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-LRB- Oprah.com -RRB- -- If you make time each month to give your money some attention , you 'll start 2012 in fabulous financial shape . Thoughtful financial planning can easily take a backseat to daily life . -LRB- Do your taxes two months early ? You 're just trying to stay on top of today . -RRB- But I promise that if you set aside time each month to give your money some attention , when 2012 rolls around you 'll be in fabulous financial shape . Here 's my plan of attack for the year to come : . Automate Your Security . No one 's ever achieved financial fitness with a resolution that 's abandoned by February . Building security requires a commitment to saving , and the easiest way to save is with an automatic transfer . Search online for the highest-yielding bank or credit union savings account ; after you 've opened one , set up monthly deposits from your checking account . If your employer matches employee contributions to a 401 -LRB- k -RRB- , sign up now . Already enrolled ? Make sure you 're contributing enough to qualify for the maximum company match , and if you 're not , boost your contribution rate by one percentage point each year until you 're eligible for the maximum match . Then make funding your individual retirement account -LRB- IRA -RRB- automatic as well by linking it to your checking account . Timely Tip : If you or your child will be attending college this fall , submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid -LRB- FAFSA -RRB- form ASAP , using estimates of your 2010 taxes . February : Get ahead of the game . You should have received all documents necessary -- your W-2 , 1098 -LRB- if you have a mortgage -RRB- , and 1099s -- to complete your 2010 taxes . You 've still got two months , but handling this task early has major benefits . If you 're surprised by a tax bill , you have time to figure out a payment strategy . If you 're entitled to a refund , you will receive it that much sooner . March : Do some spring cleaning . Make time to toss any outdated paperwork . You should keep a copy of your tax return indefinitely , but you need to save supporting documents for only three years . Anything from before 2007 should get shredded . If you 're self-employed or have income from multiple sources , hold on to your documents for six years . That 's how long the IRS has to challenge your reported income . Next , roll over 401 -LRB- k -RRB- s from old jobs and IRAs at different firms into one account at a low-cost brokerage or mutual fund company -- it 's easier to keep track of this way , and you 'll save on maintenance fees . Oprah.com : What money can teach you about personal power . April : Take stock . As we head into the sign of Taurus , take a moment to think about bull markets . For long-term savings goals , stocks have the potential to generate inflation-beating gains . But we 're all a bit queasy about stocks these days . Focus your stock investments on those that pay dividends -- payments a company makes to its shareholders . Sticking with a low-cost exchange traded fund -LRB- ETF -RRB- with a diversified portfolio of dividend payers is a smart strategy . Try the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation -LRB- VIG -RRB- or the SPDR S&P Dividend ETF -LRB- SDY -RRB- . Timely Tip : If you do file your taxes in April , let your return guide your next move . If you 're owed a refund , change your W-4 withholding to get that money back in your paychecks where it belongs . If you owe a penalty , make sure you 're not having too little money withheld . May : Hit a home run . This is the start of house-buying season , but since most of us stay put in any given year , let 's focus on you current mortgage holders -- starting with your homeowner 's insurance . If rebuilding costs in your area have fallen in recent years , you could be overinsured . Confirm that you have an extended replacement policy , which pays a set percentage over the dollar value of your coverage . And switch to a higher deductible -LRB- at least $ 1,000 or so -RRB- , which will lower your premium . Cover any expenses that amount to less than $ 1,000 with your emergency savings fund . Finally , check your property tax base . If your current property tax bill is based on an old valuation of your home , contact your local tax assessor -- you may be paying too much . June : Gift smart . With all the graduations and weddings coming your way , you 're probably planning to purchase some presents . Here 's my gift-giving rule : Respect your current financial situation . The last thing family and friends want is for you to spend money on them that you do n't have or that you ca n't really spare . Oprah.com : Give your finances a reality check . July : Have the talk . For those of you with camp-age kids , July no doubt involves a Parents ' Day full of festivities . I 'm proposing a different spin on Parents ' Day : Take time to talk to your parents about their financial well-being . First , confirm that they have the key estate documents : a will , a revocable living trust , and durable power of attorney for both healthcare and financial matters . Have they reviewed their beneficiaries recently ? If not , they should do so now . Next , look into long-term care insurance . Finally , help them formulate an advance directive -- a document that spells out the medical care an individual wants in the event he or she becomes physically unable to communicate . It may be a difficult conversation to have , but it lets your parents know that if the time comes , you 'll make sure their exact wishes are followed . That 's a great way to honor what they mean to you . August : Teach your children a lesson . This school year , think about instituting new money rules for you and your kids . I 'm a big advocate of a work-for-pay setup rather than an allowance that is n't attached to chores -- it 's a great way to impart the value of money to your children . Timely Tip : If you need a new car , August is the time to shop -- dealers are eager to make room for next year 's models . September : Check , please ! Have you checked your credit report in the past year ? Did n't think so . Visit AnnualCreditReport.com , where you can access your reports on file at the big-three credit bureaus -- for free . If you anticipate taking out a loan in the next six months or may be job hunting , or if your credit report turns up any mistakes , you should also obtain your FICO credit score -LRB- $ 16 ; MyFICO.com . -RRB- . Oprah.com : Are you overpaying on your taxes ? October : Brace for life 's tricks . I wish you only treats this Halloween . But while we all hope for the best , we still need to prepare for the worst . Parents of young children must have life insurance and a will in place -- it 's non-negotiable . For most families , term life insurance is the easiest and least expensive solution . Go to SelectQuote.com or AccuQuote.com to make sure you 're looking out for your family 's best interests if the worst should happen . Timely Tip : Parents of new college grads : The six-month grace period between graduation and repayment for many student loans is approaching . Make sure repayment arrangements are nailed down . November : Bag the best benefits . Fall is typically open-enrollment period at work , when you can make changes to your benefits package for the coming year . If you learn that your health insurance rates will increase in 2012 , check whether your company offers a high-deductible plan that 's paired with a health savings account . If you 're in good health , this can be a great way to reduce your premium costs by agreeing to pay a higher deductible -LRB- minimum of $ 1,200 for individuals and $ 2,400 for families -RRB- . You can then invest in an HSA , which allows your tax-deductible contributions to be used for medical expenses , including the deductible . Your unused HSA balance can be rolled over and used in subsequent years . December : Pay in cash . Financially speaking , December can be rough : Gift giving , holiday parties , and vacations all take their toll . My advice ? Stash your credit cards and live within your means all 31 days of this month . Avoiding that nasty January credit card bill that you ca n't pay off is the surest way to start 2012 on the right financial foot . Oprah.com : How to protect yourself from identity theft . Subscribe to O , The Oprah Magazine for up to 75 % off the newsstand price . That 's like getting 18 issues FREE . Subscribe now ! TM & © 2010 Harpo Productions , Inc. . All Rights Reserved .
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If you or your child will be attending college , submit your FAFSA form ASAP . If you need a new car , August is the time to shop . Stash your credit cards and live within your means all 31 days of December .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A pirate was killed and several others were detained after a security team thwarted an attack in waters off Somalia , authorities said Wednesday . The incident happened Tuesday as a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship , the MV Almezaan , was headed to Mogadishu , said the European Union Naval Force . A private security team that was on board the ship returned fire when pirates tried to attack the vessel . The security team was able to repel two attack attempts . The EU naval force was called in , boarded the three pirate ships and detained six suspects . They also found one pirate who had died of a gunshot wound , the naval force said . No further details were immediately available about his death . The waters off the Somali coast -- the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean -- have been plagued by Somali pirates . The international community has adopted measures such as escorts and monitoring to crack down on piracy . Two cargo ships were seized in the area on Tuesday , the EU naval force reported . Hijackers took control of one ship in the Indian Ocean and were apparently taking it to Somalia , EUNAVFOR said . The MV Frigia , a Turkish-owned and Maltese-flagged cargo vessel , had been headed east from Port Said in Egypt to Kaousichang in Thailand . The ship was moving west and appeared to be heading toward one of the so-called pirate ports off the coast of Somalia . There are 21 crew members on the ship , 19 Turkish and two Ukrainian . Also , the Bermuda-flagged and Virgin Islands-owned MV Talca was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden , EU NAVFOR said . That hijacking took place off the coast of Oman and 180 miles south of Mazera . The ship had been heading from Sokhna , Egypt , to Busheir , Iran . Twenty-three crew members are from Sri Lanka , one is from the Philippines and another is from Syria .
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Private security force on cargo ship repels two attacks by pirates near Somalia . EU naval force called in , boards three pirate ships , detains six suspects . One suspected pirate found dead on attackers ' ship , EU says . Two other ships reported seized by hijackers Tuesday in waters near Somalia .
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Cairo , Egypt -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thousands of people who filled the streets of Cairo on Tuesday hope their demonstrations against corruption and failing economic policies will cause upheaval in the government , like the similar protests in Tunisia that inspired them . But analysts caution that in Egypt , the protesters are up against a different set of challenges . Juan Cole , a Middle East historian at the University of Michigan and blogger , describes Tunisia as `` a little bit unique . '' `` There have been lots of civil wars . There 's been lots of societies in turmoil . But this kind of phenomenon where you had crowds peacefully coming into the streets to demand a change in their own contract with their government -- in the Arab world proper , this is the first time it 's happened and it 's the first time since 1979 in the Middle East , '' Cole told CNN last week . He noted that Tunisia is the `` most secular country in the Arab world . '' Its traditions have favored women 's rights and its Islamist influence is negligible . Tunisia also lacked the oil resources of other Arab states and the ethnic divisions seen in other Middle Eastern countries , which make it harder for opposition movements to unite , he noted . Looking at the protests Tuesday in Cairo , Mamoun Fandy of the International Institute for Strategic Studies told CNN he was not seeing a `` turning point or tipping point yet . '' Noting the strength of the army , he said , `` The Egyptian system is too strong and too resilient . '' A key question that will show the potential strength of the demonstrations Tuesday is whether hardcore protesters will stay through the night , or whether the rallies will fizzle down , he said . Eric Trager , a Ph.D. candidate in political science at the University of Pennsylvania and a former Fulbright fellow in Egypt , wrote in The Atlantic , `` Egypt 's liberal activists overwhelmingly come from the wired generation of Twitter and Facebook , and this makes them optimistic that pro-democratic movements can go viral , even in a political environment as traditionally illiberal as the Middle East . ... Yet Egyptian activists face tremendous odds -- in particular , an entrenched dictatorship that is determined to discredit the very idea of domino-effect democratization . '' Time.com published a story Thursday from writer Abigail Hauslohner in Cairo headlined , `` After Tunisia : Why Egypt Is n't Ready to Have Its Own Revolution . '' Some Egyptians `` believe the time is now '' for protests to bring about change like in Tunisia , and several people in Egypt have set themselves on fire or attempted to in recent days -- much like the self-immolation of a young unemployed man in Tunisia that sparked protests in that country , '' she writes . `` But in Egypt , it does n't go much deeper than that . '' A greater percentage of Egypt 's population than Tunisia 's lives below the poverty line , she writes . `` The citizens of Egypt regularly complain of a neglectful regime that knows more about torture than it does about public service , and they 're furious with a regime that seems to swallow any domestic profits before they can reach the lower classes . And yet no one predicts a revolutionary reset anytime soon . '' Two factors distinguish Egypt from Tunisia in this respect , Hauslohner writes : Tunisia 's government spent generously on education , creating a frustrated educated but unemployed population . And in Egypt , `` the military stands with '' Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak . Time.com is a partner of CNN.com . Writing in Newsweek , journalist Mike Giglio suggested the `` upcoming protest in Cairo could mark the beginning of another upheaval . '' `` Tuesday will be the first real test of whether the revolution is contagious , '' he wrote in a story published Monday . Many protesters believe their demonstrations will prove to have far more power than naysayers suggest . A Facebook page that has served to help organize Tuesday 's protests in Cairo says , `` Many young Egyptians are now fed up with the inhuman treatment they face on a daily basis in streets , police stations and everywhere . ... Egyptians are aspiring to the day when Egypt has its freedom and dignity back , the day when the current 30 years long emergency martial law ends and when Egyptians can freely elect their true representatives . ''
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Analysts : Egypt is a different story from Tunisia . Analyst : Tunisia `` a little bit unique '' Time writer says Egypt `` not ready '' for revolution . Protesters believe Cairo demonstrations can help trigger change .
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Cairo , Egypt -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thousands of protesters spilled into the streets of Egypt on Tuesday , an unprecedented display of anti-government rage inspired in part by the tumult in the nearby North African nation of Tunisia . Three people died in the clashes between protesters and police , according to Egypt 's official MENA news agency . Two demonstrators died in the eastern city of Suez , and one policeman was killed in Cairo , it said . MENA reported that at least 49 people have been injured . Earlier , Egypt 's Interior Ministry said that 36 police officers had been hurt during the protests . Throngs in the sprawling capital city marched from the huge Tahrir Square toward the parliament building , according to CNN reporters on the scene . Demonstrators threw rocks at police , and police hurled rocks back . Tear-gas canisters were shot at demonstrators , and the protesters threw them back . Protest organizers said they hope to capture the regional momentum for political change set by Tunisians , who 10 days ago forced the collapse of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali 's 23-year rule . The grievances were foreshadowed by several Egyptians who set themselves or tried to set themselves on fire this month , mirroring the self-immolation of a Tunisian man whose action spurred the uprising there . The Tunisian uprising was the most successful revolt in the region since 1979 , but it is anybody 's guess whether uprisings will spread to other Arabic-speaking lands . Juan Cole , a Middle East historian at the University of Michigan , says Tunisia is different from other Arab nations . Tunisia , he said , is the `` most secular country in the Arab world . '' Its traditions have favored women 's rights , and its Islamist influence is negligible . The United States and other governments are monitoring the demonstrations in Cairo and elsewhere closely . U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged all people to `` exercise restraint '' and supported `` the fundamental right of expression and assembly for all people . '' `` But our assessment is that the Egyptian government is stable and is looking for ways to respond to the legitimate needs and interests of the Egyptian people , '' she said . To highlight the role of police corruption , the protest organizers in Egypt picked January 25 -- Police Day and a national holiday -- to hold protests . The protests started off small , but they grew as people came to the center of the city from bridges over the Nile River . Police were restrained and at times were seemingly outnumbered by the protesters , who sang the national anthem and inched forward to express their ire toward the government . Witnesses said large groups of plainclothes police were heading to Tahrir Square . Protesters had been expressing their anger over the rising cost of living , failed economic policies and corruption , but all those concerns were distilled into one overriding demand : the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak , in power for three decades . The outpouring included young and old , Christians and Muslims , students , workers and businesspeople . `` We breathe corruption in the air , '' said one demonstrator , who along with others said their children have no future . At its peak there were perhaps 15,000 to 20,000 people in Tahrir Square , but that crowd later dwindled to about 5,000 to 8,000 . The main road in front of parliament , Qasr Al-Aini , was closed to traffic . The square is two blocks from parliament . `` Egyptians have the right to express themselves , '' Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki said of the protests . The Interior Ministry called on demonstrators to follow the law and avoid threatening the safety of bystanders , the public and private property . Social media have been all-important in mobilizing and organizing protests . But bloggers and others in Egypt reported problems with electronic communication later in the day . Activists ca n't access their cell phones or text messages , and opposition websites ca n't be accessed . Twitter was blocked in Egypt about 11 a.m. ET , the company said . There were other demonstrations in Cairo suburbs of Heliopolis , Shubra Al-Khaima , Muhandasin and Dar Al-Salam . One man said Egypt is not Tunisia , it 's Romania under Nicolae Ceausescu , a reference to the late and much-reviled communist leader . The Front to Defend Egypt Protesters , an alliance of lawyers who helped organize the events , said that about 200 demonstrators were in the southern city of Aswan , 2,000 in the eastern city of Ismailiya and about 3,000 in the northern city of Mahallah . The Egyptian government did not issue permits for Tuesday 's planned protests . In an interview released Tuesday with state-run al-Ahram newspaper , Interior Minister Habib Adly warned that `` the security agencies are able to stop any attempt to attend '' the demonstrations and called the efforts of the `` youth staging street protests ineffective . '' By early Tuesday morning , more than 90,000 people throughout the country had pledged to participate in the Facebook event `` We Are All Khaled Said , '' named after an Alexandria activist who was allegedly beaten to death by police . The Facebook group demands raising the minimum wage , firing the interior minister , creating two-term presidential term limits and scrapping existing emergency laws that the group says `` resulted in police control '' over the people and the nation . Amnesty International released a statement Monday `` urging the Egyptian authorities not to crack down '' on the planned nationwide demonstration . The banned Muslim Brotherhood , the biggest organized opposition to Mubarak 's regime , had stated it would not have an official presence at Tuesday 's protests , but some of its members `` have reportedly been summoned and threatened with arrest and detention '' if they attend and protest , Amnesty International said . Opposition leader and Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei posted statements supporting the protests on his Twitter account . He also created a video statement addressing policemen that was released Monday on YouTube . `` I sympathize with you because sometimes you are asked to do things that you do not want to do , '' ElBaradei said . `` One day , I hope that you will regain your role as the protectors of the people ; rather than protectors of ... fraud elections . I am sure that every one of you deep inside is looking forward to the day that his role will again be with the people and a part of them , rather than against them , '' he said . Public sentiment against state security forces has grown recently with alleged videos of police brutality shown on the internet . A recent report from Human Rights Watch said the problem is `` epidemic , '' and `` in most cases , officials torture detainees to obtain information and coerce confessions , occasionally leading to death in custody . '' Some other human rights groups , such as the Arabic Network for Human Rights , have drawn a comparison between Egypt and Tunisia under Ben Ali , in terms of the level of government corruption and police brutality . Adly , the Egyptian interior minister , dismissed any such comparisons , calling it `` propaganda '' that had been rejected by politicians as `` intellectual immaturity . '' But one woman , identified only as Nahla , who planned to attend the Tuesday protests , disagreed . She wrote in an online post , `` I hope the -LRB- Tunisia-style -RRB- revolution will be taught in history . And that Egyptians will learn in school later about the January 25th revolution . ''
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NEW : Egypt 's official news agency reports 49 people were injured . Protest organizers say they hope to capture Tunisia 's regional momentum for change . Organizers chose January 25 -- Police Day and a national holiday -- to hold protests . International human rights groups ask security forces not to crack down on protesters .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The space shuttle program should have come to an end a long time ago , NASA administrator Charles Bolden told CNN in an exclusive interview Wednesday . The 30-year program has been kept on life support because the United States has not readied another vehicle to take its place . `` What is not acceptable is the fact that the most powerful nation in the world , the United States of America , finds itself in a situation that we did n't do the proper planning to have a vehicle in place to replace shuttle when it lands its last landing , '' Bolden said . NASA originally planned to retire the aging shuttle fleet last September , but mission delays have pushed that date . But once Endeavour , Atlantis and Discovery are permanently grounded , Russia 's aging Soyuz capsules will ferry astronauts and cosmonauts to the space station and bring what supplies can fit in the smaller craft . And that will have to do , perhaps throughout this decade , until commercial cargo spacecraft are available . The last shuttle landing , according to the administrator , will not be in April when Endeavour is scheduled to fly . NASA says it wants one more mission to resupply the space station . That flight would be STS-135 this summer , using the Atlantis orbiter and designated with the acronym that stands for `` Space Transportation System . '' But whether NASA will have the money for the flight -- about a half a billion dollars -- is in question . `` We are budgeted for 135 and unless something disastrous happens , it 's our intent to fly it , '' said Bolden , `` It 's in the authorization bill signed by the president back in November , so for me it 's the law and I 'm excited about it because I need it , so we plan to fly 135 . '' That would leave three flights before the program ends . STS-133 using Discovery sits on the launch pad ready to make its last trip into space Thursday . In April , STS-134 with Endeavour is schedule to fly . Commanding that mission is astronaut Mark Kelly . Kelly 's wife , U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords , was among 19 people shot in Arizona during a political event . Giffords is going through rehabilitation in Houston as she recovers from a gunshot wound to the head . During a news conference , Kelly said his wife would attend his launch . `` I pray that he is absolutely correct , '' Bolden said , `` because for all in the NASA family , who have been praying with him ever since that Saturday , and all of us who love her and him , It would be just tremendous , it would be tremendous for the nation . It would give everybody a big boost . '' But with those launches , the nation is seeing an end to its only means of putting humans in space . It is also seeing an end to a program that caught the public 's attention nearly 30 years ago , with the launch on April 12 , 1981 , of the shuttle Columbia on the program 's first mission . Bolden hopes that at least two commercial space companies will emerge to transport astronauts to the International Space Station . This will allow NASA to concentrate on building a new heavy-lift rocket capable of leaving lower Earth orbit . There had been concern whether the space agency would have enough money to develop this vehicle . Bolden said the money is there to build a vehicle that will evolve over time . `` When I say we are not going to do things the way we used to , we 're not building the world 's heaviest , biggest rocket right out of the chute . It 's going to take us ... a decade or so to get to the point that we have the final vehicle that is going to take the first humans to Mars , '' said Bolden . The White House has said it wants humans on Mars by the mid-2030s . Right now , Bolden says his priority is flying these last three shuttle missions and bringing the astronauts home safely .
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NASA 's space shuttle program has three missions left . NASA administrator Bolden looks to commercial companies for future space transport . NASA will focus on a new heavy-lift rocket . That rocket could `` take the first humans to Mars , '' says Bolden .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One of the most popular singers of the 1950s , Eddie Fisher , has died . He was 82 . Fisher died of complications from hip surgery Wednesday , his family said . `` Late last evening the world lost a true America icon . Eddie Fisher , 82 , one of the greatest voices of the century passed away in Berkeley , CA due to complications and a decline in health from a recent hip surgery , '' his family members said in a statement . `` He was loved and will be missed by his four children : Carrie , Todd , Joely , and Tricia Leigh as well as his six grandchildren . He was an extraordinary talent . '' Eddie Fisher : His life and times . Although Fisher sold millions of records and had his own television show , his biggest claim to fame may be his high-profile marriages to Hollywood starlets Debbie Reynolds , Elizabeth Taylor and Connie Stevens -- all of which ended in divorce . The marriage of Eddie Fisher and Elizabeth Taylor . He had two more marriages after that . Fisher also co-starred in the films `` Bundle of Joy '' and `` Butterfield 8 '' . Among his four children , Carrie Fisher and Joely Fisher were actresses . Fisher has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , one for recording and the other for TV . Carrie Fisher said recently on the micro-blogging website Twitter that her father had just undergone hip surgery .
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He died from hip surgery complications , family says . He is best known for marriages to celebrities , including Debbie Reynolds and Elizabeth Taylor . He is also the father of actress Carrie Fisher .
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Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- State Department analysts raised questions about the psychological state and health of Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner , according to a December 2009 cable recently published by WikiLeaks . The analysts were curious about the `` interpersonal dynamics '' of the president and her husband Nestor Kirchner , who was also his wife 's immediate predecessor as president . The cable , which was sent from the secretary of state 's office and signed by Hillary Clinton , said that the analysts had `` a much more solid understanding of Nestor Kirchner 's style and personality than we do of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner , '' and wanted to develop `` a more well-rounded view '' of the then-president 's personality . Among the questions put to the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires was a series about President Fernandez de Kirchner 's mental state and health : how she managed her nerves and anxiety , how stress affected her behavior toward advisers and decision-making , whether she was on medications , and how she calmed down when distressed . The cable also asked about President Fernandez de Kirchner 's approach to dealing with problems , and whether she shared her husband 's `` adversarial view of politics . '' It also asked about how the Argentine first couple divided up their day and on what issues each of them took the lead or deferred to the other . The 2009 cable also asked about the health of former President Kirchner . He died of an apparent heart attack in October . President Fernandez de Kirchner was elected to office in October of 2007 , at the same time then-Sen . and former first lady Clinton was seeking the Democratic nomination for the 2008 presidential election in the United States .
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WikiLeaks published a 2009 State Department cable about Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner . U.S. analysts were seeking `` a more well-rounded view '' of her personality . Fernandez de Kirchner was elected president of Argentina in 2007 .
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Top seed Roger Federer has progressed to the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships with a straight-sets win over Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky . The Swiss world No. 2 won 6-3 6-4 and will on Friday play Richard Gasquet , who beat fellow Frenchman Gilles Simon 5-7 6-2 6-4 in the closing last-eight tie . Federer is seeking his fifth victory in the Emirate , having won the title three years in a row from 2003 . `` At the end of the day , you want to give yourself chances to win the trophy , and that 's what I 'm doing , '' he told the ATP website on Thursday . `` I think I did n't have any completely easy matches here . I 've always had to be very focused . '' In the other half of the draw , world No. 3 Novak Djokovic remained on course for a third successive title in Dubai after coming from behind to beat Germany 's Florian Mayer . The Serbian second seed trailed 38-ranked Mayer 3-5 in the opening set of their quarterfinal , before going on to win 10 out of the next 11 games to wrap up a 7-5 6-1 victory and book a semifinal against Czech third seed Tomas Berdych . Calendar of the court : The six seasons of the tennis year . `` It was a very slow start , I was making lots of unforced errors . But when I needed to play well and needed to keep the ball in the court I did , '' the 23-year-old said . It is the second match in a row that the Australian Open champion has been forced to work hard for a win , after he was pushed to three sets by Spain 's Feliciano Lopez in their fourth-round encounter . World No. 7 Berdych defeated Germany 's Philipp Petzschner in straight sets , saving six break-points on his way to a 7-5 6-4 win . The 2010 Wimbledon runner-up is yet to drop a set at this week 's hard-court tournament . At the WTA hard-court event in Doha , newly-crowned women 's No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki continued her good run of form with an impressive 6-2 6-0 quarterfinal win over Italy 's Flavia Pennetta in the Qatar Ladies ' Open on Thursday . The 20-year-old Dane , who won 12 consecutive games after dropping the first two , will play Marion Bartoli of France for a place in the final . France 's former Wimbledon finalist eased past China 's Peng Shuai 6-2 6-2 . Russian second seed Vera Zvonareva battled into the last four with a 7-5 6-7 -LRB- 5-7 -RRB- 7-5 win over Slovakia 's Daniela Hantuchova . Zvonareva , runner-up in 2008 when the event was last held , will next face Serbian fifth seed Jelena Jankovic -- who won 6-2 6-4 against Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic , a `` lucky loser '' entrant into the main draw . Meanwhile , world No. 11 Mikhail Youzhny -- a semifinalist at last week 's ATP Marseille Open -- has announced his retirement from Russia 's Davis Cup team . The 28-year-old Youzhny , who was part of the Russian team who beat France to win the men 's team competition in 2002 , said it was time for the country 's younger players to take over . Former world No. 3 Nikolay Davydenko has also made himself unavailable for Russia 's World Group tie against Sweden on March 4-6 , and the team will instead be led by 76th-ranked Teimuraz Gabashvili .
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World No. 2 Roger Federer beats Sergiy Stakhovsky to make Dubai semifinals . Four-time Dubai champion will play France 's Richard Gasquet on Friday . Two-time defending champion Novak Djokovic faces Tomas Berdych in last four . Women 's No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki through to semifinals at WTA event in Doha .
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-LRB- Mashable -RRB- -- Napster co-founder and Facebook founding president Sean Parker lashed out at the movie `` The Social Network '' at a conference in Europe Sunday , calling it `` a complete work of fiction . '' As you can see in this video -LRB- skip to 5:20 -RRB- , Parker admires the production values of the film , but objects to the way his character was portrayed . He particularly dislikes the scene where he writes a check to Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin : . `` The part of the movie that frustrated me is actually the scene at the end where the character played by Justin Timberlake -- who happens to have my name -- basically writes a check to Eduardo -- who I 'm also , I consider Eduardo a friend of mine , and I 'm one of the few people at Facebook who still interacts with Eduardo -- and throws it in his face and has security escort him out of the building . `` And I mean , that 's just rude . This guy in the movie is a morally reprehensible human being . '' Parker made the remarks in an on-stage interview at the DLD Conference 2011 in Munich , which started Sunday . In an interview with Mashable three months ago , Zuckerberg would n't say whether he liked the film or not , but thought its audience size was minuscule compared with Facebook 's : `` We build products that 500 million people see ... If 5 million people see a movie , it does n't really matter that much . '' © 2010 MASHABLE.com . All rights reserved .
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Sean Parker is the Napster founder and Facebook founding president . Parker lashes out at the movie `` The Social Network '' at a European conference . Parker admires production values , but objects to the way his character was portrayed .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Borussia Dortmund moved a big step closer to a first German Bundesliga title in nine years on Saturday with a historic 3-1 victory over defending champions Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena . Jurgen Klopp 's team moved 13 points clear of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen , who visit Werder Bremen on Sunday , and 16 ahead of Bayern -- who lost at home to Dortmund for the first time in 20 years . Louis van Gaal 's team dropped to fourth after the home defeat , occupying Germany 's final Champions League position for next season with 10 rounds to play . Paraguay striker Lucas Barrios opened the scoring in the ninth minute with his 11th goal of the season after Bayern midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger lost posesssion to Kevin Grosskreutz , who threaded a perfect pass into the penalty area . Welcome win for struggling Wolfsburg . Brazilian defender Luis Gustavo equalized seven minutes later with his first goal for Bayern since arriving from Hoffenheim in January , sidefooting in a volley from Franck Ribery 's corner . Dortmund immediately went back in front through a wonderful effort from Turkey midfielder Nuri Sahin , who curled a 20-yard left-foot shot past goalkeeper Thomas Kraft . Bundesliga top scorer Mario Gomez thought he had leveled again in the 20th minute , but the striker was ruled to be offside . Former Bayern defender Mats Hummels sealed the Westphalian team 's victory with a header from Mario Gotze 's corner on the hour mark . With 15 minutes left , Dortmund 's 22-year-old Australian keeper Mitchell Langerak capped a solid Bundesliga debut when he denied Germany international Gomez from close range . Hanover claimed third place after central defender Christian Schulz 's last-gasp header was enough to see off St. Pauli . The 27-year-old converted from Portuguese winger Sergio Pinto 's 87th-minute corner to put Mirko Slomka 's team two points ahead of Bayern , . Mainz remained in fifth place after also needing a late goal to snatch all three points away to Hoffenheim . Former Austria midfielder Andreas Ivanschitz put the visitors in front before his compatriot David Alaba looked to have rescued a draw for ninth-placed Hoffenheim in the 84th minute . But with just four minutes left , 30-year-old Colombian midfielder Elkin Soto secured victory for Thomas Tuchel 's Mainz with his second league goal of the season . Germany international Lukas Podolski scored an 88th-minute winner to help Cologne beat SC Freiburg and climb into 11th position , eight points behind their opponents . Sixth-placed Hamburg could only manage a 1-1 draw away to relegation-threatened Kaiserslautern . Marco Kurz 's Kaiserslautern drew first blood through Adam Hlousek 's first-half goal , but Marcell Jansen 's leveler for Armin Veh 's Hamburg left the home team in 15th position and above the relegation play-off place on goal difference . Schalke 's disappointing Bundesliga season continued with a 1-1 draw at home to Nuremberg . Nuremberg , currently eighth in the table , took the lead through Jens Hegeler , only for former Real Madrid and Spain striker Raul to equalize after 52 minutes .
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Borussia Dortmund record first win away to Bayern Munich since 1991 . The 3-1 victory leaves Jurgen Klopp 's team 13 points clear at the top of the table . Hanover move up to third above Bayern after a last-gasp 2-1 triumph at St. Pauli . Second-placed Bayer Leverkusen will travel to Werder Bremen on Sunday .
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Gore , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Duncan Shropshire stops at the edge of the treeline , where the meadow becomes a forest . His yellow linen shirt is misbuttoned and crooked , leaving the bottom of his belly slightly exposed . His 8-year-old daughter , Mia-Grace , stands a foot or so behind him , wiping her runny nose with the sleeve of her blue sweatshirt . After about a minute , she lets out a sigh of boredom . Shropshire , 51 , clasps his daughter 's hand and begins leading her into the Northwest Georgia forest . `` This is where your ancestors are buried , back here , '' Shropshire says . `` C'mon , I 'll show you . '' And with a loving tug , Duncan Shropshire shares with his daughter a key piece of their family 's history . Still holding hands , the pair weaves through the maze of thin pines , stepping over fallen oaks and basketball-sized sinkholes . Mia-Grace stays silent while her father seems singularly focused on moving forward . After five minutes , they reach a large clearing where rows of fist-sized rocks bulge out of the ground . Each rock sits atop small depressions in the ground . `` You see those humps in the ground ? '' Shropshire asks . `` Uh-huh , '' Mia-Grace replies . `` Those are rows of graves . They 're stacked like spoons here , '' Shropshire says . `` There was a lot of people here . People of the 1800s are buried here . And I 'm trying to keep it in your memory the way granddaddy kept it in mine so it wo n't be forgotten . '' The two crouch over a large , flat rock with the words `` Lewis Dickson , 4 '' scratched into it . To the left of the marker is a row of 12 rocks . To the front , there are four other rows of stones , varying in number . `` How long did they bury our kin here ? '' Mia-Grace asks . `` They started in the early 1800s , baby , '' Shropshire answers . `` They worked our people to death here . They were slaves . And probably about 1905 is when they stopped burying in this area . Your great-great-great grandfather , a -LRB- slave-owning -RRB- man named Wesley , he had five children by this slave woman , your great-great-great grandmother . She is buried over here on this side . Her name is Molly . '' Mia-Grace 's light green eyes get big . `` I 'm worried I might step on them , '' she says . `` Oh , baby , '' Shropshire says with a laugh , `` they 're gone . They 're gone ! They 're sleeping right now , waiting for the Lord to come . '' A `` rare '' and `` special '' place . The Shropshire gravesite is in the Appalachian foothills outside Gore , Georgia . About 1,000 feet from the clearing is an old , abandoned church on a dusty dirt road . Experts say that if slaves or former slaves are buried at the site , it would be a unique archeological find . `` In Appalachia , it would be extremely rare to have a black or slave graveyard , '' explained Ruth Little , co-author of `` Sticks and Stones : Three Centuries of North Carolina Gravemarkers . '' `` The farms in Appalachia were small , and there were fewer slaves . '' Little says slave cemeteries in the area would have been marked with field stones , like the rocks at the site , or wooden stakes that burned down . `` It 's very regional and very local , '' Little continued . `` I 've seen on the coastal area with graves marked with seashells . '' Other grave markers used in black burial cites throughout the Southeast include iron pipes , broken dishes , cups , bottles and live cedar trees , according to Chicora Foundation Executive Director Michael Trinkley . He specializes in cemetery preservation . `` The problem with preserving these types of sites is that African-American cemeteries are hard to find , '' Trinkley said . `` You can think of the people buried there as the invisible dead . And not knowing where they are , or how many there are , makes them susceptible to loss . '' Even if gravesites are recognized , they still might be destroyed for development . Trinkley points to the low country of South Carolina . `` The areas that were used for burial grounds , '' Trinkley explained , `` those areas were close to water . They were considered waste areas , places where burying slaves was n't a significant loss to the planter . Those areas today are among the most sought-after for real estate . '' Officials in Chattooga County , where the site is located , say that they are unaware of any grave sites in the hills near Gore and that the site needs to be registered with the library as a cemetery before it can be considered for protection through local ordinances . Trinkley and Little both say the potential historical importance of grave sites warrant investigation by local or state officials . `` What if in that grave was your mother or your child ? '' Trinkley asked . `` It 's an issue of respect and an issue of dignity . It 's the last decision society and the individual make together . '' `` There are n't many traceable slave graveyards , and each one is special in it 's own way , '' Little added . She says the Shropshire family can point to that spot and say , `` This is where we 're from ; this is where our roots are . '' Two cemeteries for two ancestors . Shortly before sunset , Mia-Grace and Duncan Shropshire head over to an old white cemetery about a mile from the forest gravesite . The dates on the gravestones suggest that it was used around the same time as the forest cemetery . There , Shropshire and Mia-Grace walk over to a marble headstone that tops 10 feet . In front of it is a small plastic Confederate flag flapping in the breeze . `` This is Wesley Weatherspoon Shropshire . ... He was one of the colonels in the Civil War for the Confederacy , '' Shropshire says . `` He had five children by way of a slave he owned by the name of Molly . '' `` My great-great grandmother ? '' Mia-Grace asks . `` Your great-great-great grandmother , '' Shropshire corrects her . He turns to point toward another grave site when Mia-Grace notices her father 's misbuttoned shirt . She stops him mid-sentence and begins to fix the crooked buttons . `` Why is Molly buried over there and Wesley over here ? '' she asks . `` Because that 's the way it was , Mia , '' Shropshire answers . Mia-Grace 's face is filled with intense concentration as she tries to undo the bottom button on her father 's shirt . Finally , she pries the button free . She looks up at her father and says assuredly , `` But people are people . It does n't matter what they are . They 're all the same . '' `` That 's a good thing to think , but back then it was n't like that , Mia , '' Shropshire tells her . `` The dark-skinned people were buried way back over yonder , and the light-skinned people were buried here . '' Mia-Grace finally fixes her father 's shirt , leaving it straight . Then , she skips over to the other end of the cemetery . Shropshire watches her race across the lot . `` You ca n't do well in life if you do n't know your history . Without your history , you 're nothing , '' he says . Mia-Grace playfully hides behind a large headstone , calling for her daddy to chase her . A quarter-way toward her , he stops , turns around and yells back , `` I reckon she 'll be buried wherever she wants to . ''
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Duncan Shropshire takes daughter Mia-Grave to see where ancestors are buried . The family grave dates to the 1800s , Shropshire says . Gravemarkers used in black burial sites include iron pipes , broken dishes , trees . People were buried in different parts of the cemetery based on skin color , Shropshire explains .
|
[[522, 576], [1332, 1369], [3297, 3441]]
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-LRB- RollingStone.com -RRB- -- U2 have been announced as the headliner for the first night of the 2011 Glastonbury festival , one of the world 's largest outdoor music events . The band will join Coldplay and Beyoncé at the top of the festival 's bill , which will take place June 24th-26th in Somerset , England . Rolling Stone : Three decades of U2 . U2 were originally scheduled to perform at last year 's Glastonbury festival but had to drop out when Bono injured his back . Gorillaz were brought on as a last-minute replacement headliner . Rolling Stone : US 's magazine covers . U2 's Glastonbury performance will fall in the middle of the next American leg of their 360 stadium tour . Given that they would need to bring their elaborate production overseas and back again in the span of a couple days , it seems safe to say that the band will be abandoning their 360 stage for this performance . In other U2 news , an early song written by the band when they were known as the Hype will appear on the soundtrack to `` Killing Bono , '' a comedy film about the two members of the Hype who did not go on to join U2 . The song , `` Street Mission , '' has been bootlegged by U2 fans for years . Copyright © 2010 Rolling Stone .
