doc_text
stringlengths 157
16.7k
| summary_text
stringlengths 26
11.1k
| highlight_spans
stringlengths 9
3.7k
|
|---|---|---|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Erykah Badu must pay a $ 500 fine and serve six months on probation for her naked stroll through downtown Dallas , Texas , while making a music video last March , a city official confirmed Tuesday . Badu reached a plea deal to settle a misdemeanor disorderly conduct citation issued after she released a music video , according to Dallas spokesman Jose Torres . The singer shed her clothes as she walked through Dealey Plaza until she was nude and then fell near where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated . Badu said the video was `` shot guerrilla style , '' without a crew and in one take March 17 , 2010 . Badu then posted a message on her Twitter account acknowledging that `` there were children there . '' She said she prayed they would n't be traumatized by seeing her naked . It was n't until several days after the video for the song `` Window Seat '' was released on March 28 that anyone who witnessed the taping filed a complaint with Dallas Police . Only then did police issue a citation against Badu . Under the plea agreement , the offense will be erased from Badu 's criminal record if she successfully completes the 180 days probation . `` If she violates any law at the city , state or federal level , a motion to adjudicate -LRB- seeking to revoke probation -RRB- will be filed , '' Torres said . `` If the motion to adjudicate is granted , Ms. Badu will have a criminal conviction . '' CNN 's Jack Hannah contributed to this report .
|
Badu 's plea deal includes 6 months probation and a $ 500 fine . The singer stripped in Dealey Plaza for a music video . She fell naked near where JFK was shot .
|
[[19, 52], [0, 15], [57, 86], [218, 294], [381, 462], [450, 453], [467, 532]]
|
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A coalition of at least 40 religious and civic organizations Wednesday announced the creation of an alliance to show support for the Islamic community center and mosque proposed to be built near New York 's ground zero . The group has launched a website -- nyneighbors.org -- and announced a candlelight vigil to be held at the site of the proposed center on the eve of the ninth anniversary of the September 11 , 2001 , attack . Members of the coalition gathered at a municipal building in Manhattan to announce the group 's creation . Talat Hamdani , whose son was killed in the attack , told CNN on Wednesday , `` The issue is not about location . It is about our rights as Americans . '' `` All those people who died that day ... they were murdered for being Americans . We should honor those people who were murdered that day by living up to America 's core values , '' Hamdani said . Even as some relatives of 9/11 victims showed support for the Islamic center 's construction , others held their ground in opposing it . `` This is nothing short of a provocation , an insult to the families of people who were murdered , whose bodies were scattered all across that site , '' said Debra Burlingame , the sister of the pilot whose hijacked plane crashed into the Pentagon . She sits on the World Trade Center Memorial and Museum board of directors . `` I 've had families who have told us their PTSD has come back because of the idea of a mosque being built over where their loved ones died , '' she told CNN this week . `` The idea of a mosque is horrific to them . '' She said Imam Abdul Rauf , who is behind the project , did not approach families of 9/11 victims , but she would welcome any discussion with him . `` I would have told him , if he had come to us , that it would hurt people , '' she said . `` This is hurting people who have already been deeply hurt . '' Rauf 's wife , Daisy Khan , executive director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement , told the Council on Foreign Relations on Wednesday the proximity to ground zero was never planned . `` We were establishing the center in a neighborhood we were already in , '' she said . `` It was our neighborhood . Nine-eleven was our tragedy as much as it was anyone else 's tragedy . '' Khan said the voices of moderate , mainstream Muslims are being drowned out by extremists . `` The center will combine the best of what it is to be Muslim and what it is to be American . ... The core values of both are totally compatible . '' On Tuesday , New York Gov. David Paterson met with Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan , who had offered to mediate in the situation . After the meeting , Dolan urged advocates on both sides of the issue to ratchet down their rhetoric . At an Iftar dinner marking the breaking of the Ramadan fast Tuesday evening , New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg forcefully affirmed his support for the project . `` We are Americans , each with an equal right to worship and pray where we choose . There is nowhere in the five boroughs of New York City that is off limit to any religion , '' he told an audience at Gracie Mansion that included the center 's developer , Sharif el-Gamal . The Islamic center 's leaders say plans for the $ 100 million facility call for a community center including a mosque , performing arts center , gym , swimming pool and other public spaces . It will be built on property the center already owns , two blocks from where the World Trade Center was destroyed by Islamic extremists on September 11 , 2001 . The attacks killed more than 2,700 people . CNN 's Mark Norman and Ashley Fantz contributed to this report .
|
Coalition formed to show support for Islamic center near New York 's ground zero . Proposed construction of center has stirred debate nationwide . One 9/11 family member calls support for it `` living up to America 's core values '' Another 9/11 family member says center is `` nothing short of a provocation ''
|
[[125, 196], [157, 248], [803, 897], [918, 1010], [1055, 1096]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Rumors that the Pentagon or CIA were somehow involved in the sex crime accusations against WikiLeaks founder and editor Julian Assange in Sweden are `` complete nonsense , '' the attorney for the alleged victims said Tuesday . Claes Borgstrom of the Swedish law firm Borgstrom and Bostrom said the two women he represents have nothing to do with any kind of conspiracy . `` What I can say is that those rumors that the Pentagon or the CIA are supposed to be involved lack all connection with reality , '' Borgstrom said from Stockholm , Sweden . The women `` have been subjected to sexual crimes , and the added pressure of the intense worldwide media interest has been very hard on them , '' he added . A warrant issued Friday for Assange in Sweden listed charges of rape and molestation , but it was revoked less than a day later by Chief Prosecutor Eva Finne . Finne said Monday that she had not spoken to Assange . Leif Silbersky , the lawyer representing Assange , said Tuesday that his client strongly denies all the accusations . `` His view is that he has not done anything that is morally and legally wrong , '' Silbersky said . He also denounced the prosecutor who identified Assange to the media . `` Normally they should neither confirm nor deny the identity of a suspect , but in this case the prosecutor made two serious mistakes : The first was that she so quickly arrested Assange in his absence over a very serious crime without finding out all facts first . The second was that she confirmed his identity to the media . That , to me , almost constitutes a serious misconduct , '' Silbersky said . The website founded by Assange , WikiLeaks , has triggered controversy by recently posting 76,000 U.S. documents related to the war in Afghanistan , a move that has drawn criticism from both the U.S. and Afghanistan . Another 15,000 documents are to be released soon , Assange has said . He told the Arab-language television network Al-Jazeera on Sunday that the accusations are `` clearly a smear campaign . '' `` The only question is , who was involved ? '' he asked . He told the Swedish daily newspaper Aftonbladet in a story Sunday that he does n't know who was behind it , `` but we have been warned that , for example , the Pentagon is planning on using dirty tricks to destroy our work . '' He said he was also warned about `` sex traps . '' Asked by the paper whether he has fallen for one of those traps , he said , `` Maybe . Maybe not . '' When asked Monday whether the Department of Defense had any involvement in the charges or the allegations , Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman replied , `` No , that 's ridiculous . '' Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd also denied that the department had any involvement in the situation . Silbersky declined to comment on the conspiracy allegations . Borgstrom said the two alleged victims contacted him over the weekend , and he met with them Monday . One is about 25 years old , and the other woman is about 35 years old , he said , but he did not want to give any more details about his clients for fear that they 'll be identified . `` I also ca n't give any details of the events . Assange has not been heard yet , and giving out any details could interfere with the investigation , '' Borgstrom said . `` What I can say is that these are two Swedish women who have had two experiences completely independent of one another . They are not friends from before , but these events were connected with Assange 's tour in Sweden . '' Borgstrom says Assange 's actions should be classified as at least sexual molestation . `` I understand why the prosecutor judged one incident as rape . My judgment is that the two women have been subjected to at least sexual molestation , '' he said , adding that there are still many questions about the incidents that need to be answered . Assange told Aftonbladet that he had never , `` either in Sweden nor in any other country , had sex with anyone in a way that was not based on both sides being completely voluntary . '' Borgstrom also criticized the prosecutor for not questioning Assange immediately in the case . `` It is obvious that he is a suspect of sex crimes , and if he leaves the country , then we may never be able to hear his explanation , '' the attorney explained . The fear that Assange might leave Sweden was apparently what provoked the warrant last week , according to a statement posted Monday on the Sweden Prosecution Authority 's website . The prosecutor `` decided that Julian Assange was to be arrested , '' based on information that police gave her over the phone about the allegations -- a typical procedure , authorities said . `` The prosecutor was also made aware that the individual concerned was a foreign national and that he was about to leave the country , '' the chronology said . One reason for issuing the warrant was `` that there was a risk that he would have time to leave the country before authorities had time to interrogate him . There was also a risk that he could have interfered with the investigation . '' A group that claims to work to protect individuals ' legal rights in the Swedish justice system said Monday that it has reported the on-call prosecutor to the Swedish Parliamentary Ombudsman of Justice . It was unclear what action , if any , the ombudsman could take against the prosecutor . `` We can see that , time after time , prosecutors do n't follow the Swedish objectivity laws , '' said Johann Binninge , founder of the Organisation for Safe Legal Proceedings . `` When accusations come in , prosecutors do n't even check facts before they take coercive measures , and this is contrary to Swedish laws . In this case , the prosecutor only listened to one individual 's story but did n't bother checking the other side of the story before accusing Mr. Assange of a very serious crime . This is why we have reported her . '' News of the warrant reached a Swedish media outlet , the prosecution authority said , but `` the authority does not know how this happened , and the authority is not allowed to investigate this . '' Under Swedish law , news outlets are protected from police investigations into their sources . The news organization contacted the on-call prosecutor Friday night , the authority said . `` Once the on-call prosecutor was made aware that the news organization already knew all the details in the case , she confirmed that there was such a case ongoing and that it involved Julian Assange . '' However , she provided no details to the media , the authority said . `` This is very important , especially in cases involving sex crimes , since information about the individuals involved must be protected . This is governed by Swedish privacy laws . '' After the news broke in the media on Saturday , the on-call prosecutor `` came under intense pressure '' and it became clear the case needed to be transferred to someone else so that she could continue her usual duties , the prosecution authority said . Finne was then appointed lead investigator and immediately began looking into the case , the authority said . She made the decision Saturday to revoke the warrant `` because she did not consider it possible to suspect him of rape , '' the statement said . `` The amount of information available to her was more extensive than what the on-call prosecutor had on Friday evening . Exactly what that information was can not be disclosed at this point , since the investigation is ongoing . '' Assange said the on-call prosecutor should be criticized , as well as the media `` who so blindly reported these accusations . '' Finne , however , said in a statement Monday , `` My decision that Mr. Assange should no longer be arrested in his absence because he could not be suspected of rape is by no means criticism of the decision of the duty prosecutor . I had access to more information on Saturday than the duty prosecutor had on Friday . '' Assange told Aftonbladet that he was at a friend 's cottage in northern Sweden and had initially planned to stay until Wednesday but was delaying his departure for reasons unrelated to the investigation . Swedish media , citing unnamed sources , reported that the two women reported the allegations to police , which led to the warrant . Aftonbladet said the older woman told the newspaper that the younger woman had approached her with a story similar to hers : that she had consensual sex with Assange but that the situation had turned abusive . Karin Rosander , spokeswoman for the prosecution authority , would not confirm those reports . Finne has `` still not decided what other potential offenses -LSB- Assange -RSB- may be suspected of in the incident previously labeled rape , '' the prosecution authority 's statement said . `` She also has not yet decided on the suspected molestation . The investigation is still ongoing and the suspicions against Assange are still there . '' Rosander said Monday that if Assange is convicted of molestation , he could face a sentence of up to a year in jail . Prosecutors may also request in court that he be held in jail while awaiting trial , she said . Rosander earlier had said he would not face jail time if convicted of molestation but corrected that Monday . CNN 's Barbara Starr and Carol Cratty contributed to this report .
|
Attorney for alleged victims says rumors of Pentagon or CIA involvement are nonsense . WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange 's attorney says his client denies all allegations . Assange told a TV network he had been warned about `` sex traps '' The fear that Assange might leave Sweden prompted a prosecutor to issue a warrant .
|
[[191, 245], [398, 485], [398, 399], [408, 518], [938, 952], [989, 1055], [938, 952], [989, 1055], [2333, 2380], [2341, 2380], [4313, 4404], [4313, 4353], [4407, 4431], [4495, 4561], [4896, 4976]]
|
Beijing , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mechanical failures caused a North Korean air force plane to lose direction before crashing in northeastern China earlier this week , state media quoted Chinese authorities as saying Thursday . China 's official Xinhua news agency said that Pyongyang has apologized to Beijing for the incident and the two sides have `` reached a consensus on dealing with the aftermath . '' The plane went down Tuesday at Lagu township in Fushun county , killing the pilot and destroying one home on the ground . The crash site in Liaoning province is about 200 kilometers -LRB- 120 miles -RRB- away from a North Korean air base in the border town of Sinuiju , according to South Korea 's Yonhap news agency . An employee at Songgang Iron Mine , a company near the crash site , told CNN Wednesday that armed police officers and special forces agents immediately cordoned off the area after the plane went down . Photographs of the wreckage purportedly taken by an eyewitness have been circulating on Chinese websites , showing the North Korean air force emblem on the fuselage beneath the tail of the aircraft . Military enthusiasts online have identified it as a Russian-built MiG jet but differed on the specific model , with some calling it a MiG-21 fighter and others claiming it to be a MiG-15 trainer . Xinhua 's latest report did not give details on the plane . Yonhap had earlier quoted unnamed sources in South Korea as saying the plane 's pilot may have been trying to defect from North Korea to Russia . Chinese commentators had speculated that the plane may have run out of fuel .
|
Chinese authorities say mechanical failures caused the pilot to lose direction . The plane crashed Tuesday in northeastern China . The pilot is dead . North Korea has apologized .
|
[[10, 92], [62, 86], [93, 166], [62, 86], [93, 166], [410, 471], [271, 328]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Zemco Industries in Buffalo , New York , has recalled approximately 380,000 pounds of deli meat that may be contaminated with bacteria that can cause a potentially fatal disease , the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday . The products were distributed to Wal-Marts nationwide , according to the USDA 's website . The meats may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes , which was discovered in a retail sample collected by inspectors in Georgia . The USDA has received no reports of illnesses associated with the meats . Upon learning of the voluntary recall , Wal-Mart immediately told its stores to remove the meat from their shelves , the company said in a statement . `` Consumption of food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes can cause listeriosis , an uncommon but potentially fatal disease , '' according to the USDA . `` Healthy people rarely contract listeriosis . However , listeriosis can cause high fever , severe headache , neck stiffness and nausea . `` Listeriosis can also cause miscarriages and stillbirths , as well as serious and sometimes fatal infections in those with weakened immune systems , such as infants , the elderly and persons with HIV infection or undergoing chemotherapy , '' the USDA said . The products subject to recall are : . -- 25.5-pound cases of `` Marketside Grab and Go Sandwiches BLACK FOREST HAM With Natural Juices Coated with Caramel Color '' with the number 17800 1300 . -- 28.49-pound cases of `` Marketside Grab and Go Sandwiches HOT HAM , HARD SALAMI , PEPPERONI , SANDWICH PEPPERS '' with the number 17803 1300 . -- 32.67-pound cases of `` Marketside Grab and Go Sandwiches VIRGINIA BRAND HAM With Natural Juices , MADE IN NEW YORK , FULLY COOKED BACON , SANDWICH PICKLES , SANDWICH PEPPERS '' with the number 17804 1300 . -- 25.5-pound cases of `` Marketside Grab and Go Sandwiches ANGUS ROAST BEEF Coated with Caramel Color '' with the number 17805 1300 . The meats were produced on dates ranging from June 18 to July 2 , 2010 . The `` Use By '' dates range from August 20 to September 10 , 2010 . Wal-Mart noted the recall involves Marketside Grab and Go sandwiches , but not individual packages of deli meat . `` We encourage customers who recently purchased this item to return it for a full refund , '' the company statement said . CNN 's Ashley Hayes contributed to this report .
|
NEW : Wal-Mart says products immediately were pulled from shelves . The recalled meat products were sold at Wal-Marts nationwide . The meat products were produced from mid-June through early July . Listeriosis is an uncommon , but potentially fatal disease .
|
[[555, 592], [595, 669], [253, 306], [1949, 2012], [1976, 2021], [140, 153], [159, 196]]
|
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The District of Columbia , Florida , Georgia , Hawaii , Maryland , Massachusetts , New York , North Carolina , Ohio , and Rhode Island are all to receive a portion of the $ 3.4 billion remaining in the `` Race to the Top '' fund for education in those states . `` We had many more competitive applications than money to fund them in this round , '' Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Tuesday . `` Race to the Top '' is an Obama administration initiative to award money to states that show that they have a plan for school reforms in four main areas : turning around low performing schools , adopting college and career ready standards , effective teachers and principals , and using data systems to support student achievement . Thirty-five states and the District of Columbia applied for the second round of competition , and of those , 19 were listed as finalists by the Department of Education in July . Those finalists all sent representatives to Washington in August to present their case to a group of peer reviewers . Massachusetts received the highest score in the second round of competition followed by New York and Hawaii . Sometimes , it 's just about finishing the test . In the first phase of the competition , Hawaii turned in an incomplete application . In the second phase , not only did they turn in a completed application , but they were awarded with a grant of $ 75 million . Florida Gov. Charlie Crist thanked the teachers ' unions for their success . In that state , 54 local teacher unions signed on to their plans . `` This level of participation far exceeds the five local teacher unions who joined our efforts during Phase 1 , '' he said in a statement . Tennessee and Delaware both won grants under the program in the first round which was announced earlier this year . Over the next four years , Tennessee will receive $ 400 million and Delaware will receive $ 100 million for their programs . For the second round , the Department of Education announced that it would be limiting the amount that any given state can receive . The limits are based on the student population of that state . So , large states like New York and Florida can receive as much as $ 700 million while smaller states like Hawaii , Rhode Island , and the District of Columbia are limited to $ 75 million grants . The grants will be awarded in installments over the next four years . And state education departments need to spend the money according to the plans they submitted . In a conference call with reporters , Duncan said he would pull funding from states that he feels are not `` acting in good faith . '' Duncan said he hopes Tuesday 's announcement is not the end of the program . `` We 're very hopeful there will be a Phase 3 of ` Race to the Top ' and have requested $ 1.35 billion dollars in next year 's budget , '' he said .
|
Nine states plus the District of Columbia are winners . Each will receive a portion of $ 3.4 billion . Winners had to show they have plans for school reforms .
|
[[0, 26], [148, 234], [504, 510], [516, 580]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Three teens who were on a 69-name hit list posted on Facebook have been killed in the past 10 days in a southwestern Colombian town , officials say . Police say they do not know who posted the list or why the names are on it . `` It is still not clear , '' Colombian national police spokesman Wilson Baquero told CNN . `` This is part of the investigation . '' But officials note that a criminal gang known as Los Rastrojos and a Marxist guerrilla group called the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia operate in the area . The hit list on Facebook , which was posted August 17 , gave the people named three days to leave the town of Puerto Asis or be executed , said Volmar Perez Ortiz , a federal official whose title is defender of the public . Police at first thought the posting was a joke , Perez said in a statement issued Saturday . But the publication of a second list with 31 additional names led authorities to convene a special security meeting Friday , Perez said . The posting of the lists and the meetings occurred after the first two killings , which took place August 15 , Perez said . On that day , officials say , 16-year-old student Diego Ferney Jaramillo and 17-year-old CD retailer Eibart Alejandro Ruiz Munoz were shot and killed while riding a motorcycle on the road between Puerto Asis and the town of Puerto Caicedo . Both their names were later found on the first published hit list . Also on the list was Norbey Alexander Vargas , 19 , who was killed August 20 , Perez said . Another young man , 16-year-old student Juan Pablo Zambrano Anacona , was wounded in the same incident when he gave chase to the assassins , Perez said . Colombian media said Monday the number of those threatened has grown and panic has overtaken Puerto Asis , with some parents sending their children out of town because their names are on the Facebook notice . The names of 31 women were posted on the other list , said Radio RCN , semana.com and other news outlets . Residents have been overcome with `` panic and anxiety , '' several news outlets quoted Putumayo state official Andres Gerardo Verdugo as saying . Several of those residents posted their concerns on Twitter , an online messaging site . `` Panic in Puerto Asis , Putumayo , because of threats against young people , '' wrote a user who goes by JuanSepulvedah . `` Our youth must be protected . '' Someone who posted under the name JulianEco brought up the Facebook connection . `` The situation in Puerto Asis is tenacious , that a social site be used to add fire to the Colombian conflict , '' the post said . Twitter user hugoparragomez likened the situation to the drug-fueled crime waves in other Colombian cities . `` What is happening in Puerto Asis , Putumayo , is grave , the same as in Medellin , '' the tweet said . `` Authorities should take control of the situation . Who is investigating ? '' Still others inflated the death count . `` In Puerto Asis they have killed 20 young people threatened on Facebook and the authorities have not said anything , '' wrote jesusmhenriquez `` That is Colombia . '' Federal officials say they are taking the threats seriously and have sent investigators from Bogota , the nation 's capital , to Puerto Asis . Internet experts are among the investigators assigned to the case . Authorities also are offering a reward of 5 million pesos -LRB- around $ 2,750 -RRB- for information on the killings . Perez , the federal defender of the public , noted that the Los Rastrojos criminal gang is active in Puerto Asis , `` executing violent actions , resolving community conflicts , imposing living and conduct norms , intimidating and meting punishment against ... drug sellers and consumers , sex workers , people with criminal and unlawful histories and threatening social leaders , business people , taxi drivers and motorcycle taxi drivers . '' Perez said the Marxist guerrillas , commonly known as the FARC , also are active in the remote area , which borders Ecuador . Two Facebook representatives did not return a message Tuesday asking for comment .
|
The first list posted on Facebook had 69 names , officials say . Another posting this week added 31 names , news reports said . Officials say they do not know who published the lists or why people are on it . People on the first list were given three days to leave town or be killed .
|
[[19, 30], [35, 61], [43, 80], [153, 168], [866, 984], [1888, 1939], [1888, 1909], [1942, 1994], [169, 245], [180, 245], [545, 569], [601, 681]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Everyone from `` Twilight Moms '' to `` Family Guy '' fans is waiting in line at Comic-Con . This nearly 40-year-old convention is mainly devoted to comic books , and it was sold out before the exhibitors and speakers were even announced this year . Why are so many people there ? In 2009 , Diamond Comics , one of the world 's largest comic book , graphic novel and merchandise distributors , sent out 79 million comic books and 15 million graphic novels to stores . It 's not only geeky , teenage boys reading the comics . Buyers include include teenage girls , college students and professionals in their 40s , comic book store owners and industry experts say . Many people , including Mike Van Houten , started reading comic books as children . Van Houten , who has owned Oxford Comic Books in Atlanta , Georgia , for 30 years , still remembers the first comics he bought . `` I started collecting comic books when I was a little kid , maybe 12 years old . I went into an old-timey drug store -- it still had a counter that had a malt shop -- and back in the back it had a rack of comics , '' he said . `` I remember buying three comics , all Marvel . `` Fantastic Four , '' `` Captain America , '' and `` Spiderman , '' and I fell in love with them . '' But comic books were n't always designed to attract children 's allowance dollars . American comics started out in the 1930s as a successful way to sell newspapers , said Mike Richardson , CEO of Dark Horse Comics . `` The Sunday paper was literally wrapped in funnies to get people to buy that newspaper as opposed to the competition , '' he said . `` The comic strips were so popular that two salesmen had the idea to repackage them . '' After the success of Action Comics No. 1 , which was the first appearance of Superman -- and a failed comic strip , Richardson pointed out -- a flood of copycat superhero comic books appeared . `` For many years comics were taken as children 's entertainment , '' Richardson said . `` But we 've seen the graying of the comic book audience . Because we have an older clientele , the subject matter has matured . There was a poll done recently that said comic readers are more likely to be in their mid 20s than 12 or younger . '' Even the art in comic books -- a major appeal of the medium -- is more mature , he said . Comic books also have seen a shift in storylines and characters . Shelley Loewnau , owner of Teahouse Comics in Sandy Springs , Georgia , said that more of today 's comic books appeal to women . '' -LSB- Women comic book characters are -RSB- positive role models -- strong women , confident women , women with great careers , '' Loewnau said . `` Pepper Potts from ` Iron Man ' is a great example of that . Tony Stark could n't run the company without her . And then there 's also the great clothing , the costumes . It 's not just the woman in the bathing suit anymore . '' '' -LSB- Artists -RSB- are crossing over , '' said Peter Bell , owner of Bell Book & Comic in Dayton , Ohio . `` Like Greg Rucka , who wrote mystery novels and crime novels . Now he 's writing ` Batman . ' That 's perfect . You have a mystery writer writing about a great detective . It makes sense . '' When a mainstream writer writes a comic book , people want to check it out , he said . In Japan , people have enjoyed comics since the time of Emperor Meji . These days , it is not uncommon to see businessmen , grandmothers and school children all reading comic books on subways and trains . Yoshimura Kazuma , the chief researcher of the Manga Museum in Kyoto , Japan , said the cartoon form is appealing because it offers a `` more unique expression than a movie or a novel . '' The `` transformation , exaggeration and omissions '' that the images in comics make convey information on multiple levels , and is similar to the way Chinese writing is ideographic script , he said . -LRB- In Japanese kanji , for example , the idea or image of the word is often included in the shape of the word 's symbol . -RRB- . The equivalent of a comic book in Japan is called `` manga . '' Manga is a mainstay of Japanese publishing , taking the form of magazines or even small paperback books . These printed cartoons follow a similar structure to American comic books , but have evolved to appeal to Japanese sensibilities and include a wide variety of topics . Manga can encompass just about any genre : science fiction , horror , fantasy , comedy , action , sports , fashion , geared toward young women or men , and even graphic and adult content in some cases . Hollywood likes comic books , too . In the past 10 years , the box office has been beholden to anything superhero . We 've seen wildly successful franchises of Marvel 's `` Iron Man , '' `` Spiderman , '' `` The X-Men , '' and D.C. Comic 's `` Batman , '' and `` The Watchmen . '' Dark Horse Comics has had success with the `` Hellboy '' franchise , `` 300 '' and `` Sin City '' . Van Hauten points out that there are plenty of other movies based on comic books that are n't so overtly full of superheroes . `` It 's astounding , even a movie like Tom Hanks ' `` Road to Perdition '' was a comic graphic novel . Another one is `` American Splendor , '' Harvey Pekar 's graphic novel . They 're all over the map . '' So how does a fan of these movies take the next step and follow their favorite characters on other adventures ? Comic books are a great option , said Bell . There 's even a phone number to call -- 888-COMIC-BOOK -- to find out the comic shop closest to you . Not to worry , said Bell , it probably wo n't be like the comic book guy 's store from `` The Simpsons . '' `` It 's like Cheers in here , '' said Bell of his store . `` It 's some place people can come to and hang out and talk about -LSB- their favorite comics -RSB- . Things they ca n't get to at home or at work , '' he said . `` The community is growing . A lot of people do n't want to admit they like comics . '' But Bell said not to hide your pride , because you might be surprised who else reads your favorite title .
|
Almost 100 million comic books and graphic novels were distributed last year . The average comic book buyer is no longer a teenage boy . Manga is a mainstay of the Japanese publishing industry . Hollywood has had great popular success with movies adapted from comic books .
|
[[4096, 4138]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Seven people , including six Israelis , are feared dead after an Israeli helicopter crashed in Romania on Monday during a joint military exercise , the Romanian Defense ministry said . The control center for the joint exercises , known as Blue Sky 2010 , lost radio contact with the Israeli CH-53 helicopter about 3:20 p.m. -LRB- 8:20 a.m. ET -RRB- , the ministry said in a statement . Search-and-rescue operations began immediately , using a Romanian medical helicopter and two Israeli helicopters , the statement said . About 5:45 p.m. -LRB- 10:45 a.m. ET -RRB- , teams found the wreckage of the helicopter in the Fundata-Zarnesti area , near Brasov in central Romania , the defense ministry said . `` So far , the circumstances of the accident and the crew situation remain unknown . '' Defense Minister Gabriel Oprea has ordered a commission to the site to investigate the crash , the ministry said . Israel Defense Forces said the aircraft was carrying four pilots , two mechanics and a member of the Romanian Air Force . The Israeli air force is sending medical , rescue and investigative teams to the scene , a military statement said . The crash site was in a remote area at an altitude of more than 2,000 meters -LRB- about 6,560 feet -RRB- in the mountains , according to the defense ministry . Fog was preventing helicopters from flying to the site Monday night . Authorities said six ambulances were waiting a few kilometers away . The exercises , scheduled from July 18 through Thursday , are aimed at training low-altitude aircraft crews in search-and-rescue operations and medical evacuations , according to the statement . A CH-53 helicopter made an emergency landing July 18 after experiencing technical problems , the defense ministry said . The problem was fixed , and it took off and landed safely . Journalist Cosmin Stan contributed to this report .
|
The crash occurred during a joint exercise , defense ministry says . Wreckage of the helicopter has been located . Fog preventing authorities from reaching remote crash site . 1 Romanian service member and 6 Israelis were on board .
|
[[81, 164], [692, 719], [1751, 1778], [585, 656], [1324, 1393], [0, 15], [34, 56], [924, 1045]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Scuffles between Libyan President Moammar Gadhafi 's presidential guard and Ugandan security personnel have twice broken out at the African Union summit on the shores of Lake Victoria , officials said . `` Fights are always a result of the lack of respect by the Libyans to their hosts , '' said Ejison Kwesiga , spokesman for Uganda 's presidential brigade . `` Host authorities are responsible for any dangers that could arise . It is the host country 's authorities who must take care of all visiting heads of state , but the Libyans never want them to do their job . '' Libyan guards exchanged kicks and blows with Ugandan security on Sunday , the first day of the summit , as they approached the entrance marquee for the opening ceremony , according to journalist Samson Ntale . Only heads of state were allowed inside the ceremony . An argument erupted when Ugandan authorities attempted to escort Gadhafi through the entrance . `` It escalated into a physical fight , but no guns were drawn , '' Ntale said . On Monday , a similar situation occurred when Gadhafi and his security team were walking to the main conference hall . Heads of state were being moved to another room , and a scuffle broke out when Ugandan authorities attempted to escort Gadhafi there . Apparently annoyed the meeting was moved , Gadhafi slapped three of his own personnel , Ntale said . `` Gadhafi was irritated . I saw him slap his own men , '' he said . The Libyan security personnel declined comment .
|
Scuffles have broken out twice between Moammar Gadhafi 's guards , security . Ugandan official says Libyans have `` lack of respect '' for hosts . Journalist saw `` irritated '' Gadhafi slap his own personnel .
|
[[0, 15], [95, 132], [140, 202], [593, 664], [222, 304], [1332, 1374], [1390, 1416], [1417, 1443]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 15-year-old girl died and two other people were hospitalized with severe injuries after an amusement park ride in Barcelona , Spain , broke in midair , a city spokeswoman said . A young boy who was on the ride suffered minor injuries , but walked away from the twisted metal on his own , Barcelona spokeswoman Rosa Diaz said . The names of the victims have not been announced . The mechanical arm of `` El Pendulo '' -LRB- The Pendulum -RRB- broke and the basket carrying the teens fell on top of the ride known as `` The Golden Mine , '' said Sara Jaurriete , director of the Tibidabo amusement park . The park 's website describes El Pendulo as `` the ultimate free fall and the first of its kind in Spain . '' The ride has a `` long articulated arm where passengers are taken up to 38 meters -LRB- 124 ft -RRB- . From here , you are dropped in a free fall reaching 100kph -LRB- 60 mph -RRB- in 2.8 seconds . Once you reach the bottom , the arm takes you through a 50-metre arc , '' the park 's website says . The Pendulum has been in operation for the past four years , and it is billed as one of the park 's main attractions . About 4,000 visitors were in the park when the accident happened Saturday evening , Jaurriete said . The park will be closed on Sunday as an investigation begins .
|
A ride basket breaks in midair , falling onto another ride . Two people are seriously injured ; another victim walks away with minor injuries . El Pendulo ride is one of the main attractions at at the amusement park in Barcelona , Spain . The park is closed Sunday as an investigation begins .
|
[[0, 5], [155, 170], [473, 526], [43, 144], [199, 254], [199, 230], [261, 306], [1094, 1151], [1253, 1315], [1290, 1315]]
|
Lima , Peru -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Joran van der Sloot told investigators during an interrogation that he knows the location of Natalee Holloway 's body , but he would neither identify the location nor say what happened to her the night of her disappearance , a Peruvian police official told said Thursday in Lima , Peru . `` He says he knew the location of the American citizen but that he was going to explain everything to Aruban police , '' said Miguel Canlla , head of the homicide division of the Peruvian national police investigative unit . Van der Sloot , a 22-year-old Dutch citizen , is suspected of killing a 21-year-old woman in Lima last month . Stephany Flores Ramirez was found beaten to death in a hotel room registered in van der Sloot 's name . Van der Sloot was captured in Chile and returned last week to Peru , where authorities say he confessed to killing Flores . He was twice arrested in connection with the 2005 disappearance of Holloway , who was on a class trip to Aruba , but was released for lack of evidence . This week U.S. authorities filed extortion and wire fraud charges against the Dutchman . An Interpol document says van der Sloot faces criminal charges in Alabama because he allegedly tried to extort money from Holloway 's mother . A federal law enforcement agent told CNN that a representative for Natalee Holloway 's mother who paid $ 25,000 for information on the whereabouts of her daughter 's remains last month was an undercover FBI agent . Van der Sloot said he would reveal the location of the body and the circumstances surrounding her death for $ 25,000 in cash and asked for $ 250,000 in total , the document states . The FBI and U.S. Attorney 's office in Birmingham arranged for a meeting where van der Sloot was paid $ 10,000 in cash and another $ 15,000 in a wire transfer for information van der Sloot allegedly promised would lead to Holloway 's body in Aruba , a source familiar with the case said . The meeting took place last month , according to the U.S. attorney 's office in Birmingham . Interpol documents show that the $ 15,000 was transferred to a personal bank account in the Netherlands . It 's unclear whether that money paid for van der Sloot 's trip to Colombia and to Peru . In exchange for the money , van der Sloot showed the representative a house where supposedly Holloway 's remains were , according to the document . When records showed that the house had not yet been built at the time of her disappearance , van der Sloot admitted that he lied , Interpol said .
|
Homicide chief : van der Sloot says he 'll `` explain everything to Aruban police '' Police say van der Sloot confessed to killing Stephany Flores Ramirez in Lima . U.S. authorities this week filed extortion and wire fraud charges against van der Sloot .
|
[[322, 435], [545, 558], [591, 655], [822, 826], [835, 883], [1037, 1125], [1152, 1268]]
|
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Film critic Roger Ebert and the founder of the website Chatroulette.com were among the honorees on Monday night at the 14th annual Webby Awards in downtown Manhattan . Ebert , who lost his ability to speak after a bout with cancer , was given the Person of the Year award for blogging and using social media tools to get his writing voice back . `` Twitter and the internet have allowed Roger to continue the work we came to know and love him for , '' said Jimmy Fallon , who presented Ebert 's award . `` I ca n't remember the last time I went to see a movie without seeing what Roger Ebert thought of it first . '' Chatroulette 's founder , 17-year-old Andrey Ternovskiy , was given the `` Breakout of the Year '' award . Ternovskiy 's website , which lets people chat face-to-face with strangers , has been praised by some for breaking down social and national cliques online . Others have called it a den for pornography . David-Michel Davies , executive director of the Webby Awards , said Chatroulette 's story shows the equalizing power of the Web . `` I think it 's incredible that this far into the Web , something can be created by a 17-year old kid in Russia and literally all of the major global media is talking about it three days later , '' he said . `` It really shows the kind of impact you can have on the internet . '' Some of those who received Webby Awards expressed optimism about the future of the internet . `` You ai n't seen nothing yet , '' Vinton Cerf , the man known as the `` godfather of the internet '' told a raucous crowd . Cerf , a co-inventor of the internet who is credited with writing the Web 's original code , received a Lifetime Achievement Webby Award . `` The Webbies represent a kind of recognition that creativity is n't dead yet , '' Cerf said . In protest of the drawn-out acceptance speeches that are common at traditional award shows , Webby winners were told to keep their acceptance speeches short -- to a mere five words . `` Did n't kill the radio star , '' a Pandora Radio representative joked . Pandora , a website that streams music for free , took home the Best Music Webby . Some honorees used their five words to make political statements . `` I say plug the hole , '' actress Isabella Rosselini said , referring to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico . Rosselini was given the Best Individual Performance award for her online series , Green Porno , about the reproductive habits of marine animals . `` Goldman Sachs shorted my speech , '' said Arianna Huffington , whose Huffington Post won the People 's Voice Award for Best Political Blog . Though the event lauded the internet 's ever-evolving ability to facilitate communication and openness , some spoke of the challenges that remain , particularly for traditional media outlets . `` It 's all going to be about who you trust , what information do you value , '' Huffington said . Amy Poehler won Best Actress for her Web series , Smart Girls at the Party . Buzz Aldrin won the award Best Government Website . Big winners in the social networking arena included Twitter , Foursquare and Mashable . FailBlog CEO Ben Huh attributes the success of his website , which features people 's failures and comical mishaps , to the 2008 stock market plunge . `` That 's when celebrating failure really exploded because when things are bad , when you 're down , what 's better than to laugh at someone else 's misery , '' Huh said . The gala , hosted by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences , recognized more than 100 winners in the four areas of websites , Interactive advertising and media , online film and video and mobile .
