaurants over the course of the evening . He said the woman was treated and released from a local hospital Friday morning . Roethlisberger 's agent , Ryan Tollner , said his client would cooperate in the investigation . Roethlisberger has been the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers for six seasons , guiding the team to two Super Bowl championships . `` Last night , Ben and his friends met a group of women and everyone mingled together throughout the evening , '' Tollner said in a written statement Friday . `` We have spoken to law enforcement . Based on information currently available , an allegation was made against Ben , which appeared to be dismissed after a preliminary investigation last night . `` Obviously , given the prior accusation against Ben , we are skeptical of motive , but we will continue to cooperate with everyone involved . '' Tollner was referring to a civil complaint filed against Roethlisberger last year , also alleging sexual assault . Roethlisberger has denied the allegations by an executive casino host at Harrah 's Lake Tahoe , saying , `` I would never , ever force myself on a woman . '' Roethlisberger and eight Harrah 's employees are named in the suit , which seeks at least $ 390,000 , plus unspecified punitive damages , from the defendants .
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Accuser was with group of women that had been hanging out with Roethlisberger . Authorities have not charged anyone ; follow-up interviews to take place . Civil complaint filed against Roethlisberger last year also alleges sexual assault .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Arguments over the massive overhaul of the health care system -- which congressional Democrats hope to pass by next month -- are expected to keep shaking up the country long after the vote . Congress ' plan could be the first legislation of its kind passed along strict partisan lines . In modern history , legislation of such scope -- including Social Security in 1935 and Medicare in 1965 -- has had at least some support from the opposition . `` The bottom line is that , unlike other major legislation which has passed with more bipartisan support , health care is going to remain a political football , and people are going to have a sense that it is not fully settled yet for a while , '' said David Gergen , a senior political analyst for CNN who also worked in the Nixon , Ford , Reagan and Clinton administrations . `` It 's sign of the unhealthy quality of our politics that a bill this significant in our social history is passing with only one party in favor , '' he said . Sarah Binder , an expert on Congress and legislative politics with the Brookings Institution , said that in the past two decades , Republicans and Democrats have become increasingly polarized . `` It just seems that the incentive to disagree seems to be growing , '' she said . Because of the ideological polarization , the parties are growing further apart in policy terms , and thus reaching across the aisle is becoming a tougher task , Binder said . The polarization , coupled with another development in recent history -- partisan team play -- has contributed to the heightened partisan rancor surrounding the health care debate , she said . Partisan team play is more about keeping a party cohesive and opposed to the other party than it is about underlying policy , she added , comparing this session of Congress to the 103rd , the last time Democrats controlled Congress and the White House . There was a `` whole slew of Democratic initiatives in ' 93-94 where Republicans said , ` We 're not going to vote for these , ' '' Binder said . Ilona Nickels , a congressional analyst and lecturer , said that with the current health care legislation , there was never much hope for bipartisanship , because the divide between the parties over the role and size of government intervention is `` a pre-existing issue . '' `` Once you grow government to tackle any major societal problem , it is doubtful you would be able to bring any Republicans aboard , '' she said in an e-mail to CNN . No Republicans supported the bill passed in the Senate , and the House version received just one Republican vote . Before a final bill can be sent to President Obama 's desk , the two versions must be merged into one and voted on again . Senior Democratic sources say that a traditional House-Senate conference committee is unlikely to meet to work out differences , because that would allow the GOP to slow the progress in the Senate . Democratic leaders from both chambers may instead circumvent the traditional process through informal , high-level talks , the sources said . Most Americans disapprove of the current health care legislation , according to CNN 's most recent polling . `` In addition to the polarization that already exists , there is deep polarization in the country about the bill itself on the merits , '' Gergen said . `` There may be instances , but I ca n't think of them , when a major piece of domestic legislation has passed in the teeth of public disapproval . '' Nickels , who spent several years as a congressional staff aide , pointed to the 1980s for an example of the risks of acting on legislation without public support . Congress passed the Catastrophic Coverage Act in 1988 . The legislation was intended to expand Medicare to protect seniors against catastrophic medical expenses . To pay for it , enrollees saw higher monthly premiums and a surtax . Senior citizens became livid when they fully understood its impact , Nickels said . Democratic Rep. Dan Rostenkowski of Illinois championed the legislation , which was enacted with the help of the AARP . Nickels recalled that angry voters booed the congressman and pelted his car with eggs . The law was repealed in 1989 . `` In the battle of the spin wars to come on the health care bill , no one should underestimate the public 's reaction once the impact of the bill 's provisions become clearer and , if enacted , actually felt , '' Nickels said . Still , it 's an important historical win for Obama if he signs the health care bill into law , Gergen said . `` What the White House hope would be is that over time , people would come to appreciate it . People will adjust and find that the benefits of the bill far outweigh the negatives and that it will be a major plus for his party over time . Right now it 's not , '' he added . Debate over the legislation will play a key role in the upcoming midterm elections , with Democrats pushing its benefits and Republicans slamming its costs . `` It 's pretty clear at the moment that unless opinion swings in favor of the bill , as it may , then Republicans will run against the reform in 2010 elections and probably in 2012 . And that will present the prospect that over time they can change it , '' Gergen said , noting that even some Democrats have said they intend to change the bill over time . But in order for Republicans to make gains at the polls , it would take a `` delicate balancing act '' since those gains would likely come from independent voters , said Republican strategist Karen Hanretty . Independent voters are fiscally conservative and wary of the massive price tag attached to health care reform , but they also do n't like partisanship , she noted . Anticipating some conservative Democrats losing in this year 's congressional elections , Nickels said she thinks the White House is knowingly sacrificing some members of its own party in exchange for what the administration believes will be a seminal accomplishment . CNN 's Dana Bash and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report .
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Partisan vote a sign of `` unhealthy quality of our politics , '' David Gergen says . Ideological polarization , `` team play , '' contributing to partisan rancor , expert says . Leaders may circumvent the normal conference committee process . White House knowingly sacrificing some Democrats to get the bill passed , analyst says .
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Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Large and small donations flowed in Monday evening as dozens of celebrities answered phones for Larry King 's telethon to help the people of the U.S. Gulf Coast suffering from the oil disaster . `` A hundred dollars ? Wow ! Thanks you so much , '' rocker Tyson Ritter told one donor who called in . The two-hour CNN show raised $ 1.3 million with proceeds going to three charities deeply involved in the efforts to help humans , wildlife and the environment . `` Everyone 's really pissed off , '' actress Jenny McCarthy , who was monitoring online messages in the telethon 's `` Tweet Suite , '' told host Ryan Seacrest . Donors could choose to send their money to the United Way , National Wildlife Federation or The Nature Conservancy . Celebrity journalist Giuliana Rancic said she was on the phone with `` Barbara '' from Kokomo , Indiana . `` She 's saying it 's the animals , '' Rancic said . Actress Victoria Principal sat next to her on another call . `` We 're just talking about the wildlife , '' Principal said . Singer Aaron Neville , a New Orleans native , said most of the calls he answered in New York were from people concerned about animals impacted by the oil . `` People are crying on the phone and giving money , '' Neville said . Actor Ted Danson said it was important for him to `` hear people 's emotions , their fear and sadness '' when they called in donations , . CNN correspondents reported live from the Gulf Coast , interviewing people whose lives have been interrupted by the oil disaster . `` The toughest thing I see is losing a way of life that we 've had down here for generations and generations , '' said shrimper Archie Dantin in Pointe a la Hache , Louisiana . A BP spokesman issued a statement Monday saying the oil company is `` proceeding with urgency to make the situation right for the environment and for those who have affected by this tragic event . '' `` We stated from the beginning that we accept responsibility for cleaning up the spill and for paying all legitimate claims for those directly impacted financially by this environmental disaster , '' BP 's statement said . The company said over 65,000 claims have been submitted and more than 32,000 payments have been made , totaling more than $ 107 million . `` The average time from filing a claim to checks being issued is only a few days , '' BP siad . `` Even for more complex business claims that have provided supporting documentation . '' `` I do n't think they 're responding fast enough , '' shrimper Keillen Williams said . Retired NBA star Jalen Rose , who was helping answered phones at CNN 's Los Angeles bureau , said he is sure President Barack Obama will make BP pay . `` But it will take time for that to happen , so we 're here today to provide immediate relief to those in need , '' Rose said .
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Larry King telethon for Gulf raises $ 1.3 million in two hours . Money going to United Way , National Wildlife Federation , The Nature Conservancy . Singer Aaron Neville , a New Orleans native , said , `` People are crying on the phone . ''
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New Orleans , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A ship billed as the world 's largest skimming vessel has begun testing its effectiveness in the Gulf of Mexico , a spokesman for its owner , Taiwanese company TMT Shipping , said Saturday . The A Whale has been assigned a 5-mile-by-5-mile area to test its capability , spokesman Bob Grantham said , citing Coast Guard Rear Adm. Paul Zukunft . Testing is expected to continue Saturday and Sunday , with initial results probably available Monday , Grantham said . The skimmer works by `` taking in oily water through a series of vents , or jaws , on the side of the ship and then decanting the intake , '' Grantham said . `` In many ways , the ship collects water like an actual whale and pumps internally like a human heart . '' The testing area is just north of the underwater oil gusher , the statement said . The A Whale arrived in the Gulf on Wednesday and has been awaiting approval to join in cleanup efforts . The vessel is estimated to be able to skim 21 million gallons of oil a day , at least 250 times the amount that modified fishing vessels currently conducting skimming operations have been able to contain , according to TMT . Built this year , the vessel was meant to carry crude oil and iron ore . But after hearing about the oil disaster in the Gulf , TMT modified it to become the world 's first large-scale skimmer , spokesman Frank Maisano said this week . Researchers have estimated that between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels -LRB- 1.5 million to 2.5 million gallons -RRB- of oil have been gushing into the Gulf daily since April 20 , when the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded and sank off the coast of Louisiana . Also Saturday , response workers recovered boom suspected to have been vandalized in the marshes of Terrebonne Parish , Louisiana , the Deepwater Horizon Joint Information Center said . It released several Coast Guard photographs of the boom , which appeared to have been cut open . `` Boom vandalism and mishaps involving small craft moving or cutting boom with propellers impedes oil recovery efforts , endangers workers who must return to recover and replace the boom and slows efforts to conduct booming operations elsewhere , '' a statement from the center said . In an effort to reduce boom damage , the Coast Guard has instituted a safety zone around boom sites and established a hotline to report damage . Meanwhile , Environmental Protection Agency scientists were set to meet with the agency 's chief Saturday to discuss the chemicals BP is using to break up the oil slick . Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson 's briefing on dispersants in Gulf Breeze , Florida , comes two days after the agency released results from its first round of toxicity testing on eight of the dispersants used in the Gulf . The EPA study showed that the chemicals , when not mixed with oil , did not significantly disrupt the endocrine systems of marine life . But the agency has said it plans to conduct more tests of the toxicity of the dispersant when mixed with crude . Dispersants have been a key part of BP 's cleanup strategy . Since the beginning of the disaster , more than 1.6 million gallons of the dispersant Corexit 9500 alone have been injected into the Gulf . Critics say the chemicals could harm marine life . But the Coast Guard has said that dispersant use is `` evaluated daily '' and that it 's using the `` safest and most effective methods available '' to protect the sea environment . A CNN analysis of daily dispersant reports provided by the Deepwater Horizon Unified Command showed that the chemical dispersants keep flowing into the Gulf of Mexico at virtually unchanged levels despite the EPA 's May 26 order to BP to `` significantly '' scale back . Before that date , BP used 25,689 gallons a day of Corexit . Since then , CNN 's analysis showed , the daily average of dispersant use has dropped to 23,250 gallons a day , a 9 percent decline . Over the past few days , bad weather has significantly hampered BP 's oil cleanup and collection efforts . Hurricane Alex made landfall in northeastern Mexico late Wednesday , but its impact was still felt in the Gulf days later . On Friday , more oil than what would fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool slipped by the cap on BP 's ruptured undersea well because of the bad weather , Zukunft said . The cap on the well in the Gulf of Mexico , bouncing in the rough conditions , captured 20,000 fewer barrels -LRB- 840,000 gallons -RRB- of oil than anticipated , Zukunft said . The rough seas also prevented skimming or burning for the past two days , displaced boom and made it unsafe to fly , he said . BP spokesman Mark Proegler noted that forecasters expect rough seas to calm a bit this weekend . Crews are standing by to resume skimming operations and survey inland waterways that may have been affected because of a storm surge . Shoreline cleanup operations continue with limited weather interruption . For the 12-hour period from midnight until noon Friday , approximately 8,665 barrels of oil were collected and about 4,155 barrels of oil and 28.6 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared , BP said . Thursday 's total oil recovered was approximately 25,150 barrels . Newly retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen announced Friday that since June , the skimming capability in the Gulf has increased more than fivefold , from approximately 100 large skimmers to 550 skimming vessels of various sizes working to collect oil in all parts of the region as . To date , 28.2 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been skimmed from the Gulf 's surface . CNN 's Ed Lavandera contributed to this report .
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A Whale assigned 5-mile-by-5-mile area for testing . Testing to continue Saturday and Sunday ; initial results likely Monday . EPA plans to test impact of chemical-oil mix on marine life . Containment cap bounced Friday , allowing 20,000 barrels to get by .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Concerns about alcohol abuse have been making headlines this week . A woman who drinks two glasses of wine every day is at risk for developing liver trouble , a doctor says . First , the Indian state of Rajasthan reportedly announced it would shut down 800 alcohol shops . Then , in Britain , chief medical officer Liam Donaldson recommended Thursday that anyone 15 years old and younger avoid alcohol completely . It 's no wonder people are worried . A recent survey of alcoholism studies in the Lancet suggests that men have more than a 20 percent lifetime risk of developing alcohol-use disorders , while women 's risk is 8 to 10 percent . Much of that risk is inherited . Studies show that as much as 60 percent of the risk of alcohol-use disorders is genetic , said Dr. Marc Schuckit , professor of psychiatry at the University of California , San Diego , and director of the alcohol and drug treatment program at the Veterans Affairs-San Diego Healthcare System , who wrote the Lancet article . The risk for alcoholism is four times greater for children of alcoholics , even those who are adopted by non-alcoholic families , Schuckit said . But people who have a genetically influenced disorder can control it by behaving responsibly . Just as someone at risk for diabetes should n't exacerbate the problem by becoming overweight , someone with a family history of alcoholism must avoid drinking too much . `` If you know you 're at risk , it 's your responsibility to avoid the problems , '' Schuckit said . Why is the risk so much greater in men than women ? Psychiatrists point out that young women also have twice the rate of depression and anxiety that men do , and daughters of alcoholic fathers tend more toward depression than alcoholism , said Dr. Charles Raison , psychiatrist and director of the Mind/Body Institute at Emory University in Atlanta , Georgia . `` There may be a similar underlying neurobiology to a lot of psychiatric conditions , and how they manifest in particular has something to do with circumstances , has something to do with gender , and has something to do with age , '' Raison said . There are also cultural factors in this gender pattern , but less is known about them , he said . He said women tend toward alcoholism in their 40s and 50s -- which may be their way of counteracting anxiety -- around the time that men tend to develop depression . Another genetic trait is involved in sensitivity to alcohol . Japanese , Chinese , and Korean people tend to have a mutation in their alcohol-metabolizing genes that makes them more sensitive -- meaning they tend to drink less than people from other backgrounds , he said . Data show that the earlier you start drinking away from your family , the greater the risk of alcohol problems later in life , he said . On average , people begin drinking apart from the family at 15 , a number that has n't changed much in decades , Schuckit said . How much is too much ? Male livers can metabolize about twice as much alcohol as females ' , meaning men can drink about twice as much as women before it becomes dangerous , Raison said . `` A woman who drinks two glasses of wine every day of her life is actually at risk for developing liver trouble , '' Raison said . Recommended drinking habits vary from person to person . To reap the health benefits from wine , a glass to a glass-and-a-half a day is recommended for women , and twice that amount for men , he said . Getting help . Treating alcoholism is similar to helping people with other chronic conditions -- for example , getting a diabetic person to be compliant with medications , Schuckit said . With both alcoholism and diabetes , therapy involves working with a person to alter behavior and help watch for signs of relapse . `` The core of treatment for any long term chronic disorder that requires changes in how you do things in life is to help people to recognize that they have a problem , and they can do something about it , '' Schuckit said . A combination of medication and cognitive-behavioral therapy is usually the best treatment option for alcoholism , Schuckit said . Cognitive-behavioral therapy involves changing a person 's mindset -- recognizing the problem -- and improving behavior . Three medications are available in the U.S. to treat alcoholism , Schuckit said . A drug called acamprosate targets the nervous system and helps people decrease their craving by allowing them to sleep better and feel less anxious . Naltrexone , on the other hand , blocks opioid receptors and dampens the good feelings that would normally come along with drinking . These two in combination work slightly better than either alone , he said . A third option is disulfiram , which actually paralyzes the ability of one of the alcohol metabolizing enzymes to work , he said . That makes it especially nauseating and , in rare cases , deadly , for a person taking the drug to drink alcohol . Support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous that offer 12-step programs are great resources , and they 're free , Schuckit said . While imperfect , 12-step programs are often the best option , Raison said .
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Study : Men have more than a 20 percent lifetime risk of alcohol-use disorders . Three medications are available in the U.S. to treat alcoholism . As much as 60 percent of the risk of alcohol-use disorders comes from genes .
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Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An unlikely sponsor at this year 's annual conservative conference is hoping to not only promote the issues that set it apart from many Republicans , but also draw attention to the beliefs they share . The group is called GOProud -- a name that combines GOP and gay pride . So far , the group is getting a mixed response at the Conservative Political Action Conference . GOProud was founded by former members of the Log Cabin Republicans , a gay and lesbian Republican grass-roots organization . GOProud has a booth at CPAC just two spaces away from the exhibition for the National Organization for Marriage , which wants the government to define marriage as between a man and a woman . The organizations obviously see social issues differently . `` It 's the ultimate Washington power grab to say let 's have a federal constitutional amendment that will federalize the question of marriage , '' said GOProud chairman Christopher Barron . Through speaking at the event , exhibiting a booth and co-sponsoring the conference , GOProud hopes to highlight the views it has in common with other Republicans -- limited government and fiscal responsibility . But the members ' nontraditional conservative views are rankling some attendees at CPAC . Liberty University Law School , founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell , boycotted the event after GOProud was announced as a co-sponsor . The younger activists , however , are more accepting . About 10,000 people are expect to attend CPAC , and a conference spokesman said at least 60 percent , and maybe as high as 80 percent , of the attendees are expected to be younger than 30 . `` People in the under 40 age range have become a lot more accepting of homosexuality , '' attendee Deborah Corey said . `` But I think there 's also more of an attitude among Americans that 's sort of more libertarian that says people have the right to do what they want to in their own lives and to take the consequences for it , as well . '' Chris Plante , who is running the booth for the National Organization for Marriage , said being two booths away from GOProud was n't an issue . As cameras rolled , he introduced himself to Barron . `` I hope we 'll have more time to talk over the next four days . Maybe we can have a beer later , '' Plante said . `` We can have a beer summit later . It worked for Obama , '' Barron joked . A meeting , yes . But do n't expect a meeting of the minds . `` Gays and lesbians have the right to live as they choose , but they do n't have the right to redefine marriage for the rest of us , '' Plante said . The organizers of GOProud will be participating in a roundtable on Saturday , but they wo n't be talking about issues that affect gay Americans . Instead , they 'll be talking about technology and outreach . They say that 's their choice .
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GOProud 's nontraditional conservative views are rankling some attendees at CPAC . GOProud hopes to highlight the beliefs it shares with other Republicans . Liberty University Law School boycotts event after GOProud announced as co-sponsor . GOProud participating in a roundtable on Saturday about technology and outreach .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Companies involved in the sinking of the offshore drilling rig Deepwater Horizon made `` some very major mistakes , '' Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Thursday after meeting with executives from the oil company BP . Salazar would not elaborate , telling reporters in Houston , Texas , that the cause remains under investigation . But he said the failure of the rig 's blowout preventer -- a critical piece of equipment designed to shut off the flow of oil in an emergency -- was `` a huge malfunction '' that has left oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico . `` The investigation will lead to conclusions about what exactly happened , but it did n't work the way it was supposed to work , '' Salazar said . `` And from my own preliminary observations , there were some very major mistakes that were made by the companies that were involved . But today is not really the day to deal with those issues . '' The Coast Guard and the Interior Department 's Minerals Management Service are leading the investigation into the loss of the drill rig , owned by BP contractor Transocean Ltd. . The slick has been spreading across the northern Gulf of Mexico since late April , when the drilling rig Deepwater Horizon blew up and sank about 40 miles off the mouth of the Mississippi River . Eleven missing workers who were aboard the rig are presumed dead . BP owns the damaged well at the heart of the slick . Efforts to shut down the well have failed , leaving it spewing about 210,000 gallons -LRB- 5,000 barrels -RRB- of oil per day into the Gulf of Mexico . There was no immediate response to Salazar 's comments from BP , which has blamed Transocean . Salazar 's meeting with BP executives -- his second trip to Houston in less than a week -- comes as oil washed ashore on Louisiana 's barrier islands and drifted west past the mouth of the Mississippi River . Workers also prepared to lower a massive containment vessel over the Gulf of Mexico 's two-week-old undersea gusher . Have you been affected by the oil spill ? Share your story , images . A pinkish-orange foam mixture of seawater and crude oil streaked across large stretches of water in the northern Gulf and turned up in the on the shores of the Chandeleur Islands , off southeastern Louisiana . Trace amounts of sheen had been reported on the shores of southeastern Louisiana over the past week , but the landfall reported Thursday appeared to the `` first impacts '' of oil from the spill , Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry told reporters . Doug Suttles , chief operating officer for BP , said mild weather gave cleanup crews more time to attack the spill . More controlled burns were conducted Thursday , after BP and the Coast Guard used fire to destroy several thousand barrels of oil on the surface Wednesday , he said . But the spill was spreading westward and is projected to drift toward coastal parishes past the Mississippi River delta , spurring Louisiana to begin shifting preventive efforts to its southwestern coast , Gov. Bobby Jindal told reporters Thursday . `` That obviously opens up many more vulnerable areas along our coast , '' Jindal said . `` We 're going to do everything we can to keep this oil out . '' The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration already has closed the area to fishing , restricting a multibillion-dollar industry in the region . Suttles said BP held a meeting with parish governments and state officials , who offered ideas for beating back the oily tide and leveled criticisms . `` What 's clear is this is their home , '' he said . `` And what 's also clear is they 're passionate about protecting their home . '' Under federal law , BP is responsible for capping the well and paying for the cleanup . The company shipped a four-story-high containment vessel to the site overnight and expected to lower it toward the seabed nearly a mile below the surface late Thursday , Suttles said . The hope is that the container will collect the leaking oil , which would be sucked up to a drill ship on the surface . If the operation is successful , BP plans to deploy a second , smaller dome to deal with a second leak in the ruptured pipe . But getting the large structure into position could take several days , and the technique has never been attempted at the depth of these leaks . `` If all goes according to plan by early next week we hope to make it operational , '' Suttles said . `` As we always do , though , we stress this has never been done before . We 'll likely encounter numerous challenges , but we 'll remain committed to make it work . '' BP has stopped the flow of oil from one of the three existing leak points from the sunken rig , but it was the smallest of the three leaks and did not affect the amount of crude pouring into the ocean . CNN 's David Mattingly contributed to this report .
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Firms involved in rig 's sinking made `` very major mistakes , '' Ken Salazar says . Coast Guard scrambles to clean up first patch of oil known to reach shore . Containment dome arrives on site above source of massive oil spill . Officials hope dome will capture oil leaking 5,000 feet beneath Gulf of Mexico .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The mayor of Piedras Negras , Mexico , and the secretary of public works and transportation in the state of Coahuila were killed in a plane crash Wednesday , the government-run Notimex news agency reported . There was an explosion on the airplane while flying over the Escondido River , Notimex said . The news agency identified the men as Mayor Jose Manuel Maldonado and Coahuila official Horacio del Bosque Davila . The pilot , who was not identified , also was presumed dead . Coahuila Gov. Humberto Moreira Valdes confirmed the deaths , Notimex said . The aircraft , which took off from Piedras Negras , plunged into the Fragua Dam , the news agency said . Notimex said the aircraft was a Piper Cheyenne , a twin-engine turboprop plane . Patricia Rivero of the Coahuila 's prosecutors office told CNN officials were still at the scene and she did not have further information .
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Explosion occurred aboard plane before crash , government-run news agency reports . Piedras Negras mayor and Coahuila secretary of public works and transportation were killed . The pilot , who was unidentified , also was presumed dead . Crash is still under investigation , official said Wednesday .
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Phoenix , Arizona -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio calls himself `` America 's toughest sheriff . '' He is famous for creating a tent city jail in the Arizona desert ; for providing pink underwear for inmates ; for bragging that he spends more to feed his dog than a prisoner in his jail . This year he has made national headlines for his tough enforcement of Arizona 's anti-illegal immigration laws and for his vocal support for a controversial new immigration law that takes effect at the end of July . But the 77-year-old lawman is himself the subject of serious allegations of abuse of power . Arpaio 's critics say he has a long history of launching bogus criminal investigations against political opponents and anyone else who gets in his way . This year a federal grand jury started looking into the allegations . Former Maricopa County School Superintendent Sandra Dowling says what happened to her is a case in point . Dowling says was locked in a political battle with some members of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors over school district funds when the sheriff 's SWAT team came in the dead of night to search her home . Dowling was charged with stealing money from a school for homeless students . There were 25 felony counts in all . `` Never could I have imagined what a nightmare was waiting ahead , '' Dowling said . Arpaio promised to uncover massive public corruption -- `` We are looking into all avenues of this investigation , '' he said -- and to win a speedy conviction . From the start Dowling maintained her innocence : `` I kept saying I did n't do anything . I did n't do anything . '' It took three years , but finally a judge threw out all the felony counts against Dowling . She entered a guilty plea to a single misdemeanor charge . But she said her reputation had been shattered , her career destroyed , and she owed more than $ 100,000 in legal fees . `` I still do n't think that everybody knows I was innocent , '' she said . Dowling is not alone . Arpaio has launched -- either on his own or in conjunction with the county attorney -- high-profile criminal investigations against a who 's who of Maricopa County politicians and officials . The list includes the mayor of Phoenix , a former police chief , two members of the board of supervisors , Superior Court judges , and even a former state attorney general . The charges have included public corruption , misuse of taxpayers ' dollars , bribery , rape and even child molestation . What all these investigations hold in common is that they were launched with great public fanfare , but rarely resulted in convictions . Among the investigations recounted in this report , the only conviction has been on the misdemeanor charge against Dowling . Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon calls the sheriff 's long list of investigations a `` reign of terror . '' Gordon came under Arpaio 's scrutiny , he says , after speaking out against the sheriff 's neighborhood sweeps to round up illegal immigrants . The mayor says he received a torrent of records requests from sheriff 's investigators , and he was later told that he was under investigation on possible child molestation charges . Gordon says the sheriff `` bragged that he was watching my office from his office with a telescope . '' The sheriff 's department confirmed that Gordon was investigated on child molestation accusations . In the end charges were never filed . `` He is a coward , '' said former Buckeye , Arizona , Police Chief Dan Saban . In 2004 Saban challenged Arpaio 's bid for a fourth term in the sheriff 's office . That was when the local news reported that Arpaio was investigating his rival on charges of rape . It was a claim made by Sabin 's foster mother . She claimed the rape occurred 30 years earlier , when Saban was only 15 years old . Saban says he was the victim , not the foster mother . Once again charges were never filed . But Saban noted the sheriff alerted the media to the details of the sordid accusation . `` They put out a media campaign against me , '' he said . `` That I was the subject of a criminal probe . '' It sounds familiar to County Supervisor Don Stapley . `` They indicted me on 118 counts . '' he said , `` none of which I 'm guilty of . '' Those 118 counts of public corruption against Stapley made big headlines before they were thrown out of court by a judge . Arpaio has refilled many of those charges and Stapley is still fighting to clear his name . Arpaio turned down CNN requests for an interview , citing the federal grand jury investigation and a series of threatened lawsuits from these and other cases . However , one of Arpaio 's long-time assistants was eager to defend his boss . Deputy Chief John MacIntyre says that in each and every case , the sheriff 's investigations were fully justified . `` Was there probable cause ? There was a ton of probable cause , '' he said . In the rape investigation of the sheriff 's political rival , Saban , for example , MacIntyre says it was a case the sheriff had to investigate . `` We did n't make up the mother 's testimony , '' he said . `` It came in here like a bombshell . '' MacIntyre says it was just coincidence that the sheriff benefited when the story was leaked to the press . Andrew Thomas is another Arpaio ally . He is the former Maricopa County attorney who participated in a number of Arpaio 's high-profile cases . He is currently running for the Arizona attorney general 's office . He , too , defends Arpaio 's investigations , saying , `` The reality is these were legitimate cases that needed to be brought . '' `` It was n't just brought up out of thin air , there was evidence to back up those cases , '' he said . The sheriff 's critics , he said , are `` being portrayed as martyrs and I feel that 's absolutely inaccurate . '' Thomas paints a picture of Maricopa County as a pit of corruption that includes the judicial system , which he blames for his lack of convictions . `` We had to go into courts where the judges were collaborating with the targets of the investigations , '' he said . `` They were working together to thwart investigations -LRB- and -RRB- prosecutions . '' The Arizona Bar Association takes a different view . Its ethics committee is currently considering a case against Thomas for his role in Arpaio 's investigations of public officials , the association said . MacIntyre says it is up to the public to untangle the web of political intrigue surrounding Phoenix and its environs . `` The electorate is going to have to say we do n't want to do this anymore , and we will vote one or more people out , '' he said . `` Right now the sheriff 's polls indicate that the public still supports him rather overwhelmingly . '' Whether the grand jury investigation or the threatened lawsuits bring change remains to be seen . Mike Lacey , a newspaper editor who was once arrested after criticizing Arpaio , says the end is not yet in sight : `` If you are a critic of the sheriff , or if you represent an opportunity for publicity , you become a target for this man . ''
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Maricopa County sheriff is known for being tough on prisoners and illegal immigrants . Critics say Arpaio has launched bogus criminal probes against political opponents . Federal grand jury is looking into those allegations . Sheriff declines comment , but deputy chief says all of the investigations were justified .