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Glastonbury Festival is one of the world 's largest outdoor music events . U2 originally scheduled to perform at last year 's Glastonbury festival but did n't . Seems safe to say the band will be abandoning their 360 stage for this performance .
|
[[354, 430], [811, 903]]
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Gore , Georgia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Duncan Shropshire stops at the edge of the treeline , where the meadow becomes a forest . His yellow linen shirt is misbuttoned and crooked , leaving the bottom of his belly slightly exposed . His 8-year-old daughter , Mia-Grace , stands a foot or so behind him , wiping her runny nose with the sleeve of her blue sweatshirt . After about a minute , she lets out a sigh of boredom . Shropshire , 51 , clasps his daughter 's hand and begins leading her into the Northwest Georgia forest . `` This is where your ancestors are buried , back here , '' Shropshire says . `` C'mon , I 'll show you . '' And with a loving tug , Duncan Shropshire shares with his daughter a key piece of their family 's history . Still holding hands , the pair weaves through the maze of thin pines , stepping over fallen oaks and basketball-sized sinkholes . Mia-Grace stays silent while her father seems singularly focused on moving forward . After five minutes , they reach a large clearing where rows of fist-sized rocks bulge out of the ground . Each rock sits atop small depressions in the ground . `` You see those humps in the ground ? '' Shropshire asks . `` Uh-huh , '' Mia-Grace replies . `` Those are rows of graves . They 're stacked like spoons here , '' Shropshire says . `` There was a lot of people here . People of the 1800s are buried here . And I 'm trying to keep it in your memory the way granddaddy kept it in mine so it wo n't be forgotten . '' The two crouch over a large , flat rock with the words `` Lewis Dickson , 4 '' scratched into it . To the left of the marker is a row of 12 rocks . To the front , there are four other rows of stones , varying in number . `` How long did they bury our kin here ? '' Mia-Grace asks . `` They started in the early 1800s , baby , '' Shropshire answers . `` They worked our people to death here . They were slaves . And probably about 1905 is when they stopped burying in this area . Your great-great-great grandfather , a -LRB- slave-owning -RRB- man named Wesley , he had five children by this slave woman , your great-great-great grandmother . She is buried over here on this side . Her name is Molly . '' Mia-Grace 's light green eyes get big . `` I 'm worried I might step on them , '' she says . `` Oh , baby , '' Shropshire says with a laugh , `` they 're gone . They 're gone ! They 're sleeping right now , waiting for the Lord to come . '' A `` rare '' and `` special '' place . The Shropshire gravesite is in the Appalachian foothills outside Gore , Georgia . About 1,000 feet from the clearing is an old , abandoned church on a dusty dirt road . Experts say that if slaves or former slaves are buried at the site , it would be a unique archeological find . `` In Appalachia , it would be extremely rare to have a black or slave graveyard , '' explained Ruth Little , co-author of `` Sticks and Stones : Three Centuries of North Carolina Gravemarkers . '' `` The farms in Appalachia were small , and there were fewer slaves . '' Little says slave cemeteries in the area would have been marked with field stones , like the rocks at the site , or wooden stakes that burned down . `` It 's very regional and very local , '' Little continued . `` I 've seen on the coastal area with graves marked with seashells . '' Other grave markers used in black burial cites throughout the Southeast include iron pipes , broken dishes , cups , bottles and live cedar trees , according to Chicora Foundation Executive Director Michael Trinkley . He specializes in cemetery preservation . `` The problem with preserving these types of sites is that African-American cemeteries are hard to find , '' Trinkley said . `` You can think of the people buried there as the invisible dead . And not knowing where they are , or how many there are , makes them susceptible to loss . '' Even if gravesites are recognized , they still might be destroyed for development . Trinkley points to the low country of South Carolina . `` The areas that were used for burial grounds , '' Trinkley explained , `` those areas were close to water . They were considered waste areas , places where burying slaves was n't a significant loss to the planter . Those areas today are among the most sought-after for real estate . '' Officials in Chattooga County , where the site is located , say that they are unaware of any grave sites in the hills near Gore and that the site needs to be registered with the library as a cemetery before it can be considered for protection through local ordinances . Trinkley and Little both say the potential historical importance of grave sites warrant investigation by local or state officials . `` What if in that grave was your mother or your child ? '' Trinkley asked . `` It 's an issue of respect and an issue of dignity . It 's the last decision society and the individual make together . '' `` There are n't many traceable slave graveyards , and each one is special in it 's own way , '' Little added . She says the Shropshire family can point to that spot and say , `` This is where we 're from ; this is where our roots are . '' Two cemeteries for two ancestors . Shortly before sunset , Mia-Grace and Duncan Shropshire head over to an old white cemetery about a mile from the forest gravesite . The dates on the gravestones suggest that it was used around the same time as the forest cemetery . There , Shropshire and Mia-Grace walk over to a marble headstone that tops 10 feet . In front of it is a small plastic Confederate flag flapping in the breeze . `` This is Wesley Weatherspoon Shropshire . ... He was one of the colonels in the Civil War for the Confederacy , '' Shropshire says . `` He had five children by way of a slave he owned by the name of Molly . '' `` My great-great grandmother ? '' Mia-Grace asks . `` Your great-great-great grandmother , '' Shropshire corrects her . He turns to point toward another grave site when Mia-Grace notices her father 's misbuttoned shirt . She stops him mid-sentence and begins to fix the crooked buttons . `` Why is Molly buried over there and Wesley over here ? '' she asks . `` Because that 's the way it was , Mia , '' Shropshire answers . Mia-Grace 's face is filled with intense concentration as she tries to undo the bottom button on her father 's shirt . Finally , she pries the button free . She looks up at her father and says assuredly , `` But people are people . It does n't matter what they are . They 're all the same . '' `` That 's a good thing to think , but back then it was n't like that , Mia , '' Shropshire tells her . `` The dark-skinned people were buried way back over yonder , and the light-skinned people were buried here . '' Mia-Grace finally fixes her father 's shirt , leaving it straight . Then , she skips over to the other end of the cemetery . Shropshire watches her race across the lot . `` You ca n't do well in life if you do n't know your history . Without your history , you 're nothing , '' he says . Mia-Grace playfully hides behind a large headstone , calling for her daddy to chase her . A quarter-way toward her , he stops , turns around and yells back , `` I reckon she 'll be buried wherever she wants to . ''
|
Duncan Shropshire takes daughter Mia-Grave to see where ancestors are buried . The family grave dates to the 1800s , Shropshire says . Gravemarkers used in black burial sites include iron pipes , broken dishes , trees . People were buried in different parts of the cemetery based on skin color , Shropshire explains .
|
[[522, 576], [1332, 1369], [3297, 3441]]
|
Ciudad Juarez , Mexico -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A brazen daylight shooting in Ciudad Juarez , Mexico , on Monday afternoon left four people dead and injured two others , including a 5-year-old boy , a Juarez municipal police spokesman told CNN . Among the dead was a 10-year-old who was nearly decapitated by projectiles from the high-caliber weapon used in the attack , spokesman Adrian Sanchez said . The 5-year-old and the other injured person , 16 , were taken to a local hospital where they were being treated for their injuries , police said . Witnesses said an armed man approached their vehicle while it was stopped and opened fire , according to journalist Arturo Chacon . There was no motive for the attack , Sanchez said . Images from the scene showed a white sedan the victims were driving in when they were attacked . The car 's side windows were broken and large bullet holes peppered the body of the car . On Sunday , five men were shot and killed at a bar in Juarez , and three others were injured . There are no suspects in either incident . The police offered no other details when asked about the shooting . `` There are no reasons why some days the violence is high and some days the deaths are low in number . This is an ongoing war . It is impossible to try and justify why these things happen here , '' Sanchez said . Journalist Arturo Chacon contributed to this report .
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Armed man shoots into stopped car , witnesses say . Boy among the victims in Ciudad Juarez . Police say there was no motive .
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[[544, 602], [559, 633], [676, 710]]
|
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Severe weather descended on the Southeast Monday , killing at least one person , reducing homes to rubble and leaving drivers stranded in flooded streets as the storm system moved northward up the East Coast . One man was killed in Tennessee after being pinned by a trailer that was lifted by strong winds , said Sgt. Chris Guess , a spokesman for the Franklin County Sheriff 's Office . A woman in the home was taken to a hospital with back and leg injuries , he said . The winds also downed trees and caused significant damage in the northern part of the county , northwest of Chattanooga , Guess said , adding that the sheriff 's office could not yet confirm whether the destruction was due to a tornado . In neighboring Hamilton County , as many as five buildings and several cars sustained damage from high winds , said Bill Tittle , the county 's emergency management chief . About 37,000 homes and businesses were without power in the Chattanooga area as of 3 p.m. , Lacie Newton of Electric Power Board told CNN affiliate WTVC . Also Monday , two tornadoes touched down in Kentucky , officials said . In Henry County , the twister leveled two homes , leaving nothing behind but foundation and concrete , according to Michael Webb , public information officer for the state police in Campbellsburg , Kentucky . Three people were asleep in one home when it started `` breaking apart , '' Webb said . The residents tried to escape the twister 's fury by running from their home to their car , but the car was blown several feet from its parked position and overturned before it slammed into a tree with all three people inside , Webb said . First responders found everyone doing OK when they arrived on the scene , Webb said . Two people in the second home destroyed by the tornado sustained minor injuries from the storm and were treated at a local hospital , he said . Forecasters are warning other states to be on the lookout for damaging winds . Tornado watches remain in effect from Mississippi northeastward through northern Alabama , eastern Tennessee , southwestern and central Virginia and central and eastern Maryland through Monday evening , according to CNN meteorologist Sean Morris . High winds to the east did n't produce any tornadoes , but were strong enough to knock down power lines and damage road signs in St. Louis . The winds that ripped through the state were accompanied by heavy rains that left motorists stuck in their cars on flooded streets in Kansas City , Missouri . To the north , in Ohio , Illinois and Indiana , the scene was similar . Widespread flooding was expected in Indiana and Ohio Monday afternoon , Morris said . Much of the area has seen 2 to 5 inches of rain in the past week , he said . The rising water flooded streets and businesses in and around Cleveland , where a flash-flood warning was issued Monday morning after an operator at Gates Mill Dam on the Chagrin River in Cuyahoga and Lake counties reported that the dam burst . Officials said the river , which was already experiencing major flooding , could rise even more . The raging water from the dam flowed downstream into portions of Willoughby Hills , Willoughby and Eastlake . The rushing water submerged streets and flooded homes . Residents stranded by the high water were being rescued from their homes Monday evening , video from CNN affiliate WBNS showed . Larry Greene , with the Lake County Emergency Management Agency , told CNN affiliate WOIO that property and structure damage estimates wo n't be available until the water starts to recede , but no injuries were reported from the dam failure . A slight risk of severe thunderstorms continues for portions of middle and eastern Tennessee , northern Alabama , Georgia and as far as western North Carolina . Tornado warnings were issued Monday afternoon and into the evening for the Atlanta metro area as heavy rains and wind moved into the region , according to the National Weather Service . Downed trees were reported in Acworth , about 30 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta . Those thunderstorms could also affect the lower Mississippi Valley east and northeastward to the mid-Atlantic and southeastern Atlantic coasts . Forecasters say a cold front was surging eastward across the area , triggering severe storms and bringing additional rain to Tennessee and Kentucky where flood watches remain in effect through Thursday evening . CNN 's Dave Alsup and Tristan Smith contributed to this report .
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At least one death has been reported from the storm system . Two tornadoes were confirmed in Kentucky . Several states have seen 2 to 5 inches of rain in past week , forecasters say . An operator reports a complete dam failure along the Chagrin River in Ohio .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- He told them it was a good day to die so they could be born again . `` You 're not going to die , '' self-help author and speaker James Arthur Ray told participants in the sweat lodge that day , they later recalled . `` You may think you are , but you 're not going to die ... You need to surrender to death to survive it . '' The sweat lodge ceremony , the culmination of a five-day retreat in Sedona , Arizona , was meant to be a `` rebirthing . '' But by the end of that day , October 8 , 2009 , two people had died . A third died nine days later , and -- authorities allege -- at least 15 others fell ill . Ray , 53 , is charged with three counts of reckless manslaughter in the deaths and could face up to 10 years in prison on each if convicted . Opening statements are set to begin in his trial Tuesday . Prosecutors claim Ray was reckless in the way he conducted the sweat lodge ceremony at the Angel Valley Retreat Center , and heated the lodge -- made of willow trees and branches , and covered with tarpaulins and blankets -- to a perilously high temperature , causing the participants to suffer dehydration and heat stroke . Ray 's defense attorneys maintain the deaths were a tragic accident and said he took precautions to forestall harm to the sweat lodge participants , including positioning a nurse and several employees and volunteers trained in CPR outside the sweat lodge and making water , oranges , watermelon and fluids available to participants . `` We do not seek to minimize the tragedy of the sweat lodge deaths , '' said a December 2009 letter to prosecutors from defense attorney Luis Li . `` But these deaths were not the result of criminal conduct . Mr. Ray and his team relied on Angel Valley to provide a safe environment , warned people of the risks , did not force people to participate , did not prevent them from leaving , and did everything they could to prepare for any problems and to assist when problems arose . '' In addition , Ray encouraged participants to hydrate throughout the retreat and warned them the sweat lodge would be very hot , Li wrote . Participants signed a release form saying that the retreat activities could include a sweat lodge with enclosed spaces and high temperatures , according to the letter . At least 16 people came out of the sweat lodge at various points before the ceremony 's conclusion , Li said , and about five of them went back in . Kirby Brown , 38 , of Westtown , New York , and James Shore , 40 , of Milwaukee , died on October 8 . Lizbeth Marie Neuman , 49 , of Prior Lake , Minnesota , died on October 17 . The sweat lodge ceremony consisted of eight rounds , with each round lasting 10 to 15 minutes . While they were not prevented from leaving , participants have said they were encouraged to wait until the breaks between rounds . In interviews with authorities , some participants recounted feeling distress in the first few rounds . Later , they told police , people began to pass out , others began to vomit and still others went into shock . Some were encouraged to lie down in the dirt to seek relief from the heat . '' -LRB- Ray -RRB- knew that people were in trouble , '' Tom McFeeley , Brown 's cousin , told HLN 's Jane Velez-Mitchell on Monday . `` Those calls for help were ignored . '' The scene inside the lodge became chaotic and nightmarish , participants recounted . Those who had lost consciousness were dragged out between rounds , participants said . One man stumbled into the middle of the lodge and into the hot rocks , burning his hand . Brown reportedly was one of those who encouraged others to stick it out in the sweat lodge . Shore helped a woman out of the sweat lodge between the sixth and seventh rounds before returning to complete the ceremony , witnesses said . Neuman apparently was asked by those around her if she wanted to leave the ceremony , but said no . She never regained consciousness after its conclusion . Neuman died from `` multisystem organ failure due to hyperthermia due to prolonged sweat lodge exposure , '' her autopsy report said . Brown and Shore both died from heat stroke , a medical examiner concluded . All three deaths were ruled accidental . However , a Yapavai County grand jury indicted Ray one day after the medical examiners issued their reports . Participant Sandy Andretti said she had to be carried out . `` She said she was dizzy and could n't function after they hosed her down , and then she went into shock and started shaking , '' said a police incident report . '' ... Sandy told me when she came out , she did n't care about herself because she was seeing other people in distress and throwing up , and she felt she needed to help them . '' Ray had conducted the Spiritual Warrior Retreat for six years at a cost of about $ 10,000 to participants . The sweat lodge , 5 feet tall and 23 feet wide , was built to accommodate up to about 75 people . There was a pit in the center where heated rocks were placed . Ray poured water over them to create steam . Prosecutors maintain that Ray psychologically pressured participants to remain in the lodge even when they were n't feeling well , contributing to their deaths . `` You ca n't walk out when you 're in an altered state . You ca n't walk out when your capacity to make decisions is taken away from you , '' said McFeeley , Brown 's cousin . `` Everything conducted that week was to make sure people fell in line ... Their ability to make rational decisions was taken away from them . '' Defense attorneys dispute that . Liu wrote in the 2009 letter that Ray `` did not lead or pressure participants into making a choice they otherwise would not have made . This was a five-day retreat , not a cult . The JRI -LRB- James Ray International , Ray 's company -RRB- philosophy is a practical approach to creating a successful life , not a religious practice . '' Beth Karas of `` In Session '' contributed to this report .
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NEW : A relative says victims ' `` ability to make rational decisions was taken away '' James Arthur Ray is charged with three counts of reckless manslaughter . His attorneys maintain the deaths were accidental . Prosecutors say Ray heated the lodge to dangerous temperatures .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Yemen 's main opposition bloc on Monday rejected President Ali Abdullah Saleh 's call to form a unity government to rule until elections to replace him , saying its goal is simply `` the fall of the regime . '' `` The opposition will not enter a unity government with the ruling party and will stand with the demands of the people , '' said Mohammed Al-Qubati , the spokesman for the Joint Meeting Parties . Saleh is under increasing pressure to resign from youth groups , opposition leaders and even members of his own powerful tribal group , all of whom have called for demonstrations Tuesday against his continued rule . Saleh met Monday with Muslim scholars and members of opposition groups to discuss the possibility of forming a coaltion government that would rule until elections to replace him , according to two Yemeni government sources . But the sources said no agreement had been reached and none was expected on Monday . On Saturday , leaders of two prominent tribal groups , the Hashid-dominated National Solidarity Council and the Baqil tribe , said they would send members to join the protests calling for Saleh 's resignation . Saleh is a member of the Hashid tribe . A day later , the Joint Meeting Parties called for demonstrations on Tuesday . That 's the first time it has called on its supporters to take to the streets since February 3 , which had been branded a day of rage -- a common term for the mass protests that have spread across the Middle East and parts of Africa . Opposition to Saleh has solidified in the wake of violent confrontations between security forces and protesters on Friday , when thousands of anti-government protesters demonstrated in Sanaa , Aden and elsewhere . The clashes left four people dead and 26 wounded , according to medical officials . Amnesty International said it had reports that 11 people died in Friday 's protest , bringing the overall death toll since protests began to 27 . On Tuesday , Interior Minister Mutahar al-Masri said that three members of security forces died and 10 were wounded in recent protests , according to the official Saba news agency . Saba , citing an unnamed security source , has previously said the government denied shooting protesters . Saleh did not appear to be wavering in his intention to remain in office . He spoke to military leaders Saturday , saying there was a plot against Yemeni unity and saying protesters in Aden were causing damage out of `` selfishness . '' Saleh has ruled Yemen since 1978 and has promised not to run for re-election in the next round , but protesters have increasingly argued that nothing less than his resignation will be acceptable to them . The country has been roiled by a Shiite Muslim uprising , a U.S.-aided crackdown on al Qaeda operatives and a looming shortage of water . High unemployment fuels much of the anger among a growing young population steeped in poverty . The protesters also cite government corruption and a lack of political freedom . Journalist Hakim Almasmari contributed to this report .
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NEW : 3 security officers killed in recent protests , official news agency reports . Yemen 's main opposition bloc rejects calls for a unity government . President Ali Abdullah Saleh has called for a coalition government to end protests . Opposition groups are calling for demonstrations against Saleh 's rule on Tuesday .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Wednesday to send 2,000 additional troops to Ivory Coast , bringing the total mission there to more than 11,000 troops and police . The vote originally had been scheduled for Tuesday , but Security Council diplomats said it was delayed because Russia had objections to the `` political '' language in the draft resolution . U.N. officials requested up to 2,000 more peacekeepers in early January . The political standoff in the country has raised fears of a renewal of the bloodshed suffered after a civil war broke out in 2002 . More than 25,000 Ivorians have fled to neighboring Liberia since the current crisis began , the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees reported last week . Meanwhile , the African Union on Wednesday blamed Ivory Coast 's self-declared president , Laurent Gbagbo , for the failure of talks so far to resolve the crisis in the cocoa-producing West African nation . `` There had been progress in the talks , but Gbagbo went back on his earlier agreement to remove the blockade leading to and from the Golf Hotel where -LRB- President-elect -RRB- Alassane Ouattara is staying , '' said a spokesman for Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga , the AU mediator . `` Gbagbo has to step down to make way for Ouattara , who legitimately won the election , '' said Odinga 's representative , Salim Lone , speaking for the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States . `` The request to remove the blockade was because the AU argued that it 's difficult to have discussions with a prisoner , '' Lone said . Ouattara is holed up in the hotel in Abidjan under the protection of U.N. peacekeepers . The United Nations has blamed Gbagbo 's supporters for a string of attacks on U.N. vehicles and troops in the past week . An independent electoral commission declared Ouattara the winner of the country 's presidential election in November , but Gbagbo , the incumbent , has refused to step aside . Odinga is now leaving Ivory Coast for Ghana , Burkina Faso and Mali . He 'll meet the heads of state of each country to discuss the Ivory Coast crisis , Lone said , denying that Odinga had `` given up on ... finding a solution to the crisis . `` He 's still committed to the African Union and ECOWAS will to first and foremost find a peaceable solution to the crisis . Use of force will be a last resort , '' Lone said . The Economic Community of West African States has threatened to use `` legitimate force '' to remove Gbagbo , who met Monday with African Union mediator Odinga . Gbagbo 's foreign minister , Alcide Djedje , said earlier this month that the peacekeepers are `` complicit with the rebellion '' and that the sitting government has `` no more confidence in the U.N. '' The West African nation was wracked by civil war from 2002 to 2007 , when a settlement left the country divided between north and south . The 2010 elections came with high expectations that they would open a new chapter in the country 's history . CNN 's Lillian Leposo contributed to this report .
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NEW : The United Nations votes to send 2,000 more troops was unanimous . Envoy : The self-declared president reneged on a promise to lift a blockade of his rival . Observers say Alassane Ouattara won the presidential election in November . Incumbent Laurent Gbagbo refuses to step down .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez claims U.S. criticism of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has a clear aim : military invasion . `` Let 's not get carried away by the drums of war , because the United States , I am sure that they are exaggerating and distorting things to justify an invasion , '' Chavez said Monday , according to Venezuelan state media . At a Monday meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva , Switzerland , U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States was exploring `` all possible options , '' and that `` nothing is off the table so long as the Libyan government continues to threaten and kill Libyan citizens . '' Asked at a news conference Monday whether the United States planned an imminent military response in Libya , Clinton said , `` No . '' Speaking Monday in the Venezuelan capital , Caracas , Chavez proposed sending an international committee to Libya to mediate and help develop a peaceful solution to unrest in the North African country . `` Instead of sending Marines and tanks and planes , why do n't we send a goodwill commission to try to help so that they do not continue killing in Libya ? They are our brothers , '' he said in a speech televised on the government-run network . Chavez and Gadhafi have a close relationship , having bonded partly over shared opposition to U.S. global influence . At a lavish Tripoli celebration commemorating 40 years of Gadhafi 's leadership in 2009 , the two leaders sat side by side during a two-hour military parade . That same year , a new football stadium in Benghazi , Libya , was named after the Venezuelan leader . As rumors swirled about Gadhafi and his whereabouts last week , some suggested that he may be en route to Venezuela . Those reports proved to be false ; the Libyan leader later spoke publicly in Tripoli . But the close ties between the two leaders remain strong . On Monday , Chavez said Gadhafi `` has been my friend and our friend for a long time '' in remarks broadcast on Venezuelan state television . `` We must be cautious . We know what our policy is : We do not support invasions , or massacres , or anything , no matter who does it . But there is no doubt that , regarding Libya , a campaign of lies is being woven -- the same that has been woven about Venezuela for a long time , '' he said . The U.N. Security Council over the weekend voted for tough restrictions and possible war crimes charges against the Libyan regime . The Security Council measures -- which include an arms embargo , an asset freeze and travel bans for Gadhafi and members of his family and associates -- also referred the situation unfolding in Libya to the International Criminal Court . White House press secretary Jay Carney said Monday that the U.S. government was considering the possibility of imposing a no-fly zone over Libya . `` Col. Gadhafi and those around him must be held accountable for these acts , which violate international legal obligations and common decency . Through their actions , they have lost the legitimacy to govern , '' Clinton said Monday . `` And the people of Libya have made themselves clear : It is time for Gadhafi to go , now , without further violence or delay . '' CNN 's Nelson Quinones contributed to this report .
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`` Let 's not get carried away by the drums of war , '' Venezuela 's Hugo Chavez says . The Venezuelan leader proposes sending a goodwill commission to mediate in Libya . Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and Chavez have a close relationship . Chavez claims `` a campaign of lies is being woven '' about Libya .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Opening statements are set to begin Tuesday in the trial of self-help author and speaker James Arthur Ray , who is charged with three counts of reckless manslaughter in the death of three people at an Arizona sweat lodge . The trial stems from a well-publicized incident that took place during a ceremony at a five-day retreat in Sedona , Arizona , on October 8 , 2009 . Two people died during the ceremony at Angel Valley Retreat Center . A third died nine days later , and -- authorities allege -- at least 15 others fell ill . Ray could face up to 10 years in prison on each count if convicted . HIs attorney has argued that the author is not to blame for the deaths . `` We do not seek to minimize the tragedy of the sweat lodge deaths , '' said a December 2009 letter to prosecutors from defense attorney Luis Li . `` But these deaths were not the result of criminal conduct . Mr. Ray and his team relied on Angel Valley to provide a safe environment , warned people of the risks , did not force people to participate , did not prevent them from leaving , and did everything they could to prepare for any problems and to assist when problems arose . '' Prosecutors claim Ray , 53 , was reckless and that the lodge -- made of willow trees and branches , and covered with tarpaulins and blankets -- was heated to a perilously high temperature , causing the participants to suffer dehydration and heat stroke . Ray also encouraged participants to hydrate throughout the retreat and warned them the sweat lodge would be very hot , his attorney has said . Participants signed a release form saying that the retreat activities could include a sweat lodge with enclosed spaces and high temperatures , Li said . Kirby Brown , 38 , of Westtown , New York , and James Shore , 40 , of Milwaukee , died on October 8 . Lizbeth Marie Neuman , 49 , of Prior Lake , Minnesota , died on October 17 . The sweat lodge ceremony consisted of eight rounds , with each round lasting 10 to 15 minutes . While they were not prevented from leaving , participants have said they were encouraged to wait until the breaks between rounds . In interviews with authorities , some participants recounted feeling distress in the first few rounds . Later , they told police , people began to pass out , others began to vomit and still others went into shock . Some were encouraged to lie down in the dirt to seek relief from the heat . '' -LRB- Ray -RRB- knew that people were in trouble , '' Tom McFeeley , Brown 's cousin , told HLN 's Jane Velez-Mitchell on Monday . `` Those calls for help were ignored . '' Ray had conducted the Spiritual Warrior Retreat for six years at a cost of about $ 10,000 to participants . The sweat lodge , 5 feet tall and 23 feet wide , was built to accommodate up to 75 people . There was a pit in the center where heated rocks were placed . Ray poured water over them to create steam . Prosecutors maintain that Ray psychologically pressured participants to remain in the lodge even when they were n't feeling well , contributing to their deaths . Defense attorneys dispute that . Li wrote in the 2009 letter that Ray `` did not lead or pressure participants into making a choice they otherwise would not have made . This was a five-day retreat , not a cult . The JRI -LRB- James Ray International , Ray 's company -RRB- philosophy is a practical approach to creating a successful life , not a religious practice . '' -- Beth Karas is a correspondent for `` In Session , '' which airs weekdays 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. ET on CNN 's sister network , truTV .
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James Arthur Ray is charged with three counts of reckless manslaughter . His attorney says the deaths were accidental . Prosecutors say Ray heated the lodge to dangerous temperatures .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Pirates boarded an American yacht off the coast of Oman three days after the boat 's owners split off from the relative safety of a sailing group traversing a dangerous section of the Indian Ocean , according to the group , the Blue Water Rally . The yacht , the S/V Quest , was overtaken by pirates on Friday , according to U.S. officials . Owners Jean and Scott Adam and two other people on board , Phyllis Macay and Bob Riggle , had been traveling with yachts participating in the Blue Water Rally since their departure from Phuket , Thailand , the rally group said Sunday in a statement on its website . But they broke off on February 15 after leaving Mumbai , India , to take a different route , the group said . `` We feel desperately sorry for our four friends onboard and our thoughts are with them and their friends and family , '' the London-based group said in a posting on its website . `` All the yachts still on the rally are fine and well . '' U.S. officials have not identified the people on board the ship , but have confirmed that four U.S. citizens are involved . U.S. officials have made no further comment on the situation since Rear Adm. Charles Gaouette , deputy commander of the U.S. Navy 's Fifth Fleet , said Saturday that the government is evaluating its options . Another U.S. official , who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the situation , said previously that the United States is determining what military assets are in the region and the capabilities of the personnel onboard . The official said that the pirates are believed to be onboard the yacht with the Americans , and the next step would be to determine whether the military could keep the yacht from reaching the shore -- either by blocking or harassing it . The Adams are experienced boaters , having started a world tour in 2004 , and were very much conscious of the threat from pirates , said a friend of the Adams , fellow boater Scott Stolnitz . . Scott Adam said several weeks ago that he was concerned about pirate activity in the area , which he had never visited before , Stolnitz said . But he said Adam was determined to traverse the world himself as opposed to shipping the boat -- as some other yacht owners have done . Stolnitz also said the Adams had also been traveling with others on a `` buddy boat , '' but those people decided not to continue . On their website , the Adams say their mission `` is to allow the power of the Word to transform lives ... -LRB- and -RRB- seek fertile ground for the word and homes for our Bibles . '' But Stolnitz said vigorous evangelism was n't a major emphasis for the couple . `` They use the Bible as an ice breaker , '' he said . The couple posted to their website earlier this year about their travel plans , including a refueling stop in Djibouti , another pirate flash-point . `` Djibouti is a big refueling stop , '' said the post , which is not dated . `` I have no idea what will happen in these ports , but perhaps we 'll do some local touring . '' They also sent out an e-mail several days ago expressing some unease , Stolnitz said . Piracy has flourished off the coast of Somalia , which has not had an effective government for two decades . In April 2009 , pirates seized the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama , leading to a standoff in the Indian Ocean . U.S. forces moved to rescue American Capt. Richard Phillips after seeing a pirate aiming a weapon on his back , officials said at the time . Three pirates were killed and one was arrested . The Somali man arrested was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison . CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr and CNN 's David McKenzie contributed to this report .
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The owners of a yacht taken by pirates on February 18 had been traveling with other boats . The couple stopped traveling with the sailing group three days before they were seized . Two other Americans were traveling with them , the sailing group says .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Heavy fighting between Islamist militants and government forces in Somalia 's capital has left 18 people dead and dozens wounded , medical officials said Sunday . `` The fighting is huge and is marked by heavy exchange of artillery , '' said Ali Musa , a head of a Mogadishu ambulance service . Of the 36 reported wounded , 11 were hurt when an artillery shell hit their bus near Mogadishu 's Bakara Market . The African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia said the fighting centered around attempts to destroy a network of tunnels and trenches that the jihadist movement Al-Shabaab used to move weapons and fighters around the capital . The dead included two peacekeepers and six rebel leaders that the Ugandan-led mission said were linked to al Qaeda . `` The discovery and closure of this tunnel is a major step forward in the stabilization effort in the city , '' the Ugandan-led AMISOM mission said in a statement issued Sunday . AMISOM said the fighting erupted Saturday as Al-Shabaab tried to retake the tunnel network . Somalia 's state-run radio network said 28 rebels were killed in Saturday 's clashes . AMISOM 's communique said foreign fighters have effectively taken over Al-Shabaab . It said five of the six rebel leaders killed in the recent fighting came from countries beyond Somalia -- Yemen , Pakistan , India , Kenya and Syria -- while the nationality of the sixth was unknown . AMISOM , which supports Somalia 's transitional government , said the combined forces now control about 60 percent of the city . But the government has little influence beyond Mogadishu , and Al-Shabaab controls much of southern Somalia . The horn of Africa nation has not had an effective government since Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown two decades ago . Journalist Mohammed Amiin Adow contributed to this report for CNN .
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NEW : AMISOM says 5 of 6 slain rebels were non-Somalis . Ambulance crews report `` huge '' battles in Mogadishu . Peacekeepers claim success in battling Islamist militants .
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Abidjan , Ivory Coast -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ivory Coast security forces loyal to incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo used tear gas and fired into the air to disperse supporters of Alassane Ouattara , authorities said Saturday . Casualties could not be confirmed . The international community has pressed incumbent Gbagbo to relinquish power to Ouattara , who foreign powers say won the election . Hundreds of pro-Quattara supporters gathered on the first day of rallies calling for Gbagbo 's ouster when the security forces moved in , said police Lieutenant Djedje . Ouattara has likened the planned mass protests to those in Egypt . Gbagbo has imposed a curfew until Monday morning . Saturday 's clash occurred 48 hours before the arrival in Abidjan of the five heads of state designated by the African Union to find a `` binding decision '' to the Ivory Coast election standoff . Before traveling to Ivory Coast , the heads of state will first hold a meeting in Mauritania on Sunday . They will review the report by a team of experts , whom they sent early this month in Abidjan to work with the parties at stake in the conflict . Chaired by Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz , the panel includes Jacob Zuma from South Africa , Blaise Compaore from Burkina Faso , Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania and Idriss Deby Itno of Chad . Two leading Ivory Coast banks closed their doors , raising fears that a money shortage will worsen the crisis in the West African nation . Mounting security concerns prompted BICICI and Citibank to suspend operations Monday . Ivory Coast has been in crisis since a late November election that ended in dispute . The political standoff in the country has raised fears of a renewal of the bloodshed suffered after a civil war broke out in 2002 . More than 33,000 people have fled to neighboring Liberia since the crisis began ; 20,000 more have been internally displaced , according to the United Nations .
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Police : Security forces disperse Ouattara supporters . Leaders of African nations will try to end political standoff . Two Ivory Coast banks closed this week .
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Sanaa , Yemen -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thousands of demonstrators , mostly students , lined the streets Friday outside Sanaa University as anti-government protests continued . Anti-government throngs also hit the streets in Aden in southern Yemen , according to eyewitnesses . Eyewitnesses reported that security forces tried to disperse the crowd with tear gas and attacked using batons -- an account authorities disputed . The eyewitnesses said 11 demonstrators in Aden were wounded while one died of gunshot wounds . Authorities insisted no one had been killed . Protests also were reported in the cities of Taiz and Ibb . The protest in Sanaa , the capital , was countered by a pro-government demonstration on Tahrir Square , where thousands waved flags and held up pictures of President Ali Abdullah Saleh . `` We are gathering in support of President Saleh 's initiative and to show the international community that we are with Saleh and that the opposition does not control the streets , '' Interior Ministry spokesman Mohammed Maueri said before the demonstration . Anti-government protesters said they were looking for the regime to end . `` This protest and all the following protests are for the fall of the regime , '' said Noman Saleem , an anti-government demonstrator . `` We will not slow down until it falls . Whether it takes place today or tomorrow , we are patient , and we will wait . '' Hasam Zaid , general-secretary for the opposition Haq party , said the Sanaa University gathering is a `` people 's protest '' that is n't being coordinated by any particular political party . `` We are joining the youth to be among them and not to lead them , '' he said . Saleh has ruled Yemen since 1978 . The country has been wracked by a Shiite Muslim uprising , a U.S.-aided crackdown on al Qaeda operatives and a looming shortage of water . High unemployment has fueled much of the anger among a growing young population steeped in poverty . The protesters also cite government corruption and a lack of political freedom . Saleh has promised not to run for president in the next round of elections , and he has said he supports the creation of a national unity government to oversee upcoming parliamentary elections . But he has refused to step aside immediately . On Monday , he compared the anti-government protests to an illness sweeping through the region . `` This is a virus and is not part of our heritage or the culture of the Yemeni people , '' he told reporters . `` It 's a virus that came from Tunisia to Egypt . And to some regions , the scent of the fever is like influenza . As soon as you sit with someone who is infected , you 'll be infected . ''
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Protests are also reported in Aden , Taiz and Ibb . Government loyalists also come out in Tahrir Square . Opposition supporters are outside at Sanaa University . `` We will not slow down '' until the regime falls , one protester says .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A collaboration between Twitter and CNN during football 's 2010 World Cup in South Africa has landed a top television award for innovation . Tweets soared to a record high during the month-long competition , which was held in Africa for the first time , and in recognition of the new phenomenon , CNN created a data visualization tool to measure the activity . CNN 's Twitter Buzz was an interactive screen which reflected the Twitter traffic on a particular topic , usually a player or a team . The more the topic was tweeted , the bigger the picture on the screen . And there were often surprising results . On the first day of the tournament the word `` Bees '' filled the page , a reference to the unique sound of the vuvuzelas which filled every stadium . South Africa 2010 was the first World Cup to be held since Twitter became one of the leading social media technologies and , at its peak , the interactive processed more than 13,000 tweets a minute when England played the United States in a group match on June 12 . During the tournament , won by Spain , Twitter Buzz handled more than 11 million World Cup-related tweets . The Twitter Buzz page on CNN.com also attracted a large audience with nearly 700,000 hits . In recognition of its success , CNN won the `` Innovative News '' category at the UK 's Royal Televison Society -LRB- RTS -RRB- Awards . The judges recognized that Twitter Buzz had given TV and internet viewers a unique insight into social media activity during the World Cup . `` It is very gratifying to win in the innovation category , which speaks so much to CNN 's commitment to harnessing technology in unique and distinct ways , '' said Tony Maddox , CNN International Managing Director . CNN previously won the same award in 2002 when its satellite telephone technology ushered in a new era of in-the-field newsgathering .