|
The Webby Awards honor internet sensations . The 14th annual awards ceremony was held Monday in New York . Roger Ebert received the Person of the Year award for his blog . Chatroulette.com 's founder got the Breakout of the Year award .
|
[[196, 201], [261, 341], [645, 668], [690, 751]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After four years and more than $ 100 million spent by the international community , the Khmer Rouge Tribunal rendered its first verdict Monday . Kaing Guek Eav , better known as Duch , was found guilty of war crimes and sentenced to serve up to 19 more years in prison in what was an open-and-shut case . From the start , Duch , a born-again Christian , fully admitted his leadership role in Phnom Penh 's infamous Tuol Sleng , a school-turned-torture center , where more than 14,000 people were killed . On this momentous occasion , I 'd like to step back by reflecting upon and give voice to one victim of the Khmer Rouge : my late mother , Cam Youk Lim . My mom passed away in October at the age of 73 in Northern California . When she was only 39 , she had managed to outwit the Khmer Rouge and the Vietnamese communists by escaping Cambodia to Vietnam with five young children , including me . She did n't live to see this day , but no matter , for her justice would inevitably be rendered the Buddhist way . She decided long ago the Khmer Rouge were Karmic pestilence who would pay the price for their crimes , if not in this lifetime , then in their next life . She was an incredible woman . She grew up in an age and place when women were the property of men , and yet she sought independence . On her home was a sign `` Propriété de Madame Lim '' -LRB- Property of Mrs. Lim -RRB- . She married my father in the 1960s and on April 17 , 1975 , we ended up in Pursat province , where my father was made to work until he died . One day , the Khmer Rouge chief told the village that Vietnamese citizens would be allowed to return to Vietnam . She decided to take a chance and claim to be Vietnamese . It was a dangerous gamble . If it turned out that she was wrong , she would certainly have been killed . People in the commune warned her it might be a trap . '' Auntie , they 're lying , they 'll kill you when you go back there , '' they said . '' To stay is to die , to go is to die , so I might as well go , '' she told them . As she arrived in the camp on the Cambodian border with Vietnam , she discovered that she 'd given all the boys girls ' names and all the girls boys ' names . Her spoken Vietnamese was that bad . But because of the kindness of a stranger , Mrs. Teuv , who pointed this out to her and then tutored her for the next couple of days , her Vietnamese improved so much that she passed the language test that the Khmer Rouge and the Vietnamese cadres gave her . Remember , if she failed , we would all be dead . Imagine the courage it took for her to stand there and pretend to be someone she was not : Vietnamese . On the day of the interview , she wrapped us in blankets and made us pretend to be sick so we would not be questioned . The Vietnamese cadre asked her : '' Sister what is your name ? '' She answered in her best Saigon accent : . '' My name is Nguyen Thi Lan , '' a name she 'd given herself . They kept asking whether my father , who had owned a small drugstore , had been a big shot . She stuck to her story . '' No , he was a trader , that 's all . '' Read more about Sophal Ear and his family 's journey . When at last she received permission to leave Cambodia , she was so happy . This chance to leave was like being reborn with all of her children . On the boat to Vietnam , she was given rice and canned milk for me , as the baby . Without even warming it up , she fed it to me until I became bloated and sick . My sister Sophie cried : '' I want noodles ! I want noodles ! '' Mom had no money , so she sold her last ring and bought a pot and some three-layered pork fat to make our first real meal in six months . It was her determination that allowed us to survive , for even after reaching Vietnam 's Mekong Delta , we were not out of the woods . Vietnamese authorities told us to find family or we 'd be taken to a collective farm , which was n't much better than living under the Khmer Rouge . As luck would have it , mom bumped into someone who knew her sister and brother-in-law , who lived in Ho Chi Minh City -LRB- Saigon -RRB- . She asked that word be sent , and soon after , on a boat down the Mekong , her brother-in-law came to the rescue . He bribed guards to let us out in the middle of the night and in January 1976 , we were finally safe . Over the next two years , mom somehow managed to survive by her wits and the money another sister who lived in California sent her . The next challenge was how to get out of communist Vietnam . Without diplomatic relations , the U.S. was impossible to reach after the Vietnam War , but France was an option . Getting to France in 1978 took a lot of work . For one thing , mom had no direct family there , and someone with the same last name had to be found and persuaded to sign papers claiming a family relationship . After signing the papers , they got lost in the mail . There again , a random person helped . A Frenchman forged signatures , cajoled and yelled at staff in a French government offices . He once demanded they reopen because , by his watch , it was n't yet closing time . In France , mom worked hard to sew fancy tablecloths and napkins with embroidered flowers . In 1985 , she packed up her bags again and took her three youngest kids -LRB- Sam , Sophie and I were minors -RRB- to start a new life in the United States . She worked as a seamstress in the garment factories of Oakland 's Chinatown , making wedding gowns that had labels we 'd never heard of , much less could afford . She used those same skills to make Sophie clothes that were just as good and custom-made . All through this time , she pressed us to study in school and to go on to college . She was not interested in a life of quick riches . Cutting school short to work was out of the question . She believed in education , and for her , education was not only about making money , it was about learning how to think . All this was from a woman who had seven years of formal schooling . Somehow , she did n't need any more to know that our responsibility was to get an education . And we did . Sam graduated from San Francisco State University and now works as a software engineer . Sophie finished UC San Francisco as a pharmacist . I received my UC Berkeley PhD and became a professor . The Talmud says that if you save a life , you save the world . The Chinese have another proverb : `` When you save a life , you are responsible for that life . '' My mom saved six lives from the Killing Fields , and with 14 grandkids and counting , she has saved 20 lives to date . I say counting because two days ago , I learned that my wife is expecting our second child . Thanks , mom , for helping to bring new hope into this world . The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of Sophal Ear and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Navy , the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government .
|
A tribunal has begun prosecution of crimes committed by the Khmer Rouge regime . Sophal Ear says his mother , who fled Cambodia , believed killers would pay for their crime . She and her children were able to escape from Cambodia by posing as Vietnamese . Ear 's mother worked hard in France , U.S. , to make sure her children got a good education .
|
[[772, 775], [818, 832], [844, 875], [1666, 1669], [1699, 1723]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Since Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed Senate Bill 1070 into law in late April , there has been a wide array of opinions about the controversial immigration law , which takes effect Thursday . Here 's a look at some of those viewpoints : . Immigration reform : Start with small steps : John D. Skrentny , director of the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies at U.C. San Diego , says : `` Like the characters in ` Hot Tub Time Machine , ' reformers are stuck in 1986 . '' Arizona should kill immigration bill : Every movement needs heroes . The fight against discrimination in Arizona just got nine , writes Stephen Lemons , a blogger and columnist with the Phoenix New Times . Arizona had to take charge on immigration : Republican Russ Jones is an Arizona state representative from the 24th District in Yuma , and he voted for SB 1070 : `` Some people criticize this new bill , while at the same time saying that something must be done about illegal immigration . Then they will mention the ever-popular catchphrase about `` comprehensive immigration policy . '' This is fine and good , but so far no one on either the state or federal level has enacted any workable solutions to this problem . ... With a lack of progress , this state has felt compelled to move forward in crafting its own legislation to deal with problems at home . '' Undocumented workers need legal rights : Richard Trumka is president of the AFL-CIO and former president of the United Mine Workers of America . He believes that the United States `` can not afford to have millions of hard-working people without legal protections , shut off from economic gain . But the way we treat the immigrants among us is about more than economic strategy : It is about who we are as a nation . '' Law meant to provoke government action : Michael Hethmon is a public interest lawyer and general counsel for the Immigration Reform Law Institute , the legal affiliate of the Federation for American Immigration Reform . He helped draft SB 1070 , the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act . Hethmon argues that the controversial law `` was intended by its creators , myself among them , to provoke sustainable immigration reform . '' How Obama can lead on immigration : Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a nationally syndicated columnist , an NPR commentator and a regular contributor to CNN.com . He argues that `` it does n't make any political sense for President Obama to talk about the need to reform our immigration system . '' Did Obama break his promise to Latinos ? In this piece , Navarrette says Obama stands to lose the support of Latino voters by failing to uphold his promise on comprehensive immigration reform in his first year . Can Obama close the divide on immigration ? Tamar Jacoby is president of ImmigrationWorks USA , a national federation of small-business owners advocating immigration reform . She addresses the differing opinions among Americans about immigration reform , and suggests ways Obama can address that paradox .
|
Immigration studies center director says that `` reformers are stuck in 1986 '' Arizona state representative says state has stepped in after U.S. government fell short . Public interest lawyer says law aims `` to provoke sustainable immigration reform '' Columnist : Obama may lose Latino voters ' support if his promises about reform fall short .
|
[[257, 275], [401, 405], [409, 490], [2089, 2228], [2109, 2133], [2185, 2228], [2563, 2576], [2579, 2726]]
|
Cambridge , Massachusetts -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Opponents of an Islamic community center and mosque planned to be built near ground zero say it would desecrate hallowed ground . But suspicion has greeted proposed mosque projects in places less hallowed than ground zero -- in Murfreesboro , Tennessee ; Sheboygan , Wisconsin ; Temecula , California ; and elsewhere . This suggests that opposition to mosques is not driven only by sensitivity to the memory of terrorism victims , but also by a growing unease toward Islam , fueled by security fears . Opposition to Islamic centers and mosques in the United States shows remarkable similarities to anti-Islamic movements in Germany , Belgium and the Netherlands , where people also have sought to prohibit new mosques . Last December in Switzerland , citizens voted in a referendum to prohibit new minarets . Another trait shared by anti-Islamic movements on both sides of the Atlantic is that they increasingly justify their opposition by arguing that Islam is not a religion . For example , in his campaign preceding Holland 's recent elections , extreme right-wing parliamentarian Geert Wilders repeatedly argued that Islam is a political ideology . Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey , in his failed gubernatorial bid , suggested that the freedom of religion enshrined in the First Amendment might not apply to Muslims . `` You could even argue whether being a Muslim is actually a religion , or is it a nationality , way of life , a cult , '' the Republican candidate told an audience in Murfreesboro . Disturbingly , these assertions are often embraced by people looking to justify their intolerance . Counterclaims and evidence from religious leaders , intellectuals , government officials and others have little impact on this misperception . Why is Islam no longer considered a religion ? American and European debate on Islam often revolves around the question of whether Islam is compatible with Western-style democracy and values . But because many Westerners associate Islam with al Qaeda , Palestinian militant groups and Iranian theocracy , they have a constricted , one-dimensional view of a faith that is multifaceted and complex . No doubt , some political groups are at war with certain Muslim regimes like those in Saudi Arabia , Egypt or Pakistan , and with the West . But some Westerners see the threat from terrorists who are driven by ideology and politics as a threat from a culture and religion . Those people who were already suspicious of Islam can justify their hostility because , instead of a religion , Islam is considered an ideology emanating from Iraq , Afghanistan , Somalia , Turkey and the rest of the Muslim world to threaten the West . It 's worth noting that we did not seek to explain the violence and terrorism of Northern Ireland through the lens of Catholicism and Protestantism only ; nobody scoured the Bible for verses about violence and war . Observers , instead , cited political , economic and historic factors to explain the conflict . By the same token , no one would argue that Gush Emunim , or Block of the Faithful , exclusively represents Judaism , or that the murder of abortion doctors represents the essence of Christianity . But when it comes to Islam , ignoring important economic , historical and political factors has become perfectly acceptable . Politicians , pundits and ordinary Americans see Islam -- not political groups using Islamic rhetoric -- as an existential threat to Western secular norms . So , they believe , restraining it justifies extraordinary measures , even those that violate American values and the Constitution -- such as trying to ban mosques . How did this collusion between politics and culture happen ? It would be misleading to think that this perception is new . It has existed since Colonial times at least , and remains prevalent because it taps into images and memories intrinsic to the historical consciousness of Western politicians and intellectuals . Scholarly literature often echoes stereotypical images of Islam and Muslims , such as women in burqas or bearded fanatics with bulging eyes shouting slogans . In some cases , headlines come directly from titles in academic journals and books : `` The Muslims Are Coming ! The Muslims Are Coming ! '' -LRB- Pipes , 1990 -RRB- , `` The Roots of Muslim Rage '' -LRB- Lewis , 1990 -RRB- , `` Terror , Islam , and Democracy '' -LRB- Boroumand and Boroumand , 2002 -RRB- , `` The Crisis of Islam : Holy War and Unholy Terror '' -LRB- Lewis , 2003 -RRB- or `` Onward Muslim Soldiers : How Jihad Still Threatens America and the West '' -LRB- Spencer , 2002 -RRB- . When Europeans were building new political principles based on the sovereignty of the people , they defined them in opposition to their most powerful political neighbor of the time : the Ottoman Empire . `` Oriental societies '' were represented as simply the negative counterpart of Western societies . Islam and Muslims became the typical `` Other . '' We seem to need to exist in opposition to an Other , and in today 's national folklore , Islam plays that role . Not surprisingly , contemporary political Muslim groups across the globe play the same game , manufacturing their legitimacy as a product of opposition to their own Other , the West . It is impossible for societies to completely rid themselves of this polarizing rhetoric . That said , societies differ in the degree to which their political imaginations are subjected to open critical discussion . It is the strength of democracy in the U.S. that such debates can exist , so demonization of the Other wo n't ride roughshod over reason . Muslims have a crucial role to play in these debates . Most Muslims in Europe , the United States and even in parts of the Islamic world view the presence of Islam in the West as a chance to overcome such polarization . Prohibiting mosques does n't advance these society-saving debates , and ca n't reshape our imaginations so that we can one day imagine Islam and Muslims as fellow citizens . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jocelyne Cesari .
|
Jocelyne Cesari : Opposition to mosques shows a growing unease and fear of Islam . Opponents mix up terrorists spouting Islamic rhetoric with the religion , she says . Cesari points out Christianity was not blamed for the terrorism during Northern Ireland conflict . She says rather than demonize the `` Other , '' we must imagine Muslims as fellow citizens .
|
[[364, 517], [488, 517], [520, 546], [5594, 5655]]
|
Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The trial of a Mexican soap opera star -- accused of paying an American to marry her so she could work into the United States -- will also feature a star from a U.S. reality show . Celebrity photographer Markus Klinko , star of Bravo 's `` Double Exposure , '' hired an investigator to gather evidence of Fernanda Romero 's alleged sham marriage , according to prosecution and defense documents . Romero , 28 , was arrested on marriage fraud charges in April and her federal trial begins Tuesday in Los Angeles . Her husband is also accused . She would never have been prosecuted if Klinko had not personally financed an investigation of his former girlfriend and delivered the results to immigration agents , the defense said . `` Klinko went to great lengths to see to it that this case was criminally prosecuted and ... did so because of his animus toward defendant Fernanda Romero , '' a defense petition said . When Klinko , 49 , takes the stand as a prosecution witness , the defense will try to prove that the Swiss native engaged in his own sham marriage two decades earlier , according to a defense document filed in court . A Texas woman , in a sworn statement filed with the court , said Klinko paid her $ 20,000 for a sham marriage in 1987 . `` The marriage between Markus and me was done for the sole purpose of allowing Markus Klinko to obtain a green card , '' Victoria Waisman said in a sworn statement filed with the court . The Klinko-Waisman marriage ended after just four months and was never used for a green card application , the defense document said . Klinko married another woman a day after his divorce from Waisman was finalized . It was through that second marriage that Klinko obtained a U.S. work visa , the defense said . `` As the Waisman evidence shows , Klinko was quite familiar with the crime of marriage fraud , thus was able to construct a somewhat believable case against the defendants , '' a defense petition said . Klinko , through an attorney , denied to CNN the accusation that he had been involved in a sham marriage . Klinko earlier denied to CNN that he personally sought to have Romero , his one-time girlfriend , prosecuted . It was his lawyer who gathered and presented the evidence to immigration officials , he said . He said it was not because he was angry over their breakup , but it was part of a legal battle with Romero and Michael Ball , the owner of the Rock & Republic clothing company . Romero was then a model for Ball 's company . Klinko said he turned the evidence over to the government because he feared extortion from Ball and Romero . The former lawyer , Anthony Lopresti , said in a filing in Klinko 's bankruptcy case that it was Klinko who hired the investigator `` to pursue the criminal prosecution and/or deportation of Ms. Romero . '' The investigation , which Klinko insisted on , was `` outside the scope '' of the lawsuit , Lopresti said . Romero has appeared in at least 15 television shows and films since 2005 , according to the Internet Movie Database , when prosecutors allege she paid Kent Ross , a pizza deliveryman and musician , to marry her . The prosecutor in the case , Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Left , said Romero could get between 15 and 21 months in prison if convicted , though such cases usually produce shorter sentences . The case is unusual because marriage fraud charges are usually litigated by immigration authorities rather than prosecuted as criminal cases . The federal complaint accused Romero of paying Ross , 28 , to marry her on June 12 , 2005 , but alleges they never lived together as a couple . Romero began dating Klinko a month later , and they lived together for several months , the complaint said . According to a sworn affidavit by ICE Senior Special Agent Bonita Canterberry filed in the case , Klinko and Romero 's relationship ended in 2007 , about the same time Klinko filed a lawsuit against Rock & Republic jeans company and its owner , Ball , alleging breach of contract in relation to a photo shoot . Klinko also accused Ball of extortion . `` In connection with the civil suit , Klinko 's attorney and private investigators looked into the claim that Ball had arranged for the sham marriage between Romero and Ross . Klinko and his attorney turned over to ICE documentation and findings from their investigation , which , in turn , led to the government 's investigation into Romero 's marriage to Ross , '' Canterberry 's affidavit says . The complaint names Michael Ball as a target of the federal investigation , alleging that he helped arrange the sham marriage while Romero was modeling for his company . Romero 's show business career began in Mexico at age 16 when she joined the ensemble Frizzby , her Internet Movie Database biography says . The group toured Mexico and Central America , releasing two top-10 singles , it says . She started hosting television shows and appearing on commercials in Mexico when she was 18 , it says . Romero has appeared in print and TV ad campaigns for Rock and Republic , Clean and Clear , Pepsi , Apple and JC Penney , it says . `` She was cast in Telemundo 's original production ` Wounded Soul , ' where she was not only a lead actress , but also a lead singer , performing two songs in the soap opera 's soundtrack , '' her biography says .
|
NEW : Markus Klinko denies he also had a sham marriage . Fernanda Romero is on trial for using a sham marriage to get a work visa . `` Double Exposure '' star Markus Klinko is a key prosecution witness . Klinko denies he turned his ex-girlfriend in to the feds .
|
[[2002, 2008], [2033, 2108], [1298, 1414]]
|
Beijing , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The death toll from the devastating mudslide in China 's northwestern Gansu province rose slightly to 1,254 Monday , a day after the country paused for three minutes in memory of those who perished . Another 490 people are still missing a week after torrential rains triggered the mudslides on July 8 , the state-run Xinhua news agency said . At 10 a.m. Sunday , Chinese President Hu Jintao and other top leaders paid a silent tribute ahead of a party meeting . At the Dongjie Village in hardest-hit Zhouqu county , more than 5,000 rescuers and villagers stood still atop mudslide debris with their heads bowed , Xinhua said . Large-scale national displays of mourning are rare in China , though the country designated three days of mourning after a massive 2008 earthquake in Sichuan . The country also had a day of mourning after a quake in Yushu earlier this year . China has been drenched by heavy rains and floods since the end of May . More than 400 million people have been affected . On July 8 , heavy rains caused the side of a mountain broke off in the night and tear through remote Zhouqu county , burying some homes and ripping others apart . The path of the mudslide is covered in three to four stories of rock and mud . By Sunday , crews had cleared out roads , allowing for the delivery of relief supplies . Power has been restored to about 76 percent of homes , and wells have been dug to supply more water , Xinhua said .
|
NEW : The death toll rises slightly to 1,254 , with 490 missing . Top leaders and rescue workers pause for three minutes to remember victims . Large-scale national displays of mourning are rare in China . Roads have been cleared in Zhouqu county .
|
[[10, 31], [120, 149], [235, 325], [235, 253], [258, 335], [164, 219], [378, 395], [398, 496], [662, 721], [1269, 1278], [1281, 1308]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The wife of one of the victims of the Philippines bus gunman has told reporters that she pretended to be dead in order to survive . Former police officer Rolando Mendoza , upset at having lost his job , held a busload of tourists from Hong Kong hostage in Manila on Monday , and killed eight of them before being shot dead . Amy Leung was enjoying the last day of a family holiday in Manila when the gunman boarded with an M16 automatic rifle . Her husband and two daughters were killed in the ensuing gun battle , and her son is being treated in intensive care for injuries he sustained . `` My husband was very brave , '' Mrs Leung said . `` He rushed out from the back of the bus to try to stop the killer . He ended up giving his life . `` Part of me wanted to be killed together with my husband , but then I think of my children . I think that at least one of us should save ourselves to care for them . '' She told reporters that she pretended to be dead in order to survive . `` My husband is dead -- I really miss him . `` Why did authorities not rescue us , there were so many of us on the bus . Why did no-one come to rescue us -- It 's so cruel ? Why ? `` We were in there for so many hours . No-one came to help us . So many lives were taken . `` Why did you not help us earlier ? I 'm not blaming the central government , but the Philippines government . I ca n't accept why they could do that . `` The gunman did not want to kill us , but when negotiations failed , he opened fire . Why ca n't they give the money ? I do n't understand why they ca n't give the money . '' The tour group was scheduled to leave for Hong Kong early Wednesday evening with about 60 officials and family members on a chartered flight from Manila .
|
Amy Leung 's husband and two daughters were killed during the siege and her son injured . Mrs Leung : `` Part of me wanted to be killed together with my husband '' She asked why authorities had not acted sooner to save passengers on the bus .
|
[[464, 531], [534, 593], [760, 818], [1050, 1083]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The number of U.S. troops in Iraq has fallen below 50,000 -- the lowest level since the U.S-led invasion in 2003 , the military said Tuesday . The drop comes ahead of President Barack Obama 's deadline to bring down troop levels by August 31 . The military said U.S. troops will now transition to Operation New Dawn , effective September 1 . In this phase , the United States will help train Iraqi security forces until the end of its mission in December 2011 . While the total number of U.S. troops in Iraq will continue to diminish throughout 2011 , the withdrawal rate will be `` calibrated and adjusted based on conditions on the ground , '' according to presidential national security adviser John Brennan . On Monday , Vice President Joe Biden said that the overall level of violence in Iraq has now declined to the point that some early U.S. veterans of the conflict `` would not recognize '' the country today . The roughly 650,000-member Iraq security force is `` already leading the way to defend and protect -LSB- the -RSB- country , '' he said . `` Some said that our drawdown would bring about more violence . Well , they were wrong , '' Biden said at a gathering of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Indianapolis , Indiana . Iraqi officials , however , have noted a recent campaign of bombings and shootings in Baghdad , where gunmen have attacked traffic police and checkpoints , killing Iraqi troops . Many Iraqis have blamed the recent violence on the current political paralysis , in which quarreling parties have failed to form a government nearly six months after parliamentary elections . The Iraqi government had been pushing to increase security ahead of the U.S. drawdown . Biden stressed that the changing U.S. role in Iraq should be not be viewed as American disengagement . He noted that the administration is largely following former President George W. Bush 's plan for a `` long-term '' relationship with Baghdad . Civilian efforts to promote Iraqi stability are ramping up , Biden said . But Obama is planning a speech on the situation in Iraq after he returns to Washington from vacation on August 29 , a senior administration source said Sunday .
|
NEW : U.S. troop withdrawal rates will depend on ground conditions , Brennan says . The drop comes ahead of President Obama 's August 31 deadline . U.S. troops will now switch to an advice-and-assist role . Vice President Biden says Iraqi security forces are now successfully protecting Iraq .
|
[[571, 590], [617, 659], [662, 731], [162, 220], [186, 208], [221, 262], [939, 985], [1030, 1061]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man suspected in the deaths of three people in Panama is now wanted in the slaying of an American woman whose body was found last week , Panama 's national police said Saturday . The body of Cher Hughes , a native of suburban St. Louis , Missouri , was found Tuesday on the property of William Adolfo Cortez Reese , who is suspected in her death , said Javier Carrillo , director of the national police investigation unit . Carrillo said Cortez and his wife , Jane , are on the run . Cortez `` may be from Holland . We 're not sure that 's his real identity , '' he said . `` We found a false passport . '' He said Panamanian authorities are attempting to reach police in Holland . Hughes , who was in her early 50s , was identified by her husband , Keith Werle , who lives in Panama . A second body -- which has not yet been officially identified -- was found near Hughes . `` We believe the motive is that he -LRB- William Cortez -RRB- is killing people to take their property , '' Carrillo said . He added that authorities do not know Cortez 's whereabouts , and have not received any tips from the public . Werle said he was on Cortez 's property , a massive piece of farmland on the island of Isla Colon in the western province of Boca del Toro , as police executed a search warrant . He said his dog led authorities to a shallow grave , where they found Hughes ' body . Dwayne Cooney , a family friend , said Hughes had lived in Panama for the past decade and owned a hotel , the Casa del Sapo , in Boca del Torro . He described Hughes and Cortez as friends and neighbors . Hughes had lived in St. Petersburg , Florida , where she owned a neon sign business , before moving to Panama , Cooney said . CNN 's Nick Valencia , Jackie Castillo and Anna Rhett Miller contributed to this report .
|
The body of an American woman is found in a shallow grave in Panama . The suspect is wanted in three other slayings . Police say the motive is to kill people for their property .
|
[[0, 15], [78, 124], [104, 130], [136, 155], [1346, 1361], [1370, 1396], [19, 74], [896, 999]]
|
New Orleans , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Oil left on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico is breaking down naturally now that the flow of crude has been cut off beneath the surface , a Coast Guard admiral said Sunday after touring the scene . Rear Adm. Paul Zukunft said the remnants of Tropical Storm Bonnie did little to affect the oil slick , which is breaking down `` very quickly . '' `` The storm itself was not that significant , '' Zukunft told CNN after an aerial survey of the northern Gulf on Sunday . `` We 've had nine days of no new oil being released , so what we 're seeing is the remnants of oil that was released nine days ago . '' BP crews managed to temporarily cap the undersea well at the heart of the three-month-old disaster on June 15 . But efforts to close off the gusher permanently by drilling a relief well were delayed by the storm , which forced the ships involved in the process to evacuate the area . Those ships have returned to the area since the storm , he told reporters Sunday night . Zukunft told reporters that he saw only one large patch of emulsified oil , about 12 miles off Grand Isle , Louisiana , during his six-hour aerial tour . No oil could be seen in Louisiana 's Lake Borgne , Lake Pontchartrain or Chandeleur Sound , while only a light sheen was visible in other parts of the Gulf . `` The oil is basically approaching the end of its life cycle , '' he said . Oil had gushed from the ruptured well for nearly three months after the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded April 20 , leaving 11 workers dead . Officials have said a relief well is the only permanent solution to the disaster , which saw as much as 60,000 barrels -LRB- 2.5 million gallons -RRB- of crude spewing into the Gulf every day . Ships critical for drilling the well started evacuating Thursday and returning Saturday afternoon , once Bonnie lost her punch after crossing southern Florida . The weather forced officials to temporarily scale back efforts to search beneath the surface for leaking oil and permanently plug the leak , drawing some criticism from local officials that the federal government was overreacting to the storm . But retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen , who is leading the federal government 's response to the spill , emphasized the need to move and protect equipment before a storm . He said told reporters Friday that he was still `` haunted '' by the sight of submerged school buses `` that could not be used for the evacuation '' after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005 . `` We 're going to be playing a cat-and-mouse game for the remainder of the hurricane season , '' Allen said . Sunday , Allen said officials were examining new oil deposits on the shoreline created by the storm , and booms that were in sensitive marsh areas caused damage during the storm and may need to be removed before another surge happens . But with the storm 's passing , work on the relief well is scheduled to continue , he said . And by August 1 , he said crews could begin pumping drilling `` mud '' into the ruptured well to force oil back into the reservoir below -- a process known as a `` static kill . '' CNN 's David Mattingly , Rich Phillips and Matt Smith contributed to this report .
|
NEW : Admiral says oil on the surface is breaking down `` very quickly '' NEW : Drill ships returned to the well site Sunday . Tropical Storm Bonnie forced ships to evacuate Thursday night . `` Static kill '' effort could start August 1 , Allen says .
|
[[270, 307], [319, 385], [1745, 1842], [3107, 3144]]
|
ZHOUSHAN , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- They operate from a bare apartment on a Chinese island . They are intelligent 20-somethings who seem harmless . But they are hard-core hackers who claim to have gained access to the world 's most sensitive sites , including the Pentagon . The leader of these Chinese hackers says there `` is always a weakness '' on networks that allows cyber break-ins . In fact , they say they are sometimes paid secretly by the Chinese government -- a claim the Beijing government denies . `` No Web site is one hundred percent safe . There are Web sites with high-level security , but there is always a weakness , '' says Xiao Chen , the leader of this group . `` Xiao Chen '' is his online name . Along with his two colleagues , he does not want to reveal his true identity . The three belong to what some Western experts say is a civilian cyber militia in China , launching attacks on government and private Web sites around the world . Watch hackers ' clandestine Chinese operation '' If there is a profile of a cyber hacker , these three are straight from central casting -- young and thin , with skin pale from spending too many long nights in front of a computer . One hacker says he is a former computer operator in the People 's Liberation Army ; another is a marketing graduate ; and Xiao Chen says he is a self-taught programmer . `` First , you must know about the Web site you want to attack . You must know what program it is written with , '' says Xiao Chen . `` There is a saying , ` Know about both yourself and the enemy , and you will be invincible . ' '' CNN decided to withhold the address of these hackers ' Web site , but Xiao Chen says it has been operating for more than three years , with 10,000 registered users . The site offers tools , articles , news and flash tutorials about hacking . Private computer experts in the United States from iDefense Security Intelligence , which provides cybersecurity advice to governments and Fortune 500 companies , say the group 's site `` appears to be an important site in the broader Chinese hacking community . '' Arranging a meeting with the hackers took weeks of on-again , off-again e-mail exchanges . When they finally agreed , CNN was told to meet them on the island of Zhoushan , just south of Shanghai and a major port for China 's navy . The apartment has cement floors and almost no furniture . What they do have are three of the latest computers . They are cautious when it comes to naming the Web sites they have hacked . On camera , Xiao Chen denies knowing anyone who has targetted U.S. government Web sites . But off-camera , in conversations over three days , he claims two of his colleagues -- not the ones with him in the room -- hacked into the Pentagon and downloaded information , although he would n't specify what was gleaned . CNN has no way to confirm if his claim is true . `` They would not publicize this , '' he says of someone who hacks the U.S. Defense Department . `` It is very sensitive . '' This week , the Pentagon said computer networks in the United States , Germany , Britain and France were hit last year by what they call `` multiple intrusions , '' many of them originating from China . At a congressional hearing in Washington last week , administration officials testified that the government 's cyber initiative has fallen far short of what is required . Most alarming , the officials said , there has never been a full damage assessment of federal agency networks . Watch Pentagon bans Google from bases '' `` We are here today because we must do more , '' said Robert Jamison , a top official in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security . `` Defending the federal system in its current configuration is a significant challenge . '' U.S. officials have been cautious not to directly accuse the Chinese military or its government of hacking into its network . But David Sedney , the deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia , says , `` The way these intrusions are conducted are certainly consistent with what you would need if you were going to actually carry out cyber warfare . '' Beijing hit back at that , denying such an allegation and calling on the United States to provide proof . `` If they have any evidence , I hope they would provide it . Then , we can cooperate on this issue , '' Qin Gang , a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry , said during a regular press briefing this week . But again off-camera , Xiao Chen says after the alleged Pentagon attack , his colleagues were paid by the Chinese government . CNN has no way to independently confirm if that is true . His allegations brought strenuous denials from Beijing . `` I am telling you honestly , the Chinese government does not do such a thing , '' Qin said . But if Xiao Chen is telling the truth , it appears his colleagues launched a freelance attack -- not initiated by Beijing , but paid for after the fact . `` These hacker groups in my opinion are not agents of the Chinese state , '' says James Mulvenon from the Center for Intelligence Research and Analysis , which works with the U.S. intelligence community . `` They are sort of useful idiots for the Beijing regime . '' He adds , `` These young hackers are tolerated by the regime provided that they do not conduct attacks inside of China . '' One of the biggest problems experts say is trying to prove where a cyber attack originates from , and that they say allows hackers like Xiao Chen to operate in a virtual world of deniability . And across China , there could be thousands just like him , all trying to prove themselves against some of the most secure Web sites in the world . E-mail to a friend .
|
Chinese hackers claim to have broken into Pentagon 's system . The hackers met with CNN on an island near a Chinese naval hub . Hackers say Beijing secretly pays them at times , something the government denies . Official : `` The Chinese government does not do such a thing ''
|
[[2196, 2336], [401, 468], [472, 511], [4130, 4137], [4157, 4216], [4633, 4689], [4721, 4768]]
|
New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two U.S. senators ratcheted up the pressure on BP and British government officials Monday to provide answers to the questions now swirling around the release of Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi , the Libyan man convicted in the 1988 bombing of Pam Am Flight 103 , which killed 270 people . Obama administration officials , meanwhile , took what was described as an `` exceptional step '' to make clear that they had strongly opposed al Megrahi 's release . A group of senators from New York and New Jersey have repeatedly voiced suspicions that Scottish authorities released al Megrahi as part of a deal allowing oil giant BP to drill off the Libyan coast . BP , a British corporation , is already dealing with a public relations nightmare as the company responsible for the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster . Robert Menendez , D-New Jersey , is set to lead a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing Thursday on the controversy surrounding al Megrahi 's release . Several British officials have declined invitations to testify . `` The abundance of incredible coincidences '' surrounding al Megrahi 's release demands transparency , Menendez said Monday . `` A cloud of suspicion '' will hang over the issue until all of the relevant questions have been answered . Menendez accused the Scottish and British governments of trying to point the finger of blame at each other in the decision to release al Megrahi . They 're `` playing a game of diplomatic tennis worthy of Wimbledon , '' he said . Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand , D-New York , said she is concerned that the release was `` an example of profits being put above people . '' The senators need to know if `` blood was given for money , '' she said . `` We need to know that justice was served in this case . '' The two senators were joined by relatives of three of the victims of the bombing . `` The increasing silence '' of authorities in London and Edinburgh leads me to `` think one thing : They 're guilty of something , '' said Eileen Walsh , who lost her father , brother and sister . Menendez and Gillibrand were part of a group of four senators who met for 45 minutes last week with Prime Minister David Cameron , asking the British leader for an independent investigation into the release of al Megrahi and any possible involvement BP might have had . Sens. Charles Schumer of New York and Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey also attended . Most of the bombing victims were Americans . The flight was headed from Frankfurt , West Germany , to New York via London , England , when it exploded in the air . Al Megrahi was convicted in the case and sentenced to life in prison . The Scottish government released him on compassionate grounds in August after doctors said he had terminal prostate cancer and just three months to live . Al Megrahi is still alive , however , and news reports in recent days have questioned whether he was as sick as depicted . Under the Scotland Act 1998 , Scotland has its own government that is responsible for most of the day-to-day issues there , including the justice system . Menendez has invited Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill , who made the decision to release al Megrahi , to testify before the Foreign Relations Committee . Andrew Fraser , the physician who gave the prognosis that led to al Megrahi 's release , and former British Justice Secretary Jack Straw also have been asked to attend . All have declined . In an effort to make clear that the Obama White House had opposed the release al Megrahi , the State Department on Monday released the text of an August 12 , 2009 , letter sent from Richard LeBaron , the number two official at the U.S. Embassy in Britain , to Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond . The letter stated that the U.S. government `` maintains its view that in light of the scope of Megrahi 's crime , its heinous nature , and its continued and devastating impact on the victims and their families , it would be most appropriate for Megrahi to remain imprisoned for the entirety of his sentence . '' If al Megrahi were released from prison , the United States would strongly oppose allowing him `` to travel outside of Scotland , '' LeBaron wrote . `` We believe that the welcoming reception that Megrahi might receive if he is permitted to travel abroad would be extremely inappropriate . '' State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Monday that the administration was trying to `` avoid the worst possible outcome -- a hero 's welcome for Megrahi in Libya . ... Unfortunately , the Scottish government did not heed those views . Scottish authorities instead took two steps we explicitly asked them to avoid : they released Megrahi and they permitted his return to Libya . '' At a joint news conference last week , Cameron and U.S. President Barack Obama blasted the Scottish decision . Cameron promised that the British government will cooperate with the U.S. congressional investigation into the controversy , though he stressed that the decision to release al Megrahi was made by the Scottish government , without any involvement from BP . Obama said that most Americans were `` surprised , disappointed and angry '' about the decision to let al Megrahi go . BP has said it expressed concern to the British government in late 2007 about the slow progress of a prisoner transfer agreement that Britain and Libya were negotiating , saying it could have had a `` negative impact '' on British commercial interests . But the company has denied involvement in any talks with either the British or Scottish governments specifically about al Megrahi 's release .