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Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Recently , I was talking with an interviewer about men and war -LRB- I wrote a book about this -RRB- , and she asked me , `` What is it about testosterone that gets us into war ? '' There is no doubt that women can fight . They do so every day in Afghanistan and Iraq . Though not permitted in the infantry in the U.S. , they have seen plenty of action on a battlefield with no fronts . They are brave . They are also prudent . Some men , maybe not so much . In his correspondence between 1886 and 1898 , for example , Theodore Roosevelt wrote enthusiastically about the prospect of war with Mexico , Canada , Britain , Germany and Spain . Roosevelt may have been an extreme example -- charging up Cuba 's San Juan Hill , he exulted , `` Holy Godfrey , what fun ! '' -- but he was hardly unusual in his eagerness for combat . When war against Spain was declared in April 1898 , President William McKinley asked for 125,000 volunteers . He got over a million young American men almost overnight . In those days , women were not permitted in the armed services . But what if they had been ? Do women share the yearning for combat that has defined so many young men in so many societies , all through time ? I am tempted to say that women would be less likely to get us into wars . But then I remember Queen Elizabeth I -LRB- if you ca n't , just picture Cate Blanchett in body armor -RRB- , British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher -LRB- saying to President George H.W. Bush before the Persian Gulf War , `` Now , George , do n't go wobbly on me '' -RRB- and Golda Meir , prime minister of Israel during the Yom Kippur War -LRB- ordering revenge for the 1972 Olympics slaying of Israeli athletes -RRB- . Does anyone doubt that gun-toting Sarah Palin would be ready to fight anyone , anytime ? Hillary Clinton ? Still , I think women do not have the same primitive urge to test themselves in combat . Back in Teddy Roosevelt 's time , upper-class men in particular were determined to prove their manhood , fearful that they might be somehow exposed as weak and effeminate . This was particularly evident in Roosevelt 's correspondence . He scoffs at his political foes as `` hermaphrodites '' : roughly , half-woman , half-man . Curiously , however , Roosevelt was introduced to the mythology and glories of war by a woman . Josephine Shaw Lowell was the widow and sister of two great Civil War heroes and martyrs , Charles Russell Lowell and Robert Gould Shaw . -LRB- You may remember Shaw 's fatal charge with his doomed black regiment from the movie `` Glory '' -RRB- . The young Josephine , a family friend of the Roosevelts ' , would visit wearing her widow 's weeds and thrill little Theodore with the exploits of her martyred menfolk . In her old age , Josephine Lowell turned against war . She had the wisdom to see that a war to free the slaves in America was noble but that foreign adventuring in Cuba and the Philippines had more to do with the atavistic urges of men than wise policy or moral duty . Indeed , women may respond to the test of their essential identity in a less macho fashion then men . Although there were reportedly some problems with having women in the frontline units of the early Israeli army , women fought courageously and well in the Russian army against Germany in World War II . In the American military , women have taken on dangerous jobs . After some initial resistance , women fliers have been accepted by the brotherhood of naval aviators and air force pilots . In the movie `` Courage Under Fire , '' about a brave helicopter pilot in Desert Storm played by Meg Ryan , the men are shocked when Ryan cries . There is a wonderful scene in which Ryan tells the men to stop staring . `` It 's just tears . It does n't mean anything , '' she snaps . Women are no less courageous than male soldiers , but they sometimes have less need to show off . They certainly can bring a certain sense of humor that is useful in deflating male egos . After Teddy Roosevelt rode up San Juan Hill with his Rough Riders , his wife , Edith , went to Cuba to tour the battlefield . When she returned , she slyly told her husband that the hill of his famous charge was not quite as high as she had been led to believe . It is not known whether Roosevelt laughed . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Evan Thomas .
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Evan Thomas was asked , `` what is it about testosterone that gets us into war ? '' He says women brave , prudent ; historically , men , like Teddy Roosevelt , eager for combat . Women can make war -LRB- Thatcher , Meir -RRB- but lack men 's macho urge to test themselves . Thomas : Women tend to have have less need to show off .
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Havana , Cuba -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Cuba 's Roman Catholic church has identified 12 more jailed dissidents who are expected to be freed in what would be the largest Cuban prisoner release in more than a decade . The announcement Saturday raises the number of prisoners to be released in the next few days to 17 , roughly one-third of the total amount the government plans to release by mid-November . The move follows a visit by Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos , who met with Cuban President Raul Castro and Cuban Cardinal Jaime Ortega on Wednesday . Cuba 's church earlier announced the names of five other prisoners to be freed , and identified six others to be transferred to prisons closer to their homes . The 52 political prisoners Cuba plans to release are the remainder of a larger group of 75 dissidents who were jailed during a government crackdown on political opposition in March 2003 . They represent roughly one-third of all known political prisoners left on the island , according to Cuba 's unofficial Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation . The prisoners will head to Spain upon their release , Spanish Foreign Ministry spokesman Juan Lugo told CNN . Wednesday 's announcement also brought an end to a 134-day hunger strike by Cuban opposition activist Guillermo Farinas . Farinas stopped eating solid foods in February following the death of jailed hunger striker and political dissident Orlando Zapata Tamayo , who was protesting what he described as poor conditions in detention . Zapata 's death sparked international condemnation from Europe and Washington and drew a rare statement of regret from President Castro .
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The 12 dissidents would be part of largest prisoner release in a decade . They were detained in a 2003 crackdown . Release follows visit by Spanish foreign minister .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An American serving an eight-year sentence in North Korea recently attempted suicide , North Korea 's official news agency said Friday . The state-run Korean Central News Agency reported that Aijalon Mahli Gomes attempted to take his own life `` driven by his strong guilty conscience , disappointment and despair at the U.S. government that has not taken any measure for his freedom . '' The news agency said the Swedish Embassy , which represents U.S. interests in North Korea , had `` acquainted itself with the condition of the patient at the hospital . '' The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it does not comment on individual cases and refused to confirm or deny its involvement . Gomes was arrested after crossing the North Korea-China border on January 25 . In April , he was sentenced to eight years of hard labor for what state media described as `` a hostile act committed against the Korean nation . '' The American was , according to South Korean press reports , an English language teacher with strong Christian convictions , who had taken part in anti-North Korean protests in the South . Last month , KCNA reported that North Korea may consider a tougher punishment for Gomes if the United States `` persists in its hostile approach '' toward Pyongyang . Two American journalists -- Laura Ling and Euna Lee , who had crossed the border last March and were arrested and sentenced to 12 years hard labor -- were released in August after an intervention by former U.S. President Bill Clinton . Robert Park , a Korean-American Christian evangelist who was arrested after entering the country on Christmas Day , had given a media interview in which he stated his aim to force change in North Korean human rights conditions . He was released in February after telling North Korean state media that he had been wrong about human rights conditions there . CNN 's Per Nyberg contributed to this report .
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North Korea sentenced man to 8 years of hard labor . Gomes detained January 25 for trespassing into North Korea from China . Sweden , which represents U.S. interests , reportedly looked into the case .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Hadiya Masieh , a 32-year-old mother , was born a Hindu , received her early education in a Christian school , converted to Islam and joined a radical group in college . It 's a story that makes her feel emotional and nervous as she recounts her past -- a past she has since renounced . Hadiya was only 18 years old when she became interested in Hizb ut Tahrir , a radical Islamic group . While studying for a degree in business at Brunel University in England , she became closely involved with the activities of Hizb ut Tahir . As a teenager , Hadiya had a natural inclination to learn about different religions and was drawn to Islam because of the focus on one God as the creator . Her quest to know more about the religion led her to meet members of Hizb ut Tahir on her college campus . Speaking of her early days with Hizb ut Tahrir , she reflects on her interaction with other members of the group : `` I was initially looking for spiritual understanding of Islam and they were trying to say that spirituality is important but their main focus was on politics and that the politics was just as spiritual in Islam . '' She learned soon that the main aim of the group was a call for `` Khilafah , '' establishing a Muslim state . As a member of Hizb ut Tahir , Hadiya held regular talks and tried to recruit others to the group . She remembers that even though the group by itself did not get involved in acts of terrorism , the members never denounced violence perpetuated by others . Despite Hadiya 's close and prolonged involvement with Hizb ut Tahrir , her parents remained unaware of the degree of their only daughter 's involvement with a radical organization . Hesitant to speak of her relationship with her family , Hadiya reminisces , `` at the end of the day I was still a loving daughter towards them , and that 's what they saw of me . '' Sometime toward the end of her 10-year involvement with Hizb ut Tahrir , Hadiya began to question her work with the group and the message that was being sent out . `` When you are in a group like this , they talk about the same thing over and over again and eventually human nature will start to think it 's not making a difference , '' she said . The July 7 , 2005 , London bombings killed more than 50 people and left the world in shock . And it proved to be a major turning point in Hadiya 's life . `` I was heavily pregnant with my third child and when I was in the waiting room , looking at the screen , I just felt like hiding . '' She shakes her head at the memory . Recollecting the images of 7/7 bombings , Hadiya adds , `` I think it was wake-up call for anyone in -LSB- Hizb ut Tahrir -RSB- who is living in Britain , whether they wanted to admit it or not . '' After she gave birth to her youngest child , Hadiya began exploring a different path , a more moderate and spiritual approach to Islam . It was in 2008 that she finally severed ties with Hizb ut Tahrir and instead started giving talks in colleges to foster closer ties among communities . Both Hadiya and her husband , Dawud , who also is a former member of Hizb ut Tahrir , now work toward building better understanding among religions and communities . Hadiya recently helped organize a movie screening in North London for more than 70 Jewish and Muslim women as part of her work with a faith-based organization called Three Faiths Forum . `` I feel more at peace with what I am doing now , '' Hadiya says with a determined tone , `` because all of the messages that I am talking about now are very positive . ''
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Hadiya Masieh , 32 , joined the radical Islamist group Hiz ut Tahrir while in college . Hizb ut Tahrir members ' `` main focus was on politics , '' she says . London bombings of July 7 , 2005 , were a turning point for her . She and her husband now work to bring faith communities closer together .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Polygamist sect leader Warren Steed Jeffs , who is awaiting trial in southern Utah , was charged with eight additional felony counts from Arizona in two separate cases , authorities said Thursday . Polygamist Warren Jeffs is facing eight additional counts related to alleged incest and sexual contact with a minor . A grand jury indicted Jeffs May 10 on two counts of sexual conduct with a minor and two counts of incest for alleged incidents that occurred in 2002 , according to a statement issued by Mohave County Attorney Matthew J. Smith . On Thursday , another grand jury indicted him on two additional counts of sexual conduct with a minor and two additional counts of incest . Those offenses took place in Colorado City , Arizona , in 2003 , according to the indictment . Both indictments state that Jeffs , leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -LRB- FLDS -RRB- , committed the offenses `` as an accomplice . '' According to Arizona law , sexual conduct with a minor is a Class 6 felony punishable upon conviction by up to a year in prison . Incest is a class 4 felony punishable upon conviction by up to 2 1/2 years in prison . `` The cases involve two separate victims , '' Smith said in the statement . `` Mr. Jeffs will not come to Mohave County to face these charges or to have an initial appearance on them until his Utah case is resolved . '' Jeffs , 51 , is awaiting trial in Washington County , Utah , on a charge of being an accomplice to rape by arranging the marriage of a 14-year-old girl to her 19-year-old cousin . The trial initially was set to begin in April , but Fifth District Judge James Shumate postponed it earlier this year , and a new date has not been set . At the time , Shumate said the delay was due to `` recent information in the case , '' but he did not elaborate . The judge in March refused a defense request to move the trial out of Washington County because of press coverage , but he said he may reconsider if attorneys encounter difficulty during jury selection . Utah prosecutors say that because Jeffs forced the underage girl to marry , and therefore forced her to have sex with the adult man , and because Jeffs insisted she stay married , he is an accomplice to rape . During his preliminary hearing in December , Jeffs ' defense attorneys said that he never knew whether the marriage he arranged was consummated and , if it was , whether the sex was consensual . The girl , identified only as Jane Doe , testified at the preliminary hearing that she was `` so scared '' during the forced wedding . `` The whole time I was crying , '' she said . `` I wanted to die . '' The rape as an accomplice charge is a first-degree felony in Utah , carrying a penalty upon conviction of five years to life in prison . Jeffs previously was charged in Arizona with two counts of sexual conduct with a minor for allegedly presiding over arranged marriages , along with an additional charge of conspiracy . Those charges , from 2005 , were put on hold while Jeffs faces trial in Utah . Jeffs was captured August 28 , 2006 , in a traffic stop near Las Vegas , Nevada . At the time , he had been on the FBI 's 10 Most Wanted List for months . The FLDS freely practices polygamy in the towns of Hildale , Utah , and Colorado City , Arizona , which straddle the state line . The sect maintains groups of followers in Texas , South Dakota , Nevada , British Columbia and Mexico . The offshoot sect broke from the mainline Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , based in Salt Lake City , Utah , over the practice of polygamy . The Mormon church , which gave up plural marriage more than a century ago , has no ties to Jeffs ' group . E-mail to a friend .
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In May , polygamist leader indicted on charges in 2002 case . On Thursday , he 's indicted on additional counts in 2003 case . Both indictments state that Jeffs committed offenses `` as an accomplice '' Jeffs is leader of Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Federal Reserve Board announced an $ 85 billion plan Tuesday to bail out troubled insurance giant American International Group Inc. . Suze Orman says it 's a good thing the federal government bailed out troubled national insurer AIG . The federal government decided to intervene after determining a failure of the company , whose financial dealings stretch around the world , could hurt the already delicate markets and the economy . Personal finance expert Suze Orman appeared on `` Larry King Live '' on Tuesday to discuss what the AIG bailout means to you and how safe is your money during this economic downturn . The following is an edited version of the interview : . Larry King : A few months ago , you said on this very show that you would be worried if there was another big government bailout . It 's now happening . Should the government be helping AIG ? Suze Orman : Well , in this particular case , I have to tell you they should . Bear Stearns , very different . Lehman , very different . AIG is an international giant that just does n't have ramifications here in the United States . It is worldwide . They 're like in 130 countries . They have 100,000 employees . Everybody has an AIG insurance policy . So in this particular case , my opinion , thank God , they bailed out AIG . Watch Orman discuss what AIG 's bailout means for consumers '' King : What about Barclays and Lehman ? Orman : They 're selling Neuberger Berman to Barclays , that 's fine . That will all work itself out . The major danger that we had here , which is why you saw the stock markets go up today , is that rumors were circulating that AIG was going to be saved . The big downfall would have been if AIG , in my opinion , had gone under . King : Sen. McCain is saying this involves fraud -- or let me use another word similar to fraud -- on Wall Street . Do you agree ? Orman : It starts way back when there was nobody overseeing and regulating . Nothing . It 's how many times have I said on this program , what were they all thinking ? Why were they lending money to people who should n't have been borrowing money ? Why were they packaging these things ? What about the rating agencies ? Why were n't the rating agencies rating everything the way they should have been and now they 're making matters worse ? So whether it 's fraud or not , was there deceit going on ? I do n't know if it was deceit as much as just total irresponsibility is what caused this . Watch Larry 's cure for US economic problems '' King : Is this a good time to get into the market ? Orman : No . It 's not a good time to get in with brand-new money . I would let these markets kind of wash themselves out . On the other hand , if you 're investing in a 401k every month with small amounts of money , that 's OK as long as you do n't need the money for 10 , 15 , 20 years . If you just got an inheritance and you have $ 50,000 , should you be putting it in the stock market now ? Are you kidding ? These are the markets that you just sit on the sidelines and wait on the sidelines and stay away from them until everything works out . iReport.com : Are you worried about the Wall Street crisis ? King : Oil settled down today to $ 91.15 a barrel . What does that mean ? Are gas prices going to go down ? Orman : Yes . Gas prices probably will go down , I hope , to essentially $ 3 a gallon . What you 're essentially seeing here is like a tax rebate for everybody . That 's a lot of people that will help them a lot . Lehman , AIG -- I get that 's all bad news , but the good news is for the main people that have to get by every single day . Your gas bills , in terms of what you put in your cars , are n't going to be as high . Your heating bills are n't going to be as high . To go from $ 150 a barrel down to $ 91 , that 's significant . King : The Federal Reserve decided to leave short-term interest rates unchanged today at 2 percent . Good or bad ? Orman : I personally think it was bad . Listen , the banks in the United States of America are in trouble . Anything we can do , in my opinion , to help the banking system so they can make a little bit more money , I think , would have been a good idea . If we had lowered interest rates , the Fed funds rate , the banks would have been making more money on the money that they lent out , which would be helping everybody in the long run . So I think they should have lowered , but they left the same . King : Could other major financial institutions go under ? Orman : Absolutely , they can . You would think that they could n't , but when you see dinosaurs -- Merrill Lynch , Lehman Brothers , AIG -- going down the drain , anything can happen . Nothing is beyond the imagination at this point in time .
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Suze Orman : It 's good that federal government stepped in to save AIG . Nation 's economic woes stem from total irresponsibility , Orman says . Orman says it 's not a good time to enter stock market . Orman warns other financial institutions could go under .
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Mojave , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson on Monday unveiled the winged rocket his company developed to give paying customers a brief taste of space . The 300 people who have given Branson 's Virgin Galactic $ 20,000 deposits toward the $ 200,000 space-ride tickets were invited see SpaceShipTwo in its Mojave , California , hangar . CNN was given an early peek . The first flight in 2011 -- after 18 months of testing -- will launch from a spaceport under construction in New Mexico , Branson said . Another aircraft will carry the 60-foot-long SpaceShipTwo to 60,000 feet above the Earth , where `` they will drop away and they will then go to 2,000 miles per hour in 10 seconds , where they get propelled into space , '' Branson said . Its hybrid rocket motor -- still under development -- will reach a suborbital altitude high enough to reach the edges of space and weightlessness , according to Branson . `` Once in space , -LSB- passengers -RSB- will unbuckle their seats , '' he said . `` There are enormous windows , which no spacecraft has had before , for them to look back at the Earth . They can float around and become astronauts . '' The cabin , which seats six paying passengers , is 90 inches -- nearly 8 feet -- in diameter , which provides `` lots of room for zero-G fun , '' Branson 's Web site said . The first voyage will carry Branson , his wife , mother and children , the entrepreneur said . `` Actually , that 's my mum on the side -- a younger version of my mum on the side of the spaceship , '' he said . After just a few minutes of space tourism , SpaceShipTwo will glide back to Earth , landing where it began the trip in New Mexico , he said . About 80,000 people have placed their names on the waiting list for seats on SpaceShipTwo and its successors . `` What we want to be able to do is bring space travel down to a price range where hundreds of thousands of people would be able to experience space , and they never dreamed that -LSB- they -RSB- could , '' Branson said . He said he hopes the technology will lead to a new form of Earth travel , jetting people across oceans and continents faster through suborbital routes . `` We would love at some stage , obviously subject to government approval , to take the engineers and start looking at shrinking the world , '' Branson said . The spacecraft was based on the technology and carbon-composite construction developed for SpaceShipOne , which won the Ansari X Prize in 2004 for the first privately funded human flight to the edge of space . The reusable spacecraft is a joint effort by aviation designer Burt Rutan 's Scaled Composites and Virgin Galactic , a space tourism venture that is a subsidiary of Branson 's Virgin Group .
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Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson unveils spacecraft . Media and prospective space-ride tourists get a peek at SpaceShipTwo . Virgin Galactic has deposits from 300 people toward $ 200,000 tickets . Branson says the first flight into space will launch in 2011 in New Mexico .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Chicago police officer was shot and killed Wednesday afternoon during a struggle with a suspect in a police facility parking lot , police said . Officer Thor Soderberg was walking to his vehicle in the parking lot at 61st and Racine on the city 's South Side , after completing a shift with the department 's Operation Protect Youth program , when he encountered the offender , said James Jackson , assistant superintendent of police operations . `` The 24-year-old suspect disarmed the officer and then shot him , '' Jackson said at a news conference Wednesday night . The department believes the suspect then was involved in an armed robbery a short distance away from the shooting , where he fired additional shots , said Jackson . `` Several officers quickly responded and there was an exchange of gunfire with the offender . The suspect was shot . His injuries are non-life threatening , '' said Jackson . The suspect was in stable condition at Advocate Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn , according to a police spokesman . Soderberg was 43 years old and an 11-year veteran of the department , said Jackson . He was most recently assigned to the department 's education and training division .
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NEW : Chicago police identify officer killed in struggle . Shooting occurred in police facility parking lot . Suspect shot in gun battle with responding officers . Suspect hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries .
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Oakland , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police arrested dozens of people in downtown Oakland , California , Thursday night after hundreds protested the verdict in the trial of a white former police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black man , Oakland police officials told CNN . Police issued a variety of charges , including failure to disperse , resisting arrest , burglary , vandalism and assaulting a police officer . Police initially reported 83 people had been arrested , but later reduced the number to 78 . The former officer , Johannes Mehserle , was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter Thursday , a conviction that usually carries a maximum four-year sentence . But some in Oakland hoped for conviction on a charge that would carry a tougher penalty for the former police officer , and took to the streets in protest . Crowds broke the glass of a Foot Locker and other stores . Others threw sneakers out of the store as police wearing gas masks stormed the area . At the high point of the protests , about 8 p.m. , there were an estimated 800 people in the streets , Oakland Police Chief Anthony Batts said . By 10:30 p.m. , there were about 75 left , he said . The protests were contained to the downtown area , police said . Police said they were still collecting information on the total number of businesses that were vandalized . Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums downplayed the demonstrations . `` People were preparing for everything to explode , but I am extremely happy that so far it has not , and I hope that it does n't , '' Dellums said . `` We 're not going to tear our own community apart , because we 've got issues that we 've got to deal with . '' Oakland police had prepared for protests and ways of quelling the demonstrations days before the verdict . Mehserle could have been found not guilty , guilty of second-degree murder , guilty of voluntary manslaughter or , as the jury decided , guilty of involuntary manslaughter . Mehserle , a Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer at the time of the incident , was accused of shooting 22-year-old Oscar Grant on an Oakland train platform on January 1 , 2009 . The trial was moved from Alameda County to Los Angeles because of pretrial publicity . Mehserle , wearing a gray suit , blue shirt and red tie , showed no emotion during the reading of the verdict . The former officer did not say anything to Superior Court Judge Robert Perry or attorneys . About a dozen Los Angeles County deputies escorted the handcuffed defendant out of the courtroom after the verdict was announced . Outside the courtroom , Grant family members expressed outrage at the verdict . `` My son was murdered . He was murdered . He was murdered . My son was murdered , '' said Grant 's mother , Wanda Johnson . `` The system has let us down , but God will never ever let us down . '' Johnson and other speakers said African-Americans have been the victims of police abuse and a biased judicial system . She said Mehserle was n't found accountable . `` We could n't get even six hours of deliberations , '' said Johnson , who accused jurors of being unfair . Sentencing is set for August 6 . Involuntary manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of up to four years in prison under California law . But the judge could add an `` enhancement '' that could provide a longer sentence because a firearm was used . Members of the jury , which included no African-Americans , said they were unanimous in their decision . Their finding indicates that Mehserle was criminally negligent . The shooting was captured on a bystander 's cell-phone video camera . The video was widely circulated on the Internet and on news broadcasts , and it spurred several protests in and around Oakland . The video showed Mehserle pulling his gun and fatally shooting Grant in the back as another officer knelt on the unarmed man . Mehserle and other Bay Area Rapid Transit police had been called to Oakland 's Fruitvale station after passengers complained about fights on a train . Officers pulled several men , including Grant , off the train when it arrived at Fruitvale . Mehserle said at the trial that he intended to draw and fire his Taser rather than his gun . He resigned his position a few days after the incident and was later arrested in Nevada . CNN 's Sara Weisfelt contributed to this report .
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NEW : 78 protesters arrested in Oakland after verdict . Charges include burglary , vandalism , assault , police say . A former officer was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for the shooting . He says he had meant to draw and fire his Taser instead of his gun .
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New Orleans , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- BP said Sunday that it is `` pleased '' with how the operation to place a new cap on its ruptured undersea well is proceeding . Officials hope the containment cap will stop oil from gushing into the Gulf . But while robots replace the old cap , crude is flowing freely . The procedure -- expected to take four to seven days -- continued to progress Sunday as crews worked to position a transition spool over the gushing well to prepare for the new connection , according to BP 's Senior Vice President Kent Wells . `` We 're pleased with how it 's going , '' Wells said , but cautioned that the operation , which began Saturday with the removal of the old cap , is only in its second day . Robots removed six giant bolts from the apparatus early Sunday so that the new cap could be positioned . If successful , the effects of the containment cap operation could halt the oil gusher that started April 20 after a deadly explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico . But officials have said the new containment cap would be a temporary fix , and the permanent solution would still be completion of a relief well . There are two relief wells under construction . Wells said Sunday that one of the relief wells could intercept the ruptured well as early as the end of July . `` We 're feeling very good about how we 've positioned that well , '' he said . The other relief well is expected to be completed in August . The old cap had been diverting about 15,000 barrels a day -LRB- 630,000 gallons -RRB- to a ship . BP still is recovering an additional 8,000 to 9,000 barrels a day -LRB- 336,000 to 378,000 gallons -RRB- through a line connected to another vessel , the Q4000 . `` As we start to ramp up the additional containment capacity , we should see less and less flow , '' Wells said . The Helix Producer recovery vessel is expected to begin collecting oil Sunday evening , Wells said , and officials hope to reach its full collection capacity of 20,000 to 25,000 barrels -LRB- 840,000 to 1.5 million gallons -RRB- per day within three days . Over the next two to three weeks , 60,000 to 80,000 barrels -LRB- 2.52 million to 3.36 million gallons -RRB- a day should be collected as part of the containment process , Wells said . Scientists estimate that 35,000 to 60,000 barrels of oil are spewing daily from BP 's breached well . BP says there will be a period of decreased oil and gas capture from the wellhead during the cap replacement . It said another recovery vessel , the Q4000 , `` should continue to capture and flare oil and gas . '' There will be other recovery vessels and skimmers deployed . Two more oil skimmers were added to the Gulf Sunday bringing the total to 48 collecting an oil and water mix from the surface , BP officials said . And another 15 burns were conducted in calm seas . `` It was a good day in trying to contain the oil that made it out to the surface , '' Wells said . Wells also said there will be `` significant measurement capability '' added to the new cap so officials can get a good idea of the flow rate . BP said in a statement that the new cap `` should improve containment efficiency during hurricane season by allowing shorter disconnect and reconnect times . '' Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said Friday that the new cap would allow responders to collect more accurate oil flow data and that , once the switch is complete , the resulting capacity to contain oil `` will be far greater than the capabilities we have achieved using current systems . ''
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NEW : Crews position transition spool to prepare for new connection . NEW : New recovery vessel expected to begin siphoning oil Sunday evening . BP : Cap replacement is proceeding as planned . Old containment cap removed from Gulf well . Switch will take another 3 to 6 days , during which oil will flow unimpeded .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After eluding authorities for years from Washington state to Indiana , a notorious teenage fugitive called the `` barefoot bandit '' was arrested Sunday following a high-speed boat chase in the Bahamas , police said . Police said 19-year-old Colton Harris-Moore was taken into custody without incident following the chase in the waters off Harbour Island . Authorities responded to a reported sighting of Harris-Moore just after 2 a.m ET Sunday , said police commissioner Ellison Greenslade . However , an account of the arrest offered by a spokeswoman for Romora Bay Resort and Marina described a dramatic capture befitting a James Bond film . The marina 's security director , Kenneth Strachan , saw a barefoot young man about 2 a.m. Sunday carrying a gun with a knapsack over his shoulder running up the dock . `` They 're going to kill me , '' the man told Strachan , according to a statement issued by the resort . The man had arrived on Harbour Island from the nearby island of Eleuthera in a 15-foot skiff , said resort manager Anne Ward in the statement . Strachan put out a call for help , telling Ward to come as soon as possible . Upon her arrival , Ward told guards to disable the skiff 's engine as the man ran through the resort property , attempting to steal a boat from a nearby house as a crowd gathered at the marina , the statement said . However , Ward said he ran aground in the second boat , as he did n't realize how shallow the water was . Police and marina authorities surrounded his boat , and police shot out its engines , she said in the statement . `` At one point , the boy threw his computer in the water and put a gun to his head . He was going to kill himself . Police talked him out of it . '' Authorities loaded the suspect into the resort 's work truck and took him to the Harbour Island police station , she said . Harris-Moore was being transported to Nassau , Bahamas , on Sunday , authorities said . Greenslade said police seized a gun and other items from him . The fact that Strachan could call for help was significant , the resort said , noting phone service on Harbour Island has been erratic since an underwater cable was cut recently . The FBI held off on confirming that the suspect was indeed `` barefoot bandit '' Harris-Moore , with the agency saying it wanted to positively identify him through fingerprints . But Sunday night , the FBI announced its conclusion . `` We 've confirmed that 's it him -- the ` barefoot bandit , ' Colton Harris Moore , '' said Steve Dean , assistant special agent in charge for the FBI 's Seattle , Washington , office . Greenslade said earlier Sunday that the suspect was positively identified as Harris-Moore by local authorities , and that he was seen by a doctor following his arrest and `` appeared to be in very good health . '' `` The first thing I thought was that it 's my bad luck , because there 's another one right next door he could have taken , '' said William Sport of Florida , who owns the second boat . He said he had just arrived on Harbour Island for his annual monthlong stay there , but that his 32-foot boat had enough fuel on board to make it back to Florida . Sport told CNN he had left the keys in the boat , although it had a cover on . The suspect took the cover off , found the keys and started the boat , he said . Sport said he believes he saw the suspect about midnight . He said he had just finished a dinner party on the boat and was walking down the dock when a young man ran past him . At the time , he thought nothing of it , he said . He found out later that the suspect had come back and swam to the boat from shore . Bahamian police have told him they will take care of repairs to his boat after shooting the engines out , he said . Harris-Moore is suspected of flying a stolen plane to the Bahamas . He has been on the run since 2008 , when he escaped from a juvenile halfway house in Renton , Washington , after pleading guilty to three counts of burglary and being sentenced to three years . He was called the `` barefoot bandit '' because he was without shoes when he allegedly broke into houses . He has been linked to a series of home break-ins in Oregon and Washington , but authorities believed he moved eastward recently . He was suspected of breaking into airports in South Dakota and Nebraska , and also suspected in the thefts of several cars . Authorities in Madison County , Nebraska , issued an arrest warrant for him last month on charges of burglary and theft by unlawful taking or deception . The affidavit supporting the warrant details a crime spree fitting the alleged pattern of the elusive teen , who has amassed thousands of followers on Facebook . On Tuesday , a federal judge in Washington unsealed an indictment for airplane theft against Harris-Moore in the theft of an aircraft last year in Idaho , which was flown to Washington state and found crashed . DNA evidence and fingerprints linked Harris-Moore to the plane theft , the indictment states . Harris-Moore was linked to the theft of a single-engine plane last week at Monroe County Airport in Bloomington , Indiana . Bruce Payton , the airport director , said a 2009 Cessna 400 Corvalis was reported missing from a locked hangar . He said the owner of the plane was told by the U.S. Coast Guard that an emergency locator transmitter for the Cessna was sending out a beacon from the Bahamas . The plane was found just off Abaco Island in the Bahamas , police said , and evidence from the aircraft was taken by investigators . Authorities were also looking into several reported thefts and break-ins reported in the area since the crash-landing . The FBI had offered a $ 10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest . An FBI statement indicated that agents believe Harris-Moore was involved in the Indiana theft , with the statement saying , `` Should you see Harris-Moore in The Bahamas , please contact the nearest Royal Bahamas Police Force Station . '' Greenslade said Harris-Moore is expected to appear in court later this week . Dean said he was n't surprised at reports of Harris-Moore 's arrest . `` I 'm glad this is over , '' he said . `` There was a big effort to find him , and on a small island , there were a lot of burglaries ... eventually , he was bound to be caught , '' Dean said . In Yankton , South Dakota , on June 17 , residents returned to find an intruder inside the house , said Assistant Police Chief Jerry Hisek . `` He 'd eaten some of their food , took a shower , cut his hair , '' Hisek said of the intruder . `` He started to run and the guy chased him into the basement of the house . '' The intruder `` laser-dotted the guy and said , ' I have a gun . Get out of here , or I 'm going to kill you . ' '' Hisek said the owner did not know if the individual had a laser pen or a gun . Harris-Moore was suspected in the incident , and `` we 're classifying him as armed , '' Hisek said . In December , Time magazine dubbed Harris-Moore `` America 's Most Wanted Teenage Bandit , '' and a Facebook site for him showed nearly 58,000 `` fans '' as of Sunday . Harris Moore 's mother , Pamela Kohler , has told CNN affiliate KIRO that she wanted her son to turn himself in , but said she was `` proud '' her son had actually taught himself to fly . 20th Century Fox has purchased the rights for a film based on the exploits of the young fugitive . `` I think it 's sad , very sad , '' Dean said Sunday of support for Harris-Moore . `` People have been making him an idol and a hero when he 's hurt so many hard-working people , broken into homes , stolen property , ripped off businesses . It 's pretty pitiful . '' CNN 's Joyce Joseph , Padma Rama , Susan Candiotti , Ross Levitt , Gabriel Falcon and Patrick Oppmann contributed to this report .