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Twitter collaboration lands CNN honor at prestigious television awards . World Cup Twitter Buzz tracked social media activity during South Africa 2010 . The more a topic was tweeted , the bigger its image on an interactive screen . CNN won `` Innovative News '' category at UK 's Royal Television Society Awards .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sitting in a dark , abandoned sports complex with the constant crack of gunshots and the cries of angry protesters ringing in his head , Mounir Benzegala decided he had to leave the bloodshed in Libya once and for all . The 23-year-old American basketball player had tried several times to get to the airport , but his efforts were repeatedly derailed by mercenaries , soldiers , and bureaucratic red tape . Now safely on a U.S.-chartered ferry bound for Malta with about 300 other passengers -- 167 of them fellow Americans -- Benzegala said Friday he 'll only let himself feel relief when he 's back in the United States . `` There 's so many details I just ca n't get into until I get home and feel safe , but at least I 've made it this far , '' said Benzegala , who had come to Libya only three weeks ago to play on a government-run team backed by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi 's son , Saif . `` I 'm just thankful to be alive , '' he told CNN . `` Just unbelievable . ... Anything could have happened . There was no guarantee I was going to get out safely . '' Even though he 's on his way home to Ohio , he 's still haunted by stories of those he left behind , including a teammate who was held at gunpoint by a mercenary one day as he tried to get to the airport . A Libyan soldier was able to calm the mercenary down , Benzegala said . `` He definitely was in serious danger and probably would have been killed . ... The mercenary was very , very violent and aggressive ; he just looked like he was itching to shoot somebody . '' For Americans Erika and Franz Fearnley , the sound of protests and gunfire that kept getting closer and closer to their neighborhood just outside the Libyan capital ultimately forced them to make a dash for the airport in hopes of leaving the violence behind . `` The crowds sounded as if more and more people were joining in , -LRB- and -RRB- just hearing the gunfire and just knowing that people were probably losing their lives '' finally made them pack up , Erika Fearnley told CNN 's `` Parker-Spitzer '' on Thursday . They and other Americans who have fled Libya 's descent into chaos have harrowing tales of escaping the carnage . As Benzegala ran out of food and money -- living off of a single bowl of spaghetti for the past two days -- he decided he had to take a chance and get to the airport to leave the country . It was a fateful decision by the former University of Tampa star point guard , so used to taking chances on the court but feeling out of his element in a foreign city under siege . As the Fearnleys headed to the airport , they were stopped at a checkpoint manned by soldiers with machine guns , a scene Franz Fearnley described as `` terrifying . '' `` They knocked on the window ... they wanted to see our passports , '' he explained . `` It was scary , '' Erika Fearnley added . Salah Gamoudi , 24 , returned to Oregon on Tuesday from Libya , where the dual citizen was working with Ernst & Young as an auditor of oil companies . As security forces started cracking down on protesters , Gamoudi said he , like other Tripoli residents , became fearful for his life and the lives of his family members . He picked up a baseball bat to use as a weapon , if he needed one ; his neighbors fortified the streets and guarded their homes . At the airport , the scene was one of confusion and disorder , Benzegala and the Fearnleys said . `` The airport was full to capacity . They were not allowing anyone else in , '' said Franz Fearnley , who had been working on a land development project in Libya for the previous month . But `` our -LRB- Libyan -RRB- driver had an uncle at the airport , thank God , and he was able to get us in , but once we got in , you could n't even move '' because it was so crowded , he said . George Sayar , who was in Libya with his Florida-based construction company building roads and bridges , described the airport scene as `` utter chaos . '' `` I would say there was approximately 30-40 ,000 people , most of them without tickets , trying to get into the three entrances to the terminal , '' Sayar told CNN on Friday . `` We pretty much had to push and shove our way through thousands of people , and myself and two of my colleagues finally made it after about three hours of pushing , shoving , and kicking . '' Another contractor who managed a tight escape was Cyrus Sany , who was working as an electrical engineer in Libya for a Virginia-based firm . He said it took him six hours to get from the airport parking lot to the ticket counter . Sany said it was a `` very extreme experience '' that he 'll never forget . Benzegala found himself crushed between the gates and travelers storming to get in after he arrived at the airport . `` I got in a skirmish , actually , trying to calm people down and got pushed to the ground by a guard and when I got up he hit me in the face and there were a couple other guys I saw get hit as well . '' In the end he got a ticket and arrived at the departure area , but that was the end of the line . Immigration officials saw that there was no entrance stamp on his U.S. passport , and refused to let him board his flight , or book a new ticket out . Benzegala is a dual U.S.-Algerian citizen and had used his Algerian passport to enter the country . He said he did n't think twice when he turned the passport over to his agent after getting the entrance stamp . He returned to the abandoned sports complex and managed to call the U.S. Embassy , but officials there would only tell him to keep away from the windows and wait out the violence . He learned about the chartered ferry in talking to CNN , and decided to make a run for it around dawn Wednesday when the fewest number of people were in the streets . Calls to his agent finally got through and his Algerian passport was returned along with a ride out to the port . His teammate , a U.S. resident whose name Benzegala did n't want published for fear of his safety , did n't think he 'd be allowed on the ferry since he was not yet a U.S. citizen . He planned to make another attempt to get to the airport , but his whereabouts are unknown . On board the ferry , Benzegala said people stretched out on the floors to sleep , feeling safe at last . Those awake shared stories about their escape and the violence they had witnessed , but also fears about friends and family left behind . A U.S. Embassy official on board the ship , which was delayed for nearly two days because of high seas , warned Benzegala not to speak to the media before departure , explaining that revealing details about the situation could jeopardize the safety of all those on board . As for the Fearnleys , now staying with family in New Jersey , they 're also worried about the friends they left behind . `` It 's just sad , '' Franz Fearnley said . CNN 's Brian Walker , Katy Byron , and Moni Basu contributed to this report .
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American basketball player describes the chaos that 's consumed Libya . One American couple was stopped at a checkpoint by soldiers with machine guns . A U.S. ferry has left Libya carrying about 300 passengers . Many fear for the friends and colleagues they left behind .
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London -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Passengers struggling to get away for the holiday season faced further frustration and delays Tuesday , as the EU 's top travel official slammed snow disruptions across the region as `` unacceptable . '' Heavy snow caused severe disruption to train and plane schedules in a number of major cities days before Christmas , forcing thousands of people to sleep in terminals while they waited for information on their onward journey . `` I am extremely concerned about the level of disruption to travel across Europe caused by severe snow . It is unacceptable and should not happen again , '' European Commission Vice President Siim Kallas said in a written statement . He took issue with airport infrastructure which he called the `` weak link '' in the chain , and urged airports to `` get serious '' about planning for severe weather conditions . Thousands of passengers endured another frustrating day at London 's Heathrow Airport Tuesday as airlines struggled to clear the backlog of passengers after two days of cancellations . Only one of the airport 's two runways was operating , following cancellations during the previous two days due to heavy snow . British Prime Minister David Cameron discussed the weather chaos with his cabinet `` extensively '' Tuesday , according to his office . `` The people stuck here are having an incredibly difficult time , especially just a few days from Christmas , and everything must be done to either get them on holiday or get them home safely , '' Cameron said at a news conference . Kylie Deegennars said she had been sleeping on the terminal floor since arriving at Heathrow late Saturday . `` We got told on that evening that if we waited until 6 a.m. the next morning we 'd get more information . We did not get a blanket or a bottle of water until 1:30 a.m. in the morning , '' she said . Conditions had n't improved since then and Monday night she was still waiting for confirmation of a flight . `` We 're younger , we 've got resistance , but there are babies , there are elderly people , and they 're getting no extra treatment than anyone else . It 's disgusting , '' she said . On Tuesday afternoon , British Airways announced that it was considering transporting passengers stranded at Heathrow by bus to other UK airports . Terminal five , it said , had been closed as staff worked to clear the backlog of people crowding the main concourse . London Heathrow is to remain open for the next 24 hours , British Airways said , adding that it was considering bringing planes back overnight to clear the load . Gatwick airport officials indicated Tuesday evening that operations were nearing normal . Nearly 700 flights were scheduled to arrive or depart the airport Tuesday carrying about 100,000 passengers , an airport spokeswoman said , and only 53 flights had been canceled . `` The airfield teams are continuing to work round the clock and we are in a strong position to get flights moving to as near normal operations later today , '' Gatwick spokeswoman Andrea Hopkins said . The airport has requested additional snow-clearing equipment to be delivered from Switzerland in an effort to make operations fully functional . Colleagues Sharon and Cathy were trying to get back to Phoenix , Arizona , after suffering a two-day delay to their flights from Munich , Germany . They have been stranded at Heathrow airport since Monday . `` We really felt that we were flying into the eye of the storm and it did n't make much sense to do that , but here we are . We 've been told our best chance of getting out is on December 27 , '' Sharon said . The colleagues say they are `` lucky '' to be put up in a hotel by their company , and expressed sympathy for others stranded in the airport with little or no information , accommodation or money . `` It looks like a refugee camp . People have been staying there for days , '' Sharon said . `` There were guards at the doors of Terminal One not allowing other people to come in . We were a little concerned about leaving the terminal that we might not be able to get back in . '' The British government has come under fire for failing to heed warnings about the incoming inclement weather . Defending the government , UK Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said , `` Nobody foresaw the really extreme temperatures that we 've had . '' He laid the blame for chaos at Heathrow Airport firmly at the door of airport operator BAA who he said made a `` bad call '' on Saturday when the snow first started to present problems . `` This is as a result of extreme weather conditions and also to be frank of a bad call on Saturday by the airport operator who was , as it turned out , over-optimistic about their ability to leave the airport open , '' he said . The government had offered military manpower to help clear runways which had been rejected , Hammond said . He added that the government was working with authorities to ensure the smooth supply of de-icing equipment and other materials to keep the airport operating . British transport expert David Quarmby , author of an independent audit on the resilience of England 's transport system , said that the country could not be expected to be able to cope as well as other cities that regularly experience heavy snowfall . `` We had a severe winter last winter and a bit of a winter the year before . But for eight years before that we hardly saw any snow at all , '' he said . `` It 's very difficult to justify investing in the resources that you find in airports and rail systems and highways in countries elsewhere which always have winters that are as severe as the one that we 've got at the moment . '' The travel disruption was not limited to airports . Long queues snaked around St. Pancras International railway station in London on Tuesday as Eurostar canceled 10 trains , or about 20 % of its normal service between London and Paris . `` Due to the continuing bad weather , speed restrictions are in place on our high speed lines , adding up to two hours to journey times . As a result we can not operate as many trains as planned , '' said Eurostar spokeswoman Mary Walsh . Passengers ignored advice to turn up at the station one hour before departure . Some queued for as long as four hours in the London drizzle before stepping foot inside the terminal . During the wait , they were offered pizza , curry , coffee and tea , according to CNN 's Jim Boulden . Earlier , hundreds of passengers camped at Paris train stations , including Eurostar 's Paris terminal , Monday night while they waited news of the next train , French transport minister Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet told French radio Tuesday . Around 3,000 passengers on cancelled flights slept on the floor at Paris ' Charles de Gaulle airport , while another 400 spent the night at Orly airport , she said . Pierre-Henri Gourgeon , CEO of Air France KLM said efforts had been made to find stranded passengers a hotel room . `` We found 4,000 , but we could n't find anymore , '' Gourgeon told French radio . A message on the Paris airports website said air traffic was `` slowly resuming '' after severe snow disruptions . Passengers were advised to check whether their flights had been cancelled before traveling to the airport . Heavy snowfall halted all plane travel at Frankfurt airport in Germany for a short time Tuesday , said Thomas Uber , an airport spokesman . By mid-morning in Europe , the number of canceled flights had risen to 464 , mostly due to backlogs and disruptions at other airports , an official said . About 50 flights had been canceled at Munich airport , also due to disruptions elsewhere . German Transport Minster Peter Ramsauer has asked German state authorities to allow night flights on a case-by-case basis to ease travel chaos at airports . Major German airports have restrictions on night flights usually from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. and only allow night flights on a very limited basis or in cases of emergencies . On Tuesday afternoon Belgian authorities had started putting passengers whose flights had been diverted from Heathrow Airport to Brussels on coaches and boats to London . In a statement posted on its website , the airport advised passengers bound for Frankfurt on Lufthansa flights to make their way independently by train or car . European Commission Vice President Kallas said he would convene a meeting of European airport representatives in coming days to demand an explanation and assurances that they can handle future snow disruptions . `` We have seen in recent years that snow in Western Europe is not such an exceptional circumstance . Better preparedness , in line with what is done in Northern Europe is not an optional extra , it must be planned for and with the necessary investment , particularly on the side of the airports , '' he said . The UK 's Met Office , the country 's weather forecasting agency , said it is not expecting further snow in London on Wednesday and that Heathrow and Gatwick airports `` should remain dry . '' CNN 's Laura Perez Maestro , Fred Pleitgen , Phil Han and Jim Boulden contributed to this report .
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NEW : Gatwick operations nearing normal , spokeswoman says . BA considering transporting passengers by bus from Heathrow to other airports . UK Transport Secretary lays blame for Heathrow chaos on `` over-optimistic '' operator . Thousands of passengers await connections in European airports , rail stations .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Union workers and activists who refused to leave the Wisconsin Capitol building Sunday , against orders , will be allowed to spend the night , police said . Authorities had set a deadline earlier in the day of 4 p.m. CST for demonstrators to leave the building , saying it needed to be cleaned after roughly two weeks of protests . While many people left , hundreds of others defied the order and remained inside . Some say they are willing to risk arrest in a conflict that has become a flash point in the nation 's debate around labor unions . `` We have the right to be here . This is the people 's house . This is a house of labor . This is a house that Wisconsin built , '' Mahlon Mitchell , president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin , said from inside the Capitol . Protesters are upset with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker 's call to curb collective bargaining rights . The embattled first-term Republican has shown no sign of backing down and defended his proposal Sunday on NBC 's `` Meet the Press . '' Wisconsin is `` broke , '' and unions use their power to block necessary cost-saving measures , Walker argued . `` It 's about time somebody stood up and told the truth in this state , and said , ` Here 's our problem , here 's the solution , ' and acted on it , '' he said . `` Because if we do n't , we fail to make a commitment to the future . '' Minutes later on the program , AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka assailed Walker . `` This is n't about the budget crisis , '' Trumka said , adding that Walker 's arguments have `` migrated '' as his justifications have been refuted . `` Governors that are willing to sit down and work with their employees can work out problems , '' Trumka said . `` We can solve them . But that 's not what Governor Walker is doing . He says , ' I wo n't talk to you . ' '' Walker will talk to big contributors , but he `` wo n't talk to employees , '' Trumka added . Earlier on CNN , another union head also accused the governor of using financial arguments as a deceit . `` Walker is saying it 's a budget crisis when it is n't a budget crisis , '' said Randi Weingarten , president of the American Federation of Teachers . `` The workers have already said publicly , because he refuses to meet with them , that they would take the cuts to take-home pay that he has asked for here . So this is a ruse to shift power to his friends , because at the same time what he said was that he wanted to give tax breaks to the friends who put him into power . '' The Wisconsin Assembly has passed a Republican bill that would strip most state workers of the bulk of their collective-bargaining rights . Among other things , the measure would require workers -- with the exception of police and firefighters -- to cover more of their health care premiums and pension contributions . Collective bargaining would be limited to wages , though any pay increases beyond the inflation rate would be subject to voter approval . The bill must now clear the Wisconsin Senate . However , 14 Democratic senators have fled to neighboring Illinois to prevent a quorum from voting on the issue . Walker called on the lawmakers to `` come back and do their job . '' `` If we fail to pass this bill by Tuesday , we lose $ 165 million worth of savings . If we continue down that path we start seeing layoffs , '' he warned . Walker repeatedly cited his experience as a local official in explaining his call to curtail bargaining rights for government . As a county executive , he tried `` modest '' changes in pensions and health care , and tried to implement a 35-hour work week `` to avoid massive layoffs and furloughs , '' Walker said . `` And the unions said , ` Forget it . ' Emboldened by the fact that they had collective bargaining agreements , they said , ` Go ahead , literally lay off 400 or 500 people . ' '' Asked why the exemption for firefighters and police , Walker responded the decision `` boils down to public safety . '' If any firefighters or police were to walk off the job in protest , `` I ca n't afford to have a fire or crime committed where there 's a gap in service . '' Walker also defended himself against attacks stemming from a prank call in which he thought he was speaking privately to a wealthy conservative activist . The caller was in fact liberal blogger Ian Murphy , who posted the call online . At one point in the call , Walker said , `` This is our time to change the course of history . '' Critics say his comment is a sign that he is an ideologue looking to reshape the system and end collective bargaining power rather than a pragmatic governor looking to balance a budget . `` I do believe that . This is our moment in Wisconsin 's history , '' Walker told NBC . He added that `` legislatures before have kicked the can '' by not providing long-term fixes . `` I make no apology for the fact this is an important moment in time , '' he said . In the prank call , Murphy suggested `` planting some troublemakers '' among people protesting the measure in Madison . `` We thought about that , '' Walker replied in the call . Asked Sunday whether he had really thought about such an idea , he responded , `` We rejected that . '' Government officials looked at `` all sorts '' of suggestions , and rejected that idea `` because we 've had a civil discourse , '' he said . Weingarten , speaking to CNN , said workers in Wisconsin have sent a message to Walker that '' ` we understand and we will do our fair share . ' '' But Walker is sending a different message , Weingarten said : '' ` I 'm just taking away your voice at work . ' '' In the long term , that message `` is ridiculous because collective bargaining is the way to increase quality , '' she said . When President Barack Obama was campaigning in 2007 , he made a promise : `` If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain when I 'm in the White House , I 'll put on a comfortable pair of shoes myself . I 'll walk with you on the picket line as president of the United States of America because workers deserve to know that somebody is standing in their corner , '' he said during a speech in Spartanburg , South Carolina , on November 3 , 2007 . While the president has publicly expressed support for those fighting to keep collective bargaining in Wisconsin , he has not joined them at protests . But Trumka of the AFL-CIO insisted that Obama , who faces federal budget challenges , is `` doing it the right way . '' `` He 's not taking on workers like Scott Walker is and trying to take away their ability to come together and negotiate a middle-class way of life , '' Trumka said .
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NEW : Police say that protesters already in the Capitol building will be allowed to spend the night . NEW : Demonstrators had defied earlier instructions to leave . Governor Walker says layoffs could come soon if the budget bill is not passed . AFL-CIO president : `` This is n't about the budget crisis ''
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A fan recently summed up his feelings about NFL arenas in a blog post : Religions have their churches , and sports teams have their stadiums . As the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers leave their fans ' places of Sunday worship to face off in the Super Bowl , one of the world 's top sports arena architects shared a story that illustrates why some facilities are better than others . Rewind to 1998 , when James Poulson and five top colleagues from the architectural firm now known as Aecom Ellerbe Becket were camping out in the office suite of Microsoft co-founder and Seattle Seahawks owner Paul Allen . The pressure was on Poulson 's self-described `` SWAT team '' to design a new stadium with built-in advantages for the home squad -- a stadium that would act as the Seahawks ' virtual 12th man . `` The whole concept was to create a place at one end of the field for the real crazies who like to paint themselves blue and green , '' Poulson recalls . `` The stands would be made of steel -- so when you stomp your feet , it made noise . '' But the area also needed to have a great view that was n't blocked by the giant video scoreboard . During a `` pretty intensive roll-up-your-sleeves work-all-night atmosphere , '' crude models were built , handmade sketches were pinned to the office walls , and eventually , the presentation was ready for Allen . `` We brought in this model with little blue lights built into it , and we turned off the room lights and turned on the blue lights in the model , '' Poulson said . `` Paul was like a little kid with a new toy . He was so excited with the potential of something like that . '' Looking straight at Poulson , Allen asked , `` Where has this been done before ? '' Nowhere , Poulson told him . `` Great , we 're going to do it . '' Infrastructural adversary . From there began Qwest Field 's reputation as an infrastructural adversary for any visiting NFL team . Not only was the end zone noisy , the entire stadium seemed to amplify the crowd noise and focus it onto the field . Now the arena is among the top delay-of-game venues in the league -- much to the chagrin of Seahawks opponents . More ideas flowed onto the blueprints . The stadium was positioned so that Seattle 's infamous horizontal rain would pelt the opponents ' sideline area -- but not the home team 's sideline . `` It was a calculated risk , '' Poulson admitted . `` We knew where the rain was coming from , and we knew which way the stadium had to be oriented for percentage angles . '' A recent report in Discovery News suggested that foot-stomping fans at Qwest might actually create their own mini-earthquakes . Poulson explained , `` We do n't recruit players , and we do n't build teams , and we do n't coach . We try to create an environment that 's conducive to spectacular athletic performance . '' Welcome to the era of the NFL super stadium : a high-tech sports sanctuary designed to win more games , make more money and please more fans . `` The buildings are n't always getting bigger , but they are getting smarter , '' says Christopher Lamberth , of 360 Architecture . It 's a time when rabid football followers name their pets after their favorite arenas , like Heinz . It 's a world where PETA praises animal-friendly NFL stadiums , such as the Packers ' newly renovated Lambeau Field for its `` hearty , meat-free fare . '' It 's also when fans are n't satisfied by simply sitting in the stands and watching a game on the field . They can do that at home , Lamberth said . But what they 'll never replicate with at-home viewing is the vibe of actually being where the game is . So now , the idea is to combine the best of both worlds : at home and at the field . `` You can go sit in the upper deck and still have a good time , '' Lamberth said . `` You can watch from a concession-area monitor . Or if you want to tailgate it in the parking lot and watch it on satellite , that 's great , too . '' Either way , fans come away with a game-day experience . Stadiums are reflecting this attitude by bringing to the field more of the comforts and gadgets of home -- luxury boxes , multiscreen video and top-notch concessions . Design trends follow with wider stadium concourses and large , open plazas surrounding the arenas . Tailgating on steroids . This weekend 's Super Bowl has embraced the idea as a way to boost attendance toward the 100,000 mark . Tickets : $ 200 a head . Experiencing the vibe of the Super Bowl parking lot : priceless . At Lambeau , where Wisconsin 's brutal cold often provides a home field advantage , the stadium has sponsored its own sort of tailgate-party-on-steroids called The Tailgate Tundra Zone . Up to 4,000 partying Cheeseheads take over a couple hundred parking spots with the team 's blessing . With about 84,000 fans on a waiting list for season tickets , the Tundra Zone is the next best thing to being inside a stadium that has sold out its past 290 games . Getting intimate at Heinz Field . In Pittsburgh , cold winds off the Ohio River blast into the open end of Heinz Field , creating a home field advantage for visiting teams ' inexperienced kickers . The arena is considering adding 4,000 seats , and plans are under way to connect Heinz to downtown with a light-rail line . Heinz and many of the league 's other newer or newly renovated stadiums offer `` intimate '' settings . Fewer seats are in the end zone , and more seats are closer to the field . Spectators have a more direct line of sight to the action . And then , of course , there 's the amazing 21st century technology . At the home of the Arizona Cardinals , the 19 million-pound field turf rolls from inside the stadium to the outside , so the grass can bask in the Phoenix sunshine . Cowboys Stadium 's retractable roof is touted as the largest of its kind in the world . It opens or closes in just 12 minutes . Media technology is built into the backbone of the NFL 's New Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey . Opened in 2010 , the home to New York 's Jets and Giants boasts four huge HD video scoreboards -- one for each corner of the field . Most stadiums have two -- one in each end zone . For Jets games , ticket holders have access to a new hand-held sports video device called FanVision , which feeds detailed game stats and shows replays from several exclusive camera angles that fans would n't see anywhere else . Also , concession technology at Meadowlands speeds up purchases and shortens lines . Stadium operators can track sales data in real time . Faster than you can spell ` Roethlisberger ' Meadowlands ' Wi-Fi capacity is huge , said William Squires , an ex-Giants vice president who consults for the new stadium . `` You have fans trying to upload photos or video , and some of these stadiums just ca n't handle it , '' he said . `` But we think we 're ahead of the times when it comes to that . Our wireless abilities are pretty much off the charts . '' Fans of the sci-fi film `` Blade Runner '' recall the giant video walls emblazoned on skyscrapers of the future . In the real world , stadium designers are moving in this direction . American Airlines Arena , which is home to the NBA 's Miami Heat , was one of the first sports facilities to use MediaMesh technology that turns building facades into giant video screens . Look for this trend to continue and intensify . Video projected on the building will reveal upcoming games or live broadcasts of the games being played inside . Or , the video facades could offset expensive ticket prices with paid advertising . For future facilities , designers are looking at other ways to transform sports arenas . Organizers of London 's 2012 Olympics are interested in venues that can easily transform seating and field configurations from one sport to another . In Qatar , site of the 2022 FIFA World Cup , proposed stadiums include detachable upper tiers . Designers are asking themselves , `` How can we expand or adapt seating capacity ? '' Lamberth said . `` The flexibility to host various events is the transformable . ''
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Super Bowl stadium boosts attendance by selling tickets for the parking lot . Newer NFL facilities boast smarter designs , more technology . Packers ' Lambeau Field embraces `` tailgating on steroids '' Stadium architect reveals secrets of home-field advantage .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- U.S. law enforcement seized thousands of pounds of drugs and arrested hundreds of people in a synchronized bust targeting Mexican drug cartels and their associates , federal authorities said Friday . The sweep involved several local , state and federal agencies , including the Drug Enforcement Administration and Immigration and Customs Enforcement , according to a statement from that organization . Together , they arrested 676 people and seized more than $ 12 million , 282 weapons and 94 vehicles around the United States . In addition , nearly 40,000 pounds of marijuana , 467 kilograms of cocaine , 64 pounds of methamphetamine and 21 pounds of heroin were captured in the operation , the statement said . John Morton , the immigration and customs agency 's director , said the effort showed what U.S. law enforcement could do when working together on the issue , while stressing that its work was n't complete . `` Through our continued coordination and cooperation with Mexican law enforcement , ICE agents and officers will strike at the very heart of these organizations by seizing the drugs , guns and money that fuel their criminal enterprises , '' Morton said . The joint operation began Wednesday , roughly a week and a half after immigrations and customs ' agent Jaime Zapata was ambushed on a highway while working in Mexico . Drug Enforcement Administration spokesman Michael Sanders said the agencies are trying to send a message to cartel operatives in the United States . He described most of the targets as mid - to high-level dealers , the type who have day jobs but work in cells that distribute drugs and return drug money to Mexico . A Houston police officer was shot Thursday as he tried to serve a narcotics warrant while taking part in the sweep . Officers returned fire , striking the suspect . The suspect 's condition was unknown , police spokesman Kese Smith said . Houston police officer Nash Patel was struck in the elbow and lower backside but was in good condition at the hospital , Smith said . The people arrested this week belong to several cartels , Sanders said . The cells tend to be small and work in an isolated fashion , so it 's possible that multiple cells from the same cartel may operate in the same city without knowing each other . Those arrested could face federal drug charges or various state charges , depending on the evidence collected . CNN 's Mariano Castillo contributed to this report .
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Law enforcement agencies work together to target Mexican drug cartel operations in the U.S. $ 12 million , 282 weapons , 94 vehicles , 40,000 pounds of pot , 467 kilos of cocaine seized . The coordinated bust began Wednesday and targeted operations around the U.S. It comes a week and a half after a U.S. agent was killed while working in Mexico .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Before there was a Tea Party , there was Mary Rakovich . Rakovich is an anti-abortion rights , pro-environment vegetarian living in Florida with her husband and nine cats . Many Tea Party activists believe she was one of the first people to publicly protest President Obama 's economic policies . In February 2009 , Obama was in a Fort Myers , Florida , event hall pitching his stimulus plan . Rakovich stood alone outside the hall , speaking against it . For that , she is considered to be a sort of `` Godmother '' of the Tea Party movement . Nine days after Rakovich 's protest , CNBC business reporter Rick Santelli publicly mounted his own campaign against the president 's $ 75 billion plan to help struggling homeowners . It happened as Santelli reported live from the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on February 19 , 2009 . `` The government is promoting bad behavior , '' he said in a tirade , claiming that all Americans would be forced to `` subsidize the losers ' mortgages . '' The stimulus bill `` had nothing to do with job creation whatsoever , '' Rakovich said in an interview with CNN last summer . And though she rails against government spending , Rakovich relies on one of the biggest spending programs , Medicare , to care for her two bad hips . `` I do believe that there are times when we need the government to have some type of stopgap measures to help get people back on their feet , '' Rakovich said . `` Those types of people need help . I also believe that as an overall system , that Medicare , as well as Medicaid , they 're broken systems -- they are systems that need to be revived and revamped . '' `` You know , I 'm very glad that it was there for me and will be there for me . ''
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In February 2009 , Mary Rakovich stood alone and spoke against president 's spending plan . Some in Tea Party say she was one of the first to publicly protest Obama 's economic policies . Though she rails against government spending , she does rely on Medicare . But she says that Medicare and Medicaid `` need to be revived and revamped ''
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Novak Djokovic matched Roger Federer 's feat of three successive titles at the Dubai Tennis Championships by crushing the world No. 2 in Saturday 's final . The Serbian , who also beat Federer in the Australian Open semifinals last month on the way to winning his second grand slam , triumphed 6-3 6-3 in one hour and 11 minutes to clinch the 20th ATP Tour crown of his short career . The 23-year-old , seeded second , claimed the $ 386,000 first prize as he denied his Swiss opponent a fifth title in Dubai and 68th overall . `` Any time I win against Roger it 's a great success because he 's such a great player . We all know how mentally strong of a player he is , '' Djokovic , who trailed 3-1 in the second set , told the ATP Tour website . `` To be able to win against Roger in straight sets as I did tonight is incredible , but I want to keep on going . This match has probably been one of the best that I played this year . `` I feel physically well , fit , mentally motivated to do even more coming up to Indian Wells and Miami where I have n't done well in the last years . Going into the match , Federer held a 13-7 career advantage over Djokovic and was 3-2 ahead in finals , but the world No. 3 is now unbeaten in 14 matches going back to December 's Davis Cup final . It was Federer 's second defeat in a Dubai final , having also lost in 2006 to current No. 1 Rafael Nadal before bouncing back to triumph for the fourth time the following year . It was only the third time in the event 's 19 stagings that the top two seeded players had met in the title match . `` This one has been one of the rather disappointing matches for me against him , '' Federer said . `` I ca n't play great every time either . So it 's been a tough one , but I 'm not too disappointed . It 's another final for me . I tried tonight -- it just did n't really happen for me . '' Meanwhile , women 's No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki suffered a surprise defeat to third-ranked Russian Vera Zvonareva in the final of the Qatar Ladies ' Open on Saturday . The Dane went into the match having not dropped a set all week after reclaiming the top spot from Kim Clijsters on the way to winning the title in Dubai , but lost 6-4 6-4 in Doha . Second seed Zvonareva , the runner-up the last time the tournament was held in 2008 , clinched her 11th WTA Tour victory and leveled her head-to-head record against the 20-year-old Dane at 4-4 . `` Caroline is No. 1 and playing very well . I was just fighting for every point and trying to go for my shots , '' Zvonareva told the WTA website . `` This is definitely a special moment for me , especially after that tough match against Daniela -LRB- Hantuchova -RRB- and another great one against Jelena -LRB- Jankovic -RRB- . '' Wozniacki , who ended 2010 at the top of the rankings before surrendering it briefly to Australian Open champion Clijsters , said she was happy with her week . `` Vera played a great match and a great tournament . I 'm happy to be in the finals -- it was another great tournament for me and I always enjoy being back in Doha . I will be back next year for sure. , '' she said .
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Second seed Novak Djokovic beats Roger Federer 6-3 6-3 in Dubai final . Serbian wins the event for the third year in a row to match Swiss opponent . Four-time winner Federer has now been beaten twice in Dubai finals . Women 's No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki beaten in Qatar final by Vera Zvonareva .
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Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates , in what he said is his final address to the cadets at the U.S. Military Academy , warned Friday against the United States getting involved in another major land battle . He told the cadets that wars like Afghanistan are not likely , and in fact he would advise against it . `` In my opinion , any future defense secretary who advises the president to again send a big American land army into Asia or into the Middle East or Africa should ` have his head examined , ' as Gen. MacArthur so delicately put it , '' Gates said . Gates remarks contrasted with some in America who are pushing for the U.S. military to take a more active role in other places like Libya , where huge groups of protesters are trying to overthrow the government of Col. Moammar Gadhafi . The defense secretary told cadets they 'll be leading a force that has drastically changed how it fights . Gates , who has previously announced he intends to retire this year , said it 's impossible to know what the next war , that these cadets will be part of , will look like . `` When it comes to predicting the nature and location of our next military engagements , since Vietnam , our record has been perfect , '' he said . `` We have never once gotten it right , from the Mayaguez to Grenada , Panama , Somalia , the Balkans , Haiti , Kuwait , Iraq and more -- we had no idea a year before any of these missions that we would be so engaged . '' But he said he is confident that future engagements involving the Army will less likely include head-on clashes of large mechanized armies . `` In the competition for tight defense dollars within and between the services , the Army also must confront the reality that the most plausible , high-end scenarios for the U.S. military are primarily naval and air engagements , '' he said . He told the cadets at West Point that preparing themselves for a range of possible missions is a key to success . `` The military will not be able to train or educate you to have all the right answers -- as you might find in a manual -- but you should look for those experiences and pursuits in your career that will help you at least ask the right questions , '' he said . Gates encouraged the future Army officers to look outside the armed forces for experiences that will make them better soldiers and leaders . `` Such opportunities might include further study at grad school , teaching at this or another-first rate university , spending time at a think tank , being a congressional fellow . '' And he encouraged them to `` become a master of other languages and cultures . '' He said it 's not just the cadets who need to adjust to this new world , it 's the Army itself . He said that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have created a group of highly-experienced , battle tested young officers who too often leave the Army just when it needs their skills and knowledge the most . `` Men and women in the prime of their professional lives , who may have been responsible for the lives of scores or hundreds of troops , or millions of dollars in assistance , or engaging in reconciling warring tribes , they may find themselves in a cube all day re-formatting power point slides , preparing quarterly training briefs , or assigned an ever expanding array of clerical duties , '' Gates said . `` The consequences of this terrify me . '' He said the Army must adapt so that young officers with diverse experience and accomplishments are rewarded with promotions and that it must `` re-think the way it deals with the outstanding young leaders in its lower and middle-ranks . '' He wrapped up his speech on a personal note , telling the cadets said he feels responsible for each and every one of them `` as if you were my own sons and daughters , '' Gates said apparently on the verge of tears . `` I bid you farewell and Godspeed . ''
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Future wars will likely be air and sea based , Gates says . The United States has not been able to predict any of its recent military engagements , he says . Gates encourages West Point cadets to look outside the armed forces to round out experience . Speech is Gates ' last as defense secretary .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Birmingham City upset Arsenal 2-1 to win the English League Cup at Wembley Sunday , ending a 48-year wait for a major trophy . The defeat prolonged Arsenal 's six-year wait for silverware of their own , having gone into the final as overwhelming favorites . Serbian striker Nikola Zigic put Birmingham ahead after 28 minutes before Robin van Persie equalized six minutes before halftime . The match looked headed into extra time until substitute Obafemi Martins scored a last-minute winner . The Nigerian international pounced after a dreadful mix-up between Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and defender Laurent Koscielny gifted him a chance he gratefully accepted . Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he was `` bitterly disappointed '' but for his Birmingham counterpart Alex McLeish , it was the exact opposite . `` It feels like the best ever win of my life , '' said the 52-year-old , who won seven trophies while in charge of Scottish giants Rangers . `` In relative terms for us to put one over Arsenal is a titanic result , '' he told BBC Sport . The match begun and ended in dramatic fashion and after only two minutes Birmingham were denied a penalty which should have also seen Szczesny sent off . A clever pass from Zigic sent Lee Bowyer racing through on goal and the midfielder rounded Szczesny only to be brought down by the giant keeper . But instead of a red card and a spot-kick , Arsenal were given a big let-off when Bowyer was ruled offside . TV replays showed Bacary Sagna had been playing Bowyer yards onside . After the exchange of first half goals , a header after a corner for the giant Zigic , and a fine volley by Dutch star van Persie , Arsenal , bidding for a quadruple , looked the more dangerous . Birmingham goalkeeper Ben Foster , named man of the match , pulled off a string of fine saves , with Samir Nasri twice denied . But Birmingham were also dangerous in sporadic attacks and substitute Jean Beausejour set up Keith Fahey for a 57th minute shot against the foot of the post with Szczesny well beaten .