|
NEW : State Department releases August 2009 letter opposing al Megrahi release . Two senators are urging the U.K. government and BP officials to testify at upcoming hearing . Menendez claims an `` abundance of incredible coincidences '' Bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi was released last year .
|
[[390, 484], [3449, 3461], [3540, 3611], [0, 24], [37, 100], [990, 1015], [1042, 1054]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- RadarOnline released another audio recording Tuesday of a vicious argument allegedly between actor Mel Gibson and his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva , in which the man is accused of striking the woman and the couple 's child -- an accusation the man does not deny . The website has been releasing similarly explosive recordings since July 9 . It has not disclosed how it obtained the audio . The recordings are taken from a phone call and capture an obscenity-laced rant by the man as he spews racial and ethnic slurs , sexual insults and death threats . The site claims the male voice is that of the 54-year-old Gibson . CNN has not independently confirmed the authenticity of the recordings . In the recording released Tuesday , the woman tells the man he needs to seek help for his current mental state , referencing an earlier altercation between them while she was holding their child in her arms . `` You 're acting as a crazy man right now and you have been for many , many months , '' the woman says . `` And you hit me , and you hit her while she was in my hands ! Mel , you 're losing your mind . You need medication . '' The man responds with a slew of obscenities , and ends the rant by saying , `` I want my child , and no one will believe you . '' Grigorieva , 40 , has acknowledged that 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 . The couple have been locked in a custody dispute over their 8-month-old daughter . The Malibu Hills Police Department opened an investigation earlier this month into an alleged domestic violence dispute between Gibson and Grigorieva . Grigorieva filed a restraining order against Gibson alleging that he struck her in the face , according to her spokesman , Stephen Jaffe . The recordings `` will be part of the investigation , '' Los Angeles County Sheriff 's spokesman Steve Whitmore said last week . It is not known how RadarOnline obtained the recordings . Jaffe has said that the site did not receive them from Grigorieva . Gibson came under fire 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 .
|
The recording allegedly captures an argument between the actor and his ex-girlfriend . `` No one will believe you , '' the man says after being accused of striking his child . Police are investigating domestic violence allegations against Gibson . Gibson has not commented on the recordings .
|
[[19, 93], [1641, 1709], [133, 168], [180, 244], [1249, 1278], [1558, 1709], [1641, 1709]]
|
Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- How well Zsa Zsa Gabor is recovering from hip replacement surgery a week ago depends on whom you ask : her husband or her daughter . Prince Frederic Von Anhalt said his wife of 24 years is in `` critical '' condition , but daughter Francesca Hilton said her condition is `` guarded . '' Gabor , 93 , suffered a broken hip in a fall at her Bel Air , California , home nine days ago . `` It 's up and down , '' Von Anhalt said Monday afternoon . `` It worries me very much . '' The publicist for Hilton , however , gave a more optimistic report . Edward Lozzi said the glamour icon was able to sit up in bed and talk , an improvement that followed a blood transfusion and the removal of her morphine drip over the weekend . Gabor has `` rallied '' and is `` more talkative , '' Lozzi said . She is still in the intensive care unit at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles , but the prince 's publicist , John Blanchette , said she could go home as soon as Thursday . Gabor 's fall happened as she reached to answer the phone while watching the television game show `` Jeopardy , '' which is `` a must-see show '' for the actress , her husband said . Gabor has been frail and `` pretty much confined to a wheelchair '' since a 2002 car accident , according to Blanchette . The crash occurred when the car in which she was riding with her hairdresser slammed into a light pole on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles . Von Anhalt is either Gabor 's eighth or ninth husband , depending on whether you count one marriage that was quickly annulled . Francesca Hilton is her only child , the product of her second marriage to hotel magnate Conrad Hilton . The glamorous Hungarian-born actress , the second of the three celebrated Gabor sisters , is most famous for her many marriages . Among her other husbands was Oscar-winning actor George Sanders . Her more prominent films include John Huston 's 1952 Toulouse-Lautrec biopic , `` Moulin Rouge '' ; `` The Story of Three Loves , '' 1953 ; `` The Girl in the Kremlin , '' 1957 ; and Orson Welles ' classic `` Touch of Evil , '' 1958 . In 1989 , Gabor was sentenced to 72 hours in jail for slapping a Beverly Hills police officer after a traffic stop . She also had to perform community service at a battered women 's shelter . The other Gabor sisters were Magda , the oldest , who died in 1997 five days shy of 83 , and Eva , the youngest , who died in 1995 at 76 . Magda , an occasional stage actress , also was married to Sanders at one time . Eva is probably best remembered for her role as a socialite turned farmer 's wife on the 1960s TV sitcom `` Green Acres . ''
|
Gabor 's husband says actress ' condition is `` critical '' Her daughter reports a more optimistic `` guarded '' condition . The glamour icon underwent hip replacement surgery July 19 . Gabor fell while answering a phone .
|
[[1184, 1202], [520, 544], [557, 588], [14, 120], [1020, 1112]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Afghan government said Monday it was `` shocked '' as it sifted through tens of thousands of leaked U.S. military and diplomatic reports on the war in Afghanistan that a whistleblower website posted a day earlier . `` The Afghan government is shocked with the report that has opened the reality of the Afghan war , '' said Siamak Herawi , a government spokesman . WikiLeaks.org -- a whistleblower website -- published on Sunday what it says are more than 90,000 United States military and diplomatic reports about Afghanistan filed between 2004 and January of this year . Are you reading the documents ? Tell us what you find . The first-hand accounts are the military 's own raw data on the war , including numbers killed , casualties , threat reports and the like , according to Julian Assange , the founder of the website . `` It is the total history of the Afghan war from 2004 to 2010 , with some important exceptions -- U.S. Special Forces , CIA activity , and most of the activity of other non-U.S. groups , '' Assange said . CNN has not independently confirmed the authenticity of the documents . The Department of Defense will not comment on them until the Pentagon has had a chance to look at them , a Defense official told CNN . `` What you have here is you have a variety of reports of different types , '' said New York Times reporter Chris Chivers . `` Many of them are simple incident reports . The military describing ... on the ground what happened . Incident by incident . '' The New York Times reported Sunday that military field documents included in the release suggest that Pakistan , an ally of the United States in the war against terror , has been running something of a `` double game , '' allowing `` representatives of its spy service to meet directly with the Taliban in secret strategy sessions to organize networks of militant groups that fight against American soldiers in Afghanistan , and even hatch plots to assassinate Afghan leaders . '' Herawi charged that Washington needed to deal with Pakistani intelligence , known as the ISI . `` There should be serious action taken against the ISI , who has a direct connection with the terrorists , '' he said . `` These reports show that the U.S. was already aware of the ISI connection with the al Qaeda terrorist network . The United States is overdue on the ISI issue and now the United States should answer . '' But Gen. Hamid Gul , the former head of Pakistan 's intelligence service and who is mentioned numerous times in the Wikileaks reports , called the accusations lies . `` These reports are absolutely and utterly false , '' Gul said Monday . `` I think they -LSB- United States -RSB- are failing and they 're looking for scapegoats . '' Husain Haqqani , Pakistan 's ambassador to the United States , issued a statement Sunday saying the reports `` do not reflect the current onground realities . '' Rather , they `` reflect nothing more than single source comments and rumors , which abound on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and are often proved wrong after deeper examination , '' Haqqani 's statement said . `` Pakistan 's government under the democratically elected leadership of President -LSB- Asif Ali -RSB- Zardari and Prime Minister -LSB- Yousuf Raza -RSB- Gilani is following a clearly laid out strategy of fighting and marginalizing terrorists and our military and intelligence services are effectively executing that policy , '' the statement said . National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones issued a statement Sunday calling the documents ' release `` irresponsible . '' `` The United States strongly condemns the disclosure of classified information by individuals and organizations which could put the lives of Americans and our partners at risk , and threaten our national security , '' the statement said . `` These irresponsible leaks will not impact our ongoing commitment to deepen our partnerships with Afghanistan and Pakistan ; to defeat our common enemies ; and to support the aspirations of the Afghan and Pakistani people , '' the statement said . Assange declined to tell CNN where he got the documents . Jones ' statement said the website made `` no effort '' to contact the Obama administration about the documents . `` The United States government learned from news organizations that these documents would be posted , '' Jones ' statement said . Assange claims the documents reveal the `` squalor '' of war , uncovering how many relatively small incidents have added up to huge numbers of dead civilians . The significance lies in `` all of these people being killed in the small events that we have n't heard about that numerically eclipse the big casualty events . It 's the boy killed by a shell that missed a target , '' he told CNN . `` What we have n't seen previously is all those individual deaths , '' he said . `` We 've seen just the number and , like Stalin said , ` One man 's death is a tragedy , a million dead is a statistic . ' So , we 've seen the statistic . '' WikiLeaks publishes anonymously submitted documents , video and other sensitive materials after vetting them , it says . It claims never to have fallen for a forgery . Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry , D-Massachusetts , said in a statement Sunday that the documents -- regardless of how they came to light -- `` raise serious questions about the reality of America 's policy toward Pakistan and Afghanistan . '' Wikileaks has previously made headlines for posting controversial videos of combat in Iraq . The site gained international attention in April when it posted a 2007 video said to show a U.S. helicopter attack in Iraq killing a dozen civilians , including two unarmed Reuters journalists . At the time , Maj. Shawn Turner , a U.S. military spokesman , said that `` all evidence available supported the conclusion by those forces that they were engaging armed insurgents and not civilians . '' Pfc. Bradley Manning , 22 , suspected of leaking a classified 2007 video , has been charged by the U.S. military with eight violations of the U.S. Criminal Code for transferring classified data , according to a charge sheet released by the military earlier this month . Attempts to reach Manning 's military defense attorney , Capt. Paul Bouchard , were unsuccessful Sunday . However , U.S. Army spokesman Col. Tom Collins has said Bouchard would not speak to the media about the charges . Assange says WikiLeaks has attempted to put together a legal team to defend Manning , something it will do for any `` alleged '' whistleblower that runs into legal trouble because of WikiLeaks . Assange -- a former teen hacker who launched the site in 2007 -- denies that WikiLeaks has put troops in danger . `` There certainly have been people who have lost elections as a result of material being on WikiLeaks , '' he said . `` There have been prosecutions because of material being on WikiLeaks . There have been legislative reforms because of material being on WikiLeaks , '' he said . `` What has not happened is anyone being physically harmed as a result . '' The website held back about 15,000 documents from Afghanistan to protect individuals who informed on the Taliban , he said . But he said he hoped his website would be `` very dangerous '' to `` people who want to conduct wars in an abusive way . '' `` This material does n't just reveal occasional abuse by the U.S. military , '' he said . `` Of course it has U.S. military reporting on all sort of abuses by the Taliban . ... So it does describe the abuses by both sides in this war and that 's how people can understand what 's really going on and if they choose to support it or not . '' Assange said the organization gets material from whistle-blowers in a variety of ways -- including via postal mail -- vets it , releases it to the public and then defends itself against `` the regular political or legal attack . '' He said the organization rarely knows the identity of the source of the leak . `` If we find out at some stage , we destroy that information as soon as possible , '' he said . CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr contributed to this report .
|
Afghan government said it 's `` shocked '' by reports . Former head of Pakistani intelligence says reports are lies . Some documents allege Pakistan is aiding the insurgency , New York Times reports . Senator says the documents `` raise serious questions '' about foreign policy .
|
[[0, 15], [19, 76], [238, 289], [2423, 2437], [2555, 2584], [2585, 2634], [1517, 1581], [5375, 5474]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Here are reactions to the posting on WikiLeaks.org of tens of thousands of leaked U.S. military and diplomatic reports on the war in Afghanistan : . Afghanistan : . `` The Afghan government is shocked with the report that has opened the reality of the Afghan war , '' said Siamak Herawi , a government spokesman . Herawi focused on the allegation that Pakistan was secretly supporting al Qaeda and asserted that Washington needs to deal with the Pakistani intelligence agency , known as the ISI . `` There should be serious action taken against the ISI , who has a direct connection with the terrorists , '' he said . `` These reports show that the U.S. was already aware of the ISI connection with the al Qaeda terrorist network . The United States is overdue on the ISI issue , and now the United States should answer . '' Pakistan : . In a statement , Pakistan 's foreign office said Monday that the documents are `` misplaced , skewed and contrary to the factual position on the ground . '' `` The people of Pakistan and its security forces , including the ISI , have rendered enormous sacrifices against militancy and terrorism . Our contributions have been acknowledged by the international community , in particular by the United States . As underlined by the U.S. national security adviser in his statement on Wikileaks yesterday , the ongoing counterterrorism cooperation between Pakistan and the -LSB- United States -RSB- will continue with a view to defeating our common enemies . '' Lt. Gen. Hamid Gul , the former head of Pakistan 's intelligence service who is mentioned numerous times in the WikiLeaks documents , called the accusations that Pakistan was secretly supporting al Qaeda lies . Qamar Zaman Kaira , Pakistan 's federal information minister , said allegations against the ISI are `` baseless . '' `` If someone has any evidence , it should be brought to us , and we will take action , '' he said . `` The Pakistani military , especially the ISI , has sacrificed more than any other forces in the war on terrorism . '' A spokesman for Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari , Farahnaz Ispahani , said the `` unsubstantiated leaks '' based on uncorroborated `` one-sided reports ... will not deter the Pakistani government 's commitment to the eradication of terrorism , peace with our neighbors and stability in the region . '' Husain Haqqani , Pakistan 's ambassador to the United States , issued a statement Sunday saying the reports `` do not reflect the current onground realities . '' Rather , they `` reflect nothing more than single source comments and rumors , which abound on both sides of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and are often proved wrong after deeper examination , '' Haqqani 's statement said . `` Pakistan 's government under the democratically elected leadership of President Zardari and Prime Minister -LSB- Yousuf Raza -RSB- Gilani is following a clearly laid out strategy of fighting and marginalizing terrorists , and our military and intelligence services are effectively executing that policy , '' the statement said . United States : . Sen. Carl Levin , D-Michigan , said in a statement that some of the documents `` reinforce a longstanding concern of mine about the supporting role of some Pakistani officials in the Afghan insurgency . '' Levin , chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee , said he had `` strongly urged the Pakistanis to take forceful action against militant networks using Pakistan as a base to attack Afghanistan and our troops . '' But he said Obama 's new strategy `` has yielded some tangible improvements in preparing Afghanistan to take responsibility for its own security . '' White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs called the documents ' release `` a breach of federal law '' and said that an investigation into the source of the leak was initiated before late last week . But , he told reporters , `` I do n't think that what is being reported has n't in many ways been publicly discussed -- whether by you or by representatives of the U.S. government -- for quite some time . '' Asked about the leak , he said , `` There is no doubt that this is a concerning development in operational security . '' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday that the release would not affect a $ 33 billion war supplemental vote , to be held this week . `` A lot of it predates the president 's new policy , '' she said . Rep. Dennis Kucinich , D-Ohio , who is co-sponsoring a bill that would direct President Obama to remove U.S. forces from Pakistan , said the documents `` provide a fuller picture of what we have long known about Afghanistan : The war is going badly . '' He added , `` It is not the leak of documents that endangers the lives of American troops and our allies , it is the belief that occupying Afghanistan will make us safer . Congress must say no to war funding , bring our troops home and invest in the American recovery . '' Sen. Kit Bond , vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee , called the release of the documents `` shocking . '' `` The damage to our national security caused by leaks like this wo n't stop until we see more perpetrators in orange jumpsuits , '' the Missouri Republican said in a statement . The senator stressed that the leak underscores the need to start taking more seriously the threat to national security that leaks cause . Bond pointed out that this is not a new problem : The bipartisan September 11 Commission found that national security was threatened by widespread leaks of classified information . This point was emphasized by former CIA Director Michael Hayden , who testified before Congress that because of leaks , the U.s. effectively has applied `` Darwinian Theory '' to terrorists : catching only the dumb ones . National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones issued a statement Sunday condemning the documents ' release . `` These irresponsible leaks will not impact our ongoing commitment to deepen our partnerships with Afghanistan and Pakistan ; to defeat our common enemies ; and to support the aspirations of the Afghan and Pakistani people , '' the statement said . The Department of Defense will not comment on them until the Pentagon has had a chance to look at them , a department official said . Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry , D-Massachusetts , issued a statement Sunday saying that the documents -- regardless of how they came to light -- `` raise serious questions about the reality of America 's policy toward Pakistan and Afghanistan . '' House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton , D-Missouri , issued a statement saying : `` I am extremely concerned about the manner in which these documents were leaked and with the recklessness of WikiLeaks in posting them . Our nation 's secrets are classified for a reason , and the release of classified documents could put our national security -- and the lives of our men and women in combat -- at serious risk . `` These leaked documents , while troubling , appear to support what I was asserting for years : The war in Afghanistan was not going well , and we needed a real strategy for success . For nearly a decade under the previous administration , our brave war fighters were under-resourced and lacked the direction of a clear strategy . Under the new counterinsurgency strategy implemented earlier this year , we now have the pieces in place to turn things around . These leaked reports pre-date our new strategy in Afghanistan and should not be used as a measure of success or a determining factor in our continued mission there . `` Additionally , some of these documents implicate Pakistan in aiding the Taliban and fueling the insurgency in Afghanistan . It is critical that we not use outdated reports to paint a picture of the cooperation of Pakistan in our efforts in Afghanistan . Since these reports were issued , Pakistan has significantly stepped up its fight against the Taliban , including efforts that led to the capture of the highest ranking member of the Taliban since the start of the war . The Pakistani military has also been in combat for more than a year against its country 's own Taliban , which is aligned with al Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban attacking American forces and our NATO allies . While we still have concerns about Pakistan 's efforts against the Afghan Taliban , there is no doubt that there have been significant improvements in its overall effort . '' Britain : . UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said : `` I have not seen those -LSB- reports -RSB- in detail , but they should not be damaging the international efforts . We saw last week in Afghanistan the huge progress that is being made and the phenomenal challenges that are still in front of us in Afghanistan . But the fact that a good deal of progress is being made in building up the capacity of the Afghan state and Afghanistan working together with so many nations in the world . I hope any leaks will not poison that atmosphere , and I do not think they will . '' WikiLeaks ' founder Julian Assange said the documents are `` legitimate , '' but he added that it is important not to take their contents at face value . `` We publish CIA reports all the time that are legitimate CIA reports . That does n't mean the CIA is telling the truth , '' he said . `` Similarly , with this material , there is reporting from military units of various kinds , in Afghanistan , U.S. embassies across the world , about matters relevant to Afghanistan . ... Those are legitimate reports , '' he said . `` It does n't mean the contents are true . '' CNN 's Brianna Keilar contributed to this report .
|
NEW : Levin credits Obama strategy with `` tangible improvements '' Pelosi says leak wo n't affect funding vote . White House spokesman calls release `` a breach of federal law '' Pakistan calls the documents `` misplaced , skewed ''
|
[[3538, 3609], [3546, 3680], [4212, 4346], [4256, 4321], [3684, 3785], [5834, 5889], [857, 871], [874, 1010]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A former Army lieutenant who was discharged from service last week for being openly gay said Sunday that he will continue to fight for a quick repeal of the controversial `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' policy . `` I know that there are a lot of people who are suffering , and my oath , my commitment to them , does n't end , '' former Lt. Dan Choi told CNN 's Don Lemon . Choi was arrested in March for handcuffing himself to a White House fence in protest of the `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' policy , which bars people who are openly gay or lesbian from serving in the military . He admitted his sexual orientation publicly for the first time last year on MSNBC 's `` The Rachel Maddow Show , '' prompting the Army to initiate proceedings to discharge him . Choi said that while his honorable discharge hurts , he knows there is a `` greater purpose for every single one of us , even if we 're stripped of all our wealth or our resources . '' `` One thing about honor , one thing about dignity -- it 's not dependent on what 's written on a document , '' he said . `` That comes from standing up and being truthful to who you are . '' He also vowed to `` continue to speak up for those people who can not . '' `` I 'm going to continue to pressure those who purport to be our friends -- whether they 're congressmen , senators or the president himself . If they make a promise , I will hold them to it . '' President Barack Obama is pushing for a repeal of the `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' policy . A bill that would overturn the measure after a Pentagon review is completed in December is currently before Congress . More than 12,500 gays have been booted from the military since `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' went into effect . Choi , a 2003 West Point graduate who is fluent in Arabic , was an infantry platoon leader , serving with his unit in Iraq in 2006 and 2007 .
|
Army Lt. Dan Choi was honorably discharged last week for being openly gay . He says he will continue to fight for those who can not speak up . President Obama is pushing for a repeal of the controversial policy .
|
[[19, 85], [1157, 1159], [1165, 1214], [0, 15], [107, 192], [1429, 1485]]
|
Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Days before Arizona 's controversial law targeting illegal immigration takes effect , demonstrators are finalizing their plans to descend upon the state capital to show their support for or opposition to the measure . The protests will include busloads of labor union members from Los Angeles who oppose Senate Bill 1070 because they believe it promotes racial profiling , . They plan to dare law enforcement in Phoenix , Arizona , to put SB 1070 to the test , according to Maria Elena Durazo , one of the organizers of the rally . `` We will not be carrying ` papers , ' '' said Durazo , of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor , AFL-CIO . `` We will let them know we are coming , and we will tell them : Arrest us for being brown or black , arrest us for being suspicious . '' The protesters include immigrant students , religious leaders , day laborers and members of several unions including the United Food and Commercial Workers Union , the Teamsters and the Utility Workers of America Union . But not all Latinos oppose Arizona 's law , which takes effect Thursday . Poll : One in four Americans angry over illegal immigration . Jesse Hernandez is a member of the Arizona Republican Latino Association , a group that supports SB 1070 and opposes the U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit challenging it . Hernandez said Arizona 's law does nothing more than federal law already allows . He believes Durazo and her `` left-wing '' supporters are simply misinformed . `` They throw out this verbiage , racist , discrimination , Nazis -- they 're just trying to drum up fear among the public , '' Hernandez said . `` We live in a society that does n't read anymore , that is spoon-fed by TV . That 's why I 'm challenging them to pick up the law and read it and not believe the rhetoric that is coming out from the left . '' iReport : Tell us what you think . Section 2 of SB 1070 states that law enforcement can not stop a person for the sole purpose of determining immigration status . An officer can inquire about immigration status only if a person is stopped or detained on suspicion of another crime , and if there is reasonable suspicion that the person is in the U.S. illegally . Many , like Hernandez , believe that section guards against racial profiling . Read what others think about immigration reform . But immigrant rights activist Angelica Salas dismisses that , citing the aggressive and controversial immigration enforcement by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio . `` We 're telling you about what we know , we 've seen it over and over again , '' said Salas , who represents the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles . `` Do n't tell us what 's true and what 's not when we know what we have seen and the consequence of racial profiling in Maricopa County for years , '' she said . `` And what Sheriff Joe is doing is now sanctioned by the state of Arizona . '' Arpaio -- who calls himself `` America 's toughest sheriff '' -- has ignited controversy for his sweeps of illegal immigrants using a federal program called 287 -LRB- g -RRB- that allows local law enforcement to be cross-trained by the Department of Homeland Security and work in immigration enforcement . Salas will be heading to Phoenix along with Durazo and the other busloads of protesters this week . There have been three court hearings to consider challenges to the Arizona law , including one from the Department of Justice . To date , U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton has yet to rule on the law 's fate . Read more about the court challenges . Durazo said that even if there is an injunction , they will still go . She says the fight will continue until the law is repealed .
|
Arizona 's controversial immigration enforcement law takes effect Thursday . Many demonstrations are planned to protest the law . Those include a group of union members , students and religious leaders from Los Angeles . There are at least three court challenges to the law .
|
[[1077, 1091], [1100, 1123], [262, 336], [829, 1049], [3353, 3480], [3369, 3480]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Judges have approved British supermodel Naomi Campbell 's request to postpone her testimony at the `` blood diamonds '' war crimes trial for a former Liberian president , court officials said Monday . Campbell was scheduled to appear July 29 at the trial in The Hague , Netherlands , but will now appear on August 5 instead . Campbell did not want to be involved in the trial but was subpoenaed on July 1 to appear at the tribunal for Charles Taylor , who faces war crimes charges over a brutal conflict in Sierra Leone that was fueled by rough diamonds , also known as blood diamonds or conflict diamonds . Witnesses have said Taylor gave Campbell a diamond . Prosecutors had rested their case against Taylor in February 2009 . They asked to reopen it specifically to call Campbell , as well as actress Mia Farrow and a witness named Carole Taylor , court papers show . Prosecutors said they learned in June 2009 that Taylor had given the supermodel a diamond in South Africa in 1997 . Farrow confirmed it , they said . When arguing to reopen the case , prosecutors said Campbell 's testimony would prove that the former president `` used rough diamonds for personal enrichment and arms purchases , '' according to papers filed with the U.N.-backed court . Taylor , 62 , was president of Liberia from 1997 to 2003 . The war crimes charges against him stem from the widespread murder , rape and mutilation that occurred during the bloody civil war in Sierra Leone . It was fought largely by teenagers who were forced to kill , given addictive drugs to provoke violent behavior , and often instructed to rape and plunder . Taylor is charged with five counts of crimes against humanity , including murder , sexual slavery and violence , and enslavement . He also faces five counts of war crimes , including acts of terrorism and torture , and one count of other serious violations of international humanitarian law . He has pleaded not guilty to the charges .
|
Supermodel Naomi Campbell requested the delay in testimony from July 29 to August 5 . Witnesses say former Liberian President Charles Taylor gave Campbell a diamond . Taylor faces war crimes charges for a war fueled by so-called blood diamonds .
|
[[40, 73], [85, 120], [220, 286], [220, 228], [307, 334], [627, 679], [647, 679], [907, 1005], [454, 468], [475, 504]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- I do n't care much for Sarah Palin 's politics , but I do like her word `` refudiate . '' As I just typed the word , a squiggly red line appeared under it with a suggestion that I change the word to repudiate . Well , for the record , I repudiate that suggestion and refudiate it . People who do n't like political figures often make fun of their language . H.L. Mencken said of a Warren G. Harding speech : `` It is rumble and bumble . It is flap and doodle . It is balder and dash . '' Jimmy Carter 's enemies portrayed him as a hick from the sticks , not just because of his brother Billy , but for his Southern speech , including his pronunciation of nuclear . It does n't seem to matter whether you have a reputation as brainy and articulate . John Kennedy 's Harvard dialect created a cottage industry of comic impressionists . At the other end of the spectrum was George W. Bush , whose Bushisms were legion . Opponents of President Obama attack his use of language as elitist , professorial or passionless . In other words , Palin stands in good company . And I stand with her . What was her crime ? She made up a new word -- unintentionally perhaps , but it does n't matter . I once referred to a highly paid athlete as a godzillionaire . I meant to say gazillionaire , but when I caught myself , I realized my `` mistake '' was better : the athlete 's wealth was ginormous , as big and monstrous as the Japanese icon Godzilla . I 'm all for coining neologisms , the technical name for a new word minted into the English language . One type of neologism is called a blend , as when two words are joined to form a third . The words web and log gave birth to blog . The merger of gigantic and enormous gave us the increasingly popular ginormous , which I thought was a kid 's malapropism until I read it on a billboard . There 's a chance that Palin , who compared her language creativity to Shakespeare 's , may in fact be more in tune with Mrs. Malaprop , a famous theatrical character who appeared in Richard Sheridan 's 1775 play `` The Rivals . '' The great lady would lend her name to the confusion of language , as when she meant to say pinnacle but referred to another character as `` the very pineapple of politeness . '' I knew a burned-out teacher who would collect and publish his student 's mistakes , such as a passage in which a young woman was said to `` tilt her head with a delicate air of expectoration . '' Ptooey ! Children 's mistakes are often among the most creative . My niece Mary Hope electrified her family by referring to something as an obstacle illusion . This seemed amusing but useless until the recent day when I thought I saw an orange cone blocking my exit from a casino parking garage . Well guess what ? Turned out to be an obstacle illusion . Lewis Carroll made great use of blends in poems such as `` Jabberwocky , '' in which slimy and lithe collide to form slithy . A Canadian radio word contest invited listeners to coin a word for that straining sound a Canadian car makes on a frigid morning ? The winner was a blend : cranksinatra . The most popular guess is that refudiate was an unintended blend of refute and repudiate . I like the fact that the sound `` feud '' rests in the middle because that seems to define Palin 's form of maverickism : feudish . And let 's not forget the verb refuse , meaning to reject . There may even be a historical allusion here -LRB- perhaps an obstacle allusion -RRB- to Refuseniks , those disgruntled Soviet citizens not permitted to emigrate . Perhaps another influence is radiate . Maybe if you radiate refusal , perhaps can be said to refudiate . It 's all good . I 'm for more fun and more color in political speech , including the occasional swing and miss that turns into a home run . The alternative is all script and spin , all euphemism and disclaimer , all flap and doodle , signifying nothing . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Roy Peter Clark .
|
Roy Peter Clark : Sarah Palin 's creation of a new work , `` refudiate , '' was inspired . He says blending words has a long history in English . The words `` web '' and `` log '' gave birth to `` blog , '' Clark says . Clark : `` I 'm for more fun and more color in political speech ''
|
[[1649, 1691], [3674, 3768]]
|
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The debut album by New York rock band The Strokes has been named `` album of the decade '' by influential British music magazine , NME . Released in 2001 , `` Is This It '' topped the 100 Greatest Albums Of The Decade list compiled by a panel of musicians , producers , writers and record label bosses , according to NME.com . The Libertines ' 2002 debut `` Up the Bracket '' was runner-up , with Primal Scream 's `` XTRMNTR '' from 2000 in third spot . The Strokes formed in 1999 with a line-up that includes lead vocalist Julian Casablancas , guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond , Jr. , bassist Nikolai Fraiture , and drummer Fabrizio Moretti . Fans had to wait two years before `` Is This It '' was finally released to critical acclaim , with hits such as `` Last Night '' and `` Hard to Explain '' underlining their Velvet Underground-inspired garage rock sound . However , the album fared better among British fans , reaching number two in the charts compared to 33 in the United States . The band 's second album , `` Room On Fire '' , was released in 2003 and again reached number two in the British charts with singles including `` 12:51 '' and `` Reptilia . '' But their third album , `` First Impressions of Earth '' , gave the band its first number one success , when it snatched top spot in Britain in 2006 . It also reached the hitherto unknown heights of number four across the Atlantic . On hearing about the NME accolade , frontman Casablancas told the BBC : `` It 's totally crazy ! I thought it was great when I heard . `` But does it mean it 's a good musical decade or a bad musical decade ? I do n't know , I 'm such a bad judge of my own stuff . ''
|
`` Is This It '' topped the 100 Greatest Albums Of The Decade list compiled by a panel of musicians , producers , writers . Released in 2001 , `` Is This It '' was features hits such as `` Last Night '' and `` Hard to Explain . Libertines ' debut `` Up the Bracket '' second and Primal Scream 's `` XTRMNTR '' third .
|
[[173, 189], [192, 258], [243, 337], [173, 189], [192, 258], [363, 392], [412, 425]]
|
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Britain 's Queen Elizabeth II is launching a Flickr photostream Monday , Buckingham Palace announced . She 's already on YouTube and Twitter . The British Monarchy stream on the photo-sharing website launches with more than 600 historic and current photos of the royal family . The White House has had a Flickr stream since April 2009 . The British Monarchy stream includes photos going back to Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert , dating from about 1861 . It also has photos of eminent Victorians such as the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow , as well as baby pictures of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles , the heir to the throne . Most of the photos show the royal family going about their public business , from the queen 's recent trip to Canada and New York to her summer garden party last week .
|
The British queen 's photostream officially goes live on Monday . She 's already on YouTube and Twitter . The Flickr stream includes pictures going back to Victoria and Albert 150 years ago . Most of the photos show the royal family at public engagements .
|
[[0, 6], [9, 32], [66, 106], [373, 461], [680, 754]]
|
Fort Lauderdale , Florida -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 15-year-old boy who was burned over 65 percent of his body in October when he was set on fire , allegedly by a group of teenagers , was released from the hospital Tuesday , officials said . Michael Brewer was discharged from the University of Miami 's Jackson Memorial Hospital Burn Center , spokeswoman Lorraine Nelson said in a written statement . Doctors and Brewer 's mother , Valerie , will speak to reporters Wednesday , Nelson said . Brewer 's family is headed not to their Deerfield Beach , Florida , home , but to an undisclosed location , a source close to the family said . Nelson said the family had requested privacy before the teen 's discharge . Brewer suffered second - and third-degree burns over about two-thirds of his body in the October 12 incident , the hospital 's associate director , Dr. Carl Schulman , has said . He told CNN 's Tony Harris last month that the teen faces a lifelong recovery from his injuries . `` Michael 's still got a lot of major surgery ahead of him , a lot of rehabilitation and therapy , '' Schulman said . '' ... the recovery is lifelong . This is truly a life-changing event . '' The hospital released some photographs of Brewer taken Tuesday morning in the hospital 's rehabilitation unit . In the pictures his burns are clearly visible . Three teens -- Denver Jarvis and Matthew Bent , both 15 , and Jesus Mendez , 16 -- are accused of being in a group that poured alcohol over Brewer and set him ablaze in what police said was a dispute over $ 40 , a video game and a bicycle . All three teens are charged as adults with one count of attempted murder . Each has pleaded not guilty . If convicted , each could face a sentence of up to 30 years in prison . Detectives say eyewitnesses told them that Mendez used a lighter to set fire to Brewer after Jarvis poured alcohol over him . Bent allegedly encouraged the attack , police said . Brewer jumped into a pool at his apartment complex to put out the flames . Authorities have said Mendez admitted setting Brewer on fire . According to an arrest transcript , the boy said he made a `` bad decision . '' Valerie Brewer said last month that her son 's treatment at times has been excruciatingly painful . Physical therapy , she said , is `` incredibly painful . He almost cries because it 's so painful . He 's burned badly on the backs of his knees and every time he moves his knee , it pulls , and if it 's healing , it pulls the scab and it cracks and it starts to bleed . '' The 13-year-old brother of one of the accused youths made a public statement in November . Jeremy Jarvis said he wanted to `` express his deepest sympathy to Mikey and his family '' and added he was praying for Brewer 's recovery . Jeremy Jarvis was arrested as a juvenile after the incident and spent about 30 days in juvenile detention . However , prosecutors have not filed charges against him and are still determining how to proceed . He could still be charged , as prosecutors have 90 days from his arrest to decide whether to move forward with the case . Jeremy Jarvis ' attorney , Stephen Melnick , said it appeared the younger Jarvis was only a witness to the attack . Valerie Brewer said she was heartbroken when she learned her son 's attackers may have included teens who they knew . `` But we do n't focus on that , '' she said last month . `` We focus strictly on Michael and his recovery . '' CNN 's Rich Phillips contributed to this report .
|
Michael Brewer , 15 , allegedly set on fire by other teens , faces more surgery . He and his family are not returning home , but to an undisclosed location . Brewers mother plans to speak to reporters on Wednesday .
|
[[42, 62], [67, 116], [985, 1044], [1339, 1344], [1490, 1548], [3206, 3307], [488, 593], [397, 425], [428, 435], [438, 471]]
|
New Orleans , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Much has been made of the more than quarter-million homes lost to Katrina along the Gulf Coast , and with good reason . Ride through almost any neighborhood that was hit and even five years later you can see the skeletons of buildings , or empty lots covered with weeds . But to truly grasp the impact of this storm , you also have to consider who lived in those homes : Working families ; the people who make the ports , the fishing business , the oil industry and the tourist attractions work . Florine Jenkins is one of them . Living in the 9th Ward of New Orleans , she has made a living as a housekeeper for many years . She is African-American , and old enough to tell tales of sitting in the balcony that was restricted for blacks at the city auditorium , while she watched white teens on the main floor below bopping to the music of Little Richard and Fats Domino . She fled Katrina and returned to find her home underneath a neighbor 's house . And like many others here , she had no idea how to navigate the bewildering maze of paperwork involved in rebuilding ; forms for insurance companies , government programs , contractors , utility companies , banks , mortgage brokers , on and on it went . `` Did you have any idea how to deal with all that ? '' I asked her . She smiled , shook her head , and gave one of the longest single-word answers I 've heard . `` Nooooooooooooo . '' Then she met Nikki Najioli . Nikki works for Build Now , is middle-aged , white , looks like the businesswomen she is , and spends her days helping others sort out such problems . In a strange way , it helps that she lost her own home and fully understands the thicket of questions that followed the storm . `` Do you tear down your house ? Do you put it back together ? If you put it back together do you have to elevate it ? If you are going to elevate it , how high are you going to elevate it ? And where 's that money going to come from ? It was just so overwhelming and even today it 's still overwhelming . '' Calming down the fears , and restoring the confidence of people who are trying to rebuild , is what Build Now is all about . Simply put , it is a nonprofit construction company that offers an array of modestly priced home designs , an endless supply of free advice to anyone trying to build , and a commitment to bring the working class neighborhoods back . `` This is the living room area , '' Ben Seymour , the construction manager for Build Now , says as he shows me around one model under construction in a neighborhood that saw eight feet of water . The house soars high in the air upon pilings driven deep into the earth ; a lovely , modest home with soft colors , elegant lines , and a style that echoes the surviving homes around it . The homes are made without eaves that a storm could snatch at to tear off the roof . The front porch is anchored to the house much more robustly than as customary , so that it too can stand firm . And most importantly , Seymour says , the basic design of the house can be expanded or contracted to fit the needs and wallets of folks who are watching their money . `` You can size it down . It still gives you a big open feel , and it 's built to what you 're going to use . '' So in every way , these really are working class family homes ? `` Absolutely . Absolutely , '' he says . `` They fit the budget . '' Even though this is a nonprofit endeavor , and Build Now does try to help homebuyers find financing , this is not a giveaway program . Each person must pay a fair price . Out on the porch I run into Nikki again , looking out at the quiet neighborhood where a few restoration projects seem to be underway . `` How much do these places cost ? '' I ask . `` On average , '' she says , `` about $ 150,000 . '' Still , for a great many folks , the help they have received from Build Now and other groups which are helping neighborhoods rebuild , is priceless . Florine Jenkins beams as she shows me the rest of her new home in the 9th Ward , now filled with family photos , furniture , and other personal items . I ask her if she thinks , in retrospect , that she could have pulled off rebuilding on her own given enough time . Her answer is emphatic : No way . `` I did n't know nothing about nothing like that . Build Now took care of everything . '' It is a heartfelt testimony to success : Once Katrina left her with nothing but questions . Now , once again , she has a home .