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NEW : FBI confirms suspect is `` barefoot bandit '' Colton Harris-Moore in custody in Bahamas , police say . Resort describes dramatic arrest of teen suspect . Police say the arrest followed a high-speed boat chase .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A month of intense competition reaches its climax Sunday when either the Netherlands or Spain will make history by claiming its first ever World Cup title . Hours before kickoff at Johannesburg 's Soccer City Stadium the drone of vuvuzelas could be heard thousands of miles away at Amsterdam 's Museumsplein , where some 200,000 fans are expected to watch the match . Supporters milled in the streets wearing the national color orange as construction workers fitted the final nuts and bolts to television screens erected around a vast lawn . Towering above them was a poster of Queen Beatrix 's grand-daughter blowing a vuvuzela . Anticipation was also thick in the air in Spain , where hundreds of fans , decked out in red and yellow , arrived early in Madrid 's main boulevard to reserve a spot to watch the action on four huge television screens . Rather than vuvuzelas , fans brandished small trumpets known as `` pitos '' or whistles . The pitos joined the cacophony of singing , chanting and tooting of car horns as children milled about with painted faces . Writing in Spain 's largest circulation daily El Pais , Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero called Sunday `` the most glorious day in the history of Spanish football . '' It is the first time the two nations have clashed at a World Cup finals . Spain is appearing in its first World Cup final . The Netherlands has been there twice before , but has lost both times -- 2-1 to West Germany in 1974 and four years later they lost 3-1 to Argentina . On Sunday , at 6.30 p.m. GMT -LRB- 2.30 p.m. ET -RRB- , several hundred million viewers are expected to tune into watch the final game in the month-long competition . Football 's world governing body , FIFA , says this final could set viewing records , not only for the World Cup , but in television history . `` We do n't want to speculate in numbers but we 're hoping this will be the biggest -LSB- event -RSB- ever , '' Niclas Ericson , FIFA 's director of television , said in a press conference from Soccer City Stadium , the final 's venue . Around 715 million viewers worldwide watched the Azurri beat France to the title in 2006 . The largest television event to date is thought to be the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games . In 2008 , a global audience of one billion is thought to have watched at least part of the spectacle . Advertisers are n't the only businesses benefiting from the World Cup excitement . Spain 's progression to the final has lifted consumer spirits in the middle of a severe economic crisis where unemployment is running close to 20 percent . Spanish flag sales were up six-fold thanks to the tournament , according to a leading flag maker in Colmenar Viejo , near Madrid . Pablo Verguilla , a store manager in Madrid , told CNN the World Cup had definitely boosted sales of his shirts and Spanish souvenirs . And local media reported about one million official La Roja team jerseys had sold at about 70 euros each , along with an unknown number of cheaper imitation merchandise . Spain 's goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas was quoted as saying that knowing that people are going through hard times has motivated the team . Fans who spent money to fly to South Africa for the final started converging on Soccer City Stadium hours before the kick off to soak up the atmosphere and the sunny weather at the Soweto-based arena . Dutch fans outnumbered the Spanish by ten-to-one at the southern end of the stadium , with Holland fans living up to their reputation as the `` Orange Army , '' with most in attendance dressed head to toe in the national hue . CNN 's Al Goodman , Don Riddell , Diana Magnay , Jonathan Wald , Per Nyberg and Ben Wyatt contributed to this report .
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Excitement mounts in the Netherlands , Spain as fans await World Cup final . 200,000 expected to watch match in Amsterdam 's Museumsplein . Thousands also expected to crowd around four big screens in Madrid . Kickoff is at 6.30 p.m. GMT -LRB- 2.30 p.m. ET -RRB- in Soccer City Stadium .
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Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The tale contains elements of a spy thriller : a soldier in Iran 's feared Revolutionary Guard turns spy for the CIA after concluding that the government that had promised democracy had instead ushered in oppression , violence and death . But Reza Kahlili says this is no novel . In his new book , `` A Time to Betray : The Astonishing Double Life of a CIA Agent Inside the Revolutionary Guards of Iran , '' Kahlili offers a first-hand account of how he turned against the Islamic regime that he said has oppressed its people for three decades . In one of his first public appearances , Kahlili addressed a packed hall Friday at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy . Flanked by a bodyguard and disguised in a hat , mask and glasses , he spoke through a modulator that led Washington Post columnist David Ignatius to liken his voice to Darth Vader 's . Even his name is a pseudonym , all in an effort to protect his family , friends and contacts , he said . The author said that , after a peaceful childhood in Iran , he came to the United States in the 1970s for college , studying computer science at the University of Southern California , where he enjoyed a carefree life of parties , watching football and listening to Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull . He returned home after the sudden death of his father to find a country embroiled in change . Kahlili describes the immediate aftermath of the 1979 revolution against Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi as a special time in Iran . Iranians had been led to believe democracy was theirs , the clergy would n't interfere in their lives and the people would have freedom of speech , assembly and political affiliation , he said . Everyone was excited about the direction of the country , he said . It was then that Khalili 's friend told him about an opportunity with the newly formed , elite Revolutionary Guard , which hired him immediately . Reza said he quickly became disillusioned when he saw people being tortured and murdered and women raped in Tehran 's notorious Evin Prison . Repressing his countrymen , he said , was not what he had signed up for . But rather than quit the Guard and endanger his family , he contacted the CIA and began work as an American agent under the code name `` Wally , '' he said . There was no magic watch or pen or fancy car like James Bond , he said , just a pencil and a notebook . He was trained in communications and deciphering codes . Kahlili said his role `` was to look and act the part of a devout Muslim enforcing all the new rules laid down by the mullahs . '' `` A full black beard was a mandatory accessory to the Guard 's uniform , and I sported one along with every other member of the Guards . The image of a scowling , black-bearded Guard in uniform mustered fear and garnered respect . Playing the part of a zealot did not come naturally to me , and there were times I had to do things I dreaded : cautioning young girls to cover up , barking at kids for not displaying proper Islamic behavior , taking on the persona of a fanatic . I knew I would have to try to convince myself that doing these things allowed me to maintain my role -- and maintaining my role allowed me to contribute to the downfall of the organization to which I so fervently imitated allegiance . '' He said he provided critical information to his CIA handlers about Iran 's role in the Iran-Iraq war , the Iran-contra affair , the bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut and the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 , which he said was masterminded by Tehran . Kahlili described a CIA that knew little about what was going on inside Iran and was complacent about finding out the truth about the regime . He said he warned his case officers in the mid-1980s about the growing danger of the Guard , but said U.S. officials sat idly by , alternating indifference and negotiation with the regime he was working to take down . This `` misconception '' of Iran , he said , has plagued America 's decisionmaking for three decades . After a few scares in which he thought his cover was blown , Kahlili left Iran , was granted asylum in the United States and moved to California . He said he no longer works for the CIA , but still provides the agency with information from his contacts in Iran about the regime , its nuclear program , its terrorist activities in the region and its continued oppression of the Iranian people . He said that , after the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks and the 2005 election of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadenijad , he decided to speak out publicly to raise awareness of the brutality of the regime . He predicted that Iran will eventually attack Israel , Europe and the Gulf and advocated a preemptive military strike against the regime but not against the Iranian people or infrastructure . Kahlili accused the Obama administration of naivete and betrayal for seeking to engage Iran . Not only does the regime see this as weakness on the part of the United States , he said , but the Iranian people view it as a betrayal of the highest order as they fight for freedom . `` Stop dreaming , please , '' he said Friday . `` You are not dealing with rational people . Every time you extend a hand , it is not seen as sincerity , but stupidity . '' The CIA 's public affairs office in Washington was not open Friday night and its telephone number would not accept messages ; its e-mail account rejected two attempts to send it a message .
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Former member of the Revolutionary Guard describes life as a CIA spy . Newly published book describes disillusionment after 1979 revolution . Code name `` Wally ''
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LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Garbage dumps are generally not associated with thriving coral reefs , vast mangrove plantations and rare bird species . Yet on Pulau Semakau off Singapore , this is exactly what you will find : just beside a secluded ecological zone that harbors dozens of rare plant , bird and fish species lies the world 's first ecological offshore landfill . Located 8 kilometers south of Singapore and covering an area of 3.5 square kilometers , the Semakau Landfill was designed by engineers and environmentalists at Singapore 's National Environment Agency -LRB- NEA -RRB- . It consists of two small islands that have been connected by a rock embankment . The area inside the landfill is divided into 11 bays , known as ` cells ' , which are lined with thick plastic and clay to prevent any harmful material from seeping into the sea . Since the landfill was put into use in 1999 , four of the 11 cells have been filled , covered with earth and planted with grass . The landfill , which cost around $ 400 million , can hold up to 63 million cubic meters of rubbish , enough to satisfy Singapore 's waste disposal needs until 2040 . Clean and odor-free . What distinguishes Semakau from other landfills is that it is clean and free of smell . Two thirds of the material that comes to Semakau has passed through one of the city 's four incinerators , reducing it to approximately ten percent of its original volume . Waste from construction material is also processed , while toxic waste like asbestos is packaged in such a way that it can not leak into the surrounding environment . Two mangrove groves that were destroyed when the embankment was built have been replanted near the landfill and today they serve as biological indicators for the local environment . If they were to start dying , it would be seen as a sign that harmful material had leaked from the landfill . Scientists expected that some of the mangroves would not survive the relocation , but today they cover 1.4 square kilometers around the island and even have to be cut back in places -- a sign that the landfill is indeed leak-proof . Flourishing wildlife . Together with the island 's other ecosystems such as seagrass meadows , coral reefs and sandy shores , the mangroves serve as a habitat for a variety of birds , fish and plants . The decision to build a landfill off Semakau was taken in the 1990 's when the previous landfill on the main island had nearly reached capacity . `` As land is scarce in Singapore , it was decided from the outset that the new sanitary landfill in the smaller islands would be designed as an environmentally friendly facility which would be used to meet Singapore 's land use needs when it was eventually filled up and closed , '' the NEA explained in an official statement . Every effort was made to minimize the impact on the local environment so that the area beside the landfill , which always had a rich flora and fauna , has remained intact . `` Great effort went into making sure that the impact of the landfill on Pulau Semakau 's biodiversity was minimized . In fact , biodiversity remains high and we have not lost a single species because of the landfill , '' says Wang Luan Keng , an education and research officer at the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research -LRB- RMBR -RRB- in Singapore . New species . She adds that as the island 's various ecosystems continue to flourish , scientists are still discovering new species on Semakau . In July 2005 , the government decided to open the western part of Semakau up to the public for recreational purposes . Today there are guided nature walks along the island 's coast , while sports fishing and bird watching associations also organize special excursions to the island . `` When we do the tours around the island , we have a powerful message , '' says Ria Tan , an associate at the RMBR and owner of a popular Web site , wildsingapore.com . `` We tell people : ` Look how beautiful this is , and imagine what could be destroyed if the landfill had to be expanded . ' This makes them think and when they go home they are more careful about how they deal with waste . '' Rich biodiversity . Thus , the Semakau Landfill project has inadvertently turned into more than just a trash dump ; it is becoming an educational project and could serve as a model for sustainable urban development around the world . `` The rich biodiversity around the sanitary landfill shows that development and environmental protection can co-exist and need not be mutually exclusive , '' says the NEA . `` It is of course a compromise , but in the context of urban living I think it is a good one . Some nature lovers criticize the project , but in the end we have to throw our rubbish somewhere and this is a good solution , '' says Tan . Wang agrees . `` I see Semakau Landfill as a great way of striking a balance between the need of urban development and nature conservation . '' ... . Are ecological landfill islands a viable solution for our waste ? Would you live on a landscaped landfill ? Share your stories and read what others have to say in the forum .
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Singapore has built the world 's first ecological landfill island . Birds , fish and plants have flocked to the island 's mangroves . The island hosts nature walks , fishing and bird-watching excursions . The landfill will eventually be used to meet Singapore 's land use needs .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Aruban authorities are urging Natalee Holloway 's father , Dave Holloway , to delay volunteer search efforts in her disappearance until police get better information on the case from Peruvian investigators who have spoken to Joran van der Sloot , prosecutor Peter Blanken said . Police do not want their investigation jeopardized or possible evidence contaminated in the Bubali Bird Sanctuary , a swamp area where Joran once said he dumped Holloway 's body , Blanken said . Aruban authorities wish to search a more focused area once they receive more information from van der Sloot and his laptop , which may include files linking him to the Holloway disappearance . Earlier , Blanken said investigators from Aruba would not be able to question van der Sloot until Peruvian authorities finish their probe of the May 30 slaying of Stephany Flores . The formalities of Peruvian law also will determine the time frame , the prosecutor said . Aruban and Peruvian authorities agreed to `` help each other '' in the Flores case . Van der Sloot , a 22-year-old Dutch citizen , was arrested twice in Aruba in connection with Holloway 's disappearance but released for lack of evidence . Aruba is part of the Netherlands . He said he was in Peru for a poker tournament and met Flores while gambling . Police have said they think van der Sloot killed Flores to steal money she won . Van der Sloot told authorities he attacked Flores on May 30 after she read an e-mail on his computer connected with the Holloway case .
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Natalee Holloway 's father wants to search swamp area for daughter 's remains . Authorities want to wait until Peruvian authorities give more information . Aruban investigators will not question van der Sloot until after Peruvians .
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Jerusalem -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An aid ship trying to break Israel 's blockade of Gaza still plans to aim for the Palestinian territory , its organizer told CNN on Sunday , despite Israel 's foreign ministry saying it would likely dock elsewhere . But the activists on the boat will not resist if they are confronted by the Israeli military , said Youssef Sawani , the executive director of the Gadhafi Foundation , which is sending the boat . Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak called the ship `` an unnecessary provocation . '' The ship , launched by a charity headed by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi 's son , set sail from Greece on Saturday carrying 2,000 tons of aid . It should take 70 to 80 hours -- about three to three-and-a-half days -- to reach Gaza , Sawani said . The Gadhafi Foundation refers to the ship as the Hope , although it appears to be registered formally as the MV Amalthea . It is Moldovan flagged and run by ACA Shipping , based in Greece . `` This is purely a humanitarian effort , '' he said , adding `` The Israelis should seize this opportunity and allow the goods into Gaza . '' Aside from the ship 's crew , Sawani says nine others are on board : Six Libyans , one Moroccan and one person from Niger , all of whom work with the Gadhafi Foundation , plus a journalist from Al Jazeera , Sawani added . Israel insists on controlling the entry of all goods into Gaza , which is run by the militant movement Hamas , because it says it must keep weapons out of the hands of people determined to attack it . Barak said Israel would not allow the aid ship to dock in Gaza , but said it could unload goods elsewhere and Israel would allow them to enter the Palestinian territory by land after Israel inspects them . `` Goods can be transferred into Gaza through the port of Ashdod after they are inspected , but we will not allow the transfer of weapons or ammunition into Gaza , '' he said . `` We recommend to the organizers of the flotilla to allow navy vessels to escort it to the port of Ashdod or sail directly to el-Arish '' in Egypt . Israeli commandos boarded a Turkish aid ship in May , resulting in violence between the troops and the activists on the ship that left nine Turks dead . The raid prompted international condemnation and threatened Israeli-Turkish relations . CNN 's Frederik Pleitgen and Guy Azriel and journalist Elinda Labropoulou contributed to this report .
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NEW : Ship should take about three days to reach Gaza . Israel says it will not let ship reach Gaza , calling it `` a provocation '' Activists on boat will not resist if boarded , organizer says . Israeli defense minister : We will allow goods into Gaza if ship docks elsewhere .
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LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A hearing is set for Monday in a case involving actress Lindsay Lohan after an arrest warrant was issued for her Friday , officials said . A warrant issued for Lindsay Lohan apparently stems from her 2007 drunken driving convictions , police said . Lohan 's attorney told CNN the warrant was issued `` out of a misunderstanding . '' It was not known whether she would attend the hearing Monday . The warrant was issued by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge in Beverly Hills , California . It apparently stems from Lohan 's 2007 convictions for drunken driving , police said Friday . She is serving three years probation . Sandi Gibbons of the Los Angeles County District Attorney 's office told CNN on Sunday the warrant is believed to be in connection with a possible probation violation . The district attorney 's office prosecuted the original 2007 case , she said . The hearing is set to begin sometime after 8:30 a.m. , she said . Lohan `` has the right to appear '' at the hearing , said Alan Parachini , Los Angeles Superior Court spokesman . `` That decision is up to her . '' Lohan 's attorney , Shawn Chapman Holley , told CNN on Sunday that she will appear at the hearing on Lohan 's behalf . `` Since her case was resolved , Ms. Lohan has been in compliance with all the terms and conditions of her probation and all orders of the court , '' Holley said in a statement . `` The warrant issued on Friday was , in our view , born out of a misunderstanding which I am confident I can clear up next week , '' Holley said . Police said Saturday they were not actively seeking Lohan , as they would not usually go after a person to take them into custody in such cases . Beverly Hills police Sgt. Mike Foxen said on Friday authorities were hoping Lohan would turn herself in . Lohan was arrested twice in 2007 on driving under the influence charges , with a cocaine possession charge in the second incident . The first arrest , in May 2007 , came after Lohan lost control of her Mercedes-Benz convertible and struck a curb in Beverly Hills . Just two weeks after checking out of a Malibu drug and alcohol rehab facility , she was arrested again in July 2007 after a woman called Santa Monica police saying Lohan was trying to run her down in a car . A judge sentenced Lohan to three years probation after she entered guilty and no contest pleas to the charges . Lohan 's acting career , which started at age 10 on a soap opera , took off on the big screen a year later when she played both identical twins in Disney 's `` The Parent Trap . '' Since then , she has starred in at least a dozen movies , including `` Georgia Rule '' with Jane Fonda in 2007 . Her pop music recording career , boosted by her movie roles , has floundered in the past year . Her last album was released in 2005 . CNN 's Irving Last contributed to this report .
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Arrest warrant was issued for actress Lindsay Lohan in Beverly Hills on Friday . Warrant believed connected with possible probation violation , D.A. 's office says . Lohan 's attorney blames misunderstanding . Actress was convicted of drunken driving in 2007 .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Best-selling author and director Sebastian Junger says experiencing the existence of U.S. troops ' experience in Afghanistan was like being `` on Mars . '' Junger documented the reality of an Army platoon as its soldiers lived , fought and died at one of the most dangerous postings in the U.S. military , a 15-man outpost called Restrepo in Afghanistan 's Korengal Valley . It 's the focus of Junger 's new feature-length documentary , also named `` Restrepo . '' The outpost , Junger told CNN 's Campbell Brown in an interview Thursday night , was hellish . `` The first time I was up there we were attacked four times in one day . No running water , they did n't bathe for a month at a time . No internet , no phone , no electricity at first , '' he said . Junger said that after a few weeks at their base in Italy , the platoon 's members just wanted to get back to Restrepo . `` What was going on up there was brotherhood , very different from friendship . Brotherhood , you do n't even have to like the guy , but if he 's your brother , you 'll protect him , you 'll die for him . They all felt that way . '' While `` Restrepo '' is not a political film , Junger does believe NATO troops are making progress in Afghanistan , with violence in the country at a 30-year-low . `` Sixteen thousand Afghan civilians have died because of NATO combat operations in Afghanistan since 2001 -- a horrifying number , but it pales comparison to the civilian deaths in the '90s . Four hundred thousand Afghan civilians died in the '90s ... The question is , does the world have the staying power to see it through . ''
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Author and film maker Sebastian Junger documented existence of Army platoon in Afghanistan . Platoon was assigned to one of the military 's most dangerous outposts , Restrepo . Junger 's new feature-length documentary is `` Restrepo ''
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Paris , France -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thousands of travelers in France were stranded after lightning shut down a main train station on Saturday , the first day of the summer holiday for students . Lightening struck an electrical facility in Bretigny-sur-Orge , on the outskirts of Paris , forcing the closure of the Austerlitz station and affecting 40,000 travelers , a French National Railway official told CNN . However , traffic at Austerlitz station had resumed as of 6 p.m. -LRB- noon ET -RRB- , CNN affiliate BFM reported , citing officials with railway agency . Electronic repairs on the railway had been completed by the evening , and traffic was expected to run smoothly by Sunday . Earlier , railway officials had warned of delays and encouraged passengers to postpone their trips . Passengers who were unable to take trains Saturday will be issued refunds , BFM reported . The station is used by trains leaving for southern France and Spain as well as commuter service to other parts of Paris .
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NEW : Report : Traffic at Austerlitz station resumes . Lightning strikes electrical facility in Bretigny-sur-Orge , outside Paris . Forces closure of Austerlitz station in capital . The station is used by trains leaving for southern France and Spain .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Portugal took a big step to escaping the World Cup 's so-called `` group of death '' by crushing North Korea 7-0 in a rematch of the two nations ' famous 1966 clash in South Africa on Monday . Forty-four years ago , the communist country 's team shocked the soccer world by taking a 3-0 lead after only 24 minutes of their quarterfinal in England , but the Europeans hit back to win 5-3 with four goals from star forward Eusebio . There was to be no repeat in rain-drenched Cape Town , as Portugal found form after the disappointing opening draw with the Ivory Coast and claimed second place in Group G ahead of Friday 's final round of matches . Carlos Queiroz 's team led just 1-0 at halftime thanks to a 29th-minute strike from Raul Meireles as the North Koreans again showed the fighting spirit that tested Brazil in their opening 2-1 defeat . But the floodgates opened in the second spell as Simao Sabrosa , Hugo Almeida and Tiago scored in the space of eight minutes , then substitute Liedson netted to clinch the biggest winning margin of the tournament so far . Captain Cristiano Ronaldo and then Tiago again compounded the Koreans ' misery , giving the Portuguese a massive goal-difference advantage over the Ivorians ahead of their eagerly-anticipated showdown with leaders Brazil . The Brazilians have already qualified for the second round , with six points from two victories , while the Portuguese have four points and the Ivory Coast one . `` We got seven goals but only three points . We need to be more ambitious and determined for the next phase , '' Queiroz told AFP . `` We were very determined to win this game but the game we played today will not help us overcome Brazil . We do n't want Brazil to score any goals because this will put our reputation , our prestige , into question . '' Portugal went close to opening the scoring in the seventh minute when defender Ricardo Carvalho hit the post with a powerful header from a corner . Meireles , who scored the winner in the second leg of Portugal 's qualifying playoff against Bosnia , broke the deadlock when he ran onto a fine threaded pass from midfielder Tiago and slotted coolly past Ri Myong-Guk . Eight minutes after halftime , winger Simao fired a shot through the goalkeeper 's legs after being set up by Meireles and Almeida . Striker Almeida , recalled after missing the first match , then headed in Fabio Coentrao 's left-wing cross on 56 minutes before Ronaldo laid on the third goal for Tiago on the hour mark . Ronaldo , the world 's most expensive player , hit the crossbar in the 71st minute as he was denied his first goal of the tournament -- a similarly spectacular effort against the Ivory Coast also smashed into the woodwork . Liedson made it 5-0 after the besieged Korean defense failed to cut a cross by fellow substitute Duda 10 minutes later . Ronaldo finally found the net with two minutes to play , showing his trademark cheeky skill as he pushed the ball past the keeper and then juggled the rebound on his back before slotting into the empty goal . Tiago added his second just a minute later with a powerful header from a cross by another replacement , Miguel Veloso .
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Portugal take a big step to escaping the World Cup 's so-called `` group of death '' Tiago nets a double as Europeans thrash North Korea 7-0 in rematch of 1966 clash . Cristiano Ronaldo scores his first goal of the tournament as Portugal go second in Group G . Ivory Coast need to defeat Koreans by a similar margin and hope Portugal lose to Brazil .
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Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Pentagon on Wednesday began sending out to troops a survey of more than 100 questions seeking their views on the impact of repealing the `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' restrictions prohibiting gays and lesbians from openly serving in the U.S. military . An administration official confirmed to CNN that the survey is being sent to 200,000 active duty troops and 200,000 reserve troops . The official declined to be identified because the survey has not officially been made public . The survey , which service members can expect to receive via e-mail , asks about such issues as how unit morale or readiness might be affected if a commander is believed to be gay or lesbian ; the need to maintain personal standards of conduct ; and how repeal might affect willingness to serve in the military . The survey also asks a number of questions aimed at identifying problems that could occur when troops live and work in close quarters in overseas war zones . For example , the questionnaire asks military members how they would react if they had to share a room , bathrooms , and open-bay showers in a war zone with other service members believed to be gay or lesbian . There also are several questions about reactions to dealing with same-sex partners in social situations . The Pentagon established a team to conduct the survey earlier this year . President Barack Obama , Defense Secretary Robert Gates , and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen have all publicly backed a repeal of the current policy . Defense Department officials insist the survey is aimed at determining the impact of a repeal -- not whether repeal should happen . Several members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have said they want to see the results of the survey before they offer their final advice on the impact of a repeal to Obama and Gates . In May , the House of Representatives approved a plan that would repeal the `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' policy after the military 's internal review is completed and Obama , Gates , and Mullen to sign off on the policy change . The Senate , however , did not pass the measure . According to a senior U.S. military official with direct knowledge of the review process , the military needs until the end of 2010 to figure out how to implement a repeal of `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' in terms of housing , medical and marriage benefits , as well as issues involving the reinstatement of gay soldiers previously discharged under the policy . A major problem might be determining how to reconcile the repeal of `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' with federal law that defines marriage as between a man a woman , the official said . In addition to distributing the survey , the Pentagon has also been soliciting opinions in a number of private meetings with troops . The results of the review will not be available until December , the official said . CNN 's Alan Silverleib contributed to this report .
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Troops are receiving a Pentagon survey on gays in the military . The survey was sent to 200,000 active duty and 200,000 reserve troops . It asks for thoughts on ramifications of a `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' repeal . Obama backs the repeal of restrictions on gays serving openly in military .
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San Diego , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A moderate earthquake followed by dozens of smaller ones rattled Southern California Monday evening , just north of the Mexican border , the U.S. Geological Survey reported . The magnitude 5.7 quake struck at 9:26 p.m. local time and was centered 70 miles east of San Diego . `` Since the 5.7 occurred , we 've had another larger series of aftershocks occurring , '' said geophysicist Amy Vaughan of the USGS in Golden , Colorado . `` We 've had about 40 occurring since that with the largest being about a 4.5 . '' CNN affiliate KSWB : Earthquake interrupts MLB game . The main jolt and subsequent aftershocks have been felt across a large area in the region , Vaughan said . Are you there ? Share your earthquake experience with CNN iReport . `` We 've had over 12,000 ` felt reports ' coming in from most of Southern California , parts of Arizona and parts of Baja California , '' Vaughan said . Authorities throughout Southern California reported no damage in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake . `` Were this a 7.5 it would be a different story probably , but because it 's a 5.7 occurring in this area and also not directly in a large metropolitan area , like it 's not downtown LA or downtown San Diego , helps as well , '' Vaughan said . CNN Radio 's Shelby Erdman contributed to this report .
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Earthquakes felt over Southern California , Arizona and Baja California . Largest quake was a moderate 5.7 in magnitude . No damage reported .
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Mexico City , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mexican federal police have arrested a drug cartel chieftain who is a former police officer and is connected to more than 30 brutal killings , authorities said Wednesday . Miguel Ortiz Miranda , known as `` Tyson , '' was a leader for La Familia Michoacana in the city of Morelia , federal police said . Authorities consider him responsible for organizing the hit men who killed local officials as well as carrying out abductions and extortions , federal police anti-drug chief Ramon Eduardo Pequeno Garcia said in a televised news conference . Ortiz , 28 , was arrested Tuesday in Morelia , in Mexico 's state of Michoacan . Authorities say Ortiz became involved with La Familia Michoacana in 2005 while working as a state police patrol chief . The driver of a vehicle Ortiz had stopped offered him a large amount of money to let the motorist go , Pequeno said . `` As a result of that contact , he started his illegal activities in Morelia , becoming an informant at the service of that criminal organization , reporting the movements of suspicious vehicles in the city and alerting about the presence of different police authorities , in addition to providing security to members of the criminal groups , '' Pequeno said . Police say Ortiz was involved in some of the most publicized crimes of the past year , including the June 2009 attack on a federal police convoy that killed 12 officers , and the slayings last month of 15 criminals who were acting against the wishes of La Familia Michoacana . In addition , police said , Ortiz was involved in : . -- The deaths of four police officers in a June 2009 roadside ambush . Cartel members made an anonymous phone call to federal police so they would go the scene of the purported crime and could be ambushed on the way , Ortiz told police . -- A July 2009 attempt to free Familia Michoacana leader Arnoldo Rueda Medina by attacking several federal police stations with large-caliber weapons and fragmentation grenades . -- The July 2009 execution in a Morelia home of a group of men belonging to the rival Zetas drug cartel . -- The September 2009 death of Jose Manuel Revuelta , the state 's assistant secretary for public security . -- The decapitation of state official Josafat Delfino Lopez Tinoco in October 2009 . Lopez 's head was left in a cooler with a message from `` The Resistance '' written on a piece of cardboard . The Resistance referred to an alliance between La Familia Michoacana and several other cartels against the Zetas . -- The December 2009 attack with heavy weapons and grenades on the Hotel Casablanca in Morelia , where federal police officers were staying . -- An attempt in April on the life of Minerva Bautista Gomez , secretary for public security in Michoacan . The attack , he said , was in retaliation for changes made in the police department that hindered the cartel 's interests . The hit men walked away from the shooting believing they had killed Bautista . They had n't . Ortiz told police he participated in training by the cartel , including firearms instruction and survival lessons in the Michoacan mountains that lasted a month and were taught by former military personnel .