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Birmingham City beat Arsenal 2-1 in English League Cup final at Wembley . Obafemi Martins scores last-minute winner after defensive mix up by Arsenal . Nikola Zigic headed Birmingham in front with Robin van Persie equalizing . Birmingham winning first major trophy since 1963 with Arsenal without a trophy since 2005 .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Singer Stephen Gately , a member of the Irish band Boyzone , died of natural causes , a court spokeswoman on the Spanish island of Majorca said Tuesday . Stephen Gately died Saturday while he and his partner were visiting the Spanish island of Majorca . The court spokeswoman , who by custom is not identified , said Gately , 33 , died Saturday of acute pulmonary edema , according to preliminary autopsy reports . There was no sign of violence in his death , the spokeswoman said . The judge has authorized Gately 's family to transfer the body out of Spain , the spokeswoman added . According to the Mayo Clinic , pulmonary edema is caused by excess fluid in the lungs . The fluid collects in the lungs ' air sacs , making it difficult to breathe . Gately 's partner , Andrew Cowles , testified before an investigating magistrate for about 15 minutes Tuesday , while the autopsy was conducted nearby at the island 's forensic institute , the court spokeswoman said . Authorities will send samples from the body to a laboratory in Barcelona . Meanwhile , the court will hear testimony from other witnesses , the court spokeswoman said . The case will be shelved judicially only after the definitive laboratory results have been received , confirming the presumed natural death , the spokeswoman said . Health Library : What is pulmonary edema ? In a statement on the Boyzone Web site , Gately 's fellow bandmates , Ronan Keating , Keith Duffy , Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch said : `` We are completely devastated by the loss of our friend and brother , Stephen . We have shared such wonderful times together over the years and were all looking forward to sharing many more . `` Stephen was a beautiful person in both body and spirit . He lit up our lives and those of the many friends he had all over the world . Our love and sympathy go out to Andrew and Stephen 's family . We love you and will miss you forever , ` Steo . ' '' Boyzone made history in the United Kingdom with 16 consecutive Top Five hits , according to Ticketmaster 's Web site . It 's one of Ireland 's best-selling bands , with six No. 1 singles in the United Kingdom , and four No. 1 albums , Ticketmaster said . The group , which separated in 2000 to pursue solo projects , reunited in 2008 . Its greatest hits album -- `` Back Again ... No Matter What '' -- was released last year . Gately joined the band in 1993 after answering an audition ad . `` A lot of people did n't think we would make it out of Ireland back then , '' he said previously on the group 's Web site . `` We were overwhelmed when Boyzone began to take off , it was incredible . '' CNN 's Al Goodman contributed to this story .
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Boyzone singer Stephen Gately , 33 , died Saturday in Majorca . Cause was acute pulmonary edema , preliminary autopsy showed . Judge authorizes family to transfer body out of Spain . Boyzone had six No. 1 singles in U.K. , four No. 1 albums .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Former Mexican President Vicente Fox has joined three other ex-leaders of Latin American nations calling for the decriminalization of marijuana . Former Mexico President Vicente Fox says it 's time to open the debate on legalizing marijuana . Fox , who was Mexico 's president from 2000 to 2006 , said the current policy is clearly not working . `` I believe it 's time to open the debate over legalizing drugs , '' he told CNN on Tuesday . `` It must be done in conjunction with the United States , but it is time to open the debate . '' He pointed to how the end of Prohibition in the United States in 1933 lessened organized crime violence . `` It ca n't be that the only way is for the state to use force , '' he said . Watch Fox say it 's time to debate legalizing drugs '' Fox was mirroring a position adopted earlier this year by his predecessor as president of Mexico , Ernesto Zedillo , and the former heads of Colombia and Brazil . The three former chief executives are members of the Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy . At a February meeting in Brazil , the commission called for the decriminalization of marijuana for personal use and a change in tactics in the war on drugs . `` The problem is that current policies are based on prejudices and fears and not on results , '' former Colombian President Cesar Gaviria said at a news conference in which the 17-member commission 's recommendations were presented . Former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil said the group called for only the decriminalization of marijuana and not other illicit drugs because `` you have to start somewhere . '' Zedillo was president of Mexico from 1994 to 2000 . Gaviria was president of Colombia from 1990 to 1994 . And Cardoso led Brazil from 1995 to 2002 . Fox said any change in drug laws must be accompanied by an education campaign in schools and homes . And because the United States is a large consumer of marijuana that comes from Latin America , any steps toward legalization must be supported in Washington , he said . Gaviria said in February that the time is right to start a debate on the subject , particularly with the pragmatic openings provided by the election of President Obama . `` In many states in the United States , as is the case in California , they have begun to change federal policies with regard to tolerating marijuana for therapeutic purposes . And in Washington there 's some consensus that the current policy is failing , '' Gaviria said . The call for a change in strategy comes amid a horrific explosion of drug-related violence in Mexico , where officials say 10,000 people have been killed since President Felipe Calderon took office in December 2006 . Calderon said in a speech earlier this year that 6,500 of those deaths occurred in 2008 . Calderon , who succeeded Fox , ramped up the battle against the nation 's narcotics traffickers and brought in the army to reinforce often ineffective local and state police . That was a change in tactics from Fox , who said he had chosen to strengthen federal police and intelligence-gathering operations and to create a secretary for public security . But now that Calderon has chosen a different approach , he must prevail , Fox said in an exclusive interview with CNN . `` If you go to war , you have to win it quickly and according to regulations , '' he said . `` Human rights are very important . '' It also is important that the United States `` accept its responsibility , '' he said . `` I would like to see some steps taken here in the United States . We see the drugs are coming across the border and are distributed in Atlanta and Washington and Chicago and all parts of the country . '' Fox 's comparison of the current battle to Prohibition in the United States in the 1920s was recently touted by Robert Pastor , who was a Latin America national security adviser for President Carter in the late 1970s . He called the problem in Mexico `` even worse than Chicago during the Prohibition era . '' Pastor said a solution similar to what ended that violence is needed now . `` What worked in the U.S. was not Eliot Ness , '' he said , referring to the federal agent famous for fighting gangsters in the 1920s and 19 '30s . `` It was the repeal of Prohibition . '' Others are not so sure . `` This has become a world of globalization , '' said Monte Alejandro Rubido Garcia , Mexico 's executive secretary for the National System for Public Safety . `` Globalization has many virtues but some errors . I ca n't conceive that one part of the world would decriminalize drugs because it would become a paradise for drug use . It might bring down violence , but there would be social damage . ''
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Changes in drug policy must be done in conjunction with the U.S. , Vicente Fox says . Former Mexico president compares drug battle to Prohibition in the 1920s . Call for a change prompted by surge in drug-related violence in Mexico .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Thousands of people demonstrated against Yemen 's longtime president Thursday , demanding the kind of change that forced Tunisia 's president from office earlier this month . There were at least four demonstrations Thursday in the capital Sanaa , local journalists told CNN . Security was out in force , but there were no reports of violence . A much smaller number of people turned out to demonstrate in favor of President Ali Abdullah Saleh , the sources said . Egypt is also wracked by protests in the wake of the demonstrations that unexpectedly forced Tunisia 's longtime President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to leave the country . Yemen has become a key al Qaeda battleground , with Yemeni security forces carrying out offensives against suspected militants . The United States has sent top officials to Yemen and vowed support for the government 's fight against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula , as the local branch calls itself . A Yemeni rights activist , whose arrest sparked an international outcry and domestic protests , was released from prison Monday and said there is a revolution taking place in her country . Authorities arrested Tawakkol Karman over the weekend , accusing her of organizing anti-government protests in Sanaa . They let her go after more than 5,000 protesters gathered in her support . She had initially refused to leave prison until officials also agreed to free other activists detained over the weekend , she said . `` This revolution going on in Yemen was inspired by Tunisia 's ` Jasmine Revolution ' and we are now having a ` Jasmine Revolution ' in Yemen , '' Karman told CNN soon after her release . `` The huge amount of pressure coming from the people here will force President Saleh to leave office . '' Karman , who heads the Women Journalists Without Chains organization , said she was arrested Saturday night near her home . People in Yemen are upset because the parliament is considering loosening the rules on presidential term limits . That has sparked concerns among the opposition that Saleh might try to appoint himself president for life . Saleh has been in office for some 32 years and was last re-elected in 2006 . CNN 's Mohammed Jamjoom contributed to this report .
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Thousands demonstrate against President Saleh . The protests mirror others in Egypt and Tunisia . Yemen is a key al Qaeda battleground .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Chinese President Hu Jintao this week will lay out his vision for U.S.-Chinese relations based on strategic mutual trust , state-run media reports , amid recent hints of Washington 's frustrations with Beijing . Hu is expected to lay out his blueprint during his three days in Washington , where he 'll meet with President Barack Obama , top legislators and business executives , followed by a stop in Chicago . A report Sunday in Xinhua , China 's official news agency , said that despite certain differences a constructive , comprehensive partnership between the powers could be mutually beneficial and help ensure stability in Asia and worldwide -- points Hu will stress during time in the United States . Zhang Yesui , China 's ambassador to the United States , hyped the visit as vital to relations between the Communist state and democratic power , according to another Xinhua report published Saturday . He said that it was important to continue bilateral ties and address issues through dialogue , while adding that disagreements were inevitable given political , cultural and economic differences . Ultimately , Zhang said , the nations can and should create a `` win-win situation '' through positive diplomacy . This hopeful rhetoric , though , comes as officials in Washington have recently suggested that Beijing has been slow to act in some respects , and generally should consider altering its approach to reflect its increasing influence . On Friday , a U.S. delegation sent to China to negotiate economic deals returned from a three-day trip `` highly disappointed '' with the lack of progress , according to a senior administration official . The official , displaying obvious frustration , told CNN that `` prospects for a joint economic statement '' before Hu 's visit to the White House `` are hanging by a thread . '' Typically the joint statement is a formal expression of agreement between the two countries . A failure to issue one is often considered a sign of failed diplomacy . `` That does n't mean things ca n't improve , '' the official said , `` but we have n't seen it yet . '' In a speech at the State Department Friday , U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that China must assume the responsibility of being a world power , rather than basing policies on its own self-interest . `` Embracing the obligations that come with being a 21st-century power will help to realize a future that will give the Chinese people even more , in fact , unimagined opportunities , '' she said . `` But that means accepting a share of the burden of solving common problems , abiding by and helping to shape a rules-based international order . '' Clinton acknowledged that relations between Beijing and Washington were at a `` critical juncture , '' noting persisting tensions on economic and security issues and accusing China of discriminatory practices that put American firms at a disadvantage . Still , insisting that the United States does n't view China as a threat , she said , `` our economies are intertwined and so are our futures . '' `` A thriving America is good for China , and a thriving China is good for America , '' said the top U.S. diplomat . One hot-button issue that Beijing addressed on Sunday was the Korean peninsula , days after Clinton urged China to use its `` unique ties '' with North Korea to tamp down tensions there . Urging an early resumption of long-stalled six-party talks committed to reining in North Korea 's nuclear program , Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue told Xinhua that `` the peninsula 's denuclearization and the normalization of relations '' was in all parties ' interest . `` China will continue to work with all the parties concerned and the international community to ensure peace , stability and prosperity , '' he said .
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Hu Jintao will lay out a blueprint this week for U.S.-Chinese ties , state-run media says . China 's envoy calls visit vital to relations , Chinese news agency says . Hu will spend three days in Washington , meeting with President Obama and others .
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Seattle -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The crops for sale carry labels like `` dark vader , '' `` uk cheese '' and `` white russian . '' But the overwhelming smell of cannabis gives away the fact that there is really only one item for sale here : medical marijuana . There was little publicity for Seattle 's first medical marijuana farmers market held on Sunday . No posters or signs were hung outside the market 's venue , a small club where `` erotic poetry '' readings are held . Word of mouth alone though packed the hall as hundreds of people lined up to go in . They gained entrance with a recommendation from a health care provider stating that they need marijuana to treat a medical condition . `` I am actually standing upright because of cannabis , there 's nothing else I found that would help me with chronic pain issues , '' said John Muise , a gaunt figure with long dangling dreadlocks . `` I could n't even explain how my life would be if I did n't have cannabis . I would probably be addicted to opiates and in a wheelchair . '' Despite the packed crowds and stands full of marijuana , the farmers market operates in a legal gray zone . `` Medical marijuana is not legal in the state of Washington , '' said state Department of Health spokesman Donn Moyer . A law passed in 1998 allows for what is called the `` medical marijuana defense '' -- that allows for juries to take into account if someone charged with pot possession was taking the drug for health purposes . Under the current law , certain health care providers like doctors or nurse practitioner can issue the recommendations for medical marijuana for a variety of ailments including cancer , HIV and anorexia . But unlike in California or Colorado where medical marijuana initiatives led to an explosion of dispensaries that provide the drug , in Washington the medical marijuana community has remained , for the most part , underground . `` Dispensaries are not legal , co-ops are not legal here , '' Moyer said . `` The intent of the law is that you receive medical marijuana from a designated provider who can only help one patient at one time . Some people are interpreting that as they provide marijuana to someone and then 15 minutes later do it again for another patient . '' `` It 's a city by city , county by county situation right now , '' said Philip Dawdy , a spokesman for the Sunday market and medical marijuana advocate who says there is still `` an old West '' feel to the medical marijuana community in the state . In Seattle , however , medical marijuana users have something of safe haven . A 2003 measure officially pegged arresting people for personal use of marijuana as the lowest priority for the city 's police department . Still fears persist among medical marijuana users . At the market , several attendees asked the handful of news crews present not to take images of them . One couple said they would lose their jobs as teachers if the school where they worked found out they were at the event . `` This could be construed as dealing drugs , '' medical marijuana grower Ken Bell said as a line of customers grew in front of his `` Ken 's Medicine Bowl '' stand . `` We need the state to clarify the gray areas . '' Market organizers said they are hopeful that a bill working its way through Washington 's legislature will provide medical marijuana users and growers in the state surer legal footing to operate on . In the meantime , organizers say they will hold more farmers markets and push for medical marijuana rights -- within limits . `` We do n't want to be anything like California , '' market spokesman Dawdy said . `` They literally have dispensaries on top of each other in Venice Beach and out in the valley . ''
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Recommendation from a health care provider needed to shop at the farmers market . The market operates in a legal gray zone in the state of Washington . Organizers hope a bill in the state legislature will give medical pot users better legal footing .
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Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- `` I 'm going to appoint Thurgood Marshall to the -LRB- Supreme -RRB- Court . '' This monumental , unexpected bombshell from President Lyndon Johnson -- spoken in private in the summer of 1965 -- set in motion a history-making drama , revealed for the first time in newly public audio tapes . In secret recordings and transcripts made exclusive to CNN , Johnson laid out a politically crafty plan that was years in the making to groom Marshall as the first African-American on the high court . It was part of a broader White House strategy to implement the president 's civil rights agenda , something he openly hoped would cement his legacy and strengthen the Democrats ' base . Marshall was unaware of all this when Johnson first called him on July 7 , 1965 . Marshall , then a federal appeals court judge in New York , had been summoned from lunch . The president , a master persuader , wastes little time making his point : . `` I have a rather big problem that I wanted to talk to you about , '' he says . `` I want you to give it some real thought because it 's something that I have thought about for weeks , and I think that we ca n't think of how it affects us personally . We 've got to think about the world , and our country . '' `` Yes , sir , '' Marshall replies , the usually verbose judge unable to get many more words in the conversation . Johnson then makes the pitch : `` I want you to be my solicitor general . '' `` Wow , '' is all Marshall can say , clearly in disbelief . `` I want the top lawyer in the United States representing me before the Supreme Court to be a negro . And be a damn good lawyer that 's done it before . So you have those peculiar qualifications . '' He adds , `` I want to do this job that -LSB- Abraham -RSB- Lincoln started , and I want to do it the right way . '' Leaving the security of a lifetime job on the bench for an uncertain political post -- where he could be fired at any time -- at first concerns Marshall , who asks for a day or two to think about the offer . But minutes later , he is sold . `` The answer 's ` yes . ' '' ` Do it for the people of the world ' Then the president offers a tantalizing hint of bigger things to come . `` Nobody will ever know I talked to you . If you decide that you can do it , I think you ought to do it for the people of the world . ... And if there 's not something better , which I would hope there would be , that you would be more amenable to , there 'll be security for you because I 'm going to be here for quite awhile , '' he says confidently . That `` something , '' as later conversations that Johnson has with top aides reveals , is a Supreme Court appointment . It would come two years later in 1967 . The solicitor general spot would be a mere prelude to a bigger stage . The tapes are being released by the Miller Center at the University of Virginia , which is analyzing and transcribing secret White House tapes from the Franklin Delano Roosevelt to the Richard Nixon years . This latest disclosure comes as Justice Marshall is receiving a fresh burst of attention , thanks to a new play on his life starring award-winning actor Laurence Fishburne . His amazing transformation into the civil rights icon is stunning . HBO will air the play Thursday , videotaped from a performance this past summer at Washington 's Kennedy Center . Fishburne told CNN his is an honest portrayal . `` It 's all there , '' he said of Marshall , whom he never met . `` I mean , we deal with his flaws and we deal with his strengths . We deal with his history ; we deal with his disappointments as well as his victories . So , it 's all there . It 's all there in the show . Warts and all . '' Building on an already strong legacy . Marshall had already cemented his legacy as a pioneering NAACP lawyer who won 29 of the 32 cases he argued before the justices , his future colleagues . That included Brown v. Board of Education , the landmark ruling ending segregation in public schools . By the time of his government appointments , Marshall was in his mid-50s and itching for new challenges . Less than two weeks after his new job offer , Johnson secretly makes clear he wants more for Marshall . On July 20 , 1965 , the president tells economist and informal adviser John Kenneth Galbraith about a pending Supreme Court vacancy that will ultimately go to Johnson friend Abe Fortas . But Johnson is already laying the groundwork for the next court seat . `` I 'm going to appoint Thurgood Marshall to the -LRB- Supreme -RRB- Court , '' LBJ says flatly . `` Not to succeed him -LRB- current Justice Arthur Goldberg -RRB- , but after he 's solicitor -LRB- general -RRB- for a year . After he 's solicitor -LRB- general -RRB- for a year or two , the first vacancy I have . I have n't told anybody that , and I do n't want you to , but I brought him here . '' Johnson mentions how Southern Senate Democrats held up Marshall 's 1961 appointment to the federal appeals bench for months . The president now believes with Marshall 's proven skill as a legal advocate , he would make a good solicitor general , arguing cases on behalf of the federal government before the high court . `` At the end of a year or two , '' in his new job , Johnson predicts , `` no one can say that he 's not one of the best-qualified men that has ever -LSB- been -RSB- appointed . And then I 'm going to appoint him '' to the high court . Going to Marshall for advice . With a relationship established , Johnson was not shy about calling on his new solicitor general for some practical political advice . Marshall is asked to suggest names of other black leaders suitable for top administration posts , including agency heads and ambassadorships . The solicitor general suggests Whitney Young , Franklin Williams and Roy Wilkins . Marshall , despite being among just a handful of top black officials in the administration , appears slightly uncomfortable seeming to speak for all African-Americans in a purely political context . `` You got any suggestions , things we ought to be doing in this Negro field that we 're not ? I see that they say they 're getting very disillusioned with Johnson , '' says the president , referring to himself in the third person . `` Well , I 'm going to get together with some of them within the two-week period and try to find out what 's going on , '' replies Marshall . `` I 'm having great difficulty in finding out what they want . '' That comment may reflect the internal divisions among many in the civil rights movement over direction and strategy in the wake of passage of the Civil Rights Act , Voting Rights Act and the Rev. Martin Luther King 's `` I Have a Dream '' speech just a few years earlier . But it is clear from this conversation that LBJ is using Marshall 's grooming for the Supreme Court as the model he will use to boost other outstanding African American candidates to senior government positions . By October 1966 , some in the Johnson circle had begun quietly offering trial balloons in the press over whether Marshall might be a suitable justice . One U.S. News & World Report writer suggested he would not . `` Did you see the column today by David Lawrence ? '' Johnson asks Nicholas Katzenbach , his former attorney general . `` He 's got a mean -- saying that Thurgood 's not the best-qualified man . That 's the net of it . '' In a later conversation , Johnson 's reveals Marshall remains on his mind , and he reaches out to key lawmakers and civil rights leaders for their advice . `` I want to build him up where he 's impenetrable when he becomes a Supreme Court justice , '' says the president . But he adds the future nominee knows nothing of this . `` I 've never told him I 'm going to appoint him , and do n't know that I am . But he 's damn sure going to be qualified . '' Opportunity knocks for Johnson . When Justice Tom Clark announced his retirement , the president was ready to make his move . On June 13 , 1967 , just moments before he separately calls Marshall to be his nominee , Johnson tells Attorney General Ramsey Clark -- whose father Marshall was about to replace -- of his plans . He dismisses whispers from some in Washington that Marshall is not ready to sit on the nation 's highest court . `` He does n't fit the mold . He 's not a Yale man and that kind of stuff , you know , '' says Clark helpfully . `` Just a big , easy-going , very humane-type person . He does n't change his behavior to suit other people . Does n't wear striped pants . I think it 's a combination of those two factors '' the public will embrace . The two men discuss how the Senate Judiciary Committee will treat Marshall , who will be ultimately confirmed later that summer . The day after the historic 69-11 Senate vote , Marshall 's wife , Cecilia , known as Cissy to her friends , calls the president personally to thank him . `` Now that I have stopped trembling a little , and now that we 're more or less legal , I thought I 'd like to call you and thank you again so much for the faith you have shown in Thurgood and so much that you have done for everybody . '' Johnson replies in a sweet , soft voice , `` Well , I know he 'll be very worthy of it , and I know that both of us will be proud of him . '' Marshall served on the Supreme Court until 1991 . He died in early 1993 .
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Secret tapes of President Lyndon Johnson released exclusively to CNN . Tapes reveal president 's long-term aspirations for Thurgood Marshall . Johnson carefully laid out a path for Marshall to join Supreme Court , tapes show . LBJ on Marshall : `` I want to build him up where he 's impenetrable ''
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St Petersburg , Russia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Most artistic directors ' first day leading a new ballet company is all about meeting the dancers . But for Nacho Duato it 's a challenge just to find the rehearsal room . The mazelike corridors of the magnificent Mikhailovsky Theatre in St Petersburg prove confusing and inspire a few unchoregraphed twists and turns from Duato before he finally identifies the right room and his new company -- the 140 dancers of the Mikhailovsky Ballet . It 's unlikely the theater 's floor plan will be the last challenge for the Spanish choreographer who , this month , took over leadership of the company . He 's the first foreigner to lead a Russian ballet company in over a century and has been charged with bringing modern choreography to the Mikhailovsky 's classical repertoire . `` Having a look at the past but always stepping forward and stepping into the future ... this is what I think they want and that is why I think they called me , '' said Duato . `` I think they have it pretty clear that they want to change ; that they want something new . '' A modern ballet dancer and choreographer with an international pedigree , it is hoped he can revitalize the ballet for Russian audiences . While performances at the Mikhailovsky are well attended , there 's a growing concern that Russians may become tired of seeing the standard repertoire of classical ballets . `` Russians love ballet . That goes without saying , but the attitude that exists towards Russian ballet in the West is more passionate , '' said Vladimir Kekhman , billionaire fruit importer and General Director of the Mikhailovsky Theatre . `` I would like that within Russia we would have the same attitude because as we say ` We do n't treat what we have until it 's gone . ' I consider ballet to be a national treasure , '' he added . Kekhman is a relatively recent convert to ballet but he has become something of a cultural entrepreneur , investing $ 45 million of his own money to restore the Mikhailovsky 's buildings and , hopefully , its reputation . Kekhman required fresh talent to oversee his vision and for that , he says , he had to look beyond Russia . `` I looked within our industry to see who were considered living legends of choreography , and when I looked within Russia , I realized that we did n't have choreographers who had the ability to not just choreograph , but also head the company , '' he said . He approached Duato , a non-Russian speaker , who has spent the last 20 years choreographing new works as Artistic Director of the Spanish National Dance Company . At first Duato was reluctant to change direction towards classical ballet . But then Mikhailovsky offered him the chance to bring modern choreography to a classical ballet company and it proved an offer too enticing to pass up . `` I know many people who think he 's -LRB- Kekhman -RRB- crazy , that I 'm crazy and that this is never going to work , '' said Duato . `` That this mixture is just like a bomb , an atomic bomb . But he made me feel that ` Let 's try , let 's do it . Why not ? Maybe we can do it . ' '' Bringing a modern approach to ballet in Russia , where it 's ingrained in the culture might daunt some , but it 's a task Duato is relishing . `` It 's not a pressure . It 's a pleasure . It really is a pleasure to be in a place where ballet -LRB- has been -RRB- part of the cultural tradition for -LRB- such a -RRB- long time , and at the same time they want to break through and do new things , '' Duato said . Duato has set himself a challenging schedule , hand-picking three dancers to create a ballet so new it does n't even have a name yet . They have just weeks before the world premiere . Principal dancer Ekaterina Borchenko is the jewel in the Mikhailovsky 's Imperial crown . The company 's star ballerina has danced the principal roles in productions of classical ballets including `` Swan Lake , '' `` Giselle '' and `` La Sylphide . '' Now , she 's relishing the chance to stretch her skills . `` In this repertoire , I can show a different side of myself , express myself differently and find something new in me , '' she said . Opening night will be a litmus test of just how receptive Russians are to this new direction . Duato believes ballet is a living organism , which needs to evolve constantly in order to keep the audience interested . It 's a philosophy he shares with Kekhman . `` Together we are going to work into something , '' said Duato . `` We do n't know how it 's going to be but I think it 's going to be beautiful . If we put all our hearts and soul into it , it 's going to be something fantastic . ''
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Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato is the new artistic director at the Mikhailovksy Ballet . He 's the first non-Russian to take up such a post in over a century . The company is trying modernize ballet for Russian audiences . Duato has just weeks to get his new ballet ready before the world premiere .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Dutch documentary about a mentally ill and potentially dangerous 18-year-old has prompted lawmakers in the Netherlands -- amid national outrage -- to re-examine the treatment of those in psychiatric care . The documentary , which was produced by the Lutheran-run Evangelical Broadcasting Company and aired on public television Tuesday , followed Brandon van Ingen , a patient at a mental hospital in Ermelo . Since 2007 , van Ingen has spent part of his days tethered to a wall due to the danger he poses to others , according to State Secretary for Public Health Marlies Veldhuijzen van Zanten-Hyllner . `` Brandon 's issue is so serious that he must be restricted in his freedom for the sake of his own safety and that of others , '' van Zanten-Hyllner wrote in a letter to parliament . `` Because of this , Brandon consistently makes use of a band that he fastens himself when he is in the presence of his attendants and other visitors . Whenever there is no one present and at night , the band is loosened . '' In response to the documentary , the country 's political parties held emergency meetings Wednesday to discuss care for the mentally ill . Van Zanten-Hyllner addressed those meetings , explaining that van Ingen 's care was in line with rules for restraining mental health patients , but promised to examine whether a change is needed . `` The broadcast stirred me deeply , '' she wrote in the letter to parliament . `` It is upsetting to see that such a young person , who has his life before him , has so little perspective for a better future . '' Van Zanten-Hyllner noted that van Ingen , who apparently hears voices that tell him to do `` bad and dangerous things , '' has his own apartment where he can move about freely . The hospital is working on alternatives for van Ingen 's care , van Zanten-Hyllner wrote , `` and is undertaking constant efforts to improve the living situation . '' The program `` Outspoken '' learned about Van Ingen 's story from one of his caretakers at the hospital . `` I could no longer do these shifts , '' Iris Mourits said on the program . `` Back-up shifts were OK , but being together with him in a room -- I think at some point he could sense that from the depths of my toes I could no longer see him on that leash . '' Van Ingen 's mother compared his care to that of a `` caged animal . '' `` He feels like a dog on a line , '' she said . Heerenloo hospital issued a statement Saturday assuring family members of those at the facility that van Ingen 's case is an exceptional one and does n't reflect the care the majority of patients receive . Health care inspectors said Friday that they would `` investigate the cases in which freedom is taken away from patients similar to Brandon 's situation . '' Van Zanten-Hyllner said there are about 40 cases similar to van Ingen 's in the Netherlands . CNN 's Ben Brumfield and Bharati Naik and Journalist Eline Rietkerk contributed to this report .
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A documentary profiled the 18-year-old male 's treatment at a mental hospital . Dutch lawmakers are re-examining the treatment of those in psychiatric care . Health official says his treatment is in line with rules for restraining patients . The hospital calls the man 's treatment an exceptional case .
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Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Astronomers have discovered a new planet that just may be able to support life in a nearby solar system a mere 20 light years from Earth . It 's called Gliese 581g and is located in the constellation Libra . It circles the red dwarf star Gliese 581 . According to a research that is set to be published in the Astrophysical Journal , the planet is `` squarely in the middle of the habitable zone of the star '' which offers a very compelling case for a potentially habitable planet around a very nearby star . When a planet falls in the `` habitable zone '' it means that it orbits the star at a distance that allows for the planet to have both liquid water and an atmosphere , two conditions that are considered important for life to exist . `` Our findings offer a very compelling case for a potentially habitable planet , '' said Astronomy Professor Steven Vogt of the University of California Santa Cruz who lead the research along with Astronomer Paul Butler of the Carnegie Institute . To scientists a `` potentially habitable '' planet is not one where humans would want to live , but rather one that could sustain life . The scientists believe the new planet has a mass three to four times that of Earth and orbits its star approximately every 37 days . It 's likely rocky planet , according to Vogt . Size is another factor in determining the likelihood of a planet to be able to support life . It has to be large enough to hold an atmosphere , but not so large that it becomes an `` ice giant '' like Neptune or Uranus . `` If we discover life outside our planet , it would perhaps be the most significant discovery of all time , '' said Ed Seidel of the National Science Foundation . `` This is clearly one of the most exciting areas of science these days . '' The report can be found at http://arxiv.org/list/astro-ph.EP/new .
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Gilese 581g is 20 light years from Earth -- a near neighbor by galactic standards . Soon-to-be-published research says body is in `` habitable '' zone of its solar system . Scientists believe Gilese 581g has a mass three to four times that of Earth . A habitable planet has to be a rocky planet large enough to hold an atmosphere .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A Nevada city councilwoman who faced possible sanctions over a travel expense voucher and public comments was found dead with her husband Tuesday , hours before a City Council meeting that had the issues involving her on its agenda , officials said . Donna Fairchild and Bill Fairchild were found in a residence in the city of Mesquite , Nevada , on Interstate 15 near the border with Arizona , authorities said . Police got a call from the residence about 4:30 a.m. Each apparently suffered a single gunshot wound , the city said . Autopsies are scheduled for Wednesday . Results from the Clark County Coroner 's Office were expected to take four to six weeks , according to a statement from the city . Mesquite city spokesman Bryan Dangerfield would not comment on the circumstances of their deaths but said police confirmed that a note and a 9 mm handgun were found at the scene . `` The content of the note will not be disclosed until the investigation is complete , '' Dangerfield said . City Manager Timothy Hacker said he believed that Donna Fairchild was concerned about the agenda items , according to CNN Las Vegas affiliate KLAS . The City Council was required to meet Tuesday night , but in light of the day 's events , Dangerfield said the allegations against Fairchild probably would not be debated . Two prayers were offered by pastors during the meeting , he said . Fairchild , who was a candidate for mayor , told the Desert Valley Times last week that she would not comment on the allegations against her , but instead would talk about them Tuesday night . Mayor Susan Holecheck and City Attorney Cheryl Truman Hunt had planned to ask the City Council to consider sanctioning Fairchild through possible reprimand , removal from boards or expulsion for filing a $ 94.60 mileage reimbursement request with the city for a January 4 Nevada Development Authority board meeting she allegedly did not attend , according to an item on the council agenda . Fairchild allegedly violated the city 's code of conduct and its personnel policy , and allegedly fraudulently presented a claim to a public officer , Hunt wrote in a January 18 memo . Holecheck , who is seeking re-election , and Hunt also wanted the City Council to consider removing Fairchild as the city 's representative to the Nevada Development Authority board of directors . According to a filing on the agenda , comments Fairchild made about the development authority in a newspaper article `` were negative towards this agency , and deemed incompatible with the mission of the agency and good working relations with other NDA board members . '' A January 7 article of the Desert Valley Times includes interviews and comments from Mesquite mayoral candidates . In the article , Fairview said , `` We just got a bill from the Nevada Development Authority : It costs $ 7,500 to belong . There was one thing that came out of the NDA , and that was Do It Best . That was huge for the community , but I do n't think we 're getting the bang for our buck . '' In the article , Fairchild said that Mesquite should be doing most of its own marketing . NDA Executive Director Somer Hollingsworth wrote Holecheck that Fairchild -- who was the city 's representative to the board since July 2009 -- should have brought her concerns to him , rather than airing them publicly , especially since she was a member of the NDA executive committee , according to an e-mail attached with the filing . According to the agenda item , Fairchild could have discussed her issues with the NDA if she had attended the January 4 board meeting . Messages seeking comment were left with Holecheck and Hunt on Tuesday . A statement from the mayor 's office and City Council said , `` It is with a heavy heart that we make this announcement . Mesquite has lost two citizens that have devoted their life to public service . On behalf of myself and the City Council , this is a tremendous loss to our community and we express our deepest sympathies to the Fairchilds ' family , loved ones and friends . '' Donna Fairchild served on the City Council from 2001 to 2007 and was re-elected in 2009 . She moved to Mesquite with Bill Fairchild in 1999 after they both retired from the Denver Police Department , the city said . Donna Fairchild also has been an EMT/paramedic and news reporter for KIMN/KYGO radio in Denver . In Mesquite , Bill worked at a recreation center and was a member of the Virgin Valley Honor Guard and the Veterans of Foreign War . The Fairchilds were married for 21 years , the city said . CNN 's Melanie Whitley and Frances Causey contributed to this report .
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Councilwoman Donna Fairchild faced possible sanctions . City Council was to look at mileage reimbursement request . She and her husband were found dead in Nevada city . Each apparently died of single gunshot wounds .
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New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Subway passengers who were stranded on Coney Island , New York , because of the overnight snowstorm refused to get off of a train because they had no other way to stay warm , riders said Thursday . The passengers stayed in a `` sweeper '' train , which was supposed to clear tracks and make sure no passengers or trains were stuck between stations , the Metropolitan Transportation Authority -LRB- MTA -RRB- said . MTA employees tried to get them off the N Train at the Coney Island terminal , a passenger said . `` I said , ' I have no where to go , I 'm not leaving , ' '' passenger Eva Mahoney told CNN affiliate NY1 . `` There 's no way I 'm gon na get home because I remember the -LSB- December -RSB- blizzard . '' Many of the passengers slept or just waited for a few hours until they could catch a train around 6 a.m. , she said . `` If this train is the sweeper train , put us in the one next to it , '' Mahoney said . The drama began when the riders left Manhattan for Brooklyn , NY1 reported . They were told to get off and take the train to Coney Island . When they arrived there was no bus service , passengers said . That 's when they decided to stay on the sweeper train . MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said that , based on December 's storm , the agency `` implemented new strategies last night to ensure the safety of passengers and facilitate a quick return to service this morning . '' MTA acted to shut down service so as not to strand passengers , he said in a statement . `` In the case of the N Train , we were able to safely park the train at its Coney Island terminal as planned . '' The agency could have done a better job communicating with customers `` on the need to dispatch one of the trains as a nonpassenger sweeper train to clear tracks , and making them comfortable in the terminal until service was restored , '' he said . The major snowstorm that pelted much of the Northeast tapered off Thursday , but many schools , government offices and some airport runways were expected to remain closed , officials said . Storms that stretched from the southern Appalachian Mountains to coastal Massachusetts are the latest in a slew of wintry weather that continues to blanket much of the region . Even though the storm lasted a single day , it caused major problems in some areas , posting record snowfall numbers across the region , according to the National Weather Service . In New York 's Central Park , 19 inches of snow fell overnight into Thursday , beating a single day record set in 1925 , New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters . `` Keep an eye on your neighbors , '' he said , warning New Yorkers to check on elderly residents in neighborhoods across the city . Forecasters said Newark , New Jersey , reached 19 inches of snow , while Philadelphia totaled 15 inches . Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter lifted the city 's snow emergency Thursday evening . Bus systems in Philadelphia were running at 10 percent , said mayoral spokeswoman Katie Martin , having been shut down during overnight hours in expectation of the heavy snow fall . Federal employees and most schools in Washington ended business early Wednesday . Public schools and most government offices stayed closed Thursday , officials said . At Philadelphia International Airport , 173 flights were canceled for Thursday as of about 8 a.m. , officials said . About 1,500 passengers were stranded at the airport overnight . At Boston Logan International airport , about 200 flights were canceled Thursday beginning at 6 a.m. , officials said . Amtrak suspended service from New York to Boston and from New Haven to Springfield on Thursday , and reduced its service between New York and Albany , the train service said . Runways were closed at Reagan National Airport and Dulles International Airport in the Washington suburbs on Wednesday evening , said Rob Yingling , spokesman for Metro Washington Airports Authority . `` The intense snow has really been going since late afternoon , and it was n't too long after that that aircraft activity trailed off dramatically and then subsequently the snow got so heavy that we had to close the runways while we continued plowing them with our snow team , '' Yingling said . But by Thursday afternoon , Dulles airport had reopened a single runway while officials at Reagan National Airport reported they had reopened runways . Also in New York , the city 's transit bus service remained suspended in the Bronx , while officials said service is being evaluated and restored on a route by route basis in Queens , Brooklyn , Staten Island and Manhattan , the Metropolitan Transit Authority said Thursday . CNN 's Rick Vincent and Julie Cannold contributed to this report .