|
New Orleans residents still trying to rebuild homes hit hard by Hurricane Katrina . Nonprofit called Build Now guides people through red tape of permits , insurance , financing . Organization helps hart-hit neighborhoods such as 9th Ward .
|
[[2110, 2116], [2121, 2142]]
|
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The State Department says long-term recovery and reconstruction efforts in flood-ravaged Pakistan could take `` many , many months , if not years . '' `` The sheer impact still needs to be assessed , but will certainly be staggering , '' said Dan Feldman , deputy special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan , at a press briefing on Monday . Feldman , who surveyed the destruction by helicopter last week with a congressional delegation led by Sen. John Kerry , D-Massachusetts , described the damage as `` epic and devastating . '' `` Agricultural fields , under water , '' said Feldman . `` Roads and bridges , under water ; roads continuously disrupted by water , so impossible to move people or food or supplies out ; power plants literally under water . '' Feldman said that in addition to the obvious need for immediate relief for what the United Nations describes as millions of displaced flood victims , the U.N. and other international donors will also need to focus on long-term recovery and reconstruction . `` We 're looking at ways that we can redirect already existing funds through Kerry-Lugar-Berman and others to meet the needs of flood victims as soon as possible , '' Feldman said , `` so programs for livelihood , for clinics , rebuilding schools , infrastructure that we had already planned , which can be redirected to get to flood victims as quickly as possible . '' Feldman was referring to the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009 sponsored by Kerry , Sen. Richard Lugar , R-Indiana , and Rep. Howard Berman , D-California . The law commits $ 7.5 billion in assistance to Pakistan over five years and is earmarked for `` improving the living conditions of the people of Pakistan through strengthening democracy and the rule of law , sustainable economic development and combating terrorism and extremism , '' according to the law 's sponsors . Feldman described `` a real galvanizing moment '' last week , when greater amounts of contributions from the international community began to pour in . `` We 've seen over $ 700 million pledged , including our own $ 150 million commitment , from over 30 countries , and an additional $ 300 million in as yet undefined commitments from a range of other countries , '' he said . Feldman said U.S. helicopters have evacuated close to 8,000 people and delivered more than 1.6 million pounds of relief supplies . Deaths are still relatively low at this point , `` at about the 1,500 , 1,600 mark , '' said Feldman , but officials are concerned about communicable illnesses breaking out among the millions of displaced victims . The World Health Organization announced Sunday more than 200,000 cases of acute diarrhea have been diagnosed , and there are more than 250,000 cases of disease including scabies . Water levels remain quite high , Feldman said , though some are starting to recede . Broken dikes have aggravated flooding in some areas , he said .
|
Impact `` will be staggering , '' says State Department official . United States looking at ways to divert Pakistan aid to flood recovery . Official praises last week 's increase in contributions from international community .
|
[[184, 200], [234, 262], [380, 387], [518, 567], [1060, 1164], [1350, 1399], [1984, 2068]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- South Africa has named Caster Semenya , the women 's world 800 meter champion , in their squad for the 2010 Commonwealth Games which will take place in New Delhi , India . The selection -- which was confirmed on the official website of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee -LRB- SASCOC -RRB- -- follows Semenya taking three wins from all three of her recent comeback races following her return to the track in July . Prior to this , the 19-year-old had been forced into an 11-month hiatus from competition after the International Association of Athletics Federations -LRB- IAAF -RRB- banned her following a urine sample test which revealed high levels of testosterone . The event will mark Semenya 's first participation in international competition since her ban was lifted following gender tests . `` I 'm very happy to see the return of Caster Semenya to duty for South Africa . We have observed her progress closely since the IAAF cleared her to run and it 's good to hear her say that she 's focusing all her efforts on the Commonwealth . `` The fact that she 's unbeaten in her three races thus far and has improved her time on each occasion is good news for our medal effort in New Delhi , '' SASCOC president Gideon Sam told the website . Semenya clocked a time of 1:59.90 at the ISTAF meeting in Berlin at the weekend which , though four seconds short of her 1:55.45 personal best , was enough to draw criticism from fellow runners . Diane Cummins of Canada , Great Britain 's Jemma Simpson and Elisa Cusma Piccione of Italy all questioned whether should be allowed to continue to compete in the sport . Cummins -- who finished eighth in race Semenya won on Sunday 's race -- told British newspaper The Daily Telegraph the sport 's governing body needed to think again . `` Unfortunately for Caster , she 's grown up in an environment that is complicated not just for her but for human science . Basically , is she man , is she lady ? What constitutes male , what constitutes female ? '' Cummins added : `` Even if she is a female , she 's on the very fringe of the normal athlete female biological composition from what I understand of hormone testing . So , from that perspective , most of us just feel that we are literally running against a man . '' Michael Seme , Semenya 's coach , told reporters that the negative comments would not affect his runner . `` It 's up to them to say and do what they want to . For us we do n't say anything . As long as the organizers of these meetings invite us , there is no problem , '' he said . The Commonwealth Games take place in the Indian capital from 3-14 October . Elsewhere , German sportswear manufacturer Puma annouced on their website they had completed a record sponsorship deal with 100 and 200 meter world record holder Usain Bolt . The Jamaican sprinter -- who has his own clothing line with the company -- renewed his contract which Puma described as `` by far the largest ever given to a track and field athlete '' and which puts `` Bolt among the top-earners across all sports . ''
|
South Africa has named Caster Semenya in their squad for the 2010 Commonwealth Games . The women 's world 800 meter champion returned from a IAAF ban in July . Fellow athletes have criticized the 19-year-old 's return despite gender tests .
|
[[0, 15], [19, 56], [114, 145], [152, 180], [191, 334], [338, 459], [1385, 1432], [1435, 1485]]
|
-LRB- Wired -RRB- -- Google Voice opened to the public Tuesday . Up to now , you had to have an invitation from a current user before you could sign on to use the innovative phone add-on service . Now , anyone in the U.S. can sign up . Voice , which premiered in invite-only fashion a year ago , provides you with a single phone number that directs calls to your mobile , home or work phone , depending on the rules you set . Beyond that , it includes a basketful of features including transcribed voicemail sent as e-mail or text message , free conference calling , free outbound domestic calls and call-screening . The service is free , except for international calls , which cost a fraction of what the phone company charges per minute . Google Voice used to be known as GrandCentral before Google bought the company in July 2007 . Craig Walker , the former CEO of GrandCentral , now runs Google Voice , which he says has a million active users . `` That 's a big number for a service that is invite-only , '' Walker said . New users get a free new number , hopefully somewhere near their local area , and in anticipation of a rush , Voice has bought a bunch of numbers spread across the country -LRB- though Hawaii and Alaska remain `` challenges '' -RRB- . `` We are pretty optimistic there will be a high demand , '' Walker said . Voice also has native apps for Android and Blackberry phones , while Palm Pre and iPhone users can use the HTML5 app -LRB- including to make outbound calls -RRB- . Google made a full-featured app for the iPhone , which Apple controversially rejected on the grounds it would confuse users . The real cost of iPhone 4 vs. Android rivals . Those who commit to giving out a Google Voice number as their central point of contact are n't locked into Google and can port their number out to a phone company or to competing services such as Toktumi . Users ca n't yet port their existing numbers into Google Voice , which would eliminate the need to have to `` commit '' to your Voice number by giving it out to friends and contacts , and getting new business cards made . Those unfamiliar with the service can see the features in this Google-produced video . Voice could mature into a service that competes with Skype , which has become the world 's largest telephone service by allowing free calls between Skype users and cheap calls from PCs and mobile devices to overseas phone numbers . To that end , Google purchased a Skype competitor called Gizmo5 last November , which lets users make calls from their PCs to other PCs or to the traditional network . Five ways to slash your cell phone bill . Google is currently integrating this into Google Voice , though there is reportedly some internal friction over whether to scrap the downloadable software in favor of an HTML5 web app , even though the latter would n't have as good voice quality . Currently , Google Voice calls use the minutes of a mobile phone plan , unlike Skype , which bypasses the voice channel by making calls using data plans . Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $ 1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT ! Click here ! Copyright 2010 Wired.com .
|
An invitation from a current user used to be required before you could sign up . Voice provides a single number that directs calls to your cell , home and work phone . It can transcribe voicemail and has free conference calling , outbound calls and screening .
|
[[77, 126], [236, 241], [296, 335], [314, 335], [341, 390], [440, 507], [486, 616], [1400, 1500], [2237, 2249], [2256, 2420]]
|
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Forget red versus blue . The nation 's capital is seeing green . Fifty-five years after debuting on a Washington television station , the original Kermit the Frog puppet was donated Wednesday to the Smithsonian 's National Museum of American History . America 's favorite amphibian was one of 10 puppets from the 1950s show `` Sam and Friends '' given to the museum by the family of Muppets creator Jim Henson . Included in the cast of characters joining Kermit at his new home are Pierre the French Rat , a voracious purple skull named Yorick , and a yellow monster called Mushmellon -- possibly an early ancestor of Oscar the Grouch . The Museum of American History also has , among other things , a 1969 version of Kermit the Frog , Howdy Doody , and Edgar Bergen 's ventriloquist dummy Charlie McCarthy . `` With these puppets we provide insights into American identity , and we also explore entertainment and popular culture throughout our history , '' said Brent Glass , the museum 's director . `` Jim Henson embodied the innovation and ingenuity that are inherent in American culture . Beyond the entertainment value , Henson 's creations helped educate and helped inform his audiences , and they continue to influence us today . '' `` Sam and Friends '' ran on Washington 's NBC affiliate -- WRC-TV -- from 1955 to 1961 . While many of its characters soon faded from public memory , Kermit went on to a starring role in shows such as `` Sesame Street , '' launched in 1969 , and `` The Muppet Show , '' which ran from 1976 to 1980 .
|
The original Kermit the Frog puppet has been donated to the Smithsonian . Nine other puppets from the 1950s show `` Sam and Friends '' were also donated . The puppets were donated by the family of Jim Henson . `` Sam and Friends '' aired from 1955 to 1961 .
|
[[95, 153], [164, 281], [282, 348], [357, 428]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In today 's technology-laden society , hearing of crimes solved or cold cases cracked with state-of-the-art tech tools has become commonplace . But for one New Jersey family all it took to catch an alleged thief was a camera and a little luck . John Myers and his family from Bloomfield , New Jersey , were visiting Madison , Wisconsin , to attend a friend 's wedding Saturday at the state Capitol . According to Myers , the family went outside after the ceremony to take pictures . He decided it would be a good idea to take a family portrait with his digital camera , and he set a bag down next to the building before stepping away to snap the shot . Unbeknown to him , Myers -- as he captured the scene -- also caught a person red-handed stealing his bag . `` Looking back now it was n't a good idea to leave my bag so far away , '' Myers told CNN on Tuesday . `` But I just was n't thinking of it at the time . '' Myers looked at the picture quickly but admits he was checking just to make sure everyone came out OK . It was only after walking away that he realized he had forgotten his bag -- which contained his wallet , hotel and rental car keys and other family valuables . Myers said that when he returned to the spot , the bag was missing . No one had turned it in at the information center inside the Capitol . He realized then that someone must have taken it . After stepping outside the building and seeing wedding photographers , he decided to take a second look at the pictures he had just taken . It turned out to be the right hunch . In the background of the family portrait , Myers saw an image of someone reaching into his bag as it sat . He took it to the Wisconsin Capitol Police , which immediately went into action . `` The Capitol Police are amazing , '' Myers said . `` I fully expected to have them tell us to just fill a report -LSB- out -RSB- or -LSB- to -RSB- tell us there was n't much they could do , but -LSB- they -RSB- responded immediately and because they did , they were able to catch -LSB- a suspect -RSB- . '' After Myers showed the pictures , two officers were immediately dispatched to look for a suspect , while a third stayed with Myers and sent out a description . Within 15 minutes , Myers said , police had arrested a suspect and also located the bag and all his belongings , some of which had been thrown away during the heist . According to Wisconsin authorities , a homeless man identified as Glenn R. Lambright was arrested . He was released Tuesday from Dane County Jail on a signature bond . It was not known Tuesday night whether Lambright had an attorney . Myers said the quick police response pleasantly surprised him . `` I caught the picture , but I was even more amazed they managed to find the person since all they had to go on was his clothing -- his face was n't in the picture , '' he said .
|
A New Jersey man snapped a photo of his family during a trip to Wisconsin . The photo also caught the image of someone allegedly making off with the man 's bag . Among other valuables , the man 's wallet and car keys were in the bag . Wisconsin Capitol Police quickly apprehended a suspect and returned the bag .
|
[[700, 724], [733, 778], [1570, 1610], [1613, 1664], [1089, 1200], [1691, 1719], [1728, 1758], [2017, 2064], [2228, 2245], [2259, 2290]]
|
Key West , Fla. -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's been nearly a week since two modern-day pirates walked into the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Key West , Florida , and made off with a $ 550,000 gold bar . Clear video images of the suspects and a reward that 's grown to $ 25,000 have n't yet brought a break in the case . `` This is n't like on television , '' said Melissa Kendrick , executive director of the the museum . `` It does n't get solved in 22 minutes and a commercial . '' Key West Police and the FBI have been working around the clock to solve the mystery , Kendrick said Tuesday . `` We are deeply grateful . '' For 25 years , visitors to the museum in Key West , Florida , had the opportunity to lift the glittery piece of treasure in a special display case . No visitors or security guards were in the room the afternoon of August 18 when the gold bar was taken , but a video camera was . `` We 're hoping someone will see that footage and help us with a lead , '' said Key West Police spokeswoman Alyson Crean . In the video , one of the two thieves approaches the case , does something and then walks away . While the security guard is out of the room , he comes back , breaks a piece of the case near an opening and removes the bar . He sticks it in his pocket and walks out . `` This is going to end up in somebody 's house probably used as a paperweight , '' said Police Chief Donie Lee . `` Other than melting it down , which is the worst-case scenario for everyone . '' The bar was recovered by treasure hunter Mel Fisher and his crew in 1980 from the shipwreck of the Santa Margarita , which sank 25 miles west of Key West . The Santa Margarita is the sister ship of the storied galleon Atocha , also worked by Fisher . The ships sank in 1622 . The museum 's 16.5-karat gold bar weighs 74.85 ounces . The uniqueness of the piece places the bar 's value at $ 550,000 , Kendrick said . Fisher , who died in 1998 , loved having the bar in a special reach-in case because it allowed visitors to make a connection with the find , she said . An expert in the recovery of art and artifacts said the thieves likely made a huge mistake . The market is small for high-profile items with distinguishing markings . `` We recovered paintings and artifacts that were missing for many years , '' said Robert Wittman , founder of the FBI art crime team and author of `` Priceless . '' `` They -LSB- thieves -RSB- kept them in their closets . They were white elephants . They made no money out of the deals . They were stuck . '' CNN 's John Zarrella and Phil Gast contributed to this article .
|
Pair walked off with gold bar worth $ 550,000 . Good video images at Key West museum have n't yet yielded suspects . Thieves sometimes have difficult time unloading high-profile items .
|
[[0, 8], [160, 196], [1037, 1059], [1101, 1118], [1818, 1882], [197, 275], [280, 283], [292, 313], [197, 249], [280, 313]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The ambulance sped toward Baton Rouge , Louisiana , from the New Orleans airport , overrun with refugees from a drowned city . A mother pregnant with twins screamed from labor pains . Robbie Prepas , a nurse and midwife who struggles with car sickness , tried to stay focused . The babies were n't going to wait . Five minutes into the ride , Prepas delivered the first twin with no problem . But then , she saw two feet beginning to emerge -- a breech baby . Panic set in . `` Do n't push ! Do n't push ! Do n't push ! '' Today , five years after delivering those twins in the midst of the chaos that Katrina wreaked , Prepas dwells -- not on the death and destruction that was so well-documented -- but on the life that emerged . She and her team delivered 20 healthy babies amid the storm 's aftermath in a two-week period that `` changed my life . '' `` It 's one of those events in America that we should never forget . '' Prepas , now 58 , has traveled the world with organizations like Save the Children and UNICEF . She went to Ghana , Namibia and Zimbabwe in the 1990s to teach midwives in those African countries how best to deal with emergencies . A year before Katrina , she traveled to Afghanistan with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to figure out why so many mothers and babies were dying at a hospital in Kabul . As Hurricane Katrina spun toward the Gulf , the urge to help came natural . Based out of San Diego , Prepas was a member of California 's Disaster Medical Assistance Team , a group of about 30 physicians , general practitioners , nurses , nurse practitioners and other specialists . They were told to head to Louis Armstrong International Airport , along with teams from Oregon and Washington . Katrina had swept ashore , and the levee had been breached . `` I had never in my life seen such a disaster as I had in New Orleans , '' Prepas says . `` And , believe me , I 've seen the worst of everything . '' At the airport , thousands of people milled about . Elderly patients from nursing homes had been dropped off , without medications or even adult diapers . Electricity was out , and there was no running water . `` There were two policemen and two security guards , '' Prepas says . `` There was no organization . We did n't know who to answer to . ... Nobody was in charge . '' Prepas and the other 89 medical professionals swung into action . They set up three tents at the front of the airport -- green , for walking wounded and pregnant women ; yellow , for slightly more serious conditions ; red , for critical patients . `` By the end of two weeks , we had screened and triaged more than 20,000 people . '' Prepas was stationed in the green tent , and , at one point , was caring for 50 prenatal patients . She was sleeping on a luggage carousel when the first woman in labor arrived . Prepas set up a privacy sheet in the tent and prepared a cot . The first baby to be born at the airport was healthy . `` His name was David , '' she says . On the third day , U.S. military personnel arrived to establish order amid the pandemonium . On that same day , the woman pregnant with twins was brought to the airport . Prepas still does n't know how the woman got there . `` She was 8 centimeters dilated , and she was ready to deliver . '' The woman 's husband and two sons were at the convention center with no idea she was in labor , or where she had gone . All Prepas knew was : `` I had to get her out . '' Frantically searching for an ambulance , Prepas found a group of paramedics who had driven more than 500 miles from Nashville , Tennessee . `` Guys , you 've got to drive me to Baton Rouge , '' Prepas barked . `` Now ! '' The paramedics radioed a hospital in Baton Rouge to let them know they were bringing a woman in labor with twins . The two baby boys had other plans . Both boys were delivered en route . The second child , who came out feet first , was discolored . He received oxygen for the next 30 minutes , until they arrived . Two more weeks passed before that mother and her babies were reunited with the rest of their family . Prepas ' time in New Orleans affected her profoundly on so many different levels . Prepas has curtailed most of her overseas humanitarian missions ; she now flies mostly to places in need within the U.S. -- the quake in Haiti being an exception . A member of the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood , Prepas has used the experience to bring attention to rising maternal mortality rates inside the United States , one of the worst in the industrialized world . In 1982 , eight women died per 100,000 live births in the U.S. ; now , the figure has jumped to 17 per 100,000 , largely due to lack of health care for the nation 's poorest women , according to the White Ribbon Alliance . `` Women are going to have babies out of place , '' especially during disaster , she says . `` We have to be prepared for that . '' One of the toughest things about her job in New Orleans was delivering the babies -- and then walking away . `` Life goes on after an emergency , '' she says . `` I never stayed in touch with them ... but I think about it all the time . It drives me to keep wanting to do all this stuff . It 's given me a mission in life . ''
|
Robbie Prepas focuses not on the destruction of Katrina , but the life that emerged . The nurse/midwife helped deliver 20 babies at the New Orleans airport amid the chaos . `` I had never in my life seen such a disaster ''
|
[[751, 844], [1837, 1889]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- While Glenn Beck continues to pathetically assert that he is a modern day Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his listeners and viewers are the rightful heirs to the Civil Rights Movement he spearheaded , it may catch some by surprise that Tea Party leaders claim their movement is also one that is about advancing the civil rights of Americans . During a debate I participated in Wednesday night on CNN 's Anderson Cooper 360 , Tea Party Express spokesman Mark Williams -- who moonlights as a radio talk show host -- blasted the National Organization for the Advancement of Colored People for not doing anything to fight crime in the inner city , as well as for advancing issues that go against the U.S. Constitution . I had to do everything I could to maintain my composure , considering that the NAACP 's long and storied history has been about forcing Americans to actually uphold the Constitution and apply it evenly to all citizens , especially African Americans . Yet as Williams continued his tirade , I really did want to hear exactly what civil rights issues he and other Tea Party members are fighting for . I 'm sure they would come as a surprise to civil rights organizations , the folks who are on the frontlines every day . I asked Williams if he would be willing to sit down and meet with the NAACP , the National Urban League , the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and other civil rights organizations to find common ground on various civil rights issues . His response ? Attend the more than 70 Tea Party rallies in the fall as a participant . Yeah , right . So with my suggestion in mind , it would be great for Williams , Sarah Palin and other Tea Party leaders , advocates and supporters , especially those candidates receiving their backing in November , to clearly state their position on some of the civil rights issues of the day -LRB- The following are not in a particular order of importance -RRB- . Education . President Obama and the Democratic establishment are against the notion of school vouchers . Republicans have advanced the issue for years , yet in Illinois it was GOP members who could have made the difference in vouchers being offered to students who attend schools that rank at the bottom in Chicago . State Sen. James Meeks -LRB- who also is founder/senior pastor of Salem Baptist Church of Chicago , Illinois , where I 'm a member -RRB- , fought hard to pass the measure . He was rebuffed by a lot of folks in the Democratic Party , but also a number of Republicans . While we all wait for the day when our public education is fixed for the have-nots , will the Tea Party make education a civil rights issue and demand that students in the worst schools be allowed to leave via vouchers ? And will it also fight to equalize funding across the board for those inner city schools that are unable to compete with suburban schools ? Racial profiling . There is nothing more insidious and unconstitutional than police officers pulling folks over or frisking them based on nothing in particular , except the color of their skin . Numerous cities and states have documented this horrible practice . The NAACP is gearing up to advance a federal anti-racial profiling bill . Will Mark Williams and the Tea Party join them in an effort to say no more to this hideous practice ? Voting rights . The right to vote is at the heart of our democracy , and it 's shameful to watch members of both political parties use archaic rules to prevent folks from voting . We have seen voters with no history of criminal activity purged from voting rolls . It 's time that we have consistent rules nationally and not be subject to various state , county and city rules . As Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia wrote in the Bush vs. Gore decision , there is no affirmative right to vote in the United States . Our Constitution forbids minorities and women being disenfranchised -LRB- It 's interesting to note that basically white men can be denied the right to vote , depending on how you look at this -RRB- . In Chicago , if you move from one address to another , you are automatically removed from the voting rolls . Why not have your voting rights follow you to a new address ? We have a driver 's license that is legal in all parts of a state , why not the voting card ? To fix the overlapping and confusing rules , it 's time we amend the Constitution and establish a clear and affirmative right to vote . Tea Partiers , are you willing to support that ? Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. has had such a bill ready to be voted on for nearly a decade . `` Do n't ask , do n't tell . '' Tea Partiers claim they are all about the U.S. Constitution , that they are patriots . OK , fine . How crazy is it for someone who is gay to be kicked out of the U.S. military solely because of his or her sexuality ? The right wing has made a major effort to keep gays and lesbians from serving openly , and the left has fought to have the measure repealed . If the blood of a homosexual flows the same on the battlefield as that of a heterosexual , then what 's the problem ? Mark Williams , is this the kind of civil right you and the Tea Party support or oppose ? Leading a 21st century Poor Peoples Campaign . At the time of his assassination in 1968 , Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference were planning the Poor Peoples Campaign , set for Washington , D.C. , to show the plight of poverty in America . Today , we have Republicans in Congress who are against a jobs bill and extending unemployment benefits , but are ardent supporters of keeping the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts for the wealthy . Will the Tea Party put the concerns of America 's poor at the forefront of its movement ? The Civil Rights Movement was n't just about those at the top , but the downtrodden , disenchanted and ignored . I have n't heard Tea Partiers talking about the least of those among us . So , Mark Williams , will we see Tea Partiers descend on the nation 's capital to demand that lawmakers stop ignoring the nation 's poor ? It 's easy for Williams and other Tea Partiers to casually toss out assertions that they are fighting for the civil rights of Americans . Fine , but put your money where your mouth is . It 's time to call the Tea Party Express together at the table with the civil rights establishment to forge a comprehensive civil rights strategy headed into the midterm elections and 2011 . Saying it is one thing , Tea Partiers , but doing it is another . You 've talked the talk , now it 's time to walk the walk . So what say you ? The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Roland Martin .
|
Roland Martin says Tea Party spokesman claimed civil rights high ground in recent debate . Tea Party 's criticism of NAACP would surprise civil rights groups , he says . He challenges Tea Party to address racial profiling , education , `` do n't ask , do n't tell '' Martin : Tea Partiers have talked the talk on civil rights , now they should walk the walk .
|
[[254, 360], [1143, 1202], [4602, 4607], [4618, 4631], [4632, 4634], [254, 360], [6515, 6538], [6545, 6574]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A solemn Mass at the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata , India , marked the 100th anniversary of Mother Teresa 's birth on Thursday . People from all walks of life gathered at the global headquarters of the order of nuns , which Mother Teresa founded 60 years ago . `` It 's a great day of joy for all of us to celebrate the gift of Mother 's life , '' said Sister Nirmala , Mother Teresa 's immediate successor . `` Mother who allowed God to live in her has put a bright light in the world , enlightening the hearts and minds of so many people . '' Sister Prema , the current head of the order , said , `` Mother is a person who till today -- and also for time to come -- will bring people of all walks of life together to serve , to laugh and to be united . '' A message from Pope Benedict XVI was read out at the Mass. . `` I am confident that this year will be for the church and the world an occasion of joyful gratitude to God for the inestimable gift that Mother Teresa was in her lifetime and continues to be through the affectionate and tireless work of you , her spiritual children , '' the pontiff 's statement said . Mother Teresa was born as Agnes Gonxha Boiaxhiu to ethnic Albanian parents in Skopje , Macedonia , on August 26 , 1910 . She arrived in India in 1929 and dedicated her life to help those in need . She received a Nobel Peace Prize for her work in 1979 . She died in India in 1997 and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in October 2003 .
|
Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity in 1950 . Message from Pope Benedict XVI read aloud at Mass celebration . Mother Teresa died in 1997 .
|
[[236, 240], [263, 285], [783, 843], [1402, 1427], [1402, 1405], [1423, 1484]]
|
Islamabad , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Two U.S. Navy MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopters arrived Saturday to assist with humanitarian and rescue efforts in flood-ravaged Pakistan , which canceled celebrations of its 63rd birthday . A statement from the U.S. State Department says the two aircraft are part of the contingent of 19 helicopters , ordered to Pakistan on Wednesday by U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates . Seven of the 19 craft are now in the country . One other MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter and four U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E helicopters arrived earlier this week . Twelve Marine CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters will arrive over the next few days . Since August 5 , U.S. military helicopters have rescued more than 3,500 people and transported more than 412,000 pounds of emergency relief supplies , according to the State Department . One-fifth of Pakistan -- which is about the size of Florida -- has been flooded in relentless monsoon rains , the United Nations says . Nearly 1,400 people have died and 875,000 homes have either washed away or are damaged , according to Pakistan 's Disaster Authority . Millions more are still at peril as the bloated Indus River is cresting this weekend in parts of Sindh province . In some areas , the Indus has expanded from its usual width of one mile to 12 miles . Homes , crops , trees , livestock , entire villages and towns have been transformed into vast lakes . The worst floods since Pakistan 's creation have disrupted the lives of about 20 million people , Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said Saturday . Surrounded by a tragedy of epic proportions , Pakistanis canceled Saturday 's celebrations of independence , hard won from the British in 1947 . They might have otherwise attended parades , burst firecrackers and waved the green and white flag proudly . Instead , President Asif Ali Zardari , under fire for a perceived lack of government response , toured flood-ravaged Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the north , where the crisis began more than two weeks ago . He urged Pakistanis to remember the afflicted . `` The best way to celebrate the Independence Day this year is to reach out to the victims and help them to help themselves , '' he said , according to the Associated Press of Pakistan . `` I stand with you and the people of Pakistan stand with you as well , in your hour of trial , '' he told flood victims in Seraiki . `` Do not lose hope as the entire nation stands with you . '' Gilani said that even some religious events connected to the Muslim holy month of Ramadan were canceled . He said money that might have been spent on Iftar , the feast that breaks the daily fast between sunrise and sundown , should be used to alleviate suffering . Meanwhile , the United Nations said Secretary General Ban Ki-moon intends to visit Pakistan Sunday and see the devastation firsthand . His trip comes as U.N. and other humanitarian agencies are racing against time to prevent more death and suffering . `` Relief supplies must reach women , men and children as soon as possible , in order to avoid further death caused by waterborne diseases and food shortages , '' said Martin Mogwanja , the United Nations ' humanitarian coordinator for Pakistan . `` The death toll has so far been relatively low compared with other major natural disasters , and we want to keep it that way , '' he said . Pakistan emergency officials predicted the second wave of floodwaters gushing down the Indus River could reach the southern town of Sukkar by Saturday evening . Hundreds of thousands of people living along the Indus could be stranded , along with the tens of thousands stranded by the first wave , said Lt. Cmdr. Jawad Khawaja of the Pakistani navy . Many residents have ignored government warnings to evacuate the area , causing a big concern , Khawaja said . `` The time to act is now -- this is a disaster of unimaginable proportions , '' said Nilofer Bakhtiar , head of the Pakistan Red Crescent Society . Thousands of flood victims huddled in sludgy camps or in jam-packed public buildings . Others slept under the stars next to the cows , sheep and goats they managed to rescue from rising waters . But when they might be able to return to dry lands at home remained a big question . Pakistan 's monsoon season is only half way over and more rain is on the way . CNN 's Samson Desta and Reza Sayah contributed to this report .
|
NEW : Seven of 19 helicopters promised by U.S. have arrived in Pakistan . Independence celebrations called off amid widespread flooding . Prime minister says 20 million people have been affected . Officials fear hundreds of thousands could be stranded .
|
[[416, 462], [151, 173], [182, 226], [1610, 1670], [1416, 1511], [3516, 3547], [3571, 3588], [3591, 3610]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Lawyers for a man who ran a notorious torture prison in Cambodia where more than 14,000 people died during the 1970s Khmer Rouge regime are appealing his conviction . The lawyers for Kaing Guek Eav , alias Duch , say he should be acquitted since he was `` a witness of the events of the relevant period '' and should be in witness protection -- not detention . Duch was convicted of war crimes , crimes against humanity , murder and torture in July in a U.N.-backed war crimes tribunal also known as the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia . Duch 's lawyers also say the court did not have jurisdiction , the appeal states . `` To interpret the applicable law in reliance on international customary law is inconsistent '' with the law of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia , according to the appeal . Earlier this month , prosecutors in Cambodia appealed Duch 's 30-year sentence , saying the punishment was too light . `` The co-prosecutors are of the view that the judgment gives insufficient weight to the gravity of Duch 's crimes and his role and his willing participation in those crimes , '' they said in a statement . `` At the same time , the co-prosecutors believe that undue weight is placed on any mitigating circumstances applicable to Duch . '' Some survivors had been angered by the sentence for Duch . His prison term would have been about 19 years after the court took off 11 years for the time he has already served behind bars . The verdict sparked strong reactions as word spread outside the courtroom . Some said it made them lose faith in the U.N.-backed war crimes tribunal . `` It 's becoming a sham , '' Cambodian-American Theary Seng , chairwoman of the Center for Justice and Reconciliation , said after the verdict . At least 1.7 million people -- nearly a quarter of Cambodia 's population -- died under the 1975-1979 Khmer Rouge regime from execution , disease , starvation and overwork , according to the Documentation Center of Cambodia . Duch , 67 , was the head of the S-21 prison . Few people brought to the prison made it out alive ; only about a dozen were found by the Vietnamese , who invaded Cambodia in 1979 . Prosecutors had initially sought a 40-year sentence . The judges first gave Duch 35 years , but took five years off that for the time he was illegally detained before the tribunal was established . Prosecutors have said the judgment failed `` to reflect the full extent of Duch 's criminal conduct '' and he should be `` separately convicted of the crimes against humanity of enslavement , imprisonment , torture , rape , extermination , and other inhumane acts . These crimes should not have been subsumed into the crimes of persecution and torture . '' The judge , in announcing Duch 's sentence , said he took into consideration that the defendant had expressed remorse , admitted responsibility and cooperated with the court . The judge also took into account the `` coercive environment '' of the Khmer Rouge , he said . Duch pleaded guilty , but he said he was only following orders and asked for forgiveness . Last November , he asked to be freed after spending some 11 years in detention . In the last week of his trial , Duch argued that international law did not apply to him because he was following orders . The tribunal began its work in 2007 after a decade of on-and-off negotiations between the United Nations and Cambodia over the structure and functioning of the court . Duch 's verdict was the court 's first . Another four of the ultra-Maoist regime 's former leaders are waiting to see if they will stand trial before the U.N.-backed tribunal for war crimes and crimes against humanity . Co-prosecutors filed a final submission in these cases and asked that the four be indicted and sent for trial , according to a statement from the prosecutors ' office . It 's not known when the court will make a decision .
|
Attorneys : Duch was `` a witness of the events '' and should be in witness protection . Duch is convicted of war crimes , crimes against humanity , murder and torture . Prosecutors : 30-year sentence is too light .
|
[[186, 216], [232, 360], [186, 207], [265, 267], [322, 379], [380, 467], [851, 869], [872, 929], [939, 942], [851, 869], [872, 895], [932, 969]]
|
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- As airlines slash flights and cut spending in the wake of rising fuel prices , rail travel across Europe is entering into a period of renewal . Eurostar launched services from its new London station , St Pancras International in November 2007 . By 2010 , the continent 's rail operators expect 25 million passengers to be using its high-speed networks , up from around 14 million today . And this staggering growth is expected to spill into the next decade . This week , Network Rail , the owner and operator of Britain 's rail infrastructure , has commissioned a study that could lead to the biggest overhaul of the nation 's rail industry since the 19th century . The study will consider five new intercity lines running north and west of London . New lines , built alongside existing tracks , could accommodate high-speed trains similar to France 's TGV that travels at 186 miles per hour -LRB- 300 km/h -RRB- . If approved , journey times between London and Manchester could be slashed to just over one hour , and two hours between London and Glasgow . The cost of such expansion is large , says a Network Rail spokesperson , but crucial to absorb the nation 's increasing demand for rail travel . Despite complaints over overcrowding and affordability of rail travel in Britain , passenger numbers have soared by 40 percent to 1.13 billion journeys a year in the last decade . And if growth continues as predicted , Network Rail expects many lines to be full by 2025 . The popularity for rail is driven partly by a growing determination among passengers to become more environmentally friendly . A journey on high-speed train Eurostar between London and Paris generates one-tenth of the carbon dioxide produced by an equivalent flight , according to independent research commissioned by Eurostar . Rail 's city-center-to-city-centre service is also becoming an increasingly attractive alternative to flying . Research has shown that business travelers are now willing to travel up to four hours on rail because of the increased productivity versus the airlines . Leisure travelers are prepared to go further , using trains on journeys of up to six hours . If plans for new high-speed routes across Britain are agreed , the earliest construction could begin is 2014 , says Network Rail . But expansion is already underway across the European rail network to handle growing passenger numbers . Britain 's first high-speed rail line was opened by Eurostar last November . This links the new St. Pancras International station in central London with Paris in just 2 hours 15 minutes and Brussels in 1 hour 51 minutes . Last June , TGV Est opened in France , slashing journey times between Paris and Reims to 45 minutes from 90 minutes , and from Paris to Strasbourg in 2 hour 20 minutes instead of 4 hours . This line opens development of a 1,500-km European railway line intended to link Paris and Bratislava via Strasbourg , Stuttgart , Munich and Vienna . Other upcoming high-speed rail routes include the HSL Zuid between Antwerp , Belgium and Amsterdam ; a number of Alta Velocidad Española -LRB- AVE -RRB- high-speed rail links between Madrid and Spain 's provincial cities ; and a high-speed connection between Spain and Portugal . New high-speed lines are also expected in Italy in early 2011 . And if plans for a rail tunnel under the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain to Morocco are finalized , trains could link Europe and Africa by 2025 . The efficiency of trans-European rail travel will be further boosted following the formation of Railteam , an alliance of high-speed rail operators across western Europe . These include Deutsche Bahn from Germany , SNCF in France , Eurostar as well as operators from Netherlands , Austria , Switzerland and Belgium . At the moment making connections , for example between a Eurostar service from London to Paris and then to a TGV across France or an ICE high-speed train through Germany can be complicated . The new alliance , that works like a code-sharing airline alliance , means travelers can book tickets on a multilingual website to 100 cities , rising to 400 by 2020 . The alliance will also cut waiting time between connections . And frequent business travelers will eventually be able to use a ` train mile ' program across the entire network . Railteam currently does not include operators in Italy and Spain where high-speed networks are less developed . But more train operators are expected to join in the future . What 's more , legislation approved by the European Union last year that requires national rail systems to open up to operators from other countries by 2010 , will further push development of a European network of high-speed rail . As this network develops , and as appeal of air travel falters , riding the rails between Paris and Bratislava , or Birmingham and Brussels may not seem like such a bad idea after all .