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Miguel Ortiz Miranda is a former state police patrol leader . He is accused of being involved in more than 30 well-publicized killings . He is said to be a leader for La Familia Michoacana in central Mexico . Ortiz is known as `` Tyson ''
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Buenos Aires , Argentina -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A former Argentinian dictator and an ex-army chief are scheduled to go on trial this week on charges of human rights abuses during the nation 's right-wing rule from 1976-83 , the government 's Judicial Information Center said . Jorge Rafael Videla was among the coup leaders who overthrew then-President Isabela Martinez de Peron in March 1976 . He ruled as dictator until 1981 . Also scheduled to go on trial this week in a separate proceeding will be Luciano Benjamin Menendez , former head of the Third Army Corps . He is accused of violating the human rights of four people . There are 31 defendants in the two trials , the Judicial Information Center said on its website Tuesday . Another former dictator , Gen. Reynaldo Benito Bignone , was sentenced in April to 25 years in prison for kidnapping and torturing 56 people . He ruled Argentina from June 1982 until the nation 's return to democracy in December 1983 . Bignone , 82 , faces two other trials : in the abduction and disappearance of doctors and nurses at the Hospital Posada and of two soldiers when he was head of the Military College . Up to 30,000 students , labor leaders , intellectuals and leftists who ran afoul of the dictatorship because of their political views disappeared or were held in secret jails and torture centers during the nation 's eight-year `` Dirty War . '' In the trials that start this week , the proceedings for Menendez are slated to begin Thursday in the city of Mendoza . Six other defendants will go on trial with him . The trial against former dictator Videla is scheduled to start Friday in Cordoba . He will be joined by 24 other defendants , the Judicial Information Center said . Videla and the others face charges related to abuses committed at a penitentiary in Cordoba and in the kidnapping and torture of six people , the information service said . Videla , 84 , has previously been found guilty of other human rights abuses , including kidnapping , torture and homicide . He was sentenced to life in prison in 1985 but released in 1990 under a pardon issued by then-President Carlos Menem to many former members of the military dictatorship . Argentina 's congress and courts have struck down the pardons and amnesty laws of the 1980s , clearing the way for rights trials to be held again .
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Jorge Rafael Videla accused of kidnapping and torture . Former army corps head also will go on trial . Right-wing dictatorship ruled from 1976-83 . Up to 30,000 people were tortured or killed during `` dirty war ''
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Rio Largo , Brazil -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Federal aid is flowing to rain-ravaged areas of northeastern Brazil and the number of missing has diminished to less than 140 , but more than 150,000 people remained homeless or displaced Friday , the government said . President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Friday he will not attend this weekend 's G20 meeting in Canada to attend to the emergency at home , the Agencia Brasil government news outlet reported . Finance Minister Guido Mantega will take Lula 's place . The death count in two hard-hit states still stood at 46 -- 29 in Alagoas state and 16 in Pernambuco , Agencia Brasil said . There were nearly 75,000 homeless or displaced residents in Alagoas and more than 80,000 in Pernambuco , the national civil defense office said . In addition , civil defense said , there were more than 19,000 homes in Alagoas that were damaged or destroyed , as were 79 bridges . In all , civil defense said on its website , 59 municipalities have been affected in Pernambuco and 28 in Alagoas . The number of missing in Alagoas , which had stood at more than 600 Thursday , dropped to 135 as residents in some flooded towns were rescued , civil defense said . The federal government announced Thursday the release of 500 million reais -LRB- $ 277 million -RRB- to help victims . The money comes on top of a previous 50 million reais -LRB- $ 27.7 million -RRB- destined for Pernambuco and Alagoas . Lula also signed Thursday an interim measure of 1 billion reais -LRB- $ 555 million -RRB- to purchase construction material and equipment for businesses affected by the floods . The Organization of American States and the United States , which offered $ 50,000 , also have pledged aid .
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Number of missing drops to less than 140 in northern Brazil . Death count from flooding remains at 46 . The country 's president cancels trip to G20 summit in Canada . Nearly 90 municipalities have been affected by heavy rains , flooding .
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Guatemala City , Guatemala -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two fugitive brothers wanted in the much-publicized slaying of a Guatemalan lawyer last year were being held at a military base Tuesday , one day after they surrendered to authorities with a special United Nations commission , the Guatemalan Defense Ministry said . Businessmen Francisco Jose Ramon Valdes Paiz and Jose Estuardo Valdes Paiz had been sought since December on charges that they masterminded the assassination of lawyer Rodrigo Rosenberg . The lawyer left behind a videotape saying that President Alvaro Colom would be responsible if anything happened to him . The International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala , known by its Spanish acronym CICIG , determined that Rosenberg orchestrated his own death in order to implicate Colom , whom he blamed for the recent slayings of two close friends . The Valdes Paiz brothers were unaware that Rosenberg duped them into carrying out his own slaying , CICIG said in January , when the commission released the results of an eight-month investigation . Rosenberg had told them told them he was being threatened by someone and wanted that person killed , the CICIG investigation concluded . Colom had nothing to do with the killing , CICIG said . The brothers ' surrender came suddenly Monday morning when their lawyer called CICIG headquarters at 8 a.m. and said they wanted to turn themselves in , said Carlos Castresana , head of the U.N. agency . The brothers were in custody less than a half hour later , Castresana said at a news conference . The men chose to turn themselves in to CICIG out of concern for their personal safety , said Castresana , a Spanish judge . They were handed over to Guatemalan authorities . The brothers are being held at the Matamoros military base , said defense ministry spokesman Col. Byron Gutierrez . Rosenberg was shot from behind in May 2009 in a brazen daylight attack while riding his bicycle in Guatemala City , the nation 's capital . He was shot three times in the head , once in the neck and once in the back , Castresana said in January when he presented the results of the investigation . The two brothers , who own a pharmaceutical company , had been cousins of Rosenberg through a previous marriage and did not know that he was the target of the assassination , Castresana said . Rosenberg fed information to the hit squad leader that led to his own death , giving descriptions of what the target looked like and where he would be . `` It was the two brothers and no one else , '' Castresana said . `` Not a politician . Not a -LSB- government -RSB- minister . Not a police chief . No one . Just these two brothers . '' About 300 investigators from 11 nations reached their conclusion after an exhaustive examination of 100,000 telephone calls , 9,500 documents , surveillance videotapes and 135 interviews with 11 suspects and others , Castresana said . Colom had maintained since the May 10 slaying that he was innocent despite Rosenberg 's explosive videotape , which was made public the day after his death . Before Monday 's surrender by the brothers , Guatemalan authorities had already arrested 11 men on suspicion that they carried out the killing . Arrest warrants for the brothers were issued December 10 , Castresana said . Rosenberg recorded the tape blaming Colom three days before his death . He said Colom wanted him dead because the lawyer had been blaming the president and some of his top associates for the slaying of prominent businessman Khalid Musa and his daughter , Marjorie , the previous month . They were killed , Rosenberg said , because they had refused to participate in acts of corruption as the president wanted . Rosenberg was Musa 's attorney . Castresana indicated Rosenberg staged his own killing to get back at Colom and high-level members of his government , whom he could not prove were responsible for the Musa killings . `` He wanted to open a box of lightning and thunder , '' Castresana said . Castresana pointed to several indicators of Rosenberg 's state of mind : His mother had died ; he was going through a second divorce , and his wife had taken their young children to Mexico ; he was bereft at the slaying of Marjorie Musa , with whom he had a close relationship ; and he felt a sense of powerlessness because he could not prosecute the people he believed were responsible for the Musa slayings . May 10 , the date of his killing , was Mother 's Day . In two April 21 e-mails , seven days after the Musa killings , Rosenberg wrote , `` I ca n't stop crying '' and `` I feel like I 'm disintegrating , '' Castresana said . Rosenberg made out his last will and testament on April 24 and started going public with his accusations against Colom regarding the Musa slayings on May 3 . On May 4 , he called a meeting at his law office and said he would be leaving the firm , in which he was a partner . The next day , Castresana said , Rosenberg asked a friend to buy two cell phones anonymously . Those cell phones , the lead investigator said , were crucial to cracking the case . Rosenberg used one of the phones to call threats to his personal cell phone and had the other delivered to the Valdes Paiz brothers , who gave it to the hit squad leader . Rosenberg then used the new cell phone he kept to give instructions to the hit squad leader through the second phone , Castresana said . Castresana detailed how the slaying apparently was meant to be paid through a check of about $ 40,000 . According to the investigator , Rosenberg told his secretary before his death that she would be receiving a check from Panama that should be delivered to the Valdes Paiz brothers . The check had been made out by Luis Alejos , a Rosenberg friend and business associate who at the time was Guatemala 's minister of communication , Castresana said . Alejos resigned from office in June , a few weeks after the slaying . After receiving the check , Francisco Jose Valdes Paiz destroyed it , Castresana said . The businessman paid the 300,000 quetzales -LRB- $ 35,900 -RRB- for the assassination out of his own pocket , Castresana said . Alejos is the brother of Roberto Alejos , the president of the Guatemalan Congress , and a cousin of Gustavo Alejos , who was President Colom 's private secretary at the time . In his videotape , Rosenberg said Gustavo Alejos would be among those responsible for the lawyer 's death if it happened . `` If you are reading this message , it means that I , Rodrigo Rosenberg Marzano , was murdered by the president 's private secretary , Gustavo Alejos , and his associate Gregorio Valdez , with the approval of Mr. Alvaro Colom and -LSB- first lady -RSB- Sandra de Colom , '' Rosenberg said . After the tape surfaced , Colom went on national TV with a strong denial that he or anyone mentioned in the video was involved . He expressed his sense of vindication in a televised speech in January . `` I do n't have any rancor in my heart , '' Colom said . `` Just immense gratitude for those who waited patiently with us . '' The United Nations established the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala in 2006 to investigate corruption and political violence . More than 200,000 people have been killed in the nation since 1970 , mostly as a result of organized crime , drug-trade violence and a 36-year civil war that ended in 1996 . There were 6,451 slayings in Guatemala in 2009 , in which only 230 verdicts were achieved , Castresana said . That means , he said , that more than 96 percent of the killings last year were not solved . Journalist Alexia Rios Hayashi contributed to this report for CNN .
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Brothers turned themselves in to special U.N. commission in Guatemala . They are being held at a military base . Lawyer staged his own death last year , investigation shows . He hired brothers but they did n't know he was targeting himself , probe finds .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Three journalists covering the World Cup in South Africa were robbed of money , passports , cameras and computers early Wednesday , police said . Armed suspects entered three hotel rooms where the journalists were staying near the town of Magaliesburg , police Col. Charmaine Muller told CNN . Two of the victims `` slept through the whole thing '' , but a Portuguese photographer woke up as it was taking place at about 4 a.m. local time -LRB- 10 p.m. Tuesday ET -RRB- , she said . A suspect pointed a gun at him and told him to keep quiet , she said . Police were called after the suspects left and are still investigating , she added . No one has been caught yet . Hundreds of thousands of sports fans and journalists are descending on South Africa for the World Cup soccer tournament , the biggest sporting event in the world this year . It begins Friday .
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Armed suspects take money , passports , cameras , laptops . Portuguese journalist wakes up during overnight robbery . Suspect points gun at him . Hundreds of thousands of sports fans and journalists in South Africa for World Cup .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One of two gay men recently imprisoned and pardoned in Malawi has begun a relationship with a woman , according to a group that helped provide legal support to the men . Steven Monjeza began the relationship in his hometown of Blantyre shortly after his release from prison , Dunker Kamba , administrator at the Center for the Development of People , told CNN . He was together with his former partner , Tiwonge Chimbalanga , for only one or two days after their release , he said . Monjeza and Chimbalanga were sentenced last month to 14 years in prison for gross indecency and unnatural acts , prompting an outcry from human rights and gay rights groups around the world . The president of Malawi pardoned the men after meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon . Authorities had arrested Monjeza and Chimbalanga in December at their home in Blantyre after the couple professed their love in a traditional engagement ceremony . Police discovered the couple when local newspapers reported on the ceremony . The criminal case against them cast light on prevailing African attitudes toward homosexuality , which is outlawed in more than 30 nations on the continent . Some in the conservative southern African nation supported the prosecution , and government officials said they were simply upholding the law . Human rights groups and advocates for gays and lesbians argued that the arrests violated Malawi 's constitution , which outlaws discrimination . Monjeza and Chimbalanga are in their 20s . While they were awaiting trial , they were subjected to medical examinations intended to find evidence of sodomy , according to Human Rights Watch . They also underwent psychiatric evaluations . All the exams were done without the men 's consent , the group said . CNN 's Lianne Turner in London , England , contributed to this report .
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One of two gay men recently pardoned is now seeing a woman , group says . He was together with gay partner only briefly after release from prison . The men were sentenced last month to 14 years in prison . Malawi 's president pardoned them after international outcry .
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Kabul , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Military authorities have determined that a NATO airstrike that killed 6 Afghan soldiers Wednesday in eastern Afghanistan was the result of a miscommunication between coalition and national forces . In a joint Afghan National Army -LRB- ANA -RRB- and International Security Assistance Force -LRB- ISAF -RRB- statement released Wednesday afternoon , officials said the Afghan soldiers were on a planned patrol in Ghanzi province and had coordinated the location with ISAF officials , however , incorrect location coordinates were shared . `` When an ISAF helicopter patrol came across a group of individuals digging beside the road , in an area that has experienced daily IED detonations and significant casualties , ISAF patrol was cleared to engage the individuals believed to be insurgents , '' the statement said . `` Unfortunately , after the engagement , ISAF forces discovered the individuals were ANA soldiers on patrol . '' `` This loss of life is tragic , and we offer condolences to all those who lost loved ones , '' said Navy Capt. Jane Campbell , ISAF Joint Command spokeswoman , in a statement Wednesday . `` We work extremely hard to coordinate and synchronize our operations , and we deeply regret the loss of lives from our Afghan partners . '' Two other Afghan soldiers were wounded in the incident .
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The NATO airstrike that killed Afghan soldiers was due to a ` miscommunication , ' officials say . 6 Afghan soldiers were killed in a friendly fire airstrike Wednesday . ISAF spokeswoman regrets the loss of lives .
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Bangkok , Thailand -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Acclaimed Russian pianist Mikhail Pletnev has been charged with sexually abusing under-age children in Thailand , police said Wednesday . Pletnev was arrested and released on bail , a police official involved with the investigation told CNN . Pletnev was arrested and charged Tuesday with raping a 14-year-old boy in a Thai beach town , a crime that carries a maximum prison term of 20 years upon conviction , Thailand 's official MCOT news agency reported . He was released on $ 9,000 bail and ordered to be back in the country by July 18 , according to Itar-Tass , the official Russian news agency . Russia demanded clarification of the sex abuse charges against its Grammy-winning pianist , the state-run news agency RIA-Novosti said . `` The Russian Culture Ministry together with Russian Foreign Ministry have forwarded an urgent order to the Russian Embassy in Thailand to make all necessary efforts to clarify the situation and to offer maximum consulate protection to the distinguished musician , '' according to an online cultural ministry statement cited by RIA-Novosti . A Russian diplomat in Thailand said the pianist denied the charges , Itar-Tass said . `` He is calm and confident that everything that happens with him is a misunderstanding that would soon become clarified , '' the diplomat said . `` Pletnev has a Thai lawyer and is ready to testify in court . '' Itar-Tass said the allegations against Pletnev were based on the testimony of a Thai citizen who claimed that he helped arrange Pletnev 's purchase of sexual services .
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Acclaimed Russian pianist Mikhail Pletnev arrested in Thailand . He was questioned on allegations of rape involving an under-age boy . Thai court allowing Pletnev to leave the country .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former British army officer William Shaw , who was serving a two-year sentence in Kabul 's infamous Pul-e-Charki jail for bribery , has been acquitted , his daughter told CNN on Sunday . Daughter Lisa Luckyn-Malone could not provide additional information . Afghan officials could not immediately be reached for comment . Shaw , who served 28 years in the British forces , was sentenced for bribery in April -- accused of paying $ 25,000 to an Afghan intelligence official . Bribery under Afghan law requires the person who received the money to be a government employee . That was not the case for Shaw , according to his lawyer , Kimberly Motely . Shaw 's employer , security company G4S , authorized him to pay the $ 25,000 in good faith as a fee to the Afghan intelligence service to have two vehicles released from their custody . That was in October 2009 , and the vehicles were released . At the request of G4S , Shaw returned to the intelligence service on several occasions to ask for receipts for the cash , according to his family . Five months later , he was called in to the intelligence service for questioning and arrested . The former military serviceman who once received a top award from the Queen was sent to the Afghan super-max jail and locked up in solitary confinement . The Afghan intelligence service had sent two letters to the judges dealing with Shaw 's case informing them the man who took the $ 25,000 from Shaw was not a government employee , according to Motely . The British Embassy in Afghanistan said it was pleased for Shaw and his family . `` We welcome the appeal court 's decision which is now subject to finalization in the Supreme Court , '' an embassy spokeswoman said . `` The UK continues to strongly support the work of the Afghan government to counter corruption and reinforce the rule of law in Afghanistan . ''
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Shaw served 28 years in British forces . He was accused of paying $ 25,000 to an Afghan intelligence official . He had been jailed in the super-max Pul-e-Charki jail in Kabul .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Twelve people were killed and another dozen wounded when a bus fell off South Korea 's longest bridge Saturday while trying to avoid a collision with a truck , local media reported . The bus was headed to Incheon International Airport , west of the capital Seoul , when it crashed through a guard rail and fell about 10 meters -LRB- 32 feet -RRB- from the Incheon Bridge , the Yonhap news agency said . Police told the news agency that the bus may have lost control while trying to avoid a truck . The truck , in turn , had swerved to avoid colliding with a stalled car in the middle of the bridge . The Incheon Bridge , at 21.38 km -LRB- 13.2 miles -RRB- , is the country 's largest .
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Bus plunges 32 feet after trying to avoid collision with a truck . Incident takes place on country 's longest bridge , Incheon Bridge . Bridge is 13.2 miles long .
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Kabul , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 25-year-old soldier from Vermont was killed in a bomb attack in Afghanistan , the Vermont National Guard said Saturday night . Spc. Ryan J. Grady of West Burke died early Friday morning after his military vehicle struck a roadside bomb near the Bagram Air Base , the National Guard said . `` Specialist Grady has made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of a nation that he both loved and served as a member of the Vermont Army National Guard , '' said Maj. Gen. Michael Dubie , Vermont Adjutant General . Grady served as a combat engineer with Company A -LRB- Eng -RRB- Special Troops Battalion located in Bradford , Vermont . He joined the U.S. Army in 2003 and took part in military operations in Iraq from February 2005 through January 2006 . He was given the Purple Heart for injuries he suffered during Operation Iraqi Freedom , the National Guard said . In October 2006 , he transferred to the Vermont Army National Guard . Two years later , he transferred to a battalion in Oklahoma , but returned to duty in the Vermont National Guard in September 2009 . He leaves behind his parents , two brothers , a wife and a daughter .
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Soldier , 25 , dies when military vehicle hit roadside bomb . Spc. Ryan J. Grady received Purple Heart for wounds he suffered during Iraq deployment . He leaves behind his parents , brothers , a wife and a daughter .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Romanian authorities have evacuated 2,000 people from their homes over the past 24 hours , bringing the total number of evacuees to almost 16,000 since heavy flooding began , an emergency official said Friday . Twenty-two people have died in the flooding , which began June 22 , said Alin Maghiar , a spokesman for the Romanian General Inspectorate of Emergency Situations . One person is listed as missing , he said . iReporter describes flooding in Romania . Flooding is expected to continue into Saturday because of continued rainfall , with the heaviest rain falling on the northeastern county of Bacau , he said . The situation in eastern Romania , he said , is `` critical . '' Romania may request flooding assistance from the European Union Solidarity Fund , which is designed to deal with natural disasters in EU member states , the national news agency Agerpres reported Friday . Earlier this week , Prime Minister Emil Boc said the government will give the families of the flood victims 5,000 lei -LRB- $ 1,470 -RRB- each , the news agency reported . In the meantime , Boc has ordered that flood victims be given food and water . CNN 's Carol Jordan in London , England , contributed to this report .
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NEW : Romania may request EU assistance . 2,000 more people have been evacuated in Romania over the past day . Almost 16,000 have been evacuated since flooding began June 22 . The flooding is expected to continue into Saturday .
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Paris , France -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- On the second day of Manuel Noriega 's money-laundering trial , the former Panamanian dictator told a French court late Tuesday that he had a once-strong relationship with the United States . `` I received high praise from the U.S. , Interpol and other countries who all benefited from my fight against drugs , '' Noriega said . Testifying in Spanish -- and standing for a total of five hours with only two five-minute breaks -- he added , `` I was especially in contact with the CIA , '' describing himself as a `` mediator . '' Noriega was extradited from the United States to France in April to face charges that he laundered drug-trafficking profits of 15 million French francs , or 2.3 million euros -LRB- U.S. $ 2.8 million -RRB- . He denies the charges , and claimed Tuesday he had documents proving that he was the victim of a conspiracy . His trial is expected to close Wednesday . Wearing a black suit , a gray tie and a red pocket handkerchief , Noriega presented reasons for the numerous bank transactions and cash deposits he had made throughout Paris in 1988 and 1989 . When Judge Agnes Quantin began to press him over specific dates of certain transactions , he simply replied , `` I do n't know '' or `` I do n't remember . '' And after being asked to review his career , he often got dates confused and had to be prompted by his lawyers . The review lasted roughly one hour . The lawyers , Olivier Metzner and Yves Leberquier , told reporters in front of the court Monday that Noriega had always disclosed where his money came from . His lawyers repeatedly emphasized that Noriega had been awarded the Legion d'honneur , a highly prestigious award in France that is given to individuals with outstanding civilian or military achievement . U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton cleared the way for Noriega to be sent to France in April after he spent more than 20 years in a U.S. federal prison . Noriega and his attorneys had argued that the United States was violating the Geneva Convention by not sending him back to Panama , where he was seized by U.S. troops after the United States invaded that country in 1989 . U.S. federal courts ruled against him . U.S. forces removed the ex-dictator from office during Operation Nifty Package , the 1989 invasion of Panama . Noriega had fled his offices and tried to seek sanctuary in the Vatican Embassy in Panama City . U.S. troops set up large speakers around the compound , blaring music at all hours , a psychological ploy to rattle the general . He eventually surrendered on January 3 , 1990 , and was quickly escorted to the United States for civilian trial . After his drug conviction , Noriega was given POW status . His federal sentence , originally for 30 years , ended in September 2007 after time off for good behavior . In Panama , Noriega is wanted for the murder of a political rival . Panama has requested his extradition , but the United States honored France 's extradition request instead . France has already convicted Noriega in absentia for money laundering but then promised him a new trial . Panama also has convicted him in absentia and has said he would get a new trial . While in U.S. custody , Noriega suffered from prostate cancer and had a stroke . The U.S. government has portrayed Noriega as the ultimate crooked cop -- a man who was paid millions by the Medellin drug cartel in Colombia to protect cocaine and money shipments . CNN 's Saskya Vandoorne contributed to this report .
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Noriega : I had a once-strong relationship with the U.S. `` I was especially in contact with the CIA , '' he tells court . Noriega testified in Spanish , stood for a total of 5 hours . His money-laundering trial is expected to wrap up Wednesday .
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Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- FBI Deputy Director John Pistole appears before the Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday for the first of two confirmation hearings to become the head of the Transportation Security Administration . The position has been vacant since Barack Obama became president in January 2009 , with an acting head in place . Two previous Obama nominees have withdrawn from consideration due to Republican opposition and controversial issues . Pistole has been FBI deputy director since October 2004 , and previously helped lead the investigation of the Egypt Air Flight 990 crash off Rhode Island in 1999 . `` The talent and knowledge John has acquired in more than two decades of service with the FBI will make him a valuable asset to our administration 's efforts to strengthen the security and screening measures at our airports , '' Obama said in a written statement in May when he announced the nomination . `` I am grateful that he has agreed to take on this important role , and I look forward to working with him in the weeks and months ahead . '' Attorney General Eric Holder and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano immediately endorsed Pistole , calling him uniquely qualified for the job that involves counter-terrorism efforts . `` John 's national security and counterterrorism expertise will be a great asset to the Department in our efforts to enhance the security of our vital transportation systems , '' Napolitano said in a statement . Two senators involved in security issues - Republican Susan Collins of Maine and independent Joe Lieberman of Connecticut - also praised Pistole as a sound choice . `` Since the attacks of September 11 , 2001 , he has been on the forefront of our nation 's fight against terrorism , '' Collins said in a statement , while Lieberman said Pistole `` understands the threat of terrorism as well as anyone in the government . '' The TSA , a part of the Department of Homeland Security , oversees national aviation safety . It has 60,000 employees , including the approximately 50,000 Transportation Security Officers who provide security at airport screening checkpoints and elsewhere . Napolitano 's statement said that if confirmed by the Senate , Pistole would oversee the Homeland Security Department 's `` ongoing efforts to secure the nation 's aviation networks , railroads , ports and mass transit systems , security operations for 450 federalized airports throughout the nation , and the Federal Air Marshal Service . '' The position has proven difficult to fill for Obama . His two previous nominees , Los Angeles Airport police department official Erroll Southers and retired Maj. Gen. Robert Harding both removed themselves from consideration for the post . Sen. Jim DeMint , R-South Carolina , put a hold on Southers ' nomination after Southers declined to say whether he supported unionization of airport screeners . Southers eventually withdrew his name from consideration after another controversy erupted involving a decades-old personnel matter . Harding , withdrew his name from consideration in March after acknowledging that his security company overbilled the government for work performed in Iraq in 2004 . At that time , the head of the 25,000-member Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association , Jon Adler , said the TSA `` can not continue to operate on autopilot . '' Adler said his organization fully supports Pistole 's nomination . `` Since the last two nominees withdrew , we re-emphasized to Secretary Napolitano the need to select someone who combines a national law enforcement background with credible intel -LRB- ligence -RRB- experience , '' Adler said in an e-mail to CNN in May . `` We are appreciative of her responsiveness to our recommendation . Deputy Director Pistole possesses the necessary skill set to lead TSA forward from a position of strength . ''
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Pistole has been FBI deputy director since October 2004 . TSA oversees national aviation safety . 2 previous nominees withdrew themselves from consideration .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama said Monday that federal officials are `` gathering up facts '' to help ensure that embattled oil giant BP fairly compensates people and businesses suffering losses . Speaking at a Coast Guard staging facility in Theodore , Alabama , Obama said he hopes to hammer out with top BP officials Wednesday a new structure for processing claims so that they `` are dealt with justly , fairly , promptly . '' He said preliminary talks on the restructuring have already begun , but was cautious about how much progress can be made before Wednesday 's meeting . He said that cleanup and containment of the spill wo n't happen overnight . `` It 's going to take time for things to return to normal . '' `` There 's going to be a harmful effect on many local businesses and it 's going to be painful for a lot of folks , '' he said . Obama also announced an effort to ensure that seafood from the Gulf of Mexico remains safe to eat . Under the new comprehensive seafood initiative , federal authorities will increase inspections of seafood processors , strengthen surveillance programs and monitor fish caught outside restricted waters , Obama said . `` Seafood from the Gulf today is safe to eat , but we need to make sure that it stays that way , '' he said . The president arrived in Gulfport , Mississippi , earlier in the day -- his first stop on a two-day tour of the states , including Alabama and Florida , most affected by the oil disaster . This is his fourth trip to the Gulf Coast since the oil began to gush nearly two months ago , though previous trips were limited to Louisiana . Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen , the administration 's point person in the region , briefed Obama shortly after his arrival . At the end of the briefing , Obama encouraged tourists to not cancel plans to vacation in the region . `` There 's still a lot of opportunity for visitors to come down here -- a lot of beaches that are not yet affected or will not be affected , '' Obama said . `` One of the best ways to help is to come down here and enjoy the outstanding hospitality , '' the president said . The president , who canceled a trip to Indonesia and Australia , has faced criticism that he has n't been fully engaged in the crisis . Gulf Coast resident Jim Hall said he is ready to see more action and less talking from the administration . `` Looking at the overall picture , I wish he would take more assertive power in what 's going on as far as protection of our environment . My property values have probably dropped 30 percent , 40 percent in the last 50 days , '' said Hall , who has lived and fished on the Gulf since the '80s . `` I know all about the claims and I know all about the payment back , but I just wish the government would become a little bit more active in taking care of we , the voters , '' he said . Harry Jemison , owner of Jemison 's Bait-N-Tackle shop , said his business was on course for a record year , but after the oil spill , everyone is `` afraid to fish . '' Obama acknowledged the toll of the massive oil spill . `` There 's a sense that this disaster is not only threatening our fishermen and our shrimpers and oystermen , not only affecting precious marshes and wetlands and estuaries ... there 's also a fear that it could have a long-term impact on a way of life that has been passed on for generations , '' Obama said . `` We are absolutely committed to working with -LSB- local and state officials -RSB- to do everything in our power to protect the Gulf Coast way of life so that it 's there for our children , our grandchildren and our great grandchildren , '' he said . Following his visit to the Gulf Coast , Obama will update the nation about the situation in a prime time address from the Oval Office . Obama will talk about the oil-leak containment strategy , the reorganization of minerals management at the Department of the Interior and the beginning of a process to restore the Gulf to a place better than it was before the Deepwater Horizon exploded , a senior administration official said . BP has until midnight to present a new plan to the White House for containing the oil . Obama is scheduled to meet with BP executives in person at the White House on Wednesday . The president plans to push BP to create a BP-funded escrow account that will pay for damage claims from the oil spill , said David Axelrod , a senior adviser to Obama . In addition , Axelrod said , the plan would call for an independent third party to handle the claims process . `` The president will use every legal device at his disposal to make sure that this money is escrowed and that there is an independent administrator so that claims are not slow-walked , people can get the relief they need in a timely fashion and that we do n't create more victims from this terrible disaster , '' Axelrod said . CNN 's Ed Hornick , Kristi Keck , Dan Lothian and Xuan Thai contributed to this report .
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NEW : President gets briefing from Coast Guard admiral , urges Gulf Coast tourism . Obama touring Alabama , Mississippi , Florida and meeting with local residents . Small-business owner Harry Jemison says everyone is `` afraid to fish '' Following trip , Obama to deliver prime time address .