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NEW : Subway passengers commandeered train to stay warm . In NYC 's Central Park , 19 inches of snowfall beat a single-day record set in 1925 . Forecasters said Newark reached 19 inches of snow while Philadelphia totaled 15 inches . Some flights are canceled in Philadelphia , Boston .
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New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The daughter of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards was arrested after allegedly scrawling graffiti on a building in a Manhattan neighborhood Tuesday night , according to police . Theodora Richards , 25 , was also slapped with drug charges after police found her carrying marijuana while writing `` T -LRB- heart -RRB- A '' with a paint marker in the city 's Soho district , said a New York Police Department spokeswoman who declined to be named . Richards , who has modeled for brands like Burberry and French Connection , was charged with two counts of making graffiti , possession of a graffiti-making instrument , criminal possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of marijuana . Richards is the daughter of model Patti Hansen and the Rolling Stones icon who gained international fame not only for his music , but also for years of drug use and multiple scrapes with the law .
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The daughter of Keith Richards is arrested for scrawling graffiti and drug possession . Theodora Richards was found carrying marijuana while writing with a paint marker .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Firefighters battling a central Florida blaze were scrambling to get ahead of gusty winds that could hamper efforts to battle the fire , which has burned more than 16,000 acres and closed a stretch of Interstate 95 for a time Wednesday . The fire , which began Monday in northern Brevard and southern Volusia counties , has destroyed a mobile home , several outbuildings and several camp structures , the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said . As of Wednesday , however , `` no residences seem to be in immediate danger , '' said Sterling Ivey , department spokesman . A 21-mile stretch of I-95 in the two counties was shut down for a few hours because of heavy smoke on Wednesday , the Florida Department of Transportation said . It reopened before 4:30 p.m. . More than 150 personnel have been deployed to help fight the blaze , called the Iron Horse Fire , according to the Florida Division of Forestry . The fire is 25 % contained , said Cliff Frazier , a wildfire mitigation specialist with the Florida Division of Forestry , and has burned 16,294 acres . Winds were pushing much of the smoke out to sea , Frazier said . No new structures appeared to be in danger . Winds of 15 mph were forecast Wednesday morning , increasing to 25 mph by evening , Annaleasa Winter , a Division of Forestry spokeswoman , told CNN affiliate WPBF . The winds will be out of the northeast and could threaten the western fire lines , she said . Firefighters on Wednesday were planning to help `` mop up those edges '' and put out hot spots , Winter said . Mike Townsend 's property in Brevard County was among those scorched by the fire . `` It 's heartbreaking , '' he told WPBF tearfully . `` I developed this piece of property by myself . It 's a rough thing . It 's a rough thing to go through . '' Firefighters were making progress on a second blaze that has burned close to 2,000 acres in St. Johns County , south of State Road 206 on Interstate 95 below St. Augustine , officials said . Kimberley Prosser of the Brevard County Fire Department said the agency sent two emergency strike teams as a precaution to two communities near the fire , Lake Harney Woods in Volusia County and Blountes Ridge in Brevard County . A voluntary evacuation in the city of Mims was lifted Tuesday evening and shelters were closed , according to the Brevard County Office of Emergency Management . The agency reported a Brevard firefighter suffered second-degree burns to the face . The cause of both fires is not yet known . Frazier said Tuesday the combination of severe freezes this winter that killed surface vegetation and low rain totals made conditions ripe for a fire . The South Florida Water Management District said Wednesday the central and southern portions of the state are experiencing `` extreme dry conditions . '' The period between October 2010 and February 2011 was the driest period in southern Florida in 80 years , the district said . `` Over the last five months , the district 's 16-county region has received a total of 5.69 inches , less than half the average rainfall for that period , or 6.54 inches below average , '' the district said in a statement . Lake Okeechobee is more than 2 feet below its historical average for this time of year . Meanwhile , residents near the Iron Horse Fire recalled wildfires that swept the area in 1998 , saying the recent blaze brings back their worry and anxiety . In 1998 , `` We left about 11 o'clock at night and then we did n't know if we had a home the next morning , '' Denise Kemp told WPBF . Her home survived . But she said the current blaze has her worried because of its size and the changing wind directions . CNN 's Ashley Hayes , Jeremy Ryan , John Couwels and Rich Phillips contributed to this report .
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NEW : Section of I-95 reopens in south Florida . Winds of up to 25 mph are forecast for Wednesday night . No residences are currently in danger . Progress is made on a smaller blaze in St. Johns County .
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Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Musician James Taylor , historian Bernard Bailyn , novelist Joyce Carol Oates , actress Meryl Streep and pianist Van Cliburn were among a small group of honorees recognized at the White House Wednesday for their contributions to America 's arts and humanities . The men and women were selected as the 2010 recipients of the National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal . The arts medal , established in 1984 , is meant to honor `` outstanding contributions to the excellence , growth , support and availability of the arts , '' according to the National Endowment for the Arts . The humanities medal , created in 1997 , `` honors individuals or groups whose work has deepened the nation 's understanding of the humanities , broadened our citizens ' engagement with the humanities , or helped preserve and expand Americans ' access to important resources in the humanities , '' according to the National Endowment for the Humanities . The arts and humanities are what `` make the good times worthwhile , '' Obama said . `` Our strength as a people runs deeper than our military might '' or economic prowess . `` It 's also about our values and ideas . '' Aside from Cliburn , Streep and Taylor , the group receiving the arts medal included : playwright and critic Robert Brustein ; abstract artist Mark di Suvero ; poet Donald Hall ; the organizers of Jacob 's Pillow Dance Festival , America 's longest-running international dance festival ; Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Harper Lee ; jazz musician Sonny Rollins , and musician Quincy Jones . In addition to Bailyn and Oates , the group receiving the humanities medal included Library of America founder Daniel Aaron ; cultural historian Jacques Barzun ; poet and novelist Wendell Berry ; Spanish and Latin American literary critic Roberto Gonzalez Echevarria ; Stanley Nider Katz , the head of the American Council of Learned Societies ; biographer and literary critic Arnold Rampersad ; novelist Philip Roth , and historian Gordon Wood .
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Obama honors the 2010 recipients of the National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal . Van Cliburn , Meryl Streep , and James Taylor are among the recipients of the arts medal . Bernard Bailyn and Joyce Carol Oates are among the recipients of the humanities medal .
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-LRB- CNNGo -RRB- -- Thai Airways International is catching heat for imposing weight restrictions on its 6,000 flight attendants . Those who do n't shape up face the risk of being kept out of the sky . According to a story in the Bangkok Post , flight attendants who do n't meet the airline 's body mass index and waistline controls , imposed last year , have been limited to service on domestic and same-day-return flights . If they do n't comply after a year , they will be transferred to ground services . The 41 flight attendants affected -- 28 of them male -- recently complained to the Labour Protection and Welfare Department that the regulation violated their human rights and decreased their incomes . They were told the regulation is not illegal and falls within the authority of management , which was concerned about customer service . Earlier this year , female Thai Airways flight attendants over the age of 45 were given the option of early retirement through a buyout package instituted as part of the airline 's drive to rejuvenate its image and save costs . CNNGo : World 's hottest airline crews ranked . © 2011 Cable News Network Turner Broadcasting System , Inc. . All Rights Reserved .
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Thai Airways International imposed weight restrictions on its 6,000 flight attendants . 41 flight attendants did n't meet the airline 's body mass index and waistline controls . Those flight attendants will now serve on domestic and same-day-return flights .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Martin Kaymer has claimed golf 's No. 1 ranking after reaching the final of the World Match Play tournament in Arizona on Saturday . The German toppled Englishman Lee Westwood as he first beat Spanish veteran Miguel Angel Jimenez in the quarterfinals and then ended the hopes of American Bubba Watson . The 26-year-old will face European Ryder Cup teammate Luke Donald in Sunday 's final at Dove Mountain 's Ritz-Carlton course after the Englishman made light work of his matches against Americans Ryan Moore and Matt Kuchar . `` It has taken me only five years to get to number one . For myself , my family and the people I work with , it 's a great achievement , '' Kaymer told reporters . `` I was not thinking about the number one spot as I was sure I would get the opportunity again over the next few weeks , I just wanted to win the match . `` Luke is probably one of the best match-play players in the world . We get along well , but because it 's a final it will add more pressure . '' Westwood had been top of the rankings since the end of October , when he ended Tiger Woods ' record reign , but he lost in the second round of the $ 8.5 million tournament . European Tour No. 1 Kaymer won both of his matches at the 18th , surviving a late rally from Jimenez after leading by four holes at 14 . Kaymer closes on golf 's top spot . Jimenez -- at 47 the oldest man in the initial 64-strong field -- reduced the gap to one as Kaymer lost his accuracy , but then failed to find the green in regulation at the last . Kaymer was pegged back three times by Watson -- who earlier beat compatriot J.B. Holmes at the first extra hole of their quarterfinal -- but won 15 and 16 before the left-hander birdied 17 . Watson struggled to find the green at 18 , and Kaymer sank an eight-foot par putt to seal victory . Sunday 's opponent Donald can climb to third in the world rankings with victory in the final , which would end his five-year title title drought in U.S. events and earn him $ 1.4 million . Westwood and Mickelson crash out of Match Play . The 33-year-old opened the day in fine style with a 5 & 4 win over Moore as he led from the first green , and won three holes in a row from the eighth before his fifth birdie of the match at 14 sealed it . Donald then thrashed U.S. Ryder Cup player and 2010 PGA Tour money list champion Kuchar 6 & 5 in the first semifinal to be completed . He fired six birdies in 13 holes in increasingly windy conditions at Dove Mountain 's Ritz-Carlton course . Kuchar earlier eliminated 2009 PGA Championship winner Y.E. Yang , defeating the 39-year-old Korean 2 & 1 in the quarterfinals . Woods follows Poulter out of WGC-Match Play championship . Yang , who beat U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell on Friday , was never ahead in the match and trailed by four holes after the eighth , then Kuchar matched his four consecutive pars to 17 . Watson came from 5-down after 10 holes to beat Holmes at the 19th hole , which his compatriot bogeyed to go behind for the first time in the match . The semifinals were originally scheduled for Sunday , but warnings of adverse weather meant they were brought forward . Organizers hope the final will not be disrupted by the forecast drop in temperatures which could bring snow to the desert course .
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Martin Kaymer ends Lee Westwood 's reign at the top of the world golf rankings . German wins twice on Saturday to reach final of World Match Play tournament . He will face European Ryder Cup teammate Luke Donald in Sunday 's title match . Englishman Donald can climb to third in the world rankings with victory in Arizona .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Caroline Wozniacki has regained the women 's world number one ranking from Belgium 's Kim Clijsters , after beating Shahar Peer to reach the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships on Friday . The Dane eased past the ninth seed 6-2 6-4 , and will now replace Australian Open champion Clijsters when the new WTA rankings are published on Monday . Clijsters , who skipped the hard-court event in the United Arab Emirates , will have held the number one ranking for just seven days . The 27-year-old rose to the top spot again -- having first done so in 2003 -- when she reached the last four of the Paris Open , but left Wozniacki with a chance to reclaim the position when she lost to Petra Kvitova in the final . CNN Blog : Can Murray become a grand slam champion ? The 20-year-old Wozniacki will now remain at the top of the rankings at least until after the U.S. tournament in Indian Wells which starts on March 23 . However , the 2009 U.S. Open finalist -- who is yet to win a grand slam title -- insisted winning tournaments is more important to her than being No. 1 . `` I 've said all along I was n't sure about whether I could become number one this week , and that my focus really is not upon that , '' she told reporters . `` For the moment it 's more important to concentrate on what I have to do and try to win the tournament . '' Her achievement was marked in a much more low-key fashion then when she became the 20th woman in history to reach the summit in October last year . Due to fears over the safety of Peer -- who became the first woman from Israel to play in the Arab state in 2010 -- the match was played on a remote outside court with few spectators and heavy security , where there were no on-court celebrations . Next up for Wozniacki will be Serbian former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic , who defeated Australian fourth seed Sam Stosur of Australia in three closely-contested sets . Sixth seed Jankovic eventually triumphed 6-3 5-7 7-6 -LRB- 7-4 -RRB- against world No. 5 and French Open runner-up Stosur . In the other half of the draw , two-time grand slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia beat Polish eighth seed Agnieszka Radwanska 7-6 -LRB- 9-7 -RRB- 6-3 in the penultimate quarterfinal . The Russian will next face Italian 11th seed Flavia Pennetta , who thrashed Russia 's Alisa Kleybanova 6-2 6-0 in the late match . Elsewhere , at the men 's Marseille Open , Swedish top seed and world No. 4 Robin Soderling progressed to the semifinals with an easy straight-sets win over France 's Michael Llodra . The two-time French Open finalist came through 6-1 6-4 , and will next play Dmitry Tursunov after the Russian defeated Austrian fourth seed Jurgen Melzer 6-4 2-6 6-1 in Friday 's closing match . In the other half of the draw of the ATP World Tour hard-court tournament , world No. 7 and Wimbledon runner-up Tomas Berdych was knocked out by Croatia 's Marin Cilic . The former world number nine swept aside his Czech opponent 6-3 6-4 to book his place in the semifinals of the French event , where he will face third seed Mikhail Youzhny . The Russian ended home hopes with a 6-4 2-6 6-4 win over sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga .
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Denmark 's Caroline Wozniacki is set to replace Kim Clijsters as world No. 1 . Wozniacki reclaims top spot after reaching the last four of tournament in Dubai . Clijsters has been there for only a week after reaching final of Paris event . Top seed Robin Soderling reaches semifinals of the men 's Marseille Open .
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Beijing -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- China 's government will invest $ 1 billion to combat a three month drought crippling the country 's north . The worst drought in six decades threatens to ruin China 's winter harvest , the world 's largest producer of wheat . To combat it , China 's government plans to spend around 6.7 billion yuan -LRB- $ 1.02 billion -RRB- to divert water to affected areas and irrigation facilities according to the state news agency , Xinhua . Some 2.57 million people and 2.79 million livestock are suffering from drinking water shortages , Xinhua said . The main affected provinces include Shandong , Jiangsu , Henan , Hebei and Shanxi , which together account for about 60 % of the wheat planted this winter . The United Nation 's Food and Agriculture Organization -LRB- FAO -RRB- issued an alert Tuesday , warning of severe wheat shortages , saying `` the ongoing drought is potentially a serious problem . '' According to the FAO the drought is now affecting an area of around 5.16 million hectares , representing two-thirds of China 's wheat production . Meanwhile the country 's capital Beijing got it first snowfall in more than three months overnight on Wednesday . But the precipitation is unlikely to end the area 's drought , reported Xinhua . The precipitation followed cloud seeding by the municipal artificial weather intervention office , the agency said .
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NEW : The government invests $ 1 billion to combat the drought . Some 2.57 million people suffering from drinking water shortages . China 's capital goes 108 days without rain or snow , a 60-year record . Authorities seed clouds to try to end the drought .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Away from the hustle and bustle of Delhi 's dusty streets , where rickshaws , crammed buses and the occasional elephant usually set the tone for a cacophonous commuting experience , there is an air-conditioned haven that is the pride of local residents : The Delhi Metro . Just eight years old , the Indian city 's transport system has been hailed as a great success story -- its trains run on time , platforms are clean and journeys are quick . The metro carries hundreds of thousands of daily commuters and has helped to reduce Delhi 's massive traffic and air pollution problems . Since the start of its first phase , it has saved around 300,000 tons of fuel , and its potential to reduce greenhouse emissions is `` quite substantial , '' according to Anumita Roychowdhury of India 's Center for Science and Environment . Watch a video of the ` miracle metro ' or click through our photo gallery above for more images . With the city now gearing up to host the next Commonwealth Games in October 2010 , the transport system is expanding to accommodate athletes , visitors and thousands of commuters . Have you ever ridden the metro in Delhi ? Share your experiences with us below or send us your photos and videos via iReport .
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The metro carries thousands of commuters daily , helping Delhi tackle pollution and traffic . Journeys are fast , trains run on time and platforms are clean . The transport system claims it 's the first in the world to earn carbon credits .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Algeria 's government declared an end to a nearly two-decade state of emergency Tuesday , its state news agency announced , lifting restrictions on freedom of speech and assembly imposed to combat an Islamist insurgency . The country 's Council of Ministers approved the repeal Tuesday , the state-run Algeria Press Service reported . `` The draft ordinance will come into force upon its imminent publication in the Official Journal , '' the council said in a statement carried by the agency . The move comes as Algeria , like other Arab nations , faces a wave of protest that has toppled regimes in Egypt and Tunisia and led to open revolt in against longtime strongman Moammar Gadhafi in neighboring Libya . Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced this month that he would soon lift the emergency declaration , first imposed in 1992 and indefinitely renewed in 1993 . The emergency declaration was part of a clampdown on Islamist movements during a civil war that left more than 150,000 dead . But critics say the insurgency has long since diminished , and the law remained only to muzzle critics of the government . Bouteflika 's National Liberation Front has ruled the country since winning indepdendence from France in 1962 , and Bouteflika has been in office since 1999 . U.S. analysts say Algeria faces some of the same problems that fueled uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt -- high rates of unemployment and a stagnant economy in particular . Protests over food prices began in January but quickly led to calls for political reform . On Sunday , anti-government protesters chanted , `` The people demand the fall of the regime , '' and clashed with police and pro-government demonstrators , opposition leaders said . The country 's long-running clampdown began in 1991 when an Islamist party led early balloting in Algeria 's first multiparty parliamentary elections . The military stepped in , canceled the second round of voting and launched a campaign against the Islamists that led to a full-scale insurgency , which effectively ended about a decade later . Human Rights Watch says Algeria 's government controls state broadcast outlets and sharply restricts private newspapers , with journalists facing prosecution for criticism of public officials . It says police also harass human rights activists who have campaigned for accountability for people killed or `` forcibly disappeared '' during the insurgency . CNN 's Caroline Faraj contributed to this report .
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The decree has limited Algerian freedoms for 19 years . Algeria , like other countries in the region , faces a wave of unrest . The government pledged to lift the emergency decree in early February .
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Christchurch , New Zealand -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The death toll from the 6.3-magnitude earthquake that struck Christchurch this week has risen to 113 , police said Friday morning . More people are feared dead , and more than 200 are still missing , police said . Police Superintendent Dave Cliff told reporters that he had `` grave fears '' for the missing and authorities were having difficulty identifying victims because of the condition of the bodies found . The somber announcement came as authorities carried out more house-to-house searches in a desperate hunt for survivors . The quake struck Tuesday , toppling buildings , buckling streets and ripping the facades of iconic churches , including the Christchurch Cathedral and the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament . A series of aftershocks followed . Officials said they had given up hope of rescuing at least 100 people who were trapped in the Canterbury TV building in downtown Christchurch . Police said they were `` 100 % certain '' no one in the building was still alive . Authorities fear that trapped occupants in another structure , the Pyne Gould Corp. . Building , are also dead . Among those missing were 27 Japanese students , Japan 's foreign ministry said . Most of them were students at language schools , and five were on personal study trips . Kento Okuda , a Japanese student who was pulled from the rubble of the Toyoma Foreign Language College , told Japan 's Asahi Shimbun newspaper that he was having lunch on the fourth-floor cafeteria when the floor gave way . As he and others lay trapped under debris , the students shouted out to each other to get a count of how many of them were alive , Okuda told the newspaper . Many of their fellow Japanese students did not respond . But there have some rare rays of hope in the rescue efforts . One was Anne Vos who was rescued Wednesday from the rubble of the Pyne Gould building in the central business district , according to Australian and New Zealand media . Vos was able to call family members from her cell phone while covered by rubble . `` A couple of hours ago , I thought I 'd had it , '' she told New Zealand network TV3 Tuesday . `` I thought it was ` Goodbye Anne . ' '' Like some 430 people who have been admitted to emergency rooms since the quake , Vos was taken to a hospital to recuperate . Southern New Zealand has been hit by a series of quakes since September 4 when a 7.1-magnitude temblor struck the area . There were no deaths from that quake , which struck deeper below ground and farther away from Christchurch . Tuesday 's earthquake was part of the `` aftershock sequence '' from the September earthquake , the U.S. Geological Survey said . CNN 's Anna Coren contributed to this report .
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Police say they have `` grave fears '' for the missing . Rescuers continue house-to-house searches in Christchurch . Authorities said more than 200 people are missing .
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New Delhi , India -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- India 's federal police have arrested two senior officials involved in organizing last year 's troubled Commonwealth Games in New Delhi for suspected corruption . Investigators have taken into custody Lalit Bhanot , former secretary-general of the organizing committee of the October 2010 event . Also placed under arrest was V.K. Verma , director-general of the committee . They have been held for a suspected over-priced purchase of a timing , scoring and result systems from a Swiss company , federal police spokesman R. K. Gaur said . India 's Central Bureau of Investigation -LRB- CBI -RRB- , which is probing allegations of massive corruption in the conduct of the Commonwealth Games of last year in New Delhi , had earlier arrested four other committee officials . Bhanot and Verma are seen as close aides of Suresh Kalmadi , India 's chief organizer of the sporting event that attracted international headlines for alleged scams and messy preparations . A series of scandals in 2010 have put Prime Minister Manmohan Singh 's government on the defensive . This week , Singh acceded to opposition demands to order a cross-party probe into an alleged multi-billion dollar fraud related to the award of mobile-phone licenses three years ago . Politicians , bureaucrats , officials and company executives linked to probes have denied any wrongdoing . Several high-profile corporate leaders have also been questioned by police in connection with the sale of radiowaves in 2008 . Investigators have arrested A. Raja , who quit as telecom minister as the scandal battered Singh 's government . Singh reiterated Thursday that the guilty will be punished . `` No wrongdoer will escape penalties , '' he told lawmakers . `` As and when we got credible , actionable evidence , action has been taken . ''
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NEW : Singh reiterates that those found guilty will be punished . Four other organizing committee members were arrested earlier . Authorities are investigating massive corruption in the conduct of the Games . A series of other scandals have put Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the defensive .
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Jakarta , Indonesia -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Association of Southeast Asian Nations will send observers to the tense Thailand-Cambodia border , where a disputed centuries-old temple is located , the organization said Tuesday . Foreign Ministers and representatives from ASEAN 's 10 member nations met in Jakarta Tuesday to discuss the long-standing border conflict . In a statement issued after the meeting , ASEAN says it welcomes `` the invitation by both Cambodia and Thailand -LRB- for -RRB- observers from Indonesia , current chair of ASEAN , to observe the commitment by both sides to avoid further armed clashes between them . '' Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said in a news conference that the civilian and military observers will be unarmed . The team will be there to assist and support both countries to keep their commitment avoid further clashes . `` It is still their responsibility to maintain the ceasefire , '' he said . Deadly clashes erupted again at the border earlier this month . The disputed area is the site of Preah Vihear , a 900-year-old Hindu temple . In 1962 , an international court awarded the temple to Cambodia , but Thailand claims that the area around the temple has not been clearly demarcated . The two countries have been in a stand-off since 2008 , when UNESCO granted Preah Vihear World Heritage Status . Since the renewed fighting , ASEAN has sent Natalegawa to meet with leaders of both Thailand and Cambodia to try to ease tensions . The U.N. Security Council has also called for a permanent cease-fire and backed ASEAN 's efforts to mediate . On Tuesday , Natalegawa said ASEAN is stepping up to the plate and is `` waging peace aggressively '' . He expressed hope they can send off the observers to the border `` sooner rather than later . '' He could not say how many observers will be part of the team . He also added Thailand and Cambodia will continue to try resolving the conflict through bilateral talks , although Indonesia will be engaged in the process . The next bilateral meeting is expected be held in Jakarta .
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ASEAN will send observers to the Thailand-Cambodia border . There is a disputed centuries-old temple there . The team will assist both sides to keep their commitments to avoid clashes .
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Tokyo -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Japan has slipped to the world 's third largest economy , falling behind the blistering speed of China 's manufacturing growth , according to Japanese figures released Monday . Japan 's cabinet office released its nominal gross domestic product figures for 2010 . Japan 's economy was valued at US $ 5.4742 trillion dollars while China was at US $ 5.8786 trillion . Japan 's economy did grow in 2010 , but only 3.9 % , according to the government . China 's is expected to grow more than 10 % . At the speed China is growing , Japan 's government predicts China will overtake the United States as the world 's largest economy in less than 20 years . China has expanded domestic industries and infrastructure , driven by a surge in exports . Multinational corporations have expanded in China , taking advantage of low labor costs . Japan , meanwhile , has been stuck in stagnation and deflation for two decades . Decisive economic policy has been lost in the revolving door of the country 's top leader , with Japan seeing six prime ministers in just five years . Looking ahead , Japan is facing a demographic tsunami , with the world 's fastest aging population and one of the globe 's lowest birth rates . On the national debt issue , Japan 's parliament is struggling to cap its GDP-to-debt ratio , which is nearing 200 % -- the world 's highest among developed nations . The size of an economy does not tell the entire picture : Japan 's GDP per head is around $ 40,000 while China 's is $ 4,500 . The standards of living remain remarkably different in the two countries . But the economic size of a country gives a snapshot of not just the financial influence of a nation , but its power in the world 's political sphere .
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Japan 's economy is now third in the world , with China moving into second place . The United States remains the world 's largest economy . Japan 's government predicts China will overtake the U.S. in less than 20 years .
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London -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Mention bedbugs and the natural reaction is to shudder and start scratching . But one who does n't get the heebee jeebees is Lola -- canine detective and professional bedbug catcher . Trained at the Pepe Canine Academy in Florida , the two-year-old Jack Russell is all that pest controller Mark Astley needs . With Lola 's heightened sense of smell , Astley can identify bedbugs and their eggs without having to rely on the telltale signs -- feces that appear as tiny black spots that smear when wiped . Bedbugs like to stay close to people -- `` anything that is in close proximity to where we are or where we sleep , '' explains Astley , owner of Trust K9 . `` Seventy percent of bedbugs tend to be quite close to us , and then within 5 foot , we 've got -LRB- another -RRB- 23 % , research shows , '' he says . The remaining 7 % lurk in the extremities of a house , he says , including corners , in the fabric of the house , in the carpet , behind baseboards , behind wardrobes , and in drawers . The house he is investigating in Essex , England is empty . The tenants moved out when the first bedbugs appeared , leaving the landlord , who wants to remain anonymous , to deal with the problem . Wagging her tail and pulling on the leash , Lola is ready to work . Astley gives the command `` Find your Bs '' and Lola starts sniffing . It is in the main bedroom that Lola strikes gold . Next to the wardrobe , she steadies herself with her hind legs and furiously scratches the edge of carpet by the baseboard with her little paws . `` Good girl ! Good girl ! '' Astley shrieks and rewards her with biscuits . A few chomps later , Lola is off again . Now that key areas have been identified , Astley can have a closer look to assess how bad the problem is . `` I 'm looking for either bedbug eggs ... feces -- black spots , take a finger over it and see if it smears . Immediately looking along here ... there 's nothing obvious here ... it could well be they are burrowed deep , '' he says . `` Ah ! There you go . There 's a bedbug . '' The size of this blood-sucker is surprising -- slightly bigger than an apple seed . Bedbugs go through five stages of its life , shedding their skin twice in each stage , as they fatten up with blood . They can lay up to 500 eggs in their lifetime . Bedbugs can take 10 to 14 days to hatch and will lay dormant , in some cases up to a year , if they ca n't detect anyone in the room breathing . It is the carbon dioxide we exhale that alerts them to come and bite us . Pest control companies like Trust K9 are seeing the number of jobs rocket every year specifically to treat bedbugs . Rentokil has seen a 24 % increase in bedbug exterminations in the United Kingdom over the past year . `` It 's becoming more widespread . In recent years bedbug numbers have gone up between 100-500 % in North America , in Europe and in parts of Asia and Australia '' said Rowan Hooper , news editor for the New Scientist magazine . `` Perhaps the reason they 're becoming more widespread is they 've evolved resistance from the normal pesticides that have been used to kill them off , '' he speculates . The global resurgence of bedbugs is also related the rise in second-hand clothes and furniture shops , and an increase in travel to and from infested regions , typically along the old Silk Route to the far east . In the United States , the problem has become bad enough that the Environmental Protection Agency has convened two summits on the issue . The crisis is not likely to subside any time soon , scientists said at the most recent one , earlier this month . Astley gets rid of bedbugs by transforming the infested house into an oven . There are no chemicals involved -- just very hot air . That has the advantage of killing all of them , including their eggs , he says . Working with Canadian company DRYAIR , he heats the house to 134 degrees Fahrenheit -LRB- 67 degrees Celsius -RRB- for two to three hours . Nothing can hide -- bedbugs , lice , mites , cockroaches , he says . Starting at $ 2,000 for a two-bedroom house , heat treatment is faster and more expensive than chemical sprays , at $ 480 . Chemical treatment is effective but takes up to 21 days to break the life cycle of bedbugs because the chemicals can not kill their eggs . With heat , an infested room or house can be treated at 8 in the morning and be bug-free by the evening , Astley says . That is good news for hotels who do not want to lose money or their reputation . `` We do get quite a lot of reports of bedbugs , '' says Emma O'Boyle from the travel website Tripadvisor . `` Of course it 's the hotelier 's responsibility to sort it out -- and quite often if they notice a review that says ` we 've experienced bedbugs , ' they have the opportunity to go on there do a right to reply and we always recommend that , '' she says . Announcing that they have had the hotel fumigated can help reassure potential guests , she adds . If you type in `` bedbugs '' on Tripadvisor , more than 42,000 results come up -- hotel reviews from disgruntled guests . The site , which has more than 40 million hotel reviews , also brings out a `` dirtiest hotels '' list every year , naming and shaming the worst offenders from North America , Europe , Asia and India . One hotel in the dirtiest European Hotels 2011 list had the comment : `` 25 bedbugs between the two of us . '' Bedbugs can spoil any holiday or business trip but there are a few myths that need to be dispelled . `` The biggest myth is that you 've got to be a dirty person to get bed bugs -- it 's absolute rubbish because bedbugs do n't discriminate between rich or poor , dirty or clean . I know for a fact five-star hotels suffer from them , right down to your bed and breakfasts , '' says Astley , adding he has treated seven hotels in London so far this year . And it 's very easy to pick them up , he warns . `` We put something down ... in a hotel room or somewhere we 're staying that has a high occupancy or common turnover , and they climb on . They 're like little hitchhikers , '' he says . `` I 've come out of a hotel with Lola and she 's walked passed the baggage in the lobby and spun round and started alerting on somebody 's luggage . '' If it feels like your hotel room has some unwelcome guests , have a look around the corners of the mattress and the bed frame for those `` felt-tip '' black spots and rub your finger over them to see if they smear . If there are no other rooms available to move into , then the safest place for you and your luggage is the bath -- bedbugs do n't like shiny surfaces .
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One London exterminator works with Lola , a specially trained bug-finding dog . Much of the world is experiencing a rise in bedbug infestations . Heat can be more effective than chemicals in killing them . Like little hitchhikers , bedbugs can easily catch a ride on clothes or luggage .
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Seattle -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A libel case against the parents of Amanda Knox `` feels very personal , '' the mother of the American student convicted of murder in Italy told CNN . `` I would n't say the Italian justice system -LRB- is after us . -RRB- I would say a few people in Perugia , definitely , '' Edda Mellas said , referring to the central Italian city where Knox was tried for the 2007 killing of her British roommate Meredith Kercher . She cited a radio commentator who suggested the authorities ' attitude seemed to be : `` Maybe if we keep at them they 'll go away or go bankrupt or whatever . `` But it 's not stopping us , '' she said . `` It 's all about truth and justice and we have done nothing wrong , '' she said . `` Amanda 's allowed to tell her story and she 's been saying it hundreds of times since she was arrested , '' Mellas said . `` When we get asked , ` What did Amanda tell you ? ' , we tell the truth : Here 's what Amanda said . And that 's why we 're being charged . '' Mellas and her ex-husband , Curt Knox , were indicted Tuesday on charges of libeling police in Perugia , she and the family 's Italian attorney said . In a 2009 interview in the Sunday Times of London , they said that their daughter `` had not been given an interpreter , had not received food and water , and had been physically and verbally abused '' by police after her arrest for the murder of the exchange student , according to Italy 's ANSA news agency . They also said police struck her and told her `` things will get worse for you '' if she requested an attorney . `` Yes , I am going to trial for libel ... along with one of my lawyers and a group of journalists , '' Mellas told CNN Tuesday . `` We are very upset by this decision , '' said Luciano Ghirga , Amanda Knox 's attorney who represents her family in this case . `` We worked toward a dismissal because there was no intent '' on the part of Knox 's parents to libel the police , he said . The indictment says their claims were `` contrary to the truth , '' according to ANSA . `` We knew this was coming for a while , '' Mellas said . `` I got served my papers a year ago , back over a year ago , so I knew , we knew this was coming . '' She said she would attend hearings in her own trial only if she happened to be in Italy anyway . But she would continue to fight the charges for fear she could be arrested in Italy if she does not , she said . `` We have to jump through the hoops until I know that I will never have to go back to that country again , '' she said . `` I think our case may go years , depending on what happens in Perugia . If we 're found guilty we will appeal , even if it means going to the Supreme Court , '' she said . She said fighting the charges had been financially draining . `` I think we 've mortgaged just about everything we can mortgage , but there 's been very kind people who have sent donations to help pay for Amanda 's defense , '' she said . A hearing in the parents ' case is set for July 4 , Ghirga said . `` These are old charges , '' said David Marriott , spokesman for the family . `` They 've been around since 2009 . '' The story in question was published in 2008 , he said , and Knox 's parents were repeating what their daughter had told them . The indictment , Marriott said , finalizes the charges the prosecutor had filed and is `` nothing surprising . '' Knox 's parents ' focus is not on their case , he said , but on her appeal of her conviction , which is under way . There is a break in the proceedings for experts to retest forensic evidence , he said . `` This is , I guess you 'd call it , a bit of a minor distraction , '' Marriott said . Knox , 23 , was sentenced in December to 26 years in prison for Kercher 's death at the villa the two shared in Perugia , the central Italian town where both were students . Kercher , 21 , was found dead in November 2007 , semi-naked with her throat slashed . Knox and her former Italian boyfriend , Raffaele Sollecito , were both found guilty of the murder . Sollecito is serving a 25-year sentence . A third person , Rudy Guede , a drifter originally from the Ivory Coast , was tried separately and is serving a 16-year prison sentence . The forensic experts retesting evidence as part of Knox 's appeal must conclude their analysis by May 9 and their results are to be presented on May 21 to a jury composed of two judges and six citizens . Evidence being retested includes a knife found in Sollecito 's apartment with Knox 's DNA on the handle and what Perugia prosecutors say is Kercher 's DNA in a tiny groove on the blade . The prosecution contends that the knife was used to stab Kercher in the neck and that it had been cleaned . The DNA matter attributed to Kercher consists of flesh , not blood , they say . The sample , however , was so small that forensic scientists investigating Kercher 's murder were not able to double test it in accordance with international forensic science norms , which Knox 's legal team says raises doubts about its validity . The second piece of evidence the forensic experts will test is the tiny metal clasp from Kercher 's bra , which was cut from her body after her slaying . Forensic scientists in the investigatory phase determined that Sollecito 's DNA is present on the metal clasp . The clasp was identified on an investigatory video on November 2 , 2007 , when Kercher 's body was found . But the clasp was not collected until nearly six weeks later , giving the defense cause to question whether the sample may have been contaminated . The court is not expected to make a final ruling on the appeal until next summer . CNN 's Drew Griffin , Hada Messia , Ashley Hayes , Todd Schwarzschild and journalist Barbie Nadeau contributed to this report .