|
European rail travel is having a renaissance boosted by new high-speed links . Network Rail will conduct a review into building new rail lines across Great Britain . New high-speed links recently opened between UK and Europe and into east France .
|
[[115, 179], [495, 504], [507, 519], [564, 701]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A sheriff 's deputy in central Arizona was shot Friday afternoon by a suspected drug trafficker , authorities said . The Pinal County deputy , who was not immediately identified , contacted authorities after being wounded in the desert , saying he had been shot by an illegal immigrant with an AK-47 , said Lt. Tammy Villar , a sheriff 's spokeswoman . The deputy radioed that he had encountered five men , some wielding long guns and handguns , and said they were carrying a large amount of marijuana . At one point the deputy lost radio contact with authorities , leading to a search by foot and by air for him and the shooter , according to CNN affiliate KNXV . Video from the scene shows that the deputy was located while sitting in desert brush , surrounded by cactus . He was able to walk to a helicopter that airlifted him to a hospital . A spokeswoman at Casa Grande Regional Medical Center confirmed that the deputy was being treated there Friday evening . He was in good condition with stable vital signs , conscious and comfortable , she said . KNXV : Deputy stopped five suspects . The deputy was shot in the left abdomen and suffered a superficial wound , law enforcement sources said . The search for the shooter continued into the evening . The shooting comes amid a national debate over Arizona 's tough new immigration law , which allows police to demand proof of legal residency . Arizona lawmakers say the law is needed because the federal government has failed to enforce border security with Mexico , allowing more than 450,000 illegal immigrants to move into the state . KPNX : Deputy expected to survive . Pinal County is between Phoenix and Tucson and has been described as a key transit point for illegal immigrants and drug traffickers . Sheriff Paul Babeu said an estimated 80 percent of illegal immigrants pass through his county along the way to other locations . Earlier this week , a CNN crew spent 12 hours on patrol with Pinal County deputies . In that time , the deputies captured more than 50 suspected illegal immigrants and about 2,000 pounds of marijuana . Deputies in the department routinely patrol for illegal immigrants and smugglers , and it is not uncommon for them to be in the field alone , officials said . It was not immediately clear what led the deputy to engage with the shooter Friday . The shooting is sure to heat up the debate around the new Arizona law . Critics say the law is unconstitutional and will lead to racial profiling , which is illegal . But Republican Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer and others who support the law say it does not involve profiling or other illegal acts and will cut down on illegal immigration . `` Frankly this is just a very horrible story , but we should not generalize , '' Alfonso Aguilar , former chief of the U.S. Citizenship Office , told CNN 's Rick Sanchez when news of Friday 's shooting broke . `` We should focus on the criminality of the drug traffickers ... not scapegoat undocumented immigrants who do not pose any threat to society . '' Brewer on Friday signed a bill that makes changes to the immigration law , saying the changes will ease concerns about racial profiling . The law , which will go into effect in 90 days , has already drawn at least two lawsuits and condemnation from the Mexican government and other Latin American nations . Prominent entertainers , including Shakira and Linda Ronstadt , also have spoken against the law . Some critics are calling for a boycott of Arizona , urging tourists to stay away and that no one do business with companies in the state . CNN 's Casey Wian contributed to this report .
|
Pinal County deputy contacts authorities after being wounded in a remote area . Pinal County has been described as a key transit point for illegal immigrants . Deputies routinely patrol for illegal immigrants and drug smugglers .
|
[[136, 159], [199, 254], [1648, 1660], [1684, 1782], [1783, 1911], [1834, 1886], [2114, 2194]]
|
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The thorny intersection of race and the economy topped the political agenda Wednesday as President Obama huddled with key African-American leaders at the White House . Obama held what has been dubbed an `` urban economy summit '' in the Oval Office with a group including the Rev. Al Sharpton , NAACP President Benjamin Jealous , and National Urban League President Marc Morial . National Council of Negro Women Chairwoman Dorothy Height , who is 97 years old , declined an invitation to attend due to the winter storm pounding the Washington area . The group urged Obama to spend money initially reserved for bank bailouts on areas suffering from chronically high unemployment , according to sources familiar with the attendees ' plans . The investments should be `` place-based rather than race-based , '' Jealous said . The cornerstone of the civil rights leaders ' plan calls for $ 150 billion in TARP -LRB- Troubled Asset Relief Program -RRB- funds to be redirected to state and local governments to hire workers to provide critical services in underserved communities . The White House has not yet proposed tapping the TARP fund for a new jobs program , with the exception of potentially using it to help expand credit lines for small businesses . The nation 's first African-American president remains extremely popular among black voters . A number of African-American leaders , however , are increasingly upset with what they perceive as the federal government 's inattention to the needs of economically hard-hit minority communities . `` We do not seek any special kind of edict or special kind of thing from the president because he 's African-American , '' Sharpton said . But he said African-Americans do `` expect to be included in the process '' as Congress debates a new jobs bill and are seeking `` substantive change '' and not mere `` feel-good moments . '' Jealous blasted what some political observers have characterized as a GOP strategy of complete opposition to Obama 's agenda . The Republicans are using obstructionist `` tactics from the last century '' previously employed against African-Americans and now used `` against working people , '' he said . `` It 's not enough to say no , no , no when people ... are suffering , suffering , suffering , '' he said . `` It 's not enough to just hold up progress . '' While the national unemployment rate is now 9.7 percent , the jobless rate among African-Americans is hovering around 15 percent . Over 40 percent of black teenagers are unemployed , according to the National Urban League . Obama has previously argued that the administration 's $ 862 billion stimulus package , as well as its other job growth initiatives , would benefit many of the country 's hardest-hit communities . The plan presented to Obama was expected to include recommendations to : . • Expand the small business administration 's Community Express Loan Program ; . • Provide a stronger focus on communities with high unemployment ; . • Invest $ 500 million for housing counselors to work with people who are delinquent on loans ; . • Expand summer youth jobs programs by investing up to $ 7 billion to employ 5 million teenagers ; . • Create 100 `` urban job academies '' to train the chronically unemployed . CNN 's Suzanne Malveaux and Alan Silverleib contributed to this report .
|
Obama meets with Rev. Al Sharpton , top officials from NAACP and Urban League . Group urges Obama to help areas with chronically high unemployment , source says . They suggest funds could come from money reserved for bank bailouts . African-Americans not asking special treatment , but inclusion , Sharpton says .
|
[[119, 197], [198, 409], [198, 203], [209, 409], [657, 707], [2948, 3012], [580, 662]]
|
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former Bosnian leader Ejup Ganic will not be extradited to Serbia , a British court ruled Tuesday , setting him free . Ganic called the extradition request `` a textbook example of abuse , '' accusing the Serbian government of trying to `` undermine the judiciary in this country . '' The extradition request was politically motivated , Justice Timothy Workman found in throwing it out . `` No striking or substantial new evidence '' was brought against him , the judge ruled . Ganic , who was arrested at England 's Heathrow Airport in March at Serbia 's request , is wanted in Serbia for conspiracy to murder in breach of the Geneva Conventions , a spokesman at Britain 's Foreign Office said . Ganic 's lawyer , Stephen Gentle , denied that he had any role in the 1992 killings in question . In April , Gentle said that `` the extradition request is politically motivated . It is legally flawed , and he has nothing to hide . '' Ganic was the vice president of Bosnia during the civil war there between 1992 and 1995 and was twice president of the Bosnian-Croat Federation in the years following the 1995 Dayton peace agreement . Many independent commentators at the time regarded Ganic as a relative moderate in the wartime Bosnian leadership . Though Bosnian , Ganic was born in Serbia and speaks with a recognizable Serbian accent . He holds dual nationality in the former Yugoslav republics . He is leaving London for Sarajevo on Wednesday , he said . CNN 's Andrew Carey contributed to this report .
|
NEW : Serbia 's government `` tried to undermine the judiciary in this country , '' Ejup Ganic says . The extradition request was politically motivated , the judge finds . Former Bosnian leader will not be sent to Serbia . Ganic is wanted in Serbia for alleged 1992 war crimes .
|
[[225, 317], [321, 370], [373, 396], [496, 513], [831, 839], [842, 912], [514, 519], [602, 682]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- William Adolfo Cortez -- the man suspected in four homicides in Panama , including the death of one American -- and his wife were arrested in Nicaragua on Monday , a Costa Rican official told CNN . The arrest was the conclusion of an international manhunt for the couple , whose nationality remained unconfirmed by authorities . Cortez and his wife , Jane , were on the run since the body of Cher Hughes , a native of suburban St. Louis , Missouri , was found last week on his property in Panama . The couple fled Panama to the north , traversed through Costa Rica , and were caught as they crossed the San Juan River , which acts as the boundary between Nicaragua and Costa Rica , Costa Rican Vice Minister of Public Security Jorge Chavarria said . Cortez and his wife boarded a boat and then threw the boat 's driver overboard , commandeering the vessel for themselves , Chavarria said . The Nicaraguan army stopped them as they tried to enter the country . The couple was in Nicaraguan custody and was transported to a facility known as El Castillo , the vice minister said . The pair face charges of stealing a boat , but an international murder warrant out for the couple is expected to result in extradition to Panama , Chavarria said . Cortez could be American or Dutch , according to local reports , but his true nation of origin remained unconfirmed . Hughes , who was in her early 50s , was found in a shallow grave . A second body -- which has not yet been officially identified -- was found near Hughes . Panama police said they believed that Cortez 's motive was to take his alleged victims ' property . Hughes had lived in St. Petersburg , Florida , where she owned a neon sign business , before moving to Panama . CNN 's Mariano Castillo contributed to this report .
|
William Cortez is wanted on murder charges in Panama . He and his wife were caught on the border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica . Cortez commandeered a boat to try to make it to Nicaragua . The Nicaraguan army made the arrest .
|
[[44, 89], [131, 180], [517, 527], [584, 636], [769, 788], [850, 889]]
|
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Senate Republicans narrowly blocked Democratic campaign finance disclosure legislation in the Senate Tuesday after raising concerns the bill would curb freedom of speech and tilt campaign spending in favor of the Democrats . A 57-41 vote fell short of the 60 votes needed for the Senate to cut off debate on the measure . Republicans unanimously opposed the measure while Democrats solidly backed it . Democrats said the legislation -- known as the DISCLOSE Act -- would bring greater transparency to campaign contributions from corporations , labor unions , and other special interests , which were able to ramp up political spending in the wake of the Supreme Court 's controversial ruling in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission earlier this year . The bill would require organizations paying for political advertising to disclose the names of their top donors in the ads , similar to what now is required of political candidates for federal office . Republicans accused Democrats of trying to preserve their majorities in the House and Senate by skewing the rules in the favor of labor unions , trial lawyers , and other Democratic-leaning groups . Democrats denied that was their motive , and made certain changes to the bill last week aimed at satisfying GOP critics . The Republicans were not mollified . Democrats `` fear the righteous judgment of the American people in this coming election , '' warned Sen. John Cornyn , R-Texas , who spearheads the Senate Republicans ' election effort . `` So they 're trying to change the rules in the middle of the game to suppress the speech of those who might disagree '' with them . Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Kentucky , slammed the bill as a `` partisan effort , pure and simple . '' `` This bill is about protecting incumbent Democrats from criticism ahead of this November 's election , '' he said . It 's an `` all-out assault on the First Amendment . '' Democrats accused Republicans of going back on their pledge to find a way to add transparency to political giving after the Citizens United ruling . They argued that without the new law , special interests will run roughshod over voters ' interests . `` The Supreme Court decision was a true step backwards for this democracy , '' said Sen. Patty Murray , D-Washington . `` It allowed corporations and special interest groups to spend unlimited amounts of their money influencing our democracy and it opens the door wide for foreign corporations to spend their money on elections right here in the United States . '' Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid , D-Nevada , said the bill was `` about trust and confidence in our democracy . '' The measure `` asks us to put the people before the special interests , '' he argued . Let in `` the sunlight that disinfects our democracy . '' Sen. Olympia Snowe , R-Maine , who often votes with Democrats and who has worked on campaign finance legislation in the past , complained Democrats were resorting to `` ram and jam '' legislating in which Republicans are not invited to help craft bills and are forced to vote against measures they could have supported . `` I know it 's good for politics to have a vote , but it is n't good for policy and getting it right , '' she said . Sen. Charles Schumer , D-New York , promised that the Democratic leadership will continue to seek ways to overturn or reduce the impact of the high court 's Citizens United ruling . `` This is a sad day for our democracy , '' he said . `` This fight will continue . '' CNN 's Alan Silverleib contributed to this report .
|
NEW : Republicans accuse Democrats of an `` assault on the First Amendment '' The Senate GOP stops Democrats from ending debate on a campaign finance bill . The bill would require groups paying for ads to disclose their top donors in the ads . Democrats claim the bill is necessary to reduce the impact of a Supreme Court ruling .
|
[[1910, 1962], [30, 165], [793, 862], [816, 915]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Authorities in Rimrock , Arizona , were searching Monday for a 2-year-old boy who went missing over the weekend while camping with a family that was preparing to adopt him , a spokesman for the Yavapai County Sheriff 's Office said . Syler Newton was last seen shortly after midnight Saturday , sleeping in a tent with the family at the Beaver Creek Campgrounds . About 1:45 a.m. Sunday , the family noticed that he was missing from his sleeping bag . About 50 people , along with bloodhounds and tracking teams , have joined in the search for Syler , who was wearing only a diaper when he disappeared , according to Yavapai County Sheriff 's spokesman Dwight D'Evelyn . `` Right now , there 's no indication he was taken from the site , '' D'Evelyn said Monday evening , adding that investigators are `` looking at every possible reason that Syler is missing . '' D'Evelyn said bloodhounds normally used by the Department of Corrections to help find escaped felons picked up Syler 's scent around the campsite Monday , but failed to detect his scent outside a particular radius . Angela Godinez , the sister of the woman preparing to adopt Syler , told CNN affiliate KPHO on Monday that the family is `` preparing for the worst . '' `` We 're all really , really scared , because he 's only 20 pounds , '' she said . `` He could have been carried away easily . He could have froze last night or gotten heatstroke today . '' `` We do n't know what 's going on , and there 's a lot of possibilities , '' she added , her voice breaking . She said she fears that Syler is `` somewhere along the water . '' The campgrounds sit on the banks of the Wet Beaver Creek . `` That 's why I 'm really , really scared , because he 's always loved the water , '' she said . Godinez said her sister , identified by police as 36-year-old Christina Priem , is in the process of finalizing an adoption agreement with Syler 's biological mother . D'Evelyn said the Department of Child Services was involved in the investigation and was working to corroborate the adoption story . FBI authorities were able to make contact with the Syler 's biological mother Monday , but D'Evelyn did not know the outcome of that conversation . `` Until we speak to the biological mother , we just do n't know the full story , '' D'Evelyn said . He later added that `` there 's no evidence '' that the planned adoption played a role in his disappearance , `` but until we 've exhausted every lead , all possibilities are being investigated . ''
|
Syler Newton was wearing only a diaper when he disappeared early Sunday . He was camping with a family preparing to adopt him . Dozens of people , including teams with bloodhounds , have joined the search .
|
[[80, 96], [101, 130], [563, 570], [575, 620], [80, 96], [106, 158], [150, 158], [164, 190], [253, 265], [314, 382], [471, 530], [533, 568]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- British Prime Minister David Cameron called Gaza a `` prison camp '' on Tuesday , a blunt description from a major Western leader about the besieged Palestinian territory . Cameron made the remarks in the Turkish capital of Ankara , which he was visiting to forge a new relationship with Turkey and show his support for Turkish membership in the European Union . `` Let me also be clear that the situation in Gaza has to change . Humanitarian goods and people must flow in both directions . Gaza can not and must not be allowed to remain a prison camp , '' Cameron said , according to a transcript of the speech provided by his office . Residents of Gaza say they have suffered greatly under an Israeli goods blockade implemented since Hamas took control of the territory after elections in 2006 . But Israel says its tough measures are necessary to stop weapons from reaching Hamas militants intent on destroying Israel . Ron Prosor , Israel 's ambassador to Britain , reacted quickly to the prime minister 's remark , saying that Hamas is responsible for the misery in Gaza . `` The people of Gaza are the prisoners of the terrorist organization Hamas , '' Prosor said in a statement . `` The situation in Gaza is the direct result of Hamas ' rule and priorities . '' The ambassador also raised the issue of Gilad Shalit , the Israeli soldier taken hostage four years ago who is being held in Gaza . `` We know that the prime minister would also share our grave concerns about our own prisoner in the Gaza Strip , Gilad Shalit , who has been held hostage there for over four years , without receiving a single Red Cross visit , '' Prosor said . Cameron 's comments came in a country that once had close relations with Israel , but ties between the two nations have been strained recently over the Jewish state 's policies toward the Palestinian territory . Turkey was incensed at the May 31 Israeli commando raid against an aid flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea . Violence broke out on one of the ships in the flotilla , the Turkish Mavi Marmara , leaving nine activists -- eight Turks and a Turkish-American dual national -- dead . Cameron -- who touted Turkey 's unique ability to make peace between Israel and the Arab world -- stressed that the Israeli action was `` completely unacceptable . '' He said he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Britain expects Israel 's inquiry into the raid to be `` swift , transparent and rigorous . '' He was also optimistic that the recently frayed alliance can continue to be friendly . `` Just as Turkey is playing a pivotal role in Afghanistan , it can also do so in the Middle East . Turkey 's relationships in the region , both with Israel and the Arab world , are of incalculable value . No other country has the same potential to build understanding between Israel and the Arab world . I know that Gaza has led to real strains in Turkey 's relationship with Israel , but Turkey is a friend of Israel , and I urge Turkey , and Israel , not to give up on that friendship , '' Cameron said . He also believes Turkey can also help bring together Palestinians and Israelis as they work to meet in direct negotations . `` But as , hopefully , we move in the coming weeks to direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians , so it is Turkey that can make the case for peace and Turkey that can help press the parties to come together and point the way to a just and viable solution , '' the prime minister said .
|
Cameron wants a new partnership with Turkey . He says the `` situation in Gaza has to change '' Israel says residents of Gaza are prisoners of Hamas .
|
[[382, 388], [397, 448], [1097, 1166]]
|
Barcelona , Spain -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The deep-rooted Spanish tradition of bullfighting is under fire in Barcelona and its region of Catalonia , where the regional parliament will vote on Wednesday whether to ban the fights . If approved , Catalonia would become the first region in mainland Spain to outlaw bullfighting , and some see it as a slap in the face to the rest of the country . Enrique Guillen , 24 , laments that he might be the last Barcelona-born bullfighter to take the `` alternativa , '' or ceremonial fight in the ring against the biggest bulls to become a full-fledged matador , which he did last year at Barcelona 's sole remaining bullring , the Monumental . Guillen 's father worked at the bullring , opening the doors for bulls to charge in to face matadors and their death . `` My father brought me to see the bullfights when I still had a pacifier , '' Guillen said . `` It would be frustrating not to be able to give to my children what my parents gave to me . '' But activist Aida Gascon , of the Anti-Bullfighting Party , known as PACMA , looks beyond the tradition and sees animal cruelty . She says she 's attended just one bullfight in her life , and that was only to get a sense of the bull 's suffering , which she depicted in a painting that hangs in her living room . `` Bullfighting is part of Spanish culture , '' Gascon said . `` But that should change . Many traditions disappear as the society advances . '' The number of bullfights across Spain has dropped by one-third in recent years , due mostly to budget constraints of local governments , which often fund the spectacles . In Catalonia , there are now just over a dozen fights a year and the Monumental bullring in Barcelona is about the only place in the region that still holds fights . But Luis Corrales and his pro-bullfight group , known as PPDF , released a study predicting big economic losses for Catalonia if bullfighting is banned . This would mainly result , he says , because the Catalan government would have to pay damages to the bullfighting industry , which holds long-term operating licenses . `` When the Catalan government and the opposition are working hard to trim the budget , how could they justify making big indemnity payments to the bullfighting industry , when it 's not necessary , '' Corrales said . But critics disagree , saying the economic impact would be minimal , given the small number of fights still held in Catalonia . Either way , the Catalan parliament bullfight vote is being watched not only in Spain , but abroad , where many have a fascination with bullfighting . The proposal to ban bullfighting started as a popular initiative in Catalonia and was accepted for consideration by parliament last year by a slim margin of votes . Since then , there has been an ever-intensifying debate , with bullfighting proponents and opponents gathering support from across Spain , even from abroad . Most analysts predict that the vote on Wednesday will be very close . The two largest parties in parliament , the ruling Socialists and the opposition Catalan nationalists , or CiU , have given their members of parliament freedom to vote their conscience . Some smaller parties on the left are expected to vote for the ban while the conservative Popular Party is expected to support continuing the tradition . The ban , if approved , would take effect in January 2012 and would not end bullfighting in the rest of Spain . It still has a strong following in Madrid and in the south around Seville . Spain 's Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean already does not allow bullfighting , but a ban in Catalonia would be considered a bigger blow to the tradition . Some analysts say that Catalan nationalism , including the desire by some in the Barcelona area for independence from Spain , also is playing a role in the vote , as well as the upcoming regional elections for parliament later this year . But the main bullfighting proponents and opponents say the root issue is a clear line in the sand : tradition vs. protection of animals . The Catalan parliament vote is expected by 1 p.m. -LRB- 7 a.m. ET -RRB- Wednesday .
|
Catalonia would become the first region of mainland Spain to ban bullfights . Only one bullfight ring remains in Barcelona , with about a dozen fights a year . `` Many traditions disappear as the society advances , '' ban backer says . Economic impact would be painful , bullfight booster argues .
|
[[239, 319], [624, 633], [637, 660], [663, 679], [1619, 1631], [1634, 1679], [1684, 1758], [1393, 1444], [1422, 1444], [1445, 1447], [1789, 1830], [1849, 1910]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United States ' National Transportation Safety Board said it is sending a team to help the government of Saudi Arabia investigate the crash of a Lufthansa cargo plane in Riyadh , Saudi Arabia , on Tuesday . NTSB Chairwoman Deborah Hersman is sending a senior air safety investigator , flight operations specialists , an aircraft systems specialist and technical advisers from the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing , according to an NTSB statement . Lufthansa Cargo said the MD-11 plane was traveling from Frankfurt , Germany , when it crashed at 11:38 a.m. -LRB- 4:38 a.m. ET -RRB- . Lufthansa said a team of experts from the company was on its way to Riyadh . The plane crashed while landing at King Khalid International Airport , the official Saudi Press Agency of Saudi Arabia reported . A company statement said the plane caught fire and was extensively damaged , but the blaze was extinguished . The craft had been carrying 80 tons of cargo . Lufthansa said both pilots -- who evacuated the aircraft down the emergency slide -- were injured . They were contacted by phone and were being treated in a hospital . It was not clear what freight was on the aircraft and whether customers were affected .
|
NEW : The cargo plane crashed while landing at Riyadh airport . The NTSB is sending a team to help investigate . The plane was headed to Riyadh from Frankfurt , Germany . Two pilots were injured and were being treated at a hospital .
|
[[110, 214], [693, 761], [0, 15], [76, 101], [481, 546], [1080, 1084], [1113, 1147]]
|
Kabul , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Military officials Tuesday identified two sailors involved in a firefight in eastern Afghanistan last week that left one of them dead and the other in the hands of the Taliban . Afghan and coalition forces recovered the remains of Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin McNeley , 30 , of Wheatridge , Colorado , on Sunday , the Defense Department said . Petty Officer 3rd Class Jarod Newlove , 25 , of Renton , Washington , is listed as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown , the Pentagon said . Newlove and McNeley were travelling in Logar province when they were attacked , the military said . Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said Monday that one American died in a firefight and the other is being held by the group . Mujahid said the two Americans were driving in a civilian vehicle in the village of Dasht , in Charkh district . The Taliban wanted to take both men alive , but the firefight broke out , killing one of the Americans , Mujahid said . The other is alive and being held in a safe location , he said . Newlove 's family released a statement through the Navy asking that the media release no details of the incident or information about the family . `` The information in the wrong hands could certainly jeopardize Jerod 's safety and well being , '' Navy spokesman Sean Hughes said . `` The Newlove family and Navy appreciate as much privacy as possible during this difficult time which we all sincerely hope has a positive outcome . '' Provincial government officials confirmed McNeley 's death on Sunday . Den Mohammad Darwish , the spokesman for the governor of Logar province , said he learned from locals that the American was killed . He said the body was found in the Patanak Mountains of Charkh district . He also said the vehicle the men were driving was located Sunday . There were no immediate demands from the Taliban for the return of the Americans because the group was still deliberating what its demands would be , Mujahid said . A U.S. military official confirmed that a $ 20,000 reward was being offered for information leading to the return of the two sailors . Posters were being distributed in the region . CNN 's Atia Abawi and Barbara Starr contributed to this report .
|
NEW : Family of missing sailor asks for privacy . NEW : Remains of one sailor are found on Sunday . American sailors went missing last week in eastern Afghanistan . The Taliban says it killed one American during a firefight and is holding the other .
|
[[1334, 1422], [116, 145], [151, 216], [116, 145], [151, 216], [622, 750], [675, 707], [708, 750], [912, 925], [938, 966]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Erin Andrews , the ESPN reporter who was secretly videotaped nude in 2008 , has been receiving death threats , her attorney told CNN on Friday . Several threatening e-mails regarding Andrews have been sent to sportscaster Dan Patrick since last September , according to Marshall B. Grossman , Andrews ' attorney . `` Until very recently , -LSB- the e-mails -RSB- were of a sexual nature , but then turned violent '' last month , Grossman said . He said the e-mails received in March `` are specific , they 're violent , they identify the location and method of intended murder . '' Grossman said the existence of the threats were first revealed to Andrews on Thursday morning . The e-mails were provided to Andrews ' representatives by DirecTV , which carries the Dan Patrick Show . Patrick was formerly at ESPN . The FBI began work on the case on Thursday and believes it has identified the individual responsible for the threatening e-mails , Grossman said . Andrews is getting round-the-clock security , Grossman said . Grossman has also requested heightened security at Los Angeles ' CBS Television City , where Andrews is competing on the show , `` Dancing with the Stars . '' In March , a federal judge sentenced an Illinois man to two and a half years in prison for taping Andrews in the nude . The taping took place through a hotel-room peephole , and the video was posted on the Internet . Michael David Barrett , 49 , pleaded guilty to a federal stalking charge in December after prosecutors accused him of altering hotel peepholes so he could shoot video of Andrews while unclothed . CNN 's Sonya Hamasaki contributed to this report .
|
Lawyer : ESPN 's Erin Andrews getting death threats . FBI says it has identified person responsible for the threatening e-mails . Illinois man sentenced for secretly taping Andrews nude , posting videos online .
|
[[164, 209], [276, 332], [833, 840], [880, 961], [32, 51], [56, 92], [1201, 1209], [1212, 1320], [1375, 1417]]
|
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The September 11 , 2001 , attacks have led to an intelligence community so large and unwieldy that it 's unmanageable and inefficient -- and no one knows how much it costs , according to a two-year investigation by the Washington Post . Ahead of the publication , many in the intelligence community worried that the stories would disclose too much information about contractors and the classified tasks they handle . The Post article that appeared in Monday 's edition says its investigation uncovered `` a Top Secret America hidden from public view and lacking in thorough oversight . After nine years of unprecedented spending and growth , the result is that the system put in place to keep the United States safe is so massive that its effectiveness is impossible to determine . '' Washington Post : Top Secret America . The Post investigation found that `` 33 building complexes for top-secret intelligence work are under construction or have been built since September 2001 , '' or the equivalent of nearly three Pentagons . `` Some 1,271 government organizations and 1,931 private companies work on programs related to counterterrorism , homeland security and intelligence in about 10,000 locations across the United States , '' according to the Post , which added that an estimated 854,000 people hold top-secret security clearances . `` There has been so much growth since 9/11 that getting your arms around that -- not just for the DNI -LSB- director of national intelligence -RSB- , but for any individual , for the director of the CIA , for the secretary of defense -- is a challenge , '' Defense Secretary Robert Gates told the Post last week . `` Look , we know the intelligence community grew significantly and quickly after 9/11 , '' a senior administration official told CNN Monday . `` Some of it was inefficient . But we are looking at those inefficiencies . And remember , we have prevented attacks . '' Acting National Intelligence Director David Gompert issued a statement saying the Post 's report `` does not reflect the intelligence community we know . '' `` In recent years , we have reformed the -LRB- intelligence community -RRB- in ways that have improved the quality , quantity , regularity , and speed of our support to policymakers , warfighters , and homeland defenders , and we will continue our reform efforts , '' he said . `` We provide oversight , while also encouraging initiative . We work constantly to reduce inefficiencies and redundancies , while preserving a degree of intentional overlap among agencies to strengthen analysis , challenge conventional thinking , and eliminate single points of failure . '' The Post said its investigation was `` based on government documents and contracts , job descriptions , property records , corporate and social networking Web sites , additional records , and hundreds of interviews with intelligence , military and corporate officials and former officials , '' most of whom requested anonymity . Although officials were concerned about the content of the newspaper articles ahead of publication , what troubled them the most was `` interactive '' component of the series , which they said lists the locations where the CIA , the National Security Agency and the other agencies that make up the intelligence community have facilities . Many of those sites are not publicly known , some officials said . Officials worried about the security implications of such disclosures . As one person put it , `` these are targeted places to begin with . ... Mapping it out presents counterterrorism and counterintelligence concerns . '' The officials say there have been discussions with the Washington Post to make changes in the website . It was not immediately known what , if any , changes were made , but an interactive map available Monday morning showed more than 2,000 government work locations and nearly 7,000 for private contractors . In two communications , officials asked the Post not to publish addresses , the senior administration official said Monday . There has been talk in Washington for some time that the Post was working on an investigative series on the intelligence community . But it 's only been in recent days that the deep concern of the intelligence officials has become more apparent . The newspaper said it took steps to allay public safety concerns . `` Because of the nature of this project , we allowed government officials to see the Web site several months ago and asked them to tell us of any specific concerns . They offered none at that time , '' the Post said in a message posted on its website . `` As the project evolved , we shared the Web site 's revised capabilities . Again , we asked for specific concerns . One government body objected to certain data points on the site and explained why ; we removed those items . Another agency objected that the entire Web site could pose a national security risk but declined to offer specific comments . '' The message from the Mission Support Center of the director of national intelligence that was obtained by CNN told contractors , `` Employees should be reminded that they must neither confirm nor deny information contained in this , or any , media publication . '' It warned that foreign intelligence services , terrorist groups and `` criminal elements '' might want to use the information . `` Specifically , we recommend that companies affected by this publication and website assess and take steps to mitigate risk to their workforce , facility and mission , '' including `` re-enforcement of security and counterintelligence protections and steps to enhance workforce awareness . '' Similar messages from the military and other agencies also went out . CNN 's Pam Benson , Barbara Starr , Tom Cohen , Alan Silverleib and Ed Payne contributed to this report .
|
NEW : Acting national intelligence director insists there has been major reform . U.S. intelligence community is so big its effectiveness ca n't be measured , newspaper reports . More than 800,000 people have top-secret clearance . America 's intelligence community lacks thorough oversight .
|
[[2110, 2194], [765, 811], [1278, 1286], [1295, 1371], [447, 463], [499, 615]]
|
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The man convicted of videotaping her through a hotel peephole was sentenced to two years in prison , ESPN reporter Erin Andrews said Tuesday , but in a way , she was sentenced to a lifetime of looking over her shoulder . `` The one thing that I think is very , very sad about the whole ordeal is , he 's going to jail for a little over two years , '' said Andrews , who appeared with members of Congress on Tuesday in support of legislation to strengthen federal stalking laws . `` That video on the Internet will be there for the rest of my life . '' Someday , she said , she will need to explain the video to her future husband and children . `` These stories are not easy to talk about , '' Andrews said . `` It 's so funny . I work in the public eye . I 'm used to these cameras all the time , but it 's easier for me to talk about touchdowns and errors . ... This is not easy for me at all . '' The legislation -- Simplifying the Ambiguous Law , Keeping Everyone Reliably Safe Act , or STALKERS -- was introduced in the House last week by Reps. Loretta Sanchez , D-California , and Virginia Foxx , R-North Carolina . The `` long overdue '' bill is set for debate on the House floor Tuesday , Sanchez said . Stalking laws have not caught up with emerging technology , she said , and the bill will bring the laws into the present `` to give law enforcement the tools they need to combat stalking in the digital age . '' The legislation would cover technologies such as electronic monitoring , spyware , bugging and video surveillance , she said . A victim presently must have a `` reasonable fear of physical injury '' before a case can be prosecuted , she said , and sometimes that is too late . `` The bottom line : Stalking is about power and control , '' she said . `` It 's a violation of the worst kind , and we need to put a law in place in our justice system that helps us and gives us every available tool . '' Sen. Amy Klobuchar , D-Minnesota , said she plans to introduce a companion bill in the Senate and is procuring a Republican author . A former prosecutor , Klobuchar said that although stalking is `` one of the most invasive crimes , '' it can be difficult to prove and tricky to prosecute . She thanked Andrews for coming forward but noted , `` there are cases like this all over the country every day '' involving women who are not in the public eye . She recalled a case in Minnesota in which an online relationship soured and a man posted pictures of a woman 's children , along with their full names , addresses and telephone number , on child pornography sites , encouraging people to molest them . In March , a federal judge sentenced an Illinois man to 2 1/2 years in prison for taping Andrews in the nude through the peephole and posting the video on the Internet . Michael David Barrett , 49 , pleaded guilty to a federal stalking charge in December after prosecutors accused him of altering hotel peepholes so he could shoot video of Andrews . `` I have seen with my own eyes through firsthand experience that the laws have been taken way too lightly . They are n't clear , and they have not kept up with the technology or the time , '' Andrews said , her voice shaking at times . `` At times over the past year , I have screamed . I have cried . I have said to my family , ` Why me ? Why is this happening to me ? ' '' But , she said , she received `` countless letters -- I 'm still receiving them -- from women who say , ` Please go out and fight this . Please go out and show your face . ' ... I 'm showing my face . I 'm lending my voice . And I 'm here to give this law some teeth . '' She said her message to victims is , `` There is hope , and there is help , and if you need help , do not be ashamed to ask for it . '' The legislation increases penalties for offenses where a restraining order is in place and for offenses involving children or the elderly , lawmakers said . Currently , the federal law applies only to criminals who travel over state lines , but the new legislation will cover any conduct that criminals engage in that affects interstate commerce , Sanchez and Klobuchar said . Although most stalking cases are prosecuted at the state level , the federal law will serve as a model , they said .
|
Reporter joins lawmakers to support legislation . The man who taped Andrews was sentenced to more than two years in prison . Legislation is set for debate on the House floor Tuesday . A companion bill will be introduced in the Senate .