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MEXICO CITY , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Coordinated attacks in at least eight Mexican cities killed three federal police officers and two soldiers Saturday in what officials are calling an unprecedented onslaught by drug gangs . Attacks occurred after arrest of Arnoldo Rueda Medina , a high-ranking member of La Familia Michoacana . Another 18 federal officers were wounded , the state-run Notimex news agency reported , citing federal police official Rodolfo Cruz Lopez . The attacks were in retribution for the capture early Saturday of Arnoldo Rueda Medina , a high-ranking member of the drug cartel known as La Familia Michoacana -LRB- The Michoacan Family -RRB- , Notimex reported . Rueda is considered second in command to the group 's two top leaders , Nazario `` El Chayo '' Moreno González and José '' El Chango '' de Jesús Méndez Vargas , acting as a `` right arm '' to Moreno , the secretary of public security said Saturday in a statement . Among other allegations , he was arrested for his role in designing the hierarchy of the organization , the production of synthetic drugs and movement of marijuana and cocaine to the United States , said Mexico 's secretary of public security . Rueda was arrested along with a 17-year-old male who worked for him . Following his arrest Saturday morning in Morelia , Michoacan , men armed with high-powered rifles and grenades attacked the police station where he was being held , the Secretary of Public Security said . After failing to win his freedom , members of the group launched attacks in the cities of Morelia , Zitacuaro , Zamora , Lazaro Cardenas , Apatzingan , La Piedad and Huetamo in Michoacan state , Notimex news said , citing federal police . The three officers were killed in Zitacuaro , police official Eduardo Moran told CNN en Español , while six police officers were reported wounded in Morelia . Two soldiers were killed in Zamora , shot by men in a passing car as they walked to their headquarters . The Secretary of Public Security told the newspaper Cambio de Michoacan that 25 spent shells from an R-15 rifle and 17 from an AK-47 were found at the scene . Michoacan is in west-central Mexico , on the Pacific coast . Another rifle and grenade attack took place near Acapulco in Guerrero state , which borders Michoacan , but no one was injured . Saturday 's attacks came just days after a drug gang in Tijuana declared they were at war with police , threatening to kill five officers every week until Police Chief Julian Leyzaola resigns . The threat was made in a note found on the windshield of a slain officer 's car , news reports said . At least three Tijuana officers have been killed since Monday , reports said . Leyzaola , a former army colonel , replaced a police chief removed from office in December after receiving numerous threats . `` Leyzaola has become the poster boy for honest police work , which has put the drug gangs on notice , '' Vicente Calderon , a reporter for the Tijuana Press news agency , told CNN affiliate KUSI . `` They believe he is serious , that he means business and is trying to re-establish the rule of law that has been affecting the city and whole state for many years since organized crime established themselves in Baja -LSB- California -RSB- . '' Tijuana , the westernmost city in Mexico , is across the border from San Diego , California . Sixteen police officers have died there in 2009 , and officers are now patrolling the city in groups of six , KUSI reported . CNN 's Emanuella Grinberg and Monica Trevino contributed to this report .
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NEW : Gang targets police station where Arnoldo Rueda Medina was being held . Attacks were reprisals for capture of member of La Familia gang . Series of coordinated attacks in at least eight cities kills 3 federal officers , 2 soldiers . Officials call the coordinated attacks an unprecedented onslaught by drug gangs .
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Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Actor Laurence Fishburne is visibly moved when asked to read an excerpt of remarks made more than a half-century ago by the man he now portrays onstage , the legendary Thurgood Marshall . The NAACP attorney was arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1958 over whether Little Rock , Arkansas , officials essentially had to follow the order of the courts to desegregate its schools . Marshall , a sharp lawyer , turned the tables on the all-white bench , making the issue not about black students seeking equality but about society 's larger civic responsibilities . `` Education is not the teaching of the three Rs . Education is the teaching of the overall citizenship . To learn to live together with fellow citizens , and above all , to learn to obey the law , '' Marshall told the court . `` I worry about the white children in Little Rock who are told as young people that the way to get your rights is to violate the law and defy the lawful authorities . I am worried about their future . I do n't worry about those Negro kids ' future . They 've been struggling with democracy long enough , they know about it . '' Fishburne commands the stage as the first African-American on the Supreme Court in a new one-man play `` Thurgood '' for a one-month engagement at the Kennedy Center in Washington . `` Powerful stuff , '' he said about hearing Marshall 's own words in the rarely heard audio argument of Cooper v. Aaron . The 48-year-old actor thoroughly researched this role , but he was unaware of this all-but forgotten chapter in Marshall 's colorful life . `` Before I read the script for ` Thurgood ' , I knew nothing about Thurgood Marshall , '' he said , sitting comfortably in a lounge just off the Eisenhower Theater . `` He was a very , very funny man . He was also a very serious man when it came time to be serious . I think he understood there was a time and a place for all kinds of behavior from human beings , and he indulged in those things at the appropriate times , '' laughing loudly . It takes a good man with an unwavering dose of self-confidence to stand alone on a stage for 90 minutes straight , and portray a giant of American history . Fishburne offers a little secret to making it work . `` The wonderful thing about this piece even though it 's a one-man show , I have a scene partner . My scene partner is the audience , '' he said . `` So that makes it really important for me to be paying attention and seeing how people respond . '' Fishburne has won a Tony , an Emmy and was nominated for an Academy Award . The actor currently stars as a forensic investigator in `` CSI '' on CBS . He first did the role of Marshall on Broadway two years ago . After this Washington engagement , he takes `` Thurgood '' to Los Angeles and the Geffen Playhouse . The creator of the show is George Stevens Jr. , who wanted to have Marshall `` make the case for himself , '' with just one actor onstage . `` One-hundred years after the end of slavery in the 1950s , he comes around and lives in a segregated society where people ca n't go to lunch counters , schools , swimming pools , all of that discrimination , housing , '' Stevens said . `` And decides that you can use the law to change it . And that was such an act of imagination . And that gives purpose to the play , but it is his sense of humor . His sense of narrative throughout his life ; Marshall was a storyteller . And that gives us so much to work with . '' An example in the play has Fishburne as Marshall talking to his critics in the 1980s who thought he should leave the bench . `` They said I was too old , too liberal , too tipsy , '' says the character . `` I 'd tell them , I accepted a lifetime appointment . I 'm staying for life . I expect to die at the age of 110 . Shot by a jealous husband ! '' which prompts huge laughter . The play recounts through stories and anecdotes the remarkable journey of Marshall , who was born in 1908 and grew up in segregated Baltimore , Maryland . He was rejected from the University of Maryland law school because he was black , but after graduating from Howard University at the head of his class , he became chief counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and won 29 of 32 cases argued before the high court . He later joined that bench in 1967 , retiring in 1991 . He died in 1993 . Marshall was in the news recently when President Barack Obama nominated the justice 's former law clerk Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court . Kagan recalled Marshall playfully called her `` Shorty '' during her 1988-89 clerkship . Fishburne was not the first choice to play the role . Stevens had produced a 1991 television miniseries based on the landmark Brown v. Board case that ended public segregation . Marshall was played then by Sidney Poitier , who backed out of the current project . So did actor James Earl Jones . But Stevens and director Leonard Foglia saw something in Fishburne . `` He 's a compelling actor . And he 's of an age which I originally thought was perhaps too young to do this part , '' said Stevens . `` But I learned the opposite -- he can come out as the older Thurgood Marshall . And when he goes back in memory to his younger days , he has the vitality that brings that alive . So he 's just a wonderful choice for this role . '' Dressed in comfortable red sneakers , light khakis and a casual blue shirt , Fishburne said the role is one of the greatest acting challenges he has ever faced . `` It 's all there , '' he said of Marshall , whom he never met . `` I mean , we deal with his flaws and we deal with his strengths , we deal with his history , we deal with his disappointments as well as his victories . So , it 's all there . It 's all there in the show . Warts and all . '' The actor said it helped that Marshall was a master storyteller , who combined wit with a touch of lingering bitterness over how he was treated as a black man . The story Stevens and Fishburne weave is more than a history lesson about race , but both men said Marshall 's humanity makes it instantly relatable to a wide audience . `` It is a uniquely American life , '' Fishburne said . `` The last thing that he says in the play , he quotes -LSB- poet -RSB- Langston Hughes , and he says ` America will be . ' This is a work in progress , that this is the great experiment . And it is . And that we all have a stake in it . That we are all sort of in a way responsible for realizing it . Whether we accept that responsibility or not , the fact of the matter is we 're all here together . ''
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Laurence Fishburne portrays Thurgood Marshall in one-man play in Washington . Fishburne also played late Supreme Court justice two years ago on Broadway . Show 's creator : `` Marshall was a storyteller . And that gives us so much to work with '' Actor calls portrayal -- `` warts and all '' -- one of his greatest acting challenges .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sylvain Chavanel reclaimed the leader 's yellow jersey at the Tour de France after a bold attack in Saturday 's seventh stage gave him his second victory in this year 's 97th edition of cycling 's premier race . The Frenchman finished the 165.5-kilometer leg from Tournus to Station des Rousses ahead of Spaniards Rafael Valls Ferri and Juan Manuel Garate , having burned the reluctant chasing pack in the hot conditions . He claimed an overall lead of one minute and 25 seconds over Cadel Evans , the runner-up in 2007 and 2008 , who finished 14th in the 35-strong peloton -- who all came home 1:47 behind the Quick Step team rider . Previous leader Fabian Cancellara fell way off the pace as he finished more than 14 minutes behind Chavanel in 84th place , to be 58th overall with a deficit of 13:11 . Defending champion Alberto Contador was 13th to be sixth overall , 2:27 behind Chavanel , while seven-time winner Lance Armstrong is 3:16 adrift in what is his final attempt at the race . Canada 's Ryder Hesjedal moved into third place after finishing eighth , while Saxo Bank 's 2009 runner-up Andy Schleck was fourth overall after coming home in 20th . Sprint points leader Thor Hushovd finished back in 179th , while his main 2009 rival Mark Cavendish could not follow up Friday 's second successive stage win as he placed 161st . It was a good day for Quick Step as Jerome Pineau successfully defended his lead in the mountains classification , attacking in the opening kilometer and collecting first-place points at five of the six climbs before falling back to 44th . Pineau lead with 17km to go , but was caught by Chavanel at the foot of the final climb and the 31-year-old was not caught as the race favorites saved energy ahead of Sunday 's eighth stage into the mountains at Morzine-Avoriaz . `` I began to think of the yellow jersey on the last climb , and I told myself that after having lost , it was quite a coup to take it back again , '' Chavanel , who also won a crash-marred second stage , told the Tour de France website . `` Tomorrow I will do everything to defend it , but I know that the battle will mainly concern Contador , Schleck and Evans . In the midst of it , I 'll always give everything but if I lose it does not matter . `` Right now I 'm on my little cloud , I 'm floating and I do n't know how else to describe it . But I see that I have great support on the road and everywhere . It warms my heart . '' Evans said he was happy to let Quick Step attack ahead of a testing stage on Sunday . `` Tomorrow is the first day with really big climbs and another mountain-top finish , '' he said . `` It 'll be another day where the main contenders look at each other , test themselves and we 'll see if someone really wants to lay it on the line and blow it apart -- for someone like Alberto or Lance , it 's probably in their interests to try and do that . For me it 's a case of see how they go and how I cope . ''
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Quick Step rider Sylvain Chavanel returns to top of Tour de France standings . Frenchman wins his second stage of this year 's race , the seventh leg to Station des Rousses . He leads two-time runner-up Cadel Evans by one minute and 25 seconds . Previous leader Fabian Cancellara fell more than 13 minutes off Chavanel 's pace .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Psychic or just plain phony ? If there was any reason to believe that a crystal ball is hiding in that bulbous head of Paul the octopus , be warned : This article might just disappoint . Ready ? Some marine biologists and experts say it 's more than likely that Paul does n't have the gift of prophecy after all . What 's more likely is that he 's learned to recognize the German flag . The 2-year-old octopus , who was born in England and now lives in a German aquarium , has become a World Cup phenomenon after correctly predicting the winners in all six of the German national team 's matches . `` He has a run that many gamblers will only ever dream of , '' said Tony LaCasse , a spokesman for the New England Aquarium . `` Paul is running a remarkable series of picks , but I honestly doubt that he has extrasensory abilities . '' During each prediction , two mussel-filled acrylic boxes labeled with a team 's flag are lowered into his tank . Whichever box he chooses conveys the winning team . The eight-tentacled oracle has been relatively consistent , plopping himself over the German box in his first few predictions . But he drew cries of despair from assembled watchers before the semifinal round , when he lingered over the box for the German flag before opting for the Spanish flag instead . Spain won the match 1-0 . For the final game of the World Cup , Paul picked Spain , again , to win against the Netherlands . Octopi are among the most intelligent sea creatures in the world , said Mike Henley , an animal keeper at the Smithsonian National Zoo . Being keen learners and natural hunters , they quickly figure out how to maneuver and finagle objects in the wild in order to sustain themselves . Yet when kept in captivity , as Paul has been , they must often be trained to accept prepared food , Henley said . LaCasse said that at the New England Aquarium , which has a giant Pacific octopus , marine biologists usually give the animals Plexiglas boxes with different latches , lids and arrangements to see if they are able to retrieve their food . And it 's this ability to pick things up quickly that might explain why Paul is consistently picking the winning team . `` Looking at the series of predictions , it appears that this may have been a learned task , '' said Dr. Jean Boal , a marine biology professor at Millersville University in Pennsylvania . Boal , who has worked with cephalopods for more than 20 years , believes that Paul 's first pick may have just been pure luck and that he has been picking the German flag since his Euro 2008 days because the sea creature has learned to do so . `` It 's a simple form of conceptual learning , '' she said . By recognizing shapes and patterns , octopi will learn to gravitate toward them and even pick up skills , such as opening a jar or a box , that will lead them a food treat . `` They are very attentive to people . It 's possible to train them , even unwittingly , '' Boal said . But what about the times that he did n't pick the German flag ? Part of their learning process , Boal said , is that `` once in a while , they might choose something else . '' Then what about the red and yellow in the German and Spanish flags that Paul has been consistently attracted to ? There 's no truth in that either , experts say . While octopi have excellent eyesight , they 're colorblind . `` They do n't have color vision , but they are able to see different shades of gray , '' said Richard Learner , curator of fishes at the National Aquarium in Baltimore , Maryland . `` If anything , you have to factor distance and his trained abilities into this whole mystery of Paul 's psychic powers . '' Paul 's trainer , Oliver Walenciak , could not be immediately reached for comment . Henley , the Smithsonian Zoo animal keeper , said that fans will have to wait until Sunday to see whether the octopus will be able to prove to the world his powers . `` It 'll be amazing to see what he does next , '' Henley said . `` He 's just gotten lucky every time . We should take him to Vegas . ''
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Experts say Paul the octopus has simply learned to recognize the German flag . Octopi are highly intelligent and can recognize shapes , patterns and even people . The creatures have keen eyesight but are colorblind .
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Port St. Joe , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One by one , with a hand as steady as a surgeon 's , Lorna Patrick removes eggs from a sea turtle 's nest on a Florida beach . `` If it falls , you probably killed the hatchling that 's developing inside , '' said Patrick , a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service . Patrick admits she holds her breath each time she takes an egg out of the sand and places it in the foam cooler . Sand is delicately placed in the cooler between and on top of each egg . Patrick uses the sand from the nest , which is located just a few inches from the beach 's surface . This process is part of an unprecedented sea turtle relocation program . Moving sea turtle nests days before the eggs are to hatch has never been done before . It is also the first time that wildlife experts had to deal with oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico . `` Shy of letting the hatchlings swim in oil , it 's our best alternative , '' said Sandy MacPherson , the national sea turtle coordinator for the Fish and Wildlife Service . `` We 're confident if they go into oil they 're going to die . '' Patrick is working on the second sea turtle nest to be moved since the program started . Ninety percent of the United States ' sea turtle population can be found on Florida 's beaches , according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service . It is estimated that 700 nests can be found in the Florida Panhandle , an area vulnerable to the oil spill . `` This is a huge relocation effort , '' said Thomas Strickland , assistant secretary of interior for fish and wildlife and parks . `` As many as 50 to 100,000 eggs over the next six to eight weeks will be dug up . '' An average nest has anywhere from 100 to 120 eggs . Sea turtles come out of the water a few feet from the coastline and lay their eggs in the warm sand . Loggerhead turtle eggs , the type Patrick is handling , usually hatch within 60 to 70 days . The eggs are moved just over a week before they are expected to hatch . Wildlife officials want to keep the eggs in their natural environment as long as possible . `` Through the eggs it 's believed they actually connect to the landscapes where they were born , '' Strickland said . Once the turtles mature it is hoped that they will return to the original nesting area and the natural birthing cycle will continue . Once Patrick 's two coolers are full , with the nest 's 107 eggs , they will start a journey across the state . A special climate-controlled truck donated by Federal Express will deliver the eggs to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida . The coolers will be stored in a special NASA building that will be regulated to the warm summer temperatures to which the eggs are accustomed . Instead of the beautiful white sandy beach , the hatchlings will be born in the transport coolers . Once they break out of their shells , the warm blue Atlantic Ocean will be awaiting them .
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U.S. wildlife experts are moving sea turtle eggs by hand to save them from the oil disaster . Such a relocation effort has never been done before . They are being taken from Florida Panhandle to Kennedy Space Center . They will be stored in a special NASA building , then released into the Atlantic Ocean .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The group of Hungarian teens and young adults had traveled to the United States to experience American culture during a three-week trip of hiking excursions , overnight retreats , home-stays and tourist stops . Now , the group will return home without two of its members , carrying memories of the tragic boating accident that took their lives . The bodies of Dora Schwendtner , 16 , and Szabolcs Prem , 20 , were recovered from the site of the boating accident in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , on Friday and identified later in the day , according to authorities . The discoveries came two days after a tour boat the group was on collided with a barge in the Delaware River . Rescuers saved 35 people on the tour boat , popularly known as a duck boat , an amphibious vehicle that takes passengers on land and sea to major destinations on Philadelphia 's tourist track . Among those rescued were some of the Hungarians and their hosts from Marshallton United Methodist Church of West Chester , Pennsylvania . Schwendtner and Prem were missing for more than two days before their fate was confirmed . The 15 Hungarians arrived in the United States on July 2 on a cultural exchange program organized by Atlantic Bridge , a Netherlands-based group that describes itself as `` a Christian , international , cross-cultural team with a passion for young people . '' The team of Hungarian `` BridgeBuilders '' came from Mosonmagyarovar , a town in northwest Hungary known for its hot baths and large number of dentists , drawing Austrians from across the border in search of cheap dental work , according to Atlantic Bridge 's website . The leaders of Atlantic Bridge did not respond to e-mails for comment Friday night , but the group 's website provides a loose timeline of the youths ' travels . Representatives from Marshallton United Methodist Church did not return requests for comment Friday night . After the youths arrived in New York they spent the Fourth of July weekend visiting ground zero , Central Park and Chinatown , and celebrating the nation 's birthday with host families , Atlantic Bridge 's director , John Oostdyk , wrote on the organization 's website . On July 6 , they set out in five cars to West Chester , Pennsylvania , to meet their hosts from the Marshallton United Methodist Church for the next leg of their trip . Marshallton sent a youth group to Hungary through Atlantic Bridge in 2006 , and a team from Hungary first came in 2007 , the church said on its website . `` Together the two youth groups share in Christian fellowship and fun , while the visitors stay with host families , and enjoy tours to various cultural and historic places in their respective countries , '' a statement said . The next day , seven members of the church accompanied their Hungarian counterparts on a trip to Philadelphia , where they boarded the `` Ride the Ducks '' tour boat at Penn 's Landing . The boat had mechanical trouble and the engine shut down after a fire onboard , Lt. Frank Vanore of the Philadelphia Police Department said Wednesday . While the boat was waiting for help in the river , the barge hit it , Vanore said . The boat overturned and passengers were spilled into the river . `` When I saw the picture I realized how true it was when someone earlier said ` it is a miracle anyone survived this , ' '' Oostdyk said on Atlantic Bridge 's website . `` Ride the Ducks '' voluntarily shut down operations at all its locations across the country , and the NTSB is investigating the incident . `` Our thoughts and prayers are with our Philadelphia tour guests , crew members and their families . We are attending to their needs first , '' the company said on its website . After the passengers were brought to land , a count was taken and it was discovered that Schwendtner and Prem were missing , the church said . The group went back to Marshallton , where they were looked after by the Rev. Scott Widmer , the church 's pastor , and members of the congregation and community . `` The church is continuing to provide comfort , prayer , pastoral care and sanctuary for the spiritual needs of the youth groups in the midst of their shock and grief , '' Marshallton said on its website . The Hungarian youths are still in Pennsylvania , according to an employee in Atlantic Bridge 's Netherlands office , but it was unclear whether they would stay until their scheduled return on July 23 . On Wednesday , Oostdyk flew to the United States to be with the group . On Thursday , prayer vigils were held at two United Methodist churches in the region , drawing attendees from churches and communities throughout the area . `` It was a world of grief , but also a world of compassion and prayer and of gathering around the team of Hungarian students who had seen their summer of high expectations destroyed in a matter of minutes just 24 hours earlier , '' Oostdyk said .
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Bodies of Dora Schwendtner , Szabolcs Prem , found near site of Pennsylvania boating accident . They were among 15 Hungarians on cultural exchange program with Pennsylvania church . They arrived in the United States July 2 to experience American culture . It is unclear if the rest of the group will stay until scheduled return date of July 23 .
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New Orleans , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As oil again again flows freely , crews are working around the clock to replace a containment cap on the ruptured underwater well in the Gulf of Mexico , BP said Saturday . The company hopes to install a better-fitting one in the coming days , BP senior Vice President Kent Wells said . `` We 're on plan , '' he said hours after the old cap was removed . Live video showed robots in the process of removing six bolts from the apparatus so that the new cap can be positioned . The bolts may all be removed by Sunday . The old cap had been diverting about 15,000 barrels a day -LRB- 630,000 gallons -RRB- to a ship . BP still is recovering an additional 8,000 to 9,000 barrels a day -LRB- 336,000 to 378,000 gallons -RRB- through a line connected to another vessel , the Q4000 . Wells said the sealing cap operation is expected to take four to seven days , with favorable weather helping the process along . In upcoming weeks , there will be an increase in the current oil containment work . A fleet of skimmers will help recover the oil now making its way to the surface . `` As we start to ramp up the additional containment capacity , we should see less and less flow , '' Wells said . Wells said crews are in the final stages of hooking up the Helix Producer , another oil recovery vessel , to the well . The vessel is expected to begin collecting oil by Sunday and officials hope to reach full collection capacity of 20,000 to 25,000 barrels -LRB- 840,000 to 1.5 million gallons -RRB- per day within three days . `` We 're in the final stages in doing the pressure testing '' on the Helix Producer , Wells said . If successful , the effects of the containment cap operation could halt the oil gusher that started April 20 after a deadly explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico . Officials have said such a fix would be temporary , and the permanent solution would still be completion of a relief well . There are two relief wells under construction , with one expected to be completed in August . One could intercept the leaking well as early as the end of July . Over the next two to three weeks , 60,000 to 80,000 barrels -LRB- 2.52 million to 3.36 million gallons -RRB- a day should be contained , Wells said . Scientists estimate that 35,000 to 60,000 barrels of oil are spewing daily from BP 's breached Macondo well . The company also says the sealing cap work `` is intended to run in parallel with the installation and start-up of the Helix Producer . '' BP says there will be a period of decreased oil and gas capture from the wellhead during the cap replacement . It said another recovery vessel , the Q4000 , `` should continue to capture and flare oil and gas . '' There will be other recovery vessels and skimmers deployed . `` This can be done very effectively , '' Wells said . Wells also said there will be `` significant measurement capability '' added to the new cap so officials can get a good idea of the flow rate . BP said in a statement that the new cap `` should improve containment efficiency during hurricane season by allowing shorter disconnect and reconnect times . '' Wells echoed much of what retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said Friday . Allen said he approved the cap-switch plan in order to take advantage of favorable weather predicted for coming days and because , once the switch is complete , the resulting capacity to contain oil `` will be far greater than the capabilities we have achieved using current systems . '' Allen stressed that once the capping device is on , `` we would get the most accurate flow rate to date , '' he said . Meanwhile , Allen on Saturday announced that Rear Adm. Paul Zukunft is scheduled to relieve Rear Adm. James Watson as the federal on-scene coordinator Monday . Zukunft , who has been in the region for several weeks overseeing strategic planning , is the Coast Guard 's assistant commandant for marine safety , security and stewardship . Watson will return to his previous duties . CNN 's Sanjay Gupta , Vivian Kuo and Aaron Cooper contributed to this report .
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NEW : Replacement process is `` on plan , '' BP official says . Old containment cap removed from Gulf well . Switch will take 4 to 7 days during which oil will flow unimpeded . Vessel may start picking up oil Sunday .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Somali Islamist militant movement on Monday claimed responsibility for a trio of bombings that killed at least 74 people Sunday at two venues in the Ugandan capital , Kampala , where crowds had gathered to watch the World Cup final . `` And the best of men have promised and they have delivered , '' said an Arabic statement issued by Al-Shabaab 's press office and obtained by CNN . `` Blessed and exalted among men -- -LRB- taking -RRB- full responsibility . ... We wage war against the 6,000 collaborators ; they have received their response . '' The 6,000 is an apparent reference to African Union peacekeepers in Somalia . Uganda contributes troops to the peacekeeping effort . `` We are behind the attack because we are at war with them , '' Al-Shabaab spokesman Ali Mohamoud Rage told reporters at a news conference in Mogadishu , Somalia . `` We had given warning to the Ugandans to refrain from their involvement in our country . We spoke to the leaders and we spoke to the people and they never listened to us . '' Rage said young suicide bombers carried out the attacks but did not specify their nationalities . `` May Allah accept these martyrs who carried out the blessed operation and exploded themselves in the middle of the infidels , '' he said . However , Police Chief Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura told reporters arrests have been made in connection with the bombings . He would not say how many people have been arrested or provide details . Earlier Monday , Sheikh Abu Al Zubeir , identified as `` the emir of Al-Shabaab in Somalia , '' said in an Arabic website posting , `` My message to the Ugandan and Burundian nations is that you will be the target for our retribution to the massacres perpetrated against the Somali men , women and children in Mogadishu by your forces . '' The statement was posted on an al Qaeda affiliated website that previously has carried statements and videos from Al-Shabaab . The website set up a page Monday to `` receive congratulations '' on Al-Shabaab 's behalf for the `` blessed operations '' in Uganda . Suspicion had centered on Somali Islamist groups shortly after the explosions in Kampala . Islamic militants battling Somalia 's U.N.-backed transitional government had previously threatened attacks on Uganda and Burundi . The U.N. Security Council said of the attacks in a statement Monday : . `` The members of the Security Council reaffirm that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations is criminal and unjustifiable , regardless of its motivation , wherever , whenever and by whomsoever committed , and further reaffirm the need to combat by all means , in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations , threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts . '' Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni declared a week of national mourning for victims of the bombings , beginning Tuesday , according to a government statement . All flags on public buildings will be lowered to half-staff during the mourning period , the statement said . Eighty-five people were injured in the Ugandan blasts , Kayihura told reporters . They were transferred from the national hospital to a privately owned hospital in Kampala , he said . U.S. officials said five Americans were among the wounded . `` This incident shows that it was terrorism , '' he said . Kayihura said he could not confirm that Al-Shabaab was responsible , but said the nature of the explosives used were consistent with the group . Police are using forensics to analyze the explosives , he said , and will deliver a report in a day or two . The 74 fatalities included 28 Ugandans , one Irish citizen , one Indian , one American and 11 people who are either Ethiopian or Eritrean , according to the Ugandan government . `` If you want to fight , why do n't you attack soldiers or military installations instead of fighting innocent people watching football ? '' said Museveni , who on Monday visited a rugby sports center where two of the blasts occurred Sunday . The blasts hit within 50 minutes of each other . The first one struck an Ethiopian restaurant in a neighborhood dotted with bars and popular among expatriates . Two others exploded at the rugby center . A senior Ugandan government official confirmed there were three bombs . The second one at the rugby club was the most severe , said the official , who did not want to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media due to the sensitivity of the situation . The U.S. Embassy confirmed the death of one American . An organization that works with children in Uganda identified him as Nate Henn . In a post on its website , the organization Invisible Children said Henn was in the country working with Ugandan students . CNN could not independently verify the information . `` Nate was not a glory-seeker and never sought the spotlight . He asked not to be made a hero of , '' the post said . `` But the life he lived inspires reflection and imitation . '' U.S. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said five other Americans were hospitalized , and that two of them `` have serious injuries requiring significant medical attention . '' The State Department is assisting in their medical evacuation , he said . Mike Hammer , a spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council , said President Barack Obama is `` deeply saddened by the loss of life resulting from these deplorable and cowardly attacks . '' Obama called Museveni on Monday morning and offered to provide support and assistance , White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said . `` I 'm told the FBI will assist in the investigation of the bombings . '' Crowley said a three-person FBI team is on the ground collecting evidence , with another team standing by ready to assist . Two diplomatic security officers also were en route to Uganda . He added the State Department has no reason to doubt Al-Shabaab 's claim of responsibility , saying the `` evidence so far at the attack scene would suggest an Al-Shabaab connection . '' Museveni said , `` We wish to condemn the criminality of these attacks . From a casual look at the scene , I 'm confident police will be able to reconstruct the crime scene . ... We shall go after them because we know where they come from . '' The bombings , he said , show `` criminality and terrorism has always been hovering over us . '' In a government statement , Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said he `` condemns in the strongest terms the despicable terrorist acts that killed over 60 people in Kampala . '' `` The fact that the victims were enjoying the World Cup reveals the evil and ugly nature of the perpetrators and the need to uproot from -LSB- the -RSB- region those who do not value the sanctity of human life , '' the statement said . `` The president also denounces the fringe Al-Shabaab terrorist groups -LSB- that -RSB- rejoice of the carnage and stated that Somalia mourns with the brotherly people of Uganda . '' Stone Atwine was watching the game at the rugby center when the blast occurred . `` It happened toward the 90th minute of the game ... this loud explosion , '' he said . `` We did n't know what was happening , we were running around , scampering for safety . I saw dead guys still seated in their chairs with blood . '' Atwine said a second explosion struck the venue seconds later , knocking out power . `` At that point , we ran off . My friends and I ran into the car and drove off . '' Relatives flocked to hospitals and mortuaries to look for loved ones Monday . `` I was watching the game with my brother at the rugby center , '' said Ian Lule , who was among a group gathered at a city hospital . `` The blast left him unconscious . I do n't know how he is . '' In the capital , crowds huddled around newspapers , talking in hushed tones . `` Everyone is shocked , everyone is talking about it , '' said Mark Keith Muhumuza , who was watching the game at a stadium near the rubgy center explosion . `` We were in panic mode at the stadium because we thought we would be attacked next . '' Muhumuza said when the game ended , he went to the rugby center . `` People were wailing , some were trying to find their relatives , others were trying to run away from the scene . '' `` You can never stop attacks in the world , '' said FIFA President Sepp Blatter . `` During the World Cup , the world should have been touched by the emotions of football . I 'm very sad and I was very touched . '' `` I deplore what has happened and look forward to the good that football can bring to our world . '' The sites of the bombings remained cordoned off as authorities intensified security in the east African nation . Police and military forces patrolled the capital . Some of the injured at the restaurant included six members of an American church mission working with a local congregation , according to the Rev. Kathleen Kind , pastor of Christ Community United Methodist Church in Selinsgrove , Pennsylvania . All the church members were accounted for and families had been contacted , Kind said . Their injuries ranged from broken bones and flesh wounds to temporary blindness and hearing problems , she said . Kayihura said the bombings could have been avoided if the two venues had used security measures such as metal detectors and guards . The African Union summit is scheduled to be held in Kampala next week . CNN 's Faith Karimi and journalists Samson Ntale , Mohamed Amiin Adow , Naisenya Leposo and Nima Elbagir contributed to this report .