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NEW : A new indictment against Curt Knox and Edda Mellas will not stop them , she says . They said their daughter told them she was physically and verbally abused . The claims were made in a 2009 Sunday Times of London interview . A hearing is set for July .
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Bucharest , Romania -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After a nearly six-month investigation , authorities launched 70 raids at border crossings and other sites in western Romania Tuesday and detained as many as 100 border police , customs officials and suspected smugglers , police and prosecutors said . Those detained are suspected of smuggling huge quantities of cigarettes into Romania from neighboring Serbia , and face charges of bribery and facilitating smuggling , prosecutors said . The raids -- which forced the closure of several crossings on the Romanian-Serbian border -- started at 6 a.m. and were conducted by at least 1,000 anti-corruption prosecutors , police and security forces , authorities said . Many of the suspects ' homes were also raided , they said . Officials confiscated cigarettes worth 500,000 euros -LRB- $ 683,550 U.S. -RRB- , they added , in raids that were the culmination of a probe that dates back to August . Police helicopters flew dozens of the suspects to Bucharest for hearings at the National Anti-Corruption Department , authorities said . Prosecutors said those involved in the smuggling operations easily could make at least 5,000 euros -LRB- $ 6,835.50 U.S. -RRB- per illegal shipment , and there have been hundreds of shipments . Police and customs employee union leaders released a statement following the raids Tuesday , charging that all the smuggling operations were conducted within a well-organized network that had links up to the country 's highest political levels and the profits of which possibly financed the ruling political party . They described the border police and customs employees working at the crossings as the pawns , and said shift bosses , customs managers and some union leaders who collected the bribes were the knights . The intermediate levels were made up of more union leaders and higher customs authority officials , all the way up to the queen , which the union officials charged may be high-ranking members of the ruling political party who appoint customs and border police chiefs . Romanian Interior Minister Traian Igas told reporters at a news conference after the raids that some of the union leaders are aware of the corruption at many crossings . `` I ask them to position themselves some way in order for us to know whether they 're with us or with these people committing illegal acts , '' Igas said , adding that he does trust the border police and customs employees who are doing their jobs honestly . Last week , 59 border police and customs employees at the Siret crossing in eastern Romania were arrested on the same charges . The massive raids come after the interior ministers of France and Germany asked the European Commission to postpone Romania 's scheduled entry into the Schengen zone next month because of corruption and security issues . The 25 European countries that are party to the Schengen agreement eliminated internal border controls between member states . Igas said the smuggling probe and arrests should be a positive signal for Europe that Romania is tackling the issues .
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Authorities say 100 border police and customs officials are detained in Tuesday raids . They 're accused of being part of a network that smuggled cigarettes into Romania . Officials seized 500,000 euros worth of cigarettes in the raids .
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Munich , Germany -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The ongoing unrest in Egypt cast a long shadow Saturday over the Munich Security Conference , a gathering set up to address global security issues . While other items -- including terrorism and the New START treaty between the United States and Russia -- were on the agenda , it was impossible for leaders at the conference to ignore the crisis . U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton signaled that the United States is backing a transition led by newly appointed Egyptian vice president . `` I think it 's important to follow the transition process announced by the Egyptian government , actually headed by Vice President Omar Suleiman , '' she said . However , the envoy who delivered a message from U.S. President Barack Obama to Egypt 's leaders this week , Frank Wisner , told the conference via videolink that Mubarak must remain in office , despite protesters ' call for his resignation . U.S. officials emphasized that Wisner was speaking for himself , as an expert on the region , and not for the Obama administration . `` President Mubarak remains utterly critical in the days ahead as we sort our way toward the future , '' said Wisner , a former U.S. ambassador to Egypt . The Middle East `` is being battered by a perfect storm of powerful trends , '' Clinton said at the annual conference . A growing majority in the region are under the age of 30 , and many are unable to find work , she said . They are connected with each other and with events around them by technology . `` And this generation is rightly demanding that their governments become more effective , more responsive and more open , '' Clinton said . Meanwhile , resources such as water and oil are running out , she added . `` Leaders in the region may be able to hold back the tide for a little while , but not for long , '' she said . `` This is what has driven demonstrators into the streets of Tunis , Cairo and cities throughout the region . The status quo is simply not sustainable . '' The conference , attended by leaders from United States , Europe and Asia , found cooperation on various issues , including preventing violence during the recent referendum in Southern Sudan and curbing piracy off the coast of Somalia . Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov signed and exchanged instruments of ratification for the New START treaty Saturday , meaning it takes effect . Clinton called it a `` milestone '' in the U.S.-Russian partnership ; Lavrov said the U.S. and Russian teams `` worked as one team '' to get the treaty negotiated and adopted . The agreement , formally known as the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty , replaces START 1 , which expired in December 2009 . The U.S. Senate approved the New START pact last December , while the Russian parliament . ratified it in January . It is designed to slash the stockpile of strategic nuclear weapons in both countries to 1,550 warheads -- down from a current cap of 2,200 -- and 700 launchers . It also calls for a resumption of inspections of nuclear arsenals that ended when START 1 expired and helps move forward White House efforts to `` reset '' U.S.-Russian relations . While leaders could not ignore the tumult in Egypt , they stopped short Saturday of endorsing protesters ' demands for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to step down . Instead , they indicated Mubarak should be given time to implement changes . While it 's important to push for reform , `` we should n't in the West say this leader should go or that leader should go , '' said British Prime Minister David Cameron . `` There is no stability in Egypt today , '' Cameron said . `` We need change and reform and transition to get greater stability . ... The more it is put off , the more it would create an Egypt that we would n't welcome , the more that case will be strengthened . '' German Chancellor Angela Merkel also said stability should be restored before the next steps are taken . `` Early elections at the beginning of the democratization process is probably the wrong approach , '' she said . Right now , there is no leadership to transition to , she added . `` We need to give people the chance to set up the right structures . '' Wisner , however , went further , noting that the Egyptian constitution is clear -- `` if the presidency is vacated , then the speaker of parliament takes over and in a couple of months , you have elections . Those elections would take place under the current dispositions . Those dispositions are currently unacceptable to those protesting in the streets of Cairo today . '' Changes are needed , he said , and `` the president must say in office in order to steer those changes through . ... It 's his opportunity to write his own legacy . '' He said the present situation is `` an ideal moment for -LRB- Mubarak -RRB- to show the way forward . '' He said commentary from outside Egypt should be restrained , as calls for Mubarak to go create a `` negative force '' inside Egypt . Wisner was sent to Egypt early this week to deliver a message from Obama to Mubarak and Suleiman , State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said . Clinton also noted that `` there are risks with the transition to democracy . `` It can be chaotic . It can cause short-term instability , '' she said , and in some cases , demonstrators have overthrown dictators only to have the election process hijacked . `` Chaos and uncertainty '' arises in the absence of security , U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said . `` We see this across a diverse geography of troubled places , most recently in Tunisia , Egypt and other countries of the Middle East . `` We do not know how these events will end , '' Ban said . `` But this much we do know : They are driven , at bottom , by human insecurity : poverty , diminished or disappointed expectations ; the lack of good governance : corruption , ineffective public institutions , a deficit of democracy . '' Cameron spoke on Islamist extremism and the threat it poses to security , noting that it differs from Islam -- and that `` the ideology of extremism is the problem . Islam , emphatically , is not . '' Those who say the West should cut itself off from the Muslim world should look to recent events in Tunisia and Egypt , he said , for an example of how Western values and Islam can be compatible . He seemed to suggest in his speech that Britain has been too tolerant of extremism , however . `` When a white person holds objectionable views -- racism , for example -- we rightly condemn them , '' Cameron said . `` But when equally unacceptable views or practices have come from someone who is n't white , we 've been too cautious , frankly even fearful , to stand up to them . ... This hands-off tolerance has only served to reinforce the sense that not enough is shared . `` All this leaves some young Muslims feeling rootless , '' he said . `` And the search for something to belong to and believe in can lead them to this extremist ideology . '' He said that instead of ignoring extremist ideology , `` we -- as governments and societies -- have got to confront it , in all its forms . And second , instead of encouraging people to live apart , we need a clear sense of shared national identity , open to everyone . '' Also on the agenda is the struggle between Israelis and Palestinians . The Middle East Quartet , composed of the United States , the European Union , Russia and the United Nations , met in Munich on the matter -- but noted in a statement the effect the Egyptian upheaval could have on the peace process . `` The Quartet members considered the implications of these events for Arab-Israeli peace and agreed to discuss this further in upcoming meetings as a matter of high priority , '' the statement said . The group said it `` strongly urged '' Israel and the Palestinians `` to overcome current obstacles in the peace process . ... In view of the developments in the Middle East , the Quartet expressed its belief that further delay in the resumption of negotiations is detrimental to prospects for regional peace and security . '' And it said it `` regrets the discontinuation of Israel 's 10-month moratorium on settlement activity '' -- a hot-button issue for the Palestinians . The Quartet will meet again in March , said Catherine Ashton , EU foreign affairs chief . Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Quartet Representative Tony Blair on Friday , and afterward the two announced what Netanyahu called `` a series of steps '' aimed at boosting economic prosperity and living standards for the Palestinians . Those steps include helping the Gaza Strip develop plants for electricity , water and sewage treatment , as well as diversifying gas supplies in the future . `` I do n't delude myself for a second that an economic peace is a substitute for political peace , '' Netanyahu said . `` We need both . '' He said he hoped the Palestinians would enter direct negotiations . Blair said he was pleased by the measures , and said they should result in a `` radical overhaul of Gaza 's infrastructure . '' However , he also noted , `` none of this is a substitute for a credible political process . '' But chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat on Friday scoffed at the measures , saying , `` The only thing that will build Palestinian confidence is Mr. Netanyahu saying , ' I will stop building settlements . ' '' Until Israeli construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem stops , and the Netanyahu government accepted a two-state solution , negotiations -- which broke down in September -- will not resume , he said . CNN 's Elise Labott , Antonia Mortensen and Kevin Flower contributed to this report .
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NEW : Mubarak must stay in office , Obama envoy says . The Quartet notes the effect of Egypt 's unrest on Mideast peace process . Issues like terrorism and the START treaty are being addressed . START takes effect after Clinton , Lavrov exchange instruments of ratification .
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Washington -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday that would extend funding for the federal government by another two weeks -- through March 18 -- while cutting $ 4 billion from current spending levels . The measure was approved in a 335-91 vote , with Republicans overwhelmingly backing it while Democrats were sharply divided . The Senate plans to vote on the measure on Wednesday . Senators and aides from both parties said they expected it to pass and proceed to President Barack Obama for his signature to prevent a government shutdown after Friday , when the current spending resolution expires at midnight . Also Tuesday , the Senate approved a measure that would halt paychecks for the president and Congress in the event of a government shutdown . It was unclear when the House would take up the measure . While the bill extending government funding for two weeks was expected to clear the Republican-controlled House , some Democrats have indicated a preference for a month-long extension while legislators negotiate a more comprehensive spending plan for the rest of the fiscal year , which ends on September 30 . The White House has voiced concern that the passage of a series of short-term funding bills could create a climate of uncertainty and hamper prospects for a stronger economic recovery . President Barack Obama called House Speaker John Boehner before Tuesday 's vote to discuss the measure , according to White House Press Secretary Jay Carney . Carney indicated the administration would be willing to back a package cutting up to $ 8 billion from current spending levels over a period lasting up to five weeks . The cuts , he told reporters , would be credited toward further decreases in a future comprehensive spending plan covering the remainder of the fiscal year . Boehner , an Ohio Republican , brushed aside questions about a longer extension , telling reporters that Democrats should have approached him earlier about that possibility . `` I think we 're taking the responsible path forward , '' Boehner said . `` The American people want us to get our fiscal house in order , and this is a step in the right direction . '' The last Democratic Congress went on a `` spending spree , '' declared Kentucky Representative Harold Rogers , the Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee . Now `` we 're trying to slow down and stop '' it . Democrats have repeatedly argued Republicans are exacerbating the budget crunch by refusing to allow an expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans . Congress should use the two weeks provided by the bill for a `` reality check , '' said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi , D-California . `` I just want to know where everyone was when the deficit grew in the eight years of the Bush administration . '' Even if the two-week funding measure passes Congress and is signed into law , the White House and congressional Republicans will remain in a bitter standoff over how best to fund the government for the rest of the current fiscal year . The House recently passed a measure that would cut $ 61 billion in funding for the rest of the year , largely by imposing cuts in domestic discretionary spending that Democrats insist are too severe , and Obama has threatened to veto it . At the same time , some conservative Republicans have pushed for a larger package of cuts totalling $ 100 billion from current spending levels . Democrats have highlighted a report from Moody 's chief economist Mark Zandi , which concludes that the proposed GOP cuts would result in the loss of 700,000 jobs by the end of next year . Republicans , in turn , are trumpeting a new General Accounting Office report showing that billions of additional dollars could be saved by eliminating needless program duplication and overlap . Obama told a group of governors at the White House on Monday that he is `` committed to funding only those things that work . '' But the domestic discretionary spending being targeted by the Republicans , he noted , accounts for only 12 % of the entire budget . New spending is required on priorities such as infrastructure modernization , he said . The country `` ca n't afford to kick the can down the road any longer '' on festering fiscal problems relating to entitlement programs such as Medicare and Medicaid , the president warned . Neither party has put forward a detailed proposal dealing with exploding entitlement costs . Jim Kessler , vice president for policy and a co-founder of Third Way , a centrist Democratic think tank , told CNN he expects `` there will be a greater level of cooperation than expected and a major deficit reduction plan involving entitlement spending sometime this year . '' By contrast , longtime political observer Norman Ornstein thinks there could be one or two short shutdowns this year . `` You get two weeks by going for $ 4 billion in -LRB- easy -RRB- cuts . What do you go for now ? '' said Ornstein . Ornstein , a resident scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute , predicted it would be hard for Senate Democrats and House Republicans to agree on specific cuts anywhere near the magnitude of what the GOP wants . Any compromise , he noted , will be a hard sell for the 87 freshman conservatives in the House who would see a deal as a far cry from what they believe they were elected to do last November . CNN 's Tom Cohen , Jeanne Sahadi , Ted Barrett and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report .
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NEW : The Senate passes a bill to halt pay for the president and Congress in a shutdown . The House passes a spending bill to prevent a government shutdown through March 18 . The bill cuts spending by $ 4 billion . President Barack Obama calls Speaker John Boehner to discuss the spending bill .
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Baghdad -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- At least 12 people were killed and 24 others wounded in a suicide bombing Thursday in the Iraqi city of Ramadi , police said . The assailant , wearing a explosives-laden vest , blew himself up at a cultural center where people had gathered for a celebration of the Prophet Mohammed 's birth , Ramadi police said . Among the injured was Hakmat Zaydan , the deputy governor of heavily Sunni Anbar province . Ramadi , the provincial capital about 100 kilometers -LRB- 62 miles -RRB- west of Baghdad , was once a haven for al Qaeda in Iraq and witnessed some of the fiercest fighting in the Iraq war . Violence has dropped dramatically from a few years ago but attacks still occur .
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24 people were wounded in the attack in Ramadi , police say . Among the injured was the deputy governor of Anbar province .
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Manama , Bahrain -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A crush of protesters covered the streets of Bahrain 's capital Tuesday in an anti-regime protest . Tens of thousands of people marched in the biggest anti-government rally since the public disturbances in the island nation erupted last week , and chants of `` No Shia , No Sunni , only Bahraini '' and `` The regime must go '' rang through the multitudes tramping across the center of Manama . The turnout was led by ambulance workers involved in rescuing some of those injured in the assault by security forces last Thursday on the Pearl Roundabout , which has been the epicenter of the Shiite-dominated protest movement . The rally -- which comes after thousands of people attended a funeral for a protester slain last week -- was a massive display of popular scorn toward an embattled government working to forge stability . But it unfolded amid major gestures by the kingdom . King Hamad touted a `` national dialogue '' and urged Bahrainis `` to engage in this new process '' and `` move away from polarization , '' a government statement said Tuesday . The king has held meetings with opposition members , community leaders and businesspeople `` from all sections of society '' to pave the way for a formalized dialogue process . `` The national dialogue is aimed at bringing to everyone in Bahrain the opportunity to contribute to Bahrain 's future path of reform , '' the statement said . The kingdom also ordered the release of a number of prisoners and closed cases against several Shiite leaders accused of plotting against the kingdom , the country 's state news agency reported Tuesday . That cleared the way for Hassan Mushaimaa , leader of Bahrain 's largest opposition party , the Haq Movement , to return to the country from London . His aides said he was expected in Bahrain later Tuesday . Mushaimaa 's Haq Movement is more hard-line than the opposition Wefaq party , which includes 18 people in the 40-member parliament . Many members of his movement are opposed to the government monarchy , but Mushaimaa said he will support the protesters whether they want a `` new system in a constitutional kingdom '' or want `` to change the regime . '' Mushaimaa , who had been living in exile , had previously been detained by the government for campaigning for more democratic rights in the island monarchy . Bahrain last year asked the international police agency Interpol for help in arresting Mushaimaa , whom the government accused of a terrorist plot to destroy state buildings and of planning a coup . But the king 's decision closed the books on the case against Mushaimaa , giving him the freedom to return without fear of arrest . An aide told CNN that Mushaimaa has been held up in Beirut , where he was stopped and held by airport security and questioned for hours . The aide believes that this was because of the arrest warrant in September on charges of wanting to overthrow the government and he said that perhaps the wanted lists for Arab states have n't been updated . The king also is working to `` ensure that sectarianism does not take root in Bahrain . '' Young members of the country 's Shiite Muslim majority have staged violent protests in recent years to complain about discrimination , unemployment and corruption , issues they say the country 's Sunni rulers have done little to address . Protesters initially took to the streets of Manama last week to demand reform and the introduction of a constitutional monarchy . But some are now calling for the removal of the royal family , which has led the Persian Gulf state since the 18th century . There were outbursts of government assaults on peaceful protesters last week , acts that drew international condemnation . The Bahraini government statement said that seven people had died during protests in the nation and 25 people remained hospitalized . Protesters had given a higher death toll , placing the figure at 10 or 11 . Thousands of additional protesters moved into Pearl Roundabout on Monday , a growing gathering that has taken on an air of permanence since government forces retreated on Saturday and demonstrators reoccupied the symbolic location . Tents , some of them outfitted with furniture and occupied by entire families , dot the epicenter of the Bahrain protest movement -- a setting similar to the one in Tahrir Square in Cairo , where Egyptians staged daily demonstrations that led to the removal of President Hosni Mubarak . The Bahrain Center for Human Rights says authorities launched a clampdown on dissent in late 2010 . It accused the government of torturing some human rights activists .
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Thousands demonstrate in Bahrain . The government releases a new death toll figure . The king releases some prisoners and closes cases against several Shiite leaders . The move clears the way for return of an opposition leader .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Masked gunmen attacked and burned the an independent television station in Iraq 's Kurdistan region Sunday , wounding a guard , police officials and the broadcast company said . The attack occurred as hundreds of protesters demonstrated in central Sulaimaniya in northern Iraq , following clashes with security forces in previous days that left one person dead and more than 70 injured . Most of the demonstrators opposed Massoud Barazani , Kurdistan regional president , and the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party , and the protest occurred a few hundred meters from the KDP party office . Police officials told CNN that Kurdish security forces were investigating the attack Sunday morning on NRT Kurdish television in Sulaimaniya . According to the officials , the pre-dawn attack destroyed equipments and furniture , and the station was set on fire . Bahrooz Qashani , the governor of Sulaimaniya , condemned the attack on the broadcast station . In a statement , NRT TV said 50 armed attackers stormed a gated community called `` German Village '' where the station is located . The attackers fired weapons at broadcast equipment and burned the entire building , wounding one NRT guard , according to the statement . A trail of blood spots from the station indicated one or more of the attackers was wounded , said the NRT statement . NRT , the first independent television station in Northern Iraq , started broadcasting on February 17 , and was the only station to air footage of shots fired at demonstrators on the first day of the protests , according to the statement . `` The destruction of the station comes at a time when all the other satellite channels can not cover the events adequately , '' the statement said , adding that the broadcast company 's owner had been threatened by local politicians on Saturday night . `` Now , no other TV channels are left to independently cover events in Kurdistan . '' Twana Osman , the general manager of NRT , said the regional government and ruling party `` must be held responsible for this crime until the perpetrators are found and arrested , '' the statement said . NRT is the first independent satellite channel funded by the private sector in northern Iraq , according to the statement . Meanwhile , two other protests took place Sunday in cities south of Baghdad . In Nasiriya , more than 200 college students protested over lack of jobs and demanded that the local government find them employment . The protesters walked from Habobi Square in central Nasiriya to the Provincial Council 's building . A committee representing the protesters then met with government officials . Separately , in al-Batha , west of Nasiriya , hundreds of angry demonstrators rallied against corruption , lack of basic services and unemployment . Protesters also demanded the replacement of the city council , which they accuse of corruption . On Saturday , clashes between police and protesters in Sulaimaniya injured 14 people , according to a regional health official . Witnesses said police used water cannons and fired weapons over the heads of rock-throwing demonstrators who had taken to the streets to protest the violent response of security forces that killed one demonstrator and injured 57 who attacked the local offices of the Kurdistan Democratic Party . Saturday 's protesters shouted `` Down , down with Massoud Barzani '' in a demonstration that began at 11:30 a.m. and lasted several hours . The clash with police happened when dozens of protesters attempted to attack the local KDP headquarters for a second time . Among the injured was a police officer . Most of those hurt suffered minor injuries , according to Raytok Hama Salih , the head of the health department in Sulaimaniya province . The violence followed another demonstration by hundreds of students at Sulaimaniya University seeking the release of people arrested in previous protests and the prosecution of a local party official they said ordered security forces to open fire . On Thursday , Barzani issued a statement saying the protests were the work of a `` very small group of people determined to undermine the stability of the region . '' The regional government is organizing a meeting between government leaders and representatives of opposition groups scheduled for Monday , according to the statement . The protests are the latest in a string of recent demonstrations across Iraq , apparently inspired by popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia and focusing on complaints of rampant unemployment and poor government services . CNN 's Mohammed Tawfeeq and journalist Shirko Abdullah contributed to this report .
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Armed attackers damage equipment , burn down the building . One guard is wounded in the attack in northern Iraq 's Kurdistan region . Protests continue over the security force response to demonstrations . Government and opposition leaders are scheduled to meet Monday for talks .
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-LRB- RealSimple.com -RRB- -- A lengthy separation -- and a surprise trip to Paris -- caused this husband and wife to realize that their marriage could be saved . Mary L. Tabor and Del Persinger Washington , D.C. Married 26 years . Mary was still in her nightgown and robe , sipping a cappuccino in the kitchen of the Washington , D.C. , brownstone she shared with her husband , Del , when he walked in and announced he wanted to live alone . They had been married for 21 years . `` I did n't know what had hit me , '' Mary , 64 , recalls of that fall morning in 2005 . `` I wondered , does he have a girlfriend ? A boyfriend ? I had no idea what was wrong . '' Although the couple 's relationship had been strained for a few months , Mary simply assumed they were going through a rough patch . She attributed Del 's loss of interest in sex and his suddenly quick temper to stress from his high-pressure job as a financial analyst . `` Del was so on edge that he would yell at me about every little thing -- like a knife accidentally placed in the dishwasher with the point up , '' says Mary , a writer and a teacher . Still , she figured that things would soon return to normal . RealSimple.com : How to break bad habits . For Del , the decision had been a long time coming . Increasingly restless within his marriage , he wondered whether it was holding him back from leading a more exciting life . `` I knew the problem was n't Mary -- it was me , '' he says . `` And I felt I needed to work through my mixed emotions alone . '' To Mary 's frustration , Del could n't articulate any of these concerns -- all she knew was that he wanted a separation . She and Del took turns sleeping in the guest room for a few months until she moved into an apartment of her own . By January 2006 , the couple had hired attorneys . Their home , which they had spent the previous seven years painstakingly renovating , was put up for sale . Mary felt `` broken '' without Del , who had helped her raise two children from her first marriage and supported her through the deaths of her parents and sister . `` He understood me better than anyone , '' she says . She tried to move on and began dating other men -- to little avail . `` I was still in love with my husband . '' For Del , the bachelor lifestyle lost its luster rather quickly . `` I thought the separation would allow me to make all those friends I never had , do all the things I never did , '' says Del , 61 . But in reality his days were fairly mundane . `` I went to work , went to the gym , and spent the rest of my time reading . '' He also found himself stalling on the divorce negotiations , bringing up smaller and smaller details . In retrospect , he realizes he probably did that to prolong the process indefinitely . By August 2009 , the couple had cautiously started spending time together again , even venturing out on a few dates . `` It was n't the dinners or dances that made me feel in love , but the conversations , '' says Mary . Del , who had been seeing a therapist , finally opened up to her about his worries and fears . `` To me , the most seductive thing a man can do is be truly honest , '' says Mary . Del had clearly experienced a change of heart . But Mary , concerned it would n't last , wanted time to think . In the winter of 2009 , she took an extended trip alone to Paris . One morning , as she was having her breakfast , her cell phone rang . It was Del. . He had flown in from D.C. and was outside her building . Could he come up ? Mary buzzed him in , and when he reached her doorway , suitcase in hand , he told her how much he loved her . That grand romantic gesture , so out of character for Del , `` moved me deeply , '' says Mary . `` At that moment , I thought our marriage could be saved . '' RealSimple.com : Things worth admitting to . A few weeks later , the pair flew home together . Del sold his apartment and moved in with Mary . Divorce proceedings were halted . Their `` new '' relationship is free of the stressful arguments that were so commonplace back in 2005 , the couple report . `` I 'm not confused anymore , so I 'm a more contented person , '' says Del. . `` Del is at ease with himself , and that makes him at ease in the world , '' Mary explains . `` When people hear that Del left me , they say , ` You were betrayed ! ' But I do n't feel that way . Look , life is messy . I 'm happy we got this second shot . '' Get a FREE TRIAL issue of Real Simple - CLICK HERE ! Copyright © 2010 Time Inc. . All rights reserved .
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After 21 years of marriage , Del announced to his wife that he wanted to live alone . Mary felt `` broken '' without Del , who had helped raise her two children . Mary and Del say open communication repaired their marriage .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Finland 's Mikko Hirvonen led a Ford clean sweep of the podium in the Rally of Sweden , the opening round of the world rally championship . Hirvonen , who won the corresponding race last season , showed his liking for the only rally of this status held solely on snow , with a commanding victory . Teammate Mads Ostberg of Norway finished at 6.5 seconds and Finland 's Jari-Matti Latvala was 34 seconds adrift in third . Seven-time defending champion Sebastien Loeb finished well off the pace in sixth after suffering delays on Friday . But the Frenchman had the consolation of claiming second in his Citroen on the inaugural Power Stage which has been introduced by organizers to boost interest in the series and is televised live . Loeb 's compatriot Sebastien Ogier claimed victory on the stage , which concluded the competitive action . It earned him three bonus points in the standings as he finished fourth . The 30-year-old Hirvonen could afford to avoid mistakes in the final showdown as he took his 13th world rally championship victory after finishing runner-up to Loeb in the 2008 and 2009 title races . `` I was really nervous before the last stage but what a fantastic start from the team with the new car , '' Hirvonen told the official world rally website . `` The car has been quick straight away and after a tough season last year I am really pleased with this , '' he added . Hirvonen had led going into the final day of the Karlstad-based race with just over 15 seconds dividing the first five drivers . He was pushed all the way by 23-year-old Ostberg , who took the lead on Friday 's opening stage and drove without error for his best career result alongside Swedish co-driver Jonas Andersson . The championship now heads to Mexico for round two of the series from March 3-6 .
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Mikko Hirvonen wins the Rally of Sweden for the second straight year . Hirvonen leads clean sweep of the podium by his Ford Fiesta team . Reigning world champion Sebastien Loeb struggles to sixth spot .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Japan striker Shinji Kagawa will miss the rest of the Bundesliga season after having surgery in the foot injury he picked up in their Asian Cup semifinal victory over South Korea . In a blow for his club Borussia Dortmund and country , Kagawa has a broken metatarsal , having been substituted in the 87th minute in Tuesday 's match which Japan won on penalties . `` It has n't really sunk in yet , it 'll take me some time , '' Kagawa told AFP . `` Now I need to try and get back to playing as quickly as I can . '' `` I have already had an injury in the same place in 2009 and that was sorted out in a month , but I have n't felt as bad as now . '' Dortmund are 11 points clear in the German title race with Kagawa playing a major role with seven goals in 18 appearances . Coach Juergen Klopp said they were unlikely to rush into the transfer market to find a replacement for Kagawa , with young German international Mario Gotze set to continue in his place . He wants Kawaga , who joined in the summer from Japanese club Cerezo Osaka , to make a full recovery rather than rush back to injury . `` We now have the time to find an absolutely perfect solution for Shinji , '' he told the club 's official website . Japan take on Australia in the final of the Asian Cup in Qatar on Saturday . Australia beat Uzbekistan 6-0 in their semifinal .
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Shinji Kagawa to miss rest of Bundesliga season with a foot injury . Kagawa picked up injury in Japan 's Asian Cup semifinal win over South Korea . His Borussia Dortmund team lead the German standings by 11 points .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Australia fought back to earn a 1-1 draw with South Korea on Friday that edged two of the Asian Cup 's title favorites towards the quarterfinal stage in Qatar . The result left both nations on four points from two matches in Group C ahead of the day 's other game , which saw 10-man Bahrain get off the mark with a 5-2 victory over India as Ismaeel Abdulatif scored four goals . South Korea , victors the first two times the tournament was held in 1956 and 1960 , took the lead in the 24th minute at Doha 's Al Gharafa Stadium through Koo Ja-cheol . The 21-year-old midfielder scored his third goal of the tournament following his double in Korea 's opening 2-1 win over Bahrain , as Ji Dong-won collected a long ball and put the ball into the path of his teammate . Both sides had several chances to score before Mile Jedinak leveled in the 62nd minute . In-depth guide to the Asian Cup . The midfielder , who plays for Turkish club Genclerbirligi , headed home after Korea failed to clear a corner from Luke Wilkshire and Lucas Neill nodded the ball back across the goal . `` We could have won the game . If you look at the general performance of our team , then we should have won , '' South Korea coach Cho Kwang-Rae told the Asian Cup website . `` We controlled the game mostly so in that aspect we have improved a lot . I am pleased about that and if we can continue to develop that part of our game then it will be much better for us as we move forward . '' Blog : An ominous sign ahead of 2022 World Cup ? The Australians , who like South Korea qualified for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa , are seeking a first title after having joined the Asian federation from Oceania in early 2006 . `` My team , I 'm very happy with their performance . Our game plan was to close them down in midfield and that was mostly achieved , '' Australia 's German coach Holger Osieck . `` What I found encouraging was we created a lot of chances . '' Abdulatif 's quadruple strike boosted Bahrain 's hopes of qualifying for the last eight , as the 24-year-old forward scored three times in 19 first-half minutes against India . Faouzi Aaish , who was sent off for a second booking in the second half , had put Bahrain ahead with an eighth-minute penalty but India leveled through midfielder Gouramangi Singh inside 60 seconds . Abdulatif then took center stage as he pounced on a mistake by India goalkeeper Subrata Paul in the 16th minute , was set up by Nigeria-born Jaycee John for his second three minutes later and completed his hat-trick 10 minutes before halftime after chesting down a pass from Aaish . India thought they had reduced the deficit seven minutes after halftime but Renedy Singh 's effort was ruled to have not crossed the line after hitting the underside of the crossbar , but Sunil Chhetri immediately made it 4-2 after striker Abhishek Yadav also hit the woodwork . Aaish , who also scored a penalty against South Korea , had to leave the pitch just past the hour mark after being booked for diving but Abdulatif sealed victory with a superb solo effort with 13 minutes to play . The final round on Tuesday sees South Korea play India and Australia take on Bahrain .
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Australia and South Korea have four points in Group C after 1-1 draw in Qatar . Koo Ja-cheol nets his third goal of 2011 Asian Cup before Mile Jedinak equalizes . Ismaeel Abdulatif scores four goals as 10-man Bahrain beat India 5-2 in other Group C match . Middle East side led 4-2 before Faouzi Aaish , who also netted , was sent off .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Gautam Gambhir became the most expensive signing in world cricket on a record-breaking first day of the Indian Premier League auctions . The Kolkata Knights Riders paid $ 2.4 million to secure the rights of the India international batsman on Saturday , and then stumped up $ 2.1 million to buy Yusuf Pathan for the next two years of the lucrative Twenty20 limited-overs competition . New franchise Sahara Pune Warriors matched that sum with the signing of another Indian star , Robin Uthappa , while Mumbai Indians put up $ 2 million for Rohit Sharma . Pathan 's half-brother Irfan was sold to Delhi Daredevils for $ 1.9 million , while Pune also paid $ 1.8 million for one-day specialist Yuvraj Singh . The most expensive non-Indian player was Sri Lanka 's Mahela Jayawardene , who went to another new franchise , Kochi , for $ 1.5 million . Australia 's David Hussey was bought for $ 1.4 million by Kings XI Punjab . See the full list of successful bids . Kolkata also signed veteran South Africa batsman Jacques Kallis for $ 1.2 million , while Royal Challengers Bangalore bid $ 1.1 million for his compatriot A.B. de Villiers -- a fee matched by Deccan Chargers for Australia 's Cameron White . The auction concluded on Sunday , with 350 of the world 's top players having gone under the hammer . Franchise owners include Bollywood stars Shilpa Shetty and Preity Zinta . Notably absent was tournament founder Lalit Modi , who has been ousted from his position as chairman by the Indian cricket board amid allegations of corruption . Will Australia 's one-day cricket reign end in 2011 ? Only 12 players were retained from last year 's competition , with Mumbai keeping Sachin Tendulkar , Harbhajan Singh , Kieron Pollard and Lasith Malinga . India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will stay with defending champions Chennai Super Kings , while Rajasthan have kept Australia 's Shane Warne and Shane Watson , and Virender Sehwag remains at Delhi . Kings XI Punjab , Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders completely emptied their playing rosters . The 2011 tournament will run from April 8 to May 22 following the 50-over World Cup in India , Sri Lanka and Bangladesh .
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Kolkata Knights Riders pay a record $ 2.4 million to secure the rights of Gautam Gambhir . Raiders then bid $ 2.1 million to buy Yusuf Pathan for next two years of Twenty20 competition . New franchise Sahara Pune Warriors matched that sum with the signing Robin Uthappa . Bidding past $ 2 million for first time as Mumbai Indians paid that for Rohit Sharma .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- I grew up an Air Force brat who typically moved to a new place every three years . I switched schools , made friends , then had to write letters to stay in touch when I inevitably left . Except for a precious few , most of those friends went away forever , lost to memory , fading and eventually anonymous in aging photos . But in the recurring dreams I had in my teenage years , they were all together . My friends from Oklahoma went to school with my classmates in Biloxi , Mississippi . My favorite teacher from my years in Germany got to see me grow up alongside my cousins from South Texas . It was n't until many years later , when Facebook shot past its first 100 million users , that I began to get that sensation again , the one most frequent users are now well familiar with . It 's that sense of worlds colliding , of unlikely paths crossing ; your work life , home life , past life and present all mashing together , commented upon and decorated with photos from here and from there , from then and in the now . Facebook 's enormous membership makes it a more likely spot than any other place on the English-language Web to connect with a multitude of family members , friends , former co-workers , old classmates and anyone else you have n't seen in the flesh for decades . It was n't until the May series finale `` Lost , '' however , that I made another connection -- that this idea of people coming into your life and never going away is a lot like what many people believe the afterlife is like . Could it be that Facebook , the digital Tower of Babel built by a cocky Harvard student , is -- to paraphrase singer Belinda Carlisle -- sort of like what would happen if heaven were a place on earth ? The thought led me to a theological search for the spirituality of Facebook connections . Amid the recent flood of political rants , children 's Halloween photos and YouTube videos , many of us have seen status updates from friends offering Bible passages , spiritual quotes or information on upcoming religious services . Along with a few alarming blog posts -LRB- `` Facebook killed the church , '' one bluntly proclaimed -RRB- , I found a lot of theologians struggling to figure out whether mobile phones , social networks and text-messaging harm their religions or help reinvent them in positive ways . There 's even debate on whether being so constantly connected to so many people is good or bad , spiritually speaking . Bruce Epperly , a theology professor , author and co-pastor in Lancaster , Pennsylvania , wrote a thoughtful piece about so-called `` Facebook theology , '' likening the `` intricate web of relationships '' in our lives to our online social network . He acknowledged that even the lowly , short-form status update can carry a profound holiness . `` It might surprise my high school friends to discover that I often pray for them as I read their posts , '' Epperly writes . `` I believe that Facebook can be an altar on the Internet and a place of spiritual awakening . '' That seems to gibe with what Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed earlier this year . In January , the pontiff suggested that priests should embrace new digital communication mediums . But he stopped short of blessing Facebook itself as a virtual holy land . Facebook , which recently passed the 500-million-user mark , grew so quickly in such a short span of time that even its creators likely have n't been able to stop and examine the spiritual significance of its near-constant presence in so many lives . To what do we owe our continually growing house of `` friends , '' the ones we never see , never call , never write to , but who contribute to our digital chatter , our daily chorus . Do n't those connections count for some kind of community ? Would n't we miss it if all these non-strangers were lost to us again ? What if Facebook itself , which digitally houses not only the living but also the `` memorial page '' dead , is a kind of pre-afterlife training where all those personal connections are forever maintained , even after you 've shuffled off this analog coil ? And if the afterlife exists , and it 's anything like Facebook , does it have an `` Unfriend '' option ? Because as much as I love all the connectedness , eternity sounds like a really long time to spend reading everyone 's status updates .