|
[[378, 470], [30, 66], [328, 375], [2657, 2665], [2668, 2753], [1152, 1224], [1953, 1971], [1988, 2085]]
|
Jakarta , Indonesia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A passenger plane crashed into a shallow waterway and broke in two after overshooting the runway in a remote area of Indonesia 's eastern Papua province on Tuesday , injuring 78 people on board . Bambang Ervan , a spokesman for Indonesia 's Transportation Ministry , said investigators to the airport in the coastal town of Manokwari where the Merpati Nusantara Airlines Boeing 737-300 had been attempting to land . There were reports that bad weather may have been a factor . The injured , many of whom suffered fractures , were taken to hospitals in the area . In all , the plane was carrying 103 passengers , including three children and three infants . Ervan said the aircraft bounced on the runway during landing , skidded and plunged into a nearby canal . Merpati , a cash-strapped state-owned airline which is in the process of upgrading its aging fleet , flies many of the more remote routes across Indonesia . Last year Merpati suffered two plane crashes in Papua . In July , a Merpati flight lost its front wheels as it took of from the town of Biak . A month later , another flight -- a Twin Otter aircraft -- crashed , killing 16 people on board . Air accidents are not infrequent in Papua , a mountainous area in the easternmost part of Indonesia . Two cargo planes and several smaller aircraft also crashed in the province last year . Indonesia has made efforts in recent years to improve its safety record . Last year the European Union 's Safety Commission lifted a ban on four Indonesian carriers . In Hong Kong , Tuesday , a Cathy Pacific flight from Surabaya in Indonesia made an emergency landing injuring eight people . Flight 780 from Surabaya , Indonesia , was carrying 309 passengers and 13 crew members , Cathay Pacific CEO Tony Tyler said at a news conference . Passengers and crew deplaned through the Airbus 330 's evacuation slides . The injured were taken to the territory 's Princess Margaret Hospital . Tyler said a full investigation will follow but engine trouble may have played a part in the incident . The north runway at the Hong Kong International Airport was closed for almost three hours after the emergency landing .
|
Merpati airlines jet crashes into canal after skidding on landing in Papua . Crash follows two accidents involving Merpati aircraft last year . State-owned Merpati is in process of upgrading its aging fleet . Eight hurt as Cathay Pacific flight makes emergency landing in Hong Kong .
|
[[10, 35], [39, 40], [57, 88], [696, 756], [696, 701], [771, 800], [958, 1013], [1101, 1114], [1117, 1131], [1160, 1167], [801, 808], [813, 817], [818, 899], [811, 832], [833, 899], [811, 846], [853, 899], [1555, 1567], [1580, 1679]]
|
-LRB- Rolling Stone -RRB- -- Despite a flurry of Top 10 debuts , Eminem 's `` Recovery '' sold another 116,000 copies to claim No. 1 for the seventh week , Billboard reports . Recovery now has the most weeks at No. 1 for a hip-hop album since OutKast accrued seven with 2003 's `` Speakerboxx/The Love Below . '' -LRB- Eminem was bumped from the top spot for one week when Arcade Fire released `` The Suburbs . '' -RRB- . Four new releases made it into this week 's Top Five : Kem 's `` Intimacy '' took No. 2 with 74,000 copies , while Ray LaMontagne 's `` God Willin ' & The Creek Do n't Rise '' entered at No. 3 with 64,000 copies -- 49,000 of which came from digital sales , which were aided by a $ 3.99 Amazon MP3 Store promotion . After topping this week 's U.K. album charts , Iron Maiden scored their best-ever chart performance as `` The Final Frontier '' came in at No. 4 , improving on the band 's only other Top 10 U.S. debut , 2006 's `` A Matter of Life and Death , '' which scored No. 9 . Trace Adkins ' `` Cowboy 's Back in Town '' rounded out the Top Five , and John Mellencamp 's `` No Better Than This '' entered at No. 10 . Eminem did finally relinquish the top spot on the digital songs chart as `` Love the Way You Lie '' with Rihanna fell to Lil Wayne , who nabbed his first-ever No. 1 digital song with `` Right Above It , '' which was downloaded 225,000 times last week . Album sales were up 2 percent compared to last week , which was the lowest selling week of the SoundScan era . Copyright © 2010 Rolling Stone .
|
`` Recovery '' sold another 116,000 copies to claim No. 1 for the seventh week . Recovery now has the most weeks at No. 1 for a hip-hop album since 2003 . Iron Maiden scored their best-ever chart performance at No. 4 .
|
[[65, 165], [176, 216], [176, 216]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin responded angrily on her Facebook page Friday to a verbal attack by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka where he called her a `` crazy magnet . '' `` I 'm not sure why he 's attacking my record when I 'm not the one responsible for the policies resulting in continued mass unemployment and a weak economy , '' Palin shot back . `` Among my ` crimes , ' the union boss cited the fact that I sometimes write notes on my hand -LRB- guilty as charged ! -RRB- ; that I appear on cable television every once in a while to comment on the news -LRB- it 's called the First Amendment , Rich -RRB- ; and that my common sense conservatism makes him laugh . '' Trumka released the text of the speech before he gave it on Thursday at his organization 's convention in Alaska . In it he complains that every time Democrats have proposed jobs legislation they have been blocked by `` the most politically motivated Republican minority we have ever seen -- and I really do mean ever ... Then he asks , `` What is this crazy magnet that 's pulling people to the right ? I mean , look at your former governor ... '' `` After she tied herself to John McCain and they lost , she blew off Alaska , '' he said . `` I guess she figured she 'd trade up -- shoot for a national stage . Alaska was too far from the FOX TV spotlight . I bet most of you , on a clear day , can see her hypocrisy from your house . '' Palin provided her own assessment of Trumka on her Facebook response . `` Trumka 's attempts to put himself on the side of the working man and woman would be more convincing if he were n't a career union boss who 's spent most of his life in DC , '' the statement on Palin 's Facebook page said . `` No surprise then that his priorities are n't the priorities of the average working man or woman , but of the Beltway power player . '' CNN 's Jeff Simon contributed to this report .
|
Palin responds on her Facebook page . Union boss called her a `` crazy magnet '' Palin questions whether union boss is helping the average worker .
|
[[354, 374], [1435, 1505], [1682, 1731], [118, 150], [157, 190]]
|
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Britain is facing an increasing threat from lone home-grown terrorists , especially among radicalized Muslims in the prison system , a report from a security think tank said Friday . There is the potential for a `` new wave '' of terrorism in Britain that is shifting from large-scale bombings requiring considerable amounts of training and operational support toward lone individuals carrying out attacks on a smaller scale , according to the report from the Royal United Services Institute . `` Rather than sending out trained ` cell leaders ' to conduct preparation for sophisticated operations , AQAP -LRB- al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula -RRB- and other related organizations have recently been content to send out a higher number of lone individuals -LRB- or at least lightly supported ones -RRB- whose chances of success are considerably lower , but whose number and presence raise similar public anxieties , '' the report said . `` Eventually , it is reasoned , one of them will be lucky enough to succeed in a major way against high-profile targets in Western countries . '' One trend contributing to the `` new wave '' of terrorism is the escalating rate of radicalization of Muslims in the British prison system , which the report says may produce as many as 800 `` potentially violent radicals . '' `` Jihadist radicalization is believed by the prison authorities to be taking place at a rapid rate , especially in the eight high-security institutions where most terrorist prisoners are kept , '' the report said . Prison probation officers believe that around one in ten of the 8,000 Muslim prisoners in high-security institutions in England and Wales are successfully targeted , the report said . These prisoners were not previously convicted of terrorism offenses , it said . `` The prison chaplaincy , including its Muslim adviser , told a parliamentary committee last year that the situation was becoming progressively worse , '' the report said . `` It remains to be seen how much of this ` new radicalism ' may find actual expression in violent acts or attempts at recruitment . '' The use of more lone individuals in carrying out attacks can be seen in the case of Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki , suspected in the failed bombing of a Detroit-bound passenger plane on Christmas Day last year , the report said . The U.S. Treasury Department last month designated al-Awlaki a key leader for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula , and he is believed to be hiding in Yemen . The report also cited the failed Times Square bombing May 1 in New York , to which 30-year-old Pakistani-American Faisal Shahzad has pleaded guilty . `` This new breed of jihadists have only tenuous links to any major terrorist organisation and receive little training and few resources , increasing the difficulty for the police and intelligence services in tracking and intercepting them , '' the report said .
|
Prison radicalization may produce as many as 800 new offenders , the report says . The report identifies a potential `` new wave '' of terrorism from individuals . It says the threat may also come from radicalized Muslims in prison .
|
[[1122, 1260], [1232, 1260], [1273, 1314], [36, 106], [219, 286], [1122, 1260]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Georgia family whose daughter was killed is battling to get her 9-month-old child back from state custody in New York , where her estranged husband left the baby with relatives after her slaying . Corrissa Friends , 21 , was shot to death in her apartment in the Atlanta suburb of Riverdale , Georgia , on August 11 , according to police . Her husband , Wisdom Jeffrey , is wanted in connection with her death and is now a fugitive , Riverdale Police Chief Samuel Patterson said . Patterson said he believed Casey had been returned to the family by now . But Corey Friends , the slain woman 's uncle , told HLN 's `` Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell '' that the girl , `` as far as I know , is in the state custody of New York . '' `` We are currently trying as hard as possible to get Casey back in the custody of my family , '' he said . He said the family had received an outpouring of support from friends in the Atlanta area , `` and hopefully we can catch this guy and draw some kind of closure to this crazy situation . '' Patterson said Corrissa Friends had moved several times around the Atlanta area to get away from Jeffrey , and that police had been called to the apartment about a domestic dispute the day before the killing . Officers found no evidence of violence at the apartment , and Jeffrey was not arrested . But because Jeffrey 's name was not on the lease , they told him to leave at Friends ' request , Patterson said . Early the next morning , Patterson said , Jeffrey returned to the apartment and shot Corrissa three times with a shotgun -- twice from the front , once from behind . She was able to call 911 , but died before an ambulance arrived , the chief said . He said witnesses put Jeffrey at the apartment less than five minutes before the shooting , and police recovered the shotgun used in the killing at the scene . He said he expected Casey would be back with her maternal grandparents , but , `` The wheels of justice sometimes move a little slowly from our perspective . '' `` It should have happened yesterday or the day before , '' Patterson said .
|
Corrissa Friends was shot to death August 11 . Her estranged husband is wanted in connection with the killing . `` The wheels of justice sometimes move a little slowly , '' police chief says .
|
[[218, 234], [237, 239], [242, 311], [361, 372], [382, 430], [1695, 1711], [1951, 2029]]
|
Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A coroner 's investigator dismissed online speculation that the pneumonia deaths of actress Brittany Murphy and her husband , Simon Monjack , may both have been related to viral mold inside their Los Angeles home . `` There were no indicators that it was from mold , '' Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said Monday . Murphy , 32 , and Monjack , 39 , died five months apart in the same bedroom of the home they shared with the actress ' mother , Sharon Murphy , in Hollywood Hills . The preliminary autopsy concluded that Monjack 's death May 23 was caused by acute pneumonia and severe anemia , `` just like Brittany , '' Winter said last week . Murphy died December 20 from a combination of pneumonia , an iron deficiency and multiple drug intoxication , a coroner said . The drugs involved were legal and are used to treat respiratory infections , according to an autopsy . Winter said Monjack , his mother-in-law and their lawyer all talked to him about a possible mold problem in the home during the investigation into Brittany 's death . Murphy , however , issued a statement Monday saying that she has `` never been personally asked by the Coroner or anyone from the Health Department to come and inspect my home for mold . '' Winter called that `` an absolute lie , '' but Murphy 's publicist , Roger Neal , stood by the statement , calling it `` 100 percent factual . '' The home apparently was tested by `` a well-respected company '' for dangerous mold just two months before Murphy 's death , according to Neal . `` Simon Monjack received the report and assured Brittany and Sharon Murphy that there was no mold danger and it was safe to stay in the house , '' Neal said . Monjack , a British screenwriter , married Murphy in 2007 . She was an often bubbly , free-spirited actress who appeared in films such as `` Clueless , '' `` 8 Mile , '' `` Do n't Say a Word '' and `` Girl , Interrupted . '' She also lent her voice to animated works , including the movie `` Happy Feet '' -- in which she also sang -- and a regular role on the animated TV series `` King of the Hill . ''
|
NEW : Inspection found no mold in home before Murphy 's death . Coroner 's office found `` no indicators '' of mold having a role in the two deaths . Murphy and Monjack died in the same room , five months apart . Autopsies found that pneumonia was the main factor in each death .
|
[[259, 308], [381, 406], [414, 468], [546, 680], [710, 765]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A worker was paid for 12 years without ever showing up for work at a Norfolk , Virginia , agency funded by federal , state and local money , officials say . Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim told CNN on Friday that when a new director took over at Norfolk Community Services Board recently , she was `` doing her due diligence '' when she discovered the hooky-playing employee was on the books . The director , Maureen Womack , then notified the city attorney 's office , Fraim said . Sandy Johnson , a spokeswoman for the Community Services Board , told CNN Friday that her agency could n't comment because of the ongoing investigation . On behalf of the city attorney 's office , Norfolk city spokeswoman Terry Bishirjian referred to a statement released on Wednesday that said , `` The city attorney 's office , with the approval of Womack , took appropriate steps to prevent any further payments to the employee and the employee was terminated . '' It added , `` The city attorney has undertaken a detailed investigation of the circumstances and history of this matter to determine what further personnel actions should be taken , and the board of the NCSB passed unanimous motions supporting the executive director in any further employment actions she might take on the advice of counsel . After all necessary employment actions are taken , the city attorney will turn the matter over to Norfolk 's Department of Police for further investigation . '' CNN affiliate WAVY said that the employee , a woman whose name was not released , `` earned '' somewhere between $ 300,000 and $ 480,000 , not including full benefits , from the board over the past dozen years . The Norfolk board is partially funded by the Virginia state Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services . According to the department 's website , it is one of 40 locally run community services boards that `` serve children and adults who have -- or who are at risk of -- mental illness , serious emotional disturbance , intellectual disabilities , or substance use disorders . '' The mayor said state law requires cities , towns and counties throughout Virginia to host the boards , but each city has little involvement beyond providing some of the funding for the offices . `` This is not a city employee . She does not work for the city , does not get a city check , '' Fraim said . He added that while the Norfolk City Council appoints members to the Community Services Board , the board hires its own director and is autonomous and independent . The city of Norfolk provides just under $ 4 million of the local board 's budget a year , Fraim said . Meghan McGuire , a spokeswoman for the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services , said the state pays $ 9.7 million annually and the federal government usually contributes $ 2.4 million , but this year added $ 190,000 in stimulus funds . Fraim expressed concerns about a lack of oversight at the agency . The Norfolk Community Services Board is a `` quasi-federal , state and local agency that operates independently , '' he said . `` No one really judges their performance , if you will . It 's not a good model . '' McGuire said there is some state oversight . Each board is required to commission an independent annual audit , then send a copy of that audit to the state . A state auditor then looks for red flags and prioritizes the reports by risk level , she said . `` Recent audits of Norfolk showed low risk and no need for our department to conduct our own audit , '' McGuire said . `` We do n't have an employee-employer relationship with them , but if we do find out about a situation or something that needs to be investigated ... we can investigate through our internal audit process . '' Norfolk City Councilman Barclay C. Winn commented on the situation Friday , saying , `` We could have and should have done more in this case , but I think when you get an audited financial statement at the end of the year and a clean opinion , it gives you some level of comfort . '' He added that government at all levels , including his , needs to be held accountable . `` I 'm sure the mayor and city manager will get to the bottom of it , -LSB- but -RSB- the buck stops with the city council , '' Winn said . `` If it has the word ` Norfolk ' in it , it stops with us . ... That 's OK . That 's part of the job . '' McGuire said that while the state does not have authority over personnel issues , it does have authority over policy and procedure , and when the state makes recommendations for change in those areas , `` If they do n't make changes , we can take some action . In the worst case , we can withhold some state funds . '' But that withholding of cash seems unlikely in this case . McGuire said that `` it appears CSB is working diligently to resolve this issue . '' George Pratt was the Norfolk board 's executive director for 12 years , with a short gap between his and Womack 's tenure . Even though his time in charge overlapped with the alleged shirker for about a decade , Pratt told CNN on Friday , `` I know nothing about it . I read it in the paper . '' Pratt added that no one had called him to ask about the situation and that `` whatever the investigation is , they have not informed me of any details . '' When McGuire was asked how a person who got paid for not working could have escaped detection for so long , she said she was unsure . `` We do n't know at this point how something like this can happen . We 're very concerned , '' she said . '' -LSB- We 're -RSB- working on procedure to prevent this from happening again . '' Norfolk 's newest city councilman , Tommy Smigiel , told CNN Friday that `` people want accountability . '' Smigiel said that when he recently met with a city auditor , he was told about a shelved proposal that predated him , calling for a hotline that Norfolk city workers -- and workers at Norfolk-affiliated agencies such as Community Services Board -- could call confidentially to report fraud or any other ethical issues . He said the city council has now `` technically endorsed '' the idea and is working on an ordinance to implement the plan , with the hope that such a fix `` probably would have caught something like this . ''
|
A woman who worked at a government-funded agency did n't show up for 12 years . She was paid at least $ 300,000 over that time span , Norfolk TV station WAVY says . The Community Services Board is a mental health agency with 40 Virginia locations . Recent audits of the Norfolk office had shown no problems , says a linked state agency .
|
[[1467, 1678], [3438, 3488]]
|
Goma , Democratic Republic Of The Congo -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Rwandan military and an allied rebel group massacred ethnic Hutus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the aftermath of genocide in Rwanda , says a leaked draft report commissioned by the United Nations . The report states that it is not making a definitive conclusion on whether the slayings in Congo amounted to genocide , and that a competent judiciary would have to try the cases . Commissioned by the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights , the report says `` tens of thousands '' of Hutu civilians were slaughtered with knives , bludgeoned with hammers and burned alive as the Rwandan army and the Allied Democratic Liberation Forces swept across Congo -- then called Zaire -- leading to the toppling of dictator Mobutu Sese Seko . The report , titled `` Mapping Exercise , '' documents crimes against humanity throughout the Congo between 1993 and 2003 . The Rwandan government blasted the report as `` malicious , offensive and ridiculous . '' `` It is immoral and unacceptable that the United Nations , an organization that failed outright to prevent genocide in Rwanda and the subsequent refugees crisis -LSB- and -RSB- is the direct cause for so much suffering in Congo and Rwanda , now accuses the army that stopped the genocide ... in the Democratic Republic of Congo , '' government spokesman Ben Rutsinga said in a statement . The final version of the report will be officially published Monday . Its most controversial parts are accusations against the Rwandan government of `` systematic attacks , in particular , killings and massacres perpetrated against members of the Hutu ethnic group . '' `` There is no denying that ethnic massacres were committed and that the victims were mostly Hutus from Burundi , Rwanda and Zaire , '' the report states . `` The joint mission 's preliminary opinion is that some of these alleged massacres could constitute acts of genocide . '' It adds , `` The majority of the victims were children , women , elderly people and the sick , who posed no threat to the attacking forces . '' The Rwandan government said the report 's `` extremely serious allegations '' are `` based on questionable methodology , sourcing and shockingly low standard of proof . '' `` Given the gravity of its mission , the Mapping Team 's failure to consult with Rwanda even though they found time to meet with over 200 -LSB- non-governmental -RSB- representatives is shocking and shows complete disregard for fundamental fairness , '' Rutsinga said . More than 1 million Rwandans fled to neighboring eastern Congo when the Rwandan genocide ended in 1994 -- most of them Hutu . In 1996 , Rwanda invaded Congo in pursuit of the genocide orchestrators , who were living amid hundreds of thousands of other refugees . The stated goal of Rwanda during that time was to end the refugee crisis in eastern Congo . But the United Nations report says that the Rwandan military did not discriminate between fugitives and refugees , nor did it discriminate by age or gender . `` The majority of the incidents reported indicate that the Hutus were targeted as such , with no discrimination between them , '' the report says . `` The numerous attacks against the Hutus in Zaire , who were not part of the refugees , seem to confirm that it was all Hutus , as such . '' The report says people who convinced soldiers that they were Tutsi were let go , while the Hutus were massacred . `` People who were able to persuade the aggressors that they belonged to another ethnic group were released just before the massacres , '' the report says . The report says tens of thousands of Hutus were massacred in particular areas with an intent to commit genocide . `` Even if only a part of the Hutu population in Zaire was targeted and destroyed , it could nonetheless constitute a crime of genocide , if this was the intention of the perpetrators , '' the report says . Although independent researchers have documented the crimes against humanity committed by the Rwandan government , the United Nations report is the most official and forthcoming accusation made so far . Rwanda indicated that it could withdraw from U.N. peacekeeping operations if the report is published . The country is a major contributor to the peacekeeping force in Darfur , and has sent troops to Haiti . The report is publicly humiliating for recently re-elected President Paul Kagame , who earned praise for helping heal Rwanda after the genocide . In recent years , the nation has developed dramatically , with a reputation as one of the safest , cleanest , least-corrupt and most organized countries in Africa . The fallout of the scathing report is unclear , but it is sure to have an impact . Rwanda 's reconciliation policy is governed by anti-genocide laws that human rights organizations have called intentionally vague . The laws make it virtually impossible to accuse the Rwandan government of human rights violations , crimes against humanity or war crimes . Accusing Rwanda of crimes against humanity committed in the Congo would break those laws . In April , presidential aspirant Victoire Ingabire was arrested in Kigali for saying that Hutus were killed by the Rwandan government , both in Rwanda and in neighboring Congo . Ingabire was charged with ` genocide ideology ' for those comments , and could face up to 25 years in prison . Her American lawyer was arrested on similar charges , but was later released . Col. Patrick Karegeya , who was a senior member of the Rwandan army and a key actor in the wars in the Congo before fleeing to South Africa in 2008 , said Rwanda never set out to commit genocide against the Hutu , but war crimes were committed . `` Civilians died , politicians died , '' Karegeya said earlier this month before Rwanda 's presidential election . `` They died in the Congo , they died in other places . ''
|
NEW : Rwanda slams the report as unfair and immoral . It says Hutu civilians were slashed , bludgeoned and burned alive . The majority of the victims were children , women and elderly people , it says .
|
[[947, 1033], [611, 617], [620, 643], [531, 534], [648, 706], [1616, 1693], [3454, 3480], [1976, 1983], [1987, 2068], [1986, 2068]]
|
DUBAI , United Arab Emirates -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United Arab Emirates has refused to grant a visa to a female Israeli tennis player , preventing her from competing in the Sony Ericsson World Tennis Association Tour in Dubai , the WTA said in a statement Sunday . The UAE has refused to grant a visa allowing Shahar Peer to compete in Dubai . Shahar Peer would have been the first Israeli athlete to participate in a professional sporting event in the UAE , CNN Sports correspondent Pedro Pinto said . The UAE has no diplomatic ties with Israel . Peer told CNN on Sunday evening she was `` very , very disappointed '' to be denied access to the tournament . `` Any player that qualifies should attend , and I was prevented , '' she said from Israel . `` I 'm glad the WTA support me . A red line was crossed for every athlete in the world -- politics should be kept separate from sports . '' The governing body of women 's tennis said it was `` deeply disappointed '' that Peer was being denied entry to the country hosting the tournament , but it did not cancel the competition , which began Sunday . The move runs counter to WTA policy , which says no player should be barred from competing in a tournament for which she has qualified . Dubai could lose its membership in the WTA tour next year over the ban on Peer , according to WTA rules . That would mean professional players could compete only in exhibition matches in Dubai , the results of which would not count in pro rankings . Government officials in Dubai have not responded to CNN 's request to comment over their refusal to allow Peer to compete in the event . `` Ms. Peer has earned the right to play in the tournament , and it is regrettable that the UAE is denying her this right , '' said Larry Scott , chairman and chief executive of the tour . Watch Scott express disappointment '' `` Following various consultations , the tour has decided to allow the tournament to continue to be played this week , pending further review by the tour 's board of directors . '' The patron of the Dubai Tennis Championships is Dubai 's ruler , Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Makhtoum . Two million dollars in prize money is on the line . Al-Makhtoum told CNN in 2004 that Dubai would accept Israeli students to a school dedicated to students from the Middle East who are talented at sports . In 2003 , Dubai hosted World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings , which Israeli government officials attended . The Israeli flag -- among other member states ' flags -- is still part of a globe monument in Dubai . Peer , 21 , is ranked 48th in the world among female tennis players . She was allowed to compete at the Doha tournament in Qatar last year , where she received a warm welcome , according to Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz . Qatar , another Gulf Arab state , froze diplomatic ties with Israel after Israel 's military offensive in Gaza last month . Peer downplayed the political undertones of her participation in last year 's Doha tournament , telling Haaretz that she did n't come to Qatar `` to help the politics of course . '' But she added that if her playing in the tournament `` can help for peace or anything , I 'd be really happy . '' Scott said the tour will `` review appropriate remedies for Ms. Peer '' as well as `` appropriate future actions with regard to the future of the Dubai tournament . '' Peer was advised Saturday by tournament and WTA officials of the denial of her visa while she was participating in a tournament in Pattaya , Thailand , according to a WTA statement . The Dubai Tennis Championships runs through February 28 . CNN 's Shira Medding in Jerusalem contributed to this report .
|
NEW : Shahar Peer , female Israeli tennis player , says she 's `` very , very disappointed '' United Arab Emirates refuses to grant a visa to Peer . Peer needed the visa to play in the Dubai Tennis Championships . World Tennis Association unhappy , says move runs counter to its policy .
|
[[8, 44], [48, 134], [266, 344], [1716, 1749], [295, 344], [894, 1040], [1104, 1139], [3475, 3478], [3537, 3567]]
|
-LRB- EW.com -RRB- -- Sandra Bullock will talk to Matt Lauer on Tuesday morning 's Today Show . Lauer will visit the actress in New Orleans , where she has been living with her son , Louis . Bullock 's giving the interview for the best of reasons : to help to publicize New Orlean 's Warren Easton Charter High School . She and a school board member will talk about a new on-campus health clinic , which Bullock helped fund . See the full article at EW.com . CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2010 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. . All rights reserved .
|
Sandra Bullock will talk to Matt Lauer on Tuesday morning 's Today Show . Lauer will visit the actress in New Orleans . Bullock 's giving the interview to help to publicize Warren Easton Charter High School .
|
[[0, 18], [22, 95], [96, 139], [191, 246], [249, 319]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Police in Collierville , Tennessee , are investigating the disappearance of a former professional basketball player and say `` there is a high level of concern '' in the search to find him . Lorenzen Wright , 34 , who played 13 seasons in the NBA , has not been seen or heard from since July 18 when he visited his ex-wife and their children in Collierville , near Memphis , investigators said . Collierville police spokesman Mark Heuberger told CNN that Wright 's mother reported him missing on July 22 . `` We 're taking it very , very seriously , '' Heuberger said , `` and there is a high level of concern . '' `` His mom made the report because she felt it was unusual that he did not contact his children for an extended period of time , that 's what made her prompt to contact the police , '' he added . `` This is not like him , '' Wright 's sister , Savia Archie , told CNN Tuesday . `` I have n't talked to my brother in nine days . He does n't go without talking to family . `` I 'm trying to keep my faith in the world and that he 's not in trouble and hopefully he will come home . He 's my big brother . Without him , there 's no me . '' Heuberger cautioned that there is no indication that Wright was the victim of a crime . `` A red flag has not come up yet , at least -LRB- as -RRB- of today , that suggests any harm has come to him , '' Heuberger said Tuesday . `` Our detectives have talked to a lot of people -- former coaches , players , sports agents -- and continue to follow leads given by the public , '' Heuberger said , `` and we 're working very close to the family . '' Archie , Wright 's sister , described her brother as a loving son , father and uncle . `` My sister had a baby shower last Sunday and he was supposed to come , '' she said . `` Something had to have happened . '' The 6-foot-11-inch Wright , who lives in Atlanta , was a forward/center for several teams during his professional basketball career . He played with the Los Angeles Clippers , Atlanta Hawks , Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings . He was with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2008-2009 , his last year in the NBA . Wright , who has six children , completed his degree at the University of Memphis in 2003 , according to the official NBA website . Police are asking anyone with information on his whereabouts to call 901-853-3207 .
|
Lorenzen Wright played 13 seasons in the NBA . He was last seen July 18 , in Collierville , Tennesse . Police say there is no `` red flag '' in the case but `` there is a high level of concern ''
|
[[210, 225], [237, 265], [210, 225], [289, 345], [0, 15], [139, 195], [569, 586], [589, 630], [1262, 1292]]
|
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Briton accused of hacking into U.S. government computers on Friday lost his court appeal to have his case heard in Britain , his legal team said . Briton Gary McKinnon is accused of carrying out the biggest ever U.S. military hacking operation . The decision means Gary McKinnon faces extradition to the United States , where he is wanted for allegedly hacking into computers at the Pentagon and NASA . His mother , Janis Sharp , promised to appeal . McKinnon , who has admitted breaking the law and intentionally gaining unauthorized access to computer systems , wanted to be tried in Britain rather than the United States . He planned to ask judges at the High Court in London to review a recent decision by the director of public prosecutions not to pursue legal action in Britain , a spokeswoman at the prosecutor 's office told CNN July . The prosecutor 's decision effectively cleared the way for McKinnon 's extradition . The U.S. government says McKinnon carried out the biggest military computer hacking of all time , accessing 97 computers from his home in London for a year starting in March 2001 and costing the government about $ 1 million . McKinnon , currently free on bail in England , has said he was simply doing research to find out whether the U.S. government was covering up the existence of UFOs . Prosecutors in the United States and Britain disagree . `` These were not random experiments in computer hacking , but a deliberate effort to breach U.S. defense systems at a critical time which caused well-documented damage , '' Alison Saunders of the Crown Prosecution Service said in February . `` They may have been conducted from Mr. McKinnon 's home computer -- and in that sense there is a UK link -- but the target and the damage were trans-Atlantic . '' U.S. federal prosecutors accuse McKinnon of breaking into military , NASA and civilian networks and accessing computers at the Pentagon ; Fort Benning , Georgia ; Fort Meade , Maryland ; the Earle Naval Weapons Station in Colts Neck , New Jersey ; and the Johnson Space Center in Houston , Texas , among others . In one case , McKinnon allegedly crashed computers belonging to the Military District of Washington . McKinnon is believed to have acted alone , with no known connection to any terrorist organization , said Paul McNulty , the former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia . A U.S. federal grand jury indicted McKinnon on seven counts of computer fraud and related activity . If convicted , he would face a maximum of 10 years in prison on each count and a $ 250,000 fine . McKinnon 's lawyer , Karen Todner , complained that the United States has never provided evidence to prosecutors or McKinnon 's legal team to support their extradition request -- and in fact , under Britain 's Extradition Act of 2003 , U.S. prosecutors are not required to . McKinnon has previously said it was easy for him to access the secret files . `` I did occasionally leave messages in system administrators ' machines saying , ` This is ridiculous , ' '' McKinnon has said . '' -LRB- I left -RRB- some political diatribes as well , but also a pointer to say , you know , this is ridiculous . '' McKinnon was on the brink of extradition in August 2008 , when the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg , France , refused to reconsider the decision to send him to the United States , effectively clearing the way for his transfer . Shortly after that decision , however , McKinnon was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome , and he claims that diagnosis changed the case for extradition . It was on that basis that McKinnon made his appeals in Britain . Asperger syndrome is a form of autism that affects a person 's social communication and interaction , according to Britain 's National Autistic Society . Those affected often are of above-average intelligence and have fewer problems speaking than do those with autism . They sometimes have difficulty knowing when to start or end a conversation and can be very literal in what they say , with difficulty understanding jokes , metaphors and sarcasm .
|
Gary McKinnon admits intentionally gaining access to government systems . Briton accused of carrying out biggest ever U.S. military computer hacking . He says he was researching whether U.S. was covering up existence of UFOs .
|
[[491, 501], [506, 601], [36, 96], [187, 285], [187, 207], [219, 285], [340, 350], [360, 442], [969, 1064], [1195, 1203], [1242, 1359]]
|
Los Angeles , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A man `` holding 2 big knifes '' was captured by police after trying to break into Paris Hilton 's Los Angeles , California , home Tuesday morning , Hilton said in a Twitter posting . Police responded to a 911 call that someone was breaking into Hilton 's Sherman Oaks home at 6:42 a.m. , Los Angeles Police spokesman Gregory Beak said . Hilton was sleeping early Tuesday when a man with two kitchen knives attempted to enter her home , her publicist said . `` The security cameras and alarm system were alerted and the police immediately came to the house and arrested the intruder who was attempting to break a window when they arrived , '' Dawn Miller said . The police spokesman and Hilton 's publicist said no one was injured . `` Paris is naturally shaken by the events but is unharmed and well , '' Miller said . `` She is very thankful to her security team and the police for their swift and diligent response . '' Hilton alerted fans in a message posted on her Twitter account : . `` So Scary , just got woken up to a guy trying to break into my house holding 2 big knifes . Cops are here arresting him . '' A man taken into custody near the home was `` awaiting charges '' Tuesday morning , Baek said . No one was injured , he said . CNN 's Jack Hannah contributed to this report .
|
NEW : Man was trying to break window when police arrived , Hilton 's publicist says . Hilton tweeted : `` So Scary '' LAPD officers quickly arrested a suspect . The suspect is `` awaiting charges , '' police say .
|
[[481, 501], [560, 570], [605, 663], [605, 626], [631, 681], [193, 227], [967, 999], [990, 1029], [560, 570], [605, 663], [1161, 1242]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The mother of a 4-year-old girl snatched from the front yard of her small-town Missouri home tried to chase after her daughter 's abductor , a neighbor said Tuesday . Alisa Maier was kidnapped Monday evening in Louisiana , Missouri , while she was playing with her brother , police there said . Appearing at a news conference Tuesday morning , grandfather Roy Harrison told reporters , `` I want this baby back . '' `` Please , anybody , if you know anything , call this guy back here , '' he said , pointing to Louisiana Police Chief Richard Hughes . `` Call the FBI . Call whoever you need to call . '' Anita McKlevis , who lives across the street from the family , said Alisa 's mother was `` just beside herself '' and tried to pursue the man who abducted the girl . `` She jumped up and went across the street , got into her van and took off , '' McKlevis told HLN 's `` Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell . '' She said the children were regularly supervised by parents or grandparents while playing outside : `` I never seen this little girl without her parents , '' McKlevis added . Louisiana is about 80 miles north of St. Louis . Michael Kaste , an agent from the FBI 's St. Louis office , said between 75 and 100 law enforcement officers -- including about 30 FBI agents -- and about 50 volunteers were taking part in the search . Investigators are also questioning known sex offenders about the girl 's abduction , he said . `` We 're going to interview anybody we think could be involved in this , '' Kaste said . Alisa was wearing a white T-shirt and denim shorts when she was taken . Hughes said investigators in Louisiana , about 80 miles north of St. Louis , have no indication that her kidnapping was anything other than a random abduction . Police are examining surveillance video from local businesses in hopes of finding some sign of the abductor , a man of indeterminate age who drove off in a dark-colored sedan with front-end damage , Hughes said . The town of about 4,000 is located just across the Mississippi River from Illinois , where state and county authorities are also involved in the search , he said . `` Ultimately , our goal is to bring her back here to her family , '' Hughes said . Harrison called her `` a really good girl , always smiling , happy-go-lucky . We really appreciate everybody getting together to try to help us find her . ''
|
Alisa Maier was taken while in her front yard , playing with her brother . Grandfather : `` I want this baby back '' Neighbor says mom tried to pursue abductor . Search area extends into neighboring parts of Illinois .