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Eighty-five people wounded in blasts , including five Americans . Somali Islamist militant spokesman says Uganda had been warned . Ugandan president declares week of mourning for victims . Death toll from Uganda bombings at 74 , including one American .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thousands of mourners and supporters crowded hillsides near Srebrenica , Bosnia-Herzegovina , Sunday , to mark the 15th anniversary of the massacre of nearly 8,000 men and boys . More than 50,000 people witnessed the burial of 775 newly identified genocide victims at the Centre Potocari -- the official Srebrenica Genocide Memorial where 5,000 genocide victims are buried -- a few miles outside the city , according to Bosnia-Herzegovina 's official news agency , Fena . In 1995 , Potocari served as a safe-haven for Bosnian Muslims . They were under the protection of a U.N.-Dutch-led mission . The massacre of men and boys occurred when ethnic Serb troops overran the United Nations safe area . The five-day slaughter was the worst European massacre since World War II and was described by the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal as `` the triumph of evil . '' Witnesses , human rights investigators and court testimonies documented the summary executions , as well the rape and murder of women . Sunday 's burial was attended by top international officials , including a U.S. delegation whose members read a statement from President Barack Obama . In the statement , Obama called the Srebrenica massacre an `` unimaginable '' tragedy that has left an indelible `` stain on our collective conscience . '' `` Fifteen years ago today , despite decades of pledges of ` never again , ' 8,000 men and boys were murdered in these fields and hills , '' said in the statement . `` They were brothers , sons , husbands , and fathers , and they all became victims of genocide . '' Obama also called on all governments to `` redouble their efforts '' to find and prosecute those responsible for the tragedy . `` This includes Ratko Mladic , who presided over the killings and remains at large , '' he said , referring to the former Bosnian Serb army commander . Mladic has been charged with genocide and remains a fugitive . Bosnian Serb president Radovan Karadzic is now on trial at the tribunal in The Hague . Fena news agency reported that Boris Tadic , president of Serbia , also attended the burial memorial of the genocide victims and promised to find Serb war criminals . `` I , as the president of Serbia , will never give up finding them , and especially Ratko Mladic . When that ends , I will consider a part of my job completed , '' Tadic said . `` But before that , it is important that people reach out to one another and to continue living as people . A lot of time has passed , and I have done everything possible for Mladic to be arrested , '' he said .
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Obama : Massacre leaves `` stain on our collective conscience '' Thousands watch burial of 775 recently identified genocide victims . Ratko Mladic has been charged with genocide and remains a fugitive . Bosnian Serb president Radovan Karadzic is now on trial at the tribunal in The Hague .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A new audio recording released online Monday purportedly captures another profanity-laced argument between actor Mel Gibson and former girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva , in which he threatens her life and verbally abuses her . RadarOnline released the audio on its website Monday -- the second such recording since another tirade was posted Friday . The site claims the male voice is that of the 54-year-old Gibson . CNN has not independently confirmed the authenticity of the recording . In the audio released Monday , the man on the recording can be heard repeatedly using sexual slurs and profane insults as he grows increasingly enraged throughout the phone conversation . At one point , the man says , `` What , what are you threatening me ? '' after the woman tells him he is `` going to answer '' for an alleged physical assault against her in which her teeth were broken . `` I 'll threaten , '' the man says . `` I 'll put you in the f *** ing rose garden . '' The man also says of the alleged assault : `` You got what you f *** ing deserved . '' In the recording released Friday , the man launches into a racist , sexist rant against the woman , telling her she looks `` like a f *** ing b **** on heat and if you get raped by a pack of n *** ers it will be your fault . '' It 's unclear when either audio recording was captured . Grigorieva , 40 , said the female voice on the recordings is hers and that the other voice is Gibson 's . CNN 's efforts to obtain comment from Gibson have been unsuccessful . Gibson 's longtime publicist , Alan Nierob , said Friday , `` We ca n't comment due to legal nature of the matter . '' Also Friday , the William Morris Endeavor talent agency confirmed to CNN that Gibson is no longer their client . Gibson has been caught in a custody dispute with Grigorieva over the couple 's 8-month-old daughter . Last week , the Malibu Hills Police Department opened an investigation into an alleged domestic violence dispute between Gibson and Grigorieva . Grigorieva filed a restraining order against Gibson alleging that the actor and director struck her in the face , according to her spokesman , Stephen Jaffe . Police said last week that they are still in the process of gathering information surrounding Grigorieva 's allegations . Grigorieva has spoken with sheriff 's deputies and has provided a statement to them in their domestic violence investigation , Jaffe told CNN Friday . The publicist said Grigorieva did not initiate the investigation . The recordings `` will be part of the investigation , '' Los Angeles County Sheriff spokesman Steve Whitmore said on Monday . It is not known how RadarOnline obtained the recordings . Jaffe said Friday that the site did not receive them from Grigorieva . She `` absolutely did not provide any tape to the media , '' he said . Gibson came under fire for a racially charged tirade in 2006 , when he admitted to making anti-Semitic remarks during a drunken driving arrest . He issued an apology at the time , and appealed to the Jewish community to help him recover from his alcohol addiction .
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Recording purportedly captures fight between actor and ex-girlfriend . Site says male voice is that of Mel Gibson . Monday 's audio clip is second to be released in four days . Police investigating domestic violence allegations against Gibson .
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Atlanta , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The curious faces scrutinize the classroom kitchen , where pots and pans dangle from the ceiling and sharp knives glisten on the counter next to heaps of spinach and ripe green peppers . The one-night , hands-on course , called Food 101 , is meant for them . They are the cooking inept , who ca n't properly to chop an onion , let alone sauté a medley of vegetables . First-time student Jessica Clark , 33 , of Atlanta , is attending the course offered by Cook 's Warehouse because she is dubious of her kitchen abilities . She only knows how to prepare grilled chicken and steamed broccoli -LRB- and on some nights canned black beans and rice -RRB- . Her boyfriend is sick of eating the same thing at home . She is sick of eating out . `` I usually make whatever is easy , and I guess that 's not much , '' says Clark , dressed in an apron with her fingers still wet from fumbling through the tomato dicing activity . `` I 've avoided the kitchen for 33 years . '' Cooking dinner ? There 's an app for that . From British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver to First Lady Michelle Obama , a food revolution is brewing in America , a push to return to the bygone days when healthy home-cooked meals were much more frequent . Despite the efforts to get Americans back into the kitchen , there still exists a group of adults in their 20s and 30s -- like Clark -- who are clueless in the kitchen . Ironically , these 20 - and 30-somethings may have stretched their palates while traveling the world and even spend hours watching the cooking shows and `` Top Chef , '' but they are defeated when they enter the kitchen . They do n't own cooking utensils in their Tupperware-filled cabinets . They rely on microwaves , restaurants and takeout menus to feed their empty stomachs . Simply put , they can not cook . `` Lots of people think , read and talk about food , but they do n't know how to do anything , '' said Jennifer Berg , head of the Food Studies program at New York University . `` There is an incredible disconnect to actually knowing how to do something . '' I never learned to cook . No one tracks precisely how many young noncookers exist , but it 's easy to find them . Just ask anyone between the ages of 20 and 40 , and they will shrug and say either they ca n't cook -- or point to a friend who ca n't make anything . They come with plenty of excuses for their cooking incompetence : `` My friends would rather eat out . ... I do n't like cleaning the mess afterwards . ... Cooking for one person is impractical . ... I 'm too busy with my job to cook . ... I live in a city with plenty of affordable restaurant options . ... My New York City kitchen is too small . '' `` I could n't tell if she wanted the big bubbles or little bubbles , '' says Sharita Robertson of Baton Rouge , Louisiana , reflecting back on a time in her early 20s when a friend asked her to boil some eggs . Robertson never had to boil anything before her friend asked her . She admits her mother cooked meals for her growing up , but she does n't know why she never learned . `` I just never had to do any of it , '' she says . Robertson , now 30 , has a 7-year-old daughter , but she rarely prepares anything more complicated than opening a jar of spaghetti sauce and boxed pasta . One time , she tried to fry some chicken , but the attempt ended with a disastrous blister on her leg . Most of the time , her mother cooks for her daughter . Restaurants , processed foods take over . At all ages , there are individuals who can not cook . But NYU food studies expert Jennifer Berg theorizes the group of 20 - and 30-somethings ca n't cook mainly because of a dependence on processed foods that took hold in the 1970s . Greasy snacks , frozen dinners and instant soups flooded the marketplace , replacing traditional home cooking as mothers joined the workplace . During this period , the feminist movement grew stronger , Berg explained . A stigma formed around mothers who cooked meals from scratch . They were labeled domesticated women tied to the household , Berg said . Home economics classes were out , working mothers were in . And so , Berg says a generation of children never learned from their mothers how to cook . Another reason why some people can not cook , some food experts believe , is that the restaurant culture took hold of the American family . Dual incomes made restaurants more affordable to the growing middle class . In particular , fast food chains such as McDonald , Pizza Hut and Burger King began invading almost every community in America . Nearly half of spending on food in the American family went to `` food away from home '' in 2008 , according to theU.S . Department of Agriculture 's Economic Research Service . In 1970 , about 30 percent of food dollars were spent away from home . `` If you have a great food scene and so many affordable options , then you do n't need to necessarily be in your own kitchen , '' said Amy Cao , 26 , a food writer who created the AmyBlogsChow.com . `` Cooking is no longer a survival tactic . '' Cao 26 , admits on her blog that she can not cook even though her job is to dine and review restaurants across New York City . Her inability to cook inspired her video series called `` Stupidly Simple Snacks '' on her blog , where she helps young noncookers learn how to prepare a quick snack . In one of her fast-paced , three-minute online videos , she looks uncomfortable in the kitchen as she teaches her viewers how to make a Greek salad that only requires putting chopped tomatoes , cucumbers , olives and feta cheese in a large mixing bowl . She struggles to use the pepper grinder , and then casually tops the salad with balsamic vinegar and a few pinches of salt . Cao hopes the simple recipe can make cooking less daunting for young folks like herself . The great obesity war . Studies have shown that eating out usually consumes more calories than cooking at home , which has complicated the obesity epidemic . About 34 percent of adults in the United States are considered obese , defined as having a BMI 30 or higher , according to the CDC . The obesity epidemic has motivated the food reform efforts by Jamie Oliver and Michelle Obama . `` If you do n't know how to cook , then you have no options , '' writes Oliver to CNN . `` You 're forced into a series of bad choices and a diet of mostly processed foods ... cooking skills are life skills and just as important as knowing how to manage your money . '' In the March edition of Newsweek , first lady Michelle Obama , who has embarked on the fight against child obesity , wrote about the lack of healthy home cooking . `` Back when many of us were growing up , we led lives that kept most of us at a pretty healthy weight , '' she wrote . `` We walked to school every day , ran around at recess and gym and for hours before dinner , and ate home-cooked meals that always seemed to have a vegetable on the plate . '' A cooking comeback ? Some food experts argue a revival of cooking has emerged among the young adults , both male and female , over the last decade . The Internet is loaded with young foodies , blogging and posting about their culinary adventures . The popular Food Netwook will launch the Cooking Channel this month , a trendier sister channel that targets younger audiences . Cao writes on her blog that she 's trying to learn to cook for the sake of her health and wallet . Several weeks ago she learned to bake tarragon chicken . It 's a recipe that took three times to get right . She mashed the spices into the butter and then coated the chicken breast all by herself . Barbara Fairchild , editor of Bon Appetit magazine , said she 's noticed subscriptions jumped among 20 - to 30-year-olds over the past few years . `` Cooking is hip now , '' she said . `` It 's not just for someone with a French accent who is 70 years old and lives in Paris . It 's become much more inclusive . '' Back in the Cook 's Warehouse classroom kitchen in Atlanta , there is only one bloody finger by the end of the night from a dicing and chopping exercise . The steam from the freshly made vegetable stock is simmering in the pot . A steak is being seared on a pan in a homemade sauce . The students are eager to enjoy a home-cooked meal . Clark says she is inspired by the course . No more chicken and steamed broccoli . With some basic cooking skills , she 's going to throw her friends a dinner party , all from scratch .
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Ushered by Jamie Oliver and others , there 's a push to get Americans back into the kitchen . A lot of 20 - and 30-somethings have no idea how to cook . Food experts : Restaurants , processed foods took a toll on home cooking . Food shows and food blogging have become popular in the past decade .
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Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The top U.S. military officer is reassuring his Pakistani counterpart that the U.S. military is not pressuring the Pakistani army to increase its operations against the Taliban there , a senior U.S. military official said . The message comes as the United States has turned up independent evidence that ties the suspect in the attempted bombing in New York 's Times Square to the insurgent group . It stands in sharp contrast to tough talk from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , who warned of `` consequences '' if the Times Square plot is linked to elements in Pakistan . Adm. Michael Mullen , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , called Gen. Ashfaq Kayani , chief of the Pakistani army , to discuss the matter Sunday . Mullen called to `` reassure Kayani we are not trying to pressure him as a result of this case , '' a senior U.S. military official said . `` Mullen did n't call to say , ` You got ta do more because this Pakistani-American was trained on your territory . ' '' Gen. Stanley McChrystal , commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan , met with Kayani as well , and his spokesman denied McChrystal made any effort to pressure the Pakistani official . Clinton publicly took a tougher line , saying on the CBS program `` 60 Minutes '' : `` We 've made it very clear that if -- heaven forbid -- an attack like this that we can trace back to Pakistan were to have been successful , there would be very severe consequences . '' The senior U.S. military official was adamant in saying the U.S. military is not trying to make the Pakistanis accelerate their timetable to move against Taliban strongholds in North Waziristan , a border region long believed to be sheltering al Qaeda and Taliban militants . Kayani has repeatedly said his troops would not expand their operations into North Waziristan until they have finished operations in other areas . `` We are very comfortable with the work they have been doing and where they are at the moment , '' the senior official said . Other senior military officials offer the same assessment . The military official said the current view has been reached even as intelligence increasingly indicates the Times Square bombing plot suspect , Faisal Shahzad , had `` strong links '' to the Pakistani Taliban . `` We believe right now the Pakistanis are doing everything they can , '' the U.S. military official said . He declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the situation . The United States now has independent intelligence to indicate Shahzad had ties to the Pakistani Taliban , according to a U.S. official . The official could not be identified because he is not authorized to speak publicly . The independent confirmation is important because it gives the U.S. law enforcement and intelligence community a better understanding of Shahzad 's activities without just following leads based on his interrogation . The official said the United States is still trying to figure out `` how deep '' Shahzad 's links are to the Pakistani Taliban and `` how high up '' his connections go into the organization . But he emphasized that public statements by top U.S. officials about Shahzad and the Pakistani Taliban are `` not just based on what Shahzad is saying . '' He would not discuss additional details about the other intelligence streams of information . `` People are looking into other streams of intelligence that point in a serious way to links to the -LSB- Pakistani Taliban -RSB- , '' the official said . President Obama 's top counterterrorism adviser , John Brennan , said Sunday , `` It looks like he was working on behalf of the Tariki Taliban Pakistan , the TTP , that 's the Pakistan Taliban . This is a group that is closely allied with al Qaeda . '' U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder , speaking on NBC 's `` Meet the Press '' on Sunday , went further , saying that the plot was directed by the Pakistani Taliban . `` We know that they helped facilitate it ; we know that they helped direct it , '' Holder said . `` And I suspect that we are going to come up with evidence which shows that they helped to finance it . They were intimately involved in this plot . '' The U.S. official also said the United States is trying to get a better understanding of the TTP 's own source of financing . While acknowledging the risk posed by a single Taliban operative , he also said there are indications the TTP lacks extensive financial resources and it 's not clear it could set up an extensive operation in the United States . If U.S. intelligence can determine and isolate a target precisely tied to Shahzad , such as the training areas where he might have been sheltered , the most likely scenario is that the U.S. government would call in drone strikes to ensure any lethal action is as precise as possible and potential civilian casualties are minimized , several officials have told CNN . In other news from the region , the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan says the relationship between the United States and Afghanistan is as strong as it 's ever been . At a White House news conference Monday , Karl Eikenberry acknowledged that there have been `` ups and downs '' in the relationship with Afghan President Hamid Karzai . But Eikenberry said he expected the two countries `` to be able to work our way through difficulties and come back together and still find ourselves well-aligned '' as a result of Karzai 's visit to Washington this week to meet with Obama . Also at the news conference , McChrystal said there will be increased violence in Afghanistan `` as our combined security forces expand into Taliban-controlled areas '' in the south .
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U.S. secretary of state had warned about Pakistan links to Times Square plot . U.S. Joint Chiefs chairman discussed matter with chief of Pakistani army . Senior U.S. military official says U.S. `` not trying to pressure him as a result of this case '' U.S. intelligence indicates suspect in failed bombing had ties to Pakistani Taliban .
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Vancouver , British Columbia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- There was no way he should have been on that medal stand . Going into the final turn of Saturday night 's 1,500-meter short-track speed skating final , J.R. Celski was fifth . The South Korean skaters had a firm grasp on the gold , silver and bronze . And then inexplicably , two of the South Koreans crashed , and the 19-year-old Celski followed teammate Apolo Anton Ohno across the finish line to stunningly finish second and third . Kind of a miracle , but Celski has overcome much bigger odds . Five months ago , it would have impossible for someone to think Celski could win a medal , or even be here . He lay on the ice after a full-speed crash at the U.S. Trials , bleeding profusely , his left thigh sliced open by a skate blade . The cut was six inches wide and two inches deep . It would require 60 stitches . But first he had to remove the blade , which was still stuck in his leg . There was so much blood , he wondered if he was going to skate again . He did n't know it at the time , but the gash was just an inch from the main artery in his leg . Fortunately , the blade only cut muscle . `` When I was laying on that ice , I was in defeat at first , '' he said Sunday . `` I thought my whole career was over . But I guess in those moments is where we truly define ourselves . '' At the hospital , Celski asked someone to take a photo of the gash . It is a nasty picture , and while Celski is keen to show it to anyone who will have a look , it is the only time he reflects on the injury . `` After it happened , I knew I needed to get back on my feet , and the way to do that was to not think about it , '' he said . Celski jumped right into rehabilitation under the care of Dr. Eric Heiden , the speed skating legend who is now an orthopedic surgeon , and then Dr. Bill Moreau , the director for sports medicine clinics for the U.S. Olympic Committee . `` There are never any guarantees with an injury like this , but I will say this : Whatever happens to J.R. , it will not be because of a lack of effort . He is working so , so hard , '' Moreau told freelance writer Joanne C. Gerstner in early November . By October , Celski was able to throw away his crutches . Though he still could n't skate , he stayed motivated by going down to a rink near his place at the training center in Colorado and watching the skaters from a local club . He finally got back on the ice on November 16 , just eight weeks before the Olympics . It was difficult for him , and he was tentative and he skated very slowly , he said . `` I did have flashbacks at first , '' he said . He even fell a few times during training , which was a good thing because it helped his mental recovery . He found a toughness inside , he said , and his family helped immensely . It was as important as his physical rehabilitation . Before his injury , Celski was the heir apparent to now six-time medallist Ohno . Before his first Olympic race , his first since the crash , he was just a question mark . Now , with two races , the 1,000 meters on Saturday and the 5,000-meter relay on February 26 remaining , he 's a remarkable comeback story with an unending smile and a most unusual picture on his iPhone .
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J.R. Celski takes bronze in the 1,500-meter short-track speed skating at Olympics . Two of the South Koreans leading the group unexpectedly crash in race . Five months ago , Celski 's left thigh was sliced opened by skate blade . He returned to the ice for first time just eight weeks before the Olympics .
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Kathmandu , Nepal -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Facing political pressure , Madhav Kumar Nepal announced Wednesday that he is resigning as Nepal 's prime minister . In a 20-minute televised address , Nepal said he wanted to avert crisis and find `` political resolution to the peace process and the drafting of the new constitution . '' `` Since it is not right to keep the country in a state of indecision and uncertainty , despite having a clear majority in parliament , I have decided to resign today so that the peace process and the constitution drafting process are completed , '' he said . Nepal has endured a fractious political transition since it was declared a republic in 2008 after the abolition of a centuries-old monarchy . This is the third government that has fallen since then . The opposition Maoists , who form the largest party in parliament , have demanded Nepal 's resignation as the troubled Himalayan nation prepares a new constitution . Otherwise , the Maoists had threatened to disrupt the parliamentary session and block approval of the annual budget . The failure to adopt a new constitution by the late May deadline would have automatically dissolved the government . But the Maoists agreed to let the government amend the constitution and extend the deadline by a year . In exchange , the Maoists wanted the prime minister to step down so they could lead the government again . The Maoists fought a decade-long insurgency in an effort to topple Nepal 's monarchy , leaving more than 13,000 people dead . They signed a peace deal in 2006 . Elections in April 2008 made Nepal a republic and dethroned the king . The Maoists were the largest party in the previous coalition government , but their leader , Pushpa Kamal Dahal -- commonly known as Prachanda -- resigned as prime minister a year ago because the president overturned his decision to fire a senrio military official . The Maoists declined to join the next coalition government under Nepal 's leadership , upset that the government was not making moves to integrate about 19,000 former rebels into the Nepalese army . The government has been reluctant to integrate its former enemies . It 's unclear who will succeed Nepal as the next prime minister . Journalist Manesh Shrestha contributed to this report .
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Madhav Kumar Nepal announced he was quitting in a televised address . He was under political pressure to avert a national crisis . The Maoists , who fought a 10-year insurgency , form the largest political party in Nepal . The Maoists had threatened to block approval of a new constitution .
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MacDILL AIR FORCE BASE , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- No piece of equipment is more crucial to a soldier in the field than his rifle . And America 's most elite troops are about to get a new series of rifles designed for their unique and dangerous missions . CNN was given an exclusive look at two new rifles for an elite group of U.S. troops . `` The difference is , I 'm gon na have a weapon that 's gon na fit the situation , '' an Army Ranger staff sergeant said . Special Operations Command -LRB- SOCOM -RRB- is about to start training its SEALs , Green Berets and other Special Operations troops in the use of Mark 16 and Mark 17 rifles . Within a year , the new rifles should be in action against terrorists and insurgents in Iraq , Afghanistan and hot spots the public may never hear about . The usually secretive SOCOM gave CNN an exclusive chance to see and even fire the new weapon recently at its headquarters near Tampa , Florida . Watch a preview of the new weapons '' The contractors working with SOCOM to develop the weapon say it is more versatile and more accurate , jams less and lasts longer than the current rifle used by many Special Operations troops , the M-4 . The Mark 16 -LRB- Mk16 -RRB- fires a 5.56 mm round , the same size used for decades in M-16s and M-4s . The Mk17 fires a larger 7.62 mm round that is used in some U.S. military machine guns , but it 's not the same round as in the AK-47 , the world 's most widely used assault rifle . Both of the new rifles are designed to kill regardless of the situation . `` Whether that 's a soft target , a guy without body armor , or whether that 's an enemy force within a vehicle that you need to shoot through a window or the side of the vehicle and you want to ensure that round is not deflected , '' said Tucker Campion , a retired Navy SEAL who now is a civilian contractor working on the new rifles . `` We want a round that , when it hits the enemy soldier , provides the maximum amount of damage . '' Even though they fire different-size bullets , each rifle is largely interchangeable with the other . By changing only a few parts , including the bolt and the barrel , a soldier can switch from a gun that fires the lighter 5.56 mm round to one that shoots the heavier 7.62 mm round in a matter of minutes . That 's just one example of the rifle 's versatility . Each gun comes with three interchangeable barrels , and each gives the troops a specific advantage . `` If you were going to clear an urban environment , buildings , rooms , you 'd probably throw the short barrel on there , '' the staff sergeant said . CNN is honoring the Ranger 's request not to identify him , because in battle , anonymity is crucial for Special Operations troops . `` If you 're in Afghanistan and you 're walking in the mountains and the hills and all that , and your distance is going to be a lot greater to the enemy , and you 're probably going to want to throw the longer barrel on there so you get that extra reach , '' the Ranger said . Even though the rifles fire the same bullets as existing weapons , they are designed to be much more accurate . `` If you look at a current inventory assault rifle , you get 350 to 400 meters , '' Campion said of their range of accuracy . `` Put a long barrel in -LRB- the new rifle -RRB- , and now you 're at 6 to 7 -LRB- hundred meters -RRB- . So we 're extending the standoff between us and the enemy . '' A longer standoff means an American can shoot an enemy soldier from farther away ; thus , the American is safer . One of the main goals was to design a gun that lasts longer . Campion says the M-4 is designed to fire 6,000 rounds over five years . But the Mk16 and Mk17 were designed for Special Operations , who are likely to fire 6,000 rounds in less than one year . The new rifles are designed to handle the greater rate of use and last twice as long . The design changes that make the Mk16 and Mk17 last longer also make them more reliable . Nothing is worse for a GI in battle than for his rifle to jam at the wrong moment , but it happens with all kinds of guns . These new rifles are designed to reduce those jamming problems as much as possible . The new rifle also comes in a Mk13 model , which includes a grenade launcher mounted below the barrel . To those who will use the rifles in the field , what they need first and foremost from the new weapons is success . E-mail to a friend .
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Military will train an elite group of troops with versatile new rifles . Mark 16 , Mark 17 rifles designed for their unique and dangerous missions . Usually secretive Special Operation Command gave CNN an exclusive look . The new rifles are designed to handle the greater rate of use and last twice as long .
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LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Britain 's Queen Elizabeth celebrates her 82nd birthday Saturday with a parade and military ceremony known as `` Trooping the Color . '' Britain 's Queen Elizabeth attends the Derby Festival at Epson Downs horse race course on June 7 . The queen 's birthday is actually April 21 , but she officially celebrates it every year on a Saturday in June when good weather is more likely , according to Buckingham Palace . During the ceremony , which is open to the public , the queen inspects the troops . They then march past the queen , who rides in a carriage back to the palace . The Royal Air Force then conducts a colorful fly-past over Buckingham Palace while the queen and her family watch from the balcony . The queen has attended Trooping the Color every year of her reign except for one -- 1955 , when a national rail strike canceled the event , the palace says . The ceremony gets its name from a tradition where colors of the battalion were carried , or `` trooped , '' down the ranks so they could be seen and recognized by the soldiers , Buckingham Palace says .
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Queen 's April birthday is celebrated in June to enjoy good weather . Parade , military ceremony will mark royal birthday . Troop inspection , flyover by Royal Air Force , part of ceremonies .
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Vancouver , British Columbia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Many kids dream of being in the Olympics one day . When U.S. bobsledder Bill Schuffenhauer was a child in Salt Lake City , Utah , he had no idea the Olympics even existed . All he knew was his parents were drug addicts , that his mother was a prostitute who was often beaten in front of him . He knew that if he was going to survive , he had to do whatever it took to make it . He stole from people ; he ate from garbage cans ; he got locked up in juvenile detention for breaking into a bike shop when he was trying to get something he could sell for money so he could eat . He had few friends , most of them acquaintances of his mother or the other street kids , many of whom were in gangs . His mom and stepfather were constantly getting evicted . When he was n't homeless and living in a park , he lived in foster homes . He skipped school a lot . He drank and got high on weed . Life was hard and at times terrifying , and he dreamed of finding a real home . `` I knew that there was something better , '' Schuffenhauer , 36 , said last week as he readied for his third Olympic Games . `` And although there were a lot of horrible things that happened , it 's made me a stronger person . '' Just around the time he was entering junior high , Schuffenhauer 's maternal grandmother , Sadie Muniz , took him . She lived in the town of Roy , Utah , about 30 minutes north of Salt Lake City . As tears began to build , he talked about her steadying influence and how she was always there to pull him up or pull him back when he started messing up again . `` She reminded me to never give up and always push on , '' he said . Inspired by her , he began to go to school regularly , even though this multi-ethnic kid stuck out because of his big afro and his shabby clothes . He had one thing that helped him fit in . He could run fast . Something he had relied on to escape the dangers of the streets -- and the cops -- would lead him away from his terrible past . Track and field was to be a turning point ; he had real friends now and the parents of one of his teammates eventually would adopt him . His coaches told him he had the talent to be an Olympian . Fueled by that dream , he worked hard in school and in becoming a decathlete . He went to Weber State University and while there he won the junior nationals in 1992 . In 2000 he was preparing for the Olympic trials when his track career came to a painful end . An oft-injured ankle failed him again , and hurting so bad he could n't walk , he had to give up on his dream of going to Sydney . He was crushed , but as he will often remind you , his upbringing , or lack thereof , taught him to be strong . His conversion to bobsledder came thanks to a friend who told him there was a new track in Park City where the U.S. team was training for the 2002 Winter Olympics . He went down there to check it out and kept going back until the bobsledders noticed the 6-foot , 200-pounder and asked him if he wanted to try out as a pusher . He joined the team and raced periodically but was n't a regular member until fate seemingly stepped in . One of the Olympic team members on the top U.S. four-man team tested positive for steroids , so Schuffenhauer was called into duty . That crew , piloted by Todd Hays , won a silver medal at the Salt Lake Games . Schuffenhauer retired from bobsledding after the 2006 Torino Games , where he was part of the two-man team that finished 14th . He had two children and a girlfriend , Ruthann Savage , whom he met in 2004 , and he felt responsible for them . Supporting a family on the meager money bobsledders get was impossible , and it was time to find a job and settle down in Utah . That worked for two years , until the desire to compete came back when he saw the team racing at Park City . He became obsessed with going to Vancouver . He and Savage had to solve a dilemma : either he would give up on the idea of another Olympics or he would go back to full-time training with the team . It was a risky move ; if he left he was n't guaranteed a spot on an Olympic sled . Now in his mid-30s , he 'd be challenged by pushers much younger than him . `` It 's been amazing that she 's been able to stand by me , '' he said of Savage , now his fiancée . `` She 's the financial supporter of my life . She 's having to sacrifice to make my dreams come true . '' But Savage is a nurse , and her salary was n't enough to pay the mortgage on the home they bought shortly after they first met . They were n't able to pay the loan on one of their cars either . The bank kicked them out , and Savage and the kids moved into a rental while Schuffenhauer went away for seven months at a time . Schuffenhauer tried raising money from sponsors . The owners of the store where he was caught stealing as a youth offered him one of their bikes to raffle off . But with the economy in free fall , he barely sold any tickets . There are still tickets available on his Web site , billschuffenhauer.com . And other companies did n't have the extra funds to give . It got worse . At the beginning of the 2008-2009 season , Schuffenhauer suffered a serious injury , two herniated disks in his neck , that made it difficult to use his arms to push the sled . He remained resolute that he would make the Olympics even though he was now an alternate . He worked closely with a chiropractor and a team physician to get back on track . In January , a healthy Schuffenhauer and his USA3 teammates went to a race in St. Moritz , Switzerland , with a very outside chance of qualifying for the Olympics . They finished sixth in the event , and Schuffenhauer 's dream was realized . `` The dream is happening right now . I 'm here . That 's all I wanted , '' he said . Then he added , `` It would be nice to get a medal of any color . '' It is improbable his team will medal in the four-man competition , which begins Friday . But Schuffenhauer has faced improbable many times before . And even though many people come up to him to tell him how he is a hero , he ca n't see it that way . He figures himself just a regular guy who had a goal and was able to achieve it . Heroes are teachers and doctors , he said . After the Games , Schuffenhauer plans to return home , find work , take online classes towards a sports science degree and move to the next chapter of his life . Asked if those chapters will take written form one day , he said he had considered it , but right now he has a family to return to . And family is what matters most of all .