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Omar Gallaga : Commingling of people from various chapters of our lives has spiritual overtones . The author went on a theological search for the spirituality of Facebook connections . Pope Benedict XVI suggested earlier this year priests should embrace digital media .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Talk about planned parenting . Just over a decade ago , a proud father began taking daily pictures of his newborn daughter . Then , he kept it up almost every day until the girl , Natalie , turned 10 -LRB- and even afterwards -RRB- . Now , the video collection that resulted is compressed into one minute , 25 seconds , making it the YouTube era 's equivalent of the pencil mark on the kitchen wall every time your child grows an inch -- but much , much cooler . More than 2.5 million people have watched Natalie grow to age 10 on the video , but age progression movies are almost as old as YouTube itself . A classic one from 2006 , the 7 million-viewed `` Girl takes pic of herself every day for three years , '' has a young woman compiling her daily photos into a minute-long slideshow . Another one from 2006 , `` Noah takes a photo of himself every day for 6 years , '' has a crazy 17 million views . What makes Natalie 's case remarkable -- and others less so -- is that you actually see her changing and growing over time in her video . Let 's face it . After puberty , people rarely change dramatically in appearance within a few months without some extreme circumstances -LRB- like , say , pregnancy ! -RRB- . Ten years of an adult might be interesting , but would almost never be as dramatic as a decade observing the average kid . Years ago , British filmmaker Michael Apted began following a group of 7-year-old children and reconnected with them every seven years for his `` 7 Up '' film series . The groundbreaking documentaries show people evolving physically and mentally over the course of their lifetimes . Now people are watching the physical process in super-fast-forward on the internet .
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More than 2.5 million people have watched a time-lapse video of a girl aging from birth to age 10 . Videos like Natalie 's portray growth , change , and time dramatically .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Discovery astronauts Steve Bowen and Alvin Drew are scheduled for a six-hour spacewalk outside the international space station Monday . The team prepared by holding a 14-hour `` campout '' in the station 's Quest airlock . `` The airlock 's atmospheric pressure will be lowered to help purge nitrogen from Bowen and Drew 's bloodstreams , protecting them from ` the bends ' when they leave the airlock for the vacuum of space , '' a statement on NASA 's website said . They will install a power extension cable , move a failed ammonia pump and perform other operations outside the shuttle during the spacewalk . Discovery started its 39th and final flight with a launch late Thursday afternoon from Kennedy Space Center in Florida . Originally scheduled for November , the shuttle 's launch had been delayed to make repairs to the external tank 's support beams . Astronauts spent Sunday moving items brought up on Discovery over to the space station . On Tuesday , day six of the mission , astronauts will work to attach a permanent module -- known as Leonardo -- to the station . The module will be home for experiments in fluid physics , materials science , biology , biotechnology and other subjects . The Discovery crew is headed by Steve Lindsey . Bowen , a late addition , became the first astronaut to fly consecutive missions after he was assigned to take the place of Tim Kopra when Kopra was injured last month in a bicycle accident , according to NASA . Prior to Thursday 's launch , Discovery had spent 352 days in orbit , circling the Earth 5,628 times . It has also carried 246 crew members , more than any space vehicle in history . `` In a way , it 's ... sad to see the last flight , '' astronaut Steven Swanson said Thursday . `` It 's such a wonderful vehicle . '' The last scheduled launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour is set for April 19 . It will be commanded by Mark Kelly , the husband of U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords , who is recovering from being shot last month in Tucson , Arizona . The last shuttle mission will be Atlantis , tentatively scheduled to launch during the summer . Discovery was the first space shuttle to dock with a space station of any kind when it met up on June 4 , 1998 , with Russia 's now defunct Mir space station . The craft also was the first to hook up with the international space station , doing so on May 29 , 1999 , according to NASA . Saturday 's event marked the 13th such docking for the Discovery .
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Astronauts are preparing for a spacewalk with a 14-hour `` campout '' A night in the space station 's airlock will ready astronauts for the vacuum of space . Discovery was the first space shuttle to dock with the space station in 1999 .
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New York -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Jorge Munoz is a bus driver in New York City who started feeding the hungry in Queens five years ago , using food that would otherwise have been thrown away . And that 's how he discovered a secret -- the power of sharing . `` People are telling me , ` Jorge , you have no money , you do all this and get nothing back . ' And I say I have a checking account full of smiles . '' Munoz has been recognized as a Top Ten CNN Hero in 2009 and received the U.S. Citizens Award from President Obama . His website is AnAngelinQueens.org . Munoz spoke Wednesday with CNN 's Elizabeth Belanger . Here is an edited transcript . CNN : What is it that made you decide to do what you do every day ? Jorge Munoz : In the beginning it was to try to avoid wasting food in the garbage . But then I realized it was like a mission from God for my family . That 's how we see it . I was working in a summer camp on Long Island and I was waiting for the kids on the bus , and across the street was a food processing plant . I saw a couple come out with a lot of food , and it was good food . I asked them about it and they said they had to throw it out every Friday . But it was good food and I asked them about it , if they could give it to me because I knew someone would want it . So in Jackson Heights I saw people waiting on the corner , and I asked them what they were doing and they said they had no money for food . So I called my mom and I said I had people to give the food to . At first we brought food for eight guys . And a few days later I saw a few of them on the corner and I asked them about it and they said they sleep under the bridge . That 's when I decided to bring them food -LSB- every day -RSB- . And the first week it was eight guys , and the next week 24 and so on . Take the iReport challenge : Be an everyday hero . CNN : Are you out there every day ? What do you provide for people ? Munoz : In these 6 1/2 years we 've been doing it , I 've missed one day because of a snowstorm . And we 've distributed 121,000 meals over the years , might be more . But every day we make 120 to 140 meals . For the last few months , every piece of bread I get I bring in the morning with soda or water that I buy . Besides meals , we provide hot coffee , tea , a piece of cake and sometimes my mom makes chicken soup . And when I have money I provide fruit . When I have a budget , when winter is here , I provide caps , underwear , winter hats , scarves , boots . And this time of the year , on the website , I ask for coat donations . I need about 100 coats because these guys sleep on the street . CNN : Why is what you do important today ? Munoz : Because I have a family at my house and I have a second family out there . And that 's about 130 to 140 guys . And there 's always a line out there . And the economy is not good right now , and those who have a place to stay have to choose between a place to live and food . And when we 're there they have something to eat . At least we provide a little something , and the only thing we ask in return is a smile . If you hand a meal to someone who has n't eaten anything in the last 20 hours and they smile , you know you did something good . CNN : How much food do you cook in the space of a week ? Munoz : In a week it 's hard to say , but for example , tomorrow we 're going to cook 22 pounds of rice , 15 pounds of pasta , 10 pounds of frozen vegetables , 10 pounds of onions , 8 to 10 pounds of peppers , 60 pounds of chicken , we do that through the oven . My mom , she 's the one who creates the menu and every day we change the menu . CNN : What was it like to become a CNN Hero and what has your life been like since ? Munoz : To become a CNN Hero , being nominated , it 's a great honor for me , for my family and for my country -LSB- Colombia -RSB- . So they know -- I had the chance to be there for almost a month and when I went into a neighborhood and people knew , or even here in New York , people recognize me . And it helped me around the world . One example , there was a teacher in Afghanistan and she e-mailed me saying she wanted to start a small meal program in their town because of my story . And there was a little girl in Texas , I think she 's 8 , after CNN Heroes , she saw the show and the next weekend she went out with her friends and family and sold brownies and lemonade and made $ 25 and sent it to me with a note saying she was touched by my efforts . CNN : Are you planning on expanding your efforts beyond Queens ? Munoz : Yeah , we already did . Right now , about a month ago , three volunteers they 're doing breakfast in Brentwood and two small towns in Long Island . And in Elizabeth , New Jersey , they 're starting a meal program and they 're opening one in Miami with sandwiches and water . I 'm with them and they 're helping me out . CNN : You received the U.S. Citizen 's Award from President Obama this year -- what was that like and what did that mean to you ? Munoz : That was a great honor . A great honor . Why , because not that many people have a chance to go to the White House invited by the president of the United States . And he told me I did a great job and to continue doing what I 'm doing . Today President Barack Obama wants to shake your hand and tell you not to give up your mission . CNN : Who is your biggest inspiration ? Munoz : My mom . I always say my mom is my hero . Because she taught me how to share . She told me if you share you 're OK with God . CNN : What would you say to people who are trying to figure out a way that they can give back to their community ? Munoz : If you share , share anything you have you 're not using like clothes , toys , share it to make other people happy . People in this country cook more than they need and two days later it goes from the refrigerator to the garbage . If you see someone standing on the corner and have $ 2 , buy them a cup of coffee and a piece of bread . I 'm doing it seven days a week , but just do it once in a while and you 'll feel what I feel . And when that person is smiling at you you 'll know you 're doing something good . Do it from the inside . Share . Sharing is a beautiful thing . Think of me , I 'm a regular union worker , bus driver and I 'm trying to change the lives of the hungry . And imagine if everyone around the world got together to change the lives of the hungry . Imagine if they helped once in a while , you 'd see a lot of change . So share , it 's a beautiful thing .
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Jorge Munoz is a bus driver who started delivering surplus food to the homeless . He saves lots of food that would otherwise go to waste . Munoz has been recognized as a CNN Hero , given award by President Obama . Munoz : Smiles of those he helps make it worthwhile .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- England 's Luke Donald beat new world number one Martin Kaymer by 3 & 2 to win the snow-hit WGC-Accenture Match Play in Arizona Sunday . Freezing overnight conditions and the unexpected snowfall struck the Dove Mountain course ahead of the 18-hole final , but once it begun it was Donald who warmed to his task from the start . He pulled three clear by the fifth , play briefly held up by a hailstorm which left the players sheltering for cover , and was never headed . But Germany 's Kaymer hit back when Donald three-putted the short sixth and a birdie on the par-5 eighth saw the gap cut to just one hole . PGA champion Kaymer drew level as Donald made a hash of the ninth , finding the desert rough with his second , but that was as close as he got to victory . Donald took the lead again with a birdie on the long 11th , extended it at the next as Kaymer bogeyed and went three-up with a further birdie on the 15th . He closed out the biggest victory of his career on the short 16th and the $ 1.4 million check . It was his third win on the PGA Tour , but first since 2006 , taking him to a career-high number three in the new rankings Monday behind Kaymer and compatriot Lee Westwood . `` It could n't have gone any better -- not to get to the 18th hole in any match this week and pretty much go through reasonably stress-free , '' Donald told the official PGA Tour website . `` I played solid this week . It 's nice to get the victory . '' Donald had never trailed throughout his six matches and needed just 73 holes to reach the final , beating Tiger Woods ' record of 77 . Kaymer will console himself with taking over as No. 1 from Westwood , but called Donald a `` very tough opponent '' as he could never get to grips with his Ryder Cup teammate in the cold conditions . In the all-American third place play-off , Matt Kuchar beat Bubba Watson 2 & 1 in a scrappy match .
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Luke Donald wins WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona . Donald beats Germany 's Martin Kaymer 3 & 2 in Sunday 's final . Unexpected snowfall hits Dove Mountain course overnight . Matt Kuchar beats Bubba Watson in third place playoff .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Heavy winds and dry weather helped set off a rash of fires across a wide swath of north , central and west Texas on Sunday , state forestry officials said . The Texas Forest Service reported 15,000 acres caught fire across the state . The largest concentration of blazes broke out around the west Texas town of Midland and near the panhandle city of Amarillo , where meteorologists reported wind gusts of up to 69 miles an hour . There have been no fatalities , said Lewis Kearney , a spokesman for the forest service 's Texas State Lone Star Incident Management Team . However , the high winds made it difficult for firefighters to use aircraft to contain the blazes . Kearney said heavy winds are expected to blow across much of the state into Monday , thus making it more likely that firefighters could be many hours away from dousing the final flames spread by the winds . Kearney said `` numerous homes '' have been burned in west Texas and that firefighters were continuing to battle the blazes as of Sunday night . In Amarillo , the National Weather Service reported that as of 2:32 p.m. CT Sunday afternoon a mandatory evacuation order had been issued in northeast Potter County . A second evacuation order was issued for the city of Borger a half hour later . Throughout the afternoon , fires consumed large swaths of land ranging from 30 to 800 acres in Haskell , Mitchell , Howard , Randall and Tom Green counties , among others .
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Roughly 15,000 acres on fire in separate Texas blazes . Dry weather and heavy winds to blame , officials say .
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Islamabad , Pakistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Raymond Davis , the American accused of killing two Pakistani men , appeared Friday in a Pakistani court , where he was handed documents that detailed the case against him . The court then adjourned until March 3 when Davis is expected to be formally charged . The case has strained relations between the United States and Pakistan , a key ally in the war against al Qaeda and the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan , and the shooting deaths have outraged many Pakistanis . Meanwhile , Pakistani authorities have detained a second U.S. citizen , identified as Aaron Mark DeHaven , in Peshawar , according to a statement Friday by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad . No additional details can be confirmed until a U.S. government representative meets with DeHaven , the statement said . Davis has said that the January 27 shooting occurred after two men attacked him as he drove through a busy Lahore neighborhood , according to the U.S. Embassy . U.S. officials originally said Davis was a diplomat and later revealed he is a CIA contractor , intensifying the already highly charged situation . During the court hearing Friday , Davis was handed over documents of evidence in the case , but he initially refused to accept them because they were in Urdu , a language he did not understand . Clerks were told to translate the documents into English . Davis told the judge that he should be released from jail because he has diplomatic immunity , the same argument other U.S. officials have used since Davis ' arrest . The judge said he was waiting on a response from the Pakistani government on that issue and that it should happen at the March hearing . CNN 's Reza Sayah contributed to this report .
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CIA contractor Raymond Davis is accused of killing two Pakistani men . Davis ' arrest has strained relations between the U.S. and Pakistan . Davis is expected to be charged formally at a March 3 hearing .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than 1 million cell phones in China have been struck by the `` Zombie '' virus , according to Chinese state media , CCTV and Xinhua . It 's called the `` Zombie '' virus because it transmits from phone to phone , just as in the movies , zombie bites turn people into the living dead . The virus binds with a security application , which then transmits the user 's SIM card details to a central server controlled by a small group of hackers . The hackers then will send messages or make phone calls that contain virus-ridden links for games and software , said CCTV . Receivers who follow the link will find their phones infected , too , while at the same time providing a `` click through '' for the link itself , which typically translates into a payment for a party publicizing the links . CCTV said that the blame is likely to lay with intermediary distributors instead of the actual game or software developers that show up in the ads . Zhou Yonglin , an official with the National Computer Network Emergency Coordination Center , told CCTV that `` in the first week of September , nearly 1 million cell phones in the country were infected with the virus . '' And although telecom providers are said to have taken steps to reduce the number of infected messages , Zou Shihong , a telecom expert at the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications , told CCTV that an updated virus might start sending fewer messages , making it harder for cell users to notice any suspicious activity . Chendu Qimiao , the company behind the original infected security application , told CCTV that is has nothing to do with the virus , adding that it 's difficult for users to tell which applications are infected and which are safe .
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The `` Zombie '' virus is transmitted from cell phone to cell phone . The virus binds with a security ap , which transmits SIM card data to a central server . Hackers at other end send back virus-ridden links for games and software , CCTV says . Nearly 1 million phones in China were infected in the first week of September , official says .
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Seoul , South Korea -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Four members of a group of 31 North Koreans who accidentally crossed over into South Korean waters on a fishing boat , have decided to defect to the South , despite Pyongyang 's demands that they all be repatriated to the North , the South Korean Red Cross said . The defection of the four North Koreans could spark tensions on the peninsula , where joint U.S.-South Korea military drills have kicked off this week . North Korea had threatened to engulf Seoul in a `` sea of flames , '' a day before the opening of the exercise . The South will return the remaining 27 members of the group through Panmunjom , a truce village on the ground border between the two sides , and send the fishing boat back through the waters in the West Sea on Friday , the Red Cross said . South Korea 's intelligence agency questioned the North Koreans for almost a month since they crossed over in February before deciding to release the group , the aid agency said . There are currently more than 20,000 North Korean defectors in South Korea , according to the South 's Unification Ministry . The number of annual defectors has risen dramatically since the turn of the century and continues to climb . Defectors who are forcefully repatriated to the North after attempting to cross over into third countries such as China , Mongolia or Southeast Asia are commonly sent to prison camps as a punishment . Many defectors who live in South Korea fear for the lives of their family or relatives who remain in the North .
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A boat with a crew of 31 crosses into South Korean waters , the Red Cross says . Four of the fishermen decide to stay in the South . The number of defections has risen dramatically in the past decade .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Wisconsin protesters geared up for a third week of demonstrations on Monday as Democratic lawmakers were again missing from the state capitol , protesting a bill that would curb collective bargaining rights for most public workers . The state 's 14 Democratic senators have fled to neighboring Illinois to prevent a quorum of 20 votes needed for a budget repair bill that would require public employees -- with the exception of police and firefighters -- to cover more of their retirement plans and health care premiums . Collective bargaining would be limited to wages , though any pay increases beyond the inflation rate would be subject to voter approval . `` There are plenty of states that do not have collective bargaining , '' Republican Gov. Scott Walker said Monday . `` We have a right to do this with the statutes and that 's what we 're doing . '' Union leaders have agreed to pay more for benefits , but oppose restricting bargaining rights that the governor argues is needed for meaningful fiscal reforms . Wisconsin is `` broke , '' and unions use their power to block necessary cost-saving measures , Walker said Sunday on NBC 's `` Meet the Press . '' `` It 's about time somebody stood up and told the truth in this state , and said , ` Here 's our problem , here 's the solution , ' and acted on it , '' he said . `` Because if we do n't , we fail to make a commitment to the future . '' Moments later on the program , AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka assailed Walker . `` This is n't about the budget crisis , '' he said , adding that Walker 's arguments have `` migrated '' as his justifications have been refuted . `` Governors that are willing to sit down and work with their employees can work out problems , '' Trumka said . `` We can solve them . But that 's not what Governor Walker is doing . He says , ' I wo n't talk to you . ' '' Wisconsin is confronted with a $ 137 million budget shortfall by June 30 . The embattled governor has defended his budget repair bill , saying the measures are needed to head off a $ 3.6 billion budget gap by 2013 that could result in thousands of layoffs . The state had faced a suggested Friday deadline to balance the budget , but the crucial date is March 16 , officials said . Meanwhile , some of the hundreds of demonstrators who had filled the Capitol building -- gathering inside the rotunda in daily protest of the proposed legislation -- had left the building by Monday at the request of state police , said Department of Administration spokeswoman Jodi Jensen . `` Of those who remained , all but a few have voluntarily complied with the request of law enforcement to remain in a designed area of the building , '' Jensen said . `` No additional protesters will be allowed into the building until this situation is resolved . '' Hundreds gathered outside the Capitol building later on Monday , chanting , `` Let us in ! '' Their yells were met by a group of protesters who remained inside , chanting , `` Let them in ! '' Representative Peter Barca , the Democratic leader in Wisconsin 's state assembly , called the lock-down unacceptable . `` Politicians may not always enjoy hearing what the citizens of this state have to say , but it is wrong to block elected officials from their constituents , '' Barca said . `` There are a number of scheduled meetings in the building today and the public has a right to attend them and visit their legislators . '' A pro-union political action committee called `` Defending Wisconsin '' filed a lawsuit Monday in a U.S. District Court against the state of Wisconsin for not letting people to enter the capitol building , said the group 's director Jeremy J. Ryan . Authorities had initially given demonstrators until late Sunday afternoon to leave the building , saying it needed to be cleaned after roughly two weeks of protests . `` We 're going through an extensive cleaning process tonight , '' Wisconsin Capitol Police Chief Charles Tubbs said late Sunday . `` We 're hoping to get through that . '' And while many people left , others defied the order and remained inside . Some said they were willing to risk arrest in a conflict that has become a flash point in the nation 's debate around labor unions . The budget bill was passed by assembly lawmakers early Friday and must now clear the Senate , where absent Democrats have stalled the legislative process while awaiting a compromise outside state borders . Walker has called on the lawmakers to `` come back and do their job , '' sending state patrol officers to Democrat homes in an effort to pressure their return . `` If we fail to pass this bill by Tuesday , we lose $ 165 million worth of savings . If we continue down that path we start seeing layoffs , '' he warned . Randi Weingarten , president of the American Federation of Teachers told CNN Sunday that workers in Wisconsin have sent a message to Walker that '' ` we understand and we will do our fair share . ' '' But Walker is sending a different message , Weingarten said : '' ` I 'm just taking away your voice at work . ' '' In the long term , that message `` is ridiculous because collective bargaining is the way to increase quality , '' she said . President Barack Obama also weighed in on Monday , appearing to allude to the growing controversy by telling a group of governors that while `` everybody should be prepared to give up something '' in the face of new budget realities , `` I do n't think it does anybody any good when public employees are vilified '' or their rights are infringed upon . While the president has publicly expressed support for those fighting to keep collective bargaining in Wisconsin , he has not joined them at protests . Walker 's spokesman , Cullen Werwie , quickly responded , calling the president 's comments a `` misunderstanding . '' `` I 'm sure the President knows that the average federal worker pays twice as much for health insurance as what we are asking for in Wisconsin , '' Werwie said in a written statement . Trumka of the AFL-CIO insisted that Obama , who faces federal budget challenges , is `` doing it the right way . '' `` He 's not taking on workers like Scott Walker is and trying to take away their ability to come together and negotiate a middle-class way of life , '' Trumka said . Walker is expected to give the state 's annual budget address to a joint session of the state legislature Tuesday at 4 p.m. -LRB- 5 p.m.ET -RRB- . But the showdown over budgets and bargaining rights is not limited to the Badger State . In Indiana , Democratic lawmakers -- much like those from Wisconsin -- remained in Illinois on Monday , extending the . stalemate over a Republican-backed proposal they say will restrict workers ' rights . Republican house members claim they have scrapped a `` right-to-work '' bill that would have prevented private-sector unions from requiring workers to pay dues for representation . But Indiana Democrats are skeptical . `` You 'll forgive us if we do n't take them at their word , '' said party spokesman John Schorg . `` We were out -LRB- of the state -RRB- today and chances are we will be out tomorrow . '' Schorg said negotiations between Republicans and Democrats had come to a virtual stand-still Monday . The state 's Republican governor , Mitch Daniels -- who ended collective bargaining with public unions soon after his election in 2005 -- has defended the bill as necessary cost-cutting measure . The former budget director under George W. Bush , Daniels -- who is often described as a potential 2012 presidential candidate -- may now be facing a more difficult task in scaling back the negotiating rights of private unions . The state assembly met on Monday , but lacked the two-thirds quorum needed to pass legislation . Lawmakers face a April 29 deadline to balance the state budget , officials said . In Ohio , a budget bill supported by another GOP governor , John Kasich , prompted thousands of labor-backed demonstrators to descend on Columbus to protest a proposal that would curtail union bargaining rights . Senate Republicans , who command a 23-10 majority -- currently lack enough votes to pass another controversial budget bill affecting public workers . The proposal , known as Senate Bill 5 , would prevent employees from negotiating health care , pensions and automatic pay raises based on seniority . The measure would also ban strikes for all public workers -- rather than just those involved in public safety -- but was recently amended to allow state employees to negotiate salaries , according to state Sen. Shannon Jones . `` We ca n't sustain the contracts that have clogged up the arteries of government for the last 30 years , '' said Jason Mauk , a spokesman for the Ohio Senate Majority Caucus . `` We 're allowing unions to negotiate terms that should be the employers ' decision . '' Mauk said Republican lawmakers view the measure as `` long-term reform to restructure state government . '' He says its an effort to `` trim around the edges to make government leaner and more efficient . '' But opposition groups say the bill is anti-union . Crowds of union supporters -- who last week surrounded the state capitol chanting , `` Kill the Bill '' -- are expected to again board Columbus-bound buses in protest of the measure on Tuesday . Democrats had refused to put forth a single amendment after lawmakers described the proposal as `` fatally flawed . '' The next senate hearing on the measure is set to begin Tuesday at 1p . m. -LRB- 2p . m.ET -RRB- . CNN 's Deborah Feyerick , Ted Rowlands and Eric Fiegel contributed to this report .
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NEW : Indiana Democratic legislators stay out of state in protest of budget bill . NEW : Negotiations between Republicans and Democrats are at a virtual stand-still . NEW : In Ohio , a senate hearing on collective bargaining and budget cuts is set for Tuesday . NEW : Wisconsin governor 's aide says Obama remarks are a `` misunderstanding ''
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Chelsea 's attempt to make FA Cup history came to a halt on Saturday when the holders were eliminated from England 's top knockout competition in a penalty shootout by Premier League rivals Everton . The London club , seeking to become the first to win the trophy three years in a row , were held 1-1 at home in the fourth-round replay despite going ahead in extra-time through England midfielder Frank Lampard . Leighton Baines forced the spot-kick showdown with a superb left-footed set-piece a minute from the end , but the defender looked to have handed Chelsea the advantage when Petr Cech saved his penalty . However , American goalkeeper Tim Howard kept out an effort by French striker Nicolas Anelka and then England defender Ashley Cole blazed his attempt over the crossbar , giving captain Phil Neville the chance to make it 4-3 and seal a last-16 clash with division two Reading on March 1 . It was a big blow for Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti ahead of Tuesday 's Champions League first-leg , last-16 tie away to Denmark 's Copenhagen . `` We deserved to win . Obviously we are not happy , but we have to look forward , to use these days , the next days , to recover well , to recover energy and to prepare well , '' the Italian told reporters after his side 's first home defeat against Everton since 1994 . A historic first victory in Europe 's top club competition seems like Chelsea 's only real hopes of winning a trophy this season , with the Blues languishing in fifth place in their Premier League defense . Cup magic shared by cross-channel minnows . League leaders Manchester United were made to battle against non-league part-timers Crawley Town before reaching the last eight with a 1-0 home victory on Saturday . Wes Brown scored the only goal in the 28th minute , his first since 2008 , as he headed home a well-worked short corner by Darron Gibson . The defender also made a vital late block on an attempted overhead kick by Matthew Tubbs as Crawley kept fighting for an equalizer and an unexpected replay , with striker Richard Brodie heading against the United bar in time added on . United boss Alex Ferguson started the match with several non-regulars , but brought star striker Wayne Rooney off the bench in the second half . Earlier , Premier League teams Stoke and Birmingham moved into the quarterfinals with 3-0 victories over third division Brighton and Sheffield Wednesday respectively . Stoke went through with first-half goals from strikers John Carew and Jon Walters and defender Ryan Shawcross . Chile winger Jean Beausejour and Obafemi Martins netted inside 20 minutes for Birmingham , the latter his first for the club since the Nigeria striker joined on loan last month , while defender David Murphy wrapped it up eight minutes after halftime . On Sunday , Manchester City host Notts County in a fourth-round replay , while in fifth-round matches Arsenal travel to another division three team Leyton Orient and Fulham take on Premier League rivals Bolton .
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Two-time defending champions Chelsea knocked out of FA Cup in fourth-round replay . Everton claim last-16 place after winning the penalty shootout 4-3 on Saturday . Manchester United reach quarterfinals with 1-0 win over non-league side Crawley . Premier League Birmingham and Stoke also progress , beating third-division opposition .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Top seed Francesca Schiavone suffered a shock first-round exit at the Malaysian Open on Monday , losing 2-6 7-6 -LRB- 7-1 -RRB- 6-4 to Australia 's Jelena Dokic . Former world No. 4 Dokic had not beaten an opponent ranked in the world 's top five since a victory over Belgium 's Kim Clijsters in 2003 . But the 27-year-old , currently ranked 91st , now has a 100 % record in three career meetings with French Open champion Schiavone . The Italian looked on course to end that run after comfortably claiming the opening set in Kuala Lumpur . But 2002 Wimbledon semifinalist Dokic fought back to win a second-set tie break , which saw Schiavone require medical assistance after a fall , and eventually seal the match after one hour and 59 minutes . `` Sometimes when you see your opponent get injured you have to be a lot more focused so you do n't drop your level , '' Dokic told the WTA website . `` You ca n't think that she will not play well . She went for some risky shots early in the rally , so I had to be ready for that . But I think I served really well in the third set . `` I already had a good tournament this year in Paris , I beat top-20 and top-25 players there . I had tough draws in Dubai and Doha and again here , so this is a big win for me . '' Dokic will now face the winner of the clash between Japan 's Kurumi Nara and Elena Bovina of Russia . Tuesday sees two more high-profile stars take to the court , as French second seed Marion Bartoli takes on Maria Elena Camerin . Also in action is three-time grand-slam finalist Dinara Safina , who faces Xinyun Han of China . Russia 's former No. 1 has lost in the first round of all three tournaments she has played this year , most recently at the Australian Open in January , and has dropped to 113th in the rankings . Elsewhere , Juan Martin del Potro claimed his first title since winning the 2009 U.S. Open when he defeated Janko Tipsarevic in the final of the Delray Beach International Championships in Florida on Sunday . Del Potro , now 89th in the world , dropped as low as 485 in the rankings after suffering a serious wrist injury in 2010 . His 6-4 6-4 win over the sixth-seeded Serbian capped a fine month , coming on the back of successive semifinal appearances in San Jose and Memphis .
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Francesca Schiavone knocked out of the Malaysian Open by Jelena Dokic . It is the first time Dokic has beaten a top-five ranked player since Kim Clijsters in 2003 . Top seed Schiavone has now lost to Dokic in all three of their encounters . Juan Martin del Potro beat Janko Tipsarevic to claim the Delray Beach Championships .
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Baghdad -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Iraqi judge sentenced a British contractor to life in prison Monday , sparing him the death penalty . Daniel Fitzsimons , 30 , was charged with murder in the 2009 shooting deaths of two colleagues in Baghdad , in the first trial of a Westerner in Iraq since the Iraq War started in 2003 . He pleaded not guilty , telling a three-judge panel that he shot the two men in self-defense . The judge who sentenced him said he did n't give him the death penalty `` because you 're still young and because of the circumstances of the crime , '' he said . Fitzsimons smiled and thanked the judge when he heard the verdict Monday . The victims were Paul McGuigan , a British national , and Darren Hoare , an Australian . Fitzsimons was also accused of the attempted murder of a guard . The Iraqi guard , Arkan Mahdi , was wounded . He has the right to claim compensation in civil court , the judge ruled . Iraqi judges are not named for security reasons . Fitzsimons 's Iraqi lawyer , Tariq Harb , said he was `` very happy with the court decision . '' But Salam Abdulkarim , who represents the families of the victims , said Fitzsimons had committed an ugly crime and according to Iraqi law , he should get the most extreme punishment . A spokesman with the British Embassy in Baghdad said it was a matter for Iraqi law . `` This was a decision made by the Iraqi court . We respect the independence of the Iraqi judicial system , the court verdict and the sentence , '' the spokesman said . Fitzsimons complained during the trial that the court would not let him talk about his post-traumatic stress disorder . The court issued two delays in order to get a health committee report on PTSD . Fitzsimons had previously been diagnosed with the disorder in Britain , but his lawyer had argued that the disorder was new to Iraq . The trial comes after security contractors lost their immunity following the U.S.-Iraq security agreement that went into effect in January 2009 . Before that , Iraqis had complained that private security contractors were operating in a state of lawlessness , never held accountable by Iraqi authorities for incidents in which Iraqis were killed . According to Fitzsimons ' testimony , after a night of drinking , he got into a fight with McGuigan that lasted on and off for more than an hour . He then left , but was later attacked by McGuigan and Hoare , and he shot them in self-defense , he told the court . At one point , one of the judges told him that his version did n't match some of the evidence . Under Iraqi law , murder is punishable by hanging .
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NEW : The judge is lenient because of the youth of the killer and the circumstances . Daniel Fitzsimons , 30 , is the first Westerner to be tried in Iraq since the war began in 2003 . Fitzsimons admitted shooting two colleagues , Paul McGuigan and Darren Hoare . But he pleaded not guilty to murder , saying he shot the men in self-defense .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Authorities in Virginia are searching for a young pregnant woman , missing since the end of January . `` Bethany Anne Decker , 21 , was last seen on January 29 , 2011 , according to witnesses in the case , including family , '' a statement from the Loudoun County Sheriff 's Office said . She is believed to be about five months pregnant and is married to Emile Decker , a member of the U.S. Army National Guard , who is currently serving in Afghanistan . The couple also has a 17-month-old son . `` The family is concerned and so are we , '' said Vince DiBenedetto , a sheriff 's spokesman . `` We are in a race against the clock and playing catch-up on a lot of this . '' She was last seen January 29 and was reported missing by her family about three weeks later on February 19 `` after repeated attempts to make contact with her . '' Decker 's last known address was in Ashburn , about 25 miles northwest of Washington , D.C. . Her car was found at an apartment complex where she lived and was in the process of moving from . DiBenedetto said the vehicle offered no clues to her whereabouts . When her husband , Emile , was home on leave in January , the couple went to Hawaii to visit her father and then stayed with her grandparents in Maryland after they returned , DiBenedetto said . Emile Decker returned to Afghanistan the first week of February and some members of her family saw him off at the airport . Bethany Decker was not there , according to DiBenedetto . Authorities have talked with Emile Decker from Afghanistan via phone and are trying to arrange a video conference with him , DiBenedetto said .
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Bethany Decker is believed to be about five months pregnant . Her car was found at an apartment she was moving out of . Her husband Emile Decker is serving in Afghanistan .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Talking to the Taliban leader in Afghanistan may help bring peace to the country , according to a former Pakistan spy chief once referred to as the `` father of the Taliban . '' Retired Gen. Hamid Gul , a former head of the ISI spy agency , worked with the CIA through the 1980s to fund and train the Afghan Jihad against the Soviets . Many of the Mujahedeen went on to govern Afghanistan as the Taliban , who are led by Mullah Omar . `` The best situation would be to talk to Mullah Omar , '' Gul said . `` But then , put up your own conditions where I would say it is legitimate ... I think they will accept . I know their psychology . '' Face-to-face talks would work best , Gul added . `` You have to engage him . You have to talk to him , '' Gul said . `` There is no one else , for heaven sake , why beat around the bush ? '' Last year , Gul said Omar was the only person who can improve U.S. interests in Afghanistan . `` Mullah Omar , nobody else , '' Gul said . He insisted that President Barack Obama 's administration can access Omar through the Pakistan military . But the Pakistani Inter-Services Public Relations -LRB- ISPR -RRB- denied that the Pakistani military is in contact with Omar and that it can bring him and other commanders to the negotiating table . In his latest interview , Gul decried the terrorist label on the Taliban , saying former President George W. Bush was wrong to call them that . `` This is wrong , by any definition , '' he said . `` No shred of evidence is available that they were involved in any terrorist activity . '' Last year , Gul said a stated Taliban condition to any discussions -- the complete withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan first -- was not a fixed demand . With concessions from Washington , it could be softened and make way for negotiations to begin , he said . Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said he will pursue talks with the Taliban as part of a reconciliation and reintegration plan . Karzai has said he plans to buy off low-level Taliban foot soldiers with cash and make peace with some Taliban leaders by offering them government positions . While Washington supports the plan , it rejects a dialogue involving Omar . The Taliban has said Omar is not interested in a peace deal . CNN 's Reza Sayah contributed to this report .
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Face-to-face talks would work best , says former head of the ISI spy agency . Last year Gul said Omar was only person who can improve U.S. interests in Afghanistan . He insisted U.S. can access Omar through Pakistan military . Pakistan Inter-Services Public Relations deny military in contact with Omar .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki came through her opener against Nadia Petrova at the WTA Qatar Open after a string of seeded players crashed out Wednesday . Wozniacki , fresh from her triumph in Dubai , had little trouble against 2006 champion Petrova , running out a 6-3 6-2 winner in their second round match . `` It 's great to start off with a win and continue with my good form after Dubai , '' the Dane told the official WTA website . She secured a single break in the opener to move ahead and three breaks of service in the second . Her victory sets up a quarterfinal clash against Italian Flavia Pennetta at the Khalifa Tennis and Squash Complex . Penetta 's compatriot and third seed Francesca Schiavone became the biggest casualty yet as she was beaten 7-5 6-3 by China 's Peng Shuai . Schiavone , the reigning French Open champion , complained of tiredness after her defeat . Fourth-seeded Li Na , the Australian Open finalist , crashed to a 6-2 6-1 loss to Czech Klara Zakopalova , while eighth seed Shahar Peer of Israel was thrashed 6-1 6-0 by France 's Marion Bartoli . `` She gave me no chance , '' said Peer , who had beaten two-time grand slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the first round . `` I have won seven out of nine times against her in the past , but today she was simply too good . '' Second seed and World No. 3 Vera Zvonareva also avoided an upset as she swept aside Dominika Cibulkova 6-1 6-2 in the final match of the day . Russian Zvonareva showed no signs of a recent niggling shoulder injury to stay on course for a final clash with Wozniacki .