|
[[33, 111], [259, 291], [363, 402], [408, 431], [0, 15], [112, 157], [624, 638], [687, 765], [624, 638], [742, 789]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Since the time of Nicolaus Copernicus five centuries ago , people have wondered whether there are other planets like Earth in the universe . Today scientists are closer than ever to an answer -- and it appears to be that the Milky Way galaxy is rich in Earth-sized planets , according to astronomer Dimitar Sasselov . Drawing on new findings from a NASA telescope , he told the TED Global conference in Oxford , England earlier this month that nearly 150 Earth-sized planets have been detected so far . He estimated that the overall number of planets in the galaxy with `` similar conditions to the conditions that we experience here on Earth is pretty staggering . It 's about 100 million such planets . '' A Bulgarian-born scientist with Ph.D. s in astronomy and physics , Sasselov is a professor of astronomy and director of the Harvard Origins of Life Initiative , which brings together scientists from many disciplines to explore how life began . He titled his talk at the Oxford conference : `` On Completing the Copernican Revolution . '' Until technology was developed to detect planets outside the solar system 15 years ago , scientists were only able to speculate about the existence of Earth-like planets . The new technology paid off in the discovery of some 500 planets . The disappointing fact though was that very few of the newly identified planets were the size of Earth . `` There was of course an explanation for it . We only see the big planets . So that 's why most of those planets are really in the category of ` like Jupiter , ' '' he said . Read more about Dimitar Sasselov on TED.com . There was no indication that these large planets were suitable for life to begin . `` We were still back where Copernicus was . We did n't have any evidence whether planets like the Earth are out there , '' Sasselov said . `` And we do care about planets like the Earth because by now we understood that life as a chemical system really needs a smaller planet with water and with rocks and with a lot of complex chemistry to originate , to emerge , to survive . And we did n't have the evidence for that . '' In March 2009 , NASA launched Kepler , a telescope-carrying satellite that can detect the dimming of light caused by a planet orbiting around a star . `` All the stars for Kepler are just points of light , '' Sasselov said . `` But we learn a lot from that , not only that there is a planet there , but we also learn its size . How much of the light is being dimmed depends on how big the planet is . We learn about its orbit , the period of its orbit and so on . '' The discovery of many potential planets means `` we can go and study them -- remotely , of course -- with all the techniques that we already have tested in the past five years . We can find what they 're made of , would their atmospheres have water , carbon dioxide , methane . '' At the same time , Sasselov believes , scientists can make progress in the laboratory on better understanding how chemicals can produce life . `` And in one of our labs , Jack Szostak 's labs , it was a series of experiments in the last four years that showed that the environments -- which are very common on planets , on certain types of planets like the Earth -- where you have some liquid water and some clays , you actually end up with naturally available molecules which spontaneously form bubbles . But those bubbles have membranes very similar to the membrane of every cell of every living thing on Earth . ... . And they really help molecules , like nucleic acids , like RNA and DNA , stay inside , develop , change , divide and do some of the processes that we call life . '' Copernicus is famous for the then-revolutionary idea that the Earth orbits the sun rather than that the universe is centered around Earth . But Sasselov pointed out that with the Copernican revolution came a humbling sense of mankind 's insignificance in the universe . `` You 've all learned that in school -- how small the Earth is compared to the immense universe . And the bigger the telescope , the bigger that universe becomes . ... So in space , the Earth is very small . To demonstrate the minuteness of life on Earth , Sasselov took off his tie . `` Can you imagine how small it is ? Let me try it . OK , let 's say this is the size of the observable universe , with all the galaxies , with all the stars . Do you know what the size of life in this necktie will be ? `` It will be the size of a single , small atom . It is unimaginably small . ... But that 's not the whole story , you see . '' The other dimension of life on Earth is time -- and life has existed for a good portion , nearly a third , of the time the universe is believed to have existed , Sasselov said . `` This is not insignificant . This is very significant . So life might be insignificant in size , but it is not insignificant in time . Life and the universe compare to each other like a child and a parent , parent and offspring . `` So what does this tell us ? This tells us that that insignificance paradigm that we somehow got to learn from the Copernican principle , it 's all wrong . There is immense , powerful , potential in life in this universe -- especially now that we know that places like the Earth are common . And that potential , that powerful potential , is also our potential , of you and me . `` And if we are to be stewards of our planet Earth and its biosphere , we better understand the cosmic significance and do something about it . And the good news is we can actually indeed do it . ''
|
Dimitar Sasselov : Earth-sized planets are plentiful in the galaxy . He says planets of such size are suited for the chemical processes that can produce life . Sasselov says biologists are finding clues to origin of life in laboratories . He says Earth life is notably old , representing nearly a third of age of universe .
|
[[218, 291], [218, 220], [229, 336], [5234, 5281]]
|
New Orleans , Louisiana -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A towing vessel struck an oil well in the Barataria Waterway off the southeastern Louisiana coast on Tuesday , causing the well to emit oil and natural gas into Barataria Bay , the Coast Guard said in a news release . Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen , the government 's point man for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico , said there was a sheen around the platform , and vapor that 's probably a combination of gas and water was emanating from the well , called C-117 . Kyle Plotkin , a spokesman for Gov. Bobby Jindal , described the well as `` orphaned . '' He said it had been owned by Cedyco Corp. of Houston but was declared abandoned by the state in November 2008 . Plotkin said the state does not own the well and added that the designation does not absolve Cedyco of responsibility for the well . The tug vessel Pere Ana C was pushing the dredge barge Captain Buford Berry when it hit the wellhead , the Coast Guard said . Jindal and Coast Guard Rear Adm. Paul Zukunft , the federal on-scene coordinator for the Gulf spill , and other officials surveyed the damage by helicopter , according to a statement from the governor 's office . `` The Coast Guard 's overflight this morning confirmed the pipeline/well-head is discharging a mist of orange and brown oil about 100 feet in air , '' Jindal said . `` This is the same thing we viewed on our flight to the well today . The Coast Guard does not have a specific flow rate for the well determined yet , although there have been early reports that there is natural gas and mud mixed in with oil coming from the well . '' Jefferson Parish Councilman Chris Roberts said that while oil was gushing from the well in 6 feet of water , it was too dangerous to get close enough to estimate how much oil was leaking out . However , Roberts said he does n't `` expect it is going to be a huge problem to contain it or cap '' the leak , because `` it is n't uncommon . '' `` Until we know the condition of it , the quickness of plugging the well is uncertain , '' said Capt. Ed Cubanski , chief of incident management for the Coast Guard 's Eighth District in New Orleans . The Coast Guard has tapped the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund , which the federal government makes available for natural resource damage assessments . Environmental Safety and Health personnel were on the scene to clean up , as well as the Coast Guard Gulf Strike Team from Mobile , Alabama . Allen said response crews were able to take advantage of the `` significant resources '' -- vessels of opportunity , skimming equipment and boom -- already in the area to work on the Gulf oil spill . He said C-117 was surrounded by boom . `` The Coast Guard is also beginning oil spill response actions at the site -- deploying hard and sorbent boom both north and south of the oil release , '' Jindal said . `` Air assets have also been deployed to ensure response personnel are not working in a flammable atmosphere . Once the leak source is secured , the Coast Guard will ramp up their skimming operations to collect free-floating oil . `` We know this well is close to important marshes in the Barataria Bay area , so it is important that this well is cut off quickly and the oil is contained and removed , '' he said . A safety zone has been established 2 miles around the site to protect vessels and mariners from the hazards associated with the release , the Coast Guard said . The Coast Guard is investigating the incident , which happened about 1 a.m. Tuesday . CNN 's Vivian Kuo , Erin Lowry , MaryLynn Ryan and Tristan Smith contributed to this report .
|
NEW : Spokesman for Louisiana governor says the well was abandoned , declared `` orphaned '' A tug struck an oil well while dragging a barge in Barataria Waterway . The incident caused the well to release oil and natural gas . Response crews are taking advantage of `` significant resources '' already in the area .
|
[[517, 529], [568, 603], [0, 11], [59, 103], [852, 952], [0, 39], [154, 217], [2461, 2605]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In less than a month , Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center in Florida plans to host `` Burn a Quran Day '' to mark the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks . The pastor , author of the book `` Islam is of the Devil , '' is using the burning to urge American Christians to `` stand up '' to what he describes as a monolithic Muslim threat . A Facebook page for the event has accrued thousands of `` likes '' and Jones has said people have been mailing him Qurans to burn . As a Muslim scholar , an adherent of one of the Abrahamic faiths -- Judaism , Christianity and Islam -- and as someone committed to interfaith understanding , I urge Jones to cancel this event . Not only are the actions of Jones contrary to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ , but they are also against the ideals of the American Founding Fathers . The planned burning has already caused alarm in the Muslim world , with the pre-eminent Sunni university , Al-Azhar in Cairo , Egypt , condemning it as `` stirring up hate and discrimination . '' At a recent dinner in Washington , a host for one of Pakistan 's top TV channels confided in me that he `` did n't dare '' report the story because if he did , `` not a single American would be safe in Pakistan . '' He and the cameraman were quivering with anger as they asked me to explain why Americans hated Islam . I tried my best to explain this was not the case , but Jones ' burning will have great symbolic significance to a Muslim world already feeling under attack by the United States . It will cause undue harm to U.S. relations with the Muslim world and particularly the war effort . Gen. David Petraeus , the head of American forces in Afghanistan , has repeatedly expressed the need for winning the `` hearts and minds '' of local people by treating them with dignity and respect . When Afghans see that their holy book is being burned , it will cause riots and attacks that will put U.S. troops further at risk . There will be similar riots and attacks in neighboring Pakistan and Iran . It will inflame the entire Muslim world and fuel acts of terrorism . It could also inflame anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States , especially in the context of the anger over the proposed Islamic center near ground zero in Lower Manhattan . Many American Muslims will feel as if they are second-class citizens and it could push some angry young men toward violence . On my recent fieldwork trip to 100 mosques in 75 American cities with a team of American researchers for the book `` Journey into America : The Challenge of Islam , '' we documented that many mosques had been attacked , sometimes bombed . In May , not far from Jones ' church in Gainesville , a pipe bomb exploded in a mosque in Jacksonville . As objectionable as the prospect of Jones ' Quran burning is , it may not cease with the holy book of the Muslims . I have always maintained that this kind of vitriolic hatred of one religion is a descent on a slippery slope , as no one can say who will be next . I was not surprised , therefore , when I heard Jones recently agree , when asked to do so in an internet podcast interview , to burn `` a couple of copies of the Talmud '' too . Not only does the burning of holy texts reflect the darkest days of medieval Europe and Nazi Germany , but it is hard to think of anything more un-American , by the definition of the Founding Fathers themselves . George Washington welcomed the Jews to America as the `` stock of Abraham '' while John Adams showed the utmost respect for Islam , naming the Prophet Mohammed as one of the greatest truth seekers in history . Benjamin Franklin called him a model of compassion . The Founding Fathers read and honored the same Quran that Jones is now seeking to burn . Thomas Jefferson kept the same Quran in his personal collection and it informed his decision to host the first presidential iftaar during Ramadan . The Founding Fathers were also inspired by Christian thinkers like John Locke , who declared that the true Christian 's duty was to `` practice charity , meekness , and good-will in general toward all mankind , even to those that are not Christians . '' I consulted many distinguished Abrahamic friends for this article , all concerned with the drift toward intolerance exemplified by Jones ' threat , who were happy to endorse this article 's content and language . They include the Episcopal bishop of Washington , the Right Rev. John Chane ; Senior Rabbi Bruce Lustig of the Washington Hebrew Congregation ; Imam Mohamed Magid , executive director of the ADAMS Center in Northern Virginia ; Pastor Dr. Robert Norris of Palm Beach , Florida 's , Royal Poinciana Chapel and member of the Presbytery of Tropical Florida ; the Rev. Carol Flett of the Washington National Cathedral , the Rev. Dr. Clark Lobenstine of the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington ; Sister Maureen Fiedler , Sister of Loretto and host of Interfaith Voices , and too many others to name . At the core of the Abrahamic faiths , these esteemed figures represent the need to show compassion and understanding of others . By threatening to burn the holy books of two of these faiths , the Quran and the Talmud , Jones is violating the basic tenants of all the Abrahamic faiths and doing something that is unacceptable by any standard of religion . As an adherent of one of these faiths , Islam , and one who respects the other faiths , I implore Jones as a Christian and an American to cancel his burning event , follow the true teachings of Jesus by loving his neighbor , and engage in respectful dialogue instead . The opinions in this commentary are solely those of Akbar Ahmed .
|
Akbar Ahmed : Pastor Jones of Dove World Outreach Center plans `` Burn a Quran Day '' Ahmed says 9/11 event will inflame Muslim world , put Americans at risk . Plan recalls Dark Ages and Nazi Germany , is un-American , he says , violates Christianity . Founding Fathers read and honored the Quran , Ahmed writes .
|
[[42, 194], [863, 927], [1557, 1655], [1926, 1943], [1949, 1987], [2063, 2131], [5228, 5233], [5297, 5363]]
|
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Military officials from NATO and its 28 member states descended on Washington last week for a series of discussions about rethinking how the alliance should transform itself in an era when its scope has expanded beyond traditional Cold War boundaries . The seminar was hosted by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright , who is chairing a group of experts appointed by the NATO secretary-general to recommend a new `` Strategic Concept '' for the alliance , governing how it perceives and responds to threats . The group heard from some pretty heavy hitters : U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , and NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen , all of whom aptly acknowledged the alliance is facing a new strategic landscape with new enemies , ideologies and battle tactics that threaten its collective security . Transnational terrorism . Proliferation . Cybersecurity . Climate change . None of these threats were on the table 61 years ago when the NATO Charter was founded . `` Security '' no longer means merely fighting the enemy on a European battlefield . Today it also means fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan , battling pirates off the coast of Somalia , and combating cybersoldiers seeking to wreak havoc on world economies . Afghanistan is the largest example of NATO undertaking such an `` out of area '' mission , an operation beyond the borders of its member states . Here the track record is mixed : Although NATO did assume control of the International Security Assistance Force in 2003 , the U.S. has continued to complain that some European members are not pulling their weight by providing enough military support for the mission . The recent fall of the Dutch government over its NATO troop commitments shows what a tough sell this is . Many Europeans are war-weary after suffering casualties and in some cases are more concerned about homegrown terrorism than about the war in Afghanistan . The U.S. has argued that a failure by NATO to provide enough troops for the mission in Afghanistan would call into question the alliance 's ability to tackle post-Cold War security challenges . Yet this soul-searching comes in a time of financial and budget constraints for all member countries . And the widening of NATO 's scope to respond to challenges like terrorism , nuclear proliferation , piracy and cyberwarfare requires new capabilities , which means even more resources . Since the end of the Cold War , NATO has forged new partnerships which can help it share this new burden . In addition to the 50-nation Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and the Partnership for Peace , where the alliance cooperates with countries in its own neighborhood , NATO is developing relationships with countries in the Mediterranean and broader Middle East . And it is also strengthening ties with countries in Asia , like Japan and South Korea . The rise of India and China also has NATO thinking about partnerships with those countries . NATO 's growing , though often uneasy , relationship with Russia could benefit its widening worldview . Although the original tenets of NATO 's mission -- defending member nations , strengthening trans-Atlantic ties , and fostering European integration -- still apply , Clinton said , shared threats such as terrorism and proliferation could foster even greater cooperation with Russia . As NATO seeks to combat threats beyond its borders , the hope is that Russian concerns about a missile defense shield could be eased within this new framework of `` shared security '' against countries like Iran and North Korea . This re-examination will call into question the invoking of Article 5 of the NATO Charter , which states that an attack on one member is an attack on all members . The alliance invoked it for the first and only time after 9/11 -- declaring the attacks on New York and Washington an attack against the entire alliance -- and all NATO countries contributed in some way to the initial U.S. invasion of Afghanistan . And as the alliance redefines the nature of security , it is also redefining the nature of an attack . A few years ago Estonia , a NATO ally , suffered a sustained cyberattack that shut down many of the country 's essential services . NATO was called upon to help , and now has a cyberteam that can deploy to support any NATO ally engaged in cyberwarfare . But despite the importance -- and even the necessity -- of NATO 's `` Strategic Concept , '' its immediate future will be determined by the outcome of the war in Afghanistan . Failure could cause NATO members to be skittish about these new `` out-of-area '' missions , which will more and more mean confronting the enemy on its own turf .
|
NATO officials rethink the alliance 's role in a world of terrorists and cyberwarfare . Founded 61 years ago , NATO dealt with Cold War era threats for most of those years . Afghanistan war is NATO 's largest `` out of area '' mission to date . NATO could benefit from its growing , but still uneasy , relationship with Russia .
|
[[2295, 2414], [1318, 1406]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A judge dismissed charges against polygamist leader Warren Jeffs on Wednesday after the Mohave County , Arizona , prosecutor requested they be thrown out , citing `` much more serious charges '' against Jeffs in Texas and the desire of his alleged victims that he `` face these more serious charges as soon as possible . '' Jeffs , the leader and `` prophet '' of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , had been awaiting trial in Arizona on four charges of being an accomplice to sexual conduct with a minor . He was indicted in Texas in 2008 on a felony charge of sexual assault of a child . The indictment accuses Jeffs of assaulting a child `` younger than 17 years of age and not legally married to the defendant '' in January 2005 . The FLDS first became known to many when Jeffs was arrested during a routine traffic stop in August 2006 . At the time , Jeffs was on the FBI 's Ten Most Wanted list . The FLDS is a 10,000-member offshoot of the mainstream Mormon church . Its members openly practice polygamy at the Yearning for Zion Ranch in Eldorado , Texas , and in two towns straddling the Utah-Arizona state line : Hildale , Utah , and Colorado City , Arizona . Critics of the sect say young girls are forced into `` spiritual '' marriages with older men and are sexually abused . Sect members have denied that any sexual abuse takes place . Before being moved to Arizona , Jeffs was convicted in Utah in 2007 on two counts of being an accomplice to rape . He was accused of using his religious influence over his followers to coerce a 14-year-old girl into marrying her 19-year-old cousin . He was sentenced to two consecutive prison terms of five years to life . If convicted on the Texas charges , Jeffs could face a maximum penalty of five to 99 years or life in prison and a fine of $ 10,000 .
|
Polygamist leader 's alleged victims want him to face `` more serious charges '' in Texas . Jeffs faces a felony charge of sexual assault of a child in Texas . He is leader of FLDS , a Mormon church offshoot that openly practices polygamy . He was convicted of being an accomplice to rape in Utah in 2007 .
|
[[175, 274], [255, 317], [280, 282], [286, 339], [555, 637], [1022, 1109], [1397, 1511], [1429, 1434], [1479, 1511]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The identities of two women involved in a horrific car crash in Arizona last week were mixed up , with one family receiving news that their daughter had died when in fact she was undergoing treatment for her injuries while another family kept watch at her side for six days . Officials with St. Joseph 's Medical Center and the Arizona Department of Public Safety apologized for the mistake Monday , saying they were `` acting on the best information '' available at the time of notification . Marlena Cantu , 21 , was killed in the crash July 18 when the SUV in which she was riding blew a tire and rolled several times . Four others were in the vehicle : a male driver and male occupant , and two other female occupants -- one of whom was 19-year-old Abby Guerra , described by friends and family as Cantu 's best friend . The five young people were driving back to Phoenix from a trip to Disneyland in California . `` As doctors struggled to save this patient 's life , we could not readily tell the patient 's identification , '' Suzanne Pfister , vice president for external affairs at St. Joseph 's , told a news conference Monday . `` We interviewed family members that evening and asked for any discernible information that could help us make that positive identification , '' such as bone breaks , scars or other marks . `` From the information that was provided us on that evening , we believed the patient was Marlena Cantu , '' Pfister said . `` DPS communicated that information to the family . '' Guerra 's family , meanwhile , was told she was dead . Pfister said the mix-up was revealed Saturday when the medical examiner compared dental records and determined the patient -- whom the Cantu family had been praying for at her bedside as she underwent multiple surgeries -- to be Guerra . `` We know this is an extraordinarily challenging situation and our hearts and our prayers go out to both families , '' Pfister said . Sgt. Kevin Wood , a spokesman for DPS , described a `` chaotic situation '' in the emergency room the night of the wreck as the hospital received all four trauma patients from the collision scene . At least one person had been ejected from the SUV . '' -LRB- Authorities -RRB- tried for quite some time -- something close to five hours -- to figure out who this one female patient was , '' Wood said , emphasizing it was not a determination that was made within a matter of minutes . Pfister said the injuries to Guerra were so severe that she was unrecognizable to family and friends . She said the hospital , which treats about 3,000 trauma patients a year , does not conduct fingerprinting or take dental impressions in an emergency situation `` because the overwhelming emphasis is on saving the patient 's life . '' Nancy Colon , a friend of the Cantus , told HLN 's `` Prime News '' Monday night that the family is `` heartbroken . '' Colon said the family was taken into a room at the hospital on Saturday and told that the dental records taken from the female victim at the morgue did not match Guerra 's . They were then questioned about the number of Marlena Cantu 's ear piercings , her molars and past surgeries . Cantu had her appendix removed in elementary school , Colon said the hospital officials were told . `` They checked the girl in the ICU and she did n't have a scar , '' she said . The family was then told , `` I 'm sorry , but that 's not your daughter , '' according to Colon . Pfister declined to provide information about Guerra 's condition Monday , citing the family 's request . `` Our focus is on healing Abby , '' she said . The tragic mix-up is similar to another incident in 2006 . The family of 22-year-old Laura VanRyn spent five weeks at the bedside of a woman they believed to be her daughter as she struggled to recover from injuries sustained in a car wreck that killed five others . When she awoke from a coma and was asked her name , she replied , `` Whitney Cerak , '' an 18-year-old who was believed to have been among those killed in the wreck . The two women had blond hair and similar body types .
|
The identities of two women in a deadly car wreck were mixed up . 19-year-old Abby Guerra 's family was told she was dead . Family of Marlena Cantu kept watch at what they thought was their daughter 's bedside . Hospital and public safety officials apologized for the mix-up Monday .
|
[[37, 90], [122, 189], [148, 235], [1474, 1526], [1570, 1584], [242, 294], [1412, 1453], [295, 409], [426, 430]]
|
-LRB- Oprah.com -RRB- -- A recent British study found that the longer couples are married , the less they have to say to each other over the course of an hour-long meal . In other words , the social scientists assigned data to one of my greatest fears : that my husband and I will become the couple in the restaurant eating together , but not saying a word to each other except , `` Pass the salt . '' 6 friends every mom needs . How bad does it get ? Listen to these numbers : Couples who are dating chat for 50 minutes out of the hour . Presumably , breathing , eating and imbibing take up the remaining 10 minutes . Immediately after marriage , the downward trend kicks in , with the time spent talking dropping to 40 minutes per hour . Twenty years into marriage , the average couple talks for 21 minutes of the hour ; 30 years in , conversation takes up 16 minutes . And by 50 years of marital bliss , the average couple converses for three minutes in an hour ! That 's 150 words or less in an entire meal ! I 'm guessing `` Are you still breathing ? '' takes up most of the conversation time . Oprah.com : Unexpected benefits of giving your relationship a cleanup . No wonder Al and Tipper Gore are going their separate ways after 40 years ; they only have about five minutes of conversation a day ! Who would n't want to go back to the chatty days of dating ? And , to do that , apparently , you have to be dating , so time to ditch the spouse . Oprah.com : Is your marriage good-enough ? 10 questions to ask . I , on the other hand , would like to stay married -- but not in silence . After absorbing the findings in the British study , I took a long look at how much conversation my husband of 17 years and I engage in during a typical weeknight dinner , on the rare night when we have dinner together . If you take away the discussion about youth sports logistics , homework plans , trips to the vet and what to add to the grocery list , we are pretty much down to `` Pass the salt . '' Yes , we are the couple in the restaurant even when we are sitting in our home . Oprah.com : The 5-point marriage checklist . Time to reverse the trend , I 've decided . I 've made a list of interests to cultivate over the next 20 years , so my husband and I do n't run out of the little conversation we have left when the kids leave the house and we are stuck with each other . Sports . I picked sports over politics because it still has the same intrigue and passion but not the potential to lead to fights and hurt feelings . And , there are so many sports and only two real political parties , so the variety of topics is greater . I 'm researching esoteric sports like archery and skeeball to throw into the mix during the NFL off-season . Oprah.com : The woman 's guide to understanding football . Food . I have resisted becoming one of those annoying foodies who question the `` origin '' of their vegetables at every meal , but now I am rethinking my position . If talking about field greens will save my marriage , I 'm willing to indulge . Historical Reenactments . We had a house guest last year that participated in historical reenactments of Civil War battles . Seriously , this lovely man never stopped talking the entire weekend about his alter ego , a Union foot soldier . I 'm not really that into the Civil War , but again , if assuming the identity of a battlefield nurse in 1862 will keep my husband and I conversing , I 'll give it a go . Oprah.com : Beware of these marriage traps ! Lian Dolan is a writer and talk show host . She writes and talks about her adventures in modern motherhood for her website , ChaosChronicles.com , and her weekly podcast , `` The Chaos Chronicles . '' 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 .
|
Writer tries to figure out what she and husband can talk about . Recent British study : the longer couples are married , the less they talk . Couples who are dating chat for 50 minutes out of the hour , according to the study . By 50 years of marriage , the average couple converses for three minutes in an hour .
|
[[0, 21], [25, 33], [48, 170], [476, 485], [490, 538], [0, 21], [25, 33], [48, 170], [907, 1010], [1248, 1303]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- In South Korea , the launch of `` StarCraft II : Wings of Liberty '' is more than just a follow-up to one of the PC industry 's top-selling games -- it could shake up what many see as the North Asian country 's national sport . In high-tech South Korea -- which has one of the highest broadband penetration rates in the world -- the StarCraft video game series has spawned devotion more akin to professional sports teams . Indeed , video game players there can get lucractive contracts from professional teams with corporate sponsorships . Games of large tournaments are broadcast live on television in South Korea . `` In Korea , a lot of factors came together to make it a big thing , '' professional gamer Greg Fields told CNN 's Kristie Lu Stout . The first StarCraft game , produced by Blizzard Entertainment in Irvine , California , came out in 1998 when the South Korean economy was melting down during the Asian Financial Crisis . `` It was in the middle of an economic recession and -LRB- StarCraft -RRB- was easy , cheap entertainment . It really took over and just captivated a nation , '' said Fields , a 20-year-old New Jersey native recruited two years ago to play StarCraft for the South Korean team CJ Entus . In a nod to the game 's popularity in South Korea , Blizzard first announced plans for StarCraft II at the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational in Seoul in May 2007 . About 90 percent of South Korean households are connected to high-speed broadband and the nation has some 25,000 internet cafes , which took in $ 600 million last year , according to government figures . The gaming market is expected to be worth $ 5.5 billion this year with a 17 percent growth rate , according to the Korea Creative Content Agency -LRB- KOCCA -RRB- . StarCraft II was first released Tuesday in South Korea and other Asian nations . The original game sold about 11 million copies worldwide . While gamers in South Korea are lining up to get copies of the new title , StarCraft II could be a game changer in the country 's professional circuit , Fields said . `` In StarCraft II , the leagues are n't established yet , they 're all building up -- it 's going to be huge , but we do n't know how long it will take , how huge it will be , whether -LRB- existing teams -RRB- will be good at the game or not , '' Fields said . CNN 's Kristie Lu Stout contributed to this report .
|
In South Korea , StarCraft is considered by many as a national sport . Professional players are recruited around the world for Korean teams . StarCraft II could be a game changer for existing South Korean teams .
|
[[165, 246], [1916, 1943], [1991, 2066]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Yasuní is both a place and a metaphor . The place is a UNESCO Biopshere Reserve in the Ecuadorian Amazon where two indigenous communities , the Tagaeri and the Taromenane , live in voluntary isolation . Below the biosphere lie the oil fields Isphingo , Tambococha and Tiputini , abbreviated to ITT . Yasuní the metaphor is the initiative for paying to keep that oil underground and leave the biological and cultural diversity undisturbed . Upon learning of just these bare-bone facts , I realized that I have been thinking about the economics of the Yasuní-ITT Initiative for most of my professional career , long before I knew where Yasuní is and what it would mean for humanity . In March 2009 I signed a contract with the United Nations Development Program -LRB- UNDP -RRB- to work out the economics of the Initiative . Three questions loomed large in the global context of climate change . Why should the international community pay anyone for essentially doing nothing ? What should they pay ? How would they pay it ? Before answering , I wrestled with the language . Because everything changes , I preferred `` climate fluctuations '' and `` transformation '' to `` climate change . '' Similarly , `` sink '' is a more precise term than `` atmosphere '' for describing the destination of carbon dioxide . Synthesizing the physics with the economics , I wrote `` The Economics of the Yasuní Initiative : Climate Change as if Thermodynamics Mattered '' . In economics , the sink is also a commons , and climate transformation becomes a question of scale . Any one country can pursue a dirty industrialization without much worry ; but when all countries do so , a `` tragedy of the commons '' ensues . Alarmingly , emissions have risen significantly since 1990 when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued its first assessment report . In some countries , such as India and China , they have skyrocketed . This is not a criticism of India or China . No wealthy country ever became wealthy without a dirty industrialization . `` Realpolitik '' is the reason why the developed countries should pay the developing ones not to exploit their carbon . Tiny Ecuador is a pilot project . What should the developed countries pay ? The Ecuadorian government quotes $ 3.5 billion as half the value of the oil foregone in the ITT fields . As an economist , I cringe . If I or any other economist knew the future price of oil , we would probably be enjoying early retirement in the French Riviera . Knowing how to speculate is what made George Soros a multi-billionaire . In contrast , the value of the investment and operations foregone is known : PetroEcuador estimates them at approximately $ 5 billion . My recommendation is that Ecuador seek $ 1.25 billion per year in compensation for the first four years of the Initiative and thereafter , the value of the carbon dioxide avoided . How much is that worth ? -LRB- Again the French Riviera beckons -RRB- . If the short history of the carbon market is any guide , the payments would be somewhere between $ 300 million and $ 900 million per year . The financial flows would stop when Ecuador achieves the UNDP Human Development Index that Costa Rica held in 2002 , the year its government declined offshore oil extraction without any monetary inducement . Finally , the last and touchiest question remains : how should the developed countries pay ? The theoretical answer is sponsorship of projects selected according to economic criteria . Topping the list would be the requirement that projects be both public in nature and incapable of being funded from an existing source . The practical side to how countries should pay is also a question about mechanism . Its answer appeared on August 3 , 2010 . At midday in the elegant ballroom of the Chancellery of Ecuador , Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Rebeca Grynspan and Foreign Minister of Ecuador Ricardo Patiño signed an historic agreement that launched the Yasuní ITT Trust Fund . That evening I launched with far less fanfare `` The Economics of the Yasuní Initiative '' . Ms. Grynspan introduced me to an audience gathered at the UNDP offices . She commented to much laughter that after such a heady day , we were all fully `` yasunized '' . Yasuní the place and Yasuní the metaphor have now morphed into a verb .
|
Yasuní is a protected area of forest in Ecuador rich in biodiversity and natural resources . New UN initiative will see rich countries pay to keep oil reserves in the ground . Joseph Henry Vogel has studied the area and economics of climate change .
|
[[319, 458], [342, 458]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mark Cavendish claimed his second successive victory with another power-packed sprint at the end of the 227.5 km sixth stage of the Tour de France from Montargis to Gueugnon . The Briton dispelled doubts about his form by winning Thursday 's fifth stage -- and he doubled up in impressive fashion , beating rivals Tyler Farrar and Alessandro Petacchi after again receiving a perfect lead-out from HTC-Columbia teammate Mark Renshaw . There was no significant change in the overall classification with Fabian Cancellara retaining the race leader 's yellow jersey from Geraint Thomas . However , Team Sky 's Thomas clawed back three seconds on the Swiss because of a slight split in the peloton and he now trails by just 20 seconds overall . World champion Cadel Evans remains third , 39 seconds adrift , while race favorites Andy Schleck -LRB- sixth overall -RRB- , Alberto Contador -LRB- ninth -RRB- and Lance Armstrong -LRB- 18th -RRB- all finished safely in the peloton . Friday 's stage -- the longest in this year 's race -- again saw three riders launch an early breakaway . At one stage , Ruben Perez Moreno , Sebastian Lang and Mathieu Perget held an advantage of eight minutes over the main bunch . However , the race came together with just 10km remaining and a confident Cavendish never looked like being stopped once the sprint for the line unfolded . `` I followed Mark Renshaw as usual and it was just a case of finishing off the incredible work that my teammates did for me , '' Cavendish -- who was securing his 12th career stage win -- told the official Tour de France website . Saturday 's seventh stage to Station des Rousses sees the race hit the medium mountains and will see some of leading contenders for overall success come to the fore .
|
Mark Cavendish claims his second successive Tour de France stage victory . The Briton crosses the line first at the end of the 227.5 km sixth stage to Gueugnon . There is no change in the overall classification with Fabian Cancellara retaining his lead . Saturday 's seventh stage to Station des Rousses sees the race hit the medium mountains .
|
[[19, 194], [19, 194], [453, 537], [520, 602], [1614, 1701], [1614, 1662], [1692, 1761]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Florida man was arrested on suspicion of trying to hire someone to kill an Internal Revenue Service agent who was investigating him , prosecutors said Thursday . Randy Nowak , 48 , of Mulberry , Florida , is charged with attempting to murder an employee of the United States related to the performance of her official duties , said Robert E. O'Neill , U.S. attorney for Florida 's middle district . If convicted , Nowak would face a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $ 250,000 , O'Neill 's office said in a news release . Authorities said Nowak , who owns a Polk County , Florida , construction company named RJ Nowak Enterprises Inc. , met with an undercover FBI agent who was posing as a hit man Tuesday . Nowak gave the undercover person $ 10,000 as a down payment to kill the IRS agent , authorities said . Nowak also asked the undercover agent if he would be willing to burn down the IRS office in Lakeland , Florida , prosecutors said . `` The FBI considers threats of violence against United States government employees due to their enforcement and/or investigative activities very serious matters , '' Steven Ibison , FBI special agent in charge , said in the news release . The IRS agent had been investigating Nowak 's personal and professional tax liability , prosecutors said .
|
Florida man targeted IRS agent who was investigating him , officials say . Prosecutors : Man met undercover FBI agent , thinking agent was a hit man . Man made $ 10,000 down payment to undercover agent , authorities say . If convicted , man could get up to 20 years in prison .
|
[[0, 15], [19, 126], [93, 126], [131, 152], [674, 706], [678, 706], [711, 744], [745, 804], [829, 847], [435, 513]]
|
Chicago , Illinois -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Prosecutors have dismissed all four charges against Robert Blagojevich , brother of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich , defense attorney Michael Ettinger said Thursday . `` I was in shock and still am , '' Ettinger said . He said that when he told his client , Robert Blagojevich said , '' ` Oh , my God ; oh , my God . ' And I told him , ` You 're done . You 're free . ' His wife is hysterical . '' Ettinger said prosecutors told a judge at a hearing Thursday that they were dropping the charges because of `` the disparity in the roles between Robert and Rod '' and `` in the interests of justice . '' On August 17 , after deliberating for 14 days , a jury in a federal corruption trial convicted Rod Blagojevich of lying to the FBI but said they were deadlocked on the other 23 counts against the former governor as well as the four against Robert Blagojevich . Prosecutors have vowed to retry Rod Blagojevich , who faced charges including racketeering , wire fraud , attempted extortion and bribery . The two-term Democrat was removed from office in January 2009 amid accusations that he attempted to sell the U.S. Senate seat that Barack Obama held before he was elected president . The former governor will be retried after the first of 2011 , said his lead attorney , Samuel Adam Sr. . Adam indicated that he is not happy at the limit placed on the number of federally funded attorneys on Blagojevich 's legal team . Blagojevich qualifies for a public defender , U.S. District Judge James Zagel said , and he will appoint two attorneys and possibly a paralegal , according to CNN affiliate WGN . A pro bono attorney is allowed , but Blagojevich must disclose the source of the funds if he has any paid representation , Zagel said , according to WGN . The last trial was funded with nearly $ 3 million in campaign money . `` You saw what happened in court . We 're now down one defendant , one less charge , and we 're down about eight lawyers , '' Adam said . He said he thought Zagel was wrong to say he could appoint only two attorneys . Attorneys in the case have gone through piles of papers and listened to hours of taped conversations . `` We have millions of documents to go over . We had 20 people working full-time on this case , '' he said . Adam said his next step will be to sit down with the former governor and `` decide what is best for him . ... That 's the only question that is important . '' Defense attorney Sheldon Sorosky said prosecutors should now dismiss the case against Rod Blagojevich . Adam said it could still happen , noting , `` The government has done some strange things in this case already . '' The former governor `` is innocent of any crime , '' Adam said . `` You 've got to keep that in mind . '' He said he is open to discussions with prosecutors , but has not been approached . Adam said he had not spoken to Blagojevich and did n't know what his reaction would be to prosecutors dropping charges against his brother . Robert Blagojevich was charged with one count of wire fraud , one count of extortion conspiracy , one count of attempted extortion , and one count of bribery conspiracy . Asked why prosecutors dismissed charges against Robert Blagojevich , Ettinger said , `` I did n't ask , but I 'm not going to argue with them . '' `` What he 's been through , and what he thought he was going to go through again , and then out of nowhere , they dismiss the charges ... I 've been doing this a long time , and things like this do n't happen , '' the attorney said . But `` the evidence was far from great against him , '' Ettinger said . `` I 'm sure they know the jury was 9-3 for acquittal . '' He said he was told that six women on the jury refused to convict Robert Blagojevich in any circumstances . He said Robert Blagojevich could be subpoenaed in his brother 's retrial . During the first trial , Robert Blagojevich testified his brother was `` trying to politically work something to his benefit '' in handling the Senate appointment , but was thinking in terms of political horse-trading , not corruption . In a conversation recorded by federal agents , the then-governor told an aide , `` I 've got this thing , and it 's -LSB- expletive -RSB- golden . I 'm just not giving it up for -LSB- expletive -RSB- nothing . '' `` It did n't seem out of the ordinary , because Obama was taking a lot of people from Illinois with him to D.C. , '' said Robert Blagojevich , who raised money for his brother . He said his brother `` was interested in the idea of being the head of Health and Human Services . '' While awaiting trial , the ousted governor repeatedly asserted his innocence in interviews and on Twitter , as well as during his appearances on the `` Celebrity Apprentice '' reality show . ''
|
4 charges against Robert Blagojevich are dropped . Attorneys for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich are to meet with him . Robert Blagojevich could be subpoenaed in the retrial . Rod Blagojevich was convicted on one count ; the jury deadlocked on 23 others .
|
[[0, 7], [38, 108], [456, 538], [2498, 2509], [2517, 2563], [3181, 3247], [3438, 3464], [3802, 3876], [3805, 3876], [646, 658], [661, 691], [694, 730], [781, 906]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For more than a year , the spacecraft Kepler has been combing the vastness of space looking for Earth-like planets . On Thursday , NASA scientists will share news of what they are calling the `` discovery of an intriguing planetary system . '' Since its launch on March 6 , 2009 , the space observatory has recorded tiny blips from more than 150,000 stars . If a planet happens to cross -- or transit -- in front of a star , the star dims in brightness . That is how Kepler determines it may have come across a planet . In June , NASA announced that the space observatory had identified more than 700 planet candidates , including five solar systems that had more than one transiting planet . But scientists need to examine further to make sure it is indeed a planet that is crossing in front of a star , and not another orbiting star .