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As a child , bobsledder Bill Schuffenhauer often lived on the streets . His mother and stepfather were addicts . He turned to athletics in junior high and became a star decathlete . After his track career ended , he tried out and made bobsled team that won silver in 2002 .
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Beijing , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- There 's no reason China 's spat with Internet search giant Google should hurt relations with the United States , China 's foreign ministry said Tuesday . A day earlier , Google announced that it had stopped censoring search results in China . `` The Google incident is just an individual action taken by one company . I ca n't see it having any impact on Sino-U.S. relations , unless someone wants to politicize it , '' foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Tuesday . `` It is not the image of China that has been undermined , rather it is that of Google . '' Google 's announcement came amid speculation that the search giant would pull out of China entirely . In a post on its official blog , Google said it stopped running the censored Google.cn service on Monday and was routing its Chinese users to an uncensored version of Google based in Hong Kong . The special administrative region offers more freedom than mainland China . `` We want as many people in the world as possible to have access to our services , including users in mainland China , yet the Chinese government has been crystal clear throughout our discussions that self-censorship is a non-negotiable legal requirement , '' Senior Vice President David Drummond , Google 's chief legal officer , said on the blog . Google hopes the move `` will meaningfully increase access to information for people in China , '' Drummond wrote . `` We very much hope that the Chinese government respects our decision , though we are well aware that it could at any time block access to our services , '' he added . Google said it would monitor whether access to the site is blocked in mainland China . Early reports from China suggested that the government was already restricting access to Google 's Hong Kong-based site , said Eddan Katz , international affairs director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation . `` We 've already heard indications that visitors to Google.hk are getting ` ca n't find page ' errors , '' said Katz , whose group promotes free speech online . The company on Monday also launched a dashboard page , which it promises to update daily , that will show which Google services are available in China . According to the page , YouTube , Google Sites and Google 's Blogger apps were blocked Monday afternoon . Observers said Google 's actions amount to a withdrawal from China and highlights expectations that the government will censor search results . Ron Deibert , director of the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto 's Munk Centre , which studies the intersection of digital policy and human rights , said Google 's move did n't come as a surprise . `` It 's become unsustainable for Google to operate in this environment , '' he said . `` They 've made a decision that the risks are too great for them , so they 're going to pull out . '' Google launched Google.cn in 2006 . That enterprise prompted complaints that the company was sacrificing Web freedoms by complying with Chinese censorship in return for access to a huge market . The company , whose slogan is `` Do n't be evil , '' countered that operating in limited form gave Chinese users more information than than they would have had otherwise . Google also hoped its presence would advance online freedom in China . In January , Google announced that the company and at least 20 others were victims of a `` highly sophisticated and targeted -LSB- hacking -RSB- attack '' originating in China in mid-December , evidently to gain access to the e-mail accounts of Chinese human rights activists . The company said the attacker or attackers gained access to the header -- or subject-line information -- from the e-mails of two human rights activists through the Google network . Google-China move hurts businesses , academics . In a speech on Internet freedom and security in January , U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged China to investigate such attacks and accusations of government involvement , saying they raised `` very serious concerns . '' China rejected the claims . `` Accusation that the Chinese government participated in -LSB- any -RSB- cyber attack , either in an explicit or inexplicit way , is groundless and aims to denigrate China , '' the official Xinhua News Agency quoted a spokesman for the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology as saying . `` We are firmly opposed to that . '' As a result of the attack , Google said , it was no longer willing to abide by the filters that the Chinese government demanded . Briefly afterward , Google.cn was retrieving results for sensitive topics , including the 1989 crackdown at Tiananmen Square , the Dalai Lama and the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement . But about a day later , search results appeared to return to normal . It 's not just China -- Google censors results elsewhere , too . Advocates of Internet freedoms cheered Google 's move Monday . `` It demonstrates that a company like Google , with the business stakes in a market as large as China , can make the decision that free and open Internet is a better business alternative and a better ethical choice for its users , '' Katz said . Internet users gravitate toward sites with unrestricted information , he said . `` This is an example of how the genie ca n't be put back in the bottle . '' Deibert , who co-founded the OpenNet Initiative , said China might go further as a next step : blocking all outside search engines from accessing Web information in the country . `` If such a radical measure happens , that would have major implications for cyberspace as a whole , '' he said . `` It would point to a more regionalized Internet '' and perhaps embolden countries such as Iran to follow suit , Deibert said . Google.cn is the preferred search tool for about 13 percent of Chinese Web users , according to a state-sponsored survey . Baidu.com , a government-friendly Chinese search engine , dominates mainland China with about 77 percent of users , the survey said . Google 's announcement had been widely anticipated . Internet companies operating in China face a March 31 deadline to renew licenses to do business there , according to the Beijing Communications Administration . The blog post by Drummond said Google plans to continue research and development work in China and to maintain a limited sales presence there . In an apparent attempt to protect Google employees in China , the post said the decision was made by Google 's top brass in the United States . `` Despite all the uncertainty and difficulties they have faced since we made our announcement in January , -LSB- Google 's China employees -RSB- have continued to focus on serving our Chinese users and customers , '' the blog said . `` We are immensely proud of them . '' CNN 's John Vause , Doug Gross and Brandon Griggs contributed to this report .
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Dispute over censorship an isolated issue , foreign ministry spokesman says . Google routing Chinese users to site based in less restrictive Hong Kong . Decision fuels speculation that Google will pull out of China altogether . China could block all outside search engines ' access to info inside China .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- About as mature as a third-grade boy , the comedy web series `` The Annoying Orange '' proves once again that everyone secretly loves corny jokes . The semi-animated shorts , appearing on YouTube and elsewhere , generally feature the titular orange talking to another food , such as an apple or a pizza . The daft but relentless orange pelts them with asinine jokes , including those of the classic `` Orange you glad ? '' variety . Launched earlier this year by animator Daneboe of GagFilms , `` Annoying Orange '' has amassed a hefty 137 million views . What does the unlikely success of `` Annoying Orange , '' say about the web , and entertainment in general ? 1 . Short is in . The average Annoying Orange episode is about a minute . It is simple , bite-sized and addictive -- practically requiring people to jump from one show to the next . 2 . The web 's a money-maker . Internet businesses make it easier for free web series like `` Annoying Orange '' to make an actual profit . Fans can visit the `` Annoying Orange '' YouTube page for t-shirts done by SpreadShirt and , via YouTube 's ad program , Daneboe can make money on every view . It may be pennies on each visit , but it becomes serious dough when you 're talking millions of visits . `` Annoying Orange '' holds several top 20 spots on YouTube , including among the most-subscribed channels of all time . 3 . People are noticing . The biggest proof of impact might be what some call a rip-off of the series in TV ads for Nabisco Cheez-Its . Set in a lab , a food scientist is verbally insulted by a wheel of cheddar cheese which he deems not `` mature '' enough . Should the `` Annoying Orange '' team be getting a payoff from Nabisco?Judge for yourself .
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The semi-animated shorts feature an orange talking to another food . Annoying Orange has amassed 137 million views and is highly ranked on YouTube . Internet businesses make it easier for free web series like Orange to make a profit .
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WASHINGTON -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Angelina Jolie was on a stage Thursday but was n't performing . Instead , she paid tribute to the millions of uprooted people across the globe made homeless by war . Angelina Jolie said that sheltering countries can learn from the way refugees survive their difficulties . A U.N. goodwill ambassador , Jolie was in Washington to observe World Refugee Day , an annual event that falls on Saturday this year . The poignant ceremony was sponsored by the United Nations refugee agency . Tears flowed as refugees and displaced people shared their harrowing experiences and advocates related what they 'd seen in refugee camps . `` I believe we must persuade the world that refugees must not be simply viewed as a burden , '' she said . `` They are the survivors . And they can bring those qualities to the service of their communities and the countries that shelter them . '' Jolie spoke of her visits to refugee camps in Tanzania and Pakistan . She met a boy about 15 years old in a Tanzanian refugee camp who , without a wheelchair , had to crawl since a shot in the back paralyzed him . His family was killed , leaving him as an orphan . Yet when he spoke with her , he did it with a smile . `` He had this really remarkable , unbreakable spirit , '' she told CNN 's Anderson Cooper after the event at the National Geographic Museum . `` I think of him and I ca n't complain about anything ... he was grateful and he had nothing and suffered everything . '' The boy died a few months after she met him , Jolie said . According to a U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees survey of displacement trends in 2008 , there are 42 million uprooted people -- 15.2 million were refugees , 26 million were internally displaced people and 827,000 were asylum seekers . Afghans and Iraqis constituted almost half of all refugees worldwide . One out of four refugees was from Afghanistan , and 69 countries accepted Afghan refugees for asylum , agency officials found . Jolie recounted her meeting with a pregnant Afghan refugee . She lived in a small , roofless dirt house in an abandoned refugee camp in Pakistan and could not leave with the others because she was too far along in her pregnancy . Pakistan struggles with the largest refugee population in the world , about 1.8 million , according to the United Nations . The country also has more than 2 million internally displaced citizens , largely because of the fighting between the Pakistani military and the Taliban since April . Antonio Guterres , head of the U.N. 's refugee agency , elaborated on the plight of displaced people at the event . He said internally displaced people `` face the same plight -LSB- as refugees -RSB- . They have lost the same as refugees . They do n't have the same international protections granted to refugees . '' Conflicts like those in Pakistan , Sri Lanka and Somalia have caused more people to flee their homes , though the number of displaced people declined by about 700,000 in 2008 , the report said . Recent fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Somalia last year brought total displacement in each to 1.5 million and 1.3 million , respectively . More than 2 million internally displaced people were in Sudan 's Darfur region , according to the report . When a genocide targeting Tutsis in Rwanda in 1994 later spilled over into the Democratic Republic of the Congo , Rose Mapendo , a Tutsi , was caught in the middle . She spoke at the event and described her ordeal . Mapendo , her husband and seven children were thrown into a death camp , where her husband was executed and her children starved , she said through tears . While at the prison , she learned that she was pregnant . She gave birth in silence , on a concrete floor , Mapendo said . To her surprise , she had twins , and to her captors ' surprise , she named her newborns after them . Soon after her gesture toward the prison commanders , her family was freed after their 16-month ordeal . Mapendo , named a CNN Hero in October , created Mapendo International , a nonprofit dedicated to identifying , saving and resettling endangered refugees . She was named humanitarian of the year at the event by the U.N. agency . `` I want to encourage the refugees do n't give up , '' she said . Giving up `` is not an option . '' CNN 's Khadijah Rentas , Shalina Wadhwani and Paul Courson contributed to this report .
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Actress , U.N. goodwill ambassador spoke of visits to Tanzania , Pakistan camps . Chief of U.N. refugee agency elaborated on the plight of displaced people . Conflicts in Pakistan , Sri Lanka , Somalia have caused people to flee their homes . Tutsi described her ordeal amid slaughter in Democratic Republic of Congo .
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Seoul , South Korea -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- CNN takes an in-depth look at South Korea , including how the nation is working to become a brand leader on an international scale and on how the nation is recovering from the global economic recession . Included in the coverage are looks at architecture , cars , cuisine and the business climate in the East Asian nation . In addition to its `` Eye on South Korea '' coverage , CNN International 's interview program `` Talk Asia '' will feature Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung starting Wednesday and K-pop icon and actor Rain . Among the highlights of the coverage has been South Korea 's first lady offering her tips on her nation 's cuisine to CNN anchor and correspondent Kristie Lu Stout . CNN 's Kyung Lah also takes a look at hour South Korea is revamping its economy to environmental-themed businesses .
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CNN 's `` Eye on South Korea '' programming focuses on East Asian nation . Issues covered range from business to lifestyle topics . South Korean first lady provides personal look at nation 's cuisine .
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Woods Hole , Massachusetts -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Our need for oil almost wiped out the sperm whale once , and now our insatiable hunger for it threatens them again . Sperm whales were hunted in the Gulf of Mexico in the 18th and 19th centuries for their oil , but were somewhat spared when petroleum replaced whale oil as an energy source . Now , instead of hunters , the same oil that helped to save the sperm whales from extinction threatens their survival in the Gulf . Sperm whales , listed as endangered in 1970 , are social animals . The young live with their mothers for years in stable groups , and the whales dive deep in search of food . Because they spend so much of their lives undersea , our knowledge of their behavior and community structure is limited . We have a lot to learn before we can say we truly know these animals . We do know that sperm whales depend on the deep ocean habitat . And we know that habitat in the Gulf is severely threatened by the disastrous BP oil spill -- particularly as the oil spreads through plumes that go deep into the water . -LSB- On Tuesday , the decomposed body of a juvenile sperm whale was found 77 miles from the well , according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . Investigators are trying to determine whether oil played a role in its death ; it was not found in oiled water . -RSB- . Routinely holding their breath for about 45 minutes , sperm whales can dive half a mile to hunt fish and squid . When they arrive at the surface , they spend about nine minutes breathing and preparing for their next dive . About 1,665 sperm whales live in the Gulf of Mexico , according to the National Marine Fisheries Service , and reports say about 300 to 400 of them depend on deep waters near the mouth of the Mississippi River . Whalers , centuries ago , found that the Mississippi Canyon , off the Mississippi River Delta , was a hot spot for sperm whales . A recent review of whalers ' logbooks shows that from 1788 to 1877 , about 204 voyages spent at least one season whaling in the Gulf . Recent research indicates about 40 whales at any one time live around the Mississippi Canyon , and females and immature whales prefer this area . BP 's undersea well gushing out oil is in this canyon . The aftermath of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill offers a glimpse into what might be in store for the sperm whales of the Gulf . Many North Pacific killer whales died throughout the year after that 11 million gallon spill . Forty percent of the whales in the most exposed groups died , including all of the breeding females in one group . As more long-term studies emerge , we see that after 20 years , the killer whales still have not fully recovered . Risk factors for the sperm whales of the Gulf are similar to those for the killer whales of coastal Alaska : They are swimming in oil ; females and juveniles depend on critical habitat near the spill , and the population is already small and isolated . Oil can damage and kill marine mammals in myriad ways . The major threat to sperm whales is probably breathing in volatile organic compounds at the surface . The residents of New Orleans , Louisiana , may smell a bad odor from the spill , but imagine , after a 45-minute dive , surfacing into a noxious cloud of contaminated air . Breathing these fumes can lead to pneumonia , damage to the brain , liver and other organs ; unconsciousness and death . And the dispersants added to the oil are actually more volatile than crude . Oil could also contaminate or kill the fish and squid that sperm whales eat . These creatures are highly sensitive to toxic compounds in oil . As the oil spreads , it will create a greater risk . In the early 1990s , the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission warned about oil and gas exploration in the Gulf . Considering the risk of a large oil spill to marine mammals , the commission said `` such effects might result in the complete loss of a regional population and require three or more generations to recover . '' BP and its federal regulators ignored these warnings . But they were far from alone . Every single person in the United States who uses oil has a personal connection to this spill . As I watch footage of the oil flowing into this deepwater habitat , I realize that I am partially responsible . If Americans did n't use as much oil as we do , we would n't have to drill as much -- or at all . It 's too soon to say what will become of the sperm whale in the Gulf of Mexico . But it is fair to say a new energy source wo n't suddenly emerge to replace petroleum . So , what can we do ? We can support clean energy in every way possible , but we also must decrease our oil consumption . Maybe we will all be able to learn something from this disaster and adapt . The opinions in this commentary are solely those of Heather Heenehan .
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Heather Heenehan : Sperm whales once hunted for their oil ; now oil threatens their lives . Their deep water habitat in Gulf severely threatened by the BP oil spill , she writes . Whales will breathe noxious fumes , she writes , and their food will be contaminated . We all share blame for this disaster because of our huge oil consumption , she says .
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Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- President Obama said Tuesday his televised health care summit with Republican leaders on February 25 should involve true give-and-take negotiations instead of mere `` political theater . '' In a rare appearance at the daily White House media briefing , Obama said he wants the meeting -- which also will include health care experts -- to `` establish some common facts '' on the health care issue and reach agreement on the most pressing health care problems facing the country . To signal his willingness to compromise , Obama said he would consider a Republican push to include limits on medical malpractice lawsuits in a health care bill if the proposal can be shown to truly reduce overall health care costs . The president acknowledged the issue could `` make my party uncomfortable , '' an apparent nod to traditional Democratic support among trial lawyers who oppose such limits . However , Obama said bipartisanship on health care reform can not mean only that `` Democrats give up everything they believe in . '' `` Bipartisanship depends on a willingness among both Democrats and Republicans to put aside matters of party for the good of the country , '' he said . Obama 's comments followed a meeting with top congressional leaders from both parties , the first since he pledged in last month 's State of the Union address to hold regular bipartisan talks . Republican leaders in the meeting later repeated their past insistence that the upcoming health care negotiations start from scratch , instead of building on separate Democratic health care bills passed by the House and Senate . `` What we need to do is start over , go step-by-step on a truly bipartisan basis to try to reach an agreement , '' Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Kentucky , told reporters . `` My members are open to doing that . '' House Minority Leader John Boehner , R-Ohio , indicated he and other GOP chiefs are ready to attend the February 25 health care summit , but have questions for the White House on the lineup and agenda for the meeting . Boehner noted Republican leaders sent White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel a letter Monday asking for details of the proposed talks . `` The letter last night tried to understand what the purpose of the meeting is , '' Boehner said , adding : `` If we 're truly going to have a bipartisan conversation , then let 's just scrap this bill that the Democrats ca n't pass in the House or Senate and let 's start over on a real conversation about how to make the current system work better . '' The half-day summit is an attempt by the Obama administration to rescue health care legislation , a top domestic priority for the president . Televising it also would help fulfill a campaign promise by Obama that health care negotiations would be broadcast live . The planned talks with Republicans are the first clear strategy by Obama and Democrats on how to proceed on health care after losing their 60-seat supermajority in the Senate . Republican Scott Brown was sworn in as the new U.S. senator from Massachusetts last week , leaving the Democrats one vote shy of being able to overcome GOP filibusters of health care reform and other major initiatives . Obama first floated the idea of face-to-face , televised talks with Republicans to seek a health care compromise last week . In a speech Thursday at a fundraising event , he said whatever legislation emerges from the talks should then go to Congress for a vote . He announced the planned meeting in a nationally televised interview with CBS before the Super Bowl on Sunday , and said Tuesday that the idea is to reach agreement on solving a problem that only will get worse . As an example , Obama cited a report his week that Anthem Blue Cross , which he called the largest insurer in California , was planning to raise premiums for individual health policies by as much as 39 percent . `` If we do n't act , this is just a preview of coming attractions : Premiums will continue to rise for folks with insurance , millions more will lose their coverage altogether , our deficits will continue to grow larger , '' Obama said , adding that `` we have an obligation -- both parties -- to tackle this issue in a serious way . '' That means both Democrats and Republicans will have to accept a bill that lacks all they want , but does the right thing for the country , Obama said . `` I 'm willing to move off some of the preferences of my party in order to meet them halfway , but there 's got to be some give from their side as well , '' the president said . First lady Michelle Obama , appearing Tuesday on CNN 's `` Larry King , '' said she 's `` hopeful that Congress will come together '' to get health care legislation passed . `` We 're spending billions of dollars on preventable diseases and new health care legislation could go a long way to improving prevention , first and foremost , '' the first lady said . `` People have to have a pediatrician in order to get good information from their pediatrician . People have to be able to take their kids to well doctor visits to have all this information tracked , '' she said . `` So , we have to get this done . '' The Republican letter to Emanuel on the February 25 meeting offered the GOP view , saying : `` Bipartisanship is not writing proposals of your own behind closed doors , then unveiling them and demanding Republican support . Bipartisan ends require bipartisan means . '' Republicans complain that the Democratic majorities in the House and Senate rammed through their preferred bills without giving GOP issues a fair hearing . Obama and Democrats respond that the bills went through the full legislative process , including lengthy committee meetings and floor debate , with Republicans taking part and offering amendments , including some that were accepted . Obama said last week that Democratic leaders were completing work on merging the House and Senate health care bills into a single Democratic proposal for the talks with Republicans . A key question for the February 25 talks will be whether Obama and Democratic leaders want their merged health care bill to serve as the starting point for an agreement . Republicans complain the comprehensive Democratic health care bills would lead to a government takeover of health care . They call for smaller steps focused on individual issues , such as limiting medical malpractice lawsuits . Democrats , however , say that spiraling health care costs that threaten the nation 's future economic stability can only be addressed through comprehensive reform . Obama said last week that the merged Democratic bill would expand coverage to 30 million Americans who currently lack health insurance while reducing long-term health care costs . It proposes an insurance exchange to allow people and small business owners to pool together to purchase coverage , Obama said , but he made no mention of a government-run public health insurance option that Republicans have rallied against . Obama said the Democratic proposal would include reforms that prevent insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing medical conditions or capping lifetime benefits . `` And by the way , all of it is paid for , '' Obama said . `` Not only is it deficit neutral , but the Congressional Budget Office , which is the bipartisan office that is the scorekeeper for how much things cost in Congress , says it is going to reduce the costs by $ 1 trillion . '' Obama called health care reform the `` single best way to bring down our deficits . `` Nobody has disputed that , '' he added . `` Nobody can dispute the fact that if we do n't tackle surging health care costs , then we ca n't control our budget , '' he said . CNN 's Ed Henry , Dana Bash , Tom Cohen and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report .
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President spoke after meeting with top congressional leaders from both parties . Obama : Summit a way to `` establish some common facts '' on health care . GOP plans have called for smaller steps , such as limiting malpractice suits . Obama : Health care reform is the `` best way to bring down our deficits ''
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Like many voters on Election Day , Nurul Aman and his family dutifully rose before sunrise and headed to the polls in Andover , Massachusetts , to cast their votes . Nurul , Nilufur and Samuel Aman voted as a family for Barack Obama in their first presidential election this year . But this election was especially significant for Aman , wife Nilufur and son Samuel , who were all voting for the first time . `` As the first-time voter , it was emotionally remarkable to perform my civic duty , '' said Aman , a Bangladeshi native who became a U.S. citizen in 2005 . `` I felt great taking the ownership of this voting process that created a historic moment for the nation and the world . '' As a family , the Amans represented two major groups from the bloc of first-time voters , which accounted for roughly 11 percent of this year 's electorate . Samuel Aman is a college student , and his parents , both in their 50s , are recent citizens . An overwhelming majority of first-time voters , including the Amans , voted for Sen. Barack Obama over Sen. John McCain by a margin of 69 to 31 percent , CNN exit polls show . For Aman , a business and economics professor at the University of Massachusetts , it was an easy choice . He felt that Obama 's campaign reflected a `` paradigm shift '' that would restore the American dream that had drawn Aman to the United States as a post-graduate student in the 1980s . `` I expect Obama will restore the American dream and create economic security by creating new jobs in new fields like alternative energy , science and math , global warming and health care . That is the only way economy can get back on track , '' Aman said . Aman 's views reflect those of first-time voters who were drawn to Obama for his pledges to restore the America dream . Now , with Obama headed for the White House , first-time voters are hoping he will stick to his campaign promises . Alex Patel became a citizen in 1995 , but he was n't inspired to vote until now because of America 's deteriorating image abroad . `` This time , I felt it was very important to vote , because I saw where the country was heading , in a very opposite direction from the rest of world , '' said Patel , who moved to the Houston , Texas , area from India with his parents in 1990 . Patel said Obama campaigned on issues that were important to him : working with allies on security issues , energy concerns , civil rights issues like closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and withdrawing troops from Iraq . For young voters , discontent over the Iraq war emerged as a key issue , according to CNN exit polls . `` The first thing I want Obama to do is to get our men out of Iraq ; that 's all that really matters to me right now , '' Clara Baldwin , a sophomore majoring in secondary education in English at Gallaudet University in Washington , wrote in an e-mail . `` We have really spent a lot on war ; why not focus on our own economy ? '' Like many college students , Baldwin also considered the candidates ' positions on issues that affect her directly . As a deaf person , she looked for the candidates ' disability plans and could find one only for Democrats . Gillian McGrath , a Temple University senior who is studying social work , hopes Obama will make good on his promise to implement funding for social services so that she can do her job -- if she finds one . `` A lot of families ca n't afford food and need food stamps and health care , even just child care so they can finish school or go to work , '' said McGrath , who volunteers with children at her local Police Athletic League . `` I 'm hoping he 'll start taking out troops and create more jobs , especially within social service agencies , because I 'm going to need a job when I get out of school . '' About 66 percent of voters between the ages of 18 to 29 cast ballots for Obama , a number attributed to his campaign 's use of new media , including the Internet and mobile media . But equally inviting among young voters was his fresh perspective and direct appeals to them to become engaged in the process . `` The fact that Obama appealed so much to the youth to make us feel like our voices count , they 've grown to idolize him . That 's what kind of sparked my interest . He really mobilized youth , '' said Sophia Le Fraga , a freshman at New York University . For many new citizens struggling with English , the act of casting a vote was their own form of civic commitment . `` When you do n't speak English , it 's difficult to be heard , but the person who votes speaks for himself and the community , '' said Ysidra Frias , a Dominican living in Lynn , Massachusetts , who became a U.S. citizen in January 2007 . After becoming a citizen , Frias became active in the Massachusetts-based community organization Neighbor 2 Neighbor , which helped register 1,111 voters in low-income neighborhoods throughout the state . Frias said that for minorities like her , Obama was a sympathetic voice who understood the pervasive effect of poverty , unemployment and lack of social services in their communities . `` He talks about creating sources of employment and social programs , but he also talks about how the communities must help themselves , `` said Frias , who plans to continue working for Neighbor 2 Neighbor to help bring about the changes Obama has promised . `` To give a plate of food to the hungry does n't help , because where does the next meal come from ? Obama gives us hope for finding the tools to help ourselves . '' Then there were others who were dislodged from political apathy by the prospect of casting a historic ballot for the first African-American president . `` I actually started paying attention because Obama was a black man running , but once I started listening , he started making sense to me , and I decided to get out there and vote , '' said Michael Fogle , an African-American grocery store stocker and father of five from Lexington , Kentucky . Those who voted for McCain are less optimistic about what an Obama presidency will do for them . `` I hope he succeeds , simply because I care for our country too much , but I do n't really expect him to , '' said Keith Neely , a senior at Brentwood High School in Brentwood , Tennessee . `` More specifically , I 'm unsure as to which Obama will be inaugurated in January . Will it be the more liberal Democratic primary Obama , or will it be the more moderate general election Obama ? '' Neely said in an e-mail to CNN.com . `` I firmly believe that Barack Obama has the ability to be a successful president , but that depends entirely on his willingness to stick to his campaign promises and avoid the temptation that an extremely liberal congress will provide . ''
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First-time voters such as students , new citizens made up 11 percent of electorate . 69 percent of new voters chose Barack Obama based on platform of change . College students want Obama to end war , improve job market for them to enter . New citizens hope Obama will boost economy , improve America 's image abroad .
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LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- New data released Thursday suggests that the Arctic Ocean will be `` largely ice free '' during summer within a decade . As the Arctic sea ice melts , polar bears face extinction . The report , complied by the UK-based Catlin Arctic Survey and the World Wildlife Fund -LRB- WWF -RRB- , is the latest research into ice thickness in the Arctic . Researchers predict that within 20 years ice cover will be completely gone during the warmer months . The expedition , which was completed in May , was led by UK explorer Pen Hadow . He and his team collected data by manually drilling into the ice and noting its thickness along a 450-kilometer route across the northern part of the Beaufort Sea . They found that the area surveyed was comprised almost exclusively of first year ice . Scientists think this is significant because traditionally the region has been made up of much older , thicker ice . `` Discovering this area of younger ice provides another body of information that supports the rapidly emerging scientific consensus that it 's going to be nearer 10 years from now that we will see roughly 80-85 percent free waters in the Arctic Ocean , '' Hadow told CNN . Measurements taken by Hadow and his team report that the ice-floes were on average 1.8 meters thick -- which , according to scientists , is too thin to survive next summer 's ice melt . Professor Peter Wadhams , head of the Polar Ocean Physics Group at the UK 's University of Cambridge said : `` With a large part of the region now first year ice , it is clearly more vulnerable . The area is now more likely to become open water each summer , bringing forward the potential date when the summer sea ice will be completely gone . '' Professor Wadhams , who has analyzed the expedition data , added : `` The Catlin Arctic Survey data supports the new consensus view that the Arctic will be ice-free in summer within about 20 years , and much of that decrease will be happening within 10 years . '' Click here to see pictures of the expedition '' Martin Sommerkorn from the WWF International Arctic Program believes that the changes in sea-ice cover in the region are likely to increase global temperatures further . `` Such a loss of Arctic sea ice has recently been assessed to set in motion powerful climate feedbacks which will have an impact far beyond the Arctic itself , '' Sommerkorn said . `` Arctic sea ice holds a central position in our Earth 's climate system . Take it out of the equation and we are left with a dramatically warmer world , '' he added . Hadow fears that the current climate models developed by scientists may not be extreme enough . But he is hopeful that this new data will spur world leaders into action . `` We are now in a loss period , '' Hadow told CNN . `` Maybe losing this sea ice , this roof on the top of our planet in going to be an important moment , a big visual aid to the science that in combination can bring about some sort of global agreement on emissions . ''
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New report says Arctic sea ice will largely disappear in summer within a decade . Survey captured latest data on ice thickness in Northern part of Beaufort Sea . Measurements show the ice-floes surveyed were on average 1.8 meters thick . Scientists warn that Arctic ice melt is likely to set off `` powerful climate feedbacks ''
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-LRB- Mashable -RRB- -- AT&T is officially opening up its recommendation service , Buzz.com , to the public . We wrote about the project when it was still in beta in January . The service is essentiallyYelp meets Yellowpages.com and it shares a lot of similarities with the new Google Places . The idea behindBuzz.com is to leverage users ' existing social graphs alongside traditional , location-based business search . So if I look up `` movie theater '' in Atlanta , Georgia , I can see not just a listing of places , but also how many people have rated the place as a `` favorite '' and if any of my friends have rated or favorited it as well . Right now , Buzz.com integrates with Facebook Connect , so you can ask questions via Buzz.com and on Facebook to receive recommendations and answers to your queries . We assume that Buzz.com will integrate with Twitter in the future as well . Although open to the public , the product is still very much in beta . While the interface seems easy enough to use , I had lots of duplicate or outdated entries in my search results . This is something that can be cleaned up , but right now it 's difficult to rate or favorite a place when it is listed numerous times . While location-based search paired with reviews from others and from your own social graph is a very cool concept , it 's also not very original at this point . AT&T has been developing Buzz.com for more than a year and a half , so this is n't so much a case of being late to the party as it is poor timing -- and poor naming . One of the biggest questions we have about Buzz.com is , in truth , its name . Yahoo Buzz came to the market first , followed by Google Buzz earlier this year . It 's understandable that with a private beta already underway , AT&T would n't want to change product names ; however , in this case , we think the company should have considered it . Google Buzz coupled with Google Places is extremely similar to what Buzz.com is all about . The only real difference is that Buzz.com is designed to plug into Facebook Connect , whereas Google is using its own social graph . Facebook integration sounds like a plus , but at this stage , the extent of the integration and how useful it will be largely depends on how many of your friends are going to sign up and use Buzz.com . Google Buzz is n't the only service that Buzz.com is going against ; Yelp , Citysearch and more location-based social networks like Foursquare , Gowalla and Loopt are all in this same territory . What value is Buzz.com going to offer users that these already established services do n't ? From what we can see , Buzz.com is really an attempt to modernize the aging YellowPages.com ecosystem . With Google Places , YellowPages.com has increased competition , and we think that Buzz.com will need to get some killer features -- like pulling in recommendations from other location-based sites and promoting special offers or coupons -- and that the YellowPages.com database will need to be seriously culled in order for this idea to take hold . AT&T says it wants to use its experience in building mobile applications to make Buzz.com a more mobile destination . While a default Buzz.com connect/search bar might have worked in the pre-smartphone era , we live in the world of `` there 's an app for that . '' Buzz.com will also need to make its mobile applications and mobile support robust . In time , the site might develop into something compelling and competitive . However , at this stage , the entire concept strikes us as being too derivative -- in name and in function -- with myriad other services . © 2010 MASHABLE.com . All rights reserved .