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Caroline Wozniacki continues winning streak by beating Nadia Petrova in Qatar . Dane comes to Doha off the back of her Dubai Open success . Third seed and French Open champion Francesca Schiavone loses to Peng Shuai . Second seed Vera Zvonareva reaches quarterfinals by beating Dominika Cibulkova .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Caroline Wozniacki claimed her first title of the season on Sunday with a straight-sets win over Russia 's Svetlana Kuznetsova at the WTA Dubai Tennis Championships . Denmark 's Wozniacki -- who will leapfrog Australian Open champion Kim Clijsters to become world No. 1 for a second time on Monday -- took just 75 minutes to dismiss double grand slam winner Kuznetsova 6-1 6-3 . The 20-year-old broke her 23rd-ranked opponent 's serve in the second game to take a 2-0 lead , and went on to break twice more to seal a one-sided first set in just over 30 minutes . Former world No. 4 Kuznetsova threatened a comeback as top-seeded Wozniacki served for the match at 5-2 but it was too little too late for the one-time U.S. and French Open champion . Quiz world No. 3 tennis player Vera Zvonareva . Wozniacki briefly lost the number one ranking , which she had held since October 2010 , after losing in the last four of the Australian Open in January . However , the 2009 U.S. Open runner-up said that she believes her triumph in the United Arab Emirates , where she did not drop a set all week , can spur her on to greater things this year . `` It 's great to have this as my first tournament back and to see me smiling again , '' she told reporters after winning her 13th title on the women 's tour . `` I knew that if I just keep working hard , and I take my chances , my time will come . And I 'm back here playing well . '' Elsewhere in France , world No. 4 and double French Open finalist Robin Soderling came from a set down against Croatia 's Marin Cilic to win the ATP Marseille Open to continue his impressive start to the season . The Swedish world no. 4 , who won in Rotterdam last week and also took the Brisbane crown in January , battled to a 6-7 -LRB- 8 -RRB- 6-3 6-3 victory over the former world No. 9 to claim his ninth singles title .
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Caroline Wozniacki defeats Russia 's Svetlana Kuznetsova to win Dubai title . Dane will become world No. 1 for a second time when new rankings come out on Monday . World No. 4 Robin Soderling beats Croatia 's Marin Cilic to win Marseille Open .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker on Thursday warned 14 absent lawmakers trying to stall his controversial budget bill to return to the state Capitol immediately to vote on the measure , or layoff notices will be sent to 1,500 public employees before the weekend . `` Unfortunately , if we do n't have action by tomorrow we have a legal and moral obligation to start forewarning people , '' Walker said a Thursday night press conference . The layoffs would take effect April 1 , the governor said . Walker 's threat to start laying off workers capped the third week of a high-stakes drama playing out in Wisconsin . Meanwhile , a Dane County judge on Thursday issued an order barring demonstrators from the state Capitol after business hours . During protests , some demonstrators have been sleeping inside the building . The order from Wisconsin Circuit Court Judge John Albert gave the state Department of Administration the authority to forcibly remove anyone who refuses . Most of the protesters remaining at the Capitol Thursday evening appeared to abide by the judge 's order . Some initially balked at the demand they leave the Capitol by the building 's regular 6 p.m. closing time . However , a long line of demonstrators later filed out of the building chanting slogans , carrying bedrolls and banging homemade plastic drums . Concerns about safety risks arising from the nonstop presence of demonstrators at the Capitol were heightened Thursday with the discovery of 41 rounds of hollow-point rifle ammunition found outside the building . Police continued their search for more ammunition , and the person to which it belongs , amid a contentious budget showdown over a measure that would -- among other things -- curb the collective bargaining rights of most state workers . Walker has repeatedly said the collective bargaining provisions of his bill are not negotiable . The governor showed little sign of backing down from that stance Thursday night . Instead , Walker repeatedly said he was `` frustrated '' by the intransigence of the 14 Democratic senators trying to stymie the bill by not showing up to vote . He blamed a core group of `` extreme '' dissenters for standing in the way of compromise . `` What 's probably the most frustrating is I keep getting the sense that many of these responsible senators are seeking a pathway home , however some of the more extreme members of that caucus are putting up a barrier to them , '' Walker said . Walker refused to name any of the senators he believes are blocking negotiations . The governor said he and Republican House Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald have been trying to negotiate with some Democrats . Walker refused to talk about what `` specifics are on the table . '' Weeks of demonstrations in protest of Gov. Scott Walker 's proposal have drawn massive crowds to the state legislature since mid-February , contributing to $ 6.5 million in damages and other costs , state Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch said during a hearing Thursday . The hearing examined the question of public access to the building . Meanwhile , the state Senate approved a resolution that would hold absentee Democratic lawmakers `` in contempt of the Senate '' should they not return to the Capitol by late afternoon . The missing lawmakers -- who left February 17 -- had still not returned by Thursday night . The contempt measure allows state law enforcement to detain and return the 14 Senate Democrats to Wisconsin , according to Senate Majority Leader spokesman Andrew Welhouse . Walker said he would prefer that the absent senators return of their own accord . `` I personally am going to ... try and compel these senators to come back in terms of making an offer , '' Walker said . The lawmakers fled to Illinois to prevent a quorum for voting on the state 's budget repair bill , which would limit collective bargaining to wages and require public workers , with the exception of police and firefighters , to cover more of their retirement plans and health care premiums . But whether the contempt measure is constitutional remains unclear . The state Constitution prohibits the arrest of lawmakers while the legislature is in session , except for `` treason , felony and breach of the peace . '' Whether Wisconsin law enforcement would be permitted jurisdiction in Illinois to detain the missing Democrats is also unclear . The stalemate has proven increasingly contentious in recent days as Senate lawmakers adopted a resolution on Wednesday that would fine absentee lawmakers $ 100 every day they remain missing . A similar resolution passed a day later in Indiana , where House Republicans imposed a $ 250-a-day fine against AWOL Democrats who -- like their Wisconsin counterparts -- fled to Illinois in protest of a labor bill . In Wisconsin , Republicans need a single Democrat to cross party lines and rejoin the 33-member legislature to meet the quorum of 20 lawmakers required in a vote on state fiscal matters . Only 17 lawmakers are required for most other issues . Union leaders have agreed to pay more for benefits , but view restricting bargaining rights as an assault on workers ' rights . Gov. Walker took to the airwaves Wednesday in support of his belt-tightening measure . `` Every day we fail to act on this just adds more and more to the cost , '' he told reporters , defending the curtailing of collective bargaining as an integral part of fiscal reform . Wisconsin is confronted with a looming $ 137 million shortfall at the end of the fiscal year , June 30 . The state faces a $ 3.6 billion budget gap by 2013 . CNN 's Katherine Wojtecki contributed to this report .
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NEW : Wisconsin governor threatens to lay off 1,500 workers if senators do n't return home . NEW : Judge rules that demonstrators can no longer sleep inside Capitol building . At least 41 rounds of .22 - caliber ammunition have been found outside the Capitol . The state Senate approves a resolution allowing police to detain missing Democrats .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Texas firefighters were making significant progress Tuesday against wildfires that have consumed at least 78 homes and , at their peak , were burning the length of a football field every minute . Sustained winds of 40 mph , gusting to 60 , combined with 2 % relative humidity in some areas to cause the grass fire conflagration Sunday , said Mark Stanford , chief of fire operations for the Texas Forest Service . On Tuesday , however , firefighters had all 21 remaining fires at least 50 percent contained , Stanford told CNN Radio . Crews want to have them fully contained by Thursday , he said . `` Friday will be another bad day for us , '' Stanford said . `` Not as bad as Sunday , but it will be a very high fire danger day across that region . So we want to make sure that we 've freed up all of our fire resources so that they can respond to new starts we may have . '' As of Tuesday , 78 homes had been reported destroyed , and that number is expected to increase as teams fan out to inspect damages , Stanford said . None of the fires were threatening communities . Smoke from one fire caused an accident that killed a 5-year-old child Sunday on Interstate 20 . Officials believe many of the fires were started by power lines that fell from high winds . Officials are urging citizens to be very cautious with their outdoor activities on fire danger days . One fire was caused by an individual grinding on metal pipe , Stanford said . A blaze in Midland was caused when a vehicle tire blew and the tire rim created sparks . Since Sunday , forestry officials , who were called in to assist local fire departments , have responded to 71 fires covering 136,699 acres , the Texas Forest Service said on its website . Most of the fires were across the Texas Panhandle . The fires occurred in an area of about 45,000 square miles , the size of Kentucky , Stanford said . Two of the biggest active fires were in Randall County , where 26 homes were lost , and Potter County , where 29 homes were lost . Those fires were 80 % and 25 % contained , respectively . Both were expected to be completely contained by day 's end , Stanford said . Potter County Sheriff Brian Thomas said a 61,000-acre fire in his county was ignited when a man cut pipe with a metal grinder in high wind Sunday . Austin Lynn Stephens , 52 , was arrested and charged with criminal trespass because he was on private property when he was using the grinder . Firefighters battled blazes in a dozen other counties , including a 35,000-acre fire in Matador West in Motley County , and a 21,000-acre fire in Andrews County , officials said Monday . They also fought fires in the counties of Haskell , Tom Green , Randall , Howard , Midland , Scurry , Motley , Crockett , Mitchell and Eastland . One wildfire destroyed a dog kennel near Amarillo , Capt. Wes Hall of the Amarillo Fire Department said . Authorities were trying to account Monday for the animals missing or dead after the fire tore through the Willow Creek Kennel . Firefighters were able to open cages to free at least some of the dogs before the flames overtook the facility . As many as 27 homes were destroyed in the area and `` the fire was on the kennel in a matter of minutes , '' employee Chance Smith said , adding he did not have an exact number of dogs lost . In the community of Matador , north of Lubbock , families could do nothing but watch as their homes burned to the ground . Juan and Rosemary Segovia had n't been gone 20 minutes when they returned to a panic-stricken neighborhood and found they had lost everything they owned . `` To know everything you worked so hard for , it 's all gone , '' a tearful Juan Segovia told CNN affiliate KCBD . He and his wife stared in disbelief at the blaze . The family of seven is without a home , but grateful for what was not lost . `` I 'm glad our family was n't home when it happened , '' Rosemary Segovia said before falling into her husband 's arms . `` That 's all I care about is I have my family . '' CNN 's Dave Alsup , Mariano Castillo and Antoinette Campbell and CNN Radio 's Barbara Hall contributed to this report .
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NEW : All 21 wildfires are at least 50 % contained , Mark Stanford says . NEW : A fire in Midland is blamed on a vehicle tire that blew , he says . More than 136,000 acres have burned in 71 fires in Texas , the state forest service says . 78 homes have been reported destroyed .
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Beijing -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- China rejected American criticism of its treatment of journalists Tuesday , two days after several foreign reporters , including CNN staff , were manhandled by Chinese security forces . `` As far as I understand , journalists did not follow relevant procedures in advance of Sunday . Police were there to provide reasonable guidance , '' Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said Tuesday . `` China protects foreign journalists ' lawful rights within the law , '' she said , adding that the ministry hopes `` journalists understand that it takes two sides -- both the government and the journalists -- to understand each other , and patiently handle the situation . '' The U.S. ambassador to China said Monday that American and other foreign journalists were `` illegally detained or harassed as they attempted to do their jobs '' while covering protests in downtown Beijing over the weekend . Ambassador Jon Huntsman Jr. said in a statement that one reporter was `` severely beaten and detained for many hours . '' `` I call on the Chinese government to hold the perpetrators accountable for harassing and assaulting innocent individuals and ask that they respect the rights of foreign journalists to report in China , '' he said . Journalists including CNN 's Eunice Yoon and Jo Ling Kent were physically harassed by Chinese security Sunday as they planned to cover a protest -- which never took place , perhaps because of heavy police presence . They were shoved , dragged and at times carried away from the scene . Their cameras were confiscated and footage was deleted , and a press card was taken away from Yoon , who wrested it back from an officer who refused to give his name . `` We found out many other journalists were treated the same and , in some cases , much worse , '' Yoon wrote . `` A former colleague and friend of mine , Steve Engle of Bloomberg News , had been dragged into an alley by several police who beat him up . He ended up at the hospital . '' The heavy security was a response to a second weekend in a row of anonymous calls by organizers for a pro-democracy demonstration in Beijing . Hundreds of Chinese police officers along with more than 120 vehicles flooded Beijing 's central pedestrian shopping area , Wangfujing , on Sunday , around the site of a second attempted `` jasmine '' rally inspired by pro-democracy protests in Tunisia . There was no sign of protest as the police deployed unusual tactics to prevent demonstrations .
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Journalists and the government must see each others ' point of view , the foreign ministry says . Reporters including CNN 's Eunice Yoon and Jo Ling Kent were roughed up on Sunday . They were trying to cover a planned anti-government protest . Heavy police presence dissuaded demonstrators .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The United Nations on Monday accused Belarus of defying an arms embargo against Ivory Coast by delivering three attack helicopters to the disputed president of the West African nation . A spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that the helicopters and other related materiel `` are reportedly being delivered at Yamoussoukro , '' the nation 's capital , for Laurent Gbagbo 's forces . Ban is pushing for an urgent meeting of the U.N. Security Council on the matter , the spokesman said . `` The first delivery arrived reportedly on a flight which landed this -LRB- Sunday -RRB- evening and additional flights are scheduled for Monday , '' the spokesman said in a statement . U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said Monday afternoon that U.N. officials on the ground in Ivory Coast were unable to confirm whether the delivery was made , saying they were forced to withdraw from the airport before they were able to verify the report . U.N. officials later said that the team sent to investigate the possible breach of sanctions was fired upon Monday by local security forces in the Ivory Coast . Gbagbo , the nation 's incumbent leader , is clinging to the presidency despite an international call for him to step down after an electoral commission declared challenger Alassane Ouattara the winner of a November election . The deliveries violate an arms embargo that has been in place since 2004 , Ban 's spokesman said . Andrei Savinykh , a spokesman for the Belarusian Foreign Ministry , vehemently denied the allegation , calling it part of a campaign of `` lies and slander '' against Belarus . A `` destructive information attack is being carried out '' against Belarus , said Savinykh , according to the Belarus state-run Belta news agency . Violence in Ivory Coast escalated sharply over the past week , after four African heads of state left Abidjan . They had been given a mandate by the African Union to find a `` binding solution '' to the post-election crisis in Ivory Coast . Gbagbo and Ouattara supporters have clashed in the central cities , Yamoussoukro and Daoukro , in addition to ongoing fighting in Abidjan . Ouattara is holed up in the Golf hotel in Abidjan under the protection of U.N. peacekeepers . CNN 's Maxim Tkachenko and Joe Vaccarello contributed to this report .
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NEW : A U.N. team sent to investigate the possible breach of sanctions is fired upon . A spokesman for the government of Belarus denies breaking the embargo . The secretary-general is pushing for an urgent meeting of the U.N. Security Council . A spokesman for Ban Ki-moon says the first helicopter reportedly arrived Sunday .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Authorities imposed curfews and limited access to city centers across Iraq as thousands of protesters demanded economic progress and an end to corruption , police said . Demonstrators were reported to be gathering in Baghdad , Basra , Nineveh , Anbar and Salaheddin . The developments follow weeks of demonstrations across the country by protesters angry about unemployment , poor basic services , corruption and a lack of freedom . At least 13 people died in protests on February 25 . `` Liar , liar , Nuri al-Maliki , '' some protesters were heard shouting in Baghdad . `` Al-Maliki has become like Saddam , '' others said , referring to former leader Saddam Hussein . `` We have elected you to protect us and not to kill us , '' one banner said . After an emergency cabinet meeting on Sunday , Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki gave government ministers 100 days to deliver results and eliminate corruption or be fired . `` We live in a country rich with oil , yet we do n't have jobs , '' demonstrators said . `` The oil for the people and not for thieves . '' In Baghdad , police imposed a ban on the movement of vehicles across the city , forcing protesters to walk several kilometers to Tahrir Square . Still several thousands gathered there after Friday prayers .
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Demonstrators gather in Iraqi cities after Friday prayers . Authorities impose curfews to limit access to city centers . At least 13 people died in protests a week ago .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- More than 20 % of patients who received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator -- a high-tech device that produces electrical impulses to regulate heartbeats and prevent life-threatening arrhythmias -- in recent years were not good candidates to receive the device , a new study suggests . Researchers at Duke University looked at more than 111,000 patients who received ICD implants between 2006 and 2009 . More than 25,000 of those patients did not meet evidence-based criteria for receiving the device , according to the study . The risk of dying in the hospital was significantly higher for patients who received the ICD but did not meet the criteria , and 1 out of 121 patients in this category experienced complications following the implant , the study found . According to Dr. Sana Al-Khatib , lead researcher of the study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association , ICDs often are recommended as a primary prevention tactic for patients who are at high risk for a cardiac arrest or life-threatening arrhythmia , but who have not yet suffered from these symptoms . However , the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services -LRB- CMS -RRB- , an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services , has issued a `` decision memo '' stating that only people having certain serious heart conditions or cardiac histories are suitable candidates for ICDs . The memo further states that patients must meet numerous other qualifications relating to clinical trials and not have certain serious diseases or conditions that would lower the implant 's efficacy or the patient 's likelihood of long-term survival . Dr. Ralph Brindis , president of the American College of Cardiology , said in a statement that the Duke University findings will have `` major implications . '' `` The study indicates that there are substantial variations among hospital ICD implantation strategies , '' Brindis said . `` This variation clearly demonstrates an opportunity for improvement in care . '' Dr. Robert Michler , chairman of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at Montefiore-Einstein Heart Center , said the data should act as a `` wake-up call '' for physicians , surgeons and patients . `` Doctors are well-intentioned , but not all doctors should be determining the use of what is a very sophisticated therapy , '' Michler says . He says that in this case electophysiologists should be making the final determination if the patient needs the device . Even with the current guidelines , Al-Khatib said , some patients may fall into a gray zone and that each physician needs to use clinical judgment to make recommendations . `` Deviating from the guideline are acceptable in various circumstances , '' she said . `` But 20 % is a significant amount of deviation . '' Al-Khatib found that many patients who were being implanted with the ICDs had recently experienced arrhythmias or cardiac arrests . She said the time factor might explain the study 's finding of an increase in deaths among implant patients who did not meet CMS criteria . `` These patients were sicker to begin with . They were in a period where they were more prone to complications , '' Al-Khatib said . `` The physicians have n't had the time to optimize the patients ' medical therapy before subjecting them to this surgery . '' Another possible explanation for the higher incidence of death might have been be whether the cardiologists who performed the implant were electrophysiologists . These specialists have additional training in the diagnosis and treatment of abnormal heart rhythms and were less likely to implant an ICD in a patient who did not meet evidence-based criteria , the study found .
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A federal health agency has a set of guidelines for evaluating implant candidates . Duke University study : More than 20 % of implant recipients were n't good candidates . Among those patients , the risk of dying in the hospital was significantly higher . Findings will have `` major implications , '' the president of a cardiologists ' group says .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- An Indiana infant who was denied a life-saving transplant surgery by Medicaid will now have his operation paid for . MDwise , Inc. and AmeriHealth Mercy of Indiana announced Friday that they will cover six-month-old Seth Petreikis ' thymus tissue transplant after Medicaid denied his parents original claim . Two appeals to the state 's Family and Social Service Administration had also been denied . This decision comes after media reports of Seth 's plight . After having an open heart surgery at about 2 1/2 weeks , doctors diagnosed Seth with Complete DiGeorge Syndrome , a rare disease that leaves him with no immune system . Dr. M. Louise Market pioneered the surgery at Duke Hospital in North Carolina -- the only doctor at the only hospital in the United States that performs the surgery . Duke Hospital has done 60 thymus transplants in patients with DiGeorge Syndrome , and approximately 75 % of them survived . Without this transplant , Seth would face serious infections that would surely end his life . Tim and Becky Petreikis from Dyer , Indiana , were told the cost of the surgery would be $ 350,000 to $ 500,000 -- a cost they told CNN they could not afford . Seth 's health care is covered by Indiana Medicaid , but this treatment was originally denied because the surgery was considered experimental . Investigational treatments are not covered by Medicaid . `` Based on Seth 's unique and compelling story , we believe making a compassionate allowance in this case is appropriate , '' said Caroline Carney Doebbeling , the MDwise chief medical officer , in a press release . MDwise chief marketing officer Jamie Bruce told CNN in a telephone interview that instance likes this do n't happen often . `` It is a rare thing . We have not had a case this unique before . This is the first instance in the state of Indiana that someone has had this condition , '' Bruce said . Bruce said that MDwise came to a decision to cover Seth 's transplant mid-day Friday . Seth 's father said that MDWise called his wife Becky directly Friday afternoon and told her that their son 's surgery would be covered . Petreikis said she was so happy she just started crying . `` I am so , so , so grateful , '' he said , adding that he is beyond excited . `` The thing that makes America great is we pull together when others are in need , '' the father said . The family set up a website and bank account asking for donations to help them afford Seth 's surgery . After only two days , $ 150,000 was raised . The Petreikises told CNN that because Seth 's surgery is covered in full now , all of the money will be going to a foundation to get the procedure deemed non-experimental so that other families and children can be helped . They added that they are overwhelmed with gratitude and thankful to the state of Indiana . Seth 's father said that Seth will have heart surgery in February to have a shunt replaced . After recovering , he will go to North Carolina where he will hopefully have his thymus transplant by April .
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Medicaid denied coverage for Seth Petreikis ' surgery . Infant will go to Duke in North Carolina next year . `` I am so , so , so grateful , '' father says .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- German car manufacturer Mercedes completed a takeover of the rebranded Brawn GP Formula One team on Monday , after its parent company Deimler acquired all remaining shares from team principal Ross Brawn and his management partners . In collaboration with its largest shareholder Aabar , Deimler purchased the remaining 24.9 % of the team , which is now known as Mercedes GP . German corporation Deimler initially bought a 45.1 % share of the team when it was called Brawn GP in November 2009 , and that stake has now risen to 60 % . Aabar , a global investment company owned by the Abu Dhabi government , now owns 40 % of Mercedes GP . `` Daimler and Aabar 's acquisition of the remaining 24.9 % stake will be a further step in the consolidation and strengthening of our team for the future , '' Brawn told the official F1 website . `` I remain fully committed to our team for the long-term , along with the management team and all of our employees . We all look forward to the challenge of making our team successful , and proudly representing Mercedes-Benz . '' The Brawn GP team competed in the elite motorsport for only one season , after the completion of a management buyout of the Honda Racing team in February 2009 . The 2009 season was a huge success for the British-based team , as they clinched the constructors ' title as well as the drivers ' championship through British racer Jenson Button . The team was renamed Mercedes GP for the 2010 campaign , and achieved a fourth-place finish in the constructors ' standings . The German duo of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher and 25-year-old Nico Rosberg will once again race for the team in 2011 . Elsewhere , last year 's double world champions Red Bull have announced a sponsorship deal with luxury carmaker Infiniti . The Japanese manufacturer , which is parented by Nissan , has a marketing agreement with the British-based marque which will cover the 2011 and 2012 seasons . Infiniti 's logo will now be present on Red Bull 's new RB7 car and their drivers ' overalls . Team principal Christian Horner hailed the new deal and said the agreement will have both commercial and technical benefits for Red Bull . `` The technical wealth and resources that Infiniti have at their disposal through Nissan is quite phenomenal , '' Horner told CNN . `` As an independent team , it was the one piece that Red Bull previously did n't have compared to the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes . So for us , it 's important as a technology partner and a commercial partner . '' German driver Sebastian Vettel became the youngest-ever winner of the drivers ' championship for Red Bull in 2010 , and the 23-year-old will begin the defense of his crown at the Australian Grand Prix on March 27 .
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Mercedes have completed their takeover of the F1 team formerly known as Brawn GP . Mercedes returned to the sport after it purchased part of Brawn GP in late 2009 . World champions Red Bull have announced a sponsorship deal with Infiniti . The Japanese carmaker 's logo will be displayed on Red Bull 's car next season .
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Tucson , Arizona -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- One week after being shot through the head , U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is off the ventilator and breathing on her own through a tracheotomy tube , the University Medical Center of Tucson , Arizona , said Saturday . Giffords , who authorities say was the target of a mass shooting by Jared Lee Loughner that left six dead and another 13 wounded , remains in critical condition . Still , in a statement , the southern Arizona hospital said that her recovery `` continues as planned . '' Another person wounded in the incident , 58-year-old James Tucker , was released from the hospital Saturday , according to the medical center . Two other victims are in good condition at the hospital , while others wounded had been treated and released earlier this week . The Giffords ' development is the latest milestone for a woman who was critically wounded after a bullet went into her skull , through her brain and then back out her skull . Doctors on Saturday morning replaced the breathing tube that ran down her throat with a tracheotomy tube in her windpipe . That procedure protects Giffords ' airway and allows her to breath independently for the first time since her first surgery after the shooting , the medical center said . A feeding tube was also inserted earlier Saturday into Giffords , to make it easier for her to get needed nutrients . The hospital said that such procedures are `` not uncommon '' among intensive care patients suffering serious brain injuries . Police say that a gunman -- who they claim is Loughner , a 22-year-old Tucson resident -- killed several others in a Safeway parking lot in Tucson while trying to assassinate Giffords , who was then holding a constituent meeting . A law enforcement source said Saturday that Loughner had photographed himself posing with a 9mm handgun while wearing a red G-string . It 's not clear when the photo was taken , but it was among those on a roll of 35 mm film that Loughner dropped off at a Walgreen 's store in the hours before the shooting rampage . The Safeway where the shooting ocurred reopened Saturday morning for the first time since the incident . Store officials made a public address announcement inviting those who were in the store to step outside for the observation shortly after 10 a.m. MT -LRB- 12 p.m. ET -RRB- . Some in the crowd approached flower-bedecked barricades marking the scene and placed flowers . One woman , comforted by another in a green Safeway store apron , sobbed as she attempted to place a lighted candle and a handmade card reading , `` God Loves You . '' A wreath was placed at the site to honor the victims , Safeway spokeswoman Susan Houghton said . Damage to the store has been completely repaired , she said . Dr. Michael Lemole , the hospital 's chief of neurosurgery , said Friday that Giffords is `` beginning to carry out a more complex sequence '' of activity . `` We 're confident -LRB- Giffords -RRB- is making progress now , '' he said . `` We could n't have hoped for anything better given the severity of -LRB- her -RRB- injury . '' In a Friday Twitter post , Giffords ' husband , NASA astronaut Mark Kelly , thanked his `` great followers '' for their support . `` GG has been improving each day , '' he said . Those killed in last Saturday 's attack included a 9-year-old girl , Christina Green ; Arizona 's chief federal judge , John Roll ; and Gabe Zimmerman , a Giffords staffer . Meanwhile , the investigation into the attack continued as authorities on Friday released a detailed timeline of Loughner 's activity in the hours before the shooting . A day earlier , they found a bag that is believed to belong to Loughner and contains the same kind of ammunition as was used in the massacre . DNA testing on the bag , which contained seven boxes of 9mm ammunition , could take up to 10 days before the results are determined , according to Pima County Sheriff 's Department Capt. Chris Nanos . CNN 's Alan Silverleib , Bill Mears , Ted Barrett , Steve Dolce , Susan Candiotti , Greg Morrison and Greg Botelho contributed to this report .
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NEW : Giffords is off the ventilator and breathing on her own , the hospital says . NEW : Three people injured in shooting are still hospitalized , after the release of James Tucker . The grocery store outside of which the shooting occurred reopened on Saturday .
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London -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- A British Airways employee was found guilty Monday of four terror-related charges , including plotting to blow up an airplane , a court in London said . Rajib Karim , 31 , worked as a software engineer for British Airways in the northern English city of Newcastle . He used his position to pass on information to al Qaeda 's affiliate in Yemen , including to U.S.-born radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki , jurors in the four-week-long trial in London were told . Karim , who was arrested last year , admitted offering himself for terrorist operations , making a jihadi recruitment video and fundraising for terrorism , but denied knowing that information he gave al-Awlaki would be used for terrorism . Prosecutors said he passed on information that would have been useful for terrorists plotting to blow up a plane and also information that could have been used to help plan a `` disruptive '' cyber attack on British Airways . Al-Awlaki is thought to be hiding out in Yemen , and was recently described by U.S. President Barack Obama 's counterterror chief , Michael Leiter , as posing a bigger threat to the U.S. homeland than Osama bin Laden . A key part of the prosecution case was a series of heavily encrypted messages between al-Awlaki and Karim , in which al-Awlaki pressed for information about Karim 's job and his knowledge of airport security . `` I pray that Allah may grant us a breakthrough through you ... can you please specify your role in the airline industry , how much access do you have to airports , what information do you have on the limitations and cracks in present airport security systems ? '' Karim replied : `` The kuffar -LRB- a derogatory term for non-Muslims -RRB- are planning to install full body scanners across UK airports . This allows them to see things under clothes . '' But he warned al-Awlaki to be realistic : `` You are probably hoping that I work at the airport , but the fact is I do n't . I personally know two brothers , one who works in baggage handling at Heathrow and another who works in airport security . Both are good practising brothers and sympathize towards the cause of the mujahedeen . '' Replying , al-Awlaki got straight to the point : . `` Our highest priority is the U.S. Anything there , even on a smaller scale compared to what we may do in the UK , would be our choice . So the question is : with the people you have is it possible to get a package or person with a package on board a flight heading to the U.S. ? '' Karim , who was born in Bangladesh and is now a British citizen , had been in the UK three years at that point , prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw said . CNN terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank said this communication confirmed what U.S. intelligence officials had been saying for some time : `` This trial has presented Awlaki not only as the charismatic driving force behind al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula but also a key operational figure in the group , a guy who is orchestrating plots against the West . '' The exchange of messages took place in January 2010 and February 2010 , just weeks after AQAP was blamed for a failed bomb attack on a Delta Airlines transatlantic flight from Amsterdam to Detroit . Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab , a 23-year-old Nigerian man , had trained with AQAP in Yemen before attempting to detonate explosives sewn into his underpants , according to U.S. officials . AQAP has also been widely blamed by western intelligence officials for twin foiled attacks on cargo aircraft last October . One device , hidden in a printer cartridge and described as `` viable '' by British officials , was uncovered on a UPS plane after it landed at East Midlands airport in the United Kingdom . The other -- also hidden in a printer cartridge - was found on a FedEx plane at Dubai airport . British investigators say they have no evidence that links Karim to either of these plots . They describe him as `` dedicated to the terrorist cause , '' though they say there was no imminent danger of him launching an attack himself . Police have also refused to say where the original tip-off about Karim came from , saying only , `` We had some information that made him of interest to us . '' Karim is due to be sentenced March 18 .
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Rajib Karim gave information to radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki , a court finds . Al-Awlaki was seeking to blow up a plane in the United States , decrypted e-mails show . Karim admitted to other terror-related charges . He will be sentenced March 18 .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The number of people missing after flash floods swept cars off roads in the eastern Australian city of Toowoomba rose to more than 70 on Monday , with eight people confirmed dead , police in the state of Queensland reported . The latest flooding hit Toowoomba , about 125 kilometers -LRB- 80 miles -RRB- west of the state capital Brisbane and considerably south of other areas hit by recent floods . The Queensland Police Service confirmed that 72 people are now missing in the areas of Toowoomba and Lockyer Creek , and Chantelle Rule-Murphy , spokesperson for Emergency Management Queensland , said eight people have now been confirmed dead . iReport : Are you there ? Share your photos , video . Toowoomba is the biggest inland city in Queensland , a region that was already reeling from one of the worst floods in its history . Authorities there are conducting several search-and-rescue operations , and Australia 's military has committed four helicopters to those efforts , Rule-Murphy said . `` A lot of places are in high alert and we still expect a good deal of rain , so we are still not out of the woods yet , '' Queensland police spokesman Ben Tracy said . Since November 30 , the seasonal flooding in Queensland has caused rivers to spill over their banks and reach record levels . At least 200,000 people have been affected , and heavy rains are expected to continue moving into Tuesday . CNN 's John Raedler contributed to this report .
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NEW : 72 people are now missing in latest Australia flooding . Eight people have been confirmed dead and 11 injured , police say . Prolonged flooding in northeast Australia has affected at least 200,000 people . Toowoomba is Queensland 's biggest inland city .
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-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Tregg Duerson , his face drawn and his eyes exhausted , expressed confusion and dismay about many of the details surrounding his father 's suicide last week . But he is sure about one thing . `` I wish I knew more answers . All I can do is trust what he 's told me ... what he asked me to do with his brain , '' Duerson said . Last week , David Duerson , a 50-year-old former player for the NFL 's Chicago Bears , committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest . The details remain hazy , but family members believe that Duerson avoided injuring his brain so that it could be tested for disease . In the coming months , a group of scientists at the Boston University School of Medicine will scour his brain tissue for evidence of an insidious disease among footballers called chronic traumatic encephalopathy . `` That has to take a lot of strength and a lot of courage to do that , '' said Otis Wilson , Duerson 's best friend and former Bears teammate . `` To donate your brain and the way that things went down . He 's always been a strong person on and off the field , and even at the end , he 's trying to help someone . '' Warner : Playing through concussion ` part of the game ' Although Duerson did not say explicitly that he suspected chronic traumatic encephalopathy , his ex-wife said he knew that `` something was not right . '' Recently , his vision had been failing him ; so had his ability to form coherent sentences and spell . And there was piercing pain on the left side of his brain . `` He felt the left side of his brain was the cause of many of his problems that he was experiencing , '' said Duerson 's ex-wife , Alicia Duerson . The disease is associated with depression , cognitive problems and suicidal thoughts -- all of which Duerson seemed to suffer before his death . Dr. Robert Stern , a co-director of the Boston University School of Medicine Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy , stressed that as of now , `` We have no idea whether he had a disease . '' It will be months before scientists can confirm whether Duerson 's cognitive and emotional problems were related to chronic traumatic encephalopathy . Once a brain is donated , Stern gets to work , quizzing the donors ' family members to get an accurate picture of the person 's health , behavior changes and the amount of brain trauma he or she suffered . At the same time , Dr. Ann McKee , a neurologist and co-director of the center , examines thin slivers of the donor 's brain and spinal cord tissue under a powerful microscope . '' -LRB- McKee -RRB- does her determination of brain tissue without knowing much about the individual history and symptoms , '' Stern said . `` So it does n't bias her interpretation of the brain exam findings . '' What McKee has found in most of the brains she has examined is a central nervous system riddled with brown tangles -- damage characteristic of chronic traumatic encephalopathy -- in athletes with evidence of repeated brain trauma . Of more than 40 brains studied at Boston University , more than three-quarters have shown evidence of the disease . `` It is quite striking to see case after case , especially the ones who took many years of brain trauma , to find this in nearly every one , '' said Chris Nowinski , co-director of the Boston University center . Alicia Duerson said her ex-husband suffered countless concussions on the field . `` Sometimes he would come home -LRB- from football games -RRB- with extreme headaches , '' she said . `` We would meet after the game , and he would want me to drive because he felt dizziness or he just did n't feel stable . '' Concussions , and traumatic brain injuries generally , have been implicated as a prime factor in chronic traumatic encephalopathy . It is a fact that has dogged the National Football League , which , for its part , has implemented more rigorous testing of players and rules changes to combat the trend . NFL head hits may mean sideline exams . The NFL has also expressed an interest in sharing donated brain tissue , in cases such as Duerson 's , so that it can perform analysis of brain tissue in conjunction with institutions like Boston University . The league is seeking collaboration among experts studying the disease and is partnering with the National Institutes of Health and the University of Pennsylvania for more eyes , so to speak , on the issue . `` More people looking at this might give us a better answer , '' said Dr. Richard Ellenbogen , co-chairman of the NFL Head , Neck and Spine Medical Committee . `` We are taking this very seriously , and accelerating research on -LRB- the disease -RRB- will help get us more insight . '' For Duerson 's family , the first clue that something was wrong came by way of a cryptic text : `` a bizarre text message that he sent to my mother saying that he loved her and he loved my family and to please get his brain to the NFL brain bank , '' Tregg Duerson said . If the text at first seemed mysterious , the same wish echoed by Duerson in a suicide note seemed to cement his resolve . It contained a simple , haunting final request : `` Please , see that my brain is given to the NFL 's brain bank . '' Despite the chilling details of Duerson 's suicide last week -- and the questions still looming -- his family and friends cling to the hope that something good will come of their pain . `` It gives us a lot of comfort knowing that something positive and something great is going to come out of this for future players , for little leaguers , for everyone , '' Alicia Duerson said of her ex-husband 's suicide . `` I think that is what we 're holding on to as a family . ... We 're just so proud of him at this very moment . '' As difficult as it is to think about his friend 's demise , Wilson said he hopes that it will all make sense someday and that something substantive will happen as a result of Duerson 's donation . `` And once they find out what the cause is ... that the NFL takes a stand and says , ` OK , we 're going to try to alleviate this problem , because if you do n't , then all this was for nothing , '' Wilson said .
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David Duerson , former NFL player , shot himself in the chest last week . Duerson requested that his brain be donated to test for disease . NFL has joined fight against chronic traumatic encephalopathy . Scientists at Boston University will study his brain tissue .
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