|
The Kepler observatory has been recording blips from 150,000 stars . The stars dim in brightness if a planet crosses in front of them . So far , Kepler has identified more than 700 planet candidates .
|
[[263, 290], [298, 376], [444, 473], [777, 785], [791, 821], [539, 546], [549, 668]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Tea Party movement is trying to define politics in 2010 , but its founding arguments can be traced to at least 1964 -- in a famous campaign speech given on Barry Goldwater 's behalf by a Hollywood actor named Ronald Reagan . • `` This is the issue of this election : whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capital can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves . '' • `` No nation in history has ever survived a tax burden that reached a third of its national income . ... We 've raised our debt limit three times in the last 12 months , and now our national debt is one and a half times bigger than all the combined debts of all the nations of the world . We have $ 15 billion in gold in our treasury ; we do n't own an ounce . '' • `` Our natural , unalienable rights are now considered to be a dispensation of government , and freedom has never been so fragile , so close to slipping from our grasp as it is at this moment . '' The nationally televised address , known as `` A Time for Choosing , '' is a classic -- smart , funny and still so resonant that the rhetoric Reagan used more than 50 years ago echoes in Tea Party protests today . Reagan tried to raise the stakes of the election with a vision of apocalyptic ideological conflict , pitting heroic defenders of the Founding Fathers ' vision against big-state bureaucrats , willfully wasting taxpayer dollars on counterproductive do-gooder programs that are dragging America toward socialism . Consistent with the Tea Party 's self-image , it was primarily an economic speech , advancing a small-government libertarian economic philosophy , making statistics come alive with talk of fallen empires and American history , arguments aided by the added urgency of global conflict with communism . There is the specter of growing government power eclipsing the Constitution , the perverse incentives of the welfare state as an insult to hardworking individuals , all culminating in a citizens ' resistance against elite liberals ruling by fiat from Washington . It is compelling stuff , with the pitch-perfect delivery of a trained actor finally getting to recite his own lines . Speakers echo its themes from stages today almost like a tribute band . But , of course , times have changed a lot since 1964 -- and so some questions arise . First , if America 's past was as idyllic as many Tea Party protesters seem to believe , how come Reagan was warning about America 's eclipse back when the `` Andy Griffith Show '' was still in prime time ? Well , the top marginal tax rate was a whopping 70 percent then -- almost double what it is today , and down from 90 percent just a year earlier . That 's cause for a serious debate about socialism . It 's a reminder that the past was never pure and simple -- though some Americans might remember it that way because they were children then . Second , Reagan 's speech did not mention civil rights , despite the fact that it was one of the dominant issues of that election . Both Reagan and Goldwater opposed the Civil Rights Act on constitutional grounds , and it was this rift that Kentucky Senate candidate Rand Paul was referring to when he awkwardly affirmed libertarians ' opposition to civil rights legislation . That does not mean that Reagan or Goldwater were racist -- just as it is mistake to label the Tea Partiers of today racist -- but that heroic fight was n't their primary or even secondary concern , nor was it that of their conservative constituents . Not coincidentally , the former Confederate states of the South realigned in 1964 , with traditionally Democratic Mississippi voting 87 percent for the Republican Party . Another key difference between Reagan 's rhetoric and today is the comparative civility . Reagan never attacks then-President Lyndon Johnson by name , and he is even careful to use the phrase `` our liberal friends '' when slapping the domestic left . He does not question their patriotism or call them communists -- after all , the Cold War was still on , and that insult seemed more idiotic and offensive than it does now . There is a final irony -- the Reagan who was elected governor of California in 1966 and ran for president in 1980 would have a hard time getting the GOP nomination today . The self-appointed sentinels of conservatism would have taken issue with the fact that as governor , Reagan raised taxes by a billion dollars to close a budget gap and increased the size of the state workforce by 50,000 . He also raised taxes as president . Social conservatives might not have liked the fact that he opposed a bill to ban gays and lesbians from teaching in public schools -- a legislative fight depicted in the movie `` Milk '' -- and they would have hated that he signed the nation 's most liberal abortion bill into law . Reagan would n't have been alone in his isolation from contemporary conservative absolutists -- even Barry Goldwater could be painted as liberal today because of his support for gays in the military and the fact that his wife co-founded Planned Parenthood in his home state of Arizona in the 1930s . Goldwater lost the 1964 campaign by an unprecedented margin , winning only six states and 38 percent of the popular vote . Apparently , most Americans did believe that extremism in defense of liberty was a vice . But by 1966 , a Great Society backlash was in full effect , and the excesses of the radicalized so-called `` New Left '' ushered in a 40-year Republican revival on the presidential level , punctuated only by Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton . It is strange that despite the conservative movement 's decades in power , Reagan 's rhetoric is still used without much adjustment or abridgement . Is that because conservatives failed to tame the beast they warned about , or because the arguments worked so well on an emotional level that they exist separately from any era 's political reality ? The arguments in `` A Time for Choosing '' work best when it is a rallying cry of a party out of power -- in part because a belief in government 's corruptibility is less compelling when you control it . But America 's character does not change dramatically with a new president , no matter what party or ideology he represents . LBJ did not represent a mortal threat to the American experiment , and Reagan deepened the deficits he warned were in danger of bankrupting the nation . Both men upheld their oath to protect and defend the Constitution while helping our nation fight and ultimately defeat communism . By uncovering the roots of the Tea Party 's rhetoric , we can see it with a dose of perspective . America is still faced with great challenges , but our country is no closer to constitutional apocalypse now than it was then -- and in most respects our country has gotten better since 1964 , evolving just a bit closer to our ideals of liberty and equality . The opinions in this commentary are solely those of John P. Avlon .
|
John Avlon : Tea Party 's roots in 1964 speech given by Reagan for Goldwater campaign . In speech more civil than today 's , Reagan envisioned lost freedoms , he writes . Avlon says that time not as idyllic as some think and U.S. is more conservative today . Avlon : Conservatives today would call Reagan , Goldwater , liberal on social views , taxes .
|
[[81, 138], [145, 225], [3811, 3900], [5043, 5249]]
|
Barcelona , Spain -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Catalonia became the first Spanish mainland region to ban bullfighting after its parliament voted Wednesday to outlaw the tradition on animal cruelty grounds . The vote was 68 in favor and 55 against , with nine abstentions . Those who see the ancient tradition as animal cruelty were ecstatic about the vote , celebrating in the street outside parliament . Fans of bullfighting said the decision , however , does not mean it will disappear from other regions in Spain . Some analysts have said Catalan nationalism -- including the desire by some in the region for independence from Spain -- played a part in the vote . The upcoming regional elections for parliament later this year may have also had a role . Bullfighting is an ancient tradition in Spain , and fans say it combines culture , ceremony and artistry . Opponents , however , consider it animal cruelty . Activist Aida Gascon , of the Anti-Bullfighting Party , known as PACMA , said she has attended just one bullfight in her life , and that was only to get a sense of the bull 's suffering . `` Bullfighting is part of Spanish culture , '' Gascon said . `` But that should change . Many traditions disappear as the society advances . '' Enrique Guillen , 24 , lamented that he might be the last Barcelona-born bullfighter to take the `` alternativa , '' or ceremonial fight in the ring against the biggest bulls to become a full-fledged matador , which he did last year at Barcelona 's sole remaining bullring , the Monumental . Guillen 's father worked at the bullring , opening the doors for bulls to charge in to face matadors and their death . `` My father brought me to see the bullfights when I still had a pacifier , '' Guillen said . `` It would be frustrating not to be able to give to my children what my parents gave to me . '' The number of bullfights across Spain has dropped by a third in recent years , mostly because of the budget constraints of local governments , which often fund the spectacles . In Catalonia , there are now just more than a dozen fights a year and the Monumental bullring in Barcelona is one of the few places in the region that still holds fights . A pro-bullfighting group called PPDF released a study predicting big economic losses for Catalonia if bullfighting were banned , mainly because the Catalan government would have to pay damages to the bullfighting industry , which holds long-term operating licenses . `` When the Catalan government and the opposition are working hard to trim the budget , how could they justify making big indemnity payments to the bullfighting industry , when it 's not necessary , '' PPDF President Luis Corrales said . Critics have disagreed , saying the economic impact would be minimal given the small number of fights still held in Catalonia . The proposal to ban bullfighting started as a popular initiative in Catalonia and was accepted for consideration by parliament last year by a slim margin of votes . Since then , there has been an ever-intensifying debate , with bullfighting proponents and opponents gathering support from across Spain , even from abroad . The ban is due to take effect in January 2012 . It will not end bullfighting in the rest of Spain , where it still has a strong following in Madrid and in the south around Seville . Spain 's Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean does not allow bullfighting , but the ban in Catalonia is considered a bigger blow to the tradition .
|
NEW : Vote supporters celebrate outside parliament . Catalonia is the first Spanish mainland region to ban bullfighting . Its parliament votes to outlaw it on animal cruelty grounds . Bullfighting is an ancient tradition in Spain .
|
[[0, 9], [37, 107], [54, 144], [54, 144], [114, 196], [854, 863], [876, 904], [747, 792], [1093, 1135]]
|
ANTIOCH , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Investigators found another bone on property belonging to kidnapping suspects Phillip and Nancy Garrido on Friday , as they scoured the yard for possible clues to the abductions of two other girls about 20 years ago , officials said . Police search for evidence relating to missing girls Ilene Misheloff and Michaela Garecht . At an afternoon news conference , authorities revealed that the bone was discovered as crews broke up concrete on the property . Hayward police Lt. Chris Orrey said it will take time to determine whether the bone came from an animal or a human . The search Friday at the property in unincorporated Contra Costa County involved the use of ground-penetrating radar , which showed irregularities in an area of the yard where cadaver dogs working separately showed interest Thursday , investigators said . See how ground-penetrating radar works '' The Garridos face a combined 29 felony counts in connection with the 1991 kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard , then 11 , from South Lake Tahoe , California . Authorities say the couple held Dugard in a hidden compound behind their home for 18 years and have said Phillip Garrido , a registered sex offender , fathered her two children . Police from Hayward and Dublin , California , on Tuesday began executing search warrants simultaneously on the Garrido property and an adjacent property that he had access to . They are seeking any evidence in the 1988 abduction of 9-year-old Michaela Garecht of Hayward and the 1989 disappearance of 13-year-old Ilene Misheloff of Dublin . Both agencies have said that , although Garrido has not been named a suspect in either case , he can not be eliminated as a suspect . Orrey said `` boxes and boxes '' of writings by Phillip Garrido were also recovered on the property and were being taken off-site so investigators `` can look through every single page . '' Little work will be conducted at the site over the weekend , Orrey said , but investigators will remain on the property to ward off trespassers , who have been spotted there in the past few weeks . When the search resumes Monday , two kinds of search dogs will be brought in , authorities said : cadaver dogs and archaeological dogs . Cadaver dogs detect decomposing matter , investigators said , and archaeological dogs search for older material . Earlier Friday , Orrey said the dogs would not return to the area until after it was cleared of debris . `` We just want to have all of the areas clear so they can do another sweep of the entire properties , '' she said . Authorities also plan to continue searching the Garrido house , which county building inspectors have condemned as unsafe to occupy , Orrey said . On Wednesday , authorities said they had found bones on both the Garrido property and the adjacent property but did not know whether they were animal or human . Another bone fragment was found on the adjacent property last week .
|
NEW : Radar shows irregularities in yard where cadaver dogs alerted . NEW : Another bone found as crews broke up concrete on the property . Phillip and Nancy Garrido are accused of abducting Jaycee Dugard . Ilene Misheloff ,13 , went missing in 1989 and Michaela Garecht , 9 , in 1988 .
|
[[40, 84], [367, 398], [401, 495], [1418, 1581]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 25-year-old woman who was injured in last week 's stampede at the Love Parade music festival in Duisburg , Germany , died Wednesday , bringing the death toll to 21 , prosecutors there said . The deadly crush happened Saturday in an underpass between the main event site and an expansion area . Witnesses told CNN affiliate NTV that people pushed into the tunnel from both sides until it was dangerously overcrowded . The panic began when people began to lose consciousness as they were crushed against the walls and each other . The Duisburg public prosecutor 's office said 511 were injured . Of these , 283 people had to be treated in hospitals , and all but 43 have been released . German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for a thorough investigation into the incident and said that she was `` horrified and saddened '' by the tragedy . Carsten Lueb of NTV said some 1.4 million people showed up at the popular Love Parade festival , which featured dozens of DJs spinning techno music for hours . Organizers expected only 700,000 to 800,000 attendees , so to accommodate more people they opened an additional event site . The numbers are disputed by police , who say the area can hold between 250,000 and 350,000 and at no time was it filled to capacity . NTV reported that 1,400 police officers were on hand to monitor the event . Detlef von Schmeling of the Duisburg police said more than 4,000 police officers provided security . Witnesses told NTV that police were warned at least an hour before the incident that the underpass was becoming dangerously crowded . An additional entryway had been opened before the accident to relieve some of the pressure . Police are investigating how the back-up came to occur in the underpass .
|
Twenty-one people have died in the tragedy . More than 40 remain in hospitals . The German chancellor wants a thorough investigation .
|
[[0, 15], [155, 184], [706, 795]]
|
Tokyo , Japan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Japan hanged two convicted killers on Wednesday -- the first executions in the country since the Democratic Party of Japan took power last September . One of the men , Kazuo Shinozawa , was put to death for killing six female clerks at a jewelry store in 2000 and setting the store on fire . The other person , Hidenori Ogata , was convicted of killing two people in 2003 , the justice ministry said . Japan last carried out an execution in July 2009 , when the conservative Liberal Democratic Party was in power . Justice Minister Keiko Chiba is a former member of a group of lawmakers opposed to capital punishment -- the Japan Parliamentary League Against the Death Penalty . Speaking to reporters after Wednesday 's execution , she said that Japan needs a public discussion on whether to continue the practice of capital punishment . She said she has asked for a review at the justice ministry . `` Witnessing the enforcement with my own eyes made me think about death punishment deeply again , '' she said , adding that she had attended the executions . `` Also , I felt the need of a fundamental discussion to review about death penalty . '' Amnesty International Japan said a review is welcome but first , the executions have to be halted . `` We feel strong anger and disappointment over the executions today , '' the group said . `` We highly accept -LSB- the ministry 's -RSB- stance -LSB- of -RSB- setting up a study session . ... First of all , they must stop the executions . ''
|
The two executions are the first since the ruling party took power in September . Japan 's last execution was in July 2009 . Justice minister calls for a review of capital punishment in the country .
|
[[33, 80], [126, 183], [435, 483], [407, 434], [871, 932], [880, 932]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A voice heard on an amazing video of 300 feeding alligators says it all . `` I ai n't never seen so many gators in my life . '' Ray Cason 's biggest catch earlier this month , when he went fishing at Stephen C. Foster State Park in the Okefenokee Swamp in southeast Georgia , was two videos that have made a splash on Facebook and YouTube . As of Tuesday night they had garnered nearly 100,000 page views , according to YouTube . One of the videos looks like something out of an `` Animal Planet '' special . Alligator heads bob on the surface while others , in the background , gyrate and thrash in the water as they snap at mudfish , also known as bowfin . The alligators are jammed in a canal perhaps 30 feet wide . `` With a high population of mudfish you can almost smell them , '' said Art Webster , supervisory refuge manager at the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge . `` I 've never seen footage like that before , '' said state wildlife biologist Greg Nelms who , along with other wildlife officials , told CNN this rare `` cooperative feeding '' happens once every three or four years . Stephen C. Foster park manager Travis Griffin believes it last happened in 2007 . Griffin , who was not at the park the weekend of the event , said rangers saw alligators congregating about 10 p.m. July 9 near the quarter-mile-long canal that leads from the Foster boat area into open water near Billy 's Lake . No one had any idea of the scene that would greet Cason , 39 , of Homerville , Georgia , on the morning of July 10 . `` When I put the boat in you had the awfulest ruckus , '' Cason said . Many alligators were in the boat basin . He headed out in the early morning light with another boat close behind . Moments later , they realized they had about 150 alligators in front of them and 150 behind . Cason said the teeming alligators were hunting together . Many formed a reptile wall beyond the canal . `` They would converge together , '' Cason said . `` I saw gators pushing them -LSB- the fish -RSB- back -LSB- into the canal -RSB- . I saw them push them to the bank and eat them . '' Cason returned to the park the next morning , July 11 , and shot more video . He said about 175 gators were visible . The alligators were gone by 8 a.m. , according to Griffin . Although he and other wildlife officials said the waters are safe for boaters , the state park waited to be sure that wild morning . `` I would n't rent my boats out until they were gone , '' he said . Stephen C. Foster State Park covers 80 acres . It is a small portion of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge 's 401,000-plus acres . Webster estimates the refuge is home to about 11,000 alligators . He said he was concerned that Cason and the other boater may have been pushing the gators along and might have hurt them . `` This was potentially not a safe thing to do . '' But Cason said he waited several minutes for most of the alligators to clear before he proceeded . An alligator bumped the boat behind him but was n't injured , Cason said . The videos were posted by the Clinch County News . Cason said he hopes to show additional footage to school groups . `` By no means is the swamp dangerous , '' he said . `` It 's probably something I never will see again . '' Cason had additional luck that Saturday , catching his limit of jackfish and warmouth perch . Life has almost returned to normal at Stephen C. Foster State Park , which is near the town of Fargo . Alligator sightings are at normal levels , it 's hot and the park 's beauty awaits visitors . Griffin is n't sure whether Cason 's encounter will bring more campers and boaters , but it sure has raised interest in the behavior of alligators . `` You can never predict what they are going to do , '' Webster said .
|
Georgia fisherman 's camera catches 300 alligators hunting together . Officials in Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge says such behavior is unusual . Ray Cason was heading out to fish at Stephen C. Foster State Park . Alligators were likely eating mudfish -LRB- bowfin -RRB- .
|
[[1828, 1885], [1839, 1885], [200, 292], [645, 652], [660, 677]]
|
Nairobi , Kenya -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At least 19 people died in a Nairobi slum after drinking illegal local brew , which may have been laced with chemicals to make it more potent , a government official said . An additional 11 more people from the Kibera area are hospitalized , complaining of stomach pains after drinking the brew popularly known as changa'a , said local official Richard Juma . Police arrested 51 people during a raid for allegedly possessing changa'a , and were being held at a local police station , he said . `` As a government , we are not happy about this incident , '' Juma said . `` We will continue to raid where we think the brew dens are located until this menace is completely done away with . '' A sample of the changa'a has been taken to a government chemist for testing . Changa'a is sold cheaply in Nairobi slums . While it can take a long time to prepare , greedy brewers lace it with chemicals to hasten the process and to make it more potent . There have been a number of deaths from drinking changa'a in recent years . Other people have been blinded . `` The reason these people continue to drink this harmful alcohol even with awareness of its deadly ramifications is because some of the residents here do n't care about their lives , they 'd rather drink all day , '' Juma said . Samuel Chege was treated and released Monday at the Nairobi national hospital after consuming changa'a during a weekend drinking spree and experiencing stomach pains . `` I urge other people not to drink changa'a because you do n't know how it has been prepared , '' he said . Members of Parliament have passed a bill to legalize changa'a and other drinks , but the president has not yet signed it . `` In my opinion , it should not be legalized because the number of proprietors will increase and so will the number of drunks , '' Juma said . Mary Nduku said her cousin died after drinking the deadly beverage . She said she was called home from work to find him lying on the floor of their house . He and a neighbor , who was also unconscious , were rushed to the hospital but pronounced dead on arrival . `` The government should work hard in stopping this problem , '' Nduku said . `` We are losing too many people . Our people are dying and some are becoming blind . The government should not legalize this homemade local brew as there are people who will take advantage and make all sorts of alcohol . ''
|
NEW : Death toll from illegal local brew rises to 19 . Changa'a is a homemade brew sold cheaply in Nairobi slums . The beverage can be laced with chemicals to hasten its preparation . A number of deaths have occurred over the years from consuming it .
|
[[10, 31], [44, 110], [277, 299], [306, 357], [803, 846], [10, 31], [77, 153], [83, 176], [847, 876], [890, 978], [979, 1054], [1007, 1054]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A 14-year-old suspect in the murder of a 4-year-old boy found drowned and then stuffed into a clothes dryer in Mendota , California , has been charged as an adult , authorities said Tuesday . Fresno County , California , District Attorney Elizabeth A. Egan said Raul Renato Castro was charged with special circumstances , including murder during a child molestation , sodomy , kidnapping and murder of a witness to prevent testimony . Castro faces separate felony charges of kidnapping , sodomy and child molestation , Egan said . Under California law , a 14-year-old is not eligible for the death penalty or a sentence of life without the possibility of parole , according to a statement from Egan 's office . If found guilty , the boy could receive no more than 32 years to life plus 15 years . The incident began Friday afternoon , when Alex Christopher Mercato 's parents discovered that the child , who had been playing outside their house , was missing , Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims told reporters Monday . The parents called police , who began to search the neighborhood and nearby parks in Mendota , 33 miles west of Fresno , she said . Soon , the FBI was called in . On Saturday , authorities resumed the search door-to-door . They did not have to go far . In the house next door to the Mercatos , authorities discovered the boy 's body stuffed inside a dryer in a closet , Mims said . An autopsy determined he had drowned . The teenager , who had been the only member of his family who was at home on Friday afternoon , was arrested and booked into the juvenile justice center , Mims said . Castro is the sole suspect in the case , she said . He is to be arraigned Wednesday in Fresno County Superior Court .
|
Under California law , a 14-year-old is not eligible for the death penalty or life without parole . If found guilty , the boy could receive no more than 32 years to life plus 15 years . Raul Renato Castro was charged with murder , sodomy , kidnapping .
|
[[550, 570], [573, 680], [748, 815], [211, 430], [454, 535]]
|
London , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Heads hacked off , a bite from a lion , tiger or bear , massive muscles on massive men -- all clues that an ancient cemetery uncovered in northern England is the final resting place of gladiators , scientists have announced after seven years of investigations . The archeological dig has found `` what may be the world 's only well-preserved Roman gladiator cemetery , '' the York Archaeological Trust said . Scientists have found 80 skeletons in the `` unique '' cemetery under the city of York , northern England , since 2003 . They announced their discoveries on Sunday , ahead of a documentary about the site due to air in Britain on June 14 . This was one of two big archaeological developments , with Israeli scientists announcing the discovery of a huge cache of ancient religious objects . They first thought the graveyard might contain the remains of criminals or political purges . But that does n't explain the teeth mark . `` One of the most significant items of evidence is a large carnivore bite mark - probably inflicted by a lion , tiger or bear -- an injury which must have been sustained in an arena context , '' said Kurt Hunter-Mann , the lead archeologist on the dig . `` Nothing like them has ever been identified before on a Roman skeleton , '' said Michael Wysocki , who examined the remains in the forensic anthropology laboratory at the University of Central Lancashire . He said the bite marks suggest the remains were of someone who fought as a gladiator . `` It would seem highly unlikely that this individual was attacked by a tiger as he was walking home from the pub in York 2,000 years ago , '' he said . One arm was bigger than the other in many remains , the scientists found -- a suggestion that the men were gladiators who trained from a young age with a weapon in one hand . Other clues include healed and unhealed weapon injuries , possible hammer blows to the head , and burial with `` grave goods '' such joints of meat or pottery -- a sign of respect . It 's not certain that the men were gladiators , Hunter-Mann cautioned . `` The research is continuing and we must , therefore , keep an open mind , '' the archeologist said . But `` almost all the individuals are male , very robust and mostly above average height -- features which would also be consistent with a gladiator interpretation . Many also have muscle attachment marks on their arm bones suggesting severe muscle stress , '' he said . They also appear to come from all over the Roman empire , which straddled the Mediterranean for hundreds of years , starting more than 2,000 years ago . `` These are internationally important discoveries . We do n't have any other potential gladiator cemeteries with this level of preservation anywhere else in the world , '' Wysocki said . The skeletons are between 1,600 and 1,900 years old . The most impressive grave was that of a tall man aged between 18 and 23 , buried , probably in a coffin , in a large oval grave about 1,700 years ago . He had been decapitated by several sword blows to the neck , the scientists said . Buried with him were what appear to have been the remains of substantial joints of meat from at least four horses -- that left behind 424 horse bones -- possibly consumed at the funeral , plus some cow and pig remains . Other graves also had joints of horse , sheep or chicken , possibly remains of funeral feasts , the archeologists speculated . The site was first discovered when archeologists probed an area scheduled for a housing development in 2003 . Also on Monday , Israeli archeologists announced the discovery of a huge cache of religious objects about 3,500 years old -- older than the Bible itself , and nearly twice the age of the Roman skeletons . `` It would appear that the vessels were used in a pagan cult that worshipped idols . During this period it was customary that each city had a temple of its own where special cultic vessels were used , '' said archaeologists Uzi Ad and Edwin van den Brink . They include a vessel that was used for burning incense , a sculpted face of a woman that was part of a cultic cup used in dedicating a libation to a god , goblets and bowls with high bases and tableware that was intended for eating and drinking , the Israel Antiquities Authority said . Scientists called the discovery `` extremely rare '' -- both because it is so old and because the objects are so well preserved . Some of them had been brought from Mycenae in Greece , including a storage vessel for precious oils -- evidence of the ancient trade relations that existed with Greece , they said .
|
Archeological dig finds bodies showing teeth marks , injuries from weapons . Experts say clues point to gladiators buried in cemetery . ` Highly unlikely that this individual was attacked by a tiger as he was walking home from the pub ' Israeli archeologists announced the discovery of a huge cache of religious objects about 3,500 years old .
|
[[971, 1097], [1849, 1940], [141, 231], [1726, 1746], [1750, 1791], [1524, 1598], [1554, 1658], [743, 833], [3570, 3579], [3582, 3719]]
|
Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The American Civil Liberties Union is seeking records from more than two dozen FBI offices around the nation about the `` collection and use of race and ethnicity data in local communities , '' according to a press release issued by the civil liberties group . The ACLU is concerned about FBI practices allowed by its 2008 `` FBI Domestic Intelligence and Operations Guide '' that would permit the bureau to collect information and map racial and ethnic data . The ACLU press release says , `` the FBI 's attempt to collect and map demographic data using race-based criteria for targeting purposes invites unconstitutional racial profiling by law enforcement . '' An FBI spokesman said the bureau is not targeting any particular groups , but that each field office is instructed `` to know your domain , that means you understand your entire community . '' The spokesman said that includes information about what ethnic groups are in a particular area , but it also includes things such as what particular high-tech businesses might reside in a place that could be vulnerable to espionage . The FBI spokesman said the focus on knowing the domains around each field office is an outgrowth of the September 11 , 2001 , terror attacks and the bureau 's focus on improving intelligence gathering , analysis and dissemination . The spokesman said this needs to be done in a manner consistent with protecting civil rights and civil liberties . The ACLU is filing Freedom of Information Act requests seeking records from 29 states and the District of Columbia . The organization 's press release says the FBI 's operations guide gives agents authority to gather information and make maps of `` so-called ` ethnic-oriented ' businesses , behaviors , lifestyle characteristics and cultural traditions in communities with concentrated ethnic populations . '' The FBI Domestic Intelligence and Operations Guide says agents can identify areas with concentrated ethnic populations `` if these locations will reasonably aid the analysis of potential threats and vulnerabilities . '' The guide says intelligence could indicate members of a particular terrorist group are known to reside in communities with a certain ethnic population . But the guide also says it 's important to know the location of ethnic groups that might be vulnerable to hate crimes in order for law enforcement to protect such communities . FBI Director Robert Mueller spoke about the use of geospatial mapping technology -- combining software and analytical methods with geographic data -- during a November 2008 speech to the International Association of Chiefs of Police . He said the technique is useful in fighting both national security threats and crime . `` It allows us to combine and visually map crime data from a multitude of agencies -- everything from shootings to sources , and from outstanding warrants to open investigations , '' said Mueller . `` Visual mapping shows us our domain . It reveals connections among our cases we might not otherwise see . And it helps us better manage our resources . ''
|
The ACLU wants FBI records on collection of race and ethnicity data . The FBI says field offices are told to `` understand your entire community '' The FBI says such data helps the agency fight national security threats and crime . The ACLU says gathering such data `` invites unconstitutional racial profiling ''
|
[[0, 26], [30, 218], [491, 518], [522, 635], [820, 831], [839, 883], [1624, 1875], [2664, 2750], [2672, 2750], [491, 518], [522, 635], [609, 690]]
|
Phoenix , Arizona -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jairo Tellez 's seafood distribution business is a family affair . In the industrial warehouse that houses J and V Mariscos on the west side of Phoenix , his wife , Vicki , and four of his seven children load trucks , take phone calls , enter data and help care for his infant grandson , who has a playpen in Tellez 's office . But with portions of Arizona 's controversial immigration enforcement law set to take effect Thursday , the business is in limbo . `` If people are not eating , we 're not selling , '' said Wendy Cisneros , a family friend who works in the back office . `` We 've lost 60 percent of sales , and right now the future 's uncertain . We do n't know if we 're going to stay in the state ; we do n't know if we 're going to close the business . Everything 's up in the air . '' Most of their clients cater to the Latino community , which has effectively gone into hiding amid concerns that they may have to leave the state as soon as the bill becomes law , Cisneros said . A key part of Arizona 's immigration law was temporarily blocked by a judge Wednesday . This means police wo n't be required to ask people about their immigration status . Toobin : What does Arizona immigration ruling mean ? But for the Tellez family business and others like it , the damage from the controversy already is done . Reduced spending in restaurants , grocery and retail stores has triggered a domino effect among businesses in the metro Phoenix business community and throughout Arizona . To stay afloat even as their clients disappear or reduce inventory orders , the business has reduced employees ' hours and cut back operations in the industrial warehouse , home to several large freezers and forklifts and an office sparsely decorated with posters of illustrated fish and cuts of meat . Perhaps the toughest decision was to halt lines of credit to customers , even those with good history , she said . `` We ca n't really offer credit anymore because we do n't know if next week they 're going to close the business , '' Cisneros said . `` But it 's also a downside because some customers need that credit to operate . '' Firm numbers illuminating the economic fallout of SB 1070 are hard to come by as the bill has yet to take effect . Also , summer tends to be slow for business and tourism in Arizona because it 's so hot . But anecdotal evidence from business owners , real estate agents and community leaders indicates the mere specter of the bill has created a culture of fear among Hispanics in Arizona that 's slowly paralyzing sectors of the economy . Hispanics make up 30 percent of the state 's population . The state 's unemployment rate in June rose for the third month in a row , to 9.7 percent . Gov. Jan Brewer signed the bill in April . Traditionally , community groups look to indicators such as the housing market , school enrollment and data from utility companies to track economic fluctuations within a certain group , said Edmundo Hidalgo , president and CEO of Chicanos Por La Causa , a community outreach program in Phoenix . Based on feedback from clients and preliminary data , Hidalgo said his group estimates that rental vacancies in predominantly Latino neighborhoods will be 10 to 15 percent higher than the normal rate of 12 percent . `` People are scared , and they do n't want to wait around to find out what 's going to happen with SB 1070 , '' said Hidalgo , whose group offers housing , economic and education services to low-income families and individuals , both undocumented and U.S.-born . `` Regardless of their status , people are frustrated with an environment that 's not accepting and potentially threatening , and they 're fed up with being targeted and singled out by law enforcement . It 's driving them out of the state , and not necessarily to better situations . '' Reactions to the Arizona immigration law injunction . The Arizona housing market , which was already suffering from one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country , has also taken an extra hit since the passage of the law , according to real estate agents who spoke with CNN . Some homeowners who purchased property in the past year are looking to unload , according to Saul Pua , a real estate agent who sells residential properties in neighborhoods in Phoenix 's Latino communities . `` Most families usually have one person who does n't have papers , and they do n't want to risk being arrested and splitting up the family by staying in Arizona , '' said Pua , who is married to one of the daughters of Tellez , the owner of J and V Mariscos . Even during the recession , Pua said business was good because property was cheap , and that in better times , he closed an average of five transactions a month . Since the beginning of the year , however , he has been lucky to sell two properties in a month , and in July , he has n't closed a single deal . `` I had investors buying properties , but now 's who gon na rent them ? '' he said . Commercial real estate developer Michael Pollack was in the same situation leading up to Wednesday 's ruling . Since April , clients in predominantly Latino neighborhoods across the state had been pulling out of properties or calling to relay concerns over whether they should stay if the law goes into effect . Today , Pollack said he received several calls from clients expressing relief and letting him know they intended to stay . `` The ruling today has definitely been a move in the right direction for commercial tenants and their customers , who 've been scared that Arizona was n't going be friendly to Hispanic community , '' he said . `` This gives the federal government to get to work implementing an immigration policy that the American people will support unanimously and deals with the situation at the border , which is where the real problem is . '' Phoenix 's sprawling concrete landscape bears testimony to the abundance of vacant residential and commercial property . `` For sale '' signs in English and Spanish adorn brown , sun-scorched lawns and dilapidated parking lots alike , from the heart of downtown Phoenix to as far as Chandler and Mesa -- the district of SB 1070 's sponsor , Republican Sen. Russell Pearce . Boarded-up big-box stores loom large in their vast emptiness , and rows of abandoned strip mall storefronts outnumber those that are occupied in some parts . Not only businesses targeting the Latino community are suffering . Economic boycotts adopted by other states and cities have hit Arizona 's meeting and convention business . Since groups nationwide began announcing boycotts of the state because of SB 1070 , at least 40 meetings have been canceled . That 's resulted in the loss of $ 12 million in lodging alone , according to Kristen Jarnagin , spokeswoman for the Arizona Hotel & Lodging Association . Summer is typically the low season , she noted , and pointed out that tourism was up 8 percent statewide in June 2010 compared with June 2009 , which was one of the `` worst summers ever '' because of the recession . Despite that slight uptick , more telling is the lack of inquiries for future bookings , she said . `` What we 're hearing from meeting planners now is they wo n't and ca n't consider Arizona for 2011 , 2012 meetings not necessarily because of their own stance on SB 1070 or the boycott but just because they want to avoid the controversy and do n't want to risk losing attendance , '' she said . The absence of meetings and conventions not only affects the hotel industry and its 200,000 employees , but also ancillary businesses such as restaurants , retailers and taxis , Jarnagin said . It seems that not even fast-food joints are immune to the encroaching economic fallout of SB 1070 . As the four Tellez children stood with their parents in their office Wednesday , recounting tales of friends and relatives who have left town or seen families torn apart , daughter Nikki noted her surprise at seeing a shuttered Burger King . `` I was driving down Camelback with my dad and Burger King was closed , and I was like , when have you seen that ? Like Burger King -- everybody goes to Burger King , and that was closed down . ''
|
Anecdotal evidence indicates mere specter of immigration bill is slowly paralyzing economy . Hispanics make up 30 percent of the state 's population . Gov. Jan Brewer signed the bill in April ; jobless rate has risen each month since . Real estate agents , restaurant owner report big slowdown in business .
|
[[2383, 2422], [2425, 2504], [2613, 2670], [2671, 2743], [2763, 2805], [2383, 2422], [2425, 2504]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Somali man Friday became the second person convicted in the United States of acts related to high-seas piracy in more than a century , although he was n't convicted of piracy itself . Jama Idle Ibrahim pleaded guilty in a federal courtroom in Norfolk , Virginia , admitting he had intended to seize a U.S. merchant vessel on April 10 and hold it for ransom . Ibrahim and five other would-be pirates learned too late that they had instead pulled alongside a U.S. Navy dock landing ship , the USS Ashland , and they were captured . `` Today marks the first conviction in Norfolk for acts of piracy in 150 years , '' said U.S. Attorney Neil MacBride . It followed the May guilty plea in a federal court in New York of a man involved in an attack on the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama off the coast of Africa last year . A statement by the Justice Department said the government and defense agreed to recommend a sentence of 30 years in prison for Ibrahim . Sentencing was set for November 29 . The attack occurred in the Gulf of Aden between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula . Ibrahim is one of 11 Somalis sent to Norfolk for prosecution in two attacks . Five others are charged in connection with an April 1 attack on the Norfolk-based frigate Nicholas . Ibrahim pleaded guilty to charges of attacking to plunder a vessel , engaging in a violent act aboard a vessel and using a firearm during a crime of violence . The charge of committing piracy on the high seas , which carried a mandatory life sentence , was thrown out 10 days ago by the judge . Until this year , there had not been a piracy-related conviction in the United States since 1861 , during the Civil War , officials said . In May , Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse , who was accused of leading the attack on the Maersk Alabama in April 2009 , pleaded guilty to felony counts of hijacking maritime vessels , kidnapping and hostage taking .
|
Jama Idle Ibrahim admitted he intended to capture a U.S. merchant ship . Instead , he and his colleagues targeted a U.S. Navy vessel . A 30-year prison sentence is being recommended .
|
[[205, 222], [285, 379], [736, 827], [835, 971], [878, 971]]
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.