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New Buzz.com service is a cross between Yelp and Yellowpages.com . Buzz.com integrates with Facebook Connect . AT&T has been developing Buzz.com for more than a year and a half .
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JERUSALEM -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Israeli troops have completed their withdrawal from Gaza after a three-week military campaign against Hamas militants , the Israel Defense Forces said Wednesday . Palestinians look at an damaged rocket launcher left behind by Israeli forces . `` The forces are now redeployed outside the Gaza Strip , and are prepared for any development , '' a military statement read . During their withdrawal , Israeli troops warned Gaza residents to avoid unexploded bombs or shells left behind and report their location to Israeli authorities . Israel said it had achieved its goal to halt Hamas ' firing of rockets into southern Israel from Gaza . Hamas , the Palestinian militant group that has controlled the territory since 2007 , also declared victory in the conflict during a rally in Gaza City on Tuesday . Israeli troops began to withdraw Sunday following tentative , separate cease-fire declarations by Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Hamas . U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon , who visited the territory Tuesday , criticized both sides and the international community for what he called their `` collective political failure '' in settling the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict . `` I have condemned from the outbreak of this conflict the excessive use of force by Israeli forces in Gaza . I view the rocket attacks into Israel as completely unacceptable . We need to restore basic respect for civilians , '' he said . Watch troops prepare to withdraw '' The conflict , which began December 27 , has left more than 1,300 Palestinians and 13 Israelis dead . Confirmation of the Israeli withdrawal came within a day of the inauguration of Barack Obama as the new president of the United States , replacing George W. Bush , whose administration was among the most supportive of Israel in decades . Ban said he hoped Obama would consider settling the conflict `` a matter of priority . '' Speaking during a visit to Sderot , the southern Israeli city that has endured rocket fire from Hamas for years , Ban said the Bush administration was `` leading and heavily engaged '' in the region , but added , `` Unfortunately , we have not achieved the goals . '' Obama has vowed to move swiftly and has said he was assembling a strong team to be `` immediately engaged '' on `` day one . '' In a statement welcoming the new U.S. president , Olmert said Israel and the United States would remain `` full partners in advancing peace and stability in the Middle East . '' CNN 's Shira Medding contributed to this report .
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Israel says it has removed its troops from Gaza after three-week offensive . Both Israel , Hamas have declared victory in conflict . U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon criticized both sides for fighting . More than 1,300 people have died in Gaza operation .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Phyllophorous : an adjective meaning `` leaf-bearing '' or , alternately , `` the word that exiled me to the oft-fabled Crying Room at the 1986 National Spelling Bee in Washington , D.C. '' Strangely , I did n't mind ; I 'd already gotten my prize . Very few of us are lovely on the outside at age 13 , and even less so are those of us inclined toward worrying words down to their etymological nubbins . My light-socket perm , train track braces and penchant for unicorn sweatshirts were n't doing me any favors when it came to feeling at ease among my peers back home . Yes , I 'd gotten attention from the local press , glossy plaques , a pep rally at my Fort Thomas , Kentucky , school and , creepily enough , an obscene phone call -- all accolades for my ascent through regional bee wins . However , I 'd have gladly traded every scrap of that for a chance to feel like one of the girls who knew how to give herself Sun-In highlights and flirt adorably with the boys on the basketball team . That was until I met Karla . Upon arrival at the Grand Hyatt hotel , spellers were issued a blue , plastic-bound autograph book as impetus to mingle with our fellow contenders . After some initial hesitation , I actually began to enjoy the ritual of handing over the little talisman , scribbling something silly in the the book they 'd handed me in return , then trading back and madly flipping through to see what they 'd written to me . I liked Karla right away . She was `` bee royalty '' -- a brash , third-time competitor from Roanoke , Virginia , prone to yelling things like `` Nuke the French ! '' and quoting British comedy shows . As she doodled an elaborate self-portrait that filled a whole page in the back of the book , she gave me the lay of the land . That kid over there -- rumor had it his family had hired a professional coach to prep him . That girl -- home-schooled . Do n't look for her at any of the mixers or day trips . Her mom was going to keep her locked in the hotel room , cramming until the very last second . 2010 Spelling Bee kicked off Wednesday . Karla , herself , was n't going to be skimping on socializing and sightseeing , but she was going to sequester herself for some last-minute studying in the hopes of making one last run at the title in her final year of eligibility . And oddly -- very oddly -- for me , a kid prone to gut-grinding panic attacks , self-flagellation over academic success and generally ill at ease in my own skin , I began to sink into calm . I was n't , for once , the dorkiest girl in the room , and instead was surrounded by kids who lived for language play , lovely books , good grades and a life of the mind . I 'd suddenly found my people . And while there was n't a gawky little ghost of a chance that I was going to beat them in the bee this year , I was cool with that . My cool lasted until we hit the ballroom stage the next day and a few hundred terrified , raw-nerved elementary school kids with pasteboard number signs around our necks had to stand in front of cameras from every major national news organization and spell words that I could have sworn the announcers were making up on the spot : gobemouche , phaeochrous , exiguous . Many kids hemmed , hawed , begged , borrowed and stole time with requests for definitions , etymologies , sentence use . I just went for it . Machine -LRB- duh ! -RRB- . Ethos -LRB- a word I shoehorn into conversation as frequently as possible -RRB- . I think there 's another round I 'm still blocking out . And then : `` Phyllophorous . '' `` Could you repeat that ? '' `` Phyllophorous . '' `` Uh...F-I-L ... '' Buzz . Incorrect . My head , now freed of its duties for the day , floated somewhere off into the middle distance , and I trudged off to the Crying Room where some well-meaning volunteers offered tissues , cookies and hugs to spellers whose dreams had been shattered . I opted for the cookie and went off to apologize to my dad , who 'd spent a goodly amount of his evenings on my training . That 's OK , he assured me . He was just excited that we 'd get to go to more museums . Did I want to hit the National Gallery now ? I 'd wanted to go to that museum for ages , but instead , I took my place in the audience and watched my friend Karla battle through several more rounds before butting up against , I believe the word was , `` dentifrice . '' She joined me in the ballroom , kibitzing at my side as speller 102 , Jon Pennington of Harrisburg , Pennsylvania , took home top honors for `` odontalgia '' - a fancy word for toothache . Karla grumbled that she totally could have gotten that one . I nodded in sympathy . Jon went on TV to visit David Letterman and spell against Johnny Carson , where I 'm happy to say , one of Doc Severinson 's bandmates spelled `` phyllophorous '' incorrectly . Jon got cash prizes and a place in the history books . I got a weird , funny friend who kind of understood me . And that was o-k-a-y with me .
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Kat Kinsman went to the National Spelling Bee at age 13 in 1986 . Back home , she was an outsider with light-socket perm , train track braces . Now she was with kids who lived for language play , lovely books , good grades . Kat did n't win trophy , but won a friend who kind of understood her .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man arrested in connection with the 1990 abduction , rape and attempted murder of an 8-year-old girl appeared before a judge Thursday on an attempted capital murder charge , according to CNN affiliate KTRK . Dennis Earl Bradford , a 40-year-old welder , was arrested after DNA tied him to the crime , police say . Dennis Earl Bradford waived his right to a court-appointed attorney when he appeared Thursday , saying he would retain his own . For security reasons , the hearing was held at the Galveston -LRB- Texas -RRB- County Jail and not in a courtroom , the station reported . The judge ordered Bradford to undergo a physical and mental evaluation and set bail at $ 1 million . His next court appearance was set for Wednesday , according to KTRK . Upon conviction , an attempted capital murder charge could result in a sentence of life in prison . Bradford , a 40-year-old welder , was arrested early Tuesday in Little Rock , Arkansas , in connection with the 1990 incident involving Jennifer Schuett , who was abducted from her bedroom , raped and left for dead in Dickinson , Texas . Schuett shared her story with CNN two weeks ago in hope of someday bringing her attacker to justice . CNN normally does not identify victims of sexual assault , but Schuett decided to go public with her story to increase the chances of finding and prosecuting her attacker . `` It 's not about me anymore , '' she told CNN in September . `` It 's about all the little girls that go to sleep at night . I know there are so many girls out there who have been raped and hurt . You have to fight back . '' Bradford 's arrest came after DNA and other forensic tests led police to him , authorities said . `` This is a huge day for me , '' Schuett told CNN on Tuesday . `` And I want to see this through the end . The rest will come out during the trial . '' Schuett said she was alone in her bed August 10 , 1990 , when a man crept in through a window . She remembers waking up in a stranger 's arms as he carried her across a dark parking lot . She said he told her he was an undercover cop and knew her family . He drove her through the streets of Dickinson , pulling into a mechanic 's shop next to her elementary school . `` Watch the moon . The moon will change colors , and that is when your mom will come to get you , '' she recalled him saying . `` Oh , it looks like she is not coming . '' Schuett said he drove her to an overgrown field next to the school and sexually assaulted her . She passed out . When she regained consciousness , she was lying naked on top of an ant hill with her throat slashed from ear to ear and her voice box torn . She was found at 6 p.m. on a hot August day after lying in the field for nearly 12 hours . She was rushed to a hospital in critical condition . `` Three days after the attack , I started giving a description . The doctors told me I would never be able to talk again , but I proved them all wrong , '' Schuett said . She believes that she got her voice back so she could tell her story . Houston FBI Special Agent Richard Rennison is one of the lead investigators in the case , along with Dickinson Police Detective Tim Cromie . Both men were discussing the case when Rennison received a memo from the FBI 's Child Abduction Rapid Deployment -LRB- CARD -RRB- team , seeking child abduction cases that had gone cold and could be retested for DNA evidence . Schuett 's was one of the cases selected . `` This is the only one that I can think of that the victim has suffered some traumatic injuries and survived , '' Rennison said . `` The main reason the CARD team picked this case was because she was alive . In cases of child abduction , it is rare that the child is recovered alive . Frequently , you recover a body . And most times , you never find them . '' The investigators found evidence collected 19 years ago , which was retested . It included the underwear and pajamas Schuett was wearing , as well as a man 's underwear and T-shirt , which were found in the field where Schuett was found . The clothes were tested in 1990 , but the sample was n't large enough for conclusive results . But now , modern techniques allow DNA to be isolated from a single human cell . They were still awaiting the results when CNN featured Schuett 's story in late September . CNN 's Mayra Cuevas-Nazario contributed to this report .
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40-year-old held on $ 1 million bail in girl 's abduction , rape , attempted killing . He could get life in prison if found guilty . `` I want to see this through the end , '' victim says . DNA and other tests led to suspect , police say .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A United States soldier captured by the Taliban says in a video posted on the Internet he is `` scared I wo n't be able to go home . '' Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl shown here in a video made by his captors , members of the Taliban . The soldier was identified Sunday by the Pentagon as Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl , 23 , of Ketchum , Idaho . He was captured June 30 from Paktika province in southeastern Afghanistan . The Taliban has threatened to kill Bergdahl if foreign troops continue targeting civilians in the name of search operations in Ghazni and Paktika province , Taliban commander Mulvi Sangeen said by telephone Friday after being contacted by CNN at an undisclosed location . NATO-led forces in Afghanistan and the U.S. military have repeatedly denied targeting civilians . In the 28-minute video , Bergdahl becomes emotional when he speaks of his family -- his parents , siblings , nieces and nephew -- and the girlfriend he hopes to marry . `` I have a very , very good family that I love back home in America , and I miss them every day that I 'm gone , '' he says . `` I miss them and I 'm afraid I might never see them again and that I 'll never be able to tell them I love them again . I 'll never be able to hug them . '' He adds that he is `` scared . I 'm scared I wo n't be able to go home . It is very unnerving to be a prisoner . '' However , he says his captors are treating him `` like a guest . '' It was not clear whether some or all of Bergdahl 's remarks were scripted by his captors . Watch excerpt from the video '' The last few minutes of the video show him eating a meal . In a statement released Sunday through the Idaho National Guard , Bergdahl 's family said , `` We hope and pray for our son 's safe return to his comrades and then to our family , and we appreciate all the support and expressions of sympathy shown to us by our family members , our friends and others across the nation . Thank you , and please continue to keep Bowe in your thoughts and prayers . '' Asked by his captors if he had any message for Americans , the soldier says , `` To my fellow Americans who have loved ones over here , who know what it 's like to miss them , you have the power to make our government bring them home . Please , please bring us home so we can be back where we belong and not over here . '' The Taliban earlier claimed responsibility for Bergdahl 's kidnapping , the military said . Last week , the U.S. military distributed pamphlets in eastern Afghanistan in an effort to locate him . `` As you can see , the American soldier is in good shape and good health , and he is being treated well based on the guidelines of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan regarding war prisoners , '' said a statement on Islamist Web sites accompanying the video . `` Any decision regarding the American soldier will be the specialty of the high order of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan , may God protect him . '' The U.S. military said it believed Bergdahl may have been moved to various locations . In the video , Bergdahl 's captor makes reference to his being moved from Paktika to Khandahar . He acknowledges it , saying the move was accomplished `` very easily . '' The claim could not be independently verified . Asked the date by his captor , Bergdahl says it is July 14 . Two versions of the pamphlets were distributed in Afghanistan , written in the Pashto language . They were made available to CNN by U.S. Forces Afghanistan . One shows the image of an American soldier shaking hands in a group of kids with the message , `` One of our American guests is missing . Return the guest to his home . Call us at '' -- and lists a phone number . The other shows a U.S. soldier kicking down a door , and then an outstretched hand with the superimposed image of a soldier , his head and arms drooping , and the words , `` If you do not release the U.S. soldier then ... you will be hunted , '' the pamphlet says . Days after Bergdahl went missing , a senior U.S. military official said Bergdahl and the Afghan soldiers were captured by low-level militants and then quickly `` sold '' to the clan and network led by warlord Siraj Haqqani -- believed to be deeply involved in the action . The Haqqani clan operates on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistani border and is well known to the U.S. military . Bergdahl apparently left his small outpost on his own on June 30 with no apparent means of defending himself , the official said . Taliban commander Mulvi Sangeen said he visited a military post in the Yousaf Khel district in the Paktika province , got drunk , and was ambushed while returning to his car . Sangeen said the soldier was taken to a safe place . CNN could not independently verify Sangeen 's claims . A source with the U.S. military denied the claim that Bergdahl was drunk . `` The Taliban are known for lying and what they are claiming -LRB- is -RRB- not true , '' the source said . In the video , Bergdahl says he was captured as he was lagging behind a patrol . Ketchum Mayor Randy Hall told CNN Sunday , `` Right now , the news is still breaking through town , and as the mayor , I can say this is a community situation . '' But , he said , `` I trust the leadership of this country , the wisdom of the people who are serving and the decisions that led up to the situation . '' Bergdahl is not a National Guardsman , according to the Idaho National Guard statement , but the organization said it was coordinating with the Department of Defense to provide public affairs duties and other assistance to the Bergdahl family . The family has requested privacy , the statement said . CNN 's Barbara Starr and journalist Janullah Hashimzada contributed to this report .
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Soldier from Idaho says he 's frightened he wo n't be able to see family again . U.S. military : Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl , 23 , was captured June 30 from Paktika province . Taliban commander : Taliban will kill him if foreign troops keep targeting civilians . He was taken by members of the Taliban , the military says .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Lewis Hamilton extended his Formula One drivers ' championship lead after finishing second behind Red Bull 's Mark Webber at the British Grand Prix . World champion Jenson Button , who narrowly missed out on his first podium finish at Silverstone after coming fourth , still trails McLaren teammate Hamilton in second . Third-placed Webber stormed back into title contention after winning his third race of the season . The Australian leapfroged fellow Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel , who is 24 points adrift of Hamilton in fourth . McLaren also lead Red Bull by 29 points at the top of the constructors ' championship . Ferrari 's Fernando Alonso stayed fifth overall but lost ground after earning no points , ending the race in 14th after being given a drive-through penalty for illegally overtaking Robert Kubica of Renault off the track . Nico Rosberg of Germany continues to outperform his Mercedes teammate Michael Schumacher , recording his third podium finish this season to replace Kubica in sixth . Drivers ' Championship -LRB- after 10 rounds -RRB- : . 1 . Lewis Hamilton -LRB- GB -RRB- McLaren 145 points . 2 . Jenson Button -LRB- GB -RRB- McLaren 133 . 3 . Mark Webber -LRB- Aus -RRB- Red Bull 128 . 4 . Sebastian Vettel -LRB- Ger -RRB- Red Bull 121 . 5 . Fernando Alonso -LRB- Sp -RRB- Ferrari 98 . 6 . Nico Rosberg -LRB- Ger -RRB- Mercedes GP 90 Constructors ' Championship : . 1 . McLaren 278 points . 2 . Red Bull 249 . 3 . Ferrari 165 . 4 . Mercedes GP 126 . 5 . Renault 89 . 6 . Force India 47 .
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Lewis Hamilton continues to lead Jenson Button and Mark Webber in drivers ' championship . Webber 's victory at Silverstone sees him leapfrog teammate Sebastian Vettel into third . Mercedes ' Nico Rosberg finished third to move up to sixth place in the standings . McLaren now 29 points ahead of Red Bull in the F1 constructors ' championship .
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Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Three African men suspected of ties to al Qaeda in North Africa have been arrested in Ghana and flown to New York to face charges that they engaged in drug trafficking and supported terrorism , federal officials said Friday . The three Mali natives will stand trial for an alleged drug conspiracy and conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization , authorities said . The Drug Enforcement Administration , which announced the criminal complaint , said the suspects will appear Friday in federal court in New York . Court documents released in Washington reveal a DEA undercover operation that included agents claiming to have ties to FARC , the guerilla army in Colombia that the United States has designated as a terrorist organization . The alleged plot involved shipment of cocaine from Africa to Europe , with al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb helping facilitate the trafficking . The suspects are identified as Oumar Issa , Idriss Abdelrahman and Harouna Toure . Authorities said the apparent ties between the suspected African terror group members and the cocaine traffickers appear to represent an increasingly global effort to use the drug trade to support terrorism . While such a relationship is long-standing in Afghanistan , it has not been common in Africa , officials said .
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Authorities say Mali men conspired to to provide material support to foreign terrorist group . Suspects will appear Friday in federal court in New York , DEA says . Documents reveal DEA sting with agents claiming to have ties to Colombia guerilla army . Alleged plot involved Africa-to-Europe cocaine shipment , with terror group aiding trafficking .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The NBA has fined the Cleveland Cavaliers owner $ 100,000 for remarks he made after LeBron James announced he was leaving the team . NBA Commissioner David Stern said Monday that team owner Dan Gilbert 's words , `` though understandable , were ill-advised and imprudent . '' In a letter posted on the team 's website Thursday , Gilbert called James ' decision to play for the Miami Heat a `` cowardly betrayal '' and a `` shocking act of disloyalty . '' James , who joined the Cavaliers straight out of high school and played forward for the team for his entire career , announced his decision to leave the team during a much-ballyhooed ESPN special Thursday entitled `` The Decision . '' In a press conference which was posted on the NBA 's website Monday , Stern said that James was `` certainly entitled '' to leave the team , but he would have advised the basketball star to handle his departure and announcement differently . `` I think that the advice that he received on this was poor . But his performance was fine . His honesty and his integrity I think shine through , but this decision was ill-conceived , badly produced and poorly executed , '' Stern said . Stern also criticized civil rights leader Jesse Jackson for comments he made saying Gilbert 's letter showed a `` property-owner 's mentality . '' `` Equally imprudent I believe are the remarks by my good friend Jesse Jackson , which purport to make this into a racial matter ... he really is mistaken , '' Stern said . Before deciding to join the Miami Heat , James , a reigning two-time NBA MVP , looked at several teams , including New York , Chicago and Cleveland . He said it came down to one thing . `` The major factor was the best opportunity to win now and to win in the future . '' James said . He led the Cavaliers to the NBA finals in 2007 , where they lost to the San Antonio Spurs , but never reached the finals again , despite Cleveland management bringing in supporting stars such as Shaquille O'Neal and Antawn Jamison .
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NBA fines Cavs owner $ 100,000 for comments . Gilbert 's letter described James ' departure as a `` cowardly betrayal '' Commissioner says Gilbert 's words were `` ill-advised and imprudent '' Stern also criticizes James ' handling of his decision to leave .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Federal officials announced indictments Tuesday against four police officers and two supervisors in the investigation surrounding the post-Katrina deaths of civilians on New Orleans ' Danziger Bridge . At least three New Orleans police officers were in FBI custody Tuesday afternoon , an attorney for one of them confirmed . Kenneth Bowen , Anthony Villavaso and Robert Gisevius surrendered to authorities . Announcement of the charges stemming from a federal civil rights investigation was made by Attorney General Eric Holder in New Orleans . `` Put simply , we will not tolerate wrongdoing by those who have sworn to protect the public , '' Holder told reporters . Holder promised the Justice Department will help restore the troubled New Orleans police department . `` Today marks an important step forward in administering justice , in healing community wounds , in improving public safety and in restoring public trust in this city 's police department , '' Holder said . He was joined by the Justice Department 's civil rights chief , Thomas E. Perez , and U.S. Attorney Jim Letten , the top federal prosecutor in New Orleans . The shootings occurred at the bridge on September 4 , 2005 , six days after Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast . The indictment allegesthat two separate shootings at the bridge resulted in the deaths of a teenager and a 40-year-old disabled man . The indictment contends four officers -- Bowen , Gisevius , Robert Faulcon and Villavaso -- opened fire , killing 19-year-old James Brissette . Minutes later , Faulcon allegedly shot and killed 40-year-old Ronald Madison . The indictment says the officers violated the victims ' civil rights . The indictment says police supervisors Arthur Kaufman and Gerard Dugue helped the other officers to obstruct justice during the subsequent investigations . An earlier investigation launched by the local district attorney resulted in charges but no convictions . Federal prosecutors then moved in and launched a new investigation which led to the newly announced charges . Letten said the federal case took so long because prosecutors waited for the local investigation to conclude , so as not to interfere or duplicate that probe . Although the charges announced Tuesday carry a maximum sentence of the death penalty , Letten played down that likelihood , saying an extended process will eventually be followed and any final decision on seeking the death penalty would be made by Holder . Attorney Frank DeSalvo , who represents Bowen , said of the indictment , `` We expected it and are ready to deal with it . '' The two shootings occurred on opposite sides of the bridge . In the first shooting , on the east side of the bridge , one person -- later identified as Brissette -- was killed and four people were wounded , prosecutors have said . In the second shooting , on the bridge 's west side , Madison , a severely disabled man , was killed . Madison 's brother was arrested but later released without indictment , authorities said . A witness to the shooting of Madison told CNN in 2006 that New Orleans police lined up `` like at a firing range '' and fatally shot the man in the back as he fled from them in the days after Hurricane Katrina swept ashore . `` He just fell like he was collapsing , '' Kasimir Gaston told CNN . `` Like something just wiped him out . '' Gaston was one of many flood refugees living on the second floor of the Friendly Inn , a low-income motel on the city 's east side . He said on Sunday , September 4 , 2005 , he woke up and stepped onto the balcony of the motel and saw a man running , hands outstretched and being fired upon . Initial police accounts said that Madison , 40 , reached for his waistband and turned on police , but Gaston said Madison did not appear to have a weapon and that he was running away from police `` hands out , full speed '' when he was shot . Police declined CNN 's request for an interview in response to Gaston 's remarks . After the shooting , police said officers had responded to reported gunshots on the Danziger Bridge and that a running gunbattle ensued with six suspects . A police department press release from October 4 , 2005 , said Madison , described as an unidentified gunman , was `` confronted by a New Orleans Police officer . The suspect reached into his waist and turned toward the officer who fired one shot , fatally wounding him . '' When asked if Madison had a gun , Gaston said , `` I did n't see any on him . '' No gun was found on Madison 's body . An autopsy report obtained previously by CNN and verified by the Orleans Parish Coroner said Madison suffered five gunshot wounds to his back and two in his shoulder . CNN 's Terry Frieden contributed to this report .
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Four officers and two supervisors will face charges in post-Katrina shootings . Other officers previously pleaded guilty to an alleged cover-up . Police maintained they had fired in self-defense .
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[[19, 115], [1402, 1490]]
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.S. reinforced its close ties with Jordan this week by increasing aid to the Kingdom by 48 percent . MME spoke with Dr. Bassem I. Awadallah , Chief of the Royal Hashemite Court , about Jordan 's relationship with the U.S. Washington says the increase in aid to $ 663 million this year shows `` the bipartisan support in America for the difficult choices Jordan has made in its homegrown reform efforts . '' Jordan has been a close political ally of the U.S. for decades . The strength of their relationship was recognised in 2000 when Jordan became the first Arab country to sign a free trade deal with the U.S. . When Jordan 's King Abdullah bin al-Hussein II came to power in 1999 , he put economic reform at the top of his agenda . Since then , the Kingdom has moved to liberalize trade , eliminate fuel subsidies , crack down on corruption and reform the tax system . Dr. Bassem I. Awadallah is a former economic advisor to the Prime Minister of Jordan . He 's now Chief of the Royal Hashemite Court , and Vice Chairman of the King Abdullah II Fund for Development . John Defterios spoke with Bassem Awadallah and asked him whether the increase in U.S. aid to Jordan is recognition of the role that Jordan 's been playing in the Middle East , both economically and politically . Bassem Awadallah -LRB- BA -RRB- : There is a definite recognition of what Jordan has been doing over the last two years . Particularly the efforts that have been conducted by His Majesty the King over the last two years in helping to bring the peace process on track again . But equally , there is recognition in Washington , as elsewhere in the world , of the reforms that are taking place in Jordan . -LRB- Recognition -RRB- of what we are trying to do with fiscal management , enabling the investment environment to become much better , and to attract private capital to come in and invest in key sectors of our economy . As a result of this , we have witnessed an increase in the assistance levels from the United States and we hope that this will continue over the next couple of years . -LRB- JD -RRB- : One could say that U.S. relations in the Middle East specifically in the Gulf are at a historic low . Does this one-week tour by President Bush really alter the outlook between U.S. and Middle East relations ? -LRB- BA -RRB- : To the extent that the Arab countries and the Arab people feel that the United States is committed to play an honest broker and bring about a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue , which we feel to be the core issue in the Arab Israeli conflict . To the extent that we see a deliverable on the ground , which means a real improvement in the lives of Palestinians and a real commitment to the peace process . I think you will have a substantial increase in the credibility that the United States commands on the Arab Street . This is the major factor in our opinion that really provides for the U.S. image to be improved in the Arab countries . -LRB- JD -RRB- : It was a historic week if you look at the big picture : an arms and missile deal worth $ 20 billion with Saudi Arabia ; and at the same time , Gulf investment funds investing in Merrill Lynch and Citigroup . Do you think eventually this will lead to investment protectionism where there 's resistance to this money coming from the Gulf and into U.S. and European Markets ? -LRB- BA -RRB- : I think you 're going to see a real financial power in the Gulf countries . Obviously , they will be able to afford to develop their economies more . I think they are going to feel that the regional threats are of such magnitude that they would be required to arm themselves more , and this explains why there have been big contracts , not only with the United States , but other countries as well in Europe . You are going to have some kind of recycling going on which is clearly manifested in the Merrill Lynch and Citigroup investments by Sovereign Wealth Funds . We do hope that these big funds in the Gulf will find some attractive opportunities in the Arab World as well -- in Jordan , in other countries which do require this huge capital investments to improve the infrastructure and to be invested in key sectors of our economies . E-mail to a friend .
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U.S. increases aid to Jordan by 48 percent , says shows `` bipartisan support '' Close ties between U.S. , Jordan evidenced in 2000 with first U.S.-Arab FTA . Bassem Awadallah is Chief of the Royal Hashemite Court in Jordan . Awadallah : `` You are going to see a real financial power in the Gulf countries ''
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Day-long clashes between police and rioters marked a controversial holiday march in Northern Ireland , leaving dozens of officers injured and widespread damage in Belfast . The violence began overnight , on the eve of July 12 , known as `` The Twelfth '' by Protestants who march to celebrate the victory of English king William III over his ousted Catholic predecessor James II in 1689 . More than 100 riot police removed Catholic protesters from a road in north Belfast to allow the march to take place , journalist Peter Taggart told CNN Monday . Rioters pelted police with Molotov cocktails and other explosives , and officers fired baton rounds and used water cannon in attempts to break up the crowds , police said . A policewoman was struck in the head by an object thrown at her , and ambulance crews who rushed to the scene were confronted by rioters , police said . Her condition was unknown . Several vehicles were carjacked and set afire , police said . Police have not yet released details of the number of arrests made , or the number of people injured . However , authorities earlier in the day reported that at least 27 police officers were injured in the clashes . The injuries are not thought to be serious , police spokesman John Anderson had said . The violence took place in two different parts of the city on the eve of a holiday often marked by tension between Catholics and Protestants . Tensions in Northern Ireland as marching season begins . The disruption began minutes before the start of the holiday -- also known as `` Orangeman 's Day . '' Because of the sectarian nature of the holiday , celebrations have sometimes been marred by violence in the past . `` This is utterly wrong and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms , '' police district Chief Superintendent Mark Hamilton said in a statement early Monday . `` Those involved in tonight 's violence were intent on causing mayhem and destruction . '' Hamilton said police were investigating the incident . `` We have appealed for calm in the run up to the Twelfth of July and we continue to do so , '' he said . `` We would appeal to anyone with influence in the community to exert it to ensure that the next few days pass off without incident . '' On Saturday , police in Northern Ireland said a roadside bomb that exploded in a border caused significant damage to both a road and a nearby bridge . District Cmdr. Chief Alasdair Robinson said he believed that police officers were the target , and that the bomb was placed in the area in an attempt to injure or kill them .
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Rioters attack police on historic Protestant holiday . At least 27 police injured in two different locations , including three hit by shotgun blast . People throw objects and explosives . Disruption began on eve of holiday .
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